Chapter Twenty-Seven

The vehicle bobbed and swayed through the city streets as it worked its way toward the interstate. AD-214 and the other members of Blue Squad were crushed together on the open floor of the cargo van, staying away from any windows.

PD-4 had led them on a quick trek back through the woods to a small farm where the white van waited for them behind a barn. "Geoff’s Painting" was plastered across the side in large letters, and Geoff himself patiently waited for them. He was perched in the loft of the barn wearing white coveralls and a painter’s cap, using a pair of binoculars to watch the woods for his cargo.

“Are you sure you want to drive us?” AD-214 had asked as the human descended from the barn. “It’s going to be dangerous, and we don’t want to risk innocent lives.”

The painter was wiry thin, with a bushy black beard that still had bits of paint stuck in it from a previous job. “Hell, yeah!” he exclaimed, startling a nearby horse. “I get to be part of history if I’m the driver for Blue Squad. Besides, if someone sees you behind the wheel they’ll call the police in an instant. No offense, but you’re all pretty recognizable now.”

Without any further discussion, the cyborgs and Amanda piled inside. Geoff had removed most of his painting supplies from the van, leaving only a tarp so the cyborgs could cover themselves at a traffic stop. AD-214 made sure he had a spot next to Amanda, though none of the other soldiers would have fought him for it.

“How did you arrange this?” Amanda whispered. “And how do we know we can trust this guy?” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the driver.

The captain smiled at her. A single eyebrow danced high up on her forehead, showing she was critical of the situation. He liked that she didn’t accept things as they were. Curiosity was one of her most attractive qualities. “PD-4 has had plenty of time to watch the news and observe other transmissions. It gives him a pretty good idea of what’s going on in the world. It turns out that Canada officially opened its borders to cyborg refugees, offering a safe haven. They were already considering it and your press conference gave them the final push. There are sympathizers in America as well, willing to do whatever they can to help us. Geoff is one of them.”

Amanda turned back to study the driver, who seemed excited and nervous as he navigated the roads. “As long as you’re sure.”

“We can easily kill him if he betrays us,” AD-214 replied. He laughed as Geoff sat up straighter in his seat.

“Canada opened up its borders for the ten members of Blue Squad?” Amanda asked. “That’s not a lot of refugees.”

“Eleven, including you,” ND-45 said from his position at the back of the van. He stretched up to peek out a small window.

Turning to Amanda with a grin, he said, “There are more free cyborgs now than just Blue Squad.”

“There are?” Amanda asked a bewildered look on her beautiful face.

ND-45 took the opportunity to brag. “We converted some of the clones while we were breaking into the hospital. A few of us uploaded the system upgrade to the soldiers who were still at Cyborg Sector. With any luck, they’ll continue to spread enlightenment until every cyborg in existence is free. Canada’s borders will be flooded. You’re welcome.” He puffed out his chest.

“It was all ND-45’s idea,” AD-214 explained. “When he saw I was able to share the software among soldiers in our unit, he thought it would be a good idea to use the shock and try to overwhelm the clones. It’s nice to think we might have helped some of the others remember who they were.”

The blonde scientist looked up at him, questions dancing in her dark eyes. “You don’t mind remembering your past? I’ve been haunted about what I did to you. I had no idea that the software would have such a dramatic effect on your personality.”

AD-214 laid a hand on her cheek. A tingling sensation shot up his arm whenever he touched her skin. She seemed to be begging for his forgiveness, but it wasn’t needed. A cyborg was content with his duties and his missions because he didn’t know any other way of life. But AD-214 knew what life was now. He only had a small taste of it, but it was enough for him to know that he wanted more, and did not need to hold grudges. “No,” he said, “I don’t mind at all.”

The girl started at his gesture, then leaned into his hand. “All I want is for you to be happy.”

A wisp of hair fell across her face, and the cyborg captain used his other hand to brush it back behind Amanda’s ear. He couldn’t remember ever seeing anything as beautiful as Amanda before. It had been a long time since he had been able to appreciate beauty. It wasn’t something he could describe or share through the network with other cyborgs. Amanda’s beauty was for him alone. It was wonderful.

“Happy?” he replied with a smile. “Yes, I think I’m learning to be.”

After many hours of driving, most of them spent in silence and with the warmth of Amanda sleeping against his chest, AD-214 straightened in his seat. Geoff announced they were approaching the Canadian border.

“I don’t think I’ll be going with you,” the painter explained. “I have to do some work with my business. If the news reports and the talking in our organization is correct, the Canadian government will provide you with transport to a safe house.”

The patrol guards at the border seemed startled by the large men that poured out of the back of the van, but they quickly arranged the next leg of their journey for the cyborgs. Blue Squad rode in comfort this time. They were given an oversized bus filled with food and bottled water to travel in instead of a cramped van. In two more hours, they arrived at the safe house.

“The place is all yours,” the driver explained as he pulled into a circular driveway in front of the large home. “The refugee committee rented it out for you specifically. There will be guards around the perimeter of the grounds in case someone decides it’s their duty to eliminate cyborgs from existence, but between you and me, nobody up here has been too upset about cyborgs. You’ll have to worry about sightseers more than enemies.” He peeked at the driveway behind the bus, where a silver sedan was pulling up. “Here’s your house manager, Mr. Forby, right now. He’s in charge of getting you all the food, clothing, and other items you might need.”

Blue Squad piled off the bus to meet the short, fat man who greeted them each with a smile and hearty handshake. “I’m happy to help you folks,” he said eagerly. “And the beautiful Ms. Conrad, of course. It’s an honor to have you here. I’ll show you around, and then I’d like to discuss your needs with each of you. Several donation sites have popped up around the country, so we should be able to accommodate you.”

The safe house was large, with enough private rooms for everyone. As the chaos in the foyer slowly died down, AD-214 pulled Amanda aside.

“My men have told me that they want to give me the master bedroom. There’s more than enough room there for me. Would you like to share it?”