by T. J. Quinn
“We’ll take you to her. She’s looking forward to meeting you, Jarcor.”
There was a tense silence between the four men.
“How do you know my name?” Jarcor asked, in a stern tone.
“Bretdon was sure you would come, so he looked for a picture of you on the internet, from when you were still human. It was easy to identify you,” the man explained.
Jarcor’s expression closed even more. He didn’t like the idea of having his past discussed by strangers, but as it was, there wasn’t much he could do now. So he just nodded.
After scanning both men, he was unable to perceive any foul intentions with either of them. If they were lying, they were the best liars in the universe, and he sincerely doubted that. After dealing with a few alien species, he had learned some things.
“Well, take us to meet this woman,” he asked, not making any comment on his past.
They quickly picked up their things and soon they were on their way.
“I’m James, by the way, and this is Peter,” the talkative man said, while they crossed the forest.
“It’s a pleasure meeting you, James, Peter. I’m Rafaroy,” Rafaroy replied, once it became apparent Jarcor wasn’t going to do it.
It took them a couple of hours to reach the cave they were using as a hideout. Jarcor had to admit he was surprised with the way these people had transformed the place into a secluded and safe hideout for those escaping the government.
The woman called Sandra was expecting them at the entrance. She had been advised of their presence.
“Welcome, Jarcor, Rafaroy. It’s a pleasure to have you here in our refuge,” she greeted them.
“Thank you, it’s a pleasure for us as well,” Jarcor replied, in a calm tone.
“Would you like to take a look around? Your friends are out on a small mission not far from here. They should be back tonight,” the old woman explained.
Her words caused a deep frown on Jarcor’s forehead. He hadn’t expected that.
“I thought they would be here waiting for us,” he said, with a cold tone.
“We weren’t sure when you would arrive. This mission had been planned for some time now, and we decided to go ahead with it,” she explained, with a faint smile.
“I see,” he said, but it was obvious he wasn’t pleased. “I was also told Bretdon isn’t here,” he asked for confirmation.
“No, he isn’t. He moved out to Montana with his wife and child. The ranch there is more suitable than these caves for a baby,” the woman explained. “I can arrange a video conference with him if you want. I’m sure he will love to hear from you,” she suggested.
“Yes, that would be good,” he agreed, not sure what to think about the whole situation.
The woman smiled and invited them to follow her. “We’ve managed to establish a safe communication channel between all of our hideouts, thanks to the Taucets’ technology,” she commented, as she guided them inside the cave.
Jarcor had to admit he was impressed. The place was very organized and the deeper they went into the cave, the more surprising it was. It was clear there were more people than he thought living there.
“How many people do you have living here?” he asked Sandra.
“Right now, around two thousand people. This place is more like a temporary shelter while we decide where to place the people we rescue,” she explained.
“That’s a lot of people,” Rafaroy commented.
“The Taucets haven’t stopped abducting our people. The government is getting better at rescuing them, but they still insisted on keeping those people in their so-called freedom camps,” she replied. “With the help of the cyborgs, we’ve been able to rescue more people, so we always have a large number of people here.”
“Impressive,” Jarcor said, in a low tone. “It must be hard to stay away from the government’s radar,” he added.
“Yes, it’s a constant battle. But we’re not willing to give up. Going back to those dreadful camps is not an option,” she replied in a fervent tone.
“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
They finally reached the communication center, and she invited them in. “Hi, Samuel, allow me to introduce you to Jarcor and Rafaroy, two of Bretdon’s friends, from Arcadia,” she introduced them. “Jarcor, Rafaroy, this is Samuel, one of the geniuses that helped us fix the Taucets’ communication devices.”
They nodded, and the man stretched out his hand to greet them. “It’s a real pleasure to finally meet you, Jarcor. Bretdon talked a lot about you and all you had accomplished for cyborgs.”
“I had help,” he replied, not comfortable with the compliments.
“Samuel, can you establish a video conference with Montana I? Our guests would like to talk to Bretdon,” Sandra interrupted, noticing Jarcor’s expression.
“Of course, Sandra, just give me a few moments,” the man said, with a smile, as he turned to his controls.
After hitting a few keys on the board, another man’s face showed up on the big screen in front of them.
“Greetings, Montana I. We would like to talk to Bretdon if he’s available,” Samuel asked.
“Greetings, Main Cave. I’m sending him a message as we speak. He should be here in a few minutes,” the man on the other side of the screen replied.
“Thank you,” Samuel nodded.
“Any news from the mission?” the other man asked.
“Not so far. They are expected back tonight. We’ll know then,” Samuel informed.
“Mark, is that granny? I have a new drawing I would like to show her,” a little girl’s voice echoed in the room.
Mark turned around and looked at the door. “Yes, she’s on, Luciana. I’m sure she will love to see your drawing while we wait for Bretdon,” he said, smiling.
The minute the girl reached the camera’s scope, Jarcor’s heart almost stopped in his chest. His eyes quickly captured her image, noticing every single detail: her long coppery hair, her fair skin, almost translucent, her heart-shaped face, and her striking blue eyes. If it weren’t for the girl’s eyes, he would have sworn he had traveled in time, and he was now looking at Sabrina. But Sabrina’s eyes were green. Who was this girl?
“Hi, sweetie, what do you have to show me?” Sandra asked, approaching the camera.
“Oh, granny, look. We were asked to draw our favorite person in the world, besides our parent and I drew you, of course,” the little girl said, with a bright smile. “I have to admit I almost drew Gideon, he’s so cute, but he’s just a baby, so it had to be you,” she continued, chatting with enthusiasm only a child could have.
“Well, I’m flattered you chose me. Your mother told me you spend a lot of time with Ophelia and Gideon,” Sandra replied, her whole face showing the love she felt for the little girl.
“Oh, yes, he’s so cute, I can’t help it. We hadn’t had a baby here in a long time,” she explained, smiling. All of a sudden she looked around and noticed Jarcor and Rafaroy. She stood still for a few moments, staring at Jarcor before she reacted and continued. “Oh, you must be the cyborg everybody was talking about. I’m Luciana,” she introduced herself, with a quivering smile.
Chapter Four
“Hi, Luciana, it’s a pleasure knowing you,” Rafaroy greeted her. “I’m Rafaroy, and this is Jarcor.”
Jarcor simply nodded. He didn’t seem to be able to utter a word. Could this girl be Sabrina’s daughter? She called Sandra granny, and unless the old woman were her father’s mother, that would rule that idea out. Sabrina’s parents had died not long before they met.
“Thank you. I’ll go tell mom you’ve arrived,” before anyone could say another word, the little girl ran out of the room.
“You have a lovely granddaughter, Sandra,” Rafaroy said, turning to look at Sandra.
“She’s not really my granddaughter. I didn’t have children. But her mother is very special to me,” she explained, with a smile.
Jarcor heard the woman’s words and all the alerts wen
t off in his head. Could it be possible? He wanted to ask, but for some reason, he couldn’t. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to find out whether Sabrina had moved on with her life and formed a happy family with another man.
A small commotion on the other side of the screen announced the arrival of Bretdon.
“Man, am I happy to see you two. I was starting to think you had abandoned us,” he said, with a broad smile.
“We’re happy to see you too. Your disappearance had us worried. We knew you had escaped, but no one seemed to know anything about you,” Jarcor said, putting Sabrina at the back of his mind. He had more important things to do. “I believe cyborgs in this country have been given new blocks, preventing them from receiving my updates,” he expounded.
“That would explain a lot of things,” Bretdon agreed. “None of the cyborgs we’ve rescued in the past months had the new information.”
“That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I want to check what’s going on and I couldn’t do that from Arcadia, or even the main vessel while orbiting the planet.”
“What do you need? I would be more than happy to help you,” Bretdon offered.
“I need a landline. It’s the easiest way to hack into the government’s systems, but I could work with a wireless connection,” Jarcor replied.
“As you might imagine, we don’t have any connection with the government. It would be too risky, but I’m sure we can find you one,” Bretdon assured him.
“Yes, we can also ask some of our allies, still living outside. But that can be dangerous,” Samuel added, entering the conversation.
“I’m aware of the risks, but I’m sure I can handle them,” Jarcor said, in a cold tone. He allowed very few things to worry him.
“You’ll be staying for a while then?” Bretdon asked.
“Yes, that’s the plan. Rafaroy will take those who want to leave to Arcadia, and I’ll stay behind.”
Bretdon nodded. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but most of the cyborgs we’ve freed are now living with human partners.”
“No, I wasn’t. I heard you had a baby, though.”
Bretdon’s face changed completely, showing all the love he felt for his offspring. “Yes, it was a real miracle, I couldn’t believe the doctor when he told me Ophelia was pregnant.”
“I know the feeling,” Rafaroy said, smiling as well. “A few of us back on Arcadia, have experienced that joy as well.”
“Have you guys been able to determine how this was possible?” Bretdon asked, curious.
“Not yet, but we’re studying it,” Jarcor replied.
“Will these women be a problem?” Bretdon asked.
“No, not at all. By now, we have several women living in Arcadia with their cyborg partners,” Jarcor assured him.
“Good, none of them would agree to leave without them,” he said, showing relief in his face.
“We would never expect them to. They are more than welcome on Arcadia,” Jarcor confirmed it.
“When we finally managed to contact Arcadia, we had a meeting with all the cyborgs and decided a couple of us would stay behind to help these people,” Bretdon explained. “Our presence has made a real difference during the attacks to the camps, so we would like to continue with it,” he added.
“It’s a good idea. I can help too, while I’m around,” Jarcor agreed.
“I don’t think you should. The government told everyone you died. We all know it’s a lie, but showing up in one of those camps might start a witch hunt that wouldn’t do any good to anyone,” Bretdon warned, with a slight frown.
“You give too much importance to me,” he grumbled. “I’m just another cyborg.”
“You know that’s not true. You freed us, and they know it. Nothing would make them happier than to lay their hands on you. Don’t give them the chance,” Bretdon insisted.
“Believe me, they won’t capture me.”
Bretdon nodded. “If you can, it would be nice if you could pick us up here, in Montana. Traveling with a small child when you’re trying to go unnoticed is quite difficult,” Bretdon asked.
“Of course, there’s no problem. We’ll wait for our men to arrive and we’ll be there as soon as possible,” he agreed.
“Perfect. I’ll see you then. Enjoy your stay in the caves. You’ll meet some very interesting people there, including Marisa, my mother-in-law,” Bretdon told them. “Ophelia tried to convince her to come along with us if you allowed her, but she refused. She’s determined to find a bride for every cyborg she meets, as well as all the single people that go through the cave.”
Rafaroy let out a loud laugh. “She’s a matchmaker?”
“Yes, and a good one too, believe me.”
They chatted a little longer, but soon it was time to end the call. Despite all the security measures they took, they didn’t like long conference calls. The longer they were online, the greater the chance of being caught.
“Can I walk you to our guest rooms? I’m sure you would like to take a shower and get some rest, while you wait for your men to return from their mission,” Sandra offered.
Jarcor wasn’t tired. His mind was bursting with a million questions, but he didn’t seem able to find the right words to put them out, so he nodded and accepted the woman’s offer.
She took them to a couple of rooms in a quiet area of the cave and left them alone.
“Well, these people have quite a place here,” Rafaroy commented as he entered one of the rooms with Jarcor.
“Yes, they do.” He had a lot more to say on the subject, but his mind didn’t seem able to stop thinking about the little girl he had met.
“Are you alright? You’re acting strange ever since we got here,” Rafaroy asked with a slight frown.
“I’m fine,” but his words lacked conviction.
“If you say so, I’ll go check my room and take a shower. Perhaps we could go for a walk after it if you’re feeling up to it,” he suggested walking out of Jarcor’s room.
“Yes, that would be fine.”
But he wasn’t really listening to his friend. His mind was set on Sabrina, and the last time he had seen her.
The time he had spent with her had been incredible, and only those memories kept him going during the dark times after he had been captured. She didn’t owe him anything, and he was sure she wouldn’t like seeing him again. Though he hadn’t stopped thinking about her, he was sure she had long forgotten him, and if that little girl was really her daughter, she hadn’t wasted any time replacing him.
He rubbed his face and paced the room trying to decide what to do. He wanted to go looking for Sandra and asking her all the questions troubling him. But on the other hand, he definitely didn’t want to find out she was happily married to another man.
Hating his restlessness, he headed to the shower and took a cold bath. He was coming out of it when Rafaroy came by to pick him up.
“I’ll be right there,” he told him, as he quickly put on a clean jumpsuit.
“Take your time. It’s not like we have something important to do,” Rafaroy replied with a scowl.
He joined him in the room. “You don’t sound very happy with your free time,” he teased his friend.
“I’m not. You have no idea how much I miss Elena. Being apart from her is terrible, it feels as if I’m missing a vital part of my body,” he explained, sighing. “I know it sounds lame and even corny, but that’s the way I feel. Next time, I’ll send Jayport to pick you up.”
Jarcor nodded. No one knew about the brief time he had spent with Sabrina, so Rafaroy had no reason to believe he would understand his feelings, but he did. He had been living with them for the past five years.
“Have you been able to get the chocolate she asked you for?” he asked his friend.
“I’ve already asked someone to get a whole box of them for me. It’s not like I can go to the store and get them for myself.”
“As long as you get them to her, I’m sure she won’t care the methods you employed t
o get them,” he teased his friend.
Rafaroy chuckled. “I’m sure of it.”
“Let’s go check out this place,” he said, instead, walking out of the room.
Chapter Five
They hadn’t gone very far when a woman called them up.
“You must be the cyborgs from Arcadia. I’m Marisa, Ophelia’s mother,” she introduced herself, with welcoming smile.
“Ah, the matchmaker. We’ve heard of you. I’m Rafaroy and this Jarcor,” Rafaroy replied, smiling.
She let out a loud laugh. “My reputation precedes me,” she said, amused. “Matchmaking has been the work of my lifetime, and I have to say I’m very proud of all the couples I helped form,” she added.
“It’s fascinating work, that’s for sure,” Rafaroy said, smiling back at her. “You should help my friend here. He could use someone to warm up his heart,” he said, pointing at Jarcor.
Marisa smiled, as she turned to look at Jarcor. Her look was so intense he felt as if she had pierced into his soul and seen all the secrets it hid.
She opened her mouth to say something, and for some reason, she closed it again, for a few moments, as if considering what to say.
“I’m sure he could,” she finally said. Jarcor knew she had seen his heart was taken and he really appreciated her discretion. “You, on the other hand, are a very happy man. Why don’t you tell me about your family?” she asked, as she slid her arm through Rafaroy’s.
Pleased, Rafaroy started talking about the family he had left behind in Arcadia.
“It sounds like a nice place to raise a child,” she said at some point.
“It is. You should come with us. I’m sure your daughter would love to have you with her,” he suggested.
She shook her head. “I’m too old for that kind of adventure. Besides, I’m more useful here. After all, you’ll need couples to populate that planet of yours,” she added, with a naughty grin.
“You’re not old. How can you say that? You’re in the best years of your life,” he protested.
She dismissed his words, waving her hand. “I’m happy here. I feel I’m doing an important job.”
