The dusty steppeland waste in which they confronted each other felt like a standoff in a western movie. The headlamps from the Rover provided dramatic light on the group of archaeologists and former archaeologists, who stood motionless as they appraised the situation.
John started to speak, but Melissa raised a hand to silence him. “Be careful what you say! He…she is capable of anything, and if you piss him off, you could end up as a garden slug or worse.” John glowered at Mark, clearly holding words he would like to unload.
“She,” corrected Mark. “I’m feeling that feminine pronouns are correct. I should probably give some thought to adopting a new name, but it’s been such a busy day.” A thought crossed her mind, and she brightened. “I know! Let’s go somewhere where we can relax.”
In an instant, they found themselves in the warm setting room of an alpine lodge. A fire blazed in the hearth, and plush couches awaited them. A coffee table held bottles of liquor and wine. Mark, now dressed in a black cocktail dress and stiletto heels, gestured for people to sit and make themselves more comfortable. Hannah was now dressed in a sharp business suit which was tailored to accentuate her curves. Only Kevin remained naked. She curled up on a white fur rug by the fire and purred happily.
“No reason we need to make a serious decision in unpleasant surroundings. Please help yourself to a drink. And, John, do not be afraid to speak your mind. Your willingness to speak truth to power is one of your few virtues. And I can see your thoughts anyway. So please, don’t hold back.”
John didn’t know too much about high-end liquors, but the bottle of scotch looked expensive, so he poured himself a large glass. He took a second to collect his thoughts. Melissa was right about one thing: a temper tantrum would not help his cause. He spoke as calmly as he could, though emotion bled through his every word.
“You seem to hold all the cards, and you seem determined to make us play this game. But in the end, you’re only giving us the illusion of choice. If you can really read our minds, and if you can change our personalities with a mere thought, it doesn’t really matter whether we go along with you or not, does it? We’re bound to lose our free will, anyway. Do you really think that Kevin would choose to become a perpetually horny catgirl? Look! Even now she can’t keep her hands off of her boobs.”
Sure enough, Kevin was fondling her massive breasts and giggling. “Boobs!” she repeated.
If Mark was upset, she didn’t show it. “I know for a fact that we all hated Kevin before I changed him. He was an uptight, sanctimonious prick. But even Kevin hated Kevin. Are you surprised? I took all of that away. Look how happy she is now. She’s just as bright as she always was, but without any of the baggage of her upbringing.”
“She sure is making up for lost time,” Hannah laughed.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s happy,” John said. “If you didn’t give her a choice. You might as well have killed the old Kevin.”
Mark brushed the tip of her finger against her plump lips while she considered a response. A glass of red wine appeared in her hand. “But I give you a choice now. And you choose defiance? I admire your courage, if not your brains. Kevin will be happy with a playmate, at least…”
“Wait!” cried Melissa. “Let me talk to him first.”
Mark smiled. “Ah, Miss Haakonson, you do have an interesting mix of thoughts and emotions filling that lovely head of yours. Your loyalty to your boyfriend is admirable, but I can see that my offer has tested that loyalty. I’m sorry to put you into that position. Please share your thoughts out loud so Hannah and John can hear them.”
“This…power you have, being able to know everything and do anything, it really makes it difficult to say or do anything,” Hannah said. She looked squarely at the bottles on the table, worried she would lose her resolve if she looked up at the Goddess. “I can’t be sure if my thoughts are my own, or if you are directling my words as if I were a puppet.”
“My dear Melissa,” Mark said, looking hurt. “I know that I have control over the rules of the game, but the game would be no fun for me if I did not let you maintain control over your will. Just because I know what is in your heart does not mean I put it there. And what is in your heart is very, very interesting. Please share it with the rest of us.”
Melissa rarely drank, but she poured herself a glass of wine and took a long sip to give herself time to work up her courage. “Well, we all know how this game is going to end. John is willing to sacrifice his identity for his principles, which I absolutely hate. John, I don’t want to lose you, even if we have to live in Professor Roger’s world.” John shifted uncomfortably while Melissa continued. “Because, yeah, I’ll admit it. A lot of what you were describing as your goals sounded pretty decent. I mean, how much could you fuck up the world beyond what it’s current leaders have done? Just the thought of a world where people could be free to pursue art and ideas and science…”
“And sex,” Hannah added.
“Yeah,” Melissa continued, giving the first-year novice demon a curious glance. In many ways, the change in her personality was as drastic as Kevin’s had been. “I mean, as long as we don’t become mindless drones or stupid bimboes, I think I might agree to it. Please, Kevin, give it a chance.”
“Well, what if I don’t want to become a chick?” he scowled. Melissa raised an eyebrow. She had not expected that objection from her usually-progressive boyfriend.
“Trust me, you’ll love it,” purred Kevin, who had apparently just discovered her own clitoris.
“I have an idea,” Hannah said. “Why don’t we let Melissa choose the new form for John?”
Mark took a sip of wine. “She’ll just leave the choice to him,” she said. “Unless…” With a snap of her fingers, John froze in time, a surprised expression on his face. “He will not animate again until you have chosen a new form for him, Melissa. There are just a few rules…”
“Let me guess,” Melissa said. “He has to become female.”
“Naturally.”
“With huge breasts.”
“Oh, you’ve noticed my little theme, have you? Guilty!”
“And she has to love and worship you.”
“We can hold off on that. Let’s see how he feels when he awakens. And be creative. I know you already have some ideas floating in your mind. That Dungeons and Dragons game you play certainly has a hold on your imagination, doesn’t it? And your indecision prevents even me from seeing your final choice.”
Melissa flushed with embarrassment. Mark obviously knew that her attraction extended to women as well as men, and how turned on she was just by being in the presence of Mark, Hannah, and Kevin. She actually wanted this. If only John could get on board with this…
At last, she made up her mind. “I know what he’ll become,” she said. “How do I do this?”
“It’s already happened,” Mark said, pointing to John’s new body.