by Susan Hayes
“I’m fine, you know,” Lieksa said giving him a gentle shoulder bump that pulled him back to the present.
“I know. But the last time I let you out of my sight you ended up with a concussion, sliced tendons in your hand, and a slashed throat. With that in mind, you can expect me to be feeling overprotective for the foreseeable future.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I finally convince Mack to stop treating me like a Tiskalian ice orchid, and now you’re doing it. I can’t win, can I?”
He lowered his head to whisper in her ear. “There is no way in hell either one of us are going to stop trying to protect you, ever. Most especially not when we’re all about to be neck-deep in this conspiracy you’ve uncovered.”
“I only wanted to help Cynder and the others. I had no idea how deep this gravity well went,” she whispered back.
“Even if you had known, you would’ve gone ahead, anyway. It was the right thing to do. One thing I’ve learned is that you always do the right thing, no matter what the cost.”
“Yeah, but usually the risk is mine. This time, there’s so much more at stake.”
He could see she wanted to say more, but this wasn’t the place or time. From now on, they were going to take every precaution in order to protect themselves, starting with this meeting. As far as anyone else knew, it was a private party to celebrate Len’s capture and Lieksa’s release from medical. To the handful of people attending, it was anything but a celebration. They were coming together to share information and start making plans.
Zura met them at the door of the club, greeting the three of them with a bright smile and a hug. Why were all the women they knew huggers? Well, all but Cynder.
“It’s good to see you up and around, Lieksa. How’s the hand? Come on in. Everyone else is already here.”
Lieksa held out her newly healed hand, palm up, to show the faint pink line that crossed her fingers. “The hand is fine. Alyson wants me to take it easy for a few days to give everything time to finish healing, but she says it won’t even scar. The healing accelerants worked perfectly.”
The club was relatively quiet for now, with only a few hardcore players at the tables and a dozen or so patrons enjoying the bar’s other amenities. No one so much as glanced up from their drinks as they passed through. Most of the club was shrouded in its usual shadow, but the area around the bar was lit up with dozens of holographic candles in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The Festival of Light wasn’t until tomorrow evening, but it seemed Nova was already decorated.
Zura led them to one of the staff-only entrances and opened it by pressing her hand to a scanner set into the wall beside the door. In the last few days, the Armas family had made some upgrades to their club’s security.
Lieksa followed Zura through the door and into the quiet service corridor beyond. It was strange how disconnected this part of the club felt from the space they had just left. There was no heavy bass music here, and the color scheme was so ordinary she might have been walking through Astek Corp headquarters instead of one of the most notorious clubs on the Drift.
It was a brief walk to yet another door, and then Zura was gesturing for her to enter and join the rest of the group. They were waiting for them in one of the larger private party rooms, and despite the solemn reasons they were all there, the atmosphere was light, and they were greeted with smiles. A large, battered table took up most of the space, with enough chairs set around it to accommodate everyone. There was a food dispenser installed along one wall and a small, multi-purpose bar that looked like a miniature version of the one that ran the length of the Nova Club outside.
From the second she walked into the room, Lieksa found herself the center of attention. Everyone wanted to wish her well and to thank her for what she’d done. She hadn’t been expecting it, and soon she was blushing as she kept trying to insist she hadn’t done anything special. Eventually, she excused herself and let Dash and Mack escort her to a chair at one end of the table. Once she was seated, they claimed the seats on either side of her.
“There are more of us than I realized,” Lieksa murmured as she looked around the room.
“And they're all here to do their part to make things right, just like you did,” Dash replied.
There were over a dozen people present. It was comforting to know that whatever happened next, none of them would be facing it alone. Kit and Luke Armas were present of course, along with their wife, Zura and their batch sister, Cynder. Cynder’s cyborg husbands, Toro and Jaeger were talking with Lance, Dirk, and Blade at one end of the table, while Alyson was chatting to a good looking, dark haired man that Mack told her was Zura’s half-brother, Royan.
Zale and another Torski male were standing in one corner. The other male had to be Denz, Zale’s cousin. Supposedly they had more information to share, which was a brave move, considering they both still worked for Astek. She had tried to talk Zale out of being involved any more than he already was, but he wouldn’t be deterred. He said he was done keeping the corporations’ secrets.
Eventually, everyone took their seats, and Alyson rose to her feet. “Is everything ready?” she asked, looking at Kit.
“No one outside this room will be able to hear or see anything we do. It’s as secure as we could make it,” the club’s head of security replied.
“Alright then.” Alyson squared her shoulders and looked around the table at everyone. “As you all know, two days ago Lieksa retrieved a treasure trove of data from Astek’s servers. I now know what was done to Cynder and the other cyborg women. More importantly, the data included an antidote, and I’m working on synthesizing it. It’s going to take me a little time to get all the ingredients together since we don’t want the corporations having any inkling of what I’m trying to do. They’re already concerned enough about what I’m up to that they sent a couple of lawyers to speak with me. They’ve backed off, for now, because I told them that I didn’t have anything to do with repairing Dash’s implants. That was all handled by Lieksa, who was an Astek employee at the time.”
“But you can make it work? You’re sure? They can’t stop you, can they?” Cynder asked, leaning forward in her chair.
“Now that I know what I’m dealing with, yes, I’m sure I can reverse it. And no, I’m not going to let them stop me. That’s why it’s so important that what we’re doing stay a secret.” Alyson smiled at Cynder. “For now, you’re the only one of the affected women who will know. I hate keeping good news a secret, but in this case, we have to. No one outside this room can know what we’re doing. There’s too much at stake.”
Alyson paused and placed her hand on the data tablet lying on the table beside her. “There’s more at stake than any of us knew.”
Lieksa knew what the doctor was about to say, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. She squeezed Mack and Dash’s hands as Alyson activated a holo-projection that filled the air above the table.
Alyson pointed to the projection. “Over the last two days, I’ve read through as much of the data as I could. My main focus was to find out what was done and how to reverse it, but while I was reading, I noticed something else. It’s a phrase that popped out at me, and once I started looking for it, I found it repeated several times throughout the data. When referring to the substance that rendered the cyborg females infertile, they always state it was given to every released female.”
There were several horrified gasps and muttered curses as the meaning of that phrase sank in. If it was only given to the ones who were released, where were the others? Who were they, and why hadn’t they been granted their freedom with the rest?
“I helped the doctor review everything, at least, as much as she’d let me between the tests and constantly insisting I get more rest,” Lieksa said, and there were chuckles from around the table.
“Once Alyson noticed the pattern, I determined something else of interest. None of the documents that use that phrase are from Astek Corp. We can’t tell whose they are, because th
e names were redacted. It looks like I might have stumbled on a cache of information Astek stole or acquired from somewhere else.”
Zale spoke up, his normally booming voice subdued and quiet. “I was part of the taskforce who created the substance the corporations used. There was no mention of anyone not being released. If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have kept my silence for so long.”
Cynder had already been told about Zale’s involvement. She said she had come to terms with it, but there was still a moment of unease as everyone waited for her reaction. Cynder’s temper was somewhat legendary on the station, and so was her streak of victories in the fighting cage. If she was still holding a grudge, it could get ugly, fast.
“You’re here, helping to undo what was done.” Cynder glanced over at Lieksa and smiled. “I’ve come to understand that cyborgs weren’t the only ones lied to and used during the wars. What matters is that we’ve all come together to make this right. However we can, whatever it takes.”
“Thank you, Cynder.” Zale rose to his feet. “You all know who I am, and who I work for. I’m here today because I’ve decided it’s time to take a stand. You’re going to need someone on the inside to help you obtain some of the information you need. Denz and I are willing to do that.”
“That will make things easier for us, but it’s a hell of a risk for the two of you. It’s appreciated,” Kit said.
“There’s something else I came here to talk about. I know why Zura survived the medi-bot transfusion she received from her husbands,” Zale said.
“What? How?” Zura asked, her silver eyes wide with shock.
“Medi-bots are genetically keyed to their carriers. It’s one of the reasons cyborgs were created in batches. It meant each batch shared enough of the same DNA that we didn’t have to adjust the nanotech for every individual. This technology will not activate if the host body doesn’t have the right genetic markers.”
“But she’s not related to us,” Luke insisted.
“Directly related? No. That’s highly unlikely given cyborgs were designed in a lab from the chromosomes up, but the DNA you were built with came from someone, and apparently you and your wife share a common ancestor. There’s no other explanation.”
“You’re sure? We’re not even Astek cyborg designs,” Kit said.
“I’m positive. I was on the team that first designed the medi-bots all cyborgs carry. Every corporation reverse-engineered them from our designs. That happened a lot, which is why cyborgs are so similar despite being built by warring factions.”
“My relative’s DNA was used? I never knew that. I wonder whose it was. I suppose that wouldn’t be hard to find out. Doc, can we test for that?”
“We can, and I think we should,” Alyson agreed.
“No one knew the source of the original genetic material. At least, no one at my pay grade.”
Zura blushed, her blue skin changing shades and her natural striations darkening to tiger-like stripes across her face and neck. “We should do the testing soon, Alyson.” She placed a hand on her stomach and beamed at everyone. “I’m pregnant. With twins of all things. We’re keeping it a secret for as long as we can. When the corporations find out, there’s no telling what they’ll do. This is what they’re afraid of—the medi-bot technology passing into the general population. My babies will be born with the nanotech already part of them.”
“No matter what happens, there’s no way in hell we’re letting anyone threaten you or those babies, sis. Isn’t that right?” Royan asked, his voice carrying over the din.
Right!” The group responded.
There was a crush to congratulate Zura, so Lieksa hung back, happy to wait with Dash and Mack. They had taken turns staying with her since she got hurt, but there hadn’t been any time for the three of them to be together. She was looking forward to spending some time alone with them both.
Zale pushed his way through the crowd and made his way to the small bar where Lieksa was standing.
“I’m glad to see you’ve recovered from your last adventure.” He paused to pull something out of his pocket and set it on the bar beside her. “Ready for the next one?”
She looked at the object he’d set down and frowned. It looked like a standard medical injector. “What is it?”
“A gift for you. I didn’t turn over all my research and equipment when I left my old job. There are enough medi-bots in this injector to create a permanent colony in your bloodstream if you decide to use it.”
“You kept some?” She didn’t know what surprised her more; the fact her normally by-the-book former boss had kept forbidden technology or the fact he was giving it to her.
“You think you’ve got a monopoly on holding onto illegal tech?” he asked. “Like a certain data-mining widget that seems to be missing from your old workshop.”
She ignored the subtle barb and stared at the injector. Inside that device was the solution to one of her greatest fears: that she would grow old and die long before Mack or Dash did. “I thought you said they had to be genetically keyed to the DNA of their host body?”
“I’ve made some improvements on the original design. These medi-bots don’t require a genetic key.”
“Holy fraxx. You didn’t settle for stealing them, you tweaked them, too.”
“This is my life’s work. I couldn’t let them destroy the greatest thing I ever helped create. The loss would be too much. One day, I hope they can be used to help all our races live longer, healthier lives. This tech has so much potential for good, maybe it can outweigh some of the mistakes I’ve made.”
She picked up the injector and cradled it in her hand. “So, if I used these, I’d live as long as Mack and Dash?”
“You’d heal like they do. You’d be resistant to disease, too. I can’t be sure you’d have the same lifespan because no one knows how long the cyborgs will live, but I’m confident it would be close.”
“What are the risks?” Mack asked.
“There aren’t any. Well, not from the medi-bots. If anyone finds out, Lieksa would be a target in the same way Zura is, but I think we’re all going to be targeted from here on in. Doing the right thing is going to come with a fair bit of risk for all of us.”
“Why does it matter to you how long you’ll live?” Dash asked.
“I love you both, but I can’t help thinking about what our future would be like. I’ll get old and frail, and you’ll both still be young and healthy. How could that possibly work?”
Both men glowered at her with almost identical stormy expressions. “It’ll work because we love you. That’s how,” Mack retorted.
Zale chuckled and took a step back. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave you three to discuss the details. It’s not an easy decision. If you decide not to, you can return the injector to me. I’ll be making the same offer to everyone else here, eventually, but I wanted you to be the first.”
“If I decide to do this, what do I have to do?” she asked.
“Inject yourself with the contents of that vial. That’s it. The nanotech will start to replicate immediately. Once it’s done, you won’t be able to remove them, so be sure,” Zale said.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I figured if we’re all about to put our asses on the line, we might as well make sure we heal fast.”
“Good thinking. You did this? Injected yourself?” she asked.
“Last night. Never saw the need until now, but once Denz and I decided to join your group, I did it, and so did he. I used to believe that one day the corporations would re-think their stance and allow everyone access to this technology. Now, I realize that’s never going to happen. If we want things to change, we’re going to have to make it happen.”
Zale left, and she turned to Mack and Dash.
“Ready to go home?” Dash asked.
“Then we’ll talk about Zale’s gift, and what you want to do with it,” Mack added.
“I’m almost ready. We need to talk to Zura and congratul
ate them, first. She is going to make the sweetest mother, and I bet those babies are going to be gorgeous.”
“They’re also going to be the most protected children in the galaxy. They’ve got an entire room full of people ready to defend them, and they’re not even born yet,” Mack said.
They made their way across the room to hand out hugs, backslaps, and congratulations. They said their goodbyes and promised to be back the next night to celebrate the Festival of Light with everyone.
She hadn’t celebrated that holiday in years. Not since she had left Earth and her family. She told herself that celebrating the longest night of the year on a planet she no longer lived was a waste of time, but that wasn’t the real reason. The holiday was all about spending time with friends and family. Everyone came together, eating and drinking and rejoicing in the reminder that no matter how dark it got, the light would always return again. It was a nice sentiment, but one she hadn’t believed in for years. Not when her life seemed destined to remain in shadow. This year, everything was different, and she looked forward to celebrating the return of the light with the people who had become her new family.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dash was on edge. It wasn’t a feeling he was overly familiar with, and he wasn’t enjoying it. He wanted everything to go perfectly tonight, and their recent track record was a few light-years away from anything even resembling perfection.
“Did you to think I wouldn’t notice that this isn’t the way to my place?” Lieksa asked as they headed for the nearest bank of mag-lifts.
“You said you wanted to go home,” Mack said.
“Home, as in my home, not yours. I thought I might pack a few things and then we could go to your place, that way I wouldn’t have to go home again for a few days. I know you two still probably have to work, but I’m currently between jobs, so…”