by L H Whitlock
“We have to go. Now!” Ulrick yelled as he sprinted for the back door, grabbing Gloria and Lily on the way.
“Don’t worry about me,” Gustavo mumbled sarcastically as he jumped off his seat and raced after them. “I’m coming.”
“Wait, what about me?” Henter yelled, but his cries fell on deaf ears as the team ran from the metallic clangs that followed.
19
Alyssa leaned against the steel wall, once again repositioning her legs. She had been waiting in the cold, dim room for what she imagined had been a couple hours now. She scuffed the heel of her slender suit across the metal ground, drawing meaningless pictures. She knew her captors were trying to wear her down before they began their questioning. Twirling a strand of blue-black hair around her finger, she tried to remain calm, as calm as someone who was about to be aggressively interrogated could be.
Sighing, she slid down the wall and flattened herself against the floor, humming an offbeat tune to herself. There really wasn’t a point to the questioning. They had already damned her and the moment they got to Vladillan she would be eliminated.
The door opened and the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. Though her slender suit was able to control climate, it was doing the opposite now. She was chilled to the bone and couldn’t stop shaking.
The interrogator moved in silence except for the metallic clang of his feet and a slight squealing that signaled that he was in need of a tune up.
Her body trembled but she stood to her full height anyway. She would not be afraid. The machine dwarfed her. His shoulders weren’t round like the newer models but squared, and his abdomen consisted of two solid, heavy plates. His face was concealed by a helmet that flared out, covering his neck entirely. One red eye and one blue eye stared at her. She had been told they represented truth and tale.
Before she could say a word, his hand circled her neck and he lifted her off her feet. She gripped his metal wrists, wheezing for breath. He punched her with a force that nearly ripped her from his hold. Her eye swelled shut and blood seeped from a cut on her cheek.
“What does the Renegade know of us?” His voice wasn’t cruel, but had an eerie lack of emotion.
Dots distorted her vision, breaking apart the metal room and the harsh lines of her captor. “I don’t know,” Alyssa gasped, pain blurring her thoughts. I won’t tell him anything, no matter what he does. I’m dead anyway. The thought seemed to reignite her courage.
The machine threw her down and kicked her. She coughed, gripping her abdomen as spasms of pain threatened to empty her stomach.
The interrogator stood above her, clenching and unclenching his hands. The whining of gears made her teeth tingle.
“What is he looking for?”
“I don’t know. He said he was ordered to work undercover on the Renegade.” Alyssa forced a slow breath as she tried to calm the frantic rhythm of her heart.
He kicked her again, sending her flying into the wall. She flattened against it, crying out as her back took the brunt of the attack, her head whipping back and hitting against the slab.
“How did he get on our ship?”
She rolled to her hands and knees. “I don’t know. It sounds like he de-materialized.”
“He is not a Developer.” The machine loomed over her, promising another attack at any moment.
“I said. I. Don’t. Know.” Alyssa bit out. Tears dotted the metal floor as they fell from her face. She was ashamed for not being able to hold them back any longer, but if she was going to die, then it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t worth begging. She lived in a cold, unforgiving world. Why would that change now?
The machine made no movement for several moments. Then it kneeled and fisted a hand in her hair. It leaned close, its metal head nearly touching hers.
“Don’t be afraid. Jump. For life. Jump.” The words seemed pulled from somewhere deep within. Both his eyes glowed blue temporarily, then returned to their regular bi-color. She opened her mouth to respond but was thrown back into the wall. The machine stepped over her as it headed out of the room, once again leaving her alone.
Pain radiated through her, her eye throbbed and she hurled onto the metal floor. Bringing herself to her hands and knees, she looked at her marked hand. “Don’t be afraid,” she mumbled to herself. Jump. He had to be crazy. Then again, for a moment the interrogator seemed to have relapsed. His upgrades showed he was ancient, probably one of the few remaining originals, yet his voice held a hint of emotion. Was he truthful? Was she to jump?
20
Brock hung in the air, some sort of device holding him helpless and paralyzed. He thrashed for a while before deciding to save his energy. He cursed everyone who looked at him. Audibly. Fuck them.
Alyssa hovered a few paces ahead of him, motionless, with her head hanging in shame. He wished he could gather her into his arms—dammit, arm—and kiss her pain away. Damn bastards would hit a girl. A defenseless goddess. His fist clenched and teeth ground. Cocksucking cowards.
The Hilian male who had been imprisoned with them floated behind Brock. The man hadn’t spoken a single word. Brock wondered if all Hilians were like this, reserved and collected all the damn time. Brock felt a hint of sadness for him. The man had his markings covered now, but he had seen that they were dormant; he had not found his mate. He had lost the planet he called a home and was now alone in enemy territory. Did he have an advancement or metal extension like Brock had? Was that why he de-materialized like the Developers?
Brock shook the thought away as the fuckhead Developer led him through a doorway and he was introduced to the Developers’ home world: Vladillan.
Layers of metal platforms littered the sky so densely he could hardly make out the original city below. Each platform hosted an entire city packed so fully with skyscrapers and metal structures that he doubted there was any space between them. Each building was different, though they were so industrialized that they had lost their architectural wonder. Gears twisted, wires braided, tubes of light emitted rosy glares, and landing pads disrupted the sleek chrome of the buildings beneath. Bridges arched between the towers, connecting them as one unit. On the bottom of the platforms were four large jets where fusion reactions kept them from falling and destroying the planet below, though he was sure the planet would welcome their fate.
Large round fans flew, weaving in and out of the cities, trying desperately to suck up the smog that masked the planet in a dense fog. They moved like silent blight flies, forgotten by the engineered civilization they serviced.
The host star dominated the sky, red and fiery. Brock could hardly pull his gaze from it. It was an ancient giant offering little warmth. A star upon its dying years.
He traveled over a bridge, onto one of the platforms, and into one of the many skyscrapers. Inside they were drawn into the gravitational pull of a lissdrop and sent down to the surface of the planet.
“You will be sentenced in the morning. Fed to the planet’s core, no doubt.” His captor’s face twisted with cruelty, but Brock knew that must be his imagination. The robot could show no true emotion. Maybe he twisted his face from memory, the faint remembrance of what it was once like to feel.
Brock dropped to the floor with bone-crushing force. He jumped to his feet and ran after the machine, only to slam into an invisible barrier. Fucker.
The door slammed shut and the three were left in darkness. Brock made his way slowly to where Alyssa sat, taking careful steps in the dark. To his surprise there was no barrier between them and he was able to gather her against his chest. She was reluctant at first, then slowly relaxed. He shifted so he sat on the floor with his back against the wall and his feet stretched out in front of him. Alyssa huddled onto his lap, allowing him to stroke her hair as she clung to him, her soft sobs losing themselves in his chest.
Without realizing what he was doing, he kissed the top of her head and stroked his fingers through her silky hair.
“Brock,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.”
/> His heart twisted with her tears. “You have nothing to be sorry about, baby.”
“But...”
He smoothed a finger over her soft lips, hushing her arguments. “It’s my fault. We would be on our way out of here by now if not for me.”
Alyssa remained silent, allowing him to rub her back, his fingers tracing repetitive circles over the skin-tight slender suit.
“So, since we are going to be killed anyway, why did you want to get out of here so badly?”
***
Alyssa battled herself for several moments before whispering her damning lie.
“I was supposed to get my first advancement years ago.”
Brock’s hot lips found her forehead, brushing lightly over the surface and causing her skin to tingle and heat to rise to her cheeks.
“I have been denied getting an advancement because I’m considered attached to my flesh form and keep getting violations. It… it was only a matter of time before I was eliminated anyway. I was walking a fine line.”
“So that’s why you didn’t turn me in? Because you needed my help?”
Alyssa let out a heavy breath. That was only half the reason. She just couldn’t turn someone in who reminded her so much of herself. She had so desperately wanted to fit in, to be appreciated, to have something in common with someone. When she saw Brock, she realized that she belonged with people like him, not with the Developers. She knew then that she had to get out. This had been her only chance and she had not only failed, she had condemned Brock in the process. She wasn’t about to tell him any of that, however.
“Well… I had to see if I could trust you first. But yes, that’s why I didn’t turn you in.”
Brock nodded slowly as he soaked up her lies. She felt guilty; she wanted to tell him everything, to be open. But her people weren’t open. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of here.” Brock ran his fingers through her hair. She wished she could see his expression, but she was grateful he couldn’t see hers. Brock ignited feelings inside of her that she thought were just fables, stories like the illegal novels her mentors had given her.
In truth, Brock excited her. He blindly accepted her for who she was. She didn’t have to pretend. She could finally be herself.
Brock’s hand found her chin and he tilted her to meet his gaze. Though she couldn’t see his expression, she flushed knowing he was looking at her with his soft, brown eyes.
Soft, plump lips pressed to hers. Her stomach fluttered, heart pounded, and skin washed with heat. His lips moved against hers, slowly at first, showing her how to respond. She mimicked his movements, taking his mouth against hers. Brock groaned in approval, his arm tightening around her. She wrapped her own around his neck, the sensations too strong for her to hold herself up.
Brock deepened the kiss. His tongue traced the crease of her lips and his teeth grazed the corners of her mouth.
Her body moved, sliding against his to its own rhythm. The scruff on Brock’s face teased her as he dropped his kisses to her neck, where he nipped and sucked, licked and explored.
Alyssa found herself completely lost, helpless in the fire Brock had started. Raw, forbidden emotion overtook her. Is this why touching is illegal?
His hand traced the slope of her side, leaving behind rivers of fire. She arched against him, allowing her own exploration to begin, but she couldn’t keep up with Brock’s frenzy.
Brock pushed her onto her back. Her head landed on something soft but she welcomed it against the cold, hard floor. Brock hovered over her, his breath audible in the quiet chamber.
“Alyssa…” Her name left his lips in a heated caress.
Someone in the darkness cleared their throat and it was at that moment Alyssa remembered the male with the tattoos who was imprisoned with them. Gasping, she pushed Brock off of her and rolled away from her pillow, which she now realized was some part of the other man.
“Oh, please, do not stop on my account.” The male voice held a hint of amusement. “I just ask that you do not do it on me.” In the darkness she couldn’t pinpoint his location. He sounded like he was across the room, yet she knew she was just touching him.
“Um…” Again Alyssa was glad no one could see her face.
“Do I get my kiss?”
Alyssa swallowed. She didn’t want to kiss that man. The thought burned her throat. Leaning back against Brock, she whispered, “Is that customary?” Maybe it was? They were going to be killed after all, and she didn’t know the protocol.
Brock growled. Alyssa wasn’t too familiar with emotion, but it seemed like a warning.
“No, baby, that is absolutely not customary.” Brock’s hand wove around her waist, drawing her against his chest. She felt safe pressed against him like this.
The man gave a dry laugh. “I was just messing around. I have not had any fun in days. The name is Bixom.”
***
Brock groaned in frustration. His body was stiff and his dick throbbed and pressed against the slender suit almost painfully. He took a deep breath to try to cool his arousal but all he got was a nose full of Alyssa’s scent and it just added to his fantasy. Fucking Hilians. Always jacking shit up.
“Hiya, I’m Alyssa!” Alyssa chirped in response to the Hilian’s greeting.
Brock sighed. “I’m Brock. Were you on Aray?”
Bixom was silent for a moment before responding. “I was in a ship orbiting Aray. When the Developers started to collect their operatives, I grabbed onto a man who was de-materializing. I was immediately detained, beaten, and questioned. Is that what happened to you?”
“No, they mistook my mechanical arm for an advancement and de-materialized me. Why did you grab him?” Brock decided that the man must be a younger Hilian without much battle experience. He couldn’t see Ulrick making that kind of mistake.
“It was a rash decision. So, Alyssa, was that your first kiss?” Bixom’s voice rung with amusement.
“Oh, yes, it’s forbidden to partake in such activities, but, well...” Alyssa shifted against Brock’s chest, igniting another jolt of desire right where he wanted her most. With her sitting between his legs with her back pressed against him, he was beginning to have a hard time forming a sentence.
Brock tightened his grip around her small waist, enjoying how her silky hair brushed across his face. “Alyssa, you don’t have to answer every question this man asks you.”
Bixom laughed. “Well, that seemed like some kiss. I must confess I have not had a kiss like that myself. While it is not forbidden for Hilians to kiss, we generally hold off for our match.”
“Your match?” Alyssa drew pictures on Brock’s thigh with her finger, her innocent, unknowing actions causing him to nearly lose the last of his control.
“Yes, Hilians have predestined mates. Only one woman is meant for me, was made for me.”
“Oh, that seems awfully improbable. What if you don’t find the person? You just live alone?” Alyssa inquired.
“Do you know if Ulrick and the others are okay?” Brock butted in.
A slight squeak echoed in the silence as Bixom’s boot brushed against the metal floor. “You know them?”
“Yes, Lily, my best friend,” his voice cracked, “is his match. They TIPed when the Developers were beginning to attack.”
“I am sorry, my friend, I do not know. I have been locked up this entire time.”
Brock’s head hung. He had hoped he would know if his team was alive before he died. He wished he had a chance to tell them not to come for him, as he knew Lily would. It was too dangerous. He couldn’t lose her as well.
21
“Run!” Gloria shouted as though they weren’t already doing just that. Lily actually had to give the woman props for running in those heels; she would have fallen flat on her face by now.
Ulrick slammed into Lily, sending her tumbling over a vehicle. He wrapped himself around her, embracing her in his strong arms and twisting so he cushioned her fall. He covered her completely as an explosion tore
through the shop they had just passed. Rotting wood, rock, and glass rained down but stopped short as it struck the shimmering edge of Gloria’s shield.
Alberta tripped a pirate and stole their weapon. Lily pulled out her own E-gun and focused her energy until the weapon heated in her palms. It was designed to merge the user’s bio-energy with the bullets, which gave them explosive power. She shot. The bullets struck the metallic abdomens of the Developers, only stopping them briefly. The bullets erupted with energy, tearing holes in the cyborgs.
“Damns. Needs bigger guns.” Alberta spat as she threw her stolen weapon back to the ground, then spun on her heel and hauled ass after Gloria and Gustavo.
Ulrick summoned his energy into a sphere and launched it at a Developer. It hit, engulfing the machine in flames and tearing it in half. The cyborg fell, its body sparking and spitting oil.
His comrade shot at Ulrick. The bullet ricocheted off Gloria’s shield, striking a passing pirate’s leg. He gave a cry and fell into a booth holding caged morgas. The booth split in half and cages with squealing vermin rolled over the rocky ground. Lily summoned her own energy, focusing until she felt her power gather in her hands and form a ball. Compared to Ulrick, it seemed to take forever. Her attack tore a hole in a Developer’s metallic body, ripping off his left arm. Despite the damage, he continued barreling forward.
Ulrick finished him off with another ball of energy. Lily glared up at him. “Show off.”
Ulrick smirked, a glimmer brightening his dark eyes. He bent and kissed her on the forehead before grabbing her hand and taking off across the battlefield.
A fighter ship in the shape of a simple, innocent ball tailed them from above. It fired, the bullets silent and nearly undetectable. One collided with a building next to Lily. Boulders, dust, and body parts rained down onto the street.
Gustavo stumbled ahead, clearing a path for the group.