"Except for his freedom, but my techs are unable to find a way to free him."
"Because it's impossible."
"You did it."
"A fluke."
A husky, disembodied female voice said, "The hospital is ready, My Lord."
"Ah, good." Fairen jumped up. "Come, let's get you sorted out, then we can eat and do a bit of sparring afterwards."
Sabre smiled and rose as the boy headed for the door. "You're coming too?"
"Of course."
Chapter Sixteen
Sabre followed the young Overlord to the hospital, where four medics waited to treat him. He lay on the hard bed for two hours while they injected him with regeneration drugs, Fairen hovering. When they finished, Sabre stood and stretched, glad to be rid of the aches and pains, then smiled and tousled Fairen's hair by way of thanks. Fairen announced that it was time for dinner, and headed back to his private rooms. Sabre realised that the lonely boy was determined not to let him out of his sight for the duration of his stay, and experienced a new emotion, which he could not name.
As Fairen was about to order dinner, Sabre said, "Wait. Why don't we eat with my friends?"
"I can't do that."
"Sure you can. You're an Overlord; you can do whatever you want."
Fairen smiled. "That's true, but we're not supposed to reveal our true identities to people. A select few, but not too many. We're supposed to be fearsome monsters, not boys."
"Come on, you'll enjoy it. They're good people, and besides, you're just as intimidating in person as you are in that god awful getup."
"No, it wouldn't do for people to know what I am."
"Okay, then don't go as yourself. When I met Ravian, she pretended to be an aide. She told me who she was once she'd assured herself that I wasn't a danger to her. You could just be a boy, for a few hours."
Fairen tilted his head. "Who would I be?"
"You have a true name, don't you?"
"Emrin."
"Then be Emrin."
Fairen pondered. "But they might touch me."
"Ah. Right. Okay, well, I won't let them. How about that?"
"I don't know."
"Bring Vorn, too. We'll tell them you're Fairen's apprentice. That will explain the security."
“No,” Fairen said. "Most people don't even know Overlords are human."
"Then you'll just be a member of the crew. A young man I've befriended. No one special, and I won't let anyone touch you. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good. Go and change into a uniform, or some other clothes, at least." Sabre contemplated the Overlord's rich velvet jacket and narrow-cut trousers of impeccable design and obvious expense.
Fairen turned his head. "Bring me a crewman's uniform."
A few minutes later, an aide entered carrying a uniform, which he placed reverently on the couch before bowing and leaving. The Overlord stripped off his rich clothes and donned the uniform over satin underclothes, and Sabre wondered if he slept on satin sheets too. Probably. No one could match the wealth and power of the Overlords, yet they were common born, raised to near-godhood by the rare gift of empathic power. He looked little different in the black uniform, but at least it was made from only cotton and leather. Sabre tugged at it, finding that it fitted perfectly.
"They made this just for you, didn't they?"
"Of course."
Sabre shook his head in wonder. "Remember, you're just a crewmember. You don't give orders."
Fairen pulled a face. "Okay."
Sabre headed for the door, and Fairen fell into step beside him. The guards outside looked scandalised at Fairen's attire, and he waved a hand at them when they would have followed.
"Leave me."
"Now we just have to find Kole and company," Sabre said.
Fairen addressed the air. "Location of Kole Arvan."
The disembodied voice answered him, and he led the way down the corridor.
"That voice is the ship, hey?" Sabre asked.
"Yes."
"So Scorpio is an AI. Why then does Shrain issue all the orders?"
"It's his job. He has a direct interface for important functions, but I could just as easily give the orders myself, if I wished. But all these men need jobs, don't they? He is also supposed to advise me, when I choose to listen to him."
"Which is never."
Fairen chuckled. "Hardly ever."
"Does he ever argue with you?"
"Rarely."
"My friends will argue, remember. I know you've been an Overlord since you were three -"
"No, I was an apprentice until I was ten."
"Right,” Sabre said. “Well, now you're just a member of the crew."
"I know."
"So try to act like it. And don't talk to the ship."
"I'm the one who's concerned about protecting my identity. I won't make a mistake."
The boy stopped outside a door, and Sabre turned to him. "You're so damned grown up. It's not right. You never had a childhood, did you?"
"Neither did you."
"Well, try to act like a fourteen-year-old, okay?"
Fairen smiled and pressed the entry-call beside the door, which buzzed, then slid open a moment later to reveal the spacious lounge of a luxurious suite, decorated, like the rest of the ship, in grey, black and red. Back-lighted crimson curtains hung against the grey walls, and soft white sofas surrounded a glass coffee table on a gleaming black marble floor. Martis and Estrelle lounged on a couch while Kole paced. They all looked around when Sabre entered, and Kole confronted him.
"Where the hell have you been? What's going to happen to us now? This place gives me the heebie-jeebies. Are we under arrest or something?"
"I've been talking to Fairen,” Sabre replied. “We're going to Myon Two, and no one's under arrest. You're guests, so relax. I'm joining you for some dinner. We'll talk."
"So glad you could tear yourself away from your Overlord buddy."
"We had a lot to discuss."
Kole's eyes flicked past him. "Who's this?"
Sabre reached back and drew Fairen forward. The boy hung his head, looking shy. "This is Emrin," Sabre said. "He's my friend too, and I've invited him to join us for dinner."
Kole inclined his head, smiled and stepped forward, holding out his hand. "Good to meet you, Emrin."
Fairen recoiled, and Sabre said, "He has an immune deficiency. He's not supposed to come into contact with strangers."
"What about you?"
"I'm a cyber, remember?"
"Right. Well, let's eat then, I'm starved. How do we order food around here?"
"Speak to the auto-chef. Order what you want," Fairen supplied.
"Right, auto-chef."
Fairen went over to the far wall and pressed a button. A panel slid aside, revealing a recess with a console beside it. "What do you want?"
"What's on the menu?"
"Anything."
Kole's brows rose. "Really? In that case I'll have Gerentian egg balls and veran salad with garalt sauce."
Two seconds later, a loaded plate appeared in the recess. Fairen moved away as Kole went over to take it. The others ordered less exotic dinners, and they settled down around the polished ebony dining table in a crimson-curtained alcove. Fairen sat beside Sabre, an empty chair next to him. Kole spoke around a mouthful of food.
"So what's Fairen going to do to Myon Two?"
Sabre shrugged. "He'll punish those who abducted me, and anyone else who was involved."
"He should just blow the bloody place up. Bunch of creeps."
"That's a bit harsh," Martis protested. "There are a lot of good people on Myon Two. Most of them don't know that hosts are aware, like Estrelle and me before we met Sabre."
"Maybe someone should tell them then."
"Probably. But management will just convince them it's lies."
"Not if an Overlord told them. Everyone knows Overlords don't lie."
Sabre said, "That would be the same as if he ordered them to stop, whi
ch he could, but that would ruin the economy of two planets and cause poverty and starvation."
Kole's brows shot up. "I never thought I'd hear you championing their cause."
"I understand Fairen's reasons, and I'm not championing their cause. I want cyber production to stop, but... not at the expense of billions of lives."
"Bullshit," Kole said. "You wish Fairen would stop it, too."
"Of course I do, but he won't, so that's the end of it."
Estrelle leant towards him. "What's he like?"
"Fairen? I can't tell you that."
"But he's human, right?"
"I can't tell you that either, and you don't have to whisper."
Estrelle looked disappointed. "Why all the secrecy and disguise?"
"To hide his identity, of course."
"But why? He can't be kidnapped or anything."
Sabre shrugged. "To preserve his air of mystery I guess, so he seems more formidable."
Kole snorted. "With a ship like this, who cares if he's just a runty little guy with a lisp? No one's going to mess with this beauty."
"You'd have to ask him."
"I don't suppose he'll speak to us," Estrelle remarked.
"I could ask him for you."
"Would you?"
"What do you want to speak to him about?"
"I'd just like to meet him," she said.
"You already did."
"I was introduced, that's all. I'd like to get to know him a bit. Is he such a recluse?"
Kole said, "He won't mix with the likes of us, we're just riffraff to him."
"He mixes with me," Sabre pointed out, "and I'm just riffraff too."
"No, old pal, you're special; the only free cyber in the universe."
"Is he married?" Estrelle enquired.
Kole chuckled. "You can see where this is going, can't you?"
"No, he's not." Sabre smiled, glancing at Fairen, who concentrated on his dinner, his cheeks flushed.
Estrelle followed his gaze. "Have you met him, Emrin?"
"No, Miss," the boy replied, growing redder.
"But you live on this ship."
"So do a hundred and fifty-six thousand other people," Sabre said.
"So what do you do?" Estrelle asked Fairen.
"He's just a boy," Sabre said. "He goes to school, don't you Emrin?"
"Yeah."
"But you must have dreams," she said. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A pilot."
Estrelle smiled. "That sounds exciting. Are you training to be one?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Overlord Fairen doesn't need pilots."
She looked puzzled. "So why don't you leave and become a pilot?"
"Our people serve the Overlords."
"So... Overlord Fairen won't let you leave?"
"We don't want to leave," Fairen said.
"But you want to be a pilot."
"It's just a dream."
"Which could easily be a reality, if you could leave."
"Leave the boy," Sabre said. "Emrin's people are dedicated to serving the Overlords. That's all they want."
"It just doesn't seem fair, that's all."
"Did you want to become a control unit tech?"
She pulled a face. "Okay, point taken."
Sabre turned to Kole. "I have to go to Myon Two with Fairen, but I'm worried about Tassin. Would you go to Omega Five and tell her what's happened, and that I'm okay?"
Kole nodded. "I guess. Striker needs her engine fixed, though, and the rest overhauled, thanks to your driving."
"I'll ask Fairen."
"What's going to happen to us now?" Martis asked.
"That's up to you,” Sabre replied. “Get your tattoos removed, find a nice planet and start a new life."
"They'll send cybers after us. We won't be safe anywhere."
Estrelle leant forward again and asked Sabre, "Could we stay with you?"
"Ah... Why would you want to do that?"
"Well, you could protect us. Myon Two's after you as well, and we can help you with your adjustments and... things."
"I really don't need more cyber techs. I have Tarl."
"He's just a repair tech,” Martis said. “He couldn't have done what I did for you."
"Well what you did is done, so what do I need you for now?"
Kole raised his brows, patently intrigued. "What did he do?"
"None of your business."
"Ah come on, don't be such a wet blanket. It sounds fascinating."
"It's still none of your business."
"What do you say, Sabre?" Martis insisted. "We need your protection, and you're probably the only one who can keep us safe from Myon Two."
"I don't know about that. I got caught, and they're going to keep coming after me. You'd probably be safer on your own."
Martis shook his head. "We can't defend ourselves against a cyber."
"And in return for my protection, you'll look after me, is that it? You weren't any help after the fight."
"I didn't have the necessary drugs. If Fairen can provide them, I'll fix you, no problem."
"Already done, and you could have got them on Eden Five, if you'd tried. Instead you went shopping for those ridiculous clothes."
"Okay, I should have,” Martis admitted. “I didn't think of it at the time. It won't happen again."
Sabre pushed away his empty plate and leant back. "I'll think about it."
Estrelle put down her napkin and rose. "Let's sit in the lounge and have drinks."
Everyone moved to the lounge and flopped down on the couches. Fairen stayed close to Sabre, sharing his sofa, and Estrelle sat on the other side of the cyber.
She smiled at the boy. "So, how did you meet Sabre?"
"In the hospital."
"You were sick?"
"He gets sick a lot," Sabre said. "I was injured. He was in the next bed. We kept each other company."
"Were you born on this ship?" Estrelle asked Fairen.
He hesitated. "Yes, Miss."
"And you've never left it, your whole life?"
"No, Miss."
"Please stop calling me 'miss', okay?"
Fairen smiled. "Okay."
"What do your parents do?"
"My dad's a cook and my mum's a cleaner."
Estrelle tilted her head. "A cook? What about the auto-chef?"
"Overlord Fairen only eats food the cooks prepare."
"Ah, of course. And since you can't be a pilot, what will you be?"
"A cook."
"Are you happy here?" she asked.
"Yes."
"There are many wonderful worlds. Wouldn't you like to see them?"
Sabre frowned at her. "Quit grilling the boy."
"I'm just chatting to him. Why so protective?"
"Sounds like you're grilling him. He's happy here. Why ask him if he wants to see the universe? I expect he's seen more than you, living on an Overlord ship."
"I expect he's seen quite a few getting blown up," Kole muttered.
"You don't like Overlords?" Fairen asked, surprising Sabre.
"I don't like anyone who goes around blowing up planets."
"But they needed to be blown up."
"Why?" Kole demanded, rather belligerently.
“They broke the law, or they were dangerous."
"They could have been reformed."
"No, not if they were determined to keep doing it, or were the source of terrible plagues."
The ex-hacker considered the boy. "Well of course you'd stick up for the Overlords, you live to serve them."
"I think the universe needs them, or it would fall into debauchery and crime. Terrible diseases would spread and wipe out many worlds instead of only one."
"What gives them the right to judge people? What makes them better than the rest of us? They're dangerous."
"They're empaths."
Kole's brows shot into his blond fringe. "Are they? Bugger me. So they
know when someone's a crook?"
"They sense emotions. They know if a person is corrupt, or a liar."
Silence fell as everyone except Sabre and Fairen digested this, then the cyber put down his empty glass and stood up. "It's time Emrin went home. His parents will be starting to worry, it's late."
In the corridor, the young Overlord fell into step with Sabre, who asked, "Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yes, it was interesting. Strange, but interesting. I would like to do it again."
"How long is it going to take us to reach Myon Two?"
Fairen addressed the air. "Arrival time at Myon Two?"
"Fourteen hours," Scorpio informed him.
"Time for a couple more meals with them then," Sabre said. "Will you fix Striker and refuel her?"
Fairen nodded, addressing the ship again. "Send engineers to the ship in berth five, repair and refuel her."
Chapter Seventeen
The young Overlord turned into an unfamiliar corridor, and Sabre wondered where they were going. The mystery was solved when they entered the well-equipped exercise room he had been to before. He smiled and wandered over to a rack of weights, leant against it and folded his arms. Fairen grinned at him, his eyes sparkling.
"Come on, spar with me."
"Show me what you can do first."
"Okay."
The boy did a handstand and dropped into a backward roll. Leaping up, he did a flick-flack across the floor, landing on his feet next to the wall. Next he did a cartwheel and twisted into a backward flick-flack, bouncing up in front of Sabre with a grin.
"How was that?"
"Excellent. But that's just gymnastics. The foundation of cyber combat, to be sure, but not much use on its own."
"I know; I learnt other stuff too."
"Show me," Sabre said.
“Okay. Are you ready?”
“I’m always ready.”
Fairen punched Sabre in the solar plexus, and then grimaced, wringing his hand.
Sabre smiled. "Sorry. Didn't you try that on Vorn?"
"He evaded me."
"Ah, right. But you have to learn that punching something hurts."
"Only if it's as hard as you."
The cyber nodded. "True. That was a good punch. You'd have knocked the wind out of a normal man."
"Really?"
"Definitely."
"Try that throat hold on me again, like you did before."
Sabre straightened, and Fairen followed him to the middle of the room, where he circled the young Overlord, who stood ready, his arms at his sides. Fairen must have practised a lot, Sabre mused, to learn all that he had in such a short time. As he passed behind the boy, his arm flashed around Fairen's neck, using just enough force to pin him without hurting him. Fairen grabbed his arm and heaved the cyber over his shoulder, sending him crashing onto the padded matting. Sabre laughed, rolling to his feet.
The Cyber Chronicles 08: Scorpion Lord Page 22