Free Her Cyborg by Nellie C. Lind

there for her, always willing to help her with everything. She had shown him her work at her laptop, how her marketing business functioned, and he had figured it out fast. She wasn't meant to work here, but they had ended up finishing up a few of her missions for her clients. Everything had gone smooth and faster than usual, and from that moment, she knew she would love having him by her side and help her out with this. They could make her company grow together.
    But they had to get through this first ...
    And she had to make sure things worked out with her friends. She didn't want to see Faye be wrestled into a wall just because of a touch.
    “Come,” she told Shade and grabbed his hand. She walked toward the exit.
    “Where are we going?” Shade asked.
    “I have an idea how to make you relax among people.”
    Shade stopped. “I can't be among people yet.”
    Phoebe was glad he respected the rules, but that was not what she meant. “Don't worry. We won't exactly be among people.”
    He gave her a suspicious look, but he didn't protest when she led him to the elevators. She pushed the button to the elevators and they waited in silence. No one could reach this floor without an approved fingerprint. Phoebe had had her fingerprint approved when Shade had been confirmed for creation.
    The risk of meeting someone was slim. Most were inside their apartments getting to know their cyborgs. Phoebe had no idea how many other newborn cyborgs were here at the same time, but she doubted there were many. Cyborgs were expensive, after all.
    After almost a minute, the doors to the elevator finally opened. They entered the elevator that had room for at least ten people. The walls were made of glass and it gave them a great view of what was below. Phoebe noticed Shade's interest. He approached the end of the elevator and looked down. On the ground floor, they could see the reception. She had walked in there just a week ago, nervous like never before, ready to meet him. And here he was now. Phoebe gave him a look and her heart was filled with warm emotions for him. She would never grow tired of looking at him.
    Phoebe pressed the button with the number two written on it. They were going to the floor just above the reception. The doors closed and the elevator headed down. Shade kept watching the people who moved around down there. Some headed into the building, some were leaving it. Others stood near the reception, walked in a direction, or talked with someone. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she knew this was his first time seeing this many people at once. She counted at least twenty people down there. The reception was huge, wide, and had plenty of open spaces. The big glass windows let through plenty of light to brighten up the area.
    The elevator stopped and the glass doors opened. They left it and stepped out on a bridge with white floor tiles and glass railings. From there, they had a good view of the reception. If they met someone, it would be another doctor or another cyborg, and since everyone knew that Shade was newborn, they would know to avoid him.
    “Do you know why I brought you here?” she asked.
    “You wanted me to watch the humans.”
    “Yes, I want you to see how they interact with each other. I think it might help you to understand.” Phoebe spotted a perfect example. “Look there, by the plant near the exit. Do you see the blond male cyborg with the young woman?”
    “Yes,” he answered.
    A man in a suit approached them with a big smile. He reached out his hand and shook the woman's hand before he turned to the cyborg. Phoebe saw the cyborg smile and say something, but she couldn't hear what. She turned her gaze to Shade again and watched him. As usual, he was difficult to read, but he studied the people closely.
    “Look there,” she said and pointed to another couple. It was a man and a woman. The woman seemed happy to see the man and threw herself into his arms. “They seem to be close friends,