"There they are," I say triumphantly, leading the others across the bridge. "We're going home."
I am X6-314, mission alias Jake. I've gone on one solo mission outside Manticore and one mission with X6-809. We posed as a brother and sister.
I kinda like my mission alias- even more than my designation. I'd be for it if anyone found that out, though. X6s are supposed to take a designation and like it.
It's hard being the ones after the failed series. The X5s- they were brilliant. They were strong, fast, capable and intelligent. Unfortunately, the breakout in '09 meant that they cracked down hard on the next generation. We learnt at a young age to hide any independent thoughts we might have until they'd been successfully squashed out of us.
I salute proudly to the soldiers. "X6-314 reporting for duty, sir!" I say. I'm quite proud of myself- I managed to get three other X6s, a little X8 and myself through the forest and back where we belong. They'll probably send us to temporary barracks until the main base has been renovated.
"At ease, soldier," says the main man. We stand with our hands behind our backs.
I give X6-629 (alias Lena) a smug look. She thought the barracks had been set on fire on purpose, to dispose of us. She's exactly the kind of X6 the commanding officers don't like- too smartmouthed, too reckless, asks too many questions.
I'm not the CO of our group, but I was next in line. I think that if the X6 CO died in the fire, I've pretty much got the job.
And that's all I've wanted ever since I was young. To show I can take charge, follow orders, keep the group focused.
The head agent walks out of the way of the sentries, all of whom are carrying guns. I sense Lena and Lucy, the other female X6, exchanging an uneasy look behind my back.
What are they so afraid of?
The little X6 who Frank, the only other male X6 in our group, liberated from a burning dormitory with some of the male X5s, stands naive and dutiful at the front of the group, giving the ridiculous illusion that he is the leader and I am not.
I suddenly panic. I don't know why.
The agent nods at the sentries.
What am I so afraid of?
My mouth opens in a yell of shock as they start shooting at us and instinctively, I drop to the ground.
I hear Lena give a scream of terror. She is suddenly silenced. Lucy shrieks something and the X8, designation X8-548, drops to the ground beside me. Frank moans in despair- or is it pain?
I cover my head with my arms, trying to drown out the hail of gunfire and waiting grimly for them to start shooting at me.
The shooting silences and I hear two sentries walking toward me. They pull me roughly to my feet and start to walk me toward the tents set up on the other end of the bridge.
I turn my head around desperately to stare at the other X6s. Lena's been shot between the eyes and lies in a sad crumpled heap on the ground. X8-548 is curled up in a foetal position with his hands over his ears. Lucy lies face down, blood pooling around her. Frank is stretched out on the ground like he was trying to run for it.
"Oh my God..." I whisper in shock.
I'm numb.
Numb.
"Eyes front!" yells another sentry, pressing a gun to my back.
I find myself brought before the head agent, Agent White, and dully hear word of being sent to another facility for testing and extermination.
He turns and addresses me directly. "You did well, soldier."
"Why me?" I croak, unable to banish the image of the others, dead, from my mind. "Why only me?"
"We need a few of each class for testing, harvesting... you'll do nicely." He walks around me in a slow circle. "We already have some girls and more X8s than we need. Your X6 friend was too foolhardy, tried to make a break for it. But you- for the time being, are exactly what's needed."
White turns to the sentries. "Take the X6 away."
I'm in lock-up, waiting for some kind of transport to take me away. I... the others...
What kind of CO would I make, leading my unit into such an obvious trap? Lena, you were right... you were completely right. We should have gotten as far away as we could while we had the chance.
I sleep a little in the night and dream of them on the bridge. Lena, her face covered in blood. Lucy, facedown on the ground. That poor X8... and Frank, who might have gotten away. I'm almost glad when the cat anomaly starts yowling and wakes me up.
There was blood... so much blood...
But now Lena, Lucy, Frank and the X8 are dead, and I'm going to become exactly what I was born to be- a human lab project.
I sink to the bottom of my cage and cradle my head in my hands in frustration.
There are some X8s and a hissing catlike anomaly with a bloody leg in the other cages. A small female X8 sulks against the wall of her cage, another sits dejectedly on the floor and the third is in a staring contest with the anomaly.
If only one other X6 were here- Lucy or Frank, maybe, or my mission 'sister', 806- we could try to mastermind an escape.
I have to get out of here.
The tent is hot and dark. There are three X7s at the door, happily clicking away to each other. I wonder what they're talking about.
We stay in here for a long time, until night falls and until the sun comes up again. A guard comes and takes the smallest X8, who gives me a pleading look as she's escorted to what looks like a van outside.
Poor kid.
We're not fed. I can go a fairly long time without food, but the last time I ate was dinner, before the fire at Manticore.
The X8s whimper in the night and complain that they're so-ooo hungry and why won't they give us anything to eat? I don't know. I try to ignore my complaining stomach to devise my escape.
There's a commotion outside on the third night and the X7s run off, clicking wildly. I inhale deeply and my dog DNA kicks in as I sense X6s in the camp.
Now's my chance.
Weakly, I manage to work out the lock and snap it with one hand. I exit the cage and set to work on the others cages. I reach out a hand to the cat anomaly, who spits and refuses it, jumping to her clawed feet. I'm not entirely sure she can talk.
The camp is in chaos. I tell the X8s as CO to stay put and run to take down a non-transgenic guard, stealing his gun.
The X8s stand together silently, one chewing at her lower lip. They give a start as I run back into the tent. "Fall in!" I snap.
They get into line behind me. "Sir, yes sir!" both say.
"You too," I say to the catlike woman, who glares at me and scuffs a foot.
She hisses.
"Now!" I bark, and she shuffles into line behind the X8s. "Move out," I say, and the four of us run for it.
And I stop abruptly, gazing up into the sky.
"What happened to the signal?" asks the male X8.
"Says we're s'posed to scatter, sir," reports the female.
"I know what it says!" I say.
The cat anomaly hisses.
"That's enough out of you-" I begin, having taken just about all I can handle of her crap, but I suddenly spot four kids about my age jogging from the perimeter. One stops suddenly and looks behind her.
She waves and I recognise her. It's 806.
As we wait for the soldiers to head past, I execute some military sign language. GET FAR AWAY, 'SISTER'. Of course, it's hard to be sarcastic in sign language, but she gets the gist and I see her grin.
AFFIRMATIVE, 'BROTHER'. TAKE CARE, she answers, and runs after her friends.
I lead the X8s and the cat woman from the camp without much trouble, although I keep an eye peeled for rogue X7s. They're more trouble than I'm trained to handle.
"We split up here," I say in the midst of a quiet clearing. "You, X8s, stay together as you're prone to attack 'cause of your size. Uh... anomaly, stay covered. I'm heading THAT way, toward the lights... it's a big city."
The X8s nod and head off together. The cat woman hisses at me, but more respectfully than venomously. "I'll do that. Thanks, friend," she snarls, and springs away into the trees. I watch the little X8s walk away.
"Wait," I call to them, and hand the female the gun I stole. "You may need this. But keep it hidden, Outside children don't routinely carry firearms."
"Sir, yes, sir!" both yell, and the girl tucks the gun into her pocket. They salute and disappear.
I'm alone.
I remember this clearing. Frank, Lucy, Lena, the X8 and myself all rested here when we were walking to the renvendous point, the bridge.
Why was I the only one to live? I'm not a fit CO. I got all my unit killed. I followed orders, but they died under Manticore bullets. They trusted me and I let them down.
Maybe I didn't live to be CO. It wasn't a CO who got the X8s and the cat woman out of there- it was the one who was next in line. The one who was next in line lived, and escaped, and is now... free?
I'm going now. "Sorry, Lucy, Frank, Lena, 548..." I murmur, and steel myself.
I've got a long way to walk before I can reach the lights of the city. Me, Jake, the one who was next in line. Alone.
I walk for a long time and find myself on a hill, looking down on the lights of Seattle. A new place.
I let down members of my unit once. I don't intend to do it again.
* * *
DISCLAIMER: 'Dark Angel' belongs to James Cameron and Fox. Not me. So don't sue.
NOTE: This fic is based on an idea from a play some people performed for us at school. It was about some teens who got into a car accident and then it showed what each would say had they been the sole survivor of the accident. It was a really cool play and if this fic is a fraction as good, chances are it'll be liked. Don't hold your breath for more chapters, though. I have no discipline.
I am X6-314, mission alias Jake. I've gone on one solo mission outside Manticore and one mission with X6-809. We posed as a brother and sister.
I kinda like my mission alias- even more than my designation. I'd be for it if anyone found that out, though. X6s are supposed to take a designation and like it.
It's hard being the ones after the failed series. The X5s- they were brilliant. They were strong, fast, capable and intelligent. Unfortunately, the breakout in '09 meant that they cracked down hard on the next generation. We learnt at a young age to hide any independent thoughts we might have until they'd been successfully squashed out of us.
I salute proudly to the soldiers. "X6-314 reporting for duty, sir!" I say. I'm quite proud of myself- I managed to get three other X6s, a little X8 and myself through the forest and back where we belong. They'll probably send us to temporary barracks until the main base has been renovated.
"At ease, soldier," says the main man. We stand with our hands behind our backs.
I give X6-629 (alias Lena) a smug look. She thought the barracks had been set on fire on purpose, to dispose of us. She's exactly the kind of X6 the commanding officers don't like- too smartmouthed, too reckless, asks too many questions.
I'm not the CO of our group, but I was next in line. I think that if the X6 CO died in the fire, I've pretty much got the job.
And that's all I've wanted ever since I was young. To show I can take charge, follow orders, keep the group focused.
The head agent walks out of the way of the sentries, all of whom are carrying guns. I sense Lena and Lucy, the other female X6, exchanging an uneasy look behind my back.
What are they so afraid of?
The little X6 who Frank, the only other male X6 in our group, liberated from a burning dormitory with some of the male X5s, stands naive and dutiful at the front of the group, giving the ridiculous illusion that he is the leader and I am not.
I suddenly panic. I don't know why.
The agent nods at the sentries.
What am I so afraid of?
My mouth opens in a yell of shock as they start shooting at us and instinctively, I drop to the ground.
I hear Lena give a scream of terror. She is suddenly silenced. Lucy shrieks something and the X8, designation X8-548, drops to the ground beside me. Frank moans in despair- or is it pain?
I cover my head with my arms, trying to drown out the hail of gunfire and waiting grimly for them to start shooting at me.
The shooting silences and I hear two sentries walking toward me. They pull me roughly to my feet and start to walk me toward the tents set up on the other end of the bridge.
I turn my head around desperately to stare at the other X6s. Lena's been shot between the eyes and lies in a sad crumpled heap on the ground. X8-548 is curled up in a foetal position with his hands over his ears. Lucy lies face down, blood pooling around her. Frank is stretched out on the ground like he was trying to run for it.
"Oh my God..." I whisper in shock.
I'm numb.
Numb.
"Eyes front!" yells another sentry, pressing a gun to my back.
I find myself brought before the head agent, Agent White, and dully hear word of being sent to another facility for testing and extermination.
He turns and addresses me directly. "You did well, soldier."
"Why me?" I croak, unable to banish the image of the others, dead, from my mind. "Why only me?"
"We need a few of each class for testing, harvesting... you'll do nicely." He walks around me in a slow circle. "We already have some girls and more X8s than we need. Your X6 friend was too foolhardy, tried to make a break for it. But you- for the time being, are exactly what's needed."
White turns to the sentries. "Take the X6 away."
I'm in lock-up, waiting for some kind of transport to take me away. I... the others...
What kind of CO would I make, leading my unit into such an obvious trap? Lena, you were right... you were completely right. We should have gotten as far away as we could while we had the chance.
I sleep a little in the night and dream of them on the bridge. Lena, her face covered in blood. Lucy, facedown on the ground. That poor X8... and Frank, who might have gotten away. I'm almost glad when the cat anomaly starts yowling and wakes me up.
There was blood... so much blood...
But now Lena, Lucy, Frank and the X8 are dead, and I'm going to become exactly what I was born to be- a human lab project.
I sink to the bottom of my cage and cradle my head in my hands in frustration.
There are some X8s and a hissing catlike anomaly with a bloody leg in the other cages. A small female X8 sulks against the wall of her cage, another sits dejectedly on the floor and the third is in a staring contest with the anomaly.
If only one other X6 were here- Lucy or Frank, maybe, or my mission 'sister', 806- we could try to mastermind an escape.
I have to get out of here.
The tent is hot and dark. There are three X7s at the door, happily clicking away to each other. I wonder what they're talking about.
We stay in here for a long time, until night falls and until the sun comes up again. A guard comes and takes the smallest X8, who gives me a pleading look as she's escorted to what looks like a van outside.
Poor kid.
We're not fed. I can go a fairly long time without food, but the last time I ate was dinner, before the fire at Manticore.
The X8s whimper in the night and complain that they're so-ooo hungry and why won't they give us anything to eat? I don't know. I try to ignore my complaining stomach to devise my escape.
There's a commotion outside on the third night and the X7s run off, clicking wildly. I inhale deeply and my dog DNA kicks in as I sense X6s in the camp.
Now's my chance.
Weakly, I manage to work out the lock and snap it with one hand. I exit the cage and set to work on the others cages. I reach out a hand to the cat anomaly, who spits and refuses it, jumping to her clawed feet. I'm not entirely sure she can talk.
The camp is in chaos. I tell the X8s as CO to stay put and run to take down a non-transgenic guard, stealing his gun.
The X8s stand together silently, one chewing at her lower lip. They give a start as I run back into the tent. "Fall in!" I snap.
They get into line behind me. "Sir, yes sir!" both say.
"You too," I say to the catlike woman, who glares at me and scuffs a foot.
She hisses.
"Now!" I bark, and she shuffles into line behind the X8s. "Move out," I say, and the four of us run for it.
And I stop abruptly, gazing up into the sky.
"What happened to the signal?" asks the male X8.
"Says we're s'posed to scatter, sir," reports the female.
"I know what it says!" I say.
The cat anomaly hisses.
"That's enough out of you-" I begin, having taken just about all I can handle of her crap, but I suddenly spot four kids about my age jogging from the perimeter. One stops suddenly and looks behind her.
She waves and I recognise her. It's 806.
As we wait for the soldiers to head past, I execute some military sign language. GET FAR AWAY, 'SISTER'. Of course, it's hard to be sarcastic in sign language, but she gets the gist and I see her grin.
AFFIRMATIVE, 'BROTHER'. TAKE CARE, she answers, and runs after her friends.
I lead the X8s and the cat woman from the camp without much trouble, although I keep an eye peeled for rogue X7s. They're more trouble than I'm trained to handle.
"We split up here," I say in the midst of a quiet clearing. "You, X8s, stay together as you're prone to attack 'cause of your size. Uh... anomaly, stay covered. I'm heading THAT way, toward the lights... it's a big city."
The X8s nod and head off together. The cat woman hisses at me, but more respectfully than venomously. "I'll do that. Thanks, friend," she snarls, and springs away into the trees. I watch the little X8s walk away.
"Wait," I call to them, and hand the female the gun I stole. "You may need this. But keep it hidden, Outside children don't routinely carry firearms."
"Sir, yes, sir!" both yell, and the girl tucks the gun into her pocket. They salute and disappear.
I'm alone.
I remember this clearing. Frank, Lucy, Lena, the X8 and myself all rested here when we were walking to the renvendous point, the bridge.
Why was I the only one to live? I'm not a fit CO. I got all my unit killed. I followed orders, but they died under Manticore bullets. They trusted me and I let them down.
Maybe I didn't live to be CO. It wasn't a CO who got the X8s and the cat woman out of there- it was the one who was next in line. The one who was next in line lived, and escaped, and is now... free?
I'm going now. "Sorry, Lucy, Frank, Lena, 548..." I murmur, and steel myself.
I've got a long way to walk before I can reach the lights of the city. Me, Jake, the one who was next in line. Alone.
I walk for a long time and find myself on a hill, looking down on the lights of Seattle. A new place.
I let down members of my unit once. I don't intend to do it again.
* * *
DISCLAIMER: 'Dark Angel' belongs to James Cameron and Fox. Not me. So don't sue.
NOTE: This fic is based on an idea from a play some people performed for us at school. It was about some teens who got into a car accident and then it showed what each would say had they been the sole survivor of the accident. It was a really cool play and if this fic is a fraction as good, chances are it'll be liked. Don't hold your breath for more chapters, though. I have no discipline.