Chapter 7

Chapter 21

Zack whirled around to face the paling doctor. His was stance hostile and threatening. When he spoke it was in a voice both Max and Jondy knew well. "What's wrong with her?" he hissed.

Mary began to sweat. Any delusions she'd had about the rouge X5s not being capable of the acts of their captive Manticore siblings had, shattered when the two girls had attacked the convoy. Now X5-599 glared at her, his eyes burning with anger, horror and worry.

"The CCI has attached to itself to her brain steam. The fail-safe program has been activated. It's causing a critical imbalance in her brain chemistry," The doctor hurriedly explained to the worried X5s.

Zack barely heard her as he made his way over to the trembling Cat. She turned to face him. The hospital gown did not conceal the bruising and scars that had obviously occurred in the last day. Zack reach out and gently pulled her into his arms. He rocked her back and fourth as if she was a child. Behind them, Max and Jondy continued to grill the doctor.

Mary quietly approached the couple. She crouched down, placing a hand on Zack's hunched shoulder.

Jondy brushed a stay strand of hair from her eyes as she voiced something that had just occurred to her.

"Her reactions have the characteristics of the seizures we suffer from, will our medication be effective?" she asked.

Mary looked troubled "The seizures of the X series are a result of ... defects," Mary winced at the term. She looked at the subject... Cat. Yes her reaction bared unmistakable similarities to the seizures of the X5s, but Mary knew this could be the tip of the iceberg, the CCI was disrupting the normal brain function to critical degree. If they tried to stop the seizures with Tryptophan, it could react with the CCI and do more harm then good.

Zack looked up and meet the doctor's uncertain. They all knew that Cat's seizures were reaching a dangerous level of intensity that if they didn't do something quickly she would fall into a comma. Mary made a decision," Do you have your medication here?" she asked quietly.

Jondy quickly reached into the pocket of her black leather jacket and produced a small bottle, she quickly tossed it at the doctor. Mary caught the bottle in mid-air and quickly opened it, pouring the contents into her open palm. She then produced a small vile from her mud covered lab coat. Zack watched wearily as she poured green liquid onto the pills.

"What are you doing?" he asked the distrust evident in his voice.

"2975 will help counter the drugs in her system as well as speed up the process of the Tryptophan," She tensely replied.

Zack looked past the doctor to his sisters. Their faces mirrored his own. Max stepped forward and said quietly, "We have no other choice."

Zack nodded, turning to face the doctor he held out his hand. Mary handed him the pills, her eyes full of worry. Zack gently forced Caitlin's mouth open and forced her to swallow the pills.

Everybody watched as the seizures slowly began to dissipate.


Caitlin opened her eyes slowly, she could feel strong arms cradling her, she looked up to see Zack gazing down at her, "Zack" she whispered hoarsely, the effort strained her dry, torn throat.

Zack brushed back a strand of ebony hair that had fallen across her face, "You did it Cat," he whispered, leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead.

"I really hate to interrupt this truly touching scene, but we really should get moving." said Jondy gazing around the forest worriedly, there were any number of ambush points.

Zack instantly regained his composure, he turned to Max, "Call Logan tell him we've got Cat and we're bring her home," he ordered.

Max nodded, pulling out the cellphone Logan had given her.


Logan paced anxiously around his bedroom, he had his laptop set up displaying the various angles of escape and entry possible at the base. Suddenly the phone rang. Logan grabbed it off the dresser, "Max?" he asked breathlessly.

"It's me," she confirmed.

"We got her," Logan could hear the sounds of muffled voices in the background.

"Is she alright?" he asked fearfully/

"She's been through allot and she's pretty badly beaten, the son of a bitches at Manticore put some device in her head, but we managed to deactivated it before it could do any serious harm," she said gravely.

Logan sighed in relief, "What's next?" He asked.

"We bring her home," was the reply.



Manticore base

Lydecker stood before the committee. Eight men dressed in thousand dollar suits fixed their accusing gazes on him. Lydecker's throat was dry. Ying Woo was the first to speak and his small stature did not make him any less intimidating. "Please explain to the committee failure to recapture X5-599," he said in a low voice.

"X5-599, had the assistance of two of the others X5-452 and X5-526," Lydecker responded.

"Did you not anticipate the possibility of other X5s?" Questioned another committee member.

"Those three are the best of the X5s, their abilities are exceptional."

"Exceptional enough to overpower a military convoy with an X5 present?" Woo asked skeptically.

Lydecker was about to reply when John Masters cleared his throat. Masters was the undisputed head of committee. All turn an attentive head towards him, "Enough, Lydecker, your constant failure to recapture the X5s has led the committee to concluded you are unfit to maintain your position. The X5s are no longer your responsibility." Masters said coolly.

"Who is replacing me?" asked Lydecker swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth.

"The X5s are no longer Manticore's top priority, we will be sending the Quads after them but now project Crescent is Manticore's top priority," replied Woo.

"Dismissed."

Lydecker walked out of the room stiffly.