by Alyse Anders
Saved by the Cyborg
Alyse Anders
Alyse Anders
Saved by the Cyborg
Copyright 2020 Alyse Anders
ISBN: 978-1-7770382-1-2
All Rights Are Reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First edition: March 2020
Cover Art by Amanda @ Razzle Dazzle Designs
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter One
Eagan hadn’t flown a ship off Zarlan’s surface since the final days of the Sholle war nearly two decades ago. It had been made clear to him that there was no room for a man with his skills anywhere on Grus Prime space station. Not only was he a cyborg, but a skilled tactician who’d been instrumental in creating the war plan they’d needed to drive the Sholle away from their sector for good.
At least, that’s what he’d thought had happened.
Rykal had contacted him an hour earlier with the words Eagan had never thought he’d hear again.
The Sholle were back.
They hadn’t attacked either Grus Prime, nor Zarlan itself. As of the last report, three scout ships had entered the edge of the sector’s sensor range and were holding position. That gave Eagan time to process the information and take a shuttle to the station where he could convene with the Grus leadership to determine the plan of attack.
And how many cyborgs would be sacrificed this time.
The atmospheric storm was stronger than normal, violently shaking the small shuttle. Normally, there was a Grus pilot and co-pilot who would fly any recalled cyborg up to the station. This prevented any of their kind from having access not only to a ship that could be used to attack the station, but also allow the cyborgs to leave the planet without authorization. While the Grus claimed that the Fallen – the most sanitized term for cyborgs they could have come up with – were their own people who could come or go as they pleased, the truth was they were in all ways prisoners.
“Grus Prime to shuttle. We have you on our systems. Please continue on approach vector alpha.”
Eagan signaled his acknowledgment, even if he didn’t vocalize it.
He tried to not hate the Grus, hate what they’d turned him into, but it was difficult. He’d been forced into the war with the Sholle the first time around because his attack and defense simulations had been the most successful. Having a tactical mind was one thing, but being forced to convene with commanders while firing weapons on the battlefield was another.
No one in his small detail of soldiers had been aware of the presence of the bomb that took his leg, gouged his side and stole the lives of the others. Eagan had never been so far out of his element. Until they pulled him from the rubble, connected cybernetic enhancements to his body and installed a matrix into the back of his brain. His life, or re-birth as they loved to call it, completely changed at that point.
His brain saw things even better than before. His body was stronger, faster and more responsive.
It was a shame his emotions couldn’t come along for the ride.
The moment the shuttle popped out above the planet’s exosphere, peace descended over him. The blackness of space was a balm across a wound he hadn’t realized was festering, soothing the old hurt. Grus Prime hovered in the distance, a grey-blue beacon calling out to him, reminding him of the life he once had. There was something different about the station, something he couldn’t quite reconcile with his memories. The running lights directing him toward the docking bay were the same, as was the shimmer of the energy shield that protected the Grus home.
Eagan reached up and scratched at the back of his head, frustrated when he realized that the itching felt as though it was inside his brain.
Wonderful.
On top of an imminent attack, he possibly had a glitch in his system.
Ignoring the itching as best he could, Eagan maneuvered the shuttle toward the docking bay. The moment the shuttle passed through the energy shield, a voice echoed loudly in his head.
Attention cyborg. You are now approaching Grus Prime Station. You are prohibited from connecting your systems to the central computer. Failure to comply will result in immediate decommission. Acknowledge.
The station’s AI had been part of his creation upon the cleanup from the Sholle war. He’d worked with Commander Aidric to ensure the cyborgs wouldn’t pose a threat to the Grus, who would be powerless to defend themselves against a full-blown attack. The fact that the voice sounded feminine was his doing, though hearing it now, he should have considered a more neutral voice.
Acknowledge cyborg.
Eagan clenched his teeth. I acknowledge. Maybe the itching in his head wasn’t a glitch, but rather an unexpected by-product from the AI’s monitoring systems? If their entire world didn’t go to hell in the next few hours, he might consider talking to Commander Aidric about it.
If he could manage to stomach the interaction.
He easily finessed the shuttle into the docking bay, landing it with as little impact as he could. It only took a moment for him to disengage the engines and decompress the shuttle before the door opened allowing him to leave. Protocol dictated that he be greeted with a full complement of security guards who would direct him to a contained waiting facility, so he was shocked when Rykal and Darrick instead approached the shuttle alone.
Stepping out into the docking bay generated an odd sensation of nostalgia and something else that he couldn’t quite place. Both men were looking at him strangely, their gaze not once leaving him. Eagan fought the urge to shake his head or reach up once again to scratch. “I’m here.”
Rykal shared a look with Darrick before stepping forward and holding out his hand. “Did you take any scans of the Sholle ships on your way up?”
“The shuttle’s sensor range doesn’t reach that far, but I gathered what information I could. I take it they haven’t moved?”
“No.” Darrick crossed his arms, highlighting his hulking frame. “They haven’t done anything yet but scan the station. Even then we’re not certain what information they would have received given the distance.”
“They’d never been interested in the station before, only the planet and what resources they could strip from the surface.” None of this made sense to Eagan. “It’s possible they’re trying to determine if we’ve weakened enough for them to come back and finish what they’d started.” He took a step forward, but his gaze snapped to a ship sitting off on the far end of the docking bay. “What’s that?”
Before he was able to change his direction toward the unknown ship, both Rykal and Darrick were at his sides, their arms moving him away. Rykal kept his gaze locked on Eagan. “That is a separate problem for after our meeting with the Grus command.”
Eagan didn’t know why, but there was something important about the ship, something that was tied in with the Sholle’s presence and what was going to happen. He didn’t know how or why he knew this, but it was in his heart the truth.
The further away he got from the ship, the easier it was for him to focus. “I expect an explanation.”
“You’ll get one,” Darrick said as he released his hold once they entered the corridor. “There will be no avoiding it.”
“Let’s keep our attention focused on the problem at hand.” Rykal also release his grip, though he didn’t move as far away as Darrick did. “Aidric has informed the rest of the Grus high council about the Sholle’s presence.”
Eagan hated everything about this. Hated that he knew the Grus would expect him to come up with a plan to protect them while also putting the Fallen in danger. They’d expect him to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible before returning to Zarlan’s surface to continue his necessary exile.
What made matters worse is that he’d do it. Every last thing.
He hated the Grus.
The emergency lights flashed as they traversed the corridor, now cleared of most Grus personnel. Non-essential people would have been sent to the residential section of the station where the families were segregated and kept safe from any alien or cyborg arrivals. He hadn’t been there since after the war when the station had been a military facility, rather than the last hope of the Grus people. But the Grus couldn’t live on a partially destroyed planet and the Fallen could. The change only made sense.
Logical. Practical. A plan that he too had orchestrated.
“Nothing has changed.” The observation frustrated him.
Darrick snorted as he shook his head. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
That turned out to be a truth as well. When they entered the command room, Eagan’s gaze took in all the relevant information of who was present. Naturally, Commander Aidric was there informing the Grus high council about the situation. As the creator of the cyborg matrix and the man who created their people from the fallen soldiers, he’d become the natural bridge between their two peoples over the years.
Eagan hated him, even as he respected the decision he’d been forced to make on their behalf.
However, the Grus high councillors were another matter all together. The group of three – two men and one woman – sat in chairs in the middle of the room, their impractical long robes draped across the arms rests and cascaded to the floor. The moment one of the councillors looked at the three cyborgs, he lifted his chin and shifted his gaze away.
It’s good to see some things never change. He used the cyborg short range communication to connect with Rykal and Darrick. Have they acknowledged your presence at all?
Not yet. Rykal laced his hands behind his back. I have low expectations of that happening either.
Darrick stiffened, somehow making his large frame appear even larger. At least we have Aidric as a conduit. I’d hate to get annoyed and accidentally bash one of their brains in.
Their link was suddenly broken, and the voice of the station’s AI blared in his head.
Attention cyborgs. Linked communication is strictly forbidden. Failure to comply will result in immediate decommission. Acknowledge.
There was a time when Eagan might have been amused by the overbearing AI, but today wasn’t that day. If you expect us to protect the Grus from the imminent Sholle attack, communication between cyborg units is not only pertinent, but required. YOU fracking acknowledge!
The hesitation on the part of the AI was nearly palpable. Rykal glanced over at Eagan, cocking his eyebrow. As the seconds ticked on, Eagan wanted to laugh at the insanity of the situation.
After a few moments of silence, the AI’s voice returned. Permission granted. For now.
Darrick snorted. So kind of you.
With that distraction gone, Eagan was able to relax a fraction. It was only at that point that he realized there were two people present in the room who shouldn’t be there. Two people who he didn’t recognize, who didn’t appear to even be Grus. Why hadn’t he noticed them as soon as he walked into the room? He scratched at the back of his head again, wondering if the annoyance was somehow to blame for his oversight.
That’s Lena and Carys. Rykal’s voice felt tentative and held a sound of something Eagan hadn’t heard from his former commander in a long while – love.
Who are they? Without being told, he knew they’d arrived on the ship back in the docking bay, that they were somehow the reason for the Sholle’s returned presence in the sector. But there was something more than that. Something he couldn’t figure out yet and it was starting to irritate him.
Not to mention the itching in the back of his brain was getting stronger.
Rykal turned to face him. “I promise you it will all become clear. We need time to address this first and then I’ll give you all the details. We’ll also deal with the itching in the back of your brain.”
“How did you know?” But then he looked over at the two women and he realized there was a reason two cyborgs had been allowed to be on Grus Prime at the same time. Somehow the Fallen were linked to these women.
And in that moment, Eagan knew everything in his life was about to change.
“Rykal, can you and the others come over.” Commander Aidric’s gaze paused on Eagan briefly, but he gave no other indication of concern.
The three approached the high council, walking past the two women where they stood off to the side. It took tremendous effort not to turn and look at them, to keep from diverting his path to approach them. He could feel Rykal and Darrick’s attention fixed on him and knew they would intervene if he got too close. Not because they were trying to protect the Grus or even himself. He somehow knew they would do anything for those women, even kill him if it was deemed necessary.
Commander Aidric stood at attention, his gray uniform crisp and clean, contrasting with the slight hunch in his shoulders. “Have you been shown any of the scans of the Sholle ships?”
Right to the matter at hand. Eagan hadn’t remembered seeing him so obviously tired before, not even in the days of the war after his re-birth. If the others noticed, no one said anything. “I’ve only just arrived.”
Commander Aidric’s gaze slid to Rykal’s for the briefest of moments before he turned to the high council. “Please excuse me while I show our tactician the most recent data we’ve collected.”
None of the councillors responded to him, instead turning their attention to one another. Commander Aidric spun on his heel and nodded toward the far console. “This way.”
Eagan reached out to the others. There’s something wrong with the Commander?
Aidric’s tired. The concern in Rykal’s words was unusual, as was the use of solely his given name. As far as Eagan knew, the two of them weren’t on the best of terms, even if they’d once been close.
It’s been a busy few days. Darrick added, and a flash of the dark-skinned woman flashed through his mind. Let’s hope things settle down for us all and this turns out to be nothing.
Eagan shook his head. When the Sholle are involved, it’s never nothing. That was the reason they’d brought him to the station, to determine exactly what was happening.
“There’s a console ready for you.” Aidric pointed to the station closest to them. “I’ve opened permissions with the AI to grant you full access to anything you might need.”
“I’m surprised the AI wasn’t able to determine what’s brought the Sholle here.” Eagan knew his abilities to shift through data and making leaps of logic was the most precise of any of the cyborgs, but with the resources available to the AI, it should have been able to find the source as well as he could.
“We ran the tests multiple times, but nothing showed.” Aidric spoke in a clipped tone as his gaze slipped over to the console. “Whatever is attracting the Sholle, it’s beyond the AI’s capability to locate.”
While incredibly advanced, the AI was still limited by its programming. Eagan had the advantage of being born biological, and his life experience gave him a wider perspective that allowed for leaps in logic.
Commander Aidric turned to look Eagan in the eyes. �
�I need to know if our people are about to be obliterated, or if there’s something else happening here.”
The impulse to protect washed over Eagan and he nodded before taking the seat and scanning the sector. “Please hold.”
The ability to determine patterns out of seemingly nothing was a gift he’d possessed long before he’d been re-born. It was simply the way his brain had developed, and it had made his life easy if not a little boring. With the enhancements of his cybernetic matrix, it allowed Eagan to make those connections faster than any Grus alive. It didn’t take long for him to see exactly what had drawn the Sholle out from whatever rock they’d taken residence under and pulled them here.
There was a signal.
It was faint, and not of Grus origin. The trickle of data floating out into the blackness of space wouldn’t have been detectable by many. But the Sholle’s technology was far superior to even the Grus; clearly, they’d been able to pick it up and followed it here, thinking they were going to find a new victim to exploit.
What he couldn’t determine was where the signal originated.
It took another few minutes of searching, trying to find the barest threads of data and painstakingly follow them back to the source. When he realized what it was, Eagan got to his feet and turned to face the Commander and Rykal.
“They’re not here for us. They’ve come for the ship in your docking bay.”
Chapter Two
Eagan couldn’t be certain why, but he knew that the itching in the back of his brain had something to do not only with the ship, but with the signal that was emanating from it. Commander Aidric frowned, but both Rykal and Darrick instantly went on alert.
