The Other side Chapter 5
The wind was gently playing with her cape but she took no notice of it. Cybersix was kneeling on the building across the street from Lucas’s apartment. He wasn’t
home yet but she wanted to make sure everything was in place. The Fixed Ideas she had sent for were waiting a few jumps away. They didn’t realize their hours were very numbered. All was dark. All was quiet. She sighed almost
content.
Her head snapped down when she saw Lucas emerging out of the crowd, heading toward his house.
“Show time” she thought as she leapt into the starry sky.
CRASH! The glass of Lucas window lay
shattered on the floor. Fixed Ideas came in, making a mess and a good deal of noise. Cybersix made a mental note to inform Jose of her displeasure in their stealth training. She remained a few seconds longer then also flew into
the window, knocking out whatever pieces may have survived the Fixed Ideas. She hit a Fixed Idea with her heel, turned around quickly, and punched another one. They burst into green light and there were the tinks of sustenance
vials as it collided with the floor. The other Fixed Ideas looked stunned at their attacker, but she paid no attention, finishing them off quickly.
Lucas was breathing heavy, gun in hand. Cybersix mildly took note of
it. She reached down slowly and picked up the vials, putting them in her collar pocket. She then spun around as if to leave.
“Wait!”
She didn’t. When a hand grabbed her wrist, she didn’t fight it.
“Wh-Who are you?”
She shook her head, pulled out of his grasp, jumped out the window, and disappeared into the night.
A few nights later she was at his window again, glaring. He just looked at her wide eyed.
He then moved more quickly then she had first thought he was capable of. Again he asked, “Who are you?” She sub-consciously reached behind her and pulled her sleeve down even farther. She summoned the name she had thought of
for herself and released it.
“Twilight“,
He accepted the reply. "Why did you help me? I mean if you’re like them...” he said the last part a bit harder.
If the whole truth were to be told, Cybersix
didn’t really have a plan as far as this part went. She figured it would be a play-it-by-ear thing. Luckily, Lucas wasn’t asking any questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.
“I chased them into your apartment.” She said
this in a cold voice, but let him continue his interrogation.
“Um…why were you chasing them?”
She chose not to directly answer that question at that moment, “I save you from them, and THIS is the thanks I get?” her hands remained at her sides but she brought herself up to her full
height, almost as if she were trying to loom over him. At least, she was hoping for that effect, since he was a good half foot taller than she was.
“What do you mean?” he pulled back a little, intimidated.
“Enough small talk. Give it to me,” she held out her hand.
“Give you what?”
She sighed impatiently, “Give it to me!”
“It WHAT?” He started to sound irritated.
“That vial. I KNOW you have it.”
“Vial? I don't know what you're talking about!”
She paused, as if she was considering believing him. He didn’t have it of course: The particular vial, of which she spoke, was safely tucked in her shirt collar.
“I guess you don’t have it after all,” she half-said to herself.
She turned to go again but he stopped her, not with his hands, but with his voice, “Who or WHAT are you?”
Just what she wanted: the faster the
better. “I just told you,” she said pretending extreme patience.
“So you work for Cybersix?” he asked, looking suspicious.
“NO!” she shouted, whipping about as if the very name outraged her, “I DON’T work for
her!” Glowering, she snapped her cape behind her and twisted toward the window.
“Wait! I’m sorry!” he called after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, still glaring, as if to say, "This had better
be worth my bother."
“Well, if you don’t work for her, then where did you come from?” She sighed.
“All right. I DID work for her when I was younger, but NOT any more!” He waited for her to continue so she
decided to wrap it up then, “She killed my sister and I ran away. She wants to kill me now, and sent those Fixed Ideas after me. I got the better of them, and that’s how the Fixed Ideas ended up in your apartment. Happy?” she
snipped, still acting insulted.
“Yes” he answered, smiling. Cybersix almost smiled herself, but for a different reason.
Once more Cybersix could be seen driving along the bumpy road that lead to what was now
called Jose’s mansion. She had seen Lucas a few more times as Twilight, and she was pleased about the progress she was making with him. He was trusting her more and more: she could feel it, and it hadn’t been all that hard to
gain it. The mansion appeared from behind a few trees that had been blocking its view. She smiled over the prospect of seeing Cyber 29. She hadn’t seen him for a while.
She flung open the door of the mansion in a
dramatic fashion. At once, the Technos jumped up and crowded around her, abandoning their previous master now that their mistress was present. Cybersix smiled at Jose, who merely scowled. She guessed he didn’t like hanging
around the mansion all the time and wanted to get out and about Meridanna. Well, he’d get his chance soon.
“Is 29 here?” she demanded. Jose pointed over his shoulder into the library. Cybersix began the short journey
across the room with Jose at her heels. 29 was indeed there his feet up on a table, arms crossed.
“All rise” he joked as she entered the room.
“Damn straight” she chuckled then raised her eyebrows, indicating
that he should get up and follow her and Jose.
However he totally “misinterpreted” her meaning, “Oh I’m sorry your highness!” he said getting up from his roost. He then crawled on all fours in front of Cybersix, bowing
and kissing her hand. She rolled her eyes and told him to get up and quit making a fool of himself. Honestly, how were the Types and Technos supposed to respect her if he did things like that??
Several minutes later they were all at a table eating lunch.
“There’s been a change of plans” Cybersix informed them. 29 and Jose looked up from their meals, “Jose’s going to Meridanna to rob banks and the like. I want
it to look like he’s trying to take over the place.” She glanced over at him, “You may have 25 Fixed Ideas and 3 Technos to start off.”
Jose looked genuinely happy over the potential trouble he could, and would, cause.
Sensing there was more, however, everyone remained silent. Jose dealt with, Cybersix turned her attention to 29, “I would like you to try to get in with the resistance as a human.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard,” was the confident reply.
“Don’t be so sure: Not all of them are like Lucas. Some run more along the lines of Dr. Zach,” she warned. After rethinking, in the course of a few seconds, a decision
that had taken her an hour to come to, she said, “Umm, perhaps you shouldn’t. Maybe you should just go back to base.”
29 showed a rare flash of anger, “I can handle it.” he stated, self-assurance and coolness dripping
from his every word, their eyes locked, each challenging the other. Cybersix surrendered and let it drop.
For the moment anyway.
Returning her attention to Jose, she began telling him what she would like him to
do, allowing him to suggest and incorporate some of his own ideas.
Later, Cybersix decided to give 29 a sustenance gun. She hadn’t planned on bringing them out until later: their existence was still a closely guarded
secret, but she felt she had to give him one now. It was odd, but she felt safer with him having one, even though she didn’t use one herself if she could avoid it.
“Here, take this.” she said, holding it out.
“I don’t want it.”
It wasn't as if he didn't know how to use one: A cocky Army General had refused the order of the former president to disband his regiment and made an attempt to play hero by liberating Meridiana.
Cyber 29 and five Technos had used the rickety rifle prototypes to totally slaughter the armored column as it came through the mountain pass outside of town. The CIA still had no idea what happened.
Cybersix shoved the
gun in his hand, “It’s an order,” she replied, taking advantage of rank. He shrugged, knowing that she wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, and put the gun in his belt under his shirt. He then kissed her on the cheek, said his
goodbyes, then left. He had to get back to Meridanna; apparently he had taken a job at a little convenience store.
Cybersix locked herself in the library to do a little reading: Like every kid and adolescent, she was
grateful it was Friday. She contemplated things for a short time, then pulled a volume down. Her foot tapped nervously as she read the words, feeling whole and herself:
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes”
Rising, Cybersix placed the book on the desk a little harder then she had intended. Her
footstep’s echoes seemed to chase her as she walked briskly out of the room, the time of completeness gone.
“I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.”
End of Chapter 5