“Good. Cyborgs are morons if they want everyone to look the same. There’s a name for that.”
He met her gaze and arched one eyebrow.
“Androids.”
A smile touched his lips. “Ah.”
“They pretty much all look the same. I used to go to the market and see them shopping for their owners. I never could afford one, but they’re eerie. I won’t lie. There would be at least fifty or sixty of them walking around and a lot of them wore the same clothing, factory-direct. Imagine seeing that. All the same height and size, dressed alike, same faces and wigs. They even moved alike.” She grimaced. “I never wanted to own one. They creeped me out.”
“They made cyborgs gray so we couldn’t be mistaken for Earthers.”
“Your size and physique would have done that. I’ve never seen guys who are as handsome or as in shape as any of you are.”
“That actor in the vid, the bad one, was attractive and muscular.”
“And had more work done on him in a surgery center, most likely. They also edit the vids to make some of those men look way better than they do in real life. I saw a celebrity once. He had a pot belly but they removed that from his vids. It’s all special effects.”
“I see.”
“I heard people used to go to these places called gyms to get in shape, before they created surgeries that could remove any excess weight and implants that make you look as if you have muscles. It’s costly though, so few can afford the upkeep as they age.” She glanced at his exposed arms. “Those aren’t implants.”
“No. They are not.”
She leaned in and surprised him with a kiss on his lips. He released her hand and she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and easily lifted her, proving how strong he was. She straddled his lap, snuggling in close.
“I think we should celebrate,” she whispered against his lips. “I know the perfect way.”
“Me too.”
The door chimed.
Deviant groaned, and she could totally relate as he pulled away and lifted her once more, setting her on the bed next to him.
“What do they want now?” His irritation sounded in his voice as he stood, crossed the room, and slapped his hand on the pad by the door.
The door opened and Mavo pushed past him, entering the room. “Are you both well? I couldn’t leave Control. But Stag just relieved me of duty for the rest of the flight home. He’s furious.” Mavo ran his gaze over Venice, looking relieved. “He didn’t take her from you.”
“I wouldn’t have allowed it.” Deviant closed the door. “He was very angry.”
“He still is. I didn’t know what was going on. He stood up in Control and told me to take his seat, then contacted me to change course away from Garden. He just returned to Control, snapped at me about how he knew I was aware of the Earther’s existence, then ordered me out of his sight for the remainder of our time on the Varnish.”
“I’m sorry, Father.”
Mavo waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter.”
“My actions have resulted in Stag disciplining you.”
Mavo stepped close to his son, gripped both of his arms, and held his gaze. “Don’t think of it that way. Do you hear me? I know you too well. I don’t care about that. Stag has a reputation for being harsh with his crew. It won’t affect any of my future assignments. I would consider it an honor if he writes me up for this offense. Your happiness is always my priority.”
Venice really liked Deviant’s father. He didn’t seem upset in the least that he’d been chewed out by the menacing captain she’d met.
Deviant gripped Mavo’s arms too. “Thank you, Father.”
“Has Stag confined you to quarters?”
“Yes.”
“I am only banned from Control. I’ll take care of bringing you all of your meals. We reach Garden in the morning. Stag changed course again and increased our speed. He wants the Earther off his ship as fast as possible. That’s good news for us. We’ll be home soon.”
“He really hates me, doesn’t he?” Venice said.
Deviant released his father and approached her, sitting close. “It’s not personal, Venice. You’ve done nothing to deserve his ire.”
“Stag has always had issues with Earthers. It’s common knowledge.” Mavo held her gaze. “He suffered major losses of the cyborgs assigned with him on an Earth battle cruiser. Some of his close friends were murdered by the crew. I was told he was one of the first batches of cyborgs produced, and saw a lot more death than most of us because of his age.”
“Father had it rough as well, but he met one Earther who gave him hope that not all of them meant us harm.”
Mavo smiled. “My Emily. She helped cyborgs escape, and now she’s my daughter. We call her Cyan though. It’s a long story.”
Venice glanced at Deviant. “You didn’t tell me you had a sister. Is she from an Earther mother?”
He smiled too. “It’s not a biological tie. Father adopted her. She was born on Earth, with health issues, but her father was the one who created cyborgs. He built her a new body to replace her failing one. It took her a long time but she found us. She’s married to Krell. He’s the cyborg I spoke of, the one for whom my father petitioned the council to force my mother to birth me, in order to ensure Krell’s obligation to have a child was technically met.”
Venice wanted to hear more and had a lot of questions. Mavo had other ideas.
“May we talk alone, Deviant?” He gave an apologetic look to Venice. “This isn’t about you. It’s about a family matter concerning his mother.”
Venice stood. “I’ll go wash my face.” Deviant wasn’t allowed to leave and the only way to give them privacy was to enter the cleansing unit.
“That was rude, Father.” Deviant didn’t want Venice to think she wasn’t trusted.
“That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t want to frighten her. She’s been through enough after Stag discovered her presence aboard. Your mother will find out about the girl and cause trouble. I wanted you to be prepared for it.”
“Venice isn’t a girl, and Mother will have to accept her in my life.”
“This is your mother we’re speaking of. She is determined to find a female cyborg willing to accept you into a family unit. You agreed to allow her to make those arrangements.”
“I didn’t foresee Venice.”
“I understand. You approved of your mother’s plans because you didn’t wish to be alone anymore, regardless of who she found to accept you. Now you’re not alone. But your mother won’t see Venice as a viable option. She’s similar to Stag on her stance of Earthers.”
“She allowed you to adopt Cyan.”
“Cyan is revered by cyborgs. She helped us escape Earth’s tyranny. For your mother to say no would have been seen as offensive by our race. And your mother aspires to one day gain a seat with the council. She evaluated my request and felt her generosity to allow the adoption would make her appear a favorable candidate to the populace.”
Deviant didn’t try to hide his surprise. “I didn’t know she hoped to join the council.”
“The female holds grudges. She only wants the position to make their lives difficult.”
That hurt. His father didn’t say it, but they both knew why she would hold a grudge against the council. They’d ruled against her wishes and forced her to become pregnant with a child she hadn’t wanted. Deviant. “You believe she’ll see Venice as a threat to her accomplishing her goal?”
“Yes.”
“Some of the council members have joined into family units with Earthers. They hold no ill will toward them. She will see reason. I’ll reminder her.”
“Good. I just don’t want her to disappoint you.”
Again. They were both probably thinking it. “Thank you for the warning. I’m aware of my mother’s flaws.”
“I’m so sorry, Deviant.”
“Her actions and words have always been her own.”
“I am aware, but I still wish s
he had been a kinder female.”
“Why did you choose her? May I ask?”
His father broke eye contact and glanced around the room.
“She chose you,” Deviant guessed. “Do you know why?”
“I had earned respect for my part in our escape. At one of the Anniversary of Freedom celebrations, the council singled me out during a speech. They thanked me and shared stories of my contributions. It was a high honor, and she offered to contract with me. I agreed. I felt fortunate to be asked.”
“She chose you to gain favor with the populace as well.”
Mavo nodded. “The reason didn’t seem important at the time. I believed she’d get to know me and learn to value my contributions to our family unit.”
Deviant reached out and pressed his hand to his father’s chest, knowing that had never happened. “I value you. You are and have always been an excellent father.”
“Thank you. Are you and Venice hungry? I’ll go get you food.”
“That would be appreciated.”
Mavo backed away and left, leaving Deviant to go to the cleansing unit, where he opened the door. Venice leaned against a wall looking bored.
“I apologize.”
“Space is limited in your quarters.” She smiled. “It’s okay.”
He offered her his hand, gently leading her out and to the bed. They sat. “I don’t want you to believe I don’t trust you. My father just wanted to speak to me about my mother. She’s difficult, and might object to my bringing you home.”
“You’re a grown man. Can she do anything?”
“No.” He was amused by her terminology. “I am an adult and have my own living quarters on Garden. It will be fine.”
She released his hand and leaned in close, then reached up and cupped his face. “I’m nothing but trouble for you, am I? I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ever apologize. I’m glad that you came into my life. My mother rarely requires my attention. I believe my father is more worried than he should be. That’s what he does. He worries about me.”
“He seems like a really great father.”
“He is. Don’t give my mother a second thought.”
Venice smiled and his mood lightened. He hadn’t lied to her. His mother would probably be relieved the pressure was off her to find females willing to test him for a family unit.
“My father is bringing us food. Once he leaves, I believe we should indulge in our delayed celebration.”
“I agree. I’m for any reason we can get naked.”
Deviant felt warmth spread through his entire body. It was nice to finally be wanted. “You are special to me, Venice.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “I feel the same way about you.”
“Tell me about your parents.”
Some of her happiness faded and he regretted the question. She spoke before he could tell her it was fine if she didn’t answer.
“They had my sister and me late in life. Our family wasn’t exactly well off. They had to bribe officials to get permission to even have children, so they saved up for a long time. They were wonderful parents.” Her smile returned. “Dad was funny and my mom was very affectionate with us. They were truly and deeply in love. They were always hugging and kissing each other, as well as us. I had a great childhood.”
“You speak of them in the past tense.”
“They could have afforded to just have one of us when they were younger, but they wanted their children to have a sibling. Mom was forty-nine when my sister was born and almost fifty-one when she had me. Dad was ten years older than her. They didn’t spend a lot of credits on medical upgrades for themselves, aside from what Mom needed to get pregnant.”
She got tears in her eyes but continued to smile. “They always said that quality of life was more important than the length of it. All the credits they earned after we were born went toward our education and us having some wonderful memories together as a family. Dad died right after I turned nineteen. He suffered a fatal stroke. My mom was just heartbroken. I’d never seen any other couple as in love as they were. Her health declined within two years and she refused to allow us to take her to a medical facility. One night she went to sleep and just didn’t wake up. It’s like she lost the will to live once he was gone.”
He pulled her into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Venice.”
“They loved us.” She hugged him back. “I’m glad they’re together again in the afterlife.”
Chapter Nine
Venice openly gawked at her surroundings as she sat in the backseat of a vehicle. Mavo drove them through a large gate that automatically opened as they approached the city. It wasn’t a large one but the tall buildings impressed her nonetheless. She couldn’t believe all they’d accomplished since they’d settled on the beautiful planet.
“What do you think?”
She glanced at her seatmate and grinned. “It’s beautiful, Deviant.”
“We take pride in everything we do,” Mavo informed her from the front seat.
“I can tell. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She admired how precise their streets were, and there wasn’t any trash on the ground anywhere.
Mavo parked in front of a building and turned in his seat. “Would you like me to go up with you?”
Deviant opened the passenger door. “No. I’d like to show Venice our home on my own. Thank you, Father.”
“Contact me if you have any problems. Remember we have a meeting with the council tomorrow.”
“Thank them for giving us a day to settle in.”
“I’ll unload your bag and have it sent up to you.”
Venice scooted across the seat and got out with Deviant. He took her arm and linked it with his, leading her toward the front doors of a building. The doors automatically opened and allowed them inside. She spotted some shops on the lower floor, but it was early and they weren’t open. A few cyborgs got off an elevator and openly stared at her. At least one of them smiled, so she did the same. Deviant took her into a lift and they went up alone.
“I’ve never upgraded my home but I could if you don’t like it.”
She shook her head. “I’m sure it will be great. I don’t want you going into debt.”
He chuckled as the elevator stopped and he maneuvered them into a hallway. Only six doors were on the floor. He stopped at the third one on the left, pressed his palm on a sensor, and it opened. He released her and motioned her to enter first.
“It’s not about debt here. I was offered upgraded living many times in the past ten years but the idea of moving didn’t appeal to me.”
She took in the living room area first. It was tastefully furnished and larger than she expected. A full kitchen with a counter divider had been placed in one corner. The view caught her attention the most and she walked closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Wow.”
Deviant came up behind her and hesitantly put his arm around her waist. “I like this view. I’m high enough to see over the city walls to glimpse the ocean in the distance.”
She hugged his arm and leaned back against him. “The water is so blue. And look at all those trees between it and the wall! I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I take it you lived in a populated city area on Earth? My father said they are full of buildings as far as the eye can see.”
“You could say that. We didn’t even have trees or real grass except in a few small park areas. I rarely went. The price of admission can be steep, depending on where you go. They had to put domes over the parks and vent them with oxygen so the pollutants in the air wouldn’t kill the vegetation.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“My city does have one park I visited every year for my birthday. It had flowers. We weren’t allowed to touch them but the smell was heavenly, and they were so beautiful with how colorful they were.”
Deviant held her tighter. “I could get you flowers. Would you like some plants for our balcony? Some cyborgs have them. It’s easy to
add a watering filtration system and the oxygen is clean on this planet.”
She looked up at him. “I don’t want you to go to all that trouble.”
“It wouldn’t be. I worked two years of duty in our agriculture gardens, remember? I’ll take you there and you can pick out some plants you enjoy to look at. We can bring them here and give them an environment they’ll thrive in. That way we won’t have to tend them constantly but you can enjoy them whenever we’re on Garden.”
She stared out at the other buildings inside the city wall. “Where is this park?”
“You can’t see it from here. Come. I’ll show you our bedroom. There’s a guest one too but it’s empty. I’ve never had anyone stay with me.”
He loosened his hold and she let him go, following when he walked toward a hallway. He pointed to the first open doorway and she looked in. It was a bare room and she saw that it had its own bathroom, since the door to it had been left open. They moved down the hall and entered a larger room. This one held a king-size bed, a dresser, and two nightstands. Deviant turned to her, looking uncertain.
“It’s very bare. We can buy different furnishings, and I know some enjoy paintings on the walls.” He advanced across the room to a big window that seemed covered by a dark film, and pushed a button. The window cleared, lightening, and revealed another view.
Venice went to stand at his side and stared out. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”
There weren’t any tall buildings next to them within sight, only a large stretch of land. Green and other colors of vegetation had been planted. The sight of a space vessel near the city wall wasn’t something she’d expected, nor cute cottage-style house being built next to it.
“Is that a shuttle parked on the other side?”
He chuckled. “Yes. That’s the Jenny. Coal, a cyborg, married the captain of that shuttle. Her name is Jill. She had a strong attachment to her shuttle and wanted to keep it, rather than allow us to salvage it for building materials. They lived there inside it for a while but recently began to work to create their dream home next door to it. Their androids will remain living on the shuttle once they are able to move into the house.”
Loving Deviant Page 11
