Page 114 of The Gathering
Seer announced, “I believe that’s Quantum.”
Everybody turned.
They soon came up the hill. Quantum, the terrifying Triplets in black, and twenty-five humanoid machines following.
“Bruh,” Hurricane snickered at the sight. “Where the fuck’s their clothes?”
“And hair,” Shank muttered at the bald heads with sparse patches.
“Andskin!” Traps blasted quietly.
“Maybe he ran out of time,” Bishop mused.
“And material,” Sinrik pointed out.
“Didn’t have time to find clothes for them,” Quantum called as he came. “I’m counting it as a great distraction.”
“You made naked soldier barbies,” Bishop said, grinning at the battalion of metal, mostly covered in synthetic flesh.
“Just so they don’t malfunction,” one of the Creole Kings said.
Quantum turned and regarded the small army behind him. “I focused on the soldier, not the human facing finish. And they are neuro-linked to me. They share my sight, my targeting, my threat response.” He faced them again. “You’re looking at twenty-five reflexes with weaponized hands.”
So, that’s why they moved with his stealthy grace. It was fucking creepy.
“If you let me bite ‘em, they could be twenty-five rabid boy barbies with weaponized dicks.”
Quantum looked at Nitro. “You are a true disease,” he said. “I’ll add it to my list of marsh-king infected ideas.”
“Command ‘em tofuck‘em up good,” Bart muttered quietly, getting Nitro’s lusty chuckled agreement.
“These are all the rides?” Quantum asked, looking at the fleet of pick-ups behind them.
“Yep,” Bishop said, glancing back. “You’re looking at nearly every operating pick-up truck from Breaux Bridge. Two are all yours.”
“Do theytalk?” King Dalk asked.
“Only to me for now.”
Hurricane walked up to one, angling his head at the face. “Can they hear with their ears?” He snapped next to its head.
“Yes. They hear, see, taste, smell and feel.”
“But they don’t know English,” a skeptical Creole King said.
“They know every language, they just won’t speak to you.”
Bullets watched as Quantum faced the nappy headed army.
“Come,” Quantum said.
One from the back moved through the group and stopped before Quantum. “Neuro-link number twenty-two, ready for duty.”
Hurricane whipped a disturbed look to Quantum. “What the hell kind of language is that?”
Quantum said, “I refer to it as AI tongues.”
“More like highly refined gibberish,” Bishop said.
