Page 6 of Anarchy Chained: Alpha Thomas

I turn away as he deals with his confusion, letting my face become someone else. It changes every five to seven seconds. If people look at me and see the change, they stop what they’re doing. Wondering how they could see something so… impossible. But then they just shake their head and shrug it off as… what? What do they think when they see my illusions? They are crazy? Not at this level of trickery. They need more coffee? Probably that. It’s Monday morning, after all. People chalk a lot of things up to Mondays.

My truck is number 219187 and it’s parked just to the left of the main loading dock. The driver assigned to this truck is not here. She’s sick today. I’m not sure why she’s sick—or if she’s even still alive—but Prodigy doesn’t need me to know those details. All I need to know is what she looks like so I can steal the truck and not have anyone know.

People nod to me as I become who I need to be. Each time I trip the illusion the timer on screen resets. All my interactions need to be precise or the trip wears off.

But it’s Monday. People are tired and busy. There are dozens of trucks and hundreds of people. So I slip inside, start the engine, and back out before anyone has a chance to realize what I’m doing.

I wave to a few people on my way out, tripping into the woman who should be behind this wheel instead of me.

And then I’m free to do my job.

I head north, up towards Cathedral City Asylum where they are keeping a man called Thomas Brooks. He’s a crazy motherfucker. Really. My vision screen actually says “crazy motherfucker” in the notes section.

I will have him soon. I will take him back to Prodigy and he will be one of us again. He thinks he got away, but no one actually gets away from Prodigy.

And once I have him, I’ll get his friends too. I won’t fail. I never fail. That’s why they only take me out for special occasions.

When you use me, the job gets done.

Thomas Brooks, Lincoln Wade, and Case Reider will all be mine by end of day.