Chapter 71

"You infected me!"

Jool winced as she yelled again. "It's not a disease."

"No, it's worse. This thing, this parasite" - she slapped at her chest - "wants us to make babies so we can put machine parts in them!"

That was the current part of the argument. They'd already hashed through the whole, why-didn't-you-tell-me-the-metal-came-with-a-voice section. Onaria remained unimpressed with the fact that it was the leftover sentience of a god.

"We are not putting any mecha parts in the babies," he reiterated. "The latmevilium" - a word provided to him by his metal bits - "doesn't like bonding with children. It prefers full-grown adults."

Her mouth rounded. "It told you. And that's supposed to make it better? Get it out of me. I don't want this thing inside." She clawed at her chest.

He grabbed her hands. "Don't be so dramatic. You need that cog to live."

"It's a parasite. Feeding off of us. Using us."

"That's an ugly way of putting it."