InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Foundations of Neo Genesis ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. However, the ideas, situations, original characters, and creatures are of my own creation and therefore copyrights of me. Any use of these with out my permission will result in bad things.

Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The future depends on humanity coming finally to see that it is part of the natural world - as vulnerable to destruction as any wolf or whale or clear running stream, as integral to the proper workings of the planet as the blowing of the winds and the shining of the sun.

~ Roger L. DiSilvestro ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A purple moon hung in the sky as if someone had bruised the heavens. It was said the moon was a silvery white once, but that was centuries ago, before the pollution had clogged the atmosphere. A handful of stars also dotted the inky blackness if you were far enough away from the city to see them. Though such a task could only be accomplished by the truly ambitious. Most continents had long ago become one large metropolis. One city faded into another as seamlessly as smoke into the blackened sky.

Long ago the population of the Earth had been a mere handful, living in caves and hunting for food. Now it soared in the 900 billion range, with most living in towering edifices of steel-alloys and glass-compounds. Light that once had been provided in abundance by the Sun now came from Luminance Orbs, little glowing balls of energy that could be brightened or dimmed with a single voice command. Everyone had at least one Luminance Orb, for it was impossible to live without them. Thick, sludgy clouds, which adorned the sky constantly, blocked the light from the sun during the day, and at night the blackness was to thick to be penetrated by even the keenest of eyes.

Air purification factories had replaced the trees as the main converter of carbon dioxide to oxygen. The only plants that existed now grew in pots of synthetic soil, under synthetic sunlight, drinking synthetic water. Such luxuries as organic soil and water were reserved for the wealthy, not squandered on such futile things as flowers. Most plants however were kept in museums, preserved forever in a wax and plastic alloy.

Few animals had survived the population boom. Only those that could adapt to the populace existed outside of ZOOS (Zoological Observations Optical Stations). The facilities no longer held live animals, but rather a holographic imitation thereof. The only organic animals in the world were kept among the plants at museums. The few animals that still lived were considered pests, though if tales were correct; rats, pigeons, and roaches had always been as such. Animals that had once been pets had given way to android versions. The androids were cleaner, lived longer, were more obedient, customizable, and if they would not shut up you could always turn then off.

This was the world Inuyasha in which was born, son of a demon father and human mother. Demons had come into existence only two centuries ago when science tried to extend the human lifespan by splicing human embryos with animal DNA. The result was super humans with animalistic features. The experiment had worked; some say too well. The demons did live longer, were stronger, stayed healthier and healed faster then humans, and even developed sharper senses, but it came at a price. Many of the subjects had severe metal breakdowns. Those that did not, faced life in a world that could not accept them as anything but products of madness. Over the years, laws and time proved the demons equal to their human counterparts, but did not erase the prejudice.

It was really only a fluke that Inuyasha was born, humans and demons rarely mixed company. According to his older half brother his parents had loved one another, but he could not remember. Both had died when he was young; thanks to an act by a group of Purists. His brother had done his best to care for him, but work often kept him at the office late into the night and demanded his attention early in the morning. As a result, Inuyasha had grown up mostly on his own on the mean streets of the New York Detroit Los Angeles Unified Metropolitan or NYDLA City. A spiral of drugs, gangs, and street fighting had made up his life, occasionally punctuated by his brother trying to help him get clean or jail time.

The half demon sighed as he looked out the window to his cell. The city sprawled out as far as the eye could see. Buildings like jagged teeth reached into the sky, some disappearing into the thick cloud overhead. The steady buzz of hover vehicles and chatter below floated over him even on the hundredth floor. His golden eyes followed the path of the purple moon as it eased its way into the sky. The light reflected off his silvery-white hair and the two triangle dog-ears atop his head, turning them pale lavender. The Luminance Orbs that hovered nearby had been turned down to leave the small cell almost black.

Inuyasha had just closed his eyes and bowed his head when the heavy clink of a lock announced a visitor's arrival. He did not bother to open his eyes or lift his head; his nose was enough to tell him it was his older half-brother Sesshoumaru. Expecting another lecture on his behavior and how his parents would be so disappointed, Inuyasha opted to fain sleep.

"Lights on." Sesshoumaru said without emotion. Inuyasha groaned as light flooded the room and turned the inside of his eyelids red.

"Some of us are trying to sleep." He drawled grumpily. Sesshoumaru snorted. The older demon glanced around the room in mild revulsion. It was little more then a square room of solid cement-alloy. A small square window filled with diagonal bars incased in glass was the only interruption in the right wall. On the left wall was a bench that could serve as a bed, which his younger brother was currently doing. Also in the room were a worn table and two chairs. Sesshoumaru opted to stand.

"Really Inuyasha, I knew you were awake before I even entered the room. I am a full demon after all." Inuyasha shot him a glare from across the room before sighing and sitting up.

"Well, I was trying to sleep. But if you're here to give me the usual lecture, go ahead. Maybe it will put me to sleep." Sesshoumaru frowned.

"This is serious."

"I know that! I'm not a fucking idiot. I've been in here three days and all I know is that Kikyo is dead and I'm the one they want to pin it on! She was my girl dammit! Why would I kill her?!"

"Did you?" Sesshoumaru asked raising a single sculpted eyebrow.

"NO!" The older demon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Fine, Inuyasha." He walked over and sat down in one of the chairs, "Didn't come to argue with you. I came to deliver news of your… circumstance. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?"

"I've been stuck in a cell for three days because my girlfriend was murdered and those morons think I did it just because I am a half-breed. Any good news would be wonderful."

"Ok, they don't have the evidence to convict you."

"There is a god!" Inuyasha threw his hands up more in exasperation then joy, "What's the bad news?"

"They don't have the evidence to prove you innocent either."

"Meaning, they'll just assume I did it because of what I am. And the universe is still out to get me. Fuck!" He turned and planted his fist into the wall. The action was followed by a long string of curses. The cell had been built to hold a demon and Inuyasha had only succeeded in hurting his hand. Sesshoumaru sat calmly while his younger sibling ranted and beat his hands bloody on the wall. It would do little good to stop him, and he was not doing any permanent damage. "Why the fuck are you just sitting there! I'm about to get pegged for a murder I didn't commit, and rot in this hellhole for the rest of my life! You're supposed to be my brother! Don't you ever fucking care!"

Sesshoumaru calmly pressed his fingertips together and watched his brother. Unlike the younger demon he was rarely given to emotional outburst. He found it clouded his thinking and only gave Purists more fuel.

"There is… another option." Inuyasha paused in his assault of the wall to look up curiously. "But it may not be that much better."

"I'm listening." The younger demon said as he sat down backwards in the other chair. He folded his arms on the back and his chin resting on his arms.

"Have you heard of project Neo Genesis?"

"No." Sesshoumaru paused to collect himself and pursed his lips slightly.

"It is a new project the World Government has recently started. They wish to find a new home for the populace."

"So they are starting another space station? We already have six orbiting the Earth, how much good do they think another will make? And what has they got to do with me?"

"It's not a space station. To my understanding it is a project to find a new planet where we, humans and demons, can live without this mess we have created. How it concerns you is simple. If you agree to volunteer for the project, the courts will drop all the charges against you. And I mean all of them, you'll have clean record."

"This sound too good to be true. What's the catch?" Sesshoumaru paused again to study the wall where Inuyasha had played bloody knuckles.

"The mission is… one way."

"Meaning, I either rot in here for the rest of my life with the world thinking I'm a murderer, or I go to some god-forsaken, backwater planet where I will probably be eaten alive by god knows what. And that's if the air is even breathable. Gee, the choices are just staggering."

"They are looking for a place to live. All the planets have been surveyed and air sampled and all other manner of whatnot to make sure they are livable. They had tilted everything in favor of success. This is your only chance little brother. We both know there is no way you can beat this charge and I can't buy you out of it. If you don't take this now… well, I hope you like this room, because you will be seeing it for a long time." Inuyasha sighed and dropped his head against his arms. Silence fell over them for several minutes as Inuyasha debated his choices. After several minutes he looked up, a frown etched on his face.

"I really don't have choice do I?"

"There is always a choice, Inuyasha. But this time they are very limited."

"Shit… I guess dying out there is better then dying in here." Sesshoumaru nodded and stood. He left without a word; the only herald to his departure was the loud clank of the heavy bars and the lock of the door. Inuyasha sighed again and buried his head in his arms. After several minutes he got up and headed back over the bench like bed.

"Lights off." He muttered half-heartedly. The Luminance Orbs dimmed to nothing but a pinprick that hovered near the ceiling. The half-demon closed his eyes and got comfortable. However, the sleep he so desired would not come, and the darkness only haunted him with his own nightmares.

"Kikyo! Kikyo! Where are you?" The only answer to his plea was a choked scream. His feet pounded against the hard ground as he raced towards the sound. The hallway seemed to go on forever, it stretched away from him and no matter how fast he ran he could not reach the source of the woman's screaming. Then the screaming died with a final choking gasp.

"Kikyo!" He rounded a corner to find a young woman lying in a growing pool of blood. Her dark hair, usually so well kept, was a mess of tangles and clotting blood. Her perfect face was marred by a bloody smear and far too pale. Inuyasha found himself kneeling at her side. He gathered her into his arms, rocking the lifeless body and calling out her name, desperate to wake her. She did not respond.

"Murderer!" The word was no more then a whisper but his head shot up all the same. People loomed over them; shadowy, faceless figures all pointing accusing fingers at him. "Murderer!" Their voices were getting louder and he clutched Kikyo's body closer as if it would somehow make them understand.

"I didn't…"

"Murderer!!"

"No! I didn't kill her! Someone help her, please!"

"MURDERER!"

"NO!" Someone hit him in the back of the head and everything blurred. Colors swirled and ran together. Slowly they reformed, shaping themselves into something huge. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to bring it into focus. When he opened his eyes again Kikyo had vanished. In fact the whole city had disappeared. He now stood on an open plane of flat land. The dirt underfoot was a dark clay-red and stretched on forever in all directions, unbroken by even a clump of dead grass. Around him lay bodies of faceless people all soaked in blood. The dirt around them was muddied with more blood. Deep gashes severed many of them nearly in two.

The earth shook under his feet and he spun around. Towering above him was a creature like nothing he had ever seen in all the ZOOS archive. A head like a wolf with a blunted muzzle was mounted on a powerful horse-like body. Huge cat-like paws sported massive claws. A whip like tail cracked the ground angrily and a deep growl rumbled from its chest. Thick slimly saliva rolled off of yellow fangs as large as his arm.

The creature lunged, and he leapt away instinctively, the massive jaws snapping shut where he had been only moments ago. With supernatural speed the creature turned and caught his leg in its jaws, slinging him to the ground like a rag doll. A huge paw came down and pinned him to the ground, claws gouging the earth on either side of his head. The creature growled down at him, its sticky breath rolled over him and making him gag.

Inuyasha growled back and tried to push up on the paw. It did little good. The beast easily over powered him, crushing him farther under its foot. He cried out as the air was forced from his lungs. The half demon looked on in horror as the jaws came down at him.

"WAKE-UP!" Inuyasha bolted up right. He was still in the dark cell high in the jail in the midst of an endless city. The purple moon had dipped below the teeth of the city skyline and the dull buzz of life still hung in the air. A guard grumbled as he walked away from the cell door.

Inuyasha ran the back of his hand across his brow and found he was sweating. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath and reminded himself it was just a dream. With a deep sigh to calm his breathing and he lay back down on the bench bed. His senses told him morning was still hours away but sleep was the last thing on his mind. The images of Kikyo and that monster still haunted the edge of him mind.

He lay there and watched as the thick masses of clouds slowly chased each other across the sky. He watched them lazily through half lidded eyes. The two images at the edge of his mind kept the want of sleep at bay even as his breath slowed and his eyes fell closed.

Inuyasha snapped awake suddenly when the sound of the heavy door clanked in his ears. The cell was flooded with dull gray morning light and a small army of guards was standing in the doorway. A single guard in back of the group was holding a set of hand and leg restraints. Several others stood between that one guard and him all holding shields. The shields were large and made of some plastic like substance. Each was electrified, made to force submission out of an unwilling prisoner. The shield guards were also armed with heavy nightsticks.

Inuyasha narrowed his golden eyes and growled deep in his chest. His lips pulled away from his teeth, revealing a pair of sharp canines. His ears lay back and he drew his body into a crouch.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way." One particularly burly guard said as he took a less-then-confident step forward.

"Looks like you don't want me to come quietly." Inuyasha spat back, "Besides I thought I was free. I agreed to the stupid judges terms."

"Agree or not, you are still a prisoner until you are off the planet. Stupid half-breed." Inuyasha's growls grew in volume. He knew that they were baiting him, but he did not care.

"Looks like the little monster is going to fight." The man with the restraints said coolly, "Subdue the prisoner." The shield wielding guards rushed forward. Inuyasha tried to dodge, but the cell was too confined and the shield caught him below the waist. The guards slammed him against the wall. Electricity jumped through his body as his back and skull cracked painfully against the concrete-alloy wall. He growled and punched the nearest guard in the head. The guard wheeled backward with a cry as blood started to come from his mouth and nose.

A nightstick came out from his left and caught him upside the head. The shields released long enough to let him fall to the ground before grinding into his back. He bit back a cry as his arms were twisted behind him back and clamped tightly into steel restraints. The same happened to his legs before the electrified shield lifted and he was roughly jerked to his feet.

"Stupid half-breed." One of the guards muttered as he cuffed Inuyasha upside the head. The demon growled back but there was not anything he could do as they shoved him down the hallway towards the transport shuttle.

The hall was silent as they walked, except for the sound of their feet. Other prisoners peeked out of their cells at the entourage passed. Most said nothing, but a few muttered to themselves and looked away shaking their heads. If he paused, even for a moment, to look at the other prisoners, one of the guards would hit the back of his head and tell him to keep moving. The transport shuttle was kept on the top floor and they had to take a transport lift.

Inuyasha stumbled on the short leg restraints as they pushed him on to the roof level. He growled and the guards retaliated with a nightstick to his stomach. The demon coughed as they pushed him into the back of a small shuttle and locked the doors behind him.

Gingerly, Inuyasha pushed himself to his knees as the ship began to rumble around him. The only light was from a single, round window the size of a small plate on each of the sidewalls. The ship gave a lurch as it took off and he was tossed backwards onto his rump. The demon groaned at the rough treatment as he braced himself against a wall. The ship lurched again as they exited the atmosphere before smoothing out.

With the take off over, Inuyasha struggled to his feet to look out the window. He could not suppress the gasp that rose from his throat, it was the first time he'd ever seen beyond the suffocating clouds around Earth. All around was the darkest color of black dotted randomly with bright points of light. In an instant he saw more stars then he could ever remember seeing in his life. The blackness was blanketed with them so thickly that they seem to be trying to force the darkness out completely. Leaning his head slightly he caught sight of a huge orb suspended amongst the nothingness. One side was a bright, almost blinding, silvery white and the other half thrown in to beep shadow. The Moon, it really was silver and not the purple he had always seen overhead.

Tilting his head a bit more the Earth came into view. He had seen pictures from the 20th century where his home planet had been a beautiful mass of blue and green overlaid in swirls of white. The Earth of now looked very different. The white had turned into a solid mass of dingy gray and the blue and green could only be made out by the places where the gray was tinted ever so slightly. Inuyasha snorted in disgust and turned away from the only smudge on the beauty that surrounded him.

All too soon the ship slowed to dock at one of the space stations. Slowly the thick metal walls closed around the small shuttle and blocked out the nothingness of space. The heavy clang of the dock gate doors was strangely musical to Inuyasha's ears. He was free. No more being pushed around by others for what he was. No more empty accusation from those who feared him. The air suddenly seemed sweeter.

The doors to the shuttle flew open and Inuyasha was jerked painfully out by his restraints. He stumbled to catch himself, but the short chain between his legs made it worse and he fell face first onto the ground. The guards laughed overhead. Inuyasha growled and pushed himself awkwardly to his feet. The guards continued to laugh and jeer at him the whole time.

"Take them off."

"Yeah right. You really are a stupid half-breed if you think we're just going to let you go." One of the guards scoffed between laughs. "You honestly thought we'd turn you loose to ravage this ship!"

"You fucking bastards!" Inuyasha lunged at them, but an expertly raised shield sent electricity through his body before throwing him to the ground. He looked up in time to see a nightstick coming down on him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact he could not stop. But it did not come. Inuyasha slowly looked up to see the nightstick had been stopped by Sesshoumaru's hand on the guard's wrist. A frown marred the older demon's usually emotionless face.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"I thought as much would happen." He answered without taking his eyes from the guards, "And I brought you personal things." Without the slightest effort, Sesshoumaru pushed the guard away as Inuyasha climbed to his feet. "Unbind him."

"You're joking! He'll kill us all!"

"As you no doubt richly deserve. Either way he is a free man now that he is aboard Second Moon. Now release him, before I see to it that none of you ever work again." The guards paled slightly, then one slowly came forward. A small key was inserted into the cuff on Inuyasha's right wrist and all the restraints fell away with a dull clatter. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder to prevent any retaliation as he steered him away from the docking area. Inuyasha grumbled but did not fight as he rubbed his abused wrists.

Inuyasha followed his brother out of the docking bay and into the main hall of Second Moon. The space station had been the first of its kind only half a century ago, built to relieve some of the bulging Earth population. It had been no easy task, even for the World Government. The station had to be big enough to hold large numbers of people, but not so big that it would cause traffic problems with the satellites, natural and otherwise. It also had to be light so it would not slingshot itself out of orbit, but strong enough to withstand the unexpected. The station also had to be 85% self-sustaining. The supplies it got from earth were only the essentials or things that could not be produced on the station. The development had taken nearly a century and was christened 'Second Moon' by some genius in the dark corners of the World Government HQ.

The project, in essence, had been a success. Or it would have been at the time it was conceived. Since then the population had ballooned exponentially, and Second Moon was quickly filled to capacity, then over filled. To counter this unforeseen hitch, the government built another station, then another. By the time the Earth's orbit could no longer hold any more of the moon-sized satellites, they realized that a new solution had to be found.

The hall of Second Moon was light not with Luminance Orbs but over headlights embedded in the ceiling. It made everything easily visible in all directions, also hurting Inuyasha's eyes with their brightness. As he blinked to adjust the station came into focus. The floor was made of some sort of metal that had been polished smooth and covered in something to cut the reflection of the lights. The beige plastic-alloy walls stretched up ten feet before coming to a second level. Here there was a walkway on either side of the main promenade on the floor below and lined with railing. The two sides were linked with the occasional crossover bridge, and linked to the floor below was short transport lifts. The wall continued up until they connected with the ceiling, which looked very much like the floor. Shops, stores, restaurants, and other such things to amuse the ship's residents and visitors occasionally dented the walls on either side.

Sesshoumaru gave a slight tug at his shoulder and Inuyasha followed without comment. He led the younger demon to one of the doors that allowed people on and off the promenade. It slid open with a soft hiss as they approached and shut similarly after they passed. They passed down a long, unadorned corridor before coming to a door. Sesshoumaru pushed a button on the side and the door hissed open.

They entered a room that was dimly lit with a lamp off to the left. Unlike the hall outside this room's floor was covered in plush red carpet. Near the lamp was a high-backed chair with a book sitting on the cushion. A large desk stood at the back to the room. It looked to be made of oak, but more then likely it was some sort of synthetic compound or had a hologram graphed to the surface. Hunched over the desk, seated on a plush chair, was an elderly looking man. He was concentrating hard on the papers in front of him, seeming not to notice his guests. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat loudly and the man jumped.

The man looked up at them with an expression of mild bewilderment, as if he had not expected any company. He blinked once then smiled. The man rose to his feet and walked around the desk. Inuyasha was a little tall for his age, but this man was at lest two feet shorter then him and about twice as wide. His large graying mustache matched his thinning hair. But his blue eyes were gleamed with youth.

"Inuyasha, it's so nice to see you again. My how you've grown." The man greeted as he reached out his hand. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, but he gave the offered hand a quick shake nonetheless.

"Do I… know you?"

"Ahh, yes." The man sighed as he waddled back behind the desk, "I don't suspect you'd remember old Myouga. I knew your father many a year before he met your mother. I visited often when you were small, but then I was assigned here, and well… lost touch. I wish I could have been there for you when…"

"Shut up! I don't need some old codger to look after me, now or ever!" Sesshoumaru cuffed him upside the head.

"Be nice Inuyasha. It is Myouga who got you this chance."

"It is quiet alright Sesshoumaru," The elderly man interrupted, "Should have known better then to bring up such a subject."

"Feh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked away. Myouga's mouth quirked up slightly and Sesshoumaru sighed.

"To business I guess." The old man sat in his chair and shuffled through the papers scattered haphazardly across the surface. He muttered to himself as he pushed reports around, searching for the one that he wanted. With a triumphant cry he lifted a single sheet out of the mess. He took another minute to look over the page, now muttering Inuyasha's name as he did. "Here it is. Inuyasha, you will be in Delta group that leaves in… four days." He looked up at the two demons, "Till then, you have the time off to do as you wish, get any affairs you have in order, and generally enjoy yourself. There is a suite prepared for you on," glanced at the paper again, "Floor 12 room 6247. Just give your name at the door and it will let you in. If you need anything, just ask." Sesshoumaru gave a nod and steered Inuyasha out before he could respond.

"Listen to me very carefully, little brother." He began, "This is your last chance, if you mess this up there will be no one left to help you."

"I know Sessh." Inuyasha replied in exasperation.

"And-"

"I Know!" Inuyasha cut him off. "I get it already. If I screw this up, I'm on my own. I'm not even sure why it matters. If I stay I'll be just as dead as I will if I go!"

"Not all the missions have failed. At least this way you have a chance. If nothing else you will die free rather then in chains."

"That's a very comforting thought, thank you." He spat back. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and sighed.

"So be it. Do try to refrain from making trouble." The older demon passed him a bag as he spoke. "These are the personal effects you can take with you."

"Thanks." He muttered as he shouldered the bag. Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to leave. Inuyasha followed suit as he headed for the nearest transport lift he could think of.

"One more thing." Sesshoumaru's voice stopped him and he looked back. His older half-brother had stopped as well and was half turned to look back at him. His golden eyes, normally so stagnate of emotion, seemed almost to falter. Inuyasha lifted a questioning eyebrow. "Good Luck."