Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Jondy, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Elle/X5-164, etc.).
Notes: Spoiler-ish stuff for "Cold Comfort."
Chapter 11: Max (X5-452)
I laughed as I stood up after the warning bell rang. "That will never happen in your lifetime, Kenny. You need to grow a brain first."
"I do have a brain, Max," Kenny said. He glared at me.
"Admit defeat, bro," Zane said. "You're never going to win any kind of battle with Max, physical or verbal."
"Thank you, Zane," I said. I put my lunch tray away and started to leave the cafeteria to head to my next class. I glanced to my right and saw Zack motioning to Jondy, Wayne, and myself. I nodded and I followed him out of the cafeteria and we stood in the hallway. A moment later, 405 and 367 joined us. "Well, doc? Got a diagnosis for us?"
Wayne bit his lip. "It sounds to me like 355 was suffering from some form of progeria. Progeria is when rapid physical aging occurs. I don't know why 355 suffered from it and why it occurred so suddenly. My best guess is that it's some kind of genetic defect and considering how we were put together, it doesn't surprise me at all that something else other than the serotonin imbalance could and did go wrong."
"355 wasn't the only X5 to have this happen," Jondy reminded us. "Those docs said that two X5s in New York had the same problem occur and I'm assuming that they died from it."
"That's still only three X5s out of about four hundred and thirty," Wayne said. "That makes it six-tenths of a percent odds at this point that any X5s could come down with this illness and didn't you guys say that they were prepping 355 for some kind of treatment when you left the infirmary? If they've found a treatment for those X5s that are already sick, then the odds are pretty good that they'll find what's causing this and find out if maybe certain people are at risk and some aren't and monitor those that are so that if it happens again, they can be treated quickly."
"I hope this won't happen to X6s," 367 said. "I've heard that our DNA is pretty close to yours."
"But there is some difference between X5 and X6 DNA," Wayne said. He smiled. "That ups the odds that you guys won't come down with this right there, especially if this problem is X5-specific."
367 smiled back. "Thanks, 369."
"I wonder if that treatment was successful on 355," 405 said. "I haven't heard anything this morning about that. Have any of you?"
Zack shook his head. "I haven't heard anything."
"Neither have I, but I had to run a few extra laps around the facility after K--471 tripped me when we were sparring outdoors this morning," Jondy said. "I can't believe the idiot didn't get caught."
"When was the last time that he's ever gotten caught doing something like that?" Wayne pointed out. He laughed. I had to agree with him there.
"Yep, that's our resident—" I stopped and looked towards the end of the hall. "Lydecker's coming." I got an idea and turned to 367. "What was that move that you were having trouble with again, 367?"
367 looked a little surprised. "How did you know about that?" Then she got it. "Oh, I was sparring against 392 yesterday, and…" She began to go into detail and sure enough, Lydecker came around the corner a moment later just as Zack was about to offer her some advice.
"What is the meaning of this, soldiers? Why aren't you going to your classes?" he said.
"X6s 405 and 367 had asked for some help regarding the problem that 367 was having in martial arts yesterday, sir," Zack said. "I was about to suggest to 367 that when she had turned to block the attack from X6-392, she had created a rather large blind spot on her right and had also left that side completely open, allowing 392 to defeat her."
"I see," Lydecker said. "Do you agree with 599's analysis of your performance, 367?"
"Yes, sir," 367 said. "It was a problem that I've often had in the past, but I won't make that same mistake again, sir."
"Yes, I recall," Lydecker said. He looked thoughtful and I didn't know whether to be relieved or worried that he might be planning something. "Thank you for your assistance, 599. All of you head to your classes."
We saluted the jerk and after exchanging quick glances of relief with 405 and 367, Zack, Jondy, Wayne, and I walked away. "That was a close one," Jondy said. "Nice save, Maxie."
"Thanks," I said. I made a face. "I hope I didn't just get ourselves into something even deeper, though."
"What do you mean?" Wayne asked.
"Come on, Wayne," I said. "You didn't notice the look on Lydecker's face when he dismissed us just now? The last time I saw that look on his face, we got shipped out to the Sahara for a four-day desert survival training mission. Remember how well that one went?"
Wayne shrugged. "We did ace it."
"But how many times did I have to threaten to knock out you and Parker because the two of you wouldn't shut up about the heat?" Zack said. I snickered.
"I lost track after fifty," Wayne said. He grinned. "I better get my ass to Psych Warfare. I'll see you guys later." He walked away.
"And if Jondy and I don't get ourselves to our mechanics class, we'll be toast with the trainer," I said.
Jondy nodded and smiled. "Especially since they're gonna teach us how to ride motorcycles in that class today!"
Zack shook his head. "I'll let you daredevils go. I'll see you later." He walked away.
"Come on," I said to Jondy. "If we haul ass, we might actually make it to our class on time."
"I'll race you," Jondy said. She took off.
"That wasn't fair!" I yelled. I took off after her.
TBC
More notes: Thank you so much to angelofdarkness78 and CrimsonReality for their reviews and support!