Seth: Futuristic Spy Romance (Cyborgs: More Than Machines) (7 page)

Back aboard a ship with a woman determined to ignore him …

With Anastasia supposedly recharging her batteries, Seth plotted. Somehow he doubted she slept as she claimed. He knew he wouldn’t, not knowing what she was capable of.
Like she’d leave the biggest, baddest spy she knows without supervision. Not likely.
But he didn’t call her out on her cowardly hiding. Not yet. First, he had some other tasks to take care of, tasks well suited to one of his training. He did what he did best, ferreted out information.

Seating himself in the control seat for the craft, he hooked himself to the onboard computer and sifted through the various files. Well
, his BCI did. Seth, however, pondered other things—the fact he’d not bathed or changed since disembarking from his last mission. Hard to seduce when wearing boring, comfy space clothes that had seen better days. He mulled over the fact that Anastasia alluded to knowing the location of other cyborgs, cyborgs in possible trouble. This truly didn’t sit well with him. For one, Seth wasn’t one to idly stand by when others needed his aid. And, secondly, he didn’t like keeping secrets. He kept too many already. As an intelligence model, known in his military files as SO101 (Anastasia being SO100), he was predisposed to keeping information confidential. One of his biggest covert cover-ups was how much he remembered. Pretty much everything.

He could recall
, in living color, his youth from the years he’d excelled in school and played football to his graduation with a sobbing mother and a beaming father. He recalled the car accident that killed them both, leaving him orphaned in college and with no funds once the estate was settled  and the government took its cut. With few choices, he’d enrolled in the military, a sure way to an education, a job, and a future.

He’d learned combat skills. Met the love of his life. Got trained physically and mentally to become an expert in information gathering—and assassination. Once he was transformed into a cyborg, his training continued, faster than before. He could remember each painful step.
Each exhilarating accomplishment. The adrenaline of his first mission. The betrayal of his lover and his employer.

Other than the shady spot in his memory surrounding his creation as a cyborg, h
e never forgot a single thing. Except how to tell the truth. Was it any wonder Anastasia accused him of lying about Natasha?

The
irony of the fiasco, though, was that incident was probably one of the few times he was not in complete control. Much like the boy who’d cried wolf, when he claimed innocence, no one, or should he say the person who most mattered, believed him.

If I weren’t so logically minded, I’d blame karma.
But Seth knew better. He knew who’d engineered the failure of his marriage. The military, which according to the ships logs, was exactly who they were going to rendezvous with in six days, thirteen hours, and seven minutes.

What
. The. Fuck. He’d foolishly trusted Anastasia, and she’d betrayed him. They weren’t just going to join a research crew. They were meeting up with a company research crew under direct command of the military.

“Anastasia!” He bellowed her name, not at all surprised she didn’t reply. He’d spent hours
submerged in his thoughts and the computer system. Hours sifting through bogus logs, many detailing, in glaring, boring detail, his homeworld planet—sans the cyborgs population, one thing she’d not misled him on. However, covering up their existence didn’t forgive what he discovered after. It took a lot more digging to decipher their route and the mother ship they were supposed to rendezvous with. It was less mother ship and more like battle cruiser.

Just what was Anastasia up to?
Is she planning to hand me over? Plotting to commandeer the vessel? Are we going on the undercover mission of a lifetime?

Only one way to find out.

Striding through the small craft, it took only a few moments to reach the cramped room that contained only compact bunks. His wife lay on the bottom one, eyes shut, hands folded across her stomach, the perfect image of a woman in repose.

How lovely and innocent she looked.
A true prince charming would lean over and kiss those soft lips. A loving husband would spoon her to keep her warm.

Not Seth.
He yanked on the blanket beneath her and dumped her on the floor.

Amidst her thrashing arms and legs, she yelled, “What is your problem?”

“My problem, dear wife, is you lied to me.”

“About what?” she asked as she untangled herself. She flipped her hair back and peered at him from her sprawled position on the floor.

“Not going to deny you’re a liar?”

“Nope. At this point, there isn’t much in my life that’s based on the truth. The question is
, which part are you objecting to?”

“
You lied to me about who we’re going to meet.”

“Not lied
so much as didn’t exactly tell.”

“You’re splitting fucking hairs.”

“I hope not. I paid a lot for my conditioner.”

“Not funny.”

“Says the guy who used to use that line on me on a weekly basis.”

He growled. “
You’re working for the military. That’s who we’re going to meet.”

“I see someone went snooping. You managed to get past my firewalls quicker than expected.”

“You knew I’d find out?”

She rolled her eyes. “Like duh. You wouldn’t be a very good spy if you didn’t take a
peek. I expected you to check up on me. It’s what I would have done.”

The fact
that she didn’t even deny his accusation raised his ire a notch. “Well, since you’re in a truthful mood now, then care to explain what you need me for? What am I? A present? A bribe? A rat for them to experiment on?”

“
Calm down before you get your panties in a giant knot.”

“As you well know, I don’t wear underpants. I prefer to go commando.” His reminder had her gaze flicking to the area in question, and it irritated him to no end when his cock responded with a wakeful twitch.
Oh no way. She is not going to distract me with sex. Not this time.
“Did you happen to mention that to them,
traitor?
”

“I can explain.”

“Really? Because I’m trying hard to think of a reason you wouldn’t have told me before. I mean, you came to me asking for help, fed me some bullshit story about working for some research group, and yet, all along, you were in cahoots with the enemy. How could you, Anastasia? I trusted you when you said my people weren’t in danger.”

“And they’re not.”

“Please forgive me when I say I don’t believe you. Pretending to be an undercover operative for the company is one thing, but actively working for the military too? That’s crossing the line. Which is why I sent a warning to Joe.”

“You did what?”

How dare she appear so indignant? “Ears not working? I said I warned the cyborgs back home.”

“You should have spoken to me first.”

“Why? So you could lie some more? My primary concern is keeping my fellow cyborgs safe.”

“
They were safe. Why do you think I went through so much trouble creating a cover story for them?”

“I don’t know. Maybe to try and fool me into thinking you were working for the greater good.”

“I am.”

“Says the woman who kidnapped me and is en route to meet with the enemy.”

“Our enemy.”

“Says you.”

“When did you become so paranoid? What happened to the Seth who always saw the silver lining?”

“He got betrayed one time too many by the people he trusted.”

She didn’t quite flinch, but he caught the subtle change in her expression. Apparently, she didn’t like it when the accusation was aimed at her.

“
I can’t believe you sent a message,” she grumbled as she picked herself up off the floor. From a shelf where she’d left them folded, she yanked on some cargo pants and a T-shirt over her athletic undergarments before stalking out. He followed at her heels.

“You left me no choice.”

“What part of you’ll ruin the plan did you not grasp?” she snapped.

“First off, don’t you dare play the part of betrayed
damsel. I had to. Joe and the others need to know our planet might be compromised. There’s not just cyborgs on the surface. We’ve got women and children in that compound. Lame humans too, humans the government dumped into unsustainable colonies.” She stopped, and he ran into her, but he didn’t allow the impact of their bodies to distract him.

“They’re alive, not dead?”

“Of course they are.”

“
I wondered about those rumors.”

“
Don’t tell me you believed the false media reports that claimed we slaughtered them all or used them for parts?” He sneered. “We are cyborgs, not unfeeling animals.”

“I never believed
the rumors, but you wouldn’t believe the number of folks who do.”

“I never underestimate the stupidity of others. Especially since I am apparently the king of idiots for believing you.”

“Oh stop with the melodrama. Despite what you found, it’s not what it seems.”

“So you’re going to tell me you don’t work for the enemy?”

She continued toward the control room of the ship. “Oh, I do work for them. But they don’t know what I am.”

“How can they not know you’re cyborg?”

She turned, probably so she could better sneer at him. “Just because your subterfuge and ability to blend is rusty doesn’t mean my skill to fit in has suffered the same fate. I’ve spent years perfecting this cover. I’ve worked my way through the system, hiding my cyber roots at every turn, infiltrating the military as well as the company at the deepest level.”

“For what purpose
? Because we’ve already ascertained you’re not saving cyborgs in need.”

“I’ve saved those I could without revealing myself.”

“How convenient for you. But deadly for them.”

“Don’t judge me. I’ve had to make some harsh decisions to get where I am.”

“And where is that?”

“Only steps away from discovering the location of the cyborg source as well as the head of the company.”

Whatever scathing retort he’d planned evaporated. “You’ve found the source of our nanos?”

Many believed that cyborgs were simply humans with machine parts. And they were, in a sense. Many of their less effective organs were replaced with metal ones run by sophisticated
microelectronics and nanotechnology. What most didn’t realize was the nanotechnology, the teeny tiny foreign bots that circulated in their blood, were what made them truly special. Without the nanotech, cyborgs would be little better than humans. They’d heal at the same rate. Age and die like a human. Eat, drink, and, in general, be a human, just one with an ability to set off metal detectors.

What made them more than men was their nanos
, and the source of those nanos was the biggest secret of all. Even Joe and the others who’d recovered their memories didn’t remember much about how they became cyborgs. As far as Seth knew, he and possibly Anastasia, the first two spy models who got to keep their minds and memories, were the only two who bore faint recollections of their rebirth. Faint because the military did their best to wipe them.

“
I know many might not understand the reasoning of my choices. Sometimes I wonder myself. All I know is since the order came down to destroy us, maybe even before that, I’ve been looking for the man who started the project. The one who made the decision to inject us with unproven DNA and technology. I wanted to …” She trailed off.

“What? Kill him? Thank him? Ask him for more?”

She bit her lower lip and turned from him. As if he’d let her hide now. He grasped her by the upper arm and forced her to face him. “Answer me. What is your objective?”

“I want to ask him why.”

A long time ago,
after kicking the ass of the boy she liked and then taunting him …

It irked Anastasia to no end when Seth disappeared after their conversation and match. For once she’d won.

Or is that lost?

Despite the elation that she’d finally managed to best him in a test of strength, Anastasia couldn’t help but wonder if she’d truly won when it meant the prize he’d meant to claim—a kiss and more—ended up not to be forthcoming.

Perhaps I should have given him a consolation prize.
One they could have both enjoyed. Playing hard to get wasn’t just frustrating for Seth. It pained Anastasia as well.

Never in her twenty
-odd years had she faced such an urge to throw caution to the wind and to forsake her goals for the fleeting pleasure that came from indulging in attraction. Then again, never before had such temptation tried to sway her.

What began as a contest of wits, skill
, and training had somehow evolved over the past few weeks. Sure, Anastasia engaged Seth in a battle to see who would end up on top, but more than that, she’d come to like the rascally blond with the ready smile and wicked humor. No matter what the military or the company in charge of the program threw at them, Seth replied with fervor, a grin, and a joke. Even the rare times he didn’t finish first, he was gracious, not like other men, or even women for that matter, that she’d known, who liked to rub the loser’s face in their success. Unlike her.

Taunting him is probably the highlight of my day.
While being with him was what kept her going.

If it weren’t for Seth, Anastasia might have flaked out of the intense program a while ago.
Sure, she enjoyed the challenge, but she couldn’t help but wonder at the purpose.
What exactly are they grooming us for?
She feared she wouldn’t like the answer.

Squashing her
qualms, she focused all her energy toward succeeding and finishing on top. She loved seeing the shine in Seth’s eyes as they pitted themselves against each other, although she had a feeling their one-on-one matches were drawing to a close. More and more, those in charge paired them, turning many of their exercises into partner sessions. They were a couple in training, learning to work and fight in tandem. To her surprise, she rather enjoyed it. She knew she could count on Seth to have her back. That kind of trust in someone was new, but welcome.

So welcome that
Anastasia now yearned for something more than just a joining of their skills.
I wouldn’t mind a chance to join our bodies.
Or at least do something about the desire he could incur with just one wink and a mischievous grin.

Of course all that was before she’d gotten her upgrade.
Anastasia wasn’t just a soldier in training anymore. Actually, she had to wonder how human she was, given what flowed through her nervous system. In her defense, the way Dr. Osgoode had termed it when he pulled her aside and proposed it to her made it seem like the simplest of procedures. No worse than taking a vitamin to improve her physical health. And he convinced her by playing on one of her weaknesses—pride.

“I see
Private Murray has bested you once again in the gym.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.
I’ll try harder next time.” What else could she say at his obvious reference of her failure to beat Seth time and time again.

“Don’t be sorry, recruit. It’s not your fault you were born female.
Weaker than your male counterparts. Forever destined to be on the bottom.”

“Thanks.” Not.
Nothing like rubbing her face in it. If she wouldn’t face a court marshaling, she’d have liked to rub her fist in the jerky doctor’s face.

“What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you ha
d the strength to beat him?”

“I don’t understand.”

“We can give you something to make you stronger.”

“I don’t do steroids.” Not with their dangerous side effects.

The doctor’s brows raised as his face took on an astonished expression. “Steroids? Good god, no. Nothing so pedestrian. I’m talking about the way of the future. A way to make all humans better versions of themselves via the use of science.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand sir.”

“Nanotechnology and cybernetics, my dear girl.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You mean like robot parts and tiny computers?”

“If we’re to use simple terms, then yes.”

“I thought that was still years away from being feasible.”

“Or so the general public thinks. What if I were to tell you that the future is already here? That a select group of people, perfect specimens such as yourself, are being groomed to be the first to receive the gift of enhancement?”

They could kick her ass out if they didn’t like her answer, but Anastasia wasn’t about to become a science experiment. “I’d say no thank you. I’m not a guinea pig.”

“Again, you misunderstand. We’re not talking possibility. We’ve done it. Those who’ve received the gift no longer need doctors. They can heal themselves. They are stronger, faster, smarter … Why, the wonders are never ending.”

“So you’ve gotten some of these enhancements.”

“Alas, no. The person controlling the project has been very picky about who can receive the gift. They believe only the very best should be considered candidates. And you are one of the chosen few.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You’ve proven your intelligence, your strength, and your loyalty to your fellow man and your country. What better candidate than someone with your exemplary skills and attributes?”

Who wouldn’t feel flattered at that kind of praise? Still, though, she wasn’t about to blindly accept.
“What are the side effects?”

“None really.
We simply inject you with the nanos, and they go to work, healing cells, accelerating your regular bodily processes.”

It seemed t
oo easy. “But they’re machines.”

“Not in the sense you’re thinking of. For one, they are beyond microscopic. Undetectable by all but the most sophisticated equipment.”

“How do they work?”

“I’m afraid that is confidential, but suffice it to say, they don’t require outside intervention to function. Nor do they burn out or change your current physical and mental makeup.”

“So what you’re saying is I would still be me.”

“
Of course. Just a stronger version of you.
”

A stronger version
? Oh, the temptation. “Could I beat Seth?”

“You could beat any normal man.”

“How much time do I have to think about it?”

“Until the end of this conversation. Understand
, there are only limited spots available. We’re offering it to you first, but if you’re unsure, then there are plenty of other candidates who would jump at the chance. I, for one, wish I could receive the treatment.”

The wistful tone in his words said it all. Yes or no? Take a chance or pass it up? Go big or go home.
“What do I have to do?”

It turned out the process was simple. But
excruciating.

Just remembering the pain as
the staff filtered her regular blood out to allow the new blood a chance to enter her body and circulate made her shudder.
Simple injection my ass.
Funny how she could remember the agony of the process but little else. She vaguely recalled a bright light, shining in her eyes. The sterile smell that only hospitals seemed to have. The murmur of voices, but not the words. Pain overshadowed everything else.

But other than that, she couldn’t deny the
results. Dr. Osgoode spoke the truth. She was stronger. Faster. And she could heal in a way she would term as miraculous, although discovering that ability was a shock. In her defense, she dared anyone to volunteer to let a stranger, even if he did wear a white coat, slash them with a knife. She’d snapped and called the orderly who dared to cut her a nasty name while holding him in a headlock and threatening to kill him until she noted the inch-long gash he’d given her had healed over in minutes.

Awesome.
I’m like an impervious superwoman now.
Yet, best of all, despite the little bot things running around her body, she still felt like herself. The mirror reflected back her face, albeit without the scar by her left eyebrow where she’d gotten stitches when she was sixteen after falling off her bike.

Say hello to the new Anastasia. Of course, she couldn’t wait to use her new abilities on Seth, to see if
, for once, she could gain the upper hand in hand-to-hand combat. She won! But with guilt piquing her, she’d admitted to him that she’d changed. Apparently he couldn’t handle it, because she’d not seen him since.

With Seth missing, and the doctor not making his usual rounds, she had to wonder if
Seth had finally lost interest, or had her partner also been chosen to undergo the same treatment.

Was he
, at this very moment, screaming? Did he, too, wonder what lay beyond the drawn curtain through which the rubber tubing carrying the nano-infected blood came?

The best
question of all, though, was what did the company and military want of them now that they’d begun to transform the recruits? It didn’t escape her that the training they’d undergone was more than basic military training.

A grunt in the field of battle didn’t need to know one hundred and one ways to kill a man barehanded.
A simple soldier didn’t require lessons on etiquette and fine dining or how to open locked doors.

If this were the CIA
, I’d say they were grooming us to be spies.

As it turned out, the CIA was a cover to hide where the true
espionage happened. But Anastasia didn’t discover that until later.

It took only five days to her seven for Seth to return, and she immediately noted the change in him. For one, while he still sported the same jovial grin, there were lines bracketing his mouth, lines of pain that had yet to ease.

W
hen she entered the gym on the sixth day of his disappearance, she froze when she noticed him already there working out. Despite facing away from her, he seemed to sense her arrival and he turned his head, his eyes immediately searching her out. “Hello, gorgeous,” he said as he stretched on the mat, his athletic body bending and twisting.

She couldn’t help but watch his every move, mesmerized by the power his muscles promised, aroused by his very maleness.
It seemed absence made the body fonder.

“Hey
, I was beginning to wonder if you’d quit.”

“And miss out on all the fun and great food?” His sarcasm didn’t have its usual
levity.

“
You all right?” she queried.

“Never better. You are looking at the new and improved Seth.”

“So you visited the levels beneath us?” she asked as she joined him in warming up.

“If you mean did I get adapted
, then yes.” His lips thinned.

“You don’t seem too happy about it.”

“I wasn’t given much choice.”

She paused in her stretching. “Did they force you?”
Because, while she hadn’t exactly dove into the procedure one hundred percent certain, she’d made the choice, like it or not.

“Not exactly.”

“Then what?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He spun away from her and headed to a treadmill, for once ignoring her. She didn’t like it one bit. Positioning his back to her, he set the machine to a quick pace and pumped his legs to keep up with the whirring rubber mat under his feet.

Disturbed
at his out-of-the-norm behavior, she stalked after him and slammed the button on the console, sending the running machine to a halt. “Talk to me, Seth. What happened? Why do you seem so upset?”

He wouldn’t meet her
eyes. “It’s no big deal. I’ll get over it.”

“Your body language says otherwise.”

“You think you know me so well?”

In some respects
, yes. Enough to guess he’d not gotten the nanotechnology willingly. “Despite our rivalry, I’d like to think we’re friends. Talk to me.”

At first he
seemed determined not to reply, but she wouldn’t walk away, not when she felt as if he hid something important from her.

It took almost a minute of silence before he gave in.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn?”

“As a mule.”

His lips curved in a ghost of a smile. “One of your best qualities.”

“Along with my great legs.”

“I would have said ass, but, sure, those work too.”

“You’re stalling. Spit out what’s bothering you.”

A moment passed as if he fought an inner battle. “I did it for you.”

He said it so softly that she wondered if she hea
rd him right. “You what?”