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SIXTEEN

AEON

I woke up to the gentle weight of Olivia nestled against my chest. Dawn light filtered through the small window of my quarters, casting a soft glow across her sleeping face. I found myself tracing the contours of her cheek with my eyes, memorizing every freckle and every curve.

This—her in my arms—felt right in ways I couldn’t articulate. My chest tightened with that ache I’d been experiencing more frequently. It wasn’t painful but it was growing more intense by the day. I wanted more mornings like this. All our mornings, perhaps.

The thought startled me. These feelings had developed so rapidly yet felt as solid as the ground beneath the colony. I knew with certainty that I wanted her, not just for the sake of our people’s future but for mine. For ours.

But the complications between us remained a tangled web. Captive and captor. Doctor and student. Human and cyborg. Where did we stand now?

The communicator on my wrist buzzed, breaking my reverie. I glanced at the message.

“Shit,” I muttered as Sage’s face appeared on the small screen.

“Security center. Now. Priority one.” Her expression left no room for questions.

Olivia stirred against me, her eyes fluttering open. She looked momentarily confused, and then recognition dawned, followed by a small, tentative smile.

“Morning,” she whispered, her voice thick with sleep.

I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Morning. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Was that your communicator?” She propped herself up on one elbow, suddenly more alert.

“Sage. Something at the security center. I need to go.” I sat up, reluctant to leave the warmth of her. “Can I drop you at the medical bay on my way? Your trainees should be arriving soon.”

She stretched, her small body arching slightly. “I can manage. You go handle whatever crisis has Sage in a twist.” Her eyes softened as she looked at me. “I’ll get the medical staff started without you.”

I leaned down, pressing my lips to her forehead. “I’ll join you when I’m done.”

Her fingers traced the scar on my shoulder. “Be careful, whatever it is.”

“Always am.” I stood up, slightly surprised by her concern, and pulled on my clothes with practiced efficiency.

“That’s debatable,” she teased, a playful glint in her eyes. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve got a reputation for rushing into things.”

I paused. “From who?”

“Sage likes to talk when she’s guarding over me. A lot.” She smirked, sitting up and wrapping the sheet around herself.

“Seems I need to have a word with her about that,” I grumbled, but couldn’t help smiling.

As I finished dressing, I watched her gather her things.

This unexpected intimacy—the casual banter, the shared space—felt precious.

The words burned in my throat, things I should say about us, about what this meant, but I swallowed them back.

Not now. Not with Sage waiting and the day’s duties already pressing down on us.

Later, I promised myself. I would find the right words later.

I reached the security center in under five minutes, my boots pounding against the stone walkways that connected the colony’s central structures.

The jungle humidity hit differently outside than in my quarters—thicker and more oppressive.

Sweat beaded at my temples as I pushed through the heavy door.

Sage stood before a wall of screens, her usually stoic face pinched with concern. She turned as I entered, her eyes narrowing.

“You took your time,” she said, tapping a screen to enlarge a news broadcast.

“What’s so urgent?” I moved beside her, scanning the data scrolling across the monitor.

Sage pointed to a face on the screen—a woman with sharp features and determined eyes. “Dr. Naomi West. Chief of Obstetrics at Boston Memorial. She’s been making noise about Olivia’s disappearance and pushing for an investigation beyond what the authorities initially pursued.”

My stomach dropped. “How loud?”

“Loud enough to get media coverage.” Sage swiped to another screen showing a press conference.

“She’s convinced Olivia didn’t just vanish—claims she had no reason to disappear.

West is throwing out claims that Olivia’s disappearance is somehow tied to military intelligence, suggesting possible CyberEvolution involvement. ”

“Fuck.” I slammed my fist against the metal console, denting it slightly. “I didn’t—” The words died in my throat.

“You didn’t think about loose ends,” Sage finished for me. “You were too focused on our pregnant women and on immediate survival.”

I paced the length of the security center as my mind raced. How could I have overlooked something so basic? In all my meticulous planning, I’d somehow missed the obvious fact that someone would notice when one of Earth’s top obstetricians disappeared.

“Is she a friend? I made sure Olivia had no immediate family.” My fingers tugged at my dark hair.

“Colleague, from what I can gather. Seems close, though.”

“I was so goddamn selfish,” I growled. “I just thought about what we needed and what I wanted these past two weeks.” The truth of those last words hit me square in the chest.

Sage’s expression softened, surprising me. “Maybe you should talk to Olivia about this West person. Assess the threat level first.”

“Fine. I’ll handle it,” I said, already moving toward the door.

“Aeon.” Sage’s voice stopped me. “You’re emotionally compromised.”

I turned back, meeting her gaze. “Your point?”

“My point is you care about her. Maybe more than the mission.”

I didn’t deny it. Couldn’t.

Outside, the morning sun slanted through Planet Alpha’s towering trees as I headed toward the medical bay.

My thoughts churned violently. If Olivia learned someone was actively searching for her—someone who cared enough to raise hell on Earth—would she try to escape again? Would she attempt to make contact?

The realization hit me with such force I had to stop walking: I was terrified of losing her. Not just because our pregnant women needed her skills. Not just because she was teaching others. But because I needed her.

I’d fallen in love with her.

The emotion was raw, unfamiliar territory—like walking into a minefield without a detection system.

But it was undeniable. Somewhere between kidnapping her and waking up with her in my arms this morning, I’d ventured into this unexplored human pathway of my mind. And I didn’t want the journey to end.

I was almost at the medical bay when Commander Helix’s firm grip clamped down on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. Her expression was as stormy as the skies during Planet Alpha’s rainy season.

“Aeon.” Her voice cut through the humid morning air. “Sage just informed me about the Earth woman making noise about Dr. Parker.”

I rolled my shoulders, my jaw tensing instinctively. “Dr. Naomi West. Yes, I’m handling it.”

“Are you?” Helix’s eyes narrowed, scanning my face with military precision. “Because if Earth locates Planet Alpha, we’re probably looking at extinction-level consequences. You understand that. Right? Everything we built—gone.”

The jungle around us seemed to close in, the usual cacophony of wildlife suddenly oppressive. Sweat trickled down my back, and it wasn’t just from the humidity.

“I’m well aware of the stakes, Commander.”

“Are you? Because I’m starting to question where your priorities lie.

” She stepped closer, lowering her voice.

“If they find us because of her, the human government won’t just demand her return.

They’ll probably alert CyberEvolution and demand our eradication.

They’ll be shocked to learn we reprogrammed ourselves and are now freethinking, independent cyborgs who’ve proven we don’t need their control. ”

“I said I’ll handle it,” I repeated, my voice dropping to a dangerous edge. “The colony’s safety comes first. It always has.”

Helix didn’t back down. “See that it does. Your... attachment to Dr. Parker is becoming a liability we can’t afford.”

My fists clenched. “You’re out of line.”

“And you’re compromised.” She turned on her heel. “Fix it, Aeon.”

I watched her storm off, her boots leaving angry imprints in the soft earth of the path. My blood pounded in my ears, hot and insistent. The choice before me was cleaving me in two.

I stared at the medical bay doors, knowing Olivia was inside, already teaching the morning’s lesson to her cyborg trainees. I could picture her, gesturing animatedly with her green eyes sparkling in passionate intensity.

My mission had always been crystal clear: ensure the survival of our people at all costs. That purpose had driven me since we claimed this planet as our own. But now...

Now there was Olivia. Not just as a doctor but as the woman whose smile made my chest ache with something I was only now beginning to understand. The woman who’d somehow carved out a place for herself in my heart.

If I told her today about Dr. Naomi West, she’d realize rescue might be possible. She’d want to leave immediately. But if I kept her in the dark, was I any better than the humans who’d once treated us like property rather than people?

I dragged my hand down my face. The logical choice was obvious: protect the colony and protect our future. But logic seemed to be losing its grip on me lately.

“Damn it all,” I muttered to the empty path.

For now, I’d keep West’s search efforts to myself.

Just until I could figure out a solution that didn’t end with losing either Olivia or everything else I’d fought to build.

I told myself it was for the colony’s protection, but a voice inside me whispered the truth.

I couldn’t bear to watch her walk away from me.