by Rena Marks
He looked up at the bag of saline solution. “It is empty.”
Without a word, Arian carefully removed the needle from his arm. “I’ll replicate you an outfit.” She turned, but he had risen from the table, the sheet falling from his body. She exhaled on a whoosh.
She had never seen a more perfect specimen.
He was magnificent as he moved, stretching his arms high over his head. His muscles were thick and bulged rather nicely. He looked dangerous, with his braided hair over the center of his head. Her mouth suddenly went dry.
“Just so you know, it’s still proper nowadays to wear clothes, as I’m sure it was in your day.”
“Does my nakedness offend you?”
She raised her brows. “Not at all. I’ve seen many men naked.”
He grinned slowly. “You’ve only seen me naked. My body should not be a surprise.”
“I see you’re integrating your consciousness quite nicely.” He was. His personality was developing, and he seemed much less like an unemotional computer. She fought a shudder. Unemotional beings reminded her so much of the hell she’d endured on Zeta.
She moved to the replicator, and punched a series of buttons. “Step onto the scale to be scanned,” she instructed, gesturing to a small box device. She heard the movement of his feet as he complied.
She turned back to watch as he was scanned. “It will take a few moments. I made you a first level suit, similar to mine. It’ll get you around the ship for now.”
The replicator beeped, and she pulled the suit from it. “Here you go. Do you need help?”
“I assume these are the underwear?”
“Uh, yes.” Her mouth was suddenly dry. He was so comfortable in his nakedness, and she felt like a naughty voyeur. But he was just too fascinating to look away from.
He bent at the waist to insert one leg into the underwear, then the other. Slowly he pulled them up, and try as she might, she couldn’t look away from the package he tucked away.
He pulled the suit on next while she stood watching, staring at the display of muscles the entire time. She finally tore her eyes from him. “Let’s head to the main hull. I’ll get you some real food and we can talk about rescuing your buddies.”
The main hull housed a corner unit used to prepare food. The ship had been remodeled after she’d stopped running vacation cruises, and one of the added features was the “bar” corner unit in the main hall, for standing crew to replicate food while navigating the stars. Of course, most of the time now, she floated through the skies on autopilot, unless she navigated herself and chose to speed up the ship.
“I can probably replicate Sirian food,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter. I can adapt to whatever you create.”
He sat at the bar area, on one of the attached stools. She made two plates at once, bringing both to the counter, sitting on the stool next to him. “It’s called a hamburger. It’s from my planet. Terra. The side is French fries. It’s a tuber grown in the soil, then sliced into strips and deep fried with salt. Plain and simple.”
He picked up the sandwich and took a bite, then picked up one of the fries and shoved it into his mouth. “It is good,” he agreed. “The two complement each other.”
“Everything has a partner,” she said. “Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Fish and chips. Batman and Robin.”
His eyes flashed blue lights. “Fictional characters from the planet Terra,” he said. “I accessed a Terran database.”
“You still have the ability, even since your consciousness has been combined with your body?” she asked.
“Yes. When I placed my hand on the wall, I accessed your mainframe.”
“You can do that through your skin? The only species I’ve ever heard of having that ability are Cyborgs.”
“Cyborgs. They still exist? I thought for sure they would be wiped out when organic beings realized creating a stronger being to defend their planet could easily turn on them.”
She nodded. “They’ve been freed, though they avoid us living beings. Sad when you come from humans, but no longer feel human. Too much has been done to them.”
They continued to eat, this time more quietly.
“How will we retrieve your buddies?”
“I will adapt your ship to product a tractor beam. Remotely, I can unlock the computer lockers from the core. In theory, I hope the skeletons will float with the lack of gravity and not bump against anything, damaging them. We will then beam them to float aboard.”
“The beam will connect all the way through the tunnel?”
He nodded. “I do have that capability. I can adapt the beam to only seek the metal the skeletons are created from.”
“And once they’re onboard?”
“We will work on creating the organic bodies. We do not have to stay stationed in the crater. We will be able to leave.”
“And where will you go?”
He shrugged. “We will find a habitable planet. One step at a time. Right now, it is crucial to gather the bodies and leave. The only thing that keeps the radiated gas from us is the oxygen inserted into this crater. It will not last forever. Slowly the oxygen will burn as we use it. It was a one-time shot.”
“How long do we have?”
He placed his hand on the wall, accessing her computer. “We have forty-eight hours until the oxygen breaks down.”
“Well, if you’re done eating, I suggest you work on the beam. I can head down the tunnel and open the chambers for the bodies to float from, ensuring that none are damaged by snagging on jagged rocks or metal pieces.”
He nodded. “I will increase the gravitation pull to equal that of the ship to avoid your sickness when you return.”
His eyes shone with a blue light, and then he blinked. “It is done.”
She rose, gathering up the plates and returning them to the replicator.
“Tess?” she called out.
“Yes, Arian?” Her computer answered.
“Please lower the door.”
“Again?”
Arian looked surprised at Tess’s question. She caught Jax’s eye.
“Her personality develops. You had her programmed to learn from conversation. She is learning more from my consciousness tapping into her database,” he said.
“Will she develop her own consciousness?”
“Perhaps. Over time. It is not a speedy development. It took us decades, and that was with the Sirians implanting us back and forth into bodies.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll go open the drawers.”
She turned and left him. Heading out to the ship’s door, she jumped back down onto the ground and made her way through the tunnel. She moved quicker this time, having navigated the passage once before. When she reached the core, she approached the computer mainframes and searched the bottom half for a release mechanism. She located it, pressed the switch, and pulled out the inner drawer.
For a moment she stared, stunned at the contents. Part of her had expected a man. This was nothing but a metal skeleton. Even the skull was smooth, like a cast iron skillet. Inside the chest cavity was a metallic pump, as if for the heart. Through the eye sockets, she could see where the chip had been placed, attached to the inside of the skull on a stem.
This was what Jax had looked like a week ago.
She shook herself, and then worked on opening all of the computers. By the time she had finished, there were sixty skeletons. Then something caught her eye. There were two more drawers in each computer.
“Tess,” she called out. “I need Jax.”
“He is here, Arian.”
“Jax, how many bodies should there be?”
“One hundred and eighty.”
Holy crap. No wonder he took the opportunity when her empty ship came along.
“Unforeseen problem. You’re going to have to release the gravity now, and compensate my boots for it. After the bodies rise, I’ll have to retract the drawers and pull out the next ones. Otherwise, the drawer
above each body will keep the bottom layers from rising.”
“I am sorry, Arian. I should have thought of that.”
“Welcome to being human, Jax.”
She felt the heaviness in her boots just as the lightness of the air began. The metal bodies began to rise. As each one cleared, she opened the drawer above. It took her several minutes, and by the time she opened each of the second layer of drawers, the skeletons had risen, bumping into the first.
It was getting crowded.
She began opening the third round of drawers and watched those bodies rise. When the last one cleared the bed, she navigated her way through the cavern, looking for something to hook them together.
One of the computers had a rope of small, lighted fragments that were burnt out. Obviously not needed. With a wrench she yanked the rope and began tying ankles to necks. Good thing they weren’t breathing. After that rope was expended, she reached for another, pulling it from the computer, which made the lights dim and burn out. She continued to tie bodies together.
Then she began her return through the much darker tunnel.
“I’m on my way back,” she called out.
When she reached the ship, she bounced on her boots to jump up to the open doors. She was caught in strong arms as Jax pulled her in.
“Thanks,” she panted.
He didn’t let her go. His arms held her close, the softness of her breasts pushing against the hard muscles of his chest. He held her for a moment longer than necessary, and seemed aware of it.
“Sorry,” he murmured, and stepped back, releasing her. “Still getting used to a body.” But it didn’t sound like he was sorry. No, it sounded like he was…exploring. Not that she blamed him. After all, she was the only person he’d seen so far.
“Speaking of which, here they come.”
As the first body floated within reach, Jax reached out and pulled it in. “You tied them together,” he said, surprised.
“Yes. That’s a lot of bodies to pull in, and I wasn’t sure how much strength you had. I’m not even sure if you know how much you have, considering you haven’t had a body in a while.”
“Good job,” he said, giving her an appreciative look. It curled her insides. No way was she seeking approval from a male. She had no time for that business.
He was able to pull the first skeleton in, which in turn pulled the next. Arian squatted, making sure the approaching chain cleared the bottom run of the floor without catching. They worked as a team, and Jax was long gone by the time the last body entered.
“Close door,” Arian commanded. The door closed with a swoosh, and she led the tail-end of the body-chain down the corridor to sick bay.
Jax had pulled additional beds from the walls, and sick bay looked like a crowded macabre morgue. She started with her end of the chain, leading a body to a bed and strapping it down close enough that it would land when the gravity was reactivated. Between the two of them they worked until the last one was secure. She rolled her neck and then called out the command.
“Center gravity.”
Her body sank when it hit, but strong arms startled her when they wrapped her from behind.
“Shh. I’ve got you,” Jax said. “Relax, Arian.”
He picked her up as easily as if the gravity didn’t affect him. Of course it didn’t, she realized. Not with his metallic skeleton. It would have immeasurable strength. He carried her to a waiting sofa and sat down with her cuddled on his lap. Her head curled into his neck. They sat in silence together, letting her body adjust, and he stroked her back—curiously—as if exploring while tracing the bumpy ridges of her spine.
She didn’t want this moment to end. She had been without human touch for far too long.
Chapter Three
His fingers tapped gently, massaging each bony protrusion of her spine. She could hear his heart where it beat beneath her ear. But he was still a stranger, and not someone to be trusted. No, the only ones she trusted were her people, the smorgasbord that they were when she’d left them on Apleadian.
Jax allowed her to pull away when she wanted to put distance between them. It was an unspoken truce. He was artificial intelligence and had spent the last centuries trapped in the computer from whence he came. He was probably curious about how another human body felt, and now had that curiosity satisfied. She needed to separate from him so he would begin to recognize human boundaries.
“Now what?” she whispered.
“Let’s get away from the planet and out of this galaxy. When we’re clear, I’ll start the tissue growth for the rest.”
She nodded. Now that Jax had what he needed, what would his plan be? The fact that they overpowered her by one hundred and eighty to one wasn’t lost on her. They could easily take over her ship, put her into a cage and begin their own baby mill. Just like the Zetans.
It seemed to be a fate she couldn’t escape.
She shook herself. She’d escaped. She had to remember that.
“There is nothing left down in the core that you may need?”
Jax shook his head. “I scanned it while you recovered during the gravity change. As soon as we leave, we will burn the oxygen in the crater. The radiation gas will seep down into the core from the crater and will melt everything else inside. There will be no trace of us.”
Her greed got her into this mess. If she hadn’t been so eager to find precious Sirian artifacts, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. Then again, Jax would be a lost soul still trapped in a computer. She didn’t trust the AI yet, but time would tell if they meant her harm.
This was the scenario she’d prepared for. This was why she’d allowed her entire ship’s staff to live on the planet Apleadian, while she hunted for supplies for their new lives. If she was captured, at least they would be safe. She just wished she could have gotten them this shipment before she perished. It was necessary for their survival.
They made their way to the main hull of the ship, where she sat in the captain’s chair. He sat to the right, spreading his palms on the display panel where he could tap into Tess.
“Tess, run diagnostics on the radiation shields.”
A few moments passed before the computerized voice answered. “Scan complete. Shields are normal and at full functioning power.”
“Prepare for liftoff,” Arian said. Within a few seconds, the compartment pressurized. “Let’s go.”
The ship began to rise, and the coppery swirls of radiated gas filled the viewing panels.
“They are beautiful. At least while viewed from safety,” Jax commented.
“Most dangerous things are beautiful,” she said.
He turned to look at her. “Then it would stand to reason you are dangerous, Arian.” His voice was serious, and a bit cheesy. He was practicing his emotions, she realized. On her. She could be insulted, but it was rather cute.
“Why, Jax. Are you calling me beautiful?” she teased.
She was rewarded with a duskier color that hit his cheeks. Jax had discovered embarrassment. It was amazing to witness the slow re-learning of emotion.
“You know you are beautiful. Even your tattoo. At first glance, through these human eyes, it appears to be winding vines. Upon closer inspection, I believe it to be writing. Zetan?”
She nodded. “Very astute.”
“These Zeta-kept baby mills you told me about? You were rescued from Terra’s demise simply to be given to the Zetan civilization?”
She squirmed uncomfortably. When she told the story of the baby mills, she hadn’t known he could tap into computer databases to fact check. She certainly didn’t want him to know her life as Zetan property. “I was luckier than most. I was given to the Supreme Being. He was the most intelligent of the species. But like I said earlier, along with extreme intelligence comes the drawback of lack of feelings. By the time the first generation of half breeds was born, the Supreme Being noticed they leaned toward negative emotions. The others did not care, as long as they were reproducing. He decided to house a
n experiment, nature versus nurture. Two babies from the mill were given to me to nurture into more emotional adults. It was kept secret, of course, because by then a revolution was beginning on their planet. Another Zetan commander wished to become the new Supreme Being. When Jorrac—my husband—became aware of the treason, he staffed this ship with a few of the Terrans from the farms, my own two sons that were kept in hiding, and shipped us off to hide in this ship as a vacation cruiser. It was a perfect cover, as staff was diverse and I could be kept in hiding. If Jorrac was killed, the knowledge of our journey died with him. If he survived, naturally he would return for his property. Me, the ship, and everyone else inside.”
“Did he make it?” Jax asked.
“I don’t know. I remain in hiding to this day. My sons have the technological intelligence of their father. They came up with a way to train Tess, the ship’s computer, to learn. After a few years, she had advanced enough that we found another planet to habituate so if Jorrac did come after us, he would not find us where we’d been sent. Unfortunately, with a new planet came new problems and we had to learn to adapt.”
“Where are your sons now?”
“They are safe. I choose to not keep them—or anyone—with me in case I am discovered.”
“So you just travel the skies?”
She nodded. “I’m a trader. I usually keep my identity hidden with a cloak, staying away from any Zetans. Once in a while, it comes in handy though. This morning I obtained an entire pallet of mestascia.”
He blinked, and she could tell he accessed Tess to see what mestascia was.
“It has been discovered,” he said suddenly.
“Discovered? It’s been around forever. It’s the highest commodity around.”
“Then it must have been wiped out with our star system.”
“That’s where mestascia comes from?”
He nodded. “Apparently another source has been discovered. There must be a solar system similar to Sirius nearby.”
“A lot of technology must have been lost with your race.”
He nodded. “How did you obtain the mestascia?”
“I ventured into a trading post that caters to Zetans. It was risky, but Tess was able to search out the travel logs of the post and see a narrow window of when the least amount of Zetans would be present. That’s when I struck.”