Project Ryo
copyright Tracy Oleniacz 1998, 2002

*This story takes place on a planet much similar to our own, populated with anthropomorphist. 

  Hiita (he-tuh) is a technologically advanced metropolis, located in the far north of the Eastern Continent. The weather conditions of the northern hemisphere are harsh and little life can support itself in these natural conditions. A barren tundra, no flora or fauna...Only the lonely metropolis, protected by its technology. For you see, Hiita is a 'domed' city. Before the weather conditions got this unlivable, the Emperor of Hiita ordered that a computer operated dome be built to protect the city from the severe weather. Harsh winter storms had been ripping apart the city, freezing the machines and halting all production. The Emperor would not stand for it any longer and decided to test his limits and see just how far his technology could take him. It took 20 years but the dome was a success. If one were to fly over the dome, they would get a breath taking view of the whole city of Hiita, perfect and untouched by snow. And from the inside of the dome the citizens viewed a clear, blue sky. Since the dome was computer operated, technicians were able to 'change the time of day' so to speak. The busy citizens saw the dawn every morning and enjoyed the twilight every eve. Clouds could even be generated on the dome screen so the residents didn't have to look at the same sky everyday. Hiita was a paradise to some...But to others...nothing but a wasteland. Behind the fake blue sky lurks many a dark secrete...Listen carefully and i'll tell you all I know...

Chapter #1

Scene: The metropolis of Hiita, located on the northern half of the Eastern Continent.
Time: roughly 10pmish.

  On a crowded street corner, the Main street to be exact, stands a female figure dressed in a hooded cloak of crimson and gold. Other citizens passing by, dressed in their own cloaks, pass the figure with little notice. Steam rises from manholes along the street and drifts among the people, giving the streets a haunting look... And adding a much worse tone to the back allies. Neon signs everywhere, promoting this and advertising that. A typical eve in Hiita. The fake moons rising high in the metropolis's fake sky. Everything seems as it should.
  Our figure in crimson moves along the street, past the crowds of people and threw the patches of steam till she comes to an entrance to an alley. She looks around once, maybe twice, then slips down the alley and off the main street and its neon illumination.
  She wanders the back allies, the twisting and winding streets, for what seems like an eternity till she hears the distant sound of music. A 5-string to be exact. A rare and quite beautiful sound in a city full of techno and rave. She wanders towards the music and is about to go around a corner to hear it better but suddenly hears the sound of approaching feet. She stops dead by the corner...Listening. Waiting.
  Then, the sound of foot steps stop...and so does the music...
  She peeks around the corner.
Its a street police officer. In his dark blue uniform he stands menacingly over the street musician, hands on hips and feet planted firmly on the ground.
  "Well, what do you think your doing?!" The officer asks with a tone. 
  "Ah, well....i was just playing my 5-string to raise a little extra money -"
  "Well why don't you get a JOB!! " The officer shouted at the man as his left foot suddenly swings out and strikes the musician. 
  "Ahhhh!! Please, don't! I do have a job! I'm just doing this for a little extra cash." Cried the musician.
  "Extra cash huh?" Asks the officer. "And what exactly do you spend all of your money on? If you don't mind telling me."
  "Well...." starts the musician hesitantly. “Well i have a family to support and -"
  He is cut off abruptly by the street officer who reaches down and grabs the musician by the collar of his jacket and lifts him of the ground.
  "Your family?!?! Is that all?! Why don't you support this city?" Shouts the officer.
  "What?! I do support this city! I'm a factory worker! I helped make this city what it is!" Sez the musician.
 The officer just stares at him for a minuet and then bursts out laughing. The musician looks very scared.
  "You?!? HA!! "The officer shouts in the musician's pale face. " This is what made this city what is today."
  He reaches in his jacket pocket and pulls out a hand full of small luminescent pills. they seem to literally glow with neon light.
   "This is what’s important to this city. Not you!!" He shouts and throws the musician to the ground. He lands hard on the cold stone ground of the dim alley. He spits on the musician. Then the officer reaches for the hand pistol in it's strap around his waste.
   "You, on the other hand," cocks the gun, "are no longer needed." And he aims the gun at the musician.
  This is her chance; she rushes out from behind the corner and runs toward the street officer who has his full attention fixed on the scared musician.
  "HEY!! Over here!!" she shouts at the cop as she is almost upon him.
  She brings up her left foot and swiftly kicks the gun out of his hand. It flies high into the air. 
  "Huh...!!!!!"
  He turns just in time for Ryo's right fist to come crashing into his face.
   *CRACK!!!!*
The sound of the officer's nose being broken is heard. He falls flat backwards.
   *CRACK!!*
  Yet another sickening bone breaking sound is heard as his head hits the cold pavement.
  "Well, that was too easy..." She says calmly.
  She fixes her hood, brushes a bit of dirt off her cloak.
  Then, she catches the officer’s gun. She looks at it for a second and she points it at the officer lying dead on the ground. She pauses and looks at the puddle of blood that surrounds the cop. Taking a deep breath, she then points the gun into the air. The musician, who has been watching her in silence, quickly covers his head.
  *BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!*
  She continues to fire the whole bullet clip off into the air. When it is empty, she throws the gun into a dumpster a few feet away.
  The figure pulls back her hood, fixes her medium length blue hair and smoothes the fur on her feline ears. Her eyes are a fiery orange, fur tone is a snowy white and upon each cheek is black triangle shaped marking. She looks to be about 20 years or so. This is our heroine, Ryo.
  The officer's glowing pills were now lying on the ground, scattered next to him. The street musician notices them and reaches out to pick one up curiously.
   "Stop!" Shouts Ryo as she quickly reaches down and grabs the man's hand. She takes the pill from him and picks up the rest that are lying on the ground. She takes one and looks at it in the street light. It glows a neon pink color. Ryo then takes the pills, walks over to an open manhole and throws them down. She then turns back to the musician. She looks at him, not saying a word.
   "Um.....I uh...."He starts to mumble but he stops when Ryo starts to walk towards him. She reaches into her pocket, searching for something. the musician notices this and starts to get up in a panic. 
  "Wait!" she shouts at him. He stops and slowly turns back toward her unsure what to do, eyes on her pocket. She reaches out with her other free hand and grabs the musician's right hand. She then places 7 silver coins in his hand. He just looks at her.
   "Pretty music." Ryo says to him and smiles at him.
  "Uh..." He starts.
   "Nevermind. You have to leave here at once." 
  He continues to look at her with a look of gratitude upon his face.
  "GO!!" She shouts.
   The musician bows quickly, grabs his hat and 5-string from off the ground and runs down the alley into the darkness.
   The alley is quite once again. Ryo turns to be on her way to Kat's place and out of the corner of her eye she sees the officer, dead on the ground. She stops again and turns  to face the corpse. What a pathetic , misguided soul. Lead to believe that the only people who support this damn city are the ones that not only produce, but purchase the dark fruits of the hard ship of others. What a waste of time. He probably would have died in a few months from then anyway. A drug overdose would be the likely cause. It is with most people in Hiita. Drugs were legal. Hell, the Council encourages it! The High Council told the people of Hiita that the drugs were the soul industry and blood of the advanced metropolis. They were lead to think that every little pill contained  knowledge or power , depending on which kind you bought, of great magnitudes. All of it was lies, of course, but the High Council wasn’t about to tell the citizens that. Hell no. The citizens are much easier to control when under the influence of mind altering drugs and that’s exactly what the High Council wanted. But the Council is just doing their job, which is taking orders from the most powerful man in the Hiitan Empire. That one man is Emperor A. Subito. His family had ruled Hiita for generations and lead the citizens through many a hardship. But within the past 2 decades, Hiita had changed drastically. Once a beautiful place of wonder; now a desolate mechanized wasteland. What a shame. 
   Ryo turns and continues her walk down the twisting back alleys. She continues to walk for what seems like an eternity, but then she comes upon a large steel door at the end of a very dark and very long, narrow alley. Upon the steel door is a series of glowing orbs with designs engraved around them. She stops at the door, looks around to see if anyone has followed her, then she raises her hand and knocks on the large green orb in the center of the door. She then knocks twice on the small yellow one to the left of it and kicks the purple orb at the  bottom of the door. She waits. Suddenly Ryo hears a two knocks from the other side, silence, and then one more. Ryo raises her hand and taps the little pink orb below the center green one. It makes a high pitch ding sound and the orb glows brighter. The sound of multi-locks being unlatched is heard and the door swings wide open. The alley is flooded with bright lights and loud pounding music.
  "Welcome to Kat's Klub." Sez the large bear bouncer with a non-emotional tone. " May i see some identification- oh, nice to see you again Miss Ryo."
  "Hey, how's it going Rufus? Break up any good fights lately?" Asks Ryo. She pulls down her hood, and walks into the club. People drinking at the bar, playing darts, shooting a game similar to pool and people rave dancing on the main floor. Techno clubs are the coolest things in Hiita.
  "Ah, same ol, same ol." He replies. 
  The sound of smashing glass is suddenly heard from inside the club, catching Ryo's attention.
  "What in the hell was that?!" She asks. 
 Rufus glances behind him, smiles, and turns back to Ryo.
  "Heheh...i left that  one for you." Sez Rufus. He then crosses his burly arms across his broad chest and steps out of the door way. "Good luck. Heheheh..."
  Ryo steps into the crowded main room through the back entrance. The main room consists of what Kat conveniently dubbed the The Hot Spot. This is the large open area where rave was played and about 200 people could dance comfortably. After all, Kat's techno club was the biggest in the North Quadrant of Hiita. Spiral staircases lead to the upper levels which run around the walls of the Hot Spot. The floors of the upper level were made of a durable glasslike material. Tables run along the walls of the main room, just under the glass balcony. These seats were the favorite of young, single men. 
  Off from the main room are 3 different hallways each illuminated a different color of neon lights. The two in the outer corners lead away diagonally to the recreational rooms. The hall in the left corner lead to the game room. This was the place you went to when you wanted to shoot a few rounds of darts, play some Bilyen. ( a game similar to that of pool, played with small balls with different colored markings on them.) The hall in the right corner was to the club lounge. Expensive and irreplaceable furniture resides in that room. When people are tired of dancing and raving, this is the room they go to. To kick up their feet, and just chill.  The main hall in the center of the Hot Spot leads to the bar. The bar room is a large open room with tables and chairs and in the center of the room is a circular bar. Under the bar is a little red button that when pressed would activate an elevator platform under your feet. The elevator takes you to the second level of the building. This area was Kat's private den.
   Wondering where the sounds are coming from, Ryo wanders into the lounge through the back entrance. A few people are sitting on the lounge chairs, having a few drinks. From the lounge Ryo wanders into the bar, past people hang out at the bar. She stops at the bar and looks around.
  "Hey, wheres Kat? " Ryo asks a guy at the bar.
He points in the direction of the next room, the game room. She sighs and walks towards the far doorway and into the hall. As she nears the game room Ryo suddenly hears the unexpected sound of something hard hitting the wall very fast.
  " BAM!!!"
  And then people talking franticly.
  " HEY!! Watch where your throwin' that thing hun!!" 
  " Hold still!!!" 
  Ryo recognizes the second voice. Its Kat. " What has she got herself into now?" Ryo wonders. She comes to the end of the hall, only to see Kat standing atop a bilyen table holding an arm full of bilyen balls. She did not look happy.
  Ryo just quietly leans against the doorway of the game room, watching and observing with a slight smirk on her face. Her arms are crossed.
  "Kat, babydoll...sugar?" pleaded a skinny young cat with a wild hairdo. By the look of him, he thinks hes pretty tough. But Kat could easily kick his scrawny ass if she wanted to. Behind the young guy were two twin foxes, both dresses in the same entire of opposite colors. Must be friends of his.
  "Don't you sweet talk me Demetri!!" Kat shouts at the young guy as she takes another bilyen ball from the cluster she is holding. She brings her arm back and swiftly throws the hard bilyen ball at Demerti.
  "Ahhhh!!!!" Demetri shrieks and he ducks, just missing the bilyen ball. It hits the wall behind him, making a loud sound and leaving a crack on the wall.  
  "Uh....De, is she um. How do i ask this politely..." Askes Demetri's friend in blue.
  "Is she crazy?!?!" Sez his friend in green.
  "What was that?! Stay out of this Shin! " Kat shouts at the fox in orange and raises her arm which is loaded with another bilyen ball. "You too Shawn!" she throws the ball in their direction and all three of them duck back down behind a triangle bilyen table. Many people in the game room have stopped playing and are watching the   argument. After a few seconds Demetri, Shin and Shawn peek up over the edge of the bilyen table.
  Kat spots them and is about to grab another bilyen ball when she suddenly notices Ryo, waiting and watching inattentively by the doorway.
  Ryo just smiles at Kat and turns around and walks down the hall, back towards the bar. Kat jumps down off the table still holding the cluster of bilyen balls. She then walks over to where Demetri and his friends are sitting on the floor behind the bilyen table. They don't move and they don't say a word. The trio just look at her as she stands above them. 
  " I'll deal with you later." She sez. Then Kat opens her arms over the trio and drops all of the bilyen balls on them.
  "Ouch! Those things hurt!" Sez Shin.
  "Thank you Captain Obvious...tch." Demetri sez as he rubs his head.
  Kat turns away from them, walks out of the room and down the hall towards the bar. Shin and Shawn help Demetri off of the game room floor and they all start to pick up the 15 or so bilyen balls. 
  "Forget about her De."
  "Yeah, shes crazy." Adds Shin.
  Demetri picks up a ball and looks at it silently for a few moments.
  "I do love her guys." He sez still holding the bilyen ball. "But sometimes she just...just...Makes me so mad!!" And as he finishes his sentence he turns and chucks the ball across the room. It zips across the room and whacks right into the head of a very large and very dangerous lion playing bilyen. Demerti's jaw drops and he turns a pale shade. The big lion puts down the bilyen stick he was holding and ever so slowly turns around to face De, Shin and Shawn. The rest of the rouges playing bilyen all stepped away from the table, a few started to head for the doorway and out of the room. The brute walks closer to Demetri who is too panic stricken to move an inch. Shin and Shawn, on the other hand, have already left the room. Such nice friends....
 
 Mean while, when Kat enters the bar, Ryo is no where to be seen.
  "Hey, Kat." Sez a regular drinker at the bar, trying to get her attention. He then points upward and then goes back to his drink.
  "Oh…Thanks." She sez and walks into the center of the circular bar. She reaches under the counter and presses a little red button. The button activates the elevator platform behind the bar. The elevator goes up and Kat is now in the main room of the second level of the Club. A few tables and cozy chairs are in the room, the rest of the room is filled with electric wires, extra booze and spare lights. Ryo is sitting at the table, feet kicked up and sipping a martini. Tail twitching. She starts to chuckle at the sight of Kat.
  "What? Whats so funny?" Kat asks.
  "Don't you think you were a little hard on him?" Ryo askes.
  Kat walks over to the table and sits down in the other chair and sighs. 
  "You know i don't mean to be so hard on him. Its just the way i am." Kat replies.
  "Hot tempered? Yeah, but that’s the way we like you Kat. Don't worry." Ryo sez.
   Kat smiles at Ryo and takes a sip of her martini. Ryo smiles back at her and they both start to snicker about it.
  "So…Where were you? You were late..." Asks Kat smirking.
  "Lets just say i ran into a bit of trouble..." Ryo sez and holds up her hand which is covered in dryed blood.
  Kat gasps and drops her glass. " Oh my god Ryo! What the fuck happened ?!"
  " Eh, nothing i couldn't handle....Have i ever told you how much i hate this town? Ryo askes.
  "Oh…Only about a hundred times...Heheh..." She comments.
  "It seems different lately..." Sez Ryo, trailing off.
  Kat sighs and runs a hand threw her hair. She then gets up and another martini. Ryo watches her and takes a sip from hers.
  " Ya know...You really shouldn't be so hard on Demetri, Kat. He really loves you ya know..." She sez to Kat, finishing her martini and tossing the glass to her.
  "I know...I know...And i don't mean to be harsh to him...I wish i could make it up to him. But sometimes he just-" . She is cut off by the sound of...
 "AHHHHH!!! I didn't mean it!! Honest!!" 
  ... coming from the first floor.
 Kat drops the glass she was holding, eyes wide and ears perked.
  "That’s Demetri!" She shouts and quickly looks back at Ryo.
  " I think you just got your chance...." Ryo sez.
  Kat smirks, fixes her shirt and dashes towards the elevator, vaulting over the table in the process. She gets to the elevator and slams the down button and hops on the descending platform. When she is gone, Ryo gets up and goes to grab her cloak off the bar... But when she gets to bar she steps on the the broken glass on floor. It crunches under her shoes. She looks down curiously... and then smirks devilishly and dashes behind the bar, looking and rummaging around the bottles.
 
 Kat pushes her way threw the hall that leads into the Game room, people litter the hall, all wanting to catch a glimpse of all the commotion. She enters the room only to see a lion rogue holding up Demetri by the front of his shirt. De looks as if her about to pass out cold as the brute snarls. Kat dashes and jumps atop the nearest bilyen table. She tries yelling across the room at the rogue but the crowd is too loud and she goes un-noticed. Kat looks around frantically for something...ANYTHING to get the guys attention and suddenly from behind her she hears someone shout...
  "KAT!! Catch!"
  Ryo shouts at her and forcefully tosses a small crate at Kat on the bilyen table. Kat catches the crate and smiles at Ryo. 
  She takes the crate and sets it down on the table and removing the cover. Shot glasses? Kat looks for Ryo again but can't find her anywhere. She reaches in and picks up a shot glass and glances across the room at to De and the lion. With people shouting and egging him on, the brute starts to raise a fist...bringing it back. And before Kat knows what shes doing, she takes the shot glass shes holding and whips it across the room.
*SMASH!!* 
  Direct hit! The glass smashes on the back of the lion's head, shattering. More shouting rips threw the crowd and Kat yells at the rogue. He doesn't even move or flinch. Kat reaches back into the crate and grabs another shot glass.
  "Round two!!" She sez as she throws the glass across the room.
 *SMASH!!!*
  This time the lion rogue turns his head slowly and glances at Kat out of the corner of his eye. 
  "Pick on someone your own size ya freakin' behemoth!! Harasses Kat.
  the rogue drops Demetri and and turns towards Kat. De lands on the ground and lays there for a sec, then tries to pull himself off the ground.
  To the left of him..."Pssst!! De!! Over here! 
 He glances to the left and see Shin and Shawn motioning him over.
  "Dude! get outta there!" whispers Shin.
  In a dazed voice. " But Kat..." and points in her direction.
  " De she can SO fend for herself." replies Shawn and the fox brother crawl over to him and take him by the arms. " We gotta get outta here!"
  "But…but..." and before he can say another word they drag him off towards the main room hallway. 

To Be Continued…. =^-^=