Page 20 of On a Rogue Planet
Xander found a shadowed alcove and crouched in the darkness, setting the woman down. “Are you okay?”
She blinked up at him. Her face narrowed down to a pointed chin and ink black hair was cut sprite-short around her face in a choppy, uneven style. Her mouth was a little too wide for her face. Her eyes were a brilliant purple-blue. For some reason, he wanted to stare into them.
He frowned. He must have sustained some damage.
“I’m fine. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Those purple eyes sparked. “You’re injured and need more time under the medscanner.”
He blinked. This woman…she was berating him? On Centax, people were afraid of him. They followed his orders without question. No one reprimanded him.
No one except this spirited, little pixie. The indignation on her face made him want to…smile? Shock reverberated through him. Normally, his emotions were dampened to the point wherehe felt nothing. Too many implants, too many filters. They helped make him the perfect cyborg, the perfect CenSec, the perfect protector of his planet.
Six minutes and three seconds until reboot completion.
“Hey—” she snapped her fingers in front of his face “—are you listening to me?”
He tilted his head, fascinated that she had no fear of him. “Yes.”
“What’s with the superhero tactics?”
“I’m…not fully functioning.”
“No shit. You were hurt.” Her hand slid up his mechanical arm.
Xander stared at the slim fingers resting on him. Receptors in the arm meant he could sense her touch, but it wasn’t as deep a sensation as on his real skin. He lifted her hand and placed it on his human arm.
She paused for a second, but kept her touch there.
Three minutes and eleven secondsuntil reboot completion.
“You like that?” she said quietly.
“Yes.”
Her fingers curled into his skin. Her calluses scraped against him.
She winced. “Sorry, my hands are rough?—”
“They look strong to me. Competent.”
Her eyes were wide as she stared at him.
The reboot completed and all his systems flashed up. Online and functioning normally.
Xander blinked. “Malin?”
“Xander?” She let out a huge rush of air. “You’re back?”
“I…yes.”
“You were hurt. That giant merc shot you on Centax, and clawed you, and then our ship was shot at. It scrambled your…” She waved a hand at his head.
“I remember. I also remember you faced down that merc with more bravery than a team of CenSecs.”
She smiled. “Well, after you’d saved me, I felt compelled to return the favor.”
At her smile, he felt something unfamiliar deep inside. No one ever smiled at him. “My systems had gone offline. They’re back now.” Emotion rose up, made him want to cup her face in his hands. “I may have sustained some damage, however.”
Because even with his filters functioning, emotions were still running through him in a liquid rush. Dizzying sensations raced across his skin.
