Chapter Twenty-One - Disposal


    <strong>Chapter Twenty-One - Disposal</strong>


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    <em>Safe and sanitary biowaste disposal since 2023!</em>


    --Excerpt from an ad for the biological waste and pseudo-meat productionpany, Want-Not Inc., 2034


    ***


    The pontoon boat moved like one of those little four-wheeled scooters that walking whales used when they were shopping in the bigger discount stores. Thats to say, it was slow as hell, and, judging from the engines whine, it was having a hard time even keeping up this pace.


    This is like the worlds worst amusement park ride, I said as I looked around. The walls were all arched up, withrge struts every dozen metres, and lights hanging off of them to brighten things up a little. But only a little.


    Something tells me you havent ever been to an amusement park, Gomorrah said.


    I have, actually. The orphanage got this cheap trip to this amusement park, just outside of the city. Big rides, lots of tourists and middle-ss sorts. We were there for some photoshoot thing. You know, bunch of kids that can all smile, most of them obviously disabled in some way so the ce looks like its inclusive and shit.


    That sounds... nice? Gomorrah tried.


    Eh, we werent allowed on the rides, but we got lots of free food and stuff. Im pretty sure Lucy stole a shirt too. She might still have it somewhere.


    Gomorrah shook her head, but she kept her attention fixed on the waters ahead. The trip was going to be a dull one, I figured.


    I hear ces like that have the best trash if youre looking for food and stuff, Rac said. Theres this man on sub-six. He buys any meat you can pick up. Ten credits per pound. I bet you could make thousands just from the stuff they throw away at a park.


    What does he do with the meat? I asked.


    Sausages.


    Made sense.


    Thats disgusting, Franny said.


    Dont you love street food? Gomorrah asked.


    Not anymore, was Frannys quick reply.


    Iughed. At least we had good conversation to make the ride a little less dull. Then I heard something ahead, a low rumble that was growing louder. It didnt sound like the gurgle of shit watering out from some of the smaller pipes either.


    Gom, someones heading this way, I said. I pulled out my Icarus and checked its ammo count. Down to five rounds. Good enough for something small, probably.


    Could just be normal traffic down here, Gomorrah said. Her shoulder mounted me-throwers deployed anyway, which said a lot about how confident she was in that statement.


    I tucked myuncher under my coat and made my way to the front of the boat, careful about the part of the floor that looked corroded through. We were bobbing along hard enough that some of the slush we were cutting across sshed up and onto the sides of the boat, painting it in a fresh coat of brackish brown.


    I really, really didnt want to fall into the sludge.


    The rumble grew louder, and I leaned around, ready to draw my gun at a moments notice.


    Gomorrah moved us off to the side so that we were riding next to the rightmost wall. I figured that normal trafficws might apply down here. The tunnel curved ahead; I wouldnt be able to see what wasing until we were nearly in the middle of the bend.


    A ship came rushing by us. Not a pontoon boat like the one we were on, but a proper boat with a tall, shit-covered hull, old rubber tires hanging off the sides, and a cabin at the rear. There were three Sewer Dragons sitting at the front, one of them behind a mounted gun.


    They stared at us as we moved past.


    We were nearing the middle of the curve, bobbing up and down in the wake of their passage, when I heard the shipe to a stop and start to turn around.


    Shit, I said as I moved to the back of the boat. Ill keep them busy. Can you go any faster in this thing? I asked.


    Not much, Gomorrah said. She pushed the throttle up, and the electric engine hummed a notch louder. It didnt feel like we were moving faster.


    The boat chasing after us rumbled around the bend, the three gang members at the front aiming ahead of them, obviously ready to fire. I tightened my grip around my gun and waited. They didnt fire yet.


    They sped up, quickly approaching while bouncing along through the sludge.


    Grinning, I flicked off my invisibility and raised my Icarus, starting to squeeze the trigger even as I aimed the glowing target line over the front of the ship.


    All three Sewer Dragons started screaming. Wait! Wait!


    I paused, and I saw Gomorrah ncing back. They werent pointing their guns our way, at least, and most were waving their arms around like mad.


    What? I called back.


    They wereing closer. Does that thing explode? One of them asked, his free hand pointing at my Icarus.


    Uh, it can, I said.


    Methanes at seven percent! The guy behind the gun screamed. Are you trying to kill us all?


    Huh? I asked.


    <em>I think hes referring to the fact that the currentposition of the air around you is made up of seven point two percent methane. Theres also a decently dangerous percentage of hydrogen sulphide, as well as trace elements of a dozen other highly mmable chemicals.</em>


    Dont you guys have guns? I asked.


    We usepressed air! one of them shouted. He raised his gun, revealing a rather bulbous stock that had what looked like a tank stuck in it.


    Cool, I said. Im firing expanding foam grenades. Theyre non-explosive, and I dont think theyunch using an explosion either. No fire.


    I wiggled my Icarus around.


    We both stared at each other, still bobbing along at a decent clip over the dirty waters. So we can shoot at each other? One of them asked.


    I guess so, I replied. Uh. Why were you going to shoot at us in the first ce?


    Youre from the government! Here to kidnap some of us!


    What? I asked. Do I look like a fed?


    The guys stared at me, then at each other.


    Im a samurai, for fucks sake, I shouted back. Im here to look for kidnapped people.


    The people Doc took? one of them shot back.


    I really didnt know what to say to that. Yes?


    Shoot her!


    Are you fucking-- I ducked down as a spray of pellets zipped through the air above me. They might not have been shooting proper guns, but it was hard to tell when being shot at.


    Gomorrah spun the wheel, throwing us across to the other side of the tunnel and casting a wake behind us that had the faster boat chopping up and down through the wastewater. Youre terrible at negotiations! she screamed.


    Oh, shut up. Watch them negotiate this!


    Standing on wobbly legs, I brought myuncher around and fired, five squeezes of the trigger that sent an equal number of glittering shells towards the Sewer Dragon boat. The first two missed, but the other three were dead on. One even slugged one of the Dragons in the arm, and, when the shell burst, it glued him to the deck.


    His pals werent too pleased with that.


    Fuck! I shouted as I felt a dozen little pinpricks across my chest. The heavier gun was firing as if ammo werent a concern, and I winced as it left little pinholes all across the surface of the pontoon.


    Dipping to one knee, I let go of my Icarus so it dangled by my side and reached for my Trench Maker, then I paused. That did use an explosive to fire, didnt it?


    Myalis, rails?


    <em>Entirely safe.</em>


    My railguns deployed from over my shoulder and my vision filled with twin reticles that I locked onto the ships rear, about where I figured the pilot was.


    Two thumps tugged my shoulders back as a pair of railgun rounds shot out and punched a pair of holes into the hull.


    Didnt seem to do much. Dammit! I shouted.


    This is so fucking cool, Rac said.


    You''re taking on water, Franny replied.


    I blinked, then looked down. The nun was rightthe bottom of the boat was filling with sludge, some of it pouring through the holes in the floor. Our pontoon was starting to fill up.


    Shit, I said. Gom! Ram them! Were taking their boat.


    Were what? Gomorrah asked.


    I moved up, a foot on the edge bent so Id be ready to jump. Were going pirate! I shouted back. Then, as Gomorrah veered us into the other boats path, I jumped.


    ***