1 Part 0.3
As we embraced, I deeply inhaled his scent. It had been so long since that mission. Oh, but I remember it well. As I reminisce about the days past he let me go. He looked back and his features softened. He smiled broadly and his eyes gently teased as he examined me.
"So, how have you been? Really?" he kept shaking his head in disbelief. I felt the same way. It'd been so long.
"I've been just great overall, in fact, excellent," I replied. It sounded so corny, and wrong, I couldn't help but laugh inside my head. This is your friend, 494, Alec.
I must have stuck out like an odd piece of yarn, because a woman approached me. She had dark frizzy hair, large lips, and brown eyes. She was about as tall as I was.
"Hey Alec… who y'all got here, a new recruit," she seemed friendly enough, but I could sense she was definitely not Manticore made.
"I'm 351, or Sydney," I said. I extended my hand for a shake, but she gave it a slap.
"Nice meeting you girl, I'm Original Cindy," she looked around for a second, and then turned back to me. "Anyway, my girl Max wants you front and center."
She turned her back and began to walk, Alec gestured for me to follow. I did with a feeling of uneasiness. What could Max possibly want with me? Suddenly I fear that maybe something is wrong. My pace gets faster, and before I know it, I'm practically tripping Original Cindy.
"What's the hurry boo? Original Cindy ain't in no hurry," she smiled a friendly smile. I walked along at her side for about 20 more yards, then we went down some stairs. Gathered around a glowing screen were many people bunched up. I could just hear the noise.
"Today at about 4:00 four policemen were found knocked out by a lowly guarded entrance to Terminal City. One of the policemen that managed to stay conscious describes his attacker…"
I blushed profusely as I walked towards the television. Max turned around and looked at me.
"Well, if it isn't the local celebrity!" she joked. She patted me on the back, and let me see the screen. The policeman continued his interview.
"I was talking to her about the protesters and she just attacked me. I swear, she was just like a cat. She sprung into action so fast I didn't know what hit me. She had chin length blonde hair, blue eyes, and she had an attitude. I'm positive she's one of them freaks…"
"Wow, he's a bright one," I commented. Many faces turned to me, and I blushed again. A woman holding a baby spoke to me.
"Well you couldn't have given better damning evidence," she added. She smiled and looked down at her baby. "You've seen enough of this, want to walk?"
I nodded solemnly, and started at a gentle gait beside her. She gently cooed to her young daughter while she slept peacefully in her arms. As we rounded a corner, she spoke something rather than gibberish.
"My name's Gem, and this is my new baby. Nameless…so far," She looked up at me and asked "would you like to hold her?"
"Oh…sure," I replied. I took the tiny thing in my arms. It fussed for just a second, then it calmly fell into my grasp. Her slumber continued quietly.
"Do you have any ideas for a name?" Gem asked me. I shook my head, but then I thought about it a little.
"Does she have a barcode?" I asked innocently. I looked up at her, awaiting her answer.
"No, she doesn't, and I'm glad," She smiled and reached out to me. I handed the child back to her, and she pensively rocked it.
"Then, I think she should be Hope," I said.
"Sounds good to me, for the meantime," she laughed at her answer, and I did too. Hope, it was a name for all she stood for.
As we embraced, I deeply inhaled his scent. It had been so long since that mission. Oh, but I remember it well. As I reminisce about the days past he let me go. He looked back and his features softened. He smiled broadly and his eyes gently teased as he examined me.
"So, how have you been? Really?" he kept shaking his head in disbelief. I felt the same way. It'd been so long.
"I've been just great overall, in fact, excellent," I replied. It sounded so corny, and wrong, I couldn't help but laugh inside my head. This is your friend, 494, Alec.
I must have stuck out like an odd piece of yarn, because a woman approached me. She had dark frizzy hair, large lips, and brown eyes. She was about as tall as I was.
"Hey Alec… who y'all got here, a new recruit," she seemed friendly enough, but I could sense she was definitely not Manticore made.
"I'm 351, or Sydney," I said. I extended my hand for a shake, but she gave it a slap.
"Nice meeting you girl, I'm Original Cindy," she looked around for a second, and then turned back to me. "Anyway, my girl Max wants you front and center."
She turned her back and began to walk, Alec gestured for me to follow. I did with a feeling of uneasiness. What could Max possibly want with me? Suddenly I fear that maybe something is wrong. My pace gets faster, and before I know it, I'm practically tripping Original Cindy.
"What's the hurry boo? Original Cindy ain't in no hurry," she smiled a friendly smile. I walked along at her side for about 20 more yards, then we went down some stairs. Gathered around a glowing screen were many people bunched up. I could just hear the noise.
"Today at about 4:00 four policemen were found knocked out by a lowly guarded entrance to Terminal City. One of the policemen that managed to stay conscious describes his attacker…"
I blushed profusely as I walked towards the television. Max turned around and looked at me.
"Well, if it isn't the local celebrity!" she joked. She patted me on the back, and let me see the screen. The policeman continued his interview.
"I was talking to her about the protesters and she just attacked me. I swear, she was just like a cat. She sprung into action so fast I didn't know what hit me. She had chin length blonde hair, blue eyes, and she had an attitude. I'm positive she's one of them freaks…"
"Wow, he's a bright one," I commented. Many faces turned to me, and I blushed again. A woman holding a baby spoke to me.
"Well you couldn't have given better damning evidence," she added. She smiled and looked down at her baby. "You've seen enough of this, want to walk?"
I nodded solemnly, and started at a gentle gait beside her. She gently cooed to her young daughter while she slept peacefully in her arms. As we rounded a corner, she spoke something rather than gibberish.
"My name's Gem, and this is my new baby. Nameless…so far," She looked up at me and asked "would you like to hold her?"
"Oh…sure," I replied. I took the tiny thing in my arms. It fussed for just a second, then it calmly fell into my grasp. Her slumber continued quietly.
"Do you have any ideas for a name?" Gem asked me. I shook my head, but then I thought about it a little.
"Does she have a barcode?" I asked innocently. I looked up at her, awaiting her answer.
"No, she doesn't, and I'm glad," She smiled and reached out to me. I handed the child back to her, and she pensively rocked it.
"Then, I think she should be Hope," I said.
"Sounds good to me, for the meantime," she laughed at her answer, and I did too. Hope, it was a name for all she stood for.