Vict

by Jessie Rose Case

  Track her. He told his men over his neuro net, watching her vehicle leave. Her body was full and lush. He liked that about her too. He’d been hard as rock since taking the seat at the table. When he’d scented her desire for him, he’d come close to ramming himself deep inside her and spilling right there. When she’d tried to get out the booth, her breasts so close to his lips, his mouth had watered. And walking away, she’d given him the perfect view of her swaying ass, he’d only just, been able to hold on to his own need to dominate, to take. Only the fact that she wasn’t ready had held him back. But she would be, he’d make very sure of that. In the meantime, she needed to be safe and he would make sure she was.

  He didn’t like that she might have put herself in danger asking to see the original source. These people were unscrupulous. They were capable of anything. They wouldn’t care if Mina was in danger if it got them what they wanted. Vict followed her with his eyes. Possession and the need to protect soared through him. His logic told him he couldn’t protect her all the time. Her work took her out of his sphere of protection. He would have to find another way. Vict connected to his ship.

  Scan this world for anywhere outside this city that might have a hidden base. Send out our sniffers. I want every inch of this Planet searched, for any Cyborg code or communication, no matter how small.

  Affirmative.

  They would search first, see if there were Cyborgs on this world, then, they would turn their attention to where the female worked. Find those in charge and track what they do and where they go. Their people were somewhere, and he would find them before the fleet arrived. It might, prevent a war. A war, where the female could be harmed and that was not acceptable.

  Back to the ship. He told his men. They had work to do.

  ***

  Mina had a disturbed nights sleep. Images of Vict seemed to permeate her dreams. His lips and her breasts kept coming into focus. She’d tossed and turned unable to rest her mind. She’d woken hot and needy several times, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Annoyed with herself, she eventually giving up trying, thrown back the covers and made herself a drink. The meeting the night before had given her a lot to think about, and it wasn’t just how good looking or confusing Vict was. He was different to the men she knew. Then again, he wasn’t a man, she reminded herself. He was Cyborg. Mina sipped her hot coda. Her mind unable to switch off, her curiosity tweaked. What exactly did that mean?

  Were they metal? Did they have computers? Were they more machine than human? How did their logic work? Did they have emotions? Feelings? Didn’t that conflict with logic at times? Did they have the same male parts? Mina blew out a frustrated breath and took another sip of her coda. Did they have compassion? Empathy? Did they …… love? She shook her head. They were clearly capable of having sex. Images of Vict fleeted across her mind. Naked. Minas mouth dried and she swallowed. If he was that big ….. ? Her mind was in the gutter! She put her drink down and headed to the shower in frustration. He did seem to like her …..

  Vict remained in the shadows. They’d followed her easily back to her home. She hadn’t tried to lose any tail and that had annoyed him. He understood that in this world everything was monitored, their lives a record on some system, that it had to add up or red flags came up and security investigated. He got that. But to not even add a deviation or a short cut or park further away, just seemed to invite being caught. His logic warred with his need to protect her. This was alien to him. His logic told him that she needed to be more careful. Needed to find a way to do both. But he didn’t understand this world and she did. He needed to trust her, trust this with her.

  He’d watched her go into the shower, having spent most of the night in side her apartment. He’d by-passed the electronic door systems with ease. Then removed the log of it from it’s data bank and settled in watching over her. He’d silently walked around her home, looking at her things, her images of her life, her interests, the kinds of foods she liked, her soap and all the while, her scent surrounding him, drugging him, pulling him in. He’d heard her tossing and turning, moaning in her sleep and entered her sleeping area. Her scent and desire strong in the air. Vict instinctively had moved towards the bed, wanting to be with her. His cock begging to be free. She’d calmed in his presence and called his name. Reaching out, he’d touched her neck and passed his nano’s to her. He’d taken comfort at hearing his name on her lips and held back is baser needs. She would carry a part of him, no matter how small. On a subconscious level, she knew he was there, protecting her. It was enough. For now.

  He moved out of the shadows and linked with the electronic system that opened the door, engaged it and walked through silently, erasing the tag once again. He’d done his job and watched over her last night, for now they would observe from afar. Tonight, he’d be back.

  ***

  Mina hadn’t been in her seat 5 minutes when she’d got a ping to see the boss. It was the last thing she needed this morning. Still tired from last night, she dragged her self into his office, feeling she wasn’t up to a confrontation today.

  He smiled at her as she knocked on the door and he waved her in.

  “Your early, excellent. I mentioned your thoughts on the new code and they agree. You’ll be going off site this afternoon. Be ready at 3pm. Take your equipment with you. You are to do a complete diagnostic, run several integrated programmes and process the data for complex applications. Make sure you are ready. I don’t have to tell you what we do is covert or that this, is a privilege for someone of your level. Don’t let us down.”

  Mina gave him her best, ‘I’m on board’ smile. “Yes sir.” Mina decided less was more. He dismissed her, and she headed back to her seat going over what he’d just told her. The original code wasn’t here. She’d guessed that. Question was, where was it? And who was taking her?

  ***

  She’d only picked at her breakfast and lunch. Her anxiety was feeding her hunger and not in a good way. She checked the clock again. She had just over half and hour. Just enough time to eat something before she made herself sick. Mina walked back to the refreshment area and picked up a packaged nubela. She liked the fibrous flavoured wrap with the mixed vegetables in it. She paid and heated it then sat down to it eat. Her mind going over the ‘what if’s’.

  After the first few bites her stomach settled. She’d been right, she felt better for eating something. It was stupid not to, she knew that. She had no idea how long she’d be off site or when she’d eat next. Her fears were pulling on her. She knew she had to do better than this or she’d give the game away before she’d even got there. Mina took several calming breaths, then finished her wrap, walked to the bathrooms and cleaned up, then headed back to her desk with a fresh hot coda.

  She found two men waiting for her, along with Geshum. Mina checked the time, she had 5 minutes to go. “These men have been waiting for you.” He told her angrily. Mina raised both eyes in surprise. “My apologises, I thought you said 3. In which case their early, but I’m ready to go.” Mina put down her coda and slipped her coat on, picking up her bag and data pad, as her boss bristled at her comments and quickly ushered her out the door with her escorts. Mina had the feeling he’d held back because of them. It was likely she was in for an ear full when she got back. At that moment, she didn’t care. The man was pathetic in his need to brown nose and it just pissed her off.

  Her escort walked her through the offices security and out to a car waiting for them at the front doors. The driver came around and opened the door for her. Mina got in and he closed it. Her security detail taking up seats in the front with the driver. Looked like she’d be travelling alone. Mina sat back not sure what that meant but glad of it. She wasn’t in the mood to talk.

  ***

  She’s on the move sir.

  On screen. The vid screen lit up with a ground image of the city. The females, Mina’s, digital signature on the move. He’d found her name on a number of items in her home. Mina. It suited her.


  In a vehicle? He asked.

  Affirmative with three unidentified males.

  Make sure we know where it goes and have a landing option if its needed. Vict told him.

  Affirmative. Vict struggled knowing his female was with three men who were not trust worthy. He watched as the vehicle moved through the city centre and take another road. It looked to him to be moving out of the city.

  Project its course and check for anything in it’s path that could be what we’re looking for. Vict told him.

  Affirmative. They were still scanning the planet and hadn’t found anything yet.

  ***

  Mina looked out the window at the passing buildings. It crossed her mind if she was being arrested but it didn’t have that kind of feel. For a start, no one was sitting with her pointing a gun. This was defiantly more of an escort thing.

  They made their way through the city heading towards the outskirts. Mina knew this road led to the barren lands. So they were going out of the city, she wondered if she’d been right last night. The original code wasn’t in the city at all, it was being held somewhere else. Why would they need to hide a piece of code out of the city? Mina felt cold. They had something to hide …

  ***

  The car has stopped.

  Vict concentrated on the image before him. He couldn’t see her yet. The vehicle had stopped by what looked like a small warehouse. There were a number of vehicles parked around it. Some looked in need of repair. A garage of some kind? The men got out and one opened the rear door and Mina stepped out. They escorted her into the building. Do we have thermal?

  Negative.

  Any signals?

  Negative. They were blind then. Mina was on her own. He’s instinct told him to go in after her. His logic, let her do her thing. They needed this intel. Indecision raged through him. His emotions bordering on taking over his decision-making processes. Vict shut down his emotions. They had no place here. His logic clicked in and locked down. He was on a mission. Where ever that led.

  ***

  Mina was led to an office. She couldn’t figure out what she was doing here. This wasn’t a clean lab or a high-tech infrastructure. There were mechanics doing work on transporters. “This was please.” One of the men told her, giving a nod to the office worker behind a desk. Mina moved forward towards a wall. The security man put his hand on an outline on the wall. To her shock, an entire panel in front of her, moved out from the rest of the wall slightly towards her, and slid across revealing lift doors that opened behind it. “Into the lift.” He told her. Mina was stuck on automatic and followed him in. The other security man stayed with her.

  Holy shit was this real? Thought Mina as the doors closed and the lift descended. She knew this location. Something triggered in her memory. The old tunnels. Tunnels that had been made using the mining equipment they’d brought with them, when the colony had first arrived. They housed the colonists against any calamity, until they could build homes and places to work from. Mina looked at the lift going down. She knew of these but thought they had long since been demolished. Her people hadn’t lived or worked in them for decades. Or so she thought.

  The doors opened, and a sterilised environment faced her. A long corridor with lined walls and artificial lighting. She could see a number of doors off the corridor. Mina frowned. What the hell was down here? A male she recognised came towards her. He was the department head for innovation on the Corporations Board. Mina held back her panic. She was here for a legitimate reason. He held out his hand towards her and Mina took it. “Mina, I hope I can call you Mina,” he rattled on. Mina nodded. “Good good, I took a look at your work. It’s imaginative I was impressed, and I thought you were right. Seeing the original code might bring us greater achievements. This way.” He indicated down the corridor.

  Mina had no idea what to say so kept quiet. He seemed to expect that and continued telling her how her work had intrigued him, how she’d got better results than anyone else, that she clearly had a feel for it. Mina wasn’t sure that was true. The Corporations lied to get what they wanted. She nodded in all the right places and kept a smile on her face. He led her to what he described as his office and told her to take a seat. Mina was offered a beverage. She took it.

  “As I said,” he went on, “I’m happy you decided to join us.” Mina knew she hadn’t had a choice but let it go. “We are doing exceptional work here.” He told her. “It’s ‘need to know’ only. We continue to work in line with our working brief as described by Earth Corp of course, from the original mission. However, that took on a more, focused, approach some years ago with the interjection of some specialist input, that we hadn’t seen before. Over the years we’ve managed to pull from this source, various pieces of data and information, but it was only recently, that we had enough pieces to put it together and then pass it on for your department to look at, and you, came up with the most enterprising and revolutionary adaptions. We are excited about what you can do with the original source.”

  Mina didn’t like the way this was going. She plastered on a large smile. “Sounds amazing.” She told him gushing. He nodded at her excitedly leaning forward on his desk.

  “Your team work under my department so the spoils go to us.” He told her enthusiastically. Mina nodded. “Excellent. My men will show you where to go. We have a number of subjects. All in various conditions. Make sure you get a good look at them all and report back before you leave. Obviously, this level of clearance requires a more ….. hands on security protocol.” Mina just looked at him unsure what he was getting at.

  “I’m sorry what does that mean?” She asked.

  “These are your security from now on. Where you go, they go.” He told her.

  Mina frowned. “Everywhere?” He nodded.

  “Everywhere. Enjoy your day.” He told her then started working on something on his desk.

  “This way please.” Her security told her. Mina gave a nod and followed him out. He showed her to lockers where she could put her things, then where the bathrooms were, refreshments and offices, where a number of things seemed to be going on. Then to the labs. It looked like a lot of work had gone into expanding the old tunnels and portioning them off for different uses. “You will be working in here.” He told her stopping at one of them. “Place your hand on the scanner please, I will take an initial reading and then you will have automatic access.” Mina put her hand on the pad. It scanned it. Her security did something with it and gave her a nod. “When you’re ready to go in, put your hand back on the scanner. We will remain out here.”

  Mina took a couple of deep breaths and put her hand on the scanner and the doors opened. She stood there for a moment gazing into the lab, then walked in. The doors closed behind her. She noticed a number of people in white coats. Then something else. There were people on tables. Some in glass rooms behind them. Something growled, she looked in the direction of the sound. A large male was fighting the restraints he was in. She then realised they were all in restraints. “Lock him down.” Someone shouted, and several people moved at once to subdue him. What the hell was this? Her mind screamed. One of the white coats came towards her. Mina took a step back. “Mina, right?” He asked.

  She nodded unable to take her eyes from the male on the bed fighting to be free. He must have registered her concern. "Don’t worry about that. He's not getting free. None of them are."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “I’m Beenan. I’m in charge here. There’s no need to be concerned.” He told her. “These specimens have been here for a very long time. We know how to deal with this.” Mina just nodded. Unable to put words, to the sick feeling swamping her. “I understand I’m to give you access to the working base code. If you would follow me.”

  “Could I have a minute.” She asked trying to get her breath. He seemed to study her for a moment.

  “Sure, sorry, we don’t get many visitors here. I forget how this must look to those who don’t work here. Have a seat in my office for a minute.”
He led her over to a glass panel and doorway. She took a seat while he got her some water. Mina looked at the area in front of her. Vict had been right. There were survivors. The crash had been real. She took the water handed to her and drank it down, taking a couple of breaths to ease the knot in her chest.

  “Better now?” He asked. Mina nodded. “Good, lets get started. This way.” Beenan led her to a room with a large male in it behind a barrier. The room was more of a cell. It had basic toilet facilities and a bed. A bed the male was sitting on quietly looking at the floor.

  “C942, you have a guest. She wants to know how your Cybernetics work. Make sure you give her all the information she needs.” Beenan turned back to her. “Functionality would be a good starting point, then we can hook you up to a live interaction. I’ll leave you to it. Come find me when your done.” He walked out and left her.

  Mina stood in shock in the middle of the room. She wondered what she was doing here. She was way out of her comfort zone, she had no skill with this. Looking around the room, she noted the camera’s and a chair. She dragged the chair over towards the cell bars and sat down.

  “You shouldn’t sit there.” The Cyborg told her. She had no doubt he was Cyborg. He looked similar to Vict and his men. So did the others she’d seen strapped down. He hadn’t looked up.

  “Whys that?” She asked.

  “They cannot see you properly on that camera behind you and I could reach you if I wanted. That puts you in danger.”