- infie
Recap: (Saturday)
529 leaned over, pretending to check 494's carotid pulse. "Tomorrow." he whispered to 494. "Tomorrow you'll wake up. Monday, we're outta here."
(Sunday, 0800 hrs)
Ashkovich checked the monitors connected to 494 again. "This is unbelievable."
529 sat himself into the guard's chair that no one else had been willing to approach since his previous occupation, and leaned back, stretching. His ribs barely twinged, but he made a point of wincing and curling up. Andrei watched him with still, expressionless eyes, and 529 knew that he, at least, wasn't fooled. Andrei flicked his eyes over to his boss.
"His temperature is down already, vital signs stabilizing." Ashkovich shook his head. "This is unprecedented."
"Are either Orono or Argent cross-species infectors?" 529 spoke up idly, not really paying attention.
"No." Ashkovich frowned. "That could explain the speed of recovery, but contradicts the basic lethality. There's something else at work here."
529 shrugged.
Andrei spoke up. 529 noticed that this time, his accent was faintly Russian. "How long before he is a threat again?"
"Within hours."
Andrei drew his Browning in one smooth motion and levelled it unflinchingly at 529's head. "Time for you to go back to your table."
(Sunday, 1000 hrs)
When 494 opened his eyes, he was back in the cage.
All of his muscles clenched at once, with an almost overwhelming desire to do something big, violent, and very, very messy. {Fuck, I hate being locked up.} He was vaguely surprised at the depth of his visceral response to the sight of the interlaced wire above him again. He bared his teeth at the steel, then reluctantly rolled to his side and looked at the surrounding room. His head swam for a second, and his vision clouded. When it cleared, he almost laughed.
It seemed the whole contingent had come to see him wake up. 494 counted twelve guards, plus Manatov, Ashkovich, and Andrei. With the two dead guards, that accounted for all but three of the total. 529 had been returned to his chains, though he wasn't gagged this time. 494 shot him a fast smirk, and saw his partner's lips quirk in response.
"So nice to see you alive and well, 494." Ashkovich sounded angry for some obscure reason.
"Wish I could say the same, Mikhail." His voice came out whiskey-rough and weaker than he would have wanted, but Ashkovich still flushed at the insult. "You seem vexed, Mikhail."
"Vexed. Hmm. Yes." Ashkovich rocked back on his heels. "You have surprised me. I do not like surprises."
"I disappoint me too, sometimes." 494 shook his head in mock sympathy. 529 smirked.
Ashkovich's lips compressed. "You are well much earlier than expected, even with the transfusion. The tests we have run reveal that the virus has been all but eradicated from your bloodstream. I am ... interested... in an explanation."
494 pushed himself gingerly into a sitting position. He shrugged. "Don't have one for you." He held up his hand as Ashkovich opened his mouth to speak. "Wait." he said wearily. "Really, I don't know. I sure couldn't fake the effects, so you're just going to have to look somewhere else for your 'explanation'."
Ashkovich glared at him. "I have used your blood and test results to synthesize the vaccine." he said angrily. "So this was not a complete waste. But there is something here I do not like, 494."
"I'm with you, Mikhail." 494 nodded wisely, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall of the cage. "I don't like that Manatov asshole either."
Manatov made a move for the remote, laying on the metal table that had been 494's home the past couple of days. Andrei beat him to it. Ashkovich's lips twitched reluctantly.
"How have you managed to survive this long, 494?" he asked. 494 swiveled his head to look at Ashkovich with empty eyes.
"That does seem to be the question of the day, doesn't it?"
511 grinned and pounded his fist into the ground. {Yesterday, death's door. Today, up and talking shit already.} He felt his respect for 494 grow a little more. {Resilient bastard.} He sprang to his feet, feeling better than he had in days. He scrubbed a hand through his beard. Better share the good news.
"Hot Zone to Base."
[Go, Zone.]
"Six is recovering. The objective has been created."
[Copy that, Zone. ] There was a pause. [What is the status of unit two?]
"Unchanged." What the hell? "Request permission to initiate retrieval."
[Negative, Zone. Maintain surveillance until cleared.]
"Request permission to initiate retrieval." 511's words came from between gritted teeth.
[Negative, Zone.] Lydecker's voice replaced that of the operator. [What is the status of the mission?]
"Accomplished."
[Negative.]
"I see." What the fuck else is there?
[Base, out.]
{Fuck!}
(Sunday, 1300 hrs)
When Ashkovich returned to the room, he had a wide smile on his face. It was a look that 494 distrusted immediately. He heard a rattle, and looked over at 529. He wasn't happy either. Andrei trailed in after his boss, and his posture was stiff with displeasure.
"494! You are awake. Wonderful." Ashkovich gestured, and Manatov led in several guards.
"Uh huh." This did not bode well. Not at all. 494 put down the remains of his sandwich.
"I have made a decision, 494. One I am sure you will see the logic in." Ashkovich was practically glowing with satisfaction. "Since you are unable to identify for me the reason for your... miraculous.. recovery, I feel it is necessary to expand my sample space."
Faster than thought, 494 was on his feet, staring down at Ashkovich with murder in his eyes. "No one else has the protection of a previous exposure, Ashkovich. You infect someone else, and it's murder."
Ashkovich laughed. "Is it murder to kill something that isn't even human? I don't think so." He gestured at Manatov, who made his way to the cold storage and set about filling a syringe. "And, who knows, perhaps he will even survive, as you did."
529's eyes were wide with horror, and he looked at 494 beseechingly. 494's gaze never shifted from Ashkovich. "Maybe he won't." He said icily. "Who will save you then?"
Manatov finished filling the needle and started to approach 529. 494's fingers clenched around the mesh of his cage, and blood trickled down his wrists as the wire bit into his flesh. 529 leaned as far away from Manatov as his chains would allow."Andrei." Ashkovich grinned. "I believe that 494 will not wish to witness this. Please activate the remote and put him out for a while." Andrei didn't move. "Andrei? I made a request of you." Ashkovich's voice turned steely.
"Sorry." Andrei told him, raising his hands in an innocent shrug. "I forgot the remote in my room." He gave Ashkovich a wide-eyed look. "Can't help you." Ashkovich's face turned purple and he stepped toward Andrei threateningly. Andrei stood his ground, looking amused. Manatov reached 529's side and reached to give him the shot.
"Uh, Ahmad?" 529's voice was even, not a trace of fear, though his eyes were telling a different story.
"Fuck this." 494 said. "Fight."
511 was stretched out in the midday sun, envisioning another day of helpless waiting and listening when the sat com beeped. He frowned. {The next checkin isn't for hours yet.} As he rose, he heard Ashkovich return to 494's room.
Ashkovich: [494! You are awake. Wonderful!]
Not wanting to miss any of the conversation, he pulled out 529's headset and hooked it up to the satellite set, and flipped one of his earpieces around so he could hear both conversations.
"Go, base."
[Information on Andrei, Zone.]
"Copy, Base. Go."
494: [You infect someone else, and it's murder.]
511 froze.
[Andrei Zimov, Russian national, deceased 2016.]
"I copy." Deceased? Then who the hell was the guy running the guards?
Ashkovich: [Is it murder to kill something that isn't even human?]
{They're gonna infect 529!} "Get me the Colonel, now!" 511 listened with painful intensity to Ashkovich's taunting instructions to knock 494 out, and Andrei's unexpected, mocking response.
529: [Uh, Ahmad?]
494: [Fuck this. Fight.]
{Fuck!} 511 dropped the comms and took off for his stash at a sprint.
[Base, to Zone....Base, to Zone....]
511 was gone.
"Shit." Lydecker threw down the transmitter, then turned to stare at the Manticore operator who had the misfortune to be on duty. He quailed under Lydecker's flint hard glare. "You. You will find 511's personnel transmitter, however you have to." The operator nodded, looking like a bunny in the headlights of a really big truck. He didn't move. "Now!"
The operator jumped, spun back to his computer, and started punching buttons. "Yes, sir!"