Stray Cat Strut Chapter Fifty-Five - The Calm Before

Chapter Fifty-Five - The Calm Before

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Im going to split off for a mont, Emoscythe said. She extended a hand my way for a shake. It was nice eting you properly. If you ever need image help, give a call. If youre looking for a reason to live, then maybe call soone else.

Uh, yeah, sure, I said. I took her hand in mine and shook, careful not to squish her with my armour. My gauntlets basically eclipsed her hands in armoured steel and I worried Id hear a crunch. Nothing of the sort happened though.

She was a more experienced samurai. Maybe her arms were all cybernetic. Or maybe she was a remote-controlled at puppet the entire ti. It was impossible to tell without asking, and asking felt like a faux-pas. It was like asking a girl if she was wearing a wig

Keep an ear open for updates from the Family. Knowing Laserjack, hes going to want everyone in particular spots until the walls entirely closed up. Your choice whether you listen or not, Emoscythe said. She waved goodbye, then headed out. A couple of PMCs jogged over to her and started trailing after her like dogs after soone with a bagful of treats.

I watched her go for a mont before turning around and facing the suburbs the aliens were gleefully taking over. How long until the next wave? I asked.

It was ant for Myalis, but the Bear-PMC next to took it to an I was asking him. We predict that the next wave will be ready within the hour. Were expecting a much bigger one tonight.

Right, theyll have all day to replenish themselves, especially if were here defending the city and not fucking over their hives. I looked up and down the length of the defences. The edges were going to pinch in eventually.

The crews working on the wall were laying down another section of it. Ten fewer tres of space that the aliens could easily cross. I imagined that they were doing the sa on the far end.

How quickly are they adding wall segnts in? I asked.

About one every twenty to thirty minutes, he said. They have to slow down whenever enough xenos approach the wall.

I nodded along. How long do we have left then? Assuming that no aliens bother us?

One point two kilotres left, maam, he said. Segnts are ten tres each.

I cursed silently. More math. I worked it out though. Sixty hours if they only did one side. Half that if they ca in from both sides. Hows it going to take so damned long? Weve covered the rest of the city in a day and a half.

Ah, I think for the rest of the city they had a lot more than two crews working at once.

That made a heap of sense. I checked on the Familys map thing to see how things were going. The city map was predictably a red ss of alien sightings and confird locations. The pins for other samurai were all either behind the fortifications or moving back already. Gomorrah was about three hundred tres north of my position. I glanced up, but couldnt see her past the tanks and temporary towers and moving troops. I couldnt even use the smoke in the air to tell where she was, there was so much of it.

I got a text the mont I closed the map. From Laserjack, of all people.

LaserJack:To: all Samurai currently defending New Montreal - RE: city defence. We are assembling a defensive position within the gap on the eastern side of the city. For best results, please move to the following locations at your earliest convenience. See Attached.

Jolly Monarch:Moving to position.

Emoscythe Mordeath Noir:Very well.

Gomorrah:Understood.

Sam-o Ray: No problem, bro

I paused for a mont, then with a roll of my eyes I sent my own reply.

Stray Cat:I guess

I opened the map again and noticed a few squarish sections added to the gap, each one had a samurais na over it, and if I lingered my attention on any one of them, more information would pop up. Which PMC or militia group was located there, who to contact to get in touch with them.

I wasnt too far from where I was supposed to be. A bit further north. Maybe two hundred tres from the wall. Gomorrah was stationed to my north, and there was a small slice just below mine. It was maybe half the size of either mine or Gomorrahs chunks.

Hovering over it didnt tell much. New Samurai, Temp-Designation: Farm Boy.

Alright, I said to the PMC officer. Ive got a place to be. Keep safe.

Yes maam, glad to serve, he said with another salute.

I walked on past him, then looked at the path Id have to walk. It was filled with people moving back and forth, and a lot of vehicles and barricades.

Sighing, I moved to the side and out past the barricades. No one was using the no-mans land to move around, so there wasnt anyone in my way. Are there mines around here? I asked.

There arent any, no. The Familys policy is to avoid that kind of ordonance next to an actively defended area. The reasoning seems to be that other explosives might launch a mine over the barricade and towards the defenders.

I chuckled. Thats horrific. Bet the policy was only updated after so poor unlucky fuck got to et his maker early.

It happened three tis over the course of six years before the policy was changed. The report Im finding indicates that a remote-detonated claymore was launched from an area denial-zone and into the turret hatch of an anti-air vehicle, killing the entire crew.

Well, fuck, I said.

I walked over to my spot of the gap, then continued on to the far end to get an idea of how big a spot they wanted to cover. It wasnt a small gap. I had maybe fifty tres to cover. Three groups were gathered up, with barricades pushing up against the edge of the no-mans land.

Two were unfamiliar rcenary groups, the third, in the middle of the other two, was a group of militia. The District Ninety-Two Gunners. They were stacking sandbags still, with a few guys plopped down behind a pair of big machine guns.

Every one of the civilians was wearing leather jackets with cheap bullet-proof vests under. Half of them were ruining their mohawks with ear protection which clashed with all of the neon cyberware they had.

Were they a militia or a street-gang that had mobilised?

I decided that I didnt care.

I planted a boot on the edge of a barricade, then pulled myself up and over. While I was up there, I glanced at the city where the aliens would be coming from. We had a bit of room between us and the wall of rubble. It wasnt piled so high that I couldnt see past it, standing as I was atop the barricade.

Turning, I noted that both PMC outfits had set up so towers to get a better view. Dull green things that looked like those scaffolds construction workers set up next to hos sotis, only with more armour plating on the upper half and a proper roof and mounts for guns.

Alright, I muttered. Myalis, I think were going to mine the shit out of no-mans land. Im thinking stuff that wont be lethal if it flies back in our faces. Resonators are my go-to option here. Maybe we can get so of those acid bombs up in the air? Spray down anything that tries to run at us.

Did you want to place the mines yourself?

I considered it. That would be ti consuming. I could probably order so of the PMCs or militia-types to do it, but... No, too risky. Can I get a couple of cat chas to do it?

Certainly. Adding that kind of chanism to your drones is entirely possible.

Right, lets do that then. Im sure you can figure out a good grid system for the mines. Maybe we can mix in a few others. Im thinking garrots right after the rubble wall over there. Turn any fucks that get past the wall into mince-at the mont theyre over. So of those zero-kelvin bombs too, in case sothing big bursts past the wall.

Noted. Do you want to preload the mine-layer drones with that kind of ordonance?

Please and thank-you, I said.

Myalis summoned a trio of cat drones for . They were a bit smaller than usual, with a back-mounted arm and backpacks that were clearly full of explosive goodies.

The cats ran off into the no-mans land and as one, started digging with their front paws like giant kitties in a litter box.

Right, Im going to go et this unnad samurai. Maybe say hi to Gomorrah before the fun starts. Dont need her burning my mines out by accident.

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