Kat's mind was so heavily drugged that all her thoughts were fuzzy and incomplete. She was only dimly aware of the horrors that surrounded her. Pain, red pain seared her left eye. Harsh shouts and angry yells assaulted her ears. Another, softer voice replied in a monotone, sounding shockingly like her own. But Kat couldn't tell what was being asked or what the familiar voice was answering.
Old memories surfaced in her mind. Going to school, being with friends, her and Teli's many bike rides into the mountains. Her family, the many vacations they had gone on and her calico cat that slept on her pillow at night. It all seemed like years ago. Other memories threatened to surface, about Teli and her search for answers. But somehow Kat was afraid to let these rise to the top.
Then suddenly the blinding redness stopped and Kat's left eye could focus on the fuzzy shapes around her. The shouting stopped as well. A tall blonde woman turned and shot questions over her shoulder, punching codes into some keypad.
Kat felt a rush of cool liquid enter her vein from an IV she had just become aware of. Whatever drug flowed into her, it seemed to clear her mind. The cottony confusion dissolved and the shapes in front of her eyes became focused.
"Where am I?" Kat managed to ask, recognizing her voice as her own. The older blonde woman turned sharply from the keypad and glared at Kat. She looked about to spit out some cruel reply when Kat's heart monitor started beeping erratically, distracting the woman.
"Get her out of here." She snapped, turning her attention to a computer monitor and started typing frantically. Kat felt pressure taken off of her wrists and ankles, the IV ripped from her arm. She was lifted out of the chair and carried out of the horrible room.
Teli, what are you doing? Tye asked quickly, coming up behind his sister. He had heard her shout just as his trace program had located its target.
I'm getting Kat out of there. Teli replied, never looking away from the screen in front of her. Turning off the red laser had been easy; telling the computer to give Kat the drug had been more difficult. Now she was distracting the evil-looking lady from the computer screen with the erratic beeping of the monitor.
Tye looked on over Teli's shoulder as she deleted the recently acquired files. They hadn't gotten far with Kat's questioning, to which both twins were relieved.
Wait, go back a sec. Tye said quickly as different screens flashed past. Teli paused and pulled up the last screen. Tye pointed to a file, which Teli opened. Teli felt her brother stiffen as he scanned the information that popped up.
Erase this one two? Teli asked as she scanned the information. Obviously they had questioned someone else before Kat. Tye nodded stiffly. In moments, both files were deleted and their recovery paths were scrambled. Teli pulled back and the screens dissolved back into the white wall.
That was close. She thought as she breathed a sigh of relief. Tye clenched his jaw and turned towards the center of the room.
Too close. He replied cryptically. Teli was about to inquire what had changed his mood so suddenly when the light of the room dimmed briefly. Both twins froze and scanned the room quickly.
They're onto us. Teli said quickly. Tye nodded, still scanning.
We have to make a hole, a direct link back to Logan's computer so we can get back. Tye said, echoing his thoughts.
A hole that would leak information. Teli added. She ran back to the place in the floor where they had entered. Teli knelt down and placed her hands on the floor. Tye did the same, opposite to her. The white surface beneath their hands flickered and rippled, pulsing energy out and away from the twins.
Psycho-cybernetics, Teli. Tye commented quickly, the term just surfacing out of his memory. Teli nodded. Psycho-cybernetics: the ability to mentally program yourself to your full potential. For Teli and Tye, it went a step farther; with enough mental concentration they could move anywhere in a computer system they need to by mental imaging.
Bet they never thought that theory would be taken this far. Teli replied, a cynical note rising in her voice. Tye rolled his eyes; now was not the time to chat about their origins.
You ready or not? He asked, rather sharply. Teli looked down at her hands for a moment, and then nodded.
Let's get outta here. The lights flickered again as the words left Teli's lips. Quickly. Teli added in response, glancing around at the white, gleaming walls.
In unison, both twins shut their eyes and concentrated. They put together all the pieces and structures of Logan's computer in their minds, reaching out for it.
Teli felt the air around her change and the smooth surface beneath her hands fade away. A sudden cold feeling of isolation pressed on her mind and the through that she had lost Tye almost broke her concentration. But it was a test, a metal block she had to get through in order to make it back to herself. The image of Logan's computer grew stronger in her mind, coming together as particles of energy around her, forming itself in and around her mind. Teli strove to find all the little details, fitting them together like pieces of a puzzle.
The cold vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Teli once again sensed her brother nearby and a sense of relief washed over her. The ground materialized beneath her fingers, and instead of feeling as if she were surrounded by a void, Teli gained back her spatial senses as walls formed around her once again. The mental image was complete, but Teli still double-checked all the pieces before she slowly opened her eyes.
It was astonishing, really. All that was left of the gleaming white walls was a tiny spot, glowing in the space between Teli and Tye's hands. The walls around her now were the darker red and gray shades of a less complex system, where the energy wasn't as pure.
Go and tell them what we've done, I'll be right out behind you in a minute. Tye said, as he too opened his eyes on Logan's computer. Teli nodded and took one reassuring glance around, glad to find the familiar settings, before she closed her eyes again and pulled away from the computer connection.
Teli blinked and slowly sat up straight in her chair. Pain immediately seared through her head, and she pressed her fingers to her temples. It had been a long, long while since she had been in a system for such an extended time, and she had forgotten the headaches that always followed.
Teli looked up. Three curious faces peered at her. Max was the first to speak.
"Are you okay, Teli? What did you two do in there?" She asked quickly. Teli tried to speak as she had to Tye inside the computer, and found that no words came forth.
"I'm...okay. Just a headache." Teli slowly responded, after a moment of concentrating on how to vocally form words again. Max nodded.
"I'll go get you some aspirin." Max said quickly, jumping up and heading for the kitchen. She was back a moment later with a glass of water and a bottle of pills. Teli smiled in thanks.
"He'll probably want some too when he comes out." She said, indicating to her brother. Teli glanced to the computer screen to see what was taking Tye so long. Two windows were open, and she could tell that Tye was putting the final touches on the trace program they had created.
"What is he doing in there? And how did you two break into that network?" Logan asked quickly, finally breaking out of his astonished silence.
"He's finishing the trace program." Teli said, as she swallowed two pills of aspirin. "We created a link from the Manticore network to your computer so you'll have access to their files without having to break in each time. Plus, they shouldn't be able to tell you're in there." She further explained, pointing to a box still open on the screen. Logan sat back in his chair and nodded, looking impressed.
"But how did you two get into the network to begin with?" Jondy asked, pressing for more details. Teli took a deep breath, unconsciously touching the cable line still attached at her wrist.
"It's hard to explain really," Teli started, looking up at Jondy's curious face. "See, we have these... ports," Teli indicated her wrist, "so we can essentially plug ourselves into a computer system. Once we're plugged in, we just close our eyes concentrate on the system. That brings us into the computer and from there we can go ... pretty much anywhere we need." It was the best Teli could come up with at the moment.
"It's kinda like stepping into another world, but a world that we can control." All eyes shot to Tye as he spoke. He half-laughed at their surprised faces. No one had noticed when he opened his eyes; they were all to intently listening to Teli.
Both twins unplugged from the computer and allowed Logan the chance to examine what they had done. Tye gladly taking the aspirin Max offered.
"So, what did I miss?" A cocky male voice asked from the doorway, surprising those within.
"Alec. You just have a knack for turning up, don't you?" Max asked with a sarcastic grin.
"He just walked right in, Max. Said he was looking for you." Zane's voice called from the hallway. Teli noticed the tightness in his tone immediately.
"It's okay, Zane. This is Alec, another X5. He's here to help." Max explained. Alec's eyebrows shot up as if to ask 'oh really?' but quickly went down again as Max shot him a look. Teli glanced over at Tye, who was also looking amused by the interactions.
What about Kat and Ali? Teli asked her brother, not wanting to voice her concerns before they had reached a consensus. Tye's amused expression turned immediately serious.
We have to get them back. With or without their help. He replied quickly.
I think with would be better. Teli quipped, annoyed with her brother's quick assumption that help would be hard to get. She turned to Max.
"Max, can we talk to you? You and Zane and Jondy?" Teli asked quietly, almost under her breath. Max seemed to ponder the request for a moment, but didn't argue, just nodded and indicated for the twins to go into the living room.
A few minutes later, Teli and Tye, their mentors, and Max were all seated around Logan's coffee table, the late evening sun glinting in through the huge windows.
"Alright, we're here. Spill it." Max said quickly. Her intuition told her this was about something they had found inside the computer. Teli and Tye exchanged a glance.
"When we were inside the Manticore system we found... we found some files indicating that two of our friends have been ... interviewed by the Director." Teli explained. Nearly identical images flashed through the X5s' minds. All interviews with the Director came special with a red laser and drugs, free of charge.
"Who are these friends exactly, and how much do they know?" Max asked quickly. Zane and Jondy exchanged a look; both had a good guess as to who the two captives were.
"My best friend, Kat. She knows... almost everything I knew before I met Zane." Teli told her quickly. Max shifted her sharp gaze to Tye.
"And my... friend Aliana. She probably knows about the same amount as Kat." Tye said, looking suddenly very worried. Max exchanged a questioning glance with her two siblings.
"I was worried this would happen. Ali was... very involved in Tye's life. I should have warned her myself to be careful." Jondy explained, leaning back into the sofa with a defeated sigh.
"I didn't know Kat knew as much as Teli says, but it doesn't surprise me." Zane said. Then, with a glance at Teli, he asked, "What about Shane?" Teli held his gaze for a moment, and then looked to the ground.
"Shane doesn't know anything." She said quietly. "I didn't even tell him I was leaving."
"Teli and I are going to find them." Tye said firmly. "And we're going to get them out."
"Not without help, you aren't." Jondy replied, standing quickly. Max and Zane rose as well, Max with a confident smile growing on her face.
"Alec, Logan." She called to the two men in the other room. "We've got some planning to do..."