Chapter nine – the mission aftermath
What if, in the escape of '09, Max hadn't escaped with the others? What if Jondy had tried to save her when she fell in the ice, but in the end they both got caught?
…
'10
The X-5s were marching down the corridor towards their barracks after the mission, to get ready for lights out. They were halfway there, when Max started to shake. She was shaking so badly that she fell out of the line, and started convulsing on the floor. The TAC leader began moving toward her, to take her away.
Jondy started to run to her sister, to try and protect her when X-5 598 appeared in front of her and stopped her. Jondy struggled; the TAC leader was picking Maxie up.
"X-5 210 get back in line. Now, soldier." 598 ordered.
"No." Jondy yelled, pushing 598 out of the way. She ran to Max, and kicked the TAC leader in the head. He dropped Maxie, but Blak stepped out of line just in time to catch her. Jondy faced the TAC leader, who had one hand against his head, and a gun in the other. Jondy kicked the gun out of his hand, and punched him in the nose. She heard the bones crunch, and the TAC leader dropped to the floor.
Jondy turned around, to see Maxie on the floor, still convulsing. Blak stood over her, and the rest of the Alpha X-5's stood behind him. Jondy knelt next to her sister, and whispered to her.
"It's gonna be alright Maxie. We won't let anything happen to you."
She looked up, and saw that the Beta X-5's were standing opposite them, with 598 at the front.
"X-5 210, what do you think you are doing? You will be severely punished for attacking a TAC leader."
"I was protecting my sister. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? You're the CO."
"210 stand up. I said stand up. If you don't I will report you to Colonel Lydecker for insubordination."
"I don't care what you do 598. My first duty is to protect my brothers and sisters. I don't know what your first duty is, because you obviously don't care what happens to us. Don't you know that they would take Maxie away?"
"It is not my place to question what the Colonel is doing. Now on your feet."
"No."
"She's right 598," came a voice from the back of the Beta X-5's. Jondy looked around, and saw that it was Sam.
"Don't speak unless you're spoken to 453."
"I'll do what I want 598. Jondy's right. We have to protect each other. Don't you see that?"
"When addressing a member of the unit, you will use their designation, 453."
"No. Why should I call them by their number, when I can call them by their name?" Sam walked forward, until she was standing next to Blak, and bent down.
"Is she going to be alright Jondy?" she whispered.
"Soon. I think."
Standing up, Sam turned and addressed 598 and the rest of her team.
"Look around you 598. What do you see?"
"I see soldiers 453. Soldiers."
"No. I don't see soldiers. I see my family."
"Family?"
"We may not have been taught that word back at the old place, but I've learnt it here. This is my family 598. Every one of you is my family. Don't you understand?"
"We are soldiers, and we are a unit. Nothing else."
"You may not understand 598, but I do," said Alec. He walked out of the group to stand beside Sam, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The only thing we have is each other 598. Our family. Like Sam said, and like Jondy said. And we have to look after our family."
The rest of the Beta team was looking between 598 and the Alpha's. The next to step forward was Toni, but once she had made the first step, all of the others followed, until it was only 598 standing opposite the rest of the unit.
"I will report all of you for insubordination."
"You can't do that 598," Sef remarked, "because then you would be disagreeing with me, and you wouldn't be CO any more. Is that what you want? To report us all, and then lose the ability to do that?"
"This is mutiny. I could have you all put in solitary confinement for months because of this."
"And what would you do then?" Jondy asked as she helped Maxie to her feet. "You wouldn't have a unit anymore, which is just as bad as not being CO. So you have a choice. Act stupidly, and lose your unit, or act wisely, and protect your unit. What's it gonna be?"
598 stood there for a minute, thinking it over, before he turned and marched back to the barracks by himself.
Sef stood in front of the unit, and held up his hand for silence.
"Stay where you are. I want none of you to repeat what happened today to any one. This is confidential, and I would prefer it if you forgot what happened. We may be a family now, but we are soldiers, and the Colonel doesn't like us to forget that. And no one is to mention this, in any way, to 598. Understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir," they replied, before most formed two lines again, and marching back to the barracks. Jondy, Max, Sam, Blak and Sef stayed behind.
"Sef, what's going to happen when the Colonel finds out about Maxie's shakes?"
"I don't know Jondy. I don't know. But we have to do something about that TAC leader. You shouldn't have hit him in the nose Jon. But it was a good punch."
"We can put him in one of the nomalies cells," Blak suggested.
"Nomalies?" Sam asked.
"Nomalies. They live in the basement. You won't understand until you see them. But that's a good idea Blak. You and I will take him down, while Jondy and Sam, I want you to take Max back to her room."
Jondy already had Max up, with one of her arms draped around Jondy's shoulder. Sam stepped over and placed Max's other arm around her shoulder, and the three began walking back to the barracks. When they reached Max and Jondy's room, they saw that Toni was inside, sitting on Jondy's bunk. When she saw them, she jumped off, and stood at attention.
Sam nodded to her, before she helped Jondy lie Max on her bed. Jondy then took off Max's boots, and her own, before sitting on the pillow above Max.
"What are you doing in here Toni?" Sam asked, "How come you aren't in our room?"
"I was scared. 598 was going into all of the Beta teams rooms, and I thought that if I stayed in here, he wouldn't come in. I don't like it when he yells at us."
"It's alright Toni. I won't let him hurt you."
Jondy laughed. She had listened to what they were saying, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What?" Sam asked, "What's so funny?"
"Us."
"What about us?"
"Don't you see? I am the one who looks after Maxie in our pair, but in your pair it's you that looks after Toni."
"So?"
"Don't you see? Toni and I may look alike, but I look after my sister, while her sister looks after her. And the same goes for you and Max. You two look alike, but you do the opposite."
"I get it."
"Jondy?" Toni asked.
"Yeah Toni?"
"Can we stay in here with you tonight?"
"Toni, don't ask that. We should be getting back to our room now. Goodnight Jondy, Max."
"Don't go," Jondy argued, "You can stay here. I'd like you too. Four people in one room is better than two. You'll have to share my bunk though."
"But what about you? Where will you sleep?" Sam asked.
"Sleep? I don't sleep much. Neither does Maxie, except after she gets the shakes."
"Well..."
"Come on Sam, please? You heard what Jondy said, four is better than two."
"Alright. But only for tonight. And we have to be back in our room before wake up."
Toni gave a small cheer as she lay down on Jondy's bed. When Sam came over, she shifted so that there was plenty of room for her to lie down. But Sam pushed Toni over, so that she was in the middle of the bed, and sat herself at the top, on the thin pillow.
Toni immediately fell asleep, while Sam watched over her. In the opposite bed, Jondy watched over the sleeping Max. She looked up, and caught Sam's eye. They shared a glance, and laughed.