I walked down the hall, trying to decide what to do with my free time. As I
reached the barracks, I went into my room. The barracks had been separated
after the '09 escape. There were two to a room now, each room smaller then
they used to be, but a good size for two soldiers to share.
My roommate was lying in his bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. I pulled my long dark brown hair from the tight ponytail it had been in and sat down on my own bed, pulling at the hair with my fingers. X5/601 didn't even look over. I cocked my head to the side and made my way over to his bed, sitting down beside him and trying to read his expression.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, yeah of course," he replied. He looked up at me as if he'd just realized who I was. "Oh, hey 353."
"Keri," I said shortly.
He shook his head but smiled. "One of these days the instructors are going to hear you still calling yourself Keri and they'll throw you into reindoctrination or Psyops. Your lucky you didn't get thrown in there on 2009," he told me, for the millionth time.
"I know, I know," I said, rolling my eyes. "So what's wrong?"
"Nothing," X5/601 replied, returning his stare to the ceiling.
"Liar," I accused. "Tell me what's wrong."
My previous roommate was one of the finest of the X5 series. She was strict and loyal to fault and had made life with her unbearable. She never wanted to talk or do anything beside training and classes. I guess that's why they'd shipped her off a couple months ago to a higher ranking facility and moved X5/601 in with me. X5/601 had the same cocky attitude that I did and I loved having him as a roommate. We'd grown close over the past couple months and I liked to think of him as a friend, or a brother, more then a roommate and unit member.
X5/601 grinned at me and shook his head. "I heard the Colonel talking about shipping me off," he said, his smile fading. My expression grew grim and I looked at him, concerned.
"What? Why?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know if it's final or anything, I might have heard wrong," he said. He paused and looked around. "I don't want to leave this place... I mean... I like being your roommate, you know, hanging out with you and everything."
I smiled and nodded. "I know," I said. "I don't think they're going to ship you off. We're short on soldiers as it is and they're only sending out the best of the..." I paused. "I mean, not that you aren't a good soldier, they just..."
X5/601 laughed, a rare sound coming from an X5. "I know what you mean 353. Keri. I know that I'm not a perfect soldier." He sighed and looked back at the ceiling.
"Well, hey, I've got the afternoon off. Let's go get some drinks or something," I suggested. "Maybe it'll take your mind off whatever they've got planned for you."
"Why do you have the afternoon off? You've got classes tonight."
"Oh, um, I'm leaving in the morning."
"What!" X5/601 exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Calm down. It's just for a deep cover mission, I'll be back," I said, rolling my eyes. I explained the mission to X5/601 and he nodded. He agreed to go out for the night and we spent the evening playing pool and drinking before returning to the compound late at night.
The rest of the night was spent talking with him. I admitted that I was scared to see Zane again. And how I didn't want to put my brothers and sisters in danger. I knew he wouldn't turn me in for treason so I told him everything. We didn't sleep that night. I lay in his bed, my head resting on his chest as we talked and when 0530 neared, I sat up and dressed in my casuals.
"Bye 601," I said to him, not wanting to leave just yet.
X5/601 sat up and watched me for a second. "Bryan," he replied.
"What?" I asked him as I laced my shoes. I gave him a curious look as he stood up and walked toward the door. He waited until I'd finished lacing my shoes and had joined him by the door.
"Bryan," he repeated. "Call me Bryan."
I grinned and hugged him. "Bye Bryan," I said with a smile. I didn't know what was going on as he smiled and took my hand but it felt... right.
"Bye," I replied. I gave him a quick look, hoping it wouldn't be the last time I saw him, and then rushed down the hall. The ride to the airport was quick. I was re-briefed on the mission during the ride and then boarded the plane. I slept during the plane ride and when I awoke, we were just over LA. I looked down at the lights of the city and smiled. So this is where my brother picked to live, I thought with a smile to myself.
Everything was exactly as Lydecker had described to me. My headquarters, the room next to my apartment, was amazing. An incredible computer system, scanners, fax machines, copiers, telephones... anything I could ever need to keep track of information... was there. I contacted Gillette to let them know I'd arrived and then went to check out where I'd be living.
The place was unbelievable. Everything was already set up, all the food and furniture I needed. In my room was clothes in my size along with all types of accessories and things I'd need. I planned on taking a long time on this mission after I'd looked around. Outside I found a perfect Mustang Convertible, one of the old models. I stared at the keys in my hand and back at the car. I let out a long, happy whistle and grinned. "Welcome to LA," I said to myself.
My roommate was lying in his bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. I pulled my long dark brown hair from the tight ponytail it had been in and sat down on my own bed, pulling at the hair with my fingers. X5/601 didn't even look over. I cocked my head to the side and made my way over to his bed, sitting down beside him and trying to read his expression.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, yeah of course," he replied. He looked up at me as if he'd just realized who I was. "Oh, hey 353."
"Keri," I said shortly.
He shook his head but smiled. "One of these days the instructors are going to hear you still calling yourself Keri and they'll throw you into reindoctrination or Psyops. Your lucky you didn't get thrown in there on 2009," he told me, for the millionth time.
"I know, I know," I said, rolling my eyes. "So what's wrong?"
"Nothing," X5/601 replied, returning his stare to the ceiling.
"Liar," I accused. "Tell me what's wrong."
My previous roommate was one of the finest of the X5 series. She was strict and loyal to fault and had made life with her unbearable. She never wanted to talk or do anything beside training and classes. I guess that's why they'd shipped her off a couple months ago to a higher ranking facility and moved X5/601 in with me. X5/601 had the same cocky attitude that I did and I loved having him as a roommate. We'd grown close over the past couple months and I liked to think of him as a friend, or a brother, more then a roommate and unit member.
X5/601 grinned at me and shook his head. "I heard the Colonel talking about shipping me off," he said, his smile fading. My expression grew grim and I looked at him, concerned.
"What? Why?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know if it's final or anything, I might have heard wrong," he said. He paused and looked around. "I don't want to leave this place... I mean... I like being your roommate, you know, hanging out with you and everything."
I smiled and nodded. "I know," I said. "I don't think they're going to ship you off. We're short on soldiers as it is and they're only sending out the best of the..." I paused. "I mean, not that you aren't a good soldier, they just..."
X5/601 laughed, a rare sound coming from an X5. "I know what you mean 353. Keri. I know that I'm not a perfect soldier." He sighed and looked back at the ceiling.
"Well, hey, I've got the afternoon off. Let's go get some drinks or something," I suggested. "Maybe it'll take your mind off whatever they've got planned for you."
"Why do you have the afternoon off? You've got classes tonight."
"Oh, um, I'm leaving in the morning."
"What!" X5/601 exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Calm down. It's just for a deep cover mission, I'll be back," I said, rolling my eyes. I explained the mission to X5/601 and he nodded. He agreed to go out for the night and we spent the evening playing pool and drinking before returning to the compound late at night.
The rest of the night was spent talking with him. I admitted that I was scared to see Zane again. And how I didn't want to put my brothers and sisters in danger. I knew he wouldn't turn me in for treason so I told him everything. We didn't sleep that night. I lay in his bed, my head resting on his chest as we talked and when 0530 neared, I sat up and dressed in my casuals.
"Bye 601," I said to him, not wanting to leave just yet.
X5/601 sat up and watched me for a second. "Bryan," he replied.
"What?" I asked him as I laced my shoes. I gave him a curious look as he stood up and walked toward the door. He waited until I'd finished lacing my shoes and had joined him by the door.
"Bryan," he repeated. "Call me Bryan."
I grinned and hugged him. "Bye Bryan," I said with a smile. I didn't know what was going on as he smiled and took my hand but it felt... right.
"Bye," I replied. I gave him a quick look, hoping it wouldn't be the last time I saw him, and then rushed down the hall. The ride to the airport was quick. I was re-briefed on the mission during the ride and then boarded the plane. I slept during the plane ride and when I awoke, we were just over LA. I looked down at the lights of the city and smiled. So this is where my brother picked to live, I thought with a smile to myself.
Everything was exactly as Lydecker had described to me. My headquarters, the room next to my apartment, was amazing. An incredible computer system, scanners, fax machines, copiers, telephones... anything I could ever need to keep track of information... was there. I contacted Gillette to let them know I'd arrived and then went to check out where I'd be living.
The place was unbelievable. Everything was already set up, all the food and furniture I needed. In my room was clothes in my size along with all types of accessories and things I'd need. I planned on taking a long time on this mission after I'd looked around. Outside I found a perfect Mustang Convertible, one of the old models. I stared at the keys in my hand and back at the car. I let out a long, happy whistle and grinned. "Welcome to LA," I said to myself.