Chapter Seven

 

Kole banged his glass down on the bar counter and gestured for the bald bartender to refill it. Pathos had arrived at Hades Eleven four hours ago, and, after scouting the gaming arenas for Tarl, he had found this little bar tucked away around the corner from one. It appeared to be a converted storeroom, but no one had bothered to update the drab grey prison paint, although someone had added a few ornaments in the form of stuffed alien beast heads on the walls. Some of which were not too well cured, judging by the smell. Then again, it might have been the surfeit of unwashed bodies that packed the room. The patrons all appeared to be smugglers, pirates or slavers, their garb dull and functional and their faces bearded, for the most part.

Some might have been employees of the rich playboys and moguls who visited the games to rub shoulders with riffraff and indulge in some blood sports, for there were a few men clad in fairly clean outfits. Scuffed plastic tables and chairs provided places to sit and drink, and the bar counter was made up of stacked crates all marked ‘high explosives’. He hoped they were empty. More crates provided shelving for bottles of liquor behind the counter, which two large, sweaty men clad in filthy vests and ragged trousers tended.

Wandering around searching for, or even asking about, a cyber tech had proven fruitless and tiring, and this was probably the best place to make enquiries. Asking about Tarl seemed unlikely to get any truthful answers, however. Kole was a stranger, while Tarl's new owner was probably a regular.

A drunken man, however, could get away with a lot more, and would be likely to make bold statements that could draw the attention of someone who might have some information. It might cause trouble, though, so he was glad he had brought a dozen enforcers with him, some of whom were positioned around the room, with more outside. In order to make the ploy believable, he had consumed a fair number of drinks, and the alcohol was taking effect, so he had to make his move soon.

Kole turned to the stranger beside him. "Know any arseholes who go 'round kidnapping cyber techs from fellow outlaws, huh?"

The man shook his head and moved away, taking his drink with him. Kole turned to glare around the room, swaying. "Anyone know any arseholes who go 'round kidnapping cyber techs from fellow outlaws?"

The murmur of voices hushed, then resumed, and many men shot him scornful, scathing looks.

"I'm lookin' for the arseholes who kidnapped my friend, a cyber tech!" Kole shouted. "An' when I find 'em, I'm gonna rip 'em a new one!"

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he swung around. The bartender glared at him. "Take it outside, or you'll get taken out, got it?"

"But there's no one outside," Kole slurred.

"Then shut it, or get booted."

"Fine, fine, don't blow a gasket." Kole staggered over to the nearest table and leant on it, scattering glasses. "Any of you fellows know anyone who's got a cyber tech they kidnapped, huh?"

The men recoiled with growls of anger and cries of, "Piss off!"

Kole pushed himself away, spilling more drinks, and reeled over to another table, repeating the question as he bumped into it, slopping drinks. The patrons jumped up with shouts of anger, and Kole stumbled off again, slugging back his drink. Sprawling across another table, he stared owlishly at the men who sat around it.

"I'm lookin' for the bastards who took my friend! 'Is name's Tarl! 'E was kidnapped!"

Someone grabbed him from behind and hauled him off the table. "Out you go, buster."

Kole struggled in the grip of a muscular man who trundled him towards the door. "Hey! I'm lookin' for my friend! 'Is name's Tarl Averly! I'll give five hundred thousand credits to anyone who knows who took him! Half a mill! One million to anyone who tells me where he is! I -"

The bouncer slammed Kole into the wall beside the door. "Oops." He sniggered.

Kole rubbed his nose. "Oi, that wasn't nice, dumbass."

"Tough luck, ye shoulda looked where yer was goin'."

"Piss on you, arsehole!"

The bouncer shoved Kole out of the door, sending him staggering into the wall across the corridor, and dusted his hands. "If ye come back in, you'll be sorry, so piss off."

Kole raised a finger, then slid down the wall to slump on the floor, bowing his head. Now he just had to wait for someone to take the bait. Half an hour passed before a pair of boots stopped in front of him. One nudged him, and he looked up. A rat-faced man scowled down at him, then squatted, eyeing him.

"You the one looking for the cyber tech?"

Kole nodded. "Thas right."

"I might know, so where's the reward?"

"Not on me, thas fersure," Kole raised a hand and fingered his nose.

Ten enforcers emerged from the shadowy doorways and side passages up and down the corridor. They converged on the ratty man, who leapt up and tried to dive back into the bar. Thestan and another enforcer caught him and dragged him out. Kole climbed to his feet, shaking his head as it swam from the alcohol. The man tried to yell, but the enforcer clamped a hand over his mouth. Kole headed down the corridor to an empty storeroom he had rented earlier, the enforcers following with their captive. In the room, Kole turned to frown at the prisoner.

"Tell us what you know, and we'll let you live."

The enforcer who held the man released his face, and he spat, grimacing. "Bloody bastards."

"Yeah, we are," Kole agreed. "So where's the cyber tech?"

"If I had a cyber with me -"

"Well you don't, so start talking."

The man's eyes darted. "I want the reward, or I ain't saying nothing!"

"Yeah I want a million credits, too." Kole thrust his face closer. "Ain't gonna happen, shithead, so spit it out or get yer head bashed in."

"What you want him for?"

"He's my pal, and we're gonna get him back."

"Okay." The man looked mollified, even a little pleased. "Endrovar’s got him."

"How do you know?"

"He was here, at the games, boasting about his damned cyber tech. He told me all my cybers were B-grades, the bastard. I could lose money because -"

"Where is he now?"

The man shrugged. "How the hell should I know? His cybers got beaten up and he left, that's it."

"What's the name of his ship?"

"Imperial. You can't miss it, bloody great monstrosity, armed to the teeth. You'll have a job, that's for sure."

"How do you know it was Tarl, and not some conman?"

"Because he was right about the cybers, and he had a tattoo. And Endrovar introduced him."

Kole straightened, nodding to the enforcer. "Get rid of him."

The enforcer dragged the scrawny man away, and Kole led the men back down the grimy corridor towards the landing pad where the shuttle was parked.

Thestan fell into step beside him. "So how do you propose to find this ship?"

"Much more easily than a man, and I found him."

"Sheer luck. If this ship is heavily armed, how are we supposed to get him back?"

Kole shot him a frown. "Aren't you supposed to be a commander? Oh right, now you're a sub-commander. But you should still know how to board a ship. We have a battle cruiser, don't we?"

"I don't think Overlord Fairen intended -"

"Overlord Fairen gave your ship to Sabre, to do with as he chose, so you'll do it."

"I'd like to hear it from Sabre, then."

Kole smiled. "An excellent idea. I'd like to see you get your head bashed in. He's still in a really shitty mood, you know. I saw what he did to your exercise room. Man, I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of that. Your funeral, though."

"Why didn't Sabre come with us?"

"He's a cyber!"

"So?"

Kole snorted. "He doesn't like pretending to be under cyber control, and if he didn't, that would sure raise a few eyebrows, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so." Thestan looked uneasy. "All right, there's no need to tell him. I'll do it."

"You sure? Because it's no problem, really. I think he's just itching to bash some enforcers. That's why he's been staying away from you lot, his self-control isn't too good these days."

"No, there's no need to tell him."

Kole chuckled. "Fine. Sooner or later you're going to piss him off, though, I guarantee it, and then I'll get to see you bounce of the walls like those dumbbells."

Thestan's mouth thinned, and he glanced around, frowning, as if expecting Sabre to leap out of the shadows. Kole chuckled again, enjoying the man's unease. The shuttle ride back to Pathos was achieved in silence, and Kole entered the hospital radiating triumph and wearing a broad grin.

"I found him!"

Martis, who sat at one of the workstations set up on the wide bench that ran along a wall, looked up, his brows rising. "Who, Tarl?"

"Yep, the one and only."

Estrelle turned from her screen and smiled. "That's wonderful! So where is he?"

"On a ship called Imperial."

"And... where's the ship?"

Kole raised a hand. "Okay, I don't know that yet, but I will."

"Ugh." Martis swung back to his instruments, shaking his head.

"Hey, this is big, okay? A ship is a lot easier to find than one man, and I did that already."

Estrelle sighed. "This is smuggler space. No one keeps records of where ships go or where they dock."

"Even so, I know who owns it, and he's got to have information on the Net. I can track him down, you watch me."

The techs shrugged and returned to their work. Kole wandered over to Sabre, who lay on the examination table again, hooked up to a drip.

"Hey old chum, I found Tarl, so you can wake up now. I've done the really hard work. No need for you to hide in the dark anymore. Come on... wake up!" Kole bellowed the last words in Sabre's ear.

Martis looked around. "Leave him alone."

"Bloody cop out," Kole muttered, walking around the table to Martis and peering at his screen. "What're you doing?"

"Are you drunk?"

Kole shrugged. "A little. Had to, part of the plot. It worked, too."

"You stink."

"So what're you doing?"

"Monitoring his brain function."

"And?"

Martis leant away from the swaying hacker. "He's remembering."

"How do you know that?"

The tech pointed to the image of Sabre's brain on the screen. "Those flashing areas, they're memory storage. He's immersed himself in memories. Happy ones, I assume."

"Damned cop out coward," Kole said, then swung around and grasped Sabre’s shoulders, shaking him. "Come on you bastard! Wake up damn it!"

"Hey!" Martis jumped up as Sabre's head lolled from side to side, bumping into the U-shaped instrument around it. "That's a delicate instrument! Don't damage it, you idiot!"

Kole said, "He's got to wake up now! I can't do this alone!"

Martis gripped his arm and tugged him away. "Leave him. Now you know how he felt, huh?"

"Bastard," Kole muttered, rubbing his brow. "I should just go home and leave Tarl to rot. Let Tassin stay a slave forever. This isn't my problem! You hear me, Sabre? I'm not going to find her if you don't bloody wake up!"

Martis glanced at his screen as another area of Sabre's brain flashed, and gave a cry of excitement. "He heard that. There was a reaction!"

Estrelle glanced up from her screen, which monitored the control unit. "Here too. They both heard it."

"It's stopped." Martis sank down on his chair, staring at the image on the screen. "Come on, Sabre."

Kole turned back to the cyber and leant over him. "If you don't wake up, I won't find Tassin, you hear me, Sabre? I'll leave her. I can find her, and Tarl too, but only if you wake up."

Martis shook his head, frowning. "Nothing. Maybe it was just an anomaly."

"The control unit's still reacting,” Estrelle said.

"That never stopped. It's Sabre who's withdrawn, not the control unit."

She sat back, chewing her fingernails. "Something's got to work."

"Tarl will do it," Kole averred. "And I'm going to find him."

Martis looked up. "I don't know what he can do that we haven't tried already."

"What have you tried?"

"Well... nothing. There's nothing anyone can do."

"You don't know Tarl." Kole headed for the door. "If anyone can wake that bastard up, he can!"

"Kole," Estrelle called.

The hacker paused in the doorway and glanced back. "Yeah?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Kole swung away, frowning. "None of your damned business."

 

****

 

Tassin gazed out of the screens in the forward observation room of Tarvin’s ship, whose name she did not know. She visited the observation lounge often to watch the stars creep past. Another week had passed, so Tarvin's home world must be far from Forge Prime. So far, she had seen no one aboard the ship other than crewmen and servants, and she wondered where Tarvin’s retinue was. Surely a high king would surround himself with fawning fops and pretty girls, as Endrovar did? The only explanation she could think of was that they were housed in another part of the vessel, and naturally the King would not allow a lowly slave to mingle with them. The ship did not appear to be moving very fast, and, since the screens were not filled with light, she had to surmise that it was not in a photon corridor. If it was crossing from one corridor to another, they must be far apart. She had pried off the cover of the air vent in her room, and spent most of her nights exploring the air ducts in the hopes of finding one that led to a technical area that had a transmitter.

The ducts could not be opened from the inside, but she would figure that out when she found the right one. They were narrow and full of dust, making it an onerous, dirty task. She always emerged filthy and tired, her elbows bruised and her muscles aching. Still, she refused to give up.

A whispering hiss made her swing around. Tarvin drifted towards her in a floating chair, which hovered at a height that made his head level with hers. She frowned at him and turned back to the view.

"Not even a greeting, Tassin?"

"No. I want no company."

He stopped beside her "That's very rude."

"I don't care."

He glanced at her, then back at the vista. "I think it’s time I told you why I bought you. You see, I had a suspicion, when I saw you at that Net auction, but I had to confirm it. Some time ago, Myon Two asked my people to be on the lookout for a small, black-haired woman who claimed to be a queen, and was, indeed, a planetary leader from Omega Five. When I received the invitation to the auction, my aide informed me of Myon Two’s interest in a woman matching your description. Myon Two has now confirmed that you are indeed the woman they want for murder.”

Her blood chilled. “I didn’t murder anyone.”

“According to Myon Two, you did. A department head, no less. Previd Malatar? They’re very upset about it, and want me to hand you over to them.”

“And will you?”

“Of course. I am a law abiding man, although I do like to be rewarded for my good deeds. I am currently negotiating with them. They have offered five cybers for you, but I have asked for ten. I expect we will eventually settle on seven or eight, which will be acceptable. If you hadn’t been the right girl, I daresay I’d have sold you to Daone, but now you’re worth so much more.”

She raised her chin. "My cyber killed Previd to save my life. He was trying to murder me."

"I really don’t care. I will be rewarded handsomely for your capture."

Tassin shot him a killing glare. "Don’t you have enough cybers, or riches, already?"

"I do, but more never hurts. Mostly, I enjoy making people dance to my tune; even Myon Two. They are sending a ship to collect you from Parthis, but it will take a while for it to get here. That's why we left the photon corridor some days ago and proceed under power towards my home world. There’s no safer prison than a ship. And crawling around in the air ducts every night will get you nothing but dirty and tired, I assure you."

Tassin swung around with a growl of rage and raised a hand to slap him. Her hand swished through air as something hit her in the midriff, punched the air from her lungs with a grunt and hurled her to the floor. Her head hit it with a dull crack, and stars danced in her eyes as she stared into a cyber's impassive face. He crouched over her, his face painted black to match the walls, only the gleam of his eyes and the lights on the brow band visible.

"Stop!" Tarvin said. "Leave her."

The cyber sprang up and stepped back. Tassin struggled to draw air into her lungs, her head swimming and her vision dim. The roaring in her ears drowned out Tarvin's worried voice, then air rushed into her tortured lungs with a whoop, and she gasped as reality returned. Tarvin's chair drifted down to land beside her, and he peered at her.

"Are you all right?"

She sat up, dazed and shaky, the back of her head throbbing. "I will be, no thanks to you."

"I did warn you. Fortunately I only brought one of my shadows with me, but still, you could have been badly hurt. That was an extremely foolish thing to do."

She rubbed the lump on the back of her skull, wincing. "Do you expect me to be happy that you’re handing me over for execution?"

"You condemned yourself when you committed murder, dear girl."

Tassin rose to her feet, glaring at him, then the cyber. Tarvin gestured, and the clone retreated into the shadows, becoming invisible again.

"I won’t let you,” she said. “I’ll find a way to escape you, and them.”

"Ah, yes, you think you can find a transmitter and call your cyber, or your fiancé? You’re wasting your time. You will not summon any help, I promise you."

Her hands clenched. "My fiancé is a free cyber, the true man, which makes him, to all intents and purposes, your High King Sharlin, back from the dead. And he will find me."

Tarvin's chair lifted him up to her level, and he frowned at her. "You really expect me to believe that?"

"It’s true, and when he finds me, I pity you." Spinning on her heel, she marched out.