The Syn-En Solution by Linda Andrews Page A

and friends. Something tore inside her, lifting the weight that had been her body. Why had she been so determined to save people who didn’t deserve it?
    A faint rustle sounded on her left. Had the doctor/executioner moved? What did it matter anymore?
    “It is done.”
    The admiral reported his success from a distance.
    The living world versus the one Nell now dwelled in. Soon, her soul would leave her body, maybe hover near the ceiling to watch what they did with her remains.
    “Throw her out with the rest of the garbage.” Grace had finally stopped laughing. “And Bei, since you have so much time on your hands, you now have sixty minutes to rescue the rest of the civilians or I’ll demand you personally dispose of your command staff.”
    Nell almost felt sorry for him. Almost. After all, the man had stood by and had her murdered. She’d be glad to leave. There was nothing here worth saving.

 
     
    Unaltered humans are well versed in the art of deception.
    Do not trust anything they say.
    Instead, rely upon your implants to get at the truth.
    Syn-En Vade Mecum
    Interrogation Techniques Introduction

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
    Bei clamped down on the rage pumping through him and managed not to slam his fist through the cargo bay’s blank com screen. Burkina Faso had him kill the woman, a citizen. Now her corpse hovered behind him, the emergency blanket wrapped around her trim frame like a silver halo. Except for the belch of the gas lines, silence filled the cargo bay. Debris even stopped hitting the magnetic field confining the Starfarer’s atmosphere. Although he had murdered for the right reasons, doing so had violated the basis of Syn-En existence. He should have protected the citizen, not killed her.
    Shang’hai’s soft voice cut through the hum of the engines restarting and the rasp of metal as the Smart Metal Alloy reformed the hull of his ship. “I knew I hated that bitch. Faso recorded you killing the citizen.”
    Turning to face the other three members of his strike team, Bei nodded. His hand settled over his forearm. The woman had touched him, willingly, and there had been no disgust or fear on her face. He still felt the imprint of her hand burn his NDA.
    And he had ordered her killed.
    Her terror replayed in his mind, an endless loop on a bad circuit.
    First medical officer, Los Alamos Cabo stepped forward. The salvaged wreckage floating in the room cleared around the doctor, repulsed by the magnetic charge of his armor. “I can—”
    Communicate on the WA only , Bei warned. He ushered the three Syn-Ens, away from the computer bank. Although the com system remained dark, he wouldn’t put it past Faso to leave the signal open. Bei would. If only to know his enemy’s plans.
    Stopping near the citizen’s coffin-shaped stasis chamber firmly affixed to the floor, Doc Cabo pushed the clear face form of his enviromask on top of his curly black hair then held his hand over the citizen’s body still held between the chief and Shang’hai. Green beams of light radiated from his open palm down to her petite form, feeding information to his MedPak analyzer. I can revive her, Admiral. I think .
    With her enviromask perched on her short, pink crew cut, Shang’hai drew the citizen away from the chief, cradled her and smoothed the light brown tresses out of the woman’s face. Sorrow weighted the array. Why does she float ?
    A memory stirred deep with Bei. He tried to grasp the thought but it eluded him. Somehow he knew it had to do with the citizen. There was something about her…
    She’s completely biologic, Admiral . The doctor’s awe quickly spread through the WA. Doc scratched his trim black goatee before laying his hand on the citizen again.
    Security Chief Rome stroked the citizen’s tapered fingers, then folded his arms across his broad chest. His security insignia gleamed in the white glow of the cargo bay when he quickly placed the woman’s transport between himself and the others. “I