Chapter Thirty-Two – Fried

Chapter Thirty-Two – Fried

“Newbie Samurai are the best. They’re still fresh and gullible. You can sign them up for all sorts of contracts no problem!”

–A salesman’s last words during a live interview moments before being beaten by Emeraude, June 2026

***

The Model Six was a big, mean motherfucker.

I vaulted over the counter of a burger joint, skidded along across a greasy floor with shoes that had no grip, and swung around while whipping my Trench Maker out.

A quick count showed six, maybe seven aliens, the Model Six at their head. I had ten rounds in my gun, and maybe a five second head start.

The first shot took a Model Three in the chest, the next buried itself in the mess of tentacles before a Model Four. Every shot had me turning a little, placing the red dot of the reticule over the next monster in line.

Not all of them died, but the incendiary rounds did some nasty shit to their insides even when they were hit in some meaty bit.

I didn’t get to enjoy seeing the aliens burn up.

Putting two rounds more or less centre-mass on the Model Six was easy. It was a big bastard and it was getting close. Seeing those two rounds sputter and burn in its chest, like matches in a windstorm, was a lot harder.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I said as I turned on a heel and ran deeper into the back of the burger joint. “Myalis, grenade!”

I shoved my Trench Maker in a pocket where it stuck out halfway and thumped against my side with every step.

Resonator, Mark ID. You should still be familiar with this one.

Something cold and hard appeared in my hand. I reached up, bit the tab off, and slammed my thumb over the trigger before flinging the grenade over my shoulder as hard as I could.

Then, just as I was coming around the back, something heavy punched me in the kidneys and I went tumbling forwards to land on my knees and side.

I grunted as my back bumped into a counter and a bag full of burger buns came raining down atop me.

The Model Six was squeezing into the backstore, its wide body too large to fit properly, but it was still shoving its way in, machines being shoved aside with every step.

I grit my teeth, tried to pretend I couldn’t feel the ache in my back, and jumped to my feet.

The Resonator went off, filling the cafeteria with a chilling scream that had me wincing and that made the alien before me shiver. It didn’t kill it though, not with the first blast. The damned thing was still coming.