Chapter Twenty – Warpath

Chapter Twenty – Warpath

“There are few things more terrifying than a Samurai on a warpath.

So remember. Wash your hands, don’t live in an impoverished neighbourhood, always shut the fuck up, and you’ll get to live a long, and… pleasant life.”

–Jeremy Rotter, lifecoach. 2044

***

Lucy and I navigated over to the kitchen as I explained things to her. “So, the mercs that got Katallina were real, uh, discreet right?”

“Yup,” Lucy agreed.

“So Lag and Dial-Up, who are real weirdos, but they’re alright sorts. Anyway, they tracked them down. Or at least figured out which group they’re from based on the software they used. I probably wouldn’t have been able to track them myself. Now I know who they are, more or less, and where to go knocking to find them.”

“So, you’re going to go knocking at the door of a really dangerous, very competent group of mercenaries, all on your own?”

“That’s the plan?” I tried.

Lucy smiled at me. It was a very dangerous smile. “You know, I do like you alive, right? You’re nice and soft. You make for a good bed warmer. I would be very disappointed if you ran off to fight some mercs and got dead because you lack common sense.”

I rolled my eyes. “Alright, yeah. I get it,” I said as I sat down. “Is there anything to eat?”

Lucy moved over to the fridge and popped it open. “There’re leftovers, if you want something fast. Or we could order something?”

“Leftovers are fine,” I said. “Probably better than anything from the orphanage.”

“Aww, you don’t miss the sugar and corn-syrup with the occasional bit of protein juice pressed into… some weird shapes?” Lucy asked. “Ohh, with that yellow cheese stuff!”

“Don’t diss the yellow cheese stuff,” I said.

“Well, this one has real cheese,” Lucy said as she pulled a plate out of the fridge. I only caught sight of something beige before she shoved it in the microwave and set it on. I flinched with every beep.

Why were microwaves so damned loud? New ears aside.

“So,” Lucy said as she leaned against the counter. “What are you going to do about the mercs?”

“I could call the police on them?” I tried.

We both giggled.

“No, but really, I’ll ping Deus Ex. Maybe she’ll get off her lazy little ass and will give me a hand. Maybe I can ask my nun friend too.”

“Marie?”

I blinked, then recalled the nun the kittens had escaped the museum from what felt like ages ago. “No, not her. Gomorrah.”

“Oh, the flame-thrower nun,” Lucy said.

“Yeah. She’s pretty cool. I bet lots of fire would work on some mercs.” I could imagine the scene already. And the smell.

“Doesn’t sound very nun-like.” Lucy said. The microwave beeped and she pushed off the counter, then hissed a moment later as she touched the too-hot plate. A moment later she placed it before me, the corners pinched between some paper towels. There were two forks on the plate, next to some sort of pasta things filled with cheese and some green stuff.

There was a slab of meat too, covered in spices and big grains of pinkish salt, and next to that a puddle of some sauce that had suffered a bit in the microwave.

“I can’t tell what half of this is,” I said.

“It’s all delicious is what it is,” Lucy said. “The meat’s actual meat. Like, from a cow or a pig or something.”

I shrugged and sliced a piece off the steak, dipped it in the sauce, and tucked in. “Holy shit,” I said while breathing hard to cool my mouth down.

Lucy took a nibble too. “I know right. I’m going to get so fat living here.”

“Nice and plump,” I said.

She bumped her shoulder against mine. “Try the cheese thing. It’s real cheese too, I think.”

“I could get used to this,” I said.