Title: Total Recall, Chapter 3
Author: redwing/csiphile
Diclaimers, ect: All on the first chapter
AN1: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I so appreciate it. I wish I had the time to signal everyone out personally, but I don't, but know your words are heard and they DO inspire me to write faster. I will, however, address if you have a question or a constructive comment (see below), I will ignore flames.
AN2: I figured I would just post this chapter, its so very short. I cant remember who mentioned it, but I'll tell you guys this, this is turning out to be a pretty long fic so far. Hope you don't mind. This introduces my new bad guy, he's named after another TV character (and my beta) and if you can guess what character…I'll give you a virtual cookie.
GivenAlias: I'm not sure if you mean plot wise or action with my descriptions. Plot wise I'm being vague intentionally right now, as the fic goes on, everything will start to…clear a bit.
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Chapter 3: New Management
"Anything yet?"
Mole looks up at his counterpart and narrows his eyes. "Any reason you think I wouldn't tell you if I had?"
Dix raises his hand in surrender. "Just asking."
The lizard sighs loudly, and points in frustration at the screen. "I've got two unknowns at the warehouse, at least. They show up on satellite. They leave approximately 15 minutes after the 6's bolted, give or take. After that…they just disappear -- no readings on them at all. No reports of two vans crossing any sector checkpoints either. It's like they never existed."
"Maybe they are just hiding somewhere. Could have gotten caught and had to stop until whatever passed."
Mole gives him a funny look. "Without calling? Dix…it's been seven hours, and they both have cells. I just don't have a good feeling."
The other transgenic pats his friend's back, morosely. "Me neither, man, me neither." He pauses and looks at the blank screen. "When do we tell TC?"
"When we're sure."
Dix nods, and Mole hopes it doesn't come to that.
Alec plasters that smirk on his face, and nods appreciatively at the dozen or so soldiers pointing automatic weapons at them.
"Look, Maxie, it's the welcoming party," he says as two of the soldiers board the van, one going to each of them to unlock the chains.
"Shut up," she responds, and rubs at her raw wrists lightly. "You're the idiot that got us caught."
"That's not my….HEY!" He shrieks when a tazer is applied to his upper arm, sending a light shock through him. Alec hears Max start to take in a sharp breath, but cuts it off. 'Good girl,' he thinks as his chains are also released, but a gun is placed to the back of his neck as he is led out of the van.
Alec takes in their surroundings as his guard brings him to an abrupt stop next to Max, who is also looking around carefully. They are inside what looks like an expansive warehouse. High ceilings dominate the architecture, along with two huge doors -- one of which they had obviously driven through -- on one end, with smaller ones on the opposite wall. He doesn't see a means for escape, not with upwards of a dozen of Manticore's finest pointing weapons at them from every angle.
"I wouldn't bother." A deep voice echoes in the area, followed by a man parting the sea of transgenics holding them hostage. "You wouldn't make it out of here, much less past the perimeter guards."
Alec watches as the large, youngish, bald man approaches them, waving away the two guards who had been holding weapons on them. He reminds Alec of someone. Without any fear of the two transgenic hostages, he walks behind them, pulling down Alec's black turtleneck first before moving onto Max and lifting her hair.
He lets out a low whistle and walks in front of them. "Well, looks like I hit the jackpot. 452 and 494 -- I don't think there's a better prize out there. And I got you in one fell swoop."
"Merry fucking Christmas," Max mutters under her breath.
Alec watches helplessly as the man raises one hand and deals her a vicious blow across the jaw, drawing blood from her lip. Max is about to retaliate when the guard who had been dismissed appears quickly with a gun to her head.
"You'd do well, 452, to keep your comments to yourself." He straightens slightly, rolling his shoulders. "This isn't the Manticore of old, you see -- we're under new management. And the new powers that be don't handle insubordination well. At all. The pansy ass Manticore that you remember…is gone. Well, you'll find out soon enough, dear."
Alec watches her eyes narrow at the term of endearment, but thankfully she manages to keep her mouth shut.
"I'm Dr Olivet. Director of the Boise, Idaho facility. One of the last since Wyoming closed and…well you know what happened outside Seattle." He looks pointedly at Max. "When the Seattle facility…burned, they lost a lot of research thanks to your handiwork, 452. So the new people in charge decided why start over when we can just take back what was ours to begin with."
He shrugs and starts pacing in front of them. Alec recognizes this as an intimidation technique. "It's been a hard process, but with over 100 transgenics and transhumans at this location alone, we are well on the way to restoring our glory…and funding. Welcome home children, we've missed you."
He gives them a chilling smile before signaling to the guards yet again. "Take them to isolation. I'm sure a few days there will start the process right along."
Richard Olivet finally sinks into his leather chair after another disappointing visit with the DNA lab and turns to look out his window. His frustration is growing, along with Manticore higher brass in Washington, DC. His DNA lab is having little success replicating the enormous DNA store that had been housed outside Seattle. It would take too many men, too many years to recreate what they had, and Richard doesn't have that kind of time. In-vitro fertilization of the female soldiers is failing miserably, and unless the females are in heat, conception is only occurring about nine percent of the time. He hates the idea of breeding the Xs, it's so….unrefined, but it might become necessary.
They need more soldiers, and while the recapture efforts are going reasonably well, it's not enough -- not even close. Too many transgenics have taken the smart route, and either bolted out of this country as soon as they were released or are still in hiding. The rest, well the rest are completely unattainable -- sitting all nice and pretty wrapped up with a bow in Seattle.
Perhaps that will change with his two newest arrivals. He knows that 452 is pretty much in charge at the transgenic stronghold, and 494 appears to be her right hand man. His source has provided him with enough correct information that Olivet could trust this; hell, he has two leaders of Terminal City sitting in isolation thanks to him. This could be the perfect opportunity to swoop in before White and his merry band of cultists figured out what's going on.
The real problem is the political mess in Seattle. With the local government practically on top of the city at all times, it would be a little tough to get in there without causing a fuss. It would bring undue attention to Manticore, which has, up to this point, been flying under the radar. Only those at the highest level of government in DC are aware of the situation, and a massive sweep of TC by them would raise the ire of the local guys who seemed to be determined to solve the problem and take the glory. But maybe TC would be thrown into chaos with its leader gone, allowing the "feds" to come in and take care of the situation.
A knocking on his door pulls Olivet out of his thoughts. "Enter," he says, without turning.
"Sir, here are the files you requested. Straight from DC."
Richard turns and takes the two thick files from his assistant. "Well if there's one thing legacy Manticore did right, it's keep backups of all its personnel files. Thank you, Jacob," he says, and waves the younger man away.
Skimming quickly through the files, a small grin starts to form. White had even managed to get some of his status reports in here before he….left. Those are the most enlightening aspect of the files, and gives Richard a good starting point as to how to break his captives. Turning 452 and 494 back into dutiful soldiers would be the feather in his cap, the one thing that no one else had managed to do. A promotion-maker. And Richard is not against using all the means at his disposal.
tbc…………………….don't forget to tip your author…leave a review!