A Fistful 0f Cyborg (Cyborgs On Mars Book 2)

by Honey Phillips

  “No, you expected that the company would force someone to be our subject,” she hissed, anger washing over her.

  She hadn’t returned to the lab last night, choosing to monitor the experiment from her room rather than deal with her treacherous lab assistant.

  “I just want to succeed. I mean, I want the project to succeed.”

  She suspected the first statement was closer to the truth. When would she learn that scientific talents could conceal ruthless ambition?

  “Succeed at what price, Reggie? It’s people like you who give scientists a bad name.”

  He fiddled with his glasses, almost in tears, but her usual compassion had deserted her.

  “I monitored the experiment,” she said shortly. “I suggest you continue down that line of inquiries, reducing the speed at which we introduce the nanites until my replacement arrives.” The experiment had failed, but not as badly as the previous ones, and she would have pursued it herself if her hand hadn’t been forced.

  “But… but aren’t I coming with you?”

  “No. The arrangement only requires my presence. And even if I had been… allowed to bring an assistant, I wouldn’t have brought you. You betrayed my trust and went behind my back, Reggie, and I do not give my trust a second time.”

  That lesson had been burned into her brain too many times.

  “But Doctor… Addie!”

  Ignoring him, she turned and headed for the transport dome. No one had given her specific instructions but if they were sending lab equipment, it would probably arrive there.

  On first inspection, the large dome appeared to be empty of anything except vehicles, but then she heard the clang of metal and looked up in time to see Sam emerge from behind a sled loaded with equipment. He didn’t glance at her as he attached it to one of the big six-wheeled rovers that were the most common form of transportation on Mars.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Sam?” she asked. “It’s not necessary. We’ll find a solution eventually.”

  “On the contrary. I think this is entirely necessary.”

  Finished with his job, he strode over to her. He seemed even larger and more muscular today, looming over her in the harsh artificial light. Without the breathing mask, she could catch his scent. The combination of leather and musk, still instantly familiar, washed over her and her body responded. Her heart rate increased, her nipples tightened, and she could feel an unfamiliar dampness between her thighs. He was standing so close she could feel the heat of his big body, and she almost swayed towards him but he stepped back with a harsh laugh.

  “I have a few experiments of my own to conduct.”

  S-756 almost regretted his harsh tone but he had to do something to establish distance between them. When he had seen her standing on the far side of the transport garage, his heart had given a foolish and completely unacceptable leap. Even though she must be in her mid-thirties by now, she looked ridiculously young and vulnerable standing there in her oversized coveralls. No doubt she was attempting to disguise herself from him but nothing could conceal those lush curves. Despite his best efforts, his cock responded, remembering the feel of her in his arms. And when he stood over her in a vain attempt to intimidate, her soft floral scent had only added to his arousal.

  Her face looked so vulnerable without the breathing mask, big purple eyes full of sorrow. She seemed so concerned—about him—and he had to force himself to speak abruptly. Before she could respond to his statement, he gestured to the rover. “Do you know how to drive that?”

  She eyed it doubtfully. “We had holographic training on the ship out. Aren’t you going to drive?”

  Sitting in a confined space with her, her warmth and scent filling the air, knowing she was only an arm’s length away? He fought back a shudder of desire.

  “No,” he said abruptly. “I’m riding my horse. You will follow me.”

  She bowed her head and started for the rover without another word. He was momentarily distracted by the gentle sway of her hips but then he noticed the slight stiffness to her right leg and remembered her injury. He strode after her.

  “How is your ankle?”

  She looked surprised, then pleased by his question, and he could have bitten his tongue. He had no intention of showing her any more compassion than she had shown him. That’s not fair, his conscience reminded him. She had shown him nothing but compassion—until she betrayed him and he realized that it had all been an act.

  “I have a hard bandage enclosing it. It should be fine.”

  “Good. I do not want your human frailties slowing us down.”

  She looked as if he had slapped her and instead of feeling triumphant, he felt sick. He forced his face to remain expressionless, but when they reached the rover, he couldn’t stand to watch her struggle and lifted her easily into the small cabin, his hands burning from the warmth of her skin.

  “Check the breathing mask,” he ordered.

  “I won’t need it in the cabin.”

  The enclosed cabins on the rovers were designed to provide an almost unlimited supply of supplemental oxygen, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with her safety.

  “It’s a standard precaution. Check it.”

  Small white teeth closed over a plump lower lip, but she didn’t comment as she obeyed.

  “It’s fine,” she assured him when she had finished the safety check.

  “Good. Close the door and check for leaks.”

  Once again she didn’t comment as she ran the second check. She nodded and gave him a cautious smile when she finished. He didn’t return the smile, still wrestling with the need to protect her versus the need to treat her as she had treated him. As an experiment.

  “I’ll open the doors. Drive outside and wait for me while I seal them behind me.”

  After checking to make sure that the inner door to the lab complex was sealed, he opened one of the big bay doors and watched carefully as she maneuvered out of the garage. She drove slowly, but competently enough, stopping obediently just outside the opening. He set the door to close behind him and went to join her. Blackie was standing where he had left him, his head tilted as if he were studying the rover and its occupant.

  S-756 shook his head. He had never regarded the robot horses as anything other than machines until the human females started interacting with them. Now he found himself wondering once again if he was any better than the humans who insisted that the cyborgs were only machines. And if the cyborgs were more than machines, perhaps the horses were too?

  Pushing aside the philosophical question, he mounted quickly then checked on Addie. She was waiting patiently but still biting her lower lip.

  “Follow me,” he called, waving an arm.

  She lifted her thumb in response and he found the gesture unexpectedly endearing. Fuck. He needed to get his head straight. He spent the rest of the morning’s journey lecturing himself about not letting her fool him again.

  They reached the spot he had chosen just after midday. They were far enough from the GenCon lab complex that he would be able to avoid their interference, but he would be able to make visits to each of the nearby power stations in less than a day. A narrow plateau at the top of a rocky slope, the site was raised above the valley floor, nestled into the base of a mountain range. Several of his fellow cyborgs had mining camps in these mountains and he found that he liked knowing there was assistance nearby if necessary.

  Addie followed him up onto the plateau and brought the rover to a halt where he indicated. As she pulled on her breathing mask, he saw her hand tremble and realized that her face was unusually pale.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded as he threw the door open.

  “N-nothing.”

  “Don’t you dare lie to me, Addie. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m tired and I’m hungry, all right?” she yelled at him. “I’ve barely slept in two nights and I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

  The short outburst seemed to exhaust her and she collaps
ed back against the seat, her mouth trembling. Fuck. He stared at her in appalled horror. He wasn’t used to accommodating human needs but that was no excuse for his neglect. She was under his protection now and he intended to take care of her.

  “Just sit there for a minute,” he ordered.

  Rifling through his saddlebags, he found a protein shake. It wasn’t tasty but it would hold her until he had a chance to set up the cooking facilities. Fortunately, she was wearing one of the smaller masks, leaving her mouth free.

  “Drink this.” He jammed the straw in the drink and held it to her mouth.

  “What is it?”

  “A protein drink. It will help you feel better.”

  “I’m already feeling better.”

  “Addie.” He stepped close enough that he towered over her, deliberately blocking her view of anything other than him. “Drink it.”

  Her throat worked nervously but she took the shake. He had been too concerned about her well-being to consider anything else but as he watched her lips close around the straw and saw her cheeks hollow as she sucked, his body sprang into full, aching arousal. He could only too easily envision her taking his cock the same way, stretching those soft pink lips around his shaft. Her knees were against his waist; one small push and he could be between them, his body pressed against the warmth and softness of hers. Her eyes had been closed but she opened them now, color rushing to her cheeks as she took in his expression, but she didn’t attempt to move away.

  They looked at each other, purple eyes meeting icy blue, as she removed the straw and licked her lips. He couldn’t stop himself. With a hoarse groan, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her legs circled his waist exactly as he had envisioned and he tugged her closer. She tasted like chocolate and Addie, a sweet, intoxicating taste that only made him want more. He forced her lips further apart, his hand buried in her soft hair as he tasted her, devoured her.

  It wasn’t until he felt her hands fluttering against his chest that he realized she was trying to push him away.

  Chapter Seven

  Addie’s head spun as Sam finally reacted to her fists drumming against his chest and pulled away.

  “I will not apologize,” he said stiffly, but his cheeks had darkened.

  “I don’t want you to apologize. You just…” Thrilled her? Terrified her? Overwhelmed her? The words wouldn’t come and she waved her hand helplessly.

  “Don’t forget who you’re dealing with, Dr. Montgomery. I’m no longer chained to an exam table.” He turned to stalk away, then hesitated with his back to her. “Sit there and finish the drink. I will prepare food once the habitat is assembled.”

  Without another word, he strode to the sled and began unloading the contents with awe-inspiring strength.

  Her hand went to her mouth as she watched him work. She could still taste him on her lips. Had she been wrong to push him away? The kiss had been wonderful at first and she reveled in it, reveled in knowing that this was Sam who was kissing her, but then he had pressed her tighter against him and she felt the massive bar of his erection and she panicked. Even though her own body had responded, her nipples tight points against his chest and a sweet ache between her legs. She knew what inevitably came next and she couldn’t face it.

  Should she have trusted him? No, she decided, but she wasn’t quite as sure as she would have liked. He spoke so harshly to her, but despite his words, all of his actions had demonstrated caring. If a little on the rough side, she thought ruefully. But when he demanded that she check the mask or drink the protein shake, she knew he was doing it because he was worried about her, not because he wanted to intimidate her. Was her Sam still in there?

  After she obediently finished the protein drink, she carefully climbed down and went to join him.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No. Sit over there in the sun and stay out of my way.” His harsh tone made her flinch and his face softened a fraction. “This just requires brute strength. You can help later.”

  With a sigh, she went to the small boulder he had indicated and sat down to watch as he prepared the camp. First, he attached a long rectangular module to an airlock, then set it to inflate. Based on the designs she had seen, it was a mobile habitat—sleeping, bathing, and cooking in one small unit. Were they going to share it? Even with her earlier alarm, a little thrill of excitement went through her at the thought. A large dome came next, obviously designed to hold the lab.

  As she watched him assemble the iron framework of the dome, his horse wandered over to where she was perched on the boulder. She studied him a little cautiously—he seemed even bigger now that she was down on the ground—and he seemed to return her stare. He was composed mainly of dark metal parts that gleamed in the pale Martian sun and she reached out an experimental hand. The metal felt warm and smooth, almost alive beneath her fingers and she stroked his nose. He nudged it closer and she laughed.

  “You like that, do you?” She reached higher, into the mane of flexible tubing, and he pressed even closer.

  “Blackie, come here,” Sam ordered. “Leave her alone.”

  “No, don’t.” She put a restraining hand on the horse’s neck, not that she would have any hope of stopping him if he wanted to leave. “He’s fine. We’re just getting acquainted. His name is Blackie?”

  “Some of the human females have given the horses names,” he said gruffly.

  “Females?” A spark of something that felt uncomfortably like jealousy hit her. Did he have a better relationship with other women?

  “Married to some… friends of mine,” he said shortly, then went back to his building.

  Friends? He had friends? Did he mean humans or other cyborgs? And if he meant cyborgs, how could they be married? She knew that Earth law prevented cyborgs from marrying or owning property. Was it different here on Mars? She desperately wanted to ask him but the forbidding line of his back did not encourage questions.

  Blackie nudged her and she absently put her hand up to pet him, still staring at Sam. It was impossible of course. Even if they could repair their relationship, she had a different path in front of her. But still, as she sat there watching him, the faint warmth of the sun relaxing her tired body, she couldn’t help but dream of a different future, a future that included Sam.

  After S-756 finished assembling the lab dome, he looked over at Addie. He had intended to remedy his earlier softness by ordering her to begin transferring equipment into the lab, but he realized she was fast asleep on the boulder, Blackie standing guard at her side. He remembered that she said she hadn’t slept for two nights and didn’t have the heart to wake her. He checked her breathing mask, then pulled off his shirt and slipped it under her head as a pillow. He left her to sleep while he went back to work.

  He was just completing the final building, a small greenhouse, when he heard her sleepy voice behind him.

  “I’m sorry I fell asleep. Is there anything—oh!”

  Her mouth fell open when he turned to face her and she took in his shirtless chest. Her face was already flushed with sleep but more color rose into her cheeks. The perfect circle of her mouth reminded him uncomfortably of his earlier thoughts and his voice came out gruffer than he intended.

  “Some of us had too much work to do to waste it on sleeping.”

  The hurt in her eyes made him want to kick himself, but she raised her chin. “You chose not to wake me. I did offer.”

  “I know you did.” He sighed and scrubbed at his jaw. “Everything is done for today. It will be dark soon.”

  Her eyes traveled down the small complex of buildings. “I can’t believe you got all of this done in an afternoon. Living quarters, the lab, a shed for the rover—”

  “And Blackie.”

  “—and a greenhouse?” She frowned at him. “Do we really need one of those?”

  “Don’t you have one back at the main lab?”

  “I believe they mentioned it, although I’ve never seen it. But don’t the
y take weeks to get established?”

  “Yes.”

  “How… how long are you planning on keeping me out here?”

  “Do you have somewhere else to be?”

  “Yes! We—” Her face changed, her eyes shifting away from him. “I mean, I have to complete this project.”

  His jealousy was a raging beast inside him, but he kept his voice silky. “I don’t think that’s what you meant. Is someone waiting for you, Addie? A desperate lover, perhaps?”

  Her laugh was so bitter he was tempted to believe it was genuine. “No.”

  “I’ll make a deal with you. You succeed in completing the project and you are free to go.”

  “But that could take months.”

  He shrugged. “Then it’s just as well I brought along a greenhouse, isn’t it?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he stalked over to Blackie, fighting the urge to return to her and apologize. “I’ll drill the well tomorrow so for tonight we’re on bottled water, but the oxygen is flowing and the habitat is safe.”

  “Where are you going?” She rushed over to him as he mounted.

  “Just to check out the area.” He looked down at her worried face and relented. “I won’t be gone long. Go inside.”

  Of course he had surveyed the area earlier, but he felt the need to get away from the confusion her presence created. Once he was alone again, as he so often was, he could lock away his emotions and find that cold, safe place where he usually lived.

  He rode down the hill and out onto the valley floor. The sun had disappeared beneath the horizon and thousands of stars were appearing, clearly visible through the thin atmosphere. He had always liked being out under the stars at night, knowing that he was free, but tonight he didn’t find the same comfort in the vast emptiness. Twice he realized that Blackie had started to return to the habitat and the third time he sighed and let the horse have his way. Coming up the hill and seeing the warm glow from the buildings, knowing that Addie was inside, he felt something he hadn’t felt in longer than he cared to remember. He felt as if he were coming home.