The next few days, by my instruction, have the subject periodically put under so that more tests can be run and her room can be changed to better suit her. Food is brought in while she's out so that when she wakes she can eat and remain in good health. Furniture is brought in to make her more comfortable, but nothing too dangerous is added. The bed put into the corner of her chamber is bolted to the floor, as is the table and chair brought in so she has somewhere to eat. It's not much in way of being homely, but more things will be added if the subject is seen as fully cooperative and no longer a threat in any sense of the word.
Surprisingly, the subject hasn't complained or commented about any of this. Most would rage or try to bargain with the walls, but she remains quiet and submissive. I've been studying her, both with and without the other Watchers, and both while she's under and up. While she's down, obviously, there isn't much to see for me, but I watch anyway. The subject is so calm, peaceful. The roughness of her skin clashes with how settled she looks. It makes me wonder why anyone would hurt her so viciously in the first place. By all appearances she's a level headed person that can't seem to bring down the wrath of a tiger if she tried. Then again, she did do quite a number on Cas when they first met. But that was under strenuous circumstances.
While the subject is up and awake, though, she's similar to a gorilla in a habitat- bored almost, but always looking for some way to amuse herself without bringing the attention of her captors. She exercises to the best of her ability, mostly push ups and sit ups since she has no equipment. I don't even think she's doing it to bulk herself up to try to escape, either. She's already muscular, but it's as if... she has energy she needs to expel. Which makes sense when you know she's been cooped up for a while now. Anyone would go stir crazy given enough time. It seems the subject's limit is just a few days.
But aside from her need to move, she's otherwise harmless. While I watch her she doesn't attempt to break through the wall to get me, which surprised me the first time I watched her alone. I expected her to try something tricky or at least sly. But she didn't. In fact, something much stranger happened.
While I sat in my chair, brought as close to the wall as I could bring it, the subject and I played brain games. I wanted to know, at least to some extent, how her mind worked. Obviously her thoughts formed differently, that much was obvious since the first time I interacted with her. I would guess that the abuse she endured, assumedly over a long period of time, had caused her development to take a turn for the worst, but I couldn't say for sure. So, that's how the games came about.
I started off with balance tests and listening skills, to make sure she wasn't effected by the tranquilizers we'd been giving her, and they turned out great. That wasn't the strange thing. What was, was the realization I came to when I asked the subject simple questions and riddles. She answered everything appropriately, but slowly, and I'm certain it wasn't because she's stupid. She'd stare at her side of the wall and scrunch her face, but she'd answer immediately if I sighed from waiting too long.
Going with my gut, I played with this new information. I gave her sillier riddles with no real answers and let her think on them. With every question I shortened the time it took me to sigh in irritation and, no matter what, every time, she'd give me an answer immediately afterwards. The shorter the time it took me to sigh, the more outlandish her answer was. That was no problem in itself as anyone would blurt out anything that came to mind when they had limited time to answer a question. But in those instances of ridiculous answers came the strange thing.
To my absolute surprise the subject would fidget and grow uncomfortable when she knew she said something ridiculous, more so if I made a noise of dissatisfaction. After a while, I saw that she wasn't embarrassed for herself, not in the least bit. It became obvious that she was punishing herself for not giving me a good answer, an answer that I wanted. Again, I tested my theory. I gave more riddles and waited for her answer. When she gave one I'd tut in disappointment even when her response was correct. Without fail, after my tut, she'd shift and look to the floor in shame. But if no tut came, she'd smile softly.
If I made a noise of satisfaction, though, she would appear almost... euphoric. And this was strange.
The subject wanted to please me.
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I continued to be drugged day in and day out, only allowed to be lucid when I was wanted to eat or use the bathroom or sleep. I never complained, though, because who would I complain to? The walls? Besides, things weren't so bad. Whenever I woke up I got free food and, eventually, the minimum of furniture. I woke up one day and there was a bed in the corner of my room, bolted to the floor. I didn't mind that at all. I was just glad to have a bed. Then, another day I assume, I woke up to have a table and chair in my room, also bolted to the floor. I begun to use that space as my kitchen, having my meals there instead of my bed. Things were much more sanitary that way.
All this was okay for me, and it still is. The only bad thing was that, after day two, or at least it felt like day two, I started to feel wound up. I didn't have the means to run or play or go out and seduce a lovely woman to spend the night with me, so I was forced to do little workouts to keep myself leveled. Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but it did thanks to the woman with the pretty voice spending time with me. She'd watch me from her space behind the wall, almost always with her two male companions, who I had no interest in. But then she started to come see me all in her own, and it was my favorite part of the day.
It was weird. I never saw her, have still never seen her, but I felt a connection to her. Her voice kept me calm and focused and I did everything in my power to make her happy. It wasn't much, but I tried. At first I thought she'd ask me my name, who I was, what I did in my past, but instead she played children's games with me. I had no idea what her obsessions with these games were but I played them anyhow. It was a good way to pass the time, too.
But halfway through our first session together, playing these games, I found myself wanting to not win, but to do whatever the woman with the pretty voice wanted me to do. It took me longer to answer the riddles and teasers she'd give, all because I was desperate to find the response that would be the most pleasing to her. I don't even know why. Maybe it was because she was the only female presence around me, or maybe it was because I was yearning for interaction. Whatever the case, I did my best to say things that made the woman hum in approval. If she didn't- if she sighed or tutted at me in disappointment- I'd feel terrible and ashamed. Angry, even, if I was having a particularly bad day. But anyway, I enjoyed these games, and I still do.
Today, whichever day it is, I'm playing again with the woman with the pretty voice. But this time her male friends are with her. I'm not so comfortable with them, especially when they comment on me and weird electronic noises punctuate their sentences, but I play along for the woman's sake.
But then something different happens. "I want to try something new," the woman says, her voice full of authority. She never sounds like that when we're alone. Well, she does, but it's more understanding when it's only me and her. Her male friends make her colder, I've noticed.
"Okay," I say.
And then the lights cut out and I'm plunged into inky blackness.
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With a point of my finger Luis taps at the controls and the lights in the subject's chamber shut down. All I see is darkness. No glowing eyes.
Squinting, I ask, "What do you see?" Surely if the subject's eyes are more animal than human, she can see better in the dark.
The subject hesitates, making an odd helpless noise. I've heard her make it before. It's the noise she makes when she's not sure if I'll like what she has to say.
"Black?" she finally answers meekly.
"Anything else?" I prompt, eyes on Luis as he types what's happening for our files. Charles watches on in silence.
The subject scuffles about to eventually hit the wall separating us. "Nothing?" Then, "Am I supposed to see something?"
I press my lips together and think about what to do next. In Cas's report she said the subject's eyes glowed as they fought. They're not glowing now, so either Cas was mistaken or there's a trick to activating the glow skill.
Leaning back into my chair, I pinch my lower lip and watch the darkness before me. Perhaps fighting, adrenaline, is what causes the subject's eyes to glow. It could be a chemical reaction.
I motion a finger at Luis and he taps his pad, causing the wall in front of us to light up in a bright green. The subject becomes visible to us but her room remains dark. Her green tinted expression looks unsure, and I realize that she's waiting for me to say something to her.
"Well?" Charles grunts impatiently. He's already peeved at me for spending more time with the subject than I should, and consequently gained a good deal of her trust, which he wanted to do. Everyone already knows he's waiting for something big. This could have been his chance, but I took it from him. I don't feel bad about it.
"Give it time," I tell him, keeping my voice calm.
"You've had enough time," he snaps. "I think we should hand this off to someone else." Translation: let him take over and gain favor, maybe even control the subject the way Mariam controls Cas. "You've studied the subject enough. We know all we need to."
I remain blank faced and pretend I don't see Luis looking worriedly at me. "I'm not done," I say slowly. "The file isn't done. The General needs- wants- more. Complain to him if you feel the need to."
Charles stares me down and works his jaw. He won't go to the General, not when I'm more likely to be listened to. Besides, even the General knows Charles's asinine dream of having more control than he should have. The man is a sadist and I'm forever grateful that he's only a Watcher.
"I'll recommend you be relocated," Charles says with constrained anger. "You've grown too close to this. You've become a liability."
"A liability?" I scoff. "Maybe I should recommend you be relocated. You've grown careless and forgetful with your duties." I won't outright say that Charles is getting frustrating, but he really has become worrisome. He's too cocky, too uncaring. He'd destroy for fun if he had the power, that I'm sure of.
"Don't fight me," Charles warns. "I've been here years before you and I'll be here years after you're gone."
I spare Luis a glance, feeling bad for him. He always stays out of it when Charles and I scuffle verbally. "Is that a threat?" I mumble. I don't want to do this anymore. The squabbles always end the same- Charles backs down, knowing I have more sway with the General and other higher ups, and I pretend like I've had enough and just might quit. I never do, obviously, but it makes Charles's twisted side feel better for a moment, at least.
"This time it is," Charles growls in that old man way he has. "This subject is too much for you. You couldn't handle Cas and you can't handle this one."
I frown and shoot him a look. No one could handle Cas. Mariam was a lucky break that we were all thankful for. It's stupid of Charles to bring that situation up, especially when this time the subject has taken to me, and she hasn't even seen me before.
"That's unfair," I tell him, starting to feel irritated for real. "You couldn't handle Cas either, and you definitely can't handle things this time around. She won't react to you at all, she hasn't since she's come in. Even hidden you're unappealing. That's how unfit you are for this."
Charles turns in his seat slightly. "Now listen here you-"
"Guys...." Luis wobbles out, drawing attention to him. Both Charles and I spin our heads in his direction, but then we pause, hearing the growling. It's deep, scary, sounding like it's coming from a large predator. Our heads slowly turn to see the subject crouched low to the ground, her face terrifyingly angry and her teeth bared viciously.
And her eyes are glowing bright, even through the night screen.
"Incredible," I whisper to myself. This is the first time I've seen the subject act anything but calm. She looks... "Oh, no," I say, getting out of my chair. If I'm right-
The subject slams into the wall with a soft roar and rears back to try again before I can even get Charles and Luis out of their seats. The wall is reinforced but I have no idea how strong the subject truly is. I don't want to take any chances.
The wall cracks as the subject throws herself against it again, snarling like a beast as she hits. The night screen malfunctions and it flickers, then it breaks down and darkness takes over. All that's to be seen in the chamber are two glowing circles moving backwards. The subject is aiming to ram the wall again.
"Luis!" I shout, bringing him out of his fear. He blinks at me and I snatch his pad from him to flip the lights back on in the chamber. The subject hunkers down as she's flooded with brightness, and Charles uses the confusion to call for the soldiers.
The subject reacts violently to Charles's voice and jumps at the wall where he's standing. She slams her fist into the wall and another crack sprouts just as soldiers flood her chamber. She doesn't even respond to their presence. Her focus is solely on the area of the wall where Charles is standing, and it remains there even when she's shot with a tranquilizer.
Her snarls die down as she gets drowsy, but she continues to try to assault Charles, her weak hand slapping at the wall. Eventually, she goes down and two soldiers drag her away from the wall to take her to her bed. They have no other orders, not yet, so I move to make sure nothing inhumane happens. But Charles's gnarly hand grabs my arm and I'm forced to deal with him.
"Like I said," he says smugly. "You can't handle it."
I rip my arm out of his grip and toss Luis's pad at Luis. He catches it as I say, "She reacted like that to you, Charles. The footage will back me up and believe me when I say I'm going to make sure you get nowhere near her. Now leave me alone, I have a job to do."
Charles stews in his own anger as I leave the looking glass to give appropriate orders to the soldiers. I want them to keep the subject under for now, so we can fix the looking glass wall, and so doctors can give the subject a quick check up.
This whole situation has given me a lot to think about, and now I'm more eager than ever to have a face to face with the subject. I need to know why she likes my voice but not Charles's. I need to know why she doesn't feel one way or the other about Luis's voice. I need... I need...
There's numerous questions and inquiries that I want satisfied, but I need to have a chat with the General to get the green light. I want to talk to the subject. I want to be in that chamber and learn about her.
Maybe Charles was right that I am too close to this, but this whole thing is the most exciting development since Cas.
And this time I get to have a front row seat to all the action.