Marcus 582: Book Three of Cyborgs: Mankind Redefined Read Online Free PDF Page B

conversion extensively. Before he died, Dr. Channing worked out several different ways to override a cyborg’s tendency toward violence. I don’t see why they aren’t using them on her.”
     
    Rachel’s eyes widened. Shock at his fanatic outburst must have shown on her face because Nathan stopped ranting and backpedaled as fast as he could.
     
    “God, I’m sorry, Rachel. I’m talking work… your work…and all I know are rumors about it. You probably get enough day-to-day cyborg drama without me going on and on. I’m just fascinated with the whole reversing program. It’s seems so high risk…and so unnecessary…given how successfully they were being managed.”
     
    “But…they…are…hum…an.”
     
    Rachel watched Nathan nod at her comment, but his gaze darting away from hers revealed he was not in agreement. She wondered what in Nathan’s background had caused him to be so anti-cyborg restoration, especially when he was so young. She was just a teenager when the soldiers were converted. Nathan was probably a few years younger than her.
     
    “I guess you would have to think that in order to keep doing what you do, Rachel. Frankly, I felt better when the government was in control of the cyborgs. I hope you don’t think badly of me for holding that view.”
     
    Rachel sighed a little, but shrugged. And then she wondered how Nathan would view her mechanized condition. Would he think she should be controlled and monitored by the government too?
     
    “By…def…i…ni…tion…I…am…cy…borg,” Rachel confessed boldly, just to see what he would say.
     
    When he looked shocked at her revelation, Rachel thought better of her direct questioning and patted her throat. Nathan would probably run screaming from the table if she reached up and popped open her cybernetic compartment. To her genuine surprise, he immediately shook his head. She almost rolled her eyes. Nathan was the hottest looking male she’d spent time with in a long time, but her impromptu date was turning out to be as disappointing as everything else in her life.
     
    “An implant is not the same thing…not the same at all,” Nathan argued. “You have a single prosthetic that you can’t help having. Your brain hasn’t been totally rewired. You haven’t been programmed to be an unfeeling killing machine. Therefore, you are not by definition a cyborg.”
     
    “Hope…not,” Rachel said. Inside, she was thinking that it was a good thing her wistfulness wasn’t reflected in her monotone response.
     
    She didn’t expect Nathan to take her comment as a joke so she was highly offended when he burst out laughing. His flip attitude about cyborgs bothered her too much to enjoy his attractiveness any longer. Nathan’s oversimplification of the conversion work that had made men like Marcus what he was…well, it wasn’t fair. It was obvious Nathan knew nothing about real cyborgs.
     
    “I hope not too…you’re way too cute,” Nathan said, favoring her with a wink.
     
    Rachel felt a frown taking over her mouth. It was the only thing that kept her from blurting out the truth to her shallow-minded date. She might not be completely cyborg, but she wasn’t completely human either. No one had a definition for what she was—not even her. She was Bradley Smith’s hacked up science experiment gone wrong and broken in ways Nathan would never guess.
     
    Having a full blown cybernetic compartment—which had required the removal of some human brain matter—meant her conversion could not be reversed. The UCN had her listed as a cyborg in their database alongside plenty of others who had been trained to be killing machines. Nathan’s lack of compassion for what he obviously hadn’t given serious thought to suddenly irked her too much to even finish her coffee before leaving.
     
    “Must…go,” Rachel said firmly, giving in to her need to get away. She stood and swung her small carryall over her shoulder.
     
    “You’re leaving?