When the cyborg teams returned to the Enclave with their new recruits, Vyken left Danya to help get them checked in and assigned quarters. He went to see Jacob Black in his office and closed the door behind him. Jacob was sitting at his desk looking at a virtual computer screen. He closed it when Vyken entered and came to stand in front of him.
“I wanted to stop and see you this morning, but I was running a little late,” Vyken told him. “When we went to the lab to activate some of the cyborgs on the third level yesterday, we discovered an exit into the stairwell that led to a fourth lower level.”
Jacob gave him a calculating look and Vyken sensed his heart rhythm increasing. Seconds passed before he finally said, “Yes, I decided to take a look at level three to see how we could renovate for more living space after you move the cyborgs out. I just wanted to get a look at the cyborgs, and I found the stairwell to level four. There are hundreds more down there!”
“Yes, that’s what I came to tell you,” Vyken told him, and the other man seemed to relax a bit. “I have contacted the Cyborg Council to see what they want us to do with them. After what we’ve found here, I need to check on the other cyborg facility to see if it contains inactivated cyborgs as well.”
“Then, what will you do with them all?” Jacob asked. “They were all bred to be killers. We don’t need killers we need rebuilders.”
“They can be reprogrammed for other occupations, and we have the AI that can do in on Starfire,” Vyken explained. “Right now, we will only activate those we need for specific jobs. Cyborg Command may send a ship for the rest that we don’t need and transport them to Phantom where they can live free.”
“And the cyborgs on level three---what will you do with them?”
“We are going to activate most of them work with us here then crew our ship. There are some females in the level four group that we are going to activate for our Enclave mission.” Vyken said. “I know you don’t have the manpower to convert level three to living space. I can have a crew programmed to do that for you.”
“Can you get them to go out and scavenge the materials we need to do that?”
“If that’s what it takes. I gave my word to Admiral Gregor that I would see this through with you. Cyborgs can do a lot more than fight wars,” Vyken reminded. “We are human beings. We have human minds and human feelings as well as onboard computers and enhanced senses.”
“That’s pretty obvious. I’ve seen the way you look at James Hill’s daughter, not that anyone can blame you. She’s certainly attractive.”
“She is my female,” Vyken stated in no uncertain terms.
“Does she know that? Or better, does James know that?”
“They do. Danya has accepted me as her mate,” Vyken stated proudly.
“Well, that certainly was quick,” Jacob commented.
“It is programmed into our genes to recognize our most suitable genetic mate by scent and by our attraction to them,” Vyken explained. “Only they can produce offspring with us.”
“If you turn all those cyborgs loose, are they going to take up with all of the eligible females you bring into the Enclave?” There was an edge of disapproval in that question.
“It’s possible some will, but not all. Some may actually be compatible with the female cyborgs who are among the three thousand. We will move the cyborgs from the third level, and I will have a team clean it.”
“That would be great. As far as I could see, the rooms were all finished---walls painted, floor tiled. What we need is material to partition off the large rooms into bedrooms and sitting areas” Jacob said. “But, if we can even get some beds made and bedding, they will be far better than living in the ruins of the cities.”
“I will see what we can find as we look for people to join your Enclave. Perhaps we can salvage building material from the ruins,” Vyken suggested. “Occasionally, we find a building that’s still intact.”
“Thank you, Commander Dark. I appreciate your keeping me informed,” Jacob said.
Vyken inclined his head instead of a salute and left the Enclave administrator’s office. He was not dissuaded of his belief that Jacob Black had a personal agenda working along with his plans for the Enclave. Vyken had been exposed to anti-cyborg sentiment from time to time during his service to the Federation. Certain things Black had said and changes in his heart rhythms made Vyken think he was hiding something.
It didn’t worry him much. Black only had a staff of twenty and no weapons that would be a threat to his cyborgs. His only concern is that someone might attempt to sabotage the embryo vault or cyborg stasis chambers. He had solved that problem setting a team to guard them.
When Vyken came out of Black’s office, he saw Danya near the entrance talking with her father. The corridor was otherwise empty, so he assumed the latest refugees had been settled into their quarters. Vyken stopped for a moment to communicate with Kydel on activating the female cyborgs on level four. They would awaken fifteen female cyborgs from level four and fifteen more of the males from level three.
Kydel would program two males and two females to perform as medics and Vyken would encode three of them to work with the rescue teams going into the city. He was highly aware that Danya could have taken a bullet instead of him. He would not risk her again in that capacity.
“Vyken,” James Hill smiled at him as he approached. “Danya tells me that you were hurt, today. People were shooting at you? Oh, yeah. I see the holes and the blood on your clothes. Are you, all right?”
“The wounds were minor. My nanites have nearly finished healing them already.”
“I’m not so sure I want my daughter going out there if thugs are shooting at us,” James said.
“She won’t be,” Vyken assured him.
“What do you mean?” Danya protested. “I told you I don’t want to be stuck here while you are out all day.”
“We will be on another mission,” Vyken said. “Kydel is activating more cyborgs, including females. Since you and I got more people to respond and join us, I determined that possibly they felt less threatened by a female. You may help train the females to do the job with each of the three teams.”
“Oh, okay,” Danya agreed, and her father looked relieved. “Then what are we going to do?”
“We will take the shuttle to the other cyborg production facility on this world to see if there are any more cyborgs in stasis at that location,” Vyken said. “You are welcome to come as well, James.”
“No thanks,” he said. “I really hate flying, and I have a lot to do here. I am starting to teach people to read, helping people who have special needs make them known.”
Vyken stopped talking and went into a vacant stare as the ship AI patched through a message from cyborg command.
Commander Dark, this is Chancellor Rexar Falcon we received your message about the thirty-three hundred cyborgs left in stasis at the Chicago Enclave. Are you aware there is another cyborg facility on Earth?
Yes, sir! I am planning to travel to it tomorrow. I want to make sure we set all of the cyborgs free.
Excellent Commander. We will wait to hear back from you before we send transport for them to Phantom.
What if they do not wish to come to Phantom?
Cyborgs in stasis will be transported to Phantom. They can choose at that point what they will do from there. Cyborgs that you activate to aid your mission are free to go where they will. There may not be enough resources left on Earth to support high numbers of cyborgs. Once you have inventoried the number of cyborgs in stasis at the other facility, get back to me with the number, and we will send ships for them.
As you wish, Chancellor.
“Vyken, are you okay,” Danya asked, touching his arm.
He blinked and looked down at her. “I’m fine, Star was relaying a message to me from the ship. Are you ready to return to the ship?”
She nodded with a shy smile. “I told Dad that I have accepted you as my mate. He wasn’t surprised. He’s okay with it---probably because you saved our asses and he knows I want to be with you.”
Vyken smiled at her and drew his fingertips down her cheek. He bent down and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to pleasure you in every way I know when I take you back to the ship.”
Danya laughed softly and pressed a quick kiss on the side of his mouth. “Bring it on,” she whispered back.
“Do you wish to return to the ship this night, James?” Vyken asked?
“Thank you, no. I’m have promised to visit some of the new people who just got here. Jacob has given me a room,” he replied with a smile. “If I don’t see you before you leave tomorrow, have a good trip.”
“We will,” said Vyken as he was walking Danya out the door with an arm around her shoulders. His words had had the desired effect on Danya as he could scent her arousal even before they left.