Read Online Her Cyborg Awakes (Diaspora Worlds) by Melisse Aires - Free Book Online

her face in one large hand, and his
mouth, open and hot, came down over hers. He crushed her against his chest,
firm hands sliding down her back to her bottom. Sweeping her up into his arms,
he carried her back to the bed. “Maybe we can help each other sleep.”
     
    The next day was busy, as she learned about
Katherine Hub’s docking procedures and practices. Sabralia was so thankful
she’d spent the weeks in transit learning how to do systems checks and pilot.
    Kaistril…she could see a difference. He didn’t
sleep, but often spent long moments just sitting and staring. His speech became
slower. Kaistril’s movements were jerky and hard to control. Sabralia cried,
quietly, in the bath, especially when she remembered how he’d run with her in his
arms, to safety. She wanted to just take him to the big bed and cuddle with
him, but there was too much to do.
    “Sabra, come put some data in for me, all right?”
    He was sitting at the com. She did what he asked.
    “Look.” Kaistril pointed out a screen with two
bright spots. “We’re being followed.”
    “Will they catch up with us?”
    “I don’t think so. Sirn does—did—have craft that
could jump and catch us, but no commander would send something like that after
us. They probably want the ship more than they want us. I doubt they know about
the film.” He stretched.
    “I’m functioning better than I thought I would. We
can wait until we get to the Hub to remove the appliances.” His speech was
labored, and he sat at the controls, looking tired and drawn. “It wouldn’t be a
great idea to go into the sleep tubes. They’d find us right away. Unless there
is a full power failure, we stay on course.”
    “How did they find us?”
    “I guess they figured we were on our way to
Katherine Hub. And they may not have sensed us yet, because of the chameleon
hull. I dumped sensors along the way so I would know if anyone was traveling
toward the hub.”
    Sabralia checked the monitors. “We’ll be at the
Hub in sixty-six hours.”
    “Hopefully I’ll be alert.”
     
    Kaistril was awake but slow to respond the rest of
the day.
    “Make cloak…men see you.”
    Her choice of clothing was her transparent dress
or the spacer knits with Alfyt’s jacket, both very revealing.
    “Right. I should make a cover up.”
    There was a tailoring device. She used it to turn
some of the bedding into a loose gown and cloak.
    “Are you coming to bed?” she asked as their sleep
cycle approached.
    Kaistril was at the com, running some type of
report.
    “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a little while.”
    Sabralia fell asleep waiting for him. She awoke
some hours later, still alone in the bed. She went out to see what Kaistril was
doing.
    He was at the com, but slumped to one side. He was
blinking rapidly.
    Something is wrong!
    “Kaistril. Kaistril are you all right?” He did not
respond.
    Oh no, oh no.  She adjusted his chair so he was
lying down. He felt hot. She ran to the lavatory for a wet cloth. She bathed
his face.
    His temperature was high, he was burning up.
“Kaistril, we should get you into the shower. Can you walk?”
    He did not respond. She tried to pull him up, but
could not get him out of the chair.
    The appliances had to come off. They couldn’t wait
two days—he could be dead in two days.      
    She tapped on the com until she found the file
Kaistril had saved, on removing the appliances. Her fingers shook as she tapped
the controls. She started to rush through the file, then stopped and took a
deep breath.
    Kaistril needed her to know how to do this
procedure to survive. She studied it for close to an hour, then assembled her
supplies. The ship’s medic kit was well stocked.
    “Kaistril, I’m going to give you a neurosed, so I
can take the appliances off. Can you swallow?”
    He did not respond.
    She tried giving him a sip of water. It dribbled
out.
    The medkit contained a synthesizer. She put the
neurosed in that and sprayed it up his nose.