AN: Okay, this is a flashback chapter. Let me know what you think. I feel
that it could use a bit more work. Anyway, read and review, please. Oh,
and thanks so much to the people who reviewed the first two chapters.
Encouragement and constructive criticism is all I ask.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did and if I did, I would rename it Dark Alec, 'nuff said.
Ch. 3:
Water. That's what I remember. At least that's the first thing I'd remember. I love to swim. Ask Alec. Ask Jeremiah, Bets or even Bree and they'll tell you the I have never been afraid of water, even when the Manticore brass were shooting bullets in the water to see how fast our reaction time was in combat. I think I was thirteen then, almost on the brink of going on my first mission.
Anyway, water is the first thing I remember. I remember feeling safe and secure. The three other children who had joined me in the pool were equally small, just as scared even though they never showed it, and were just as determined to see it through. I kept my eyes face front, letting my mind relax and become one with the liquid. I felt a small body push against me. I looked to my right. His hair in a buzz cut and his face a solid determined cast, Jeremiah or X5-609, as I knew him then, was stiff as a pole. Steadily, I looked up as the TAC officer assigned to our unit was handed a clipboard. His gray eyes glanced in my direction. Quickly, I looked away, my heart pounding in fear.
The next event I remember was when they introduced four new X5s into our unit. The first three were quickly assimilated into our daily regimen of training and practice missions. The last, him and Jeremiah didn't get along instantly. At night, he would mutter about the new X5's reluctance to follow his orders and tendency to follow mine. I didn't care much. I felt comfortable performing my training and taking private solace in the water tank. At first I ignored the quiet sounds emanating from the youngest arrival's cot. Each night, without fail, I could hear the soft mewling that came from the small body in the cot two beds away from mine. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. It was a moonlit night and the light streamed past 494's bed. Making sure that no officers were nearby to yell at me for crawling out of bed, I crept over to 494 and whispered, "What's wrong?"
The X5 sniffled again. His eyes, always changing, were wet with unshed tears. I felt strange and uncomfortable. The new arrival brought out something in me that I had never felt before. I knew without really saying the words that I would protect 494 with my life, regardless of what the posters said. He continued to cry. I decided to make it my mission to cheer him up.
"Hey, look at that," I said, pointing at the moon. It was big and bright. It looked so big, it almost felt as though I could touch it. 494 stirred beside me to look up. I could see his eyes widen and turn to a brilliant shade of green.
"What's that?" he whispered. He rubbed a chubby fist against his eyes.
"It's the moon," I said, smiling at its beauty.
"What's a moon?" he asked. I cocked my head, thinking carefully.
"I guess the moon is like the sun. It gives us light when it's dark."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
We sat in silence, with only the soft rustle of fellow X5s sleeping in their cots breaking the mood.
"I like you," 494 said. "You don't yell at me."
"I guess," I replied, getting a bit more uncomfortable. Something told me we shouldn't be talking like this.
"You're nice," 494 yawned, resting his shaved head against my shoulder. The short hairs pricked through the thin cloth of my gray gown. Before I could say anything, I could feel him falling asleep. I crawled out of his bed and crawled back into mine. To my relief, X5-494 stopped crying at night.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did and if I did, I would rename it Dark Alec, 'nuff said.
Ch. 3:
Water. That's what I remember. At least that's the first thing I'd remember. I love to swim. Ask Alec. Ask Jeremiah, Bets or even Bree and they'll tell you the I have never been afraid of water, even when the Manticore brass were shooting bullets in the water to see how fast our reaction time was in combat. I think I was thirteen then, almost on the brink of going on my first mission.
Anyway, water is the first thing I remember. I remember feeling safe and secure. The three other children who had joined me in the pool were equally small, just as scared even though they never showed it, and were just as determined to see it through. I kept my eyes face front, letting my mind relax and become one with the liquid. I felt a small body push against me. I looked to my right. His hair in a buzz cut and his face a solid determined cast, Jeremiah or X5-609, as I knew him then, was stiff as a pole. Steadily, I looked up as the TAC officer assigned to our unit was handed a clipboard. His gray eyes glanced in my direction. Quickly, I looked away, my heart pounding in fear.
The next event I remember was when they introduced four new X5s into our unit. The first three were quickly assimilated into our daily regimen of training and practice missions. The last, him and Jeremiah didn't get along instantly. At night, he would mutter about the new X5's reluctance to follow his orders and tendency to follow mine. I didn't care much. I felt comfortable performing my training and taking private solace in the water tank. At first I ignored the quiet sounds emanating from the youngest arrival's cot. Each night, without fail, I could hear the soft mewling that came from the small body in the cot two beds away from mine. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. It was a moonlit night and the light streamed past 494's bed. Making sure that no officers were nearby to yell at me for crawling out of bed, I crept over to 494 and whispered, "What's wrong?"
The X5 sniffled again. His eyes, always changing, were wet with unshed tears. I felt strange and uncomfortable. The new arrival brought out something in me that I had never felt before. I knew without really saying the words that I would protect 494 with my life, regardless of what the posters said. He continued to cry. I decided to make it my mission to cheer him up.
"Hey, look at that," I said, pointing at the moon. It was big and bright. It looked so big, it almost felt as though I could touch it. 494 stirred beside me to look up. I could see his eyes widen and turn to a brilliant shade of green.
"What's that?" he whispered. He rubbed a chubby fist against his eyes.
"It's the moon," I said, smiling at its beauty.
"What's a moon?" he asked. I cocked my head, thinking carefully.
"I guess the moon is like the sun. It gives us light when it's dark."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
We sat in silence, with only the soft rustle of fellow X5s sleeping in their cots breaking the mood.
"I like you," 494 said. "You don't yell at me."
"I guess," I replied, getting a bit more uncomfortable. Something told me we shouldn't be talking like this.
"You're nice," 494 yawned, resting his shaved head against my shoulder. The short hairs pricked through the thin cloth of my gray gown. Before I could say anything, I could feel him falling asleep. I crawled out of his bed and crawled back into mine. To my relief, X5-494 stopped crying at night.