The Six Sectors

Chapter Fourteen - Helo

Helo was woken by the squeaking wheels of a stretcher.

He would usually find such a sound reassuring, if he didn't remember where he was at the current moment. His eyes snapped open to reveal a white room. He soon felt himself transferred to a metal operating table. Robotic medical instruments hung over the transgender male, ready to be used. A console, presumably to control the robotic instruments or record the patients life signs, was next to the operating table. Helo groaned. A bright light hovered over his face. A scientist moved it to his leg.

Helo didn't have the courage - or strength to struggle. He could only groan as a scientist used one of the robotic tools to lift his arm, sticking an IV into him without warning. Helo could barely keep his eyes open. He heard a saw and freaked out, something in him coming alive. Helo screamed, one of the doctors forcing an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. Helo panted, getting sleepy due to the gas. He forced himself to open his eyes, not wanting to be dissected. He watched as he could helplessly have his leg cut off. Half of it at least.

Helo couldn't feel his new apparatus. All he knew was that it replaced his leg. "Subject name: Sundawn Wheeldon." He took a sharp breath, more of the gas getting into his system. How did they know his dead name? "Sex genatalia: Female. Species: Praxis Cyberican. Subject's body seems to be accepting new weapon." New weapon? Helo didn't have much time to think about it. He could now feel the doctor forcing him to take another breath.

Everything for him went black.

Helo woke up in the other room with the others, strapped everywhere except his fixed leg.

"You're alive!" Saturn declared, loudly at that.

"Are you alright?" Nori asked in a light tone. Helo groaned.

"They knew." He panted, still lightheaded.

"What do you mean?" A certain wendigo-human hybrid, currently in a much more humanoid state than before, asked.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what you're talking about…" Nori commented. Helo sighed.

"My dead name. The name I told you all was my new name, Heliosray, or Helo. They knew my original female name, Sundawn, or Sunny." He groaned, in pain now that the anesthesia was wearing off.

"It's Ijetix," Nassa points out, "They have some of the most intelligent minds here. If anyone could figure it out, it's them."

"I hate to agree, but I have to," Saturn says. Helo was confused.

"Wait, you're not the least surprised that I'm transgender?" He asked, hissing in pain as he felt the anesthesia slowly fade away.

"Surprised? No," Saturn says.

"I mean, Kaithenne did figure it out," Nori adds.

"... I'm the only one who's a little surprised?" Nassa asks, "I mean, I don't care though, good on you." Helo smiled. Then he cried out, bending his new leg.

"FRAG!" He yelled, the LEDs on the leg bright yellow.

"Don't hurt yourself," Nassa cautioned.

"Easy, you alright?" Saturn asked.
             
"It's this new leg. They put it on me just a few minutes ago." Helo hissed. He stretched it again, the gears whirring. "Didn't think it'll hurt so much. I'm usually used to pain."

"First of all, why are you used to pain you poor child, second of all, hopefully the pain will fade away," Saturn says. Helo smiled sadly.

"I'm used to it because growing these," He moved his doorwings a bit. "Is no walk in the park. Neither is binding for hours or nicking yourself with a tool. This is different. It's a new limb." Helo sighed. "Besides, I bet Nassa's tests were better than getting a leg cut off and being handed a dangerous weapon and being misgendered."

"We were forced to solve this puzzle that made absolutely no sense whatsoever and because we didn't finish it in a decent time we got electrocuted."

"There it is again! Using we instead of I!" Nori accuses. Helo looked at her.

"Yeah, what is up with that? The whole we thing. C'mon, I came clean." He asked, raising an eyebrow. Helo didn't understand why it was so difficult to just explain something. It wasn't like coming out.

"..." Nassa paused for a moment.

"Naaaaaasssssssssssssssss just tell them. Please. Pleaseeee?" Saturn whined.

"Fine, if you keep your mouth shut. One body, two minds, Nassa and Alkippe" Nassa said. Nori was utterly confused. Helo got it.

"Like a permanent com tab? My brother had something like that. He ended up getting executed for being perceived as dangerous and insane, but he wasn't." He said, moving his leg. He suddenly heard a sound like shifting gears, and he looked at his leg, gasping. "Guys, we're outta here!"

"What?" The other three in the room asked in unison, confused. Helo was smiling hugely. Out of his leg was a mechanical knife.

"I must've done something to activate my leg. There's a knife now. I might be able to cut the straps!" Helo said triumphantly.

"YES!" Nassa said, "... That was a bit loud… Hush."

"Really? Wouldn't the scientists have prepared for this if this happened?" Nori asks.

"Don't jinx this Nori," Saturn glares at her.

Helo swung his leg at his other, slicing through it. Then he used his legs to push upwards to stretch the straps, bringing them to their limits and breaking them. Then Helo used the knife - which was removable - to cut the strap on his head. Then he went to Nori, cutting her free. Same with Saturn and Nassa.

Nassa immediately jumped up and stretched. "Thanks a lot Heliosray."

The satyr and water nymph got up slower than she did, but that was a normal speed. "Yeah, what she said," Nori says. Helo smiled.

"It wasn't a problem." He got the knife back in. Helo wobbled on his two legs. "Woah…"

"Do you want some help?" Nori asks, holding her hand out. Helo nodded and took it. His heart began to race.

"We need to find Kaithenne and Energon." He turned to Nassa. "You've met Energon. Do you maybe know his scent?" He asked her.

"Alkippe and I aren't actually that good at tracking scents, unless the creature is bleeding, but I can try," Nassa shrugged. Helo nodded.

"Nori and I will get Kaithenne. Take Saturn with you. Here." Helo put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a yellow and black bandana. "En had this on when he was nabbed. Should have his scent." He gave it to the wendigo.

She grabs the bandana. "See you back here?"

Helo nodded. Then he led Nori away.