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“Panic and assumptions. Earth Government has been sending out warnings to all stations, colonies, and vessels about the Markus Models.” Krell leaned forward. “It had to be chaotic and terrifying for the stationers when they realized they were under attack. Some of us have been in battle. We’re better at taking in details than Earthers. Anyone could have come at them, and they likely would have believed it was the threat upmost in their minds.”
Sky agreed. “No cyborgs were with the pirates who attacked Zippo Station or that carrier, but they could have ordered it. We found a planet to live on. What if a small group of cyborgs are also building some sort of headquarters or a home base? Cyborgs would focus on that first and foremost, but they’d need supplies and materials brought to them. We had the numbers to split our resources when we built Garden. Most of us remained on the surface to build while we sent out groups into space to bring us materials. Pirates, unfortunately, have surged in numbers over the decades. They may be unstable, but they’re still bodies to use.”
“Fuck,” Krell growled. “A base of operations would be a priority. They’d want somewhere remote, off a known travel route, far enough away from Earth Government to hide easily, but with expansion ability to accommodate all their future needs.”
“Hold your hypothesizing,” Zorus ordered. He muted coms to the Star, but they could still see the council.
“You just started a shit storm,” Flint muttered. “Look at them. They muted us out of their meeting and are clearly arguing.”
Sky watched the monitors. Zorus appeared to be yelling the most. “I figured they wouldn’t be happy with my conjecture, but I had to mention the possibility.”
“What do we do if cyborgs are training and giving pirates orders? I doubt anyone on Garden would be happy to accept them into our society, even if we manage to recover them. The crimes pirates commit are atrocious.”
“They’re still cyborgs, albeit desperate ones, if they hooked up with pirates on any level. We need to capture live pirates who are behaving outside their normal patterns to discover why they’ve changed, and if they’re being led or counseled by cyborgs.”
Flint tapped his fingers on the hard surface of the table. “You want me to turn the Star into pirate bait to see if we’re attacked by any, on the off chance there’s a cyborg or a group of them onboard their ships? I’m not happy about that, Sky. We’re a luxury vessel, not a battle cruiser. We use this beast to haul abandoned salvage. We sure as hell don’t want to contaminate Garden with the garbage those pirates fly in. The radiation levels on them aren’t safe to use as building materials.”
“It doesn’t have to be the Star that engages them in battle, but this vessel is equipped to house prisoners for interrogations. I’d love to get a crack at them.”
“A crack? Is that a veiled joke about using your fists?”
Sky resisted rolling his eyes. “No. It’s Earth slang, meaning I want the first chance to interrogate him. I think I’d do well talking to the pirates if we capture a few. I get along better with humans than most cyborgs do, even crazy ones with skin issues.”
Flint’s expression smoothed out. “Agreed.”
“I personally think the council should send the Varnish after the pirates. That entire crew would love it. They’re still with us, and so is the Bridden. With the shielding on the Bridden, they could scout ahead to find what we’re looking for.”
Flint chuckled. “Stag would enjoy that assignment. He and his crew are known for volunteering to take on tough missions.”
“I’m glad you both think so,” Zorus suddenly stated, the coms no longer muted. “I’ll tell him you volunteered him for the job of capturing pirates.”
“Shit,” Flint muttered.
Zorus wasn’t done. “The council and I have agreed that an investigation is justified. We’ll contact Stag and Onyx immediately, and they’ll confer with you on how the three of you can work together to capture any potential pirates to discover the truth. Be vigilant, and keep us posted.”
The monitors went black, leaving Sky and Flint staring at each other for a moment, before Flint stood. “Go back to coms.”
“You’re angry.” Sky got to his feet. “Sorry. I know you want to return to Garden, but we need to know for certain if escaped cyborgs have taken control of the pirates. They’re causing enough trouble to bounce back on us. The last thing we need are battle cruisers coming into deep space.”
“I’m more than aware.” Flint sighed. “I miss my family. I hate that it’s not safe for them to travel on the Star with me currently.”
Sky felt sympathy for the man, especially since he now had a wife to worry about. “Stag is excellent at hunting his prey, and he’ll quickly capture pirates for the holding cells. That entire crew is crazy enough to do whatever it takes. We’ll figure this out quickly and know exactly what we’re dealing with. Then we’ll come up with a resolution.”
“I wish I could transfer you to their ship to get you off mine.”
Sky grinned. “I’d enjoy that.”
“Get out of here and return to coms.”
Sky left but he made a quick trip to engineering, since Mick wasn’t with him. Brute was the only one he ran into on the way. The other crew were probably making repairs somewhere on the Star. “I need a favor.”
“I’m not installing mood lights inside your quarters again, Sky. I already did that once but when you left, the next person who took those quarters complained. It’s too much work. We’re swamped.”
“I need you to show me what’s being kept in storage four. I contacted Coal on Garden, and he told me you have deactivated robots there. My wife had an android companion that needs a replacement body.”
“We don’t have any sex bots.” Brute suddenly grinned. “Is she taking applications for more males? I’d be happy to agree to any terms of time-sharing, if she’s offering. You work a lot. I could change my shifts to be opposite yours. No sex bot required to keep her company. I’m up for the task.”
“She’s human, and she’s not taking another husband. Forget it. Just show me storage four.”
“Come on, Sky! We could share her.”
“Get your own human. Mick is mine. Are you going to help me or not?”
“You’ll need more than just me. I can show you what’s available but someone is going to have to integrate the data into whatever model you select. What model was the old bot?”
“I don’t know.”
“What kind of companion bot was it?”
“I don’t know that, either.”
“You should ask her. There are a lot of different types. Was it a female or male?”
“Male. She said his name is Jorg. And it’s a surprise. That would blow it if I asked too many questions.”
“Male.” He nodded. “Come with me. We’ll see what we have. No one will miss one. We never use them, anyway. I just hope whatever model you choose doesn’t need too many repairs, since we’re currently carrying a heavy workload already. You’re going to owe me.”
“What do you want?”
Brute flashed him a grin. “Find me a lonely Earther woman who wants a single-male family unit.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Sky wasn’t about to mention how damn long it had taken him to find Mick.
Chapter Eleven
Mick woke alone in the big bed in their new quarters three days later. She stretched, climbed out of bed, and put on a shirt. Sky sat in the small kitchen drinking coffee. He grinned when she entered the main living area.
“You should have woken me.”
“You looked too cute sleeping.” His gaze ran down her body. “I wish you were still naked.”
Warmth spread through her as she walked up to him and planted a kiss on his lips. He hugged her around her waist, drawing her closer. “I mostly am. What time do we have to return to work?”
“Soon. Unfortunately. I wish I could take a few weeks off.”
She did too. “We got lucky with your council, remembe
r? They’ve allowed us to get married and stay together. That’s the important part.”
“True. I just hate that you must be bored while we’re on this hunt.”
“I’m not. You have a gift for making friends, Sky. The information you gather is important. I understand that.”
She remembered the talk they’d had the first night they’d stayed aboard the Star, when Sky shared what had been discussed during the meeting with the council. “Is the Star still following those other ships? The one we used to be on, and that crew of social misfits you told me about?”
He grinned. “I like your term for Stag and his men. Yes. I checked our status when I woke. We’re heading for the Gambit System. It’s got three closely grouped moons the Star can hide behind. There’s been some organized pirate activity reported there. Onyx is leading us in the Bridden to scout ahead, to make sure the Varnish doesn’t fly into a pirate trap. Those two ships will set a trap instead, and then they’ll bring us any prisoners they capture.”
“Are we in danger?” She worried about that constantly since learning about the council meeting.
His expression softened, and he hugged her tighter. “The Star might be a luxury liner but it’s not defenseless. We’ve done updates since acquiring it. It’s no battle cruiser but we could handle pirates if need be. The Varnish and Bridden will be with us. What Stag’s ship lacks in size, he and his men make up for in pure balls. I wouldn’t want to take them on in a fight.”
“They’re crazy, in other words.”
He chuckled. “A little, but very courageous. They’ll capture us pirates to interrogate.”
She remembered the pirates on her screen during the attack on the mine, and a shudder ran though her. Sky must have felt her shiver or identified the fear in her eyes. He pulled her against his body. She tucked her head, resting her face against his chest.
“You don’t have to go into the holding cells with me. I’d prefer you to stay in our room when the time comes. Pirates can be unstable and violent.”
“That doesn’t help ease my fears. You’re going to be up close and personal with them. I assume, anyway.”
He chuckled. “It’s best if they see what I am. They don’t stand a chance of hurting me. I’m engineered to be tough.”
“I’ll still worry.” She loved being in his arms. “I never want anything to happen to you.”
He leaned his head against hers. “No worries, Mick. I’ll get them to talk to me, find out why they’ve become more organized, and we’ll learn our answers.”
She pulled back, peering into his eyes. “Okay. I’m just afraid of pirates, like any sane person.”
“Of course you are. They almost killed you. But I didn’t let that happen.” He reached up and stroked her cheek. “Nothing is ever going to hurt you. You’re on a large ship with dozens of cyborgs. A few pirates are child’s play for us. Stop worrying.”
“I’ll try.”
He suddenly stood, gripped her hips, and sat her on the table. She grabbed hold of the edge and watched as he sank to his knees. “What are you doing?”
He gripped her knees, spreading them apart. “Having breakfast and starting our day off right.”
She started to speak, but Sky leaned in, shoving the shirt out of his way to expose her pussy. Then he went for it—his mouth latching onto her clit. She moaned, loving the feel of his tongue as he licked and began to gently suck the sensitive bud.
She leaned back a little to watch and bit her lip. “God, I love you.”
He grew more aggressive, knowing exactly how to quickly get her off. The climax hit strong, wrecking her ability to think. Sky stood, opened his pants, and hooked her around her waist with one arm. He used his hand to guide his cock to her pussy, driving into her with one strong thrust.
It felt incredible. She wrapped her legs around his waist and lay back all the way on the table to urge him on. Sky slowly began to move, and she cried out, meeting every thrust of his hips by bucking her own, matching his pace.
“I love you too, Mick.” He shoved the shirt she wore higher up her body, playing with her breasts as he pounded into her.
She gazed into his eyes while he lightly pinched her nipples, fucking her hard. Her climax built fast and strong, every sensation too much, until she was crying out his name.
He came with her, groaning her name back, and then bent forward, kissing her senseless.
“Morning quickie. How did I do?”
She slid her hands into his hair, smiling. “Amazing.”
“The table wasn’t too hard?”
“I didn’t even notice. I’m perfect.”
“Yes, you are, Mick. In every way.”
“I love when you say sweet things like that.”
“I mean every word.”
A bell chimed, and he grimaced. “Damn it.”
“Is someone trying to link to our room?”
“It’s the door.”
He withdrew from her, helped her off the table, and lightly slapped her ass. “Go shower and get dressed.” He fastened his pants closed. “I’ll deal with whoever’s in the corridor.”
Mick hurried into the bedroom, sealing herself inside. She used the cleansing unit, put on one of the new black uniforms Sky had ordered for her—the Star had nice clothing replicators—and finally went back into the living area.
Sky sat on the couch with two cyborgs she hadn’t met. Both were male, and they stared at her like all the others.
“This is Crave and Max. They run security. We’re going over what we’ll need to do if Stag hands over any pirates to us. The Star has holding cells for unruly guests. Eat, Mick. Just ignore us.”
As if she could. The two males watched her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, but she entered the kitchen to warm a meal. She gave them her back by sitting at the counter, listening to their soft conversation about how many guards needed to be assigned to the detention cells, what pirates might eat, and the kind of restraints needed to keep their prisoners from becoming unruly. The two men finally left, and Sky took a seat next to her.
“Sorry they were staring at you. Most cyborgs would love to have a woman from Earth.”
“I’m starting to get used to it. At least they didn’t hit on me.”
He chuckled. “I threatened to beat the shit out of them if they did.”
She smiled back. “Ah.”
“We need to leave soon.”
“But you haven’t eaten.”
“I did before you woke. I just need to shower and dress. Be right back. Don’t open the door if it chimes. You’re safe here on the Star but cyborgs will try to approach you.”
He left her to finish her breakfast, and Mick replayed every detail she’d learned about cyborgs. The concept of their family units wasn’t appealing to her in the least. She didn’t want multiple husbands. Eventually, she hoped the cyborgs would learn that and stop looking at her as if she were a piece of tempting meat.
Sky joined her five minutes later and they returned to the coms room. Hoover and Tweak smiled at them, already at work. She took a seat next to Sky, listening in as he reached out to various stations, gaining information. He finally reached Denny again, the coms guy he’d spoken to before in the Yornton System. The battle cruiser from Earth hadn’t arrived, but there was still talk of one coming.
“We keep getting demands for updates from Earth,” Denny announced. “They sound serious about sending help.”
“They really are considering it? Wow. I’ve never heard of a battle cruiser going it beyond sector four.”
“I know, right? We’ll all breathing a little easier though if they come.”
“Any more attacks from cyborgs?”
“Nothing so far.” Denny paused. “They did ask us what our supply stock looks like.”
Sky grimaced.
Mick typed out her question on the screen for him to read. “What’s wrong?”
He looked at her as he spoke. “You’re worried soldiers will raid your food if
they come?”
“Of course. We have forty-two people on the station. We’re fucked if they’re low on supplies. It takes three weeks to get a new shipment when we order, and that’s if it makes it here unmolested. The local colonies grow their own food but they haven’t planted enough to handle so many extra mouths. The captain’s nervous. He thinks it could still be bad for all of us even if they do come.”
“I hope it doesn’t go sideways, man.”
“Me either. It would suck if they catch the cyborgs but fuck us and the colonists over while doing it. Hey, I thought you’d be out of range by now.”
“We’ve experienced engine problems and are making repairs. Reach out to me if shit goes down. I know we can’t help much, but at least we could spread the word.”
Denny snorted. “As if anyone would give a fuck if the military ends up killing everyone in this sector. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Sky ended the transmission and reached out, taking her hand.
“Do you think EG would steal all their food and leave everyone in that sector to starve to death?”
“You heard Denny. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I hate EG. I’m so glad I no longer work for them.”
“Me too.” He planted a kiss on her lips.
* * * * *
Sky escorted Mick back to their room at lunch, ate with her, and then talked her into taking a nap in their room while he went back to work. He saw how upset she’d grown listening to him talk to other stations and colonists throughout the morning.
Part of his job could be grim. Most of the humans he spoke to complained about poor living conditions, attacks they’d suffered, or their fears of the various dangers found in deep space.
It was part of the reason he’d enjoyed talking so much to Mick when she’d been on Velion One. She’d always been upbeat, sharing jokes, not dumping her troubles on him.
He entered coms. Both males frowned when the door closed.