Cronus

by K. A. Finn

  'What the hell does that mean?' Heath asks.

  'They're the base model and Gryffin is the hi-tech version.'

  'And you?'

  Bray shrugs. 'I'll be sure to let you know once I figure that out.'

  Heath shuts down the screen and walks to the door. 'C'mon. Better check out the rest of Gryffin's cyborg gang.'

  'I'll contact Desyl and get permission to check them out.' They head towards Ares while they wait for Desyl to get back to them. As hypocritical as it sounds, he shares Heath's enthusiasm about having the three cyborgs on the base.

  He knows little about the new models the Scientist created out of the prisoners. The few he engaged with on the New Colony had died from the modifications. The fact that three are still alive is a miracle - although he's not sure if the men feel the same way.

  Desyl meets them at the bottom of the ramp with another two Nomad. Bray and Heath don't seem to be welcomed visitors. 'I got your message.'

  'We need to check them out to make sure they're not transmitting.'

  Desyl isn't thrilled about letting them on board, but he nods and gestures for them to follow him. He takes them to the training room and a large cell in the corner of the room.

  'Weird place for a cell,' Heath mutters as he walks over to the occupants.

  Desyl doesn't bother answering Heath. 'This is Trace, Boone, and Dante.'

  The three men get to their feet and stand facing Heath and Bray. One look gives Bray a hint as to why they may have survived so long. They're certainly a hell of a lot healthier looking than Gryffin or any of the other cyborgs he met on the New Colony. They must be the lucky ones.

  The blond one in the middle steps forward. 'I'm Boone. You're Gryffin's brother?'

  'Bray. We need to check you out. Gryffin was tampered with. We need to make sure you're safe to have here.'

  Boone turns to each of his companions and they give a brief nod. As one they hold their hands out in front of them.

  Desyl unlocks the door and fits a set of restraints to each man then directs them to step out of the cell. 'I'll send a Nomad security team with you.'

  'My men can deal with them if anything happens,' Heath says.

  Desyl puts himself between Heath and the cyborgs. 'I'm sending a team to protect these men, not defend you from them. They're under Gryffin's protection.'

  'And this station is under mine,' Heath responds.

  'I get that, but like I said, they're protected by Gryffin and the Nomad. I've already cleared it with Felix.'

  Bray takes a step back as Heath glares at Desyl. There's going to be an impressive scrap at some stage before they're done on the station. Heath, Sayber, Rua, and Gryffin aren't used to playing nice with others. Heath may answer to Evie and Felix, but when it comes to the security of the base - it's on his shoulders. Putting four volatile people who are used to getting their own way under the same roof in enemy territory is asking for trouble. It's just a question of when the peace dissolves.

  Heath clenches his jaw as he checks out each of the cyborgs standing in front of him. 'Fine. But the restraints stay on.'

  Desyl smiles. 'Not a problem.'

  An hour later Heath begrudgingly removes the restraints from Boone, Trace, and Dante. Like Gryffin they had the suspect programming removed and Felix deemed them safe - much to Heath's obvious objections. Evie wanted each of them to spend some time in the rejuvenation pod. They still had a way to go before they were back to full health - Boone especially. The man is trying to hide it, but he's in serious pain from whatever was done to him.

  Before he realises what he's doing, Bray helps Boone into the pod and watches as he closes his eyes, the pain still etched around his eyes and mouth. Bray looks across at Gryffin, lying on a bed at the far side of the room hooked up to a life support system.

  An unwelcome feeling settles in his gut. It's the same feeling he gets whenever he lets his guard down and thinks of Gryffin as anything other than the Nomad leader.

  'Hey? You good?'

  Bray blinks and turns to Heath. 'What?'

  'You were off somewhere.'

  'Yeah, sorry. I'm fine. You still need me here?'

  Evie waves her hand at him. 'I can manage here. There are too many bodies cluttering the room. You go and play with your new ship.'

  Bray glances at his brother, before he turns away. He's so ready to put some space between the two of them again. Life was so much simpler when he didn't know who Gryffin really was.

  FOUNDATION HQ

  Garvan's return to consciousness is slow and painful. The worst pain he's ever experienced hits his head, sending waves of nausea through his body. An invisible heartbeat pounds in his skull, pulsing in time with the waves of nausea. Unable to control his stomach any longer, he tries to roll over, but he's still secured to the gurney. He manages to turn his head to the side just in time. The mess hits the floor and dribbles down the side of his face. He stares at the empty space where his lower right arm should be.

  He has no idea how long he spent with the women in the room next door. The last few days - well, he assumes it's been a few days - has gone by in a blur of pain. If he wasn't rolled up in a ball in his cell, he was hanging by his wrists being used as a human pinata. He couldn't even escape to unconsciousness. They were pumping him with something that kept him and sleep on different planets. Lack of sleep, the beatings and no food had done the trick. He'd run out of fight.

  He doesn't know when he was dropped from his chains but the landing had been far from graceful. What happened next is anyone's guess. Unlike what he heard from Bray about his procedure and Gryffin's, Garvan was given something that knocked him out. His mate wants him to suffer, but not at the expense of the damn project. Instead of derelict stations and rusted equipment, he was given five-star treatment. For that he's thankful, but not by much.

  The feeble attempt to escape withers away within a few seconds. The surgery has taken everything from him, and not just in energy reserves. He can feel the screws attaching the metal to the side of his head. Every time he blinks, the skin moves, scraping against the metal and turning his stomach.

  Knowing that Bray had been through a similar procedure and survived gives him a little hope. He always held some sympathy for the Hunter Commander. His implants tortured him on a daily basis.

  But now he can't help but be a little jealous. Bray was lucky the Scientist had been interrupted after two implants. If Harvey's bragging is anything to go by, Garvan will have more in common with Gryffin than Bray, and that terrifies him. How the Nomad leader isn't a drooling mess in the corner of a room is beyond him.

  'How are you feeling, Wade?'

  He slowly turns his head to look at Harvey. 'Great. You?'

  Harvey laughs and shakes his head. 'Still defiant to the end. You'll be glad to hear the implant was fitted successfully. The connectors for the prosthetic arm are in place and, so far, your body is accepting the alterations. The doctors say you need a few days to recover before we continue with the modifications. I'm loathe to give you a break, but I'd be less than happy if you died before this process is completed.'

  Garvan opens his mouth to reply, but a badly timed wave of agony takes his breath away. Harvey pats him on the shoulder and the sensation turns Garvan's stomach again. 'I'm not going to die, mate. Can't kill you if I'm dead.'

  'When will you cease this futile mission? You are my prisoner. This is how life is for you, Wade.' He lowers onto the metal chair placed in front of the bank of screens. Each one shows a different set of readings. Presumably they are monitoring his vitals so they can pull him back if he does decide to die.

  'Will you just get this over with? Listening to you droning on and on is doing my head in. My headache is bad enough. Give me a break.'

  'Very well. My associates will have a little time with you later today. Until then, I suggest you get some rest. You're going to need your strength.'

  Harvey walks over to the door, then stops and turns to look back at Garvan. 'By t
he way. I thought you might like to know that your wife remarried after you were arrested. Both Zeke and Liza have changed their name. They have turned their back on the Garvan name for good. Do you want to know who's name they have taken?'

  Garvan doesn't want to know, but that's not how this is going to play out. Harvey is in gloat mode. Nothing is going to stop him from kicking him when he's down. 'Go for it. Who's name.'

  Harvey smiles serenely and holds his hands out to the side. 'Mine, Wade. I took your place as head of the family. Your children use my name.'

  Whatever else Harvey prattles on about after that is lost on Garvan. The bile rises in his throat. 'You fuck.'

  Harvey laughs and leaves the room, dragging his cloak behind him. Garvan barely notices the doctor hiding behind a surgical mask hovering beside the bed. Harvey destroyed his life and stepped in to take the most precious thing he has. His children.

  The marriage was arranged and, while he cared for his wife, it was nothing compared to how he felt about Zeke and Liza. While he's still trying to process what Harvey said, the doctor presses a syringe to his neck and closing his eyes he does exactly as Harvey suggested.

  17

  DIXON SPACE STATION

  Terra stares into the murky liquid in her cup. The cold coffee had done little to re-energise her. If anything, the drink hadn't settled well in her churning stomach. She's bone tired and worried sick. A plate of cold meat and vegetables sits untouched in front of her. She thought she could eat but until she knows Gryffin's okay, she can't stomach it.

  A few men at the table next to her glance over then mutter to each other. She catches her reflection in the polished wall opposite her and groans. Blood smears the side of her face and arm. Her t-shirt is torn along the arm and her black leather trousers are covered in a mix of blood, dirt, and dust. She runs her hand through her hair and manages to convince most of it to stay in a loose bun. Maybe she should have found the showers before attempting food.

  'Hey,'

  She jumps as Desyl sits opposite her. 'Is he okay?'

  Desyl smiles and massages the back of his neck. 'He's okay.'

  'He's alive?'

  'If he was dead I wouldn't have said he's okay.'

  'What happened?'

  Desyl hides a yawn behind his hand. 'Sorry. Long three hours. The Dixon's found a beacon hidden in the implant behind his ear. It's been blocked.'

  'That's why the Foundation was sniffing around?'

  Desyl nods. 'They gave him a good going over. There's nothing else that's going to transmit to the Foundation. We also found out something that's not sitting too well with me.'

  'Oh God. What's wrong with him?'

  Desyl picks up a piece of meat from her plate and chews on it for a minute. 'Well, it's not something that's wrong with him. Bray and Felix found out that the Foundation or... the Scientist hid a program in the cyborgs.'

  Terra doesn't react to the pause he took before mentioning her father. She wishes there was some way of making everyone forget she's related to him. 'What sort of program?'

  'Bray can give you the technical explanation, but what I can make out is they put a piece of the program in each of the cyborgs - including Gryffin. When the Foundation arrived in the Sector they were able to run it or crank it up... I don't know. Whatever they did, it allowed them to control one of the cyborgs and he dropped the defences.'

  'They booby trapped them? I don't know why I'm surprised. So were the Dixon's and Bray able to remove this programming?'

  Desyl nods as he helps himself to more of Terra's diner. 'They're clear now. Can't really say that's much of a comfort. We thought Gryffin was clear before. Ended up biting us in the ass.'

  Terra watches as he polishes off the rest of her cold dinner. 'I can get you a fresh plate. That's been sitting there for a while.'

  Desyl wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. 'Had worse over the years.' He examines her as he finishes the mouthful of cold food. 'No offence but you look... well, like crap. When's the last time you slept. Or ate?'

  'I'm fine.'

  Desyl laughs loudly and slumps back in the chair. 'On Ares the word fine can mean you've got a hole in your chest, your arm is falling off, you've got a serious concussion, and a few bullet wounds. I vaguely remember Gryffin came back from a mission a few years ago with a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, and two bullet wounds. Know that he said? 'He was fine.''

  'I promise I'll get some sleep in a bit. So, will Gryffin be okay?'

  'The next few hours in the rejuvenation pod will sort out any of the after-effects of his stunt on Ultar.'

  'And his leg?'

  Desyl grimaces. 'Different story. If the machine can strengthen the tissue at all, he may have a hope of hanging on to the limb. We're keeping his implants offline for the next twelve hours or so. They put a strain on him. We want his body to concentrate on repairing itself instead of fighting with the implants.'

  'What's next?'

  'Bed for me.'

  She smiles for the first time since she got here. 'I meant for Gryffin.'

  'That's up to Bray. He's seeing if he can fix the implants. The rejuvenation pod will buy Gryffin more time, but it's not going to solve the problem. He's still in trouble.'

  Terra nods. 'I know.' She blows out a long breath. 'Does Bray know Gryffin is thinking about having his implants upgraded?'

  Desyl shakes his head no. 'I'm hoping after some time in the pod, he'll be stronger. Not anywhere close to where he was, but fingers crossed, he'll notice a difference. If he's feeling better, he may just forget all of it.'

  'You don't believe that any more than I do. Realistically, what are the odds he'll ever be back to full health?'

  'Gryffin's a fighter. He'll get through it.'

  'I hope so. What about Milla and Aleena, and everyone on Ultar? What about the new cyborgs and the Foundation?'

  He shrugs. 'I don't have an answer. My priority now is my captain.'

  'When does Bray think he'll have some information on the implants?'

  'No idea. He's not overly chatty at the moment.' Desyl smirks. 'Speaking of Bray, interesting situation you've found yourself in, isn't it?'

  'What do you mean?'

  Desyl rests his elbows on the table and smiles at Terra. 'Oh come on, Commander. Bray. Gryffin. You. A cosy, but highly volatile love triangle. Do I need to go on?'

  Terra frowns then her eyes open wide.

  'There we go, Commander. Took you a few minutes. Should I start taking bets on round two of the scrap between your men? I made a fair bit on that one a few months ago between them.'

  'Desyl!'

  'What? C'mon Terra, everything is as bad as it gets right now. Let me have some fun.'

  Terra opens her mouth to argue, but what Desyl said about Bray and Gryffin fighting begins to sink in. 'They're okay with each other now, aren't they?'

  Desyl shrugs. 'I know as much as you. Gryffin did risk himself to go after Bray. He wouldn't have done that if he had a problem. Then again, who knows what the Captain's thinking. I've given up trying to work him out years ago.'

  'Yeah, but this is Gryffin and Bray. If one of them looks at the other sideways it could end in trouble.' Terra leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. 'Bray has so many unresolved issues with Gryffin. Gryffin not so much with Bray. He's not bothered that I was with Bray.' She pauses and looks over at him. 'Well, that's what he said. Do you think he really does have a problem with it?'

  'You know Gryffin better than I do.'

  Terra scoffs. 'Yeah, I'm very familiar with his unpredictability. Who knows what he'll do. He could kill him, Desyl.'

  'Kill may be a little over the top. Seriously hurt him is a definite possibility.'

  'I'm being serious.'

  'Gryffin won't give a damn about the Hunter. I promise you. If he was going to do something he would have done it by now.'

  'He's been locked in a cell for weeks. It could still happen.'

  'Maybe. At the moment it's an awkward, b
ut highly entertaining situation. One I'm going to enjoy watching. Once Gryffin wakes up... well, that's when the disaster part could start.' He gets up and squeezes her arm. 'On that note, I'm off to bed.'

  OCARRO COLONY

  Milla stares across at the Blacksmith formally known as Creed, as Chayse comes to grip with what he just heard. 'As in the Creed? Rayde's First Officer when he captained Ares?'

  'Yes. Pretty sure I was the only Creed in the group.'

  'But you're dead,' Chayse repeats. 'Gryffin killed you and threw you out the airlock. Everyone knows that story. You were the first one he did that to.'

  'Yeah, heard he continued the tradition he supposedly started with me.' Creed shakes his head as he looks down at his boots. 'Took him longer than I hoped to start thinking for himself.'

  Milla holds up her hands. 'Excuse me, but would you care to explain how you're still alive? Kind of an important bit don't you think?'

  'Well, what the stories don't say is that Rayde decided I was asking one too many questions about his treatment of Gryffin. Probably should have kept my damn mouth shut, but that's one of my flaws. Had to keep sticking my nose in. One day Rayde had enough and I found ten Nomad at my door.

  'Next thing I know, I'm hanging from the ceiling in the training room facing Gryffin. I was to be Gryffin's first real test. He'd killed before, but they weren't a Nomad. Rayde wanted to see how tight his control was. Seems it wasn't as tight as he thought. Once Rayde left, Gryffin took my gag off, I gave him a few truths, and he cut me free. He was giving me the honour of going out fighting. He didn't have to. Guess he understood the way we worked, even at that stage.

  'We fought and he beat me unconscious. Next thing I know I wake up in a crate of scrap metal. It didn't take me long to figure out what happened. Instead of dumping me out the airlock, he hid me in a crate. I was delivered to a merchant along with the other crates. There was a collection scheduled around the time Rayde sent him to kill me.

  I managed to get out unnoticed and made a quick exit when they docked. I spent a few years moving from colony to colony. Truth is I was terrified I'd be spotted so I didn't stick in one place for too long.'