A woman under repair with a skill for assessing survival meets a previous acquaintance who is now more than a match for her.
In the year 2280, Earth has been at war for a decade. The Splice take the humans they capture and use them for parts. Sending bots in place of humans didnโt work, but taking the wounded and turning them into cyborgs has enabled Earth to push the Splice away from Earth. The combination of metal and man is turning the tide in a war that no one could have imagined.
Adaptation Base is where the wounded are recycled into enhanced warriors, and when a terrorist action takes out the administration, the newest cyborgs will have to take things into their own hands.
When Stitch comes to, her position as an assessment officer is still valid, but her new location on the front lines means a lot of adjustment. The men she had designed from the wounds out are now her team, and finding the one who had flirted his way into her heartโafter all this timeโleaves her vulnerable to his mechanical advantage.
Excerpt:
โCan I see my file?โ
He nodded. โAs you are taking over our triage assessment team as soon as you are up and running, yes.โ
He handed her the flat screen, and she extended it out of the two cylinders. Her stats were displayed, and her new silver hand moved as easily as her flesh one while flicking through the information.
She had died twice, her system had gone septic and additional nanites had been injected to give her enough to be compatible with the adaptations, as well as bolster her immune system. Her broken spine had been fixed and the impulses from her body rerouted around the damage.
Major organs had been replaced with the newest and most organic implants available. She had been held in hibernation while they had built the parts. She had been out of commission for two years.
โWhat happened to the others?โ She looked up at the captain.
โThey are scattered across the front. You ladies have skills, and we need more fighters, as well as admin specialists.โ
โDid they find out who planted the bomb?โ
โThey did. It was the War Opposition Frontโthose idiots who wanted to hand over Earth and beg for mercy from the Splice. They didnโt know that mercy would never be coming from that front.โ
โWhat has happened?โ
โWe sealed the Earth. A defense net of weaponized satellites was launched three months ago. It has repelled one Splice attack, but now, they are gathering in numbers. It wonโt be long before they crack through.โ He grimaced.
โWhat is being done about it?โ
Captain Blue shrugged. โWhatever we can do. We are trying to cut them off.โ
Stitch nodded. โGreat. When can I get out of bed?โ
โAs soon as you are ready. Sit with your legs over the side and slowly get up. If you feel weak, fall back. The bed is designed to hold fully tricked-out cyborgs. You wonโt even make it tremble.โ
He stayed near her while she moved her heavy legs to hang over the edge. It was difficult, but once her body knew what she wanted, it cooperated. She waited until she could swing her legs to her heartbeat, and when she was ready, she stood.
Her balance was off. They hadnโt installed a counterweight along her left arm. Stitch twisted and slowly bent. When she straightened, she looked at Captain Blue. โOkay, where can I get some clothes?โ
He stopped staring at her naked body and blinked. โUh, in your quarters? We donโt have a lot of call for clothing in your size.โ
โFind me a t-shirt, perv. I am not here to entertain you.โ
**
About the Author
Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing. An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.