Siren Song
Chapter 2: Awakening
By: Dark-Elk
Light stabbed into Mackenzie's eyes, abruptly waking him from the light sleep he had been enjoying. Mackenzie simultaneously groaned and cursed, something he had managed to perfect after years of practice. The lights in his quarters would only be on if someone else was in them. Which of course, meant.
"What the hell do you want, Raymas? You know I haven't been sleeping well, and you come in here at." Mackenzie stole a glance at his wristwatch. "8:30. Doesn't that seem a little.asinine to you?"
Controller Raymas grimaced. He could never understand why fate had forced him to work with this man. The other Ghosts he had worked with were nothing like Mackenzie; they were professional and detached, the epitome of the mindless soldier. Mackenzie.suffice to say that Mackenzie was a little odd. "Bite me Surak, you've got work to do. I got a political leader in southern Asia who's in desperate need of your talents. Your bad dreams are going to have to sit in the backseat while you're on duty, okay?" Raymas said sarcastically, the only tone that sounded natural coming from him.
Mackenzie sighed; whenever Raymas used his last name he knew that the man was serious. Raymas didn't seem to care how Mackenzie treated him as long as the job was done, but he was still firmly in charge, wielding the annoying psi nullifier. Mackenzie hated that damned piece of machinery, and fully believed that if he could have five minutes alone with the tech that had invented it he would be a much happier man.
"Fine, I'm up. When do you need me to leave? I'd like a little time to shower and all, so if it's fine by you I'm going to need about an hour, okay?"
"No such luck, Surak. This guy is due to give a speech in a few hours, and we need you to get to him before he gives it. You take too much time to pretty yourself up as it is. Run a brush through your hair and grab some rations and you'll be fine. After all, the poor bastards not going to live long enough to tell anyone that you smelled, right?"
Mackenzie grimaced. "Could you at least show the man a little respect? Does he have any close family?"
Raymas sighed. "You gotta quit getting hung up on this whole nobility thing. You're a Ghost. You kill who you're told to kill and you do it quietly. The man who leaked your name to the news as "The Noble Assassin" is still rotting in a prison somewhere, courtesy of yours truly. Just because you had that little label slapped on you doesn't mean you gotta live up to it. Just do what you're told and we can both be happy men."
Mackenzie finally rolled over and slowly stood up. His eyes were still closed, but he managed to navigate his way over to his small bathroom. "I'll be ready in ten, and that's as quick as you're going to get. If you need more speed than that ask the guy I'm supposed to kill to give his speech a little later, okay?"
Raymas groaned, but didn't argue. Even though he was technically Suraks superior officer he knew when and how far to push him. There were some lines that you couldn't cross with Surak, and there were others the man would bend over backwards to break. It was a feat in and of itself merely knowing which was which. Actually getting Surak to do something was nothing short of remarkable. Over the last few years Raymas had learned much, and it almost saddened him to know that he would soon have to deal with one of the emotionless robots that Ghosts typically were. Surak would retire soon, probably in four or five years. With the commission he had received for all of his missions on behalf of the government he would retire a very rich man at the ripe age of thirty-five, an age considered old to anyone who knew anything about the Ghost program.
Lost in his train of thought, the time passed quickly for Raymas, and when Surak exited the bathroom he was mildly surprised. He didn't say anything, knowing that if Surak cared how he felt the Ghost could pick the feeling up easily. Even with the psionic dampener installed deep in the recesses of his brain Surak was easily one of the most powerful psionics the Ghost training academy had ever dealt with.but it was a good thing that Surak didn't know. Or if he did he gave no indication whatsoever, never angling for special privileges beyond what he was entitled to.
Raymas straightened up and cracked his back. "You ready, Surak? You sure took your sweet time prettying yourself up in there. You'd almost think you had a date with this man."
Mackenzie didn't rise to the bait and instead walked out of the room. Raymas followed close behind, wondering what was wrong with his protégé.
Chapter 2: Awakening
By: Dark-Elk
Light stabbed into Mackenzie's eyes, abruptly waking him from the light sleep he had been enjoying. Mackenzie simultaneously groaned and cursed, something he had managed to perfect after years of practice. The lights in his quarters would only be on if someone else was in them. Which of course, meant.
"What the hell do you want, Raymas? You know I haven't been sleeping well, and you come in here at." Mackenzie stole a glance at his wristwatch. "8:30. Doesn't that seem a little.asinine to you?"
Controller Raymas grimaced. He could never understand why fate had forced him to work with this man. The other Ghosts he had worked with were nothing like Mackenzie; they were professional and detached, the epitome of the mindless soldier. Mackenzie.suffice to say that Mackenzie was a little odd. "Bite me Surak, you've got work to do. I got a political leader in southern Asia who's in desperate need of your talents. Your bad dreams are going to have to sit in the backseat while you're on duty, okay?" Raymas said sarcastically, the only tone that sounded natural coming from him.
Mackenzie sighed; whenever Raymas used his last name he knew that the man was serious. Raymas didn't seem to care how Mackenzie treated him as long as the job was done, but he was still firmly in charge, wielding the annoying psi nullifier. Mackenzie hated that damned piece of machinery, and fully believed that if he could have five minutes alone with the tech that had invented it he would be a much happier man.
"Fine, I'm up. When do you need me to leave? I'd like a little time to shower and all, so if it's fine by you I'm going to need about an hour, okay?"
"No such luck, Surak. This guy is due to give a speech in a few hours, and we need you to get to him before he gives it. You take too much time to pretty yourself up as it is. Run a brush through your hair and grab some rations and you'll be fine. After all, the poor bastards not going to live long enough to tell anyone that you smelled, right?"
Mackenzie grimaced. "Could you at least show the man a little respect? Does he have any close family?"
Raymas sighed. "You gotta quit getting hung up on this whole nobility thing. You're a Ghost. You kill who you're told to kill and you do it quietly. The man who leaked your name to the news as "The Noble Assassin" is still rotting in a prison somewhere, courtesy of yours truly. Just because you had that little label slapped on you doesn't mean you gotta live up to it. Just do what you're told and we can both be happy men."
Mackenzie finally rolled over and slowly stood up. His eyes were still closed, but he managed to navigate his way over to his small bathroom. "I'll be ready in ten, and that's as quick as you're going to get. If you need more speed than that ask the guy I'm supposed to kill to give his speech a little later, okay?"
Raymas groaned, but didn't argue. Even though he was technically Suraks superior officer he knew when and how far to push him. There were some lines that you couldn't cross with Surak, and there were others the man would bend over backwards to break. It was a feat in and of itself merely knowing which was which. Actually getting Surak to do something was nothing short of remarkable. Over the last few years Raymas had learned much, and it almost saddened him to know that he would soon have to deal with one of the emotionless robots that Ghosts typically were. Surak would retire soon, probably in four or five years. With the commission he had received for all of his missions on behalf of the government he would retire a very rich man at the ripe age of thirty-five, an age considered old to anyone who knew anything about the Ghost program.
Lost in his train of thought, the time passed quickly for Raymas, and when Surak exited the bathroom he was mildly surprised. He didn't say anything, knowing that if Surak cared how he felt the Ghost could pick the feeling up easily. Even with the psionic dampener installed deep in the recesses of his brain Surak was easily one of the most powerful psionics the Ghost training academy had ever dealt with.but it was a good thing that Surak didn't know. Or if he did he gave no indication whatsoever, never angling for special privileges beyond what he was entitled to.
Raymas straightened up and cracked his back. "You ready, Surak? You sure took your sweet time prettying yourself up in there. You'd almost think you had a date with this man."
Mackenzie didn't rise to the bait and instead walked out of the room. Raymas followed close behind, wondering what was wrong with his protégé.