Cyborg Seduction: A Science Fiction Cyborg Romance (Burning Metal Book 3)

by Lisa Lace

  Rachel glanced at the side of the phone base. She had switched off the ringer the first time she came into the room. She hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, including Cindy. That wasn’t an option any longer.

  “I’ll be there in thirty minutes, and we can talk all about your exclusive. This is so exciting!” She ended the connection without a thank you or goodbye.

  Rachel sighed and sank onto the memory foam mattress. Cindy was an unstoppable force of nature, and now she would have to find a way to fend her off. She considered putting on some makeup or doing her hair, but she had nothing to fix herself. Cyborg Sector had sent someone to acquire outfits in her size as well as basic hygiene products. But they were used to taking male cyborgs out into the world, not female humans. She had no makeup or jewelry.

  Her boss arrived at the hotel room precisely on schedule. As soon as Rachel opened the door, Cindy cried, “You look like shit!” Cindy’s hair formed a fake blonde bubble around her head. She wore so much makeup that Rachel wondered if she had forgotten the difference between screen time and real life. “It won’t be a problem. I’ll have the hair and makeup team come here before we begin shooting. We’ll have to go shopping for some clothes because you certainly can’t wear that.” She gestured disgustedly at Rachel’s button-down plaid shirt and jeans. “Do you think we could do it right here in your room? Maybe Cyborg Sector will give us a room. That could be an interesting backdrop.”

  Rachel shut the door behind her and gestured to a set of armchairs by the window. “Listen, Cindy—”

  “We’ll have to have someone else do a full interview with you, of course. We all know that it’s your story, but you can’t question yourself. Think about everything this will do for me! And for you! You might be our featured reporter someday. Samantha Houston’s untimely demise is unfortunate, but leaves a hole in the prime-time schedule that someone is going to fill. Who knows what else will happen? You might even get a book deal!”

  “Yes, that’s all true. But...”

  Cindy was too full of pent-up energy to sit down. She strode between the two chairs, gesturing with her hands like she could conjure all the news stories herself. “This is big, Rachel. Huge. The other women who lived with cyborgs have nothing compared to you. They boosted our ratings like nobody’s business, but you will put us on the map. After we do your interview, maybe we can get the cyborg to do an interview too. You know which one I mean, right? The leader? We’ve already managed to get some of the rehabilitated ones live on the air. We called them to speculate about what might be happening to you. But if we can get an exclusive with the one who captured you, then we’re golden. World Community News will be right up there with CNN.”

  “I’m not doing it,” Rachel finally managed to blurt out.

  Cindy paused with her hands still in the air and gave her employee a deadpan look. She recovered a moment later with a nod of her head. “I understand. You’re still processing things. It’s only been a few days, and you want to get yourself together. I’ll send over a list of the interview questions. You can read them while you recover. I’d like to get things started before you leave the hotel. WCN will pay for an extended stay if necessary. The extra time will let us plan a big reception for your return.”

  Rachel wanted to slap her palm against her forehead, or maybe against Cindy’s. “I’m not doing the story at all. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Cindy finally sat in the chair across from Rachel. “Of course you do. You can’t keep this sort of thing to yourself.”

  “Do you know what? I can, and I will. I’m not doing a story with World Community News or anyone else.” Adrenaline pumped through Rachel’s veins. She had never stood up to any bosses before. It made her feel like she could do anything.

  Cindy reached across and laid her hand on Rachel’s. “My dear, you’re a reporter. Your job is to spread the news to the people. You make a difference in their lives by keeping them informed. What you went through is not merely big news. It’s the kind of thing people see in the movies! You can make their dreams come true by sharing with them.” She absentmindedly touched a fingernail to her bright red lip. “You know, there might be movie options as well. We need to get you an agent.”

  Rachel yanked her hand away. “You aren’t listening to me. I don’t want to do the story, and I won’t.”

  Cindy leaned closer, raising one eyebrow and pursing her lips like could see straight into Rachel’s soul if she stared hard enough. “This isn’t about the cyborg is it honey? Did you develop feelings for him?”

  Her cheeks flushed red. Rachel couldn’t tell anyone the truth. It would spread around like wildfire.

  The news manager didn’t miss the horrified look in her employee’s eyes or the blush that took over her face. “You did! Did you fuck him? Oh my God, Rachel! This is bigger than I thought! Tell me all about it. You don’t have to wait for the official interview. Was it consensual? Was he big? You can tell me. What’s a little gossip among friends?”

  Rachel stood and marched to the door. She rested her hand on the knob and looked at Cindy pointedly. “This is not going to happen.”

  For the first time, Cindy looked angry. She wasn’t used to anyone defying her, much less a subordinate with a big story to tell. “You won’t work in the industry again if you deny me, Rachel. I’m warning you.”

  “Try to stop me,” Rachel challenged. “Even if you can, I don’t care. It’s not worth sacrificing my integrity to be your plaything. Now get out of my room.”

  Cindy stormed out, and Rachel slammed the door behind her. How could that woman ever imagine that Rachel could do such a thing? Cindy was looking at everything from a business perspective. She didn’t understand she was talking about Rachel’s life. Cindy didn’t know how much Wrath meant to her and couldn’t feel her heartache. A month ago, Rachel would have given anything to boost her career. She would have eagerly sunk her teeth into a new opportunity.

  Telling her story now would be an act of betrayal.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Wrath swam through the darkness once again, but it was different this time. Previously he had encountered scenarios planted by Rachel. This blackness was silent and peaceful. He embraced it and was grateful for a rest.

  The next time he opened his eyes he didn’t see the desert or the inside of a helicopter. He furiously blinked when he saw the bright white ceiling set with rows of lights. A smaller round light hovered over his face.

  A new human’s face appeared in front of him. A hand pushed the small light out of the way, letting Wrath clearly see the man’s features. He had sandy brown hair that receded from his forehead, accentuating worry lines creased into the skin. His eyes were dark brown, kind, and curious as they looked down at Wrath. The man wore a sea green scrub top.

  “Hi, there. Everything is okay. I’m a surgeon.” The doctor moved his hands quickly and confidently, adjusting some tubes attached to the cyborg.

  “Where am I?” Wrath wanted to know where the other cyborgs were, but he had used all his energy asking that single question. His body felt like it was full of concrete and he couldn’t move his arms or legs.

  “You’re in Cyborg Sector. We’ve had to do a bit of work on you, but you’re stable for now.”

  The sentences barely made sense to Wrath. He tried activating his cybernetic implant to help process the information, but it wouldn’t turn on. There were no orders to access. He couldn’t even look up the records on the doctor in front of him. “What did you do to me?”

  “You were in bad shape when they brought you in here. Your biochip and its connection to your brain were both severely disintegrated. I had to remove some of it. That can be risky, but it was going to be worse for you if I left everything connected. I upgraded the software in your biochip while I was poking around in there. If you hadn’t been in the desert, you would have received the update a long time ago.”

  The doctor’s voice faded out as Wrath began exploring his mind. He had relied on the
biochip the entire time he had been a cyborg. He missed his computers but realized he now had access to many things he had never known about before. Rachel hadn’t made up anything. The visions he had seen and the images in his mind when the pain burst through his head had been real.

  Weren’t they? Did remembering something make it real? Or was this another part of what Rachel had done to him? She had already forced him to surrender to Cyborg Sector. There was little reason to continue her assault on his mind. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  “I had to reroute your neural pathways too. It’s part of the standard procedure. It lets you access all the memories we blocked off. You might be scared at first. You’re going to see and remember things that don’t make sense to you. Everything you’re going through is perfectly normal.”

  Wrath wanted to laugh. The poor doctor had no idea what thoughts were filling the cyborg’s head. He had been through a lot of pain and unable to understand why until now.

  “We have an expert team of psychiatrists and other specialists who will help you. We’ll start scheduling the appointments as soon as you’ve recovered from surgery.” The doctor called for an orderly to transfer Wrath to a recovery room. The cyborg waved him off.

  “I can get there myself,” he insisted.

  The doctor looked at him critically. “I don’t think we can allow that. You’ve just had major brain surgery. Your body is fine, but if you were to fall, we would be negligent.”

  “I’ll be fine.” The cyborg slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, hoping he could keep the dizziness from coming back. He rested for a moment before swinging his legs off the table and standing up.

  The orderly entered the room and rushed to Wrath’s side with a horrified expression on his face. “I’ll get you a wheelchair, sir. Don’t move.”

  “I don’t need your assistance.” Wrath was aware that his voice was gruff, but the young orderly didn’t seem bothered by the tone. He was used to being around irritated cyborgs. “All you have to do is tell me where to go.”

  “Right this way.”

  The orderly led him out of the surgery room. Wrath tried to avoid looking at anything on the way out. He didn’t enjoy seeing the steel tables or the sterile environment. It was probably the same room where they had installed his biochip. They had saved his life but hadn’t necessarily made it better.

  They walked down a long, pale hallway lined with doors on either side. Each room was labeled clearly with a small tag. The orderly opened one that read Recovery 147. Behind the door was a standard hospital room. Inside were a bed with rails and white sheets, several monitors, and an IV stand. A flat-screen television hung on the opposite wall with a small cabinet underneath it.

  “Let’s get you into bed.” The orderly pulled back the sheets and patted the mattress. He was so skinny that his white scrubs hung off him like clothes on a scarecrow. “You have access to all the cable channels, and we recommend that you watch as much television as you can handle. It can help you access and understand your memories.”

  Wrath glared at the orderly. “I don’t feel like getting in bed.”

  The orderly shrugged, unaffected by the cyborg’s complaints. “Well, you’ll be here for a few days until we can move you into a permanent room. You can keep standing if that’s what you want.” He left the room with a smile, unintimidated by the angry cyborg standing in the doorway.

  Wrath had to admit to himself that Cyborg Sector was nothing like what he had expected. They had operated on him and told him they would assimilate him into life with humans, as he had thought they would, but they hadn’t completely changed who he was.

  In the morning, someone fetched him and brought him to a gym for physical therapy. The therapists were two women who were wiry, tanned and athletic. At first, they attempted to guide him through all the exercise equipment and machinery. It became apparent to everyone that he didn’t need help or any physical therapy at all. After a couple of hours, they sat back and let him use the gym however he wanted.

  Innumerable people came to his room and filled out paperwork with Wrath. They told him they would make living arrangements, help him obtain all the identification a citizen might need, and even help him find a job. Wrath knew that they were doing their jobs and that he should be grateful for their help. After all, he had no idea how to do these things on his own. But he didn’t like feeling helpless. He had been the leader of a team of cyborgs. He had never needed help from anyone else before.

  “Where is the rest of Green Squad?” he asked the unfortunate nurse who happened to popped her head into his room next. “I want to see them immediately.”

  The girl had short red hair and wide green eyes. Wrath might have found the nurse attractive if they had met in a different place. “If you want to see them, you need approval from your doctor. I can help you make the request, but—”

  “But what?” he barked. “They came in here with me, didn’t they? What did you do with them?”

  The nurse cringed but didn’t back down or run off to find someone else. “Meeting the other cyborgs will be part of your therapy,” she explained, “but all of you have to be ready for it first. You’re close, I’m sure, but it’s not part of my duties here. It’s up to your psychiatrist.”

  Wrath didn’t like her excuses. There was no reason why he couldn’t see Green Squad. Before they came here, the other soldiers had been doing better than him. They were surely healthy enough to withstand a visit from their former leader. Wrath deserved to know if they were okay. “I want to see her immediately.”

  “That’s what I’m here for, sir. It’s time for your appointment.” She led him down the hall to a different room. It didn’t look like the other rooms in the hospital. Instead of white walls and drab gray furniture, the warm colors of the room gave it an inviting feeling. The floor was wood with a large, brown rug. On top of the carpet sat an overstuffed leather couch, a little coffee table, and a tan armchair. The psychiatrist sat in the armchair, but she stood to greet the cyborg when he entered.

  “It’s good to see you, Wrath. Are you doing well?” She had gray hair that came down to her soft, lightly lined face. Dr. Kendrick gestured to the couch as she sat down in the armchair again. The nurse left and closed the door behind her.

  Wrath had participated in several sessions with Dr. Kendrick already. He didn’t like them. Even though everything about the room was designed to make him feel comfortable, including the soft music playing in the background, he hated being there. He refused to lie down on the couch, choosing to sit up and face the doctor instead.

  “Have you been sleeping well?” She kept a tablet at her side and a slim stylus in her hand for making notes.

  “Yes, Sheila.” He didn’t like calling Dr. Kendrick by her first name. Even though he no longer had access to his recognition protocols, it implied a sense of familiarity that he didn’t think existed. But she had certain requirements he needed to follow if he wanted to pass the tests. “I want to see the rest of Green Squad. The nurse said I need your approval first.”

  Sheila slowly nodded while she scribbled on the tablet. “You’ll have to stop thinking about them that way. I know that’s how you lived for a long time, but Green Squad doesn’t exist anymore. You are individual men now with personal lives and your own thoughts. I know it’s going to take some time to get used to the concept.”

  Wrath scowled at her. The doctor always questioned his memories and talked in circles. Their conversations never went anywhere.

  “Don’t worry, they’re fine, and you’ll get a chance to see them. Right now, you need to worry about yourself.”

  “What about Rachel?” he asked, ignoring her last sentence. “Where is she?”

  “Are you talking about the woman you imprisoned? Are her whereabouts important to you?”

  “Why does that matter? I want to know where she is.”

  The doctor looked at Wrath thoughtfully, leaning forward and putting her chin in her hands. “She�
��s going through the same evaluation as you. Being the captive of a group of cyborgs isn’t an easy thing for anyone to experience or understand.”

  “And when can I see her?” Thoughts of Rachel still took up space in his head, forming a combination of memories from when he was a human as well as a cyborg. If nothing else, he wanted closure.

  Dr. Kendrick shook her head. “I’m afraid that isn’t something I can authorize right now. I doubt it would be safe for either of you. As I said, you should worry about yourself for now. Once you’ve fully recovered, we can focus on your former comrades, and then on your family. It’s a slow process.”

  “You’re saying I can’t see her.” He didn’t ask a question.

  “I’m saying maybe someday, but not now. I would have to consult with Rachel’s therapist and get his opinion as well. These things take time. I understand that she’ll be flying back home soon.”

  Wrath folded his arms over his chest. The psychiatrist was evasive. Was she keeping Rachel apart from him on purpose? He had been part of Cyborg Sector; he wouldn’t let a human’s mysterious agenda get in his way.

  When she had finished reassuring him about the beginning stages of his rehabilitation and questioning him about his eating habits in the cafeteria, she allowed Wrath to return to his room. It wasn’t empty. A small man with big glasses and a balding head waited for him.

  He nervously jumped out of his chair when the cyborg entered. “Hi. I’m Paul. My job is to get you set up with an apartment. You’ve been cleared to leave the hospital. We have a magnificent building designed specifically for men in your position. There’s a counselor around at all times and staff who will come and help you with everything you might need.”

  “Help me with what?” Wrath couldn’t share the man’s excitement. He hadn’t enjoyed the time in the hospital, but leaving it and beginning a new life made him wonder if he weren’t better off with the psychiatrist. Every person he met reinforced the fact that he was becoming a new person and was no longer a soldier. He needed Rachel — would someone help him find her?