by Andria Stone
“Bah! It’s just a scratch. Truth be known, I’ve been hurt worse in bar fights. This is good for my image. Shows I’ve still got a couple of moves left.” A roguish grin spread across the general’s lips as he turned to leave. “Take care of your new ear.”
“Ear?” Mark grabbed both ears. A soft plastic cup encased the left one. “My ear!”
“Oh, don’t be a baby. You’re lucky they didn’t fit you with a big cyborg ear the size of a Christmas ham.” Axel broke into a fit of laughter.
“It’s only an ear,” Kamryn added. “Your hair’s so long you could go without one and nobody’d notice.” She guffawed at her own remark.
Eva poked her head in the door. “We heard laughing.”
Petra navigated past her, holding an insulated container of coffee. She thrust it at Mark. “Drink this. You’ll feel better.”
He took a gulp. Oh god. His favorite—espresso with a splash of salted caramel.
“I would’ve put some booze in it, except I remember Dr. Torance saying that’s not good for nanites.”
Ohashi waded through the crowd. “You planned to do this, right? That’s why you wanted the audio recorder. We found it in your personal effects. It recorded every word.”
“I had no idea Rushing was scheduled to land,” Mark said. “Turning over our data first seemed the most expedient way to handle the problem. But, yes, I did want proof we’d come forward with every bit of information. Uh, how long have I been out?”
“Fifty-two hours,” Dr. Yar’Adua said. “Now it’s time for everyone to leave. You can come back at fourteen hundred.”
“Why was I out so long?” Mark asked as his friends left.
“You lost a lot of blood, and ears are a little tricky. Because of the damage done to your ear canal, you did undergo surgery for an augmented replacement. You know,” Dr. Yar’Adua added, “you’re very fortunate. Another few centimeters to the left and you’d be dead.”
“Will I hear better in that ear?”
“Substantially. You’ll have to learn how to tune things out, though. It comes with practice.” Dr. Yar’Adua smoothed a hand over his sheet. “Get some rest. I’ll be back.”
***
Three days later, the hospital released Mark into the glorious autumn weather of Richmond, Virginia. Dressed in new midnight blue leathers, he stood on the sidewalk feeling sensory-deprived after spending weeks off-world, then days in a military hospital.
His friends were waiting at the hotel they’d stayed in while he recuperated. Mark hailed the first cab in line. Gazing out the window, his mind replayed all the new information he’d learned while recovering from his most recent near-death experience.
He’d missed Maeve’s funeral, but Mark would forever remember her as a beautiful woman with the soul of a soldier who’d loved his friend until the day she died. Maeve now held a revered place in his heart, next to his brother, Eric.
Another missed landmark had been the incorporation of Ohashi’s company under the title Galaxy Unlimited. She’d signed the contract with TMD for her surveillance system, now called SRVL, thus becoming a wealthy young woman. Furthermore, in a very gutsy move, she’d obtained the release of the young clones taken into custody on Mars, relocating them to a convent in her native country of New Zealand. In a surprising move, Axel had become a silent partner, donating a large sum toward hiring academic and vocational educators for these displaced young people.
On a more sinister note, Mark learned that Samar Padhi, the Indian found with Valerie, had sold clones to three others: an Asian, a Russian, and an American. Axel knew their names. He knew where they were. The American had also won a contract to supply electronics to the new Terran Space Command’s mission to Europa.
They hadn’t forgotten the abused young females on Victor Parker’s ship, or that Valerie had traded at least thirty-five clones to Argus for weapons. Anyone buying clones wasn’t doing it for the betterment of humankind.
Coulter had used clones in her attempt to claim the outer reaches; she died in the emptiness of space.
Valerie used clones to further her attempted coup; she died in the fires of hell.
Rushing’s murderous treachery had brought her life to a violent end, but there was no telling how many other lives these women had taken or ruined. For them, it was always about power. Absolute power is a double-edged sword.
Now there were three new threats, the greatest one being the American who’d not only bought clones, but would supply electronics to the next Europa Mission. A persistent dread camped in the back of Mark’s mind. If it was the last thing he did, he’d see these threats were eliminated. The new mission to Europa must succeed. Mark believed that distant world was at the edge of their stars.
The cab stopped.
Axel and Kamryn were waiting for him on the red-carpeted walkway in front of the hotel. Kamryn wedged herself between them and threw her arms over their shoulders as they entered the lobby.
“Hey, I've got a joke for you, Mark. Have you heard the one where a cyborg, a soldier, and a scientist walk into a bar?”
We have gone through hell together,
fought together, laughed together, almost died together,
we are more than friends, we are family.
THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All the characters in this novel wish to thank the author, Andria Stone, for giving them a voice (applaud!) and can hardly wait until she turns them loose again in the next episode. (They also hope the whole crew lives through another adventure.)
The Author wishes to thank Amanda Ryan as Beta Reader, Jack Llartin as Editor, and Kate Rauner as Technical Consultant, who all helped shape this story. Their time, care, and influence were invaluable.
***
Edge Of The Stars Audiobook, narrated by Nic Barta, is Live and available now.
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