Logan and Bling arrived at Sebastian's a few minutes later. Sebastian looked at them, and was surprised to see a baby in Bling's arms. He moved
his head from left to right, getting prepared to talk.

"Hi! Logan." He stared at Bling. "Haven't seen you in a while Bling. Who is she?" He was looking at Sophie.

" Hello Sebastian. This is Sophie, Logan's niece." Bling wanted to be polite so he answered his question, but he knew Logan was burning up
inside and he didn't want to start a discussion. Sebastian realized Bling was feeling uncomfortable, and turned to Logan.

" Where is Max?...You usually bring her with you."

" That's why I'm here my friend, Lydecker's got her. She's back at Manticore, and I need your help." Logan wasn't hiding the fact that
he was really concerned about Max.

Sebastian stared at Logan in silence. He knew Logan was always here to get some information, and that he was in some way helping him, but never did
he mention the 'help' word before. It was more of an understatement, coming out of friendship that grew through the years of helping one
another.

"Oh!, I understand..." Sebastian had lost his wife in the accident that got him handicaped, and he could remember the feeling of
being afraid to loose someone you love. "You made the right choice coming to see me, because I have some informations about Manticore, that I
think could be helpful to you." He saw the relief on Logan's face. He never asked if there was something going on with Max -it wasn't his
buisness after all- but now he had his answer. 'I can't blame the guy, she's a very smart girl, and also attractive as hell!' Sebastian turned
towards his computer. "Tell me how it happened, and when?"

" It was around noon, maybe one o'clock, I can't be sure...We were heading for Jam Pony, where she works, to see a friend, and well, to make
a story short, she got caught by two men. They neutralized her with some kind of electric charge, and then they grabed her and took off. It took
less than 15 seconds!" And I stood there like a jackass...

" Neutralized, you said? I've heard about that. It's an electric charge that is shuting down all neural activity. They just press the
barcode's numbers in, and then they can neutralize the 'kid' they want for an hour, and hour and a half. Highly effective!"

" So, she wasn't hurt?" Logan asked reluctantly. 'I have to know...'

" Not from what I know, she must have felt the shock before she collapsed, but it didn't have the time for the pulsion to reach the
central nervous system, and make her feel the pain. She was sort of sleeping afterwards."

" I want her back Sebastian." It got out of Logan's mouth almost sounding like an order.

" I know, but you should be aware that you can't fly into Manticore's base and ask for her back!" I hope he knows he's not Superman.

" I'm not stupid! I still have my brain in my skull if you didn't know that fact! I came here, haven't I?" 'Relax man, he told himself,
it's not his falt she's gone.' Logan put his thoughts togheter. "What do you know about the Manticore technologies since the year 2000?"

" They are very clever Logan, it's a group of Einsteins altogheter." Sebastian opened a file that he has made on the X5 and
Manticore evolution, the computer was obeying to his voice commands. "They now have a new training method for their kids. The X7 are the
last group of futur soldiers, and they are about 10 years old. They aren't as good as the X5 though. They never could succeed at the reproduction of
the fivers. Those ones are the best Lydecker ever has, and his dream to create a perfect line of soldiers went away the night of the
electro-magnetic pulse, when the 12 kids escaped." He turned his chair and faced Logan.

"What?" He's freaking me out now... "Spill it out!" I don't have all day...

" It isn't Lydecker's goal to kill Max, or hurt her, even if she's been out for 10 years. He wants her, and he wont let go until she
surrender...From what I learned, he knew her mother before all of this began." Logan's face got livid. "I know what you must think now,
but I can't answer you. What is my gutt telling me? Frankly, I don't know. And from what I've seen of that man, when he was in the army he had a few
disciplinary files. He's known to use cruel methods Logan. But as I said, he wont let her go very easy."

" I'm listening." Oh - my - God...

" Are you really? Because you have to make a plan, and a darn good one if you ever want to see her again. If it fails, you'll have to forget
her, because she WILL forget you. Lydecker's doctors are using drastic methods now. First, they will weak her body, she will feel very tired all
the time, so Max wont be able to defend herself in result of the drugs that they will inject her. She wont be able to fight back either, even if
she minds herself to do so. And after, when they will see she isn't trying to to fight back anymore, they will play with her mind, showing her images
of what her mind alone is the most afraid of by using virtual games, but she will think it's all true, and then, they will be able to erase her
memory and implant a new one, a fictitious one." He paused to let Logan absorb all this information. "One which she'll think is and
always were her real life. She wont remember the escape, and she wont remember you either. She may even like Lydecker...Are you following
me?" I hate to see that expression on someone else's face, I've seen it too many times on mine.

" I SO am." Logan breathed slowly. "So what do I do now, because for once in my life, I don't want to do as it comes...I can't do
that, I'm too afraid of doing something that could hurt someone I care for..." A lot.

" First, do you know someone with military training that could help? Or some guy that isn't afraid of much in his life? We need all the help we
can get."

" Yeah, I know someone." And for that same person, I've past the last few months wishing he would vanish in thin air.

BACK AT MANTICORE

When Max opened her eyes, she tried to focus on what was in front of her. She couldn't adjust her eyes to the image. It suddenly moved. 'I'm
paralysed again...gggrrrr!...What drug did he give me? Son of a b1tch!..' She saw the silhouette getting closer to her. 'Don't touch me or I'll kick
your butt! I'd do it anyway if I could...' She tried again to focus, but she wasn't seeing much, everything was foggy. She opened her mouth,
thinking she couldn't probably talk like before, but she could.

" Don't move closer..." She said to the person. It actually stoped.

" I wont hurt you Max. Take your time, your eyes will get better, it's just a side effect from the drugs." Max recongnized the voice,
but wasn't able to remember who's it was exactly. It has been a long time since she had hear it.

" Who are you?..." She could feel the person walking nearer to her, but this time, Max didn't tell her to go away. She remembered
trusting that person with her life.

"It's me Max...Don't you remember me?" And then her face was enough close to Max's for her to see clearly.

"You?!..." Said Max to her, smiling, and trying to hold back her tears.

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Talk to me, reviews are always welcome!
J