Chapter Eight
He stormed out again. Of all the things that would happen to her when they discovered her, she would never have expected him to demand his soul. She touched her lips that still tingled from her ryhov there going at crazy speed. Or to kiss her. Why would he think she can give him a soul? She should’ve asked him, but she’d been so surprised by his demand and his threats, she lost the ability to think.
He was gone several days and little by little she convinced the doctor to let her help with servicing the infirmary systems. Apparently, the cyborgs had decided she could be trusted if they watched her closely. Then Amelagar returned, but not to storm into the infirmary and demand his soul. Instead, he returned in a nightmare.
Two cyborgs came running into the infirmary, carrying a stretcher with pieces of gleaming silver on it. Agrippa stood stock still, something horrific going through her mind. Suspicions so terrible, she immediately rejected it. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t him. It just wasn’t.
She kept repeating it, but in every bit of ryhov travelling over her skin she knew whose bones lay on that stretcher in an obscene display of what was left of that vibrant cyborg.
The truth hit her with a clarity that made her knees gave way.
Stupidly she thought he couldn’t be dead, because he haven’t stormed up to her yet to ask her weird questions today. Haven’t demanded his soul yet.
Hamurabi came running and placed the remains of Amelagar in a regeneration tube. She didn’t want to see, but her feet walked closer without her willing it. Her knees threatened to give way and bile burned her throat. Only part of his skull and his eye were left.
“He can’t be dead. He said he would return for me to give him his soul. He can’t be dead.”
“He is not dead clone. Make yourself useful by shutting up and staying out of my way.”
She didn’t object to being called a clone or told to get out of the way. If there was any possibility that Amelagar could be regenerated she would take any insult, do anything they asked of her. Agrippa leaned against the bed she’d been sleeping on and prayed to the goddess that he could be saved. Vowed to the goddess that she would ensure he lived.
Hamurabi worked with a skill and precision that would’ve reassured her if there had been more left of Amelagar. How could anyone save what was left of that once strong cyborg. She swallowed tears and stroked her arm where he always put his hand on her. The ryhov there had slowed down, as if missing his touch.
She knew rebuilding muscles and skin was easy. The technology was centuries old and the procedures should mostly routine. But they had almost nothing to work with. The steel that grew like bone was top secret bunrika technology.
“Hamurabi?”
“Not now clone.”
“I may be able to help with the Bunrika technology.” She bit her lip. Could she help? No matter how deep she’d gone into the clone database, she was never able to anything more than bits and pieces.
“I do not need your assistance, clone. Now be quiet.”
She hung back with every fibre in her being wanting to be the one healing Amelagar. Hours later Hamurabi stepped back from the pieces of metal bone and closed the see through regeneration tube. Cyborgs did not get fatigued like normal Tunrians but when Hamurabi walked to his office, she had the strong impression that he was dead tired.
Agrippa went to the glass tube and accessed the code. She had seen enough bits of Bunrika technology to know that is what she looked at. How did the cyborgs get their hands on it. The Souls have been trying for decades to get a hold of his research. Hamurabi had integrated the regeneration tube meant for clones with Bunrika technology and adapted it so that it would regenerate Amelagar. She was in awe of his genius. She memorised everything, to look over later. Maybe she could find a way to speed up his recovery. If he regenerated. At last, she couldn’t put it off anymore and she looked at what was left of Amelagar. Small wires ran from a central point to the silver bones. Her eyes narrowed. This was not a regeneration tube meant for clones like she’d thought. The tube was built for regenerating cyborgs. That’s how they got the Bunrika technology. It was programmed into the unit because the clones thought they’d be leaving soon. Clones merely activated another clone, but this regeneration tube was meant to repair cyborgs. Which means they meant to take the cyborgs with them on their journey.
Agrippa took a deep breath and looked up at the skull and right into that one eye that had escaped injury. Was he awake. “Can you hear me? Amelagar blink once if you can hear me.”
Nothing.
She sagged against the tube. It was better this way, but for some crazy reason she had wanted him to be aware, to reassure her. To make it easier for her to go to sleep that night. Knowing that he was not brain damaged. She placed her hand over the area where his heart should be. “Rest now Amelagar. I will be close by. You will be all right. I will make you all right.”