---transcend---
chapter2: fight them
Zane was in a somber mood. Within a span of twenty four hours he had just discovered that Brin was reprogrammed, Tinga was dead and Max and Zack were captured. And all this was at the hands of Manticore. Would they never be free?
Syl and Krit wouldn't tell him outright, but he knew there was a very real possibility that Max and Zack were dead as well. It was a sickening thought. Until only a few days ago he had never made contact with any of his siblings beside brief chats with Zack. And now he found out that among those who never escaped in the first place, he had lost another four as well.
"So what is your life like?" Syl spoke, obviously uncomfortable by the silence between them. For the past hour, after they had told Zane everything they knew, it was unnervingly quiet. The sounds of Logan's keyboard had clung to the thickening hush like a t-shirt on a humid summer day.
Zane forced a smile, "I'm missing my home. Ever since Eyes Only gave us the heads up on us being compromised and all, I've been in roaming mode. Zack would have been proud. All I have now is my dog. Me and my dog, how cliché is that?" They all turned to look at the German Shepard who was lying in the corner viciously chewing a huge bone. "Happy he gave the warning though, as I was leaving the city there was a huge caravan of troops. I don't think I could have taken them on my own."
Krit nodded toward Logan who was on the lower level of the warehouse where all the computer equipment was wired up. "That's the guy you should be thanking."
"What? He knows Eyes Only?"
"He is Eyes Only," Syl corrected him.
"Ah... that would explain the equipment. But why is he all gung ho to help us? He's not Manticore alumni is he?"
"Naw, nothing like that." Syl waved away his question.
"Then what?"
"Let's just say that if Max wasn't caught up in all in this, he wouldn't give a rat's ass."
*****
'This equipment is useless!' Logan screamed within the confines of his mind. He picked up the keyboard and pulled back, ready to throw it across the room. Realizing it would do him no good he sighed and put it back in its place. The computer would be even more useless without a keyboard.
He was on the brink of madness at this point. It was such a hopeless cause. Every tactic he could think of to break into the main database had been shot down within seconds of success. So many glimmers of hope snuffed out over and over again.
The past few days had been hell. Logan had fully isolated himself from everything and everyone. He barely slept and ignored his stomach's protests for food, even when Syl brought the nourishment to him. After just abandoning Max like that he could not tear his eyes from the screen nor his fingers from the keyboard. If this computer was the only link he had to finding what happened to Max, then this computer was all that existed.
So stuck in this frame of mind, he barely noticed her presence until her gun was pressed against the base of his skull.
*****
All he wanted to do was sleep. It was mid-afternoon when he lay in his boxers staring up at the ceiling from his bed, his body still damp from his shower. The sun was in his eye, but it did not matter since he was trained well in the methods to naturally and quickly induce sleep. He could slip into a slumber in the middle of a battlefield yet now… every time he closed his eyes all he could see was her hauntingly beautiful face. Quietly he voiced the name she had identified herself as, "Max."
Hours passed, and the sun had set and still he could not bring himself to sleep. Frustrated beyond words he got up and threw on some jeans and a simple white t-shirt, slipped on some shoes and headed out the door.
With a brisk pace he walked to the building where all prisoners were held. He quietly slipped into the building and down the hall to the security room where the prisoners were monitored. Pressing his ear against the door he could hear the slow steady breathing of the guard on duty. The fool was thankfully asleep. With a practiced ease he used his lock pick and quietly stalked into the room. After studying a few monitors his eyes came to rest on her. She sat hugging her knees in the back corner on the bed, as far from the moonlight as possible, as though it might burn her. Her hair hung in her face hiding her perfect features, but there was no mistaking that it was her.
Quickly, reading the bottom of the screen, he got all the information he needed and crept to the keyboard in front of the napping security guard. A few commands was all that was needed to loop the camera in her cell and the hallway that led to it. As he left the sound of the door closing behind him startled the guard awake.
*****
"Hands in the air." Her voice was reminiscent of a growl any animal used to warn trespassers. With an exaggerated slowness Logan lifted his hands from the keyboard. He did not say a thing.
"Now, tell me who you are and why you are here."
Krit leaned over the banister a floor above, hearing the commotion. "Avery? Is that you?"
"Krit?" She did not take her eyes off Logan, but recognized her brother's voice from their discussion on the phone. "Who is this guy?"
"He's a friend."
Logan still held his tongue as he could feel Krit's assurances might not be enough to persuade their sibling.
Her voice supported his theory. "Why is he a friend?"
Syl and Zane joined Krit, leaning over the railing to view the spectacle their sister was making. "Avy, put the gun down. That's Eyes Only," Syl yelled down to her sister.
She pushed the gun harder into the back of Logan's head before reluctantly putting it back in its holster under her jacket.
"Alright, alright, I put my toy away. Now someone explain why he is a friend."
"Always the cynic, hey big sis?" Zane added his two cents.
"Zane?" she asked, yet still did not take her eyes off her potential target.
"In the flesh." He knew she was more protective of him, and utilized that relationship to calm her down. "Now leave Logan alone with his computer and get up here. We have big things to plan."
*****
"I'm here to visit the prisoner 16 in cell block H," he said matter of factly to the three guards at the front desk.
They all recognized who he was, and it amused him how he could hear their hearts beat faster and he could see them literally quiver in their boots. All the regular human soldiers got nervous around the X series without fail. They understood clearly that these children and teenagers were bred to be killers from even before they were implanted into the mothers.
The third who had been sitting at the desk stood and tried to look as calm and serious as possible, but could not help but gulp. "I'm sorry sir, there were express orders that there were to be no visitors to that particular cell."
"Strange," XI5-603 looked down at the guards name tag and exaggerated the name as though he were speaking to a child, "Sullivan, because I was given express orders to interrogate that particular prisoner."
"Uh, I think our orders…"
"You think?" he stepped forward, using his piercing gaze to bore into the man's skull. The fear was evident in the Sullivan's eyes. "I don't like when I cannot complete my objective because a bumbling fool could not understand a simple request. Now take me to cell H-16."
Sullivan stumbled with his response, "Y-Yes sir."
XI5-603 knew the way and lead by a few paces. Stopping at the solid steel door that was clearly labeled H-16. As he waited for the guard to catch up, he leaned in to peer through the small window. It was just as he saw on the monitor, she had not moved an inch.
When he blocked the light that was streaming through the little window, her eyes moved almost imperceptibly to study the shadow he created. Her head moved ever so slightly as she looked up out of the corner of her eye to see who had come to call. The light from the hall was too bright for her night vision to kick in and her head dropped back down again as she could not recognize the backlit silhouette.
What was he doing here? She was nothing. A simple prisoner who was going mad due to the breakdown process. She thought she recognized him, but that was impossible. She even called him a strange name. So then why was he so drawn to her? Without making a sound he mouthed her name. "Max."
"Did you say something sir?"
"Let me in," his voice was low and lethal.
Sullivan fumbled with the keycards before finding the right one. "Uh…sir?" He motioned with the card since XI5-603 stood in the way.
He did not say anything, but took a step back to allow the guard access to the electric lock. Fumbling with it again, Sullivan accidently inserted the card the wrong way. He swore quietly at his stupidity. Down back where they had come from the other guards' snickers echoed loudly. It was obvious Sullivan would not hear the end of this. Annoyed, XI5-603 turned his head to the remaining officers and their faces went pale.
XI5-603 placed his hand on the guard's shoulder and could feel the man's muscles tensed under his touch. "Breath man." Apparently his advice did not help, making the guard even more nervous but eventually the card swiped properly and opened the door. One step in to the small room he turned his head and spoke over his right shoulder to Sullivan. "Keep the door unlocked and leave us."
"What if she tries to escape?"
"I can handle it. Or do you forget who I am?"
"Yes sir, I mean no sir."
"I will call you back down when I am finished."
Sullivan nodded and closed the door. Just as he had ordered, there was no sound of a bolt locking in place.
"Who…" the frail voice came from her lips, "Who are you?" She had not looked up from her knees, as though her head was too heavy to move. Max had been expecting another debilitating shot, that weakened her to the state of a normal 19 year old girl if not less. Ever since her recovery they had been consistently pumping her full of that inhibitory drug.
"Who do you think I am?" he asked in return.
She perked up at the sound of his voice, slowly lifting her head, she squinted her eyes to study his face. "Zack? I knew it. I knew you were alive." She stood now, her hospital gown barely reaching her knees, and on wobbly legs walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning heavily into him. It seemed she did not trust her own strength. Burying her head in his chest she tried to hold back the tears that came unwarranted. "They were feeding me lies Zack. They told me you were dead. That you had killed yourself for me. I didn't want to believe but they showed me this clip..." Her body shook with sobs.
XI5-603 did not know what to do. After hesitating he lay timid hands on her back, her flesh sucking the heat from his hands like ice. It was then he realized her whole body was cold and clammy under his arms, and without being aware of it he began to rub her back, creating friction and warmth.
He loved how she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't like he was new to physical contact, many of his missions involved seducing women of power, or with connections to high places. Objectives requiring him to hold them tenderly and feign love and support. But this was different. XI5-603 did not want to let go.
But he knew he had to, he could not carry on this rouse, leading her on and making her think he was this Zack person. Deep down inside, he knew that wasn't right. Quietly, almost a whisper he spoke, "I'm not Zack."
She pulled her head back, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not who you say I am."
"If you think Manticore has changed you it hasn't. You're still Zack."
"No." He watched as her eyebrow crinkled in confusion and her eyes searched his own for a clue as to what he was talking about.
She reached up with her hand to stroke his face, "You're still Zack."
The Zack look alike took her arms in his hands and held her back. Without another word he turned around so that, for the first time, she could read his barcode.
330417291603
Behind him, he could hear her sharp intake of breath and the shuffle of her feet as she scrambled away. "No…no…no…" she moaned. When he turned she hid even further in the corner than before, hugging her knees tightly, staring at where the wall met the floor.
She rocked back and forth muttering in a low tone, "But your face…They must have pumped me full of hallucinogens. You…you aren't real. You're just something my mind created…you're just in my mind."
Little by little her rocking slowed and her eyes crept up to meet his. After seeing that he was still there her gaze dropped down and she started to hit her temple with the heel of her hand, her rocking motion increased. Softly she whispered to the wall. "It's just in your head… Get it together Maxie… It's just in your head. Fight them Maxie… I would rather die than going back there…. I will not go back there… Fight them Maxie… You won't be able to do to me what you did to Brin… It's just in your head."
Her voice was weak and it was apparent she was losing faith in her words. He could not stand to see her like this. Carefully, he approached her and placed his hands on her arms. "I'm real. I'm not imagi—"
"Get out of my head!" She screamed in his face hoping he would disappear in a puff of insubstantial smoke. Seeing he still remained she looked away again, tears blurring her vision, and began her mutterings again.
"Please. I don't know how or why ... but I'm here to help you." He brushed some hair out of her face and caught one of her tears with his thumb and wiped it away. "Please don't cry…" What was he doing? He was a soldier, she was a worthless prisoner, this was all phony sentimentality. He should have been stronger than this. He shouldn't have even cared. A warrior of his caliber shouldn't have given a damn. But he did.
*****
"And you sure it was him?" Her skepticism came through the phone loud and clear.
Sullivan was just about as nervous talking to the director over the phone as he was talking to an X in person. Almost. "Yes ma'am. I'm positive it was XI5-603. He's in there with the prisoner as we speak. He said he was given orders to see her."
"Really…" He could hear her type something. "The tape isn't showing anything."
"That's impossible I just walked down there with him myself. He has to be in the room with her, or else we would have seen him again."
A few more key strokes. "He looped the tape…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Thank you for the update, but this is no longer your concern."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good job."
"Thank you ma'am." He hadn't even finished his sentence when he heard the click of the phone on the other side. A smile spread to his face as he hung his own phone back on the hook. He was a good little guard.
chapter2: fight them
Zane was in a somber mood. Within a span of twenty four hours he had just discovered that Brin was reprogrammed, Tinga was dead and Max and Zack were captured. And all this was at the hands of Manticore. Would they never be free?
Syl and Krit wouldn't tell him outright, but he knew there was a very real possibility that Max and Zack were dead as well. It was a sickening thought. Until only a few days ago he had never made contact with any of his siblings beside brief chats with Zack. And now he found out that among those who never escaped in the first place, he had lost another four as well.
"So what is your life like?" Syl spoke, obviously uncomfortable by the silence between them. For the past hour, after they had told Zane everything they knew, it was unnervingly quiet. The sounds of Logan's keyboard had clung to the thickening hush like a t-shirt on a humid summer day.
Zane forced a smile, "I'm missing my home. Ever since Eyes Only gave us the heads up on us being compromised and all, I've been in roaming mode. Zack would have been proud. All I have now is my dog. Me and my dog, how cliché is that?" They all turned to look at the German Shepard who was lying in the corner viciously chewing a huge bone. "Happy he gave the warning though, as I was leaving the city there was a huge caravan of troops. I don't think I could have taken them on my own."
Krit nodded toward Logan who was on the lower level of the warehouse where all the computer equipment was wired up. "That's the guy you should be thanking."
"What? He knows Eyes Only?"
"He is Eyes Only," Syl corrected him.
"Ah... that would explain the equipment. But why is he all gung ho to help us? He's not Manticore alumni is he?"
"Naw, nothing like that." Syl waved away his question.
"Then what?"
"Let's just say that if Max wasn't caught up in all in this, he wouldn't give a rat's ass."
*****
'This equipment is useless!' Logan screamed within the confines of his mind. He picked up the keyboard and pulled back, ready to throw it across the room. Realizing it would do him no good he sighed and put it back in its place. The computer would be even more useless without a keyboard.
He was on the brink of madness at this point. It was such a hopeless cause. Every tactic he could think of to break into the main database had been shot down within seconds of success. So many glimmers of hope snuffed out over and over again.
The past few days had been hell. Logan had fully isolated himself from everything and everyone. He barely slept and ignored his stomach's protests for food, even when Syl brought the nourishment to him. After just abandoning Max like that he could not tear his eyes from the screen nor his fingers from the keyboard. If this computer was the only link he had to finding what happened to Max, then this computer was all that existed.
So stuck in this frame of mind, he barely noticed her presence until her gun was pressed against the base of his skull.
*****
All he wanted to do was sleep. It was mid-afternoon when he lay in his boxers staring up at the ceiling from his bed, his body still damp from his shower. The sun was in his eye, but it did not matter since he was trained well in the methods to naturally and quickly induce sleep. He could slip into a slumber in the middle of a battlefield yet now… every time he closed his eyes all he could see was her hauntingly beautiful face. Quietly he voiced the name she had identified herself as, "Max."
Hours passed, and the sun had set and still he could not bring himself to sleep. Frustrated beyond words he got up and threw on some jeans and a simple white t-shirt, slipped on some shoes and headed out the door.
With a brisk pace he walked to the building where all prisoners were held. He quietly slipped into the building and down the hall to the security room where the prisoners were monitored. Pressing his ear against the door he could hear the slow steady breathing of the guard on duty. The fool was thankfully asleep. With a practiced ease he used his lock pick and quietly stalked into the room. After studying a few monitors his eyes came to rest on her. She sat hugging her knees in the back corner on the bed, as far from the moonlight as possible, as though it might burn her. Her hair hung in her face hiding her perfect features, but there was no mistaking that it was her.
Quickly, reading the bottom of the screen, he got all the information he needed and crept to the keyboard in front of the napping security guard. A few commands was all that was needed to loop the camera in her cell and the hallway that led to it. As he left the sound of the door closing behind him startled the guard awake.
*****
"Hands in the air." Her voice was reminiscent of a growl any animal used to warn trespassers. With an exaggerated slowness Logan lifted his hands from the keyboard. He did not say a thing.
"Now, tell me who you are and why you are here."
Krit leaned over the banister a floor above, hearing the commotion. "Avery? Is that you?"
"Krit?" She did not take her eyes off Logan, but recognized her brother's voice from their discussion on the phone. "Who is this guy?"
"He's a friend."
Logan still held his tongue as he could feel Krit's assurances might not be enough to persuade their sibling.
Her voice supported his theory. "Why is he a friend?"
Syl and Zane joined Krit, leaning over the railing to view the spectacle their sister was making. "Avy, put the gun down. That's Eyes Only," Syl yelled down to her sister.
She pushed the gun harder into the back of Logan's head before reluctantly putting it back in its holster under her jacket.
"Alright, alright, I put my toy away. Now someone explain why he is a friend."
"Always the cynic, hey big sis?" Zane added his two cents.
"Zane?" she asked, yet still did not take her eyes off her potential target.
"In the flesh." He knew she was more protective of him, and utilized that relationship to calm her down. "Now leave Logan alone with his computer and get up here. We have big things to plan."
*****
"I'm here to visit the prisoner 16 in cell block H," he said matter of factly to the three guards at the front desk.
They all recognized who he was, and it amused him how he could hear their hearts beat faster and he could see them literally quiver in their boots. All the regular human soldiers got nervous around the X series without fail. They understood clearly that these children and teenagers were bred to be killers from even before they were implanted into the mothers.
The third who had been sitting at the desk stood and tried to look as calm and serious as possible, but could not help but gulp. "I'm sorry sir, there were express orders that there were to be no visitors to that particular cell."
"Strange," XI5-603 looked down at the guards name tag and exaggerated the name as though he were speaking to a child, "Sullivan, because I was given express orders to interrogate that particular prisoner."
"Uh, I think our orders…"
"You think?" he stepped forward, using his piercing gaze to bore into the man's skull. The fear was evident in the Sullivan's eyes. "I don't like when I cannot complete my objective because a bumbling fool could not understand a simple request. Now take me to cell H-16."
Sullivan stumbled with his response, "Y-Yes sir."
XI5-603 knew the way and lead by a few paces. Stopping at the solid steel door that was clearly labeled H-16. As he waited for the guard to catch up, he leaned in to peer through the small window. It was just as he saw on the monitor, she had not moved an inch.
When he blocked the light that was streaming through the little window, her eyes moved almost imperceptibly to study the shadow he created. Her head moved ever so slightly as she looked up out of the corner of her eye to see who had come to call. The light from the hall was too bright for her night vision to kick in and her head dropped back down again as she could not recognize the backlit silhouette.
What was he doing here? She was nothing. A simple prisoner who was going mad due to the breakdown process. She thought she recognized him, but that was impossible. She even called him a strange name. So then why was he so drawn to her? Without making a sound he mouthed her name. "Max."
"Did you say something sir?"
"Let me in," his voice was low and lethal.
Sullivan fumbled with the keycards before finding the right one. "Uh…sir?" He motioned with the card since XI5-603 stood in the way.
He did not say anything, but took a step back to allow the guard access to the electric lock. Fumbling with it again, Sullivan accidently inserted the card the wrong way. He swore quietly at his stupidity. Down back where they had come from the other guards' snickers echoed loudly. It was obvious Sullivan would not hear the end of this. Annoyed, XI5-603 turned his head to the remaining officers and their faces went pale.
XI5-603 placed his hand on the guard's shoulder and could feel the man's muscles tensed under his touch. "Breath man." Apparently his advice did not help, making the guard even more nervous but eventually the card swiped properly and opened the door. One step in to the small room he turned his head and spoke over his right shoulder to Sullivan. "Keep the door unlocked and leave us."
"What if she tries to escape?"
"I can handle it. Or do you forget who I am?"
"Yes sir, I mean no sir."
"I will call you back down when I am finished."
Sullivan nodded and closed the door. Just as he had ordered, there was no sound of a bolt locking in place.
"Who…" the frail voice came from her lips, "Who are you?" She had not looked up from her knees, as though her head was too heavy to move. Max had been expecting another debilitating shot, that weakened her to the state of a normal 19 year old girl if not less. Ever since her recovery they had been consistently pumping her full of that inhibitory drug.
"Who do you think I am?" he asked in return.
She perked up at the sound of his voice, slowly lifting her head, she squinted her eyes to study his face. "Zack? I knew it. I knew you were alive." She stood now, her hospital gown barely reaching her knees, and on wobbly legs walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning heavily into him. It seemed she did not trust her own strength. Burying her head in his chest she tried to hold back the tears that came unwarranted. "They were feeding me lies Zack. They told me you were dead. That you had killed yourself for me. I didn't want to believe but they showed me this clip..." Her body shook with sobs.
XI5-603 did not know what to do. After hesitating he lay timid hands on her back, her flesh sucking the heat from his hands like ice. It was then he realized her whole body was cold and clammy under his arms, and without being aware of it he began to rub her back, creating friction and warmth.
He loved how she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't like he was new to physical contact, many of his missions involved seducing women of power, or with connections to high places. Objectives requiring him to hold them tenderly and feign love and support. But this was different. XI5-603 did not want to let go.
But he knew he had to, he could not carry on this rouse, leading her on and making her think he was this Zack person. Deep down inside, he knew that wasn't right. Quietly, almost a whisper he spoke, "I'm not Zack."
She pulled her head back, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not who you say I am."
"If you think Manticore has changed you it hasn't. You're still Zack."
"No." He watched as her eyebrow crinkled in confusion and her eyes searched his own for a clue as to what he was talking about.
She reached up with her hand to stroke his face, "You're still Zack."
The Zack look alike took her arms in his hands and held her back. Without another word he turned around so that, for the first time, she could read his barcode.
330417291603
Behind him, he could hear her sharp intake of breath and the shuffle of her feet as she scrambled away. "No…no…no…" she moaned. When he turned she hid even further in the corner than before, hugging her knees tightly, staring at where the wall met the floor.
She rocked back and forth muttering in a low tone, "But your face…They must have pumped me full of hallucinogens. You…you aren't real. You're just something my mind created…you're just in my mind."
Little by little her rocking slowed and her eyes crept up to meet his. After seeing that he was still there her gaze dropped down and she started to hit her temple with the heel of her hand, her rocking motion increased. Softly she whispered to the wall. "It's just in your head… Get it together Maxie… It's just in your head. Fight them Maxie… I would rather die than going back there…. I will not go back there… Fight them Maxie… You won't be able to do to me what you did to Brin… It's just in your head."
Her voice was weak and it was apparent she was losing faith in her words. He could not stand to see her like this. Carefully, he approached her and placed his hands on her arms. "I'm real. I'm not imagi—"
"Get out of my head!" She screamed in his face hoping he would disappear in a puff of insubstantial smoke. Seeing he still remained she looked away again, tears blurring her vision, and began her mutterings again.
"Please. I don't know how or why ... but I'm here to help you." He brushed some hair out of her face and caught one of her tears with his thumb and wiped it away. "Please don't cry…" What was he doing? He was a soldier, she was a worthless prisoner, this was all phony sentimentality. He should have been stronger than this. He shouldn't have even cared. A warrior of his caliber shouldn't have given a damn. But he did.
*****
"And you sure it was him?" Her skepticism came through the phone loud and clear.
Sullivan was just about as nervous talking to the director over the phone as he was talking to an X in person. Almost. "Yes ma'am. I'm positive it was XI5-603. He's in there with the prisoner as we speak. He said he was given orders to see her."
"Really…" He could hear her type something. "The tape isn't showing anything."
"That's impossible I just walked down there with him myself. He has to be in the room with her, or else we would have seen him again."
A few more key strokes. "He looped the tape…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Thank you for the update, but this is no longer your concern."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good job."
"Thank you ma'am." He hadn't even finished his sentence when he heard the click of the phone on the other side. A smile spread to his face as he hung his own phone back on the hook. He was a good little guard.