My Ninja Girl 4

by Gideon Caldwell

  Micah placed his hand on the front of his helmet, as if he were about to massage his temples. “I’m still here,” he finally told his grandmother.

  “What, sweetie? I know you’re still there. I just wanted you to hear some of the bullshit I have to deal with over in the rabbit neck-of-the-woods, even though I more or less like the place. As long as they take me out and that one guy comes back ready to massage my puppies. Are they taking me out today?” she asked Choro. Micah heard something akin to a confirmation. “Good. I guess I’ll behave in exchange. Well, listen, sweetie, as much as I want to stick around and chat, I’m being force-fed over here like they’re planning to have me for supper a couple days from now. The jokes on them—I’ll be salty and bitter in the end, believe me when I say that. Hopefully, they’ll have dessert this time around. The prudes. Okay, I guess I’ll get off the horn. Be safe today, and remember what I told you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Shoot them in the nuts. Ha!”

  Once Choro said goodbye, and assured Micah that he would be in constant communication with him throughout the morning, Micah removed his helmet. He joined Bunni, Yuri, Liza, and Ahmey in one of the underground dining halls, Soraya serving a dish she had gotten up extra early in the morning to bake. All were in workout clothing aside from the young nun, Ahmey looking pristine as always, a glow about her as she quietly enjoyed the meal.

  From there, it was showtime, Bunni and Soraya departing once they were geared up.

  “We’ll be in touch,” Bunni said as she tapped the side of her bucket.

  And with that, they were gone.

  The next couple of hours were excruciating for Micah, and he couldn’t help but worry about the two of them, even though they gave brief updates every twenty minutes or so. He found himself pacing, having a mindless conversation with Bobi about the history of Neo-Hokkaidan ceramics just to distract himself, eventually settling on watching Yuri go through a few practice stances with Liza.

  They needed the Hermetics. Micah knew this, but being asked to meet them in public, especially after what happened yesterday, was something that tilted from risky to stupid. And he couldn’t help but overanalyze this as he waited for their cue to leave, which came about forty minutes before the meeting was set to take place.

  Geared up, Liza, Micah and Yuri left the shrine, Ahmey walking them to the gate and wishing them luck, the young nun wearing a helmet for the first time since their arrival.

  Even though he had been outside last night, it had been dark, Micah a bit surprised at how bright it was now, especially having spent most of his time underground. He felt like holding Yuri’s hand, but he knew that this would look suspicious, especially with their monk and nun disguises. So he simply walked between the two women as they headed toward Uyanga’s restaurant row, all the pedestrians now in masks.

  While Neo-Hokkaido was technically in lockdown, the floating districts operated differently than the ground districts did. It felt less oppressive here. Gone were the drones buzzing around and issuing fines to those not self-quarantining. Missing as well were the barrage of red lights flashing on buildings, shuttered businesses, and constant monk patrols. It was like a different society up here, one Micah had yet to experience, considering he had always followed the orders in Thunderhama. Yet he had heard that things were different higher up, and this turned out to be overwhelmingly true.

  Strange to see it play out in real time, Micah thought.

  Both Bobi and Choro checked in, letting Micah know that they were viewing his feed. He simply gave them an affirmation and continued on his journey, around a fountain and to a long street with outside seating on the other end, to the floating district’s restaurant row. People were seated at some of the tables enjoying breakfast and tea, masked waiters serving them, most at shaded tables and all in clothing that indicated they were wealthy.

  “You should turn here,” Choro told Micah.

  “Got it.”

  He made his way down an alley, and from there to a blue door.

  “We can see you,” Soraya announced in their buckets. “And thus far, there’s been no indication that this is some kind of set up. The only people that have gone into the building since we arrived are Julia and two other Hermetics, her personal security. I’m watching your entrance directly, and Bunni is on the other side.”

  “Anything underground?” Yuri asked.

  “Bunni was able to check that, and no, there doesn’t seem to be an underground system here, at least not in this particular restaurant. You should be safe for now, but we will remain vigilant and in constant communication.”

  “Good.” Micah opened the door for Liza and Yuri, Yuri going in first with her hand on the grip of her weapon.

  Before stepping in himself, Micah slipped his hand into the monk’s bag that he carried and went for his prosthetic gatling gun. It really was handy and accessible, and as they made their way through a kitchen, to the only door available, he prepared himself for anything.

  What they found in the other room wasn’t as intense as he had envisioned. Silver-haired Julia was maskless, in a tight black dress, and seated at a table with pastries before her, her guards standing in the opposite corners of the room.

  “Just the three of you?” she asked.

  “That’s right,” Liza told her.

  “Please, join me. There is much to discuss, and not a lot of time, at least according to Choro. He is watching me right now, right?”

  Micah tapped on the side of his bucket and nodded.

  “Tell her I said hi,” Choro said.

  “He says hi.”

  An almost goofy smile appeared on Julia’s face, one Micah wasn’t expecting. “I’m sure he does. Please, sit. Enjoy a pastry while you’re at it. They’re from the bakery across the street and they are absolutely to die for.”

  Liza sat, and Micah and Yuri followed her lead. “Thank you, but we’ve already eaten,” Liza said in a diplomatic enough tone. “Let’s make this quick.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Julia placed both hands on the table, her fingers clasped together. There was something more confident about her than there had been the last time Micah had met with the woman, something that told him she knew she was a boss now, that she had true leverage. She always had an air of authority, and aside from the time that they were attacked, she generally seemed to put on a tough demeanor. Yet even with the newfound confidence, she seemed softer at the moment, and Micah couldn’t understand why.

  “We are offering you a seat at the table,” Liza said, speaking before Julia could start her spiel. Because Liza represented the Monks of Repose and was closely affiliated with Ahmey, they discussed letting her lead the negotiations last night. There was a firmness to the nun’s voice now, and Micah found it sexy. He could tell that she meant business, that she wanted to push this along so they could leave.

  “A seat at the table?” Julia asked. “Tell me your entire plan. That was one thing not revealed to me in my conversation with Choro, nor in our brief conversation yesterday.”

  That’s because you didn’t let me finish speaking yesterday, Micah thought, still slightly annoyed that they had to meet in person to begin with. It was definitely a risk.

  “We seek to put a young nun named Ahmey into the lead role in the upper echelon. She is of direct lineage to Neojuku, and has been a member of the Monks of Repose since she was a child. She is well aware that the Society of Monks is in need of change, and that change starts from the top. While I understand a group such as yours wants to see change take place across the board, doing so suddenly would leave our society vulnerable, and it could exacerbate an increasingly volatile situation, especially internationally. To summarize: our plan is to lead a coup to put Ahmey in charge, and to do so we will have to secure both the meeting room, and the inner chambers around the space where the High Council meets. We need you to secure the outside of the facility, which will likely bring elite monks and nuns, as well as mecha support, which w
e are also able to help with.”

  “And for doing this, for putting my people at risk, you are offering us a single seat at the table?”

  “That is correct.”

  Julia slowly nodded. “I see. Frankly, and I hope this is an informal enough meeting to be frank, I find that insulting. We want no less than three seats, and we want the upper echelon, the High Council, restructured in a way that allows mayors more power to instigate change in their districts. You said change starts from the top, and I agree whole-heartedly with this. In this case, it would be a situation where you put your credit where your mouth is. Prove to both my people and other Neo-Hokkaidans you mean business by giving us a leadership role.”

  “You are being given a role,” Liza said.

  “And we want more than one, we want three seats, so we have some actual power. That’s the price of our assistance, especially as the Monks of Repose seem to be nonexistent, meaning you won’t be able to rely on your own splinter group for any support.”

  Liza was quiet for a moment. Finally, she spoke again: “I will see to it that this is arranged. You’ll get a message of confirmation later. And regarding the Monks of Repose, do not write them off yet. They will be instrumental in implementing Ahmey’s vision once she is in power.”

  “I want confirmation from Ahmey herself.”

  “That can be arranged. The meeting starts at eleven in the morning, and is to be followed by a luncheon at twelve, with more talks into the afternoon. Rather than launching right into it, our plan is to make our move just before the High Council’s lunch. According to Ahmey, some of the members of the Council are much older and will feel some pressure if they haven’t eaten, which we will use to our advantage.”

  This part of the conversation they’d had last night had reminded Micah of his grandmother, and she got cranky when she hadn’t eaten. There was always a chance that it could backfire, that they would be even more determined to fight back by being deprived of their meal, but the group had agreed on the strategy and Micah went along with it. After all, he was the least experienced in these kinds of affairs.

  First coup attempt and you don’t even get a say in the matter, Micah thought. Before any other snarky thoughts could come to him, Julia cleared her throat and finally unclasped her hands. She stood, both arms going behind her back.

  “Then it is settled,” Julia said. “Get me confirmation from Ahmey, and we will be there in force tomorrow.”

  “That’s it?” Micah asked, almost instinctively. He expected this to go on for hours, and was looking forward to eventually eating one of the pastries once he felt hungry again.

  “It’s not a stretch for me to simply move all of our available resources into action. But I need to get started on that now, and I’ve been given authority, based on this conversation, to do so. As soon as you get me confirmation, we will get started. We really could use the ability to coordinate with your AI.”

  “I will reach out to her,” Bobi said, his voice appearing in Micah’s helmet. “Let her know.”

  “Our AI will reach out to you once confirmation is delivered,” Liza told her.

  “Good.”

  “I would like to avoid as much collateral damage as possible. The optics of this are going to be very important. The less people that are injured, the better our overall cause will be received,” said Julia. “And remember, we are doing this during the lockdown, which will be something both debated and championed across the country in the coming days. It is risky.”

  “The odds of a biological attack in retaliation are certainly something to consider,” Liza replied. “And new groups within the Society of Monks may emerge, a terrorist organization filled with former members disgruntled with the way things are changing, and the power they will eventually be losing. All things to consider. But Ahmey has already told us that her first act as leader of the organization will be to destroy the biological weapons. So hopefully that’ll mitigate a chance for a fatal retaliation.”

  “Hopefully,” Julie agreed. “In that case, we will be in touch.” She glanced at the pastries one more time and then looked back up to the three of them. “Feel free to take something if you’d like.”

  Yuri stood. “Thank you for your time.”

  Soon, the three of them were outside, being led by Bobi’s reticle away from the block of restaurants. As if they’d been there all along, Bunni and Soraya appeared out of the blue, Liza quickly catching the two of them up on what happened even though she’d also been broadcasting her voice in their helmets.

  “I can’t help but get this feeling that that was too easy,” Soraya said, suspicious as always. “Since when do negotiations go that well?”

  “Since both parties have a shared goal in mind, and feel that it has reached a level of crucialness to avoid unnecessary debate,” Yuri said. “Let’s just hope it all works. We’re going to be on the inside when this is happening; we won’t be able to monitor what happens outside of the meeting room.”

  “I don’t like that part either,” the kitsune told her.

  The five of them fanned out, Liza and Bunni heading in one direction, Soraya, Micah, and Yuri heading a different way so they would be less suspicious as they weaved through the floating district. Seeing a group of four or five monks and nuns together in one of the lower districts was common, but not so much on Uyanga, and it was best that they kept their numbers pared down.

  They reached the shrine and regrouped. They entered through the front to find Ahmey seated with an older nun, both of their helmets off, candles lit all around them.

  “All, I would like you to meet Saru,” Ahmey said, gesturing politely toward the older nun. The woman stood and greeted them with a curt bow.

  “So, you are the Royal Star Ninjas,” said the older woman, her lips pursed.

  “They are. I’m just …” A normal guy? Micah thought. He really couldn’t classify himself as that anymore, but he never ended up finishing what he was saying as Liza took over the conversation, introducing Micah and herself.

  “It is a great risk, you know,” the older nun told them. “What you are planning could very well backfire. Generally, these things take months of work to orchestrate, and even then they can be unsuccessful. You’ve shown up two days ago.”

  “Time is of the essence,” Yuri told her.

  “I don’t disagree with you there, especially with what the Society of Monks has done recently.” Saru grimaced. “And your discussion with the Hermetics? Ahmey was telling me that you were just with them.”

  “All is set,” Liza said. “But there has been a change in one of the conditions.”

  “Oh?” Ahmey asked.

  “They want three seats at the table, not just one.”

  “Absurd,” Saru hissed. “They should be thankful we are letting mere peasants… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t refer to them, to civilians, that way. I just don’t feel they are negotiating in good faith coming back at us with a number like that.”

  Is this lady serious? Micah thought. He trusted Ahmey to the extent that he could trust someone he didn’t know very well. Yet this new nun seemed like she had the potential to be more trouble than she was worth. As for now it was just a hunch, Micah not sure of how we should interpret the slip of her tongue.

  “It was in good faith,” Yuri said, challenging Saru. “They’ve never been given anything; most civilians haven’t unless they join your ranks. It is a sign of what you are willing to do, and that you are committed to this coup and change for society as a whole.”

  “Perhaps… you are right.” Saru ran her hand through her short gray hair, the look on her face telling Micah that she didn’t quite believe them, yet she wasn’t looking to fight it. “I believe I spoke out of turn. I’m sorry, Ahmey. I am as passionate about this as you are, you know that.”

  “I know,” the young nun told her. “And three seats are fine.”

  “And you’re sure about this?”

  “I am.”

  “Julia needs con
firmation from you, their leader,” Liza told Ahmey. “Once she has confirmation, she will begin preparations.”

  “I’m prepared to give that now.”

  “Choro, can you connect me with Julia, wherever she may be?” Liza asked aloud.

  “Sure, it may take me a second…” Choro replied.

  It was a few minutes later that Liza set before Ahmey, the young nun confirming that the Hermetics would have three seats for their assistance.

  With everything set, all that was left for them to do was for them to prepare for tomorrow, which the ninjas took to mean training, and Liza took to mean sitting with Ahmey and Saru as they discussed how the meeting would happen tomorrow, once again going with the notion that moving just before the High Council’s lunch hour was the best option.

  Torn between going with the ninjas and being part of the strategizing, Micah chose to be a tactician. It was important for him to know what was going on, and while he could provide some ballistics support for the ninjas, his role was likely going to be in holding people at gunpoint and seeing to any disruptions they may encounter within the meeting room itself.

  And staying alive.

  Because through all of this, Micah couldn’t shake Youseg’s prophecy. The comic writer turned monk or vice versa had foreseen his death. And of all things, Micah couldn’t let that happen, not this late in the game, not this close to a potentially satisfactory conclusion after the way his life was turned upside down upon Yuri’s arrival.

  The nun named Saru ended up staying to enjoy a late afternoon meal, and along with Ahmey and Liza, they continued their discussions on what would happen the next day. They also gave out assignments. Much to his surprise, Micah was told he would be stationed outside the inner chamber, along with Yuri, Liza, and Bunni, leaving Soraya to join Ahmey as her personal guard.