Manticore Facility; Gillette, Wyoming; 2020
"X5/353 reporting as ordered Sir," I said standing at attention. Colonel Lydecker looked up from his desk, expressionless, as usual.
"At ease 353," he said finally, motioning for me to sit down. I took the seat sitting in front of Lydecker's desk. He looked through a few of his papers sitting neatly on the desk in front of him before returning his look to me. "I've been told that you've been doing well lately. Following orders, not talking back, and you completed your last deep cover mission efficiently and to your fullest ability. Am I correct?"
"Yes Sir," I replied. I blinked hard, praying to the Blue Lady that Lydecker wouldn't ask what inspired this sudden change in my attitude. I mean, what could I say? That I was sick of being punished? Beaten and thrown down in the basement with the Nomalies.
"That's good news," Lydecker said simply. I didn't say anything, knowing there was a catch. Lydecker didn't bring soldier into his office to tell them they were doing good. I'd trained hard for ten years, took my classes and excelled in each of them; but always had a cocky, un-soldier like quality that Manticore frowned upon.
Lydecker looked down at his papers one more time and then folded his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on his desk. " X5/205 has been located in Los Angeles, California. Sources indicate that he may be working at an automotive shop under the alias Zane Campbell," Lydecker paused, letting this sink in. My mind wandered back to that cold winter night almost ten years ago when Zane escaped along with twelve other of my brothers and sisters.
"Based on the results displayed by X5/599 when he was recaptured a few months ago, it is believed that gathering information by means of extraction is unsuccessful when it comes to the members of your former unit. However, when asked for information by X5/452, X5/599 revealed the locations of several of the escaped X5's. Though we were unable to capture any of them, we learned some valuable information."
I remembered Zack being captured. Actually, he'd turned himself in to prevent our little sister Max from coming back here. They'd tortured him, did everything they could to get information from him. I had snuck out of the barracks and begged the doctor to stop, that he couldn't take it anymore. Zack hadn't seen me, but I checked in on him often, telling him to hold on for a little while longer. That I was trying to help. I finally came up with a plan that both the doctor and Lydecker agreed with. They let him go, with a transmitter on him, and let him contact Max. When she'd come to help him, he told her about the whereabouts of some of my brothers and sisters. Luckily, they all escaped.
Lydecker paused for almost a full minute before continuing. "X5/353 we are sending you to Los Angeles. This is a very important deep cover mission. I believe as a child, you had a nickname. What did the others call you, 353?"
"Keri, Sir," I told him. My heart was racing but I kept a straight face as I listened to what Lydecker wanted me to do.
"Right. Keri," Lydecker repeated. "Your mission is to go to Los Angeles as Keri, not X5/353. You will find X5/205 and gain his trust as his little sister again. Then you will find out all the information you can from him. Under no circumstances will you drop cover or attempt to capture X5/205 until given orders otherwise, is that clear?"
"Yes Sir."
" Manticore has set up a base outside of California. You will send daily mission reports there. No surveillance or transmitters will be involved. Any and all information you receive, you will send to base. Is that clear?" Lydecker asked.
"Yes Sir."
"We have set up an apartment for you, 10468 140th Waller Road, APT 5C but once in Los Angeles you will go straight to 10468 140th Waller Road, APT 7C. We have set up a base for you there. You will send all reports from this area. Computer access along with phone lines linked only to the base outside of California and the Manticore base in Wyoming. By no means will you use this apartment for anything not mission related. Two sets of keys will be found in the apartment, the first set for your apartment, the second for the vehicle we have provided for you. The vehicle will be parked outside the apartment building with the license plate FKR-0353. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir," I replied for the third time.
Lydecker nodded. "Good. Do you have any questions?"
"When do I leave?" I asked, a little excited about this mission. Not only would I get to leave Manticore for awhile, I could see my brother again, and I didn't even have to harm him. I didn't want to put the others in danger, but orders are order.
"You will deport tomorrow at 0530," Lydecker replied. "We have got you a plane ticket all ready as well as a ride from the airport to the apartment building."
"What should I tell X5/205 about why I'm there?"
"After the '09 escape you were recaptured and retrained, though never reclaimed loyalty to us. You escaped on your own on September 31, 2020. Ran from Gillette, Wyoming until you came to San Diego, California. Didn't want to stay in one place too long so you relocated to Los Angeles, where you run into X5/205 when repairs are needed on your automobile," Lydecker replied promptly. It was obvious he had been planning this mission for awhile. "Any other questions?" he asked.
"Not at the moment Sir," I replied.
"You have got the afternoon off then. Feel free to drop by if you have any other questions or go into town, just be back by 0530 tomorrow morning."
"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir," I replied, standing. Once you got older, Manticore loosened the leash a little. At a certain age, and after you'd earned a certain degree of trust, you were allowed off the base in your off duty time. You weren't confined to the barracks or training all the time, you were free to roam to base in between classes and such. It actually wasn't half bad, if you didn't count the relentless training we DID have and the couple days in Psyops every few months for evaluation. Though fun wasn't enforced, it wasn't forbidden either; so long as it didn't interfere with the mission or your training.
"Your dismissed," Lydecker told me as I stood. I saluted him and then turned and walked out of the room.
"X5/353 reporting as ordered Sir," I said standing at attention. Colonel Lydecker looked up from his desk, expressionless, as usual.
"At ease 353," he said finally, motioning for me to sit down. I took the seat sitting in front of Lydecker's desk. He looked through a few of his papers sitting neatly on the desk in front of him before returning his look to me. "I've been told that you've been doing well lately. Following orders, not talking back, and you completed your last deep cover mission efficiently and to your fullest ability. Am I correct?"
"Yes Sir," I replied. I blinked hard, praying to the Blue Lady that Lydecker wouldn't ask what inspired this sudden change in my attitude. I mean, what could I say? That I was sick of being punished? Beaten and thrown down in the basement with the Nomalies.
"That's good news," Lydecker said simply. I didn't say anything, knowing there was a catch. Lydecker didn't bring soldier into his office to tell them they were doing good. I'd trained hard for ten years, took my classes and excelled in each of them; but always had a cocky, un-soldier like quality that Manticore frowned upon.
Lydecker looked down at his papers one more time and then folded his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on his desk. " X5/205 has been located in Los Angeles, California. Sources indicate that he may be working at an automotive shop under the alias Zane Campbell," Lydecker paused, letting this sink in. My mind wandered back to that cold winter night almost ten years ago when Zane escaped along with twelve other of my brothers and sisters.
"Based on the results displayed by X5/599 when he was recaptured a few months ago, it is believed that gathering information by means of extraction is unsuccessful when it comes to the members of your former unit. However, when asked for information by X5/452, X5/599 revealed the locations of several of the escaped X5's. Though we were unable to capture any of them, we learned some valuable information."
I remembered Zack being captured. Actually, he'd turned himself in to prevent our little sister Max from coming back here. They'd tortured him, did everything they could to get information from him. I had snuck out of the barracks and begged the doctor to stop, that he couldn't take it anymore. Zack hadn't seen me, but I checked in on him often, telling him to hold on for a little while longer. That I was trying to help. I finally came up with a plan that both the doctor and Lydecker agreed with. They let him go, with a transmitter on him, and let him contact Max. When she'd come to help him, he told her about the whereabouts of some of my brothers and sisters. Luckily, they all escaped.
Lydecker paused for almost a full minute before continuing. "X5/353 we are sending you to Los Angeles. This is a very important deep cover mission. I believe as a child, you had a nickname. What did the others call you, 353?"
"Keri, Sir," I told him. My heart was racing but I kept a straight face as I listened to what Lydecker wanted me to do.
"Right. Keri," Lydecker repeated. "Your mission is to go to Los Angeles as Keri, not X5/353. You will find X5/205 and gain his trust as his little sister again. Then you will find out all the information you can from him. Under no circumstances will you drop cover or attempt to capture X5/205 until given orders otherwise, is that clear?"
"Yes Sir."
" Manticore has set up a base outside of California. You will send daily mission reports there. No surveillance or transmitters will be involved. Any and all information you receive, you will send to base. Is that clear?" Lydecker asked.
"Yes Sir."
"We have set up an apartment for you, 10468 140th Waller Road, APT 5C but once in Los Angeles you will go straight to 10468 140th Waller Road, APT 7C. We have set up a base for you there. You will send all reports from this area. Computer access along with phone lines linked only to the base outside of California and the Manticore base in Wyoming. By no means will you use this apartment for anything not mission related. Two sets of keys will be found in the apartment, the first set for your apartment, the second for the vehicle we have provided for you. The vehicle will be parked outside the apartment building with the license plate FKR-0353. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir," I replied for the third time.
Lydecker nodded. "Good. Do you have any questions?"
"When do I leave?" I asked, a little excited about this mission. Not only would I get to leave Manticore for awhile, I could see my brother again, and I didn't even have to harm him. I didn't want to put the others in danger, but orders are order.
"You will deport tomorrow at 0530," Lydecker replied. "We have got you a plane ticket all ready as well as a ride from the airport to the apartment building."
"What should I tell X5/205 about why I'm there?"
"After the '09 escape you were recaptured and retrained, though never reclaimed loyalty to us. You escaped on your own on September 31, 2020. Ran from Gillette, Wyoming until you came to San Diego, California. Didn't want to stay in one place too long so you relocated to Los Angeles, where you run into X5/205 when repairs are needed on your automobile," Lydecker replied promptly. It was obvious he had been planning this mission for awhile. "Any other questions?" he asked.
"Not at the moment Sir," I replied.
"You have got the afternoon off then. Feel free to drop by if you have any other questions or go into town, just be back by 0530 tomorrow morning."
"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir," I replied, standing. Once you got older, Manticore loosened the leash a little. At a certain age, and after you'd earned a certain degree of trust, you were allowed off the base in your off duty time. You weren't confined to the barracks or training all the time, you were free to roam to base in between classes and such. It actually wasn't half bad, if you didn't count the relentless training we DID have and the couple days in Psyops every few months for evaluation. Though fun wasn't enforced, it wasn't forbidden either; so long as it didn't interfere with the mission or your training.
"Your dismissed," Lydecker told me as I stood. I saluted him and then turned and walked out of the room.