Vast stretches of savannah slowly drifted by in the distance, a scarlet sunrise illuminating
the grasslands as the morning light began its ascent. Far above the ground below, on large
sturdy stilted tracks, a maglev train zoomed towards the south on the last leg of its journey.
One of the marvels of the modern world, this vehicle and others like it could cross
continents in the span of a day.
The view was spectacular to the blue eyes one of its passengers in particular, a young
panda woman who had her hands and almost her face pressed to the glass window of her
cabin. Her overnight trip from her hometown of Shu Cheng to the savannah-bound Leona
City would be over fairly soon. The projection had estimated a mid morning arrival, which
would give her enough time to unwind and see to her accommodation before her entry
interview at the prestigious University of King's Grace.
Jian Yu could hardly wait. Though she loved her hometown and country, Leona City
offered opportunities that she simply couldn't pass up. The chance to further her own
education as well as teach what she knew to others was a rare gift. Pulling herself away
from the window, she took a few minutes to dress herself in a red top and jeans, then
stepped out of the small private cabin and made her way down the corridor towards the
central train car. In here were a dozen or so other passengers who had risen early, maybe to
see the sunrise or maybe just restless in general. Some were at the window, others at the
complimentary table loaded with breakfast foods and a self serve coffee machine.
Most were snow leopards, a pair of lynxes and a lone leopard. Two attendants, a cheetah
and a cape dog, were stationed here with one at either door. The cheetah gave her a curt
nod and a slightly curious glance as she walked through and took a look through the
window on the opposite side of the train to her cabin. Out there was yet more savannah
being lit by the rising sun. In the distance she could see a herd of animals beginning to
wander and graze, but the distance was too great to make out what kind of beasts they
were.
'Heading for vacation?' A voice asked from her right. The lone leopard was at the
coffeemaker, waiting as his cup was steadily filled with the steamy beverage.
'Emigrating, actually.' Jian replied, conscious of her slight accent but not letting it
dampen her enthusiasm. 'Landed a job at King's Grace University.'
The leopard raised an eyebrow and took a step closer, clearing the spot so another could
use the coffee-maker. 'Impressive. My cousin graduated from there. He's a top civil
engineer now working on the design for the new arena. You must have some serious
brainpower if you'll be working. As a teacher?'
'Oh yes.' Jian nodded. 'Years of study well worth it. I'll be teaching Computer Science and
maybe Net Programming. I'd love to get a side job putting together Net-Sites if I can manage
it too.'
'Best of luck to you.' The leopard nodded as he raised his coffee. 'Make sure you keep an
eye southward on the final approach. View of the city from the way in is spectacular.'
'Thank you. I will.' Jian nodded back as the leopard excused himself and left the car. She
took a glance at the breakfast table and eyed off what looked like a platter of breakfast
sausages alongside a bowl of sauce with a ladle. As she approached the table, the cape
dog attendant spoke up.
'Sorry about the lack of bamboo based foods.' He said apologetically. 'We so rarely get
panda passengers so...' He trailed off as Jian loaded herself a small plate of sausage and
drizzled some sauce over top.
'That's alright.' She replied with a smile. 'This is much healthier.' The attendant simply
gave a small agreeable nod before Jian took her food back to her cabin. As she ate, she
watched as Leona City finally came into view. The leopard's words were proven as the sight
came closer, leaving Jian marvelling at the structures as the train came in among the first of
the outer buildings. Even on the outskirts they were tall like skyscrapers, towering Even
above the raised track the train glided along. She wondered what went on in those buildings
for a brief moment until the station came into view.
The station itself was massive and multi storeyed, with the maglev track leading in near
the top. From here she could see dozens of other train lines scattering out in multiple
directions and at different sizes. This was clearly the central hub, so the train she needed to
catch to reach her assigned house's district would be on one of the lower levels. As the
train slowed and came to a stop, the platform outside was largely empty. She gathered the
few things she had out into her backpack and made her way back out. Disembarking took
about ten minutes as each passenger went through the check in to the station, having their
identification verified. She saw a cleaning crew enter the same train as she headed to the
escalator but her attention dwelt on them only a moment before she saw the next level.
This place was a hub of activity with felids of all sizes almost everywhere. Other train
platforms lined the enormous room, but she could tell from the signage and the info she
memorised from her travel pass that this wasn't the level she needed to be on. She went
down another escalator, still not where she needed to be. Two more levels and finally a sign
she recognised. Residential connections. Unlike the upper levels, this place also included
a mezzanine that was clearly newer than the rest if this building. Through its grated surface
were additional, though much smaller, platforms and train lines. These looked almost like
toys but for the throngs of mice and other murids bustling about.
'Wow.' She murmured to herself. 'Mice really are citizens here.' She'd heard the stories of
course, bit seeing it for herself was an amusing sight to see. She would have to make sure
to watch what she said around them, and remember to think of them as equals. She
quickly found the train she needed and boarded with thirty seconds to spare before the
doors closed. Unlike the transcontinental lines, these local trains didn't have food setups
or private cabins, instead simply being rows of seats for as many passengers as could
comfortably fit.
Jian was not big by panda standards, but the seating still felt cramped as she sat down
beside an indifferent lioness who seemed bored as she scrolled through something on her
phone without a second glance at the only panda on board. Jian at least enjoyed the view
from this train almost as much as the last, watching with intrigue with her backpack in her
lap as the train steadily made its way out of the skyscraper strewn central district and into a
housing district further towards the southern half of the city. She'd be in the same section
as the medium sized cats, an area that housed the likes of cheetahs and the more familiar
snow leopards. From this station she organised a taxi to take her to the residential address
she had been assigned when her emigration application had been successfully processed.
Another car was in her house's driveway when the taxi pulled up to the curb outside.
After paying and thanking the driver, she approached the front door cautiously and found
that it was unlocked.
A clink sounded from somewhere inside as she stepped into the hallway. 'Miss... Jian Yu?
Is that, uh, you?'
'Y-yes it's me.' Jian replied, sighing softly as her name once again made for awkward
wording in this language.
'Ah.' The voce called again, before its owner stepped into the hallway from where Jian
guessed was the kitchen. The man was a grey furred lynx in a casual suit, seeming
comically small in this place as though everything would be just barely too big for him. 'I'm
Andros McKarr, your housing officer. Just here to drop off your key, your emigration primer
and a heartfelt welcome to Leona City.'
'Oh, thank you.' Jian replied with a curt bow. 'I was wondering how this was going to work.
They never sent a key, so I wasn't sure.'
'Yes. Well assigned housing is handled by our department, so we tend to see to these
things ourselves.' The lynx explained. 'Now, the place is bare bones furnished, so you have
a bed, a couch and some basic appliances. Anything you'd like to replace or upgrade will
have to be on your own dollar, so feel free to get the most out of what you have. Do you have
your finances set up yet?'
'Handled that before the train ticket.' Jian nodded proudly.
'Excellent.' Andros nodded. 'Your power, gas and water usage will automatically be
debited from your account. Remember, first month for immigrants is at a 50% discount, so
bear that in mind when you see your first bill processed.' As he spoke, he stepped forward
to hand the taller woman a small but substantial book that he must have been carrying.
'Of course.' Jian took the book and noted the blank cover. 'What is this?'
'The primer I mentioned.' Andros answered. 'It has an outline of the city's structure,
contact details for all essential services and some optional services, as well as a detailed
outline of the city's laws. That's the new edition, has all the hunting laws factored in as well.
Not that I imagine you'll need much reading into that.'
'Well...' Jian shrugged. 'We might have to wait and see about that.'
'Oh, but I thought pandas didn't...?' The lynx trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
'I'm on a meat diet.' Jian grinned. 'Helps me keep the extra weight off. I've never hunted
before, but I don't want to rule it out.'
'Ah, then definitely read up.' Andros nodded awkwardly. 'I think that's everything, so I'll let
you get settled. My number is on the front page of the primer if you need anything.'
'Thank you.' The panda bowed again as the lynx took his leave. Now alone, Jian flicked
through the primer quickly, glancing across which sections had which information in prep
for a more thorough reading later. After this she took a quick look around her new house,
finding each room of the house as sparsely furnished as Andros had described. The
bedroom having little but a bed, a small dresser and a single wardrobe, while the living
room had only a single small sofa and a wall mounted television. The kitchen and
bathroom had little but the essential fixtures, and her only appliances were a refrigerator, a
toaster, a freestanding oven with a stovetop, and a kettle. There was space for a laundry,
but no machines yet. She hoped there was a laundromat nearby, since it would be a month
or two before she could afford those appliances for herself.
Despite having little more than the fundamentals at this point, Jian was thrilled to have
this place to herself. A small single storey house to herself was still a step up from a small
bedroom in a house shared with her parents and two siblings. Her luggage was not due to
arrive until tomorrow since it would be on a cargo train on one of the other train lines rather
than the luxury express she had ridden, so for the time being there was no reason to stay
here. She had her entry orientation at the University later in the afternoon in prep for her
first day teaching the following week, and that left her about two hours of free time. But
what to do? She had her change of clothes but didn't want to change just yet, so made the
decision to take a walk and get a feel for the layout of the neighbourhood.
As she walked, she took note of how efficient this place was in terms of layout and
design. Equally curious was the presence of the tiny railways even here, suspended as they
were up high and between the power poles that also carried power and phone lines. Did
murids actually live in these parts of the city as well? It was a question she would have to
remember to ask somebody when she got the chance. As she made her way towards the
edge of the district where it met the border to the central district, she saw several small
shops and businesses set up, making sense since there would be things sold here that
wouldn't necessarily be needed elsewhere. There were more people in this area, mostly
felids of course but she saw smaller breeds as well as some mustelid folk around as well.
There was also another train station a little farther, something she made note of to avoid
the need for taxis in future.
All the while, she drew glances and attention from the other citizens in the area.
Reasoning that it was a good time to ingratiate herself to the people here, she made small
talk where she felt it was appropriate, introduced herself to a few people who lived in the
area, and made a note of which stores here she would be likely to need in the near future.
After sharing a coffee and a small lunch with a snow leopard named Mira and reminiscing
of home, she excused herself to return to her new home and prepare for her orientation.
She as reasonably confident she could get to the University on time, especially with a train
station closer than she had thought.
After showering and changing into her blue formal dress, she was on her way. With a
better understanding of the trains this time, she made it to the area she needed without any
real trouble. The trains were emptier than she expected going in to the central district at
this hour, but with it being 4pm she reasoned it must be too late for many to be headed to
work and too early for many to be heading to hunt. She had half an hour to reach the
University from the station, which gave her plenty of time at her pace.
The University was an imposing place, one of the few locations that spread outward
rather than just upward in the central district. Only a few of its buildings were very tall, the
rest if she remembered her reading of the place was an older structure made before the
city had decided to build skyscrapers everywhere.
The large and impressive gates were open, and she marvelled at the intricate design as
she approached the main building. This place was clearly built with opulence in mind, as if
to say one must truly earn the privilege to learn or teach here. Her smile grew wider at the
thought, and as she approached the stonework stairs to the main entrance, she turned her
sights forward into the building itself. The interior had the look of a fancy hotel or resort,
with polished timber stairs leading up to the second level straight ahead, and a fancy
looking reception desk just to the left. On the right were a series of doorways but for now
she suppressed her curiosity. She'd be familiar with the place soon enough.
She stepped over to the reception desk. It was long and had three attendants behind
computers, two lynxes and an ocelot. One of the lynxes caught sight of her and beckoned
her over with a knowing smile.
'Miss Yu, is it? Jian Yu?' She called with a knowing smile. Clearly Jian was expected.
'I am.' Jian replied. 'Guessing no other pandas on the guest list?'
'Might not be any other pandas in the city.' The lynx shrugged. 'You're certainly the first
I've seen. In person at least. Here for the staff orientation, right?'
'Yes.' Jian nodded. 'I spoke with Chancellor Helcroft two days ago. He said today would
be the orientation, then a week before the new students attend theirs.'
'Correct.' The lynx replied. 'You want Function Room A. Upstairs, turn right. Fourth door
on your left. Doors are labelled so it shouldn't be hard to find.'
'Thank you.' Jian nodded and continued on. The stairs, corridor and doors were all as
fancy as the entrance area as she made her way, passing maintenance staff and younger
folk who appeared to be existing students here. Again, they were mostly felid but a few
mustelids were present as well as a small group of rabbits. She drew a few curious glances,
but none were seemingly interested enough to approach her. When she reached the door
she hesitated, taking a moment to realize her hands were shaking. She must have been
either more nervous or more hungry than she thought.
After a moment, she turned the opulent golden doorknob and stepped slowly inside. She
was greeted by a lavish entertainment area with a dozen tables set up in a dining section, a
stage with a small orchestra playing relaxing music, and a secondary raised area with
smaller tables set up. At the boundary between the two sections was where most of the
room's two dozen occupants were standing, the larger folk mingling among themselves as
well as their smaller peers with the raised section keeping everyone closer to eye level.
A well dressed lion approached as Jian took her first step inside. 'Jian Yu, pleasure to
finally meet you in person.' The man said as he approached. He had the look of a more
elderly felid, some grey showing near the edges of his trimmed mane and short beard.
'Chancellor Darnell Helcroft. Welcome to King's Grace.'
'Oh, it's... wonderful to be here.' Jian replied, feeling her nerves begin to shake again. 'I
don't think I was fully prepared for how... uh, fancy this place is.'
'Eh, it's just old.' Helcroft shrugged. 'You can relax, Jian. You're among peers here, not
competitors and not anyone whose judgements you need concern yourself with. Your
credentials speak for themselves, and to your credit for achieving them. Come, meet some
of the other professors here. Most are existing staff, but a few are new as well.'
'Oh, of course.' Jian nodded and grinned like a giddy child. She had completely forgotten
that her title would be Professor from here on out, another thing that would take a great
deal of getting used to. She followed the lion back to the group, many of whom were now
paying attention to the panda's approach.
A cheetah woman in a tight purple dress and slicked shoulder length hair was the first to
speak. 'You're our new computer whiz then, huh? It's about time they got someone to teach
that. No offense to your people of course, but it would be nice to have some of that
knowledge be a bit more... localised.'
'Well, that is why I'm here.' Jian nodded. The cheetah seemed friendly enough, but her
tone suggested her patriotism was a bit more rooted in felid bias rather than genuine
appreciation. 'We all want the world to progress together, right?'
'Don't mind her.' A rabbit woman from the raised section spoke up. She looked to be
elderly as well, a fact that many of these people shared. 'Venya is just sour because
foreigners are turning out to be better teachers than the native... felids, here.'
'Hardly.' The cheetah retorted with a smirk. 'This place has managed to stay prestigious
because of its traditional values. Change is just... well, it's a bit to get used to is all.'
'Tradition is fine.' Helcroft interjected. 'But not if it comes at the expense of the mission to
educate. This place has always had a lion serve as Chancellor ever since it was founded,
but really is that even necessary? I'd have no problem with my job going to a smaller citizen
so long as they were qualified.'
'Right.' Venya grinned. 'Let's have a squirrel in charge of the most sought after
educational facility on the continent. I'm sure all will be fine until they run afoul of some
leopard on their way home from grocery shopping.'
'Um...' Jian spoke up nervously. 'A-are you saying you don't think a person that might be
prey should be given that kind of responsibility? Because they might get...'
'Eaten?' Venya concluded the question. 'I'm just thinking in terms of practicality, dear.
Not everyone of those races ends up in a big cat's belly. Look at Evelyn here.' She gestured
to the rabbit woman staring sourly back at her. 'She might actually make it to retirement.'
'What a sad thought.' Evelyn replied sarcastically. 'We all know better than that. I'm only
still here because campus policy prevents us from eating each other. As soon as I retire I'll
be on my way to Helcroft's hips.'
'I said that as a joke, Evelyn.' Helcroft sighed, resting his head in his hand.
'Campus policy?' Jian asked. 'Is there a primer or something I should read?'
'Right.' Evelyn nodded. 'Make sure the giant herbivore understands who not to eat.' Her
voice was tinged with sarcasm, but her smile faded as she watched that of Jian grow.
'I prefer meat, actually.' Jian explained for the third time that day. 'So it's probably for the
best that I know I'm not allowed to eat you.' She immediately wondered if the joke was
appropriate.
There was a moment of silence as the panda and the rabbit stared at one another.
Eventually the moment broke as Evelyn's smile returned. 'I like you. You'll do well here.'
'Agreed.' Helcroft nodded, glad the moment had passed. 'Now then, shall I call for dinner
to be served?'
The evening passed with an increasing air of relaxation as Jian got to know the other
professors and heads of staff. She also got to know what subjects were being taught here,
and received numerous bits of advice on how to structure her own syllabus. As the evening
wore on, Venya began to brag about the entertainment, boasting that the music they were
enjoying was being played by her own best students. The mostly felid group on stage
blushed at the praise but stayed disciplined and on task. Another took the opportunity to
boast of the meals being prepared by his own students, but lamented that Helcroft had still
chosen to hire professional caterers to serve for the evening.
As the orientation drew to a close, Jian was assured that the rest would fall into place as
time went on, and was one of the last people to leave. It was about half past seven at that
point. As she stepped outside into the evening air, she managed only a few steps before
Evelyn's voice caught her attention from off to her right.
'You looked nervous in there.' The rabbit observed, drawing a long puff on a cigarette she
held in her left hand. 'Was it because of Venya?'
'Uhh, no.' Jian said, relaxing as she saw that Evelyn too was completely at ease even
here, even less than half an hour from legal hunting hours. 'Are you going to have enough
time to get home from here? I know the trains are fast but you still have a way to go, right?'
'Relax.' Evelyn shrugged. 'The campus has accommodation. I live here. So do a lot of the
students for the same reason. That's why it's dangerous.'
'Dangerous?' Jian raised an eyebrow. 'But the campus is a safe zone, right? So hunting
here is illegal.'
'Yea, tell the kids that.' Evelyn scoffed. 'Teenagers, Jian. You should know, you're only a
little older than they are. Most of the students here are fresh out of high school. Right in the
middle of puberty. Kicks the hunting instinct into high gear. Threat of expulsion, even legal
action, isn't exactly on the front of a kid's mind when their instincts push them to be hungry
and frisky at the same time.'
'I see...' Jian's eyes widened slightly as the implications sunk in. As a panda, she'd never
actually felt the hunting instinct, but she knew all about it from the tigers and snow
leopards back home. This however was the first information she'd received about it
regarding younger predators.
'Keep an eye open.' Evelyn warned, stamping out the butt of her smoke with a bare foot.
'Most students keep it under control. The University doesn't like to admit it, but there have
been... incidents. Some are accidental, but some aren't.'
'I understand.' Jian nodded, having yet another thing to keep track of now.
'And if you ever do decide to try out hunting?' Evelyn concluded. 'I recommend the
second and third districts, plus the borders between there and the central district. It's sized
for small folk like rabbits and squirrels. With any luck, you'll get my ex-husband.'
'Ah-haha...' Jian laughed awkwardly. 'Good one.'
Evelyn turned and began walking towards one of the taller buildings, shaking her head
before muttering just loud enough for the panda to hear. 'Wasn't joking. Goodnight.'
