Chapter One

 

A jab of pain forced Sabre from the dark cocoon of unconsciousness, and he became aware that he lay on something hard and cold. Awareness returned in waves, receding at the soft tug of the darkness before it washed him up onto the shore of wakefulness again as a fresh twinge came from his hand. His eyelids seemed to be made of lead, and he struggled to open them, wincing at a stab of bright light. He squinted as another sharp pain shot from his hand. Turning his head, he discovered that a metal band encircled his throat, pinning him to the cold surface. He tensed, his awareness increasing as a rush of adrenalin quickened his blood, and found that his wrists and ankles were pinned as well, making movement impossible.

His mind was devoid of scrolling data or flashing lights, and he realised that the cyber was off and activated it. Reams of data from the scanners and tactical computer appeared in the darkness behind his eyes, and a red warning light captured his attention. A human life sign flashed in close proximity, and the tactical analysis flagged it as Myon Two personnel. He turned his head further, the brightness hurting his eyes. A plump, balding man in a white technician's uniform stood over him, his hard brown eyes glinting above a bulbous nose and a rat-trap mouth.

"So, you're awake. Good." His eyes flicked to Sabre's brow band, a calculating look in them.

Sabre tried to speak, found that his mouth was too dry and bit the inside of his cheek to moisten it. "Where am I?"

"Wow, that's amazing. I've heard the stories, of course, but... you really are self-aware. I didn't believe it at first, but here you are, living proof."

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled, shaking his head. "Incredible. You actually sound human. I'm Cyber Tech Jorran Parmal, and you're my special project."

Sabre frowned. "I'm on Myon Two?"

"No, no, of course not. We're not idiots, you know. Although the chances of Overlord Fairen even finding out that you're gone are pretty much zero, but we can't take chances. No, you're on one of our outposts, in the Dramma Sector. Depressing place, but it's a well-kept secret."

"How did I get here?"

Jorran chuckled again. "You're full of questions, aren't you? We took you, of course. You didn't really think we'd just leave you on that backwater planet, did you? A free cyber? Not likely."

"How?"

Jorran sat on the stool beside the metal table on which Sabre lay. "Indeed, you may well ask that question. It was quite a mission, by all accounts. Six months of surveillance by four spies planted in the populace of the castle where you lived, sending back daily data to track your movements. They informed us of everything you did, including that little celebration where you drank wine. Not a good idea, for a cyber. Luckily for us, you chose to live in a stone dwelling, which was not very bright of you. So your scanners didn't pick up our men. All they had to do was shoot you with a tranquiliser dart while you slept, and presto, here you are, all nicely trussed like a lamb for slaughter."

Sabre turned his head to gaze at the brilliant overhead lights, swallowing. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Ah, now that's a really stupid question, isn't it?" Jorran sighed. "We're going to study you, of course, and when we're done, we're going to fix you. And if that doesn't work, well, we'll just put you into cryo-storage so we can use your DNA to spawn a new breed of cybers, ones that are immune to fire."

"I'm not immune to fire."

"Not entirely, no. I've seen the tests Grundel did, and it's fascinating stuff. A ninety per cent increase in your ability to withstand heat." Jorran shook his head. "Amazing."

"Why did you wake me up? You're not interested in a host's mind."

"Normally, no, most techs aren't. But as it happens, I am. What really interests me is how you can now control the cyber unit. Grundel discovered the additional reverse polarity in the implants, but that doesn't explain it entirely."

"I don't know any more than that."

"That's a shame. I was hoping you would. At least explain how you do it."

"I think about what I want it to do, and it does it."

Jorran typed on the keyboard beside him. "Interesting idea, but the cyber can't understand brain waves, or thoughts. It's a command unit, designed for one-way brain control. It uses it as storage medium, and it can convert memories into digital display data, but the host's thoughts are... supposed to be non-existent, but let's just say unintelligible, for argument's sake."

"You know perfectly well that every host is capable of cognisant thought. They're just trapped, unable to do anything."

"Okay, let's say that I do, that still doesn't explain how you control the cyber unit."

"I can't explain it. The light beings changed something, that's all I know."

"How did they do it?"

Sabre tried to shrug. "A flash of light. When I came to, I was in charge."

"And the changes to your DNA?"

"Same flash of light."

"Interesting, but not helpful."

Sabre lifted his head to glance down at his left wrist, the metal collar cutting into his throat. The bracelet was gone. "When Fairen finds you, he's going to wipe this shithole planet off the face of the universe. You do realise that, don't you?"

"Ah, yeah, the bracelet. That was left on Omega Five, still active. As far as he knows, you're still there. No alarm bells, no search party."

"Tassin will find me."

"How? She's stuck on that little backwater planet, with no way to communicate or leave."

"She'll find a way."

Jorran shook his head. "No, you're on your own, so you can quit hoping for rescue. Now, back to business. Apart from the ability to control the cyber unit, and the fireproof skin, what else did the light beings do to you?"

"That's it, as far as I know."

"Well then, we'll just have to run some tests on you, won't we?"

"Don't you Cybercorp shitheads ever get tired of being sadistic bastards?"

Jorran smiled. "Actually I quite enjoy it."

"So for kicks you stick pins in nair kittens?"

"Something like that."

"It must be hard to be so sick."

"Not really." Jorran picked up a probe from the trolley beside him. "And goading me isn't a good idea. We don't really need you to be able to see, after all, and blinding you would definitely make you easier to control."

"Except that the cyber will provide me with sight."

"The input can easily be blocked." Jorran leant closer and tapped the brow band with the probe. "Interesting that you've come to think of it as an ally, when you should hate it."

"I do hate it, but now I use it like it once used me."

"Ah, poetic justice. Nice. Must make you feel pretty good, to be in charge."

"I guess," Sabre agreed.

"But you're still pretty confused, aren't you? What's it like, having feelings for the first time?"

"I always had feelings."

Jorran's brows rose. "Really? So you felt love, and jealousy, and envy?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. And you still don't, do you?"

"No."

The cyber tech smiled. "How could you, when that whole section of your brain is dormant? You're still a thinking machine, nothing more."

"Maybe. But that's another thing those light beings promised me. They said the wall in my mind would fail. They did something to make it happen."

"Interesting." Jorran scratched his chin with the probe. "Let's have a look then."

Rising, he pulled a bulky console closer and positioned the U-shaped appendage on the end of the jointed, telescopic arm over Sabre's ears. Switching the machine on, he gazed at the image that appeared on the screen. "Everything looks normal... except... you're right, the block has weak areas now. Fascinating. When that fails, you'll become psychotic."

"Why?"

"Because you won't be able to handle it."

"How do you know that?"

"Because your brain isn't wired to cope with emotions," Jorran said. "Surely your buddy Tarl Averly explained that to you?"

"He might have mentioned it."

"Well, there you are then. I might lie to you, but he wouldn't, would he?"

"He said I'd be able to handle it."

"I disagree. But it's a moot point, since I intend to return you to cyber control, and that will restore the brain block."

Sabre frowned, closing his eyes. "Since you're going to do it anyway, I might as well save myself a lot of pain and do it for you. Then you'll have nothing to experiment on, will you? Just another brain-dead cyber. Better than shock treatment and sensory deprivation. I've had enough of that."

"You can put yourself back under cyber control?" Jorran's brows shot up.

"Of course. I control all its functions, including whether I control it or it controls me."

"But then you can also free yourself."

"Yeah, but you'd be wasting your time experimenting on a cyber, so it would put an end to your fun."

Jorran rubbed his chin. "I'd rather you didn't do that."

"You really think I give a shit what you'd rather?" Sabre snorted and opened his eyes, his smile bitter. "I've had enough of being tortured."

"I could still torture you."

"But it'll do you no good. You'll soon get bored and go back to burning kittens. And there would be no point, then, in trying to find a way to prevent me from freeing myself. Once the cyber's in control, you won't be able to do a damn thing, since all your readings will be normal."

"Then you'll go into cryo-storage."

"A better prospect than letting you torture me."

"Okay, wait." Jorran looked agitated, putting down the probe. "I won't hurt you. We can just talk."

"I'm done with answering your questions."

"You'd rather go back to being powerless?"

Sabre flexed his arms, making the shackles creak. "I'm powerless now." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Being in the backseat has its advantages. Everything is muted, distorted, far away. Pain I can feel, but not much else. And if I really don't want to know, I can barely perceive the world. It's just a hazy mass of light and movement, not much else. Compared to what you have planned, it'll be a real treat. Especially not having to put up with your sick gloating. And cryo-sleep is... Well it's just sleep, isn't it? But Fairen will find me eventually. That, I promise."

"No! Wait... I'll release you, give you whatever you want, just let me run a few tests... painless ones. Please."

"Talk to the cyber, the host is checking out."

"No!" Jorran jumped up, sending the stool rolling away. He leant over Sabre, gripped his shoulders and shook him. "Stay with me! Dammit! Shit!" Jorran pushed himself away and ran a hand through his hair, scowling.

Sabre shut off the video feed from the control unit and let himself sink into the sticky blackness that had been his prison until about six months ago. Before he relinquished control, he purged the registration database of Tassin’s name, thereby removing all evidence that she had anything to do with him that might be used to accuse her of meddling with a cyber’s programming. The darkness did not frighten him now, for he could escape it whenever he chose. It had become a refuge, a way to escape any situation he could not handle, and now the torturers. He could have just switched the control unit's lights to an in-control configuration, but Jorran might be able to detect that he was still in control. So he handed all control back to the cyber and retreated into the deepest pit in his mind, where the bitter voice that always mocked him dwelt. Cyborg. It whispered now, since he chose to join it in the cold abyss. He sensed the control unit re-establishing its functions, cutting off his motor control and sensory stimuli. This time he was glad of it, and burrowed deeper into the blackness, pulling it over himself like a dark blanket.

 

 

"Dammit!" Jorran glared down at the cyber as the lights on the brow band switched to a normal configuration, the seven control lights on the right hand side turning green one by one. The cyber's eyes glazed and drooped as all expression drained from his face. His mouth opened, and a toneless voice issued from it.

"Requesting owner identity."

Jorran frowned. "Identity?"

"Correct. Registration database has been purged."

"Cyber, what's the host status?"

"Seventy-three per cent."

"Not his bio-status. Are you in complete control?"

"Unit is functional. Requesting owner identity."

Jorran swore, rubbing the back of his neck, where an ache developed. "Your owner is Myon Two."

"Information input. No valid codes or passwords. What is this unit's serial number?"

"Um..." Jorran turned to the table beside him and picked up an infrared reader, then gripped the brow band and turned the cyber's head to the side. Pressing the reader to the invisible bar code tattooed on the back of the cyber's scalp, he pushed the button, sending the information to his console and from there to the control unit via the link cable.

"Serial number input. Designate codes."

Jorran rattled off a string of random words, still rubbing his neck.

"Codes accepted. Input voice imprint of command privilege personnel."

Jorran named himself as primary command privilege holder, then sat down, staring at the cyber. Five minutes later, the door opened and the head of research and development strode in, looking angry. Jorran’s dislike of the bald, hazel-eyed Parvan ran deep, not least because he was a control freak and egomaniac who actually thought his hatchet nose and sunken eyes were attractive, and always wore far too much musky cologne. It did not surprise Jorran that Parvan had no wife or girlfriend, even though he was constantly going on dates; or at least, he claimed to be. Not that Jorran had much of a social life, but then, he was too busy.

"What happened?" Parvan demanded.

Jorran gestured to the cyber. "He put himself back under cyber control."

"How?"

"I didn't get a chance to ask him. He controlled it, and now he's put it in charge."

"What about the experiments?"

Jorran shrugged. "I can still run all the physical ones."

"Good. I doubt there was much to be learnt from his mind, anyway."

"Oh, I think it would have been very interesting to study his psyche."

"You're sure he's not faking it?"

Jorran glanced at the image on the brain scanner. "Yeah, he's under cyber control."

"Good. Then we can send him to Myon Two. He's a prototype. We'll use him to market the new breed."

Jorran swung around. "You can't do that. He can free himself whenever he wants, and we don’t have his override."

"Find his codes and make an override for him. We'll assign a cyber to guard him."

"There's a chance Overlord Fairen will find out about his abduction and come looking for him."

"How? The bracelet is well hidden, and the people who took him to Omega Five are trapped there."

Jorran shook his head. "It's too risky. Overlord Fairen might go there to check on him."

"We need him for marketing. We'll get a lot more orders if we have a prototype to show clients. Even with the new DNA spliced in with a retrovirus, the new cybers won't be ready for two years."

"We don't even know if we can splice the DNA correctly yet."

"Then that's what you should be working on, not wasting your time on chit chat with a damned host. Make him an override, do the physical tests and bring me the results when you're done."

"Yes, sir." Jorran glared at his boss' back as the department head left, then turned to gaze down at the cyber again.

 

****

 

Tassin scowled at Tarl. "What are you saying?"

The middle-aged ex-cyber tech ran a hand over his thick head of dark brown hair, his pale blue eyes worried in his craggy, care worn face. It had taken him months to earn Sabre’s trust, but now he was the cyber’s closest friend and ally. He had made it his mission to care for the cyber with the skills he had learnt as a host repair tech on Myon Two, a position he had quit when he had discovered that hosts suffered. Before leaving Cybercorp, he had destroyed a lot of valuable equipment, earning himself a death sentence. When she and Sabre had met him on Charon Six, he had favoured a rather disreputable smuggler’s garb, but now he wore well-cut but comfortable black jeans and a grey T-shirt under a dark blue flannel shirt, since the lab was a bit nippy.

"He didn't leave of his own accord,” he said. “He's not taking a sabbatical on a distant mountain top, he was abducted."

"How do you know that?"

"I had a look in his room, particularly on the wall outside his window. Someone climbed up that wall. You can see the scratches. It's not like him to disappear in the middle of the night, and he's been gone for two days now. You're sure you didn't see or hear anything?"

Tassin shook her head. "How could someone abduct a cyber?"

"Shoot him with a tranquiliser dart from the window, then carry him off. The scanners can't penetrate stone, so the cyber wouldn't have warned him."

"A tranquiliser?"

"Yeah. Cybers are immune to most poisons and incapacitating drugs, but not all. There's one in particular that Myon Two uses, called endronate. They couldn't make cybers immune to it, so they bought the patent for its production and banned its use by anyone else. Only Myon Two produces it now, because it incapacitates a cyber in less than two seconds if it's injected into the jugular. It kills a normal human in even less time. I think they've got him, and if they do we've got to find him."

"How?" Tassin swung to gaze out of the window. "We don't have a ship. And if this happened, why hasn't Fairen rescued him yet?"

"I don't know... unless..."

"What?"

"If Myon Two had taken the bracelet, Fairen would have noticed that the locator beacon had moved, and gone to investigate... Well, in theory. Or if they had broken it, he would have come to see why the beacon had stopped. But if they took the bracelet off and hid it somewhere, but left it switched on, Fairen wouldn't know anything had happened to him."

"That bracelet can't be removed, and if it was cut it would set off the distress signal."

Tarl nodded. "Then they must have found a way to unlock it. Myon Two are nothing if not resourceful. Maybe Ramadaus helped them. I don't know, but I'm sure he was kidnapped."

"So what do we do?"

"Well, you're right; we're stuck here without a ship. But if I can find the bracelet, I can trigger the distress signal."

"I'll dispatch men to start searching immediately," she said.

"Okay, good. I'm going to see if I can rig something to pick up the beacon. I'll use the equipment Fairen sent. I'm sure I can make some sort of receiver out of the parts. We know it's a high frequency sideband."

She turned to face him, her heart filled with dread. "Please hurry. God only knows what they're doing to him."

"I know. I will."

Tarl left, and Tassin turned to stare out of the window again, her eyes blind to the budding spring shoots on the trees outside and the bright sunshine that bathed the peaceful land. When Sabre had vanished two days ago, she had not been unduly alarmed, thinking he had gone out for an early walk. He had not returned that night, however, and she had started to worry, but told herself that he was merely camping out perhaps, and needed some time alone.

When there was still no sign of him the next day, she had dispatched search parties, but continued to hope that he was only spending some time alone with his thoughts. This morning her worry had grown further, for he would not have stayed away for so long without telling her. He would know she would be worried. Then again, who, or what, could harm a cyber? For two days she had comforted herself with the knowledge that he was bound to be safe, now she was no longer so sure.

If Tarl was right, Sabre was in grave danger, and undoubtedly suffering at the hands of sadistic Cybercorp technicians. The thought made her bile rise, and she gulped. He had warned her that this would happen, but she had not wanted to believe him. Would he never know peace? Was her dream of a happy, carefree life with him just a fantasy? How long before Tarl or her men found the bracelet, and then what? Would Myon Two kill him rather than let an Overlord catch them with him?

The questions made her head ache, and she rubbed her brow. There were simply no answers to be gained from pointless pondering. There was still a chance he was off wandering somewhere, unaware that she was going out of her mind with worry. She clung to the hope that at any moment he would stroll into the castle. She missed his husky laughter and gentle teasing, the way his silver-grey eyes made her shiver and his shy hugs. The legacy of Myon Two’s torture was written in the hair-fine scars on his pale golden skin, caused by the cruel operations that had strengthened his bones with metal. They ran along the sides of his torso and neck, down his arms, legs, cheekbones and forehead to mid-way down his narrow nose, and even as lines of white in his cropped dark blond hair. The black crystals embedded in the golden-hued brow band that had once enslaved him were usually filled with tiny multi-coloured lights. It curved around his brow, no more than three centimetres wide and fifteen centimetres long, its rounded ends not quite reaching his hairline. She blinked, rubbing her stinging eyes. She did not want to think about what the torturers on Myon Two would do to him if they had taken him.

 

****

 

Parvan glanced up as his chief cyber tech placed a vidrecorder on his crystal-topped carved desk and flopped into the pseudo-leather chair that faced it. The department head had never liked Jorran, whom he thought was an egomaniac and a bit of a sociopath. Most of all, he disliked having the sweaty little man in his plush, sweet-scented office. Parvan treasured the aroma of new upholstery, and renewed his furnishings regularly to ensure his office always smelt new.

Jade-framed masterpieces graced the patterned, pale blue walls, complementing the woven grey blarri-hair curtains that framed massive windows with a vista of the glittering glass and metal city. Parvan's was one of the few offices that had a view, and he made the most of it, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the far wall to reflect it. He switched off a scrolling vidreport and steepled his hands.

"Well?"

"It's all in my report."

"Summarise."

"He's above normal,” Jorran said. “All his specs are at least ten per cent better than any other A-grade ever tested. Of course, you have to remember that he's Dorilan's finest. His last, perfect cyber, hand-picked at birth and raised to be better than all the rest. He was slightly above average before, now he's exceptional."

"That's excellent news. You're ready to ship him to Myon Two, then?"

"If you're prepared to risk it, and they are, too."

Parvan nodded. "They are. No sign of trouble with him?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Good, put him in a casket and send him to Myon Two. They already have clients eager to see the new prototype. You'll go, too, so you can continue your research into the retrograde DNA splicing, and oversee the introduction of his DNA into the generation programme."

"Right." Jorran rose and left the office.

 

 

Seven days later, Jorran stepped out of a company shuttle into the cool, muggy air of Myon Two, glancing up at the perpetual cloud cover. Fifteen layers of cross-lane air-car traffic whizzed past overhead, from brightly coloured fun-cars on the top layers to heavy transports at the bottom. Ahead of him, the sweeping, glass and steel edifice that was Cybercorp's head office towered, the name proudly displayed in four-metre-high silver letters halfway up it. Jorran had visited head office several times, but still recalled his first trip here, and how the glittering richness and awe inspiring buildings had intimidated him. This was an empire built on advanced technology and innovation, and its design reflected that.

The floating casket followed on its leash, and he approached a welcoming party of eager Cybercorp techs who came forward to greet him, shake his hand and gaze at the casket.

"That's him?" Vardin, head of Myon Two research and development, asked. He was a stocky man with black eyes, a lantern jaw and a high forehead that a receding hairline made more prominent.

"This is him," Jorran agreed.

"We're all eager to see what he can do."

Jorran inclined his head, and Vardin ushered him into the palatial reception, where he was logged in by security and given his clearance and access code. The official business done, he followed the department head along many smooth white corridors to a bright, sterile room filled with experimental equipment and monitoring consoles. The techs gathered around, murmuring, as he deactivated the antigravity fields and activated the unlock sequence. They waited for several minutes while the lights changed from red to amber to green, and the lid unsealed with a faint click. Mist oozed from the crack, then billowed up as Jorran opened the lid. The techs crowed around to peer inside as the mist cleared, revealing the cyber within.

"He's older than I thought he would be," Vardin commented.

"He's got a lot of scars," another tech said.

"He's been in service for eight years," Jorran informed them. "There's bound to be a bit of wear and tear, but he's in good condition."

"Well, let's get on with it." Vardin rubbed his hands.

Jorran glanced at him. "Just remember, this one is dangerous. We'll need a cyber to guard him, although I have an override with his codes." He pulled the little black trigger from his pocket.

Vardin signalled to another tech, who spoke into a communications link. Moments later, a cyber entered and took up a guard stance just inside the door. Jorran looked down at Sabre. He had learnt the free cyber's name from Grundel's records, but refused to use it, although he found himself thinking of him as Sabre.

"Cyber Seventy One, stand up."

Sabre sat up and climbed out of the casket with the lithe ease that all cybers possessed, turned to face Jorran and assumed a guard stance, legs apart, hands clasped behind his back. The techs gathered around to examine him.

"He doesn't look any different," Vardin commented.

"No," Jorran agreed. "Until you shine a light on him."

A tech gave him a hand-light, and he shone it on the cyber's arm, causing the skin to emit a soft golden glow.

"What causes that?" one tech asked.

"Reflective melanin. It has an iridescent quality, so it reflects between eighty and nighty per cent of heat and about twenty per cent of light."

Vardin peered at the brow band. "I thought this one was supposed to be free."

"He was, but he's put himself under cyber control to avoid painful tests."

"So then a host really feels no pain while under cyber control?" a young female tech with mouse brown hair and wide green eyes asked.

"No, we know they do, but he figured that if I couldn't get any results from my tests, I wouldn't run them. And he's right; it's pointless now that he's under cyber control."

"You spoke to him?"

"Yes, for about fifteen minutes."

"What's he like?"

Jorran frowned at her. "It doesn't matter. He's just a host."

Vardin glanced at the data record Jorran had given him. "So, all his tests were ten per cent above normal for an A-grade. It's not much, and we don't know whether it's due to the changed DNA or just the result of good training and exercise."

"No, we don't. But what we're really interested in is the fireproofing, in any case."

"True. Would you give us a demonstration?"

"Of course."

 

****

 

Tarl looked up from the clump of wires, crystals and electrical components on the workbench in front of him as Tassin entered his lab for the umpteenth time, her too-frequent visits harassing him. The diminutive raven-haired Queen looked exhausted, her azure eyes haunted and her skin paler than usual. Her thick hair was swept up in a simple braid atop her head, and she wore no jewellery other than the delicate, elegant engagement ring Sabre had given her a month ago. A simple dark blue gown clad her slender form, its sleeves and hem edged with white lace, a paler blue satin bodice clasping her tiny waist.

"I haven't made much progress in the last half an hour, so there's no point in coming to check on me again," he said.

She sank down on a stool beside the workbench, gazing at the mess on it. "I'll stay and watch you, then."

"I don't like being watched."

She sighed. "It's been more than a week. He must be going through hell."

"I'm sure he is, and I know how long it's been. I haven't had any sleep for four days." He put down the tangle of wires and yawned. "Which is probably why I'm not making any progress. I can't think straight anymore. I must rest."

"We should have asked Fairen for another transmitter."

"But we didn't, so it's no good wishing we had." Tarl rubbed his eyes. "What about the men you have searching?"

"They've been through the castle, now they're in the gardens."

"It could be anywhere, on the other side of the planet, hell, even in space."

Tassin looked down at her wrestling hands. "Don't say that, please. We have to find it."

"We will."

"Soon!" She bowed her head, biting her lip. "I can't bear to think of him suffering. It's giving me nightmares."

"Hey..." Tarl turned to face her, shaking his head. "He's a tough guy, remember? He's been through it all before. He can handle it."

"Can he?" She looked up, her expression despairing. "What if he can't? What if it's just too much this time? What if he doesn't think we'll be able to help him?"

"Hey, don't think like that. He knows we'll find a way to reach Fairen."

"What if we can't?" she wailed.

"We will! We must. That's all there is to it. Now, I'm going to get some sleep, so I can think straight, and you should, too. Have something to eat while you're at it, you're starting to look like a ghost. You're going to need your strength for when we find him."