The Rise of the Cyborgs

Chapter 19/Stubborn Kiss

I reached under my hair and touched the solid lump and the base of my neck. The area around it was feeling less tender. I pushed the USB port in. It stank of disinfectant in here. I closed my eyes and felt that mixture of being on the phone and being there.

"Look for her," Brooklyn said.

I felt my self squeezing through the system looking for her. I found a cleaning robot scrubbing the floor outside her cell. IT was trying to remove a red stain. On the door above me was her name.

Then I found a surveillance cam inside the cell.

"She's in a cell on a white bed. She's rocking backwards and forwards" I said.

I felt his hand "she does that when she's upset. Is she OK?"

" I think so. The room has softwalls and a picture of a mountain range." I added.

Brooklyn's voice sounded brighter "That's one of the better ones. It's got a sort of toilet."

"Well, at least I know what to ask for if I get put away," I said.

"Any idea how long she's in for?" Brooklyn's voice.

I was just starting to look when I heard a voice from outside the room. The door unlocked and I voice started "what are.."

My eyes were still open but I felt Brooklyn lean forward and began to kiss me.

I ran my hand down the back of his head and with the other pulled out the cable from my skull. There was a banging on the wall. Brooklyn broke off.

"You dirty crippled beggar." The warder who found us said to Brooklyn pulling out his nightstick. He looked at me "did he make you do this?"

"No," I said. I wasn't sure what to say.

"You filthy little shit. You leave the girl alone." The Wader said. "you disgust me. You filthy animal."

At this point, another warder came in. The first got his nightstick out and was at this point struck Brooklyn.

"Get out of here you degenerate." The Warder said loudly.

Look up at the Warder's huge bulk I must have been wide-eyed "I can explain" I said.

It was hard for Brooklyn to steer and defend himself. The second warder kicked Brooklyn in the back as he left.

"Revolting sex monkey," he said as Brooklyn went by. He followed Brooklyn out hitting him as he went.

"Careful," the first said to the second "you might fix him." Then grinned.

The first warder towered over me. The badge said Tarant. He was bald and had spots over his wriggled scalp.

"You let him do that?" The warder said pointing in the direction Brooklyn had gone in.

"Sure," I said looking up. The warders now towered over me.

"You know there is only one thing boys like that want." The first one said. "no proper normal girl wants them. They won't give them them the time of day. So his lot they swim around the rookies like you, like sharks. They do. "

Out side, I heard the crack of a baton on bone. Brooklyn was getting beat up. I tried to get up but the warder was using his night stick to push me back down.

I wasn't sure what to say. I was thinking 'fuck them', but my bigger response would take time.

"These boys only want one thing. Got me? One thing. You don't look to bad. I mean some real citizen might go for you. Knock a couple of kids out. You're done. You can do a lot better than a cripple"

"I like him," I said. I could still feel the gentle touch of his lips on mine.

"She likes him," said the first warder to the second through the door.

The banging had stopped so I guessed Brooklyn had got away.

"Well, that's OK then." Said the second from outside.

"You shouldn't do your self in," the first warder said "I mean you can get your self someone who isn't missing. You could do so much better for your self. You should be thinking about some kind of non-imparied. You could pass for normal. "

"Anyway," the second warder said "the law has a lot to say about impaired marrying other impaired. It's like incest right. No honest it's like incest. The kids are all malformed."

'That so came from the Freedom party manifesto' I thought. More rumours reported as fact.

"Look. You're no trouble. You're new and you can't read. So I'm going to tell you this and let you off this time. So you know. That kind of thing is forbidden in the institute. We have our parents to think about. I mean what self-respecting parent is going to let their kids into this place if they think it's full of perverts. Craven said you're new. Said your gagging for it the way I heard it. He thinks you've got a sex problem. But whatever your problem is, its not with the likes of them."

While I looked at the first Warder I scanned him and his phone. This one had a huge number of games. His photos where mostly of burgers and fries. From his shoes and organisation, I could see he had been in the military. Too late for the cyberwar. He lived in a muddy part of town. Walked into work. Smoked.

The second warder had some remote photos of the kids in the institute. All long distance. Girls, Boys. He had them in two folders 'ster' and 'no-ster'. I notice I and Zoe were in the 'ster' pile. I wasn't sure what this meant. He had a number of emails trying to get out of the 'big day', when the 'reevaluation' truck was coming. All very interesting but nothing I could use just now.

"Now fuck off and get back to class." The first warder said, "Remember we are watching you."

I got out and noticed Brooklyn head down wheeling off down the corridor. I rushed to catch up with him. He was coasting along arms hanging ready to pick up pushing when I caught up.

"Hey," I said reaching him.

Brooklyn's head was still bowed.

"Why the long face?" I said, "they didn't get to you did they?"

Brooklyn said nothing he just looked at the floor. I pulled him to a stop. Normally he would object. This time he didn't move. I rushed around the front. There Brooklyn was unconscious. As he stopped a reached forward to stop him from fallout out of his chair.

"Oh my Gawd" I said it was happening all over again. 

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A/N things are warming up. The plots are cracking. I've put The Rise of the Cyborgs into the Wattys. The reads are most welcome to watch.