A New Assignment
Several Months Later...
"Come in" the blonde woman said without looking up from her desk.
"X5-452 reporting as ordered, Ma'am" the soldier stood at perfect attention.
Elizabeth Renfro knew who it was. After all she had called for the girl, but it gave her great pleasure to test the young woman standing in front of her. She continued to stare down at the file on her desk for several more minutes.
X5-452 was a true soldier, she never moved. To her credit, she never even blinked. The director was impressed.
"452, you have undergone months of intense psychiatric treatment and reindoctrination. Do you feel like you are ready to rejoin the other units and continue your training?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" The soldier responded quickly.
"Good! I'm assigning you to Unit 7. Your new C.O. will be X5-494." She motioned to the guard that was standing by the door and he opened it ushering in another soldier. "494 meet 452, your new 2IC."
Both soldiers stared at her in shock. 494 recovered first. "Permission to speak, Ma'am?"
"Permission denied. 452, please wait outside." X5-452 saluted the woman behind the desk and her new CO then turned to go.
Renfro waited until the girl had left the room and the door was closed before she continued. "I know what you are going to say, 494, she is an 09'er but my order stands. 452 will be your new second in command. She has been through Psy-Ops and Reindoctrination and has been cleared for duty. She shows considerable promise as a soldier and as a leader and I am hoping that putting her in this role will encourage that. As her superior officer I expect you to do everything in your power to make sure of it...Any questions?"
"No, Ma'am!" X5-494 replied staring straight ahead.
"Good. Dismissed"
X5-494 saluted and walked out of the room. "Get your things, 452, and follow me." She picked up her duffel bag and they headed silently down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye 494 studied the soldier walking with him. She was definitely good looking. Long dark hair, full lips and a killer body; Manticore had done good work on her. Of course, Manticore had done good work on all of them, but it was her eyes that really got his attention. Big brown eyes with long lashes and an occasional flash of fire which showed she really wasn't quite as meek as she let on. They turned left down another hallway and he stopped in front of one of the rooms. Opening the door, he gestured for her to enter and then turned around and left.
494 had heard a lot of rumors about the 09'ers, mostly from the medical staff. He'd done more than his share of time in Psy-Ops because of them, first when they escaped and then again a year or so ago when his supposed twin had gone on a killing spree. The doctors were afraid the psychotic tendencies might be genetic so they'd hauled his ass back in for observation. Unlike most of the other soldiers though 494 didn't hate the 09'ers and he didn't blame them for running away. Hell, he'd even considered it himself once when an undercover mission went sour. He didn't mind having this one is his unit, but he wasn't sure he liked the idea of having her as his 2IC. "Get settled, 452. Lights out in 10 minutes." He called over his shoulder as he walked away.
452 stood just inside the door and looked around. The room was pretty bare. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk and chair and a door which she supposed led to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she set to work unpacking. She finished just as the lights went out. Laying down on the bed still fully clothed, her shoulders began to shake, and she cried softly into her pillow. X5-452 may be a true soldier on the outside, but inside Max was not. She was still the same girl that escaped in '09 and spent the next decade searching for her lost family. Still the same girl who was so excited to finally find some of them only to lose them again one by one, ending with the big brother who sacrificed himself for her.
Thump Thump Thump Thump "X5-599, I've got a heart for you." Thump Thump Thump Thump "Fight them, Maxie. Promise me you'll fight them."
"I promise" she whispered as she fell asleep.
Several Months Later...
"Come in" the blonde woman said without looking up from her desk.
"X5-452 reporting as ordered, Ma'am" the soldier stood at perfect attention.
Elizabeth Renfro knew who it was. After all she had called for the girl, but it gave her great pleasure to test the young woman standing in front of her. She continued to stare down at the file on her desk for several more minutes.
X5-452 was a true soldier, she never moved. To her credit, she never even blinked. The director was impressed.
"452, you have undergone months of intense psychiatric treatment and reindoctrination. Do you feel like you are ready to rejoin the other units and continue your training?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" The soldier responded quickly.
"Good! I'm assigning you to Unit 7. Your new C.O. will be X5-494." She motioned to the guard that was standing by the door and he opened it ushering in another soldier. "494 meet 452, your new 2IC."
Both soldiers stared at her in shock. 494 recovered first. "Permission to speak, Ma'am?"
"Permission denied. 452, please wait outside." X5-452 saluted the woman behind the desk and her new CO then turned to go.
Renfro waited until the girl had left the room and the door was closed before she continued. "I know what you are going to say, 494, she is an 09'er but my order stands. 452 will be your new second in command. She has been through Psy-Ops and Reindoctrination and has been cleared for duty. She shows considerable promise as a soldier and as a leader and I am hoping that putting her in this role will encourage that. As her superior officer I expect you to do everything in your power to make sure of it...Any questions?"
"No, Ma'am!" X5-494 replied staring straight ahead.
"Good. Dismissed"
X5-494 saluted and walked out of the room. "Get your things, 452, and follow me." She picked up her duffel bag and they headed silently down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye 494 studied the soldier walking with him. She was definitely good looking. Long dark hair, full lips and a killer body; Manticore had done good work on her. Of course, Manticore had done good work on all of them, but it was her eyes that really got his attention. Big brown eyes with long lashes and an occasional flash of fire which showed she really wasn't quite as meek as she let on. They turned left down another hallway and he stopped in front of one of the rooms. Opening the door, he gestured for her to enter and then turned around and left.
494 had heard a lot of rumors about the 09'ers, mostly from the medical staff. He'd done more than his share of time in Psy-Ops because of them, first when they escaped and then again a year or so ago when his supposed twin had gone on a killing spree. The doctors were afraid the psychotic tendencies might be genetic so they'd hauled his ass back in for observation. Unlike most of the other soldiers though 494 didn't hate the 09'ers and he didn't blame them for running away. Hell, he'd even considered it himself once when an undercover mission went sour. He didn't mind having this one is his unit, but he wasn't sure he liked the idea of having her as his 2IC. "Get settled, 452. Lights out in 10 minutes." He called over his shoulder as he walked away.
452 stood just inside the door and looked around. The room was pretty bare. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk and chair and a door which she supposed led to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she set to work unpacking. She finished just as the lights went out. Laying down on the bed still fully clothed, her shoulders began to shake, and she cried softly into her pillow. X5-452 may be a true soldier on the outside, but inside Max was not. She was still the same girl that escaped in '09 and spent the next decade searching for her lost family. Still the same girl who was so excited to finally find some of them only to lose them again one by one, ending with the big brother who sacrificed himself for her.
Thump Thump Thump Thump "X5-599, I've got a heart for you." Thump Thump Thump Thump "Fight them, Maxie. Promise me you'll fight them."
"I promise" she whispered as she fell asleep.