DARK ANGEL
Max: The Post-Escape Story
Chapter 1
Max was running again, and as she did she felt the cold sting of the snow pounding beneath her feet. In her dreams it was always the same. She was always running from something or someone. She ran, turned a corner, and stopped. Above her stood a guard, his gun aimed at her. He fired, and she felt the overwhelming jolt of electricity throughout her body. She fell on the ground clinging to the snow. Then she blacked out.
Max woke up gasping for air. She was in a cold sweat. "Another bad dream?"
"Yeah," said Max. It was Lucy.
"What was it about?"
"In every dream it's always the same. I'm running away from Manticore again. I can almost feel the snow hitting hard against my feet. It all seems so real."
"I've had dreams like that before," said Lucy.
"Mine are a lot worse. Do you ever get killed or electrocuted in yours?" "No, but I do get chased. Not by soldiers, but by my dad."
"I'm very sorry he's like that."
"It's okay, really."
"No it's not! We have to do something about it."
"We can't. If we try anything, he'll notice and come after us."
"Couldn't we run away?"
"Don't you ever get tired of running? You were bred to be a soldier, so be it!" Max looked down, silent.
"Sorry."
"It's okay," Max said with a shaky voice. Lucy could tell she was fighting back tears.
"I'm just not as strong as I look. Although Manticore sort of beat it into to me for the past few years, through torture, fights, discipline, rules, and emotional coping with death. I can't." She felt the tears streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry Max," said Lucy. They embraced each other.
"I'm the one who should be sorry," said Max. "I shouldn't be crying like this. At Manticore, they told us that showing our emotions was a sign of weakness. They were right. I've gained nothing through this. It's just…. when I was there, they would make us do push-ups if you laughed, cried, smiled, or anything. This is the first time I've ever cried in my life without being punished."
"Damn, that's harsh," said Lucy.
"Tell me about it. Hey, just so you know, I'm not as tough as I seem. But at Manticore…we all were. I've killed before."
"You have?"
"Yes. I don't know who he was, they always took random fugitives off of death row and put them into something even worse; a race between life and death. They agreed to let him go if he got past the perimeter fence in time before we snuck in and killed him. Of course it never worked. Even when they gave the guy a head start, we were still faster than he was, and ten times stronger. We all…took pride in his death. My brother, Ben, he would always make up these stories about the Nomalies in the basement: the X2s. They were an experiment gone wrong. They all basically went insane, started killing one another for no reason. Ben would say they were cannibals, coming through the walls like ghosts when you weren't looking. Then they eat you up, little, by little, by little…forever."
"Creepy. You know, it's not your fault you took pride in the man's murder. You were brainwashed."
"Yeah. They did this thing to us where they inject you with some shit and run a laser beam into your eye. Then you do anything they tell you to, no matter whether it's good or bad."
"That would scare the hell out of me, said Lucy.
"I got used to it," said Max. "Kept me tough. Every once in awhile they'd do it just to see how much you could endure. My record was seventeen minutes."
"God." There was a long pause, until Lucy and Max saw the flash of headlights through the window and heard a car approaching.
"Shit, it's my dad! Hide!" said Lucy. They had found several places in the house to hide in the house, mainly closets and the basement. They would never split up. Lucy was too scared to be alone, and Max knew it.
This time, they hid in the basement. It was pitch black, and the chattering and squeaking of rats made it seem even creepier, not to mention the dank smell. The two of them took deep breaths.
"What now?" asked Max.
"We wait," replied Lucy. Well. That was as good an answer as anything, thought Max. They heard the distant slam of a door, and the creaking of the floorboards above them. Max heard some muttering upstairs.
"Damn kids," the voice said. "Where the hell are you?" he yelled. "Lucy, get your ass up here right now!" Lucy started to get up.
"What the hell are you doing?" whispered Max.
"I have to go or he'll beat me."
"He'll do it anyway!"
"I'll talk to him." She started up the stairs.
"Damn it, Luce!"
"Don't worry. I'll have to face him sooner or later."
"Better not to face him at all!"
"Let me try." She continued up the stairs. Is she crazy?! She'll get herself killed, thought Max.
"I have to watch out for her," she said aloud. She got up and went up the stairs. She opened the door a crack to see what was going on.
"What the hell did you do to the car?"
"I didn't do anything to it, dad!"
"Then why'd I have trouble on the way to work and getting back?"
"I don't know, take it to a mechanic!"
"Damn it, what did you do?!"
"Nothing!" Lucy yelled. He slapped her hard on the cheek. She started sobbing. Max gasped. "Dad, you need to get some help," cried Lucy. He picked Lucy up by the arm, twisting it hard. "Ow! You're hurting me!"
"Why do you think I need help, huh? I'm fine! What the hell do you know?!" he screamed. Lucy was still crying. He shoved her down on the floor and walked away shaking his head. He went into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. Max came out and ran to Lucy.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I should have listened to you, Max."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just trying to look out for you."
"Thanks."
"Anytime. C'mon, we better get to bed," said Max. She helped Lucy up off the floor. Was it even worth it to stay here, she wondered?
1 Chapter 2
The next day after lunch, Lucy and Max washed the dishes and talked about
Lucy's past.
"What happened to your mom?" asked Max.
"She divorced my dad. There were a few court trials over who got custody of me, but dad always won. He had a pretty good lawyer. I wish I could have gone with my mom."
"Where is she now?"
"She died in a car accident about four years ago."
"I'm sorry. I never met my mother. She got sent away or something after I was born. At Manticore it was more like we came from each other. Teamwork, duty, discipline, all this "focus on the mission" crap. I just want to be my own person, live a normal life. You have no idea what it's like to actually have been born and raised in the military. So disciplined, no emotion…it's rather sad."
"I'm sorry for you. You must really want a family. This one sucks, you don't deserve to be treated like this."
"You're my family, Luce."
"Thanks, Max."
"You know, we really have to do something about your dad."
"Like what?"
"I don't know yet."
"If you're thinking of running away, forget it. The police will catch me and bring me back. And then-" Max cut her off.
"I know what he'll do, and I won't let it happen. I'll stand up to him myself." "Max-"
"Look, don't tell me it's the wrong thing to do, okay? Somebody's got to teach that asshole a lesson, and I don't care what he tries to do. I'm not going to keep standing by and watching him hurt you. I'm a transgenic. I might as well use my strength."
"What would you do? You don't have a gun."
"Don't need one. There's a lot you don't know about me. I can kick his ass with my bare hands."
"Could you teach me some stuff?"
"I was hoping you'd ask that. C'mon."
They went outside. "Okay. The first thing you need to learn is misdirection and distraction. Make a fist with your left hand. Now raise it over your head. This is a form of misdirection. When you do this, have another fist ready on your right hand. Then just punch outward."
"Hyah!"
"Great. Not bad for someone who…" Max's voice trailed off. She stared in horror as she saw Lucy's father come out of the house with a shotgun. Shit.
"What is it Max?" Lucy asked.
"Lucy…don't move," said Max. "I'll take care of things." She ran up to him as fast as an eye blinks and pushed his gun out of Lucy's range. Still holding onto it, she brought her right leg up to kick him in the head. As he fell, she turned the gun on him. She took the clip out and threw it over her shoulder, then threw the gun down on the floor.
"Just so you know, I don't use guns but I can kick your ass just the same." "Remember what you learned at Manticore," he said. "You execute a tactical advantage over your enemy only if it is necessary to the overall strategic objective. Failing that, you will initiate a tactical withdraw."
"What?"
Max snapped her eyes open. Now she remembered her training.
"Max…you okay?" asked Lucy.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Max, stay away from my dad, or he'll start with you too."
"Lucy, your eye!"
"He punched me this time. You were asleep when he took me."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I can take care of myself." Just then, they heard stomping.
"Hey! Where are you kids?"
"Shit, we have to hide again! C'mon!"
They ran down to the basement and hid under the stairs.
"His football game must have gone out," said Lucy. "I don't see how though, there's no storm outside."
Max remained silent. She sure as hell did not want Lucy to know what she had remembered. But she knew she had to do it. Max would have to run away, one way or another. Lucy was in tears. All of a sudden, the moment they had dreaded finally came. Their stomachs jumped as they heard the basement door fly open and slam hard against the wall.
"Where are you?!" the drunken man screamed. By now, Max had grabbed Lucy's hand and was holding on tight. Lucy squeezed back. A beer can dropped on the stairs and bounced down to the bottom. "Why did you turn off my game?!" Obviously, the man had had more than just a couple of beers. "I know you're down there!" Max shuddered. This was worse than her dreams, much worse. They waited for what seemed like an eternity before Lucy's father finally turned around and headed back upstairs. After a few minutes, they went back to bed.
1.1 Chapter 3
When Lucy awoke the next morning, she didn't see Max in her bedroom. "Max?" She ran around to all the different rooms, looked under and behind things, in the basement, closets, everywhere. But Max was nowhere to be found. Why would she just run away, thought Lucy?. She ran outside. "Max? Where are you?" Lucy called for almost an hour, but got no answer. Max was gone.
1.2 Chapter 4
Max walked down the side of the highway, headed for anywhere, as long as she could be safe. She tried not to think about what she'd left behind, or where she was going. Once she reached the city, there was total and utter chaos. Rioters were everywhere, police were shooting, and grenades were being thrown. Max was reminded of the rebellion at Manticore, and how it had come to be.
"They're going to kill us," she had told Zack. She remembered seeing Jack lying on the table, his chest cut open. If you weren't perfect, they would kill you. So…they ran away. Now to piece it all together. What was happening here? She had to find out. She found a man half-buried under crushed stone and debris from a building.
"What's going on?" she asked him. He groaned, but managed to tell her.
"Haven't you heard? A few terrorists, they…set off an electromagnetic pulse from space…everyone is panicking. Riot control's gone mad…they're killing people. This is truly the end…get away while you still can."
With this, he let out a groan and died. Max stared for a moment, then got up and looked around her. The destruction was unbelievable. It was like a war zone.
She soon found a half blown-out clothing store. Hell, everyone else was stealing stuff, she could too. Besides, she needed something else to wear. She went through the store and picked out a few items, some of which included a leather jacket, socks, shoes, and blue jeans. Max found a back room and changed into her new clothes.
Coming out of the store, she saw an ambulance speeding down the highway with its sirens blaring. All of a sudden, it came screeching to a halt near a group of police officers. The back doors flew open and three terrorists came out, guns blazing. They cut down two of the five police officers with lethal accuracy. The officers that remained took shelter behind some of the rubble from a nearby building. They shot one of the terrorists in the head, but missed the others.
Max decided to take matters into her own hands. She ran up to one of the two that was left and pushed his gun away as he began to fire. She punched him in the face, then swirled half-round to grab his arm. She threw him over her shoulder and he hit the ground hard. The other was too easy. Max kicked him in the knee, shattering his kneecap. She grabbed his rifle and turned it around to hit him in the face. He fell to the ground. Just then, the ambulance started to drive away. Max shot one of the back tires and it blew. The driver slammed on the brakes and the vehicle skidded to the left. It tipped over on its side. But it wasn't over yet. Max dropped the gun as she noticed a small device on the ground. It had a LED display with numbers, counting down…5…4…3…"Bomb!" Max yelled. She ran and jumped over the large pile of rubble where the police were hiding, and landed on her back just as the bomb exploded.
1.3 Chapter 5
For a long moment she lay there, looking up at the night sky and thinking of what her life was going to be like. The voice of one of the police officers suddenly brought her back to reality.
"Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah."
She got up and started to walk away.
"Where will you go?" he asked her.
"Don't know. I make life up as I go along." She walked on, observing her surroundings. "Like it or not, this is your home now," she thought. Where was she anyway? She would be able to tell from an aerial map, but not on ground. She saw an old torn-up newspaper lying in the rubble. Max picked it up. "The Seattle Sun," it read. "Seattle," she whispered to herself. "Am I really in Seattle?" She did not think she had come this far. Lucy's house was about thirty miles away, she knew that much. So…she was in Seattle, Washington. Oh, who gives a damn about it, anyway? Might as well make the most of it, right? Now that the U.S. is third world, it doesn't really matter. Prosperity is bullshit now. Until they could rebuild things, America's society was in total anarchy. A system without brains. "Now that's pretty whack," thought Max.
1.4 Chapter 6
By the next morning, Max had arrived at the South Market. Once the source of food and goods for the poor, it was now booming with former upper and middle-class citizens. Most of them had become broke overnight, thinking another economic depression was inevitable. The only thing they had forgotten was the electronic system.
The intelligent person took their money out of the banks and saved up manually rather than taking a gamble by investing in the stock market. That way at least you didn't lose all of your life-savings when stocks collapsed. Several stands were being set up for free food and clothes. Max decided to get some breakfast. After all, she hadn't eaten in about two days. She got in line to get some cereal. She picked up a milk and spoon, and a tiny blue box that said "Frosted Flakes" on it. Then she sat down against a post.
She stared blankly at the box of cereal. It's not like she had ever seen anything like it before. At Manticore, all they ever had were what were called "Meals Ready to Eat", or MREs. Basically it was tasteless, reprocessed food in a plastic container that smelled like garbage. She looked around at what the other people were doing, and was able to figure it out. Max ripped open the box and poured the milk in. She took her spoon and scooped up some of the curious mixture. It tasted somewhat stale, but it was pretty good. Certainly better than those MREs, anyway.
She began to wonder how everyone else had made out. She thought about Jondy, if she had escaped or not. And Zack…her big brother, and the one who had planned their escape…
"What did you see, Max?"
"I…I saw…it was Jack, and…"
"Go on," said Zack.
"They were cutting him open at the chest, dissecting him. If we have these seizures and they see it, they'll kill us."
"Oh shit. Damn it, those bastards!" He punched the wall.
"Zack, we have to get out of here."
"I know…I have an idea. Tomorrow night I'll lead Ben, Tinga, Jondy, Zane, and Brin down one wing. Eva will lead you and the others."
"Okay."…
"Max! Max, where's Eva?" Zack asked as he was shoved into the room with the rest of his group. The door was slammed shut by the commanding officer. "Max…what happened?"
"Eva's dead. Shot by Lydecker."
"Shit!"
"They figured out our seizure problems. It's a lack of the chemical seratonin in our brains. When levels are low, we get seizures. They're issuing Tryptophan to all of us tomorrow morning."
"That's good to know. At least nobody else will get chopped apart. We'll make another attempt tomorrow. This time, nobody separates. I'll make sure it works."
…Max was starting to have seizures. Damn.
She'd have to find Tryptophan somewhere. She finished her cereal and got up to search for a pharmaceutical stand. After a few minutes, she found one.
"You got any Tryptophan?" she asked.
"You're in luck," said the woman. "Last bottle. And that'll be…seventy-five dollars."
"What? I don't have any money! I thought everything at the South Market was free for the homeless!"
"Well in case you hadn't noticed, there was an electro-magnetic pulse that hit us last night and wiped out all of our bank accounts? So learn to live with it. Prices will continue to rise around here until it reaches near inflation! It's the only way you can sell things that are in small amounts but high in demand."
"That's crazy. Look at me. I'm having seizures right now, and unless you give me those pills, I'll eventually go into a coma and die! I promise I'll pay you back later, please!"
"Sorry. It just doesn't work that way-"
"I'll pay for it," said a young woman standing behind Max.
"Okay."
"Here. Take the seventy-five. But I wouldn't try selling those anymore if I were you. Not many people around here have money."
"Thanks. Here's her pills."
"Thank you. Are you okay?" she asked Max.
"Yeah. Thanks a lot," Max said, shoving two pills in her mouth. She dry- swallowed them. The woman and her began to walk around.
"You have seizures, huh?"
"Yeah. They're a real bitch."
"I'm sorry for you."
"Don't be. I can usually take care of myself. Except for when it comes to money."
"Oh, well here," the woman said, giving Max a bunch of twenty-dollar bills. "So you can survive on your own for awhile. It's a mean world out there."
"I can't take this-"
"Sure you can. I'm over-loaded as it is." She smiled.
"Thank you…thanks a lot."
"Don't mention it. If you ever need anything else, just call me. I'll always be around here. By the way, my name's Sydney."
"Thanks for everything."
Max then continued on by herself. So…where was she going to go now? You couldn't exactly live in the South Market. Not that anyone wanted to live there anyway. The back of the market did have a few run-down shacks here and there, but most were not occupied for various reasons, mainly because of roach infestations and rats. That and the fact that there were no bathrooms. So most people lived in the streets or in apartments. And Max didn't feel like either. You had to pay for apartments. Pretty stupid, considering most people in America were now broke. So what else is new, thought Max.
"Sir, so far we've found twelve that have escaped."
"Twelve…that many?"
"Sir, it's not much-"
"Not much? Not much, huh?! I'll tell you how many is not much, none, that's how many. Each of their genetic codes is worth millions in government funds, now do you have any inkling as to how much has been wasted if we don't find some way of getting them back?" said Lydecker.
"Yes sir," said the officer. Lydecker sighed.
"Which subjects have escaped?"
"Well sir, I have their mugshots here," he said, handing Lydecker a folder. He took one look at the first photo, then closed the folder and dropped it on the table. "What is it, sir?"
"The first one, 452, she escaped?"
"Yes sir."
"Damn. She was my best."
"I'm sorry, sir-"
"Run a full-scale investigation. No questions, just do it. We're going to get them back. And do a search of prison records. Look for identifying marks of any kind, scars, tattoos, anything of that nature. Report back to me as soon as you find something."
"Yes sir."
The officer saluted and walked out of the conference room. The search was not going to be easy.
Max looked through the thick patch of ice that lay above her. Were the troops gone yet, she wondered? How long had she been holding her breath? It must have been at least fifteen minutes, because she was almost passing out. If she had still been in Manticore, they would've set it as a new record and congratulated her. Oh well. At least she wasn't shackled to the bottom of a water tank by her ankles. She swam over to the spot where she had fallen through the ice and climbed out. No one was around her, but she ran anyway.
The night was dreary and dark. As she was walking across the highway, a car screeched to a halt in front of her. It's headlights shone bright in her face. The front passenger-side door opened and she walked over to it. "Get in!" said the woman who was driving. "Hurry, c'mon!" Max cautiously got in and closed the door. "You okay?" the woman asked. Max didn't answer. She looked around the inside of the car. In between the two seats, she noticed an ID badge. It seemed to be the woman's. Suddenly, a police car whizzed by with sirens blaring. Without thinking, Max got down on the floor of the car. She only glanced at the ID as she did, and managed to figure out that the woman's name was Hannah, a nurse from Manticore.
Hannah. The woman who had saved Max's life. She had to go looking for her sometime, to thank her. And to see if she knew anything about her mother or the other X5s. Her house had been old, and had a luxury most houses didn't: a fireplace. There in Hannah's house was the one feeling Manticore could never have provided. It was the feeling of being at home, rest and relaxation, with not a care in the world. And Max had run away from it. She'd never had a home anyway.
She was on the streets, just like everyone else. At least in one way she was equal to them. Now that she had money, she wasn't broke, which still made her higher than them. Oh well. Not much of a difference. All Max had ever wanted was to be a regular and ordinary person, nothing more or less than normal. And here she was. She had gotten her wish.
As she walked through the downtrodden city, she looked for a place she could be alone. Then she looked up. There, looming above her was the most amazing and happiest sight Max had ever seen. She ran about a mile or two to the entrance. The gate was locked, so she jumped over it. She saw a sign with an arrow pointing right. "Space Needle tours" it said. So, this was the famous Seattle Space Needle. Interesting name.
A sudden gust of wind suddenly kicked up, scattering old newspapers, snack wrappings and other litter. Signs that the people who had been there when the Pulse hit had probably panicked and left in a hurry. There was a sheer sense of abandonment that seemed almost creepy, as if there were ghostly spirits haunting the structure. Max shuddered. It was hard to believe that this place had ever contained human life, let alone any life at all. She walked up to the locked gates beside a ticket booth and kicked them open, sending a small lock and chain flying to the ground.
Inside the lobby, there were a couple of lights on here and there, but most were out. The elevators didn't work, so she went to a circuit breaker box on the wall and flipped on the switches. There was a surge of power and some more lights came on, but most shorted out or broke. The elevators also came down. Max got in one and headed for the top floor. Once there, she climbed out of a broken window and up onto the saucer-shaped top of the Space Needle. Now this is perfect, thought Max.
"Sir, we've searched through all available databases, but so far nothing," said the officer.
"Nothing? Not a single trace?"
"No sir."
"Damn. We have to find something soon, or the committee will shut us down."
"I know sir. In a search like this, you just have to be patient."
"We don't have time to be patient. We have two months left, if nothing comes up by then, we'll have to falsify a report. What about 599, did he escape also?" "Yes sir." "How?" "We don't know." "Oh well. It doesn't matter. They can't keep a low profile forever. Eventually they'll have to resort to drastic measures in order to survive. I taught them that and they know it."
Max sat on top of the Space Needle, looking down at the city. She wondered what Lydecker was up to. She had almost forgot about him…him and the torture… "No one can resist torture indefinitely. Not even you. If your mind is susceptible, you will reveal what you know." Memories of Manticore flashed through her mind. Duty, discipline, teamwork, mission.
She remembered the torture, being locked underwater, having a laser beamed into her eye, being sedated, cut open, having her arms and legs purposely
crushed and broken. Max remembered it all so clearly as if it had happened yesterday. She would rather die than go back to Manticore, that was a given. And if anyone came after her, she would kill. Simple as that. She got up and walked back to the elevators, ready to face whatever Lydecker sent after her and the others.
Chapter 7
Hoverdrones were a common and unusual sight to Max, but once she found out what they were, she did her best to avoid them. If you could be identified by its onboard computer as missing, committing a crime, or avoiding prosecution by the police, you were pretty much screwed. Unless of course you belonged to Manticore. Then it was worse, because they would take you back. And Max knew it.
She wondered if any of the others had been captured yet, she knew Zack had been. She had seen it…
"Sir, we've apprehended 599." "Good work. Bring him back to base, over." "Copy. Out." They picked him up by the arms and legs and proceeded to carry him back. He seemed to be unconscious, but within seconds he had twisted out of their grasp and fell on the ground. Leaning on his hands and jumping to his feet, Zack then ran as gunshots flared around him. After circling the group of soldier only once, they were all dead from their own gunfire. Only one remained, and he looked in every direction, but could not find Zack. Suddenly someone tapped his shoulder, and he realized too late that he had made a mistake. A fist punched him hard in the face. The soldier fell unconscious. Zack ran to the fence and climbed up to the top. Carefully maneuvering around the razor wire, he got to the other side of the fence and jumped down to the ground. He looked back for a few seconds to make sure he was the last one out and then ran down the highway into the darkness…
But she was sure he had gotten out, he always found a way. She heard sirens up ahead in the distance. She stopped walking and used her telescopic vision to see down the highway. The police seemed to be setting up temporary sectors around the city. Soon everyone would need some form of identification to get through into each sector. Great. What is this world coming to, she thought? Probably extinction. Most normal human beings were so damn senseless. Especially ones who wasted time with temporary barriers and structures that would never hold against an enemy attack. Structures like the entire U.S. electrical system. Nothing could have protected it from the Pulse. Not a thing. What she didn't get was why people were panicking. They should have expected this. They should have been ready. It was inevitable. By now, even F.D.R. could not have saved the economy. Government funds were virtually exhausted, so it would be some time before another president could take office, let alone run a campaign. But if all government funds had been wiped out, then that meant that funding for Manticore had also stopped. And if Max's suspicions were correct, and all computers east of the Rockies had indeed been fried, then it would be awhile before Lydecker got onto them. Well…at least there was one benefit from the Pulse. She knew she'd eventually have to run sometime, but for now it was best to stay in Seattle.
Chapter 8
Commander James Tremell was not having an easy day. Lydecker had told him plain and simple what he wanted: all X5s to be recaptured and accounted for. What he hadn't told him was exactly how to capture them. Doing this required several things. The first was easy. Assemble a search team. Okay, done. But what about training? Was it even close to possible to prepare a team of normal, average, middle-of-the-line soldiers to think and fight like transgenics? Tremell hoped so. He himself had trained the X5s. Hopefully these people could be at least half as good. He knew he would have to be tougher on them than on the transgenics, because they had free will. The transgenics' minds had been fairly contained in that area. First and second-year recruits were lazy. You'd have to haul ass just to get them to make their beds. Oh well. Tremell thought he'd give it a try.
"Fall in!" he shouted.
They all dropped what they were doing and fell into a straight line. So far, so good.
"Alright. I trust you've all read the mission briefing?"
Most of them either nodded or said yes.
"Sir, we've never dealt with anything like this before," said one recruit.
"I should expect not," said Tremell. "Because nothing like this has ever happened before. This is the first time we've ever sent regular soldiers into battle against transgenics, so there's a few things you should know. First of all, throw all the training and skills you thought you had out the window. The X5s have been trained in every field of combat you can imagine, and I can guarantee you they are experts in every one. During the next few months, you will have just a taste of the training that they've had. It wasn't in the report, but let me give you a little info on them. They are in class X5, the fifth creation in the X-series of transgenics. They are engineered for superior speed, strength, sight, hearing, lung capacity, and agility. Some also have a superior mental processing ability, which means they can memorize virtually anything the first time they hear or see it, and they do it fast. There are two particular X5s which you should be aware of. Their photos were in the reports you received. They are known as 452 and 599, but they also go by the aliases of "Max" and "Zack". They are two of the strongest X5s known, both with extraordinary mental processing skills and an advanced form of intuition. They also have great dexterity and reflexes, which explains why they are so quick to think and act. You must be extremely careful and cautious when approaching either of these two subjects, or any transgenics for that matter. The X5s only have two known weaknesses, and those are a form of progeria and seizures. Both are caused by side-effects in their DNA, and both are virtually impossible to use to our advantage. Getting close is not an option. There's only one proven and effective method, and that is taser guns. They can bring an X5 down in seconds. Don't even try any other ways, and whatever you do, never run from them. Ever. Because getting your ass kicked by a transgenic is almost ten times worse than getting it kicked by me. It's one of the worst things that can happen. Alright, dismissed! Report back here at thirteen-hundred hours, sharp!" Tremell walked away. It was hopeless and he knew it. Lydecker was going insane. He just hoped that at least one person could prove themselves and come back alive from all of this.
"Fall in!" Tremell shouted.
Max: The Post-Escape Story
Chapter 1
Max was running again, and as she did she felt the cold sting of the snow pounding beneath her feet. In her dreams it was always the same. She was always running from something or someone. She ran, turned a corner, and stopped. Above her stood a guard, his gun aimed at her. He fired, and she felt the overwhelming jolt of electricity throughout her body. She fell on the ground clinging to the snow. Then she blacked out.
Max woke up gasping for air. She was in a cold sweat. "Another bad dream?"
"Yeah," said Max. It was Lucy.
"What was it about?"
"In every dream it's always the same. I'm running away from Manticore again. I can almost feel the snow hitting hard against my feet. It all seems so real."
"I've had dreams like that before," said Lucy.
"Mine are a lot worse. Do you ever get killed or electrocuted in yours?" "No, but I do get chased. Not by soldiers, but by my dad."
"I'm very sorry he's like that."
"It's okay, really."
"No it's not! We have to do something about it."
"We can't. If we try anything, he'll notice and come after us."
"Couldn't we run away?"
"Don't you ever get tired of running? You were bred to be a soldier, so be it!" Max looked down, silent.
"Sorry."
"It's okay," Max said with a shaky voice. Lucy could tell she was fighting back tears.
"I'm just not as strong as I look. Although Manticore sort of beat it into to me for the past few years, through torture, fights, discipline, rules, and emotional coping with death. I can't." She felt the tears streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry Max," said Lucy. They embraced each other.
"I'm the one who should be sorry," said Max. "I shouldn't be crying like this. At Manticore, they told us that showing our emotions was a sign of weakness. They were right. I've gained nothing through this. It's just…. when I was there, they would make us do push-ups if you laughed, cried, smiled, or anything. This is the first time I've ever cried in my life without being punished."
"Damn, that's harsh," said Lucy.
"Tell me about it. Hey, just so you know, I'm not as tough as I seem. But at Manticore…we all were. I've killed before."
"You have?"
"Yes. I don't know who he was, they always took random fugitives off of death row and put them into something even worse; a race between life and death. They agreed to let him go if he got past the perimeter fence in time before we snuck in and killed him. Of course it never worked. Even when they gave the guy a head start, we were still faster than he was, and ten times stronger. We all…took pride in his death. My brother, Ben, he would always make up these stories about the Nomalies in the basement: the X2s. They were an experiment gone wrong. They all basically went insane, started killing one another for no reason. Ben would say they were cannibals, coming through the walls like ghosts when you weren't looking. Then they eat you up, little, by little, by little…forever."
"Creepy. You know, it's not your fault you took pride in the man's murder. You were brainwashed."
"Yeah. They did this thing to us where they inject you with some shit and run a laser beam into your eye. Then you do anything they tell you to, no matter whether it's good or bad."
"That would scare the hell out of me, said Lucy.
"I got used to it," said Max. "Kept me tough. Every once in awhile they'd do it just to see how much you could endure. My record was seventeen minutes."
"God." There was a long pause, until Lucy and Max saw the flash of headlights through the window and heard a car approaching.
"Shit, it's my dad! Hide!" said Lucy. They had found several places in the house to hide in the house, mainly closets and the basement. They would never split up. Lucy was too scared to be alone, and Max knew it.
This time, they hid in the basement. It was pitch black, and the chattering and squeaking of rats made it seem even creepier, not to mention the dank smell. The two of them took deep breaths.
"What now?" asked Max.
"We wait," replied Lucy. Well. That was as good an answer as anything, thought Max. They heard the distant slam of a door, and the creaking of the floorboards above them. Max heard some muttering upstairs.
"Damn kids," the voice said. "Where the hell are you?" he yelled. "Lucy, get your ass up here right now!" Lucy started to get up.
"What the hell are you doing?" whispered Max.
"I have to go or he'll beat me."
"He'll do it anyway!"
"I'll talk to him." She started up the stairs.
"Damn it, Luce!"
"Don't worry. I'll have to face him sooner or later."
"Better not to face him at all!"
"Let me try." She continued up the stairs. Is she crazy?! She'll get herself killed, thought Max.
"I have to watch out for her," she said aloud. She got up and went up the stairs. She opened the door a crack to see what was going on.
"What the hell did you do to the car?"
"I didn't do anything to it, dad!"
"Then why'd I have trouble on the way to work and getting back?"
"I don't know, take it to a mechanic!"
"Damn it, what did you do?!"
"Nothing!" Lucy yelled. He slapped her hard on the cheek. She started sobbing. Max gasped. "Dad, you need to get some help," cried Lucy. He picked Lucy up by the arm, twisting it hard. "Ow! You're hurting me!"
"Why do you think I need help, huh? I'm fine! What the hell do you know?!" he screamed. Lucy was still crying. He shoved her down on the floor and walked away shaking his head. He went into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. Max came out and ran to Lucy.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I should have listened to you, Max."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just trying to look out for you."
"Thanks."
"Anytime. C'mon, we better get to bed," said Max. She helped Lucy up off the floor. Was it even worth it to stay here, she wondered?
1 Chapter 2
The next day after lunch, Lucy and Max washed the dishes and talked about
Lucy's past.
"What happened to your mom?" asked Max.
"She divorced my dad. There were a few court trials over who got custody of me, but dad always won. He had a pretty good lawyer. I wish I could have gone with my mom."
"Where is she now?"
"She died in a car accident about four years ago."
"I'm sorry. I never met my mother. She got sent away or something after I was born. At Manticore it was more like we came from each other. Teamwork, duty, discipline, all this "focus on the mission" crap. I just want to be my own person, live a normal life. You have no idea what it's like to actually have been born and raised in the military. So disciplined, no emotion…it's rather sad."
"I'm sorry for you. You must really want a family. This one sucks, you don't deserve to be treated like this."
"You're my family, Luce."
"Thanks, Max."
"You know, we really have to do something about your dad."
"Like what?"
"I don't know yet."
"If you're thinking of running away, forget it. The police will catch me and bring me back. And then-" Max cut her off.
"I know what he'll do, and I won't let it happen. I'll stand up to him myself." "Max-"
"Look, don't tell me it's the wrong thing to do, okay? Somebody's got to teach that asshole a lesson, and I don't care what he tries to do. I'm not going to keep standing by and watching him hurt you. I'm a transgenic. I might as well use my strength."
"What would you do? You don't have a gun."
"Don't need one. There's a lot you don't know about me. I can kick his ass with my bare hands."
"Could you teach me some stuff?"
"I was hoping you'd ask that. C'mon."
They went outside. "Okay. The first thing you need to learn is misdirection and distraction. Make a fist with your left hand. Now raise it over your head. This is a form of misdirection. When you do this, have another fist ready on your right hand. Then just punch outward."
"Hyah!"
"Great. Not bad for someone who…" Max's voice trailed off. She stared in horror as she saw Lucy's father come out of the house with a shotgun. Shit.
"What is it Max?" Lucy asked.
"Lucy…don't move," said Max. "I'll take care of things." She ran up to him as fast as an eye blinks and pushed his gun out of Lucy's range. Still holding onto it, she brought her right leg up to kick him in the head. As he fell, she turned the gun on him. She took the clip out and threw it over her shoulder, then threw the gun down on the floor.
"Just so you know, I don't use guns but I can kick your ass just the same." "Remember what you learned at Manticore," he said. "You execute a tactical advantage over your enemy only if it is necessary to the overall strategic objective. Failing that, you will initiate a tactical withdraw."
"What?"
Max snapped her eyes open. Now she remembered her training.
"Max…you okay?" asked Lucy.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Max, stay away from my dad, or he'll start with you too."
"Lucy, your eye!"
"He punched me this time. You were asleep when he took me."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I can take care of myself." Just then, they heard stomping.
"Hey! Where are you kids?"
"Shit, we have to hide again! C'mon!"
They ran down to the basement and hid under the stairs.
"His football game must have gone out," said Lucy. "I don't see how though, there's no storm outside."
Max remained silent. She sure as hell did not want Lucy to know what she had remembered. But she knew she had to do it. Max would have to run away, one way or another. Lucy was in tears. All of a sudden, the moment they had dreaded finally came. Their stomachs jumped as they heard the basement door fly open and slam hard against the wall.
"Where are you?!" the drunken man screamed. By now, Max had grabbed Lucy's hand and was holding on tight. Lucy squeezed back. A beer can dropped on the stairs and bounced down to the bottom. "Why did you turn off my game?!" Obviously, the man had had more than just a couple of beers. "I know you're down there!" Max shuddered. This was worse than her dreams, much worse. They waited for what seemed like an eternity before Lucy's father finally turned around and headed back upstairs. After a few minutes, they went back to bed.
1.1 Chapter 3
When Lucy awoke the next morning, she didn't see Max in her bedroom. "Max?" She ran around to all the different rooms, looked under and behind things, in the basement, closets, everywhere. But Max was nowhere to be found. Why would she just run away, thought Lucy?. She ran outside. "Max? Where are you?" Lucy called for almost an hour, but got no answer. Max was gone.
1.2 Chapter 4
Max walked down the side of the highway, headed for anywhere, as long as she could be safe. She tried not to think about what she'd left behind, or where she was going. Once she reached the city, there was total and utter chaos. Rioters were everywhere, police were shooting, and grenades were being thrown. Max was reminded of the rebellion at Manticore, and how it had come to be.
"They're going to kill us," she had told Zack. She remembered seeing Jack lying on the table, his chest cut open. If you weren't perfect, they would kill you. So…they ran away. Now to piece it all together. What was happening here? She had to find out. She found a man half-buried under crushed stone and debris from a building.
"What's going on?" she asked him. He groaned, but managed to tell her.
"Haven't you heard? A few terrorists, they…set off an electromagnetic pulse from space…everyone is panicking. Riot control's gone mad…they're killing people. This is truly the end…get away while you still can."
With this, he let out a groan and died. Max stared for a moment, then got up and looked around her. The destruction was unbelievable. It was like a war zone.
She soon found a half blown-out clothing store. Hell, everyone else was stealing stuff, she could too. Besides, she needed something else to wear. She went through the store and picked out a few items, some of which included a leather jacket, socks, shoes, and blue jeans. Max found a back room and changed into her new clothes.
Coming out of the store, she saw an ambulance speeding down the highway with its sirens blaring. All of a sudden, it came screeching to a halt near a group of police officers. The back doors flew open and three terrorists came out, guns blazing. They cut down two of the five police officers with lethal accuracy. The officers that remained took shelter behind some of the rubble from a nearby building. They shot one of the terrorists in the head, but missed the others.
Max decided to take matters into her own hands. She ran up to one of the two that was left and pushed his gun away as he began to fire. She punched him in the face, then swirled half-round to grab his arm. She threw him over her shoulder and he hit the ground hard. The other was too easy. Max kicked him in the knee, shattering his kneecap. She grabbed his rifle and turned it around to hit him in the face. He fell to the ground. Just then, the ambulance started to drive away. Max shot one of the back tires and it blew. The driver slammed on the brakes and the vehicle skidded to the left. It tipped over on its side. But it wasn't over yet. Max dropped the gun as she noticed a small device on the ground. It had a LED display with numbers, counting down…5…4…3…"Bomb!" Max yelled. She ran and jumped over the large pile of rubble where the police were hiding, and landed on her back just as the bomb exploded.
1.3 Chapter 5
For a long moment she lay there, looking up at the night sky and thinking of what her life was going to be like. The voice of one of the police officers suddenly brought her back to reality.
"Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah."
She got up and started to walk away.
"Where will you go?" he asked her.
"Don't know. I make life up as I go along." She walked on, observing her surroundings. "Like it or not, this is your home now," she thought. Where was she anyway? She would be able to tell from an aerial map, but not on ground. She saw an old torn-up newspaper lying in the rubble. Max picked it up. "The Seattle Sun," it read. "Seattle," she whispered to herself. "Am I really in Seattle?" She did not think she had come this far. Lucy's house was about thirty miles away, she knew that much. So…she was in Seattle, Washington. Oh, who gives a damn about it, anyway? Might as well make the most of it, right? Now that the U.S. is third world, it doesn't really matter. Prosperity is bullshit now. Until they could rebuild things, America's society was in total anarchy. A system without brains. "Now that's pretty whack," thought Max.
1.4 Chapter 6
By the next morning, Max had arrived at the South Market. Once the source of food and goods for the poor, it was now booming with former upper and middle-class citizens. Most of them had become broke overnight, thinking another economic depression was inevitable. The only thing they had forgotten was the electronic system.
The intelligent person took their money out of the banks and saved up manually rather than taking a gamble by investing in the stock market. That way at least you didn't lose all of your life-savings when stocks collapsed. Several stands were being set up for free food and clothes. Max decided to get some breakfast. After all, she hadn't eaten in about two days. She got in line to get some cereal. She picked up a milk and spoon, and a tiny blue box that said "Frosted Flakes" on it. Then she sat down against a post.
She stared blankly at the box of cereal. It's not like she had ever seen anything like it before. At Manticore, all they ever had were what were called "Meals Ready to Eat", or MREs. Basically it was tasteless, reprocessed food in a plastic container that smelled like garbage. She looked around at what the other people were doing, and was able to figure it out. Max ripped open the box and poured the milk in. She took her spoon and scooped up some of the curious mixture. It tasted somewhat stale, but it was pretty good. Certainly better than those MREs, anyway.
She began to wonder how everyone else had made out. She thought about Jondy, if she had escaped or not. And Zack…her big brother, and the one who had planned their escape…
"What did you see, Max?"
"I…I saw…it was Jack, and…"
"Go on," said Zack.
"They were cutting him open at the chest, dissecting him. If we have these seizures and they see it, they'll kill us."
"Oh shit. Damn it, those bastards!" He punched the wall.
"Zack, we have to get out of here."
"I know…I have an idea. Tomorrow night I'll lead Ben, Tinga, Jondy, Zane, and Brin down one wing. Eva will lead you and the others."
"Okay."…
"Max! Max, where's Eva?" Zack asked as he was shoved into the room with the rest of his group. The door was slammed shut by the commanding officer. "Max…what happened?"
"Eva's dead. Shot by Lydecker."
"Shit!"
"They figured out our seizure problems. It's a lack of the chemical seratonin in our brains. When levels are low, we get seizures. They're issuing Tryptophan to all of us tomorrow morning."
"That's good to know. At least nobody else will get chopped apart. We'll make another attempt tomorrow. This time, nobody separates. I'll make sure it works."
…Max was starting to have seizures. Damn.
She'd have to find Tryptophan somewhere. She finished her cereal and got up to search for a pharmaceutical stand. After a few minutes, she found one.
"You got any Tryptophan?" she asked.
"You're in luck," said the woman. "Last bottle. And that'll be…seventy-five dollars."
"What? I don't have any money! I thought everything at the South Market was free for the homeless!"
"Well in case you hadn't noticed, there was an electro-magnetic pulse that hit us last night and wiped out all of our bank accounts? So learn to live with it. Prices will continue to rise around here until it reaches near inflation! It's the only way you can sell things that are in small amounts but high in demand."
"That's crazy. Look at me. I'm having seizures right now, and unless you give me those pills, I'll eventually go into a coma and die! I promise I'll pay you back later, please!"
"Sorry. It just doesn't work that way-"
"I'll pay for it," said a young woman standing behind Max.
"Okay."
"Here. Take the seventy-five. But I wouldn't try selling those anymore if I were you. Not many people around here have money."
"Thanks. Here's her pills."
"Thank you. Are you okay?" she asked Max.
"Yeah. Thanks a lot," Max said, shoving two pills in her mouth. She dry- swallowed them. The woman and her began to walk around.
"You have seizures, huh?"
"Yeah. They're a real bitch."
"I'm sorry for you."
"Don't be. I can usually take care of myself. Except for when it comes to money."
"Oh, well here," the woman said, giving Max a bunch of twenty-dollar bills. "So you can survive on your own for awhile. It's a mean world out there."
"I can't take this-"
"Sure you can. I'm over-loaded as it is." She smiled.
"Thank you…thanks a lot."
"Don't mention it. If you ever need anything else, just call me. I'll always be around here. By the way, my name's Sydney."
"Thanks for everything."
Max then continued on by herself. So…where was she going to go now? You couldn't exactly live in the South Market. Not that anyone wanted to live there anyway. The back of the market did have a few run-down shacks here and there, but most were not occupied for various reasons, mainly because of roach infestations and rats. That and the fact that there were no bathrooms. So most people lived in the streets or in apartments. And Max didn't feel like either. You had to pay for apartments. Pretty stupid, considering most people in America were now broke. So what else is new, thought Max.
"Sir, so far we've found twelve that have escaped."
"Twelve…that many?"
"Sir, it's not much-"
"Not much? Not much, huh?! I'll tell you how many is not much, none, that's how many. Each of their genetic codes is worth millions in government funds, now do you have any inkling as to how much has been wasted if we don't find some way of getting them back?" said Lydecker.
"Yes sir," said the officer. Lydecker sighed.
"Which subjects have escaped?"
"Well sir, I have their mugshots here," he said, handing Lydecker a folder. He took one look at the first photo, then closed the folder and dropped it on the table. "What is it, sir?"
"The first one, 452, she escaped?"
"Yes sir."
"Damn. She was my best."
"I'm sorry, sir-"
"Run a full-scale investigation. No questions, just do it. We're going to get them back. And do a search of prison records. Look for identifying marks of any kind, scars, tattoos, anything of that nature. Report back to me as soon as you find something."
"Yes sir."
The officer saluted and walked out of the conference room. The search was not going to be easy.
Max looked through the thick patch of ice that lay above her. Were the troops gone yet, she wondered? How long had she been holding her breath? It must have been at least fifteen minutes, because she was almost passing out. If she had still been in Manticore, they would've set it as a new record and congratulated her. Oh well. At least she wasn't shackled to the bottom of a water tank by her ankles. She swam over to the spot where she had fallen through the ice and climbed out. No one was around her, but she ran anyway.
The night was dreary and dark. As she was walking across the highway, a car screeched to a halt in front of her. It's headlights shone bright in her face. The front passenger-side door opened and she walked over to it. "Get in!" said the woman who was driving. "Hurry, c'mon!" Max cautiously got in and closed the door. "You okay?" the woman asked. Max didn't answer. She looked around the inside of the car. In between the two seats, she noticed an ID badge. It seemed to be the woman's. Suddenly, a police car whizzed by with sirens blaring. Without thinking, Max got down on the floor of the car. She only glanced at the ID as she did, and managed to figure out that the woman's name was Hannah, a nurse from Manticore.
Hannah. The woman who had saved Max's life. She had to go looking for her sometime, to thank her. And to see if she knew anything about her mother or the other X5s. Her house had been old, and had a luxury most houses didn't: a fireplace. There in Hannah's house was the one feeling Manticore could never have provided. It was the feeling of being at home, rest and relaxation, with not a care in the world. And Max had run away from it. She'd never had a home anyway.
She was on the streets, just like everyone else. At least in one way she was equal to them. Now that she had money, she wasn't broke, which still made her higher than them. Oh well. Not much of a difference. All Max had ever wanted was to be a regular and ordinary person, nothing more or less than normal. And here she was. She had gotten her wish.
As she walked through the downtrodden city, she looked for a place she could be alone. Then she looked up. There, looming above her was the most amazing and happiest sight Max had ever seen. She ran about a mile or two to the entrance. The gate was locked, so she jumped over it. She saw a sign with an arrow pointing right. "Space Needle tours" it said. So, this was the famous Seattle Space Needle. Interesting name.
A sudden gust of wind suddenly kicked up, scattering old newspapers, snack wrappings and other litter. Signs that the people who had been there when the Pulse hit had probably panicked and left in a hurry. There was a sheer sense of abandonment that seemed almost creepy, as if there were ghostly spirits haunting the structure. Max shuddered. It was hard to believe that this place had ever contained human life, let alone any life at all. She walked up to the locked gates beside a ticket booth and kicked them open, sending a small lock and chain flying to the ground.
Inside the lobby, there were a couple of lights on here and there, but most were out. The elevators didn't work, so she went to a circuit breaker box on the wall and flipped on the switches. There was a surge of power and some more lights came on, but most shorted out or broke. The elevators also came down. Max got in one and headed for the top floor. Once there, she climbed out of a broken window and up onto the saucer-shaped top of the Space Needle. Now this is perfect, thought Max.
"Sir, we've searched through all available databases, but so far nothing," said the officer.
"Nothing? Not a single trace?"
"No sir."
"Damn. We have to find something soon, or the committee will shut us down."
"I know sir. In a search like this, you just have to be patient."
"We don't have time to be patient. We have two months left, if nothing comes up by then, we'll have to falsify a report. What about 599, did he escape also?" "Yes sir." "How?" "We don't know." "Oh well. It doesn't matter. They can't keep a low profile forever. Eventually they'll have to resort to drastic measures in order to survive. I taught them that and they know it."
Max sat on top of the Space Needle, looking down at the city. She wondered what Lydecker was up to. She had almost forgot about him…him and the torture… "No one can resist torture indefinitely. Not even you. If your mind is susceptible, you will reveal what you know." Memories of Manticore flashed through her mind. Duty, discipline, teamwork, mission.
She remembered the torture, being locked underwater, having a laser beamed into her eye, being sedated, cut open, having her arms and legs purposely
crushed and broken. Max remembered it all so clearly as if it had happened yesterday. She would rather die than go back to Manticore, that was a given. And if anyone came after her, she would kill. Simple as that. She got up and walked back to the elevators, ready to face whatever Lydecker sent after her and the others.
Chapter 7
Hoverdrones were a common and unusual sight to Max, but once she found out what they were, she did her best to avoid them. If you could be identified by its onboard computer as missing, committing a crime, or avoiding prosecution by the police, you were pretty much screwed. Unless of course you belonged to Manticore. Then it was worse, because they would take you back. And Max knew it.
She wondered if any of the others had been captured yet, she knew Zack had been. She had seen it…
"Sir, we've apprehended 599." "Good work. Bring him back to base, over." "Copy. Out." They picked him up by the arms and legs and proceeded to carry him back. He seemed to be unconscious, but within seconds he had twisted out of their grasp and fell on the ground. Leaning on his hands and jumping to his feet, Zack then ran as gunshots flared around him. After circling the group of soldier only once, they were all dead from their own gunfire. Only one remained, and he looked in every direction, but could not find Zack. Suddenly someone tapped his shoulder, and he realized too late that he had made a mistake. A fist punched him hard in the face. The soldier fell unconscious. Zack ran to the fence and climbed up to the top. Carefully maneuvering around the razor wire, he got to the other side of the fence and jumped down to the ground. He looked back for a few seconds to make sure he was the last one out and then ran down the highway into the darkness…
But she was sure he had gotten out, he always found a way. She heard sirens up ahead in the distance. She stopped walking and used her telescopic vision to see down the highway. The police seemed to be setting up temporary sectors around the city. Soon everyone would need some form of identification to get through into each sector. Great. What is this world coming to, she thought? Probably extinction. Most normal human beings were so damn senseless. Especially ones who wasted time with temporary barriers and structures that would never hold against an enemy attack. Structures like the entire U.S. electrical system. Nothing could have protected it from the Pulse. Not a thing. What she didn't get was why people were panicking. They should have expected this. They should have been ready. It was inevitable. By now, even F.D.R. could not have saved the economy. Government funds were virtually exhausted, so it would be some time before another president could take office, let alone run a campaign. But if all government funds had been wiped out, then that meant that funding for Manticore had also stopped. And if Max's suspicions were correct, and all computers east of the Rockies had indeed been fried, then it would be awhile before Lydecker got onto them. Well…at least there was one benefit from the Pulse. She knew she'd eventually have to run sometime, but for now it was best to stay in Seattle.
Chapter 8
Commander James Tremell was not having an easy day. Lydecker had told him plain and simple what he wanted: all X5s to be recaptured and accounted for. What he hadn't told him was exactly how to capture them. Doing this required several things. The first was easy. Assemble a search team. Okay, done. But what about training? Was it even close to possible to prepare a team of normal, average, middle-of-the-line soldiers to think and fight like transgenics? Tremell hoped so. He himself had trained the X5s. Hopefully these people could be at least half as good. He knew he would have to be tougher on them than on the transgenics, because they had free will. The transgenics' minds had been fairly contained in that area. First and second-year recruits were lazy. You'd have to haul ass just to get them to make their beds. Oh well. Tremell thought he'd give it a try.
"Fall in!" he shouted.
They all dropped what they were doing and fell into a straight line. So far, so good.
"Alright. I trust you've all read the mission briefing?"
Most of them either nodded or said yes.
"Sir, we've never dealt with anything like this before," said one recruit.
"I should expect not," said Tremell. "Because nothing like this has ever happened before. This is the first time we've ever sent regular soldiers into battle against transgenics, so there's a few things you should know. First of all, throw all the training and skills you thought you had out the window. The X5s have been trained in every field of combat you can imagine, and I can guarantee you they are experts in every one. During the next few months, you will have just a taste of the training that they've had. It wasn't in the report, but let me give you a little info on them. They are in class X5, the fifth creation in the X-series of transgenics. They are engineered for superior speed, strength, sight, hearing, lung capacity, and agility. Some also have a superior mental processing ability, which means they can memorize virtually anything the first time they hear or see it, and they do it fast. There are two particular X5s which you should be aware of. Their photos were in the reports you received. They are known as 452 and 599, but they also go by the aliases of "Max" and "Zack". They are two of the strongest X5s known, both with extraordinary mental processing skills and an advanced form of intuition. They also have great dexterity and reflexes, which explains why they are so quick to think and act. You must be extremely careful and cautious when approaching either of these two subjects, or any transgenics for that matter. The X5s only have two known weaknesses, and those are a form of progeria and seizures. Both are caused by side-effects in their DNA, and both are virtually impossible to use to our advantage. Getting close is not an option. There's only one proven and effective method, and that is taser guns. They can bring an X5 down in seconds. Don't even try any other ways, and whatever you do, never run from them. Ever. Because getting your ass kicked by a transgenic is almost ten times worse than getting it kicked by me. It's one of the worst things that can happen. Alright, dismissed! Report back here at thirteen-hundred hours, sharp!" Tremell walked away. It was hopeless and he knew it. Lydecker was going insane. He just hoped that at least one person could prove themselves and come back alive from all of this.
"Fall in!" Tremell shouted.