Space Bunnies!

Chapter 7: M

Kai did not sleep at all; he was up all night, just staring at the wall. The news hit him like a bus...his people..? All dead? Millions of souls...just...gone? Terrorist? Was that even...how...Kai was jolted back into reality by S9 as he entered the room with his boots in between his claws. They looked...different. It looked like S9 took it upon himself to polish the boots as Kai was resting...or rather...trying to rest. Kai rubbed his eyes as he sat up, not even realizing that his posture had fallen from its usual straightened, rigid alignment. "What time is it? Did I miss the meeting?" Kai asked.

"No—you have 45 minutes before the meeting. You seemed occupied, so I did not wish to bother you. Shall we leave?" S9 proposed.

 Kai hesitated; for a second, he debated saying no...but then nodded when he remembered the amount of money that was at stake here. "Oh wait, will you wait a second? I gotta—" He trailed off as he reached into his belt pocket and pulled out his communications device...eleven missed hails from Bode. 

S9 watched Kai swipe around the display for a second before he spoke up. "Sir, if we do not depart now. You will be late, and given the extraordinary amount of effort the miss has put into bringing you here, it would be very unpunctual of us to arrive tardy."

Kai frowned and thought for a moment.

 S9 waited for his response.

 Kai lowered his eyes as he turned off his communicator and slipped it back onto his belt. "Let's go," Kai said with a nod, his frown persistent as he and S9 left the room and started for the main lobby. They eventually made it to the streets, which were much quieter now. It was pretty late, as evidenced by the pitch-black scenery that was offset by the light pollution coming from the city. 

"This way, please," S9 confirmed as he took off again, increasing his speed as he led Kai through the DH-i Plaza. 

 The next location was just a quick skip away from the corporate hotel. S9 led Kai to a sophisticated-looking nightclub. He knew it was a club because he could hear the muffled music pounding through the walls. The exterior looked like a crystal ball, a completely obsidian semi-sphere with no windows or visible doors. The only hint that gave away its status was the simple holographic pink 'M' hovering above what was presumably the entrance. "This is the place?" Kai asked. Once again, S9 managed to pass the Turing Test with laughable ease; Kai really believed that S9 wouldn't know where he was going, as if the coordinates weren't programmed directly into his brain.

"Indeed," S9 confirmed as he approached the building.

Kai could already see the bouncer at the front door. He was a massive robot, placed there to scan IDs as a line of patrons kept making strides to enter the exclusive-looking club. Their conversation on the outside buzzed as they eagerly waited for their turn to gain access. The robot hummed mechanically as each guest's ID and pass for the evening were analyzed and cleared to walk through the door. 

Kai felt overdressed as he walked up to the line; perhaps shorts and boots were too much for this shindig. He could've just gone in naked like some Omeocoon back home, and no one would've even cared. The females were in revealing dresses; the men weren't much better—it all reeked of designer, and they all seemed to have a constant theme—black. Don't forget these people were the same individuals coming here for business deals and corporate meetings for the company. Just because they were off the clock didn't mean they didn't wear expensive stuff. "Oh damn...is there a dress code? Will I be able to get in there? I...I've never been to a club like this before," Kai whispered to his robotic companion.

"There is nothing to be worried about. No one here knows this is your first time, and the party is not what we're here for—your clothing is fine," S9 reassured. He seemed to have priority access because he immediately shot to the front of the very long line. The other partygoers weren't too particularly pleased about that, but S9 didn't care. S9 continued to talk to Kai, trying to keep him relaxed, "Just act natural. There are no set instructions for attending a party."