Avion (Cyborgs: More Than Machines, #7) (6 page)

“Unless she’s working for the enemy.”

Busy concentrating on the timing, Lilith did not reply to his doubts. She couldn’t blame him for his distrust. She knew all too well about betrayal.

After all, Daddy Dear screwed me over.
Until she took care of him.

The enemy got a taste of their attack first, most of the shots hitting but many dispersing on the dense shielding of the alien vessels.

As Kentry announced the results, Lilith closed her eyes and drew on the energy around her. She danced along the waves of sound and light, pushing and shoving the various energies, forcing them to her will and placing them where they would prove most efficient. The
D’zpi
missiles struck her invisible shields and were absorbed, a wave of power that caused her to rock on her heels as she tried to contain their deadly force.

Strong arms came around her. Avion’s arms.

“Steady there, vixen.”

“You are supposed to be firing,” she admonished, reveling in his touch yet, at the same time, chastising herself for showing weakness.
Never let them see you sweat.
She didn’t exude liquid from her pores—she didn’t require to in order to cool her system—but she understood the expression, one of the few her father bothered to explain.

“Adam’s still on guns, and Seth’s come to join us. I let him have my seat because I think you’re the one who needs my help right now.”

He would leave the thrill of attack to aid her? But why?

Because he likes us, dummy.
She pushed the flustering thought away. “I must ready myself. They’ve fired again.”

Indeed they had, the bright lights almost too close. She cast out her shield again, and this time, when the explosion splattered upon them, she didn’t waver, not with the man at her back providing support.

“Two of their ships have broken formation,” Kentry announced. “But the other six are arming again.”

“Keep firing,” Aramus ordered. “And keep our heading straight.”

“Aye, sir. Rosalind, how are our engines?”

The last of the crew and someone Lilith only briefly met, the female cyborg was assigned engine duty. Not exactly the safest location, given the enemy was trying to blow them up.

But only if I fail in protecting this ship.

The third volley had Lilith trembling, and one of her shields failed. The explosion against the outer hull caused the whole vessel to shudder.

“Damage report,” Aramus barked.

“Small leak in forward hold seven. Doors to that area have been electronically sealed,” Anastasia informed.

Everyone served a purpose. Everyone did something. They worked as a team.
And I’m part of it.

“Prepare for more incoming,” Kentry announced.

More? Lilith felt faint. While she’d had some practice with shielding, she’d never done it on such a large scale or for so long before. She weakened, her body using up all its resources as she kept extending herself.
I need to rest and ingest some raw materials.

However the
d’zpi
would not wait while she grabbed a snack and a regenerative nap.

Use me. Use some of my strength,
Avion offered.

How tempting that was, to draw upon his life force to supplement her own, but to do so would harm him. He still recovered.

She shook her head. “No. I can do this.”

Once again, she erected shields, just in time too. The distance between them and the enemy had shrunk. The missiles arrived faster and more accurately aimed. This time Lilith lost her grip on more than one shield. The ship rocked, and she might have fallen had Avion not steadied them both.

“Sealing forward holds one through thirteen,” Anastasia yelled. “Sensors indicate a fire in corridor A. Sealing it and activating onboard flame suppression units.”

“Three more ships out of commission,” Kentry announced. “Only three left. And they are arming again.”

“My turret has been damaged,” Adam yelled. “I can’t fire.”

“Don’t worry, whippersnapper, this old unit has got your targets covered,” Seth replied as he shot his still functioning guns.

“The enemy is firing.”

Lilith, panting for the first time she recalled since the early days of her heavy testing, tried to focus on her task, but the nanos in her blood were overtaxed. They needed time to recuperate.

A hand covered hers, not Avion’s but Laura’s. Apparently, she’d come to the bridge, too, at one point.

“Let me help,” she said.

“I don’t have time to teach you,” Lilith replied.

“Then use my strength.” Laura’s hands squeezed Lilith’s. Untapped, raw energy pulsed under her skin. The nanos Laura hosted weren’t yet at full capacity, but they were available, and eager.

Unlike Avion, Laura was strong. Not as strong as Lilith—she’d not borne the nanotech long enough—but she had enough energy for Lilith to tap, and just in time too.

The missiles crashed against the hastily erected shields, the recoil not causing any new or serious damage.

Kentry updated them. “Direct hits on our targets, but they’re not budging.”

“The bastards are playing chicken with us,” Seth announced.

“Never play chicken with the certifiably insane,” Aramus said with a chuckle—
what a wicked laugh.
“If they want to hold that line, then let them. We’ll just bust through those last three. Seth, keep firing. Everyone else strap in or brace yourselves. All engines on full. Do not deviate from our course. On my count. Two. One!”

The surge brought with it a shiver on the deck. Avion dropped into a vacant seat and yanked Lilith down with him, holding her on his lap.

The closeness shouldn’t have startled her. However, the hardness poking at her bottom did. Her presence aroused him. Were the moment not so fraught with tension, she might have spent more time marveling over that, however, the next few moments would determine whether they lived, or died.

Avion’s arms wrapped around her, a good thing, too, because the commander did not veer from the remaining enemy. He rammed his way through the alien cruisers, and the whole ship shuddered.

Lilith did what she could to keep them protected.

Laura sat alongside her, still gripping her hand, while Adam acted as her seatbelt. Together, they spun the energy they collected to erect one last set of shields over the nose of the ship to protect them from as much damage as possible as they bullied their way through.

And shot free of the blockade.

“Yee-fucking-haw!” yelled Seth. “Cyborgs one, aliens zilch.”

There was little time to rejoice, although Seth wasn’t alone in his exuberance.

“Take that, you alien thugs!” Adam said as he spun in his chair.

A more stoic Kentry updated them. “The remaining alien ships are rotating and aiming their weapons.”

“Let them. We’ll outrun those fuckers,” Aramus declared.

“What about the six coming at us from behind that asteroid cluster?” Anastasia asked while pointing at the screen.

“Bloody fucking hell. Where did they come from?”

Good question since Lilith also hadn’t detected them until they suddenly appeared.

“It’s that damned cloaking technology I’ll bet. We have really got to get some of that for our own fleet,” Kentry said.

“It’s on my Christmas list,” Aramus snarled. “But before I can let Einstein play with my ship, we need to get out of this star system. How long until we hit the outer edge of the black hole?”

“Less than three minutes until the event horizon, sir.”

“If you’re not already strapped in, then buckle up. We are going for a wild ride, people. Humans, and by human, I mean you, Riley. Do not budge from that seat until I say it’s safe to do so.”

Riley, quiet during the battle, nodded.

It surprised Lilith to know that such a bold and loud male such as Aramus was cohabiting with such a seemingly meek and unenhanced human being.

Avion caught the thought and replied.
It’s called love. Love doesn’t see the flaws in a person. Love doesn’t care. When two people are right for each other, there is no obstacle that can get in their way.

That makes no logical sense. There are any number of physical objects that could separate two beings.

I was speaking metaphorically.

This love thing seems complicated.

“But fun from what I’ve seen,” he whispered in her ear.

His warm breath on her lobe sent a shiver through her, and a tingle. So strange, yet enjoyable.

“Alien ships closing in on the starboard side.”

“How long until they are in firing range?” Aramus asked.

“Two minutes, fourteen seconds.”

“And to the coordinates Lilith gave us?”

“Three seconds less than that.”

“It’s going to be tight, but not as tight as the hug I’m going to give wifey poo when we get out of this star system.”

“How many times must I tell you not to call me that?” Anastasia growled.

“How can I resist? You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”

“Lilith, please tell me our chances of survival are good because I really want to kill my husband myself.”

Jesting, at a time like this? Lilith peered around at the beings in the command center. Despite the gravity of the situation, most of them laughed. Even smiled.

Kentry joked about holding Seth down for Anastasia so she could properly injure him while Aramus wagered Anastasia wouldn’t require aid. The fragile human also joined in the mirth, daring to tell Aramus if he didn’t behave she’d find a way to make the metal half of his head grow hair.

“What are they doing?” Lilith asked aloud. “We are in a grave situation and, yet, they are not displaying normal emotions for this type of situation.”

It was Laura who answered. “It took me aback the first few times too. Cyborgs have a twisted sense of humor. A violent one actually. In order to diffuse their fear and anxiety in high-stress situations, they resort to jokes. It helps adrenalize them and build a bond. This experience will cement their friendship. Welcome to the club.”

“I am included?” She couldn’t help the surprised note in her query.

“Of course you are. Why else would Aramus have given you a pet name?”

“He calls me freaky girl.”

“Which is nice compared to what he calls me, his best friend,” Seth said, apparently paying attention to their conversation.

“Best friend?” Aramus snorted. “As if I’d be friends with a defective butler unit.”

“The only person I serve is my wife,” Seth countered.

“Fucktard.”

“Poor Aramus, he doesn’t know how to express his affection for me or how to ask for a hug. Which is why I do my best to help him communicate his emotions. He just about broke some of my reinforced ribs in a massive embrace the time I poured the contents of a bottle of adhesive in his boots.”

“It took forever for me to absorb that fucking glue and get those bastards off. But don’t worry, freaky girl, I got him back. I used his hairbrush to scrub a few toilets.”

A certain mouth gaped open in astonishment. “Hey, you never told me that.”

“I know. Which is what makes it so funny now.” Aramus chuckled, and he wasn’t alone.

The ship shuddered, and the laughter tapered off.

“We’ve hit the outer gravitational field for the black hole,” Kentry announced. “Do I slack the speed?”

“Don’t ask me, ask Avion’s girlfriend. Lilith, what should we do?”

Everyone turned to look at her.
They want my advice.
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Avion nudged her.

“You can reduce the speed but need to allow the ship to get pulled into the gravitational swirl. When we reach the event horizon, and these coordinates”—she rattled the memorized numbers aloud—“all the engines must be powered to their full capacity in order to give us the power to pivot and have the black hole eject us.”

“This has got to be the craziest stunt ever,” Aramus muttered. “I like it. Wish I’d thought of it.”

“Enemy ships are within fifteen seconds to firing range. Event horizon in twelve.”

“Holy fuck, people. Get ready. And if we don’t make it out alive, Riley, I love you, and if any of you laugh, I will kick your ass in the afterlife.”

His wasn’t the only declaration. Despite their playful bickering, Seth and Anastasia held hands, and Lilith caught the hum of words sent wirelessly. Adam nuzzled Laura while poor Aramus, stuffed in his captain’s seat, could only stare at Riley, who did her best to not appear too scared.

The tension became almost palpable as they counted down to yet another important moment. No more did anyone jest. Everyone watched the screen. They monitored the approaching enemy vessel. They did their best not to fear the sucking black maw of the wormhole.

They did their best to stifle their panic as they got caught in the inescapable gravitational pull.

They were silent with disbelief as the engines fired on but the ship wouldn’t turn. On the contrary, the sudden burst of momentum fired them deeper into the black hole.

Aramus broke the stunned spell of silence first. “Holy shit, we’re getting sucked in!”

Avion clenched her tight. “It’s not working, vixen.”

“It was never supposed to. Brace yourself. Wormhole travel isn’t easy.”

“Say what!”

And then all sound, all thought, everything was lost as their ship was swallowed by the dark nebula.

A
vion regained his senses in time to hear Aramus losing his mind. Which really wasn’t that uncommon of an occurrence—
Who’s the mentally defective idiot who didn’t close the hatch? Who ate the last bowl of Fruit Loops?—
Who wanted to die because Aramus wasn’t in a good mood?

Most of the time, Avion tuned him out, or egged him on, depending on his mood. But this time was different because this time Aramus focused his ire on Lilith—and Avion didn’t like it at all.

“What do you mean you knew this would happen? You said we’d slingshot out and that our momentum would carry us out of this star system at twice the speed. Which, in retrospect, was ridiculously naïve of me to believe.”

“It’s possible to do. However, that wasn’t the plan in this instance. I lied.” Starkly announced.