Equal Opportunities
M A Davis / Miko
Mr. Saotome, president and founder of Saotech Inc., stood on the seventy-ninth floor of his own office building and gazed out the window at the sprawling metropolis that was modern Tokyo.
"Even today, Japan lags behind the West in terms of equality," he said. "I've known this since early in my career, and that's why I've always given women in my organization the benefit of equal opportunity and equal pay."
On the other side of a massive desk of polished oak, a well-dressed woman sat, handcomp in her lap, taking notes. A video recorder, which she'd set up earlier, perched on a tripod nearby, humming away.
"That's one of the reasons I wanted to write this book," the woman said. "You're not just Japan's most successful billionaire, you're also a man of vision who thwarts tradition at every turn. Placing your entire company in the hands of a woman -- I mean, even in twenty-first century Japan, it's just not done. In Europe or America, yes, but not here."
The billionaire turned and smiled. He poured two cups of tea, offering one to the woman, who accepted it gratefully.
"Well," he said, sipping his tea, "I'm not one for the public eye these days, and Nabiki is as qualified to run this company as I am. Or do you disagree?"
"No, no. She does an excellent job."
Mr. Saotome turned again, whether to stare out at the city or at his own faint reflection in the glass, it was hard to tell.
"I have a unique perspective on women," he said. "They are every bit as capable as men. What keeps them out of positions of power in our country is simple prejudice. Changing that is an uphill battle. If more men could experience what I experience every day, things would change more quickly."
The reporter frowned. "I know what you told me yesterday," she said, "but it's very hard to believe. Do you really change into a woman, then?"
"Everything I told you yesterday is true," he replied, "as you'll see in a moment. Until now I've hid my past from the public. Your book will be the first to tell the truth."
"It's going to shock people," the woman said. "You realize that, don't you?"
The president laughed. "Believe me, I'm well aware of the sensation it'll cause. But that's a good thing. I expect this to be a best seller, and I expect it to help change the attitudes of our people regarding women in the workplace.
"Now," he said, "allow me to continue where I left off yesterday. In 1998, we visited Jusenkyo one last time, looking for that elusive cure. Really, you have no idea what it's like, swapping genders more easily than you swap clothing, and being paranoid of water itself. Even then, before I truly understood the ramifications of the curse, it made sense to remove it. But while in Jusenkyo, I had a revelation. I came to see the curse more as an opportunity than something to avoid."
"Is that when you established your false identity?"
"Yes," the man said, nodding. "When I chose to live with this curse, we returned to Japan, and the first thing I did was establish separate identities for my male and female selves. Otherwise, my life might have become a sideshow spectacle. 'Ranko Tendo' had always been the counterpart to 'Ranma Saotome', so I followed that pattern when I created my alternate self. When female, I'm a Tendo daughter; the rest of the time, I'm a Saotome son."
He raised his tea cup. "Cold water brings on the curse," the man said. "Hot water, on the other hand, restores one's true form."
He poured the tea onto his head. As the water ran down his face and back, he began to shrink. In a moment, he transformed from the imposing business tycoon everyone knew into someone smaller, more delicate, and obviously female. However, the famous steely Saotome glare, known to the many who had matched wits with him and failed, could still be seen in this new person's eyes.
The reporter stared, open-mouthed. "I can hardly believe it," she said. "Does anyone else know?"
"My family," the woman said. "My closest business associates. No one else, yet."
"Hot water?" the woman asked. "Then you're not really...."
"No," Nabiki Tendo said. "I'm not."
FINI
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