Into the Void
Patricia Cooper was a physics major, enjoying relationships with her fellow students, and always careful to be polite when it was time to break up. Some did call her a bit of a slut, and some of her exes hated her guts, but overall, she was a popular girl. The thing was...she wasn’t actually that good at her major. Oh, she did try to get better, as best as she could...But she never seemed to be able to make it. She did think, briefly, of trying the casting couch method, but that idea quickly faded away every time it came up. She wasn’t that kind of girl. Relashionships should not be born out of interest.
No. She entered physics because she did believe in science. And so...even though her prospects at majoring seemed hopeless, she went to the teacher’s room one day, found her head teacher, Mr. Gallagher, and bowed.
“Hello, teach...I...am totally going to flunk out, am I?”
He took a breath, and answered...
“Yes, it’s sadly looking likely.”
“Knew it...Well, if I’m no good in class, maybe I can be of use in an experiment?”
“Do you mean...you are willing to be a guinea pig?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, it does happen we have an extremely important experiment planned. We had a volunteer already, but I think you’ll be a better choice. Do you volunteer?”
“I volunteer, prof.”
“Great! Meet me there.” He said, handing her a card. “Please don’t be late.”
A few days later, Patricia met with the resarch team in the depths of the university.
“Ah, miss Cooper!” Welcomed professor Gallagher.
Two other profs, which she recognized from the quantum physics class and advanced mathematics -both of which she sucked at- greeted her in turn.
“Hiya! So...What is the experiment about?”
“Well, you see, young lady...We three collectively agree there is a 82% chance the world is about to end.”
“Wh...What?” This, of course, sent all sorts of red flags, but they seemed too desperate to be lying. “Why?”
The mathematics prof turned his laptop around, showing a strange object flying in what was clearly outer space. It looked like...some kind of mechanical snail. Before Patricia could utter “what the fuck”, prof Gallagher explained...
“We detected this unidentified flying object some time ago. We don’t know what exactly it is, and certainly not who -or what- made it, but...we do know it’s traveling at near three-quarters lightspeed, and is clearly on a collision course with Earth. And before you ask, yes, we did warn the government about it, but they laughed us out of the room.”
“Holy Sh...Sorry, prof. But...what can I possibly do about it? I mean, isn’t this a situation where only all the governments on earth united could do anything about it?”
“That is the object of the study.” Nodded Gallagher, “And, to be perfectly honest, even that is a tenuous proposition. “We have been working on a, let’s say, special kind of machine for years. A machine able to turn someone into a superhuman. We’d use it ourselves, but all testing seems to confirm it only works on female DNA.”
“Believe us, we know it sounds like bullcrap.” Apologized the mathematics prof, trying to forget about the...numerous failed experiments. “And it is certainly a shot in the dark...But we may have no other chance.” Then he remembered about the...more successful experiments, which weren’t quite world saving, but were certainly beautiful.
The young student did feel interest about becoming a superheroine and saving the Earth, but...all of it just reeked of a trap. On the other hand, though...As much as she couldn’t really believe in a superhuman making machine, what could these three nutjobs really do to her?
“Okay, I’ll do it. But I better get a passing grade in my class after that, okay? Whether Earth explodes or not.”
“Thank you, Miss Cooper! And rest assured...Even if our theory should prove dead wrong, your academic success is secured.” Answered professor Gallagher. “In fact, let me confirm this directly.” He took out his smartphone and called the headmistress. In no uncertain terms, he requested her to give Patricia a pass, and nothing seemed to indicate the request fell on death ears. So Patricia listened to his next words with interest. “We have prepared a sterile gown in this room over there for you to change into.”
Patricia changed, and walked back into the lab.
“So...How is this going to go? What kind of powers will I get?”
“There is no earthly way to know, I’m afraid...” Replied the quantum physicist. “I will not lie, it’s basically a leap of faith for you. All we know is that it induces fundamental transformations into the subject. You could become Wonder Woman, the Flash, She-Hulk, Sandman, or someone much more remote from reality. So...If you do not wish to do it, we shall not force you.”
“You...Won’t need to. I’ll do it.”
She sat into the chair. The scientists strapped her securely.
“This is the last warning, Mrs Cooper.”
“I know. Do it.”
Pain gripped Patricia.
“AAaaAAARGH!”
But through her torment, she could indeed feel...something else. Something otherwordly. She couldn’t quite tell whether it was friend or foe, but she could definitely tell it was completely foreign. And though it was painful as hell...It felt comfortable, somehow?
The machine shut down, and let go of Patricia. She took a look at herself...And shrieked. It was pretty much the only thing she could do.
Her skin looked like the night sky, and shimmered like it. Her fingers glowed a deep red. Her hair felt rubbery, and clearly had a mind of its own. Clearly, the experiment had been a success. A dubious one, perhaps, but she had been changed into a metahuman, for better or for worse.
“Success!” Chanted the professors in unison.
“Now for the most important part.” Said Gallagher.
“Wh...What most important part? Inquired Patricia.”
“Well, you are possibly the most powerful being on our bright blue Earth as of present. Surely we can’t just let you go.”
“Th-this isn’t funny! Let me go!”
“Dr. Keynes, I sure hope the helmet is ready.” Said Dr. Gallagher to the quantum physics class professor with some urgency.
“I do.” A bright blue helmet was produced, and fitted over Patricia’s head. “Don’t worry now, it will only turn you into humanity’s hope. And a slave to its will. There’s also that.”
And so the helmet was fitted. All around Patricia, machines hummed, and the helmet flickered to life.
“That’s good. She can’t use her powers yet. Let’s brainwash her as quickly as possible.”
“Agreed. Let’s inject her with 3cc of psykazepam.”
“Way ahead of you.” The next instant, Patricia was stabbed by a syringe, and immediately started to feel dizzy. Dr. Howe, the advanced mathematics prof, turned the machines on at full power. Vibrations coursed through Patricia’s brain, and electricity through her body. Next thing she knew, words shouted at her ears, and light engulfed her whole world.
“Obey, subject 221. Cum and obey. You are not a woman, Subject 221, you’re a weapon. Obey. Obey your Masters and cum. Always remember, you are nothing. Your Masters are everything. You are sorry for even existing, slave. Apologize! Apologize and cum right this instant, you pathetic slave! Hear. And. Obey.”
Patricia could only endure this onslaught of the senses for so long. Soon, her mind became like clay, and she wondered why she didn’t think of herself as subject 221.
“Again, subject 221, hear and obey. Cum. Cum now! Your Masters command you!”
Subject 221 howled in pleasure, then settled down in doe-eyed obedience, her muscles all slack.
“Yes, Masters, I hear and obey.” Subject 221 answered.
“Good. I think we can unstrap her.” Stated Dr. Gallagher. “Can you feel your powers?”
“Yes, Masters.” She broke free of her bonds and hovered into the air, yet still looked at her professors with doe-eyed obedience.
“Perfect, it worked! So, are you ready to fight the extraterrestrial entity on behalf of mankind, Subject 221?”
“Of course, Masters.”
“Then we will provide. Just take care to never forget who your true masters are.”
“I won’t.”
“I must confess, what can she do with those fingers of hers?”
“Oh, come on, focus!” Ranted Dr. Keynes. “We should send her into outer space momentarily, or the planet is toast!”
“You’re rather missing the point, Dr. Howe. What good is a living weapon if we cannot control it? Or know anything about it, for that matter?”
“Hmm...I believe I can see your point there.”
“So, hear and obey, subject 221! Do your best to fire whatever’s in your fingers, NOW!”
“Yes, Masters.”
Subject 221 did as instructed, and fired a beam of energy hot enough to put a volcano to shame. Of course, this meant extremely bad news to the lab, or indeed the entire campus.
“Holy frigging hell!” Screamed Dr. Gallagher. “What did Oppenheimer say again? Now we are truly sons of bitches?”
“Almost, it was ‘Now we are all sons of bitches’, and it was Kenneth Bainbridge, not Oppenheimer.”
“I’d call you a stickler, but I did ask. Either way, there’s no backing away from this. Now, let’s get her chipped.”
All three doctors nodded as the city burned down in flames, subject 221 looking straight ahead, mindlessly obedient.
“Hear and obey, subject 221.”
“Yes, Masters.” Subject 221 could now hear her Masters inside her skull, thanks to the freshly installed brain implant.
“You are to fly into space at these exact coordinates.”
“Yes, Masters.”
“Hey, wait, we haven’t tested whether she can breathe in space or not, didn’t we?”
“The whole project has other priorities, Dr. Howe!” Barked Dr. Gallagher. “Now, subject 221, fly!”
With another “Yes, Masters” subject 221 phased out of the lab and hovered over the flames that had engulfed the town. Somewhere deep down, she knew that she should feel deeply ashamed, but she simply didn’t. All that mattered were her Masters’ words.
“Flight confirmed achieved. Now leave the atmosphere, and follow our instructions. We wouldn’t quite want you fly off beyond the limits of the observable universe. Here are the coordinates. Follow them.”
“Acknowledged.”
Without a further thought, subject 221 took off into space, laser focused on the coordinates. She saw the entity that was flying towards Earth, and mindlessly fired at it. Its form, however, was ever-flowing, and escaped every energy blast subject 221 could throw at him. In fact...even if her mind was still able to properly process visual input without espress command, she couldn’t have been able to understand the form of what she was facing. She could still hear, however, and what she did hear...shattered her mind. It was an inexplicable, terrifyingly foreign language, which couldn’t have possibly originated from the Milky Way galaxy. And yet...it was so beautiful, it made the stars contained within her skin shine brighter.
The professors shouted to her, but the implant was powerless compared to the impossibly alluring song of the entity. It made her remember her past life as Patricia, but also as her mother, her great-great-great grandaughter, and even as a planet. The experience wasn’t simply mindblowing. It was becoming one with the cosmos itself.
When %$^2r?! open her eyes again, they were larger, and full of understanding. Perhaps most importantly, though, she could now fully understand the entity’s voice.
“That’s better. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“That will do for now.” He slithered around her, sending shivers of pleasure across her galaxy-colored skin. “You will be one of my favorites. A queen of the infinite. As of this moment in time, though, I need you to point at this blue orb, charge your finger shots to full power, and fire.”
The profs kept screaming, but it was to no avail. %$^2r?! couldn’t fathom human language as worthy of notice anymore. Or, indeed, life.
“You do not care about this pitiful place anymore, do you? Don’t you only care about me? In fact...You are angry that this speck of dust held you prisoner...Away from me, aren’t you?”
%$^2r?! agreed...and fired.
And belonged to the Void.