Dominance and Dissent

by Cynthia Sax

  “You’ll say good-bye to him while you’re on the ship.” Her cyborg wasn’t relenting on his stance…yet. “And you’ll see he’s okay through my vision system. I’ll stream the footage to the viewscreens.”

  Her bottom lip curled. “That’s not the same thing.”

  “You will have to be content with the footage.” He met her gaze. A thrilling dominance radiated from him. “Neither of your tiny booted feet will ever step onto the surface of Khambalia 5. Resign yourself to that fate, my female. I won’t be altering my decision.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dissent had altered his decision.

  That’s what logical beings did when they received new information. After banning his female from Khambalia 5, he had spoken to Doc via their transmission lines.

  The Reckless’ medic had informed him that a survival suit had been packed in a storage compartment on the ship. Doc, an expert on human biology, was 98.6986 percent certain a human female wearing the suit could survive Khambalia 5’s hostile environment…provided a warrior accompanied her, protecting her from other dangers.

  Dissent would guard her closely. “You are not to remove any part of the suit.” He attached the helmet. “If you do that, the toxic air will enter the suit and you will die.”

  He would die with her. There would be no surviving the ending of her lifespan. His heart beat for hers.

  She rubbed her fabric-covered hands over the face shield. “I can’t see anything.”

  He gazed at the readings on the suit. Everything appeared to be operating normally. “I can detect you with my vision system.” Her beautiful face was visible through the protective layers. “You should be able to detect me.”

  “I can’t see well.” She amended her statement.

  “You won’t remove the helmet until I give you authorization.” He leveled a hard gaze on her. She would not jeopardize her safety, not on his watch, not ever.

  She sighed. “I won’t remove the helmet until you give me authorization.”

  The tension in his shoulders eased. His female was reckless but she wouldn’t disobey his order.

  “He’s almost too large for his cage.” Truth appeared, carrying Nibbler. “Fraggin’ hole.” He stopped short and staggered backward dramatically. “We have been invaded by inflatable beings.”

  Dissent shook his head. His friend was rarely serious.

  Greer laughed. “It’s awful, isn’t it?” She patted her heavily padded stomach. “When I met Dissent, I was naked. Now, I look like I’m wearing eighteen flight suits. What will I be wearing in ten planet rotations?”

  “Dissent will wrap you in so many layers, you won’t be able to exit the chambers.” Truth winked at her. “Which, I project, will increase his happiness levels.”

  “Ending this planet rotation without my female incurring damage will increase my happiness levels.” He scooped her into his arms.

  “I can walk to the doors.” She tucked her legs close to her chest as they exited the chambers.

  He said nothing. Carrying her gave him joy. The physical contact reassured him she was safe.

  Truth had programmed the ship to hover above some of the tallest trees. Trees didn’t grow to that height if there were lava pockets underneath their roots. They would avoid that danger.

  The exterior doors opened. A blast of hot, humid, toxic air hit him. His systems adjusted for that input.

  A rope hung from the ship. Truth, as they had planned, went first, holding Nibbler as he descended. He disappeared into the misty nothingness.

  I detect no threats. The D Model sent his report through the transmission line. It is frustratingly quiet and still on the surface. There isn’t a paha or hostile humanoid within range.

  Remain vigilant. Dissent preferred the surface of the planet remain frustratingly quiet and still.

  I’m watching for activity. His friend assured him. I’m not missing the fun this time.

  Dissent’s tolerance for fun was low. He had a female to protect. “Hold on to me.” He gripped Gear’s lush form with one hand and the rope with the other.

  They swayed in the air.

  His female squeaked and clutched his shoulders. “Don’t drop me.”

  “I would never drop you.” He used his free hand and his booted feet to steady them as they rappelled downward.

  The lighting grew dimmer the closer they came to the surface. A thick layer of clouds permanently blocked the sun’s rays on Khambalia 5. The settings on Dissent’s vision system shifted.

  “It is really dark.” His female, being human, didn’t have that ability.

  “You have a portable light source in the pocket of your survival suit.” He had placed it there himself. She also had her guns and her sheathed dagger. He wasn’t taking any risks with her.

  “The light will hurt Nibbler.” His female doted on the little creature…as he did. “I can see…barely.”

  His boots touched solid ground. He released the rope but didn’t set his female down. She was safer in his arms.

  “You descended at human speeds, J Model.” Truth bumped his shoulder against his. “Are you malfunctioning?”

  “This human prefers he descend at that speed.” Dissent’s female answered for him, her tone curt. “He was utilizing one hand and the rope was moving.”

  “I utilized one hand also.” Truth held up the cage.

  Nibbler clicked and rattled, pressing against its confines. The creature was excited to be home, wanted to be liberated.

  Dissent’s priority was the safety of the entire team. He surveyed their surroundings. No other creatures were visible. The ground was stable. He performed a lifeform scan. No additional beings were detected.

  “Set me down.” His female patted his chest. “I want to be able to tell others I stood on another planet.”

  Merely standing on the planet shouldn’t put her at risk. He lowered her booted feet to the ground. “Stay close to me.”

  “Can you bring Nibbler to me?” She crouched, holding out her hands. “I want to pet him.”

  “Your warrior didn’t wrap you in an almost projectile-proof survival suit so you could pet the most dangerous creature on the planet.” Truth set the cage next to her.

  “He’s not dangerous.” Dissent’s female peered into the cage. “Are you, you big baby?”

  “Your big baby is threatening to eat your face.” Truth shook his head and grinned. “I’ll reposition to the edge of the lifeform scans, walk that perimeter.” He exchanged a speaking glance with Dissent and strode away.

  His friend was giving them privacy to say their goodbyes.

  Dissent was dreading doing that. His heart squeezed. Hard.

  Greer stroked the miljoonasuut’s back through the bars of the cage. “I’m going to miss you, you silly creature.” Nibbler rubbed against her hands, making happy clicking sounds. “Yes, I am. But you’re home and you’ll be free and that’s more important than my feelings.”

  A tear rolled down one of her cheeks. The parting was emotionally damaging his female.

  And it was emotionally damaging him. Dissent crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had to be strong for her, for Nibbler. This was a joyous moment for the creature. He couldn’t damage that with his illogical response to it.

  “Tell him we want him to be happy.” His female gave him that order.

  He translated the words into clicks and rattles.

  “Tell him we care for him but we know this is where he belongs and he’ll make new friends and be free and he’ll never have to battle the brightness again and—” Her voice broke.

  She had mentioned being free in all of her communications. Because she longed for freedom for herself. Dissent’s pain escalated as he conveyed her message to Nibbler. His caring, his protection wasn’t enough for his female.

  He wasn’t enough. His gaze lowered to the toes of his boots. As he wasn’t enough for Nibbler, for Gnaw. They needed to be free to be happy.

  His female needed that also.r />
  “Nibbler.” Her voice pierced his damage. “Let go.”

  She tugged on her wrist. The miljoonasuut had gripped the fabric of her hand covering in his teeth, was drawing it into one of his mouths.

  “Nibbler, no.” He communicated in the creature’s language. “Do not eat that.”

  But it was too late. By the time, he grabbed his female’s arm, the hand covering had separated from the rest of the survival suit. Nibbler promptly devoured it.

  His female’s hand was left bare, exposed. Warnings beeped. Lights on the suit flashed.

  “No.” Dissent swept her into his arms.

  The toxic air swept into the protective garment. Her helmet fogged up.

  She gasped. “Dissent?”

  He couldn’t determine her state, couldn’t see her. The survival suit couldn’t function without the hand covering. He unfastened the helmet, tossed it behind him.

  Her red curls were damp, had darkened with the wetness, clinging to her beautiful face. Her cheeks were flushed. Sweat beaded on her skin.

  “My female.” He covered her lips with his, breathing into her, trying to mitigate the damage caused by the toxins.

  His nanocybotics bubbled within her. She gripped his nape with her bare hand. There was strength in her hold. Her breathing was deep and steady and level.

  He pulled back and looked at her.

  Her eyes glowed. A relieved smile curled her lips. “I’m alive.” She sounded as surprised about her state as he was. “The heat was a shock and there was a rush of bubbling when I breathed in the air but that was it.”

  “You’re not damaged?” He ran his hands over her form, needing to verify that for himself.

  “I’m not damaged.” She removed the second hand covering, partially unfastened her survival suit. “Your nanocybotics protected me.”

  He exhaled deeply, his breath and his terror rushing out of him. “You’re not damaged.”

  He rested his forehead against hers, pressed his fingers against the veins in her wrist, felt the blood pulsing through her.

  Moments passed. Greer didn’t move. She seemed to realize he needed her, needed to touch her.

  His female hadn’t died. She remained with him, wasn’t damaged in any way.

  Nibbler rattled louder and louder. The creature had sensed the panic, the concern.

  He required reassurance also.

  “Go. See Nibbler.” He gruffly told his female. “Show him you aren’t damaged.”

  “He’s a baby and he made a mistake.” She slipped out of Dissent’s arms. “He wouldn’t damage me deliberately.” His female returned to the cage. “But you were hungry, weren’t you?” She spoke to the little creature. “And you didn’t like my hand coverings. They were strange to you…and to me.” She smiled, lighting up her surroundings with her joy.

  Nibbler clicked, nudging against her, seeking her petting. She obligingly gave them to the creature.

  Dissent wanted some of that fondling also. “We should release him so he can feed on the vegetation.”

  “We forgot the nourishment bars.” His female’s gaze shot upward to meet his. “I packed them.”

  He hadn’t forgotten them. “We don’t need the nourishment bars.” He opened the cage.

  Nibbler didn’t exit. He looked out of the small space, his exoskeleton rattling.

  “He’s scared.” Greer kneeled on the ground. “It’s okay, Nibbler. We won’t allow anything to harm you.”

  Dissent relayed that message.

  The little creature didn’t appreciate their reassurance. “I’m not scared. I can protect myself.” He told both of them in his own language.

  The way he scurried from the cage to Greer’s side belied his communication.

  The miljoonasuut huddled against her. She stroked his back, murmuring words of reassurance.

  The little creature eventually calmed. The rattling lessened.

  Moments passed.

  Nibbler grew brazen. He ventured away from Dissent’s female for two heartbeats and then hurried back to her.

  Greer petted the offspring and cooed encouragement. She told him how brave he was, how proud she was of him.

  That response seemed to give Nibbler courage. He wandered out again, exploring his surroundings, eating all of the vegetation he encountered.

  A shifting shadow frightened him. He darted to her side.

  He drifted farther and farther before returning to Greer. And she always welcomed the little creature back, fussing over him.

  Dissent smiled, the scene warming his chest.

  His female would make a great mother. She was caring and protective and observant, anticipating needs and emotions. He pictured her with her stomach rounded. She would glow, would be even more stunning while manufacturing offspring.

  Their offspring.

  He wanted that and he wanted her to feel the human love emotion for him. But to achieve that, he would have to risk everything.

  Nibbler disappeared more and more often from view, hidden by the trees. The duration between his departures and his returns lengthened.

  Until eventually, he didn’t return.

  That devastated his female.

  “I shouldn’t cry.” Greer sobbed as Dissent drew her into his arms. “He’s happy. He’s home. He’s free.” She bathed his body armor-clad chest with tears. “But I miss him. I miss him so fuckin’ much.”

  “I miss him too.” He threaded his fingers through her unruly red curls. “Letting him go is damaging my heart.”

  “But that is what we do with the beings we love.” Her voice was barely audible. “We let them go so they can be happy. We hope they will return to us.” She gazed in the direction of Nibbler’s last trek away from them. “But we have to give them that freedom, that choice.”

  Fraggin’ hole. He would have to give his female that choice also.

  She, like Nibbler, might choose to leave him forever. His grip on her tightened. She could walk away from him and never return, taking his heart, his soul, his reason for being with her.

  But he loved her. He would do anything to make her happy.

  And this was necessary to accomplish that.

  Before he took that risk, made that sacrifice, he wanted one more experience to add to his databases, to his organic memory. He covered her lips, tasting the salt of her tears, sampling her caring for the creature they both adored.

  She moaned her surrender and clung to him as he ravished her mouth. He conveyed more nanocybotics to her as they might be needed to keep her healthy, relayed more of his adoration, hoping that would convince her to choose him, and grasped more of her tenderness for himself, as a precaution if she should walk away from him…forever.

  Truth. He reached out to the D Model through the transmission lines. I need your assistance.

  You have my assistance. Truth, being the good friend he was, arrived at cyborg speed. He stood at a distance, his gaze on the two of them.

  Dissent drew back from his female. Her green eyes were soft with desire and tinged with sadness. He wanted to gaze into them forever, lose himself in her.

  But that would be his choice, not hers. “You’re free.” His voice was gruff with emotion. “Truth is here. He will take you wherever you wish to go.”

  What are you doing, J Model? Truth stared at him. She’s your female, your one chance at happiness, at experiencing companionship, at having offspring. If you send her away, you’ll be alone for the rest of your lifespan.

  “I won’t follow you.” Dissent ignored his friend, all of his focus on his female. “I’ll remain here.”

  “You don’t want me anymore?” Pain, breathtakingly acute, flashed in her eyes. “You’re sending me away?”

  “You are all that I want.” He hastily reassured her. “I will be yours until the end of time. And that is how long I will wait for you. You will never have to search for me. I will be here, on Khambalia 5, right where you left me.”

  “Then why…” Her gaze locked with his.
“I once told you I’d never be truly free…because you wouldn’t allow that. You’d follow me wherever I decided to go, not giving me the choice about being with you or not. And without that choice, there could never be genuine caring, could never be more than that.”

  He nodded.

  “You have my caring but you want more than that.” She reached upward, touched his face. Her fingers were light against his skin, her gentle handling of him almost unravelling his restraint. “So you’re giving me the gift of choice.”

  “I want you to be happy. I want—” His voice broke. He couldn’t say more.

  A tear dripped down her cheek. “You’re a good male, Dissent.” She balanced on the toes of her boots and grazed her lips along his jaw.

  He shuddered, feeling the goodbye in that kiss.

  “Thank you.” She whispered those two words, turned, and walked away.

  He watched her until she disappeared. Truth must have been with her but he didn’t see him. All he saw was his female, his heart, his happiness leaving him. Forever.

  His knees buckled. He fell to the ground. The grief, the sorrow, the absolute anguish built up and up and up until he could no longer contain it.

  Dissent tilted his head back and howled, releasing it all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Her cyborg had given Greer her freedom.

  He wanted her love and he wanted her to choose to give it to him.

  When he told her that…with his words, his actions, his eyes, she was tempted to throw herself into his arms, kiss him all over and tell him she already loved him. She had already chosen him.

  But that would be disrespecting his gift. He deserved to know she’d thought about the different paths available to her, that she had made a conscious decision to love him.

  Even if that cost him some pain.

  His roar of torment almost obliterated her resolve. It clawed at her heart, brought tears to her eyes. She had never heard anything so raw, so anguished. It seemed to come from the very depths of him.

  “He loves you.” Truth matched her pace. “He would do anything for you.”