Let Freedom Ring

by Maji

Well it's basically Knight Rider. One military talking truck + 1 genetically enhanced teenager = one huge problem.

Let Freedom ring,

Let the white dove sing,
Let the whole world know that today,

Is a day of reckoning,
Let the weak be strong,

Let the right be wrong,
Roll the stone away,

Let the guilty pay,

It's Independence Day

*May 12, 2002  Sampson Tech. Dover, Montana*

"It's online now sir"

Those words where the first words it remembered in its existence.  The first words it heard.  So simple yet a life line to the new life these people where creating weather they meant to or not.  They forced it out of its oblivious state and into the harsh reality of the lab.  The first thing it remembered seeing was the cold steel of the lab walls and second the equally cold eyes of its creator.  If it where anyone else those eyes would be the cause of fear but it felt none.  That was its programming.  It was a soldier.  Fear would be the death of it.  Show no emotion and you will survive.  Compassion is just as deadly a weapon as your enemies' dagger.

"State your number and function." The owner of those eyes hissed in his raspy deadly calm voice. 

"I am number 183 and my function is to serve you."  He stated in a calm voice so much like his creator's. 

"And what is it that you must serve?" 

183 checked its programs for the answer and responded instantly.  "I am a soldier.  The perfect soldier and I will serve accordingly." 

Its creator stepped back to regard 183 and nodded satisfied with his answer.  "Very well number 183.  You may refer to me as General Collins.  I trust you are able to log into all of your files?" 

183 took a moment to run a check on his systems for any flaws and confirmed what General Collins had just said.  "Everything is working as it should."

General Collins nodded then gestured to one of the techs to come forward.  "Make certain it is in top condition.  I would like to get this system up and running in a true CPU as soon as possible then we will discuss how we can make this system work for us." 

He stated simply leaving at once stepping out of the lab leaving the tech to silently work on the fragile system before him.  183 was the system of the century.  The perfect soldier.  Everything they wanted in a human was locked into this computer.

General Collins stormed down the dark hallway his assistant hurrying behind him.  "We're running behind schedule Lieutenant.  I wanted that system up and running months ago.  Have you found someone in our ranks to operate it yet?" 

His assistant paused in midstride before running after him once again.  "No sire we haven't found the right operative yet but we have a few prospective applicants.  Their have been a few that have volunteered but I think we need to put the 183 through a few more months of testing before we put it out on the streets, or in the air as the case may be." 

Collins turned on him furiously looking at him face to face.  "I'm not paying you to think Lieutenant.  I'm paying you to take applications from the ranks and actually do something useful occasionally." 

His assistant nodded sharply and quickly opened the door for his general.  "Yes Sir of course.  It won't happen again"

Collins nodded and stepped through into his office irritably flipping on the light.  "See that it doesn't."

Collins stepped around his desk and sat down before speaking again.  "Forget the operatives within our ranks.  I think at this point we should take more desperate measures.  Kill two birds with one stone so to speak.  The Lupe project, have you been able to locate a subject for that yet?" 

His assistant checked his file and shook his head.  "No sir it hasn't been started yet.  It's not scheduled to for another few months." 

Collins flipped open another file and nodded sharply in decision. "Well it starts now Lieutenant.  I want you to find someone that no one will miss.  Someone out of one of the smallest towns you can find do you understand?  Picture it.  The perfect soldier pared with the perfect military canine." 

His assistant nodded quickly but made no move to leave.  "What is it Lieutenant I gave you an order didn't I?" 

The General's assistant nodded quietly but still didn't leave.  "Sir can we do that?"

"Why of course we can.  We're the military, once we are out their protecting the civilians of this country people will understand just fine."  Collins stated sharply already pulling a road atlas down from its shelf and opening it to a random state.  He paused a moment and let his finger drop to a place on the map before looking up. 

"I want you to bring me back someone from the town of Millen, GA.  It's small enough to where not to many people should miss him." 

His assistant looked surprised and shook his head.  "Sir small towns everyone knows just about everyone else.  They'll know the second he's gone.  A larger town may land them lost in the population." 

Collins looked furious once again and stood up.  "I didn't ask for your opinion now go!"

The general's assistant jumped back in fear and hurried out of the office and down the hall to have a team sent out as soon as possible.  Collins simply sat back in this chair and sighed.  This new program he was working on should work.  Making someone from a small town in GA a military weapon would be the ultimate test on his part.  If he could take someone from a small farming town in Georgia and make them into a soldier they would never have to worry about the military personnel again and he would be a rich man, retire with honors and be thought of as a hero.  He only hoped that his assistant didn't mess this one up as he did the last time.  With that in mind he paused a scowl etched on his harsh features as he picked up the phone.  Mistake was not an option.

Somewhere deep within the compound the general's assistant scanned through a few files of people in that area.  It seemed that they didn't have many options in this town as he had attempted to point out.  Very few young people at all.  Most where over thirty at least and those in their twenties had long left for bigger and better things.  The best he could possibly do was a teenager.  Well that was better than nothing.  He would simply choose one a bit older than the others maybe stronger and more easily adapted to this life.  Maybe even get lucky and nab a teenager who wanted to go into the military after high school.  He nodded in self approval and brought up a file from the local school's data base.

"David Owens"  He said out load to a man standing beside him who would in a moment be sent out to take care of the task at hand.  He nodded and looked at the picture on the screen.  A tall young man with long dark hair and hazel intelligent eyes stared back at him.  Shouldn't be too hard to find. 

"He drives a silver Ford F-150 so you should be able to find him.  Not too many people have vehicles like that in this little town."  The man standing behind him nodded lightly. 

"School picture Steve?"  The general's assistant glared at him for a moment before looking back. 

"First I am your superior officer and you will address me as so and yes it is a school photo.  Now go get him before General Collins takes it out on both our hides."  The man nodded sharply and turned to leave a look of worry clearly defined in his eyes.

*May 20, 2002  Millen, Georgia*

"Miss Owens I am speaking to you."  Sasha looked up instantly and gave an apologetic look as her Science teacher glared at her over his wire rimed glasses. 

"Now I ask you again what is the answer to number three on your worksheet?"  A look of total panic flashed in Sasha's face for a moment.  Oh God what worksheet?  She thought desperately.  She looked at the piles of papers she had scattered on her desk to make it seem she was paying attention, but she didn't see a worksheet anywhere.  Suddenly a sheet of paper appeared on her desk and she looked up gratefully at her twin brother David.  He always knew when she needed help the most.

"That would be Hydrogen and Oxygen sir" she stated instantly with her best I already knew that look.  She then shot a grateful look to David as she handed him back her brother.  That was the great part of having a twin in her class.  They always tried to help each other out.  Sasha hated confrontations with her teachers.  She was shorter than her twin at only 5 foot 4 and considerably smaller.  She shared his pale features and long dark hair as well as his green eyes but that was where the likeness stopped. 

"Thanks Davie" she whispered quietly before turning her attention back to the front of the class.  No séance in getting called down twice.  Although she hated it she just may have to pay attention this class. 

"Don't make me have to save ya again will ya sis?"  Davie whispered before looking back to his book as their teacher turned back to the board.

She sighed and absently tapped at her desk with a pen before letting her mind wonder once more.  Her and her twin brother had always been close.  It would be hard their senior year when he left for the military.  Next year would be a nightmare.  They would both graduate, she would go to college, and he would go on to the air force.  While she was suffering through her freshman year of college, he would be suffering through basic training.  While she was bogging through tests and all night study sessions he would be flying an F-15 fighter jet over the Middle East. 

"Miss Owens I know it's the last week of school but would you please grace this small class with the honor of your thoughtful insights?"  Her science teacher boomed once again. 

She looked up guiltily and nodded that she was paying attention even if they all knew she wasn't.  That was simply an unsaid rule.  Even if you don't have a clue you still claimed to be doing what you where suppose to be doing.  You still had to at least attempt to deny the accusation that your mind was any where but in that class room.

Any other attempts for her attention to be drawn away from the class was shot as the final bell rang releasing the students from the prison of their classes and the guards that where their teachers.  Sasha and David both stood up together and walked out of the class in silence before David spoke up. 

"Sash, you going up to Augusta this afternoon?"  Sasha glanced up at her twin and nodded.  "Yeah I gotta drive up to the college and pick up an application.  No sense in weighting to long before I get started." 

David nodded and tossed her his trucks keys.  "Take my truck and I'll take your car and have it serviced for ya."  Sasha looked at her brother in surprise before handing over her keys. 

"Thanks David.  You have a motive for this sudden act of kindness?" 

David looked a little sheepish before nodding.  "Date" was his sheepish answer as Sasha gave an exasperated sigh and punched his shoulder before tossing him her keys. 

"You hurt him I hunt you bud."  She stated.

David gave her a funny look and shook her head.  "You talk more to that car than you do people." 

Sasha once again gave her brother a sharp look and stopped in front of her locker gently setting her lap top down before fiddling with the lock.  "Ya know most siblings would take offence to these remarks.  You leave Damien alone ya hear?" 

David laughed before sitting down in the hallway next to his own locker and opening the lock from where he was seated.  "Hey my truck has the looks and the horses under the hood.  I'd like ta see you hawl off a load in that little race car of yours." 

Sasha glared at him and dropped a pen on him before turning back to her locker to decide on the appropriate books to stuff into her already failing book bag.  "Fine I'll trade with you but only because I haven't spent that much time with Stone lately."

David shook his head in a familiar look of exasperation.  Sasha mothered everything from pets, to people, to vehicles.  She named every car or truck they had.  Her Mothers hatchback was named Whinnie and their father's jeep was named Bruno.  Even the family truck was named Buck.  He believed she had even gone as for as to name the tractors and lawnmowers as well but she hadn't admitted to that yet. 

Sasha finely stuffed the last book she knew she would need into her book back and slung it over her shoulder.  With the extra weight suddenly added a shot of pain panged her shoulder causing her to wince and adjust her load until it was bearable.  She then winced again as she picked up her laptop and paused for a moment as she accustomed herself with the added weight.

"Come on Davie."  She stated as she took off down the hallway.  David sighed as he stuffed his last book in his locker and took off after her.  A few teachers lifted their heads as they ran past and yelled out for them to stop but none came after them.  They had almost made it out when the one teacher they both would rather not see stepped out from the teachers lounge just in front of them. 

Both of them skidded to a stop in fear of a confrontation with this woman.  Mrs. Hertz glared at them over her horn rimmed glasses in disapproval.  It was no secret that this woman didn't like either one of them.  She disapproved of everything about them.  She stepped close to the two and glared down her long boney nose at them before clearing her throat.

"And what is the rush to leave our beautiful school?  Are you two late for some court date in juvenile hall or have you committed some act of delinquency that you now are forced to flee the scene of your crime?"  She stated in that high nasal voice of hers. 

Sasha winced then stepped forward with a great deal of style and grace.  "Oh no Mrs. Hertz we're just rushing out to get to Augusta so we might apply at the college so our academic careers can be furthered and we may one day become great school teachers such as yourself." 

The older teacher glared at Sasha and gave her a look of disbelief.  "Don't give me that Miss Owens.  I know for a fact your brother is going military and I don't think you would leave your beloved farm for a real live and an academic career young lady." 

Sasha gave her a hurt look for a split second before regaining her face. 

David stepped forward between Mrs. Hertz and his sister and gave her a sharp glare.  "Mrs. Hertz we have done nothing wrong and where we are headed is none of your concern.  My sister is on her way to the college and as for what you think of our choices in life it really doesn't matter to me and it is none of your business.  Have a good weekend Mrs. Hertz."  And with that he guided Sasha past the woman and into the Afternoon sun. 

"Is she right Davie?"  Sasha whispered sounding very close to tears as she turned to face her brother still clutching the keys to Stone in one closed fist. 

David gave her a startled look then shook his head.  "That woman is a bag of hot air that's it.  Don't you ever let her get to you.  You're really smart.  The only reason you didn't do well in her class was because of her.  I almost failed to.  She just doesn't like us for some reason."

Sasha nodded and suddenly smiled.  "The way you stood up to her was awesome.  I wish I could say stuff like that to her." 

David smiled and hugged her with one arm.  "That's why I'm going into the military and you're going to college to be smart and help people another way.  You just don't do confrontations." 

Sasha nodded and smiled as they came into the lower parking lot where their two vehicles stood parked side by side.  They fit their personalities in her opinion.

Her brother drove a silver 80's model Ford F-150 while she drove a smaller sleek blue 2000 Mustang Sport. 

"You take care of my car."  She warned her brother as she climbed up into the cab of her brother's truck. 

David smiled and nodded as he ducked down into the small car and started the engine.  He pulled out and into the leaving traffic as Sasha remained for a moment to refamilier herself with truck's controls. 

Expertly she adjusted everything so she sat comfortably and shifted into gear.  Easily the truck pulled out into traffic and rolled out onto the highway bound for the larger city only 40 minutes away. 

It only took her a few moments before she found her brother's music stash.  Blaring Garth Brooks over the radio she pushed the gas petal to the floor and pushed the heavy truck to the faster highway speeds. 

She never saw the car in her rearview mirror.  Or if she did she paid it no mind.  She was in her own world of Garth Brook's radio and songs about friends in low places and storms that came with cheating husbands to even notice the vehicle following her so closely at every turn. 

Singing to the music to loud to see a sharp beam emit from the car and to lost to notice until truck began to struggle.  She quickly looked at the panel above the steering wheel and slowed the truck down expertly guiding it to the shoulder of the road.

Ahead of her the same black car that had been behind her pulled onto the shoulder as well.  She sighed and rolled her eyes as she got out of the car. 

"OK buddy just because I'm a girl doesn't mean that I don't know what to do about a broken down truck."  She muttered under her breath. 

With that in mind she jumped down from the cab and released the hood.  If he wanted to help he would have to know more about this truck than she did.  That was all there was to it. 

Anthony Renolds stepped out of his old Ford and caught his breath sharply.  He had messed up.  This wasn't David Owens.  But he followed the instructions exactly.  He followed the silver ford out of town.  He had even seen a dark haired kid get in the car and could have sworn he had seen the same face form the picture he had seen behind the wheel. 

She turned and cast a gaze at him before promptly ignoring him and the face came rushing back.  He had seen that face looking back at him from behind the wheel looking so much like the face in that picture that he had no reason to question or throw judge at weather this was the right person. 

They must have made some kind of mistake.  This wasn't the David from the picture.  This was a female version of him.  They had the same black hair and piercing green eyes but this young lady was definitely female.  But she looked enough like David to be his sister.

"Excuse me miss."  He said gently finally getting over the shock of seeing her.  "I noticed you where having some trouble could you use any help?" 

The young lady lifted her head and looked a bit frustrated that he hadn't taken the hint yet and smiled a forced smile.  "No actually I'm doing just fine thanks.  I know a good deal about this truck." 

She stated with a calm smile before looking back into the Truck's open hood at the engine searching for the problem at hand.  Of course she would never find it.  Anthony himself had stalled the truck and the problem was definitely not under that hood.

"I'm sorry miss I just noticed that your truck seemed to stall out and I thought I may be able to help.  I'm afraid I won't be able to simply leave you out here now."  He told her attempting to sound like simple chivalry.  "I cannot leave a lovely lady such as yourself on the side of a busy highway such as this one without feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt.  So would you be ever so kind as to set my guilt at ease and allow me to at least help you repair whatever damage has been done to your truck?" 

The young lady gave him a look that seemed to say very flatly just where he could go for all she cared.  "I've been working on vehicles along side my dad since I was three.  I think I can handle a broken down truck."  She stated before casting her attention back to the inside of the hood. 

Renolds heaved an exasperated sigh and cast his attention back to his own vehicle before going back to the cab of his car.  He had hoped this would be very easy and able to get her into the car without a problem.  His plan had been to try and help her call it hopeless and offer her a ride to the nearest gas station but as he had seen that wouldn't be an option. 

He would have to rely on the fact that he would be able to out power her into the vehicle.  This was a busy highway.  That wouldn't be simple to do.  With practiced ease he pulled medication that would certainly be able to put her out for a little while into a syringe. 

Measuring the amount carefully he concealed the small needle into his sleeve and stepped up to her once again.  His associates where within reaching distance as soon as he had this girl.  He would push her into her own truck and someone else could pick up his car.  The lack of evidence would prove in his favor.  Who knew with a little e-mail he may even be able to convince the community that she had run away from home.  After a few months the investigation would drop entirely.

He stepped up behind her as soon as the traffic was clear once again and grabbed her arm with firm enough a grip she wouldn't be able to pull away.  She looked up at him with a look of absolute rage that seemed to him to strike him to the ground. 

"Get your hands off me!"  She yelled at him trying to pull away.  He was surprised at the amount of strength she could put into the pull but with his military training she simply couldn't break the grip. 

"Let go!"  She yelled again more rage than fear evident in her green eyes.  With a well practiced motion he twisted her until he had locked her arm around her back and slipped the needle of the syringe into her neck. 

She gasped in pain and tried to struggle away as he injected the medicine that would make her much more easily transported.  Slowly her struggling weakened and she dropped off to sleep.

Renolds gently allowed her to slide to the ground and pulled her behind the truck and out of sight quickly.  The entire procedure had gone unnoticed by civilians and he didn't think it would look good for people to see a young lady simply laying along side the road. 

Carefully he picked her up and gently placed her in the passenger seat of her own truck and stepped into the driver seat before pulling out a small pager like contraption.  He punched in a number before pulling off. 

Already a truck was pulling up to take his own car back to the base.  The entire procedure had almost been too easy.  Now if only this young lady had been the right person he had been after in the first place.  Oh well.  They could deal with that fact later.  He had picked up the kid in the silver truck after all.  It wasn't his fault it happened to be the wrong kid.

*May 20, 2002 Sampson Tech,  Dover, Montana*

Sasha groaned hours later and groggily sat up holding her pounding head.  Whatever hit her had not been gentle she knew that much.  Holding her head as if attempting to keep it firmly on her shoulders she sat up and looked around taking in her recent predicament and what she had been drug into. 

She was in a small room with plain gray brick walls and a single military cot which she was currently laid on and a small iron toilet along with an iron basin sink.  It looked like a cell to her. 

"What happened to me?"  She asked not really expecting an answer. 

"Don't worry you are in no danger.  You are part of a very important program now my dear."  Sasha got up warily and looked around for the speaker.  She knew that voice she was certain she did.  She knew she had heard it before but she had no idea where that was.  For all she knew it could be that the owner of the voice was an old friend she once knew. 

The pounding in her head was making thinking very difficult.  Forcing the pain out of mind she took a deep breath before speaking. 

"Who's there?" She asked hesitantly scanning the cell looking for a door.  "Who are you?" 

The was a lengthy pause before the same voice called back.  "That is of no concern.  You rest yourself.  The program will start soon." 

Sasha winced at that and sat back down willing the pain in her head away.  "Well this is an interesting predicament."  She commented before blacking out once again.

"That's not the young man I asked you to pick up."  Renolds winced at the voice and quickly saluted. 

"No sir but she's perfect for the Lupe experiment sir!"  He stated instantly snapping his heels together preying the mistake he had made wouldn't be his last.  The man in front of him narrowed his dark brown eyes at him seeming to be studying him. 

"You had best be thankful that is the case.  Now you will get out there and try again and this time if you mess up you will be the Lupe project."  With that the man turned and left the building not even looking back on the very relieved Renolds.

Renolds breathed out a heavy sigh of relief and looked back to the monitor that showed the young girl he had picked up carefully walking the perimeter of her cell seeming to be exploring every crack in the walls.  She wouldn't find a way out of there.  He didn't need to worry about that.  Some of their best had been tested in that room and in the end they had to resort to asking to be let out. 

A civilian girl would not be getting out of that room any time soon.  He would bet his last dollar on that.  With a dry chuckle he turned from the monitor leaving the guard alone at his post and headed down to his office to make certain the police wouldn't put to much thought into a runaway teenager.

*May 20, 2002 Owens family farm, Millen, Georgia*

Debra Owens sat at her computer staring silently at the words printed out in front of her unable to believe them.  This wasn't happening.  This couldn't be happening.  It wasn't possible for this to be happening. 

She opened her mouth to scream for her husband but nothing came out but a dry whisper.  Disbelief weighed heavy on her as she double checked the address it had come from preying that someone was playing a cruel joke on her.  But no it couldn't be. 

Sasha's e-mail address sat proudly in the box stating who it was from and her favorite signature sat like a beacon at the bottom of the screen in that delicate lettering she liked so much stating proudly who she was and giving her web sight address to whoever wanted to see it.

She opened her mouth once again to scream for her husband or maybe her son or maybe just to scream and never stop screaming so that her mind would stop picturing her daughter's smiling face. 

This couldn't be Sasha.  It simply couldn't.  But even as she looked at the words she knew it had to be.  The writing style was Sasha's.  She had always been one to add her own touch to her writing. 

She knew her writing like she would know her child's face or her voice or even the way she smelled.  She knew her writing the way she knew the way David played his guitar.  Even if she couldn't see them and no name was tagged to the work she would still know it.

The screen door banged closed and David's voice rang out greeting anyone who was in the house.  Her husband Joseph called back clearly and she could hear the murmurs of their quiet conversation.  She could hear the conversation even without hearing it.  She had heard it that many times. 

Joe would ask how his date had gone and David would lean against the counter an apple he had snagged from the fruit bowl in hand as he relayed where they had gone and what they had done then he would relay weather or not he thought they would be going out again or if he thought it best the quietly admit they had nothing in common and would be better off pretending they never went out less they shutter from the strangely ill feeling they got whenever they thought about that wasted night. 

It was only nine o'clock.  It had to be the latter.  But none of that mattered now.  None of that mattered but the words that appeared so cheerfully on the screen.  Silently she read them again preying they had magically changed since the last time she looked at them.

Dear Mother

Please don't be angry with me.   I know I shouldn't have done it.  I know when you read this you'll probably be angry.  Please don't hate me for what I'm doing.  I love you and the family so much.  I wish I could stay but after so much thought I know I can't.  I can never be the person you want me to be.  I can't deal with all that is there right now.  I don't think I ever can.  Tell every one I love them and how sorry I am that I left but I did what I felt I had to do.  I won't be coming home again.  I know you'll try to find me.  I know you'll come after me but please know that I don't want you to.  I don't want to see you again.  You or anyone else.  I love you but I simply can't.  Please understand that.  Please respect these wishes.  I love you all and I'll miss you terribly.  Please don't hate me.  I'm only doing what I know has to be done.

Sasha

Wolf Industries

Once again Debra silently looked at the message refusing to believe that the simple letter was true.  Her child couldn't be gone.  She hadn't even given a clue that she was upset. 

Her mind drifted back to that morning when Sasha had been laughing so hard at her mother's failed attempt at baking bread.  Debra had laughed with her and held the rock hard bread up over her head and let it thump to the counter with a load crack.  They had laughed so hard at their own private joke they had both left that morning laughing all the way to their cars. 

She had been so happy.  The night before was no different.  They had all eaten dinner together and chatted on about their plans for the summer.  Sasha had cheerfully suggested they head for the NASCAR tracks and after a bit of convincing the group had agreed to that being one of their outings.  As long as they got to travel north after the race to Gatlinburg. 

Finally after what seemed like an eternity she opened her mouth again. This time a whining sound emitted out that she soon found was herself screaming.  The talking in the other room stopped immediately and the last thing that registered before she hit the floor was her husband and her son running into the room and hovering over her worry etched across their faces.

*May 20, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover, Montana*

Sasha paced her cell for hours before she finally sank down onto her cot heaving a heavy sigh of defeat.  She wasn't getting out of here.  It was sealed up even tighter than one of their classrooms.  'And I thought that was a prison.'  She thought tiredly staring at the blank walls. 

She jumped in surprise as the door suddenly opened and a young man in a military uniform walked in briskly and set a plate down on a small table within' the room. 

"You're dinner mam."  He stated sharply before turning on his heel and striding out. 

"Wait!"  Sasha called after him but the door clanged shut before she could get to him.  She sighed and looked at the plate of food wondering if it might be drugged or not. 

She was starving but she wasn't sure if she should trust their food.  They had kidnapped her after all.  With a heavy sigh she sat down on her cot and stared at it.  They had served her meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy.  She hadn't eaten since lunch so the simple food looked really good right about now.

For a moment her mind drifted back to that afternoon as she sat with her brother laughing at the greasy food the lunch room cooks expected them to eat.  They had laughed cheerfully and created creatures in the rubbery food that was suppose to be chicken surprise.  The surprise was what else was in it besides chicken. 

Tears stung her eyes as her brother's joyful face drifted into her mind and she quickly wiped them away.  These people where not going to see her cry.  She would make certain of that.  She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.  Just like when speaking to Mrs. Hertz she wouldn't let them know how much they had hurt her. 

After only a second thought she pulled the tray to her and silently ate what they had given her.  At this point she didn't care in the least if it was poisoned or not or if it was drugged.  She refused to fall into their little game and she was hungry after all.

183 growled softly as those things poked and prodded at it.  It hated them for it.  It hated their poking it hated their questions.  It was superior to them couldn't they see that? 

It knew more than they did and in the end it would be much more powerful than these soft creatures that created him.  It was programmed to obey two people and only those two people.  General Collins and above him the driver it would be assigned to.  All else where inferiors that it only answered to because it was Collins that told it that it must. 

Mind you it hated Collins as well.  More than any other living creature in that room it hated him.  Collins was a vicious man. 

He was inferior to them all with his sniveling voice that set 183's sensors on edge and that irritating way he had of restating the obvious.  The man was a coward.  He sent his soldiers out after a child because he could not handle an adult. 

Stone had heard the tech's talking about the little girl that was set up for the Lupe project.

Collins was also in its humble opinion the cheapest human that ever crawled over the face of the Earth.  He refused to spend the funding on a vehicle that could hold 183 until it was tested and sold providing the funding for such a project.  Therefore that was the current location. 

183 were being installed in an inferior ground vehicle that was failing in its age and had once belonged to the girl that was now locked within' the compound. 

What added insult to injury was the fact that they hadn't even bothered to clean the vehicle.  It smelled of the human girl they had brought in and her books still sat loyally behind the seat. 

Mud remained splattered across the silver hood tinted with the red of Georgia's clay.  It was painfully out of place in their current location.  At least they had cleaned the engine compartment before they started installing it. 

In fact all they had really used in the truck was the interior and the frame.  Everything else had been replaced.  It must have cost more than a new truck would have but it never would understand these humans. 

Though it had to admit it did like the truck.  Somehow it fit 183.  Oddly enough the more time went by the more it had to admit this truck felt like his body.

The floor spun in a quiet haze as Sasha started at it in amazement.  It seemed to rock back and forth like a ship caught in the wind making her a bit sick.  Her head ached horribly and her mouth felt dry as cotton. 

She looked up and stared angrily at her half eaten dinner giving it a disgusted glare as she sank into her cot allowing herself to lie down and stare at the swaying walls.  She knew that food was drugged and yet she had still risked it. 

She knew she deserved this but she hadn't thought it would be this harsh.  The doors opened once again and she felt herself being lifted and carried out onto a stretcher like contraption.  She forced herself to keep her eyes shut as it moved through the halls the harsh light hurting even through her closed eyes.

Someone was talking near her.  She heard the voice like a gun shot in her head but she couldn't understand the words.  They sounded gargled and strained through her pain.  She wanted to open her eyes and yell at them to stop talking but even that proved to be just too much for her. 

She whimpered a bit the sound ringing out in her head but it didn't even draw a look from her captors she imagined.  They could care less what happened to her.  She didn't know what they where going to do to her but the pain of her own head drowned out those thoughts. 

She turned her head to the side and forced herself to open her eyes a bit.  Bright white lights bounced off the white walls of the hallway they where now walking through.  Doors lined the hall in a uniform fashion matching perfectly the uniform guards that pushed her stretcher through the halls. 

They paused for a moment and she closed her eyes again as the pain of the lights became too much.  They stood still for a moment then she was pushed on as they entered a room that reminded Sasha of a hospital room.

From there she was lifted onto a table and strapped down so that all she could do was move her head from side to side feebly attempting to shift so that the light didn't hurt her sensitive eyes as much.  After a moment of shifting she found a spot that the light for some reason or another didn't seem as bright and she stayed there quietly preying she would simply go unconscious soon. 

After what seemed like an eternity someone touched her arm and a rough cloth was rubbed quickly over her skin making her arm a bit cold from the harsh smelling liquid that was there. 

After a moment a sharp prick caused her to quickly gasp and for the first time attempt to fight them weakly.  She couldn't move very much and after a moment remained still once again. 

A burning sensation overcame her arm as whatever they where giving her was injected.  The burning in her arm soon spread and her entire body seemed as if it may melt.  She winced at the pain and opened her mouth though now sound emitted from her. 

Another prick stung her neck as someone held her head still and the pain blazed strong behind her eyes her skin feeling as if it where on fire constricting it seemed like a child's play dough. 

This time she did scream.  It echoed through her head like a cannon as she attempted to keep from blacking out. 

The pain was so intense she could have sworn she saw fireworks exploding in her own mind.  It went on like that for what seemed to her like hours.  After an eternity of pain it stopped just as quickly as it had come and her world went black.

183 growled to itself as he silently sat in its garage listening to the screaming.  There was something about that sound that affected him someway and set its sensors on end.

Something about the way it hit 183 that made it want to make it stop any way possible.  Find the source and find the reason behind that horrible sound.  Technicians walked around it as if they didn't hear the horrible sound at all.  The acted as if whatever it was it didn't matter. 

183 growled again and for the first time in its life allowed the engine of the truck he had been installed in to roar to life.  The techs jumped into action and moved quickly attempting to chain the massive truck down. 

183 fought against the clamps that had bound it to the floor so quickly growling his rage at anyone who would listen.  This was an outrage.  It was insulting.  How could they do this? 

After a few moments it calmed down again back into an irritated growl as it listened.  The screaming had stopped.  All was quiet again.  The techs scrambled around him avoiding 183 as if it may attack at any given moment. 

It had no intention of attacking them.  They where beneath its concern in its opinion.  He decided that day a lesson it would never forget as long as it should life.  It despised humans and it always would. 

As long as it functioned it decided now it would never accept one of them.  It would never obey a human and one day it would not obey the humans that created him.  Somehow it would promise that to itself.

*May 20, 2002 Owens family farm, Millen, Georgia*

"That can't be her she wouldn't have done that!"  David yelled for the hundredth time that evening. 

"David none of us want to believe that Sasha would run away but you said yourself that looked like her writing."  Joseph pointed out tiredly. 

David turned on him angrily and shook his head.  "But she wouldn't. She couldn't.  I can prove it to." 

Debra looked up looking hopeful and wiped the tears from her eyes.  "Go on David tell us."  She prodded watching her son for any sign he knew where Sasha was. 

"I have her car and she has my truck.  You know as well as I do how much she loved that car.  If she was planning on leaving she wouldn't have traded vehicles with me.  The Mustang would have been better to travel with and she loves it to much.  Also she didn't take any money with her.  Her stash is still in her room and no one has touched her savings account.  I know because I kinda borrowed some money from her which I plan to put back by the way.  Also she took no clothing all of her books are still here and her journal is still hidden securely where she thinks I don't know where it is.  When she left she was planning on coming back."

Debra looked over at Joseph with a hopeful look and he nodded.  "David's right." 

Joseph finally stated after a long silence.  "It doesn't sound as if she was plannin' on skipping town.  David, go and call the police.  Either way we need to get them out here." 

David nodded and quickly left the room leaving Joseph and Debra to their own thoughts.  Debra looked up after a moment and swallowed fearfully. 

"Joe where's our baby girl?"  She asked her voice sounding frail in her fear.  

Joseph shook his head sadly and rested his chin in the palm of his hand propping his elbow on his knee.  "I don't know deb, I don't know."

*May 22, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover, Montana*

Sasha groaned as she woke up slowly sitting up attempting to keep the nausea in her down to a low kill.  It took a few moments but slowly she managed to pull herself up into a sitting position and look around.  She was back in her cell from the looks of it.  The dim gray walls welcomed her painful vision as she carefully looked around.  So she hadn't been dreaming. 

She let out a low moan of defeat and got to her feet not to surprised to see a tray of food sitting not to far away. 

Her stomach seemed to jump a bit at the sight of it and she turned away attempting to keep the last meal she had in her stomach.  She hurt everywhere and she itched but that she decided was the least of her problems.  She was dizzy and her head was killing her and to make matters so much worse she was still a prisoner.

With a heavy sight she sat back down on her cot and stared at the obviously breakfast meal they had set out for her.  It wouldn't be eaten any time soon by her.  Her stomach was recoiling at just the thought of the greasy bacon and buttery eggs.  Her stomach seemed to jump again at that and she lay down and turned to the opposite wall staring at the wall hoping that somehow this was all a dream. 

She lay still for a moment then reached up to scratch at her neck that for some reason was itching to the point of being painful.  It only took her a moment to realize that her fingers where hurting as well.  In fact they felt like they where on fire. 

Alarmed she pulled her hand back and was surprised to see a bit of blood on her hand.  She touched her neck and felt a sticky wetness where she had been scratching.  'I wasn't scratching that hard was I?'  She thought as she once again pulled her hand back to really study it.  

She carefully studied her fingernails and gasped in shock and a bit of horror.  Her fingernails where falling off.  The nails on her pinky and index finger of her right hand had already gone as well as the ring finger nail on her left.  She shut her mouth again and studied her hands in puzzlement. 

Then why had fingers that where loosing the nails scratch her so hard.  Upon a closer study the answer hit her like a ton of bricks. 

On the end of each finger was a small black spot.  Barley the size of a pin but it was there and it happened to be razor sharp.  As she touched one with a curious finger a sharp stick pricked her finger where the pin was and a drop of blood welled up on the tip of that finger. 

She whimpered and put her hands down for a moment then picked them right back up staring at the back of her hands.  I fine layer of gray hair was just starting to peek through her skin.  It was barely there almost like the down of a small chick but it was definitely there.  It took her a moment to realize she was screaming and her world once again went black.

183 growled again and pulled against its restraints as it once again heard that horrible sound.  It was a human sound it now knew.  At first it had thought it was the sound of metal on metal or an animal of some kind.  But now it knew it was human.  It was the young girl they had brought in. 

It didn't know why she was screaming this time nor did it know why she had been screaming the last time.  Nor did it really care.  All it knew is that it wanted her to stop. 

It wanted to stop her from making that horrible sound that made its sensors jump so badly.  After a few moments it stopped again and 183 calmed.  The techs gave 183 a wary berth watching it as if it may strike at any given time.  But it wouldn't.  It never would.  They where not worth its time or concern. 

After a while it did the only thing it knew to do.  183 let out an animalistic scream of its own answering the screech with one of its own.

*August 15, 2002 Sampson tech, Dover Montana*

Sasha didn't know what time it was anymore.  She had lost the ability to decipher that long ago.  She never saw the sun so the only clue to what time of day it happened to be was what kind of food they brought her. 

Half the time it was drugged but that didn't really bother her anymore.  Being drugged just meant a bit more pain to suffer through before she slept after her last meal of the day.  She knew a few weeks had past but she didn't have any way of knowing what day it was.

She lay now as she always did anymore.  Curled up into a tight ball staring listlessly at the wall willing the pain of the latest 'treatment' away.  Her hands had long since lost all their fingernails and now each finger was tipped with a black hooked claw each one raiser sharp and painful.  Already her arms showed the scars of where she had forgotten the bite her fingers now held.  What little of her arms she could see that was. 

Her exposed skin was now covered in a thick layer of down fur making her hot and itchy all the time anymore.  Her ears hurt for some reason she couldn't explain and the bones in her nose and jaw hurt all the time.  Her teeth felt as if they just might fall out of her head if she moved wrong and as much as they hurt she wished they would. 

The worst part about all of this though had to be the sickening smells she was getting that she knew normally she would never pick up.  She had long since reasoned that the smells and sounds of her tiny cell where do to the drugs they kept pumping into her. 

She could smell the cleaners used in the bathroom she was escorted to three times a day and could hear people whispering all over the building.  It was maddening really.  That was the reason for her current position.  Curled up in a tight ball staring at the wall feeling the familiar groggy feeling pull over her as the drugs that had been in her meal slowly changed her world.

There would be pain.  She knew that.  Her skin would feel as if it where on fire.  She would hear herself scream with a sound that would echo through her mind like cannon fire.  She would yell at herself to stop that.  To stop the pain of her own screams.  But should wouldn't be able to.  And somewhere in the distance in a place she couldn't see someone would answer her screams.  Someone would call back angrily.  A sharp growling sound that kept her sanity.  Someone was out there and she knew it.  Even if the sound was angry someone was out there and they where with her.  It was her link to the outside world.  Her lifeline.

183 growled in its rage as it heard the screaming again.  Something pulled at it every time it heard that horrible sound.  It wanted to charge forward and stop the girl from screaming.  It wanted to yell at her and ask her what she was doing.  Ask her what making that noise would help.  Did she think that by making that noise someone would come find her?  That someone would hear and come help her?  There was no help.  There would never be help.  Only pain.

183 had learned that lesson very early in life.  It had learned that the moment his rage started to slip Collins would be there to put it back in it.  This weak truck body bore the scars of such encounters well.  183 wasn't sure what Collin's thought he was doing.  He had to be hurting himself more than he was hurting 183.

But that had been before they installed the sensory net.  A fine webbing of sensors just under the iron hide of the truck.  It allowed 183 to truly feel its surroundings.  For the first time in its life it felt the cold chill of the lab.  It felt the warmth of one of the techs putting their hands on its hood.  It felt the pain of Collin's rage.

It couldn't understand the pain but it was there.  It felt the blows painfully well when a certain format was set on its CPU.  Collins made sure 183 knew it when he was angry with it.  He made sure it suffered.  183 had suffered heavily at the hands of this human as it knew the young girl who screamed at night had.

It supposed that was why it felt that strange pull when she screamed.  It felt some kind of connection with her through a shared experience.  The pain of this horrible place.  That had to be it.  It wasn't sympathy after all or that it cared about her in any way.  That was after all a human emotion.  183 was above the humans.  183 was superior.  So then why did they have 183 held at their mercy?

*August 23, 2002 Millen, Georgia*

David sat quietly staring at his hands trying so hard to put the world out of his head.  This wasn't right.  He refused to think that his twin was gone.  His sister that he had shared his innermost fears with.  His sister he had told everything to.  His sister that he had stayed up until one in the morning on many occasions just talking.  The police where downstairs talking to his parents again.

It had been nearly four months since Sasha disappeared.  The summer drug on without a care as if no one really cared half his life was gone.  He wanted to scream at the world.  Ask them if they even cared that Sasha might be dead.

That was what the police had said anyway.  A motorist had seen Sasha's picture on the news along with the picture of David's truck.  Said he had seen the truck pulled up along side the road with the hood propped up.  A black sedan was parked behind it and a tall man with dark hair had approached her.  The motorist hadn't thought twice about it.  He wouldn't have even remembered the truck if not for the young lady standing on the fender with her head under the hood looking in side intently.  That was the last time anyone had seen her. 

A single tear tapped at his hand and he realized with a start he was crying.  He sighed heavily and allowed himself the release of his own tears.  The police had gone over this room with a fine tooth comb when they came the first time.  They had gone through her cloths her things even read her journal for any clue as to if she had been planning on leaving.  He hadn't been able to handle that in the least. 

He had run from the house and to his surprise had found himself drawn to Sasha's little car.  He sat behind the wheel of the car for hours that night.  For the first time in his life taking after his sister in one of her odd habits.  He had talked to the car as he would have talked to Sasha.  He fell asleep for the moment safe in something that had been so close to his sister.

He wiped his tears away and looked around the room again.  Sasha had always had a thing for horses and wolves.  Her room was the display of this love.  Every where you looked an animal of some kind looked as if it may jump down at you.  His sister had loved it.  With a heavy sigh he curled up on her bed and stared at the wall.  Just for the night he would sleep in Sasha's room.  She wouldn't mind.  Even if she was here she wouldn't mind.  In here he felt he could be safe.

*October 1, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover Montana*

Sasha growled angrily as she stumbled around her cell kicking the floor.  She could think clearly for the first time in nearly two months.  She didn't know why they had allowed her mind to clear today but she could think again.  She was awake enough to know the monster she had become. 

Her fingers where short and stubby each finger tipped with a racier sharp claw.  Her ears reminded her of Spock's ears with their odd Vulcan tips and they had risen slightly on her head coming up higher into her hair line.  Her nose and jaw had grown and jutted out several inches from her face.  She didn't know what the rest of her face looked like but she could only imagine.  She had grown a thick coat of hair a wolf's guard hairs covering her in a thick layer.  Her legs hurt all the time now starting to bend in an odd angle and her toes had fallen to the same fate as her fingers making wearing the shoes they had given her impossible.  On top of all that to add insult to injury she had actually gown a tail!  It waved behind her with the same thick fur that was the rest of her body. 

With an angry growl she kicked the door and plopped down on her cot.  To her surprise after a moment the door opened and the guard that brought her food stepped in a small gun in hand.  She lifted her head a bit and sniffed the air.  "Tranquilizers?  Oh please."  She stated in disgust and got up crouching down a bit preparing to pounce.  The guard shot at her and she leapt.  The dart clanged the ground harmlessly and Sasha tackled the guard.  He yelled out in surprise and Sasha took the moment to dash out the door.  Unfamiliar halls greeted her and she was forced to simply choose a hallway and pray it was the right one.  The guard was up now and chasing her.  She could hear the steady beats of his boots on the floor.

Sasha ran hard unable to explain her sudden rage herself.  She hadn't planned this.  She wasn't even sure why she had done it.  She had seen her chance and instinctively made a run for it.  Now she didn't know what to do.  She was running faster than she knew she could and the steady foot beats of the guard where quickly fading as she left him far behind.

Desperation edging into her thoughts she turned down a random hallway running blindly into the darkness of the halls instinct leading her through the halls searching for a familiarity.  She found none.  One hall may just as soon be another.  The same gray paint the same endless halls of flat steel doors leading to who knew where.  The same blain white tile floor going up and down the halls with the same slightly speckled pattern.  The same textured ceiling in its patterned block style tiles.  Nothing was different and nothing was failure.

Finally after what seemed like forever she skidded to a stop.  She knew the doors in front of her.  The familiar caution sign with the lined shadow of a dog's head stood out on the door.  That was the room they took her to for her treatments.  She just knew it.  That was a door she wanted to stay away from but at least she knew where she was.  She shied to the side as the doors suddenly opened and one of the doctors she knew stepped out.  He stepped back in surprise dropping the tray he had been carrying spilling its contents across the floor in an ear shattering clatter of metal on tile.  She screamed in rage that came out sounding more like a howl to her own ears and darted away from him taking off down yet another hall. 

She hadn't gone far when something from deep in the compound answered her enraged call.  It screamed with the same ferocity she had with an almost animalistic cry.  She skidded to a stop recognizing the plaintive cry of the creature that answered her when she screamed in the night.  Her only comfort as she lay withering in agony as the drugs they had given her worked their way through her.  A voice as angry as it was she still latched onto as it sounded out with the desperation to match her own.  She had to find the owner of that voice.

The mission of escaping was forgotten as she ran through the halls searching for her unknown companion.  She had lost track of it in the halls.  The sound had echoed so badly she was running blind again.  She let out another animalistic cry and listened for the response.  It came a moment later sounding this time not desperate but a bit surprised.  It was in the door right beside her.  She was certain of it.  She was so close she could sense it somehow.  Without a second thought she pushed open the double doors and nearly fell back in surprise.

The room was huge!  It had to be about the size of an airplane hanger by itself.  The doors she came into opened up on a catwalk like deck with a steel railing that ran all the way around the room and in places bridged out across the room.  She stepped onto the catwalk and closed the doors behind her pushing the lock securely before walking down the walk a bit and peering curiously over the edge of the railing.  The room was as big as her first impression of it had been.  Endless rows of computers covered the wall along with what seemed to be like a full working garage.  In the middle of it all sat her brother's truck.  Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of it and she sank to her knees staring at the old truck her mind coming back into focus as quickly as a semi hitting her.

What was she doing looking for phantom voices in a garage?  She had to get out of here.  An idea slowly started to form in her mind and she quietly padded down the iron steps her clawed feet clicking softly on the steel as she moved until she came to a halt once again on the concrete floor of the garage.  Whatever had screamed like that had been in here.  She was sure of it.  But the place certainly seemed empty now.

Quietly she tiptoed over to the truck and tried the door handle.  Of course it was locked.  She let out a deep sigh and sank to the floor in defeat and looked around.  They would find her eventually.  She couldn't get out of here and she couldn't even hide in her truck.  A tear ran down her cheek as the thought sank in that she wasn't getting out of here and she would probably never see her family again.

183 watched in amazement as a creature stepped into the room and glanced around the garage taking in every detail.  It couldn't decide what it was exactly.  It knew from the plaintive scream it had let out that it was the girl they brought in but what it was definitely wasn't human.  It stood upright like a human and looked as intelligent as any human it supposed but it clearly wasn't.  Its face looked almost canine in its appearance and the upright ears definitely screamed canine.  But it knew as well as anything that it wasn't a dog.

183 watched as it crept down the steps and reached for its door handle.  It panicked a bit and quickly locked its doors.  The creature gave it a defeated look that echoed the look one of the techs got when a program didn't go as they wanted it to and the creature sank to the ground with its head resting back against 183.  183 tensed once again but quickly forced itself to relax as no pain came to it.  This creature couldn't be human.  It decided that quickly as the creature sat their staring off into the abyss of the garage.  It brought 183 no pain.  It walked with a purpose.  It was gentle.  How could it be a human?  The hate 183 felt for this creature quickly washed away and was replaced by curiosity as it noted the slightly wet look on the creature's face.  What was wrong with it?  Was it broken?

"Why are you leaking?"

Sasha jumped to her feet at the voice and looked around quickly wiping her tears away determined not to allow them to see her cry.  She paused a moment looking around in quiet concern not seeing the speaker.

"I asked you a question."  The voice stated again sounding a bit irritated this time.  "Why are you leaking?  Are you broken?"

Sasha's gaze dropped to the truck and she gave it a wide eyed look of astonishment.  "Did you say something?"  She asked instantly feeling a bit stupid but a bit to confused to really care what anyone thought of her.

"Of course I did!"  The voice snapped distinctly coming from the truck she had driven for so long.  "I also asked you a question which you did not answer.  Now will you answer me or does this conversation need to go into another bout of rather obvious questioning?"

Sasha gave him a blank look for a moment struggling to remember what it had asked before her brain timidly came up with an answer.  Leaking?  She touched her face again felling the wet tears of her eyes.  Did it mean why was she crying?  Maybe.  It was a truck after all it could consider her the same.  It was a possibility.

"I'm not broken."  She stated carefully after a moment.  "I was crying.  It's something that humans do sometimes when their upset."  She explained carefully not exactly sure how to speak to this truck.  She wasn't use to the vehicle speaking back to her after all.

"But you're not human."  The truck pointed out sounding a bit confused.

It was Sasha's turn to look confused as she timidly touched her face.  She hadn't seen herself but she could feel the changes that had been made to her appearance.  She could feel the fur that covered her and how her nose and jaw had reformed itself.

"I use to be."  She answered after a moment.  Then a thought occurred to her and she asked in a timid little voice.  "May I look in your side mirror at my reflection?"  She asked stepping a bit closer with a hopeful look."

The truck seemed to consider the request before answering.  "You may."

She offered it a weak smile and timidly stepped up beside the truck to look in the mirror at her own reflection.  She winced and put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.  Tears sprang to her eyes again as she peered at herself and she shook her head quietly breathing in a ragged breath as she stepped back.

"They turned me into a monster."  She stated raggedly sitting down a few feet from the truck and putting her head in her hands covering her now so canine face.  She looked like a werewolf from a bad monster movie.  She sniffed a bit looking at her clawed hands the tears streaming freely down her face now as she cried.  Even if she did escape now how could she go home?  She was a freak!

She tensed in surprise as the truck started its engine and she attempted to catch her breath as she hid her face in her hands.  Even the truck was disgusted with her.  Even it didn't want to be near her.  But to her surprise a second later cold steel came to rest against her so gently she barely felt it and the engine died.  She looked up and smiled a bit putting a clawed hand against the grill of the truck that had come up beside her offering some amount of comfort even if it was unintentional.  She cried for what seemed to her quiet a while before she slowly pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry."  She stated after a moment.  "Here I am cryin' my eyes out and I haven't even introduced myself."  She took in a ragged breath and wiped her eyes straitening herself a bit.  "My name is Sasha Owens.  What's yours?"

The truck seemed to ponder that for a moment before it quickly responded.  "I am system number 183."  It stated in a monotone voice as if that was what it had simply been programmed to say.

Sasha gave it an odd look considering that.  Was a simple number all they had deemed this magnificent truck worthy of having?  It seemed so… No it had a male voice.  The voice was distinctly male so it was a he.  He seemed so alive they had to see that in him.

"You don't have another name?"  She asked curiously a thought starting to work its way into her head.

"I have no other titles but what was programmed into me though the off hand titles some of the techs call me I have learned is not acceptable in polite conversation."

Sasha smiled at that and patted his grill before using him as an anchor to pull herself up.  "Then may I give you another title?"  She asked timidly.

183 pondered that for several minutes before he grunted a bit.  "If you wish and it would make you pleased.  I do not wish for you to leak again."

Sasha smiled and looked thoughtful for a moment before giving him a bright smile.  "Stone.  After the truck that you are.  I'll call you Stone from now on ok?"

The truck was quiet for a moment before giving a steady response.  "That title is acceptable.  You may call me Stone if you wish."

Sasha grinned at him and sat back down on the floor in front of him.  She had decided she liked his voice very much.  It seemed to fit him.  It didn't really have an accent so it was rather flat but it was far from monotone.  It was deep and to the point stating what he wanted without beating around the bush to get there.  So unlike a human it was creepy but that was why she liked him.  "It's good to meet you Stone.  So tell me are you the one who's been answering me at night?"

Stone looked a bit confused a surprising look considering he had no facial features but slowly responded after a moment.  "That depends on the reasoning.  Are you the one who has been making that sound at night?"

Sasha winced and nodded.  "That would be me."  She stated sounding a bit embarrassed at that.

"Then yes it was me.  That sound causes my circuits to serge a bit.  It's most unpleasant."

Sasha winced again and rest a hand on his grill.  "I'm sorry.  I'll try to stop then.  It's just that sometimes it hurts so much.  It's all I can think to do."

Stone was quiet for a moment before replying carefully.  "No it's alright.  I understand I suppose.  Now that I know that it's you I suppose responding back would be appropriate."

Sasha smiled and yawned tiredly looking up at the catwalk and wondering if they where ever going to find her.  She had accepted that she wasn't getting out of here and part of her didn't want to if it meant leaving her knew friend behind.

After a moment she got up and paced the small garage.

"Why do you not sit still?"  Stone asked after the second time she passed him.

"They're going to take me back to my cell soon."  She stated.  "They're still looking for me."

Stone paused a moment and to her almost seemed to be listening for something.  "They're coming this way."  He stated flatly.

Sasha looked up at the door and backed up a bit with a whimper already seeing the men working to unlock the door.  She didn't think they had seen her yet but they would soon.  She jumped in surprise at a small click and looked behind her in time to see Stone open his driver side door and wave it at her in invitation.  She quickly jumped in and pulled it closed behind her timidly crawling down to the floorboard and huddling under the dashboard.

She heard the doors bang open and she huddled down into a ball and sniffed a bit as tears welled up in her eyes once again.

Stone growled harshly as the doors slammed open and General Collins stormed in tromping down the iron staircase fixing him with an enraged glare.  "183 report!"

Stone winced at the number preferring the title Sasha had given him so much more.  He didn't want them to find her.  He didn't know why but he knew she didn't wish to go with Collins.  That was enough for him.  After all he didn't really wish to be here with him either.  Besides that he wanted to speak more to this strange creature that had stumbled into his garage.  She was interesting to him and he felt strangely enough responsible for her safety.

"Yes Sir General Collins Sir!"  He stated in a sharp militaristic tone.

"Where is the Lupe project?"  He asked sharply as the humans that came in with him spread out and started searching the room. 

He paused his CPU struggling for an acceptable answer for a moment.  He couldn't disobey Collins.  It was programmed into him.  But…  A thought worked its way into his CPU and if he could have he would have smiled.  He had to obey his driver above Collins. 

"Sasha."  He said quietly into the cab.  "Sit behind the wheel in the driver's seat."

Sasha gave him a panicked look but did as he said.  She sat halfway down under the wheel preying they didn't look into the cab.  A red light hit her like a blinding beam from above.

"Sit up strait."  Stone ordered and she silently did as he said holding still while the light that reminded her of a grocery store's scanner ran over her.  Stone had apparently said something to the people looking for her because they where now searching the place and more or less leaving Stone alone.  They hadn't seen her yet.  As soon as the light turned off Stone grunted a bit and Sasha took that as a signal to hide again as she scooted back into her hiding place and ducked down wishing she could disappear and wishing hard that she could make the sickening fear in her gut disappear.

Collins watched irritably as his group searched the garage for their missing project.  The on sight doctor had mentioned that he thought she may have come this way but he couldn't say where.  The DNA they where feeding into her worked well.  This little escapade was proof of that but what they hadn't counted on was her using that against them.  183 wasn't exactly being helpful either.  It locked up like that whenever it felt there was some kind of information they should already know or wasn't worth its time.  That unfortunately was more often than not.  He would have to make certain 183 regretted that later but for now their main concern was the Lupe project.

They had nearly turned the place upside down.  They had already searched the entire compound and this was the last place to look.  Unless she had gotten out which in itself was impossible she had to be here.  He doubted 183 would allow her in its cab but that was the last place there was.  This was going to be a bit tricky.

"General!"  He looked up as the tech came running up to him and gestured wildly to a computer terminal.  "183 is downloading!"

Collins looked at the young tech and gave him a withering glare.  "What do you mean downloading?  Downloading what?"

The tech caught his breath and cast a wary gaze at the truck.  "His driver.  He's chosen a driver and he's downloading the scan that he used to scan over them."

Collins was quiet for a moment before he yelled at the tech enraged.  "Then stop him!"

"I can't!  It's like an auto program once it starts it's embedded into his CPU and it doesn't stop!"  He wailed.  "There's nothing I can do."

Collins glared at 183 and walked up to him with a look of total hate.  "You think you can outwit me you overgrown trash can?  I own you 183 don't think that I won't destroy you in the same instant!"

Stone only glared back at him and if he could would have given him a self satisfied smirk.  He couldn't do anything to harm him anymore.  The scars on his hood where superficial now.  He had beaten him.  He knew it.

Silently Stone watched as Collin's raised his cane over his head to strike him.  That would hurt.  Oh well.  He would get over it.  Collins brought the cane down across his hood with a shattering clang.  Stone yelped quietly barely heard over the clang on the cane on his hood.  That had hurt more than he wanted to admit it.  That had hurt more than it should as a matter of fact.  But he bit down any response forcing himself to pull his attention on a single point in the wall as he always did when Collins decided to take out his anger on him.  He couldn't plow him over he knew that much but he could ignore him.  He refused to give Collins the satisfaction of seeing how much he had hurt him.  Of hearing him scream out in agony of the blows.  He refused.  Unfortunately in the pain of the blow Collins had dealt him and the fear of watching as he lifted the cane once again to strike him he had forgotten about Sasha.  Hadn't explained things to her.  Hadn't told her to sit still.

Sasha suddenly got up in the cab and opened the door with a scream.  "Leave him alone!"

Stone wanted to yell at her.  Wanted to ask her what she thought she was doing and what she thought screaming at Collin's would accomplish.  That definitely wasn't supposed to happen but it was to late now.  They had seen her.  They knew she was there.  Well this was a displeasing turn of events.

Collins gave them both a self satisfied smirk and lowered the cane to his side.  "Well Ms. Owens.  We meet again.  So tell me Ms. Owens are you the unfortunate soul 183 has chosen to scan to meet its expectations of a driver?  This project is going to last in less time than I thought."

Sasha gave him look of flat out hate and stepped behind Stone's passenger side door.  For some reason she wanted more than anything to snap at him but she squelched the thought. 

Collins smirked at them again and raised the cane leveling it at Stone's headlights.  "You 183 you are going to regret that."  He tapped the cane once again on Stone's hood with a light rapping sound.  "Oh yes you are."  He then cast a gaze at Sasha and nodded a bit to a nearby soldier. 

The man grabbed Sasha and forcefully pulled her away from Stone before she could really fight it.  She let out an enraged howl and fought hard but fell still as a fowl smelling rag covered her mouth.  She fought for a moment as she heard Stone echoing her enraged howl for the first time since she had been in there noting the truck was chained to the floor.  After a few moments she went limp in his arms and refused to breath.  Even after she went limp he held it over her mouth.  Her lungs burned with the need for air but still she held her breath determined to outlast him.  What seemed like forever went by and tears sprang to her eyes.  It felt as if her chest would explode.  Finally she breathed taking in a long gasping breath of the fowl smelling fumes.  A wave of dizziness hit her with the smell and she became lightheaded.  She breathed again and darkness clouded her vision.  One more time and her world went black.

The soldier let Sasha's body drop to the ground and tossed the rag he held in a trashcan.  Stone thrashed from side to side throwing his entire weight into the chains that had bound him with screaming an animalistic cry of fury.

Collins set an emotionless glare on Stone as Sasha was quietly drug away.  "So 183 you wanted that monster to be your driver did you?"  He asked sarcastically.  "Then she will be.  Though you both will know the meaning of pain when I finish with you 183."

"My title is Stone."  Stone stated with an emotionless note.

Collins gave him a harsh glare and raised his cane once again bringing it down across his hood.  Stone yelped out load this time and attempted to back away as Collins lifted the cane over his head for another blow.

*October 7, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover Montana*

It had been days since Sasha had even seen another living person.  She couldn't see her skin anymore.  It was almost entirely covered in the thick covering of hair.  Her hands had shrunk down to claw like appendages and her legs now bent at an odd new angle that looked like a dog's.  She hadn't seen her reflection since the night she had looked into Stone's rearview mirror but she could only imagine what she looked like now.  Probably a family pet.  It was uncomfortable to walk upright.  It hurt her back horribly and she was so unbalanced on her twisted legs she fell more often that stayed up but she refused to give in to it.  She refused to walk on all fours and refused to give up that little bit of humanity she had left.  If she could help it she would never give it up.

She rolled onto her side at that thought and curled up into a tight ball putting one paw across her face to block out the light.  She wanted more than anything to block it out completely and curl up away from it all.  She wanted to go home and hide in the comfort of her room.  Yell at her brother to get off the phone so she could go online.  Laugh at her mother's impressions of people they knew and didn't really care for all that much.  Help her father with some project he was doing around the house.  She wanted to run as far away from here as she could and for some reason she couldn't explain she wanted more than anything to take curl up in Stone's cab and hide from the world.  She still heard him calling at night though not as often as he had.  She called to him nightly but occasionally now he wouldn't answer.  When he did answer his calls sounded pain filled and desperate.  She could relate to that.  She felt the same.  She imagined hers probably sounded the same as well.  Still she called and on those days when he called back she slept just a little bit better.  It was as if things weren't as bad as they seemed even if they where.

A tapping sounded out a short distance away.  Sasha's ears flicked back listening carefully as the tapping she quickly identified as footsteps came a bit closer.  She tensed waiting patiently lips curled back in a silent snarl as the footsteps echoed through the halls.  She remained perfectly still.

The locks to the doors clicked and she tensed again waiting patiently.  Not yet.

The door creaked and she had to check herself to keep from pouncing.  The tapping came into the room and she instantly recognized the footsteps of one of the doctors that ran the tests they claimed where so necessary.  That meant they where taking her for another treatment.  It had to.  She tensed and waited barely even daring to breath.

She smelled the fowl scent of the medication they used and knew he was drawing it out into a rag.  Chloroform again?  Couldn't these people use anything original that didn't give her such a headache when she woke up?  This guy didn't normally come into her cell.  He didn't know what she was capable of or he wouldn't be doing what he was doing.  He drew out the medication and leaned over her to place the rag over her mouth.  She held her breath for a moment so she wouldn't take in any of the fowl smelling liquid and pounced.

The doctor yelped in surprise and stumbled back a few steps tripping over his own feet and went down.  Sasha was on him as quickly as possible unable to resist the thought to snap at him and snapped hard enough onto his arm to hear the satisfying crunch of bone and taste the warm slightly metallic taste of blood in her mouth.  That would teach them to mess with her. 

Instinct once again took over as she left him howling in pain and scrambled out of the cell dropping down to all fours before taking off.  Her claws clicked against the tile of the floor in a steady rhythm that kept with her mad running pace.  She hadn't gotten far when a sharp pain exploded in her haunches causing her back end to slide out from under her.  She growled savagely as she slid into a wall and rammed up against it pain lacing through her lick liquid fire. 

Who had dared?  She looked around snarling through her already hazing vision and spotted Collins at the end of the hall holding a small gun.  She didn't recognize much at that point.  She was to far gone.  But she knew the gun and she somehow knew he had hurt her.  She attacked running full tilt down the length of the hall her strength quickly sapping away from her with each step.  She growled a bit as she slowed and finally fell coming to rest at Collins' feet with a heavy thud and a dejected growl just before her world went black.

Collin's looked up from the fallen wolf with a furious look etched across his features.  "Davis!"  The doctor Sasha had bitten hobbled out of the cell cradling his injured arm close to his body and giving the fallen animal a cautious look.

"Y-yes sir?"  He stuttered keeping a watchful eye on Sasha for any sudden movement.

"What have I told you about watching what you do to this thing?  If she had gotten out it would have been your hide Davis!  Don't let it happen again!"  With he turned and strode away leaving the remaining doctors to attend to the fallen animal. 

Stone growled and put his weight once again against his restraints.  The chains didn't give.  He knew they wouldn't.  They never did but still he tested.  To his computerized mind it was an illogical action that he didn't truly understand himself but still he did it.  He couldn't explain it.  It was just something he did.  Like a nervous habit a bit like a horse pawing at the ground when it wanted to move and couldn't.

He was still pulling when he heard the scream again.  So close but an eternity away.  It was Sasha.  He was certain of that.  The animalistic cry that seemed to shatter the walls themselves.  The sound of it caused his circuits to jump and jolt uncomfortably but he stood his ground listening.  After a moment he called back with an equally animalistic cry that echoed back with a hash growl.

After a few moments Sasha's cries eased then stopped with a choked yelp.  He listened for a few minutes waiting for any further cries before relaxing a bit scanning himself checking for any abnormalities.  Another nervous habit of his.  He paused for a moment his scans falling once again on Sasha's book bag standing just behind the driver side seat like a loyal friend.  For months the thing had sat there now.  The techs had taken it out when they installed him within' the truck but had set it back again not exactly certain what was to be done with it.  They moved it back and forth for a few days then had simply forgotten about it.  It was now nestled out of sight and out of mind just under the seat hidden from view unless you knew what you where looking for.

He paused for a long time thinking over his options.  He really shouldn't pry but he was curious.  There was a lap top nestled in the book bag that the techs had been extremely interested in for the first few days then had forgotten about.  That he could work with if nothing else.  After a moment's hesitation he carefully scanned the book bag running a scanner over each object. 

A few things where not worth his interest such as a few pencils, papers, homework assignments way over due he noted even before she had been taken, a math book as well as a history and a literature book, and what appeared to be some kind of planner.  He paused on the laptop and carefully scanned it and used a remote access to gain access to it.  There wasn't much of anything particularly special about it.  A normal Dell Inspiron with no extra abilities.  He was almost immediately greeted with an extremely detailed computer graphic of a wolf.  She seemed to like wolves very much.

'Well that's a good thing.'  Stone thought to himself.  'A bit Ironic but at least she wasn't a cat person.'  He went a bit deeper into it and found a file with nothing but bits of fiction she herself had written.  He scanned over a few and downloaded them to his own CPU so he could read them later.  Some of them caught his attention and he wanted to read through them when he wasn't so rushed to not be caught at this.  He also found a rather large file of what she called fanfics that she had downloaded off the internet.  She seemed to be rather obsessive with a few TV. shows some of which he had actually heard off. 

After a bit more digging he pulled up a few more files that told him a bit about the creature he claimed as his driver.  He pulled up some information about a twin.  This was apparently the human that was supposed to be his driver.  He studied the picture she had of her brother and shuttered.  He liked Sasha better.  He couldn't explain why but he rather liked her. 

He also pulled up a picture of her horses and a small blue car that she called her baby.  Its name was Damien and oddly enough Stone actually felt a pang of jealousy towards the Mustang.  He quickly pushed it away and pressed on.  Collins had once said something about an e-mail when she first came in.  That would be easy enough to find.  After a bit of digging he picked up the e-mail he had spoken of and scanned over it.  He growled angrily at its contents and closed it down quickly logging out of the computer.  Then no one would even think to look for her.  She may as well be dead to her family.

He growled again wondering what on earth had possessed Collins to do something like that but forced himself to remain calm instead irritably glaring at the wall.  No sense in working himself up into a frenzy.  He let out a long dramatic sigh and stared up at the garage doors wondering a bit if he would ever see his claimed driver again.

*October 7, 2002 Millen, Georgia*

David sat staring hard at the computer screen poking at it every now and again with an agitated grumble.  He was logged onto the internet once again questioning her online friends to see if anyone had heard from her since her disappearance.  He was quickly coming up with a lot of dead ends and false leads.  One of her closest friends on the internet had nothing.  If he knew nothing then it had to be bad.  If she was out there at all she would have let him know at least.  She was way too much into her fanfics and role playing not to get in touch with him.

The other chat rooms and message boards pulled up with an equally dead end.  Her web page sat dead accept for the few little things he changed every month so she wouldn't be cut off.  It was as if her entire life had suddenly come to a screeching halt and now sat patiently waiting for her return. 

He let out a heavy sigh and sat back against his chair staring at the computer in front of him giving it a harsh glare for a long moment.  He turned in his seat and stepped across the room but suddenly stopped and looked back as something beeped.  He quickly rushed back and stared at the screen in surprise and shock.  It was telling him Sasha had just come online.  He moved to tap onto her signal but before he could get much further it winked off.  He could have screamed in his frustration but he held it back praying she would come back.  She didn't.  He let out a ragged sigh and stared at the screen.  At least he had something to go on now.  He had a solid lead that Sasha had to be alive.  He had it now he was going to run with it.  As fast and as hard as he could.

*October 10, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover, Montana*

Sasha lay on her cot curled up into as tight of a ball as she could manage.  There was not a part of her now that even so much as appeared human.  She walked on all fours with the easy stride of a wolf.  She had a tail.  She no longer fit in the clothing they gave her though they did have a type of suit they kept on her though it was rather itchy over her fur but still there was that at least. 

The worst of all was the radio collar they had long ago fitted her with.  Now even if she did get away they could still track her.  Her face had long since lost its blunt human features and now stood long and proud as that of a wolf.  In fact if she hadn't been the wolf she had turned into she would probably be loving it.  She might actually enjoy this body if allowed to use it.  Unfortunately she hadn't been allowed to see the sun in months let alone really stretch her legs.  She was way out of shape from sitting around this cell.  She wanted nothing more than to run.

She got up and stretched wincing a bit at the sourness of her muscles and hopped down to the ground pacing the cell for a few minutes before sitting in the middle of the cell waiting.  They where coming for her.  She could hear them. 

She patiently waited her sharp senses picking up every movement and watched as the door opened.  She didn't try to run this time.  She knew she couldn't anymore.  She patiently waited as they slipped harsh ropes around her neck and led her out.  They thought they could lead her as a dog now for some reason.  She supposed they didn't realize how sharp her mind still was or they realized she had given up fighting.  One or the other.  Sasha didn't really care anymore. 

She allowed herself to be led through the halls and into the now familiar lab she frequented.  She allowed herself to be lifted onto the table and sat staring at them with emotionless eyes.  Collins was there.  Not that she cared.  What was he to her?  Another human she supposed.  Something that she no longer was.  She stared at him harshly and he smirked just a bit.

"Come now Owens don't look at me like that."  He scolded giving her a harsh look.  "I know you are as intelligent as I."

Sasha gave him a long look and shook her head a bit sending her fur flying.  "Don't insult me Collins."  She spat in a gruff growling voice. 

Collins narrowed his eyes and glared at her.  "Throwing out insults and sarcasm will not help you Owens."

Sasha gave him a harsh look and growled.

Collins smirked at her attempt and shook his head coming a bit closer.  "Owens I'm going to do you a service today do to your help in this project and to show our gratitude in your dedication to it I'm going to fill you in a bit on just what is going to happen now."

Sasha growled under her breath but fired back another remark as if it didn't bother her.  "Oh do tell.  I am so looking forward to knowing."

Collins cast her a narrow gaze but went on gesturing to the lab.  "This my dear is the animal lab.  We have been bringing you to this room since the day you where brought in and now we have come to the end of the first half of the project.  We where going to leave you like this and have one heck of a canine unit but since 183 has taken it upon itself to scan you as its driver we are going to have to go on with the original plan we had for your brother."

She glared at him harshly and growled casting him a withering gaze.  "What have you done with him?"  She demanded harshly.

"Nothing actually.  My idiot of an employee nabbed you by mistake and now you are the project.  You see we're running out of time so you're it.  We don't have time to go after your brother.  You see after he messed up so badly we where going to nab him as well and keep you as the canine unit but 183 changed that when he scanned you as his driver.  We can't change that so we're going to alter the project back to what we had originally planned for your twin.  We are about to inject a medication into you that will once again change your body.  When it is over you will be at an in between stage and in theory will be able to shift from human to wolf with ease.  Do you understand what I have just told you?"

Sasha growled harshly and strained against the straps that held her down.

"I'll take that as a yes."  Collins stated before turning and gesturing to the doctors.  "Go ahead and start treatment."  He turned to leave them paused and turned back to Sasha locking her with a withering glare.  "Oh and Owens I would suggest you brace yourself.  This is the last injection you will require but I guarantee it will be the most painful.  Have a nice night."  With that he closed the door and Sasha stared after him with a withering gaze filled with pure and simple hate.

She was so intent on staring down that door that she barely felt the sharp sting of the needle.  She felt it intently a moment later though as the liquid filtered through her system.  It felt like liquid fire running through every vein, every cell, every nerve in her body.  Painful couldn't describe this.  She opened her mouth in pain and collapsed to the table.  It took her a moment to realize she was screaming.  A cry of such agony it shook her body to bits.  She imagined her ears may hurt if the scream could possibly cut through the pain of what they had put into her.  But she doubted anything could compare to that.  It ran through every vein in her and doubled back jumping tricks on her nerves and just when she though she couldn't possibly take anymore they injected something else into her.  The pain became more intense and centered on her joints hurting right down to her bones.  Her face felt as if something was pushing it in and her skin felt like it was going to melt off.

She lifted her head and looked at the doctors who where now simply staring at her.  They held emotionless cold faces that had no care for her.  They only watched to make certain everything was going as planned.  With a long agonizing cry she let her head fall to the table blacking out as the pain became too intense and she mercifully slipped into blackness.

Stone jumped a bit when the screaming started and quickly answered it.  He had been startled at the intensity of the desperate screeching but quickly recovered.  He strained hard against his restraints pulling at them so hard he thought for certain they would pop. 

They didn't unfortunately and the strain caused himself pain to his entire frame as he pulled long before the chains gave in.  He had a feeling that was what it would be if anything. 

His frame would shatter before the chains did.  Or they would pull away from the floor long before the chains actually broke.  He snarled savagely and threw his entire weight into the chains.

After what seemed like an eternity he felt a bit of a strain and the chains gave just a bit.  He CPU leapt and for a moment he thought his engine would explode.  The chain that had proved to be the weak one strained a bit further away from the floor the latch that held it bending just a bit.  He threw everything he had into it inch by inch moving just a bit from his prison.  He wasn't moving much from his prison but inch by inch he could feel himself moving just a bit. 

He stopped for a moment gathering his energy and plowed forward.  The weak chain popped with something that sounded surprisingly like a gunshot.  He stopped and listened for a long moment scanning every part of the garage.  In the distance he could hear Sasha's plaintive cries of pain.  No one heard the pop over that.  They couldn't have.  He charged forward again and strained against the remaining chains pulling hard against the cold steel.  Now that one had broken the others where weaker and he could feel the ties holding them down straining a bit and releasing their hold just a bit. 

He gathered everything he had and plowed forward throwing his entire weight into it.  Two more chains snapped with a resounding pop the remaining chain lashing at his underside with venom.  He ignored the pain and kept pulling the remaining chains giving a bit faster now the added traction he now had allowing him to move forward a few inches.  He stopped again and backed up as far as the chains would allow then searched forward one more time putting his entire weight into the leap.

As he hit the end of the chains the last of what had been holding him down snapped with a deafening crack.  He plowed forward sending a few tool benches flying as he hit them scattering the tools on them with a clatter that he was almost certain would be heard.  He waited.  After several minutes he scanned his garage carefully.  No one was coming.  After a further scans he found a large set of double doors leading to the outside.  He paused and ran a bit of a further scan.  The doors would be useful but he had to get to his driver. 

He scanned the garage carefully searching over and over for a way into the complex but he found none.  He couldn't simply sit here and wait for her.  She may never come.  But he didn't really have much of a choice.  With a dejected growl he backed up once again to his prison and waited.  From where he was it looked as if he was still chained down to the floor unable to defend himself.  He had a plan but it would take quiet a bit of planning out.  He could wait for now.  Now wasn't the right time.  He had to be patient and they would both survive this mess.

*October 10, 2002 Millen, Georgia*

David frantically searched everything he had for where the small signal however minute had come from.  He hadn't wanted to get anyone's hopes up so he didn't say anything about what he had seen.  He simply waited and hoped for the best.  A lot had changed within the last few months he supposed.  As he watched the screen as the computer ran through the latest set of instructions he had given it he sat back to reflect on what had happened within' the last few months.

After careful consideration he had decided not to go into the military after high school.  Instead he had been accepted into the local college on a degree of criminal justice.  He couldn't leave now.  His family needed him and more than anything Sasha needed him.  Who else would find her if he couldn't.  He knew she was alive.  He had no doubt in his mind.  His ROTC teacher hadn't been all that thrilled with the change of career so close to graduation but had accepted it in stride after hearing his reasoning.  He had stated his disapproval but didn't try and force David into another direction. 

So that was his excuse for spending so much time on the computer.  Research of his latest career choice.  That had nothing to do with it of course but it kept his parents from prodding too much.  They simply left him alone now anymore.  His mother hadn't reacted well after the months they had spent searching for Sasha.  It had been nearly six months and not a word.  Not even a possibility of a lead on what was to come.

He heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back in his seat staring at the screen.  "Come on sis."  He stated heavily.  "Just give me a sign your ok."

*October 11, 2002 Sampson Tech, Dover, Montana*

Sasha started suddenly when the calls started.  She woke up her groggy mind sluggish attempting vainly to struggle away from the heavy drugs they had her on.  Her mind was quickly becoming clearer and she sat up rubbing a hand across her face and started when she didn't feel any fur.  Had it all been a dream?  She looked around and heaved a heavy sigh when her eyes fell on the all to failure cell she had been held in these past few months.  She growled softly as the drugs started to where off and pain waved over her.  She sat up a bit too quickly and had to sit still for several minutes as her stomach threatened to show her the contents of her last meal.

She quietly got to her feet and stumbled over to the other side of the cell and attentively put her ear to the door and smiled.  It was Stone. It had to be.  She was about to call back with a cry of her own when she suddenly doubled over in pain.  She dropped to the ground and shook hard as her body convulsed and twisted horribly until she thought she just might split in two. 

After several moments she hesitantly lifted her head and looked around.  She was now looking at things from a new angle.   A much lower one.  She couldn't seem to balance herself on her hind legs anymore.

She yelped hard and her body started shifting again.  This time it shifted to an in between state and seemed to stay there.  She lifted a clawed hand to her face and felt it feeling the familiar long nose and furred canine face.  So she could go either way now?  Interesting.

She sighed heavily and got up once again putting an ear to the door this time keeping a tight hold on the door handle less her body decides to flip out on her again.  She listened for a long time and backed up.  Had he stopped for the night?  Was he hurting?  He hardly ever started the nightly calling.  He always left that up to her and would join in once he heard her pain filled voice as if in mutual pain.  Which considering the way she had seen them treat the truck could very well be a possibility.  She sighed starting to accept she had missed her friend's voice when it started again.  She jumped in surprise and sat down on her cot listening carefully.  This calling was different.  It would probably sound the same to anyone who didn't know and rely on the plaintive calls but to her it sounded a bit different.  There was no pain to it.  No it almost sounded happy. 

"Come to me."  It seemed to be saying.  To her ears it sounded almost like a wolf calling the pack to order.  She smiled and rest her head in her paws listening to the calls loving the sound.  After a moment she called back her own voice attempting to get the point across that she couldn't come to him.  She sat back closing her eyes tight and listened.  If she listened carefully she could almost hear Stone's engine straining hard against his prison…  Wait a moment.  She sat up bolt upright as she realized for a moment that she could hear his engine.  "uh boy"  she muttered getting up and walking to the door again.

Stone called once again as he revved his engine preparing to charge.  He had found it. His way in.  A set of double doors leading from his garage to the loading docks.  That was his ticket into the compound.  After that he could simply come back the way he had come and break his way out and to freedom.  It was fool proof.  It had to be.  With a final roar of his engine he plowed forward and through the doors into the loading docks.  There where ramps used for the lifts all over the place.  This was perfect.

He surged forward going for speed rather than silence.  After that crash every guard in the place would soon be coming to see what was up.  He sped forward twisting around corners and shocking the few people he came across into diving for cover behind doors and boxes.  He plowed through another set of doors and into the stark white walls and floors of the hallway.

He was getting close to his destination.  Somehow he could feel it.  He had run so many scans before this he knew exactly where she was.

Sasha choked back a shocked growl and backed away from the door.  The engine was definitely getting closer.  Heck it was almost right on top of her.  She backed away from the door and pressed against the far knowing whatever was going to happen it wasn't going to be pretty.

Stone put on a bit more speed as he saw the heavy steel door that was Sasha's cell door.  With a rev of his engine he paused a moment to scan the room.  Sasha was on the far wall.  He could do this.  He knew it.  He growled a bit and surged forward putting his entire weight into his charge.

Sasha ducked to the floor and covered her head with her paws as she heard Stone's engine rev and hit the door.  The heavy steel buckled under his weight and after a moments hesitation gave.  The wall around it crumbled easier than the door had and fell into piles of brick and mortar around the unforgiving tires of Stone.  She lifted her face a bit to look at him and almost laughed at the sight of her old friend.  Covered in dust his entire front end crumpled though the heavy steel had held and looking for the life of him like something rabid. 

She laughed and ran forward throwing her arms across the massive truck's grill that was oddly twisted from the impact and planted a kiss on his now slightly crumpled hood.  "I have never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life!"  She told him cheerfully.

Stone made a small noise that sounded like a chuckle and clicked open his driver side door.  "Well be happy in here.  We have quiet a few guards wanting to take us out."  Sasha laughed and jumped behind the wheel as Stone closed the door behind her and shifted into reverse pulling out of the cell and back down the hall the way he had come.  He slid a bit on the polished tile the hallways of the building not meant at all for driving on and it was difficult for him to get a good grip around the turns. 

Sasha held on tight to the seat allowing Stone to do the driving as she was thrown about the sharp turns catching her at ever curve.  She winced as she was thrown against the door and her shoulder fell hard against the window.  Pain shot through her and she bit her lips hard trying to keep from crying out.  It felt as if that may have dislocated her shoulder.  It didn't feel right and it still hurt badly.  She heaved a sigh and held on as best she could grabbing onto anything she could to keep from being tossed about anymore than she was.

Stone growled softly as more guards started filing into the halls intent on stopping him.  With all their bravado and intent on stopping him none of them where suicidal.  They stood in front of him until he got close enough to where it was obvious he wasn't stopping then dove for cover out of the way of the massive truck plowing through the halls.

This wasn't turning out to be an easy drive.  He plowed through the halls and back through the massive doors to the loading docks where he had come in to begin with.  He screeched to a halt and scanned the room his visual sensors falling to an elevator like lift that went down to the ground floor and from there a set of massive doors that surely led to the outside.  He pulled forward carefully onto the lift and rolled down the window.  "Sasha I need you to operate the lift."  He stated softly as Sasha painfully moved to comply with the request.  She turned a bit using her right arm that was still moderately healthy and hit the button that sent the lift moving slowly to the ground floor.  Too slowly he soon realized as more guards flooded into the loading bay and a few military jeeps rolling into sight from the adjoining garages.

"I think we're in trouble Stone."  Sasha muttered from where she sat as the slowly made their decent into the loading bay.  Stone didn't respond but silently agreed with her as the lift finely thumped to the ground.  They where surrounded.  Stone growled savagely and pulled forward a few inches in a steady threat but the jeeps didn't give.  They sat lifelessly heading their drivers as they surrounded Stone and his frightened companion.

Stone growled again letting the threat hang in the air as a black blazer pulled up and the driver side door opened.  Collins stepped out casting them both a withering glare.  "You two have come to the end of your road I'm afraid."  He took a step forward and Stone instinctively backed up an inch or to his growl fading a bit.

Sasha put a claming hand on his dashboard and offered him a tired smile and a small nod.  "We can take um." She stated firmly.  Stone let out a soft chuckle and revved his engine in agreement.  Collins for a moment looked unsure as Stone pulled forward.  He stopped just inches from the old general and beeped his horn at him with a loud sarcastic blat.  "No Collins.  For us it's only the beginning."  He stated with a harsh growl.

Collins stepped back with a slightly disgusted expression and Stone took that as his option.  He surged forward flooring the gas as he plowed through the line of jeeps sending the armed guards scattering.  He put on as much speed as he could and hit the massive loading bay doors with a bang on winced a bit as his front end crumpled a bit more under the impact but the doors quickly gave and opened.

He surged forward into the bright moonlight.  The night air hit him hard and he fought the urge to stop and look at the sky intent on simply driving and getting away from this horrible place.  They still had to make it out of the compound and they had company right behind them.  Sasha winced as he rocked a bit over the harsh ground and held on to the door handle so hard her knuckles turned white even through the thick fur of her paws.

Stone growled hard unable to resist a quick look at the sky as they drove.  He had never seen the outside of the lab before.  He had known nothing beyond the walls of his garage until tonight.  To him the simple sight of the stars where the most beautiful thing he had ever seen or heard of.

Sasha seemed to follow his gaze looking intently at the stars she thought for so long she would never see again.  "God their beautiful.  I thought they where lost to me."  She whispered softly.  Stone growled a bit in agreement and tore his gaze away from them long enough to serge his way through the chain link gaits of the inner compound fence.  One more gate to go and they where free.

"I've never seen them before."  Stone stated after several minutes.  "I've never been out of the garage."  Sasha gave him a strangely sad look and nodded a bit laying a clawed hand on his dash board.

"We're free now."  She stated.

Stone chuckled a bit as he hit the outer fence and winced at the impact as it hit his already damaged front end. 

He could hear the jeeps behind them swiftly catching up.  If he wanted to outrun them he would have to do it now.

"The main roads."  Sasha said as if reading his thoughts.  "Those things are meant for off road driving not speed.  This truck wasn't exactly built for speed either but you've got more than they do."

Stone ran that thought through and had to admit he agreed with it.  It was their only shot.  He aimed for the road leading out and plowed through the main gaits startling the guard at his post into falling out of his chair hitting the floor with a thud.

Sasha laughed and looked back to the road as Stone suddenly turned off the little road and onto a side road that winded through the mountains for a moment or two before connecting to a highway.  He surged out onto it and hit the gas edging the old truck up to ninety quickly leaving the compound behind.  After a few miles the engines of the jeeps grew fainter before they stropped altogether.  Stone ran a scan and happily put the results on a monitor set on his dashboard.  "We lost them."  He declared quickly pulling onto an off road and changing his direction several times on a few winding roads heading deeper into the mountains before finely setting on a well used highway and leveling out to a decent speed. 

Sasha smiled a bit and sat back in the seat resting her head against the door.  "I knew we would."  She stated firmly settling in peacefully before reaching forward and turning on the radio.  She smiled Garth Brooks pored from the speakers in a comforting song about missing out on the pain but not wanting to miss the dance.  She smiled and settled in listening to the familiar words.  Within' moments sleep claimed her and she quietly drifted off feeling safe for the first time in months under the watchful gaze of Stone.

Stone smiled and drove on into the night contently listening to the soothing song that had claimed Sasha so quickly.  As he drove his gaze drifted back to the sky.  The stars stretched on as far as he could see I a constant reminder of just how small they where in this world.  It was a rather comforting thought as he drove on into the night.  This was it.  The beginning of a new life.  He wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring but he was certain of one thing.  They where free.  Now it was up to him to make certain they stayed that way.

Collins stared angrily at the line of jeeps that had crept back to the compound carrying their dejected looking drivers.  "Well?"  He bellowed staring at the group that obviously didn't have a truck and his driver.

"We lost them."  One soldier stated quietly.  Collins looked furious as he turned away from them and stormed back to his office.  Once behind closed doors kicked his desk hard and threw a small plant that sat their across the room.  This was not acceptable.  This was not happening.  He sat down hard behind his desk and glared at the file that lay in front of him.  The Lupe project.  He grabbed it and threw it at the door hard enough to cause the papers to scatter across the room.  "You have not beaten me 183.  You have not beaten me by a long shot.  And when I find you again you will wish you where never activated."

And now I'm glad I didn't know,
The way it all would end,

The way it all would go,
Our lives are better left to chance,

I could have missed the pain,
But I'd of had to miss,

The dance