He shook his head. “No.”
She nodded. “That would have been me. The reports kept everyone updated on their deteriorating conditions. I think the longest one survived for almost two years. She’d lost her hair, and her teeth had fallen out…you get the point. I doubt they were given treatment, just so EC could really scare the hell out of the public by showing vids of those poor women. I didn’t see any high-tech medical facility at the Colton Station. Darbis would have used me to make money until my body gave out. Tell me that’s not worse than death.”
The cleansing unit opened and Deviant stepped out fully dressed. He put on his boots and studied her and his father. “Are you two on good terms?”
“We are,” Mavo answered. “Start your shift.
Deviant hesitated, staring directly at her.
She rose and approached him. “It’s okay. Your father is being very nice to me. I feel safe. Go do what you do. I’ll be here waiting for you when you come back.”
He reached out and gently brushed his thumb down her arm. “I’ll be thinking of you.”
That made her smile. “I’ll be thinking about you too. You didn’t eat,” she reminded him.
“I will on my way to my shift. You eat what my father brought.” He dropped his hand and spun, marching to the door. He hesitated then glanced back. Mavo stood and moved between them.
“Go. I’m blocking her if there’s someone in the corridor.”
Deviant left and the door sealed behind him. Venice felt a moment of uncertainty being left alone with his father but the cyborg turned around, holding her gaze.
“You should finish all the food. I need to make some reports and monitor the ship’s internal communications while they do repairs on life support. I want to know immediately if they are made aware of your presence. Just go about whatever you would normally do.” He walked to the door and placed his hand on the panel next to it, closing his eyes.
Venice took a seat on the bed and finished eating. It was strange having Mavo just standing there. He kind of reminded her of a breathing statue. A hundred questions filled her mind.
It seemed as if an hour had passed before he opened his eyes and stopped touching the panel. “The life support is fully restored. They aren’t expecting any more issues with it. This is good news.”
“You got all that from your hand touching the wall?”
“Yes. Did my son tell you about our cybernetics?”
“We didn’t really discuss that.”
“We were created the way clones were but they added chips and technology into our bodies so we could perform certain functions.” He drew closer and showed her his hand. “I have sensors under my palms that send information directly to the chips implanted inside my brain. We can connect to computers by touch.”
“That’s handy.” She smiled.
He didn’t smile back.
“That was a joke. Get it? Handy? It’s in your hand.”
“Ah. A pun. I like your humor.”
“You didn’t think it was funny.”
“I appreciate that you would try. My mood isn’t the best today.”
“Because of me?”
“Things have just been stressful lately. I don’t want to discuss it. No offense.”
She didn’t pry, returning to their original topic. “So Deviant can do that too? Touch the panel and connect to the computer?”
“Yes. He was born instead of grown inside a vat, but the technology is easily copied to pass down to our children. He was implanted at the age of two. We discovered the younger the age, the easier they adapt to the technology.”
She frowned.
“You have an issue with that?”
“That sounds so young.”
“I was created on Earth in a factory. I never had parents. Deviant was born. His mother and I are both cyborgs. We didn’t want our son to have fewer abilities than we do. But didn’t emotion cap him.”
“Emotion cap?”
“Earth Government gave us an implant that shuts off emotions. I didn’t want that for my son, so that was one chip he wasn’t given.” He came closer and resumed his seat on the other end of the bed. “My wife didn’t agree. Some cyborgs do emotion cap their children so they have the choice to feel or not. Fortunately, the decision for Deviant rested with me. My son likes you.”
She decided not to ask any more questions about what cyborgs could do with their hands or why. “I like him, too.”
Mavo hesitated, his expression wary.
“What? Just spit it out. Are you worried that I’m still a spy? I’m not. I really hate Earth Government and I know they screwed cyborgs over. I totally believe that. They do that to everyone. I’d never want them to find out where you are, or that so many of you are alive.”
“Why would you care about cyborgs?”
“I’m as dead as you are if we’re caught. Isn’t that reason enough? I’ve already pointed out that I’m not a fan of EG or the things they do. That’s the truth.”
“Deviant has had a difficult life.”
“I gathered that.”
His gaze locked with hers. “He cares about what you think and say. You could hurt his feelings. I wanted you to be aware of that.”
She let that sink in. “I never want to cause him any pain.”
“I would hope not. He’s risking his reputation and honor, vouching for you. He really will fight to protect you if the need arises. He broke the law to bring you onto this ship. They may punish him for it. It won’t be severe, but he might lose some rank and privileges. I will make certain they take his unique situation into consideration. You’re a woman who has welcomed his touch. That is a first.”
“I still don’t understand that.”
He nodded. “We were created to be judged. First by Earthers; it was our way of life until we escaped. Some of that thinking just stuck. It’s a matter of pride to produce perfection. Deviant was considered a failure. Not by me.” Anger filled his voice. “Others viewed him that way. I’ve spent my life attempting to shield him from the worst of it but I could only do so much.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t hurt my son. That’s all I’m saying. You won’t like the consequences.”
It was a threat, pure and simple. “You love him.” She could appreciate that. “I never want to hurt him. I give you my word, for what that’s worth. You don’t know me, but you’ll learn that I’m a straight shooter. It means I don’t lie.”
“I hope not.”
“Your son saved my life, Mavo, and I wish he’d been the one who’d contracted to marry me instead of that station owner.”
Mavo cocked his head, staring at her intently.
She swiftly regretted admitting that. It was probably too much.
“I see.”
She wondered what he was thinking but didn’t ask.
* * * * *
Deviant couldn’t get Venice off his mind. He ran another scan of the system, looking for any threats to their vessel. “It’s clear.”
Stag nodded from the captain’s chair. “There has been pirate activity in the vicinity. Keep continually scanning. They’ve been known to use the moons to hide behind.”
“Understood.” Deviant pushed back his irritation. He knew his duties well. He’d been on plenty of space missions. He didn’t blame the male for being cautious though. It was his first mission aboard the Varnish.
He scanned the area again, before addressing Stag. “May I ask you something?”
Stag turned the chair to face him. “What?”
“Why do you hold so much resentment for Earthers?”
“I was assigned to the engine room of a military battle cruiser. They treated us as if we were androids. The commander harshly punished us when anything failed. He enjoyed bringing us before the crew to make us an example of what happened when things didn’t run smoothly aboard his ship. He killed some cyborgs when they didn’t react to his orders fast enough, or if they pointed out when he made errors in judgment. Of course, he would have mad
e us suffer anyway if we kept silent, after he realized he’d been wrong. It was a no-win situation. He hated cyborgs but was forced to have us on his vessel due to orders. We were the ones who paid the price.”
Deviant had selfish reasons to be curious, of course. He was attempting to estimate just how angry Stag would be if he learned Venice was aboard. “Not all Earthers are bad. Some of us have joined into family units with their females.”
“I’m aware.” Stag tilted his head, peering at him with a look of almost suspicion. “Why are you discussing this topic?”
“It’s a long shift, and we’re alone right now while the rest of the crew is on break. I like to talk.”
“Fair enough.” Stag stood and stretched. “You were born on Garden. Earthers looked upon us as you view the machinery around you. You’d tear that console apart to fix anything that didn’t work the way you expected it to, or rip out faulty circuits to replace with new ones. That’s how we were treated. We were interchangeable to them. Destroy one, and just order another to take its place. It’s in their nature to disregard anything they see as inferior. Add in a grandiose ego, and you have an Earther.”
“The females our males have taken into family units aren’t like that. They view cyborgs as equals.”
“I don’t believe that. Earthers pretend to see us as people, then use the trust they gain to cause harm.”
“That can’t be the case with all of them.”
Stag grunted. “You were never around them. I was. Some of the crew on the battle cruiser befriended cyborgs, or seemed to. I lost three of my friends and crewmates who were lured by Earthers to sections of the vessel not monitored. They walked into traps, and were surrounded by dozens of crew and beaten to death.”
Deviant stared at him. “Why would the crew do that?”
“They were bored; watching cyborgs die became a source of amusement. Some of the females flirted with us, attempting to use us as sex bots. One of my friends fell for it. Someone saw him leaving her quarters weeks into their involvement. She said he’d sexually assaulted her, rather than admit she’d been the one to seduce him. They made all cyborgs witness his execution.
“That lying Earther smiled at the commander and thanked him for giving her justice, and all I wanted to do was break her neck. The commander threatened to castrate every cyborg so it could never happen again. Larx was innocent. I saw that female beg him to fuck her. She pursued him every shift, but no one would believe the word of a cyborg. Barely two weeks later, she tried to lure other cyborgs, attempting to get them back to her quarters. Larx’s death meant nothing to her, but he told me he was falling in love. It cost him his life. Earthers can’t be trusted.”
“Not all of them can be bad. What if you grew lonely? Would you consider finding someone to share your time with if she were an Earther?”
Stag shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t trust one of them.”
“I’m aware of your status on Garden. You’re like me in some regards. You’ve been deemed unworthy to join into a family unit.”
“The women don’t like my attitude.” Stag smirked. “I won’t take their shit.”
“Wouldn’t that ever make you rethink your stance if you found an Earther who wished to share your bed?”
“Never. I’d have to restrain her anytime I wanted to let my guard down, otherwise she’d attempt to slit my throat. Earthers wish to kill cyborgs, Deviant. It’s their nature. They are vicious and cruel. I’ll acquire a sex bot if I wish to have regular intercourse. They can be programmed and trusted.”
“They aren’t real.”
“Exactly. They feel no emotions. They do what they are designed for. I could close my eyes around one without worry that she’d attempt to kill me.”
“What about joining into a family unit? Don’t you wish to have a female in your life who you could produce children with?”
Stag grimaced. “The price is too high. While Earth had control over my life, the crew kept me in one of the cargo holds on that battle cruiser with some of the repair and cleaning androids. I shared everything with them. Clothing, the living space, and we worked as a unit. The last thing I want is to purposely become one of many again. Our women treat our men almost as the commander of that cruiser did. They give us orders and demand total obedience. They punish us by voiding the contract if we show any resistance. My child would become her property in that case, and I refuse to give anyone that much power over me ever again.”
“But it’s not that way with Earthers. I know some of our males who’ve joined into family units with them. They don’t have to share the Earthers with other males and they aren’t similar to our females. They seem docile in comparison to cyborgs.”
Stag chuckled. “It’s an illusion. Earthers are conniving.”
“Have you ever considered that your judgment of them might be flawed or tainted by your experiences with the ones you were assigned to work for? That was a long time ago.”
Stag shrugged. “Perhaps.”
It wasn’t much, but it gave Deviant a small hope that the male would understand if he found out about Venice being on his ship.
Then that hope was quickly dashed when Stag spoke again.
“I’d never trust one. I think all Earthers are devious and deadly. There were three hundred and seventy-two Earthers aboard that battle cruiser. Not one stood up for cyborgs or cared about the suffering we endured. You have a mother, correct?”
“I do.”
“What was that like? I take it that you have a close association to her? It’s difficult for me to wrap my head around family units and having a mother. I was grown inside a vat.”
“We aren’t what you’d perceive as close, but she has high ranking on Garden and believes my actions and words reflect upon her.”
“You view her as a superior? Does she rule your life in the same way females do to the males they contract with?”
“It isn’t worth the trouble it causes if I disappoint her.” Deviant thought about how his mother would react when she found out about Venice, and suddenly wanted to change the subject. “I almost envy you not having a mother figure.”
“I don’t blame you. Cyborg women are controlling. As for your question about being lonely, I have made many friends.”
“I hope you count me as one of them.” He’d need the male to be forgiving if Stag discovered Venice was aboard the Varnish before they reached Garden.
“I do.” Stag faced the front window, staring out into space. “Run scans again. I have a feeling something is off. I’ve had it since we left that station. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone attempted to follow us to attack the Varnish.”
“Running scans,” Deviant acknowledged, focusing on the task. He just wanted to return to his room and Venice.
Chapter Six
Venice was happy when Deviant returned to their room with food. He handed it to her then addressed his father. “Any problems?”
“None. They corrected life support without having to reset the system.” Mavo inclined his head. “I must go on shift. Have a good evening.” He left.
Deviant removed his boots and crossed the room, taking a seat near her. The tray of food sat between them. Venice picked up the fork and offered the first bite to him. He leaned in and opened his mouth for her, taking the meat. She tested the protein herself, liking the flavor.
“I enjoy when you feed me.”
She smiled. “I’m glad. I like to do it.”
“I thought about you all shift. How did you get along with my father?”
“He’s worried about me hurting you in some way.”
He chuckled, surprising her.
“What’s funny?”
“You’re so threatening.”
She got his joke. “You outweigh me by over a hundred pounds and I’ve never been in a physical fight in my life.”
“What did you do on Earth?”
“I worked at a food manufacturing plant in quality control.”
“You sta
ted they did thorough scans, to make certain you didn’t steal. Is the theft of food an issue on Earth?”
“Yes. I worked where they produced vegetables and fruits.” She paused. “It wasn’t my job to actually grow them, but I examined the finished products before they were sealed into containers to be sold to the ones who could afford the real stuff. Android sense of smell isn’t as reliable as a human’s. That was my job. I was quality control, along with a handful of other people. It’s always tempting to pocket a few things, since we couldn’t afford to buy what was sold. We got the artificial stuff on our salaries.”
He glanced down at the tray between them. “We grow our own food on Garden.”
“I hope I’m not causing you financial distress. You don’t have to feed me fresh stuff. I’m used to paste and cubed substances.”
“All cyborgs are given access to fresh foods. Garden is nothing like Earth.”
“What about the meat? That’s got to cost you a lot of hours.”
He smiled. “The red substance isn’t meat.”
“It tastes like it.”
“That’s queltis. It’s a fleshy plant that grows on Garden. You might find this amusing since your tasks on Earth involved agriculture. We assumed it was a sentient life form at first because of its appearance. We scanned it extensively and ran tests on it, not wishing to cause it any harm. It turned out to be a plant. It tastes a bit like pork, doesn’t it? It can be flavored to also taste exactly like beef. Stag, the commander of this shuttle, prefers pork though.”
She took another bite, chewing it slowly and enjoying the taste. “Amazing.”
“It grows quickly so we have an abundance of it on Garden. We don’t hunt the animals on the planet. They are sentient. We avoid taking life whenever possible.”