Chapter 1
The blarring screech from the alarm on the clock-radio sliced through the early morning serenity like a lawn mower on a sunday. Groaning in protest, the burly, sand-colored tabby stirred in his bed, fumbling to find the blasted contraption that sat situated on the nightstand. With a heavy thud, the tomkat's large hand crashed down on top of the alarm, silencing it; but it was too late. Sleep had lost the battle to conciousness and Chance Furlong was left lying on his back doing his best to rub the sleep from his eyes. Though his vision still adjusting, Chance caught a glimpse of the digitalized numbers glowing bright red on the front of the small box...six-thirty. Had morning come so soon? His massive frame protested as if he had just slipped into bed an hour ago.
With a deep yawn, he sat up, pulling the blankets from him and stretched his arms, thick with hard muscles, over his head. With another yawn, Chance stood and paced over to the dresser that leaned against the far side of the room. His bedroom was small and in a sort of content disarray typical of bachelorhood: a few dirty socks peppered the hardwood floor, a leather jacket hung hephazardly on chair that sat in front of a desk that was used for storing items of a frivolous nature, rather than writing. Adorning the walls were posters that left no doubt as to where Chance's intrests lay: jets, comics and the fair sex. He had always prided himself on being "uncomplicated". Yet it seemed that the past two years of his life had been anything but uncomplicated.
Self-confident and rather easy-going, with boredom as his only real enemy, Chance had at one time, found success as a pilot for Megakat City's Enforcers; a para-military organization that had long ago absorbed the metropolis' police force. Long ago, as a young kitten, Chance had always dreamed of one day becoming like the heroes that he read about in his comic books. He wanted to be one of the "good guys" in a world rife with crime...and he wanted to do it in the c0ckpit of a jet. As a rookie pilot, the skill he possessed in the air defied textbook logic. Fellow Enforcers began calling him "Maverick" while senior officers downplayed his talent by brushing it off as "hot-shot rookie antics". Teaming up with Jake Clawson, a virtual magician at weapons systems operations, the pair aced training simulations and live drills. It seemed as if both Chance and Jake were going to have a long career with the Enforcers. However, fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor.
Dark Kat was one of Megakat City's most notorious and dangerous criminals. During one of the villain's attempts to destroy Enforcer Headquarters, Chance and Jake were able to damage the rapscallion's weapons systems, leaving Dark Kat vunerable for apprehension. However, before they were able to accomplish that, their senior officer, Commander Ulysses Feral ordered the pair to stand down, allowing him to take Dark Kat into custody. After a short and heated exchange, Commader Feral clipped the wing of their jet with his own and forced Chance and Jake to plummet out of the sky!
"We're out of the game, Chance! We gotta eject!" Jake had yelled over the deafening cacophony of a jet locked in a deadly duel with gravity...a duel which it was losing...fast!
Chance gritted his teeth, "We're not ejecting! I can get her back under control!"
"No you can't! Our stablizers have been damaged! We gotta eject!"
Chance knew Jake was right. Reluctantly, the two ejected out of the aircraft's c0ckpit mere moments before it collided with the new Enforcer Headquarters, causing the building to erupt in flames. The top five floors were lost after the incident. Fire marshalls blamed the highly flamable nature of jet engine fuel. Commander Feral however, blamed Chance and Jake...not only for the loss of the building, but it seemed, Dark Kat had eluded caputre again.
Afterward, they were banned from the Enforcers and were left holding a bill that esentially ended their careers. Feral sent them to work at the Megakat City slavage yard were they were to work until every penny it took to rebuild Enforcer Headquarters had been paid back. Yet with all the abandoned military equiptment that was left under their care, Chance and Jake built a jet of their own, the incomprable Turbokat. At it's helm, the two became the SWAT Kats.Vigilantes both revered and reviled throughout Megakat City.
The double-life suited Chance just fine. He adapted well to the alias, "T-Bone". In fact, it made him feel even more like the heroes he had read about. Jake absorbed the new identity as well, adapting it in a way that allowed him to express himself in ways he'd otherwise feel uncomfortable to do. Unlike Chance, Jake was relatively reserved...quiet. Possessing a keen mind for electronics and invention, Jake usually was content with allowing his partner to take the spotlight. But as "Razor", Jake could be just as free-spirited as his burly counterpart.
After showering, Chance quickly dressed himself and headed downstairs for breakfast. He could tell that Jake had been awake for some time, as the television was on and the bittersweet aroma of coffee percolated throughout the expanse of their meager living quarters. Their apartment was situated directly above their garage where they performed menial tasks of auto-body repair and vehicle maintenance. As such, their living quarters was eternally bound to the faint, underlying odors of engine oils, brake cleaner, and gasoline.
Padding down their narrow hallway, Chance rounded the corner to his right, his socked feet contacting with the cool white tiles of the kitchen floor. He could hear the weatherkat speaking from the television in the next room, in an irritatingly perky voice, about the incessant heatwave Megakat City had been having. "It looks as though this unprecedented heatwave is going to continue, June! We are looking at a high of ninety-eight degrees with a blistering heat index of one hundred and ten! OUCH! Grab that extra water bottle and sunscreen all of you kats and she-kats out there! Stay indoors if you can and crank up that A/C!"
Chance heard Jake groan with displeasure.
"Another hot one, eh, Jake?" Chance called, grabbing an ice-cold can of milk from the fridge and picking up a few doughnuts from the table, Chance headed out to the living room where he saw his best friend, brother-in-arms, and the best weapons systems operator (or WSO) he'd ever worked with, lounging on the worn red couch. Jake Clawson was a stark contrast to Chance. While Chance possessed sand-colored fur with warm brown stripes on his arms and back, Jake was a soft, solid red-brown. While Chance's frame was massive, like a linebacker's, Jake was small and slender. Yet their friendship lept over such contrasts, taking to each other more like brothers than friends.
Jake sighed again, lifing his own can of milk to his lips and taking a swig. "Ya know, I really hate working in this weather. Kats get bent out of shape too easily..." He let his voice trail off, but Chance knew about whom he was speaking.
Yesterday, an eighty-three year old Mrs. Longtail brought in her vehicle with air conditioning problems. And while both Chance and Jake had been happy to help the elderly she-kat at first, they were quickly begining to regret their decision to work on her car. Mrs. Longtail, it seemed, did not understand that working on a vehicle took time and care. She incessently called the shop every hour on the hour and complianed about how long it was taking the two of them to fix her vehicle.
"Mam, every time you call, one of us has to stop working on your car in order to pick up the phone..." Chance had finally said, exasperated with the she-kat's antics.
"It's the heat, Chance..." Jake stated, playing a bit of the devil's advocate.
"No, she's just crazy." Chance had quipped in return.
Taking a seat next to Jake, Chance took a bite from one of the powdered doughnuts that he'd grabbed from the kitchen and grimmaced. "Isn't there anything better on?" He asked, watching the two morning anchors joke with each other stupidly.
Jake shrugged, "Maybe. But they're going to air a segment that I'd really like to catch before we get started on Mrs. Longtail's sedan..."
Chance sighed, finishing off one doughnut, then starting on another. "What about?"
"Puma Dyne apparently, has come up with an invention that is supposed to revolutionize the Enforcers."
Chance was skeptical, "If it's not a device that can retire Commander Feral, then I doubt whatever they've created will revolutionize anything."
Jake chuckled, "That may be, Chance. But I think that you'll be interested in the segment too."
Chance lifted an eyebrow quizzically.
A devious grin spead across Jake's lips, "Two words, Chance: mechanized pilots!"
Before Chance could speak, Jake grabbed the remote and increased the volume on the thirty-seven inch t.v. On the screen behind the pretty anchorwoman was the words: "The Aeromechs: The future of the Enforcers?"
"Megakat City has been the target of nurmerous villains with plots that ranged from turning our beautiful metropolis into a seething swamp to annihlating our city completely. Through it all, the Enforcers and the SWAT Kats have kept us safe. But at what price? How many kats lost their nine lives defending us from these myriad of menaces? What can we do to change that?
"That was the precise question that Dr. Tailburg at Puma Dyne sought to answer. Live at Puma Dyne with Dr. Tailburg and Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs is our own Felicia Furrton...Felicia?"
The screen prompty changed and the image of a lovely young red-head came into focus. Standing to her right was an elderly kat, perhaps in is late fifties wearing a Puma Dyne-issue jumpsuit, which must have been Dr. Tailburg and to her left was the blonde-haired and green-eyed Callie Briggs. "Thank you, June!" The red-head chirpped. She turned to Dr. Tailburg, "Doctor, would you mind explaining to our viewers just how Puma Dyne came upon such a concept as mechanized pilots?"
Dr. Tailburg cleared his throat before answering, "Of course, Felicia. We here at Puma Dyne have ever sought to find the answer to problems that have plauged our fair city. With such criminals as Dark Kat still free to attack Megakat City we began to wonder what we could do to help the law-enforcement professionals like the Enforcers. We saw a few key problems that needed answers: pilot error and pilot deaths. As such, our new Aeromechs will virtually eliminate both problems! Never again will we have to mourn our fallen heroes! Nor will we need to reprimand those who through their own error, allowed dangerous criminals like Dark Kat, Dr. Viper and others to escape!" He paused briefly before he continued, "The Aeromechs are state-of the art atificial intelligence housed in an agricite-alloy based body. They are programed to perform the same arial acrobatics that the top pilots of the Enforcers execute and more!"
"Is it then your hope to replace Enforcer pilots with these Aeromechs, then?" Felicia asked.
"Perhaps one day. But as it stands, there are only twelve." The elderly kat grinned sheepishly.
Turning to Callie Briggs Felicia asked, "As a mayoral-funded project, is Megakat City's political office pleased with the results?"
Callie smiled brilliantly, even for nearly seven in the morning, the Deputy Mayor looked ravishing. "Well Felicia, we're happy with the progress that Puma Dyne's Dr. Tailburg has made. However, we at the mayoral office would like to emphisize that these twelve prototypes are still in need of further development before they are ready to be used in actual emergency situations."
Chance drew in a breath as the camera panned in for a close-up of Callie. "You gotta admire a she-kat who can look that good this early in the morning."
Jake hissed for Chance to quiet down so he could hear the rest of the segment, though he had to admit, Chance was right. Callie was georgous.
Nodding, Felicia turned to Dr. Tailburg, "When will these Aeromechs be ready for mass production, Doctor?"
"Not for another year, I'm afriad. There are still some bugs to work out and virtual flight simulators to put them through their paces..." His voice trailed off and Felicia took that opportunity to turn her attention back to Callie, "Ms. Briggs, final thought?"
Callie nodded, "When these Aeromechs are complete, we hope to spare our heroes from such life-threatening situations brought upon them by the likes of the Pastmaster, Hard Drive, or Dark Kat!"
Satisfied, Felicia focused on the camera, "Back to you, June!"
The television screen went black as Jake depressed the power button on the remote, "Looks like you're out of a job there, buddy!" He chided.
Chance grimmaced. Standing to his feet, he paced over to his work boots and laced them on, "No way! I don't care what programs Puma Dyne installed on those tin cans! You can not replace pilot experience or sheer skill!"
Jake chuckled, "I dunno Chance...I might have to find myself a new pilot when those Aeromechs are given the 'green light'!"
Chance returned Jake's words with a baleful look. "Let's just get Mrs. Longtail's car outta our garage today!"
