By the thirty-somethingth maddeningly familiar dining room, Kato had long since lost count.
She now wandered among the kind of kitchens that are always seen and never used. After a while, she just shrugged her shoulders, deciding not to make such a big deal out of it, but it was getting on her nerves. Though she was beginning to realize that this place was a lot bigger than she expected, she had heard of things like this before. Had lived in this world her whole life, while Max and Shades seemed to gawk at everything like a child, Shades tried to act cool but kept hinting that he was from someplace else, and Justin, who came from the same neighborhood as she, seemed to have lived under some rock all his life.
Still, she was beginning to wonder if she hadn’t underestimated this place. Not so much that the building was real— her search for the Tri-Medals had taken her to some strange places— as it was that she had to be prowling around such a place at all. She tried to focus on her search for Chase and George, but now she began to wonder if she wouldn’t have enough on her plate just dealing with her own situation.
Still, she would want her crew with her when she made up her mind how to proceed. The Triad— she had concluded, just thinking about the name— was a very exclusive trio, and she had no serious plans for adding new members. Especially not the Layoshan, for she was strangely certain that was what he must be, whom she believed would be nothing but trouble in the long run. Though she was accustomed to prejudice in most realms, the fact that he so disliked her simply for being Cyexian was enough for her. Combined with being too naïve, too innocent for his own good, as well as stronger than any of her own crew, he was a threat. Nor was she too enthusiastic about Shades, who never seemed to listen to her, and, she feared, might be the first to catch wind of it when she decided to make her move. He was an unknown quantity— to begin with, she couldn’t see his eyes, probably where he got his name from, and she wondered if he let anyone see them. On top of that, he didn’t seem as interested in getting rich, more likely the type who would just as soon see the Tri-Medals stuck in some museum somewhere.
And after she had gone to so much trouble to liberate hers from such a place.
Justin, on the other hand, was more her type. Like Chase, he was quick on the draw— she would be curious to see who was quicker— fast on his feet, streetwise, and had a common point of reference with Chase and herself. Then again, that opportunistic edge also worried her; as long as he had treasure glittering in his eyes, she was pretty sure he was the least likely to suspect her in spite of his ordinarily untrusting nature, but she had no way of knowing for sure that he didn’t have plans of his own. Unlike the other two, she believed he wanted the whole pie, not just one slice.
The more she thought about it, the more she suspected these newcomers could be trouble.
In the end, Kato would do what she always did. What she had to. If she had to team up with these new guys for now, so be it. In the end, though, she would stick with her own crew. At least she knew she could trust them. For the time being, she needed their Tri-Medals, but if they, like the proverbial fool and his money, could be parted…
As she strode into the next six-figure kitchen, she spotted a can of Cam’s Cola sitting on the corner of the counter.
“Cola on the house…”
Looking around reflexively to be sure no one was about, she decided that Finders Keepers was the most applicable rule here. She examined the can, seeing that it had not been tampered with, popped it open and took a sip. Tasting nothing unusual, she started drinking the rest of it as she walked into the next room. The sweet taste served to remind her of how hungry she was, how long it had been since she and Justin shared that ration bar in Tranz-D. She was sure Max and Shades had food in those bags of theirs, but things had gone so fast since then. Now she really wished she had thought to order something at that café before questioning that stuck-up waiter.
It was as she entered what at least felt like her thousandth room that it dawned on her that she was wandering through a maze of kitchens. All of them equipped with expensive-looking refrigerators.
She opened the one in this room, seeing that it was full of real food. After digging out and inspecting a few items, she found them to be edible, much to her surprise. After wandering more hungry than not for as long as she could remember, Kato had hit the jackpot.
“Score!”
Grabbing some dishes and such from throughout the display, she fished an assortment of stuff out of the fridge. This time, she would have her cake and eat it too. Making up for all the missed meals of a wanderer. She just hoped her friends would also find something to eat in this crazy place.
And so Kato took a lunch break, wondering offhandedly how Chase and George were faring, and hoping, for the sake of all that was holy, that those two were smart enough to stick together in this bizarre maze.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Kato stops for lunch
