Spoilers: This is the third in my series of stories. The first
was Shattered Trusts and Whispered Confessions. The second,
which I only just finished, is Remembering to Forget. This
series is set after Hello Goodbye but does reveal spoilers from
the rest of the season, as I incorporate it into the story.
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine except for some minors. The ideas are pretty much mine though but I just want to say thanks to those who have reviewed my previous works, it keeps me writing!
Authors Note: If you really want to understand this story and enjoy it, then be sure to read the original parts one and two.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY:
Seattle; Langford Prison; October 11th 2022
0845 hours
Alec crept to the side fence where he could see Max and Logan coming out into the yard. An officer sat nearby watching them and since it was early, Alec was sure he would be able to pick up on most things they said, since almost no one was outside yet. He tried to keep himself calm, despite the fact that she was here. with him. But accusations (well truths) could occur later, right now he wanted to know what she was here for, what she was really here for.
* * * * *
Max smiled faintly at Logan, not really knowing how she had convinced herself it was a good idea to come and see him. He shuffled in his seat, a grin playing on his lips,
"I knew you'd come back to me Max."
"I need your help."
"Anything. I'd do anything for you. I know you put me here, but that was just for my own safety, nothing else."
She cast her gaze down, he was ranting like a crazy man. He looked foul and that smell. God, it was worse than when Alec had stunk after being away from her for weeks. Logan reached out to touch her face and she shrunk away, more from repulsion than habit.
"It's okay Max, we can touch. There's no virus anymore."
"I know. I just...I really need your help."
"Name it."
"I need you to tell me about the prophecy - about Alec."
"I cant."
"Logan, please. I'm asking you as a favour. For me."
"You love him."
His voice was resigned, flat - defeated. Alec held his breath, waiting for her answer.
"I need you Logan."
Alec frowned as Logan lifted his head hopefully.
"Please help me."
"You really need me?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you miss me?"
Max hesitated, her eyed trained on his scruffy face,
"Yes."
Alec stopped listening, his face creased into a hurt expression. He looked from her serenely beautiful face, to Logan's emerging smile. Angrily, he lashed out, punching the car that was shielding him from Max's view. His hand went through the strong metal and he pulled his hand out, covered in blood. His blood. But that wasn't it, he realised as the car's alarm rang out loudly, attracting the attention of guards and police nearby. He looked around wildly, seeing people approaching. With one final look back at Max, Alec bolted to his bike, escaping without being seen. But he had noticed, as he drove off that Max hadn't looked away from Logan that whole time; despite the commotion he had caused so close by to her.
* * * * *
Seattle; Terminal City; October 11th 2022
2100 hours
Max smiled politely at transgenics she passed, as she made her way to Luke's desk. He looked up from behind a book and she snickered at his change in reference,
"So I see you're still on computer strike."
"Been there done that already. No where on the net can I find anything even slightly related to the prophecy or Alec or the familiars."
"Did you try www dot the familiar's prophecy about Alec dot com?"
"Oh damn, I didn't! But I'll try that one now."
"So you think book's will do the job?"
"Hopefully. I figured something as old as this is supposed to be, it could be mentioned in something as old as books. A different sort of text than the usual technology."
She sat down next to him, peering over his shoulder at the book,
"Find anything?"
"No."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Well it makes my news much more exciting."
He set the book down, looking at her curiously,
"What do you know?"
"More than you, dear friend, more than you."
Max lowered her voice and Luke edged closer to her, completely intrigued by what she was about to tell him.
"This whole Alec prophecy dealio, how much did we know about it? A shroud of death, plague type thing is coming. Right?"
"So it says."
"Yeah well it's a bit different apparently than what we were thinking. The familiars use that snake blood, which kills those who aren't immune to it - humans essentially. The odd familiar, but humans in the main."
"They cant possibly inject every person in the world with the blood."
"Maybe not. But they could find a way to distribute it, by manipulating it in a manner that it might only need to be inhaled or eaten or whatever. What the runes on me are saying is that Alec will stop it right? But his runes, what exactly did they say?"
"That Alec is going to bring about the end of the world as we know it."
"And what did mine say?"
"When the shroud of death covers the face of the earth, the one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless. He will not be alone, but with his chosen mate will bring the world up from it's knees."
"And what did his say about killing all the humans?"
"That part was weird, it seemed inconsistent. It said something like...When the plague that threatens mankind arises, one man alone will deliver the helpless to the fate by which had been sought."
"And you interpreted that as him killing them all?"
"How else could it be? The fate sought is them all dead. Do you think that it could be something else?"
"I don't know."
"So did you find out a way to stop what we've figured is going to happen?"
"Yeah. I managed to get Logan to let me go to his house and check up on his hard-drive files."
"The police hadn't confiscated it all?"
"Surprisingly no, the whole set-up was exactly the same as it was last time I was there. But that's a good thing - right?"
"Yeah. So what did you find out?"
"I found the actual original scripts in his files. The one that we need to know goes..."
Max reached into her pocket, unfolding a piece of wrinkled paper from his pocket,
"When the chosen one's blood is spilled, the plague threatening man will cease to exist."
Luke gasped at what she had said, lowering his voice even further,
"You mean to tell me Max that according to the ancient prophesies, that the only way to stop this plague is to kill Alec? But that doesn't make sense, how can that change the distribution of it?"
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. Let's think about this carefully. Alec is the chosen one."
"You're the messenger."
"The humans are the helpless."
"So he is going to deliver them, when the plague is ready..."
"But if he's dead, he cant deliver them."
"True, but cant someone else just deliver them?"
They both sat thoughtfully in silence, before Luke lifted his head up, talking out his ideas slowly,
"He has to deliver them somewhere no one else can. But where can Alec go that no one else can?"
"I don't know."
"Okay, who is Alec? He's an X5. One of the top soldiers from Manticore. He's been on dozens of missions, only one deep-cover. He is a clone of 493."
"Ben."
"Right. So..."
"Luke, you said it. He was one of the top soldiers from Manticore. That's the one place he can go. Because he is a clone, he can go back to Manticore. As Ben. He can deliver the helpless to Manticore."
"That cant work, Manticore was created by Sandeman as something to oppose the familiars, the two cant be working together."
"Yeah it can, think about it. The familiars create this plague, inject it into a series of transgenics and release them so they go back to Manticore. They're carriers - like the virus between Logan and me. Any contact with humans and they'll pass it on, who will continue to pass it on. It all makes sense."
"It's really far fetched. But, I think you might be onto something. So I guess, what's going to have to happen is..."
Alec made his way into HQ quietly, stopping as Max's voice carried through to him as his hand hovered above the doorknob. He heard her hiccup loudly before she spoke,
"I have to kill Alec."
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
What will happen? I'm as clueless as you all. But (wiggles eyebrows) lets just keep going and find out. Reviews please (I don't have to remind you.)
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine except for some minors. The ideas are pretty much mine though but I just want to say thanks to those who have reviewed my previous works, it keeps me writing!
Authors Note: If you really want to understand this story and enjoy it, then be sure to read the original parts one and two.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY:
Seattle; Langford Prison; October 11th 2022
0845 hours
Alec crept to the side fence where he could see Max and Logan coming out into the yard. An officer sat nearby watching them and since it was early, Alec was sure he would be able to pick up on most things they said, since almost no one was outside yet. He tried to keep himself calm, despite the fact that she was here. with him. But accusations (well truths) could occur later, right now he wanted to know what she was here for, what she was really here for.
* * * * *
Max smiled faintly at Logan, not really knowing how she had convinced herself it was a good idea to come and see him. He shuffled in his seat, a grin playing on his lips,
"I knew you'd come back to me Max."
"I need your help."
"Anything. I'd do anything for you. I know you put me here, but that was just for my own safety, nothing else."
She cast her gaze down, he was ranting like a crazy man. He looked foul and that smell. God, it was worse than when Alec had stunk after being away from her for weeks. Logan reached out to touch her face and she shrunk away, more from repulsion than habit.
"It's okay Max, we can touch. There's no virus anymore."
"I know. I just...I really need your help."
"Name it."
"I need you to tell me about the prophecy - about Alec."
"I cant."
"Logan, please. I'm asking you as a favour. For me."
"You love him."
His voice was resigned, flat - defeated. Alec held his breath, waiting for her answer.
"I need you Logan."
Alec frowned as Logan lifted his head hopefully.
"Please help me."
"You really need me?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you miss me?"
Max hesitated, her eyed trained on his scruffy face,
"Yes."
Alec stopped listening, his face creased into a hurt expression. He looked from her serenely beautiful face, to Logan's emerging smile. Angrily, he lashed out, punching the car that was shielding him from Max's view. His hand went through the strong metal and he pulled his hand out, covered in blood. His blood. But that wasn't it, he realised as the car's alarm rang out loudly, attracting the attention of guards and police nearby. He looked around wildly, seeing people approaching. With one final look back at Max, Alec bolted to his bike, escaping without being seen. But he had noticed, as he drove off that Max hadn't looked away from Logan that whole time; despite the commotion he had caused so close by to her.
* * * * *
Seattle; Terminal City; October 11th 2022
2100 hours
Max smiled politely at transgenics she passed, as she made her way to Luke's desk. He looked up from behind a book and she snickered at his change in reference,
"So I see you're still on computer strike."
"Been there done that already. No where on the net can I find anything even slightly related to the prophecy or Alec or the familiars."
"Did you try www dot the familiar's prophecy about Alec dot com?"
"Oh damn, I didn't! But I'll try that one now."
"So you think book's will do the job?"
"Hopefully. I figured something as old as this is supposed to be, it could be mentioned in something as old as books. A different sort of text than the usual technology."
She sat down next to him, peering over his shoulder at the book,
"Find anything?"
"No."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Well it makes my news much more exciting."
He set the book down, looking at her curiously,
"What do you know?"
"More than you, dear friend, more than you."
Max lowered her voice and Luke edged closer to her, completely intrigued by what she was about to tell him.
"This whole Alec prophecy dealio, how much did we know about it? A shroud of death, plague type thing is coming. Right?"
"So it says."
"Yeah well it's a bit different apparently than what we were thinking. The familiars use that snake blood, which kills those who aren't immune to it - humans essentially. The odd familiar, but humans in the main."
"They cant possibly inject every person in the world with the blood."
"Maybe not. But they could find a way to distribute it, by manipulating it in a manner that it might only need to be inhaled or eaten or whatever. What the runes on me are saying is that Alec will stop it right? But his runes, what exactly did they say?"
"That Alec is going to bring about the end of the world as we know it."
"And what did mine say?"
"When the shroud of death covers the face of the earth, the one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless. He will not be alone, but with his chosen mate will bring the world up from it's knees."
"And what did his say about killing all the humans?"
"That part was weird, it seemed inconsistent. It said something like...When the plague that threatens mankind arises, one man alone will deliver the helpless to the fate by which had been sought."
"And you interpreted that as him killing them all?"
"How else could it be? The fate sought is them all dead. Do you think that it could be something else?"
"I don't know."
"So did you find out a way to stop what we've figured is going to happen?"
"Yeah. I managed to get Logan to let me go to his house and check up on his hard-drive files."
"The police hadn't confiscated it all?"
"Surprisingly no, the whole set-up was exactly the same as it was last time I was there. But that's a good thing - right?"
"Yeah. So what did you find out?"
"I found the actual original scripts in his files. The one that we need to know goes..."
Max reached into her pocket, unfolding a piece of wrinkled paper from his pocket,
"When the chosen one's blood is spilled, the plague threatening man will cease to exist."
Luke gasped at what she had said, lowering his voice even further,
"You mean to tell me Max that according to the ancient prophesies, that the only way to stop this plague is to kill Alec? But that doesn't make sense, how can that change the distribution of it?"
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. Let's think about this carefully. Alec is the chosen one."
"You're the messenger."
"The humans are the helpless."
"So he is going to deliver them, when the plague is ready..."
"But if he's dead, he cant deliver them."
"True, but cant someone else just deliver them?"
They both sat thoughtfully in silence, before Luke lifted his head up, talking out his ideas slowly,
"He has to deliver them somewhere no one else can. But where can Alec go that no one else can?"
"I don't know."
"Okay, who is Alec? He's an X5. One of the top soldiers from Manticore. He's been on dozens of missions, only one deep-cover. He is a clone of 493."
"Ben."
"Right. So..."
"Luke, you said it. He was one of the top soldiers from Manticore. That's the one place he can go. Because he is a clone, he can go back to Manticore. As Ben. He can deliver the helpless to Manticore."
"That cant work, Manticore was created by Sandeman as something to oppose the familiars, the two cant be working together."
"Yeah it can, think about it. The familiars create this plague, inject it into a series of transgenics and release them so they go back to Manticore. They're carriers - like the virus between Logan and me. Any contact with humans and they'll pass it on, who will continue to pass it on. It all makes sense."
"It's really far fetched. But, I think you might be onto something. So I guess, what's going to have to happen is..."
Alec made his way into HQ quietly, stopping as Max's voice carried through to him as his hand hovered above the doorknob. He heard her hiccup loudly before she spoke,
"I have to kill Alec."
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
What will happen? I'm as clueless as you all. But (wiggles eyebrows) lets just keep going and find out. Reviews please (I don't have to remind you.)