by Infie
Previously, in Shelf Life
Rhys dropped to one knee beside the body, looked hard at the ruined neck. His eyebrows raised and lips pursed into a silent whistle as he reached up to rub his chin. "Well, well." He said softly. "I don't know what got clearer... but I'm sure it just got more complicated." He looked up, grinned to himself. "Hey, Alec," he said to the air. "You're gonna love this." He stood gracefully and set out after Zane at a trot. "Hang in there, buddy... we're on our way home."
Alec leaned over Logan's shoulder, pushed the button to turn off the speakers. "They'll be back in 20 hours," he said. "We get to wait 'til then to find out what they're talking about." He dropped into his chair with a grunt of annoyance, realised with surprise that the room was almost dark. Night had fallen fully while they'd been listening to Rhys and Zane, and morning was well on its way. Only the lights of the computer screen and the LEDs on the panels provided illumination. Deliberately he reached over and shut them down, one by one.
Johan heaved himself off the floor. "I'm going to head out for a while, then," he announced. "See some... friends." He smiled. "Be back tomorrow."
Alec nodded. Logan's tired glance shifted between Alec's set face and Max's study of the floor between her feet. "I need caffeine." He said firmly. His eyes found Noah in the hallway, frowning intently at the pieces of the headphones as he worked to put them back together. "And ice cream," he said more loudly. Noah looked up.
"Can I come?"
"Of course! You can teach me which flavours are the best ones." Logan grinned at the little face turned eagerly up at him. "As long as Max doesn't mind."
Max smiled at Noah's expectant look. "I don't mind. Not too much, though. Shark DNA or not, he'll have to go to bed eventually." Noah ran in and gave her a big hug, and Logan winked at her.
With Johan, Logan and Noah gone, the room seemed bigger. And quieter.
Alec closed his eyes in the welcome darkness, hands coming up to rub his forehead gingerly. Damn. A scotch would go down so well right now. He hated... hated when his friends went out on missions without him. He hated even more listening to gunfire and being unable to intervene. A sudden image of Mole sprawled in front of him had him launching to his feet and crossing jerkily to stare out the window. He focussed on the darkness as he had earlier, losing himself in the soothing blankness.
"I was wrong."
Max's voice startled him badly. He jumped, whirled.
"What?" He demanded more harshly than he'd intended. Max didn't flinch.
"I was wrong." She gazed at him steadily. "When I didn't come back. When I didn't trust you." She rose to her feet and advanced on him. Unaccountably, Alec retreated. "But you aren't entirely blameless in this, Alec. After all... Phones work both ways. You could have called me." She left.
Alec turned with a snarl and punched the glittering bank of indicator lights as hard as he could. It gave with a gratifying crash. He stared down at the destruction, chest heaving. "Damn," he said softly. "What the fuck else is going to go wrong?"
"Hey!" Logan called from the kitchen. "That one's coming out of your share!"
Alec looked up at the ceiling. "Ah," he said.
Zane came through the door first, throwing his arms wide and bellowing for Noah. "Where's my little man?"
"Papa!" Noah barrelled out of Joshua's room and launched himself into Zane's arms, rocking him back on his feet. Rhys braced him with a steadying hand, then eased through the doorway around him, grinning widely.
"Damn," he said. "Almost makes me want one." He caught the look Zane shot him and raised his eyebrows. "What?" He asked innocently. "I said 'almost'."
Alec, Logan, and Max appeared from their various corners of the apartment at a more sedate pace. Logan reached Rhys first and buffeted his shoulder. "Thanks for the wonderfully exciting trip," he said with a wry grin. "Happy you're home."
"Uh.. yeah." Rhys delved into a thigh pocket and came up with the earpiece. He handed it over sheepishly. "This... uh. Stopped working."
"Sure it did." Logan looked at him a minute, then pulled him into a quick hug. He withdrew quickly, headed for the kitchen without looking at anyone. "I'm making coffee," he announced.
Rhys blinked after him in bemusement, then turned to Max and Alec and jerked his thumb at Logan's retreating back. "What's with him?" He asked.
Max just stared at him, then gave him a big hug of her own. Rhys embraced her back, giving Alec wide eyes over her shoulder. She released him after a brief squeeze, then stepped past him to greet Zane. Alec took a step towards him. Rhys lifted his hands.
"Look," he protested. "No more hugging, ok? Cause this is really starting to freak me out."
"We need to talk," Alec said.
"Well, well." Rhys rubbed his chin calmly. "That is distressing news, isn't it?"
Alec pursed his lips, ignored the still slightly smoky smell from the destroyed communications server. "You're taking this better than I did," he admitted.
"What am I supposed to do? Shout? Rail at the world?" He glanced at the ruined receiver. "Break things?"
Alec narrowed his eyes. "Yes," he said distinctly. "That is exactly what you should do."
"Well, I won't." Rhys flashed him a wicked grin. "If only cause it'll drive you absolutely nuts that I'm so nonchalant."
"I don't need more reasons to be driven nuts."
"Totally true." Rhys sobered. "Look, man... If my time's up, so be it." He clapped Alec on the shoulder. "I'd be in damned good company."
"You sound like you wouldn't mind."
Rhys laughed harshly. "Oh... I would mind. I'm not done being here, yet. But I've never found that losing my composure got me any further to a solution." He pinned Alec with a dark look. "Have you?"
Alec looked defensive. "I didn't lose my composure!" Rhys' eyes slid to the destroyed unit again. "Ok... maybe I did, a little. But it wasn't just over you, you know." He filled Rhys in on his deductions about Noah. "It's been a pretty rough couple of days." He glared. "And I haven't just been sitting around punching things, you know."
Rhys motioned towards the new 'window' gracing the exterior wall of his room. "No?" He asked pointedly.
"Let's focus here." Alec shifted so Rhys couldn't see the hole any longer. "I did get things rolling. Dalton is running all of the original DNA assays that we did on all of the transgenics, plus all of the children, plus Noah. He's looking for commonalities and divergences between all the samples. We're a pretty motley group, DNA-wise... it figures that the kill switch should be something common, likely in a similar location to aging or healing."
"Makes sense." Rhys' eyes unfocused as he processed the possibilities. "Why Dalton?" He asked absently, still thinking. "What about Dix?"
Alec's silence spoke for him.
"Oh." Rhys rubbed his chin again, eyes shadowed. "After all of this, we are going to need one hell of a wake." He paused. "I'll get on helping Dalton after we eat," he decided. He sniffed appreciatively. "Max is making dinner?" He raised his eyebrows.
"No, Logan is. Max doesn't like to cook." He frowned. "At least she didn't used to. Maybe she does now."
"Ah, yes... I wonder what other tastes have changed?" Rhys looked at the expression on Alec's face and burst out laughing. "Don't worry about Max, Alec." He clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a bright smile. "After all, she's younger than you!"
"Yeah... but you're not." Alec retorted, then winced.
Rhys grinned wider. "So I've been told. And speaking of things to be told," now his smile looked positively glowing, "We need to fill you in on what we found at the compound." He rubbed his hands together. "But first I need to wash up and change. Meet you in the kitchen in five."
Alec sniffed elaborately. "Better make it ten. Or fifteen."
Rhys flapped a hand and headed for his room.
Alec waited for it, already feeling immeasurably better at having Rhys home.
"Alec!" The outraged bellow came an instant later. "What the fuck happened to my door?" There was a louder 'argh'!. "And my phone?"
They sat down at the table with varying degrees of mood. Alec was still wearing a grin that broadened every time that Rhys levelled a new glare at him, Max was still withdrawn except when Noah dragged her into his childish enthusiasm at having 'Papa' home, Zane seemed relaxed and a little amused, and Logan bustled around like Suzy Homemaker, setting out the dinner.
"Isn't it a bit late to have supper, Uncle Logan?" Noah piped up.
"Or a bit early." Logan glanced at his watch with a rueful look. "But Papa and Uncle Rhys just got home, and they need a big, hearty meal to help them keep up their energy."
"For what?" Noah's brow creased.
"For talking," Alec interjected. He poured Zane a tall glass of water, pushed it in front of the other man. "Talking is thirsty work."
"So it is." Zane took a sip, completely unconcerned.
"So, talk." Rhys scooped a large forkful of pasta.
Zane shifted. "Where would you like me to start?" He asked with a vaguely taunting smile.
"Start with what you found at the compound," Logan suggested grimly. He poured himself a glass of red wine, and scotches for Rhys and Alec. Max and Zane's beers were already on the table. "I'm all aquiver with anticipation," he added dryly.
"Technology," Zane replied easily. "I found technology."
Alec's eyes slewed to Rhys' face. He nodded confirmation with a wicked grin. Alec closed his eyes for an instant. "Have you seen this technology before?" He asked with urgency in his voice.
Zane's gaze sharpened, though his posture didn't change. "As a matter of fact, I have," he said slowly. "About three years ago."
"I met them first," Max interjected suddenly. "Eight and a half years ago."
Rhys and Alec exchanged looks, then both leaned back. Alec gestured for her to continue. "Do tell."
Max filled them in quickly on her encounters with 'The Red Series'. "That..." She glanced at Noah and changed what she was about to say, "man Johannessen was planning on working out some kind of technology merge. Namely the kind that involves me being the mother of his nation." She shrugged. "I kicked their asses, proved to his soldiers that they couldn't be saved, and left him to them."
"The what of his what?" Rhys asked incredulously.
"They'd worked out some way for the implant to work with DNA resequencing, but it had to happen when they were young." She made a disgusted face. "He was using convicts as his soldiers. Poor..." Another glance at Noah. "Fellows."
Alec's brows lifted. "Convicts." He tilted his head in thought. "This is starting to come together." His gaze shifted to Zane. "Now, you." He said.
"They caught up to us in Denver." Zane spoke expressionlessly. Max reached over and touched his elbow. "They were still after a merge." He shrugged slightly. "We got away. Didn't see them again til Uzbekistan." His eyes narrowed on Alec's face. "And now, you."
"Our meeting with the 'Red Series' was... what, Rhys, eleven?" Rhys made a 'thereabouts' gesture. "Eleven or so years ago." He grinned reluctantly. "We... uh... We were sent in to check out an arms dealer in Kazakhstan. The weapons he was dealing in were soldiers. Souped up, technologically advanced. Turns out that it was their advanced research base. We were provided as a sample of Manticore's tech to allow them to evaluate the potential for a merge. The results were considered very favourable." His lips twisted unpleasantly. "We ended up destroying the place and damned near everyone in it. Set them back probably 10, 15 years. Probably why they had to turn to convicts... made attrition less pricey. Once Deck found out about what was going on he stopped it. But whoever set it up originally probably sent them after you instead." It was his turn to shrug. "Sorry about that."
Max was looking at him as though he'd sprouted another head. "You were up against the Red Series?" She asked incredulously.
"Cage fighting," Alec confirmed, taking a drink of his scotch. "511 won, too."
"Did you win, Uncle Alec?" Noah asked. His eyes were starting to droop.
"Not exactly, Noah." Alec ruffled the little boy's hair. "But I didn't lose, either." He returned his attention to Max. "So they're still looking for you?"
"Must be," Zane said.
"You know who you should call, right?" Rhys started to laugh.
Alec scrubbed his hands through his hair. "I don't know if I want to tell him this. About the killswitch and all."
"Oh, you should definitely tell him," Rhys said with a combination groan and chuckle. "It should appeal to his sense of humour."
The ringing woke him from a heavy sleep. He glanced at his watch. Five A.M.
He reached for the phone.
"Hello," he said.
"Captain." The voice on the other end said. Just that, but Andrew Thomas's face broke into a huge grin. A grin that faded just as quickly as he realised the implications in that one word.
"494," he replied softly. "It's good to hear your voice."
"Alec." The voice corrected. "I'm Alec, now."
"Well if you want to go by current identities," he laughed. "Then it's about time you dropped the titles and called me Andrew."
