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)
“There is…no danger here?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“No danger,” Corinne assured him. She took a chance and stroked the shaggy dark hair away from his face gently, surprised at how much she wanted to touch him. She’d never had a Linking like this, but then, she had been a supervisor, not a Handler, for years.
The K-Unit allowed her touch without complaint. He cleared his throat.
“What…is this place?”
“You’re on a science station located in an asteroid orbiting the Inner Rings of Saturn,” she told him. “We’re a research facility. Nobody’s going to hurt you here. I won’t let them.” She pushed peace and calm and protection through their Neural Link. “It’s all right, K-Unit. You’re safe—you can relax.”
He didn’t relax fully but his broad shoulders lowered a few inches and the furrows in his forehead smoothed out. He remained kneeling in front of her and put one of his massive hands over hers. It was surprisingly warm despite the metal overlay.
“You are…very kind. And very beautiful…Mistress,” he rumbled. “You are an Elite—the Goddess must have sent you to guide me.”
Corinne’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She’d never gotten a compliment from a Cyborg before…and she’d never had one stare at her with such intensity either. He was looking at her like she was the only person in the whole universe. It made her a little uncomfortable but she continued to meet his gaze.
“Well, um…” She cleared her throat. “That’s very kind of you to say, K-Unit.”
“I am K-L-one-X,” he told her. He pointed at a tattoo she hadn’t noticed before, high on his right pectoral. Sure enough it read “K-L1X.”
“I see. And what does that stand for?” Corinne asked him.
His brow furrowed for a moment and she could feel him searching for the answer through their Link.
“Kindred…Lethality One…Experimental,” he said at last. “I was…the first one of my kind.” He looked around. “Unless there are others now?”
“We do have other Cyborg Units here, but none of them are quite like you,” Corinne assured him. “Look, K-L-one-X is kind of a mouthful. How about if I call you K-lx for short?” She pronounced it “Kay-lex,” hoping he would like the new name.
The Rogue K-Unit seemed to think for a minute, then nodded.
“Very well. I will accept this designation from you, Mistress. I am K-lx.”
“You don’t have to call me ‘Mistress’—my name is Corinne,” she said. “Dr. Corinne Virelle. I’m a scientist here on the station. I—”
“You’re nothing but a cleaning tech!”
Dr. Silas Drex chose this moment to come scrambling out from under the desk he’d been cowering under. His narrow face was drawn and pinched and his nostrils were flared as he glared at Corinne and the K-Unit.
“Silas. So nice of you to join us,” she said dryly. “And you’re welcome—I’m sure you were about to thank me for saving your life.”
“Look at you—what do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. “Fondling that thing. It trashed the lab and killed two techs and you’re petting it like it’s your new cyber-puppy!”
“I think I’m saving your ass,” Corrine snapped, but she pulled her hand away from the Cyborg’s face, feeling a rush of guilt. It was true—the first rule of being a Cyborg Handler was not to get too close physically with the Unit you were Handling. It was dangerous and could also lead to abuse. She didn’t know why she felt the urge to touch the big K-Unit.
“That thing is a killer!” Silas snarled, glaring at K-lx.
“K-lx wouldn’t have gone Rogue if you’d brought him out of Stasis properly and gradually. You’re the reason he trashed the lab and those two deaths can be laid at your door!” She nodded at the dead techs.
Silas puffed himself up, his face going red with rage.
“How dare you speak that way to me, Virelle? I outrank you—or have you forgotten? I’ll have you arrested and thrown in the brig! I’ll—”
In a flash, K-lx was on his feet and glaring down at the angry scientist.
“Are you threatening my Mistress?” he growled, his eyes narrowing. “She is mine to protect! If you come near her, you will die!”
Silas paled and took a step back, nearly stumbling over the body of one of the dead techs. Clearly he had thought the big K-Unit was completely docile or he wouldn’t have dared to speak so rudely to Corinne. He hadn’t expected this flash of self-will from a Linked Cyborg. To be honest, neither had Corinne.
“I…you…you can’t keep him!” Silas snarled at her. “I’ll speak to the Company—the Chairman will have him destroyed!”
“You and I both know the Company never destroys anything of value!” she shot back. Taking a step forward, she put herself between the huge Cyborg and the angry scientist. “No doubt K-lx has a wealth of knowledge from the dawn of Cybernetics in his memories. They won’t let you touch him!”