Read The Mammoth Book of SF Wars Online
Authors: Ian Watson [Ed],Ian Whates [Ed]
Tags: #Fiction, #Anthologies (Multiple Authors), #Science Fiction, #Military, #War & Military
The Mammoth Book of SF Wars (70 page)
“It’s been a long time. I mean, since, you know.” She slid her hand across his chest. “Since I’ve done this.”
He hadn’t expected that from so sensuous a woman. He knew little about Jagernauts, though. It wouldn’t surprise him if they had trouble with the softer aspects of life given what they endured in battle.
“Why with me?” As soon as the question came out, he wished he had kept his mouth shut. He had no desire to know if she had slept with him out of pity.
Soz just said, “It seemed right.” She shifted against him, slight movements, but erotic. “Such a sexy man.”
Sexy? Good gods. Her brain was fried.
“You really have no idea, do you?” Her voice trailed off, sleepy and warm. “Foolish women here. Their loss … my gain.”
He didn’t know what to make of that, but he liked it. He was less comfortable with her hearing his thoughts. He imagined a shroud over his mind. Then he thought,
You have green tufts of fur on your ears
. He smiled, imagining her reaction.
After a moment, when nothing happened, he thought,
I wish you weren’t leaving
.
Nothing.
He imagined his thoughts forming
outside
his mental shroud.
Did you catch that?
She stirred against him.
Catch what?
So. He
could
hide his thoughts.
I wondered how long you would be here.
Until we finish the evacuation.
Then she added,
We won’t strand you, Hypron. We’ll help you resettle.
He closed his eyes, relieved.
That’s good to know.
Just those moments of exchanging thoughts made his temples ache. He mentally retreated, settling his shroud around his mind.
After a moment, Soz spoke. “Does it bother you that I have augmentation inside of me?”
He blinked, unsure how to answer. “It’s different.”
“The system is called a biomech web.”
He supposed it should make him uncomfortable. She was probably the most dangerous human being he had ever met. But she felt so human, her body lithe and female against his. Even if this was only for one night, it was hard to believe a woman like her actually wanted him. Hell no, it didn’t bother him.
“I’m all right with it,” he said.
“I have an enhanced muscle system and skeleton,” she said. “Hydraulics, bioelectrodes, neurotrophic protections, bio-active threads, ear and optical implants, all that.”
He wondered why she wanted him to know. “Sounds impressive.”
“You’re sure you’re fine about this?”
“Really, it’s no problem.”
“Good.” Then, in a perfectly normal voice, she shook his universe. “Because we can get the biomech for you. Not a weapons-grade system, but certainly the structural mech. So you can walk again.”
Walk again?
She was serious! His instant of euphoria died as fast as it had come. “I’m sure I can’t afford that kind of treatment.”
“Hell, yes, you can.” Her voice was low, but none the less ominous for that. “Make a claim against Newland Corporation. I’ll help you file. They owe you.
Big
time.”
“Aren’t you an ISC officer?” He wasn’t sure, but he thought Jagernaut Secondary was a high rank in the military. “ISC helped Newland set up this colony.”
“You’re damn right. That means I know how to deal with the system. When I get back to HQ, there will be hell to pay. Newland might as well have given you colonists a death sentence.”
“Oh.” He hardly knew how to absorb her words. Then he wanted to kick himself. She was offering to give him back his life, and the best he could do was
Oh
? He was a dolt.
“Thank you.” He wished he knew how to express how much it meant to him. “I don’t have the words to say that right.”
Her voice softened. “You don’t need words. You shine inside. You must be an artist or something.”
“My brother used to say that.” He doubted he would ever again talk about his life without remembering Oxim. “I really don’t know. I’ve been too busy trying to stay alive.”
“We’ll have to find out what you like when you don’t have to worry about just surviving.”
“It’s hard to imagine.” Nor had he missed what else she had said. “‘We?’”
She tensed against him. “If, uh … you’d like that.”
The night’s quiet suddenly seemed thick. “You would want me, too?”
She spoke awkwardly. “Unless you don’t like the idea.”
Gods, she was serious. Of course he wanted her. “I do,” he said. “Like the idea, I mean.”
She exhaled, her body relaxing. They lay together in a silence after that, their limbs tangled together. An emotion came to him, one so rare it took a moment to sink in. He was glad to be alive. He had been dying inside for so long, he almost didn’t recognize the lightness. Even if she left tomorrow and he never saw her again, she had given him a reason to pick up his life and learn to deal with his grief.
“I won’t leave,” she said. “You’ll stay with me, yes? Let’s see what happens. See if it works out.”
He pressed his lips against her forehead. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
For the first time in years, Hypron drifted to sleep looking forward to the morning.
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