Finding Her Cyborg (Cyborg Redemption) Read online

  Finding Her Cyborg

  By M.K. Eidem

  Finding Her Cyborg

  By

  M.K. Eidem

  Turtle Point Publishing, Inc.

  Copyright © 2022 by Michelle K. Eidem

  Edited by: [email protected]

  All rights reserved: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written permission from the author.

  All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is strictly coincidental.

  License Statement

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Synopsis

  Talyani Zulfiqar has been an interplanetary superstar since she won the Worlds competition at thirteen. Her mother is a socialite of renowned beauty, and her father is a powerful Supreme Judge. From the outside, her life is perfect, but Taly had a secret and someone for whom she’d sacrifice everything.

  Ranvir Somerled had been proud to serve and protect the people of Kirs as a member of the Cyborg Military Elite. Orphaned at a young age, it was the only family he had left. Then Emperor Shui, in his quest for power, destroyed that family, and Ranvir became a rebel.

  With their world in chaos, can two drastically different people find a way to survive and maybe even love? Or will their secrets and misunderstandings tear them apart?

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  About the Author

  Additional Books

  Prologue

  Emperor Shui glanced around the large, multi-leveled auditorium on the palace grounds. It was the only space big enough to house all those attending the hearings. The emotions on the faces in the crowd ranged from shock and awe to fear and worry. He made a point to note which sections held people with the latter. They could be a part of the rebellion he’d failed to catch. No matter. He’d see to them later.

  “Emperor Shui, we’re ready when you are.”

  His top aide stood to the left of the large dais set up for Shui to preside over the hearings. Shui chuckled to himself at the thought. In his mind, the rebels were already convicted and condemned. A lesson needed to be learned, and he would teach it to all who’d thought to conspire against him.

  “Let’s start. Send them in,” Shui instructed with a slight flick of his hand.

  Outwardly, he retained a calm façade, but inside, his glee had him almost wanting to release a victorious cheer. Finally, he’d be rid of those who sought to betray him. By the end of the day, this lesson of retribution would resonate throughout the planet of Kirs and deter others from thinking about doing to him what the Cyborg Military Elite had almost managed.

  To think how close to success they’d come caused his blood to boil. If that traitorous cyborg pod hadn’t refused their orders, the medical techs doing the scans for a malfunction would not have discovered that many cyborgs were part of a rebellion to thwart his attempts to conquer the neighboring planet, Bionus. The evidence of their secret meetings and gatherings to exchange information had all been there on their closed network.

  He seethed at the thought of being unable to hack into the other pods’ closed networks. By the time he’d rounded up the cyborgs, intending to do just that, they’d scrubbed everything clean and had been smart enough to not leave anything on the mainframe.

  The door to his right opened, letting in a long procession of rebels, primarily cyborgs wearing their prestigious uniforms. Uniforms that signified their roles as defenders of Kirs. But they hadn’t defended Kirs. They’d betrayed their home planet and him with their actions.

  Citizens of Kirs in plain clothes followed the cyborgs. The number of those about to receive judgment grew until rows and rows of rebels were gathered. Some stared at him with hateful glares, others murmured desperate pleas, while others had the audacity to look indifferent.

  Hundreds of cyborgs from the Military Elite made up the rank of the rebels. Shui wasn’t sure which ones remained loyal to him and who had taken part in growing the rebellion. He’d had their families tortured and their friends arrested, and he still couldn’t determine the full scale of their plans.

  Once the crowd settled, Shui stepped in front of the podium and activated the head mic he wore. “Today is a somber day for the world of Kirs. Rebels have been plotting against us. The men and women you see before you have been found guilty.”

  The crowd erupted with shouts of, “When were they given a trial?”

  “Is this legal?”

  “This isn’t fair.”

  All caught his attention. With a pointed look at his aide, Shui signaled that he wanted those who’d openly posed those questions and remarks detained. The rebels were everywhere, and he would catch each and every one of them.

  Shui put up both of his hands to silence the crowd. “As I said, these rebels have been found guilty of conspiring against the emperor and Kirs. They are hereby sentenced to prison for life.”

  Shui ignored another round of disruption from the onlookers and the shocked shouts thrown his way. His prime ministers, representing each country on Kirs, eyed him in dismay. They had been against his plans to take over Bionus and extend his reign as emperor over the small world from the beginning. They expected him to lead as his father had and settle for ruling only Kirs. But why would he when there was a vast number of planets that he could rule?

  And he would. This was just a small bump in his road. If the Cyborg Military Elite soldiers had just done what they were supposed to, this would be behind him now.

  Once more, Shui focused on the rebels he’d managed to catch. He wanted them to understand that he was judge, jury, and executioner. Their treachery had consequences.

  The cyborgs didn’t look so defiant, and the civilians appeared downright scared. They understood this would be a death sentence for many of them. While the cyborgs could withstand the hard labor, those without cybernetic enhancements wouldn’t last long on Tyurma, Kirs’ moon used to house prisoners.

  With a nod from Shui, the prison officers from Tyurma, who’d come to collect the rebels, activated the remote-controlled hand and ankle cuffs. The ground shook from their heavy boots as the rebels turned toward the exit in unison. Then one-by-one the rebels, cyborgs and citizens alike, lined up and were guided toward the side door where they would receive their branding and board the prison transport.

  The brand would be burned on their face, enabling Shui to find them anywhere if they ever escape Tyurma. He’d personally made sure the brand’s specifications wouldn’t allow the cyborgs’ nanobots to heal their skin.

&nbs
p; He hoped the “CR” for cyborg rebels and “R” for rebel brands would be clear on the holo-vids.

  Shui realized he was smiling and quickly adjusted his expression to portray what he thought was a mournful look. This event was broadcast to all of Kirs, after all. He wanted to appear saddened by having to sentence so many of his people to life in prison.

  The smile slid back into place, though, at the thought of what would happen to them, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remove it from his face.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Mayner huddled with a few of his fellow guards on the prison transport bound for Tyurma. They were successfully in space and far enough away from Kirs. “How soon before we need to take our leave?”

  Kaza glanced fearfully over his shoulder. No one else was present in the corridor besides the three of them. “According to the instructions, evacuation of the transport should begin in another fifteen minutes. The emperor made it clear that there is no way to stop the explosions set onboard.”

  Mayner and Goran exchanged a look. They were cousins by marriage, and both had vowed they would not hesitate to get off this doomed transport when it came time. They sympathized with the cyborgs and other Kirsians because the emperor’s actions were wrong, but only a fool would say that aloud.

  “It’s hard to imagine Emperor Shui had no intention of sending them to the prison colony,” Kazan continued with a remorseful look.

  “Let’s get back to our stations,” Goran said, the fear on his face very real. “I want to be ready when the time comes. The explosions will destroy the transport and all those on board. I have no intentions of being left behind to die.”

  As the three rushed off, none knew the cyborgs being escorted to their cell several corridors away. Their enhanced hearing enabled them to hear the guards’ words clearly. While not in the same pod group, the five cyborgs all wore grim expressions from what they’d learned.

  They would not have a chance to escape Tyurma as they’d thought. They would not have an opportunity to return to Kirs and see their families. The emperor had consigned them to death if what they’d heard was true. When they reached their designated cell, the guard shoved all of them into the enclosed space. There were a few jeers and taunts to which none of them responded.

  Once alone, the tallest of the group faced the others. “We’ve been set up. The emperor had no intentions of giving us a fair trial, and now he dooms us to death with the lie that we were bound to Tyurma.”

  Another took up speaking, “He has condemned everyone onboard. Our friends, our fellow cyborgs.”

  The other three gazed forward, brows creased as if in deep thought. They were eerily similar in appearance with dark hair and narrow-set eyes. The one in the middle shifted his gaze to encompass all of them and spoke, “We must put aside whatever differences or trust issues we have at this moment and save our brethren. I have family bound to Tyurma on this vessel.”

  A moment of silence, and then they all replied simultaneously, “Agreed.”

  The tallest cyborg volunteered to open his mainframe and broadcast the warning. They now were down to seven minutes before the alleged explosions would detonate. Messages were sent within pod groupings until the vast majority were aware.

  They were out of time.

  The revolt needed to start now.

  Chapter One

  Ten years earlier

  “Rock. Ranvir. You go right. Nas, you’re with me,” Major Reiji Demeter quietly ordered into his mouthpiece.

  Two soldiers peeled off the formation, heading down the corridor their commander had indicated.

  Reiji hated this type of mission. Pirates had taken control of the civilian transport, The Giles, and it was his job and the job of the elite soldiers he commanded to reclaim it with no loss of life. Except for those of the pirates, and therein was the problem. In a straight-out fight, it would only take minutes to neutralize the intruders, but with civilians on board, they had to take special precautions because civvies never reacted well to blaster fire.

  They’d already taken down the pirates who had taken over the ship’s control center, more than a dozen of them, but their captain was still unaccounted for. The coward had taken off for the passenger section as soon as Reiji’s team had boarded, hoping the taking of hostages would save his life.

  It wouldn’t because Reiji didn’t negotiate with pirates. They would either surrender or die, preferably with no additional loss of life.

  He and Nas turned a corner, their blasters already raised, then immediately stilled. The pirate captain stood halfway down the corridor, holding a trembling female in front of him. The tip of his blaster pressed against her temple.

  “I want safe passage back to my ship, or this bitch dies!” he screamed at them.

  Reiji’s answer was to put a perfect smoking hole between his eyes. Slowly, the pirate fell back, pulling the female with him.

  “Nice shot,” Nas commented, his eyes scanning for other possible threats as they moved forward.

  “Target down,” Reiji spoke into his mic, ignoring Nas’s statement. “Stay alert in case we missed one.”

  “Affirmative, Major.”

  The female rolled away from the dead pirate and then hurried down the corridor to an open door. It sealed as Nas called out, “Wait.”

  “Leave her,” Reiji ordered, tilting his head to listen as a transmission came through on his secure line. “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” Nas’s gaze shot back to him.

  “Rock. Ranvir. Continue your sweep. Nas and I will be going to the Premier Suite.”

  “Copy that, Major.”

  Spinning on his heel, Reiji made his way to the main lift.

  “What’s going on?” Nas asked, following close behind.

  “The family of a Supreme Judge is on this ship.”

  “What?! What are they doing off-planet? Especially without an escort?”

  “Don’t know, but now we have to verify their well-being, then babysit them until a fully armed escort arrives.”

  “Wonderful,” Nas muttered.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  The Premier Suite took up the whole upper level of the ship and was accessed through a private elevator with a code generated by the current occupant. There was a military override, which Reiji received before boarding The Giles. Entering the lift, Reiji opened a concealed panel. After swiping his override card, he input the twenty-five-digit master code into the tiny numeric keypad, which sent the elevator directly up to the Premier Suite.

  As the doors opened, he and Nas took up defensive positions. There was little chance that a pirate had made it this far, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some untrained, trigger-happy idiot with a blaster inside, ready to shoot first and ask questions later.

  Luckily, there wasn’t.

  They quickly cleared the first lavish room, then moved on to the next, the next, the next, and the next.

  “How many frigging rooms can this place have?” Nas muttered.

  Reiji didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled out a handheld unit from the storage pocket on his outer leg and began scanning the walls.

  “What are you doing?”

  “It’s common for these luxury suites to have escape rooms for their occupants to hide in and evacuate from if necessary. This one is… right here,” he said as the handheld began to beep excitedly. Using a fist, he pounded on the wall. “This is Major Reiji Demeter of Kirs Elite Planetary Defense Force. This ship is now secure. It’s safe for you to disengage the room’s locks.”

  It took several long moments during which they retracted the visors on their helmets, but finally, the sound of locks disengaging and seals releasing was heard. The door slowly opened.

  “Shit!” Reiji cursed as an elegantly dressed woman stepped out. Her white-blonde hair was artfully arranged around a heart-shaped face with big brown eyes, a petite nose, and enhanced red lips. “I should have known.”

  “Hello, Reiji.”

 
“What the fuck are you doing in space, Pooja?” he demanded. “You hate space.”

  “It’s Lady Zulfiqar to you, Major Demeter,” she told him haughtily.

  “Ah yes, that’s all you ever wanted to be now, isn’t it, Pooja? To be considered a ‘Lady’ instead of the dirty D-Twelver you are.”

  Her arrogant façade faded, and she snapped, “I am a Lady!”

  He sneered. “And all it took for you to achieve that was to divorce me and abandon our son.”

  “I never…”

  “Hello, Mother, or do I need to address you as Lady Zulfiqar, too?” Nas asked, stepping into her line of sight.

  “I… what… who… Nasli?” she stammered, the color draining from her face.

  “So, you do remember me. I’m surprised since your current husband successfully erased you from every document that connected us.”

  “He did that to protect me. He…”

  “He did it to protect himself,” Reiji spat out. “So he could be elected Supreme Judge because we all know that never would have happened if it was discovered his wife not only came from District Twelve but gave birth to one.”

  “Why is that man calling you mother?”

  The young voice had all three heads turning. A young girl emerged from the escape room. Her long white-blonde hair was pulled back by two decorative combs, framing her crystal blue eyes and an elegant little nose perfectly centered in her heart-shaped face.

  Pooja recovered her composure. “This doesn’t concern you, Talyani. Get back inside until I say you can come out.”

  Swinging his blast rifle around to his back, Nas removed his helmet, exposing short white-blonde hair that matched hers as he went down on one knee. “I call her mother because that’s what she is, which means you’re my half-sister.”

  “Stop!” Pooja shrieked, but everyone ignored her.