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Sin and Punishment (Prolo and Chapter 1)
By EnigmaShoe
Prologue: A dream dared dreamt....
I want to tell you a story.....
It’s about events that took place.....
During a time of great confusion....
The outcome proved greater than any one of us could have ever imagined....
This is our story.....
200x
It started around the turn of the 21st century. The reckless actions of the human race have tossed the planet
in a state of turmoil. The earth, once beautiful and ripe with life, has breathed her last breath. The poisoning
of the planet through war, pollution, scientific advancements, deforestation......it all comes to a head. The
planet is no longer able to support the balance of life, and it isn’t long before many species of the world
become extinct. The numbers grow....over 70% of the worlds animals die as a result of the poisoning of the
planet. Mankind is at odds to find a solution....it is hypothesized that by 21xx, man will be the only living
species on the planet...the population worldwide will go hungry...the earth will die...
201x
‘They’ come up with a solution. Supposedly, they are key members of Japan’s scientific community. They
are men and women shrouded in darkness, and they claim to have a solution to the world wide epidemic.
They call the plan “Operation Global Life”. A new lifeform is created, one that will reproduce and
repopulate the planet; a lifeform able to survive in weakened conditions of the planet. The Japanese give a
name to this species.
They are called ‘Ruffians’.
The idea was that, until the earth could be repaired, Ruffians would serve as the food source for mankind.
Able to take an endless amount of forms, the Ruffians establish a new animal kingdom on the planet. Japan
has saved the planet....
At least in the beginning.....
202x
The earth rehabilitation effort begins. 100% of the worlds original animal species are replaced with the
Ruffian Life forms. The Ruffians take on a multitude of forms, most harmless, but a few exception are
found. Namely, in Japan...
Japan becomes host to a genetic Ruffian epidemic. While the Ruffians throughout the world are mostly
docile creatures, those being reared in Japan, take on more hostile forms. Many even evolve rudimentary
weaponry. Worse, the Ruffian population in Japan is increasing at three times the rate of the Ruffian
populations in other parts of the world. For whatever reason, the Ruffians seem to be on the brink of over
running Japan.
The infestation of Japan grows out of control. Many people are killed when Ruffians swarm through the
cities. What was once the crowning achievement of Japan, is now the most feared aspect of life. Mass
immigration is planned. It seemed that everyone had given up on our country.
Again, a solution is found. The Armed Volunteers is founded. A Japanese military created primarily for
destroying the Ruffians. Any man or woman may join, and to serve with the Armed Volunteers is to be a
part of the pride of Japan. Supplied with advanced weaponry, courtesy of the west, and with a giant army
that continued to grow, it wasn’t long before the Armed Volunteers were able to return Japan to it’s former
glory. The Ruffians still attacked, but Armed Volunteers were always able to fend them off. Soon, it was
discovered that Ruffian bases were being established on the Island of Hokkaido. The Ruffians in Japan were
advancing organic weaponry....why only in Japan?????
Would we ever win.....
Why here.....
Why Japan....
203x
The Armed Volunteers are no longer content with hunting Ruffians....now they control all of Japan. Their
base of operations is Shinjuku station, Tokyo. Japan is becoming a militarily controlled island...Ruffians are
no longer the primary source of fear. Many people are killed by the Armed Volunteers...people with
families...people with lives....
The constant Ruffian attacks didn’t make things any easier.....
Then ‘she’ appeared. Some claimed she was a god, others saw her as a savior....we knew her by her chosen
name...
Achi....
The girl with the blood of life...
Somehow, Achi had the ability to cure any living being by sharing her blood with them. Even people
thought dead could be brought back to life by her blood. More intriguing, Achi’s blood seemed to give the
people powers....almost magical powers....
However, Achi was never charitable with her blood. She expected something in return...
A blood debt....she claimed her wish was to fight the Armed Volunteers for all their hypocrisy toward the
Ruffians. Did she want to help the Ruffians???? At the time, it seemed that way...
Yet she also stated that no Ruffian would get in her way...that Ruffians should stay in their place as well...so
she formed a group to combat both forces....it was called ‘Relief’. Any and every person healed by Achi’s
blood had a duty to serve Relief.
That’s where I came in....
They call me Suki....I’m 15
I was a Ruffian hunter all my life...and when I was badly injured during a crossfire attack between Ruffians
and Armed Volunteers, she appeared....her blood saved me...
I was brought back....
Not only that....I was different....my reflexes seemed more acute....I never seemed to run out of energy...
What had she done to me...I felt like a superman all the time...like I could take on the Ruffians all by
myself...
So I was set to serve Achi. And I met Airan, a female fighter who was unlike any girl I’d ever known. Not
only did she hunt Ruffians, she was so tough that she served as Achi’s protector, and she even fought the
Armed Volunteers. I learned much for Airan....even how to kill a man....powered by Achi’s blood, I killed
men and beasts...WE did, Airan and I, together....
And for a year, things flowed in a terrible direction...
The Armed Volunteers began to crack down. They turned their backs on the Ruffians and began to hunt
‘Relief’. During that time, a powerful Ruffian appeared, and it began to command the Ruffian squads. The
Armed Volunteers called it Radan. Radan was more fierce than any Ruffian that had come before. It wasn’t
long before ‘Relief” was vastly overpowered, even with Achi’s powers. We had to flee Japan once and for
all...
Little did we realize, that what should have been the end of our problems, would only signify the beginning
of a greater battle....
The plan was simple...
Airan, Ahci, and I, would break into Shinjuku station, steal a transport ship, then save the rest of ‘Relief’....
We were holed up in a storage room on the far side of the docking platform that led to the station. It was
night, and soon, dawn would be upon us....
Chapter 1- Dreams, Nightmares....Blood
The cafeteria was all bustle. Men, women, children, they couldn’t stay still. How long before
escape? It was on all their minds; escape from Japan. Escape for their homes, from the pain, from death...it
always hurt to leave; it was never to run from the place where you were born. In Japan, things had escalated
to the point where no civilian could be safe. Strange beasts were always invading the cities, and worse, the
Armed Volunteers would gun down a person in seconds. If you even looked at those guys wrong, you were
gone.
Mitchiku was thankful for Achi. All of ‘Relief’ was. Sure, Mitchiku, like the others, had been
asked to fight in return for her health, but it had been worth it. Nobody wanted to die, and Mitchiku was no
different. In a way she loved Achi like a sister; she liked to envision them as the powerful twin sisters of
Tokyo, able to defeat anyone or anything with a glance. Too bad Mitchiku didn’t have that kind of power.
True, many of the people that had been saved by Achi’s blood had become ‘enhanced’ in some way, but
Mitchiku had gained no power. She was only alive, but that in itself was a blessing, considering the amount
of times she’d been shot when the Armed Volunteers had raided her apartment complex looking for ‘Relief’
spies. At that time, Mitchiku hadn’t even been a part of Relief; she was shot anyway. She didn’t even know
why, only that when she opened her door, she was, seconds later, flying across the room.
And yet, there she was, intact, and healthy. She’d even been given command of a particularly
Relief squad. True, they were just waiting in an abandoned cafeteria, in Kugiru Hospital, which had been
abandoned for some time. Mitchiku had been given the task of watch three hundred members of Relief until
Achi showed up with the transport that would take them all to America.
It sounded like Suicide though. Achi and those two wild kids, Suki and Airan, intended on
breaking in Shinjuku satiation of all places. They actually intended on stealing a transport from the Armed
Volunteers base. It sounded insane. Yet much of what Achi proposed; much of what she predicted sounded
far crazier. Mitchiku had known from the start that it would be hell to challenge the Volunteers as well as
try to domesticate the Ruffians. Achi had failed, and now they all had to flee.
“How long? Mitchiku, how long,” Yama asked. He was an impatient older man, and he often got
on Mitchiku’s nerves.
“Achi won’t let us down. Make yourself useful Yama.”
“We’ve been here for over four hours. Does she intend to make us wait here all night, or even into
the morning,” Yama asked.
“We’re safe here. I don’t know when Achi’s plans on going for that transport. Just that she said to
group here. She said it’s the safest place right now.”
“What do YOU think, Mitchiku? Achi’s not here. What do you think?”
“The Armed Volunteers would have little reason to search an abandoned hospital. Relax Yama.”
Yama sneered and walked off. Mitchiku watched as he joined a group of little boys who were
telling some campfire stories around an empty cardboard box. Yama had such a tired look. Mitchiku knew
that at times, Yama had wished Achi had never saved him. In his old age, he’d have been with death.
Instead, he was asked to do dangerous things, like leading Relief teams through the undergrounds. For a
man afraid of the dark, it was a most horrendous task. Yet it was nigh impossible to refuse Achi’s requests.
She had saved their lives...she was fighting to get them to freedom. She even promised to return to Japan to
free more civilians. Who could turn her down?
Mitchiku was caught mid-thought when the elevator in the halls sounded. Everyone in the room
was went silent. The three hundred Relief members began to move toward the back of the cafeteria.
Mitchiku was afraid to breath. She felt as if any small sound would bring the trouble she knew was riding
the elevator.
“Achi...” Mitchiku said in her head. Somehow, she got the impression that someone had heard her
inner plea.
The cafeteria doors were kicked wide open. Sixteen armed Volunteers filled the doorway. They
raised their weapons. Screams filled the Cafeteria. Several men charged the soldiers.
The cafeteria sounded with the intense explosive sounds of gunfire. The men were cut down.
Yama scrambled to cover the children. The people were mowed down as they ran in panic. The constant
barrage of bullets tore through the wall of people.
A bullet too Mitchiku in the leg. She fell down, screaming. All around her, the voices, the pain.
She screamed aloud, calling out her plea.
“Achi!! Help us!! Save us Achi!!”
Mitchiku screamed again as six bullets tore her apart. She fell to the ground like tattered wax
paper. Even as she seemed to melt into the floor, the screams continued to reverberate.
Then they were gone.....three hundred men, women, and children.....dead.
The Armed Volunteers lined up as their Red Commander entered the cafeteria. With their guns to
their sides, they watched as Red Commander evaluated their work. As Red commander walked around the
bodies, several more soldiers filled into the room. They began checking ever nook and cranny, anxious to
do a good job...afraid of letting any relief members survive.
The bodies were strewn about the garbage. Blood flowed over the boots of the soldiers.
Finally, Red Commander was ready to speak. Group leader stepped forward, ready to answer any
questions.
“Is this all of them? All of Relief,” Red Commander asked.
“No sir, but we have confirmation of other Relief pockets, sir. Forces have been deployed to finish
them off once and for all, sir.”
“What about their leader? Is she among them?”
“Sir, Achi is not among this group, nor the group that Blue Commander’s team hit, sir. We
don’t...we don’t know where she is...” the group leader said.
“The other squads will finish this. Relief may no longer be a threat. Group leader, take your men
and head back with the others to the hunt the Ruffians.”
“Yes Sir.”
They moved out, and soon, only the bodies of the dead remained. For them, death had finally
come. There would be no mystical girl to bring them back. In a way they had finally escaped Japan, though
it had not been the intended course.
And none of their corpses could complain...
Kachuia Lang sat on the edge of the roof of the Naki Trade Tower. From her position, she could
overlook all of Tokyo. Her slender feet dangled against the night air. She stared out into the metropolitan
night, waiting for the voice to come to her. Her lover would speak to her....would guide her. Kachuia,
second in command of the entire Armed Volunteers, waited for the voice that would bring her piece; the
voice or her absolution. It would come, bringing more than sweet words; they had plans.
Against her heart, the wind blew, and Kachuia felt as if something were pulling her, yet she never
moved. The feeling of being pulled expanded from her heart into her stomach. Her stomach filled with
butterflies. Her vision became enhanced. The area between her thighs moistened....Kachuia became aware
of everything, and her body tuned in.
Then she was being watched....watched by unseen eyes that hid behind the veil of the darkened sky.
Night eyes of her love; the watcher.
“Kauchia, the winds are calm, yet a storm approaches,” the voice said.
“I feel it too. Something big is in store for Japan, and it’ll begin here..”
“In Tokyo? How do you know?”
Kachuia lifted her head to the stars.
“My experiment...it’s starting to manifest. I’m more in-tune now than before. I can almost hear
the pleas of the city...Japan is in for a radical change,” Kachuia said.
“Ahhh, I remember that stage. How you must feel; you’re alive. Kachuia, I have important news,”
the voice said.
Kacuhia closed her eyes, wanting to hear the voice of her love loud and clear.
“A swarm of Ruffians is heading your way. I have confirmed that Radan is among them.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Make ME the bait, and Radan will come to feast,” Kachuia said.
Finally, it was falling into place. Radan...that bitch....’his’ love before Kachuia. It had been the
perfect plan. So Kachuia had been right all along. Radan was still connected to her, and following her
movement from Armed Volunteer fleet, and into Tokyo. Kachuia grinned. Finally, she would be able to
take her experiments to the next level.
“Are you sure that this is the route you must take, Kachuia? Will you hurt Radan?”
“No. She and I....we’re the same...we both have you, but at the same time, she wants more,”
Kachuia said. “Your blood...it’s not nearly enough.”
“You mean,” the voice asked.
“Radan is jealous! She’s angry that I took you for myself!”
“I have chosen you, Kachuia. However, do what you must. Be warned...I sense ‘other’ forces will
join this battle. Outside forces...”
Kachuia fully understood what the voice meant.
“This is Relief’s final night on earth. By morning time, only Achi will remain. It won’t be long
before she joins her friends.”
“You’d be wise not to underestimate Achi, Kachuia. She has powers that you could only begin to
imagine....”
“I have you.....and soon I will have Radan....Achi is nothing more than a fly in the ointment, my
love,” Kachuia said.
“Be careful...your future is uncertain. Be careful...”
Then Kachuia was alone. The night moon began to retreat. Dawn was upon her....
Hundreds of voices called out to her, filling her brain. If she focused, she could almost see the
events as they had unfolded. For a moment, Achi allowed herself to tune in. She saw the pain behind the
voices. The blood...it flowed in her mind. Behind the blood, a final voice called. Achi reached out to it.
“Achi! Help us! Save us Achi!”
Achi snapped out of her meditation. She gasped as her vision cleared, returning her eyesight to that
of the inside of the storage room. Once again, she was in the company of Airan and Saki. Saki was sleeping
with his back to one of the walls. On the other hand, Airan was up and alert. She turned to Achi, her eyes
pleading with the young mystic.
“Mitchiku’s group...they’re all dead. The Volunteers found them,” Achi said, calmly.
“What!” Airan gasped.
“Someone on the inside...they tipped the Volunteers off to all of our locations....they’re all...dying.”
“We’ve got to help them...what’s the point of stealing a transport if there’s nobody to save,” Airan
yelled.
“It’s not safe. Many of our people will make it through the night. We have to concentrate on the
task at hand.”
“Achi! Those are innocent people. People you saved. Can’t you warn the others,” Airan asked.
“Relax...like Suki. The events have already been set in motion. To turn back now would be to
fail..everyone would die. If we continue, there is still a chance to save a few.”
“Achi, sometimes I wonder about ---”
“Airan, a Ruffian swarm is about to attack Shinjuku station. Our window of opportunity will be
open,” Achi said.
“How did you figure that out?”
“Not figured....as I have predicted. Your and Suki’s chance will be at hand.”
Airan watched in silence as Achi began staring at Suki, who silently slept. Airan watched him as
well. He looked so peaceful. He better sleep well, Airan thought, because after today, sleep might not come
so easy. And even as she thought, Achi was on the verge of speaking.
“Soon, it will all begin.”
1/25/02 4:51:58 PM
(Updated: 1/25/02 5:03:49 PM)
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