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Sin and Punishment (Chapter2)
By EnigmaShoe
(Based on Treasure’s N64 Title)
Sin and Punishment: Succesor to the Earth
Chapter 2: It Begins
In my dreams, I run through an endless field of orange. It is orange because of the setting sun; a setting sun
that casts an orange hue over the entire field. The tall grass is orange, the horizon is orange, the clouds are
orange. Though I see the horizon, I feel that I may never reach the end of the field. This place only exists in
my dreams, and in this dream, I never reach the end of the field. Of all the dreams I’ve had, this is the only
re-occurring one. For me, it is special. What makes it so unique is that it is filled with Ruffians.
Hundreds, if not thousands.
As I run through the sea of orange grass, I am assaulted by waves of flying beetle-like Ruffians, called
Seemers. Seemers were the first Ruffian species to take flight. They are not hostile, yet the size of their
bodies, as well as the vast numbers that make up their groups, is very overwhelming. Imagine being
surrounded by wasps the size of cows...there was a time when the human mind wouldn’t have been able to
comprehend such things. A time when natural animals roamed the planet. Now we have these...these
freaks...meant to feed us. Ironic how the tables have turned: how we’re the food now.
My becoming a Ruffian hunter was purely circumstantial. I tried to live the life of a normal Japanese kid.
The learning, the responsibility, the technological advancements...the video games...the culture....even
during the Ruffian attacks, I was allowed to be a child. The Armed Volunteers made sure of that. At least
until they started thinking they could run all of Japan. I was thirteen when the Armed Volunteers took over
and declared Japan a military island. I was 14 when my parents were killed during a Ruffian attack on Neo
Chida, and when I was wounded during the Armed Volunteer crossfire assault. That was also when Achi
shared her blood with me, bringing back to life.
15....faster than the average kid, hell, man. They say I’m an assault prodigy with the Dolphin 37-0 gas
pistol, my preferred weapon against Ruffians, and lately, people. I hunted my first Ruffian...and I can’t
remember why...or even where. It may have even been in my dreams. Indeed, the dreams didn’t begin until
after Achi saved me. That was when I had the Field dream for the first time. It was terrifying...being
surrounded by thousands of flying Seemers, their insectile faces chiding me. It was there that I first felt the
urge to destroy the Ruffians. They’d destroyed the life I was meant to lead.
I would have revenge. Achi’s blood would see me off on the right course.
When she said the Armed Volunteers needed to be stopped, primarily because of their treatment toward the
Ruffians, I hung my head in shame. Ruffians were the cause of all of this!!! But then she explained. She
wasn’t for helping the Ruffians...no, she felt that they were as much an enemy of the common man as were
the Armed Volunteers. Yet they were important to our survival, and the Ruffian uprising was only
occurring in Japan. Achi said there was a reason for this, and she wanted to discover that reason. It was
important for her to put the Japanese Ruffians back in their submissive state.
I just wanted to destroy them.
So I headed up Achi’s Ruffian Hunters, a small squad of Relief members dedicated to battling the Ruffians.
Unlike the Armed Volunteers, we wouldn’t conduct operations that would put people in harms way. Of
course, I was the best. By 15, I knew that fighting Ruffians was my calling.
Then I met Airan. She’s 17, and a bit more radical. Not only did she destroy Ruffians, she also killed
Armed Volunteers as well. She was Achi’s main bodyguard. Airan changed me. On one of my missions,
she tagged along, helping my small squad destroy a pack of Ruffian rat-like creatures that had invaded a
Relief subway base. In the middle of the fight, the Armed Volunteers had attacked. My squad was killed,
and only Airan and I survived. Soon, we were cornered by two guards. My policy had always been to run
from volunteers. I never thought I could kill a human. Airan wouldn’t let me run. She fired on the
Volunteers, then.....she vanished. I was alone. I had to shoot or die. I killed my first two men on that night.
It changed me. I later found out that Airan had been teleported away by Achi. They were conditioning me
for the road ahead. I was mad....it hurt me to be used....I walked out of Kudio station a changed child.
Nobody would ever again stand in my way...
“Suki....”
In my dreams, I am all that matters...
“Suki.....wake up...”
In my dreams, I cannot die....
“Suki...it’s time..”
It’s time to awaken......
Suki awoke from the dream. Relaxed, he stretched his legs out, letting his thigh muscles crack and
pop. He twisted his neck. Even while he completed his waking ritual, Airan spoke to him.
“Good morning Suki,” she said, trying to imitate Suki’s calm demeanor. She had disclosed to him
some time ago, that she adored the emotionless tone in his voice. In a way, it had been love at first sight.
Suki had to smile at the way Airan was imitating him. A small grin appeared on his face. Then he answered.
“Good morning Airan.”
Airan smiled.
“You look like you slept well,” Airan teased, no longer smiling. Suki looked at her.
“You don’t look like you got any sleep last night, Airan. You look tired.”
“A lot happened last night, Suki. I don’t know how you managed to sleep through it,” Airan said,
turning to look at Achi, who was quietly standing in one of the corners.
“What happened,” Suki asked, now concerned.
“Several of the Relief squads got hit by the Armed Volunteers last night. There’s a good chance
we have a spy in Relief. Anyway....Mitchiku’s group, the largest group, got hit. Achi picked up a telepathic
signal from Mitchiku before they were killed.”
“How many Relief members are left? What’s the point of getting a transport if the designated
pick-up zone might be compromised,” Suki asked.
Before Airan could answer, Achi turned to face both of them. She looked serious. Then she
turned to Suki.
“There are others, Suki. Relief may be lost, but with a transport, we can save the innocent. There
are countless people in Tokyo that need to be saved, Suki. Think of them.”
Suki felt he could do without the guilt trip. He merely wanted to know if the good people of Relief
stood a chance. Leave it to the ‘Almighty’ Achi to make him feel bad. After all he’d tried to do for her.
For someone who was supposed to be a ‘God’, Achi seemed to make many mistakes in when it came to
judging others. Suki had seen it before. Her powers hadn’t helped her personality one bit.
“Airan, you know this place a lot better than I do. What are we up against,” Suki asked, trying to
take his focus off of Achi. He didn’t feel like looking into her bitter eyes.
“Well, Shinjuku station is on the other side of docking platform. They’re still doing some
construction work out there. We’re taking platform A. It’s nearly complete, and it weaves right through
the heart of Tokyo. It’ll lead us to the side entrance of the station, where we can take a loading elevator to
the transport terminal,” Airan replied.
“You make it sound so easy. You sure this platform is safe? We won’t go falling down into the
morning traffic, will we?”
“Well, it should be. We’ve scouted soldiers, ships, cranes, everything, moving back and fourth on
the platform, so it’ll hold. But....” Airan said.
“But what?”
“Achi believes....predicts that a large squad of Ruffians will hit Shinjuku station. If we don’t start
early enough, they could get in our way.”
“Ruffians attack the Armed Volunteer capital? They’d have to be some pretty tough Ruffians.”
Achi interrupted.
“The time to move is now. We need to get there before the Ruffians attack. That way, the Armed
Volunteers will be too busy fighting off the Ruffians to worry about us taking the transport.”
Airan and Suki looked at each other. Achi floated past them, heading to the storage room exit.
Airan reached down and picked up the two Dolphin pistols that were lying on the ground. Suki smiled.
Airan tossed the pistol. It span in mid-air, spinning like a boomerang before landing in Suki’s hand, perfectly
level. Slowly, Suki rose from the floor. Then Achi and Airan were heading out into the morning sun, atop
the Tokyo metropolitan sky line. Suki stretched one last time, then followed.
1/27/02 3:39:30 AM
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