The Modified (The Biotics Trilogy, #1) (12 page)

“Kenley!” I hear Landon yell as he rushes over. He crouches down next to me, “Come on, we need to get you to the med-bay.”

“That will not be necessary, Shaw,” Commander Archer tells Landon calmly.

“What do you mean? She’s injured. And all thanks to you I might add,” Landon replies defensively.

“You’re out of line, soldier,” he roars as he grabs Landon by the back of his shirt and pulls him to his feet. “Grayson will be fine. Her hand is already healing.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask and then look at my hand. The blood is gone and the gashes on my knuckles are healing up.
I can’t believe my hand isn’t a bloody mess. I don’t even really feel the pain anymore,
I say to myself. I look up at Landon and see that he’s just as shocked as I am at the state of my hand.

“The benefits of nanotechnology,” Commander Archer states. “Dismissed, Grayson.”

Landon helps me to my feet and we both make our way back into the training room. As I peer over my shoulder back at the commander, I see him smirk while hitting a button on his touch pad. The drone stiffens and proceeds to walk back toward the hole it emerged from.

Later that night, sitting on the edge of my bed, I think about what Commander Archer said earlier in class. Looking down at my hand, I still can’t believe it’s perfectly healed. Not a single scratch or scar left.
What did I get myself into?
I ask myself.
A range of emotions wash over me and I break down crying. I feel like an idiot for even shedding a tear, but I can’t help it as they begin to flow freely.

“Kenley, I sense a loss of fluid. I do not detect physical stress. Ruling out perspiration by mean of physical activity…scanning database…Kenley, are you crying?” Galileo asks.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Do you really want to know, or are you just programmed to ask?”

“I am programmed to ask, but there is a true inclination on my part to find out how you really are doing,” he replies.

“Well, if you really must know, I’m feeling pretty crappy at the moment.”

“Searching database for crappy…slang for
bad
…why do you feel crappy?”

“A lot of reasons. Too many really to talk about,” I huff, flopping back onto my bed.

“Care to share? I have been programmed to be a good listener.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure that’s what I need right now, Galileo.”

“Humor me,” he says.

How do I even begin to humor an android
? I think to myself. “Well…for starters, I’m not even supposed to be here, which was kind of proven today in class. Earth and my family are in danger. And for some reason I decide to start liking a boy during all of this. Oh yeah, and I’m a highly-modified freak of nature,” I ramble on, counting off every issue with my fingers.

“It sounds like you have a lot on your mind. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“What exactly could you do? You’re just a computer,” I reply, feeling bad about what I said the moment the comment leaves my lips.

“I am sorry I cannot be there for you the way you need someone to be,” I hear Galileo say, and it almost sounds like his feelings are hurt.

“No, I’m sorry, Galileo. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just venting,” I say feeling really guilty.

“Be strong, Kenley. I believe in you. Whatever that is worth,” Galileo says, and begins playing the song he has programmed for my alarm.

I smile as I look down at the little blue hologram projecting from my bangle. “Thank you, Galileo.”

“My pleasure.”

The week in Strike training begins to take a toll on me. I find myself struggling to learn the abilities Commander Archer is teaching us. He still gives me crap about the first day, but that’s okay because it just makes me work harder to prove him wrong. It also helps me prove to myself that I do belong here.

Every night I slip out of my room to practice in the gym. No one ever really goes in there at night, so I’m free to practice all I want without being disturbed.

As I reach the gym, I hold my bangle up to the door and it shifts open. I grab a thirty-pound medicine ball from the rack and place it in the middle of the floor. Backing away from it and keeping it always in my sight, I focus on the ball and concentrate. I feel a flicker of energy travel through my fingers. Looking down at my hands, they begin pulsing slightly with the blue light again. Clenching my left hand into a fist transfers the energy that’s collected in it to my right hand, which begins to glow even brighter. My focus returns to the ball. I raise my right hand and the ball begins to shake as it slowly drifts into the air, but only barely. My hand begins to tremble and I groan with frustration as the energy becomes too much for me to handle. The ball drops to the ground as the word, “Dammit,” escapes harshly from my lips.
I can’t do this,
I tell myself.

“You’re trying too hard,” I hear a familiar voice say behind me. Startled, I turn to see Landon standing in the entryway.

“Easy for you to say. This stuff is coming so naturally to you. But that’s to be expected from the son of the great war hero Dominic Shaw,” I respond, sounding defeated.

He smiles and walks over to me. “Have you been coming down here every night?”

“Well, when there’s a test on Friday, and you’re struggling with the material, you take every chance you can to study,” I reply. My heart speeds up as he gets closer to me.
Please Galileo, don’t say anything,
I think to myself.

“Would you like some help?” Landon asks while placing his hand on my shoulder.

“Uh…sure,” I stutter out while gazing into his eyes.

He smirks and spins me around to face the medicine ball. His hands grasp my waist. “Do you trust me, Kenley?” Landon whispers into my ear, sending a warm sensation down my spine. My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest.

“Of course I do,” I reply softly.

He traces up my back with his fingers and stops at my shoulders. He grips them while applying the slightest amount of pressure. Landon moves his hands along my arms, gently caressing them, and works his way down to my hands. Cupping my hands in his, he brings them out in front of me. I can feel his breath on my neck and I smile. He rests his chin on my shoulder and rubs his cheek against mine. It feels hot and my blush deepens.

“Now, I want you to concentrate on the medicine ball,” he whispers. I feel a sudden rush of energy in my hands and look to see both of ours glowing bright blue. “Concentrate, Kenley,” he repeats. Landon closes his left hand into a fist over mine, transferring the energy to our right hands. The energy is so bright, it lights up the whole gym in a blue glow. He takes my right hand and begins to raise it into the air. Immediately the ball rises with the motion of our hands. Suddenly, it soars across the room into the wall, and then sits there spinning in the hole it created.

I realize I don’t feel Landon holding me anymore. I turn around to find him standing a short distance away with a huge grin on his face.

“See, all you needed was a little push. You did that last part all on your own,” he says, moving closer to me again.

“Thank you,” I say shyly, totally embarrassed by the intense moment we just shared.

“No problem,” he replies, pushing the rogue strand of hair from in front of my face and placing it over my ear.

“Landon, what are we-” I begin to ask, but then he puts his finger to my lips and shakes his head. His hand is glowing and I feel the energy as it caresses against my mouth like a cool flame. His blue eyes begin to pulse as he brings his face closer to mine.

“What’s going on in here?” A voice asks from the doorway.

All the energy fades from Landon’s eyes and hands as we both look over to see Dr. Patel framed by the doorway. I should have recognized the distinct British accent. She stands there with her arms crossed, her head slightly tilted, and an eyebrow raised. She’s dressed in workout clothes, which is not surprising since we’re in a gym after all.