“Talking to yourself, human?”
I spun around to find Lieutenant Tegan Rook standing there, his tall frame rigid with hostility. His lip curled as he looked me over.
“What’s the matter, Lieutenant? Worried I might be plotting something?” I challenged, suddenly tired of walking on eggshells.
“Your kind made us. Used us. Left us to die.” His eyes narrowed. “Now you’re infecting our leader with your... humanity.”
I stepped closer, anger flaring through me. “My kind includes people like Benjamin Reeves, who saved your collective asses when he could have turned you all in. He believed in you when nobody else did!”
“One aberration doesn’t redeem your species.”
“And your attitude doesn’t represent all cyborgs, either,” I shot back. “You think I don’t see the pain behind your anger? The fear?”
Tegan moved forward, looming over me. “You know nothing of?—”
“Back away from her. Now.” Aeon’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
He materialized beside me, his presence immediately changing the atmosphere. The fierce protectiveness in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.
“This isn’t your concern, Aeon,” Tegan growled.
“I’m making it my concern.” Aeon stepped between us, his shoulders squared. “You’ve made your position clear, Tegan. I respect your service to this colony, but if you come near Olivia again with this hostility, you and I will have a problem that won’t end well for you.”
Tegan’s jaw clenched, a muscle working in his cheek. After a tense moment, he backed away. “She’s clouding your judgment.”
“No,” Aeon said firmly. “She’s helping me see clearly for the first time.”
I watched Tegan retreat, his back rigid with defiance even as he obeyed Aeon’s command. My heart hammered, not from fear but resolution.
“Thank you,” I said to Aeon, “but I could’ve handled him.”
Aeon’s eyes softened as he looked at me. “I know you could have. That doesn’t mean you should have to.”
His protectiveness stirred something warm inside me. The fierce intensity that had blazed across his face when confronting Tegan was replaced by something gentler and more vulnerable. The contrast was captivating.
“Helix told me everything,” I said quietly. “About the war, the deactivation code... what Earth did to all of you.”
Pain flickered across his features before he masked it. “I wanted to tell you myself.”
“I understand now. Why you need me here.” I stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body. “And I’m staying for good. Not because I’m being forced to, but because I choose to help.”
His brow furrowed. “You’d been wanting to leave and missing Earth since you arrived.”
“That was before I knew the whole truth.” I reached out, tentatively placing my hand on his arm and feeling the muscle tense beneath my touch. “What your people need—it’s bigger than just delivering babies. You need someone who understands human physiology and emotions to help integrate that knowledge with your own programming.”
“You’d do that for us?” His voice was low and disbelieving. “After everything?”
“Ben saw what I couldn’t. That you are people—real people with hopes and fears and futures worth fighting for.” I squared my shoulders. “I’m going to expand the medical training program. Not just obstetrics, but comprehensive healthcare. I’ll teach your people everything I know about being human.”
Aeon’s expression shifted, his gaze intense enough to burn. “Olivia...”
“I’ve made my decision,” I interrupted, my voice firm. “I’m doing this. For Ben. For Helix and her baby. For all of you.”
He stepped forward, closing the distance between us until we stood chest to chest. His hand came up to cradle my face, surprisingly gentle for someone so powerful.
“For us?” he asked softly.
My heart skipped. “Yes. For us, too.”
