but
only by a few degrees.”
“I noticed that you have tattoos. I’ve never seen anything similar to them. Do they
have meaning?”
He hesitated. “It’s the cyborg language we created. All cyborgs have them but I
didn’t like the idea of being branded. It’s our way of identifying each other so it was
necessary to have it done. I just had them put my information on one arm and in
smaller writing so it wasn’t as irritating to me.”
“Oh.” Megan nodded. “What do they say?”
“My name and what I do. When we first started to build our city on our new home
world, the work was very harsh. Some of our people died and since there were many of
us, it was hard to keep track of names. It’s why they decided to brand us this way. They
could identify those who were injured or dead.”
Her gaze flickered down his leather-clad body. “What kind of implants do you
have?”
51
Laurann Dohner
He tilted his head, moving away from her touch so she let her hand drop, then he
straightened his head again. “There are some inside my head to help me communicate
with technology. Emotions were not expected when we were created so they installed
chips to shut off sections of our brains in an attempt to block them. I also have a heart
monitor in my chest so, in case of failure, it will shock it back into functioning.”
Her gaze flicked down to his broad chest and then back up again. “Why the backup
system? Do cyborgs have weak hearts?”
“I’m designated to be a mechanic and work with electronics. If a strong current is
ever introduced into my body during an accident, it could stop my heart.”
“Hence the backup system,” she guessed aloud. “Well, I guess that’s handy.”
“Yes.”
“So your emotions are blocked? That’s weird. I figured you had them since you
have a need for…” Her voice trailed off and her mouth slammed closed.
His eyebrow lifted. “Sex?”
She gave a sharp nod. “Yes. The bots don’t have a sex drive. They just do what they
are programmed for. They recharge when they aren’t in use and just stay at their
docking stations inside the rooms. They couldn’t care less if they are activated or if they
stay dormant for months.”
He stared into her eyes. “I have a very active sex drive but I do have the ability to
shut it down if I wish. I don’t. I enjoy having access to everything that I am.”
“Oh. I would too.”
“You have had sex with me and you still believed me to be more bot than
humanoid?”
She hesitated. “You taste really sweet.”
Astonishment widened his stare. “Sweet?”
Megan knew her cheeks were warming from the blush spreading there. “When you
come, it tastes sweet, which made me think that perhaps they made you flavored that
way and that got me to thinking that maybe you were more artificial than not.”
An uncomfortable silence stretched as they watched each other. She’d obviously
been a little too blunt and had stunned the cyborg speechless. Megan started when a
loud buzz sounded in the room. Ice stood.
“It’s the food Blackie ordered.”
Megan didn’t recognize the cyborg who brought her meal. She wondered how
many of them were on the ship in all but didn’t ask. Ice nodded at the other man and
accepted the tray. The male at the door hesitated.
“Why feed her?”
“Silence,” Ice ordered him.
The man looked down at the tray of food, paled, and then nodded. “I see.”
52
Touching Ice
The man glanced at Megan, a look of pity on his features, and then spun on his heel
to walk away. The door closed and Ice faced her with tray in hand.
“Here is your meal.” He hesitated, looking uncertain, and took a step back, the
movement opposite of his words. It was almost as if he didn’t want to feed her.
No one had ever accused Megan of being dimwitted. Why feed her? That cyborg had
given her a look that reflected pity. She studied Ice and saw his grim expression.
“You are supposed to eat this.”
only by a few degrees.”
“I noticed that you have tattoos. I’ve never seen anything similar to them. Do they
have meaning?”
He hesitated. “It’s the cyborg language we created. All cyborgs have them but I
didn’t like the idea of being branded. It’s our way of identifying each other so it was
necessary to have it done. I just had them put my information on one arm and in
smaller writing so it wasn’t as irritating to me.”
“Oh.” Megan nodded. “What do they say?”
“My name and what I do. When we first started to build our city on our new home
world, the work was very harsh. Some of our people died and since there were many of
us, it was hard to keep track of names. It’s why they decided to brand us this way. They
could identify those who were injured or dead.”
Her gaze flickered down his leather-clad body. “What kind of implants do you
have?”
51
Laurann Dohner
He tilted his head, moving away from her touch so she let her hand drop, then he
straightened his head again. “There are some inside my head to help me communicate
with technology. Emotions were not expected when we were created so they installed
chips to shut off sections of our brains in an attempt to block them. I also have a heart
monitor in my chest so, in case of failure, it will shock it back into functioning.”
Her gaze flicked down to his broad chest and then back up again. “Why the backup
system? Do cyborgs have weak hearts?”
“I’m designated to be a mechanic and work with electronics. If a strong current is
ever introduced into my body during an accident, it could stop my heart.”
“Hence the backup system,” she guessed aloud. “Well, I guess that’s handy.”
“Yes.”
“So your emotions are blocked? That’s weird. I figured you had them since you
have a need for…” Her voice trailed off and her mouth slammed closed.
His eyebrow lifted. “Sex?”
She gave a sharp nod. “Yes. The bots don’t have a sex drive. They just do what they
are programmed for. They recharge when they aren’t in use and just stay at their
docking stations inside the rooms. They couldn’t care less if they are activated or if they
stay dormant for months.”
He stared into her eyes. “I have a very active sex drive but I do have the ability to
shut it down if I wish. I don’t. I enjoy having access to everything that I am.”
“Oh. I would too.”
“You have had sex with me and you still believed me to be more bot than
humanoid?”
She hesitated. “You taste really sweet.”
Astonishment widened his stare. “Sweet?”
Megan knew her cheeks were warming from the blush spreading there. “When you
come, it tastes sweet, which made me think that perhaps they made you flavored that
way and that got me to thinking that maybe you were more artificial than not.”
An uncomfortable silence stretched as they watched each other. She’d obviously
been a little too blunt and had stunned the cyborg speechless. Megan started when a
loud buzz sounded in the room. Ice stood.
“It’s the food Blackie ordered.”
Megan didn’t recognize the cyborg who brought her meal. She wondered how
many of them were on the ship in all but didn’t ask. Ice nodded at the other man and
accepted the tray. The male at the door hesitated.
“Why feed her?”
“Silence,” Ice ordered him.
The man looked down at the tray of food, paled, and then nodded. “I see.”
52
Touching Ice
The man glanced at Megan, a look of pity on his features, and then spun on his heel
to walk away. The door closed and Ice faced her with tray in hand.
“Here is your meal.” He hesitated, looking uncertain, and took a step back, the
movement opposite of his words. It was almost as if he didn’t want to feed her.
No one had ever accused Megan of being dimwitted. Why feed her? That cyborg had
given her a look that reflected pity. She studied Ice and saw his grim expression.
“You are supposed to eat this.”
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