Chapter Sixty-Four - Climate Change Via Mass Destruction


    Chapter Sixty-Four - Climate Change Via Mass Destruction


    The average samurai will do as much good for the environment as harm. Theyll occasionally decide to ruin an entire corporation on a whim, often the same corporations responsible for massive environmental disasters (see: BP 2029) and they might provide the tools, expertise, or simple willingness to fix ecological issues.


    By that same token, they will often cause massive disasters while attempting to eliminate their adversaries (see: The Lake Huron Incident 2032).


    --An Environmental Analysis of the Impact of Out-of-Context Actors, 2036


    ***


    The Fury spun around in a tight circle as it lowered itself to ground level. A few PMCs glanced our way, but we were doing samurai stuff and they mostly knew to mind their own when two samurai were on the warpath.


    Also, theyd probably just witnessed the pair of us kill a thousand-odd aliens each, which I imagined was a decent way of instilling a sort of primal respect in someone.


    Are you going to ditch the armour? Gomorrah asked.


    I thought about it for about a second. Id rather not. Think I can ride on the hood?


    That would be exceptionally stupid, but I wont stop you, Gomorrah said. Try not to scratch the paint though. She opened the drivers side door and slid into the car. I hesitated for a second before raising a leg and climbing onto the hood. The muscle-car-like shape of the Fury was coming in handy since it was all sharp, aggressive angles.


    Right, thisll make it easier to fling bombs off the side, I said. I was feeling... dubiously confident in my lack of any sort of plan.


    Did you decide what kind of bomb you want to use?


    Myalis question wasnt too terrible. Well start with those acid cloud ones I think, right Gom?


    Its not a bad idea, she agreed. I asked Atyacus for ideas for explosives, since those are generally your area of expertise, and he found something interesting. Heat bombs.


    Heat bombs? Is that an acronym? I asked.


    It could be.


    Gomorrah probably didnt hear that last comment. No. They literally create heat. Lots and lots of heat in a small area. Its not exactly fast-acting, which is probably for the best. We want to burn the aliens away, not blow them up.


    I mean, I pretty explicitly want to blow them up, I pointed out as I tried to find better footing on the hood. This wasnt going to work. Myalis, I need magnets or something.


    We dont want to send bits of antithesis flying all over, Gomorrah said. This will kill everything without sending anything flying. Itll create some wind, of course, and... likely burn the entire region down, but no explosions.


    Myalis helpfully summoned a pair of foot-shaped pads in a box. I placed them onto the hood, then put my feet over them and they clamped on. Suddenly, my feet were locked in place.


    How hot are we talking here? I don''t need numbers, just... use something my pea-brain can understand.


    Last one? Gomorrah asked as we swung to the far end of the gap.


    Looks like it, I said. I flicked the last of the gas bombs over the side and watched it sail down towards the ground. It burst apart a dozen metres above and started to spread its payload around. I cant imagine that shits good for anyones health.


    It very much isnt. Nor is it necessarily good for the environment.


    Well... I didnt think Id be causing any ecological disasters today, but I guess thats part of fighting the antithesis, isnt it?


    Dont worry. The impact of a few tons of powerful acids seeping into the water table will be nothing compared to the environmental impact of the exotic weaponry Gomorrah has suggested.


    How very comforting, I muttered.


    Are you ready? Gomorrah asked.


    I nodded, then fixed my centre of gravity a little lower to make the flight easier. It wasnt too bad. My feet being pinned to the hood and my armour preventing me from being shifted around too much made the ride... almost comfortable. It was like surfing. Only Id never been surfing before, so I wasnt sure if the comparison actually worked.


    The biggest congregation of aliens is... about here, Gomorrah said. We slowed down fairly gently, maybe three kilometres from the wall, just over the edge of the now-ruined city clinging to the edge of New Montreal. I think we can safely drop the bomb here.


    I nodded along. Want to summon it, or should I?


    Technically, its me whos summoning it. Also, its not technically a summon at all.


    With a slight whump of displaced air, a large boxy machine appeared next to me, then crunched down onto the hood. The Fury tipped to the side until Gomorrah corrected for it. My paint! she said.


    Calm down, I shot back as I took in the device. The damned thing was the size of a fridge, with dozens of those vents that could fold open all along the sides. It was all bare steel, thick as hell and unpainted. You can probably afford three new cars after today. Now how the hell does this work?


    The temperature parameters are set. You just need to drop it down to ground level.


    Does it have a parachute? I asked.


    Yes.Oh. I shrugged, then grabbed the device from the sides. Keep the car even, I said before shutting off the magnets holding me in place. With those off, I was able to lift the boxy machine with a grunt of effort, then I stomped to the side of the car and with a hard shove, tossed the bomb off the edge.


    A trio of chutes cracked open and the sorta-bomb started to gently fall towards the ground.


    That was easy, I said. Then the Fury started to waver under me and I scrambled to get back to the magnets. What the hell?


    I think its just turbulence, Gomorrah said. From... maybe rising hot air?


    I wasnt an expert, but I was pretty sure that wasnt a good thing.


    ***