AN: Well here it is, what you guys been waiting for. What's in the Drug. I hope what I'm trying to get or say makes sense and you understand it. I did a lot of research and I'll tell you this it wasn't easy. Please write back and let me know what you thought about it. Enjoy
AN: Also I want to give thanks to dooski for beta-ing this chapter for me, it really help make the reading easier. So give her credit for it.
AN: Also I want to say this story is almost over. I think if I estimate it out I got about four or five more chapters to go. Add one more just in case. I have to come to a closing on this soon, to start on another story idea I was thinking about. So just letting you guys know.
"She's showing signs like the other," Minx said, standing by a stretcher with Max on it. Alec was standing on the other side of the stretcher watching the sleeping Max. "I'm sorry Alec. I guess by this time tomorrow, we'll have to expect the inevitable."
Alec was sitting at the front of the table in the meeting where the Inner Circle normally met for briefing. But today, there didn't seem to be much left of the Inner Circle. Minx was still in the infirmary, along with Max, and Luke, who suffered from a concussion. Biggs was apparently evil now so there's no way he going to show up, unless completely unexpected. That left Dix, Mole, CeCe, Joshua, and Alec himself as the only ones attending today. "Alright, would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? Why was I, and others, jumped earlier, and by our own kind no less," Mole asked rolling his cigar in his mouth. "Yeah and what's wrong with Max? why is she in the infirmary," asked Dix.
Alec stood up from his chair and walked around the room. "The only answer I can give you is that an X5 name Gabe is turning some of our kind into his followers to take over Terminal City. He is using some sort of drug to brainwash them under his control. We only know part of what's in it, but Logan is going to fill us in on the rest later"
"What about little fella," whined Joshua.
"We may have to expect her to be under Gabe's control, big guy," Alec answered giving Joshua a gentle squeeze on the shoulder when he whined.
"How did this happen? I mean, why he wants to control us." Dix asked.
"I don't know. For power maybe, revenge? I don't know, but right now he has a total of twelve of us under his wing, not to mention Max, who's in the process of becoming another one." Alec said sitting back in his chair.
"Biggs is already one," CeCe put in.
"Why not lock these goons down in our holding cells, keep them from turning anyone else into brainwashed drones?" Mole suggested through his cigar.
"Although that plan sounds great, I really don't think it will work. This drug they were given makes them stronger and faster then any normal X5 or X6. Four of them took out the whole head quarter team and there's no telling what twelve can do together. Trying to put these guys in a holding cell would be suicide"
"So there's nothing we can do to stop them from turning Terminal City into brainwashed freaks"
"I don't know. Until we learn more about this drug there's nothing we can do. Here" Alec said getting up again to pass out a sheet of paper to everyone in the room. "Here is a list of all of those who are under Gabe's control. We need to watch out for them. Spy if you want, but don't direct contact. This is about all we can do. I'll go see Logan, find out what he knows, and then come back here. Give me about forty five minutes and then meet me back here. This meeting is over"
The three transhuman left the room, leaving only Alec and CeCe.
"I'm going with you," CeCe said just as Alec was heading out.
Alec just nodded and continued out the door. CeCe was right behind him as they were making their way to the tunnel. They were quite on the way there, kept to their thoughts. They walked in, not bothering to knock, and continued inside the room where Logan's computers were. Logan was holding a cloth to the side of his head where a purple bruise was forming. He removed it while the two transgenics stood waiting for him to acknowledge them.
"How is Max?" He first asked.
"She's doing okay, except for waiting for her to turn to the dark side," CeCe answered.
"And the others"
"They're fine, Logan. We didn't come here to bombarded with questions. We came here for answers and maybe a solution to our problem." Alec said, getting annoyed by the questions and waiting.
"I'm fine by the way"
The two transgenics shook their heads and sat down in chairs in the room. Logan took the cue to hold further questioning until he was finished telling them what Dr. Carr had found. He, too, had questions of his own for the two, especially Alec. He pulled out a sheet of paper and turned his chair to fully face the seated transgenics.
"From what we already know, steroid and hypnotic drugs are what we've already identified. They are what caused the enforced sleep and the added muscle mass and probably the extra speed to our friends. Along with the drug, Dr. Carr noticed a substance of silicon in the liquid"
"And this finding of silicon means what exactly." Alec asked "Well, analyzing the drug further, Dr. Carr found a very small chip device in it. This device is known as a nano-nite. Microscopic to the human eye but it can affect anyone or anything it harbors. Nano-nites can be used for almost anything- medical purposes, technology, and military. You name it"
"I've never heard of it." CeCe said curiously.
"Of course, you wouldn't have. Projects dealing with nana-nites been shut down for over sixty years now. It seems the designer of these small devices was using these things to attack government buildings in the early sixties. He was placed in a mental home for thinking there a conspiracy going on. What left of his project was either destroyed or kept safe in the government custody. Well, until now that is"
"If we've never heard of this device from Manticore, I'd doubt Gabe has. Which means someone else gave it to him." CeCe said.
"Someone like White? He has government access, and who knows how long his kind have been running around. They could have easily gotten their hands on it at some point," Alec said, shaking his head in frustration.
"If that is true, why would he give Gabe the mixture in the first place? Where is White's benefit in all this?" CeCe once again questioned.
"I don't know." Alec answered.
"There is more about the nano-nites then what I've given you. These things have the ability to send, take, and pull up information. Also, they can fix machines, muscle tissue, and restore any lost computer data. They also can be used for beckoning signals for lost or catcher soldiers. If you stick it right under a layer of skin, anyone can find you within a 25 mile radius. The technology is just amazing"
"That is all well and dandy, but in what way is it being used now?" Alec asked.
"An audio-recorder device. Your simple tape recorder"
Alec and CeCe looked puzzled at Logan after hearing this information.
"It may seem strange but given what we know and how Gabe got his minions to follow his every word it seems probable. Nano-nites have one track function and in our case it's the brain. Silicones are good semiconductors and with the chip device, the nano-nite can easily target the brain because it's electrical activity. Once it reaches the brain, it attaches itself to the temporal lobe. I would think that on it's way to the brain it recorders whatever Gabe said at the last minute before the X5 went to sleep, being that unconscious or dying, the hearing is the last to go. The nano-nite records this message and plays it over while the person sleeps. This can make the person believe in what is being said because it plays all the time while they are asleep. No other thought are being processed except for the message being sent"
"So this chip is acting like a mini Psy-ops sort of, inducing audio stimulus to the brain. And with our well built brains, we'll absorb the information like a sponge." Alec put in.
"So how do we stop it?" CeCe asked.
"Beats me. Usually chips burn out after some time or high voltage of electricity can destroy the chip. I don't know if either choice is good to take. We could try surgically removing the nano-nite but I still don't know how effective that would be. They could all in up with brain damage, or dead"
"So we're still at a dead end in stopping Gabe from brainwash everyone"
"Pretty much"
"Great, what's the point of having information about this mixture Gabe is using when we don't have a solution?" Alec bellowed, getting up from his chair to pace across the room. "We can't do anything, it's like our hands are tied behind our back in this one. I hate not knowing what to do or being in control of this situation, Logan. This is a no win-win situation and Max, Biggs and eleven other are screwed, us too maybe if Gabe fulfills his mission"
"We're looking for a miracle here. It would help if some of you guys were equality matched with Gabe and his fellow followers." Logan said turning back around to his computer to type something up. "I'll keep searching, see if I can find something helpful for us"
"Yeah you do that. In the meanwhile, we'll go back to Terminal City and tell the others that we're completely screwed," Alec said as he and CeCe headed for the door.
"Wait, Alec, could I talk to you, alone," Logan asked, looking to Alec but not to CeCe when he said the last word.
"Uhm sure" Alec said. He turned to CeCe who stood a little behind to side of him. "Go ahead, get the guys together and tell them I'll be there in a little bit"
"Okay," she said before slipping out the door.
"So what is that you want to talk about?" Alec asked, taking his seat again in the chair.
"Max told me that you two weren't together, that she was only doing it to protect me and you helped"
"Yeah, well, anything to help Max and her cause," Alec stood. "Now I have to go"
"Wait, I have something to ask you"
Alec let out a sigh and turned back to Logan from the door. "Shoot" Alec said. At least I'm at the door so after I answer his question I can make a clean get away before anymore question, he thought.
"When Max and I were attacked by Gabe and his men, Gabe pulled down Max's collar, showing a bite mark on her shoulder." Alec didn't speak and instead took a silent breath. "When he did it, he said something like the mark doesn't make you his. Any guess on what he meant by that"
"I don't know. Gabe crazy," he laughed a little. "I really have to go," but he was stopped again by Logan.
"My guess is that the mark came from you. You want to tell me why your teeth mark is on Max"
Alec turned away from the halfway open door to turn back and face Logan again. He scratched at the back of his head before looking up at the waiting Logan.
"Actually I don't want to tell you; in fact I don't have to explain myself to you. I really have to go"
"Is it because you and Max had sex is that's why you don't want to tell me"
Alec slammed the door and faced Logan again. "Why do you think Max and I had sex? Max told you that there was nothing between us"
"Well actions speak louder then words and in this case that mark on Max's shoulders says other wise"
"Yeah but it doesn't mean we had sex"
"Then how else would you explain the bite mark, your bite mark"
"You know what; I don't have time for this. You're a cyber geek Logan, look it up"
And with that said Alec left the room.
…
After briefing the Inner Circle about the contents of the drugs and again telling them that they had nothing, the meeting was over. Alec went to the infirmary to check on Max. She was still in the same position as when he left to have the meeting. Asleep. He took a wash cloth and wiped over her forehead to clear it from the sweat forming on her head. He moved a strain of her hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the infirmary to go home. Today was a long day for him and all the thinking was making his head hurt. He walked inside his apartment to find CeCe with a bottle of Scotch in hand.
"Sorry, but I can't sleep at my place. Biggs once told me that you keep a stash of beer here so I just thought"
"No. Please make yourself comfortable, in fact I might join you," Alec said, walking over to her pulling out another bottle to take a long swig of it. They both walked over to the couch and sat down to continue their drinking.
Back in the infirmary, a medic was finishing up some written reports when she heard a noise coming from the patient's room. She left her desk to go check the noises out. Checking every quarter in the room, she stopped when she neared Max's quarter, hearing the noises coming from within. Walking a little forward, Max's bed came in focus.
"Max," she whispered and was faced with an empty bed.
Surprise and worried, she turned around to leave when she ran into Max herself.
"Max," the medic whispered again, getting off the floor. "What are you doing up"
"Well Ness, I couldn't sleep due to shark DNA, so I thought I'd go work out in the gym"
"But we weren't expecting you to wake up until tomorrow"
"Well I'm up now, so no need to worry," Max said about to turn to leave.
"Wait, you can't leave. I have specific orders to not allow you to leave if you ever woke up"
"Whose orders"
"Alec. He said"
"Dismiss Alec's order, I'm CO here, so what I say goes. And I'm telling you that I'm leaving to go work out"
"But"
"But nothing soldier. My order is clear, understand"
"Yes I understand but"
"I don't have time for this"
With her quick reflexes, Max grabbed the medic by the throat with her arm, blocking her airway. Once the medic stopped struggling, Max laid her down into her bed and tucked her in.
"There, now to the gym," she said, walking out of the infirmary and headed for the gym.
AN: Did it make sense? I hope it did. If not what I really tried to get at was that this device is sending the audio message (Gabe's voice) to the brain and it repeats while they are under induce sleep. Making them believe in what is being said. Brainwashing for a lack of a better. That's all it's doing. Again I hope what I wrote made sense.