Max stood in front of the X6s and tried not to appear too amused at their over-eager expression.
They all stood ram rod straight, with their eyes fixed just over her shoulder at exactly the right angle and with exactly the right expression of blankness and obedience. It was almost cute how hard they were trying.
She exchanged glances with Alec who mirrored her amusement, his eyes dancing in delight.
This was an old part of their training that they enjoyed. Upon Renfro's orders they took a class of X6s each week to train in some manner.
It was supposed to teach them the value of training and drills and command just in case they ever had to train an army of unprepared civilians to a battle situation. At first both Max and Alec had been loathe to teach the younger Xs but with each session their enjoyment grew at being able to impart knowledge and experience to a group of kids who plainly idolised them.
Max and Alec were almost celebrities of Manticore Seattle, Max being CO of Special Ops with Alec as 2IC made them the best of the best and always in the spotlight and hailed as the model for them all to follow.
The bedtime mantra of each X-series was to someday be as good as 452 or 494 and those who were taught by them were desperate to be noticed by the illustrious duo.
The X6s were so eager to prove themselves to their COs and the most elite of Manticore that they practically hummed with tension.
Drills were a success simply because the X6s looked up to and respected X5s and none were more respected than Max and Alec.
Max glanced back at Alec and wasn't surprised to see his eyes on her again. It seemed like, since they had made up, he couldn't let her out of his sight for more than a few seconds and it was a heady feeling to know that that something hidden in his intense green gaze was directed at her.
She thrived on the fact that he couldn't go more than an hour without talking to her or touching her, even in the smallest of ways.
It was almost as if he had to reassure himself that she was there and that she wasn't leaving him.
Not that she had any intention of leaving him now. That night that he had held her and told her that he would do anything to keep her safe marked a changing point in her feelings for the cocky transgenic. He was still a pain in the ass but he was her pain in the ass and she lo� well, she adored every inch of that cocky ass and bad boy persona. He could turn her to jelly with his smirk and his husky voice made her shiver and every time he touched her� Max shivered.
She could always see beyond the sarcastic, veiled, confident man to the vulnerable man within and some part of her had always wanted that for herself. The only problem was that she wasn't sure how to get it.
She hadn't ever tried the whole seduction deal and didn't think that would work with Alec anyway. He'd probably feel her forehead and ask her if she was okay. How else are you supposed to get a guy's attention?
She'd asked Drew, but Drew said she had no idea how it had happened, but it was probably because she had known Dek forever and he just knew what with up with her.
That hadn't been helpful and so Max decided to ignore how she felt for now and maybe she'd figure this bitch out herself. Hopefully before she spontaneously combusted.
Alec grinned at Max as she gave him a shy glance and turned back to the X-series. He had smiled more in the past day than in months and that was thanks to the raven- haired girl at his side.
Once Max had talked things through with him, Alec had never felt better and it was testament to his feelings that whenever she was around he couldn't stop touching her. It was like a compulsion that he had to make sure that she was around and hadn't vanished.
Plus, she was soft.
Once he had recovered from first the fight and then the scare that she had run away, Alec had firmly decided to let Max know how he felt about her and he would.
Soon. Really.
The only trouble was that he still wasn't sure about how she felt about him. Oh, he knew that she cared about him and a hell of a lot if she had stayed behind with him in Psy-Ops but did she love him? Did she ache to feel him like he did her? Every time he was near did her skin tingle and her heart pound like his did? Did she spend hours thinking about his lips like he did hers?
Was she as crazy as he was?
So he had continued with the abandoned seduction scenario of teasing glances and soft touches, slow husky innuendos and casual hints on the hope that she would tell him how she felt.
Okay, so he hoped she'd throw him to the floor and have her wicked way with him but that was neither here nor there.
He snapped back to attention at the muffled giggles around him and smiled sheepishly as he realised that Max had been calling him for the past few minutes.
"Nice to have your back with us, 494," she teased.
"Aww, did ya miss me, 452?" he sassed and heard more giggles from the congregated Xs.
"Like a disease," she said wryly and then smirked, "Did I hit your head too hard?"
Alec glowered. They had chosen to show the Xs how to spar and despite unsavoury memories of sparring with Max, Alec had agreed, albeit reluctantly. It was clear that, this time at least, Max wasn't looking for permanent damage and she had kept her dirty tricks to a minimum but still had managed to land him on the floor several times, in between lecturing the avidly watching X-series who were so enthralled at the opportunity to watch the best of the best spar that Alec thought they might wet themselves. Not that he was adverse to a little hero worship mind, in fact he was heavily in favour of some treating him like a hero, but it did get a little unnerving.
"Why 452, wanna kiss it better?"
This time there was definite laughs from the kids and Max shook her head with a smile.
"The poor man is deluded," she said sadly to the girl in the front row with wide eyes at being addressed by her CO as if she was friend. "Its sad when good Xs go mad."
"Mad about you," Alec whispered in her ear and Max fought down that blush.
"How about we get back to the lesson?"
"Go ahead," Alec motioned.
"X6-809!"
The girl jumped about a mile and her eyes widened at the CO knowing her name. She was a tall girl with a short crop of dark red hair who Max knew excelled at Diagnostics and Repair, she enjoyed tinkering with things trying to fix them causing Max to nickname the girl Fixit. Not to her face, of course.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Scenario. You are deployed in the field when your mission takes an unexpected turn what do you do?"
"Call command for instructions, Ma'am," the girl snapped quickly and almost beamed as Max nodded in approval.
"And if you are unable to break cover?"
X6-809 hesitated, her face falling and Max took pity on her expression of anxiety.
"It's all right 809. Thus far you have no training as to that circumstance. That's what we are here for today," Max gestured to Alec and herself, "We'll teach you to be better. To adapt to new circumstances, think outside the box and to fight better."
"You are old enough now to start out on assignments and sometimes circumstances beyond your control crop up that require alternate plans. You can't call command every few minutes, sometimes you need to make the call," Alec said remembering some missions that had, indeed, gone 'sideways'.
"You have come far in the few weeks that we have been training with you and now it's time to step up," Max continued pacing up and down the rows, "time to use the brains that Manticore deigned to give you."
"Always remember that being able to think for yourself is a privilege and not a right. Understood?" Alec called and only Max understood the heavy sarcasm in that statement. She hid a grin and then her face fell slightly as they took him to his words.
"Sir, Yes, Sir!" the X6's chorused to her dejection. They were so innocent and so eager and just didn't have a clue that Manticore was using them. Not that it mattered one way or another but it would have been nice of they went so trusting.
Suddenly that train of thought railroaded her lesson. "Your abject trust of authority is misplaced."
"Max?" Alec hissed his eyes wide.
"How do you know that what we are saying is the truth?" Max ignored him, "Learn to question. That is part of thinking for yourself. Trust the instincts that Manticore gave you. In future drills we may have miscommunication and misdirection and you will learn to have to heed the signs that what we are saying is right."
"Permission to speak, Ma'am."
"Granted."
The lanky boy with a flushed face looked perturbed, "I don't understand , Ma'am."
"What if a command came from the field, telling you to do something that against what your instincts say is right, how are you to know if command is compromised? How do you know if the enemy is calling the shots?"
"Ma'am?"
"X7- 932?"
The girl blushed, "I-I read somewhere that when that was a danger there was a prearranged signal that the command use for verification."
Max smiled at her causing her to blush harder, "Well done, yes a code-word. From now on, in drills and in everyday life the only way that you can totally trust what I or 494 tell you is if we say the codeword which will be unique to us. Any other time you MUST doubt the veracity, suspect the message. Trust yourself and seek out the truth. Is that clear?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"Ma-ax, what are you doing?" Alec sang through his teeth turning worried eyes to her.
"Educating," Max hissed without looking at him.
"Spread this to the other soldiers as the misinformation will include them too, remember to only trust the code-word."
"What is the code?" 809 asked with urgent eyes taking in everything that Max said.
Max looked at Alec, "946. That's the code-word. Can anyone tell me why?"
One very young girl raised her hand, "It's 452 and 494 together."
Max nodded to her, "Correct."
Alec stared at her in surprise. She was freaking him out. This was supposed to be a routine training and she seemed to be on the verge of subversion. At least Renfro wasn't around to see it and then she used their combined designations to mean truth and his heart pounded. What did she mean by that?
The two of them together were� what? He regarded her uneasily. Was he reading more into this that there was?
Well, whatever, he was going to have a word with Max about all of this later.
"Good," Max's smile was scarily absent and Alec took over.
"We'll start by a quick fire drill. Atten-SHUN!" he yelled and there was the delicious sound of four hundred pair of shoes slamming down as they all stood to attention.
Max shook herself and seemed to calm down from whatever fear had gripped her and she gave Alec a reassuring nod to which he let out breath of relief.
"Left punch."
"HYAH!" the Xs called as they took the first defensive stance.
"Left two," Max ordered and showed them the stance.
"Hyah!"
Max saw something in the corner of her eye and turned to see Renfro approaching, her high heels clicking over the tarmac. Her sharp tailored suit looked out of place among the Khaki, but by the way that she carried herself you could tell that she didn't care. She was in command and she knew it.
Max stood to attention.
"Director Renfro in presence."
Everyone snapped to attention and Renfro smiled at their mindless obedience even as Max ground her teeth in distaste and hatred of the woman who wielded power over them like some Dark Queen.
"At ease," she said in a sanctimonious tone as if belittling the children who looked at her with fear. "I'm afraid I have to take your trainers away from you today. I have a replacement." She gestured to Trainer Green who walked forward nodding to Max and Alec with a twinkle in his eye. Alec placed his hand on Max's arm to calm her as they as followed Renfro into the building.
They came to the large lecture hall to see all of the X5s sitting quietly.
"Take a seat," Renfro ordered and took the podium waiting for Max and Alec to sit down.
They found seats together with the rest of Special Ops who squashed up to admit them. Max's body was tightly packed between Alec and Zan's bodies and she could feel their warmth against her sides. It was comforting� until Alec started to draw circles on her leg with his forefinger, a slight smirk curving his lips. Max wiggled feeling warmer than before and glared at him from the corner of her eye.
Max grabbed his fingers and glowered, "Move 'em or lose 'em, pretty boy."
Zan chuckled at her side, "Is he getting fresh, Maxie? I could take him outside and beat him."
Max pretended to consider it while Alec started stroking her hand. He was sending sharp sweet tingles up her arms and she was hard pressed to think through the sensations.
Drew, one of Max's best friends in Special Ops, turned in her seat and grinned up at Max, "Hey Max, we saw you in the courtyard kicking Alec's ass."
Max grinned glad that someone had seen her display and Alec glared down at the Raven-haired girl. "Thanks Drew, you do a lot for my ego."
Max rolled her eyes, like his ego needed any help.
"It's all right, man, I saw the spectacular roll," Dek, Drew's boyfriend and one of Max's favourite guys, said and then smiled up at Max, his eyes slyly avoiding Alec's. "Did he hurt you huh, darling?"
Alec growled.
Dek was as bad a flirt as Biggs and his favourite object to tease was Max, basically because of the reaction that he could get out of Alec.
"No, I'm fine thanks, boo," Max said, her eyes watching Alec's reaction, "Although I did hurt my hand slapping him upside the head."
"Want me to kiss it better?" Dek held out his hand for hers but before she could place it in his palm, Alec grabbed her wrist.
"Maybe we should listen to Renfro?" he said darkly, his eyes narrowing as he scowled at Dek who just grinned innocently before shooting a wink at Max.
The blonde Director of the facility looked up to stare at the rows and rows of super-soldiers. Each one was supposed to be genetically engineered to perfection and yet they just looked like inordinately good looking students, ready to listen to whatever wisdom she could impart to them.
It gave her a tremendous feeling of power to stand there and know that with one flick of her finger, the whole lot of them would be dust and ashes. They may be genetically enhanced and supposedly superior but they'd burn just like any other animal. Not that she was allowed to use them as such; according to him, she wasn't even supposed to think of them like that. He said that they were more than just tools, more than a means to an end.
He was almost as maudlin as Lydecker. Renfro's teeth gritted at the thought of her rival who was still gallivanting around the country trying to find those pathetic twelve that escaped back in '09. He was so damn eager to find 'his kids' and so proud that they could still evade him even after all this time.
Renfro was careful not to let anyone know of her admiration for the soldiers, they were what she had made them to be after all. But, unlike that fool Lydecker, she wasn't sentimental enough to think of them as progeny, at least not of hers.
She bit back a mocking grin as they watched her carefully knowing full well that she held the power of heaven, hell or death over them.
Well, she about to exercise that authority and hand them a brand new set of instructions.
She cleared her throat and watched as they sat up and pinned her with all of their concentration.
"As you may well be aware you are now in the throes of what human's term adolescence. Your bodies are more advanced than that of humans your age in terms of strength and development. It has come to my attention that we have been somewhat remiss with teaching you about your bodies and in particular the more, pleasant--" she smirked to herself "--aspects thereof."
Oh, this was fun.
She stepped out from behind the podium and walked across the room, her black stilettos clicking on the cold tiled floor.
Max exchanged a tense glance with Tara ignoring the whispered queries from around her.
She felt Zan place his hand in hers and she grabbed at it as almost a life-line, she had a sinking feeling that she knew where Renfro was going with this and the thought was enough to make her stomach churn.
Renfro carried on.
"Several missions have been placed in jeopardy because of the lack of knowledge of basic human functions such as flirting, teasing and seduction."
Coco stiffened at the implied insult. He last mission had been cut short after she had maimed the Company Director for feeling her up. It wasn't because she wasn't aware of how to seduce, but because she was enjoying the attentions of another employee in the facility and didn't want to hurt his feelings, but the way Renfro told it, she was naive and had been unable to complete the task due to her innocence. Coco and Max both glared hard at Renfro.
As some of the Unit, who weren't aware of what Coco had done, giggled, Max pulled their minds back to the point of the lecture.
"Pay attention," Max chastised seriously, "This isn't a joke."
"This is our fault," Renfro was saying, "in our haste to segregate females in heat and our failure to recognise the need of transgenics to have healthy sexual relations we have neglected an essential part of your genetic make up.
"You were made to be perfect and the ability to appeal to humans is a weapon. One that you must be trained to use like any weapon and practise makes perfect. To this end we have devised a structured program that allows you to develop these qualities."
"Sex Ed?" Alec smirked, "You're kidding?"
"Ooh, sounds like fun!" Biggs chuckled.
Max bit her lip, not as amused as the rest of them, "Somehow I don't think this is a lesson we're going to enjoy."
It wasn't that Max was overly cynical, but her time in Wyoming had taught her that, when it came to Manticore, their sense of humour was verging on this side of sadism.
Back in Wyoming when she was on her way back from one of her many Psy-Ops trips Max had stumbled into an open lab by accident and seen something that shook her to her roots. There on the table was a small foetus, hideously deformed, hooked up to monitors and being injected with something. In one corner in a cage, still bleeding heavy was one of the anomalies that Max had always been so deathly afraid of. It�she�was covered in sandy skin with two sets of eyelids and claws for hands. It� she looked like something that had originally been designed for use in the desert but had somehow gone wrong. Now she lay in the bottom of the cage, her hands� claws� gripping the iron bars and keening wildly for the small creature that was helpless on the table.
Max had taken one look at the scene from a horror movie and ran, but it had always stayed with her and as Renfro carried on, she sought comfort in Alec's arms.
Alec started in surprise as Max snuggled into his side. She wasn't usually so affectionate and he felt his lips curve into a satisfied smile as she tucked herself in tight. The he felt how tense she was and his intended sensual embrace turned instead to one of comfort.
As Max tensed further, her body stiffening Alec could see the rest of the Unit start to sit straighter and the sense of unease grew.
Renfro scanned the group in the hall and her smile grew nasty as if she knew the bomb that she was going to drop and the effects that it was going to have.
"I'll hand you over to our expert in this field, Dr. Rebecca Wilson."
Alec turned to woman with chestnut hair stalk purposefully into the middle of the room.
When she spoke her voice carried to the back of the room in a strong tome that belied her elfin features.
"Sexual attraction is almost always based on first opinion, so you need to get your subject's attention and you do this by accentuating your assets. Clothes are weapons."
"She's obviously smelled Steve's boots," Alec said dryly trying to cheer Max up.
It didn't work.
"Quiet," Max replied shortly and Alec frowned at the waves of apprehension that she was emitting.
"Come on, Maxie, it can't be that bad."
"I didn't think you were so na�ve," she said absently, biting her pursed lips.
Alec stared at her for a second wondering what it was about that sentence that sent shiver up his spine.
She, of all people, knew that he wasn't naive. But he honestly couldn't see the harm in a lecture about sexual scenarios. The way Max was acting you'd think they were being forced to breed or something. He understood that something was bothering her deeply and he knew that she would have to tell him before long.
With that thought he turned back to the Dr.
"The opposite sex are attracted to your body, you were designed to take advantage of that fact. So from now on you need to start paying attention to the way that you dress when on missions. Is your best asset your breasts, your legs? Dress to show this, low cut tops, tight shirts, and low jeans. A cat-suit shows off curves, bikini's show off skin. For guys, are you showcasing your muscles, your eyes, your ass?"
Alec tuned out slightly as he watched his Unit, their eyes were trained on the figure of the woman as she paced back and forth lecturing and then his attention was captured by four little words.
"I'll need two volunteers."
The entire assembly of transgenics froze. An old Army saying was 'never volunteer' and that was almost a law for transgenics.
Volunteering was tantamount to suicide in a facility where 'light punishment' meant having red hot lasers fired into your eyes.
There was no way that anyone would volunteer and Renfro knew it, which was why her strident voice echoed with.
"X5-344 and 521."
Both Sunny and Aiden looked ill as their designations were called. They looked like they were on their way to death row as they made their way down the stairs that led to the podium.
Alec looked over to Biggs and saw his hands clench and unclench as he stared down at the front of the room, his eyes set and cold.
It was starting. Why Max had been so worried was becoming apparent to Alec and the rest of the Xs as they seemed to edge inwards, craving contact from their nearest and dearest.
As the Doctor lectured and posed Sunny and Aiden, Biggs knuckles turned white and his face started to flush with anger.
Alec's eyes were fixed on his friend as he searched for a way to relax him. Despite all of his posturing it was obvious that Biggs really liked Sunny and watching her flirt with Aiden had to be tearing the poor guy apart. Alec knew that even the thought of Max kissing anyone, flirting with anyone other than him was enough to send him into a jealous craze but if he had to sit there and watch�?
It wouldn't be nice.
He watched Biggs' lips mutter something and leaned over.
"Her hands are practically white, she's so nervous. If it were you she'd be enjoying herself so much more."
Biggs started and then, after a few moments hesitation a grin swept over his features.
Alec had said just the right thing.
"Thank you," he said sincerely and Alec nodded.
"It's all right."
Max eased back and smiled at him, "Nicely done, pretty boy."
"Yeah well, I understand how he feels."
Her eyes widened as she looked from the podium and the blonde girl back up to Alec.
"You and Sunny?"
"Hell, no!" Alec laughed and gave her an intense look, "But watching the� a girl that you like, flirt with other guys, it's hard."
Max blinked and bit her lip. Her attention was caught by Sunny and Aiden making their way back up to their chairs so she didn't have to think of an answer to that. Not that her brain was working right now.
What did Alec mean by that? Did he find watching her with other guys hard? Why would he, its not like they were together or anything.
She could hear Coco's voice in her head at that Just who do you think you're fooling?
No one. Max swallowed and watched intently as Biggs welcomed a shaking Sunny back into his arms.
"See what I mean?" she asked Alec and he nodded tensely.
"What now?" Hissed Dek and Max didn't want to know the answer even as Renfro flicked her eyes over them.
"I think that 219 needs a way to pay attention."
Zan swore under his breath and squeezed Max' hand before making his way down to where the woman stood, her arms folded impatiently.
"And X5-511 will make a good match."
"Shit," Alec swore after glancing over at Pix and a scared Chance, "this is sadism."
"No, this is Manticore," Max corrected, her eyes sought out the worried girl and nodded reassuringly. "Sadism is for fun, this is for spite."
Pix edged over to Max, "Max?"
"This is Zan," Max soothed, "he won't do anything to hurt her."
"I'm not afraid that he'll hurt her," Pix said wryly.
"If it makes you feel any better I think he's just as nervous about what you'll do if he screws up."
Pix thought about that for a second, "Actually that helps, thanks Max," he grinned and sat back.
Renfro laughed out loud at something that Chance said; it was a harsh sound that grated on the sensitive ears of the transgenics.
"No!" she stated vehemently, "On the outside, people have names, although you aren't humans, you have to be able to mix in and to do that you need to use a name, we can't expect you to understand the importance of names�"
Max didn't hear anything else as a red haze settled over her, she couldn't recall being this angry before. How dare she? How DARE she?
Just because under half of their DNA was animal didn't mean that they weren't, at least in some part, human.
They walked on two legs, had two eyes, had brains and could talk. They bled red and had feelings and emotions and just because they could jump twenty feet in the air and punch through concrete didn't mean that they had no conception of the importance of names.
Max snarled, her hands curling until her nails bit into her palms, her eyes narrowing at the blonde bitch that stood there talking to them like they were inferior to her.
But neither that blonde bitch nor her doctor friend noticed the bristling of the transgenics at that speech.
It rubbed them up the wrong way too and Feen couldn't contain it.
"Bitch!" Feen growled.
"Easy, tiger," Alec spun and soothed the irate girl behind him, "we are human, partly and we have names. She doesn't need to know that."
Drew nodded in front of them and Feen calmed slightly.
"Calm down, Max," Alec stroked her arm, "it'll be okay. You're the CO and you need to show the guys that you are calm."
Taking discreet breaths and plastering a blank look on her face was so damn hard, but Max did it. For her Unit she did it.
They sat back and watched as Chance was ordered to flirt with Zan, sit on his lap and whisper things in his ear. After a few strained seconds Chance seemed to loosen up and Max could see mischief glittering in Zan's eyes.
Pix seemed to be watching in amusement at his girlfriend being pawed by another man but Max could see the telltale twitch in his jaw despite his happy-go-lucky fa�ade.
Everyone was relieved when Dr. Rebecca called them off and they sprang apart like naughty children, casting furtive looks up at their friends who were torn with amusement and sympathy.
Of course amidst that spectrum were other emotions. Biggs was grinding his teeth in hatred of Renfro while Sunny writhed in embarrassment in his arms. B.J., whose sense of humour was twisted at the best of times, seemed unable to stop his shoulders shaking in silent mirth and Aiden was shooting hesitant looks at Biggs hoping he wouldn't get called on his attentions to Sunny.
Unaware of this tension Dr. Rebecca went on, "By this juncture you should be able to ascertain through objective analysis and intuition if your seduction attempt has been successful. If he is not engaged in conversation, if he is not looking at you or making much eye contact, if he is not appreciative of your attractiveness or seems distracted, checking his watch or refrains from touching you, then you need to initiate contact. Run your hands over his chest, take his face in your hands or verbally proposition him. Or you could move in for a kiss."
Zan blanched and Chance's eyes opened.
Pix stopped laughing. Okay it wasn't even the slightest bit funny now.
"Perhaps new volunteers, Director?"
"Of course," Renfro smirked checking her list again, "X5- 148."
Emma shuddered in Aiden's arms and slowly drew away from him.
Amidst Emma's DNA was a liberal amount of empathy and as such she had been able to tap into people's feelings and emotions at a young age. This was great in the field for predicting the way a conflict would go, but here surrounded by hundreds of hurt and frightened transgenics? It overwhelmed her and she was shaking as she made her way out of her friends comforting embrace and down to the floor.
"It'll be okay, Em," Aiden said hesitantly as she walked down the stairs.
Renfro tapped her fingers on her crossed arms, "and X5- 361."
Steve slowly stood up and made his way down to the centre where the woman began to lecture on the right way to kiss.
"I'm suddenly feeling like a twelve year old," Dek said, "why is that?"
"Just because some of us prefer to maim our dates, she thinks we need step by step instruction on how to kiss," Cece said with a sly glance at Coco.
"Bite me!" Coco glared at Cece and Max leaned over tapping her hand with her own.
"Cool down, Coco, relax." She gave Cece a stern look, "Enough from you, I don't find this funny at all."
And she didn't, other than the fact that Renfro was using already paired couples to practise on, Max could feel that there was something fundamentally wrong with having seduction lessons. What about free will?
"Nor me," Biggs agreed as his hand reached out to grasp Sunny's.
"Do you think Emma's okay?" Zan asked as he settled back in his seat by Max and nodded to Pix, "She was about to combust earlier."
"I think if Steve calms down she's less likely to bail," Skye said intrigued as her brother�Steve� settled down into the kiss with her friend.
"Ew!" she grimaced.
As they all watched the uneasy grimaces turned to grins as the two on the floor seemed to enjoy their lip lock.
Skye was whining about how she didn't want to see her brother do that when Steve's hand drifted from Emma's hair.
"He puts that hand where I think it's going and Renfro'll have his head."
Alec smirked as Steve pulled Emma closer, "I don't think he cares right now."
Renfro cleared her throat and they jumped apart, faces flushed and hair dishevelled.
"Go 148!" someone catcalled and there were various chuckles and whistles as the two made their way back up to their seats.
"So it seems that you can continue the exercise once you have begun which is encouraging," Renfro mocked inclining her head towards Dr. Rebecca, "At least we don't have to have an active demonstration of copulation."
"Oh, thank Lydecker!" Max said with a sigh of relief, "I don't think I could have handled watching them do that!"
And she was glad, for a moment she wondered how far Renfro was going to take it and what she would have to do if pushed.
"Yeah," Alec nodded in agreement, "Porn is one thing but watching your family do it is another."
"Now I really need to hurl!" Skye whinged, her hand touching her stomach.
"As it stands you still have to have these techniques and," Renfro took a breath," to that end we have engineered a program in which you have the freedom to practise what we teach in these sessions and� experiment for yourselves. There are, of course, certain rules that you must adhere to. No copulation during a Heat cycles, the last thing we need at this juncture is a pregnant X5. Only copulation with the designated partner and within the designated time frame. Attachments are severely frowned upon and any infraction upon this will result in immediate removal from the program and introduction to Psy-Ops for the guilty party and we expect to be informed as to the success of said pairings."
Flex frowned, "Say what?"
"No pregnancies, no sleeping around, unless ordered and if you have feelings for them you get punished," Max's tight voice reiterated for him, "Oh, and Renfro wants to know when we have sex."
"Voyeur!" Flex's joke fell flat.
"The Sexual Education program runs once a week at this time in which we expect you to be at this location on time. Two nights a week for a two hour time-window you will be paired up and may demonstrate the skills that you have leaned firstly by trying them out on each other."
"You have got to be kidding," Max heard Biggs hiss behind her and she tensed herself at hearing that.
"I have asked our lab techs to pair you off in random pairs. This person will be your partner for this session only. You may flirt, tease, copulate and otherwise. There will be instruction provided if you find it too hard," Renfro smirked condescendingly. And then her hand went to her belt as her cell beeped, she glanced at the number.
"Oh god," Zan sniggered nervously, "She's joking right?"
"Bed buddies?" Pix looked at Chance.
Flex choked on a laugh close to hysteria.
"We don't get to choose," Sunny said softly and they lost all traces of humour. That wasn't amusing. They had begun to pair off and chose their own partners. Those who had started to mate wouldn't bear another touching what they considered theirs, Max exchanged glances with Alec as they realised what a disaster this could turn out to be.
"Of course she'll rotate partners," Max muttered to Alec, "wouldn't do to get attached to a bed buddy. Shit, Alec, this is gonna be a mess."
"Maybe we could rig things once or twice, but once a week with different partners? We're screwed."
"Unfortunately," Max's joke was in poor taste but Alec grinned away.
"We'll come up with something Maxie, we always do."
"They won't win!" Max vowed and turned to look down at the obnoxious little tech ready to read off designations.
"Failures will be reported to myself or a lab tech," Renfro continued unabated, "I will leave Victor here to hand out designated partners." And with that she turned and walked out of the room talking into her cell phone.
Victor, a small scrawny lab tech with wiry hair and a tendency to sniff, stood up with his sheaf of papers and began to reel off numbers matching male and female.
"These are the couples that have been fixed on, tonight is the first session between 2100 and 2300 hours in the female's cell," Victor cleared his throat and started to read designations, "433 with 529, 189 with 611, 291 with 191."
Anna looked at B.J with whom she had just been paired and smiled weakly, her stomach turning in sudden nerves. B.J.s face lost all its colour and he glared horrified at the tech who just pushed his glasses up his nose. To say that B.J. and Anna didn't get on was a vast understatement; they couldn't be in the same room for more than ten minutes without contemplating grievous bodily harm to each other. They rubbed each other up the wrong way and their history was� complicated to say the least. To be forced to have sex? Well, this was a nightmare for both of them.
"511 and 418."
Pix heaved a sigh of relief and avoided Biggs's glare as he locked gazes with Chance with who had just been paired. Pix and Chance were a great couple despite her brothers misgivings and Alec was glad those two were together, at least he wouldn't have to interfere there. He stopped his musings as he caught his designation.
"494 with..."
----
Renfro glared as the two bands of red and blue writing swirled above the two mocking eyes.
�Project Manticore is funded with billions of your tax dollars. Eyes Only will make those responsible for the suffering of those children pay. I am closing in on your location. You will pay restitution for your crimes. This has been a streaming freedom video bulletin. Peace out.
Dammit, was the only thought circulating her brain as the television turned to static.
"Please tell me we can get a trace on this asshole?"
"Negative, his signal is bouncing all over the world. He could be next door and we'd never know it," the lab assistant said trying to be unobtrusive so that the ire of his boss wasn't likely to spill onto him..
"Little piss-ant, he's jeopardising the whole operation," she growled and sighed when her phone rang.
"Oui Ces't Renfro," She sighed again as she listened to the voice on the other end, "Oui monsieur, que Je comprends. Je regarderai dans lui monsieur."
Renfro made a face at whoever was chewing her out at the other end of the line, "J'obtiendrai les donn�es pr�tes juste au cas o�. Oui Monsieur Je suis bien inform� de celui. Deniability plausible. Serrure vers le bas. D'accord."
(Yes sir I understand. I will look into it Sir. I will get the data ready just in case. Yes Sir I am well informed of that. Plausible deniability. Lock down. Okay.)
She hung up and glared at the phone as if that little piece of plastic was responsible for all of her woes at the present time.
"Ma'am?"
"Get me the location of this Eyes Only asshole or the Committee is going for scorched earth," her voice may have been confident but her wide eyes betrayed her fear for her project. "I need a full back up of every piece of data we have. Now."
She bit the edge of her phone as the techs scurried to do her bidding.
Damn this 'Eyes Only' guy. If he revealed their position it would give away everything that they had worked so hard for. The Committee would torch the place, destroying billions in R and D and she would be bunked off to some crappy assignment somewhere else, where she didn't have the power that she had now. Maybe even under that degenerate, alcoholic Lydecker, who would be rabid at the loss of more of his "kids". She would be back to square one and what's more she would have failed him.
She didn't even want to think about what Sandeman was going to say about all of this.
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