Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55375 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55375 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Which was true—she was full-figured and curvy and had been that way all her adult life. She preferred her natural shape to the wasp-waisted, anorexically thin look which was currently popular and achievable only through extreme body-modification.
Most of the time when women underwent the modification surgery, their abdominal organs were put into their pelvis to achieve the impossibly narrow waistline current fashion demanded. This often led to complications later in life—complications Corinne preferred to avoid, even if she did get a lot of unsolicited criticism, mostly from males who felt entitled to comment on her body.
So “little” she definitely was not.
But K-lx was undeterred.
“You are quite little compared to me,” he pointed out. Which was true—though at 5 foot 9, Corinne wasn’t short, the top of her head didn’t even reach his shoulder.
“That doesn’t matter,” she said firmly. “You will call me ‘Corinne.’ Not ‘little Corinne’ or any other nickname. Understood?”
The big K-Unit frowned.
“I will consider your words,” he said at last. Which wasn’t exactly a promise to do as she said, Corinne thought.
She wasn’t sure what to say in return. None of the other Units she’d ever worked with would disobey a direct order unless they had gone Rogue. She’d never heard of one refusing to obey just because he was stubborn. Still, K-lx hadn’t said “no,” he had just said he would consider her words.
Pick your battles, Corinne, she told herself and decided to move on.
“Okay, strip for me,” she commanded. “Let’s see what we’re working with here.”
For a moment he just stood there. Then, slowly, he took off his boots.
Corinne was surprised that the boots were removable. Modern Cyborgs were almost all metal with just the head and spine left intact to interact with the Cybernetic parts of their new body. However, it appeared that while K-lx’s arms and legs were mostly Cybertronic, his face, torso, and feet were still human. Or rather, still Kindred.
“Let me see your hands,” she told him.
Obligingly, the big K-Unit held out his hands to her. Corinne took one in hers—noticing that it was twice as big as her own—and turned it over. Sure enough, his palm and wrist were intact. She frowned as she examined the healthy flesh.
“This must mean that your Cybernetic and Cybertronic parts are overlays rather than actual replacements,” she remarked, running her fingers up and down his palm and watching as his long fingers twitched reflexively.
“The Tolleg surgeons said my enhancements would fit over my arms and legs and work with my body to make me stronger and faster,” he rumbled. “They added a lot but they didn’t take any part of me…except for my memories.”
Again, Corinne found herself surprised. So much knowledge in her field had been lost in the battles for Old Earth before the Companies formed and started shipping people off-world. K-lx almost certainly had a wealth of stored information somewhere in his programming.
“Do you know why they wiped your memories?” she asked, looking up at him. Most Units didn’t even know they’d been wiped. She wondered if any knowledge of his past life had been left to him.
But the big K-Unit shook his head.
“No. The Tollegs thought it was for the best. They said my past would only give me pain.” He shrugged. “I believed them.”
Well that was one thing that hadn’t changed from the early days of Cybernetics to the present, Corinne thought. It was much better to try and wipe out the trauma and pain of the past. If memories were left intact, most Cyborgs went Rogue within hours of being activated.
“All right,” she said. “That’s interesting to know. Now finish stripping—we need to get you into the shower.”
His big hands went to the waistband of his trousers but he paused, lifting an eyebrow at her.
“Are you taking a shower with me, Corinne?”
It was the first time he had used her name and she found she liked hearing it in his deep, rumbling voice. But his question was a little too pointed.
“Yes, I am,” she said briskly. “I’m going to clean you up and make you presentable. I’m your Handler now, so you’ll need to get used to me handling you—all of you,” she added sternly.
K-lx didn’t object to this. He only nodded and began to pull down his trousers.
Corinne turned her back to him and began to strip as well. She tried to ignore the way her stomach clenched nervously at the idea of being nude with the big Cyborg.
He’s just a Cyborg, that’s all. Not human. Mostly machine, she reminded herself. There’s no shame in doing what has to be done—you have to follow the manual!
But despite her little self pep talk, she couldn’t quite hide a gasp when she finished hanging up her clothes and turned to see K-lx without his trousers.
Naked, the big Cyborg was even more imposing than he had been clothed. The metal overlays covering his long legs couldn’t hide the heavy muscles of his thighs and calves. But it was what was between his legs that really drew her attention.