Perpetual: Habitual Humanity, #8

By J. M. Tompkins

In the eighth installment of the Habitual Humanity series, Miles, Darius, and Gianna execute their perilous agenda to bring justice for the dupes and outsiders in America. Read Perpetual today for the ending readers have been waiting for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creativity Untamed, LLC
• Release date: Nov 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985896480

Book preview

Perpetual

Novella 8 of The Habitual Humanity Series

J. M. Tompkins

image-placeholder

Creativity Untamed, LLC

Copyright © 2023 by Creativity Untamed, LLC

Cover Illustration by Rebecacovers

Typography & formatting by Typographer Creativity Untamed, LLC

Editing services provided by Creativity Untamed, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2073 - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2073

CHAPTER 1

Miles

As much as Miles had accomplished, it didn’t compare to the coup he’d lead today. He kept going through a mental checklist in his head because if anything was off, even the smallest aspects of the plan, he’d have to signal to stop everything and regroup. They’d only have one chance.

He grabbed another crate and slid it into the back of Gilly and Stout’s delivery truck. It made a screeching sound that didn’t even register in his consciousness. He concentrated on recalling the conversations with each unit’s leader from the night before when they reviewed the locations, strategies, and signals.

There were small units positioned around the city, ready to attack, using six major bridges and roads, which all lead directly into the heart of the country’s capitol. Small was an understatement. Minute was a closer description, with only five to eight soldiers per group. If the units were any larger, then they would have been noticed by the drones that now regularly patrolled the areas around D.C. He was sure the small growth of population around the community had raised some eyebrows.

Their success wouldn’t be about numbers. Success was about strategy.

Are you alright? Gilly asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Yeah, why? Miles responded. He’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t realized she’d approached him.

You seem really out there today. She shrugged her shoulders.

I’ll work faster.

Gilly’s eyebrows creased as she looked at him for a moment before reaching for a crate. He wasn’t sure what was any different about his actions, but as he picked up another crate, he made a mental note to be more conscientious about his actions while he considered the plan for the attack.

Each of the units was waiting near an access point to enter the D.C. community. But there were more units, about twenty to thirty in size, waiting about thirty to forty-five minutes away for the second wave of the attack.

Ocean walked up, but even her presence couldn’t distract Miles from his thoughts. Morning, he mumbled.

Good morning, she said, her head cocked to the side. That told Miles he was still behaving oddly and needed to get himself together. He walked over to Gilly to grab another crate and announced Ocean’s arrival.

Oh good! Does she have those mushrooms? Gilly asked, looking over Miles’ shoulder toward Ocean.

Miles wanted to ask, Now who’s acting off, but he understood. Ocean had been a gamble of an addition to their underground trading team. Not because she wasn’t a good worker, but because the human trafficking trade was apparently active and lucrative. Ocean’s addition had gained their small team too much attention. They were all worried about her joining them today, especially Gilly and Stout, who’d already made the critical decision to remove her from their crew.

But then Ocean achieved something significant. She’d connected with the chef of the White House. He’d wanted local, wild mushrooms for his culinary creations and Ocean knew where to search for his precious ingredient. This knowledge secured her ticket on Gilly and Stout’s ride inside D.C., as they didn’t want to lose the profitable contract.

Right here, Ocean said, having heard Gilly. She removed a neatly wrapped cloth from around her torso. She unwound the purple-violet-patterned cotton to reveal a selection of wild mushrooms.

You’re a winner! Stout said as he patted her back.

This is going to get us a good trade today, Gilly said with a big smile. Miles hadn’t seen Gilly that happy since he’d met her. Her expressions were always stern and concentrated, as she was always serious about their trade business.

Just keep your head down while we go in, Stout reminded Ocean, not that she’d need reminding. The run-ins with the guards who wanted to buy Ocean hadn’t been pleasant and, Miles knew beyond doubt, had shaken her up pretty good. Not only that, but if any of them tried it again, or put a hand on her, the entire operation would be a no-go. Not only because he’d lose his ticket to the White House, but also because he’d beat anyone who tried to hurt her.

Even thinking about it raised his blood pressure, and he had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He climbed up into the truck to organize the crates he’d been loading. And that gave him a chance, gave him a moment away from everyone, to continue going over the plans once again. He and Ocean would be right at the White House when she revealed the mushrooms, and as soon as she did, Miles would hit the walkie-talkie three times to indicate to Asim they were in.

Asim would be on the other end of the receiving message, as he’d worked his way into a position at the guard station. With his black and white eye, it hadn’t been difficult to slide into the job, at least with the help of Laticia and Zac hacking the files to show Asim as a transfer. He, Laticia, and Zac had also assigned their own rogue dupes to each of the chosen infiltration points. The military did not know they had spies posted throughout their guard stations throughout the D.C. community.

Sorry I’m late, said Jake. Miles was happy to see him and had to stifle a laugh at his lateness. They knew it’d really piss off Gilly, but Miles wanted to ensure no red flags went up that they knew one another, so Jake was supposed to play the older, messy and late, but dependable employee who was a new addition to the team. Though Miles couldn’t help but notice that Jake automatically carried the stiffness of a long-term military personnel. But hopefully his month-old unkempt beard and stained clothes would help hide that fact.

We don’t accept lateness, Gilly said in a pointed tone.

Jake put his hands in the air. My alarm didn’t go off.

Do it again, and you’re off the crew, Stout said, but not with as much passion as Gilly. As long as everyone arrived before they left, Stout was happy. But Gilly wanted that security of knowing everyone was where they were supposed to be.

Miles shared Gilly’s perspective. He hated using Gilly and Stout for his own needs. He hated he was about to destroy their business and reputation. And if all went well today, he’d have to make it up to them.

CHAPTER 2

Gianna

Work never seemed to end. Gianna often pulled ten hour shifts while pretending to be Gia, creating dupes, and seeing them as patients. Not only that, but as head of the program, her calendar was constantly full of meetings.

Though Gianna loved working in a lab and being surrounded by the science she held so dear, she hated this version of it. Being forced to create human beings to use them as a cheap means to a sinister purpose was a living nightmare. During breaks and after work, there was always a group of clones curious to learn more about a rehabilitation program they’d heard about.

Gianna and Darius had started a rumor among the soldiers about a new experimental program which would give the clones more freedom of choice. They’d simply mentioned to a few patients that they needed volunteers. Much to their surprise, clones showed up at their door constantly. Gianna never mentioned the project was a secret and simply behaved as though this was a normal aspect of her job. And their little plan had worked, stayed under the radar, and their little army inside of the military was booming.

It wasn’t without risk. Gianna and Darius jumped at every knock at the door, held their breath every time General Maxwell came into their office to speak with them. They only hoped they’d get away with it long enough to destroy the secret lab.

It was late, almost midnight. And Gianna would have to be up early once again to pretend to be Gia for another grueling ten-hour day, including two meetings with the general. And her head seared once again in pain.

Headache? Darius asked, looking up from the notes he was taking from their last conversion patient. Or another migraine?

Migraine, Gianna