A J Jameson [Jameson - The Incision of Being

The Incision of Being

A.J. Jameson

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

The Incision of Being. Copyright 2019 by A.J. Jameson

All Rights Reserved

Contents

Chapter 1

T he Harbingers had never driven directly to MR&H to steal a mechanthrop. They'd usually go south to the shipping docks and rob cargo trains. But law enforcement had cracked down on the train heists, so the change was necessary, Annalease told herself.

And then there was her crews means of transportation: a box truck instead of MR&Hs standard semi-tractor trailer. Contracted repair crews use vans of similar dimension.

And of the potential cameras inside? If we counted potentials, wed never commit to anything.

Police station fifteen minutes away? Well call in as many false alarms as possible to thin the force.

Youre reaching, Annalease, Robert said. The anchor that kept Annalease from drifting too far at sea, Robert Charter had been by her side since they founded the Harbingers nine years prior Or should I say rationalizing, like them?

Im not an illogical puppet, dangling from the strings of empathetic delicacy, Annalease said. She waited for his response, but he didnt so much as chuckle. He just kept his eyes on the road. With bitter remorse, Annalease realized that Robert was right . Im acting like them. All flesh and emotion. Annalease took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and watched the horizon for the storage facilitys bright lights.

When their target came in sight, Robert broke the silence. Listen, if this isnt the savior weve been waiting for

Lets wait and see, Annalease said.

Its not the end of the world, is what Im getting at, Robert said. I dont want you taking it as a loss.

Annalease suppressed a smirk and kept her eyes forward. Sounds like youre the one worrying. And there it was again, a wrenching in her gut. Guilt for bickering with an ally who had saved her life. I apologize.

No need.

They came upon the guard shack posted outside the facilitys receiving area. Robert rolled the window down and said the magic words. Peregrine Deliveries, here to pick up a shipment for overnight drop off.

The guard checked her clipboard under a flashlight. Do you have an order number?

Robert handed her the paper, and she retreated into the shack. Everything was moving like clockwork. Shed return in a minute, hand the sheet back, and raise the gate. And if she didnt, Annalease had the air rifle loaded with a tranquilizer strong enough to subdue a large feline.

The gate lifted. Robert was given the paper back, and they continued into the facilitys receiving area. A few parked semi-trucks sat in a line, their drivers destined to have a little something extra to talk about tomorrow morning.

One squad car, Robert noted. I see an officer outside.

Hes eating, Annalease said, and waved as they passed. The officer didnt wave back. Well have to neutralize him.

Itll have to be quick and quiet.

They drove past the only active semi-truck, its tail-end engaged with the receiving dock, delivering precious cargo. Please let him be on that truck, Annalease prayed. Shed been waiting for nine years, and as much as she resisted the idea of a false prophet, a tumorous growth of doubt had manifested in the back of her mind.

Robert parked next to the semi-truck, backing up close to the dock but leaving enough room for the rest of the team to exit the rear of the vehicle. Annalease handed Robert the air rifle. Sure, it could tranquilize a tiger, but that was negligible compared to the damage a mechanthrop could do.

She grabbed the Overrider from the glove compartment and hopped out to join Robert at the rear of the box truck. He had unlatched the trucks rollup door and its joints were thudding as the spindle retracted the door panels. Annalease sought the cop to their right, but the large tractor trailer blocked her view.

Be ready to use that, she said to Robert, motioning at the air rifle.

He tapped his watch, then lay prone next to the tractors tire, peering under the semi at the police cruiser.

An overhead light in the box truck flickered on as the door finished ascending. Skink and Salamander stood on either side of the mechanthrop, a seven-foot-tall android constructed of durable silver alloys in the shape of a human skeleton. Although immense, mechanthrops possessed the dexterity of a rock climber who could pluck a fly out of midair while juggling a soccer ball on one foot. They also had circuit boards in their metal craniums capable of retaining ten-human-brains worth of information.

We have a patrol officer outside, but I dont think he suspects anything, Annalease said, climbing in.

A glint of light reflected off Salamanders skinning knife. Do you need me out there?

Brewed in a batch of fishermen, Salamander had an intimate relationship with sharp objects. He could slash up a piece of meat so quickly that it took a few seconds for the severed pieces to separate. Quicker still was his tendency to pull the knife.

No. I need you behind the wheel, Annalease said. Along with being adept at filleting fish, Salamander had been gifted the ability to navigate the stars. Each pin prick in the skys dark fabric led to a different forest or lake.

And me behind our silver gorilla, Skink said, reaching up to pat the mechanthrops back. Better yet, Ill ride it into battle. She climbed the android and seated herself atop its shoulders.

Spawned as a mistake, Skink spent a great deal of energy trying to impress upon others the joy of laughter. Smiles were paramount. Even if the conversation revolved around a dangerous task that might end them all, Skink would joke about how many enemy grenades she could fit in her mouth for the sake of saving the team. Annalease didnt laugh, because she knew it wasnt a joke. Skink would literally eat grenades if it meant saving a life.

No. Down, Annalease said.

Skink lowered herself from the mechanthrop, her baggie military pants tripping her up as she tried to balance her oversized head. Her height reaching just below Annaleases sternum, Skinks small stature proved troublesome when it came to finding clothes that fit. Headgear was even worse; hers was in the shape of an octopus head enshrouded in flesh.

Annalease took aim at the mechanthrops humanistic head and selected the wake command of the Overrider. The mechanthrop straightened its posture. Its mechanical entrails hummed as gears turned and hydraulic arteries pumped fluid. A durable exoskeleton cool to the touch. One day well live in harmony, Annalease thought, and stepped aside. Mute audible output. Disembark vehicle, she instructed.

The truck swayed on its shocks as the mechanthrop walked for the exit. Skink and Salamander had pulled out the extendable ramp. Annalease grew anxious at the thought of the ramp buckling under the mechanthrops weight. A box truck showing up late at night was suspicious enough.

The last thing they needed was for the cop to walk over and find Robert hiding behind a tire with air rifle in hand.

But soon the mechanthrop was on solid ground, the ramp having withstood its weight.

Hows it looking? Annalease asked Robert as she passed his position.

He nodded, never taking his eyes off target.

Annalease instructed the mechanthrop to walk around the tractor trailer and approach the police officer. Do not respond to any questions or statements he may have, she said, and then addressed Skink as the machine wandered off to perform its task. Beep the horn once, then sporadically if anybody enters this parking lot.

Skink clacked her shoes together and saluted. Yes, maam.

Throwing knives only if you perceive a threat, Annalease said to Salamander. And Robert