Cutlass Sharpened

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “Tempting.” He gave a wry smile. “But not yet. Yesterday proved I need priorities. Yes I can learn rapidly, but what good is it if I can’t reach someone if I use too much strength?”

  “What do you mean?” She tilted her head. Mildly disappointed he didn’t jump on the offer all night struggling against.

  “Stone and the others are masters of fighting in an array of gravities, I’m not. After I first walked out on you I went up on deck and tried jumping for all I was worth. Needless to say I miserably failed landing.” He touched his split lip. “The Hunters were teaching me how to move my body… and when the Beasts arrived and you attacked me, my aim was to kill all three. When I kicked off the railing to cut the first in half I tried rolling. Instead of landing on my feet, I under-rotated, dislocating my shoulder and dropped my cutlass. I planned to jump up and deliver a psionic slice like I did to the Salamander.

  “It illustrated that I’m vastly unprepared to react like you did and like the Hunters. I would like nothing more than to be beside you longer, but if I do not learn my own body, you might not be able to put me back together if I make a mortal mistake.”

  “I understand now. And I agree. But since you brought it up, do you mind if I can see just how you absorbed at least fifteen years of schooling in under an hour?”

  Oliver’s smile broadened. “Thought you’d ask for proof. It’s why I brought this with me, but I need you to do something for me.”

  “And what might that be?”

  He cleared his throat, now understanding why it was embarrassing to speak about it. “I’m going to be up front. I’m not sure how I’ll react to you so near. Yesterday I nearly raped you when I caught your scent. I’m ready for it now, but I could have the same urges. If I show any signs of losing control, please put me under a barrier till I regain control.”

  “If your mating urges are so strong you should masturbate.” She said non-comically. “Masturbation is not something to be ashamed of. I could give you details and let you go do it in the bathroom.”

  This made him shake his head. “We think alike. I already experienced my first ejaculation in the shower before shaving and coming here.”

  “Good. If you prepared that much, I’ll keep you under control and unharmed so long as I know it is unintentional. If it is the other way around I will remind you what I’m capable of.” She gave him a wolfish grin and winked. “Go ahead and finish what you were doing before I came in on you yesterday.”

  He nodded and activated the tablet sitting on the examination bed. Hand on the crystal and the left quickly getting back into the comfortable feel of rapid typing.

  Renee kept a tight rein on her abilities, just a tiny amount was sufficient, but she also scanned his brain to realize her jaw dropped for so long it became uncomfortable. She saw advanced synaptic activity in the subconscious areas firing like a constant electrical arch’s. His frontal lobe remained unchanged, but other areas were moving like hers when harnessing her full class twelve capabilities. His heart sped up, pumping much more oxygen rich blood into the brain working in what was impossible for a class one psionic individual. It was also strange that psionic wavelengths did not fluctuate as expected in an outward effect by creating electricity outside the body.

  Like all medical things, she was recording it all through her chip for future reference and study.

  Though his brain worked in overtime, those amber eyes were entirely unfocused and unblinking for minutes at a time. Only during the need to blink did the screens pause for that brief instant. For over five minutes did she sit in disbelief.

  She felt the need to ask in a whisper “Oliver, can you hear me?”

  The screens stopped and his gaze narrowed. “Yes. Is something wrong?”

  “Not wrong exactly, but everything about you is strange. I was just wondering if you are capable of speaking as you learn.”

  “I can but try.” He restarted the rapid processing. Eyes unfocused once more. “Yes, I believe I can.”

  “Okay, then tell me what you are experiencing.”

  His brow furrowed just a hint and was picked up in the orb floating around and behind him without making a sound. Facial muscle constricted and she could see beneath the skin due to her chip, or shard as some call it. “To articulate it is difficult. It feels odd you might say, like living in a dream. I can’t remember more than whispers and fleeting images without really focusing. I had my first dream last night so I can understand how it works. It was about you, but I get no details from it after I woke up. It’s like my mind is floating in a hot bath, but I know I’m sitting right in front of you.”

  “That is not uncommon. I’m starting to see why your mind is so pliable. It resembles an infant’s…”

  “Oh, I see what you mean! They too absorb everything subconsciously before their frontal lobes develops to shape an individual personality.”

  “Exactly!” Renee exclaimed, glad someone could keep up with her that wasn’t a Drake. “Your amnesia simply stripped all but the animal essentials away. The human brain can store only so much information, but yours is empty. A literal clean slate. As an adult you can store more than an infant’s and can speak of it due to higher function. This pliability is how you can retain vastly more knowledge than a child. A fully developed adult mind with a child’s flexible tendencies.”

  “Logical and the most accurate explanation I had come up with so far.” He sighed without stopping.

  “What roughly are you researching now?” she felt the need to ask.

  “Procreation survival after rape. I find it odd the woman would allow a child born of such a cruel act to not kill the rapist with her own hand or give the satisfaction that their blood will keep running. Oh, never mind. The acts of the father do not go to the child. That is reasonable logic…” Renee smiled. “Now I’ve just learned the many ways of making love over strictly sexual release, adrenaline sex after a stressful situation and making love in exotic locations. Bondage…”

  She struggled not to laugh at his startled reacion. “And what about positions, do you know them?”

  “I learned those after anatomy, but my penis would hurt average women over pleasure unless that is their preference to need pain with pleasure. I do not want to learn why they would enjoy it, yet I have. I do not like pain. Pleasure I do. Now I’m reading chemical and pheromone signals between animals.”

  “Well now I’m curious, Oliver. You keep saying I smell good. What exactly makes me so special over other women aboard other than the fact I’m sturdy framed.”

  The screens paused and he was angry in a second. “Stephanie promised to hold my confidence. Liar.” He said through clenched teeth. Then got up too fast and tumbled in a tangle of limbs and a feminine cry of surprise.

  Renee found herself beneath Oliver and froze, getting very vivid ideas of what this kind of a man could do for her, but didn’t last as he quickly went still, said ‘Sorry’ and got up faster than she could due to his physiology. She realized what she said too late while rolling over and grabbed Oliver’s ankle while getting up. “Hold on one damn minute!” She yelled and in an astounding move she got to her feet and flipped Oliver’s entire body upside down with her power. He didn’t fight so Renee turned him back upright like a dial to set him down. “Oliver, you got it all wrong. Stephanie didn’t tell me what went on in your room. Remember my filter? It just got me in trouble yet again. She didn’t say anything and wouldn’t. I saw her last night heading to your room after she made me tell her what happened. I eavesdropped. I heard what you two said. Don’t be mad at her.”

  At once his anger vanished into confusion. “Why eavesdrop when you’ve had hearing augmentation done like Hunters?” He pointed to her Elvin pointed ears.

  “Because all bedrooms are soundproof and I had to use my chip in close proximity to hack into your Terran net holo-crystal to hear and see. I couldn’t hack it from in here. My med bay is shielded from hackers… medical records and privacy statutes you know.” She looked
embarrassingly down at her feet. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t bring myself to apologize. I was so angry and it’s not in my nature to apologize to anyone, but it seems it’s all I keep doing to you.”

  “Oh, then I won’t be mad at Stephanie.” He walked back to the bed and went back to what he was doing. “You asked what you smell like, but how can a plant say how it transforms sunlight to chlorophyll? How can we explain what exactly caused The Big Bang? Your smell draws me. It heats my very blood. It is sweet, delicate and very potent at the same time underneath the lavender soap shampoo and body wash you use. When you are angry it sours like the smell of salty bacteria under our arms without deodorizers. When you are aroused, like when I tripped and knocked you off the chair just now, it is sweeter and mouthwatering. And when you grow wet between the legs is burns me not to bury myself in you. My mind pictured exactly what I’ve memorized.”

  “Damn, be blunt why don’t you.” Renee rolled her eyes and rubbed her thighs together knowing he could smell her bodily reactions and could do nothing about them.

  He paused and looked straight at her. “Out of everyone you allow me to meet, you are the only one I feel I can be as blunt as I can. I can talk to Stephanie about this, but it doesn’t feel right. I want to know more from you than her. She is a person who thinks. You act. You are ruled by passion. You are more like me than she is.”

  “He is correct.” Sparky said as he chose that moment to step into her area.

  “Not now Sparky. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m not going to screw a man who doesn’t even remember his own name.”

  “Did you know yours when you were born? Didn’t the captain give it to you. I see no difference. Besides, Oliver is profoundly more than he was just four days ago.”

  “Shut up.” But Renee knew her lame retort meant the Drake won yet another conversation. And she hated losing. She looked back at her patient to say “Oliver, look. The galaxy is full of women. You’ll find one to your liking, but we will never ever be lovers. My reactions are natural as you are an impressive male specimen as we evolved to sexually respond…”

  “For healthy offspring to have the best chance for survival. I know this. Like you, I cannot help being attracted physically. Your wide hips and large breasts will make you a strong mother. What I have learned however is saying ‘never’ usually ends up happening regardless of the moment it is said. I want to be close to you, if as a friend only. If I do find a woman who arouses me like you and reciprocates my needs, I will be with her.”

  “I wish you all the luck in the universe. May the woman be just as fucked up as you’ve turned out to be.” Her laugh elicited his own.

  “Hello, Sparky. Your scales are especially glossy this morning.” Oliver greeted as taught when another enters a room.

  “Greetings, Oliver. I wish to thank you for saving my partner yesterday.”

  “No thanks required… yes, we are friends once again.”

  “Good. I do not like strife unless I am the cause.” Sparky’s lips pulled back to show off his row of sharp, curved teeth. “Will you be joining us for breakfast?”

  Renee raised an eyebrow, being let into the last part of the conversation.

  “I’m not hungry since my last meal, but I do not know what to drink. Renee has yet to tell me if anything other than water may stimulate me incorrectly with what drugs she administered in the two days I slept.”

  “Something must have slipped my mind. Sorry, Oliver, but you’re cleared for all minor stimulants such as teas, caffeinated coffee and sweetened carbonated beverages. But until I can do a metabolism study, you should avoid any alcohol. You probably know how bad a penalty will cost if caught intoxicated.”

  “All narcotics are banned unless administered by a registered medic are punishable by retraining which will make the individual sick with terror at the thought of doing it again and alcohol is done similarly on the third violation if reoccurred within two month’s time. All retraining costs are hefty and comes out of the individual’s credit account.”

  “Word for word correct.” Renee smiled, satisfied. “I’ll take a sample of your blood and let the analyzer run to determine what you can legally ingest.” She grabbed her gun and painlessly got the sample and got it started as they headed for the door.

  Empty halls greeted the three all the way to the nearest elevator. Renee watched Oliver closely and noticed he was still uncomfortable walking around and said “Do you want me to increase gravity around us?”

  “You can do that?” He asked in surprise.

  “Of course. I can patch into the gravity modules grown throughout my ship in a range of fifty meters. I can crank the gravity up if you stay in range of me.” She focused and her chip linked to the sensors under her feet and Oliver paused when he felt he change. “This is Earth’s gravity.” Clothes and body grew heavier inside the elevator as it ascended towards the mess deck. “This is two gees, three and four… and a half. This is as much as I can withstand easily. I can do six, but not easily.”

  Oliver closed his eyes and lifted his arms and legs as a test. “This is nice. I’m liking this gravity.”

  ‘Ding!’ the wooden elevator chimed. Renee smiled as he walked out right after her and immediately looked much more comfortable in his own skin. His gait was more crisp and lithe. It didn’t mean he wasn’t awkward. He had a lot to catch up on to become comfortable. “I’ll keep a three meter gravitational bubble between the two of us so you stop looking like a stick was shoved up your ass.”

  “Thank you for this, Renee.” He matched her step with Sparky silently watching and following behind.

  “No problem, but if anyone comes too near us I’ll need to turn it down. Half the ship was space born and some never set foot on anything heavier than moons. I’m just glad Papa sent me to grow up on Drakken Prime, Sparky’s home world. Their gravity is like we’re experiencing.”

  “So did you adapt or get genetic splicing for denser bones?” He asked out of innocent curiosity.

  “Adapted all the way.” They entered the mess hall since the Dorgenox’s elevators move in a three dimensional network of tubes since the elevators were spherical yet square inside. Using vacuum pressure, elevators take an individual to all nearest places on the ship. Up, down, left, right forward and back. Three dimensions for swift access in a short amount of time. “All I’ve done were my ears, but that was for Phantom training. I don’t like doing things the easy way. It’s too bad Papa won’t crank the gravity up any higher. But it is just right for people with average psionics. Making objects lighter does help with levitation I suppose.

  The mess was lively at eight in the morning. Wooden tables surrounded by barstools dotted the entire spacious floor. Directly in the middle was a small island building surrounded by a bar table where people can go order a meal. A holographic display showed what choices were available for the moment. All selections were hearty breakfast items. Off in the direction of the bow was a stage up against a wall where entertainment would raise some noise. Currently a realistic morning news announcement was taking place. Oliver only knew the anchorwomen were not truly there due to multiple lights on the stage currently active. More than two dozen adults were eating and listening in. The mess had two dozen elevator entrances and the three of them merely exited one.

  Renee’s blazing red hair did not go unnoticed, though some people had odd colors of green and blue highlights. Hers was naturally that color and it tended to draw the eye like a flame. Then many did a double take as they noticed Oliver walking at her side and whispers ensued. Seeing a Drake wasn’t uncommon as two lived aboard. Sparky and his mate were always around.

  Seeing a girl of about ten years running over Renee said “Oliver, I’m turning down the gravity. I’ll turn it back when we take a seat.”

  Forewarning was much appreciated and he felt himself get tremendously lighter.

  The girl screamed “SPARKY!” Sparky’s eyes glinted as soon as he saw the child. Oliver gasped in horror as Spa
rky’s deadly maw opened wide and consumed the girl from head to groin, leaving out a pair of scrawny legs. The green Drake then lifted the child up off the ground, turned his neck and dropped her down at the base of his neck to deposit her. He then nudged her with his snout and elicited a gleeful giggle.

  Renee busted out laughing at Oliver’s reaction. “Relax. That’s just Chloe. Sparky loves children and they love getting rides and flying around. He will only let one adult ride him. Me. Kids on the other hand…” To prove her point four magnificent wings lifted off the body and began to blur to make the air him as Sparky took off to do a few laps around the spacious mess hall. “Come on. You might not be hungry, but I am. I missed dinner last night.”

  Together they made way up to the central cookhouse and Renee placed her order first. Oliver though was struck by the many pleasant scents of spices. He asked “Renee, is there a way I can try all these drinks? I want to see what they are like. I’m not hungry, but I thirst.”

  “Sure. Food and drinks are free. When we need to resupply whatever goods we sell is first used to get provisions. Whatever remains is paid to the person. Don’t worry about making credits yet. You probably won’t need any, being a Hunter and all. I would suggest you order small drinks from the kid selection. I’ll get two coffees and a few hot teas.” She tapped on her order a few more times before sending it.

  Oliver looked over the menu after turning the screen to the children side and touched orange juice, grape, fruit punch, milk, chocolate milk and a few more till every drink was selected and punched the blue enter key and finalized the order. The wait wasn’t long as two people came out carrying trays. One had Renee’s order of a six egg omelet stuffed with three types of cheese, bacon, mushroom, sausage, tomato and potently strong onions that irritated the eyes even after being cooked. Beside it was homemade hash browns with a thick slice of toast slathered with cinnamon butter. All heavily spiced. Beside her dish was six steaming drinks, two black coffees and four assorted hot teas. The other server carried more than a dozen kid drinks covered in a lid with a straw stinking out like quills.