“Which may mean we get another wagon tomorrow morning.”
He placed the clean wet dishes in the rack so any drips could be recaptured, then wandered over to the wall of windows overlooking their claim. The clear night enabled him to see the ridge of the escarpment against the dark sky.
Hattie came up behind him and put her arms around his waist.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if I should just stop one of the wagons and question the driver.”
“Can you do that?”
He grinned down at her. “They are trespassing, and I am a ranger.”
“But?”
“But as far as I can tell, they don’t know we’re aware of the fact that they’re out there. It might be better to keep it that way until we have a better idea of what’s happening. Maybe some worker just likes to have breakfast in peace and watch the sun rise.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
“No.”
“Well there’s nothing you can do about it tonight.”
With unexpected boldness, her hand slipped around and covered his cock. Already partially erect from having her pressed so closely against him, he sprang immediately into full, aching hardness.
“Hattie! What are you doing?”
“You promised me that tonight I could kiss you for as long as I liked.” She gave him a long, firm stroke. “Anywhere I liked.”
The memory of her perfect pink mouth stretched wide around his cock made it jerk against her hand.
“I wouldn’t want to break my promise,” he growled as he swept her off her feet and carried her to the bedroom.
The monitor alarm sounded again the next morning. He hadn’t been sleeping—he had been listening for the alert—and he stealthily slipped out of bed.
A wagon was already moving along the sunken track and even as he watched, a second one followed. His mouth tightened. Was the activity increasing because of the time frame, or because of their presence on the claim? Either way, he needed to find out what was going on as soon as possible.
By the time Hattie awoke, he’d already completed the morning chores. She yawned sleepily as he brought her a cup of coffee.
“Mm, thank you.”
Still flushed from sleep, she smiled up at him. Her hair was a wild mess around her head, her eyes heavy, and she smelled delightfully of woman and sex.
“Did I oversleep?”
“No, but you should try and go back to sleep. After last night, you deserve some extra rest.”
Her cheeks flushed even pinker. “The same goes for you. You could come back to bed.” She patted the bed next to her enticingly.
“Don’t tempt me, woman.” He sighed. “There were two wagons this morning. I need to get to the bottom of this.”
“Please be careful.”
“I’m just going into town to get that scanner. I’ll come back here before I do anything else.”
She sighed and sat up. “Well, that certainly takes the thrill out of the morning.”
“We will have a morning in bed together soon.”
“Promise? I love the way you keep your promises.” She leaned forward and stroked her hand across his cock.
“Wicked temptress,” he groaned as he reluctantly removed her hand. “All of the chores are done and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Another ping from the alarm sounded as he rode into town and he swore. Why all the increased activity? And why now?
At the ranger headquarters, he found the scanner he needed and was about to leave when a call came in from Clint.
“I was thinking about those dates you mentioned…”
“Yes?”
“Check the schedule. The business trips sounded like they were on the same frequency as your visits to the power station. Weren’t the power station visits assigned that way because that’s when supplies are shipped into town and the workers change shifts?”
He swore. “Of course it is. Why the hell didn’t I think of that?”
“Love is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t exactly lead to clear thinking.”
“You sound like the damn Judge.”
Clint laughed. “Unfortunately, he is frequently correct.”
“Not about everything. He still hates humans.”
“From what I’ve heard, he has good reason to hate them,” Clint said grimly. “Anyway, while you’re there in the office, why don’t you check the schedule and see how closely they match?”
He brought up the schedule. “Pretty damn closely. So if someone is bringing in supplies from the power station and then quietly hiding them, this would be the perfect time.”
“Which means there must be something behind that rock face.”
“The sooner I find out the better. I’ll let you know what I discover.”
As he ended the call and turned to leave the office, he bumped into B-669. One of the last soldiers to be turned into a cyborg, he still retained some of his youthful optimism, despite the cybernetic leg that twisted his gait.
“Are you meeting the ship?” B-669 asked eagerly.
Fuck. The next load of settlers was arriving tomorrow. That meant he would be needed in town and would have to patrol every day to make sure the greenhorns weren’t killing themselves.
“I forgot,” he admitted.
B-669 stared at him. “How can you forget?”
He shrugged. “Got a lot on my mind.”
The young cyborg leaned forward confidentially. “I got a surprise on that ship. For J-817.”
A dour older cyborg, for some reason J-817 had taken B-669 under his wing. The two of them were working a mining claim far to the north. Although the cyborgs were forbidden to homestead, they were allowed to establish a mining claim—with a hefty percentage of any profits going to Earth Government.
“I don’t get the impression that he enjoys surprises,” Morgan said dryly.
A blinding smile crossed B-669’s face. “He’ll enjoy this one. I’m sure of it.”
“What is it?”
B-669 shook his head. “I want to wait until the ship is here before I tell anyone. Will you be around tomorrow?”
“Maybe. I have some issues of my own to take care of before the settlers arrive.”
B-669’s face turned solemn. “If there is anything I can do, let me know.”
Apparently the bonds between the cyborgs went deeper than he realized. Or perhaps it had only been his own guilt that had prevented him from seeing it before.
“I will. Thank you.” He hesitated a moment longer. “My name is Morgan.”
The young cyborg smiled at him. “And my name is Bill.”
On the way back to the homestead, Morgan worried about the newly arriving ship. His ranger duties had never seemed so onerous. How could he go off and leave Hattie when everything still seemed so unsettled? But at the same time, he had made a commitment to his job and he couldn’t back out of it now.
Thinking of his earlier realization about the ties that bound the cyborgs together, he began to consider if another one of his brethren would be free to stay with Hattie while he was gone. As much as he hated the idea of someone else being with her, at least he would know she was safe.
He was still debating who might be worthy of his trust when he reached the habitat and she came running up from the greenhouses to greet him.
“I have good news and bad news,” she said, smiling up at him.
“And what is the good news?”
“I think we can grow coffee. The seeds are included in the government supplies.”
He laughed, his worries tempered by her obvious delight.
“And the bad news?”
“It could take up to five years for one of the trees to bear fruit.”
He swung down next to her. “I don’t think that’s bad news.”
“You don’t?”
“No,” he said firmly. “As a matter of fact, I kind of like it. Planting something that takes that long to produce is an
act of faith. A way of acknowledging that we have planted our roots here. We will still be here when they are ready.”
Her eyes turned bright with tears. “That’s a wonderful way of looking at it. I love you, Morgan.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.” He bent over and gave her an all too short kiss, then sighed. “I hate to do it but I’m going to leave you again.”
Leading Ghost, he headed for the transportation shed and she accompanied him.
“So soon?”
“Yes. I have a scanner and I want to investigate now, while everything seems quiet.”
He had kept in remote contact with the monitor and, after the third wagon made the trek, the claim had been undisturbed. If they were trying to avoid detection, the activity probably wouldn’t pick up again until tonight around sundown.
“I suppose that makes sense,” she said reluctantly. “Will you be gone long?”
“Less than an hour I should think. I’m just planning to ride out there and run the scanner. If it reveals a hidden supply depot—and at this point I strongly suspect that it will—I’ll go back into town this afternoon to talk to S-756.”
“Can I come to town with you this afternoon? I’d like to see the Judge again.” Her eyes twinkled. “He’s such a sweet man.”
He snorted. “Not exactly the term I would have used, but of course, you can come if you would like. The town is in quite a state getting ready for the new ship tomorrow.”
“The next settlement ship? I hadn’t realized it was time for the next one.”
When he nodded, she beamed at him. “How exciting. I still remember getting off the ship that first day. Mars wasn’t at all what I expected.”
“But you looked so happy.”
“I was. I still am.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’m sorry that Winthrop never seemed happy here, but this is my home. Our home.”
“Our home,” he agreed as he positioned Ghost next to the wall and moved to the ATV.
“You’re not taking Ghost?”
“No, I don’t think so. The two of us are rather conspicuous. I can take the ATV almost to the escarpment, then go the rest of the way on foot. Just in case anyone is around.”
She bit her lip and didn’t say anything, but her hands twisted together nervously. He reached over and covered them with his. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Everything will be fine.”
Another quick kiss and he was on his way. Parking the ATV a short distance away from his target, he covered the rest of the ground at a brisk jog. When he arrived at the rock face, he was shocked to see a rover parked there. It must have traveled alongside the third wagon, merging into its signal. Making a mental note to increase the resolution of the security monitors, he crept closer.
Looking beyond the rover, he realized he wouldn’t need the scanner after all. The section of rock Hattie had identified as a door was standing open, revealing a long passageway into what had appeared to be solid rock. The steady hum of machinery came from within, but it was dim enough compared to the outside sunlight that he couldn’t make out any details.
He surveyed his surroundings. Other than the machine noise, nothing disturbed the quiet of the desert. No one inhabited the rover and the passageway appeared empty. After a brief debate, he decided to go closer. He wanted to know where that dark tunnel led. From the sounds emanating from inside, this was more than just a place to hide supplies.
Once inside the passageway, he paused again to examine his surroundings. The massive tunnel appeared to take advantage of an old lava tube. The walls were naturally rounded rock but the smooth, level floor indicated human involvement. A small metal box on the lower left-hand side of the doorway glowed red and he bent to inspect it. As he started to straighten, something jabbed his neck and he recognized the sharp pain of a syringe plunging into his flesh. His nanites rushed to counteract whatever had been injected but he could already feel himself getting sluggish. When he tried to turn and fight off his attacker, his limbs didn’t want to respond. With a sinking heart, he recognized the icy cold spreading through his veins as the same medication used by Earth Government in the process of making cyborgs.
“Not so bossy now, are you?” Quilby asked from behind him as he crumpled to his knees.
Fuck. He had made a fatal mistake in assuming that the passage was empty. The noise of the machinery must have covered the man’s footsteps and the wind blowing in from the entrance had obscured his scent.
“Don’t worry, machine. I’m not going to kill you. Yet. You’re far too valuable. Although you may end up wishing that I had.” Quilby bent over him. “And as soon as I have you taken care of, I’m going to pay a visit to that woman of yours.”
“Hattie…” he mumbled as his system went into forced hibernation, the world turning dark around him. The last thing he heard was the sound of Quilby’s laughter.
Chapter Nineteen
Hattie paced restlessly back and forth. Morgan had promised to be gone for no more than an hour and it had now been closer to three. What if something had happened to him? Visions of Winthrop dying alone in his rover filled her head. Morgan seemed so strong, but if he had twisted his ankle or hit his head or… Each of her speculations was more horrendous than the last. She knew that as long as the wound wasn’t immediately fatal his nanites would heal him, but how long would it take? How long could she remain here worrying?
Maybe she would take a little ride across the plain, just to see if she could spot him. If he were already returning, they could come back together. And if he were injured, waiting to heal, at least she could sit with him. Her mind made up, she hurried to put together her pack. Remembering his insistence, she reluctantly donned the full-face breathing mask, then headed for the transportation shed. Ghost stood quietly to one side in his usual position as she opened the outer doors.
“Hi there, boy. We’re going to go for a ride. Would you like that?”
To her surprise, he walked towards her. She remembered that Morgan had said Ghost would respond to verbal commands, but she hadn’t realized it would extend to more conversational inquiries. Stroking his mane, she looked rather nervously up at his back. It seemed a long way off the ground.
“I think I’m going to need a boost. What can I use to mount you?” she muttered, looking around the shed.
Mechanical joints hummed and she looked back to realize that Ghost had gone down on his front knees.
“Oh, that’s perfect. Thank you.”
She scrambled awkwardly up on his back and as soon as she was in the saddle, he rose back to his feet. Clutching his mane, she gulped nervously.
“Don’t throw me off, boy. I’m new at all this.”
Remembering what Morgan had done, she nudged him carefully with her knees, but he didn’t move. She seemed to have better luck with voice commands.
“Walk outside, please, Ghost.”
He started forward and she gave a delighted laugh, but then he stopped once they were outside of the shed.
“Okay, now we want to walk towards the far corner of the claim where we were yesterday.”
Shocked when he actually started walking again, she leaned forward and patted his neck. “Such a good boy.”
They made their way steadily across the valley floor and while it wasn’t quite as exciting as her trip with Morgan, she would still have enjoyed the ride if she weren’t so worried. For once, the constant Martian winds had died down and the warmth of the pale sun warmed her head and shoulders. Away from the habitat, their land wasn’t much more than a patchwork of dust and rocks, but she could envision what it could become—what it would become for both of them.
As far as she could tell, they were retracing their previous route and her eyes anxiously scanned the land, searching for a tall dark figure, but there was no sign of Morgan. Her anxiety intensified as they grew closer to the edge of the claim and she found the spot where he had left the ATV. Fuck! Where was he?
“Faster, please, Ghost,” she urged, even though her heart wa
s pounding in her chest.
The horse obeyed, taking off at a gallop that flew smoothly over the rough terrain. She clung to his mane for dear life, but she didn’t ask him to slow down until they were almost to the base of the escarpment. After she brought him to a halt, she turned sideways and slipped down Ghost’s flanks.
“Quietly,” she said to herself as much as to him as she crept closer.
Peering around a rocky pillar, she had to bite back a frustrated cry. There was nothing there—no vehicles and certainly no tall cyborg.
“I don’t understand. People don’t just disappear.”
Abandoning her caution, since she could see the site was empty, she walked over to the rock face. It looked exactly the same as it had yesterday. What was she going to do now? Having reluctantly decided that her only alternative was to return to the habitat and call Clint for help, she was just about to mount Ghost again when she heard the distant rumble of an approaching vehicle.
“Someone’s coming,” she whispered, urging Ghost back into the entrance of one of the small canyons along the rear border. He stood patiently as she peered out from their hiding place. A wagon came to a halt next to the rock face and she waited for someone to step out. Instead there was a quiet scraping noise and the rock face began to swing inwards, opening along the crack in the rock to reveal a long, dark tunnel.
Still no one emerged from the wagon, but the back of the vehicle opened. A tall transport mech trundled out of the passageway and reached into the wagon, emerging with a pallet of supplies almost as large as he. The whole thing must be automated, she realized, which meant there would be no one keeping guard, no one to see her if she slipped inside.
She could check and see if Morgan was in there.
“Stay here,” she whispered to Ghost, then headed for the opening. Despite her conviction that there were no humans present, she kept her hand on her gun, the familiar metal reassuring to the touch.
The temperature dropped as soon as she stepped inside the dark opening and she shivered, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the lack of light. An unoccupied rover was parked to one side, while a steady parade of robots passed her, unloading the wagon with practiced efficiency. They were moving much more quickly than she had expected. If they finished while she was still inside, she would be trapped unless she could figure out how to work the door. Instead of following her original impulse to charge straight ahead, she turned back to the inside of the doorway, looking for the controls. She had just spotted a metal box that looked promising when she felt the cold barrel of a gun under her ear and heard a familiar voice.
The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg Page 13