Author's Note: I started this story with this chapter about a year back. What a fun concept. I am going to see if I have time to add chapters, unsure of how that will go. I do remember the plot of the story, hopefully I'll get a chance to tell it. Let me know if you like it. :)
Loyalty
Chapter 1
"This is unfair." She knew her protests were falling on deaf ears but that didn't stop her. "I was told the last one was the last one."
"Agent Adair, you have a signed contract. You know what we're capable of if you don't cooperate." Commander Senoia was leading her through the ship's corridors, heading toward an unknown destination. His tone was final, leaving no room for argument. No matter how unfair it was, she had to follow along. That's what she got for working with a government.
"So I suppose it will be pointless for me to ask if this will be my last assignment," she sighed, resigned to her job. "Who do I need to report to?"
"Benjamin will be your handler this time. You two make a good team and this mission is important. We don't have time to wait for you to 'connect' with your partner. I need you up and ready to go immediately." Senoia stopped abruptly. She almost ran into him, stopping just short. "You cannot fail. I know you've never failed a mission, but this one is the most important yet."
"Failure is not an option, as always, sir." She nodded her understanding begrudgingly. He returned the nod, stepping onto an airlift.
"Zero nine hundred, and that's an order." The lift doors closed and Mackenzie Adair was left to wallow in her anger on her own.
"Insufferable bastard." She murmured, turning on her heel and heading back the way they had come. She had to get to sleep if she was to up and ready in time. Whether she wanted the mission or not, she took her job seriously. She was a perfectionist to the nth degree and to be on the top of her game she needed to be rested. She'd have plenty of time to complain later.
Ben was going to get an earful.
"You look nice today." He was trying to be nice but it was too little and she was in no mood.
"Nice try, but no, it doesn't get you off the hook." She smiled insincerely, letting her displeasure show plainly on her face. "I was lied to."
"You were needed." Ben corrected. "It sounds nicer."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't make them sound like they're doing me a favor. I have wanted out for a while now. Just because they haven't been able to train another to do my job as well as I do doesn't mean I need to be punished."
It was Ben's turn to roll his eyes. "What are you going to do if you get out anyway? It's not like you would be happy with a 'normal' life."
"It's certainly my prerogative to try if I want." She pointed out, grabbing the file from his hands and sitting on a crate. The room they were in looked like it was mostly used for storage; crates and full shelves took up most of the space. The walls were bright white and the lights left no shadows. The only thing that was out of place was the massive computer and the transporter next to it. For some reason, Mackenzie never thought they looked like they fit in with the rest of the décor.
She flipped through the file, a frown forming as she got deeper into the pages. "This isn't for real." She looked up at Ben who wouldn't meet her eye. "This is insane. I can't do this." She held out the file to him in disgust. Ben took it from her, still not looking at her. He sat at the terminal and started punching buttons.
"You can and you will." He used his most authoritative voice but Mackenzie was having none of it. She hopped one of the crates and went over to him.
"My job is to save lives and prevent disasters. This," she motioned to the file, "will do neither. There is no timeline that can construe that as 'good.' Senoia has lost his mind."
Ben paused, taking a deep breath. Mackenzie could tell he was preparing to tell her something that she didn't want to hear. She crossed her arms, ready to not listen. "Mac, when have you ever been sent on a mission that wasn't important?"
Mackenzie thought. Technically, every mission was important, or so they were told. Agents didn't get to find out a whole lot more beyond when, where, and what to do. Details were for the higher ups, the handlers. Basically, agents did the dirty work that the government couldn't do itself. And apparently, once you were in, you couldn't get out. They owned you.
"Well I just won't do it then. If I can't see a good reason for it, I will refuse to do it." She stuck her nose in the air stubbornly.
"You know, you try so hard to be obstinate but you're terrible at it. I know you'll do it; it's in your blood to follow orders." Ben shook his head. "I don't know how you can fool all your targets so easily. You're such a bad liar."
"Did you read this file?" She wasn't ready to drop it.
"Yes, Mac, I read it." He sighed, going back to work on the computer.
"And you didn't double glance at it? Think, what the hell?" She asked, knowing full well he had to have.
"It doesn't matter what I think. That's what you don't get. It doesn't matter what we think. All that matters is doing our job. It's always been that way. Why are you suddenly all in a tizzy?" Ben growled.
"Because I was lied to Ben. I wanted out, I was told I had done my last mission. Yet here I am, back to the same old thing- and on top of it they want me to do...this!" She pointed at the file harshly. "That will mess things up immeasurably. There is something wrong here."
"Mac. Get in. Do your job. Get out. Simple like always." Ben finished his sequence and spun in his chair to look at her. "It's set. 2256. You'll like it."
"I don't know my cover story." She sighed sadly, giving in against her better judgment.
"You know the machine takes care of that."
She did but she also hated that part. It always felt as if the machine were invading her head, her private thoughts. Sure, it was just a machine, but it still felt...creepy.
"I don't agree with this." She said one more time before stepping onto the transporter.
"When do you ever?" Ben pointed out, pushing the last few buttons.
Lights began to whirl around her and she closed her eyes, letting the machine do it's thing. 'Maybe this time,' she thought impishly, 'I won't come back.'
She awoke gasping for breath and unable to move. She could vaguely hear shouts all around her and the hissing of steam pressure flowing through tubes but everything was indistinct, like she had ear muffs on that distorted the sounds. Shaking her head she blinked, trying to clear it but it didn't help. She tried to sit up but something was preventing her from moving.
"Over here!" She heard a voice close to her and she squinted up at the source of the sound. A man was motioning for others to come toward him, to help him. She then realized she had a large, thick pipe on her, pinning her to the ground. The only reason she wasn't dead was because of the metal computer next to her that just barely kept the pipe from crushing her. She'd have to thank Ben for that later. Currently, she was cursing his name for putting her in so much pain.
Many years back she had figured out that entering a scenario it was quickest to be injured. People wanted to take care of you and trusted you immediately- how could an injured person be anything but harmless? It was the best way to make the right friends fast.
That didn't mean Ben had to practically kill her every time. She had a sneaking suspicion that he secretly enjoyed torturing her. Mac would have to deal with that when she got back this time.
Whenever that would be. Some missions took days, some hours, some years. It all depended on the target and the goal. This one seemed like it would be snappy enough but she was going to have to get over her moral objections to do the job at hand. This mission was going to have to prove itself to be vital before she would carry it out.
But she couldn't worry about that now. Now she had to concentrate on getting at least to the infirmary alive. The few men that had come over were slowly shifting the pipe off her but she was still having trouble breathing and hearing. What the hell had Ben make happen?
Gasping for air, she heard the pipe fall to the side of her. She was grateful but all she could do was smile, her voice seemed lost. Little bits of color danced before her eyes and she was entranced by their beauty and sparkle. She was vaguely aware of someone trying to get her name and attention but the lights were so pretty. As she began naming each one in turn, they slowly dimmed until everything went black.