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He laughed as he hopped onto the back of her machine.
His long legs straddled hers. His arms wrapped around her waist. His body armor-clad chest pressed against her back.
The contact soothed the turmoil building within her. They were connected. That truth was now impossible to deny.
But she could ignore it.
“You’ll see how fast this sweet ride accelerates.” She gunned the engines, and they shot forward.
Her cyborg hooted. His joy was as acute as hers was. They whipped between the boulders. Sand sprayed everywhere.
“My short-run acceleration is faster.” He brushed his lips against her right ear.
She quivered with delight.
And she pushed the engines harder, seeking to prove him wrong.
* * *
By the time they reached her caves, the sun was fully visible. She would be late for her long-running meeting with Luam. And her friend would be worried about her.
He might be so worried he’d do something foolish. Like try to find her.
And that could expose his part in the Plan.
She didn’t want anyone else to know who was on her team. That would place all of those beings, beings she was responsible for and cared for, in greater danger.
Roshini parked the mounted transport. “Stay here. And don’t touch anything.” She hurried toward her makeshift home, stripping out of the boots and the flight suit as she moved.
Drift, of course, didn’t follow her orders. Her stubborn cyborg trailed her to the cave. “I like what we’re doing thus far.”
“I can’t have you on my team if you don’t listen to me.” She checked the monitoring device.
The energy levels remained within safe boundaries. There had been no movement except from some sand blowing and the antics of the lizards.
She grabbed a container and ventured into the growing area. The plants were her excuse to visit Luam. She couldn’t skip that part of her routine.
“I always listen to you.” Drift gazed around them. “I don’t always agree with you.” He paused. “You fabricated all this?”
“Yeah.” Pride edged her voice as she harvested some of the herbs. Before the Invaders arrived, she had left the growing of nourishment to other beings and had focused on the machines she loved. It had taken several attempts for her to figure out how to ensure plants survived. “There’s a watering system. The lighting is automatic. And all the unused organic material goes back into soil.”
“It has a cyborg level of efficiency.” He said that as though it was a compliment.
The container was filled enough to warrant a delivery.
She donned her shades-of-brown disguise, changing her skin, hair, and fingernail color to the varying hues and dressing in the chest-flattening fight suit. Her footwear was exchanged. And she stuffed a handheld into her pocket.
“You’re beautiful in brown also.” Drift’s open admiration eased one of her concerns.
He wasn’t only attracted to beings with orange skin color.
“I’m striving for unremarkable, not beautiful.” Her tone was dry.
Her cyborg placed his right index finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. “No being that truly looked at you would find you unremarkable.” His eyes glowed with appreciation.
Fates. He heated her to point of combustion.
“Luckily, the Invaders don’t truly look at any beings other than themselves.” She would fool them.
