Cronus

by K. A. Finn

  Bray blinks a few times as his eyesight blurs slightly. 'I recognise that. Lucan and Chayse checked that when Gryffin came back a few months ago. It's odd but doesn't mean anything.'

  Evie nods. 'Odd always means something. You young ones are too quick to dismiss things that can't be explained. It's there so it does mean something.'

  'I've checked it. It's gibberish.'

  'On its own perhaps.'

  'What do you mean on its own?'

  'I've got something too!' Felix takes over, much to Evie's annoyance. 'My encryption program brought up something interesting.' He pulls a message up and displays it on the main screen. 'It's a message from One to someone with the charming name of Forty-Three.'

  'That's the cyborg we killed on Cronus.'

  Felix nods approvingly at Bray. 'With a name like that you were doing him a favour. Anyway, this Forty-Three reported to One that the alternative programming had been placed in all the new cyborgs. Now, given the time code on the message he was referring to the cyborgs you encountered on the new colony, not the female ones you recently met.'

  'What alternative programming?' Sayber asks.

  Felix releases a long, dramatic breath. 'If you hadn't interrupted, you would know by now.'

  Sayber clenches his jaw and gestures for him to continue. Felix nods and goes back to the screen. 'It seems there was a line of code added to each of their programming. It was dormant but could be activated remotely when needed. They were each reprogrammed. Including your brother.'

  Bray's stomach rolls. 'To do what?'

  'I haven't been able to figure that part out yet.'

  Bray stares at the screen. 'I don't understand. That line makes no sense.'

  Felix nods in agreement. 'Not individually, no. If I was a gambling man, I'd put a fair few credits on the fact this is part of a larger piece of programming.'

  'What do you mean?' Bray asks.'

  'Well. What if they divided a program between Gryffin and the others you took with you?'

  Bray wipes a hand over his face, wincing when his hand brushes off his new eyepiece. 'Why the hell didn't I see that?'

  Felix leans back and crosses his arms. 'Because it's damn sneaky, that's why.'

  'But about half of them have died since we got back,' Sayber says.

  'No telling how many need to be operational for it to be completed. Without examining all the remaining cyborgs we'll never know.'

  The room falls silent as each occupant thinks about the consequences of having a group of Foundation controlled cyborgs on Ultar — especially if Gryffin is going to lead them. Bray stares at the code on the screen hoping that Felix got it wrong. But he knows he hasn't. It's going to happen again. Gryffin is going to help destroy Ultar. 'We need to contact them again. Now!'

  Felix shakes his head. 'You're in Foundation space now, son. It's not quite as easy as just sending them a message. We need to hijack the comms on a ship going through the Port.'

  'You don't understand. I don't know what he's going to do, but it's not going to be good.'

  'We'll prepare a message but there's not a lot we can do right now. Just keep your fingers crossed they send something through the Port fairly sharpish.'

  Bray looks back at the information on the screen. He's got a really bad feeling about this.

  ULTAR

  Terra stares over at Gryffin, waiting for him to tell her what he just said was a joke. It's absolutely ridiculous to even contemplate he was anything other than serious. She's known him for two years and joking was not something Gryffin did. When he says something, he means it.

  Terra gets to her feet, needing to put a little distance between them. 'You have got to be kidding me.' She turns around to face him again. 'This isn't the time for hair-brained ideas, Gryffin. The control implant is killing you.'

  He struggles to his feet. 'I'm not an idiot, Terra. I get it.' Gryffin rests his head against the bars and closes his eyes. 'If these new cyborgs didn't exist, I'd consider having the work reversed. That's not an option anymore. You really think we can survive an army of cyborgs more advanced than me? The new cyborgs are strong and damn tough. As a cyborg, I'm going to have a hard enough time fighting them. As a human...' He lets the sentence hang. 'The only way we stand a chance is if I'm at the same level as them technology-wise. My implants are two decades behind theirs. I need to be upgraded.'

  Terra stands in front of him, unable to find the right words to say. The main thought overpowering all others is that she'd prefer losing him to death than have him live one day as a weapon just as her father intended. And that terrifies her.

  She takes his hand in hers and squeezes it. She looks up at him and his bloodshot blue eye meets hers. 'The most important thing is making sure you're all right.' She reaches up and taps a finger against the side of his head. 'Fixing that will save you.'

  'The only way to fix it is to take it out and try to repair it. I'll be in a stasis pod for months. If it can't be fixed I'm done for. I won't be waking up again. I can't survive without it and that's fact. Even if they do manage to fix it, best case, I'll be out of commission for months. I'm your best fighter. Taking me out now is a dumb move.'

  She smirks. 'Best fighter, huh?'

  'Well, I could be again, with some work. You'll need me and the other cyborgs to fight, not be burdens while we recover. Not while you're facing the Foundation. They've got an army, Terra. What the hell have we got?'

  Terra holds on to his hand. 'We'll be fine. You don't need to even consider this.'

  He pulls out of her grip. 'Fine? We'll all be dead, Terra. The only way for the colonies to survive is if you have your own operational cyborgs to fight with you.'

  'And what if you die, huh? What if overhauling your implants kills you? Where would that leave us?'

  'We're going around in circles. I don't have the work done I'm dead anyway. I have the work done and I might die. Which one sounds like the better option? I've spoken to the other cyborgs. We want both options explored or we stay put. Have you seen the footage from the base?'

  Terra nods. Roman had shown everyone during the afternoon briefing. The thought of an army of cyborgs like that terrifies her. 'I agree they're strong, but we can deal with them. We'll figure something out. There has to be a dozen other ways that don't involve you considering kissing your humanity goodbye.' She slumps back in the chair and looks at him. 'Did you seriously think I'd be okay with this?'

  'It's got nothing to do with you.'

  Terra stares at Gryffin as the enormity of what he just said settles on her. In those few words he had summed up how he thinks they work. She knew it was far from a normal relationship. Being with someone like Gryffin made anything normal difficult, but she had hoped he considered her an equal, someone important in his life. It appears she was wrong, and that hurts. 'I can't believe you just said that. Of course it has something to do with me.'

  'This isn't the time for this.'

  'That's where you're wrong. You're in there and you're damn well going to listen to me.'

  'Listen to what? If I decide to get my implants upgraded we'll deal with it.'

  'You really think it's that simple? You can't tell me to just deal with it and leave it at that. This is a life changing decision, Gryffin. One that, whether you like it or not, will affect me too.'

  'The Nomad come first.'

  Terra slumps back on the chair and takes a deep breath to calm herself. If she gets worked up, this conversation is as good as over. He'll dig his heels in and order her to drop the subject. 'The Nomad come first for you, but not for me. You come first.'

  That shuts him up for a few seconds which is better than an instant dismissal. 'I'm High Commander of the Nomad.'

  Terra nods. That's his way of telling her she has no part in whatever decision he makes. 'I understand that. All I'm asking is for you to think about this from my angle.'

  'There can't be another angle, Terra. I need you to get that.'

  'We're in a relationship, Gryffin
. I'm asking you to get that - even for a moment. You live from day to day, from battle to battle, disaster to disaster. You jump into dangerous situations without considering for one moment how it will affect the people that care about you.' She taps the side of her head. 'There's just you, your ship and your Nomad in there, right? There's no room for anything or anyone else. I thought that after my time on Ares we had grown closer. I guess I was wrong because I sure as hell didn't see this coming.'

  'I didn't force you to stay on Ares with me.'

  'I'm not saying that. You're not even listening to what I'm trying to say.'

  'So you're saying I don't give a damn about you.'

  'That's not what I'm saying either.'

  'Then what?'

  'I get why you make the decisions you do, but just for once I'd like you to consider me. Consider us. Even for a few seconds before you plan something as life changing as this.'

  'Of course I do,' he shouts, startling Terra. 'If I wasn't considering you I'd have shut off my damn implants weeks ago. You are the only reason I've delayed ending this hell as long as I have. All I've done is try to do the right thing by you.' He gives up standing and goes back to his bed to sit on the edge.

  His words take a few seconds to sink in. 'Delayed? You were planning on killing yourself?'

  'That's still the plan, Terra. I told you I don't want to go out in this fucking cell. I want to be on my ship, Terra. On my terms.'

  'You're giving up?'

  'Giving up on what? I'm dying, Terra. It's time you accept that and stop pressuring Milla to find a miracle cure.' He sighs and shakes his head. 'Right now, the only options I have are to go to Earth and buy a little more time so I can end Project Conscript once and for all, or I stay here and die on my ship. There are no other options. If I can be a part of taking down the Foundation I'll give option one a go, otherwise I'm back to my original plan.'

  'So that's it? An upgrade or turn off your implants. Hell of a choice. But like you said, it's got nothing to do with me. That's how we do things, right? You make all the important decisions and I just have to go along with it.'

  'That's not even close to how we work. Stop blurring the lines. This decision is for the Nomad. It's not about us.'

  'I'm not even sure there is an us. I'm trying so hard, Gryffin, but I'm running out of energy. Do you have any idea how difficult the last year has been for me? Do you have the first clue what I've lost? My home, my friends, my family. I've even lost my career. Then I have to try to deal with thinking you're dead for ten months.

  'When you came back... I thought I found a home again on Ares. A group of space pirates became my new family. But ever since I joined Ares— sorry, was allowed to stay on board, you've been treating me like I'm a... I don't know what. Certainly not a member of the crew. All I'm asking for is a little consideration every now and again. Surely that's not too much to ask.'

  'We've all lost something, Terra. We've all made sacrifices. You don't get special treatment for having a shit few months. If we all did, I reckon my six years of being tortured every day beats your few months of having your Foundation life thrown on its ass.'

  Terra bites back her terse reply. She's not going to win the 'who's had a worse life' game. He's top of that leader board. That doesn't mean what she's been through hasn't affected her. She may not have been repeatedly tortured, but that doesn't diminish her pain.

  Thinking he was dead for nearly a year on top of dealing with forced exile in the Outer Sector was bad enough without finding out her father had faked his death and had been the one who tortured Gryffin for all those years.

  They'd spoken of it briefly, but not for a long time. When Gryffin had come up with the plan to use himself as bait to find her father a few weeks ago, it had brought the truth of her father's involvement to light.

  He wasn't in the slightest bit excited to see his daughter again after so long. All he cared about was getting his beloved prototype back. He had strapped Gryffin to the operating table and hurt him without any trace of remorse, or hesitation, or disgust. If anything, he had enjoyed Gryffin's reaction to the pain he was inflicting. In no part of her darkest, deepest thoughts had she truly accepted what her father had become. Not until then.

  When he embedded a knife in each of Gryffin's thighs just for fun, a part of her withered away. Whatever love, respect, or pleasant memories she had of her father ceased to exist. It was all a lie. The man who stole Roman's son and Bray's brother from his happy life - that was the truth. And was the cause of her sleepless nights.

  She wants to talk about it, needs to, but to whom? Roman is harbouring enough guilt about his part in young Daegan being used in the project. He mentioned once that Gryffin only exists because of him. Daegan would have grown up with his mother and Bray on Earth if not for him. It's ridiculous really. Daegan was taken because of her father. Roman couldn't have stopped that. Even if he had known Daegan was his son, he still couldn't have stopped it.

  Talking to Gryffin is out. He wouldn't understand. Couldn't understand. She can't even say for sure that he's fully accepted the Scientist is her father. If he did, how could he realistically want anything to do with her?

  She knows she wouldn't if the tables were turned. Milla is always there for her but she's got her plate full with Chayse and Nemesis. All she can do is try to deal with it herself or do a Gryffin and completely ignore it, pushing her feelings to the back of her mind. It seems to work for him.

  'I don't want to fight about this. I really don't. I know what you're saying, Gryffin. I'm just...' Tired. Worn out. Desperately in need of some good news. She looks across at the man she loves and realises things are going to get so much worse. She knows he's dying but is it so wrong to hang on to whatever hope she can? He may have given up and accepted he only has two options. Neither one will give him a long and happy life. Neither one will give him a life with her.

  'What I'm trying to say is that there should be two of us in this relationship, but right now it feels like I'm not one of them - it's you and the Nomad. You make all the important decisions and tell me as an afterthought. Tell - not discuss.'

  'That's not true.'

  'Really? So you're telling me this plan to hand over your brain to the control implant just came to you. Like a flash of inspiration.' He clamps his mouth shut and Terra laughs harshly. 'Thought not.'

  'What the hell do you want from me, Terra? You're the most important person in my life. I'd die for you in a heartbeat. You know that. But what's happening, is bigger than us. Bigger than your feelings. Bigger than my feelings. I'm the Nomad High Commander. That will always come first - not us.'

  Gryffin silently stares at her, nothing showing on his face. Terra sighs and shakes her head. 'Message received, loud and clear, sir.' She turns on her heel and storms towards the door, slamming her hand against the control panel.

  8

  ULTAR

  Milla shouts and drops the screen on the floor in front of her as Terra bursts through the door. 'You scared me half to death.'

  Terra sits on the couch opposite her desk, completely ignoring Chayse sitting beside her on the couch. 'He's finally lost his mind.'

  Milla bends down and picks up the screen, placing it on her desk. 'Who?'

  'I mean who in their right mind would even consider something like this? The whole idea is downright certifiable.'

  Chayse pushes himself off the seat. 'Think that's my cue to leave you two alone.'

  'No,' Terra says, finally acknowledging him. 'You know him as well as anyone. Do you think he's lost grip on reality?'

  Chayse slumps back on the couch and stretches his legs out. Milla stares over at the stunning Nomad who has become her world.

  Since Gryffin made him Captain of Nemesis, he's taken the role in his stride. In spite of Chayse's initial reservations, it seems Gryffin knew exactly what he was doing when he made that out-of-the-blue decision. The crew love him and so does Milla.

  Gryffin's former aide grabbed her attention
from the first minute she saw him on Ultar all those years ago. In that instant, she knew she would get to know him one way or another. She's only human after all. Terra had her sights locked on Gryffin and Milla on Chayse.

  And now look at the two of them. Both had gotten their man. It's just a shame only one of them would get their happily ever after. If she's being honest with herself, she never expected to fall in love with Chayse or for Gryffin to break all the rules so they could be together. When Gryffin had officially made her the doctor on Nemesis, he had also made her the first female Nomad in the history of the group.

  She had expected some resistance from the longer serving Nomad, but no one had batted an eyelid. Their High Commander had made a decision and the group accepted that. End of story.

  Being on the same ship as Chayse had changed her life for the better. Being a Nomad had done that too. For the first time in her life, she's proud of what she's doing. And she gets to be with a man who makes her happier than she remembers being before.

  As a whole, the Nomad were a group that demanded you take notice. With a leader like Gryffin they were difficult to ignore. Chayse may not have Gryffin's 'I can kill you with one look' stare, but each day, she can see him growing into his role as captain. The terrified aide who felt so far out of his depth is gone and a Nomad captain is appearing.

  He certainly looks the part too. Rigorous training had turned the once wiry body to an impressive solid mass of muscle. His black leather uniform matches her own, but on his body it is more than a little distracting.

  Black Nomad tattoos cover both arms and the left side of his chest. That one he was particularly proud of. The symbol over his heart marked him as a captain. Something he never thought he would see on his flesh.

  Milla has a small griffin on her wrist which told everyone she is under Gryffin's protection. From what she's heard, it's a damn effective deterrent. She'd need to work up to getting an official Nomad mark.

  Terra waves her hand at Milla. 'Hey? Hello! Are you listening?'