Disclaimer: Not mine except new characters
A/N : My first attempt. Especially for elle6778 there will be a recounting of how Psyche used the X6 to get the information they wanted.
Many thanks:
Elle6778: Hope you like the tale of the interview.
Angel Of Darkness231: Glad you like Psyche, and Biggs and CeCe
Maria656: Glad you liked the broadcast.
Darkangelgirl: Promise Ben is coming soon
Angelofdarkness78: Glad you liked Alec and Normal. Sketchy is now the official transgenics reporter (bit like being a royal reporter)
Jracklesfan77: Glad you're enjoying it
Lakergirl08: The idea of the broadcast was to start doubt amongst the ordinaries.
Honey X5-452: Glad you liked the broadcast, this is a bit longer and so will the next, so that then Ben can arrive.
Who loves the teacher?
Chapter Twenty-nine: The Journey 1
Next morning the meeting was full of praise for the broadcast that Dix and Sketchy had produced, but Max had a word of caution. "The broadcast was all we hoped but," she started, "there are two things that are likely to happen; the first that the siege will become intensified over the next few days and the second that the Conclave will be more openly hostile."
The looks of joy turned to concern as Max continued, "tonight some of us are leaving for Manticore to start bringing some X5's here, this will increase the danger for all of us. Everyone here will have to be on the alert for anyone trying to sneak in and cause problems; not everyone trying to get in will be the enemy, and there are still lots of freaks out there who may decide it is time to join with us. Only keep one route in open everything else is to be blocked, not just monitored. Issy's route has probably been passed to other transgenics, but don't make any assumptions, if they don't show a bar code, are not known or you're unsure keep them in a cell until we return."
The transgenics looked at each other, "surely we could get psy-ops to find out the truth," suggested CeCe.
"You could," replied Max, "but they could be from my unit and they would probably fail your tests, and if they were familiars they may have been well briefed."
"The main task will be to create cells strong enough to hold transgenics before they start arriving and double the security," Max finished.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
For the rest of the day the recovery team were sorting the things they needed to take with them. Lydecker had already arranged for supplies to be sent to the guard house at Manticore, so they only needed personal luggage.
Alec and Issy spent the day playing with Alex in their apartment. Issy prepared the evening meal that they would enjoy before leaving for the rendezvous.
"Thanks for the meal Issy," stated Lydecker as he finished eating, "guess Max and I have the washing-up while you take Alex to Gem's. We need to leave within the hour if we're to be out of Seattle by 22:00."
"Ok but make sure you don't break anything," exclaimed Alec picking up Alex.
"We'll be back in 30 minutes," Issy said picking up Alex's things and following Alec.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
They left Seattle in Lydecker's SUV that Alec had parked two streets away after their first encounter. Lydecker drove them out of town with Alec and Max under covers in the back. Issy had been given the task of convincing the sector cops that they were visiting her parents after their marriage and her father had been taken ill suddenly.
After the last check point Issy turned to help Alec out of the blanket. "That was a little bit too convincing," moaned Alec with a pout to Issy.
"Hey convincing people starts in the head," she laughed, "I was pretending you were driving, that made it easy."
"Yeah I know what you mean," said Max, "I can't remember how many times I had to think I was with someone wonderful when pretending to be with you," she laughed at Alec.
"And here was I thinking I was irresistible to all women," he joked.
"Hey enough of the banter you three," snapped Lydecker, "we're on this journey for a reason. We all need to be alert and concentrating on what we're doing."
"Ok, so I'll catch up on my beauty sleep while you watch the scenery, now that I can breathe," was Alec's sarcastic reply.
"Good idea," replied Max, "at least you won't be annoying anyone then."
"Hey don't be mean," snapped Issy, "you might enjoy teasing but everyone has feelings, can you stop jumping on Alec's for this mission."
"Thanks," replied Alec through a yawn, getting himself comfortable.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Two hours later they arrived at the site, which from a distance didn't look like it had been blown-up.
"Wow, I thought it would look like an empty shell," Max said in surprise.
"If it looked that bad the field operatives would take one look and disappear," replied Lydecker. "I got some old military friends to tidy it up, so it looks good from a distance. We need to fool them into approaching."
"The old guy thinks of everything," Alec yawned. "They won't be fooled for long," he continued looking out of the window, "not enough bodies moving around and no guards."
"Glad you decided to join us," was Lydecker's sarcastic reply. "Yeah we couldn't risk the military shooting anyone, so just us. We'll have to camp out in the guard house, so we can intercept before they see too much."
"Hey the guard house isn't big enough for us to eat and sleep for weeks," Max observed.
"Well that let's you out then," Alec sneered, "once brother Ben arrives you'll be back safe in TC, so you only have to suffer for a few days."
"We'll have to stay for a few days after Ben arrives and wait for X5-792, our McKinley assassin before returning to Seattle," Lydecker responded.
"How come you've only just mentioned that," snapped Max.
"Max, I thought it would be obvious, we can't take Ben back to TC until we are comfortable about him," retorted Issy. "None of us know how well he is going to react yet."
"Right well we're here," stated Lydecker as they checked their intercoms. "We'll check the guard house and then go in pairs to check out the buildings. We might be able to use one of the buildings for a base. Suppose you two will go together," he commented looking at Issy and Alec, "so you're with me Max."
"Good call," smirked Alec, "it improves your chances of staying alive."
"For god's sake are you still thinking I'm the big bad?" Lydecker replied with a hint of irritation, "if I was planning something you would be dead or captured by now. We left TC over two hours ago and you slept for most of the journey. Get over your problem we've got work to do."
"He's got a point Alec, we need to forget the past for now," soothed Max.
"Easy for you Max, you spent as much time out of Manticore as in it," he replied grabbing Issy's hand and walking out. "We'll do the north buildings; meet you at the canteen later."
"So what's his real beef with you?" asked Max.
"Same as yours," Lydecker replied, "I was forced to terminate a member of his unit. They made a mistake in a live training exercise and were badly injured, so they were terminated in front of the unit."
"Any other reasons?" she asked.
Lydecker thought back to some of the things he had ordered and the things he'd heard the kids talking about in their barracks, little did they know that they were all bugged. It was only when Alec's unit had been training and one of the guards mentioned something that had only been said in the barracks that the kids found out. Alec had attacked the guard wanting to find out how he knew; the poor guard buckled and told him. Alec had earned a week in the brig and been used by every training officer to demonstrate a skill for the next six months: the guards had definitely got their own back on him going just so far that he wouldn't end up in the hospital, but with the threat of the brig or worse if he retaliated. Alec had been 12 at the time but it had earned him respect from his units and some of the guards, and the bugs were removed. Eventually Lydecker replied, "nothing I want to share," as they went to check out some of the buildings.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
As they were looking around some of the buildings, trying to find things to salvage to make their stay more comfortable; Alec and Issy found her old apartment. As they entered the building Alec sensed someone watching them, he looked round carefully whilst alerting Issy to the presence. A figure moved from a nearby window as he scanned the area. Moving stealthily round the outside of the building Alec approached from the far side as Issy tried to maintain the figures interest in her.
Breaking into a room Alec managed to tackle the figure to the ground, before they had time to move from the window; at the same time Issy was calling for backup. The figure struggled and managed to roll Alec onto the floor, as he was trying to reach for some rope to tie the person. Before the person had got away Alec kicked out his foot and tripped them, whilst flipping into combat stance. The person was still down when Alec knelt on their back and roughly tied their wrists behind their back.
By the time Lydecker and Max arrived the rope had been replaced by handcuffs that Issy had picked up in another building.
"Is this one of your field ops?" Alec asked Lydecker.
"Yeah, it's X5-792," he replied. Turning to the girl, he commanded, "explain your early return to base soldier."
"Sir, my mission said kill and return," she replied in normal Manticore tone.
"Your mission said kill and wait for instructions in a safe house," he replied.
"Sir, Manticore is a safe house," she replied. Then looking around she corrected with uncertainty, "was a safe house."
"Whilst you were away Manticore was destroyed by its commander," Lydecker responded, whilst the others watched the exchange. "The order to stay in a safe house was for your safety, the bases have never been called safe houses."
Alec got tired of the Manticore speak, "Cut the crap 'Deck and can we get rid of the designations?" he interjected. "What do you call yourself?" he asked the girl.
The petite dark haired girl, with oriental features, girl looked puzzled.
"I have a designation but my name is Alec," he said exasperated at her lack of comprehension. Turning to the others, he continued, "that's Max and that's Issy, so what are we going to call you?"
The penny dropped and the girl replied, "I was called Candi by my unit."
Lydecker looked disgusted, "did any of you follow the rules?"
"Only when they suited us," replied Alec. Turning to Candi, he continued, "look I'll give you the brief details, Manticore has gone, lots of us escaped and either went to ground or Terminal City in Seattle. There are a group of different freaks out there called familiars who look like humans, who want to kill us and you just killed their government spokesman."
The girl was speechless, what would happen to her now, Manticore might have been hell but it was her only home. Seeing her confusion, Max stepped forward, "too fast Alec, the poor girl is confused now." Turning to the girl she continued, "look we help run Terminal City and Lydecker suggested that we start bring back the field operatives who don't know what has happened. That's why he didn't want you to come straight back and find this," she gestured around at the site. "We were supposed to get here first to meet and debrief you before explaining our current situation."
"Permission to speak ma'am?" Candi asked.
"First I'm not Ma'am, I'm Max and second you can cut the army talk," said Max. "You've been discharged from the army and are now a civilian, so you gotta talk like one. Now what's the question?" she snapped.
"Why do I need debriefing if Manticore doesn't exist?"
"Because we need to be sure that you weren't seen or captured on camera." Max noticed that the girl still looked puzzled, "Ok what's the problem now."
"Well I recognise Alec, Issy and Lydecker but what's your link to Manticore?"
"Max was an '09er, so has more experience on the outside," Alec replied. "Considering I was your commanding officer, I'm surprised I don't remember you."
"You never had cause to notice me and we were always in different classes," she replied. "Any chance of having the cuffs removed now."
"Only if you promise not to attack anyone," Alec replied fiddling with the key.
"There doesn't seem much point in that," she replied. "I hope you brought some food, I'm starving."
"Well that proves that you haven't explored the whole site yet," Max commented. Seeing the surprised look she continued, "Just found supplies and somewhere we can use as a base instead of the guard house."
"In that case I agree with Candi, let's go eat or sleep," replied Alec undoing the handcuffs.
Issy walked beside Candi as they went to get something for her to eat. "Candi are you comfortable with staying here for a week while we wait for someone else?"
"I think I'll be safer from what has been said," she replied, "Anyway you look like you could do with an extra X5."
"Fine, whatever," yawned Alec, "but its 2:00 and I'm missing my bed. How about continuing this later after those of us without shark DNA get some sleep?"
"You slept on the way here," replied Max, "surely you're not still tired."
She was talking to herself though, as Alec and Issy had already disappeared somewhere.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Breakfast was being cooked when Alec and Issy returned to the canteen.
"I was about to organise a search party to look for you," Lydecker said sarcastically. "Where did you get to in the night?"
"We found Issy's old apartment and there was enough left for a comfortable sleep," Alec replied easily.
Over breakfast Lydecker asked, "I saw the broadcast, how did Psyche get him to talk so easily?"
Max looked at Issy expectantly, "it was easy once I realised who he was; we used an old Manticore trick. First find a weak spot and then exploit it; Greg's weak point was his cousin Melody who White killed. We found an X6 who looked like her and dressed her up in the right sort of clothes, and then she went into the room and asked the questions Psyche relayed to her through a coms unit. All the X6 did was exactly what Psyche said from entering the room to leaving; he was totally mesmerised, thought she'd come back from the dead. He wanted her forgiveness for not stopping White; so she kept telling him that if he could answer her questions then she would have her own revenge on White and she could then rest peacefully. He was only too willing to give-up White; I don't think he realised that he was giving away more than that. He was strapped in the chair throughout; otherwise I think the X6 would have had problems because he kept wanting to touch her."
"God that brings back awful memories," whispered a pale Alec.
Issy reached out to hold his hand, "that's in the past, it can't hurt you now," she tried to reassure.
Candi had been observing the interactions between Issy and Alec and was thoroughly confused. "I thought you came here as a group to meet the returning X5's," she said, "but there seems to be more between you than that."
Issy blushed as Alec replied, "After Manticore was destroyed I spent the next nine months annoying and helping Max, by the end she had established a base for the transgenics. Soon after Issy came to bring information and some old friends, after she unlocked some of my memories I realised that we had enjoyed a relationship within Manticore. While she was away I decided that I wanted to give it another go.
"Of course the fact that she brought your kid with her didn't influence your decision," laughed Max.
"So how did you get together at Manticore?" asked Candi, "I mean that sort of thing was forbidden."
"Yeah I've been wondering how that started," Lydecker commented.
"Yeah, well I think we ought to continue the site check and get organised; we can talk about my past later," replied Alec, "Issy and I will continue from where we caught Candi; since there's five of us now maybe someone should take first watch in the guard house." Hastily he left the table almost dragging Issy out with him.
Max laughed, "don't think I've ever seen him make a quicker exit; I'll take the guard house."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A/N: Sorry to end there, but the next will be reminiscing before Ben arrives in the following chapter. The next chapter may be delayed, as I haven't written it yet, but won't update until I've got 156 reviews.
8