Taste of Cyn

North Bound – Fourth Scene Of The First Chapter

By Cynthia Sax on April 13, 2020

North Bound, the fifth standalone story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series, is releasing next week on April 21st.

I’ve shared the first scene from the first chapter.

You can read that scene here:

This week I’m sharing the fourth and final scene of that first chapter.

***

“I would never ask that of you.” Dissent’s female repositioned herself so she could more easily look at her warrior. “You enjoy taking part in the missions. That you would give that up for me—” Her voice broke.

“I would give up my lifespan for you.” Dissent’s tone was gruff. “I would do anything for you, my female.”

“Awww….” The other females gazed at the couple with soft eyes.

Truth made a gagging noise.

If North was one of the crew, he would reach out to the never-serious D Model via a private transmission line, ask him if he had ever projected a warrior like Dissent would place the happiness of a female over the well-being of his brethren.

But he wasn’t part of the crew. Not truly. He was Captain’s second-in-command. And confiding in another warrior wouldn’t benefit his role. That chatter would undermine the position, be unworthy of him.

North remained silent, keeping his processing to himself.

“You’d do anything for me?” Dissent’s female smiled at her warrior.

“I’d do anything.” The J model’s reply was vehement.

“Then take part in the mission.” She touched Dissent’s face. “Fulfill the role you enjoy.” She took a deep breath. “But be careful. Come back alive.”

“I’ll return to you.” The warrior made a vow there was a probability he might not be able to honor. “Nothing will stop me from doing that.”

Many things could stop him from doing that—the primary one being death. Missions were dangerous. Beings died. North, as the team leader, would utilize all his skill, all his experience, to ensure the male returned to his female. But there were no guarantees.

He processed that, had lost too many warriors in the past to not accept that possibility, would never make such a rash promise to anyone.

Dissent was a newer model, however. He seemed to have no qualms about uttering those reassuring words.

His female was emotionally as well as physically fragile. The projection of her warrior’s possible death would damage her.

Dissent and his female cuddled, exchanging softly spoken statements of caring. North couldn’t follow some of their logic.

Doc and his female lifted their handhelds. They then compared readings on their devices, verbalizing the results, confirming both of the handhelds were fully functional.

Chuckles rested his chin on the top of his female’s head. She leaned back into him, chattering about the significance of the design she’d utilized in the neck decoration.

Captain brushed his hands over his female’s fingers as she tapped on their embedded viewscreen. She bumped her shoulder against Captain’s, didn’t look up. It was as though she didn’t require that visual verification. She processed Captain’s processing, had that link to him.

North had no link with any being. Loneliness engulfed him.

He ignored that emotional damage and surveyed the terrain he and his team would soon explore. That team would consist of Dissent, Truth, and himself. There was no need to recruit an additional warrior. For that, he was grateful.

He had completed missions with Dissent and Truth in the past, was familiar with their capabilities, their strengths, their quirks. Dissent would be eager to return to the Reckless and to his female, would complete tasks as quickly as possible.

That pleased North. He would craft a plan to better accomplish their mission. His gaze shifted to the right of the main viewscreen. There was a clearing near the planet’s sole settlement. It would be an ideal landing site.

They would chart the uninhabited areas first, learn the layout of the land, look for the threat his processors relayed existed. Once they had defeated or subdued that danger, they would approach the humanoids, collect their genetic information.

“North.” Dissent’s female’s voice cut through his projections.

He lifted his head, met her gaze. “Dissent’s female.”

“You’ll do your best to bring my warrior back alive, won’t you?” Trust and hope and a smidge of fear shone from the female’s eyes.

Dissent rumbled his discontentment and shifted under his female, jostling her.

“One of my mandates is to bring every team member back alive.” North’s lips twisted. She didn’t have to ask him to do that. That was part of his role, should be assumed.

“Thank you.” She released her breath.

“It isn’t always possible.” North was honest with her. He’d lost warriors in the past, many, many warriors. “But I will do my best.”

“Oh.” The lines reappeared around her mouth.

“North is referring to battle.” Dissent cast him a hard glance. “He has never lost a warrior on an exploration mission.”

“I have never lost a warrior on an exploration mission.” North conceded that point.

He would utilize his skill and experience to ensure that remained true, would trade his lifespan for his brethren’s if that was necessary. Dissent and Truth would return safely to the Reckless or North wouldn’t return at all.

And he would set specifications for future missions, would create optimal conditions for his team’s survival. That could result in banning females permanently from participating in off-ship assignments.

Humans and humanoids were slower, weaker, more fragile than cyborgs. Females were also rare and precious. Their place was on the Reckless, where they would be protected.

Cyborgs could complete the dangerous assignments. That was what they had been designed to do—go where humans couldn’t, confront the unknown enemy, respond quickly to hostile conditions.

North would be hated for that decision, but he would bear the disapproval…again. He could tolerate being excluded, could endure the silence, the loneliness.

As long as he completed his missions and brought his warriors back alive.

That, not the state of his emotional system, had to be his priority.

***

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North Bound

A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.

***

North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.

When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.

Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.

The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.

Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.

***

North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.

Book 1: Choosing Chuckles

Book 2: Doc’s Orders

Book 3: Dominance And Dissent

Book 4: Passion Surge

Book 5: North Bound

Book 6: Testing Truth

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B