Ch. 6: Perspectives
*I know this chapter, as well as the last one is a bit mushy, but I seem to be really good at this stuff. ^_^ *
Sarah awoke as the sun penetrated the tent canopy. She was surprised she didn't see Kane near her. He had provided tents for the evening, and they stayed the night on the plateau. She went to sleep nestled in Kane's arms, and she marveled at the fact he didn't try anything. She would have let him, but she was amazed at his self-control, especially after all the noise Kenji and Uriko made. He just kept her warm, having sacrificed his own sleeping bag to her. He was truly perfect for her. He was generous, kind, and honorable. She began to feel something just after they first met, and the kiss on the cliff only assured her further of her feelings. And last night, when he prepared to pay the ultimate price for failing his friends, it was then she was certain of how she felt about him.
On the cliff, Kane looked over the serene morning landscape. He reflected on the events of the past night, and how they had impacted him. He had prepared himself to die for his betrayal, but he was still scared to death. He wasn't afraid of dying, he was afraid of never seeing Sarah again. His eyes filled with tears at the thought. They had known each other for only a few days, but she brought him something he never had; but he couldn't remember its name. All his life he was alone, his family ignored him, and Kenji and Uriko were his only real friends. But now there was something more in his life, something new. A smile crept over his face as he felt her arms wrap around his body, and her head rest on his back; just like during the motorcycle ride that first night. Somewhere deep in his mind, he remembered the name of that feeling he could name before; hope.
Uriko slowly opened her eyes, and sat up. She scrambled to find her shirt and her pants. After she had clumsily put them on, she made her way outside. She spotted Kane and Sarah on the cliff, and smiled. She had known Kane for a little over two months, and in those two months she had seen him in so many states. He was often quiet, and poetic, but at other times he was funny and jovial. A jaded dreamer, he once called himself. But now, there was hope in his life, in the form of Sarah. When she met Sarah last month, she immediately knew that she and Kane were made for each other. She only acted like a ditz, she was aware of other's feeling, other's situations, that's just the way she was. Standing out there on the cliff, they reminded her a lot of her and Kenji. Speaking of which, where was Kenji?
Kenji had woken up early, before the sun had risen. He stood out, on a cliff overlooking the plateau, and had been watching Kane all the time. When he first met him, well, he must admit he was threatened. Kane was a huge, strong man, poetic and intelligent, a man of many paradoxes, true. Plus she spent a lot of time with him, since Kenji had already graduated from school. But Uriko always remained true to him. Then, he almost pitied the young American. Eighteen years of age and always alone. Especially here, in Japan, where many of their classmates looked down on him. And after that, there was mistrust. He didn't know Kane that well, and he didn't know what he was capable of. He had the scent of Busuzima on him one night, which heightened Kenji's suspicions. But last night, Kane showed that he was a man of honor, and Kenji found a new sort of respect for him.
Kenji leapt from his perch, landing next to his girlfriend, Uriko. She greeted him with a smile, and hugged him. He placed his hand on her head, and looked over at Kane and Sarah, still embracing as the sun peaked over the horizon.
Kane looked at Sarah, turned around, embraced her. He knew that soon, he'd have to confront Busuzima. He knew that all four of them would be in danger, and that there would be many battles ahead. He stroked his hand through her silky hair, and looked deep into her eyes, just as he did yesterday. He placed his hand on her cheek, and she kissed it softly.
"I love you, Sarah," He said. "And I'll be with you till the end."
"I love you too, Kane. And I'll be at your side, no matter what," she responded.
"Oh, puh-LEASE! I think I'm gonna gag!" A voice called out over the whirl of helicopter blades. The copter rose over the cliff, revealing the voice to be Busuzima's. "Well how do you do?" he said with a sickening chuckle as four other people became visible. "I thought I would bring along some playmates for you. Now have fun! Heeheeheeheehee!" And with that Busuzima's chopper flew off, leaving the four mystery people on the plateau with Kenji, Uriko, Kane, and Sarah.
"Well, then I guess we're gonna rumble," Sarah said with a grin.
"I don't think they're here to play tiddlywinks," Kane responded.
Kenji pounced first, on a tall, slender man with wild black hair. His movements were fluid and graceful, and without a wasted movement he parried Kenji's attack and sent him flying. Kenji sprung to his feet, and tried for a running jump kick, but the man simply dodged and Kenji flew past him. He turned around to see the man transform into a mantis. He made his own transformation and went after him again. Remembering the attack Kane had used against him in his sparring match, Kenji feigned a right kick into a slash with his claws, which ran right across the mantis's chest.
Sarah had come across a larger woman. The woman tried to grab her, but Sarah fell down into a slippery kick side flop. As she was knocked of her feet, Sarah tried a back flip kick, but missed her mark and the woman countered with a straight punch to the back. Sarah rose with a knee slicer low front stinger, tripping the other woman, then into a back summy, taking her out. All around there were similar results. Kane had made short work of a large black man, and Uriko was still pounding the back of the head of a medium built Japanese woman. "Well, that wasn't so hard," Uriko said with a smile. "Busuzima must be letting the 'quality' of his 'work' slip." She looked over to Kenji, who had been taking the pulses of all four fighters.
"Dead," he said coldly, "all of them."
Kane went pale and his eyes grew wide. "What?!" Sarah exclaimed in disbelief.
"It wasn't our fault." Kane said still with a pallid look on his face.
"What's going on?" Sarah asked.
"Project: Menagerie." Kane replied in a chilling manner.
"Man," Uriko said disgusted, "I knew Busuzima was a weirdo, but that's just not right."
"No Uriko. Not Menage-a-trois, Menagerie. It's French, roughly translated to 'zoo'. It was an experiment started by my father when he started RavenTech. The purpose of the project was to create an airborne mutagenic bacterium that would transform normal people into zoanthropes by altering their DNA."
"Obviously," Kenji said, "there was something wrong."
"Yes, there was a fatal flaw with the bacterium. The genome wasn't well mapped yet, so the bacteria replaced a gene with the gene that creates Zoanthropes. Unfortunately, the gene that is replaced is the gene that regulates and creates the body's supply of the Amino acid lysine. So after a few days, all the test subjects end up dead."
"That terrible!" Uriko cried.
"Obviously Busuzima is trying to perfect the process, that must be why he wanted yours and Uriko's DNA! What have I done.?" Kane cried as he sat on the ground. Sarah walked over to him and placed her arms around him.
"You didn't know, you did what you had to do to try and save your mother," she said, trying to comfort him.
"No use in trying to think about what might have been," Kenji interrupted, "we have to find Busuzima's lab and put a stop to Project Menagerie."
The group made their way to Kane's helicopter, but Uriko still had a distasteful look on her face.
"What's the matter, Riko?" Kenji asked
"I still can't get that image out of my head." She said to everyone's amusement, even if it was only temporary.
*I know this chapter, as well as the last one is a bit mushy, but I seem to be really good at this stuff. ^_^ *
Sarah awoke as the sun penetrated the tent canopy. She was surprised she didn't see Kane near her. He had provided tents for the evening, and they stayed the night on the plateau. She went to sleep nestled in Kane's arms, and she marveled at the fact he didn't try anything. She would have let him, but she was amazed at his self-control, especially after all the noise Kenji and Uriko made. He just kept her warm, having sacrificed his own sleeping bag to her. He was truly perfect for her. He was generous, kind, and honorable. She began to feel something just after they first met, and the kiss on the cliff only assured her further of her feelings. And last night, when he prepared to pay the ultimate price for failing his friends, it was then she was certain of how she felt about him.
On the cliff, Kane looked over the serene morning landscape. He reflected on the events of the past night, and how they had impacted him. He had prepared himself to die for his betrayal, but he was still scared to death. He wasn't afraid of dying, he was afraid of never seeing Sarah again. His eyes filled with tears at the thought. They had known each other for only a few days, but she brought him something he never had; but he couldn't remember its name. All his life he was alone, his family ignored him, and Kenji and Uriko were his only real friends. But now there was something more in his life, something new. A smile crept over his face as he felt her arms wrap around his body, and her head rest on his back; just like during the motorcycle ride that first night. Somewhere deep in his mind, he remembered the name of that feeling he could name before; hope.
Uriko slowly opened her eyes, and sat up. She scrambled to find her shirt and her pants. After she had clumsily put them on, she made her way outside. She spotted Kane and Sarah on the cliff, and smiled. She had known Kane for a little over two months, and in those two months she had seen him in so many states. He was often quiet, and poetic, but at other times he was funny and jovial. A jaded dreamer, he once called himself. But now, there was hope in his life, in the form of Sarah. When she met Sarah last month, she immediately knew that she and Kane were made for each other. She only acted like a ditz, she was aware of other's feeling, other's situations, that's just the way she was. Standing out there on the cliff, they reminded her a lot of her and Kenji. Speaking of which, where was Kenji?
Kenji had woken up early, before the sun had risen. He stood out, on a cliff overlooking the plateau, and had been watching Kane all the time. When he first met him, well, he must admit he was threatened. Kane was a huge, strong man, poetic and intelligent, a man of many paradoxes, true. Plus she spent a lot of time with him, since Kenji had already graduated from school. But Uriko always remained true to him. Then, he almost pitied the young American. Eighteen years of age and always alone. Especially here, in Japan, where many of their classmates looked down on him. And after that, there was mistrust. He didn't know Kane that well, and he didn't know what he was capable of. He had the scent of Busuzima on him one night, which heightened Kenji's suspicions. But last night, Kane showed that he was a man of honor, and Kenji found a new sort of respect for him.
Kenji leapt from his perch, landing next to his girlfriend, Uriko. She greeted him with a smile, and hugged him. He placed his hand on her head, and looked over at Kane and Sarah, still embracing as the sun peaked over the horizon.
Kane looked at Sarah, turned around, embraced her. He knew that soon, he'd have to confront Busuzima. He knew that all four of them would be in danger, and that there would be many battles ahead. He stroked his hand through her silky hair, and looked deep into her eyes, just as he did yesterday. He placed his hand on her cheek, and she kissed it softly.
"I love you, Sarah," He said. "And I'll be with you till the end."
"I love you too, Kane. And I'll be at your side, no matter what," she responded.
"Oh, puh-LEASE! I think I'm gonna gag!" A voice called out over the whirl of helicopter blades. The copter rose over the cliff, revealing the voice to be Busuzima's. "Well how do you do?" he said with a sickening chuckle as four other people became visible. "I thought I would bring along some playmates for you. Now have fun! Heeheeheeheehee!" And with that Busuzima's chopper flew off, leaving the four mystery people on the plateau with Kenji, Uriko, Kane, and Sarah.
"Well, then I guess we're gonna rumble," Sarah said with a grin.
"I don't think they're here to play tiddlywinks," Kane responded.
Kenji pounced first, on a tall, slender man with wild black hair. His movements were fluid and graceful, and without a wasted movement he parried Kenji's attack and sent him flying. Kenji sprung to his feet, and tried for a running jump kick, but the man simply dodged and Kenji flew past him. He turned around to see the man transform into a mantis. He made his own transformation and went after him again. Remembering the attack Kane had used against him in his sparring match, Kenji feigned a right kick into a slash with his claws, which ran right across the mantis's chest.
Sarah had come across a larger woman. The woman tried to grab her, but Sarah fell down into a slippery kick side flop. As she was knocked of her feet, Sarah tried a back flip kick, but missed her mark and the woman countered with a straight punch to the back. Sarah rose with a knee slicer low front stinger, tripping the other woman, then into a back summy, taking her out. All around there were similar results. Kane had made short work of a large black man, and Uriko was still pounding the back of the head of a medium built Japanese woman. "Well, that wasn't so hard," Uriko said with a smile. "Busuzima must be letting the 'quality' of his 'work' slip." She looked over to Kenji, who had been taking the pulses of all four fighters.
"Dead," he said coldly, "all of them."
Kane went pale and his eyes grew wide. "What?!" Sarah exclaimed in disbelief.
"It wasn't our fault." Kane said still with a pallid look on his face.
"What's going on?" Sarah asked.
"Project: Menagerie." Kane replied in a chilling manner.
"Man," Uriko said disgusted, "I knew Busuzima was a weirdo, but that's just not right."
"No Uriko. Not Menage-a-trois, Menagerie. It's French, roughly translated to 'zoo'. It was an experiment started by my father when he started RavenTech. The purpose of the project was to create an airborne mutagenic bacterium that would transform normal people into zoanthropes by altering their DNA."
"Obviously," Kenji said, "there was something wrong."
"Yes, there was a fatal flaw with the bacterium. The genome wasn't well mapped yet, so the bacteria replaced a gene with the gene that creates Zoanthropes. Unfortunately, the gene that is replaced is the gene that regulates and creates the body's supply of the Amino acid lysine. So after a few days, all the test subjects end up dead."
"That terrible!" Uriko cried.
"Obviously Busuzima is trying to perfect the process, that must be why he wanted yours and Uriko's DNA! What have I done.?" Kane cried as he sat on the ground. Sarah walked over to him and placed her arms around him.
"You didn't know, you did what you had to do to try and save your mother," she said, trying to comfort him.
"No use in trying to think about what might have been," Kenji interrupted, "we have to find Busuzima's lab and put a stop to Project Menagerie."
The group made their way to Kane's helicopter, but Uriko still had a distasteful look on her face.
"What's the matter, Riko?" Kenji asked
"I still can't get that image out of my head." She said to everyone's amusement, even if it was only temporary.