That, more than anything, gets me to my feet.
“You okay?” I ask, holding my side and keeping my distance from his hands.
He sits up and pats at himself. “Yeah. You?”
“I’ve been better.”
The backup data storage is decimated.
“Either you’ve got shit luck… or that’s one hell of an anti-theft system.”
“The cavrinskh was carrying a bomb.”
Breaker’s skepticism is understandable. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No. It was doing what it was told.”
My visor comm notifications also explode, and I ignore Drift and Trench, answering Shock instead.
“I’m fine. I promise.”
“Something exploded.”
“But it wasn’t me. As soon as I disconnect, I’m on my way home.” And when I get there, I’ll be more mindful of what I say… someone is watching or listening, and I can bet I know who.
“We’ll be watching your progress,” Shock says.
“I know.”
Breaker watches me with a smile casting a crooked line across his face. “It’s nice isn’t it,” he asks when I disconnect. “Being loved?”
“Yes it is.”
“Go home. I’ll deal with Drift.” He turns away, answering the call, and like the dead cavrinskh, I do what I’m told.
ARC
There are dozens of files on Tylen’s old experiments. Detailed notes on the human genome, reproductive systems…
“These are old.”
Old enough the information might be available in the medical libraries in Ilidi if you got the right permissions… Kiro published his plans with the hubris of a man who didn’t think he could do anything wrong.
He was obsessed with the “unaided” propagation of our species.
“Saints,” Riann says under his breath, “you can tell he really hates Tylen.” Riann chooses to keep the rest of his thoughts to himself, and I return my focus to my screen while Riann notes the cavrinskh was captured and transported by Kiro… and this guy accidentally woke it.
He tabs through more notes, working backward. “I don’t think they were ever involved, but when Tylen found out we bond to humans, Kiroreallywent after him. Before that… he’s marginally less hostile.”
“They were harvesting eggs here,” Kilo says, disgusted. “Weeuns without the need for mothers.”
“If it’s any consolation, it looks like they were working with volunteers.”
“That’s what their records say. I don’t trust anything we find down here. Why leave anything but lies behind?” Kilo pushes the files away and opens up a new drive. “He doesn’t seem to like anyone who isn’t a sycophant.”
“Remind me to ask Andrea to stop teaching you big words.”
“Saints.” Riann looks at the data in front of him and looks ill. “Is it any wonder all the women left?”
