“Him and his twin, who showed up later,” the third one muttered.
Sky’s heart raced. “Twin?”
“Identical,” the leader added. “I saw them together. They don’t talk. They just look at each other as if the fuckers can read each other’s minds. They aren’t right. It gave me the heebie-jeebies.”
Sky stood. “Send me a data pad, now,” he demanded to the other room.
In seconds, a cyborg strode into the room with one in his hand, frowning.
Sky took it and pressed his hand screen, linked, and pulled up footage of the Markus Models they had on vid. He found a good visual and froze it. Then he turned the pad, showing it to the pirates.
“That’s Brant!” The leader seemed surprised.
“Fuck,” Sky muttered. “This is a Markus Model. Are you certain they’re the same?”
“His hair is a bit longer now, but that’s him,” the third pirate confirmed. “What the fuck is a Markus Model?”
“A crazy group of identical androids that escaped from Earth and want to kill all life.” Sky paused. “And they’re using your kind to do it. Shit.”
He glanced at the mirror, knowing the other cyborgs standing there would be feeling as shocked as he was. He paused, thinking, before addressing the pirates again. “Did Brant order you to dress differently?”
The younger one nodded. “Only the ones who went in for treatment. He gave them black jumpsuits to wear. Brant said only his elite could wear them. He put them in charge of the ships ,and they were giving orders to the others. Brant’s orders.”
“We’ve been hiding supplies to escape,” the eldest admitted. “We didn’t want to stick around when we heard Brant planned to ‘cure’ us all. I’d rather die than become some mind-fucked dummy, kissing his ass.”
Sky felt sickened. What were the Markus Models doing to the pirates? “I need to confer with a medical team, and then ask you more questions. They might be able to figure out what’s been done to your ‘cured’ crewmates. I will release you when we’re done. You’ll get a shuttle, freedom, and all the supplies we agreed on.”
He turned to Max. “Cut them loose. Get them food.” He looked at the pirates. “You’re our guests for the time being. I’d advise you not to attack your guards. We just want more answers before you’re freed. I’ll also send the medical team in to see what they can do for you that won’t involve any mind fucks, okay? We won’t change you.”
The three pirates looked uncertain. The leader gave a sharp nod. “Showers would be nice. Do you got water?”
Sky was willing to give them that. They smelled like hell. It would be rude to mention it, though. “We have foam showers and clean clothing if you want it.”
“Not jumpsuits…”
Sky smiled at the younger one. “Casual wear. We’re not like Brant. Cyborgs keep their word. Remain calm, don’t attack your guards, and you’ll be treated well until you’re escorted to that shuttle. Just be patient for a little while longer. Your stay will be comfortable.” He turned back to the guards. “Make it happen.”
He left the cell and entered the next room. Mick appeared shaken, but she stayed seated. Flint came forward as soon as he sealed the door, making sure their prisoners couldn’t overhear what was said.
“Markus Models. I don’t understand. They kill everything they encounter.”
Sky could relate to his highly agitated state. “It seems they found a use for the pirates. We should call the council while the medical team is in there. They can question the males more about what was done to the ones the Markus Models changed while treating them. Do you think the Markus Models added chips to the brains of the pirates they’ve been treating? Damage them somehow to make them more compliant, killing off their emotions at the same time? Is that even possible?”
“I’m not a doctor.” Flint reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “At least it’s not cyborgs. That’s the good news.”
“The bad news is, I believe this ‘Brant’ purposely had some pirates smear something on their skin to make them appear as cyborgs to fool the crew on that carrier. They wanted us blamed for that attack.”
Flint stared at Sky. “Why?”
“Did you hear what those pirates were promised? Taking over the outer sectors? The Markus Models couldn’t find us, but they must have realized we’re considered more of a threat than they are, because of our numbers. Earth Government knows how many of us got away. There are far fewer escaped Markus Models. Zorus’s capture proved some of us survived. They could fear more of us did, as well. Enough so that they’re threatening to send a battle cruiser where that attack took place because a cyborg sighting was reported. Think about that.”
Flint closed his eyes, looking physically sick for a second before opening them again. “Shit.”
“I don’t get it.” Mick drew Sky’s attention.
“Pirates normally have slow, outdated ships, but the Markus Models could easily take over a lone battle cruiser if given the right circumstances. They are capable of hacking enough essential systems, like weapons and life support, to cause havoc and give a large group of pirate ships the opportunity to swarm. They could possibly steal it.”
“They’d have a battle cruiser at their disposal.” Flint looked furious. “They could transfer the pirates under their control to live on it. Earth wouldn’t take that well. They’d send more to retrieve it.”
“They’d try to steal those, too. The loss of enough battle cruisers would leave Earth vulnerable to attack at some point. I’m sure the Markus Models would love to take it over and reopen the factories where they were built.
“It seems the Markus Models are far more dangerous than we thought. They have no qualms about sacrificing lives or taking them to get what they want—more of their own kind. Damn. I never thought I’d feel sorry for pirates.” Sky moved toward Mick, needing to be close to her.
“I’m sending the medics in now,” Flint muttered. “Then we’ll contact the council.”
“I’m dropping Mick off at our quarters, and I’ll meet you in the conference room.”
* * * * *
Sky had a headache after talking to the council. They were understandably upset. He could relate. They had their answer for why the pirates had changed their patterns. It now made sense why some of the ones who’d attacked Zippo Station had been dressed differently and attempted to steal the main operations computer. The Markus Models planned to take over the outer sectors. They could reprogram computers however they wanted in advance, before taking over an existing station.
The androids needed to be stopped.
Sky had asked one more favor from the pirates they had in detention. He’d come up with a plan. It had cost them more supplies in trade, but it was worth it.
Soon, Earth would get false shuttle footage of three pirates with gray skin cream smeared on their bodies, preparing to attack a ship. It would hopefully cast doubt on the report they’d received about cyborgs. He’d even written a script for the pirates, inferring they were convinced the crew would be so scared when they saw them, assuming they were cyborgs, that they’d jump into escape pods and abandon ship.
The pirates had gone along with it willingly, doing their best at acting their parts.
The council had been pleased when they’d viewed the footage they’d made that would “accidently” be leaked. It might make Earth Government rethink sending a battle cruiser to an area that was vulnerable to Markus Model attacks. The androids were a big enough threat without that kind of firepower.
It was the best Sky could come up with on short notice.
The doors to his quarters slid open and the first thing he saw was Mick. She rose from the couch and walked to him, concern showing in her eyes. He opened his arms and hugged her the second she came within reach. He kissed the top of her head.
“This is bad, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I suspected that a cyborg or perhaps a group of our kind might be working with the pirates. It’s possible som
e of my kind were kept alive on Earth, held in captivity, and later escaped, thinking the rest of us were dead. They’d have been alone and desperate for any kind of help they could find, since EG would be actively hunting them. Part of me is grateful it’s the Markus Models, since it sickens me to think about any cyborgs working with pirates. They commit atrocious crimes. Of course, the Markus Models wouldn’t mind that kind of thing.”
“I could tell you were really upset.”
“The council meeting wasn’t as bad as I feared it would go.”
She pulled away from him enough to lift her head, holding his gaze. “How so?”
“They were relieved it wasn’t cyborgs, too, but we have to rethink our strategies on how to proceed. We thought we were only looking for the remaining three ships we already knew the Markus Models had. Now they basically have an army of pirate ships to hide on. It also greatly expands their ability to search for us. We have no idea how many pirate ships they now control. It could be hundreds, all reporting to those androids.”
“You just need to find the one that Brant is on, don’t you?”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand.”
“I guess I don’t.”
“‘Brant’ could be on many ships. The pirates think the second one they saw must be his twin. Brant may be the name the androids are using, but all the models share the exact body and face. Any of them could move between the pirate ships and take on the Brant identity. If two are seen together, the pirates just assume it’s the twin again. The pirates have no idea what they’re dealing with. They think the androids are just one or two humans.”
She paled. “Shit.”
Sky nodded. “The Markus Models must have attacked that freighter because it had medical facilities, and then put out a distress signal to lure the pirates. It would have been easy for them to capture and fool them. Then they began to change them somehow.”
“What do you think they’re doing to them?”
“The medics have a few theories. We’d have to recover the body of an undamaged pirate, one of the ones in uniform, and perform an autopsy to be certain. Unfortunately, the four on the Zippo shot each other in the heads. Stag said the damage was extensive. We think that was with intent. Not only to avoid being questioned, but to hide what an autopsy might have revealed about their brains.”
“Okay, but what are the medics’ theories?”
“They have memories, but it was mentioned that they lacked emotion. There are parts of the brain that can be damaged or removed to make that happen. They could also have devices installed to shut down certain parts of the brain that the Markus Models wish to control.”
She paled. “Jesus. So they’re hacking away parts of the pirates’ brains?”
“That’s what the medics believe. Markus Models would easily do something that cruel. They care nothing about life. They offer free medical care to remove some of the radiation damage, then alter each one as they come in for treatment. I could see them removing parts of a human brain that make them feel emotions…and hell, even adding remote pain receptors or putting kill switches into the pirates’ bodies. As a failsafe. If any of them turn on the Markus Models, they could mentally link to the altered pirates and instantly kill them. That would motivate the ones they’ve altered to follow orders.”
“You need to find what ship they’re on.”
“At least ten or more freighters disappear annually—due to mechanical failure, being attacked, or catastrophic damage, such as being struck by space debris—before they could send out distress signals. It’s a potentially large number to search for, considering the pirates we captured aren’t certain exactly when this began. We’re going to go over all the missing reports to see if any vessels had advanced medical bays, though.”
“What’s the plan then? I take it we’re going to be spending a lot of time in the coms room from now on, trying to find large groups of pirate ships?”
“Not us. We just released the three pirates in our holding cell and sent them off. Once their shuttle is out of range, we’re heading back to Garden. The council is recalling most of our ships home. It’s a kneejerk reaction. We’re all worried. As I said, we need a new strategy. The Markus Models are using the pirates and all their many ships to find us.”
“You really let those pirates go?”
He nodded. “Cyborgs don’t lie. We keep our word. They did everything we asked of them and told us what they knew.”
She snuggled into him and rested her head on his chest. “I almost felt sorry for them. Is that crazy?”
“Not at all. They stirred my sympathy as well. It’s been a hell of a day.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mick couldn’t help but gawk a bit as she took in the city on Garden. It was immaculately clean, the structures well built, and the tall buildings were impressive. “You erected all this out of scrap metal from ships?”
“Yes.”
“From the ones you stole when you fled Earth?”
“In the beginning.” Sky kept her close to his side, her arm hooked through his. “We kept a few of them in working order and went out to find more scrap.”
“The dead ships in space you mentioned?”
“Mostly.”
She knew all about dead ships. It happened sometimes, a space vessel experiencing a catastrophe disaster and all life onboard ending up lost. It was rare for anyone to try to salvage them if they were in deep space. They were usually deemed a total loss. Space debris.
Even among the few ships that had been recovered, it was near impossible for the companies who owned them to hire crew or keep them for long. Some feared the vessels would be haunted. Others figured they might be cursed. Either way, everyone considered it bad luck to recommission a dead ship. It just wasn’t cost effective to clean up the mess, repair the old ship after having it hauled into a space port, and pay massive incentives to get the few brave people willing to work on a dead ship. It was cheaper in the long run for a company to use a new or used model.
Sky seemed to read her mind. “We didn’t murder the crews to take their ships. Most of the ones we located had been victims of pirates, thieves, or accidents. Pirates and thieves tend to kill the humans aboard and strip the ships of food stuffs, a lot of electronics, but they have little interest in much more. We find and tow them to Garden to disassemble them in space, flying large sections down with shuttles.”
“That’s impressive.”
“We were motivated. It took us twenty years to build the majority of the city. The outer protective walls were a priority first, before the buildings. Most of us lived on ships and shuttles for the first several years.”
“It must have taken a lot of work.”
“We’re strong, and we work well in teams.” He glanced back at the cyborgs trailing behind them. “You don’t have to follow that closely,” he growled.
She turned her head, peering at the two guards who’d escorted them from the shuttle they’d taken down to the surface, just outside of the city. The cyborgs were a grim-faced pair in black outfits who hadn’t spoken at all. They ignored the suggestion, staying almost on their heels.
She clung to Sky a little tighter.
“It will be fine,” he assured her. “The documents were signed. We’re a family unit. The council just wants to meet you first before they pull the guards. It’s red-tape bullshit.”
She tried to imagine what was to come but had no idea if it would be like an Earth court or not. She’d been to one of those once, right after her parents’ deaths. The four-person panel hadn’t even looked at her before sending her to live in that horrible group home.
Sky led her inside a building and they were stopped by more guards. Sky let her go and stepped in front of her. “You don’t touch my wife. She doesn’t need to be searched. She has no weapons.”
“You know the rules, Sky.”
“I helped her dress myself. Are you calling me a liar, Brine?”
The tall guard stepped ba
ck and shook his head. “Always trouble. Fine. Go.”
Sky reached back, took her hand, and led her down a tall corridor to a set of double doors. Another guard stood there, and he motioned them through by opening the door.
“This isn’t the formal chambers,” Sky quietly informed Mick. “That’s good.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
She’d have to take his word for it. They’d entered a wide and long room. It didn’t appear much like a courtroom. There were two cyborgs standing in the middle, near some chairs in sets of four, about five feet apart, facing each other. Sky led her toward them and motioned for her to take a seat. She did, he sat next to her, and the other two cyborgs took positions across from them.
“Mick, I’d like to introduce you to Councilmen Blackie and Zorus.”
The one with the scowl on his handsome face grunted but his gaze fixed on Sky. “I should have expected this from you. You broke a lot of rules to gain your female.”
Sky shrugged. “I’m not sorry, Zorus.”
“You never are.” Zorus studied Mick then. “I talked to my wife about you. She wasn’t a miner, but she was part of a workforce on Earth. That’s why we’re here, rather than in chambers with all the council members. The information you gave Teg also checked out. I’m sorry about the loss of your parents. We understand your father tried to make the lives of miners better. We respect anyone willing to be the voice for their people and take a stand against injustice. Earth undervalued us, as well.”
“Thank you.” Mick nodded. “But it got him and my mom killed. Dad really believed in the cause, though. He was a second-generation miner. His parents died when he was in his twenties from unsafe working conditions. He wanted a better future for me.”
“It was admirable,” Blackie murmured.
Sky leaned forward, glancing at both men. “I didn’t lie about Mick or her background. She’s not a spy.”
“We’re now certain of that, but we also hoped she’d have some useful information about the Markus Models.” Zorus sighed. “It seems we know more than she does.”
Falling for Sky (Cyborg Seduction Book 11) Page 15