Chapter Nineteen: Information Overload

Max entered the activity room at the local hospital for another visit with Kito. It was her first since Sam had told her that he regained consciousness. She paused a moment inside the door scanning the half-filled room in search of the younger Transgenic. She smiled when her eyes caught sight of him, moving in earnest toward the table where he sat alone.

Kito was staring off out the window, which gave a good view of the green gardens down below the room. He did not seem to notice her, his face slack, his smoke gray eyes unfocused on the scene before him. Max paused by his table touching fingertips to its surface, and she frowned at his lack of reaction. She backed up a few steps and sat down across from her unresponsive comrade. Kito sat in front of a piece of paper one fist clutching a pen over a sloppily written letter. There were other marks on the paper and it was obvious that he had been making a serious effort at relearning his motor skills. He was dressed in a two piece smock with a light robe over it all. He was sitting in a slightly slouched position the hand not on the table rested precariously on his knee.

Sam had traded the bandage on Kito's head for a cap to hide the ever-present barcode on his forehead between his brows. His face was covered in light stubble, something that she had not seen on him ever since she had known him. She had begun to wonder if he was genetically coded to have facial hair.

Max grimaced, uncomfortable with seeing the once sharp if depressed young man left in this condition, "I'll kill Bryn," She thought angrily. It would have been better if she had just killed him and spared him this agonizing recovery. She leaned forward then looking intently at his slack face as he continued to stare out into the bright clear winter morning.

"Hey there," Max said trying to get his attention. She smiled as he blinked slowly and turned his head to face her, "How ya' doing?"

His brows furrowed as he regarded her, and he spoke or tried to, for agonizing moments he worked at mouthing what he was thinking. His face contorted grossly as he tried to get the right set of muscles working. Finally he slurred, "Wwhoo…aaaare y..y.yyou?"

Max frowned again, "Oh, not good," she thought wincing internally, out loud she said in a cheery voice, "I'm Max."

Kito's brow knit for long moments as he took that information in seeming to have a hard time sorting it. Max smiled wider when she saw the light of recognition behind his formerly glassy eyes, "Mmmmaaax." He stated in a descending tone confirming his awareness of who she was. He nodded in an ungraceful manner that told her that his muscles and his brain were still not in total sync yet. Sam said he was healing, miraculously so. His brain function and motor skills were improving every day but by what she was seeing here he had a ways to go until he returned to normal, or at least as close to normal as a transgenic can come.

"I ammmm bbeeetter," He replied to her earlier question, reassuring Max a little. His short-term memory was still intact.

"I am so glad to hear that," Max said too quickly, hearing it in her ears as selfish, "How're they treating you?"

He bobbed his head again, "GGGoood."

"Kito, do you remember Logan?"

Again that far off stare overtook his features. Max bit her lip wanting to push him to answer but not wanting to break his tentative concentration. A few moments later he said, "Heee is Tima's frienddd. He iiis you your hhhuusband."

"Yes," Max encouraged, "Do you…" she hesitated a moment unsure how much she was going to be able to push him, "What do you…what is your last memory before waking up here?"

He went silent yet again this time staring at the paper in front of him a look of what she interpreted as stubbornness painting his features. She sat there hardly daring to breathe as he sat silent across from her. Max's eyes searched his face intently looking for some sign that he was still with her and not locked away in his thoughts.

After ten minutes he still had not uttered a word and Max sighed in frustration looking away at the others in the room working with blocks or cutting paper or coloring on construction paper. It was surreal. Max slowly set her hands on the table and started to get up saying, "I'm sorry Kito, I didn't mean to push you like that." She sighed again pushing up from the table.

"Pain," She heard Kito say in a quiet and clear voice. Max looked back again seeing his eyes intent on her, piercing her with cognizance.

Slowly Max resumed her seat, "What?" she asked stupidly thinking that she had heard things.

"Pain," He repeated just as clearly as before his eyes still locked on her own. Then the control faltered, "Nnoot able to help yyyou wwwhen theyy came for himmm. Nott aaaable to move, too mmmuch pain."

Max swallowed hard, as he continued in his faltering voice, "Dddid they…tthey gggot hhim." It was a statement of fact.

"Yes, Kito, they did," She said blinking slowly as she nodded. She was not willing to keep the truth from him.

"I dddid nnnot tell. Pleease Believe, I dddid nnnot tell ttthem hh…how to fffind you."

Max's heart leapt at that plea, because some part of her had wanted to blame him for Bryn's ability to find them after all these years. Slowly she opened her eyes again looking at Kito. She reached across the table laying one hand over his and saying, "I believe you Kito." A shaky smile formed on his lips and his next breath came out as a heavy sigh. Max smiled reassuring him and then sobered the next minute, "Kito…" The younger man looked up at her a moment focusing his gaze again, "Do you know where they might have taken Logan?"

That gaze lost focus again and he turned his eyes back out the window. Max bit her lip trying not to read too much into the reaction, that he had purposely shut himself off from her. She leaned back in her seat giving him time to think about it. She hoped that he would have an answer to the question that plagued her to this point. Again long minutes went by with no sound except the background noise of other people. Max looked down at her watch, grimacing again as the end of visiting hours was coming soon and she was still no closer to the answer she desperately needed.

Almost as if sensing her desperation Kito turned his eyes back on her. She watched as he looked down moving the hand holding the pen as he attempted to write or draw something. She could see immediately why he had been so still for all this time, the arm moved in jerky motions followed by profound shaking in his hand that left an indiscernible scribble on the paper. She watched as he took a breath moving his hand to an open piece of the paper in front of him. Try as he might the shaking came back and left a mass of scribbles where writing should have been. She looked up as his frustration started to reflect on his face, again his hand moved to a clean piece of the paper, and for the third time the shaking in his hand and arm prevented him from putting his thought on paper. Without warning his face screwed up into one of out and out anger and his fist came up and slammed down atop the paper he had been so desperately trying to work on. The muscles in his arms stood out like cords of rope despite the time that he had spent comatose and his eyes were wide with frustration. He did not relax that arm as if that was the only way he knew to keep the shaking at bay.

Max shook her head and looked down a moment. She looked back up licking her lips and laying her hand again on his rigid arm, "Kito…It's OK."

Kito looked down this time hiding the tears in his eyes at the weakness of his body and the shattered speech he was inflicted with when his mind worked so clearly. He looked up at her again taking deep breaths determined to put what he knew into words she could understand, "Eh…Edwards," He blurted watching as Max's eyes widened, "Tthey keep tesssts suubjects there. Ggifttted Norm's…Tthey would tttake Logan there."

"Edwards?" Max said and Kito nodded emphatically embarrassed by his awkward movements, "Where is that?"

Kito felt his face fall as that question invoked…nothing. He wanted to answer her, knew somewhere in his head he had the answer to that question but this time he had drawn a blank on the matter. Max's face mirrored his own and he became frustrated again when he saw disappointment creep into her brown eyes. Kito tried to speak again, but his throat closed and he only croaked. He dropped his gaze shaking his head in the negative.

"You don't remember?" Max asked sharply, she shook her head and then repeated, "I'm sorry. The name should be enough."

Kito watched from the corner of his eye as she stood and moved closer to him. To his surprise she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then she whispered, "Thanks Kito, You've made my year."

Kito could no more help the smile on his face than he could the twitch in his still shaky arms.

Torri waited patiently as Cale efficiently formed up his unit for their weekly uniform and barracks inspection. When they were in line and at attention she slowly approached them. They formed two neat rows of three in the lounge with Cale standing at the fore. She stopped in front of him and he sharply saluted her as he reported, "Unit 135 formed and ready for inspection, Ma'am."

"Very well," She stated turning crisply to the left and heading for the beginning of the first row. She heard rather than saw Cale fall in behind her the clipboard at the ready to take down discrepancies. She scrutinized each of the soldiers in his small unit closely looking for even the most minute item out of place. She recited a few minor hits to Cale and listened as he wrote furiously to keep up with her quick dictation.

As she moved on to the second row she realized again just how impressive this team was. Each one was an individual, none had come here with any military background, and she recalled that she had been reluctant to take on the challenge of shaping the scruffy bunch into usable soldiers. Before her eyes Torri had watched them transform into a most formidable unit. Each of their unique talents blended and complimented then next and they used each specialty to advantage when they trained and when they fought. Their evaluations had improved drastically as well until they had become better than that of some of the Cadre units on board the base.

Torri walked past the last of the second row and moved on to the racks and footlockers standing open for her inspection each showing a neat display of uniforms. She slowly passed each reciting the little hits just because she couldn't find a lot wrong with their berthing. When she had completed her rounds Cale handed her the clipboard, saluted her again, took one step back and smartly returned to his place in front of his group.

She made a show of looking over the hits for the week and then slowly moved back to address the group, "You have been in training now for the last six months to become soldiers in Manticore. You have proven your ability and your teamwork. Not just to me, but to those, whom I work for," She smiled, "You've turned a few heads with your progress. And you diligence and hard work are about to be rewarded. We have been given our first assignment…" she said proudly, ignoring the scared looks that came her way from several of the unit, "Op's has just informed us that sensitive information about Manticore's operation has been intercepted by Canadian forces seeking the same successes we have had. Our mission will be to infiltrate the base just over the Wyoming border and retrieve those files. We will be stopping off in Wyoming to refuel and receive any last minute instructions before crossing the border toward our objective," she paused for effect, "You will receive a full briefing on the way. We will be leaving in 24 hours."

Torri turned to Cale, "Cale?"

"Yes Ma'am," He replied smartly

"Fall them out for chow."

Cale saluted her smartly turned to his unit and barked, "Dismissed!"

"Cale?"

"Ma'am?"

"Stay a minute," Torri said quietly, "Shawnee, take 'em to chow," Torri barked at the younger woman.

"Yes Ma'am!" Shawnee said but Torri did not miss her glance toward Cale as she headed the column as it moved at a double time out the door.

Cale turned his eyes intently down at her, waiting patiently.

"Cale I want to commend you on the handling of this unit, you are the reason that they are as good as they are now."

He looked for a moment unsure of her sincerity, then replied, "While I appreciate it Ma'am, I don't think the credit is mine to take."

"Oh I think it is," Torri insisted, "They recognized you as a born leader the moment you walked in their door. I have seen your leadership skill everyday since you have been in my command."

He stared at her blankly a moment as if trying to determine an underlying dig. Perhaps it was shock that she had paid him a compliment. Blinking several times in rapid succession as if his eyes had dried out he finally said, "Is that all Ma'am?"

"I think that will be all, you're dismissed," Torri replied and she watched as he crisply turned away and started for the door, "Oh." Torri said loudly stopping him in his tracks. He turned back to face her, "The scar on your left leg…how did you get it?"

Slowly he approached her again stopping just arms distance from her his face was grim and his arms crossed angrily over his chest, "I took a bullet when Lydecker tried to kill my wife."

"That is no simple bullet wound," Torri said matter of factly.

"No," he growled, "It became infected as I tracked Lydecker down and tried to kill him. It was all about revenge," His head tilted to one side, "I was unsuccessful." Without being dismissed Cale walked away following the path his unit had taken to the chow hall.

Torri stood for long moments thinking about those two lines, how much they said and how many new questions they brought to the surface in her head. Somehow she could not see Cale as the type to seek revenge. She didn't know whether to like the man for his abilities or hate him for his total dislike of the whole Manticore regime, particularly his apparent hatred of Lydecker.

She could not deny that she was impressed with Cale, with the turnaround that she had seen in him. He had taken charge of the unit, but it had not been by choice, at first. Shawnee had foisted it on him as soon as she recognized his innate ability to lead people. They all saw his age as an equal to wisdom, and they had immediately begun to defer to him. He had balked, she had seen it, and he did not want to be their leader. The unit and Manticore were not something that he wanted to support.

It was unavoidable and he had been forced to take over the reins. Once he had come to terms with the inevitability of it he had settled in. And he had worked wonders within the group, for they all believed in him when he did not believe in himself.

Cale was a compassionate person, Torri also saw that and she had used it surgically against him, keeping him on the path that Bryn had set before both of them. It had worked beautifully. Now he was the most squared away of the bunch, his haircut his uniforms all were immaculate. He would have made a great Manticore. Torri slowly drew a breath and sighed. It was too bad that the obedience was only an act. Oh she knew that he was doing what he had to, only what he had to, in order to get out of this alive. He was staying under the radar of even Bryn. Torri knew that Cale was planning something, just what she had been unable to determine, but she would not delude herself into thinking that Cale just suddenly found himself happy here, or that he just decided that resistance was futile. His comment had confirmed that rebellious nature in him was still very much alive.

Nearly every day she saw that look on his face, that calculating scheming look that she sometimes saw on some of her younger Manticores when they were trying to steal away into town on Saturday nights.

Torri had also taken notice of the fact that Cage would confide only in Cale out of all the members in the group. The two, in fact, had become pretty fraternal, and that led Torri to believe that Cage was in on whatever scheme that Cale had planned.

So she sat back and continued to watch him, looking for a sign that would let her know his defection was imminent. It was an odd thought but she hoped that she was wrong, Cale was turning into one hell of a soldier.

The Next Day:

Max sat up suddenly as the computer chimed in an incoming email. She had spent the past several hours searching the incomplete pre-pulse records to try and find a reference to "Edwards", and it seemed that she had fallen asleep in the middle of the search. In her half conscious state she thought that it might be Logan, having somehow found a computer terminal by which to contact her. She squinted her still sleep bleary eyes trying to focus on the name of the sender. It wasn't Logan, and she did not recognize the codename. She nearly deleted it outright, worried about contracting a worm or something via an attachment. She grew curious, something told her that it was an "E" she wanted to look at. Sitting up a little straighter as the baby kicked her hard in the ribs, she double clicked the letter and began reading the contents. Her eyes widened as the information she was reading was absorbed.

"That's IT!" She squealed, "Oh my God!"

She was immediately on the phone to Zach and Tima on the road somewhere searching for the elusive Manticore base holding her husband.

"Yello," Zach's easy voice came over the line.

"Zach, its Max."

"What's up? You OK?" A note of worry crept into his voice, "Nothing is wrong with the baby is there?"

"No, Zach, Listen!" She said flattered and exasperated at the same time, "I just received an 'E' from one of Logan's contacts. With the lead from Kito to go on they were able to track the base where they have Logan at."

"Really," Zach said.

"Really," Max repeated, "Listen, 'There is a previously thought abandoned air base in central California that used to be known as Edwards Air Force Base. Contacts have confirmed that there is military activity being conducted there and by the look has been well established for some time. It is possible that Logan was taken there. It is remote and the area is all but deserted of any population.' Zach I think that this is it."

"MMmm," She heard on the other end and she heard Zach snap his fingers several times as if he was getting Tima's attention, "All right give me the directions."

"It says to take state highway fifty-eight until you come to it, they say that it is hard to miss."

There was a pause then Zach said, "That is about six hour from here. We're on our way."

"Zach."

"Hmm."

"Hurry," Max said softly.