Read Cyborg Strike for Free Online

“Thank you.”
    “You are welcome. But I will do what I will
do, in my own way. I will not be ordered about by anyone, not even
you.”
    Markis spread his hands in acceptance. “Once
you left my personal service, have I ever expected that?”
    “No. I just wanted to be clear. If I take
over, I will rule Australia for the benefit of the world – and for
the people there, and for myself, not for you or for the Free
Communities.”
    Markis threw him a jaunty salute. “Got it.
Now about Russia…”
    “What about it? You said you have some
problem with them?”
    “Just with the Septagon Shadow program, the
parts of it that fled the US. The Russians took them in. I’m sure
they love the idea of absorbing the technology and using it.”
    “I fail to see that the issue is. Surely a
few cyborgs are not that disruptive to a technologically advanced
nation armed with nuclear weapons.”
    Markis finished his sandwich and reached for
another. “Not of they stay in their lanes. My concern is that they
might turn the tables on the Russians.”
    “The tail may wag the dog, you think?”
    “I do. Cass has been looking into it for quit
a while, ever since her son Rick and daughter-in-law came home with
implanted cyberware.”
    “Yes,” Spooky replied drily. “I can see the
motivation.”
    “I’ve directed Cass to turn over a complete
package of data to you. All I ask is that you look at it and, once
you have secured your position, think about what needs to be done.
If the goal is to get all of Earth, especially the big players,
pulling the yoke together, we have to remove a rogue element like
Septagon Shadow.”
    Spooky chuckled. “You want me to do your
dirty work.”
    “Our dirty work, Tran. We do what we do best,
you do what you do best. Win-win.” Markis stared at Spooky a moment
longer, as if deciding what more to say. “Did you ever wonder why I
gave you so much material to work with?”
    “Because you had no choice, if Orion was to be built?”
    Markis laughed. “Not that kind of material…I
meant human resources.”
    Spooky’s eyes narrowed, and his nostrils
flared with suppressed realization.
    Markis’ smile broadened. “It’s a rare thing
to get ahead of the great Spooky Nguyen. I’m talking about your
fellows, your compatriots.”
    “Psychos?”
    “If you have less pejorative term I’ll use
it.”
    “I don’t really mind, between us alone.
Officially, we call them ‘Outliers’.” Spooky finished the sandwich,
drank a glass of water and relit his cigar. “So you’re claiming
you…”
    “Killed at least two birds with one stone by
shipping you all the ‘Outliers’ we could find? Yes. Even Cass was
against it, but I think I was right. Getting rid of the Psychos
from the rest of the FC dramatically simplified our problems, and I
figured that someone would eventually put them to good use, or
eliminate them for us. The only risk I foresaw was that they would
seize power and make a mess of things, but once you took up
residence there, I slept like a baby.”
    Spooky puffed his stogie contemplatively,
matched by Daniel across from him. “When did you know?”
    “About you being one? For sure? I suppose
just now…but I was almost certain from the time the missile strikes
went awry. I just couldn’t see you getting duped that way, which
meant that somehow you had to be complicit. No Eden would sacrifice
hundreds of millions of people, even if the payoff was breaking the
back of the nations standing in the way of saving the Earth. But I
saw you infected. Ergo…an Outlier.”
    “Hmm.” Spooky stood up to pace after tapping
a chunk of ash into the tray. “A deductive leap. I did not think it
would be so obvious.”
    Daniel shook his head. “It was only obvious
to someone who knew you well, knew your skills and abilities, and
also knew the real ins and outs of the Eden Plague’s effects on the
human psyche.”
    “Ah. Elise.”
    “And her team, of course. We were talking one
day and suddenly