Eric 754

by Donna McDonald

  Eric turned and walked to the door. “Hey—stop!” he heard her yell.

  He ignored the command at first, though he imagined none of her people ever did when it was issued in that tone of voice. His body stiffened with the challenge it presented, but at the door he relented. He hated leaving her churned up like she was.

  “I have a name, Lucy. I’m betting you still know what it is. Use it and I’ll answer your questions,” he yelled back.

  “You’re Eric 754. No, wait… that seems wrong. Let me check my files.” Lucy bit her lip as she read the first file about him she could grab. “You said not to use your ID number. You said you no longer thought of yourself as a cyborg. Oh my God, I slept with you already… and I liked it.”

  His body wanted to sag with relief that she had the files about them being together. Thank you, Nero. He chuckled, turned around, and met Lucy’s blue, wide-eyed-with-wonder gaze.

  “Well, I should hope you liked it. I was doing my best to make sure you did.”

  Her stunned surprise made him genuinely smile for the first time since she’d woken up. She wasn’t exactly happy with what she’d learned about them, but she wasn’t in full out hate mode over it either. He’d take her being stunned as a good sign, but he wasn’t going to let her keep dishing out all the hell without taking some in return.

  “I’m glad you got your hellcat side back, but damn woman… I can’t believe I still want to kiss that dirty mouth of yours. You swear more than most of the men I know. You’re lucky I’m so obsessed with your breasts.”

  Eric watched with fascination as shock over his words chased some other data recall across her face. Whatever she was thinking made Lucy blush. He’d have given half his UCN settlement to know what memory of them together was currently causing the pink in her face. He’d have given the other half to know what she’d written in her files about it.

  “Give me a break. I don’t have a way to process what I’m learning fast enough to be civil about it yet. You’re… you’re in my New World Companion files.”

  Eric nodded. “Yes, I am, but I’m not in there like the others before me. You did a good job at both surviving and liberating yourself, Lucy. Now work on not hating the world. It’s a necessary step which will help you enjoy your hard-earned freedom.”

  “Does that include being free of my obligation to you?”

  Eric nodded. “Yes. You especially don’t have to worry about anything you read in any file about me… or us. I’m not going to press you into doing anything you don’t want, no matter what we had before. I’m simply not that kind of guy.”

  Lucy swallowed. “But how can this be possible? It hurts my head to even think about what’s in the files I found. You are my last recorded contract.”

  Eric nodded again. “Yes—when the New World Companion code ruled you, I was your contract, but I’m not any longer. You just got redefined, Captain. Everything is different now. If you want me, I’m here for you. If you don’t, I’m gone. That’s how it’s supposed to work.”

  Lucy groaned and looked at the floor. “My brain is getting information almost faster than I can take it in. I remember you from before the contract. You came with another man to see me in some sort of bomb shelter. Captain… Elliott… yes—Peyton 313. That’s who came. Even though the pain was so bad I couldn’t handle it at times, I managed to record something so I could remember you. I did it because I could read your mind.”

  Eric shrugged. “Those are not my favorite days with you, but we can start there, if that’s what you need. Look—I’ll come back shortly—I promise. But there are a few others who anxiously want to see you. And I need to report to Kyra you’re awake and…”

  Lucy waved a hand to shut him up. “No… you can’t leave yet. I need to know something before my brain explodes with all the questions I want to ask about what I’m reading. Was I really so bad in bed that you didn’t want to keep me as your companion? That’s what the frigging file says. That’s what the woman who wrote it believed… what I guess I believed before I went through whatever happened yesterday. Do you have any idea how messed up this is?”

  “Yes. Actually, I do.” Eric heard his sigh bounce off the walls. “The process you underwent is called a restoration—although it was a partial one in your case. Hopefully your human side is now back in control of most of your thoughts and actions.”

  He chuckled and rubbed his head. “What the hell did you put in that file, Lucy? Keep you? Hell yes, I want to keep you. You’re the most wonderful lover a man could ask for.”

  “You’re acting pretty nonchalant about it for someone who feels that way,” Lucy accused.

  Eric shook his head. “Not really… but I saw your scars before you made them disappear, Captain. I have no illusions about what you had to deal with before I knew you. All I can say in my defense for letting a relationship between us develop at all is I’ve never cared for a woman the way I came to care about you. I know this must sound crazy to someone just finding out about it.”

  “Yes. All this is crazy… but strangely as real as any other thought I’m having. I think I will need some time—maybe a lot of time—to sort it all out. Thanks for telling me,” Lucy said, running a hand through her hair. It felt nice and not a frizzy mess for once. Did she have him to thank for that too?

  Eric nodded. “Of course you need time. When you get out of the cage, I thought maybe I could show you around, get you something to eat, and help you start adjusting to your new situation.”

  Lucy snorted. “Sounds almost like you’re asking me for a date.”

  “Okay. It could be that.” Eric held his breath as he waited to hear her reaction.

  Lucy snorted. “Help me adjust to my new situation?” She held up her hand. “Are you sure you wrote this romantic shit on my hand? Because frankly, you don’t seem the mushy type. You seem more like the ‘honey fetch me a beer’ type, which I can tell you right now is not going to fly with me.”

  Eric laughed at her sarcasm. “Just read the damn files on us—all the files. Then we can talk about what type I am. Maybe you’ll find out I have as many versions of myself as you do. ”

  He was smiling when he finally walked out the door.

  Chapter 25

  Lucy blew out a breath, stood up and paced after Eric left. “Holy crap, Lucille. The man locked you in a cage and you didn’t even bust his chops for it. Do you have fucking Stockholm’s syndrome or something?”

  “Not really, Captain. It’s more like ya lost ya fecking mind over the lad. Oh… sorry. Perhaps that was in poor taste considering ya just had a brain operation. It’s just that ya used to like the giant men… more like Captain Elliott or that Kingston fellow that owns the restaurant. Aja and I figure Eric must be something very special between the sheets to have reeled ya in so hard.”

  Lucy turned, blinked, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, two avenging angels stood smiling at her. She went back to the cot and dropped down on it to sit. “For a moment there, I thought I was hallucinating. You really did escape the madness no matter what they made me do to call you back. Where are the others? Did Kathryn and Lynnette make it?”

  “Yes… but they’re not able to come see ya at the moment,” Meara said softly, continuing when Aja nodded once. “Let’s not talk about them today. You got enough to worry about. We’ll catch you up on everything eventually.”

  “So did these new scientists fix you too?” Lucy asked.

  Aja snorted. “Yes—if you consider getting new cybernetics as being fixed. The resident Dr. Cyberstein turned off all the invasive programs, including the Cyber Wife and New World Companion ones. He wasn’t content with the modest changes I made, which in the end saved our asses. Oh no, my programming work wasn’t good enough for him.”

  Swearing in Hindi, Aja walked across the room and fetched a chair. Handing it to Meara, she went back to get a second one.

  Lucy was reading her files as fast as her processor would let her. She did not find the scientis
t Aja spoke about. “I see no one by that name in my data records, Aja. Who’s Dr. Cyberstein?”

  Meara turned to glare at Aja. “See what ya started? Don’t be confusing her brain with yar bitching and moaning today.” She turned back to Lucy. “His real name is Nero Bastion—Dr. Nero Bastion. He and Dr. Kyra Winters, one of the original creators, did your restoration. And don’t let Aja’s name calling fool ya. She likes Nero’s ass—his very brown ass, if you know what I mean.”

  “You’re such a racist,” Aja declared, turning to glare meaningfully.

  “Better that than an over-rationalizer,” Meara declared right back. “And I speak true. What ya think is all over ya face whenever he’s near.”

  Aja huffed. “No—not true. I do not like the man the way you think. But if I did, it would not be because of how he looks. He’s a cyber scientist. He is our enemy.”

  Meara shook her head. “No. Hell no. Nero is not our enemy, ya stubborn arse. Bradley 360 is our enemy. No—feck me for being wrong still. Whoever programmed him is our enemy.”

  Lucy’s gaze bounced between them. “I’m still confused. Who is Bradley 360? No wait…” She searched her files, found the reference, and read about the attack against her and Eric.

  And there were older files… before Bradley 360’s conversion… back when he’d been the very human and very evil, Dr. Bradley Smith. He was responsible for a good deal of what had been done to her. Heat suffused her face as repressed anger over it rolled through her.

  “Yes. Bradley 360 is definitely our enemy—or at least he is mine and Eric’s. Where is he now?”

  Lucy saw Aja start to answer but an alarm sounded an interruption. The room’s electronic door automatically locked them inside. The security action was a well intentioned barrier intended to keep humans safe from harm. It just wasn’t an effective measure on cyborgs programmed for stealth. Anti-security devices had been an added feature during their Cyber Wife days when nearly all the females in their unit had been strategically placed with men the UCN had wanted to monitor.

  Jumping up, Meara ran to peer into the hall. Aja rose with a sigh and walked to look out an exterior window.

  “Can either of you see what’s going on?” Lucy asked from inside the cage.

  “Seems to be some sort of lockdown,” Meara reported. “Don’t see anyone running out there. Ah… yes I do. I see your blond boy toy out there dealing with all the white coated scientists who are panicking. He’s talking to several Norton guards now. All real ones—no bots. I expect he will be coming to our rescue shortly as well. He’s terrible sweet on ya, Lucy.”

  Lucy lifted her palm and looked at the red heart again. “So it would seem.”

  Aja snorted and walked to join Meara at the door. “Yes. Sickeningly sweet. In my opinion, his pseudo-heroic actions are totally unnecessary.”

  “Hush, ya heartless harpy. Eric’s feelings for Lucy are romantic. Ya should be so lucky if Nero thought ya were worth the same trouble,” Meara exclaimed, punching her friend’s arm to emphasize her point.

  Behind them Aja and Meara heard the cell door open. Neither of them looked around as they ducked chins to hide their approving smiles. In three steps, Lucy’s head was between theirs peering out of the small window with them.

  Aja poked a snorting Meara on the arm. “Looks like Mr. Hero forgot to put a manual padlock on her cage. That will teach him.”

  “From my extensive files on Eric, my assumption is he well knows my capabilities. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume it was an intentional oversight on his part. He said I was getting out of the cage in three hours anyway, so I’m just a couple ahead of schedule. You two came in before I could make a decision about whether or not I wanted to escape the cell on my own.”

  Meara snorted louder as they watched Eric talking to Peyton. She saw a good-looking man standing in the circle and wondered who he was. She also wondered what it would take to get an introduction to him. Her instant attraction made her grin.

  “Doesn’t matter about yar reasoning, Lucy. Boy-O will blame us for yar liberation anyway. After spending so much time with the tame version of ya, he probably thinks ya’re incapable of anything devious.”

  Lucy snorted. “He’s not thinking at all about me—or at least not with his brain. Do you know why I have so many files on him when I have nearly no files on other contracts?”

  Meara turned, looked into Lucy’s confused face, and then dramatically rolled her eyes.

  “How can ya blame Eric when ya’re not using yar full brain either?” When she got a blank look, Meara huffed. “By the gods, I don’t know what ya and Aja would do without me around to explain everything important. I thought I was the one with all the frigging handicaps. Could the reason possibly be because ya actually like the man?”

  Lucy looked at Aja. “She sounds just like the recordings I have of her from seven years ago.”

  “The science bastards didn’t have time to change much of her real personality before we escaped,” Aja declared.

  Lucy snorted. “I wish I could say the same. I suppose I should be glad they built in a daily data flush for me. All in all though I’m feeling better than I thought I would. Outside of still wanting to kill Jackson Channing and Bradley Smith, I’m not as mentally deranged as I figured I would be after all they did.”

  Aja and Meara exchanged a questioning look, then both turned to stare at Lucy. When they realized she was serious, Aja frowned. “Lucy, you killed Jackson Channing years ago.”

  Lucy shook her head. “No. I am sure I would have made a detailed record of it if I had managed to do that. My files do not show any record of me causing his death.”

  Meara swallowed hard. “Captain—I mean, Lucy—killing Dr. Channing was the real reason ya got put in the freaking dungeon—I mean, bomb shelter. There was a dead body at yar bloody feet after ya snapped. As far as they could determine, ya beat the hell out of him, broke his neck, and then finished the job by setting the bastard on fire. I continue to applaud yar creativity every time the deed comes up in conversation.”

  “No, Meara. I did not kill Dr. Jackson Channing. Maybe I killed someone I was programmed to kill, but I guarantee you it was not him. Given the amount and the sorts of data I’ve managed to save, I am quite sure there would have been a file. No one will convince me the evil bastard is actually dead until I see his decomposed remains.”

  Aja frowned. “The man is dead Lucy. The world blames you for it, so you might as well own it proudly. You killed Jackson Channing. It was on every World Com station when it happened. It was investigated and proven beyond doubt.”

  “So neither of you believe me then?” Lucy demanded.

  Two heads shaking were her answer. She thought about it as she stared back into the chaos happening in the hall. Could she have killed Jackson Channing and not known it? There were certainly a lot of things she didn’t remember. Her confidence in the matter certainly defied all data she was being offered. To not believe it had happened would be illogical. But why wouldn’t she have made at least one note in her files about killing the man who had tortured her for years? Even as messed up as she’d been when Peyton Elliott had started visiting, she’d been able to record some facts about him… and later Eric.

  When she saw Eric break from the group, Lucy shrugged off her thoughts about killing the scientist and calmly walked back to the cage. She went inside and quickly closed the door behind her, making sure it clicked. The security recording was going to show her leaving and returning to the cell, but by the time Eric found out, she’d be in the clear of his time limit on her full freedom.

  Across the room, she noticed double grins directed her way. Lucy crossed her arms and glared over their amusement. “Don’t make me come back out there and kick your asses.”

  Aja made a disgusted sound, but Meara giggled at the threat.

  “Why are ya back in the fecking cage, Lucy? Are ya that afraid to make the lad mad at ya? Ya must like him even more than I imagined if ya’re wanting
to spare his poor male ego.”

  Aja finally giving in to her well-fought, snickering laughter widened Meara’s smile. It was nearly like their old academy days for the three of them to be giving each other hell every two seconds. Thank the gods the three of them had survived to share this moment. She’d have to light a white candle next time she said her prayers.

  Watching an embarrassed frown bloom on Lucy’s face, Aja tamped down her mirth and cleared her throat. “Sorry, Lucy. I hate myself for it, but I was actually having the same thoughts as Irish. But since she brought it up… are you still running some of the New World Companion code? Dr. Cyberstein swears you can ignore it. Maybe we should get him to check you out.”