Panacea Read Online Free PDF

stuff that dreams were made of.
     
    * * * *
     
    Leko sat up and removed the life support. The medic on duty rushed to his side and sealed the small ports for nutrients and sedation.
    “Sir, you are awake early. I didn’t realize you had arrived.”
    “This afternoon. My Bride was aware that I was not a bot, so there is no reason to remain separated.”
    “You do not fear for her physical self?”
    “She can take care of herself. She is a true Lrrko. In fact, she might be two of us.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    Leko chuckled, and the younger male looked surprised. “You will understand soon enough. It is hard to keep a straight face with Bride Lynni around. She has this way of looking at things.”
    The tech looked a little uneasy. “I have heard things about her.”
    Leko started to walk to the showers. “Yes?”
    The other man trotted behind him. “I have heard that her skin is different.”
    “It definitely is. She is a splice. A naturally born splice.”
    “How can Bride Tyanni be her sister?”
    Leko snorted. “Apparently, that is the joy of natural selection.”
    He took a solar shower and went to his locker. His standard Selector clothing had been replaced with the uniform of the Familiar. The rich blue sleeveless tunic with the silver piping on the edges fit him like a second skin. Feeling the clothing on his skin once again was a blessed relief.
    Splitting consciousness was a skill that all off-world operatives were taught. He had gone through the training when he was a child, just as all of his class had. He never expected to use that skill. He had been trained to analyze the actions of others.
    With his boots and trousers in place, gloves on and the standard weapons of his new position strapped to his thighs, he was ready to meet Bride Lynni face to face. He pulled on a cloak and left the med centre, walking through the streets of the city.
    It felt good to be on his own feet again. He didn’t know how the agents and officers managed to lock into their bot bodies and stay in them for months.
    Leko felt odd walking up to the Bride house. He checked himself through security and ended up striding through the halls that only Brex was privy to until this moment.
    He walked up the stairs and headed to Lynni’s quarters. The door opened silently at his approach, and he slipped into the quiet space, looking toward the bed. There was a curled lump under the covers, but he couldn’t see breathing. His senses went on alert as he looked for Lynni in the shadows.
    He should have been looking in the light.
     
    * * * *
     
    Lynni felt him coming up the hall. The vibe coming from him was definitely Leko. She slipped out of the bed and mounded up the pillows into her normal curve under the sheets.
    Hiding in the shadows was possible, but she chose the other option. She stood against the wall, in the beam of light, and her skin did a weird thing. It reflected the light and made her invisible. She couldn’t see her own hand, but her right side was still hot pink.
    She was partially invisible.
    She watched through narrowed eyes as the door opened and the figure in the cloak entered. The door closed behind him.
    She saw him look toward the bed, and she could feel the change in him as he realized she wasn’t in it. His hood turned toward the shadows, and she remained relaxed as his gaze searched for her. When he stepped in and his back was toward her, she moved with the techniques that he had taught her. She kicked the back of his knee, and when he went down, she wrapped an arm around his throat. “You didn’t knock.”
    He bent forward, and she went over his head, landing in a deep crouch. She whirled to face him, and he pulled his hood back.
    She had to comment on his new appearance. “Wow. You are... more colourful than I thought.”
    His hair was a deep blood red, and his eyes were a vivid blue. The mahogany of his skin was a strange contrast to his bright eyes. It was nearly creepy, but she was fascinated