“Look at you—what do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. “Fondling that thing. It trashed the lab and killed two techs and you’re petting it like it’s your new cyber-puppy!”
“I think I’m saving your ass,” Corrine snapped, but she pulled her hand away from the Cyborg’s face, feeling a rush of guilt. It was true—the first rule of being a Cyborg Handler was not to get too close physically with the Unit you were Handling. It was dangerous and could also lead to abuse. She didn’t know why she felt the urge to touch the big K-Unit.
“That thing is a killer!” Silas snarled, glaring at K-lx.
“K-lx wouldn’t have gone Rogue if you’d brought him out of Stasis properly and gradually. You’re the reason he trashed the lab and those two deaths can be laid at your door!” She nodded at the dead techs.
Silas puffed himself up, his face going red with rage.
“How dare you speak that way to me, Virelle? I outrank you—or have you forgotten? I’ll have you arrested and thrown in the brig! I’ll?—”
In a flash, K-lx was on his feet and glaring down at the angry scientist.
“Are you threatening my Mistress?” he growled, his eyes narrowing. “She is mine to protect! If you come near her, you will die!”
Silas paled and took a step back, nearly stumbling over the body of one of the dead techs. Clearly he had thought the big K-Unit was completely docile or he wouldn’t have dared to speak so rudely to Corinne. He hadn’t expected this flash of self-will from a Linked Cyborg. To be honest, neither had Corinne.
“I…you…you can’t keep him!” Silas snarled at her. “I’ll speak to the Company—the Chairman will have him destroyed!”
“You and I both know the Company never destroys anything of value!” she shot back. Taking a step forward, she put herself between the huge Cyborg and the angry scientist. “No doubt K-lx has a wealth of knowledge from the dawn of Cybernetics in his memories. They won’t let you touch him!”
“You can’t just have him!” Silas argued. “You’re not a Handler!”
“Now I am,” Corinne said calmly. “K-lx is under my protection. And if you have something to say about that, you can send a report to the Company Chairman. That’s what I’ll be doing,” she added. Then she looked up at the huge Cyborg, who was watching the back-and-forth between her and Silas with a tense expression on his face. “Come, K-lx—let’s get you cleaned up.”
The big K-Unit seemed willing to go with her, but he wasn’t quite finished with Silas yet. He pointed one metal finger at the scientist’s narrow face.
“Don’t ever threaten my Mistress again,” he rumbled. “Or you’re going to be fucking sorry!”
Then, to her surprise, he bent and swept Corinne into his arms.
“Oh!” she gasped, as he lifted her like she weighed no more than a pillow. “K-lx, you don’t have to do this. Put me down!”
“Negative. The human male poses a threat. I will keep you safe in my arms,” was his implacable reply.
Corinne thought about protesting further…but that would only make her look weak and Silas was watching them with his weasely little eyes.
“Fine,” she said at last. “You can carry me to my quarters. They’re at the end of the hall and down two flights.”
“Very well, Mistress.” K-lx carried her to the door of the lab. Jose must have been following their exchange, because it slid open smoothly to let them out.
Despite the fact that she was being carried like a child by the huge K-Unit, Corinne kept her head held high—it was important to project confidence, especially in a lab full of male scientists with big egos. But inside, her stomach was churning.
She had just acquired a new and very dangerous Cyborg Unit and she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do with him.
3
K-LX
K-lx could feel his new Mistress’s trepidation and he had a flash of remorse for the damage he had done to her lab. But those fuckers had been coming for him—he’d had to protect himself! And besides, this new world he found himself in was very different from the one he’d gone to sleep in.
The last thing he remembered was a lab down on Earth with large glass windows. Through them, he could see the rolling grasslands and beautiful green trees.
Here everything was sterile and barren. He had woken with strange humans prodding him and trying to dig into his memories. The feeling of being under attack by a hostile force had been too strong to deny and he had gone into action—trying to break free and get back to his ship…only there was no ship, he reminded himself.
The humans had reacted by trying to stun him into submission—which only made him fight harder. Nothing they shouted at him made any sense, either. It was as though the translation bacteria in his system couldn’t process their words. It wasn’t until he had allowed his new Mistress—Corinne, (which he grudgingly acknowledged was a lovely name)—to give him the communication jewel, that he could understand anything.
Thank the Goddess she had come to him. K-lx had known at once she was kind and trustworthy. He could smell it in her scent—which was muted, as though by sorrow, but still warm and arousing. He admired her long, wavy hair that looked dark brown until they passed under one of the overhead glows—then it lit up deep, wine red. And her curvy, Elite figure was incredibly fucking attractive. He enjoyed holding her in his arms as he walked down the long metal corridor.
