James was on his annual trip with his father to visit the place were he was born, the place his mother had died.
This trip from Canada was going to be different, follow his story as he changes.
Ever since I was ten my father and I have made a sort of pilgrimage. That’s what I called it anyways. We would fly to San Francisco around the middle of July and drive from there to Palo Alto. There we would visit various places, ending up at a graveyard on the twentieth of July where we would place some flowers at a headstone. Every year when we did this, my father, usually a stoic man, would stand there with tears running down his face. He told me that first year what we where doing. First he would visit the places that he and my mother had met, then where they had visited together, and then finally he would come to where she was buried.
I never knew my mother, and hadn’t felt the loss, as we lived with my aunt, dad’s sister. That day was when I first missed having my mother. Dad had never remarried and now I understood why. She was irreplaceable.
Just like last year, on the sixth of these pilgrimages, I vowed that I would never let anything take Misaki from me. Every day of this trip I renewed that vow and every night I would email Misaki in our private code. Each day my father grew sadder. On the nineteenth I begged off going with him, instead staying at the motel. I was feeling very ill, and every time I moved the room spun and I stumbled to the bathroom, violently throwing up. Dad offered to stay with me, but I convinced him that as long as I stayed in bed I would be ok, and would be able to go with him tomorrow.
True to my word, I lay in bed and eventually fell asleep.
***
18th July, Beta Center
“OK folks, we’ve got a live one. Palo Alto CA. There is a hitch though, the subject is a Canadian, so this has the potential of getting out of control. Everything by the numbers.”
Daniel continued to brief us. This was going to be a low visibility snatch and grab. Our precog had identified the motel the subject was staying in, and that he would be alone around noon the following day.
***
19th July I-680 San Francisco 1:00 pm
Daniel was driving, and swearing slamming the steering wheel. Traffic was finally starting to move. There had been a major accident on the highway between a semi hauling pigs and a Gas truck. All but one lane was closed and everybody was rubber-necking. We were seriously behind schedule.
***
19th July, Motel, 1:30 pm
My dad came back a little later, and looked around the room agitated. “Dad, what’s wrong?”
He immediately looked relieved. “Are there you are, I didn’t see you. How are you feeling James?”
“I still feel like…” There was a sharp knock on the door which my father went to answer.
“Mr Osaka? I am Daniel Davidson with the CDC, may we come in?”
He opened the door and waved them in. “How can I help you? There’s nothing wrong is there?”
“We hope not. Where is your son Sir?” the young man asked.
“Right there on the bed,” my father replied, pointing to where I was lying propped up by pillows.
A look of relief passed over Daniel’s face as he looked over at me. “Sir, we believe that your son has come in contact with a virulent disease, that if untreated has the potential of becoming extremely contagious. We need to take a small blood sample to confirm this. May we?”
Dad looked visibly shaken. “Of course. It’s not fatal is it?”
One of the others came to my side. “This may sting a little,” she said, and then quickly took a small sample of blood from my left arm and placed it in a machine. She looked at her leader and shook her head. “Positive.”
The young man looked saddened. “With proper treatment, your son has about a 25% chance of surviving, without, none, and everyone around him. We need to take him to our secure treatment center and hope we can save him.”
“We will come with you then.” Dad said firmly. “I’ll call my work and tell them I need some personal time.”
“I’m sorry, we can’t allow that. The treatment center is a secure installation. I’m not allowed to even tell you where it. If your son makes it, we will bring him home to you, Vancouver I believe is where you live?”
“What about just taking him home and treating him there?”
“Sir, we have a very small window here. If we don’t get him in containment within the next six hours we will have to quarantine all of San Francisco, and probably lose ninety percent of the people here. We can’t allow that, and I don’t want to have to use force, I’d rather have your cooperation.”
My father deflated with that pronouncement, mustered up some courage and said to me, “James, fight this, whatever it is. Beat those odds and come back to me.” He gave me a hug, and told them to take care of me, and let him know how things were going.
Mr. Davidson nodded, and two of the people with him came in with a stretcher, and transferred me out to the large SUV. He had some final instructions for my father. “Mr. Osaka, you have to understand, that you can’t talk about this, we are trying to keep this quiet, we don’t need a panic. So far as we know this has disease has not left American soil, and we hope to keep it this way. We will contact you as soon as we know anything.”
With that we left, and they gave me a sedative that knocked me out.
When I woke up we had obviously reached our destination as we weren’t moving and I was in a bed. I felt different somehow, everything seemed to be off, and my peripheral vision was wild. I could see the bed I was lying on, on both sides of my head. A little freaked out I called out nervously “Hello?”
A startled voice replied. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She came over and looked down at me. I smiled as a pretty girl leaned over the bed, this peripheral vision had it’s bonuses. “Don’t worry,” she said. “You can open your eyes.”
This confused me as I was looking right at her, ok and down her shirt. A little heat came to my face and I tried to look away, but even though I moved my head, I could still see. “My eyes are open.”
“No they aren’t.” She responded. “Try and open them please.”
I tried to close my eyes, but realized they were indeed closed. I whimpered and tried to open them instead. When I did, my vision was blurred, almost like a multiple exposure, it soon steadied down.
I smiled at her, she was beautiful, I was a little sad when she left the room. I tried to sit up, but I was strapped to the bed. “What the hell?” I yelled out. Hell it was, I couldn’t move, and I didn’t sound like myself. If I didn’t know I had been speaking, I would have said it was Misaki, my girlfriend who spoke. I started to hyperventilate. What was this disease?
A short while later the man who had brought me here with dire warnings of a terrible, fatal disease, came into the room. He said “I have some good news.”
“News?” I squeaked.
“Ok,” he replied. “The good news is there is no disease,” he paused. “Cherry said that when you woke up, you said that your eyes were open when they were closed. Why?”
“I could see.” My voice freaked me out again and I screamed “I can see everything!”
He paused. “Ok, how many fingers am I hold up then?”
I turned my head towards him, automatically, and after moment of dizziness, answered. “Three, and she is holding up two in her right hand, and one in her left.” They were on opposite sides of the bed, there was no way I should have been able to see her, with my head turned towards him, but yet I could. I was starting to calm down, but my voice still freaked me. But as my father always told me, patience has its own reward, and I steadied my breathing. Besides, my head was killing me.
“Interesting,” he said. I am going to loosen the straps so you can sit up. I want to warn you that everything is going to seem wrong, but we will explain, and you are, as far as we can tell, perfectly healthy.”
He helped me sit up after he had released the straps which helped because I was sore all over. Everything still felt a little off, even my hair which I kept short, was brushing against my neck. I looked down, there were mounds on my chest, and my arms and hands were black and hairless. A deep purple black like an African. Sounding like a broken record I again exclaimed “What the hell?”
“That’s the real bad news. When your mother was pregnant with you she drank bottled water. Normally that would be a good thing, but what she didn’t know, and the company that bottled the water didn’t know, was that upstream from them some terrorists caused a spill from a genetic research company. You were born with everything you needed to become a female, and at about your current age, you transitioned to female.”
“Misaki is going to be pissed,” I muttered. I felt the mounds on my chest. They felt just like hers, but the sensations they sent to my brain were like nothing I had ever felt. Hardly daring to, I felt between my legs. There was nothing there. “No no no no!” I screamed and fainted.
When I woke up again, the headache was gone, I prayed that it was all a dream, but when I levered myself upright again, the jiggling on my chest, and the lack of anything down below told me the nightmare was real. Also, I was fit to burst, but fortunately there appeared to be an attached bathroom to this room. I slid off the bed with the intention of going there, but the room span around me like a dervish, and it felt like I was walking on stilts. I fell to the floor, hitting my head on the way down.
I was stunned, but luckily didn’t pass out. “Hey!” I yelled as I clambered to my feet.
Almost at the same time as I yelled a boy burst into the room. “I nearly killed myself in here!” I still needed to go to the bathroom. My legs were freakishly long and my boxers were threatening to fall around my ankles. I tried to stagger to the bathroom The boy took my arm, steadying me and guiding me to the bathroom. I was about to drop my boxers but stopped. “Some privacy please?” I mean, I am supposed to be a girl now and all.
He blushed and exited awkwardly closing the door behind him. I dropped my boxers, and remembered at the last minute that I needed to sit. At last relieved, I stood up, a little steadier and went to the sink to wash my hands. What I saw froze me in place. My face, my neck, everything was as black as my arms. If you discounted those strangeness’s I was a stunner, a wet dream made flesh. Even to the long straight black hair that hung way past my waist. Tall, thin, a well defined waist, and small, but high breasts. This was a girl that might make me look away from Misaki for more than a moment. But this girl was me. I shuddered and exited the bathroom.
The boy from before was gone, replaced by a an older woman who looked at the bump on my head, pronounced it as non-life threatening, and gave me some painkillers and a glass of water.
To be continued. Comments, as always, are appreciated.
Yet another girl came into the room and introduced herself. “Hi, I am Lilli, and these are for you.” I was honestly thinking that I must be the new attraction as so many different people came in to gawk at me. Not to say I didn’t gawk at Lilli, she was short, I mean real short, but not a child, not with those breasts, and shockingly bright pink hair.
I unwrapped the package, a pair of panties, sports bra, and sweat suit. All in pink, all bearing “Hello Kitty” logos. “You have to be kidding!”
“Nope,” she replied. “It’s just temporary ‘till I can get you to wardrobe. The commander wants to brief you, you can wear that, or your backless gown.”
I muttered and went to the bathroom to change, it all fit fairly well, except the legs and arms were way too short. When I emerged she giggled. “Sorry,” she said, it was the best I could do on short notice.”
I grumbled “It makes me look like a freak.”
“Then you’re in good company,” she replied. “We’re all freaks here, but we have to go and see the head freak before we can get you real clothes.”
***
Lilli ushered me into the commander’s office, nicely labelled as such. I was a little surprised to see Daniel Davidson sitting behind the desk.
“You are here to get the ground” he started.
I interrupted “When do I get to call my dad and tell him I’m ok?”
Daniel looked angry. “You don’t. James is dead, and your father has been regretfully informed that you did not survive, ashes are being couriered to him for burial.”
I was shocked and speechless.
He softened. “It is for your protection. There are groups that are trying to collect and use us as terrorists. They would brainwash you. If you were with your father, they would capture him to make you do what they wanted you to.”
“Us? So I am a prisoner?”
“We’re the same, both changed,” he said. “This is The Beta Center, we will train to use your gift, given a safe place to live, clothes, schooling.”
I nodded mulishly. Dad was going to be devastated to lose his only son on the anniversary of mom’s death, but it was better than him being tortured. I guessed.
“As I started to say,” Daniel continued. “The ground rules are that you can not under any circumstances contact anyone from your old life. They must, for their own protection, believe that James is dead. You also need to pick a new name to fit your new identity.”
I thought for a while. “If I don’t like my first choice, can I change it?”
“We would really rather you didn’t,” he replied. “We have to create the identity from whole cloth, it gets messy if we have to change it. Just because we are a branch of Homeland Security doesn’t mean we can do anything we want.”
I thought for a while, while the WO tapped his pencil on his desk, obviously getting impatient. Finally I came up with something I thought would work. “Fine, I’ll be Nefertiti Misaki Onyx, but you can call me Onyx.”
He tapped this into his terminal, checking with me to make sure he got the spelling right. “Fine,” he concluded. “Lili will take you to Wardrobe to get you some better fitting clothes and school uniform. This is your room key.” He handed me a plastic card A-121 printed on it. “After Wardrobe you are booked to see Mr. Tubman, the staff psychologist, who will help you adjust to your new status.”
As I turned to leave he handed me an iPhone. “Can’t forget this. It’s got a map of the base loaded, so you won’t get lost.” ¬
***
As Lilli lead me to the ominously named Wardrobe, I began to understand his last comment. She lead me through so many twists and turns, up and down stairs, I was completely lost. “You trying to confuse me?” I asked.
She giggled “It’s not so bad when you get used to it, and this is the shortest route. See, here we are.”
We had come at last to two doors marked respectively “Wardrobe — Boys” and Wardrobe — Girls”.
There it was in black and white, I was no longer a boy. It felt as though by stepping through the door marked “Girls” I would be giving up everything I knew. I hesitated.
Lilli opened the door and dragged me inside. “Come on,” she said. Right at the front were what I assumed were change rooms, marked fitting. “First lets get you sized. Into the fitting room and strip down to your panties.”
I frowned. “Don’t I have to have something to try on?” I had gone clothes shopping with Misaki a few times, and that was the normal procedure for girls, pick out some items, try them on, then go back and get the right size.
“No, this is the best,” she beamed. “Go on, and don’t forget to close your eyes.”
I went in, curious, and did as instructed. There was an open drawer to put those awful “Hello Kitty” sweats in. I figured she probably meant the sports bra as well, so took it off and put it in the drawer as well. As soon as I did the draw closed itself, and a pleasant but computerized voice said “Please stand still and hold your arms out and close your eyes.”
I did as instructed and yelled out “This is very Star Trek!”. Lilli giggled. I stood still as a web of lasers scanned my body and I felt a tingling on the soles of my feet. After a short time the scan was finished and the computerized voice announced that the scan was complete, and returned my clothes to me. I dressed and exited the booth, to see Lilli looking over a print out.
“Well?” I asked.
“Six foot six,” she replied. “You had better hope he likes tall women.”
“Huh?”
She giggled again. This was getting to be annoying. “Your boy friend.”
“Lets get this done,” I replied, trying to ignore the suggestion. “I want out of this pink crap.” I snatched the print out and was instantly drawn to the words at the bottom. Apparently, there were no pants, jeans, or anything that were long enough for me. My face fell.
“It’s not so bad, there is always shorts and skirts,” Lilli said. “But first there’s the school uniform.”
“School uniform? Isn’t that a little catholic?” I asked.
“Exactly, but don’t worry, they don’t teach religion here.” With that, she went to the nearest rack and picked out a skirt, blouse, lacy bra, and vest. “According to your measurements these should fit, but try them on,” she said shoving the items into my hands. “I’ll be back with shoes in a jiffy.”
I re-entered the booth, and donned the uniform. It was as I had feared, a short grey pleated skirt that left way too much leg exposed. The bra defined my breasts, B cup according to the printout, much more than the sports bra. Then the blouse, and the black vest, that really put my breasts front and center.
I stepped out and looked at my self in the mirror, turning so I could see all angles. Ooops, the shirt wasn’t tucked in properly at the back, fixing that quickly, I looked over the outfit. It wasn’t too bad. I had seen many girls wearing a similar outfit, but I wasn’t entirely comfortable, as I knew what thought went through my mind when I saw them.
Lilli was headed back from the depths of the warehouse like ‘Wardrobe’ carrying a shoe box. I made a mental bet with myself that they would be Mary Janes. I sat on a bench as she approached and opened the box, ready to try them on. I almost won my bet, they looked very Mary Jane like, except I had never heard of Mary Janes having two inch heel. I slipped them on, and did up the strap across the instep. They fit pretty well.
Here goes nothing, I thought, and I stood up. I almost face planted, and would have if Lilli hadn’t caught me.
“Whoopsie,” she said. “It takes some getting used to. Perhaps if you wear them as we go through the rest and pick some things for you to wear out of school time. I nodded assent, and we made our way through the racks and shelves.
At first I was pretty wobbly, but I got better as we went. Since I couldn’t really fit any of the jeans and such, we confined ourselves to skirts and shorts for bottoms. She shorts, to my mind were worse than the skirts, at least the skirts leave something to the imagination. However she convinced me to pick up a pair of yellow, and another in red. I picked up a selection of T-Shirts as well, for just general lounging around in. Then I spied them!
I admit I squealed. “Those are MINE!” I exclaimed when I spotted a pair of over the knee white boots.
Lilli looked surprised, with reason, I’ll give her that. They were probably the girliest thing in the place, four and a half inch spike heel and silver stitches up the outside.
“Umm, they were a special order for one of the guys,” she trailed off as I grabbed them.
“Then they shouldn’t have left them here.” I said. “If they fit me, then they will have to get used to disappointment. Besides, these are girls boots.”
I walked to a nearby bench, caressing the boots, saying “You wouldn’t want to be on some guys smelly feet would you?” I kicked off the MJs and pulled on the boots, and after closing the zipper at the ankle they fit perfectly. I stood up and sashayed over to Lilli.
“See, they fit like they were made for me.” I grinned at her. “Besides, don’t they look good on me?”
“Umm. Well not with the uniform,” she mumbled. “If you are set on those boots, you are going to have to let me put together the rest of the outfit.”
If that was what it was going to take to get the boots, “Okay, I wouldn’t want these gorgeous boots to be ashamed of me.”
“Go wait in the change room,” she instructed me. “And no peeking.”
I went to the change room, the heels on these boots made the simple act of walking a huge tease to everyone. I hate it, but I had to admit that I loved it as well. However, as I sat in the change room, I remembered the mischievous look on Lilli’s face. I waited what seemed like an eternity, my trepidation and nervousness increasing with every passing moment.
The door opened, and Lilli handed me a pair of panties. Just that, nothing else. I looked at her puzzled. She grinned at me. “Trust me. You want to wear these with what I have for you, put these on, and then come out and we’ll get you dressed to kill.”
That sounded a little ominous, but I did as instructed. They and were little more than slips of fabric covering the absolute minimum. Thank god at least they weren’t a thong. Nervously I stepped out, holding my new boots to my chest possessively.
Lilli handed me a white skirt, and told me to put it on. I had to put my boots down, but I put them down away from the minx. I started to pull the skirt up, but Lilli stopped me.
“No higher than this,” she instructed, stopping me with most of my hip bones showing. The briefness of the panties made sense now. And looking at the skirt, any higher up, and it would be exposing me. As it was, it ended at most a couple of inches below my crotch. It had a tight wide band at the top, flaring out to a pleated design below, pure white.
“Off with the bra, your shirt won’t work with one,” she instructed again. I bit my lip, but undid it, and dropped it to the bench. She handed me a slivery shirt, and I pulled it on. It was a sharp contrast to the skirt, loose on me, and almost backless. Only the bottom was it fitted, which made some sense, that was the only place it had a back. That bottom was only just past the end of my rib cage, and was slightly ribbed. It was a halter, the straps meeting at the back of my neck, and V in front dipped down to the ribbed bottom part. I felt pretty exposed, but moving around, I could see that although it looked like it was about to fall off, any but the most vigorous of activities would keep me decent.
There was one final item, an inch wide silver choker, from which hung a slender chain, suspending a sparkling red stone right between my breasts.
“That’s from my personal stash,” Lilli said. “It’s a real ruby.”
I pulled on my boots, and admired myself. Was I nervous about this, of course, but I looked hot. “I think I need a big stick with this.”
Lilli laughed. “Not really, but you do need this.” She handed me a white clutch purse, then looked at her watch. “Oh damn, we are running behind, you were supposed to see Mr Tubman 5 minutes ago.”
I went to go get changed, but Lilli stopped me. “No time, we have to go now. Your other things will be delivered to your room.
So I went to meet Mr. Tubman in possibly the hottest thing I hade ever seen a girl wear, something that screamed “I am a girl and no one is going to forget it.” Did I mention that Mr. Tubman was the staff shrink?
Walking to Mr. Tubman’s office was an experience, like the uniform skirt, this one felt too short, but unlike that one, I dared not try to tug it down. The movement of the top over my bare breasts soon had my nipples at attention, and due to the thinness of the material they were very visible.
We only encountered one person on the way to the head shrinker, and he would have been quite attractive, if he hadn’t stood there staring, is mouth slack as we continued down the corridor past him. I was sincerely hoping that this type of reaction was atypical. Soon after Lilli left me at the door to Mr. Tubman’s office saying “I’ll see you at lunch.”
I screwed up my nerve, and knocked at the door, and when told to enter, I opened the door, I stepped in.
Not looking up from papers on his desk he said “You’re late.”
I bristled a bit, but he was right. I was late. I stood in front of his desk waiting. Eventually, he put the folder down and looked up. The look of surprise on his face was almost immediately banished by that of strict professionalism, but it was there. “I see you have been to Wardrobe?”
I nodded. “Not what I expected,” I said quietly.
“Sit down sit down,” he said. “Get comfortable and we’ll begin.”
***
I am not going to bore you with the details of our session, save that he booked me for another two days later with an admonishment to not be late. Anyway, it’s personal. Finally however it was over, and I could go for lunch.
Yes, lunch, not going and finding something less revealing to wear. Somehow in the rush of things in the morning, I had missed breakfast, and who knows how many other meals. Compared to starving children in Africa, I was merely a bit peckish, but I felt hungrier than I had ever been in my life. Besides, Mr Tubman told me how to find the cafeteria not my room and I hadn’t had a spare moment to figure out the iPhone. Cunning bastard.
I hesitated at the door to the crowded cafeteria, conflicting thoughts and emotions churning in my head. I knew all the girls had been boys, and some would see me from that view point, the boys would be no better, sure they had been girls, but now their bodies were flooded with testosterone, I would be a magnet for them. I was afraid of the reactions from both groups, I was glad I turned out as such a hot chick not ugly or plain to be pitied, I was dismayed to be a girl.
Well, I thought to myself, it’s now or never, and I am hungry now… I took a deep breath and opened the door and walked in. My entrance had gone unnoticed. I looked around. Everyone was above average in looks, not a dog amongst them.
I was not the last to arrive, an older boy entered the line behind me with the swagger of someone who thought he was god’s gift to women. Sure enough, when he got close enough his hand moved forward, to either circle my bare waist, slap me on the ass, or pinch me. I didn’t care which, I didn’t want him touching me in any way. Without turning, I reached back and grabbed his wrist, I then looked over my shoulder and said “If you don’t want to lose that hand, you’ll keep it off me.”
Bravado? Yes, but I suspected that was the only thing that would work. Add the fact that I hadn’t looked back, might give him make him think I could back up my threat. Thankfully he didn’t call me on it..
A wave of silence spread through the room as everyone turned to look at me. I stood there petrified. A voice called out from the crowd, “Sean, do you have to attack every new girl?”
A laugh sounded out, and spread, about half the people there were laughing at him. The rest just ignoring us both. Gratefully I grabbed a couple of plates and joined Lilli at her table as she waved me over. As I walked over to her table there were lustful looks from some of the boys, and for that matter some of the girls. A few of both groups looked at me spitefully. It was unnerving, but I was trying to learn to ignore both.
I was expecting the food to be typical school cafeteria fare, but was pleasantly surprised, the Lasagne was excellent, and the pumpkin pie was heavenly, complete with real whipped cream. I really hoped my metabolism would keep up with my appetite if this was the quality of food they served here. If I had to be a girl, I definitely didn’t want the additional stigma of being a fat one. One of Lilli’s friends, Veronica, sighed “I wish I could eat like that.”
“Hey,” I replied, “I missed breakfast, and who knows how many meals before that.”
“Been there, done that,” she said. “But I didn’t cut back until the Doc weighed me at the monthly physical. She just looked at me disappointed. I got the hint.”
“I’ll have to watch that then.” I said.
“Well, there are alternatives, exercise, or if you’re really lucky a high energy power,” she suggested and looked at me inquiringly.
“Ugg, exercise.” I shrugged, “Don’t know, I’ll just get a scale and see.” Almost as soon as I had finished my phone beeped, I had a terse message. ‘PT Gear, exercise room C. 1330 sharp. Hill.’ I looked at my watch, that gave me half an hour. “Gotta run, I don’t want to be late twice on my first day.”
I consulted the map on the iPhone and headed to my room as fast as I could, not as fast as I wanted though, four and half in spike heels were not made for running in. True to Lilli’s word, the rest of items selected in our wardrobe expedition had been delivered, and even put away. There was even some semblance of order, the drab school uniform, then the brightly coloured casual, and not so casual clothes, and finally my PT gear, all in black..
I quickly stripped, tossing everything on the bottom bunk, except my boots that I put reverently on their own special shelf. As I dressed in my PT gear, it was another slap in the face that I was now a girl, gone was the loose t-shirt and shorts, now it was a pair of spandex shorts that came to mid thigh, a sports bra and a tight racerback shirt. At least since it was black it didn’t stand out as much. I minus occurred to me as I caught my reflection in the mirror, that from a distance, it would blend in with my skin, giving the impression that I might be naked. Great.
Looking at my watch again, I set of on a jog, I should just make it to the exercise room in time, long legs were a definite advantage here.
Or so I had thought, I was quite out of breath when I got there, but fortunately early. The room was empty of people at least, so I sat on the bench against the wall to catch my breath. A short while later a track suited man entered, looked around the room and muttered. “Late, why can’t people be on time?” and made mark on the clipboard he carried with him.
I stood up, annoyed. “Hey, I was here before you.”
He scratched out his first note, and wrote something else. “Attitude,” he said.
I bristled, but fought down the impulse to snap back a rude response, and instead replied, “I’m sorry. People keep overlooking me.”
“Well let’s get started then. We’ll start with powers.” He read down on the sheet. “Well, I guess you’ve demonstrated the first. I really didn’t notice you when I came in. Limited use though, more an annoyance I suspect. The other, do you really see everything around you?”
I nodded.
“Then let’s test that. Turn around.”
I did as Mr Hill told me. As I faced the wall I watched him he stepped back and looked me up and down. “You can quit checking out my ass any time,” I told him, a little snarkily. He didn’t react other than directing his gaze upwards.
While still behind me he held up a series of flash cards, asking me to identify the objects on them. I quickly got bored of this. His next test was to have me identify which of the Soccer ball or Basket ball was further. Still bored I answered “Soccer ball thirty-seven inches, Basket ball fifty-two and a quarter inches.”
“Don’t be a smart ass,” he snapped. “There is no way you can be that accurate.”
I shrugged. “Check it.”
He got out a tape measure, and measured the distances, looked up at me, “You got lucky, you’re right, but you’re still a smart ass.” He then put moved them so they were a distance apart, one to my right, one to my left, but still mainly behind me. “But since you are so smart, how far are they from each other?”
“Get me a calculator, and I’ll tell you. I can’t do trig in my head.” I bit my lip hoping that I could remember the formula.
He grinned, and handed me a calculator. “Go ahead.”
Damn, I thought. He would be prepared. Wracking my brain for the correct formula, I entered the distances, 54 inches. 151.5 inches, angle apart 106 degrees. “They are, if I got the calculation correct 170 inches apart, or 14 feet 2 inches.”
Again out came the tape measure. “Right again,” he said. “For more tests of visual acuity, we’ll send you to the eye doc.” He paused. “Next up, reaction times, and hand eye coordination.” He indicated for me to turn and face him.
I did, but looked at him questioningly.
“I know you can see me without looking at me,” he said. “But for this, I want you to use your eyes as well.”
Reaction time was tested using the old tried and true. Thumb and fore finger held a little apart. A rule dropped between them, close the fingers, and count the inches, I’d done this before. Repeat and rinse. After a few times, he averaged the results. “A little below average, but acceptable,” he commented. “Now we’ll try it with your eyes closed and see how much of a fall off we get.”
He performed the test again, and repeated it several more time. “Way above average,” he sounded surprised. “Are you sure you were trying with your eyes open?”
I nodded. “Yes, of course.”
The results were the same with the hand eye coordination tests, slightly below average with my eyes open, significantly above average with them closed. Mr. Hill chuckled. “If we didn’t have rules and morals against it, I would suggest putting your eyes out. Pretty sure the Syndicate would.”
I shuddered. Sure, I didn’t need my eyes to see, but losing them would suck.
Next were more mundane tests, strength, running speed, endurance. Thanks to having freakishly long legs, I didn’t suck at running, but was not exactly stellar. Strength and endurance, in the words of Mr. Hill were “sub-optimal.” I finally emerged from the torture chamber with an appointment with the optometrist, and an exercise program that I already hated.
I dragged my weary ass back to my room, stripped off my PT gear, grabbed a towel and took a long overdue shower. I even remembered to put conditioner in my hair. What I hadn’t considered is how long it would take for such a mass of hair to dry. I started to towel it vigorously as I used to, but quickly realized it would end up a tangled mess. I got as dry as I could, then combed it out. It was still pretty wet. I either needed to get it cut off, or obtain a hair dryer and lessons on how to use it.
I decided a longer skirt was in order after this morning. The longest one I had was a bright blue, but even so, it only came down to mid thigh. Sighing I pulled it on, and found a matching tank top. At least with it I could wear a bra. A pair of blue sneakers completed my ensemble. Yep, blue sneakers, apparently I needed multiple colours of shoes. I had four sneakers, the previously mentioned black, plus blue, yellow and pink ones. But that wasn’t it, not by a long shot. In addition Lilli had foisted on me, the black MJs, four pairs of sandals, and three heels. Add these gorgeous white boots I had insisted on, my babies, and I was turning into Imelda Marcos.
By the time I was ready, my hair had dried some, so was merely very damp, and it was time for supper. I was starving after the workout Mr. Hill had put me through, so I headed for the cafeteria, filled my tray with a plate of Sheppard’s Pie, salad, coke, and a slice of blueberry pie and made my way over to the table my new friends were sitting at.
Veronica looked at my food filled tray and said “I hate you,” but accompanied it with a cheerful smile.
“No you don’t,” I replied. “You pity me.” I showed her my new exercise regime. “It’s not powers, it’s physical torture.”
She grimaced. “What did you do to piss Hill off?”
I shrugged. “Apparently my physical fitness level is sub-optimal,” I said wryly.
“I bet he used exactly those words too,” Lilli piped up.
Chuckling, I agreed. “I am just glad they haven’t scheduled anything for me to do tomorrow. I need some time to relax and think, I have been so busy today I haven’t had time.”
“You’re going to try and play hooky?” Veronica asked. “Don’t bother, they’ll just come and wake you up.”
“Huh?”
The whole table responded. “School.”
“But it’s summer!” I whined.
“We don’t get summer vacations,” Veronica commiserated. “They say it’s because they have more to teach us, but I think it is a plot to keep us to busy to get into trouble.”
Great, I thought. I’ll have to wear that uniform sooner than I had hoped. “Where is it?”
“We’ll all go together after breakfast,” Lilli told me.
Sorry for the long delay, this chapter fought me for quite a while, and ended up longer than I intended.
After supper we all decided to go and catch a movie. Apparently the entertainment director was on a Stanley Kubrick kick. Tonight was an old movie called “A Clockwork Orange.” Very strange and somewhat disturbing. I had disjointed dreams about it all night. As a result, I was a little bleary eyed I the morning and stumbled through my shower not really waking up
I pulled my school uniform from the closet, and was about to put it on. It all crashed down on me, it was ugly, and it was for a girl. Yesterday, I had been rushed off my feet with hardly a chance to think about it all. I sat on my bed and cried. I was still there, looking at my uniform, tears running down my face, feeling numb and disconnected when Lilli showed up.
She hugged me, and I sobbed “I can’t be a girl, I just can’t.”
“I know,” she commiserated. “I used to be a boy too Onyx.”
“That’s not my name,” I protested. “I liked being a boy, I hate this,” I flung the uniform onto the floor. “I want to burn it.”
“How about the boots?” Lilli asked. “Do you want to burn them as well?”
Her question brought me up short. I loved my boots, but they were girl boots. I felt confused and lost, I didn’t want to be a girl, but to destroy those boots, I couldn’t, I loved them. They sang out to my soul. “No,” I said with a small voice.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll just take them back then.”
“NO!” I exclaimed. “They’re mine!”
She tried not to smile, but a small grin escaped. “So you want to be a girl, you just don’t want to wear the uniform?”
“It’s ugly.”
“And that offends the girl in you?” she asked.
Her words struck me like a blow to the stomach. Did I want to be a girl? I was at war with myself, confused and scared.
“Come on,” she urged, picking my uniform off the floor. “We all wear the same thing, and it’s only ‘till lunch.”
I grumbled. I still wasn’t happy, but gave in to the inevitable. Even her cheery mood didn’t help much.
Nor did the fact that I was at least six inches taller than every other girl there, and taller than most of the boys. I could not blend in, or hide. I felt like every eye was on
me. I cringed, and would have fled except for Lilli’s hand grasping mine.
School was school, a drag. Apparently becoming a girl who can see in all directions doesn’t make school any more fun. Oh and better yet, all morning I was writing tests, and would be tomorrow. The excuse they gave me was they wanted to make sure I was placed properly. Bah, they just wanted to torture the new girl.
Once the second days collection of tests were done, I raced back to my room, thankful to be done a little before the rest so didn’t run into anyone on the way. I might come out for supper, but not if I could avoid it. I was about to flop onto my bed but there was a package on it. I opened it with some trepidation, but when I saw the first item, I was ecstatic. Pants. I could get out of this skirt. I eagerly upended the entire thing on my bed. Three pairs of jeans, light blue, white and black, a red leather jacket, some long sleeved shirts, and the best of all, black leather pants.
I’d always wanted leather pants, but Dad had always categorically refused to buy them for me, and I couldn’t afford them. I had always said I’d do anything to get leather pants. I just hadn’t expected to have to become a girl to get them though. I hastily stripped out of my ugly school uniform, letting it fall to the floor, and pulled the pants on. A little different from what I had pictured as a boy, these were skin tight hugging every curve. They felt wonderful. I added a long sleeved bright blue top with a deep scoop neck, the red leather jacket fit perfectly, and I even liked the way it emphasized my narrow waist. I didn’t hesitate, only my babies would do for foot wear. I reverently got them down from their shelf and put them on. Thankfully the pants were the skinny type that would fit inside my boots. I looked at myself in the mirror. God damn I was hot, and I realized I was smiling at this. I liked being a girl I decided.
Screw hiding in my room, I went for lunch, standing tall and proud, daring anyone to laugh. No reaction at all, it was as though I wasn’t there. Damn, I thought, then I spied Sean of the grabby hands standing at the back of the lunch line. Paybacks a bitch. I giggled softly, walked up behind him, and smacked him on the ass, quickly stepping back and trying to look innocent.
Apparently I smacked him a little harder then I intended. The sound of it echoed around the caf, and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at us. Then my defender from yesterday laughed and called out “Sean, she got you. Point to the new girl.” Sean just sputtered incoherently.
Laughter broke out, I guess I made an impression in the end. Grinning I picked up my lunch and walked over to the table where Lilli and Veronica were already sitting, and laughing still. “Wow,” Veronica said as I approached. “I don’t think anyone has shot Sean down quite so well. Ever.”
I grinned. “Hey, paybacks a bitch. Besides no one noticed me until I smacked his ass, and I so wanted to be noticed.”
Lilli snorted. “Well, you’ve been noticed now.”
“Yeah,” Veronica added. “The skin-tight leather probably helped there.”
I grinned at that. “They’re what made me decide not to skip life.”
I wasn’t able to wear the leather for long though, I had to report to Mr. Hill for the torture regime he had planned for me. Three hours of circuit training, with the promise of doing the something similar every day from one to four in the afternoon. I wasn’t the only one there though, but I was the slowest. Only a few of us had to be there, most of the others chose to come and seemed to enjoy it. I suppose that eventually I might, but I couldn’t see that happening.
After my second shower of the day, I staggered to supper, to tired to do much more than fuel the furnace, and return to my room to collapse on my bed.
***
I groaned when I got out of bed, if anything I hurt more now than I had after PT. I dragged my sorry ass to the shower, and luxuriated in the pounding of hot water on my sore muscles. After I had dried, combed, and braided my hair; a lot more work than short hair, but I always liked long hair on girls. I pulled on panties and a bra, and looked at my school uniform lying on the floor where I had tossed it yesterday, NO, I thought, not today, I defiantly pulled on my black jeans and a loose white t-shirt, and as a small concession to my girlhood I picked out my pink sneakers. I pulled out what I would have to wear for PT and kicked the horrid uniform into the closet and closed the door on it. The longer I could go before seeing it, the better.
I browsed the web, munching on a granola bar until class, frustrated only by the block to Facebook and Hotmail. I didn’t really want to go to class at all, but eventually I realized that I had to, and left. I was the last to arrive, and got some curious looks as I went to my desk, I was about to sit down when the teacher, Mr Franks, yelled “Stop right there!”
I turned and looked at him. “What?”
“Where’s your uniform?” he asked.
“In the bottom of my closet,” I replied, sitting down and muttering “where it belongs.”
“You will go and change into it right now,” he retorted, “I will over look this for today.”
“No. I will not,” I harrumphed.
“Yes you will,” he said, voice raised.
“No.”
That seemed to close the issue. He looked angry but continued the class. Some of the class looked at me in horror at my defiance, but I resolved to not let it bother me.
American history was weird, not at all what I remembered, but as my father had always told me, history is written by the victors, so it was not surprising that some details were different.
At least I could cut class time short, I had to attend my appointment with Mr. Tubman. It was more of the same, though he was pleased that I was beginning to accept my new female status. I got the impression he as worried about something though.
Finally, it was over, and after a light lunch I changed to my PT gear and went for my daily torture session. It was a little different today, we went for a run outside, stopping periodically for sets of sit-ups. It was thoroughly exhausting. I walked back to my room on rubbery legs, stripped and tossed my soaking PT gear down the laundry chute and grabbed my robe and went to shower.
The shower revived me somewhat, and resolved to wear my leather again, I was getting used to the appreciative looks, and was actually enjoying, even preening a little. I guess, with every aspect of my day reinforcing that I was irrevocably female, I was becoming accustomed, even happy, about it. I smiled happily as I returned to my room, brushing my hair and resolving to wear it loose for the evening. I opened my closet, and stopped shocked, my mood dashed. It was bare, everything was gone, except that horrid school uniform, now neatly pressed and hung up, taunting me. I frantically pulled open the draws, looking for anything else. Nothing, the only thing remaining was the uniform and undergarments. I collapsed onto my bed and cried.
***
A bell chimed and the voice of WO Davidson came over the speakers, “All staff, all residents, report to the Auditorium at 1645.”
Crap, thought, I guess that means me too. I had half an hour, not enough time to get to wardrobe to acquire anything else to wear, I would have to go in the hated uniform. I slunk in the back, just before quarter to five. There were two others, also in the school uniform, hanging at the back, looking worried.
WO Davidson was on the stage, looking very sharp in his military uniform, a stern expression on his face as he looked us all over. “Miss Onyx, Miss Sparks, and Mr. Hill, front and center.” I hesitated, this did not look good. “Now.”
I slipped through the crowd, with the other two, everyone was quiet, and I felt all eyes on me as I stood at the front, but I did my best not to cower like a naughty schoolgirl, even though that is what it seemed I was.
Once we ere at the front, the WO continued, “Miss Onyx your act of defiance this morning has consequences for everyone here. Word of it spread, and Miss Sparks and Mr. Hill heard of it, and obviously thought that if you could, so could they. As a result, they joined you in abandoning the school uniform. They shall also join you in the punishment.”
I shrank a little, the other two glared at me, Miss Sparks hair standing on end and St Elmo’s fire was coursing over her skin.
“Miss Sparks, Mr. Hill,” he continued, “you chose to join her, do not blame her for your decision. The two of you will wear your uniform at all times except for Physical training, your PT gear will be kept in a locker in the gym, and wardrobe, movie, internet, and cinema privileges are suspended for one week.”
Their glares subsided, and they looked shaken.
“You, however Miss Onyx,” he turned his gaze to me. “Because you initiated this display of defiance, your term of punishment will be for two weeks, and at the end you will report to me, when I will decide on what to do then.”
“What?” I exclaimed, shocked and dismayed.
“Then I will decide whether to allow you to return to the normal privileges, continue the suspension, or take further measures. Use the two weeks to evaluate both yourself, what the Center is, and what we offer you.”
We were all handed a ring bound book. “In there you will find a brief history of the Center, a synopsis of the threats to you, to us, and the ideals of the Center and benefits it offers to you all. Use it well.”
He raised his voice, “If anyone, staff or otherwise, observes infractions of the rules, you will report them, or suffer the consequences. I hope that no others will decide to join these three. We want to be friends, but our security, our safety, will not be taken lightly. Dismissed.”
A cluster of people, friends I supposed, surrounded the other two, and I felt very alone, until Lilli and Veronica came up to me. “Cheer up, V and I will keep you company, keep you busy.”
“Thanks,” I whispered. “But you don’t have to.”
“That’s what friends do,” Veronica replied. “Besides, I think in a way, he was proud of you. Yeah, harsh punishment, but one thing that is emphasized here is that we need to gain a strong sense of self, and you have that in spades.”
Lilli and Veronica linked their arms to mine, and led me to their room. One half of it and explosion of pink, the other half a much more restful purple. We sat and talked half the night, until I finally had to go back to my lonely room and sleep.
Over the next week, I became a little used to the uniform, and actually became friends with Felicity Sparks and Aaron Hill. They stopped blaming me for their punishment, and we commiserated on the unfairness of it, especially as mine continued for the second week. It was during this second week, that I was able to accept the uniform, and understand the reason for it. Reading the books we were given, we came to understand the why of it. A lot of the others gave me words of encouragement, in a way, we had done that they had all been too scared to do. This began to worry me.
Sean found me on the first Friday and dragged me to a secluded common room. Somehow, he had arranged that we would not be disturbed, and produced a candle-lit supper for two. He was a perfect gentleman, funny and nice about it all. He even wore his school uniform as a gesture of solidarity. He also promised that when my sentence was over, we would do this again, with the movie I could not go to that night.
Finally the two weeks was almost over, this was the last day, the day of judgement. At the end of the morning classes Mr. Franks reminded me that Warrant Davidson was expecting me. I went to his office, nervous, but yet hopeful. I had really come to understand what the Center stood for, and so I knocked on his door.
He met me in the room with another girl, one I didn’t know, and wasn’t introduced to. He interviewed me for half an hour, and I answered his questions as best I could. I hoped he believed that my answers were truthful, as he held my future here in his hands. At the end of the half hour he turned to the other girl and said “Well, Dani, what do you think?”
I blinked, a little astonished.
She smiled at me, then turned to Daniel, and said, “She’s telling the truth. I think she should get some training to go on missions. She’s committed, and can be trusted.”
The WO smiled. “That was what I thought.” He turned to me, “Dani is an empath, I asked her to come here from Alpha to help me evaluate you. I am pleased to see that you understand what we are here for.”
“I do,” I answered somewhat fervently.
“Good. Now you probably want to change out of the uniform you apparently hate so much. You can go, you’ll find your other clothes have been restored to you. All privileges are restored.”
“Thank you,” I said and turned to leave. “But to tell the truth, I have gotten used to the uniform. I don’t hate it anymore, I think it was the symbol it is that I rebelled against. It was the wrong thing to do.” I then left, and raced to my room. Faster now than when I had arrived here, Hills’ torture sessions in the gym were starting to pay off. Actually, to be truthful, as I got fitter, I even was starting to enjoy them a little.
I got to my room and threw open my closet doors. Everything was there, exactly as it was before it was taken away. I dithered, unsure as what to wear drinking in the sight of all my clothes. There was, I finally noticed, a tissue wrapped package on my pillow. I opened it, finding a small card which read “I think green is better colour for you than red. And yes it is real.” It was unsigned, under the card was a silver choker, very like the one Lilli had lent me, but with a brilliantly green emerald suspended from it. That decided me. I would wear this with my first outfit again.
Once I was dressed, my hair loose down my back, I looked myself over in the mirror. When I first wore this I was so self conscious about how much skin it showed, but after two weeks of wearing nothing but the school uniform, I felt liberated and unafraid. I called Aaron and told him my restrictions had been lifted, and told him to get dressed in his best, and that Felicity and I would pick him up from his room. He agreed, but was obviously puzzled about what I had planned. One down, one to go. I called Felicity and asked if I could meet her in her room, she agreed.
A short time later I was knocking on her door, when she opened it her face lit up. “Free I see,” she said. “And dressed to kill?”
“Yup,” I replied, “and we need to get you dressed to kill as well.”
“Okay I guess, but why?” she asked uncertainly.
“You and Aaron have been keeping a low profile the last week, it’s time that changed.”
She seemed unsure. “Look,” I explained. “All three of us were shown to everyone as examples of what not to do, and what would happen if you did. Yeah, the restrictions sucked, but some are going to think that it wasn’t so bad really. There maybe some people who will do worse than what we did.”
She nodded. “I can see that.”
“Yep.” I continued. “And I know now, and I hope you and Aaron do, how important the Center is to all of us. We have to show them this, and to do that, we can’t hide in the shadows, and without the two of you helping, I won’t succeed.”
“Ok,” she said. “But next to you, I won’t be noticed.” She looked me up and down. “I mean, dang it all, you’re sexy as all get out, and tall.”
I started rifling through her closet and came across a black dress. “I think this would be good for you.”
She blushed prettily. “I haven’t worn that, I don’t think I could, it looked nice but…”
I convinced her to try it on and show it to me. Two weeks ago I would have agreed with her. It was quite translucent, and her pale skin heightened the effect. That plus the fact that the long skirt had slits up each leg up to the hip.
She was blushing hotly. “I couldn’t wear this.”
I agreed. “Not with white underwear, no.” Unashamed, I dug through her panty drawer and found a pair of skimpy string black panties. “These will do, got a black bra?”
She shook her head , “No, only white and pink.”
I shook my head. “You’re almost less of a girl than I was. We’ll have to try without one, luckily you’re small like me.”
I finally got her to try the dress with just the panties. She was decent from every angle, barely, but the dress gave the impression that you might see a little more at any moment. “Perfect!” I exclaimed.
In the back of her closet I found an elegant pair of black 4 inch stiletto heels, I cajoled her into wearing them, and looked over the whole effect. “Wow.” I said. “You are a stunner.” Before she could lose her nerve I hurried her out the door, and down to Aaron’s room.
When he opened his door and saw us his jaw dropped. He’d seen me in the white and silver before, but Felicity had been dressing like a mouse her entire time here, and he couldn’t tear his eyes off her. “I, uh, you’re…”
I think he might just be a bit sweet on her, and was suddenly seeing a side of her he never suspected existed. “To the café Aaron, give us your arms.”
When we entered the cafeteria, Aaron in the center, with us on each arm, it was like a bomb had gone off, a wave of silence spread through the entire room, and every eye was on us, and many of them were stunned. I whispered to my compatriots “This is what we dressed up for.”
Once I was sure we had everyone’s attention, I started. “To everyone who is thinking of following us in defying authority, don’t. This place is too important for petty games.”
This was a case, I judged, where a few words were better than a long speech. I lead my two cohorts to the nearly empty table where Veronica and Lilli were seated, and joined them. “Do ya think we got their attention ?” I asked the two friends. They both sputtered and nodded.