Reality Check
By Rowe
Summary: Three little boys born at Manticore grew into three very different men in different worlds. But one thing they all shared was their need for a purpose in life. This is their story.
Thankyou once again to my wonderful betas; Sorrow and Enigma. Your encouragement and well-chosen criticism has kept me on the path to sanity.
Chapter 1: In the mind’s eye…….
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Once upon a time, three baby boys were born. All three were exactly the same, sharing the usually unique gene code of creation, all had the same DNA. But their lives would turn out to be no fairytale, but instead, full of stories of suffering, violence and horror. Gifted to be handsome, smart and strong, the world would have appeared to be at their feet. Fate however had other ideas. Their futures would hold pain and confusion with a world that they had been created to help save.
Though their lives were separate, still they remained intricately linked. For the fate of one had the ability to decide the fate of them all.
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The forest around him crackled with life. He knelt silently examining the ground, searching for signs he could track. He sniffed the air. His quarry was near. It was little more than sport to him, but for a while it kept his demons at bay. It made him into what he was meant to be; a killer. It gave him a purpose. The doubts that plagued his mind were no longer fully allayed by his faith in her. But still he had been faithful, presenting her with tokens to show his worthiness.
The world haunted him. Running away, escaping had been a pack thing. Fear for survival had driven them when Eva was coldly gunned down. Zack had ordered them to separate, to escape and evade. But now he was isolated. A pack animal was weak by itself. He was weak, but he needed to prove that he was strong. How else could he survive? Sometimes this world confused him. Manticore may have been hell, but its walls had kept the world at bay. Inside them he had known his place. Out here he felt lost and so very alone.
Crouching low, he stalked the frightened man. The fool didn’t realise that his fear made him more visible, he could smell the pungent odour. Moving swiftly, he caught up to his prey and, with a snarl, he pounced. This man had not been a worthy adversary. The body slumped to the ground limply, the freshly tattooed barcode visible. He knew somewhere in his mind that this was wrong, but how could it feel so right? How could it make him so alive? He collected his souvenirs and left the body where it lay. He knew who he was, he was X5-493, he was Ben. That was one of the few things in his mind that he could keep straight.
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Training had been especially rigorous this morning. Prepping for a mission often was. He knew he was going to be going on a solo mission for the first time. He felt a little trepidation but he knew he was more than capable. This was what they had trained him to do; this was what he had been made for. He had a briefing scheduled for tomorrow, first thing. New skills were required for this assignment, he had been already advised. He would require keyboard skills, his piano lessons were to begin at 09.00. Relishing a new challenge to his dexterity he entered his dorm room to change.
The bunk looked comfortable but he knew he had no time to dawdle. He was due in the mess hall in less than five minutes. He changed from his sweats into fresh fatigues. Buckling his belt and tying his combat boot laces he straightened to leave. His orderly mind made a last check of his room. Everything was in place, check. He left and marched to dinner. Taking his seat as the bell rang. The others of his unit acknowledged him with a nod. His designation was X5-494: Manticore soldier and top of his class. His ordered mind prepared him to serve his role well. He was where he belonged. He was home.
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The doors were always open. Sometimes lost souls were able to find themselves here where they were that little bit closer to God. He continued to place the hymnbooks out in preparation for the morning service. The peaceful serenity of the Church brought an inner calm to him. It was his calling. He felt a great sense of purpose helping these people that needed guidance. It made him feel worthwhile.
Straightening up as he finished his task, he realised his collar was slightly crooked and he adjusted it. He liked order. The discipline as a novice had been useful in controlling his emotions and more primitive urges. He liked to feel in control of himself. He was Father Cain, Anglican priest and son of Lex and Lorna Sandeman. He knew who he was, a servant of god and a man of faith.
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The Colonel read the three files in front of him simultaneously. Something might be there in the studies of the three that might help him determine the best plan of action to recapture 493. It was ironic really how the ’09 escape had provided them with further study material. Initially, the idea had been to keep two in the barracks as comparison of blind tests to assess temperament but the escape had created a third scenario. Now 495 and 493 were subjected to the outside world and 494 was the contained lab rat. This had allowed Manticore the chance to study the viability of that genetic code in various situations and subjected to different stimuli.
As a soldier, 494 was showing amazing promise. The strong genetic disposition for weapons and combat, as well as an incredibly high level of cognitive skills, showed the value of the genetic strain. However, the committee was still worried that there may be a problem with mental instability due to the recent murders bearing barcodes. These kills were planned for a reason, he just wanted to know what that was. It appeared that undisciplined and left to his own devices 493 had reverted to the more basic animal instincts, his need to hunt driven by his blood lust but there was something more sinister with him marking his victims.
Ironically the stability that was expressed in 495 confused Deck. It intrigued him how in the outside world a Manticore creation could live without indulging their more primitive driven animal traits. Sure the ’09 escapees had survived, but their initial training had awoken in them an appreciation of their abilities. The foster parents of 495 had reported he was a well-adjusted individual. The couple, codenamed Adam and Eve, had managed to prevent 495 from realising his unusual heritage. He needed to examine this further. Maybe there was an answer there as to why this kid had survived and 493 had become volatile.
He flicked quickly back through the files again. Hoping to see something that would help so he could find out what had gone wrong with 493 and fast. Ben was on a self-destructive path and any clue to what had triggered his psychotic behaviour could prevent this turning into a complete disaster. There was still the possibility that he was salvageable. He knew 493’s face, thanks to the others, but he also needed to understand his mind.
