Chapter Eight - The Cats Who Were Herded


    Chapter Eight - The Cats Who Were Herded


    The Family is a strange organisation. Its one part a corporate entity whose existence revolves around assisting samurai and acting as a logistical support base for them, and one part a club for samurai to hang around at.


    The organisation is unique in several ways. Notably, its one of the few corporations whose size has changed frequently over the years. The occasional death of high-ranking members costs the organisation much power, but the influx of new members brings in more than enough to counterbalance the loss.


    --The Observers Report, Jul-2047 The Family


    ***


    When I was told that thered be a meeting with a whole heap of samurai--hosted by the Family, no less--I was expecting something pretty extravagant as a venue. Maybe another hotel at worst. In my mind, though, I imagined Id be visiting another space station or something equally awesome.


    Lucy had been super jealous last night when Id recounted my visit to Deus Ex home. She spent more time asking about that than she did worrying about the massive, planet-wide alien invasion that was about to go off right on top of us.


    She really did have her priorities in order.


    We spent a few hours in PJs, just chatting until, between one blink and the next, I fell asleep. Lucy woke me up with fresh toast and slightly burnt eggs and a kiss that took my breath away.


    I really wished that I was back home instead of here. Then again, Lucy was going to spend the day moving the kittens over to the new house, so even if I could stay, it wouldnt be all naps and shower sex.


    I shook my head to refocus. As pleasant as those daydreams were, they werent productive.


    The Family had a building in New Montreal. A boxy thing, with no windows and what looked like thick walls. It would have stood out from the rest of the city based on its size alone. It was squat and short and entirely hidden from the main city. The base was placed on the ground, beneath the huge platforms that held up New Montreal.


    I had to dip down below street level and along a main road that was filled with large cargo vehicles going back and forth to reach the base. I couldnt for the life of me figure out why theyd decided to build down there. Maybe privacy? But if theyd built above, where every other building in the city was, it would be much easier to slip in without notice.


    Did they not have the budget for a nice place? I really doubted it. The Family had a bunch of samurai working for them, they could just kick some corporation out of one of the towers and take the spot over it they really wanted to.


    I sighed. When did I start spending so much time thinking about real estate? It was such a boring, adult thing to think about.


    My hoverbike glided towards the side of the building, and part of the wall slid to the side to let me into a large parking space.


    Soon enough, I think, Sam-o Ray said. I dont think well have more than twenty samurai showing up.


    Just twenty? I asked.


    That was a lot of samurai, more than usually gathered in any one place as far as I knew, but it was still just twenty people.


    More will show up once the action starts, he said. But trying to wrangle us is like trying to wrangle cats. I think were lucky that even this many will show up.


    Was that a cat pun? I asked. I couldnt decide if I was offended or not.


    He laughed. No no, its just the way it is. There arent as many of us around as youd think. And not all of us are keen for a big fight you know?


    I glanced back as a few more samurai entered the room. Two that looked like they were in plain clothes, with only a couple of tools and guns to show that they werent normal folk, and, behind those two, a young woman in an all-black goth-punk outfit walked into the room. She had a long polearm hanging off her back.


    So, not everyone showing up looked like a total newbie samurai, but a lot of them were obviously not geared up for a big fight.


    Then again, maybe they had very subtle gear. Not everyone needed power armour or flame-resistant nun outfits to get the job done.


    The room wasnt even starting to feel crowded when someone clapped their hands at the front.


    Guess the shows about to begin, Sam-o Ray said as he glanced over. Gonna find myself a seat before the good ones are all taken up.


    I nodded, and followed Gomorrah to a sort of boxy couch left off to one side. It was strange having a room with a dozen different kinds of seats, but it did make it feel a little less like a formal meeting.


    Hello everyone, the guy up front said, his voice carried around the room by a bunch of tiny speakers mounted near the ceiling. Im LaserJack, a mid-tier samurai and member of the Family. For the moment, Im also in charge of New Montreals response to the oncoming mass incursion, or at least the samurai-related part of that response. Do note that that does not mean that any of you answer to me. Im just going to be doing my best to direct and guide you to where youre needed most. I can also be called upon in case you need support, additional equipment, or if you have important information to relay to the others.


    He checked over the room to see if anyone had any complaints, then nodded.


    Good. Now, before anything else, we will all be working with each other a lot in the coming days. I thought it would be appropriate to go around and introduce ourselves. I know its a bit... childish, but having a name to put to a face, and an idea of each others capabilities, might help a lot down the line. I can start, of course!


    And with that, our strange little meeting began.


    ***