Minako woke the next day, missing Ami. She had dozed lightly for a short time, but was forced to awaken when Ami had to go home. Ami had brought her up a little food, and then left. Setsuna had called soon afterwards, and Minako was able to thank her for her hospitality. After that, she had taken a couple of painkillers and promptly gone back to sleep. And now, as she lay in her sheets and looked up at the morning light playing on her ceiling, she wished Ami were there again. A futile wish, she realized as she glanced at her clock and realized it was nine o'clock. Ami was surely at school by now. She yawned ferociously, giving a little stretch and noting that the pain in her ribcage was already lessened from what it was the previous night. Her senshi-born powers of recovery must have been preoccupied with her head injury before, and were now making up for lost time on her bones. At this rate, she would be fully healed within a week or two. Minako paused to listen intently for several minutes. There was dead silence throughout the house. It appeared that her mother had already left for the day, taking it for granted that her daughter had left for school. No real surprise there. She folded her arms behind her head and sighed deeply. Melancholy. She'd be embarrassed if anyone ever found out she was describing herself like that, but it was true. She was melancholy. And what's more, she was actually enjoying it, in a way. There was something to be said for a kind of sweet, languid sadness. All alone in this big house, her love going to school so very far away...would they or wouldn't they get together? Her mind shied away from that issue, as it was likely to turn melancholy into full-blown depression. Instead, she just concentrated on Ami and how much she missed her presence here this morning. She'd gotten used to company in the mornings, so her solitude was made even harder for that. She rolled over onto her side, hugging a pillow to her chest and imagining soft, pale skin and silky blue hair. "Ami-chan..." She breathed. "Minako?" The sudden voice made her shriek. She quickly let go of the pillow and hid beneath the covers. "Artemis!" She said loudly, trying to recover. Minako felt Artemis jump onto her bed and pad softly to where she was cringing in embarrassment. "Are you okay?" Artemis said, sounding a bit concerned. "Yes, I'm fine, I'm totally great." She didn't dare reveal her face, though. From the heat in her cheeks, it was obvious that she was beet- red. "Okay...anyway, it's nice to see you again." "Hey...yeah!" Minako sat upright, her embarrassment forgotten for a moment. "I was meaning to talk to you about that, cat." She said, looming threateningly over the white feline. "It was really nice of you to come visit me all of that one time. I'm so glad you were able to take the time out of your busy schedule." "Oh...yeah...um...." Artemis put a paw behind his head and closed his eyes as he fumbled. "Sorry about that Minako...but you know how it is with a new enemy...Luna and I had to talk strategy, and then Diana needs attention, of course..." His voice was growing weaker and weaker. "And, you know...it's kind of a long walk..." "Yes, I do know. I walked it with a torso full of broken bones yesterday!" She flopped melodramatically against the bed, her nose turned loftily up in the air. "Oh, come on Minako...I'm sorry I didn't visit...I really am." Artemis hung his head mournfully. "I promise it won't happen again..." Minako relented and gave a small chuckle. "I hope not...that would mean that I got hurt that bad again, and I think I'd like to avoid that." She sat up again. "So, what have you and Luna come up with?" Artemis gave a little cat's shrug. "Not much...the ball is really in their court. You know Setsuna doesn't think that they'll try to use the wedges anymore." "Right..." Minako nodded in agreement. The black pyramids that their enemy had tried to use to tear the space of Tokyo apart were terribly costly to produce...after losing three in one night, Setsuna had judged that this Lord Hadron probably couldn't spare the resources to try again. "So then what?" "Well, it's always possible that they feel it's worth the cost, and they'll keep trying, but we seem to have that pretty much under control. If they don't, there's not a lot we can do other than to see what they try next." Minako thought for a moment. She *was* the leader of the Inner Senshi, and it seemed like too long since she'd attended her duties. "What about the one who tried to kidnap Hotaru? Muon, right?" Artemis nodded. "We've thought about him...but again, other than keeping watch over her, there's not much more we can do." Wincing, Minako remembered the Ryoujin, the three powerful daeva that had accompanied Muon, one of whom were responsible for her injuries. "I wish we had a better plan for him...he plays rough." "Agreed." Artemis said with a sympathetic look. He yawned and stretched before curling up on the bed and peering up at her. "And how are you, anyway?" "A lot better, thanks." Minako smiled. "Not what I was talking about." Minako looked surprised. "What?" "I meant, how are things with you and Ami?" Minako suddenly blushed deeply, looking at the white cat in shock. Artemis just smiled. "Come on, Minako...you didn't really think I wouldn't notice? I probably realized it before you did." He cleaned his paw and gave her a sly look. "You know you talk in your sleep." "Oh..." Minako's blush continued unabated. She supposed she shouldn't really be surprised. There was nobody, absolutely nobody, who knew her as well as Artemis. "I guess things are...okay." She bit her lip. "I mean...I still don't know what I want to do...I know she has feelings for me too...but..." Artemis looked curious. "But what?" Minako leaned back against her pillows with a long sigh. "I think I love her too much...my feelings towards her are so strong I scare myself." The snowy white feline sighed deeply. "I was afraid of that." "Afraid of what?" Minako asked, blinking. Artemis shook his head. "Never mind...so, she likes you too, huh? What are you doing about it?" "Nothing...I just told you I don't know what to do!" Minako snapped. Then she sighed again. "I know I should do something, one way or another. Ami's probably not going to do anything now...she'd be afraid I'd think she was being pushy. "But...I still don't know what I want. I'd like to be with her, but I'm afraid of the idea, too." Now that she could admit that to herself, she could admit it to Artemis. "Well, I guess there's no reason to move too fast." Artemis said. He chuckled a bit. "Unless you're afraid there's someone just waiting for a chance to snatch Ami up while you're hesitating." Mamoru's smiling face suddenly popped into Minako's head, along with a stab of anger. "I don't know *what* you're talking about." She snapped irritably, then winced in embarrassment. Artemis just looked surprised. "I was only kidding...is there someone else?" "No..." Minako said tiredly. "It's nothing, really. Just...Ami and Mamoru are pretty good friends, and I keep getting jealous every time I see them together. I've been trying to get over it, but it's no good. I've never really been the jealous type, so I don't get it." Fortunately, she couldn't see Artemis roll his eyes at Minako's denial, remembering several rather bitter clashes with Makoto over a series of cute boys. Then Artemis did a double take. "Wait...wait...you don't get it?" Minako looked over at the cat to see him giving her an expression that asked how she managed to dress herself in the morning. "You and the person you love have a mutual friend, and he's closer to her than you, and they spend a lot of time together. And you've been getting jealous of him. And you don't get it?" "No..." Minako said slowly. "Why? Should I?" Artemis groaned. "Minako...don't you think you might just be a *little* extra-sensitive to the idea of the one you love falling in love with a friend right under your nose?" Minako continued to look puzzled. "I don't get..." Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Alan and Katarina." Artemis looked up as if asking the heavens for patience. "Alan and Katarina." He confirmed. "You might remember them...you faked your own death to avoid dealing the situation, and then cried about it for...two weeks? Three?" "I never really thought about it." Minako said, a shocked expression still on her face. "But...I guess you're right. It's a lot alike, isn't it?" With a gentler expression, Artemis padded across the bed and curled up warmly in Minako's lap. "Minako...I understand. Seeing how your parents 'raise' you, it's not hard to see why you'd have a problem trusting anyone enough to really open up your heart to them. And as much as you cared for him, you never really opened up to Alan." Minako opened her mouth to protest, but ended up not saying anything. Artemis continued. "You never told him about your parents, or how their neglect hurt you when you were a small child, or how it still hurts you now." "I...I didn't want to bother him with any of it." She said softly. "You were afraid that he'd leave you if he found out you had problems like that." Artemis replied. "And he might have." He looked up at his charge. "Anytime you leave yourself open, you risk getting hurt. Even with Ami, you might end up with a broken heart all over again." "Ami found out about Mom last night." Minako said, he voice still hovering just above a whisper. "I broke down, and she stayed. She didn't leave until I was okay again, and she had to go home." "Then I guess she's a few steps ahead of Alan, isn't she?" Artemis said with a small cat's smile. He yawned and laid his head over his paws. "Look, I know you, Minako, but I'm not you. I can't tell you if you really want to be with Ami, or if that would be the best thing for you. But I know she makes you happy...really happy. And, in your case especially, one of the most important things in life is finding someone we can really, truly love, and who'll really, truly love up back." Minako nodded, and then paused. "What do you mean, in my case especially?" Artemis looked thoughtful, as if he was carefully choosing his words. Before he had a chance to speak, however, the phone on Minako's bedside table began ringing, and she picked it up. "Hello?" "Hi, Minako-chan!" Rei's voice sounded bright and cheerful. "How are you feeling?" "Um...hi Rei-chan...I'm fine." She glanced at the clock. "Rei, shouldn't you be at school? It's not even eleven yet." "Oh, I am at school." Rei replied. A rush of chattering noise in the background confirmed this. "I have a little break between classes, so I thought I'd give you a call and see how were you settling back in." "I'm fine..." Minako looked around the room. "Thanks for calling Rei- chan, it was nice of you." "No problem..." A thought seemed to strike suddenly. "Say, Minako-chan, do you want to go get something to eat after school?" "Sure!" Minako said, but then she paused. "Wait...I can't really walk around much...the walk home yesterday just about killed me." "Don't worry about it. Haruka and Michiru are treating Makoto and I, so they're giving me a ride. I'll just tell them to swing by your place on the way there." "That sounds great!" Minako said, smiling. Going out did sound great...she'd been cooped up for far too long. "Okay, just be ready around four, and we'll be there. See you then!" Rei hung up, and Minako leaned back against her pillow, humming. She looked down into her lap, where Artemis was still curled up. "I'm sorry Artemis...you were about to tell me..." She frowned a bit. "What were we talking about before she called?" Whatever Artemis had been about to say, he had thought better of it. "I can't remember either." He said with a grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a nap." ------------------- With slightly less difficulty than she'd had recently, Minako had gotten herself cleaned and dressed and was ready to go. Four o'clock rolled around, with no sign of anyone. After about ten minutes, Minako reached for the phone to call to the Outers' house and see what was up. At that moment, however, Haruka pulled up in front of the house on her motorcycle. Minako rushed downstairs to meet her. "Hi Haruka-kun." She smiled as Haruka handed her a helmet. "Hop on." Haruka said with a small smile, looking rather pensive about something. She pulled up her jacket against the cold air, and Minako sat behind her, latching her hands around the older girl's waist. They were off, Haruka darting her bike gracefully through the traffic with the control and speed of a true professional. Minako held on as tight as she could without worrying about hurting the driver. Riding with Haruka was always exhilarating, but Minako was never completely comfortable with some of the risks she took. So it was with a certain amount of relief that she hopped off the motorcycle in front of a place she'd never been to before. It was an extremely elegant Western-style teashop, with a wide outdoor courtyard filled with tables. In the cold weather, this area was quite empty, all the clientele ensconced in the much warmer and cozier interior. Haruka ran her fingers through her short hair as she removed her helmet and turned to look at Minako, who was shaking her hair out. "Look, Minako-chan..." She sighed and shook her head, a smile on her lips that was half-amused, half-rueful. "Just so you know, this wasn't my or Michiru's idea...I think Makoto and Rei cooked it up this morning." Minako blinked. "I don't understand." Haruka laughed softly. "I guess not." Without offering any further explanation, she headed inside, her helmet tucked under her arm. Not seeing anything better to do, Minako followed suit. The inside of the teashop was all gleaming dark wood and the heady smells of good tea. The girl behind the counter gave Haruka a shy little wave as she entered, and blushed as Haruka waved back. Minako chuckled softly to herself. The group was waiting at a table close to the corner. Michiru was already there, along with Makoto and Rei. And, sitting next to Michiru at the little round table, was Ami. Minako's heart gave a sharp little flutter as she saw the blue-haired girl, and did a backflip when Ami gave her a sweet smile of welcome. "Hi Minako-chan!" Makoto waved enthusiastically, speaking a little louder than necessary in the rather small room. "I ran into Ami-chan on the way out of school, and I invited her to come along. Knew you wouldn't mind." A little warning bell went off in Minako's head. She looked over at Rei, who was watching her reaction with entirely too much interest, and whipped her head around the moment she realized she was being watching. -So that's what Haruka was talking about.- Minako thought. -I smell a setup.- That theory was confirmed an instant later as she approached the table. The round tables were not large, and clearly incapable of seating more than four people. Rei glanced around. "Oh...I guess there's not enough room." She looked into the corner, where a smaller table was set with two chairs, just next the larger table. "Tell you what...why don't you sit over there with Minako-chan, Ami-chan, and Haruka-kun can have your seat." "Sure." Ami smiled, blissfully unaware of any matchmaking attempts. With a little shifting around, Minako found herself sitting in front of Ami with what felt like hundreds of butterflies fluttering unmercifully in her stomach. "Hi Mina-chan." Ami said happily. Minako felt her face flush with pleasure at the affectionate nickname. From the side, she heard a small sound and turned her head quickly, just in time to see Makoto and Rei suddenly become very interested in the other side of the room. "Mina-chan?" Ami said curiously. "Is something wrong?" Minako looked back at Ami and shook her head with a smile. "No, nothing at all." A server approached and Minako glanced down at the menu. She had been hungry before she had arrived, but her appetite had utterly vanished. So she simply ordered a cup of herbal tea, and Ami did the same. "Are...are you feeling any better." Ami said softly. Minako looked into her cool, blue eyes and saw the concern mirrored there, and knew she wasn't talking about her injuries. Minako had a bright smile ready for display, but stopped herself. -No.- An inner voice told her. -With her, you should be honest. It'll be okay.- So instead, she just gave into a small, sad smile and let her eyes slide down to her hands. "I am feeling better." She said quietly. Ami nodded a bit. "Good." "Ami-chan..." Minako looked up at her. "Thanks for staying with me last night. I really...needed it." With a blush, Ami now turned her eyes downward. "It was nothing." "Not to me." Minako said earnestly. "I...I..." She took a deep breath and shook her head a little bit. "You're welcome." Ami said in a very gentle tone, smiling. Minako looked at her and had a sudden desire to run her fingers against her pale cheek. It was so strong that she found her hand sliding across the table before she could think to stop herself. Just as she began to slide her hand back, however, Ami reached out and laid her hand on top of Minako's. Minako immediately turned her hand over and curled her fingers around the other girl's. They remained like that just for a moment, just long enough for the warmth from their hands to radiate into each other, and then they released, their fingers closing gently as they did so. Minako saw Rei and Makoto grinning at each other like idiots out of the corner of her eye, but she was unable to feel even vaguely irritated. In fact, she found herself feeling a bit grateful despite herself. She smiled at Ami, opening her mouth to speak, but she stopped, a confused expression on her face as she looked out the window over Ami's shoulder. Ami tilted her head and looked at her. "Mina-chan?" Minako pointed at the window and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "What's going on out there?" All the senshi turned to look in the direction she was indicating. Outside, in the empty courtyard, the air was shimmering, as though there was a heat haze. That didn't seem likely, as frost had begun forming at night. As they watched, however, the haze began swirling around in a circle, looking more like a whirlwind. Everyone slowly got to their feet. A few other customers were looking out the window, but everyone else seemed fairly oblivious. The strange phenomenon continued to change. The swirling slowed gradually to a halt, and the shimmer in the air separated into five pieces. Then, with a massive flash of green, there was an explosion that sent the metal chairs and tables flying in all directions, including into the wall and windows of the shop. That got everyone's attention, and soon everyone but the Sailor Senshi in the corner were rushing towards the opposite wall. Ami was the first to recover from the flash and lowered her arm from her face, squinting to see through the cracked window. "Look!" She gasped. In the now empty courtyard, five object were hovering about a meter off the ground, five black, smooth objects that looked like upside down teardrops. They were about a meter and a half long, and seemed to be spinning slowly, though they were so uniform it was hard to tell. They had arranged themselves in a circle, and in the center of that circle stood..."Gluon!" Makoto shouted. Sure enough, it was the general, his green hair looking somewhat disheveled as it fell around his shoulders. His arms were crossed, and he appeared to be waiting. "That's enough." Haruka said, placing a hand on Michiru's shoulder. "Let's go." The two immediately ran into a door behind the counter, and the three Inner Senshi followed suit. They pelted down a hallway, rudely shoving several employees out of the way on the way. They ran up a narrow staircase and came to a locked door. Everyone stopped at the lock. It looked rather substantial. Makoto shouldered her way to the front. "Stand aside." Everyone backed away as far as they could in the tiny stairwell. With a cry, Makoto slammed her fist against the lock. Not only was it badly damaged, but the door opened with a resounding crash, bouncing back when it hit it's maximum. Makoto caught it with her other hand, shaking the other painfully. "Nice, Mako-chan!" Minako cheered. Makoto just grinned and rubbed the back of her head. "Gotta be direct sometimes." The Senshi went through the door and found themselves on the roof, a chill breeze whipping around them under the slate-gray sky. They all looked at each other and nodded. "VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!" "MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!" "JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!" "MARS CRYSTAL POWER!" "URANUS PLANET POWER!" "NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!" "MAKE UP!!" Transformed, they ran to the edge of the building. Below, Gluon with exactly where he was before, arms still crossed. However, he was staring right back at them. His eyes seemed unnaturally wide, and the grin he flashed at them seemed just a bit cracked. "Well, I see Tachyon is as reliable as ever." He laughed, a harsh sound with no humor. "Farewell, Sailor Senshi!" Without warning, the five teardrops had changed orientation, their blunt ends pointed directly at the group on the roof. The next instant, they were speeding right at them, moving so fast they blurred in the air. The Senshi barely had time to leap away before they smashed into the brick of the shop's wall with a resounding crash. Screams filtered up from the shop below, along with the sound of people fleeing the premises. The six of them landed in the courtyard below. As Venus hit the ground, her knees buckled and she fell forward, clutching her sides in pain. She felt hands on her shoulders and looked up to find Mercury kneeling in front of her, the others looking at her worriedly. "I'm fine." She gasped. Mercury helped her to her feet. "Where's Gluon?" Uranus was looking up at the roof. Gluon was there, near the spot they had vacated seconds earlier. The black teardrops were once again surrounding him, though now they were revolving in a circle around him. He smirked down at them. "I *am* sorry. But this is a much better vantage point, don't you think?" "I've had enough of this!" Mars said, stepping forward. "FIRE SOUL BIRD!" The flaming bird streaked towards gluon, shrieking defiantly. Before it could reach him, however, one of the objects interposed itself in the path of the attack. The flames seeped into the black surface, and lines of red energy danced from teardrop to teardrop. Mars looked shocked. "Mercury..." Venus said out of the corner of her mouth. "What are those?" Mercury's computer was already out, images flashing in her visor as she furiously punched keys. "They're taking the energy right from Mars' attack and bouncing it around. I think we could probably..." Her eyes widened. "Mars, WATCH OUT!" All five teardrops suddenly burst into red light and pointed their sharp ends downwards. A beam of red energy came from each of them and headed directly towards Mars. Jupiter was moving the second Ami began speaking. Just as the beams made contact, she slammed into Mars from the side, knocking them both away. The beams still glanced off them, and they were surrounded by a flaming red aura. Both cried out in pain, but shakily pulled themselves to their feet. "What happened?" Jupiter asked. Mercury was frowning. "Those beams...they used Mars' energy, but on an opposite plane. If they had hit her alone, they probably would have drained her power down to nothing! They got scrambled when they hit you too, Jupiter." "Exactly." Gluon gloated. "These are Death's Tears. Your attacks cannot destroy them." One of them streaked downwards and slammed into the ground just as Sailor Neptune jumped out of the way. Gluon laughed. "You have been more of an irritant than Lord Hadron anticipated, but now, it's all over." He raised his hands, and the Tears began hammering down at the Sailor Senshi again and again, making them scramble to find cover. All the while, Gluon's cracked laughter echoed above them. Uranus found herself back to back with Mercury. "Maybe they can't handle two attacks at once." Mercury panted. "Sounds good." Uranus agreed. They each squared off against the Tears speeding towards them. "WORLD SHAKING!" "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The attacks hit dead on, but the two Tears flashed yellow and blue and spun around, sending a beam of identically colored energy at them. They hit at the same time, making the two of them cry out and slump to the ground. As they were touching at the time, however, they remained largely unharmed. "We can't...keep this up..." Uranus said through clenched teeth. "I know...but if one of those beams catch us alone, we're done." Mercury said. "Any ideas?" "I'll let you know." They leapt out of the way as another Tear flung itself at them. ------------------- A couple of blocks away, Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon had been having an argument with Sailor Saturn. "I don't care. I'm coming." The dark haired girl said softly, but stubbornly. "Haruka and Michiru told me to protect you!" Sailor Moon cried. "You can't fight with us." "I won't be in any more danger than the rest of you. I might be in less...they don't want to kill me." "Please Saturn..." Chibi-Moon said, desperately. "This whole thing might just be a trap to get to you..." She sniffed, and tears appeared in her eyes. "I don't know...w-what I'd do without you." Saturn hesitated for a moment, then smiled. She placed her hand against the shorter girl's cheek. "Then you can protect me." She said softly. "And I'll protect you." She looked over at Sailor Moon. "Isn't that how it should be? Sailor Senshi protect each other. I'll be safer with the rest of you than I will be alone." Sailor Moon continued to look torn about the issue, glancing up the street, and then back at the younger warriors. Finally she exhaled heavily, her cheeks puffing outward. "Fine...you can come." She smiled brashly. "Well, let's go!" They ran down the street as quickly as they could, arriving at the scene of the battle just moments after Uranus and Mercury launched their dual attacks. They leapt over the small brick wall surrounding the courtyard, ready to join the battle. But the instant Saturn touched the surface of the courtyard, a blue glow appeared in the center of the area. The Tears stopped their relentless assaults, and everyone turned to look at the disturbance. Muon stepped out of the glow. His eyes were fixed firmly on Sailor Saturn. "Excellent." He said in his dead voice. He turned to look at Gluon. "Dispose of the others, but leave Saturn to me." He was about to turn around, but Gluon began laughing. Everyone, Muon and Senshi alike, stared at Gluon as he laughed. He laughed so hard that he fell backwards, his head tilted upwards as tears slid down his face. "I never imagined it would be so easy! I knew you would come, but you...you!" He pulled himself to his feet, hunching over slightly as his fists clenched so tightly his arms shook, sniggering insanely. "Dead...you're all dead!" He threw his arms upwards, and the Tears rose high into the sky. He let his arms drop, and they fell point first, embedding themselves more than halfway into the concrete with an impact that make the ground shake. An unpleasant, high-pitched whine filled the air, and bright green lightning began to crackle around each Tear. Muon looked at the Tears, and then back up at Gluon. "So...this is your plan." He said absently. "Interesting." ------------------- AUTHOR'S NOTE: ::A blackboard. Sailor Mercury and Venus step out, wearing lab coats over their fukus. Mercury is wearing her glasses and holding a pointer.:: Mercury- ::bowing:: Hello everyone, I'm Sailor Mercury. Venus- ::striking a pose:: And I'm Sailor Venus! Mercury- Jessica was kind enough to give us this expanded edition of Author's Notes to add a little educational content to the story. By the way, we hope you're enjoying the story so far! Venus- ::grins:: Ami-chan didn't like the idea of sharing it with everyone at first...::winks:: But I can be VERY persuasive. Mercury- ::coughs and blushes:: Right. Anyway...::turns the blackboard over:: Welcome to Mercury and Venus' Guide to the Subatomic World! Venus- That's right! You might not know it...I sure didn't...but all of the nasty villains we've been fighting so far have been named after teeny tiny little particles, even smaller than atoms. Mercury- Right Venus...to start with...::points at the appropriate diagrams on the board as she speaks:: Hadrons. Hadrons are those particles made up of other particles called quarks. There are two kinds of Hadrons...Baryons, which are made up of three quarks, and the other variety, with a name you might recognize...Mesons! Venus- ::folds her arms:: And that's where all the French particles live! Mecrury- ::sweatdrops:: Excuse me? Venus- Maisons...homes for all the little French particles! They must be so cute... Mercury- ::pinches the top of her nose, as if fighting off a headache:: That's not quite right, Venus...a meson is actually a particle made up of a quark and an anti-quark. ::smiles:: But moving on...next there are Gluons. There are only four forces in nature...and the most powerful of those, the strong nuclear force, is transmitted through particles called gluons...because they 'glue' particles together. These little particles hold the quarks together in baryons like protons and neutrons. Venus- Hey, Mercury, isn't there a weak nuclear force, too? Mercury- ::smiles in surprise:: Why, that's right Venus, there is! Venus- ::thinks a moment:: So...since glue is strong...I guess that the weak force would be carried by pastons! Because paste is way, way weaker than glue. Mercury- ::gives a pained smile:: Actually...the weak nuclear force is carried by a class of particles usually called the weak bosons...but that's another story. Let's move on to muons. Muons are fairly simple to explain...everyone probably knows what an electron is...a very, very tiny particle that carries a single negative charge...they orbit atomic nuclei and are the polar opposites of protons. Well, muons carry a single negative charge as well, but they're much, much more massive. Also unlike electrons, muons are solitary particles, never helping to form any larger particles...they're sort of lonely and mysterious, don't you think? Venus- ::leans against the side of the blackboard and snores until Mercury pokes her sharply in the stomach with her pointer:: Mercury- Finally, we come to the tachyon! Tachyons are hypothetical particles...nobody has ever actually found any evidence of one. But they're really interesting anyway. Tachyons, if they're real, are particles... Venus- ::makes a face:: That have no taste at all. Mercury- ::blinks:: What? Venus- ::continues to make a face:: Tacky little particles...I bet they never get invited to the good parties. ::Mercury yanks Venus behind the blackboard. There are some muffled sounds, a few of which sound suspiciously like moans. Both look a little disheveled when they emerge, and Venus looks extremely dazed.:: Mercury- ::cleaning her glasses:: Okay, that should prevent any further interruptions. Venus- ::nods enthusiastically:: Mercury- Tachyons are particles that would travel faster than light...that has some fascinating ramifications. First, they'd travel backwards through time! That's one thing that makes them hard to detect...you have to look for them BEFORE they're created. Second, they'd have imaginary mass! What's imaginary mass? That's a concept WAY too complicated to get into now, but it would look like regular mass from our point of view. Like I said, so far, nobody has detected a tachyon, but that doesn't mean they don't exist! Human technology and science is improving all the time, so it might be just a matter of time before we track them down. Or they might not be real at all. ::winks:: Venus- ::looks at Mercury with a calculating expression on her face:: Mercury- ::smiles conspiratorially:: Now...Jessica might not like this, but sometime in the future there'll be another particle that you might all be interested in, so I don't think it would be a bad idea to tell them a little bit about them right now...of course, I'm talking abou... Venus- ::leans over and whispers something into Mercury's ear:: Mercury- ::flushes deeply and looks at Venus with a breathless expression. Venus grins and nods. Mercury stares at her for a moment, then looks back:: And that's all for the Special Expanded Author's Notes! Stay tuned for the next chapter! ::Mercury runs off camera, pulling Venus after her. Fade out.::
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