Cutlass Sharpened

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “But if this is real then Oliver is over eighty three million years old… he did have one hell of a family with this Reten…”

  “But he is Oliver, not Mantiv. Just as you are my Renee, not Reten. Put it from your mind and focus on the here and now. He is yours. You are his. Your life with him is new, not like what the computer speaks of in the long distant past. Now I do not want to hear any more doubt come from you. Remember, she is broken like the ship. Not all can be answered, but in your heart I know you too feel my words are truth.”

  “But…”

  Sparky hissed and looked closer to say “No buts unless you want me to bite yours. Pity is not the partner I know. You’ve never pitied yourself and I’m not going to allow such now. The fierce bitch is who you are. Yes, I said bitch. Get over it.”

  Renee chuckled and hugged his head though it was still covered in plated armor. The deep rumbling sound he made calmed her as it always had. A cross between a purr and a growl more felt than heard.

  “Thank you.” She whispered in his ear hole and let go.

  “Everyone!” the short Jacob Wrench gained attention as the AI continued the rapid speaking sounding more like a high pitched squeaking blur. “I can tell this is going to take awhile, but I think we should split up. Jessica, Oliver and Renee should stay here while the rest find the undamaged areas of the ship for anything we can salvage as well as any additional information. Stephanie, you should come since next to Jake you are the foremost Solarian expert in artifacts and antiquity.”

  “He’s right. Sitting here wasting time isn’t a good idea.” Remarked Stone.

  “We better let you out.” Renee said and with Oliver’s help they reopened the nano-wall and would go in and out every fifteen minutes to keep in constant contact. Sparky went with them as it was found that inside the restricted room that com’s didn’t work, but Sparky’s telepathy wasn’t hindered. It was a back up if any scheduled check-ins needed immediate contact to the oblivious three who remained inside the dome.

  Jessica remained focused on recording every motion and sound coming from Alleia, but knew already it would take many days to go through once slowed down to be legible.

  Behind her Renee turned to Oliver and said “So I’ve actually been fucking an eighty three million year old man?”

  “You aren’t the only one who is freaked out. Did you know Solarian’s made stars telekinetically and that I held the record? How about that I did have a family and fourteen thousand children and who knows how many descendants. Did you think about them all being dead? I did. What about this Reten he had? What happened to her? Stars… do you think she was the writer of the Geo Record who left clues for your mother figured out…”

  “To make sure I would keep you company…” Renee looked down and gnawed her bottom lip. Thinking furiously. “Makes sense, because if I knew I was going to die and you weren’t, I know I would leave something of myself behind so you weren’t alone. Stars, I feel sad for what this Reten must have went through. I can’t blame her if she was who did it. The amnesia I mean. I couldn’t live knowing I’d leave you and we’ve only been together little over a month and she was with the old you for millions and millions of years. Fuck…” she said breathlessly and found herself held tight to his chest.

  Oliver needed human contact as much as Renee as he tried to come to grips that some answers were finally found. It was almost too much to take in, but he didn’t know who Mantiv was, nor Reten. It was difficult to process to say the least, especially with a rapidly speaking hologram with a feminine personality. He felt Renee’s armored arms wrap around his wide chest under the cape and just held on.

  When touch settled the nerves Renee pulled back to say “I’m oddly thankful.”

  “For?” he didn’t let go of her sensually spiked shoulders.

  “Everything. I’m extremely powerful and through my mother and whoever left behind a way for me to keep you all to myself… I’m rather content. Your idea has merit and I think I know why you had your memory taken. If Reten died and you knew, you would have followed her. Just as we would for each other. If you were the last fallback plan you needed a way to get over her. What better way to do that than to never have remembered anything? And the Geo Record blueprints gave me everything I need to be who we need each other to be.”

  “I don’t believe it.” Jessica said having spun around. “That is the most mature thing I’ve ever heard you say. It seems Oliver’s lovin’ finally got rid of more than the cobwebs between your thighs.”

  Very slowly Renee lifted an arm and in a classy way unrolled her middle finger in the universal language. Jessica chuckled and went back.

  Outside, Sparky and the others traveled through a rainstorm that had arrived loud and fast. Suits kept them all safe and dry from the mildly acidic rain from soaking through the skin and helmets to safely breathe toxic air. Sparky began to glow again from lingering Keptl scents though none was fresh enough to know any were still alive. The rain was an added help to wash the foul odor and dilute it. It was all that kept him from wanting to seek and rip them apart. They were natural enemies after all.

  The group traveled along the mountain, heading for another ideal point to search as Steven’s voice carried despite the deluge. “I can’t believe it. Can any of you?”

  “It’s too outlandish not to be real.” Commented Jacob right next to him and about half his size. “Too many thing are finally adding up. Sure there are massive freaking holes, but these are two separately connected sources of info. The Geo Record spoke of the greatest warrior and that sexy bombshell back there just said Oliver, or whoever the hell he was, was the strongest Solarian and Renee, damned if we all didn’t know she’s the deadliest woman power-wise. I watched her grow up as a babe and she even use to help me in the engine room from time to time as the ankle biter she used to be… so she isn’t this Reten, but we got lucky she could trick the systems and help us access that place.”

  “Do all of you also get the feeling this isn’t all a coincidence?” Thought Sparky to them all. “It is as if something behind the scenes is manipulating events.”

  Deegen couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably though no one noticed.

  “Whoever they may be.”

  “Nevertheless, we have just eighty hours or so before we are left behind. With more Keptl a day from us, who knows how long we can spare. The captain is keeping a close eye, but swiftness is in our best interest.” Satellite chirped as he stayed perched on a shoulder and suffered through the too hot rain. Cooling rain wasn’t bad. Hot rain wasn’t like a bath. Not even close.

  “Rere!” Bell howled as she found the entrance that was mostly blocked.

  Stephanie, Sparky and Jacob stayed back as the thee Hunters stood shoulder to shoulder holding their arms out to act as guides as they began levitating rocks too large to be moved by hand. Between the three they spent over an hour clearing a path. Jacob was a useless level One and Stephanie was a Four in psionic strength. Yet three class one Hunters, which had to be Class Seven and above to be one, could do impressive feats. Working together sped up the process and took up the slack.

  Rubble tumbled downhill and at last a deep, dark tunnel was revealed. But before going in Deegen said “I’m going back to my fighter. Someone needs to keep air support since our flyers are out of commission in this storm.”

  “Agreed.” Stone did and both Deegen and Bell loped back to the ships.

  Together the rest slid into the cave that was actually a steep hallway heading down, but not so steep as to slip and fall uncontrollably. Hunter shoulder lights beamed deep along with Jacob’s handheld orbs. He tapped the inside of his inner forearm display and one light lifted off and flew deeper down, making sure it was safe and structurally sound.

  The plan was to check out the largest open space found and they took the safest, least damaged route.

  Collapsed hallways were common, but between Stone and Steven they cleared debris that had plugged some areas, but left the unsound
area be.

  Eventually they got so deep that only fine dust and water reached the large space. First words out of Jacob’s mouth was “Jackpot!”

  It was basically a cavern filled with water below, but on the other side was a rack behind a locked cage showing several Star-sabers of different shape, but not all were swords. There were axes, lances, maces, flails, bows and they weren’t ominous black. Some were pretty. They were dusted over well, but vibrant of ancient metal from a long ago era and peoples. Next to it in another closed rack was little black cubes of some unknown purpose and off to the side of that was another door.

  “This must have been one of the flight decks we saw earlier before the inevitable crash.” Stone said, taking everything in. “It would make sense weapons were kept near their fighters… hey, look beneath the surface of the water, that is one of the fighters we saw in the demo.”

  “Damn, I doubt if anyone can fix that level of damage let alone me.” Jacob knelt and looked below the drop off. “It’s barely considered a waterlogged lounge chair than a fighter. It’s forward wings are useless. And far too large to take back with us.”

  Steven came forward and aimed his spear at the water to shoot a quick bolt of lightning and through his helmet said “The water is eighteen and a half meters deep. I’ll go first.” He stepped back and shrank the spear to holster on his hip before leaping over the edge to dive feet first with arms out. He loudly splashed to make the cave echo and ripple the reflected light all over the walls from the hovering orb in the middle.

  Visor and Satellite shook the water from their armored feathers as the others followed Steven’s example before flying over the swimmers going to the weapons locker.

  Steven helped Jacob and Stephanie up onto a slimy, angled walkway made of dark blue metal. Stone didn’t require an extra hand.

  Jacob went right to work examining how the lockers were fastened. The goods were all piled in the bottom left corner from the crash, flying off the shelves and stands they once were placed upon. He pulled a specialized mechanic’s toolkit from the pack slung over his shoulders, then a laser pen, the laser being able to slice through steel like soft butter. His clear-faced helmet darkened around the eyes before a sharp red stream of light sent white hot sparks flying. He slowly cut the rusted over lock clean off before putting the pen away and extracting a lubricator, a special spray that eats away oxidized iron and is no larger than a tube of lipstick. He shot four puffs on each hinge and waited a few minutes before using his thumb to wipe the softened rust away.

  Then he pulled out a metallic bag and said “Spread it out wide, boys, we don’t want to lose these cubes before we know what they are.” The aluminum looking bag opened wide and as soon as feet held the bottom on the inclined walkway and hands held the rest up did Jacob pull the flap. The locker opened and hundreds of black cubes tumbled out to all be caught between the Hunters and the durable bag they carefully closed.

  Jacob took another bag out to repeat the process where dozens of weapons were held. It was Stephanie though who made him stop as she found the weapons weren’t like Oliver’s. She explained “His cutlass generated a slight gravity field as well as a barrier that wouldn’t let it cut when not in his hand. These weapons though do have the hardness of his blade, but none have any power to protect up if you decide to drop it all like foolish grave robbers. They’ll cut right through us. Without power they’ll cut through anything. To be safe we need to take them one at a time and make sure they don’t touch anything. The door holding them would be better to use as transport as it’s made of the same stuff.”

  “Then we take the whole door with us.” Sparky made the decision.

  Jacob cut the lock off and it took twice as long for each and every of the four hinges.

  Stone said “Everyone get back. I’ll levitate it.”

  He brought the top down gradually and once it was level he mentally encircled his senses around the arsenal and drew them along to the center of it and spread them out so the mound would not shift. Then he gradually set it down and laid the other end in his hand to keep it all level.

  “Now what is behind door number two?” Steven asked as it was beside the spoils.

  Jake looked at his forearm to say “Better not open it where you are standing. I can’t identify what is pushed against it, but they are small, like coins… more than a ton’s worth.”

  “Okay.” He backed aside and mentally tried separating the door. “Not happening. Maybe Renee could do it, but I sure as hell can’t pry it. Jacob, toss me that cutter. I’ll give it a boost and maybe sneak a peek at least inside.” The laser was tossed over and Steven funneled extra energy inside and the extra efforts made cutting power twice as effective. He began and it took a good three steady hours to make a circle the size of one’s head. Between himself and Stone, they steadily worked.

  At the end, before Steven could move, the metal core being cut out smacked heavily into his helmeted face as a deluge of small things flooded out. He was knocked off balance and tumbled back into the underground lake once a place where fighters parked and were lunched. Everyone screamed his name, but he surfaced waving a hand. “I’m alright. It just rang my bell a little.”

  More poured onto the slippery walkway and into the lake. Stephanie’s gloved hand scooped some and said “It looks like the condensed version of Beasts… but covered in mildew.” Her nose wrinkled.

  “I think you’re right.” Stone said, picking up a few pieces. “It would make sense to store these since one could feed Oliver for weeks depending on what it came from.”

  “Check inside.” Visor said as Steven shook his helmeted head and swam back.

  Sparky managed to angle his head and get one eye. His glow warmed the dark space. “The room is very large, but overturned crates are where the food pills were stored and has made it a mess, but it certainly would be a way to feed many people like Oliver for many centuries given the size of the crew we witnessed battle the Goliaths. And I see many more crates still whole.” He turned back to the others. “Continue cutting so we may take as many unbroken crates as possible.”

  “Wouldn’t it be faster to go get Renee to melt the doors like she did at Galicom’s factory?”

  “She is where she needs to be now, Visor. It may be a Solarian granary, but we need to make sure there are no valuables in other containers. Keep cutting with Stephanie while Stone, Satellite, Jacob and I visit the third target area the captain gave us.”

  “Cover more ground, got it.” Steven looked down. “Shit, I dropped the cutter when I fell.” He dove underwater and Stephanie joined him.

  Stone floated the bag of cubes as well as the weapons on the former door and sent them across the expanse, struggling harder as distance required more effort, but he set it all down on the upper ledge they originally jumped from and helped with the search for the cutting laser.

  Eventually Stephanie found it and the group split up.

  “And that is the full amount I can disclose considering your access level and how much of my memory remains intact.” Allai said in a much more understandable speed.

  Renee sat between Oliver’s legs in a chair to cock her head. She had listened to the continuous stream for over eight hours. His thighs tantalizing, breaking the irritation that kept her from blowing her lid. Now that she could speak, Renee wanted answers. “Tell me what the Flame of… whatever you called me means.”

  “Flame of Adunm. As I said before in heightened speed earlier, for the recording device she uses…” The gesture was to Jessica typing away next to them. “refers to the fable to entertain children from a time before my creators ventured into space ten billion years ago roughly. It was told that a female of red hair and the temperament of a volcano waiting to erupt was the mother of all. She was violent, unstoppable and stood above others. That is until she found the force which could tame her need to show her might. Adunm was the tallest volcano of the world in which evolved who you call Solarians.

  “But the fiery fe
male one day met the unstoppable sea of Cereo, the male. His power of storm and sheer vastness was her match. Her equal and source of stability. From her boundless heat and his endless patience cooled what would become the land. From them they made their first child. On this land began the pools for life. Adunm would often get angry and wipe out children who displeased her, but it was always Cereo who always pulled her back. She began to see he let her get mad and cooled her so that his plan to let the strongest of their children become more.

  “General, you went by Adunm not by your own, but given by the elders as only the strongest female was given it. Your temper as well as strength held no equal, but you also had love. To my records, you made sure each time you got pregnant that you and General Mantiv left everyone after you killed sixty seven other women who looked at your match. Your hormone levels during pregnancy made you lose control. To avoid more murder you and he stayed away for each time you wished for a child. After the births you were less hostile and could be around other females and not fear your instincts.”

  “Good to know.” She looked at Oliver and would take the advice one day. “Can you tell me why my sense of smell isn’t as acute as his?”

  “Female evolution didn’t require heightened smell because of your offspring’s potent odors that harm the nasal passages in males. If the child moves their bowels it makes the father move away. Also pregnancy as well as the scent of your young brings Beasts from near and far. The male places himself away till the child is cleaned and in the path of any creatures intent to do harm.”

  “Basically like every man who can’t change a diaper. It seems human men and Solarian aren’t different.” Renee snickered and Jessica joined in.

  “Convergent evolution is practical. The one you call Sparky is not normal in regards of convergent sentience. Solarians too evolved from an apelike creature like humans. Walking upright is a great advantage, but the Drakes evolved long necks to compensate for that aspect. Merely look to the Creelin and see they too are bipedal and roughly… humanoid, as you say.”