Authors: Jr H. Lee Morgan
“
Now who’s taking all the
fun out of a loaded comment like that.” Steven smirked a moment
before the room chuckled to relieve the tension.
Oliver came closer and smiled in such a
serene way his telepathy revealed it had lightly eased their
mounting rise of blood pressure. “Yes, apparently I was told to be
that old, but I’ve barely got eleven months of memories since I was
found without any form of a remembered past. Keep it a secret when
you get off and return to your families.”
“
What are you? Some kind of
Creelin subject?” another asked.
“
No, he’s the only known
true blooded Solarian still alive.” A rather fearsome looking woman
in a medic’s white clothes got up and said “You five need to rest.
You had it the worst. Mr. Void, may we speak privately?”
“
Sure thing, Carmen.” He
said, reading her displayed name hovering above her head. She led
over and his weight made it impossible to go completely silent, but
was softer than she had expected. “What do you need?”
She spun around and spoke softly as she had
to look way up, standing barely at his diaphragm in terms of
height. “First I’d like to say thank you for putting a stop to
those tyrannical excuses for human beings. Secondly I’d also like
to thank you for saving my favorite student.” Oliver cocked his
head and Carmen explained. “Renee. I mean Renee Dorgen. I was her
advisor and teacher when she was taking the medic program. She’s a
genius geneticist and an excellent field medic top of her class of
all I had the pleasure of guiding in the most demanding field there
is. It’s why I personally came and declined Captain Dorgen’s most
generous payment for the top healers in their fields… and a bonus
to keep quiet of your true nature.”
“
You needn’t flatter me.
Renee spoke highly of you, but I didn’t make the connection till
now. I can see why you two hit it off. I get the feeling you’ll
kick me in the balls too.”
Carmen smiled brilliantly to show off
pristine and pearly white teeth. “More like castrate with a sharp
and jagged rock. I’ve yet had time to check up on her and she’s
been so distracted she’s yet to notice me. Can I ask you her mental
state?”
Glowing suns carefully gazed in consideration
before saying “She’s strong and will persevere. My woman is far
from her normal hard-ass self, but she isn’t letting the
experiences haunt her. I can tell she was heavily traumatized from
being raped repeatedly, but not to the extent the other captives
are. Her core self remains solid and unblemished, but it will
certainly take time for full recovery. Thankfully though Sparky
used telepathy to remove the emotional component to the
experiences.”
“
I assumed that much when
she ran out like a flash a few minutes ago. It was just a glimpse,
but I saw her smiling. I’ll run a psyc eval later on for just how
far along her PTSD will become. Her Drake too. They’ll help each
other, but what is done is done.” She crossed her arms. “Now, about
you, you’ve yet to be fully checked out after over six months on a
quarantined planet. You may not be showing symptoms of a carrier or
shown to be a cause for disease spreading, but you need a full
workup. I know Renee has been your personal and only physician and
if you want her to do it, I will understand if you are more
comfortable under her, but…”
“
No need. I understand you
are worried any pathogens may mutate into something you’ve never
seen and will be unable to cure. And I can tell you will keep my
results in confidence… but knowing I’m a Solarian will be dangerous
enough to your health if someone happened to read you and forced
you to spill all you know to get to me or Renee. There are things
you will figure out and the result
could
potentially threaten your life.
I’m sorry, but the answer is no. What I will tell you is not to
worry. My biology isn’t human and my cells make antibodies near
instantly to contagions and contaminants within minutes. It was
proven when it was my own antibodies that made the cure to the
MMEZ-032 virus Renee privately published before going to
Havannah.”
“
Wait… you? You cured the
only few known incurable viruses?” Her eyes bulged.
“
Yes, and Renee used herself
to harvest antibodies for eleven other diseases thought incurable.
It’s why I can’t let you. You don’t need to worry, but any detailed
knowledge could be taken from you easily. I can’t risk it even
though your intentions are clearly for my health and welfare.
Please understand the overall situation for your own. When Renee
returns from lunch I’ll let her do it and she’ll tell you the
results. You can do the PTSD though. That isn’t too
dangerous.”
“
Fine, but you cough even
once and I want you in here for an exam. Is that a
compromise?”
“
It is.”
Carmen leaned around to look at the solidly
built Hunter with an eagle on his shoulder. “Make sure of it.”
Knowing the Hunter had heard it all due to augmented hearing by
spliced pointed ears.
“
Yes, Ma’am.” Steven shifted
weight to the other leg. “So, Brother, got any plans or can you
help me out with something?”
“
I haven’t forgotten. Is
Stone and Satellite already up with Stephanie?”
“
They sent me down so you
didn’t sleep the day away. Besides, I needed a little walk after
Stone kicked my ass early this morning.” Unconsciously he rubbed a
glove over a sore posterior covered by the battered silver Hunter’s
armor.
“
You all feel better soon.
We still have about two more weeks of FTL till we reach Verard. We
can chat later.” Oliver waved as he and Steven walked
out.
“
How did it feel to sleep in
a bed again?” Visor clicked his beak as soon as the med bay doors
closed and they walked down a bit to the ship’s elevator network.
The floor, walls and ceiling were made of rustic wood panels
combined with microscopic crystal nanite particles which seals any
damage to the wood that remains very much alive through great
advancements in genetic manipulation and nanites. The dark wood was
smooth and had a slight shine, making for a nice décor compared to
metal halls. Lamp lights went up and down the hallway and made
plenty to navigate warmly.
“
It was great not being
attacked several times a night. I barely could control the urge to
jerk thinking Netul was going to throw a rock upside my head again
during levitation sleep. This morning though before I woke up I
found I had levitated me
and
Renee about a meter off the bed.”
Steven busted out in guffaws along with the
golden eagle. “Whole new meaning to the airhead daydream. I’m
surprised Renee didn’t wake up and kill you. She hated being pushed
around. I should know. She shocked me before for pushing her down
by accident.”
“
I got lucky I didn’t
disturb her. She’s not a nice person first thing in the morning
without a little loving. She was rather evil when I was waiting to
Fracture and constantly sleep deprived.”
“
Not just her, Brother. You
two fought so much a whole Hunter community would turn tail and
flee. I lost count how many times you pissed her off and were flung
into a wall.” Steven said as he hit the elevator button to rise up
one level and travel two kilometers towards the bow of the ship.
Elevators were able to move in a tube network that transports to
all areas except restricted aboard the massive free sailing
freighter.
Idle chatter went back and forth between the
three of them during the trip till the door slid silently open to
the eighth floor belonging to labs and only Stephanie and Jessica
called it home. Most other crewmen lived up on the seventh where
general quarters were.
About fifty meters from the elevator Steven
knocked on the first and most used artifact research area to speak
up. “Mrs. Menann, he’s finally awake!”
“
Come in.” Came Stephanie’s
soft and collected voice as the doors opened. Inside were rows and
shelves filled with historical and archeological items complete
with tags showing what it was. Needless to say it was one crowded
room despite the size of it. Stephanie was sitting at her desk
reaching over and Oliver watched as invisible currents left her
fingertips to surround an object on a shelf and levitated it over.
Her long blonde hair was braided and lay across a slender shoulder.
Off to the side was Stone lounging in another chair, Satellite
standing on a knee as they quietly were watching some form of mixed
martial arts for entertainment and for ideas to further their
skills in combat. Stone closed down the vid as they came
inside.
“
Good morning, Stephanie,
Stone, Satellite.”
“
Morning.” they responded in
unison. “Give me a few seconds.” Stephanie said right
after.
“
So, Stone, I see you
already selected new toys.” Oliver observed as carefully placed on
stands were two large azure hatchets with a hole in their faces,
closely resembling the ones he normally used, but were a bit
larger. Beside them was a ruby red battleaxe sporting a spike from
the shaft between the two opposite crescent blades. The battleaxe
was so large it could only truly be used to full effectiveness as a
double handed weapon. Each blade was three quarters of a meter
long, easily able to chop a person in half flawlessly.
Beside them was a spear and crimson flail
belonging to Steven.
Stone’s dark skin contrasted with how white
his smile is. He was a calm individual like Oliver and is why they
were good friends. “Can you blame me? They are beautiful and have
near endless functions. I always envied Elder Scythe’s weapon, but
most battleaxes are unbalanced. This one is perfect.” He touched
it.
“
You do realize your hand is
going to break doing three right?”
“
I do and am ready. All I
need is your permission and the captain will allow us to wear them
and replace our own.”
“
As long as you are ready I
see no reason you can’t since these Star-sabers can’t use a normal
sheathe.” Oliver readied his vambrace and went about binding Stone
to his desired weapons. Aside from a clenched jaw that twitched,
the Hunter made no sound. The same could not be said as everyone
heard bones crack as his hands were crushed down onto the handles.
Oliver did a medical scan and counted ninety hairline fractures in
Stone’s hand and told him nothing needed to be reset, but he’d be
in pain for awhile. It didn’t matter as the Hunter touched his new
equipment and caressed it like a lover without fear as it
recognized him. They all began to shine like stars in the sky at
first touch. They slid on perfectly and a leather baldric hooked
into Stone’s armor made for an ideal hold on the battleaxe’s
spike.
Steven meanwhile was playing
with his double balled flail and spear.
At
long last, welcome home.
He thought with a
wicked grin, lifting the ideal weapons he had wet dreams over for
many months. The flail began to howl in his left hand as he worked
the handle of the perfect grip into a spinning motion to get the
pegged balls working. The sound was mildly haunting as the chains
themselves created the dirge. The spear in his dominant right hand
worked in precise maneuvers and proved themselves more suited than
the originals he had customized nearly forty years prior. He
noticed Stephanie scowling over her shoulder, but not at him
specifically. He could tell she was unhappy he was playing in a
room full of artifacts of more importance than his own guarantee of
a Hunter’s presence to ensure safety.
Not one to raise the ire of the captain’s
sister-in-law, Steven hooked and slid the flail handle in the ring
loop on his hip and it fit smoothly. Proximity allowed it to still
shimmer without touch. He peered at the lance a head taller than
himself to wonder if it collapsed and found it was proven. Despite
scans showing it was solid. The long smooth shaft didn’t collapse
in pieces like scales, but simply shrunk to a miniature spear
version that didn’t increase the grip girth and the leaf pattern of
the blade remained unchanged. Making it more like a double edged
shortsword. It made Steven grin as many interesting ideas began to
form.
“
Excuse me. I must go ice my
hands.” Stone said, already wearing his three new weapons proudly.
The excuse wasn’t contested as the burly black man left to do just
that as the others saw the meaty mitts were swelling.
Steven took an empty seat and Visor stepped
off a shelf to glide in for a smooth landing. Steven continued to
marvel as the light played off the spear’s surface, making it
extend and retract to find he could control the speed of the length
change by focused thought. He didn’t pay any attention to Oliver
and Stephanie as their conversation was too dull and boring for his
taste. Something about what he was doing before leaving. Steven
wasn’t sure as his new toy held complete attention.
Two hours passed and Steven grew bored. Visor
was sleeping which was hardly a surprise since the two others in
the room were still going on and on. Stone hadn’t returned,
probably licking wounds Steven knew all too well fucking hurt and
would take weeks to gain full function again.
Tired of the monotony Steven
had an idea.
Let’s see how well the Creelin
truly trained you, Brother.
Curiosity
trumped logic of what may happen after also remembering last
night’s viewing from the Flare recordings. Thinking that Oliver and
Stephanie were completely off their guard Steven decided on a
harmless explosion.