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She woke in a cocoon of warmth, and only because Penny had nudged her with a cold nose. She muttered to the dog, “Give me a minute.”
As she started to wake up and stretch, she abruptly realized the cocoon of warmth wasn’t from the covers. The heat came from a set of sturdy arms attached to a solid male body curved behind her. She let out a startled shriek and tried to pull away, though the arms only tightened around her.
She thrashed until she managed to turn enough to see the identity of who held her, and she wasn’t certain whether to be relieved or annoyed when she saw DVS. “What are you doing in my bed?” She shouted the question before she could think better of doing so.
His eyes snapped open, and he seemed instantly alert. He also appeared unfazed by her panic. “Technically, this is my bed.”
Her mouth gaped open. “These are your quarters? Why am I here?” And why was she screeching like a banshee? She made a conscious effort to modulate her tone. “I’m confused.”
“The dog needs access to outside. There are no free quarters with outside access, so you’ll share mine.”
She frowned. “I could share Raven’s. I doubt she would mind.”
He scowled. “You’ll share mine, and that’s the end of the discussion.”
She glared at him as she wrenched away from his arms, which had loosened around her. “For someone who was born four hundred years in the future, you’re surprisingly Neanderthal-like.”
He was clearly processing that for a moment. “Primitive ancestor of humans. I comprehend the cultural connotations, and I understand the insult.” He shrugged. “Not particularly insulting to me. I’m in charge, and you must learn to follow orders like everyone else.”
She glared at him. “I’m not under your command, General.”
“Yes, you are. Consider yourself drafted.” His lips twitched as he said the words.
She rolled out of bed and turned her back on him deliberately as she quickly dressed when she realized she was still in her bra and panties. “You’re the most infuriating, irritating man I’ve ever met, and that spans the last five hundred years.”
He chuckled at that. “I have duties to which I must attend, as does Raven. When she’s finished her morning duties, I’ll ask her to come keep you company and show you around.”
“Thank you,” she said grudgingly. She didn’t look at him again as she took Penny to the exit, opening the door and stepping outside. For a moment, she was back in her old home, and she started to breathe in a breath of fresh morning air before dust stinging her eyes reminded her of reality.
Instead, she breathed shallowly as she followed Penny up the incline. The dog was quick with her business and seemed as eager to get back inside as Carrie. She’d have to take her for a longer walk later today, to ensure the dog got exercise, but she was happy to return to the base for the moment.
When she reentered the room, there was no sign of DVS, so she went to the bathroom. On her way, she remembered she had wanted to know how to work the shower, and that was the first thought that lodged in her brain when she slid open the partition and discovered the shower tube was already occupied.
His back was toward her, and that strange orange liquid that had come out of the sink faucet rained down over his body, but couldn’t completely obscure his muscular build or taut buttocks. She wasn’t certain whether to be relieved or irritated that he wasn’t facing her so she could get a full view of everything he had to offer.
“Did you need something, Carrie?” The amusement in his tone was evident in his expression when he turned to face her.
She blinked and stumbled back, face flushing. She forced herself to keep her eyes well above his waistline, though she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she said in a flustered voice. “I didn’t realize there was anyone in here. The shower doesn’t make a sound like mine would. How does it work?”
She was afraid she was babbling, but he seemed completely unbothered by the fact that she was standing in the bathroom as he cleansed himself while completely nude. Of course he was nude. What was the point of taking a shower, even in strange orange goo, if you wore your clothes?
“Come closer, and I’ll show you.” There was a hint of challenge in his tone.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, squared her shoulders, and entered the bathroom. There was no steam, since it wasn’t running on hot water. She stood near the tube, keeping her gaze focused on his hand as he waved in front of a panel. A second later, the orange liquid stopped falling from the faucet discreetly inserted into the ceiling. Within seconds, the rest had dripped down from him and was drying into his skin. He opened the glass door, which was completely transparent and did nothing to hide his naked state, but had been at least a psychological barrier for her.
With a bleat of what she hoped sounded like outrage, but was really shock mingled with an excitement she didn’t like, she turned and fled from the bathroom before she could see all of his body.
Liar, whispered a voice in the back of her mind. She had gotten an eyeful as she had turned. She had seen everything, albeit briefly, and it was enough to leave her heart racing and her face flushed with more arousal than embarrassment.
When he emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, he wore black fitted pants and a matching vest. She kept her eyes averted from him as he crossed the room, not speaking even when he parted with a knowing, “I’ll see you later, Carrie.”
As he departed, she wondered what he was implying. Was he referring to the fact that he would see her since they shared a room, or did he mean he would see her in a more intimate fashion, as she had just observed him? She wasn’t certain, and even worse, she didn’t know which meaning she wanted him to be transmitting to her. The cyborg general left her flustered and confused, with a sharp edge of horny as well, darn it. Just what had Freydon Rote gotten her into?
***
WHAT HAD ROTE BEEN thinking when he brought Carrie to him? DVS turned over the question in his mind as he made his way to the command room, barely resisting the urge to snicker as he recalled the encounter in the bathroom. She had tried so hard to maintain an aloof, unaffected exterior, but he’d seen how rattled she was, both by his nudity, and his casual acceptance of her presence while he was in the shower. He hated to admit that it would probably be fun to tease a reaction from her. It was something he could get used to doing, which should have alarmed him more than it did.
Was he really considering the idea of taking an interest in the human? Had he already discarded his unwavering certainty that Rote had been wrong when he had identified Carrie as his mate? He had no answer, and he had to shove aside the thoughts when he entered the command room. He couldn’t afford to be distracted, or JSN would certainly seize on the opportunity to tease him unmercifully.
He had a feeling MX would ride his ass about the whole thing too, though he was going to quickly shut that down if the younger cyborg tried. He was still the general, and while he would tolerate a certain amount of dissent in opinion, the final decisions rested with him.
***
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR, Penny was pacing in front of the door again and making it clear she needed another break. Carrie walked over to let her out, a little surprised at the dog’s clearly urgent need. As she watched, Penny scampered up the hill—though scampered wasn’t quite the right word. There was a definite drag in her step compared to her usual vivacity.
After a moment, Carrie chuckled. “You’ve been getting too many treats, sweetie.” Penny had clearly put on some weight, and she hadn’t noticed until now. Well, the dog was likely to get extra exercise going up and down this incline every time she needed to potty. For that matter, Carrie was going to get some herself.
Just as Penny finished her business, two cyborgs crested the hill from the other side. She didn’t recognize them from dinner the previous evening, but there had been so many cyborgs in the room that she hadn’t had a chance to commit many of the faces to memory, or associate a designation with most of them.
She tried a tentative smile as they got closer, but their scowls didn’t lighten. A faint stirring of fear filled her, and she called Penny to her, feeling the urge to return to the safety of DVS’s quarters. Before she could, the two cyborgs stepped in front and behind her, keeping her from moving. Penny was pressed against her leg, and the dog started growling. Carrie reached down to stroke her head, trying to reassure her fur baby that everything was all right. She wished she could believe that herself.
They just stared at her for a long moment, arms crossed over their chest as they seemed to appraise her, their scorn clearly visible. When she tried to step around the one blocking her path back to the entrance to the general’s quarters, the one in front of her stepped deliberately in her way. He matched her steps when she took a step the other way as well.
She glared up at him. “Move out of my way and let me pass.” She tried to sound fierce, but she was afraid the slight tremor in her voice gave away her fear.
“We were trying to figure out what the general might want with a human female.”
She shrugged, not bothering to answer.
“We understand you were supposedly thrust upon him, but he didn’t have to bring you back to our secret base.” That came from the one behind her.
She didn’t bother to look at him as she stared off to the side. She would have liked to look over the shoulder of the cyborg in front of her, but he was too tall for that. “I wasn’t given any choice in the matter either.”
“But you’d betray us the first chance you got,” said the one in front of her.
Carrie rolled her eyes. “To whom would I betray you? I don’t even know where any other humans are around here. I have no stake in this fight.”
“That’s a lie,” said the cyborg behind her. “You’re a human, and you would side with them.”
“The only wise thing to do is to get rid of you before you can betray our location. If the general won’t do it, we have to.” The one in front of her took a menacing step forward as he said the words.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, looking for a way out as the cyborg behind her crowded her closer to the one in front of her. “I’m not going to tell anyone anything. I don’t even know where I am. I don’t know where anything is, and I doubt any of the landscape is the same as it was four hundred years ago.”
The cyborg in front of her made a scoffing sound. “Four hundred years? The general might fall for that, but we don’t believe it. We’re certain you’re a spy, and your peach alien buddy is no more than a sophisticated synthetic. We’re going to do what’s best for everyone.”
She braced herself as he lifted a hand, uncertain if he was going to grab her, strike her, or do something else. She let out a small shriek when nothing happened, other than the cyborg recoiling as he cursed, cradling his hand.
It took her a moment to realize someone had injured him in some fashion. She turned her head, expecting it to be the one behind her, though completely confused why he would betray his comrade. It was even more surprising to see MX409 standing off to the side, holding a sleek silver weapon.
“Why did you do that, MX409?” asked the cyborg in front of her as he lifted his hand, staring in disbelief at the hole centered in the palm. “That will take hours to heal.”
“That’s too bad,” said MX with a marked lack of sympathy. “Consider it the price you pay so that I don’t report this incident to the general. He has given clear instructions that the human is to be protected, and you violated orders. If it were something important, I would report you. As it stands now, if you walk away from her, this stays between us.”
“She’ll tell the general,” said the one behind her as he jabbed her sharply between the shoulder blades with something pointed. Was it a weapon like MX’s, or just his finger?
She gritted her teeth as pain arced up and down her spine, refusing to look at him or ask him to stop. She certainly wasn’t going to promise not to tell DVS what had happened. She owed nothing to the two who had attacked her. Even though it hadn’t progressed beyond verbal and the one sharp jab, so far, it was clear what their intent had been. They had plainly and bluntly told her what they were going to do to her to protect their base’s location.
“Again, that’s not my problem,” said MX coolly. “It will become my problem if you don’t walk away now.”
“There’re two of us,” said the one in front of her. He flexed his injured hand as he spoke, and his eyes flashed with silver for a moment.
“That might be, but you both know I’m a far better shot than you are. That’s why I’m the general’s third in command despite the fact I’m one of the youngest cyborgs. Do you want to go up against me?”
“I can’t believe you’d betray us for a human,” said the one behind her.
“I’m not. I couldn’t care less about the human. If it were up to me, I’d let you do what you wanted. Orders stand, and unlike humans, I know how to follow them and be honorable. Have you forgotten how to do that?”
Carrie was surprised by the way the one in front of her seemed humbled all of a sudden. His shoulders slumped forward, and he bent his head slightly. “You’re right, MX409. We will accept full disciplinary measures when the human reports this.”
“We were only doing it to protect everyone,” said the one behind her.
“But we were doing it dishonorably,” said the one in front of her. He shook his head before looking at MX. “He’s right. Let’s go, CCL.”
“Don’t use my designation. She doesn’t know who we are yet.”
The one in front of her just shrugged and turned away. Carrie held her breath as she waited to see if the one behind her would back up. After what seemed like forever, he finally took a step back and then another, and then he joined his partner.
She watched them walk away as she backed toward the entrance to DVS’s quarters. Penny was at her side, still growling low in her throat, though the growls were fading as the other two moved away. The dog didn’t completely relax when it was just her and MX, but she was clearly less afraid. Taking her cue from the dog, she nodded at MX. “Thank you.”
He put away his weapon before giving her an impassive stare. “I didn’t do it for you, human.” The word was full of loathing. “As I told them, I was following orders.”
With a shrug, she said, “Nevertheless, thank you, regardless of your reasons.” He didn’t speak again, and she didn’t attempt to as she turned around and hurried the dog back into the quarters.
It was a relief to have the hydraulic door close behind her with its customary hiss, and as she collapsed against the hard surface, she drew in several deep breaths. “I hope you don’t need to go out again any time soon,” she said to Penny. The dog wagged at her before shuffling across the room to lie down on a blanket she had placed on the floor the night before.
The other door chirped, and she jumped in surprise, letting out a little yelp. Her nerves still hadn’t calmed from the encounter with the two cyborgs, and it made her more cautious as she approached the door. She wished she knew how to see who was on the other side, but she wasn’t even certain if the door offered that function. What she wouldn’t give for a peephole. Raising her voice, she almost shouted to ensure she was heard. “Who is it?”
“It’s Raven. I thought you might like a tour of the base, and the general said that would be fine.”
She released a shaky breath before putting her palm on the door to grant the cyborg entrance. She tried to smile, though she wasn’t really feeling it yet. “That sounds nice, and maybe it will be good to get out of the room.” Her heart wasn’t in it as she said the words, because right then all she wanted to do was hide in the safety—or at least perceived safety—of DVS’s room.
Raven frowned at her. “What troubles you? Your pulse is above normal parameters, as is your body temperature. Are you frightened? Or are you ill?”
Releasing a shaky sigh, Carrie quickly told Raven about what had happened. As she spoke, the other woman’s mouth tightened further with each word.
“Forget the tour. We’re going straight to the general.”
Carrie shook her head. “I will tell him, but there’s no need to bother him right now. I’m safe enough with you, and Max interceded.”
“Max?”
“MX409,” she quickly substituted. “I’m not used to calling people by letters and numbers, so I guess I just made him Max in my mind.”
Raven nodded. “I understand. I just don’t think he’ll like the designation. He’s not very fond of humans.”
Carrie chuckled. “I figured that out for myself, which was why I was so surprised when he stepped in.”
Raven shrugged. “He might not like you or trust you, but he’ll follow DVS’s orders. Safety is his primary concern, but he’s also an honorable male.”
“Whatever his reasons were for interceding, I’m grateful. Now, are you ready for that tour?”
Raven nodded, glancing at Penny. “Will she come?”
Carrie looked at her dog, who was resting. “Penny, do you want to go for a walk?”
Penny thumped her tail, but made no other attempt to move. Carrie shook her head. “Apparently, she’s having a lazy day. She might be safer here anyway.”
It took two hours for Raven to show her the major parts of the base, and it was far larger than she had anticipated. That was mainly to due to the fact a great deal of it was underground. The upper layer just looked like an abandoned installation, which was probably how the cyborgs had hidden their presence.
When she asked how they remained hidden, Raven had mentioned scramblers and a sophisticated security system. When she had tried to explain it, Carrie’s head quickly started pounding, and she’d pretended to understand what the cyborg was telling her without any true grasp of it. She wasn’t an idiot by any means, but the technology was far more advanced than what she knew from her time.
At first, she was aware of gazes on her, and it felt like each one was unfriendly, but as the afternoon progressed, it became clear that she was no longer a novelty. While she didn’t feel exactly welcome, Carrie wasn’t afraid of everyone around her as she might have been after the encounter with the two cyborgs earlier in the day.
After Raven had shown her everything, Carrie returned to the room to fetch her bag of crochet, which had somehow survived the transition from her time to this one and had been placed in DVS’s quarters along with her other bags.
Penny lumbered to her feet and made a slow trek outside before returning immediately to her blanket. Carrie was a little concerned about her, and she briefly wondered if there was such a thing as time travel sickness. Just because she hadn’t experienced it didn’t mean the dog couldn’t or wouldn’t, since her physiology was different enough to allow for the possibility.
After patting her on the head and checking her over without finding any visible signs of illness, she returned to Raven, who was waiting in the hallway for her. “You mentioned something about sunlight?”
Raven nodded, leading the way down the corridor. Carrie tried to memorize the route, and she gasped when they stepped into a huge antechamber a few minutes later. They were definitely still underground, but this looked just like a garden. Way above, she could make out what she assumed were artificial lights, because it seemed to be where the sunlight was coming from, and having been out with Penny, she already knew from experience that the sun didn’t shine that brightly outside. It was hazy due to the blowing wind and dust in the air. “What is this place?”
“It’s the atrium. It’s where we grow food, and the lights perfectly mimic the optimal ratio of UVA and UVB rays to stimulate photosynthesis.”
She was enthralled by all the greenery around her. Most of it was identifiably food, though there were a few trees that did double duty by also providing shade. They also grew fruit and nuts, and she moved to one to touch its bark experimentally. It felt like any other tree. “All of this is real?”
Raven frowned. “Do you have the ability to replicate plant life in your time?”
She shook her head. “Genetic modification, but nothing like this. It’s like an indoor garden or something.” Her words weren’t eloquent, and she couldn’t adequately describe the space. There were literally acres upon acres, and she wondered why they’d had such an unappealing meal the night before.
When she asked, Raven said, “They serve the protein mixture with every meal. Algae is our main source of protein here, though quinoa has all nine amino acids of protein as well. There are usually supplemental fruits and vegetables along with the meal, but your arrival set everyone off schedule yesterday. We tightened security, anticipating an attack, so no one worked kitchen duty. Tonight’s meal should be more satisfactory.”
That reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since they had made a brief stop by the Mess Hall earlier for what Raven had called a protein bar. It had looked like the same slurry from last night, but baked into a hardened bar, and it had tasted the same too. That had led Carrie to naturally assume it was the only source of sustenance for the group. She was relieved to hear otherwise.
Looking up, she saw a juicy peach, and she reached for it, but hesitated before picking it. “Is it all right if I have one?”
Raven hesitated for a moment, and then she nodded. “Everything’s carefully rationed, but I think it’s okay if you have one.”
Carrie let her hand drop without picking the fruit. “No, I won’t do that. I don’t want to throw off someone’s count, and I don’t deserve special treatment.”
Raven frowned at her. “You’re the general’s mate, and you’re human. Why wouldn’t you deserve special treatment?”
Carrie just smiled at her, unable to explain why it felt wrong to try to take advantage of the situation, even if taking advantage was only helping herself to one peach. Instead, she settled down on the grass beside the tree and opened her bag. “If you have duties to attend to, you don’t have to babysit me.”
Raven ignored the words as she sat down on the grass beside her, looking slightly puzzled as she did so. “I have no duties today except to be your companion. General DVS assigned me the duty.”
For some reason, the words stung, and she quickly realized it was because it implied that Raven hadn’t wanted to spend time with her. She’d been assigned to do so. Carrie cleared her throat and blinked away the blur of moisture in her eyes, trying not to take it personally.
Why would Raven want to spend time with her when they were strangers? It was better in a way that the cyborg had been assigned the duty, because otherwise, she might simply be seeking out Carrie’s company because Carrie was a curiosity to Raven. She didn’t want to be that either.
“I asked him though. He said it would be okay, and spending time with you is a lot more fun than cleaning munitions, which was my scheduled duty for the day.”
Carrie chuckled. “I guess I’m flattered to be more exciting than cleaning guns.”
Raven didn’t seem to be offended by her words, and she clearly didn’t detect any hint of snark. She just beamed at her as her gaze moved to Carrie’s hands. “What are you doing?”
“It’s called crochet. I was working on a baby blanket for my coworker’s daughter, who will be born soon, but I guess I won’t be giving it to her now.”
“Will you teach me how to do it?”
“Of course.” As Carrie walked her through it, another cyborg joined them. At first, she was tense as he stood over them, his expression difficult to read. Abruptly, he dropped onto the ground beside them, looking unsettled by the position as he spoke to Raven instead of her.
“What are you doing, RVN?”
“Raven,” she corrected, not missing a stitch. “It’s called crochet. It’s a human craft Carrie’s teaching me.”
After a moment, the large cyborg nodded decisively. “I would also like to learn, human female.”
His manners could use some work, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from fulfilling his request. Carrie handed him another hook and a skein of yarn, mildly amusing herself by giving him a baby-pink color. He didn’t seem to mind or notice as he studiously focused on making his first attempts at a chain stitch.
An hour passed in nearly companionable silence, although they occasionally asked her input on something. She was surprised when another cyborg joined them, but by the time four more had gathered around, all wanting to learn crochet, she was no longer startled by their interest. She was taking it in stride, though she was concerned she would soon run out of crochet hooks.
She only had three left. Yarn would be a concern as well if they continued to want to crochet. She had a few skeins left, shoved deep into the bottom of her bag, which held a substantial amount, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep a bevy of cyborgs supplied if they chose to continue crocheting.
Her stomach was growling softly when one of the cyborgs abruptly announced that dinner was starting. She showed them how to wrap and store their projects and promised she would return to the same spot tomorrow for anyone who wanted to join her. After that, she and Raven went straight to the dining hall. She would take Penny a plate after they had their meal, since she didn’t want to be late or delay the start of dinner. It was probably sheer hubris on her part to assume they might wait for her anyway, but she was trying not to inconvenience anyone with her presence.
She took a seat beside Raven, and they were deep in conversation when a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise, though she knew the touch even before she saw DVS. She wasn’t certain how, but her body recognized him. She gave him an uncertain smile. “Hello, General.”
He nodded just once. “You sit with me.”
She was surprised and startled by the decree, but didn’t argue as she stood up and walked behind him to take a seat at his table. She was secretly pleased that he had made an effort to include her, even if his phrasing could have used a little more asking and a lot less telling.
“Have you had a good day?”
She nodded, and then hesitated as she recalled the incident of the morning. “Mostly, but not entirely. I’ll tell you about it later.”
He frowned at her. “You’ll tell me what has upset you now.”
Carrie shook her head. “Now’s not the time, but I will tell you when we’re back in your quarters.”
He glared at her, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Tell me what happened now.”
She glared at him as she crossed her arms in a similar fashion. “No. I’ll tell you later.”
He let out a sigh of frustration, his gaze clearly reflecting the emotion as well. “I’m not used to having my commands countered.”
She gave him an overly sweet smile. “And I’m not used to following commands. I guess we’ll both have to adjust.” Without another word, she deliberately turned away from him to inquire how JSN’s day had been.
If he was surprised by her conversation attempts, he didn’t show it. The second-in-command simply launched into a detailed explanation of how they had identified another synthetic manufacturing facility.
“I see.” She didn’t really understand, but she wasn’t going to try to untangle the technology he’d mentioned. “What will you do with that information?”
“We’ll attack tomorrow,” said JSN in a level tone that betrayed neither anxiety nor anticipation.
The sheer matter-of-factness of his words startled her. “Attack? You mean you’re going into battle?”
He shrugged. “Of course. The more manufacturing facilities we destroy, the fewer synthetics there are to fight.”
“The humans will continue to produce more, but it’s worth our time to destroy facilities as we can,” added MX.
She turned to DVS. “Won’t you be in danger?”
He arched a dark brow. “There’s always an element of danger in battle, but it can’t be helped.”
“What if you’re injured? Or killed?” She honestly meant to refer to all of them, but it was the thought of losing DVS that actually sent a sharp pang through her chest. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait?”
He frowned. “Wait for what?”
She hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t like the idea of you—all of you—going out there and doing things like that. There has to be a way to end the war that doesn’t require fighting.”
“Don’t be naïve,” snapped MX.
“There’s always the transmission,” said Raven, raising her voice to be heard from the other table. That made it clear that the conversation she’d been having with DVS, JSN, and MX had been, in reality, with the entire room.
“What transmission?” asked Carrie.
“It’s nothing,” said DVS with an air of finality. “More human trickery. It’s simply a trap that we won’t fall into.”
Raven seemed like she wanted to say something more, but she fell silent. Peripherally, Carrie saw the stern gaze the general directed toward her friend to ensure her silence. She let the subject drop for the moment, but she would ask her about it when she had Raven alone again.
After that, conversation turned to strategy for the event tomorrow, and she let her thoughts wander. She didn’t want to know specifics or think about what they were going to be doing, because it made it all too real. She couldn’t explain why the thought of losing DVS was so devastating, other than she had no other allies here, but it was more than that.
For one thing, she clearly had an ally in Raven, and while she would be devastated if her friend was injured or killed, she didn’t think it would be quite as soul-destroying as the idea of losing DVS—the cyborg she barely knew, and certainly wasn’t anything like a mate, despite Rote’s claims that they were fated to be together.
After dinner, she said goodbye to Raven and walked with DVS back to his quarters. She wasn’t certain how she would entertain herself, but she didn’t assume he would be there with her. He would probably walk her back and leave her there, but not before demanding an explanation for the morning.
She’d be happy to provide it for him, and even happier to have his company as she took Penny out if he would stay around long enough to go with her. She didn’t like being afraid of venturing outside, but it wasn’t like taking a walk around the block of her old house. She didn’t know what else was out there, especially after dark, but she knew there were cyborgs who wanted to harm her, so that was reason enough to be sensible and take an escort with her whenever possible.
When they returned to the room, she set down the plate she had brought Penny in front of the dog and frowned when Penny didn’t even wag her tail or sniff at it. “It’s much better than last night, girl. There’s still that protein quinoa stuff, but there are some stewed tomatoes and zucchini as well. I know you like zucchini.”
Penny looked up at her, giving her a brief tail wag, but she didn’t move.
Carrie got on her knees, crouching beside the dog, and fear made her heart stutter when she realized Penny was breathing heavily. She was lying on her side, and her stomach was distended. When she whimpered softly, Carrie stroked her forehead, running her fingers through the silky fur as she tried not to succumb to panic. “She’s sick.”
The general was there beside her in a moment, kneeling down to join her. “What’s wrong with her?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I thought maybe she was a little sick from time travel or something. I don’t know. Maybe there’s some kind of bacteria or virus that’s uncommon in our era. Surely it would be too soon to be making her ill though?”
Whatever the problem, Penny was clearly in distress. Tears came to Carrie’s eyes, and she couldn’t fight them back. “I can’t lose her. She’s like my baby. There’s no vet here. If she dies, I’m going to kill Freydon Rote.”
At least he didn’t point out the unlikelihood of ever seeing the peach alien again. Instead, DVS put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’ll send for OWN112.”
She blinked, looking away from Penny’s heaving sides to meet the General’s gaze. “Who’s that?”
“He’s our healer. A lot of our maintenance systems are self-repairing and self-replicating, but he knows how to use the equipment we have available to regenerate parts that require extra assistance, which address trauma situations to prevent cyborgs from dying before they can heal themselves. Perhaps he can help the dog.”
She clung to the hope, though she wasn’t overly optimistic that a cyborg healer would have enough knowledge about canine physiology to help. When she expressed the doubt, she couldn’t quite look at her dog as she said it. “He won’t know enough to help her.”
DVS surprised her by cupping her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “We have access to an abundance of data in our databanks. Everything the humans knew that survived the attack sixty years ago is in our databanks and accessible. He can quickly become an expert on canine physiology. The question will be if we have what’s needed to help her. All we can do is try.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, please. Do anything you can for her, DVS.”
She was vaguely aware of him moving away from her and speaking into the intercom system near the door. She didn’t hear a loud speaker announcement, so she assumed he must have connected directly to whomever he was searching for. She forgot the designation already. OWN-something, but that was all she could remember. Her attention remained focused on Penny, who was clearly struggling. The dog turned away from the food she put on her finger to bring to her mouth, refusing to lick it off. It wasn’t like the lab to refuse food.
Her worry was at a fever pitch by the time the hydraulic door hissed a few moments later, and a new cyborg stepped inside. He had the same light blue skin with the luminescent vascular system as the other cyborgs, but he was unusual compared to most, with his pink eyes and white hair. She briefly speculated he’d had albinism before becoming a cyborg.
All speculation fled as he sat down beside her dog on the floor a moment later, holding some kind of device in his hand that he ran over her. She held her breath, continuing to pet Penny in a soothing fashion, until the tension was so thick that she exhaled raggedly. “Is she dying?”
OWN-something held up a finger, but didn’t answer for a moment as he studied the device in his hands. After a moment, he said, “Negative. She’s in labor.”
Carrie blinked. “Labor? You mean, like puppies? She’s having babies?” She was familiar with the concept, of course, but to her knowledge, Penny had never had the opportunity to get pregnant. She wasn’t fixed, since she had been a private rescue from an ad on Craigslist, and Carrie hadn’t gotten around to taking her to the vet for the surgery.
She frowned as she tried to recall an instance where Penny might have had the opportunity to conceive. She was certain it hadn’t been with her, but perhaps the dogwalker, who came by to take Penny out once per day with his other group of dogs, had been less than careful and hadn’t bothered to mention to Carrie that Penny had committed an indiscretion.
She laughed as a wave of relief swept through her. “She’s going to be all right then.”
The healer nodded. “She might require surgical assistance. The pups are larger than she might be able to handle.”
A new round of anxiety seized her, and she briefly tightened her hand in the dog’s fur. “Can you do the surgery if you need to?”
After only a brief hesitation, OWN nodded. “I’m certain I can. It seems to be a relatively straightforward procedure, and all knowledge is accessible via the databanks. There are no gaps in available data, which sometimes happens due to system degradation or corruption of the file source.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “When will we know if she needs surgery?”
“We’ll observe her for now, and she should be delivering her first pup within the next half-hour or so. If she appears to be in distress, I’ll perform surgery.”
She was grateful that the healer stayed beside Penny for the next twenty minutes without speaking, his device constantly scanning her condition. She would have preferred to have the familiar vet they saw back home, but at least there was someone who seemed competent to handle the situation. That was all she could ask for—that, and Penny’s safe delivery of hopefully healthy pups. She was excited to see the forthcoming babies, hoping she could identify the breed of the father.
At twenty-four minutes after he had started monitoring her, OWN sighed. “The first pup appears stuck in the birth canal. I’ll have to operate, so I need to get her to the medical center.” He looked up at DVS. “Do you think you can carry her, General? She needs to stay as still as possible and not be frightened.”
DVS nodded, looking confident as he bent down to join them. He’d stayed nearby, but not hovering, though Carrie realized she wouldn’t have minded if he had hovered a bit, as long as he’d allowed her to focus on Penny.
With seemingly no effort at all, he lifted her large dog in his arms, holding her as steady and straight as possible. Carrie suspected she was superfluous, but she braced Penny’s head as they walked quickly, but steadily, out of the quarters and followed the healer.
A few minutes later, DVS placed Penny on the table, and the healer sedated her. At first, Carrie planned to remain at Penny’s side, but she started to feel a little queasy at the sight of blood and turned away. DVS’s arm around her waist provided necessary support, and she leaned against him as she listened to the procedure, but couldn’t bring herself to watch.
“That’s the seventh,” said OWN less than twenty minutes later. He had laid all the pups out on the table beside their mother, and she was enthralled when she turned to look at them. They were still wet from birth, and she immediately joined OWN in cleaning and drying them off with soft absorbent cloths. The pups were all groggy, and the healer divulged that was from the anesthetic he had used to put out Penny. He showed her how to stimulate them enough to get them to latch on, and soon all seven were nursing, though with a touch of lethargy.
She eyed them with concern. “Will they make it?”
The healer nodded. “The data supports we did all the necessary steps, and all vital signs seem nominal. Once the anesthesia clears their systems, mother and babies should be fine. They’ll need to rest here tonight, and I’ll monitor them periodically. You should return to your quarters and rest as well. I suspect you’ll have a busy day tomorrow caring for the canine. She won’t be as mobile as usual.”
“Her name is Penny,” she said offhandedly. Now that the crisis had passed somewhat, she knelt down to look closer at the pups. “Does your device tell you what kind of dog they are?”
He frowned at her. “There are three males and four females.”
She shook her head. “Never mind.” It was difficult to tell, as young as they were, but she was certain there was definitely some St. Bernard in the mix. No wonder her poor Penny had struggled to give birth. She stroked her head, wanting to insist on staying, but also knowing Penny was in good hands.
DVS had his hand around her wrist, and it was obvious he was going to insist she leave the medical center. She could have dug in her heels and protested, but a wave of exhaustion swept over her right then, and she swayed against him instead. Still, she resisted moving until she looked at OWN. “You’ll call me if something happens? I want to be here with her if there are complications, or if...” She trailed off, unable to say the words she feared.
OWN went up even higher in her estimation, because he didn’t look at the general for confirmation before he nodded. “Of course, Carrie.” He seemed to have a little trouble saying her name, but it was unlikely to be due to the simple syllables. It probably just sounded wrong to him, or perhaps even disrespectful, if he perceived her to be the general’s mate.
She couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch his hand in a thankful gesture, and her eyes widened when DVS let out a little growl under his breath. She shot him a repressive look before turning back to the healer. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
He nodded again, but didn’t speak.
A moment later, DVS was pulling her from the room, and her tired legs were having difficulty keeping up. When she registered her protest, he simply grunted and bent over to swing her over his shoulder, carrying her firefighter-style.
“Put me down. I can walk.” She was embarrassed, but also relieved when they didn’t cross paths with other cyborgs as they made their way back to his quarters.
“You’re about to fall asleep on your feet. Rote entrusted me with your welfare, and I’ll see to that. Prepare yourself for bed and sleep.”
She glared at him as he finally set her on her feet inside his quarters. “You don’t have to be so bossy. I can take care of myself.”
He surprised her by nodding. “I’m certain you can, but now that you’re here, and I’ve accepted responsibility for you, there’s no need to do so. It pleases me to take care of you.” The admission seemed grudging, but he didn’t try to call it back or look away from her.
Her stiff-lipped glare softened into a slight smile. “I appreciate that, but I really can make my own decisions.”
“Then I hope you decide it’s time for bed. You look exhausted.”
She barely kept from grinning, because it was obvious it cost him a great deal of control not to phrase it as an order. Since he was trying, and since she was so tired that she was forced to agree, albeit silently, she just nodded. “I could use some sleep.”
Carrie didn’t realize just how emotionally and physically exhausted she was until a huge yawn escaped her. With a decisive nod, he steered her toward the bed, and she didn’t bother protesting.
Even when he helped her remove her shoes, she allowed him to do so. With a considerable expenditure of effort, she managed to unzip and unsnap her jeans before sliding them down herself. After that, she allowed herself to fall face forward onto the bed, snuggling under the blanket and hugging the pillow. She was briefly aware of his fingers ghosting across her cheek, and she managed a small smile before sleep overtook her.