Chapter Sixteen
After essentially saying goodbye to themselves, Marco and Simone were lying unconscious on Dr. Feldman’s uninviting metal rolling tables, in his basement laboratory. They had both given the doctor a few preferences regarding their new appearances, but most of their physical modifications were at the mercy of Feldman’s convenience.
Both Marco and Simone had been fitted with gas masks, which pumped a powerful sleep inducer into their lungs, knocking them out in seconds. It was then up to a combination of steel cutting tools, intricate, laser surgical devices and various hair dyes, to decide their fate.
Just before the operation began, Simone had contacted her unit in Anchorage and told them to finalize their interview with Winston Severov’s Panel of Deciders. In just one week’s time, Simone and Marco would once again be face to face with their arch nemesis, and Dr. Feldman’s work would be the only thing that could spare them from a brutal execution.
At one point during the procedure, Feldman found himself standing in a pool of blood that had accumulated, as a result of abrupt and excessive skin removal from various body parts. He had made it very clear to his patients that the facial reconstruction would be the most difficult and time consuming part of the procedure, but that it was also his specialty. He had said these words to them, as they were both on the verge of passing out, and Simone couldn’t help but catch a psychotic vibe, from both the sly smile and wink that accompanied his words.
The manner in which she had spent her final conscious moments, before the surgery, forced her into a violent dream state, giving her the most vivid nightmare of her life. In her mind, she awoke alone and naked in a forest, in the middle of the night. After being violently clubbed in the back of the head with a blunt object, she then found herself being brutally raped by both Severov and Feldman. She became smothered by their naked, muscular bodies, as her face was pushed into the dirt by Feldman, while Winston penetrated her from behind.
Feldman then violently flipped her over onto her back and grabbed her by her thighs, pulling himself inside her. Severov stood off to the side and mocked her feeble attempts to escape. Once Feldman had finished, Severov raised a knife over her head and plunged it down into her neck. She awoke at that moment, in a cold sweat, to Feldman’s warm smile.
“All done,” he said. “I told you, you wouldn’t feel a thing.” Although he was referring to the surgery, Simone’s dream was still at the forefront of her mind and she felt her stomach turn. Her face was wrapped in several layers of white bandages. She had a difficult time turning her head to the right, to see Marco still lying on the table next to her. His face was also wrapped in bandages and like Simone, only his eyes were visible.
The coffee stains on Feldman’s lab coat had been blotted out by dark, red blood stains from the procedure. As he stepped to the side, Simone caught a glimpse of the glowing, red digital clock on the wall, which gave the day and time. Nearly twenty four hours had passed, since their arrival at the lab. As Simone collected her thoughts she began to utter the words, “What happens now?”
But Feldman abruptly raised his hand to silence her and said, “Don’t try to speak. Your face needs time to heal. I’m going to bring you something to eat now. You’ll have to sip a nutrient shake of my invention, through a straw. It’s not the best tasting stuff, but it’ll keep you nourished and coherent.”
He then walked upstairs to acquire the beverages. Simone was nervous to the point of passing out again, but the thought of being unconscious in the lab, frightened her enough to keep her awake. She had known Feldman for many years, but something about the way he was conducting himself, was still making her feel uneasy. She knew that he had always had a great deal of pride in his work, but had never seen him perform his typical duties as a Darkside Re-Constructer, in person.
She felt that he had a certain lust for body modification, blood and skin that no normal person should even be able to fathom. To her left, she noticed some wall shelving, holding nothing but jars of rotting flesh. Several glass jars of blood and newer, less discolored flesh were sitting on a metal bench at the end of her table. They were obviously filled with the leftovers from her procedure and would soon to be added to his twisted collection.
Her uneasy feelings, were quickly becoming feelings of justifiable panic. She couldn’t help but wonder what else was in store for her and Marco, upon the doctor’s return. Marco was still unconscious on the table beside her. Simone fought her way through the horrible pain in her neck, to turn her head completely to the right. She then noticed that Marco had been restrained to his table, by thick brown leather straps that looked like they had come from an old fashioned straight jacket.
Her neck cracked, as she struggled to move her arms and legs, while moving her head back to look straight up. She then yelped in pain, as she picked her head up and looked down at her body. She was draped from the neck down in a white sheet, as was Marco, and was also tied down in the same fashion.
Simone was furious with herself, for not noticing Feldman’s peculiar collection of human remains before the operation, and then felt an odd sensation in her chest, as her heart beat quickened, with her increasing level of stress. From beneath the clinging sheet and uncomfortable restraints, Simone could feel that her breasts had greatly decreased in size. Her stomach turned, as she continued to gain more feeling throughout her body.
Not only had her breasts been reduced to half their original size, she could feel the lowest of the straps, which had been placed over her stomach, stretching out the skin nearest her hips, with ease. It was as if her normal, tight athletic figure had been deflated, causing the fatty remains to sag at her sides.
“What the hell has he done to me?” she asked herself, while wondering the same thing about Marco.
Winston Severov had said that he was only accepting those in peak physical condition, for the Mars missions. Feldman had assured her that his methods would make her and Marco ideal candidates. But at that moment, it didn’t seem as though things had happened that way.
As her growing distrust for Feldman began to take its toll, Simone could hear him making his way to the top of the basement stairs. She heard him whistling a happy melody, as he glided down the stair case and appeared before her, holding two tall glasses of a brown liquid, each also containing a straw.
He approached Simone and placed one of the glasses on a small rolling cart, between the two tables. He then glanced over at Marco, smiled and said, “Still sleeping like a baby. I’m not surprised. Had to give him a much bigger dose of the sedative.”
“Why?” Simone whispered, from beneath her mask of bandages.
“Something about his metabolism,” Feldman replied. “He didn’t go under as quickly as you did. I didn’t want him waking up in the middle of the procedure. That’s all.” He smiled and lowered the glass to Simone’s face and tilted the straw towards the mouth hole in her face mask. “Take a sip,” he said. “You’ll feel a lot better once you get your strength back up.”
“Can you remove these straps first?” she asked. “They’re very uncomfortable. Why did you even put them on us?”
Feldman hesitated and said, “Your nerves were causing involuntary spasms, while you were out. I didn’t want to be responsible for any deformities on either of you.”
“Well, the operation is over now,” said Simone. “Can you please take them off us, now?”
Feldman paused for a moment and appeared frustrated. He then gave an awkward look around the room and replied, “Of course. But if I do, do you promise to drink your nutrients? The procedure won’t be complete, if you don’t. And I’d hate for you to go through all this, just to be denied your interview with Severov.”
Simone hesitated and nodded her head up and down. Feldman placed Simone’s drink on the rolling cart and carefully removed her restraints. But before he could reach for Simone’s glass, Simone motioned for Feldman to remove Gropovski’s straps as well, as a sign of good faith.
Once Ma
rco’s straps were removed, Feldman helped Simone sit up and placed the straw in her glass, to her lips. By this point, Simone was in no condition to refuse the doctor. The simple act of sitting up, completely drained her of all of her energy, as well as almost all the feeling throughout her body. Knowing that she had no way of contacting anyone for help, as she had left the team behind, out of her trust for Feldman, she slowly choked down the strange, foul tasting liquid that he had concocted.
To her surprise, she instantly felt better. She could feel incredible strength coursing through her muscles and she was finding it much easier to breathe as well. Despite its bitter metallic taste, the more she drank, the more alive she felt.
After another hour or so had passed, Gropovski was finally awake and had been given the same liquid for nourishment. Marco’s reaction was exactly the same as Simone’s, as his vital signs instantly began to improve, eventually making him healthier than he had been before the procedure. Simone had even noticed that several minutes after she had finished her beverage, the saggy feeling in her chest and stomach had been replaced by the athletic, fit figure, she was used to.
Her breasts had remained half their original size, but that was the least of her concerns. All in all, she started to feel more confident about the situation. In her eyes, the Drellic War, and the months of solitude that followed, might have turned Feldman into a freak of sorts. But if Feldman was planning to do them harm, he was doing a very poor job.
Both Marco and Simone were feeling better than they had in years and were finally back on their feet. They were draped in light blue hospital gowns, while still wearing the thick layers of white bandages around their heads. Feldman led them both to a large mirror, in a bright and empty windowless room, next to his laboratory. It was finally time for Marco and Simone to look upon their new faces.
The Drellic Saga: Books One, Two and Three Page 39