Her Cyborg

by Nellie C. Lind

  Without wasting another second, Shade sat down on the bed. Wind sat down next to him while Celise, Faye, and Diane sat down on chairs next to the bed.

  “What is the last thing that you remember?” Wind asked.

  “Nightmare leaning over me and the Fighters storming the reception area.”

  “They did, but they didn't manage to take it. MedAct's cyborg soldiers came to the rescue within a minute and managed to take the Fighters down. Some were arrested but most fled.” Guilt filled Wind's eyes. “I couldn't help you or Phoebe. You were both out of my reach and Diane was my priority.”

  Shade nodded. “I understand. She is your bound one and the bound one comes first.”

  “We managed to get us to safety thanks to Jade. She has access to MedAct like few do, but watching what was going on behind safe doors was almost worse. The cyborg soldiers did everything to protect you and Phoebe from harm, but they barely had the chance to move you before the Fighters were all over them.” Wind wrinkled his forehead. “It was as if you and Phoebe were the Fighters target.” Wind met Shade's gaze. “They came for you and her.”

  Silence filled the room. The tension grew almost so thick that it became difficult to breathe. Shade stared at them. They all had sadness in their eyes, even the unknown Celise. Shade noticed her peeking at Wind from time to time. There was something else in her eyes as well, something he couldn't place. Something that only crossed her gaze when she looked at Wind. He could be wrong, but was it ... longing?

  “They took her,” Shade said, his focus returning to the situation.

  Wind nodded. “They did. She was the easier target.”

  The pain in his heart shredded him up on the inside. Every cell in his body screamed with despair and frustration. All he wanted was to go after Phoebe. He had to make her safe again. If Nightmare hurt her, he would pay with his life. A dangerous cyborg was not to play around with, and right now, Shade felt deadly.

  “Why?” he growled. “Why did they take her?”

  “We don't know,” Faye answered, “but one thing that was obvious was that they wanted you first. When they didn't succeed, they went for Phoebe. Her weight difference compared to yours probably made it easier for them to snatch her.”

  “What did Nightmare and Silver say to you?” Diane asked.

  “Not much, but their words didn't make much sense. Nightmare told me everything would be all right and Silver said he was doing what had to be done.”

  Everyone looked at each other.

  “They are up to something,” Faye said. “They must have had an eye on you and Phoebe to be able to know you and to target you. I don't know how, but I heard Nightmare say your name, Shade. He knew you.”

  Shade nodded. “Yes, he did say my name.”

  “That is worrying,” Diane said. “Jade should be here. She needs to hear this.”

  “Why isn't she here?” Shade asked.

  “The fighters ruined the entire reception area. Thankfully, they weren't able to get anywhere else, but they did create a lot of damage. Not only to the reception but to the cyborg soldiers as well. Jade had to stay behind to help the wounded ones.”

  “Of course. Why was I taken here?”

  Wind answered. “MedAct isn't safe right now. Besides, you had been signed out and you are no longer their responsibility. Jade believed you would be safer here. Glaswell is a protected town behind high walls. The outside world isn't the safest place and those who can afford it move here. No one can get in without permission.”

  Shade nodded and understood. He looked forward to the day when he would be able to take a look around in Glaswell, but he wouldn't do it without Phoebe. He needed to get her back first. Everything in his body screamed for her. He wanted to scream to show his anger and frustration.

  “We have to do this on our own,” Faye said.

  Everyone looked at her.

  “Do what?” Diane asked.

  “Save Phoebe of course! Do you expect us to just sit around and do nothing while Phoebe goes through God knows what?”

  Diane's gaze darkened. “No, I do not, but what can we do?” She looked at the others.

  “We have to find the Fighters,” Wind said, “but their location is unknown. No one knows where they reside.”

  Celise raised her hand and blushed when everyone looked at her, especially when Wind met her gaze.

  “Yes?” Wind asked Celise with a gentle smile.

  She blushed even more and looked down. “Well ... um ... I have an idea.” She looked around. “As you all know, I have been studying cyborgs for many years, and what I discovered lately, might help us get Phoebe back.”

  That got Shade's attention. “What did you discover?”

  “The Fighters have been out there for forty years, ever since Nightmare lost his bound one, but no one has ever been able to locate them. I think it's because no one ever thought about connecting the cyborg's vibrations.”

  “What do you mean?” Diane asked.

  Celise's eyes shone with excitement as she explained. “There is a signal within every cyborg and it connects them all. A universal signal. It's no secret. It's mentioned in almost every book about cyborgs I have read and I'm sure you are both aware of it.” She gave them a look. Wind and Shade nodded. ”As you also know, it's a signal that was not intentionally created by MedAct. They discovered it sometime after the first cyborgs had been created, so deleting it was out of the question. The signal was already a part of the programming that makes a cyborg a cyborg. Taking it away is like taking away a human's heart, so MedAct just left it there. It is harmless; at least, they seem to think so, but there is almost no information at all about it. All the books ever say is that it links the cyborgs together and how it was discovered. No one seems to have ever considered that the signal can be used for more ... a lot more.” She gave them a longer look this time as she smiled.” I discovered it can, for instance, be used to track down a cyborg.”

  Faye wrinkled her forehead. “So, what you are saying is ...”

  Celise's eyes shone even brighter as a wide smile decorated her pretty face. She almost seemed unable to sit still on the chair. “If I can pinpoint the signal through one of you,” she looked at Shade and Wind, “I will be able to track Nightmare down and give out his exact location. That way, we will be able to find Phoebe.”

  Shade almost flew up onto his feet. “Do it.”

  Celise was startled momentarily from his unexpected move. “Now?”

  “We have no time to lose.”

  Wind stood up and placed a hand on Shade's arm. “Wait, Shade.” He turned to Celise. “Are you sure that the process is safe? The last thing we want is to injure Shade.”

  “Maybe we should call Jade,” Faye suggested.

  “I have studied the signal for some time now and nothing indicates that it is dangerous. I don't know what it will feel like though,” Celise said.

  Wind nodded and looked at Shade. “It's your choice.”

  Shade took a deep breath. Determination was written all over his face. “Let's get on with it.”

  “What about Jade?” Faye asked.

  “There is no time,” Shade said. “Phoebe might be in danger.”

  Celise left the room for a short while. When she came back, she held a small laptop in her hands. She placed it on the table in the room. She opened it and pressed the “on” button. Holographic images arose from it, showing some kind of device. Shade studied it, and within seconds, he knew what it was. It was an advanced search program designed to wirelessly connect with a cyborg's hidden signal.

  Celise gave him an uncertain smile. He knew his intent gaze made her unsure.

  “You created that program,” he said.

  “Yes, I did. It's what I do. I study cyborgs and create ways to help them. Many cyborgs here in Glaswell also turn to me if they need help with something that they can't fix themselves. All I have right now is MedAct's license that gives me the right to help cyborgs with technical issues. I studie
d at their school for many years, but the dream is to work for MedAct one day the way Jade does.” She got a dreamy look in her eyes. “I would love to be a part of the creation of cyborgs.”

  “You should talk with Jade about it.”

  “I will ... when I'm ready. I still have a lot to learn.”

  Wind snorted with a grin as Celise prepared the program by pushing on the computer screen, making the holographic image react, but Shade didn't pay much attention to what went on with it.

  “Don't be shy, Celise. You know a lot already. You know almost more about me than I know about myself, and I'm the cyborg,” Wind said, making Celise blush again.

  “You want to create your own cyborg, don't you?” Shade asked.

  Celise stopped what she was doing, glanced at Wind, making the pink on her cheeks turn red. There it was again, that look in her eyes whenever she looked at Wind; that look of longing and desire.

  “No,” she answered and went on with her program.

  Shade glanced at Wind. Wind gave him a knowing look. When Shade looked at Diane, he saw the same understanding and awareness in her eyes. She knew too. They all knew.

  A short silence followed. All that could be heard was the tapping of digital buttons on Celise's laptop. “There, it's ready,” she finally said.

  Shade approached her as she grabbed the chair she had been sitting on and indicated with a hand motion to him to have a seat. “Like I said, I have no idea what it will feel like. It might hurt, it might not. The signal is buried deep inside your programming so I assume there will be some kind of sensation. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes for me to locate Nightmare ... if everything goes as it should. If you want to interrupt just let me know and I will stop.”

  Shade nodded and prepared himself. For some reason, he expected this to hurt a lot, but he would do this, for Phoebe. She was out there somewhere and she needed him. He needed her. The hole in his chest grew with each passing minute, filling him with loneliness and despair. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what cyborgs who lost their bound ones felt, but for them, it was probably a lot worse. He could barely imagine how much more it would hurt, knowing that most died because of the loss.

  He turned his gaze to Wind. That fate awaited Wind in a near future if something wasn't done, but Diane didn't seem worried.

  “Are you ready?” Celise asked him.

  Shade turned his focus to her. “Yes.”

  “Good.” She pressed a button. “I will begin ... now.” She pressed another button.

  Shade felt himself tense all over. He clenched his knuckles and waited for the pain, but it never came. Instead, he felt a harmless tingling in his head. Celise focused on her laptop, pushing buttons and spinning the holographic images that showed up. Her expression was serious and determined. She seemed to know what she was doing and that gave Shade hope. Maybe this would work.

  Wind moved restlessly where he sat on the bed. “I feel a strange sensation in my head.” He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the feeling.

  Celise jerked and stared at him with big eyes. “I'm not doing anything to you.”

  “What exactly are you feeling?” Shade asked.

  “Like thousands of ants are running around inside my head. It's not painful, but it's not comfortable either.”

  “That is exactly what I am feeling.”

  Both cyborgs looked at Celise and she looked back at them, her gaze going between them. Then realization flashed in her eyes.

  “Damn it!” she yelled.

  She returned to her program, pushing the buttons like never before. No one dared to say a single word as to not disturb her intent focus. The minute that followed felt like hours.

  “I got him!”

  A few more buttons were pushed before the holographic images disappeared along with the tingling sensation inside Shade's head. Celise leaned back in her chair with a big exhale after she had turned off the laptop.

  “That was close,” she said.

  “What just happened?” Faye looked confused.

  “Remember that I said that the signal connects all cyborgs?”

  “Yes. So?”

  Celise pulled her hand through her hair. “Well, now all cyborgs know that something was being done to one of them. I didn't connect to Wind, and yet, he felt everything I did to Shade. Meaning, every cyborg out there felt it. I didn't expect this to happen. It crossed my mind, but I thought the chance of it happening was slim. I wouldn't be surprised if MedAct also caught that the signal was being tampered with.”

  Shock crossed Diane's gaze. “That's not good.”

  Celise looked down at the floor with shame written all over her face. Wind rose from where he sat and approached her. He placed his hand on her arm. He gave her a gentle smile.

  “Don't worry. Most cyborgs will not know what happened. All I felt was a tingling inside my mind, and figuring out what caused it, will take time. Many will not even pay much attention to it.”

  Celise looked up at him with gratitude in her eyes. “Let's hope so.”

  “You said you found Nightmare.”

  She kept looking at Wind. Shade recognized the look in her eyes. Phoebe used to look at him the same way. It was a gaze filled with love, desire, and happiness, but in Celise's eyes, Shade saw no happiness. He saw sadness and longing.

  “Yes, I found him.”

  Wind's gaze turned serious. “Where is he?”

  Chapter 18

  The first thing Phoebe noticed when she opened her eyes was how heavy her body felt. It was as if she had been drinking all night, and now as she woke up, she had to face the consequences. The brain fog didn't let go of her easily and all she wanted was to go back to sleep, but when she managed to look around with her gritty eyes, she realized that she wasn't where she should be. The light inside the unknown room was dim and it took a while for her brain to register her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was a sting in her leg. After that, there was nothing, and now, she was here. Where ever here was.

  She sat up on the bed she lay on and noticed that the room was in desperate need of renovation. The wallpaper were decorated with heavy patterns in a sharp yellow color. A worn out lamp hung from the ceiling and yellowish curtains covered the only window. The bars in the window made her tense.

  There was a rundown, wooden wardrobe next to the door, and if she didn't see wrong, mold grew in one of the corners. Phoebe wrinkled her nose as disgust filled her. The air felt almost warm and moist. The room desperately needed a good airing, but the window looked like it was sealed tight.

  At least, the linens were fresh and clean.

  Phoebe jerked when the door opened. Silver walked in and he smiled at her as he approached the bed, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

  “You are finally awake.” He sat down on the bed next to her. “We have been waiting for you to come around. I guess the dose was too strong for you. It was meant for a cyborg, but I managed to hit you first. Sorry about that.” He didn't look sorry one bit, though.

  Phoebe glared at him. “Where am I?”

  “Somewhere far away from your cyborg, but don't worry. We will stay put here until he finds you. In the meantime, make yourself at home. Do you want some coffee? I was thinking of making some for myself.”

  Was he serious? Nothing about him told her that though. He was either joking or messing with her head.

  “Not thirsty?” he asked.

  Phoebe put some more threat into her voice. “Where ... am ... I?” She wouldn't let him intimidate her. Sure, he was a scary looking cyborg with his muscular frame and sharp gaze, but she was an angry human woman.

  “My, my. And here I thought Faye was the one with an attitude. I guess you don't show yours often, do you?”

  “Are you going to answer the question or not?”

  He got up from the bed with a grin and approached the window. He pulled back the curtain. “Take a look yourself.”

  Phoebe's tension grew, but she slowly got u
p from the bed and approached the window with suspicion. She had no idea what she would see once she looked outside, but something told her that she wouldn't like it.

  Her heart fell when she was greeted by the sight of nothing but sand and a few dried out bushes here and there as far as the eye could see. “Are we in the middle of a desert?”

  “You could say that, so there is nowhere to escape. Remember that. You can run, but you will die from starvation or thirst long before you manage to reach any civilization.”

  Her heart fell even further. How was Shade going to find her out here? Tears gathered in her eyes, but she dried them away. The last thing she wanted was for the bastard to see her crying. Sure, he was huge, but he didn't scare her, well only a little. Besides, something told her he wouldn't hurt her. He needed her.

  If she wasn't mistaken, this was the desert that was located about three or four hours outside of Glaswell. About a hundred years ago, the area used to be filled with trees and life. Now, this wasteland was all that remained, and the sad part was that it stretched on for miles and miles.

  “Why am I here?”

  “I think you already know.”

  She bit her lips together. Yeah, she knew. “It's not me you want. You want Shade. What do you want him for?”

  Silver grinned. “Why don't you smile a little? That serious face of yours doesn't suit you. Your friend Faye was, at least, more interesting to talk to. She had some spirit. I wouldn't mind talking to her again.”

  Phoebe snorted. “I doubt Faye wants anything to do with you after the way you flirted with her the last time.”

  His grin returned as he shrugged. “Well, that is the only thing I can do lately. Your friend Faye is hot enough to have a few steamy hours in the bed with, but that would trigger a bond, and that is the last thing I want.”

  Phoebe winced with surprise. “You can't have sex?”

  He raised an eyebrow as if he was surprised that she didn't know that. “No, I can't touch a woman. If I do, my programming will think that I want to bond with her and it will initiate the bonding process.”

  Phoebe stared at him. Somehow, it hadn't hit her before that the Fighters had to give up sex to stay unbound. “Not even a kiss?”