Hector turned around to get back to work. He didn’t know whether he and Netto would ever get along. They never had more than a relationship of acquaintance before, and were never more than coworkers for their brief stint in the EPED, but his concept of life changed with each day on Kepler’s quiet planet.
We were built for war. Blood.Pain and efficiency. Their codes ran deep and dark to the very nucleus of their nanocells. Zeph wasn’t for a quiet life, but Hector, well, he wanted what Netto had, what some of his other Cyborg brethren had—humanity.Nightheart and sacrifices be damned.
“Rylie’s pregnant.”
Hector stilled, not realizing that Netto had stayed. “Congratulations?”
“I’m taking her to Ghost.”
“Goodluck with that.”
“You and Janet should come with us.”
This was the longest conversation he and Netto had had since Quinten shot him.
“And risk this?” Hector waved his hand. “Last time I left this planet with a Montihan, things went sour.”
Netto placed his hands on his hips. “Think about it.”
“I will.”
A cool breeze came up from the ocean and a familiar watership appeared in the distance. The scent of lavender filled his nose, giving him more comfort than he ever deserved.
Epilogue 2
Janet held Rylie’s hand as Dr. Cagley filled her sister with the same stuff she’d filled Janet with. The internal itchy, uncomfortable feeling of a highly advanced serum that changed their genetic make-up from the inside out.
“How are you doing honey?” Ma asked, sitting on the other side of the table.
“Good, so far,” Rylie said.
Dr. Cagley pulled back and smiled. “You’re all done. Now it’s just the recovery. You and the rest of your family are in perfect health, so it shouldn’t take more than a matter of hours.”
Ma beamed. “Thank you so much, doctor.”
Janet sat back as Rylie squeezed her hand. Ma couldn’t wait to be a grandma. The whole family was there with them, although only the women were in the room. After Netto announced his plan to take Rylie away for the procedure, the house went into an uproar. Then Hector stepped in and announced they’d be joining them.
She’d never seen her Da so mad or her Ma so indulgent of her wine. So, to Netto’s dismay, and Hector’s glee, everyone packed their bags—including Lily—and their first family vacation offworld commenced.
She still couldn’t believe they were all in a highly protected, highly secretive Cyborg cityship that the general public had no idea about. It wasn’t her first, nor her last choice in a vacation spot, but she was with Hector and surrounded by the people she loved, so for the first time, Janet kept her mouth shut about it.
“I can’t believe you’re preggos,” Janet teased her older sister.
Rylie grumbled. “I can’t believe it either.”
Dr. Cagley laughed softly, filling the room with music. “Believe it. Cyborg seed, when deployed with intent, is quite unstoppable. I’ve never tested the matter, but I bet there’s little to no protection in the universe that could stop it.”
“Wait.” Rylie’s eyes bulged. “You say he got me pregnant on purpose?”
“The bastard!” Janet’s lips twitched.
Dr. Cagley cleared her throat. “Maybe not on purpose, per se, but if he was thinking strongly about it while you two copulated—”
“Stop. Stop!” Ma covered her ears. “I don’t want to hear the details.”
“I want to hear the details!”
Ma’s hands dropped as she turned worried eyes toward the doctor. “Will the baby be fine?”
