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Post by Max on Nov 17, 2007 23:21:29 GMT -5
"Being locked by yourself in a dog crate half the time doesn't exactly lead to sanity," Max replied dryly. You see, Max was an adrenaline junky. With no real purpose in her life yet but to keep away from the scientists, she had found the death-defying stunts one could do with wings exciting. It sort of gave her a reason to live. That second of pure terror mixed with exhilaration, the dive before a flight, the blast of wind on her face: that's what Max lived for. And then, afterwards, the pumping energy of adrenaline running through her veins, sharpening her senses; it made her hunger for more. Max gazed at his hand, blurring in and out of focus a bit. But she really didn't feel like getting up. Her body had decided it didn't want to move. She was comfortable, there on the dunes, and a peaceful numbness swept over her. "I'm happy right here," she said blissfully, her eyes half closed.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 17, 2007 23:25:18 GMT -5
Once she said that she didn’t want to be moved, Cameron pulled back his arm and finally realized that it was bleeding. Cameron looked down at the blood and sighed, “Great.” He muttered to himself and then shook his arm and looked back at Max, “Well I suppose we could stay here for a while, but we are expected on the other side of the island.” Cameron said calmly and then dropped from his knees onto his butt and then lay back onto his back, stretching his arms out. He was a little bit fatigued and Max could tell by his sighs and exclamations. “So what now?” Cameron asked.
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Post by Max on Nov 17, 2007 23:31:07 GMT -5
The adrenaline slowly leaving her body, Max yawned. It was not a tired sort of yawn, but the one a person might vent after a large Thanksgiving feast followed by six slices of pie. Max was utterly content, and right now, in her energy-deprived state, moving was the furthest thing from her mind. Gazing at the partly clouded sky, Max stared at nothing in particular, her eyes occasionally tracking a seagull or pelican. Her body was in a state of utter exhaustion; unless she got some calories in her fast, Max wouldn't be going anywhere. It was a strange thing, to be sure, and one that was rarely seen in a normal human. By the time a human body would be utterly depleted of calories, the person would have to go through starvation. But with Max's high metabolism, the fight and flight had burned calories three times faster. This meant that now she just lay there, in the sand, unmoving. But to Max it was not a life-threatening deal. All she knew was that right now she was content to rest. Rest was hard to come by.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 16:02:47 GMT -5
Cameron took her silence as a sign that meant that she was just going to be content to rest. Cameron couldn’t blame her; after all, she had been through quite a fall plus whatever Tirith had done to her. Cameron could remember what Tirith had done to people when he was inside of him. Cameron couldn’t bare to think of it again and he quickly changed his thoughts. He let out light exhales and deep inhales, taking his time and relaxing in the soft sand, listening to the waves. It was nice to just rest. He, like Max was similar in that way. Neither of them seemed to have any chance to rest or have any chance for a break. They both had different reasons for being tired, both were different though.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 16:53:27 GMT -5
Though the rest was peaceful, it was a deadly peace. At least for Max. She was entering the state of a low blood sugar coma. Diabetics experienced it if they did not eat enough sugar. She experienced it too, but not for a dysfunction in her body. Somewhere in her mind an alarm went off. This was not normal; Max didn't ever feel this peaceful. Always vigilant, she knew something wasn't right. She felt deprived of all energy. Food.... Max knew that she needed a lot of calories fast. Sluggishly she turned her head a bit, unsteadily focusing on the backpack that lay about ten yards from them. It contained what she needed. But right now, she told her frantic mind with another contented yawn, she needed sleep. Her head lolling to the side, her whole body relaxed, the breeze ruffling her feathers as she slipped into a light coma brought on by calorie deficiency.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 20:54:22 GMT -5
Cameron was watching Max as he was resting. He still wasn’t sure if she was alright. She had been resting for quite a while by now. Max didn’t seem like the kind of girl that would stay down unless she absolutely had to. Cameron looked at his watch and the helicopter wouldn’t be there for another sixteen minutes. Cameron followed Max’s eyes when she looked at her backpack a couple yards away. Cameron didn’t say anything until he saw her close her eyes. He moved over to her and he could tell her breathing was a bit slower when he checked her pulse. He looked back behind him and crawled over, getting her backpack in a moment and bringing it back to her. He opened it, looking in it; he saw a plentiful amount of power bars. Of course! With a gift like hers she would need lots of protein to continue! Cameron unwrapped one, bringing Max up a bit, trying to get her to chew the bar.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 21:08:48 GMT -5
In her calorie deprived torpor, Max's thoughts were rather disjointed at best. Vaguely she felt Cameron's movement, felt the vibrations through the sand. His hand touched her skin, and automatically she flinched a bit. It had become an automatic response to any contact made. Then it was gone, mercifully, and she felt freer somehow, as if physical contact bound her to the earth. Something was near her then, and his arm was around her. Max would have pushed him away with her wings, but she was too weak to move them. Automatically she bit off a piece of the bar. Her will was too strong to let herself die. As soon as she felt the solid warmth hit her stomach, Max felt a new vitality begin to flow through her. Grabbing the bar, she ate it rapidly, sitting up within three bites. Ravenous now, she consumed three more bars and then decided that was enough. She needed to ration her remaining food if she didn't want to have that happen again.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 21:30:08 GMT -5
Cameron backed away as she began to eat the bars ravenously. Wow, she could eat a lot and in a little bit of time too. Cameron’s assumption was correct and he could already see that she was doing better after the first bar. Her body sure did absorb the proteins quickly. After she had stopped Cameron smiled at her, moving his hand to her back and closing it. “Well, I suppose you are feeling better then.” He said calmly and then looked at his watch, “My men will be herein eleven minutes, if you can walk we can get to the landing point.” Cameron said, standing up and outstretching her hand for him to take.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 21:34:45 GMT -5
"Much," she said gratefully, finishing up the last bar. Already new energy flowed through her. Stretching her wings, she stood up, looking around with now-clear vision. The world was back. Max resolved to never let her energy get that low again. Of course, had she known she would have to fight off a demon and fly an almost two hundred pound Marine down from a lighthouse after nearly bleeding to death, she would have made sure to be at full energy capacity. Taking a few steps, she found that the more she moved the easier it was. Max may have fallen into that coma-like state quickly, but she recovered just as fast. "Well then, I guess we can't leave them waiting," she commented, brushing a bit of sand off her pants. Tucking her wings close again, she pulled over her t-shirt, concealing them as she hoisted her backpack. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather as few people know about me as possible," she confided.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 21:39:13 GMT -5
Cameron listened to her request to keep her wings a secret. That was going to be an interesting idea. He wasn’t sure that was going to be possible. His marines were not stupid and they would definitely notice the strange structure of her back. Cameron hadn’t had the opportunity to because he had seen her with her wings fully extended but again, his marines were no fools. Cameron nodded his head just the same, “We will do our best to make sure that your secret does not reach the ears of too many, but I must warn you that your secret may be discovered, my men are observant.” Cameron said calmly as they began to walk. He could see the landing spot, and would only a couple of minutes before they were there. He was glad it was a short walk, he didn’t know how much strength that Max had after her incident.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 21:47:12 GMT -5
Hearing that, Max folded her wings even tighter. From an observer's standpoint, the backpack obsured the strange look of her back. The loose t-shirt helped, but still if one looked closely, or was expecting something unusual, they would notice. "I could limp and pretend I have a back deformity," she suggested. She was already limping, thanks to the cut in her leg. Maybe it wouldn't fool a doctor, but if she could just make it without too many people knowing...."I'll just try to keep my back to a wall or sit in a chair or something," she decided. If people couldn't see her back, they couldn't notice it's unusual shape, now could they? Her acute hearing picked up the distant thudding sound of a helicopter. "I hear them," she announced. Now if she could just get through this until she recovered, Max would be off again.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 21:52:44 GMT -5
Cameron and Max reached the helicopter landing pad as Max spoke and he nodded his head, pointing to the horizon, “Yes, I see them.” Cameron said calmly. Right on time, they always were. There still had three minutes Cameron deducted as he looked at his watch. He smiled and looked at Max, “It doesn’t matter how you hide your secret, as long as it is hidden. If they do find out I will make sure it doesn’t leave the base. My men understand top secret and direct military orders. We will mark any knowledge of you classified. It won’t leave the base.” Cameron said calmly but he had to raise his voice to speak as the helicopter got closer. Cameron backed Max up as the helicopter landed and the side door opened. Two marines stepped out, rifles on their shoulders and they saluted him. Cameron saluted back and then beckoned for Max to go first. The marines didn’t even ask about her. They trusted his judgement.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 22:03:20 GMT -5
"I'm sure," she said in a rather unassuring manner. No matter what he said Max trusted no one. No one but herself. Secrets were hard things to keep, especially when Cameron seemed to have such a zeal to hunt those scientists and their lab down. The chopper landed in quick order, a few Marines hopping out. She sensed their curiosity at her presence, but they restrained themselves. Fairly well trained, then. At an almost inhuman speed, she hopped into the chopper. The whirring blades were running at the speed of her own heart. Max had never flown in anything before; just by her own power. She waited for Cameron to enter. The sooner they got on their way, the better.
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Post by Cameron Michaels on Nov 18, 2007 22:09:37 GMT -5
Cameron was quick to follow Max once she climbed into the helicopter. The marines followed after him, closing the sliding doors. The marines still said nothing. They had solemn looks on their faces, showing very little emotion. Cameron tapped on the pilot’s shoulder and twirled his fingers. The pilot nodded his head and the helicopter began to rise into the air. Cameron wondered if this was Max’s first flight in a helicopter. It probably was. Why would she need to ride in a helicopter or plane? She had wings. The marines didn’t look at Max very much, just keeping blank stares. No one said anything during the flight. It was an odd feeling for Max, Cameron was sure of this. Everyone was so quite.
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Post by Max on Nov 18, 2007 22:26:57 GMT -5
Max couldn't help it. With a strange curiosity she looked out the window. The ground slowly left them, shrinking below, and the constant noise pervaded her mind, almost overloading her system. Sensitive hearing and helicopters did not mix. The others in the small machine were creepily silent. It made her a bit uncomfortable, but she let it roll off her back like the spring rains against her wings. The minutes went by in that strange silent noisy fashion. The flight was relatively smooth, but by the time they neared their destination Max had decided flying was much better. She missed the wind against her face and the power of sustaining herself.
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