Stray Cat Strut

Chapter Eight - Piss Poor Disguise

Some of these people, they treat us like gods, like saints. And some of us, we allow it, encourage it.

People need their hope, and sometimes that comes at the end of a katana. I dont know whether believing in the god among men is better than worshipping some uncaring bastard in the skies. I just know that neither option feels right.

-- The late Silver Hoop, 2035

***

We needed to regroup.

I stared over Lucys head at all the kids milling about. They were giving the dead aliens a wide berth. Some were staring blankly at the two bodies just... left there. I counted two more adults, a few teens that were close to my age. The kittens were all accounted for, at least.

We need to find a way out of here, I muttered into Lucys hair as I held onto her.

Cant we just stay, wait for help, for a samurai? Lucy asked.

I pulled back and smiled down at her. I wanted to tell her that things would be alright, but we werent in the habit of lying to each other. Well figure something out, I said. Ive got this thing, we can, uh, scout ahead for monsters, then escort the kittens... somewhere. I waggled the hummingbird around.

Whered you get that? she asked. And what happened to your chest, youre all bloody. Are you injured?

Im... okay. It couldve been worse. I looked around again. Junior? And the others. There were a lot more people here earlier. Bitchbots not around either.

She, ah, shes crying somewhere. You know how she is about people seeing her like that, Lucy said. And the others? They left. Said they didnt want to stay, that maybe there was a better shelter. I stay cause you were... you know. Um. I sent Bitchbot with them. She was being ah, herself.

She reached out, and our hands met. She squeezed mine and I squeezed back.

Catherine, now that the most immediate threat has been removed, you might want to consider caring for your injuries. There are several options that would improve your situation immensely.

Not now, I said.

Huh?

I shook my head and waved Lucys concern off. A group was forming to one side, the remaining adults, some of the older kids. A pair of boys were dragging the corpses off to the side where they covered them with thin blankets they were pulling from a supply closet at the back.

Wanna watch the kittens? I asked. I think I should be with that group.

They should be okay, Lucy said as she looked over to our brats. Theyre tough, tougher than those religious kids and the preppy ones.

It only took a glance to see how the others were handling things. The religious kids were forming a little prayer circle. The preppy kids, all of them looking like theyd come fresh out of some shitty daytime tv highschool were panicking, some of them on tablets, others tapping at the side of their temples as if that would help their gear connect. I couldnt imagine the net staying up with an invasion was ongoing.

Compared to them, the kittens looked alright. Not great, but alright. Nose was picking his namesake, the twins were huddled together, Daniel was talking to some of the others with big gestures and a smile on.

Yeah, alright, I said. We moved over to the group, Lucy hanging off my side and dragging her crutched behind her one-handed. I pretended not to hear the squelsh as we stepped on something wet.

We need to stay, one of the adults was saying, some bald man that looked like a poster boy for one of those before and after commercials where the guy started as a wimpy office worker and ended up some sort of super model.

Our protectors will come, a girl said next to him. She was pretty enough, with long blonde hair and a face meant for smiling. As it was, she was frowning at the man across her, hands idly fiddling with a rosary of all things. It fit in with the almost a nun uniform she had on.

Whats the sitch? I asked.

Four pairs of eyes turned to me. The girl, almost-baldy, a teacher-looking woman that was trembling and an older boy that looked like he could have been from our orphanage.

Youre the one that killed the monsters, the nun girl said. Thank you. Our protectors look fondly upon those that protect themselves.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Yeah, sure, I said. I just happened to have the gun is all.

Are you certified to use that? baldy asked.

I blinked at him, then looked at the three dead aliens in the room. No. No Im not. Wanna do something about that? Maybe call the local sec forces?

Dont be belligerent, he said.

Do go fuck yourself, I said.

Nun girl coughed. Please, both of you. Its not the time for this. We need to decide on what to do, and now. If we stay... I can lead the children in song and prayer while we wait, and if we go, then, then we need to decide where were going.

I dont think singing will help, I said. I frowned. My words sounded a bit slurry. I... Ive only got twelve rounds left in this thing. Its a big room and... I trailed off.

Cat? Lucy asked.

Im fine, I said.

You are not. Im afraid that the blood loss was more substantial than I had initially predicted. Or, as is most likely, you opened up your wound while running. Your blood pressure and temperature readings suggest heavy internal bleeding.

Thats bad.

Indeed. You will soon lose consciousness. Might I suggest healing yourself? You have the points for it.

Cat? Cat do you need to sit down? Lucy said.

The others were staring at me, especially baldy. Did she get bitten? Is she turning into one of those?

Do not be a fool, sir, Nun-girl said. These monsters are not the sort that turns humans against their brethren. These were scouts, little more.

She couldve run into some model Sevens out there, we dont know, Baldy said.

I growled under my breath. Its bloodloss, you fuck. Myalis, options?

Two options are immediately viable. You could spend points to unlock the Minor Prosthetics Class I tree and then purchase an internal repair system. This will use your own bodys celular reserves to heal you over time.

Slow, I said.

What? Cat, whatre you on about? Lucy said. She tried to pull me back, but almost stumbled. The boy in our little group rushed over and held me up.

It is indeed slow, but it would prevent this type of situation from occurring in the future. The second, faster option are the following two Medical Utilities. Class I Hemo-Restore. A compound that will replenish your blood supply in a manner of hours. And a Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite. The Nano-Regenerative Suite is expensive at 20 points, but will ensure your survival and swift recovery.

Whats all that gonna cost? I muttered.

I could feel Lucy right next to me, her concern radiating off of her in waves.

25 points. Better spent than lost if you die.

I need privacy, I told Lucy. The worse thing was that even though I could tell I was growing weaker, I still felt fine.

I, I dont know. Does anyone here have medical training? she asked the others.

And then I crashed to my knees. Oh, shit, I said.

Cat!

Myalis, I muttered. Now or never, yeah?

New Purchase: Nano-Regenerative Suite

Points reduced to... 42

New Purchase: Hemo-Restore

Points reduced to... 37

Two boxes appeared on the ground before me.

Nun-girl gasped.

I dropped my hummingbird and popped one of the boxes open. There was a tube within, crimson red with a sort of plastic stopper at one end. A yellow arrow pointed towards the stopper.

Press it to your skin.

I pushed it against the bit of skin I could see through my torn shirt. The red liquid in the syringe emptied into me in less than a second. I hadnt even felt it going.

The syringe injected a series of tubes through your skin that connected with the nearest vein or artery and dumped the Hemo-Restore directly into your system.

Hrm, I said as I let go of the syringe. It had left three little red dimples on my skin, but they hardly showed under all the blood.

The next box held a small device that looked like an asthma inhaler crossed with a rebreather.

Place it in your mouth. Breath in.

Simple, I muttered.

It felt like breathing a lungful of electric fire, tingles clawing their way down my throat, then through my lungs. I dropped the inhaler as soon as it dinged empty and coughed for all I was worth.

Then the tingling started around my chest, like a limb that had gone asleep but all over the damned place. My missing eye twitched and my stump shifted.

Im afraid the Nano-Regeneratives Suit is too weak to do anything for your missing members. A Class II suite would repair the missing limbs, but that is currently outside of your budget.

I nodded, then looked up to see Lucy and the others all staring at me. Sorry bout that, I said as I wiped a sleeve over my mouth. I was dying.

***

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com