Chapter Seventy-Four - Thoughts and Prayers

Name:Stray Cat Strut Author:
Chapter Seventy-Four - Thoughts and Prayers

Chapter Seventy-Four - Thoughts and Prayers

The generation born between 2000 and 2010 are often called the lost generation by some modern historians. Born at a time where the unchecked growth of corporate entities began to spiral out of control, and hit by three massive recessions and two global pandemics--not to mention the first Antithesis incursions--by 2025, the entire generation can be said to have lost the opportunities that those who came before had.

How strange it is, then, that they slipped so easily into the shoes of their predecessors.

--Excerpt from The Lost Generation: the 2000s to now. by an anonymous writer, 2047

***

I found Gomorrah in an unexpected position. She was off to one side of the front line, sitting in the passenger seat of one of the PMCs little humvee. She had her hands clasped together and her head turned down, lips moving silently to say something that I couldnt hope to catch as I approached.

Religion had never been my thing, so I didnt know if it was cool to just... barge in and interrupt or something. Usually I wouldnt have given a damn, but Gomorrah was pretty chill and she also had flamethrowers which was always a good argument for leaving someone be.

A look around revealed a bunch of nothing. The Cleanze soldiers had set up a barricade of sorts with their carts, guns pointed out along the street, but as far as I could tell there werent any aliens on us yet. We probably had a few minutes before the bigger part of the hoard came around looking for something to snack on.

I can hear you breathing, Gomorrah said.

I reached up and touched my mask. Did the little exhaling tab on it make noise? You done praying? I asked.

She slowly lifted her head and lowered her hands. Prayer is one of those things where youre never quite done.

Ah, I said. Like taxes.

You do know that we dont pay taxes, right? she asked.

Religious exemption? I asked.

No, I meant you and me. Were Samurai. No taxes. Not even sales taxes. Theyre removed automatically. She grabbed onto a handle above the door and used it to swing herself out of the car. One of the many little advantages to being Vanguards.

Neat, I said. I can live with the idea that I dont need to pay those. Do we need to fill out income tax returns too?

Gomorrah tilted her head a bit and I had the impression she was thinking. You know, I have no idea.

I shrugged. Well, whatever. So, uh, prayer, huh?

What of it? Gomorrah asked.

Damn right, I said. When youre hungry, you find a rich person to eat.

The nun pushed off the car and stretched. Youre a bit of an idiot, she said. But I think you have your heart in the right place.

You mean I still have a heart. Myalis is probably plotting ways for me to replace it with some high-tech pump.

Gomorrah laughed again. Ah, my AI is the same. He keeps insisting that I need to replace my skin with something a little more flameproof. Which, while that would be nice, it would also turn me a little bit blue, and my skin would then be lethal to anything eating me.

You planning on getting eaten? I asked while turning my voice a little sultry.

The nun spun away from me. Id bet my last handful of credit that she was blushing under that mask. I take it back. Your heart is dark as pitch.

I was about to mention how other parts of me were far more fun anyway, when we were interrupted by someone jogging over to us. It didnt take much for me to recognize Monroe.

Maams, he said before snapping off a salute. We have a bit of an issue. I was hoping I could request your assistance.

Whats up? I asked.

We think the hives changing tactics.

Gomorrah said something that wasnt very Christian and shifted. I... had no idea what he was on about. Fortunately, Myalis did.

An Antithesis hive will give birth to new models as time goes on, usually taking some time to produce stronger and more lethal but also more time-consuming to grow models. This is a normal progression. That normal progression is sometimes not suited to combat in any given environment. That means that the hive can stop producing models that are ineffective and focus on those that work.

Whats the change? I asked.

We have reports from teams all across the incursion border. The orange zones have shifted back, but the ground models have been replaced by fliers. Lots of them.

What, theyre trying to swarm people? I asked.

Monroe shook his head. Theyre seeing more Model Twos and Ones. Some Nines as well. We think theyre looking for resistance first instead of scavenging as they go.

I frowned, then started paying attention to the noises in the background. The muttering and talking of a thousand-off annoyed people was still audible, but I could now make out the thumping of AA guns in the distance. AA guns that we didnt have here.

Okay, I said. We need to get moving faster, and we need to set up some sort of deterrent. Fuck mining the streets, weve got a new priority.

***