Ch. 10:
"What are you doing?" Alec asked as we walked into Terminal City. The trans- humans were huddled in a corner with Mole standing in the middle. The lizard transgenic looked at us with cold eyes as he removed his cigar from his mouth.
"What's it look like?" he growled, waving an arm over the assortment of guns and grenades gathered around his feet. Alec gave Mole a smile as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. His hazel eyes swept over the guns and the increasingly hostile trans- humans.
"I think you're trying to make your own arsenal, but that can't be possible," said Alec in a pleasant tone of voice.
"Why not?" asked a transgenic with tufts of black and white fur and bright black eyes.
Alec looked at the transgenic who had asked the question with cold eyes. He gave a little shrug as he replied, "Well, you see. This is Terminal City. Any weapon that isn't personally authorized by the Transgenic Council is considered contraband." Alec walked into the crowd of trans-humans, past Mole and picked up a 9 millimeter. He gave the gun an approving glance. "Nice piece. Must have cost you a pretty penny to steal, huh, Mole?"
The lizard transgenic stared hard at Alec before stuffing his cigar into his mouth and clamping his teeth tightly over the stogie.
"Not going to answer me?" Alec asked. Mole's eyes stared directly at Alec and the X5 stared back. Mole stepped up to Alec with his arms crossed over his chest. Alec didn't make a move. He just stood ramrod straight and kept his eyes focused on Mole's. The trans-humans surrounding the two transgenics shifted uneasily in their seats. I stood just beyond the center of the circle of trans-humans, waiting for the standoff to finish.
"Mole! Mole! What are you doing?" A pretty female lizard trans-human ran up to the circle carrying a small bundle in her arms. The bundle shifted every so often, emitting a small cry as it moved from the female lizard's breast. Mole turned to the female transgenic, his usually harsh features softening.
"Mole?" the female continued to ask, her dark eyes darting between Mole and Alec.
Mole reached up to the female lizard and gently stroked her face. "Louise, I'm not doing anything. Alec and me are just having a little discussion." The female lizard still looked uncertain as Mole moved closer to look in on the little bundle. "How's Jim? He's doing okay?"
"Jim's fine," Louise replied with a warm smile as she readjusted her breast to fit more snugly with the baby that waved its brown scaly arms in the air.
"That's good," said Mole. "He isn't sick. That's the last thing we need around here. A sick little baby." Mole gave Alec a little glare.
"Mole, it wasn't my fault," my brother began, but Mole cut him off.
"I know it wasn't your fault, Alec," he said. "It's the damn ordinaries. It's their fault that--," Mole stopped and shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He grasped a long rifle in his hands. Giving it a tight squeeze, he continued, "It doesn't matter 'cause these babies are gonna show them we mean business."
"What are you going to show them?" Max strode into Terminal City, wheeling her motorcycle past the large entrance doors. Mole looked at Max with undisguised hostility. Max seemingly ignored this as she propped her cycle against a wall and strode up to the male lizard with her hands on her hips. "Well?" she prompted after a lengthy silence.
"Max, Mole was just telling me that he's been collecting the artillery so we would know what kind of supplies we need in a few weeks," said Alec. Max glanced between Alec and Mole. Her dark eyes sparked with suspicion, but she kept her face a solid stonewall.
"Really?" she asked in an arch voice. Her eyes looked directly into Alec's. He never wavered in his gaze.
"Really," he replied, looking away from Max for a moment to look at Mole. The lizard transgenic wrapped his free arm around Louise who clasped Jim closer to her chest.
"Okay, then," said Max walking away from us and over to the catwalk where Logan's face was emblazoned on the computer screen.
"Hey, Max," Alec called, causing the X5 to turn around mid-way to the catwalk. "Don't forget we have to do that thing tonight."
Max gave Alec a warm smile as she said, "Right. I haven't forgotten. I'll meet you and Bobbie here in two hours."
Alec gave Max a grin, "We'll be there." Max turned away from him to Logan who had a frown on his face.
As she talked to Logan, I sidled up to Alec and whispered, "Real smooth, Romeo."
"Bobbie, she's coming with us. Accept it and move on," he whispered back. Alec walked past the doors of Terminal City and stood outside looking at the large chain-link fence that separated TC from the rest of the world. I followed him with short angry steps.
"I have," I snapped. "But this is supposed to be our mission! Bree's our sister. Not Max's."
"Bobbie, how many times has Max involved us in one of her missions to see her siblings?"
"Too damn many to count," I muttered.
"Right," said Alec. "We've seen her family. Now, she needs to see ours."
"Great," I said. "Max will see just how screwed up our bunch is by seeing that Bree's a transgenic prostitute, giving away her blood for a price. Yes sir, that's real family values, right there."
"Since when do you care about Max finding out how screwed up our group is?" asked Alec with an arch of his eyebrow. "Last time I checked, you were okay with letting her see Jeremiah and me go at it."
"That's because you and Jeremiah fight all the damn time. It's impossible to keep you two from fighting."
"True."
I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead. "Look. Let's make a deal. You bring Max along in your twisted version of a date, but she stays outside. Getting Bree is just between you and me, no outsiders."
"Bobbie."
"Alec, don't make me kick your ass on this one. Bree's problem stays between you, me, and Jeremiah. No one else," I stared hard at my brother, who looked upset. "Don't try looking at me like somebody just died. I mean it. Max doesn't come in the crack-house or whatever the hell they want to call a place that gives away transgenic blood."
"All right, Bobbie," said Alec. "You win."
"This is not about winning," I said. "It's about protecting the unit."
"You're channeling Jeremiah aren't you?"
I shrugged. "Manticore made us leaders. Leaders lead and protect the unit. You should know that since you were such a teacher's pet back at Manticore."
"I was not!"
"You so were," I said with a grin.
Mimicking Alec's voice I said, "Colonel Drake, the meaning of right on refers to a person's support of an idea." Alec gave me a quick grin.
"Come on, Bobbie, I wasn't that bad."
"Trust me, you were bad. Of course with Manticore, being the perfect little soldier was the only way to go." I winked at Alec and he smiled broadly. He looked at the clear blue sky and sighed.
"You ever miss it?" He asked.
"What? Manticore?"
"Yeah."
I thought long and hard and looked up at the sky. A warm breeze brushed past my lips and I breathed in the soft, summer air. Closing my eyes, I thought back to the facility I had called home for 22 years.
"Sometimes," I finally replied. "Yes, sometimes I miss that place. I'd be talking to my students and all of a sudden, I would just wish I were on a mission. At least there I wouldn't have to deal with so many needs, so many people needing my help and somehow, for all my strength, I can't help them."
"I know what you mean," said Alec. His hazel eyes were looking upwards. "Back there, I was somebody. Guy needs some cigarettes? I was the one to call. You need a book from the Outside, I could get that for you."
"Hey, you still do that here."
Alec shook his head. "It's not the same, Bobbie. At Manticore, I was respected. People looked up to me."
"I'm not seeing the hero worship going out of Dalton's eyes anytime soon."
"Dalton's just a kid," said Alec. "I want something more."
"Max."
Alec gave a soft, bitter laugh. "You know, today's the first time in three years Max has ever accepted anything I offered her. Before, it was just 'Oh, I'm too busy.' Or 'Oh, Logan, wouldn't like that.'"
"That girl's a shame to X5 females everywhere."
"God, I love her, Bobbie," Alec's voice faltered a bit before continuing. "Sometimes I wonder why, but I do. I love her so much that I'm willing to stick around and watch her slowly get her spine removed in her stupid relationship with Logan."
"Maybe you need to move on."
"That's the thing. I can't," Alec looked at me with desperate eyes. "It's something inside me. Maybe it's something Manticore whipped up, but I can feel it. It's burning inside me, screaming, telling me that I shouldn't leave Max. I can't leave Max."
"Okay," I took a deep breath. What I was going to say next wasn't going to earn me brownie points with Alec, but I had to say it. "Alec, what about telling her about Logan's blood junkieness? It's harming her and it's harming the mission."
Alec shook his head again. "Bobbie, I can't do that to her. She'd hate me for it."
"Little brother, you may not have a choice. Logan's been taking a bigger hit of the blood and he's crazy enough to challenge you in a fight." Alec looked at me, confused.
"How do you know he's been taking a bigger hit of the blood?" Damn. Me and my big mouth. He continued to stare at me as I shifted uncomfortably beside him.
"I just do, okay?" I replied, looking down at the ground. I looked up to see growing suspicion, then horror dawn on Alec's face.
"God, Bobbie, was that what happened? Between you and him? He was strong enough to." Alec stopped and looked away from me. I could see his hands balling up into fists. I reached out to touch his shoulder, pulling him around to face me.
"Look, it was no big deal. I'm not some weak-kneed damsel in distress. I told you, next time I see him, I'll kick his ass. No problem." I gave Alec a broad smile, hoping he would be convinced and drop the subject. Lips tightening, Alec pulled me towards him. I let my head rest on his shoulder.
"I know you can kick his ass, Bobbie," he said softly. "I'm just worried that he might have brought back some bad times." I pulled away from him.
"All right, I won't lie to you," I said. "The stuff he pulled did bring back some bad stuff, but that's all in the past. We kicked that bastard's ass back then and we'll kick Logan's ass now. Easy peasy."
Alec smiled. "You've been listening to Normal, haven't you?"
"Only when he leaves a dozen messages for the great 'Monty Cora'," I rolled my eyes at the nickname.
"It's a play on Manticore," said Alec defensively. "I was showing my transgenic pride!"
"Whatever," I said with a snort. "It's still a lame name. You could've at least picked something cooler."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Just something that wouldn't make 90 percent of the transgenic world snicker."
"Well, you have to admit. I am a legend." Alec had a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He even rubbed his fingers against his chest and blew air over his fingernails.
"Could you please try to control that ego?"
"What? Nervous?"
"No, just suffocating from the massive amount of swollen ego that's occupying space."
"Ahh, Bobbie, always with a sharp word. I wonder how Manticore dealt with your mouth?"
"Re-indoctrination, what else?" I let bitterness creep into my voice.
"The old standards."
"Never fails," I replied. "Those docs could never figure out why we didn't completely cave into their brainwashing even with all the pills they kept shoving into our bodies. It only lasted for a few weeks before we'd start remembering again."
"I guess we're pretty strong. It's how they made us. Too independent for complete brainwashing."
"We had to keep it a secret though," I said, thinking back to the times when I had come out of re-indoctrination. "When we remembered. It was hard. The only thing that mattered there was survival, especially after they split the unit up."
"I missed you guys when they did that."
"I missed you, too. But Manticore wanted us to be 'independent'." I made quote marks with my fingers.
"I guess they were afraid of escape."
"X-series were always escaping. Remember the X4 who snuck into our barracks one time?"
"Yeah. The guards shot him when we were getting ready for target practice."
"The little guy seemed nice," I said, my voice wistful. When the guards shot at us for practice, we could escape the bullets with little trouble. With the previous X-series, bullets usually hit their targets since the older models were slower than the later ones.
"Yeah, he did, but he wasn't fast enough."
"No, he wasn't."
"Hey, guys. You ready?" Alec and I turned to see Max who was coming up to us. We exchanged glances, wondering how much of our conversation Max heard.
"Um, yeah, Max," said Alec, sounding uncertain. "Bobbie and I were just talking."
"I thought you said you were meeting us in two hours?" I asked as I looked at my watch. "That was a half hour ago."
"Logan cut the meeting short," Max replied. "He said he needed to do something tonight. I think he said he wanted to arrange a getaway at his cabin. You know, to celebrate the cure."
"That's nice," said Alec with a pained smile on his face.
"Yes, it is." Max looked ill as she said this.
An uncomfortable silence fell between the three of us until Max finally spoke, "Okay, I guess you're ready to go?"
"Yeah, we are," I said. I pulled out the slip of paper with the address Jeremiah had scrawled. "8450 Preston Street. It's in between Fiftieth and Main and it's in Sector 10."
Max shuddered. "That's one of the worst sectors. Back in Jam Pony, nobody wanted to deliver there."
"Well, that's where the place is," said Alec, taking strong strides out of Terminal City. "Let's get a move on." Max and I followed behind, silent.
"What are you doing?" Alec asked as we walked into Terminal City. The trans- humans were huddled in a corner with Mole standing in the middle. The lizard transgenic looked at us with cold eyes as he removed his cigar from his mouth.
"What's it look like?" he growled, waving an arm over the assortment of guns and grenades gathered around his feet. Alec gave Mole a smile as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. His hazel eyes swept over the guns and the increasingly hostile trans- humans.
"I think you're trying to make your own arsenal, but that can't be possible," said Alec in a pleasant tone of voice.
"Why not?" asked a transgenic with tufts of black and white fur and bright black eyes.
Alec looked at the transgenic who had asked the question with cold eyes. He gave a little shrug as he replied, "Well, you see. This is Terminal City. Any weapon that isn't personally authorized by the Transgenic Council is considered contraband." Alec walked into the crowd of trans-humans, past Mole and picked up a 9 millimeter. He gave the gun an approving glance. "Nice piece. Must have cost you a pretty penny to steal, huh, Mole?"
The lizard transgenic stared hard at Alec before stuffing his cigar into his mouth and clamping his teeth tightly over the stogie.
"Not going to answer me?" Alec asked. Mole's eyes stared directly at Alec and the X5 stared back. Mole stepped up to Alec with his arms crossed over his chest. Alec didn't make a move. He just stood ramrod straight and kept his eyes focused on Mole's. The trans-humans surrounding the two transgenics shifted uneasily in their seats. I stood just beyond the center of the circle of trans-humans, waiting for the standoff to finish.
"Mole! Mole! What are you doing?" A pretty female lizard trans-human ran up to the circle carrying a small bundle in her arms. The bundle shifted every so often, emitting a small cry as it moved from the female lizard's breast. Mole turned to the female transgenic, his usually harsh features softening.
"Mole?" the female continued to ask, her dark eyes darting between Mole and Alec.
Mole reached up to the female lizard and gently stroked her face. "Louise, I'm not doing anything. Alec and me are just having a little discussion." The female lizard still looked uncertain as Mole moved closer to look in on the little bundle. "How's Jim? He's doing okay?"
"Jim's fine," Louise replied with a warm smile as she readjusted her breast to fit more snugly with the baby that waved its brown scaly arms in the air.
"That's good," said Mole. "He isn't sick. That's the last thing we need around here. A sick little baby." Mole gave Alec a little glare.
"Mole, it wasn't my fault," my brother began, but Mole cut him off.
"I know it wasn't your fault, Alec," he said. "It's the damn ordinaries. It's their fault that--," Mole stopped and shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He grasped a long rifle in his hands. Giving it a tight squeeze, he continued, "It doesn't matter 'cause these babies are gonna show them we mean business."
"What are you going to show them?" Max strode into Terminal City, wheeling her motorcycle past the large entrance doors. Mole looked at Max with undisguised hostility. Max seemingly ignored this as she propped her cycle against a wall and strode up to the male lizard with her hands on her hips. "Well?" she prompted after a lengthy silence.
"Max, Mole was just telling me that he's been collecting the artillery so we would know what kind of supplies we need in a few weeks," said Alec. Max glanced between Alec and Mole. Her dark eyes sparked with suspicion, but she kept her face a solid stonewall.
"Really?" she asked in an arch voice. Her eyes looked directly into Alec's. He never wavered in his gaze.
"Really," he replied, looking away from Max for a moment to look at Mole. The lizard transgenic wrapped his free arm around Louise who clasped Jim closer to her chest.
"Okay, then," said Max walking away from us and over to the catwalk where Logan's face was emblazoned on the computer screen.
"Hey, Max," Alec called, causing the X5 to turn around mid-way to the catwalk. "Don't forget we have to do that thing tonight."
Max gave Alec a warm smile as she said, "Right. I haven't forgotten. I'll meet you and Bobbie here in two hours."
Alec gave Max a grin, "We'll be there." Max turned away from him to Logan who had a frown on his face.
As she talked to Logan, I sidled up to Alec and whispered, "Real smooth, Romeo."
"Bobbie, she's coming with us. Accept it and move on," he whispered back. Alec walked past the doors of Terminal City and stood outside looking at the large chain-link fence that separated TC from the rest of the world. I followed him with short angry steps.
"I have," I snapped. "But this is supposed to be our mission! Bree's our sister. Not Max's."
"Bobbie, how many times has Max involved us in one of her missions to see her siblings?"
"Too damn many to count," I muttered.
"Right," said Alec. "We've seen her family. Now, she needs to see ours."
"Great," I said. "Max will see just how screwed up our bunch is by seeing that Bree's a transgenic prostitute, giving away her blood for a price. Yes sir, that's real family values, right there."
"Since when do you care about Max finding out how screwed up our group is?" asked Alec with an arch of his eyebrow. "Last time I checked, you were okay with letting her see Jeremiah and me go at it."
"That's because you and Jeremiah fight all the damn time. It's impossible to keep you two from fighting."
"True."
I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead. "Look. Let's make a deal. You bring Max along in your twisted version of a date, but she stays outside. Getting Bree is just between you and me, no outsiders."
"Bobbie."
"Alec, don't make me kick your ass on this one. Bree's problem stays between you, me, and Jeremiah. No one else," I stared hard at my brother, who looked upset. "Don't try looking at me like somebody just died. I mean it. Max doesn't come in the crack-house or whatever the hell they want to call a place that gives away transgenic blood."
"All right, Bobbie," said Alec. "You win."
"This is not about winning," I said. "It's about protecting the unit."
"You're channeling Jeremiah aren't you?"
I shrugged. "Manticore made us leaders. Leaders lead and protect the unit. You should know that since you were such a teacher's pet back at Manticore."
"I was not!"
"You so were," I said with a grin.
Mimicking Alec's voice I said, "Colonel Drake, the meaning of right on refers to a person's support of an idea." Alec gave me a quick grin.
"Come on, Bobbie, I wasn't that bad."
"Trust me, you were bad. Of course with Manticore, being the perfect little soldier was the only way to go." I winked at Alec and he smiled broadly. He looked at the clear blue sky and sighed.
"You ever miss it?" He asked.
"What? Manticore?"
"Yeah."
I thought long and hard and looked up at the sky. A warm breeze brushed past my lips and I breathed in the soft, summer air. Closing my eyes, I thought back to the facility I had called home for 22 years.
"Sometimes," I finally replied. "Yes, sometimes I miss that place. I'd be talking to my students and all of a sudden, I would just wish I were on a mission. At least there I wouldn't have to deal with so many needs, so many people needing my help and somehow, for all my strength, I can't help them."
"I know what you mean," said Alec. His hazel eyes were looking upwards. "Back there, I was somebody. Guy needs some cigarettes? I was the one to call. You need a book from the Outside, I could get that for you."
"Hey, you still do that here."
Alec shook his head. "It's not the same, Bobbie. At Manticore, I was respected. People looked up to me."
"I'm not seeing the hero worship going out of Dalton's eyes anytime soon."
"Dalton's just a kid," said Alec. "I want something more."
"Max."
Alec gave a soft, bitter laugh. "You know, today's the first time in three years Max has ever accepted anything I offered her. Before, it was just 'Oh, I'm too busy.' Or 'Oh, Logan, wouldn't like that.'"
"That girl's a shame to X5 females everywhere."
"God, I love her, Bobbie," Alec's voice faltered a bit before continuing. "Sometimes I wonder why, but I do. I love her so much that I'm willing to stick around and watch her slowly get her spine removed in her stupid relationship with Logan."
"Maybe you need to move on."
"That's the thing. I can't," Alec looked at me with desperate eyes. "It's something inside me. Maybe it's something Manticore whipped up, but I can feel it. It's burning inside me, screaming, telling me that I shouldn't leave Max. I can't leave Max."
"Okay," I took a deep breath. What I was going to say next wasn't going to earn me brownie points with Alec, but I had to say it. "Alec, what about telling her about Logan's blood junkieness? It's harming her and it's harming the mission."
Alec shook his head again. "Bobbie, I can't do that to her. She'd hate me for it."
"Little brother, you may not have a choice. Logan's been taking a bigger hit of the blood and he's crazy enough to challenge you in a fight." Alec looked at me, confused.
"How do you know he's been taking a bigger hit of the blood?" Damn. Me and my big mouth. He continued to stare at me as I shifted uncomfortably beside him.
"I just do, okay?" I replied, looking down at the ground. I looked up to see growing suspicion, then horror dawn on Alec's face.
"God, Bobbie, was that what happened? Between you and him? He was strong enough to." Alec stopped and looked away from me. I could see his hands balling up into fists. I reached out to touch his shoulder, pulling him around to face me.
"Look, it was no big deal. I'm not some weak-kneed damsel in distress. I told you, next time I see him, I'll kick his ass. No problem." I gave Alec a broad smile, hoping he would be convinced and drop the subject. Lips tightening, Alec pulled me towards him. I let my head rest on his shoulder.
"I know you can kick his ass, Bobbie," he said softly. "I'm just worried that he might have brought back some bad times." I pulled away from him.
"All right, I won't lie to you," I said. "The stuff he pulled did bring back some bad stuff, but that's all in the past. We kicked that bastard's ass back then and we'll kick Logan's ass now. Easy peasy."
Alec smiled. "You've been listening to Normal, haven't you?"
"Only when he leaves a dozen messages for the great 'Monty Cora'," I rolled my eyes at the nickname.
"It's a play on Manticore," said Alec defensively. "I was showing my transgenic pride!"
"Whatever," I said with a snort. "It's still a lame name. You could've at least picked something cooler."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Just something that wouldn't make 90 percent of the transgenic world snicker."
"Well, you have to admit. I am a legend." Alec had a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He even rubbed his fingers against his chest and blew air over his fingernails.
"Could you please try to control that ego?"
"What? Nervous?"
"No, just suffocating from the massive amount of swollen ego that's occupying space."
"Ahh, Bobbie, always with a sharp word. I wonder how Manticore dealt with your mouth?"
"Re-indoctrination, what else?" I let bitterness creep into my voice.
"The old standards."
"Never fails," I replied. "Those docs could never figure out why we didn't completely cave into their brainwashing even with all the pills they kept shoving into our bodies. It only lasted for a few weeks before we'd start remembering again."
"I guess we're pretty strong. It's how they made us. Too independent for complete brainwashing."
"We had to keep it a secret though," I said, thinking back to the times when I had come out of re-indoctrination. "When we remembered. It was hard. The only thing that mattered there was survival, especially after they split the unit up."
"I missed you guys when they did that."
"I missed you, too. But Manticore wanted us to be 'independent'." I made quote marks with my fingers.
"I guess they were afraid of escape."
"X-series were always escaping. Remember the X4 who snuck into our barracks one time?"
"Yeah. The guards shot him when we were getting ready for target practice."
"The little guy seemed nice," I said, my voice wistful. When the guards shot at us for practice, we could escape the bullets with little trouble. With the previous X-series, bullets usually hit their targets since the older models were slower than the later ones.
"Yeah, he did, but he wasn't fast enough."
"No, he wasn't."
"Hey, guys. You ready?" Alec and I turned to see Max who was coming up to us. We exchanged glances, wondering how much of our conversation Max heard.
"Um, yeah, Max," said Alec, sounding uncertain. "Bobbie and I were just talking."
"I thought you said you were meeting us in two hours?" I asked as I looked at my watch. "That was a half hour ago."
"Logan cut the meeting short," Max replied. "He said he needed to do something tonight. I think he said he wanted to arrange a getaway at his cabin. You know, to celebrate the cure."
"That's nice," said Alec with a pained smile on his face.
"Yes, it is." Max looked ill as she said this.
An uncomfortable silence fell between the three of us until Max finally spoke, "Okay, I guess you're ready to go?"
"Yeah, we are," I said. I pulled out the slip of paper with the address Jeremiah had scrawled. "8450 Preston Street. It's in between Fiftieth and Main and it's in Sector 10."
Max shuddered. "That's one of the worst sectors. Back in Jam Pony, nobody wanted to deliver there."
"Well, that's where the place is," said Alec, taking strong strides out of Terminal City. "Let's get a move on." Max and I followed behind, silent.