Star Navigator

by Naomi Lucas

  When they had returned to the bridge, the male that had touched Atlas had begun to morph rapidly into a different shape, one that resembled a Cyborg. She wondered if the female wanted to mimic her form.

  It was an odd thought.

  “Dr. Yesne will be tried for treason, but he will remain with the aliens until his trial as head scientist.”

  “Will he be found guilty? I’ll testify on his behalf.”

  “He will be found, what the jury finds him,” he answered cryptically. He’ll be okay.

  “And the aliens? I assume they won’t be killed if the doctor is staying with them?” she asked.

  “They are no longer even in this galaxy.”

  Reina sat back and stared bullets at the man, feeling a loss she couldn’t explain, having never discovered which one had caught her fall and saved her life.

  The suit continued, “Atlas will also be tried for treason.”

  “What for? For reclaiming his body? The Earthian Council forced him to take this mission and used his body for insurance. Without his resurrection, this mission would have never been a success.”

  “And your arguments will be taken into account, Captain.”

  Her anger grew into something she could psychically hold.

  “I won’t be able to see him, I’m assuming? What will happen to me? Will I be tried for treason as well? I am the captain of the Reincarnation as it stands.”

  “We commend you for your service to the Earthian Council and to the human race, Captain.” He responded, unfazed.

  “So that’s it.” Her nails bit into her palms.

  He pushed a document toward her across the table, “That’s it until you sign for your silence.”

  She took the stylus from him and signed her life away. She would do what she needed to, to protect those she cared about.

  “Now, Captain, do you know that Commander Anders has gone missing? I have some questions about your relationship with him.”

  Epilogue:

  Atlas sat at the bench before a number of his peers, including Jack and Yuric–other Cyborgs like himself–as they stood up and walked out of the room. It had been months since he had last been free, and since his return to civilization, he went clad in reinforced chains with a guard of twenty trained soldiers to accompany him wherever he needed to go.

  They should have assigned me fifty. He was offended by the lack of guard. If he had wanted to escape, he could have. But he didn’t, he knew the protocol and the corruption of the council. They would need to find him not guilty, on the official record, to be able to reinstate him to his post.

  I wonder who they bought.

  I wonder what the price was to have two Cyborgs on the jury.

  The thing about Cyborgs was that they worked well together, built for teamwork, but they were also built as alphas. Warriors.

  Though he had served at the sides of his brethren for years, when the war had ended, most of them had gone their separate ways. After the command structure had fallen and their freedom had been won, they realized they couldn’t exert authority over one another, as not one of them could bear not being the leader.

  Cyborgs worked better alone when they were free.

  Like magnets. Atlas signed internally. If war was on the horizon, he was ready for it, guns blazing and magnets at the ready. His fingers twitched.

  The jury walked back in, the silence broken by footsteps. Atlas stared hard at the judge as the men and women took their seats.

  The courtroom smelled musty and old but it didn’t detract from the reek of his appointed attorney. He had stopped going to sleep at night as the smell of drug-store-bought body spray haunted him. The Earthian Council still had a firm hold on every part of his life, even his nose.

  And no one would tell him about Reina. Not even his Cyborg brethren on the jury, when he had reached out and tried to connect with them. Their firewalls were up.

  They were strong. Atlas envied their updated systems.

  “Will the jury foreperson please stand? Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?”

  An older woman stood up. “Yes, your honor.” The clerk stepped forward and took the verdict from the woman, in turn handing it to the judge.

  Atlas strained against his chains without making a sound. He trusted no one. No one but his captain.

  Silently, the judge handed the verdict back to the clerk.

  “On the count of treason against the people of Earth and the sole count of the indictment, the jury finds the defendant not guilty.”

  The judge glanced his way before turning to the jury and the two Cyborgs sitting amongst them.

  “The jury is thanked and excused. The court is adjourned.”

  The heavy footsteps of the few people in the room faded as they trickled out of the room. One of his guards unlocked the chains around his wrists before they, too, vanished into the gloom outside the double doors. There was no one to congratulate him.

  Reina was starkly missing.

  Months had gone by with him in isolation, only to be visited by military personnel and Dr. Estond. The doctor wasn’t thrilled at his makeshift heart but he had been impressed by Dr. Yesne’s resourcefulness. Not to mention, he had undergone drug questioning, after he divulged that the methamphetamine was created by him–and not by Captain Reina or Dr. Yesne.

  Atlas rubbed the chafed skin of his wrists. He had a hard time admitting it to himself, but he missed Reina, she was life to him. Even the hollow victory of his freedom was tarnished without her presence.

  His lawyer clicked shut his briefcase and offered his hand in farewell before he too left the room.

  Atlas looked around the room and took a deep breath, flexing his muscles, and finding a modicum of joy in being able to lift his arms. He headed for the door, already knowing who waited for him on the other side.

  Lieutenant General Wasson stood with stiff ease as Atlas approached him.

  “Are you ready to get back to work?” Wasson asked.

  “Never a day off with you, General. I’m surprised you weren’t the one interrogating me these last few months.”

  They walked companionably outside the courthouse, through a series of metal brigades and out into the rain.

  “I was too close to you.”

  “I suppose you were,” Atlas said. “So what happens now?” He lifted his face to the rain, finding a soft bliss in the feel of the droplets trickling down his face and the cool breeze that enveloped him. “You don’t own me anymore.”

  “We never owned you, Commander. Your body owned you.”

  Atlas laughed. It slithered up with disbelief until it turned into something sinister and hard. The lieutenant general stared at him as his chuckles slowed down and his body started to ache from the intensity.

  “You have some nerve, Wasson. For years, all I wanted was to be revived, to live again. And to kill everyone who kept me trapped. Including you, especially you.” I still plan to.

  They stepped into a waiting hover-car as he brooded in silence.

  “We have a new assignment for you,” the general said eventually. “If you wish to take it.” Choosing to ignore the threat Atlas presented.

  “What is it?”

  “We have a new captain joining our fleet, just promoted to senior, who requested you as her navigator. That is if you can take orders from someone ranked below you. She’s stubborn.”

  Atlas leaned back and uttered a soft curse, a smile tugging at his lips.

  THE TRANSPORT FLEW into the space battle station hangar outside Earth’s atmosphere. The Reincarnation came into view, lifted up on giant supports extended from the ceiling. Atlas could feel the specialized electronic channels; he could feel Reina for the first time since Antix.

  He shielded himself, wanting to surprise her, although resisting the urge to shoot up her bionic arm was difficult. The second the transport settled onto the supports, he was out the doors, ripping them open and leaving a furious pilot behind.

  Somewhere in the roo
m, something smelled of oatmeal and shea butter.

  Atlas stopped as his feet grew heavy. The ship rose before him, with a crew of mechanics and engineers surrounding it, sparks flew like fireworks underneath the ship. Bright white lights pierced the steely, austere heaviness of the room.

  Somewhere in the distance, heavy rock played on a loudspeaker.

  And then he saw her, bent over with a metal cutter in her hand, wearing slacks and a white tank-top, wet with sweat. For the first time in all his long years, he wasn’t sure what to do.

  So he just stood quietly and watched her work. His fingers twitched to take down her pulled back hair.

  Time passed.

  Eventually the workers began to retire for the rest cycle, and new men and women came out to replace them. His captain continued to work.

  He knew he couldn’t stand there forever. He knew that she would eventually retire for the day.

  Atlas also knew that he had garnered some attention and that his presence wouldn’t be a surprise for much longer.

  Reina tore of her gloves and wiped her hands on her slacks. Her arms lifted up in a stretch before she pulled off her goggles. They left a red outline around her eyes.

  Enchanting. His mouth dried up.

  Atlas stepped forward as her hands ran through her hair and tugged out her hairband.

  He brought down his shields and channeled her arm. She stopped, dropping her hands. Her hair fell in cinched waves just past her shoulders.

  Atlas made his way toward her, drawn to her, drawn to her in such a way that had nothing to do with his tech until he stood just behind. He lifted a small handheld projector from his pocket.

  A beautiful array of flowers from all over the universe filled the space before them. Blue and airy, just like how he use to be.

  Reina stopped her breathing, reaching out to ghost her hand through the petals falling from the sky. Atlas waited until she turned around. He could smell the tears on her cheeks.

  He could see his reflection in her glistening eyes.

  “You requested me, Captain. I’m here reporting for duty.”

  “Atlas,” she said softly.

  “Reina.” He cupped her face and kissed her tears away. “Don’t cry.”

  “They wouldn’t let me see you. Wouldn’t let me testify.”

  “It was rigged.”

  “That doesn’t matter. I should have been there.” She sagged into his arms. “I missed you. I missed you so much,” Reina sighed into his chest.

  “I’m never going to leave you again, Captain. You’ll never have to miss me again.”

  Atlas held her tightly to him and breathed her in. There was no better reason to come back from the dead. And like every moment when they were together, he wanted to make it last for an eternity.

  So he did.

  Author’s note:

  Thank you for reading Star Navigator, if you liked the story or had a comment please leave me a review! I’m always trying to improve and appreciate the feedback.

  I never thought I would find a creative outlet better than drawing and painting. I even went to college for art and graduated with a degree in illustration and a degree in art conservation. It wasn’t until last summer, after a particularly long week at work, that I decided to write a story.

  Now I have a small library of books on writing, a stack of blank notebooks, and more notes than I can keep up with. I can’t wait to bring my stories to life. I only wish I could write faster so I can get them out of my head.

  If you love cyborgs, aliens, anti-heroes, and adventure, follow me on facebook or through my blog online for information on new releases and updates.

  Join my newsletter for the same information.

  Keep an eye out for my fourth book: a reclusive Cyborg hunter who is forced to take an assistant. Monsters, beasts, and aliens oh my!

  Naomi Lucas