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Part 17
Max subconsciously moved into Alec. Their whole side was touching and it seemed they were both finding strength from the contact. Jondy and Kahlua exchanged knowing glances winking at Max and she admirably managed to hide the dark blush.
Everything had happened so fast after the catapult incident that no one had as of yet had the time to comment on her and Alec's change of . . . status.
"So her genes have now been triggered into making the extra proteins," Zack stated mostly to himself, "She doesn't seem different to me."
"Have you noticed any changes apart from the runes? After you were cut with the snake blood did anything else happen"? the old man asked in soft gentle tones.
Max looked around at all the faces. Wesley sat on her left, his hazel eyes were masked but his demeanor was open, he was filing all the information. Mole beside him though looked lost, the explanations had been simple but Mole was never one for technical information outside of battle formations and guns.
Kahlua sat beside Dix and both seemed avidly interested; digesting all the information but Zyme though humbled by all the dirty looks was looking at Sandeman as if he were a god. Max certainly didn't appreciate the looks he gave her like she was a successful science experiment. At the moment she felt far from successful.
Joshua sat next to 'Father' watching her and she felt revealed under his gaze. He was far more understanding, more intelligent about people than many gave him credit for, he knew his friends, really knew them and the moment she felt like she was being read by him.
Sandeman watched her in what she could only describe as patience. There was nothing threatening about the man, none any stranger would notice. But he unsettled Max, knowing that he had created her, he was the one that gave her life . . . it made her feel powerless. For the one who gives you life isn't usually the one able to take it away?
Yet there was something so fatherly about him, so warm that she couldn't help but contradict herself and Spartacus on Rook's lap seemed so at ease next to him. She looked like a kitten that'd found her mother's warm side and now lay next to her content.
And Bintz too. With their mind abilities they would have picked up on something so Max allowed herself to relax a fraction. Since the conversation had started she'd been sitting like a coiled spring.
Jondy, Zane and Zack watched her with amused pride their little sister and she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Jondy's goofy smile and Zane's smirk. Luke sat mesmerized, simply staring at the table as if trying to let all the information sink in.
Her eyes finally fell on Alec and she felt her heart flutter. Her tension washed away as she met his encouraging smile and curious glance.
"At the JamPony hostage situation, everything slowed down, it was like I saw things in slow motion and I knew that those super familiars were coming. I . . . I just knew," she explained, "And earlier today after me and Alec . . . kissed, I went to the park. All my senses were heightened. I could even taste the air. I found myself sticking out my tongue to taste what was happening," she shrugged unsure.
"The phalanx, the familiar warriors were the second trigger. Have you ever watched an animal being hunted by a human? The man holds the gun, the weapon but the predator often gets away. One on one the man even with a gun is no match for a panther. She'll sense him, feel him before he even gets close enough to take a shot. It's instinct. Compared to you the Phalanx are just humans holding guns and though it may not seem like it, the scales are tipped in your favor," Sandeman said with a smile.
"I want to know all of this as much as the rest of ya but how long is this going to take?" whined Zane making Jondy and Max grinned.
"Not long Zane," the older man explained, "There are 9 triggers and Max has encountered 3."
"What's the third?" everyone at the table said in perfect timing.
"When Alec kissed you, you shared something intimate with him. Another transgenic. This trigger would have happened just by prolonged contact with him but the intimacy shortened the time. He triggered your senses but I believe another change is imminent. You think it was just coincidence that Spartacus couldn't stop the images she saw of you and Alec? Her subconscious knew that he was your trigger but the most interesting thing is that Max caused Spartacus to remember," he finished knowing that his last sentence would immediately grab the attention of the younger girl.
"She caused me to remember? How do you know that? What . . ." the younger girl jumped into conversation.
"What do you remember Spartacus?" Rook asked calmly in her ear and she relaxed in his embrace.
"I remember the place where my mother was buried. Her headstone. Bits and pieces like what my father looked like. Running, always running. I remember seeing him shot and him telling me to run, I remember snow and cold and then waking up not remembering anything," she muttered quietly, so quiet in fact that they wouldn't have heard her had it not been for their superior hearing.
"So Max triggers changes in Spartacus and Spartacus triggers changes in Max?" Zack retorted.
"Spartacus sees the trigger. I made Alec to be her partner, her second. It's not some cheesy 'they were made to be together' thing. Their relationship is all their own but they were designed to work together. Max triggered Spart's memory because they both have one identical gene. I put it in Max but Spartacus has it from her mother . . . They're completely immune to the snake blood. Your mother, Alana, she was a high priestess and the only familiar who never showed symptoms. They have to be wondering what the hell this means."
******
Spartacus was still a mad jumble of blankets but she was on her own bed now. She looked out of her window at the night sky, wondering about everything she'd learnt. Rook would be back any minute from the heist and then she could sleep.
Her mother had been a familiar but her father had been a transgenic. She was neither and she was both, Sandeman had told her.
The one thing she didn't like about her Pop was that he could always be so cryptic and she just wanted straight answers. And now she knew where her mind thingy came from, her father had been Psy-ops but he'd never gotten premonitions. He'd been able to read minds, pick up on brain waves.
In one day so much had happened and yet nothing had. According to Sandeman she had a part in the coming with Max and Alec. She was the link between the transgenics and familiars but she still didn't know what she thought of that.
"This sucks . . . BIG time," she mused out loud.
"For once the all knowing and powerful Spartacus or should I say Ankesunamun is stumped and doesn't know what will happen," chuckled Rook behind her, "and what are you doing on my bed, not that I mind."
He laughed again at the face she pulled, "It's a pretty name and all but you're the Egyptian one not me, plus it's too . . . girly."
"Oh so you'd prefer being named after a large burly man who used to be a gladiator in Ancient Rome and led a revolt?" he said pulling the black turtleneck over his head leaving him with nothing on top but the single small silver chain he wore.
"When Spartacus led that revolt the gladiators would have won had they not been betrayed. They fought a great battle against the roman army. They were brought before the emperor and told that if Spartacus were to come forward the others would live. A man stepped forward saying "I am Spartacus" and the emperor smiled. But then another stepped forward repeating the same confession. Then another and another until they were all screaming that identity. For those men to think so highly of Spartacus, to not let their leader be killed and choose to die with him is something men and women can only dream of," she said softly staring openly into his eyes.
Rook sat down on the bed with her and shuffled close so that they were face to face, "If anything happens, I want you to know that . . . I like you. I like you a lot," he said in a whisper.
Spartacus pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes; "I like you a lot too."
His arms encircled her smaller frame as they laid back against the pillows and the two soon fell asleep.
********
Okay I've finished with the explaining crap and I think there wont be many chapters. This was more a story about the relationships that would form leading to the coming. There wont be more than 5 chapters left but it will start to solve the human issue but it will end unfinished not conclusive and it'll leave you to imagine the rest uless I do a sequel but if I do it wont be for a while. Please review.
Part 17
Max subconsciously moved into Alec. Their whole side was touching and it seemed they were both finding strength from the contact. Jondy and Kahlua exchanged knowing glances winking at Max and she admirably managed to hide the dark blush.
Everything had happened so fast after the catapult incident that no one had as of yet had the time to comment on her and Alec's change of . . . status.
"So her genes have now been triggered into making the extra proteins," Zack stated mostly to himself, "She doesn't seem different to me."
"Have you noticed any changes apart from the runes? After you were cut with the snake blood did anything else happen"? the old man asked in soft gentle tones.
Max looked around at all the faces. Wesley sat on her left, his hazel eyes were masked but his demeanor was open, he was filing all the information. Mole beside him though looked lost, the explanations had been simple but Mole was never one for technical information outside of battle formations and guns.
Kahlua sat beside Dix and both seemed avidly interested; digesting all the information but Zyme though humbled by all the dirty looks was looking at Sandeman as if he were a god. Max certainly didn't appreciate the looks he gave her like she was a successful science experiment. At the moment she felt far from successful.
Joshua sat next to 'Father' watching her and she felt revealed under his gaze. He was far more understanding, more intelligent about people than many gave him credit for, he knew his friends, really knew them and the moment she felt like she was being read by him.
Sandeman watched her in what she could only describe as patience. There was nothing threatening about the man, none any stranger would notice. But he unsettled Max, knowing that he had created her, he was the one that gave her life . . . it made her feel powerless. For the one who gives you life isn't usually the one able to take it away?
Yet there was something so fatherly about him, so warm that she couldn't help but contradict herself and Spartacus on Rook's lap seemed so at ease next to him. She looked like a kitten that'd found her mother's warm side and now lay next to her content.
And Bintz too. With their mind abilities they would have picked up on something so Max allowed herself to relax a fraction. Since the conversation had started she'd been sitting like a coiled spring.
Jondy, Zane and Zack watched her with amused pride their little sister and she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Jondy's goofy smile and Zane's smirk. Luke sat mesmerized, simply staring at the table as if trying to let all the information sink in.
Her eyes finally fell on Alec and she felt her heart flutter. Her tension washed away as she met his encouraging smile and curious glance.
"At the JamPony hostage situation, everything slowed down, it was like I saw things in slow motion and I knew that those super familiars were coming. I . . . I just knew," she explained, "And earlier today after me and Alec . . . kissed, I went to the park. All my senses were heightened. I could even taste the air. I found myself sticking out my tongue to taste what was happening," she shrugged unsure.
"The phalanx, the familiar warriors were the second trigger. Have you ever watched an animal being hunted by a human? The man holds the gun, the weapon but the predator often gets away. One on one the man even with a gun is no match for a panther. She'll sense him, feel him before he even gets close enough to take a shot. It's instinct. Compared to you the Phalanx are just humans holding guns and though it may not seem like it, the scales are tipped in your favor," Sandeman said with a smile.
"I want to know all of this as much as the rest of ya but how long is this going to take?" whined Zane making Jondy and Max grinned.
"Not long Zane," the older man explained, "There are 9 triggers and Max has encountered 3."
"What's the third?" everyone at the table said in perfect timing.
"When Alec kissed you, you shared something intimate with him. Another transgenic. This trigger would have happened just by prolonged contact with him but the intimacy shortened the time. He triggered your senses but I believe another change is imminent. You think it was just coincidence that Spartacus couldn't stop the images she saw of you and Alec? Her subconscious knew that he was your trigger but the most interesting thing is that Max caused Spartacus to remember," he finished knowing that his last sentence would immediately grab the attention of the younger girl.
"She caused me to remember? How do you know that? What . . ." the younger girl jumped into conversation.
"What do you remember Spartacus?" Rook asked calmly in her ear and she relaxed in his embrace.
"I remember the place where my mother was buried. Her headstone. Bits and pieces like what my father looked like. Running, always running. I remember seeing him shot and him telling me to run, I remember snow and cold and then waking up not remembering anything," she muttered quietly, so quiet in fact that they wouldn't have heard her had it not been for their superior hearing.
"So Max triggers changes in Spartacus and Spartacus triggers changes in Max?" Zack retorted.
"Spartacus sees the trigger. I made Alec to be her partner, her second. It's not some cheesy 'they were made to be together' thing. Their relationship is all their own but they were designed to work together. Max triggered Spart's memory because they both have one identical gene. I put it in Max but Spartacus has it from her mother . . . They're completely immune to the snake blood. Your mother, Alana, she was a high priestess and the only familiar who never showed symptoms. They have to be wondering what the hell this means."
******
Spartacus was still a mad jumble of blankets but she was on her own bed now. She looked out of her window at the night sky, wondering about everything she'd learnt. Rook would be back any minute from the heist and then she could sleep.
Her mother had been a familiar but her father had been a transgenic. She was neither and she was both, Sandeman had told her.
The one thing she didn't like about her Pop was that he could always be so cryptic and she just wanted straight answers. And now she knew where her mind thingy came from, her father had been Psy-ops but he'd never gotten premonitions. He'd been able to read minds, pick up on brain waves.
In one day so much had happened and yet nothing had. According to Sandeman she had a part in the coming with Max and Alec. She was the link between the transgenics and familiars but she still didn't know what she thought of that.
"This sucks . . . BIG time," she mused out loud.
"For once the all knowing and powerful Spartacus or should I say Ankesunamun is stumped and doesn't know what will happen," chuckled Rook behind her, "and what are you doing on my bed, not that I mind."
He laughed again at the face she pulled, "It's a pretty name and all but you're the Egyptian one not me, plus it's too . . . girly."
"Oh so you'd prefer being named after a large burly man who used to be a gladiator in Ancient Rome and led a revolt?" he said pulling the black turtleneck over his head leaving him with nothing on top but the single small silver chain he wore.
"When Spartacus led that revolt the gladiators would have won had they not been betrayed. They fought a great battle against the roman army. They were brought before the emperor and told that if Spartacus were to come forward the others would live. A man stepped forward saying "I am Spartacus" and the emperor smiled. But then another stepped forward repeating the same confession. Then another and another until they were all screaming that identity. For those men to think so highly of Spartacus, to not let their leader be killed and choose to die with him is something men and women can only dream of," she said softly staring openly into his eyes.
Rook sat down on the bed with her and shuffled close so that they were face to face, "If anything happens, I want you to know that . . . I like you. I like you a lot," he said in a whisper.
Spartacus pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes; "I like you a lot too."
His arms encircled her smaller frame as they laid back against the pillows and the two soon fell asleep.
********
Okay I've finished with the explaining crap and I think there wont be many chapters. This was more a story about the relationships that would form leading to the coming. There wont be more than 5 chapters left but it will start to solve the human issue but it will end unfinished not conclusive and it'll leave you to imagine the rest uless I do a sequel but if I do it wont be for a while. Please review.