Page 56 of A Cyborg for the Alien Mercenary

“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” Ryke said firmly, cutting off any argument before it could begin. “Alright, here’s the plan. We’ll approach in two teams. Covak, Davis, and Jesh will be with me for the main assault. Rann, you’ll provide air support and run interference on their systems. Anson will stay with theDreamand bring in the big guns if needed.”

“Hey!” Anson complained. “Why do I have to stay with the ship?”

Ryke rolled his eyes. “Because you’re the only one who can fly theLady’s Dreamentirely solo if we get hit out there. That’s why.”

The B’Kaar grunted and leaned back in his seat, apparently mollified.

“Besides,” Ryke added. “You’ll have Mira for company. Mira, I want you watching the bodycams for the whole thing. You’re our extra warning system if you see something we don’t.”

Covak nodded, ready for this mission. He felt the familiar rush of prebattle adrenaline coursing through his veins. It seemed the others felt the same way, the scent of excitement and anticipation filling the room.

“Equipment?” Davis asked.

“Standard loadout, plus EMP shielding,” Ryke replied. “They know we’ve got a cyborg with us?—

Jesh chuckled. “I’m EMP shielded. Most of us are now. But… a little extra never hurt anyone.”

Ryke offered her a smile. “We have energy weapons that could be affected as well. If they blast us, I don’t want to be reduced to hand to hand. And we don’t know what kind of defenses we’re walking into. Better safe than sorry. Okay, let’s hit the armory.”

The team dispersed to prepare. Covak moved to follow Jesh, but Ryke’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“Keep a close eye on her,” the big mercenary leader murmured, his voice low enough that only Covak heard him. “We don’t know how this is going to affect her. Especially if this is her brother we’re talking about. If it goes sideways, I don’t want her going off the deep end.”

Covak nodded, his jaw set. “I’ll watch over her, boss, don’t worry.”

She needed a moment to herself.Just a moment, and she’d be fine.

Jesh closed her eyes as the door to the quarters she was sharing with Covak slid shut behind her with a soft hiss, sealing her in a blessed cocoon of silence. She stood in the middle of the space, utterly still in a way that only a true cyborg was capable of. She didn’t do it in front of the others—in front of Covak—but when she was alone, it was nice not to have to worry. To just be who… what… she was.

Everything had been moving so fast that she appreciated a moment to herself. Breathing in, she let Covak’s scent soothe her, wrapping around her like a comforting blanket. It didn’t really make sense, this visceral reaction to his scent.

The olfactory system is an integral component of your biological functions. Scent processing contributes to memory formation, emotional regulation, and environmental awareness,her onboard reminded her.

She ignored it and inhaled deeply, allowing Covak’s scent to flood her senses once more. The rich, musky aroma tingled in her nostrils, sending a cascade of sensations through her body. It was strange how such a simple act could trigger such a complex response, her enhanced nervous system lighting up with dataand sensory input. His scent seemed to activate something primal within her, a part of her that existed beyond circuits and code.

She’d ignored that part of herself for years. For decades she’d tried to ignore her biological side, her human side. How could she want to be human? How could she want anything to do with humanity after what they had done to her and the rest of the Zodiacs? And now, here in a completely different universe, humans were still being assholes to both each other and anyone else they could find.

She frowned. Covak wasn’t human, nor were the other Reapers. Well, apart from Davis, who appeared to have honorary nonhuman status anyway. If she thought of it not as being human but as being organic, that wasn’t so bad, surely?

Opening her eyes, she studied the quarters around her. The silence felt mocking. If only she had another Zodiac to talk to, to ask about the thoughts and emotions whirling through her head. She sighed. There were only three of them in this universe. Of the other two, one was deactivated, little more than spare components, and the other had no memories of his time as a Zodiac or of her. But that was better than nothing, right?

She sat behind the desk and leaned back in the chair, feeling it creak slightly.

It was the work of less than a minute to query the ship’s computer and find contact details for Dael. She looked at the ID code and name on the screen. He called himself Zero now. Why had he picked such an odd name?

It took a little longer for the system to route her call. Each time it pinged back an out-of-range code, she just tried a different subroutine, at the speed of thought thanks to her onboard. Amusement rolled through her. Sometimes it did pay to be more than human.

The screen above the small desk flickered to life, and Dael’s face appeared, a frown across his heavy brow. His familiar face sent a pang through her, a reminder of a past that was lifetimes away now. Were the other Zodiacs even still alive after so many years?

“Covak, is Jesh okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. Then his console must have caught up and displayed her video feed because his expression leveled out, becoming polite and curious. “Ah… hi, Jesh.”

She smiled. He definitely didn’t remember her.

“You look exactly as I remember. Well, apart from…” She lifted a hand and waved at her cheek, disengaging her chameleon patch to show her alphanumeric code.

“Ah! Yes.” He smiled as a code appeared on his cheek.

She frowned.00-S1057.That wasn’t the right code.

---