Author's Note: I just wanted to say that I'm sincerely sorry that it's been ages since my last chapter update. These last six months has been, by far, the most trying of my entire adult life, but things are starting to look up...and I think I'm about ready to continue with my writing. The updates won't be as constant as when I first started...but I promise...no more six month sabbaticals!
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Waking slowly, Max heard a high-pitched metallic whine somewhere off to her left. Not sure as to what she would be faced with, Max peeked from beneath her lowered lashes. Across the room, Brin lay strapped to a table, surrounded by doctors. Multiple tubes snaked from her body and her head was captured in a cruel looking harness. Poised over her inert form was a large machine that seemed to be emitting some sort of particle beam. Max could see Brin quietly convulsing as the machine covered her in a veil of blue light. Madame stood nearby, watching with her characteristic detached look. One of the doctors stepped away from the table and approched Renfro, a worried look on his face.
"Madame...may I speak?" he asked.
Renfro sighed, "If you must, Dr. Benoit."
"This X-5 can't take much more. If we don't cut down on the dose we may kill her."
"It's no concern of mine whether she lives or dies, Doctor. All I want is for the limits to be tested on this machine."
"But.."
"Listen to me carefully, Peter." Madame snapped, "I want to know exactly how much that X-5 can stand...and then I want you to turn it down a notch before you use it on 452. I want her completely wiped...but functional. Any of the others are disposible...but not 452. Am I making myself clear?"
Speechless, the doctor nodded his head as he turned back to the machine. He had never wanted the government contract in the first place, and look at him now. Standing by as a life was being destroyed. Ashamed, he turned his face away as he adjusted the setting on the machine...refusing to watch as the pretty young girl on the table shook more violently.
Max maintained the illusion of unconciousness as her mind raced. She had to get out before it was her turn under the beam.
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Logan sat quietly, trying to judge Cam's reaction to everything he had just told her. On the way back to Seattle he had struggled with how much to reveal, especially to someone he had just met. Turning the story over and over in his mind, Logan finally decided to start at the beginning and just let the rest come as it may.
"Her name was Max...and I loved her," he began, and didn't stop talking for nearly an hour. Now Cam knew the whole truth, and he waited for her response.
"Wow...I don't know what to say. I'm sorry I pressured you to tell me. It's obviously still a painful subject." Lifting her head, she made eye contact with Logan. "You've had so many bad things happen to you, and yet you're still so..." her voice trailed away.
"So?" Logan asked.
"I don't know...helpful? Concerned with others? Look what you've done for me...taking me in like this. You didn't have to do that, you know...you don't owe me anything..I'm the one that owes you my life."
Logan waved off her explaination, "I just did what anyone would do..."
"No. You've done more than most. You're a good man, Logan...and you'll be OK once you come out on the other side of your loss." Leaning forward, Cam took Logan's hands in her own. Looking into his eyes, she repeated, "You're a good man..."
Flustered, Logan pulled his hands free and stood, mumbling something about putting her things in the guest room. Settling back into the couch, Cam watched him walk away and wondered if it would ever truly be alright for Logan..or if he would ever recover from the pain he was feeling.
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Dr. Peter Benoit felt his stomach turn over as the X-5 gave one last strangled cry before dying. She had lasted much longer than he thought possible, which made it worse for him. He was a doctor, commited to saving lives, not snuffing them out under a machine of his own design. He wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. Shutting down the machine, he was met with an icy stare from Renfro.
"What do you think you're doing, Doctor? We have to get 452 under there before the sedative wears off...we don't have time to let her get combative."
Benoit stood his ground, "The machine has to cycle down periodically or else it may overheat. I'm sure Madame doesn't have time for that either, am I right?"
"Fine! Just make sure we're ready to go within the next 20 minutes...and not a second longer." Snapping her fingers at one of the door guards, she barked, "You! Get over here and clear out this area! Get the remains down to the lab for analysis." Turning, she switched her tone..."And you, Doctor...since you seem to be enjoying your job so much....why don't you prep 452 for her turn? Call me as soon as we're ready to begin." Striding out of the room, she didn't even wait for an answer.
Benoit crossed the room and stood next to Max's table. Staring down, he realized how beautiful 452 was...and how unfair it was that she was considered Manticore property. She only looked about 20...the same age as Benoit's own daughter. Her dark hair seemed almost alive, fanned out over the white, sterile drape, and her eyelashes curved, long and black, against her cheeks. This was a girl, for God's sake! She should be out at a party...away at school...a young mother...anything but what she was, a government created, and owned, killer. Benoit had to remind himself of that. No matter how he may feel about this project, it didn't change the fact that the test subjects were dangerous. Reluctantly, he went about the task of positioning Max under the machine.
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Renfro sat in her office, fuming. How dare that arrogant little bastard speak to her like that in front of others. Hadn't she been more than helpful in his research? Now he wants to bite the hand that feeds? So be it...as soon as 452's wipe was complete, Renfro would deal with Dr. Benoit personally.
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Max had watched as Madame and Dr. Benoit had argued over Brin. She had watched as he turned away, and seen the look on his face as Brin died. He cared, he was compassionate, he was as close to a friend as she had in this place. If she was going to move, it had to be soon. As the doctor hovered over her, adjusting the straps and tubes, Max opened her eyes a bit. "Hey Doc..." she whispered, "a little help?". Benoit started, nearly losing his grip on the catheter needle he was holding. Keeping his back to the remaining guard at the door, he glanced down. Benoit found himself caught in Max's gaze. 'She has eyes like a doe,' he thought, 'so deep, dark...wary.'
"What are you talking about?" he whispered back, "What can I do?"
"Get me out of here...I'm not going under the beam...no way."
Benoit glanced around, "That's impossible...how will you get away?"
Max gave a slight shrug, as much as the straps would allow. "Did it once...and I was just a kid then..."
"Yeah, but there were a bunch of you then. Why should I help you anyway?"
"It'll piss off Blondie...plus, I think you're pretty much done here. Most people that embarress her in front of others end up on the practice field as live targets. She's funny like that..."
"True..." Benoit threw another glance in the direction of the guard. Reaching down, he fumbled with Max's restraints. In a few moments she was free, but still lying prone on the table.
"Ok Doc, just get down and stay down. At least until the shooting is over."
Max was up and away before Benoit even registered movement. He dropped to the floor, only to see the guard already down. "C'mon!" Max shouted, "We've got to get you out too...Madame will just kill you when she gets back."
Benoit stood quickly and began gathering his papers. Shoving them all into a briefcase, he turned to leave. Pausing, he turned a few dials on the machine, and ran for Max as a high warbling schreech filled the air. "We have a few minutes to get as far from this thing as we can! I'm not quite sure what'll happen when it goes...but it should be big!"
Wrenching open the door, they fled into the hallway.
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Waking slowly, Max heard a high-pitched metallic whine somewhere off to her left. Not sure as to what she would be faced with, Max peeked from beneath her lowered lashes. Across the room, Brin lay strapped to a table, surrounded by doctors. Multiple tubes snaked from her body and her head was captured in a cruel looking harness. Poised over her inert form was a large machine that seemed to be emitting some sort of particle beam. Max could see Brin quietly convulsing as the machine covered her in a veil of blue light. Madame stood nearby, watching with her characteristic detached look. One of the doctors stepped away from the table and approched Renfro, a worried look on his face.
"Madame...may I speak?" he asked.
Renfro sighed, "If you must, Dr. Benoit."
"This X-5 can't take much more. If we don't cut down on the dose we may kill her."
"It's no concern of mine whether she lives or dies, Doctor. All I want is for the limits to be tested on this machine."
"But.."
"Listen to me carefully, Peter." Madame snapped, "I want to know exactly how much that X-5 can stand...and then I want you to turn it down a notch before you use it on 452. I want her completely wiped...but functional. Any of the others are disposible...but not 452. Am I making myself clear?"
Speechless, the doctor nodded his head as he turned back to the machine. He had never wanted the government contract in the first place, and look at him now. Standing by as a life was being destroyed. Ashamed, he turned his face away as he adjusted the setting on the machine...refusing to watch as the pretty young girl on the table shook more violently.
Max maintained the illusion of unconciousness as her mind raced. She had to get out before it was her turn under the beam.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Logan sat quietly, trying to judge Cam's reaction to everything he had just told her. On the way back to Seattle he had struggled with how much to reveal, especially to someone he had just met. Turning the story over and over in his mind, Logan finally decided to start at the beginning and just let the rest come as it may.
"Her name was Max...and I loved her," he began, and didn't stop talking for nearly an hour. Now Cam knew the whole truth, and he waited for her response.
"Wow...I don't know what to say. I'm sorry I pressured you to tell me. It's obviously still a painful subject." Lifting her head, she made eye contact with Logan. "You've had so many bad things happen to you, and yet you're still so..." her voice trailed away.
"So?" Logan asked.
"I don't know...helpful? Concerned with others? Look what you've done for me...taking me in like this. You didn't have to do that, you know...you don't owe me anything..I'm the one that owes you my life."
Logan waved off her explaination, "I just did what anyone would do..."
"No. You've done more than most. You're a good man, Logan...and you'll be OK once you come out on the other side of your loss." Leaning forward, Cam took Logan's hands in her own. Looking into his eyes, she repeated, "You're a good man..."
Flustered, Logan pulled his hands free and stood, mumbling something about putting her things in the guest room. Settling back into the couch, Cam watched him walk away and wondered if it would ever truly be alright for Logan..or if he would ever recover from the pain he was feeling.
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Dr. Peter Benoit felt his stomach turn over as the X-5 gave one last strangled cry before dying. She had lasted much longer than he thought possible, which made it worse for him. He was a doctor, commited to saving lives, not snuffing them out under a machine of his own design. He wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. Shutting down the machine, he was met with an icy stare from Renfro.
"What do you think you're doing, Doctor? We have to get 452 under there before the sedative wears off...we don't have time to let her get combative."
Benoit stood his ground, "The machine has to cycle down periodically or else it may overheat. I'm sure Madame doesn't have time for that either, am I right?"
"Fine! Just make sure we're ready to go within the next 20 minutes...and not a second longer." Snapping her fingers at one of the door guards, she barked, "You! Get over here and clear out this area! Get the remains down to the lab for analysis." Turning, she switched her tone..."And you, Doctor...since you seem to be enjoying your job so much....why don't you prep 452 for her turn? Call me as soon as we're ready to begin." Striding out of the room, she didn't even wait for an answer.
Benoit crossed the room and stood next to Max's table. Staring down, he realized how beautiful 452 was...and how unfair it was that she was considered Manticore property. She only looked about 20...the same age as Benoit's own daughter. Her dark hair seemed almost alive, fanned out over the white, sterile drape, and her eyelashes curved, long and black, against her cheeks. This was a girl, for God's sake! She should be out at a party...away at school...a young mother...anything but what she was, a government created, and owned, killer. Benoit had to remind himself of that. No matter how he may feel about this project, it didn't change the fact that the test subjects were dangerous. Reluctantly, he went about the task of positioning Max under the machine.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Renfro sat in her office, fuming. How dare that arrogant little bastard speak to her like that in front of others. Hadn't she been more than helpful in his research? Now he wants to bite the hand that feeds? So be it...as soon as 452's wipe was complete, Renfro would deal with Dr. Benoit personally.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Max had watched as Madame and Dr. Benoit had argued over Brin. She had watched as he turned away, and seen the look on his face as Brin died. He cared, he was compassionate, he was as close to a friend as she had in this place. If she was going to move, it had to be soon. As the doctor hovered over her, adjusting the straps and tubes, Max opened her eyes a bit. "Hey Doc..." she whispered, "a little help?". Benoit started, nearly losing his grip on the catheter needle he was holding. Keeping his back to the remaining guard at the door, he glanced down. Benoit found himself caught in Max's gaze. 'She has eyes like a doe,' he thought, 'so deep, dark...wary.'
"What are you talking about?" he whispered back, "What can I do?"
"Get me out of here...I'm not going under the beam...no way."
Benoit glanced around, "That's impossible...how will you get away?"
Max gave a slight shrug, as much as the straps would allow. "Did it once...and I was just a kid then..."
"Yeah, but there were a bunch of you then. Why should I help you anyway?"
"It'll piss off Blondie...plus, I think you're pretty much done here. Most people that embarress her in front of others end up on the practice field as live targets. She's funny like that..."
"True..." Benoit threw another glance in the direction of the guard. Reaching down, he fumbled with Max's restraints. In a few moments she was free, but still lying prone on the table.
"Ok Doc, just get down and stay down. At least until the shooting is over."
Max was up and away before Benoit even registered movement. He dropped to the floor, only to see the guard already down. "C'mon!" Max shouted, "We've got to get you out too...Madame will just kill you when she gets back."
Benoit stood quickly and began gathering his papers. Shoving them all into a briefcase, he turned to leave. Pausing, he turned a few dials on the machine, and ran for Max as a high warbling schreech filled the air. "We have a few minutes to get as far from this thing as we can! I'm not quite sure what'll happen when it goes...but it should be big!"
Wrenching open the door, they fled into the hallway.