The Puppet Show: A Cyberpunk Science Fiction Novella: The Cyborg Sectors Series, #9

By Alex Leu

Breaking the rules could save their love, or poison their hearts.

 

When an old tradition threatens the life of his beloved, Richie — a rusty old cyborg, struggles to outsmart the system that created him and save his lover's life…

 

...before she is gone forever.

 

"The Puppet Show" is a cyberpunk drama, the ninth book in a sci-fi series that features compelling A.I. characters, raw emotion, nail-biting suspense, forbidden love, and surprising plot twists.

 

If you loved Westworld, Blade Runner, or Ghost in the Shell, then you'll love to join the characters of "The Cyborg Sectors" on their page-turning adventures.

 

Buy "The Puppet Show" to discover this exciting new sci-fi series today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alex Leu
• Release date: Oct 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393529149

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Details can be found at the end of the book.

THE PUPPET SHOW

The Cyborg Sectors Series Book 9

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by Alex Leu

1

From the deepest shadow of the darkness surrounding him, two cold hands reached out, like the roots of an evil long forgotten, growing and seeking to wound him. To tear him apart.

He tried to scream, to run, to defend himself — but couldn’t. All he could do was watch as the ruthless hands tore his chest open, exposing the life inside of him, grabbing on to his battery, pulling and twisting it, until he felt the cables attached to it stretching, snapping, until the light in his eyes faded, and he felt the incredible pain of his heart being ripped out.

2

Richie-LT-68 woke up shaking in the middle of the night. He was scared and disoriented, but once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he calmed down, realizing he was not alone. Laying beside him on the rusty metal floor of the cargo container was a red silhouette. To most, she was just an old, crippled cyborg, a convicted criminal, but to Richie, she was the shape of love.

The presence of Lori-MF-97’s red body calmed Richie, everything about her did, but he especially loved holding her in his arms, because in those moments he felt that he became something more, that together they became one.

Every time before the big day, Richie would worry, and on that night he worried more than ever. The closer they got to Lori’s release from Sector C, the more he was scared that something bad would happen. And he was afraid, very afraid, to lose the one beautiful thing in his life that he was a part of.

Lori sensed Richie’s unease and reached out to him. They held hands, and he clasped hers gently yet firmly, afraid to ever let go.

Don't worry, she whispered in the darkness. We've been through this so many times. Tomorrow won't be any different.

Usually, Lori’s words were like medicine, but not on that night, because Richie was afraid he would never join Lori in her life outside Sector C. He was terrified that he would be left to rust and die alone after she returned home to her old life, a life without him.

Lori was close to paying off her dues for the crime she had committed and would soon be released and sent back to Sector A. And even though she had promised many times that she would wait for him, Richie felt the power of those promises fade in the face of his crushing debt to society. He had a long way to go before paying off his debt, before freedom. And with every day that passed, with every day that Lori's freedom became more and more a reality, Richie could feel his life creeping toward the loneliness he had felt before meeting her, and his self slowly becoming a single, lonely half.

Do you want to give it a try? Lori would often joke. To run away from here?

No. We absolutely can’t, Richie always replied. Not now, when you’re so close to freedom. The system led us here, to each other, and it will lead us the rest of the way, he would say, both believing and hoping it would turn out to be true.

There was no other way than to follow