Spoilers: Set after Hello, Goodbye - so anything prior to this
episode is spoiled and as the story continues, it may impinge
slightly on other episodes after unintentionally.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that we owe
thanks to James Cameron, FOX and anyone else associated with
Dark Angel.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
His hollow eyes became trained on Max, his breathing evenly forced, his lips strained and pressed together.
"Ben? I know it's a lot for you to process - that what you thought you knew wasn't the truth after all. But in reality they were lies drilled into you. The memories that resurfaced for you are the truth, as shocking as that may be. All it took was a trigger, I guess that was me. Let me help you."
She set her eyes on his face and locked with his eyes; Max felt herself drift into their vastness, just like that night when Ben had walked back into her life again. She pulled herself away,
"Why did you kiss me that night? Why not just knock me out? Why toy with my emotions? Was it a part of your mission?"
"You know why. Mantecore taught us to play our opponent's weakness. I followed you for sometime before I finally made my move. I knew that Alec was your Achilles' heel."
"Alec's just my friend."
"But you want more."
"WHAT? No!"
"Then answer me this, why did you kiss me back?"
Max fell silent, as she recalled the events from that night. If Alec was her best friend, then why had she kissed Ben back, in full belief that he were Alec? She knew why, but stubbornly reminded herself that this wasn't the time for an analysis of her feelings.
"Who sent you after me?"
"You don't let up, do you Maxie?"
"Obstinate to the end. Tell me who Ben."
"Why are you forcing this?"
"Because I was kidnapped, stolen against my will by my brainwashed brother. And more importantly, Alec is missing because of me. I need to find him. Please help me."
Ben glanced at her, his features softening,
"You love him, don't you?"
"I don't know what love is or if we are even able to feel such a thing. But, I do know he is the most important person in my life and I need him."
"Lucky guy."
"Help me Ben."
Max, suddenly aware of her pleading state, sat up and directed her tone to a more serious one,
"Just tell me who."
"It wont do any good. The guy's a professional at being undetected."
"Who is he?"
"He's in alliance with Mantecore. Been so for almost two years, I've been told."
Max nodded and Ben directed his focus onto the wall, as if seeing something that she couldn't,
"He's the best there is. A computer genius. He's very good at covering his tracks, acts like he's working against Manticore, so as to gain the trust of transgenics and humans. He seems like a do-gooder. But in reality, he's working for them."
"Have you got anything solid that can help me locate this guy? A name, location, picture - anything."
"I told you, he makes a profession out of discretion."
Ben chuckled softly,
"Wow, they made us witty poets too."
"Focus?"
"Yeah, sorry. You know I am only telling you this because it's you. No one else. He goes by code. No one knows his real name. Well that I know of anyway."
Max sighed, it was a start and would have to do.
"He goes by Eyes Only."
* * * * *
"State your designation soldier!"
"X5-494, sir!"
"Very good."
494 turned to leave, stopping as the Colonel spoke again,
"And Alec?"
He stood unflinching at attention and Lydecker smiled satisfactorily. He had been broken and was a soldier again. He no longer responded to Alec and he seemed to have resumed his role as one of Manticore's elite, an alpha stud - one of the highest-ranking commanding officers. The reindoctrination process had been a significantly harsh level, which had consequently taken much less time than anticipated to wipe 494's memory to the time just prior to his first deep cover mission.
But, deep down Lydecker suspected the soldier of playing along, humouring him for fear of having to spend further time in Psy-Ops. But really, like it would do any good. The set-up on hand was shabby and juvenile; 494 had already been subjected to the most severe level, which was never used as it resulted in frying the subject's brain. Alec, rather 494, had walked away without any permanent brain damage, but his memory was shot, rendered back in 2018. This temporary set-up had shamefully limited and outdated resources.
494 appeared to be in what was referred to as soldier mode, a tactic Lydecker himself had taught soldiers to deploy in certain situations. Lock one's mind so that everything is blocked out, convincing one's self to forget everything and concentrate on the objective. Of course, it could generally be revived through a trigger of some kind.
"Tell me about 452. Max."
"X5-452 was a rogue transgenic from the escape in '09. it has been brought to my attention that she was terminated."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I am not required to feel anything unless commanded so."
"How do you really feel?"
"Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Granted."
"I am glad that traitor had what was coming to her. She was a drain of Manticore. A disappointment and a reckless liability."
"Excellent observation soldier."
"Just stating the truth. I answer to Manticore in the best objective of my unit."
"Good to hear. I will soon be introducing you to one of the main forces involved with the impending re-commencement of Manticore. He is an important ally, who you will be expected to answer to."
"Of course sir."
"Dismissed 494."
He saluted and turned abruptly, leaving Lydecker staring after the closest thing he had to a son, in what could only be described as pride.
* * * * *
Max's eyes glazed over with shock, her mouth dropped in a comical expression,
"Wha.What did you say?"
"Eyes Only. I know, weird name. He does those cable hacks."
Ben didn't notice her slack-jawed reaction and he breathed out what appeared to be a sigh of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. Eyes Only. The person behind it all, it was Logan? No, it couldn't be, she rationalised, he had worked against Manticore with her for the past couple of years. But, a nagging voice in her mind pushed those thoughts away as it established agreements for what Ben had told her. Logan hadn't told her about Alec's kidnapping - it would explain certain events, which had occurred over the years. Max was torn and she didn't know which way she was supposed to go. She knew the truth. It couldn't be Logan, otherwise why would he have been targeted with the virus, to eliminate an ally who was no longer of use to them. Or maybe, the virus never had existed and the whole thing had been an act. Did that mean Alec was in on it too? Max shook her head in a vain attempt to clear the overload of thoughts plaguing her mind. She stood, snatching her jacket,
"I gotta blaze."
She ran out and Ben watched after questioningly.
* * * * *
"He's made very impressive progress sir."
"So I see. But then, impressive is the only way one can describe him."
Lydecker's steely blue gaze ripped into the sparring soldier, whose bare chest was rippling golden, despite the stormy weather.
"494. Take out your target."
He complied as instructed, demonstrating several battle moves, pinning down another X5 within seconds and rendering his opponent unconscious.
"At ease 494. Take a break."
He stood, bowing to the still figure on the ground and sipped water, before standing in apprehension for his next orders.
"We are taking you out of the facility today soldier. Think you're ready for that?"
"Yes sir!"
"Excellent. You have 40 minutes to clean up and change. We leave at 1900 hours."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
His hollow eyes became trained on Max, his breathing evenly forced, his lips strained and pressed together.
"Ben? I know it's a lot for you to process - that what you thought you knew wasn't the truth after all. But in reality they were lies drilled into you. The memories that resurfaced for you are the truth, as shocking as that may be. All it took was a trigger, I guess that was me. Let me help you."
She set her eyes on his face and locked with his eyes; Max felt herself drift into their vastness, just like that night when Ben had walked back into her life again. She pulled herself away,
"Why did you kiss me that night? Why not just knock me out? Why toy with my emotions? Was it a part of your mission?"
"You know why. Mantecore taught us to play our opponent's weakness. I followed you for sometime before I finally made my move. I knew that Alec was your Achilles' heel."
"Alec's just my friend."
"But you want more."
"WHAT? No!"
"Then answer me this, why did you kiss me back?"
Max fell silent, as she recalled the events from that night. If Alec was her best friend, then why had she kissed Ben back, in full belief that he were Alec? She knew why, but stubbornly reminded herself that this wasn't the time for an analysis of her feelings.
"Who sent you after me?"
"You don't let up, do you Maxie?"
"Obstinate to the end. Tell me who Ben."
"Why are you forcing this?"
"Because I was kidnapped, stolen against my will by my brainwashed brother. And more importantly, Alec is missing because of me. I need to find him. Please help me."
Ben glanced at her, his features softening,
"You love him, don't you?"
"I don't know what love is or if we are even able to feel such a thing. But, I do know he is the most important person in my life and I need him."
"Lucky guy."
"Help me Ben."
Max, suddenly aware of her pleading state, sat up and directed her tone to a more serious one,
"Just tell me who."
"It wont do any good. The guy's a professional at being undetected."
"Who is he?"
"He's in alliance with Mantecore. Been so for almost two years, I've been told."
Max nodded and Ben directed his focus onto the wall, as if seeing something that she couldn't,
"He's the best there is. A computer genius. He's very good at covering his tracks, acts like he's working against Manticore, so as to gain the trust of transgenics and humans. He seems like a do-gooder. But in reality, he's working for them."
"Have you got anything solid that can help me locate this guy? A name, location, picture - anything."
"I told you, he makes a profession out of discretion."
Ben chuckled softly,
"Wow, they made us witty poets too."
"Focus?"
"Yeah, sorry. You know I am only telling you this because it's you. No one else. He goes by code. No one knows his real name. Well that I know of anyway."
Max sighed, it was a start and would have to do.
"He goes by Eyes Only."
* * * * *
"State your designation soldier!"
"X5-494, sir!"
"Very good."
494 turned to leave, stopping as the Colonel spoke again,
"And Alec?"
He stood unflinching at attention and Lydecker smiled satisfactorily. He had been broken and was a soldier again. He no longer responded to Alec and he seemed to have resumed his role as one of Manticore's elite, an alpha stud - one of the highest-ranking commanding officers. The reindoctrination process had been a significantly harsh level, which had consequently taken much less time than anticipated to wipe 494's memory to the time just prior to his first deep cover mission.
But, deep down Lydecker suspected the soldier of playing along, humouring him for fear of having to spend further time in Psy-Ops. But really, like it would do any good. The set-up on hand was shabby and juvenile; 494 had already been subjected to the most severe level, which was never used as it resulted in frying the subject's brain. Alec, rather 494, had walked away without any permanent brain damage, but his memory was shot, rendered back in 2018. This temporary set-up had shamefully limited and outdated resources.
494 appeared to be in what was referred to as soldier mode, a tactic Lydecker himself had taught soldiers to deploy in certain situations. Lock one's mind so that everything is blocked out, convincing one's self to forget everything and concentrate on the objective. Of course, it could generally be revived through a trigger of some kind.
"Tell me about 452. Max."
"X5-452 was a rogue transgenic from the escape in '09. it has been brought to my attention that she was terminated."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I am not required to feel anything unless commanded so."
"How do you really feel?"
"Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Granted."
"I am glad that traitor had what was coming to her. She was a drain of Manticore. A disappointment and a reckless liability."
"Excellent observation soldier."
"Just stating the truth. I answer to Manticore in the best objective of my unit."
"Good to hear. I will soon be introducing you to one of the main forces involved with the impending re-commencement of Manticore. He is an important ally, who you will be expected to answer to."
"Of course sir."
"Dismissed 494."
He saluted and turned abruptly, leaving Lydecker staring after the closest thing he had to a son, in what could only be described as pride.
* * * * *
Max's eyes glazed over with shock, her mouth dropped in a comical expression,
"Wha.What did you say?"
"Eyes Only. I know, weird name. He does those cable hacks."
Ben didn't notice her slack-jawed reaction and he breathed out what appeared to be a sigh of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. Eyes Only. The person behind it all, it was Logan? No, it couldn't be, she rationalised, he had worked against Manticore with her for the past couple of years. But, a nagging voice in her mind pushed those thoughts away as it established agreements for what Ben had told her. Logan hadn't told her about Alec's kidnapping - it would explain certain events, which had occurred over the years. Max was torn and she didn't know which way she was supposed to go. She knew the truth. It couldn't be Logan, otherwise why would he have been targeted with the virus, to eliminate an ally who was no longer of use to them. Or maybe, the virus never had existed and the whole thing had been an act. Did that mean Alec was in on it too? Max shook her head in a vain attempt to clear the overload of thoughts plaguing her mind. She stood, snatching her jacket,
"I gotta blaze."
She ran out and Ben watched after questioningly.
* * * * *
"He's made very impressive progress sir."
"So I see. But then, impressive is the only way one can describe him."
Lydecker's steely blue gaze ripped into the sparring soldier, whose bare chest was rippling golden, despite the stormy weather.
"494. Take out your target."
He complied as instructed, demonstrating several battle moves, pinning down another X5 within seconds and rendering his opponent unconscious.
"At ease 494. Take a break."
He stood, bowing to the still figure on the ground and sipped water, before standing in apprehension for his next orders.
"We are taking you out of the facility today soldier. Think you're ready for that?"
"Yes sir!"
"Excellent. You have 40 minutes to clean up and change. We leave at 1900 hours."