Categories > TV > Dark Angel > We'll Fight Till The End!
Get Out!
It was about 2:18am, and 494 was in Lydecker’s office. Lydecker wasn’t there of course, 494 had snuck in. It hadn’t been too hard. Especially for a 10 year old transgenic who did stuff like this all the time. He loved it. Every few night, he would sneak into one of the many rooms that held information about them. Usually on Fridays to Sundays when there weren’t as many guard at Manticore.
Alec had noticed this years ago, and used it to his full advantage. So did all the other transgenics, who would sneak into the kitchen and either eat something or just meet up with other transgenics there. It was like a meeting place, everyone did it. ...Except X-599’s group. They didn’t even know about it. They were Lydecker’s kids, and no-one wanted to talk to them. They were spoiled, and everyone knew it.
They only had to run 3 laps around Manticore, got to eat first, never got there group switched around with the other groups, and their C.O. only had 11 people to look after. Opposed to everyone one else, who had to run 5 laps around Manticore, had to wait until X5-599 unit was done and out of the room before they get to eat, have to watch some of their friends leave them forever, and have them replaced with someone else’s best friend. And Alec, like all the other C.O’s have between 20-30 soldiers to look after, as well as them selves.
It just wasn’t fair. What made them so dame special! Why did they get special treatment? Why hasn’t anyone from there unit been murdered in front of their eyes? Why don’t they get experimented on like the rest of us? These are questions that would run though 494s head everyday when he got beaten or saw someone else be beaten. And he hated it.
‘SHUT THE FUCK UP!’ 494 told himself. He didn’t want to think about that right now. When ever he found himself thinking about it which was a lot he snuck out of his room, and went “looking for trouble” as his unit would say. In a way it was true. He knew if he got caught he would be screwed. But he did it for the hell of it. ‘hey, you’re only in trouble if you get caught’.
Alec was now sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a cabinet, with 2 doors that had been picked open and a few folders on the floor, plus another one in his hands. 494 was reading about X5-214 right now. It turns out she has a twin, but they were the only twins in manticore that didn’t look alike. Loralee had honey blonde hair/dirty blonde bluey, greeny eyes, tall, thin, out going, bit witty, easy to get along with and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. Her twin however was X5-215, she had dark brown hair, it was almost black, with a different complexion, probably to match her hair, she had hazel eyes and was shy. She was one of those people who hadn’t learnt to defend them selves. She’s is easy to get along with also, but, she on the other hand will take your shit. I guess she hasn’t learnt how to say no and mean it. Alec had met her once. Very nice, but then one of the older X-5 just whacked her on the head, and she totally took it. Didn’t say a word.
Alec felt a little sad for 215. She was probably the youngest of her unit, just like Loralee was; they all called her the baby of the group. But 214 could take care of herself. It seemed like 215’s unit took advantage of the fact that she was shy and wanted everyone to get along. It was probably why she didn’t fight back and because of that they walked all over her. Alec had remembered hearing from X5-218 that her name was Lisa.
15 minutes later 494 had finished reading X5-214 folder, or at least all he was gonna read for that night, and decided he was going to tell Loralee that she had a twin. ‘It’s funny because I have a twin too’ Alec thought to himself. He didn’t know much about him except he was in X5-599’S unit, his designation was X5-493, so that mean he was younger then him, and he was a twin NOT a clone. So that just made it even better. 494 would have hated to be a clone. ‘Hey it’s a folder on someone from X5-599s unit’ Alec thought excitedly. He always thought they were interesting to read about, and hoped that this was his twin’s folder. ‘And this folder belongs to...’ he looked form the designation. ‘its 452’’ he thought bitterly, but decided to look though it anyway, maybe she had something to do with his twin
‘Designation 8332960073452...date of birth, blah blah blah...this is stupid, there’s nothing special about her, she just got lucky’ 494 thought bitterly, as he placed it back to its spot, then picked up another one. This one didn’t belong to his twin-it belonged to him. “This’ll be interesting!”
Designation No 331845739494
Birth Date 5.7.1999
Birth Place Vivadyne Labs
Height 4'/3FT.
Weight 85 lb.
Eye Color Hazel-Green
Hair Color Dark Blond
Unit X5-494
BloodType O-negative
I.Q. 140
Genetic Content X5-specific (feline)
‘Well that’s just stupid! I already knew all that’ 494 thought angrily. He wanted to know what he was really good at, something about his twin, even who his birth mother was, but not this. This is stuff he could have figured out by looking in a mirror. “Hey what’s this” he whispered.
8.11.2005 X5-494 age 6 years, 3 months (Level 9)
Test example: An exercise was devised where half of this Unit's platoon were given new toys (red fire trucks) to play with, and the other half were not. Those who weren't given new toys were then told that the only way they could have the trucks were if they acquired them from their fellow platoon members. Physical violence ensued, with the have-nots attacking the Units who possessed the trucks, often winning and taking the toys away by force. There was, however, one exception. X5-494, one of the subjects not given a truck, obtained the toy by trading three cookies to X5-231 (contraband sneaked out of the cafeteria during a previous meal), thereby avoiding physical conflict.
(High points for innovativeness/low points for rule-breaking and apparent reluctance to engage in physical conflict)
‘Don’t remember that, but its funny’ 494 laughed to himself, then looked for more stories like that. He found another one on the next page.
Test Orientation -Test example:
Units were given a physical objective to reach (maneuvering through an obstacle course to a food reward). The exercise was to be considered a race, with only the fastest 5 achieving the extra food. X5-494 was in solid third place when a younger Unit mate lost his grip while traversing the monkey bars over a steep ravine. 494 stopped to help this Unit regain his grip before proceeding, thereby coming in 6th and losing out on the reward. However, when the test was repeated a week later, 494 had no problem kicking a larger, stronger leader-Unit in the head just before the finish line in order to win the food this time.
Test Orientation Conclusion: X5-494, while selfish to a point, has a deep streak of compassion for others that may make him unfit for the function he was designed for, as well as a lack of respect for authority that will, without doubt, be a problem in the future 494
Smiled at this one, he remembered it. He wasn’t doing it to be selfish or even mean...okay well maybe it was a little mean. But the real reason was because of who the unit-leader was. It was X5-599. Alec didn’t like him, not sure why, he just didn’t like the guy. So he kicked him. Winning and getting to food was just a bonus.
“The hell!” the young X5 said out loud. A picture fell from his file. It was a boy; Alec had seen him once, in another unit. He knew it wasn’t his twin because they looked the same, this boy didn’t. He had a buzz-cut with brown hair, hazel eyes, and looked a little bit older then Alec, by about a year. There was writing under the pictured. ‘X5-496 brother of X5-493 and X5-494’ “hoooly crap!” the stunned X5 whispered. “Ah SHIT!” Alec cursed out loud. He could hear footsteps coming around the corner. He looked out the window to see were the moon was in order to find out the time. “Dammit” he hissed to himself, he’d lost track of time and it was now around 3:20am. He’d been in Lydecker’s office for over an hour.
With out a doubt whoever was coming around the corner was either Lydecker or a security guard. Either way, someone would be coming into this room. 494 quickly gathered up the folders put them back, closed the doors, pick up his switch blade shoved it back in his boot, hopped up on the desk and jumped up onto the ceiling. His fingers were gripping on the little bumps on the ceiling. Normally his feet would be doing the same thing but he had boots on. 494 held onto the wall as hard as he could with his legs out stretched and his toes touching the ceiling. Picture spider-man on a ceiling, but as a child. He clung to the ceiling for dear life, which in a way he was. If they found him he was screwed. The door swung open to reveal Lydecker walking in with a cup of coffee, and some papers in his hand. He left the door open and walked to the back of his office were there was another door that led to who knows were.
The door was still open. This was his chance to get out. Using the skills only a X5 would have, he slowly moved towards the door using all his strength to keep his legs from falling and praying to god he wouldn’t fall. He’d make it to the door with out being noticed, which surprised the young X5. He was at the frame, now all he had to do was get over it, turn the corner before he could finally jump down and run like hell to the barracks.
Two and a half minutes later Alec was running like hell to get back to his cell. He was sure that Lydecker would have seen him. But like he’d once heard a guard say “don’t bite a giftor in the mouth”…… wait is that how it went? oh well, like he cared. He’d made it back to his barracks; he already knew what awaited him on the other side.
Sure enough when he picked the lock and opened the door there was his whole unit up and waiting for him. Yes all 28 of them. And just as he knew they would be there he also knew what was coming next. Smirking he casually asked, “you all had to go to the washroom too?” no sooner had the words left his mouth, EVERY single girl was up in his face yelling, hitting, and glaring at him, for being, as they put it “A fucking idiot, who’s going to die before he’s 18!” as well as a “nosy little fucker!” followed by a hit on the head, a kick to the leg and an elbow in the stomach. “Ow!” 494 said then put his hand up to block a hit. Sure it was a friendly one, and they were only concerned for him and this apparently was the only way to tell him but after awhile the hits hurt. “Ow! You people beat me!” he said in a angry voice, but if you looked at his face he was still smiling. After the girls were done being ‘concerned’ about Alec 510 came up to him and said.
“After all that you have to had come back with something good” 494 glared back at the X5 and shot back “Don’t I always?” with a questioning look on his face. 510, who had recently adopted the name Biggs, but just hadn’t told anyone except Alec, smirked back and nodded yes. “Well here’s the weekly info.” he began. “214 has a twin.” Then as he saw the looks of there faces said “dun, dun, duuuun!” He gave it a few seconds to sink in before he continued. “Yeah, it turned out they’re the only twins in Manticore that don’t look the same, cause they’re fraternal.” A few people raised there eyebrows at that. “Lora’s older by 8 minutes and the other one had dark hair, hazel eyes- ”
“Hey!” shouted X5-650, (the second youngest of the group, who was older then Loralee by 3 and a half months), named was Tanya. Biggs had given it to her a few days after he’d given himself one. “That’s not difference! They both have Hazel eyes.” Kat said in a matter-of-fact voice, before she sat cross-legged on a random bed.
“No” he shot back. “Loralee’s has sometimes blue, sometimes green eyes. They’re either one colour or the other, rarely both, and when they are they still don’t look hazel” he said in a casual voice. Kat just gave him a little glare then stuck out her tongue playfully.
“ANYWAY” Loralee practically shouted. “What else, what else, what else!” she shrieked wanting to know more about her twin. Everyone knew she’d always wanted one, ever since they found out there were twins. They also knew she was hopping for an identical one like what Alec had, because then she could switch places for a few days. How ironic was it that she was the only one who had a fraternal one?
“Well that’s pretty much it. She’s shyer then you and gets picked on by the other X5’s in her unit...um...she’s a little shorter then you too, and her number is X5-215” Alec finished up. Then when he saw her face he added “She doesn’t get beat up or anything! She just a pushover and people take advantage of that……that’s all” Annabella seeing where this conversation had headed to, piped up and said “WHAT ELSE did you find out?” she asked stretching her leg out. “OH yeah!” 494 said excitedly. “I have a brother!” everyone looked at him with a blank face. Then Tanya whisper loudly for him and everyone else to her in his ear “We already knew that” Alec looked at her confused then he got it. “NO NO NO! I mean I have a brother. I’m not talking about a twin, no not 493! I’m talking about X5-496- an actual brother. Apparently he had a twin to, but he died a few days after birth.” Everyone looked at him with raised eye brows. ‘That’s what I thought!’ he said inside his head, with a smirk on his face.
“Hey ya fucking kids!” some yelled from out side. As fast as their legs would let them they all ran to there beds, hopped under the covers and closed there eyes, just before there door was opened and a man looked in.
Next Day
“Wake Up!” someone was whispering in Loralee’s ear and tugging on her shirt. “Noooo” she moaned out and covered her head with her pillow. Who ever it was whispered it again. And again. And again. Then finally he stopped and walked away...or so she thought. 5 seconds later the person yelled “WAKE UP!” and tackled her off her bed and onto the floor. “Holy crap” she screamed out as her butt hit the floor, then she was hit by another body. “ooooowwww! I’m in pain.” Loralee said as she rubbed her rib where an elbow had hit it. “Why are you waking me up so early!” she complained, to the person who’d tackled her. It was Alec.
“Man” said Biggs. “That’s how I’m going to wake you up from now on!...No, I think I’d rather tickel you” he said with a smirk and some others nodded. Loralee had too much cat DNA. More specifically she had the part in cats that caused them to sleep a lot. So because of that the people in her unit would take turns waking her up half an hour earlier, just so she’d be awake and ready when everyone else was. Manticore knew that she had the cat problem but they didn’t know her unit had to wake her up this early...and they wanted to keep it that way. Manticore hoped that when Loralee turned 14 the problem would just go away. Or maybe it would just go away before or after that point in time.
“DON’’T YOU DARE” Loralee hissed at him. Everyone knew that Loralee and Kat were extremely ticklish, and if you tickle them on their side they actually doubled over and screamed ‘rape’...probably why a lot of the boys did it. “Oh come on.” pleaded Biggs “It’ll be funny” he said smiling. Then Kat spoke up “come on you guys, that’s mean”
“You’re only saying that because you don’t want it to happen to you” Steve 481 said to her while giving her the eye. She knew what was coming. Tomorrow he was going to tackle her of the bed and tickle her too. Steve was another member of their unit. Alec and him were great friend, and Alec was also the only one who knew he had a little crush on Kat.
“Soldiers! Get to the cafe” yelled out a man- Lydecker. “Now” he boomed at them through their window on the door.
2 HOURS LATER
“Oh My God!” came a voice. “I’m lost.” In the middle of a desert stood a 9 year old girl with army pants and shirt, with a blonde pony tail sticking out from the back of her head. The young X5 realized this about 30 minutes ago, but was just now admitting this to herself out loud. She’d gotten separated from 494’s unit about an hour ago. They were all in the mine-field when someone triggered one of explosions and then they all went off. Everyone ran in different directions. Everyone that could still see Alec through all the dust followed him. Loralee and about 5 other however couldn’t see him and they not only ran in different directions from him, but in different direction from each other. Normally when that happened at Manticore they would just get to a clearing, wait until the smoke cleared, then wait a minute or two before they could see each other from different part of the field. This was different. They were in some kind of desert, and there wasn’t just there own unit to worry about setting of bombs, but there were about 3 other units too. They all got deployed of at different places obviously, but someone from another unit could set off a bomb, causing them to trigger until they got to 494s unit. So there was no way that the 5 missing would be found until the helicopters came back... which was in about 2 hours. “Piece of crap!” Loralee said while kicking a rock on the ground and started to walk North. Or in the direction she hoped was north.
A X5 UNIT MEMBER
Seth had been walking South for about an hour. Well approximately. That’s how long ago he’d gotten separated from his unit, after there was a big explosion in the mine-field. Someone had triggered one and before there was time to react a whole bunch of bombs went going off.
Naturally everyone followed Zack to safety, except for Max, the youngest of them all, who’d gotten blown backward thanks to a bomb. That’s also what happened to him. He’d heard her voice at one point. This was after everyone ran. Zack and the other would already have gotten to safety at that point. But he and Max were still running. Seth had found her and they began running together, when another explosion went off and they went flying in different directions. He had to keep running though, before another explosion. When the smoke finally cleared he couldn’t find her. Not Zack. Not Max. Not anyone.
So here he was standing in the middle of a dessert, with no Max, no water, no food, and no way home. Seth knew a helicopter would be coming in about 2 hours to pick them all up. In the mean time he decided to walk South. Normally he’d go North, but for some reason his unit was told if they got separated go South until they found someone. He’d figured there was probably another unit out here and he was supposed to join up with them until he found his own unit.
THE REST OF X5-599S UNIT
Max had gotten separated from Seth after the bomb went off between them. Luckily Zack had grabbed her and got her out of there. She was rejoined with her unit and they all had to run for it.
Sly and Tinga wanted to stay and look for Seth but there was no way they could do that with out someone dying. They all ran until they got out of the way of the bombs, about 20 min. later of running full speed but with out blurring they all knew right away after the smoke cleared there was no way they were going to find Seth, even if he wasn’t already dead.
AN HOUR AND A HALF SOUTH
Seth was still walking South when he saw a person way in the distance, the only reason he saw him/her was because he’d been zooming in looking for another unit. Seth had already been walking for an hour and a half and didn’t feel like running up to this person, he’d just keep walking until they finally met in the middle. Unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen. As if things couldn’t get any worse one of them must have stepped on a hidden bomb under the sand because another big explosion went off, triggering more to go off, and just like before they both started running. Luckily this person had seen him and was running in the same direction. East They both ran in diagonals and met in the middle and then run together, instead of getting separated. Again. When they met in the middle, only then did Seth realize that the person was a girl. She was wearing the same kind of army clothes as him but she had long hair. Hers wasn’t cut off like all of the girls were in his unit. But he didn’t stop to ask her why, instead they just kept running side by side. A bomb went of literally right beside Seth and he was thrown backwards. It went off on his right side and the explosion hadn’t gotten near the blonde because she was about 6 feet way still, but the explosion had caused Seth to cut open his arm, and twist his ankle. Luckily the bombs stopped going off a few minutes later, and they both fell to the ground, exhausted.
When they both finally caught their breath, Seth heard the girl speak for the fist time.
“OH MY GOD!” she said clearly concerned for him. “What the hell happened to your arm?” She asked crawling over to him because she was too tired to walk over.
It wasn’t the way he’d like to have started a conversation, but given the circumstances, it was acceptable. Seth looked down at his arm for the first time, and realized it was literally covered in blood, and there was sand all over him and his cut. The girl got even closer and picked up his arm with her hands “Is it broken?” she asked putting pressure on certain spots with her thumb to see if he’d fractured anything, and to find out where exactly it was bleeding.
“No, Just bleeding” He was surprised this girl was helping him. ‘Why is she helping me? She doesn’t even know me’ Seth thought to himself while the girl examined his arm. ‘Plus she’s younger then me. She’s what 8, 9 years old’ Kay the last one wasn’t a reason just more of a fact.
“We’re going to have to clean it, or it’ll get infected” Said the girl still not looking up at him. Instead she took her water bottle from her waist and started pouring it on his arm, to get the blood and sand off.
“Why are you helping me?” Seth asked. He was still surprised the girl just didn’t get up and leave. That’s what anyone else at Manticore would have done. No. Not everyone at Manticore. Just all the humans. Now that he thought about it, all the X5 would help each other if they needed it. The humans are the ones that would leave them to die.
“Because you’re hurt. I can’t just leave you here. ” replied the girl as she hooked her water bottle back on her waist. His arm wasn’t too bad. It kind of looked like a bullet hole. The blonde un-tucked her shirt, and then ripped it vertically, when she’d gone up about 4 inches and then she began to rip it horizontally. When she was done, she’d made an impromptu bandage and was now wrapping it around his arm, to staunch the bleeding. Her shirt wouldn’t stop too much bleeding but it was a whole lot better then nothing. Also this way sand couldn’t get in to it.
“Thank you” Seth said looking her in the eye. The girl just smiled and answered “You’re welcome”, after that there was an odd silence so to change the subject Seth asked “So, what’s your designation?”
The blonde stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. “Two-fourteen” she shrugged, than reached her hand down to help him up. “What’s yours?” She questioned, before pulling him up to his feet. Seth smirked then looked down at her before answering. “I don’t go by my designation.” she looked at him surprised and was about to say something before he continued “My unit calls me Seth...So you can too.” He shrugged, trying not to make it a big deal. Two-fourteen just smiled at him and laughed.
“Well in that case, you can call me Loralee” she smirked at him when she saw the shock in his eyes. ‘I like the colour of his eyes’ thought Loralee. They were a crystal blue, with an ocean blue at the edges of them. She quickly looked down when she realized she was staring. Seth laughed at this. He knew she was looking at his eyes. He’d gotten a lot of complements from guards about them. Even the girls in his unit said he had cool eyes, thinking about this Seth become curious about the colour of her eyes. He couldn’t see them because she was still looking down.
“Hey, what colour are yours?” Seth new this sounded like a stupid question but he was curious. After all, curiosity killed the cat. She looked up at his so he could see her eyes. They were a bluish, greenish colour, but manly blue. It gave of kind of sparkle that made them look Angel like. Seth didn’t want to stare so he changed the subject. “When do you think the helicopter will be coming back?”” He already knew the answer, but it still made for a good topic of conversation.
Loralee looked up at the sky to see were the sun was. They’d all learned how to tell time by were the sun was in the sky. “um...In about 1 and a half hours.” she replied looking down from the sun. “so... do you think your unit’s worried about you?” she asked trying to make conversation.
“Probably. But Zack knows it take more then a few explosion to get rid of me” he smiled as he said this.
“Who’s Zack?” question the younger X5. And that’s how they spend the next hour and a half. Talking about their unit, the names they’d given them, and exchanging stories of there time at Manticore. Things they’d gotten caught for and things they’d gotten away with. They were still talking when they heard some helicopters coming towards them “do you think its Manticore?”
“Yes. They are the only ones stupid enough to fly with helicopters in the desert” In no time at all the two transgenic were picked up. They were put into different helicopters though. Seth was put into the one he was in at the start of this ‘Mission’ and so was Loralee.
About 15 minutes, Seth surrounded by his whole unit. He was happy to find out that Zack had found Max, and she was fine. Zack apologized for not coming back for him. Seth told him it was fine, and that he was just following orders. Syl and Tinga both gave him a big hug, then followed by Max and the rest of his unit. Seth still hadn’t told them about the girl he’d met. He didn’t want someone to hear them. So he’d already decided he was going to do it that night.
In another helicopter was another unit. 494s unit. Loralee was also surrounded by her unit as they asked her questions about where she was and if she was ok. Just like Zack, Alec had apologized for not coming back. And just like Seth, Loralee had said it was ok, and he was just following orders. They both were. Annabella gave Loralee a big hug, followed by Biggs, Bashiar, Kat and then the rest of their unit just gave her a group hug. Loralee was about to tell her unit what happened, with the boy she’d met but decided she should do it after lights out.
10 PM THAT NIGHT
“Did you find out what happened to her?” asked Ben who was sitting beside Max cross-legged. Ben has been making shadows with his hand, when Zack had walked in with a serious face. One of there brothers had been taken away after he’d had a seizure, and Zack went to find out what happened. Max already saw it. They’d been experimenting on him like he was a lab rat. She had and was still to scared to tell anyone. But now that Zack knew, he’d probably tell the rest of their unit.
“Yes, He’s in Phy-ops. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again” Zack was trying to tell them he would probably die before they let him come back in the nicest way passable. Everyone seem to understand this and lowered there heads in a silences prayer to the Blue Lady for their brother who’d been taking from them 2 days ago. Zack looked over at Max and saw she was shaking. “Don’t worry she’ll watch over him and-” That’s all Ben got out before Max broke into a full out seizure, that’s when they all realized she hadn’t been crying. Zack knew at that moment they had to find Max help before Manticore found her. Zack heard guards coming to the door. If they saw her they’d take her away, just like they took there brother away.
REVIEW!
It was about 2:18am, and 494 was in Lydecker’s office. Lydecker wasn’t there of course, 494 had snuck in. It hadn’t been too hard. Especially for a 10 year old transgenic who did stuff like this all the time. He loved it. Every few night, he would sneak into one of the many rooms that held information about them. Usually on Fridays to Sundays when there weren’t as many guard at Manticore.
Alec had noticed this years ago, and used it to his full advantage. So did all the other transgenics, who would sneak into the kitchen and either eat something or just meet up with other transgenics there. It was like a meeting place, everyone did it. ...Except X-599’s group. They didn’t even know about it. They were Lydecker’s kids, and no-one wanted to talk to them. They were spoiled, and everyone knew it.
They only had to run 3 laps around Manticore, got to eat first, never got there group switched around with the other groups, and their C.O. only had 11 people to look after. Opposed to everyone one else, who had to run 5 laps around Manticore, had to wait until X5-599 unit was done and out of the room before they get to eat, have to watch some of their friends leave them forever, and have them replaced with someone else’s best friend. And Alec, like all the other C.O’s have between 20-30 soldiers to look after, as well as them selves.
It just wasn’t fair. What made them so dame special! Why did they get special treatment? Why hasn’t anyone from there unit been murdered in front of their eyes? Why don’t they get experimented on like the rest of us? These are questions that would run though 494s head everyday when he got beaten or saw someone else be beaten. And he hated it.
‘SHUT THE FUCK UP!’ 494 told himself. He didn’t want to think about that right now. When ever he found himself thinking about it which was a lot he snuck out of his room, and went “looking for trouble” as his unit would say. In a way it was true. He knew if he got caught he would be screwed. But he did it for the hell of it. ‘hey, you’re only in trouble if you get caught’.
Alec was now sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a cabinet, with 2 doors that had been picked open and a few folders on the floor, plus another one in his hands. 494 was reading about X5-214 right now. It turns out she has a twin, but they were the only twins in manticore that didn’t look alike. Loralee had honey blonde hair/dirty blonde bluey, greeny eyes, tall, thin, out going, bit witty, easy to get along with and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. Her twin however was X5-215, she had dark brown hair, it was almost black, with a different complexion, probably to match her hair, she had hazel eyes and was shy. She was one of those people who hadn’t learnt to defend them selves. She’s is easy to get along with also, but, she on the other hand will take your shit. I guess she hasn’t learnt how to say no and mean it. Alec had met her once. Very nice, but then one of the older X-5 just whacked her on the head, and she totally took it. Didn’t say a word.
Alec felt a little sad for 215. She was probably the youngest of her unit, just like Loralee was; they all called her the baby of the group. But 214 could take care of herself. It seemed like 215’s unit took advantage of the fact that she was shy and wanted everyone to get along. It was probably why she didn’t fight back and because of that they walked all over her. Alec had remembered hearing from X5-218 that her name was Lisa.
15 minutes later 494 had finished reading X5-214 folder, or at least all he was gonna read for that night, and decided he was going to tell Loralee that she had a twin. ‘It’s funny because I have a twin too’ Alec thought to himself. He didn’t know much about him except he was in X5-599’S unit, his designation was X5-493, so that mean he was younger then him, and he was a twin NOT a clone. So that just made it even better. 494 would have hated to be a clone. ‘Hey it’s a folder on someone from X5-599s unit’ Alec thought excitedly. He always thought they were interesting to read about, and hoped that this was his twin’s folder. ‘And this folder belongs to...’ he looked form the designation. ‘its 452’’ he thought bitterly, but decided to look though it anyway, maybe she had something to do with his twin
‘Designation 8332960073452...date of birth, blah blah blah...this is stupid, there’s nothing special about her, she just got lucky’ 494 thought bitterly, as he placed it back to its spot, then picked up another one. This one didn’t belong to his twin-it belonged to him. “This’ll be interesting!”
Designation No 331845739494
Birth Date 5.7.1999
Birth Place Vivadyne Labs
Height 4'/3FT.
Weight 85 lb.
Eye Color Hazel-Green
Hair Color Dark Blond
Unit X5-494
BloodType O-negative
I.Q. 140
Genetic Content X5-specific (feline)
‘Well that’s just stupid! I already knew all that’ 494 thought angrily. He wanted to know what he was really good at, something about his twin, even who his birth mother was, but not this. This is stuff he could have figured out by looking in a mirror. “Hey what’s this” he whispered.
8.11.2005 X5-494 age 6 years, 3 months (Level 9)
Test example: An exercise was devised where half of this Unit's platoon were given new toys (red fire trucks) to play with, and the other half were not. Those who weren't given new toys were then told that the only way they could have the trucks were if they acquired them from their fellow platoon members. Physical violence ensued, with the have-nots attacking the Units who possessed the trucks, often winning and taking the toys away by force. There was, however, one exception. X5-494, one of the subjects not given a truck, obtained the toy by trading three cookies to X5-231 (contraband sneaked out of the cafeteria during a previous meal), thereby avoiding physical conflict.
(High points for innovativeness/low points for rule-breaking and apparent reluctance to engage in physical conflict)
‘Don’t remember that, but its funny’ 494 laughed to himself, then looked for more stories like that. He found another one on the next page.
Test Orientation -Test example:
Units were given a physical objective to reach (maneuvering through an obstacle course to a food reward). The exercise was to be considered a race, with only the fastest 5 achieving the extra food. X5-494 was in solid third place when a younger Unit mate lost his grip while traversing the monkey bars over a steep ravine. 494 stopped to help this Unit regain his grip before proceeding, thereby coming in 6th and losing out on the reward. However, when the test was repeated a week later, 494 had no problem kicking a larger, stronger leader-Unit in the head just before the finish line in order to win the food this time.
Test Orientation Conclusion: X5-494, while selfish to a point, has a deep streak of compassion for others that may make him unfit for the function he was designed for, as well as a lack of respect for authority that will, without doubt, be a problem in the future 494
Smiled at this one, he remembered it. He wasn’t doing it to be selfish or even mean...okay well maybe it was a little mean. But the real reason was because of who the unit-leader was. It was X5-599. Alec didn’t like him, not sure why, he just didn’t like the guy. So he kicked him. Winning and getting to food was just a bonus.
“The hell!” the young X5 said out loud. A picture fell from his file. It was a boy; Alec had seen him once, in another unit. He knew it wasn’t his twin because they looked the same, this boy didn’t. He had a buzz-cut with brown hair, hazel eyes, and looked a little bit older then Alec, by about a year. There was writing under the pictured. ‘X5-496 brother of X5-493 and X5-494’ “hoooly crap!” the stunned X5 whispered. “Ah SHIT!” Alec cursed out loud. He could hear footsteps coming around the corner. He looked out the window to see were the moon was in order to find out the time. “Dammit” he hissed to himself, he’d lost track of time and it was now around 3:20am. He’d been in Lydecker’s office for over an hour.
With out a doubt whoever was coming around the corner was either Lydecker or a security guard. Either way, someone would be coming into this room. 494 quickly gathered up the folders put them back, closed the doors, pick up his switch blade shoved it back in his boot, hopped up on the desk and jumped up onto the ceiling. His fingers were gripping on the little bumps on the ceiling. Normally his feet would be doing the same thing but he had boots on. 494 held onto the wall as hard as he could with his legs out stretched and his toes touching the ceiling. Picture spider-man on a ceiling, but as a child. He clung to the ceiling for dear life, which in a way he was. If they found him he was screwed. The door swung open to reveal Lydecker walking in with a cup of coffee, and some papers in his hand. He left the door open and walked to the back of his office were there was another door that led to who knows were.
The door was still open. This was his chance to get out. Using the skills only a X5 would have, he slowly moved towards the door using all his strength to keep his legs from falling and praying to god he wouldn’t fall. He’d make it to the door with out being noticed, which surprised the young X5. He was at the frame, now all he had to do was get over it, turn the corner before he could finally jump down and run like hell to the barracks.
Two and a half minutes later Alec was running like hell to get back to his cell. He was sure that Lydecker would have seen him. But like he’d once heard a guard say “don’t bite a giftor in the mouth”…… wait is that how it went? oh well, like he cared. He’d made it back to his barracks; he already knew what awaited him on the other side.
Sure enough when he picked the lock and opened the door there was his whole unit up and waiting for him. Yes all 28 of them. And just as he knew they would be there he also knew what was coming next. Smirking he casually asked, “you all had to go to the washroom too?” no sooner had the words left his mouth, EVERY single girl was up in his face yelling, hitting, and glaring at him, for being, as they put it “A fucking idiot, who’s going to die before he’s 18!” as well as a “nosy little fucker!” followed by a hit on the head, a kick to the leg and an elbow in the stomach. “Ow!” 494 said then put his hand up to block a hit. Sure it was a friendly one, and they were only concerned for him and this apparently was the only way to tell him but after awhile the hits hurt. “Ow! You people beat me!” he said in a angry voice, but if you looked at his face he was still smiling. After the girls were done being ‘concerned’ about Alec 510 came up to him and said.
“After all that you have to had come back with something good” 494 glared back at the X5 and shot back “Don’t I always?” with a questioning look on his face. 510, who had recently adopted the name Biggs, but just hadn’t told anyone except Alec, smirked back and nodded yes. “Well here’s the weekly info.” he began. “214 has a twin.” Then as he saw the looks of there faces said “dun, dun, duuuun!” He gave it a few seconds to sink in before he continued. “Yeah, it turned out they’re the only twins in Manticore that don’t look the same, cause they’re fraternal.” A few people raised there eyebrows at that. “Lora’s older by 8 minutes and the other one had dark hair, hazel eyes- ”
“Hey!” shouted X5-650, (the second youngest of the group, who was older then Loralee by 3 and a half months), named was Tanya. Biggs had given it to her a few days after he’d given himself one. “That’s not difference! They both have Hazel eyes.” Kat said in a matter-of-fact voice, before she sat cross-legged on a random bed.
“No” he shot back. “Loralee’s has sometimes blue, sometimes green eyes. They’re either one colour or the other, rarely both, and when they are they still don’t look hazel” he said in a casual voice. Kat just gave him a little glare then stuck out her tongue playfully.
“ANYWAY” Loralee practically shouted. “What else, what else, what else!” she shrieked wanting to know more about her twin. Everyone knew she’d always wanted one, ever since they found out there were twins. They also knew she was hopping for an identical one like what Alec had, because then she could switch places for a few days. How ironic was it that she was the only one who had a fraternal one?
“Well that’s pretty much it. She’s shyer then you and gets picked on by the other X5’s in her unit...um...she’s a little shorter then you too, and her number is X5-215” Alec finished up. Then when he saw her face he added “She doesn’t get beat up or anything! She just a pushover and people take advantage of that……that’s all” Annabella seeing where this conversation had headed to, piped up and said “WHAT ELSE did you find out?” she asked stretching her leg out. “OH yeah!” 494 said excitedly. “I have a brother!” everyone looked at him with a blank face. Then Tanya whisper loudly for him and everyone else to her in his ear “We already knew that” Alec looked at her confused then he got it. “NO NO NO! I mean I have a brother. I’m not talking about a twin, no not 493! I’m talking about X5-496- an actual brother. Apparently he had a twin to, but he died a few days after birth.” Everyone looked at him with raised eye brows. ‘That’s what I thought!’ he said inside his head, with a smirk on his face.
“Hey ya fucking kids!” some yelled from out side. As fast as their legs would let them they all ran to there beds, hopped under the covers and closed there eyes, just before there door was opened and a man looked in.
Next Day
“Wake Up!” someone was whispering in Loralee’s ear and tugging on her shirt. “Noooo” she moaned out and covered her head with her pillow. Who ever it was whispered it again. And again. And again. Then finally he stopped and walked away...or so she thought. 5 seconds later the person yelled “WAKE UP!” and tackled her off her bed and onto the floor. “Holy crap” she screamed out as her butt hit the floor, then she was hit by another body. “ooooowwww! I’m in pain.” Loralee said as she rubbed her rib where an elbow had hit it. “Why are you waking me up so early!” she complained, to the person who’d tackled her. It was Alec.
“Man” said Biggs. “That’s how I’m going to wake you up from now on!...No, I think I’d rather tickel you” he said with a smirk and some others nodded. Loralee had too much cat DNA. More specifically she had the part in cats that caused them to sleep a lot. So because of that the people in her unit would take turns waking her up half an hour earlier, just so she’d be awake and ready when everyone else was. Manticore knew that she had the cat problem but they didn’t know her unit had to wake her up this early...and they wanted to keep it that way. Manticore hoped that when Loralee turned 14 the problem would just go away. Or maybe it would just go away before or after that point in time.
“DON’’T YOU DARE” Loralee hissed at him. Everyone knew that Loralee and Kat were extremely ticklish, and if you tickle them on their side they actually doubled over and screamed ‘rape’...probably why a lot of the boys did it. “Oh come on.” pleaded Biggs “It’ll be funny” he said smiling. Then Kat spoke up “come on you guys, that’s mean”
“You’re only saying that because you don’t want it to happen to you” Steve 481 said to her while giving her the eye. She knew what was coming. Tomorrow he was going to tackle her of the bed and tickle her too. Steve was another member of their unit. Alec and him were great friend, and Alec was also the only one who knew he had a little crush on Kat.
“Soldiers! Get to the cafe” yelled out a man- Lydecker. “Now” he boomed at them through their window on the door.
2 HOURS LATER
“Oh My God!” came a voice. “I’m lost.” In the middle of a desert stood a 9 year old girl with army pants and shirt, with a blonde pony tail sticking out from the back of her head. The young X5 realized this about 30 minutes ago, but was just now admitting this to herself out loud. She’d gotten separated from 494’s unit about an hour ago. They were all in the mine-field when someone triggered one of explosions and then they all went off. Everyone ran in different directions. Everyone that could still see Alec through all the dust followed him. Loralee and about 5 other however couldn’t see him and they not only ran in different directions from him, but in different direction from each other. Normally when that happened at Manticore they would just get to a clearing, wait until the smoke cleared, then wait a minute or two before they could see each other from different part of the field. This was different. They were in some kind of desert, and there wasn’t just there own unit to worry about setting of bombs, but there were about 3 other units too. They all got deployed of at different places obviously, but someone from another unit could set off a bomb, causing them to trigger until they got to 494s unit. So there was no way that the 5 missing would be found until the helicopters came back... which was in about 2 hours. “Piece of crap!” Loralee said while kicking a rock on the ground and started to walk North. Or in the direction she hoped was north.
A X5 UNIT MEMBER
Seth had been walking South for about an hour. Well approximately. That’s how long ago he’d gotten separated from his unit, after there was a big explosion in the mine-field. Someone had triggered one and before there was time to react a whole bunch of bombs went going off.
Naturally everyone followed Zack to safety, except for Max, the youngest of them all, who’d gotten blown backward thanks to a bomb. That’s also what happened to him. He’d heard her voice at one point. This was after everyone ran. Zack and the other would already have gotten to safety at that point. But he and Max were still running. Seth had found her and they began running together, when another explosion went off and they went flying in different directions. He had to keep running though, before another explosion. When the smoke finally cleared he couldn’t find her. Not Zack. Not Max. Not anyone.
So here he was standing in the middle of a dessert, with no Max, no water, no food, and no way home. Seth knew a helicopter would be coming in about 2 hours to pick them all up. In the mean time he decided to walk South. Normally he’d go North, but for some reason his unit was told if they got separated go South until they found someone. He’d figured there was probably another unit out here and he was supposed to join up with them until he found his own unit.
THE REST OF X5-599S UNIT
Max had gotten separated from Seth after the bomb went off between them. Luckily Zack had grabbed her and got her out of there. She was rejoined with her unit and they all had to run for it.
Sly and Tinga wanted to stay and look for Seth but there was no way they could do that with out someone dying. They all ran until they got out of the way of the bombs, about 20 min. later of running full speed but with out blurring they all knew right away after the smoke cleared there was no way they were going to find Seth, even if he wasn’t already dead.
AN HOUR AND A HALF SOUTH
Seth was still walking South when he saw a person way in the distance, the only reason he saw him/her was because he’d been zooming in looking for another unit. Seth had already been walking for an hour and a half and didn’t feel like running up to this person, he’d just keep walking until they finally met in the middle. Unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen. As if things couldn’t get any worse one of them must have stepped on a hidden bomb under the sand because another big explosion went off, triggering more to go off, and just like before they both started running. Luckily this person had seen him and was running in the same direction. East They both ran in diagonals and met in the middle and then run together, instead of getting separated. Again. When they met in the middle, only then did Seth realize that the person was a girl. She was wearing the same kind of army clothes as him but she had long hair. Hers wasn’t cut off like all of the girls were in his unit. But he didn’t stop to ask her why, instead they just kept running side by side. A bomb went of literally right beside Seth and he was thrown backwards. It went off on his right side and the explosion hadn’t gotten near the blonde because she was about 6 feet way still, but the explosion had caused Seth to cut open his arm, and twist his ankle. Luckily the bombs stopped going off a few minutes later, and they both fell to the ground, exhausted.
When they both finally caught their breath, Seth heard the girl speak for the fist time.
“OH MY GOD!” she said clearly concerned for him. “What the hell happened to your arm?” She asked crawling over to him because she was too tired to walk over.
It wasn’t the way he’d like to have started a conversation, but given the circumstances, it was acceptable. Seth looked down at his arm for the first time, and realized it was literally covered in blood, and there was sand all over him and his cut. The girl got even closer and picked up his arm with her hands “Is it broken?” she asked putting pressure on certain spots with her thumb to see if he’d fractured anything, and to find out where exactly it was bleeding.
“No, Just bleeding” He was surprised this girl was helping him. ‘Why is she helping me? She doesn’t even know me’ Seth thought to himself while the girl examined his arm. ‘Plus she’s younger then me. She’s what 8, 9 years old’ Kay the last one wasn’t a reason just more of a fact.
“We’re going to have to clean it, or it’ll get infected” Said the girl still not looking up at him. Instead she took her water bottle from her waist and started pouring it on his arm, to get the blood and sand off.
“Why are you helping me?” Seth asked. He was still surprised the girl just didn’t get up and leave. That’s what anyone else at Manticore would have done. No. Not everyone at Manticore. Just all the humans. Now that he thought about it, all the X5 would help each other if they needed it. The humans are the ones that would leave them to die.
“Because you’re hurt. I can’t just leave you here. ” replied the girl as she hooked her water bottle back on her waist. His arm wasn’t too bad. It kind of looked like a bullet hole. The blonde un-tucked her shirt, and then ripped it vertically, when she’d gone up about 4 inches and then she began to rip it horizontally. When she was done, she’d made an impromptu bandage and was now wrapping it around his arm, to staunch the bleeding. Her shirt wouldn’t stop too much bleeding but it was a whole lot better then nothing. Also this way sand couldn’t get in to it.
“Thank you” Seth said looking her in the eye. The girl just smiled and answered “You’re welcome”, after that there was an odd silence so to change the subject Seth asked “So, what’s your designation?”
The blonde stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. “Two-fourteen” she shrugged, than reached her hand down to help him up. “What’s yours?” She questioned, before pulling him up to his feet. Seth smirked then looked down at her before answering. “I don’t go by my designation.” she looked at him surprised and was about to say something before he continued “My unit calls me Seth...So you can too.” He shrugged, trying not to make it a big deal. Two-fourteen just smiled at him and laughed.
“Well in that case, you can call me Loralee” she smirked at him when she saw the shock in his eyes. ‘I like the colour of his eyes’ thought Loralee. They were a crystal blue, with an ocean blue at the edges of them. She quickly looked down when she realized she was staring. Seth laughed at this. He knew she was looking at his eyes. He’d gotten a lot of complements from guards about them. Even the girls in his unit said he had cool eyes, thinking about this Seth become curious about the colour of her eyes. He couldn’t see them because she was still looking down.
“Hey, what colour are yours?” Seth new this sounded like a stupid question but he was curious. After all, curiosity killed the cat. She looked up at his so he could see her eyes. They were a bluish, greenish colour, but manly blue. It gave of kind of sparkle that made them look Angel like. Seth didn’t want to stare so he changed the subject. “When do you think the helicopter will be coming back?”” He already knew the answer, but it still made for a good topic of conversation.
Loralee looked up at the sky to see were the sun was. They’d all learned how to tell time by were the sun was in the sky. “um...In about 1 and a half hours.” she replied looking down from the sun. “so... do you think your unit’s worried about you?” she asked trying to make conversation.
“Probably. But Zack knows it take more then a few explosion to get rid of me” he smiled as he said this.
“Who’s Zack?” question the younger X5. And that’s how they spend the next hour and a half. Talking about their unit, the names they’d given them, and exchanging stories of there time at Manticore. Things they’d gotten caught for and things they’d gotten away with. They were still talking when they heard some helicopters coming towards them “do you think its Manticore?”
“Yes. They are the only ones stupid enough to fly with helicopters in the desert” In no time at all the two transgenic were picked up. They were put into different helicopters though. Seth was put into the one he was in at the start of this ‘Mission’ and so was Loralee.
About 15 minutes, Seth surrounded by his whole unit. He was happy to find out that Zack had found Max, and she was fine. Zack apologized for not coming back for him. Seth told him it was fine, and that he was just following orders. Syl and Tinga both gave him a big hug, then followed by Max and the rest of his unit. Seth still hadn’t told them about the girl he’d met. He didn’t want someone to hear them. So he’d already decided he was going to do it that night.
In another helicopter was another unit. 494s unit. Loralee was also surrounded by her unit as they asked her questions about where she was and if she was ok. Just like Zack, Alec had apologized for not coming back. And just like Seth, Loralee had said it was ok, and he was just following orders. They both were. Annabella gave Loralee a big hug, followed by Biggs, Bashiar, Kat and then the rest of their unit just gave her a group hug. Loralee was about to tell her unit what happened, with the boy she’d met but decided she should do it after lights out.
10 PM THAT NIGHT
“Did you find out what happened to her?” asked Ben who was sitting beside Max cross-legged. Ben has been making shadows with his hand, when Zack had walked in with a serious face. One of there brothers had been taken away after he’d had a seizure, and Zack went to find out what happened. Max already saw it. They’d been experimenting on him like he was a lab rat. She had and was still to scared to tell anyone. But now that Zack knew, he’d probably tell the rest of their unit.
“Yes, He’s in Phy-ops. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again” Zack was trying to tell them he would probably die before they let him come back in the nicest way passable. Everyone seem to understand this and lowered there heads in a silences prayer to the Blue Lady for their brother who’d been taking from them 2 days ago. Zack looked over at Max and saw she was shaking. “Don’t worry she’ll watch over him and-” That’s all Ben got out before Max broke into a full out seizure, that’s when they all realized she hadn’t been crying. Zack knew at that moment they had to find Max help before Manticore found her. Zack heard guards coming to the door. If they saw her they’d take her away, just like they took there brother away.
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