CHAPTER THREE
The four cyborgs flew back to the city in their air shuttle and went about patrolling the streets until well after dark. Even though their clothing was unmarked with any military insignias or patches, the four were unmistakable commandos. They were the best warriors in the galaxy, or they never would have held their own against the Mesaarkans. Since the Peace Treaty, they repurposed themselves for law enforcement in a dozen cities around the world.
Recruiting for the Enclave was more than a little outside their original purpose---killing the enemy. The enemy was whoever the Federation told them to kill. While their current operation was sanctioned by the Federation and they were required to follow Federation laws, the Federation was no longer telling them what to do. They had taken a new upload to their databanks from old USA law archives as well as law enforcement procedures to guide them.
It was a little disconcerting to change over from merely killing the enemy to learning to judge who was the enemy then to determine whether killing them was justified.
For Vyken and his brother cyborgs choosing this job gave them the freedom, they had craved all their lives. They had agreed to collect a few thousand people for the enclave and train those who were fit in defense and combat techniques they would need to continue law enforcement on their own. Initially, what was left of the world government wanted to draft the cyborgs as enforcers and peacekeepers, but Vyken and his brothers weren’t interested.
The world government had no legal standing to draft the cyborgs to do anything. The Federation ruled that Earth must make a plan to release the cyborgs from the military. They should have been paid for their service, but the world government collapsed before the war ended. Vyken and his brothers were owed so many credits combined, they took the Starfire Nemesis in payment. They were actually owed more than the ship was worth, but they knew it was all they could get in the deal---that and their freedom.
With the Starfire to take them wherever they wanted to go, Vyken and his brothers thought it was a good deal. The ship gave them real freedom. That was payment enough.
When they got back to old Chicago proper, they set down their air shuttle in an empty lot and set out on foot. Each went in a different direction on their own. All were heavily armed not knowing what to expect. They used their enhancements to scan the buildings on both sides of the streets as they walked. Where they found occupied buildings, they tried to make contact with the people to let them know about the Enclave.
It was a slow process because almost all the infrastructure of Earth was gone. There was no longer mass communication, many people couldn’t read so posting notices was of no use. The most significant organizations if one could call them that were gangs. It would take weeks to canvas the city, and when they finished there, they would move to the suburbs then to the surrounding towns.
Basically, they were planting seeds by putting out the word that they could have a better life by joining the enclave. They would still have a massive job ahead of them, educating the people to rebuild the civilization. But that wasn’t Vyken’s problem.
At least the Enclave had a beneficial location. There was room for them to grow crops and keep livestock to feed the people of the organization. First, they had to get people to join the Enclave.
It was dawn before the cyborgs returned to their airship with just a handful of people who wished to come to the Enclave. However, they had put out the information among many more people, telling those interested where to meet in two days.
Vyken was glad to finally return to their ship that morning as he wanted to see Danya before his rest period. He could even forego it for another day if he had to. He found Danya in the hallway on deck one coming from the mess hall. She gave him a shy smile as they met.
“Come with me,” he said without preamble and steered her into an empty conference room. As soon as the door closed behind them, he took her head in his hands and tilted her head up to cover her mouth his.
Danya was startled at first but didn’t resist. She had thought about kissing him ever since she’d sat across from him in the mess hall, watching his full lips as he spoke to her. She made a little sound in her throat and opened for his tongue as she kissed him back. He wrapped her in his arms, pressing her body against his and continued kissing her at length. She put her arms around him and just held on, surrendering to his thorough claim of the inside of her mouth.
The big cyborg warrior felt like home, something Danya never really had. Home was wherever they could find a sheltered place to sleep where no one would bother them. Something blossomed inside her that she had never felt before. It wasn’t just sexual arousal, but something joyful bubbling up inside her.
It could also have been the nanocybots tickling inside her mouth as they kissed. Neither seemed to want to end the union of their lips, or the sensual caresses of their tongues swirling together and the heat of their bodies pressed together.
She could feel his hardness against her belly, and he picked her up to press it against her aching core. Her nipples went tight and erect against his chest. She wanted him like she had never wanted a man before. It was like her body knew that he was the one and she was starting to believe him.
Vyken cupped her buttocks as he held her against him and Danya moaned. She wanted him to keep going until they were both naked and he was inside her, but sex wasn’t going solve anything between them. Pregnancy was a concern as well. Finally, Danya pulled her mouth away from his and pressed both hands against his chest.
He groaned but complied and let her down on her feet as she wished.
“I want you, but I can’t,” she said uncertainly. At the moment she couldn’t think why she was making him stop.
“For one, I’m not ready to be pregnant. That happens when you breed,” she finally said after she regained her senses a little.
“Kydel can program my nanites, so I won’t make you pregnant. I would also prefer not to make you pregnant before we have fully bonded,” he said.
“That’s nice of you. I appreciate the offer, but I would like to do more bonding before we get to the breeding even without pregnancy being an issue.”
“You will tell me when you wish to breed?” Vyken asked. “I scent your arousal, even though you say you don’t wish to breed.”
“I can’t help that I am attracted to you. You are one of the most beautiful males I have ever seen,” Danya tried to explain. “But I don’t know much more than you how this male-female courtship works. I only know what I’ve read in books, but those were fantasies. One thing I did get was that you have to care about the person you sex with.”
“I care about you. I want you to be safe and happy and to have the resources you need to be healthy. I wish to share affection with you.” Vyken said. “What else is needed?”
“I’m not sure I can explain. My Dad always told me that you should really love someone before you sex with them,” Danya told him. “I feel a lot about you right now. You saved my father’s life, and you brought us here where we are safe. I’m grateful, and I like you. But does that mean we should have a relationship?”
“Not by itself. I would have stopped those thugs from hurting any human in the position you and your father were in. But I would not react to any other female’s pheromones but yours,” he said earnestly. “So, you should be my mate, and no other female can be but you.”
He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers, holding her loosely. “I wanted to kiss you ever since I brought you here,” Vyken murmured. “It was even better than I imagined.” He smiled at her.
