{Rex? What are you doing? This wasn't in the plan…} she asked him urgently through their private neural link, the mental channel they always kept open between them.
Being so deeply connected, it wasn't just communication; it was instinctual. She could feel the rhythm of his thoughts, the flow of his emotions.
After all, half of Rex's body was built from Cleo's own original systems, merged with living tissue. In many ways, they were more than partners. They were two halves of a greater whole, linked in body, thought, and even soul.
And yet, at that moment, Cleo felt something unexpected... distance. Rex didn't answer her.
Instead, he tilted his head ever so slightly and looked directly at her. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes, and a knowing smile curved across his lips. It was small and subtle but to Cleo, it spoke volumes.
He was improvising.