A/N: Umm…You'll find out the assignment soon. Just be patient. I promise you'll know by the fourth chapter, the fifth at the latest. Anyways, here's the third chapter. Tell me what you think of it. I'm kinda waiting for more reviews before I continue though. Please also check out my other story. 

          Disclaimer: All Dark Angel characters belong to James Cameron and Fox.

          coolbeans: She didn't exactly put it off because she regretted it (she didn't even know what it was); she just wanted a break before she began work for twenty long years (who would want to work on a major project on their first day…of course some people have to, but she had a choice so she took the chance).

Chapter 3: The X Series

          "Are all soldiers that young?" I asked Kim.

          "To tell you the truth, those are the oldest. There aren't many soldiers at this point, but more and more are being made."

          "Made?"

          "Yeah. Didn't you know that the scientists here make the soldiers? They are all genetically engineered. You should see all the abilities they have. It's amazing."

          "Is it actually safe for kids to be holding guns?"

          "I wouldn't worry about it. They program the kids to obey from when they were born. They're all very obedient."

          I looked over to the young soldiers…it was actually a sad sight. Kim must have seen me because afterwards she told me I shouldn't feel too bad for them, but I still did.

          "So, uh, what do you do in psy-ops?"

          "Well, we check the soldiers' mental state. They ask whether they need any re-indoctrination, so we just say yes or no. It's really not too hard."

          "Re-indoctrination?"

          "Yeah, like I told you before: they teach the soldiers to think a certain way. Sometimes, the soldiers forget so we must teach them again."

          "How do you re-teach the soldiers?"

          "It's really a simple process. The soldiers sit on a chair and well, they learn."

          She didn't explain it too well, but I got the idea it wasn't exactly what someone would call fun.

          "So the oldest are the soldiers we pasted before?"

          "Yeah, they're called the X5s. They are all given a different designation at birth so we can tell them apart."

          "If they are the oldest, then what happened to the X1s, X2s, and so forth?"

          "They are known as the 'nomolies' by most scientists."

          She saw my puzzled look and explained further.

          "Manticore's earliest creations were not always perfect. The X5 series were the first and so far, the only. Most of the X1s, X2s, etc. are too dangerous since they contain too much of one creature's DNA."

          "So what happens to them? Do they die?"

          "I'm not quite sure, but I've heard scientists from that department," she pointed to a building not to far from us. "Tell me that they become target practice for the young X5s."

          As I read the sign in front of the building, Research Labs, I realized that Sandman wanted me to meet him inside that building. There was a huge library next door. How convenient. I couldn't wait to see the labs. From what I heard from Kim, this place had the best technology ever developed. At the same time, I got a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Would my assignment consist of building the perfect soldier?

          "Isn't it dangerous to the X5s? They're so young."

          "Doesn't seem like it to me. You would probably agree to if you see what they can do."

          Just as we passed the labs, I had to ask the one question bugging me most:

          "What do they do in the labs?"

          "There? The soldiers are built there."

          My fears were confirmed. I would most likely be assigned to build a soldier…