CHAPTER TWO
The cyborg transport hovered in front of the landing bay of their starship sitting in a field nearby the secret entrance to the Human Enhancement Center. They were using it as their base of operations while they were on Earth because all their supplies, weapons, and transport vehicles were contained within. Otherwise, they would have left it in orbit because it took up an old football field’s space. The ancient cow pasture was more than big enough to accommodate it.
Matix had signaled ahead, so there was bot stretcher waiting in the landing bay for Mr. Hill. When Vyken had relayed his scan to the medic, he agreed with Vyken that the man should not be walking around until they injected him with nanites to repair the damage. Vyken accompanied Danya and her father to sickbay while the other cyborgs went to the mess hall to give the other women and children something to eat.
Their medic Kydel Bar was also a cyborg but well versed in human physiology as cyborgs were also human though many random-bred humans didn’t think of them as such. Even though they carried a fully integrated biocomputer within their bodies and nanocybots in their bloodstreams, they were human beings. Unenhanced humans didn’t always see them that way.
The bot stretcher transferred James Hill onto the treatment lounger. Kydel then shooed Vyken and Danya out into the waiting room. The two stood looking each other over for a few moments. Danya wasn’t the first female that he had seen in the last few years, but the only one who had sparked an attraction that stirred his loins. Even dirty and disheveled, dressed in rags, he still found her looks pleasing. He scented her desire for him as well.
“Thank you for helping us,” Danya said, looking up into his eyes. She was a little over medium height, but Vyken was still head and shoulders taller.
They both knew what would have happened had he not been there. They might both be dead, and they probably would have raped Danya before they killed her.
The thought made Vyken clench his jaw and wish he had killed them for the human waste of resources they were. On the other hand, females were valuable to replenish their race. It was against their code to harm females who were not involved in armed combat against them.
“It wasn’t a fair fight,” Vyken said. He stepped closer and reached out to stroke her cheek with his fingertips. He searched his memory bank for an appropriate thing to say. He had no experience flirting or courting a woman. “I am attracted to you.”
“That’s certainly straight to the point,” she smiled at him faintly. “You’re not very good at this, are you?”
“No. My experience with women is limited to my service with them during my training and the war. I know how to give sexual pleasure…”
“I just bet you do,” she chuckled.
“But I never learned the courtship process,” he admitted.
Danya gave him a full smile. The big cyborg was gorgeous---handsome face with a strong square jaw, piercing blue eyes, cropped blond hair and ripped muscular body. Danya could easily imagine pleasure in his arms once she got to know him a little better. She felt her core come to life for the first time in a long time.
“Well, these days, I don’t know as people bother with that anymore,” she said. She put her hand over his as his fingertips rested against her cheek. “I think the attraction is mutual, but I think we have to know each other before we get to the sexing, Vyken.”
She took his hand and held it in both of hers. “Helping my dad and me out of that jam, sure earned you some serious consideration.”
Momentarily, Kydel emerged from the treatment room. Danya let go of Vyken’s hand and turned to the medic. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He will,” Kydel stated. “He will sleep now for a few hours while the nanites do their work. In the meantime, Vyken will take you to the mess to get some food. Your father said you were looking for food when you were attacked.”
“Food would be great,” she said, “A bath and clean clothes would be nirvana.”
“We’ll get your food first, and then we can probably find clothing in the storeroom to fit you like we are wearing,” Vyken said. He was wearing khaki green cargo pants and a black t-shirt under a khaki green jacket. “We used to have women serving on the ship’s crew, but they have all passed on or were killed in battle.”
“Pants and a shirt will do me just fine,” she said.
“Come, I’ll take you to the mess. Our selection is limited, but the meal bars are nutritious.”
Vyken led the way, and Danya fell into step beside him. They emerged from sickbay into the light gray metal corridor. He measured his stride, so she didn’t have to strain to keep up with him, sensing she was weakened by malnourishment. The door to the mess hall opened automatically when they approached, and Vyken showed Danya to the hand cleaning station by the entrance. He took her to a table away from the others then went to the dispenser and got two meal bars for her and one for himself.
“The normal serving is one, but you look like you could use an extra one,” he said handing her two of them as he sat down at the table across from her.
Despite her hunger, Danya opened the first one carefully and took a bite, chewing it slowly. It was lightly sweetened peanut butter flavored and tasted delicious to her. Hungry as she was, she ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully.
“Mmm!” she murmured. “I haven’t eaten in a couple days. This tastes delicious.”
The other women were sitting at a table with their children eating meal bars with the cyborg called Jolt. Danya looked at them but didn’t recognize them. They didn’t seem much older than her twenty-five years. For that matter, Vyken didn’t appear much older than she, but Danya guessed he must be. Cyborgs didn’t seem to age at the rate regular people did. All of them were later models, and they could have been as old as seventy-five years.
That was the word on the street, perhaps more legend than fact. The cyborgs definitely were impressive. Danya was hard pressed to stop herself from drinking him in with her eyes. Vyken did not seem at all self-conscious under her keen observation. He knew he was a superior being in looks and ability as a warrior and as a man. He liked the appreciation that gleamed in her eyes.
“Is there water or something to drink?”
“We have plain water and flavors lightly sweetened.”
