Orphaned Warrior (Dragon Spawn Chronicles Book 5), page 19
“But what if it does?” Jori said. “How do you know you’re still you? How do you know it didn’t change you in such a profound way that you lost your soul?”
The boy might be on to something. Zaina’s viewpoint shifted. “Yes, that.”
The doctor planted her hands on her hips. “So you think I’m less than human?”
Guilt budded in Zaina’s gut while Jori darkened. “I don’t know what you are,” he said.
“I’ll tell you what I am.” The doctor’s face tightened. “I’m a person with thoughts and feelings. Just because I’ve improved myself doesn’t mean I’m inferior. If anything, I’m better.”
Jori growled in frustration. “It’s not that I think you should be treated like you’re less than human. It’s that something is off. I’ve always sensed a lifeforce from every living thing… That is, until I met MEGAs. Not all MEGAs, just some—the ones with brain augmentations.”
Zaina recalled what Jori had said about plants. If it was true, then flora was more alive than some cyborgs.
Doctor Claessen resumed her calm, almost as though she’d flipped a switch. “I assure you, I’m still me.”
Jori’s brows folded into a plea. “But what is it that makes you who you are? Your brain, right? If you mess with it, you might be altering things that weren’t meant to be altered.”
Zaina glanced back and forth between the two of them. Both arguments had merit. But even though the doctor seemed normal to her, Jori’s sensing ability allowed him to see something different. Could he actually detect the soul?
She regarded those around her. The medical facility was as busy as usual. A few people sat or stood at workstations. Some worked in the lab. And others simply passed through. It came across as typical until she realized everyone operated both independently and coherently at the same time—like parts in machines. Suddenly, the name cyborium didn’t sound so odd.
Her head spun with the implications. “If I put something in that downplays my emotions, what about my compassion? I care about people. I enjoy caring for them. Would I care less?”
The doctor held out her hand. When Zaina took it, the woman squeezed gently. “I still care about people, but I no longer agonize over them. There’s a difference. Wanting to help people doesn’t mean I carry their weight for them.”
Oh God. That makes sense too.
The thunder in Jori’s eyes reflected his disagreement. His fists clenched at his sides. “This is what Vance wants done to me. He said I needed a chip inserted to curb my fears.” His face twisted in disgust.
“Is that true?” Zaina asked the doctor.
“Of course,” she replied. “But only when the young man says he’s ready.”
Zaina pulled back. Stephen had mentioned that a person should be willing, but she doubted Vance would let Jori have a choice. And if Vance threatened her life to get him to obey, then he might agree.
“If he consents right now, you’d do it?” The thought of him getting a brain implant horrified her. For herself, her hope of being better had outweighed her sense. But applying the consequences to someone else… This was madness.
“Yes. This is one of our missions,” the doctor replied.
A fire burst inside her. “Are you crazy? Even if he agrees, he’s a child! Doing such a thing at his age is unethical.”
The doctor straightened as though finally getting it. “Yes, I see. It would be unethical—”
“Damn right it is.”
“—but MEGA-Man has his reasons.”
“I don’t give a crap about his reasons. There is no excuse.”
“It’s for the best.” Doctor Claessen rested her hand on Zaina’s shoulder like a friend.
Zaina jerked back. “I understand Jori now. No way in hell will I get that procedure done.”
The doctor’s jaw twitched. “The boy is wrong. I’m quite human and perfectly capable of making logical decisions.”
“That’s just it. Logical is not the same thing as ethical. Something has warped your values. Not only you. This Vance guy. And whoever the heck this MEGA-Man is. It’s immoral to alter children. Period.”
Doctor Classen clicked her tongue. “You’re not seeing the bigger picture.”
Zaina’s jaw dropped. This was unbelievable. How could she respond to such an unwavering line of reasoning? “Jori’s right. You people have no soul.”
The doctor’s face turned as red as her hair. “How dare—”
“I agree,” a booming voice interrupted. Doctor Stephen Stenson glowered as he approached. Somehow, his kindness still showed through. “Humanity is truly lost when you rationalize hurting and augmenting children.”
“Yes, Doctor,” Doctor Claessen said with attitude. “We are all aware of your unwillingness to evolve.”
“Call it what you will,” Doctor Stenson replied. “I’ve seen what your evolution has done to my wife.”
Doctor Claessen jutted her chin. “It’s her own fault for resisting.”
Stephen’s face turned purple. “She resisted because she knew the procedure wasn’t perfected. It’s still not, yet you insist on clinging to this farce of an evolution.”
Zaina shivered.
Doctor Claessen huffed. “It’s not a farce. I’m living proof of evolution.”
Stephen didn’t respond. She lifted her nose as though she’d won the argument and sauntered out.
Doctor Stenson scowled at her back. “That woman has no idea how cold she’s become,” he mumbled. He faced Zaina and filled his lungs. “Sorry about that.”
Zaina swallowed. “I almost agreed to an emotion chip.”
His eyes grew in dismay, but Blakesley sweeping in interrupted any response he had lined up. “My dear!” he said, concern laced through his tone.
Jori scowled at him. Zaina related with his annoyance. Although she couldn’t read emotions the way he could, she’d picked up on Blakesley’s impatience. The more she resisted his charms, the more fake his endearing words seemed. She suspected her continuous medical problems had a little to do with it too. People who didn’t understand how debilitating depression and anxiety could be often had no patience for it.
Rodrigo trailed in after, bowing and smiling along the way. It was good to see the young man but the sour twist to Blakesley’s mouth told her something else was afoot.
She dropped her head in her palm. God, please don’t let it be more drama. I can’t take much more of this.
*****
Major Abelard Blakesley suppressed his exasperation and wore concern instead. Ignoring the dirty look from Jori, he grasped Zaina’s hand and brought it to his lips. “You poor thing. I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well again.”
She pulled her hand away and made a smile that held no warmth. “Not again. I’m stressed for the same reasons as before—I’m a prisoner and I’m helpless to do anything to stop your boss from harassing my young friend here.”
Jori inched closer to her and folded his arms. Blakesley ignored him and put on a hurt expression. “I understand. I do. Which is why…” He leaned in so Rigo wouldn’t hear. “… I’ll help you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How?”
He glanced sideways at Rodrigo. “I’ll tell you later. For now, I think Rigo has a surprise for you.” He tried to appear positive but hadn’t yet been told what this surprise was.
“For Jori. For Jori.” Rigo bounced up and down on his toes. “But you may like it too.”
“What is it?” Zaina asked, her mouth open in eager anticipation.
“I’m getting enhancements!”
“What?” Blakesley cried out at the same time as Jori and Zaina.
“It’s true. It’s true.” The idiot bobbed and a stupid grin split his face. “I want to show you how awesome it is to be a MEGA.”
“No,” Zaina whispered. She shot a glare at Blakesley. “No!”
Blakesley’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t know what it was. I thought he wanted to help you.”
His words fell on deaf ears as Jori and Zaina pleaded with Rigo to not go through with it. But being the fool that he was, Rodrigo insisted they’d be pleased.
“I have another surprise,” the mouse said. Blakesley and the others glowered. Rigo’s giddiness remained, though. “I’m using your DNA.”
The outrage on Jori’s face was priceless. His brows furrowed over darkening wide eyes and he bared his teeth.
“A tribute, ya know,” Rodrigo continued, oblivious.
Although Jori’s swelling horror meant he might agree to stop Vance, Blakesley realized he was losing Zaina’s trust. He grasped Rigo’s upper arm and pulled him over to him. “Are you mad? They’re right. You can’t do this.”
“I must. I must. Surely you understand. You’re one of us.”
“I only have a communication chip. No other.”
“But you don’t need others. You’re a genius.”
Blakesley smacked his hand over his face. There was no getting through to this man. He shook his head and caught Zaina’s eye. The approval in them gave him hope. If he kept taking her side, maybe she’d finally let him have a taste. That’s all he needed. Just one night of adventure under the sheets and her pleading for more. Any more than that and her pathetic emotions would drive him to insanity.
The former thought heated his core and spread throughout his body. He took her arm in his and whispered in her ear. “I’ll see what I can do to stop this.”
She rested her hand over his. It was cold, but her touch electrified him.
If only I actually had the power to stop it.
33 – Exams
An exhilarating surge of euphoria surged through Jori as the complexity of the problem unraveled in his mind. He leaned toward the screen. His eyes dried, reminding him to blink. As far as tests went, this was fun. He loved solving puzzles.
Only, he had a difficult time concentrating. One moment, he’d get immersed in working out a solution. The next, his thoughts shifted to Doctor Claessen or Rodrigo. He replayed both conversations over and over. His cheeks flushed with shame regarding his words to Claessen. He was right to warn her about diminished lifeforces, but regretted how he’d implied she was less than human. His heart told him something was off in those who chose certain brain augmentations, but who was he to decide?
From there, his thoughts drifted to Rodrigo. No matter how bad he felt about hurting Doctor Claessen’s feelings, his temper flared at how Rigo would use his DNA to augment himself. The man was a complete idiot. He needed a boost to his brainpower, but who would he be when it was done? Would he still be Rodrigo, or would he be some freak Rigo-Jori hybrid?
He shook his head, trying to dispel the thought, then forced himself to focus on the examination. Even though all the options for this multiple-choice question had merit, only one adequately solved the problem. He embraced the euphoria that came with knowing the answer and typed it into the console.
Next was a short-answer coding question requiring a mathematical computation. Math was easy for him as well, but sometimes converting a formula into a format the computer understood took a little finagling. He figured out the hardest part first. The rest came together almost instantly. An unbidden grin spread across his face.
The next problem seemed complicated, but Jori broke it down with ease. He tapped the console with an eager energy. The questions kept coming and he continued answering.
The programming test lasted another hour. His dry eyes and achy muscles forced him to stop and stretch. Vance entered the study room, catching him in the awkward position of touching his toes. He snapped upright and faced the man with a stiff military stance. Vance leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. The glee in his eyes made Jori squirm.
“Had enough?” Vance said.
“Just taking a break.”
“Hmm. You’re good at coding.”
“Yes,” Jori replied, unsure if he should offer more. Tiptoeing around Vance had become second nature. He still hadn’t figured out what would set him off.
“Can you program bots?”
“Yes.” One of the lower-caste workers had taught him. Sometimes when he was supposed to be training with Hideji, he’d sneak off and learn more about repairing machines. One time, he’d given a bot instructions to set off the fire suppression system in Hideji’s dojo. To keep from being implicated, Jori had timed it to occur just before his arrival to class. Hideji had stormed from the room, spewing a string of curses.
Unfortunately, Jori’s attempt to avoid being blamed had caused several of the workers to be punished. Hideji was a vindictive chima, but Jori didn’t hate him nearly as much as he hated Vance.
“Good. I have a job for you.”
“Job?”
“My people are busy. I need someone to keep up with service and maintenance bot repairs.”
Jori hid his eagerness. Not only would it alleviate the boredom of this ship, but it’d also present some opportunities. Setting off the fire suppression system in Vance’s quarters would be a glorious prank. But if he was going to punish this chima, he’d do something far more drastic—something that would keep the man from hurting anyone ever again.
What if this was another setup, though?
“Oh, yes. I’ll be watching you,” Vance said. “There’s nothing you can do that I won’t see.”
Jori bit the inside of his cheek. Damn it. Although Vance’s expression seemed open to the challenge, Jori worried about the risks of playing this game. He shoved down his fear and vowed to find a way to outsmart the psychopath.
*****
Major Abelard Blakesley’s heart skipped as he held Zaina’s hand. She’d decided to give him another chance. He caressed the top of her hand with his thumb and fell into the loveliness of her brown eyes.
They sat at a small round table in the same lounge he’d been in the day before. The furniture didn’t seem so drab now. Neutral colors dominated the fabric of the couch and chairs, but the intricacy of the swirled patterns was actually rather striking. Even the items in the display cabinet seemed to have more life in them than they did before. He appreciated the grey stone carving depicting a lively scene of ancient Earth people dancing. Beside it, a marble statue of a bird had its wings outstretched and its beak open as though in song. The detail of its feathers was amazing. And the woman in the ivory carved relief had Zaina’s smile.
He was giddy that she’d agreed to see him. But her terms came with a stipulation—his actions must put truth to his words before she’d be convinced. This was the other reason for the erratic trembling of his heart.
He had a plan and part of it was in motion at this very moment. Although he worried Vance might foresee it, he kept reminding himself the man was too busy watching Jori to care what he was up to. Plus Vance believed he’d been cowed. The five-day limit tying the decision to the act also worked in his favor. Then again, a myriad of other confusing factors played into those premonition skills. Doubt crept in as his thoughts spiraled.
To hell with it. He had to take a chance. So long as he remained under Vance’s thumb, his life would be miserable. He needed him gone and he needed this beautiful woman in his bed. Never mind that she teased him with her manipulative coyness. He’d earn her affections, then leave her wanting more.
“We’ll be visiting an asteroid soon,” he said, taking in her fragrant scent as he leaned in. “There’s a base there run by an unaffiliated agency. By unaffiliated, I mean it’s not MEGA or anti-MEGA. Nor is it associated with any specific nationality.”
Her eyes lit up and her mouth parted in a way that made him want to kiss her, but he refrained. The expression was one of hope, not longing. Although she had warmed up to him, he wanted her hot.
“This could be an opportunity,” he said.
“You think they’ll take us in?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll convince them. Vance is the one who’ll conduct business, and they’ll see him for what he is.”
She made a face that marred her features. “I certainly get that. The man gives me the creeps. But will it be enough? Doesn’t this ship have weaponry? Won’t Vance want to fight them to get Jori back?”
“I’ve got a plan to disable them,” he lied. No way would a fervently neutral base take in some random woman and child. But she didn’t need to know that. “Besides, the station has defenses of its own. Sophisticated ones at that. After all, being neutral means they don’t have the protection of a planet.”
Her eyes beheld him with gratitude. “How will we get there?”
He tightened his grip on her hand and put on a pained expression. “You’re not going to like this, but Vance will want Jori to accompany him to the station.”
Zaina pulled back but fortunately didn’t take her hand away. “You’re right. I don’t like it.”
“It can’t be helped, I’m afraid. But this will actually make your escape easier.”
“My escape or our escape?” she asked.
“Both. Think about it. Vance doesn’t believe Jori would leave without you and he’ll never expect you to figure out how to get away on your own.”
“How will I do it?”
“Our reason for visiting the base is to trade goods. You’ll hide in one of the crates that we’ll send out.”
“And how will Jori break free? Doesn’t Vance have a way to foresee him making the attempt?”
He explained what the boy would need to do and repeated the five-day rule. “Vance will never see it coming.” He wanted to gloat over the cleverness of the plan. So why was she still hesitant?
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I don’t like him going off alone.”
He squeezed her hand. “You must be strong, dear. For the boy’s sake. This is your best chance. I don’t expect another opportunity for quite a while.”
She chewed the nails on her other hand. He pulled her close and leaned in, making an expression that conveyed the urgency of the situation. “The sooner you two get away, the better. There’s no telling what other things Vance has in store for that boy.”
She met his eyes with her brows curled inward. “You’re right. So what’s next?”
“Give Jori the plan. In the meantime, I’ll set up a way to deactivate the weapons, figure out how to get you into a crate, and contact the base to arrange for them to take you two in.”
