Chapter Two: Memory
Max woke up to find herself in a familiar place. Was it? Yes, it was her apartment. She lifted herself up, looking for one of the people she knew, or at least remembered she did.
"Original Cindy? OC, are you home?" Max called. She tried not to move too much; her body was aching with patches of dry blood from...something. She tried to think of what could do that kind of damage to an X5. The only answer was one of her kind or ....a Familiar. She hadn't seen any lately. But she also didn't remember getting hurt. When she thought about it, she didn't remember anything about last night at all.
Before she could dig any deeper into the enigma of the past, two people hurried into the room. She recognized one as her boo and best friend in the universe, Cindy. The other...he looked like Ben, but her siblings had been on the selective list of 'Remember This', and this wasn't her brother. He didn't seem at all like Ben though. Plus why would there be another Transgenic around? She and her brothers were the only ones out, right? OC saved her from plunging into misery about her lost brother by giving her the biggest hug in history. Max smiled and returned the gesture, but was confused by her friend's next words.
"Original Cindy is so glad you remember her! Your boy said it could take you years!"
*My boy? Who? My boyfriend? Or a friend that's a boy? *Max found it would be best to simply ask. "Who?"
"Oh shit. Yep baby boo, she don't remember you." Turning back to Max, Cindy continued. "What do you remember 'sides your girl?"
Max eyed the familiar stranger. *He's hot! Wait...should I be thinking that? I have the feeling that something's wrong. Maybe I have a boyfriend? But if I know HIM why would I have anyone else? Shame. He IS gorgeous. Whoa, that's kind of like thinking my brother is hot. He's not my brother, though. Wait...does he know about Manticore? * That last thought was vital to the current conversation, so she whispered it to Cindy.
"Boo, he's from Manticore! Girl, this'll take a while." *That explains the good looks. So much for the, 'just a coincidence' theory. *
"Oh. Well, I remember Manticore," Max answered OC's previous question, "obviously. I remember the escape." *The Chinese Clan - being the best thief in the joint, Fresca - his sweet little freckles and bright red hair as he innocently flirted with her back in California...*a single tear rolled down her cheek from missing her past. She didn't want to mention either of those because she was almost sure she would begin to bawl. Yet more and more memories came back to her as she went through each stage of her life. "I remember meeting you, getting our apartment... Kendra and the Space Needle. I remember returning to Manticore and escaping again, but I don't remember too much from that visit, though. What happened for my memory to become screwy? I don't remember any of last night. I'm just tired, confused and my body hurts like hell. And I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"
OC took the pause as a good opportunity to re-introduce the two transgenics in the room. "Max, this is who I mentioned before, your boy, Alec. He knows ya, so Cindy will skip the other part."
Max just stared at Alec, taking in and studying his features. "You look familiar..." was all she could say. Well, there was also the opportunity so say: 'You are the hottest man alive,' but it wouldn't have been quite appropriate. True, but not appropriate. She noticed excitement flash in his eyes before it was concealed by disappointment. It was obvious he was an X5; his face, aside from his eyes, was a total mask of his emotions. She wondered why he hid them from her before dismissing the issue. Soldiers did it out of habit.
"I know. I look like Ben." Alec stated, again with an air of disappointment. He looked like a perfect copy, but that wasn't what drew her to him. He was much more animated and cheerful than Ben. Even when he was disappointed.
"No, not really. You're very different." The spark of joy in his hazel depths made her happy, but also brought up the issue of remembering what had happened between them.
***~***
He didn't remind her of Ben? She couldn't be serious. This made him happy, and he knew why. He was genuinely worried about Max. She was all he could think about as he rode her baby away from the compound earlier. Actually, she was all he could think of. At all. He knew some X's had put themselves into comas when they shut themselves down. That thought made him acknowledge his feelings, although Max would kick his ass if she knew he was in love with her. But who knew with her this way? She might reciprocate...*Yeah right. Max, memory or not, is still Max. * He repeated this mantra again and again after her next comment.
"Alec, huh? I like it. Why, though? Are you a smart-aleck or something?"
"Yes, actually. That's exactly why...she named me." If Alec was going to exist in her life, he didn't want to be the punching bag. Not anymore. If he just told her about the past, she might go back to it. Plus, it sounded pretty lame anyways.
"I'll have to see it to believe it. So, what's your designation? It might give me a clue to your familiarity."
"X5-494. I wasn't in your unit."
Alec gazed into Max's deep chocolate eyes. He could tell she was trying to remember. He wanted to help her, but he didn't want to tell her flat out. 'I'm the guy whose ass you kick when you're pissed off at anyone, especially your nerdy boyfriend.' Sounds really loveable, don't ya think? He was so close to her by now he considered kissing her to jog her memory, but the thought was rejected as another figure entered the room.
Max woke up to find herself in a familiar place. Was it? Yes, it was her apartment. She lifted herself up, looking for one of the people she knew, or at least remembered she did.
"Original Cindy? OC, are you home?" Max called. She tried not to move too much; her body was aching with patches of dry blood from...something. She tried to think of what could do that kind of damage to an X5. The only answer was one of her kind or ....a Familiar. She hadn't seen any lately. But she also didn't remember getting hurt. When she thought about it, she didn't remember anything about last night at all.
Before she could dig any deeper into the enigma of the past, two people hurried into the room. She recognized one as her boo and best friend in the universe, Cindy. The other...he looked like Ben, but her siblings had been on the selective list of 'Remember This', and this wasn't her brother. He didn't seem at all like Ben though. Plus why would there be another Transgenic around? She and her brothers were the only ones out, right? OC saved her from plunging into misery about her lost brother by giving her the biggest hug in history. Max smiled and returned the gesture, but was confused by her friend's next words.
"Original Cindy is so glad you remember her! Your boy said it could take you years!"
*My boy? Who? My boyfriend? Or a friend that's a boy? *Max found it would be best to simply ask. "Who?"
"Oh shit. Yep baby boo, she don't remember you." Turning back to Max, Cindy continued. "What do you remember 'sides your girl?"
Max eyed the familiar stranger. *He's hot! Wait...should I be thinking that? I have the feeling that something's wrong. Maybe I have a boyfriend? But if I know HIM why would I have anyone else? Shame. He IS gorgeous. Whoa, that's kind of like thinking my brother is hot. He's not my brother, though. Wait...does he know about Manticore? * That last thought was vital to the current conversation, so she whispered it to Cindy.
"Boo, he's from Manticore! Girl, this'll take a while." *That explains the good looks. So much for the, 'just a coincidence' theory. *
"Oh. Well, I remember Manticore," Max answered OC's previous question, "obviously. I remember the escape." *The Chinese Clan - being the best thief in the joint, Fresca - his sweet little freckles and bright red hair as he innocently flirted with her back in California...*a single tear rolled down her cheek from missing her past. She didn't want to mention either of those because she was almost sure she would begin to bawl. Yet more and more memories came back to her as she went through each stage of her life. "I remember meeting you, getting our apartment... Kendra and the Space Needle. I remember returning to Manticore and escaping again, but I don't remember too much from that visit, though. What happened for my memory to become screwy? I don't remember any of last night. I'm just tired, confused and my body hurts like hell. And I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"
OC took the pause as a good opportunity to re-introduce the two transgenics in the room. "Max, this is who I mentioned before, your boy, Alec. He knows ya, so Cindy will skip the other part."
Max just stared at Alec, taking in and studying his features. "You look familiar..." was all she could say. Well, there was also the opportunity so say: 'You are the hottest man alive,' but it wouldn't have been quite appropriate. True, but not appropriate. She noticed excitement flash in his eyes before it was concealed by disappointment. It was obvious he was an X5; his face, aside from his eyes, was a total mask of his emotions. She wondered why he hid them from her before dismissing the issue. Soldiers did it out of habit.
"I know. I look like Ben." Alec stated, again with an air of disappointment. He looked like a perfect copy, but that wasn't what drew her to him. He was much more animated and cheerful than Ben. Even when he was disappointed.
"No, not really. You're very different." The spark of joy in his hazel depths made her happy, but also brought up the issue of remembering what had happened between them.
***~***
He didn't remind her of Ben? She couldn't be serious. This made him happy, and he knew why. He was genuinely worried about Max. She was all he could think about as he rode her baby away from the compound earlier. Actually, she was all he could think of. At all. He knew some X's had put themselves into comas when they shut themselves down. That thought made him acknowledge his feelings, although Max would kick his ass if she knew he was in love with her. But who knew with her this way? She might reciprocate...*Yeah right. Max, memory or not, is still Max. * He repeated this mantra again and again after her next comment.
"Alec, huh? I like it. Why, though? Are you a smart-aleck or something?"
"Yes, actually. That's exactly why...she named me." If Alec was going to exist in her life, he didn't want to be the punching bag. Not anymore. If he just told her about the past, she might go back to it. Plus, it sounded pretty lame anyways.
"I'll have to see it to believe it. So, what's your designation? It might give me a clue to your familiarity."
"X5-494. I wasn't in your unit."
Alec gazed into Max's deep chocolate eyes. He could tell she was trying to remember. He wanted to help her, but he didn't want to tell her flat out. 'I'm the guy whose ass you kick when you're pissed off at anyone, especially your nerdy boyfriend.' Sounds really loveable, don't ya think? He was so close to her by now he considered kissing her to jog her memory, but the thought was rejected as another figure entered the room.