Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon, as always, belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Toei, Kodansha, and scores of other people much more beautiful, talented, and most importantly, wealthy than myself. Nonetheless, here I am, devoting yet another portion of my life to laboring over a keyboard... What a sucker... Author's Notes: This is a series. This is the first series I actually plan to complete. It's not completely planned out, so I _beg_ you for your suggestions, which I am ridiculously open to. It'll be almost like writing your own fanfic. Really. "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon: Utopia" has no relationship with any of my other stories. It is not in the Life family. The subject matter is not quite so strong, as it is not a darkfic. Mamoru wont be killed, maimed, or otherwise harmed (excessively), and none of the senshi will have any children. That said, do buckle up, as usual. I don't want any lawsuits. ^_^;; This story takes place after Stars. This episode is rated PG-13. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon: Utopia By: Dark Ferret Episode 1: The Prelude to Chaos? Awakening of the Deity. "Better to burn out quickly than to fade out slowly." --Kurt Cobain It takes determination for things to happen. Actual _things_. Not, "Gee, I think I'll go to the store and buy a soda" type things. Marconi-type things. "Gee, I think I'll create an intercontinental communications system" type things. The things that appear in a text book, as actual proof it happened. Because those are the only "things" that actually happen to whatever supernatural forces exist--the only things that they care about. After saving a life, a hero might say, "It was nothing." Well, they're right. It's nothing. No one is going to care if you're dead, because you're not important. You're not going to change the world. And thus, in relativity to the Big Picture, your life is nothing. Someone, somewhere, decided that human growth was too dangerous. Humans now were already sending the world to it's apocalypse at a startling rate. So what happens with the invention of even more dangerous and ecologically destructive technology? They were not only killing themselves, but, perhaps more importantly, the innocent wildlife. Basically, only about one person in a million has the intelligence and determination to make things happen. This could be seen as a very fragile state to leave the world. By one person, it was. That someone had the idea that if these rare people were exterminated, the world would be left in a perpetual standstill, thus preserving the world. Somewhere, someone decided that the Earth must not be a playtoy for man. Rei turned her henshin stick about in her hands idly, observing it. There was still a novelty to it, one that blew the mind. That after three years, the blasted thing still held such a power over her, and yet still seemed surreal. And as for the power it held? In all actuality, the stick held no power over her, as she usually thought of it as holding. No, the only power _it_ held was to _bestow_ power--the power of Sailormars. The power over _her_ was the power of the benefactor. Usagi. Dammit, what _is_ this? I've felt love before, and this is not it! And than there was the question, "Had she really felt love before?" For her grandfather, certainly, but not the type in question. And as for Yuuichiro? She laughed shortly to herself. If I felt love for Yuuichiro, I wouldn't be wondering about this love for Usagi. What a cast of characters I carry about myself. Oh, and as if _that_ wasn't enough, what about Mamoru? Her feelings for him were certainly merely lust, and so were no base for what she referred to in her mind as the Usagi Question. And if they were merely lust, there was no reason to worry about them, right? But that wasn't it. Because lust needed to be played out or it would stay and fester until the limb needed to be amputated. If her heart were a limb, she most certainly would have already have amputated it. The Usagi Question. Do I love Usagi? As a friend, yes, certainly. And if I asked any of the other senshi (excluding Haruka, she thought with a snicker) what they felt for Usagi, the answer would be a love born of friendship. So isn't the mere question of this love for her proof that it is a passionate love rather than a friendship love? She sighed and shook her head. I don't know. Sometimes I don't care. Most of the time I don't care. And than I see her-- Her and Mamoru. Now if that isn't a sight to warm the coldest heart. What exactly is this? Why am I cursed like this? She threw the henshin stick up in the air and caught it with the other hand. She than returned both elbows firmly to the table. Cursed as a senshi in life. Cursed as a lecher in love. Cursed as parentless in family, and cursed to continue these curses. She jumped straight out of her chair as a bottle attached to a hand came flying out of the sky to the table in front of her right before she was embraced from behind. "I'm a senshi, I have no one even as a _prospect_ in love, and any prospective guardians kicked off long ago. I'll live at least as long as you, and soon I'll have to get a real job." Makoto giggled and kissed her on the cheek. "Cheer up, kiddo." She than removed herself and moved to the other side of the table and sat down in the chair there. Rei's breathing returned to a normal rate as she grabbed the bottle and jarred the lid off. "That I wasn't expecting...and how did you know what I was thinking?" Makoto laughed as she adjusted herself cross-legged into the chair. "You should learn to stop thinking aloud when you're by yourself. Try some of it," she added as Rei hesitated, staring into the bottle, "There's not much alcohol, but, or perhaps because of it, it tastes pretty good." Rei did so, and agreed. She than finished the bottle with a speed and ardor that not even Makoto could rival. "I'd watch that if I were you," she warned. "It may not be very alcoholic, but you're still a lightweight." "As opposed to you, the queen and master of beer drinking. Makoto made a face. "See, it's already getting to your head." Rei laughed. "No, I'm just in a bad mood. It's not the best time to be around me." "I had noticed both," she replied dryly. Rei smiled crookedly and began to pop the cap of the bottle in and out absently. The noises quickly became part of the background as she began, "So what do you think?" "About what?" "Now that you're over here, for some reason I can't begin to comprehend--" Makoto smiled wickedly as a reply. "--and you've overheard my most personal thoughts, I want to know what you think about the Usagi Question." The taller girl stopped to ponder that for a moment. She thought, perhaps, that Rei might not have asked that question of her, as she wasn't as good a friend as either of the blonde senshi, that her askance was a product of the alcohol she had consumed. While it wasn't enough to actually effect her seriously, it had inspired in Rei a looseness of tongue that was unusual around Makoto. Than, the fact that she, herself, had actually come over, alone, which was unusual for her, might also be an effect of the alcohol on her own system. She decided that the question didn't bear contemplating and moved on. "You were right about one thing. I, at least, feel for Usagi-chan only a love born of friendship. The same I feel for Ami-chan and yourself. So the question you should ask yourself, perhaps, is do you feel more for Usagi than, say, me?" She grinned as she gestured to herself. "And if the answer is yes, well, than, I suppose you know what I think about it." Rei paused. "I don't know," she replied, a smile beginning to spread on her face, "Didn't you start out with a kiss? Just what _do_ you feel for me?" Makoto began a search of the table. "Is there something on this table that could be used as a projectile?" she asked innocently. "I'd love to throw it at you." She than looked up at Rei frankly, her eyes candid. "Look, I know what you answered, inside, and I doubt you wanted to, but you have to face it. Life isn't fair, but only if you let it repeatedly kick you in the teeth." Rei returned her look. "So what do I do?" Makoto spread her hands out wide, a rueful grin on her face. "If I knew so much about love, I wouldn't be here talking to you--I'd be out with my boyfriend!" Rei suddenly began to laugh, a sort of release thick in the air and on the timbre. After a few moments of doing so, Makoto laughed with her, and both continued until they had tears in their eyes. There was one place Hotaru really didn't want to be. It was, of course, where she was now. On a cruise boat, in the middle of nowhere, with Haruka, Michiru, and Usagi-tachi. Winning the tickets. That she could do, and did rather well. She was also rather gracious with their dispersion--among Usagi-tachi. What she couldn't handle was the rocking-rocking-rocking-rocking of the boat. It also didn't help that every couple of minutes or so Haruka (-papa) and Michiru (-mama) would walk by, smug in their superiority to their former daughter-- No, that wasn't true. The seasickness was making her feel nasty. It had just so happened that Haruka and Michiru had had to go to the island that the ship would first stop at. After that, they would use the airport there to get to their destination. To save money, they said. Nevermind that it had cost more to get on this ship rather than going in one flight, and that the two women had never cared about saving money in their entire lives. They openly admitted to Hotaru that the only reason they were going on the ship was to be with the inners, to help bridge a gap that was becoming more and more wide. Hotaru sighed. Just as Ami walked by. She held in another. She wasn't quite in the mood for talking. What was also quite obnoxious was the way that whenever Minako spent an extended amount of time away from parental guidance she would drink herself into a blackout. She probably wasn't taking into account the effect that the rocking of the boat would have on her head in the morning, and would probably have a hangover that ranked right up there in the worlds worst. Hotaru would have paid to be a fly on the wall when she woke up. She would have just made a point to visit her around ten o' clock in the morning, except for that she was having difficulty walking, and she doubted a night on the water would do much to amend that. Ami sat down next to her, emanating motherly waves that rather added to Hotaru's nausea. "What's wrong?" she asked. I'm as totaled as Bill Clinton after he found out Monica Lewinsky had been taped by that Chihuahua woman. "Seasick," she croaked. "Than why'd you come?" Because I didn't know being on the water felt like making love on a roller coaster! "Dunno," she groaned. "I think I brought some Dramamine, if you want it," Ami offered, searching through a blue purse, adding to her motherly stature. "Already had it," she replied. "Drugs made it worse." Uh-oh. Shouldn't have said that. Now I'll get to hear a tirade about that being "Highly unlikely, as drugs made for a specific purpose rarely make the case worse, and are you sure you didn't take the wrong drug?" Ami blinked. "Oh." Whoa. "I think maybe I'll go, now," Ami announced, and did so. This should be an interesting day... A man that called himself Canis Lupus, for his acclaimed work with the physiological makeup of the canine family, looked out at the sea as the sunset. It really could be beautiful, the sunset, right along with the world. Somewhere below him was a drunken Russian girl on the singing in bad Japanese, and somewhere above him was a God that hated him, but neither of these things bothered him right now. All was right with the world. Because with the final test going on at the island he expected to reach, Canis Lupus had the cure for cancer. And he was going to save humankind. Minako looked around idly at the bar and the bartender. "Some things you just can't top," she slurred drunkenly. "Those include a good drink and a good man." Rei and Makoto, friendship strengthened from the experience from the other day, looked at each other quickly before standing up and grabbing their friend, each by one arm. "Come on, Minako-chan," Rei said softly, "Let's go find a good bed, too..." Minako looked up at her, squirming without using her legs in the locomotion. The action just didn't occur to her in her state. "Need a man first," she garbled, as if sleepily. "No, we don't," Makoto insisted gently. "We're going to _put_you_ to bed." Suddenly, Minako screamed. "Perverts! Perverts!" The bartender looked at her, amused, and signaled across the bar. "Hey, you two. I think your friends need some help here." Haruka and Michiru turned from their game of billiards to looked at the three girls before simultaneously bursting out into laughter. After a few minutes of the extended mockery, Minako still yelling, both women put down their sticks and began to walk the length of the room. Rei dropped and arm, and suddenly Makoto was left with the weight of the drunken girl. She grabbed both arms just before her posterior touched the floor, and hoisted her up in front of her. Minako laid her head back, which just happened to be resting on Makoto's breasts, and stared at her. "Why, hellooo...So long as we're going to my room..." Haruka suddenly laughed again, and Michiru spared a look at her quickly before jumping the last step to save Minako from falling to the floor once again as Makoto dropped her in somewhat appalled shock. Minako almost made a comment about her new savior before Rei pulled her hair quickly. She turned her head to look at her 'attacker' and made a face. "Meanie." "I think maybe she reverts to Usagi form when she gets drunk," Rei commented in disgust as Makoto and Haruka set about taking the package from Michiru and taking it to it's room. Makoto looked at Rei with an odd expression on her face. Rei saved herself from crying out in realization of what that may have sounded like to Makoto, and instead shook her head viciously. Michiru looked at her oddly. She giggled nervously. "It's nothing." What _was_ something was having to endure the odd looks from the other passengers of the ship as they dragged the intoxicated Minako to her room. Minako woke up with the worst hangover on record. Some of that discomfort could be blamed on the rocking of the ship on the water. The other part would definitely have to be attributed to Minako having drunk the most amount of alcohol in her life last night. In fact, she couldn't even remember how she had gotten in this room. Suddenly, the door to the mini shower opened, and Haruka stepped out, looking wet, yet content. She was by no means wearing nothing, but what she _did_ wear was not much. "Oh, hi, love," Haruka said, smiling as she dried her hair. "I was wondering when you would wake up." She winked. "Though after last night, I really can't blame you." Minako screamed. Very, _very_ loudly. Laughter burst from all corners of the room, and suddenly the blonde noticed that Michiru, Makoto, and Rei were all hiding in the room, under various furniture, luggage, and blankets. They all sprang up from their hiding places, Michiru placing one of said blankets over Haruka's almost naked person rather protectively as they all laughed. The noise did nothing for her hangover. Rei got out, eventually, "It was Mako-chan's idea--her feathers were rather ruffled after you suggested that you two go back to your room, and she figured this was the perfect punishment." Minako reddened in memory (or, perhaps more accurately, lack thereof) as Makoto held up a hand. "I opted for Mamoru-san, 'cause I thought that'd be funnier (and you'd really be nervous about being pregnant), but Haruka volunteered." Minako became just a little bit redder. "Anyway," Haruka continued for Rei, grinning at the flushed Minako, "If that nasty hangover you're having now isn't enough punishment for going out of control with the alcohol, this should be. But I hope it isn't, 'cause this sure was fun." Another fun thing was to see Michiru punch Haruka. After the three others observed that, Usagi and Mamoru finally came from the somewhat adjoining room (by fault of the scream rather than the laughter) looking extremely ruffled (read: interrupted), but after seeing a precariously close to unclothed Haruka, a Minako holding covers about her also precariously close to unclothed form, and everyone else in high good humor, they sighed in release and suddenly began laughing at the bizarreness around them. "Just another day," Usagi sighed, grinning. But than they heard another, louder, and much more frightened scream. It was observed that three people near leaped out of the room. It was also observed that of these three people, one looked extremely annoyed. The annoyed one had aqua hair and was actually quite attractive. Scratch that. Very, very attractive. It was observed, as well, that a few moments after the three people ran out, the other two including a raven-haired beauty and a tall brunette, a blonde-haired man and blonde-haired girl (who looked extremely hungover) stepped out of the room and ran, extremely fast, after them. And just a few moments after that, a black-haired man along with a girl with odango for hair ran after them, not nearly as fast. The last thing that was observed of rushing was that a blue-haired girl ran toward the sound of the scream as well, an extremely sick-looking purple-haired girl trailing at a nauseous stagger. It just so happened that they all met in the hall right out front of the room, except for the still-trailing Usagi and Mamoru. Shrugging, Haruka went in first, than, fear almost in her eyes, jumped out and closed the door. "Henshin yo, minna," she whispered, a stray thought popping into her mind about just how much like Usagi that had just sounded. Well, the syllables, at least. The timbre of her voice was still much too deep to ever remotely sound like Usagi's--but it still was amusing to think about it like that. "Hai." Canis was not pleased. Not only was he being held hostage (at least, that was what he assumed was happening here), he had let out the most feminine and embarrassing scream in his life, and still no one had appeared to rescue him. He looked to the...entity that was holding him hostage as he attempted to adjust his hands into a less painful position against the rope bounding them to the chair. The bristles would dig into his wrists every time he moved, and he was fairly sure that the dampness on the back of his hands was blood rather than sweat. But that was beside the point. This...entity standing in front of him, searching his room, looked rather like one of his test subjects. Bitterly ironic, that, that his captor, certainly not human, resembled a cross-bred human and wolf. As such, he was fairly sure it had been genetically engineered for just this purpose, this hostage taking. And that was kind of sad, actually, because wolves were actually majestic and noble creatures, who mated for life, and were as least as intelligent as humans. And as for what it wanted? Well, it certainly would get a lot of money for Canis Lupus himself, as he _did_ after all, know the cure for cancer. What it was looking for right now was probably notes or a sample of some kind. How annoyed he would be when he found that there was none. It was all in his head. "Lupus," it growled, looking at him as it bent down to meet his eyes for full intimidation, "Where are your research records? What will save this world from this disease when you are gone?" It started to dawn on Lupus that perhaps he wouldn't get out of this alive...and that he had the only records in his mind. On second thought, that made him more valuable. He smiled boldly, in spite (or faked it, anyway). "There are none, you freak. They're all in my head." The entity smiled, his fangs showing, blood in his eyes. "Go--" The door swung wide open, and several sailor suited women burst into the room. Lupus's heart began to beat faster. Perhaps I shall life past this point after all! Before the wolf-man could finish his comment, a tall, blonde-haired woman exclaimed, "I am the magnificent Sailoruranus, and in the place of Uranus--" "I am the elegant Sailorneptune, and in the place of Neptune--" Sailorjupiter, Sailorvenus, and Sailormars looked at each other. Let's try this as we go along, Venus thought. "I am the beautiful Sailorvenus, and in the place of Venus--" Mars nodded as Jupiter shrugged. "I am the fiery Sailormars, and in the place of Mars--" "I am the dangerous--" 'Dangerous?' Mars' look said. 'Shuttup, I was under stress,' Jupiter's return look said. "Sailorjupiter, and in the place of Jupiter--" "We shall punish you!!" "There's nothing to punish me for--yet--" The wolf-like creature replied, grinning, showing his fangs again. Than his claws extended. Suddenly, Uranus and Neptune looked at each other just as the inner senshi barring Moon and Mercury did. "Space Sword--" "Aqua--" "Jupiter Oak--" "Venus Love and Beauty--" "Mars Flame--" All were simultaneous, all were too late. A splash of crimson made it's way across the room as Canis Lupus's jugular was slashed. It sprayed the carpet in an ocean like wave, and all senshi present held themselves from vomiting. The wolf-man's last action was than to impale the man's heart on his razor sharp claws. Afterwards, all that was left was a pile of ashes, signifying an end to a frightening beginning. "Blaster!" "Mirror!" "Evolution!" "Shock!" "Sniper!" The other end of a beginning was the end of the room, as it was now perhaps in worse shape than the youma. Sailormoon entered the room just before she spilled the remnants of her breakfast. All present were very sympathetic with the feeling Sailormoon was having. A few moments afterward, Sailormercury entered. Shortly afterwards, she leaped back out. After Sailorsaturn appeared, she grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Don't go in there." The last end that the end of Canis Lupus and the youma signified was the end of the cruise. Sailors Uranus and Neptune decided that their eventual goal on this ship was to be cut off, and headed, tail between their legs, back to Tokyo, taking Hotaru (at her insistence) with them. The company decided that all people on the ship would be sent back home by way of two passenger boats, and the rest of the senshi on board did the same. "I've seen blood before," Makoto drawled, looking into her wine glass. Minako, with a considerably higher amount of wine glasses in front of her, stared into the glass as well. "I'm fairly sure we all have," she replied, slurring some of the words. Rei raised an eyebrow. "That isn't the problem. Wasn't. Whatever." Ami looked at all the wine glasses around the table and remained silent. "I think the problem was that we saw it happen," Makoto continued. Ami shook her head. "I didn't see it happen. I still was scarred." Haruka flipped the card that was face down. "Twenty-one. I win." She scooped the money into her ever growing pile and added, "Maybe you've seen blood before, but did you ever know that it was the blood of someone who you knew was alive just moments before? Who, if you had been in a different place or position, you could have stopped their death?" "So this is just disgust at our inability to foresee or do something about this?" Rei asked, taking the cards from the rest of the table. "Ante in. Game's blackjack." All did so as Minako commented, "We couldn't have foreseen this. It had only been about half a year since the last time we...needed our powers. For all we know, it could have been the last time." "Bullshit," Makoto spat. "We all knew it wouldn't be the last time. We just weren't prepared." She looked at flipped card after Rei dealt it, wineglass still in hand. She took a sip before saying, "Hit me." Rei nodded and did so as Michiru commented, "Mako-chan, you may be right, but that still doesn't change why we were so affected." "No one's ever died before," Ami added. "We've always succeeded in our mission." "Did any of you feel sick when I died, just for the record?" Makoto asked bitterly. "No? I didn't think so." "That's different," Rei argued. "We knew you. We loved you. It was deeply personal, and we mourned you. We weren't sick at your death. We were deep in grief. But we weren't sick because we knew you. We didn't know him, who ever he was. And besides that, his was a very violent death." "The last part of that I understood," Haruka said, cocking her wineglass at Rei. "But most of that I'm pretty sure is the alcohol talking. Hit me." Makoto threw a chip into the pile. "Five." "See your five and raise you five," Minako replied. She nodded and did so before continuing, "She did have a point there. It just could have been the violence and pointlessness of the man's death." "Ah, but was it pointless?" Michiru replied as Ami put in her chip. "Is that the question? Rather than speculating abut inconsequential details, like out sickness at the man's death, why don't we worry about _why_he_died_, and if there's going to be anyone else in danger." "Because it's easier to speculate about why we were sick rather than why he died. At least, until Ami hacks into the guest list," Rei replied with a pointed glance at the blue-haired girl. Ami shrugged. "The only computer with enough power to do that is mine. I am less than in the mood to henshin in to a drunken, surly Sailormercury, and sit here and hack at one in the morning while the rest of you play cards." "So you'd rather let more people die?" Haruka growled dangerously, looking at Ami with eyes that were meant to have Ami search her own soul. Apparently, that's exactly what they did, as Ami stood up and walked slowly to the bathroom. After a few moments, Rei declared, "Show your cards, ladies." Just as Minako began gloating about her twenty-one, a blue burst of light came from the bathroom, and eventually Sailormercury came out, looking highly annoyed. It did not help that Haruka was staring at her legs. What did help was Michiru swatting her partner's hair so that she would turn her attention back to the game rather than Sailormercury's legs, which eventually she did. Rei imagined a rather colorful talk in store for the self-fashioned playboy (playgirl?) when she and Michiru reached their house. As it was, the only thing that saved her from one now was Rei repeating rather forcefully, "Show your cards, ladies." Michiru showed that she had a twenty-one. Minako began to object that she had one as well, when Makoto looked over her shoulder and announced that she actually had a seventeen, and Minako scowled. Haruka, Makoto, Rei and Michiru began to giggle as Makoto gave Haruka a look. "I think we have another early morning prank in store for you, my friend," Rei giggled. Ami--Sailormercury--held up a finger as Minako flushed at the memory. "I don't doubt that whatever I am missing is immeasurably humorous, but weren't we speculating as to reasons for the man's death?" "I suppose we were," Michiru replied. "What I was thinking," Haruka started, "was that if he was some famous person, than maybe he had a grudge with someone else, who just happened to be a scientist, and maybe--" "Here it is," Sailormercury announced. "That didn't take very long, now did it?" Rei asked facetiously, cocking her wineglass at her. "Sit on that glass," Sailormercury replied, as the rest of the innocent bystanders at the table exchanged looks of surprise. "The man that died two days ago was Asanuma Katsuyuki. He was called by many 'Canis Lupus'...and..." "And what?" Makoto prompted. "And...this can't be right..." "Nani!?" the quintet demanded. "He...he...had the cure...for cancer." Silence. Haruka buried her head in her hands. "The millions of people we could have saved by being just a second earlier," she moaned into her hands. "The people...we killed--" "We didn't do anything wrong," Makoto snarled fiercely. "We all did the best we could. We had no way of knowing what that monster was going to do. We didn't kill anyone!" It sounded weak even in her own ears. She than proceeded to bury her head in her hands and hold in tears. When that didn't work, Minako embraced her from behind and did her best to hold in her own misery. "I take it it's agreed that we don't tell Usagi," Rei commented, covering her eyes with her palms as she breathed deeply. "He has to have notes somewhere. A vial! Something!" Sailormercury exploded. "He can't just have died and left the world a disease carrying mass...He can't!" She began furiously typing on her keyboard as Makoto sniffled and carefully extracted herself from Minako's grip before smiling weakly up at her, a tear still running down her cheek. Minako gently brushed it aside with a bent finger and smiled just as weakly before sitting down again, gripping the other's hand tightly. The "tuh-tuh-tuh" of the keyboard quickly became the only noise in the room as Sailormercury's determination reached new heights before plummeting. When her determination plummeted, the typing would go slower. When it became god-like, the typing would go at a speed unprecedented. Haruka began to laugh, out of control. "The world's fucking ending. Let's all play cards." A few hours later, after doing so for lack of better things to do, their eyes began to droop. Rei had passed on dealership to Makoto, who would stare at Sailormercury at her keyboard for minutes straight. Haruka, in turn, grabbed the cards from her and dealt, skipping over Makoto whenever she left the world of reality. After Haruka got up to find some more wine, Makoto yelling out that it was in the cupboard closest to the refrigerator, Michiru had taken the cards and dealt herself. It was just after Haruka had returned, pouring wine for everyone at the table, barring Sailormercury and Minako, that Sailormercury screamed in joy and jumped up from her seat, weeping in exultation. "I found it!" she yelled, dancing. "I found the vial that he left!" Makoto jumped up and read the screen for them, as after a few moments it became obvious that Sailormercury was not going to return to the monitor and do so herself. "Dated Saturday, May Ninth--that's four days ago, people-- "To: Head of Staff From: Management In two days, Asanuma Katsuyuki, also known as Canis Lupus for his genetic work with the canine family, will visit our Kyushu facility. Preceding him will be a very precious vial that must not be dealt with by any of our staff other than yourself. If it _does_ get into the staff's hands, you can be assured that you will get that vacation you asked for--indefinitely. Not to mention that your name will be a laughingstock in the field of medical sciences. If you have kept up with us at our board meetings, you know how much this little vial is worth--not only billions of dollars, but billions of lives. If it comes up missing, there will be a bounty on your head. End." "We," Sailormercury began, a light in her eyes that only showed up when she did something uniquely special or she talked about science, both of which she was talking about at this moment, "are going to find out the results to that test. And--" She grinned. "Yes?" Michiru prompted. "And--no matter which way the tests turn out, there's no blood on our hands." Author's Notes: Yep, this is a weird one, that's for sure. In case you couldn't tell by the "majestic, noble wolves" stuff, I think wolves are really majestic, noble creatures. They may be the coolest animals on this planet. Regardless, that's enough about wolves. Please, please, _please_ send me your comments and suggestions. If you want send me suggestions, I will tell you the plans I have for the series and share with you, but you have to actually prove that you have ideas. If you're an acclaimed author, all the better. I am, after all, just coming into my own. Like, perhaps if you like Usagi and Mamoru (and Hotaru, poor girl, I can't quite figure out her age!) you can give me an idea to actually get them in this fic, 'cause otherwise they're going to be largely ignored. Mail me at . Greg Mareski CAMGEM Bouviers email: camgem@jagunet.com website: http://www.jagunet.com/~camgem/