Free Veil of Shadows (Book 2 of The Empire of Bones Saga) by Terry Mixon Page B

counterattack. Her face hadn’t looked like one of the Pale Ones as she fought. Her expression was serene, as though she were dancing. Frankly, that terrified her. She hadn’t been in control. Her implants had made her a backseat driver.
    Kelsey now understood exactly how the rebels had perverted the implants during the Fall. They’d overwritten the code that dictated when the implants could make the body act. They’d removed the human host from the control loop.
    That was what woke her screaming in the dark.
    It took a nudge from Talbot to bring her back to the moment. She should’ve refused the second piece of pie, but to her shame, she was still hungry. Her fork started efficiently moving it to her mouth. “What makes you think this pie isn’t going straight to my thighs? I can’t ever remember gorging like this. I’m a pig.”
    “Your metabolism is jacked up into overdrive. You have artificial muscles, and other things, that your body is powering. Your real muscles probably have to work hard to keep up. Think about how much energy you must’ve used during that fight. You were terrific, by the way.”
    She felt her face coloring as a chill ran down her spine. “It was kind of freaky. Once the fighting started, my body began moving on autopilot. I decided to fight and my implants took control. I was like a horrified spectator while my hands were crushing flesh and snapping bones.”
    “I’m not going to tell you that it’s okay,” he said flatly. “You weren’t trained for anything like that. I’m sure it was horrible for you, but you did what needed doing. You saved the day. In the end, that’s what matters. You were very brave.”
    Embarrassed even further, she decided to change the subject. “I wish I could find out more about my condition, but no one alive can give me the briefing that an Imperial marine would’ve gotten in basic training.” She finished the pie and set the fork down resolutely. “I might have a listing of some of the enhancements, but I don’t have an owner’s manual.”
    Talbot took a sip of his beer. “I bet you do. You just have to figure out how to access the help files. Maybe junior can help figure it out.”
    He meant Carl Owlet. She wished she had a beer. All Lily allowed her now was water.
    “He’s still trying to figure out how to say “hello world” in the old Empire programming language. Whatever that means.” She hunched down in her chair and sulked. “I’m never going to figure this out.”
    “Doctor Stone is a fine physician, but she has one notable flaw. She’s too cautious. You need to explore your boundaries. You need to start pushing yourself. Learning your new limits.”
    “Right. Then I’ll rip someone’s arm off.”
    “Don’t fall into that mental trap,” he said evenly. “Combat is not losing control. You stopped men determined to kill you. That’s a good thing.” He pushed his plate back. “Doctor Stone has one other failing. She’s not here. Come down to marine country with me and we’ll do some off-the-books experimentation.”
    Kelsey tried to judge if he was being serious. He certainly seemed to be. “Is that safe?”
    “Nothing in this world is safe, kid. Look, you have old Empire combat implants inside you. You need the marines to help you figure them out safely. We also need to have an idea of what your capabilities are. We can teach you and learn from you at the same time.”
    “I’m a little short to be a marine. And I’m lousy at doing what people tell me to do. You can ask Jared. Or my father.”
    The marine NCO grinned. “I’m not suggesting you enlist. Think of it as being an honorary marine.”
    “I’m not sure that Jared would appreciate me doing this. I want to. I really do, but I don’t want to screw up again.”
    Talbot finished his beer and stood. “Then it’s a good thing I already got his approval. And Lieutenant Reese. They both think this is a good idea, if you’re agreeable.”
    “Yes,” she