Cutlass Sharpened

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “Then why was he sealed away in that thing?” Deegen’s voice spoke privately in their internal coms.

  “I hear its painful bonding original artifacts. It could explain the memory loss.”

  “Not a chance in hell.” Renee killed that theory before it took root. “He was artificially stripped. Pain can’t remove everything of who he was and leave only basic instincts untouched. He doesn’t even have medical nanites in his blood. Even if he was one of those naturalists, he’d have severe brain damage without them. I’ve found nothing… and his pain is worse than he can currently articulate.” She took her hand off his head and he groaned, opening up those amber eyes. Taking Stephanie’s idea and running with it she touched her chest, hating to resort to such barbaric methods. “My name is Renee Dorgen.”

  “Female?” He asked with clear uncertainty, rubbing his neck again.

  “Female is my gender. Renee is my name. Renee.”

  “Ray-nay?” He asked, rolling his tongue.

  “Yes, I’m Renee. Do you know who you are. This means yes.” She lifted her head up and down. “Ah, sorry.” He touched her collar and her helmet collapsed. He blinked rapidly as her hair blew up and out to lay down in the ship’s gravity as they reached space, leaving the atmosphere and planet altogether. “Yes.” She nodded. “No.” Shaking her head side to side. “Do you remember your name?”

  “No.” he mimicked shaking. Mimicry, the basis for understanding another.

  Renee made up her mind. “Then until we discover who you are I’ll call you… hmmm… Oliver. Yes, you’re Oliver.”

  “Olive-er?” He repeated. Touching his chest now. “Oliver?”

  “Very good, Oliver. Can I ask you not to hurt my friends?” He barely understood. “Uh, no hurt Stephanie.” She pointed to her friend.

  Oliver turned in the thinner woman’s direction and pointed his left bloodied arm like Renee. “Stephanie no hurt Renee… I no hurt Stephanie.”

  The crew’s archeologist smirked. “Looks like you rescued a lost puppy, Renee.” The medic rolled her eyes and sighed. To the newly named man she said “Oliver no hurt Renee, I no hurt Oliver either?”

  He seemed to mull it over. “Renee smell kind. I no hurt Renee. You smell of other female. I not close to you. Keep Renee alive, we bond. Yes?”

  Up front Steven laughed.

  Stephanie nodded. “Yes… Uh, Renee, how can he smell I’m lesbian? I thought there was no pheromones or signals to identify our sexual preference.”

  “Add it to another on the long list of this fucked up situation.” She replied. “Oliver, look at me.” He obeyed. “I’m going to take the pain away, but I’m not going to put you to sleep this time. I need to know if you can stand so I can clean you up… can you stand?” she clarified by standing herself and Stephanie followed.

  He this time struggled mightily, showing he was very tired. “Steven, reduce gravity in the central compartment by half.”

  “Will do.”

  Gravity lowered and Oliver mimicked Stephanie’s smile, figuring it was pleasant and moved under his own power much more easily. “Feel better.”

  “Follow me to the bathroom.” Renee didn’t bother needing to dumb it down as he seemed to understand. Stephanie followed, picking up the gore soaked blade.

  Warm water scared Oliver, who didn’t understand, but Renee walked under it and her curly red hair was flattened. Seeing her not afraid, Oliver tentatively stepped in and found the warm water refreshing. Water pressure beat against his body and cleaned him of everything. Stephanie ran the Star-saber under the large sink to clean it to its natural black sheen. Renee meanwhile showed Oliver soap that fills his hands and helped him wash and sterilize his body. She was methodical, going over every centimeter of his skin. Including his uncircumcised phallus that grew to womb stabbing length and wrist width. He helped some, but grew tired again which wasn’t surprising. But back in main room’s floor, tiny, bug-like scrubbers cleaned every molecule of debris from the floor.

  Once Renee was satisfied, she hit the hot dryers and in seconds they were both dry. “Please find him clothing.” Stephanie left with the sword. While waiting for the clothes Renee gave him a shot of endorphins to numb the pain, but retain all other cognitive function and inhibit any need to be addicted since endorphins were naturally made in the body.

  Stephanie returned with a fresh bundle, but not what was in the capsule. Together they taught him how to pull on pants and a long sleeved shirt. Being properly clothed seemed to further relax him.

  Oliver towered over the two women and heard the dark skinned man’s voice, the one with a bald head talking from somewhere, but couldn’t find him. “Don’t I know it. Those Salamanders were what I thought were boulders earlier. All the iron rich sand was the perfect camouflage. We almost met our final breath.”

  “Good thing Satellite warned us as it crawled over the edge. It snuck up on us.”

  A higher male’s chirpy voice appeared, Satellite’s. “It wasn’t there when I patrolled the air when all of you were busy down in that hole. We all got lucky. Even you, Partner.”

  “If not for that guy I’d be that thing’s next shit pile.”

  “That guy is Oliver until we determine his true identity.” Renee said. “Remember, Steven, we’re docking starboard side by my wing. Oliver needs a more proper and thorough examination.”

  “You, name Steven?” Oliver pointed to the gore and charred pilot.

  “Yes. Better take a seat. We’ll be docking in a minute.”

  Oliver then took notice beyond the man called Steven. A draw like nothing he could explain made him want to go reach out and experience the beyond. He stumbled past the two seats, went through a hologram display and hopped over the console. He smacked his forehead painfully up against something he couldn’t see that was frigidly cold. His hands pushed on what he’d learn to be an near indestructible window made of pure sapphire which was clear. Behind, Steven let out a slew of curses when the ship momentarily veered off course and a few other unfortunate things were accidently hit trying to keep going.

  Space, the endless void drew him. He didn’t know why it soothed him to stare out into the vastness, only it did. It was natural. Like breathing, only more majestic. Tiny dots of light didn’t flicker since it only does due to atmosphere distortions. The dark compared to light called out. Drawing him with need he didn’t understand. Hot breath fogged the window, but he barely noticed. Imagination ran wild. The stars calmed him, felt peaceful. Almost as good as Renee’s touch.

  Renee though couldn’t hide a smile. It was a first for him, like a child getting a present, but she knew exactly how it felt. Each time it affected her in profound, peaceful ways. Even without her chip, she could sense his awe as if it were her own. Oliver was like a newborn in all mental aspects. To see him so excited to view the cosmos gave her a good feeling. His head moved slowly, soaking it all in.

  Then his head snapped, catching the starship. He took in a sailboat much like what he rode in at the moment, but without wings. Three great masts were keeping solar sails curled up, but it was the size that was the issue. It was more than twice the size of the mountain that contained him for so long. A large interstellar starship. The vessel was exactly as one would imagine an old world sailboat to be. The only differences were four massive thrusters on the back end, spaced away from the rudder more than three kilometers long from top to bottom. Anchor chains larger than houses were drawn, but the hook-like anchor was similar. All around it was an atmospheric shield bubble so people could walk freely on deck. Massive rope riggings tied it all together by massive wrenches. It could sail the stars as well as the seas as long as an ocean was deep enough. Beneath the underside was an odd silvery strip running bow to stern, an antigravity stabilizer should the vessel need to land on planet. Up on the bow was a massive sphere aimed forward. A cannon.

  “Welcome to the Dorgenox, Oliver.” Renee said and he looked down to realize she stood beside him. “Just between us, I love to star
gaze as well. We need to move though. We make a better wall than a window. We’re about to dock.” He followed her, looking back as the Dorgenox filled the entire view of the window.

  Docking was routine. The fighters broke off to go under the ship and land on the portside. Steven let the automatic system perfectly park in the much smaller emergency landing bay. The hull of the ship lifted up and allowed the shuttle to pass the barrier. Docking clamps grabbed the underside of the ship, nearly everything being made of specialized dense wood. Atmosphere on the other side made pressurized hisses from hydraulics till the all clear lights came on.

  Sparky was already outside waiting for the main hatches to open. His green scales shone in the overhead sunlamps and his fearsome body took up much of the extra area. Since this place was reserved for emergencies, it didn’t have as much traffic as the other side. He sighed as Renee stepped out first already thanking Jessica for lowering gravity in the isolated area for the new guest. Behind followed Oliver in clothes that hung off his skinny frame and then Stephanie who said “Go ahead and pull it around. We can take it from here.”

  “I can’t leave him alone. He’s proven dangerous already.” Steven said commandingly. “No other ships are out. The shuttle can stay in here for now.”

  Renee said calmly “Oliver has shown himself to only be a threat if someone is aggressive. Besides, you remember the last time you tried my patience?” Steven gulped, but glared. “My dock will remain available at all times. Besides, Stephanie has his sword and even she could pin Oliver to the floor. As an added bonus, Sparky will not leave my side.” The Drake hissed in confirmation. “Go put my baby back in her crib and return to med bay with the others. You know the procedure when visiting unknown planets. Contamination protocols are in effect though our scans said nothing harmful was down there. I don’t take chances on the health of my crew.

  “Afterwards you can pretend to play gallant knight and defend my honor… unless you piss me off and I kick you in the balls again.” She grinned evilly.

  “Fine, but Oliver” The skeletal man cocked his head. “lay one hand on her and you answer to me.”

  The oblivious man blinked as the hatches shut and flew out the docking bay.

  “Oliver, please follow me. I need to check you out… medically.” She corrected the slip up and no one seemed to notice. No one except a hissing Sparky who was connected to her on a level indescribable. He said nothing though he knew she was imagining the massive phallus wickedly thrusting between her legs unbidden.

  It was a natural reaction.

  Oliver’s slipper covered feet shuffled behind Renee as they arrived at the one door made of bleached white wood rather than the one on the other side of the room. Over the door that slid, opened automatically to those approaching was red lettering on white that read ‘Med Bay’. The door was five meters tall and six wide, plenty enough to fit the largest Drakes through let alone humans. Oliver moved along, wide eyed, taking it all in.

  The medical wing wasn’t too big, but it could fit half the crew of three hundred if necessary. The room was a clean white, but they, including Sparky, fit inside a scrubber chamber which blew a white mist filled with programmed microbes that cleaned them and their suits of all contaminants. Oliver made the women laugh as he tried grabbing the smoke. Then the front slider opened once decontamination was complete and nothing unknown and deadly was found, in which case if something was they would have to wait until a solution could be discovered.

  Renee sighed things were going smoothly as she entered her citrusy smelling room. She went to her desk, removed the pack from her lower back to put in its stand which refilled the two doses she used earlier on the new patient. Then put the injector pistol in its desk sheath. She then connected her chip to the ship’s sensors and thought “Activate startup procedures for full medical workup on new patient. First name: Oliver. Last, Unknown. Full blood panel and genetic background required. Priority one.”

  As soon as her request was made a rectangular bed slid out from the seemingly smooth wall. The bed was cushioned in a firm, warm baby blue gelatin. A hatch in the ceiling opened and down dropped a metallic ball dotted with blue and red lights which flew over to hover suspended a full two meters above the bed.

  The solid bodied redhead turned around saying “Oliver, please lay down on that bed… Er. Here, do as I do.” She brought him over and demonstrated what she meant by laying down and got back up.

  Oliver enjoyed her bright smile, liking it for she seemed much more pleasant. It made her many freckles around the nose and cheeks stand out. Better than when she doesn’t smile. He turned, sat, twisted and laid his long body out.

  “Scoot up a bit. Your feet are hanging off the edge of the bed.” With a little more scooting he fit. “Now just lay there for a few minutes and try not to move. I need to go change and will be back soon. Until then, stay on the bed.”

  “No move.” Sparky’s telepathic mind clarified within him.

  Oliver didn’t seem the least concerned a giant lizard was in his mind and understood nodding as Stephanie taught “Yes. No Move. Renee safe yes?”

  “Yes.” Sparky replied sitting with his long thin tail wrapping around his body. Neck arched and watched with curiosity.

  “Start program.” Renee told the room and Oliver held very still as light began hurting his eyes so he closed them.

  She then left to enter an adjacent room, her personal quarters. With a touch of her thumb and index finger she ran them down a silvery strip between her breasts. The movement was necessary to release the seams keeping her seamless skintight suit together without having to resort to cutting it off with a laser, ruining the expensive suits. She sighed in relief as the skintight, rubbery metallic suit let her girls run free. She sat the now somewhat clean top, having dust removed when aiding Oliver in bathing together in the shower, in a chute that went nowhere. It was only used to sterilize and clean clothes and fold them. White gloves that went just past her wrist remained on as she ran her fingers down both hips to loosen her pants. Threw them in along with gloves and boots. She closed the lid and started the cleaner to walk in her own shower.

  Renee’s thoughts melted away as she cleaned up. All her sweat was cleaned off and felt like a new woman again. Her curious mind couldn’t get off the fact of their latest discovery, that and Stephanie’s uncanny intuition. If not for her, Renee knew full well, Oliver may never have been discovered. His life already was tragic enough having amnesia. True amnesia. He quite literally lost everything.

  Renee may have been annoyed to no end how he latched onto her, but was heartbroken to consider how alone he was. She could feel it though her abilities. Everything was new and confusing for him, but he had yet to realize what she did. To lose who you are is the gravest crime not even the cruelest bandits would wish on an enemy. It was worse than death.

  The nastiest part is there still remained no cure for amnesia, let alone what had been done to him. Brain cells could regenerate. Memories, not so much.

  Or a sicker idea, he volunteered to be wiped clean.

  Renee shivered that thought away while hitting the drying button and was near instantly dry, even her long red hair. She stepped out, tucked her bouncing girls into their boulder-holders, slid into a pair of panties, pants and a light blue top before sliding into metallic soled slippers. It was mandatory for her wear should she need to work in zero gravity on a large patient, her feet would stick to the ground. She then went by her nightstand, grabbed a silver hair ring that pulled all the strands up into a high fiery ponytail. It accentuated her pointy ears as well as exposed her creamy neck artfully tattooed with winding green vines that covered her entire back, dotted with flowers and full of thorns. Her tattoo embodied her personality. Pretty, but deadly.

  The door slid open to find the three Hunters backs blocking her way, barricading. “Boys, get out of my way before I make you.”

  “Oliver grew a little too anxious when the Hunters arrived.” Stephanie couldn’t hide her
smirk and didn’t try. “He tried entering your room, but they cut him off.” Renee saw through the crack between Stone and Deegen’s bodies Oliver pacing back and forth like a caged animal glaring at the three men he stood well above, but wasn’t strong enough to get past.

  “Enough with the pissing contest boys.” Stone and the Hunters knew that tone and moved away. She strode forward and Oliver stopped, saw she was fine then went to grab her. Renee smacked his hand away and he looked at it. Oliver tried again and she smacked his hand away even harder. Added a shock the third time. “Don’t try grabbing me again like that Oliver.”

  He tried, but suddenly found himself forced to the ground by something heavy, but saw nothing. His wild eyes flew around in fear… until locking his gaze upon green ones lit with an inner light and her pulled back hair raised as if by wind. Somehow he knew she was the one doing this. She smiled when he relaxed, but didn’t expect him to smile and say “Renee different. Renee no need Oliver to keep Stone Calliko, Steven Metts and Deegen Castor from hurts. Oliver content Renee in no danger. Renee strong.”

  “Quick learner.” Renee’s eyes dimmed to their natural luster and the pressure holding him down lifted. He stood up, but learned his lesson. “Oliver, I have just one rule you need to follow. Do as I say and I won’t kick your ass.” He didn’t respond as he struggled to understand. Renee didn’t continue confusing the poor man. “Stephanie, please tell me my patient stayed still for the exam?”

  “Yes. When it finished not ten seconds before the boys showed up. It was tense there for awhile, but it seems Oliver heard me introduce our Hunters’ full names when you happened to step out.”