Page 30 of Human Reform
Alora tilted her head, strands of dark hair falling loose from her braid.“I hadn’t even noticed.”
“May I bring you something to eat?From the marketplace?”I asked, needing a moment away from her to recalibrate.
Her eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by the offer.“That would be wonderful, actually.”
I nodded and stepped back, creating distance between us before I did something reckless.“I won’t be long.”
I left Alora’s private office and headed down the curved corridor toward the main operations floor.Tegan glanced up from his workstation as I walked by him, his eyes narrowing at the sight of my still-swollen nose.I ignored him and strode through the main operations area, grateful when the main doors to the security center closed behind me.
Once outside, Planet Alpha’s two suns beat down from directly overhead, casting the settlement in harsh light.The humid air stuck to my skin as I navigated the stone pathways between structures.Hybrid orchids in vibrant blues and purples spilled from planters made of old ship parts, their scent sweet and wild.
The marketplace hummed with midday activity.Human and cyborg colonists mingled around stalls constructed from salvaged materials and native woods, bartering for goods or simply enjoying each other’s company.A group of toddler children—some human, some hybrid—chased each other through the central plaza, their laughter a sound that still felt new to my ears even after two and a half years.
I made my way to Nexus’s food stall near the edge of the marketplace.The lean cyborg with expressive amber eyes looked up as I approached, his hands already in motion preparing something aromatic.
“Daxon!”Nexus called out.“Twice in three days?The security protocols must be running themselves.”
“I need two protein wraps,” I said, ignoring his commentary.“One mild, one full spice.”
Nexus raised an eyebrow, his hands continuing their practiced movements.“The mild for your human guest, I presume?”
“Yes.”
His fingers deftly folded the wraps, securing them with a thin strip of edible leaf.“You’re smiling, you know.It looks good on you.”
I blinked, bringing my hand to my face unconsciously.“I’m not?—”
“You are,” Nexus insisted, his own smile widening.“Happiness sits well on those broad shoulders of yours.Less brooding, more… living.”
I accepted the wrapped packages, unsure how to respond to his observation.“What do I owe you?”
“Consider it payment enough for the novelty of seeing the great Daxon with an actual expression.”Nexus leaned forward, lowering his voice.“I think she’s good for you.”
Heat crawled up my neck—another new sensation I’d been experiencing more often since Alora’s arrival on Planet Alpha.“This is mission-critical sustenance,” I insisted, but the words sounded hollow even to my ears.
Nexus waved me off.“Go feed yourmission, Daxon.”
As I turned away, my eyes caught on a small family—a cyborg father with a human mother, their toddler hybrid daughter balanced on his shoulders.The sight sparked something fierce and protective within me.This was what we’d built here—this peace and this future.
And the sabotaged code threatened all of it.
My hand tightened around the food packages.We couldn’t let that happen.Icouldn’t let that happen.Not to our colony and not to whatever was blooming between Alora and me.The thought of losing these new feelings and returning to that cold, logical existence was unbearable.
We would find whoever was trying to destroy our peaceful world, and we would stop them.Me and her—together as one powerful, unstoppable force.
I turned sharply, striding back toward the security center with newfound purpose.I nodded at several colonists as I passed, something I rarely did before Alora arrived.My usual path through the colony had always been efficient and direct, without acknowledging others beyond what protocol demanded.Now, I found myself seeing them—truly seeing the life we’d built here.
Tegan glanced up as I entered the security center, his eyes lingering on the food packages in my hands.Something in his expression made my skin prickle with unease, but I brushed past him without comment.
When I entered Alora’s private office, she was leaning forward in her chair, the glow from the monitors casting a blue light across her features.Her fingers moved rapidly over the holographic interface, her brow furrowed in deep concentration.The sight of her sent a jolt of something hot and protective through me.
“Food,” I announced, setting the packages on the edge of her desk.
She looked up, her gray eyes brightening as she spotted me.“Thank god.My stomach was starting to think my throat had been cut.”
A smile tugged at my lips.“That’s quite graphic.”
“Country girl.”She shrugged, reaching for the milder of the two wraps.“We don’t mince words where I come from.”
