Subject 219: Maxine Caulfield
Notes: A bit of a short chapter today but I got excited and wanted to post it already. Plus I'll be out of town this weekend and won't really be able to update before my trip. (unless I'm struck by madness and manage to finish chapter eight in two days? [hint hint your feedback tends to trigger said madness] )
Things are a bit slow for now, but I think they'll start to pick up as more and more characters get involved and as Chloe pushes back against her denial.
(also if you need to you can read back to chapter five since the flashback we closed at in that chapter will continue in this one)
CHAPTER SEVEN
FLASHBACK; ALTERNATE TIMELINE
TWO STUDENTS SHOT DEAD
The headline continued to swim through Max's mind as she sat in a cab on the way to Blackwell. Hopefully in this universe, she was still a student there. Hopefully, there was another way to figure this out.
Chloe was gone. Again. She confronted and antagonized Jefferson because of Max's warning, and now both Chloe and Rachel were dead.
There had to be another way. Max had to figure it out and find it. Her head felt heavy with the strain of using her abilities far more than she'd ever used them before and her body was sluggish with exhaustion.
But Max wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to stop until she found a way to save everyone. A stupid choice between Chloe and Arcadia Bay couldn't be the only way things were supposed to end.
There had to be another way.
As the cab pulled to a stop and Max pushed more money than necessary into his hands, she resolved to find another picture she could focus into. Maybe one where Max could be the one to warn authorities about Jefferson, where Chloe wouldn't have to suffer as the only one who knew something was wrong with him.
Making her way to the dorms, Max was interrupted by Victoria, whose warm greeting was as off-putting as it was in a previous timeline. "How are you? Have you heard about Kari Price? I think you mentioned being her friend when you were kids?"
"Not now, Victoria." Max didn't have time for pleasantries and there was no need to dwell on Victoria's hurt feelings. There were bigger things to consider.
Another interruption came in the form of a girl with a beanie practically shoving a flyer in Max's face and she was about to push it away when the headline caught her eye.
JOIN THE PSYCHICS CLUB TODAY
Frowning, Max took the flyer to give it another look.
"This isn't a joke, I promise." The girl, who Max recognized now as Steph, started to explain the goals of the club. "I know Mr. Jefferson was rumored to be taking photos of people believed to be psychics, but this isn't about exploiting psychics."
Mentions of psychics in this timeline was definitely unusual. Was it related to the changes she'd been making?
"We just want to be able to get together and feel safe. Build a community, you know?"
"Thanks, Steph." Max flashed as polite a smile as she could manage despite the rising inner turmoil. "I'll check this out later."
Continuing on her way to the dorms, Max had just about entered the girls' building when Dana came into view. "Max, can we talk?"
Too many things were popping up. Max needed to get to her room and think about how to fix this. She didn't have anymore time for more interruptions. There was no way Max was going to allow this universe to remain a reality, so she didn't have to dwell on the people trying to interact with her.
"I talked to her, Max." Dana seemed to realize Max was thinking of a way to squirm away from a conversation. Just jumping right into it effectively captured Max's attention. "I talked to Chloe."
Max frowned. "What?"
"Before... before she went into that bunker." That was when Max noticed that Dana's tone was somber and her eyes looked bloodshot from lack of sleep or from crying or a combination thereof. "She told me where to find a flashdrive. It's where she saved a lot of her research on Mr. Jefferson. She said Juliet and I could break the story if anything happened to her and Rachel."
The snooping... the crude investigation... Chloe did that all without Max. If she did it with anyone, it was probably with Rachel. They played a dangerous game and paid the price.
"When I asked Chloe why she was so suspicious of Jefferson, she said it was because of something you told her. You warned her about it when you were younger." Dana continued.
"From when you were still friends."
Legs trembling, Max had to lean against the wall to steady herself while the hallway around her seemed to swim in and out of focus. This was a mess and it was all because Max planted fear and paranoia in Chloe at too young an age. Somehow it stuck with her but instead of staying away, she seemed to have been driven to expose him instead.
"What happened between you two?" Dana asked. "Chloe said you used to be very close. But when you came back and she tried talking to you about Jefferson, none of it seemed to click with you."
Warmth building behind her eyes accompanied her blurring vision. The urge to cry accompanied a tightening in her chest but she fought it back. She couldn't break down now.
"She said you chose Jefferson and she chose Rachel."
"Fuck." Max couldn't stand any more of this. She couldn't continue to allow this timeline to remain a reality.
She had to fix this.
"Max, can we-"
"Leave me alone, Dana." Max walked past her. "I need to figure this out."
It seemed like an eternity before Max was finally in the safety and privacy of her room.
PRESENT
"As explained in the handbook, you're not to interfere with any of the tests being run by the scientists." David paced a portion of the parking lot they'd delegated for tonight's briefing and training session. "At best, you should just stand to the side and pay close attention to the subject's behavior and to the scientists' instructions."
"Don't interrupt the tests or make any moves without orders." It physically pained Chloe to resist the urge to roll her eyes as she summarized David's points. "Got it."
David nodded. "Good. There may come a time when you might have to take action for the safety of both subject and scientist. A few scientists here have been known to get way too fixated on their experiments and it puts themselves or their subjects at risk."
Something about that unnerved Chloe.
Even if she hadn't yet stood as witness to any actual tests, she still hadn't forgotten how bruised and starved Subject 219 looked the last time Chloe saw her. There was just something very wrong about how broken the girl looked. How she almost didn't look human anymore.
And the way Zachary Riggins barked orders at her, even threatening to cuff her to her bed?
That felt wrong.
Now, knowing there were scientists here who were willing to push their little lab rats to dangerous levels?
The more time Chloe spent thinking about this job, the less she felt like it was a good idea.
But what other choice did she have?
"Now if that happens, a guard may interfere." David continued. "But that's only under very specific circumstances and you, as a trainee, are not to interfere at all. You have no clearance or training to interrupt a test. Do you understand?"
Swallowing the bile rising to her throat, Chloe forced herself to nod.
David seemed impressed by the fact that Chloe hadn't said anything snarky for nearly half an hour. "Good. Now usually, scientists work with assistants who know some of the basic techniques for restraining a subject if one gets unruly. Their main focus though is mostly to just manage and monitor the equipment and otherwise help the scientists."
Chloe nodded to show she was still paying attention even if her focus wasn't really on him.
The disaster of a meetup with Dana and Juliet still weighed heavily in Chloe's mind.
No matter how much they tried to convince Chloe that they were in it for the principle of helping the subjects, they still stood to gain a great deal of credit and prestige once the story broke.
On top of that was still the fact that the last time Chloe trusted Juliet with a story, it blew up into a mess.
"Your job as a guard is to ensure the safety of all involved." David continued, "You'll also be expected to transport subjects and restrain them if needed."
The more Chloe heard of all these rules for how to deal with the subjects, the more it felt like the subjects were prisoners here. They were lab rats, actually. Trapped in their cells and escorted to their tests like criminals being moved around.
"Okay." Chloe mumbled, keeping her eyes down.
"What's wrong?" David's voice was gruff yet awkward. He sounded almost like he was genuinely trying to show concern but didn't know how.
"Nothing."
"You're not hungover, are you?"
Chloe bristled. "No! I'm fine!"
Granted, she drank heavily after the meetup with Juliet and Dana. The bottle was pretty much empty now and Chloe was going to have to get more at the next opportunity.
But she could handle her alcohol and she wasn't the slightest bit hungover tonight.
David huffed. "If you say so."
"You said there were subjects you wanted to talk to me about." Chloe hoped one of those was 219. Hopefully David could shed light on that point of confusion.
"Maybe another time." David said.
"Why not now?"
David's jaw clenched. "Because your training doesn't need to involve that just yet."
"Is it about 219?" Chloe took a step forward. "Is there something you want to tell me about her?"
Shaking his head, David spoke softly and avoided Chloe's gaze. "There are just things she seems to know that she shouldn't. Let's talk about this later. After your shift. I promise."
Narrowing her eyes at him, Chloe said, "But her powers are screwing with time, not reading minds, right? Or casting illusions?"
"Chloe, just drop it." David's tone was a low warning now. "It's time for us to go over some techniques if you encounter an unruly subject."
"Most of them are in bed this time around anyway, it can't be that urgent!"
David ran a hand through his hair and sighed audibly before speaking again, "Chloe, this is in preparation for your move to the dayshift. Your mother is already up my ass about you not coping well with the graveyard shift. She can tell how fucked up you are."
This response forced Chloe to pause.
"I'm pretty sure she suspects the drinking but doesn't want to face it."
Chloe looked down, this time unable to meet his eyes. She wasn't ready to dwell on Mom's condition or how such a heavy burden of stress could deeply affect her health.
"Can you please just work with me here?" David's voice softened now. "We're both doing this for her, remember?"
In an unsteady voice, Chloe admitted what she hated having to. "You're right."
"Right." David shifted his stance. "I'm going to come at you and I want you to subdue me. Bring out the electric prod and practice the motion of directing it at me."
"Oooh." Taking advantage of the shift in topic, she tried for a shift in mood. "Can I-"
"No, you may not taze me."
Rolling her eyes, Chloe moved into position. "Buzzkill."
FLASHBACK; ALTERNATE TIMELINE
Looking at her photo wall, Max forced her ragged gasps to deepen into more even breaths.
She had to be calm for this. She had to be in control. She had to be focused.
There weren't any pictures with Chloe since apparently, in this reality, Max was part of the Vortex Club and on good speaking terms with Victoria, even Nathan. There were more than enough pictures of the three of them laughing together, even drinking together.
It had to be farther back.
Max picked out an old selfie from Seattle. It was around the time she'd decided to go back to Arcadia Bay since she'd heard that Mr. Jefferson was teaching there.
If she did this from a distance, maybe it wouldn't be traced back to Chloe.
Focusing on the picture, Max felt the throbbing pain in her head increase to a nearly unbearable level. She'd been overusing her abilities. Max knew she was nearing her very limits, but she couldn't just stop now.
By the time she found herself in her old bedroom in Seattle, she wanted nothing more than to lie in bed and pass out.
But that wouldn't fix anything.
Max had to fix everything.
Grabbing her phone, Max dialed 911.
The operator picked up before the first ring was even over.
"Hi, I'd like to…" What was she going to say? How could she sound convincing? "I'd like to place an anonymous tip."
"Regarding what, ma'am?"
"Mark Jefferson." Max couldn't help but shiver as the name worked its way past her lips. How could she have looked up to him as a hero not so long ago? "He drugs students. I can't give a lot of details but…"
How could she give more credibility to this report?
"…but I know it's happened to my friends. They don't remember much of what he does while they're drugged."
"Would you be able to give us more information?" The operator asked, "This is a serious accusation and-"
"Mark Jefferson teaches at Blackwell in Arcadia Bay. Please look into it." Max hung up before the operator could ask more questions.
Hopefully the urgency and fear in her voice was going to be enough to convince him. Hopefully they would look into it before Chloe or Rachel ever tried to do anything stupid. Hopefully that call would be enough to save them. Hopefully things would be okay.
Max needed things to be okay after this.
As she felt herself being pulled back to a new present timeline, Max prayed she wouldn't have to make any more changes.
PRESENT
It took several tries before David was satisfied with Chloe being able to respond to an attacker charging at her. After that they went over some basic rules regarding use of their standard equipment. Some guards carried guns but Chloe wasn't cleared for that yet so her focus was to get familiar with the electric prod, which was longer than a tazer and made it easier for a guard to subdue a subject from a farther distance; the flashlight, which was more for guards during the night shift; the baton, which wasn't to be used unless absolutely necessary and David reiterated that Chloe wasn't allowed to use hers until after he'd trained her with its uses; and the handcuffs, which were to be used to subdue targets who wouldn't cooperate.
A few subjects had permanent cuffs that doubled as blockers for their abilities, but some didn't have any such restraints. That was why guards had handcuffs on their person as a precaution.
She felt more like a prison guard than anything else as she began her patrol rounds after being dismissed by David.
Maybe now was as good a time as any to try dropping by 219's cell. Chloe still wanted answers and if even David was unnerved by her, then something was up. If there were things she knew that she wasn't supposed to, then what could that mean?
Chloe didn't think she'd ever feel this eager to talk to her stepdick after shift.
What were the things 219 knew that she wasn't supposed to? What was it about her that bothered David?
As she made her way towards the lower floors with every intention of visiting 219 after the first round of patrolling, Chloe went over possible questions to ask the mysterious subject.
How do you know me? Why do you look like Max? Why do you sound like Max? How did you end up here? How can you really be Max?
And if it was Max…
Since when did you have powers like that?
Shouting jarred Chloe out of her train of thought.
"No more! Leave me alone! I CAN HEAR YOU JUDGING ME!" A panicked woman's voice accompanied what sounded like shattering glass. "He's not as brilliant as you think he is!"
Rushing into the room where the commotion was coming from, Chloe entered just in time to see an intern pressed up against the wall while a subject threw a tantrum, throwing papers in the air, kicking at the equipment and screaming between sobs.
"Stop, stop, STOP!" The subject pounded her fists against her head. "Get out! Stop thinking about Max! Stop thinking about mom! Stop thinking about Jefferson! Stop thinking about alcohol!" Stop STOP STOP!"
The subject lunged for Chloe and without thinking, she sidestepped before pushing the subject, redirecting her charge towards the wall.
A hard thud accompanied the impact before Chloe pinned the subject with one forearm and used the other to cuff her hands together.
She squirmed and struggled, forcing Chloe to trip her and pin her to the ground.
"Hey, take it easy." Chloe's tone came out harsher than intended as she pressed her knee across the subjects back. "I don't want to use the prod. Just calm down, okay?"
The calmer tone Chloe managed to use seemed to work, because the girl stopped struggling and instead allowed herself to be pulled to her knees.
She was sobbing and breathing heavily, but no longer trying to get away.
It made Chloe's chest ache.
The girl looked vaguely familiar.
"What's going on here?" The gruff voice of another guard pulled Chloe's attention away from the weeping subject. "Price, what happened here?"
"I dunno man, she was freaking out and throwing shit around." Chloe stood up and stepped away from the subject. "I…" What was the David way of reporting what happened? "I subdued and restrained her."
The guard looked from Chloe to the subject and back before taking in the state of the room. With a furrowing brow, he turned to the intern. "You okay, Victoria?"
In the panic and urgency of the situation, Chloe hadn't even noticed that the intern was Victoria.
Looking over at her, Chloe could see that Victoria still looked shaken up, but she hid it with narrowed eyes and a lifted chin. "I'm fine. Just take her back to her room."
"Will do." The guard, who Chloe recognized as Logan Robertson, another asshole from school, nodded to Victoria before roughly pulling the subject to her feet and jostling her out the door.
She was still sobbing and seemed to be gasping for breath as she stumbled around.
Shouldn't they be treating her more gently?
Chloe herself felt sick after manhandling the poor girl.
"What happened?" Chloe looked at Victoria.
"I just wanted to put in some extra work." Victoria's explanation was in a biting, clipped tone. "I had clearance for it and filed the paperwork correctly, if that's what you're asking."
A glance at her hands showed that they were still trembling.
Mentally kicking herself, Chloe took a step forward and allowed concern to filter into her words. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Victoria snapped. "Get out of here! I still have to salvage what little I can of my research."
Chloe hesitated.
"Get the fuck out of here before I report you!"
Gritting her teeth and once again resisting the urge to resort to physical violence with the one and only Victoria Chase, Chloe turned and started to walk towards the door.
"A thank you would have been nice." Chloe couldn't stop herself from grumbling as she left the room.
And as she continued to walk down the hallways, it dawned on her that the subject was Kate Marsh. An awkward girl who was quiet for the most part, kept to herself until she suddenly tried to jump off the school building. People in suits were able to stop her and after that, nobody really saw her again.
Apparently, she ended up here.
Chloe couldn't help but wonder who else was here and if it was worth peeking into every cell window.
But as the sick feeling in her stomach set in and the urge to get drunk later started to take its hold, Chloe knew she wasn't ready to sate her curiosity tonight. She wasn't ready to see more gaunt versions of faces she once knew. And just seeing more of the conditions these people lived with might just make Chloe throw up what little she'd eaten.
She was just going to finish her rounds of the upper floors then sit in the locker room on the last half hour of her shift.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to sit alone and just take this all in.
But there was a job to do.
Breathing in deeply, Chloe braced herself to carry on with her job, no matter how much it unnerved her.
Closing Notes: I tried putting in headings to distinguish flashbacks and Max's timehopping from the present day scenes. Are they okay or do I do without them?
