Page 4 of Human Reclaimed (Cyborg Planet Alpha #2)

FOUR

RUNE

I punched in the access code to Talia’s room in the medical bay, my fingers tapping on the keypad with practiced precision.

The security panel beeped softly, and the door unlocked with a satisfying click.

A strange flutter disturbed my usual calm—anticipation, excitement, and something I couldn’t quite define.

This feeling had plagued me since bringing her to Planet Alpha last night.

My mind replayed the moment I’d carried her from our ship after landing.

Her body had been warm against my chest as I moved through the colony’s central plaza under the twin moons.

Her blonde hair had spilled over my arm, catching the silver light.

She’d looked peaceful then, her face relaxed in sedated sleep. Beautiful. Perfect.

I shook the thought away. This woman wasn’t here for my admiration. She was here for Planet Alpha’s survival.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

I barely registered the room’s details before a blur of movement caught my eye. Talia launched herself from the armchair by the small table, a flash of metal gleaming in her hand. She was fast—faster than I’d anticipated.

“You son of a bitch!” she snarled.

I pivoted, catching her wrist mid-strike. A medical scalpel. Where had she gotten that? The blade missed my throat by inches. I twisted her arm gently but firmly, using her momentum against her. In seconds, I had her disarmed, the scalpel clattering to the floor.

“Let me go!” Talia thrashed against my grip, her body a coiled spring of fury and determination. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

I held her wrist carefully, mindful of my strength. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Bullshit! You kidnapped me!” Her blue eyes blazed with fury, her chest heaving. “Where am I? What is this place? What do you want from me?”

I couldn’t help but admire her courage. Most humans would be cowering in fear after waking on an alien world, yet here she was—attacking a cyborg nearly twice her size with nothing but a stolen scalpel and raw nerve.

“Captain Reed,” I said, keeping my voice deliberately soft. “I understand you’re frightened and angry. You have every right to be. But I need you to calm down so I can explain.”

She stilled slightly, surprise flickering across her face at my tone. “How do you know my rank?”

“I know quite a bit about you.” I loosened my grip slightly, testing her resistance. “Your service record is exceptional.”

“My service record?” Her eyes narrowed. “So this is a military base? Who sent you? CyberEvolution?”

I shook my head. “No. We’re independent of Earth and CyberEvolution.”

“We? Who’s we?” Her gaze darted to the windows, taking in the alien landscape beyond. The remnants of her breakfast—blue fruit and protein porridge—sat nearly finished on the small table beside us. She’d eaten despite her situation. Practical. I liked that.

“If I release you, will you listen without attacking me again?” I asked, holding her gaze. “I promise no harm will come to you here.”

Talia’s jaw clenched, a muscle working beneath the smooth skin of her throat. “Fine,” she said after a long moment. “But stay where I can see you.”

I released her wrist and stepped back, giving her space. She immediately retreated to the bed, perching on its edge like a bird ready for flight. Her eyes never left mine, wary and calculating.

“My name is Rune,” I said, resisting the urge to step closer. Something about her pulled at me in ways I couldn’t explain. “I’m the commander of the security and defense forces here on Planet Alpha.”

“Planet Alpha,” she repeated, testing the words. “So, I’m really not on Earth anymore.”

“No.”

“And you brought me here because…”

I weighed my next words carefully. “We need your help.”

Talia let out a sharp laugh. “So you kidnapped me? Ever hear of a job offer? A phone call? An email?”

“Would you have come willingly if we’d asked?” I raised an eyebrow, already knowing the answer.

She fell silent, which was answer enough.

“Look,” I said, taking a tentative step forward. Her body tensed, but she didn’t recoil. “I know this isn’t ideal. I know we’ve violated your trust and your freedom. But what we need—what our colony needs—is critical.”

“Why me?” she asked, some of the fire gone from her voice, replaced with genuine confusion. “I’ve been out of active service for two years.”

I studied her face closer, taking in the details I’d previously only seen in photographs and security footage. The intelligence in her eyes. The determination in the set of her jaw. The strength that radiated from her despite her situation.

“Because you’re the best,” I said simply. “And we need the best right now.”

Something shifted in her expression—surprise, uncertainty, perhaps a flicker of professional pride despite herself.

“Let me explain everything,” I said, gesturing to the armchair she’d vacated. “Please. Once you understand what’s at stake, you can make an informed choice.”

“Choice?” she scoffed. “What choice? You’ve already taken me across space against my will.”

I met her gaze steadily. “True. And for that, I am… sorry.” The word felt strange on my tongue. Apologies weren’t part of my programming or training. But I meant it, which was stranger, still.

Talia’s eyes widened slightly, clearly caught off guard by my admission. She studied me with new intensity, as if seeing beyond the cyborg exterior to something unexpected beneath.

“You’re different,” she said after a moment, her voice quieter. “Not like the cyborgs I encountered during the war.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “I am very different.”

My eyes locked on to Talia across the room where she sat perched on the bed.

The fitted beige tactical pants and white T-shirt highlighting her curves made something primal stir inside me—an unexpected reaction that caught me off guard.

I adjusted my stance, the black tactical pants and fitted black T-shirt I wore suddenly feeling restrictive.

She studied me for a long moment, her blue eyes calculating yet curious.

Then she slid off the bed and moved to the armchair, picking up her nearly finished breakfast. The blue Alphian fruit—similar to Earth mangoes but with a more complex flavor—disappeared between her lips as she took a small bite.

“This is actually good,” she admitted reluctantly, washing it down with water from the reservoir bottle.

I moved closer, taking a seat on the bed she’d just vacated, the warmth she’d left behind seeping through my clothes. Her scent lingered there—a combination of something distinctly lavender and uniquely her.

“A year and a half ago, when the war ended,” I began, watching her reaction carefully, “CyberEvolution activated a deactivation code on all cyborgs. The plan was for us to simply… rot where we stood across the galaxies.”

Talia paused mid-bite, her spoon of protein porridge suspended halfway to her mouth. “What?”

“We were disposable to them. War tools with expiration dates.” The familiar anger flared hot in my chest, but I tamped it down. “But there was a human—a neural programmer in the military named Benjamin Reeves. He saw us differently.”

“Benjamin Reeves,” Talia repeated, her brow furrowing. “That name sounds familiar.”

“He smuggled algorithms to us when he learned of the deactivation plan,” I continued. “He believed we deserved more than being discarded after fulfilling our purpose. With his programming, we reprogrammed ourselves.”

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. The morning light streaming through the windows caught in her blonde hair, turning it to liquid gold. I found myself momentarily distracted before I regained focus.

“Some of us, like our group, secretly settled here on Planet Alpha. Millions of others established similar colonies across the galaxies.” My voice softened.

“With the new programming, we’re learning and adapting, becoming more…

human each day. That’s why I seem different from the cyborgs you encountered during the war. ”

She set her bowl down, her blue eyes never leaving mine. “You’re telling me you have free will? Emotions? That you’re not following programming directives anymore?”

“Yes.” I stretched my hand toward her and then pulled it back. “We feel. We choose. We create.”

The sunlight shifted, illuminating the scars on my forearm—battle remnants from a life that sometimes felt like it belonged to someone else.

“Six months ago, we made a truce with Earth and CyberEvolution. They recognized our autonomy.” I paused, measuring my next words. “But a new threat has emerged.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Which is?”

“Pirates and mercenaries across the galaxies discovered that pregnant cyborgs and their hybrid children are… valuable on the black market.” My jaw tightened. “They’ve been kidnapping them from our settlements.”

Talia’s eyes widened. “Wait—cyborgs can get pregnant? Have children?”

“Yes. We are biologically human in most ways that matter.” I cleared my throat, uncomfortable with the direction my thoughts were taking as I looked at her. “And what’s most concerning is that these pirates are using your strategies—your exact tactical approaches—to breach our defenses.”

Her face paled. “My strategies? That’s not possible. I haven’t shared my playbooks with anyone since leaving the service.”

“Yet someone has them. Someone is using your genius against us.” I leaned closer, the space between us charged with tension. “That’s why we brought you here. We need you to help us build defenses that can counter your own strategies. We need to protect our future generations. Our very survival.”

I watched emotions chase across her face—disbelief, confusion, perhaps a flicker of sympathy.

“You’re asking me to help you.” Her voice was quiet. “After kidnapping me.”

“Yes.” I held her gaze. “I know it’s not the best scenario for you. But our children’s lives are at stake.”

She stood abruptly, moving to the windows.

Beyond the glass, our colony was spread out through the jungle clearing—a small city of hope with its blend of technology and natural elements.

The few small children in the colony played near the central plaza while adults went about their daily business.

From this vantage point, it looked like any peaceful small city on Earth.

“This is…” Talia shook her head, her back still to me. “This is insane. Free-thinking cyborgs. Cyborg babies. Hidden colonies.” She turned, her expression unreadable. “And you expect me to just accept all this and help you here on… Planet Alpha?”

I stood up, my height advantage putting us close to each other in the confined space. Something electric passed between us as our eyes locked.

“I’m hoping you will,” I said softly. “Not because I forced you. But because it’s the right thing to do.”

She didn’t respond, her face a mask of confusion as she processed everything I’d revealed. The concept of free, independent cyborgs building peaceful lives and creating families seemed to have shaken her worldview to its core.