Page 57 of Human Reform
“I’m going to hold you to that,” she whispered, rising to her toes to press her lips to mine again.
After we dried off and dressed, I pulled her against me one more time.“We should go see Commander Helix.Give her our final report.”
Alora nodded, her fingers intertwining with mine.“Let’s do it.I think I’m ready to face everything now—even my past.”
“You’ve redeemed yourself, you know.”I lifted her chin with my finger.“You fixed what was broken—what someone else corrupted in the first place.”
“It feels good,” she admitted, a weight seeming to lift from her shoulders.“To finally make something right after nine years of guilt.”
Alora and I stepped out into the morning air hand-in-hand, the jungle humidity immediately enveloping us like a warm embrace.The colony was already bustling, cyborgs and humans moving about with purpose, their forms silhouetted against structures gleaming in the twin suns’ light.Our home—because that’s what it was now—looked more beautiful than ever.
My fingers tightened around Alora’s as we made our way across the colony.Two small children darted past us, their laughter echoing between buildings.One small girl with wild dark curls stumbled and nearly fell, but I reached out with my free hand, steadying her.
“Careful there,” I said, my voice gentler than I’d realized I was capable of.
The child flashed me a bright smile before racing after her friend.
“That was sweet,” Alora murmured, bumping her shoulder against me.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” I growled playfully, tugging her closer.“I can be nice when I want to be.”
“I know exactly how nice you can be,” she whispered, her eyes filled with wicked promise that sent heat coursing through my veins.
We crossed the central plaza, nodding to familiar faces.The marketplace vendors were setting up for the day, the scent of fresh bread and synthesized protein dishes filling the air.I noticed how people looked at us—with curiosity, respect, and something like hope.Word had clearly spread about what we’d accomplished together.
The council chamber loomed ahead, its spiraling roof catching the morning light.Two guards stood at attention outside, nodding respectfully as we approached.I didn’t miss how their eyes lingered on our joined hands, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.Let them see.Let everyone see.
Commander Helix’s office was neat and orderly, much like the woman herself.She sat behind her desk with her blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, her gray eyes assessing us as we entered.
“Commander,” I acknowledged with a nod, my spine straightening automatically.
“The mission was successful,” I announced without preamble.“Alora’s patch fixed the glitches.The colony is secure.”
A rare smile crossed Commander Helix’s face.“I’ve noticed.My own patch is working wonders, though I still have a few memory gaps.”
“We could implement Alora’s layered protocol with your memory backup,” I offered, surprised by my own eagerness to help.Once, I would have simply stated the facts and awaited orders.Now I found myself wanting to fix things—to make things better.Alora’s influence, no doubt.
“I’d like that,” Helix replied, rising from her chair.“In fact, I’d prefer to do it now.”
As we left Helix’s office and made our way toward the security center, her voice dropped to a more serious tone.
“CyberEvolution might retaliate now,” she warned, her eyes scanning the jungle perimeter as we walked.“They’ll know we’ve discovered their plan—that someone at CE deliberately sabotaged the code to enslave us if we ever tried to become independent.”
My arm instinctively wrapped around Alora’s waist, pulling her closer to my side.“They’ll have to go through me first,” I growled, my voice lowering to a dangerous register.“I swore to protect this colony, but I’ll personally ensure Alora’s safety until the day I stop breathing.”
I meant every word.The thought of anyone threatening her ignited a protective rage in me that made my earlier glitches seem tame by comparison.
“Good,” Helix replied simply, “because you may need to.”
At the central processing hub, Alora worked with swift efficiency, her nimble fingers dancing across the console as she prepared the layered implementation protocol for Helix.I stood guard, my body positioned between her and the door—an instinctive stance I wasn’t even fully aware of taking until I caught Helix’s knowing glance.
Twenty minutes later, Commander Helix blinked rapidly as her memories started reintegrating with her neural framework.
“That’s… remarkable,” she breathed, her usual composure momentarily shaken.Then her eyes locked on to Alora’s.“Thank you.Not just for this, but for everything you’ve done for Planet Alpha.You’ve righted the wrong of creating the original wartime code.”
I watched Alora’s face, saw the weight lifting from her—years of guilt finally releasing their hold.
“That means a lot to me,” Alora replied softly, her fingers unconsciously touching the bracelet from her missing brother.“I’m glad I could finally make things right.”
