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“You said the pay is bad.”
“It is, but it gets you off Earth. I didn’t want to be forced to work in a brothel.”
“A sex house, correct?”
“Yes.”
“It sounds less dangerous.”
She snorted. “Says someone who has no clue about what happens to women living in brothels. They don’t care what a customer does to you as long as they pay. You’re not a person but a piece of breathing meat. I never met a retired brothel worker. Do you want to know why? None of them come out alive. There’s always some asshole willing to put down a lot of credits to do sick and demented things to other human beings. Even murder them. That’s the only way you leave a brothel. In a body bag. I may have died in a digger rig, but at least some sicko wasn’t raping and torturing me first.”
His gray skin paled.
“Earth is a miserable place, but especially for the lower classes. That includes me.” She paused. “We’re always monitored and every movement is tracked. The group home I lived in tried to force me to work in brothels, swearing they’d make sure I couldn’t get hired anywhere else. I think they were getting kickbacks for selling girls directly to those places. And not having a job is a death sentence on Earth, too. They either kill you for being indigent, or you hide from them until you starve to death. Does that sound like a place anyone would love?”
“No.”
“That’s why I signed on for the job on Velion One. I would have been alone for ten years, but I didn’t have to worry about some asshole getting a hard-on then being killed by him if I said no. That happens sometimes to women on Earth, regardless of what duty you’re assigned. You catch the wrong eye and you’re screwed, either way. They can pay to have you kidnapped, do whatever they want, then have your body dumped when they’re done. Nice place, right? No one gives a shit if some poor person disappears. Especially if they don’t have family.”
The tall cyborg inclined his head, studying her. “Can you offer proof of what happened to your parents?”
“Can you access Earth news records? They ran stories on it, and even reported the truth, but nobody cared about the fate of miners. We’re not important enough to cause trouble over. Check out the name Richard Caroboll.” She spelled it. “He was my father, and his death made the news because he was an advocate for miners. My name is Mickayla, and my mother’s name was Cora. The story mentioned me because I was orphaned. I got punished with no food rations for a week when the story broke, as if it were my fault.”
“I’ll investigate.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“I can access Earth records and find your file.”
“Okay. Go ahead. I spelled my last name for you to make it easier. Do you want my code number? We all get assigned one at birth.”
“Give it to me.”
She did. He didn’t write down the thirty-six digits, but she figured he probably had a good memory since. “Are you some kind of cyborg cop?”
“I am today.”
Mick sighed. “Fine. I’m not lying. I’m fine with never returning to Earth. I’d have to take another mining job on some hellish planet or moon all by myself again. Four years was an eternity. I didn’t think I’d be so lonely.” She reached up and gripped the data chip around her neck.
He immediately noticed. “What is that?” He stepped inside the quarters and reached out, opening a palm. “Let me see it.”
“It’s a backup data chip for my android. I saved his memory every charging cycle.”
“Why?”
“Androids are expensive, so I had to buy him used. He would break down once in a while, and I was able to fix him, but I always worried I wouldn’t be able to keep him going. I couldn’t get spare parts for him delivered to Velion One. That’s why I did constant backups. I could afford a new body for him when my job finished. I didn’t want to lose his memories.”
“It’s a robot.”
She tried not to feel insulted on the behalf of Jorg. “He had some basic emotion programs, and we were together for four years. His model adapts and learns. He may have been an android, but he was my best friend. You could say his personality is stored on this.”
“Let me see.”
She hated to remove the necklace but did, regretfully handing it over, unwilling to cause trouble for Sky. “Please don’t take Jorg. That’s the one belonging I care about. I even stored vids of my parents in his memory. I just lost everything on that planet.”
He gently accepted the necklace. “I will take care of it, but I need to confiscate this until I check your records.”
“Okay.” She understood. “But please return him to me.” She hated the tears that filled her eyes and tried to blink them back.
Teg tilted his head, his expression appearing a little confused. “You really care for this android?”
“I don’t know how I would have stayed sane without him. He was my best friend.”
“Understood.” The cyborg backed away. “I’ll treat the chip with utmost care.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Then he spun around and left, the doors sealing behind him.
Mick reached up where, her hand touching where the chip had rested, already missed the slight weight around her neck.
She returned to the bed and sat, hoping Sky returned soon. It would help her feel less afraid and worried about her uncertain future.
Sky pushed off against the wall of the corridor and faced Teg. “Are you satisfied? I’ve allowed you to speak to her.”
“But I had to stay in the entrance, with the door open. Did you think I’d harm her?”
“I’d have attacked you if you had. I told you she’s under my protection. She’s just a miner, not a spy or a soldier. Tell the council. They’ll listen to you. You have connections.”
“I tend to believe her, but I have to verify facts if you want me to speak on your behalf. I don’t want to be mistaken.”
“I get that, and it’s why I allowed you access to her. She’s not a threat, Teg. You saw her.”
“Cyan appears harmless, but I would never consider Krell’s female non-threatening.”
“Mick isn’t some hybrid created inside a lab by her genius father and his team.”
“The odds are slim, but I have to investigate before I make a conclusion.”
Sky tried to control his frustration. “Why did you take her necklace?”
“It stores data. I want to review it. Engineering is my specialty.”
“I thought you left your last assignment for the Bridden to get away from running scans on all the systems, looking for viruses and bugs?”
“I was sick of living on such a large vessel with too many cyborgs. The crew on this shuttle is usually between four to nine males. There’s less work to do here.”
Sky definitely understood getting sick of dealing with too many of their own people. “Don’t destroy it. It’s important to Mick.”
“I believe that. Or she’s good at deceit.”
“She’s just a miner, Teg. Remember the term ‘disposable workforce’?”
The male sighed. “I do.”
“Her life is about as valuable to Earth Government as ours once was. I doubt they’ll even investigate what happened on Velion One. It will irritate them that the planet isn’t being mined and because they suffered property damage, but her life is worthless to them. She isn’t a threat to Garden or our kind.”
“I’ll check all the data we obtain from Earth to verify what I can. I hope for your sake she is telling the truth. I can see why you’d take a chance on rescuing her.” He paused. “I agree with Onyx. You should join in a family unit. I can’t officially recommend that, but off the record, that is my advice.”
“She just found out about our existence and doesn’t know me well. I need more time to get her agreement. That’s why I want to avoid returning to Garden right away.”
“It is a logical plan.”
“I’m a cyborg, after al
l.”
“You are, but you tend to act more—”
“Be polite.”
Teg smirked. “I would have thought of a description that wasn’t an insult.”
“I don’t believe you. And I just need a little time. Our mission is important and shouldn’t be delayed. Those Markus Models are the true threat. We need to find them before they get too close to Garden.”
“Agreed.”
“What’s more important? The council bitching at me for saving one female or destroying the real threat to our civilization?”
“I said I agreed with you, Sky.”
The words finally sinking in, Sky sighed. “Sorry. I was a little stunned. I expected a hell of an argument to get you to see things my way.” Then he grinned. “I bet that irritates you, since we rarely agree on anything.”
“The Markus Models irritate me far more.”
Sky studied him. “I have no problem admitting they scare the hell out of me. It’s that whole one mind, one voice thing they do. Creepy shit.”
Teg hesitated before saying, “I’ve had a few nightmares about them.”
“I think we all have. I don’t want to ever have anything in common with Earth Government, but I don’t want those hyped-out droids with skin running around on the loose, either. I hope they destroyed every model left on Earth.”
“Earthers can be irrational. Though, I’m sure annihilating the remaining Markus Models wouldn’t cause them some sort of moral dilemma. They tried to take out our race.”
“I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘live and let live,’ but those Markus Models want to wipe out everything and everyone who isn’t their brother. They need to go down.”
Teg shook his head. “Your language.”
“I’m the Earth expert for a reason.” He winked. “I’m going back to my quarters to spend time with Mick. Have fun talking with the council. Thanks for convincing them we don’t need to return to Garden just yet.”
“You assume they are going to listen.”
“They will. You’re not my biggest fan. They’ll heed your recommendation.”
“I don’t dislike you, Sky. We’re just different.”
“Thankfully. You are way too rigid, my man.”
“And you are too careless.”
Sky didn’t disagree as he crossed the corridor and pressed his hand to the pad on his door, opening it. Mick waited on the bed, and he smiled as he entered. “Did you miss me?”
“I had a visitor while you were gone.”
“I’m aware. I’m sorry, but Teg needed to ask you a few questions. I wouldn’t have allowed it if I thought he might upset you.” He slowly approached her and sat on the edge of his bunk. “We were on an important mission when I rescued you. I want to avoid going home until we’re done. It will give the council time to cool down.”
“I’m sorry that I got you into trouble.”
She looked so sincere and worried that he had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms. “Do you want to know a secret?”
She leaned forward. “Sure.”
“I like pissing the council off. They’re a bunch of uptight assholes most of the time. It does them some good to have someone disobey a rule here and there. A society needs some regulations to survive and thrive, but sometimes I think they need a little shake up to remind them that we are alive.”
“I just hate that I caused you so much grief.”
“You’re worth it. You wouldn’t be sitting here talking to me and looking absolutely adorable if I hadn’t broken a few rules. I have no regrets.”
Pink infused her cheeks and she smiled. “I’m happy to be here with you.”
He wanted to kiss her. “I’m better looking than pirates.”
She laughed. “A thousand times over.”
“I have all my hair and teeth, at least.” He widened his smile to show off his white, even teeth. “My skin isn’t all gross and bubbled with radiation sores.”
She reached out and put her hand over his, laughing harder. “Stop.”
He enjoyed her touch, and the fact that she felt relaxed enough to trust him with that show of physical contact. “And I smell better, too.”
“They smell? The closest I ever got to one was seeing them outside of the building. Their images on the screens looked as bad as the footage I’ve seen on the news. Do you run into them often this deep in space?”
“Sometimes.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, caressing it. “We’ve had skirmishes with them. They attack any ships they come across, including ours.”
“That’s horrible.”
“They have slower, outdated ships and are pretty easy to take out. And this shuttle is shielded. They can’t see us on their radar.”
“I couldn’t detect it at all until I saw it on the exterior cameras. You guys must be really smart to invent that kind of technology.”
“We stole it.” He grinned. “Garden is made up of things we stole, traded for, or found abandoned. We didn’t want to strip the planet of its natural resources. We’ve detected plenty of metals but most of them are found under the water. I told you about our neighbors. We don’t want to harm them in any way or cause a war.”
“So I take it that it’s pretty basic, living there?”
He chuckled. “You’d be surprised. We’re not a lazy race. We built a city that could rival some of the nicer ones on Earth. We’ve acquired a lot of ships. Some we keep in commission but most we salvage for building supplies. We’ll strip it of everything and find a use. Some moons and dead planets are also used by Earth Government for dumping grounds. We find a lot of useful things on those. We sneak in and take the things we find most useful.”
“You still didn’t answer my question. How do you know pirates smell?”
“We’ve run into them while trading on some of the far-reaching stations.”
“Those stations don’t report you to Earth officials?”
“They don’t know what we are. We dress as pirates.”
Her mouth opened and she appeared stunned. “No one could mistake you for one of them.”
“It’s actually pretty easy. They dress in loose garb to hide their skin and faces when they interact with anyone from Earth. They don’t attack the outposts that are willing to trade with them, and there are a few. Those stations aren’t the kinds of places you’d ever want to visit. We adjust our shuttle to emit low levels of radiation and dress as they do. No one suspects a thing. We can identify the real pirates from our crew members when we are on a station by smell. They don’t bathe often. Water is scarcer for them, and I don’t think cleansing foam is a priority for them to steal.”
“What do pirates trade for?”
“Weapons, mostly, and mechanical upgrades to keep their ships running.”
“Do they have credits?”
“I don’t think so. But they steal plenty from others and trade those items.”
“These outposts have to know it.”
“They are aware but don’t care. Earth Government stays away from the most distant stations. That’s a good thing, but…let’s just say they aren’t as regulated as most. Crime is high and illegal trades are commonplace.”
“I didn’t get to visit any distant outposts when I was taken to Velion One. It was just a straight flight without any stops.”
“It would have been too dangerous, with you being a woman.”
She nodded. “I figured, since I had to pretend to be a man during all communications.”
He was grateful she wasn’t really a male. “Teg will return your data chip. He just wants to review what is on it.”
She reached up and touched where her necklace used to be. “Jorg is important to me.”
A little jealousy rose in Sky, surprising him. “I was told it’s the personality stored from an android.”
“Yes. Jorg was the first thing I ever saved up and bought that wasn’t a necessity. I don’t have any family left. It was important to me to have a companion when I
took the job on Velion One.”
“What happened to him?”
“I left him in my living quarters the morning of the attack. I had to visit the mines to do some repairs. I never took Jorg into the mines. I didn’t like him outside for long stints. His shielding wasn’t equipped to take that kind of heat. The computer notified me that the long-range sensors were picking up traffic when I was on my way out there, but I didn’t have a way to send him a signal until I reached Control. My helmet headset only allows me to keep in contact with the main computer. I sent out a signal to Jorg after reaching Control, telling him to come to me, but by then it was too late. The pirates attacked and the ground cannons had taken out one of their ships. I watched it slam into my living quarters. Jorg didn’t make it out.”
Sky hated to see her pain. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. I know I can’t buy another model on your world, but hopefully I can download him into a data streaming device to at least be able to access him.”
“We have that ability on Garden,” Sky assured, already determined to see if he could have an android built for Mick. He didn’t want to raise her hopes, though, since he wasn’t sure how difficult it would be, and didn’t mention it. “Would you like something to eat?”
“I’m good.” She smiled. “Are you hungry? I bet you’re used to eating more than once a day.”
“I ate while I was arguing with the council.”
“How did that go?”
“I believe they are going to allow us to go after the Markus Models.”
“Shit.” Mick paled. “I got an alert about them from Earth Government. They said they’d attacked a few outposts. It was true? I thought maybe they were just messing with me to make sure I didn’t try to contact any vessels traveling in the area. They frown on that. I was given orders to allow the computer to answer any unknown hails so it would be assumed it was an automated mining operation.”