The Magnificent Cyborg

by Honey Phillips

  The communicator lay in a broken heap on the floor. It could have fallen from the counter, but the degree of damage argued for a more deliberate destruction. What the hell had happened here? Despite the empty rooms and the absence of any obvious signs of danger, uneasiness filled him. The search had taken longer than he had intended. He needed to get back to Cherry.

  He ran back to the rocks, a sudden sense of urgency causing him to use his cyborg speed, but when he rounded the outcropping, he realized that he was too late. Maverick lay crumpled on the ground and Cherry was gone.

  “What the hell are we going to do with her? With both of them?”

  “I’ve got a few ideas.”

  “Oh, shut up, Hal. We’re not fucking rapists.”

  The sound of men arguing penetrated Cherry’s consciousness. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was sliding off of Maverick’s back so she could creep over to the edge of the rocks and see if Wyatt was returning. Then nothing.

  Her head ached, and she instinctively started to lift her hand to it.

  “Careful, honey. You’ve got a hell of a bump.”

  “Esme?” Her eyes flew open to see the other woman bending over her, her dark eyes filled with concern. Cherry’s relief at seeing her friend safe and apparently uninjured made her forget about the pain in her head. “You’re all right!”

  “I’ve been better,” Esme muttered. “I suspect you have too.”

  “I don’t understand. Where are we?”

  “Prisoners,” the other woman said as she helped Cherry sit up.

  Rather than being in a jail cell, they were in what appeared to be an office of some kind. White prefab walls surrounded them on three sides, while the fourth wall held a door and a big window looking out into a corridor. Two men were standing there staring at them and she remembered that they had been arguing.

  “Who are you?” she demanded. “Why have you brought me here?”

  They exchanged uneasy glances, and she took the opportunity to study them. Ordinary-looking men dressed in GenCon overalls, they didn’t appear any different than the hundreds of other workers she had seen during her time on Mars.

  “You shouldn’t have been snooping,” one of them said defensively.

  “Snooping? I was just coming to visit my friend. And why is she here? She and her husband have a legal claim.”

  She heard Esme’s breath catch at her words and suddenly remembered Big Tom. Where was he? And for that matter, where was Wyatt?

  The men exchanged another glance.

  “That’s all gonna be different now. GenCon is going to give out the claims to them who deserve it,” one man said, but Cherry noticed that his companion didn’t look convinced.

  “They don’t have the authority to do that,” she said calmly.

  “Maybe not yet. But they will soon enough.”

  The worried man elbowed him. “Shut up, Hal. You know we ain’t supposed to talk about it.”

  “Who are they gonna tell?” Hal blustered, but he cast a nervous glance over his shoulder.

  She would tell Wyatt, of course. She had absolutely no doubt that he was already searching for her but there was no point in revealing that fact to these men. The two had another argument, too quietly for her to hear this time, then both of them disappeared.

  “Esme, what’s going on? And where’s Tom?”

  “I don’t know!” Esme’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. “I’m sure he’s here because I heard them talking about him—something about how the company would want him because he’s a good specimen. What does that even mean?”

  “I don’t know.” She had to admit that it didn’t sound good, but she did her best to smile reassuringly. “Maybe they’re thinking of putting him to work. Is that why you called Wyatt?”

  “You knew?”

  “I was there when the call came in. Wyatt came to investigate and I made him bring me along.”

  “That’s so like you. Thank you for coming.” Esme threw her arms around Cherry and hugged her, then apologized when Cherry winced. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about your poor head. And you’d be much better off if you hadn’t come.”

  Cherry gave her a quick hug in return. “Nonsense. We’ve been in tougher situations.”

  “Tougher than being held in an unknown location by strange men on a hostile planet?” A flash of her usual humor appeared on Esme’s face.

  “We’re alive and no one has harmed us yet, so I would say yes.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “I know I’m right.” She lowered her voice. “And I’m sure Wyatt is already looking for us. But how did they get you?”

  “Tom was out planting lichen on a new plot and he saw a convoy of rovers. That wasn’t really unusual. There’s a track across the valley, and we see the occasional traffic. But then they just seemed to… vanish.”

  “Vanish?”

  “They went behind one of those big rock formations and never came back out. He was worried that something might have happened to them so he told me to call Wyatt while he went to see if he could help.”

  “Your communication got interrupted.”

  “I know. I thought maybe it was just the antenna so I went to get my coat and mask and…” She shuddered. “I turned around and there was this… man standing there. At least I think it was a man. His face looked like he was wearing a mask—white and expressionless. But I didn’t get a good look because he came at me so quickly I think he must have hit me too. I woke up here with a bump on my skull just like yours.”

  A faint memory flashed through her mind at Esme’s words. A white face that had looked oddly familiar bending over her as she fell to the ground. Had she really seen someone?

  “I think I saw someone like that, but I’m not sure. It’s all a blur.” She put a tentative hand on her head, cautiously probing the lump. Even though it was tender, she didn’t think there would be any lasting damage.

  “But none of that answers the question of why we’re here. Or even where here is.” She studied the room but there were no clues to their location. A desk, two chairs, the blank walls—it could have been any standard administrative office. “Do you know how long you were out?”

  “No, but I don’t think it was that long. What about you?”

  She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. But I agree, it didn’t seem that long. Maybe an hour? Which would mean we’re still in the valley. If—no, when we get out of here, I suspect we’ll find out what was concealed in those rocks.”

  Before Esme could respond, a string of curse words erupted from the corridor, along with an odd scraping sound. They both hurried to the window. Hal and his companion had reappeared and they were dragging a body between them—a big, heavy body dressed in black.

  “Wyatt! What have you done to him?” She grabbed the door handle, trying in vain to open it, to go to him. She pounded on the door, then the window, but the men ignored her, swearing and panting as they dragged him past her cell and disappeared out of sight down the hallway. Her hands throbbed from pounding on the glass but she couldn’t make herself stop until Esme gently closed her hands over hers.

  “Stop it, Cherry. You’re hurting yourself.”

  “I don’t care. What have they done to him? Do you think he’s… dead?”

  She’d been through this once before—the knock on the door, the knowledge that he was gone—and she had barely survived. How could she do it again? And how could she have been so foolish as to not take advantage of every second to be with him once he had reappeared in her life? The hurt she had felt at his lack of memory was nothing to the pain washing over her now.

  “Cherry.” Esme gave her a gentle shake. “Listen to me, honey. I’m sure he’s not dead.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “For one thing, he’s a cyborg and they’re almost impossible to kill. He didn’t have any wounds, did he?”

  She thought frantically back to the glimpse she had gotten a
nd some of her fear dissipated. “No. I didn’t see any damage. But he wasn’t moving—how could they do that?”

  “I don’t know, but as long as he’s alive, there’s hope. Right?”

  She forced herself to take a deep breath and dash away the tears. “You’re right. Now we just need to figure out a way out of here.”

  Chapter Twelve

  W-246 tried to fight back the panic racing through his system as his nanites struggled to keep his pulse in check. Where was Cherry? What had happened to her? He bent over Maverick, searching for any clues. The horse’s primary power supply had been removed—simply yanked from his chest. It should have been impossible. No one other than a cyborg should have been fast enough to reach it before Maverick could defend himself.

  Had one of his rangers gone rogue? He would have sworn it was impossible, but he had no other explanation. But right now, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting Cherry back.

  He switched Maverick to his secondary power source. Out here, solar power was the only option for charging it and it would take some time to come back online—time he didn’t have. When he switched over to the solar-powered backup, the horse rose to his feet, but his legs were shaky and his steps uneven. He couldn’t ride him like this. He needed a full charge and a chance to recover.

  “Stay here in the sun and recharge your power source,” he said as he led the horse out of the rocks. “I’ll be back for you as soon as I can, but I have to find Cherry first.”

  Maverick tossed his head and took a few shaky steps forward, but W-246 put a restraining hand on his mane. “I know you want to help but you need to regain your strength. Stay here, Maverick. That’s an order.”

  The horse pawed at the ground restlessly, but he didn’t attempt to follow as W-246 took off. He hated to leave him, but all he could do was leave the horse in the sun and hope that the unknown enemy didn’t return.

  The need to find Cherry beat a constant tattoo in his chest but he forced himself to think as he scanned the valley. It looked as peaceful and undisturbed as before.

  Wherever she had been taken, he was sure it hadn’t been back towards the habitat. But the distant track that ran through the center of the valley led off in two directions. Praying that he could find some indication of recent movement, he set off at a fast jog, restraining his speed just enough to search constantly for any clue. All he saw was an occasional scuff mark, but they could just as easily have been caused by the wind.

  As he drew closer to the road, he caught a faint glimmer of light from the rock formation in the center of the valley. It disappeared again almost immediately but he remembered that he had seen a similar flash earlier. A desperate hope flared in his heart and he abandoned his cautious pace, setting out at a full run.

  The towering rocks appeared to rise directly out of the flat floor of the valley in one solid mass, but something had caused that flash of light. He slowed his pace again and began circling the base of the formation. Halfway around the other side, he found it—a jagged indentation that appeared to come to a dead end in the rock. But because he was looking for it, he could see that the sand had been disturbed, packed down into hard ridges. He followed it inwards and the path didn’t end in another rock wall. Instead, he turned the corner and found a wide passage through the rocks, wide enough for one of the big rovers.

  Despite his nanites, his heart pounded as he followed the track around several more bends before it finally opened up and he stared in shock at his surroundings. The center of the rock formation was open to the sky, forming a vast, protected space. Robots were bustling around, assembling a variety of buildings. All of them were tucked back against the rock and would be almost invisible from overhead. The sight was only too familiar—someone was building a hidden city. Unlike the previous city he had seen, this one seemed more utilitarian, designed for function rather than as a retreat for the wealthy. Was this another of GenCon’s sites? And more importantly, did they have Cherry?

  The nearest block of buildings appeared to be completed and he headed for it, determined to wring the answers out of whoever was inside. Someone had to be supervising the construction robots. The airlock entrance was further proof—these buildings were designed for humans. The outer door was unlocked and he raced inside. He had just reached the inner door when he heard an ominous click behind him.

  As he whirled to face it, a sharp pain bit into his neck. He reflexively grabbed the area and found a small dart. Even as he yanked it free, he knew it was too late. His vision was already dimming as a cold tide swept through his system, freezing his nanites and sending him falling into darkness.

  “Wake up, dammit.”

  The urgency in the man’s voice finally reached Wyatt and he forced his eyes open. Where the fuck was he? A set of bars rose in front of his face but through them he could see white walls, banks of medical equipment, and a metal exam table. A horrible sense of familiarity washed over him as he recognized his surroundings. He was back in a lab, and this time, he didn’t feel resigned. Rage filled him.

  “About time. Are you awake now?”

  The voice reminded him that he was not alone, and he turned his head to see a big man glaring at him from a metal-barred cage just like the one that surrounded him. He dragged himself upright, still feeling the lingering effects of the paralytic drug.

  “You’re Tom, right? We came looking for you.” His tongue felt thick and fuzzy.

  “Have you seen my wife?”

  “No. Your claim was deserted and we didn’t pass her on the way.”

  “Fuck.” Tom sagged against his bars. “They must have her too.”

  “I think they have Cherry as well. What do they want with them?”

  “I don’t know.” The anguish on the man’s face echoed W-246’s own fears. “I hoped that she had managed to call for help.”

  “She did. That’s why we came.”

  “I can’t say much for your rescue efforts,” Tom said dryly.

  “You have a point. How did you end up here?”

  “I saw a convoy crossing the valley, but it only made it halfway and vanished into the rocks. I foolishly thought that they might need help and went to assist. That’s when they got me.” Tom’s hands tightened on the bars of his cage. “I thought they were going to kill me at first, but then I heard them talking about using me for an experiment.”

  “Who? How many people?”

  “Three, I think. I’ve only seen two, but I heard a third voice.”

  “Are they scientists?”

  “I don’t think so. They were muttering about this not being their job when they dumped you in there. Sounded like they’re waiting for someone.”

  “And I think we should be gone before that person arrives,” he said grimly as he started testing the bars of his cage.

  “Can you get through them? I haven’t been able to make any progress.”

  “They’re not made of titanium so I should be able to—but it won’t be quick, especially with the drug still in my system.”

  The need to find Cherry was like a fire under his skin, fueling the urgency with which he worked the bars.

  “You have to hurry. What if they’re… hurting the women?”

  Wyatt started to snap at the other man but the pain on his face was too similar to his own. “You said they’re waiting for someone. We can hope that we’re all safe until then.”

  The words sounded hollow, even in his own ears, but Tom nodded. “Hope. I made it to Mars on hope. I guess I can keep on hoping.”

  Hope and work, Wyatt thought, and returned to the bars.

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” Esme asked nervously.

  “Pretty sure. Men are really all the same.” Cherry adjusted the neckline of her shirt to reveal a larger glimpse of her lacy bra and the edge of her breasts. “How do I look?”

  “Tempting.” Esme sighed. “You look better in a shirt and jeans than most women look naked. It’s really not fair.”

  “We
both know that’s not always an advantage. But if it gets us out of here, I’ll use everything I’ve got.”

  While she wished she had her makeup kit, at least Esme had helped her comb out her hair and arrange it to cover her bruised cheek. She reached behind her back, checking for the small handle of her gun. When she had finally calmed down after seeing Wyatt dragged past their cell, she remembered the gun in the pocket of her coat. They had discussed trying to shoot out the window, but she wasn’t sure that it would shatter. Even if it did, it would most likely attract attention, and she didn’t think they could fight off two men who were prepared for trouble. If they could lure at least one of the men into the cell, on the other hand, she was sure she could get the drop on him.

  “How much longer do you think?”

  Esme wrung her hands. “I don’t know. They’ve been bringing me food about twice a day but it’s so hard to tell time in here.”

  “Then we wait.”

  In an attempt to calm the other woman, she encouraged her to describe her life on the homestead. Although it sounded like a lot of backbreaking manual labor to Cherry, Esme was so obviously happy that she kept her thoughts to herself. Esme’s face glowed every time she talked about her husband.

  “And what about you, Cherry? How are things with Wyatt?”

  “I was a fool and avoided him after you left. I was so hurt by the fact that he didn’t remember me that I didn’t want to be with him.”

  Esme studied her face intently. “Was the lack of memory the only reason?”

  “No, not really,” she confessed. “When the government told me he was missing and presumed dead, I thought my heart was going to break. He’s the only man who’s ever gotten that close to me, to the real me. I was afraid to let him close to me again.”

  Esme nodded, dark eyes sympathetic. “I know. When men have treated you badly, it’s hard to trust.”

  “But you manage to trust Tom.”

  “I did. I do. But even then, it took me a while.” Esme’s lips curved in a reminiscent smile. “He told me that he fell in love with me the first moment he saw me. I think the fact that he was so willing to take a chance made it easier for me.”