"They are savages."
The boy looked up. "Show me something else. What's the easiest way to kill a man?"
"Shoot him." Sabre smiled as Fairen rolled his eyes, and added, "It depends on whether you're in close combat or have room. If you aren't that strong, a blow to the nose will do it pretty easily."
"That doesn't sound very deadly."
"It depends on how you do it. If you hit it just right, the nasal bones are forced into the brain, and death is quick."
Fairen leant forward. "Show me."
Sabre turned to the soldier and held his hand in front of his face, palm towards his nose. "Now you strike, angling upwards."
"That seems too easy."
"I wouldn't try it unless you aim to kill the man."
"But it wouldn't work on you, would it?"
Sabre shook his head. "My nose is reinforced. Anyone who tried to do that to me would get a barrinium spike through their hand."
Fairen contemplated him for several moments, then dismissed the soldier and said, "That's enough for today; you're tired. Go and rest, if you wish."
Sabre stood up carefully, and Fairen watched him leave with a forlorn expression that he tried unsuccessfully to hide.
Sabre did little but sleep and eat for the next two days while his strength returned. Tassin and Tarl kept themselves amused with the wide variety of entertainment on offer, went shopping and chatted to Sabre when he was awake. Fairen requested Sabre’s company in his private lounge for a couple of hours each day, and they talked about many things, mostly to do with combat and morality. On the third day, the guard led Sabre to a spacious, padded room furnished with a selection of gleaming ultra-modern exercise equipment and scarlet foam floor mats. Fairen lay on a bench, lifting weights, an instructor standing over him. He slotted the weights into the stand when Sabre entered and sat up, mopping his face with a towel.
The instructor bowed and withdrew at the boy’s gesture, shooting Sabre a narrow-eyed look when he passed him. Fairen was stripped to the waist, and, although narrow-shouldered due to his youth, had a well-defined physique.
Sabre wandered over to a stand of dumbbells and leant against it. "You're kidding, right?"
Fairen smiled and tossed aside the towel. "Why would I be kidding?"
"You want to fight me?"
"Why not? That's the best way to learn, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but I thought I would only be demonstrating on one of your crewmen."
The boy stood up and wandered closer. "I trust you. You've regained some of your strength I trust?"
Sabre shrugged. "I'm only at sixty-two per cent."
Fairen picked up a dumbbell and hefted it. "You know, that liner has security cameras in every corridor, and everything that happened was recorded. I've seen your battle to reach the shuttle. Now I'm curious. You were so weak your friends had to almost carry you, but when your laser ran out, you were able to attack a Corsair and break his neck. How did you do that?"
"It’s called an energy burst. Everyone has a natural version of it, which is why, in an extreme situation, they become stronger and faster. I'm genetically engineered to produce more potent adrenalin, and in larger amounts than normal. When necessary, the cyber triggers a dump into my system, which gives a short burst of strength. Of course, it clobbers my bio-status, so I can’t do it very often."
"I see." Fairen put down the dumbbell and dusted his hands. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"
"I really don't think this is a good idea. Bring in one of your crewmen."
"Why?"
"Because I have trained responses that are hard to control,” Sabre said. “You could get hurt."
"I can handle a few bumps and bruises; I'm not a wimp."
"It could be more serious than that."
"I'll take my chances," Fairen hesitated. "There's another reason for my request. You're right, my men could teach me, except I don't like them touching me, and this kind of training requires contact, doesn't it?"
Sabre nodded, and Fairen went on, "One of the disadvantages of being an empath is that any touch brings with it a host of sensations and second-hand emotions. In my case, these are strong, since I'm a powerful empath, and I don't have to touch a person to read them, like the others. Therefore, actually touching someone is... unpleasant. But I don't mind your touch."
Sabre tilted his head, studying the boy. "So no one ever touches you?"
"No."
"When you were a child?"
Fairen shrugged, pulling a face. "Then I couldn't prevent them. It used to give me nightmares, and I learnt to pinch or slap people who tried to hug me or pick me up. Apparently my parents thought I was mad. I don't remember them, of course."
"Why am I different?"
The boy smiled. "You're strange. You have very few underlying emotions, and none of them are bad, so it's not unpleasant to touch you."
"What is it about other people that repels you so?"
"Petty emotions, like jealousy, envy, anger, malice, fear. Most repugnant is lust for power or pleasure, money, that sort of thing. Even if they're not thinking about those things, or feeling them at the time, I still pick them up."
Sabre inclined his head. "No, I suppose I don't have those."
"So, shall we start?"
The cyber sighed. "Okay, but we'll do it slowly, and I'll play the part of the aggressor. I trust I'm not going to get shot full of poison darts as soon as I touch you?"
Fairen grinned. "No, they have strict instructions not to interfere."
"That must have gone down well."
"Like an overdose of laxative, judging by their expressions. They don't understand why I want to do this with an outsider when they've dedicated their whole lives to the service of an Overlord."
"Yeah, I can imagine." Sabre wandered over to the unsuspecting boy and snatched him into a throat hold. "Now, all I have to do is twist your head, and you're dead. Can you think of a way to escape?"
"Not really, especially with a broken neck."
"True. But let's say I didn't break your neck straight away."
Fairen gripped Sabre's arm and tried to pull it away, then tried to jab him in the ribs with an elbow, but missed when he swayed aside. After several minutes of futile struggle, he shook his head. "Okay, I give up."
"Well, you could stamp on my foot; a normal man might not be able to avoid it. If you were stronger, you could throw me over your shoulder, or you could smash my face with the back of your head."
Fairen tried all three, but eventually gave up.
Sabre released him, smiling. "You know, if you want the satisfaction of winning occasionally, your choice of sparring partner leaves a lot to be desired."
Fairen rubbed his neck. "I suppose so. Let me be the aggressor."
"All right. No slapping, pinching or biting."
The young Overlord snorted. "I'm not a girl."
For the next half an hour, the boy tried to punch, kick, trip and throttle Sabre. Fairen usually ended up on his back with the cyber smiling down at him. To Sabre's surprise, the young Overlord seemed to enjoy it immensely, and it dawned on him that all the boy really wanted was someone to play with. Someone whose touch did not repel him, a father figure perhaps, but certainly someone he respected enough not to feel belittled when he lost. In that respect, he had chosen the right sparring partner. During the second half an hour, Sabre allowed him to land a few glancing blows, and even let Fairen trip him up and pounce on him, indulging him in a wrestling match that had the boy laughing in delight.
Fairen's mirth brought a sudden, vivid memory of dancing with a little girl on a desert’s burning sand, and he sat up.
"What is it?" Fairen asked.
Sabre rubbed his brow. "A memory. They come in flashes sometimes, since Tarl restored them."
"You lost your memory?"
"Not exactly. Myon Two cut me off from it when they put me back under cyber control."
The young Overlord frowned. "I think I will judge Atrashka
. If I make my displeasure at his actions known, he might find a way change the way Myon Two operates of his own free will."
Sabre contemplated the flushed, dishevelled boy, who a moment ago had been a giggling child, and had just reclaimed his role as one of the most dreaded judges and executioners in the universe. "I’d appreciate that."
The door opened, and Fairen's commander entered, accompanied by four soldiers. He bowed low. "Forgive the interruption, My Lord. A distress call has come in."
"Where's Ramadaus?"
"He left an hour ago, to answer another call."
Fairen sighed. "Ravian left yesterday. It always seems to happen in spates. What's the problem?"
"Ferrin Two is reporting a tyrant raising armies to crush his neighbours. Fleets of warships are set to invade the colony on Ferrin Three."
"Ferrin Two? That's not in this sector."
Commander Shrain shook his head. "No, My Lord. The call was relayed."
Fairen stood up, trying to finger-comb his wild hair into a semblance of order. "I have to go, Sabre. Will you come with me, or do you want to leave now?"
The cyber rose to his feet. "I should go. We have a long journey ahead of us still."
Fairen nodded. "Of course."
He started to turn away, but Sabre gripped his elbow. "Fairen. You'll always be welcome on Omega Five. There you can be a boy."
Fairen looked up, his expression shuttered. "So, you understand. I thought you might."
"I didn't at first, but now I do."
The young Overlord smiled and held out his hand. "I'll always count you as my friend, Sabre."
Sabre clasped it. "I'm glad. I'll do the same."
"Yes, you do that." Fairen turned to Shrain. "Take Sabre and his friends to that refugee ship Ravian summoned. Give him a transmitter, and summon Atrashka. Tell him I intend to judge him."
"Yes, My Lord."
Fairen strode to the door, where the men parted for him, and one held out a robe, which he slipped on. A crewman guided Sabre back to the quarters he shared with Tassin, who reclined on a couch in the lounge, watching a vidimage on the floor to ceiling screen on the far wall. She glanced up with a smile when he entered, and Sabre went into his room, saying over his shoulder, "Pack, we're leaving. Fairen has been called away."
She followed, halting in the doorway. "What's called Fairen away?"
Sabre pulled off his tunic. "Some sort of crisis on a planet. We're being taken to a refugee ship."
"Are you ever going to tell me anything about him? You know what he really looks like, don't you? You've spent so much time with him, you must."
Sabre turned to her, dropping the tunic on his bed. He disliked keeping secrets from her, and until now she had not asked about Fairen. "Can you keep a secret?"
"You know I can."
Sabre nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Fairen's a boy. He's only fourteen years old."
Her eyes widened. "A child Overlord?"
"Yup."
"Why?"
"He's an empath. They all are."
She looked puzzled. "A what?"
"An empath. He senses the emotions of others."
"He reads minds?"
"Not exactly. He only senses emotions."
Tassin shook her head in amazement. "So that's why he hides his identity. But why do the others do it?"
"I think it's to perpetuate the myths about them, otherwise they'd be too normal, too human for the masses to revere."
"So you've seen Ravian and Ramadaus too."
"Yeah."
"And?"
Sabre shrugged. "They're adults."
Tassin sat on the bed. "So, you're his hero."
"I hadn't thought of that." Sabre went into the bathroom to take a shower, closing the door.
Chapter Seventeen
The elderly woman raised her chin and looked down her long, narrow nose at the group, her eyes hard when they rested upon Sabre and Tarl. Her grey hair was pulled back under a linen head covering, and she wore a shapeless grey robe that brushed the floor. Two women flanked her, clad in identical drab outfits and wearing similar scornful expressions, one middle-aged and the other young and plain. They stood in what appeared to be a meeting chamber or congregation space, a roomy area decorated in shades of blue, with a glowing ceiling, dark blue floor tiles and paler walls. A few royal blue chairs clustered around a blue-tinted glass table on a pale blue rug in one corner.
A vidscreen at the far end of the room showed a pretty seascape, a pair of potted palms framed the door and a flowering creeper scaled a trellis on one wall. For a space ship, it was well decorated, Tassin thought. She, Sabre and Tarl had arrived mere minutes before, and a group of hard-faced women had met them when they stepped out of Fairen's shuttle. The four surviving passengers from the liner stood behind her, each clutching a few personal belongings. Since they had escaped the passenger ship with nothing, she could only surmise that Fairen had given the women some clothes and oddments, just as he had provided her and Tarl with new undergarments and warm black coats.
The elderly woman said, "I am Sister Superior Endra, and we are the Sisterhood of Succour, en route to Infinity Prime. Men are not usually allowed aboard our vessels, and you two will be tolerated only because you're here at the behest of an Overlord, in particular, Overlord Ravian. The womenfolk are welcome, but you two will be put off on the nearest planet." She looked at Tassin. "Since the machine-man belongs to you, you will leave with him."
Tassin shrugged and nodded. "Fine."
"We provide shelter and refuge for needy women," Endra went on. "All those how come to Infinity are safe from men."
"So are there no men on Infinity?"
"No."
"How do you defend yourselves?"
"The Overlords protect us."
Tassin cocked her head. "Let me guess, Overlord Ravian in particular."
"Yes. She is our patron."
"She?" Tassin raised her brows.
"Rumours abound of Ravian's true identity, but the pure-minded believe she is a woman."
"So you don't know for certain?"
"We are certain."
"But you’ve never met her, or seen her?"
"No." Endra frowned. "And don't claim that you have. Only those who are judged meet an Overlord."
"I wasn’t judged, but I did meet Ravian and Fairen."
"Of course you would claim to have, since you were aboard Fairen's ship. That does not mean we have to believe you. Only a privileged few ever meet an Overlord, and even fewer have ever seen one’s face."
Tassin glanced at Sabre, who stared into space. "So it would seem."
"You and your female companions will join our refugees. The men will be quartered in the brig." Endra signalled, and the young woman stepped forward and gestured to one of the two doors, then headed for it, the four women following.
Tassin glanced at Sabre and Tarl and shook her head. "They've done nothing wrong."
"No, but they will upset some of our passengers."
"Then I want to stay with them."
"That would be improper."
"The cyber is my protector. Nothing improper will happen to me."
Endra frowned. "You have no need of a protector aboard this ship. The brig is unsuitable. There is no privacy."
"Are they to be locked in there all the time?"
"The door will not be locked, unless they transgress. They are required to stay there, however. You may visit, if you choose."
"Fine."
Tarl raised a hand. "May I ask a question?"
Endra glared at him. "If you must."
"Oh, I think I must. Which planet are you planning to dump us on?"
"The nearest on our course is Endroad Four."
"Endroad Four is a hellhole desert planet with a colony of pirates and packrats on it."
Endra shrugged. "That is not my concern. We were charged to take you to an inhabited planet, and Endroad is one such."
"I don't think Overlord Ravian would want
us dumped on a world where we'll have our throats slit within the hour."
"She did not specify. Besides, you have a machine-man; you'll be all right."
"The cyber isn't -"
"We'll be fine," Tassin said. "Don't waste your breath, Tarl."
"Right."
Endra shot Tassin a mirthless grimace that passed for a smile, and then addressed Tarl. "Tenay will show you to your quarters."
The middle-aged woman led Tarl and Sabre through the other door into a blue-carpeted corridor with sleek walls and subdued, recessed lighting, and Tassin tagged along. Tenay left them in a bare grey cell with two hard bunks and a toilet cubicle in the corner.
Tarl sat on a bunk and frowned at the floor. "Endroad is a shithole. We'll never get off it."
"We have money." Tassin sat on the bunk opposite, eyeing Sabre, who took up a guard stance beside the door.
"That will only get our throats cut that much quicker."
Tassin frowned at Sabre. "Cyber, are there spying devices in this room?"
"Two cameras and three microphones."
"Destroy them."
Sabre went to the far corner and leapt up to smash his fist into a tiny black object under the ceiling, then did the same in the other corner before going to her bunk and reaching under it to rip out a bunch of wires. Returning to the door, he touched the panel to close it, then sat beside her.
She smiled at him. "Sister Superior will be cursing a blue streak about now."
He nodded. "Yeah, but we’ve got bigger problems than spying sisters. Tarl's right, Endroad is a bad place. It's aptly named, end of the road; a graveyard for ships. Most that go near it are attacked and looted. I don't think these ladies know what they're doing."
Tassin touched the silver bracelet a crewman had snapped onto Sabre's wrist as he was leaving Fairen's ship. "What's this?"
"A long range distress beacon. If Ramadaus captures me, I can use it to summon Fairen."
"That was nice of him." She sighed, rubbing her brow. "So what are we going to do about Endroad?"
Tarl shrugged. "What can we do? Endra obviously has the mentality of an armadillo and the will of a donkey. Like you said, trying to change her plan would be a waste of breath."
The Cyber Chronicles V - Overlord Page 19
