Stray Cat Strut Chapter Twenty-Seven - Nun Too Soon

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Nun Too Soon

H-hi everyone!

My na is Giga Shimr Aurora Dove Love Magnet Cosmic Drear, and Im the magical girl thats going to save your sorry asses! Can... can I get an uwu?

Please?

--Beatrice Quantum Lovely Bubble Pop Honey Bliss Laser Ranger Smith, during her first livestream, 2040

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I stared at the part in my right hand, then the one in my left. They had grooves designed to interlock together. I knew this, because I had seven more nearly identical parts, all slotted together, sitting on a table in front of .

I pushed the two parts together.

They didnt fit.

What the fuck, I muttered as I tried shoving the two parts together with more force. Unfortunately, more enthusiasm didnt do anything.

These doohickeys all fit along a line that ran from the chs leg up into a sort of little actuator in the shoulder. The actuator needed replacing, which ant that I had to take apart all of the little clamps that kept the line in place.

It had taken a few hours, and was rather tedious, but Id figured it out and beca pretty decent at it by the end. There was so skin missing from my knuckles, but it wasnt all bad.

Now I just had to put it all back together. The new actuator had fit into place like it belonged there, and these fiddly bits I was working with were the old ones, they should have fit in well because Id literally taken them out an hour ago.

That was only if I could get them to click together. I tried again, but the part didnt fit into its opposite. Squinting, I looked at the two, then noticed that they were slightly different. Myalis, whats going on?

Thats part 256B that youre trying to fit into 257G. They arent ant to be together.

Theyre all different? I asked.

Yes. 257B is on the table to your left. 256G is currently linked to 257C. The parts happen to click into place, though the tolerance is off.

I did that like, ten minutes ago, I said. You knew!

I did.

Then why didnt you tell ? I asked. I was past frustrated by that point, but I figured I owe Myalis at least the chance to explain herself.

I am very good at running predictions. If I corrected you, you wouldnt have made the mistake. You also wouldnt have learned a lesson. I predict an extrely high likelihood that, moving forward, you will be significantly more attentive about labelling and marking out your parts.

I sighed. She was probably right. Okay, so how do I fix this?

The parts on the table started to glow as my augs highlighted them. They were each painted in two colours, and it didnt take a genius to figure out that colours went with those they matched to.

Oh, hey, this ones not fucked, I said as I picked one up.

A legitimate coincidence. You were going to fit it into the wrong place, but then you dropped the other wrong side and fitted it into the right one instead. That part has rolled under the ch, by the way.

I grumbled to myself as I went to look for the part. The cha was looking... disassembled. Which was actually an improvent. The busted, bent, or otherwise fucked bits were all gone. Now all that was left were missing pieces. For the most part, I was done removing the bad, and was now working to shove in the good.

It was just taking a lot more work to replace parts than to remove them.

I was on all fours under the ch when I noticed a large van moving towards our place. It slowed down, then flew towards the lower floors and out of sight. It was definitely heading towards us, though.

I shimmied backwards out from under the ch (with the part Id gone down to get) then I returned to the workbench. Hey, we got eyes on that van? I asked. There was basically a bubble around our place that was more or less free of aerial traffic except for high-flying cars and the occasional racers that didnt mind dipping in and out of the area.

The ground traffic was the sa as always, and with the buildings all around getting refurbished there were plenty of construction crews moving through the area. I figured people would be moving back in soon. It didnt make sense to keep a large section of the city empty, especially with so much of the incursion damage being repaired.

I supposed that building the wall around the city might have slowed down construction, but the need was probably high enough that the distraction didnt last.

The van is a transport owned by the sa church that Gomorrah lives at. It was piloted by Franny.

Oh, I said. Well, that made so sense. I looked over the stuff I had laid out on the table, then at the repair drone hovering nearby. How about you fix these up and then go on and place them into the ch? I asked the drone.

It bobbed up and down, which I took to an yes.

Youre not going to do the work yourself?

Hey, I do want to finish all of this soti in the next year. This parts easy anyway. At least, when I didnt ss up.

You might be missing out on an important lesson.

What am I supposed to learn from replacing all of those fiddly bits one at a ti? I asked, genuinely curious.

How to deal with tedium?

Thats what I thought, I muttered. I picked up a rag and started to wipe my hands free of grease and oil. I walked back into the house and found the kittens mostly lounging around lazily, though Junior currently had Nose in a headlock and was frozen staring at , her knuckles buried in his hair. Whatd he do? I asked.

Spat in my cereal, she said before shrugging. It was the last of it.

I nodded and walked on past, ignoring Noses cries for rcy and help.

I found Lucy in the bedroom, lying on her back with her legs up against the wall. She was staring at the ceiling with the kind of dull-eyed focus that people had when looking at their augs. She looked up and at as I ca in. Hey. Done with the work?

Just taking a little break. Gonna head downstairs. I think Gomorrahs stuff has arrived. Figured Id talk to her, see if she needs help.

Oh, Lucy said. She flopped to the side, then climbed to the edge of the bed.

Youre coming? I asked.

Nah, you go. I dont want to get roped into helping move boxes. But I will make a cake! Thats what all the old-tiy housewives do in the vids when they have new neighbours.

Well, as long as you dress like one of those old-tiy wives, I said.

Lucy grinned. If thats what you want, I can certainly try. She curtsied, which mostly ant pulling up the edges of her oversized t-shirt until the lower part of her belly was exposed.

Mhm, I said distractedly. Ah, right, anyway. Ill be back in not too long, I think.

I got changed into so new casual wear. Cargo pants and a graphic-tee with a pouty Deus Ex on it, then I splashed so water on my face to clean it off before heading to the elevators. They were the only way down, unless I wanted to drive to the parking garage a few floors down, but that just seed silly.

I only realized that I wasnt ard when I was three floors down. I felt a small shock of unease at the realisation, but I took a deep breath and cald myself down. I was ho, I was probably safe.

If I wasnt, then it was only a few seconds work to arm myself right back up.

The door dinged a few more floors down, and I narrowed my eyes against a blast of stale, warm air. I hadnt been down to the parking garage in... a while. I was vaguely aware that the cha cats that we had at ho for protection tended to patrol the entire public space in the building, usually while stealthed, but that was the most interaction Id had with this place.

It was strangely empty of cars and such. Then again, maybe that wasnt so strange. I took up two floors, and a number of others were vacant. I was pretty sure that no one had really started to fix up the lower areas with the shops and such.

I found the van parked not too far from the entrance, the Fury resting next to it. Franny was in the back, along with two others that looked... nun-like, even if they were dressed casual. Sothing about the straight backs and proper postures gave those vibes.

Heya girls, welco to the cat house. You need any help with those boxes?

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