The prostitute backed away suddenly, holding up her hands in front of her. She was dizzy, confused, and for the first time in twenty years she wasn't craving a snort. "Whoa, okay, what the hell did you just do to me, man?"
"Easy!" Todd reassured her gently. "Easy! Stay calm, all right? I fixed you up, I don't mean any harm."
The haggered brunette backed herself up against the wall of a building and stared at Todd with wide eyes. "Okay, okay, fuck. I'm calm. I'm good."
"Judy?" Another female voice called. "You good? You in trouble, baby?"
Both Todd and 'Judy,' apparently, turned their heads to find a short and rather attractive - if pale - young blonde standing in a doorway near their current bizarre situation. She looked like she had serious attitude.
"I-I'm good." Judy called back, before returning her gaze to Todd.
"Okay. Just checkin', hun." The blonde called back, and vanished into the doorway.
The brunette stared at Todd with horror, afraid of what was going to happen to her next, and she waited.
"Like I said... I don't want to hurt you." He raised the remote up and Judy threw herself against the wall again.
"The fuck is that thing? Some magic box?"
"Oh, come on." Todd snorted. "There's no such thing as magic. It's science."
"O-Okay." Judy nodded. "Sure, you're right. A science box. Okay, I believe you. Who the hell are you?"
"My name's Todd. And you're Judy, I gather." He extended his empty hand. "Why don't you just take a breath? You look like you're going to lose it."
"Y-Yeah, okay. Yeah." Judy took a deep breath, her sagging chest rising, and then exhaled. "Okay. Science box. Fixes people. You're not going to hurt me. Okay." She took Todd's hand and gulped. "You're Todd, I'm Judy. Sure, man. Sure. Pleased to meet you and all that." She then withdrew her hand and resumed her fearful grip of the brick behind her."
"As you may have guessed," Todd began, "I can do a lot with this little device here. But I need to test it out. So, as I'm inputting right now, I'm going to make you my rather willing test subject. Okay?"
"T-Test subject?" Judy repeated in alarm. "Wait, Todd... please!"
"It's okay." Todd said gently. "Just relax, in a minute you'll be a lot more... cooperative."
"No, Todd! Don't! Please! I don't want to be a test subje..." Judy didn't finish her plea, mostly due to the quantum energies coursing through her flesh. She let out a groan as her mind altered suddenly, neurons and chemicals boiling and rearranging, and when the spasm of energy passed, she stood swimming in confusion, not quite sure who she was or what she wanted anymore. The jumbling of her mind was complete.
"There." Todd said in an even calm voice. "You're very submissive now, Judy. And highly suggestive. I've weakened your resolve and free will so others can manipulate you as they please."
"Y-Yes." Judy seemed to cower as her dizziness faded. Her hard edge had vanished and she seemed meek. "Y-You're right, Todd. I'll do whatever you want."
"Amazing." Todd laughed. "A complete mental shift. It worked!"
Judy said nothing, but stood with her back to the wall as if awaiting orders.
"Oh, of course! You can barely think for yourself now, can you?"
"N-No." Judy admitted, almost in tears. "I-I need you to tell me what to do, Todd. Please? I don't know what to do with myself. I'm scared."
"Well. First of all, Judy, you should come over here so I can keep you safe."
"Oh, of course!" Judy nodded, and did exactly as she was told, standing just a few inches in front of Todd and facing him expectedly. "Yes, that's much better. I like being close to you. You make me feel safe and secure."
The tall hardened woman's almost childlike insecurity was comical. "I'm going to change you again, all right, Judy?"
"Yes, please. I'd like you to change me." Judy nodded, placing her hands on Todd's shoulders. "Whatever you want. Just keep me close to you."
"There we go. Good girl. Now hmm... what should I do now? I could try increasing or decreasing your age, couldn't I? Or perhaps I could experiment with making your homely self more attractive."