Page 42.
Machine Man (serial)
“Lie down on the floor!” Carl said. He looked nervous. I didn’t like Carl nervous. Not when he had a gun pointed at me. “Let go of that woman and lie down!”
Lola Banks squeezed my hand. She didn’t look like she wanted to be let go. There was fear in her eyes, and I felt sad, because a second ago she had been so happy. She had been radiant, and Carl had ruined it.
“Lie down!”
In retrospect, it was foolish to have imagined Better Future wouldn’t track me to the cafe. I had fled their premises wearing about twelve million dollars worth of equipment. I hadn’t thought about how that would look, from their perspective.
The guards didn’t approach any closer, though. They hovered at a radius of twenty feet, bristling with guns. It occurred to me that as far as Carl knew, my legs were armed. Conceivably, I could have built in some firepower. In this moment, I wished I had. I wished I could sweep them all away and carry Lola out of here.
“Don’t let them take you,” Lola whispered. “Don’t go back there, Charlie.”
I heard a noise behind me, and turned my head. I was wrong about the security radius: two were sneaking up on me.
“Grab him!” Carl said. “Pull him out of the legs and put him on the floor.”
“No!” Lola said. She jumped forward and threw out her arms. It was as if she was going to fly toward Carl and wrench his gun away, or call down the wrath of the gods, or something. I don’t know. All I know is Carl pivoted and shot Lola twice in the heart.
Comments
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Location: Moe
Quote: "Fredzfrog"
Posted: 5760 days ago
*crys*
Location: Leeds, UK.
Quote: "Trust Elizabeth to get upset over a donut."
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: USA
Quote: "O Lord, Protect us from those to whom you speak directly"
Posted: 5760 days ago
towr (#1914)
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 5760 days ago
Or maybe she's actually a robot already, and isn't bleeding to death at all.
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "It is a mockery of divine justice to believe that a saint and a sinner are on level terms from the moment they die"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: Cambridge, UK
Quote: "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Carl, your going down!
Location: Moe
Quote: "Fredzfrog"
Posted: 5760 days ago
also, the the paid 'nut' is applied to all my comments? cool! i would like a JG one tho.. :) please?
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Quote: ""Not only do I not know the answer - I don't even know what the question is..." [Metallica]"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
After that first thought is over now, I have to admit, that I began to take Lola for granted...
So glad that this is not the Friday cliffhanger!!!
Location: Toronto
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: Sydney, Australia
Quote: "Why are the pretty ones always insane?"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: chattanooga, TN, USA
Quote: """
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: 127.0.0.1
Quote: "That's not change! That's more of the same!"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: Sydney
Quote: "vote with your wallet"
Posted: 5760 days ago
my thought was not "nooooooo!" like many others, my thought was, "ah yes a machine woman to complement the machine man, no doubt. a helpmeet, you might say."
the last expressed in a faux anglo-german sound.
Location: Ogden, Utah
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: new york general sort of vicinity
Quote: ""It's not working" -- Joseph Clark"
Posted: 5760 days ago
@gStein nice one! are you really "max?"
Location: New York
Quote: "It's fun to have fun but you have to know how."
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: wishing I was at home
Quote: "Question authority, not your mother!"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: Iowa
Quote: "Never judge a book by its movie."
Posted: 5760 days ago
Dan Prosser (#3857)
Location: Houston, Texas, United States
Quote: "Do you really throw shrimp on Barbies down there? Geez. Disgusting. I wonder what Ken says about all that.."
Posted: 5760 days ago
I was falling in love with Lola myself.
Geezuz Key-rist! Why'd ya go and do that asshole?
Stephen (#4022)
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: Ohio, USA
Quote: "There is a guy in Lab Control who once killed a woman with his car, and he gets invited to parties. I dont understand that."
Posted: 5760 days ago
But what?!?!!?! Why Max?? I liked Lola.
Location: Ogden, Utah
Posted: 5760 days ago
Location: New Zealand
Quote: "I aim to please; if you're not pleased your expectations were too high"
Posted: 5760 days ago
Look Max, I'm now one of your nuts.
Location: UK
Posted: 5760 days ago
Carl's a good shot, two straight in the heart, like the dedication and skill in his art.
Posted: 5759 days ago
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "I'm my number one fan!"
Posted: 5759 days ago
@Silke
> So glad that this is not the Friday cliffhanger!!!
That's funny because I know what tomorrow's page is.
@Roger: Yes, you bastard.
Location: Calgary AB Canada
Quote: "Where's Lola? WHERE'S LOLA?!?!"
Posted: 5759 days ago
However she could be dead and he just goes all mad scientist crazy and tried to re build her and she turns out to be all zombie like.... *gets excited*
Posted: 5759 days ago
Location: NZ
Quote: "I'm naked underneath my clothes"
Posted: 5733 days ago
Location: Racine, WI
Quote: ""The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them." - Robert Frost"
Posted: 5669 days ago
stanley becker (#5283)
Location: black hole
Quote: "DON"T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!"
Posted: 5046 days ago
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