Stray Cat Strut

Chapter Seven - Knocking Over the Board

Chapter Seven - Knocking Over the Board

Information is a wonderful currency. Extracting data from customers is how modern media make a profit.

The information of some people is worth more than others, of course. The algorithm rates people on a scale from utterly insignificant to paramount importance.

Data about paramounts can be worth hundreds of thousands of credits.

The submission process is simple, and payments are sent electronically within 90 days of that information being validated.

--Infosecs Submission Page, 2041

***

Gomorrahs habit shifted as two flamethrowers unfolded over her shoulders; they burped and two little licks of flame, no longer than an inch or so, burned merrily at the end of their soot-blackened barrels. Dont move for a moment, please, Gomorrah asked politely.

I nodded and knelt next to Raccoon, reaching out to move her, just a little.

I wasnt keen on medical stuff, but I knew that someone shouldnt be moved if they were injured. At least, thats what the ads for some of the medical services said. Sit tight, wait for the ambulance to arrive, and have a credit card at hand.

Didnt think Id be needing that just yet. Not that any service with common sense would come all the way down here to help with anything. Hey, are you okay? I asked the girl.

Her mask had slipped off, and she was breathing hard. I gingerly moved some hair away from her face, then winced at the gash across her nose. One of the corpses had kicked her nose in before I introduced new holes in his skull.

The way she cradled her chest worried me more. She was hugging herself, but her hands shook and her breathing was rough, little gasps that I recognized as someone trying to catch their breath while their lungs refused to work.

Myalis, we need something for this.

The damage seems fairly extensive. A Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite would be the minimum required to prevent further damage.

Forget further damage, I said. How can we get her back to full health? Hurry, she looks rough.

A Class II Nano-Regenerative Suite would repair most of the damage. Otherwise, you need a surgical suite. She has broken ribs, not to mention several failing organs. Those seem more like environmental issues than anything caused by her assault.

I cursed. Get that second class in Medical. I have a few tokens to spare, right? Gimme something good, Myalis.

As you wish.

Class II Medical Utilities Unlocked!

Points Reduced to... 11,001

That cost a single token. You have three remaining.

Didnt I just have three left?

You gained one in Black Bear.

New Purchase: Class II Nano-Regenerative Suite

Points Reduced from... 11,001 to... 10,901!

The box that appeared next to me was... complicated. It had multiple flaps, and what looked like coils of tubing inside connected to semi-transparent containers. There were more things too, but I didnt know where to start with any of it. Myalis? I asked.

Open the right-most flap, take the tube within and press the suction device on the end to the patients skin, preferably somewhere close to a vein.

I reached out and grabbed the cloth of Raccoons sleeve and pulled it apart. The new armour made ripping it open easy. Then I did as Myalis said, and tugged out a pinkie-thick tube with a sucker on the end and pressed it to Raccoons arm. It stuck, and the tube filled with a blackish liquid a moment later.

The second tube should be connected elsewhere. I would suggest her thigh. Also, move her onto her back. Her ribs need room for the suite to be able to push them back into place.

I didnt need much effort to open a hole over Raccoons legs; her jeans were already ripped over the knees, and the patches there were holding on by a thread.

Then the box next to me burst open, and I stared as two pistons lifted out of it, and then opened at the top, releasing a pair of spiders the size of my hand. They scuttled over to Raccoon where Id laid her down on her back, and with a burst of light from their forelimbs, cut holes through her shirt and her skin beneath before burrowing in.

Holy fuck, that was disgusting, I said.

The bones need setting. They wont move on their own.

Will they, uh, come out? The skin over the cuts hadnt bled, and the holes were already gone and healed over.

Eventually, yes.

I decided I didnt want more details.

Raccoon groaned, then shifted over a bit before I pushed her back down. Dont move, I said. You should be right as rain in a bit.

She could use a detoxification routine, and better, more nutritious food. Or any food at all.

Well get her a snack after, I said. Shes past the worst?

No, but she would need massive traumatic damage to die right now, and shes healing at an extremely accelerated rate. In thirty minutes, she will only have to deal with some of the more esoteric damage she has. Given a few days, good nutrition, and time to defecate, she will be free of the heavy metal and chemical contamination currently killing her. The cancers will be repurposed as well.

Right, I said.

I glanced at the nano suite and noticed the containers full of slush were nearly empty. She had a soda cans worth of nano stuff in her.

Good enough.

Cat, is she alright? Gomorrah asked.

Shell be fine, I said. I stood up, then spun on a heel and walked back towards the Underground Kings. Black and White Bishop seemed a little on the nervous side.

Miss Samurai, White said. Please, you must understand that the

Their moods didnt improve when I grabbed White by the collar of his suit, lifted him up, then pulled him to the side where I could hold him over a hundred metre drop to the ground below.

I have questions, I began, shaking the man a bit. Also, Im not in the kindest mood right no

Whites eyes widened for a moment before his suit ripped and the man just disappeared.

I stared, then moved to the edge of the catwalk and looked down.

I could make out the bright white of his suit way, way below.

Did you mean to kill him? Gomorrah asked.

No, I wanted to... you know, hold him over the edge and question him, I said. Uh, I should have used my cybernetic arm; my other ones just not as strong. Could have grabbed him by the throat instead too.

You, you killed White! Black Bishop said.

My bad, I said.

I stepped up to Black and grabbed him by the tie before he could run away.

Dont worry, Ill use the right arm this time.

No! No, no! No need for that, Ill talk, Ill talk!

I held onto Blacks tie for a bit. I... felt a bit bad about White. Sure, he worked with people that beat up kids, but maybe he didnt deserve to be dropped to death for that. It was a genuine mistake.

The two guards didnt even rattle my remorse. They were acting beyond the pale.

Okay, I said as I lowered Black. Im not going to kill you. Glancing past Black, I looked at his guards, the dudes with rooks stitched on their suits. They had guns in hand, but seemed really reluctant to start shooting. I was pretty sure at least one had run away already. I refocused on Black. I do need you to talk, though.

The Bishop nodded up and down in a hurry.

Right. Franny, the redhead, where is she?

Sublevel two! Theres a bar called the Halfstar. Shes there right now. Was asking questions to one of our knights.

Oh, what sort? I asked.

About the Sewer Dragons, he said.

Well, well, theyre the ones I was going to ask you about next.

Im calling the bar, Gomorrah said. I bet I can convince the owner to hand a phone to Franny.

I nodded, then let go of Black Bishop. Sewer Dragons: what can you tell me?

How much do you know? he asked.

I tilted my head to the side a little. They like sewers and dragons.

Black Bishop shuffled, hands twining together with none of the easy confidence hed had ten minutes ago. The Sewer Dragons live in the sewer systems across the entire city. The systems are a maze. Theyre impossible to navigate and the air is poisonous. But the Dragons live there with specialized augs. They work for the city, cleaning out the sewers. None of the corps will go after them; its too dangerous.

Alright, I said. Whos their boss? What are they up to?

We dont know! They dont act like a normal gang, and we dont know what theyre planning. Theyve always been a place for outcasts to hide, but lately theyve been heading out and kidnapping people.

That sounds pretty normal for a gang, I said.

No, no, a lot of people. Entire blocks.

Oh, I said.

Well then, maybe we knew why Gomorrahs friend was looking into them.

***

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