Stray Cat Strut Chapter Eleven - Nobodies

Chapter Eleven - Nobodies

Pre-2020 Russia was a military powerhouse with so economic issues and a growing sense of discontent in its lower classes.

Russia post 2030 is a military powerhouse with so economic issues and a growing sense of discontent in its lower classes.

Interestingly enough, despite being hit with the most incursions of any single country, Russia has changed few of its policies and thodology over the years. Its Samurai are generally worshipped and idolized as national heroes, and are given a fair amount of leniency and power in the nation as long as they dont cross certain lines.

Its governnt is as corrupt and bribable as it has ever been, and a host of narcotics have joined alcohol in poisoning the downtrodden.

It cant be said that the nation has prospered, but it has grown far more populous and despite so repeated disasters, has managed to cling onto its power through turbulent tis. Its borders are the sa, but the population has beco hyper-concentrated around a few massive cities. Its military still uses machinery and equipnt dating back to the last century, but they outnumber any other nations man-for-man.

--A History After the Drop, Online Lecture by Professor Sterne

***

Myalis, being the aweso AI that she was, tracked the movent of our n in black through the entire building. They had a pair of hover vans parked up on the sa level I had parked at. Just a couple of small unmarked vehicles that slid in and waited while the other hovercar owners rushed out of the building in a hurry.

We were able to spot them moving down a few floors, always using the stairs, always ducking out of peoples way without ever actually saying anything.

They had arrived within forty-five minutes of the incursion starting, and had reached Kattallina by the one hour mark.

Five minutes later they were back in their vans and taking off to parts unknown.

I looked at the images Myalis had picked out on the screens, one of each of the guys in black. There were two teams of four. Kattalina had run into one of them, the other had retreated right after. I could tell that so of them were won under the armour, but other than distinguishing superficial genders I couldnt tell anything about them.

No skin showed, no hair, they wore darkened visors that hid their eyes, masks over their lower faces, and each cara they passed fizzed out and died soon after they appeared.

Both teams had one mber that wasnt as well ard as the others, a person with a large backpack with antenna sticking out of the top, along with obvious vents cut into the fabric. Judging by the glow behind their visors, and the stuttery way they moved, they were jacked into sothing. The teams tech specialist, maybe?

I cant see any logos, I said after eyeing the still a bit more.

None are present. Im running their equipnt through a list of manufactured goods. Most of it is standard issue for a few different paramilitary organizations, but none have their entire setup.

I shook my head. Can you go over that again?

Their boots, for example, are used by six paramilitary organizations in North Arica. Their guns are used by eight. Their helts by four. None of them are all used by the sa group. Their equipnt borrows pieces from many companies, but not from one single organization.

Were they doing like the orphanage and raising so second hand rcenary store? What about their vans?

Rentals, from what I cane tell. From a local distributor, under a false na. All tags were removed, but one of the caras by the entrance was able to see the serial printed on the corner of a windshield.

Images moved around until I could make out a zood-in image of a window reflecting a finger-width serial code. Nice, I said. Does it point us in any useful direction?

Unfortunately, no. I cant trace the credit information used. The bank they used to pay is secure enough that it would require more than a re internet connection for to slip past.

I put calling the bank to ask nice-like on my list of things to do. I leaned back into my seat, eyes idly following the motions of the group caught from odd angles as they made their way up while carrying a knocked-out girl and a dog with them.

Whyd they save the dog? I asked.

It was too much to imagine that they just didnt like the idea of hurting a dog. Not that people going around ard to the teeth, with no doubt legally dubious intentions during a crisis couldnt have a conscience. Sothing told that I should probably assu that they werent saints under those masks.

Maybe theyre just not cat people.

Was that a joke? I waved it off. No, nevermind, I dont want to know. We... fuck, I dont know what to do from here.

Following them would be difficult. We dont have the resources on hand to see from every cara across this part of the city.

I humd as I thought. I didnt have that kind of power. Myalis was pretty good at tracking things, obviously, but she had her limits.

My open palm smacked the desk. Longbow! I said.

The Vanguard?

Rember? He had control of the caras across the street from where we were yesterday. He said sothing about hacking into them.

I could likely do the sa. Though it would be a rather big investnt of points to obtain the equipnt to crack every security system in the area. Perhaps drones to physically connect to each closed network?

Can you call him? I asked.

One mont.

I spun on the chair, letting it squeak left and right while I sipped at my drink and let the sugar do horrible things to .

My augs filled with a screen, one that filled up with an image of Longbow... wearing so sort of dieval archer cosplay? The fuck are you wearing? I asked.

The man grinned. Hey! Its my newest little sis! How are you doing Stray Cat?

I snorted. Im fine, big bro Longbow, I said. But seriously, whats with the getup, and is that a codpiece?

Might be, he said with far too much confidence for a guy wearing tights. I was in a ga. Whats up?

Like... LARPing? I asked.

What? No, Im in a ga now. This is an avatar. As if to prove the point he poked his own finger through his opposite hand. Just setting up for a raid.

Right, I said. Longbow was a nerd. Duly noted. I was wondering if you could help out. Im tracking down this girl, shes probably a Samurai. Really new. As in, like , new. And she got kidnapped by so rcs.

Longbow frowned. Thats fucky. What have you got on them?

Myalis?

Sending.

I saw Longbow looking off to the side, little screens opening in the air before him then winking out. Nope, dont recognize them. Which is probably what theyre going for.

Yeah. I need help tracking them down.

Using the citys caras? he asked. I could probably do that, but there might be a faster way. You ever hear of Dial-up?

You an, like before fiber internet? I asked. The one with the noises?

Longbow barked a laugh. Your age is showing. Right, so Dial-Up and Lag are this pair of Samurai that basically live online, theyre jacked in at all tis. No sleeping, nothing.

That sounds healthy, I said.

They invested a load of points into getting their brains jarred, he said.

I imagined that for a second. Why? And how would they fight off an incursion while in a jar?

They have tanks, Longbow said. The jars are in them. Its pretty cool.

If... you say so, I said.

Theyre pretty much the end-all be-all of information brokerage online. Go give them a visit. Theyll probably not charge you if its for helping another little sister. Probably wont help you IRL, but what can you do? Im sending your Myalis the links to get to their place in shspace. If you need, like, a drone strike later, give a call. Ive got a dragon to kill.

He waved off, and I found myself staring at a wall with a poster of so woman wearing very little slapped over a server rack. O-kay, I said.

Ive received the coordinates to Dial-up and Lag.

Can you call them?

One mont.... No.

Uh, no?

From what I can tell at a glance, there arent any direct traces of them online. All links end with a packet entering your cyber warfare system that politely informs you to stop looking. This includes Google searches. Its actually impressive.

That doesnt sound subtle.

I dont think its ant to be.

So, we need to go see them in shspace. This is starting to feel like a shitty fetch quest, I said.

You might have to get off your no-doubt comfortable seat and actually do so amount of work. How unfortunate.

I let out a sigh, chugged the last of my energy drink, then left it on the desk. Soone could cash it in for a chit theyd be able to exchange for another drink... if they collected a hundred. Lets go back to the hotel, I said. If were going to dive online, itll be at ho. Maybe I can use Lucy as a body pillow while I dive.

Your mind is a bizarre and terrifying place.