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A first look at her crewmate
Amadis eyed the clear capsules. They contained twenty-five cyborgs shipped to assist the victims at Nu Station by their parent company CyberServe, a subsidiary of Life Tech. The majority were of the CCM and CCF lines, the streamlined units with runners’ physiques. A half dozen of the handsome PSMs were also present, their frames heavier but not bulky. None had the heft of the TWMs, the type of cyborg Amadis was most familiar with. None of that particular model were present.
Cyborgs had been death dealers on Earth, denizens of a war thirty years in the past, and far from forgotten by its inhabitants. Amadis, born off-planet, had none of the prejudices the Terrans greeted their old foes with. To her and other “starkids,” the reprogrammed and refurbished cyborgs were simply a growing fact of life in the ITCS.
“These are all tied to the bay’s central computer bank?” She moved to the podium that powered up at her approach.
“Affirmative. I can activate them at any time.”
“One will do.” She was tempted to ask for a male, maybe a PSM, but this was no pleasure cruise. Eyes on the prize, she told herself. “Any of the…the life assistants will be fine.” Prevailing culture at Life Tech and CyberServe dictated the cyborgs not be referred to as units.
“There is a recorded message for you from Life Tech CEO Tosha Cameron marked ‘Play Before Activation.’ Shall I play it for you?”
“Of course.” Amadis smiled as her boss’ image appeared on a nearby screen.
“Hi, Amadis. I hope you had a nice nap and are ready to save the day at Station Nu.” Despite her tailored suit and no-nonsense chignon, Tosha was as warm as if they sat in a club during their occasional girls’ nights out. “I know you’ll have things well in hand no matter what obstacles are thrown at you, but I’ll wish you luck again anyway.”
“I won’t let you down,” Amadis murmured to the woman who couldn’t hear her. Resolve kicked in at the sight of her boss and mentor.
“Though I have absolute faith in you, I did send along a little help. Listen, I couldn’t have gotten through the past three years without you keeping me in line, so I’m giving you an assistant of your own. He’s the only SIM on board. His name is Victor, and he’s fully programmed for…well, mostly interpersonal communications, but as a demo model for CyberServe’s sales floor, he’s about as well-rounded a cyborg as you can find.” Tosha gave her a wicked grin and wink. “I expect you to enjoy his company as much as you wish, but try to get some work done too, mmm-kay?”
Amadis shook her head when Tosha’s recording blinked off. “Fiend. You won’t be happy until we’re all mechasexuals.”
“Shall I activate the cyborg designated SIM-715 for you?” the ship’s system inquired.
“Hold on. Show me where he is first.”
“Victor” had been stored in the back row. She stared up at him, unaware when she licked her lips.
She’d paid little attention to the SIM models. Though they’d been the original model of large batch-produced cyborgs, they tended to be overshadowed by the stunning PSMs and larger-than-life TWMs. Designated as spies that Earth’s ruling corporations had pitted against each other, no two were alike. They were, as a rule, charming and handsome. Their female counterparts, the SIFs, were gorgeous, with impossible figures human women could only approach through extensive contouring.
Amadis had to admit Victor was delicious. His was a slim, graceful figure, accentuated by the well-cut designer suit he wore. He’d have been equally dashing in a tuxedo or flannel and jeans. His eyes appeared as black as his styled hair. His features were sleek and handsome, and though he was powered down, a devil-may-care smile teased his well-shaped lips.
“Fuck,” she whispered in a drawn-out sigh. “Tosha, I love you, but you’re a bitch to place so much temptation in front of me.”
It was her own fault. At their last girls’ night, she’d complained she hadn’t had a decent date in ages. Diversions like dating weren’t likely in the foreseeable future either, what with her renewed focus on challenging herself to rise above the sidekick role she’d lived most of her life. “I have to be all about career from here on out, until I’ve achieved something that’s mine,” she’d told Tosha. “Starting with this assignment to Nu. Did I thank you for giving me the opportunity?”
Tosha had waved off her gratitude. “Career and a relationship can go hand-in-hand. If you have a chance at love, don’t ignore it. You’re smart and capable. You deserve to have it all.”
“Well, he looks good,” Amadis grumbled to herself, staring at Victor. “But I had my heart set on a human friend-with-benefits. One closer to my age.” His designation put his manufacturing date nearly a hundred years prior, though with his old matrix removed and a new version installed, he’d be closer to three.
He didn’t look like an old man or a toddler. He was perfect.
“All right, system. You can switch him on.”
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Threatened and pursued, they have no business falling in love. So that’s exactly what they do.
Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.
Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her
entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has
what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately
needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull
off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.
Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a
secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her
the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates
and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance
after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her
life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business
falling for.
Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.
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She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?
They
called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans
during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha
Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the
deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.
Most
would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a
valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for
assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for
protection.
Reprogrammed,
Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha,
he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning
matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.
Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.
Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep
On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.
He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from
his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect,
he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.
CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions.
Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine.
They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.
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