Mollusk Match: Prologue
“Come along, miss Grace. You’ll find the others right down this hall,” called the gruff voice of a large male security officer.
A pale, petite blond stood hesitantly, shifting her gaze between the two guards escorting her down a sterile white hallway. After a moment of hesitation, she let out a sigh and nodded before continuing forward. As she walked, Grace put her hands in the pockets of her gray hoodie.
How the hell did I end up here? What the hell is going to happen to me?
The faint yet maddening hum of fluorescent lighting permeated the air like cicadas on a hot summer afternoon, adding to the uncomfortable ambiance. As Grace walked, she did her best to ignore a feeling of mounting anxiety. While heading into the unknown, she pondered over the information she already knew. Grace had been abducted by the SOU or ‘State of Union’ government and was detained in a cell for a couple of days. The only information provided was that she had been nominated for a new program; likely due to some perceived wrong-doing on her part. A couple of years back, the SOU went public with their new technology for gene splicing and manipulation. Not only would they leverage this technology as a reward for those seeking to change their bodies but also as a punishment, with the looming threat of getting shipped off to a mysterious facility hanging over the heads of the masses.
Grace realized she was completely lost in thought and snapped back to reality when forced to stop walking. A reinforced metal door of some kind stood directly in front of her. She raised an eyebrow as a million thoughts swirled in her head. Where the hell are they taking me? A feeling of fear and uncertainty gnawed at her psyche; She didn’t want to admit that these extreme security measures likely existed to keep people like her contained with no hope of escape.
“Time for this damn routine again,” muttered one of the guards under his breath as he raised his thumb up to a scanner by the door. After that, he stared forward, allowing his face and eyes to be scanned. Finally, he input a pin number and opened a latch to open the massive slab of metal.
Grace trembled slightly, walking into a small room with the guards. Unlike the previous hallway, she was surrounded by more metal. In front of them laid yet another impregnable barrier This time, the guard raised his wrist up to a scanner. Grace closed her eyes tightly and tried to psych herself up. Be strong. What would Margaret do? She recalled an important person from her past, attempting to draw strength from the memory.
“Chip verified. Please look at the camera and state your business,” a robotic, feminine voice stated matter-of-factly.
The guard gazed upward with a sigh. “I am transporting recruit forty-seven to her quarters,” stated the man rather bored.
“Please present the wrist of recruit forty-seven,” replied the computerized voice.
Grace blinked, tilting her head slightly. “My wrist?” Before she could ask any further questions, the guard grabbed her arm roughly and pulled it forward. “H-- Hey, that hurts!” Her voice grew panicked as she instinctively struggled and tried in vain to pull away.
“Pipe down!” The man barked in frustration, holding steady and refusing to back down.
“You have been fully verified,” chimed the voice once more in an artificially cheery tone.
Rolling his eyes in annoyance, the man let go of Grace’s arm, causing her to let out a yelp of surprise and stumble backward. “Relax, we’re here,” the guard said callously.
Before Grace could yell at this asshole, the door swung open with a deep, metallic groan. She couldn’t help but freeze like a deer in the headlights; what was on the other side of this door? As a creature of habit, surprises and new situations weren’t welcome to her. Now covered in a thin layer of sweat, she stepped forward and into a room that caught her by complete surprise.
There was a front entryway with nice tile leading directly into what appeared to be a massive, lofty living room. There were high-quality recliners, a leather couch, a massive flat-screen television, and even an assortment of tasteful art pieces hanging on the cream-colored walls. Taking a couple of hesitant steps forward, Grace looked upward and noticed a second floor as well. It was as if she had stepped from a high-security prison into someone’s upper-middle-class suburban home.
With a look of complete bewilderment, Grace swiveled to demand answers out of that bastard who treated her like garbage. “Hey, where the hell am--,”
Clank!
She stopped talking immediately as the door closed in her face. “He’s-- gone…” Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm herself. Turning around, Grace walked hesitantly toward the center of the room, scanning her surroundings. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the appearance of this living space. Honestly, it almost felt like home.
Grace took a deep breath and looked around. The entryway came right into what seemed to be a huge living room. A staircase descended in the center, a few meters from the front door. Looking past the staircase, she saw couches, bookshelves, and more. There seemed to be board games around and it seemed like the home of a typical upper-middle-class family. On the side of the living room opposite the front door, there was an entrance to the dining room and kitchen. Grace further into the living room, looking at the generic art on the walls while taking in her surroundings.
“Mmmm… Oh, you’re the new roommate?” A female voice yawned.
Grace nearly jumped, turning to face the source of the voice. A young woman with tanned skin lay on the couch on her side. The sleepy woman sighed and adjusted into a sitting position.
“The name’s Arina, who are you? You’re pretty cute you know,” she beamed with a bright smile, having found some energy rather quickly.
Grace blushed faintly from the compliment; she wasn’t used to dealing with such brash individuals. “I’m-- I’m Grace,” stammered the woman in response. She noticed some rather interesting features on her new housemate. Arina had pale green eyes and short, feathery soft brown hair. She also appeared to be wearing a pair of men’s boxers and some Metal band shirt with Cyrillic writing on it.
“Your name is really awesome! I was wondering when I’d meet you. You really do look graceful.” Arina stood up and stretched before walking over to greet her new house guest.
“Oh-- well, thank you,” Grace responded, unsure of how to react. “Where are we, do you know?” She asked cautiously, moving a hand up over her arm. Wait a moment, was she expecting me? Before she could inquire further, Arina continued.
“That’s a really good question! I’m guessing you know as much as I do. Well, the SOU got both of us for reasons that may or may not really matter. I’m sure we’ll find out more soon and there’s no point in getting stressed in a situation we have no control over, right?” Arina saw no point in freaking out or asking questions.
Grace couldn’t deny that she had a point. If they were meant to have more information, they would have been provided with it already. At the same time, she couldn’t understand how Arina could be so easygoing about the whole situation. “I guess I’ll take a seat then,” she finally responded, sitting down on the couch with a sigh.
“Actually, you have to stand back up!” Arina took her new friend’s hands and helped pull her from the couch. “Let’s take you to your room, okay?”
“H-- Hey!” Grace blushed faintly as Arina let go of her hands. I guess I don’t have anything else to be doing. As the two of them walked up the stairs and down the hallway, she first noticed a door with Arina’s name on it. Upon walking further, she saw a door with a brand new name on it. Tilting her head slightly, she turned toward Arina. “Hey, who’s Phoebe?” She asked, pointing to the sign on the white-painted door. This explained how Arina already knew her name at least.
“Oh! She’s one of our other roommates! She doesn’t really seem to want to talk though, so let’s leave her alone in her room, okay?”
Grace hesitated and then nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
Reaching the second to last door, Arina stopped and sighed. “I’m not sure who Ella is yet. Phoebe was the first, then me, then you, so I am sure she will be here soon. There are only four rooms with our names, so I think it’s just going to be us. This is a pretty big place for four people, right? What a great deal,” beamed Arina with a bright, unfaltering smile.
Grace blinked, giving her new friend a somewhat puzzled look. “How can you be in such a good mood? I know what you said about not fighting what we don’t have control over or whatever but I… I’m honestly pretty terrified right now. What the hell is going to happen to us here?” The last few hours had been a whirlwind. Her initial state of adrenaline had finally worn off, leaving her exhausted and scared.
Arina looked at Grace thoughtfully, listening to her concerns while admiring her pale skin and soft blue eyes. “Sweetheart, I’m scared too.” She then reached over and took one of Grace’s hands while giving it a slight squeeze. “I have no idea what will happen but if they simply planned on punishing or torturing us they wouldn’t put us somewhere nice like this, right? I am sure everything is going to be just fine!”
Is everything really going to be okay though? Grace smiled weakly in response. “I’m sure you’re right; I’ll try not to think about it.” It seemed like thinking only led to anxiety.
After the pep talk, they finally reached the last door as Grace turned the knob and pushed it open. Stepping into the room, she was immediately impressed with what she saw. A nice queen-sized bed, modern amenities, and even a style that would generally suit most young women. She saw a bathroom attached as well. “To be honest, I’ve never had a room this nice before,” whispered Grace as she scanned her surroundings with a mix of awe and unease. Something wasn’t right. Why on earth would the SOU take them away and put them into such a nice living situation?
“Pretty great, right?” Arina trotted over to a mini-fridge in the corner and opened it. “Look, they even stock these for us!” She pulled out a Pepsi and coke can before staring up with innocent eyes. “Hmmm… Coke or Pepsi? This is a life or death question, by the way, so please answer the question wisely.”
Grace crossed her arms over her chest. “No, no, no… You see, there is only one real answer.” She walked to the mini-fridge and pulled out a can of Dr Pepper, placing it on the counter. “As you can see, I reject your question.” For the first time all day, her lips curled into an albeit small but genuine smile.
Arina’s eyes widened, staring at the soda can in sheer awe. “I know we’re talking about stupid junk right now but you still seemed like a badass when you said that. Like a line from a movie.” With that, she started to laugh.
Something about Arina’s laughter was infectious; after a moment, Grace giggled and joined in. Forgetting her worries for a moment or two wouldn’t hurt.
“Good evening, recruits!”
Both girls nearly screamed in reaction to the surprise voice. It sounded like it was coming from some type of intercom but neither were able to find the source upon looking around frantically.
“Information will be provided directly via our intercom. Please be ready at 8:00AM sharp for orientation! An escort will be sent to gather you. As all of you have likely noticed, the kitchens are fully stocked so make sure to eat breakfast before the escort arrives if you wish to eat. You are to wear the set of clothes placed in the top drawer in the dresser of each bedroom. Please sleep well and save some energy for the day ahead.”
That familiar creeping of anxiety welled up within Grace once more “What-- the hell are we going to be doing tomorrow at this orientation?” She muttered, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes.
Arina didn’t want to show her own nerves to Grace, who was obviously quite distraught over everything. “We’ll go together, okay? If orientation is tomorrow, I wonder if our last roommate is going to make it,” she sighed, trying to change the subject. “How about we get some sleep and meet up tomorrow, okay?”
Grace nodded in response. “Y-- Yeah, sleep. Let’s do that.” She felt the exhaustion setting in; there was no way in hell she would be able to stay much longer.
After the girls separated and got ready for bed, Grace staggered over to the bed; the silky sheets and fluffy pillows beckoned for the blond’s companionship. Before taking the plunge, she recalled what the voice on the intercom said about having to wear a certain set of clothes. “Oh yeah, what was that about?” She muttered, walking to the nearby dresser and opening the toop drawer. Upon seeing the mass of blue fabric, Grace scrunched her brow and reached down to remove it. As she untangled the cloth, she realized it was a blue tracksuit with the number 47 printed across the left breast side. She examined it, feeling apprehensive; what the hell would they be doing that involves tracksuits?
Putting the garment down, Grace slammed the drawer shut and flopped into bed. “I just need to sleep; I can’t worry about this right now,” she told herself, closing her eyes tightly as she fell into a troubled slumber.
A well-formed adult woman with pale skin sat in a rather luxurious-looking home theater room adorned with rare art, taxidermied animals, and other oddities. She brushed her long, wavy black hair over her shoulder and stared up at the many screens and monitors that lined the massive wall. Each monitor seemed to show the inside of a ‘home’ much like the one Grace and Arina shared, each with its own set of house-mates.
“Oh, maybe an adorable little lamb for you,” purred the woman as she watched one of the other girls sobbing in her room from one of the cameras. She then re-adjusted the black tie and suit pants she had on since they became disheveled.
A sudden knocking at the door snapped out of her daydreaming. “Let him in!” She yelled out, having expected a guest.
The door swung open as a skinny, balding man in a lab coat stepped in with an armed guard standing close by. He looked around the room nervously before adjusting his large-rimmed glasses and taking a deep breath. “M-- Mistress Yulia, the final recruits have arrived and we start orientation tomorrow.”
Yulia smirked, turning to look at the mousy man. “I’m so happy to hear that, Gerald.” She turned to admire her assortment of screens briefly before turning her attention back to her guest. I’ll get back to watching you ladies after this peon leaves. She lamented having her leisure time interrupted but was quite excited for tomorrow. “You will be administering the booster shots tomorrow, correct? And this time we’ve actually cleared the animal testing phase first?” The woman asked as her tone grew cold and threatening.
“Y-- Yes, Mistress Yulia! There will never be a mistake like that again, I assure you! Our new assortment of boosters have passed all animal trials and are ready for the human testing phase!” His response was filled with fear and respect. Sweat now beaded on the man’s face and soaked through his lab coat. Every moment he spent around his boss sent him closer to an early, stress-induced grave.
“Fine. You have a good mind, Gerald. There’s a reason I’m giving you a two-strike policy instead of the usual one. And as you know, you already have one strike. If this year’s festivities don’t run into any hiccups, I’ll generously erase that strike of yours so you have a little more room to disappoint me if needed. Do you understand me?” Yuila’s voice was simultaneously sweet and dangerous.
“Y-- Yes, ma’am! I understand!” Gerald stammered, wiping the perspiration from his brow.
“Wonderful! Why are you still here? You are dismissed, Gerald,” waved the mistress as she turned her attention away from her lackey.
He quite happily obliged, saying his goodbyes before scurrying off.
“That man…” Yulia muttered, shaking her head. It didn’t matter though; tomorrow was going to be a wonderful day. Her face immediately softened upon mon looking at one of the monitors and saw Grace peacefully sleeping. “I’m so happy you made it.”
With a yawn, Yulia stood up and walked to her bedroom. There was no way in hell she would attend orientation without a full night of beauty sleep.
Mollusk Match: Chapter 1
Grace took a deep breath, stopping in her tracks as she stared down the seemingly endless hallway. What the hell is orientation going to be like? She mused as her heart rate picked up. They had been treated reasonably well so far, but how long would that last? If the State of Union Government were involved, there would undoubtedly be no positive outcome for anyone brought here as a captive.
One of the two guards gave a sympathetic look. "I can give you sixty seconds to collect yourself; any more than that, and I could get a write-up."
Grace moved a hand up and squeezed her forearm to alleviate some anxiety. Soon after, she broke out into a cold sweat, closing her eyes tightly while various scenarios played in her head. Maybe they would be sold into slavery or put in a breeding program. What if they were all forced to take experimental drugs and pray they didn't get horrific side effects? Her thought train was soon interrupted as a gentle hand wrapped around her own, causing her to turn.
"You're not alone. I'm here with you– Phoebe is too!" Arina cheered, keeping her demeanor chipper and upbeat.
Grace gave her friend a weak smile, her visage weakening. "Thank you… I do appreciate it a lot." She then looked past Arina's shoulder toward Phoebe. She was short and skinny, almost seeming too small for her tracksuit. Long, curly brown hair fell over her shoulders and obscured much of her face. Grace had been able to finally meet her mysterious roommate shortly before they left for orientation; however, she hadn't seemed interested in conversing or even acknowledging anyone. I'm not sure if Phoebe is there for me, but I'm sure she's just as stressed as I am.
Another thought occurred to Grace as she looked up at the guard. "There was supposed to be a fourth– Ella, I think her name was. Is she going to be joining us as well?"
"No clue. We were told to pick up the three of you; no one mentioned a fourth. Come on now, let's go," plainly responded the guard.
A chill went down Grace's spine. What happened to her? She thought, trying not to panic.
Before she could dwell on her worries, Arina squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Let's keep moving! One step at a time, okay?" She beamed, walking forward with her new friend.
Grace had no idea what she would do without this support right now. She felt a pang of jealousy over Arina's ability to seemingly stay calm and optimistic in a terrifying situation like this one. After thinking it over briefly, she decided to stick by her new best friend's side as long as she could; she desperately needed someone to cling to for moral support and a shoulder to lean on.
"Yeah. Let's go; I'm ready," insisted Grace with renewed determination as she marched forward. Panicking would do no good.
After one last security checkpoint, the three girls stepped into a massive, brightly lit room. Grace raised her hand to shield her eyes as they adjusted. "Where the hell are we?" She muttered, pulling her hand away to take in her surroundings. The first thing that came to mind were those old, fancy Broadway theaters she saw in old movies. Ruby-red velvet formed the upholstery for the seating and draped across the stage as a massive curtain. Blinking in confusion, Grace hesitantly moved forward and looked down at the row of seating in front of her. Did I step back in time? She brushed her fingertips over the intricately carved wood, briefly musing over how awful of an experience it had been to sit in her hometown's theater. Regardless of these distractions, it was impossible to escape her anxiety for long. Noticing how high her heart rate was, she pulled back and took a slow breath to calm down. "Just relax. Everything will be okay." She walked forward and scanned the room, seeing some other girls here. Most appeared relatively young, and all were wearing identical purple tracksuits. Some were whispering, while others seemed to be in various states of duress. A couple appeared to be having some type of panic attack where they sat; a woman with a short, orange pixie cut, snakebites, and intricate tattoo sleeves up each arm leaned against the wall with her arms over her chest and a scowl. It looked like there were twelve in here outside of her group.
"Hey! I made it," chimed Arina, briskly moving to Grace's side. "How are you holding up?" She asked cautiously, tuning out everything but Grace's wellbeing.
Grace took a deep breath and weakly smiled. "I will be okay. This place is kind of nuts, right? You should have a look."
Now that Arina knew Grace was okay, she turned her focus to the room they were in. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in awe. "This is amazing! Look at those curtains– these wooden seats…" Her words trailed off as she brushed her short, shaggy brown hair from her face and trotted forward to take in all the beautiful sights. She seemed to almost flutter without a care in the world.
Deciding to let Arina do her thing, Grace took in more of her surroundings. Multiple armed guards, security cameras, and reinforced doors made the prospect of ever escaping rather grim. As her mind wandered, a pang of" anger struck her. What did I do to deserve ending up here anyway? She thought about those advertisements they always played on television, streaming services, and just about everywhere, always ranting about how important it was to be a hardworking member of society. It was common knowledge that the State of Union government abducted citizens deemed a nuisance. The "Family Sin" law resulted in whole families getting punished whenever a single member broke the law or became a burden to society. On the flip side, the blood family of a troublemaker could appeal to the SOU and offer to donate the rebellious family member. Those in charge would review the family's plea and, if accepted, would be absolved of all crimes.
Man, that's kind of fucked up when I think about it, Grace sighed, not wanting to acknowledge how dystopian life was now. But did I do wrong? She crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her eyes downward as she combed through her memories. Grace was an empathetic and altruistic person. She was a little stubborn, but she was just a college student who enjoyed baking with her mom on the holidays and volunteered at the animal shelter. She never committed a single crime to the best of her knowledge and certainly never burdened her parents beyond the typical demands of child-raising.
Meanwhile, Arina traced her fingers over some velvet upholstery and smiled brightly. "Oh! This is so soft!"
"Hey! Can you maybe shut the fuck up?" A somewhat husky female voice demanded angrily.
The room grew silent as Arina turned toward the voice in shock, noticing the tattooed redhead shooting her a death glare.
"You heard me. You, the Mediterranean-looking bitch," spat the angry woman. "Don't you realize where we are? Can't you read the room? Does it fucking look like this is something to be happy about? Lisa is having a freakin' meltdown right over there, and you're acting like you're at the goddamn aquarium!" She pointed to a girl sitting with her knees pulled up to her face, trembling in silence.
Arina wasn't used to being spoken to like this; she honestly had no idea how to react. Feeling threatened and not usually a contentious one, she took a step back. "I– just…" She felt her heart race.
"I know you're annoyed, but have you considered that everyone has different ways of expressing their anxiety? I can understand asking her to calm down if it's upsetting anybody, but why do you have to be such an asshole?" Grace demanded suddenly, walking over as she stood in front of Arina. This is what you would have done, right, Margaret? She wearily thought to herself.
"Fighting will NOT be tolerated. Everyone, please take a seat and get ready for the presentation. Be mindful of the armed guards as well,"
A disembodied voice boomed loudly, rousing the immediate attention of everyone in the theater amongst various gasps and yelps. After the initial shock, each girl slowly moved toward one of the empty seats.
Grace cursed under her breath, not appreciating the spike in blood pressure. After sitting down, she sank into her set and immediately felt comfortable. "Is this memory foam or something?" She muttered, wishing the theater back home had been this nice. Looking down the row, she noticed that Phoebe had made it in at some point and was now sitting in silence off by herself.
The lights dimmed suddenly as the curtains began to pull open. Now transfixed, the audience watched in complete silence. Before long, a stage with a massive screen behind it came into view.
Are we going to watch a movie or something? Grace pondered. Immediately after, the screen flashed on, showing a grassy field. It seemed she might be correct.
"We would like to welcome all of you lucky pioneers! You chosen few are likely scared and uncertain," started a charismatic male voice as the camera shifted to a well-built man with short brown hair and a similarly full beard. He was dressed as a farmer but looked too well-manicured to be an actual farmer. "But please take pride in the fact that you get a second chance at being a productive member of society; One door closed leads to another one opened."
Some of the girls murmured, growing uneasy from the presentation; what the hell did being a 'productive member of society' mean in this context?
"As most of you likely know, the State of Union government has made great strides in gene manipulation and nanotechnology. A combination of these factors brings us to this exciting new initiative," continued the farmer before flashing a sterling white-toothed grin. "You will–"
The film shut off abruptly as the lights brightened, and the already antsy group fell into a state of mild disarray. Each of these young women had been through a large amount of mental turmoil in a very short period; heating these disturbing, sugar-coated words did nothing to ease their minds, and now it ended abruptly. Their discomfort couldn't even be consistent.
"Come on now, calm down! A sultry, feminine voice commanded as a sultry, well-suited woman strolled in front of the screen from off-stage. Yulia turned toward the crowd and crossed her arms over her chest. "You were all about to witness some educational film they suggested I show to all of you to explain your situation." She brushed her ebony locks off her shoulder and inspected this year's haul with her piercing blue eyes. "But that's a giant goddamn waste of time. Let me cut away all the fluff and bullshit; I'll get to the chase; how does that sound, ladies? I'd suggest staying silent and not answering that question, by the way." Her authoritative voice sounded through the theater. Not a single sound was uttered from the bewildered audience, eliciting a smirk from Yulia. She took great pleasure in these girls' obedience. "Because of my great abilities and intellect, I was put in charge of this initiative; therefore, I am allowed to do whatever I want as long as I get the results the big boss wants to see." She had full confidence in her abilities. "None of you have any rights. All of you were donated to the SOU government by your families for one reason or another. In return, any family sins you burdened your families are immediately forgiven. Even if you committed a horrible crime right now, it would no longer impact your respective families. Also, our lovely government will now send money and resources home to each of your families as you girls work and contribute. Isn't that lovely?" She asked dully before closing her eyes and letting out a yawn.
"What the fuck do you think you're saying!?" The redheaded girl yelled in pure rage, standing up. "Who the fuck do you think you are dumping all of this shit on us? So what? Are you going to make us fuck politicians or something? Sell us as sex slaves? And you also expect us to listen to some hooker in a suit like you?" She smirked, thinking herself to be hot shit.
"Oh?" Yulia raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with the dissenter. "Oh, Miss Rose. What a poor, unfortunate soul. Finally accepted as a donation by her family after she was caught snorting coke in the bathroom of the Burger King she works at part-time," Mistress Yulia responded with a devilish smile, hopping down from the stage as she approached Rose.
As this scene unfolded, Grace watched in disbelief; she couldn't have predicted any of this. She found it challenging to process her thoughts properly after being told so bluntly that her family betrayed her and no longer had rights as a human.
Rose saw red, stepping forward as she threw a right jab straight at her new enemy's face. Before the strike connected, Yulia put a hand up and clasped it around the first, stopping the punch mid-air.
"The fuck–" Rose tried to pull her fist away, but it wouldn't budge; not only that, but the grip gradually tightened. Now thoroughly scared, she clasped her left hand around her forearm and tried to pull her hand away. It was so well stuck that Yulia's arm barely moved despite the now rather violent thrashing and cries of fear. "Th– that hurts! Please– please stop!" She cried out as tears streamed from her face. If Yulia squeezed any harder, her hand might break.
Yulia's pupils dilated as she let out a tiny moan, one quiet enough to go undetected. She felt a familiar pulse of arousal course through her body, causing the nipples upon her supple breasts to harden. Simultaneously, her vulva twitched and dampened in anticipation. Watching such a lousy girl cry and submit to her whim after putting up such a fight brought the mistress unparalleled joy.
"I suppose I can be generous this once," Yulia responded as she let go of the now blubbering Rose. "Everyone! Now that this little matter is over, I implore you to keep your pretty little mouths shut and listen." She pulled herself onto the stage and re-adjusted her tie before facing the crowd. "As I was saying, I will summarize. All of you will be participating in a series of games. There will be at least one game a week. The losers of each game will volunteer their bodies to the study and advancement of gene manipulation and nanotechnology science. Losing means you will receive one round of gene manipulation therapy; the more you lose, the more you will start to change."
The whole room fell into a panic; as expected, protests started, and people grew angry.
Click!
The armed guards raised their guns and pointed toward the crowd all around the room. The group cowered back in varying states of anger and confusion in response.
"H– Holy shit…" Grace shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. This sounded horrible; this wasn't happening, was it? As she lost games, would she be changed? What the fuck did that mean?
"Don't make me repeat myself. Stay SILENT and listen to me. Also, there will be no questions. If you have questions after I'm done, you aren't meant to have the answer yet. Understood!?" Yulia commanded, crossing her arms over her chest with an intense look on her face.
"There are more details, but you don't need to know until the day of the first game. Every game you lose, your change will progress. You aren't privy to what each of your changes will be. If you lose often, you will probably realize what you're becoming sooner than later. On the flip side, each victory will reverse the change by an amount equal to the value of losing around. Unfortunately, winning while having no changes applied simply means you come out unscathed; you don't gain anything beyond that… However!" She screamed out after a dramatic pause. "If you make it through and win the last round, we will undo all of your changes, regardless of how far gone you are, and give you your rights as humans back. The catch is that you have to tell us verbally, with your words, that you want to be normal again. So please take a deep breath! You get to keep playing even if you do nothing but lose every round. It's a different story if you change so much that you're no longer able to communicate with us or participate."
Grace took a deep breath. That didn't sound quite as awful as she thought. There would be multiple chances to win, and she would get to leave as a free woman if she made it through the last round. But it was those last words that struck fear into her. No longer able to communicate or participate? What the hell were these changes she kept mentioning?
"Thankfully, you get a live demonstration today!" The lights focused on the stage as a platform with a massive, ballistic glass holding cell was wheeled out. Inside was a rather terrified-looking woman with a curvy, hourglass figure and cotton candy pink-dyed hair that fell around her shoulders. Only small, circular air holes dotted the transparent box.
"P– Please!!! I'm sorry! Don't– don't do this!!" The woman wailed, banging her fists against the glass.
"Miss Ella, here was a naughty girl! When she was transported so graciously to our facility, she thought it would be appropriate to kick our beloved guard captain in the testicles and cause a scene. When we detained her and I came to have a chat, she spat in my face and tried to claw my eyes out." Yulia paused, only the pleas and sobs of Ella reverberating through the auditorium
That's Ella?? Grace thought to herself, now understanding why she went missing. Admittedly, spitting on your captor was a pretty dumb idea.
"Ella has received several gene therapy doses equal to losing an undetermined number of rounds. You don't get to know the number, but it's more than one," sneered Yulia, moving her hands up as she proudly adjusted the bra cups concealing her supple melons. She was more than happy and proud to flaunt her assets; who would dare try to stop or touch her? Yulia then turned and walked off-stage to watch the show with some privacy.
As Grace watched in horror, she felt someone suddenly cling to her arm. Quickly turning, Arina's troubled face met her gaze.
"I just don't want to be alone right now," whispered Arina as she gripped her friend's hand. While she usually tried to stay positive, the situation with Rose and then receiving all this horrible information from Yulia had shaken her; on top of that, they had to watch something utterly horrific.
"Y– Yeah, let's stay together," Grace stammered, gripping Arina's hand tightly. Oh God– what did I do? Why am I here? Her mind sped at a million miles per hour while she did everything in her power to repress an anxiety attack.
"PLEASE!!! I'M SO SORRY!" Ella wailed, trying to claw at the glass to no avail. Tears streamed from her cheeks, splattering on the ground beneath.
Grace trembled, gripping Arina's hand to the point of her knuckles turning white. This surely had to be a nightmare, right? She watched the terrified woman claw desperately, pleading for someone to help her. Part of her wanted to leap to her feet and run to do something, but that couldn't happen for obvious reasons.
"PLEASE, I– AAAGHHH!" Ella groaned as her body trembled. Her body began to visibly and profusely sweat "Hnnngghhh…" Groans of discomfort sounded out from the terrified young woman. Placing a hand on the glass to steady her quaking form, she stared out at the crowd of distressed onlookers. "ONE OF YOU, PLEASE HELP ME! PL– OOOOoooooh!" Ella's cries of desperation rescinded as the sounds straining of fabric creaked from the glass cage.
Grace watched as Ella's body began to bloat and grow, forcing the seams of her clothing to break and make room for the additional mass. Oh god– is this going to happen to me??? To say she was panicked would be an understatement.
"N– No… What am I becoming??" Ella yelled desperately, putting her hands over her face in fear. The added weight in Ella's pants caused her to stumble backward, nearly falling over. She now had E-cup tits.
"They're filling like water balloons…" Muttered Grace in disbelief as Ella's breasts filled and stretched. She cast a shaky glance toward Arina, who had pulled her hand away to cover her ears while keeping her eyes closed tightly. It was hard to blame her for wanting to tune this out.
"F– Fuck!!!" Ella moved her shaky hands up and unzipped her tracksuit jacket in what Grace assumed to be an attempt to relieve the pressure from her expanding chest mounds. As the zipper strained and descended below Ella's chest, her massive, perky orbs sprung free and jiggled in place. Her hardened nipples imprinted against the thin white fabric of her tee-shirt while she let out lewd moaning sounds. Much to Grace's horror, she couldn't help but notice these cries seemed almost sexual.
Rip!
The seams of Ella's pants tore apart as her now-massive ass broke free from its sweaty imprisonment. "Oh god!!! N– No, please! Mistress Yulia, I'M SORRY! PLEASE! I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!" The expanding woman wailed between sobs. Ella leaned against one of the walls in her cage for support; her enlarged assets threatened to topple her at any moment as the audience watched her attempt to stay upright. "Uggh…" Grunts wafted through the cage as her breathing grew increasingly labored. She raised her shaking hands, watching as small tufts of brown fur erupted from her fingertips and encroached toward her wrists. "What the fuck are you turning me into!!! STOP THI– AHGHH!! S–STOP THI– THIS…" The bones in her legs suddenly cracked and popped as they shifted, reaching the ears of an utterly disgusted Grace. Letting out more panicked and confused noises, Ella slumped down to the ground while resting her back against the wall. With the current condition of her legs, Grace doubted she could stand any longer.
The brown fur passed the elbows of each arm while her feet followed suit, that same fluff consuming her feet and moving up to her ankles. "I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ANIMAL! YULIA– SOMEONE! ANY OF YOU, PLEASE SAVE ME!" She screamed from her sitting position.
Crrrck!
The cracking sounds swiftly intensified as her ankles and feet rearranged and moved.
Grace could see flesh below Ella's ankles shifting unnaturally even from this distance. How would that feel? It was a scene out of a horror movie; the very thought of being in Ella's shoes rattled her in a way she couldn't describe.
"Shit– shit, shit… Shit…" Ella muttered hysterically, reaching to pull her shoes and socks off. It took a few attempts, but she managed to do it. She then stared downward with a stupefied expression. "Arrghhh…" Weak moans flowed from her lips as her feet changed more rapidly. "My feet– what… What is happening to my feet? No… No, please– I need you…" She desperately grabbed her feet as she pulled on her toes. Despite a valiant effort to halt the transformation, her toes stiffened and clumped together while her ankles thickened and grew rounder.
At least one girl vomiting was heard within the auditorium amidst Ella's cries.
"No, no, no… This– this is just a nightmare… A nightmare– I'm sorry, mom… Dad– please… Please save me…" Ella choked as she began to sob. Her toes darkened and calcified, gradually pulling together into a unified mass while horrible grinding sounded off from her ankles. The itchy fur now covered her chest and consumed more than half her body while her sounds of discomfort intensified.
Finally, her feet took on a more familiar shape, something everyone could recognize. "H– Hooves?" Ella's asked in bewilderment as she moved her new feet back and forth slowly while her new hooves transitioned into their completed shape.
Much to the audience's horror, Ella's skull emitted that familiar cracking sound. "Ooooohhh…" She moaned as her mouth and jaw popped, shifting as her facial bones pushed outward. "MY FACE!!! MY FAESH!" Ella briskly moved her hands up to touch her face. Her nose flattened out while each ear pulled into the sides of her head. At the same time, new brown-furred ears sprouted from the top of her head and grew outward.
“I DOHNT WAHNT TO BEH THISH!” Ella pleaded as fur sprouted from her face, now consuming the majority of her body. Her pink hair fell out in clumps as a deep brown mane grew out in its place; simultaneously, an awful pressure manifested in her tailbone as her new tail broke through the skin and extended outward. Ella groaned, trying to stand; unfortunately, gravity had different plans; she fell onto her oversized ass, causing it to wobble while cushioning her fall unceremoniously.
"Please save m– nnneeeigh!" Ella's words cut off. She began to sob and wail more heavily than before, putting her hands over her now-malformed face. "No… Fuck, fuck…. Fuck, f– nneeeeigh!" She whinnied again as her body's current changes finalized. It seemed the demonstration was reaching its end.
Grace had no idea what unholy ritual she had just witnessed. All she and Arina could do was watch in horror as their missing roommate horrifically transformed into a being somewhere between beast and human. When it was over, she looked half-horse, half-human, Ella's mouth having stretched out into a partial snout. Her were seemed intact, but hooves now stood in place of her feet.
Without a word, Grace shifted in her seat and wrapped her arms around Arina as the two held each other in fear. She didn't even deserve to be here; how was she supposed to escape this nightmare? Tears fell from each of their faces as the gravity of their cruel fate weighed down on them.
Read Mollusk Match three months ahead of releasing on Deviant Art for $5 on Patreon! We are currently on chapter 4 which involves the first game of Mollusk Match!