[Morpheus]

Four Days
By Morpheus

Day 1

Jenna stood in front of the door, hesitating to knock or go inside.  She was beginning to think that it had been a mistake to come.  In fact, she grew more sure that it was a bad idea with every moment that she stood there.  Volunteering to be some mad scientist's lab rat was never a good thing.

Unfortunately, college tuition was not cheap at all, and when Jenna's had heard that Professor Neuman was offering students $500 to be part of one of his experiments for just four days, she saw a great opportunity to ease her financial strain.  After all, it was a lot of money for only four days and she couldn't turn it down, even with Professor Neuman's eccentric reputation.

Everyone on campus knew Professor Neuman was a kook and groaned at the idea of being in one of his classes.  Of course, he was supposed to be a genius too, but you couldn't tell it by the way he went on about conspiracy theories and spies who were trying to steal his work.

After hesitating another few seconds, reminding herself that she could really use the money, Jenna went inside the room.  Once inside, she could see that it was fairly empty, except that there were a dozen chairs scattered about.  Seven other students were already gathered inside and looking impatient.

Jenna frowned, feeling a bit nervous as she looked around at the other students who had arrived ahead of her.  She recognized half of them from class or around campus, but the only one that she really knew was her roommate Chelsea, who had told her about Dr. Neuman's lab rat money.

Chelsea was tall and pretty, with an outgoing personality and a confidence that Jenna envied.  However, Chelsea could also be something of a party girl, which sometimes made it difficult for Jenna to get along with her.

For a moment, Jenna looked at Chelsea, then around at everyone else again, guessing as she did so that she probably didn't have much in common with any of them.  It was such a varied group.

Just then, Professor Neuman came into the room.  He was a tall, skinny man in early late fifties, with a lot of unruly white hair that looked as though it hadn't been brushed in days. And as if to further add to his image as a mad scientist, he wore a white lab coat.

Professor Neuman looked a little frantic and he stopped to look at everyone suspiciously. Then he abruptly asked, "Are any of you spies?  I won't hold it against you if you reveal yourselves now?"  When no one spoke up, he nodded, "Very well.  Show me your student identification cards…"

"What did we get into?" Chelsea asked with a bit of a smirk.  "At least he pays well."

Once everyone had shown their cards and Professor Neuman seemed satisfied, he went to the front of the room and announced, "I see that you are all here.  Each of you has been selected for this experiment from the application questionnaire sheets that I had you fill out…  I specifically chose you eight out of the thirty-two applicants in order to provide a varied subject sampling."

"So what the hell are we here for anyway?" a goth girl demanded.

But Professor Neuman showed no sign of hearing her at all.  He continued on, "I think that we should start by introducing ourselves…  I will start.  I am Professor Alfred Ezekial Neuman.  My friends, if I had any, would call me Al, but you may all call me Professor Neuman.  Now you," he pointed to the goth who had interrupted him a moment earlier.

The goth girl had black tribal type tattoos on her arms and sat back in the corner, all dressed in black.  She snorted and said, "Kat."

"Your last name?" Professor Neuman urged

She just smirked and responded, "Astrophe."

Professor Neuman shook his head faintly and gestured for the next person.  A heavily muscled black guy who looked as though he might be a bodybuilder stood up and introduced himself as Shawn. Next came a tall guy named Mike, a scrawny nerd named Ethan and the busty cheerleader Tanya.  After Jenna and Chelsea had introduced themselves as well, the last person to stand up was an athletic looking guy named Adam.

Once the introductions were out of the way, Professor Neuman handed around confidentiality agreements that he insisted everyone sign before continuing.  He carefully looked them all over, making sure that each was signed before nodding his head and getting ready to proceed.

"To start with," Professor Neuman announced proudly, "You will have the honor of testing the greatest discovery since fire…  You don't need to know the specifics, but I have invented a quantum process that is capable of transferring physical and mental traits from one subject to another."  He was beginning to get excited at this.

"I think he's losing it," Chelsea whispered to Jenna.

"To start with," Professor Neuman said again, then paused to mutter, "Oh, I already said that…"  He quickly went on, "I have marked down a trait that each of you possesses.  Each of you shall draw a number," he held up a hat, "and depending on what number you draw, you shall transfer your trait to your partner, or have their trait transferred to you.  Tomorrow, each of you who receives another's trait will return tomorrow and the process will be repeated.  On the fourth day, the traits shall all be returned to their rightful owners and you will each be returned to normal."

"Bullshit," the goth girl Kat exclaimed, and everyone else nodded agreement.

"He's definitely lost it," Chelsea whispered to Jenna.

However, the nerd Ethan overhead and leaned over, "I bet it's really a psychology experiment to see how we react to his story."

"Maybe," Jenna nodded, thinking that Ethan might be right.  But Professor Neuman did seem to be pretty excited about what he was saying, and she didn't know if he was that good of an actor.  "Maybe he's just crazy."

"Now to find out who you are partnered with," Professor Neuman announced, either unaware or unconcerned with the skepticism of the students.

Jenna quickly went to where Professor Neuman was holding out a hat and reached her hand in, pullout out a red poker chip with the number 4 written on it in black ink.  She stepped out of the way and watched as others drew out poker chips as well, half of them red like hers while the other half were blue.

"Those with the same number will be partners for today's experiment," Professor Neuman announced.

"Hey, look," Chelsea held up her blue poker chip after she'd looked at Jenna's, "We're partners."

"It figures," Jenna grinned at her.

After everyone had a minute to find out who they were partnered with, Professor Neuman said, "Those with the number one, come with me…"

Professor Neuman waited for Kat and Shawn to go through a door that he held open, then he vanished with them, only to return five minutes later for the next pair.  He repeated this process several more times until only Jenna and Chelsea were left in the waiting room.

"I wonder if he's let them in on the joke," Chelsea mused aloud.  "Maybe they're watching our reaction on a hidden camera…"  She smiled and waved to the wall where she imagined a camera might be hidden.

"I don't know," Jenna frowned, "He didn't seem like he was joking…"
Chelsea stared at her in surprise, "You don't think this is all real, do you?"

"No," Jenna squirmed uncomfortably, "I just think that he believes it…"
Chelsea just nodded at that, "So you think he's a nutcase too."  She seemed rather pleased with that.

"I'm ready for you," Professor Neuman said as he opened the door and gestured for them to come along with him.

"Oh joy," Chelsea muttered as they followed behind him.

Jenna nodded and went through the door without a word, pausing on the other side to look at the room she now found herself in.  There was no sign of the other students in there, other than another door on the other side of the room.  But in the middle of the room, there were two large glass and metal boxes that reminded her a bit of large telephone booths, with wires and cables running all over them.

"Now THIS looks like a mad scientist's lab," Chelsea smirked. "I think I saw this thing in a cheap sci-fi movie…"

Professor Neuman ignored the comment and gestured to the two boxes, "Please climb into the box which matches your chip…"

Jenna was about to ask him what he meant, until she looked closer and saw that one of the boxes had a red circle painted above the entrance, while the other one had a blue circle.  She glanced at her poker chip, handed it to the professor who had his hand out, then climbed into the red box.

"This is weird," Jenna muttered, feeling rather nervous.  She wasn't sure why since she didn't really believe the professor's story.

"This will take just a minute," Professor Neuman called out.

"So," Chelsea smirked, playing along, "What traits are you going to transfer?"

"I will let it be a surprise," he smiled at her as he started to type something on a computer console.

Jenna nearly jumped as a light came on in her chamber, and a moment later, a strange chill rushed through her body.  She stood where she was, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.  An humming sound began coming from the machine and she felt a quick zap like a static shock, followed by a strange twisting sensation.  Several seconds later, the humming began to fade and the lights went dim.

"It is done," Professor Neuman stated.  "You may come on out now."

"Man, that was a rush," Jenna exclaimed as she stepped out of the chamber, relieved that it was over.

Then Jenna paused, realizing that she felt…different.  She felt different, though she couldn't quite put her finger on just what it was that had changed.

"Must be my imagination," she muttered, looking over to Chelsea who was coming out of her own chamber a bit more meekly.  She didn't even offer any comments on how bad the experiment had failed, much to Jenna's surprise.  "At least that's over with…"

"Now to join the other subjects," Professor Neuman said, gesturing to the door on the other side of the lab.

"Whatever," Jenna scowled, going straight for it while Chelsea followed her.

Once Jenna stepped into the next room, which was nearly identical to the first, she froze and gasped in surprise.  She looked over the room again, immediately seeing that some of the other students had drastically changed.

"What the fuck?" Jenna gasped she stared at Kat.

The goth girl, who had been fairly skinny before, was now bulky and bulging with muscle.  It was more muscle than Jenna had ever seen on a woman before, or even most guys.  There seemed to be little trace of her clothes, which she was now obviously too bulky to wear, and she was instead wearing one of Professor Neuman's white lab coats…with the sleeves ripped off so that her muscular arms were clearly visible.

Jenna quickly looked at Shawn, who was no longer the heavily muscled bodybuilder than he had been in the previous room.  In fact, he looked rather scrawny instead.

Kat and Shawn weren't the only ones so obviously changed though.  Tanya, who had been a busty and sexy cheerleader was now anything but.  Her clothes hung loose on her flat chest and her curveless body.  It was as though puberty had gone in reverse for her, taking all of her curves and feminine development away, leaving her looking more like a twelve year old boy.

"Wow," Jenna whispered, her eyes going to Mike, the tall boy who had been Tanya's partner.

It was immediately obvious where all of Tanya's curves had gone, as Mike stood there with a pair of breasts…and more.  He had all of Tanya's feminine development, which made him look very much like an extremely tall girl, much to his obvious embarrassment.

"My breasts," Tanya cried out, "I want them back…"

"Man, look at these muscles," Kat grinned, flexing her arms while Shawn stared at her with a stunned look on his face.

"I can't believe how good I feel," Ethan exclaimed, standing up and flexing his own muscles.

Ethan wasn't obviously transformed like the others, but there was something very different about him…  It was the way he was standing, the way he was moving…  He seemed more graceful and in control, more confident and dangerous.  It was similar to how Adam had been moving before.  And as Jenna looked to Adam, Ethan's partner in the drawing, she could see that he was now clumsy and awkward.

"I feel like I could really kick some ass," Ethan exclaimed, adjusting his glasses before smirking.

"I been training in the martial arts since I was a kid," Adam scowled.  "Tae-Kwon-Do, Aikido and Jujitsu…  I'm really good too…  Or at least I was."  He grimaced in obvious frustration, "Now I can't even remember how to throw a punch right…"

"I can," Ethan teased him.

"It worked," Jenna gasped in realization, "He wasn't crazy…"  Then she looked at Professor Neuman and asked, "Why didn't it work for me?"

"Who says that it didn't?" Professor Neuman asked her with a smile.  "I tested the process to transfer a variety of physical, mental and personality traits."

Jenna frowned, looking at Chelsea who suddenly seemed shy and uncertain.  Suddenly, realization dawned.  "Her confidence…  You gave me her confidence."
The professor just laughed, "A little more than that…"  But before Jenna could push him, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot something," and rushed back through the door they'd just come from.

"I think it's becoming fairly obvious which traits he chose from each of us," Ethan said, shifting into a martial arts position and looking impressed with himself.  "He chose the things that stand out the most.  Like his fighting skills…"  He gestured to Adam.

"My muscles," Shawn glared at Kat as though it were all her fault.

"My breasts," Tanya cried out, though it was obvious that more than just her breasts had been taken.

"I'll bet that he chose my intelligence," Ethan mused, and his height," he gestured to Mike."

"Yeah, but what about us?" Jenna scowled. "This is pretty damn weird…"

Ethan stared at Jenna and Chelsea for a moment, then adjusted his glasses.  "From the way she's all quiet now, and you're going on, I'll bet he gave you her attitude and personality…"

Jenna was about to argue with him, but she realized that he was right.  She felt so much more confident and outgoing than normal.  Chelsea had always been one to speak her mind, but now she herself was doing it, when she had usually been content to be quiet and avoid attention.

"Then I'll have to guess," Jenna frowned, "He chose my music talents…"  At the curious expressions, she explained, "I play piano, violin and flute…  I've been taking lessons all my life and was thinking of becoming a music teacher some day…"

"Music?" Mike asked. "How about guitar?"

"No," Jenna shook her head, then paused, suddenly thinking that learning to play the guitar might be pretty cool.  It would certainly be a lot more popular than those other things she usually played.  Drums might be fun to learn too…

Just then, Professor Neuman came back into the room, looking nervous.  He glanced back to the door he'd just come through, then gave a forced smile to the students.

"Change us back," Tanya demanded, looking more like she was pouting.

"Not just yet," Professor Neuman responded.  He looked around the room, "It takes approximately eighteen hours to fully stabilize your bodies from the transfers before you can go through the process again.  And since I do not intend to waste several extra days by reversing your transfers between experiments, you shall have to wait several more days."

"WHAT?" Shawn gasped, looking as though he were about to threaten the professor and demand to be switched back before realizing that he wasn't very intimidating at the moment.

The professor held up his hand, "You will all be returned to normal in several days.  Tomorrow is the second day of the experiment, and I wish you all to return here at the same time.  For those who were donors today, I will verify that you are still healthy and stable, though I see no reason why you will not be.  And for those who were receptors today, you shall repeat the transfer experiment…  This will again happen on the third day, and on the fourth, I will return you all to normal."

There was a little grumbling, but everyone was relieved at the promise that they would be restored to their normal selves.  And then there was an unspoken reminder that they would only be paid on the fourth day, once the experiment was complete.

"I shall see you all tomorrow," Professor Neuman said, turning and leaving the room again.

"Just great," Jenna rolled her eyes, "Who knew that the crazy mad scientist could actually do this stuff?  But at least it'll be over in a couple days.  Besides," she glanced at Chelsea and smirked, "this here isn't all that  bad…"

"Speak for yourself," Tanya grumbled.

"I guess we should all go," Jenna said as she walked to the second door in that room, opening it up and verifying that it was the way out.  "The mad scientist has his stuff to do, and I've got better things to do than sit around here all day…"

Jenna let out a sigh of relief as she left the building, deciding that after this experience, she needed a cigarette.  But when she reached in her pockets for cigarettes, she paused, suddenly realizing that it was Chelsea who smoked, not her.  She hated cigarettes and thought they were disgusting…or at least she had.

"What else did I get from her?" Jenna scowled.

Then as she saw her roommate coming out of the building as well, Jenna told her, "Hey, give me one of your cigarettes…"

"Okay," Chelsea responded quietly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pack of Marlboro Lights, and a lighter which she promptly handed to Jenna.

"Thanks," Jenna said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it in a smooth and practiced manor, though she had never smoked before in her life.  She took a long drag, then casually blew the smoke out to the side, "Not bad.  I wonder why I hated this before…"

Jenna absently slipped the cigarettes and lighter into her own pocket, then took another drag from her cigarette.  She smirked faintly as she thought about how lucky she was that she hadn't ended up like Tanya or Shawn.  But that feeling of smugness immediately vanished as she remembered that the experiment would continue the next day, and there was a decent chance that she would end up on the losing end.

"Better not to worry about it," she shrugged, glancing at Chelsea and abruptly asking, "How are you doing?"

"I don't know," Chelsea responded quietly, looking shy and meek.  She was hardly the same girl that Jenna knew.  "I feel…wrong.  I don't know…"
"Jeez," Jenna shook her head, "You're even worse than I usually am.  I guess it drained you good…"  Then she frowned, "But don't worry…  We'll all be back to normal in a couple days.  But until then, I plan on enjoying myself."

[Author]

Posts