The Cyber Chronicles IX - Precipice by T C Southwell Read Free Book Online

A-grades have tiny flaws, but far less than
these have."
    Endrovar
glanced around as Warrior Two returned, accompanied by two more
cybers, and they stopped beside his chair. "Tell me about these
two. Warrior Three, Warrior Four, allow this individual to touch
you."
    The cybers
turned their heads towards Tarl and acknowledged the order, and
Tassin swallowed a lump. Tarl inspected them, snorted and shook his
head over one of them, peered closely at the other and placed a
hand on his brow, then felt for a pulse in his wrist.
    "Well, Warrior
Three's a grade C. He has facial nerve damage, and his left hand
hasn't been plated at all, or his left foot. He's blind, and he
appears to have skipped the radiation treatments, judging by the
colour of his skin."
    He turned to
the other cyber. "This one almost had me fooled. On the outside he
appears to be a grade A, until you check his temperature and heart
rate. He's either got a defective heart, or it was damaged when
they put the barrinium mesh around it, because his heartbeat is
about a hundred, and he's running hot. A cyber's normal resting
heart rate is thirty beats per minute, so his is way too high, and
will eventually lead to early failure, probably in his
mid-thirties, or it could fail during high exertion, and he's
running hot because of it."
    Endrovar
glared, his mouth a grim line. "I'm going to have words with my
supplier. Warrior Three is supposed to be a grade B."
    Tarl shook his
head. "Definitely a grade C."
    "Well, you
could prove useful. Can you fix them?"
    "No, these are
production flaws. Cybercorp would have fixed them if it was
possible."
    Endrovar
nodded. "This equipment you spoke about, where would I get it?"
    "You could ask
your supplier, but Myon Two only sends analysers to their repair
stations."
    "I'll get it.
What else do you need?"
    "I'll make a
list."
    "Good."
    Tarl glanced at
Tassin. "But I'll only do this work for you if you agree to give
Queen Tassin leave to work in a menial capacity, and not as a
pleasure partner."
    Endrovar raked
the Queen with a scathing glance. "Fine. She's really not my type,
anyway. The cooks can use her in the kitchen. Ashmond, take her
away and show her her new duties."
    The baron bowed
and gestured for Tassin to precede him, guiding her from the
banquet room and back to the cabin in which she had changed
earlier. He paused in the doorway.
    "Take off the
finery and put your old clothes back on, and I'll take you to the
kitchens."
    Ashmond waited
in the lounge while Tassin changed in the bedroom, then took her
down into the bowels of the huge ship, where she was given a
burgundy uniform and a mop and put to work cleaning the floor.
     
    ****
     
    The cyber's
virtual warning light woke Sabre, and he opened his eyes and sat
up. Shrain stood in the doorway, a scowling Estrelle hovering
behind him.
    "What is it?"
Sabre asked.
    "I told him you
were sleeping," Estrelle said.
    "It's okay. He
wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. Shrain? What's wrong?"
    "Overlord
Fairen requires your presence at once, sir."
    Sabre rubbed
his face and stretched, then swung his legs off the bed. When he
was dressed, the commander led him through the ship to the door to
Fairen's private rooms, where he stepped aside. The cyber entered,
and Fairen rose from a couch, turning to him.
    "What is it,
Fairen?"
    The boy looked
mournful. "I received a message from your friend, Kole. It's bad
news, I'm afraid. Tassin's not on Omega Five."
    "Where is
she?"
    "No one knows.
Kole spoke to a man there who said that she and Tarl left on a
ship, but he didn't know anything else. She was supposed to have
been away only for a short time, but it's been three days now."
    Sabre went over
to the couch and sat down, staring ahead. "Who would take her?"
    "I don't know.
You'll be able to find out more on Omega Five. I'll take you there,
then I must leave. I'm needed in the Presda Quadrant. I'm
sorry."
    The cyber
nodded, wondering what the strange emotion was that clogged his
chest