Page 11 of Human Reclaimed
“I can’t believe you actually have cyborg children here,” I whispered, the reality of what Rune had told me finally sinking in.
“Yes,” he said simply. “Our future.”
We walked along a stone path, the twin suns filtering through the jungle canopy in dappled patterns across our skin. I took mental notes of everything—pathways, buildings, and the potential weak points in their perimeter. But despite myself, I was also captivated. This place was beautiful in its strange, wild way.
“The security center is our nexus,” Rune explained as we approached a low, curved building. “From here, we monitor the entire colony and surrounding jungle.”
The air inside was cooler, a welcome relief from the humidity. The large room curved in a semicircle, multiple workstations facing a wall of screens displaying various sectors of the colony.
Rune guided me to one particular station where a tall man with auburn hair and intense green eyes monitored three screens simultaneously. Recognition suddenly dawned in my mind. He was Rune’s companion last night when they kidnapped me on Earth, the one who jabbed me in my neck with the sedative.
“Tegan,” Rune called, “say hello to Captain Talia Reed.”
Tegan’s fingers paused over his transparent display. His assessing gaze swept over me, neither hostile nor welcoming, merely evaluating me closer than he did last night.
“Welcome to Planet Alpha, Captain,” Tegan said finally. Like his partner Rune, he wore black tactical pants and a fitted black T-shirt—clearly the security uniform around here.
“Not exactly a welcome when you’re brought against your will,” I replied, holding his gaze across his workstation. The security center hummed with activity around us—screens glowing with data and other personnel moving efficiently between stations.
A half-smile quirked his mouth. “Fair point. But necessary nonetheless.”
The casual way he dismissed my abduction ignited something fierce in me. “Yeah? Was jabbing a sedative into my neck necessary too? Real gentlemanly approach you’ve got there,” I snapped, rubbing the spot where the needle had pierced my skin last night. “Nothing says ‘we respect you’ quite like drugging them in a parking lot.”
Tegan’s fingers hovered over his display. His expression remained maddeningly calm. “I was just following orders from Commanders Helix and Aeon.”
“Following orders?” My voice rose an octave. “From Commanders Helix and Aeon, whoever the hell they are?” I spun toward Rune, who stood just behind me, his broad shoulders blocking my view of the exit. “Who, exactly, are these people who get to determine my fate? Who gave them the right to decide to kidnap me—to bring me to another planet against my will?”
Rune shifted his weight, the movement fluid and natural—so human. It was still hard to reconcile what I knew of cyborgs from the war with the very organic beings surrounding me.
“Commander Helix is our head female commander here on Planet Alpha,” he explained, his voice steady. “Aeon is our head male commander. After discovering the pirates were using your military strategies to target our colonies—particularly pregnant cyborgs and babies—they determined you were our best defense.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes, you already briefly explained that back in the medical bay. But that doesn’t make it right, and it certainly doesn’t make it my problem.”
The blue light from the nearby screens cast shadows across Rune’s face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw. Something flickered in his eyes—frustration, maybe even guilt.
“You agreed to help us,” he reminded me, “in exchange for more freedom around the colony.”
“Fine. Show me what I’m dealing with.” I gestured toward Tegan’s screens. “Let me see the footage and briefings of what these pirates have done.”
Rune’s posture relaxed slightly. “Three other settlements were targeted in neighboring systems within the last month alone.”
Tegan’s fingers danced across his display. “Casualties and targets, coming up.”
The data materialized in crisp blue light before us. Tegan enlarged the section detailing primary targets, and my stomach clenched at what I read.
“Three pregnant cyborgs taken in the Beta settlement raid,” I murmured. “Two hybrid infants from the outpost on Theros.” I looked up at Rune, my throat tight. “So, they’re really targeting your future generations?”
“Yes, for profit,” he confirmed, his deep voice grim. “The technology that could be harvested in the future, exploiting what allows us viable pregnancies and offspring with humans, not to mention the novelty of hybrid babies is… valuable to certain parties.”
Tegan pulled up video footage next, and the holographic display flickered to life with scenes that made me physically recoil. Armed figures in tactical gear stormed into homes. A woman—clearly pregnant—dragged away screaming. Another clutched a small bundle to her chest as attackers closed in.
I felt the blood drain from my face. These weren’t just statistics. These were families being ripped apart.
“Those poor women,” I whispered. “Those children…”
Something uncomfortable twisted in my chest—a strange sense of kinship with these victims. Yes, I’d been kidnapped, too, but this was different. This was systematic hunting of the vulnerable.
I glanced around the security center, at the cyborgs working diligently at their stations. At Rune, whose eyes never left my face, watching my reaction carefully. These weren’t the mindless weapons I’d been taught to fear during the war. They were people building a new life, creating families, and seeking safety from being controlled and exploited.
