The scientists in the cybernetics lab had tested him and every other Cyborg like him against their basic animal instincts. First food, then territory, shelter, space, and finally the need to breed.
They didn’t need any more rapists in the field during wartime. Not to mention, more than half of his doctors were women and knew better than to send super soldiers out into the field without knowing that aspect about them.
Theirmothersmade sure they knew how to behave like all mothers should. As far as Dommik knew, no Cyborg has ever forced him or herself on a victim. And he wasn’t about to be the first.
Kat looked away from him. “I don’t know. I didn’t study history, space law, or hard science.” She admitted. Her arms sunk back into the long sleeves.
“What did you study?”
“Nursing. It’s in my file. I studied hospice care,” she whispered, “to take care of the dying.”
“And you walked onto a ship that holds life and death in its hands.”
“It was that or tea.”
Dommik studied her, confused. He wasn’t prone to be curious about humans, but the twinge to ask her to explain herself was felt in his gut. He would have to meditate on it later...or consult his brethren.
She went on, “What about the others?” Changing the subject and walking to the next glass.
“Those are from Gliese.” The girl stiffened, furthering his curiosity. “I saw them when I was stationed there during the Great War. I only went back for them recently.”
“They also have the same DNA?”
“Yes.”
He could hear her heart speed up, elevate, pulsate and erratic. He watched her staring at the bugs. Her delicate hands lifted up to plaster themselves on the glass. The roaches twitched and scurried away.
“Truly. The same?” she asked again. The heat of her hands created a weave of condensation.
“Yes.”
So many emotions flashed across her eyes that he couldn’t pinpoint one. Her face was blank before it was sad until it turned to stone. The need to reach out and touch her was great but his metal muscles remained stiff at his sides. He saw his doom in her eyes.
Kat absorbed the roaches, her body was in profile now, and if he wanted to, he could reach out and touch her in less than three strides. He could have her in his arms in a second.
“How similar?” she asked. Her hands dropped and vanished back into the jacket’s sleeves.
Dommik shrugged, “As similar as the rest.”
“Have you encountered any other bugs on Gliese?” She continued to study the black roaches from that planet, a faraway look in her eyes. He looked at the critters that held her attention.
“Many.”
“Do you have them here? On the ship, like these?”
“No. I only study roaches.” He watched her watch the bugs. Her body heat fogged up the glass case. Eventually, her mouth puckered and she took a step back. “Why?”
Kat finally looked back at him, her face softened with worry.
Dommik stood up and stepped toward her. He asked again, “why?”
“My parents were doctors stationed on the orbiting medical center,” she trailed off, her fingers twitched at her sides. “They met there and went planetside in rotation and did fieldwork for the base and new colony efforts. When they conceived me, they returned to Earth so I wouldn’t be labeled as an ‘offworlder.’”
“And they brought bugs back with them?”
She took a deep breath. “You could say that.”
Dommik pressed a button on the panel next to them, directly under the glass enclosure of the Gliese roaches. The panel popped open to reveal a filter contraption and debris from the creatures above. He indicated a button off to the side. “Food. It’s now part of your job to feed them daily and clean out the waste.” Dommik walked to the door and it slid open soundlessly. “If you have any questions, ask one of the Bin’s.”
