Read Online The Cyber Chronicles VI - Warrior Breed by T C Southwell - Free Book Online

"When we left, you were more dead than
alive."
    Kernan glanced
at the beasts. "I woke up. I guess the sedative wore off. I shouted
for you guys. I was in a lot of pain. Next thing I knew, one of
these creatures stuck its head through the hatch and ripped open my
shirt." He plucked at the sodden material. His chest was covered
with a film of clear fluid. "It started licking me. I was too weak
to stop it." He shook his head. "Then the pain went away. It was
weird. It drooled. I thought it was going to eat me at first, but
then I felt so much better. I seem to be cured. Nothing hurts."
    "That's...
incredible." Tarl pulled away the torn bandages, revealing Kernan's
chest, innocent of bruises or swellings.
    Sabre studied
the beasts with renewed interest, then glanced at Tassin. "Maybe
they'll help you too?"
    She looked
doubtful, placing a hand on her ribs. "I'm not in that much
pain."
    "You're
hurt."
    "They don't
seem to want to."
    "They're wary.
They don't know us, and we're not too weak to hurt them, like
Kernan was. Perhaps they just need a little encouragement."
    "How does one
encourage an alien beast?"
    Sabre turned
to the nearest quadruped and walked towards it until it backed
away, its eyes widening. He stopped and glanced at Tassin. "Come
here."
    She joined
him, and he took her hand, drew her past him and thrust her towards
the beast. It took a step back, and several of the others
nickered.
    "Show them,"
Sabre suggested.
    Tassin
hesitated, then pulled up her blouse, revealing the bandages around
her ribs. The beasts watched her with wide, intent, limpid eyes.
She undid the bandage and unwound it, wincing as its support
diminished. Still the beasts made no move, even when she had
exposed a fair amount of bruised skin. She glanced at Sabre, who
nodded encouragement, and rubbed the bruised area, starting to feel
rather silly. The beast closest to her tossed its head, glancing
past her at Sabre.
    She looked
back at the cyber. "They're afraid of you, I think."
    Sabre
retreated until he stood beside Tarl and Kernan, several paces
away. Tassin turned to face the beast again, and jumped in
surprise. The creature moved closer and stretched out its neck to
sniff her midriff, its velvet nostrils flaring. Some of the others
nickered. The beast's muzzle touched her waist, its warm breath
dewing her skin with moisture.
    Tassin
shivered as it tilted its head to one side and gazed at her with a
liquid brown eye. Long strings of saliva oozed from its mouth as a
slender blue tongue emerged to lick her bruises. At first the
sticky wetness revolted her, and she shuddered, fighting the urge
to evade the gentle caress of its soft tongue. Saliva ran down into
her waistband, and, as the beast became more intent upon its task,
she glimpsed long, gleaming fangs hidden behind its soft lips. A
frisson of doubt and fear went through her, but again she fought
the urge to flee.
     
     
    A flashing red
light drew Sabre's attention inwards. He studied the data that
scrolled through his mind. First was an x-ray of the beast that
licked Tassin, showing a mouth full of canine teeth, followed by a
thorough cellular and chemical analysis with a surprising number of
unknowns. He pondered the information, puzzled. The canine teeth
were odd, but not unduly alarming, carnivores could evolve into
herbivores when forced to adapt.
    Kernan was
proof of their good intentions, although why they would want to
heal aliens was a mystery, and that they could heal someone with
such alien body chemistry was amazing. What perplexed him the most
was why the cyber considered these friendly, and ostensibly
harmless, alien beasts a threat. Still, the cyber's warning was not
to be ignored.
    Sabre strode
towards Tassin, and the grey birds hooted. The quadruped backed
away, looking alarmed, and Tassin turned to him with a reproachful
expression.
    "Why did you
chase it away? I was starting to feel better."
    Sabre took her
arm and drew her back towards the pod. "I'm not sure why, but