*Disclaimer*
    The characters of the Knight Sabres and other recognizable
things from Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash are copyrighted
by someone else. This story, intended for entertainment only, is
my original work.  But feel free to treat my creative rights
with the same respect I've shown to the creators of BGC!
                        *End Disclaimer*

                 Jade: Who're you callin' 'Mom'?


           A Rural Darkness and Technology Production

             of a story by Michael 'SabreCat' Watson

         Based in part on events in Geo Climbers episode
                       of Bubblegum Crash
                               and
           Bubblegum Crossfire role-playing adventure
                      by R. Talsorian Games


                          Emerald City

    The Geologic upheavals did not end with the Kanto Quake of
Japan.  The sudden release of pressure had its effects all
around the Pacific Rim, the aptly named 'Ring of Fire'.  Only
quick response from civil authorities worldwide prevented the
death tolls of many cities from equaling or surpassing Tokyo's.
    The port city of Seattle in the Northwest United States
suffered a double blow.  A tsunami caused by the Kanto Quake
itself and a minor eruption of Mt. Rainier.  Fortunately, the
eruption was not the major exposion people had been fearing
since Mt. St. Helens blew.  It _was_ more than enough to cover
the water-logged remains of Seattle under a thick blanket of
ash.
    Two companies lead the reconstruction effort.  USSD/Boeing,
who's corporate headquarters had been destroyed by the disaster,
and GENOM, who's subsidiary Microsoft had suffered a similar
fate.  (GENOM bought out Microsoft soon after Bill Gates'
mysterious death at the turn of the century, but that's another
story.)  This role lead to the companies' delusion that the city
was now their's to do with as they pleased and lead to much the
same kind of illegal activity that GENOM engages in in
Mega-Tokyo.

                         Company Coming

    An athletically trim young woman rests in a recliner.
Surrounding her are monitors showing many locations throughout
the Seattle area.  The recliner is the only human furnishing in
the auster room. Resting in the garage-like space that makes up
the majority of the room is a small, sleek VTOL jet, it is
identified by name on the fusilage as "WarHawke".
    One of the monitors beeps and announces an incomming message.
The woman opens her eyes, revealing their bright green color.
She runs a hand through her long, brown hair, making sure she
looks presentable.  Only one person could be calling on _this_
line and she dosen't want to look like a mess in front of her.
She then accepts the transmission.
    An elegantly dressed lady with intense violet eyes and hair
tastefully done in a deep shade of blue appears on the screen.
    "Aunt Sylia!" the brunette admonishes, "you never call often
enough, and when you do its always business.  What's up this
time?"
    Sylia chuckles at the girl's forthrightness, "Things have
settled down recently here in Mega-Tokyo, and I thought I'd take
the opportunity to inspect my operations in other places in
person."
    "That's great!  Is mom coming too?  I've never had the
chance to just be with her, you know." the young lady gushes.
    Sylia answers after a long pause, "Her schedule's kind of
chaotic, but we'll see."  Her expression is worried,  but the
girl dosen't pick up on that.  "I'll be in Seattle in a week, be
prepared for up to four visitors."
    "OK!  See you at then!" the brunette signs off cheerfully.
    Later, at a nearby all night grocer's.
    "I've never had people over before, are you _sure_ they'll
need all this?" The brown haired girl asks.
    The manager tears his eyes away from her's to the pile of
stuff in her cart.  "Um, yeah.  If your cupboards are as bare as
you said, that's the least you need."
    "You mentioned TV Dinners, where could those...?" her eyes
go unfocused mid-question and she justs stands there.
    "Miss,  are you all right?" The concerned grocer asks.
    "Never mind." the woman says, tone shifting to cold
buisnesslike in an instant, "This will have to do,  I've got to
be somewhere."
    A USSD battle tank tears it's way toward downtown Seattle.
The treads tear up bits of I-5 as the behemoth accelerates to
meet the police SWAT team's roadblock.  Small arms fire bounces
off the sides of the tank as it shrugs aside the barriers and
cars in its path.  The tanks driver is literally pluged into his
seat.  From the cut of his hair and body tattoos he is a local
gang member.  A pulsing beat comes from the tanks internal
speakers and the pilot screams in time.  As the tank passes the
last, futile effort of SPD's SWAT team, a mettalic streak stoops
out of the sky onto it.  The tank flips over, rolling several
times, landing upside down.  The metallic streak is revealed to
be a large robotic bird which begins tearing into the tank's
exposed underbelly.  When the tank's energy system fails the
bird lets out a victory cry, and spreads its wings.  As the
machine takes off into the night, writing on its fusilage is
revealed, "WarHawke" it says.

                             Reunion

    The Lobby 15 of Sea-Tac Spaceport is busy, people waiting
for their flights, people waiting for arrivals, and security
making spot checks of departures and arrivals.  Though outwardly
calm the young lady's eyes flicker between the arrival gate and
security with their sensitive detectors.
    A familiar figure strides through the arrival gate as if she
owned the place.
    "Aunt Sylia!" the girl calls, launching herself at the
surprised woman in a tackle-hug that has them both spinning
around.
    "Miss me that much, Jade?" Sylia responds after catching her
breath, "I'll have to see about providing you with a partner!"
    Three othe young women crowd around with questions on their
lips.
    "Girls, this is Jade.  She runs my operations here in
Seattle." Sylia introduces the brunette.
    Jade turns around to be introduced to Sylia's friends.  Her
eyes widen when they see anothe brown haired woman in the group,
this one with distictive red coloured irises.  "Mom!" she
exclaims, "You made it too!" Jade envelops the hapless young
woman in another tackle-hug.
    "Nani!" Priss exclaims in turn as she recieves the hug,
"Who're you callin' 'Mom'!?"


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