“What?” She grabbed his shirt and shook him. “What’s going on?”
He blinked and focused on her face. “Someone else has discovered the plot. He’s broadcasting the information over the open network. The explosion can’t be altered.”
Ranvir looked to the other cyborgs, who nodded. “Let’s go.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Minutes later, Talyani had her breath knocked out of her again as she was shoved into a seat in an escape pod. Her stomach struggled to settle after being slung over a cyborg’s shoulder as they’d raced through the corridors.
How they’d made it through the crush of bodies, she couldn’t say, but they had. At least she and the four cyborgs had. She didn’t know what had happened to her ‘fan.’
Instead of immediately closing the door, which would launch the escape pod, the gruff cyborg who had carried her moved to the control console.
“What are you doing?” she asked when she could finally speak.
Instead of answering, his fingers rapidly moved over the controls.
“Hurry up,” one of the other cyborgs growled.
Ranvir ignored both of them. He wasn’t the computer expert of his pod, so the reprogramming of their destination and deactivation of their transponder was taking longer than he’d like. Still, it was better than being sent directly back to Kirs.
“Done,” he announced. “Launch us.”
“Wait!” Running as fast as he could toward them was her fan. “Don’t leave me!”
The cyborg’s hand didn’t pause.
“Stop!” she exclaimed. “You can’t leave him!”
His hand stilled for only a moment, but it was enough for the fan to dive beneath the door before it sealed and the escape pod launched.
“Thank Gods,” Vujcec breathed as he rolled onto his back. “I thought you were going to leave me.”
“We were,” Ranvir informed him. “You’re of no use to us.”
“Andsheis?” Vujcec jabbed a thumb towards Talyani as he stood. “Why? Because she’s a woman? I thought they removedthatpart when you became a cyborg so you wouldn’t be distracted.”
“Sheis the one who freed us from our cell,” Ranvir told him coldly. “If it weren’t forher, we’d all still be sealed in our cells. That’s why she’s here. You have done nothing but snivel and cry for all your claims of assisting the rebellion.”
All four cyborgs looked to the viewing port at the same time.
“Strap in and brace for impact,” Ranvir ordered, taking the seat beside Talyani.