Her Cyborg

by Nellie C. Lind

  Faye was silent for a while. “You clearly need another approach. He needs to meet someone else.”

  Phoebe shifted on the bed and felt hope awaken within her. “Would you be willing to do it?”

  “Hey, you know me. I never back away from a challenge.” Faye laughed.

  Phoebe smiled to herself. “You are just as stubborn as he is, and because of that, this might work.”

  Faye laughed louder. “If he puts on a show, then I can too.”

  Phoebe grimaced. “Don't say that. We want this to end well and not with an explosion.”

  “Got it. I could ask Wind and Diane to come with me. It might help.”

  Phoebe thought about it. Wind was a cyborg that didn't live far away from her together with Diane, his bounded one. Wind was different compared to the two male cyborgs Jade always had with her. He was calm, kind, and gentle, and above all, he didn't look like a killer machine.

  “Do you think Diane will agree? Besides, is it wise for her to leave the house now when she is ill?” Phoebe asked Faye.

  “Well, I can ask, and if they say no, then they will say no, but I think Wind would love to help.”

  Phoebe nodded. “Okay, ask them.”

  “Noted.”

  “Has anything happened during my absence?”

  “No, not much. The neighborhood is calm as usual, but ...”

  Phoebe tensed. “But what?”

  “But Scott knocked on your door the other day. I told him you weren't home.”

  Phoebe winced when she heard Scott's name. The memories flooded her mind and all she wanted was for them to go away. It was because of people like Scott that she had chosen to apply for a cyborg. She had dated Scott for almost a year and gotten nothing but pain out of it. He hadn't been her first disaster, but he had been her last. She refused to experience everything that Scott had put her through again. He had never beaten her, but he had gladly pointed out that she wasn't good enough. He had tried to change her into something she wasn't, and when she tried her best and it still wasn't good enough, he hadn't hesitated to tell her so and to pull her down with everything he had. She couldn't recall how many times he had called her “ugly”, “worthless”, or “slut”. And then there had been all the drinking ...

  “Did he do anything?” Phoebe asked.

  “Apart from being drunk, no. He tried to tell me to open the door, to let him in, but I gave him a piece of my mind and he left.”

  Phoebe couldn't help but chuckle. Faye wasn't afraid to say what she thought. “He hasn't shown himself for two years. Why now all of a sudden?”

  “Well, he was drunk and was probably not thinking. It wouldn't be the first time.”

  Phoebe took a deep breath and exhaled. This was not a headache she needed, not now when things were turning around for her. She was happy now. Shade made her happy and they would make each other happy.

  Phoebe heard the door to the bathroom open and close. Seconds later, Shade entered the bedroom.

  “Who are you talking to?” he asked.

  “My friend Faye.”

  Shade opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Faye, who suddenly screamed into the phone. “Oh, my God! Is that his voice? You didn't tell me he has such a sexy voice!”

  Phoebe felt the blood rush to her cheeks when Shade raised an eyebrow. “He just heard you, Faye.”

  Faye laughed. “Well, then he knows I'm looking forward to seeing him soon. I'll call you back later when I know how things will turn out.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  Phoebe hung up and placed her cell phone into her bag. Shade sat down by her side.

  “Faye is your friend. I have some information about her.”

  “Yes. She and I have known each other our whole lives. She means a lot to me even if she can be a little bit too forward sometimes.”

  He nodded. “You want me to meet her. I heard your conversation when I was in the bathroom.”

  Phoebe winced. Of course, he had heard it. His hearing was better than hers. She shouldn't be so surprised, but she was. It would take some getting used to when it came to all of his differences, but she loved every single thing about him. Every look at him fed her feelings for him. Even if a week had already passed, she still couldn't believe he was finally here.

  “And what do you think about that?” she asked.

  “I guess I will find out when she and I meet.”

  Chapter 11

  The tension in the room felt like a thick wall. Silence surrounded them and Phoebe knew this could go either way. Shade had been allowed to leave their temporary apartment for the first time and Jade had brought them into some kind of training room. It was as wide and as long as a football field with everything from exercise machines to mirrors and open spaces.

  No one knew how Shade would react to everything outside the apartment, but so far, he was doing well. At least, when it came to things. People ... well, that was another story. She, Shade, Jade, and the two cyborgs, Rain, and Dare, stood on one of the open spaces. Shade stood in front of her with his arms open wide while he glared at the two cyborgs. When Jade had told them what they were here for, Shade had snapped. He was ready to kill anyone who came near her.

  “Shade, they will only touch her, nothing more and I have already told you a hundred times that I will do it first,” Jade told Shade. “This is something you must learn to accept. It's normal for people to touch each other.”

  “No. They are not touching her and neither are you.”

  Jade looked confused. “I don't understand. Why are you so stubborn about this? We have been going on about this for days now and you must be the most stubborn cyborg I have ever met. Most understand after just a small conversation, but when it comes to you, it doesn't matter what I say, you just don't give up.”

  Shade didn't say anything. He just kept glaring at Jade and the two cyborgs. Phoebe barely dared to move. She had no idea what to do as frustration filled her. Would he be like this toward Faye, Diane, and Wind too when they showed up later this day?

  Jade looked at her. Resignation shone in her eyes. “I guess he won't change his mind. When is it that your friends will arrive?”

  “Within an hour,” Phoebe answered.

  Jade nodded. “Let's hope it will work with them. If not, I will try to find other cyborgs to accompany me tomorrow.” She looked at Shade but spoke to Phoebe. “At least, he is letting you talk to me.”

  Phoebe agreed. That was good. Always something.

  Jade looked down at the papers she held in her hand and let out a frustrated breath. “I guess there is nothing more we can do today. We will continue tomorrow. You both can stay here and take a look around. It will do you good, Shade to start looking at the world from outside the apartment.”

  Jade said goodbye and left together with the two cyborgs. Phoebe didn't blame her for being frustrated. Jade seemed ready for a fight each morning she stepped inside the apartment. Phoebe had come to know Jade as a kind, but determined person. She was pretty with her dark brown hair always put up in a ponytail, with her doctor's robe, and her slim figure. She was more cute than beautiful because of her youthful appearance. Phoebe knew Jade was about thirty years old but looked like she was in her early twenties.

  Phoebe didn't know why she worked for MedAct, but it was obvious that being a part of creating the cyborgs was her passion. She was intelligent and quick to answer. A real scientist and Phoebe wouldn't be surprised if she had finished college with the highest grades.

  Shade looked around at all the equipment, but he didn't look interested. They were alone in this huge training room, and she wasn't sure of what to do. They had about an hour to kill before her friends showed up and Phoebe couldn't help but worry. She worried that Shade would react the same way he reacted when he was around Jade and the two cyborgs. There was no guarantee he would see Faye, Diane, and Wind in a different way.

  Phoebe knew that he had heard her and Faye's conversation over the phone a few days ago. Sh
e knew that he had heard her talking with Faye about Scott, but he hadn't asked a single question about him. She hadn't given him any information about Scott like she had given him information about Faye. She had wanted Scott to stay in the past and in the past he had stayed until he had shown up drunk at her door. She hoped it was a one-time thing. There was no guarantee, but she hoped. The last thing she wanted was for things to turn ugly, but Scott would regret it if he tried anything with Shade. That she was sure of.

  Phoebe gazed at Shade. She loved him. She found him to be amazing in every single way. When they were together, there was no worry in the world. They always talked a lot, made love even more and got to know each other with each passing day. He was always there for her, always willing to help her with everything. She had shown him her work at her laptop, how her marketing business functioned, and he had figured it out fast. She wasn't meant to work here, but they had ended up finishing up a few of her missions for her clients. Everything had gone smooth and faster than usual, and from that moment, she knew she would love having him by her side and help her out with this. They could make her company grow together.

  But they had to get through this first ...

  And she had to make sure things worked out with her friends. She didn't want to see Faye be wrestled into a wall just because of a touch.

  “Come,” she told Shade and grabbed his hand. She walked toward the exit.

  “Where are we going?” Shade asked.

  “I have an idea how to make you relax among people.”

  Shade stopped. “I can't be among people yet.”

  Phoebe was glad he respected the rules, but that was not what she meant. “Don't worry. We won't exactly be among people.”

  He gave her a suspicious look, but he didn't protest when she led him to the elevators. She pushed the button to the elevators and they waited in silence. No one could reach this floor without an approved fingerprint. Phoebe had had her fingerprint approved when Shade had been confirmed for creation.

  The risk of meeting someone was slim. Most were inside their apartments getting to know their cyborgs. Phoebe had no idea how many other newborn cyborgs were here at the same time, but she doubted there were many. Cyborgs were expensive, after all.

  After almost a minute, the doors to the elevator finally opened. They entered the elevator that had room for at least ten people. The walls were made of glass and it gave them a great view of what was below. Phoebe noticed Shade's interest. He approached the end of the elevator and looked down. On the ground floor, they could see the reception. She had walked in there just a week ago, nervous like never before, ready to meet him. And here he was now. Phoebe gave him a look and her heart was filled with warm emotions for him. She would never grow tired of looking at him.

  Phoebe pressed the button with the number two written on it. They were going to the floor just above the reception. The doors closed and the elevator headed down. Shade kept watching the people who moved around down there. Some headed into the building, some were leaving it. Others stood near the reception, walked in a direction, or talked with someone. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she knew this was his first time seeing this many people at once. She counted at least twenty people down there. The reception was huge, wide, and had plenty of open spaces. The big glass windows let through plenty of light to brighten up the area.

  The elevator stopped and the glass doors opened. They left it and stepped out on a bridge with white floor tiles and glass railings. From there, they had a good view of the reception. If they met someone, it would be another doctor or another cyborg, and since everyone knew that Shade was newborn, they would know to avoid him.

  “Do you know why I brought you here?” she asked.

  “You wanted me to watch the humans.”

  “Yes, I want you to see how they interact with each other. I think it might help you to understand.” Phoebe spotted a perfect example. “Look there, by the plant near the exit. Do you see the blond male cyborg with the young woman?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  A man in a suit approached them with a big smile. He reached out his hand and shook the woman's hand before he turned to the cyborg. Phoebe saw the cyborg smile and say something, but she couldn't hear what. She turned her gaze to Shade again and watched him. As usual, he was difficult to read, but he studied the people closely.

  “Look there,” she said and pointed to another couple. It was a man and a woman. The woman seemed happy to see the man and threw herself into his arms. “They seem to be close friends, and over there, you have a third example.” It was a group of people saying goodbye with handshakes and waving their hands before they parted.

  “Everyone touches each other one way or another.” Shade's forehead was wrinkled. It was as if he had a hard time believing what he was seeing. “Why isn't the cyborg protecting his female?” He looked back at the first couple again.

  “Because he knows that the man won't hurt her. Do you see any signs of the man wanting to hurt her?”

  Shade remained silent for a while. “He is smiling. They are talking.”

  “Yes. Does that mean he will attack her?”

  Shade met her gaze. “No.”

  “Exactly. Nothing in his body language indicates that he wishes her any harm.”

  Shade bit together his lips. “There is never a guarantee.”

  Phoebe opened her mouth to answer but shut it again. What did you say to a thing like that? In a way, he had a point, but at the same time, you can't walk around and expect that everyone wants to stab you in the back all the time.

  “You must learn to trust people, Shade. Yes, there are some out there that are bad, but most people just want a normal life and they want to be happy. The same thing applies to the cyborgs.”

  “You are talking about the Fighters.”

  Phoebe wasn't surprised that he knew about them. He probably had information about them.

  “Yes,” she said. “How much do you know about them?”

  “Not much, but I do know they are not bound to anyone. Many cyborgs who lose their bound ones die, but those who survive choose to join the Fighters.”

  Phoebe nodded and felt a sting of sorrow in her heart. She felt sad for the Fighters. She often wished she could help them get back into society, but they were dangerous and not trustworthy, and they killed without remorse. She had never met one, but she followed the news. No one knew where they lived, but they showed up in town from time to time, robbing stores for provisions. No one dared to stop them. They attacked both humans and cyborgs, and they even seemed to be stronger than regular cyborgs. How that was possible, Phoebe didn't know, but she did know they weren't getting the help they needed. Instead, they were hunted down like animals and killed by the police force. She also knew MedAct didn't approve the police force's actions. For them, each cyborg was important and valuable. They all deserved to live, but not everyone believed that.

  “Their leader calls himself Nightmare,” she said.

  “Nightmare?” Shade raised an eyebrow.

  “It isn't his real name, or so I've heard, but he decided to change it after his bound one had died.”

  “Do you know what happened to her?”

  “No, but there are rumors.”

  “What kind of rumors?”

  Phoebe took a deep breath. “That she was murdered.”

  Shade gave her a long look, and she knew what that look meant. It told her he would never let that happen to her, that he would always protect her and be there for her. It also said he wouldn't let anyone near her.

  “Shade, you can't go around assuming that it will happen to me. We won't be able to live a normal life if you do. Faye and the others will be here any minute. When they arrive, you will see that there is another side to it all as well.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, as you already know, Faye is an outgoing and happy person. She is looking forward to seeing you. She is thinking about creating her own cyborg
one day, but she wants to see how things turn out for you and me first. She is lonely, but she will never admit it. She will probably give you a big hug to say hello and I will probably get one too. Don't push her away. That is just the way she is, do you understand?”

  Phoebe heard a happy voice call her name from the reception. She turned her head and looked down. There was Faye with a huge smile on her face. She was waving frantically and almost jumping of joy. When she gazed at Shade, she saw surprise fill his eyes. She couldn't help but smile. Shade had yet to meet anyone as lively as Faye. Phoebe noticed Wind and Diane right behind Faye. She waved to them all before she turned to Shade.

  “Are you ready?” she asked him.

  He answered with silence and a studying gaze at Faye.

  Chapter 12

  Shade had no idea if he was ready or not, but he chose to trust Phoebe even if everything inside of him screamed to throw her over his shoulder and run away as fast as his legs could take him. His need to protect her was great, but when he saw Faye's happy face, he hoped his instincts were wrong.

  He and Phoebe returned to their floor. Faye, Wind, and Diane had been granted access to that floor for the day. He and Phoebe remained by the elevator and waited for her friends to arrive. Shade stared at the doors to the elevator. Any minute now, they would open, and he had no idea what would happen then. He felt tense. He was in defense mode, ready to protect Phoebe from any danger.

  Phoebe placed her hand on his arm. It made him wince.

  “Relax,” she said.

  He grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Stay close to me.”

  “I will,” she promised, “but don't hurt them if they touch me ... or if they touch you. Promise me that.”

  He clenched his knuckles. He didn't want to promise. “I promise.”

  Phoebe gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you.”