Page 3 of The Cyborg Way
“You have not completed your habitat,” he said gruffly.
“I know.” She gave him a rueful smile. “It’s a little more complicated than it seemed in the videos I watched on the voyage, but I’m getting there.”
He studied the partially complete dome and shook his head.
“Not before nightfall.”
She sighed. “No, I think you’re right. I’ll have to spend the night in the cab of the rover.”
It wouldn’t be the most comfortable environment in the world, but the rovers were designed to provide supplemental oxygen and enough heat to prevent her from freezing overnight. His frown deepened.
“That is not acceptable. You should return to New Arcadia.”
“It would be silly to waste the rest of the afternoon going into town and then having to turn around to make the trip back out here again in the morning. I’ll be fine.”
“You will not be fine. You will be cold and cramped.”
She rolled her eyes at him.
“Not that cramped. I don’t take up very much room.”
His eyes flicked down over her body, just the briefest glance, but they left a surprising trail of heat behind.
“You will still not be comfortable. You will still be cold.”
“I can sleep in my coat, and I have some thermal blankets as well.”
He shook his head and strode over to the pile of building materials, picking up one of the panels with frustrating ease. She hurried after him as he carried it over to the half-completed structure and fitted it in place quickly and efficiently.
“You don’t have to do that. We were told that you rangers aren’t here to help us with tasks we should perform on our own.”
“It is our choice on whether or not to offer assistance,” he responded, already returning to fetch another panel. “I choose to help you.”
“But why?”
Did a shadow of hesitation cross that hard face? Before she could decide, he shrugged.
“This is my territory.”
With his assistance, the dome had been completed in time for her to spend her first night in her own habitat. He hadn’t lingered after the work was completed, but he continued to visit her regularly.
Those visits were always a bright spot in her life, even though their conversations were mostly about the mundane realities of life on Mars—he’d never even accepted her invitation to come into the dome and have a cup of tea. Until Henry came along, he was her only visitor. She couldn’t wait to tell him about Henry.
Wait a minute. Can I tell him?
Although the rangers were employed by Earth Government, they worked closely with GenCon. If Henry was some type of escaped experiment, would L-485 feel obligated to tell the corporation that she had found him? Even worse, what if Henry was what she had come to suspect —an actual native of Mars? Would L-485 want to hand him over so that GenCon could research him?
A sudden flare of unreasonable panic made her race through the rest of her shower and back into her living quarters. Henry was still curled up under the covers, and she sat down next to him with a sigh of relief. Of course he was still there.
He gave a protesting squeak as she ran a gentle finger down his back and she realized that in her haste, she hadn’t dried off completely. Her hand was still damp, and although Henry had taken to warmth and oxygen, he had a strong distaste for moisture of any kind. She laughed and dried her hand more thoroughly before stroking him again. This time he made the little purring chirp that she had learned indicated his satisfaction.
“I can’t tell him about you, can I? What if he wants to take you away from me?”
Even though it had only been a short time, she couldn’t imagine her life without Henry in it any longer. The nights no longer seemed so long and empty. Even though he couldn’t talk to her, he’d proven to be a wonderful companion—intelligent, inquisitive, and surprisingly sensitive to her moods. No, she wasn’t going to let anyone take him away from her. Which meant that she couldn’t tell L-485 about him. Her decision felt wrong—she’d never had any secrets from him before—but she just couldn’t take the chance.
Still fighting her conscience, she dressed slowly, made herself another cup of tea, and ate one of her protein bars. Henry nibbled at the small bite she gave him while she went to feed the chickens. When she returned, he was perched on top of the counter, searching for crumbs, and she laughed.
“Caught in the act. You’ve had enough breakfast. Come here.”
