Dash

by Kelsey Nicole Price

  She had been the one who developed the final processes for creating artificial life. Without her, cyborgs would never have existed. After the collection and termination of all the cyborgs, Dr. Shaw disappeared. The rumor was that The Global Allegiance had terminated her. They decided that she had flawed and dangerous research; her enhancements enabled us to develop real humanity instead of a simulation of it. They had wanted puppets, mindless pieces of metal and programming. Disposable machines.

  I wondered if Dr. Shaw did it on purpose—granted us the gift of a soul. Or, was my creation nothing more than a mistake? Without Dr. Shaw, there was no way I would learn the answer.

  The truck suddenly came to a stop and Viper exited. He walked to the back and flung the doors open. His turquoise eyes locked onto Iris’s still form curled on my lap; a look like longing burned in their depths. As quickly as it had come it was gone.

  “The rest of the journey will be on foot.” He pointed at Iris. “Wake her or carry her. It’s your choice, Service Unit.”

  I glared. That was the second time he had referred to me by my designation, not my name. “My name is Dash. Call me by my name or I will start referring to you as your designation as well, Technology Unit.”

  Viper’s eyes narrowed. “You have one minute to gather the human and your things. I advise you to keep up, Dash. I will not hesitate to leave both of you behind if you can’t keep pace with me.”

  I gave Viper a curt nod. He was challenging me. Let him try. Any pace he set I could match.

  I stood, taking Iris with me, and threw the pack with her belongings over my shoulder.

  The motion caused her to awaken. She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Are we there?”

  “No. Not yet. The next part will be on foot.”

  Iris gave me a sleepy smile. “Are you going to put me down so I can walk?”

  My heart rebelled at the thought of putting her down. “It will be faster if I carry you.”

  “Time’s up. Let’s go,” Viper ordered.

  “Can you carry the box while I carry you?” I asked.

  Iris laughed. “I think I can manage. It’s you who has to do all the heavy lifting.”

  Following Viper into the woods, I kept Iris tucked tight against my body while scanning our surroundings for any threat. Despite Viper’s cool attitude, the look he had given Iris while snuggled on my lap offered me a little hope he would protect her.

  In the past two days, I met three others of my kind. It felt strange to no longer be the lone cyborg. Those in my batch separated soon after creation. Each of us had a human handler, instructing us on our purpose and teaching us how to please our owners. Other cyborgs were foreign to me. My model untrained in fighting and training as a team like the military units, nor learning medical training like medical units, or hacking systems as a team like Viper’s batch.

  Service units were for fucking. Why teach us to fight or offer care or give us skills to best security systems?

  Only the human in my arms had ever looked beyond my color and the designation it indicated of my status and worth. I looked at her and smiled.

  Iris tucked the box she was carrying under her arm before reaching up and cupping my cheek, “What’s making you smile like that?”

  I leaned into her touch. I only enjoyed her one night, but the memory embedded in my circuits and lodged deep within my frame. I couldn’t shake her free no matter how hard I might try. I had no intention of trying. “You, Iris. I was thinking about you.”

  “Oh, Blueberry, you always say the right things.” Iris blushed, her cheeks turned that tantalizing shade of pink. I repressed a growl. One night wasn’t enough. I brought my head down intending to capture her lips.

  “Seriously?” Viper moaned, stopping me dead in my tracks. “You two can play kissy face later. Headquarters is right over that ridge. Let’s go, lovebirds.” the last word ended with a hiss. Clearly, Viper was not a fan of what the humans called PDA.

  I didn’t like the interruption. Closing the distance between Iris’s lips and mine I kissed her hard, claiming her mouth the way I wanted to claim her heart. I didn’t know what waited for us when we reached headquarters. I didn’t know what the other cyborgs would think of my Iris and the service cyborg she belonged to.

  Iris hoped I would find a place to belong. She didn’t know I didn’t require it.

  I had already found my place.

  It was with her.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  *Iris*

  Dash’s lips claimed mine, the taste of metal mixed with man invading my mouth as his tongue swept in, owning the kiss in a way that sent my girly bits tingling. My cheeks blushed a shade darker, and I completely forgot we had company.

  Viper faded away, leaving nothing but Dash and the way his kiss was turning my insides to goo. Total girly goo. Eyelash batting, heart pounding, butterfly-inducing goo. My cyborg could bring about world peace with that kiss.

  Okay, I was losing it. Fuck it. I deepened the kiss. The box fell from my hands and dropped carelessly to the ground as my arms wound their way around his neck, desperately trying to pull him closer.

  “Are you planning to fuck her right here Service Borg?” Viper’s voice dripped with distaste.

  Dash froze, his body stiffened beneath my fingers.

  I broke off the kiss after I had one more taste of his now frozen lips. “Can you please put me down, Blueberry?”

  Confusion washed over Dash’s features, his eyebrows knit together as his mouth tipped into a frown.

  “Everything is okay, I promise. Trust me?” I patted his shoulder.

  Dash’s arms released, and he let my feet touch the ground.

  Viper’s eyes widened as I stalked toward him. I stopped mere inches from his grumpy grape face. I shot my finger forward, poking him in his chest. It didn’t budge an inch. There was no give in the metal frame beneath his skin. It didn’t matter. It created the effect I had been going for. This dirty human had just touched his precious purple ass.

  His aqua eyes flared and his mouth dropped open. He looked like a big purple fish—all mouth gaping, and bulgy-eyed.

  I knew by the way Dash had tensed under my fingers that Viper had just insulted my man. “Did you really call my man a service borg? Tell me, Viper, just what kind of borg are you?” My words came out low and menacing.

  I was not a violent girl and I really did want the other cyborgs to like me, but if they started insulting my blueberry shit would be hitting the fucking fan.

  Viper tried to back up to put space between us, but I mimicked him—every step, refusing to back down.

  Hell, he could walk to cyborg headquarters backward with my finger attached to his chest for all I cared. Let all his cyborg friends see him retreating from a tiny human female.

  “Oh, so now that eggplant mouth of yours has cold feet? Don’t want to tell me, do you? Maybe it’s because it is a reminder of when someone owned you. Owned you like a thing they could use and abuse because you didn’t matter. You were simply a means to their end.”

  Viper absorbed my words, grimacing like he had swallowed a vat of acid. His aqua eyes flashed with hurt.

  Fuck. I couldn’t keep going. The look in his eyes was killing me. I stopped my advance and let my finger fall from his chest. My tone calmed. “When I look at Dash do you know what I see?”

  Viper shook his head slowly, his eyes darting between Dash and me.

  “I see an incredible man who is beautiful because of his differences. He is strong, kind, sweet, funny, and loving. Do any of those things change because beneath his skin he’s metal? I’m a hoarder, I hate heights. I crawl around in the dust and dirt looking for things that others have tossed aside. None of those things change because I have bone beneath my skin. Metal or bone; those don’t make you who you are. Your heart does. Your soul. The things that make you laugh or the things cause you pain—the things that matter to you and the ones you leave behind. Loving someone even after experiencing so much hurt and pain—taking
a chance. Making a wish. Daring to dream. Learning to be more than what they told you you could be. I see Dash. I would like to see you too, Viper. I would like a chance to get know you, but I can’t if you aren’t going to see me, too. I can’t if you refuse to see the man I see when I look at Dash.” Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I had tossed the ball into Viper’s court.

  Viper lowered his eyes, trying to hide whatever emotion my words had stirred. Then a smile slowly ghosted the corners of his lips, his ocean-colored eyes softening slightly.

  “I can see why Dash likes you. I am sorry I have been rude. I do not have experience befriending humans. Most of them aren’t worth getting to know, but I think that you, Iris, are an exception. Care to start over?” Viper held out his hand and I took it, grateful this time he didn’t sanitize the shit out of it before deciding to shake.

  Viper then looked to Dash. “We cool?” Dash nodded.

  Viper reached out his hand clasping Dash’s forearm. Dash’s brow knit with confusion. “It’s a gesture between cyborgs that indicates respect.” Viper nodded to the arm that clasped Dash’s.

  Dash looked down at Viper’s hand before he clasped Viper’s arm in return, grinning.

  I almost cheered. It was so good to see Dash making friends with other cyborgs. He needed them. He deserved a future filled with friendship, safety, and a place to call home.

  They say home is where the heart is. If that’s true then wherever Dash was, I was home.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  *Dash*

  I scooped up Iris’s box from the ground and handed it to her.

  “I totally almost forgot about that. Thank you, Blueberry. Reaper would have been one pissed off cyborg it I had forgotten it.”

  Viper smirked. “Reaper is always a pissed off cyborg.”

  “Agreed,” I replied.

  Viper chuckled. Cocking his head, he asked, “What’s in the box anyway?

  Iris pulled the top of the box and revealed fluffy, colorful animals tucked inside, tipping it so Viper could see them.

  Once I saw the contents of the box I frowned. “You’re giving Reaper the Beanie Babies?”

  “I promised he could have them, Dash.”

  Viper’s eyes narrowed with confusion. “What are Beanie Babies?”

  That was an easy question. “Soft, fluffy things that squish and are unusual colors. They are simple and amazing. I highly approve of their existence,” I supplied.

  Viper’s brows creased. “What do they do?”

  My face busted out into a huge grin. “They provide joy.”

  Viper paused, then his frame perked up. “Joy. I think I would like some joy.” He looked at Iris with trepidation. “Would you consider sharing one with me, Iris?”

  Iris opened the box more, revealing the colorful squishy creatures of joy. “Go ahead, pick one.”

  Viper peered inside before reaching in and lifting a lilac-colored rabbit by its ears. He brought it close to his face and narrowed his eyes, studying the small stuffed animal.

  The rabbit jiggled when Viper shook it gently before he dropped it onto his open palm. His fingers moved over it in a petting gesture. His eyes widened as a smile broke out on his face. “Rabbits aren’t purple, it makes no sense. Still, I can’t deny it’s charm.”

  Iris patted Viper’s shoulder. “Floppity is all yours, big guy.”

  Viper blinked rapidly, turning the rabbit over in his hands. “Floppity?”

  “It’s the rabbit's name, check the tag,” Iris encouraged.

  Viper carefully opened the tag fastened to the rabbit’s ear and read its name before lifting the rabbit by the ears again and staring at its lilac face. “Floppity I am your new owner. You will sit on my terminal and provide me joy. That is your job now, Floppity.”

  Iris’s jaw dropped as she watched a violet cyborg conduct a conversation with a stuffed, lilac bunny rabbit. A lilac bunny rabbit named Floppity.

  Now I was curious, “I’ve never attempted talking to mine. Does communicating with it provide more joy?”

  Iris’s head whipped around to me. “My life used to be so boring. Now look at me; surrounded by cyborgs talking to stuffed animals. Something new every day, Iris. Something new every freaking day,” she muttered.

  Viper gently tucked the rabbit into his bag. He flashed Iris a smile. “Thank you, Iris. I promise to always take great care of Floppity. You have my word as a cyborg.”

  Iris’s eyes danced. “I have no doubt Floppity is in good hands.”

  Viper squared his shoulders, standing taller because Iris believed in him.

  Iris clapped her hands together. “I have really loved hanging out in the woods with you two but I’m dirty, tired, and so hungry I might eat the rest of the Beanie Babies. So, Cyborg Headquarters anyone?”

  A look of horror crossed Viper’s face. “You can’t eat them! What did they ever do to you?”

  “Food Viper. Get me some food and the Beanie Babies will be spared.”

  Viper rushed Iris, grabbing her around the waist before he tossed her to me.

  Iris went airborne with a shriek. I caught her easily, amused by her shocked expression.

  “Catching flying human females is one of my specialties,” I teased as she relaxed in my arms.

  Iris gave Viper the side-eye. “Let’s not make that a habit okay?”

  Viper didn’t pay any attention, his feet already propelling him forward.

  “Hold on.” I winked before I started running behind Viper; my feet pounded the ground with loud thuds.

  Viper must really want to save those Beanie Babies, I mused.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  *Iris*

  I struggled to hold the box as I bounced in Dash’s arms. His pace blurred trees we raced past, and I fought the urge to throw up. Don’t throw up, don’t throw up, chanting it in my head like a holy mantra.

  Suddenly, Dash slowed and I silently thanked the ‘not throwing up gods’ that nothing had come up.

  The trees looked like trees again, thank God. I look around and saw...absolutely nothing. No buildings. No signs. Just miles and miles of forest.

  A big sign saying, “This way to the Cyborg Rebellion Headquarters” wasn’t a smart idea, but unless the trees were going to somehow magically transform into buildings with cyborgs in them, they had lost me.

  I gently elbowed Dash. “I don’t see anything here, do you? This human is confused.”

  Dash opened his mouth to speak, but Viper cut him off.

  “You are looking for the wrong thing, Iris. Don’t look around, look down.”

  My eyes dropped to the ground, and I noticed a patch of leaves that didn’t quite match the rest that carpeted the forest floor. It was difficult to spot, but after years of searching for treasure, I knew how to look for things that didn’t quite seem right. I found some of the best things in places you’d never expect or think to look.

  “Put me down please.” Dash immediately complied, placing me down gently on my feet. I walked to the spot. Kneeling, I brushed away leaves with my palm. There was something drawn in the dirt.

  No...it couldn’t be. Holy shit it totally was! A metal cyborg etched into the dirt, the lines so crisp and clean it almost appeared 3D.

  Whoever drew it had a wicked sense of humor. The cyborg's hand had its middle finger extended.

  If this was the symbol of the rebellion, sign me the fuck up. I grinned. “You should come check this out, Blueberry.”

  Dash knelt beside me, his navy eyes flashing with amusement as he stared at the image so skillfully drawn. “How do we get in?”

  “We don’t.” Viper stated. “They already know we are here. Come stand beside me, you’re going to want to hold on for this next part,” Viper advised.

  A second later, the ground shook and the dirt we were standing on rumbled beneath our feet. I reached for Dash, clutching his arm tightly as the rumble intensified.

  “What next part?”

  I screeched just as the ground
opened to swallow us whole.

  I started screaming like a freaking banshee as something ripped me away from Dash. My ass smacked against a hard, cold metal surface. My body slid down a metal tube at breakneck speed. Absolute darkness surrounded me as I flew down the chute. Dash and Viper were gone, I didn’t know if they fell in before or after me. Once again, I fought the ‘I might throw up’ wave.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, Viper yelled, “Get ready to catch her!”

  “YES! CATCH!” I screamed as beautiful blue arms caught me the moment I flew out of the most fucked-up ride of my life; my head banged against his hard chest with a loud oomph.

  “What the fuck?” blue muscles muffled my words.

  Pushing off Dash’s chest, I caught my breath and asked again, “I repeat. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?”

  “It’s the cyborg’s version of a slide. The cameras in the shoot allow our cyborg security units to monitor who’s approaching. If they detect a threat, poisonous gas fills the chute eliminating it before they ever reach headquarters.”

  I shook my head, still dizzy from the terrifying slide of death. “I was flying like a bat out of hell in there. How the fuck can you even see more than a blurry mass flying by?”

  Viper pointed at himself. “Cyborg, remember? Our eyesight is much better. As a human, one would look like a blurry mass. As a cyborg, we see every detail and can determine a course of action. Although that doesn’t explain the two dead raccoons.” Viper shrugged.

  “I don’t want to know,” I muttered, brushing a lock of sticky hair off my face. “I’m just happy to be in one piece.”

  Dash’s hands rubbed soothing circles over my back.

  His eyes sparkled with joy. “Can we go again?”

  I let out a groan just as Reaper walked in.

  I had never been so glad to see that grim-faced, gray cyborg in my whole life.

  That was also the moment I realized my box was missing. I turned to Dash my eyes wide with panic.