Cyborg Rising (Star Pilot Series, Book 3)

By Phoebe Conn

When star pilot Captain Emerald "Em" Payne loses another partner to the hospital ward, she's assigned a cyborg, Daniel 81, for her next mission.

Insulted by Daniel's cyborg presence in her cockpit, Em embarks upon an equally insulting and simple mission that quickly turns complicated and dangerous.

As Daniel fights to trust the disrespectful Captain, Em tries not to fall for Daniel's too-perfect body. But before either can succeed, Daniel discovers his human past--that he is both husband and father--and must return to his grieving family when the mission is complete. If he can survive.

REVIEWS:
"Ms. Conn proves that the blazing fires of romance burn even more fiercely in the far reaches of outer space." ~Romantic Times

STAR PILOT SERIES, in order
Outlaw Rising
Starfire Rising
Cyborg Rising

Also by Phoebe Conn...
THE HEARTS OF LIBERTY, in series order
Savage Destiny
Defiant Destiny
Forbidden Destiny
Wild Destiny
Scarlet Destiny

HEARTS OF CALIFORNIA, in series order
Hearts of Gold
No Sweeter Ecstasy
Tempt Me With Kisses

• Language: English
• Publisher: ePublishing Works
• Release date: Sep 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781614177852

Phoebe Conn

Phoebe Conn Bio Always a passionate lover of books, this New York Times bestselling author first answered a call to write in 1980 and swiftly embarked on her own mythic journey. Her first book, LOVE’S ELUSIVE FLAME, was a Zebra historical in 1983. Her 33rd book, a contemporary, DEFY THE WORLD TOMATOES was a November 2010 release from Samhain. Her 34th, WHERE DREAMS BEGIN, debuted at #1 on Samhain’s Romantic Suspense bestsellers list in June, 2011. With more than seven million copies in print of her historical, contemporary and futuristic books written under her own name as well as her pseudonym, Cinnamon Burke, she is as enthusiastic as ever about writing. A native Californian, Phoebe attended the University of Arizona and California State University at Los Angeles where she earned a BA in Art History and an MA in Education. Her books have won Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards and a nomination for Storyteller of the Year. Her futuristic, STARFIRE, won a RomCom award as best Futuristic Romance of the year. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc., PEN, AWritersWork.com and Backlistebooks.com. She is the proud mother of two grown sons and one adorable grandson, who loves to have her read to him.

Book preview

Cyborg Rising

The Star Pilot Series

Book Three

by

Phoebe Conn

New York Times Bestselling Author

Published by ePublishing Works!

www.epublishingworks.com

ISBN: 978-1-61417-785-2

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Chapter 1

California High Desert, Spring, in the not too distant future

Em braced herself with a deep breath and strode into Control's long, narrow office. As usual, her supervisor sat at his raised desk wearing the taunting smirk of an emperor seated upon his bejeweled throne. Her new partner had already arrived. He was dressed in black, making her wonder if a pilot with her wild reputation rated a Ninja guardian. He stood to face her, and his bright blue eyes revealed his whole story.

Oh, no, you don't. I want a real man, she exclaimed.

I am a real man, he argued. He stood well above six feet in height, and his deep snarl rang against the map-lined walls.

Control pounded his fist on his desk. Sit down the both of you. I shouldn't have to remind you to treat each other with the necessary respect. I'll not tolerate anything less.

Em slid into an uncomfortable straight-backed chair, but she refused to look at the black-clad man. I won't fly with a Z-boy.

I'm no zombie! he shouted.

Control raised his hands in a demand for silence. He was a tall, sharp featured man, who relied upon his rank to manage the rapidly deteriorating situation. His voice held a fluid softness, Surely you'll recall, Captain Payne, that your former partner is still recovering from the injuries suffered during your assignment.

Which were his own damn fault, not mine, Em countered.

Control's frown grew increasingly threatening and his tone sharpened, You have filled an entire wing of our medical unit with former partners and sworn none of their injuries, all serious, were your fault. Enough! You are dancing on the cusp of being permanently grounded. If you'd rather fly a desk than one of Alado's spacecraft, I'll arrange it immediately.

No, sir. Her reply lacked enthusiasm. She brushed a speck of lint off the knee of her pale gold flight suit as though being neatly dressed were her only concern.

Control cleared his throat. Daniel 81 is a cyborg, one of Alado's bravest soldiers, who's been given a second chance at life. He is nearly indestructible, and I expect him to stay that way. He's the perfect partner for you. He'll follow your orders and spare you even the slightest injury, although heretofore it's been your partners who've required emergency attention.

Em opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. She tapped her fingernails on her chair's arm in a frantic rhythm. How many other pilots are being forced to fly with Z-boys?

Control shook his head. He had a full head of gray hair and not a strand moved. Captain Payne, I'm making you responsible for creating and maintaining a harmonious relationship with Daniel 81. Forging a life-long bond isn't mandatory.

Em snorted.

Daniel 81 swore under his breath.

Control ignored their unvoiced complaints and opened a folder on his desk. He handed Em a photograph of two little girls. They were dressed in pink ruffled dresses, had long black curls and looked as adorable as any five-year-old identical twins might.

The girls were kidnapped yesterday as they were being driven home from school in Buenos Aires. They are the daughters of Rafael Salinas, Alado's administrator for South America. There's been a demand for a ten million dollar ransom. You and Daniel 81 will deliver it and see the girls are safely returned to their parents unharmed. This should be a simple assignment for a woman of your amazing array of talents, Captain.

Alado doesn't pay ransoms, she replied. She handed the photograph to Daniel 81.

We do when children are involved, Control insisted. Although we keep the fact quiet.

What are their names? Daniel 81 asked.

"Mary and Martha, although I couldn't tell you which is which. You're to meet with a man in a red shirt at the Tiburon Bar in Puerta Santa Cruz, a forgettable harbor in Patagonia. He'll have the twins' location, and you'll handover the deposit codes once the children are in your care."

Where is Patagonia? Daniel 81 looked to Em.

The tip of South America, the region is part of both Chile and Argentina. Some include the Tierra Del Fuego.

His stare remained uncomfortably blank, and she got up to point out the location on one of Control's maps. We're here in California, and we'll fly over Mexico, Central America, and across South America to reach Patagonia. It's a far distance on a map, but it's not a lengthy flight.

The geography lesson over, Control continued brusquely, Take your hopper. It will get you there in plenty of time to make tonight's eleven o'clock meeting and not draw any undo notice. The deposit codes are coded to record their use, so you needn't make any effort to capture the miscreants. Just handle your part of the job, and don't waste a minute getting back to me with your report.

What's a hopper? Daniel 81 asked.

Yes, sir. Come on 81, I'll show you ours. Em took the twins' photograph from him, rose and led the way out of the office. They had not taken two steps down the hall before Daniel 81 grabbed her shoulder to press her against the wall and trapped her between his outstretched arms.

I have all the vital parts required to be a real man. Would you care to run an inventory?

The threat glowing in his icy blue eyes was unnerving, but she refused to show even a twitch of fear. As a soldier, he must have given his consent for the cyborg program before going into battle. The nutrients used to float the cyborgs in tanks while they adapted to their bionic replacement parts turned their eyes a completely unnatural hue, so they were easily recognized.

She met his eerie gaze and studied his features with a mildly inquisitive stare. If she overlooked his dangerously hostile expression, he was a handsome man. His light brown hair was cropped short, but his darker brows and eyelashes emphasized his distress. She was surprised to discover a faint hint of cologne. She recognized the scent and wondered about the Z-boys reputation as indefatigable lovers.

Are you sniffing me? he asked, clearly astonished.

Yeah, you smell good. I was expecting a heady odor of machine oil. She ducked under his arm and started down the hall for the second time. I'm the leader of this expedition, 81. We can argue later over who has the bigger cock.

At six feet six inches in his boots, he caught up to her in a single step. Women don't have cocks, he whispered.

She laughed. Cyborgs tended to be a literal sort. Their memories were erased in the tanks and perhaps their natural gift for humor. That was a joke. I'm the boss, and you'll do as I say.

He drew back. Are you making fun of me?

She sent a slow glance from his boot-tips to his eyes. She was five feet ten, but he was easily a head taller. That would be a stupid thing to do, and I won't make that kind of mistake. Now the twins are probably clinging to each other and crying for their mother. Let's not keep them waiting. We'll pick up your gear and then mine.

Don't go near my barracks, he responded. I won't have the men waiting for an assignment calling me your pet.

He looked sincerely concerned, which brought an unexpected burst of sympathy. She had no prior experience working with Z-boys and had not known they had any feelings to hurt. Fine, but believe me, 81, serving with me is a challenge, and you'll have to work hard just to keep up.

Daniel, he stressed. I'm a man, not a numbered machine.

There must be 80 other Daniels before you, and you don't want to be confused with the others.

No one confuses me with anyone else, he stated firmly and shot her another darkly threatening stare.

She sighed. Come on let's go. I can see this is going to be such a wonderful flight.

The grounds of Alado's Western Flight Center were landscaped with native desert plants and provided little in the way of cover, but Em did as he requested and waited behind an acacia tree in brilliant yellow bloom rather than accompany him to his quarters.

The long, low building was identical to all the other enlisted men's housing, but someone had spray painted a gigantic skull on the end of the cyborg's barracks. She hadn't been on that side of the field before today, but the paint was fading, so clearly the skull wasn't new.

Alado was the most powerful of the six Earth corporations licensed to explore space and claim territory in new worlds. Graffiti was usually sandblasted right off Alado's buildings before the paint was dry, but perhaps the cyborgs had painted the skull themselves. What an odd lot they must be she mused.

Daniel spent only a few minutes gathering his gear. When he came out the door, a couple of the black-suited cyborgs seated on the porch steps laughed and made a comment he clearly found offensive. He dropped his duffel bag to lift the closest man into the air and shook him. He then dropped him like wet laundry, picked up his bag and walked toward Em with a long, purposeful stride.

What did he say? she asked as he came near.

Daniel shook his head. Since it's doubtful I'll be coming back, he asked if he could have my room. I told him he'd be sleeping in the broom closet if I ever saw him again.

She pitched her voice low to be reassuring. Look, my former partners may not have had much luck with me, but there's no reason why you won't be coming back soon.

He halted abruptly and waited for her to stop beside him. Don't you understand? Cyborgs are only sent on suicide missions.

Shocked, she reached out to grab his sleeve. A wisp of her red hair escaped the tightly wound bun at her nape and blew across her face. She let him go to whip it back into place. Who said such an awful thing to you?

He inclined his head slightly. Everyone, didn't you know?

No, because it isn't true. You were with me in Control's office and neither of us volunteered for a mission that could cost us our lives. Exchanging deposit credits for kidnap victims should be easy, and we ought to already be in the air. You don't have to stay out of sight at the officers' barracks. You can walk right in with me.

Why would I be in your quarters?

She tried not to be annoyed, but the poor guy apparently knew absolutely nothing useful. Today you'll just carry my bag. I'll wait until we come back to see if the rumors about Z-boys being great lovers are true.

She waited for him to yell he wasn't a zombie and laughed when he didn't. You've heard that rumor haven't you?

No, but I like it a lot better than reports of suicide missions. A slow smile tugged the corner of his mouth. He pulled a pair of sunglasses from his breast pocket and slid them on.

Good, so do I. Damn, but with his strange blue eyes covered, he was a very good-looking man. She wondered who he had been before he had been injured, and what memories he had lost in the tanks.

* * *

The Kangaroo class airships are nicknamed hoppers because they are used for short flights. They have the same triangular design as the Starcruiser, which I usually fly, but are much smaller and are seldom used off Earth. The ride is smooth though. Throw our bags into the storage lockers and come up to the cockpit with me. Watch your head.

Daniel had learned that lesson long ago and ducked as he entered the ship. He stored their gear, followed Em and took the co-pilot's seat. He buckled his seat harness, but still leaned forward to study all the dials and levers. When he'd seen them all, he sat back and sighed.

No one comes out of the tanks the same person they go in, but I often get a sensation of déjà vu. I couldn't tell you how to fly this ship now, but it all looks familiar. I might have been a pilot too.

Em handed him a helmet before donning her own. Maybe it will all come back to you.

Nothing does. All I have are brief flashes of another life. It's like waking from a dream and not being able to remember the details. I recognize your academy ring. Didn't they have one in your size?

She wore a man's ring on her right index finger. It had become part of her hand. I have one of my own. This ring belonged to my late husband. He was also a pilot, and always left his ring with me when he flew test flights. One day, he didn't make it back.

I'm sorry. Control didn't tell me you were a widow.

I've never liked the word, but thanks. Now let's finally get our ship into the air. Just wear your helmet for take-off, so if our hopper explodes in a thunderous ball of flame, our heads will roll around undamaged.

What? He looked horrified.

I'm teasing you, Daniel. I'm sorry for the pilot humor.

You can't build a cyborg with just a head, he countered. So what use would it be?

Em promised herself not to make another joke on any subject and was grateful she hadn't mentioned ejecting the cockpit seats. You're right, of course, but we're still required to wear helmets when getting into the air. I keep telling Control it's silly, but he just tells me to shut up.

She touched the computer monitor in the dashboard. Good morning, Lulu. We're bound for Patagonia today. Daniel 81 is my co-pilot. Tell him hello.

A series of maps swept by on the cockpit monitor before Lulu tracked the shortest distance to their destination and mapped it for them. Good morning, Daniel 81. I trust you will enjoy the flight. Please let me know if there is anything you require. Ample supplies are stored in the galley. Eat all you please. There are readers for any book you might like to read and a multitude of games.

Thank you, Lulu. I'll be fine. He leaned toward Em to whisper, Isn't Lulu an odd name for a navigational computer?

She chose it herself, and I don't argue with her. I'll need you to be quiet, please.

Yes, ma'am. He watched her work Lulu through the pre-flight list of commands and contact the tower. He turned his attention to the runway as their ship floated toward it. He had spent one whole day on the roof of his barracks observing the airships arriving and departing. Now he was going into the sky himself, but he didn't feel frightened nor exhilarated, merely numb as he usually did.

Kangaroos can take-off either vertically, as we're about to do now, or roll down the runway to gain speed as many airships do. I like to float up to our assigned altitude like a weather balloon and then blast the engines. Hang on, it can be a little startling if you're not used to it.

Daniel nodded. Floating was an odd sensation. The field shrank beneath them. They entered the clouds, then broke free into blue sky and continued to rise. I don't think I like this.

Too late to ask for another assignment, Em replied sweetly. Count down with me. I'll hit the engines on one.

He counted, but on one they shot forward with a jolt that threw him back against his seat. Em was laughing, but he felt sick. When they struck their course, their speed slowed, and he yanked the harness buckle and tore off his helmet.

I can't sit here.

You don't have to, Daniel. You can recline the seats in the cabin and take a nap, cook in the galley, shower if you like in the head.

He tore out of the cockpit and she was certain he was running for the head to puke. How she could have been given such a sensitive Z-boy, she didn't know, but perhaps he would prove to be more useful on the ground.

Lulu, she asked softly. Do you have a file on Daniel 81?

Lulu brought it up on the monitor. Yes, Captain. Here it is.

Em opened the file and found a full-length photo of Daniel wearing only a snug pair of shorts, with an impressive bulge. The next file showed his right arm and leg were bionic prosthetics. He had a new right inner ear as well. She kept scrolling through the file, but found only scores on physical tests, no information on his background. Lulu, can you find out who he was?

No, Captain. Alado provides only what you've already read. A cyborg's life begins when he exits the stabilizing tanks.

How about information on where he was wounded?

Such information is not available. Would you like to read about the whole cyborg program?

Another time, Em replied, frustrated to have learned so little. Lulu was now piloting the hopper, and restless, she called up the adventure novel she'd been reading on her reader. By the time she finished the current chapter, she thought she really ought to check on Daniel and went back to the cabin.

Daniel was stretched across two lowered seats and sound asleep. On his stomach, his left cheek rested on his outstretched arm. He had kicked off his boots, but not used a blanket and Em realized she had done a poor job of showing where everything was stored. She opened the linen locker and pulled out a blanket. Careful not to disturb his sleep, she lay it over him gently. With his features relaxed, he looked several years younger than she had supposed. She doubted he knew how old he was though, and it was no wonder he was so easily provoked when he had lost so much of himself.

She just wanted him to stay out of her way, and if he slept the whole trip to Patagonia, so much the better. She went on into the galley and sorted through the food possibilities. The snack bin had been refilled with packages of almonds, which she never flew without. There was something about the crunch of the flavorful nuts that went perfectly with the flight. She threw a handful in her mouth and savored every chomp.

She sat down to play Vines and Quicksand, a game Alado had stolen from the Europa Corporation, their chief rival for new worlds and resources. It was an intricate game that required all of her flight skills to win. She kept it on silent, but jumped it up a level to provide more of a challenge. Engrossed, she didn't notice Daniel approaching until he was beside her.

I hope I didn't wake you, she said. She removed her visor and put the game on pause.

It wasn't the game that woke me. What are you chewing?

Almonds. Help yourself to a pack if you'd like some.

He found a bag and sat down in the seat opposite hers. He opened it very carefully and shook out several nuts. He popped a couple into his mouth and chewed. They taste all right, but I can't stand the noise.

The noise of chewing?

Yes, my ear is too sensitive and should be turned down.

I'm sorry for mentioning machine oil, but excellent hearing might be a decided advantage for us. Can you focus on a single conversation in a crowded room?

It's no challenge, but noisy crowds are hard to take.

We shouldn't need long to find a red-shirted man in a seaside bar, but we'd be ahead if you could hear possible accomplices muttering to each other.

I'll give it my best. Tell me what happened to your last partner.

Em sighed and shrugged. He fell down a flight of stairs, and I didn't push him. I got him back to our hopper and home, but Control is still furious with me.

I don't think I like him.

No one is fond of the man.

He handed her the open bag of almonds. Could you grow fond of me?

Thinking it was his idea of humor; she laughed, and watched his smile slide into a disgusted frown. I'm sorry, I thought you were teasing me, she said. "I'll have to remember you mean precisely what you say. Yes, I could grow fond of you if we can complete this mission without either of us needing emergency medical care.

Would you like to play a game with me? The visor and controls are in the armrests of your seat. Now he looked embarrassed which tempted her to think of him as a big, bashful pet.

I've not played many games, he responded. Do you have MazeRat?

Of course. It's a popular game, but I always get stuck in blind alleys, or buried under an avalanche.

He studied the controls and pulled on the lightweight visor to fill his vision with the game. Can we play each other?

Yes, but you'd have more fun playing against the game than I could give you.

Daniel sat back and sorted through the long list of characters for a runner. How can an alligator make it through a maze?

All the choices can navigate the paths. I prefer the Tyrannosaurus Rex. He has a great lumbering gait, but as I said, he and I never get very far before becoming trapped.

That's a shame. I'll go with the tiger.

Good choice. Just hit start and let him run. The game's 3-D format immediately dropped him into a surreal world. The maze constantly changed, the paths appearing and disappearing with a speed that always lost her.

You're good, she said. You've played this before.

Not in this life.

Well, whichever life it was, you're showing great potential. I'd challenge you, but you'd beat me for sure.

"What's your