"Agh, well, I don't want to hurt you."
"Right," Sabre drawled.
Tassin held out his trousers. "Perhaps you should get dressed."
Sabre took them and pulled them on.
Tarl clasped the side of his chest and grimaced. "I seriously think you cracked a rib."
Martis said, "If he did, it was intentional, because a cyber knows, to the last micron, how much pressure is required to crack a normal man's ribs, and...." He trailed off as Sabre turned to stare at him.
"Just who exactly are you enlightening?" he enquired. "Because Tarl knows that shit, and if you call me a cyber one more time, I'll crack a few of your ribs."
"I - I was telling Tassin. She doesn't know, does she?"
"I reckon she could guess, and she knows Tarl's full of shit. She also knows I wouldn't hurt him, intentionally or otherwise."
"Martis loves to spout that drivel," Tarl said. "He can't seem to help himself."
"Well he'd better learn to control his urge to pontificate about the intricacies of cyber design while I'm around, because I really don't enjoy hearing about how my innards are strong enough to tow a spaceship and my fingers make excellent door stoppers."
Martis hung his head. "Sorry."
Sabre glanced at Kole and Estrelle. "You two are very quiet."
Kole shrugged and smiled. "Glad to see you back on your feet and in one piece, old pal."
Estrelle tilted her head. "How are you coping?"
"Coping?" Sabre smiled. "Ah, I see. Yeah, I'm finding that it's a lot easier to deal with emotions when they're good ones. I feel fine."
****
Overlord Fairen turned to face the six people who walked across the black marble floor to stop before his dais. In the screens behind him, Omega Five hung like a glowing blue and white jewel. The sight of it made a lump block Tassin's throat, and she slipped her hand into Sabre's. Endrovar had been released, and Fairen had ordered the enforcers to ferry Tarvin and his crew home before the Scorpion Ship had translocated to Omega Five. Fairen settled upon his throne and raised a hand. An aide emerged from the shadows carrying a sheaf of transparent sheets, one of which he handed over. Tassin glanced at Sabre, wondering what was going on, but he appeared unperturbed.
Fairen beckoned. "Queen Tassin Alrade, you may approach."
Tassin walked up the three shallow steps onto the dais, her heart pounding. Even though she knew Fairen was only a fourteen-year-old boy, she still found his veiled presence intimidating. He seemed to sense it, which of course he did, she reminded herself, since he was an empath. He tilted his head, and she could almost sense his smile.
"Be at ease, Tassin, I bear good news. I have decided to lift the restrictions on your home world. From this day forth, Omega Five is free to rejoin the space-faring community." He held out the transparent document. "Here is my seal upon my decree. Show it to any who dispute your right."
She took the sheet, turning it to gaze at the embossed gold writing and flamboyant scorpion sigil at the bottom. "Thank you, My Lord. This will mean much to my people."
Fairen laced his fingers and inclined his head, and she retreated to Sabre's side, glad to quit the dais and Fairen's attention. The aide handed the young Overlord another transparency.
Fairen said, "Tarl Averly, you may approach."
Tarl looked even more nervous than Tassin had felt, and Fairen held out the sheet.
"Here is my decree that pardons you of the supposed crimes you committed on Myon Two. This I bestow upon you for the services you have given to my friend. Show it to any who attempt to imprison you, and they will release you or incur my wrath."
Tarl bowed and took the sheet, stepping down from the dais with a bemused smile.
Once more the aide handed over a transparency, and Fairen beckoned to Estrelle and Martis. When they bowed before him, he held out the sheet.
"Here is my pardon for any crimes Myon Two might attempt to charge you with, in return for the aid you gave to my friend."
The cyber techs bowed again, and Martis took the sheet. When they had returned to their place beside Tarl, Fairen beckoned to Kole as he accepted another transparency from his aide.
"Kole Arvan. For services you have given to my friend, here is my pardon for any and all crimes you may have committed during the commission of those services."
When Kole had rejoined the little group, the aide held out the last transparency, and Fairen beckoned to Sabre. As the cyber mounted the dais and stopped in front of him, the young Overlord rose to his feet.
"Until now, you had no family name, since your ancestry was lost. We have now discovered it, and with this decree I bestow upon you the freedom and privilege of a free-born man, and officially restore to you the name Myon Two stole. You are Sabre Stargane, twin brother of High King Sharlin Stargane, rightful heir to the Estron System and all the worlds therein. Should you choose to reclaim your heritage, I shall uphold your title."
Sabre smiled as he took the sheet. "Thank you."
The boy turned to the little group. "You may leave."
When the door closed behind them, Fairen pulled off his hood and ran a hand through his hair, shooting Sabre a sad look. "I don't want you to go."
"I know." The cyber turned to gaze at Omega Five.
"I could guarantee your safety if you stayed with me."
"Yeah. I wish you could come with me, but I can't stay here. My life is there, with Tassin."
"I understand."
Sabre clasped the boy's shoulder. "Hey, if you ever need my help, or if you just want to talk, you know where I am. You'll always be welcome; hell, I want you to visit as often as you can."
"I shall install an embar tube in Tassin's dwelling."
"Good, then we can talk whenever we want." Sabre released him. "You know that, if not for Tassin, I'd stay with you, right?"
He nodded. "I do."
"Don't Overlords get holidays?"
"No." Fairen smiled. "But I could if I wished."
"There you go then. We'll ride horses in the woods, fish in the lake, go swimming, lots of fun stuff."
"And spar?"
Sabre chuckled. "Yeah, and spar. You'll have to work on your technique and strength first, though."
"I will."
"Good. Why don't you take a holiday right now, and come down with us? You could stay for the wedding."
“When is it?”
“Tomorrow, if Tassin has her way.”
Fairen smiled. "You have come a long way, Sabre. You've gone from a cool breeze to a warm one, and now you are a deep, warm ocean full of mystery and promise.” He paused. “Now that Omega Five is no longer restricted, I shall declare it my home base, and under my protection. You need a ship, and some modern toys, like air bikes and water hoppers."
"The natives are in for a shock. What about your real home world, and family?"
"I was born on Tevlar Ten, a chunk of rock orbiting a gas giant. My parents were miners, and died in an accident shortly after I was taken away. I have fewer claims to family than you do. You're royalty. Your people are the Allarians, inhabitants of Allar Four, well known for their fighting skills and selective breeding for physical perfection. Tarvin is your descendant."
"He's a moron."
Fairen chuckled. "Because he fought a cyber?"
"No, that was quite brave of him. Because he thought he could win."
"You know why he did it, don't you?"
"Because he's an egomaniac?"
"No, because in his mind, he was fighting High King Sharlin, the greatest warrior who ever lived."
Sabre snorted. "Which just proves my point. Although Tassin says he didn't know about that until after he was crippled."
"Doubtless there are pictures of Sharlin in Tarvin's palace, so I'm sure he suspected it beforehand, but confirmed it afterwards."
A soft cough drew Fairen's attention, and Sabre glanced around.
Shrain bowed. "My Lord, I apologise for the interruption. A distress message from Em
areld Prime. A deadly virus is sweeping the planet, and ships are evacuating people – possibly infected – to Juno Eleven."
Fairen sighed. "At least they had the decency to report it. Emareld Prime, the jewel of the Diamond System, a stinking cesspit of a swamp world where it never stops raining and fungus grows on people."
Sabre nodded. "I think I've been there, briefly."
"I'm in a mood to blow up a planet."
"Yeah, only about two million people on it."
"I suppose I must go."
Sabre turned to him. "Come back soon, okay?"
"I shall."
"Good." The cyber swept the boy up in a bear hug and squeezed him until he squeaked, then dumped him on his feet and ruffled his hair. "Behave yourself, and I'll see you soon."
****
Sabre descended Striker's steps and stepped onto the soft grass of Omega Five. His home. He breathed in crisp, cool night air redolent with humus, night flowers and the musky scent of spice tree bark. Dark belts of forest loomed against a the star-sprinkled sky, and he looked up at the glittering crimson light that was the Scorpion Ship, stationed in geosynchronous orbit fifty thousand kilometres above them. It was possible to make out its shape, and it would be larger than the orange moon, Pythal, when it rose. By then, however, Fairen would be gone.
Sabre was sad to be parted from the young Overlord, while at the same time happy to be home with Tassin. It would take some time, he mused, to get used to all the strange new emotions he was experiencing now. The cyber band was switched off, and no data scrolled through his mind. No flashing red lights or scanner information. No analysis of the air, ambient radiation or surrounding landscape. He was almost human.
Fairen's restoration of his true name had helped him to become human, although he had no use for the title, and did not consider himself a king by any stretch of the imagination. He was just himself. Not exactly a broken killing machine anymore, not quite a man, either. He was something in between; a cyborg. He had learnt to live with that, however, and his newfound feelings helped him to sort out which was which and deal with it. He no longer needed the supercomputer’s scrolling readouts and virtual dashboard to feel complete, although he still missed it when it was switched off. Old habits died hard. Most of the people who had helped him were still with him, and he treasured their friendship, annoying though they could sometimes be. He glanced around at the little group.
Kole complained that Striker would rust if she was left parked out in the open, and Tarl told him that if he wanted a hangar, he would have to build it himself. Martis tried to take Estrelle's hand, and she shook him off with a frown. He owed each of them a debt, Sabre reflected, but the greatest debt he owed was to the diminutive girl who came to his side and slipped her hand into his. He raised it and kissed the back of it, then pulled her close and rested his chin on top of her head.
"A penny for your thoughts," she murmured.
"I'm lucky," he whispered, his breath steaming in the chill air. "Very, very lucky."
"To be free?"
"And to have you." Sabre glanced at the bickering quartet. "And them."
"We're lucky too, to have you."
"I'm glad you think so. You all would have had good lives without me, though, got married, settled down... Well, maybe not Tarl and Kole. You would have all been happy, whereas I... I wouldn't have. And now I am. So I think I'm the lucky one."
She leant back to look up at him, shaking her head. "No. I would be married to that pig Torrian. Estrelle and Martis would be stuck on Myon Two, torturing cybers. Tarl would still be a smuggler, on the run from Myon Two, and Kole... Well maybe he's benefited the least, but I think he's happier than he would have been as a hacker on Ferrinon Four. We're all better off because of you."
He smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. "Are you happy?"
"Yes. I have my star man back, and that’s all I need. True love has no expectations and makes no demands. It just is. And it never changes or dies. That's what I feel for you."
Sabre glanced around and discovered that the bickering quartet had set off for the castle, which was visible in the distance. Tassin followed his gaze and smiled, looking up at him. Her eyes were pools of shadow and starlight silvered her skin. He raised a hand and ran his fingers along the side of her neck, barely stroking her skin in a feather-light caress. They came to rest on the soft place behind her ear, brushing the hair away to trace the outline of her ear before continuing along the edge of her jaw.
It was good to use his enhanced sense of touch to give pleasure instead of pain. His profound knowledge of human anatomy included all of the pleasure centres, purely because they were also optimal areas for inflicting pain. He could use what he knew for gentle pursuits instead of combat or torture, and he wanted to now. She shivered, her breath catching.
"Beware, My Lord," she whispered, "lest I drag you into yonder bushes and do ravish you in a most unseemly manner for a queen."
He chuckled. "Promise?”
She reached up and gripped his brow band, pulling his head down.
“Okay, not a handle, you –”
Tassin kissed him, her arms slipping around his neck. He enfolded her in a gentle embrace, wary of her injured ribs, and kissed her with tender passion, his heart speeding up with something other than combat preparation, for a change. When he raised his head, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
He said, “Let us go to yonder castle before the urge to ravish me in the bushes overwhelms you, My Lady. I’d much rather you did it in a soft bed."
She giggled. "Spoil sport."
“Oh, what, you’d prefer the bushes?”
“I just don’t want to wait that long.”
“It won’t take long to get there, trust me.” Sabre swept her up and strode towards the castle.
She twined her arms around his neck. “What about the wedding?”
“What wedding? Oh! That wedding. Nah, bugger that, I’ve waited long enough.”
“You’re the one who kept me waiting!”
“You’re going to argue with me now?
Tassin smiled and kissed his cheek. “No.”
“That’s a first.”
Tassin gazed at his profile, her heart so full of joy it seemed ready to burst. All the trials and tribulations they had been through to reach this moment had been worth it. Sabre would never be entirely human, and she was glad of it. He was so much more, and he finally seemed at peace with himself, something she had feared he would never achieve. His kind, generous personality was untarnished by all the suffering he had endured. He deserved to be truly happy and loved, and she intended to see to it that he was.
****
The Cyber Chronicles saga will continue…
About the author
T. C. Southwell was born in Sri Lanka and her family moved to the Seychelles when she was a baby. She spent her formative years exploring the islands – mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination flourished and she developed a keen love of other worlds. The family travelled through Europe and Africa and, after the death of her father, settled in South Africa. T. C. Southwell has written over forty novels and five screenplays. Her hobbies include motorcycling, horse riding and art, and she earns a living in the IT industry.
All illustrations and cover designs by the author.
Contact the author at [email protected]
Acknowledgements
Mike Baum and Janet Longman, former employers, for their support, encouragement, and help. My mother, without whose financial support I could not have dedicated myself to writing for ten years. Isabel Cooke, former agent, whose encouragement and enthusiasm led to many more books being written, including this one. Suzanne Stephan, former agent, who has helped me so much over the past six years, and Vanessa Finaughty, good friend and business partner, for her support, encouragement and editing skills.
The Cyber Chronicles 09: Precipice Page 22
