Number: 51 Title: Never Tomorrow Type: Original Fiction. ---------- Synopsis: ---------- Inspirational thanks to: Kimagure Orange Road, for being an all-around cool anime. Magic Knights Rayearth, for being deep and meaningful, and also just generally kicking ass. Shojou Kakumei Utena, for messing with my head and leaving me begging for more. Lain, for reminding me there is more to anime than short skirts and giant robots. Ghost in the Shell, for giving me the impetuous to write a work of fiction in the cyberpunk vein, an area which I would have otherwise avoided with a ten foot pole. Song of the Soul, because dammit, it's just cool! ---------- The questions we should be asking: "What is reality?" "What is fantasy?" "What is beyond life?" "What is beyond death?" "If we do not learn, will there never be a tomorrow?" ---------- Outline: ---------- Opening: We start with text scrolling by to educate us about what has happened up until present time: In the year 2002, a political revolution between two powerful groups broke out. On one side was the Freetypes, who resisted the current method of global government. On the other side was the Insiders, who pushed through even more restrictive laws and attempted to assassinate the Freetypes in order to win. In the wake of these battles, the world had been changed--though only very slightly. Twenty nine years pass. A group of researchers--historians, artists, poets, writers, scientists and philosophers--found a number of stone tablets in an archeological dig, all written in an impossibly old language. Upon decoding the 8,000-year old tablet, the found that a great evil was coming to destroy earth. Its arrival heralded by a passing comet, the group is at a loss to explain exactly what is coming, or what, exactly, it will do when it gets here. The year is 2032. World government is a bad word and individual countries leverage goods and money against each other. The world network reaches into nearly every school and home on the planet. And in Tibet, the beginnings of a plot is about to hatch. ---------- Day 7: In a mountain temple deep in tibet, a member of the HEEG (Human Evolution and Existence Group), a non-profit think tank, visits a man named Dillon. Famed for a fiasco in Washington DC near the end of the last millennium, Dillon has become an intelligent teacher much like his original self in the comic. The man asked Dillon to research the prophecy mentioned in the leading text, and take necessary action. Dillon doesn't promise much, but does agree to go to Tokyo. Day 6: Online log file. Three girls, talking about the end of a great online RPG and agreeing to meet one another the day before the RPG is set to resume. It resumes in one week, and is set to close down today. A description of the RPG's style and influence follows, like a magazine review of what it is and how it plays out. Information includes the build-up to the finale of the game, the conclusion set to begin after a week of being off-line. Day 5: The next day, little Hikaru is attacked by a group of bullies, even though she's going out of her way to avoid them. Deep in the "backwoods" of Tokyo, the bullies are stopped by an older man with silver hair. With one hand, he defeats all of them, even when they switch to weapons. When one of them pulls out a gun, the guy handles it easily. Hikaru gets the impression he need not have even bothered fighting them, as powerful as he is. Hikaru thanks the man and runs home. Left to his own thoughts, the gang and the girl gone, the man stands silently, listening to waining beat of the city's heart. He senses something is gravely wrong. Hikaru talks with her friends online, anticipating the coming day. In her e-mail account a lone ominous message sits, offering a single link. For some reason, it reminds her of the strange man that protected her earlier that day. However, she has not the courage to open the e-mail. Yohko, fitting her name, is a nice and light-hearted girl. She is researching a figure on the `net who has become a myth. Day 4: Dillon makes an appearance, finally meeting the infamous master Hikaru. The two hit it right off, quickly becoming good friends. Yohko meets with her new master again; the girl's visions have been getting progressively worse, and she's a real bundle of nerves. Her friends have come along to convert the poor lass and Hikaru ends up giving her kendo lessons to help her focus. Day 3: Dillon is asking around about local legends: here we learn urban legends all around Tokyo. He also meets Hikaru's friends. Yohko at school, were she has another vision. She runs away, to meet Hikaru in the park. The master is doing some Tai Chi in an effort to calm down. Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, Dillon is practicing his Pa-kua. Hikaru wanders over and talks with his friend, concerned with what is happening to his student. Dillon quickly becomes interested and finally tells Hikaru what he's actually doing in Tokyo in detail (he was vague before, but Hikaru just told him that details weren't necessary). The two rush to Dillon's hotel where Dillon shows the prophetic visions and events to Hikaru. Day 2: Late in the evening, the two finally make it to Yohko's house and have a long talk with the girl about what is happening. As it turns out, our calender is one day off and the comet is due to pass by early this morning. By the time the conversation is over, it has already come and gone... Day 0: Nemesis has arrived. A man and his minions have attacked Tokyo. A super-virus is on the loose. And before it's all over, a dragon will tromp through the heart of Tokyo, honoring the Godzilla movies of years past and all great monster movies to come.