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The Cyborg

The Cyborg

Book 1 Emulating Life

by Susann Greendragon

Translation from Der Cyborg - Band 1 Emulating Life

English version The Cyborg - Book 1 Emulating Life translated by S. Greendragon

The right of Susann Greendragon to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For Vasso, Tanja and René,

who accompanied me on this road trip.

Comment about the book: All characters and the created universe are fictional - but it is a world created by me, please respect the work and time that has flown into this project. Some sure names, last names or web/avatar names are used with the knowledge of the people. I hope you like the final result.

Susann Greendragon

table of content

Prologue

171 years aMS

Earth, mountains south of the burned metropolis

Wind rustles trough the treetops of the forest. Nothing was moving except for a few small wood critters and birds. The cyborg let his gaze wander around the landscape then he focused on the birds nest nearby. He moved swiftly and picked up two little eggs without any sound. Eating them to satisfy his hunger, he felt a sharp painful impulse in his neck.

"Hey, keep watch, don't eat!"

David was angry. As ever. Yes, Master., replied the cyborg with flat voice and returned to watch his environment. As if I would not keep watch while eating.

The situation was changing some time later. He noticed a large number of quickly moving objects at the outer rim of his scanner vision and they were moving downwards the complete hillside he was monitoring. Out of the red blur he could quickly identify individual objects moving at different speed. David was busy with his knife and ignoring the new information. Incoming, he called to get David's attention.

"Fuck!", David shouted as he recognized the large amount of red dots moving. "Far too many. What can you see?" David's voice was ringing in his ear. His cyborg sends him the first results of his observations. The fastest were recon drones, some of them were also moving in their direction. In between hunter-robots were moving, likely 'black cats'. "Cyborgs?", asked David.

Unclear. They could be hidden behind shields.

"Figure it out!", David bellowed.

The cyborg was moving out of his hideout searching a strong branch to get to the next tree. "What are you intending to do?", David asked sharply.

I need to get closer to answer your question.

"You stay! Or should I be discovered?"

The cyborg felt another sharp pinch, spreading in waves from his back through his body and quickly settles down again. What do you want actually?, was he thinking and suppressed his anger. He could hear David trying to transmit the new information and often repeating himself while speaking. They have signal jammers, the cyborg thought. We have to leave; one of the drones is soon close enough to see us. He listens to the orders that they should retreat.

"Take over the drone." David swore. "Shit, to obvious." He swore again. "Search a save way back!"

A few are behind us.

He felt another burning sting and winced.

"Idiot, we need to get away now!"

The cyborg followed the order that David was listening to.

"Rav, retreat now. Use him."

He could hear David Ravier swearing angrily. Leaving the tree, the cyborg ran soundless through the bushes and towards David's hideout.

"Take over a hunter!", David ordered him.

Too far away, the cyborg thought but changed his running direction and started to move closer to the closest red dot. David was heading the same way. If he was not fast enough, the hunter may see them moving and they would soon have a pack of hounds behind them. Thus, the cyborg speeds up his run risking to be heard. He jumped down a rocky part of the hill to reach his target faster and noticed that it was not a small hunter-bot. Still he continued tracking it. Before he could reach the bot, he heard a scream from David. He has fallen on his way down the slope, so the cyborg changed his track to run to David and away from the hunter, hoping that the machine was just tracking movements.

His guide has injured his right foot and could not run anymore. "Help me back to the camp.", he whispered with pain in his voice. Securely placing David over his shoulder, he started to run wordless and with measured pacing back. Spending himself could mean the end of both of us, he knows. He followed a pathway parallel to the enemy hunters and drones, trying to avoid the scanner fields of the recon drones. The field of the drone behind them was nearly reaching them, so the cyborg accelerated his speed.

"Fuck.", David hissed, "You are too slow. Sareina would have captured the hunter already."

Most of my abilities are limited, you idiot, the cyborg wished to shout at David. But he knows it was a stupid idea to reveal himself. I am also not a cursed Tracker like your precious Sareina was.

"Faster!", David hissed and hit his body armor with his flat hand. Gritting his teeth, his cyborg ran as quickly as he could. Two hunters were following them already. The cyborg heard the distant sound of bursting metal followed by metal scraping over the soil. They have to be within reach of the snipers. Someone of them had just hit the drone. The bigger hunter robot started firing and he doubled his speed to win some distance to the hunter.

Noticing something coming from the sides towards the, he tried to dodge it. The thing jumped and dragged them to the ground. Falling, he kicked David to avoid that his heavy body smashed him. The 'black cat' was clinging to his armor and started ripping his thin shoulder plates. He needed to react fast to avoid that it would not be his body next. His own metal claws ripped the outer hull and hydraulics to pieces and he was bathing in oil and energy gel before he could kick the robot away. The bigger hunter has not reached them, but would soon be here. Hounded, he roughly picked up David and started to run again. The big hunter fired and hits its target...

Part I

A new beginning

The delivery

StarOne

2 years later

Ian

The view out of the office window was still astounding and distraction at once. Ian glanced out of it. White clouds were moving in wonderful spirals with long tails over water and land alike. The blue of the ocean outshined the browns and greens of the continents. And on top of all was this fine layer, looking like a magical shield that was surrounding the fragile looking planet Earth. There was no comparison, Ian thought enjoying the view. It was amazing that this beautiful place had been unused for all these years.

He leaned back and noticed his own reflection in the transparent computer screen. Ian McAllister was 37, 1.76m tall and was wearing today a dark blue shirt and a fitting pair of trousers. He was rubbing his eyes, as the last days had been stressful. Too limited sleep had given him dark circles under his eyes and the stress a few more grey hairs. He noticed that his beard needed trimming too. Bringing this station back to life had been his dream and now he has reached this goal. Today the first fright space ships had docked and the first cargo has been exchanged. So, the docks, the storage rooms and the first levels of the station were now officially in use. It will need time to operate at full capacity, but location and facilities of 'StarOne' were ideal as reloading site for Earth, Moon, Mars and the new colonies. None of the other near earth stations were comparable to its size. So, for the moment he was enjoying the view without remorse that there was still so much work waiting.

There was a knock on the door and his assistant entered. Haskill was in his early forties and was wearing data-glasses looking like old-fashioned glasses. He was head-shaved as ever and this made his striking nose, which must have been broken several times, even more prominent. Despite of his age he was in good shape, letting Ian from time to time feel a sting of envy. His alive, black eyes revealed his sharp, clever mind.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Sir."

Haskill would never stop saying 'Sir', even so he was just a few years older than Ian and they had worked already some years together. An elegant and polite fragment of the past, Ian was guessing. Haskill's critical gaze above his glasses told Ian that something unexpected has happened. His assistant strides though the office towards him. The office was still empty with exception of a big meeting table and Ian's desk. Haskills classic-cut suit and the pin stripped west let him look today even more stiff and formal. "What is it, Haskill?", Ian asked.

"Well, Sir, you need to acknowledge the receipt of a delivery, which has arrived for you.", Haskill explained neutrally.

"Generally, you would do this kind of things. Lots of deliveries have arrived without my notice, I guess.", Ian replied perplex and eyed Haskill critically.

"Ah, I was not expressing myself correctly. I am sorry, Sir. It is a personal delivery to you, which I cannot sign and accept for you. Well, have a look." Haskill send the documents of the delivery from his data-glasses to Ian's screen.

Ian studied the sender address and frowned. The delivery was from a base of the Earth Defense Forces, from a -for him- unknown captain. "Could you see, what it was?", Ian asked before continuing to read as this was enigmatic.

"No, Sir. I could just see a relatively large 'box', if you allow me this simplistic term."

Ian started to read the pamphlet. Official texts annoyed him within seconds, which is why he directed this type of work to Haskill or to other staff. Pausing and closing his eyes in between, he read speedily through the text. It did not make sense to him. It was about an old contract, which belonged to this station and his family, the McAllister's. According to the rules of this contract, something belonged again to him now? Really, there were much more important things to do than thinking about old contracts and possessions. "Uhm, that is something for our lawyers. It is about an old contract I have never heard about.", Ian said tiered.

"Are you going to sign or do I have to report to them that you wish to cancel, Sir?", Haskill asked bustling.

"'Them'? There is someone in person here to deliver whatever it is?" Ian had lifted his left brow and had raised his voice due to his surprise.

"Well, at least a service grade has to do the delivery in person. But he does not appear to know what he delivers. Do you want to talk to him, Sir?"

"Yes, it is worth a try."

------

Half an hour later Ian and Haskill had not able to sort it out. The private could not help him. Or he was not allowed to say something, Ian thought. He sipped his coffee to banish the thoughts about this topic away, deciding to resume later this task. Once when there is enough time, he would have a look at the delivery and if there were still open questions, he could still call the captain. He had signed the form and decided to let it be stored on the lower levels. Haskill would inform him, when he had news to report on this topic - about the delivery and the old contract.

A fast blinking symbol for a call attracted his attention. "Yes, Ortis, what do you want to report?", Ian asked.

------

3 days later

Ian

The office doors opened silently and Haskill walked into McAlister's office with a small data pack under his arm. "Sir, an urgent issue has come up that you have to deal with."

Ian was standing in front of his desk, on which the transmission of the last video conference just closed. "Spit it out Haskill, you do not tend to talk around." Ian had just talked with Ortis about new personal and actually wanted to go to the 'bridge'. Technical issues on lower station levels had become too urgent to ignore and there he wanted to get an overview. The last three days, so many things had to be organized or he needed to help directly. These days not always enough manpower or material was at hand. Sitting down he was waiting for Haskill's explanations.

Haskill lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. "Sir, it is about your private delivery. It is a cryo-box. As it was not connected to the power system, it is thawing." Haskill was trying hard to let his voice sound apologetically. It was clear that it was mortifying him to miss that detail.

"Cryo-box? What the heck is in there?" Ian turned his chair facing Haskill blending down the screen. His brow creased as he had forgotten the delivery. Merde! What else did I forget the last days?, he asked himself. "Could you find out something about the delivery?, he forced his voices not to sound agitated.

"Yes, Sir. We could gather some information. It was not easy as most data files are sealed with a personal code and can only be opened by you in person. Well, due to the actual situation I had not yet the time to speak with you about the delivery. It was not as urgent as...", Haskill said in his most kind and apologetic voice and leaning forward into a bow.

"I know, what have you found?", Ian interrupted him impatiently but with controlled voice. Haskill was a perfectionist, but it would not help to get angry in this busy situation to miss something.

"Sir, you are now owner of a bio-mechanical life-form, a cyborg. Obviously, one of your ancestors thought it would be useful to invest into one of them, even so I have no idea for what reason." Haskill said with creased brows while he was stroking his perfectly trimmed beard.

Ian's face distorted painfully and he ran aghast with his right hand through his hair. Cyborg! Merde! What the hell! I do not need a thing like that right now. Ian felt irritated. Some of his business partners had cyborgs working for them. But it was unlikely that they had gotten their cyborgs from a 'military station' as private delivery. No, they had most likely the legal, civil-use beings. How are they called Eli.., Ali.., Aliom..., no AlimaH. No, this cyborg would not be one of those.

"That is not, what I anticipated.", Ian said exasperated, bridging the time to try and find a solution. He furrowed his brows. Staring at the panorama window without seeing, he drank another gulp of coffee. "Prepare its disposal; I have no idea what to do with it. This is a logistics center, a trade station not a war zone. I have more than enough security personal.", he decided and looked straight at Haskill satisfied with his thoughts. May be the sale will yield something. He relaxed and leaned at the backrest of his chair.

"I beg your pardon. Sir, that is not possible." Haskill took a step backward and held his hands up to appease Ian. He expected a fit of rage of his boss.

"WHAT?", Ian shouted out loud completely exasperated and jumped out of his chair.

"Sir,..." Haskill talked as appeasing as possible to Ian. "According to your lawyer it was listed in the contract that he cannot be resold." Haskill had opened the data files on his pad and waited if Ian wants to see it.

Ian started pacing up and down in front of his desk. "Then send it back at once! I have other things to care for then taking care about...", he desperately searched fitting words, "…something like that." He started drumming nervously with his fingers on his right hand. "...and try to get the stupid box connected to the stations power system. I am not very versed in cryo-tech or about this thing." He avoided using the word cyborg. He did not like them like most people after the 'epidemic' and now he owned one of them? Unbelievable.

"Yes, Sir. I will verify if that is possible. I would recommend that you inform your new medical scientists. They may have more information about the topic or what will be needed." Haskill suggested in neutral voice.

Ian studied Haskills apparent stoic facial expression and furrowed his brows again. He was trying to guide his thoughts into a new direction. After a moment he nodded slightly relieved. His scientists may be able to report new things... even so biomechanical creatures or their treatment and control is for sure not standard, he thought.

------

The message got stuck in Ian's mind and returned later in the evening. He tried to banish the memory out of his thoughts. Fruitless. He couldn't get rid of that nightmare night. He had been a kid. He had never truly forgotten the smell of burning furniture, the fire and the smoke. And also not the image which had haunted him long time after as a returning nightmare. A door, maybe it was even a gate and behind it the bright orange-red of fire and the black silhouette in front. He had seen clearly enough from his hideout the sharp edges of the cyborg armor and the missing hand. For him it had not been a human, even so he knew that it not so clear and had no evidence that he had truly seen a cyborg. In that night his family was just one of many who had lost relatives. They have not lost them due to the fire but caused by the civil-war-like situation in their quarter and everywhere else on the world. It was the simple problem of permanent net connections, a virus had turned the cyborgs into berserk monsters which attacked everything and everyone. Once he was older Ian had started reading as much as he could about the 'the epidemic' to cope with these events. Losing his parents had been horrible, but finding out that many families had to endure the same had kindled anger and hate for these creatures which couldn't be wiped away so easily. Cyborgs had proven themselves as too dangerous…

First patient of Dr. med Adrian Juilin

"Damned!", Juilin shouted out as a small stack of boxes with medical supply was tumbling to the floor. Dr. Juilin was a slender, 2 m tall 'giant' with black, short curly hair. His tan looked like a souvenir of a perfect holiday at the southern sea and let his white shirt shine. He hunkered down to pick up the boxes and to repack them on the workplace. A strange trill sound had surprised him during this monotone work of placing in boxes and instruments and it simply did not want to stop.

Dr. Rose, his colleague and competitor had started a few days ahead and had started with this tedious work of placing in the medical station. So far most rooms of the station still looked like a mess. The medical station was situated on level three and had apart from storage rooms, six examination rooms, two operating rooms and two, for Dr. Juilin strange, 'isolation rooms' behind smoky glass doors. Apart from that also a big room above the examination rooms belonged to the station and could be reached via stairs.

"Dakkie, what is this strange noise?", Juilin asked through the open doors of the small storage room into the small medical station. Putting the gel-pad boxes to their proper places, he entered the corridor. At both sides were the examination rooms behind glass fronts.

"I think, it comes from the room above.", Dakkie replied from the last examination room which had been prepared ready for use. "It is the ridiculous, old communication station. The service guy has not shown up yet." Dakkie, appointed to Dr. Rose, was a medical assistant and was still in training as doctor.

Juilin crossed the corridor, passing the strange smoky glass doors and walked upstairs. Light flipped on automatically and he could see more move-in chaos. The plan was to build a mixture of office and laboratory. At the moment it looked like a storage room missing logistical planning: racks, machines in boxes, half unpacked things and lots of packing material and a desk with a not working screen. But the eerie sound was coming from an old communication station next to the door. Thus Juilin turned and pressed the accept button.

"Dr. Juilin. How can I help you?", he asked studying the tiny screen with grey noise. He sighed as he could not see his caller. Haskills voice rang out but it sounded distorted and overlaid with cracking noises.

"Dr. Juilin? Fine. Please come to storage room 7 on level 4. We need you medical assessment."

"What is it? An emergency? If so, what kind of emergency.", Juilin asked and a feeling of excitement spread inside his belly. Will this be his first task?

"No, it is not an emergency. Please take all what's needed for a simple assessment. Everything else you will see on-site.", Haskills voice replied accompanied by more cracking noises. Likely something unspectacular, Juilin thought sadly. The noises were unnerving. Hmpf, they have trouble with the electronics here, or?, Juilin asked himself. "Okay, I am on my way.", he snapped. Juilin stepped down the stairway to walk into the lighted examination room.

"Dakkie, Haskill wants me to do a medical examination. You will be present here?" Juilin gave Dakkie a quizzical glance and picked up the small medical scanner and his pad. Dakkie being in his 22, was not so much younger than Juilin, who has gotten his degree in double speed. Dakkie just shrugs and grunted a "hm" back at Juilin. He was sitting in his light blue assistant clothes on the floor next to a big scanner, adding additional instruments and calibrating them. "I take that as a yes.", Juilin smirked. He liked Dakkie from day one. He preferred pragmatists over all other big mouthy fellows or those with big egos. After picking up his data-glasses he left the medical station and walked to the elevators.

Someone from the security guards was waiting for him at the second elevator. The man was armed, which was odd for Juilin. He nodded towards Juilin and opened the elevator doors with a keycard. The lower levels had not yet been reconditioned and were in some cases a perilous place. That is what Haskill had told to him yesterday. They entered the elevator and stepped out a fraction later on the next lover level. The doors had opened to a spacious corridor. Nothing beautiful but functional - like all storage places, he thought. A few lights of the corridor were flickering and others were off. So, they do have a problem with the electricity?, the thought passed his mind again. The security guard walked him to storage place 7. The heavy and big doors opened slowly and with a fizzy sound, revealing a large hall and a view of Haskill and two technicians. The latter two were in deep discussion working on the cables of a big, grey 'box'.

Adrian Juilins gaze paused at the box and he recognized what it was: a cryo-chamber; an older version without the transparent lid, which was now commonly in use.

Haskill had turned to face him after he had heard the door closing. Motionless Haskill watched Juilin approach and study the box. Juilins gaze told that he knew what it was. Haskill asked: "Doctor, please examine our 'guest's health status and explain to our technicians how to stop the thawing procedure."

Es ever the assistant to his boss used a stuffy way to express what he wanted and his facial expression was giving nothing away. The technicians had stopped discussing and were studying now Juilin and the guard. "Sure!", Juilin replied happily and could not deny the enthusiasm in his voice. That was far more interesting than unpacking and boxing the lab. Clipping the data-glass behind his ears he studied the control panel. Meanwhile he asked Haskill, "Who is in the box?" Then he focused on the displayed data and furrowed his brows sorrowful. The bio-signals were weak and he could also see that the thawing had started already two days ago. That was not good at all.

"Well, I cannot recommend to try refreezing as the thawing process has proceeded to far.", Juilin explained without looking up. He heard Haskill breath in heavily. Obviously that was not fitting to his plans. "Really, we have to see that the person in the box survives the cryo. He or she is not in a good state." He shoved the cover of the control panel away and activated some systems of the capsule, which still worked despite of lack of energy for the cryo. The freezing system generally used up the big batteries below the cylinder, but the control itself had its own power station. He knew that as he had to learn to handle cryo-boxes during his medical training.

They could hear buzzing mechanics inside the box and the lid was gliding sideways open. Cold, from thawing humidified air was evaporating as whitish fog. Juilin could not help himself; he had to whistle in surprise. That is not routine. He could hear that the security guard gripped his weapon a bit tighter and he could see that one of Haskill's brows had moved upwards. Even the technicians stepped up and walked around to have a closer look. Juilin picked up the small medical scanner from his pocket and walked around to his new patient.

In front of him lay a cyborg, which was so bleak that his body color was close to that of the 'anchor' he was lying on. May be it is the light, Juilin thought. Arms and legs had been replaced by augments, which lack lids but still looked massive. The lower torso was also covered by armor. Cannulas had been fixed to his body for the cryo-liquid as well as for tubes supplying and removing medicals as well as bio-substances. His eyes were firmly closed. He noticed the strange ears, which some wit had changed so that they had three small tips instead of common round earlobes. Juilins biggest concern was his breathing, which was very shallow. He had already forgotten the presence of all other people in the hall. He picked up the scanner and starts examining his first patient.

Impressum

Texte: Susann Greendragon, Susann Vollrath
Bildmaterialien: Susann Greendragon, Susann Vollrath
Cover: Susann Greendragon
Übersetzung: by me
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.09.2017

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