Operation: L.I.F.E.

L ife

I s

F airly

E vil

Chapter 1: Reflections

They say your reflection is the essence of your soul. It shows who you are for what you are. Many spend their lives staring into their reflection in admiration, while others do the same but in disgust and deceit. When you look at your reflection, is your feeling one of pride or one of hate? And you had to die tomorrow, are you proud of the reflection of yourself you are leaving behind?

This is exactly what Hoagie Gilligan thought as he caught his reflection in the window of the Prisoner Transport Vehicle (PTV) that was transporting him to Moonbase Zero. A PTV that, funnily enough, he designed. It was the 19 Feb 2007, his thirteenth birthday. He stared out into the blackness of space. He knew he had about twenty minutes before reaching the moonbase so; he had some time to think back. Things had gone hay-wire over the last two years. After the TREATY operation went down the tubes, the whole of Sector V was offered to join the Splinter Cell. They all declined, except Wally. He figured the Splinter Cell had a point. As much as the rest of the team tried to convince him otherwise, it was no use. Afterwards he left the KND entirely to join the Splinter Cell full time. He was then declared, like all the others, a fugitive from the KND, the TEENZ and the Adults. No-one has seen anything of him since. Soon afterwards Rachel Makenzie, aka Numbuh 362, was discharged of her position of Soopreme Commander of the KND. She was considered unfit for the job they said, but everyone knows it was due to the psychological strain she was under going. She later joined sector V. Numbuh 480 took over as the Soopreme Commander, he was a good leader, but a bit paranoid. Ok, who was he kidding, mojorly paranoid. A few weeks ago he noticed that the so far, 58 of all G-94 operatives, that's operatives born in 1994, that had turned thirteen had gone traitor. So, monsieur parinoido, orders a mass decommissioning of all G-94s. Luckily, the event was called off, but what did it matter? Here he was, on his way to decom' anyway. But then, did he really want to stick around? The KND was falling apart. Childhood just isn't as innocent as it used to be. You're having ten year old drug addicts, twelve year olds with active sex lives and eight year old diabetics. All of which were working their way into the KND. Not to mention the Splinter Cell radicals who were bombing important KND sites and sectors on a weekly basis. He remembered the conversation he had had with Abby the day before her decommissioning:

''Hey, Abs,'' Hoagie called, ''d'ya hear 'bout Numbuh 1-Luv?''

''That he was found with 4 kilos of crack,'' she called back, ''yeah, Abby heard.''

''This organization's heading for the tubes,'' Hoagie sighed.

''You think things are bad now,'' Abby said darkly, ''just wait 'til ya join the Teens.''

Ok, not much of a conversation, but anyway. Hoagie hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but he wasn't surprised when Abby's decommissioning was cut short by Cree blasting in and snatching the what seemed expectant Abby right outta the decom beforethe sequence could even begin. The PTV docked at the moonbase. As he stepped off the ship, Hoagie was flooded with faces, cameras and microphones.

''Numbuh 2, what do you think about the attempted mass decommissioning?''

''Numbuh 2, is it true you have crush on Numbuh 86?''

''Numbuh 2, do you have anything planned for your decommissioning?''

''All right back it up,'' Numbuh 68, Fanny's replacement, yelled, ''no questions, he's a prisoner, remember?''

The decommissioning squad led Hoagie through the reporters, who were still yelling at him, trying to get him to say something they could slap onto the front page and publish all over the country. He was led through the halls to the decom chamber, or the mourge as most operatives have come to call it, due to the new system that decommissioned operatives are placed in an unconscious state until there is a ship open to take them back to the ground, but until then the 'dead' operatives are put on those metal bed-things with a white cloth over them, giving the effect of a morgue. Suddenly a thought slapped him in the face.

''You think things are bad now,'' Abby said darkly, ''just wait 'til ya join the Teens.''

Did that mean that they were coming for him? Probably. Ok, next question. Did he want to go? Well, one: he could tell the guards about the Teens attack, the decommissioning goes as planned and he forgets the best seven years of his life, or two: he could allow the Teens to pluck him outta there and he joins an organization he has been fighting against for most of his childhood. But then again, his childhood was over. A smirk spread across his now no-so sullen face, this was noticed by Numbuh 68.

''And what you smilin' 'bout, teenager?'' he said, ''You had better no be plannin' nothin'.''

''Oh, I'm not planning anything,'' Hoagie said.

''Better not be,'' 68 said sternly.

They arrived at the decommissioning chamber. In the middle stood the decommissioning device that, again, he had designed. It's called the:

Kids Next Door S.T.E.M:

S upercharging

T oataly

E liminates

M emorys

It worked rather simply. The said operative is secured into the large circular chamber in the center of the device. The airlock door is then shut and a scan of the operatives brain begins. After the device determines the frequency of the selected memories, seventy bazillion volts of electricity is probed into the air of the chamber at that frequency, forming a kind of harmless radiation. The reaction is called supercharging. At such a high voltage, the electricity in the air does not affect the operative in any way. It does however, affect the Limbic System and central Cerebrum, the parts of your brain that control emotion and memory. The process is kind of like putting a sponge in some water. As the electricity passes through the brain, it soaks up the memory. The electricity then leaves the brain with the memories trapped inside. The electricity then swirls around the chamber. A second lot of electricity is then probed into the air. The second lot then eliminates the first lot electricity, which contains the memories, eliminating the memories. If this wasn't done, when the airlock was opened the electro-memories would fly back into the brain making the whole sequence one hell of a waste of time. It seems long, but the entire thing only takes about thirty seconds. A side-affect of the sequence is that as the memory is removed, it appears to the operative being decommissioned is kind of a flash-back. 'Know how they say your life flashes before your eyes in a life-threatening situation? Same-sorta thing. Numbuh 68 walked Hoagie to the STEM and put him in the chair.

''Right teenager,'' he said, ''any last words.''

''Just nine,'' Hoagie said smugly, he had just noticed a small speck of orange through the large windows around him, ''It's gonna be so much fun kickin' yer ass.''

''Not likely,'' Numbuh 68 snorted, ''start the sequence!''

The airlock door. Hoagie heard the hum of the generator powering up. Suddenly the sound of his own voice crackled from an un-placable source. Hoagie smiled.

''Well come to your decommissioning, this is Numbuh 2, aka Hoagie Gilligan here, the designer of this torture chamber that surrounds you. I know you're probably not to happy that the last voice you're gonna hear is mine but think of it this way, it'll drive Numbuh 86 nuts. The humming you are probably hearing right about know is the power generator starting up. It's about to start the sequence that will tear you most prized memories right from yer head. But don't worry I got some good news too: a side-affect of the process that removes your memories is that you get the to view one last time, kinda like a flash-back. So a little advice, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, it'll be over before you know it.''

Hoagie couldn't help chuckling. He wished he could see the look on Fanny's face when she heard that. Priceless. He began to feel a his skin tingle. The sequence was starting. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted. There was a flash and an image appeared. He saw himself standing proudly. It was the Cadets Next Door class of 2000 graduation ceremony.

''God I was fat,'' Hoagie said, cringing

Ther was another flash, now he saw himself standing at the graduation ceremony buffet table. He was stuffing his face.

''Uugg,'' he said. cringing again, ''I ate like that?''

Another figure stepped into view. He recognized it immediately.

''Hi,'' Abby said cheerfully.

''Hgm'' Hoagie replied, his mouth full of mini sandwiches.

Abby smiled and handed him a napkin. Hoagie swallowed and wiped his mouth.

''I'm Abby,'' she said, ''but my codename's Numbuh 5.''

''I'm Hoagie, or Numbuh 2, which ever you prefer.''

They shook.

''Nice to meet you, Hoagie,'' she said, ''I actually came over here to give your sector.''

"Hopefully I'm with you," Hoagie said.

''Well you're in luck,'' Abby said smiling again, ''we're stationed with Nigel Uno, Donny Sty and my sister, Cree.''

"Nigel huh," Hoagie said.

"You know him?" Abby asked

"Oh yeah," Hoagie said, ''we go way back. Why?"

"I dunno," Abby said blushing, "I think he's kinda cute."

Hoagie had smiled, but he remembered the way his heart had sunk. There was another flash, and another vision, this time the first mission he when on with his new sector.

The scene was madness. Sectors V, Q and L all locked in battle with Big Brother. He wasn't the worst of bad guys, it's just the game plan had fallen apart at the word go. Hoagie was fumbling desperately with his laser rifle, which had jammed. Suddenly Abby jumped, knocking Hoagie aside just as a trash can crashed into where he was sitting. Hoagie looked up in disbelief.

"Thanks,'' he said to his rescuer.

"No prob' kid," Abby said smiling.

"Yeah well...HEY!" Hoagie exclaimed, "stop calling me kid, you're only a month older than me!!"

More flashes, more visions. He watched in despair as they became more and more recent.

"This is it,'' he thought, ''they aren't coming for me.''

He heard a large crash from outside the STEM. Suddenly, the airlock door was blown open. He felt every electron in the air rush back into his head. It felt like a brain-freeze and an electrocution. As he fought the black coming from the edges of his eyes, he felt himself being dragged out of the STEM.

"Don't fight it," he heard a familiar voice say.

So he didn't.

The problem is that you will never get to experience the refection you do leave behind, for to leave such a reflection, you have no intention of coming back.

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