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. Also, just wanted to say that yeah the story has got quite complicated and hence a little confusion from me let alone you guys who have no idea what is going on in my twisted mind. Thanks for sticking by me when I've been doing this. It's nice to know I have a loyal following.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
Seattle; The Space Needle; October 13th 2022
2230 hours
Max tried her best not to punch Lydecker as he made himself comfortable in a moth-eaten couch inside the needle. She sank to the floor, her eyes watching everything around her.
"What can I help you with Max?"
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable calling me 452?"
"Would you be more comfortable?"
"I don't want to play these games."
"So then just ask me what you want to know."
She paused and Ben gave her a reassuring smile behind Lydecker's back.
"You have to tell me everything you know about the prophecy that Sandeman created Alec and myself for."
Max saw Ben smirk at her repeated sentence,
"I need to know how it can be stopped."
Lydecker crossed his legs with a smile of his old face,
"I have to tell you."
She pouted, fuming,
"Pretty please?"
"Well that convinced me Max. Have you deciphered your runes?"
"Yes, which is what I am doing here. Alec's runes have produced a really weird message which says that he's going to be responsible for all the bad stuff that has been said is going to happen."
He creased his already wrinkled brow,
"What can I do about that?"
"You can help us. We - some of us transgenics - figured that he has been injected with some sort of plague last time he was here at Manticore. I want you to give me the anti-virus which will counteract whatever is in him."
"There isn't anything in him that there shouldn't be."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. You can bring him by the new facility and I can run some tests on him if you like."
"And when you're done, we'll be walking out of there alive and without any new silver bracelets attached to us."
"You have my word."
"That doesn't mean much to me."
Lydecker looked helplessly at Ben, who stepped forward into Max's view,
"Then you have mine."
* * * * *
Seattle; New Manticore Holding Facility; October 14th 2022
0500 hours
"Just relax 494, or should I say Alec. The test results should be back any minute now. We've just run some spinals to examine your DNA and also just a blood analysis to see if there is some virus planted in you - "
Lydecker stopped speaking as a lab tech rushed in the room handing him a silver metal file, then rushed out again.
"And here they are. Let me see... Hmm - interesting. Or rather, strange."
He trailed off and Alec found himself yelping as he lifted his head up,
"Strange? Strange! Strange is not something I want to be hearing!"
He blurred from the bed he was laying on, to a standing position, before being yanked back by Max's sudden hold on his shirt collar. He opened his mouth to protest and she silenced with a 'you do, you die' look, then pushed him behind her with her hand,
"What's so strange about his DNA results?"
"According to the lab guys, a small section of his genetic coding has been altered. It really shouldn't even be possible."
"What part and how?"
"Some sort of magnetic field has managed to distort some of his DNA markers, which were already tampered with in order to inject other DNA. In one particular strand, the markers are severely modified."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means Max, that the particular function of the altered DNA strand isn't what it should be. That is, the runes that appeared on your boyfriend here aren't what they should've been. They've been changes, distorted - "
"By this unknown magnetic force."
Alec moved his gaze back and forth between Lydecker and Max, as though he were a spectator at a riveting tennis match. The two looked at him curiously as his eyes darted around wildly and he mumbled incoherently. Max gave him a dirty look as she tapped her foot impatiently,
"Alec, spit out whatever you're rambling on under your breath. Not even my hearing's that good."
He replied slowly, as if he were rationally talking out his thoughts,
"A strong magnetic force. It shouldn't be that I would have come across such a thing. Crazy biohazard, sure. But I'm immune to such a thing. A magnetic field, that's a stumper. Unless, it was perhaps caused by a memory erasing bracelet which works on the basic principle of magnets altering brain waves to 'brain wash' those inflicted to it."
Lydecker's jaw literally dropped as all three X5's eyes became trained on him. Ben took an obvious step towards him, as if to ward off the other two from trying anything. Finally, the Colonel recovered from Alec's theory and managed to croak out a response,
"I suppose, yes, it's possible."
"Possible or probable?"
Ben glared at Alec; his twin was challenging Lydecker with a look of utter contempt running ramped in his eyes,
"We couldn't have possibly known that this would happen."
"Well it did happen and now how the fuck are we going to save humanity!"
Silence.
Alec's face screwed up further with anger and he glanced around the room annoyed. Lydecker's eyes were narrowed with frustration; Max was staring at Alec's wrist, where the silver bracelet still was attached; and Ben was standing, resembling a lost little boy. The silence ensued and Alec broke it, his eyes trained intently on his twin,
"Would you cut that out!"
"What?"
"Stop looking like that! I can't stand that look on our faces!"
"Get used to it. And it's my face; you're my clone 494. Don't forget that."
"Great, I'm the clone of a psychotic overly religious dentist."
They glared at each other, mirror of anger, with fists clenched in case the verbal turned to physical. Both jumped unexpectedly at Lydecker's angrily irritated bark, which rang out through the room,
"Soldiers, stand down!"
Alec resisted the urge to salute the bastard, forcing himself to sit back down on his bed. Ben's face fell as Lydecker narrowed his eyes at him and he too sat down. The older man turned to Max, the only semi-rational one left in the room,
"There may be a way to reconstruct the original runes. We can examine Alec's old files to see what the DNA strand was originally intended to function as - what the runes were meant to say. It will take some time though - a few days up to a week..."
"Do it."
""And whilst you may be used to others jumping at your every wish, I still consider myself your superior. And there is a catch. I am offering you a deal - I want something in return."
"And what's that?"
"I need you to take out a target."
"I'm not a killer!"
"It's the only way you'll get what you want. You do want to save the world - don't you?"
He smiled sickly at her, knowing that he had her just where he wanted. She sighed, glancing over at Alec, whose eyes demonstrated clearly both his disapproval of the suggested arrangement and his distrust of Lydecker. The latter she knew was probably a result of their last reunion and because he had probably the one who had repeatedly sent Alec to Psy-Ops.
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
Ho hum where's the love people? Just not getting that many reviews ( but I'll keep writing anyway, just might not be as good as it could.
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. Also, just wanted to say that yeah the story has got quite complicated and hence a little confusion from me let alone you guys who have no idea what is going on in my twisted mind. Thanks for sticking by me when I've been doing this. It's nice to know I have a loyal following.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
Seattle; The Space Needle; October 13th 2022
2230 hours
Max tried her best not to punch Lydecker as he made himself comfortable in a moth-eaten couch inside the needle. She sank to the floor, her eyes watching everything around her.
"What can I help you with Max?"
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable calling me 452?"
"Would you be more comfortable?"
"I don't want to play these games."
"So then just ask me what you want to know."
She paused and Ben gave her a reassuring smile behind Lydecker's back.
"You have to tell me everything you know about the prophecy that Sandeman created Alec and myself for."
Max saw Ben smirk at her repeated sentence,
"I need to know how it can be stopped."
Lydecker crossed his legs with a smile of his old face,
"I have to tell you."
She pouted, fuming,
"Pretty please?"
"Well that convinced me Max. Have you deciphered your runes?"
"Yes, which is what I am doing here. Alec's runes have produced a really weird message which says that he's going to be responsible for all the bad stuff that has been said is going to happen."
He creased his already wrinkled brow,
"What can I do about that?"
"You can help us. We - some of us transgenics - figured that he has been injected with some sort of plague last time he was here at Manticore. I want you to give me the anti-virus which will counteract whatever is in him."
"There isn't anything in him that there shouldn't be."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. You can bring him by the new facility and I can run some tests on him if you like."
"And when you're done, we'll be walking out of there alive and without any new silver bracelets attached to us."
"You have my word."
"That doesn't mean much to me."
Lydecker looked helplessly at Ben, who stepped forward into Max's view,
"Then you have mine."
* * * * *
Seattle; New Manticore Holding Facility; October 14th 2022
0500 hours
"Just relax 494, or should I say Alec. The test results should be back any minute now. We've just run some spinals to examine your DNA and also just a blood analysis to see if there is some virus planted in you - "
Lydecker stopped speaking as a lab tech rushed in the room handing him a silver metal file, then rushed out again.
"And here they are. Let me see... Hmm - interesting. Or rather, strange."
He trailed off and Alec found himself yelping as he lifted his head up,
"Strange? Strange! Strange is not something I want to be hearing!"
He blurred from the bed he was laying on, to a standing position, before being yanked back by Max's sudden hold on his shirt collar. He opened his mouth to protest and she silenced with a 'you do, you die' look, then pushed him behind her with her hand,
"What's so strange about his DNA results?"
"According to the lab guys, a small section of his genetic coding has been altered. It really shouldn't even be possible."
"What part and how?"
"Some sort of magnetic field has managed to distort some of his DNA markers, which were already tampered with in order to inject other DNA. In one particular strand, the markers are severely modified."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means Max, that the particular function of the altered DNA strand isn't what it should be. That is, the runes that appeared on your boyfriend here aren't what they should've been. They've been changes, distorted - "
"By this unknown magnetic force."
Alec moved his gaze back and forth between Lydecker and Max, as though he were a spectator at a riveting tennis match. The two looked at him curiously as his eyes darted around wildly and he mumbled incoherently. Max gave him a dirty look as she tapped her foot impatiently,
"Alec, spit out whatever you're rambling on under your breath. Not even my hearing's that good."
He replied slowly, as if he were rationally talking out his thoughts,
"A strong magnetic force. It shouldn't be that I would have come across such a thing. Crazy biohazard, sure. But I'm immune to such a thing. A magnetic field, that's a stumper. Unless, it was perhaps caused by a memory erasing bracelet which works on the basic principle of magnets altering brain waves to 'brain wash' those inflicted to it."
Lydecker's jaw literally dropped as all three X5's eyes became trained on him. Ben took an obvious step towards him, as if to ward off the other two from trying anything. Finally, the Colonel recovered from Alec's theory and managed to croak out a response,
"I suppose, yes, it's possible."
"Possible or probable?"
Ben glared at Alec; his twin was challenging Lydecker with a look of utter contempt running ramped in his eyes,
"We couldn't have possibly known that this would happen."
"Well it did happen and now how the fuck are we going to save humanity!"
Silence.
Alec's face screwed up further with anger and he glanced around the room annoyed. Lydecker's eyes were narrowed with frustration; Max was staring at Alec's wrist, where the silver bracelet still was attached; and Ben was standing, resembling a lost little boy. The silence ensued and Alec broke it, his eyes trained intently on his twin,
"Would you cut that out!"
"What?"
"Stop looking like that! I can't stand that look on our faces!"
"Get used to it. And it's my face; you're my clone 494. Don't forget that."
"Great, I'm the clone of a psychotic overly religious dentist."
They glared at each other, mirror of anger, with fists clenched in case the verbal turned to physical. Both jumped unexpectedly at Lydecker's angrily irritated bark, which rang out through the room,
"Soldiers, stand down!"
Alec resisted the urge to salute the bastard, forcing himself to sit back down on his bed. Ben's face fell as Lydecker narrowed his eyes at him and he too sat down. The older man turned to Max, the only semi-rational one left in the room,
"There may be a way to reconstruct the original runes. We can examine Alec's old files to see what the DNA strand was originally intended to function as - what the runes were meant to say. It will take some time though - a few days up to a week..."
"Do it."
""And whilst you may be used to others jumping at your every wish, I still consider myself your superior. And there is a catch. I am offering you a deal - I want something in return."
"And what's that?"
"I need you to take out a target."
"I'm not a killer!"
"It's the only way you'll get what you want. You do want to save the world - don't you?"
He smiled sickly at her, knowing that he had her just where he wanted. She sighed, glancing over at Alec, whose eyes demonstrated clearly both his disapproval of the suggested arrangement and his distrust of Lydecker. The latter she knew was probably a result of their last reunion and because he had probably the one who had repeatedly sent Alec to Psy-Ops.
* * * * *
To be continued...
Author's Note:
Ho hum where's the love people? Just not getting that many reviews ( but I'll keep writing anyway, just might not be as good as it could.