Cutlass Sharpened

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “Tell him and don’t hold back. It’s hard to talk.” Renee prompted.

  And so began Oliver retelling the events of the day from the bombing to what he pieced together before being blinded and thrown down in the limbo of Level Four. Afterwards he asked “And what is your story? I know you can’t divulge everything, but give us what you can.”

  Netul raised his bluish grey arms. ‘From what I’ve been able to keep track of through the guard shifts and ghoulish treatment, my estimation is it was sixty four of your years ago that I answered a distress from one of my people’s colonies under assault by Keptl trackers who had bred to too great a number, but I was first to arrive. As I fought and held them off I felt a prick in my neck and lost all my power. Before I could lash out, someone hidden from both sight and smell cracked my Cultio… the armor wrap that protects my tendrils… and made me pass out.

  ‘Eventually my consciousness returned to face the enemy who cruelly threw you two down here. He took my armaments, Cultio and ranking shield. He has made many thousands of attempts to break my mind and body to turn me into his personal weapon.’ Netul’s abdomen still showed signs of faint healing. Jagged dark blue lines crisscrossed the abdominals. ‘I know not the fate of my people I was taken from in battle, but Wrangler will suffer by my hand for his grave crimes. He relishes in forbidden experiments, but in the past two years his time with me grows less. It used to be daily, but now comes every seven to ten. Whatever has his attention now make me feel pity for the individual… but the way he looked to you…’

  “Renee… her name is Renee. I’m Oliver.” He supplied.

  ‘Renee. His gaze of hatred is on you like I’ve not seen in many years. My fear is you will endure much and as a female I shudder to think what twisted ideas are in his thoughts.’

  “He won’t lay another fucking hand on her.” Oliver vowed, bending protectively over her and looking out. “Um, are there any others in the three other cells out there?”

  ‘Not for many, many days. Most commit suicide after one lesson with him or his torturers.’ Netul gestured. ‘It is rather hopeless.’

  That made Oliver grin. “Hardly. The lunatic made a critical error. My sword is in the display case over there.”

  “And just how do you plan to get it, Moron?” Renee snorted. “If Netul can’t use his powers I sure as hell can’t.”

  The grin grew mischievous. “True, but the prison scanners didn’t detect I’m still wearing my armor as well as this.” He lifted his right arm and the orange sleeve fell down to reveal the onyx sleeve encasing his whole forearm.

  Before Renee could gasp in realization a long fingered hand wrapped over Oliver’s fist and Netul’s sudden change in demeanor as well as his eyes burning pure white bore onto the device. Before even Netul could react, a left fist slammed into his sternum and flung him off.

  White turned red for a tense moment before settling in curious blue. Netul laid a hand on his chest and looked at it, showing he certainly felt the powerhouse left straight, then met Oliver’s stare that dared him to touch again without warning. He could only use one hand, but used it he did ‘My apologies, I forgot my place. Now I finally realize why I never gave up hope as too many have. It was not my match, but you who would come. Never had I believed it to be possible, but hope returns.’ Oliver suspected that meant something else, but went with the obvious hope of freedom from imprisonment. ‘Now your scent makes sense… But you cannot go unless you want your match to perish.’

  “Are you threatening her?” He growled, the amber eyes darkening.

  Netul shook his overlarge head. ‘No. I would only kill to defend myself or innocent others. I’m Zeelin. We kill to protect or bring to justice. My meaning is your match’s heart will fail if she moves without aid. You are still strong as I saw you stand as easily as I. Her blood will pool so she passes out. Before I say more, change your armor to go into battle.’

  Renee listened to the translation to say “Do it. He knows something.”

  Oliver gently laid Renee’s head on the musty hay and stood. Netul watched with unrestrained and rekindled hope as the orange suit lost its slack and changed to a perfectly fitted silver and black. The cape flew down and the helmet crept up and solidified. Oliver’s intimidating look increased tenfold.

  Netul’s pain washed away as he got to his feet and also looked ready to battle. ‘I will trade knowledge to have freedom.’

  “Forget it.” Oliver retracted the helmet. Netul was about to fight for it if he had to. What came next stopped him completely. “I was planning on it regardless. I smelled you through your story and your scent was hopeless, but steadfast. You are falsely imprisoned like us. I’d like your help to keep Renee safe, but I’d do so on my own and still make sure to take you with us. As much as I want to kill Wrangler, you seem to have more motive. I’d be grateful to get out of here with your help, but if you weren’t here I’ve already got a plan. I’d be honored to fight with you… but I don’t see your shield or armaments in the case.”

  ‘I know where they are, but you must lead us to escape.’ He bowed some, the thick hair strands spread some over a slightly curved back. ‘The honor is mine to see battle again. Should we die, we go in glory.’

  “I think I might actually like the Creelin. So, what do you have in mind, Netul? How do you want to do this?”

  His pale hand gestured to sit and return the armor to prison uniforms. He touched his own arm to sign ‘We make an exception to rules. Renee is your match and won’t be punished for gifting my thoughts to such a young race.’ Oliver felt he should edit that out and think on why Netul would openly talk to him, but not her. The other man gave the barest nod that it was wise to keep secret for now. ‘Many defenses lower when night arrives, or what I assume is night for so long. Until that time, rest and tend your match. Before I do think further, I must test her blood.’ Renee didn’t wait to stick her arm out as she heard the request. Netul barely scratched her palm and drew a few crimson droplets and rubbed it between his thick fingers, looked insanely close and even sniffed before signing ‘I believe my idea will succeed.’ In fact he seemed damn positive it would.

  “May I ask what you did with my blood and what for?” She asked, her head using Oliver’s lap as a pillow again.

  The Creelin shook his head, not looking sad at all. ‘Sorry, but I cannot divulge it just yet without approval of the Archivers. Just rest, heal and be ready. I will bring you water. You both are quite dehydrated.’ Netul moved over to a tiny recess and cupped his hand beneath it, but Oliver came over, having a good idea that Netul didn’t have cups, but was trying to help in any way he can.

  The sleeve of his clothes modified into a watertight bladder that filled. He then brought the cold sleeve over and helped Renee drink her fill. He finished the rest and refilled it. Not long after, Renee’s own bladder was full and Oliver carried her over to a recess with a drain. She was embarrassed to be taken care of, but her hip protested with nerves afire.

  Before long, Renee’s overwhelmed mind finally shut down as the comfort of Oliver’s smell and touch relaxed her enough.

  ‘Lights out!’ came the call from high above and echoed. Bright lights flicked off and turned dim red, just enough to see by. It was much darker, but Oliver had no issue piercing the veil of black and red. He went to wake Renee, but Netul shook his head to say ‘Two more hours. Let the prison fall asleep and give her a little more.’

  About two hours later Oliver rubbed Renee’s arms and coaxed her back to the real world. “Hey Beautiful, how are you feeling?”

  “Sore all over, but my hip’s good enough to walk on three gees. Seven will be too difficult.” She grunted, self checking and giving an assessment. “We ready?” she looked between the men.

  Netul practically bounced on his four large pale blue toes. ‘Yes. Oliver, now understand me clearly and carefully. Through your story you divulged about everything so I know you’ve never done this. You can free me first. Now, gather all the cords binding me
.’

  Oliver’s large left hand gripped the metal and proceeded as instructed to keep from triggering an alarm. Using the vambrace, he let it seep through the molecules of metal and found his mind suddenly picturing how wires were stuck in the hair like needles. Painlessly he cut the nerves and extracted all the needles simultaneously, mimicking the shut off switch that would free at the push of a button. Only now Netul wasn’t going to be tortured. He was going out free or die in the attempt as a warrior again.

  He shook his head, free of the shackles that held him for over sixty years. The Creelin sighed through his nostrils since he had no nose. He didn’t waste too much time and moved to the bars. ‘Do not touch. They are electrified. This is how so many gave up. They held on till life left their body.’ Oliver took the warning with Renee watching quietly. ‘You will make your match armor like yours, but first we need raw material. Use your vambrace to take one tenth of a kilo from the metal bars.’ A tendril shot out from the right forearm, chomped a chunk out of reinforced bars without being electrocuted and seemingly swallowed it. ‘Now imagine copying your own vambrace, but keep in mind it is made for a female.’

  “Why?” he asked, but did it anyway.

  ‘Your male abilities will be incompatible with the mind of a female. Some things can be done similar, but the two sexes have different abilities within their makers. Males protect and imagine things in critical detail. Females bear new life and heal, but are guided more by emotion than we are.’ Oliver knew that to be proven true as an average. He didn’t prod further.

  Netul watched as a black cube squeezed itself out, but then picked it up and knelt by Renee’s right side. She held still as the warm ball was sat behind the wrist and between the radius and ulna. The moment it touched her skin it moved on its own and spread. Netul let go and got up again. She though watched as it began to elongate into the best fitting black bracelet she ever wore. She was about to ask and Oliver translated again. “He says it’s the woman’s version of my multi-tool and needs you to vow how it’s done to secrecy.”

  “Why? What can it do?”

  “He says you must swear to never reveal first.”

  “I do. My oath is as good as my fathers.”

  Netul found it acceptable. “You can use it to make medicine and poisons within your own body with no danger. You are now a walking synthesizer, but he warns not to over-administer or you’ll seriously damage yourself, making regeneration take longer. You can put a hand over someone and do surgery without parting the skin and you can design complex chemical solutions in your own mind through it. Combine it with the chip in your head and nearly anything could be made with your own body. The only thing it can’t do is design and enhance technology like mine. He’s saying you can discover it’s uses later. Tonight is our only chance to leave… unless you want to wait till morning to see if the sociopath is good for his word.”

  “Later then.” Her excitement sobered with that last part.

  He looked to the Creelin again and waited to understand before kneeling. “I need some blood from you.” He got precisely the amount required, but this time took out a massive chunk of the cell bars, enough to fit through, but discarded silently over three quarters. The remainder mixed with the blood and the effort dropped Oliver to his knees as it took his energy to see it through. Netul eased him down and in about two minutes the brown mass dropped and the vambrace resumed its neutral place.

  The Creelin grabbed the two piece set and carried it over. He saw how tired she was and mimed helping her undress. Again it was embarrassing, but she knew the need of aid was required. She already put the alien’s plan together. Renee now understood how organic metal was made for one individual. She struggled, but got naked after being insisted the bra and panties were a hindrance too.

  As soon as she got the pants up her ass she felt movement on her wrist and saw her new bracelet coming to recognize her outfit for what it was. Absently she imagined wanting to kick some teeth in and her clothes came alive like warm water. Seams disappeared, but then she expected a sleek flight suit. Instead hers turned into wicked armor just like Oliver’s, only slightly different in some ways and more defined in other areas. Her hard lines were curvy around the breasts, waist and round hips, but her growing from the forearms was a metal plate of more than one sharp, jagged layer. They could block any blade and be used for edged weapons as well. Her shoulder guards were more defined than his and woe be to anyone she chooses to shoulder tackle. Spikes were ready. The suit fit her perfectly. Curvy with a hell of a bite poured into one. And instead of a full helmet, she had a facemask that covered her mouth, nose and much of her jaw.

  Then she realized her lightheadedness began to fade as her suit applied counter pressure to keep her blood from gathering in her feet. “Fuck yeah!” she gloated as she sat up, breathing much easier too.

  Oliver sat up, recovering from making the items during her changing and liked what sat up in front of him. “Now that is how you should look. Sexy and lethal rolled into one solid package.” She beamed and took his hands to stand up. The mask fell down her throat, showing off those pearly whites. “The cape suits you too.”

  “So it does.” She pulled some around and loved the silky feel. “We can play later. Oliver, if you’re going to get us out of here, now is the time… oh, but what about you, Netul. Don’t you need armor?”

  “He says his biology can’t use armor like ours.”

  “Then at least make a temporary Cultio wrap for his hair so he isn’t complexly vulnerable.”

  Before long Netul gave in and settled for rope made from the moldy hay and tied himself up. The vambrace cleaned and wove it together.

  They walked out quietly to the trophy case and rather than open it and risk setting off an alarm, Oliver used his vambrace to find it too could be used as a lesser weapon to cut a hole out of the clear panes and retrieved his blade that lit up right then. Netul seemed excited about something other than an escape attempt he noticed privately. The saber slid in the sheathe and it gave a sense of security.

  Renee got a good look at the reddish Spartan hole they were thrown in to realize “Just how to you plan to get us out? The wall is smooth as glass and I can’t get my suit’s suction cup to stick. There must be micro air holes I can’t see. And too smooth for a standard ascent.” She said as her glove reformed from making a suction pad in the palm. “Too high for either of you giants to jump.”

  “That’s why I’m going to run up the walls using centrifugal force. You haven’t forgotten how fast I run do you?”

  “Uh…” was answer enough.

  “Perfect circles at my speed… no problem. I won’t be able to go full speed because my strides will be too long. About sixty to seventy percent ought to do the trick. I’ll throw a line down first for Netul so he won’t feel we lied and left him to rot. Then I’ll pull you up.”

  “Smart. Now get that ass moving before security cameras find we left the cage. They probably electrified the walls too. I didn’t want to touch it barehanded.”

  “Kiss for good luck?”

  One gloved hand landed on hip. “Not till we leave and we make up for lost time. Then I’ll see what this armor really can do in the slut’s lingerie department. Crochless panties should be motivation enough.” Renee thought she heard something crash headfirst into a steel plate. Like a gong being dully struck. Oliver rearranging his suit’s groin area made it fact. She liked having that kind of power.

  Netul shook in silent mirth and told him ‘My match is just as ruthless after fifty thousand of your years. It never gets easier. Now go and let us depart.’

  “I don’t know what was said, but my offer is only good for… Three. Two…” Oliver moved, not risking anymore countdown, and went from zero to seventy kilometers per hour in four steps.

  He circled to gain momentum then in a bold turn, left the floor and transferred from running in a circle to go straight as his perspective changed. He was moving so fast the walls held him down rather than
letting gravity pull. Jaw set, he spiraled his way higher and higher. Letting the wind add resistance in a cooling way and to hold balance. He didn’t stop. Renee and Netul watched in amazement as he ran higher and higher on pure leg power. Twenty circles later and he reached the lip and flipped himself out. He shot dozens of meters, before coming to a stop from a steel wall. Renee didn’t raise her voice, but he saw her sigh as his grinning mug peeked down.

  The right hand dropped and from it a thin line with a foot loop in the end. Renee offered and Netul fixed his foot in the loop and held on with both hands as Oliver pulled and drew him up and over. The gravity was significantly less outside Level Four’s pit and soon Renee was pulled out and the relief of her suit loosening up made her sigh.

  Oliver looked up in the upper three levels to mentally plan the best route. Going straight up was out of the question. There was nothing to climb straight out from the elevator’s path. Catwalks crossed much of the open space with thousands of steps and ramps leading throughout the huge complex. The height from where they stood was three kilometers above and designed to prevent escape by lethal automated force. Psionic cannons were seen between the red lights dimly illuminating the facility. It was made entirely of metal to prevent fire as well as to conduct electricity to the bare footed inmates. Oliver read it was standard for maximum security prisons. The scanner would detect any means to escape, but it didn’t seem to realize it had been tricked.

  Unable to fully recall Creelin biology Oliver first asked “Netul, they’ll find out soon we’re making a break for it. Being barefoot, will you feel it?”

  ‘I’m silicone based and have no water levels great enough in which to seize my muscles. Only raw psionic electricity can harm me. The blasters I’ll need protection from. Ask Renee to stay by my side. Her and your armor is highly resistant to kinetic blasts.’

  Renee nodded. “Alright. Stay…”