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Isi's Story

Entry One

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Author: Jake-Rabbit

https://jake-rabbit.sofurry.com/

Twitter: @DamnDirtyFurry

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(Author's Notes: This is an entry in my shared universe concept of Noa. Check out my SoFurry account for other entries in the series. This was originally titled "Prologue: Isi" until I decided to rewrite parts due to Harry's nudging - http://harry.sofurry.com/ )

On most any other occasion, a tourist could walk through the Toponga district and not be too worried about keeping their possessions close. This week, however, was when at least one pair of eyes, belonging to a small Mus girl named Isi, were on a hawk-like vigil; constantly observing, watching body language, and watching wallets even closer while looking for a good mark.

She was a Mus; a small murine-like species, and even for her kind, she was short and nearly child-like, though she was definitely in her prime. Her small stature and unassuming gait made moving anonymously among the throngs of tourists easier. Her brown and white fur blended in easily, and she kept her dirty blonde hair underneath a cap, going to some lengths to appear male, as it made sneaky getaways easier if they were called for.

The square was in the middle of high festival season, decorated with bright colors and flowing fabrics, traditional folk music blaring over loudspeakers, and every single busker and hawker having to scream to be heard over the din. Isi could easily rely upon a the chatoic mess of a busy season to cover her tracks as she plied her trade; separating fat tourists from their even fatter wallets as they were distracted by the spectacle like animals in headlights.

Toponga, Yaseda's City's old market district, was both a historical landmark, and, if you asked the locals, a shining tribute to the bald faced commercialization of their cultural heritage. The streets were sick with vendors and buskers, all circling moneyed tourists like vultures about a fresh carcass. Every one of them was trying to ply their trade and eke out an existence in one of the more expensive cities on Noa. The red stone cobble streets were lined with vendors selling garish handspun fabrics, artisan foods, "cultural souvenirs", "locally crafted" trinkets made in far away cities, and any variety of low value but high cost bauble that a unsuspecting tourist would want to take home as a memento of their pilgrimage to the ruins.

With the historical significance of the nearby Annaka ruins, the square was teeming with tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. The real pilgrims often came here impoverished, many of them ascetics in their own right. They believed that through denial of self, they could divine the true purpose of the ruins; who had left them, why they had left, and what their purpose here was. That the Twins would somehow enlighten them if they showed their devotion. Isi did not seek to fleece the religious; it was, in fact, bad favor to do so. The target was the tourists with wide eyes, short attention spans, and deep pockets that Isi was after. The moneyed day trippers.

Within the garish facade of the plaza, Isi worked her magic; a sleight of hand honed over time to the point that the tricks she performed were often not much removed from a parlour trick; albeit one that covertly fleeced the innocents, instead of overtly. She was quite adept at her trade, and while casing Toponga in the middle of festival season was safer than other times, it was not, by any means, a guaranteed haul. Patrols were vigilant, but cover was easy now. Almost no pocket went unchecked, no fat wallet or unsecured handbag, or loosely dangling piece of jewelry passed her purview without a discreet scoping out of the owner and, more often than not, dipping of a grubby paw into the collective till of clueless tourists.

Isi's watchful eyes followed a young Canin couple towards a vendor selling fabrics and clothing, run by a Mujina female whom was old as the stones atop the mountains themselves. Perched upon her striped snout were glasses that looked impossibly thick. The girl's eyes followed the action like a cat stalking prey, watching for a sign that she should make her move, waiting to see how her mark carried their money and where. Fates looked upon her when the male of the couple carelessly flashed a large amount of cash in hand to his mate, intending to impress upon her that money was no objection to pleasing her whim. Tourists were often bestowed with a false sense of invulnerability here, as if being on a trip made them somehow exempt to any harsh, unpleasant realities. Certainly the tourist booklets didn't cover how to keep your money safe. If they did, it was most certainly a byline.

This particular Canin was a proud russet furred male, and obviously looking to impress his wealth upon his girlfriend by looping a royal blue scarf about her shoulders; the display distracting him long enough for Isi to move in, taking advantage of the old vendor's near blindness and proximity to the couple to slip a grubby, pink hand to slip into his coat pocket and lift his money clip. Within seconds, Isi had made her way down a block and behind a vendor's tent, divested his money clip of anything worth a chit, and tossed the clip itself into a bush. In the distance behind her.

"Silly git, she'll be all proud as a peacock until you go to pay for dinner, won't she?" Isi giggled a little to herself, thumbing along some of the cash money before pocketing it. Unfortunately, it wasn't dinner when he found the deception, as she could hear the familiar retort of "It was JUST HERE!" as her mark realized what happened. Isi picked up her pace to put distance between her and the spectacle.

The market walkways were well-trodden, the cobblestones worn smooth by centuries of foot traffic, an odd pattern emerging in the worn stone, as if the footfalls of tourists were water in a river, choosing the best ways to run over the eons. Buskers did their level best here to entertain groups of tourists for a few crumpled chits thrown into a hat. Some of them energetically, mayhaps even desperately put on a show in a time-honored dance to garner enough to feed themselves, and still yet others would play the streets simply for the challenge and approval of the crowd. The tourists that gathered around the more successful acts were easy targets, some distracted by watching a Lapin dressed in loose crimson and gold robes eat fire off a sword, eyes on the spectacle and not on their valuables. Isi could even snatch jewelry right off their wrists, and did exactly so, when the more tempting open purse or fat, visible wallet wasn't available. Her nimble hands slipped into loose pockets and bulging purses, fleecing more than a few tourists in a row, resulting in more than one flustered matriarch once the show was done, though some of them turned to blame the hapless fire-eater at first.

Isi had lifted at least a dozen handbags and wallets today; her pockets lined with credit chips and IDs that she could sell to her fence. Better yet, she had a burgeoning collection of watches, rings, and bracelets, all made of precious metals and stones that she could easily pawn off for enough credits to buy her a hotel room for the night. Pickpocketing in Toponga was an act that was dangerous at best due to the high amount of Commonwealth patrols; but it was lucrative enough that even the poorest urchin could put themselves up for a month if they played the game right.

Isi allowed herself a few moments to mull about the idea of a night spent in a hotel while she watched a ragged, ascetic Lapin busker squeeze his entire body into a small transparent box to the delight of several small children. The joyous childish squealing intensified when he stuck his long foot up and waved to the young ones with his large toes. Isi's face, for a short moment, cracked a bemused smile, and she briefly lighted upon a sweet memory of time spent here with her parents. They'd come here every month to purchase supplies they could not outside the city, and a trip to Toponga was expected by her and her brother; a pilgrimage to a temple most revered - a pastry vendor on the outskirts of the plaza who knew just how to make your teeth ache. Isi rubbed her face and regained her composure, tucking more of her hair up into her tattered cap. This was work for her; a trip down her memories would not do. It was a foolish distraction, and an unpleasant liability.

She focused her thoughts back on the task at hand, and the reward she would realize if she managed to pull it off. A hotel room! The lap of luxury! She could take a long, hot bath, drowning in silky bubbles and swilling cheap wine like a ragged superstar. Have her clothing washed - someone else to do work for once! Roll naked and exposed in silk sheets and watch the nightly programs while stuffing herself sick on room service. Her mind slipped quickly to food; Akansha rolls, so savory and spicy, washed down with copious amounts of sweet Tumeran Tea, until her teeth chattered from caffeine and sugar. Mouth-puckering Yoffa pastries eaten until she might explode in a last moment of gluttonous glee. She salivated like a trained dog at the thought. She'd not had a good meal in months. Picking handbags in Toponga was the last resort of a desperate thief looking to strike it big. She was determined now.

Isi made her way down to the far end of the district, far away from her most recent marks, towards the entryway to the historic district and ruins. Yaseda was home to the Annaka ruins, and their discovery three centuries back had quickly turned the city from a backwater farming village into a sprawling technology hotspot and tourist destination. The resulting technology boom and interest in the ruins poured vast amounts of money into the area. Now, the ruins were a national park, and the city occupied the area just at the base of the mountains. At four million souls, it wasn't even a shadow of its former self, though some still lived the rural lifestyle on the outskirts. Isi's family had been farmers, and coming here was a bit of a ritual when she was younger.

The third centennial of the uncovering of the Annaka ruins was well underway, and the market district and Annaka National Park were even busier than before. The local government missed no opportunity to throw a party in order to line their pockets with tourist cash, but this anniversary was special, what with the first Fold drive having been successfully prototyped a month earlier. The wires were all talking about how, in a year, this could mean the first trip to the planet from where the ruins originated. Maybe those ascetics had the right idea; but perhaps they should have volunteered for service in the fleet, where their ability for fast for weeks or months would have done them well in the face of the fare on long hauls.

Isi tucked her cap down to further cover her eyes, sticking a dextrous hand into her red leather jacket's pocket to count the day's tally by touch. With crowds like this, you could get away with murder in broad daylight in most districts, but Toponga was still too dangerous to get greedy in, and she had more than enough for a few nights of relative luxury. She had plans for one night only, and to take the rest and ferret it away. So far, she had not even got close to being caught, though certainly her profile would increase as she kept at it.

Her stomach growled again. She hungered for a warm meal, but knew she needed to make her way out of the district and back to her fence. He'd scam her, try to claim that times were tough, that he'd have problems moving what she had given him last, that his son had taken all his money...any number of weak excuses to make her accept less. She didn't look forwards to haggling with him; it was like a slow dance between two strangers whom didn't like each other, but she looked forwards to a night in the lap of luxury and a bit more financial stability for the month to come. No more digging through trashcans that smelled of decay or sleeping in the moldy stormwater drains to avoid gangs only to catch a cough that lasted for days. One precious night of not having to sleep a vigilant, fitful sleep, ever with one eye open. Her mind would keep her awake, that lizard brain of hers on a paranoid watch for one of the gangs to come looking for a fight; or worse, for fun. Isi's hand tugged at the binding on her chest at that thought. Sometimes it helped to look a bit androgynous, and to play the part of the dirty, crazy homeless rat if caught.

She edged her way out of the crowds, towards the edges of the district, towards a spot she remembered, a restaurant owned by a large, muscled Urso named Jonathan. The scent led her there, a spicy aroma that reminded her of nights spent with her grandmother; a culinary siren's call. Jonathan was a model of his kind; a large, muscled, black furred ursine with a big heart, and a long, but ultimately violent temper. A couple pilfered credits were exchanged for a hot savory pastry from his brother, something to sate her so that she didn't need to negotiate on an empty stomach, though it turned slightly as she downed the assorted meats wrapped in dough, a rich deluge of food in a stomach that hadn't seen more than a passing scrap a day in weeks.

A big hand came down to knock about her hat onto her muzzle. When Isi managed to get her hat back into place, she saw Jonathan at her side, having left the stall to the care of his brother for a moment.

"Now Isi, I know you aren't out here doin' anything I should have to be worried about, right?" The big Urso looked down at her, brow cocked.

She'd known Jonathan for a few months, as her stomach always got the better of her when she had a little spare change.

"No, course not, I'm just out here enjoying the anniversary like anyone else..." Isi adjusted her hat down over her ears, smiling up at him.

"Yeah... Right... Listen, you just keep your money and come see me tomorrow if you want another hit for that sweet tooth of yours, okay?" He grabbed her small hand in his giant one, palming the credit she gave to his brother back to her. "And if you come by at lunchtime, we'll go get you something good. But you got to shape up, girl. You promise me."

Isi smiled wide, palming the credit. "Sure! I'll see you tomorrow. Like, I might even go buy some new clothes for the occasion!" She did her best at a pirouette, then winked at Jonathan before giving him a nudge with her shoulder. "Gotta run!"

Jonathan shook his head and waved a large hand as she went about her business, and him about his. Isi knew we was kindhearted, and figured that he was just being nice to her, but she never took him up on a free meal. Or free pastry. He probably wouldn't notice until later that she'd slipped the credit back into his pocket when she bumped into him.

Isi cast her eyes towards the horizon, a warm glow warming her face. The twin suns, Iya and Asa, were in steady decline. This time of year, the smaller sun, Iya, was burning hot, but yet the marketplace was still packed with tourists. As the suns went down behind the mountains, they cast the square in a golden hue that sifted through the shadows like a campfire on a cold night. In fact, the square would probably get livelier as some of the more seasoned buskers came out to take advantage of the cooler climate and the increasted foot traffic from toursits. Isi felt a kinship with the smaller sun, Iya having been the daughter of the earth-mother, Noa, always in the shadow of her big brother, Asa. Always trying to outshine him. Perched upon a large boulder, Isi ate her dinner, letting Iya's warm rays play across her face, and thoughts of her brother play across her mind.

You could see a cross-section of the world's population here. Every species. Every single strata of income. Increasingly, there were even those whom lived among the stars, making their way to every single food vendor like mayflies on a stream's shore, eager to get the taste of reconstituted food out of their mouths; even the worst street food was like honeyed Ambrosia to those whom had been living on recombinant protein.

A few of the more gaudy and flashy souvenir stands were owned by nimble and fidgety Racca, a raccoon-like sort which were oftentimes better thieves than she ever would be, but also hawked the flashiest of jewelry. They were almost all involved in either trade or technology. Pilfering their pockets was easy due to how distracted they could get, and the loot was often well worth the risk.

While Isi polished off the last of her treat, she watched one of the Racca vendors get distracted by a large Lapin family at his booth, helping an indecisive mother fit a necklace to rest just right upon her substantial bustline. At last,the Lapin mother's ears tilted forwards, and a satisfied grin crossed her lips as she admired herself in the mirror, strutting like a hen, the Lapin's spade tail flagged like tailfeathers. Her husband, tending to the large brood as mom shopped, paused along with the shopkeeper to take in the visage of his wife's posture and upturned tail. That shopkeeper certainly wouldn't have immediately seen Isi casually lift a silver necklace off one of the displays while he and the father exchanged awkwards, knowing glances at each other.

The latest find was pocketed, and some distance put between herself and the Racca's stall. Just in time, as a Commonwealth patrol rounded the corner, a trio of stoic, focused faces in black uniforms that conflicted with the festival-like atmosphere. Isi shrunk, and started to make her way towards the metro station.

The patrol was comprised of Canins, which were amazingly friendly creatures, but deceptively intelligent and observant, in addition to being fiercely loyal. That dedication made them exceptionally good civil servants, but Isi had been on the receiving end of a Canin mean streak before. While not as physically imposing as the Urso were, they ran fast and hard, and it meant you'd be out of breath before they broke a casual pant.

Her eyes watched the patrol carefully. Rarely had she been more frightened than when in the back of a patrol vehicle and being interrogated by a large Canin male officer, spittle landing across her face as she stared straight into a mouth full of sharp teeth. The group of black-clad officers walked near, eyes scanning about the crowds with purpose. Isi felt the tensing paralyzation of fear take her, until the patrol passed by.

The small Mus girl made her way into a larger crowd gathered around a busker whom was playing card tricks, hoping to avoid attention and eye contact. She watched him palm a card and re-insert it into the deck, only to pull it out and show the amused tourists that he had divined the correct, chosen card from a deck. There was a certain amount of joy lost in the act when the magic was pulled back, to reveal the sleight of hand and distraction that was just as well put towards amusing crowds for change as it was distracting someone in order to lift their money.

Fear and worry was something that Isi didn't need. What she needed were attentive eyes, nimble fingers, open ears, and quick feet. She'd run away from home as a young girl, and lived on the streets for four years now. By now, her survival instincts were honed enough that she was starting to make her way up from the ranks of street urchin and into a fulltime petty thief. She hoped that, at one point soon, the local Family would take notice, and she'd be able to live a better life while working for them. The local gangs were just street thugs, and Isi had to run from too many packs of them to make her want to associate with them. She either made it big, or she'd look at living in one of the other cities on Noa.

You had to have an amount of superstition to make it on the streets. Know when the gods were telling you it was time to pack it in. Now, watching the backs of the patrol, Isi figured that was her cue. A reminder of just how much she was tipping the scales out of her favor. It was time to call it, to take her loot and fortune elsewhere. She continued her path towards the metro. The patrol paused, then beat feet towards a certain Racca vendor who had waved them down, anger showing on his face.

Isi walked briskly towards the station, and down into the underground terminal. Once she was out of sight and around a few corners, she felt some relief come over her, and she sifted her fingers through the loot in her pockets; cash, jewelry, cards...everything that meant at least a temporary reprieve for her. A reminder that things were going to get better.

She fingered over the monthly metro pass in her pocket and scanned it into the ticketing gate so she could ride back to where her fence was. It ensured her easy transport, and a place to weather out a storm in a pinch. Living on the streets, that pass was worth more than food; it was one of the few things that made her feel human. She walked down another flight of clean, brightly colored stairs to the platform and waited, feeling warm and happy for the first time in a long while, her prospects looking up.

The Toponga station was filled with advertisements, lights, video walls; it was like walking into a store, itself. Even the station hawked wares to you before you even got to the main district. The air smelled like a cheap perfume; welcoming yet fake. She bounced on her toes, humming along to a remembered pop song, her ears perked and tail lifted with spirit.

Her cheerful reverie was interrupted by the sound of boots running down stairs, and equipment rattling against utility belts, a sound that, to her, was not unlike the bell on a cat, eliciting a reaction from the small girl, who was instantly moved to try and be invisible. The same Commonwealth Patrol from the plaza came hustling down the stairs into the station.

Isi tucked her hat down a bit more to obscure her face and muzzle. The patrol team looked a bit agitated, one of them barking orders like an agitated wild dog, and Isi shrank behind a support pylon to keep herself out of sight, only slender, broken wiry whiskers peeking out from behind the concrete pillar. A high pitched whistle and subtle breeze signalled the train coming into the station, and she could see the patrolmen starting to line up along the side of the tracks where she'd have to go to board the train, setting up a barricade of muscle and weaponry.

She looked frantically over the passenger loading area. She knew that getting back outside was a non-starter, as there was likely a couple officers at the top of the stairs. One of the officers had already cut off the escape route into the tunnels, standing there with arms crossed, eyes scanning over the waiting passengers, which had started to mill in a dense, impatient mass near the train platform.

"Gods, they mean business this time. Stupid. I shouldn't have come here during the anniversary. I shouldn't have come here at all. This is it, I'm well and truly screwed today." Isi started to worry, wringing her hands as her mind raced. Panic set in, and her body started to shake like a tree in the wind.

She'd gotten greedy. Probably that Racca had noticed the missing necklace. And, of course, he'd remember a pair of large ears and red jacket. And he'd have grabbed the nearest patrol. She cursed at herself for being so dumb as to lift a necklace off of a display. In her mind, the cushy night in a hotel surrounded by luxury transformed into a nightmare of a night in a holding tank, surrounded by the bitter, acrid stench of drunks and thugs. Great.

She looked around more, frantic now, trying to find a way she could salvage the situation. No escape routes that weren't already covered. No way of hiding until the heat blew over. Her hands got shaky as the adrenalin hit her, the realization that she was likely completely made settling in like an enormous dark weight on her mind. She could turn herself in rather than get hit with a stun round, at least. Maybe she could dump the contents of her pockets in a trashcan before getting nicked.

Her salvation came in the form of a lively group of Mus tourists that hurriedly made their way towards the train platform, chattering and laughing up a storm. She quickly pulled her hat off and stuffed it into a pocket, pulling the tie from her hair and letting the dirty blonde locks fall past her shoulders. She ran her fingers through her hair to tidy it up, then pulled her jacket off, turning it inside out to show only the black liner.

Isi slipped out from behind the pylon as soon as the train came into the station, and quickly slipped up behind the group of tourists. Isi was a small girl, and she could easily pass for being younger than she was, so she tried her best to look like a bored young teenager, tired of being outside with mom and dad, and just ready to get back to the hotel. Pouty, a general bored fidget about her...not so much as to attract too much attention. She hoped her ratty shoes and pants looked like a girl just trying to wear the latest, dingiest fashion to upset her parents.

The train pulled in and the doors opened with a hiss of air, blowing out a stale pressured breeze across the waiting mob. The passengers destined for the market exited, and Isi knew that the patrol would be looking for someone matching the description of a small Mus wearing a hat and red jacket to sprint onto the train at the last possible moment, hoping to squeak on the train right as the doors shut. She waited. Tried to blend in. Again, salvation came in the form of that family, as one of the two small toddlers with them dropped a brightly colored toy to the ground, out of the watchful eye of his mother. As the family started to gather their things to board, Isi picked up the toy, clutching it behind her. More waiting, mere moments seeming like tortured eons, her stomach in knots. She wanted to vomit. Eventually, the family started to file on, and right before she would have had to make eye contact with the large, golden-furred canin officer by the door, Isi insinuated herself in the Mus mother's face, making her desperate play.

"Mum, he dropped this on the ground. Might want to maybe, like, stuff it in a bag or something, that platform's a bit dirty." She reached around and handed the toy to the boy's mother, who gave her an initial look of confusion at being called mum by a total stranger, but then smiled widely at the offered kindness.

"Oh thank you! I totally didn't see that! Who knows what's on the floor here, good idea." She stuffed the toy into a small bag. The little boy glared at Isi,a look that conveyed judgement and confusion at once, probably considering throwing a fit at being denied that which he threw away in the first place.

The family filed on, Isi clinging to them for shelter. The officer by the door looked them all over, and Isi clutched her jacket closed, avoiding eye contact, hoping to calm her shaking enough to look normal.

"It's okay! He doesn't seem to have noticed he lost it! Probably would have when we got home!" Isi smiled at the kid and leaned down, giving his ear a rub, making the young toddler squeak and smile, the boy momentarily forgetting the building tempest he was about to unleash upon the world; or at least upon the train. That would have to wait until later.

She squeezed past the door and took a seat opposite the family. The officer didn't pay her any more mind, still looking over the onboarding passengers. After the most agonizing few seconds of Isi's week, the doors to the metro closed and sealed, and the brakes disengaged. The idle hum of the maglev train was replaced with a soft whisper of air over the carriage, and the train passed through the station, into the tunnels. Isi breathed a sigh of relief, then put her hat back on and turned her jacket right side out . Her eyes closed, and she leaned back into her seat, wringing her hands to try and get them to stop quaking, the adrenalin still coursing through her system, still making her want to bolt like a wild animal while she needed to remain seated.

A soft tug at her jacket snapped her out of her haze, and made her open her eyes back up. She looked to her side, and then down. A small gray hand held onto her jacket, attached to a cute little Mus girl. Grey and white with lavender colored hair and a set of wild pigtails that rose unnaturally from behind her big pink ears. The young girl had fingers from her other hand stuffed in her mouth, and a big pair of blue eyes stared up at her. Isi looked up and made eye contact with the Mus matriarch, who flashed her a bright smile, then poked the little one on the behind.

"Now Wynne, be nice and say hello to the young lady. She rescued Sydney's toy for us."

The toddler just stared at her for a moment, as if pondering the correct sequence of events to say hello, then lifted that paw from her jacket and wiggled chubby little fingers in greeting before grasping the jacket again, all the while seeming to be making a snack out of her own fingers.

Isi felt her teeth ache from the cuteness. She smiled and waved back to the little girl, rather appreciative of this family for helping her escape, and a little pained at their very presence, reminding her of what she didn't have anymore. She swallowed and leaned down a little, giving the girl's ear a rub.

"Well hi, Wynne. Nice to meet you, too!"

That little paw held onto her jacket, and the girl looked down at Isi's pocket. The necklace she'd pilfered off that Racca was hanging out. Isi bit her bottom lip, and looked back at the mother and father, whom were fussing over their boy and showing him the parts of the train. Isi looked back down, smiling.

"You want that? I don't blame you. It's pretty, isn't it?"

The girl nodded.

"Well....I think it'd look nice on you. But...don't tell anyone, kay?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace, holding it up for Wynne. A little paw reached up and grasped it, holding on for a moment, those big eyes looking up at Isi again. Isi grinned wide, a big, sappy, bucktoothed smile that hid her tearing heart well. She unfastened the necklace and leaned in, fastening it around the little girl's neck. A small price to pay for a clean escape, she supposed. The symbol of The Twins hung down low on the girl, almost touching her belly. The little girl looked down and bounced a little, smiling up at Isi from behind that paw in her mouth still. Then she turned about and crawled her way up onto the bench seat next to her mother, hands playing with the necklace.

The rest of the ride was pleasantly uneventful. It was only four stops to where she needed to go. She said her goodbyes to the Mus family at the first stop past the market, giving a playful smile and wink to the little girl whom managed to steal something other than the necklace from the thief. The train rushed through the tunnels again, the hum and soft howl of the train threatening to lull Isi to sleep, a relaxing, pulsating sound that was like sleeping through rain on a warm night. It was tempting to catch a few winks on these trains, but later on into the night, it became quite dangerous.

After a few minutes, and a few flirtations with nodding off, the train came to a stop inside the Veryx station. Isi picked up herself and shuffled out into the station by herself, pausing to stretching out and rub at her ears. Veryx station was much different than Toponga. It was dirty and poorly maintained, with graffiti on the tiles; just rubbing against the walls would get you dirty. The air was dank, and the scent of stale trash assaulted your nostrils nearly as often as the acrid scent of urine.

Veryx was considered a slum of Yaseda; its proximity to the commercial districts meant that the air often was scented of chemicals from a nearby refinery, despite assurances from the local politicians and business owners that everything was "well within acceptable guidelines." It was a universal truth that believing anything coming out of a career politician's mouth was tantamount to self-deception. Veryx had an above average cancer incidence, and most of the residents were terminally unemployed or underemployed, having to commute long distances to make a living.

Veryx was also the district where, if you were sure someone wanted for a crime slipped onto the trains despite your blockade, you'd have pretty good luck calling it in and having the Veryx patrols be on the lookout.

Isi didn't see the Lapin officer standing off to the side of the station, ears at attention. She didn't see him checking something on the heads-up display that glowed on the inside visor of his helmet. The glow turned off, and he fixed his eyes on her. He paused and studied her to make sure he was right. His hand went for his sidearm, and he lifted it, pointing it right at her.

"Freeze! Right now! Do NOT move or I will shoot."

Isi froze in fear at first, the animal-like instincts taking hold. She snapped her head towards the sound, and saw the male officer striding carefully towards her, pistol drawn and held securely in both hands. Panic again. She was made for sure this time. The train was pulling out of the station behind her. She looked to the stairs leading out of the station. No doubt there would be officers running down that any second. Her eyes went to the service tunnels. He saw her intentions clearly.

"Don't you even think it! Kneel down on the ground! Hands above your head!"

"Too late for that...." Isi thought. She flipped him a gesture and booked it for the service tunnels, running like the wild animal her blood commanded now. Quickly, the officer holstered his sidearm and went running after her. The lapin was much faster than she was, but she had an advantage over him in size and agility; something she hoped to press to her advantage in getting through the narrow service tunnels. She hauled down a long stretch, hearing him yell out to her.

"Stop now! You won't get out of here, you are surrounded!"

"Right. Surrounded. In these tunnels? The only thing surrounding you in these tunnels is filth, Shine addicts, and drunks."

Isi dodged under the handrails of the tunnels' service platform with a practiced ease, landing back onto the tracks, running as fast as she could. Her lungs were starting to burn as if on fire, and it took every ounce of strength she had to stay ahead of the Lapin, whom was hardly breaking a sweat. The whooshing air sound of an oncoming train was very welcome. She looked behind her, the Lapin still running after her on the tracks. She saw the oncoming lights of the train, a warning horn and the mumbled buzz of the electromagnets firing as the conductor tried to stop the train in time. She ran faster, harder towards the oncoming mass of steel, the lights from the train glowing bright like the sun, and the fur rising on her arms from a massive electrical field.

At the last possible second, Isi made a quick move to dart off the tracks and down another service tunnel; a split second longer and the train would have ended her thieving forever.

Another glance back; the Lapin officer hadn't been able to follow her, and the train was slowing down as it came into station. Success! She turned her face forwards and looked down into the tunnel. What she saw made her come to a skidding stop, gravel flying up as the girl lost her footing and fell onto her hip.

The Comonwealth had been making a sweep of those same addicts and drunkards in the station, sending them off to detox facilities. A couple officers had obviously been assigned this service tunnel, and were commiserating over their duty while sharing a thermos of tea on the way out. They both turned to look at her, and one of them put a hand up to the side of his helmet, listening to, no doubt, the Lapin cop giving her away.

Panic seized Isi again; a terrible, painful, sinking sensation. Her legs screamed, her lungs burned, but her mind had her in its instinctive grip. She scrambled her way onto her feet again about and bolted for the tracks once more. There was no warning for her this time. All she heard was the deep "shoom" of a stun round being fired at her, and then seeing the round impact the side of the tunnel, a large energy discharge crackling the air like an arcing circuit before dissipating. Even with a miss, she felt the effects of it, putting her head into a sick spin. The sound of boots crackling the gravel underneath them made her sprint harder as they ran for her, trying to catch up.

The train whined as it started to pull out of the station. More good luck! She could turn the corner and squeak her way under the train and further into the tunnels behind it before they could catch up, to get her some distance. Surely they'd stop before getting too deep into unfamiliar territory, not wanting to risk getting too far in and not safely get back out again. She rounded the corner and dropped to the ground, gravel digging into her flesh as she scurried her way under the giant magnetrons of the train before it got really moving. She felt the magnets pulling at every single piece of metal in her jacket.

She hauled herself up from under the back of the train and paused. The Lapin officer was there, standing ready. He'd gotten around and behind the train somehow. His eyes were fixed on her, sidearm drawn, and he did not look happy, his coppery spotted muzzle pulled up in a scowl, showing off big, polished incisors.

She ran on instinct now, and like a cornered animal, she took the only route and turned to run back to the station. Another "shoom" from the officer's sidearm greeted her ears, echoing down the tunnel. This time, the round hit her square in the back, pushing her forwards, and filling her ears with a noise as if someone has set off a grenade right next to her head. Her entire body buzzed before it went numb, and she fell to her knees, feeling the sharp gravel dig in hard against her. Her body convulsed, and even though she desperately wanted to run, to go anywhere, none of her muscles responded. It was as if her brain was disconnected from her body. She suddenly felt violently ill and vomited, falling forwards onto her chest and face as the incapacitating round took her. Her every muscle went slack, and she felt herself lose all control. Her stomach emptied again, followed by a dry heave that clenched her entire body, a hot warmth spreading along her lap. Every single muscle, sinew, and nerve screamed in terror, and her nose bled profusely from having gone muzzle-first into the dirt..

The most insidious thing about the non-lethal rounds the Commonwealth used was that they left your emotions and thoughts almost completely intact. Isi felt a great sense of shame and embarrassment wash over her as the Lapin cop holstered his weapon and pulled her shaking arms back, cuffing her and rolling her onto her side.

The Lapin called it in. "Base, this is Bravo 20. I've got that larceny suspect from Market Square in custody now. You called it, the little rat must have snuck on at Toponga somehow. Send a wagon to Veryx station for transport."

"Roger Bravo 20, sending a car to your location."

"Roger, Base. Tell Edelton that he owes me lunch for this one, she's a mess."

One of the other officers, a russet Canin, looked down at her and shook her head.

"Not the most brilliant decision you've made today, was it, sweetheart?"

Isi shot her a look that could kill. She was no stranger to the inside of the fishtank, but she was on probation this time around. And getting caught meant time. Hard time.

The Lapin hauled her up onto her still-noodly legs, guiding her out of the tunnels and out of the station. Outside in the sunlight, she was pushed up against a patrol vehicle hard enough to make it sway in place as it absorbed the impact. Every pocket was emptied, and she saw, in front of her bloody nose, a growing pile of evidence that would ensure that she'd be seeing the inside of a prison cell for a long time.

The neck of her shirt was pulled down, and one of the officers pushed the fur along her shoulder blade the wrong way, revealing a barcode that had been tattooed into her flesh the first time she got caught. It was scanned, and all of her loot bagged up.

She was shoved roughly into the waiting transport car, the door nearly shut on her ear as she tumbled forwards onto hard plastic seating. The officers settled paperwork outside the vehicle, a few casual fistbumps exhanged before the driver sunk into his seat. Just a casual day at work for them. The vehicle hummed loudly and lifted up and out of the district, making its way for the outskirts of the city, and towards the processing center. The Canin driver looked back at her in a mirror.

"Sound like little missy was on parole. We've got no less than a dozen reports of theft from the Marketplace. What do you want to bet we can tie every single one of them back to you? You can make it easy and just tell me now, if you want. Maybe spare you a year."

Isi ignored him. She was sick, shaking, wet, and angry. Her icy blue eyes stared out the window, watching the twin suns slowly settle over the horizon. Out towards the spaceport, a military carrier was coming in for a landing, turning and raising dust as the multi-kilotonne ship landed, looking like an insect as the stabilizing struts extended, and the engines turned off. She could see the ruins of Annaka right behind the city, a giant stone obelisk and multiple stone buildings marking the old city. Underneath was a complex built by a race long gone. The city extended from the ruins, sprawling out into the plains. Somewhere out past the limits was a home she'd do anything to not go back to.

She turned her face away from the sun and dry heaved again, still shaking off the effects of the stun round. Her eyes focused down, and a single wet tear ran down the bridge of her muzzle to mix with the blood about her nose and drop to the floor.

It would be a long time yet before she even got to see the suns again.