Page 37 of Her Alien Cyborgs
CHAPTER 15
Sleep eluded Kalan all night,and he wasn’t happy about it. The only thing that helped his mood was the knowledge that no one else on theGambithad slept any better than he had. He knew that because his enhanced hearing let him hear Hezza’s soft exclamations and curses as she read through the contents of the data stick they’d given her.
She’d let Fyr’enth know she wanted privacy to review the files, and he’d relayed the information to him.
Did it sting that she didn’t tell him directly? Yes, but he also knew that was self-inflicted pain. She was giving him space because that’s what he needed.
He still didn’t like it.
Since she was staying in her cabin, their nightly routine had gone out the airlock. Instead of preparing and sharing the evening meal, she’d sent a request to the food dispenser through the ship’s AI, and then had one of the bots deliver it to her door.
She’d taught them how to use the dispenser, so it wasn’t like they’d go hungry, but the food hadn’t tasted as good. They’d eaten in silence, cleaned up, and gone back to their own cabins.
He hadn’t liked that, either.
Since coming aboard, they’d spent every night on the makeshift bed in Hezza’s cabin. Last night was the first time he’d gone to bed alone. He’d lasted an hour before getting up and opening his cabin door.
Fyr’enth’s was already open, which told him that his brother was having the same issue. They weren’t used to being alone. In the beginning, several pairs of cyborgs had been in their cell block. Over time, that number had decreased, but even at the end, the two of them had shared a cell.
Worse, he didn’t have Hezza within reach. He couldn’t believe how quickly he’d adjusted to her presence. Not just in in his bed but in his life. She could soothe his nightmares with a touch or a softly murmured word, and her smile banished even his darkest thoughts to the back of his mind, at least for a while.
Without her, his mind drifted, conjuring memories of his former life. Recollections of forgotten pain. The faces of the other research subjects. Did they have names, too? He’d never know, because most of them were gone. Every time one of them was taken, he’d wonder if this would be the last time he saw them. When the one they took was Fyr’enth, the fear would twist his guts into knots.
They’d always sent the same message to each other at those moments. “Be strong.”
Even that had been a risk, but it was better than saying nothing.
A few hours before the ship switched over to daytime mode, Fyr’enth asked,“Do you miss her, too?”
“Yeah.”
He could actually sense his clone’s annoyance through their link.“Then fix it.”
“Got any idea how? It’s not like we got uploads on relationships.”
“No fraxxing clue. But maybe when we get to Haven, we can ask if they have something like that.”
“Understanding your mate, made simple,”Kalan joked.
“For you? They’d have to make it really simple. Small words and lots of pictures.”
“Fraxxyou.”He flipped off his brother, not caring that he couldn’t see the gesture.
After that, he settled down a little. Enough to shake off the grasping hands of the past and start untangling the feelings tripping him up in the present.
By the time the lights in the corridor came on, he still had a lot to think about, but now he knew where to start.
Breakfast.
“Hey, ship, what breakfast foods does Hezza make the most?” he asked. The AI wouldn’t understand if he asked it what her favorite foods were, but it could tell him which ones she made often.
“Do you wish for me to include the previous four days in my data set? There has been a marked increase in the consumption of such foods since she added you to the crew roster.”
“Good point. Leave the last few days out. She was cooking for us, not for herself.”
“Here is the list of foods. I have ranked them with the most commonly requested at the top.”
A list appeared on a screen affixed to the bulkhead in front of him. Bacon. Eggs, with a notation that scrambled was the most common variation requested. Toast was next on the list, and the last item was baked beans.
