Coligo


 
 
 
 
 
 kol.li.go
 verb conjugation: 1st voice: transitive
 
 Definitions: 1. Bind/tie/pack together/fetter/put into bonds
 2. Up/connect
 3. Unite/unify
 
 
 
 BY
 
 Lee S. Hannon
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2022 by Shannon Lee Smith (Lee S. Hannon)
 Cover Design by Tori Mulhern
 Map Design by Keir DuBois
 
 All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
 First Edition, 2022
 
 The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows:
 Names: Lee S. Hannon, author.
 Title: COLIGO: Book #1, The UNITAS Series: a novel / Lee S. Hannon
 Description: First edition. | Boston : Idella Imprint Publishing, LLC, 2021
 Identifiers: LCCN 2021921574 | ISBN 9798985117509 (hardcover) | ISBN 9798985117530 (hardcover, special edition) | ISBN 9798985117516 (paperback) | ISBN 978985117523 (ebook)
 Subjects: Fiction, Techno-Thriller | Science Fiction | Dystopian.
 
 Our books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact your local bookseller or Idella Imprint Publishing, LLC by email at: [email protected].
 
 www.leeshannonbooks.com
 Follow on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @leeshannonbooks
 
 For more information or inquiries, please reach out to Idella Imprint Publishing, LLC
 
 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 
 
 
 
 
 To Tori
 For reminding me to “just keep writing” even during the most difficult times
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PART ONE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
 -Edgar Allan Poe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PrologueJanuary 28th, 47 A.R.
 
 A.R. = Years After Resurgence
 
 The snow fell lightly around the wooded swamp as dusk quickly approached the horizon. Her body lay in the week-old snowfall in almost an angelic way, her strawberry blonde hair slightly damp around her face.
 With her eyes closed, he believed she wasn’t actually dying before his eyes—just peacefully sleeping in the cold winter woods. She was his masterpiece, his whole world, and she remained beautiful right here in this exact moment. Or that’s what It believed, not him. To him, she was perfect, alive, not dead.
 Minutes passed before he slowly rose from his crouched position. The crunch of the icy snow beneath his feet echoed slightly in the empty wilderness surrounding them. He felt like they were in their own special place miles outside The City, while in reality, the sounds of The City lurked only a few miles away. 
 It never allowed him to touch the bodies after their kills. Instead, they lingered and waited for their victims to completely slip away from consciousness. Then they’d make their way back to his home and submerge themselves in beer and wine before passing out. In the morning, they’d watch the news with the discovery of the death on the screen. 
 The killings were few and far between, but this was their ritual together. They never felt the need to say goodbye.
 But she was different to him. He loved her.
 He imagined bringing her home and keeping her safe, like he had always promised. He almost felt her warmth despite the bitterness of the cold winter air around them. It wouldn’t allow her as a permanent part of his life, and he knew better. He was selfish and greedy, risking her by wanting her. By wanting only them. 
 Back to the ritual.
 Her bright red lips, painted in her own blood like a shade of sticky, flirtatious lipstick, flickered in the moonlight. He felt her body growing colder as her pale skin turned a light shade of purple. This wasn’t the same shade of purple bruises that normally accompanied their killings. 
 This is where the ritual deviated.
 The time to leave came, but he couldn’t stop looking at her. Breaking the rules tempted him as his thumb hovered over her lips.
 “Do not touch her. We worked too hard,” It said. 
 But touching her is so damn tempting, he thought as desire crept into his mind. Memories of kissing her neck, her warm embrace, the tininess of her hands, and the smell of her hair consumed him.
 It was right. He only made things difficult by dragging this out. They needed to leave now. 
 He looked away from her body toward the hiking path. The android police force wouldn’t catch them. They never did. An early morning jogger would likely find her tomorrow, and then they’d watch her story unfold on the news. 
 She was well known in the community. Her innovations in and commitment to pharmaceutical research and drug discovery spoke volumes. To the outside world, she was a lovely, smart scientist who left behind no husband and no children, with her priority solely focused on curing neurological conditions. Boring.
 She was full of life, he reminded himself.
 Seeing her mutilated and shallow stab wounds brought soft tears to the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t help himself as he bent down and stroked her hair. It shook his head at him but didn’t scold. It knew this wasn’t easy.
 His hand pulled away from her face slowly. The smell of her soothingly lingered on his fingertips. Their final goodbye.
 It brushed away their footprints and faced the trail. 
 “Why is this so hard for me?”
 “You knew we had no choice,” It answered as they reached the car. 
 The engine purred to life at the command of his thumbprint, and the lights flickered on, illuminating the inside.
 “Where would you like to go today, sir?” The voice activation emerged from the vehicle’s dashboard system. 
 “Home,” he simply