But on the six-month voyage to Mars, she had allowed herself to speculate on what might happen. In her dreams, she had turned a corner and seen him and he had actually been happy to see her, lifting her into his arms and kissing her the way he had all those years ago, the way she had never forgotten. She pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering. Even in his anger, the way he had held her made her feel safe and…
She squirmed a little in her bunk as she remembered the feel of his body against hers and she suddenly recalled what she had been too upset to notice at the time. When he had lifted her off his horse and slid her to the ground, she had been pressed against the length of that big, strong body and she had felt the momentary pressure of a very large erection. Her nipples tightened and an unfamiliar ache started between her legs. Foolishness, of course. She knew all too well that sex was only for men to enjoy.
Still, as her busy mind finally drifted off to sleep, she let herself dream of pleasure, of long, slow kisses, of the intoxicating touch of another, of Sam.
Having dispensed judgment on the would-be rapists, S-756 resumed his journey. They should all live, although all would bear a permanent reminder of the day’s events.
He had intended to make a circuit of the power plants to the north, but as he headed in that direction, he found that he was warring with himself. Addie was here on Mars. He had never thought to see her again, had even managed to convince himself that he never wanted to see her again—at least during his conscious hours. During the few hours of rest his cyborg body needed, he often dreamed of her. And now she was here. His anger still tore at him, but her words kept replaying in his head. That it had been Mingol behind it, that he had hurt her. The thought kept poking at him and twice he almost turned Blackie back towards the lab.
No. That way lay madness. She was human and he couldn’t trust a human. Wouldn’t trust a human.
When night fell, the winds picked up and he decided to take shelter for the night. A shallow recess in one of the rocky outcroppings was enough to provide protection for Blackie and himself. Long habit had him running a small heater to make a pot of what passed for coffee. He didn’t need the heat or the drink, but it did make the nights easier to bear.
“Why did she stay with him?” he burst out, his voice echoing against the rocks. “I would have taken her with me.”
But would he? Would he have been allowed to take her? General Biggs was an old friend of his father’s and had treated him with courtesy, even after his transformation, but a cyborg was no longer a human being, no longer a person with even the limited rights most citizens were allowed by Earth Government. Would the general have supported his request to take a woman from GenCon? And what would she have done while he was on Mars? There had been humans here during those years, but not many of them, and he had rarely encountered them.
And she had been young, so young. She must be in her mid-thirties now, perhaps older. Her face had lost the innocence of her youth and her body… Her body had ripened into that of a woman. He remembered the vision of her lush breasts spilling out of her coveralls and the feel of a soft, round ass bouncing against his lap as they rode back to the lab. His cock stiffened, pressing insistently against the seam of his faded black pants.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt even a glimmer of desire and now he felt as if he’d been erect since the moment he had seen her.
Just proximity to an attractive female, he told himself, even though he knew she was much more than that. With an impatient growl, he freed his erection. He just needed to relieve the pressure that had been accumulating. He gripped his cock, his hand hard and calloused, and stroked it roughly. Her hands weren’t rough. They were soft and gentle and he could imagine them wrapped around his cock, stroking it as she looked up at him, smiling at him the way she had so many years ago, as though he was the most important part of her world, as if she… loved him.
He exploded in his hand, his barren seed shooting out to fall on the equally barren soil in long, shuddering pulses.
There. Perhaps that would satisfy his unruly body. He tucked himself away and assumed a rest position, setting his system to keep watch. But all his control did not prevent his thoughts from drifting back to Addie—to her soft body, to the sorrow in her eyes, and to the question of why she was here on Mars.
Chapter Five
The sun hadn’t yet risen when S-756 was brought back to consciousness by his communicator beeping. The small device was strictly for use by Earth Government and their representatives and he frowned as he opened the recorded message. Because of the time delay in transmissions caused by the distance between Earth and Mars, live conversations were almost impossible.
“Major Wilson.” General Biggs’ gruff voice came over the communicator. He was the only person who still called him that and it was both annoying and oddly comforting. When he’d tried to correct him, the general snorted. “I’ve known you since you were born, boy. You’re still Sam Wilson to me.”
“I’ve had a request from GenCon,” the general continued. “They’re still trying to reproduce our technology. Not that they have succeeded, of course.” A raspy chuckle. “They have asked for assistance in their latest set of trials. From a cyborg.”
The pause on the line mirrored his own immediate rejection.
“My first instinct was to reject the request after they abused my trust so badly before, but… This is important work, even if it’s being done by that goddamned corporation, so I’m putting it to you. Are there any circumstances under which you would be willing to work with them again? Let me know.”
The message ended, the words hanging in the frigid pre-dawn air. He considered the request as he gave Blackie some supplemental feed pellets. The horse could exist off a combination of solar power and the minerals in the Martian soil, but he seemed to enjoy the extra protein.
His first reaction was an adamant refusal, but the longer he thought about it, the more he was willing to consider the idea. If he specified that he would only work with Dr. Montgomery, maybe he could get the answers to some of the questions that had haunted him all night. And while he had no intention of putting himself in GenCon’s hands ever again, if he could take her away from that place…
“What do you think, Blackie?” he asked as he finished feeding the horse. “Should I renew my acquaintance with the good doctor? On my terms this time?”
Blackie butted his head against him, then turned to face back in the direction of the lab.
“Not so fast. My terms this time, remember? I’m going to be in control.”
With a mixture of satisfaction and a spark of excitement that he hadn’t felt in a very long time, he picked up the communicator to send a return message. Dr. Adelaide Montgomery was about to have the tables turned.
Despite her exhaustion, Addie slept poorly. Her dreams were haunted by the sound of someone crying and she awoke feeling almost as tired as the night before. A brief shower in her tiny bathroom did little to restore her mood. At least her laundry had been returned and she was able to dress in one of the oversized coveralls that did a better job of hiding her figure. She brushed the short damp hair back from her face, feeling her usual pang of regret at the loss of her long hair, and managed to force a smile when she joined Reggie in the lab.
Huddled over his computer, he jumped when she entered.
“G-good morning, Dr. Montgomery.”
“Good morning. Do you have the new medium ready?”
“Yes, Doctor. But...”
“But what?”
“I really think we would make more progress with a live subject,” he blurted out.
“You would want to subject a living thing to the same fate as our last experiment?”
“Well, no. But you mentioned the cyborgs last night.” He hurried on before she could speak. “I’ve seen the old lab reports. They can survive anything—they could survive this.”
“They can’t survive ev
erything.” Admittedly, very few things could kill them, but they were by no means impervious to damage. “Not only that, they can feel. They can suffer.”
“But they’re machines!”
“Only part of them, Reggie. The rest is quite, quite human.” Even if they sometimes chose to forget that. “They are living beings and I won’t subject them to our tests.”
He looked mutinous for a moment, but he finally nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”
“Good. Don’t worry, Reggie. I’m sure that we will find a solution. Now I propose that we change the rate at which we introduce the nanites. Perhaps a slower frequency will reduce the chance that they will reproduce too quickly. Let’s get started.”
By midday, the experiment had begun. She left Reggie to record the progress while she went to lunch. Perhaps he would be a little more hesitant to suggest a living subject if he spent more time watching the medium decay. Despite her positive tone earlier, she didn’t feel particularly optimistic. There had to be something she was missing. They had been quite successful with introducing nanites for specific targeted functions such as destroying cancer cells. The nanites were programmed to do their job and then dissolve harmlessly into the host. In this case, however, they wanted nanites to live in a permanent symbiosis with their host and she hadn’t been able to solve the issue of them either under replicating and dying off or over replicating and consuming the host.
“Dr. Montgomery. How’s it going?” The familiar voice pulled her out of her abstraction, and she bit back a groan. Dr. Aquinas was working on adapting algae for the Martian environment and he tended to assume that everyone was equally fascinated with the subject.
“Slow going, I’m afraid.” She looked around a little desperately but they were the only ones in the small cafeteria. “Looks like no one has time for lunch today.”
“Everyone’s trying to prepare. You know,” he lowered his voice confidentially, “for the big visit.”
“What visit?”
“Didn’t you get the message yesterday?”
“It was rather a stressful day.” She gestured to her foot, still wrapped in the rigid bandage.
“Oh goodness, I’m sorry. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but I didn’t check my email.”
“The new Managing Director for GenCon Martian Operations is coming for a visit.”
“Coming here?”
“Yes. I understand she’s touring all the GenCon facilities.” He lowered his voice even further. “She has somewhat of a reputation for being, well, a ball-buster.” A nervous titter escaped his mouth.
“What’s her name?”
“Serena Gatling. Do you know her?”
“I think I met her at a party once.” It had been right before her divorce. She only remembered because Derrick had compared her unfavorably to the other woman’s slim, cool elegance.
“Oh, yes, that’s right. You used to move in some important circles when you were married to Dr. Mingol, didn’t you?” He sighed enviously. “Such an important man.”
She barely managed to hide her shudder. How much Derrick would have enjoyed the man’s admiration, even though he would have accepted it as his due. Would this woman have the same need to impress all those she considered her inferiors?
“I much prefer the quiet life,” she said firmly.
“I do enjoy my lab time, myself.” He tittered again. “Why, do you know this morning I made the most interesting discovery…”
He was off and running about his algae and Addie plastered an interested look on her face and tuned him out as she tried to recall her encounter with Serena. All she remembered was that icy coolness—a coolness that did not bode well for failed experiments. She had to get this right and she was running out of time.
“Dr. Montgomery?”
The sound of her name finally penetrated her thoughts and she looked up to see one of the support staff staring at her.
“Yes?”
“You’re wanted in the communication tower for a call.”
“A call?” For a moment her heart skipped a beat, but it couldn’t be Derrick. If it was a call, the person on the other end must be here on Mars.
“Yes, Doctor. Please follow me.”
She excused herself and followed the young man down the corridor. Like all Martian immigrants—with the definite exception of some of the scientists—he was young and fit, but the width of his shoulders and the muscles in his arms were nothing compared to Sam’s impressive physique.
Stop that, she scolded herself. You’re probably never going to see him again.
She tried to ignore the desolation that thought caused as the man led her into a company meeting room, currently unoccupied, and gestured towards a large video monitor.
“The screen is active. I’ll wait outside.”
A little cautiously, she sat down behind the desk and studied the woman waiting patiently at the other end of the transmission, her expression composed. A perfectly tailored suit accented her slender build, her white-blond hair cut with razor-sharp precision to accent high cheekbones and exquisite features.
“Ah, Dr. Montgomery. I’m Serena Gatling. I believe that we met once.” Despite the low, pleasant tone, the woman’s eyes were as icy as Addie remembered.
“Yes, Ms. Gatling. I remember.”
“Please, call me Serena.” Still no warmth behind the poised smile.
“Yes, Serena. What can I do for you?”
“Actually, I think it’s something I can do for you. I received a message from a Reginald Bretman. I believe he’s your assistant?”
What the hell had Reggie done? She forced herself to match the other woman’s poise.
“He is, although rather young and inexperienced, I’m afraid.”
“He suggested that your experiments might be more successful with a live subject…”
“The process is not at that stage,” she said firmly. “It would only destroy the subject.”
“I reviewed your research and I agree, but his other suggestion was most intriguing. He suggested that a cyborg would be able to survive—”
“No!” She sprang to her feet. “I absolutely refuse to force someone to undergo those kinds of tests against their will.”
“My dear Adelaide, I was not suggesting that we force anyone.” Serena shuddered. “So unnecessary.”
“I don’t understand. What are you suggesting?”
“I have a few military connections so I simply asked if they had anyone willing to volunteer.”
“Volunteer?” Her lips felt numb as she sank back down in the chair.
“Yes. And it turns out they do have someone.” A flash of something that looked like annoyance crossed the woman’s face. “However, it appears that the volunteer has some conditions.”
“What kind of conditions?”
“For some reason, he does not appear to trust GenCon.” The ironic note was all too clear. “He specifically stated that he would work only with you. He also requested that we provide a portable laboratory so that the two of you can work in a remote location.”
Her heart thudded against her ribs and her mouth was so dry she had to swallow twice before she could speak. “Who is it? Who volunteered?”
Serena looked down at her desk to check, although Addie suspected that it was unnecessary. “His designation is S-756.” A small smile played across her lips. “I believe he… volunteered before.”
“No! No, I won’t do it.”
“Adelaide, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you what is at stake here. Not only for the Martian settlers but for more… personal reasons.”
The small smile remained but Serena’s eyes were merciless. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer and really, what choice did Addie have?
“When would we begin?”
“Tomorrow morning. The lab equipment is on its way. You will be ready.” It was not a question.
“Yes.”
“Good. I will expect weekly reports as to your progress.
So nice to renew our acquaintance.”
The call ended but Addie sat staring at the blank screen. Sam had volunteered? But why? He had been so bitter and hateful when they met. Was he prepared to listen to her now? Or did he have something else in mind? What if he wanted to punish her?
No. No matter how much he had changed, she would never believe the man she loved was capable of hurting her.
Underneath the storm of questions, a small, guarded part of her heart glowed with happiness at the thought of seeing him again. But this was about more than just the two of them. How could she possibly use him as a subject, knowing what he had been through? But given the price of failure, how could she fail?
Chapter Six
After another restless night, Addie was up before the sky began to lighten. Three pairs of clean coveralls, underwear, and nightclothes barely filled a small pack. The remainder of her limited wardrobe would be stored for her until she returned. She dropped her reader into the bag and, after a moment’s hesitation, took the picture from her wall and wrapped it in one of the coveralls, pushing it beneath the rest of her clothing. A small toiletry kit and she was done. The room was empty except for the pack she was taking with her and the small container to be stored.
Not much to show for six months on Mars.
Some of the other scientists had paid the additional fees to bring more of their personal items but her funds had been depleted due to the endless legal battles with Derrick and, after all, material items weren’t that important to her anyway. Only one addition to her journey would have really mattered and no amount of money would have helped. She patted the folder containing the contract. Soon.
Slipping her computer into her pack, she slung it over her shoulder and left the room, only to find Reggie waiting for her.
“Dr. Montgomery, you have to believe I didn’t know this would happen.” He rushed into speech, wringing his hands together.
A Fistful 0f Cyborg (Cyborgs On Mars Book 2) Page 4