She was amazed that Deck revealed any information at all. He was certainly trying to re-capture the X-5's at all costs, even exposing the entire Manticore project. But Max took him for a practice-what-you-preach kind of guy, and he had endlessly lectured about putting death before compromising "the objective" or divulging sensitive information. Giving out Renfro's name seemed contrary to everything he lived by. Unless.. She watched closely, his face becoming venomous as he spoke of Madame X. He wanted her to be exposed! Max thought back to when Tinga traded her life for her son's.. Something had gone wrong, the trade didn't go as promised. Lydecker seemed sincere when he said "It's not me!" He had been upstaged by someone, and Max knew what effect insubordination had on Deck's disposition. He was bringing Madame X down.
"Did you oversee the entire Manticore operation, from the beginning?"
Lydecker remained silent, staring ahead motionlessly.
"Did you?! Did you stand by, directing the conception of these monsters?!"
The mob called for an answer, more thrown objects hit Lydecker and his men.
"We demand justice! You don't deserve to live, after what you've done!" The crowd roared deafeningly. They began to chant.
Lydecker started shouting. "It was for the good of us all!" There was not fear in his eyes, but anger and outrage.
"Don't you understand?! I could have spared your loved ones!" The speakers screeched in feedback.
He was being led in front of a line of armed men.
"We created soldiers for the purpose of sending them to war, instead of you! Simply help me find them, return them to me! I can fix them, you need me, I know how to control them!"
The horde booed. Lydecker was blindfolded, as were the other restrained men.
"You have no idea what went into creating them! You have no idea! Years of my life, years of research that cannot be replaced!! All done for you, for your protection--"
"Who will protect us now? From them?! From people like you?!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
There were sequential clicks of many guns being cocked. The crowd fell silent. Lydecker stood stiffly, his face ashen, expressionless.
The squad fired. Bodies crumpled, blood spattered across the wall behind them.
Max couldn't believe her eyes. The embodiment of a lifetime of hatred, gone. In the blink of an eye. She felt revenge, she felt fury, she felt anguish.. for the loss of the most important link to her past. She could no longer demand explanations of him, she couldn't ask him who her mother was, she couldn't ask him, simply, why?
She turned off the TV and went to Logan's office.
"Lydecker's dead." She said flatly.
Logan spun around. "Dead?" he repeated, stunned.
"Broadcast live on primetime.. The latest episode of The People's Court.." Max's eyes glistened. She didn't understand what she was feeling,.. so many sentiments were raging at once...
Logan took her hand. "Max, I don't know what to say.. " Congratulations? he wondered. I'm sorry? "If they were able to capture Lydecker, it's all the more reason we really need to get you out of here, fast.." She looked down at their hands. He thought she would let go, but she held on, squeezed his hand gently for a minute, her eyes closed. Then she turned away.
"Did you find anything?"
Logan tried to answer, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Yeah.. Uh.. But not as much as I would like to know. In fact, there is no physical or electronic documentation of the Tyrell Corps anywhere. All the information I have is entirely through word of mouth. And there was this..." Logan pressed some buttons and a fax began printing. He held the page out to Max.
It was a copy of a small leaflet. It said, in ordinary lettering:
"Numbers can be such a pain in the neck, can't they?
We are waiting, brothers and sisters.
Come join the Tyrell Corps.
It's not an easy thing to meet your maker."
Underneath were printed some bizarre symbols.
"These were distributed today, scattered around large public venues across the country. One of my informants heard of them before, she thinks they are a highly secretive vigilante group of some kind."
Max stared at the symbols at the bottom.
"This is written in a secret code, a syllabic writing system, known only by those involved with Manticore" she said. "It's a location in Wyoming."
Logan whistled softly.
"So, it's either a trap, or someone trying to help you and the others. Where is it?"
"It says.. Lovell, WY. Go East on 14, north on 37. Under the eyes."
They were silent for a while.
"Well, that's uncanny, isn't it? I wonder what that means? You don't suppose they know about Eyes Only? No, probably not. I guess it would be foolish to tell you not to go.." Logan said. "I'd come with you, but.. you know.. you don't need me slowing you down. Besides, someone has to stick around and look out for the downtrodden."
Max smiled. How Loganish of him, she thought.
"You don't mind if I leave my stuff here, do you? I'll just take a few things along.. Good thing I left my bike in your basement.." she mused.
Logan sighed. So this was it, she was leaving. He knew better than to try and change her mind, but he couldn't stop his feelings from welling up. He longed to hold her, to selfishly keep her with him..
"I'll be fine Logan, really.." She misread his expression. "I can sneak past the checkpoints.. Its only a little bit more difficult than blasting my way straight through."
"I know, I know. It's just that.. " he stared into her deep brown eyes. "I'll miss you Max. A lot." She looked into his piercing blue eyes, a lump rising in her throat.
"Me too." she whispered.
She slowly leaned over, wrapped her arms around him, lowered herself into his lap, pressed her face into his neck.. God, he smelled good! Her friend.. her confidant.. She felt his arms embracing her.. She struggled to hold back the sobs aching to come out.. They sat holding each other as the light outside faded.
"Did you oversee the entire Manticore operation, from the beginning?"
Lydecker remained silent, staring ahead motionlessly.
"Did you?! Did you stand by, directing the conception of these monsters?!"
The mob called for an answer, more thrown objects hit Lydecker and his men.
"We demand justice! You don't deserve to live, after what you've done!" The crowd roared deafeningly. They began to chant.
Lydecker started shouting. "It was for the good of us all!" There was not fear in his eyes, but anger and outrage.
"Don't you understand?! I could have spared your loved ones!" The speakers screeched in feedback.
He was being led in front of a line of armed men.
"We created soldiers for the purpose of sending them to war, instead of you! Simply help me find them, return them to me! I can fix them, you need me, I know how to control them!"
The horde booed. Lydecker was blindfolded, as were the other restrained men.
"You have no idea what went into creating them! You have no idea! Years of my life, years of research that cannot be replaced!! All done for you, for your protection--"
"Who will protect us now? From them?! From people like you?!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
There were sequential clicks of many guns being cocked. The crowd fell silent. Lydecker stood stiffly, his face ashen, expressionless.
The squad fired. Bodies crumpled, blood spattered across the wall behind them.
Max couldn't believe her eyes. The embodiment of a lifetime of hatred, gone. In the blink of an eye. She felt revenge, she felt fury, she felt anguish.. for the loss of the most important link to her past. She could no longer demand explanations of him, she couldn't ask him who her mother was, she couldn't ask him, simply, why?
She turned off the TV and went to Logan's office.
"Lydecker's dead." She said flatly.
Logan spun around. "Dead?" he repeated, stunned.
"Broadcast live on primetime.. The latest episode of The People's Court.." Max's eyes glistened. She didn't understand what she was feeling,.. so many sentiments were raging at once...
Logan took her hand. "Max, I don't know what to say.. " Congratulations? he wondered. I'm sorry? "If they were able to capture Lydecker, it's all the more reason we really need to get you out of here, fast.." She looked down at their hands. He thought she would let go, but she held on, squeezed his hand gently for a minute, her eyes closed. Then she turned away.
"Did you find anything?"
Logan tried to answer, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Yeah.. Uh.. But not as much as I would like to know. In fact, there is no physical or electronic documentation of the Tyrell Corps anywhere. All the information I have is entirely through word of mouth. And there was this..." Logan pressed some buttons and a fax began printing. He held the page out to Max.
It was a copy of a small leaflet. It said, in ordinary lettering:
"Numbers can be such a pain in the neck, can't they?
We are waiting, brothers and sisters.
Come join the Tyrell Corps.
It's not an easy thing to meet your maker."
Underneath were printed some bizarre symbols.
"These were distributed today, scattered around large public venues across the country. One of my informants heard of them before, she thinks they are a highly secretive vigilante group of some kind."
Max stared at the symbols at the bottom.
"This is written in a secret code, a syllabic writing system, known only by those involved with Manticore" she said. "It's a location in Wyoming."
Logan whistled softly.
"So, it's either a trap, or someone trying to help you and the others. Where is it?"
"It says.. Lovell, WY. Go East on 14, north on 37. Under the eyes."
They were silent for a while.
"Well, that's uncanny, isn't it? I wonder what that means? You don't suppose they know about Eyes Only? No, probably not. I guess it would be foolish to tell you not to go.." Logan said. "I'd come with you, but.. you know.. you don't need me slowing you down. Besides, someone has to stick around and look out for the downtrodden."
Max smiled. How Loganish of him, she thought.
"You don't mind if I leave my stuff here, do you? I'll just take a few things along.. Good thing I left my bike in your basement.." she mused.
Logan sighed. So this was it, she was leaving. He knew better than to try and change her mind, but he couldn't stop his feelings from welling up. He longed to hold her, to selfishly keep her with him..
"I'll be fine Logan, really.." She misread his expression. "I can sneak past the checkpoints.. Its only a little bit more difficult than blasting my way straight through."
"I know, I know. It's just that.. " he stared into her deep brown eyes. "I'll miss you Max. A lot." She looked into his piercing blue eyes, a lump rising in her throat.
"Me too." she whispered.
She slowly leaned over, wrapped her arms around him, lowered herself into his lap, pressed her face into his neck.. God, he smelled good! Her friend.. her confidant.. She felt his arms embracing her.. She struggled to hold back the sobs aching to come out.. They sat holding each other as the light outside faded.