Chapter Four: It's About Time
The line of transgenics stood silently at attention and saluted as one when Director Renfro entered the meeting room.
"At ease, soldiers. Have a seat." Renfro took her seat at the head of the long table, sitting a manilla file folder in front of her. "If 452 hasn't already informed everyone, I will tell you why you are all here," she said once everyone had settled into a chair. She was met with confused faces as she glanced around the table.
'She didn't tell them. Good, that makes this so much more fun,' she thought evilly.
"Our government officials have decided that it is time to see if successful procreation of your...line is possilbe. Therefore we are instituting a breeding program." She looked around the room and saw munite traces betraying the panic under the masks her soldiers had been trained to wear. She smirked.
"I have here a list of breeding partners. Every night, the males will be taken to the female barracks and will copulate with their partner until successful fertilization occurs. Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am," all the soldiers said together.
"Good, Please go stand with your designation is called. X5-452 and X5-493...X5-453 and..." Renfro continued to call out designations until everyone was paired off.
Now the fun begins, thought Alec, daring a quick glance at Max, who was standing next to him with Ben. She blinked her eyes in a quick pattern. It didn't take Alec long to figure it out. She'd signalled 'I love you.' He signed 'you too' back very quickly and fought down his urge to grin like an ass.
"Thank Manticore. They paired us together," Max whispered, just loud enough that Renfro could hear. "We're lucky they didn't pair me with 494." She forced a shiver. "He's such an ass, I don't think I could let him touch me. But you..." She saw in her peripheral vision that Renfro was staring at her. Max moved her eyes hungrily up Ben's body.
Pretend he's Alec. He looks like Alec. He's not your brother. He's anyone but your brother.
"I know," Ben replied, returning her gaze. "Imagine if they'd paired me with his partner. We really are lucky." Alec smiled inwardly. From the look on Renfro's face, she was gonna fall for it. They knew this approach wouldn't work for everyone and were surprised when all of their unit had said they were fine with their partners. Max and Alec had singled out each of their unit to tell them the plan before the meeting. They were lucky there weren't more people who wanted to switch. There was no way they could've pulled it off.
"Oh no. It looks as if there has been a typographical error on the pairing sheet," Renfro announced. 'Let's see how grateful these kids are now.' She glanced at the paper with feigned confusion.
"X5-494 and X5-493 were paired incorrectly." Max forced herself to pale visibly. "494..you are with 452. Switch places with 493."
"Ma'am. With all due respect, are you sure it was an error?" Alec injected panic into his voice expertly.
"Yes, Director. I don't see-" Max began.
"Silence! Do not question my authority soldiers. You will do exactly as you are told. Or would you both rather spend a week in solitary?" The two Xs were silent.
"That's what I thought." She motioned for Alec and Ben to switch places. As they did, Alec turned his back to Renfro and flashed Max one of his trademark smiles, the one that had always made her weak in the knees.
"The program begins tonight. A guard will come for each of the males at twenty-two hundred and will lead you to the female barracks. You will remain in your designated partner's cell until a guard comes for you at oh-one-hundred. You will be expected to report your status in the morning during formation. Dismissed!" Renfro grinned smugly to herself as she turned to leave, glancing on last time at 452 who was looking rather green. She left the conference room very happy with herself. What she didn't know was that the transgenics at her back were more delighted than she'd ever be.
Alec and Ben were pacing back and forth in their cell. They'd been given leave from all their duties to "rest up for their mission tonight," in the words of Lydecker. At exactly 2200 the guards retrieved them and led them to the female barracks; Alec to Max's and Ben to Jace's. Sam, Max's roomate and twin, had been taken with Zane to an empty cell in the girl's barracks.
The guard leading Alec handed him a small box and Alec handed him a pack of very nice cigars that he'd gotten from Lydecker's office. The guard smiled and unlocked Max's cell door. Alec pulled out a small bottle from under his shirt -pre-pulse whiskey- and handed it discreetly to the guard.
"Make sure everyone except who I told you stays clear of here until half an hour before dawn," Alec said, winking at the guard.
"No problem." The guard pulled open the heavy metal door and Alec went in.
Max had been wearing a hole in the floor for the last 3 hours. She was sure there would be a visible line. She stopped and looked up as she heard the door close. Alec held out his arms and she rushed to him, embracing him.
"Did you get it?" She asked, not moving from her hold on him.
"Yep. It's called a diaphragm...and you're really not gonna like what you do with it...but anyways. Put it someplace safe for now."
"We...You mean...We're not gonna use it?" Max moved back slightly so she could look at him.
"Not tonight, anyways. Why rush it, Maxie? We'll have every night. I thought tonight, we'd have a romantic dinner, sip some champagne, talk and then go to sleep. Max laughed, the sound warming Alec's heart. He hadn't heard her laugh in so long.
A knock sounded at the door and Alec sidled over to it. The hole in the door slid open and a hand fed through a basket covered with a red cloth and a rather large bottle. Max gazed in awe as Alec set the items on the floor, gave a quick "Thanks, man," and the slot closed. The footsteps faded quickly and Alec turned to her.
"You thought I was kidding?" His eyes glittered with life.
"I...how?" Max was stunned, and very pleased.
"The guy owed me one," he shrugged. "Come on, let's sit." Alec spread Max's blanket ou ton the cement floor and opened the basket, setting out its contents. Two tall candles, a lighter, two plates with sandwiches that looked like they actually contained real food,not just the tofu they served in the mess hall, and two wine glasses. Alec lit the candles and poured the champagne.
"Alec..this is perfect," Max said softly, looking wide-eyes at the display he'd set up. She reached out and cupped his face in her hand. "You're perfect."
Alec leaned over the food and took Max's head in his hands. Their eyes met and then closed. Thier lips came together in a soft, gentle kiss. Neither one knew how long it lasted. It could've been seconds or hours, but neither really cared.
They pulled apart, breathless, and Alec raised his glass to take a drink.
"No, Alec. Don't you know anything?" Max rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to make a toast."
She raised her glass and said, "To finding happiness in the most unlikely of places," and clinked their glasses together. Alec laid a hand on her arm before she could take a sip.
"And to love." They clinked the glasses again.
"To love," Max repeated, placing the wine glass to her lips.
The two transgenics drank their wine and ate their food, laughing and talking like they'd always wished they could. A guard came back around oh-one-hundred to collect the evidence and quickly left.
Alec lead Max to the bed and they curled up under the blankets together, content in each other's arms. Alec traced his fingers across Max's face, almost as if memorizing every detail.
"I love you Max."
"I love you, too, Alec," she replied. "Always."
Sleep and dreams claimed them both soon after. The hard mattress and scratchy blankets did nothing to hinder the peace and happiness of the bed's inhabitants.
A man quietly signalled to the guard at the door and opened the peep hole. He stared through the bars at the sleeping pair. He sighed and smiled slightly. It's about time these government idiots did something right, he thought. He leaned on his lion-headed cane and slid the covering shut. He made his way down the dull hallway that had been home to so much pain. He smiled again. "About time."
THE END
I hope everyone liked it. I think that's going to be the end unless anyone has any ideas for a good epilogue. But this is kind of where I wanted it to stop. Remember...feedback makes this Vamp very joyous.