by Alyse Anders
It was no mistake.
While he had no direct proof of it, based on what he knew of Commander Aidric and the mandate that he’d been given, Eagan recognized that hole to be where their emotions should have been. It didn’t make sense that Aidric simply forgot them; he was far too intelligent a man and proficient coder to do that. Though, that was what the few who bothered to question it came to believe. Eagan didn’t, and it was something he could never forgive Aidric for.
But now, the hole in the code was being rewritten.
Narrowing his search, he stared hard at the lines trying to see what might have started this but couldn’t see the initiating code. The best he could see was a time indicator of when the changes began to go into effect. They corresponded perfectly to when Beth was first woken from stasis.
“Are you okay?”
His eyes snapped open and he looked down into Beth’s concerned gaze. “I was running a diagnostic.”
“Did you find any problems?” She didn’t ask why he was doing that, which spoke volumes.
“Perhaps.” He cupped her face in his hands and placed a kiss to her forehead. “How much were you told about us when you woke?”
“Not a lot. We didn’t have a ton of time.”
“We were created from the fallen Grus in the battle with the Sholle. Commander Aidric on the station was the creator of the matrix that’s embedded in our heads, the man who wrote the code. There’s a flaw there, a blank space where something else should have been. I’ve long suspected it was where our emotions should have been. Anger was the only thing we felt, something we needed in order to fight.”
Her pity washed over him in waves. “That’s incredibly sad and explains so much.”
“It opens up more questions.” He kissed her lips, as softly and with as much feeling as he was able. “Since your arrival, that blank space is being filled.”
Beth’s eyes grew wide and she stepped back. “What? How is that possible?”
“I’m not certain. I wasn’t even aware of the changes until just now. I suspect it’s the same with Rykal and Darrick based on the changes in their behavior that I’d noted. Our links to you humans have generated the missing pieces. You are literally making us whole again.”
“But I didn’t do anything?”
“Your presence was all that was required.” He stepped forward to close the gap, but she moved away once again. “The others had told me that Lena and Carys mentioned a compulsion to go on the journey and come to this sector of space. Did you have that same compulsion?” Did you want to come to here and be mine?
Beth’s mouth opened and closed several times before she shook her head. “I was just trying to get away from my family. I knew I couldn’t marry the man they wanted me to and that I had to get away.”
“You were coming to me.”
“No! I was running away from, not running toward something.” Her fear and confusion were obvious even without him being able to feel her emotions. “None of this makes any sense.”
“I agree. But it is what it is. Even if you reject me, it doesn’t change the fact that you are mine and I am yours. It doesn’t change the fact that new code began to generate in my system the moment I found you and you woke from your sleep. You’ve saved me, Beth.”
“I didn’t want to. I was trying to save myself.”
The honesty of that statement hit him hard. No, she might not have consciously been aware of her actions, or have believed they were for purely selfish reasons, but Eagan had to believe that a part of her had also chosen to leave her planet for him. “Why did you choose the Kraken?”
Beth froze. “What?”
“Why that ship? There must have been others who were leaving as well that you could have boarded. What was it about that one that compelled you to join the passengers?”
“It was the closest one and Captain McGovern didn’t turn me away. I wasn’t being picky.”
Eagan could tell that wasn’t the whole truth. Before he could confront her with that, Beth turned and marched out of the cave. “Where are you going?”
“I need some fresh air.”
“This isn’t a safe place to be. I’ll accompany you.”
“No!” She let out a frustrated yell. “I’m trying to have some personal space.” She waved in the direction of their crashed shuttle. “I’m going to the shuttle to look for something and then I’ll be back.” She didn’t wait for his response, as she turned and continued down the rocky path.
The urge to ignore what she’d said and join her was nearly as strong as the compulsion to kiss her, though he knew neither action would be appreciated just then. Instead, he stood there and watched as she kicked at stones that were unfortunate enough to be in her way, and felt the waves of frustration come from her, even at this distance.
She would need to accept that he was meant for her, that the life she’d run away from couldn’t hurt her any longer. Once she did, Eagan knew they would have a chance at a relationship. A spark of joy flared in his chest at the thought of being with her, making a life with her, holding her in his arms in the early hours before daylight broke and kissing her softly.
For the first time since his re-birth, Eagan knew he could love another person. Knew he could love Beth the way she deserved. He simply needed to find a way to be patient with her until she had time to process her new life.
She’d reached the shuttle and stepped inside in search of her goal. He hated not being able to see her, but he too would have to learn to manage these new impulses. He would stand and wait for her return, proving to them both that he could do what she needed him to do.
The soft whine of shuttle engines drew his attention toward the horizon. Finally, Rykal and Darrick had found them, and they’d be able to reunite with the others. He returned to the cave to gather their belongings, not wanting to leave any resources behind. Everything the Fallen had was important and was to be reused whenever possible. Blankets, injectors, remains of their rations were all quickly gathered and put into the pack he’d brought from the shuttle. Voices echoed up from outside, and Eagan snapped to attention.
Those were Grus.
Dropping the items, he charged from the cave in time to see three armed guards pulling Beth away from the crash site and toward the Grus shuttle. “Beth!”
“Eagan!” She fought against their grip as the guards opened fire at him.
He ducked behind the nearest rock, unable to return fire. He could only watch in horror as the guards pulled Beth along with them into the shuttle, closed the door and took off.
She was gone.
Chapter Nine
Beth sat in the shuttle surrounded by guards, her heart pounding as the memory of Eagan’s pained expression burned into her mind. She’d heard a ship land when she’d been inside the crashed shuttle and had assumed that their rescue had finally arrived. She’d even gone so far as to wave and call out to the guards as they approached, not realizing that their weapons were pointed at her, not out to protect her.
By the time she heard Eagan call out for her, the guards had grabbed her and hauled her into their shuttle. While she might not understand exactly what was going on between the Grus and the cyborgs, even she wasn’t fool enough to fight against an armed man. So, she went with them and hoped Eagan would be able to come get her, or at the very least be able to negotiate her release.
While she hadn’t been with Eagan very long, she’d been surprised to hear the pain in his voice when he’d called out her name. There was a swell of emotion behind that single syllable, so unlike the reserved man she’d come to know in such a short time. Maybe there really was something to what he’d said about her helping him to generate emotions. Or maybe she was seeing something that wasn’t actually there.
The shuttle didn’t take her back out into space and toward the station, which was where she assumed the Grus would want her, but to another sector on the planet. There was a contingency of people waiting for them the moment the shuttle landed.
<
br /> “Get up.” The guard who’d been sitting beside her during the short flight stood, pointing his blaster at her.
“Am I under arrest or something?” She hated the way her legs shook as she stood. She was tired of being the victim here, being fearful and not having any control over what was happening.
“Move.”
They joined the guards waiting for them at the bottom of the shuttle and Beth was surprised when one of them handed her a blanket before directing her toward a small building off to the right. The warmth felt good and helped chase away the chill that still clung to her from having fallen asleep on the rocks. She missed Eagan’s warmth, even missed his grumpy presence and the soft grunts he’d make when he was working out a problem. How could she miss something from a person who she’d only known for such a short time? It didn’t seem possible and yet, here she was.
The small building was stuffed full of computer consoles and screens that were monitoring something. Three chairs lined the back of the room, but only one of them was occupied. “Commander Aidric?’
He stood and nodded, before directing his attention toward the guards who’d come in with them. “Leave us.” Beth felt them hesitate, before walking outside. “Eagan wasn’t with you?”
“No.” She wasn’t going to give him too many details about Eagan’s presence before she knew exactly where he stood. “Why have you captured me?”
“That wasn’t my intention. Not fully.” He laced his hands behind his back and came closer. “I’m surprised he wasn’t stuck to your side. That was the case with both Rykal and Darrick once they’d begun to bond with their mates.”
You’ve saved me, Beth.
“Yeah, well I didn’t really give him the chance to follow.” God, she’d really screwed things up. Not that she was ready for this level of commitment with someone else, but she at least knew Eagan would do what he could to keep her safe. She couldn’t say the same for Aidric. “What do you want from me?”
“The Grus high council are now aware of the connection the Fallen have with the human women on your ship. They have…concerns.” Aidric kept his gaze even on her, but Beth could tell he was unhappy with the situation. “They wanted me to bring the Kraken back to the station.”
“I don’t think Lena will agree to that. And seeing as we’re humans and not Grus or under the control of your council, I don’t think they have any say in where we go.”
Aidric cocked his head to the side and smiled slightly. “This is our sector of space. While we agreed that the Fallen can live on Zarlan, the Grus are still the controlling force here.”
Beth would normally be intimidated by someone like Aidric; an authority figure who clearly had not only the law on his side, but the bulk of knowledge as well. She should defer to him, step aside and let others decide her fate. That was what she always did when it came to her parents, even with her siblings. But they were all gone, and she was here, standing on the cusp of a new life that she could finally have some say over.
Straightening, Beth shot Aidric a smile of her own. “I think the cyborgs would argue with you over that. I get the impression that wouldn’t be something your people would want to deal with.”
“It’s funny,” Aidric motioned for her to take a seat before he joined her, “when I started the cyborg program, I’d never considered the possibility that they’d have the ability to continue on with their lives. Originally, I’d merely hoped their bodies would be vessels that we could weaponize. When I realized that there was an opportunity for them to have another chance at life, it scared me. Who are we to determine who lives and who dies? What kind of life would we be forcing upon them if all they could do was fight and die once more?”
Beth hadn’t considered the possibility of what might have been for the cyborgs, for Eagan, if things had gone a bit different. Aidric held her gaze, but it was still difficult to see exactly what he was feeling. What kind of person was so closed off that even looking into his eyes didn’t give a hint of the man behind the mask? Eagan might have been that way once, but Beth could see the warmth, the love in his gaze whenever he looked at her.
She hoped he found her soon. Because she had no doubt that he was on his way to find her.
Aidric sat back. “You and I have a problem we need to find a solution for before the others arrive. The high council wants me to launch a sneak attack against the Fallen to kill the humans. They want to deny you hope for the future.”
“You want to kill us?” Panic clawed at her throat and it took immense effort to tamp it down. “Screw you, buddy.”
“I don’t want to do any such thing.” He narrowed his gaze. “I’ve put my reputation and possibly my life on the line to prevent that from happening. Now if you want to help me stop this from escalating, I need you to listen.”
“I’m not a negotiator. I’m not even a member of the Kraken crew.” She didn’t know what she wanted from life, let alone know how to help stop a civil war. “But I do know how to fight back. Humans have dealt with oppressive regimes back on Earth and from what I can see your government is no better. Just another bully trying to keep their tenuous grip on power.”
Aidric held up his hands and let out a sigh. “I’m on your side. Rykal is my brother and despite us not always having the strongest relationship, I would never do anything that would put his life in danger. I brought him back from the dead because I wasn’t willing to lose him.”
The notes of sadness and regret in Aidric’s voice caught Beth off guard. “I didn’t realize.” His admission took the steam out of her angry bubble. “What do you need me to do to help?”
“You can start by telling me why you agreed to join the Kraken and come to this sector of space?”
Ah, there was a hint of the man. Aidric was the creator of the cyborgs and he didn’t understand what was happening to them. As much as he was responsible for the Grus on the station, he also wanted to keep the cyborgs safe. That was something Beth could appreciate, even if she wasn’t sure how she could help him. “I tried to tell Eagan this, but it was just luck that I booked passage on the Kraken. I was fleeing something, and it was the first available ship.”
Aidric’s gaze narrowed. “Would you allow me to scan you?”
“Why?”
“If you weren’t drawn to the ship, then that would disprove a theory of mine.”
“Okay.” She couldn’t exactly stop him if he were to force the matter, but allowing him to look at whatever it was he wanted might help clarify things for herself as well. “What do you need me to do?”
“Don’t move.” He stood up as he pulled a small device from his pocket. “This will take the readings I need. It won’t hurt at all.”
He ran the device around the circumference of her head, while the device beeped and clicked. It only took a few seconds for him to get what he needed, though he stared at the results far longer than Beth was comfortable. “What’s it say?”
Aidric didn’t immediately respond, instead he turned to the computer behind him. “There’s a shuttle heading this way. I will assume that is Eagan and the others coming to rescue you from me.”
A wave of relief washed through her. “Will the guards open fire on them?”
“Not unless I give the order. Which I won’t.” He slipped the device back into his pocket. “When you were back on Earth, what were you trying to escape?”
“My family wanted me to marry a man who I didn’t want. They wouldn’t listen to me, so I didn’t have many choices but to give in or run. I chose the latter.”
“Have you considered why you didn’t want to marry the man? Why you knew he wasn’t meant to be your mate?”
“Of course. I didn’t know him, he wasn’t compatible.”
“If you didn’t know him, how could you know if he was compatible or not?” Aidric walked toward the door. “Your scans show the identical brain wave that’s present in both Lena and Carys. It matches what’s been generated in their cyborg mates. If I had to guess, if I were to scan
Eagan, I would find the same thing.”
Beth’s heart raced. “You think it wasn’t an accident that I boarded the Kraken?”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “I think you might not have understood what was happening, but you trusted your instincts and did what you knew needed to be done.” Aidric stepped outside, leaving her alone with the weight of his words.
Was he right? Had the pressure she’d felt about her engagement come from her family, or had things been building up in her mind because she knew she wasn’t meant to stay on Earth and go though with it? Maybe she really had been drawn to the Kraken, to this sector of space.
Maybe she really had been destined to be Eagan’s mate after all.
An explosion from outside rattled the building. Aidric pressed his coms. “Report!”
“A shuttle has opened fire from above.”
“Has anyone been hurt?”
“No, sir. It appears to be suppression fire.”
Beth jumped to her feet and raced outside, knowing in her heart that Eagan was on board. The shuttle had landed, and she caught a glimpse of Eagan and Rykal as they ran down the ramp before ducking behind the cover of rocks. Aidric had taken shelter behind another outcropping and was currently shouting at his men. “Hold your fire!”
No one was listening to him on either side, which meant things were only going to get worse. Instead of taking shelter, Beth stepped out into the open, praying that she wouldn’t catch an errant blaster shot in her back. “Eagan! Stop!”
She would have continued, but Aidric came up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Trust me?”
She didn’t know why, but she nodded yes. Then she was surprised when Aidric pressed a blaster to her temple and shouted. “I said, everyone hold your fire!”