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Falling Into Paradise
An AVATAR Fan Fic
By Ahura



The rain pelted the window with a constant pitter patter. On the street below garbage floats in the gutters, the masses of people moving by, strangers to each other. Not once did the masses look into the faces of their fellows. Above large holographic advertisements sped by, their lights pushing back the squalid darkness of the streets. A face turns away from the window, grabbing the controller on the worn out couch he turns on the large plasma TV, an antique from in an era where everything is now holographs. The man flops down on the worn couch and pulls a packet of cigarettes from out of his faded blue jeans. Removing one from the pack, he lights it and takes a deep intake. Exhaling, watching the smoke rise into the air and fade away.
All of a sudden a sharp knock is heard at the door. He rolls his eyes and thinks, “If it’s that ***** apartment manager again, I am going to give him a bloody nose.” A knock comes again and he gets off the couch and walks over to the front door. He pulls open the door, revealing a smartly dressed man in suit. His hair is combed back from his angular face while his mahogany eyes betray his impatience for having to wait, the man says, “Hello are you Cain Ramirez?” The man nods slightly, “My name is John McDougal. May I come in?”
“What for? Why not talk here?” The man looks up and down the hallway and in a hushed voice says, “Because what I have to say is best said in private.” Cain gestures for the man to come into the apartment, John enters and Cain closes the door. John looks at the filthy apartment; dirty dishes are stacked in the sink, in the corner near the bathroom an overflowing laundry bin is piled in clothes. Cain says, “Ok, what the hell is this about?”
John turns back to Cain and says, “I am a representative of the Resource Development Agency or as we are commonly known as the RDA” Cain takes a seat at the small kitchen table, and says, “And what does the almighty important RDA want with me?” John takes a seat across from Cain and says, “I am glad you asked I assume you have heard of the planet Pandora?” Cain’s gaze to the TV screen that displays nothing but static, “Yeah I have heard of it, the images they have displayed in the news reports make it seems like the Garden of Eden or something.” John nods and says, “Indeed very much like the Garden of Eden, it’s a place where one such as you can start over.”
Cain looks at him and says, “What do you mean one such as me?” John chuckles and says, “We both know what I mean Mr. Ramirez. You are currently unemployed and until recently you were with the local police force until you quit.” Cain shoots up out of his chair and says, “Who the hell do you think you are, what the hell brought you here?” John looks at Cain and says, “I will only tell you once you sit back down” Cain calms himself and sits back in the chair. John says, “The fact is Mr. Ramirez you are a month late on your payments and are currently going to be evicted unless you hear my proposition” John pulls out of his coat a large beige envelope he opens it and reads, “Cain Ramirez, born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. At the age of 18 joined the marines where you serve three tours in Cambodia and afterwards was honorably discharged. At the age of twenty using the GI Bill managed to get into the Cleveland Police Academy where you excelled in foreign languages and were great marksmen. You recently quit the police force after serving for nine years following the shooting of fourteen year old Harold Burke. You have seen sought out numerous mental health doctors complaining of lack of sleep and insomnia. After blood tests were taken last month nothing was found to be wrong with you. Now Mr. Ramirez that’s what led me here a sample of your blood was obtained by us and we found that you are an excellent candidate for our new program on Pandora.” Cain’s face was twisted in agony at the memory of the shooting, it played in his like a movie being a cop you’re trained to use deadly force when necessary. But that night was different, after a string of armed robberies in the lower districts the police still hadn’t managed to catch the thieves. Cain was assigned to patrol the area in case of anymore robberies. For a week everything was quite until that one night changed everything.
Over the intercom came the call that a robbery was in progress, Cain sped over to the location but found the thieves already on the run. Getting out of the car he chased them down when one of them drew a pistol from his waistband and fired at Cain. Instinct and training took over, raising his sidearm he drew a beat on the thief with the gun and pulled the trigger. The round struck the thief in the back and he fell flat on his face. The other two thieves disappeared around the corner. Cain rushing to the thief’s side he kicked the gun away. The thief didn’t move a large puddle of blood was spreading over the sidewalk, rolling the thief over Cain removed the black ski mask. Underneath was the face of a boy, he was just a teenager.
Later he would learn that Harold had only joined the gang in order to provide for his starving family. His father was killed by a drunk driver the year before and without any means of getting money, Harold turned to a life of crime. Tears appear in Cain’s eyes and he says, “How do you know all of this?” John replies, “The RDA has access to everything Mr. Ramirez. The shooting of this boy is the reason you left the Police correct and also why you complained of not sleeping at night?” Cain gets up from the chair and says, “You have no ***** right coming into my home and dredging this ancient history up. The private details of my life aren’t up for public knowledge.” John looks up at him and smile comes across his face, “Mr. Ramirez, I will cut through the bull with you, I came here to offer you a job with the RDA in one of our programs. Currently you will be the first candidate to undergo the procedure. If you come with me now, all of this…” John holds up the file for Cain to see “will disappear. And you can start a new life, on a new world.” Cain looks at John and thinks about it, “Should I go with this man? And what exactly is this procedure he is talking about?” Cain says, “I will go with you, but first what are the details about this procedure?” John smiles and says, “Everything will be explained in due time Mr. Ramirez, but for now we must go.”

Interesting. Can't wait to read more.