It felt as if our bodies were suddenly intertwined. Our hands reached for each other, our arms wrapping around each other’s bodies. And our lips touched and locked. Feelings interrupted long ago were ignited once again.

The mechanized voice of the cyborg interrupted us. It was running toward me. I reached for my blaster.

Natasha covered my hand with hers. “He won’t hurt you.”

But I was so sure she was wrong.

The smell of burnt steel filled the room.

“My God, John, that was our son...”

As she began to weep, I felt trapped within myself. I could do nothing but watch her.

She refused citizenship in exchange for the information I had been sent for. And with good reason: she had nothing.

“There’s no hope anymore, John, not even for you.”

The Lenore was already moving toward the outer rim of the Solar system, disrupters set to self-destruct.

I remember looking around, seeing everything, but noticing only the ashes and dust that covered it all.