Mechanical by Bruno Flexer Read Free Book Online Page A

of his left arm, his long black fingers hovering above the light-filled display of the computer. Tom noticed that the fingers of the Serpent's hands were long, really long.
                He touched the back of his arm and the display changed. Seven icons appeared: sensors, power, diagnostics, navigation, communications, interface and administration.
                "I thought my thoughts would control the computers. Why don't they? And why don't I have radio data links to exchange data with my team members and auxiliary forces?" Tom said.
                "Enough with the questions, Lieutenant Riley! The computers in the Serpent are not to be played with. You'll receive instruction about the functions you are to operate in the battlefield, including the head-up display. Now, we must move onwards. We already wasted too much time here."
                The man made sure that Tom had abandoned any intention of tinkering with the computers and turned to a control desk. He picked up a phone and rapidly punched in a number.
                "Yes, it's me. Integration is complete. Yes, he's ready. All indicators are positive."
                Tom moved slowly and carefully through the hall, taking care to stay well away from the working tech people. He towered above them, like an adult standing high above children, or a god seeing his disciples groveling on the ground far beneath him. Actually, his height in the Serpent was more or less twice the height of an adult, but the feeling of incredible power remained.
                "No, Sir, no incidents. There were no problems."
                Actually, Tom thought he felt different than he did outside the Serpent. Something was different. Actually, a lot of things were different, but something in particular drew his attention. Only now he realized how many things a man feels with his skin: the wind, starting from small wafts that turned to the steady drafts from the air-conditioning; clothing that moves, slides and crawls over a man's skin; soft touches on one’s fingertips; the weight on one’s feet and legs supporting his body. Room temperature, too, changed and would be sensed.
                "Yes, we'll wait."
                Now, Tom felt none of these things, although he had a general feeling of the temperature in the room. He felt his black limbs moving, but there was no feeling of his skin, no chafing or itching or anything else. He did have tactile feeling in his fingertips, which he tested by stopping by one of the devices in the room and running a finger on its metal surface. He felt the device's texture, its metal casing under his long black finger, the cool temperature of the material.
                Tom, almost against his will, steadily increased the fingertip's pressure on the device. His finger started leaving a thin furrow behind it, a furrow that deepened into a crack as his finger cut into the metal skin with almost no resistance.
                He felt, though, a small resistance as the metal skin of instrument held for a moment against his finger before succumbing.
                "Lieutenant Riley!"
                Tom whirled around. The general was standing in the hall's entrance, staring at him sternly. Tom saluted smartly and rose to attention, though the general now seemed more like a child confronting a dark giant.
                "At ease, Lieutenant. How do you feel?"
                Tom lowered his right hand and regarded the general. How did he feel?
                "I feel … I feel great, Sir."
                The general said nothing, just looked at Tom's Serpent with narrowed eyes.
                "How did he make the transfer?"
                What transfer? thought Tom.
                "All indicators are green, General. He's fully operational and ready to begin training," the