El Hazard and it's characters are owned by AIC and Pioneer LDC.  The author 
owns only the writing.

Chapter 1: Shinonome High 
Takaai 'Gineu' Sawai and Ken 'Mecha' Fuse were on opposite sides of the 
projector trying to adjust it for the night's movie. They and four others formed the 
unofficial core of the Science Fiction club. They were the ones who showed up 
early for set up, planned the events, cleaned afterward, and so forth. Each had a 
nickname reflecting which area of sci-fi they liked. Actually Gineu, with his love 
of dramatic posing, cheap melodrama, and overused cliches decided to give 
everyone their codenames. Since his older brother helped form the club years ago, 
the others generally accepted it. He showed a talent for picking out the best names 
since even the most reluctant grudgingly admitted they fit. 
For example Mecha was fascinated by large robots and had won a science fair by 
converting a remote controlled car into a transforming action figure with rotating 
arms. He was a natural with mechanical and electronic devices. Drawings and 
technical plans of robots, powered armor, and star ships he created were 
becoming a regular feature in several sci-fi magazines. 
The topic of conversation, as it had been for the past three days, was what 
happened to their president and sixth member, Uncle Sam a.k.a. Hiashi. His 
nickname had a double meaning. Primary it was because be preferred American 
science-fiction, from television shows, to movies, to novels, even games. He is 
the first student at Shinonome High to completely loose his Japanese accent when 
speaking English. The second meaning was because he kept his collection of 
tapes and books at school. All of it was available for anyone to borrow. He liked 
loaning parts of his collection, acting like a favorite uncle. Everyone knew he was 
made Student Council president after spearheading Jinnai's impeachment, but 
what happened after that was not as widely known. 
"So where is Uncle Sam tonight? I haven't since he became student president." 
Mecha asked. 
"You didn't hear his mother died?" Hisa 'Voice' Nishidoin returned. 
"What?" 
"Fraid so. Hit and run driver. His dad too." she explained. Voice originally joined 
the club to learn more about anime and narration to help in becoming a voice 
actress. Already she did a bit on public access and was a member of the broadcast 
club. She also had the dubious distinction of being the only one who could say "It 
is up to me to save the world!" believably. 
"That's not quite right. Remember, his dad took him home after he got the news." 
came a new voice from the back. The speaker reeked of cigarettes and trace 
amounts of sake. The club called him Cyber in reference to the cyberpunk 
subgenre. Mecha remember his first name, Tampaku, from when they were 
younger, but he never gave his real last name. No one yet had the nerve to ask for 
it. Cyber was a borderline member of the club, and a borderline student of 
Shinonome High for that matter. He was part of a street gang that hung around a 
neighborhood north of the school. Cyber comes to the meetings to enhance his 
own attitude and style by copying those he watches. 
He wasn't very popular in the club. But as long as he paid his dues on time, school 
by-laws prevented him from being kicked out. Also since he provides the 
occasional bootleg movie, and more importantly keeps his gang from assaulting 
club members, the others generally accept him. No one asked him why he comes 
early, even on the days there was nothing there to interest him, and he hasn't 
bothered to tell him. Rumors varied from avoiding truant officers to doing 
independent school work to keep him from being kicked out. 
"And what did you police 'buddies' find out?" Mecha asked. The two never got 
along. Cyber's forgotten about it but when they were kids Cyber bullied Mecha 
occasionally. Mecha still fears him a bit and tries to banish it by knocking Cyber 
down. 
Cyber, to his small credit, ignored the remark, "They found his dad's body in the 
river. Single knife wound. His truck was parked outside some yakusa dive. No 
one's asking a lot of questions. And get this, a witness says it was the same type of 
truck that ran down his mom." 
Mummers of disbelief were passed among the others. Cyber continued, "Hey, I'm 
just repeating what I heard. But since the truck has a good-sized dent in the grill, 
it's not hard to figure out what happened." 
"So Hiashi's probably hiding from his dad and doesn't even know he's dead!" 
Gineu concluded with a bit of excitement. 
"This isn't one of your shows. He might be in real danger. We should do 
something." Voice added. 
"What do you suggest? He knows where we are. If he hasn't come to us then he 
doesn't want us involved. I told my friends what he looks like and they're keeping 
an eye out for him. He'll turn up eventually." Cyber finished. 
"Until then we can watch decent Godzilla movies for a change!" Gineu 
proclaimed to lighten the mood. 
Ishi 'Sugyosha' (student warrior) Noro grumbled. He never says very much or 
have much patience with anything. While only a freshman, he's been a member of 
every martial arts club at the school, if not the city. The problem was he usually 
got frustrated and impatient after a few weeks. They weren't teaching him what he 
wanted to know, entertainment-style fighting: power chi moves, super leaping, 
and taking enough damage to destroy a small building. The only exception was 
karate which his parents forced him to stick with. After he quit each club, he'd 
challenge Cyber to a sparing match. He never won. But from all the martial arts 
he began but never finished, he's developing a new style of karate made from the 
basics other martial arts and large amounts of skullduggery he learned from Cyber 
and action movies. 
The other members started coming in so nothing more was said. Anyone who 
asked about Hiashi were told he was attending his mother's funeral. Despite, or 
because of, Gineu's statement, they watched a direct-to-video live action movie 
followed by some homemade music videos by Mecha and Voice. 
The last video was interrupted by a large grumble. Someone shouted, "Oh gross! I 
thought they canceled Cabbage Day at the cafeteria." 
"They did. That noise came from below." another said. 
The grumble came again, louder this time rattling the folding chairs. Suddenly 
three-fingered hands shot through the floor, pulling a monster up from the depths. 
It resembled a giant purple ant and spoke with staccato chirps as the students 
scattered. A second monster appeared, then a third. This one was smaller and 
orange with black, but just as terrifying. It raised its fist to strike Sugyosha who 
reflexively blocked the attack and countered with a swift kick between the legs. 
Not being a mammal, the kick didn't have as great effect as hoped. But it was 
enough to knock it down. Cyber, wielding a butterfly knife, was keeping one of 
the big ones at bay with desperate swings. Both held the monsters at bay until 
everyone else escaped. They ran down the hallway as more tremors shook the 
building. 
The group met at a corner to catch their breath. "What are those things?" Voice 
asked breathless. 
Gineu was almost beside himself with excitement, muttering possible 
explanations taken from all the Grade B movies he's memorized. He was forming 
an idea from a government conspiracy, alien invaders, and a radiation accident. 
"Hey Gineu," Mecha said, saying the name sarcastically as he leaned against the 
railing of a stairwell, "let's get out of here first, then worry about where the 
monsters came from. All right?" 
Suddenly the railing, already twisted and damaged from the quake five days 
earlier, gave way and Mecha fell part way down the stairs. The others ran down to 
help when they remembered where they were. They near the room where those 
bizarre ruins were found. The sound of dozens of footsteps encouraged the club 
members to hide inside the crack. Mecha, half-pushed through the crack, 
stumbled and fell down the rockpile and rolling across the floor. Beams of light 
shot from the design on the cracked floor, wrapping around Mecha's body as he 
tried to pick himself up. Sugyosha and Cyber tried to pull Mecha to safety. But 
they were unable to move him. The light beams bent towards them and pulled 
them away to different parts of the large rune. 
The cylinder on the back wall rotated and hissed, releasing a small cloud of steam 
as it sank into the ground. Hidden behind the cylinder was a mirror of the blackest 
obsidian which began to glow with purple energy. 
More footsteps startled Voice who slipped on some rocks. She grabbed Gineu for 
support, but wound up dragging him down also. The beams attacked them like 
tentacles, but doing no harm. In moments they were suspended several feet in the 
air like a mobile. "Oh my God! They're coming in here!" Voice shrieked as the 
insect monsters took notice of them and looked for a way they can get down into 
the room safely. 
"Look!" Mecha shouted pointing to the mirror behind them. It had changed from 
black to a blue-white and glowing brighter than before. This glow was softer 
though, you could look right at it without hurting your eyes. Mecha could swear 
he saw figures on the other side. It could have been panic, but he swore one of the 
figures was about to come through.