Ethan: Cyborg of Honor

by T. J. Quinn

She shrugged. “I’m sure yours hasn’t been easy either.”

  “I was conceived to fight. I had no parents, no family and all that I was taught was to fight,” he explained, trying to dismiss how terrible his childhood and most of his adult life had been.

  “That doesn’t make it any easier. You still have feelings,” she protested.

  “Sometimes I doubt that,” he said with a grimace.

  “Well, you shouldn’t,” she said vehemently. “Take a look at what you’re doing now. You could have left and forgotten about this planet and its problems and yet you decided to help us find our freedom.”

  He smiled. “That’s part of who I am, part of my programming.”

  She snorted. “You care, that’s all.” She stopped, suddenly, stretching her arm to stop him. “Hush, we have company,” she warned him in a soft tone.

  Ethan carefully pulled his weapon from its sheath and looked around them. Their suits immediately changed color to mimic the green around them and Neela push him behind a huge tree.

  “What is it?” he whispered in her ear.

  “It’s an Esyriuk, a predator. Look at it, it’s sleeping on that branch, can you see it?” she told him, pointing at a tree not far from where they were.

  Ethan was able to see a beast lying over the branch like a cheetah would. But that was the resemblance ended. This creature had an elongated head, with three eyes and a pointed snout filled with sharp teeth that stuck out of its mouth. It also had six legs, which were positioned along its spine. For what he could see, each paw had four toes, which ended in razor sharp claws and its body was covered with long black and yellow hair.

  It looked like a creature taken out of hell.

  “What should we do?”

  “They usually sleep all day, and it takes a lot to disturb their sleep unless they’re hungry,” she told him, still studying the creature. “We have to walk around it, and probably forget about the idea of setting a camp near the river.”

  “You think it will be hunting there tonight?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it.” She looked around trying to make a decision.

  “Let’s scan the area. It might show us a cave or something,” he suggested, punching a few signs on his left sleeve.

  A hologram raised up and soon they were examining a small map of the area. After a while, they found a small cave, though it was a bit further than she would have liked it.

  “I have perfect night vision. I’m sure we can pull this off,” he told her, setting a course.

  “Very well. Let’s not waste any time.”

  They silently walked out of there, and Neela only breathed normally when she was sure they had left the beast behind. She had seen once what the creature was capable of and she had no intentions of becoming its prey.

  They managed to reach the cave right on time, and after Ethan checked it to make sure there were no hidden dangers, they set up camp there.

  “How do you think we’ll be received by the tribe?” he asked, while they were enjoying their meal.

  “It’s hard to tell,” she admitted. “Much depends on who is the leader now. Last time I was here, the man ruling the tribe was quite old and very conservative. His grandson, on the other hand, hated the Dreshanians deeply because his only sister was selected to participate in the hunting games,” she explained, with a sad sigh. “She died, attacked by an esyriuk and Drannor was the one that found what was left of her body.”

  “That must have been terrible for him.”

  “He was just a boy, not much older than me, probably sixteen years old and his sister was twenty-five. One more year, and she would have escaped the games.”

  “Our chances of getting their support would be a lot more favorable if he’s in charge now,” Ethan concluded.

  “Yes, I think so too. Either way, I want to contact him first. We used to be friends when we were kids and before his sister was killed,” she explained. “He will tell me if we should discuss our plans or not with the rest of the tribe.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Ethan agreed.

  “I’ll have to go and talk to him alone,” she warned him. “He’s the kind that will attack first and ask later.”

  “How can you say that and expect me to let you go to him alone?” he grumbled.

  “He won’t attack me. He knows me, and though he changed a lot after Chalia’s death, I’m sure he would never hurt me,” she assured him.

  “You can’t be sure of that.”

  The idea of sending Neela alone to talk to the man sounded worrisome, very worrisome. All his protective instincts rejected the idea.

  “But I am. He was one of the few people that accepted me despite my appearance. I’m sure he will at least hear me out,” she insisted. “If you go with me, he might attack us, and that will ruin everything.”

  “I still don’t like that idea,” he grumbled.

  She put down her empty plate and slid closer to him, cradling his handsome face with one hand. “I’ll be fine. And you’ll be there, hearing everything, ready to intervene if needed,” she told him.

  “Bad things can happen in a split second,” he said in a somber tone.

  “I know, but I’ll be careful, and I won’t take anything for granted. I’ll be fine, I’m sure. We didn’t come all the way here just to ruin things at the last minute.”

  He nodded, but she could tell he wasn’t happy. “Get some rest. You’ll need a clear head to face these people,” he told her, kissing the palm of her hand. “I’ll be on guard.”

  “You need to get some rest too.”

  “Not really. My body replaces its energy with very little rest. I don’t even need to sleep for it, thanks to my nanocybots,” he explained.

  “That sounds great. I imagine your people use those little things to enhance all the population,” she commented, sounding intrigued.

  He shook his head. “No, they didn’t. The thing with nanocybots is that they have a mind of their own and they pretty much decide how your body will respond in the face of circumstances. Humans weren’t ready to give that much power to tiny robots.”

  “And yet, they implanted them in you and the ones like you.”

  “Yes, because ever since our conception, we were seen more like machines than actual humans. During the wars, we were practically enslaved by humans. We only gained our independence when the wars were over, and the whole planet was devastated.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “Yes, but not as much as you would think. We never knew freedom. We were born to become warriors, and that’s the only thing we knew,” he explained. “Despite humans’ desire, life taught us to demand more, and when there was nothing left to fight for, we decided to take our lives into our own hands.”

  “I’m glad you’re finally free.”

  “Me too.” He leaned forward and stole a kiss from her lips. “Now, get some rest, before I change my mind and keep you awake all night long.”

  She chuckled. “Uhmmm that sounds a lot more interesting than sleeping all alone,” she said, with a naughty grin.

  “Of course, it does, but this time and this time only, duty comes first,” he said, kissing her one last time.

  She nodded and walked to the other side of the small fire he had started, to lay down on the small self-inflated mattress he had put there for her.

  He had one for himself, right next to her, but after having seen that creature, he had decided to stay awake all night long, just in case.

  Neela woke up before the sunrise and found Ethan already up and at the cave’s entrance, watching the sun come up in the purple skies.

  “Good morning, little elf. Did you have a good night?” he asked, turning around to meet her eyes, with a smile.

  She smiled back, stretching. “Yes, I did. I knew I was safe with you here,” she said, jumping up and walking towards him.

  He took her in his arms and kissed her good morning. “I’m glad. Now let’s get some breakfast.”

&
nbsp; She kissed him one more time and nodded. “With luck, we’ll reach the tribe in a few hours, and if all goes as expected, we should be back here before nightfall.”

  “There’s no rush. We’ll stay as long as necessary to convince them we want to help and that we have no intentions of becoming the new Dreshanians,” he replied, walking with her to where the fire still burned.

  “Of course, with luck that won’t take us much longer,” she said, picking up their breakfast from one of the backpacks.

  “Aren’t you excited to see some of your people?” he asked, with a slight frown.

  She shook her head. “No, Drannor was my friend when I was a child, but after Chalia’s death he changed, and things were never the same, so no, I’m not excited with the possibility of meeting people that have rejected me most of my life,” she explained, shrugging.

  “I won’t allow them to make you feel bad,” he started saying.

  “No, you mustn’t worry about me. I’m used to their attitude. The important thing here is to talk to them and reach an agreement that might make things easier for you and the colonizers. If you antagonize them over me, we won’t get that,” she warned him.

  “I can’t just sit and watch them hurt you,” he protested.

  “They won’t hurt me. They lost that power a long time ago. I’ve learned to ignore their opinion of me, and you have to do the same if you want this meeting to work,” she insisted as she handed him the food.

  He sighed but nodded.

  They left right after they had breakfast and this time, they were able to reach the mountain with no nasty surprises.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “As we go up the mountain, we’ll be very vulnerable,” she explained, making a pause at the bottom. “Remain as calm as possible and let me do all the talking, please.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  She took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

  Neela looked at the narrow trail that went up the mountain and sighed. Seeing Drannor after all those years wasn’t going to be easy, but she guessed it would help her close a chapter of her life. When they were toddlers, he had been like a brother to her, but as they grew up, he had become a bit more than that.

  Last time they had seen each other she had been fourteen years old, and she had turned him in her mind, into some sort of hero that would save her from her terrible existence. But Drannor had proven to be no different from the rest of her people, and his rejection had shattered her heart into a million pieces.

  She had gotten over it, but she was sure it would still hurt looking at him and being reminded of all of her broken dreams.

  They were halfway up the mountain when some sort of warning arrow flew by next to her to bury itself in a tree.

  “We’re under attack,” Ethan snarled, grabbing her arm and putting his hand on his weapon.

  “No, we’re not. That was just a warning. Do not withdraw your weapon or they will considerate it a provocation,” she warned him, staying as still as possible. “We have to wait here. They will come for us,” she added, looking up ahead.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, scanning the area and finding at least four armed men not far from them.

  “Yes, just be patient.”

  He nodded, though he wasn’t very pleased with the idea of staying there like sitting ducks.

  The men reached them in just a few minutes.

  “Who are you and what your business here is?” one of the men asked.

  “My name is Neela, I’m from the Orion tribe, and my friend here would like to talk to your leader regarding a matter of importance,” she explained, in a firm tone.

  “Your friend is an alien. Is he one of the colonizers?” one of the other men asked with disdain.

  Most tribe members, all over the planet, hated the colonizers for taking what they considered their lands.

  “No, he isn’t, but he brings a message from them,” she replied.

  “We have no interest in anything that comes from them,” the first man ranted.

  “Why don’t you let your leader be the judge of that?” she asked, knowing she was provoking him, but not willing to be sent away by some guards. “I’m sure he wouldn’t be very pleased to know you prevented us from talking to him, making him lose a great opportunity.”

  They didn’t like her words, as she expected, but fortunately, they decided to give them a chance.

  “Hand us your weapons and follow us,” the man grumbled.

  Ethan considered protesting, but judging by the weapons the men carried, he wouldn’t have much trouble fighting them with his own hands. So, he handed one of the men his weapons, and soon they resumed their way up the mountains.

  They were taken to a small chamber at the entrance of the caves, and two of the men stayed with them while the others went to warn their leader.

  “This place hasn’t changed a bit,” she said, looking around, before taking a seat on a stone.

  “When was the last time you were here?” Ethan asked, pacing the room, a bit impatient.

  “Over four sun rotations,” she replied, with a sigh.

  “Well, well, well, isn’t this a surprise.” A man’s voice interrupted them.

  Drannor was at the chamber entrance. Though he had clearly changed a lot in the past years, she was able to recognize him immediately. The boy was now a full grown man, tall, strong and muscled, definitely a true warrior.

  “Drannor, it’s a pleasure seeing you again,” she said, slowly getting up.

  “I heard you had been captured during the hunting games,” he said, with a frown, taking a step towards her. “How is it possible you’re here?”

  “Vlyse sold me to this man,” she explained, gesturing toward Ethan. “He’s here on behalf of the colonizers to talk to your father.”

  Drannor’s face showed his disgust, and for a moment, she wished she could wipe it off his face with a good punch.

  “My father died last winter,” he stated icily. “And I have no interest in hearing anything that comes from the colonizers.”

  “Even if it concerns your people’s best interests?” Ethan asked, stepping closer, not a bit pleased with the man’s expression.

  Unlike the females, Athean males were almost as tall as he was. Surely, not as strong, but he would be a worthy opponent.

  “I doubt anything coming from those invaders would be in my people’s best interests,” Drannor replied, not budging an inch. “Especially, when their emissary is nothing but a slaver,” he added scornfully.

  “I’m not a slaver, but my relationship with Neela is private and has nothing to do with my business here,” Ethan retorted.

  “Drannor, please hear him out,” Neela asked him. “Unless you’ve changed more than I ever thought possible, what he has to say is what you have been expecting all these years – a chance to get even with the Dreshanians.”

  Drannor’s expression changed slightly, but he finally agreed to hear Ethan. “Let’s hear it.”

  Ethan quickly explained why he was there and the colonizers’ plans.

  “They know it’s a matter of time for the Dreshanians to turn greedier and they want to stop them before that happens,” Ethan concluded.

  “And they want our help?” Drannor asked, with scorn.

  “They want the tribes to be a part of it, yes. They won’t leave the planet, once they manage to defeat the Dreshanians, but they want to live in peace with your people. They want to form a ruling council with members of the colonies and the tribes.”

  “Why should we accept this? For all I know, this could be a trap from the Dreshanians to test our loyalty,” Drannor said, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

  “Believe me, I would never do anything for the Dreshanians,” Ethan assured him.

  “And yet, you did business with them,” Drannor pointed out.

  “I had no choice. They sold the women to the Kallasians. It didn’t take me much to realize what kind of people they were and I did what I could to sa
ve the at least some of the women from them,” Ethan explained. “And just to be clear, the Kallasians aren’t part of the group trying to get rid of the Dreshanians.”

  “You’re asking me to trust you, a man I’ve never seen before,” Drannor insisted.

  “Do you really think I would come all the way here to set up you and your people, Drannor?” Neela asked, in a stern tone.

  “He could be forcing you, for all I know. Besides, we both know you have more than enough reasons to hate our people,” he replied, showing some regret in his tone.

  “No matter what happened in the past, I would never risk the lives of innocent people the way you’re implying, Drannor,” she protested in a stern tone. “The only reason we’re here is that, of all tribes, I thought we had better chances of finding here people with the courage to join the colonizers in this,” she added. “Perhaps, I was mistaken.”

  “You know better than anyone I want to get rid of those bastards!” Drannor ranted.

  “Then, this is your chance,” she said earnestly. “The only one you’ll ever have, and you know that.”

  Drannor pursed his lips and walked out of the room, obviously upset by her words.

  Neela sighed and took a seat on the same rock. “He’ll be back,” she told Ethan with a faint smile. Ethan nodded, looking at her strangely. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  “Your relationship with him was a lot closer than I thought,” he stared stonily.

  Neela rubbed her face. “Yes, we were very close. But then he changed and started acting like the rest, and we grew distant,” she explained.

  “You loved him.” It wasn’t a question.

  She opened her mouth to answer that, but she closed it again without saying a word. Had she really loved him? Yes, she had, but not like a woman loves the man of her life. First, she had loved Drannor like the brother she hadn’t had and then, she had turned him into the hero she wanted so bad to find, the man that would save her from her sad life.

  When he proved to be as judgmental as the rest of the Atheans, it had been very disappointing, but it hadn’t broken her heart. Not the way she knew Ethan would when he finally decided it was time to end their relationship.