by Kit Tunstall
With a shrug, she said, “Nevertheless, thank you, regardless of your reasons.” He didn’t speak again, and she didn’t attempt to as she turned around and hurried the dog back into the quarters.
It was a relief to have the hydraulic door close behind her with its customary hiss, and as she collapsed against the hard surface, she drew in several deep breaths. “I hope you don’t need to go out again any time soon,” she said to Penny. The dog wagged at her before shuffling across the room to lie down on a blanket she had placed on the floor the night before.
The other door chirped, and she jumped in surprise, letting out a little yelp. Her nerves still hadn’t calmed from the encounter with the two cyborgs, and it made her more cautious as she approached the door. She wished she knew how to see who was on the other side, but she wasn’t even certain if the door offered that function. What she wouldn’t give for a peephole. Raising her voice, she almost shouted to ensure she was heard. “Who is it?”
“It’s Raven. I thought you might like a tour of the base, and the general said that would be fine.”
She released a shaky breath before putting her palm on the door to grant the cyborg entrance. She tried to smile, though she wasn’t really feeling it yet. “That sounds nice, and maybe it will be good to get out of the room.” Her heart wasn’t in it as she said the words, because right then all she wanted to do was hide in the safety—or at least perceived safety—of DVS’s room.
Raven frowned at her. “What troubles you? Your pulse is above normal parameters, as is your body temperature. Are you frightened? Or are you ill?”
Releasing a shaky sigh, Carrie quickly told Raven about what had happened. As she spoke, the other woman’s mouth tightened further with each word.
“Forget the tour. We’re going straight to the general.”
Carrie shook her head. “I will tell him, but there’s no need to bother him right now. I’m safe enough with you, and Max interceded.”
“Max?”
“MX409,” she quickly substituted. “I’m not used to calling people by letters and numbers, so I guess I just made him Max in my mind.”
Raven nodded. “I understand. I just don’t think he’ll like the designation. He’s not very fond of humans.”
Carrie chuckled. “I figured that out for myself, which was why I was so surprised when he stepped in.”
Raven shrugged. “He might not like you or trust you, but he’ll follow DVS’s orders. Safety is his primary concern, but he’s also an honorable male.”
“Whatever his reasons were for interceding, I’m grateful. Now, are you ready for that tour?”
Raven nodded, glancing at Penny. “Will she come?”
Carrie looked at her dog, who was resting. “Penny, do you want to go for a walk?”
Penny thumped her tail, but made no other attempt to move. Carrie shook her head. “Apparently, she’s having a lazy day. She might be safer here anyway.”
It took two hours for Raven to show her the major parts of the base, and it was far larger than she had anticipated. That was mainly to due to the fact a great deal of it was underground. The upper layer just looked like an abandoned installation, which was probably how the cyborgs had hidden their presence.
When she asked how they remained hidden, Raven had mentioned scramblers and a sophisticated security system. When she had tried to explain it, Carrie’s head quickly started pounding, and she’d pretended to understand what the cyborg was telling her without any true grasp of it. She wasn’t an idiot by any means, but the technology was far more advanced than what she knew from her time.
At first, she was aware of gazes on her, and it felt like each one was unfriendly, but as the afternoon progressed, it became clear that she was no longer a novelty. While she didn’t feel exactly welcome, Carrie wasn’t afraid of everyone around her as she might have been after the encounter with the two cyborgs earlier in the day.
After Raven had shown her everything, Carrie returned to the room to fetch her bag of crochet, which had somehow survived the transition from her time to this one and had been placed in DVS’s quarters along with her other bags.
Penny lumbered to her feet and made a slow trek outside before returning immediately to her blanket. Carrie was a little concerned about her, and she briefly wondered if there was such a thing as time travel sickness. Just because she hadn’t experienced it didn’t mean the dog couldn’t or wouldn’t, since her physiology was different enough to allow for the possibility.
After patting her on the head and checking her over without finding any visible signs of illness, she returned to Raven, who was waiting in the hallway for her. “You mentioned something about sunlight?”
Raven nodded, leading the way down the corridor. Carrie tried to memorize the route, and she gasped when they stepped into a huge antechamber a few minutes later. They were definitely still underground, but this looked just like a garden. Way above, she could make out what she assumed were artificial lights, because it seemed to be where the sunlight was coming from, and having been out with Penny, she already knew from experience that the sun didn’t shine that brightly outside. It was hazy due to the blowing wind and dust in the air. “What is this place?”
“It’s the atrium. It’s where we grow food, and the lights perfectly mimic the optimal ratio of UVA and UVB rays to stimulate photosynthesis.”
She was enthralled by all the greenery around her. Most of it was identifiably food, though there were a few trees that did double duty by also providing shade. They also grew fruit and nuts, and she moved to one to touch its bark experimentally. It felt like any other tree. “All of this is real?”
Raven frowned. “Do you have the ability to replicate plant life in your time?”
She shook her head. “Genetic modification, but nothing like this. It’s like an indoor garden or something.” Her words weren’t eloquent, and she couldn’t adequately describe the space. There were literally acres upon acres, and she wondered why they’d had such an unappealing meal the night before.
When she asked, Raven said, “They serve the protein mixture with every meal. Algae is our main source of protein here, though quinoa has all nine amino acids of protein as well. There are usually supplemental fruits and vegetables along with the meal, but your arrival set everyone off schedule yesterday. We tightened security, anticipating an attack, so no one worked kitchen duty. Tonight’s meal should be more satisfactory.”
That reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since they had made a brief stop by the Mess Hall earlier for what Raven had called a protein bar. It had looked like the same slurry from last night, but baked into a hardened bar, and it had tasted the same too. That had led Carrie to naturally assume it was the only source of sustenance for the group. She was relieved to hear otherwise.
Looking up, she saw a juicy peach, and she reached for it, but hesitated before picking it. “Is it all right if I have one?”
Raven hesitated for a moment, and then she nodded. “Everything’s carefully rationed, but I think it’s okay if you have one.”
Carrie let her hand drop without picking the fruit. “No, I won’t do that. I don’t want to throw off someone’s count, and I don’t deserve special treatment.”
Raven frowned at her. “You’re the general’s mate, and you’re human. Why wouldn’t you deserve special treatment?”
Carrie just smiled at her, unable to explain why it felt wrong to try to take advantage of the situation, even if taking advantage was only helping herself to one peach. Instead, she settled down on the grass beside the tree and opened her bag. “If you have duties to attend to, you don’t have to babysit me.”
Raven ignored the words as she sat down on the grass beside her, looking slightly puzzled as she did so. “I have no duties today except to be your companion. General DVS assigned me the duty.”
For some reason, the words stung, and she quickly realized it was because it implied that Raven hadn’t wanted to spend time with her. She’d been ass
igned to do so. Carrie cleared her throat and blinked away the blur of moisture in her eyes, trying not to take it personally.
Why would Raven want to spend time with her when they were strangers? It was better in a way that the cyborg had been assigned the duty, because otherwise, she might simply be seeking out Carrie’s company because Carrie was a curiosity to Raven. She didn’t want to be that either.
“I asked him though. He said it would be okay, and spending time with you is a lot more fun than cleaning munitions, which was my scheduled duty for the day.”
Carrie chuckled. “I guess I’m flattered to be more exciting than cleaning guns.”
Raven didn’t seem to be offended by her words, and she clearly didn’t detect any hint of snark. She just beamed at her as her gaze moved to Carrie’s hands. “What are you doing?”
“It’s called crochet. I was working on a baby blanket for my coworker’s daughter, who will be born soon, but I guess I won’t be giving it to her now.”
“Will you teach me how to do it?”
“Of course.” As Carrie walked her through it, another cyborg joined them. At first, she was tense as he stood over them, his expression difficult to read. Abruptly, he dropped onto the ground beside them, looking unsettled by the position as he spoke to Raven instead of her.
“What are you doing, RVN?”
“Raven,” she corrected, not missing a stitch. “It’s called crochet. It’s a human craft Carrie’s teaching me.”
After a moment, the large cyborg nodded decisively. “I would also like to learn, human female.”
His manners could use some work, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from fulfilling his request. Carrie handed him another hook and a skein of yarn, mildly amusing herself by giving him a baby-pink color. He didn’t seem to mind or notice as he studiously focused on making his first attempts at a chain stitch.
An hour passed in nearly companionable silence, although they occasionally asked her input on something. She was surprised when another cyborg joined them, but by the time four more had gathered around, all wanting to learn crochet, she was no longer startled by their interest. She was taking it in stride, though she was concerned she would soon run out of crochet hooks.
She only had three left. Yarn would be a concern as well if they continued to want to crochet. She had a few skeins left, shoved deep into the bottom of her bag, which held a substantial amount, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep a bevy of cyborgs supplied if they chose to continue crocheting.
Her stomach was growling softly when one of the cyborgs abruptly announced that dinner was starting. She showed them how to wrap and store their projects and promised she would return to the same spot tomorrow for anyone who wanted to join her. After that, she and Raven went straight to the dining hall. She would take Penny a plate after they had their meal, since she didn’t want to be late or delay the start of dinner. It was probably sheer hubris on her part to assume they might wait for her anyway, but she was trying not to inconvenience anyone with her presence.
She took a seat beside Raven, and they were deep in conversation when a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise, though she knew the touch even before she saw DVS. She wasn’t certain how, but her body recognized him. She gave him an uncertain smile. “Hello, General.”
He nodded just once. “You sit with me.”
She was surprised and startled by the decree, but didn’t argue as she stood up and walked behind him to take a seat at his table. She was secretly pleased that he had made an effort to include her, even if his phrasing could have used a little more asking and a lot less telling.
“Have you had a good day?”
She nodded, and then hesitated as she recalled the incident of the morning. “Mostly, but not entirely. I’ll tell you about it later.”
He frowned at her. “You’ll tell me what has upset you now.”
Carrie shook her head. “Now’s not the time, but I will tell you when we’re back in your quarters.”
He glared at her, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Tell me what happened now.”
She glared at him as she crossed her arms in a similar fashion. “No. I’ll tell you later.”
He let out a sigh of frustration, his gaze clearly reflecting the emotion as well. “I’m not used to having my commands countered.”
She gave him an overly sweet smile. “And I’m not used to following commands. I guess we’ll both have to adjust.” Without another word, she deliberately turned away from him to inquire how JSN’s day had been.
If he was surprised by her conversation attempts, he didn’t show it. The second-in-command simply launched into a detailed explanation of how they had identified another synthetic manufacturing facility.
“I see.” She didn’t really understand, but she wasn’t going to try to untangle the technology he’d mentioned. “What will you do with that information?”
“We’ll attack tomorrow,” said JSN in a level tone that betrayed neither anxiety nor anticipation.
The sheer matter-of-factness of his words startled her. “Attack? You mean you’re going into battle?”
He shrugged. “Of course. The more manufacturing facilities we destroy, the fewer synthetics there are to fight.”
“The humans will continue to produce more, but it’s worth our time to destroy facilities as we can,” added MX.
She turned to DVS. “Won’t you be in danger?”
He arched a dark brow. “There’s always an element of danger in battle, but it can’t be helped.”
“What if you’re injured? Or killed?” She honestly meant to refer to all of them, but it was the thought of losing DVS that actually sent a sharp pang through her chest. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait?”
He frowned. “Wait for what?”
She hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t like the idea of you—all of you—going out there and doing things like that. There has to be a way to end the war that doesn’t require fighting.”
“Don’t be naïve,” snapped MX.
“There’s always the transmission,” said Raven, raising her voice to be heard from the other table. That made it clear that the conversation she’d been having with DVS, JSN, and MX had been, in reality, with the entire room.
“What transmission?” asked Carrie.
“It’s nothing,” said DVS with an air of finality. “More human trickery. It’s simply a trap that we won’t fall into.”
Raven seemed like she wanted to say something more, but she fell silent. Peripherally, Carrie saw the stern gaze the general directed toward her friend to ensure her silence. She let the subject drop for the moment, but she would ask her about it when she had Raven alone again.
After that, conversation turned to strategy for the event tomorrow, and she let her thoughts wander. She didn’t want to know specifics or think about what they were going to be doing, because it made it all too real. She couldn’t explain why the thought of losing DVS was so devastating, other than she had no other allies here, but it was more than that.
For one thing, she clearly had an ally in Raven, and while she would be devastated if her friend was injured or killed, she didn’t think it would be quite as soul-destroying as the idea of losing DVS—the cyborg she barely knew, and certainly wasn’t anything like a mate, despite Rote’s claims that they were fated to be together.
After dinner, she said goodbye to Raven and walked with DVS back to his quarters. She wasn’t certain how she would entertain herself, but she didn’t assume he would be there with her. He would probably walk her back and leave her there, but not before demanding an explanation for the morning.
She’d be happy to provide it for him, and even happier to have his company as she took Penny out if he would stay around long enough to go with her. She didn’t like being afraid of venturing outside, but it wasn’t like taking a walk around the block of her old house. She didn’t know what else was out there, especiall
y after dark, but she knew there were cyborgs who wanted to harm her, so that was reason enough to be sensible and take an escort with her whenever possible.
When they returned to the room, she set down the plate she had brought Penny in front of the dog and frowned when Penny didn’t even wag her tail or sniff at it. “It’s much better than last night, girl. There’s still that protein quinoa stuff, but there are some stewed tomatoes and zucchini as well. I know you like zucchini.”
Penny looked up at her, giving her a brief tail wag, but she didn’t move.
Carrie got on her knees, crouching beside the dog, and fear made her heart stutter when she realized Penny was breathing heavily. She was lying on her side, and her stomach was distended. When she whimpered softly, Carrie stroked her forehead, running her fingers through the silky fur as she tried not to succumb to panic. “She’s sick.”
The general was there beside her in a moment, kneeling down to join her. “What’s wrong with her?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I thought maybe she was a little sick from time travel or something. I don’t know. Maybe there’s some kind of bacteria or virus that’s uncommon in our era. Surely it would be too soon to be making her ill though?”
Whatever the problem, Penny was clearly in distress. Tears came to Carrie’s eyes, and she couldn’t fight them back. “I can’t lose her. She’s like my baby. There’s no vet here. If she dies, I’m going to kill Freydon Rote.”
At least he didn’t point out the unlikelihood of ever seeing the peach alien again. Instead, DVS put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’ll send for OWN112.”
She blinked, looking away from Penny’s heaving sides to meet the General’s gaze. “Who’s that?”
“He’s our healer. A lot of our maintenance systems are self-repairing and self-replicating, but he knows how to use the equipment we have available to regenerate parts that require extra assistance, which address trauma situations to prevent cyborgs from dying before they can heal themselves. Perhaps he can help the dog.”
She clung to the hope, though she wasn’t overly optimistic that a cyborg healer would have enough knowledge about canine physiology to help. When she expressed the doubt, she couldn’t quite look at her dog as she said it. “He won’t know enough to help her.”