The Shop With the Kittens

The two traveled for what seemed like hours. Finally, they came to a rusty ladder reaching out toward the sky. Anna huffed, leaning against the wall. Nameless sighed, checking himself for any bullet holes.

“Thanks for stalling her,” Anna huffed.

He nodded wordlessly, studying her. He admired her, they had only worked once or twice before. The first time had been when they were very young, maybe twelve. She had changed, grown into a lethal, put together, beautiful warrior. Nameless had never agreed fully with their religion, nor liked the Guild, but she had his respect.

He looked up, inspecting the ladder.

“What are you guys gonna do while we free the professor?” he asked.

“Payback is on my agenda,” Anna grinned.

“Fair enough. Stay safe, we need good people like you out there,” Nameless nodded.

Anna smiled.

“Same for you. Okay, up this ladder is one of the alleys we frequent. It's in the blind spot of the clans' security but keep your hood up regardless. Take the alleyway and make a right on the main street. Follow that street down until you reach China town. Make a left as soon as you enter the red gates with gold dragons; there will be a small tea shop with kittens on the front. Your friends are in there.”

“Seriously, the hell's China Town?” Nameless asked.

“An old Earth concept. Some folks haven't shaken their roots off as well as the rest of us, but they're the best people you can ask for,”

“What's the name of the shop?” Nameless asked, preparing himself.

“Just look for the shop with the cats, unless you can read Mandarin.”

Mandarin? China Town? This city just kept getting weirder.

“There are dozens of safe houses all over the city stocked up for jobs like this. You'll be in good hands with Auntie Mai,” Anna said.

“Auntie Mai?”

Anna nodded. “She's the shop owner. Super nice, long as you take your shoes off.”

They shook hands, the tunnel shaking again. Wordlessly, Anna pulled her hood up over her curly brown hair and rushed back the way they had come.

Nameless began his ascent up the ladder, placing his foot on the bottom rung. Slowly, his body aching, he climbed upwards. After a long while, he reached the top. Planting both feet, he pushed with his shoulders, peeping out from under the manhole cover. Seeing there was no one there, he heaved it away.

nb He hastily clambered out of the sewer hole, emerging into an abandoned alleyway. As his eyes readjusted, the bleak run down alley met his eyes. He carefully pulled the cover back over, and walked down the alley way, inserting back into foot traffic.

The journey was relatively quiet as Nameless blended in with the massive crowds on the sidewalk. Traffic sped back and forth, small drones carrying packages scurrying above his heads.

Nameless was overwhelmed by the sights, smells, and sounds. It was doubtful that he would ever get used to so many people so tightly packed together. Occasionally someone would absent-mindedly bump into him, but other than that, the way to China Town was quiet.

Soon enough, he came to the giant red gate with gold dragons. He was speechless; he had never seen such intricate carvings and architecture before. Beyond the gates was a maze of activity, with small shops covered in gold and yellow celebratory decorations.

Are they throwing some kind of party?

Nameless sighed, more things he had never heard of before. Might as well accept them. As he entered China town, he felt rather sheepish. Race had never really been a valid concept for him; everyone was too busy surviving where he came from. Up until Florence had spouted her garbage, no one in his life had really stuck to their race or hated another simply for it.

But here, there were hundreds of people who looked just like Florence. Nameless felt relatively abashed, having never given any thought to Florence having her own people.

Besides the fact, no one in the crowd was trying to kill him, Nameless noticed these people were much happier than typical Waste or Oasis folk. It wasn't just their behavior that made them different. These people had a purpose, an identity, a community. There was a defiant sense of pride in how these people went about. As he made his way down the main street of China town, his ears were overwhelmed with new sounds and languages he had never heard before.

So many new food, drawings, speech, fashion. He felt as if he wasn't on Mars anymore. All the pain, dirt, and trouble of the Wastes didn’t exist here. This community was thriving by itself. Nameless continued onward until he reached the small tea shop with kittens on the front.

He gathered himself, exhaled deeply, and turned toward the small shop's entrance. Large red letters in a language he couldn't read sat over the entrance arch. Inside the arch was a small front yard, littered with tiny statues and shrines with burning incense. Sure enough, there were two plastic signs of kittens on the front.

The shop itself was small and cozy, its rotten wooden walls patched and slowly being replaced with the metal material of the surrounding buildings. Its roof's corners arched upwards, the shingles a distinctly different build than the rest of the cities' buildings.

Nameless walked down the stone pathway leading to the shop until he stood at the shop's door. He took off his boots and rang the doorbell. Soft chiming. Dread and all of the past day's events whirled through his mind as he waited. Were his friends okay? Were they hurt? How would they react to his crazy story?

His thoughts were scattered to the wind as the shop's door creaked open. His body jolted as an elderly woman of Earth Asian decent shuffled out the doorway. She was very small, her hair white, her skin very fair. Black framed glassed where framed to her face as she smiled warmly. Her body was covered in the typical cloth arrangement Nameless had noticed throughout China Town. Her body was draped in a bright red apron with a grey and black kitten stitched into the rich fabric.

The old woman bowed respectfully, Nameless reciprocated.

“Auntie Mai?”

The old woman nodded, replying in Mandarin with a soft tone. Auntie Mai gestured to the open doorway with both hands, her face framed in the kindest expression Nameless had ever seen in his life. He felt humbled, like the first time a friend had invited him into their tent.

Nameless held his boots in his hand as he stepped into the shop with Auntie Mai close behind. Inside, the shop was completely different than the exterior. Every inch of the place was pristine, the ceiling was freshly painted and decorated, the walls covered in portraits, religious scrolls, and sculptures. He attempted to walk further inside, but his socked feet halted him.

He looked down, curious as to why it felt like he was walking on clouds when he noticed the floor covered in this odd, fur-like cloth. It spanned the entire shop ground. The fabric was richly colored green, clean, and so soft his feet seemed rooted to the ground. Auntie Mai gently nudged him, and he sheepishly stepped out of the doorway, up the single step, and entered the shop.

What made this place a shop was beyond him. It was more of a very luxurious home than a shop if anything. As Nameless exited the doorway, he emerged onto the ground floor, walking through the short entrance hallway. In the middle of the fine establishment sat various tables at shin height, with pillows lying on the ground. No chairs, just pillows and shin-high tables. Lining the back half of the room was an extravagant bar adorned with fine cloth, plates, and a fish tank in the corner.

A young man of the same Earth Asian descent seemed to be messing with a teapot at the bar. Another young man in a white apron and hat was mixing long, stringy, brown tubes of wet food that Nameless had never seen before. As he entered, the young men raised their hands in greeting, saying something in Mandarin with a cheerful tone.

Aj, Sammy, and Carla were sitting at the bar, gobbling a bowl of the strange food. All three seemed too indulged in their meal to notice Nameless yet. In the center of the room, Julia sat at one of the small tables, her fingers knitted together. In the corner, Hera sat on a pillow, deep in thought cleaning her fingernails with her knife.

As he made his entrance, Julia immediately noticed and sprung upward, almost knocking over her table as she ran toward him, embracing him in a rib-cracking hug.

“My Goddess, we've been worried!” Julia gasped as she tightly held him.

The others were more courteous as they stopped eating or drinking, getting up to meet him. Over Julia's shoulder, Nameless noticed Aj turn around in his stool, the brown tube-like food hanging from his mouth, as he shouted with a mouth full of food, “HEY!” As he counted, he noticed only Spider was absent.

“Dude! This place is awesome!” Aj roared, having finally finished his bowl.

“Where the hell have you been? It's been almost a day! The magnolia got taken to dry dock; we haven't seen you or Spider since the docks! Oh, my Goddess, did they get you?” Julia asked frantically, checking Nameless for bullet holes or stab wounds.

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“I'm fine,” Nameless chuckled, the room's full attention embarrassing him.

“Can I get a bowl of whatever that is?” Nameless asked, gesturing to Aj's bowl.

“Noodles? Bro, I ain't ever tasted shit like this; give my brother a bowl of your finest noodles!” Aj roared to the young man behind the bar. The young man didn't flinch, merely maintaining a smile and looking at Julia.

Julia bowed apologetically and said what seemed like an apology in Mandarin. She contorted her fingers into an odd expression, sign language most likely expressing that she would like another bowl. The young man smiled and nodded and began a new batch of noodles.

“So?” Julia asked frantically. “Where ya been?”

“You guys have been here this whole time?” Nameless asked, confused.

“Well, it's a wild story,” Julia began.

“I got in a bar fight!” Aj roared again, Nameless now noticing his red cheeks and cheerful expression. He was drunk.

“Yeah, and we got abducted,” Carla said lowly, gesturing to Hera.

“By whom?” Nameless asked.

“Some hooded psychos appeared out of nowhere, forced us here with no explanation other than you'll show up,” Hera said darkly.

Nameless looked at Julia, who exchanged eye contact. “I was told by the priest to come here,” she said lightly.

Nameless nodded. “Where's Spider?”

“He's with his friends in the spider Forges,” Julia answered.

Nameless felt a pang of dread. Hopefully, the little guy was okay. Knowing him, he'd be on board with the jailbreak by now. Guild Master Ardo had mentioned he was heading to the Spider Forges. Hopefully, they'd run into each other.

Before he could say anything, Auntie Mai walked up to the group with a porcelain plate. It was adorned with white cloth and six pairs of earbuds. She nodded to her plate, and the young members each took a couple of earbuds. One of the young men pointed at his ears, and Julia nodded with appreciation. The two young men behind the bar seemed to click on the earbuds already inside their ears. Only Auntie Mai didn't seem to have any.

“Translators. Just put them in your ears and click the button,” Julia said. The friends complied, and Nameless felt a slight tingle in his ear channels as the earbuds came to life and started impacting feedback to his eardrums.

“The Listeners welcome you, children,” Auntie Mai said. “Long before your time, we have watched from the Shadows, working with the other guilds to maintain the tranquility of Mars. But times have changed, and we have been forced to adopt more direct approaches. This exchange between the Bounty Hunters and our clan would normally be conducted over weeks via dead drops, but time is not on our side.”

Nameless could see her lips form the Mandarin words as the old woman spoke, but the headphones sent feedback in English. The earbuds seemed to be a bit slow, as there was a moment between when Auntie Mai said and when the translation went through.

“We thank you for your hospitality, Auntie Mai,” Julia said. “May we ask why we are here?”

“Your friend has that answer. There is little time; my nephews and I must prepare your provisions. There is tea and food on the counter; please indulge; you're all too skinny!” Auntie Mai chuckled. The old woman bowed, then walked back behind the counter, allowing one the men to lift the trap door into the cellar, where all three descended.

Once they were gone, Hera huffed aggressively. “Answers. Now.”

Nameless nodded. “You guys might wanna sit down for this.”

“Nah. I'll stand. The listeners are assassins and spies; what did you do to get us wrapped up with these people?” Hera asked.

“Hate to say it, but I'm with Hera on this one. The guilds are modern mafia, especially here it's no joke,” Julia explained.

“Okay, I get what you're saying, but hear me out. I found a buyer,” Nameless chirped.

“Great!” Julia explained.

Hera raised an eyebrow.

“Where are they?” Sammy pipped up cheerfully.

“They're,” Nameless hesitated, “in the dungeons. It's a guy called Professor Zion. But he has a ride off-world and a lot of money!”

“Wait for it,” Hera said harshly.

“For what? We got it made!” Aj grumbled.

“Who told you about this guy?” Julia asked darkly.

“The bounty hunters guild…” Nameless said very hesitantly.

“There it is.” Hera laughed as she pivoted from the group, her hands on her bald head.

“What?” Carla gasped.

“Oh, my gods,” Julia said lightly, her eyes staring through Nameless.

“Okay, I know that sounds bad—”

“Oh, do ya?” Hera snapped.

“Aren't those the guys that took our jobs at the Quarry?” Aj asked puzzled.

“They sold me to Jockus's Camp,” Sammy said.

“Great Sol Invictus, Sammy,” Nameless gasped. He gathered himself. “Okay, they might have done some bad things before, but they gave us our ticket off-world!”

“I fucking knew it! Those people in hoods who rounded all of us up. That was your little cult friends, wasn't it? Fucking men, we can't leave you alone for five minutes?” Hera screeched.

“Hey! I didn't get in a cult,” Aj blustered hotly.

“No, you just smashed a bottle over one of the hooded guy's heads then jumped the other three,” Hera said. “Wait, never mind. Those were probably cultists, good work, Aj. Fuck you, Nameless!”

“How the fuck am I supposed to know who or what a cult is! They cornered me in a bar; I didn't have much choice! It's not like they just walked up and asked if I wanted to join!” Nameless said.

“Right. Didn't have a choice. The fucking guy who named himself after the unluckiest God somehow winds up in the arms of that exact God's cult. Out-fucking-standing. Next, your gonna tell me they gave you a little knife, said some mumbo jumbo, and put your ass on a quest,” Hera cackled.

Hera's laughter faded as she stared at Nameless letting everything sink in.

“Please,” Julia said softly, cradling the bridge of her nose, her furrowed brow digging into her tightly shut eyes. “Do not tell me you joined a cult and committed to the tenants.”

Nameless grimaced.

“Nameless?” Sammy asked quietly.

“Once you're ordained, that's up to the Gods, man. You can't deviate from that,” Carla said.

“Okay, I might have a tiny little thing said from a priest, and there was a knife—” Nameless started.

“Oh, my gods!” Julia almost wept.

“HA!” Aj roared, pointing.

“But I didn't take it, and the whole fucking point is getting that stupid vial off-world with a fuck-ton of money. Not good enough for you guys? Find me a better deal!” Nameless shouted, exasperated.

The silence was deafening as each person weighed their options.

“Nameless,” Julia choked, her eyes tearful. “How could you have done this?”

“If we survive, I will teach you the tenants and all about our religion,” Carla grumbled.

“Why? He's too fucking stupid to not join a sewer cult; what good is it to teach him about the Gods?” Hera cackled.

“What's your quest?” Aj burped.

He was swaying on his feet, shoulders squared. But there was a different look in his eyes. Aj's face had transformed into a stoic expression. As he made direct eye contact with Nameless, he cracked open a new bottle of whiskey.

“It's to get the vial into the hands of the professor and get off-world,” Nameless sighed.

“Well, I adhere to the tenants of Bellum, and they say if a brother did something stupid you got to, too. Honor.” Aj shrugged.

“Aj, that’s not—” Julia began.

“I don't know shit about the Nameless god, but if you're on some holy bullshit kamikaze, then so am I,” Aj slurped some liquor. “Pretty sure my eighth tenant is like: if a bro is in trouble, you help that bro. With lots of drink and guns.”

“That's not even remotely close,” Julia sighed.

“Great, another religious nutjob with his stupid tenants,” Hera rolled her eyes.

“Bellum’s fifth tenant: for even if my brother's feet lead him astray into battle, danger, or turmoil, I, too, shall take his side. The formation is only as good as the man to your left and right. Should I stumble, my brother, he, too, shall do the same if walking your path,” Carla said.

“One of my tenants is similar,” Sammy said quietly.

“Yeah, that. I'm in,” Aj said.

Hera blustered, her mouth moving, but no words coming out.

“Me, too; I gotta watch Aj,” Sammy chimed.

“Well, now I need to come; I gotta watch over Sammy,” Carla huffed.

Nameless looked at Julia, silent, her arms crossed as she looked at the ground, favoring her bound wound.

“Of course, I'm in,” Julia scoffed, “You think I wouldn't come?”

The group all looked at Hera, who was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

“You idiots are gonna get me killed. Or skinned or enslaved AGAIN! Fuck. I'm in, too,” Hera sighed.

“That is most fortunate,” An old woman's voice fed through the translators.

The group turned to see that Auntie Mai had re-emerged, her nephews bearing many clothed gifts.

“Each of you,” Auntie Mai said, walking into the center of the room, “is on your own quest. You have been since the day this friendship formed. I know many new things have entered your lives. We cannot negotiate the current of life, but we can rise and meet its trials.”

Auntie Mai crossed her hands behind her back as she examined each friend.

“Some of you have ambition,” Auntie Mai looked at Nameless and Julia before walking past them.

“Some of you seek revenge,” she said, looking at Hera.

“Some of you are protectors,” she said, looking at Carla.

“And some of you are looking for your place in this big world,” she said, looking at Sammy and Aj.

“All of you now have the greatest responsibility since the great war. Heed your Nameless friend’s words. There are many forces at work right now; though it may seem as if you are pawns, your true roles may yet surprise you.”

As she spoke, her nephews set up foldable tables in the room and began arranging the clothed gifts on the tables.

“Get that vial off this wretched world. Do not allow the greed of humans to cause yet another catastrophe on Mars,” Auntie Mai ordered.

She went to the tables and pulled the cloth off the farthest one. She turned, gesturing to three sets of chest rigs fully loaded with ammunition and appropriate tools, radios, and submachine guns.

“While the wolf, the ox and the bear may be the strongest, the smallest foxes eat the most plentifully. Beware their wry behavior, wit, and swift attacks,” Auntie Mai smiled at Sammy, Carla, and Hera.

She walked along the wall at the opposite corner of the tables.

“The hawk is a formidable adversary, but it is not the beak nor claw that makes the wise hawk such a worthy predator. It is their timing, calculations, and ambition,” Auntie Mai said, smiling at Julia. She pulled back the cloth, revealing a set of binoculars, locksmith kits, a backpack radio, and a magnification eyeglass meant to be worn like glasses. A slim, mid-length rifle sat beside the gear. It was compact yet elegant with a long barrel and a four times magnification scope on top for mid-range flights. A slim gun belt sat beside the rifle with ammunition and handheld hacking devices.

Auntie Mai walked toward the center of the table, looking at Aj.

“You may think yourself as the Ox, my young friend. But your noble nature and bravery say otherwise. You are a mighty tiger; you protect your friends. Do not allow your own doubts to cloud your potential. You will be a great leader one day.”

She revealed a beautiful, suppressed sniper rifle, an urban concealment suite, and a large chest rig equipped with a formidable knife, revolver, and many helpful devices an experienced marksman would cherish.

Auntie Mai arrived at the final piece of cloth, looking at Nameless.

“The wolf is the most dangerous, yet his greatest adversary is not any other animal, but pride. Do not allow hubris to bring you unto ruin. Listen to your friends; rely on their strength just like yours.”

She revealed what was on the table instead of picking up the weapon and bringing it before Nameless. He was bewildered, his mouth hanging open. It was an old—incredibly old—Earth weapon. It fired the ancient metal cartridges, not the newer plastic ones. Yet, it was in beautiful shape. The barrel was 14.5 inches long, the weapon a magnificent old American platform. The magazine well sat in front of the trigger instead of behind like most modern Martian rifles.

“This kind of weapon was carried by the greatest warriors of the old Earth countries. They call it Beowulf. They discontinued the weapon from the military because it was too loud, and the bullets were unnecessarily big,” Auntie Mai smiled. She held up a custom bullet that the Beowulf shot. Nameless’s eyes bulged.

Split tip, incendiary saturated .50 caliber rounds. Someone had painstakingly hand-applied modern ballistics to an ancient and devasting bullet.

“Take care of this weapon. Do not waste this custom ammunition on humans. Let the vectors have a taste next time you see them. Instead, utilize the typical bullets,” Auntie Mai instructed, showing Nameless the regular .50 caliber rounds.

“I don't know what to say,” Nameless said. Amazement and pride filled him. He had no idea of what he held, but he had never seen a more spotless, more well-maintained, beautiful rifle in his life.

“These gifts are presented to you on behalf of those who still fight for the people's soul. Tonight, the guilds gather,” Auntie Mai smiled. “While you rescue the good Professor, we will be fighting in the streets. If we are successful, Oasis will be free, and you will have both the vial and Professor on the proper trajectory off-world.”