Aces Over Queen (The Drift Book 8)

by Susan Hayes

  “Why does that surprise you?” Owen asked.

  “Because I’m the ice queen. The boss’s daughter. The spoiled little rich girl. Any and all of the above.”

  Alyson laughed. “I used to think that way, too. My family runs a planet instead of a corporation, but we’re more alike than you know. I never thought I’d fit in anywhere, either. Then I found this place, and discovered a group of beings that are not just friends, they’re the family I chose for myself.”

  For her, family had always meant one thing, loyalty to her father, the only blood relative she had. “I think I’d like that.”

  “Then let’s get you scanned and cleaned up so you’re ready to meet the newest members of this crazy family when they finally make their appearance.” Alyson rose from her chair and hit something on her keyboard. There was a low hum, and a new device lowered from the ceiling just over her bed.

  “You two are going to need to stand back for this. It won’t take long.” Owen kissed her forehead, then let go of her hand.

  Royan did the same, but then asked her a gentle question. “Will you be okay with me ducking out to check on my sister? Doc, do I have enough time to do that?”

  “Only a quick visit. Trust me, you don’t want to stay too long. A woman in delivery is never in the best of moods.”

  “Go. Don’t be long, though. I’m looking forward to my post-scan shower. I had no idea how much drying blood itches,” Tianna said.

  “Thank you.” He kissed her again. “I won’t be long.”

  She looked over at Owen. “You, too. Try to keep Royan from saying anything that will get him killed by an angry pregnant lady.”

  “I’ll do my best, but I’m not making any promises. You know our boy.”

  “I do.”

  “It’s like I’m not even in the room,” Royan muttered on his way out. “See you soon, sweetheart.”

  “I always knew Royan and Owen would end up together, but it never occurred to me that it would take a woman to stabilize those two. You’re either crazy, brave, or both. And that’s coming from someone who married cyborg triplets.”

  “Crazy, brave, and likely in love, though I’m not admitting that to them just yet.”

  “Good plan. Hold off until I can start up a betting pool on how long it takes you to tell them. I made a killing on the last one.”

  “You won that?”

  Alyson grinned. “I did. Spent it on some upgrades to our food dispenser. Three hungry cyborgs were putting a strain on the old one.”

  “I can only imagine. Before we do this, can I have a moment to contact my father? He really should know what’s happening before he hears about it on the news.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Thanks. Tink, you there?”

  “Of course.”

  Alyson raised a blonde brow as the AI announced its presence, but didn’t say anything.

  “Send a message to my father and assign it the highest urgency rating there is. Message as follows: Father. There was another attempt on my life tonight. The attempt failed, but I was seriously injured. Attacker and responders are aware of my condition. I’m sorry. There was no other choice. Please take all precautions with your safety. I will await further instructions from you. End message. Send.”

  “Message sent,” Tink confirmed.

  “We really do have a lot in common,” Alyson said softly, her expression one of understanding.

  “My relationship with my father is…” she trailed off with a shrug.

  “Mine, too. There’s a reason I’m out here, light years from Cassien Alpha.”

  “I’ve been there, beautiful planet.”

  “It is. And I get home once in awhile to visit my grandparents. They adore my husbands. My parents…not so much.”

  “And you’re okay with that?” Why was it that everyone else seemed to be strong enough to walk away from the source of their unhappiness and she wasn’t? Alyson. Royan. Owen. The list went on. If she was such a bad ass, why was she working so hard to appease her father, a man who never approved of anything she did? Because family is everything. The thought popped into her head and she pushed it aside. That wasn’t an answer she was willing to accept. Not this time. And just like that, her headache was back, cutting through the comfortable fog of the pain-blockers.

  “I’m fine with it but—” Alyson ended her statement abruptly as she noticed Tianna’s discomfort. “But you’re not fine. Pain?”

  “Just a headache. Nothing serious. It’s been coming and going all evening.”

  “Actually, Tianna, you have been complaining of low-level physical discomfort in your cranial region for more than a week. According to my records, you have consumed small doses of pain-blockers numerous times in the past nine days.”

  “You’re nagging, Tink.”

  “I am not nagging. I am informing your doctor of a potential issue.”

  “And Tianna’s doctor appreciates it, Tink. Tianna, do you need something to help with the pain right now? You’ve got enough pain-blocker in your system a minor headache shouldn’t be affecting you, which means that it’s not minor.”

  Tianna shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Guess that’s something else you can check on while we’re doing the scan, huh?”

  “Absolutely. Can you give me some idea where the pain is originating?”

  “Back of my skull.” She touched her head. “Here.”

  Alyson gently probed the area. “No injury or indication of head trauma. Though, there is a small, bony lump under your skin, but that’s an old injury by the feel of it.”

  “Probably one of the fracture sites from my accident.”

  “Only one way to be sure. Lie back and I’ll start the scan. It should be finished rendering by the time your men get back.”

  Tianna lay back and did her best to keep still. She’d been scanned often enough to know the less she moved, the faster it would be over. Since thinking about her father was giving her a headache, she tried to focus on happier things, like Royan and Owen. They were the one source of joy in her life right now, and she had no intention of giving them up. She just wasn’t sure how to make it work when she was about to be the focus of a shitstorm that would upend not just her life, but everyone around her.

  “And we’re done. You can sit up now,” the doctor announced a short time later.

  “How does it look?”

  “Honestly? Fascinating. I examined you myself and I had no idea how much of you had been rebuilt or replaced. Whoever worked on you, they did an impressive job.”

  “My father only hired the best. I can’t even tell you their names, though. I was never introduced to any of them.”

  “Given what they were doing, I’m not surprised. Some of these implants aren’t even supposed to exist.”

  There was a low knock on the door, interrupting before Tia could ask the doctor what she meant.

  “We’re back,” Royan called out.

  “We’re ready for you. Come in,” Alyson replied.

  The door opened and Owen and Royan came in, followed by a curvy woman with red hair and a friendly smile. “Hi, there. I’m Lieksa Darian-Schudo. You must be Tianna Astor. Nice to meet you, even if the circumstances aren’t great.”

  “Hi. I hear you’re the resident expert on all things cyborg.”

  “I was a cybernetic technician during the war, yes, and until recently I was a robotic tech for Astek. In case no one’s mentioned it to you yet, the corporate cafeteria really could do with an upgrade.”

  “Noted. If I’m still in charge after all this, I’ll see what I can do.”

  Owen frowned. “Why wouldn’t you be in charge?”

  “Because I’m an illegal construct whose existence violates intergalactic law? Because I could end up arrested? Because the board of directors might have a little trouble taking orders from someone who isn’t human? Take your pick.”

  “Not to detract from your argument, but you are definitely human. Modified and enhanced, yes, but still
human. Do you want to see your scan so you can see for yourself?” Alyson asked.

  “Yes, please.” She’d always been curious about what had been done to her. There’d been so many secrets in her life, it felt good to be free of at least some of them.

  Alyson dimmed the lights slightly, then touched something on her keyboard and a full-sized projection with all her organs and inner workings, shimmered into existence.

  “I got to say, that’s a little disturbing,” Royan said.

  She had to agree. The image was so detailed she could see her heart beating and her lungs work. It rotated slowly in the air, allowing her to see everything. She was so fascinated by it all, it took her a few seconds to focus on her implants. They were highlighted in yellow, and there were a lot more of them than she’d expected.

  “Re’veth. That’s a lot of tech,” Owen murmured.

  “I had no idea it was so extensive. I knew about my arm, and my legs, but this…” she waved to the projection. Along with the expected inserts into her arms and legs were a host of others. Her organs were replaced with clone tissue, but some of them appeared to have implants as well. What had they done to her? “Are you sure I’m still human?”

  “Positive. Cyborgs are just enhanced humans, after all,” Alyson replied.

  She was still trying to absorb what she was seeing. There were extensive neural connections running along her spine and into her skull.

  “What is all that? Why is there so much tech in my head?” she asked, pointing to the projection.

  Alyson looked at Lieksa. “Any idea?”

  Lieksa nodded, her sunny expression fading. “Dr. Jefferies sent me your file, so I know when this happened, and why, but based on what I see here, they did more than just rebuild your body.”

  “What else did they do?” Tianna’s question came out so strained she barely recognized her own voice.

  Owen and Royan laid their hands on her back and she leaned into their touch.

  “I’d need to scan you with some specialty equipment to confirm the exact purpose of each implant, but I don’t need to do that to know what at least some of them do. Some of what you see is neural networking, but most of it…” Lieksa sighed. “I’m sorry, Tianna, but that hardware is very distinctive, and it only has one use: behavior modification.”

  Tianna’s mouth opened but no words came out. Her thoughts were a tangled snarl of denial, anger, and heartbreak.

  “You’re sure?” Owen asked.

  “Completely.”

  Tianna bit back a sob and forced herself to exhale slowly. “How would that affect me?”

  “Cyborgs undergo extensive mental conditioning and skill implantation while they’re still in their maturation tanks. You were already an adult when this was done to you, so the effects would be limited. Some behaviors might be discouraged, and a few instructions could be embedded to guide your decision-making process. Think of it like someone nudging your thinking.”

  “Instructions? Like, some phrases that keep repeating?” Her hurt faded, burned away by her growing sense of outrage.

  Royan’s hand stiffened. “Son of a starbeast. You don’t think that’s why you kept saying the same thing when we argued?”

  She clenched her teeth. “That’s exactly what I think.”

  “Lieksa, what would happen when someone with that kind of conditioning started resisting it?” Alyson asked.

  “For the cyborgs, as the behavioral conditioning weakened, they reported periods of cognitive dissonance, headaches, and a disconnect between their actions and their desires. I’m not sure how it affects someone like Tianna though. This is new, and it should never be allowed to happen again.” Lieksa gave Tianna a look of sympathy. “I know you must have dozens of questions, and I’ll try to answer as many as I can. First thing you need to know is this can be fixed.”

  “Can you get rid of it?” Tianna wanted the tech out of her so she could melt it all to fraxxing slag.

  Lieksa hesitated. “I don’t know. But even if I can’t, I can deactivate it. And there’s someone here on Astek who happens to be a specialist in helping people work through this kind of thing.”

  Owen’s started stroking her back in slow, soothing strokes. “You’re talking about Xori Virness, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “I am. She’s been working with Ward and Vic. I think she could help Tianna, too.”

  “Who?” Tianna asked. Her brain was busy working through what she’d learned. She didn’t have the bandwidth for much more new information right now.

  “She’s a doctor working with two of our friends. She’s something of a specialist in this kind of therapy.”

  “If she can help me get my brain back, I’m in.” She tried to keep her tone light, but inside she was screaming. Her father had done this to her. Violated the sanctity of her mind, hijacking her thoughts to force her to be what he wanted. She’d come to terms with what he’d done to her body without her permission. He’d done it to save her life. But he hadn’t stopped there, and she’d never forgive him for that.

  Owen leaned in and nuzzled her ear. “You okay?”

  “Not really.” The only thing grounding her right now was the fact Owen and Royan were with her.

  “It’s okay not to be. This has been a seriously shit day. But we’re here, and we’re going to get through this, together.”

  She nodded, then turned and threw her arms around them both, hugging them hard. “Thank you. I’m sorry I dragged you both into my mess.”

  “We like mess,” Royan told her.

  “And we really like you,” Owen added.

  “I really like you, too.” What she felt for them went far deeper than like, but she wasn’t ready to admit it. Not here, and not yet.

  “Whatever we can do to help,” Alyson said.

  “Can you help me get rid of a body? I’m going to kill my father for this.” The words were out of her mouth before she could filter them.

  Royan laughed, Owen hugged her, and both women grinned.

  “She really is one of us, isn’t she?” Lieksa asked Alyson, who simply nodded and offered her an approving smile.

  Warmth bloomed deep in Tianna’s chest, filling her with an unfamiliar feeling. This was what acceptance felt like. She liked it. Now that she was back in control of her life, this is what she wanted. Acceptance, approval, and the company of people who cared about her.

  When her headache flared again, she embraced it. The pain meant she was thinking for herself. She was free.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Medi-bots or not, Royan was exhausted. He was in good company, though. Everyone in the medical center’s waiting room had been up for hours, though their reasons were different from his.

  He couldn’t remember a more emotional night. The argument with Tianna. The heartache when she threw them out. Then the terrifying sprint back to Astek after Tink’s message that Tianna was in danger. After that, there’d been enough surprises and revelations to last them all several lifetimes.

  Tianna’s father wasn’t answering messages, Owen’s sister was still being interrogated, and rumors of the attack on Tianna were running rampant. The only bright spot had been the arrival of his nieces, who had come into the world with indignant wails loud enough to pierce the thick walls and bring the entire waiting room to their feet to cheer. Everyone had been there, including a tired but determined Tianna.

  The ever useful Tink had some of Tianna’s clothing delivered, as well as a change of clothing for both him and Owen, and the three of them had sat in the waiting room with the rest of their friends, waiting for news.

  Tianna had been friendly but quiet for long stretches as she tried to make sense of everything she’d learned. Physically she was healing quickly, but emotionally…that was going to take a lot longer.

  All he could do was be there for her, holding her hand, encouraging her to eat, listening to her send message after message to her father. He couldn’t imagine what she was feeling, reaching out to the man who ha
d done her so much harm. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and promise her she’d never have to see that man again, but there was no way that would happen. He was her father, and the head of Astek, which meant he’d been the focal point of the storm that was brewing.

  The news hadn’t broken yet, though, and once he’d seen his sister, he’d be taking Tianna and Owen home so they could all get some much needed rest.

  “Royan, you still here?” Alyson appeared at the waiting room door, grinning broadly. “Your sister wants to introduce you to your nieces, then I want you to take Tianna home and get her to rest. She’s not completely healed yet.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice, doc.” Royan got to his feet stiffly and shot a dirty look at the medieval torture device he’d been sitting on for the last few hours. The beds in the medical center were a lot more comfortable than the chairs.

  Owen stood, and they both turned back to offer a hand to Tianna, who rose with her usual grace despite the toll the night had taken on her.

  Alyson led them down a short stretch of worn and battered hallway and into one of the patient rooms.

  Zura was sitting up in bed, looking tired but triumphant. “Hey, little brother. I hear you and your family had some excitement of your own last night.”

  Tianna nearly stumbled, and Royan tightened his grip on her hand, correcting her balance. He couldn’t tell if it was exhaustion or shock from being referred to as his family that made her lose her footing. Probably the latter.

  “Nothing our girl couldn’t handle.”

  Zura’s silver eyes widened. “Later, I want to hear the whole story.”

  “So do we,” Luke said.

  “You look rough, my friend,” Owen said.

  Luke just nodded. “Feel that way, too. Like we fought an entire campaign in one night.”

  “And we had the easy job.” Kit stroked Zura’s hair. “You were amazing, Zura my love. And I never want to see you go through that again.”

  Zura just laughed. “It really wasn’t that bad. Then again, I had pain blockers. They didn’t.”

  Royan let go of Tianna and walked over to Zura, giving her a careful hug. “Congratulations. Now, where are my nieces? Gimme.”