X-10: Torri's Mission

This story intertwines with "Kito's Story" and runs through the events to nearly a year after the end of "After the Fire". I'm back to the Action Genre, but there will be some romantic interludes to this story. I hope you enjoy!

Darwin

Prologue: Defection

Torri moved at a quick clip down the hallway toward Lydecker's office. She looked like a small freight train moving down the hall and all that she approached moved clear of her path. Her short curly hair was neatly slicked against her skull. Combined with her short five foot two stature and thick 140-pound build she was often mistaken for one of the men. Anyone else would have been offended, Torri just didn't give a rats butt. She had always been very no nonsense, the essentials and nothing else. On her forehead stood out her designating barcode, unlike most of her brethren whose codes were black hers was sharply pink, by some twist of her genetic makeup. Not that a black barcode would stand out she was very darkly skinned. Her eyes were very light brown with just a hint of green in them and her pupils held to the recent standard, slightly oblong.

Her dark skin glistened with sweat, she was in pain, but was intent not to show it to those around her. Kito had gotten her good that was for sure, using her own momentum against her as he redirected her into the bole of a tree. She didn't remember much after that, she woke up in the infirmary, dizzy and in pain. The doctors said he had cracked a few of her ribs with that little bit of maneuvering. She should still be in the infirmary and a part of her wished that she still were. But she had been summoned for debrief about Kito's escape and she was intent on getting there as soon as possible. She knew Lydecker was mad, and that was going to fall square on her shoulders being in charge directly of the Manticores stationed here on this base, being the second in command behind Lydecker himself. She squashed the butterflies she was feeling, she had no idea what he was going to ask her, nor how she was going to explain his suddenly erratic behavior.

She went over in her mind time and again why Kito had found it necessary to throw his spotless reputation out the window such as he had. Down the line he had been a consummate soldier, not a single disciplinary problem on his record. He was always intent, on time and duly courteous to his superiors. His marks during training had been exemplary not only the physical but the bookwork as well. That was why he had been chosen over some of his elders to be her second in command, he had shown so much potential. If assigned to an outside duty he was always successful and usually well within his allotted time for the mission.

At least that was the way of it until the night that Tima had shown up, something about that night had changed him somehow. She wished she had been there to witness it, then she might have understood the shift in his personality. She had been on assignment in Oregon at the time and had only been debriefed on the incident when she had demanded to know why a Manticore X-10 was doing time on perimeter patrol, that was nothing short of degrading for someone with as much training as they had. Things had quickly degraded after that. She had pulled him aside, being his superior officer to debrief him on the incident of that night. He had admitted to his inability to perform to standard when his sister had been marked for termination, but he had laid no blame on anyone but himself on that count, telling her that he had deserved the punishment that Lydecker had chosen for him. His words had belied him though, she had seen something in the young soldier's eyes that had been disconcerting, disillusionment. She had dismissed Kito thinking that he could deal with whatever the source of that feeling. She had sorely misjudged him on that count, and now she wished she had been more proactive in finding out what exactly he was thinking. She felt a pang of guilt in not assessing his mental state better. She had been caught thoroughly by surprise to find herself and Kenai pitted against one of their own when they were dispatched. They had only been told that there had been a security breach.

She stopped trying to analyze what was already the past, trying instead to formulate answers for the questions that Lydecker was sure to have for her. She paused briefly in front of his door taking as deep a breath as her tender ribs would allow and then rapped twice smartly. She waited at stiff parade rest waiting for a response, sure that she was being looked over. She practically could feel the camera lens above her recording her presence.

"Come!" she heard come loudly from inside the office as the door in front of her clicked softly. Popping to stiff attention she stepped forward pushing the door inward and stepping inside the almost homey office that Lydecker possessed. It was done in forest green and browns, hardwood and brass. It looked more like an office someone would possess in their house, not something that should be at work. She would have been impressed by it, but this was not her first time in the place. She and Lydecker maintained close liaison in regards to the operations in the field and the general running of the base.

"X-8-222 reporting as ordered, sir!" She said smartly in her resonating alto voice.

Lydecker looked up at her his lips pursed and his eyes narrow, "Torri," He said in her familiar name, He never seemed to like the use of designations, she had often wondered why, "Please sit down."

"Thank you sir, however, I would prefer to stand," She said smartly, surely she would get in that chair and never get out again, the pain would make her want to stay there, it was a very comfortable chair. Yes she was better off standing.

He nodded standing up and stepping in front of her, "Report on the defection of X-10-352. What happened after Kito got topside, Torri?"

"X-10-352 somehow managed to free himself of the squad that had been responsible for his capture, myself and X-10-121 intercepted X-10-352 as he made for the perimeter fence. There was an altercation in which we attempted to subdue 10-352, we were unsuccessful and he escaped. X-10-121 and myself pursued X-10-352 through the forest, being the faster of the two of us I was in the lead. X-10-352 intercepted me and incapacitated me. From the report I received in the infirmary he also neutralized X-10-121 and escaped the area. There has been no sighting of X-10-352 since."

Lydecker nodded, turned away and stepped back in behind his desk, "Had you noticed anything strange about Kito's behavior in the weeks prior to his defection?"

"Sir?" Torri asked, as the butterflies rose again.

"I thought I was pretty clear, X-8-222, what was his mental state?" He repeated.

Her insides twisted again, she knew he was mad when he made a point of using her designation, "Sir X-10-352 seemed disillusioned from what I could tell. If I may make a conjecture?"

"Go ahead," Lydecker permitted.

"Sir I think it had something to do with the appearance of X-10-321, and no offense Sir, your reaction to her."

"Explain," Lydecker said his face closed.

"Well again this is only conjecture, Sir and second hand at best. By the reports I received he only balked when you threatened to kill X-10-321. All other problems to this point seem to originate from that event."

He nodded again remaining silent for long moments, "The same reason had occurred to me," He added softly, "Understand, Torri, that X-10-321 would have been unsuitable for reinstatement. She had been on the outside for much too long. The success rate on that has been very low," She saw him wince as if that was a personal failure on his part.

"No question Sir, Standing orders require termination of any Manticore not currently working with the parameters established," She watched as he nodded again seeming to need that reassurance, She blinked slowly turning her eyes toward him, "Sir, permission to pose a question?"

"Please, Torri, you know I value your thoughts," Lydecker said seeming suddenly very frail, looking his age for once. She rarely saw that, but she could honestly say she was one of the few that he would let his guard down around.

"What was Kito doing in building 241? What were you doing there, Sir? All intelligence I have places that as an abandoned building."

"Not everything is as it would seem Torri," Lydecker said then, "There are several groups of up and coming soldiers in that building. Kept secret from the committee for reasons I am not allowed to divulge."

Torri looked at him sideways, "And I was not notified? Sir is your trust in me lacking?"

"No, no… Nothing like that. You are an exemplary soldier and a good commander. Unfortunately there are some things that I must keep from you for your own protection."

Torri nodded accepting that unconditionally, that was the way she was trained, "Understood, sir."

"Good, as long as we understand each other," He said sighing, "One more thing."

"Sir?"

"I need to send Kenai on assignment," He started, "I am sending him to Seattle to track down Kito."

"You really think he went there?"

"I think he went after his sister, and I have reason to believe that she is staying in the Seattle area."

"Whatever you need, Sir," Torri said.

The next several weeks were chaos, Torri never got her chance to go back and recuperate more. Word of Kito's defection spread rapidly and she remained busy trying to put fires out in the form of some of the transient Manticore's attempted tries for a repeat of the X-10's success. They successfully halted all of the attempts, but it was taxing on her and the morale of her unit keeping them in check. The want of freedom had finally lost its grip on her troops and she hoped this morning would hammer the last nail in freedom's coffin.

They currently stood in formation, at quarters, each of her remaining supervisors, Blade, Tempest and herself standing in front of their units. She glanced next to her seeing the fresh face taking temporary charge of Kenai's unit and then looked quickly down to the end, seeing the young X-11 that had been meritoriously promoted, taking charge of Kito's unit, she felt that chill again. It was conspicuous, his absence, and not just to her.

The boy's designation was X-11-141, his comrades had taken to calling him Stomp, because he usually put his competition in the dirt. He was nearly Kenai's height, though not nearly as handsome in her mind. His face was average, with brooding dark brown eyes and matching hair. His face was square and she could not recall ever seeing him to anything but frown. He was thickly built belying his speed in a fight. He had been chosen because he was decisive, took orders well and took no crap from his subordinates.

The one taking Kenai's division was X-9-342, Monica, not exactly the most forceful person, but she would do in a pinch. She had dishwater blonde hair drawn up neatly in a tight bun just below the crown of her head, her eyes were hazel leaning more toward the green and she had a pretty rounded face that showed just a hint of either Mexican or Asian in her bloodline. She was taller than Torri but not by much, though she was thinner framed, much more feminine in appearance.

They had been called here because, Lydecker was going to speak to the troops about the recent events to try and get their heads back in the game it needed to be in. She felt her mind blank out as he began to speak, she'd heard it, more times than she could count, though a small part kept track of where he was so that she could respond as necessary when responses were required.

It seemed forever before Lydecker stopped talking, that was odd because she never knew him to be long winded. Her insides twinged at having that kind of thought about a superior. She was on edge and it was this whole situation she knew. Again the thought rose up, why? Why would Kito turn so far away from everything he was? What had he found in building 241 that had caused him to try and escape the only life he had known? Then her thoughts wandered to how he might be fairing in the outside. He had been out there before, but on a mission in a carefully controlled circumstance. He had never had to live out there for more than a week maybe a month, and that was always supplied.

Lydecker had finished his speech and all around her soldiers, Norm and Transgenic, were cheering, proud to be a part of the team. Well Lydecker could certainly tame a crowd, who did that remind her of? Oh yeah, Hitler.