Chapter 3 - I Hate You
Max woke up to the sounds of yelling. People were fighting and the sound of their loud voices hurt Max's head. She opened her eyes slowly a little dazed as the dream she had during her unconsciousness filtered back into her head and she blushed as she remembered. It took a few moments for her to realise where she was. She was in the sick bay of Terminal City. What happened? Was she sick or something? The fighting seemed to get louder and she paused to listen.
"We don't need your help, not yours or Lydecker's, haven't we suffered enough?"
That was Alec speaking and he seemed to be working himself into a rage. She could hear the anger and annoyance underlying his words.
"You don't need my help? Tell me 494, how did you plan to get the food and medical attention that you and your brothers and sisters need, Joshua tells me you are in need of both."
Max didn't know who it was speaking then but his voice sounded vaguely familiar.
"The name is Alec, and we will manage fine, we lived without you our whole lives, we didn't need you then and we don't need you now."
That was Alec again. Max could hear him getting more frustrated with every word he spoke.
"Listen up young puppy, you need us, stop acting like a brat and think about your brothers and sisters."
Max recognised the voice belong to Lydecker and she could practically feel Alec's furiousness at Lydecker's comment that he was a 'young puppy'
"I am that's why I am telling you we don't need your help," Alec said through clenched teeth and Max froze.
Alec was angry, Max could hear it in his voice. Worried that Alec wouldn't keep his temper Max moaned and his attention was diverted to her.
"Maxie, you okay?" Alec asked his voice full of worry and Max smiled mischievously amazed at the concern she saw in his eyes. This was the second time today she had been surprised by the emotions she never knew Alec had.
"Yeah, I could still kick your ass no problem," Max assured him giving a throaty laugh and Alec couldn't help but smile and Max suddenly frowned and pressed a hand to her forehead telling him absently, "I dreamt about you Alec, you were in my dream."
"Calm down Dorothy, you're still in Kansas," Alec joked with her and when Max looked annoyed he decided to pay more attention to her dream as he asked, "Want to tell me what happened in your dream?"
"If I did I'd have to kill you," Max joked with him listlessly and Alec chuckled.
"It was no dream Max, what you saw was a vision of what is to come," Sandeman told her. He spoke with such certainty that it chilled Max to the bone and she looked over at the man she had been searching for, for god knows how long. He seemed kinder than she expected, a sweet old man.
"Your future," Lydecker quickly clarified and Max stared at him open mouthed.
"My future?" she repeated blankly and Sandeman made to take a step towards her but Alec stepped between them his eyes daring Sandeman to try and get past him.
"Yes, you must let me explain and help you," Sandeman prevailed to Max and Alec got right up on his high horse as he folded his arms across his chest.
"She doesn't need your help!" he answered for Max before she had the chance and Sandeman shook his head at Alec as though pitying his lack of knowledge.
"How will she utilise her new abilities without me to teach her?" Sandeman questioned Alec who looked as though he didn't know or he didn't care, the latter suggestion seemed more realistic.
"New abilities?" Max repeated blankly her mind swimming from the overload of information and Sandeman looked down at Max affectionately.
"I have a story to tell you Max and I want you to keep your mind open to what I am saying," Sandeman pleaded and Max frowned but didn't want to not let him speak.
"Fine, speak," Max gave him leave to explain himself and Sandeman looked pleased while Alec looked plain annoyed.
"Max don't." Alec warned her and Max swung her fiery gaze on him and his protest faded away on his lips, he had never seen her so confused and annoyed.
"Alec, be quiet," Max said quietly and Alec glared at Sandeman and Lydecker before seating himself on a chair beside Max's bed, keeping his peace.
"My story starts when I was twenty years of age. I met the girl of my dreams; her name was Jessalyn, she was so beautiful and we married a month after we had met. At this time I was a member of the Familiar cult and I knew once Jessalyn had borne me children she would have to be killed and tossed aside and I couldn't bear the thought of such a thing happening to Jessalyn. Instead I eloped with her and hid her very existence from the cult, or so I thought I had. After our first son was born he was kidnapped by the cult and Jessalyn was devastated, I didn't want to try again for fear of what would happen but Jessalyn was adamant she would have her child. So she gave birth to our second son, the son you know as Ames White, but this time there were complications with the birth. Jessalyn was still sickly from our first son's birth and a few minutes after Ames entered the world Jessalyn left it for a better place. Before I knew it the cult had taken Ames away from me as well. I had never felt so alone. If not for the cult taking our first son Jessalyn would never have wanted a second child and she would never have left me. I began hating the cult, I began searching for ways to bring it down, to put an end to its revolting existence. I saw something on television about scientists researching a way to redesign human beings and that was when I started fiddling around with genetics. The cult was always looking for perfect evolution and I pondered what would happen if I could create a species of humans already at a higher evolution than the cult. My first experiments didn't quite work out the way I planned, Joshua and the rest of the anomalies weren't exactly the high evolution I was looking for so I continued experimenting. Until you came along Max, you, with no junk DNA, you were perfect; exactly what I had been looking for so I injected you with a serum that would make you the next stage of evolution when you reached twenty-one," Sandeman explained his story plainly but emotion was evident in his voice and even as Max watched a tear dropped from his eyes.
"The next stage of evolution?" Max asked wanting more information and Lydecker, seeing his boss was indisposed at the moment, hurried to answer her question.
"Yes, you have the ability to use telepathic skills, you are quicker, more precise in movements, better in every single way than your brothers and sisters, but you aren't the only one, Sandeman chose one from each series to take part in the evolution but they would reach their level of evolution after you, you were to be their leader," Lydecker told her seriously while Max stared at him open mouthed and unconsciously reached out for Alec's hand which she found. Telepathy? Max hadn't even considered such a thing to be possible.
"If all this was planned then what the hell are these?" Max used Alec's hand to pull herself up and she ripped off her tight black jacket to reveal the runes over her body that were visible around the blank Singlet that she wore. Alec tried not to let his eyes remain on her toned body but he couldn't help staring at her. It was as thought something inside compelled him to do so.
"Ah the runes - each serum was designed specially for each chosen one, Sandeman designed the serum so that each destiny would be made clear, and you would be able to recognise each other easily," Lydecker filled Max in and the words startled Alec who self consciously zipped up his jacket looking at Sandeman nervously. Max frowned pondering what Lydecker was saying. It was an intelligent idea, and if Max really was more evolved than the cults and she had a ready made army with her then to defeat the cult would not be so hard as she first imagined.
"I heard a baby earlier, is it yours? Have you conceived already?" Sandeman spoke up again having found his voice and Max widened her eyes in shock.
"No way!" she said quickly and Sandeman looked disappointed.
"Oh well, you will," he said resignedly and Max let out a laugh.
"I don't think so," she assured Sandeman who looked at her pityingly.
"It's destined, hasn't anyone ever told you what your runes predict?" Sandeman questioned and Max rolled her eyes expressively.
"Well not everyone is fluent in cult jabber," Max jeered sarcastically running out of patience, eager to know the secret that had plagued her for so long.
"Max, you will lead our transgenics and give life to the one who will rule both transgenics and humans, he will bring the transgenics to glory against the cult and bring peace to the world, it is your son who will someday become president of the United States," Sandeman predicted certainly and Max gaped at him.
"How can you predict that?" Max asked in wonder sensing somehow that Sandeman told the truth and it frightened her.
"It has been seen by our chosen psi ops member," Sandeman informed her cheerfully and Max narrowed her eyes at Sandeman then turned her accusing gaze to Lydecker.
"This is stupid Max, don't listen to him," Alec butted into the conversation growling at Lydecker and Sandeman but Max held up her hand silencing him.
"No Alec, everything is making sense to me now," Max said softly her voice full of venom.
"Max," Alec said concerned never having seen her so despondent but Max ignored him keeping her gaze firmly on the other two men in the room as she stood to her feet swaying slightly.
"And I have finally decided that I don't want anything to do with this.stupid war, I don't want anything to do with you or anyone like you, my life has been hell and I will not let you ruin my life again, I can never be with Logan because of the research you discovered, how can I forgive you for destroying my hopes for happiness?" Max asked them hate and anger in her voice and the malice she held for the two men were so obvious and unable to stand the sight of them any longer Max pushed past them and out of the door.
"Max, come back!" Alec called out but when she didn't stop Alec glared at Lydecker and Sandeman before following Max out of the room.
Max woke up to the sounds of yelling. People were fighting and the sound of their loud voices hurt Max's head. She opened her eyes slowly a little dazed as the dream she had during her unconsciousness filtered back into her head and she blushed as she remembered. It took a few moments for her to realise where she was. She was in the sick bay of Terminal City. What happened? Was she sick or something? The fighting seemed to get louder and she paused to listen.
"We don't need your help, not yours or Lydecker's, haven't we suffered enough?"
That was Alec speaking and he seemed to be working himself into a rage. She could hear the anger and annoyance underlying his words.
"You don't need my help? Tell me 494, how did you plan to get the food and medical attention that you and your brothers and sisters need, Joshua tells me you are in need of both."
Max didn't know who it was speaking then but his voice sounded vaguely familiar.
"The name is Alec, and we will manage fine, we lived without you our whole lives, we didn't need you then and we don't need you now."
That was Alec again. Max could hear him getting more frustrated with every word he spoke.
"Listen up young puppy, you need us, stop acting like a brat and think about your brothers and sisters."
Max recognised the voice belong to Lydecker and she could practically feel Alec's furiousness at Lydecker's comment that he was a 'young puppy'
"I am that's why I am telling you we don't need your help," Alec said through clenched teeth and Max froze.
Alec was angry, Max could hear it in his voice. Worried that Alec wouldn't keep his temper Max moaned and his attention was diverted to her.
"Maxie, you okay?" Alec asked his voice full of worry and Max smiled mischievously amazed at the concern she saw in his eyes. This was the second time today she had been surprised by the emotions she never knew Alec had.
"Yeah, I could still kick your ass no problem," Max assured him giving a throaty laugh and Alec couldn't help but smile and Max suddenly frowned and pressed a hand to her forehead telling him absently, "I dreamt about you Alec, you were in my dream."
"Calm down Dorothy, you're still in Kansas," Alec joked with her and when Max looked annoyed he decided to pay more attention to her dream as he asked, "Want to tell me what happened in your dream?"
"If I did I'd have to kill you," Max joked with him listlessly and Alec chuckled.
"It was no dream Max, what you saw was a vision of what is to come," Sandeman told her. He spoke with such certainty that it chilled Max to the bone and she looked over at the man she had been searching for, for god knows how long. He seemed kinder than she expected, a sweet old man.
"Your future," Lydecker quickly clarified and Max stared at him open mouthed.
"My future?" she repeated blankly and Sandeman made to take a step towards her but Alec stepped between them his eyes daring Sandeman to try and get past him.
"Yes, you must let me explain and help you," Sandeman prevailed to Max and Alec got right up on his high horse as he folded his arms across his chest.
"She doesn't need your help!" he answered for Max before she had the chance and Sandeman shook his head at Alec as though pitying his lack of knowledge.
"How will she utilise her new abilities without me to teach her?" Sandeman questioned Alec who looked as though he didn't know or he didn't care, the latter suggestion seemed more realistic.
"New abilities?" Max repeated blankly her mind swimming from the overload of information and Sandeman looked down at Max affectionately.
"I have a story to tell you Max and I want you to keep your mind open to what I am saying," Sandeman pleaded and Max frowned but didn't want to not let him speak.
"Fine, speak," Max gave him leave to explain himself and Sandeman looked pleased while Alec looked plain annoyed.
"Max don't." Alec warned her and Max swung her fiery gaze on him and his protest faded away on his lips, he had never seen her so confused and annoyed.
"Alec, be quiet," Max said quietly and Alec glared at Sandeman and Lydecker before seating himself on a chair beside Max's bed, keeping his peace.
"My story starts when I was twenty years of age. I met the girl of my dreams; her name was Jessalyn, she was so beautiful and we married a month after we had met. At this time I was a member of the Familiar cult and I knew once Jessalyn had borne me children she would have to be killed and tossed aside and I couldn't bear the thought of such a thing happening to Jessalyn. Instead I eloped with her and hid her very existence from the cult, or so I thought I had. After our first son was born he was kidnapped by the cult and Jessalyn was devastated, I didn't want to try again for fear of what would happen but Jessalyn was adamant she would have her child. So she gave birth to our second son, the son you know as Ames White, but this time there were complications with the birth. Jessalyn was still sickly from our first son's birth and a few minutes after Ames entered the world Jessalyn left it for a better place. Before I knew it the cult had taken Ames away from me as well. I had never felt so alone. If not for the cult taking our first son Jessalyn would never have wanted a second child and she would never have left me. I began hating the cult, I began searching for ways to bring it down, to put an end to its revolting existence. I saw something on television about scientists researching a way to redesign human beings and that was when I started fiddling around with genetics. The cult was always looking for perfect evolution and I pondered what would happen if I could create a species of humans already at a higher evolution than the cult. My first experiments didn't quite work out the way I planned, Joshua and the rest of the anomalies weren't exactly the high evolution I was looking for so I continued experimenting. Until you came along Max, you, with no junk DNA, you were perfect; exactly what I had been looking for so I injected you with a serum that would make you the next stage of evolution when you reached twenty-one," Sandeman explained his story plainly but emotion was evident in his voice and even as Max watched a tear dropped from his eyes.
"The next stage of evolution?" Max asked wanting more information and Lydecker, seeing his boss was indisposed at the moment, hurried to answer her question.
"Yes, you have the ability to use telepathic skills, you are quicker, more precise in movements, better in every single way than your brothers and sisters, but you aren't the only one, Sandeman chose one from each series to take part in the evolution but they would reach their level of evolution after you, you were to be their leader," Lydecker told her seriously while Max stared at him open mouthed and unconsciously reached out for Alec's hand which she found. Telepathy? Max hadn't even considered such a thing to be possible.
"If all this was planned then what the hell are these?" Max used Alec's hand to pull herself up and she ripped off her tight black jacket to reveal the runes over her body that were visible around the blank Singlet that she wore. Alec tried not to let his eyes remain on her toned body but he couldn't help staring at her. It was as thought something inside compelled him to do so.
"Ah the runes - each serum was designed specially for each chosen one, Sandeman designed the serum so that each destiny would be made clear, and you would be able to recognise each other easily," Lydecker filled Max in and the words startled Alec who self consciously zipped up his jacket looking at Sandeman nervously. Max frowned pondering what Lydecker was saying. It was an intelligent idea, and if Max really was more evolved than the cults and she had a ready made army with her then to defeat the cult would not be so hard as she first imagined.
"I heard a baby earlier, is it yours? Have you conceived already?" Sandeman spoke up again having found his voice and Max widened her eyes in shock.
"No way!" she said quickly and Sandeman looked disappointed.
"Oh well, you will," he said resignedly and Max let out a laugh.
"I don't think so," she assured Sandeman who looked at her pityingly.
"It's destined, hasn't anyone ever told you what your runes predict?" Sandeman questioned and Max rolled her eyes expressively.
"Well not everyone is fluent in cult jabber," Max jeered sarcastically running out of patience, eager to know the secret that had plagued her for so long.
"Max, you will lead our transgenics and give life to the one who will rule both transgenics and humans, he will bring the transgenics to glory against the cult and bring peace to the world, it is your son who will someday become president of the United States," Sandeman predicted certainly and Max gaped at him.
"How can you predict that?" Max asked in wonder sensing somehow that Sandeman told the truth and it frightened her.
"It has been seen by our chosen psi ops member," Sandeman informed her cheerfully and Max narrowed her eyes at Sandeman then turned her accusing gaze to Lydecker.
"This is stupid Max, don't listen to him," Alec butted into the conversation growling at Lydecker and Sandeman but Max held up her hand silencing him.
"No Alec, everything is making sense to me now," Max said softly her voice full of venom.
"Max," Alec said concerned never having seen her so despondent but Max ignored him keeping her gaze firmly on the other two men in the room as she stood to her feet swaying slightly.
"And I have finally decided that I don't want anything to do with this.stupid war, I don't want anything to do with you or anyone like you, my life has been hell and I will not let you ruin my life again, I can never be with Logan because of the research you discovered, how can I forgive you for destroying my hopes for happiness?" Max asked them hate and anger in her voice and the malice she held for the two men were so obvious and unable to stand the sight of them any longer Max pushed past them and out of the door.
"Max, come back!" Alec called out but when she didn't stop Alec glared at Lydecker and Sandeman before following Max out of the room.
