“It is the cyborgs that were too damaged to fight.”
Danika sent Seth a sharp, questioning look, trying to ignore the queasiness in her belly.
“They formed a protective wall for the wounded humans as the enemy advanced.”
Like he, Dane, and Niles had when they’d landed in the middle of a firefight, Danika reflected, feeling for a few moments as if she would puke.
They were machines, she told herself sternly. It wasn’t any different than forming a barricade with any kind of equipment.
But it felt different. It feltverydifferent.
Reuel landed close by. “We waited here until the enemy had advanced close enough that we could be sure they were all within range and then we launched a counterattack. They are there,” he ended, pointing to a large mound of bodies the other cyborgs were forming as they cleared the battlefield.
Danika realized then that they weren’t just collecting munitions and supplies. They’d been systematically sorting … everything. She cleared her throat, swallowing against another wave of nausea. “You’ve … uh … identified and recorded our dead?”
“Affirmative.”
Nodding, she moved around the barricade they’d formed and found a similar pile of bodies behind the cyborgs, crammed together tightly behind the shield the cyborgs had made. A few were sitting up, their backs propped against the cliff wall. A cyborg was moving among them, crouching to examine them one by one. After glancing at the men, Danika carefully picked her way between them and approached the cyborg. “Report,” she said when she reached him.
He straightened to his full height and looked down at her. Noting that she wasn’t wearing the insignia of an officer, he merely nodded. “I am not a medic. However, I have accessed the medical information available to me and ascertained that those soldiers there have a ninety nine percent chance of full recovery ….”
Danika was sorry she’d asked when the cyborg led her through the wounded and pointed out his estimate of the chances of full or partial recovery of each, and those he expected to die. It wasn’t the sort of thing wounded people needed to hear, but the cyborg was completely oblivious to that, naturally enough. She led him out of hearing range of the wounded before she asked him another question. “Which do you think can be moved? Which might be able to walk?”
The cyborg went into calculation mode.
Reuel arrived just as he emerged from ‘thought’ and began his report. When the cyborg finished, Reuel spoke. “There are enough cyborgs in sufficient working capacity to carry those who can be moved.”
Danika frowned. “What about the ones that can’t be moved?”
He shrugged. “They are unlikely to live either way.”
Danika tightened her lips. “We aren’t leaving them regardless.”
“I did not suggest that. I am only saying that we can move those whose wounds will allow them to be moved immediately. The cyborgs who have sustained damage that require them to remain immobile until their nanos can repair their damage can be left to guard the most severely wounded. In that way, we can evacuate the majority and also the majority of supplies and munitions.”
Danika still didn’t like it. “I don’t particularly want to leaveanybodyhere that can’t defend themselves if the enemy comes back,” she said tightly.
“I did not say they could not defend.”
“They’re in a weakened state or they’d be able to make the trip.” She frowned. “I’d feel better about dividing up the more able-bodied cyborgs, even if we have to leave a few of the wounded humans, as well. Then they’d have a better chance of fending off an attack.”
Again, Reuel shrugged, but she had the feeling that he’d been surprised by her suggestion. “I will see to it.”
The pass the cyborgs cut, Danika was sure, would work for the walker. It was a lot harder for her to climb, however. About half way up, Seth, who’d been following her, slung the wounded man he was carrying over one shoulder, grabbed her around the waist, and hauled her the remainder of the way up.
It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the help … on some levels. She was winded by the time she’d managed a half a dozen ‘steps’ and the ice was slippery and she knew she’d been holding up those behind her.
She didn’t think being slung over Seth’s shoulder had been beneficial to the wounded man, though, and it both angered her and unnerved her that Seth so clearly saw her as unable to hold her own. Instead of berating him as she wanted to, though, she simply thanked him in a tight voice and stalked ahead.
“You were having difficulty.”
“Duh! My legs aren’t as long as yours.”
Seth was silent for several moments. “We should have made the risers shorter.”
“Just for li’l old me?” Danika asked sarcastically.
“Those who are shorter,” Seth responded tightly.
