Page 24 of Cyborgs' Origins

Simone remained motionless, her mind racing. She had to buy time and hold out until Tiberius and the others could reach her.

“Your toys are impressive,” Vorn said, stalking through the lab, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. “But they’re nothing compared to the power you could wield at my side.”

“I’d planned to kill you for what you did to me, but...” He paused, cocking his head as if listening for any telltale sound that might give away her location. “Join me, Dr. Wiley. Become my consort, and together, we’ll reshape the galaxy in our image.”

Simone clenched her jaw, revulsion churning in her gut. She would never submit to that monster while a single breath remained in her body.

Vorn’s shadow loomed over her hiding spot. “Hello,” he said with a wicked grin that held a menacing edge.

She tensed, preparing to strike.

“Don’t be a fool,” he said, sounding almost indulgent. “Your resistance only delays the inevitable. You will see to my enhancements, and you’ll either come with me to serve my will, or your tech will, but you won’t win against me.”

His words irritated her, making her act rashly. In a blur of motion, Simone leapt from her cover, the laser scalpel raised high. Vorn’s eyes widened in surprise.

Their gazes locked, and time seemed to slow. Simone saw the hunger in his eyes, the twisted desire to possess her, to break her will and bend her to his whims while turning her invention into a way to strengthen the Scourge and set them loose on the galaxy.

Never.

With a feral snarl, she brought the scalpel down in a vicious arc, aiming for his exposed throat. Vorn reacted with blinding speed, his cybernetic arm deflecting the blow with a resounding clang.

The impact jarred her bones, but she refused to relent. She pressed the attack, raining down a flurry of strikes, each one fueled by her determination to survive, to protect all she held dear, and to keep him from tapping into the power Tiberius and the others now had. His crude illegal enhancements were no match for what her tech could give him, and unleashing that kind of power through him on the world was abhorrent.

Vorn parried her blows, his laughter a deep rumble. “Such fire,” he said with a vicious grin. “I’ll enjoy breaking you.”

Feinting left, Simone ducked under his guard and slashed at his midsection. The scalpel’s searing beam sliced through his armor, drawing a thin line of viscous fluid.

Vorn roared in pain and rage, his fist lashing out and catching Simone squarely in the ribs. The force of the blow lifted her off her feet, sending her crashing into a nearby console. Stars danced across her vision as she crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. The scalpel clattered from her grasp, its beam sputtering out.

Vorn loomed over her, his expression twisted into a rictus of fury. “You’ll pay for that.” He reached down, his cybernetic claw extending toward her throat.

Simone’s fingers scrabbled across the debris-strewn floor, seeking any weapon or means of defense. Her hand closedaround a jagged shard of metal, and she gripped it tightly, bracing herself.

As Vorn’s claw closed around her neck, she struck, driving the shard deep into the joint of his wrist, which was still fully biological, with every ounce of strength she could muster.

Vorn bellowed in agony, recoiling as blood spurted from the damaged limb. Simone seized the opportunity, rolling to her feet and snatching up the scalpel once more.

With a feral cry, she charged, the scalpel’s beam flaring to life. Vorn turned, his remaining hand raised in a futile attempt to deflect her attack.

The searing blade sliced through his outstretched arm, cleaving it from his body in a shower of sparks and fluid. Vorn’s agonized howls echoed through the lab as he staggered back, clutching the cauterized stump.

Simone stood her ground, the scalpel raised, chest heaving with exertion. “I’ll never let you have my technology, Vorn,” she shouted with defiance.

Before Vorn could respond, the doors burst open, and Tiberius stormed in, his cybernetic enhancements glowing with power. His gaze swept over the scene, taking in Simone’s battered form and Vorn’s grievous wounds. “Simone.” His voice was both relief and fury as he crossed the distance in a blur of motion.

Vorn snarled, his remaining hand transforming into a wicked-looking blaster. “This isn’t over, human.”

Tiberius moved with superhuman speed, interposing himself between Simone and the Sventian leader. His cybernetic eye tracked Vorn’s every twitch, his muscles coiled and ready to strike.

The deafening roar of battle faded into the background as Simone’s world narrowed to the two towering figures before her.Tiberius, his cybernetic enhancements humming with power, stood ready, shielding her from Vorn’s wrath.

Simone’s breath caught in her throat as Tiberius shifted positions, his muscles coiling like taut cables, ready to strike. His optic implant tracking Vorn’s every move as his reflexes operated on a plane far beyond human limitations.

In a blur of motion, Vorn raised his blaster, the muzzle glowing ominously. Simone’s heart raced as her fingers tightened around the laser scalpel. She braced for the inevitable clash.

Tiberius’s cybernetic arm lashed out, deflecting Vorn’s first volley with a resounding clang that reverberated through the lab. Vorn snarled, his blaster arm recalibrating with lightning speed, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of plasma bolts. Tiberius weaved and dodged, his enhanced agility allowing him to evade the lethal fusillade with ease.

Simone watched, terrified but unable to look away as the two clashed, their movements a dizzying dance of violence and precision. Tiberius pressed his advantage, raining down a flurry of blows that forced Vorn onto the defensive.

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