Part 0.2
My feet make a quiet shuffling noise against the old pavement. I saw abandoned cars and trucks, old testing facilities, but no sign of life. I looked around more, sensing movement all around me. I began to feel apprehensive, as I wasn't welcome, and was being watched very carefully. I kept turning around suddenly to view behind me, only to see nothing but a deserted corner, that hadn't been touched in years.
I picked my feet up more, so the shuffling noise died away. I stopped momentarily to listen for the sound of any voices, I heard them. A soft murmur trickled slowly to my ears. I also heard the sound of breathing, close. Very close.
I turned around again, and was face to face with the most bazaar looking man I had ever seen. Before I could explain myself, he grabbed me around the neck and spun me around.He lifted my chin length hair, and checked my barcode.
"What we got Mole?" an amazingly tall man appeared from behind a car. He had long shaggy hair, a flat nose, and a kind face dashed with freckles.
"An x-6 Joshua, 351 is her designation," the desert lizard man "Mole" said. He let me go, and I caught my breath. I stood back, and looked at them with what must have been fear in my eyes, though I was not fearful.
"You have name?" the dog man Joshua said. "I, Joshua, Big Fella."
"I'm Sydney, Sid," I said with a smile. Joshua reached out and touched my shoulder.
"He'll take your bags, we'll take you to Max," Mole said. He took my pack and handed it to Joshua. Before he could take it, I grabbed it back.
"I've got it," I gave him a small smirk. My pack contained my lap top, my pride and joy. I didn't know is Joshua new how to handle my "baby."
"What've you got in there that's too precious for Josh to handle?" Mole smirked right back. He thought he had me. I laughed.
"It's my 'baby,'" I said. Gently squeezing my backpack. What would I do without it? I kept a log of everything that had ever happened to me since I had been set free. By 452, Max, I was going to meet her!
"Sydney have a baby? In back pack? Or tummy?" Joshua poked my bag, and then my stomach. "No crying in pack."
Hysterical laughter. I almost fell over between squeals. "No, no, I'm not having a baby. Heavens no. I'm 15 for Christ's sake. My 'baby' is my lap top. A computer." I was still laughing. I couldn't help it.
"Okay, I think I can go now," I was still containing my laughter. 3 minutes with my family and I had already laughed more than I ever had in my life. This was fantastic. I was home.
Joshua grabbed my arm and led me away quickly. He pulled me through a doorway, and that's when I say the first camps. Strange looking people from all directions around a fire, roasting dinner, cat people, dog people, and all sorts. I was amazed at the vast range of people here. X- 5's, x-6's, x-7's even a few earlier X's such as 4's and even a couple 3's! I was ecstatic.
As we left the enclosed parking lot area, we entered the main building. That's when I saw her, 452, Max, I was so ecstatic that I almost yelled at her like we were long lost friends. I was just about to talk, but Joshua did it for me.
"Max!" he pronounced it as if there was a C in it, but she turned anyway. She smiled at Joshua.
"How's it going Big Fella?" She questioned him. She quickly hugged him, then looked him in the eye.
"Okay Little Fella," he replied. "Got new friend, Sydney, x-6! She find us on her baby."
I stifled a nervous giggle. She looked around Josh at me. She extended her hand. "Welcome to the freak nation."
I smiled and shook her hand. "Glad to be here."
"What's your designation soldier?" she asked, in a formal military kind of way.
"351, ma'am!" I replied. I gave her a salute. She smiled.
"You'll fit in just fine. Now what's this about a baby? You carrying a little tyke around?" she smiled again. Her teeth were very white.
"No, it's my computer. Lap top, my only friend," I let my pack down and gently pulled out my new (well, 7 month old) lap top computer. She looked it around.
"If you can work that thing, you'll be a great help around here. But right now, you should go see Alec, he'll get you fixed up with a group of x- 6's or something. Okay?" she patted my shoulder and signaled for me to walk with her.
We walked for a short time in silence, until we came to a room where our platform ended, and overlooked another room. Working over a motorcycle, was the man I presumed was Alec.
"I got a new one for you Alec. X-6. Can you get her situated?" Max yelled to him.
"Yeah," came his reply, and I was shocked at him voice. It was so familiar, as if I'd known it for a long time. I descended down the stairs and walked slowly behind him. I gently zoomed in at his barcode. Then I realized who it was.
"494?" I asked. I opened my mouth a little, not believing what I was seeing.
"I prefer Alec…" He trailed off. He stared at me hard for a moment. "351?" he said in astonishment.
"I prefer Sydney," I replied and with that, I ran towards her, and I was hugging him. "Brother, I've come home."
Technically, he was not my brother, but the memories of our time back at Manticore made him one to me.
My feet make a quiet shuffling noise against the old pavement. I saw abandoned cars and trucks, old testing facilities, but no sign of life. I looked around more, sensing movement all around me. I began to feel apprehensive, as I wasn't welcome, and was being watched very carefully. I kept turning around suddenly to view behind me, only to see nothing but a deserted corner, that hadn't been touched in years.
I picked my feet up more, so the shuffling noise died away. I stopped momentarily to listen for the sound of any voices, I heard them. A soft murmur trickled slowly to my ears. I also heard the sound of breathing, close. Very close.
I turned around again, and was face to face with the most bazaar looking man I had ever seen. Before I could explain myself, he grabbed me around the neck and spun me around.He lifted my chin length hair, and checked my barcode.
"What we got Mole?" an amazingly tall man appeared from behind a car. He had long shaggy hair, a flat nose, and a kind face dashed with freckles.
"An x-6 Joshua, 351 is her designation," the desert lizard man "Mole" said. He let me go, and I caught my breath. I stood back, and looked at them with what must have been fear in my eyes, though I was not fearful.
"You have name?" the dog man Joshua said. "I, Joshua, Big Fella."
"I'm Sydney, Sid," I said with a smile. Joshua reached out and touched my shoulder.
"He'll take your bags, we'll take you to Max," Mole said. He took my pack and handed it to Joshua. Before he could take it, I grabbed it back.
"I've got it," I gave him a small smirk. My pack contained my lap top, my pride and joy. I didn't know is Joshua new how to handle my "baby."
"What've you got in there that's too precious for Josh to handle?" Mole smirked right back. He thought he had me. I laughed.
"It's my 'baby,'" I said. Gently squeezing my backpack. What would I do without it? I kept a log of everything that had ever happened to me since I had been set free. By 452, Max, I was going to meet her!
"Sydney have a baby? In back pack? Or tummy?" Joshua poked my bag, and then my stomach. "No crying in pack."
Hysterical laughter. I almost fell over between squeals. "No, no, I'm not having a baby. Heavens no. I'm 15 for Christ's sake. My 'baby' is my lap top. A computer." I was still laughing. I couldn't help it.
"Okay, I think I can go now," I was still containing my laughter. 3 minutes with my family and I had already laughed more than I ever had in my life. This was fantastic. I was home.
Joshua grabbed my arm and led me away quickly. He pulled me through a doorway, and that's when I say the first camps. Strange looking people from all directions around a fire, roasting dinner, cat people, dog people, and all sorts. I was amazed at the vast range of people here. X- 5's, x-6's, x-7's even a few earlier X's such as 4's and even a couple 3's! I was ecstatic.
As we left the enclosed parking lot area, we entered the main building. That's when I saw her, 452, Max, I was so ecstatic that I almost yelled at her like we were long lost friends. I was just about to talk, but Joshua did it for me.
"Max!" he pronounced it as if there was a C in it, but she turned anyway. She smiled at Joshua.
"How's it going Big Fella?" She questioned him. She quickly hugged him, then looked him in the eye.
"Okay Little Fella," he replied. "Got new friend, Sydney, x-6! She find us on her baby."
I stifled a nervous giggle. She looked around Josh at me. She extended her hand. "Welcome to the freak nation."
I smiled and shook her hand. "Glad to be here."
"What's your designation soldier?" she asked, in a formal military kind of way.
"351, ma'am!" I replied. I gave her a salute. She smiled.
"You'll fit in just fine. Now what's this about a baby? You carrying a little tyke around?" she smiled again. Her teeth were very white.
"No, it's my computer. Lap top, my only friend," I let my pack down and gently pulled out my new (well, 7 month old) lap top computer. She looked it around.
"If you can work that thing, you'll be a great help around here. But right now, you should go see Alec, he'll get you fixed up with a group of x- 6's or something. Okay?" she patted my shoulder and signaled for me to walk with her.
We walked for a short time in silence, until we came to a room where our platform ended, and overlooked another room. Working over a motorcycle, was the man I presumed was Alec.
"I got a new one for you Alec. X-6. Can you get her situated?" Max yelled to him.
"Yeah," came his reply, and I was shocked at him voice. It was so familiar, as if I'd known it for a long time. I descended down the stairs and walked slowly behind him. I gently zoomed in at his barcode. Then I realized who it was.
"494?" I asked. I opened my mouth a little, not believing what I was seeing.
"I prefer Alec…" He trailed off. He stared at me hard for a moment. "351?" he said in astonishment.
"I prefer Sydney," I replied and with that, I ran towards her, and I was hugging him. "Brother, I've come home."
Technically, he was not my brother, but the memories of our time back at Manticore made him one to me.