Part 0.4
I walked along with Gem for a bit more, discussing other name choices, where I came from, and many other things about my past. As our conversation progressed, it shifted to Alec.
"Did you work with him at Manticore or something?" Gem asked. We were heading back to her area, so she could put the baby down in her small cradle.
"Yeah, we went on a mission together," I looked at her and she smiled.
"Which mission?" She asked. The baby fussed in her arms, and she started to softly sing.
"Project Afghan, we were in a troupe together. He was the leader, and he hand selected his team," I looked down at my size 9 feet, they were shuffling again.
"How did you get on project Afghan? Wasn't it supposed to be an x-5 mission only? I was on that mission, Team Delta, what about you?" She had a look of surprise on her face. There were other x-6's on that mission, at least I thought there was.
"I don't know, maybe they needed reinforcements, but I was on team Alpha," I looked away from her and out the window. I could see my former "protest" buddy throwing rocks. I laughed out loud.
"So, you were on that mission? You must have been bald still, at that point," She patted her own head with her free hand.
"Yeah, I was, but despite the rest of the team's worries he still picked me. I guess I surprised them all. I'm the one that actually took Adel out you know," Adel was a rising leader in Afghanistan. He was raising riots against Americans, and he had to be stopped. I remember the look of terror on his face when I approached him. He mumbled something in his own language. He backed slowly into a corner, and trembled with fear. I raised my hands, and fiercely grabbed his neck. He screamed an unearthly scream.
"Shut up!" I screamed. And with one flip of my wrist, and with a sickening crack, he lay sprawled on the ground. I shook my head to rid myself of this thought, his glass eyes. NO, shake…SHAKE!
"You were the one?" her eyes practically bulged out on sticks at this one. "You did that?"
"Um…yeah…" now I was embarrassed. It wasn't really that big of a deal, was it? Any Manticore made could do it, I just got there first. I just kind of shrugged off my embarrassment. We finally reached Jet's camp, and one no one else was there.
"Welcome to my camp," she said it in a happy sort of way. She gently put Hope in a tiny cradle. It's battered pink fabric was dirty and old, but it serviced the baby. She giggled as she was rocked back and forth with her mother's foot. Soon she was back to soaring her tiny little logs.
"Are you still looking for a place to camp out around here?" she asked. "I'm kind of lonely here…"
She stopped because I interrupted her with a "Yes." She smiled.
"Great," she smiled again. "I'd help you get your stuff, but, you know." She nudged the baby.
"Gotcha, I'll get Alec to help."
I turned my back on our little camp, which was on the outskirts of the inside area of Terminal City. I was going to meet Alec. Something inside of me told me to look myself over in the mirror.
I went into the bathroom, and I looked at myself, and realized what a complete wreck I was. My usually neat golden blonde hair was frizzy and dull. I looked at my face, my nose was sort of a ski jump, it pointed up at the end. My eyes were deep blue, with a grey/green tint. Freckles dashed my skin, like cinnamon . I had grown taller since we had been freed too. I was probably about 5'6" now. I was about to try to comb my hair with my fingers, but I stopped. I was going to see Alec, and that was all. As I left the bathroom, I found myself finger combing my hair anyway.
I walked along with Gem for a bit more, discussing other name choices, where I came from, and many other things about my past. As our conversation progressed, it shifted to Alec.
"Did you work with him at Manticore or something?" Gem asked. We were heading back to her area, so she could put the baby down in her small cradle.
"Yeah, we went on a mission together," I looked at her and she smiled.
"Which mission?" She asked. The baby fussed in her arms, and she started to softly sing.
"Project Afghan, we were in a troupe together. He was the leader, and he hand selected his team," I looked down at my size 9 feet, they were shuffling again.
"How did you get on project Afghan? Wasn't it supposed to be an x-5 mission only? I was on that mission, Team Delta, what about you?" She had a look of surprise on her face. There were other x-6's on that mission, at least I thought there was.
"I don't know, maybe they needed reinforcements, but I was on team Alpha," I looked away from her and out the window. I could see my former "protest" buddy throwing rocks. I laughed out loud.
"So, you were on that mission? You must have been bald still, at that point," She patted her own head with her free hand.
"Yeah, I was, but despite the rest of the team's worries he still picked me. I guess I surprised them all. I'm the one that actually took Adel out you know," Adel was a rising leader in Afghanistan. He was raising riots against Americans, and he had to be stopped. I remember the look of terror on his face when I approached him. He mumbled something in his own language. He backed slowly into a corner, and trembled with fear. I raised my hands, and fiercely grabbed his neck. He screamed an unearthly scream.
"Shut up!" I screamed. And with one flip of my wrist, and with a sickening crack, he lay sprawled on the ground. I shook my head to rid myself of this thought, his glass eyes. NO, shake…SHAKE!
"You were the one?" her eyes practically bulged out on sticks at this one. "You did that?"
"Um…yeah…" now I was embarrassed. It wasn't really that big of a deal, was it? Any Manticore made could do it, I just got there first. I just kind of shrugged off my embarrassment. We finally reached Jet's camp, and one no one else was there.
"Welcome to my camp," she said it in a happy sort of way. She gently put Hope in a tiny cradle. It's battered pink fabric was dirty and old, but it serviced the baby. She giggled as she was rocked back and forth with her mother's foot. Soon she was back to soaring her tiny little logs.
"Are you still looking for a place to camp out around here?" she asked. "I'm kind of lonely here…"
She stopped because I interrupted her with a "Yes." She smiled.
"Great," she smiled again. "I'd help you get your stuff, but, you know." She nudged the baby.
"Gotcha, I'll get Alec to help."
I turned my back on our little camp, which was on the outskirts of the inside area of Terminal City. I was going to meet Alec. Something inside of me told me to look myself over in the mirror.
I went into the bathroom, and I looked at myself, and realized what a complete wreck I was. My usually neat golden blonde hair was frizzy and dull. I looked at my face, my nose was sort of a ski jump, it pointed up at the end. My eyes were deep blue, with a grey/green tint. Freckles dashed my skin, like cinnamon . I had grown taller since we had been freed too. I was probably about 5'6" now. I was about to try to comb my hair with my fingers, but I stopped. I was going to see Alec, and that was all. As I left the bathroom, I found myself finger combing my hair anyway.