Chapter 1 - Curiosity almost killed the cat

The Great War was during the year 2388, when humans and robots were living in peace until something happened. A robot had attack its human master. When the government heard of this, a team of specialists was dispatched to annihilate the defective robot. The guilty robot pleaded for a trial but the officials wouldn't hear of it. The robot was destroyed without another thought. Because of this unfair treatment toward their metallic kin, robots around the world rose up and rebelled.

The military ordered troops to go and detain all of the robots peacefully, but when a robot accidentally killed a child, war broke out. For years the war raged on, sometimes the fates favored the humans and other times, they did not. Just when it seemed that humanity was about to win, the robots came back, stronger then ever. Many humans died and the rest were forced to retreat to space. The year is now 2405.



A dark haired girl of about seventeen years of age, sat at a window, gazing out of it at a sphere of blue and green. The girl's eyes were glazed as she sighed dreamily at it.

“RAVENA! RAVENA!” shouted a voice from down the corridor, snapping the dark haired girl out of her daydream.

She turned her head as a girl with strawberry blond hair around her age, came running up. The girl collapsed onto the seat next to Ravena, breathing heavily.

“Hello Hannah,” Ravena paused as her best friend caught her breath. “What's up?”

“We were…supposed to…to go to the gardens together.” Hannah gasped.

“I'm sorry, Hannah, I was on my way when looked out this window,” She said gesturing to it. “And I caught sight of Earth.” Ravena's brilliant green eyes brightened as she mentioned the planet.

“Why do you care about that old hunk of rock anyway?” Hannah asked as she sat up.

“Its isn't an `old hunk of rock' as you so bluntly put it. It's a planet, our planet and some day we'll be able to go there.” Hannah rolled her big brown eyes at this.

“I suggest that you take your friend's advice and forget about that blue ball of waste.” Came a deep, gruff voice from behind, making both girls jump.

“Why should I forget about such a wonderful place, South?” Ravena asked turning around.

The owner of the voice was a tall, muscular man with dirty blond hair. He wore a gray outfit just like the two girls. “Because it's a piece of trash. It has been since the Great War. Its better that you forget about it.” He said stoically.

“Well, one day I'll go visit Earth.” Ravena said turning around to look out the window and ignoring South.

South sighed and looked like he was about to say something when a woman with platinum blond hair came jogging down from the opposite end of the corridor. “Hello VT.” South sighed.

“Aw, what's the matter, South?” VT asked as she strode up to stand next to him and peering at him through purple tinted shades.

“That girl is ignoring my warning, as usual.” South grunted pointing at Ravena then running his fingers through his thick hair.

“Ah, the optimism of youth does seem to get on your nerves, doesn't it?” VT asked jokingly.

South rolled his midnight black eyes and started walking down the corridor to the main hanger. “VT, we have to go tune up our mecha for the mission later today.” He called over his shoulder.

“Alright, South, I'll catch up in a little bit.” Pulling her long hair back into a ponytail, she whispered “Don't mind him, girls, he's just an old sour puss.” The two girls giggled at that.

“VT, stop flapping your gums and come on.” South called impatiently from down the corridor where he waited.

“Hold your horses, South. I'm coming,” VT turned to leave “See you later, girls.” With a wink, VT turned and left.

After the two had gone, Hannah turned to Ravena “Lets go to the gardens now, Ravena.”

“Fine, lets go or you'll never stop bugging me.” She giggled as Hannah made a face.

Ravena followed Hannah, or rather Hannah dragged Ravena down three corridors, up two flights of stairs and through another three corridors before they reached the gardens. The room was filled with flowers and plants of all varieties. There was an artificial waterfall in the middle of the room, where the two girls sat on a stone bench.

Hannah started to chatter and Ravena drifted in and out of the conversation, nodding her head and murmuring her agreement despite her lack of knowledge on what she was agreeing to. Ravena listened to the crash of the waterfall and took in the sweet smell of flowers.

Raven's eyes shot wide open as an idea hit her. “Hannah?”

Hannah stopped talking and looked at her friend. “Yeah, Ravena?”

“I've an idea on how we're going to Earth.”

“Don't even think about it. I know that look in your eyes, Ravena, that little gleam is a glitter of trouble. Just forget about going to Earth.”

“No way! This is my chance to see Earth first hand, and I'm taking it.” And with that, Ravena got up and walked away, leaving her friend stunned into silence.

Ravena walked silently through a maze of corridors, down a couple flights of stairs and through some more corridors before she reached her destination. As she entered the docking hanger, she gazed in wide wonder around the brightly lit room. “Amazing.” She said breathlessly.

“They are amazing, aren't they?” echoed a male voice from behind her. Though the voice was soft, and soothing, it still made Ravena jump.

“Sheesh! Kuramori, do you always sneak up on people like that?” Ravena asked as she turned to face an unusually tall Asian man with long black hair in a loose ponytail.

“Gomen, Ray-Ray. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that.” Kuramori said his trademark chop sticks hanging from his mouth, while his katana rested on his waist.

“Its okay, Squid, I should be used to it by now.” Ravena said staring at the kimono wearing man. “So, what brings you here?”

Kuramori smiled at the use of his nickname. Ravena dubbed him that because of his love for calamari. He turned to look at the mecha that were being repaired. “I should ask you the same thing, but I am here because I'm going on the scouting mission later.”

Mecha were giant humanoid robots that the humans used to scout out the enemy, salvage anything from Earth, and if need be, to defend the colonies from attacking robots. Mecha were of all sizes, shapes, and colors.

“Really?” Ravena asked looking at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, and don't worry little Ray-Ray, I'll be back soon and in one piece.” Kuramori walked away to join his fellow scouts.

“I won't worry because I'll be going with you.” Ravena whispered to herself as she carefully sneaked about the mecha-loaded ship that was to head for Earth. She crawled back into a secret compartment and shut the hatch. She hugged her knees to her chest in her excitement as she felt the ship take off. I'm finally going to visit Earth She thought happily.

Outside her hideaway, the scouts were silent. Ravena wished that they would talk, so the ride would be a little more comfortable but not a peep came from the outside. The ship started to violently shake, and as Ravena braced herself, she thought, We must be entering the atmosphere. Just as the ship started shaking, it stopped. Soon, the ship touched ground and slight noise came from outside the hatch.

Ravena waited until she thought that everyone was gone and she burst out of the compartment. She couldn't stand the darkness that had surrounded her anymore. As soon as her feet touched Earth's soil, she knew it was worth it to be cramped in a small space. She took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled. My first breath of Earth air, and not some artificially made air She thought as she took off running to explore her surroundings.

She ran toward what looked like a city with tall sky scrappers and glass buildings. Her smile faltered as she neared the city, except it wasn't a city at all, it was a ruin. She started to back up as she saw human and animal bones alike scattered across the outer city limits. She looked up as she heard a crash of glass and saw a figure jumping out of a window. The figure landed with a thud on the ground in front of her. Ravena gasped as she saw what it was.

It was an android. It almost looked human except for its eyes. Its haunting red eyes seemed to bore into her soul. It stood on its feet and started to stalk toward her, reaching out with one of its hands. Ravena tried to move but her limbs felt as if they were made of lead. She closed her eyes as she waited for that out stretched robotic hand covered in artificial flesh to grab her. Seconds flew by, then minutes until she opened her eyes to the scene before her.

The android lay in pieces on the ground, and Kuramori was standing there sheathing his sword. He turned toward her and without looking at her, he said “Curiosity almost killed the cat.” He brushed past her as two other mecha approached.

“RAVENA!” VT's voice called out.

“GIRL!” Came South's voice as both mecha stopped beside Kuramori's mecha.

Ravena turned and stared silently as VT and South climbed out of their mecha and rushed over to her. She fell into VT's arms.

“Ray-Ray, are you alright? What are you doing here?” VT asked clutching the girl in her arms.

“I should've known that you would've pulled a stunt like this one, girl.” South growled as he stared at Ravena.

“Shut up, South!” VT growled back as she guided Ravena to her mecha “Come on Ray-Ray, we're going home now, everything will be alright now.” She crooned to Ravena as they climbed inside the cockpit.

“She's quite the curious one, no?” Kuramori asked as he and South watched VT's mecha reach the ship.

“Yeah, Curious Cat.” South said with a smile.

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