Megami Joushou

Gotta soapbox for a minute~

It was recently brought to my attention that some people view Megami as a "Mary Sue." To that I can only say, "Have you read the story?" If you read it and hate it, that's cool... But if you don't even give it a chance because of some preconceived notion you've developed, then I don't care about your opinion. Depending on who you ask, she may or may not be a Sue. She is who she is, and the character's so bare-bones as it is that I don't really see many changes I can make. Only a couple, really, which have been made. If you see some way that the story can be better, then TELL ME! I'm not omniscient. Not in a million years did I ever imagine Meg to be a Sue until someone TOLD ME. I really do appreciate constructive reviews, even if they're negative. I won't bite your head off if you have a good reason for saying what you have to say, and you're polite about it.

The only reason why I made my penname "Megami Membrane" is so that people would remember me as the person who wrote "Goddess Rising," since AFF fucking deleted my first account and I could never reclaim it. Go down to the beginning of this section and take a gander at the original "Goddess Rising" that ends at, like, chapter 7 or something. See how it's not attributed to any author? I'm never getting that story back. I never used the name because I likened myself to Megami :P She's not at all like me and is not someone I particularly would want to be. Not because she's a bad person, but because she has qualities that someone of her age typically has, like impulsiveness, and I would not like to deal with the repercussions of those qualities.

And so, onto the story...

************************

The sun had almost been covered when Megami returned home. She hoped with all her might that Membrane wasn't back from work yet... He usually returned late, but knowing her luck he'd clear out his agenda for the night to lecture her.

When she climbed over the backyard fence and made to crawl back into her bedroom window, something silvery caught her eye from the rooftop. Perking up her antennae and squinting, she was greeted with GIR's own special brand of babbling. Megami cursed, wondering how the hell the robot had got it in his head to climb all the way to the roof... But when she hoisted herself up on to the slightly slanted formica surface, she was met with a surprise.

Valerie was sitting near the apex, looking longingly at the stars, and feeding GIR little crackers as if he were a pet dog. When Meg stepped up and stood on the edge of the roof, she turned and smiled. "I'm glad you're home, honey."

At first, Megami couldn't find words. Her heart ached a bit when she recalled the callous way she had treated her 'mother' the night before. She was not burdened with the stress of a reply, however, as Valerie simply patted the ground next to her. Wordlessly, Meg complied.

After her cracker supply was exhausted, Valerie pulled GIR into her lap and opened the lid atop his head. "Let's see if you're still in good repair," she said absentmindedly as she tinkered with pieces here and there.

"Are you gonna make me EXPLODE?!" GIR cried in excitement, clapping his hands.

Laughing, Valeried replied, "Not today, GIR. You have to take care of Megami, remember?"

"No..."

After quietly watching for a few moments, Meg finally spoke. "Mama... Is GIR a S.I.R. unit?"

Wide-eyed, Valerie looked up at her daughter. "What?! Whoever told you that?!"

"Just answer the question, mama. Yes or no." When an answer did not immediately spring to her lips, Meg plowed on, "That's really all the answer I need. Your reaction to the question was enough."

Biting her lip, Valerie absorbed herself in messing with GIR's mechanics.

"Dib fell in love with an Irken."

"Yes..." Valerie sighed. "Gaz told me you were nosing around my computer." Flashing her daughter a stern look, she lectured, "I don't appreciate that at all, and I don't appreciate the way you treated me last night."

Offense rising in her chest, Megami cried, "YOU?! YOU don't appreciate ME trying to finally find out the TRUTH?! What about ME? What about MY feelings?!"

"Megami--?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me I was Irken?!"

Valerie blanched. Her mouth dropped open, and she stammered, "How-- Who-- When--"

"Why?!"

Tears immediately jumped to Valerie's eyes. "Did I not do a good enough job?! Did I not give you all the opportunities I possibly could?!"

"This isn't ABOUT your abilities a a mother!" Megami cried, slamming her hands on the ground. "This is about you-- and Gaz, and Papaw-- hiding things from me! And WHY?! I don't understand WHY."

"If anyone on this planet knew you were Irken, can you even imagine what could happen to you?!" Valerie rebuffed, her voice cracking. "To them, you are the ENEMY. And they don't care who you are or what you've done. They would kick you out of Nirvana, imprison you, or even worse--"

"Then why even bother to keep me?!"

"Megami!!"

Even Meg was crying now. "I'm obviously such a horible burden to you..."

"Stop that!" Valerie sobbed, grabbing Meg's shoulders. "Never say that to me again! Not once did I ever consider you a burden! From the day your father placed you in my arms--" she abruptly stopped speaking, looking wildly at her daughter.

"My-- father?!" Meg cried, grabbing Valerie's outstretched arms. "You knew him? He GAVE me to you?!"

"Oh, Oh, Oh Megami..." Valerie coverd her mouth, tears renewed. "I've said too much. I'm sorry, I've said too much..."

"No! No! Please Valerie!" Megami pulled on her mother's arms, bordering on hysteria. "Please tell me about my father!"

"I can't. I can't..." Quickly wiping tears from her eyes, she began working on GIR again.

"Mama!"

Valerie did not respond, only furiously began to push buttons.

"I can't BELEIVE... I can't believe you're doing this to me! Mama!"

GIR suddenly shut down, falling limp against Valerie's chest.

"I made a few adjustments," she announced, handing the little robot back to its owner. With that, she got to her feet and trotted toward the front of the house, readying to jump down to the ground.

Cuddling GIR to her chest, wrapping him slightly in Dib's coat, Megami looked on at Valerie's back, incredulous. She felt helplessness giving way to hatred, deep down in her heart...

"I always wanted to travel though space, charting all of the stars," Valerie said, so quietly that Meg had to strain to hear. "But once I got out there, was FORCED to live in a ship as it hurtled for God only knows where... My dream... It died inside of me."

"I feel as if a part of me has died," Megami answered, the bitterness plain in her voice.

Turning to Megami, Valerie answered, "Not at all, sweetheart... Your life is just beginning. You'll see." Flashing a smile of reassurance (which, of course, was lost on the girl), Valerie turned and jumped off of the roof.

Meg looked GIR over suspiciously. What had Valerie done to him? Opening his lid, she saw that he was in the process of rebooting. Forcing him to awaken could fry his circuitry boards, so she sighed and closed him up again.

"There you are," Gaz said, peeking up over the roof from Megami's window. "Dad's home. It's time we had a talk."

Meg was filled with dread as she slowly followed her aunt to Membrane's study. When they arrived, Gaz opened the door and ushered Megami inside as if she were an honored guest. Membrane was sitting behind his large oaken desk, fingers intertwined in front of him, face stern.

"Have a seat, Megami," Gaz said, gesturing to one of the two soft loungers before Membrane's desk.

As she sat, Megami asked, "Where's mama?"

"Valerie does not need to be present for this discussion," Membrane stated, his voice betraying nothing, though it was strangely hollow.

Meg's stomach sank. This was going to suck.

Gaz closed the door and sat next to Megami, looking at her father with a set expression.

"The time has come for you to make a decision, Megami," Membrane said calmly. "You can accept all we've given you here: Your job, Your room and board, Your future education, Your name..."

Meg's antennae perked. "...or?"

"Or you can keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong and force us to take an action we don't want to take."

This sounded like a threat. A serious one. "What are you going to do?!" Megami laughed. "Imprison me? Kill me?"

Neither one of them spoke.

"This is a serious matter, Megami," Membrane said as he silenced her with a stern finger. "I am an old man, and before you know it I will be gone and I will need my family to take on my legacy. NIRVANA will need you to continue what I started. And if you continue to participate in this troublemaking, well--"

"'Troublemaking'?!" Meg cried, gripping the arms of her chair. "You act as if I was going around busting out windows! I just wanted to know the truth!"

"What 'truth'?!" Gaz barked, finally turning to face her niece. "Dib's life is none of your concern. You would be much beter off forgetting he ever existed."

"Like you both have?" Meg sniffled. "I've never even MET him and I love him more than the both of you!"

Glaring, Gaz retorted, "Maybe you love him more BECAUSE you never met him."

Meg didn't know how to reply to that. She didn't have to, however, because Papaw broke in. "Now Gaz, we needn't go into this again." His eyes set on Megami. "This isn't up for interpretation or discussion. You obey our rules or... else."

Almost ready to pull out her hair, Meg instead ran her fingers through with frustration. "I-- I just don't get this. I'm sorry I went snooping through mom's computer, okay?! But I don't understand why you're treating me like a criminal!" Tear sprang to her eyes. "You're both ready to-- to have me executed over one little thing!"

"It's a BIG thing, young lady! There are some things you are not meant to toy with! We do not sneak around behind eachother's backs in this house!"

"Bullshit!" Meg spat. "You've been keeping things-- IMPORTANT things a secret from me for years!"

They both had furious looks on their faces, but Megami was saved by an emergency transmission on Membrane's headset. He clicked it on and listened intently for a moment, and then said, "I'll be there in five minutes!"

Standing, Membrane said, "Gaz, there's been a jailbreak. I'll need you to come and help me set up the Commiserator Cannon." Turning to Megami, he said, "We'll continue this discussion when the situation has been handled." Then, just like that, both left, closing the door behind them.

Megami simply sat for a few moments, catching her breath. Innocently assuming she might get a reprimand or even get her terminal priveledges revoked, she went snooping. But Papaw and Gaz were FURIOUS! And moreso than she had ever seen them! Were they aware she knew about her Irken blood? Did they in fact regard her as an enemy, someone who could be a spy for the other side? Probably not-- if Valerie told them then they would assume her loose lips were the cause of Meg's new knowledge (which, in fact, they were). Honestly afraid of what might happen to her next, Meg decided to ask Valerie for help. Unfortunately, when she went to open the door she found it was locked tight.

They had locked her in?! Like an animal! They wanted to make sure she was exactly where they wanted her when they came back with shock collars and handcuffs!

'Don't be ridiculous,' the more rational part of her brain chimed in. 'They just wanted you to sit and think about what you've done while they deal with this situation.'

"The situation at Gaftar!" Meg cried aloud, voice shaking. She had just been there that day! Just an hour before! What if Membrane saw the security camera footage and caught her? What if he thought she had something to do with the jailbreak?! What if she DID have something to do with it, unintentionally? Did she leave a door open or...?

Cuddling GIR close to her, she tugged wildly on the door, trying desperately to pull it loose. But it wouldn't budge an inch. They hadn't just LOCKED the door-- they had sealed it.

What if they start shooting poison gas into the room?! Were they going to suffocate her?!

Sobbing, Megami yanked harder and harder still on the heavy metal doorknob, grabbing it with two hands and finally using a foot for leverage.

"Please! Please! PLEASE!" she choked, hysteria overtaking her.

Suddenly, there was a blinding blue flash and she fell backward on her ass. When the smoke cleared, she saw that the door had been blown off of its hinges. Rather than wonder what had happened, she jumped to her feet and made a run for it. She was out of the front door and halfway down the block before she even thought about a course of action. What could she do? Who could she turn to? She had no real friends... and David couldn't possibly protect her.

She had to leave Nirvana. That was all there was to it. Her "family" no longer wanted her. She didn't belong among humans. And if she didn't escape, Meg was sure she would end up getting killed.

With the jailbreak, the entire colony was on safety lockdown. The streets were empty, but Megami didn't give it a second thought. All she knew for sure was that she had to escape.

When she reached the spaceport, the doors were standing wide open. Though interplanetary transport was available to any citizen, identification and a nominal fee were required. The ticket booth was empty and not a soul was to be found inside the gleaming white walls of the docking area. Megami didn't care if she had to STEAL a personal transport, she would get away from Nirvana!

When she made it outside to the runway, she found a young man cowering behind a luggage cart, hogtied.

"Go back home, Miss Membrane!" the man cried, "There's a crazy Irken on the loose! He'll kill you!"

Smiling at his concern, Megami answered, "I'm not afraid of some stupid Irken." She took off running again across the hot tarmac, not bothering to untie the unfortunate boy. She tried to find a small vessel that would be easy to steal. Sirens were blaring in the distance. She wondered how many Irkens had escaped and if Membrane would be at the spaceport soon, shouting threats again.

"'Ey! Nymphette!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to find a pair of bright red eyes staring at her through the dusk. It was Vermeil, smug as ever, waving a long, thin arm. He was standing next to a staircase leading into a midsized personal cruiser, one families often used for vacations. Relieved to find a friend of any sort at such a frightening time, she approached him.

"Come to see me off?" Verm asked jokingly, gesturing to the ship.

Wraping her arms around herself, still holding GIR close, Megami said, "You're the cause of all this hubbub, huh? Membrane will be here soon to get you. If you try to take off they'll shoot you down."

"I think not," the Prince chuckled. "My diversion is apparently working quite well thus far. By the time they figure out what I've done, it will be far too late. Unless, of course, you plan on ratting me out?" Meg's antennae simply perked, so he finished, "However, time is of the essence, so I must bid you adieu."

"Where... are you going?" Megami plied, her voice a mixture of sadness and curiosity.

Gesturing toward the sky, Vermeil replied, "Same as always... Wherever the wind takes me..."

"Must be nice to have such freedom..."

"Envious?" Vermeil laughed. "I suppose you're the only one who can remedy that, now aren't you?"

A little angry, Megami huffed, "What are you trying to say?"

With a little wave and a wink, Vermeil turned and ran up the stairs, two at a time, and disappeared into the ship. Megami looked on, incredulously, as the lights blinked on and it began to hum. Steam rolled from the exhaust valves, and Megami peered about nervously. Not a soul was in sight. He was really going to get away with this!

The stairway started to rescind into the ship. The door was closing. Megami's heart jumped into her throat. In a few quick strides, she was on the stairs, squeezing into the doorway, and falling against the wall of the entryway.

"Oh myGod. Oh my God. OhmyGod..." She sank to her knees. She was on the ship. It was rumbling. Taking off. Putting GIR on the floor next to her, she curled up into a ball, covered her head, and began to sob.

Within a few short minutes, the rumbling ceased. They had made it into orbit.