Truth Seekers
It had been a relatively uneventful month. Teli and Kat still went on their daily bike rides, Shane had taken Teli out almost every weekend, and Teli had begun a strict training regime. Zane, as Teli had come to know him by, was teaching her everything she would need to know; from fighting to recon, escape and evade to tactics. Only Kat knew about the training sessions that took place up on the mountain in the middle of the night. She usually chose to stay away at that time too.
The memories were slowly trickling in. The brainwashing of 'Mission,' 'Duty,' and 'Discipline,' the training exercises, the staged fights and the classroom lessons. It was all coming back. Teli still didn't understand much of it – why she had been there or how she'd gotten there. Zane wasn't releasing that info yet either, so for the time being, Teli had to be satisfied with the memories, if that was possible.
Zane had been shocked to learn about Teli's infrared vision and her retinal clock. It was for that reason that Teli didn't immediately explain the bracelet she always wore. Zane didn't ask. She didn't tell. It was a trainer/student situation and in those bounds they got along well enough.
****
Kat watched from a distance as the training session slowed down. They were always done by 1:30am and Kat had managed to sneak out that night in order to talk to Teli.
The breath caught in Kat's throat as she watch Teli leap up to make an aerial strike. The two fighters moved almost too fast for Kat to follow. It ended, as was still common, with Teli on her back, defeated.
"Better," Zane said as he held out his hand and pulled Teli to her feet. "You keep improving like that and it'll be me on my back pretty soon." That was high praise coming from him.
"Thanks." Teli replied with a small smile, obviously pleased with his comment. He nodded and glanced at his watch as she brushed herself off.
Kat took the moment of calm to whistle the usual call whistle. Teli immediately whipped around, a smile on her face. Zane said something to Teli, which was inaudible to Kat, and vanished quickly. Teli whistled back.
"Hey, you made it up here tonight." Teli greeted, still slightly out of breath, as Kat climbed up the rock next to her friend.
"Yeah. Mom finally went to sleep at midnight, but you know how light she sleeps, so I waited a little longer before slipping out." Teli nodded in response. A small moment of silence followed.
"That was a pretty awesome move you pulled back there." Kat complimented.
"Thanks." Teli said, without much enthusiasm. It was frustrating losing every night, even though she could feel herself getting stronger and faster. "It just, the more I learn how to fight, be a soldier, etc. the more I feel like I'm getting closer to having to leave here, and that's a little frightening for me." Teli explained. Kat nodded sympathetically and put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"Whatever happens Tel, you'll still be loved back here." Teli smiled sadly.
"Thanks Kat." Kat gave Teli's shoulders a little squeeze and the girls spent another moment in companionable silence.
"I have some new information for you Tel, if you want it." Kat finally stated. That caught Teli's attention – she was eager to learn the 'why' and 'how' of the whole situation, and Zane still wasn't talking.
"I'm listening." Teli replied quickly.
"Well, I found a site that has all of the old Eyes Only broadcasts recorded. Most of them are the classic 'bad cop,' 'evil mayor,' 'bring down the martial law' type things, but back in '20 they all became very focused on some place called 'Manticore.' I looked into the story a little more. Apparently, the place burned down and officials claimed it was a VA hospital."
"Must've been what this Manticore place looked like on the DOD's books." Teli interjected.
"That what I figured. Anyway, Eyes Only was saying this place did a lot of genetic engineering; trying to create the perfect soldier, stuff like that. Something about making animal-human hybrids." Kat stopped at that. Teli didn't say anything. She was remembering the Manticore site she and Kat had tried to get into before, and the symbol in the background. Kat took the silence as her cue to go.
"Okay, well, that's all I got. I'd better get back before my mom wakes up and freaks." Kat said, standing. She flicked on her flashlight and it shone into the woods. A pair of almond eyes glowed for a brief second. Kat jumped.
"It's okay Kat, that's just a bobcat." Teli half laughed and she patted her friend's shoulder as she too stood to leave.
"How do you know?" Kat asked, curious.
"Well, for one, I already knew it was there – night vision, remember? And two, only the feline eye has the protein in it which glows like that when light is flashed on it." Teli explained. Kat just nodded.
"So that thing isn't going to track me down when I go home?" Teli laughed and gave her friend a little shove.
"No goof ball, now get home before you get both of us in trouble!" Kat smiled at that and scrambled off the rock. At the bottom she turned to wave. The giggle died in her throat as the flashlight accidentally swept over Teli's face.
"What is it Kat?" Teli asked, blinking the light spots away and seeing the sudden change in expression.
"Um, Te, I don't know how to tell you this but… well, your eyes just flashed like that bobcat's did."
****
Dear Angel,
Human-feline hybrid huh? Should've guessed. I guess that explains quite a bit. Question is, why? Kat was talking about this Manticore place, creating the perfect soldier and all. I guess that's where all the memories of training and fighting come from. Wonder where I'd be today if you hadn't gotten me out. You know what, it's time I pulled out my last little trick and figured this bitch out. The bracelet is coming off. Tonight. I'll let ya know what I find.
-- Teli
****
"Are you sure this is a good idea Tye?" Aliana asked with concern as Tye fiddled with the computer hook-up and internet lines. Tye had called her an hour ago, asking if she would come help with a project. Now that she knew his plans, she wasn't too sure about the whole situation. But Tye was being his usual self and was determined to see his plan through.
"It's the only way to find some real answers." Tye answered quickly as he sat down at his computer desk and switched on the monitor.
It had been a relatively uneventful month. Teli and Kat still went on their daily bike rides, Shane had taken Teli out almost every weekend, and Teli had begun a strict training regime. Zane, as Teli had come to know him by, was teaching her everything she would need to know; from fighting to recon, escape and evade to tactics. Only Kat knew about the training sessions that took place up on the mountain in the middle of the night. She usually chose to stay away at that time too.
The memories were slowly trickling in. The brainwashing of 'Mission,' 'Duty,' and 'Discipline,' the training exercises, the staged fights and the classroom lessons. It was all coming back. Teli still didn't understand much of it – why she had been there or how she'd gotten there. Zane wasn't releasing that info yet either, so for the time being, Teli had to be satisfied with the memories, if that was possible.
Zane had been shocked to learn about Teli's infrared vision and her retinal clock. It was for that reason that Teli didn't immediately explain the bracelet she always wore. Zane didn't ask. She didn't tell. It was a trainer/student situation and in those bounds they got along well enough.
****
Kat watched from a distance as the training session slowed down. They were always done by 1:30am and Kat had managed to sneak out that night in order to talk to Teli.
The breath caught in Kat's throat as she watch Teli leap up to make an aerial strike. The two fighters moved almost too fast for Kat to follow. It ended, as was still common, with Teli on her back, defeated.
"Better," Zane said as he held out his hand and pulled Teli to her feet. "You keep improving like that and it'll be me on my back pretty soon." That was high praise coming from him.
"Thanks." Teli replied with a small smile, obviously pleased with his comment. He nodded and glanced at his watch as she brushed herself off.
Kat took the moment of calm to whistle the usual call whistle. Teli immediately whipped around, a smile on her face. Zane said something to Teli, which was inaudible to Kat, and vanished quickly. Teli whistled back.
"Hey, you made it up here tonight." Teli greeted, still slightly out of breath, as Kat climbed up the rock next to her friend.
"Yeah. Mom finally went to sleep at midnight, but you know how light she sleeps, so I waited a little longer before slipping out." Teli nodded in response. A small moment of silence followed.
"That was a pretty awesome move you pulled back there." Kat complimented.
"Thanks." Teli said, without much enthusiasm. It was frustrating losing every night, even though she could feel herself getting stronger and faster. "It just, the more I learn how to fight, be a soldier, etc. the more I feel like I'm getting closer to having to leave here, and that's a little frightening for me." Teli explained. Kat nodded sympathetically and put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"Whatever happens Tel, you'll still be loved back here." Teli smiled sadly.
"Thanks Kat." Kat gave Teli's shoulders a little squeeze and the girls spent another moment in companionable silence.
"I have some new information for you Tel, if you want it." Kat finally stated. That caught Teli's attention – she was eager to learn the 'why' and 'how' of the whole situation, and Zane still wasn't talking.
"I'm listening." Teli replied quickly.
"Well, I found a site that has all of the old Eyes Only broadcasts recorded. Most of them are the classic 'bad cop,' 'evil mayor,' 'bring down the martial law' type things, but back in '20 they all became very focused on some place called 'Manticore.' I looked into the story a little more. Apparently, the place burned down and officials claimed it was a VA hospital."
"Must've been what this Manticore place looked like on the DOD's books." Teli interjected.
"That what I figured. Anyway, Eyes Only was saying this place did a lot of genetic engineering; trying to create the perfect soldier, stuff like that. Something about making animal-human hybrids." Kat stopped at that. Teli didn't say anything. She was remembering the Manticore site she and Kat had tried to get into before, and the symbol in the background. Kat took the silence as her cue to go.
"Okay, well, that's all I got. I'd better get back before my mom wakes up and freaks." Kat said, standing. She flicked on her flashlight and it shone into the woods. A pair of almond eyes glowed for a brief second. Kat jumped.
"It's okay Kat, that's just a bobcat." Teli half laughed and she patted her friend's shoulder as she too stood to leave.
"How do you know?" Kat asked, curious.
"Well, for one, I already knew it was there – night vision, remember? And two, only the feline eye has the protein in it which glows like that when light is flashed on it." Teli explained. Kat just nodded.
"So that thing isn't going to track me down when I go home?" Teli laughed and gave her friend a little shove.
"No goof ball, now get home before you get both of us in trouble!" Kat smiled at that and scrambled off the rock. At the bottom she turned to wave. The giggle died in her throat as the flashlight accidentally swept over Teli's face.
"What is it Kat?" Teli asked, blinking the light spots away and seeing the sudden change in expression.
"Um, Te, I don't know how to tell you this but… well, your eyes just flashed like that bobcat's did."
****
Dear Angel,
Human-feline hybrid huh? Should've guessed. I guess that explains quite a bit. Question is, why? Kat was talking about this Manticore place, creating the perfect soldier and all. I guess that's where all the memories of training and fighting come from. Wonder where I'd be today if you hadn't gotten me out. You know what, it's time I pulled out my last little trick and figured this bitch out. The bracelet is coming off. Tonight. I'll let ya know what I find.
-- Teli
****
"Are you sure this is a good idea Tye?" Aliana asked with concern as Tye fiddled with the computer hook-up and internet lines. Tye had called her an hour ago, asking if she would come help with a project. Now that she knew his plans, she wasn't too sure about the whole situation. But Tye was being his usual self and was determined to see his plan through.
"It's the only way to find some real answers." Tye answered quickly as he sat down at his computer desk and switched on the monitor.