BioCybe (13 page)

He did, with a single jerk and the sound of tearing fabric.
Torn strips of cloth pooled on the floor.

Naked musculature blinded her. Perfectly formed, hairless,
and bronzed. Displayed for her.

Levia’s mind shut down, and she reached out, her body
reacting instinctively. Her hand curved over the warm skin he’d bared, gliding
over the silky texture of his flesh. She’d never felt like this before, as if
her mind were filled with oozing quicksand. Her fingers touched and danced,
learning the contours and glorying in the zing of connection.

“Oh God!” She sighed the words as she dragged her fingernail
over his nipple.

He hissed.

The rattle of a belt buckle sounded, and he was nude. No
longer obscured by layers of cloth. The rhythm of her heart jumped in an uneven
beat. Such beauty, her mind declared before that spun away.

His mouth traced down the line of her body, and she tensed
for a second. “Trust me.” The whisper against her flesh had her quivering.

Sandon followed the scarring, and for the first time ever,
she didn’t hide the ravages of what she’d endured, as the rasp of tongue and
nibble of lips played havoc with her body. Deep inside her belly, a pool of
molten need grew. Her eyelids drooped to half-mast as Sandon’s hot breath whispered
over her skin.

When he touched her sensitized mound she gasped. “Sandon?”
Her fingers moved involuntarily, burying themselves in his hair.

“Shhh…” He covered her, mouth and tongue dancing over virgin
territory.

Her knees sagged and she dropped to the softness of the bed.

“Beautiful.” The guttural tones made her open her eyes wide
and look at him, hovering over her.

The red flush on his skin, the rapt expression as he gazed
at her was a drug.

Without thought, she widened her legs. She could barely
accept that the smile on his face could only be called carnal. The oxygen in
the room was sucked out and she wheezed.

He touched her then, with long and gentle caresses as she
bucked, puffing and panting, struggling to fill her lungs. “
Oooh...
”

Pressure built inside her, while wave after wave of dizzying
sensation crashed over her.

“Mo… More! Oh God!” She couldn’t say when she’d released her
grip on him and buried it in the bedding, but now she clung, twisting the
material, needing an anchor in the sea of emotions.

Inside her, something cracked wide open, and pleasure and glorious
hot spears released. Her body exploded in a mind-blowing orgasm.

She was barely aware that he’d continued to ravage her until
the pressure started to build once more, the heaviness filling her abdomen.

Levia strained, opening her eyes as Sandon stood, his body
hard, his erection urgent, and she wanted more. More than he’d given her. This
time she wanted it all.

“Sandon?”

“Now, my love.” He crawled up onto the bed, bracing himself
over her, his arms shaking as he held still. “This time I won’t stop.”

“Don’t.”

He pushed her legs wide apart and settled himself so that
the head of his erection nudged the center of her body. Slowly, inch-by-inch,
he pushed within. The pressure left her shaking, and pain radiated as her body
stretched to accommodate his invasion. Breathing through it, she fought the
urge to tense.

“Levia?” His eyes were wide.
Shocked
. “Levia? I don’t
think—”

“Do it, Sandon. Make me yours.”

He jerked, then plunged, and she cried out, the scalding
pain overwhelming her. She held onto the whimper that formed in her throat. The
intensity of the burn washing away the passion haze.

Embedded, he stilled. “I’ll hang on as long as I can.” The
tic at the side of his face showed the strain as it jumped.

She closed her eyes and waited. Surely the pain would recede
soon?

Then, incomprehensively she realized the sting was sliding
away, leaving her with a sensation of fullness and…
Hunger?
Surely that
wasn’t it? “Sandon? Is that all?”

He gasped and laughed, then gave a tiny nudge of his hips.
It was her turn to sigh as the unfamiliar sensation crashed within.

He moved and she experienced the friction again, then tensed,
expecting more discomfort. Only this time it wasn’t painful. Instead, it stole
her breath and left her panting. “More.” She curled her hands over his
shoulders.

“Wind your legs around my waist.”

She did, and the way his body filled her delighted Levia.
So
much deeper. All the more fulfilling.
Surely he was stroking her all the
way to her womb?

Then he moved again. The pace he set was brutal.
Rock.
Pant. Rock.

She held on, lost in the world of pleasure and visceral
reactions. Feeling the wind of pressure, like a coiled spring. Tighter and
higher, until it snapped and she crashed, cradled in his embrace. Her mind and
body splintered as her body released itself. She gave a cry as wonder crashed
through her.

He tensed, and as her body rippled he groaned, lost in his
release. She felt him, so deeply within her body, the exquisite sensation of
jetting seed.

It seemed right.

They lay together, entwined. After a long while, he moved,
turning his head in her direction.

“Levia? Do you believe me?” He whispered the words against
her temple as his body shook. She wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad
indicator.

“Believe what, Sandon?” She froze, ready for anything.

“That I love you.”

She’d run—not physically, but emotionally—when Sandon told
her of his love, and the irony wasn’t lost on him. Men were supposed to be the
ones who dodged commitment. Wasn’t that what women through the ages had
claimed? There he was, two days after the most awe-inspiring session of
lovemaking with the woman of his dreams, and she wouldn’t even talk to him.

Spearing his hand through his hair, he sat, feet canted on
the old, scarred desk in his office. “What the hell do I do?”

The beep of the communicator sounded, and he frowned. The
comm signature he knew. Brandon on Moritar 186.

Depressing the button, he saw his friend, noted the lines
and signs of exhaustion. “Hey, wondered when I’d hear from you again. Been out
with the ladies?” The false cheerfulness was exhausting, but petered away as he
zeroed in on his friend’s expression. “What’s wrong?” His feet slipped from the
desk and he sat upright.

“Sandon, I don’t even know where to begin. You’ve got
problems. Dendaran Federation-size problems, and they want more than just your
blood.”

“What?” He squinted.

“Just listen, because the moment they get even an echo of
this transmission you and I will both be in the deletion box.” Brandon’s lips
flattened, the way they always did when he was sharing something that meant
trouble for one of them. “The encoded transmission I’m sending your way gives
you details of the Cybe program, the Juran Commonwealth, and particularly
details of your friend. She’s dangerous, buddy. Topping it all off, though, is
that the Dendarans are planning on wasting her as soon as their uber-warrior
can find you and engage her in combat. You need to get rid of her and get to a
safe hide-zone. Quickly. Otherwise you could get slaughtered too.”

Anger rushed through him, white hot. Brandon only wanted
what was best for him, but hearing him talk about Levia like that? “No. She’s
special.”

His friend gave him an
are you joking
look. “No!
Don’t you damn well tell me… You haven’t done something supremely stupid, like
married her, have you?”

“No, I haven’t. Not yet.” Temper raged, but he contained it.

“Shit!” Brandon passed a hand over his eyes and rubbed. “Sorry
if it bothers you, but you’re… Damn it, you’re as close to a brother as I’m
ever likely to get. So my advice is run. Run fast and far.”

The heat ebbed a little. “I know you’re well-meaning, but
what I need to know is how to find Mayerber. His weaknesses.”

“You want… Geez, you aren’t asking for much, are you?”

“Brandon, just... Please. Levia isn’t like the other Cybes you’ve
heard of. She’s a woman. Lost and more than a little scared right now.” The
snort came through clear as a bell, and Sandon knew he wouldn’t change his
friend’s view of Levia in one conversation. “I gotta go.” He reached for the
off
button.

“No. Wait. Look, I have some stuff. I’ll send it through our
old encrypted channel, but to be honest, I’m not really happy with the position
this puts me in. There are two files. One on your girl and one on the warrior
dude. Mayerber.”

The beep on Sandon’s system told him the files had been
received.

“Brandon, when this is done, we’ll get together. We’ll talk.
I promise.”

The man on the other side of the screen gave a nod. “I just
hope we get to the after. Okay, I’m going into black-out. You know how to find
me.”

Sandon knew that meant he’d only be able to contact Brandon
through the encrypted data stream in the near future. Once it was done, he’d
get hold of his buddy and introduce Levia. But not now. They all needed fresh
air and perspective. “Yeah. Hey, keep your head down.”

“Sure. Don’t get killed, otherwise you won’t be able to pay
back this favor.”

Sandon gave a bark of a laugh as the screen turned black.

His eyes tracked to the message on his system.
Levia’s
file. I can open it and learn everything.
His fingers itched. He’d never felt
the need to know a woman like he did Levia. For a moment, the temptation
echoed, before he shook his head.

“I want to know the real Levia, not what some report says
about her.” He turned instead to the other file, the one on Mayerber, and entered
the de-encryption code.

The file was sparse. He scanned it thoroughly. By the end,
he was staring into the distance.

“Holy shit!” He raised a shaking hand to the comm unit.
“Levia? You’re needed in my office now.”

How the hell could he forget what he’d read?

* * * *

The papers in front of her, the printout that Sandon had
generated for her, told a tale that chilled her marrow.

“So, Mayerber also comes from Cordero. He was a failed early
Cybe experiment.”

The knots in her belly churned, and she looked up at Sandon.
She read his fear; hell, she shared it to some extent.

“Did you see the bit where he was classified as psychotic?
The notations in the psych report that recommended termination?”

At one point, she might have shared his shock and horror,
but she’d seen Cybes go rogue before. She’d seen with her own eyes the havoc
that came with the enhancement of body and brain. “Sandon, not everyone
survives the enhancement phase.”

The look he spared her was laced with revulsion. “You mean…”

“Whether I thought it was right or wrong, once the
enhancements are in place, something has to happen with the ones that can’t be
controlled. For some, medication is the answer. The others? They’re beyond
dangerous. I know there were early ones who went on rampages and killed
innocent civilians. Lots of them.” She reached out, hoping to soften the blow
behind her words.

“But… Termination?”

He’d never understand. He couldn’t. She was an assassin.
That was what they, the Cybes, were created for. It highlighted for her the
impossibility of a relationship between them. That knowledge didn’t ease the
pain in her chest.

“So, now that you’re aware of what he is, what do you want
to do about it?” she asked. He looked shell-shocked, and she ached for him. “We
need a plan, otherwise he’ll find us. Just like he was trained to do.”

He shook his head, and she understood.

“Okay. I think we need to offload the majority of the crew,
and that includes you. Get you to safety. I have some favors I can call in.
People who owe me.” In her mind, a plan was forming. “The trick is to make him
think we’re running. He’s just a bigger and better trained predator. They
always make a beeline for the wounded. So that’s the front we need to present.”

She stood and moved restlessly to the view port. The star
field shone brightly, but it was what was beyond that caught her attention. Her
knowledge of star maps and planets that she accessed through the brain implants
and she ruthlessly hunted. Where? Where could she send Sandon and the others,
knowing they were safest?

“Levia?”

She turned in his direction. He’d moved behind her while
she’d been thinking, and the hand that rested on her shoulder soothed the
ragged edges of her emotions.

“You aren’t leaving me behind. Wherever you are, that’s
where I’ll be.”

Tears pricked at his words. She knew he meant what he was
saying, but the danger would be extreme. Levia blinked the tears away, because
any weakness right now would give him something to latch onto and he’d exploit
it. “You can’t be, Sandon. It’s too dangerous.”

His hands gripped. “If you’re there, then so am I. I’m not
some weakling who’ll stand by and let you save me. I’m a man, and believe it or
not, I can hold my own!”

The torrent of anger washed over her and she turned, her own
ire rising to the surface. “He’ll kill you, Sandon, and he won’t think a thing
of it. He’s a monster. One without any modicum of remorse.”

“But you’re not. So what makes you more capable?”

The words ricocheted through her mind, feeding the hungry
flames of righteous fury. Levia struggled to bank the conflagration that nearly
consumed her.

“I am a killer.”

His pupils dilated, but she needed to hammer the point home.
She was a killer and he wasn’t. Sandon was decent, good. Untouched by the
violence in her past.

“Do you know how many I’ve shot? Assassinated? How many
families lie in ruins because I’m a fucking murderer? Hundreds. Want me to be
exact? Five hundred and seventy-four, Sandon. That’s my kill number. I’m what
he is.”

He’d paled under the onslaught of her revelation. It smashed
her heart, sharing this information, but she needed to make him understand.

“Ordan Mayerber and I are from the same mold. Just like the
rest of the Cybes. The only thing is I’ve got more blood on my hands than most,
because I was fucking good at it.” Her chest heaved, her hands shook. She hated
that he knew what she was—a cold and heartless killer.

“I don’t care what you were. That was when you didn’t have a
choice—”

“There’s always a choice.”

“If you hadn’t done it, what would they have done?”

Levia stared at him, confused by his words. “What?”

“What would they have done if you’d refused to follow their
commands?”

Now she shook.
They’d…
Squeezing her eyes shut didn’t
stop the memories. Because she knew exactly what those memories would show her.
She’d refused once, and that had been enough to teach her it was a bad
decision.

“Don’t, Sandon. Don’t try to second-guess me.”

His arms wound around her. “What? Levia, tell me. Because
until you face up to it—that anger and those memories...they’ll consume you.
Tell me what would happen.”

“They’d… First they’d place you in seclusion. For seven
days. In a tiny cell, without light.” Cold and dark. That had been bad enough.
She’d tried to sleep, but they’d woken her time and again. “The plan was to
break you. Most people who went that route? When they came out, they were
different.” She grunted. “Not me. I thought about things. I made a point of
remembering things that kept me sane. My family.”

Her chest tightened. It was as if a vise surrounded it,
pushing down.

Exhale, wash it off
, she told herself. “If, after
that, you still refused, they’d reset the chips in your mind. God, that was
ghastly. For those who still refused, there were the physical punishments.”

She shuddered as memories crowded her. That had been the
worst, and her body jerked as the remembered pain filtered through her psyche.
That had been when she realized that there was only one way out—death.

“You didn’t choose to be like them though, Levia. You had no
option, and when the time came, you chose to be you.”

The floodgates opened. No amount of control could stop the
tears that dripped down her cheeks. She clung to Sandon. He was the only thing
in the depths of misery that seemed bright.

With the tide of emotions ebbing, she stood in his embrace.
Spent.

* * * *

Truthfully, Sandon hadn’t expected the words.
Five
hundred and seventy-four?
His stomach churned. The Dendarans weren’t
peaceful, but the Juran Commonwealth had danced to the lily-white perfection
tune for so long, he’d started to believe it.

The horror of what she’d lived through was something he
couldn’t understand.

“War sucks.” Her voice was thin, hoarse from the vicious
crying jag.

“It does. But right now, we have to work out how the hell we
sort out the Ordan Mayerber situation.”

“I don’t want you there, Sandon. I don’t want you to see
that side of me. The part of me that does those things? I tried to forget it
after Omega V. That’s why, when I was released, I ran.” Her skin felt cold to
the touch and he tugged her closer, into his embrace.

There was so much to learn before they could even begin to
make plans for dealing with the danger ahead. But everything he’d heard so far
explained the wall of ice she’d kept between herself and others.

A thought occurred. “The thing I don’t get is if the Dendarans
had Mayerber, then why did they experiment with you?” He winced, realizing how
cold the words sounded.

“Oh. Well, that’s quite simple. Mayerber was one of the
first generation of warriors. The Jurans had been testing for a good fifteen
years before me, but until Mayerber, none of the specimens had survived the
enhancements. He was their first success. If you can call him that.”

He frowned. “So how old does that make him?”

“I don’t know exactly. There was some talk that when they
did the brain enhancements they triggered something. Mitochon…uhh... Mitochondrial
Cell Regeneration, I believe they call it. Realistically, he could be as old as
fifty. They weren’t using students back then.”

“Students?”

She gave a sad smile. “On Cordero, on our seventeenth
birthday, we attend the testing center. Our brain functions, knowledge, health,
and...well, everything is tested. Depending on the results, we’re streamed to
match our capabilities, to optimize our career placement for both commerce and
the government.”

“But what about choice?” The regimented society she was
describing must have been soul destroying. To have no choice was inconceivable.

“Look, I don’t know that it still happens like that. That
was years ago. Things change. Times change.”

“So do people.”

She blinked at his words, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’.

“Levia, you aren’t a cold killer. Yes, I can’t even begin to
imagine how you survived after everything you had to do—I don’t think I ever
will—but I don’t care. I love you.”

The way she stilled in his embrace, the tiny catch of her
breath told him she was laboring under great strain. He didn’t know if he
caused it. He didn’t want to cause her more pain.

Then her shoulders slumped. “But how can you? I’m not the
woman you should love.”

“The woman I should love? What nonsense is this? I don’t
want to choose anyone else, Levia. I want you.”