After It All
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and I'm not doing this for any kind of profit, financial or otherwise.
After It All
by Calliope
Max Guevara ambled through the bright environment of L.A. towards her
apartment. The dark gloom and mystery of Seattle suited her far better than the bold
and fake brightness of present-day California, but the move had been forced on her
about ten years ago. There was only one place in the entirety of the U.S. where
women who have passed the big 4-0 can look like Max Guevara, but go unnoticed.
She was, by now, in her early fifties, but still looked at least fifteen years
younger. All her neighbors had undergone various operations to keep themselves
young. They periodically begged Max for the name of her doctor, or "miracle man",
as they called him. Her mystery doctor made her seem to be just under forty, and
Max was often told she was all the more beautiful because she never aimed to look a
fake twenty.
She let her neighbors believe she had a doctor. She couldn't very well tell them
that she had genes that would make her live at least twenty-five years longer than the
average woman, or that she would remain beautiful the entire time.
Logan had suggested this particular location for her move. Max's outstanding
health and face would fit in best in the gaudy atmosphere of the few rich people left
in Southern California.
She reached her apartment, smiling as she thought of Logan. He had, of
course, grown older as well. But his eyes still had the same piercing quality, and he
had managed to keep his body marginally in shape. However, his hair, along with his
I'm-too-busy-to-shave shadow, was now a grizzly grey.
When Max entered her living room, she went straight to her computer to
report to him.
"Reporting" to each other had always really been just an excuse to keep in
touch after she'd moved. No one at Manticore knew where she was, so Max had tried
to be annoyed when Logan told her to keep him informed, but his worry had been
too endearing.
Despite his...endearing qualities, Max began her e-mail with, This is completely
useless. I keep a far lower profile than I used to. They're not-
MESSAGE! flashed across her screen, and she quickly opened it. It was from
Logan, of course- he was the only one who had this particular address. She hurriedly
switched the basic system Logan had scratched together for her in to Instant
Messenger Mode.
She retyped her e-mail in to a message, continuing with, They're not going to find
me, before sending it. Logan's reply was predictable: You still need to be careful.
She sent back the only acceptable retort, with a profanity or two mixed in for
good measure.
That was rude, he sent back in response.
And your point would be...
Very funny, Max.
She paused, then typed in, How was the move?
Logan had helped to bring a small, moderately honest political faction in to
power in Seattle. Their leader, a stately gentleman named Riley, had now established
a rudimentary government, supported by a police force who actually did their jobs,
instead of looting, raping, and annoying the few good citizens. 'Eyes Only' had
established Riley as a man of power, and as a man to be trusted, in Washington, and
then moved south to Portland, where he hoped to do the same for Oregon.
Over and done with, Logan answered, and I've just finished revealing some crooked
doctors.
It sounds to me like you need to be more careful than me. You're certainly attracting
more attention than me.
Impossible, my dear.
Don't act old, Logan.
Hmmph.
Max laughed at the single typed word. Before she could answer it, though,
Logan came back with more to ask. Have you seen Jack or Quinn lately? he inquired.
No, she replied.
Jack and Quinn were X-9s. Twenty-eight years ago, the X-9s had initiated their
own escape. One of them had come in to contact with a free X-5 during a mission,
and the idea of freedom had spread throughout all the X-9s through their hive mind.
However, the escape plan had almost failed, because of the conflicting orders the X-9s
had from their two commanders. Like a pride of lions (the X-9s did have cat DNA),
they had a male leader, but, like a swarm of bees (because of their hive mind), they
also had a Queen.
The X-9s had all made it out of Manticore, though, and the two leaders had
quickly figured out a way to have a good co-leadership.
Max thought of those leaders now, Jack and Quinn, the two that Manticore
had made in the images of Zack and Tinga. It hurt to think of the two sometimes,
hurt to picture them in her head, because she would often see her dead siblings,
instead of the two X-9s. But she didn't always just see them as the mirror images of
her long dead brother and sister- Jack and Quinn had become precious to her, too,
and Max occasionally worried about them.
It was a long time before Logan continued, and Max thought at first that he
might have quit their conversation, but he finally typed in, Have you seen Sess?
Sess was the X-9 that looked like Max- the one that had shot her so many
years ago. Max knew that Logan still couldn't bring himself to like Sess, despite the
fact that she was a fairly nice person now, though somewhat odd.
Then again, all the X-9s were odd. They did not, as originally thought, share
one mind- they were all individuals, with their own minds- but they could hear each
others' thoughts through the hive mentality. It was always a little strange to be
around an X-9, because it was so hard to get their full attention; they always seemed
to be listening to something (or someone) else.
No, she answered his question. Not since last year.
There was another pause, and Max considered just signing off- they would talk
again next week. Then, Logan typed, Do you want to come up to Portland soon? You need
another vacation.
What makes you think that? Max asked, genuinely curious.
I need a vacation, he corrected. Max smiled. I want to see you.
Miss me already?
Fishing for compliments? he typed back.
Maybe, she answered.
Eyes Only thinks you're swell.
Gee, thanks.
You're welcome.
She paused, yawning. Then, she sent, If that's the best praise you've got, I'm going
to go. I need to eat dinner, so I can get my beauty sleep.
Max, he replied, it's three in the afternoon.
So?
Isn't that acting old?
She laughed, then sent back the same answer he'd sent her earlier: Hmmph.
Max could almost imagine him smiling, too.
She supposed it served her right- she had hinted at his age. And they were both
getting older. They'd been through a lot together.
With a sigh, she signed off and stood, remembering.
End
______________________________________________________________________________
It's kind of a cut-off ending, I know- I couldn't quite figure how to finish it, but this
has been in my head for awhile, and I still had to get the beginning out.
