Chapter 8
Seattle City, Washington
Terminal City
Max walked out of headquarters and headed towards her bike. She had stopped by with some more cleaning supplies and the update from Mole was, things weren't getting better. There was a lot of things they needed, food being one of those things. They needed medical supplies, clothes, heat, water and so many other things.
"Max! Max, wait up!" Max heard the voice come from behind her and she knew who it was without having to turn around. She heard him several other times before but managed to act like she didn't see or hear him. She was thinking about doing that again but realized she had paused when she heard him and if she ran he'll really know that she was avoiding him.
So Max did what any other female would do in a situation like that. She turned around and put on a fake smile. "Jake, I didn't see you there."
"Oh so you're not avoiding me." Jake said stopping in front of her and crossing his arms.
Ok so maybe she wasn't as careful as she thought. "Of course not. Why would I be avoiding you?" Max asked with a shaky laugh.
"You tell me." Jake continue, studying her carefully.
"I just said I wasn't avoiding you."
"Okay, then prove it. "
"What? How am I suppose to do that? Besides isn't talking to you now, proving that?" She asked nervously, she did not want to know what his suggestion was.
"No its not. The only reason you stop was that you paused and knew I saw it."
Okay so she really needed to work on her avoiding skills.
"Go out with me." Jake continued, stating it in a way that said he wasn't asking.
"I... Uhh... I can't. I'm dating Alec." Max said, for once glad that she and Alec decided to stick with the plan.
"No your not. You're only pretending to get that ordinary off your back." Jake shot back at her, a smirk forming on his mouth. "Any more excuses you want to try and come up with?"
Max glared at him, "Fine." She bit out, before getting on her bike and driving off.
Seattle City, Washington
Alexis's house
Alec sat in the lounge part of Alexis's bedroom, watching her TV intently. They had ate dinner and came up to her room to get comfortable. He knew that when she said comfortable she didn't mean him sitting in front of a TV. Just like he also knew that she sitting beside him, bored out of her mind.
He wanted to take it further with her, any guy would have to be crazy not to. But he knew that she was starting to like him more and more and he needed to act professional in a sense. He ignored the fact that making her like him more would probably get him more answers.
He heard her get up but didn't acknowledge it. He heard her go into her closet and a few minutes later she came out dress in sweats and a tank top, running her hands through her hair and heading to the bedroom part of her room. He notice her paused and looked at him, "I'm heading to bed, you can let yourself out when you're done." She told him before going into her bedroom.
Alec sighed and got up, turning off the TV. Mission accomplished. He went around the couch and went to pick his coat up when he notice her in her room. She wasn't doing anything exciting, just laying on her side, her back facing him. He straighten up and walked into her bedroom, figuring the least he could do is say goodbye to her.
"Ally…" He started clearing his throat. "I'm uhh, I'm going to head out." He made a motion towards the door but then remember she wasn't looking at him. She made no move to say that she heard him, so he figure she was asleep. He used his transgenic hearing to listen to her breathing and see if it had even out. It didn't, so he knew she was awake, just ignoring him.
Alec rolled his eyes at her and put his hands in his jacket pockets. "So you're really going to lay there and pretend to be sleep?" When she made no response, he continued. "Yeah that's not childish at all."
"Excuse me?" Alexis said turning around and sitting up, a pissed off look on her face.
"Oh so now you can hear me? Hmm.. Thought you were going deaf for a minute there."
"Why are you still here?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I was trying to do the nice thing and say bye." Alec said trying to control his temper.
"Well why don't you do the nice thing and get the fuck out."
"Call me when you're done being a bitch." Alec said storming out the house.
Seattle City, Washington
Outside Alexis's house
Ames White sat in his park car, in the shadows watching the house. He saw 494 storm out the house and onto his bike, taking off. Even though he had been following 494 he decided to stay. This was the opening he had been looking for. The one thing that could get rid of the transgenics for good and she was just inside that house. Now all he needed to do was wait for the right timing.
Seattle City
Inside Alexis's House
Alexis sat down at her desk in front of her computer. Alec had left over an hour ago and she couldn't get any sleep so she decided to look at the files she got on Manticore.
She took out the disk and put it into the computer and watched as the program loaded. She looked around at the files and noticed one called Manticore History so she clicked on that. There were different series in that file. One thing that caught her eye was the X5 file that was in there.
She had heard about them on the news so decided that she should start with them. She clicked on the file, opening it, and started to read what was in it.
"In 1998 Manticore began X5 project (production of the perfect physical, mental, and psychological soldier) (Class of 30 original units, plus twins, for each generation).
Each X5 soldier has to literally be "built" piece-by-piece in the lab, their DNA the custom blend of numerous superb human specimens plus the feline component (black leopard). Physical appearance, intelligence, emotional make-up, musical and artistic talent, are all deliberately encoded in the embryos producing soldiers with diverse physical attributes, skills, appearances, and abilities.
The feline DNA gives the X5s superior speed, strength, stamina, and reflexes, as well as night vision. Other genetic enhancements increase overall bone density and intelligence with some individuals optimized for specialties such as night warfare (X5-656/X5-657); hand-to-hand combat (X5-599/X5-600); survival (X5-471/X5-472); social skills (i.e. persuasion, coercion, and manipulation) (X5-493/X5-494); or muscular flexibility (X5-734/X5-735).
Telescopic vision is achieved through alteration of the DNA in the focusing mechanism of the eye.
All of the transgenics are type O-negative blood making them universal donors to one another (in case of the need for battlefield transfusion due to injury or organ transplants). Their blood is also exceedingly rich in pleuropotents for increased healing ability, and they are created genetically immune to standard bio-warfare agents and most human diseases.
Twinning (cloning) of the X5s during in-vitro is done as a cost-saving measure. Because each X5 Unit costs millions of dollars to create (and the in-vitro survival rate is less than 50 percent), it's expedient to artificially force the embryos to divide into maternal twins several hours after the fertilization and DNA coding has been performed. That way -- if both twins survive in the surrogates -- Manticore gets two soldiers for the price of one.
The X5 offspring do appear to be what Manticore has been attempting -- the ultimate human/feline hybrid supersoldier. As a result, four more generations of X5 soldiers (and their twins) are created in the labs and implanted into surrogates, to be born over the next five (5) years.
NOTE: The X2 through X5-series soldiers were created in classes of 30, and the twinning procedures allowed for a theoretical total of 60 X5 soldiers to be born to each of that series' 5 generations. However, physical attrition due to medical and genetic problems (i.e. seizures, progeria) results in a high rate of morbidity. Fewer than 50 percent of the X5s reach the age of puberty."
Alexis stopped reading the file a little confused. The file kept calling them soldiers yet no one mentioned that to them or to the public. She went back a file and clicked on the first file in the series and started to read.
""The Committee" -- a highly secret government entity in charge of numerous black ops programs -- authorizes Project Manticore, an experimental program which will use recombinant DNA to produce a superior human (warrior/advanced infantry soldier). Main base located in the Rocky Mountains outside of Gillette, Wyoming.
Sandeman's work comes to the attention of the U.S. military, and he's offered funding to work with Project Manticore where he continues his research and creation of transhumans/transgenics, the primary experiments involving the use of more feline DNA (from jungle cats as well as domestic)."
Alexis couldn't believe what she just read, everyone thought they were the bad guys and yet they were created to protect them. She knew the military had issues but to create soldiers and then send other soldiers to destroy them when they are let out is just twisted and wrong.
This whole file changed her opinion on them, they were one of them. They were soldiers who just happen to stronger and faster. From what she read, the military had made them to be good little soldiers who did what they were told. She guessed they didn't like them forming a mind of their own.
She also came to the conclusion that they didn't want the public to find out about their little experiments so they sent other, human, soldiers to kill them. All they were trying to do was live in the world like everyone else and no one would let them.
She shook her head and went back to the X5 file and scroll down when she came to pictures of the X5-Series. Her mouth dropped as she focused on one picture in particular. Underneath the picture was the designation X5-494 or as she knew him Alec.
She clicked on his file and started to read it.
"X5R-494 is genetically engineered to be a light combat/stealth soldier with design specifics suitable for solo mission (i.e. assassin) classification. He will be best utilized for long term black ops missions requiring a soldier/agent of enhanced strength/speed/sensory/intelligence
capability who can blend in with the general human populace and quickly adapt to changing scenarios/situations. Physically, X5R-494 should be suitable for this type of assignment. However, the Unit's psychological/emotional development during his formative years will be the ultimate determination as to his fitness for these designed-for duties.
Heightened sensory capacity: hearing/olfactory/night vision/telephoto vision/balance; Partial increase in muscular fiber density: Unit semi-optimized for hand-to-hand combat; Muscular speed - blurring capacity; Eidetic memory; Highly developed procedural memory; Uncanny ability to adapt to social situations; Keen powers of persuasion (possible undocumented psionic talent); Musical talent.
Aggression assessment:
3.31.2011
X5R-494 age 11 years, 10 months (Level 6)
Independent; strong sense of self preservation; selfish; amoral (but with personal limits); brave; highly intelligent; compassion a flaw
Test example: First kill scenario
Unit 494 was 5th out of 12 to reach objective, hesitation noted, killing blow expertly delivered, but only after prey made an effort to attack Unit directly.
Conclusion: 494 is reluctant to kill unless provoked, but is ultimately capable of committing homicide
Status (3.31.2011): passed (with prejudice)
Intelligence Quotient/psychological evaluation:
6.4.2015
X5R-494 age 16 years, 1 months (I.Q. 155) (Level 10)
After administration of the standard battery of psychological tests, it has been determined that this Unit possesses an I.Q. of 182 (Test scores attached) This places 494 in the 98th percentile of expected X5 intelligence levels.
High verbal
Eidetic memory documented
Exceptional procedural memory documented
Empathic abilities suspected but psionic tests inconclusive; Keen powers of persuasion; Exceptional ability to adapt to almost any situation; Exceptional ability to lie
FLAWS:
Reluctant to kill unless provoked/lacks killer instinct;
Independent thinking in spite of 2010 simplification;
Tendency to become emotionally attached to others;
Significant element of unpredictability
Status (6.4.2015): passed"
Alexis sit back in took in everything she just read about him. She was about to continue reading when she heard the door open behind her. She turned and saw Leo walking towards her.
"Hey the maid let me in. What are you looking at?"
She looked back at the computer, not really wanting to tell him what she found. "The files I got on the transgencis. They're not the bad guys Leo."
Leo sighed and sit down in a chair beside her, "Its not our job to decide who's the bad guy and who's the good guy. We're soldiers, we follow orders."
She looked at him in disbelief, "You're kidding right? The military made them Leo, they're soldiers like us. They were made to protect this country and now that everyone found out about it they're trying to cover it up."
"They had hostages, Lex…."
"We don't know that."
"Lex…" Leo started.
"Just give me 24 hours okay? Just let me find out for myself." She pleaded with him.
He shook his head, "You can't see him again." He said looking at the screen.
"You can't tell me who I can and can't see."
"Lex, they're dangerous. The only reason he's probably with you is to get information out of you."
Alexis looked at him with a shock look, she couldn't believe he said that.
"Look I know you probably don't want to hear this but chances are its true. Are you even listening to what his file said? It says exceptional ability to lie. Lex he's lying to you and I forbid you from seeing him again."
"Get out." Alexis said to him, anger written all over her face. She knew that it was probably true but she didn't want to admit to herself.
Leo got up from the chair and shook his head, "I hope he's worth it." He said leaving out.
Alexis sat there for a minute trying to figure out what to do. She got up and decided that talking to Alec would be the first step. She grabbed her jacket and headed out of her house. She was about to get on her motorcycle when she heard a noise in the bushes.
She knew Leo and Alec left so it wasn't them. She walked towards the bushes slowly listening for the noise again. She heard it behind her and turned around just in time to catch a dart in her hand before it hit her.
She looked down at the dart and unfortunately wasn't fast enough to catch the other one as it hit her in the chest, knocking her out immediately.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone, hope you really enjoyed this chapter. This is one I've been thinking really hard about and finally decided to go in this direction after I went through several of them in my head.
I would really like to know what you guys think about this one, so please leave reviews.