The Lone Cyborg

Mattie is perfectly happy on her isolated mining claim, thank you very much. She and her cybernetic canary Sylvester are doing just fine, no matter what the big, grumpy cyborg responsible for her territory seems to think.

J-418 takes his job as a ranger very seriously. Frequent checks on the stubborn, annoying — and ridiculously adorable — woman living on her own are just part of his job. They certainly aren’t because he actually enjoys his encounters with the prickly little female.

When danger forces the two together, they make a series of startling discoveries, not the least of which is an unexpected passion. But life on Mars is about to change — for everyone!

Originally published in the Pets in Space 9 Anthology.