Castaway

Pain was the first word that that popped into her head

The second word was alive.

Georgina O’Keefe eyes opened. She was in a hospital.

Michael. Where was Michael?

Over half her body was in a cast. From waist down to her toes where encased in in plaster. If she could see her toes. It looked like her feet where enclosed in a blob of plaster. Neck was in a cervical collar, hand and arms where also immobilized in plaster casts. She felt like the mummy that had been hit by a train. She was either covered in plaster or bandages.

“Hello.” said a sweet voice.

Her eyes moved to the sound.

It was a cherub looking face of a nurse, A large mane of dark hair was tied in a pony tail. Georgina tried to say something but found a tube down her throat .

“Do not try to talk. Blink if you can understand me.”

She blinked.

“That is good. We where not sure if you sustained any hearing damage. First I want to say how lucky you are to be alive. I will start with the alphabet. You blink when I come to a letter in your name.”

Georgina managed to succeed in blinking out her name.

“Georgina. Like that state?”

One blink.

“Well happy to meet you Georgina. I’m Ginger. Your personal nurse. We found you both caught in the Devil's Teeth. It a dangerous cove here. That was quite a storm we had. We have a few houses and a light house in the area. Your boat was sucked in by the tides. I’m afraid your boat is gone.”

It was all coming back to her. She remember Michael charting a boat. It was a surprise he had planned. They had been dating for six month and she secretly thought that he was going to pop the question in the middle of the Bermuda triangle. Michael and her where a bit adventurous. So him possibly proposing in such a crazy place would have been right up his alley.

Nurse Ginger must have thought the boat was theirs.

Wait. She said both?

There was the two of them and the two crewman. Actually a husband and wife. They crewed the boat. The wife. What has her name. Jenny. She was a spitfire of girl. Laughing and chatting away. Making jokes.

Her husband Mark was a very quiet man and ran the boat like a master.

She tried to ask who was the other.

But Ginger pulled a curtain back and saw it was Michael on the other side of the room.

He looked in worse condition than she was. He face looked like one giant bruise.

“Both you were being smashed on the rocks. We had to wire his jaw shut.. He sustain similar injures as you did. Broken ribs. Legs and hips and feet where crushed. Broken arms. You where both in surgery for hours.”

She was relieved and sadden. Sadden that the Jenny and Mark had not survived the storm. In fact the she remembered going to their bunk and no sign of storms where around. Much less if they where woken up or even going in the water.

“He has been in and out for awhile.” said Ginger looking at some electronic pad. “So have you.”

She did not recall waking up earlier but she winced as a wave of pain washed over her.

“Pain?”

She blinked.

“I am sorry I can't give you anything stronger. You can’t see it, But under your cast is a maze of wires and electrodes. We are stimulating nerve and muscle bone re-growth.

The light dimmed.

“The storm has knocked out the island main generator. We are running on back ups right now. All satellite and radio towers are down.”

Georgina made a small nod. She had heard about this before. Putting electrodes to make bones knit together faster. Like the Matrix movie. And she did feel fortunate that that had been rescued and washed up here.

But where was here. There was no way she call anyone even if she could. Ginger explained that.

Another nurse came in. It was hard not to miss her because she came in with a clumping sound. She began looking over Michael. His nurse had long honey blond hair also pulled back into a ponytail.

“Kelly, we have a name for Jane Doe here. It is Georgina.”

Kelly moved toward her. Clumping all the way.

Odd. She knew most nurse's had the shoes that those white sneakers that never made a sound. Georgina could not move to see her footwear.

Ginger seemed to pick up her question.

“Kelly. You need to not wear your boots. Where are your hospital shoes.”

“I made the mistake of leaving them outside in the storm.” said Kelly embarrassed.

“You know I will have to report you.” said Ginger.

“Please. No.” said Kelly shakily.

Kelly was horrified.

Georgina was wondering how strict the hospital staff was on footwear. But considering this looked like a Grade A hospital with surgery center. And she guessed she was on some tropical island. No telling what all manner of disease where outside that could be tracked inside.

“WE will talk later.”

“Yes Ma’am.” said Kelly.

“Georgina and John need their rest.”

They did not know Michaels name.

As Ginger left she pulled the curtain back to hide Michael from her sight.

Days passed. Or she assumed so. She had no way to track time.

There was no outside window and just a observation window to her right. That over looked a hall way with another door and window. No clocks and none of the nurses did wear watches.

Odd. The blinds where on the outside of her room. Not inside.

Ginger would check in on her. Kelly came in this time with much quieter footwear but looked like she had been running. Quite a lot for the look of it. She seemed exhausted.

She was able to convey through blink code that ‘john doe's’ name was Michael.

Ginger always seemed to be happy. Almost sickenly so. Georgina still had the tube down her throat feeding her. Their was some concern of internal injuries and bleeding that had to been monitored. Plus she could not move. She was on a liquid diet that allowed her body to process waste in liquid form. She could not even go to the bathroom. If she wanted anything she had to bite down on her feeding tube.

It was always Ginger who took care of her. Did she ever sleep or go home?

Another thing was that sometimes an orderly would brush by her window the blinds would part and she would see some one. They all had the long pony tails for hair. It seemed odd but maybe it was a custom here. Ginger however explained the hospital staff all grew their hair long and once a year they would cut it and send it to have wigs made for cancer patients. Georgina thought that was reasonable and commendable.

Another thing was that every one looked like they exercised a lot. All the men looked to have very toned bodies. Same for the women. Not a fat person in the lot.

She learned that her doctors name was Bendis. He saved their lives and then had to go to the main land to get supplies. The air strip was knocked out and the only way was by boat. It was ten days or so when the main power was partially restored. Or at least there where fewer brown outs.

She and Michael finally saw each other and could barely signal to each other.

Georgina noticed something on his pillow. A discoloration. His bruise on his face looked much better. She was a theater arts major. She knew Michael was an electrical engineer. He had been on a team that helped restore power to New Orleans after Katrina hit. She stared at the discoloration. To her it seemed to her that maybe Michel's bruise was not real but simply make up. The next day the discoloration on the pillow was gone and the bruise looked just as bad as it had before.

It was three weeks and she finally got to see Dr. Bendis. The man had a olive tan completion and like everyone else had a long dark pony tail. Deep blue hypnotic eyes. He had a slight accent. Maybe Greek. He apologized for not having any thing to keep them entertained but they were trying to conserve power and fuel as best they could. He did say they expected phone service to be restored and was there anyone he should contact.

Her brother and her had been the outs for awhile after their mother died two years ago. Dad had walked out on them after the funeral. More than likely crawled into a bottle and stayed there. So she really had no one to call. So she indicated no.

Regrettably she would be on the feeding tube until the cast came off in eight weeks.

Time seem to drag on. And with out any way to tell time. She had no idea how many days passed unless someone told her. She assumed it had been three weeks but no way to be sure of that. They did find a MP3 player she could listen to music. Michael got one too.

That was when she started to have these dreams.

Mostly about running and pulling things. Which made sense to he because she was dreaming about something she was unable to do.

Then she began to have dreams about horses. She liked horses.

Aside from a passing orderly or nurse, all having ponytails, she never saw any other patients.

It was when she was being wheeled from x-ray she caught a glimpse from a reflection of the staffs footwear. They where like huge rounded boots. Why such odd foot wear. It reminded her of spaceman boots.

Georgina woke up one night with a terrible itch at the back of her neck and base of her spine.

Ginger arrived and worked to place some terrible smelling salve.

While she was half turned over she was looking out the observation window. The blinds where half closed. Through the slats. She saw Kelly passing by. But what got her attention was that Kelly was not in her normal nurse attire. Rather she was wearing some sort of harness. It was only a brief glimpse but to Georgina. It looked like Kelly was into some sort of bondage thing. She also looked like she was ‘rode hard and put away wet‘ as the saying goes.

In the morning, or what she perceived to be morning. Georgina tried to make effort to find more about where they where.

Ginger gave what she called the a tour guide explanation. The island was about twice the size of Manhattan. They have rapid growing cycles. Aside from the occasional hurricane. The temperature never waver outside sixty to ninety degrees. The hospital caters to the rich. Mostly cosmetic surgery. It also performs testing and research on cancer stopping drugs. The island was called Equus mostly because it looked like a horse head.

The southern half was a resort that was very exclusive. The northern half was a small town and harbor. It had the most hills and where most of the trees were. The southern half had the air strip and flat lands. There where seals that made their home in the harbor which attracted sharks. So swimming in the harbor was not a good idea.

Later that night she heard an airplane passing overhead. Had the airstrip been repaired?

They were at four weeks and Bendis assured them both they where coming along as well as could be expected. Georgina had concerns. Little things that did not add up or made her feel like she was in the Twilight Zone. But until she was on her feet. There was not much she could do about it.

Feet?

Then for half a second the word feet seem alien to her. She did not know why and the feeling passed quickly.

At week six Michael had his jaw unwired but still had to have the food tube. The electrodes were aided by pressure bandages that inflated and deflated. This squeezing in random parts of her exposed body area was to reduce bedsores and atrophy in those area.

Oddly it did turn her on a little.

The dreams about running and horses seemed to become more intense and the thought of staying here once she recovered was some what in the back of her mind.

Week eight had arrived. They would have six weeks of rehab and then they would be free to go home.

The subject of payment was never brought up.

Because of the electrodes implanted in them both of them would be out of it and in surgery for a few hours.

Waking up was like the first time.

Not a lot made sense and she found herself in a mummy like sleeping bag seated in a wheel chair. The casts were completely removed. She could feel the air on her skin but her limbs where restrained inside the bag. She felt weak and drained. Her entire body felt numb. Like that feeling you get when the dentist pulls a tooth. What was it. Novocain?

Her throat was raw. Georgina turn her head saw Michael to her left. He was coming around too and also in a mummy bag seated in a wheel chair.

They were is some office that looked like a Victorian drawing room. Seated at a desk was a man she had never met. Standing beside him to his right was a woman she had not seen either. Flanking either side of the desk Ginger and Kelly. The man had a suit on but the woman looked like she was ready to be riding in the English countryside.

“Awake I see, Good. My name is Mr. Larson. And this is my assistant Ms. Lash. I am here to give your orientation.”

“First I would like to welcome you to our little community.”

Georgina tried to say something but all that came out was a rasping wheeze. A second try came out as a whinny. Michael had more of an intelligent gurgle. She could barely say the word ‘community‘.

“Please. I will explain everything that you might need to know. First I think you best steady yourselves for a number of changes in your lives. Ladies. If you give each of them a drink of water.”

Ginger moved toward her unzipped the bag to her waist. She unbuckled the strap securing her right hand inside the bag. Then picked up a tray with a glass of water and presented to her. Her hand could not grasp the glass. In fact her fingers did not work at all. There was no strength in them. Georgina's hand just stayed in cupped position.

Glancing over to Michael . He seemed to fair much better. He had pick up his glass and was sipping down the water. Ginger helped her drink holding the glass to her lips allowing her to drink. Another sensation came to her. She could feel something under the hospital gown. It felt like a harness.

“First each of you have a new name.”

Looking at her . “Yours is Peaches.”

When he said that. She felt something slide home and lock away a part of her. Like the very word was taking away a part of herself.

Then turning to Michael “You are Sunrod.”

Michael seem to shudder at the mention of his new name. Had he too felt the same feeling of separation that she had?

“We will begin with you both. Ladies if you will.”.

They unzipped the bag all the way down. She looked down expecting to she her feet but did not. She saw two black shinny horses hooves. They where strapped down by wide nylon and leather belts that went through the bag and onto the wheel chair.

A quick glance over at Michael showed the same horrible mutilation had been done to him.

The shock was too much to handle. She wanted to lash out. Scream. Anything but she was too weak other than to flail about her free arm. Ginger easy caught the arm and strapped it down again. Ginger was much stronger than she looked. Her grip was vice like. Kelly handled Michael in much the same way,

“Please do not speak. I will explain.”

“Twenty six years ago a native flower was discovered unlike anything anyone had seen. It was not a very pretty one either but it had a strong cancer fighting drug. But it needed to be cured and the flower had a very narrow temperate ranges, soil, water, sun. all these had to be perfect for it to grow.”

“It was also highly narcotic. We called Ambrosia.”

“Although you may have arrested cancer. That’s right, arrested cancer and I do mean any cancer. You also became a slave to the flower's rather nasty side effect. You became a drug addict. Not a nice one either. Paranoia for one. Once you stopped taking ambrosia. The cancer came back. So you swapped one disease for another. Fifteen years after much work we finally managed to fix Ambrosia. Or so we thought. We combine it with a natural steroid. Ambrosia was able to cure cancer. In fact it boosted the immune system to even repelling the effect of old age. But as we learned. For every two steps we took. We wound up taking one step back.”

“The steroid we used was equine. A horse. In eight weeks our test subject began to grow tails and feet mutated into hooves. Even pointed ears. Ambrosia was rewriting our DNA.”

Then Ginger and Kelly kicked off their over sized boots. Showing a pair of brilliantly polished hooves. They brushed back their hair to show their pointed ears. Then hiked up their skirts to show a pony tail growing out the small of the back right above the rectum. Ginger gave Kelly tail a hard yank to show it was not make up or some sort of fake prosthetic.

“We tried other steroids with little success. So my predecessors made a sacrifice. They set up this pony ranch. They knew they were onto something and were willing to live with the deformity ambrosia gave them. They where called the Seven. They found out that after the initial eight week the body goes into interphase. That for the next six weeks your blood could produce a cancer killing serum.”

“Those treated with the serum suffer no side effect. A pint of your blood can make fifty cancer killing treatments. Taking a pint a week. Well you can do the math. It is still a mystery as to why this happens. But then after six weeks. Or week fourteen if you will. The long term benefits and side effect began to show.”

“You may have heard the phase ‘use or lose it‘. It was discovered that if you did not use part of your brain. Ambrosia began to dumb down those parts to increase the parts of your brain you did use. Much like a computer allocating memory to where it is needed most. So in effect if you where a scientist. You became a much smarter scientist. But the act of plugging in a toaster or other common out of the ordinary things where a mystery to you. We had cases where a researcher forgot how to use a door knob.”

“It was our research into autism and other mental conditions was where found away to ‘back door’ the problem. Implanting electrical wires around the brain and using a very low voltage kept you a fully working functional adult. The voltage is very minor but can be cranked up to cause pain.”

Ms. Lash held up a remote control.

“But it is used only in extreme cases. “ She said with a smile. Almost daring one of them to give her an excuse.

Ms Lash motioned to someone behind them. “But sometimes that is not enough. Peacock. Will you step forward please. Come on girl.”

From behind them she heard a clip clop sound. A women came into view.

She had hooves like Georgina did now and high stepped in front of them both. She was a statuesque beauty. Red hair and matching tail that shined. She could see every muscle was toned and had rock hard abs. Peacock seemed to give off an energy that Georgina could feel the power flowing out of her. She was harnessed much like Kelly had been. But a head harness had been added with a bit and bridle in her mouth. A little plume of a blue feather was on top of her head.

Peacock positively glowed . She knew they where ogling her and she basked in the attention. She was a perfect human specimen. A Greek goddess.

Except for one flaw.

Both arms where missing.

She was like a that Greek statue. The one with the missing arms. Venus she thought

“Peacock here is a very proud and willful pony. Even when her batteries are drained. She still found ways to defy us. So once we took away her arms. She settled down. Now you are a good pony. Aren’t you Peacock.”

Peacock let out a whinny and nodded her head. Her little blue feather going side to side.

“Peacock. Why don’t you tell our new friends how many years you been here.”

Peacock left hoof moved and stamped the ground seven times.

“Seven years. You would not know it but Peacock is over forty years old.”

Georgina would have never guessed that. But Larson did say Ambrosia did something about the aging process.

“Peacock. How many foals have you had.”

The left hoof rose and fell again. Twice.

“Peacock is our first family. Her foals where born with hooves, tails, and ears. So what ever changes ambrosia does is genetically passed on as well.”

“Both foals were up and walking around with in weeks. They are developing quickly and are both a delight. Even at age five and four they have shown to be smarter than anything or anyone. But because their minds are still developing. They have show no sign of having lost any metal abilities.” Added Lash

“However Peacock is the exception and not the norm.“ said Larson.

Then Mr. Larson poured himself a glass of water at his desk. There was an odd uncomfortable silence. He sipped the water and gave Ms. Lash a knowing look.

“Any foreign body such as male sperm is immediatly attacked and destroyed. So by default we are unable to reproduce with each other. Male sperm on a ‘normal’ does not work either.“

Larson paused to take another sip.

To Georgina this presentation seem very well rehearsed. It was a lot to take in. She kept looking at Michael and down at her hooves. She was outraged but then some how she understood the sacrifice they and she were making. Her blood could cure cancer. So what if she looked like a centaur. No, wait that was something else. Georgina felt something more was going on and wanted time to think. She had not the strength to fight and her voice was a bit horse. No pun intended.

“Peacock. You can wait by the door now. “

Peacock moved her head side to side and high stepped back until she was out of sight behind them.

“Remember how I mentioned use it or lose it. The same goes with your sex drive. Thus we have an active stud farm.”

Peacock whinnied behind them.

Georgian took offense and had no reason why. But to her it look like Peacock wanted Michael /Sunrod and she was not going to have any of it. She whinnied back without wanting to.

Peacock replied back with a grunt.

“Peaches and Peacock are already fighting over you Michael.” Lash said.

SLAM!

The moment she said Peaches. Another part of herself felt locked away.

“I am sure they will have the opportunity later. But for now let me continue. Where was I …Oh yes.”

Larson paused.

“I believe Ms. Lash mention batteries. Much like a pacemaker. All of us have a small battery placed inside us.”

“The moment the voltage dropped to zero you became as dumb as a rock except in area where you normally excel. However if you are denied the opportunity to work in those areas. You slowly become a dumb animal. We where faced with a problem of having an island full of Rain-men and women. So everyone in the community who has been treated with ambrosia has this.”

Larson motioned to Ginger.

She gently picked up Kelly’s pony tail and sorted through the hair until she found what she was looking for. To Georgina it look like a USB cable colored to match her hair.

“Your batteries can last up to two to three days and are recharged through this cable. Emotional states can drain it more quickly. Also Ambrosia can intensify emotional feelings. Thus pleasure is extremely pleasurable and pain is very painful.”

“All of us that have had the treatment must conform to a standard. Routine exercise. Stud farm. You both will and are going to be fitted with bit and bridle. Even shoes like a horse. We have a little ceremony we do to welcome you into our community which we will do after this briefing.. Michel. We had to remove your wisdom teeth to accommodate the bit and bridle. Peaches here…

SLAM!. Another piece locked away. Wait a minute. Why was he not calling him Sunrod?

“…had already had her wisdom teeth pulled at an earlier age.”

“Now I will address each of you. We have done extensive research into each of you.”

Michael. We need your skills. I already outlined the reasons why. You can see you have little choice. But you have a father with lung cancer. Your blood can cure him. In fact his treatment will not take as long since you are family. The blood we take from you and Peaches…”

SLAM. She felt another part of her stolen away. She wanted him to stop saying that but a whisper of a whinny came out her mouth. Larson ignored her but Lash waved the remote in front of her and Georgina was not sure if she wanted to call her bluff.

“…will save a number of people. Few of the community have sacrificed themselves for loved ones, It a noble thing. Kelly's sister was one who was saved. Her sister put her through nursing school. Then she developed skin cancer. She has made a deal with the devil as you can guess.”

“We cannot accept everyone. The island can only support so many. We limit our contact with the outside world as much as we can. But that also created problems.”

“Two years ago. We where hit with a massive storm that damaged a great number of facilities. But as I have told you we are mostly a bunch of dumb scientist. Screwing in a light bulb was the most we could manage. But as for repairing our generators and infrastructure we were clueless. That storm killed our maintenance staff . Washed out to sea trying to keep the main generator running. We need power. Again you can understand why. We have solar and wind power but they only fulfill twenty percent of our needs when they are working. We have gone to horse power trying to make up for the slack. We all take turns at a the wheel. It is crude back up plan. Much like a horse turning a grist mill. We had to make our own power.”

“Now Michael I know you. You want to help us. Help Peaches. “

SLAM!

“…With out electricity, all out good work will be wiped away. Your father needs you. You can save him.”

Georgina could see the trap. She was having a hard time remembering who she was. How could Michael refuse.

Georgina looked at him. Begging him with her eyes help her. She felt she was sliding down a canyon wall to some horrible fate. Wishing. Begging. Praying not let him say that name again.

Michael nodded yes.

“Very good.” Said Larson. “You won't be sorry.”

Then Ms. Lash went behind Larson and used his high back leather chair as a wheel chair. She wheeled him around the desk and showed that Mr. Larson had no feet or hooves. In fact there was nothing below the knee.

“After ten years of service you are given the option to leave. But as you can see. It too has a price.”

“Hooves or feet dear?“ Asked Lash going to a door.

“Hooves. I have no other appoints today.”

Ms. Lash took out a pair of prosthesis hooves. It took a moment but Georgina thought she saw the look Ms Lash gave Mr. Larson. It was a knowing look. Like of a deep connection between the two. Had Larson sacrificed himself for Ms. Lash?

While Lash was helping Larson getting his hooves attached. She wonder if she had on fake legs. No, she could feel the weight of them. She saw Kelly and Ginger approach Michael. They had two black bags. They took out more harness and straps. He tried to refuse the bit and bridle but once he glanced her way, He relented.

“Relax Michael. We do this to all the new comers. Mostly for our safety and yours. Peaches will be along soon.”

SLAM!

It was getting harder to think.

When Michael stood up. She could see him clearly. Ginger and Kelly steadied him. He had on mittens that looked like hooves. They were attached to his side. He was wearing a bit and bridle. His feet or rather hooves where hobbled. He looked stunning. A stub of horse tail could be seen and it matched his auburn hair. All harnesses up half naked. She managed a smile and wanted to be with him in the most intimate way.

An erotic shiver went thought her and he even held his head high and grunted like a horse.

She nickered back.

Peacock also responded. Peaches… Georgina gave a warning sound. More as if to say that is my stallion. You stay away from him.

They began to affix bells to his head and hooves. Each bell had a different tone. Michael was to walk a certain way. Left, then right, then toss his head back. With his hooves hobbled. It looked like some Indian rain dance he was doing.

Larson had now both his prosthetic legs on and with his pants rolled down looked like any one of them in the room. Except for Lash. Aided by a cane he offered encouragement to Michael. However it was not the type of encouragement Georgina wanted. He kept saying that name.

“You can do it Michael. Do it for Peaches.”

SLAM!!

After awhile he was strutting around like Peacock.

“Very good. Now Kelly take Michael to the holding area. Take Peacock with you. “

Peacock marched out with Michael and once the door closed. Ms Lash wheeled his high back chair to him so Larson could sit.

He was not more than three feet from her and leaned closer.

“Now that you know Michael importance to this community. I will inform you of your station. Sadly we have no need for theater arts majors. Most of our entertainment is sports. Six man Soccer has caught on quite well here. Any sport with running catches on quite well. We even have pageants with our own little Olympics.”

“You may think this is cruel but the benefits are worth it in the long run. You hardly age. You see, hear, and feel things you never thought you could. You never get sick. Your body processes food more quickly and efficiently. ”

“So. Let me tell you what you may have suspected. You are a smart girl but always took the easy road. You could have been much more than you are. But that is in the past now. But let me tell you what is expected of you.”

“The first is to keep Michael happy. He loves you. Or should I say the other you. Your name is the one he will respond to. Georgina is simply a figment, a passing thought. You are his mare. His life mate. He will not let you slide further into a mindless animal if he can help it.”

“To keep that from happening. He will need work very hard to get all the systems up and running. We have been barely able to hold our own for the past two years. We cannot allow normals to run around freely trying to repair the damage done. Our secret will be out. No matter how many powerful allies we have. A team needed to bring us back from the stone age would be massive.”

“So we keep our community small, around sixty or so, and only allow people with skills that are essential to the community. You may also realize that if we subjected a great number of people to Ambrosia we could create a great amount of cancer killing drugs. But then that too would create an over population and open to the door to public scrutiny we cannot afford. Our part of the island can sustain perhaps a hundred. We all have turned vegetarian out of necessity. Except for the holidays.”

Larson pause and watched her. Gauging her reactions. Georgina was beginning to feel he knew what she was thinking before she did.

“Also you may have notice every time I say your new name you feel a piece of your old life slip away or become locked inside you.. We can give you it back. But you will have to earn it.”

“While you slept. We mapped your brain. Used hypnosis and drugs to have you tell us things. We know you better than your self. Then using that information. We began to give you a general knowledge of how we want you to behave and act. Your voice is also been changed. You can only whinny and bray like a horse. But that can be switch on and off. Again you will have to earn the ability to speak.”

“One thing we have done that cannot be changed is that we have cut the tendons in your hands. You may have found you cannot use your hands. So any thoughts of escape or any attempt will be difficult for you. You will need both hands to hold anything. You will not be able to unbuckle or unhook yourself from anything. You have lost fine motor control. But when the time is right. They can be surgically repaired.”

Georgina wanted to be angry but something seemed to mute her rage.

“As long as we have you, we have Michael. We cannot do to him what we have done to you. He will need his fine motor skills and ability to speak clearly. He will be assigned a crew and lead them to repairing everything we need. Remember, Ambrosia will make him a brilliant engineer, He may even improve things.”

“You see. We started a recruitment program. You would call it kidnapping. We found people that were what we needed and if we could manipulate them into joining us. Michael is the first one. I am telling you all this because your brother could be the next one we recruit. We need his technical background. He repairs hospital equipment yes? We could use a person like him. We make him like you. Even his wife and daughter. It won't be the first time we had to take in a family. They are going on trip in a few weeks. Hawaii. “

Georgina shuddered. She and her brother had always been distant but she did love him. She could not let this happen to them.

“So you keep Michael happy, be his little mare he can come home too. You do that and your brother and family live their normal lives. Michael’s father gets a second chance at life. And once Michael has everything up and running. We will have the power to change so everyone will be normal. Including yourself.”

Larson pause mostly for dramatic effect. She was a theater arts major.

Georgiana felt the trap closing in on her. She began to see the many layers of it. Even if it where not for calling her Peaches all the time, a pun she was finding distasteful, that some how even where her mind was fully restored by a fully charged battery, and her voice box was some how switch back to normal. She could not say a word to Michael. Her brother would pay the price. They could withhold the treatment Michael father needed.

Then if she wanted Michael to love her. She would have to be Peaches. Michael's brain was some how rewired to love Peaches. Not Georgina.

Georgina knew she was beaten. She could not see a way out. She was not smart enough.

Not yet.

A glimmer of plan formed in her mud filled brain. He did say ambrosia made you smarter. She would just have to work on using parts of her brain that would let her think her way out of this place. How she was going to do that. She had no idea. But this was a start.

Time. She needed time. Time to plan. Time to think.

“So. Will you join us.”

She nodded yes. Like she had a choice.

“Excellent.”

Lash unzipped the front of her hospital gown and she saw the harness was much like Peacocks. It covered her breast and crotch but not by much. Ginger and Lash hobble her and released the straps binding her to the chair. She tried to fight but she was not strong enough.

Hoof like mittens where buckled on then secured to her side. Then the head harness followed by the bit and bridle. She could feel the bit sink into gaps in back of her jaw. The bit also press down on her tongue restricting any speech she had

Standing up she nearly fell over. The bells where fasten to hoof and head. Ginger steadied her and with some effort. Mostly spurred on by the hope the sooner she learned how to walk the sooner she could plan her escape. It took her a moment to get the hang of it but soon she was trotting around using the tempo of the bells to guide her.

“Very good Peaches.”

Slam

“After the ceremony we will put you right to work on the wheel. You need to start earning your keep don’t you Peaches.”

Slam

Georgina only whinnied.

As she trotted out of the office with Ginger at the reigns. She kept one word in her head. Hoping it would spark her brain to a desired solution.

Escape.

The door closed and Larson stood up on his prosthetic hooves. “That went very well.”

“Yes it did.”

Lash took Larson by the arm.

“Was it wise for us to tell her voice could come back.” She asked

“My dear. The illusion of hope is what will keep her going. She wants to escape. I could see it. But she knows she cannot right now. She needs to crawl before she can walk. If we told her she cannot escape she would fight us every step of the way. Keeping her in line keeps Michael in line.”

“She believes that ambrosia will make her smart enough for her to think a way out of here. And perhaps it will, but we become smarter in stopping such attempts each time one is made. She will find out our weakness and we can take care of it. It is a chess game.”

“I hope we win.”

“We always do.” Larson said and kissed Lash. “We always do.”

Author note.

That is all I have. But any one can pick up where I left off. Remember the Seven. They used full doses of of different steroids on themselves and their transformation went a little extreme. (hint. One is centaur. Dr Don Hornsby. Another is a minotaur. Professor Jim Norris. Another is a satyr. Kevin Hoyt. A mermaid. Marsha Penbrooke. The others I leave to you.) The mental conditioning. The power problem. Peaches may find a way to escape or will it be Michael. Peaches knows the truth but can't say anything to Michael. The lie Larson spoke about her voice returning if she gets enough juice was an illusion of hope he spoke of. Furthermore the less something you use. Physical or mental. The more likely it will stay that way. So Peaches is on the clock.

Have fun.

 

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20.11.13