animosity, from which she deduced that
they had been discussing Kole's indiscretion.
"Tarl, you
understand cybers, don't you?" she asked.
His brows rose.
"As much as is possible, I suppose."
"He's changed.
He's not like he was on Omega Five. He's become cold and distant.
He was far more able to understand feelings then. Why?"
Tarl looked
thoughtful, swirling his drink. "When he got free on Omega Five,
he'd been out of training for how long? Five years? How old was
he?"
"Twenty-six."
"Six years." He
nodded. "Six years to develop a stunted personality and learn a
little about emotions from what he saw and heard around him. Then
he spent a year with you, learning about people and emotions. Now
he's been back to Myon Two, and they put him through a refresher
course only what, three years ago? Three and a half, at most?"
She nodded.
"What did they do to him?"
"You heard what
he told us. They reconditioned him, and then they took away his
memories. He came out of that place a blank slate, and even his
short-term memory was impaired."
"But he's got
them back now."
"Yes, but he's
unable to deal with them properly yet, and there's another reason,
I think."
"What?"
Tarl studied
his drink. "When he was on Omega Five, did he show affection?"
"A... a little,
mostly to Dena, the girl we rescued."
"He never
really showed any to you, did he?"
"Except for the
night he was taken away, no, not really. He seemed... confused,
unsure of himself."
"Much like he
is now," Tarl said. "No matter what he feels, and I'm sure he feels
a lot for you, he has no idea how to show it. Whatever he may have
learnt while under the cyber's control would only be dim
recollections, blurred images and snatches of conversation. All he
knows is combat. How can he possibly know how to express what he
feels? And he's not even sure what he feels, which only adds to his
confusion."
"Sounds like a
bloody basket case," Kole muttered.
Tarl shot him a
glare. "You have to give him time, Tassin. Maybe even another
year."
She flopped
into a chair, despondent. "Perhaps if he had another man to talk to
it would help. You know, neither of you has had a friendly
conversation with him about nothing in particular. It's no wonder
he doesn't think you like him."
"We've been a
little busy."
"No, we had
seven days of boredom on Blue Sun, and you kept him sedated the
whole time."
"I was -"
She raised a
hand. "I know what you were doing; that's not the point. He still
feels like a cyber because that's how you treat him."
"I..." He
frowned at his drink. "I'm only trying to look after him."
"But you're
looking after him like he's a cyber."
He hesitated,
then nodded. "You're right. I didn't see it. I'm so used to..." He
grimaced. "You're right."
Kole waved his
drink. "Hey, the only time I had a conversation with him, he told
me he wasn't equipped to deal with human emotions. It sort of put a
damper on the conversation."
"What were you
talking about?"
Kole frowned.
"It doesn't matter."
"You can't rush
him, Tassin," Tarl said.
"I'm not trying
to rush him; I'm trying to help him. I think he needs you two to
treat him like a man, and talk to him."
"He's not
exactly a talkative fellow," Kole remarked.
"He doesn't
need to talk; he needs to listen to other men talking about their
experiences and feelings, so he can understand his own."
"He needs an
adolescence," Tarl said.
"Yeah, next
time we're on a friendly planet, we'll take him to one of those
teenager hangouts and let him mingle with the boys." Kole chuckled.
"He'll learn a lot there."
"It's not
funny," Tassin said.
"No, it's not,"
Tarl agreed. "I'll try to talk to him."
She sighed,
shaking her head. "Unfortunately, he doesn't really like you. He
likes Kole more. Kole relates to him as a man, not a cyber, which
might be the reason."
"Oh great,"
Kole muttered. "Now you want me to explain the birds and the bees
to him, so you two can live happily ever after."
Tassin looked
down at her hands. "I know it's a lot
they had been discussing Kole's indiscretion.
"Tarl, you
understand cybers, don't you?" she asked.
His brows rose.
"As much as is possible, I suppose."
"He's changed.
He's not like he was on Omega Five. He's become cold and distant.
He was far more able to understand feelings then. Why?"
Tarl looked
thoughtful, swirling his drink. "When he got free on Omega Five,
he'd been out of training for how long? Five years? How old was
he?"
"Twenty-six."
"Six years." He
nodded. "Six years to develop a stunted personality and learn a
little about emotions from what he saw and heard around him. Then
he spent a year with you, learning about people and emotions. Now
he's been back to Myon Two, and they put him through a refresher
course only what, three years ago? Three and a half, at most?"
She nodded.
"What did they do to him?"
"You heard what
he told us. They reconditioned him, and then they took away his
memories. He came out of that place a blank slate, and even his
short-term memory was impaired."
"But he's got
them back now."
"Yes, but he's
unable to deal with them properly yet, and there's another reason,
I think."
"What?"
Tarl studied
his drink. "When he was on Omega Five, did he show affection?"
"A... a little,
mostly to Dena, the girl we rescued."
"He never
really showed any to you, did he?"
"Except for the
night he was taken away, no, not really. He seemed... confused,
unsure of himself."
"Much like he
is now," Tarl said. "No matter what he feels, and I'm sure he feels
a lot for you, he has no idea how to show it. Whatever he may have
learnt while under the cyber's control would only be dim
recollections, blurred images and snatches of conversation. All he
knows is combat. How can he possibly know how to express what he
feels? And he's not even sure what he feels, which only adds to his
confusion."
"Sounds like a
bloody basket case," Kole muttered.
Tarl shot him a
glare. "You have to give him time, Tassin. Maybe even another
year."
She flopped
into a chair, despondent. "Perhaps if he had another man to talk to
it would help. You know, neither of you has had a friendly
conversation with him about nothing in particular. It's no wonder
he doesn't think you like him."
"We've been a
little busy."
"No, we had
seven days of boredom on Blue Sun, and you kept him sedated the
whole time."
"I was -"
She raised a
hand. "I know what you were doing; that's not the point. He still
feels like a cyber because that's how you treat him."
"I..." He
frowned at his drink. "I'm only trying to look after him."
"But you're
looking after him like he's a cyber."
He hesitated,
then nodded. "You're right. I didn't see it. I'm so used to..." He
grimaced. "You're right."
Kole waved his
drink. "Hey, the only time I had a conversation with him, he told
me he wasn't equipped to deal with human emotions. It sort of put a
damper on the conversation."
"What were you
talking about?"
Kole frowned.
"It doesn't matter."
"You can't rush
him, Tassin," Tarl said.
"I'm not trying
to rush him; I'm trying to help him. I think he needs you two to
treat him like a man, and talk to him."
"He's not
exactly a talkative fellow," Kole remarked.
"He doesn't
need to talk; he needs to listen to other men talking about their
experiences and feelings, so he can understand his own."
"He needs an
adolescence," Tarl said.
"Yeah, next
time we're on a friendly planet, we'll take him to one of those
teenager hangouts and let him mingle with the boys." Kole chuckled.
"He'll learn a lot there."
"It's not
funny," Tassin said.
"No, it's not,"
Tarl agreed. "I'll try to talk to him."
She sighed,
shaking her head. "Unfortunately, he doesn't really like you. He
likes Kole more. Kole relates to him as a man, not a cyber, which
might be the reason."
"Oh great,"
Kole muttered. "Now you want me to explain the birds and the bees
to him, so you two can live happily ever after."
Tassin looked
down at her hands. "I know it's a lot
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