The Syn-En Solution by Linda Andrews Read Free Book Online

slurry for refurbishing and reuse in another Syn-En project. Her motley band of twelve civilian lovers blended with the debris cocktail, hiding from the man on the screen. Cowards! Didn’t they realize their behavior would allow the Syn-En to subjugate the humans? Thank God, she had arrived in time to liberate the civilians.
    “Burkina.” Instead of appearing upright, his head appeared horizontal on the screen, as if he were laying down. Obviously, the damage to the ship had been extensive and even the Admiral hadn’t escaped its effects. Wet blood pooled in the wrinkles at the corner of Beijing’s blue almond-shaped eyes and beaded on the patches of raw skin on his forehead, cheeks and right ear.
    At Bei’s blank expression, rage surged through her veins. The man hadn’t even batted a mechanical eyelash when she’d threatened to kill all his precious soldiers. What would it take to get a reaction from the Syn-En scum?
    “Which cargo bay are you hiding in?” the Admiral asked.
    “I’m not hiding.” To her right, the magnetic field holding in the Starfarer’s atmosphere buzzed orange and red. She flinched as more fricking debris hit the ship. The sound reminded her of a bug zapper during the long Louisiana summers of her human youth. She’d see Earth again. She’d regain her citizen status. Just as the ship’s backup power system kept the atmosphere and her from being sucked into space, her human brain and heart stopped her from turning into a cyborg freak.
    Too late, she realized she hadn’t denied being in the cargo bay. Even though she controlled the com, Bei would be able to track the signal. So much for Civilian Tim Smith’s computer expertise jamming the signal.
    “If you report to solitary, I will not lengthen your sentence for insubordination,” the Admiral urged, his voice as bland as if he were talking about the weather.
    “Never!” Burkina would have slammed her fist through the screen if the Admiral could have felt the blow. At least this bay’s floors had limited electrical capabilities. Bei and his minions wouldn’t be able to bury her under garbage by increasing the magnetic field in the floor.
    That small fact kept Tim from paying a lethal price for leading her to the wrong cargo bay.
    “If you make us hunt for you, your time in solitary will be longer.” The Admiral glanced sideways appearing bored with the conversation.
    “You have no authority to sentence me.” Burkina clenched her hands, felt the plates of her armored skin buckle inside her fists. She opened her hands, to allow the NDA to smooth out. The ghostly white of the wormhole’s reflection touched the naked bulkheads and glowed on the dark ribs. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen belched in clumps of fog near the severed conduits running above the com screen.
    Fanned out behind her, her Civie lovers awaited orders like sheep. Sex and their rabid desire to return to Earth kept them under control, but their lack of initiative turned her stomach. She wouldn’t airlock the incompetent lot just yet. Especially since this little set-back would allow her a measure of revenge against the mighty Syn-En admiral.
    “You don’t seem surprised to see me.” Eying his broad shoulders, Burkina allowed herself a moment of regret that the cyborg hadn’t been controlled by sex. Of course, the freak had probably slept with half of his subordinates. The race’s promiscuity could be the only reason why he hadn’t appreciated her debasing herself to screw him. Now, he’d pay for the pleasure as well as his refusal to grant her a few simple privileges.
    The admiral’s attention drifted toward the screen then away again. “Civilian Timothy left the bridge shortly after you. Obviously, he found and freed you from solitary confinement.”
    Partially camouflaged in the floating mass on her left, Tim gasped.
    Bastard. Again, Burkina resisted the urge to slam her fist through the monitor. So what if the admiral knew who had helped her