Page 48 of Sol Survivor

Drafe did so while battling the urge to command theAroagnito chart a course to her ship.

“Mm,” Aehort hummed while he scanned her medical results.“I see.”

Drafe narrowed on the document hovering in the middle of the galaxy model.It held jargon he couldn’t understand.Facing Aehort, he waited, folding his arms across his chest to better control his barbaric impulses.His armor shimmered on and off, revealing his agitation.His woman wasn’t safe, and that didn’t sit well with him.

“She has your symbiotes.”

“What?”Drafe slumped, splayed his hands on the table, and peered at the document.“How the foq did that happen?”

“You have to ask?”Aehort cackled as he pressed the call button.“Send a maed to the command center.”

Drafe frowned.“What are you planning, Aehort?”

“If she has your symbiotes, then you have hers.”

Drafe gasped and held his hand in front of him, twisting it to study it from all angles.“She has symbiotes?”

“The humans call them nanites, meant only to heal for a time.They have built-in self-destruct mechanisms that prevent them from overwhelming the body.Except hers aren’t dying and have fused with your symbiotes.”

“Healing?”Drafe withdrew his dagger from his belt, unsummoned his armor, and sliced his palm.The pain was negligible.Before his blood could breach the gap, his skin knitted together with an odd prickling sensation.Foq.He ran the dagger across his forearm, and again he healed without spilling a drop.

Nenn rushed in and waited.

Aehort nodded at him.“Take a sample of Drafe Arrak’s blood.Test it extensively.”

“Yes, Vizen Aehort Uz.”

Sighing, Drafe held still while Nenn pressed a gun to his neck.It pinched for a moment.Nenn studied the clear blood in the capsule, then rushed out.

Drafe couldn’t see the point.“This will only confirm it, Aehort.”

“Yes, but perhaps we can neutralize her nanites in you, but your symbiotes cannot be extracted from her.As I said, Drafe, she is yours.”

Drafe hid how his mind reeled.What flooded him with warmth was that she had called him and sought his guidance.She had no idea what this meant to him, that she had lowered her pride, her self-reliance, and asked for his help.Without hesitation, he would offer his aid.For she had a part of him in her and, he hoped, left a piece of her in him.

Chapter Eighteen

Year: 2219

Mula Pesada

Bythesixthday,Vic had managed to milk Moo without a problem.Handling the udders, or as she liked to call them, elongated nipples, was trickier.All it had taken was crooned compliments while she stroked Moo’s ear.Now, after many attempts, she waddled down the passage to the mess with a full bucket.

“You did it?”Dieter cheered.

“Sure did.Moo’s a sweet cow.”Vic placed the bucket on the counter beside the butter tub.She flicked a finger through the lump of butter Tiny had shown her how to make.While she licked the yellow goodness, she hoped they didn’t tackle cheese next.Mastering making that delicacy was far harder with its many steps.

Leah glared at her while stirring the eggs Vic had collected that morning.Scrambled eggs and jacks were on the menu.Even though Grunt, Tiny, and Trent let Vic hover while they cooked, Leah hadn’t once allowed her in the mess.The bandage was off, and the stitches had faded, but Leah cradled her hand as if it bothered her.

Not that Vic would apologize.She hadn’t survived by going around saying, ‘sorry, this will hurt.’“Need anything?More eggs?”

“Parsley,” Leah clipped.

Vic jerked back and sprinted down the passage to hydroponics, happy to visit it.She couldn’t explain how much she loved her job.The lab held the most accumulated water she had seen in her life.Scanning the plants, she searched for the label ‘Parsley,’ then plucked a few leaves like Tiny had shown her.

Vic’s braid whipped from side-to-side when she jogged to the mess.She placed the gathered leaves beside Leah.Hesitating, Vic half-expected the woman to chase her away.When she didn’t glance her way, Vic grabbed a coffee instead.

“What are those?”She gestured to the golden circles between sips of smoky goodness.Farg, she was addicted and happy to be.

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