Dreams:
Too much ambition always causes some sort of fall or set back. The X2's were Lydecker's. He told the doctors to push the research to the max; to make the ultimate soldier. He didn't want more experiments or cautious steps of progress. He wanted his perfect soldiers and he wasn't willing to wait. So, probably against their better judgment, the doctors complied -- and the X2 generation was created.
The first two years went perfectly according to plan. They far surpassed what the X1s had been at 2. Lydecker was very pleased -- walked around like an arrogant turkey, all puffed up, proud of his little projects. Ah yes, that glimmer in his eye shown pretty strong in those days.
Just after they turned 3 the X2s' psychological tests started showing signs that something wasn't quite right. I overheard a conversation between two psychiatrists one day while on my rounds near Sector 7. It went something like this:
"It's very strange -- their emotions have all but disappeared. Their communication skills have digressed and they're all having dreams about some young woman with yellow eyes."
"Psychotic killing machines, just what the world needs..." The other doctor replied. The sarcasm just barely masked true uncertainty and concern.
I found myself out by the perimeter fence, night was quickly falling. I scanned the trees beyond the fence, remembering my last encounter out here... but I saw nothing save the black shadows of the forest. I turned back towards the looming building. There she was, perched on a low branch in a near-by tree. With the grace of a cat, she leapt noiselessly onto the ground in front of me.
"I told you they couldn't fence me out." Her yellow eyes stared, unblinking.
"How did you..." I stammered, glancing at the formidable fence.
"They let me in." She said in a harsh whisper.
"Who did...?" I asked, cautiously. I looked nervously around me, but saw no one.
She gave me a sly smile and turned to look behind her. A vision of the X2s formed out of the misty night air, jumping out of the shadows. All of them were standing, grouped together, yellow eyes glowing, starring. She turned back to me, and they disappeared, evaporating into the night sky.
"Why...?" I stared to ask.
"They're like me. They'll help me." She almost purred.
"Help you how?" I stammered, unable to choke back the fear rising in my throat.
That sly, cat-got-the-mouse grin returned. An instant later, she was gone. Following the vision of the X2s back into the shadow.
I opened my eyes and found myself, not out by the perimeter fence, but in my own room, once again drenched in cold sweat. "Damn that dream was real..." I muttered, wiping my clammy hands. Too real. I got up, went to my computer and started checking surveillance, leaving block 12 for last. Everything was quiet. The Block 12 cameras showed all the X2s sleeping peacefully, save one who had a familiar sly smile at the corners of his mouth.
Too much ambition always causes some sort of fall or set back. The X2's were Lydecker's. He told the doctors to push the research to the max; to make the ultimate soldier. He didn't want more experiments or cautious steps of progress. He wanted his perfect soldiers and he wasn't willing to wait. So, probably against their better judgment, the doctors complied -- and the X2 generation was created.
The first two years went perfectly according to plan. They far surpassed what the X1s had been at 2. Lydecker was very pleased -- walked around like an arrogant turkey, all puffed up, proud of his little projects. Ah yes, that glimmer in his eye shown pretty strong in those days.
Just after they turned 3 the X2s' psychological tests started showing signs that something wasn't quite right. I overheard a conversation between two psychiatrists one day while on my rounds near Sector 7. It went something like this:
"It's very strange -- their emotions have all but disappeared. Their communication skills have digressed and they're all having dreams about some young woman with yellow eyes."
"Psychotic killing machines, just what the world needs..." The other doctor replied. The sarcasm just barely masked true uncertainty and concern.
I found myself out by the perimeter fence, night was quickly falling. I scanned the trees beyond the fence, remembering my last encounter out here... but I saw nothing save the black shadows of the forest. I turned back towards the looming building. There she was, perched on a low branch in a near-by tree. With the grace of a cat, she leapt noiselessly onto the ground in front of me.
"I told you they couldn't fence me out." Her yellow eyes stared, unblinking.
"How did you..." I stammered, glancing at the formidable fence.
"They let me in." She said in a harsh whisper.
"Who did...?" I asked, cautiously. I looked nervously around me, but saw no one.
She gave me a sly smile and turned to look behind her. A vision of the X2s formed out of the misty night air, jumping out of the shadows. All of them were standing, grouped together, yellow eyes glowing, starring. She turned back to me, and they disappeared, evaporating into the night sky.
"Why...?" I stared to ask.
"They're like me. They'll help me." She almost purred.
"Help you how?" I stammered, unable to choke back the fear rising in my throat.
That sly, cat-got-the-mouse grin returned. An instant later, she was gone. Following the vision of the X2s back into the shadow.
I opened my eyes and found myself, not out by the perimeter fence, but in my own room, once again drenched in cold sweat. "Damn that dream was real..." I muttered, wiping my clammy hands. Too real. I got up, went to my computer and started checking surveillance, leaving block 12 for last. Everything was quiet. The Block 12 cameras showed all the X2s sleeping peacefully, save one who had a familiar sly smile at the corners of his mouth.