Page 37 of Pets in Space 10

Cass woke to the gentle hum of the station’s environmental systems and the warmth of Zach’s body beside her.

The narrow bunk forced them to sleep tangled together, his cybernetic arm draped protectively across her waist. He didn’t really need to sleep, but he always insisted on going to bed with her.

He’d put himself into a rest state and his relaxed face looked completely human.

Four days had passed since the creature had destroyed itself.

Four days that could have felt claustrophobic, trapped together in the small station, but instead, they’d fallen into a comfortable rhythm.

Days spent monitoring sensors and analyzing data, nights spent learning each other’s bodies, sharing stories of their lives before Mars.

She’d told him about growing up in the shadow of brilliant parents, never quite measuring up.

He’d shared more about his military service, the friends he’d lost, the reasons he’d volunteered for the cyborg program.

His eyes opened suddenly, instantly alert in that way that still startled her.

“Morning,” she whispered, tracing her finger along his jawline.

He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Your heart rate increased. Were you watching me sleep?”

“Maybe.” She smiled, feeling the heat spread across her cheeks. “It’s strange to see you so… relaxed.”

“My systems were running diagnostics, but I was aware of you the whole time.”

She moved closer, pressing her body against his. “How aware?”

His body responded immediately. “Very.”

“Show me,” she breathed, her hand closing over his thick shaft. It vibrated against her fingers — an unexpected benefit of his cybernetics — and she shivered in anticipation.

“Gladly,” he said, and covered her body with his.

Afterwards, they lay curled together, her head on his shoulder.

“Zach?” She traced circles on his chest.

“Hmm?”

“I never thought I’d find this here. On Mars. With you.”

He was quiet for a moment, gently stroking her hair. “Neither did I. After the transformation, I thought that part of me was gone forever. I thought I shut down every trace of human emotion.”

She pushed up on one elbow to look at him. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

The sudden chime of an alert from the main console shattered the moment. He was up and moving before she could even react, grabbing his pants and pulling them on in one fluid motion.

“What is it?” She scrambled for her own clothes, yanking her shirt over her head.

He was already at the console, quickly scanning the monitors. Then his shoulders relaxed. “The storm is finally breaking up.”

She joined him, staring at the atmospheric readings. After days of howling winds and zero visibility, the pressure systems were finally stabilizing. The worst of the dust storm had passed.

“We’ll be able to head back soon. Maybe as soon as this afternoon.

” An unexpected pang of regret hit her at the thought.

These days in isolation had created a bubble around them, a private world where only they existed.

Going back meant facing reality — their jobs, their separate lives, other people’s opinions about a human-cyborg relationship.

He seemed to read her thoughts, tugging her gently against his side. “Let’s check the sensor array one last time. Make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

He knew the best way to distract her was to give her a task to focus on — well, the second best way — and she smiled.

“Let’s get to work.”

They spent the morning reviewing the data from the expanded network of sensors they’d deployed throughout the tunnel system.

Roland had helped by placing tiny monitoring devices in the smaller cracks and crevices.

They’d also spent some time in the lichen caves, recording as much data as possible — temperature, air composition, moisture levels, and even seismic activity.

But despite the extensive data on the lichen, they hadn’t found anything to indicate the creature had ever existed, nor any sign of others like it.

“It’s like it was never there,” she murmured, scrolling through the data for the third time. “Do you think we’ll ever know any more?”

“I don’t know.” He moved to the window, gazing out at the landscape as visibility slowly improved. “I’ve been thinking about our plan to limit the information we share.”

“You’re having second thoughts?”

“Not at all. I just want to make sure we have our stories straight. Since I’m not a scientist, I can claim ignorance on a lot of it, but my cybernetics mean I’ve stored a certain amount of data.”

She nodded. “I’ll talk to Alina first. She’ll understand the scientific implications without jumping to conclusions, and she can help us analyze the samples without attracting attention.

It’s closer to her area of expertise as well.

I’d like to be prepared when we go to talk to Dr. Montgomery and the Judge. ”

It wasn’t until after she spoke that she realized she’d assumed they would go together. But would they? What would happen between them once they returned to their normal lives? The question continued to haunt her as they started packing up the equipment she’d brought with her.

Not long after noon, he announced that the atmospheric readings showed that the conditions were safe enough for travel and went to inspect the rover. She and Roland accompanied him and she started loading the rover as Roland went to join Phantom.

“We should be able to make it back to Border Town before nightfall,” he said, running diagnostics on the rover’s systems.

She carefully packed the samples of the unusual lichen they’d collected, then held up one of the containment field generators they’d used to trap the creature.

“What about these?”

“Bring them. I’m not convinced we’ll ever encounter another one of those creatures, but I want to be prepared.”

As they worked, she found herself stealing glances at him, memorizing the way he moved, the focused expression on his face.

She’d grown so accustomed to his presence, to working alongside him and falling asleep in his arms. The thought of returning to her small quarters in the research complex, alone, made her chest tighten.

“Zach?” Her voice came out smaller than she intended.

He looked up from where he was checking Phantom’s systems. “What is it?”

“What happens when we get back?” She forced herself to meet his eyes. “With us, I mean.”

His hands stilled. For a moment, he looked almost vulnerable, the confident cyborg ranger replaced by a man facing an uncertain future.

“What do you want to happen?” he asked quietly.

“I want-” She hesitated, then decided honesty was the only option. “I want to be with you. But I know your territory covers hundreds of kilometers, and I’m stationed at Border Town, and there are probably regulations about cyborg-human relationships that I don’t even know about-”

“Cass.” He crossed over to her in three long strides, taking her hands in his. “I can request a reassignment. Reduce my patrol territory to focus on the areas around Border Town.”

She blinked up at him. “You’d do that?”

“I’m not leaving you,” he said firmly.

“But your duties-”

“Can be adjusted.” He shrugged. “And if they’re not willing to readjust them, I’ll resign.”

Relief flooded through her, followed quickly by a warm, expanding feeling in her chest. “So we’re really going to be together?”

“As long as that’s what you want.” The vulnerable look returned, but that silver gaze didn’t falter. “I love you, Cass. I want to make a life with you. I know it might be too soon for-”

“I love you too,” she interrupted, a tear sliding down her cheek.

“You do?” He released her hands, and gently wiped the tear away.

“Yes. I just didn’t think — I never expected-”

“Neither did I,” he said, and then he kissed her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if he were the only real thing in a universe spinning out of control. When the kiss finally ended, they stayed together, his forehead pressed against hers.

Roland chirped from across the room, interrupting their moment with what sounded suspiciously like disapproval.

“I think we’re being judged,” she whispered against his lips.

“He’s just jealous.” He kissed her once more before stepping back. “We should finish packing. Even without the storm, I want to be back in Border Town before dark.

The rest of their preparations went quickly and efficiently, despite the happiness bubbling up inside her. Every time they looked at each other or their hands touched, she found herself eagerly anticipating their future together.

While he went to secure the station for their departure, she made one final sweep of the main room, ensuring they hadn’t missed anything crucial.

At the console, she hesitated for a moment then created a secure, encrypted file with all their data and hid it behind layers of code where only she could find it again.

No one who came to the station after them would be able to find it.

When she joined Zach in the hangar, he was standing next to a clearly impatient Phantom. Roland scurried over to her and she lifted him onto her shoulder, his familiar weight comforting.

“Ready, sweetheart?”

She looked around the station that had been their sanctuary, their private world for the past days. The place where everything between them had changed.

“Ready,” she said, reaching for his hand as he opened the hangar doors.

The pale Martian sun was breaking through the thinning dust clouds, casting long shadows across the rocky landscape.

Ahead lay Border Town, their friends, their work.

And somewhere beneath their feet, mysteries waited to be uncovered.

She squeezed his hand one last time before they mounted their respective vehicles. “Let’s go home.”