The Cyber Chronicles 09: Precipice

by T C Southwell

  Tarl chuckled. "Of course you are. It's your nature, but we don't really mind because when you do it it's not humiliating. It's actually quite a lot of fun, since it's good natured. And even when it's not, there's no shame in being bullied by you because you could bully anyone, and the fact that we all survive your rather pathetic attempts to bully us with hardly a bruise just proves what a good guy you are."

  Sabre smiled. "Pathetic attempts?"

  "Yeah, you're not a good bully if no one's scared of you. And being amongst the privileged few who know they're safe, no matter how much they rile you is... well, it makes us special, and everyone wants to be special. Martis and Estrelle haven't figured it out yet, but they will. He's still scared of you, and she's... in awe, I think."

  "Then I do scare some people, so I'm not such a bad bully."

  "He just doesn't know you well enough yet,” Tarl said, “but he'll learn, especially if you bully him a lot."

  "So the more I bully you guys, the less scared you get?"

  "Pretty much, yeah, because the more often you do it, the more we realise that you're really just fooling around."

  "I'll have to start dishing out a few bruises then," Sabre said.

  "The more you talk like that, the more we know you're not serious. Bullies crave power; they enjoy humiliating others. You only enjoy humiliating your enemies, and you don't need to bully anyone to have power."

  "But I like bullying you."

  "Sure you do, because it's good natured, like this." Tarl pushed Sabre, making him bump into the wall.

  The cyber chuckled, nodding. "You're right, it's fun." He shoved Tarl, sending him staggering into the wall.

  Tarl rubbed his shoulder. "More fun for you, I think."

  "Push harder then."

  The cyber tech shook his head. "I'm not going to get into a shoving match with you, bud. I don't have reinforcing."

  "Pity."

  "No one to play with, huh? Damned if you aren't like an overgrown puppy."

  The sound of footsteps behind them made them stop and swing around.

  Kole ran up, looking excited. "I found him!"

  "That was quick," Sabre said.

  "Yeah, well he's only the most famous person in this quadrant, isn't he? I just typed his name in and I got screens of data. He's a bloody king, can you believe it? Ruler of the Estron System, descended from the high kings who once ruled the Stargarde Marches, heir to a huge fortune, amongst other things."

  Sabre frowned. "That complicates matters. It makes finding her easier, but freeing her much more difficult. He's going to have airtight security."

  "We could offer to buy her back," Tarl suggested.

  "Men like that don't part easily with their new toys, and he doesn't need the money."

  "Tassin will give him hell. He won't enjoy playing with her for long."

  Sabre strode down the corridor again. "The trouble is, men like that tend to break pig-headed toys."

  "At least we know where she is," Tarl said, hurrying after him.

  "Yeah, and Tarvin's a cripple," Kole added, trotting to catch up. "His back was broken in a fight ten years ago, with a cyber."

  "Then we know he's stupid, that's for sure," Tarl said.

  Sabre shook his head. "That tells me that he's a fighter, probably an egomaniac, and probably bitter and twisted. If Tassin provokes him, she's playing with fire."

  "Oh, she'll provoke him, you can bet on that."

  "That's what I'm afraid of. She's in danger, and she probably doesn't realise it because she's been brought up to believe that kings are noble, although she had Torrian as an example of one who's not. Still, she might find out the hard way."

  Sabre entered the bridge, and the officers glanced around, their faces stiffening in alarm. Thestan rose and stepped away from the command seat as if it had become red hot. Sabre frowned at the screens, where a moon hung.

  "Set course for the Estron System."

  Thestan relayed the order to the pilot, who ran his hands over his console. The moon moved across the screens as thrusters fired, changing the ship's trajectory to line it up with the closest photon corridor entry vector.

  Thestan turned to Sabre. "Which planet are we going to?"

  "The King resides on Parthis Two, so we'll start with that one." The cyber glanced at Kole. "Did you find out the name of Tarvin's ship?"

  "Yeah, it's Shadow Hawk. That's his flagship, an A-class destroyer."

  "Estron destroyers are the equivalent of a battleship. There's not much that can outgun one." Sabre scowled. "Certainly not a Myon Two battle cruiser."

  "Nope." Kole smiled. "But there's one ship that can outgun anything."

  "I won't call Fairen unless I have to."

  "If you engage an Estron destroyer, you'll have to."

  "That would be a last resort."

  "Maybe you can reason with him," Tarl said. "And if Tassin's pissed him off enough, he might be glad to get rid of her."

  Sabre shook his head again. "If he knows what I'm after, he'll use her as a hostage. He won't allow anyone to browbeat him. Nobility tend to be proud, and only respect other royals, so he won't co-operate. I need a pretext to get aboard his ship. Does he have cybers?"

  Kole consulted his data wand, tapping the keys. "Yep, a whole stable of them. Forty-one to be exact." He frowned. "That's odd."

  "What?"

  "According to the Net info, Myon Two gives them to him. Ten years ago they gave him thirty, and they've given him one a year since then."

  Sabre frowned. "As if he works for them, or sells them something. But there's no barrinium on any of the Estron planets... Unless it's something to do with his being crippled by a cyber, but they kill and cripple people all the time. But he's a king... then again, he fought the cyber, so he can hardly claim compensation for terminal stupidity." Sabre glanced at the sub-commander. "Thestan?"

  "I have no idea."

  "But you can find out."

  Thestan's lips thinned. "It must be classified, or I would know already, so they won't tell me, or you."

  Sabre nodded. "It probably doesn't matter. It helps that he's got cybers, but the number makes things worse."

  "So what's the plan?" Kole asked.

  "I'm not sure yet. Knowing Tassin, she's probably told him everything by now, so any attempt at subterfuge will be futile. Unless... we go as who we are, a Myon Two enforcer ship. If we tell Tarvin we want a meeting, he might agree. Clearly he has some sort of relationship with Myon Two, and, even if we don't know what it is, it might get us aboard his ship."

  Tarl nodded. "And then what? He'll keep us under guard, and he probably won't allow more than a couple of us to board."

  "And Pathos no longer looks like an enforcer ship," Thestan pointed out.

  Sabre shot him a frown. "So we're disguised, investigating something, barrinium smugglers, perhaps. You have the Myon Two codes and passwords, so you can identify yourself."

  The sub-commander inclined his head, looking unhappy. "Yes. But you'll need to give him a reason for the meeting."

  "Yeah." Sabre gazed out of the screens, pondering. "Maybe we have something to offer. He's a paraplegic. Maybe we've found a way to cure him. If only I knew what his relationship with Myon Two is..."

  "There's no way to cure a broken back," Tarl said.

  The cyber sighed and shook his head. "You're not helping." He paced around, glaring at the floor, then looked up. "Emperor Endrovar. Thestan, how long before we enter the corridor?"

  Thestan glanced at his navigation officer, who said, "Twelve minutes, thirteen seconds, sir."

  "Enough time." Sabre turned to Tarl. "You're going to send a distress message to Endrovar."

  "I am?"

  "Yeah. You've been captured by Myon Two enforcers. They're taking you to be executed for your treasonous acts all those years ago. You need him to rescue you. Give him our co-ordinates and our destination. Sound scared and desperate."

  "But -"

  "Now, Tarl." Sabre gripped h
is elbow and led him over to the com-station. "I'll explain afterwards."

  The cyber handed Tarl the microphone and glanced at the com-station officer. "Open a channel."

  Tarl licked his lips. "Calling Imperial, this is Tarl Averly. I've been captured by Myon Two enforcers. They're going to execute me for treason. I need your help. We're on course for the Estron System, co-ordinates 463-870-476, acknowledge."

  Static hissed from the com-station, then a voice said, "This is Imperial, message received. How far are you from the corridor?"

  Tarl glanced at Sabre, who shook his head, and the tech said, "I'm not sure, not far I think, but I -"

  Sabre gripped Tarl's neck, making him break off with a squeak. The cyber plucked the microphone from his hand and dropped it on the floor. Turning to the coms officer, he made a throat-slitting motion. The officer closed the channel, and Sabre smiled at Tarl, who rubbed his throat, frowning.

  "Any reason why you had to half strangle me?"

  "To make it seem authentic, like you were caught sending the message." Sabre picked up the microphone and put it on the com-station.

  "Right, so now are you going to tell us why you just gave away our location to Endrovar, who wants to kill you?"

  "For precisely that reason. We can't take on Tarvin's ship, or Endrovar’s, they're bigger and better armed. But Tarvin is an ally of Myon Two, or has some sort of relationship with them, and I reckon his ship is a match for Endrovar’s."

  "But why would he fight Endrovar?" Tarl asked.

  "Because we're going to start the fight." Sabre settled into the command chair and gazed out of the screens. "If we exit the corridor close to Parthis Two, we should end up pretty close to Shadow Hawk. Imperial will be hot on our heels, because it's faster than us. They can't attack us in the corridor, but when we get to Parthis they will.

  "Then we ask Tarvin for help. If he doesn't agree, we hide behind him, try to get Endrovar to attack him, or at least come too close for comfort. Not only will Endrovar be in Estron space, he'll also be endangering the King. If Tarvin agrees to give us protection, he should be curious about why Endrovar was after us, and that's a possible reason for a meeting. If not, we tell him we're damaged and ask for help to repair the ship. Either way, it gives us a reason to stay at Parthis."

  "There are a number of loopholes in your plan,” Tarl said. “What if Tarvin doesn't want to help us, and attacks us instead?"

  "Doubtful. If Myon Two is giving him cybers, his relationship with them must be at least amicable."

  "What if Shadow Hawk isn't at Parthis Two?"

  Sabre nodded. "Then we'll have a bit of a problem, but I reckon it will be. If not, we still seek sanctuary from Estron warships. Tarvin will hear about it, which will make him curious. Once he finds out about you, he's going to want to meet you. With a stable of forty-one cybers, he might try to negotiate your freedom so you can work for him. He must have some sort of hold over Myon Two."

  "I guess so." Tarl was clearly unconvinced. "But I have to tell you, I'm not happy about being used as a pawn in all this."

  "You're not a pawn, you're the bait."

  "Even worse."

  Sabre smiled. "You're actually the prize, so you're the safest of all of us."

  Kole said, "Tassin's on Tarvin's ship, what if Endrovar destroys it?"

  "Unlikely. He's in his own space, so he'll summon help, and Shadow Hawk is a match for Imperial. If she is badly damaged, that gives us a reason to board her on a rescue mission."

  "I think Tarl gave you too much sedative."

  Tarl glared at Kole as Thestan glanced at Sabre, his brows rising. The cyber met his gaze with a flat stare, and the sub-commander looked away. Sabre cast Kole a hard glance, making the hacker shift in guilty unease.

  The navigation officer looked up at Thestan. "Sir, Imperial is giving chase, catching up rapidly. She'll be in a position to fire in about three minutes. Two minutes to corridor entry."

  Thestan nodded, and Sabre frowned at the navigation officer, then went over to stand beside him. "While I'm on the bridge, you'll direct your information to me, Lieutenant, understand?"

  "Yes, sir."

  A short, tense silence fell, then Thestan said, "Imperial might try to board us in the corridor."

  Sabre shrugged. "They might, but we have a cyber pilot, so I doubt they'll succeed. And even if they do, we have four cybers."

  "So do they," Tarl said.

  "A-grades?"

  "No, B-grades, and pretty beaten up right now, but still..."

  "They won't be able to board us, so I wouldn't worry about it."

  Tarl nodded, and the navigation officer said, "Entering corridor. Deploying solar wings. Engines offline."

  "It's a good thing this corridor goes all the way to the Estron System," Kole remarked, consulting his data wand. "Although it passes fourteen light minutes from it. We'll have a pretty hairy last leg."

  "This ship can handle it," Sabre stated.

  The forward screens filled with light, and dark shields slid across them, dimming the intense luminescence to a bearable level. The navigation officer glanced around. "Imperial just entered the corridor. They're still gaining on us."

  "Of course, they have a faster ship."

  "This is a risky plan," Thestan said.

  "Any time you want to get off, find an airlock. I'll be in my quarters."

  Sabre marched to his cabin, flung himself down on the bed and glared at the ceiling. The emotional turmoil in his head continued, muted by the sedative, but still intrusive. The despair had left him, since he now had hope, but immense anxiety plagued him, along with visions of Tassin beaten and bound, or dead. It made him aggressive and angry, and he disliked his inability to control his irritation and frustration entirely. He longed to vent his pent-up anguish, but he had already destroyed the gym and there was nothing else to take it out on. He wanted his cool, rational mind-set back, and wondered if he would ever have it again. If this was what it meant to be human, it was not all it was cracked up to be. On top of it all, his heart seemed to be filled with lead, which added to his misery. He wanted Tassin back. She was the cure that would end his suffering, and he would do whatever it took to achieve that, or, as he had promised her, die trying, since he did not want to endure the suffering that would result if he failed.

  Tarl came in, his brow furrowed with concern. "How are you feeling, bud?"

  Sabre closed his eyes. "Fine."

  "A bit angry, maybe?"

  "That man pisses me off."

  "Yeah." Tarl sank down on a chair. "But you're dealing with it okay?"

  "I haven't chucked him out of an airlock yet, have I?"

  "This has got to be tough for you, rubbing shoulders with enforcers, Tassin in danger. Not the best time to have to deal with all those new feelings as well."

  "Are you going to psychoanalyse me now?" Sabre asked.

  "I wouldn't know where to begin."

  "Good, then leave me alone."

  Tarl stood up, dug in his pocket and held out a bottle of pills. "Here. If you feel like breaking heads, take two of these. It's the same stuff as the injection; it'll calm you down."

  Sabre took the bottle with a sigh, tucking it into his medical kit. "Thanks."

  Tarl paused by the door to glance back. "I don't trust these enforcers. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what we're doing on a Myon Two ship."

  "Fairen gave it to me. Ask Kole, he'll fill you in on most of it, Martis and Estrelle can tell you the rest."

  Chapter Ten

  Tassin looked up as the door of her suite opened and Tarvin drifted in. Two cybers followed, taking up positions on either side of the door. They were no longer camouflaged, and stared ahead with empty eyes, their faces blank. She glared at the King.

  "I did not invite you in, nor do I wish your company."

  "That’s why I didn't push the entry-call."

  Tarvin’s chair sank to the floor beside the sofa where she sat, and he touched a button on its ar
m, switching off the vidimage she had been watching. Erron had shown her how to operate the entertainment equipment, since she no longer went to the observation room where Tarvin might find her. Her suite, it seemed, was no sanctuary from him either.

  "What do you want?" she asked.

  He shrugged. “Just to tell you that I made enquiries about your fiancé; you know, the man you claim is a free cyber, and Myon Two has denied any knowledge of such a man.”

  “Of course they would; they don’t want anyone to know about him.”

  “That must be a hard secret to keep.”

  “Myon Two is good at keeping secrets,” she said. “They have enforcers to ensure the truth about their horrid practices is never discovered, and they have proven effective.”

  “Indeed, they are a formidable bunch with a long reach.”

  "I’ve escaped them before, and I’ll do it again."

  He shook his head. "Impossible."

  "I wouldn’t be so sure of that. All I have to do is get a message to Sabre, and he’ll come for me.”

  Tarvin chuckled. “You invent good tales, you really do.”

  “It’s the truth.” Tassin raked him with a scathing, disgusted glance. “It’s hard to believe Sabre is related to you, even distantly.”

  “I’m on the side of right, my dear. By all accounts, you are a murderess. And Sharlin was a bastard, you know. His father, King Darzel, had two sons, both sickly from birth, something to do with a genetic incompatibility. Sharlin was the product of a brief liaison with Darzel's cousin, who was wed to his best friend. At first, everyone assumed the child was legitimate. Then Darzel's sons died, one after the other, in their teens. His wife conceived no more, and so he had no heir.

  "Such a thing would have been disastrous, but then, on a visit after his son's deaths, Darzel noticed how like him young Sharlin was, not like his father at all. Darzel had Sharlin's DNA tested, and discovered the truth. Not only was Sharlin his son, he was perfect, the epitome of a combat physique, and a peerless fighter already at sixteen. But he was a bastard. Darzel was not about to let that stop him, however. First he arranged an accidental death for his wife, then another for his cousin's husband. He married her, and declared Sharlin to be his legitimate heir. So, King Sharlin came to be, and he united the kingdoms through combat, beating all the kings or their champions until he became High King.”