Authors: Laurann Dohner
morals, no compassion, and no sense of right from wrong. Do you understand? You
want to protect your people and taking those things near anyone you care about is a big
damn mistake.”
“Once the same would have been said about us.”
Megan turned her head to stare up at Onyx, who had spoken. “Did you ever
murder a female trainer for kicking you and bruising your shin during a training
session to test your reflexes?”
He frowned. “Are you certain they killed without a good reason?”
“I had to review the damn vids of it to try to figure out what went wrong with their
programming. The woman trainer barely hit the Markus. She told him to avoid her
kicks to see how well he could anticipate her. She even moved in a slow, exaggerated
way to give him clues. He reached out after she kicked him, grabbed her throat, and
snapped her neck. The other four Markus Models in the room saw it happen and then
suddenly reached out and did the same with their trainers. They demanded to be
released from the training area and when they were told to stand down they attacked.
Luckily there were protocols in place in the training area and they had to fry the
models.”
“They burned them?” Ice questioned.
“Electrical current on the floors,” Megan said softly. “They have enough metal and
their skin is too human. It conducts electricity. They don’t have your backup system
with your heart that you told me about and their shielding didn’t protect against
electrocution. Now that they are up and running, they may have fixed their weak spots.
When they are testing models they purposely leave them with a way that makes them
easier to kill in case something goes wrong.”
“What flaw do the sex bots have?” Onyx arched an eyebrow. “You said they were
hard to destroy.”
“Originally they all had shutdown buttons on the backs of their necks but they were
removed when they left the factory for service. The male sex bots had an unprotected
spot on the left sides of their temples so one shot would take out their mainframe
computer. The company corrected that before they went into service once they’d been
fully tested and deemed safe for use by adding a protective plate under their artificial
skin.” She paused. “The auto pets, when they were built and tested, were on an island
so water would completely short their circuits if one of them tried to escape or got out
of control. Simply hosing them down fried their damn circuits to hell and back. Of
course once they were deemed safe for sale that flaw was fixed so they can be washed
or taken swimming.”
Ice shivered a little. “It’s a good thing Barcarintellus didn’t create us. Imagine how
much easier we would have been to kill.”
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Onyx nodded grimly. “Perhaps they do this because of Earth Government’s history
with us. I’m betting they wished they’d had the forethought to make us seriously
flawed and easier to kill.”
“Ice,” Megan said softly. “If you have ever trusted me, do so now. Those damn
things scare me and I sure as hell wouldn’t want them near women or children.”
He stared down at her, searching her eyes, and nodded. “I still have to inform the
council and I will highly suggest we don’t allow them access to our home world.”
“They are dangerous as hell and you can’t trust them. They are constantly
changing.”
“I heard you, Megan.”
She nodded. Ice sighed and stared at Onyx. “Return Megan to my room please. I’ll
contact Garden.”
Onyx nodded. “Good luck with that.” He glanced at Megan and then back. “Good
luck with it all.”
“She isn’t their biggest concern any longer.” Ice appeared grim as he squeezed
Megan’s hand on his arm and forced her to release him. “Go with him. I’ll be there
shortly.”
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Megan jerked awake when the doors opened and she sat up, staring at Ice as he
entered the room. “How did it go?”
He raised his gaze and met hers. “The council wants to meet with the Markus
Models. They are sending the
Star
to meet them. They are going to evaluate the threat to
Garden and study them.”
“They can hack the
Star’s
computer systems and steal any information they want,
including the location of your planet.”
“We assumed. We’re pretty technology advanced ourselves, Megan. We’re
prepared. All pertinent information stored in the databases of our ships will be erased
so they have nothing to take that we aren’t willing to share. We have enough in
common with them that the council deemed we should at least hear them out and then
decide what to do.”
“They aren’t like you though, Ice.”
“I made the council aware of that fact too. We are going to proceed very carefully.”
“What about me? Did they discuss my situation? I know you’ve been avoiding
contacting them.”
Ice looked away from her, bent down, tore off his boot and dropped it loudly to the
floor. The second one followed. “You were mentioned.”
“Are they still demanding you kill me?”
He straightened and reached for the waist of his shirt, pulled it off and dropped it.
“They were displeased when I informed them that your threat level had been changed
to zero and that I had decided to keep you in my quarters. They argued with me over
my reasoning.”
“Are they going to send someone after me to try to kill me since you and the crew
won’t do it?”
Ice refused to meet her eyes. “I had to make a few compromises on that issue.”
Her heart nearly stopped as she pushed off the bed and walked to him. She put her
hand on his bare chest and reached up, cupping his cheek with her other one. “Look at
me.”
He turned his head, staring down at her, and his arm wrapped around her waist. “I
negotiated, Megan.”
“With what?”
He took a deep breath. “As long as you are human you pose a threat to them that
they are not willing to dismiss.”
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“Well, I am human and we can’t change that.”
He said nothing, watching her. Megan knew the color slowly drained from her face.
“No.” She shook her head. “Don’t tell me you’re going to let some doctor screw
with me, Ice. I like my body just the way it is and the idea of someone tampering with
my brain just doesn’t sit well with me.”
A quick grin flashed. “No, baby. No doctors cutting you up and making you part
cyborg.”
She relaxed. “Okay. So then what?”
He hesitated so long she knew whatever he had to say had to be something
horrible. He finally took another deep breath. “I told them you were an expert on the
Markus Models and that we’d join the
Star
for the meeting so that you could help us
deal with them. I convinced them that without you it would be too dangerous.”
She was grateful his arm supported her because her knees nearly buckled. Her
mouth opened but nothing came out. Mute and horrified, she stared at him, gaping.
“I am aware this may distress you,” he acknowledged softly, watching her eyes
closely. “I had to agree to that or turn you over to the council to exterminate. I refuse to
allow anyone to kill you. You did work with the Markus Models. You know more about
them than anyone else and it made you a valuable asset to the council. They canceled
the order for your death.”
“Distress me?” She clutched his arms, gripping him as if he were a lifeline. “They
terrify me, Ice. I told you that. If I never am near another one again, it would be too
soon. They are dangerous.”
“The council decided to talk to them so the meeting has been arranged.”
Her heart pounded.
“There is more.” Ice studied her closely, staring down at her. “The council wasn’t
sure of your motives or if they could trust you so I told them I’d form a family unit with
you. That will make you a cyborg by marriage association and they will believe you
have loyalty to me at the very least, enough for them to somewhat trust you to not harm
me, which translates to you not putting them at risk.”
Her knees were nonexistent at that moment from the astonishment rolling through
her but Ice held her up when they buckled. She remained silent for long seconds, her
mind trying to wrap around what he’d said. Words finally came to her.
“I’m not the marrying kind,” she admitted, finally finding her voice. “And then
there’s that whole you’re not the marrying kind either.”
He winced, literally, and looked away. “I realize the concept is not ideal.”
“Not ideal?” She gasped. “Shit, Ice. We can’t get married because they twisted your
arm.”
He’s going to hate me
, she thought, regret filling her.
If only he wanted me that way
for the right reasons, I’d jump for joy
. Pain lanced through her chest.
“They will send cyborgs to my ship to take you from me otherwise and kill you.”
His hold on her tightened as his full attention fixed on her. “The Markus Models may
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be dangerous but your life is already in peril. Going to this meeting and forming a
family unit with me would be preferable to death, wouldn’t it?”
She hesitated, terror gripping her over her memories of the hours she’d spent with
those horrible things and watched as anger hardened Ice’s features. He released her and
stepped back.
“So be it. You’d obviously rather die than form a family unit with me.” He snarled
the words.
“Now wait a minute.” Megan reached out, grabbed the waist of his pants, and kept
him from turning away. “I’m in shock and this isn’t about us. I’m terrified of those
things. That’s what has me in knots.”
His body relaxed. “I won’t allow them to hurt you, Megan. I’d defend you against
my own people so do you believe for a second that I’d just allow one of them to harm
you?”
“Who’s going to protect you?” She frowned at him.
That question obviously stunned him. “You doubt my fighting skills and strength?
I’m cyborg, Megan. I’m stronger and faster than your human males.”
She hesitated, biting her lower lip, and then released it. “Don’t take this the wrong
way,” she warned softly. “But you’re…” She shut up, not able to say it aloud.
“I’m what?” He stepped forward, his hands gripped her hips as he pulled her
against him, their bodies flush against each other. “What am I?”
Megan had to clear her throat of the lump that formed there. “They appear human
but they aren’t. You’re…” She hesitated.
“I’m what?” His voice deepened.
“Oh hell,” she sighed, holding onto his arms. “You’re outdated technology, Ice.
You’re sexy, hot, muscular, and kick ass but these Markus Models, they are advanced
technology, cutting edge, and in a fight I think you’d lose. I don’t doubt how strong you
are or how good of a fighter but these things are…really bad news.”
Ice’s eyebrows shot up.
“They heal really fast,” she said quickly. “Within minutes. It’s that new
rejuvenating artificial skin they have. They don’t have bones, they have lightweight
metals, and they are shielded. You shoot one of them in the head, which would
normally take anything out, and they are going to get up. I saw some of the tests run on
them to show how tough they were to investors. One of them walked through fire. It
burned off his skin and he just kept going.”
His hands rubbed her hips. “You’re worried about me?”
“Yes. I’m worried about all of us. You, me, everyone on this ship and the
Star
you
keep mentioning. I can’t stress enough how unstable the Markus Models are or how
hard they would be to kill. You’re mostly flesh and blood. These things are androids
with cloned flesh. They may appear more human than you do with your gray skin tone
but trust me, they are machines.”
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“Maybe they didn’t fix their electrical flaw so they will have a weakness in their
design.”
“The company wouldn’t have unleashed them without fixing that.”
Ice sighed. “The council has spoken and I made the deal with them that you’d help
evaluate these things. It’s going to happen. Perhaps they fixed the instability problems
with them before they were put out by your company.”
“I doubt it since they are refusing to return the bots and are looking to hook up
with cyborgs instead. That sure wasn’t in their programming so what else is wrong
with them?”
“Earth Government thought we were flawed and wanted us exterminated. They
were wrong, Megan. Perhaps you’re wrong.”
“I really hope I am but I don’t think so, Ice.” She leaned in and let her forehead rest
against his chest. “I’m worried and scared.”
His hands slid around her, hugging her tightly to his body. “I will protect you.”
But who is going to protect you?
She thought it but didn’t say it aloud. He thought he
could handle anything but she doubted he’d ever gone against anything as scary as
defense androids. Cyborgs had left Earth a long time ago and things had changed.
Warning him wasn’t going to change anything though.
“I came to change my uniform. I have a vid conference with the council.” He eased
his hold. “I’ll return to you afterward. We’ll talk more then.”
Megan nodded against his chest and looked up at him. “Okay.” She didn’t want to