Schizogenesis [chapter 39]

“Warning!” Chapter 40, the next episode, will be the final episode of the story and complete this novella. (Chapter 40 = THE END)

Dave and Ed finished loading the machine into Dave’s pickup. Ed leaned toward Dave.

“You know they’ll kill us all, don’t you?”

“What do we do?” Dave whispered back.

“Shut up, you two,” Stevens said. He pointed his gun at Dave. “Get some rope and secure the machine.” He turned to Hadley. “You drive the pickup and I’ll follow in the Caddy.”

The machine began to rise into the air.

Ed did a double-take and gasped as it lifted itself from the bed of the pickup. The others turned to watch as it levitated then began to float down the drive away from the people below. Dora stood with her hand over her mouth.

Stevens pulled his pistol, fired at the machine. Ed looked past it, saw that it was moving toward the field next to Dave’s property, and then saw the other pickup. The machine was headed that way.

Stevens shouted, “Get after it, Hadley.”

Hadley jumped into Dave’s truck as Stevens rushed for the Cadillac.