Read Online Deadly Betrayal by Maria Hammarblad - Free Book Online Page B

because I felt obliged to than because I wanted to see.
    “I don’t remember it looking like that.”
    The circuits were charred, as if he’d had a blaze in his head. Some appeared to have melted.
    He said he had reached the limit of self-repairs and needed replacement circuits. It must have been the understatement of the century.
    “That’s because it has never looked like this.”
    John grimaced and attached the cord. Then, he pulled Adam’s shirt up, opened a hatch on his hip I didn’t know existed, and attached a multimeter.
    “Only one power cell still works and it’s down to three percent. I can replace these, but we’re not equipped to handle the other damage. It will require a lot of work and a lot of parts.”
    “I wonder why Debana didn’t do something about it.”
    “She’s a great chemist. I doubt she knows much about cybernetics.”
    Fair enough.
    Staring at Adam’s open head made the components blur together.
    John’s hands squeezed my shoulders. “You’re pale. Sit down.”
    “It makes sense.”
    “I know, or I wouldn’t tell you to do it. Sit.”
    Stop messing with me.
    “No… I mean, when we met, Adam made me a part of his base programming.”
    John pushed me down on the chair. “His prime directive would have been to reach you. That explains why he didn’t bother with anyone on the Bell.”
    When everything else fell apart, getting to me would have been the only thing important to him. He would have searched for me until he succeeded or died trying. I decided to believe him just in time.
    John grabbed a handful of fresh power cells and pressed them into slots in Adam’s side.
    “They look so small. Are you sure they’re sufficient?”
    “For him, normal use, these could last a thousand years. They’re made to be backup power for starships.”
    Please, please, please let him wake up and be okay.
    It would be too horrible if he made it this far and died on the finish line.
    Adam’s eyes popped open seconds after attaching the new power source. He blinked and looked around. “My processes were unexpectedly terminated due to a malfunction in my power grid.”
    John stifled laughter into a cough. “We know, son. I’ll be right back. Don’t touch that cord. Both of you.”
    As soon as the door closed behind John, Adam said, “I’m sorry if I scared you. I thought I would have time to recharge. I miscalculated.”
    Miscalculated.
    He had never miscalculated anything in his life.
    On the other hand, his head had never been a charred mess before either. Was this equivalent to a human with brain damage?
    “Scared me? I thought you died. Again.”
    He didn’t answer.
    “Is that why you missed the dinner too?”
    “Yes. My remaining power cell glitched. You were gone when I woke up.”
    It was a miracle he woke up at all. He could have died right there and I would never have known.
    He must have had opportunities to replace the cells along the way, but as long as he thought he could keep going it wouldn’t have been a priority.
    John returned with an apologetic look on his face. “I thought I had some parts, but we must have used them for something.”
    His ship had been through a lot just during the few years I’d known him.
    Adam looked at his fingers and waited in silence as John unplugged him from the computer. He fulfilled his mission and reached me, and now he probably didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
    “I am currently operating on twenty-eight percent of optimal capability.”
    Better than zero percent, but definitely not good.
    John sighed. “I’m starving. Let’s go have breakfast.”
    “I like making breakfast. Can I make breakfast for you?”
    I hadn’t expected him to have an opinion on food, particularly not one that was adorable. I reached out my hand to him.
    “I think we would both like that very much. Let’s do it together.”
     
    *****
     
    Breakfast was always one of my favorite times a day.
    Breakfast with John was great, because he was