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Max slammed her way into the barracks. Maneuvers had gone badly...again. Today had been different, or so she had thought. After count, Max had picked up a rifle and awaited orders. Same as the previous few days, she was sent to south field, to practice her marksmanship. Taking up position, she sighted down the barrel (no need for a scope, not with her enhanced vision) and carefully squeezed off the first shot. 100 yards away, the head of the target dummy exploded. Max smiled slightly, that had been too easy. Sighting again, she chose a target further down the field. A squeeze of the trigger, a replay of the first shot. Over the next half-hour Max destroyed 15 of the dummies, all but one direct head shots. She had missed the last one after Madam had shown up at the field. Striding up to her, Renfro had barked, "On your feet, X-5452! What was that? I expect better than that from you!"
Max snapped to attention. Saluting, she answered, "Madam! It won't happen again! I broke concentration!"
Renfro sneered at her. Circling as she spoke, she looked Max up and down. "Make sure it doesn't X-5452...just make sure it doesn't. At one time I believed you to be our most promising long-range soldier. Now I'm beginning to doubt that assessment. I don't like to doubt myself, soldier! And those who caused me to do so, I like even less. Now get your head in the game! You're going live this afternoon and I want to see a quick kill. The target shouldn't even know you're coming, got it?"
"Yes, Madam!" Max answered, still holding the salute.
"Carry on, X-5452...just remember, I'll be watching you." Turning on her heel, Renfro stalked back to her Hummer.
Max slumped slightly. There was something about that woman that just didn't sit right with her...she made her uneasy. Turning back to target practice, she could feel Madam's eyes on her.
"Shake it off, soldier!" Max muttered, "she's your CO, there's no reason for the way you feel. Stop being so irrational!" But she couldn't let it go that easily, especially with Madam just 20 yards away, staring at her. That woman made her skin crawl. Max tried to clear her mind and concentrate on the task at hand. But what came to her instead was a memory of her other CO's. In her mind's eye, she saw a man...a strong, wide face, with close cropped hair, mid-forties maybe. She heard him speak, saying, "My enemie's enemy is my friend...remember that...". Then he was replaced by younger man, about Max's age. Blond hair fell across one eye. He was dressed in black, holding a pistol to his head. "Fight them, Maxie...fight them!", he said before he pulled the trigger. Suddenly the sound of her heartbeat echoed in Max's ears, too loud, too strong...she felt ill. "What's happening to me?" she thought, "Is this a hallucination? Or am I still in bed, dreaming? This can't be real...Madam has always been my CO, no one else. Who are these people I keep seeing? The field stretched out before her, broken dummies littering the ground. Max's vision began to tunnel, the trees pressing in until there was just a narrow corridor in front of her. Everything went gray for a moment.
When the fog lifted, Max found herself in the halls of Manticore. Coming toward her was a group of children. They were dressed in hospital gowns, hair cropped close to their scalps. Moving with a furtive grace, the group drew closer, staring at Max with large, haunted eyes. Max felt her heart melt, while her mind argued that these were soldiers, not helpless children...but killing machines. A small girl stood in front of the rest, she cocked her head and smiled at Max.
Reaching out, Max asked, "what's your name, sweetheart?"
The little girl shook her head and placed her left hand on Max's wrist. Still smiling, she raised her right arm and pointed the pistol she was holding at Max's heart.
Max started, unbelieving, and with a nightmare-like slowness, she raised her rifle. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't, so she watched as she blew the little girl's chest apart. Flying back into the mob of children, she crumpled into a loose ball on the floor. Max staggered and felt to her knees next to the wounded child.
"I'm sorry! Oh God, I'm so sorry..."
The little girl reached up and placed her forefinger against Max's lips, hushing her. Weakly, she said, "It's okay...you don't know what you're doing. You just have to fight harder than this, Maxie."
Dissolving into tears, Max tried to stop the bleeding, but the wound was too grave. Her vision growing dark, she began to scream, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it... I couldn't help it!"
A flash of light and she was back on the practice field, rocking one of the dummies in her lap. Madame stood over her, watching with cool detachment. Brin knelt next to Max, asking, "What the hell was that about? You went crazy out here, talking to imaginary people, firing your rifle into the ground! Then you grabbed one of these dummies and started crying! What's going on?"
Max pushed the dummy off her lap. Trapped, she scrambled for an answer. The dreams were one thing, but there is no way she was telling anyone about what just happened.
"I...I don't know...I started feeling dizzy and then I blacked out...almost like a seizure or something."
Madame crossed her arms, shooting Max a disgusted look. It was obvious she didn't believe her.
"Take X-5452 to the infirmary for some tests," Madame snapped, "wait for the results and report back to me with your findings."
"Yes, Madame!" Brin saluted. Dragging Max to her feet, she hurried her across the field, toward Manticore.
Renfro toed Max's rifle, "Something is going on here." she said, "I don't know what...but I mean to find out...one way or another."
So Max had gone to the infirmary. She had subjected herself to the pokes and prods, the blood tests and CAT scans. According to the doctors, she was normal...well, normal for a genetically enhanced soldier. Settling onto her cot, she curled into a ball and wished herself away. Everything was coming to a head, and she was afraid. She knew that Renfro would have her put down if things didn't stabilize. Or worse yet, she might put her in the basement, with the 'nomalies. Either option was something Max would just rather not think about.
The barracks door opened and Brin stepped inside.
"Max...come with me." She said, "Madame wants to speak with you."
With a groan, Max rose from her cot and started slowly toward the door. Brin looked back over her shoulder, then back at Max. "Hurry up! She's waiting...and after today you really don't want to keep her waiting for too long!"
"OK OK! Keep your pants on!" Breaking into a trot, they went out the door and through the halls.
Passing Madame's office, Max shot a look at Brin. Where were they going? Brin, interpreting Max's look, said, "She's waiting for us in the conference room."
Max didn't believe her, but what choice did she have but to continue toward their destination.
Several minutes later, they rounded the corner and there stood Madame with her usual two guards. Max's radar was up to full alert, something was going to happen here.
Warily, she saluted. "Madame! You requested to see me?"
"Yes X-5452, that I did. There's some things we need to discuss." Motioning to the guard on her right, "Get the door, Jones."
Jones scurried over to the door and swung it open, standing at attention. The room beyond was dark.
"Ladies, after you..." Renfro said.
Max hesitated.
"No offense, soldier, but I'd rather not turn my back on you...self-preservation, you know."
Max shrugged and looked at Brin, who calmly walked through the door. Sighing, Max stepped across the threshold, into the dark. She moved into the center of the room, next to Brin. Max looked around. The room was empty, shaped like a dome, and there was a trench running around the base of the walls, emitting a soft blue glow. While Max was taking this all in, the door slammed shut behind them.
Launching herself at the door, Max screamed, "You bitch! I knew this was a trap!"
Touching the metal of the door, an electric shock jolted through her body, knocking her back. Brin stood in the center of the room, confusion clouding her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen! It was Max they wanted, not her!
Renfro's voice came over a hidden loudspeaker, "Well, well...that when better than expected! Now that I have you contained, it's time to work on those attitudes of yours..."
A soft hissing noise filled the air. Max and Brin huddled together, each one convinced that this was the end. A creeping mist covered the floor, it had a vague medicinal smell. They held their breath for as long as they could, but ultimately, their bodies betrayed them. Breathing deeply of the tainted air, they collapsed into a tangled heap.
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