by Cynthia Sax
He wanted her to become comfortable with Nibbler, to learn about the creature. The three of them would be traveling together. It would be easier on all of them if they bonded.
“He’s an offspring and requires longer rest cycles.” He offered her that additional explanation.
The miljoonasuut rattled its form and clicked his teeth.
“Don’t interpret his slowing movements as docility.” Dissent cautioned his little human. “His threats to kill both of us remain loud.”
“He’s tired but he continues to fight.” She nodded, her eyes glinting with approval.
“Nibbler is like you in that way.” When he’d first met her, she’d been a wound away from death yet she continued to fight, trying to evade her tormenter.
Her strength humbled him.
“Nibbler is like me.” She beamed at him.
He gaped back at her. She was the most beautiful being he’d ever seen. The curls framing her full cheeks were the color of fire. The strands caught the light, seemed to be in constant motion, were as alive as she was. Her skin was pale. Her lips were pink. Her eyes were a brilliant green.
She was short in stature, the top of her head reaching his mid chest, but she was built for him. Her breasts were large. Her stomach was soft. Her hips were wide. She had no body hair. That was rare for humans yet standard for cyborgs. Her mons was smooth. None of her was hidden from him.
His female also had his kind’s lack of concern for nudity and privacy. Her lush form was gloriously bare. Moments ago, when she required use of the cleansing chamber, she hadn’t asked him to leave. She had shared that part of her lifespan with him.
It gave him hope that, planet rotations in the future, she’d share everything with him. She’d choose to stay with him, allow him to care for her, to protect her as he longed to do.
“We both don’t like being owned.” His female nodded.
“I don’t own either of you.” He would repeat that statement as often as she required to hear it.
“Then we are free to leave?” She raised her eyebrows.
“You’re not free to leave.” He was forced to admit that truth. “The sun will rise soon and the light would damage Nibbler. Other males might damage you.”
“You’ve enslaved us to protect us.” His female rolled her eyes. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“You are not enslaved.” He disliked that word. “But you are restricted to this domicile due to the dangers outside it.”
“That’s the same thing.” She huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts.
He couldn’t give his female control over her location. She would die or be severely damaged if she misjudged the situation. But he could grant her authority in other aspects of their lifespan.
“You commanded me to go fuck myself.” That had been an intriguing order. “Step out of the cleansing chamber and I will comply.”
His female shifted her lush form, positioning herself fully in the main chamber. “When I told you to go fuck yourself, I was cursing at you, not requesting that action.” She tilted her head. “Though that might be interesting to watch. How would you fuck yourself?”
He decreased the illumination in the cleansing chamber. The bright lights in the main chamber would serve as a barrier for Nibbler. The miljoonasuut wouldn’t voluntarily leave the darkness.
“I would use my hands to fuck myself.” He set the little creature on the floor.
Nibbler chewed through a layer of metal tile, exhaled deeply and became still. Dissent smiled. The offspring had fallen asleep.
“Forget what I said about my comment being merely a curse.” His female’s tantalizing scent intensified. “I’d like to see you fuck yourself.”
“I have deleted your comment.” He would do as she had ordered. “The first part of the command is to go. I will go to the main chamber.”
He brushed his body along his female’s form as he strode into that space. The contact combined with her sharp inhalation of breath excited him. She wanted him as he wanted her.
His cock bobbed. His balls hugged his base. He stood in front of the sleeping support, bracing his bare feet apart.
“You’re truly doing this.” She followed him.
“I would do anything for you.” He curled his fingers around his shaft. “Do I fuck myself slowly or quickly?” That spec wasn’t relayed.
“Slowly.” She smacked her curvy ass down on the sleepy support. “Very slowly.” Her eyes glittered.
He stroked his length, moving his hands back and forth, back and forth, his pace leisurely. She watched him, her observation increasing his arousal. He brushed his thumbs along his rim, over his tip. A bead of pre-cum formed on his slit.
Dissent. Truth contacted him through a private transmission line. I require your input. His tone was serious. That was an abnormality for the often-laughing warrior. Doc and Chuckles have returned with their females to the ship. North is…North. This falls outside the parameters of our core mission.
There was no one else his friend could ask. Dissent stifled a sigh, loosening his grip on his cock. I have the bandwidth to provide input.
The information is too sensitive to be transmitted. Truth relayed coordinates.
The warrior didn’t trust in the integrity of the transmission lines. Dissent’s compliance with his female’s order would have to be delayed until he investigated the issue.
I will rendezvous with you immediately. He ended the communication.
“What is it?” His female gazed up at him. Her forehead was furrowed with thought lines. “Why have you stopped?”
“Truth, one of my brethren, communicated with me through our transmission lines.” He tapped his skull. “He requires my assistance, wouldn’t have requested it if it wasn’t urgent.”
“Oh.” She frowned.
He looked at her, waiting for her input.
She said nothing.
“Am I authorized to delay the fucking of myself and rendezvous with Truth?” He prompted her.
“You’re asking me, your slave, for permission to leave?” She stared at him.
He frowned. “I’m asking you, Greer, for permission to leave.”
She was his priority. If she said no, he would honor her wishes and find another way to help Truth.
His female blinked once, twice. Then her shoulders squared and her chin lifted. “Yes, you can go.” She waved her hands. “Help your friend.”
“Thank you.” He donned his body armor and boots, dressing quickly. “Don’t enter the cleansing chamber. Nibbler is sleeping now but he can awaken at any time and he will eat you if you venture too close to him.”
He trusted his female not to place herself in danger. She was intelligent and must have a keen sense of self-preservation. His little human wouldn’t have survived this long without having that.
Dissent grabbed the private viewscreen Truth had set on one of the horizontal supports. “You can utilize this to access information.” He pressed the device into her hands. “I will be linking to it remotely. If you require my assistance, merely input my name and I will return to you immediately.”
Her well-being took precedence. He would protect her.
“You’ll be monitoring my activities.” His female’s lips twisted. “That’s great.”
It was great but her tone indicated she believed otherwise. “Stay in the chambers.” He cupped her beautiful face, raising her gaze to meet his. “You’ll be safe here.”
“Do I have a choice?” Her eyes flashed. She was determined to fight him.
His female was a strong female. He was a fortunate warrior to have claimed her. “You don’t have a choice.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll return soon.”
He gazed down at her, saving her beauty, her scent, the softness of her skin in both his databases and his organic memory. Her jaw jutted yet she didn’t pull away from him.
That was his task. He reluctantly drew back.
Parting with her was challenging. But it had to be
done.
He stalked to the door, placed his hand on the large viewscreen on the wall and changed the settings. No one, other than him, could enter or leave the domicile.
“I’m going to escape while you’re gone.” She flung those words at him, her defiance delighting him.
“You can try to escape.” He looked over his shoulder, gazing at his female one more time.
She sat on the sleeping support. Her expression was stormy.
“Be safe, Greer.” He issued that command.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Fuck you.”
“You can do that later.” He laughed softly as he slipped out the door. His female wouldn’t be easy to care for. He circled the domicile, setting the perimeter sensors Truth had left for him, testing the security measures.
Several moments passed before he was satisfied no one could access Greer and Nibbler. Dissent then headed toward the coordinates Truth had sent to him, gaining speed with each stride.
He wanted to return to his newly found family as quickly as possible. They were his to care for.
His heart expanded with joy.
He passed three males. They appeared to be watching the domicile. He noted their faces, ran faster toward the designated meeting spot.
It was a darkened pathway. He sensed Truth before he saw him.
The D Model stepped out of the shadows. He pressed one of his index fingers to his lips, indicating they should remain silent.
Intrigued by the precaution, Dissent followed his friend through the settlement. They navigated the pathways, reached what appeared to be a manufacturing facility.
Truth placed his hand on a control panel, accessing the systems. The side door opened. He entered. Dissent trailed behind him.
The scent of engine lubricant and melted metal assaulted his nostrils. Air rushed through vents. No other beings were detected on his lifeform scans.
His vision system adjusted to the darkness. Ships were positioned to the left and right of them. The vessels were in various stages of modification.
That wasn’t unusual. Altair Alpha attracted beings from all over the universe. Some of the vessels landing on its surface would require repair.
Truth moved between the ships, his tread silent, his body lowered. Dissent stepped where his friend stepped, monitoring their surroundings.
The D Model stopped and turned. Dissent did the same. They faced a freighter. Hidden gun ports were being installed on the vessel. Half of it had been dented to appear older than it truly was. The panels on the other half gleamed.
The mysterious freighter they had spotted early in their assignment had been modified in the same way. That ship had been piloted by cyborgs who had refused to identify themselves.
That was why Truth hadn’t transmitted the information. A skilled cyborg could intercept that means of communication.
Dissent met the D Model’s gaze and nodded, conveying he understood.
Truth shifted to the left. There was another freighter undergoing similar modifications. He repositioned again. There was a third freighter. And a fourth. And a fifth.
Fraggin’ hole. The unknown cyborgs were building a fleet.
The two of them left the structure, returned to the pathway. It was situated out of lifeform scanner range from the ship-filled site.
“Power is unaware of this.” Truth spoke those words quietly, so only Dissent could hear him. “I’m 99.9969 percent certain about that.”
“I’m 100.0000 percent certain he doesn’t know about this.” The self-appointed leader of the cyborg council desired control in all areas. He wouldn’t modify freighters for cyborg use on a planet inhabited by humans and humanoids. “These cyborgs are operating without council approval.”
“They could be planning to attack the Homeland.” Truth’s eyes blazed. “Some cyborgs disapprove of the council’s decisions.”
“There are cyborgs who hate all humans.” They could view Greer with animosity. Dissent straightened. “They designate our females as their enemies, blame them for the Human Alliance’s brutal actions. Those warriors could be seeking to damage our females.”
He would protect Greer with his life, would kill his brethren if that was necessary. No one would damage her ever again. She was his to care for, his to safeguard.
“Captain reported the freighter and Power deemed it to be a low-level threat.” That irritated Truth. Dissent heard that in his voice. “He’ll disregard our intel also…unless we identify the cyborgs responsible for the freighter modifications.”
That would be difficult to do. “We can’t wait inside the structure. They’ll sense our presence.” Dissent assumed the lifeform scanners of the other cyborgs were fully functional. “We could hack into the structure’s monitoring systems.”
“There are none installed.” Truth dismissed that option. “It would take mere moments to hide recording devices in the space. I’ll direct the feed to my processors, and when they survey the completed modifications, we will identify them.”
“The modifications are being completed quickly.” The cyborgs were new arrivals to the planet. They hadn’t appeared on the original lifeform scans Captain had performed on Altair Alpha.
“We’ll know the rebel cyborgs’ identities within planet rotations.” Truth grinned. “We’ll be heroes.”
Not everyone would consider them to be heroes. “Uncovering their identities will slow our gathering of the locals’ genetic information.” That was their primary shared mission.
“North’s processors will melt down if that happens.” Truth laughed. “He’s striving to be understanding about you finding your female. You’re a lucky bag of bolts.” The D Model slapped his shoulder. “And we all know it. But the mission is everything to him. He won’t tolerate an additional delay.”
“I can cover my terrain.” Although Dissent preferred to focus on his female and the creature he had rescued, he had agreed to complete the mission. North, Captain and the other cyborgs on board the Reckless were counting on him. “Do what you must to learn the cyborgs’ identities.”
Gaining that information would assist in keeping Greer safe, and protecting his female took precedence over everything else. Dissent would sacrifice time spent with her to accomplish that goal.
“I won’t fail you.” Truth’s eyes glimmered. “I’m spying on my own kind.” He shook his head. “Fraggin’ hole. This is an illogical universe.” Excitement lilted his voice.
The D Model was equally illogical. He looked forward to his dangerous task.
“There’s a 73.5892 percent chance Power is correct and the cyborgs are a low-level threat.” It was the 26.4108 percent chance that concerned Dissent. “I will retrieve genetic information while you gather more input.”
Dissent ran toward his assigned section of the settlement. The sun appeared on the horizon, painting the sky pink and orange. Residents exited their domiciles, chattering to neighbors, sweeping pathways and preparing for the planet rotation.
He skimmed his fingertips over their skin, collecting their specs, saving those details in his databases. Touching the females unsettled him. It felt like he was betraying Greer.
She should be the only female he had physical contact with.
A group of human males were being lined up by a scarred Palavian. The males were naked, had collars similar to the one Greer had worn around their necks. Energy chains bound their wrists and inhibited the movement of their feet. Some of them had markings that resembled the round circle on his female’s chest.
Dissent slowed, watched as other beings examined teeth and pinched biceps. One male resisted. The Palavian snapped a whip over him, leaving a stripe of red on his back.
Dissent pressed his lips together, suppressing a growl.
The human slaves were treated like the Humanoid Alliance had treated him and his brethren—as objects. That humans would do that to their own kind shocked him.
That they had done that to his Greer angered him. His fingers folded into tight fist
s. The humans didn’t deserve her. She was a precious female, a unique being, strong, special, different.
He would cherish and respect her. Always. He valued her presence, her insights, her everything. Dissent sped toward his section of the settlement. When he returned to the domicile, he’d relay his past to his female. He would tell her every mortifying detail.
She’d realize they weren’t as different as she believed, would know that he would never seek to own her. They weren’t master and slave. They were equals.
Then, once he deemed it safe, he’d free her completely, allow her to go where she wished, when she desired. He would grant her choice.
And he hoped she would choose to remain with him.
Chapter Six
Greer waited until the doors closed behind Dissent. Then she placed her palms on the control panel and tried to open them again. The system informed her she didn’t have access to that function.
She couldn’t leave, was locked in the chamber.
He was protecting her by restricting her freedom. She snorted. All that reasoning accomplished was the easing of his conscience. She was a slave. He was her master.
“He’s your master too, Nibbler.” She yelled that at the miljoonasuut. “Don’t be fooled by his nice words, his gentle hands, his handsome face. He controls everything you do.”
She paced the perimeters of the main chamber, testing the confines of her cage. The porthole was thoroughly sealed. She smacked on the walls. They were solid metal.
“There’s no getting out of here, Nibbler.” She flopped onto the sleeping support. “He has us locked in here securely.”
It was a comfortable cage. The main chamber wasn’t too cold or too hot. It was clean. There was plenty of nourishment and multiple containers of beverage available on the horizontal support. She wasn’t alone. Nibbler was sleeping in the cleansing chamber.
There was a bubbling inside her. That was more strange than alarming. And the connection she felt to her cyborg master remained, linking the two of them despite being physical apart.
But she wasn’t bound and she wasn’t in pain.
She also wasn’t free. And she was acutely aware that the torture, the discomfort, the humiliation, could return in a heartbeat.