Nice. You did this well, you really captured the fact that the transgenics weren't just creations of science. I like it. ^_~

Very nice look into Lydecker. Very nice indeed. It must have been hard for you to write this, it's always hard to write dialogue-less character vignettes, but this one is just great. I love how you started out with, "I hate recovering alcoholics and their reliance on a higher power" and then seamlessly developed that into, "In the end my kids have redeemed me."

It's an interesting thought, sometimes I do wonder how Lydecker truly sees them. What he really feels. This piece, particularly at the end, explored that so nicely. Given the concept you started with, and what happened on the show, great characterization. It shows that Lydecker isn't just some two-dimensional caricature, you gave him depth. It was a pleasure to read this.

Your characterization of Lydecker is dead on. I can't imagine it being any better. You explored all aspects of a mysterious and multidimensional individual, one of the best fictional characters I've ever seen. I love how you have him realizing that his kids can become more than he made and trained them to be, that they can learn to love and be human, something that he has lost.

The whole resentment of a higher power is a nice touch. But it seems to me that Lydecker is just using god as someone to blame for everything wrong with his life, which is itself a human weakness rooted in emotion, something that he tries to completely purge from himself and his "kids". It seems that no matter how much he tries to destroy that part of himself, the inner emotions and humanity will always bubble up.

You're a truly gifted and insightful writer.

Did Lydecker succeed or fail? In some ways, he did both. He engineered superior beings, physically and mentally. But people, even Manticore experiments, are more than just physical and mental. There is another dimension that makes us more than machines, whether it is spirituality or something else. And there is nothing he could or can do to tinker with that. It is the aspect of humanity that keeps us alive when we think all hope is gone, that makes us do impossible things. No one can add that or take it away and expect to have a human being.

Can his kids redeem him? Yes. Because he is not the machine he pretends to be. Whatever he may say, there is the spark of hope in him too. There is the spark of love -- for his kids, for his dead wife. His kids have begun to teach him that there IS something else out there, whether it is a higher power, or hope, who knows? The fact that none of them have killed him yet, when they have had several opportunities, should be proof positive. And deep down inside, there is a spark of good in him that manifests itself over and over again, whether he likes it or not. Whatever he has done to others, he has never lied to Max. And that's a start to his redemption.

Oh, wow! I can't believe I overlooked this till now! You so got into Lydecker's head. I think you're right - he does feel pride when they outrun him. And he does seem to be most dissappointed in Zack. And he's torn between the cold soldier he's become, and the humanity he's rediscovering through his dedication to the X5s. The whole thing is very effective. It's sad in a way. You capture all the complex emotions of a man who must have lost an awful lot in the past to be able to totally lose faith like he has. And the touching thing is - he hasn't *really* lost all his faith. He still acknowleges a God; he's just angry and bitter at Him. Maybe that's an indication that the old man isn't completely lost? I love the last line: "In the end my failure was my greatest success."

There are precious few fics that examine the inner workings of Lydecker in such detail. It is refreshing to read about him. I've been watching Lydecker evolve over the season, and I think he's slowly coming to the realization that his kids are more than he trained them to be. I don't think love and hate were supposed to be part of them; they were supposed to be emotionless. I'm still mulling Lydecker's views about that, so it was nice to read this piece. As for how Lydecker feels about his kids' escape: On the one hand, he has to be upset, because the top of the X-5 class escaped and created all kinds of problems for him. On the other, though, I definitely think there's some paternal pride. Each time they elude him, it's a credit to him. If he ever finally catches them all, I think he'll be incredibly disappointed. I enjoyed reading this.

Weird. It's good, your writing could be better (just learned English). It's very well done.

He succeeded and excellent writing

he succeed because they were able to operate on there own and still fight on the own you get the drift but i also wanted to say this was written very well. good job

You know what? I think that's a pretty acurrate characterzaton of Donald Lydecker. A human trying to find and lose himself at the same time. Ultimatly it's his decision whether he succeded or failed. It's all in how you see it.

Wow, that was really good. :) He succeed.
Courtney

He succeeded in more ways than anyone can imagine! Go Deck!