Chapter Thirty-Four – The Next Move

Chapter Thirty-Four – The Next Move

“As cities grow, so do their energy requirements.

That’s why we are so dependent on more reliable and consistent sources of power, and why nuclear, both fusion and fission based, is the main source of power that many cities depend on.”

–Excerpt from The Nuclear Future, 2038

***

It was approaching late afternoon and I was sitting atop the newly built wall around part of New Montreal, legs dangling over the edge, helmet placed on the ground next to me, and wind whipping my hair around so hard I was considering what Lucy would think if I went short.

I had a plastic container in my mechanical hand, filled with some sort of meaty paste that looked absolutely vile but tasted like how an orgasm felt, and a cheap plastic spoon in the other hand.

All said and done, it was a nice spot for a break.

Grasshopper pushed herself up, standing on the very edge without any concern at all. “I’m off,” she said.

“Hmm?” I asked. I looked up to her, then back down. The convoy we’d escorted was parked down below. The trucks were being looked over and hosed down before being allowed inside the walls. No one wanted any antithesis meat to be brought into the city. You needed a critical mass of the stuff to start growing a hive, at least, that’s what I understood, but still. Better safe than sorry. “Where are you heading off to?” I asked.

“I have evening lessons,” Grasshopper said. “I don’t want to miss them. What will you be doing?”

“Skulking about and stuff,” I said. “Maybe find another samurai that needs help, or check up on Lucy and the kittens.”

“Kittens?” Grasshopper asked.

“The orphans I look after. You should see them, they’d like you.” I smiled up at her.

“So, you’re a mommy cat.” She chuckled. “I might visit. That sounds very cute. But not tonight, I don’t think. Goodbye, Stray Cat.”

“See ya, Grasshopper,” I said.

I waved her off with my spoon hand, then scooped up another bite.

She left the area a bit later, and I stayed perched up on the wall, looking over the outskirts of the city. Smoke rose in the distance. I hoped that was a good sign.

No massive armies of skittering plants were visible, not yet.

I almost jumped when Myalis spoke up.

You have an incoming message from Laserjack.

“Yeah? What’s it about?” I asked.

It seems as though he sent over a summary report of the last twenty-four hours. Personnel and vanguard losses. Areas highly affected. Potential action plans and calls for assistance in certain areas.

“Vanguard loses?” I repeated. “Some samurai have died?” I asked.

It wasn’t Gomorrah, I didn’t think. Sam-o-Ray? Jolly Monarch? Cause Player? I didn’t really know any of the others well enough to remember their names off the top of my head.

The Vanguard known as Nomad is the only confirmed casualty.

Nomad… that had been the chick who talked about cars and such. She didn’t seem like a fighting-type, but still. “Fuck,” I muttered. I set my meal aside. As good as it tasted, my hunger wasn’t there anymore.

A call came in just as I was standing up, from Gomorrah. I answered it while picking up my helmet.

“Cat? How are you?” Gomorrah asked.

“Good enough,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Did you look over Laserjack’s report?” she asked.

I looked around for a garbage can, but didn’t spot any. I did see some construction guys loitering around further up on the wall. I started their way. “Nah, but Myalis skimmed it. Why, what’s up?”

“The Family spotted a few hives. They’re looking for volunteers to take them out. I thought you might be interested in helping me. One’s maybe twenty minutes outside of the city. No one else has claimed it.”

“You can claim hives now?” I asked. “You’re going to head over and become the bug nun? Maybe start spawning fire-breathing critters?”