Chapter One
Tark wandered the space station, clinging to the shadows in an effort to not draw attention to himself. Not that someone his size ever went unnoticed, especially since one of his arms was entirely made of Byrilia. He was large even for one of his people, towering over those around him. Tark had always been broad as well, his shoulders barely clearing most doorways.
Before the Cy-Con program, the females of his world had been too wary of him to accept a mating for fear he would crush them with his brute strength. And back then he’d been fully Zelranian, with not a single mechanical part in sight. He’d been part of his world’s elite military, but even that hadn’t gained him a mate. If anything, word of his exploits in battle made people even more fearful.
When he’d been asked to join the Cy-Con program, Tark had thought maybe things were turning around, that such an honor would help him gain the affection of a female. He’d signed up enthusiastically, not caring about the danger involved or the possibility he could die during transition. He’d been so wrong.
Tark had thought about purchasing a slave, thinking it might be his only option, and that was why he was now heading toward the trading post at the edge of the space station. The things bought and sold there weren’t always legal, but Tark could look the other way if it meant he might finally have a companion. As much as he found slavery distasteful, it wasn’t against the law.
If he could just find a mate, any mate, then he would count himself lucky. He knew the Commanders had spoken of purchasing slaves and bringing them back to Xpashta in hopes they would agree to pair with the cyborgs who called his world home. So far, only two males had successfully found mates.
A third… Tark winced when he thought about poor Rorwick. He’d claimed a human female, Jillian, but the female refused to accept the mating. It had already been nearly a year, and all they seemed to do was argue. Jillian had broken nearly everything in Rorwick’s home by launching items at his head. If the male didn’t look so tortured, it might have been funny. Tark wasn’t certain what would happen between them, but he thought the Commanders might have to step in at some point.
Tark neared the trading post and began scouting the area for the slavers. Even through the busy marketplace, the sound of his boots could be heard over the din of voices and clinking of coins as he passed various booths, domes, and glass buildings. The scents weren’t overly pleasant in this part of the trading post, and he shut down his olfactory senses.
The sound of someone retching made Tark halt. Some illnesses could spread rapidly, taking out entire populations. Cyborgs were immune to such things, thankfully, and because of that they often helped those in need when they were able.
“Worthless,” a male muttered. “Useless piece of trash. I should have dumped you out an airlock on the way here. I can’t have you throwing up on the customers. Lie there and rot for all I care.”
The male stomped off in another direction, and Tark waited a moment to make sure he was gone. The last thing he needed to do was get into a fight with someone. He’d likely end up killing the male, and that would cause more of a headache than he wanted to deal with tonight. Tark didn’t think he would be able to contain his anger, especially if a female was involved.
The retching continued and Tark moved a little closer. Customers? He looked around and noticed the sign at the front of the porta-dome.Exotic Females. 2000 nuroks per turn.
A brothel? The large porta-dome contained a brothel? Tark felt his cock harden at the thought of being with a female, even if the services were paid for, but then he remembered that even whores wouldn’t accept him into their beds.
A whimper drew his attention to the shadowed area behind the temporary structure. His hand gripped his weapon. The soft sound came again, and he scanned the darkness. He didn’t sense danger, but even a male such as him could never be too careful. Tark silently approached the figure huddled on the ground. The body was small, and as he drew nearer, he could make out the naked form of a female. An Earth female. His heart pounded in his chest and he froze for a moment. The slaver had an Earth female as part of his brothel? Were there others? He knew males kept Earth females as slaves, but he’d never run across one in a brothel before.
“I can’t,” a voice said softly. “Please don’t.”
Tark looked around. He didn’t see anyone else, other than the small human. Was she speaking to him? Did she think he would harm her? As pitiful as she sounded, it was possible she’d already been harmed.
Tark stepped closer to the huddled form and knelt at her side.
“I can’t,” she said again, whimpering once more.
Tark reached for her, surprised that her skin was icy and yet slick with sweat. He gently shifted her onto her back, looking for signs of injury. A trickle of blue goo leaked from the corner of her mouth, and bile rose in his throat when he realized it wasn’t goo. The female was dying, and had to be in horrible pain.
“He made you service a Barkwanie male?” Tark asked. His gaze scanned the rest of her and what he found sickened him. Not just the Barkwanie, but others too. Her skin was orange and green in other spots, a sure sign of poisoning from the bodily fluids of males who should have never touched her.
Tark carefully lifted her into his arms and strode from the trading post. The female shivered against him, and he wished that he had a blanket to wrap around her. Soon enough, he’d have her at a med clinic. He only hoped he hadn’t found her too late and she could be healed.
* * *
Tark moved swiftly as he carried the small weight in his arms, not stopping until he reached the safety of the med clinic. Some stopped to stare at him, but Tark didn’t care. Let them think what they wanted. The door shut behind him and the bright lights nearly blinded him. Tark eased the female into a med bay unit. She didn’t look good, and as her eyes opened, he saw they were dilated. Tark listened carefully, searching for her heartbeat. When he found it, he feared that she wouldn’t last the night. It was so slow, it had nearly stopped already. He could only imagine the agony she must feel.
The lid closed and he watched as the unit scanned her slight form. An android med tech came over to read the coding on the lid, then tapped a few buttons until it was in a language Tark could read. Despite the words on the screen, he didn’t know how to heal her, or at least make her more comfortable. She’d not only been heavily poisoned, but she’d contracted space pox and another nasty disease called verilia. She had also been sterilized at some point.
The readings changed, and he knew that she was about to die. He felt helpless, not having any medical training. The lid lifted and Tark moved closer as she stared up at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out to smooth back her dark hair. She was human, and yet looked completely different from the Earth females on his planet. “There’s nothing we can do for you.”
“Sister,” she murmured. “Save Suki.”
“Suki? Suki is your sister?” Tark asked, wanting to make sure he understood her.
The female slowly nodded. “Tell her… Yoko… sent you. Tell her… sorry.”
The female, Yoko, took a shuddering breath, and as she exhaled, Tark watched the life leave her body. His heart broke for her. At least her suffering was at an end. He only hoped that her sister didn’t face the same fate.
