4
Ames White was not a patient man and if there was one thing that he hated above all else it was inefficiency, and the idiots around him were inefficient. Not only had they been unable to stop the transgenics from inhabiting the city they had neglected to destroy them once they were there and, on top of that, there was a new wave of feeling towards the transgenics and their cause thanks to certain tabloids like that New World weekly and its pro-transgenic approach.
How the hell that new reporter had managed to get interviews and pictures with some of the transgenics when they were supposedly "contained" he wanted so very badly to find out. But like everything else it would have to wait.
There was only thing that he really wanted- that really mattered to him.
"Otto, tell me that you have something?"
The tall Hispanic man looked up at his commanding officer.
"Sir?"
White fought the urge to roll his eyes. Otto wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he had been loyal to White which was one of the reasons that he was still alive right now.
"Intel reported that several more transgenics found their way into the compound yesterday."
White's already fragile grasp on his temper snapped and he kicked the metal table in front of him. To his credit Otto didn't even blink as the table that was no longer nailed down shot across the room smacking against the wall with a loud bang.
"How the hell are they getting in?"
"Perhaps they have men stationed on the perimeter of the city that we are unaware of and they have been keeping a watch for new arrivals. Since the media keeps regular updates on the situation and these are reaching further a field those transgenics who were unaware of the stronghold are being informed and are making their way here."
White had frozen during Otto's speech and now he turned slowly.
"Once again Otto you've earned your pay today." Despite himself he was impressed with the man's insight.
"Let's have two teams do a search of the Seattle perimeter for these watchmen. Use the thermo scanners and eyes open."
White rubbed his hands together, his mind in a whirl at how he could use this new information to his advantage. Maybe if there were new arrivals he could capture them before the transgenics could take them to the safe house and he could lay a trap for them to be rescued. That way he might be able to get the only thing that he cared about- 452.
Sketchy smiled widely as his editor- Bernie scanned the page he had taken so long to transcribe.
"This is great work Sketchy." The gruff man admitted his eyes open wide. "Is it all true?"
Sketchy nodded "Yeah, I checked and doubled checked dates and even got a quote from an army official that was there at the time. He doesn't mind being quoted. Said he'll do whatever to help the transgenics cause."
"That right?" Bernie took his cigar from the tray reminding Sketchy of Mole at the headquarters.
When he had first started to work here, back when he had only just heard of transgenics and when he didn't know that his best friends were transgenic he hadn't gotten along with Bernie. Bernie thought he was just another loser out looking for prestige but when Sketchy had approached him with full details of the Transgenics and their cause, courtesy of Max, Bernie had done a complete about face.
Sketchy remembered the long conversation he had had when he tried to convince Bernie that making New World Weekly the only Pro- transgenic paper would make damn sure that sales went up and the fact that Sketchy could give the paper exclusive interviews with the transgenics themselves was what had finally tipped the scales. Overnight the paper had turned things around so that they were in full support of those in Terminal City and slowly they were changing people's minds.
Soldiers and generals who recalled fighting alongside the Manticore soldiers were eager to add support to comrades and those who had known those who had escaped supported them by writing in with experiences of how this transgenic had saved their life or helped them out in this way and that way.
NWW was no longer a small tabloid because somewhere along the line, someone high up had agreed with them and handed them funding to keep the paper in high circulation. Apparently his son had been saved by a transgenic in some foreign war or other.
And Sketchy felt like he was finally making up for all the times that he had let Max down, the other day she had actually crept out of Terminal City to come and see him to tell him what a great job he was doing. It meant a lot to him that she would do that and he really thought that she would be pleased with the latest story.
Mole had spilled more details about the missions he went on and he had people transfixed by photos of his lizard like appearance and tales of desert heats and jungle warfare. It was a gripping read and had secured them subscriptions galore.
"Print it." Bernie smiled broadly and Sketchy grinned, grabbing the papers to run the presses.
Max was looking over papers in the great hall when the X7's came back with Travit.
"You get bunked down?" she asked pleasantly.
"Uh huh." Ralph smiled at her "Reporting for duty now."
Max looked around for Mole who was supposed to be dealing with rotations this week and would be able to tell the kids where they would be best suited but the gruff transgenic had wandered off. He had a habit of doing that- not wanting to get too predictable and tied down. Still he'd feel undermined if she randomly assigned these guys tasks.
"Well I guess that the duty will have to wait until tomorrow," she paused "I'll just remember not to put you in med." She grinned at a blushing Ralph remembering that the first time she'd seen Ralph was when she was throwing up whilst Max was fixing a bullet wound.
"I'm better now." she said defensively and the rest of the X-7's laughed.
"Take the afternoon off, go check out the rest of Terminal City but just remember to avoid the perimeter in case there are squads outside."
"Yes Ma'am." They saluted and walked away chattering, Max turned back to her map until she registered that one of them hadn't left.
"What's up Bullet?"
The young guy had sandy blonde hair and big brown eyes which were fixed on her face. He had been named Bullet because the first time she had seen him he had been shot by an extermination squad. She had cauterised the wound and helped him and his friends escape.
"Can I help?" He gestured to the maps "I excelled in strategy and recon." His eager look wasn't lost on her.
Max shrugged "Help yourself."
The kid beamed and moved closer.
~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
ringo-gurl07 Thanks hon glad you like!
ting- Bugler? He was kinda adorable wasnt he? Now me i prefer Alec or maybe Ben- sane/insane hmm?.
msredux- Of course things are running smoothly, Max keeps the guys in line and Alec the ladies.
cloudburst- see look what you did! Part 4. Hope it lives up to expectation!
Ames White was not a patient man and if there was one thing that he hated above all else it was inefficiency, and the idiots around him were inefficient. Not only had they been unable to stop the transgenics from inhabiting the city they had neglected to destroy them once they were there and, on top of that, there was a new wave of feeling towards the transgenics and their cause thanks to certain tabloids like that New World weekly and its pro-transgenic approach.
How the hell that new reporter had managed to get interviews and pictures with some of the transgenics when they were supposedly "contained" he wanted so very badly to find out. But like everything else it would have to wait.
There was only thing that he really wanted- that really mattered to him.
"Otto, tell me that you have something?"
The tall Hispanic man looked up at his commanding officer.
"Sir?"
White fought the urge to roll his eyes. Otto wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he had been loyal to White which was one of the reasons that he was still alive right now.
"Intel reported that several more transgenics found their way into the compound yesterday."
White's already fragile grasp on his temper snapped and he kicked the metal table in front of him. To his credit Otto didn't even blink as the table that was no longer nailed down shot across the room smacking against the wall with a loud bang.
"How the hell are they getting in?"
"Perhaps they have men stationed on the perimeter of the city that we are unaware of and they have been keeping a watch for new arrivals. Since the media keeps regular updates on the situation and these are reaching further a field those transgenics who were unaware of the stronghold are being informed and are making their way here."
White had frozen during Otto's speech and now he turned slowly.
"Once again Otto you've earned your pay today." Despite himself he was impressed with the man's insight.
"Let's have two teams do a search of the Seattle perimeter for these watchmen. Use the thermo scanners and eyes open."
White rubbed his hands together, his mind in a whirl at how he could use this new information to his advantage. Maybe if there were new arrivals he could capture them before the transgenics could take them to the safe house and he could lay a trap for them to be rescued. That way he might be able to get the only thing that he cared about- 452.
Sketchy smiled widely as his editor- Bernie scanned the page he had taken so long to transcribe.
"This is great work Sketchy." The gruff man admitted his eyes open wide. "Is it all true?"
Sketchy nodded "Yeah, I checked and doubled checked dates and even got a quote from an army official that was there at the time. He doesn't mind being quoted. Said he'll do whatever to help the transgenics cause."
"That right?" Bernie took his cigar from the tray reminding Sketchy of Mole at the headquarters.
When he had first started to work here, back when he had only just heard of transgenics and when he didn't know that his best friends were transgenic he hadn't gotten along with Bernie. Bernie thought he was just another loser out looking for prestige but when Sketchy had approached him with full details of the Transgenics and their cause, courtesy of Max, Bernie had done a complete about face.
Sketchy remembered the long conversation he had had when he tried to convince Bernie that making New World Weekly the only Pro- transgenic paper would make damn sure that sales went up and the fact that Sketchy could give the paper exclusive interviews with the transgenics themselves was what had finally tipped the scales. Overnight the paper had turned things around so that they were in full support of those in Terminal City and slowly they were changing people's minds.
Soldiers and generals who recalled fighting alongside the Manticore soldiers were eager to add support to comrades and those who had known those who had escaped supported them by writing in with experiences of how this transgenic had saved their life or helped them out in this way and that way.
NWW was no longer a small tabloid because somewhere along the line, someone high up had agreed with them and handed them funding to keep the paper in high circulation. Apparently his son had been saved by a transgenic in some foreign war or other.
And Sketchy felt like he was finally making up for all the times that he had let Max down, the other day she had actually crept out of Terminal City to come and see him to tell him what a great job he was doing. It meant a lot to him that she would do that and he really thought that she would be pleased with the latest story.
Mole had spilled more details about the missions he went on and he had people transfixed by photos of his lizard like appearance and tales of desert heats and jungle warfare. It was a gripping read and had secured them subscriptions galore.
"Print it." Bernie smiled broadly and Sketchy grinned, grabbing the papers to run the presses.
Max was looking over papers in the great hall when the X7's came back with Travit.
"You get bunked down?" she asked pleasantly.
"Uh huh." Ralph smiled at her "Reporting for duty now."
Max looked around for Mole who was supposed to be dealing with rotations this week and would be able to tell the kids where they would be best suited but the gruff transgenic had wandered off. He had a habit of doing that- not wanting to get too predictable and tied down. Still he'd feel undermined if she randomly assigned these guys tasks.
"Well I guess that the duty will have to wait until tomorrow," she paused "I'll just remember not to put you in med." She grinned at a blushing Ralph remembering that the first time she'd seen Ralph was when she was throwing up whilst Max was fixing a bullet wound.
"I'm better now." she said defensively and the rest of the X-7's laughed.
"Take the afternoon off, go check out the rest of Terminal City but just remember to avoid the perimeter in case there are squads outside."
"Yes Ma'am." They saluted and walked away chattering, Max turned back to her map until she registered that one of them hadn't left.
"What's up Bullet?"
The young guy had sandy blonde hair and big brown eyes which were fixed on her face. He had been named Bullet because the first time she had seen him he had been shot by an extermination squad. She had cauterised the wound and helped him and his friends escape.
"Can I help?" He gestured to the maps "I excelled in strategy and recon." His eager look wasn't lost on her.
Max shrugged "Help yourself."
The kid beamed and moved closer.
~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
ringo-gurl07 Thanks hon glad you like!
ting- Bugler? He was kinda adorable wasnt he? Now me i prefer Alec or maybe Ben- sane/insane hmm?.
msredux- Of course things are running smoothly, Max keeps the guys in line and Alec the ladies.
cloudburst- see look what you did! Part 4. Hope it lives up to expectation!