Machine Man (serial)

They sent me out through the underground parking lot, to avoid being seen by the emergency services people who were apparently crawling around above us. I didn’t understand how the parking lot would make any difference, since it exited in the same general area, but I was no longer worrying about details. I was prepared to assume Better Future would take care of things while I focused on the big-picture goal of running until I found Carl and then shooting him.

The parking lot was lit by a portable generator and a series of halogen lights, which made everything either blindingly bright or lost in impenetrable shadow. Better Future vans and Hummers idled in the dark, their chrome reflecting like supernovas, tailpipes belching fumes. “Hold here a second, please,” said Jason, and people swarmed me, performing final checks. Someone wrapped me in a top, a security guard jacket with one arm cut off.

My legs hiccuped forward. “Only another minute,” said Jason. He thought it was me. It wasn’t. I could feel my legs’ impatience. Soon they were going to start running whether these people were ready or not.

“All clear,” said a lab tech. They began backing away. People climbed into vans; doors slammed.

“Wait.” Cassandra Cautery walked up to me. Her head was bandaged. “One thing, before you go.” Then she simply stood there. I didn’t want to tell her to hurry up, but unless she moved, I was going to run through her. She reached for my face. I was not sure about this, but it was a little late to stop trusting Cassandra Cautery, so I bent down. She stretched on tip-toes, placed her hands on my cheeks, and kissed me. “Be careful.”

160.