Free The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre by T C Southwell

going to do anything to you. It's me you should be concerned
about, Grundel."
    Grundel looked
him up and down. "Tarl Averly, isn't it? Repair tech?"
    "That's right.
I'm surprised you remember my name; you R and D guys were always so
damned snooty."
    "What do you
want?"
    "To give you
what you so richly deserve, and I so want to dish out. For what you
did to my friend. The shocks and burns. The humiliation, too." Tarl
glanced at Commander Barrin, whose silver-trimmed uniform indicated
his rank. "Although your commander had more to do with that."
    "You're the
traitor. The one who sabotaged fifty-seven artificial wombs."
    "That's
right."
    Grundel
glanced at Sabre. "You call him your friend?"
    "Yeah, and
he's a better man than the whole lot of you put together."
    "I see he's
freed himself again. Or did you help?"
    "He was never
under cyber control," Tarl said.
    "So, you've
come to show him how much you care? Trying to win him over?"
    Tarl snorted.
"I wasn't going to make it a public occasion, but it seems they all
want to watch."
    "And you think
I'm just going to let you beat me up?"
    "I hope
not."
    Grundel
noticed Fairen's hooded figure in the corridor and bowed. "Forgive
me, My Lord, I did not see you there."
    The rest of
the prisoners shuffled back and bowed, and Fairen tucked his hands
into the wide sleeves of his robe. Grundel hesitated, then added,
"Are you going to permit violence against your prisoners, My
Lord?"
    "Yes."
    Grundel stared
at him, clearly disappointed by his monosyllabic answer. "This
hardly seems like justice. What about a trial?"
    "Your guilt is
not in question."
    "But how can
we be punished for following orders? Surely the guilty ones are the
men who gave us the order to capture the rogue cyber?"
    "I am not
going to debate this with you. You knew you were disobeying me when
you captured him."
    Tarl stepped
forward. "And I didn't come here to argue with you, either."
    Grundel turned
his attention to the ex-cyber tech again. "So you're resorting to
violence, as he would." He nodded at Sabre.
    "He's not the
one threatening you, is he? That just shows how little you know
about him."
    Grundel eyed
Sabre, who sighed, folded his arms and leant against the wall. "I'm
sure he finds it fascinating that you, a cyber technician and a
free man, would want to harm another on his behalf."
    "Why don't you
ask him?"
    Grundel shook
his head. "I'm not interested in the inner workings of a cyber
host's mind."
    "You should
be. You would find it amazingly similar to a free man's."
    "Who are you
trying to fool, him or yourself? Or perhaps both? You'd do anything
to prove your stupid theory, even to the extent of convincing that
poor dolt he could ever pass for human."
    Tarl punched
Grundel on the chin and sent him staggering back into the officers
behind him, who caught and steadied him. Tarl grimaced and wrung
his hand, cursing. Grundel rubbed his jaw, then advanced on Tarl,
raising his fists. Tarl did the same, and the two squared off,
eyeing each other. Grundel took a swing at Tarl, hit him on the
cheek and knocked him sideways. He ducked under Grundel's next
swing and punched him in the solar plexus. Grundel doubled over
with a coughing grunt. Tarl followed up his advantage, punching
Grundel in the ribs. Grundel kicked him in the shin, making him
grunt and hop.
     
     
    Sabre watched
the fight with growing amusement, marvelling at their ineptitude.
Clearly the cyber techs possessed some rudimentary fighting skills,
probably learnt as a pastime, but neither could be called a
fighter. They did manage to inflict bruises on each other, and a
well-aimed blow from Tarl bloodied Grundel's nose. The rest of the
officers moved back to give the combatants more room, and they
continued to circle and punch.
    A touch on his
elbow made him glance around at Tassin as she slipped her arm
through his, gazing at the fight with amazement.
    "I was told
there was a fight here, but I thought it was you."
    "A logical
conclusion, but wrong, for a