DISCLAIMER: All DARK ANGEL characters belong to James Cameron and Charles Eglee (Cameron Eglee Productions) and DARK ANGEL itself belongs to FOX.
ARCHIVE: No
The following short story is based on characters
created for the television series DARK ANGEL,
and is set in the time frame following the Max Allan Collins novel AFTER THE DARK. -- author's note
Threat
By Valjean
*************************************
The transgenic threat -- and they are still a threat ladies and gentlemen -- cannot be underestimated. Which is why we have here today an expert on the subject ... a man who was present during every step of these creatures' creation ... a man who knows better than anyone exactly what kind of problems this country is facing with regards to the genetically enhanced supersoldiers who are, at this very moment, freely running rampant amongst us and endangering our lives and the lives of our future generations.
"You know who it's gonna be, don't you?" Alec said to Max as he stood with arms crossed, watching on the television in the control room as their old "Familiar" nemesis James McKinley conducted the Senate hearing. Beside them, also watching, stood the rest of Max's "inner circle" -- Mole, Dix, Luke, and Joshua -- the ones who essentially ran the small community that was Terminal City. Of course, by now this kind of public malignment was becoming "old hat" to Alec. After all, it wasn't the first -- nor would it be the last -- of McKinley's attempts to discredit Sandeman's creations ... himself and his family ... the beings who could thwart the Breeding Cult's world takeover plans. (Not that any of the ordinary human population gave a flying fuck.)
"Oh, God, don't tell me," Max moaned. "Please don't let it be--"
Let me introduce Colonel Donald Lydecker, one of the original founders of Manticore.
"Fuck," Alec said with no emotion whatsoever in the curse word. "I knew we shouldn't have let that bastard go."
"He said he would help me find my mother," Max replied, the look on her face as cold as Alec had ever seen it.
"Yeah," he reminded her. "And than at the first opportunity he bolted, leavin' you with nothin' but another one of his lies." The X5 nodded at the television. "But it looks like old 'Deck landed on his feet. Wanna bet he's bein' paid a pretty penny for his use as a so-called transgenic expert?"
"Shhh," Max said. "Listen."
Lydecker was speaking ...
You asked me here today to give my opinion and advice regarding this so-called transgenic threat ... my viewpoint of the problem from the perspective of an expert on the subject. I'll begin by being blunt. A colossal mistake occurred in the fall of 2020 when government officials in charge of Manticore -- the transgenics' place of origin -- ordered the destruction of the project's facility and its genetically engineered soldiers. Not only was it brutal and unnecessary, it was foolhardy to exterminate what were -- without exception -- the finest military assets this country has ever possessed. My one hope here, today, is that perhaps part of this mistake can be rectified. Thanks to their high intelligence and survival instincts, a significant number of the Manticore soldiers escaped annihilation and today continue to live -- and even reproduce -- in their Seattle, Washington conclave known as Terminal City.
The aging Colonel, looking uncomfortable and out-of-place in a grey polyester business suit, leaned forward over the podium, his blue eyes fanatically earnest as he spoke to the high level officials. In fact, Lydecker's demeanor was so intense Alec found himself almost willing to believe what his former commander was saying, even after all the falsehoods that had been his life ... almost ...
In order to understand what the transgenics are ... how, with the right handling, they could still be valuable assets to this country ... you have to understand exactly what they are. Most of you look at my kids as monsters ... Frankenstein creations that should be eliminated from the human gene pool. I agree wholeheartedly that the X series should not be allowed to interbreed with Homo Sapiens. In that make no mistake. I'm on your side here with regards to this issue. Experimental attempts at crossbreeding were made at Manticore, and almost without exception the resulting offspring ... those that survived birth ... were deformed and retarded at worst, and merely mediocre examples of humanity at best.
"Tell that to Case," Max murmured.
"Case?" Alec said.
"Tinga's son. He was beautiful ... perfect ... even though his father was human. And that bastard knows it."
Alec knew the story of Max's sister, and could hear the tears in her voice as she remembered Tinga's tragic fate. Moving closer, he gently put an arm around her waist, and was mildly surprised when she didn't move away but, in fact, leaned into him.
However, just because they're something other than human doesn't mean we should condemn the transgenics completely. They merely need to be controlled ... given a purpose in life ... the purpose they were created for. Now, I know most of you think that a lot of my kids are freaks ... part human, part animal abominations. It's true that there were a number of failures in the creation process at Manticore ... children born who were the unfortunate result of a learning curve ... anomalies. However, Manticore also had a large number of successes with their genetics program. For example, we produced soldiers with reptilian DNA who could go many days without water in the desert and survive broiling heat--
Alec glanced over at Mole who was baring teeth around the ever present cigar stub.
--and soldiers with modified metabolism that allowed them to function easily in the arctic. Yes, these transhumans bear some outward animal features, but they're still incredibly useful to our military.
And then there's the X series--
Now the others were staring at him and Max.
-- ... genetically enhanced soldiers who not only look human on the outside, but -- in the final phases -- were considered physically beautiful. The X1s through X4s were the experimental versions here, culminating in the X5s, in my opinion the epitome of everything Manticore was attempting to achieve -- the perfect supersoldier. There are still some of these valuable beings left alive -- in Terminal City and also scattered and in hiding throughout the country. There's still time to salvage the best of Manticore, but only if we move beyond this ridiculous notion that the transgenics have to be destroyed to a man.
"He almost sounds like he's on our side," Alec commented. "Oh-oh, look who's got a question. Our old friend McKinley."
Colonel Lydecker, you claim these later X series soldiers would be extremely valuable to the United States military. You call them the perfect supersoldier. However, isn't it true that these X5s are, in fact, very far from perfect ... that they're notorious for unstable DNA that causes genetic disease and insanity, not to mention a seizure condition that Manticore could only partially control and never truly cured? Then there's their penchant for violence and rebellion. Isn't it true, Colonel, that the X5s were found to be a security risk ... that a group of them even escaped from Manticore in '09 and were never apprehended ... that your psy-ops division was forced to 'simplify' the remaining X5s in the program -- psychologically castrate them--
Alec winced. Max noticed, gently slid her hand into his, and gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze.
--in an attempt to modify aberrant and dangerous behavior? This doesn't sound like a group of perfect supersoldiers to me, Colonel. In fact, it sounds like a botched job.
Alec sighed deeply then, his jaw clenching at painful memories (although Max's hand in his was helping). Everything McKinley said was essentially true, and he wondered how old 'Deck was going to respond. Although, it looked like the Colonel was ready with a reply because he was actually smiling.
Does the fact that my kids ... my X5s ... never ... I repeat never! ... failed a mission attest to anything? Does the fact that these Units had a spotless military record -- once a relatively simple adjustment had been made to their neural pathways -- count for anything?
Quirking an eyebrow, Alec glanced down at Max. "Never failed a mission?" he said. "Speaking as someone who was once voted off the island for screwing up his assignment royally, I think I could argue with that."
"He's trying to put a positive spin on us," Max said in a low voice. "You've got to admit, the guy's got balls. Oh-oh here comes McKinley again."
If what you say is true, Colonel, then why, exactly, did Manticore continue its experimentation and DNA manipulation after the year 2002 -- the last year X5s were produced? Why were the X6s and beyond even created if your precious X5s were so perfect?
As always, the Colonel had a ready answer, and Alec found himself -- oddly enough -- actually rooting for the guy. In his own way, Lydecker was in the transgenics' corner, however dubious his actual intent.
We couldn't know for certain that the X5s were the Holy Grail, not back at the turn of the century when they were still infants ... babies. It was prudent to continue our genetic experiments ... explore other avenues. The X6s, for example, are basically of the same genetic make-up as the X5s -- feline DNA to enhance musculature, neural response, and the senses, plus revved up immune systems, intelligence, and a myriad of other more finely tuned aspects of the body such as night and telescopic vision. However, the X6s' I.Q.s are slightly lower than the X5s. In addition, we were more prudent when selecting our genetic donors, using DNA from more tractable soldiers ... followers if you will ... rather than the officer material the X5s' personalities sprang from.
Manticore knew after the aforementioned '09 escape that the X5s were a tad bit too independent, and, like I said before, the existing Units' personalities were modified accordingly. In other words, they were fixed.
Alec winced again, and swallowed hard -- and once more Max's fingers tightened around his.
However, with the X6s we weren't facing that problem to begin with -- the aggressive independent natures of the X5s. Then there were the later series ... X7s ... which involved using other types of animal DNA in their cocktails to produce soldiers with even greater speed and strength, as well as hive minds. However, I still contend that the X5s were ... are ... by far, Manticore's best and brightest, the X6s turning out to be useful as foot soldiers and tech support, but not of the mental fortitude needed for Special Forces and solo missions, and the X7s fierce killers, but of limited use do to the automaton nature of their thought processes.
However, no matter their series number ladies and gentlemen, let me assure you that all of the Manticore transgenics could still make a vital contribution to our nation's security. All they need is guidance and an assurance of their safety. In fact, I'm relatively certain that -- given the opportunity -- a vast majority of the Units living in Terminal City would far prefer the comforts and familiarity of a military base if they were offered it.
"Yeah, right," Alec said dryly as Mole uttered a far more derogatory response to Lydecker's observance. "I mean, who wouldn't prefer slavery to freedom?"
"Shhh," Max said. "Here it comes."
To that end, what I'm proposing to this Senate committee is that we open negotiations with Terminal City's alphas, specifically X5-452 and X5-494. 452, a female Unit designed for infiltration and night fighting, was one of the original '09 escapees. She's the one who initially persuaded all of the other transgenics to remain together in Seattle, and is currently their leader. 494 -- a male -- is a light combat soldier raised his entire life at Manticore who's "speciality" -- as it were -- is persuasion and manipulation for infiltration purposes and assassination assignments. True to his high verbal nature, 494's assumed a post as the transgenic's liaison with local officials ... their representative to Seattle City Council. Between 452 and 494, there seems to be a balance of power in the conclave, and so far they've managed to keep their brothers and sisters under control.
"It's so nice to have fans," Alec snarked. "Looks like I'm considered as important as you, Maxie. Like it or not, we're in this together for the long haul."
"Yeah," Max quipped. "We're the perfect dynamic duo. You're the beauty. I'm the brains. And notice the cute way old 'Deck said you you were a blabbermouth? High verbal my ass."
"Hey!"
"Shhh!"
The long and short of the Terminal City transgenic issue is that I suggest the U.S. government offer these superb soldiers a deal ... as well as a new home. Approached in the right way, they can still be a valuable asset to our country.
"Old James isn't gonna let that go by," Alec muttered.
"He can't," Max agreed. "His people want our people dead in the worst way. We're still a threat to the Breeding Cult even though their big bad comet pathogen is apparently a dud. We're the ones who can defend the human race from a takeover Plan B. Oh-oh, he's got the mic now."
Colonel Lydecker, we appreciate your speaking today to our committee, but you must understand that the true purpose of this meeting isn't to decide how to protect and nurture your transgenics, but rather how to keep them from becoming even more of a threat to the human race than they already are. We were hoping you'd be able to offer some insights into how to control and contain them. For example, I'm well aware of your so-called "perfect" X5s' need to ingest an amino acid -- tryptophan -- on a regular basis in order to control a seizure disorder that, if left untreated, is ultimately fatal. It seems to me that this is just the sort of thing the military needs to know right now. Say, for example, the Terminal City colony was cut-off from their supply of tryptophan. What would happen?
"We'd friggin' die is what would happen," Alec said, anger dancing in his eyes. "Come on 'Deck. Defend your kids if that's what you're up there for."
Depriving the X5s of tryptophan would be tantamount to murder. Manticore had an even better compound that kept the seizures virtually under complete control. However, it was manufactured in limited supply, and when the scientists scattered after the program was eradicated the formula and all existing supplies were lost. Tryptophan is an accepted substitution, although not a perfect one. If you cut off their meds, you can be sure the X5s will find a way to re-acquire them, even if it means committing violence. Survival is -- after all -- their primary instinct. Don't go there, Senator. I beg you.
But time was up.
Alec -- recognizing defeat when he saw it -- turned away from the television set as the announcer thanked the Colonel, dismissing him from the podium. "Well, that could have gone better," he said tiredly, running fingers back through his hair as he shadowed Max out of the control room.
"Yes, it could have," she said grimly. "Breeding Cult members are everywhere ... infiltrating every level of our society and all too able to turn the public against us."
"So?" Alec shrugged, as usual able to put a lighter spin on a dire situation. "What're ya gonna do? Like 'Deck said, we're survivors. We'll just hafta take things day-by-day, beginning with hoarding tryptophan while we can still get it."
"And if they cut off our tryptophan?" she asked, one dark eyebrow cocked.
Alec looked down into her dark questioning eyes, growing serious at last. "Then you and I will figure somethin' out, Max, he said quietly. "We always do."
THE END
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