The Cyber Chronicles VIII - Scorpion Lord Read Online Free PDF Page B

at
him. Estrelle's eyes widened as she looked up from the baby in her
arms, who sucked her finger. The banks of lights turned red, the
readouts dropped to zero, and the fluid began to drain from the
tanks. Sabre strode to the nearest and opened the door in its side,
releasing a gush of sticky liquid. Grabbing the boy within, he
pulled the feeding and air tubes from his nose and mouth, wiping
the sticky fluid off his face. The boy gazed up at him, his
expression dumbstruck.
    "You're free."
Sabre gripped his shoulders and gave him a little shake. "Free your
brothers."
    The boy
nodded, wobbled when Sabre released him and walked towards a tank,
slipping on the slimy floor. Sabre opened another tank and freed
its occupant, glancing at the group of techs.
    "Don't just
stand there like a bunch of dimwits. Lock the door and open the
tanks!"
    Estrelle
locked the door with her key card, turning to gaze at Sabre as the
techs moved to obey. Sabre frowned at her and walked closer.
    "Put him down
and help."
    "No... He... I
can't just put him on the floor."
    "Why not? He's
just a cyber host."
    She shook her
head, looking down at the baby. "He... he's a baby."
    "He's a cyber
host. Give him to me. I'll break his neck and then you won't have
to worry about him."
    "No!" Estrelle
shrank away, clutching the child, who whimpered. "I won't let you
kill him."
    "Why not? So
he can be turned into another killing machine? There are thousands
more just like him in the other room, pick another one if you want
a toy."
    Estrelle
sobbed, shaking her head. "Leave me alone!"
    "They're just
going to take him away from you and put him back in his pod when
this is over."
    She shook her
head again, turning her back on him. "Go away."
    Surprised by
her reaction, Sabre turned to the door lock and scrambled the
codes, then went to a tank and released its occupant. The boy he
pulled out stared through him with blank eyes, his limbs rigid, the
lights on his control unit red, and Sabre dropped him with a grunt
of disgust. Estrelle walked closer as he turned to open another
tank.
    "What about
him?"
    "He's
catatonic. They'll throw him in the incinerator."
    Estrelle
clamped a hand over her mouth before turning away, and he cast her
a puzzled frown as he yanked open the door of the next tank. The
boy inside flailed and wailed as soon as he was freed from the
tubes, his eyes wild. Sabre shook him several times, but he
continued his frenzied struggle against no one in particular, the
lights on his brow band flickering in a wave pattern. Estrelle
turned to watch Sabre again. He snapped the boy's neck with a quick
twist, and she gasped and squeaked.
    Sabre forced a
grim smile. "That one was psychotic. They would have incinerated
him, too, except he would have felt the fire."
    "Oh, god," she
groaned, looking ill.
    "You have a
surprisingly weak stomach for a researcher."
    "I do control
unit research, not host."
    "Ah. Pleasant,
isn't it? Now you see what good use all your expertise is put
to."
    "I thought
they were..."
    Sabre snorted.
"Yeah, and now you know they're not." He stepped closer. "Whatever
you do, don't air your dislike for this to the others, or you'll
end up in the dump with the next load of trash, got it?"
    She nodded,
and Sabre glanced past her as a thunderous hammering came from the
door, sharp-edged bulges appearing on its inside.
    "The enforcers
have arrived," he commented, turning to the techs, who opened tanks
with studied torpor. "You lot, get a move on! Faster, damn it!
Hurry up!"
    The techs
worked a little faster, casting furtive glances at him. The freed
boys opened doors and dragged out the tanks’ occupants as fast as
they could. Sabre looked down as the first boy he had freed came to
his side, his eyes full of trepidation.
    "What do we do
now, Father?"
    Sabre's mouth
twisted. "I'm not your father, boy. I'm your brother. Just get as
many out as you can."
    "Do we run, or
do we fight?"
    "We
fight."
    The boy nodded
and hurried off, slipping in the