Title: Three Chimeras

Author: Nefertiry

E-mail: scorpy282003@yahoo.com

Rating: PG, maybe PG-13

Summary: Max lost one of her sisters 13 years ago. Now she's back in her life. She might have answers to many questions, but is she a friend or foe? Post 'Freak Nation'

Disclaimer: definitely not mine. The characters belong to James Cameron and FOX. But Jessica is ABSOLUTELY mine. I don't make any money using these characters.

Timeline: In the "Prologue", it's during and after "Designate This". In the next chapters – after "Freak Nation".

A/N : Warning: this story is COMPLETELY result of my imagination. Any similarity to other authors' plots, characters, or events is PURELY COINCIDENTIAL AND ABSOLUTELY UNINTENTIONAL.

Secrets of Manticore

Chasing White

Next morning Jessica woke up with the feeling that something had happened the previous day. Then she saw the letter and the box.

'Lydecker's package, strip club, the dance, Crash, pool game,' she recollected the events of last night. 'Oh, yes, Lydecker's letter and Manticore database. And 'my destiny'? Hmm, I definitely need coffee'. She looked at her watch: 9.32.

Jessica went to the kitchen and made coffee. Then she took her cell phone and dialed Logan's number.

"Hi, Logan, it's Jessica. I've opened the package."

"What's in the package?" asked Logan, forgetting to say 'Hi' to Jessica.

"Good morning to you too, Logan. You should come over. By the way, does Max work on Saturdays?"

"No, she called me an hour ago and said that she would go to Terminal City to visit Joshua", said Logan, putting on his jacket.

"Who's Joshua and what is Terminal City?" Jessica remembered these names from 'the night of family reunion'.

"Long story. I'm on my way. And tell the concierge to let me come up to your apartment." Logan was standing near the door, ready to leave.

"Funny thing, poor guy still can't get over the memory blackout. He remembers Wednesday evening and Tuesday afternoon. But he can't figure out where the whole night of Wednesday and the whole morning of Tuesday had disappeared." Jessica recollected the expression on the concierge's face when she asked the usual 'how are you doing, Phil?'
          "Alec knocked him out; at least I think it was Alec." Logan started the engine and took off.

"OK, I'll warn Phil not to get close to Max or Alec", laughed Jessica and disconnected the call. Then she dialed another number.

"Hi, Max, how are you doing after last night's 'adventures'?" asked Jessica, checking the fridge and feeling that she would need a lot of food, if two transgenics show up in her apartment. She saw only one tomato and two carrots in the vegetables section.

"Fine. You?" Max was watching Alec, Joshua and Mole unpack big bags with food that she had brought.

"I'm Ok. When I came home last night, I opened the package. Interesting stuff. You should come over."

"Can I bring Alec with me?" asked Max, beckoning Alec.

"Sure, but I have to warn you, my fridge is empty. See you later." Jessica dialed Logan again. 'My cell phone company will be happy to send me huge bills for my talks', she thought, waiting for the man to answer,

"Hello."

"It's me again. Could you buy some food? Max and Alec will come to my place and my fridge is empty as usual. "She really didn't have time to shop.

"What's with your transgenic metabolism? Is this enormous appetite encoded in your DNA?" asked Logan, remembering his half-empty fridge after Max's visits.

"Hey, a young growing organism needs a lot of energy." That was true.

"Ok, bye."

Logan entered Skytower with two brown bags. He noticed the concierge, who was reading a newspaper, and said. "I'm going to Miss Jordan."

"Yes, of course, she told me you would come." Phil raised his head, when he heard Logan's voice.

"Hey, Logan, what's up?" Alec and Max entered the building and went to the elevator.

"They're with me", said Logan, when the concierge was about to ask two transgenics about their destination.

"All right then." 'Why do these two look familiar?' thought Phil and returned to his newspaper.

"Who knocked him out last time?" asked Logan when three of them were in the elevator.  

"Alec", answered Max, trying to look into the bags in Logan's hands.

"I thought so."

Ding.

The elevator door opened and they came up to Jessica's door. Max knocked. Few minutes later Jess opened the door.

"Oh, food, great. Come in." She took the bags and went to the kitchen. Max followed her.

"So, what's in the package?" She helped Jess unpack the bags.

"A letter from Lydecker and Manticore database", said Jessica. "Oh my God, fish! I love it so much that it scares me." Jessica put the fish into the freezing chamber. "But who's gonna cook it?"

"He bought it, he will cook it." Max hoped Logan could cook fish. "No wonder you like fish, you have feline DNA."

Both girls left the kitchen and went to the living room, where Logan and Alec waited for them.

"Ok, boys, this was in the package." Jessica took the letter and the hard disc and showed them to Alec and Logan.

Logan read the letter. "What destiny?" he asked when read the letter to the end.

"Have no idea." Jessica tried to figure out what those words meant but in vein.

"And what does this 'you've been sent to protect Max' mean?" asked Alec.

"Long story, this Manicore database is more important." She inserted the hard disc in her computer.

"How did Lydecker manage to copy the database?" Max was hoping that she would find some information about her virus and the cure.

"There are programs that allow copying files little by little and unnoticed by the security. " Alec remembered computer classes.

"It must have taken Deck months to copy hundreds of gigabytes of information." Logan couldn't wait to read the files.

"Wow, it will take us months just to look through the database. Where should we start?" asked Jessica.

"The virus." Max and Logan said simultaneously.

"Right. It should be somewhere in 'biological research'. Wait, I don't need to look for it. I remember now. 'Zycinor'. This virus is classic. It was used in assassinations. The carrier had to touch the target, and the target had nothing to do, but to order a coffin and a decent funeral. Death within minutes or hours, that depended on the target's health. No cure." Jessica's dark humor didn't make Max too happy.

"So, there's no way out for me", stated Logan.

"I didn't say that. See, the virus is programmed to be activated when its certain molecules touch the target's DNA, but it can be reprogrammed." Jessica looked at Max and saw hope in her eyes.

"How?"

"We need to find another target for this virus and, Logan, you're off the hook. Max, who's your worst enemy? But don't say it's Lydecker. a) I don't know where he is and b) we might need him." Jess didn't know yet why she would need Lydecker.

"Lydecker is the least of my problems now", said Max, thinking about White. "My pain in the ass is Ames White, I'm his favorite prey."

"Who's White?"

 "He's one of the Familiars, the cult that breeds perfect soldiers like Manticore, but uses different means. White has been trying to capture me since I've escaped from Manticore for the second time. Once he captured me. I found out interesting things about him and why I had been created. Anyway, I wouldn't mind if White became my 'target'. "

"Then we'll need White's DNA sample. Any suggestions?" asked Jessica, looking for the reprogramming procedure in the database.

"We had a 'battle' with White and his mercenaries three months ago", said Alec. "There must be traces of blood left at Jam Pony, on the second floor. The floor had been sealed since that fight and nobody touched anything."

"Tomorrow we'll go to Jam Pony and look for White's blood." Jessica finally found the procedure and began reading it.

"Let's do it tonight. We can take Joshua, he'll show the exact place where he and White fought." Max remembered the fight and Joshua's face when he almost killed White.

"Will somebody tell me who this Joshua is?" Jess turned to look at the others.

"Joshua is the First, he was created by Sandeman. Joshua calls him Father", explained Max. "He's part-man, part-dog, but very sweet and likes to paint."

"Yeah, I've made good money once when sold one of his paintings." Alec smiled, remembering how he and Josh had this little 'art business'.

"Do you know anything about these Familiars?" asked Jessica. She definitely heard this name earlier.

"It's an ancient cult. There was some kind of genetic breeding going on for generations. Selected women were forced to have children. Always in threes. They killed the first two newborns.  When they were through, they killed the mother. The Familiars have a rather cruel initiation - they use snake blood. If the person doesn't die, he becomes one of them. Transgenics are immune to the snake venom." Max told what she knew about the cult.

"Manticore is somehow connected to this cult. At least its symbol is very very ancient. The symbol was found in Mesopotamian burial chamber, 5000 B.C.; then in an Andean tomb in Atacama, Chile, 2000 B.C.; in the second-century Etruscan catacombs, also in the seventh-century Northumbrian Celtics", added Logan. 

"Weird. Ok, we need to find more info on this cult. I hope there's something in this database. Logan, why did you buy fish?" asked Jessica, getting hungry.

"I thought you might like it, cats like fish."

"That's true; I'm also crazy about seafood. Well, since you've brought it, you should cook it", smiled Jessica and looked at Logan. 

"Do I have a choice?" asked the man and went to the kitchen.

"Don't you think she's hitting on him?" Alec whispered to Max, while Jess was looking for information on the Familiars.

"She's hungry and she wants fish. Besides, she knows that Logan and I love each other", said Max not sure whether she heard jealousy in Alec's voice. "Jess, White is Sandeman's son. He changed his name because he didn't want to have anything in common with the man who had betrayed the cult."

"Great, things are getting more and more complicated", murmured Jessica.

Two hours later, after they all had dinner, Max, Alec and Logan left. They discussed with Jessica plans for the night. Max and Joshua would come to Logan's, Jessica would pick them up, and they would go to Jam Pony.

Jam Pony. 8 p.m.

Jam Pony was closed, but that couldn't stop them. Max opened the door and they went to the second floor. Everything was the same as the cops had left it three months ago. Crushed furniture, blood, shattered glass.

"Where is the place where White's blood can be?" Jessica asked Joshua.

He looked around, sniffed the air. "There." He pointed at a dark spot on the floor.

"Are you sure?" asked Jessica scraping dry blood from the floor.

"Yes."

"I hope you're right, or we'll have to take DNA sample from White himself", said Jessica. "Let's go home."

They left Jam Pony quietly and got into the car.

"Josh, do you want to go to Terminal City?" asked Max Joshua.

"Yes", he answered.

"You're so quiet. What's wrong with you?" Max was concerned about Joshua.

"White killed Annie. I miss Annie", said Joshua sadly.

"White will regret about this, I promise." Max hugged Joshua.

"Max, I'm gonna need a lab to isolate White's DNA sample and reprogram your virus to a new target", said Jessica, driving the car.

"Logan has a friend. He is a doctor, he can help you."

"Oh, just to be on the safe side, I need to take some Joshua's blood. You don't want your virus to be reprogrammed to kill Joshua. Right?"

"We'll take him with us to the lab", said Max.

They went to Logan's. Logan contacted Dr. Carr and asked him to help with the lab as soon as possible. Sam agreed to help and told to go to the hospital.

They parked in the hospital garage. Logan found Sam and he led them to the lab. In the lab Jessica isolated DNA from the blood sample from Jam Pony and compared it to Joshua's DNA. Perfect match. "Damn, I thought so. Looks like we have to find White and get his blood."

"Where do we find him? Or we just have to call him: Hey, White we need your blood to reprogram my virus to kill you?" Max was upset.

"Girls, don't panic. We'll find White. Sam, we'll be back." Logan opened the door of the lab, looked around if there were no people and they all went to the garage. Jessica started the engine and said: "Let's go to my place and we'll try to find White."

"What about Joshua? Your concierge will go nuts if he sees him." Max didn't like the presence of concierge in Skytower.

"If you had bothered to do your homework properly, you would have noticed that there is an underground parking in my building. Which means that you can get from the parking right to my apartment, no concierge will stop you. No, you just had to come in through the front door and knock out the poor guy."

"Jess, we didn't know. Can we take Josh with us?" asked Max.

"Sure, let's take the whole staff of Jam Pony with us. The more the merrier."

"Jess, I…" Max didn't know what to say.

"It's all right, Max, I was just kidding." Jessica was driving her BMW at the maximum speed allowed in the city limits. Soon she saw the tall building. "Home, sweet home."  With these words she drove the car into the underground parking. "Ok, everybody, get out."

They got out if the car and went to the elevator.

In the apartment Joshua looked around and said. "Big home, bigger than Logan's."

"Yes, Josh, my penthouse was smaller than Jessica's", agreed Logan and took off his jacket.

"Did you have a penthouse? Why do you live in that old house?" asked Jessica, turning on the computer.

"White's people destroyed it. I had to move to Joshua's house to continue broadcasts of 'Eyes Only'." Sometimes Logan missed his comfortable penthouse.

"Joshua lived in Father's house, and then he had to move to Terminal City. A lot of transgenics live there", explained Max.

"Logan, you said we would find White. Any idea how?" asked Jessica, because she didn't know where to find the man, whose name she'd heard for the first time only some hours before.

"I'll try to find him", said Logan and began his search.

"I'll leave you for 5 minutes; I need to make a call." Jessica took her cell phone and went to the balcony. She dialed a number.

"Hi, it's me. What time is it in Paris, morning?"

"Early morning, very early morning in fact", answered the man.

"Sorry, but it's important. I know about your sons. One of them is here with me, the other one I need to find." Jessica frowned.

"Who's with you?" asked Sandeman.

"Joshua."

"How is he?"

"He's Ok, looks like he and Max are good friends. He likes to paint, by the way." Jessica saw a lot of paintings in Sandeman's mansion.

"Which of my sons are you looking for, Ames or C.J.?" asked the man.

"Ames, his last name is White now. He's been trying to find and capture Max. Thee months ago there was a showdown in Seattle. White and his mercenaries were involved. "

 "If he had summoned The Phalanx, there must have been a serious reason for that. They're the best; a menacing group who are the elite of the warrior bloodline. How did Max survive the meeting with them?" wondered Sandeman.

"Beats me. Look, I need to know more about your cult ex-buddies. They seem to be a serious threat. By the way, Lydecker wrote me a letter and he mentioned something about 'fulfilling my destiny'. Do you know anything about that?" That 'destiny' bothered Jessica more and more. The pause that followed Jessica's words was so long that she began to wonder if Sandeman was still there. "Are you still here?"

"You are one of the 'Three Chimeras', Jessica," said the man silently.

"What Chimeras? What are you talking about?" That was something new. Now she was one of the 'Three Chimeras'. Great. Like having a barcode and a designation number was not enough.

"The chosen ones – you, X5-407, Max, X5-452 and X5-4 …" And silence.

"Sandeman? Hello? Who was the third?" Jessica looked at the phone. "Oh, crap, the battery's gone."

"Jess, Logan found White!" Max shouted from the living room.

Jessica went to the living room. "Where is he?"

"He is in Washington. He'll be at the annual award ceremony of the government agencies", said Logan, looking for the date of the ceremony.

"Let me guess, he'll receive the award as the 'Murderer of the Year'", chuckled Max.

"Not exactly. He will give the award. There it is: the ceremony is on Tuesday, 7 p.m., hotel Hilton."    

"Here's what I'll do: I go to Washington, find White at this ceremony, take his blood sample, and go back to Seattle. " Jessica was thinking what dress she would take to Washington.

"And what are we supposed to do while you're in the capital?" asked Logan.

"You have Manticore database, I'm sure you'll have what to do."

Jessica's mission went well. She found White, invited him to her room which happened to be in the same hotel as the award ceremony. She knocked him out with the pin, like the one she had given Max for their 'Friday night adventure'. Jessica took the blood sample and dragged White to the hall. Next morning when the maid found White on the floor, he couldn't remember what had happened to him.

"Now, people, the moment of truth", said Jessica and injected Max the newly reprogrammed agent. After numerous attempts she managed to make Max's virus react to White's DNA, not Logan's. Now it was time to test whether Max could touch Logan without killing him.

"Max, touch Logan. Don't worry, if anything happens, we can always transfuse my blood." Jess was ready for anything.

Max touched Logan.

TBC

A/N Please, review. What do you think of my story?