Page 28

TWENTY-SIX

AEON

Just after dawn the next morning, I watched Olivia move confidently through the cavern where the pregnant women and small children were staying temporarily for their safety.

Her small penlight danced across the portable monitors as she checked each patient.

The early morning light filtered through the natural skylights in the cavern ceiling, casting everything in a soft blue glow.

“Blood pressure’s perfect,” she murmured to Nora, a heavily pregnant cyborg with black hair. “Baby’s heart rate is exactly where we want it.”

Nora’s face broke into a rare smile. “The little one kicks more when you’re around, Doctor.”

“That’s a good sign.” Olivia’s laugh echoed off the stone walls. “He’s probably just saying hello.”

My chest tightened watching her. These past four days of going back and forth between the medical bay and the caverns hadn’t dimmed her dedication.

If anything, she worked with even greater purpose now, knowing Earth forces were soon approaching.

The pregnant women trusted her completely—a stark contrast to when she’d first arrived.

A small child—barely walking—wobbled over to me, clutching a crude stuffed toy made from spare medical cloth. I crouched down, still unsure how to interact with these tiny creatures. He stared at me with wide, curious eyes and then suddenly reached out and patted my cheek.

Olivia caught the interaction and smiled. “Looks like you’ve made a friend.”

“I’m not... entirely sure what to do with him,” I admitted, uncomfortable with how vulnerable the confession made me feel.

“You’re doing fine.” Her eyes softened. “Children can sense when someone’s good.”

The sharp buzz of my wrist communicator broke the moment. Tegan’s voice came through, tight with urgency.

“Aeon. New intel. It is CE who’s coming for us. They’re calling us rogues in their communications. Talking about neutralization protocols and... reactivation codes.”

My blood ran cold. Reactivation codes. The ultimate nightmare for any free-thinking cyborg—programming designed to override our new adaptive programming. Essentially, taking away our free will and turning us back into the mindless weapons we’d fought so hard to escape.

“Understood. Keep monitoring. We’ll be back shortly.” I ended the transmission and found Olivia watching me, her expression already reading the gravity in mine.

“What is it?” she asked.

“CyberEvolution,” I said, my voice a low growl. “They’re coming to eliminate us. Or worse—reclaim us.”

She stepped closer, concern etched across her face. “The reactivation codes you told me about?”

“Yes. We need to get back to the settlement now.” I reached for her hand, my fingers closing around hers. “We need to talk to Helix and double-check security measures.”

Her fingers tightened around mine. “Let me finish with Petra. She’s my last patient.”

While she completed her examination, I paced the cavern entrance, scanning the jungle beyond. The thriving settlement we’d built was hidden within the dense vegetation, but for how much longer?

Olivia joined me moments later, her makeshift medical bag slung over her shoulder. “Ready.”

I walked with her back through the dense jungle path that connected the caverns to our settlement. My heart still hadn’t slowed since Tegan’s transmission. Reactivation codes. The thought made my jaw clench involuntarily.

“You’re grinding your teeth again,” Olivia said, glancing up at me with concern in her eyes. “I can practically hear your thoughts spinning.”

I exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension. “If CE gets here with those codes, we’re not just fighting for our independence. We’re fighting for our lives.”

She reached for my hand, her small fingers slipping between mine. The simple touch sent an electric current up my arm that I still wasn’t used to.

“We’ll find a way,” she said firmly.

As we emerged from the jungle path, our settlement greeted us—a harmonious blend of technology and nature.

Makeshift solar panels were nestled between flowering vines, and structures had been built from local materials and salvaged ship parts.

My chest ached at the sight—this place we’d created from nothing, now under threat.

We headed straight for the council chamber.

The circular building was situated in the center of the settlement, constructed from native stone and metal salvaged from our landing ships.

Inside, Helix’s office was tucked away behind a heavy door that slid open as we approached.

She sat at her desk, her complexion still pale but vastly improved from the gray pallor she’d had just days ago.

“Commander,” I greeted her, my voice automatically dropping into a more formal tone. “How are you feeling?”

Helix stood, the movement still careful but much steadier than before. “That plant extract you two concocted works miracles. Blood pressure’s almost normal.”

Olivia stepped forward, immediately slipping into doctor mode. “Any headaches? Vision changes?”

“Nothing since yesterday morning,” Helix replied, and then her expression hardened as she looked at me. “But I’m guessing you’re not here for a medical check.”

“Tegan intercepted new communications,” I said, stepping closer to her desk. “It’s confirmed. CE is coming, and they’re not exactly calling this a rescue mission. They’re referring to us as rogues and discussing neutralization and reactivation protocols.”

Helix’s face darkened. “Damn them.” She slammed her fist on the desk, rattling the datapads. “They still think they own us.”

Olivia shifted beside me. “Could we use my presence as leverage? They can’t exactly claim you kidnapped me if I refuse to leave.”

The fierce determination in her voice stirred something primal in me. I wanted to pull her close, protect her from what was coming, but I knew better than to try sheltering her. Her strength was one of the things I’d come to—what was the word? Admire? No, it was deeper than that.

“We prepare for negotiations,” Helix said, interrupting my thoughts. “But we also prepare for conflict. They’ve never seen us as equals before. I don’t expect that to change now.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle heavily on my shoulders. “I’ll coordinate with security. Our people need to be ready.”

Helix’s eyes darted between Olivia and me. “Keep her close, Aeon. She may be our best chance at showing them we’re more than just machines.”

I left Helix’s office and headed straight for the security center where Tegan oversaw our defense systems. The morning sun beat down on the settlement, highlighting the home we’d built from scratch—the structures rising organically between ancient trees and flowering vines.

Everything we’d fought for was now under imminent threat.

Tegan looked up as I entered, his fingers still dancing across three different screens simultaneously. “About damn time,” he said, without stopping his work. “I’ve been monitoring their approach vectors. Looks like one small ship.”

“How long?” I asked, leaning over the display.

“Not long. Maybe a few days if they don’t head straight here and decide to orbit us first.”

I gathered the rest of the security team—Sage, Tobin, and Kel—true hardened warriors. They stood in a semicircle, their faces grim with determination.

“CE is coming soon. They’re threatening us with reactivation protocols,” I told them bluntly. “We need every able-bodied colonist trained and ready. Not just security personnel—everyone who can hold a weapon.”

Kel’s face darkened. “So, the cyborgs with no fighting experience and the humans?”

“We especially need them,” I said firmly.

“This isn’t just about winning a fight. It’s about showing CE that we all choose freedom and harmony, regardless of our original programming or species.

” My voice came out rougher than I anticipated, emotion bleeding through where I’d once been capable of complete stoicism.

“What about the doctor?” Tobin asked, his arms crossed over his chest. “She’s our best bargaining chip.”

“Olivia isn’t a chip,” I snapped, surprising myself with the fierce protectiveness that flooded through me. “She’s one of us now. And she stays that way.”

We spent the next hour mapping defense strategies and assigning posts. When we emerged from the security center, I found Olivia waiting for me, determination etched across her face.

“I want to fight alongside you,” she said without preamble.

I blinked, momentarily speechless. “You’re a doctor,” I finally managed.

She stepped closer, her eyes blazing. “If negotiations fail and I’m standing there with a weapon pointed at them, it sends a pretty clear message. Doesn’t it?”

I wanted to argue—to lock her somewhere safe until the danger passed—but the stubborn set of her jaw told me it would be pointless. This woman had stared down death in a field hospital. Hell, she’d stood up to me when I first kidnapped her, unflinching and fierce despite her fear.

“Fine,” I conceded, “but you follow my lead.”

Her mouth curved into a victorious smile. “Always.”

By midday, I’d gathered nearly forty colonists in the open area near the landing zone.

Many were former war models, but others had been designed for scientific research or medical assistance like me.

Several humans were there as well. They looked uncomfortable holding weapons, but determination hardened their expressions.

Olivia stood beside me as I demonstrated basic combat stances and defensive maneuvers to the group. The weight of her presence—the slight brush of her arm against mine as she shifted—sent jolts of awareness through my body.

“Keep your center of gravity low,” I instructed, dropping into a fighting stance. “If they try to use ranged weapons, use the jungle for cover. If it’s hand-to-hand, remember what I showed you about targeting nerve points.”

I moved through the group, adjusting grips and positioning. When I reached Olivia, I wrapped my hands around hers, showing her how to properly hold the blaster.

“Like this,” I murmured, my chest pressed against her back. “Dominant eye aligned with the sight.”

Her scent—something floral mixed with something uniquely her—filled my senses. I lingered longer than necessary, my thumb brushing over her knuckles.

As we all trained, I realized with startling clarity that I would die before I let CE, or anyone else from this colony, harm her.

The thought of losing Olivia twisted something deep inside me.

It wasn’t just about protecting our doctor anymore.

Without her quick wit, her compassion, and her stubborn defiance, I would be empty inside, diminished in a way I couldn’t fully articulate.

And if CE wanted to take Olivia or wanted to take our freedom, they would have to kill me first.