Dark Angel : Future History
Story One
The Recovery
Welcome to story one of my Future History of Dark Angel. I took the idea from Robert Heinlein collection of short works as I've been writing DA stories for over two years now, but only recently discovered fan fiction on the internet. I hope you enjoy.
The usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing.
Chapter Three
"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom Satellite hack of the Eyes Only Informant Net. This hack cannot be traced and it will not be stopped. It is only a matter of time. Manticore will fall. She will be avenged…"
Renfro stopped the playback. Max stared at the screen. She looked into those eyes only she knew. Those eyes were a part of her.
"We know you've had some sort of relationship with Eyes Only. We know you are involved with him intimately. We also know that he is causing problems for us because he thinks you are dead."
"I don't' know what you are talking about." Max said.
"Yes you do." Renfro said. "You have some sort of intimate relationship with that man." She pointed at the screen. "Here's what's going to happen. We are going to find him."
"You'll never find him."
"We're going to kill him." Renfro said. "Psy-ops report that you are sealed up tight. We've tried drugs and you've told us nothing about this man. We've tried torture and you've not spoken a word. Our best techniques have consistently failed where your life in Seattle is concerned."
"I don't have a life in Seattle."
"Oh, but you did." The older woman walked directly in front of Max and looked into her eyes. "You and Eyes Only were an item. You see, Psy-ops uncovered some interesting information about your exploits in Seattle. We got all kinds of information about Edgar Sonrisa and a man named Bruno Anselmo. We learned about the Red Series, but we already knew about them. We learned about a red dress and a painting by Rockwell. We learned about Alan Lands and his election bid shot down by a dead journalist. We found out about all sorts of break-ins and information grabs and various other exploits or yours."
"So." Max stood defiant in Renfro's face.
"You worked with Eyes Only. We traced your thoughts to his satellite hacks. We have teams verifying the information."
"I worked for Eyes Only." Max said. "I never met the man." She stared deep into the blonde's eyes.
"I don't believe you."
"I don't care. No one has ever met Eyes Only. He has operatives all over the country and in other parts of the world. The Informant Net is expansive. When I fell, others took my place. It's a vicious cycle." She smiled.
"You have an intimate relationship with Eyes Only. You will tell us who he is."
"I don't know who he is."
"I believe you do and I believe that you have feelings for this man." Renfro pointed toward the monitor with the frozen image of Eyes Only. We have teams searching for him as we speak. We have assassins in the field waiting for the green light."
"You'll never find him." Max said.
"We will find him and we'll kill him…" Renfro started, but an alarm went off and the building went on lockdown. Renfro went to her desk and opened up her communication grid. "What is going on?"
"We have a level one security breech in our system."
"What?" She asked. "How?"
"We don't know."
"Then find out. Where is the breech?"
"Our financial records are missing."
"What do you mean missing?"
"Just that, Ma'am. Our financial records have been erased completely and the codes are set to some bizarre code format we have never seen before."
"What does that mean?"
"Someone took all of our funding and redirected through a series of offshore accounts. Then they removed every financial record we ever had and now we cannot access the system."
"All the money?"
"All of it. They took every single penny including the reserve accounts and the black funds. We have nothing left."
"How is that possible?"
"We were hacked by someone very elite."
"Who?"
"Eyes Only."
Max started to laugh. Renfro slapped her, but she just laughed. She was laughing as they dragged her away and shoved her into a dark little hole in the basement.
"You have no money. I have broken the Manticore financial database and hidden their billions of tax dollars deep in lost places. Manticore has no money. Manticore will fall. It has already begun. Peace. Out." Logan wrapped up the sat-hack and closed down his screen. He had heard OC come in while he was speaking but it was of no import at this point.
"Cindy?" Logan asked.
"No." Said a female voice. Logan turned to see Syl standing there.
"Hello Syl." Logan said.
"You are playing a dangerous game."
"It's what I do."
"Criminals are one thing. Even minor politicians are dangerous, but you are taking on a covert military operation breeding super-soldiers. I know. I'm one of them." Syl said.
"Yes. You are."
"So you need my help."
"I will not risk your life or the lives of any more of you. Thirteen of you escaped. Another came out later when she learned better. Out of fourteen Rogues, there are only eight left. I will not risk any more lives."
"I won't let you risk your own."
"You don't work for me."
"You protect us because of Max. We will not stand here and watch you throw your life away when you don't even know if she's still alive."
"But I do know." Logan said. He turned to his computer and punched a few keys opening a video replay.
The hall was dark and gray. It was clear to Logan that the place held cold evil memories for Syl. She was shivering as she watched it. Troops moved into view and the camera focused on the group of soldiers guarding a small dark-haired woman in a dull gray dress. She was barefoot and her hands were cuffed behind her. She looked up and noticed the camera following her movements. The squad walked her past.
The camera view changed and the same group could be seen walking toward the camera. This time the woman looked up from the beginning and watched the camera track her all the way along the hall.
"It's Max." Syl said.
"Yes." He agreed. "Just watch."
The third camera tracks her to an intersection of halls and it is there that Max makes her move. Two of the soldiers fall immediately with broken legs and busted out knees. Max jumps in the air and pulls her legs up and over her cuffs and takes out a third soldier. The fourth is slow and she gets to him just as he levels his tazer at her chest, but she isn't there when he fires. He falls quickly unconscious at her feet. She turns and stares into the camera. She doesn't move, but just stands there looking into the lens, letting the lens watch her.
"What's she doing?" Syl asked.
"She's letting me see her." Logan said. "Letting me know she knows."
"She doesn't look well?"
"They're trying to reprogram her. They are torturing her. Its all my fault. I left her there."
"It's not your fault."
"It's why I'm going in and get her." Logan said. "You have to leave now."
"What?" Syl demanded. "You're not serious."
"It's time for you to leave." Logan said again.
"Logan…"
"Just go." He said finally. He ignored her until she left.
When she was gone for a time, Logan decided to check the contact number he had setup for the others. It was as he had expected.
"This is Syl. I need everyone in the vicinity to get to Seattle ASAFP. I saw her. Max is alive and Logan is going after her alone. Get back to me as soon as you can or rendezvous at the safe house on Oak Street. Again, this is ASAFP." Logan smiled at the message. It would take a squad of transgenics to stop him if they knew where and when to do it.
He grabbed his bag and was out the door with a few keystrokes on his computer. OC would find the machine beeping when she arrived. The note was lying across his keyboard with her instructions. He would be inside before Syl and the Rogues were even in Seattle.
It was an hour before the door into the penthouse opened and OC walked in. She heard the beeping immediately and walked into the office to see the screen blinking. She walked over and looked down at the keyboard and noticed the note.
OC, I need you to follow the instructions on the screen to the letter. I have gained access to the computer and entered my own pass codes into their system. By the time you read this I will be inside the facility just southeast of Seattle. Max is alive and I have the proof. I'm going to bring her home or die trying. Everything is self explanatory so just do what the prompts tell you to do. Sorry, it had to be this way, but it had to be this way. Trust me.
OC read and reread the note. She crumpled the paper and threw it on the desk. She punched the enter key on the keyboard and the vid Syl and Logan had so recently watched opened allowing OC to see what Logan already knew. A few minutes later, when the vid ended, a pop-up screen opened with instructions for OC to follow. She began typing.