Cutlass Sharpened (18 page)

“
I had already learned basic
medical treatments. Setting and relocating dislocated joints were
part of it. Stephanie’s tablet on standard schooling hadn’t
downloaded advanced medicines beyond anatomy and basic treatments.
I took the knowledge and did as instructed to put it all
back.”

“
You know, I wouldn’t mind
having an assistant during an emergency. One fully qualified medic
among a crew of four hundred and sixty two can be stretched. If
you’d like of course.”

“
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.”