Cory floated naked through a luminescent void. His eyes were closed, his limbs floated listlessly at his sides. Cory opened his eyes and stared into the nothingness. Time seemed meaningless here, and the duration of Cory's tenure in this strange new realm was immeasurable to him. He gradually came to know who he was and what had happened, and began to review the events of the past few days.
He thought about changing into a lifeless doll with that strange machine, and the various body modifications he had experienced since. He had become a voluptuous ballerina, a winged insect, and finally a plant; immobile and unable to do much of anything.
Cory tried to yell in frustration, but he heard no sound in this place. He knew that he had to take back control of his changes from that damned machine; that box of metal and wires that had altered him, changing him back and forth against his will.
Cory tried to picture himself in his own mind. An image of a rosebush was all he could come up with. He tried again, concentrating. He started small, altering one of the larger branches into a human arm. He opened and closed his hand.
***
In the physical world, the rosebush that had been Cory began to shudder and twist. A branch resolved itself into the shape of an arm.
***
"Yes!" Cory shouted. This time he heard himself. Concentrating, he began to further picture his human form in his own mind. As he did so, Cory was able to change himself back in the physical world. Cory was learning the slow process of mastery over his new condition. The realm of the void vanished in his field of vision.
***
Flowers began to fall off of the bush as a human face reappeared. The changes continued down the stalk of the plant, which expanded into a torso. Air filled the re-formed lungs. Another arm popped out of the leaves. The leaves fell to the ground, useless. Cory had changed himself back into a human, with only his hips and legs remaining as a bush. Roots twisted and bent, combining to form the mass of human legs. Cory shook the dirt off of himself and lay in the grass, exhausted.
Cory had learned how to change himself back into a human, but he frowned as he realized he could still be changed at any time against his will.