Page 64 of Human Required
The fierce determination in her voice stirred something primal in me. I wanted to pull her close, protect her from what was coming, but I knew better than to try sheltering her. Her strength was one of the things I’d come to—what was the word? Admire? No, it was deeper than that.
“We prepare for negotiations,” Helix said, interrupting my thoughts. “But we also prepare for conflict. They’ve never seen us as equals before. I don’t expect that to change now.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle heavily on my shoulders. “I’ll coordinate with security. Our people need to be ready.”
Helix’s eyes darted between Olivia and me. “Keep her close, Aeon. She may be our best chance at showing them we’re more than just machines.”
I left Helix’s office and headed straight for the security center where Tegan oversaw our defense systems. The morning sun beat down on the settlement, highlighting the home we’d built from scratch—the structures rising organically between ancient trees and flowering vines. Everything we’d fought for was now under imminent threat.
Tegan looked up as I entered, his fingers still dancing across three different screens simultaneously. “About damn time,” he said, without stopping his work. “I’ve been monitoring their approach vectors. Looks like one small ship.”
“How long?” I asked, leaning over the display.
“Not long. Maybe a few days if they don’t head straight here and decide to orbit us first.”
I gathered the rest of the security team—Sage, Tobin, and Kel—true hardened warriors. They stood in a semicircle, their faces grim with determination.
“CE is coming soon. They’re threatening us with reactivation protocols,” I told them bluntly. “We need every able-bodied colonist trained and ready. Not just security personnel—everyone who can hold a weapon.”
Kel’s face darkened. “So, the cyborgs with no fighting experience and the humans?”
“We especially need them,” I said firmly. “This isn’t just about winning a fight. It’s about showing CE that we all choose freedom and harmony, regardless of our original programming or species.” My voice came out rougher than I anticipated, emotion bleeding through where I’d once been capable of complete stoicism.
“What about the doctor?” Tobin asked, his arms crossed over his chest. “She’s our best bargaining chip.”
“Olivia isn’t a chip,” I snapped, surprising myself with the fierce protectiveness that flooded through me. “She’s one of us now. And she stays that way.”
We spent the next hour mapping defense strategies and assigning posts. When we emerged from the security center, I found Olivia waiting for me, determination etched across her face.
“I want to fight alongside you,” she said without preamble.
I blinked, momentarily speechless. “You’re a doctor,” I finally managed.
She stepped closer, her eyes blazing. “If negotiations fail and I’m standing there with a weapon pointed at them, it sends a pretty clear message. Doesn’t it?”
I wanted to argue—to lock her somewhere safe until the danger passed—but the stubborn set of her jaw told me it would be pointless. This woman had stared down death in a field hospital. Hell, she’d stood up to me when I first kidnapped her, unflinching and fierce despite her fear.
“Fine,” I conceded, “but you follow my lead.”
Her mouth curved into a victorious smile. “Always.”
By midday, I’d gathered nearly forty colonists in the open area near the landing zone. Many were former war models, but others had been designed for scientific research or medical assistance like me. Several humans were there as well. They looked uncomfortable holding weapons, but determination hardened their expressions.
Olivia stood beside me as I demonstrated basic combat stances and defensive maneuvers to the group. The weight of her presence—the slight brush of her arm against mine as she shifted—sent jolts of awareness through my body.
“Keep your center of gravity low,” I instructed, dropping into a fighting stance. “If they try to use ranged weapons, use the jungle for cover. If it’s hand-to-hand, remember what I showed you about targeting nerve points.”
I moved through the group, adjusting grips and positioning. When I reached Olivia, I wrapped my hands around hers, showing her how to properly hold the blaster.
“Like this,” I murmured, my chest pressed against her back. “Dominant eye aligned with the sight.”
Her scent—something floral mixed with something uniquely her—filled my senses. I lingered longer than necessary, my thumb brushing over her knuckles.
As we all trained, I realized with startling clarity that I would die before I let CE, or anyone else from this colony, harm her. The thought of losing Olivia twisted something deep inside me. It wasn’t just about protecting our doctor anymore. Without her quick wit, her compassion, and her stubborn defiance, I would be empty inside, diminished in a way I couldn’t fully articulate.
And if CE wanted to take Olivia or wanted to take our freedom, they would have to kill me first.
TWENTY-SEVEN
