Ire took a deep breath and stood by the door. She and Max had run over the plan quickly and all Ire could do was hope that it worked. Renfro was not pleased with her at all, but, of course, Renfro passed it off as rage and confusion. Ire knew that she only did that to spare another outburst.
"Go on then." The guard said as he opened the door.
Ire stepped out and looked at the guards. They were new. Ire figured that the other guards got scared off. Ire laughed as she walked down the hall toward Renfro's office. She had gone through more guards than she could count.
Ire didn't know what Renfro wanted with her. She hoped it wasn't something bad, because then she'd have to kill someone. Ire knew that Renfro would never make her mad, so Ire decided that Renfro was probably just going to feed her some lines about knowing it wasn't really her fault.
Ire stopped in front of Renfro's office and knocked on the door. Another XS, that Ire knew as Theo, opened the door and just stared at Ire.
"XS-916," Ire heard Renfro say. "Who is it?"
"It is XS-618, ma'am." Theo answered, not looking away from Ire.
"Let her in." Renfro said.
Theo stepped aside and Ire walked into the room. Renfro had her arm in a sling and she looked weak and damaged, but she was still looking her emotionless self.
"You can go now XS-916." Renfro said. Theo looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it and left. "Are you wondering why I called you in here?"
"As a matter of fact, I was." Ire said.
"I know you've been cooped up in your room for quite a while and I thought you would like an assignment." Renfro said. Ire tried to search for a double meaning to her words, but couldn't find one. "Would you like to know what that assignment is?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ire said through gritted teeth.
"You will be retraining X5-452." Renfro said. "She has almost finished her reprogramming and now she needs to be retrained so she may be ready for battle. We feel that you are the only one that can handle her. She is rather...feisty. You don't believe the lies she told you, do you?"
"No." Ire lied; she actually believed everything that Max had told her.
"Good, good." Renfro said, a smile creeping onto her face. "X5-452 is in a reprogramming session, but she should be done by the time you get there. Take her out to field course one and give her a thorough workout."
"Yes, ma'am." Ire said. She saluted then left to find Max. Ire thought about how Max looked the other night and decided that some training would do her good. Manticore security had increased greatly since the attack on the lab and Ire didn't want to risk running into it unprepared.
Ire was walking in front of the reprogramming room just as the door opened and Max toppled out. Ire was quick and caught her. Ire glanced inside the room and saw a guard and a scientist, both looking rather smug.
"What are you looking at? Take her to train." The scientist snapped.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ire asked angrily, helping Max up. "The Director won't be pleased to know that you're reprogramming X5-452 to the point where she can't even stand unassisted. What will she say when I tell her? I dare say it won't be good for you. This X5 is extremely important to Project Manticore."
Their smug faces faltered for a minute, then the scientist just waved Ire off.
"Just take her away." The scientist said, not even looking at Ire.
Ire glowered angrily at them, then walked off, helping Max.
"What happened?" Ire asked.
"Just a little reprogramming, that's all." Max answered hoarsely.
"Oh is that all?" Ire asked, pushing open a door to an empty office. "Tell me then, why are you so weak?"
"I'm not weak." Max said as Ire helped her into a chair.
"Not weak? Like hell you're not. What's going on with you?" Ire asked and sat in front of Max.
"They're breaking me." Max said, looking at Ire with the saddest eyes Ire had ever seen. "I can feel it."
"No!" Ire exclaimed and stood up. "They can't be breaking you. Don't you remember? Getting out is what matters. You've escaped before and you're going to do it again. Do you hear me?"
"I hear you." Max said. "But I can't do it."
"When I first met you and you told me your little plan, you didn't seem like the kind of person to give up. Why are you giving up now?" Ire was trying to control the anger that was bubbling up inside of her.
"I don't know. It's just that with all this reprogramming..."
"Stop talking like that. Think of the Max that you were outside. What would that Max say?"
Max stood up immediately and got a hard expression on her face.
"Lets kick ass." Max said.
Ire just smiled and told Max about the slight change of plans.
"Go on then." The guard said as he opened the door.
Ire stepped out and looked at the guards. They were new. Ire figured that the other guards got scared off. Ire laughed as she walked down the hall toward Renfro's office. She had gone through more guards than she could count.
Ire didn't know what Renfro wanted with her. She hoped it wasn't something bad, because then she'd have to kill someone. Ire knew that Renfro would never make her mad, so Ire decided that Renfro was probably just going to feed her some lines about knowing it wasn't really her fault.
Ire stopped in front of Renfro's office and knocked on the door. Another XS, that Ire knew as Theo, opened the door and just stared at Ire.
"XS-916," Ire heard Renfro say. "Who is it?"
"It is XS-618, ma'am." Theo answered, not looking away from Ire.
"Let her in." Renfro said.
Theo stepped aside and Ire walked into the room. Renfro had her arm in a sling and she looked weak and damaged, but she was still looking her emotionless self.
"You can go now XS-916." Renfro said. Theo looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it and left. "Are you wondering why I called you in here?"
"As a matter of fact, I was." Ire said.
"I know you've been cooped up in your room for quite a while and I thought you would like an assignment." Renfro said. Ire tried to search for a double meaning to her words, but couldn't find one. "Would you like to know what that assignment is?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ire said through gritted teeth.
"You will be retraining X5-452." Renfro said. "She has almost finished her reprogramming and now she needs to be retrained so she may be ready for battle. We feel that you are the only one that can handle her. She is rather...feisty. You don't believe the lies she told you, do you?"
"No." Ire lied; she actually believed everything that Max had told her.
"Good, good." Renfro said, a smile creeping onto her face. "X5-452 is in a reprogramming session, but she should be done by the time you get there. Take her out to field course one and give her a thorough workout."
"Yes, ma'am." Ire said. She saluted then left to find Max. Ire thought about how Max looked the other night and decided that some training would do her good. Manticore security had increased greatly since the attack on the lab and Ire didn't want to risk running into it unprepared.
Ire was walking in front of the reprogramming room just as the door opened and Max toppled out. Ire was quick and caught her. Ire glanced inside the room and saw a guard and a scientist, both looking rather smug.
"What are you looking at? Take her to train." The scientist snapped.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ire asked angrily, helping Max up. "The Director won't be pleased to know that you're reprogramming X5-452 to the point where she can't even stand unassisted. What will she say when I tell her? I dare say it won't be good for you. This X5 is extremely important to Project Manticore."
Their smug faces faltered for a minute, then the scientist just waved Ire off.
"Just take her away." The scientist said, not even looking at Ire.
Ire glowered angrily at them, then walked off, helping Max.
"What happened?" Ire asked.
"Just a little reprogramming, that's all." Max answered hoarsely.
"Oh is that all?" Ire asked, pushing open a door to an empty office. "Tell me then, why are you so weak?"
"I'm not weak." Max said as Ire helped her into a chair.
"Not weak? Like hell you're not. What's going on with you?" Ire asked and sat in front of Max.
"They're breaking me." Max said, looking at Ire with the saddest eyes Ire had ever seen. "I can feel it."
"No!" Ire exclaimed and stood up. "They can't be breaking you. Don't you remember? Getting out is what matters. You've escaped before and you're going to do it again. Do you hear me?"
"I hear you." Max said. "But I can't do it."
"When I first met you and you told me your little plan, you didn't seem like the kind of person to give up. Why are you giving up now?" Ire was trying to control the anger that was bubbling up inside of her.
"I don't know. It's just that with all this reprogramming..."
"Stop talking like that. Think of the Max that you were outside. What would that Max say?"
Max stood up immediately and got a hard expression on her face.
"Lets kick ass." Max said.
Ire just smiled and told Max about the slight change of plans.