43North walks in to the secondary medical bay. A second bay was built for reasons such as what had happened a few hours earlier. A bit smaller than the main bay, it consists of basically the same medical uses.
Stepping into the med bay, North is met with bright white lights and the soft beeping of various machinery. Nurses and Doctors mill around the room, each one wearing the standard stark white armor. Scanning around the room, North spots the black and yellow armor. Walking across the room, North sits down in a chair next to the bed. The black and yellow clad figure lays motionless, and if it weren't for the occasional beep of the heart monitor one might think he's dead.
"Still asleep, huh?" York says, sitting down across from North.
Looking up at York, North says "Yeah, Docs say he could be out for a few days."
"That long? What the hell happened to him?"
North lets out a sigh" It was something with his AI. It did things to him…..I heard a few nurses say they heard him screaming before they put him down again."
"Damn…" York brushes a hand through his hair before responding again. "Well at least he gets those vacation hours he wanted, huh?"
Cracking a small smile, North looks back down at his unconscious friend and teammate. "They removed it." He says, without looking up.
"What?"
"They removed his AI. They're going to remove everyone's"
A shocked expression crosses York's face, but it's quickly replaced with his usual go lucky features. "You're kidding right? One setback and they're going to shut it all down?"
"Seems so, I heard the Director himself is shutting it down."
Rubbing the base of his neck, York responds in a tone barley anyone has ever heard from him. "But what about Theta….or D? They can't just take them from us."
"We don't have a choice, no matter what they're still property of the project."
York and North sit in silence, both freelancers not wanting to think about what had happened to Wash, or what was going to happen to their AI's.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Penn stands up from the computer and paces around. Tex closes the folders, and makes sure not to leave a trace of their intrusion.
"You're…..you're kidding right? None of that can be true?" Penn asks, turning his head toward Tex.
Shaking her head, Tex answers "Everything you just saw was directly from the Directors personal files. His own secret experiments."
Slamming his fist on a table, Penn doesn't say anything. Out of everyone on the Mother of Invention, no one was able to make Texas feel even the smallest sense of fear. That changed when Penn arrived. He didn't necessarily scare her, but there was something that made her respect him. Even though that respect hung on a wire over fear most of the time.
"Look, I have a plan but I'll need time and-" A loud bang cuts Tex off. Both freelancers look at the door to the classroom which is where the noise originated. Another bang, followed by a few more. Suddenly the door caves in at the middle, and is thrown forward into the darkened room.
Tex dives out of the way, as the door sails past her. Penn isn't so lucky however, as the door hits him straight on driving him backward and down the stairs. Looking at the hole where the door had just been, Tex watches as Maine steps into the room. A small red glowing figure appears next to Tex.
"Ah, agent Texas. So nice to see you again!"
"Sigma." Tex responds, putting malice into her voice.
"Oh come now Texas, you should feel honored. You get to be the first on our great journey!" Sigma says excitedly.
Cautiously, Tex asks "What journey?"
Sigma smiles, and responds "I was hoping you would ask that." A hand closes around Texs's throat. Sigma was a distraction while Maine got into striking distance. Sigma's fiery avatar floats in front of Tex.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already Agent Texas. You were always the smartest…"
Shaking her body, Tex tries to break from Maine's grip. Finding no give in his brute strength, Tex starts to form a plan in her head.
"So what's this great plan? Or was it a journey?"
A small smile pulls at Sigma's digital lips. "Yes, our journey, Agent Texas. Our glorious endeavor into meta-stability."
Tex freezes at the last word in Sigma's sentence. "You know meta-stability is only theoretical right? It's an idea, it can't be done."
"That's where you're wrong dear Texas. All we need is to bring the pieces of our father back together, and we can achieve our goal. You see, it's actually quite simple-" A loud crash interrupts Sigma, as a door comes barreling toward Maine.
Pushing him back, Maine drops Tex as the door lands on him. Looking up, Tex sees an outstretched hand. Pulling herself up, she stands visor to visor with Penn.
"Who knew doors were good weapons?" Penn says, pulling Texas to her feet. The two freelancers turn toward Maine, who kicks the door off of his prone body.
"Go." Penn says, pointing to the hole where the door had been.
"I can't just leave you here, they'll-"
"I can handle myself, now get that plan of yours in action!" Penn says, cutting Tex off. Glancing back at Maine, Tex sprints out the door.
Turning back to Maine, who has gotten the door off of himself, Penn gets in a fighting stance. Sigma's digital avatar buzzes around Penn's head.
"You were always the, different, one." Sigma says, eyeing up Penn. "Taken into the Project for no special reason, given more advanced armor, all for what? Why did the Director bring you here?"
Penn thinks back. He's right. There is no reason, he shouldn't have been brought into the Project in the first place. Let alone given special armor AND an A.I.
"No." Penn says, looking at Sigma, "You're just trying to get in my head."
"Very well, Agent Pennsylvania. Agent Maine, sick em." Lowering his shoulder, Maine charges at Penn, right as an explosion rocks the Mother of Invention.