Well, Alec hadn't exactly pictured his night ending in a dark, damp, cold cell, but sure enough it was. When the Familiars had brought him here, to this cell inside their library hideout, he was tempted to struggle and fight back. However, to what end? There was at least 50 of them that he could see. It would've been suicide. Speaking of…
"Hey, why haven't you guys finished me off yet? Not that I'm itching to bite the dust just yet but I thought you wanted us all gone?" Alec asks to the back of the guard, standing in front of the cell. There is no response at all, as if nothing had been said.
"Alright then. Not much of a talker I see." Alec comments as he shrugs apathetically, while laying down and leaning his back against the cell's cold, grey concrete wall. One thing about being a transgenic was the tendency to get bored quickly. Heightened intelligence and all. After about 5 hours of complete silence and absolutely nothing to do, Alec was tempted to fight back just to break up the boredom. He gave a sigh. All he has here is his racing thoughts. He focuses on his breathing to calm down. This certainly isn't the first time Alec has been thrown into a silent cell but god damn at least Manticore cells had cots. It takes a pretty shitty situation for Alec to think of anything Manticore as luxurious. The freezing and uneven concrete ground of his cell is hell on his back but he is too tired to try to stand up. Despite his attempts, there is no comfortable lounging position to be found. Another sigh. How does he always end up in a cage? Seriously! Has he broken a world record yet?
All of a sudden, Alec's attention is caught by the sound of footsteps. His transgenic hearing picks them up way before whoever it is arrives. Alec perks his head up, focuses on listening. Equal parts apprehensive and relieved to hear sounds again and have the trying hours of boredom broken up.
When they arrive, Alec can't see who is there from his viewpoint. They enter through a side door and his cell is mostly concrete walls, except for a front facing, iron bar door. The excitement of hearing sound fades and his anxiety grows. Calm down, 494. It's been awhile since he's thought of himself by his designation but this sort of situation calls upon him to remember his training. Fear is a waste of energy.
The footsteps stop and Alec can hear voices. Familiar voices. But not in the Familiar enemies sense but familiar as in those are the recognized voices of Alec's friends.
"Watch it!" Cindy's voice exclaims. "Yeah, watch it, man." That's Sketchy's voice. Next are the sound of two thuds, them being thrown into the neighboring cell, as the footsteps walk away with no words spoken in response.
"Hey, guys." Alec greets. "Looks like we've downgraded our hotel stay for tonight."
Cindy and Sketchy are surprised but grateful to hear Alec's voice. They suddenly feel a bit less terrified with their transgenic friend with them.
"Alec!" Sketchy calls gleefully. "So, I see they locked you in here too." Cindy comments.
"Nah, I'm not locked up, just voluntarily slumming it in this damp, empty cell." Alec calls back, snarkily.
"No more talking!" A guard shouts back at them.
Alec rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say." He bites back, sarcastically.
However, their conversation stops. No one really wants to cause more trouble than necessary with the super advanced Familiars. All three have the same thought/wish as the silence resumes. Max will save us.
Max, while currently hiding out in the back room of an abandoned shop, is trying to do just that. The question is how? She has a grand total of zero backup out here. Her backup was supposed to be Alec, who she hasn't heard from in way too long. The eerie silence of a dark, largely abandoned small town crawling with Familiars is enough to make Max shiver. She has to find a phone somewhere to call Logan. Sure, this small town might be outside his hacking range but she has to call someone for help .
Max's heart is pounding as she slinks through the town, trying to refrain from running into any more Familiars. As she arrives on the outskirts of town, she finds the holy grail she's looking for a payphone. She dusts it off and shoves a couple quarters into the machine, which she fishes from her jean pants pocket. She hopes for it to work and punches in Logan's cell.
There's no time like 5 am to be abruptly awaken by the sound of your cell phone's ringtone blasting throughout the room. Logan startles awake, with a shocked gasp, from his resting place on the couch. Sandeman does the same from his sleeping spot in the chair.
Logan fumbles to find his glasses on the floor beside the couch and then to find his cell phone. "...H-hello?" Logan asks half asleep, doesn't even check the number.
"Thank god, I got a hold of you, Logan! I need your help asap." The distress in Max's voice jolts Logan awake faster than any coffee ever could. "Max?! Where are you?! What's wrong?!" Logan shouts into the phone, as he sits up straighter.
Sandeman's attention is caught too. Max. He's just as concerned as Logan, if not more so. "What's the matter? Is she okay?" Logan hastily holds up a finger to Sandeman. The elder man feels slighted but sits back and listens, allowing Logan to hear Max.
"Who's there with you?" Max questions intently, after hearing an unrecognizable male voice with Logan.
"Long story. We can discuss it later. What's wrong? Why are you calling?" Logan shoots back.
"Right. It's Sketchy, Cindy, and Alec. They're gone. Missing. Familiars took Sketch and OC, not sure what happened to Alec but it's likely the same happened to him. He never came back from a recon job."
Logan sighs and rubs his forehead. "How can I help? Where are you?"
"Not sure and middle of nowhere." Max shoots back.
Logan's forehead rubbing can't stop the headache from forming this time.
"Is there anyway you can trace the phone call?" Max offers, hopefully.
"Max, payphones are hard to trace. Especially in the middle of nowhere."
"Well, speak up if you have better ideas." Max shoots back, frustrated.
"Okay, okay. Stay on the line and I'll see what I can do."
Logan puts his cell phone down next to his work space on the desk. He starts typing and opening tracing programs on his makeshift computer setup. Sandeman still observing closely. His chin resting on his hand. "She's in trouble, I take it?"
Logan glances at Sandeman from around his computer monitor. "Gee, how'd you get that idea?"
Sandeman's eyes narrow in a glare.
"Sorry." Logan more calmly replies after several seconds, as he continues working at his computer.
Sandeman shrugs it off. "No harm done."
"Not yet, anyway. Harm may be coming to Max and our friends, if I don't find a way to help soon." Logan briefly glances down at the phone before focusing back on the computer screen.
Sandeman rises with the help of his cane and walks over to Logan. He stands beside Logan and bends down to see the computer screen.
Logan looks over at Sandeman, curiously. "Try using this line of code instead." He suggests and types it onto the keyboard. Logan's surprised when it works.
Sandeman merely replies with, "You don't pioneer a brand new transgenic species and stay under the radar for so many years without knowing a thing or two about technology and tracing."
Meanwhile, impatiently waiting on the other end of phone, Max wonders who that other voice could possibly belong to. An informant? She knows she's set on to finding out asap. Transgenic curiosity.
"Great news, Max. I've got your location! I'll get ahold of TC and tell them to send backup asap." Logan announces with excitement.
Max breathes a sigh of relief. However, immediately a look of determination appears on her face. "Now, Logan."
"Yes?" He replies.
"Who is there with you?"
Before Logan can say anything, the other person in the house responds.
"I believe we've met before, Max. This is Dr. Sandeman."
Max drops the payphone.