Warnings:
Another X5 was dead. He fell out of their line, seizing. I watched them drag him away and listened to the sharp "Eyes front!" yell of a TAC leader who disciplined X5-452 for watching her brother Jack being dragged away.
I wasn't the only one who wanted to know what happened to the little soldier. The two of us watched, un-noticed by the doctors and Lydecker; I via the cameras, she via her inborn Manticore-taught ability to be silent and observe undiscovered.
But I couldn't watch. To watch a human die is hard enough. To watch one being dissected -- especially one that was barely nine -- that was too much. I had to turn my monitor off.
The screen flashed off. I walked to my cot to try and sleep. Bad idea. I knew either I wouldn't be able to sleep, or I would have to face her in my dreams.
The dreams came, and so did she. The same image that had first appeared behind my eyes when I'd first heard the story of these parts. Now, more then ever, did her yellow eyes gleam brightly.
"Don't worry, he'll be much happier with me...Free." She purred quietly.
"What...?" I asked, thoroughly distorted and dazed by the dream world I was in.
"I told you once they couldn't cage them in," her voice drifted over my ears like the purr of a cat who was about to pounce on dinner,
"they'll break free soon." The world that was my dream spun at her words.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"So you won't stop them." She hissed. I shook my head.
"I'll have to stop..." she cut me off;
"You'll let them go or she'll be next." The cat eyes narrowed.
"What? Who?" The dream-scene changed -- I once again saw Jack being dragged away, trembling. A different scene; Max, in her cot -- looking at her hand. It was trembling.
Another X5 was dead. He fell out of their line, seizing. I watched them drag him away and listened to the sharp "Eyes front!" yell of a TAC leader who disciplined X5-452 for watching her brother Jack being dragged away.
I wasn't the only one who wanted to know what happened to the little soldier. The two of us watched, un-noticed by the doctors and Lydecker; I via the cameras, she via her inborn Manticore-taught ability to be silent and observe undiscovered.
But I couldn't watch. To watch a human die is hard enough. To watch one being dissected -- especially one that was barely nine -- that was too much. I had to turn my monitor off.
The screen flashed off. I walked to my cot to try and sleep. Bad idea. I knew either I wouldn't be able to sleep, or I would have to face her in my dreams.
The dreams came, and so did she. The same image that had first appeared behind my eyes when I'd first heard the story of these parts. Now, more then ever, did her yellow eyes gleam brightly.
"Don't worry, he'll be much happier with me...Free." She purred quietly.
"What...?" I asked, thoroughly distorted and dazed by the dream world I was in.
"I told you once they couldn't cage them in," her voice drifted over my ears like the purr of a cat who was about to pounce on dinner,
"they'll break free soon." The world that was my dream spun at her words.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.
"So you won't stop them." She hissed. I shook my head.
"I'll have to stop..." she cut me off;
"You'll let them go or she'll be next." The cat eyes narrowed.
"What? Who?" The dream-scene changed -- I once again saw Jack being dragged away, trembling. A different scene; Max, in her cot -- looking at her hand. It was trembling.