Character Studies/Fanfiction: Bugrom Triptych

[rowan_a._seven]

Title:  I, Bugrom
Author:  Rowan A. Seven
Teaser:  A Groucho introspection piece.
Disclaimer:  El-Hazard belongs to AIC and Pioneer.  This story was written for recreational and entertainment purposes.  I’m not making any money off this fanfiction.
Author’s Notes:  This story takes place in the OAV series shortly after “The Alternative World.”  For the sake of this story, please think of the OAV Bugrom and the Wanderers Bugrom as two similar but different races.  Katsuo, by the way, is Groucho’s name in the Japanese version of El Hazard, but for the purposes of this fanfiction I’ve used it as the designation for his Bugrom type.

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Lord God Jinnai has entered his sleeping cycle now.  I’m glad.  His body requires lengthier cycles than we Bugrom do, but he often forces himself to remain alert longer than he should so the day’s work can be finished.  I know it’s all for the Hive, but he should take better care of himself.  Without him, where would we be?  Where would I be?

I’m watching him now, standing guard over his bedside.  I know he would prefer I be out doing something more constructive, more useful in the overall scheme of things, and once there was a time when I would have.  Now though, I worry about him and want to make sure he’s safe.  Hence my current vigil.  

Lord God Jinnai is not motionless and silent in his sleep cycle like we are.  He tosses, turns, and mutters the names of people and places.  Some I recognize like Makoto and Nanami, but most are alien to me.  Rarely does his repose look peaceful, and had I not seen what sleep deprivation can do to him on that alternative world I would be sorely tempted to wake him up and face his wrath for doing so.  

This concern, though, worries me.  A lot of my thoughts worry me now.  I have…changed since Lord God Jinnai arrived, and I’m not sure if this change is for the better.  Once, before the last war, I was one of many, no different or better than any other of the Katsuo caste.  The queen was my sole master and wielded absolute authority.  Her orders were to be obeyed, and no questions were ever asked.  I didn’t even bother to ever think about them.  I merely followed.  I was a component of the Hive, I knew my place, and it was as another cog in the machine, easily replaceable with no emotions or feelings at all.  I lived to serve the Hive and that was all.  

Now though, my mind has…evolved.  Being around Lord God Jinnai has introduced me to new concepts and ideas.  He has taught me much.  I understand tactics and ambushes, deceptions and strategies, and can even plan ahead.  Before I lived only in the present, but now I can imagine and look forward to the future.  I can take the initiative and perform unnecessary actions without orders.  This…frightens me.  What if I make a wrong decision?  What if I betray the Bugrom Empire with my actions?  I can question orders now, but should I?

And yet…this newfound sense of self tempts me as well.  There is satisfaction to be found in comprehending Lord God Jinnai’s plans, in knowing that I’ve done a job well, in understanding the world around me and making a difference in it.  I want to do more for the Hive and Lord God Jinnai, and to accomplish this I must continue to learn.   But the more I learn the more dangerous I could become.  I doubt myself.  

Still, my evolved mental state does have potential advantages that might outweigh the risks.  Come the next invasion, Lord God Jinnai will be able to accomplish much more in less time if he and I can coordinate attacks.  Indeed, even the reconstruction of the Bugrom Empire could be hastened if he and I oversaw different parts of the process instead of the sole directorship Lord God Jinnai currently fills.  Do I not have an obligation as a loyal servant of the Hive to do everything I can for the Queen and Hive mind?  Am I not indebted to help Lord God Jinnai to the best of my ability?

I owe him…much.  Lord God Jinnai is the cause of my mental evolution.  Uncertain as I am about its merits and what it means, I still feel grateful to him for this.  Gift or curse, it has given me the chance-no, the choice to be a more effective and useful bugrom.  Therefore, come what may, I will continue to follow him no matter where the path leads.  He is my lord.  More than that, he is my…friend.

Friendship.  For some reason, I am pleased by this.  Before Lord God Jinnai, there were only orders, obedience, and coworkers.  Now, there is him, and though he is disparaging and insulting at times, there are also moments when Lord God Jinnai is kind and praising, where we truly seem to have a warm connection.  Through him, I become more than I used to be…more than any bugrom before me, with the exception of the Queen, has ever been.  

I am Groucho of the Katsuo Caste, loyal servant of Queen Diva and aide to the Messenger of God, Lord God Jinnai, no longer because I should be but rather because I want to be.  I am an individual.  I am bugrom.

[rowan_a._seven]

Title:  Royal Responsibilities
Author:  Rowan Seven
Teaser:  A Diva introspection piece.
Disclaimer:  El-Hazard belongs to AIC and Pioneer.  This story was written for recreational and entertainment purposes.  I’m not making any money off this fanfiction.
Author’s Notes:  This story takes place in the OAV series shortly after “The Alternative World.”  For the sake of this story, please think of the OAV Bugrom and the Wanderers Bugrom as two similar but different races.  My take on Diva is a combination of what little information the anime provides, various theories posted on the internet, characterizations of her written by other writers, her analysis in the El-Hazard Role-Playing Game and Resource Book, and my own thoughts on the matter.  

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Duty, faith, and patience:  these are the things that sustain me.  As ruler of the Bugrom Empire, I must continue on no matter what.  All of my subjects depend on me.  Without a queen the Hive would be doomed.  I am the mind, my workers are the body, and though the body is currently severely damaged and limited so long as the head remains intact the Hive will survive.

Truly, I have no choice in the matter.  For over a thousand generations this has been the way of things.  The queen commands and her followers obey.  Nobody has ever questioned this, and nobody ever should.  Under this system we Bugrom have thrived, even with the whole Human Alliance against us and countless attempts to wipe us off the face of the planet.  This isn’t the first time the Bugrom Empire has borne the Eye of God’s fury, and we shall rebuild just like we always do.  The Ancients made us well.

Even now, I am fulfilling my obligations to my people.  Though I will admit to a certain pleasure in fornicating with Mr. Jinnai, despite his initial reluctance, it is all for the Hive.  For me to enter my reproductive cycle and begin the egg laying process, proper stimulus is needed, and should I desire that stimulus be supplied by Mr. Jinnai rather than one of my own workers, it is merely a personal preference that nobody will begrudge me for.  Already I can sense my body forming the eggs and implanting the genetic structures for the various castes in them.  Soon a new generation will be laid and hatch, and the Hive mind will be filled with new voices.  Within a few years we bugrom will number in the thousands again, and we will finally conquer the world of El-Hazard and be safe from our enemies.  This is more than a hopeful dream.  It is fate.

Ages ago, shortly after we first obtained our freedom, the God of this world promised that one day the bugrom would possess dominion over all the lands and all the oceans, from the heights of Mt. Muldoon to the depths of the darkest cave.  A messenger would be sent to lead our armies to victory and usher in this new dawn, and thanks to racial memory my ancestors and I have never forgotten this vow and prophecy, each queen longing for the Advent to take place during her reign.  I am honored that God has chosen mine for this glorious destiny to occur in.

I will admit, though, that the Messenger is not how I pictured him, but in many ways he’s better.  Mr. Jinnai is a brilliant and specialized tool, currently marred by youth and obsession but with staggering and incredible potential.  Flawed as he was at the time, when God first delivered him to us Mr. Jinnai came closer to conquering the entire world in under a month than my ancestors ever have in millennia.  In a way, I am being tested by God to see if I am worthy of this great blessing.  There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Jinnai has the will and intelligence to win this age-old war, but it is up to me to direct his growth in the proper direction and destroy his…impurities.  What Mr. Jinnai will become and guide the Bugrom Empire to in the future is dependent on me, just like the well-being of the Hive.  I will try my best not to disappoint the Creator.

Still, for now patience is required while we bugrom recover.  It is a trait that my ancestors and I possess in abundance.  When the ancient scientists first created us to serve as relentless engines of warfare we were patient, hoping that in time our masters would realize that we were more than biological killing machines.  When we were made obsolete by the creation of demon gods and reduced to slave laborers, we were patient, carefully planning our liberation and hoping for a fortuitous opportunity to present itself.  When we were finally free but constantly threatened by the human remnants and the Eye of God, we were patient, dreaming and waiting for the prophesized Advent to occur and for the Messenger to lead us to victory and into a world where we no longer need fear for our very survival, where we will be the masters and the humans our subjects.

The hour of judgment will soon descend upon these lands, and we bugrom will finally see justice served.  In a way, I almost pity my human counterpart, Princess Rune Venus.  Unable and unwilling to let go of the prejudices of the past and chained to rigid duty and servitude by her constituents and birthright, she shall bear witness to the unmaking of all that her ancestors strived for.  No priestess, no demon god, and no ancient relic, not even the vaunted Eye of God, can defy divine will forever.  Future victory is assured.

I know my responsibilities and am fulfilling them.  Bugrom reproduction is proceeding apace as Mr. Jinnai completes Hive reconstruction.  I am also assisting him in his studies of this world and shaping his character metamorphosis.  My faith is strong and unshakeable.  I know, can feel it in my very essence, that God is on our side.  The prophecy of Advent still rings in my ears and in the recesses of memory.  Patience is not something I lack, and I am quite willing to wait however long it takes for us to be ready for the second war.  

I am Diva, Queen of the Omnipotent Bugrom Empire, and so long as I retain my creed the Human Alliance does not stand a chance.

[rowan_a._seven]

Title:  Messenger’s Monologue
Author:  Rowan Seven
Teaser:  A Jinnai introspection piece.
Disclaimer:  El-Hazard belongs to AIC and Pioneer.  This story was written for recreational and entertainment purposes.  I’m not making any money off this fanfiction.
Author’s Notes:  This story takes place in the OAV series shortly after “The Alternative World.”  For the sake of this story, please think of the OAV Bugrom and the Wanderers Bugrom as two similar but different races.  My depiction of Jinnai is based heavily on his characterization in the first OAV series, his role in the other animated series to a lesser extent, public speculation, my own thoughts, and various works of fanfiction.

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My name is Jinnai Katsuhiko, formerly the Student Council President of Shinonome High School in Japan, presently military leader of the Bugrom Empire, and the future ruler of El-Hazard.  I will realize my destiny and defeat my eternal rival, the accursed Mizuhara Makoto, once and for all!  The Alliance’s armies will fall before my awesome cunning coupled with bugrom might!  I will establish an empire that will stand the test of time, and my name will go down in history as belonging to the man who conquered the world!  God is on my side, and victory is merely a matter of time.  WhahahahaHaHaHaHaHAHAHAHA!!!

Indeed, if it weren’t for the detestable Mizuhara and his tampering with Ifurita, I would’ve already achieved my rightful place in this world.  Though I will admit to a certain…hastiness in acting before I possessed a full understanding of my new surroundings when I first arrived here, at least I was bold enough to seize the opportunity fate presented me with, and despite this early ignorance I was able to adapt to and turn the chaotic state of this planet to my advantage until my eternal rival interfered with my success.  He will pay dearly for that!

Still, the past is the past.  I’m a forward-looking individual by nature, and a few lost battles here and there mean nothing so long as I win the war.  The future, with its many promising possibilities, awaits.  Already I’m planning ahead, formulating training drills and skill education for the next generations of loyal bugrom subjects.  During the last war the Imperial Bugrom Army proved unsuitable to the more…subtle aspects of warfare, but their sheer overwhelming numbers and versatility proved more than enough to balance this flaw out.  However, due to the Eye of God disaster we no longer have the ability to duplicate that feat, and a craftier approach will be needed next time around for triumphant conquest to be attained.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, I will rise to meet this challenge.  The bugrom are fantastic tools and followers, their one weakness being their simplistic mindset, but even this is surmountable for a brilliant leader like myself.  They are loyal, powerful, highly adaptive, and eager.  Their true potential has lain inert and forgotten for ages as they waited for me to arrive, and I have every intention of awakening their sleeping abilities.  Super Bugrom are only the beginning.  Camouflage, poisonous secretions, toxic sprays, radio communication, radar, further biological fusions, and perhaps even parasitism are talents I would not put beyond their range.  All they require to tap into their innate capabilities is the proper leadership, leadership that I shall not hesitate to supply them with.

Queen Diva is another matter.  Her role is vital for the Hive and my control over the bugrom, and the knowledge of this world she possesses is quite useful, but there are times when she…disconcerts me.  Her faith is laudable and I will not disappoint her in that regard, but there is something dangerously…absorbing in her eyes and presence.  I fear that I might lose myself in her and be distracted from my true calling, but fortunately my hate and spite for Mizuhara and sheer ambition have proved to be effective counters.    

My ability to communicate with the bugrom has many side-effects, some of which worry me at times.  My senses have been heightened and increased.  I can detect electromagnetic signals, smell pheromones, hear sounds normally beyond the range of humans, and even see in the ultraviolet range.  Additionally, my mental comprehension rate has been boosted significantly to the point where I can process massive amounts of sensory information and input rapidly.  All this is necessary to understand and communicate with the bugrom, but it is also maddening at times.  All this stimuli, all these sensations, they almost drive me to distraction.  There are moments when I find it difficult to maintain my concentration, to keep my mind focused on the tasks at hand.

Regardless, I will overcome this obstacle just like I shall overcome Mizuhara and the Alliance.  Occasional discomfort is a small price to pay for power, and I’m willing to put up with whatever I have to in order to gain the supremacy I deserve.  God has revealed my destiny to me, and though he tests me at times to make sure I’m still worthy he has never abandoned me.  So long as I keep my confidence and never give up, my eventual domination of this world is assured.  True, my eternal rival will have the arrogance to try to interfere in divine will, but I have plans to take care of him and his misguided allies.  In my spare time I’ve begun studying the remains of Kalia’s tomb, and when I have the forces to spare I’ll embark on an excavation of the ruined ancient city.  I’ve already deciphered the ancient language, and I’m sure God will reveal something useful to me buried in the ruins.  

I am Lord God Jinnai, Messenger of God, Military Leader of the Bugrom Empire, and future Overlord of El-Hazard.  My destined triumph is inevitable.  WhahahahaHaHaHaHaHAHAHAHA!!!

[Tim needs time to work it out]

My... posting three stories up at once, huh?  Well, you could have posted them up one at a time.

I, Bugrom - Pretty good.  Yes, its true that Groucho (Katsuo) has some mental changes while being with Jinnai, but I believe that it was because he started picking up things from Jinnai (like a baby on a much larger scale)

Royal Responsibilities - Ah, Diva... I have to agree with almost 100% of the story.  She is very much required to run the hive.  Of course, I figure the reason she looks like a human is so that she can... do... a human male (my, the "ancients" have some ideas...)

Messenger's Monologue - And then, there's Jinnai.  I figured he had to have some telekinetic ability, but I never thought of him inheriting traits that are closely related to a bug.  I understand that you're trying to push him into the idea of using mechanical instruments, but the fact is that he doesn't seem to be the type, despite his encouraging words to himself of making another Kalia.  Interesting, indeed...

Next time, make sure you replace the "..." and "'", because this board has a tendacy to replace them.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

The writing was great in a general format, but in detail, the Groucho one seems way overdone.  It's like glorified text, perhaps what he thinks, but I doubt it's something he'd be able to "say".  Things would probably be related to simplistic things that make sense to him, not so much these intricate paragraphs.  Not to say any of it seems invalid, although I'm not quite sure exactly how much real ability of on-own thinking any of the Bugrom really have.

The Diva one that includes a hint of past creation related to the ancients were somewhat things that I theorized, although I think it's in error to call them slaves at any point.  Galus makes a note in the OAV that the Alliance and the Bugrom will destroy each other; "Who says history can't repeat itself?"  Unless, of course, this is assumed to be an entirely seperate story within itself, but at least Ifurita's memory seems to cotain insectoid-ish looking warships...

As for Jinnai, that was a very interesting bit of insight about his overloaded senses, something I had never even thought about.  The only thing I ever speculated was that his ability to communicate had to at least be on some mental wavelength, or better yet, the "radio" communication you had noted.

Overall well written, and sounds at least mostly on-target.

[rowan_a._seven]

Thanks for the kind words Rob and Tim.  I really appreciate your comments.

Galus makes a note in the OAV that the Alliance and the Bugrom will destroy each other; "Who says history can't repeat itself?"  Unless, of course, this is assumed to be an entirely seperate story within itself, but at least Ifurita's memory seems to cotain insectoid-ish looking warships...

Hm, thanks for pointing that out.  It's been a while since I've watched the Magnificent World in its entirety, and I've forgotten some of the details.  I'll probably make a few revisions later to better reflect this, though like you said it might be a separate story.  An awful lot of time probably passed between the Ancient Wars and the present, and some factor must've prevented the humans from becoming scientifically advanced again, though that could be just about anything.

As for Jinnai, that was a very interesting bit of insight about his overloaded senses, something I had never even thought about.  The only thing I ever speculated was that his ability to communicate had to at least be on some mental wavelength, or better yet, the "radio" communication you had noted.

The sensory overload idea came about as a way to rationalize what I viewed as some character discrepencies in the Alternative World and explain just why Jinnai seems to be able to figure things out so quickly.  In AW, Jinnai quickly ascertained that he had been transported to an Alternative World, and I doubt he was lying about this because if he was he probably would've come up with a more believable one.  He also identified the Eye of God within minutes when Makoto hadn't been able to make that connection despite all his research and time in Cretoria.  This led me to conclude that Jinnai might have some sort of additional sense or senses.  

The writing was great in a general format, but in detail, the Groucho one seems way overdone.  It's like glorified text, perhaps what he thinks, but I doubt it's something he'd be able to "say".  

Yeah, I realized the same thing when I was about halfway finished, but then it occured to me that Bugrom thinking patterns are probably so alien that they wouldn't make much sense to a human who isn't familiar with them anyway.  Rather than go back and completely revise it, I settled with rendering the meaning of Groucho's thoughts in a comfortable method.

I figured he had to have some telekinetic ability, but I never thought of him inheriting traits that are closely related to a bug

I suspect that Jinnai communicates to the Bugrom on some mental or "radio" channel, but for him to understand the Bugrom he needs a set of their senses or a close approximation.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

and some factor must've prevented the humans from becoming scientifically advanced again, though that could be just about anything.

Heh, I'd suspect it'd be something like "Well, the evils of technology caused us to destroy ourselves.  Let us not allow our children to know about ANY of this, to hope that we can return to a simpler, more peaceful time." "Agreed."

I actually think the Bugrom, however, have at least held on to whatever can be called technology on their side.  From their giant flying warships, to the hive itself that seems to glow with electrical lighting of some type...