Chapter Fifty-Six – Fill The Sky With Fire And Smoke

Chapter Fifty-Six – Fill The Sky With Fire And Smoke

“A horrific crash today near Bali as a commercial airliner, Flight MG587 was struck by a flock of flying Antithesis in mid-air, causing both engines to go out. The aircraft made an emergency landing over the city slums.

In other news–“

–Report on flight MG587 crash, 2024

***

We rejoined Gomorrah at the same cafe, and I discovered a fresh drink waiting for me already. Good service. I made a mental note to leave a good review as I sat down across from Gomorrah. Nya spun a seat around and sat backwards on it, arms folded on the backrest, and Shy took a more careful and deliberate seat as well.

“Is it done?” Gomorrah asked.

“Mhm!” I replied. “At least, my bit, bombs tossed all over. More or less where you asked.”

Shy nodded, then it was Nya’s turn, and she reached down and plopped a paper back onto the table. “Taa-nya!” she said, all proud. The bag had a logo very similar to my own, only with the cat eyes closed and its tongue sticking out. The bottom of the bag was wet with blood.

“I’m afraid to ask. What is that?” Gomorrah asked.

“It’s a surprise, nya!” Nya said.

Gomorrah’s expression pinched, but she reached over, took the edge of the bag, and looked in. She stared for a moment. “That’s the head of Maximilian Strout. C-suite for Rama Corp. I knew he’d died when there was an alert from his bio-cyberware that went out and that I intercepted.”

“You intercepted it?” I asked.

“Rather, Atyacus did. We didn’t want emergency medical services appearing on site just as we set things off.”

“Ah, fair,” I said. Didn’t need to blow up the paramedics. That was a war crime or something. “So, what are we waiting for now?”

“To send a message,” Gomorrah said. Her eyes flashed (which was objectively very cool) and I got a ping on my augs. There was a message there, written in the same style as Myalis’ own message just the day before.

MESSAGE FOR PUBLIC BROADCAST
Subject: Rama Corp LLC – Ceasefire Violation Response

Context: Rama Corp LLC, a mid-tier corporate entity operating within the bounds of New Montreal attempted to use the New Montreal Gang Ceasefire as a means of self-enrichment. While the corporation was not, specifically, within the bounds of the New Montreal Gang Ceasefire, its actions nonetheless constitute a breach of the standing agreement.
Their recent operations, which included the deployment of corporate military forces to take control of previously-gang operated territory within New Montreal, knowingly profited from the forging of the New Montreal Gang Ceasefire.

Proceedings: Effective immediately, Rama Corp LLC will be penalized for infringing upon the New Montreal Gang Ceasefire.

SCOPE OF ENFORCEMENT: Total.
ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY: Samurai Gomorrah, Samurai Shy, Samurai Stray Cat, Samurai Nya
ENFORCEMENT WINDOW: Immediate.

I nodded along. A bit… formal and legalistic, but if even I could make sense of it, then it would work. “I think that’ll do it,” I said.

“Can we change ‘Samurai Nya,’ to ‘Ronin Nya?'” Nya asked.

“Consider it done,” Gomorrah said. She turned to Shy, who only nodded mutely. “Very well. Message sent. We only need to give it a few moments to disseminate. I imagine that most of the better-organized gangs will be paying some amount of attention to things as they stand.”

“I bet they are,” I said.

Gomorrah leaned to the side and plucked something out of a small purse. It was a detonator. She looked over us all, then placed it on the table and slid it over to Shy. “I’m aware that you’ve been a samurai for longer than Catherine and I, but you’ve been part of our little group for a smaller amount of time. Would you like to do the honours?”

“Oh? Um, okay?” Shy said. She took the detonator, turning it this way and that, then looked up. “Now?”

“At your convenience,” Gomorrah said. “Unless you wanted to order a drink, first? Anyone need the washroom?”

Shy shook her head, and then proceeded to pull on the detonator trigger. There didn’t seem to be any safety.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I sat up a little straighter as I noticed a bright light outside, and then I snapped my attention to the Rama Corp LLC building, or the few floors the corp occupied.

Glass fanned outward in glittering sheets, flung ahead of a blooming sphere of fire. Flames roared out, and a split second later the café shuddered under the weight of the shockwave. It felt like a cargo hauler tearing past overhead, the kind of booming noise that makes bones vibrate and jittered drinks across the table.