Page 21 of Agrippa's Acceptance

Anatu and Agrippa exchanged glances. “A few months,” Anatu said doubtfully. “Maybe three if we have help. Amukkan would be useful.”

The president smirked. “With your permission general.”

“Go ahead, “Balthazar said magnanimously.”

“We now have cloaking technology that we planned to fit to the Rising Sun. Unfortunately, it will take time.”

Anatu tapped her fingers against her thigh. “We would have to integrate all three components into the design.”

Agrippa nodded. “And we would have to make very sure we can have all three working together at optimum level. Also, we need to make sure that when we use the shields that the cloak stay in place.” No one told her to be quiet, or to know her place and a slow warmth threaded through her ryhov.

“The power source will have to be adapted, even though the ship is much smaller,” Anatu added.

Balthazar nodded. “Report to me the moment the ship is close to finished and we will discuss the mission.”

“Yes general,” she and Anatu said together.

The general turned to Arakhu. “We need more programmers. It is even more urgent now that you find Elizabeth.”

“I should have her soon,” Arakhu said with grim promise.

Agrippa would’ve liked to know who Elizabeth was, but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She could scarcely belief she was allowed to attend this meeting. That she was given such a big responsibility. That they accepted her.

Chapter Seventeen

Amelagar flatly refused to be separated from her during the work day. He was put in charge of planning the mission should they be able to build the small ship and cloaking device. They’d been joined by marines that trained with impressive diligence.

Each night he made passionate love to her and yet she didn’t know if he cared for her or if he can ever love her.

Two hours after she woke, the wall lit up. “Agrippa, Anatu to the cargo hold. One hour,” Amelagar’s clipped voice said. He had been on duty and she had reluctantly gone to bed alone. She needed to rest so that she could work tomorrow, but she hated going to bed alone.

She moaned out loud, More training with the marines.

She was the first to arrive, not keen to be told off for being late. They might be sharing a cabin, but he did not show her any mercy if he thought she made a mistake.

Amelagar stood looking at the ship that might be small for a clone ship, but that would be considered big by the humans. The moment she entered he turned and penned her with that vicious glare. How did he do that? It was as if he had radar to find her. If cyborgs weren’t without ryhov, the one way to distinguish a cyborg from a clone would be their manner. Cyborgs were loud and confrontational. Almost childlike sometimes. Among naturals the joke was that the quieter the clone the more dangerous he was.

“The ship is almost ready. The general will brief us, but before that we need to step up our training. Marines, you need to know the weaknesses and strengths of clones and cyborgs.”

Colonel Farnham put up his hand. “Do you think they would trust cyborgs after you have stolen their ships.”

“We are hoping they won’t trust them, but we have to prepare to be confronted with cyborgs that was reprogrammed.”

The marines swore. Amelagar held up his hand. “First we will show you the difference in strength.”

Anatu joined them and Arakhu motioned to the rope net they trained on.

“One of you go up there and pretend to be helpless.”

A marine everyone called Scotty ran over and climbed to the top.”

“Anatu.”

The female cyborg ran to the net so fast, Agrippa had to blink. Anatu climbed up and rescued the marine pretending to be stuck. She held him over her shoulders and climbed down with ease. “There, there human, you are rescued.”

More marines joined them and they all trained. Hard. Amelagar was merciless. He made sure that the marines knew how to fight a cyborg. Agrippa feared if they encountered reprogrammed cyborgs and had to fight hand to hand, they would be in trouble.

Each night they return to their cabin and make love. They’d made love on all the furniture with some inventive contortion. He always called it making love and she hoped he meant it in the literal sense. But she feared he was simply using human phrasing because he disliked anything that reminded him of clones. She told herself he did not see a clone when he looked at her. He was so passionate and wanted to make love to her whenever they were not working or training. Surely he loved her as much as she loved him.

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