Page 3 of Human Reclaimed (Cyborg Planet Alpha #2)

THREE

TALIA

I woke up with a gasp and sat straight up.

My head throbbed like I’d gone ten rounds with a bottle of cheap bourbon.

Sunlight shone brightly through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden patterns across a bed that definitely wasn’t mine.

The sheets were too soft and the mattress too perfect.

Even the air smelled wrong—cleaner, with hints of something sweet and unfamiliar.

“What the hell?” I turned my head to look around the room more, fighting waves of dizziness.

My last memory flashed like lightning—the veterans’ facility parking lot, the quick footsteps behind me, and the sting in my neck. And him. The man with those piercing blue eyes that had held mine as darkness claimed me.

The room around me looked like a cross between a luxury hotel suite and a medical recovery room, though suspiciously devoid of actual medical equipment.

Cream-colored walls, soothing artwork depicting landscapes I didn’t recognize, and a comfortable armchair positioned perfectly beside a small table.

Nothing clinical except the subtle scent of antiseptic beneath the floral notes.

I swung my legs over the bed’s edge and stood, swaying slightly. Someone had changed me into perfectly fitting beige tactical pants and a white T-shirt. The thought of strange hands on my unconscious body made my skin crawl.

“Bastards,” I muttered, bracing myself against the wall.

The windows drew me forward like a magnet. What I saw beyond the glass stole my breath completely.

It wasn’t Buffalo, New York. It wasn’t anywhere on Earth.

A vibrant settlement sprawled before me, buildings constructed of materials I couldn’t identify nestled between towering trees with violet-tinged foliage.

The architecture seemed both primitive and advanced—stone and wood merged seamlessly with metal technology that gleamed in the morning light.

In the central plaza outside, people moved about their day with casual normalcy.

Humans. And cyborgs. Together.

I pressed my palm against the cool glass, watching a cyborg male—recognizable by his slightly distinctive movements despite his human appearance—hand something to a laughing human woman.

They chatted like old friends without the tension that had always existed back home on Earth before or during the war.

“That’s not possible,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Where the hell am I?”

The sky above answered my question. Twin suns hung in a pale turquoise expanse, one larger and golden, the other smaller with a reddish tinge. Not Earth’s sky. Not Earth’s sun.

Not Earth at all.

“No, no, no.” Cold dread slithered down my spine. “This can’t be happening.”

I yanked my gaze from the impossible view and rushed to the door, my military training kicking in. Escape first, process the trauma later. The handle turned smoothly in my grip—but the door didn’t budge. Locked from the outside.

“Hey!” I pounded my fist against the door. “Let me out of here! Now!”

My voice echoed back at me, mockingly empty. Desperation clawed at my chest as I tried again, throwing my shoulder against the solid wood. Pain lanced through me, but the door remained unmoved.

“Dammit!” I kicked the door, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my bare foot.

I limped back to the windows, forcing myself to look out again. The scene outside hadn’t changed—humans and cyborgs coexisting peacefully in this alien jungle city. It defied everything I’d known during the war about the cold, calculating nature of CyberEvolution’s creations.

But that man who’d taken me last night… he hadn’t been cold.

His touch had been careful, almost gentle, even as he and his companion rendered me unconscious.

My captor with intense blue eyes that seemed to see right through me.

Definitely a cyborg, but something had been different about him. Something almost… human.

“Get it together, Reed,” I scolded myself.

I pressed my forehead against the glass, trying to organize my thoughts. Different planet. Locked room. Abducted by cyborgs.

“But why me?” I whispered, watching two small children—human and cyborg—play with each other in the plaza. “What could they possibly want with a discharged army strategist turned volunteer for veterans?”

The puzzle pieces refused to fit together.

Whatever was happening here—this peaceful coexistence—contradicted everything Earth had told us about cyborgs.

Which meant someone had lied. And given my discoveries about CyberEvolution before my discharge, I had a sinking feeling about which side that might be.

I backed away from the windows, a new determination hardening inside me. Someone had gone to considerable trouble to bring me here. Soon enough, they’d come to tell me why. And when they did, Captain Talia Reed would be ready with a fierce determination for answers.

I turned and began a systematic search of the room, my bare feet silent on the polished floor.

Years of army training had taught me to evaluate any space for tactical advantages.

This place—whatever it was—looked more like a medical recovery room than anything else.

I might find something useful in here, maybe something I could use as a weapon.

The door was solid and clearly locked from the outside. The windows were seamless and, upon closer inspection, made of something far stronger than glass. I tapped it with my knuckle, hearing the dense thunk that suggested bulletproof or similar material.

“Standard protection protocols,” I muttered, running my fingers along the window frame. “They know what they’re doing.”

I checked under the bed, inside the small adjoining bathroom, and behind the minimalist artwork on the walls. Nothing useful yet—until my eyes caught an unusual glint in the far corner of the room, half-hidden beneath the edge of a sleek cabinet.

Dropping to my knees, I reached under and extracted a small medical scalpel. About three inches long with a wickedly sharp blade, I knew that kind of tool would never be intentionally left in a prisoner’s room.

“Well, hello there,” I whispered, carefully testing its edge with my thumb. “Someone made a mistake.”

I quickly tucked the scalpel into the pocket of my tactical pants just as I heard the electronic beep of the door lock disengaging. In one fluid motion, I was back on my feet, positioning myself against the wall with a clear view of both entrance and windows.

The door swung open to reveal a woman with warm green eyes and shoulder-length brown wavy hair.

She was petite but moved with a confident grace that spoke of someone comfortable in her own skin.

In her hands, she balanced a tray carrying several bowls of what appeared to be food—strange-looking fruits in vibrant purples and blues alongside something steaming that smelled impossibly delicious.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile that reached her eyes. “I’m Olivia. I brought you some breakfast.”

I remained against the wall, watchful of her movements. “Where am I? And why am I here?”

Olivia set the tray down on the small table and gestured toward it. “You should really eat something first. The sedative they used to bring you here can leave you nauseated and weak. Trust me. I know the feeling.”

That caught my attention immediately. “You know the feeling? So you’re a prisoner, too?”

A complicated expression crossed her face—something between amusement and remembrance. “No. Look, I understand what you’re going through. The shock, the anger, and the desperate need to make sense of everything.”

My fingers brushed against the hidden scalpel in my pocket for reassurance. “So you were kidnapped, too? From Earth?”

“You should really eat.” She pushed the tray closer to me. “The blue fruit? It tastes like a cross between a mango and blueberries. The protein portion will help clear your head.”

I took a tentative step forward, my hunger suddenly making itself known. “If you understand what I’m going through, give me answers. Why am I here? What is this place?”

“Rune will be here shortly to brief you on all the details regarding the mission.” Olivia adjusted something on my breakfast tray, not quite meeting my eyes.

“Mission?” I barked out a harsh laugh. “What mission? I didn’t sign up for anything.”

Olivia glanced at the sleek device on her wrist—something like a watch but clearly more advanced. “I’m sorry. I really need to get to another patient. The medical bay has been busy today.”

“Patient? So you’re a doctor?” The pieces began shifting in my mind. “Is that why I’m in here? Am I sick? Injured?”

“You’re perfectly healthy, just recovering from transport.” She moved toward the door. “You’re in the medical bay because it’s the most secure facility we have here, and Rune wanted to ensure you were comfortable when you woke up.”

“Who’s Rune?” I stepped forward, desperation leaking into my voice. “And why does he care about my comfort after having me kidnapped?”

Olivia paused at the doorway, her expression softening. “He’s… complicated. But he’s not what you might think.” She touched a panel beside the door. “Eat your food, Talia. You’ll need your strength for the conversation to come.”

The door closed behind her with a soft click as the lock engaged, leaving me alone with more questions than answers. I stared at the mysterious food, my stomach growling despite my suspicion of this place and these people.

“Medical bay. Mission. Rune.” I picked up a piece of the blue fruit, turning it over in my fingers. “What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?”