I secured the restraints across Dr. Parker’s body—loose enough for comfort but tight enough to keep her safe during launch. My gaze lingered on her face, so peaceful in unconsciousness. What would she think when she woke? What would she do?
“Necessary,” I muttered to myself. “This was necessary.”
In the cockpit, Tegan had already begun the preflight sequence, the ship’s engines humming to life beneath us.
“Cutting it close,” he remarked as I dropped into the copilot’s seat. “Getting cold feet about our passenger?”
“Focus on the mission.” I initiated the navigation system, plotting our course to Planet Alpha. “Fourteen hours, maximum thrust once we’re clear of Earth’s atmosphere.”
The ship vibrated as we lifted off, breaking through cloud cover and ascending rapidly toward the stars. Earth shrank beneath us, its blue-green surface obscured by swirling white clouds. Soon it was just another bright point against the black canvas of space.
“You know,” Tegan said, once we had settled into our flight path, “there were other options.”
I settled back in my seat, my eyes fixed on the viewport. “We’ve been over this. The algorithm?—”
“The algorithm gave us a list. You chose her.”
“She’s the best. Her success rate with complicated births is unmatched and her military experience with cyborg soldiers is essential.”
Tegan snorted. “I’m sure her file photo wasn’t a factor at all. Right?”
I ignored the jab. “Our people need this knowledge. Without proper obstetric care, the birth mortality rate on Planet Alpha will make sustainable population growth impossible.” I rubbed my temples, where a tension headache was forming. The pain and pleasure receptors activated during our reprogramming had made for quite the adjustment period. “Everything we fought for and everything we built this past year—it ends if we can’t reproduce successfully.”
“And hacking Earth’s medical databases was too risky.”
“CyberEvolution still has operatives embedded in Earth’s security networks. One wrong move, they trace us back to Planet Alpha, and it’s not just you and me at risk. It’s our entire race.” I closed my eyes, remembering the war in fragments. The cyborg soldiers programmed solely to kill the enemy with no conscious thought or free will. “We’re free now. Ever since the war ended and our reprogramming. I won’t risk that freedom.”
“So instead, we kidnap one human doctor,” Tegan retorted.
“One doctor with the exact knowledge and experience we need. One life disrupted instead of millions ended across the galaxies.”
Commander Helix’s face soon filled the ship’s screen, her features drawn tight with discomfort. Even through the grainy ship feed, I noticed the sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her pregnancy had advanced to the third trimester, her belly swollen beneath her tactical uniform.
“Status report, Commander Aeon,” she demanded, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “Is the doctor secure? Undamaged?”
“Dr. Parker is sedated and in perfect condition,” I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the twinge of unease her word choice triggered. Undamaged. Like Dr. Parker was equipment. “We’re approximately seven hours from Planet Alpha.”
Helix winced, one hand moving to cradle her abdomen. “The contractions have started. Nothing serious yet, I don’t think.”
“False labor,” I said automatically, my sparse medical programming supplying the term though I didn’t fully understand what it meant. “But without proper obstetric care?—”
“I’m well aware of our situation, Aeon.” Her voice cut through mine, sharp as a scalpel. “Three women have died in childbirth since we established the colony. Three women and five children who never drew breath.” Her eyes locked with mine through the screen. “I don’t intend to be the fourth.”
I straightened my posture. “You won’t be. We’ll be planet side in seven hours. Dr. Parker will be conscious shortly after arrival.”
“The council was thinking of preparing a welcome reception. They want to make our... guest... feel at home.”
“A reception might be premature,” I cautioned. “She’s been abducted against her will.”
Helix’s lips thinned. “Just get her here, Aeon. The future of our people depends on it.” The screen went black before I could respond.
I soon leaned back into my seat, fatigue washing over me. Tegan had taken the controls, allowing me a brief respite. Through the viewport, endless stars streaked past, each one a blazing reminder of how far we had come and how far we were taking Dr. Parker from her home.
I closed my eyes, but instead of darkness, I saw her face as I’d lifted her unconscious body from the van. The vulnerability there. The trust that she’d never have granted me had she been awake.
Could I have approached her differently? Perhaps a diplomatic mission, an invitation to visit Planet Alpha to assist a budding civilization? But what if she had refused? What if Earth’s authorities had been alerted? We couldn’t risk the colony’s location becoming known—not with CyberEvolution still possibly hunting rogue cyborgs.
Yet the weight of her small form in my arms haunted me. The softness of her hair against my fingers. The gentle rhythm of her breathing. She wasn’t just medical knowledge in human form. She was a person with a life I’d torn her from.
