“I’m out of range, Mick. I’m sorry. I’d try to make it if I could, but I wouldn’t reach you at my current speed for two days. I’ve experienced damage to three thrusters that we’re unable to repair until we reach a space dock. Can you hold them off for that long? When is Drais Three sending help to you?”
“They aren’t. The computer believes the long-range satellites were taken out by the pirates and they never received my distress signal. The military won’t be here in time, even if you were to contact them for me.”
She sagged in her chair, defeated, knowing now for certain she was going to die.
“It’s okay. I know you’d help me if you could.”
“I’m sorry.” Regret filled in his voice. “What’s your military training? I could tell you how to fight them more effectively when they come at you. I know the odds aren’t in your favor, but you might win, between firing your weapon and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a sharp implement. You need to find a place with limited space so only a few of them can attack you at once. You sound sturdy, young, and strong. You might be able to kick their asses.”
Mick want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was sweet that Sky thought he could talk her into putting up a last-stand battle, as if she had a chance in hell of winning, but he had no idea who he was really dealing with.
She hesitated before reaching for the console. Her fingers hovered over the control.
“I’m going to die, Sky. I wanted to tell you that the hours we’ve talked have meant a lot to me. It’s company policy to modify our voices, but… It doesn’t matter anymore if I break the rules, since I’ll be dead soon. What are my supervisors going to do? Write me up?” She turned off the voice modifier. “This is my true voice. My real name is Mickayla. I go by Mick because it sounds like a guy’s name…but I’m not one.”
Shock tore through Sky at hearing the lovely feminine voice. Mick was a female.
He instantly remembered some of the jokes he’d shared with her and wanted to groan. They’d been sexually crude. He’d—she’d never said a word, had just laughed at every one. She’d even told him some raunchy punch lines of her own.
“Sky? Are you still there? I hope you’re not mad. I wanted to tell you the truth before but I’m a woman alone out here. It’s company policy to conceal that fact.” She softly sighed. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to fight my way out of this. I have zero combat training. I’m screwed five ways to Sunday and probably more than figuratively, once they get to me. You and I have both heard the horror stories about what they do to women.”
Sky turned to gawk at Onyx. He couldn’t form words. Onyx peered back at him, stunned as well. His friend shrugged, clueless as to how to handle the situation.
“We can’t help the female,” he softly whispered.
Sky’s shoulders sagged, knowing Onyx was right. They were forbidden to have any physical contact with Earthers, especially ones who worked for Earth Government.
He could fly to the surface and kill pirates, though.
Mick stated they were trying to break into the building, which would mean they were on the surface.
He muted his side of the coms.
“We could swoop in and take out the pirates. It would buy her time.”
“No.” Onyx shook his head. “I’m certain there are planetary cameras, and they’d know we were there. This shuttle is stolen and easily identifiable. We can’t do it unless we also destroy the building she’s inside of, to erase all evidence we were there. It would defeat the purpose. This is not a part of space we want Earth to send bounty hunters to. I’m sure there’s a recovery fee for this shuttle.”
“Damn.” Sky waved a finger over his tips to silence the other man and opened coms on his side. “Mick?”
“I figured you just shut coms off to avoid hearing anymore. I swear I wanted to tell you the truth about being a woman, Sky. I know you probably feel as though I tricked you, but I really did plan to let you know as soon as I left this post. I’d hoped to track you down to meet you.”
“You did?” He couldn’t fathom why she’d wish to seek him out.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you this…but it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re never going to meet, but I wish we could have. You make me laugh and you sound really nice. You also have a sexy voice. I guess it was kind of insane, but I hoped we’d hit it off. You’re probably too old for me, since you’ve been around long enough to earn the right to be a captain of a freighter, though I used to imagine you’d be in your forties and hot.” She chuckled lightly. “You have that kind of voice.”
Sky had no words again.
“I shocked you, didn’t I? Sorry. It’s been one of those days. I never thought it’d be my last when I woke to take my shift this morning. And I bet you never guessed you’d have a woman confessing she fantasizes about you based on nothing but some conversations and your husky voice.” She paused. “I’m going to open up a viewing channel. I want to see you at least once. Is that okay? I don’t want to die without knowing what you look like.”
Sky saw the incoming signal and opened it.
His breath caught.
The image on the screen was of a woman probably in her early thirties. She had a pale complexion and haunting dark brown eyes. Her chestnut-colored hair was cut to her shoulders and tousled as if she’d been running her fingers through it. He leaned in to peer at her attractive heart-shaped face.
“Sky? I can’t see you. Please open a channel. It’s okay if you’re older or don’t have any hair. I kind of assumed that might be the case, since you’re a captain, but I was still going to look you up when I left here. Your looks don’t matter to me.”
“Why?” He could only get that single word out.
She appeared to blush. Color rose to her cheeks, and she glanced down before peering back at the camera trained on her face. She smiled, and he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut.
“I’ve been on this rock for four years without seeing anyone but androids. Why do you think? The supply shuttles they send don’t carry real people. You and I talk, we laugh…and I thought maybe we could eventually hook up. You said you were single and hadn’t found a woman to settle down with. You told me you just wanted someone you could laugh with, who would treat you good.” She shrugged. “I wanted the same thing. I don’t know. It was just a fantasy of mine.”
Onyx muted the outgoing coms. “No.”
Sky turned his head to look at him. “What?”
“You have that expression on your face that I’ve seen right before you do something foolish that gets you into trouble.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sky? Will you show me your face? Please?”
He turned to stare at Mick. It was tempting to turn on his side of the cameras to reveal his image to her.
“No!” Onyx snarled, seeming to read his mind. “The building will record the transmission and keep a record of it unless we level it to the ground. They will come to investigate her death eventually, when they realize they’ve lost contact with the planet.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, drawing his attention once more. Mick’s entire face fell, and she looked disappointed. “It’s okay, Sky. I understand. I’m sure you’re mad at me for deceiving you.” Her big brown eyes filled with tears as they appeared to stare right at him through screen. “You probably think I’m insane anyway for wanting to meet you just because we had some conversations. They meant a lot to me, though. Know that, okay? You’re a hell of a nice guy, and one day I hope you meet a wonderful woman who keeps you laughing and appreciates you. Most people don’t know how lonely it is out here…but you and I both do.”
Sky clenched his teeth—and swiftly threw out his arm.
Onyx’s head snapped back when Sky’s fist made contact.
He regained control of coms when the male blacked out from the sucker punch and opened voice communication.
“Mick, we need to have a serious
talk. Are you sure that help isn’t coming? That you will die if someone doesn’t intervene?”
She wiped at her tears. “Yes. I’m done for. I’ll try to take out as many of them as possible. I might get lucky and die before they get their mutated hands on me.” She took a deep breath. “I’d ask you to take a last message back to Earth for me but I don’t have anyone there. That’s why this job was so tempting. The money was great, and I don’t have any family left.”
Sky made his decision. “I can save you—but you wouldn’t ever be able to return to Earth. That would be the price for saving your life.”
Confusion clouded her features. “I don’t understand.”
He hesitated before opening the viewing screen to show her who he was.
Mick’s eyes widened with surprise…and then she did an amazing thing.
She smiled.
Her fingers brushed her side of the monitor where his image was displayed. “You’re a cyborg, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” His body tensed. “You couldn’t ever return to Earth if I reach you in time. My people wouldn’t allow you to report us to the authorities. You’d pose a serious threat to our race. You’d have to stay on my planet, but you’d be alive. You could have a good life there. I promise no harm would come to you.”
He tensed, expecting her rejection. As Onyx said, he’d have to level the building to destroy all recordings of their communication, but he wouldn’t let the pirates kill her. That wasn’t acceptable.
He made the split-second decision to save her regardless of her answer. She’d just have to adjust to life on Garden.
But she dropped her fingers away from the screen and licked her lips. “Come get me, Sky. Please. Take me with you.”
He wondered if she’d hate him later for forcing her to agree to his terms as he full burned toward the planet. It wasn’t as if she had much of a choice—live with cyborgs or die at the hands of pirates.
He kept the coms open as she watched him, appearing fascinated with his face. He’d expected terror or revulsion.
He locked on her gaze. “I’m close, Mick. Turn off the planetary defense systems unless you want to blow up my shuttle.”
She jerked in her seat to lean to the side, shutting down the systems. He’d find out quickly enough if she’d deceived him when the ground cannons fired.
“They’re off,” she swore, facing him again. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
He gazed at her and hoped she meant it. “I won’t hurt you, Mick. I know you’ve been told we’re extremely dangerous, but you have my word that the rumors are all bullshit.”
“I believe you. Earth Government is always telling lies. They also said pirates were wiped out in this sector of space but I’m currently watching them on my screens. They look pretty lively to me.”
The council was going to tear into his ass for this stunt and for bringing another Earther to Garden. He’d have to find her safe housing and some low-level job where she wouldn’t be considered a security risk. He could always keep her at his residence as a registered worker. He was rarely there, but she’d still be under his protection.
One more glance into her pretty eyes, and he knew saving her would be worth any future headaches she caused him. It also beat the alternative. He wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing he’d just let her die.
Chapter Two
Sky is a cyborg.
Mick couldn’t tear her gaze away from his handsome face. He certainly wasn’t bald, what with that long, silky-looking silvery-gray hair. It was odd to see that color, since he didn’t appear to be more than maybe in his mid-thirties. His strange eyes mesmerized her. The blue appeared so light…it was remarkable.
Conversations they’d had streamed through her memory. She’d always enjoyed talking to him. He was quick-witted and seemed mellow in personality. She’d fantasized about him more times that she cared to recount—and he looked even better than she thought he would.
The only drawback was the fact he wasn’t human.
Cyborgs were supposedly dangerous…but wouldn’t he have attacked her sometime in the past if that were true? He wasn’t the one cooking through the metal on the exterior shutters with lasers. Pirates were the ones attempting to kill her. Sky only asked that she never return to Earth in exchange for saving her life.
The implications hit her as she sat in the chair, hoping he’d reach her before the shutters were breached. She’d be financially broke if she wasn’t living where Earth was in charge. Her credits would be useless.
He’d also referred to his planet, and that implied it was filled only with cyborgs.
Her gaze drifted over as much of his body as she could see on the camera. He had some seriously broad shoulders, a black uniform that stretched over a firm-looking, imposing chest, and his arms were thickly muscled.
A planet filled with cyborgs like him made her a little uneasy.
“How big are you, Sky?”
He glanced at her. “Big. But you have no need to fear me, Mick.”
“I’m not afraid. I was curious. I’m trying to distract myself from the fact that I’m under attack. How far out are you? Can you really reach me in time?”
“I’m closer than you think. I wasn’t allowed to tell you certain things. My thrusters aren’t damaged, and I don’t fly a freighter.”
She glanced away from him to the long-distance radar screen and groaned. “I’m not picking you up yet on my sensors. I don’t think you’re going to make it.” Her head turned. “I could lock myself into one of the upper rooms and barricade it, but that would mean you’d have to fight your way past them inside the building. There are forty-one pirates. The odds aren’t good, and I don’t want you to die for a hopeless cause.”
“Lock yourself inside a room if they breach the building before I get there. I’m coming for you, Mick. I’m an excellent fighter.”
“Did you hear me? There are forty-one of them, Sky. That’s too many for you to take on in hand-to-hand battle. Don’t get killed for me. I would say I’ll never be able to live with that, but I’ll be dead anyway.” She chuckled without mirth. “You know what I mean.”
He smiled. “I’m touched by your concern, but I can fight that many and win. They are slower than I am and not nearly as strong.”
The very idea of him really winning against those staggering odds stunned her. Her gaze flickered over his impressively sized body one more time and she swallowed down a little worry. Her possible savior was either insane or one serious badass. At least he’s on my side. That comforted her.
“I’m about to hit the atmosphere.”
Mick glanced at her readings. “I don’t see you. Are you sure you’re at the right planet?”
“My shuttle is heavily shielded. Sensors are unable to pick it up. You’ll be able to get a visual on me with the exterior security cameras very soon.”
What kind of ship can’t be picked up on sensors? Mick was afraid to ask. She stood. “I’m ready. What do you want me to do? You could hover over the roof. I have an escape hatch up there where I can go out.” She hesitated. “Computer, have any life signs registered at the top of the building?”
“Negative.”
“Did you hear that, Sky? You can get me from the roof.”
“Remain where you are,” he calmly ordered. “I’m going to take out the threat on the ground first. They could have firearms. I don’t want them shooting from close range at my shuttle belly.”
She sat. “Oh. Right. I’m frazzled. Though, I don’t think they have distance weapons. Or if they did, maybe they didn’t survive the crash. They’re using laser guns on the shutters. They only have a ten-foot range, based on the models I glimpsed. And they looked at least twenty years out of date.”
His gaze met hers through the viewer and he winked. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, Mickayla. You just sit tight while I take care of the problem.”
She leaned back and took a few deep breaths. Sky is large and in charge.
She hid a s
mile at that amusing thought. It began to sink in that a cyborg was on his way, but he wasn’t exactly a stranger. They were…friends. Ones who spoke every few months.
I’m going to see Sky!
Her heart sped up as she calculated the last time she’d seen a live person. Four years, nine weeks, and two days.
The day she’d traveled from Earth, suffered the three-week journey to reach Velion One with the supply ship, leaving behind a boyfriend who’d sworn to at least keep in contact with her. Mark hadn’t responded to any of her messages once she’d reached her new job. After a month, she realized he never would. He’d only said what he thought she wanted to hear.
The signal to Sky turned to static and the coms dropped. Worry gripped her as she waited, hoping the connection would be reestablished soon. Seconds ticked into a minute.
“No,” she muttered, now panic-stricken. “Be okay. Please, Sky. Tell me you didn’t hit the atmosphere too fast and burn up coming in!”
Them the screen showed a shuttle incoming, and Mick grinned, ecstatic to see it. It looked Earth-made as it flew closer. The ground cannons remained silent, since she’d turned them off, but the entire building shook as explosions took out pirates as the shuttle opened fire. The lights flickered from the intense shelling, but she saw pirates running away as new fires flared up.
“Incoming fire,” the computer stated. “Alert! Recommend turning on the defense system.”
“No.” Mick began to frantically type in commands in case the computer tried to override the ground cannon control. “I’m shutting you down.”
“Not recommended. I repeat, no—”
The computer’s voice died as Mick manually turned it off. Lights flickered as every system transferred to manual control only. Her fingers flew over the keys to make certain she could keep the monitors on. The shuttle swooped lower, and the lights flickered again as the ground shook from Sky’s continued attack on the pirates. The building would hold, but it was taking a beating from the blast shockwaves.
Falling for Sky (Cyborg Seduction Book 11) Page 2