Poe's Raven:
With spring came more training runs outside. The X5s were being pushed to the limit, both physically and mentally. They were also learning how to handle the new weaponry that had been shipped in. The X5s had been training with the new equipment for not quite a week.
I woke up, a little bit later then usual, to the sound of frenzied orders being given -- I glanced at the TV monitor in the next room. It happened to be tuned to the infirmary's area. Doctors were working on a little soldier -- shocking his heart and giving him CPR. Lydecker was storming around, I could hear him all the way from the Control Center, yelling.
"Who sent those kids out this morning?! That run was supposed to be under my supervision this afternoon!"
Getting up, I walked to the outer door of my office. I could see through the hallway and out one of the huge old windows to the grounds below. The X5s were there, lined up, apparently being ripped into by a TAC leader. One of my workers walked over to me, and looked out as well.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. Heard somethin' about those kids going out, somethin' spooked 'em. One got shot."
"Some cocky idiot took them out with those new air rifles," Lydecker's voice suddenly cut in, "They were spooked by a crow, a damn crow. One of the kids took a shot at the bird, only those rifles don't aim like what they're used to, and one of the kids was hit. I don't think he'll make it..." It seemed telling the story helped Lydecker calm a bit, I nodded and said "Very sorry to hear that, sir."
"Right," the gruff tone was back, "Now, I need you to keep people in check today, Jones, watch the details!" And he walked off, hurriedly as always.
The X5s spent the rest of the day in the Pych Unit. Being badgered and brainwashed and everything you can imagine.. Made to "suck it up, soldier" and "buck up" I'm sure. The Pych Unit was an interesting place -- they did plenty of brainwashing in there, but even though it sounds harsh, they taught those kids how to handle any situation thrown their way. They taught them how to keep themselves in check, keep their cool, in order to get the job done, and survive.
I was standing in the shadows the evening sun made through the old windows when the X5 group was finally marched out the Pych. Their expressions were hardened, but clear..
That night I slept to fitful dreams about the yellow, almond-eyed legend. She was laughing, overjoyed that she'd gotten 'another one.' She hadn't visited my dreams in a long time, not since the X2s. I sure hoped she wasn't a sign of bad things to come for those X5s. I woke at about three in the morning. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to my office. Out of curiosity, I flipped to the camera in Block 12 -- to check and see how the kids were doing. Most were sleeping, but two beds were empty. The door to the small,
attached sparring room was open slightly. I switched cameras.
Two X5s were sparring. The padded walls and floor made their landings soft, their movements look effortless. I couldn't make out who they were. It was pretty awesome to watch any of the X series fight -- they could move faster then a human eye could see, and these two were no exception. I finally recognized X5-452, but the other one I didn't know; slightly smaller with dark hair -- I'd seen her and X5-452 together a lot, though.
The sparring ended as X5-452 flipped her opponent onto her back. She then helped her up and they stood, smiling softly at each other. They exchanged was looked to be their own personal secret handshake. As they did so, I caught a look of sorrow pass quickly by on their faces.
Another little soldier slipped quietly into the room. Before I had even registered that, X5-599 was pinned against the wall. I could tell they were talking, well, almost yelling. I flipped the microphone on.
"... wasn't supposed to happen!"
"No, but it did." X5-452 snapped.
"And why are you angry with me then?"
"Because. You're the CO. It's your job to see that that sort of situation doesn't happen."
"Don't you think I know that by now! Don't you think I feel as bad --
no, worse -- than you?!" X5-599 snapped back.
"Prove it," came her calm, defiant challenge.
"You want to take me on, Maxie? Fine," was the hot, but controlled reply from X5-599.
They split into fighting stances, locked in a staring contest. The other girl ran in between them, as if to stop them.
"Jondy, get out of the way." X5-599 growled an order.
"No, Zack. I don't want you two hurting each other. We're in enough trouble already." Instead of replying, X5-599 turned and in one smooth movement, flipped the girl into one of the padded walls. She glared at him, but didn't try to get in the way again.
X5-452 took advantage of the momentary distraction: she leapt into the air and flew at X5-599. Caught off guard, he turned to jump back at her, but was knocked backwards. Instead of falling, he dropped and rolled underneath the next flying attack, spun, and caught her foot as it came up to kick. He tried to punch, she blocked, twisting to get her foot free. X5-599 jumped up - both feet connected with her chest - she flew into a nearby wall.
'Yikes!' I thought, 'If that isn't a pissed off, I'm-gonna-kick-your-a$$-now look on her face, then I've never seen one!'
X5-452 ran - but not at X5-599 - at a wall. Running up the wall, her feet connected with the ceiling and she flipped over - nailing X5-599 in the side as he turned to meet her. More punches, more blocks, more kicks, more blocks.
I picked up the phone and dialed Lydecker's direct line. A groggy "Hello?"
"Sir, come to my office -- you'll want to see this."
They were still in hand-to-hand combat. These two were really pissed off -- and taking it out on each other. Lydecker arrived a minute later and peered over my shoulder. X5-599 went for another flying kick move, X5-452 evaded with a back flip and handspring. The two landed about 6 feet apart, in defensive stances and glaring.
"Had enough yet, Zack?"
"You want more, little sister? Come and get it."
As if perfectly timed, they both flew at each other simultaneously. X5-599 got the upper hand for a moment, knocking X5-452 onto her back. She rolled away from his landing, bouncing up and back flipping to get behind him. She kicked his back before he could turn and he flew into a wall. Another display of running up walls, flips, hand-to-hand combat, and acrobatics followed.
Lydecker let out a low whistle, "They don't spar like that when I'm around."
"They're quite awesome to watch, sir," I said. I noticed a movement, and pointed to the screen. The other little girl, whom I'd all but forgotten about, quietly snuck out of the room. A moment later, she returned with X5-656 and X5-493.
"Max! Zack! Stop!" X5-656 yelled. The two sparring soldiers paused, though still locked in hand-to-hand combative stances. X5-656 and X5-493 ran over and pulled the two apart, the other girl helping X5-656.
"Stop it right now, you two."
"It's not either of your faults that he's gone." The two little
fighters just glared.
"Come on, please? You know what they'll do to us if they know you've been fighting." X5-599 took a breath at that.
"Look Max, they're right. It's not your fault, it's not my fault. We just have to do what they told us to, suck it up and move on. Like good soldiers do." X5-452 relaxed a little.
"I know. But we lost a brother today. Why can't we feel even slightly sad?" She asked.
"I don't know, Maxie. I'm sorry. But we just have to buck up, and go on, like they taught us."
"Right." X5-452 responded, now completely dropping the defensive stance, but it looked to me like there was still a slightly defiant look in her eye. X5-656 nodded to X5-493, and they released the other two.
"You okay, baby sister?"
"Yeah," with a slight, but sad smile, "Thanks, Tinga, Jondy." The five of them walked quietly out of the sparring room.
I let out a breath and looked up at Lydecker. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at me,
"They've named each other. How very interesting." With that, he left the room.
With spring came more training runs outside. The X5s were being pushed to the limit, both physically and mentally. They were also learning how to handle the new weaponry that had been shipped in. The X5s had been training with the new equipment for not quite a week.
I woke up, a little bit later then usual, to the sound of frenzied orders being given -- I glanced at the TV monitor in the next room. It happened to be tuned to the infirmary's area. Doctors were working on a little soldier -- shocking his heart and giving him CPR. Lydecker was storming around, I could hear him all the way from the Control Center, yelling.
"Who sent those kids out this morning?! That run was supposed to be under my supervision this afternoon!"
Getting up, I walked to the outer door of my office. I could see through the hallway and out one of the huge old windows to the grounds below. The X5s were there, lined up, apparently being ripped into by a TAC leader. One of my workers walked over to me, and looked out as well.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. Heard somethin' about those kids going out, somethin' spooked 'em. One got shot."
"Some cocky idiot took them out with those new air rifles," Lydecker's voice suddenly cut in, "They were spooked by a crow, a damn crow. One of the kids took a shot at the bird, only those rifles don't aim like what they're used to, and one of the kids was hit. I don't think he'll make it..." It seemed telling the story helped Lydecker calm a bit, I nodded and said "Very sorry to hear that, sir."
"Right," the gruff tone was back, "Now, I need you to keep people in check today, Jones, watch the details!" And he walked off, hurriedly as always.
The X5s spent the rest of the day in the Pych Unit. Being badgered and brainwashed and everything you can imagine.. Made to "suck it up, soldier" and "buck up" I'm sure. The Pych Unit was an interesting place -- they did plenty of brainwashing in there, but even though it sounds harsh, they taught those kids how to handle any situation thrown their way. They taught them how to keep themselves in check, keep their cool, in order to get the job done, and survive.
I was standing in the shadows the evening sun made through the old windows when the X5 group was finally marched out the Pych. Their expressions were hardened, but clear..
That night I slept to fitful dreams about the yellow, almond-eyed legend. She was laughing, overjoyed that she'd gotten 'another one.' She hadn't visited my dreams in a long time, not since the X2s. I sure hoped she wasn't a sign of bad things to come for those X5s. I woke at about three in the morning. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to my office. Out of curiosity, I flipped to the camera in Block 12 -- to check and see how the kids were doing. Most were sleeping, but two beds were empty. The door to the small,
attached sparring room was open slightly. I switched cameras.
Two X5s were sparring. The padded walls and floor made their landings soft, their movements look effortless. I couldn't make out who they were. It was pretty awesome to watch any of the X series fight -- they could move faster then a human eye could see, and these two were no exception. I finally recognized X5-452, but the other one I didn't know; slightly smaller with dark hair -- I'd seen her and X5-452 together a lot, though.
The sparring ended as X5-452 flipped her opponent onto her back. She then helped her up and they stood, smiling softly at each other. They exchanged was looked to be their own personal secret handshake. As they did so, I caught a look of sorrow pass quickly by on their faces.
Another little soldier slipped quietly into the room. Before I had even registered that, X5-599 was pinned against the wall. I could tell they were talking, well, almost yelling. I flipped the microphone on.
"... wasn't supposed to happen!"
"No, but it did." X5-452 snapped.
"And why are you angry with me then?"
"Because. You're the CO. It's your job to see that that sort of situation doesn't happen."
"Don't you think I know that by now! Don't you think I feel as bad --
no, worse -- than you?!" X5-599 snapped back.
"Prove it," came her calm, defiant challenge.
"You want to take me on, Maxie? Fine," was the hot, but controlled reply from X5-599.
They split into fighting stances, locked in a staring contest. The other girl ran in between them, as if to stop them.
"Jondy, get out of the way." X5-599 growled an order.
"No, Zack. I don't want you two hurting each other. We're in enough trouble already." Instead of replying, X5-599 turned and in one smooth movement, flipped the girl into one of the padded walls. She glared at him, but didn't try to get in the way again.
X5-452 took advantage of the momentary distraction: she leapt into the air and flew at X5-599. Caught off guard, he turned to jump back at her, but was knocked backwards. Instead of falling, he dropped and rolled underneath the next flying attack, spun, and caught her foot as it came up to kick. He tried to punch, she blocked, twisting to get her foot free. X5-599 jumped up - both feet connected with her chest - she flew into a nearby wall.
'Yikes!' I thought, 'If that isn't a pissed off, I'm-gonna-kick-your-a$$-now look on her face, then I've never seen one!'
X5-452 ran - but not at X5-599 - at a wall. Running up the wall, her feet connected with the ceiling and she flipped over - nailing X5-599 in the side as he turned to meet her. More punches, more blocks, more kicks, more blocks.
I picked up the phone and dialed Lydecker's direct line. A groggy "Hello?"
"Sir, come to my office -- you'll want to see this."
They were still in hand-to-hand combat. These two were really pissed off -- and taking it out on each other. Lydecker arrived a minute later and peered over my shoulder. X5-599 went for another flying kick move, X5-452 evaded with a back flip and handspring. The two landed about 6 feet apart, in defensive stances and glaring.
"Had enough yet, Zack?"
"You want more, little sister? Come and get it."
As if perfectly timed, they both flew at each other simultaneously. X5-599 got the upper hand for a moment, knocking X5-452 onto her back. She rolled away from his landing, bouncing up and back flipping to get behind him. She kicked his back before he could turn and he flew into a wall. Another display of running up walls, flips, hand-to-hand combat, and acrobatics followed.
Lydecker let out a low whistle, "They don't spar like that when I'm around."
"They're quite awesome to watch, sir," I said. I noticed a movement, and pointed to the screen. The other little girl, whom I'd all but forgotten about, quietly snuck out of the room. A moment later, she returned with X5-656 and X5-493.
"Max! Zack! Stop!" X5-656 yelled. The two sparring soldiers paused, though still locked in hand-to-hand combative stances. X5-656 and X5-493 ran over and pulled the two apart, the other girl helping X5-656.
"Stop it right now, you two."
"It's not either of your faults that he's gone." The two little
fighters just glared.
"Come on, please? You know what they'll do to us if they know you've been fighting." X5-599 took a breath at that.
"Look Max, they're right. It's not your fault, it's not my fault. We just have to do what they told us to, suck it up and move on. Like good soldiers do." X5-452 relaxed a little.
"I know. But we lost a brother today. Why can't we feel even slightly sad?" She asked.
"I don't know, Maxie. I'm sorry. But we just have to buck up, and go on, like they taught us."
"Right." X5-452 responded, now completely dropping the defensive stance, but it looked to me like there was still a slightly defiant look in her eye. X5-656 nodded to X5-493, and they released the other two.
"You okay, baby sister?"
"Yeah," with a slight, but sad smile, "Thanks, Tinga, Jondy." The five of them walked quietly out of the sparring room.
I let out a breath and looked up at Lydecker. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at me,
"They've named each other. How very interesting." With that, he left the room.