too damaged to save, and break into facilities to find people like me, who are used to harvest body parts, internal organs, or blood for rich people. They got me out of there and took me to an underground medical facility, where they performed surgeries to attach three artificial limbs. They also replaced my damaged organs with manufactured ones, and a few of my bones had to be replaced as well. They put skin grafts on my burns to get rid of the scars.” She paused and tried to think of what else to say that might save her life.

“Go on.”

“I could have registered as an artificial life form, and tried to hide as my sister’s ‘property,’ but all the work on me is illegal, since it was done by an underground movement. That means I’ll be destroyed if I’m caught, same as if I were a homemade android someone put together. All artificial life forms are considered slaves, and you have to pay to have them built by one of the regulated, licensed companies approved by the government. The law doesn’t care that I’m a live person. I’m over the percentage of manufactured parts allowed, and that means I’m not considered human. Unless, you know, you’re rich or come from a powerful family with serious connections to obtain a waiver. They can afford to bribe officials to bypass the laws. I had to flee Earth as soon as I recovered.”

He watched her as the silence stretched between them.

“They scan everyone, everywhere on Earth. My true identity would have alerted the authorities that I should be dead or still locked inside the facility. A more in detailed body scan would have revealed how much of me is altered, and they would have immediately arrested me. That would have been a death sentence. I came here thinking I’d be safe, but that was all bullshit. I need your help, and as I said, I have a proposition for you.”

“What?” He snarled the word.

“Take me off this station when you leave. I was hiding in the waiting room when you and your dad entered. I, um…overheard what you two talked about. We can help each other. You need a woman, and technically I am one.” She forced a smile. “I need to go somewhere I won’t be abused or arrested. You get me, and I get a safe place to live.”

He stared at her.

She lowered her gaze, saw he was still aroused, and hope flared.

“You want me. You can have me. And I’ll teach you whatever you want to know. Just please get me off this station.”

“Why?”

She swallowed. “Because you like me. I mean, you seem interested…” She glanced at his cock again. “I—”

“Why do you need off this station? This isn’t Earth. They don’t run scans here. We wouldn’t visit it if they did.”

“Oh. That.” She eased up very slowly until she sat, keeping her hands in his view to avoid being shot if he thought she posed a threat. “I needed to get off Earth fast, once my surgeries were done and I’d healed enough to travel. I’d heard about how many deep-space traders were looking for wives. Convincing a real woman to move this far out is tough, you know. Most women don’t want to live so far from civilization, and it’s kind of crazy dangerous with all the pirate attacks.” She paused. “Of course, that seemed tame to me, considering an entire planet wants me captured and destroyed. So I logged onto the deep-space bride registry and thought I’d found a husband.”

“The what?” He actually lowered his weapon a few inches.

“Deep-space bride registry. It’s where women put ads to find husbands who live this far out, and men answer them if they want a wife. I found this guy, and even told him the truth about what happened to me. He knew why I needed to leave Earth. I wanted to be honest, and I planned to be a real wife to him. He was giving me a new chance at life by saving me from certain death.” She licked her lips. “It turns out he lied to me. The guy I talked to is just an employee, who was impersonating my real husband—a troll who marries women from Earth, gets them out here, and forces them to work in his private brothel.”

“Troll?”

“It’s a derogatory name for a big ugly jerk. He’s much older than he stated, covered in warts, and just gross.” She hesitated. “Please get me