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DATAKISS 1
Huling Na-update:
2025-05-02 23:21:39
Kaugnay na kabanata
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 2
An adolescent Pia had done her damnedest to dodge him. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d caught her attempting to sneak out of the executive residence unescorted. Nor had he appreciated her practical jokes and dirty tricks. When her attempts to shake him had failed, she’d lodged false charges of sexual misconduct. Shot at numerous times during his career, Brock had been seriously wounded twice and almost fatally once. Pia had been his waterloo—or would have been if Mikala Aaron, aware of her daughter’s machinations, hadn’t stepped in. Brock folded his arms across his chest. “It doesn’t have to be me. Get somebody else.” “President Aaron has requested you.” “Former President Aaron. She’s a civilian now. And we don’t report to the president anyway.” Carter sighed. “I could order you to do it.” As Cy-Ops director, Carter was Brock’s superior—technically. But the organization officially did not exist, and commanding a band of rogues who operated outside the law required finesse
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 3
“Oh, hell no!” Penelope glared at her mother. “A husband? Are you crazy?” “Not a real husband,” said Mikala. “A bodyguard.” Penelope shook her head. “The Xenians are wary as it is. If they think I need a bodyguard, it will derail any chance of building an alliance. That’s why I rejected the Central Protection Office detail.” “You’ve been listed by Lamis-Odg.” “Who don’t they want to kill?” Penelope dismissed the threat with a snort. “They’re a small planet of crackpots halfway across the galaxy. Anyone who disagrees with anything they believe is targeted. ” “They can’t be ignored, Penelope. Their support is growing. They’ve been able to recruit the disgruntled and mentally unbalanced from many different planets, train them, and send them home. They’re like that malignancy eradicated in the 23rd century.” “Cancer?” “Yes, like cancer. They invade the host cell and turn it against itself. Lamis-Odg sympathizers are everywhere.” “You’re exaggerating.” “I served as President of Terra Unit
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 4
“Please verify identity,” said the PeeVee’s computer. Penelope palmed the bio ignition scanner on the dashboard. “Take me to the regional shuttle port.” “Penelope Isabella Aaron. Identity confirmed. You are not scheduled to depart until 14:00.” “Override. Take me to the port now.” “The most direct route or the fastest?” “Fastest.” The sooner she got out of Dodge, the better. “Prepare for departure.” Although computer-controlled and operated PeeVees rarely crashed, an automatic restraint folded over her, strapping her to the seat. The engine hummed, and the PeeVee reversed out of the stall. “Would you care for music?” the computer asked. “No.” “Do you require stops along the way?” “No. Go directly to the shuttle port.” While her PeeVee navigated through the traffic, Penelope reviewed her flight documents on her PerComm. She’d catch a short moon-jumper flight to the Interplanetary Shuttle Port, where she would board a charter to Xenia. If all went well, one of its representatives would
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 5
She shoved her PerComm into her carry-on and placed it on the conveyor leading to the combined weapons/decontamination imaging unit for inorganic materials. With unease, she recalled the pufft. Had a terrorist been caught with an explosive device, or had some gray-haired grandma going to visit her grandchildren tried to smuggle unauthorized baked goods aboard? Penelope had carefully followed the packing rules. Reportedly, scanners erred only .01 % of the time, but, with tens of millions of passengers, that still meant many innocent people had their bags blown up. Her PerComm contained all essential professional and personal data. She shuddered to contemplate the chaos if the machine blew up the device. Diplomatic status couldn’t help her avoid the security checks. A droid motioned for her to proceed, and she stepped into the organic matter unit. She placed her feet on the marks and raised her arms shoulder height. “Please remain still,” the computer voice ordered. A whirring ensued
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 6
Tall, muscular, never a hair out of place. Unshakeable confidence. She might have considered him handsome if he hadn’t been so, so, disagreeable. Not that he’d ever said much. No, he’d spoken as little as possible, despite her attempts to engage him in conversation. Agent Brock Mann had personified cold professionalism. Droids had more personality. That didn’t excuse the lies she’d told. One rebellious teenager shouldn’t have the power to ruin a man’s career and livelihood. She wished she could forget him—and the wrong she’d committed. She had hated living in the executive residence, being denied all the normal activities young people took for granted. Teenagers were supposed to be impulsive and spontaneous, but she couldn’t even hang out with friends without their visit being prescreened weeks in advance. You couldn’t have normal when you came from a political family. So she’d mutinied against the limitations. Hardass Mann hadn’t let her get away with anything. Previous bodyguards
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 7
Brock snatched the translator and streaked from the cabin so fast he blurred. “What the hell?” Penelope jumped up, but before she could take more than two steps, an aurora of light exploded in space, flashing through the viewing windows into the cabin. She cried out and fell onto the chair, throwing her forearm across her eyes and squeezing them shut. Had the shuttle been attacked? It hadn’t felt like they’d been hit by anything. A hand landed on her shoulder. “Are you all right?” Brock asked. She lifted her head. Flashes of red and blue tinted her vision, but she could see. Blinking rapidly, she shifted her gaze from Brock to the window. The illumination wasn’t blinding anymore, but it was still bright, as if they were at the edge of a corona. “I’m fine,” she said. “What happened out there?” “A microexplosive device detonated. An MED-21. The one you carried in your bag.” His mouth was a slash across his face. “That I carried?” Her heart slammed against her ribs. He was speaking clea
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 8
Brock readied his hand over the keypad. Numbers streamed across his field of vision like vitreous floaters, only fast. He minimized the codes to a corner of his mind and waited for the right one to pop up. Every second mattered. If the captain himself had locked them in, the code would be easier to break than if the lockdown had been activated by the self-destruct sequence. “Don’t just stand there!” Pia hovered at his elbow. “We have to do something!” “I am.” “Let me try.” She nudged him. T9X4558Z. The code popped out of the morass into his consciousness, and he typed it into the keypad. The door slid open. “Detonation in fourteen minutes thirty seconds.” Fuck, it had taken way too long to open the door. Brock shot for the bridge, conscious of Pia running after him. She had to be scared to death. He wished he could comfort her, assure her everything would be fine. But there wasn’t time—his microcomputer estimated their odds of survival at 23.2%, based on the probability of him cracki
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 9
Brock raked his hand through his hair and strove for calm. “I’m sorry I yelled,” he said. “It’s not your fault.” Under the circumstances, she’d done better than he would have predicted. She’d grabbed food, water, a blanket. They’d been in crisis mode, and she couldn’t be expected to think of everything. His back hurt like a motherfucker, and he worried she would insist on trying to help him, but that was no reason to snap at her. He was irritated with himself because he hadn’t been fast enough to keep her from seeing the little that she saw. No way could he allow her to note the extent of the damage because, by morning, he would be good as new, and how would he explain that? He couldn’t reveal that his nanocytes were already debriding the injured flesh in preparation for regenerating muscle, tissue, and skin. He had hoped that, by morning, they’d be on a space station, or at least on a rescue shuttle. With her PerComm, they could have contacted the IFA or the diplomatic corps direct
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-02
Pinakabagong kabanata
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 12 (FINAL)
With Pia’s bag slung over his shoulder, Brock scrambled from the tree. Pia stood several meters away, ignoring him. His hunger for her had weakened him and caused him to give in to temptation not once, but twice. Fortunately, her innocent observation of his vast knowledge slapped him back to reality. His seeming wealth of information came from his microcomputer’s database. He wasn’t a normal man; he was a cyborg operative who responded to the most dangerous assignments across the galaxy. He had no right to her affection. Pia needed a man who could love her and who could be there for her. A man with guarantees, not a semi-human whose borrowed time could expire on his next assignment. If he could keep Pia angry at him, it might prevent him from committing further rash acts of lust and longing. He had never intended to hurt her. “I’m sorry.” The words were torn from him. She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It was my fault. Apparently, when you were fucking me, and then when I was sucki
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 11
He eased a finger into her channel, groaned at the snugness, how her muscles gripped him. Brock added a second digit and fucked her slowly while licking her clit. Pia arched and dug her fingernails into his scalp. Her cry split the night as she came, her hips thrusting against his face. He didn’t stop then, not even when she tried to push him away, but continued to lick and suck, bringing her to the edge of orgasm a second time. Then, he guided his cock to her entrance. Rubbed the head in her wetness. Tested. Prepared. Go slow. He gritted his teeth. She locked her heels around his buttocks. “Hurry,” she gasped. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She was so tight. When she’d grasped his erection, had his size registered with her? With androids, it didn’t matter. They were built to take anything. “You won’t. Fuck me already!” She thumped her heels against his buttocks. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Gathering his self-control into a tight grip, he eased into her. Slick muscled walls closed ar
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 10
Brock was acting all tough and macho—no act, he was tough and macho—but she’d seen his back after he’d caught fire. His shirt had melted into his flesh. It astounded her he’d managed to trek through the woods. The man had more fortitude than any human being she’d met in her entire life. She didn’t know what she could do for him, other than pump him full of pain meds, insist he keep the injury covered to minimize infection, and hope against all hope that help arrived as soon as possible. Thank goodness she’d grabbed an emergency light. She’d found it on the floor near the pod, as if the fake captain had chucked it while making his escape. She’d shoved it into the burgeoning bag. If she’d thought to grab her PerComm, they would have been rescued already, and Brock would be in the infirmary being treated by trained medical professionals. Penelope steeled herself for what she would see and clicked on the light. “Great universe!” She nearly dropped the illuminator. “Brock—oh universe!” T
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 9
Brock raked his hand through his hair and strove for calm. “I’m sorry I yelled,” he said. “It’s not your fault.” Under the circumstances, she’d done better than he would have predicted. She’d grabbed food, water, a blanket. They’d been in crisis mode, and she couldn’t be expected to think of everything. His back hurt like a motherfucker, and he worried she would insist on trying to help him, but that was no reason to snap at her. He was irritated with himself because he hadn’t been fast enough to keep her from seeing the little that she saw. No way could he allow her to note the extent of the damage because, by morning, he would be good as new, and how would he explain that? He couldn’t reveal that his nanocytes were already debriding the injured flesh in preparation for regenerating muscle, tissue, and skin. He had hoped that, by morning, they’d be on a space station, or at least on a rescue shuttle. With her PerComm, they could have contacted the IFA or the diplomatic corps direct
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 8
Brock readied his hand over the keypad. Numbers streamed across his field of vision like vitreous floaters, only fast. He minimized the codes to a corner of his mind and waited for the right one to pop up. Every second mattered. If the captain himself had locked them in, the code would be easier to break than if the lockdown had been activated by the self-destruct sequence. “Don’t just stand there!” Pia hovered at his elbow. “We have to do something!” “I am.” “Let me try.” She nudged him. T9X4558Z. The code popped out of the morass into his consciousness, and he typed it into the keypad. The door slid open. “Detonation in fourteen minutes thirty seconds.” Fuck, it had taken way too long to open the door. Brock shot for the bridge, conscious of Pia running after him. She had to be scared to death. He wished he could comfort her, assure her everything would be fine. But there wasn’t time—his microcomputer estimated their odds of survival at 23.2%, based on the probability of him cracki
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 7
Brock snatched the translator and streaked from the cabin so fast he blurred. “What the hell?” Penelope jumped up, but before she could take more than two steps, an aurora of light exploded in space, flashing through the viewing windows into the cabin. She cried out and fell onto the chair, throwing her forearm across her eyes and squeezing them shut. Had the shuttle been attacked? It hadn’t felt like they’d been hit by anything. A hand landed on her shoulder. “Are you all right?” Brock asked. She lifted her head. Flashes of red and blue tinted her vision, but she could see. Blinking rapidly, she shifted her gaze from Brock to the window. The illumination wasn’t blinding anymore, but it was still bright, as if they were at the edge of a corona. “I’m fine,” she said. “What happened out there?” “A microexplosive device detonated. An MED-21. The one you carried in your bag.” His mouth was a slash across his face. “That I carried?” Her heart slammed against her ribs. He was speaking clea
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 6
Tall, muscular, never a hair out of place. Unshakeable confidence. She might have considered him handsome if he hadn’t been so, so, disagreeable. Not that he’d ever said much. No, he’d spoken as little as possible, despite her attempts to engage him in conversation. Agent Brock Mann had personified cold professionalism. Droids had more personality. That didn’t excuse the lies she’d told. One rebellious teenager shouldn’t have the power to ruin a man’s career and livelihood. She wished she could forget him—and the wrong she’d committed. She had hated living in the executive residence, being denied all the normal activities young people took for granted. Teenagers were supposed to be impulsive and spontaneous, but she couldn’t even hang out with friends without their visit being prescreened weeks in advance. You couldn’t have normal when you came from a political family. So she’d mutinied against the limitations. Hardass Mann hadn’t let her get away with anything. Previous bodyguards
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 5
She shoved her PerComm into her carry-on and placed it on the conveyor leading to the combined weapons/decontamination imaging unit for inorganic materials. With unease, she recalled the pufft. Had a terrorist been caught with an explosive device, or had some gray-haired grandma going to visit her grandchildren tried to smuggle unauthorized baked goods aboard? Penelope had carefully followed the packing rules. Reportedly, scanners erred only .01 % of the time, but, with tens of millions of passengers, that still meant many innocent people had their bags blown up. Her PerComm contained all essential professional and personal data. She shuddered to contemplate the chaos if the machine blew up the device. Diplomatic status couldn’t help her avoid the security checks. A droid motioned for her to proceed, and she stepped into the organic matter unit. She placed her feet on the marks and raised her arms shoulder height. “Please remain still,” the computer voice ordered. A whirring ensued
COSMIC HEAT DATAKISS 4
“Please verify identity,” said the PeeVee’s computer. Penelope palmed the bio ignition scanner on the dashboard. “Take me to the regional shuttle port.” “Penelope Isabella Aaron. Identity confirmed. You are not scheduled to depart until 14:00.” “Override. Take me to the port now.” “The most direct route or the fastest?” “Fastest.” The sooner she got out of Dodge, the better. “Prepare for departure.” Although computer-controlled and operated PeeVees rarely crashed, an automatic restraint folded over her, strapping her to the seat. The engine hummed, and the PeeVee reversed out of the stall. “Would you care for music?” the computer asked. “No.” “Do you require stops along the way?” “No. Go directly to the shuttle port.” While her PeeVee navigated through the traffic, Penelope reviewed her flight documents on her PerComm. She’d catch a short moon-jumper flight to the Interplanetary Shuttle Port, where she would board a charter to Xenia. If all went well, one of its representatives would
