Page 55 of Human Reform
“Something wrong?”he asked, but the knowing glint in his eye told me he remembered, too.
“Just appreciating the… furniture,” I said, sitting down primly.
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that sent warmth flooding through me.“We should probably focus on today’s task.”
I nodded, taking a bite of the delicious meal.“So, colony-wide alert, systematic processing, and memory backups before implementation.”I ticked off the steps on my fingers.“One cyborg colonist at a time through the central processing hub.”
“It’ll be a long process.An estimated thirty-six hours straight,” Daxon said, his expression growing serious.“We have a hundred cyborgs with the original wartime coding.”
“But worth it,” I added, reaching across to squeeze his hand.“What you did yesterday was reckless, but it gave us a roadmap.Memory backup, patch implementation and then memory restoration if needed.”
“The perfect team,” he said, his thumb stroking across my knuckles.“Your brilliant mind and fierce determination, and my unwavering protectiveness of the colony and of you.”
After finishing our meal, we headed out into the thick morning air of Planet Alpha.The jungle canopy filtered the sunlight into dancing patterns across the pathways as Daxon took my hand, our fingers interlacing naturally.
“Ready to save an entire species on Planet Alpha?”he asked, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that took my breath away.
I squeezed his hand, feeling the promise of a future I never thought I’d have.“I think I’ve been ready for three years.”
TWENTY-FOUR
DAXON
We walkedinto the security center hand-in-hand, and I didn’t even care who saw us anymore.Let them stare.Let them question.I wasn’t hiding my feelings for Alora anymore.She was mine, and I was hers, and if that made me “emotionally compromised,” then so be it.I’d never felt more alive, more human, than I did with her by my side.Duty and love weren’t mutually exclusive.They were two sides of the same coin, and I was done pretending otherwise.
Sage was the first to notice us, her sharp blue eyes flicking to our intertwined fingers.“Well, well…” she drawled, leaning back in her chair with a smirk.“Looks like someone’s finally back and embraced the whole ‘human emotions’ thing.”
“Got a problem with that?”I shot back, my tone light but with an edge that dared her to challenge me.
“Not at all,” she said with a genuine smile.“Just glad to see you’re not a complete lost cause after what happened yesterday.”
Alora squeezed my hand, her gray eyes sparkling with amusement.“Don’t worry, Sage.I’ll keep him in line from now on.”
“Good luck with that,” Sage muttered, but the warmth in her voice told me she approved.
We moved to my workstation, and I sent out the colony-wide alert.The message was simple.All cyborgs with the original wartime code in their neural frameworks were to report to the central processing hub.We’d process them one at a time—back up their memories, implement the patch, and, if necessary, restore their memories later using Alora’s layered implementation protocol.It was a long, grueling process, but it was the only way to ensure the safety of our colony.
The first cyborg arrived within minutes, and we got to work.Alora was a force of nature, her fingers flying across the main console as she guided each cyborg through the process.I handled the logistics, keeping the line moving and ensuring everyone stayed calm.It was exhausting, but we found a rhythm in it, a sense of purpose that kept us going.
Hours turned into a blur.Sage came through, her usual sarcasm tempered by the gravity of the situation.Aeon followed, his towering frame filling the room as he sat in the chair.He gave me a nod of approval, his piercing blue eyes softening as he glanced at Alora.“You’re doing good work here,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring.
“We’re a team,” I replied, my gaze flicking to Alora.She smiled at me, and for a moment, the exhaustion faded, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest.
Commander Helix was one of the last to arrive, her blonde hair a stark contrast to the sterile environment of the hub.She didn’t say much, but the way she looked at Alora—with a mix of respect and gratitude—spoke volumes.“You’ve done well,” she said simply before leaving.
By the time the last cyborg was processed, we’d been at it for thirty-six hours straight.My body ached, and my mind was foggy with exhaustion, but I couldn’t stop until it was done.Alora, though, was running on fumes.She’d been the driving force behind this entire operation, and it showed.Her braid was coming undone, and her eyes were heavy with fatigue.
“That’s it,” I said, shutting down the console.“We’re done.”
She nodded, her shoulders slumping as the tension finally left her body.“Good.Because I think I’m about to—” She didn’t finish the sentence.Her legs gave out, and I caught her before she hit the floor.
“Alora!”I cradled her in my arms, her body limp against my chest.Her breathing was steady, but she was out cold.
I didn’t hesitate.I scooped her up, her head resting against my shoulder, and carried her out of the security center.
The jungle air was thick and humid, the twin moons casting a silvery glow over the colony.I moved quickly, my boots crunching against the stone pathways as I made my way to my quarters.The settlement was quiet, most of the colonists either asleep or recovering from the day and a half’s events.I didn’t care at all who saw me carrying her.Let them talk.All that mattered was getting her somewhere safe, somewhere she could rest.
When we reached my quarters, I kicked the door open and carried her inside.I laid her gently on my bed, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face.She looked so peaceful and so beautiful, even in her exhaustion.I pulled off her combat boots and draped a blanket over her before sitting on the bed and watching her sleep.
