The Cyber Chronicles IX - Precipice (29 page)

He averted his
eyes to gaze across the room, and she wondered what was going on in
his mind, wishing she could read it.

Heavy footsteps
hurried closer, and she sensed him tense. She rubbed her eyes and
glanced around. Tarl trotted up, a grin creasing his face, his eyes
bright.

"Hey, bud.
You're awake!"

"Your powers of
observation never cease to amaze me," Sabre said.

"Well, that's
no mean feat, without a pulse." Tarl glanced at the heart
monitor.

"It was
annoying."

"How are you
feeling?"

"Like I have a
tube shoved up my..." Sabre's eyes flicked to Tassin, then back to
Tarl. "Where I really don't want a tube."

"Yeah, well,
you've been out for two days."

"And it looks
like you've been having fun." Sabre glanced at all the monitoring
equipment around the bed and pulled the data cable out of the brow
band.

Tarl's smile
faded. "If you call watching you almost die 'fun', you've got a
sick mind."

The cyber
considered him. "I seem to recall strangling you, and yet here you
are, still alive."

Tarl stepped
closer to the bed. "Want to have another shot at it?"

"Not right now.
I'll wait until you've taken all these tubes out of me."

Tassin snorted
and shook her head. "You two! Why don't you just tell each other
how you really feel?"

"How's that?"
Sabre enquired, raising his brows.

"That you love
each other."

Tarl made a
rude noise. "Yeah, right."

Sabre shook his
head. "You're kidding."

"Well I know
you do, and you both know you do, so all this chest thumping is
just a load of hooey."

The cyber
chuckled. "Yeah, come here, bud, let me give you a big old
hug."

"No way." Tarl
shook his head. "Try that on Martis. It might work."

"I might just
do that."

"Good, because
he was really pissing me off, going on the way he did."

"About
what?"

"Brain damage.
But I know you don't have a brain, so no chance of that."

Sabre cocked
his head. "I should have strangled you."

Tassin sighed
and folded her arms.

Tarl studied
Sabre. "Why are you awake? I gave you enough sedative to knock a
horse out for a week."

The cyber
shrugged. "Metabolised it."

"Right."

"I'd like to
see Fairen."

Tarl nodded and
went over to the com-link on the wall. When he returned, Sabre
frowned at him.

"Now you can
take all these damned tubes out of me."

"Sure, bud. I
didn't actually put that one in. It was a nice little female
medic."

Sabre looked
away, and Tarl chuckled, moving around the bed to remove the drip
needle from the cyber's arm. Tassin turned her back while he
removed the other tube and Sabre donned his shorts. A short while
later, the door opened and Overlord Fairen came in. He approached
the bed, his hands hidden in the sleeves of his jacket, then turned
to her.

"I would like a
minute alone with Sabre, if you please."

As the door
shut behind Tassin and Tarl, Fairen pulled off the veiled hood,
revealing a flushed, smiling countenance and tousled hair. He
removed his gloves and perched on the edge of the bed.

"I'm glad
you're all right."

The cyber
smiled. "Thanks to you."

"And Tarl. If
not for him, I would not have been able to save you. How are
you?"

"Pretty good,
considering."

"Your emotions
are strong now."

"Do they bother
you?"

"Not too much.
They're good ones."

Sabre sought
the peaceful emptiness he had owned before, consigning most of his
feelings to the dark pits in his mind.

Fairen tilted
his head. "Don't do that. It's not necessary. It's corruption that
sickens me. You fought for your feelings, keep them."

"Only if you're
still able to give me a hug."

The boy smiled
and leant forward to embrace his friend.

Sabre gave him
a good squeeze, patting his back. "Thank you."

Fairen sat
back. "If only you knew how good I feel to have been able to help
you. You should have called me sooner. I was almost too late."

"I thought I
could handle it."

"I still have
Tarvin. What should I do with him?"

Sabre shrugged.
"That's up to you."

"I want to
punish him for what he did, or almost did, to Tassin, since she's
your betrothed, but he's also your relative. I shall forbid him to
keep cybers and order him to send the ones he has back to Myon
Two." He stood up. "I'll let you be with Tassin now. When you're
ready, I'll return you to Omega Five. Next time you get into
trouble, call me sooner."

"I shall."

After Fairen
left, Tassin and Tarl returned with Martis, Estrelle and Kole in
tow. Sabre smiled at Tassin as she came to his side and took his
hand. Sitting up, he swung his legs off the bed and glanced at
Tarl.

"You going to
help me up, bud?"

Tarl shook his
head. "Not a chance. Martis will do it."

"Ah, come
on."

Tassin said,
"I'll help you."

He shot her a
smile. "Better if he does it. My legs are a bit rubbery."

"Then you
should stay in bed," Tarl remarked.

"I'd really
like to get up."

"Why won't you
help him?" Tassin looked puzzled.

Tarl shook his
head. "I don't think he really needs help. His bio-status is
sixty-four per cent."

"Well my legs
are still weak. I might fall."

"You'll
bounce."

Martis stepped
forward. "I'll give you a hand."

"I want him."
Sabre sighed. "Never mind." He rose to his feet.

Tarl gestured.
"You see? He -"

Sabre lunged at
the cyber tech, who yelped and tried to run, but took only two
steps before Sabre caught him and yanked him into a bear hug. Tarl
groaned as the air was squeezed from his lungs, and coughed when
Sabre thumped him on the back. The cyber released him and held him
at arm's length, grinning.

Tarl grimaced,
rubbing his back. "I think you cracked a rib, bud."

"That'll teach
you to run away. How far did you think you'd get, exactly? You
didn't believe the bit about the rubbery legs, did you?"

"Nope."

Sabre clasped
the side of Tarl's neck. "Thanks, bud."

"You're
welcome."

"Tassin's
right, you know. I don't hate you anymore."

Tarl nodded,
looking embarrassed. "Glad to hear it. You're still a little shit,
though, and a bully."

Sabre released
him. "If anyone messes with you, let me know."

"Aw, thanks,
bud." Tarl thrust out his hand.

Sabre glanced
at it and grinned. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope."

"Good for you."
Sabre gripped Tarl's hand, but, instead of trying to crush it, as
he expected, the cyber tech pulled him into a bear hug, using all
his strength and pounding Sabre's back. The cyber chuckled when
Tarl released him, shaking his head with a grin.

"Pathetic. Is
that the best you can do?"

"Yeah well, I
don't have bloody reinforced ribs."

"Have another
go."

Tarl sighed.
"It won't do me any good."

"Go on."

Tassin clicked
her tongue and rolled her eyes. "When you two have quite finished
your pissing contest...?"

"It's not a
pissing contest," Sabre said. "Tarl's just trying to bully me back.
He's not so good at it, though."

"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."