Chapter 1: Hunger for Strawberries

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

I am getting closer now to the home owned by Charon. I do hope that the position is still open.
I think back to my time yesterday in the forest. I think...I think I was perhaps shot. I don't know what happened. There were strawberries..

I vaguely remember a fox.

My memories seem particularly foggy today.

I take my time walking since I feel a little off today. Helsinki is particularly gray today, with an overcast sky and chill wind. Something seems peculiar, but I can't quite place it.

[Dinari Dollar]

"Yeah, I guess Peter is right. I can't have dinosaurs in Cuba if it is just going to become a resort soon. Bummer. And we really can't have them breeding in America. There is already enough problems here." Dinari replies to Tuvi and Peter with a light shrug. He takes a moment to take in Anthony West's story.

"So you are really an American?" He asks in disbelief. "That's really cool. Why did you go to work for Genetech then instead of me or like someone else?"

[Li Violette]

I take a teleportation booth back to Tel Aviv so I can meet with the Moderator, Ariel Tal Shachar. I arrive at his office at about 11 am. He's sitting there looking over some reports and doesn't even seem to notice that I have arrived.

"The speech I gave in Moscow went well. Sorry that I did not attend the meeting sir, but it seems that it didn't yield any results for the most part anyway." I say, but in saying this he frowns.

"Well...in that everything had to be postponed.."

[Alexei Nacharade]

Alexei drives him and Sakari towards Helsinki. The journey has taken a bit longer then a direct trip, because they've avoided more established roads in favor of smaller, quieter roads due to their ill-favored cargo.

Alexei talks a lot during the drive. He isn't sure if Sakari is angry at him for blaming the missing cocaine on him, but he doesn't dwell on it much.

He simply talked...

"I tell you, the end of our world will be the day the manalists make drugs legal..."

and talked...

"...and then I said 'That's not art, you idiot!' and I punched him in the face!..."

and talked...

"...that was the first and ONLY time I'd done that for coke. I -was- in prison, mind you..."

and talked...

"....what do you think he ment by that? Anti-social personality my ass!..."

and talked more..

"...Eighteen years I've been doing this, you know. I ought to write a book...nah, actually, I ought to find an author to tell my story. That way, when the manalists read they'll throw -him- in prison, and not me! I'll have to give him a false name and all that. Oh, we're almost to Helsinki. Remember, the morphine is hidden in those hallowed out books of Manala. Anyone asks you what we're delivering, or why, you just say 'We're taking them these books of Manala, then maybe these stupid sick people will wise up!' This is a secret hospital, but who knows? Always have a story to fall back on."

Alexei quieted for the first time as they began to enter the outskirts of Helsinki.

[Jack Kruschev]

“Well, mostly because my majors are in Genetic Engineering, but I also love the job more than pretty much any other one. I could’ve joined your company, but I didn’t partially because I’m paid more at my current one and I like this one more,” Anthony says. “No offense,” he quickly added.

[marsatacker]

Padding softly through the city, a lone fox glanced around at the buildings surrounding him, as if intently looking for something. After searching the streets for about an hour the fox travels back towards the edge of the city and disappears behind a bush.

After a few seconds a man walks out from whence the fox disappeared whom seemed to follow the path same path as the fox before as he ignored the stares and comments of the people around him. Irritation at the comments about his ears and tail continued to build up as he traveled further into the city causing him to stop and grab a hat from a corner shop stand.

Dashing away and ignoring the yells of a theif, he continued down the street to get away from the humans that were following him, his forest demon blood giving him a great deal more agility then the humans possessed allowing him to outrun his pursuers.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

I walk by a group of people who seem to be shouting about some sort of hat thief, or a man with fox ears and a fox tail. I turn and look at the crowd of hysterical people. They holler for the Manalist police, which rush in the direction that the man vanished off into.

Theft is a terrible crime punishable by death, so for a moment I worry for the poor character they are going after.

I continue my walk, but start to feel a little hungry. I'll need to get some groceries...a problem since I don't get paid until next week.

[Dinari Dollar]

"Okay, I see. But...you know, we Americans, we have to stick together. We have to rebuild America, you know." He says to Anthony and gives him a little nudge. "What good does working for Genetech do for America? You..you need to think about that. What are you doing for America right now?" He asks him, but not to make him feel guilty.

[Jack Kruschev]

“You have a excellent point there Mr. Dollar. Genetech is doing little to nothing to assist America in restoring what she once was. What exactly do you have in mind? I can help engineer radiation-eating plants, or animals that rot to give excelling amounts of nutrients into the soil. What, exactly, do you want? My assistants and I can get something together with relative ease that can help the land. Just tell me, and I’ll develop it,” Anthony says, thinking deeply on the matter.

[Dinari Dollar]

"Radiation eating plants could be a start." Dinari replies to the man. He thinks for a moment and crosses his arms. "Well...I am not trying to guilt trip you or anything, but, I am just thinking that...we all need to stick together. I buy many things from Genetech and sell them at Allmart stores. So maybe you could put in a good word for All Mart and maybe ..talk to your boss about giving us a better deal on things." He suggests.

[Jack Kruschev]

“Haha,” Anthony laughs. “Lowering prices will get you nowhere and will get me fired. All I can do is try to steer them in the direction of creating radiation-eating plants and such. That’s all I can do…at the moment. Once I’m able to take Dr. Hoito’s position, I’ll have more power. All I can do at the moment, as I said before, is develop other things,” Anthony explains. “Also, don’t worry, I’ve never felt guilty about anything in my life.”

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

Eun spent most of the night making designs about adding personality and other stuff for the androids before calling the night........or morning since its about 4am. Eun check herself out before quickly went home. As soon as she enter her home, her mother is sleeping on the couch and the living room and kitchen is the mess.

"So..........I only go three hours to clean the mess, take a shower, and be at school by 715am. You got be shitty me." Eun mutter to herself before she began cleaning the mess. It only took her an hour and a half to two hours to clean the mess. Eun then quickly took her clothes and took a 10 minutes cold shower. She loves cold water for some odd reason. It almost like a fetish towards Eun.

She then dry herself quickly and wrap the towel around her body before going to her bedroom. Before she can put her school uniform on, she switch her gender from female to male. When Eun goes to school, she is known as Aoi, a boy. Anyway, as Aoi change into the school uniform, he hear his mom calling out for him.

"Honey, is that you dear?" Haneul ask through the door.

"Yea, ma. It is me." Aoi answer back.

"Did you use it again? How many times I told you that don't used that power."

"But ma, the kids at school think I'm a boy 'kay? Anyway.....go back to sleep or something." Aoi says to his mom. He then he heard the footsteps and a door been slam.

Aoi simply shrug before continue changing into his unform until he finish. His uniform consists a red slacks, white button up short sleeve shirt, black loafer, red blazer, and red tie. He grab his book bag and left his room.

"She better eat some food while I'm in school..." Aoi says to himself as he grab a muffin."I'm leaving mom and you better not make a mess."

Aoi quickly left the house and lock the door behind him before he began running to his school.

[Dinari Dollar]

Dinari feels a little upset that he didn't get any further with the price lowering suggestion, but, at least he has heard about some interested projects. It is getting late and it's going to be a long day if they are going to teleport to Dublin.

"Anyway, we better get a move on. Give us a tour of your labs in Dublin." He says, motioning for everyone to follow him to the teleporter.

[Jack Kruschev]

"Very well," Anthony says. He gathers his things and indicates for everyone to follow him out the door.

[marsatacker]

Believing himself to be safe for the time being, Attis placed the hat that he stole on his head to cover his ears as his eyes glanced around and he started to walk at a somewhat normal pace. A few seconds later people ran out in front of him as several emerged from behind buildings completely surround him

Attis frowned as he turned and glanced around at the people around him, noticing the symbols of the manalists on their clothing. Without even wasting a word on them he turned back towards the way he was walking and continued on his way as large vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the annoyances preventing them from moving as he continued his walk through the city.