C791 (Cyborgs: More Than Machines) (12 page)

Funny how it took a voyage to the stars with mankind’s professed enemy for her to truly feel alive. To cherish each moment, to see with clarity the world around her. It felt like she’d lived in a colorless limbo until their meeting. Even thinking about her past life, the constant moving around, the closet-like quarters —
the leering men who passed me around while laughing at my tears…
She shook her head, and the thought vanished.

She possessed no interest in analyzing her past. From now on, she would live for the future, a future with Joe. She would work towards the day when she could tell him she loved him, and maybe, one day, he would rediscover enough of his humanity to discover he loved her too.

Or so she hoped. Now if only she could cure the dreadful knot in her stomach that kept screaming that something bad was about to happen.

But what? We’ve escaped the military. We found the bug. Joe says he intends to keep me forever. So what do I have to fear?

The strange answer her mind whispered back made no sense.
Fear yourself.

*

The docking of the ship took less time than expected, and before long, Joe led Chloe into the outpost they’d carved into the very rock of the asteroid.

“What is this place?” she asked looking around at the cavernous docking bay. By appearance alone, she’d wager they’d used an existing crater on the asteroid which they then covered with huge mechanical doors to close in the huge area. The walls remained porous rock, while the floor had the familiar perforated metal sheeting most space stations liked to use. Lights strung on thick metal cables hung from the ceiling, illuminating the area. The air was thin, but breathable, and she could have used a second sweater, the one Joe gave her not quite cutting the chill. As she walked, she almost bounced, the gravity not as strong as she was used to.

“This is one of many outposts we’ve created to allow us to watch the movement of your military and to provide a place we can refuel and regroup.”

“So this isn’t your permanent home?”

“No.”

Well, that didn’t tell her much. She tried again. “Is your home situated on an asteroid too?” She hoped not. Having spent so much time in military installations, she craved sunshine and greenery.

“No. It is a place similar to earth. But you will see for yourself soon enough. Come. I will take you to my quarters.”

Linking his fingers through hers, Joe led her past rough, rock-hewn walls. They encountered unfamiliar cyborgs as they walked, some finally sporting the expected metal parts and uncanny illuminated eyes, but he didn’t stop to introduce her to any. She found herself conscious of their stares – some of them hostile – as they turned to watch their path.

“Why are they looking at us like that?” she whispered.

“Most are probably trying to discern why I have returned with a human.”

“Let me guess, you have a reputation for not liking us?”

“I do. But you are an exception.”

“Why Joe, was that a compliment?” She laughed, the sound loud in the tight corridor. Hopping, she used the light gravity to propel herself up and kiss him on the cheek.

His clasp on her hand tightened, and his pace increased.

“In a hurry?” she asked.

“Horny,” he replied, the one word so shocking she stopped in her tracks and giggled.

Halting as well, he pivoted to stare at her. “Why are you so consumed with mirth?”

“You know, racing me through some claustrophobic space cave and declaring you’re horny aren’t exactly what I’d call logical actions.”

“Logic escapes me when you are around. Actually, of late, it eludes me as well sometimes when you are not. I have only to think of you and my BCI falls into a loop. Solus believes I might have faulty wiring, and yet, I’ve discovered that if I slake my needs with you, especially if I do so more than once, my ability to reason is returned.”

“Yes, definitely sounds like you’re horny,” she replied with a dry chuckle. “But would it hurt you to pretend to act a little romantic about it?”

He frowned at her. “I am expressing my desire for your body thus implying you are attractive. Is that not romantic?”

“It is flattering, but no.”

“You are deliberately confusing me with your illogic.”

“I am a woman. Sometimes we like to be wooed.”

She laughed again at the pained expression on his face. “But I am horny now, and according to my neural processor, the definition of woo is to curry the favor of. I do not have the time to properly seek out items to please you. And you have already rejected my flattery.”

“My poor, big, horny—” She cupped his erection through his pants. “—cyborg. Whatever shall you do?”

“Little one, if you do not stop, we will not reach the privacy you prefer before I take you.”

She could see the strain etched on his face. But, she wanted more than his lust. “Tell me you like me.”

He covered her hand with his and pressed it against his cock. “Is it not obvious?”

“Dammit, Joe, I’m trying to help you with the whole wooing thing. So just tell me you like me. Please.” Ideally, he’d say the words on his own, but she’d learned over the course of their strange courtship it probably wouldn’t occur to Joe to say it without some prompting.

He drew her hand up and kissed the tips of her fingers. “I like you very much, Chloe. Even when you are distracting me and rendering my circuits incoherent.”

“Was that so hard?” she whispered, leaning up on tiptoe. He bent to meet her, and she kissed him, murmuring against his lips, “And I like you a lot too, Joe.”

A gasp escaped her as she found herself swept into his arms. She clung to him, resuming their embrace, pleased with her small victory even if forced. It took only moments before Joe entered a room and slammed the door shut behind them. He set her on her feet and then groaned, but not the kind that said he was happy.

“The bed is gone!”

Chloe turned to see a barren room, the walls the now familiar porous rock that seemed the predominating theme in this place. The space contained very little; a small trunk, a stool and a battered pair of boots. No bed, though she could see a spot where one might have resided. “Did you go to the right room?”

“Of course I did. They must have had need of it.”

“So get another one.”

“That will take time though and I was desirous of your body now.” The chagrined look on his face almost made her laugh again, but she held it in. She had to admit, the urgency with which he wanted her was flattering – and arousing.

“Then take me.” She spun to face him. She tugged off the sweater, and then began to strip out of the shirt he had altered for her before shrugging off the pants.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting naked. I’d think that was obvious.”

“But, there is no bed.”

“You know, for a super smart cyborg, you lack imagination. We don’t need a bed to have sex.”

“But the walls and floor are too rough for your back. Perhaps if I lie down and you were to ride me, or I could hold you aloft without the use of a wall for support…”

Naked, Chloe spun and bent over and braced her hands on the stool before tossing a coy look over her shoulder. “Or we could try something new.” His glazed look made her pussy flood with moisture. “Do you like the view?”

“What do you think?” he murmured, unbuttoning his pants to show an erection that peeked over the tops of his briefs.

“Well, don’t just stand there then. Give it to me.”

“I have a better idea,” he replied in a tight voice. He dropped to his knees behind her, the soft inhalation of his breath tickling across her thighs. Chloe’s head dropped and her eyes closed with the first lick. Deftly, Joe used his tongue to lave his way back and forth across her pussy, circling around her clit, making her shudder.

“Oh, Joe,” she sighed as he parted her lips and thrust his tongue into her sex. His fingers clasped her thighs and held them parted, and none too soon either as the muscles in her legs turned to jelly, her whole body a quivering mass of pleasure as he stroked her with his tongue and lips. She cried out when he finally paid attention to her clit, flicking it then sucking it until her climax washed over her, leaving her weak and shuddering.

With one hand on her to keep her from falling, Joe stood, and she heard the sound of a zipper. A moment later the crown of his cock parted her lips, rubbing against her moist core. She pushed her bottom back against him, inviting him to penetrate her, but he took his time, inserting his dick a fraction at a time, stretching her deliciously until she thought she would scream with the pleasurable agony of it.

It seemed to take ages before he ended up fully seated inside her, her channel quivering all around him, his balls flush against her. Slowly, he withdrew his shaft until only the tip remained. He spoke, his voice a husky whisper. “Tell me you like me again.”

“I like you.”

He thrust into her then pulled back. “Again.”

“I like you,” she moaned. In he went, this time stroking her several times before retreating.

Without prompting, she murmured, “I like you. I like it when you cuddle me. I like it when we talk. I like it when we fuck. I…” Her words tapered off as he began to pump her flesh wildly, his quick thrusts making her pant as he brought her to a fever pitch. He slid one hand under her, his fingers finding and stroking her clit as he continued to penetrate her.

“Yes, oh yes,” she cried. And just as her climax hit, she screamed, “I love you!”

She couldn’t have said how long he lasted after that because he pummeled her willing flesh so fast and hard, she came again in a climax that wouldn’t end. She only vaguely noticed him scooping her up at one point, cradling her to his chest. She snuggled into him, feeling safe.

“I love you too, little one.” The softly spoken words wrapped around her as she slipped into slumber, and she clung to them tightly as darkness descended.

Chapter Seven

The strident sirens snapped her awake, but not in a bed or wrapped around Joe’s naked body like she expected. She stared blankly at the console in front of her. The screen blinked and displayed several message boxes.

Warning! Security system deactivated.

Warning! Unidentified vessels approaching.

Warning!
Missile impact in thirteen seconds.

Stunned, Chloe looked down to see her hands on the keyboard as if she’d just finished typing.

But typing what?

And where am I?
In front of her was a bank of monitors, some scrolling numbers, others flashing warnings. A glance to her left and right showed more screens and control panels, along with glimpses of rock. So she was still on the asteroid, but where? She didn’t recall coming to the room. Hell, she didn’t even know what the room was, although she could wager a guess. But knowing the space she sat in acted as some kind of control center didn’t answer the question of how she got there and what she’d just done.

And where was Joe? She swiveled in the chair, hoping to find him behind her and gasped when she saw blood on the floor. Was it hers? Joe’s?

A quick glance at her torso showed her blemish free, and nor did she feel any pain in her body. The blood didn’t belong to her, a fact that didn’t reassure her.

Panic threshold increasing, she stood and something clattered to the floor. She peered down and moaned as she saw the gun that fell from her lap.

“What have I done?” she whispered. And why couldn’t she remember?

An explosion sounded just as the floor under her feet rumbled. She staggered but remained upright. She moved gingerly to the door. It slid open at her approach, and she stepped into the empty hall, the rough stone of it just as claustrophobic as before. Peeking up and down its length, she found it empty. The lack of life didn’t make her heart pound any less; on the contrary, her pulse increased, and she bit back a sob. Where had everyone gone? What was happening? She needed answers.

Actually, I need to find Joe.
Needed to find reassurance she’d not done anything wrong even if the tight ball in her stomach screamed otherwise. Unsure of which direction to flee in, she hesitated. She didn’t know where she on the asteroid she was. The last thing she recalled, Joe cradled her, whispering the words she longed to hear. Then…nothing.

Another explosion rocked the facility, and she braced a hand on the wall as the more intense rumble threatened to knock her off her feet. When the shaking subsided, alarms finally sounded along with a robotic voice relaying a message all space farers feared.

“
Habitat breached. Sealing access doors in sections nine through thirteen.”

A whimper escaped her as she peered about in vain for an emergency station containing an oxygen mask, a standard safety item found in all space facilities, except for this one it appeared. Hadn’t she heard a rumor that cyborgs could go without oxygen for hours at a time? The recollection didn’t reassure her because that meant the chances of finding a breathing apparatus were slim to none.
But the chance of me dying is increasing in leaps and bounds.

A hysterical giggle threatened to burst free as fear took hold. More than ever, she needed to find Joe. Actually, hyperventilating and with panic engulfing her, anybody would do at this point.

Chloe jogged up the empty corridor, her harsh breathing the only discordant sound. Again, something impacted the facility, jostling her to her knees and the lights flashed. The robotic voice returned with another dire message of breaches.

Crying in earnest, she struggled back to her feet and kept moving. A chill wind blew up the hall, and Chloe ran faster, stumbling as her feet tangled. Even in the midst of calamity, clumsiness prevailed. But she didn’t stop.

Finally, even the symphony of her own fear, which taunted her as it echoed down the barren hall, couldn’t hide the sounds of battle. Every instinct she owned screamed at her to run the other way. But fighting meant people. She swallowed her dread and went to face what the ball of dread in her stomach seemed to indicate she had caused.