American Union: The Happening (Valentines Day Special 2020)

[CadetNewb]

American Union,
New Texas

The Mega Mall was perhaps the most picturesque slice of Americana imported into space there ever was. Though they had faced their demise long ago, they were revived out of nostalgia. In this day and age, there was a certain appeal in physically shopping for things, even if the items could just as easily be ordered online and delivered to someone’s door. Here, children were running about while parents chased after their spawn, and teenagers gathered in the courts or walked through its wide expanses.

One person however, was a little out of place.

Her small feet were clad in neat little pastel shoes, while black stockings hid the silky smooth skin of her legs. The simple white dress she wore under her dark grey jacket was girlish too, but not overly so, and hinted at some surprising curves for someone of her short height. None of that mattered though. Nor did the scarf she threw over her shoulder or the purse she held near. No, the feline ears and tiger-tail that twitched made her stand out from all the rest. It was practically a status symbol for people to buy gene-mods, and given her perfection, she was hard to miss.

Another person that stood out was the figure dressed in a bright red robe.

Standing a little over six feet tall the humanoid machine didn’t fit in with the mostly biological crowd and even with his hood hiding his face his hands and bare feet were clearly cybernetic, if not very high grade. The small swarm of floating spherical attendants floating around it were another indicator of the man's mechanical nature but one not unique to him in the plaza. He was currently sitting rather comfortably in one of the restaurants outdoor patios observing the mess of day to day life occurring around him.

“You are the person I am supposed to meet?” a flat voice devoid of feeling addressed the machine. Shorter than him by a full foot, he easily towered over her. However, despite that, there was the distinct feeling that the woman was looking down her nose at the metal man. Though dressed like almost any other civilian here, the way she held herself was something different. The small woman might as well have demanded respect.

The machines head nodded both in affirmation to her question and as a motion to make it easier for it to remove the hood. The head beneath was completely inorganic and lacking many normal features such as hair, eyebrows, creases and ears. The normally moving parts such as the cheeks, eyelids and parts of its neck were made of a pure white plastic and contrasted against the grey tones and hard seems of his ‘skin’.

“Yes I assume I am.” He spoke with a obviously synthesized voice while he extended a very high quality augmetic hand towards her. “James Adrian, pleasure to meet you.”

“This must be that Rooster’s joke, but I will not be beaten,” the short woman replied, her defiance to the so-called-prank all too clear. “Kōrui Hoshiko. It is not a pleasure to meet you, but I will tolerate your presence,” she added, walking up to the machine-person. “We are to ‘date’ today, and though I have read of this, I would like to know what your initial plans were for this meeting.” Though her tone was relatively flat and emotionless, the tigress’s choice of words and the way she held her tail low told him everything he needed to know. Hoshiko was not a happy camper, but she was going to insist they try and make this work to save face.

The machines face took up a surprised visage at the first part then mild confusion before it seemed to reach a not quite stable understanding of the situation. “While I am now sure that you are the person I am supposed to meet, however my note told me to expect a business meeting.” He failed to mention how the note had described her, possibly out of some remaining survival instinct. He continued with a gesture at the relatively high class restaurant that they were on the patio of. “I have a reservation for two here and the menu seems like it might have something of interest at least.”

“A restaurant?” the small woman gracefully raised an eyebrow, her stoic expression breaking, but only for a moment. She considered it for a moment, but then seemed to relent, just a little. “Very well, this establishment has received good reviews. You may lead the way,” Hoshiko gestured for him to go first. “However, why did you choose this venue out of all of them, when you yourself cannot eat?” It honestly didn’t make sense, unless it could somehow, but that would have just been bizarre.

The machine rose with a swiftness and strength fitting a machine but with imperfections and inefficiencies that machines wouldn’t have. The swarm of attendant drones silently wove themselves under and into the red drone. “Call it an old habit.” The machine opened the tinted glass door revealing the tastefully dim interior. Orderly rows of tables with well dressed individuals filled the room along with the smells of high quality meals and expensive colognes and perfumes from the guests.

The red robed machine silently weaved his way towards a table ,warding off the desk attendant with a smile and nod. Upon reaching the table that had been reserved he pulled out one chair and waited for the admiral to take her seat. Bright, blues eyeing him carefully, she took his lead and sat down, watching the machine move and take its own seat.

“A conversion then? Flesh to metal?” a radio transmission sounded at James. Already, she was leafing through the menu despite its contents being available electronically.

“Not entirely, and not exactly by choice.” The machine partly avoided over the same frequency while using more normal means to make a few meal recommendations specifically the New, New York steak, and the Fusion Fillet. “I hear you are a commander of some repute?”

The first waitress that approached their table carried two plates one, much smaller than the other. There was no way she wasn’t modified, she looked too perfect to be natural. Dressed in a black dress with golden trim she almost danced through her motions, placing a plate with a fresh baked bread bun that filled the air with an orchestra of scents and the smaller plate had a few swirls of what looked to be buttery whipped cream. Following this up with a small curtsy she asked in a voice that perfectly fit her body. “Welcome to the Gold Dome, how may I best serve you today?”

James gave a kind smile to the waitress and nodded, “Hello...” He went through the non required motion of squinting at her name tag “Jellete. Just drinks for now should do, I’ll have a Shirley temple.” He paused with a look to Kōrui for her input.

“Tea, Oolong, hot,” came Hoshiko’s reply. She didn’t reply, not right away to his last question, but the smaller Tigress soon made it clear why. “I will assume you are attempting to make small-talk given that my reputation precedes me,” her aloof tone of voice somehow lashed back. “But, yes.” Her bright blue eyes glanced at the server. “I am ready to order, are you?” her gaze snapped back to James.

“If you are ready then yes I guess I am.” His eyes gave the menu one last overview before turning to Jellete, “I’ll take the bacon wrapped scallops as my appetizer and the sixteen ounce prime pork chop for my main course.” He closed his menu and handed it to the waitress who nodded and took it before looking at the other individual sitting at the table. On the radio frequency James replied in a calm if slightly predatory tone. “Poke into someone's past then expect to be poked back.” His external visage had a perfectly normal smile if you ignored the fact it came from steel and plastic instead of flesh and bone.

“Bloomed onion, and the eight ounce ribeye platter,” the redheaded tigress blandly replied, less than thrilled. “You miss my point entirely,” came her transmission. As far as she was concerned, someone should simply already know all about her. How she subjugated primitives, bombarded rebel freedom fighters from orbit. It was nothing new. But even as she looked way in disinterest, her eyes eventually fixed on something far off. A man, falling over the railing, and distant screams which barely registered with busy diners at a posh steak-house. “What is your profession?” she then asked, seemingly curious in the most vague sense.

 

[CadetNewb]

“My profession, as it is…. You could call me an augment engineer and general repairman?” He looked up at the black stone ceiling and mapped out the flecks of gold as he thought something out. “Though with piracy and politics these days I’ve been asked to escort private freighters and smaller trade ships.” He finished his mapping of the ceiling and returned to peering at his dinner companion. “I assume someone of your stature does other things than fight from the bridge of a ship?” Though he seemed to have not noticed her glace behind him something moved inside his robe and one of those small attendant drones popped it’s sensor suite out the back of his robe and looked in the direction of the event.

“I see,” she curtly replied, noting the cyborg’s reply. “Admiralship is a complicated profession, and besides using the entirety of my fleet as a weapon, I also have to manage its logistics, as well as the training of the crews.” By now, the person that had fallen from the 3rd floor off in the distance had gotten back up as a concerned bystander approached. “Now, seeing your proclivities, I am curious - have you been approached by a group known as the ‘Magnetic Assembly’ at any time? They seem to favor similar setups to your own,” Hoshiko disinterestedly pointed out, just as she watched the approaching bystander get jumped on and bitten in the neck.

James nodded along with her answer and then nodded again in partial answer to her own question. “That I have, there was an official on my ship asking me to transport an individual named Wazu not too long ago.” He paused and scratched at his bald metallic head as if trying to remember the time. “She made an offer to join but I’m not really convinced it would be the best choice on my side.” He waved a dismissive hand at the memory and returned his gaze to Hoshiko, seemingly ignoring the outright murder going on a ways behind him. “Why do you ask?”

“Heram.” Like a curse, the petite woman’s voice darkened as she clenched her fist, the metal fork in hand bending to quiet, seething anger. But just as quickly the subtle wave came, it left. “I understand now why this ‘date’ was arranged by Sakamoto,” Hoshiko calmly replied. Far off in the background, people were screaming as some recoiled in shock while others surged forward with chairs and the like as improvised weapons. Still, others remained frozen in place, or worse, live-streamed it from their smartphones, glasses or watches. “Would you tell me more about your work?” the small redhead asked, looking up at James with her big, blue eyes.

The reaction to her minor outburst on the machines part was rather interesting, compared to the few occupied tables near them who just winced and gave the cat girl a bad look before realizing who she was and immediately turning around and going back to their meal. The machine attempted to raise an eyebrow at the admiral and was fairly successful considering his lack of eyebrows. “I get people and things from point a to point b?” He shrugged noncommittally as he leaned back in his chair, “Not really much else to it.”

“A smuggler then?” the small tigress gracefully raised an eyebrow, questioning. Far behind James, people struggled with the one that fell from above, and moments later, the person that had their throat torn out as well, teeth snapping and chomping at anyone who neared. “Do they have a shortage of movers? Logistical personnel?” Hoshiko pondered, more to herself than anything else. She changed the topic slightly though. “How did the others on board the ship react to you receiving the invitation though? Were they supportive?” By now, two biters had become three, and red began to smear itself across the scene in the background.

James teetered a hand in a kinda. “Everyone else didn’t mind either way.” Keeping to his laid back position he continued answering the questions out of order, “ - and who isn’t a smuggler these days, with how expensive maintenance is you have to at least do something on the side to make up for the costs?” There was a small clink under the table as another spherical drone dropped out of his robe and onto the ground before quietly zipping away. “As for why they use my services, convenience probably. Especially in the frontiers. It’s a shit show for everyone.”

“I would say that The Empire is better managed and that the need for your services would be greatly reduced within our borders,” Hoshiko began as someone at another table in the restaurant began to vomit. She gave them the side eye, but only for a moment. “However, that doesn’t help you much.” Looking at him again, the short redhead tilted her head to the side, just a hint. “What would help you anyways? Are you looking to get something specific?” she asked as the number of dead began to increase, and the biters in the distance grew in number accordingly.

James nodded in complete agreement with her analysis in his situation in relation to the Empire. The second question actually seemed to stump him for quite a bit. It was pretty obvious to see the gears turning behind his eyes, both literally and figuratively, as he looked her up and down. He came to a conclusion about the same time as the vomiter started seizing up, “I need access to cloning tech, preferably a ship portable model but access to a planet based facility would work for my purposes.” The tone of his voice had taken on a rather serious edge that quickly disappeared as he continued on, “But the price depends on the job. How might I be of service?”

“I would say that the job is both as simple as it is complex,” Hoshiko began, side eying the now ‘rowdy’ table. Now that the person vomiting was starting to become violent, the waiter staff were fighting to subdue them. “What I need most is infor - “ The vomiting patron began to scream and bite, though the staff were now desperately using chairs to hold him at bay. “What I need most is informa - “ People were beginning to scream more loudly, and Hoshiko was getting visibly annoyed, judging by how her feline tail now stood high and began to slowly wag from side to side. “What I need is - “ A loud crash sounded, cutting her off yet AGAIN as a waiter fell, knocked over by the rowdy patron who bit and gnawed at the breaking chair. Picking up her steak knife, Hoshiko flicked her wrist, silencing the sick diner with the dull thunk of a blade slamming through skull. “As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, I need information,” Hoshiko finally breathed a sigh of relief. Standing up, she simply grabbed her steak off her platter and began to lead the way elsewhere. “Anything that could incriminate Heram Wazu or the Magnetic Assembly enough to justify my forces moving in. Are you interested?” she asked, finally tearing at the meat in grasp with her teeth.

The small woman then licked her lips, waiting for a reply.

James gave a small nod of understanding as he followed her out, “I might be able to supply a few tidbits.” His smile wasn’t that of a human but of a computer attempting to imitate the expression. “But as any good businessman I need some insurance that I’ll get what I’m paying for.” There was a flash of plasma and his face regained a more human tamber as the plasma pistol retracted back into his robe after dispatching a rather rowdy individual that was chewing on the woman behind the front desk.

“What you are asking for is child’s play,” Hoshiko replied, tearing away at the juicy steak she held in hand. Already, she was leading them away from the dining establishment, as well as the far larger ‘kerfluffle’ further away. “More importantly, the Empire has an image to keep - it would not serve our needs if you survived us betraying you, only to start loudly complaining that we had done so,” the small woman added. It was already clear that she had a destination in mind, but it soon became apparent that it was one borne out of necessity more than desire. “Get in,” she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the sports goods and camping store. Inside, they could hear screams of fear and terror, but Hoshiko didn’t seem to care.

“While you have supplied a decent answer - ” James stepped into the sporting goods store with a wet crunch as his cybernetic foot crushed a corpses skull. He quickly followed this up with a kick to the civilian that was eating said corpses guts. “ - I would also say that said empire likes to keep it’s image clean by not working with people like me.” The rest of the shop didn’t look much better as a few other people tried to use the equipment as makeshift weapons and failing to fight off the increasing number of lurching individuals. Nudging the half eaten body out of the door way with a bloody foot he continued into the store.

“You are expected to accept your reward and not brag or crow about it like an idiot-child,” the Tigress rebuked the machine-man-thing. Tossing the rest of her steak away, Hoshiko placed her hands against the shutter controls and closed the massive store off from the rest of the mega-mall before proceeding deeper, wiping her steak-greased hand on several jerseys. Right before picking up a wooden bat and swinging it with a crack. The foaming, rabid person falling, Hoshiko casually bat them across the temple before continuing on. “Such deals are a regular occurrence, and as such, the silence is as well. People do not complain that the Empire has altered the deal, nor do they pray it will not be altered further.”

 

[CadetNewb]

“That I can understand.” James detoured around a golf equipment rack looking through the selection, eventually deciding on an aluminum putter that seemed a bit too long for him. “Now with you being an admiral I am assuming you have the authority to make this deal?” The few test swings James gave the metal object looked rather halfassed and left some unwanted scuffs on the floor, but the last one had a nice follow through that nailed one of the crawlers right in the noggin. “That is the case? Right?” He looked at the now bloody end of the putter with mild annoyance and rubbed some amount of blood off onto his robe.

“Obviously.” As Hoshiko said this, a high pitched scream came in fast and low at the woman, but not for long at all. “Make sure to aim appropriately low,” she remarked, stepping over the much smaller corpse. The Admiral was soon in amongst the camping goods, and after pilfering the body of an employee, grabbed the FOB device she needed to clear the security screen. “Marginally better.” Pulling a half-meter long machete out of its wrapping, she proceeded to lead them to the back of the store and its dimly glowing exit lights.

James followed her to the back after grabbing a few canisters of propane from a portable barbecue. “Then I think we have an understanding.” The canisters vanished under his robe and he bisected the last of the attackers with a hard swing. “Now the question is when should we make the exchange?” He looked at the now badly bent aluminum rod and dropped it before following the machete wielding genocidal tigress out of the exit.

“When all is said and done, obviously,” She stoically replied. Opening the exit, it didn’t lead outdoors, but instead, into the accessways behind the numerous shops and stores. Strips of light flashed like a current, intending to lead them out. “You must not only forward the information, but do so in a way that does not incriminate yourself. Failing that, successfully extract so that you can be paid.” Despite the flow of light leading one way, Hoshiko went the other, going deeper into the mall instead. Another man immediately rounded the corner perhaps 50 meters away, settled his feral eyes on them, and charged. “Whether or not the endeavor against Heram Wazu is successful, you will receive it. The Empire is magnanimous to those who aid it.”

The man continued to scream and holler as he closed in, the Tigress nonchalantly continuing forward, close and closer as though he weren’t there.

James followed the admiral down the corridor and nodded. “I am very interested in not being sent to jail so I shall oblige. That last part I am also thankful for, it is more than generous.” The robe he wore rippled as the plasma pistol made another appearance and blasted over his shorter leader into the screaming lunatic, leaving a cauterized hole in his chest. The weapon didn’t retract this time as the two continued. “I assume you have some form of transport to somewhere we can make this transaction or should we set up another appointment?”

“The transaction which will include your reward will occur after you have successfully sent me the information that I request,” the small woman tersely replied without missing a beat. As the corpse fell, she continued, simply stepping over the smoking lump as though nothing had even happened. “For now, our priority should be to escape,” she replied, coming to a door labeled ‘Bubba’s Boomsticks’. Stopping in her tracks, Hoshiko then turned to look at the machine-man-thing. “However, I was sent here to have a ‘date’, and according to my research, this counts as a ‘zombie apocalypse scenario’, which many people consider to be enjoyable in popular media and video games,” the Tigress pointed out. “If you are interested, we could attempt proceeding.”

“If you’re offering how can I refuse?” The machine responded with a polite smile. His plasma pistol glowed before it turned the door to slag, it quickly retracted appearing to be out of charges. “Ladies first.” The machine bowed and indicated the door.

“Hmph!” Through the doorway, the duo could clearly see shelves and racks of guns and paraphernalia as far as the eye could see. From antique to modern, it was here. However, the blast of energy and molten metal showering into the store was quickly followed up with the resounding crack of gunfire. Just not aimed at them. The half-dozen infected making a beeline towards the slagged doorway however, were! “Emergency doors are always unlocked,” Hoshiko’s flat, dissatisfied voice reminded the man-machine thing she was dating. Declining to go through the door, she simply stepped back and out of view, raised her machete high, right before dropping it with a meaty THWACK onto an unsuspecting skull.

Right as the rest of them began piling through the narrow, molten chokepoint.

James rolled his eyes before grumbling something about the death of chivalry and smart ass kittens. This grumbling stopped as he stomped down on the spine of the probably already dead zombie and gave the next one through the door a mean right hook with a hydraulic powered fist. Using the body his fist was now embedded in as a makeshift barrier James slowly pulled it back into the hallway allowing the next one in line to poke its head through with plenty of access for Hoshiko and her sharp piece of metal.

The doorway quickly became a meat-grinder between the two as James pulverized and crushed bodies back into the breach, while Hoshiko brought down her machete like it was a dao, severing limbs, heads and anything else that dared to pile through in a confused mess. Just as quickly as it had started though, it was already over, blood and gore everywhere. Everywhere save for Hoshiko or her dress - she was apparently very careful not to get any on herself.

“Disgusting,” she remarked, finally stomping her way over the heaped bodies. “There, the manager’s office,” she pointed out. Off in the distance, at the other side of the store, at least one employee was trying to hold off the horde, but there was no telling if they could for much longer. “We need to get to the entrance and activate the shutters, or the noise from their gunfire will have us overwhelmed,” Hoshiko pointed out to James. Already, she was passing by the rows upon rows of guns. “After that, take the key-card from the employee, dead or alive, and ‘borrow’ a few of the items here.” Taking the lead again, she crouched low and sneaked through the aisles in her heels.

James gave his robe a shake dislodging most of the chucks from it before following in after her. The tendril that had held the plasma pistol emerged from under the robe, the manipulation tip exchanged for a steel spike.

James let his automated functions take care of confirming the deaths of what corpses he passed on his way to the office. It appeared that one of the employees manager already had a set of not so clean holes in him and the door so he didn’t have to worry about him. Reaching through the hole got James a surprise bite on the hand from the ankle biter that had been hiding. To the zombies’ misfortune this didn’t achieve anything beyond a few fractured teeth.

Before James could properly deal with the infected chomping down on his metal hand, the loud blast of a gun going off could be heard as a bullet narrowly went by, lopping the head off in a shower of gore . “Y’all can fuck off, ya hear?!” a loud, brassy woman’s voice could be heard from inside the manager’s office. In the background, the steady stream of infected shambling into the store seemed to stop, but the shutters had yet to close. Even then however, there was something much more urgent for James to deal with. Slicing the pie and rounding the corner, he found himself staring down the barrel of the rifle as the store employee brought her gun to bear.


“What in the?” the brunette began in confusion. “You bit or anything?” she asked James. Clad in the typical employee uniform, the badge on her ample chest read ‘Mishkin’.

Putting his limited survival instincts to use the machine raised all three of his active limbs in response to the firearm forcing his eyes to go cross. Not really having anything else to go on besides he really didn’t want to get shot James answered the question promptly, though the blood covered steel plates that went all the way down past his elbow should have been answer enough. “I was bit, but nowhere fleshy.” He waved the bitten hand for emphasis of this fact.

“Alright, just get in real quick before more come!” Mishkin replied. Reaching up to her badge, she pulled it down from its spool-clip and with a beep, the door unlocked, letting James in. “You’re a metal man or something?” the employee asked.

 

[CadetNewb]

“Not exactly.” Was James’ answer, as he quickly moved into the room. He looked at Mishkin and wondered what he was supposed to do next. He was told to get an Id but this person was alive. While he didn’t have a problem with murdering the aberrations trying to eat him he at least needed a reason better than ‘I need her Id’ to kill a living person. “Can I borrow your ID? I'm on a date and we need some guns to get to my ship?”

“I’ll help you get more firepower and all hun, but we still got a problem with them infected, don’t we?” Mishkin asked, scratching her head with some concern. Off in the background, the sound of a metal shutter sliding down had the brunette let out a sigh of relief. “Aww shucks, now I feel silly!” she awkwardly grinned, glad they were just a bit safer. “I guess we just clear out the lot, left, and then we can fight our way to your ship ta get outta here right?” the woman offered.

“What’s this I hear about leaving on your ship?” a familiar voice spoke up. Heels softly tapping against the floor, the feline Daqinese woman slowly strode over, her dress still immaculately spotless, while the machete dripped red. “You and I were tasked with a date,” she began, pointing the bloody weapon at James. “We will conclude this challenge first, and then leave on completion,” the small woman’s bright blue eyes glared at him.

“Of course dear.” James called out before he looked at Mishkin and nodded to the door. “If you would? I’ll try to remember to pick you up on the way back.” James concluded his statement with a smile and walked out of the office to stand next to his date. “So what do you think we’ll need?” The back of his robe shifted and a collection of six tentacular appendages slipped out with various manipulator attachments.

“Guns. All of them,” Hoshiko replied.

*****

American Union,
New Texas
7 Days Later

The interior of the megamall looked like a war zone, its many shop fronts boarded up, the avenues blockaded with wood and metal and plastic walls made of anything and everything the survivors could muster. And despite their efforts, it looked like apocalypse was upon them. A huge crowd was gathering inside the largest court, their forms pale and dressed in cobbled together, mismatched outfits. They milled about, a din constantly humming in the air, but the moment a figure stepped out onto the balcony, they fell silent.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer began, “I give you, Immortanko!”

“IMMORTANKO! IMMORTANKO! IMMORTANKO!” the talc powder and makeshift armor clad masses chanted. But just as quickly as they began to chat, they stopped, a feminine figure clad in form fitting armor stepping onto the stage.

“Today - ” Hoshiko began, her megaphone amplified voice ominously warped by the tooth-jawed gas mask she wore, “ - I send out our war rigs, lead by Imperators Jamesinator and Mishiosa, to Burgertown for Groceries. To Wild Waters for Aqua Cola, and - “ a Daqin snake form clad in clean, official looking imperial armor slid down from above and began whispering something in Hoshiko’s feline ear. “Ok everyone,” her loud, booming ‘Immortanko’ voice finally spoke, “It looks like the American Union forces finally have the outbreak under control, and will be here in a few days. We can stop roleplaying now.”

“Y’all serious?!” Mishka shouted, sticking her head out of her refitted cargo truck. At that, a tumultuous uproar of disappointment and anger rippled through the audience of New Texans.

“I will be leaving, the rest of you enjoy yourselves,” the great ‘Immortanko’ dismissively waved a hand. “James, our date is concluded. You may return to your ship and leave, but remember our arrangement,” she reminded him from above.

James pulled off the mass of scrap metal that had been worn like a helmet, shook out what appeared to be either smoke pellets or fuses from his scratched up metal head, the lights in his eyes changed from the ominous red to their normal blue cold and his voice lost the intermittent static.

“Well that’s probably the best date I’ve ever had.” He placed the vaguely skull shaped mass of metal on the truck and didn’t bother with fixing his once robe now cape. “No need to worry you’ll have your data soon enough.” The machine had one last question however. “Though was the harem really necessary? I mean I won’t argue with sticking to a role but….”

“Aw shucks, ya weren’t complainin earlier hun!” Mishka jabbed at him with a silly grin.