Sign of the Dragon (Tatsu Yamada Book 1)

by Niall Teasdale

  It only took a few minutes for the stripping process to happen. Then a robotic arm extended down from the ceiling, dipping into the tank and returning a minute or so later with what was obviously Tatsu’s brain case. It was a metallic, brain-shaped lump containing what was, when it came down to it, the real Tatsu Yamada. On its underside were a couple of connectors, currently without anything connected to them. Two smaller ones dimpled the front of the case.

  ‘The underside connectors handle the main data feeds from the body,’ Izanami explained, ‘and the support feeds. Oxygen and nutrients in, waste and carbon dioxide out. The two connectors at the front are the feeds from the eyes.’

  The arm lifted the brain case across to the new body. Smaller manipulators lifted cables out of the chassis and began locking them in place.

  ‘And that’s what I’d be,’ Mika said. ‘A brain in a metal case.’

  ‘Yes,’ Izanami replied. ‘Though I’d argue that what you are now is a brain in a bony case. Your chassis is organic instead of synthetic. What is you moves on into a cybernetic state.’

  ‘I suppose that’s true…’

  With the connectors locked in, the case was locked into the chassis and, for the first time, Tatsu looked almost complete. ‘Now for the messy part,’ Izanami said, and several metal limbs extended up from the base of the cylinder dragging hoses with them. Almost immediately, they began spraying semi-transparent gelatinous material over various parts of the skeletal frame. There was little wastage, but some of it did end up glued to the cylinder walls, dribbling down before setting into streaks. Sachiko began giggling. ‘It is a little funny,’ Izanami admitted.

  ‘It looks like something out of a hentai,’ Sachiko said. ‘It’s even got tentacles spewing the goo.’

  Mika began giggling too. ‘I have no idea what you mean, of course,’ she said, ‘but you’re right.’ Her brother’s cheeks coloured, probably at the thought of his sister watching hentai. ‘How does it know what shape it’s supposed to be?’ Mika asked.

  ‘Nanomachines,’ Izanami replied. ‘The answer is always nanomachines. Except when it’s not. The gel contains nanobots which collectively know how they’re supposed to form up.’

  ‘So I see,’ Sachiko said. Two of the sprayers were pouring large quantities of goo out over Tatsu’s chest and, against what one might expect given gravity and physics in general, breasts were forming. Sachiko started giggling harder.

  She just about had herself under control when the colour of the goo changed, and it was apparent that the skin was now being formed. Once the skull was covered, another arm extended from above and began pressing hair into place, rapidly forming Tatsu’s usual style. It took about five minutes before they were all looking at a stark-naked cyborg who looked far too real and detailed for Nakano. He turned his back.

  The arms withdrew and the cylinder was lifted upward into the ceiling. Tatsu opened her eyes, looked around as though checking that everything was working, and then stepped down from the platform. ‘Anyone would think he’s never seen a naked woman before,’ she said.

  ‘He’s being a gentleman,’ Mika replied.

  ‘Mm. So, what did you think? Has this scared you off? Either of you?’

  ‘Not me,’ Sachiko said. ‘I don’t really care what’s under that skin. Except for the part in the brain case. That’s important too.’

  ‘Good so far. Mika?’

  ‘I think… I think I’m ready to do it. It’s a little scary, but the alternative is scarier, and that… That wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Izanami said. ‘I’m so glad that you’re willing to choose life over a silly societal prejudice.’

  ‘Yes,’ Nakano said in a voice so low it was obviously not meant to be heard.

  ‘Since you have decided to go through with it,’ Izanami went on, ‘would you like one of these chassis?’

  ‘What?’ Mika asked.

  ‘Not exactly the same. A more commercial model with less armour, but the same self-repair systems. Frankly, Tatsu needs it far more than you do, but it would be a service to me to give a more civilian view of the operability of the new system. Two testers are better than one.’

  Nakano forgot the naked Tatsu for long enough to turn around. ‘You’d do that? It would be safe?’

  ‘I would do that, and it would be safe. This is more like customer testing than beta testing. I want to be sure the technology holds up in real-life situations, including the stress Tatsu will undoubtedly put it through.’

  ‘Anyone would think I tried to get damaged,’ Tatsu muttered.

  ‘But more normal use would also be informative. And Mika is a first-time user who will likely give opinions Tatsu, more used to the circumstances, would not.’

  ‘I’d love to do it,’ Mika said, her eyes shining. ‘I’d love to help Izanami develop a new technology. That’s like… I don’t know, but it’s good. It’s exciting.’

  Tatsu turned, starting for the ‘backstage’ area where she had left her clothes. Nakano remembered she was naked and quickly turned his back. ‘You say that now, Mika,’ Tatsu said, ‘but just you wait until she’s turning up on Sundays to grill you about your social life.’

  ‘I am not that bad!’ Izanami almost shrieked.

  ‘Says you.’

  ###

  About the Author

  I was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.

  Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.

  I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote science fiction when I was playing Traveller. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still love the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.

  Recently I took the big step of quitting my day job and taking up full-time writing. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, J.D. Robb, and Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.

  For More Information

  Take a look at the Witches and Ray-guns blog: http://witchesandrayguns.wordpress.com

  Links to book vendors and other information can be found there, along with a view on what I’m up to and when it might happen.

  Other Books by this Author

  The Thaumatology Series

  Thaumatology 101

  Demon’s Moon

  Legacy

  Dragon’s Blood

  Disturbia

  Hammer of Witches

  Eagle’s Shadow

  Ancient

  Dragonfall

  The Other Side of Hell

  For
Whom the Wedding Bells Toll

  Vengeance

  Anthologies in the Thaumatology Universe

  Tales from High Towers’ Study

  Tales from the Dubh Linn

  The Aneka Jansen Books

  Steel Beneath The Skin

  The Cold Steel Mind

  Steel Heart

  The Winter War

  The Greatest Heights of Honour

  The Lowest Depths of Shame

  Hope

  The Ultrahuman Books

  Ugly

  Shadows

  Hunting Mink

  Frostburn

  Guardian

  True Dark

  Liberty

  Royal Flush

  The Unobtainium Books

  Kate on a Hot Tin Roof

  King Solamet’s Mines

  The Fox Meridian Books

  Fox Hunt

  Inescapable

  DeathWeb

  Criminal Minds

  Emergence

  The Ghost in the Doll

  Eden Burning

  Dominance

  The Hellas Find

  Dancing with The Devil

  Overwatch – coming in 2021

  The Princeps Venator Books

  Hunter’s Kiss

  Be My Valentine

  Blood Magic

  The Misfits Series

  Misfit Magic

  Misfit Witchcraft

  The Twilight Empress Trilogy

  The Iron Princess

  The Last Emperor – coming when it’s ready

  The Death’s Handmaiden Series

  Death’s Handmaiden

  Bitter Wind

  Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions

  The Tatsu Yamada Series

  Sign of the Dragon

  Other

  Reality Hack

  The Zanari Inheritance

  The Vanity Case

  The Eyes of the Huntress

  Gunwitch: Rebirth

  The Girl Who Dreamed of a Different World

  Age of Atlantis: Return

  The Empress’s Mage

  Sign of the Dragon – coming April 2021