Chapter Eighty-Four – Modern Goddesses

Chapter Eighty-Four – Modern Goddesses

“There hasn’t been a single damned creative idea in years. It’s the same thing, over and over again. Sequels of sequels, mashing ideas together that have been done to death.

I give Inside Out Seven a 6 out of 10″

–NeonMovieReviews, 2039

***

“What’s this one even called?” I asked as I gestured to the mech carrier.

The changes I’d asked for weren’t too extreme, I don’t think. It mostly came down to adding sofas in the little command room in its centre and an integrated mini-fridge. At least, at first. I started to have fun with it after that.

The centre-most space, designed to hold two mechs, was replaced by a small mobile garage. Nothing too complex, but enough that I could maybe fix a few easy things on the move. Myalis helpfully added a docking port for a repair drone as well, which was sensible.

The ship… was it a ship?

I frowned. This was way too big to just be called a car, or even a truck. It had more in common with a ferry than either of those. Yeah, ship felt right.

Anyway, the ship had plenty of guns strapped around it. Six twin-barreled machine guns, in ball-shaped turrets that had wide angles of fire, and a single-barrel 105mm gun on an angular, flat turret at the top. Below were two large pods that could tilt in and out of view, each one able to hold sixteen rockets or small guided missiles that could be reloaded from the interior.

It had less armament than a modern main battle tank, sure, but it could also fly and was armoured up the tits.

Myalis shifted the design a little, making it somewhat less boxy. The armour gained more of an angular look to it, sharp edges and all.

“Okay,” I said. “Lay it on me, how much would this thing cost?”

Currently, with the modifications you’ve brought to it, the Catbox will cost you–

“No,” I said. “We’re not calling it that.”

It’s an objectively good name.

“It’s objectively stupid,” I replied. “Come on, we need a name with a bit of… you know, oompf to it. Something cool and… stronger?”

And you expect to come up with this name yourself? I will defer to your greater erudition in the matter of nomenclature and your obviously superior vocabulary with regards to names with appropriate gravitas.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be a bitch. We just need a cooler name than Catbox. The Nyanzerfaust has a silly name, but it’s got some syllables to it, and Gomorrah has her God’s Righteous Fury which is a name that has hairs on its chest.”

Felis Aegis?

“Lucy would like that. But it’s too cutesy,” I said.

I see. How about the Clawhold? Or perhaps the Iron Pride?

I passed my tongue over my teeth. Yeah, that was a bit better. “Not bad, but like, for a gun or a shield or something. It doesn’t feel right for an entire… you know.” I gestured to the hologram of the ship.

I see. Then perhaps something with a bit more fur on its chest? How about the Bastion of Sekhmet?

“Who’s that?” I asked.

Myalis took over the hologram and showed some old Egyptian-looking art. Some lady in a skirt with a cat head with one hell of a headdress on.

Ancient Earth mythology warrior goddess. She has a lion’s head and is one of the solar deities of Ancient Egyptian mythology.

I rubbed at my chin. Was it cool to appropriate another culture’s imagery just because it was kinda badass looking?

Probably not.

Would it annoy Gomorrah and did it sound rather badass?

Yeah, it did.

“Alright, I’m done for that. The Bastion of Sekmeth.”

Sekhmet.