“You…speak the truth.” This time his deep, hoarse voice came out in Standard—the universal language spoken all across the system. Good, the Link was doing its job.
“I do.” Corinne nodded gravely. Through the Link, she could feel his skepticism melting. But there was still a stubborn core of anger and distrust in him.
I need to comfort him—to calm him down.
Gingerly, she put a hand on one of his broad shoulders. His whole big body was trembling with tension—the Neural Overload he’d experienced had traumatized him, even if he didn’t want to admit it. She felt a rush of pity that overcame any fear she might have had of the huge, deadly K-unit.
“It’s all right now—there’s no danger here,” she reassured him. “Calm…be calm.” She pushed calming emotions at him through the Link, trying to project a feeling of home and safety. “You’re going to be okay. I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Her words seemed to have an effect because some of his anger and suspicion seemed to melt.
“I am calm,” he stated in that deep voice of his.
“I feel that you are. Good.”
She found herself staring into his pale blue eyes. The irises were ringed in black, giving his gaze an intensity she’d never seen before. His cheekbones were high and he had a knife-blade nose and full, lush lips. His eyelashes were surprisingly long for a male’s.
He was quite handsome, she thought, in an old-fashioned kind of way. These days most people had body-mods or permanent facial tattoos or cloned parts—whatever was the latest fashion. The K-Unit’s features were classic and despite his cybernetic parts, he looked mostly unmodified.
“There is…no danger here?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“No danger,” Corinne assured him. She took a chance and stroked the shaggy dark hair away from his face gently, surprised at how much she wanted to touch him. She’d never had a Linking like this, but then, she had been a supervisor, not a Handler, for years.
The K-Unit allowed her touch without complaint. He cleared his throat.
“What…is this place?”
“You’re on a science station located in an asteroid orbiting the Inner Rings of Saturn,” she told him. “We’re a research facility. Nobody’s going to hurt you here. I won’t let them.” She pushed peace and calm and protection through their Neural Link. “It’s all right, K-Unit. You’re safe—you can relax.”
He didn’t relax fully but his broad shoulders lowered a few inches and the furrows in his forehead smoothed out. He remained kneeling in front of her and put one of his massive hands over hers. It was surprisingly warm despite the metal overlay.
“You are…very kind. And very beautiful…Mistress,” he rumbled. “You are an Elite—the Goddess must have sent you to guide me.”
Corinne’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She’d never gotten a compliment from a Cyborg before…and she’d never had one stare at her with such intensity either. He was looking at her like she was the only person in the whole universe. It made her a little uncomfortable but she continued to meet his gaze.
“Well, um…” She cleared her throat. “That’s very kind of you to say, K-Unit.”
“I am K-L-one-X,” he told her. He pointed at a tattoo she hadn’t noticed before, high on his right pectoral. Sure enough it read “K-L1X.”
“I see. And what does that stand for?” Corinne asked him.
His brow furrowed for a moment and she could feel him searching for the answer through their Link.
“Kindred…Lethality One…Experimental,” he said at last. “I was…the first one of my kind.” He looked around. “Unless there are others now?”
“We do have other Cyborg Units here, but none of them are quite like you,” Corinne assured him. “Look, K-L-one-X is kind of a mouthful. How about if I call you K-lx for short?” She pronounced it “Kay-lex,” hoping he would like the new name.
The Rogue K-Unit seemed to think for a minute, then nodded.
“Very well. I will accept this designation from you, Mistress. I am K-lx.”
“You don’t have to call me ‘Mistress’—my name is Corinne,” she said. “Dr. Corinne Virelle. I’m a scientist here on the station. I?—”
“You’re nothing but a cleaning tech!”
Dr. Silas Drex chose this moment to come scrambling out from under the desk he’d been cowering under. His narrow face was drawn and pinched and his nostrils were flared as he glared at Corinne and the K-Unit.
“Silas. So nice of you to join us,” she said dryly. “And you’re welcome—I’m sure you were about to thank me for saving your life.”
