"How do you know that?" Alec asked.
"I was built to know." Aaron told him simply.
"Ah, well. That totally and completely answers my question."
"So," Max said, hoping to avoid some kind of argument. "You're genetically engineered, huh? Are you transgenic or...?"
"I'm not a transgenic." Aaron told her. "I'm just genetically engineered. My creation was not a matter of brawn, but of brains. I do have certain physical enhancements that help me protect the technology, my mind."
"What exactly does 'built to know' mean?" She asked.
"The nation had been having problems, mostly things the public had no idea about, and the government decided to build a machine that could solve any problem put into it." He explained. "But the machine was flawed and had only a 15% success rate, so they decided to create the perfect mind, which is me. I am the first to admit that I am not entirely perfect. I work on statistics and common sense, my knowledge is based on fact and basic knowledge. I have only a 97% success rate statistically, though I have not failed yet."
Mole grunted. "So you want a cookie or something?"
* * *
Fourteen, now the new Head of The Committee, looked over the members and smiled. "As you notice, I am not Thirteen. Last night he was contacted by Murray and I was thrown into the picture."
Many of the members flinched at the phrase 'contacted by Murray,' knowing fully well what it really meant. Most of them had been rather pleased by Thirteen's time as the Head, since he had been one of the most successful Heads in The Committees run. But, they knew, that is why he was probably dead by then.
"The man of Voltaire has been captured by the transgenics, but that is currently not The Committee's concern any longer." Fourteen told them. "It has been moved to a new department and I suggest all of you forget there was ever any involvement with the Project."
"What will we be doing now?" Four asked.
Instead of answering, Fourteen took a gun from his jacket and shot all the members, only sparing Two, Seven, Four, and Eight. He tucked the smoking gun away afterward, then turned to Four with a smile. "Downsizing."
* * *
Aaron watched as the Terminal City medics (a mixed group of X5s and X6s who excelled in the area in Manticore) working on removing the bullet from Orion's hip. He finally stepped forward and pointed to three areas around the wound. "Apply pressure to those points, remove the bullet while putting pressure here, then hold pressure here for 7.5 seconds, then sew him up and he'll be fine."
"How do you -"
"Just listen to him." Alec interrupted when he entered the room. "Your knowledgeable presence is requested in Max's office."
He gave a little bow and smiled sarcastically. Aaron looked him over and walked past him. They walked together to Max's office, Alec leading the way.
"Your majesty." Alec said when they reached the door, gesturing for Aaron to go first.
"Ah, your wit is ever so amazing." Aaron said before entering. "I can't help but think it's disguising something deep down. Bitterness or guilt, most likely."
Alec glared at him and Aaron walked past, not bothering to react to Alec. For a moment Alec considered going in after him and sitting in on the conversation, but he felt it would lead to a 'Bitch Imma kill you' look and he didn't need that now, so he walked away.
Aaron found Max sitting at her desk, papers scattered around it. She was reading one of them, but put it down when he entered. He nodded to Spring and TJ, who were standing on the side of the desk. "Hello."
"Okay," Max began. "I'm not one for sugarcoating, so... I have no idea what the hell you are, besides for the whole built to know spiel."
"That is all I am." Aaron replied. "Just built to know, a man, and not much more."
"But that's just it." She said and pulled out the file on him that TJ had managed to save. "This says that you're some big deal, and here I was thinking I was special."
Aaron's face lit up with recognition. "You're 452."
"My name is Max."
"Yes, but your Manticore designation is X5 452." Aaron continued. "I was asked about you, by Sandeman. He came to Dr. Tiede and asked to have a session with me. Dr. Tiede agreed and we sat together, near a lake somewhere in the countryside in the East, and he asked me how to create the perfect soldier - the perfect human being. He wanted you to be free of junk DNA and he wanted to code messages into your very skin, but he didn't know how. I told him how."
"Sandeman?" She managed quietly.
"Yes." Aaron continued. "I was only seven or eight at the time, but I had already mastered most genetic material and was able to give him a sufficient plan that would help make you free of the junk DNA that plagued all other transgenics and human beings. I myself even have some junk DNA, but it's only a few strands, just what they couldn't weed out."
"You... when you were seven you... designed me?"
"No." Aaron told her. "Your design had been set out for months, as was every generation of the X5s. I merely gave Sandeman the information that would allow him to make you free of junk DNA and to have the release of the symbols correspond with his former cult's plans. It only took that one meeting to give him what he needed, and I haven't seen the man since."
Max sat in silence, trying to make something out of all this new information. She sat back in her chair, allowing Aaron to see all the files on her desk. He bent over them, grabbed her abandoned pen, and began jotting things down.
"You're on the right track with this." He mumbled. "But you've forgotten this one segment, and it's a rather key one."
"What?" She muttered, still distracted.
"It doesn't matter now." He said and flipped to another page. "I've fixed it."
She just nodded, still processing what he had told her. A little voice in the back of her mind wondered why he was bothering with the supplies for Terminal City, but that voice was so very quiet compared to the one screaming about her genetics.
"You were very close." He muttered as he kept writing things down. "But not close enough it seems. I imagine it would've taken you years at the rate you were going here, but you weren't built to know, so it's forgivable. And this bit here, that should really move to this side, so it blocks it..."
The voice in Max's head silenced and she looked at him. "What?"
"Nothing." He told her and put down the pen. "I was just fixing up some of your errors here. You don't mind if I have a look around the place, do you?"
"No, go ahead." She told him.
He smiled at her and left the room. TJ and Spring looked at each other, then followed him out, eager to ask him questions. Max sighed and picked up the water system plans Aaron had been fixing... but they weren't the water system plans at all.
* * *
Four watched as the last body-bag was removed from the dark board room, then turned to Fourteen. "What will this downsizing accomplish?"
"The less people in the know about The Committee, the better." Fourteen told him. "You have been spared because you are of the most use, and will be able to help in bringing the transgenic situation under control."
"And how are we going to go about doing that?" Two asked.
"Seven and Four will oversee the termination of the current transgenics we have in our possession." Fourteen explained. "Eight will be sent to the front lines of Terminal City, and will instruct the forces there. And you will stay here and make sure everything runs smoothly."
"And what will you be doing?" Four asked.
"That information is on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know." Fourteen told him coldly. He would've gone on but his cellphone rang. Ignoring the others, he answered it. "Yes? ... Really? ... So I'll need to be there immediately? ... Of course, sir, of course ... Good-bye."
Without a word, he stood up and left the room. The members looked at each other and were silent for a few minutes as they wondered if they could really trust Fourteen.
* * *
Aaron felt a hand on his arm, then he was whirled around. He wasn't very surprised to see Max standing in front of him, holding the papers he had fixed for her.
"Is this - will this work?" She asked.
"Of course it will." Aaron told her. "I designed it. I was built to know."
"And you're sure?"
"Completely positive."
Not knowing what else to do, she pulled him in for a hug. She let go a second later and quickly ran off. He stood for a minute, wondering why she had bothered with a hug. No one else ever hugged him when he solved his problems, and the only one to ever say 'Thank you' was Sandeman. He shook his head and continued his walk.
* * *
Seven pushed the door to the barracks of the first group of ragtag transgenics that had been left behind, pulling a cart of medical supplies behind her. She closed the door, then turned to address the various X series.
"If you'll all line up, you'll receive a new vaccination."
Without question, most of them lined up, ready to offer her their arms. Only one hung back, and he grabbed the last in line and pulled her back.
I don't trust it. He signaled.
The girl, the last in line, shook her head. Why not?
Why a vaccination now? Why now?
New diseases pop up all the time.
He shook his head and pleaded with her. Their talking went unnoticed by Seven.
"After you've got the injection, you might want to lay down as it will most likely make you very tired." She told them all. She was already halfway through most of them and hoped that the ones who had already received the injection stayed alive long enough for her to finish and leave.
She had gotten to the last three of the transgenics when the door opened and Four stepped in. She caught a glimpse of his cart before he closed the door. She said nothing and injected the third transgenic. He rubbed his arm and walked back to his bed.
"I finished." Four told her. "Did he tell us what to do after?"
Seven turned to face him as she filled the needle again. "He didn't tell me anything."
The last transgenic pointed to the first to get the injection. The girl watched as the first shook his head at them, wheezed, and then closed his eyes and stopped breathing. She took a step back away from the cart and turned to look at the last.
948, She signaled. I don't want to die.
We'll have to fight them. He signaled back and nodded toward Seven and Four.
She nodded then stepped forward in mock cooperation. She held out her arm shakily, but before Seven could plunge the needle into her arm, she grabbed the woman's wrist and twisted it, causing it break.
Seven dropped the needle, causing it to fall to the cart with a clatter. She looked at the X6, horrified. Before she could do much else, the transgenic girl pushed the cart, causing it to tip over, then moved forward and snapped Seven's neck.
Four quickly reached for his gun and trained it on 948, who was ready to lunge at him. He held the gun tightly and said shakily, "You - you stay away from me!"
Ignoring him, 948 lunged at the man and tackled him to the ground. They wrestled for control of the gun for what seemed to the girl like forever, then a gunshot rang out and 948 snapped Four's neck. He then groaned and rolled onto his back.
The girl, horrified, rushed over to him. She pushed Four's body away roughly without a second thought, and brought 948 close to her. She looked down at his stomach and watched in horror as blood soaked through his clothes. She looked up at him and shook her head. "It's not that bad."
948 smiled, then coughed violently and blood bubbled from the side of his mouth. "I'll - I'll be fine."
"You will." She nodded, tears flowing freely. "You'll be all right."
"Make - make sure you - you go." He told her and wheezed. "You - you go to - to Terminal Ci - City. You... you... go."
She nodded and he smiled once more, then closed his eyes and his head lolled to the side. She gently laid him down and wiped the tears from her eyes. She grabbed Four's forgotten gun and cocked it, then stood and looked around at her fallen - no, murdered brothers and sisters.
She knew she had killed their murderer, but she felt as if that would never be enough. With a last lingering look, she left the room.