Read Online Captured by the Cyborg by Cara Bristol - Free Book Online
Authors: Cara Bristol
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position anyway! What kind of an idiot hired a job applicant who lied?
Nor could he leave it there. Oh no. He had proceeded to have sex with her. “Don’t fuck the staff.” Wasn’t that rule number one in any business?
Had her ex really attacked her or had she fabricated the tale to garner sympathy? He knew little of Faria society. Maybe they had some archaic, fundamentalist form of justice. An eye for an eye. A wing for a wing. She could be a criminal.
Her distress in the transport seemed so genuine.
However, she’d lied with a straight face at the interview. The only tell had been those flashes of luminosity.
He had a known liar working on sensitive projects. An employee who guarded as many secrets as she had access to. He should fire her, but morale and respect would plummet if word got out that they’d slept together. Had her section noticed the way he mooned over her? This is why fucking the staff is a bad idea.
From the stairwell outside his office wafted a song so pure and lovely, every hair on his body stood on end. His toes curled. Nanocytes vibrated. He’d never held with religion, but he could only compare the musical notes to the hallowed sound of an angel’s voice.
Impossible for a Terran to vocalize.
Was Illumina singing in Faria?
Dale bolted out of his seat and flung open the door. The passage was vacant.
Chapter Seven
Hold for the monthly reports , Charlie said.
One by one, status updates pinged into Dale’s head: the financials, shop safety stats, the production rotation, the spacecraft-delivery schedule, and personnel reports.
Got ’em. He opened and scanned the delivery document. Yep, Baby was on it, slated for Xenia in nine Terran solar days. Rather than send a pilot to deliver her, he would fly her himself so he could negotiate with the emperor for more ZX7Ms. Now that the bugs had been worked out, the manufacture of future ships ought to be smooth sailing.
I know you’ll go through the reports on your own, but I’ll highlight a few items .
His assistant was so efficient. Dale’s cyberbrain processed data quickly, but he relied on the human part to make judgments about that information. Charlie saved him time by handling a lot of the minor details himself.
Charlie continued, You’ll be pleased to note we have a delivery date for the ZX7M.
Saw that. I’m thrilled. I assume my schedule is open?
I cleared it.
Good job. Thank you. Oncehe’d feared Baby would never be ready to leave the nest. If not for Illumina, she likely wouldn’t have.
Forget her.
Come again? Charlie asked.
Crap. He’d transmitted the thought to Charlie’s computer. Nothing . He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Anyway, I also wanted to bring to your attention the employee leave report. The next staff shuttle departs next week.
Okay… His focus more on high level matters, he didn’t concern himself with R&R requests. He scanned the monthly summaries, but supervisors coordinated staffing in their respective areas. The only employees he had to manage were his direct reports: the supervisors and Charlie.
I put myself on the shuttle, pending your approval.
Already?He frowned. He didn’t begrudge Moonbeam workers time off, but routines had only returned to normal since Charlie’s last R&R . You just came back from leave, didn’t you? Three weeks and two days ago, his cyberbrain noted. The same day he’d interviewed Illumina, his human mind recalled. Dammit . He had to stop associating everything with her. Had to cease watching for a glimpse of her through the window. Quit letting her invade his thoughts. They’d slept together once. Done. Finished.
So why did he keep hoping she’d revisit the observatory? In granting her access, he’d also programmed the computer to notify him if she used the descender. She hadn’t been back since that night. They hadn’t spoken in the week since she’d slammed the lid on any future intimate encounters. Either she was avoiding him or she was damn
Nor could he leave it there. Oh no. He had proceeded to have sex with her. “Don’t fuck the staff.” Wasn’t that rule number one in any business?
Had her ex really attacked her or had she fabricated the tale to garner sympathy? He knew little of Faria society. Maybe they had some archaic, fundamentalist form of justice. An eye for an eye. A wing for a wing. She could be a criminal.
Her distress in the transport seemed so genuine.
However, she’d lied with a straight face at the interview. The only tell had been those flashes of luminosity.
He had a known liar working on sensitive projects. An employee who guarded as many secrets as she had access to. He should fire her, but morale and respect would plummet if word got out that they’d slept together. Had her section noticed the way he mooned over her? This is why fucking the staff is a bad idea.
From the stairwell outside his office wafted a song so pure and lovely, every hair on his body stood on end. His toes curled. Nanocytes vibrated. He’d never held with religion, but he could only compare the musical notes to the hallowed sound of an angel’s voice.
Impossible for a Terran to vocalize.
Was Illumina singing in Faria?
Dale bolted out of his seat and flung open the door. The passage was vacant.
Chapter Seven
Hold for the monthly reports , Charlie said.
One by one, status updates pinged into Dale’s head: the financials, shop safety stats, the production rotation, the spacecraft-delivery schedule, and personnel reports.
Got ’em. He opened and scanned the delivery document. Yep, Baby was on it, slated for Xenia in nine Terran solar days. Rather than send a pilot to deliver her, he would fly her himself so he could negotiate with the emperor for more ZX7Ms. Now that the bugs had been worked out, the manufacture of future ships ought to be smooth sailing.
I know you’ll go through the reports on your own, but I’ll highlight a few items .
His assistant was so efficient. Dale’s cyberbrain processed data quickly, but he relied on the human part to make judgments about that information. Charlie saved him time by handling a lot of the minor details himself.
Charlie continued, You’ll be pleased to note we have a delivery date for the ZX7M.
Saw that. I’m thrilled. I assume my schedule is open?
I cleared it.
Good job. Thank you. Oncehe’d feared Baby would never be ready to leave the nest. If not for Illumina, she likely wouldn’t have.
Forget her.
Come again? Charlie asked.
Crap. He’d transmitted the thought to Charlie’s computer. Nothing . He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Anyway, I also wanted to bring to your attention the employee leave report. The next staff shuttle departs next week.
Okay… His focus more on high level matters, he didn’t concern himself with R&R requests. He scanned the monthly summaries, but supervisors coordinated staffing in their respective areas. The only employees he had to manage were his direct reports: the supervisors and Charlie.
I put myself on the shuttle, pending your approval.
Already?He frowned. He didn’t begrudge Moonbeam workers time off, but routines had only returned to normal since Charlie’s last R&R . You just came back from leave, didn’t you? Three weeks and two days ago, his cyberbrain noted. The same day he’d interviewed Illumina, his human mind recalled. Dammit . He had to stop associating everything with her. Had to cease watching for a glimpse of her through the window. Quit letting her invade his thoughts. They’d slept together once. Done. Finished.
So why did he keep hoping she’d revisit the observatory? In granting her access, he’d also programmed the computer to notify him if she used the descender. She hadn’t been back since that night. They hadn’t spoken in the week since she’d slammed the lid on any future intimate encounters. Either she was avoiding him or she was damn
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