Where Were You? -- Chapter 11: X5-511

Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Alec, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Wayne/X5-369, etc.).

It’s been six months since I’ve seen my two best friends. I hope that 494 and 121 are okay. I couldn’t believe why they’d gotten thrown in Psy Ops. It turned out that both 494 and 121 each have an identical twin and the two of them, 493 and 120, are in the same unit over in the Wyoming facility and on that night back in March, their unit decided to leave Manticore and they escaped. They actually left Manticore! Okay, one stayed behind and one was killed before they left the building and three more were killed before they could reach the perimeter fence and one more was recaptured after making it over the fence but was injured and died days later, but still! Twelve of them, a full two-thirds of the surviving members of their unit at the time they left, made it successfully over that perimeter fence. They’ve been beating it into our heads when we’ve got a spare moment between our own lessons about how the members of that unit who escaped or tried to escape were traitors to Manticore. To be honest, I don’t care that much. They made their own decision. Maybe it was harder for them than it is for us here. Maybe Colonel Lydecker did something above and beyond the call of duty that spooked them into leaving. Who knows? Who cares? They’re not my unit. I don’t hate them or anything, but right now I’m not that willing to introduce myself to one of them if I meet them one day. I really don’t care all that much. To me, they’re just another unit.

I am worried about 494 and 121 once they get back here, though. 908 was not very happy about getting stuck in Psy Ops for three months and she was very quick to blame 494 and 121 once she got out. It makes no sense considering that neither of their twins were the commanding officer of that unit, but 908 had a tendency not to make sense some of the time. Not many people in our unit liked her to begin with and I think even fewer like her now. She’s been a complete pain.

“107, I told you to stay in line! You are not to fall asleep standing on your feet! Only horses sleep on their feet. You are not a horse so that means that you will not act like one! Am I making myself clear?” she snapped.

“Ma’am yes ma’am!” 107 quickly replied.

“Attention! Director Marshall in presence!” 908 yelled. We stood to perfect attention in line as Director Marshall came into the gym, followed by 494 and 121. I managed to suppress that sigh of relief that came to my lips. They didn’t look all bad.

“At ease, soldiers,” he ordered. “I’m returning X5-494 and X5-121 to your unit. X5-494 is to retake his position as second-in-command. Both X5-494 and X5-121 have been cleared for active duty and I expect that they will not be treated any differently because of their twins’ actions. They would not have been cleared if they were not fit in every way for active duty. Am I making myself clear?”

“Sir yes sir!”

“Good,” Director Marshall said. “Your trainer for your martial arts class will be along shortly. Remain here until he arrives.”

“Sir yes sir!”

“Good. 494 and 121, you may take your places with your unit.” He turned around and left the gym.

“It’s good to be back,” 494 commented.

“Yeah, great to have the brother and sister of a traitor back,” 908 mumbled.

“Wow, 908, I have missed six months of training and yet I could hear that remark,” 121 said. “I also heard the order that Director Marshall gave about not treating me and 494 differently because of what our twins in Wyoming did. Oh wait, you’ve always been a bitch. I’m sorry. I forgot all about that. I guess missing those six months affected me more than I thought they did.” Whoa. If looks could kill, 121 would have died about ten different ways.

“I will not take any more of your crap, 121,” 908 threatened. “If I hear one more remark like that from you again, I will personally make sure that you get sent right back to Psy Ops where you belong. Am I making myself clear?”

“Then I will go to Director Marshall and tell him that you violated a direct order,” I countered. “Then he’ll send you back to Psy Ops and he’ll probably strip you of command and give it to 494.” 908 stiffened and I realized that I’d hit 908’s sore spot. She didn’t want to lose her spot as commanding officer. She liked being in charge but she knew that she wasn’t the best at it. Not only that, but she would lose it to 494, who she didn’t like too much before he was in Psy Ops for six months. She probably wouldn’t have minded it too much if it had been 786 who would be next in line for C.O. 786 was one of the few people in the unit that still got along with 908 after 908’s own return from Psy Ops.

“Fine,” 908 grumbled.

“You don’t have to take that, 908,” 786 spoke up. Oh, here we go now. “You outrank 511. Take advantage of that.”

“I outrank you and I’m going to take advantage of that right now and I’m ordering you not to stir up any trouble,” 494 said. “I don’t care that you’re 908’s best friend and I don’t care that you want to be second-in-command of the unit again. The only thing that I care about is what’s good for the unit and what’s good for the unit is for us to work together as a team again.”

“So?” 786 gave 494 a dirty look. “Why should I work with two traitors?”

“Hey! 494 and 121 are not traitors,” I said. “They weren’t the ones who busted out of the building. They never had any thoughts of leaving us behind. They’re as good as soldiers as any of us and there’s no reason to think any differently.”

“Yeah? They’ve got the same DNA as those two traitors in that unit so that makes them traitors, too,” 786 insisted. “Do the damn math.”

“There’s more to a person than DNA,” I reminded her. “Something could have happened in Wyoming. Who knows? The point is that if 494 and 121 had wanted to leave Manticore, they would have left Manticore. They are loyal, so they’re here with us. They just went through six months of Psy Ops for us. Grow up, 786.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re their friend,” 786 said.

“I might be their friend and it looks like they could use one right now,” I told her. “What they don’t need is someone like you trying to bring them down because you have self-esteem problems.” Basic Psychology can be a person’s best friend. That and the footsteps that I’m hearing outside the gym door.

“I do not have self-esteem problems, 511, and I’ll say it again,” 786 insisted. “494 and 121 are traitors because their twins were traitors and I refuse to work with them and I don’t think that anybody should work with them. I think they’re as worthless as their twins and they should be—“

“X5-786, that will be enough from you,” the trainer snapped. 786’s eyes widened. “I don’t know if you are aware of the fact that I am aware of Director Marshall’s order for 494 and 121 to not be treated any differently. You are in violation of a direct order and I am sending you to solitary confinement right now. How long you remain there is up to the director himself.”

“Sir, I—“ 786 still didn’t get it. Unbelievable.

“786, I did not give you permission to speak! Do you just want to skip solitary confinement and go straight to Psychological Operations?!” the trainer screamed.

“Sir, no sir!” 786 yelled.

“That’s more like it,” the trainer said. He motioned for the guard that had followed him to the gym. “Escort X5-786 to solitary confinement and then inform Director Marshall that I need to speak to him when this class is over.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard replied. He and 786 left.

“As you were, soldiers,” the trainer ordered. We got back into line and stood at attention and listened as the trainer paced in front of us and went over what we were going to be doing in class. I looked over at my right at 494. He gave me a quick thumbs up. I glanced to my left at 121. She briefly smiled at me before focusing on the trainer again. I smiled to myself as I watched the trainer. I had my friends back with me. Things were going to be rough at least for a while, but maybe they’ll return to normal soon. I’d hoped they’d return to normal, anyway.

TBC