Saving The Cyborg (Cyborg Redemption)

by A. M. Griffin

Yovit sat in his hover chair, watching every move Taun and his friends made. Sometimes Suni could go weeks without seeing her father. They would hear him of course, since he spent his time using the communication system as his personal spy device. Yovit caught her eye and frowned, as if she was the one who was in the wrong here.

  Ugh. It was no use being upset with him.

  Suni did an about face and made her way across the room to stand next to Saph.

  “You looked like an idiot. I was embarrassed for you,” her sister said without sparing a glance in Suni’s direction.

  Suni groaned under her breath. “It was that bad, huh?”

  Saph finally leveled a disgusted look on Suni. “Terrible. When did you start stuttering?”

  Suni palmed her face. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, stop it. You’re embarrassing our family as a whole.”

  Suni nodded in Yovit’s direction. “More than he already is?”

  Saph bumped shoulders with her and let out a soft chuckle. Suni liked hearing her sister laugh. It didn’t happen often. Saph often played the part as the third adult in their family, even when their mother had been alive.

  When their mother had passed, Saph fell seamlessly into the parent/elder role. Even Yovit deferred to her, mainly because he didn’t have a choice. “I expect Yovit to embarrass us, it’s what he does best. But not you. Pull it together.”

  Suni closed her eyes briefly, dropped her head and let out a long breath. “I’m trying to. I don’t know what happens when I’m around him.”

  Her heart raced. Her thoughts muddled. She was all jittery inside. Her stomach flipped this way and that. She didn’t quite know what to do with her hands. She was a complete mess when it came to being around Taun. She had never felt this way with anyone else. Granted, she didn’t have a lot of experience with being around handsome men. On planet, she saw them, but there was no real interaction.

  “It’s because you’ve never had a man before. It’ll go away.”

  Suni let out a snort. “Like you have?”

  Saph and Suni knew everything there was to know about each other. They were essentially the same person, just born years apart.

  At her comment, Saph bristled. “Just because I haven’t experienced the physical touch of a man doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about it.”

  “I think that’s the exact definition, Saph. You don’t know, and I do—fleetingly—and Tayan will never know. Thanks to Yovit, we’ll forever be the outcasts.” Suni turned back to their guests and confirmed they still didn’t appear to be paying attention to the sisters. “Do you think we’ll ever find mates?”

  Saph humphed. “Mates? Why would we want mates? Our lives are fine just the way they are.”

  Her sister always said the same thing if Suni brought up the subject. Shrugging, she said, “I don’t know. For mating purposes. To share stuff with someone we love and make babies.”

  Saph shook her head. “Mates don’t make you happy. Look at what Yovit did to mom. She had to give up everything she had wanted to live his dream. She wasn’t happy, Suni.”

  Their mother’s smiling face popped into Suni’s mind. She remembered a time when they were younger. It was of all of them, happy and laughing, even Yovit was there. Then, in later years, when the debts started piling up, there wasn’t a lot of smiling or laughing, only arguments.

  Suni faced Saph. “And we’re happy now?”

  Saph turned toward her, returned her stare and declared, without a hint of doubt, “Of course. We’re happy because we’re together as a family.”

  * * *

  “When smiling, make sure to hide your teeth whenever possible and tilt your head downward and to an angle. Most male species prefer a submissive and flirtatious mate.”

  As Suni listened to the self-help holo-vid, she practiced her smile in the mirror.

  “Too many teeth,” she muttered. She tried it again and angled her chin down and to the side. “Why do I look so crazy?”

  “Because you are,” Saph said as she breezed in without a knock and dropped onto the bed. She kicked off her shoes and eased to lay down.

  “You’ll also want to establish physical contact with your intended mate. This can be accomplished easily by gently touching their arm while they’re speaking or lightly bump your body against theirs—”

  Suni fumbled with her communication console, trying to shut off the recording as quickly as possible.

  “Wait. What in the universe are you listening to?”

  “Nothing!”

  “Welcome to the introductory course on how to find a mate.”

  She had accidently restarted the program. Suni hurried to terminate the file before it could replay.

  Saph held her stomach and burst into a fit of laughter. “You have got to be kidding me! Are you really listening to that?”

  Heat burned Suni’s face at being caught. She ejected the file from the ancient device she had found in a bazaar on one of the planets they had visited some years back. “There’s nothing wrong with it.” Her disgruntled tone probably revealed more than Suni wanted but she didn’t care.

  “Yes, there is. That advice is outdated.”

  Suni stored both file and device in one of her wall cabinets. “Some of it seems like it would still work.”

  “Pft. On that overly muscled guy held up in our transporter bay?”

  Suni turned in time to catch Saph roll her eyes, and attempted to divert the conversation. “Should we offer them the use of one of the family suites?”

  “No. They aren’t going to be onboard with us long enough to get settled. X-9 finished the repairs. We’ll be to Stindrol by the morning. If we’re lucky they can be off the ship and gone by the afternoon.”

  Suni’s heart dropped. “But—”

  “But nothing. There’s no reason to keep them around and definitely no reason for you to be practicing how to smile. Who needs to learn how to smile? You do it daily.” Saph stretched her mouth too wide and pressed her chin to her chest. The result was one parts scary, and one parts comical.

  “Ohhhh, who are you planning to murder?” Tayan asked as she breezed into Suni’s room. She plopped down at the foot of the bed by Saph’s feet.

  “I’m not planning on killing anyone.” Saph adjusted her lips and tried the gesture again. It looked worse than the first time.

  Tayan cringed and Suni tried her best not to laugh.

  “What?” Saph asked them both, her eyes wide.

  “Um, maybe you need to practice smiling in the mirror,” Suni suggested.

  “Or watch holo-vids to show you how!” Tayan said.

  Saph pfted and pulled up a holo image of what Suni recognized as The Renegade’s flight plan. “I know how to smile, and I definitely don’t need to watch a video to show me how…like some people.”

  “Stop being grumpy,” Suni chuckled. “We’ve been out here by ourselves for the most part. It’s okay to need a refresher on social cues. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need for such holo-vids.”

  Saph gave her a dismissive wave of the hand. “Whatever. Don’t waste your time. Your precious Taun will be gone by this time tomorrow.”

  Suni didn’t know why, but that comment made her chest tighten and stomach twist. Of course, Taun would go. The only reason he was onboard was because of circumstances. Saph was right. She shouldn’t get attached. There was no future in them building a relationship.

  Suni sighed. “You’re right. I was being stupid.”

  She glanced to where she had stored the video file. Maybe she should throw that one and all the rest away? What use were they in space? By the time they had enough credits to pay off Yovit’s debts and secured a planetary home, there would be more up-to-date how to relationship vids she could purchase.

  Saph turned from the hologram she had been studying. “Sun. Look at me.”

  Suni glanced at Saph.

  “You are not stupid. I get on you and you get on me, because we’re bored, but what we’re not
, is stupid. Do you hear me?”

  Suni nodded. “Maybe I was a little naïve to think that I could catch his attention.”

  Saph closed her program and rolled to her side, propping her head on her hand. “Don’t forget. You’re the prize. You can catch his attention. There’s no doubt about that. But then what?”

  Suni chewed on her lip. “That’s a good question.”

  Would she expect him to stay onboard so they could ‘date’?

  If he didn’t, would they date long distance?

  If they made it past the dating stage to something permanent, would he travel with her until they settled on her home planet? Would he expect her to settle on his?

  What if he wanted her to leave her family so they could build their own?

  A pang settled in her heart because she knew that no matter how much she wanted a life with a partnership and children, she wouldn’t commit to it if it meant separating from Saph and Tayan.

  She let out a defeating breath. “Nothing.”

  Chapter Seven

  “I hate having to wear these cloaks,” Raint grumbled to Taun as they followed behind Suni.

  While Suni snaked her way through the throngs of people meandering in the open-air market, the path parted easily for Taun and Raint. Not many took notice of Suni’s presence, but apprehensive glances were thrown Taun and Raint’s way.

  That was to be expected. Even wearing hooded cloaks, there was no hiding their broad and tall builds.

  Everyone kept their heads down and avoided eye contact. It wasn’t hard to guess this was where the unscrupulous came to acquire goods.

  “It’s a precaution,” Taun answered in an aside as he kept watch for anyone who paid more attention than necessary.

  The “CR” branded on their cheeks needed to be hidden the most. Taun didn’t expect anyone to guess the brand meant Cyborg Rebel, but it made them stand out even more than their size and height already did.

  Someone stumbled into Raint with a muffled, “Excuse me”.

  As the grungy person dressed in ragged layers tried to twist away in the opposite direction, Raint grabbed him by the back of the collar and yanked him back. “Not so fast.”

  “Aye! Let me go!” The high-pitched voice held a hint of base to it, but the small face and petite body confirmed he was a child. He wore an oversized cloak that covered his head and most of his face, but it was easy to tell there wasn’t one single muscle on the child under the billowy material.

  While Raint held the flailing child off the ground, Taun ignored the punches and kicks thrown his way and reached into the child’s oversized coat to retrieve Raint’s stolen blaster.

  “That’s mine! Thief!” the child yelled, looking around frantically to garner attention. No one from the crowd paid any mind to the miscreant or to Taun and Raint. They focused elsewhere, opting not to get involved.

  Raint accepted the blaster with his free hand and stuffed it back into his side holster. The blaster and holster weren’t made of the military grade they were used to having access to, but at least it was something.

  Saph had reluctantly agreed to give them the weapons and communication links while on the planet, with the explicit message that all of it was to be returned once their services were no longer required.

  The comlinks were something they had never had a need for. As cyborgs they communicated easily with each other via the Mainframe or the Closed network systems. But without access to either communication networks, the comlinks would have to do.

  Once on the ground, the little thief quickly glanced around then, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, stepped back into the crowd and disappeared.

  “Huh.” Raint thumbed toward where the child had been standing. “That was slightly weird.”

  Taun narrowed his eyes as an uneasy feeling fell over him. “Definitely odd.”

  They both patted themselves down, checking for any other thievery. Everything Taun had come to the planet with was still on his person.

  Raint scanned the crowd. “Something isn’t sitting right. There’s a lot of other people walking around that make a much easier target than us and also have valuable goods on them. Why target me? I didn’t have anything but an outdated blaster.”

  “A distraction,” Taun said just as the thought hit him. He glanced to where Suni should’ve been in front of him. She wasn’t there. “Do you have a read on Suni?”

  Taun immediately activated his ocular scanner. His vision was already set to scan for weapons and threats, but now he added an additional layer for target searching.

  Before leaving the ship, Saph had reluctantly agreed to give them access to Suni’s communication link.

  Raint pointed to the right, his scanner activated as well. “There, ahead to the right.”

  Taun homed in on that direction, which led to a back alley clear across the bazaar. How had Suni gotten so far ahead of them in such a short amount of time, and why hadn’t she stopped when he and Raint had? Taun would have to explain how bodyguards worked to her.

  They started toward the alley. The blip representing her comlink in Taun’s vision moved fast, as if she were running. “Something’s not right.”

  Taun took off in a jog and Raint joined in. No one stood in their way as they cut a direct path through the marketplace, jumping over stalls and carts. Suni’s direction suddenly changed. More and more, he couldn’t imagine Suni getting that far ahead of them on her own.

  Taun skittered to a stop and made a sharp right into the back alley. In front of him were two individuals, backs hunched over with brown and dusty cloaks on, pushing a cart. The blip indicating Suni pulsated from within the cart.

  Raint pointed at the two. “There!”

  Taun rushed forward, not wasting any time. He thought of all the reasons as to why she wouldn’t be walking on her own accord and why she would be stuffed in a cart and none of it eased his mind. Fear congealed into a flash of fine rage with a direct focus.

  The men turned as Taun approached. There was a brief moment of shock and confusion, followed promptly by fear. It was enough to condemn them in his eyes.

  Taun smashed a fist into the first man’s face. Bone crunched under his knuckles. The ocular scanner reported a shattered nose and sinuses before the man hit the ground in a heap. A shift in air flow to the left of him was all the warning Taun needed. He ducked to avoid the man’s punch.

  Raint joined in and rammed his shoulder in the attacker’s middle. The force of the hit threw him straight in the air before he crashed back to the hard packed dirt with a thud.

  Taun let Raint keep an eye on the two men and faced the unmoving cart. His heart slammed against his ribs. Steps slow, he peeled back the covering.

  Nothing but jewelry and trinkets. His breath escaped on a relieved sigh. “What the fuck?”

  Taun rummaged inside and threw the contents out just to make sure he hadn’t missed her at the bottom. His hand brushed something hard. He pulled the item out.

  Suni’s comlink.

  His stomach dropped.

  “What did we do to you?” the man on the ground groaned, rolling over to his side.

  Taun swung around, fists tight at his sides and glared. Each breath grated against his throat as he managed to ask, “Where is she?”

  They’d had one job. Follow Suni until she picked up her item for some game, then they could be free and clear for the help the family gave them. In all his years in the military he had never lost a target and he had been tasked to watch over high-priority ministers and dignitaries. This slip of a female should’ve been an easy job.

  “Wh-who?” The other man came to and pushed into an upright position, holding his head in his hand.

  “Taun? Raint?” Suni’s voice came over their comlinks. “Where are you two?”

  Taun’s finger smashed against the activation button. “Where in Ancient’s name are you?” he snarled through gritted teeth.

  “I’m in the marketplace. I saw you two run off, but I was talking
to my contact and couldn’t follow. Well, to be honest, I’m not supposed to be following you. You’re supposed to be following me.”

  “Tell me why,” Taun said slowly. “Your comlink is being hauled away in a cart and how you’re communicating without it?”

  “Oh, it was stolen by a child. So, I had to use the spare that I had in my pocket.”

  Taun held Suni’s comlink toward the men. “Where did you get this from?” he asked them.

  “I don’t know,” one said. “I’ve never seen it before in my life.”

  Raint cursed under his breath. “I knew there was something up with that thief. He took Suni’s comlink and tried to steal my blaster.”

  “Did he know we were with Suni or was he targeting random people?” Taun asked. “And why, if he stole her comlink, didn’t he keep it? Why toss it?”

  Raint narrowed his eyes in thought. “He threw it in this cart, trying to separate us from Suni.”

  “C-can we go now?” the man asked.

  Raint grunted and the men snatched their items from the ground and threw them back in the cart before scurrying away.

  “Suni, stay where you are. We’ll come to you,” Taun’s voice deepened in return of his earlier anger.

  He had been ready to tear those men apart thinking they had harmed her.

  “I wanted to stop at one more store for clothes, er, supplies.”

  “You might be in danger. Someone tried to split us up for a reason,” Taun bit out. “Give me your location.”

  His heart thundered. What if he couldn’t reach her in time? There’d been a reason she’d asked him to come with her on this trip. Someone had thought to harm her. Taun mentally kicked himself. He should’ve asked more questions about the job and who they were protecting her from.

  “But my clothes—”

  Raint drove his fingers through his hair, making the top stand on end. “Is she serious right now? Just like a female to worry about clothes at a time like this.”

  “Are we all set down there?” Saph’s voice came over the comlinks.

  “We’re about to link back up with your sister and need to have a discussion later,” Taun said, tightly.

  “Wait. What do you mean, ‘about to link back up’? You aren’t with her? Aren’t you supposed to be watching over her?”