Page 14 of Rescued By The Alien Prince Pirate

"What will that do?" Carmela asked, gazing at me with unbridled expectation.

"It will give us access to the mainframe," I explained. "From there, we can shut down the robots."

"You know— those skeevy little obnoxious things currently chasing on our tails and running through the corridors as if they are crazy?" Nix joked.

"How could I forget? Not long ago, I was being poked with a lot of sharp, unidentifiable objects from those little bastards," Carmela admitted. "Along with a few cyborgs thrown in there, most of whom were eager to start inflicting some damage to me. Each one of them looked like they couldn'twaitto split me open from one end to the next."

"You're safe with us now," I reminded her.

I slowly coiled my arm around her petite waist. I was trying to see just how far I could take it with her— what I could get away with. I wasn't trying to manipulate her of course, but she excited me in ways I couldn't put into words.

Carmela responded with reverence. Her eyes twinkled with a new sense of adventure. "I know. I'm starting to realize that, now."

I urged us all ahead, pushing forward to make this conquest a reality. I wasn't sure what kind of issues we might run into along the way, but we were here.

We were invested in this thing for all it was worth. Might as well try to make a difference. Like I said before, it was a far easier road to travel on, one step at a time.

ChapterSix

CARMELA

Footsteps pounded behind us. My heart was in my throat. Cyburn was behind me, using his giant body as a protective shield for me.

Nix was in front of him, but both were tossing worried glances over their shoulders. We were being pursued by angry, territorial robots wearing visors so we couldn't see their eyes. This made them even more haunting and ferocious from my perspective.

They were wearing armor that was a mixture of a black and metallic silver color, so I couldn't tell what kind of bodies they had. Their arms were robotic and wielding intimidating, rifle looking weapons but half the size of what a regular rifle would be.

"I don't think we are going to be able to outrun them," I said nervously.

I loved robots.

I worked with robots every day.

Robotics took up a large portion of my life, but not like this.

I wasn't accustomed to scary, bloodthirsty robots charging at me with only one programmed thought on their minds— exterminating us.

"I'm going to stay behind you," Cyburn said. He nodded to Nix. "Cover us from the front."

Nix nodded assertively. "Got it, boss."

I was so afraid of us getting killed by these manic robots that I couldn't see straight. I wanted to be able to help, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the advantage of being in a contained environment in my lab back in Boston. I didn't build these robots myself. I didn't know them. I didn't construct their parts and give them every fiber of my all.

No, this was a whole different ballgame entirely and it was extremely overwhelming.

This robot clan was a whole different realm outside of my expertise. I was petrified. My mind was practically blank. I was disintegrating into full on panic mode.

I glanced up at Cyburn. We made eye contact. There was fire behind his coal, black eyes. I could almostfeelhis will to live radiating from his body, and itdidhelp me somewhat.

"What can I do?" I asked the question even though I felt completely helpless to be able to do much of anything at all.

"Just stay sandwiched in between us," Cyburn said.

He was distracted now. His eyes darted frantically up and down the corridors as if he were urgently trying to figure out a way to make us disappear before we were seized from all sides.

I did as he asked. I didn't want to screw things up even worse than they already were or make things more difficult. If I got in the way, it could be detrimental for our lives.

I nodded my understanding. "Okay, I'll do my best."

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