A Man's World
Chapter 2: It's a What? by terre nympheas aforementioned in the summary, this piece borrows both characters and storylines from Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, and Dark Angel. I do not own, nor have any claim to, any of these shows and/or comics. I apologize for any perceived plagiarism and assure readers that it is not intentional.
The van drove on through the night leaving behind the bright lights of a dozen cities and towns. As dawn neared, the van disappeared into a large forest. The forest provided the cover that night no longer could. For two days, the mysterious vehicle traveled through the leafy darkness, pausing only for the drivers to change shifts. As the van reached the edge of the forest, it stopped. The sun was still high in the sky; therefore, the travelers would have to stay put for a few hours. Anonymity and covertness were especially important to this mission.
Eager to stretch their legs, four of the five men exited the van; one of them stayed inside with the baby. As he held the child, Cpl. Po wondered what was so important about it. The kid wasn't even normal. Babies are supposed to sleep, cry, and eat; but this one hadn't slept or made a sound in three days. One of the other men was a doctor and he'd said the kid was fine, but . . .
"I don't care what Dr. Riez says; this kid is just not right!" Po said to himself.
"What was that, soldier?" a voice asked from outside.
"Nothing, Dr. Riez, sir"
The doctor frowned at the skeptical, young soldier and climbed inside the van. The rest of the group soon followed his example, and they began the final leg of the journey. The moon was only a sliver in the sky when the van finally left the safety of the forest. Maneuvering a multitude of winding roads and treacherous mountainside passages for three more days, the van finally approached some semblance of civilization.
A large concrete building stood on the end of the road and a nearby sign identified it as Phoenix Research and Development. Without even slowing down, the van passed it and veered off to a dirt path. The building was really a shell corporation. It acted as a deterrent for unwanted suspicions from the few civilians that happened to wander near enough to question the strange occurrences in the area.
Finally, after a week of travel, the van came to a stop at a massive black gate. Neither the gate nor the surrounding walls bore any identifying marks, and there was no need for any. Only authorized personnel were allowed to get within 500 meters of the compound and live to see another day.
With a slow, groaning protest, the gate opened and allowed the van to enter. It drove into a garage and parked. A team of four doctors rushed to the van's back door and took the child from the tired travelers. While Cpl. Po and the three other soldiers headed for the debriefing room, Dr. Riez followed the doctors to the medical bay. He gave them a quick run down of the child's health status and behavior during the journey. The doctors had all been opposed to subjecting the newborn to such an arduous trip, but their superior had refused to listen.
Once in the med bay, the doctors started to unwrap the child and clean him up when they noticed something heart-stopping.
"It's a girl! Shit, they must have gotten the wrong baby!"
Dr. Riez looked confused, "Of course we got the right baby. We went to the warehouse and that slimy little doctor handed me this baby. So it's girl, what's the problem?"
The others just stared at him.
"All the children at this compound are boys. The Founders ordered us to create boys only. We only accept male embryos and there is no way that something like this would slip past us. And this . . ." he paused, flustered, "this is the project of a Founder himself. We are going to be in so much trouble. Girls can't be trained to be soldiers. He is going to kill me . . ." The man continued to ramble on until he passed out.
His colleagues, apparently used to his fits, just picked him up off of the floor and deposited him in one of the nearby beds.
"What did he mean about training the children to be soldiers?" Riez asked the remaining three doctors as they continued to care for the baby.
"You don't have clearance for that information," replied the man who was putting the girl in a crib. Five other cribs surrounded it, each with a little boy inside. He picked up one of the boys and handed him to a nurse. "This one has completed his 12 month decontamination. Upgrade his pass to the nursery building."
"What ARE you people talking about?" Riez was becoming increasingly frustrated.
"Perhaps I can explain everything," a new voice chimed in. "Just follow me." The man spoke to the team of doctors in a low voice then led Riez to another building. Once in the building, Riez followed the mysterious man into a large conference room; the man bade him to sit. "Now, I'll tell you what you've been wanting to know. I am Director A, and I am one of the six Founders. We have been commissioned to form a perfect army. Instead of recruiting the best of the best, as is the case with all other military-like organizations, we decided to create this army from the very beginning. Through selective breeding and certain in-vitro enhancements, each boy is created to fulfill a specific purpose."
Director A paused for a moment to let the information soak in.
"After he is born, a baby must stay in med bay for one year to ensure that he is perfect. He will be exposed to all diseases and bio-toxins to make sure his immune system will protect him against anything. There are specialists on staff to make sure that each boy is developing correctly, both mentally and physically. After his time there is over, his pass, the computer chip in his hand, is upgraded to allow him access to his own room in the nursery building. Each room is set up to reflect the specialization that the Founders and doctors have agreed on. He will remain in that room and be introduced to the basics of soldiery until he is five years of age, when he will be moved to the next building. Then, the real training begins. The boys are reunited and they begin to do some of their training together. At the age of 12, each boy is imbedded with his permanent identification chip. By age 15, they are put into general population and become eligible for fieldwork."
Riez stared at the man, stunned. He had been working at the facility for nearly two months and he'd had no idea of the compound's real purpose. This was almost too much for him to handle. And the Founder wasn't finished talking.
"And that was just the protocol for the average soldier. The child you were entrusted with is no average soldier. The other five Founders and I could not decide on the attributes of a perfect soldier, so we all created our own. The six children will be trained to different specifications and ultimately different purposes. You have brought here the last of the six. The others are just a few weeks apart in age, but my creation took longer to finish. No matter what the other Founders think of their boys, my baby will be the perfect soldier!" Director A sat back in his seat and waited for Riez's reaction. Riez remained silent.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The four doctors Riez had met earlier walked in the room and sat down. They looked anxious; Riez didn't know why.
"Now that everyone is here, I can reveal my plan. Dr. Riez, you were hired because of your talents, but you were sent on the retrieval mission because you were disposable and knew nothing of our real purpose. Now that you know, I want you . . . all of you to become part of my special team, part of the team that focuses on the success of my perfect soldier." Thinking this to be a grand gesture, Director A waited for the flood of acceptance and gratitude. When silence assailed his ears, he was indignant. "Well, someone needs to say something. I'm offering job security, access to almost everything on the base, and a substantial pay raise."
The head doctor, having calmed down from his earlier fit, eyed the other men warily. "Sir, we have some bad news for you."
"What? What is wrong with my perfect baby?"
"Well . . . the baby . . .he's a she. Your perfect soldier is a girl!" The man closed his eyes and waited for the string of curses that he was sure would be hurled at him. There was silence once again.
"No wonder the group was so quiet," Director A laughed. "I know the child is female. I designed her."
Amid the sighs of relief, Riez found the courage to speak.
"Director, I'm still a bit confused."
"I'll answer your questions only after I receive your pledge of loyalty."
"Then you will have it. Director A, I pledge my loyalty to you. I will follow your orders and keep your secrets." Riez committed.
A chorus of affirmation from the rest of the group soon followed.
"Very well; listen to me carefully. Starting now, you will report only to me. If anyone is to question you, refer him to me, and I will handle the situation. Make sure you understand this, it's extremely important. No one else is to know about the girl, and I mean NO ONE . . ." he paused for emphasis and there was a knock at the door; a young boy entered the room carrying some small plastic cards. Director A patted the child's head and sent him away. He turned back to the doctors and began to pass the cards down to each man. "Here are your upgraded identification passes. You'll need to carry them with you at all times. They will exempt you from the random security checks and will allow you access to each of the buildings in the compound. Very few people have this much autonomy; do not abuse my trust." With that final command, Director A rose from his seat and left the room.
Flabbergasted, the remaining five men stared at each other, until the little boy came back into the room.
"I am I-five-zero-five-two-three. Director A said that I am to take you to your new offices. Please follow me."
The doctors rose slowly, pushed their chairs under the table, and followed the boy out of the room. On their way out of the building, Riez noticed Director A's title on an office door. He caught a glimpse of the man sitting behind a large desk, head buried in his hands.
"What an odd man," he said quietly to himself.