

The Sigil Box By Xia Xtal



Chapter 1

Testimony of Dr. Stone

August 2nd, 1927



To the Men and Women of the National Academy of the Sciences.



First of all I'd like to apologize for the tardiness of my response. My journey back from Egypt was fraught with legal trouble due to the loss of my travel documents and ID. Thankfully at the time of writing all of this is in order, and I can finally write this testimony.



I am writing this in retrospect of the March 21st, 1926 excavation that was done under the supervision of Dr. Vimena of the Royal Union of Anthropologists. Dr. Vimena, myself, and eight others began the excavation after the site was chosen for the building of a new temple. City ordinance requires every new site within ten kilometers of the Aden Poll to be examined by at least three qualified archaeologists. We were approached informally by one of the land holders, as we were in the area on a different dig. We allowed three of our interns to scout it for a day.



When they returned that evening they claimed they had uncovered the foundation of what appeared to be a very small home (room sized, not uncommon of this area) in about the center of the large lot. Additionally, slightly deeper than the foundation, they found a large chamber in a ragged dome of limestone. This was discovered when one of the interns broke a small hole in the dome and lost a pencil through it while trying to gauge it's depth. Based on the sound a dropped object makes on the floor of the chamber, it's rather sizable and has a polished floor.



Splitting our group into thirds, we had one group---consisting of the three aforementioned interns, myself, and Dr. Vimena, as well as two others---attempt to break into the newly discovered chamber, while the last two thirds continued the original excavation.



As we got our bearings on the site we found that, given the position of the foundation, the chamber would have been the basement of the house. How the limestone dome developed is still a mystery, but we hypothesized that the limestone formed the floor of the house, and the basement was accessible as a tunnel from the outside, much like how a home has a cellar door. A search for another way inside the dome was unsuccessful, so we chipped through one of the sides until the hole was large enough to shine a light through and see it's contents.



We found a nicely preserved storage room, completely encompassed by the limestone dome and floored by large cobblestone. to the immediate left of the hole we created was a large wooden chest, too large to extract through the hole, so it was made to be larger. by the time the expansion was half complete it was time to retire, so we covered the hole with a tarp. We were not worried about burglars as the site was already guarded under the land holder's pocket.



We finished the hole early the next day. The hole became large enough to squeeze through, and with enough jostling we managed the chest through the hole, and into the light of day for the first time in nearly a dozen centuries. The chest was very cheaply made. The hinges on it's back were large and clumsy, also rusted so badly they shattered as we wedged it open. There was a stain on the front where a lock might have been placed, but there was none.



The chest was lined with some kind of animal hide. Dr. Vimena insisted it wasn't anything local, perhaps something from far south in the desert. The hide was frayed in many places, rotting in others. The chest contained two smaller boxes of the same make, both cubes with dimensions about 8 and 12 inches respectively. The build quality of these boxes was much greater than the chest's. They were made out of a pale light wood, almost like pine, and coated in a shining veneer. On the front of each was a ornate symbol, burnt into the wood. The symbols on each box differed only by a few strokes.



The boxes opened up like a jewelry box, the lid and base the same size. We've taken to calling the side with the symbols the lid, and the side without the base. I've included a sketch to illustrate their exact mechanism, as well as how they were discovered. They were found pointing down, such that the hinges were at the top.



As we lifted one of the boxes to investigate further, some sort of sand began to pour out of the bottom. The sand was granular and rubbery, and appeared to have completely filled the box before we let it all out. On the bottom of the box was a large hole, enough to fit a fist inside without trouble. On the inside of the box were two other symbols, bisected by the it's seam.



At this moment the landholder appeared to check up on us. We assured him we wouldn't be much longer. He examined our findings and pointed out the symbol on the box, commenting that it looked like Chinese script. We assured him further that it was definitely not Chinese. The symbols are unlike anything I've seen. The same can be said for Dr. Vimena.



The second box contained the same mystery sand as the previous. We cleared out the sand and put it in separate bags, packaged up the two small boxes and the crate. Dr. Vimena volunteered to take it to the airfield and accompany it separate of our main dig's discoveries. The airplane she was to take would bring her and the packages to our headquarters in London. However it was late, and when it landed Dr. Vimena was nowhere in sight.



It is regretful that a great woman would go missing in the most uneventful way, but that is the reality. It is nearly a year and a half to that day that I am finally putting it into words. I pray my testimony gives some insight to the location of either Dr. Vimena or at least the location of the missing packages. My description and sketch should be enough to identify the items collected should they appear in any private or public collection.



Godspeed.



Signed Dr. Stone

Chapter 2

Vimena's Journal

June 8th, 1926



And finally I have time for myself.



It has been over two months since my last journal entry, and I have been very busy. I am in a position where I no longer must be coy about the arrangements I make and the allegiances I forge in what I like to call my second life. I can finally write them all down in my trusty blue diary.



Flipping the page and reading my last entry, I was waking up in Egypt to finish a dig. Well, that would be the dig where we found the last of the sigil boxes. I convinced my party into letting me accompany them back to London, but instead I paid a pilot to ship me across the border to Oman, where I came into contact with a few of the council's agents. It was decided that Oman would be the start of our journey to Vladivostok, which we would spend circumnavigating Asia, picking up the important members of this project as we go.



As I write this I am on a dingy russian steamship, only a day away from Vladivostok. I've been on this ship for the last two months, sleeping on a small bed in a room that literally rocks side to side. It's quite comforting, feels like falling asleep in a hammock. I've been spending most of my days reading books or associating with my council-fellows. I have with me my interpreter; my assistants Duncan, Julia, and Ron; two council agents; and a small hodge podge of volunteers who will be the subject of our testing.



Oh, and I must not forget. We have the six sigil boxes, they are by my feet right now. I'm enjoying the feeling of being at the helm of this project yet never lifting a finger. Very pleased at the efficiency the council, all of the details of this espionage are being taken care of for me.



I've been told that Vladivostok has become a placid little town since their civil war. I don't expect to have many day trips, but I'm sure I will enjoy what I see.



I wanted to end my entry here, but I am too restless with excitement. I'll instead speak about the sigil boxes. They're out of place. And by that I mean, they're found in places they really have no right to be, found on ancient grounds despite being more advanced than anything the modern man can create.



You see little diary, these boxes have power in them, power that the people long ago had no right to have. I'm not hesitant to say they likely came from another world, or another time and another race. There is no way our primitive cultures of yesteryear could have constructed something like this. It's impossible.



What is this power? Well first of all, they're literally impossible to damage. Try to put them in a vice, you break the vice. Scratch them with diamond, you buff down the diamond. Try to tear it asunder at its hinge, you'll be there straining for hours. Even if throw them in a fire, nothing will happen. You're more likely to put out the fire that way.



What else these boxes can do is up to experiment. That is why we're going to Vladivostok. Out of prying eyes.



There are six boxes by my feet. Three times two. Three pairs. Each pair consisting of an 8 inch box a 12 inch box. All of them made of rubberwood, all of them with different black sigils burnt into their face. These symbols match exactly one thing in the archeological record, an iron triptych uncovered in the heart of India, each of its three panels featuring a pair of sigils. The very sigils we find on these boxes.



The first pair of boxes was discovered on one of the Samoan islands long before my time. It was found in its closed position, and inside was a human skull with a spine sticking out the bottom hole. Because of this we think that whatever the boxes are made for, in order to make them do anything, we have to get them over someone's head.



The second pair was found in Xinjiang, far west China. And the last, by my hand and luck, found in Egypt. The prize for finding the last pair is the opportunity to supervise their testing. It was decided long ago that testing would not begin until all the boxes were found. And found they were.



I'm going to go to sleep, Diary. When I wake up I will have a great breakfast, and that evening (weather permitting) I will take my first step on Russian soil. Goodnight.

Chapter 3

Vimena's Journal

June 14, 1926



It's just wonderful. Our lab is all together. The council bought an entire hotel for this purpose. A front you'd might call it. It's just great. We have a place for me, my assistants, and our volunteers to live in luxury. The agents we brought are acting as hotel management, it's just the cutest thing. Military trained men reduced to servants. And I love a servant.



The hotel has a massive lobby with a ceiling that extends all the way to an iridescent glass roof, lined at it's sides by a massive spiral stairway that one must take to reach their room. The hotel is ten stories tall, one of the tallest in Vladivostok, and occupies just over an acre of ground. Our group will have the first floor all to ourselves. We're also classified as temporary staff, so we can wander around as we please.



The basement is our real lab. It is a single room about 15 meters in width and depth, has a ceiling about 8 feet up. It is a dark and gloomy room with a dirt floor, illuminated by a few equally dull lamps. It is exactly as you would imagine a secret lab to look.



We have stocked the room with all sorts of surgical tools, weapons, food, and trinkets. I want to make it clear that we have no idea what these boxes will do when we close them over one of these volunteers' heads. They could go into shock and need to be resuscitated, become super soldiers, see into the future. There is no telling, so we prepared for every possibility.



Tomorrow we do our first test. The subject being a shy young woman we picked up in South Asia. Despite her point of origin, she's the palest Dutch woman you'd ever seen. She must have travelled there to catch the steamship. Her English is very good, and she is very brave. We spoke about the test earlier today at lunch, and she understands what might happen, but she needs the money. I know I can be evil sometimes, diary, but I truly hope she is unharmed.



I also feel sorry for you, diary, for tomorrow I start writing in my council issued laboratory log book. Don't worry, though, I'll leave my most intimate thoughts for you. Goodnight.

Chapter 4

Experiment Log, June 15

June 15, 1926, 9:00 AM



Today we begin the first test of the sigil boxes. The box we’re using today is the 8 inch from the Xinjiang pair. The test subject Gerda sits in a chair in the middle of the room. Duncan will accompany me until 2:00 PM, and Julia will take over until 7:00 PM after which I’m sure there will be nothing more to do. If, for whatever reason, we must stay late, I will sleep down here while Ron does night shift.



Gerda is very anxious. We are going to ask her if she wants a sedative.



9:05 AM



Gerda accepted the sedative and has stopped shaking. In 10 minutes it will completely kick in and we will start the experiment.



9:15 AM



We are about to put the box on Gerda’s head. Barring any catastrophe the box will stay on for a period of 15 minutes, after which it will be removed and we will interview Gerda. We will wait an hour, put it on for 30 minutes, remove, interview, repeat. Increasing exponentially to 3 hours. Duncan is putting the box on now. He says that it fit really well, the edges of the neck hole didn’t even pinch her. And her hair fit inside nicely too.



The sigil side of the box is where her face is.



9:22 AM



Gerda is mumbling something. Duncan says she is saying “It tastes good.” I’m sure she’s confusing the smell with the taste. These boxes have a distinct, sweet smell to them.



9:31 AM



The box won’t come off.



9:36 AM



Duncan has nearly twisted Gerda's head off trying to tear the two sides apart. The seam between them has just vanished. The wood grain doesn’t even betray where it was. The sedative is keeping Gerda from going into a panic.



9:40 AM



We’ve decided not to force the box open, considering how indestructible these things are, we’d damage Gerda more than the box. All we can do is wait.



10:02 AM



It occurs to me that she can’t eat with the box on her head. I hope very much it will come off soon. It would be a shame for that pretty face of hers to spend its last moments trapped in a rubberwood box. Duncan suggested that we can feed her rectally, but I don’t want anything to do with that. I told him he and Julia can do it.



11:20 AM



I am going to interview Gerda and try to find out what it is like inside there.



Vimena: Gerda, you can hear me, yes?

Gerda: Yes darling.

Vimena: Are you ok? Hungry? Can you breathe?

Gerda: Oh yes im breathing well. I’m not hungry I’m eating sap it’s very good.

Vimena: Eating sap?

Gerda: Oh yes yes.



She then made munching noises to prove it. It sounded like she was chewing on gum. Duncan stuck a swab up through the gap between her neck and the box. It came out covered in a white substance. This must be the sap. Duncan is wondering why it doesn’t come pouring through the gap in the neck hole. It probably stays up there by surface tension.



12:40 PM



Duncan and I have just finished our lunches. Gerda’s sedative should have worn off by now, but she’s as calm as ever. The seam still hasn’t reappeared. In fact, the gap between her neck and the box seems narrower. Duncan tried to send up another swab, but the cotton tip wouldn’t fit anymore.



2:16 PM



We’ve just debriefed Julia. She’s speechless. I told her that all we can do at this point is keep Gerda company. Duncan has just left.



4:10 PM



Gerda isn’t speaking much. Her vital signs are fine, she has a pulse and is breathing. The gap between her neck and the box is wet with sap now. It looks to be forming an airtight seam. Where is she getting her air, then?



When I ask her something all she does is mumble.



4:40 PM



I tried to interview Gerda again, she wouldn’t respond and, regrettably, I lost my temper. We seemed to have a breakthrough though. It seems questions like “are you tired?” or “are you hungry?” elicit no response. But if I say “tell me if you’re hungry” she says, in a chipper and clear tone, “no Doctor!” I will attempt to do an interview in this way.



Vimena: Gerda, tell me how you feel right now.

Gerda: I feel great, Doctor!

Vimena: Tell me if you can breathe.

Gerda: I can breathe, Doctor!

Vimena: Tell me why you didn’t answer me before.

Gerda: I couldn’t hear you, Doctor!



Is she unable to hear me unless I use a commanding voice? I will say the following phrases to her and write down the response.



Vimena: Gerda, can you raise your hand for me?



Nothing



Vimena: Gerda raise your hand.

Gerda: Which one, Doctor!

Vimena: Left



And she does it.



5:00 PM



We have two hours left. I think I will sleep down here with Gerda tonight, and have Ron watch over. Julia is going upstairs to tell Ron that the shift



5:23 PM



We’re briefing Ron over dinner in the basement.



7:30 PM



I have two cots set up, one for me and one for Gerda. Ron will take over this log while I sleep.



8:20 PM



There are drops of sap dribbling down Gerda’s neck and pooling in her collar, where it’s turning grey. Darkening by the second now. Corroborating with Rob to make sure it’s not just my tired eyes. Rob sees it too.



9:40 PM



About to go to sleep. Telling Gerda to tell me if she’s tired. She says no. I told her to sit on the cot so she can lie down if she is tired. She didn’t do anything. I tell her to sit on the cot, and she does it. This is too much for tonight. Rob will take over the log.



10:00 PM



Rob here. Dr. Vimena is writing in a blue notebook and Gerda is sitting up straight in her cot, facing away from Dr. Vimena’s. There is more and more sap coming from her neck.



10:30 PM



Dr. Vimena is asleep. Gerda’s neck is almost entirely coated in the sap. I am going to take a swab of it.



It’s not liquid anymore. The cotton swab won’t absorb it. But I can see it moving as if it were a liquid. Very odd.



June 16, 1926, 12:10 AM



The sap is burning her clothes off. Not all of them, just those near her neck where they’re touching. And it’s not burning more like dissolving. The sap is different colours in different places, also. Near her collar it’s dark grey, on her neck its off white, a peachy colour. There is a band of white in between. Very very curious.



2:40 AM



She just stood up. The sap is all over her chest and shoulders now. It’s like it’s growing almost, pushing out. I say this because her collar is white, but her chest is grey now, like the colours are moving forward.



It’s like the sap is a hot knife and her clothes are butter, it’s just pushing through them. It looks like they’re replacing them with this sappy stuff.



3:05 AM



I worked up the courage to touch the coating of sap that’s covering her. It feels like rubber, not a liquid. Wondering how it can move like that if it feels so solid. Maybe only the underlayer is a liquid?



7:00 AM



Vimena is waking up. Going upstairs to change into new clothes. She tells me to start a new page for day two.



Before that I will report on the progress of the sap/rubber coating that’s been extruding from the box and enveloping Gerda. It’s covering most of her torso and arms, stopping at the wrists and hips.



The colour has also taken on a very distinct pattern. There are large white patches. One over her chest, one over her stomach, and a irregular shaped, but symmetrical, blotch over her back. The rest is black. Actually, her arms up to the shoulder are peachy, like skin. So is her neck.



Additionally, the coating seems thicker is some places, like her shoulders and lower torso, where it seems to flare out. Not sure yet what it is trying to look like.



Vimena has returned. She’s standing and staring at Gerda, seems shocked. She says that Gerda looks like she’s wearing a maid costume.

Chapter 5

Vimena's Journal

June 15, 1926



I’m sorry diary. I don’t want to tell you everything that I wrote in the log book. You can ask the log book yourself if you’re curious. Instead I’m going to tell you what I didn’t write in the log book.



Today Gerda’s head got trapped in a sigil box, and it’s done something to her mind. She only listens to commands. If I ask her something politely, it doesn’t work at all. I have to command her to do it. And it seems if I give her the smallest amount of choice, she won’t do anything.



So being the evil witch I am, I took advantage of her. I was writing in the log when Julia went upstairs to speak with Ron. Right when I heard the door close I dropped my pen and walked straight up to Gerda. I said “lift your skirt.” And she did it! She showed me her underwear like it was as straightforward as asking for the time.



And then I did something really bad. I sat in her lap. I knew that Julia would be at least two minutes. Not enough time, but any time is enough. I grabbed her hand and put it down my pants, and I commanded her “knead me” and she started. I took her other hand and put it on my breast, and again, commanded her: “squeeze me” and she did. She did this without tiring. I sat in her grasp, my wristwatch in front of my face. I counted down the one minute thirty that I had before Julia came back.



Time ran out, and I said “let go of me” and she returned her hands to her sides. I got up, righted myself, and sat back in my desk. I forgot to finish the log entry. I was too busy staring at Gerda. Wishing that box was off her head, and we could continue this, for real.



Maybe tomorrow the box will fall off.

Chapter 6

Experiment Log, June 16

June 16, 1926, 7:30 AM



This is Dr. Vimena, again at the helm of the log book. Ron did a very well job at describing the progression of the sap that Gerda is coated in. However he seems to have missed the striking similarity the pattern has to a French maid’s outfit. It is absurd. The sap even seems to be forming a skirt near her hips, as well as puffed sleeves for her shoulders. Ron agrees that he can see the resemblance after I pointed it out.



It is difficult for me to accept this development. These boxes were discovered near an ancient mass grave in the Xinjiang region of China. It was found buried deeper than the grave itself, so must predate it by several centuries. How it is capable of creating a contemporary style like this is beyond me.



It is possible that it is simply basing the style of clothing on the clothes Gerda was already wearing. Gerda started the test wearing a dress of a similar form as the one the sap seems to be creating.



8:20 AM



Duncan is here to take over for Ron. He noticed the maid resemblance immediately.



10:00 AM



I have asked Gerda, rather, told Gerda to tell me the standard “are you ok, hungry, tired” questions. It seems as though she has not slept in over 24 hours, yet constantly replies “I’m not tired, Doctor!” to my queries.



The sap is definitely forming a skirt. It has been slowly growing to knee length, which seems to be its target since it has stopped growing. Might I add that it is shorter than the skirt Gerda was wearing when we started the test. The last shreds of that skirt lies at her feet.



Last night Ron touched the sap himself without ill effects. I’m going to lift her skirt to see what the sap is doing underneath. It’s given her white underwear, and it is progressing down her thighs with the same peach colour on her arms and neck.



Her hands are completely covered now. There appears to be a thick web of sap forming between her fingers, making them appear shorter.



1:00 PM



Nothing noteworthy has happened in the last three hours, other than the gradual advancement of the sap over Gerda. The box is still fused closed, and Gerda will only respond to direct commands.



2:00 PM



Gerda has been completely covered by the sap. There is no bare skin anywhere. Her hands look like mittens now, the webbing moved its way all the way up to the tips of her fingers, then merged them together into a big flat flipper, but leaving her thumbs separate.



The maid outfit seems to be approaching its final form. The two white patches on her front have defined themselves into aprons, and on her back the irregular spot has become a large bow. Additionally, the level of fidelity of the costume has increased. It appears to be made out of layers, despite materializing from the same gooey mass. Some of these layers have frills at their borders. The black skirt, which began flat, has since become pleated with white ruffles.



There is no gap between the peach sap and the “maid outfit” sap, it all forms one big outfit. Duncan and I have been discussing trying to cut it to see if it is just as indestructible as the sigil box. We’ve decided to try this in a different experiment, and leave this one be, lest we ruin its natural progression.



Julia has arrived to take over for Duncan. She seems slightly relieved, actually. In some way I think we know what the box wants with Gerda, and it is approaching its “endgame.”



3:30 PM



The outfit looks to be complete. The overall shape seems tighter and the layers seem thinner and more latex like, rather than soft goo. I asked Gerda again all the boilerplate questions. She finally said she was tired. Her phrasing was something like “I’m ready to sleep, Doctor!” I told her to lie down in the cot and go to sleep.



As she walked toward her cot I noticed her feet now have shoes on. They are simple black flats, again made out of the rubbery sap. She did not start the test wearing shoes. It seems my previous hypothesis has a hole in it. Her gait is also different. She walks in long strides on her toes, with her hands clasped at her front.



4:10 PM



Julia and I heard a small click noise, and after some investigation we discovered that the sigil box has finally opened. We carefully removed it from Gerda’s head. Her head has been covered in sap too, sap that has molded to her face like a second skin. her nostrils are covered, so she can only breathe through her mouth. Her mouth-



The goo goes into her mouth, coating the inside all the way to her throat, where it simply closes itself off. She shouldn’t be able to breathe, but her chest is moving up and down just fine. Her lips are a vibrant red, and the colouring of the sap on her face makes it look like she has blush and eyeliner applied.



Her hair has been replaced with large, chestnut tubes of sap about the same length as her actual hair. It is a caricature of hair. She looks like a cartoon.



Her ears have been completely covered. It seems that Gerda is completely shut off from the world, there are no holes in this rubbery coating. And yet she is alive and doing fine.



The box seems to be a kind of uniform assignment. The box is put on someone’s head, and in thirty hours it comes off and they have been given this rubber bodysuit. Perhaps it is a kind of training, since it has somehow altered Gerda’s mind. She takes only commands. I think the box is a factory for creating servants.



We will wait until 7 PM before we call an end to this experiment. Afterwards we will try to find a way to remove Gerda from this costume. If we are successful, Gerda will be interviewed, paid her salary, and invited to participate in further experiments. If we are not successful, I have no idea what we will do.



7:00 PM



Gerda has been sleeping this entire time. I worry that if we don’t get this costume off she will starve to death, as there’s no way to get food inside of her. I’m going to try to wake her up.



7:20 PM



She wouldn’t wake, until I realized I had been saying “it's time to wake up.” Instead I simply said “wake up” and her eyes opened, just like that. For a moment I thought that those were her real eyes, but after some investigation I found that they were just coloured sap. Curious, I performed a quick eye exam on her.



I found that there was no seam between her eyes and her eyelids, no matter how much they moved. It appears that the sap isn’t coating every moving part of her face, it is instead matching their contour and changing its colour to fit, allowing movement to go on underneath.



I asked her if she was hungry and she said ‘I can eat, Doctor!” Then I asked her if she has to eat, and she said “I don’t have to eat, Doctor!” This is odd. She can eat, despite the rubber that is covering her throat, but she doesn’t have to. I got a piece of bread and told her to eat it. She put it in her mouth, chewed for a bit, and swallowed. I looked inside her mouth and it was gone, the back of her throat still covered in rubber. How did the bread get past that barrier?



I am going to call an end to the experiment now. It is more important to try and get Gerda out of the costume than to experiment with its properties. I’m going to call for Ron and the three of us will brainstorm.



7:50 PM



Ron, Julia and I have been discussing ways of removing Gerda from the costume, and we have an idea. Since she said “I can eat” it seems that Gerda has some intuition about her condition. We are going to order her to tell us how to get her out. A mouthful, I know, but it’s a valid command, so it should work.



I’m going to have Ron transcribe our conversation:



Vimena: Gerda, tell me how to get you out.

Gerda: Tell me to leave, Doctor.

Vimena: Gerda, leave.



Gerda got up and started to leave the room. Vimena ordered her to return and continued the interview.



Vimena: Gerda, tell me how to get your out of the costume.

Gerda: What costume, Doctor?

Vimena: The rubber maid outfit.

Gerda: I can take it off, Doctor!

Vimea: Gerda, take off the maid outfit.



Gerda reached behind her and started to pull apart the bow, which came undone and loosened the dress. She pushed the sleeves off her shoulders, pulled her arms out of them and pushed off the dress. It fell on the floor. Gerda is still covered in rubber, her body in a second skin of rubber. She is wearing only a white bra and white underwear, both also made of rubber.



How was she able to remove the dress only, when only a minute ago it was one with her rubber skin? Julia has left to fetch some new clothes to give her while Ron and I are going to hang up the rubber maids dress



8:45 PM



We put Gerda in the new clothes. We had her sit down in the chair, which appeared to be very difficult for her. She winced at every little move she made. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was very uncomfortable, and that the clothes were “scratchy.” We told her to put herself back in the maids outfit, which she did, and rather quickly too in spite her mitten hands. She also managed to tie the bow by herself.



We tried a new line of questioning. We think that Gerda cannot tell the difference between the rubber skin and her actual skin, so we are going to try and make her notice. Ron will again transcribe.



Vimena put her hand on Julia’s arm



Vimena: Gerda, tell me what I am touching.

Gerda: Julia, Doctor.

Vimena: Gerda, I am touching her skin. Gerda, tell me what I am touching.

Gerda: Julia’s skin, Doctor.

Vimena: Good. Very good.



Vimena put her hand on Gerda’s arm



Vimena: Gerda, tell me what I am touching.

Gerda: My skin, Doctor.

Vimena: Tell me what your skin is made of.

Gerda: Rubber, Doctor.

Vimena: Tell me how to remove your skin, Gerda.

Gerda: Cut it off, Doctor.



11:30 PM



Gerda is free.



We ordered her to strip down to her rubber skin. We then took a scalpel and began to cut through the rubber on her collarbone so if we end up cutting skin it would not harm her too much. We peeled the rubber away. It felt like removing tape, but the underside of the rubber was not sticky. It was more like we were breaking a vacuum.



As we pulled the cut got bigger and bigger, allowing us to work our hands underneath to completely loosen the second skin from her body. As we worked, the rubber tore into two sections, one below the neck and one above. We got the rubber off her body first, then began to work it off her head. The rubber came off the front of her face last. As we pulled the last of the rubber skin out of her mouth, she drew a quick gasp and began to stumble.



She was clearly very disoriented. We sat her down and draped a blanket over her. In a whisper she asked for some water, which we got her. She’s about done drinking now. Ron will transcribe our closing interview.



Vimena: Gerda, are you alright.

Gerda: Yes Doctor, just a bit tired.

Vimena: Do you remember what happened?

Gerda: Well, I remember working. I was a maid of some kind. Where is the box.

Vimena: The box is off. You’re fine.

Gerda: I saw.. I was someone else in there. It was like I was seeing through someone else’s eyes.

Vimena: You did become a different person. The box covered you in rubber, and gave you a uniform, and it made you act like a servant.

Gerda: It didn’t make me. I was, I was doing what I was told because it was my job.



Gerda is staring at the rubber maid costume that’s hanging on the wall.



Vimena: Gerda?

Gerda: So those people I was working for, they were you? I thought, I thought I was somewhere else, in a different time.

Vimena: Yes, they were us. Can you tell me how you felt.

Gerda: I don’t remember feeling anything exactly. It just felt like work. I used to work in housekeeping. It felt like that.

Vimena: I see.



They are silent.



Gerda: Where are my clothes.

Vimena: The box destroyed them while they… converted you. We’ll get you some new ones.

Gerda: Thank you.

Vimena: Is there anything you want to ask me?

Gerda: Yes, yes. How long has it been. It feels like a long time.

Vimena: It has been about two days.

Gerda: Oh ok. It felt like longer. Like weeks. But it wasn’t bad. It was like another life.

Vimena: Well we’re glad you’re back.



Julia took Gerda to the back room to get changed, and then took her upstairs to her room. Dr. Vimena is hanging up Gerda’s second skin next to the maid outfit, as well as the rubber underwear. She says that we’re going to call it a night and examine these leftovers in the morning. We’re closing up shop now. The time is 12:14 AM.

Chapter 7

Vimena's Journal

June 17, 1 AM, 1926



Diary, Gerda is free. The box is off, and so is the second skin. She doesn’t seem to be changed at all since her little adventure. I am also glad she cannot remember exactly what she did under the influence.



Tomorrow we are going to examine that second skin and try to find out exactly what it is made out of. It feels like latex rubber, but has some special properties. It can change colour at will, and it can somehow digest food on behalf of the wearer. Or, perhaps, it’s selectively passing food through itself like some kind of sieve. I could be doing that for air, which would explain why Gerda was able to breathe. But why did she say “I don’t have to eat”?



Someone is knocking on my door.



June 17, 4 AM, 1926



It was Gerda, she wanted to talk to me. She said she started remembering specifics. I asked her what exactly she remembers, and she said she remembers a woman sitting in her lap, while she “helped” her.



I asked her what she meant by helped. She went into thought, eyes intensely searching for the memory. She couldn’t find it.



I found myself at another crossroads, evil witch or fairy godmother? I don’t know what choice I made exactly. All I know is what I did. I offered to show her. I told her to sit in my lap. I started to do to her what she did to me.



She was uncomfortable, but didn’t try to leave. I whispered in her ear what I was telling myself. This is Vladivostok, a useless little city on the edge of the world. Whatever we do here will not be recorded, nobody is here to see us. She relaxed quite a bit then, and let me finish the job. She’s a very brave girl, and quiet too.



She stayed with me in my bed for a few hours. I apologized for taking advantage of her during the test, which she brushed off immediately. She said a maid has to do what a maid has to do. I asked her if she was a maid right now. She said “if you want me to be.”



I don’t know if what that box did to her brain was permanent. My relationship with Gerda before the test was restricted to the times I saw her on the boat and the lunch we had the day before. I told myself she must have always been like this. I asked her if she wanted to finish what she started. She nodded and spun me around, arms making a cage for my body. I like to think I’m brave, but I’m definitely not quiet. She made me cry for the first time in years.



Gerda has since left, and I’m writing alone yet again. I think I will invite Gerda back to my room tomorrow night. Not for anything explicit, just to talk. It cuts me that I know next to nothing about her, while I was responsible for her fate these last few days. I want to know where she's from, how she got into the group of volunteers, and really anything about her.



It occurs to me that I have no idea how the council managed to gather up these volunteers. Perhaps they found them the same way they found me?



It’s very late, Diary, and we have an early morning tomorrow. Goodnight.

Chapter 8

Experiment Log, June 17

June 17, 8:00 AM, 1926



I don’t expect to spend the entire day in the lab again. Today Duncan, Julia, Ron and I will perform an examination of the artifacts left behind by Gerda’s transformation. We have five items: the maid outfit, the body and head of the second skin, the rubber bra, and the rubber underwear. The objective is to find answers to the following questions:

How does the second skin, maid outfit, bra, and underwear fuse on demand?

How was it possible for Gerda to breathe and “eat” while inside the second skin?

How does the face of the second skin change its shape and colour to match the user’s eyes? The first test is simply putting two of the items close to each other to see what happens.



8:40 AM



We have cut the second skin in half across its waist, splitting it into leg and torso sections. We’ve stretched the torso onto a mannequin so we can put the other clothes on top to see how they react with each other.



The first test is to put the bra on over the skin. We expect the two surfaces to combine immediately, as we saw when Gerda put the maid outfit back on.



8:50 AM



It has been ten minutes and still the two articles have not merged. We will try it with the maid outfit, as that is the only article we actually observed to fuse with the bodysuit.



9:05 AM



Ten minutes after we laboriously dressed the mannequin in that unwieldy maid outfit, I can still stick a finger under the sleeve. Perhaps the fusing is done to the wearer’s discretion. Since there is no wearer, they cannot fuse. I am hoping that these items have not become inert since removing them.



9:40 AM



This may be the case. We have spent the last half hour draping the face of the bodysuit over our own, trying to breathe and eat through it. It does not work. The items have become ordinary rubber. I’m calling it a day.



We have a few options for the testing schedule tomorrow. We can either test another sigil box with another volunteer, or ask Gerda to don the box for a second time, so we can test the properties of suit further. I will meet with her this afternoon and bring it up. If she declines, we will test the 12" with another volunteer. I don’t expect to spend the entire day in the lab again. Today Duncan, Julia, Ron and I will perform an examination of the artifacts left behind by Gerda’s transformation. We have five items: the maid outfit, the body and head of the second skin, the rubber bra, and the rubber underwear. The objective is to find answers to the following questions:The first test is simply putting two of the items close to each other to see what happens.We have cut the second skin in half across its waist, splitting it into leg and torso sections. We’ve stretched the torso onto a mannequin so we can put the other clothes on top to see how they react with each other.The first test is to put the bra on over the skin. We expect the two surfaces to combine immediately, as we saw when Gerda put the maid outfit back on.It has been ten minutes and still the two articles have not merged. We will try it with the maid outfit, as that is the only article we actually observed to fuse with the bodysuit.Ten minutes after we laboriously dressed the mannequin in that unwieldy maid outfit, I can still stick a finger under the sleeve. Perhaps the fusing is done to the wearer’s discretion. Since there is no wearer, they cannot fuse. I am hoping that these items have not become inert since removing them.This may be the case. We have spent the last half hour draping the face of the bodysuit over our own, trying to breathe and eat through it. It does not work. The items have become ordinary rubber. I’m calling it a day.We have a few options for the testing schedule tomorrow. We can either test another sigil box with another volunteer, or ask Gerda to don the box for a second time, so we can test the properties of suit further. I will meet with her this afternoon and bring it up. If she declines, we will test the 12" with another volunteer.

Chapter 9

Vimena's Journal

June 17, 11 PM, 1926



The results of todays tests were unsatisfactory. The latex scraps did not retain their supernatural properties after removal. It became clear that if we wanted to learn of their function, we’d have to test them in vivo.



In these interests, I approached Gerda this afternoon to see if she would like to “go under the box” yet again. I asked around and found her eating lunch in the hotel’s staff kitchen. As I approached her she called my name happily and invited me to join her. I ate with her for a few minutes before I popped the question.



During those minutes we spoke about ourselves. I learned quite a bit about Gerda and her life. She is twenty-four, making her young enough to be my daughter. Regardless of age, I am delighted to meet one like myself, and I admit that our age gap excites me in a way. Yet another taboo I can find pleasure in shattering.



She confirmed that she is from the Netherlands, where she studied politics at Leiden. She was working on her thesis when one of her professors told her about an “exciting opportunity” that brought her to the coast of India, where she was picked up by our Russian steamship.



I know that the council has its fingers deep in the academic world so I am not surprised that Gerda and probably most of the volunteers are students. What surprises me is that, as far as I can tell, the distribution of sexes among the volunteers is roughly 50/50, whereas I remember being the only woman in my graduating class. It appears that the world is changing.



I told Gerda the facts about the second skin, and my reason for meeting her this afternoon. Her grin faltered. I’m an idiot. I suppose she thought I was there because I wanted to be with her, not because I wanted something from her. She said that she is still recovering from the last experiment, but she would think about it.



I took the time to finish eating with her, trying to patch things up by telling her more about my life. I couldn’t get at her. She became reserved and spoke very little. This is what I get for mixing professional life with personal. How am I supposed to get tender with her, yet still be her superior? I hope this will smooth itself out.



I told Ron that Gerda was not available and tomorrow we would test the 12" on another volunteer. We decided upon another female subject, leaving male testing for later. This girl’s name is Annie, a Londoner like myself. We met with her before dinner to tell her what she can expect during the test. We also gave her Gerda’s room number so she could meet and learn more about what it’s like to be transformed by the box, straight from the horse’s mouth.



We start testing tomorrow morning, again at 7:00. Goodnight.

Chapter 10

Experiment Log, June 18

June 18, 7:00 AM, 1926



Today we test the 12 inch box from the Xinjiang pair. The experimentation protocol has changed, as informed by the behaviour of the 8 inch. The box will be placed over the subject’s head and will stay there until it comes off on its own. During this period, updates on the transformation process will be made every hour on the hour, with interviews taken every three hours. If something noteworthy is to happen between these times it will be noted as usual.



Upon the transformation’s completion we will attempt to answer the questions posed yesterday. After these questions are answered, the subject will be freed by cutting.



Annie, the test subject, has arrived and is prepared to be put in the box. She is much calmer than Gerda was. It is likely they spoke last night, giving Annie the peace of mind that she is not in harm’s way.



Yet again I am accompanied by Duncan, to be replaced by Julia, and then Ron at their regular shift times. We will again stay with the subject through the night.



We are putting Annie in the box now.



7:10 AM



We have been watching the box’s seam diligently, hoping to gauge how long it takes for the seam to disappear. It has been nearly ten minutes, the box has yet to fuse shut.



7:30 AM



The seam is still present. I am considering returning to standard protocol, as there is no guarantee that this box does anything like what the smaller one does. Duncan and I are going to discuss it.



7:40 AM



It appears that the seam only goes away when it isn’t being observed. The old adage “a watched pot never boils” rings true. It is unknown what mechanism the box uses to determine if it is being looked at. Duncan suggests it is similar to seeing a pattern in wood grain, then losing it upon blinking.



8:00 AM



Because the box has been fused closed status and interview updates will begin now. The gap between the neck and the box has not yet narrowed. Sampling the inside with a swab does not yield sap, so production has not yet begun.



Duncan will transcribe our interview:



Vimena: Annie, can you hear me, is everything alright?

Annie: Everything is fine, Doctor. It feels a bit like an opera house in here.

Vimena: Is breathing fine?

Annie: Yes I can breathe. It’s not stuffy in here, either.



9:00 AM



The box gap has narrowed slightly. Another swab returns dry.



9:40 AM



Annie is saying there is something going into her mouth. She describes it as “soft like a finger” and “like honey.” The box must have formed a sort of feeding tube to deliver sap. This might have happened to Gerda, but she was too high on the sedative to point it out.



10:00 AM



The gap is yet thinner, and now the swabs are coming back with sap on them. Comparing this to the swab from two days ago, we find that this sap is a very dark brown, like leather, yet the other was a bright white.



11:00 AM



Reading back on the last log, the neck gap shouldn’t have closed this fast. The gap is firm around Annie’s neck, a thick layer of brown sap bridging the distance. This sap seems slightly more viscous than the last. We will take our second interview now.



Vimena: Annie, can you hear me?

Annie: Yes.

Vimena: Is the finger still in your mouth.

Annie: It is in my throat. It is in my stomach. It is in my intestines.

Vimena: How can you speak?

Annie: I speak through it. It speaks for me.

Vimena: Can you breathe.

Annie: Yes.



Her voice has become monotone and terse. I believe that the mind altering effects have kicked in already.



12:00 PM



This box is fast. Already the sap is coming out to coat her neck. Unlike the last box where the sap dribbled out of the box, this sap is being extruded like a paste, covering her neck in a thick outer layer. The colour of the sap is mostly uniform, with some light banding that reminds me of the shell of a mollusk.



A mollusk grows its shell by adding material to its edges, pushing the shell out from the center. Thus the part that is furthest away from the center is the oldest. I think this is how the box creates its uniforms, by pushing out sap that, in turn, pushes the older sap, allowing the box to completely coat the subject while remaining at the head.



12:10 PM



Annie has just stood up. I think this is to ensure the chair doesn’t impede the sap’s progression. I am very curious as to how the box enforces this exact movement.



1:00 PM



The box is picking up speed. The brown pasty sap that covered her neck has bisected at the shoulders, one half covering her back, the other enveloping her chest, stopping at the bottom of her rib cage. The two halves have rejoined at her sides, leaving holes for her arms.



The sap around her neck is even thicker than it was an hour ago, perhaps twice as thick. I’m sure the sap at her neck now is destined to replace the sap that covers her torso, which itself is destined to cover her legs.



2:00 PM



Julia has arrived, been debriefed, and will transcribe this next interview. The sap progression has slowed only slightly, now covering her entire upper body, including her hips and groin. It has covered her arms up to the elbow.



I have forgotten to mention how her clothes have been holding up. The last shreds of her dress have fallen to her feet, the majority has been dissolved by the sap, exactly as it did to Gerda’s dress.



We will begin the interview now.



Vimena: Annie, can you hear me?

Vimena (after no response): Annie tell me if you can hear me.

Annie: I can hear you doctor.

Vimena: Tell me if you are alright.

Annie: I am not ready.

Vimena: Tell me when you will be ready.

Annie: I will notify.



3:00 PM



Within the last hour the sap has completely covered Annie’s arms and legs. The only uncovered part of her body is her feet. There is a large outcropping of sap covering her groin and bottom, like a loincloth that is seamless to the rest of the uniform.



At this moment I will compare/contrast between the 8” box’s uniform and this one’s. Both seem to have the same overall structure, full body suit with an outcropping that resembles more or less a skirt. This outfit, however, seems to be constructed of large sheets of thick rubber, nearly the opposite of the thin sheets of latex Gerda’s maid outfit is built from. I can hardly imagine the weight this thing could be putting on Annie. The maid outfit alone is weighty enough.



Annie’s hands haven’t fully developed. There is a similar webbing between her fingers, but unlike Gerda’s costume, her fingers appear to have been made sharper. They also seem wider.



I have just counted the number of fingers on both of Annie’s hands, there are 8 on each, including the thumb. These extra fingers are smaller, looking almost vestigal.



The colour pattern is also very different. The maid outfit has a very clear layout of colours. The colour of this suit seems like an afterthought. It is a uniform brown, with small lines of discolouration running parallel to direction of growth. It reminds me of the walls of a canyon, or the rings of a tree.



I have also noticed a difference in its effect on the mind. Gerda, while speaking, was chipper and clear, whereas Annie has become formal to the point of suffocation. I have yet to figure out what this costume is meant to be.



4:00 PM



Annie is now completely encased. The box hasn’t reopened yet. I am sure the sap needs time to finish arranging itself.



The extra three fingers on her hands have grown, as has her pinky. The furthest one looks more like a second thumb than a finger. It looks like her hand has been mirrored between her index and pinky.



5:00 PM



Seams have since appeared all over the suit, mostly near her joints. I am thinking that once the sap completely dries it will become rigid, so the suit is splitting itself into pieces so she can still be mobile. There is also a long seam going from her shoulders to about the middle of the hand.



We are going to take our fourth interview now.



Vimena: Tell me if you can hear me.

Annie: I am able.

Vimena: Tell me if you are ready.

Annie: I will notify.

Vimena: Tell me if you need anything.

Annie: You have everything I need.



5:20 PM



The seam on her arms has split, dividing her arm into two new ones. She has four arms now, with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. Each arm is the mirror image of its pair. She has four-fold symmetry instead of two-fold. How is this possible.



5:35 PM



The box has clicked open and fallen to the floor by her feet.



Annie’s head resembles that of an animal. Her eyes are wide apart, if I can call them eyes. They are dark orbs embedded between folds of thick rubber. Her head is roughly conic, largest and nearly flat at the top, tapering down to her neck. There is no mouth, and no holes for a nose.



I am going to speak with her again, to see where the sound comes out.



Vimena: Tell me if you can hear me.

Annie: I am able.



She has a mouth. It was hidden among the seams of her head. Her mouth opens like that of a bird, it is wide and V-shaped, its tip at the very apex of her head.



Vimena: Tell me if you are ready.

Annie: I will notify.

Vimena: Tell me what happens next.

Annie: I will soon feed.

Vimena: Tell me what you will feed on.

Annie: I will feed on the food.



There is a small table of food in this room. This must be what she is referring to.



I have touched the material this suit is made of and it feels very rigid, almost like a tire. I can’t imagine cutting this with a scalpel. Yet again we are left with no idea how to free the test subject. Even if we managed to cut the suit off, what will happen to her arms? They have been cut in half, if we remove the suit, will they remain this way?



6:10 PM



Annie has begun lumbering toward the food table. She walks as though there is a large weight on her shoulders, unsurprising considering how massive this suit probably is.



Her height has also changed, she seems to have grown a little over a foot. She was already rather tall to begin with, about 5’7”, making her 6’9” or so now. Some of this extra height appears to be from the position her foot is in. It is pointing straight down as if she were wearing ballet heels. But this could only account for at most three inches. Where rest comes from, I cannot say.



I am not sure how I have not noticed this height change until now. Her girth is proportional to her height, making her also much wider than her original form. She has a very formidable build.



She has reached the food table, which is dwarfed by her size. She is kneeling down seiza-style. The table has a basket of bread, a pitcher of milk, a plate of butter, and venison, all brought down for lunch, so all still fresh.



She has taken a loaf of bread in each of her four hands, throwing them into her open mouth. I have gotten a good look at the inside, her mouth appears to be layers of rubber slabs, pointing inward toward the throat. The throat does not cut off, but continues into what looks like her esophagus.



Since I started writing that last paragraph she has finished the basket of bread, most of the venison, the butter and she is now drinking the milk straight from the pitcher, four hands cradling it and tilting it into her mouth.



Annie has just said “More is required.” Julia is going to go fetch more food from the kitchen after we ask her how much more food she needs. She says “Twelve more of these.”



10:40 PM



Our kitchen staff are very patient. Each meal takes about fourty minutes to prepare and Annie only a few minutes to eat. Her four arms have become an instrument of consumption, taking the food in hand and shoving it into her absurdly wide mouth.



I’ve been watching her as she eats. Only now has the idea of “conservation of mass” come up in my mind. Each meal has got to weigh at least ten pounds, and she is eating thirteen meals. That’s 130 pounds added to her weight. She is on her second last meal, and the effects of this binge have become obvious.



As she has been eating she has slowly become curvier. Her stomach has swelled out in front of her. Her hips have blown up, as did her thighs and bottom. Her breasts, too, which began as small lumps underneath the thick rubber of the suit, have inflated into large, round masses. Every part of her body is just bigger. Even her four arms, which began as the thinnest part of her body, have bloated into thick trunks.



Nearly two hours ago, before her feed, Annie’s physique was that of a bodybuilder, large at the top and thin at the bottom. But now her center of mass has changed, her body has acquired an exaggerated pear shape.



She has become a collection of ovals. Her round breasts rest on her round stomach. Her round stomach rests on her round thighs. Her round thighs rest next to her round bottom. It is difficult for me to put into words how extreme her curves have become. Like Gerda, she has become like a cartoon.



11:20 PM



I realize I did not write in the log that Ron had arrived for his shift. This was at 7:00 on the dot. I had become too entranced by Annie’s transformation and neglected this.



Annie has finished her last meal. Without any difficulty she has stood up and returned to where she began. Her gait is much different now. It is graceful. Her hips flick as she walks. This agility goes at odds with her sheer size.



She is standing upright, almost like a soldier. Actually, exactly like a soldier. I think this is what she has become. Four arms to wield four weapons, a low center of gravity to take on foes, a thick outer hide as armor. This also explains her professional tone. I am her superior.



I would very much like to test her physical abilities in this form, such as weight capacity and strength. However it is getting very late, it is difficult for me to keep my mind on track. I am going to have Ron spend the night with her while I sleep in my regular room. If they need me they can come to my room. Ron will continue the log until 7 the next morning.



11:45 PM



This is Ron. Dr. Vimena has left for her bed. Annie is still standing in the middle of the room. I am going to ask her if she wants to go to sleep.



She wouldn’t say anything to me.



12:20 AM



I read this log over and realize I must phrase my question as “tell me” like we did with Gerda. I am going to try it again.



She still won’t talk to me.



3:50 AM



She is staring at me. I can’t quite tell because her eyes are all black. I am going to try to talk to her again.

Chapter 11

Vimena's Journal

June 19, 12:20 AM, 1926



I am overwhelmed. Diary, Annie has transformed into something grotesque. And yet, I can’t get enough of it. Her body is rubs me a certain way. The sight of her silhouette, the way her thighs meet her bottom. I gushed over the log in the most unprofessional way, but I couldn’t help it.



I am tempted to invite Gerda to my room to give me some release. But then I’d be falling asleep at 4 yet again. I am also forgetting that I hurt her feelings yesterday, and still haven’t spoken to her. I should speak to her.



I’m going to her room.



June 19, 3:45 AM, 1926



She isn’t mad. She showed me. I am very tired, Diary, very very tired. I want to tell you about the time we just had. She said she regretted saying no to me yesterday, and she would have loved to be my maid again. She said that me being her boss was just another part of our relationship, and that I shouldn’t worry about stepping outside my bounds. I want to tell you what she did to me but I am too drained. Goodnight, Diary. Sleep tight.

Chapter 12

Experiment Log, June 19

June 19, 8:30 AM, 1926



We’ve had a small mishap today. When Duncan and I returned to the lab this morning we found Ron on his stomach, pinned to the floor by Annie. Her four arms holding his at his side, while the weight of her body kept him immobile.



Getting her off was a simple matter of saying “Annie, let him go.” Ron is unharmed, but a little shaken. He says she had him like that since 2:30, coinciding with the last log entry. He said that he touched her shoulder while asking her a question, and she took him down in an instant.



I believe that Annie does not recognize Ron as her superior. She recognizes Duncan and I, probably because we were the ones to put her in the box. I am not sure if Julia is also recognized.



We now have to address the fact that Annie is very dangerous in this state. She could have easily killed Ron if she wanted to. She might have even killed Ron by exposure if we weren’t here. Today we will return Annie to her human form. If we can’t, she must stay down here, either alone or accompanied by Duncan or I, until we find a solution.



9:00 AM



I have a working theory as to what exactly the sigil boxes are. I think they are a kind of “empire kit.” An empire requires troops and servants, and these boxes supply both. The fact that each pair, always found together, consists of a servant builder (the 8 inch) and a soldier builder (the 12 inch) is the nail in the coffin.



So if these boxes are designed to transform ordinary common folk into disciplined soldiers and obedient servants, what is supposed to turn them back? We were able to return Gerda by literally cutting her out, but in her case the second skin was fragile, and did not alter her body in any way. Annie seems to have been completely transformed by this suit of heavy rubber. If we managed to remove it, where would all the fat go? Where would her second arms go?



Even if the answer is “they just disappear,” what about the missing finger on each of her hands? There is only three per, so if one arm disappears then she is short a pinky. If we are going to get her out, we’ll have to somehow run the transformation process in reverse.



My first idea is to simply put the sigil box back on her head, like doing it a second time will undo what it had done before. I’m hesitant to make this our first option. What if the process can happen twice, and this makes her an even more powerful soldier, giving her eight arms, another foot of height, and even more weight?



Duncan suggested putting the servant box on her head, to make her docile instead of violent, but it won’t even fit. Her head is now about three inches too big. We could cut off parts of the rubber exoskeleton, but what if that harms her? I don’t want to take that chance.



I think the best thing to do is take the same route we took with Gerda: ask the right questions to get the right answers. Annie knows her body, just like Gerda did. If we interview her long enough, we may find out how to free her.



Duncan will transcribe our conversation.



9:20 AM



Vimena: Annie, tell me who you are.

Annie: I am Annie.

Vimena: Tell me what you are made of.

Annie: I am made of flesh, bone and rubber.

Vimena: Tell me what you were before the rubber.

Annie: I was not ready.

Vimena: Tell me if you are ready now.

Annie: I am ready.

Vimena: Tell me what you are ready for.

Annie: I am not assigned.

Vimena: Tell me how to get the rubber off you.

Annie: I do not have this information.



Annie speaks each word separate of the rest, as if each were a separate sentence entirely. Her voice is very slow, a flat and shallow drawl. Her response time is also getting slower. It took her nearly five minutes to answer that last question. I think she was thinking the entire time.



We are going to take a small break to plan our next line of questioning.



9:40 AM



Vimena: Tell me what happens if I put you back in the box.

Annie: I will be upgraded.

Vimena: Tell me what would happen if we cut you out of this suit.

Annie: I will be damaged.

Vimena: Tell me what will I damage, the bone, the flesh or the rubber.

Annie: I will be damaged.

Vimena: Tell me what has happened to the old Annie.

Annie: I have been upgraded.

Vimena: Tell me how to downgrade you.



I think she is getting tired. She takes over five minutes to respond to each question. It’s just under half past 10 now. It’s been almost eight minutes since Vimena has asked how to downgrade her.



10:40 AM



We are still waiting for a response.



11:15 AM



Annie has begun to laboriously phrase her response. Each word is nearly a minute apart. Duncan is writing it down on scrap paper, which we will copy to the log upon completion.



11:24 AM



Annie: I must be ordered by my superior.



I suppose I am her superior. I will make the order. I have said to her “Annie, downgrade.” Nothing seems to have changed in her yet. We are going to let this order percolate inside of her.



12:30 PM



It has been an hour and still no sign of change in Annie. Duncan and I have been talking. Duncan thinks she is tired, which is why her response has become so sluggish. We haven’t ordered her to rest, like we did with Gerda. She has been awake for more than 24 hours. I imagine as a soldier she has spent this time on high alert mode, as indicated by her behaviour last night.



I’m worried that the downgrade process is energy intensive, and having been awake all this time will ruin it somehow. I am going to order her to rest instead.



2:00 PM



Julia is here. She has noticed a small change in her width. She says Annie seems to be thinner. I take this as a sign she is beginning the downgrade process. My order for her to rest must have fallen on deaf ears.



3:50 PM



There is a burning smell in the air. Annie’s suit is warm to the touch. She is definitely thinner now. Is she burning away her fat? The human body can only handle so much heat. Hoping this doesn’t damage her.



5:00 PM



The suit is hot to the touch now, nearly returned to it’s “body builder” stature. The burning smell reminds me of cooked meat. I feel sick to my stomach.



5:30 PM



The suit is beginning to open at the chest. Steam is billowing out. The suit’s arms are still bisected. The gap in the chest is widening by the minute. The legs are opening too. The room is being obscured by the steam. The smell is awful.



She has just fallen out of the suit.



6:45 PM



Annie fell out of the suit asleep. She is currently resting on the cot, where she has been for the last hour.



Unlike Gerda her removal from the suit is not without side effects. For one she is missing the pinky on each of her hands, which are wider to compensate. There are bruises all over her body, the most severe being on her hands, the backs of her shoulders, her feet, and the front of her neck. There are a few minor lacerations on her mouth that spread outward from her mouth. They aren't deep enough to cause bleeding, but the skin is definitely raw.



She has also gained quite a bit of weight and lost all of her hair. She looks like a smaller, human version of the suit she had just been freed from.



It is not clear how much of this damage came from her lack of rest in the suit. I think what we have witnessed is a botched downgrade caused by fatigue. This box builds soldiers, am I expected to believe it cannot supply a veteran, too? These injuries are unacceptable.



Ron is coming for his shift shortly. We are going to leave Annie to rest while Ron and I watch over her. I am going to spend the night down here yet again.



7:00 PM



Ron has arrived.



9:30 PM



I am going to sleep now, passing the log book to Ron. Am hoping that smell does not haunt me while I dream.



10:10 PM



I think Vimena is asleep now.



11:50 PM



I am wondering what that blue notebook of hers is.

Chapter 13

Vimena's Journal

June 19, 9:40 PM, 1926



I will write not one more word about what happened today.



Last night Gerda and I spent a few hours in her bed for a change. All of our rooms are roughly the same because we all live on the same floor. The only exception being the council agents who sleep in a bedroom on the first.



We sweet talked each other, heads on the same pillow. Our legs were interlaced, and the entire time we spoke I could not kept my attention away from her thigh between my legs. She listed the things she would do for me. Her voice drifted as she spoke, becoming quieter, dirtier, dire. She concluded, mouth to my ear, whispering over and over again “anything.”



Still my mind was on her thigh, and her hips, and her waist. She wouldn’t stop saying “anything.” I took her head in my breast. I told her to hush, and she went still. I used her body as my pillow.



I want to spend another lunch with her. I want to spend a dinner or a breakfast. I want to fall asleep and wake up with her in my arms.



If all goes well, I will try to keep testing to a minimum tomorrow. Sunday is the day of rest, after all. I want to have that dinner.



An earlier morning means an earlier end. Goodnight, Diary.

Chapter 14

Request for Assistance [URGENT]

June 20, 1926



To The Council of 10th Precinct



Attached is an invoice encrypted with one time pad 20-06-26-CAX. Our location is written in ciphertext 15 of the silver book, the unlock key included below. I have also included four additional OTPs for further communication. Combine these with pads 20-06-26-CAY,CAZ,CBA, and CBB before encryption.



Key for ciphertext 15: C2HH-CMTZ-IGFY-ZSBO-B3QG-EW81



Signed

Agent Georgiy Lipov

ID: 6200-0121-5001



Co-Signed

Agent Alexander Kulakov

ID: 6500-6422-0012

Chapter 15

Reply to Urgent Request

June 21, 1926



To Agent Georgiy Lipov



Your request has been processed. The team will arrive early tomorrow morning, sometime between 6 and 7. Unfortunately the asylum request of the black sheep cannot be fulfilled for security reasons. You are responsible for her management until your end of term extraction.



Signed

Agent Ian Blanc

Council of 10th Precinct, Head of Provisions

ID: 8900-9156-5037

Chapter 16

Vimena's Journal

June 23, 1926



I am still reeling, Diary. Ron is dead. Annie killed him three days ago. Her mind is gone. She acts just like she did in the suit, as if nothing has changed.



She must have been protecting you. In his last log entry Ron mentioned wanting to know what my Diary was. He must of gone to take it when Annie struck him. One of her punches was enough to do the job. I should have ordered Annie to recognize him as her superior. I should have taken the night before, the night he was attacked by her, as a hint. This would never have happened.



I want to know why she killed him, when she let him live just the day before. Maybe it is like letting an attack dog off their leash. She was transformed into an obedient soldier, and then suddenly had her free will returned to her. Perhaps she didn’t know how to act.



Yesterday a group of men came to take Ron’s body away. The council is taking good care of us, keeping the law out of this. We are in this country illegally, doing unethical experimentation. We must do what is necessary to keep this embassy of a hotel secure.



Ron’s family won’t hear of his death for some time, and will never learn the true story. The council is sure to stage the cover story for his death, they have prepared for this. They have prepared for all of our deaths.



We’ve suspended testing. We’ve been keeping Annie in the basement, guarded by Duncan, myself, and our agents. We taught her to consider the agents as her superiors, and it seems to have worked to a degree. She’s becoming decreasingly obedient, like an old dog forgetting its training. I don’t know what we are going to do with her.



Gerda has been trying to console me. I’ve known Ron for a long time, and this hurts more than I can bear. She’s been a shoulder to cry on.



I worry about her, though. She seems happy all the time, and all of her other emotions have become cheery parodies of themselves. Every day is a good day for her. It’s not unnatural to be like this, but after a tragedy? Maybe this is how she deals with things.



Tomorrow is another day. Goodnight.

Chapter 17

Vimena's Journal

June 25, 4 AM, 1926



I just got back from Gerda’s room. I told her I felt guilty about Ron’s death, that it was my fault. She kept reassuring me it wasn’t. I got angry and started yelling at her. She sat on her bed patiently, smiling softly while I paced around her room crying. She was just pleased as punch to be there. This made me angrier. I asked her what she was so happy about, when a good man is dead, and the woman she’s most intimate with is bawling her eyes out.



I hit her. She took it, looked down at her feet, then right back at me. Same smile. Still happy to be with me. She said softly that every moment with me was a gift. Her voice was comforting, but rage was still boiling just beneath my skin. My fists trembled at my side. I said she shouldn’t be happy with someone who hits her, and that a normal person would be running away.



I started to threaten her. I told her I’d beat her to death, that I would snap every bone in her body, I said I would tear her head off. I was once again the evil witch that I desperately didn’t want to be. She beamed at me. She said “I would do anything for you. You can do anything to me.” She took my wrists in her hands, rubbing them with her thumbs. The anger started to dissipate. I opened my fists. She began to pull my arms toward her. I thought she was going to pull me into an embrace, but the reality was much different.



She took my hands and placed them around her neck. She simpered, and I felt a jolt of excitement. I should have been uncomfortable, but I wasn’t. It felt like this was something I wanted to do for a long time, and I was shocked that I finally could.



I gave her the smallest squeeze. She let out the cutest noise. I let go.



I pushed her onto her back and mounted her chest. I was going to ask if she was sure that she wanted this, but I already knew what she would tell me. “I am yours.”



I’m not a medical doctor, but I know a small bit of anatomy. I know where her veins are. I know where her arteries are. I know how much pressure it takes to kill. But there are many things I don’t know. So I did some experiments. Every time I let go Gerda would inhale harshly, and exhale giggling. I wanted to stop her laughs. I pressed harder for longer. This only made her giddier. She was getting pleasure out of this in some sick way. She’s sick. I’m sick. I’m so sick. I was grinning the whole time.



I stopped and scooted off her. We were both completely out of breath. I lifted her onto my lap and we kissed passionately. I pressed my hand against her breast. I told her to mirror me. She was perfect. We stayed that way for what felt like hours.



Tonight was a whirlwind of emotion. I’ve been tucking this side of me away for as long as I can remember. Only tonight have I let it shine, in all its atrocity, before a woman who accepted it with open arms. I’m both relieved and afraid. I’ve let it out once, there’s nowhere to go but down.



I returned to my room feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually drained. I was ready to fall into bed and dissolve. But one thing really bothered me, which is why I cannot sleep and am instead writing all this down. As I left she said, in the same cheery tone the sigil box gave her, “bye Doctor!”



I think the second skin may have never come off.



Goodnight.

Chapter 18

Experiment Log, June 25

June 25, 11:42 PM, 1926



This is Duncan writing. Annie was left alone for a moment in error, and when we returned she had put the 12” box back on her head. We attempted an interrogation, but all she would say were variations of the phrase “I must become ready.”



We are beginning a log entry to document her transformation.



It can’t have been more than five minutes and already the neck gap has closed and the box’s brown sap has begun inching down her neck. Unlike the previous experiments, where sap progression is only visible up close or by comparing past log entries, in this case I can see from a few feet away the rubber forcing itself onto her. I’m not even done this log entry and already her neck is completely covered.



12:00 AM



Her entire upper body has been covered. Comparing with her previous experiment we find that the box has done seven hours of work in under twenty minutes.



I have a two theories about the accelerated growth. First is that the box has a memory of Annie and so it knows how much sap to produce and where to put it. This is assuming that most of the work the box does is feeling out the dimensions of its subject.



My second theory is the box has “warmed up” after a long period of disuse and can now transform people at its proper speed. Since both these theories are mutually exclusive I am going to suggest testing this box with another subject to see which is right.



12:30 AM



Her entire body has been coated. The extra fingers on each hand have appeared and the seams are beginning to show. The box is slowing down now. Only three hours of work has been done in the last thirty minutes.



I just noticed her height change. It seems a foot of growth spread out over thirty minutes is too gradual for a person to perceive. Her new suit looks almost exactly like the old one at this point. She is only a tad thinner.



The suit doesn’t resemble the body builder that was described in previous entries. This must be because of Annie’s weight gain. The suit is definitely pear shaped, not triangular. But because she’s thinner than the last suit I’m expecting there to be another feeding period. I’m sending one of the agents up to get the kitchen ready.



12:50 AM



Her arms have split apart. The box will fall off any minute now.



There it is goes, clattering at her feet. Her head looks the same as it did last time: a birds mouth with beady black eyes under folds of rubber. I’ve asked her to tell me if she is ready to feed.



She’s not answering. She’s looking at me. I know what this means. I am going to get Vimena.

Chapter 19

Experiment Log, June 26

June 26, 1:40 AM, 1926



This is Vimena. I am the only one Annie will take orders from. I can’t even pass on my superiority to Duncan. I think these sigil boxes have no concept of “chain of command.” Maybe to them there is one leader. And I’m it.



I’ve asked Annie if she is ready to feed and she said yes. She looks about as plump as she was near the end of her last feed so I doubt she will eat as much. We are bringing down the first meal now, keeping to the same selection of food as we had in her last meals.



I think she has a quota of fat, carbohydrates and protein for her feed and will not finish eating until it is met, regardless of individual surplus. It can’t be a coincidence that the first meal she ate, which was there by accident, was exactly one thirteenth of the nutrition she needed.



She’s started to eat now, again using all four hands to shovel the food into her mouth. We have another meal ready right behind it in case she needs more.



2:30 AM



She needed more, five more. We’re running out of kitchen stock, so the meals consist only of dried meat, grains, butter and water. She wolfs it down without issue.



Her body is slowly approaching what I suppose is its optimal size. Once she is done I will order her to sleep. I wonder if I must order her to wake up, too.



Nevermind. Instead I will ask her if I can give her a sleeping schedule, rather than coming to her twice every day to wake her up and put her to bed . I’m also going to ask about how much she needs to eat every day. I’m hoping she doesn’t have to feed like she does now on a daily basis. We’d have to buy more food.



3:20 AM



I’m going to ask her about eating and sleeping. Duncan will transcribe.



Vimena: Tell me how much you must eat per day

Annie: I may consume 25 pounds.

Vimena: Oh god. Maybe she botched the downgrade because she was starving. Annie, Tell me what happens if you don’t eat 25 pounds of food per day.

Annie: I go on reserve. If reserve is low, I hunt.



Vimena asks me to make a note to request more food from the council.



Vimena: Tell me how long you must sleep.

Annie: I am optimally awake for 16 hours per every 24 hours.

Vimena: So, 8 hours every day. Tell me how well you know the time.

Annie: I know the hour and the minute and the second.

Vimena: Tell me if you can fall asleep every day at 10 PM.

Annie: I can.

Vimena: Tell me if you can wake up every day at 8 AM.

Annie: I can.

Vimena: Ok. Go to sleep every day at 10 PM. Wake up every day at 8 AM

Annie: I must know where.

Vimena: I think she’ll break the cot. She’s a soldier, she can sleep on the floor for one night. Annie, when you go to sleep, sleep on the floor here.

Annie: I will do this.

Vimena: I’m going to get her to sleep now, to see if she will wake up when I told her to. Annie, go to sleep.



Vimena writing. She’s lying on her side. She looks like a small mountain. We will wait until 8. Hopefully this works.



8:00 AM



Right on time. Annie has gotten up to stand in the exact same position she was while awake. We are going to bring her mattress down from her room and put it in a corner where she will sleep. We’ll also get her a chair to sit on.



We’ve planned out a schedule for her. Every day she will wake up at eight, sit in her chair, eat at noon, and go to sleep on her mattress at ten. Repeat repeat repeat. This will make it easy for all of us. Annie is a blank slate now, so we have to build her up from scratch.



I’m wondering what capacity to learn she has. From speaking to her I feel I can give her tasks, what is the most complex task she can do?



Testing on that front will be saved for another day. I am going to teach Annie her schedule and call it a day. If we keep her well fed and well rested I believe she will cease to be a threat. As long as nobody gets near her but me.



I am going to return to my room to nap for a few hours. I will be awake before noon, ready to record Annie’s first scheduled lunchtime. I am hoping I was unambiguous with my orders, and her life will flow smoothly from this point on.



11:20 AM



I’m back. The kitchen has started preparing Annie’s meal. The staff have been kept out of the loop on what we’re using the basement for. I’m curious as to the theories they have. Maybe they think we’re holding eating contests.



Annie is still sitting in the chair, same as I left her. I’m going to set up a table in front of her for her food.



11:40 AM



The food is being brought down now. We’ve put it in front of her. While I was teaching Annie her schedule I said she would eat at 12 if there was food in front of her, and otherwise not eat. So we’ll have to another 20 minutes.



12:00 PM



Like clockwork Annie has begun to eat. And eat. And eat. Nearly a quarter of her food gone in under a minute. She’s an eating machine. She doesn’t take a break.



1:00 PM



Annie finished her meal in 10 minutes, leaving a small bit leftover. I remember telling her she would be eating exactly 25 pounds of food, and I guess this leftover is the 0.1 too many. I spent the remaining hour sitting across from her asking questions about her abilities, eating her leftovers.



I believe I have a good idea on what Annie can and can’t do. She can’t do anything too creative, but she is great at following steps or rules. I’ve found rules of the form “if this then that” are especially useful, and so far she’s been able to follow them without fail.



I don’t have any doubt that she will stick to her schedule. It’s incomplete at the moment, for example we still need to decide when she will bathe. But for today and maybe tomorrow I think she is taken care of.



I’ve been avoiding putting this into words, but I’m going to say it now. I have decided that Annie will stay in her suit indefinitely. It would be unfair to Annie and unsafe to us to downgrade her again so soon. She may be bigger and stronger in this state, but she listens. I’d rather this than the wildcard she was.



I’m not going to set a date for her downgrade, either. The process seemed painful, botched or not. I’m scared if we did it again it would kill her. Unless we find a safer way I’m not allowing it. Even if she did get out safely I don’t think there is much we can do about her mind.



1:40 PM



I’m going to call it a day very soon. I’ve decided that Annie can be left alone from now on. I’ve taken some time to teach her never to harm anybody. I think this is her default behaviour but it doesn’t hurt to be sure.



Tomorrow I plan to spend some more time gauging the extent that Annie can be trained. Duncan, Julia and I are going to have dinner together tonight and discuss the next steps in our testing. I think it is time to get back on the horse.

Chapter 20

Vimena's Journal

June 26, 10 PM, 1926



Annie has become an obedient soldier yet again. She did a very good job of following the command I whispered to her yesterday morning. In my mind I can hear my thesis advisor (or is it one of my professors?) screaming at me about how unethical this is. But he is not here to stop me. I did this for our safety and Annie’s well being. This is a shade of grey and I will leave it at that.



I am going to go to Gerda’s room tonight and try to diagnose how much the sigil box has altered her mind, as I’m sure it has done. The way she said “bye Doctor!” two nights ago, there is no doubt in my mind. I’m going to recreate the horrible thing I did to her while she was still mid-transformation. If she lifts her skirt, puts her arms around me, and “helps” me in the same way she did several days ago, then I will know that her mind is property of the sigil box. Or, rightly, her mind is a property of mine. The box is just a means to an end.



I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t know. I don’t know if I feel sick about Gerda’s condition. I can say I’ve only really known her as a slave. I’ve fallen in love with a woman who is compelled to follow my orders, arguably I’m in love because she is compelled to follow my orders. What does that say about me?



It says to me “evil witch.” I’ve been called that four times by different people throughout my life. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I am evil. It’s about time I accept that. I can’t be helped.



But I still feel sick. I realized I’ve had a lot of close calls over the last week, and if I don’t do something there will be more in store. If my colleagues find out about Gerda they will interrogate her, and there’s a high chance my secrets will get out. This council job has been too comfy. I’ve gotten lazy and sloppy, Diary. If it weren’t for Annie you would be in Ron’s hands right now, and I would be god knows where. I need to to a better job of covering my tracks.



From now on I’m keeping you in my desk’s locked drawer. I will keep the key on a string around my waist. I’m also going to tell Gerda to keep our secrets safe. I have a feeling that, like Annie, I am her only superior. Once I train her to keep quiet I will be safe.



I will be back to tell you how it goes.



June 27, 2 AM, 1926



She is mine, in mind, body, and spirit. We replayed the events to military precision. I got to see what her expression was under the box when she flashed me those days ago. She was grinning coyly, a hint of embarrassment on her gorgeous face. Her dainty fingers held her skirt up at just the right height. She reminded me of a photo I stole from my brother’s room when I was sixteen. I found it in his drawer, what one would call a cheesecake photo these days. It stirred something inside me.



I sat on Gerda’s lap and moved her hands into position. She didn’t protest, didn’t pull them away. Her arms followed my lure with no resistance. I told her to begin, and like clockwork she began to squeeze the pleasure out of me. This time I didn’t have to watch the clock. I could enjoy it for as long as I wanted, serviced by my untiring slave.



There is no question anymore about Gerda’s allegiance to me. I’ve told her to keep quiet, so she will keep quiet. My secrets are safe for another day, until I make more. I no longer feel sick. I can finally rest easy.



Goodnight, Diary.

Chapter 21

Experiment Log, June 27

June 27, 8:20 AM, 1926



I arrived in the basement this morning slightly before 8 AM to watch Annie wake. She began to stir about a minute before my watch’s time, an error I attribute to the watch. At this point I trust Annie’s supernatural ability of knowing the exact time more than a collection of gears and springs.



Last night Julia, Duncan and I discussed building a small enclosure for Annie in the corner of the basement. This is so we can invite other test subjects down without her appearance frightening them.



Duncan has been advocating for the conclusion of testing. This is the most well advised course of action, but it is against the interests of the council. If we stop testing we will be replaced by a new team at the snap of their fingers. I intend to keep on this project, so we must continue.



We’ve decided to invite Gerda back into the 8” box either tomorrow or the next day. I’ve spoken with her a few times over the last few weeks and my general impression was that she would take the opportunity, even if it means staying under the rubber for several weeks, if not months.



Our intentions are to keep her inside for a period of this length. Once a subject has been freed from their transformation the intuition and memories they possessed vanish, so any post-removal interview is destined to be unproductive. Additionally, the rubber that had encased them becomes inert, and thus we can no longer test their physical properties. Finally, the removal process is either difficult or dangerous, so removal must be kept to a minimum.



All of this justifies the introduction of a new testing protocol: if a subject is to be transformed, they will remain that way until end of term. Each subject that is transformed will be given an enclosure in the lab. We have space to comfortably house perhaps seven or eight subjects, as long as their size is no larger than Annie.



Today will be spent building the enclosure. Duncan and the agents will be bringing some wood down shortly. The wood will be nailed together to create a 4x4x4 meter box frame. For walls we will wrap a tarpaulin around its sides, a flap cut in one side as the door. The enclosure will be built around Annie, so the flap does not need to accommodate her size.



After construction is complete I will join Annie inside to continue my tests of her abilities.



11:45 AM



The boys did a very good job on Annie’s room, just in time for her lunch. I am inside the room now, sitting across from Annie. The room is just large enough to fit her bed, chair and feeding table. We’ve also brought in a small gas lap (we’re out of electric.) It’s quite cozy in here.



While we wait for the kitchen I’m going to begin training Annie for a few simple tasks, the first being transcription. This will show me if she still literate to some degree. I am going to give her the pen and order her to write down our conversation in the log book.



You’ve taken it with your left hand. I didn’t know you were left handed. Well, that’s your front left hand, I suppose. You write very fast. Hm. I see you haven’t put my name in front of my dialogue. Whenever someone begins talking, put their name in front of whatever they say, separating them with a colon. Also use italics.



Dr. Eleanor Adelheid Vimena: Ok. Test. Test. There we go. Wait. How did you know my full name? Just use “Vimena” as my name.



Vimena: Once again. Test. Test. There we go. Perfect. It seems your writing is not only intact, but also superhuman. Oh, it’s time for your meal. Stop writing.



She set the pen in the spine of the book and withdrew her hands. The large platter of food is now on her table. It is very nearly 12:00, about 3 minutes out.



She has begun to eat.



12:25 PM



Once again Annie ate in only 10 minutes, leaving a small amount which (once again) I am eating.



I’m now going to teach her a different mode of transcription: dictation. This is so I can say “Annie, begin transcribing” or “Annie, begin dictation” and she will switch between either. I’ll also teach her not to write these phrases if she is already transcribing.



Vimena: Go. Alright, she has started transcribing, following the rules I gave her earlier. She’s writing slightly slower this time, perhaps to make sure she doesn’t write down



When I told her to skip it. Hey, that’s not what I meant. Here, stop writing.



I said “begin dication” in that broken sentence, not as a command but just as a reference, but she took it literally and switched modes. Not sure how to explain the distinction to her, so I will leave this as is. Also not sure if I actually want to use her as a stenographer.



I’m going to call Duncan in here to see how she handles multiple people talking.



Vimena: Ok, she should begin writing now. There she goes. Look how fast she is.

Duncan: That’s astonishing. How now brown cow. She sells sea shells by the sea shore. Peter Piper picked a peck of peter picked. Oh, I failed. Looks like she didn’t.

Vimena: Yes seems so. Alright. I want to see how she handles multiple people talking at the same time. So when I snap my fingers start introducing youself, even though I’m doing the same.

Duncan: Alright.

Vimena: Hello my Duncan: My name is Dr. Vimena name is Duncan. I am Moyles. a member of the I am a twenty-eight Royal Union of year old Anthropologists anthropologist. I am currently born, raised and participating in a council schooled in the wonderful backed ok city of New York Duncan, stop.

Vimena: Take a look at that. That was catastrophically bad.

Duncan: I see it. It looks like she tried to write us both at the same time. She got all the words and the order, but not who spoke what.

Vimena: Yes. I told her only to write a person’s name when they begin talking. That explains why your name with a colon is inserted just after the start of my introduction. Looks like we still have some work. Do you mind staying in here? Annie wouldn’t hurt a fly at this point.

Duncan: Um. Sure. I’ll get a chair.

Vimena: Annie, stop writing.



2:00 PM



Duncan and I have been progressively improving Annie’s ability to transcribe our conversations. We’ve uncovered countless cases for her to consider while writing, for example when two people are speaking, split their sentences into two lines, predicating each with the word “simultaneously.” If they’re saying the same thing keep it on one line. We’ve changed the “mode switching” keyword to “end annie dictation/transcription mode start” to make it less likely to appear in conversation. We’ve taught her when to write 22 and when to write twenty-two. We go on like this.



We only realized how much time had passed when Julia showed up for her shift. She said she saw Gerda eating in the kitchen and mentioned her getting in the box again. She says Gerda “jumped at the opportunity.” Tomorrow we’ll put her in, bright and early.



We will cease Annie’s training for now. It has been fun, but decreasingly informative. At this point Duncan and I have a clear idea of her abilities. There is no point in further training since we’re probably not going to use whatever we teach her.



For this reason, and in the interests of keeping our team’s morale up, I’m going to conclude testing for today. Tomorrow’s roster is transforming Gerda (expected to take little time, as it did for Annie), testing her second skin and conducting interviews with her.

Chapter 22

Vimena's Journal

June 27, 11 PM, 1926



I’m feeling very inconsistent, Diary. Today I approved Gerda’s second transformation. I know this means I can’t see her privately anymore. I know that she’ll be unavailable for the rest of the term. I want badly for her to stay a free woman. Free to me. There are still things I want to do to her. Even now the desire to enter her room and squeeze the life from her is simmering in my heart. I want to push her to my breaking point. I want to bruise her.



I want so many thing so badly that I cannot have. Gerda will become a rubber maid yet again. Why did I approve this? I have a reason, but I’m having hard time putting it into words. The best I can do is: “it felt like the next logical step,” but it’s not entirely what I’m feeling right now. I know with my mind that I want her to stay with me, but in my heart…



Or is this just another one of my sexual drives? I know that Annie’s weight gain gave me a kind of pleasure. I cannot deny this. I found myself fantasizing about Gerda getting just as big today, but I’ve had the same fantasy about myself, and even Julia.



Maybe I enjoy the transformation itself. Or maybe it's the way the rubber looks on her. I remember, after the shock wore down, thinking about how cute Gerda’s rubber face looked. And I remember admiring her maid costume, and thinking about how heavy it must have been.



But all these scattered desires, they’re not what I’m feeling right now. This is something else. I feel obligated to put her back in the rubber. Like it’s a duty, or a debt to her. Being unable to voice my logic is very uncomfortable for me. I’m trying to reach a thought that is in the deepest hole of my subconscious and my arms are not long enough. And it’s frustrating. I think I will start meditating again. The rubbish in my brain is piling up and I need to clean up.



Goodnight Diary.

Chapter 23

Experiment Log, June 28

June 28, 8:00 AM, 1926



Today we transform Gerda for the second time. If I were to describe the scene I would be repeating myself. She is sitting in the same spot and will be put in the box at the same time. The only difference is Gerda is extremely calm this time. Additionally, she will begin this test nude as we don’t want to waste any more clothes.



The cot where Gerda will sleep is flush with the wall of Annie’s enclosure. Around it we will build another room in the same way we did for Annie, this time slightly smaller to conserve space. There she will stay until the end of the testing period. The build will be done in a few days as we are out of building supplies.



We’ll be putting the box on now, looking away so it can fuse shut.



There it is. The transformation has begun.



8:30 AM



I am stunned by the speed the rubber. Duncan says it is going as fast as the 12” did for Annie, but this is my first time seeing such accelerated progress. She’s standing already.



Her entire torso is coated, waves of latex dripping and rolling over themselves to cocoon her body. The strange thing, it is all peach. There is no colour pattern like we saw in the first experiment, nor are there protrusions. It doesn’t look like it’s making the maid outfit this time, just the second skin.



Not sure how relevant this is, but I noticed some liquid dripping down her thigh, and traced its source to her vulva. She must be aroused. Very aroused to be producing this much fluid. I’m hesitant to speculate why. It might have something to do with the brainwashing the box does.



9:00 AM



She’s almost completely covered. All thats left are the ends of her feet. It occurs to me that the rubber is capable of pushing itself under her feet, but forces her to stand up before it can cover her bottom. Duncan suggests that when she is over half covered the rubber has more energy, or more torque if you will, and is capable of stronger actions. Alternatively, Gerda could be shifting the weight on her feet to allow the rubber to work its way under.



I didn’t take note last time, but I think its worthy of mentioning now exactly how the second skin looks. It matches her body’s shape exactly, but the colour is uniformly peach, the exception being her areolas and vulva, which are both a ruddier tone. It appears that the second skin not only extends into her mouth, but her vagina, too, as well as her anus. We are not going to check how deep they go.



Her pubic hair is also absent. I remember her having some at the start of the test. But, despite being skin tight, the rubber is flat in this area, as if it was hair