The Cyber Chronicles 09: Precipice

by T C Southwell

  "You sure? Because it's no problem, really. I think he's just itching to bash some enforcers. That's why he's been staying away from you lot, his self-control isn't too good these days."

  "No, there's no need to tell him."

  Kole chuckled. "Fine. Sooner or later you're going to piss him off, though, I guarantee it, and then I'll get to see you bounce of the walls like those dumbbells."

  Thestan's mouth thinned, and he glanced around, frowning, as if expecting Sabre to leap out of the shadows. Kole chuckled again, enjoying the man's unease. The shuttle ride back to Pathos was achieved in silence, and Kole entered the hospital radiating triumph and wearing a broad grin.

  "I found him!"

  Martis, who sat at one of the workstations set up on the wide bench that ran along a wall, looked up, his brows rising. "Who, Tarl?"

  "Yep, the one and only."

  Estrelle turned from her screen and smiled. "That's wonderful! So where is he?"

  "On a ship called Imperial."

  "And... where's the ship?"

  Kole raised a hand. "Okay, I don't know that yet, but I will."

  "Ugh." Martis swung back to his instruments, shaking his head.

  "Hey, this is big, okay? A ship is a lot easier to find than one man, and I did that already."

  Estrelle sighed. "This is smuggler space. No one keeps records of where ships go or where they dock."

  "Even so, I know who owns it, and he's got to have information on the Net. I can track him down, you watch me."

  The techs shrugged and returned to their work. Kole wandered over to Sabre, who lay on the examination table again, hooked up to a drip.

  "Hey old chum, I found Tarl, so you can wake up now. I've done the really hard work. No need for you to hide in the dark anymore. Come on... wake up!" Kole bellowed the last words in Sabre's ear.

  Martis looked around. "Leave him alone."

  "Bloody cop out," Kole muttered, walking around the table to Martis and peering at his screen. "What're you doing?"

  "Are you drunk?"

  Kole shrugged. "A little. Had to, part of the plot. It worked, too."

  "You stink."

  "So what're you doing?"

  "Monitoring his brain function."

  "And?"

  Martis leant away from the swaying hacker. "He's remembering."

  "How do you know that?"

  The tech pointed to the image of Sabre's brain on the screen. "Those flashing areas, they're memory storage. He's immersed himself in memories. Happy ones, I assume."

  "Damned cop out coward," Kole said, then swung around and grasped Sabre’s shoulders, shaking him. "Come on you bastard! Wake up damn it!"

  "Hey!" Martis jumped up as Sabre's head lolled from side to side, bumping into the U-shaped instrument around it. "That's a delicate instrument! Don't damage it, you idiot!"

  Kole said, "He's got to wake up now! I can't do this alone!"

  Martis gripped his arm and tugged him away. "Leave him. Now you know how he felt, huh?"

  "Bastard," Kole muttered, rubbing his brow. "I should just go home and leave Tarl to rot. Let Tassin stay a slave forever. This isn't my problem! You hear me, Sabre? I'm not going to find her if you don't bloody wake up!"

  Martis glanced at his screen as another area of Sabre's brain flashed, and gave a cry of excitement. "He heard that. There was a reaction!"

  Estrelle glanced up from her screen, which monitored the control unit. "Here too. They both heard it."

  "It's stopped." Martis sank down on his chair, staring at the image on the screen. "Come on, Sabre."

  Kole turned back to the cyber and leant over him. "If you don't wake up, I won't find Tassin, you hear me, Sabre? I'll leave her. I can find her, and Tarl too, but only if you wake up."

  Martis shook his head, frowning. "Nothing. Maybe it was just an anomaly."

  "The control unit's still reacting,” Estrelle said.

  "That never stopped. It's Sabre who's withdrawn, not the control unit."

  She sat back, chewing her fingernails. "Something's got to work."

  "Tarl will do it," Kole averred. "And I'm going to find him."

  Martis looked up. "I don't know what he can do that we haven't tried already."

  "What have you tried?"

  "Well... nothing. There's nothing anyone can do."

  "You don't know Tarl." Kole headed for the door. "If anyone can wake that bastard up, he can!"

  "Kole," Estrelle called.

  The hacker paused in the doorway and glanced back. "Yeah?"

  "Why are you doing this?"

  Kole swung away, frowning. "None of your damned business."

  ****

  Tassin gazed out of the screens in the forward observation room of Tarvin’s ship, whose name she did not know. She visited the observation lounge often to watch the stars creep past. Another week had passed, so Tarvin's home world must be far from Forge Prime. So far, she had seen no one aboard the ship other than crewmen and servants, and she wondered where Tarvin’s retinue was. Surely a high king would surround himself with fawning fops and pretty girls, as Endrovar did? The only explanation she could think of was that they were housed in another part of the vessel, and naturally the King would not allow a lowly slave to mingle with them. The ship did not appear to be moving very fast, and, since the screens were not filled with light, she had to surmise that it was not in a photon corridor. If it was crossing from one corridor to another, they must be far apart. She had pried off the cover of the air vent in her room, and spent most of her nights exploring the air ducts in the hopes of finding one that led to a technical area that had a transmitter.

  The ducts could not be opened from the inside, but she would figure that out when she found the right one. They were narrow and full of dust, making it an onerous, dirty task. She always emerged filthy and tired, her elbows bruised and her muscles aching. Still, she refused to give up.

  A whispering hiss made her swing around. Tarvin drifted towards her in a floating chair, which hovered at a height that made his head level with hers. She frowned at him and turned back to the view.

  "Not even a greeting, Tassin?"

  "No. I want no company."

  He stopped beside her "That's very rude."

  "I don't care."

  He glanced at her, then back at the vista. "I think it’s time I told you why I bought you. You see, I had a suspicion, when I saw you at that Net auction, but I had to confirm it. Some time ago, Myon Two asked my people to be on the lookout for a small, black-haired woman who claimed to be a queen, and was, indeed, a planetary leader from Omega Five. When I received the invitation to the auction, my aide informed me of Myon Two’s interest in a woman matching your description. Myon Two has now confirmed that you are indeed the woman they want for murder.”

  Her blood chilled. “I didn’t murder anyone.”

  “According to Myon Two, you did. A department head, no less. Previd Malatar? They’re very upset about it, and want me to hand you over to them.”

  “And will you?”

  “Of course. I am a law abiding man, although I do like to be rewarded for my good deeds. I am currently negotiating with them. They have offered five cybers for you, but I have asked for ten. I expect we will eventually settle on seven or eight, which will be acceptable. If you hadn’t been the right girl, I daresay I’d have sold you to Daone, but now you’re worth so much more.”

  She raised her chin. "My cyber killed Previd to save my life. He was trying to murder me."

  "I really don’t care. I will be rewarded handsomely for your capture."

  Tassin shot him a killing glare. "Don’t you have enough cybers, or riches, already?"

  "I do, but more never hurts. Mostly, I enjoy making people dance to my tune; even Myon Two. They are sending a ship to collect you from Parthis, but it will take a while for it to get here. That's why we left the photon corridor some days ago and proceed under power towards my home world. There’s no safer prison than a ship. And c
rawling around in the air ducts every night will get you nothing but dirty and tired, I assure you."

  Tassin swung around with a growl of rage and raised a hand to slap him. Her hand swished through air as something hit her in the midriff, punched the air from her lungs with a grunt and hurled her to the floor. Her head hit it with a dull crack, and stars danced in her eyes as she stared into a cyber's impassive face. He crouched over her, his face painted black to match the walls, only the gleam of his eyes and the lights on the brow band visible.

  "Stop!" Tarvin said. "Leave her."

  The cyber sprang up and stepped back. Tassin struggled to draw air into her lungs, her head swimming and her vision dim. The roaring in her ears drowned out Tarvin's worried voice, then air rushed into her tortured lungs with a whoop, and she gasped as reality returned. Tarvin's chair drifted down to land beside her, and he peered at her.

  "Are you all right?"

  She sat up, dazed and shaky, the back of her head throbbing. "I will be, no thanks to you."

  "I did warn you. Fortunately I only brought one of my shadows with me, but still, you could have been badly hurt. That was an extremely foolish thing to do."

  She rubbed the lump on the back of her skull, wincing. "Do you expect me to be happy that you’re handing me over for execution?"

  "You condemned yourself when you committed murder, dear girl."

  Tassin rose to her feet, glaring at him, then the cyber. Tarvin gestured, and the clone retreated into the shadows, becoming invisible again.

  "I won’t let you,” she said. “I’ll find a way to escape you, and them.”

  "Ah, yes, you think you can find a transmitter and call your cyber, or your fiancé? You’re wasting your time. You will not summon any help, I promise you."

  Her hands clenched. "My fiancé is a free cyber, the true man, which makes him, to all intents and purposes, your High King Sharlin, back from the dead. And he will find me."

  Tarvin's chair lifted him up to her level, and he frowned at her. "You really expect me to believe that?"

  "It’s true, and when he finds me, I pity you." Spinning on her heel, she marched out.

  Chapter Eight

  Kole leant against a console on Pathos’ bridge and stared out of the screens at the massive ship in orbit at Vendal Four, some of his triumph leaking away. Imperial was an ill-disguised warship that far outgunned Pathos. Arrays of lasers were visible on its flanks and stern, cannons in its bow. He gestured at it, turning to Thestan, who stood beside him.

  "Well, there she is. Told you I'd find her."

  "It took you a week. And just how do you propose we get your man off it?"

  "I thought that was your department?"

  Thestan shook his head. "She's twice our size and firepower. It would be suicide to attack her. And anyway, your man might be killed if we did."

  Kole rubbed his chin. "I suppose we could offer to buy him."

  "Whoever owns that ship has more money than he can ever spend. He probably uses it to wipe his arse."

  "Then... we could ask for his services, offer to pay, then kidnap him when he comes aboard."

  "They won't let him off that ship. I don't think they're stupid. Anyway, isn't this something Sabre should decide?"

  "You're right, he should." Kole nodded. "I'll go and ask him." He headed for the door, then stopped when Thestan followed. "No one asked you to come."

  "This involves my ship and my men. I should be included in the planning of it."

  "No, you'll follow orders. We don't need your input."

  Thestan glowered, but remained behind when Kole strode from the bridge. He made his way to the hospital, where Martis and Estrelle were glued to their screens as usual. They looked up when he came in, their expressions expectant.

  "Well?" Martis demanded.

  "Imperial is a damned flying fortress. Thestan says we can't win a fight with it." Kole walked over to the padded table and frowned down at Sabre. "Wake up, old chum. I've found Tarl, now we need your help to free him. Do you hear me? Wake up, damn it!"

  Martis glanced at his readouts. "He's not listening."

  "Bugger it! We need a plan to get Tarl off that ship." Kole swung away and paced in a circle. "I thought perhaps we could get him here by telling them that we needed his services, and offering to pay a large amount for them, but Thestan doesn't think they'll let him leave the ship."

  "Probably not, but we could take Sabre to him, and if he can fix him..."

  Kole snapped his fingers. "That's it! But it will mean Thestan will see us carrying Sabre over there."

  Martis shrugged. "So? We tell him that he's pretending to be comatose."

  "Yeah, that would work. Then when he's fixed, he can come up with a way to free Tarl."

  Martis nodded. "Yeah, he's more intelligent than you are."

  "Piss off, Martis. I'm the one who found Tarl. Sabre's the one who copped out, remember?"

  "He's got a lot on his mind right now."

  "So do I." Kole swung away. "I'll send the message."

  "Are you sure Tarl's on that ship?"

  "Yeah, Endrovar won't part with a cyber tech." Kole touched the door panel, letting himself out.

  As the door slid shut behind Kole, Estrelle turned to Martis and raised her brows. "You really think this Tarl guy is going to be able to wake Sabre up?"

  "Let's hope all it takes is for Sabre to hear his voice."

  "What if he's not listening?"

  "Then I hope Tarl is as amazing as Kole thinks."

  She snorted. "If a host researcher and a control unit researcher can't wake him up, you really think a repair tech can?"

  Martis shrugged and sighed. "Let's hope so."

  Kole returned an hour later, looking excited. "They went for it. Wanted a fortune, but they've agreed to let us aboard with our damaged cyber."

  Martis glanced at Sabre. "Now?"

  "Yeah, the shuttle's waiting."

  "Our shuttle?"

  "Yeah, why?"

  "It's safer."

  Estrelle removed the drip from Sabre's arm, and they draped a sheet over him, activated the table's antigravity and retracted its legs, turning it into a floating stretcher. Kole towed it to the door, Martis following. Estrelle remained behind, since it would seem suspicious if more than two people accompanied a damaged cyber. Kole ordered the cybers who guarded the door to follow, and headed for the shuttle dock. Thestan waited there with the other two cybers, and Kole groaned.

  "Shit."

  The sub-commander marched over when he spotted them, scowling at Sabre, then at Kole. "What's the idea, taking all the cybers?"

  "We may need them for protection."

  "They're not going to let four cybers on board."

  "It's worth a try, and if not, they can guard the shuttle."

  Thestan looked down at Sabre. "Why do you need all four?"

  Kole snorted. "He's not going to talk to you. He thinks you're a moron."

  "I don't like letting all four cybers off the ship."

  "Too bad, those are Sabre's orders; now get the hell out of the way. They're waiting for us."

  The sub-commander stepped aside, staring at Sabre. "He looks like he's really asleep."

  "That's the idea, dimwit."

  Martis followed Kole and the stretcher into the ten-seat, grey and white shuttle. Kole ordered the cybers to join them, leaving Thestan fuming on the dock. The hacker anchored the stretcher, and they strapped in as the shuttle undocked with a slight jerk. Martis glanced past Kole at the pilot and leant closer, lowering his voice.

  "He's right, you know. They'll never allow four cybers aboard, probably not even one, except Sabre."

  Kole frowned, nodding. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing. I think we should leave the cybers in the shuttle. They may still come in handy, depending on what happens. Always good to have some backup close by."

  "Better still, we should hide them, then it'll be a surprise."

  "Yeah, good idea."

  Kole
glanced around at the cybers. "Cybers, find places to hide and remain hidden unless called upon, understand?"

  They turned their heads towards him, and one replied, "Understood."

  Unstrapping themselves, they moved to the rear of the shuttle to find cargo webbing and lockers to hide in or behind. Within a couple of minutes there was no sign of them. Kole stared out of the screens as the shuttle approached the huge warship, tapping his fingernails on the arm of his seat. Martis fidgeted and chewed his lip. He tensed when the shuttled docked and the door opened to reveal five armed men waiting in a gleaming white dock, hands on their laser hilts.

  The soldiers entered the shuttle and glanced around. Kole and Martis unstrapped themselves and freed the stretcher, towing it onto the dock. An officer approached and frowned at Sabre, then beckoned to a couple of soldiers.

  "They'll take you to the lab."

  Kole towed the stretcher after the men, who led them down a plush, well-lighted cream corridor carpeted in burgundy. They marched around a few corners and descended in a lift, arriving at a door that slid open. The soldiers gestured for Kole to go in, and he towed the stretcher into a bright lab lined with workbenches, data screens, analysis equipment and glass-fronted cabinets filled with surgical instruments and drugs. Long tables covered with more equipment were arranged around the grey-tiled floor. Two men in white jumpsuits were bent over a table, engrossed in some sort of experiment. Another rolled his chair away from a workstation, rose and turned to face them.

  Tarl's face stiffened when he recognised Kole, who waggled his eyebrows and gave an imperceptible shake of his head. The cyber repair tech swallowed and coughed. Martis lowered the stretcher's legs, turning it back into an examination table. Tarl's eyes became riveted to Sabre's face, and his struggle to hide his reaction resulted in an expression that Martis likened to one a man might wear if he had just spotted a deadly spider crawling up his leg.

  Tarl coughed again, placing a hand on Sabre's brow. "What happened to him?"

  Kole shrugged. "Don't know, really. Maybe he overheated, or overloaded or something. Just lay down and went to sleep, damned if he didn't. Was the weirdest thing we ever saw. Maybe the brow band's malfunctioning?"