Max's Journal
Project Manticore
Max's Entries
Updated: 10/9/00
I came home tonight to crash for a few hours after a day of biking around the city I needed it. I tossed my stuff on the counter and went to my bedroom and started to lay down when in the corner of my eye I noticed a statue. The same statue from the penthouse, sitting there, on top of my stand but who... it had to be that streaming video guy Logan. He's going to regret trying to play mind games with me but what is he up to?. It was time to pay him a visit. How dare he break into my place of all the... it's criminal.
He was there in his kitchen setting up a late candle light dinner for two, at least he has some style. He explained to me that he had left the cat as a "present". Men!, they are all so typical pursues you, asks to talk to you privately, leaves you expense presents and now a candle light dinner. Am I supposed to be impressed by his attention? I was a little, until he lifted the back of my hair and saw my bar code. I didn't kill him immediately only because I was choosing the most painful way for him to die, then he mentioned the other's, like me with the same bar codes and the lab.
A familiar case was held in his hand's as he opened it I felt an urge to choke him does he know what they mean to me? He quickly gives me a lecture only the use of Triptophane and how it was used to treat seizures, he knew , maybe I underestimated him. He also knew about the lab in Wyoming and top secret Project: Manticore and the use of recombinant DNA in creating us. He said that of all the subjects only twelve of us escaped out of dozens, Johnny..Zack..the others and I was one of the twelve which only left...eleven. Like those little indians in the childrens rhyme.
They were...family, the only one's like me, the only ones that could understand what's it like to not sleep and have to be in control every moment or one slip and someone may die. I needed more from Logan, had to find them. He called us Chirmera's, a creature made up of many other's, a myth, a legend an urban one.
He made me an offer if I helped him protect Lauren and that little girl getting to and from the courthouse he would make available any and all information he could collect about my siblings. He must be insane to think that I would expose myself so publicly when I spent so many years trying to stay under the radar of Lydecker and his goons. I took my pills from him and left before he said anything more stupid that would force me to kill him.
I took his little statue when I got back and headed over to my fence. My fence works out nearby a garage so there's always transportation nearby in case the cops raid her. She seemed a bit hesitant about taking it and wanted to know more about who I got it from. I told her it was a present from an admirer, "a really rich one" she commented to me. She looked at me to see if I was serious, I was. We haggled a bit over the price but eventually we settled on an amount that neither of us was truly happy about.
Updated: 10/9/00
It would be just enough to keep my PI in Lo mein for a month I thought. I arrived at Sublime laundry but something was strange, it was closed, he never closes this earlier when he could still make money and he loves money. I stayed alert, I had to be careful. This was the first time in a while that I was this nervous.
I went into his office at the back of the laundry and what I saw shocked me. His office it actually looked worse, which I didn't think was possible. He was sitting there looking at his reflection with a hand held mirror grasped by bandaged fingers. He had a despondent look on his face. I guess it would have been a tragedy if he had been handsome but... I guess someone's trash is another's art.
He said that someone did this when he walk in on them trashing his place and mumbled something about a former disgruntled client, that narrows it down I thought. He then held up a note saying that the "room is bugged". He made an excuse so we could get outside and talk in the alley away from prying ears.
I offered him the money seeing how shaken he was, this would calm him down if anything. He turned it down, he must have been really scared and that made me more worried than anything so far. He said that he discovered multiple bugs in his office and the attack on him was just a cover up. The bugs he found were the really high end kind not the ones you can get commercially. This wasn't a good sign someone knows I'm in the city and they're getting closer. He told me to take the money and get out of town.
I left him, walking carefully out of the alley to my bike and with each step I seriously considered his advice. If anything I had to get home and think more clearly. First a few detours in case anyone was following me call it the tourist in me Seattle is lovely this time of year.
Theo's wife told me that he died getting to the hospital, she broke down as I held her in my arms. I cried too, Theo was one of my friends and I didn't have many of those, I couldn't afford to. I had wondered if Logan was telling the truth before, now I know and I wished I didn't. How will Theo's wife and Omar survive without him? Now that Theo's gone I would keep an eye out on them when I could, but with what happened tonight it maybe impossible.
Updated: 10/10/00
Updated: 10/10/00
I went to my apartment that night with Theo's death still fresh on my mind, Kendra still wasn't home and it would have been good to talk to someone. Instead I went to bed hoping just once to be able to sleep and to drift off like everyone else.
Memories of the lab started to flood my head again. This time it had been several day's after I saw the body.
The seizures started getting worse, to the point that it was impossible for me to hide it from my siblings. Johnny had a worried look on his face and Zack seemed on edge, I guess it was because we were so close. Zack and Johnny did their best to try and cover it up but it was impossible when I had a seizure in the middle of our room.
Everyone tried to crowd around me to block the guards view but they had already seem me writhing in pain on the floor.The guards and the orderly's came, one of them reached for me when Michael disabled him and then took a gun away from a guard. Zack and Johnny helped me to my feet half carrying and half dragging me along with them into the hallway.
Lydecker and his guards showed up and shot Michael. He lay there, dead at our feet, died trying to protect me and free everyone and Lydecker was there standing cool and calm like this was nothing out of the ordinary for him. I guess killing a child wouldn't be for a man like this. Micheal's gun slid just inches away from me, I think that was the first time I felt an overwhelm rage to kill someone, Lydecker. If I died at least I'd take this monster with me I thought.
I'm not sure what happened but a cold sense of reality washed over me making me realize that if I died now, Micheals death would have been meaningless, I would wait. I knew one day he and I would meet again and if I have the chance, he would die for what he has done. They checked us all for weapons before dragging us back to our rooms.
All the children from block 12 group 5 had witnessed Micheals death. Our fates were sealed if we waited any longer. Some argued that it wouldn't matter if we escaped it would be more of the same outside. I didn't want to leave because this was home in a strange way but Zack was right. Zack was adamant about the whole thing, he had been close to Michael, everyone had looked up to him.
There was a vote, and it was decided that we would all escape. Zack had come up with a coordinated plan in which simultaneously all the guards would be disabled in the lab and assigned exits for everyone to take. We decided it was best not to create a centralized rendezvous or all of us maybe captured.
That night we escaped, at least twelve of us did and the rest...
Updated: 10/10/00
I wonder if Normal will ever know how close he came to dying today. I came into work wanting to break the news about Theo's death privately but instead the I was forced to blurt it out when Normal said Theo was fired for not showing up for work. I went to my locker as everyone in the room stood there in shock, it was a good idea to put some distance between me and Normal.
I had almost made it to my locker when a TV news report came on about a shooting at the courthouse. The announcer said that the incident claimed two lives and that footage from a police hover drone caught the whole thing.
I watched as two vehicles blocked the target vehicle in between them and gunmen coming out firing their automatic weapons on the trapped car. I was in morbid fascination as "Peter" that guard I met at Logan's place came out and gave cover fire for a fleeing Lauren. I watched him there standing alone, out in the open, out numbered , still firing away as bullets tore into him. He died a brave man, I was wrong about him. The drone then panned over to another guard coming out firing trying to give Logan a chance to escape with that little girl "Sophie". The guard and Logan were cut down and the little girl was taken from Logan arms, crying, as he lay there. He zoomed in on Logan, he was still alive but badly hurt.
This was all too much for me today Theo, Normal, Peter, Lauren, Logan, Omar and Sophie. Part of me was telling me it wasn't my fault that this happened and it certainly wasn't my business to get involved but another part was saying that I was responsible because I stood by and let this happen. Sophie being taken away awoke in me those same nightmares and fears I had of Lydecker and that room. I couldn't go after Lydecker but these guy's, well they were a different kind of scum all together.
I decided to visit Logan at the hospital to see how he was doing. He lay there sleeping when I got there, he looked better than this morning. His wallet was lying there out in the open, it was empty, one of the nurse's must have gotten the money before I did. I noticed a shooter across the street so I thought it best to move Logan, it's not like I have a thing for him but he did give me that nice statue to fence and that would let me upgrade to a better bike 1200 series I think. These hospital's, they really should do something about the security, anyone could get in here and take someone.
Updated: 10/12/00
I was looking up some info on Logan's computer about Mr. placebo "Edgar Sonrisa". My, my he is a little slime ball I thought and his hired gun Bruno Anselmo. I was about done when I heard a noise from the hall way, it was Lauren, she had come looking for Logan's help in find Sophie. Since Logan wasn't there she asked if I would help, what did I look like, a charity?, then the tears started. I told her that Sophie was still alive because they needed leverage against her in case she decided to testify, it didn't seemed to help she just pleaded more, so I agreed. I was planning on paying them a visit anyway the girl couldn't weigh that much.
I came up with a plan to infiltrate their estate and convince MR. Sonrisa that I was there to trade Lauren and the girl for money, the man didn't look all that bright after all he hired that idiot Bruno. There would only be two options first she would be on the grounds which would be easier. I would get them to show me Sophie and I would break a couple of arms and if time permitted a little pay back for Theo. The second she would be held somewhere else and I would have to get them to call from where they were holding Sophie and I'd get the number, a quick search and I would have Sophie but it would mean I'd have to wait to punish Edgar and Bruno.
It went down pretty much like I had planned except Lydecker and his goon's showed up but he turned out to be useful, killed the thugs inside and got me the girl. I almost decided to put down Sophie and kill Lydecker but I thought it would be more amusing having him know how close I was and he even ordered me to put Sophie in his car. I did get Theo his payback, Bruno killed Edgar and the cops busted Bruno. It wasn't so bad I'll be able to upgrade to a better bike with the money I got from the statue. Logan is slowly recovering, he 's still in the wheel chair, the price of heroism. He now unfortunately has professor X delusions, if he thinks I'm one of his mutant kid's that he can send out on missions, he's sadly mistaken.
Updated: 10/14/00
It had been three month's since I had last seen Logan and I was a bit anxious to see what information he had come up with on my siblings. I can't believe him, blown spinal cord and all in a wheelchair trying to rehab. He did look good, in that sweaty guy way, I could almost see him and me...I hate this time of the year. It's that darn feline gene, I always get like this, three times a year in heat like a alley cat. I almost picked up that geek back there in the bar, what was I thinking. Problem was, I wasn't and couldn't think clearly but if I hold out for just a few hours more without doing anything stupid.
Logan said he still needed me to do a little "leg work" for him. I wonder if he meant... get a hold of yourself Max I kept telling myself. I had agreed to help him in exchange for information on the others, I had fulfilled my end of the deal with those smugglers dead on the "Andrea Marlene". I even got the money from the ship for him, nearly three hundred thousand.... minus my fee of course. Logan mumbled some kind of "Thank's Max... return the money..." not that I cared, I just wanted info on Zack and the others.
"What do you mean you don't have anything yet, our agreement was I would handle your smugglers and you would get me the information I requested" I reminded him. Logan said he needed more time that finding this kind of information on a classified government project was no easy task. I told him to page me when he actually had information, I left before my anger or desire took control. I decided to head back but that urge forced me to head back to the bar. I found that hottie Eric...no, I meant geek waiting there for me, like gift wrapped. I decided to take him home, at least my hormones did.
I was only moments away from making a giant mistake when I found Eric dead asleep in my bed, it was then that I was sure God exsisted. I decided to lay there and ponder my good fortune.
Updated: 10/15/00
This morning I was making coffee when Kendra comes out and asks me about the off key Romeo singing in the shower. I explained what happened last night and asked her to keep it from Eric, after all guy's have such fragile ego's. Eric comes out of the shower telling me that last night was unforgettable for him, yeah, I bet I thought.
I thought that it would have been the last I would hear from Eric, instead the memories from last night must have been to great for him. He sent me a package at work. I must admit it this was the first time I had received "Luub" motor oil as a present, it was pretty expensive but why couldn't he be like every other guy and just have a short term memory lapse afterwards I thought. It was then Logan paged me.
Whatever it was, it had better be good for Logan to drag me off from work. Logan said he found something, at first I thought he had found something on Zack or the others, instead it was about "Hannah". It seems that a number of personnel were transferred from an Air Force base in Wyoming just after Max and her siblings escaped. What made this transfer unusual is the low number of pilots and high number of OBGYN's, Genetic Researchers, Dietitians, and Teaching Specialists. One of the Food Scientist's was named Hannah Sukova a Captain.
I was... so happy and excited all at once, I even hugged Logan. "Hannah" the woman who had saved me that night by picking me up and taking me to her home, Logan had come through for me. It was there on the screen staring at me, she lived on Sedro Island, 14 Clannad Road, 99279. I asked Logan how far was Sedro Island from here, he said eighty miles.
I had to get to her quickly, she was in danger all because I started looking for her. I left Logan's and went home to finish putting my bike back together, Eric showed up professing his undying love or some nonsense. It wasn't until he mentioned that his uncle was some big shot in the sector police that I really paid attention. I needed his pass to get me out quietly, so I took him along. When we got to the check point he tells me that his uncle is actually a janitor in the motor pool who occasionally finds motor oil slipping into his overall's. Only one choice then I crashed through the barrier, then the guards started firing if nothing else Eric would at least take a bullet for me. In life there are no free rides especially from the back seat.
Eric held my pager and keys while I head off to Sedro Island, seeing no boats I had only one choice a brisk swim. Once I was on the island I began to wonder what happened to Hannah after she left me at her cabin, it took me a moment to realize that I had arrived, I crouched down just in case anyone was on the look out for me, through the window I could see a woman standing in front of a mirror. It was Hannah only a bit older but it was her. I got up the courage to go to the door to see her and nearly lost it as I approached the front entrance. I rang the bell, she answered, standing there as I remembered maybe Just smaller than I remembered but the same warm smile and comforting voice.
I explain who I was and why I was there. "The little girl you saved" I said, she looked shocked but happy. She invited me in and started to tell me why she didn't come back that night. Hannah excused herself, so she could make a phone call to work explaining she couldn't come in today. I walked around her cabin it was as I remembered it, warm, comfortable and safe. I would had stayed but I was trained to keep moving in enemy territory and being so close to the base certainly qualified.
Hannah explained that she was unable to return due to the search for Max and the other escaped children by the guards who had detained her and her car. At least I knew why she didn't return. I also asked if she knew anything about my siblings or even my mother. I had no concept of family till escaping the base. Hannah tells me that my mother was just a young girl about my age paid to be pregnant. I kinda guessed it was something like that but until I heard it from Hannah it didn't hurt to know.
It was about time Lydecker showed up I thought, I had figured out Hannah had called him when she excused herself. It was pretty simple, Lydecker was scum and would stop at nothing to get me and knowing how close I was the last time must be driving him nuts. I told Hannah this and I understood why she did it but I also understood that Lydecker wouldn't leave evidence behind and that meant Hannah was expendable. She agreed with my assessment and left with me, it was my turn to lead her to safety.
I couldn't believe all the trouble Lydecker must have gone through to get so many goons and equipment just to get me. I should have felt flattered, I guess, but I was busy running with Hannah at that time. We did finally escape with help from Logan and Eric of all people. The nerve of the man he broke up our imaginary relationship because I was too dangerous.
Logan got me the documents and money I needed to help Hannah start a new life under an assumed identity. She thanked me and told me that she did know my mother and unlike the others who were part of the program she had tried to escape because she didn't want to give me up. I said my goodbyes to her, I wonder if I would see her again, best not it would only put her in danger again from Lydecker I thought again.
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