Round 1's Transformations

They milled about in largely silent anxiety as they awaited the results. Leah had given the audience two hours to cast its votes. None of them could go very far, lest they miss the call back to go over them, but neither did they seem to have any interest in agonizing over the numbers.

Jake watched, and brooded. He couldn’t bring himself to think of himself as a master over these women, nor of them as a harem of his. But he was starting to feel a nagging sense of responsibility for them; a paternalistic and misguided instinct, no doubt, but one he couldn’t shake in spite of that.

Nobody seemed terribly interested in talking. What conversation there was had a strained, muted quality. Despite making a point of visiting as many people as he could, nobody was much interested in talking.

By the time Leah blew the whistle to summon them back around to the pit, it felt like a blessing.

Jake took a seat above all of them, uncomfortable as ever at the supremacy that position implied.

“Alright. The votes are in,” Leah said, “And two trends stand out to me. First, this was a round of blowouts. Only two votes were particularly close. Everything else won in a relative walk. This round was also dominated by mental changes and role shifts. I suspect this will be the trend going forward, as we’ve all sort of settled into our looks.”

She spread her hands.

“My changes are the exception to the latter, but proof of the former,” She said. “By a comfortable margin, you have selected Triggered and Spin-occio for me.”

AJ sniggered.

“I was kinda hoping for one of those,” She said. “Turning you into a walking lie detector is pretty handy shit.”

Leah gave her a slight smile. Jake had to admire the composure she was meeting her transformations with; especially considering she was never supposed to meet any to begin with.

“No doubt you’re excited to explore some of those trigger words as well,” She said. “Truthfully, I doubt you get much good out of either. I’ve been very honest with you so far.”

No obvious changes presented themselves, so Jake supposed she must have been telling the truth about that.

Farra’s two bodies both sat up a bit straighter.

“Did you sabotage my son?” The one on the right asked pointedly.

Leah didn’t flinch.

“No,” She said. “Nor do I know who did. While we film everything here, I don’t have access to the footage. Only the show’s producers do, and if they’ve identified the culprit, they’ve not shared it with me.”

Jake watched her carefully, but she remained unchanged. He frowned.

“Speaking of you, Ryan, you were one of the only two votes that truly came down to the wire,” Leah said, turning to her. “Only 1.2% separated One of the Guys from Retcon.”

Ryan looked up at the host.

“So what won?”

Leah favored him with a cool glare.

“It doesn’t matter,” She said. “Because I’m using my first veto on you.”

His best friend looked puzzled.

“Okay…are you giving me one of the two then?”

“No,” Leah said, “I’m giving you nothing. You will receive no changes this round.”

“Wait, hold the phone,” Lindsey cut in, “What do you mean nothing? Don’t you have to punish her or whatever?”

“I am punishing her,” Leah said, a chill in her voice. “I have the right as a hostess to overturn any two results I see fit. And I think these options represent outcomes far easier than you deserve.”

Ryan looked aghast.

“Than I deserve?” She asked heatedly. “How the fuck do I deserve any of this?”

“Save me your bloody pity party,” Leah said. “You could have come to me when your gun failed, and you didn’t. You could have accepted Lindsey’s help, and you didn’t. Even when you tried to use your tool, you only wanted to will your way into your new identity.”

She shook her head.

“This is the harshest punishment I can think of for you, because we’re giving you nothing,” She said. “We’re not crafting an identity for you. You have to do that hard work yourself. And it’s high time you did.”

Jake watched, stunned.

“Leah, come on,” He protested. “How can you leave them hanging like that?”

“She lost. And she lost as much because of sabotage as her own lack of effort,” Leah said plainly. “Leaving her hanging is precisely the point.”

“Fuck you…” Ryan said bitterly. She withdrew into herself.

Lindsey, though, was smiling.

“Hey, Ryan,” She whispered. “Come see me after this. I got you!”

She gave her a wink, but Ryan only nodded and dropped her head. Jake looked to the Farras to read her expressions, but found her face a mask as she studied her former son.

“Moving on to you, Hannah,” Leah said. “Our audience chose Servicer for you. Please note that unlike your roommate, this change does not actually make you submissive. Rather, you’ll find yourself feeling intense pleasure when you serve your master or superior performing contestants’ desires.”

Hannah nodded, distractedly. Jake had known her for a long time, and could tell she was barely holding it together.

Serves you right, He thought bitterly.

The hostess paused to allow her to react, but Hannah only cast her gaze down to her knees. Leah raised an eyebrow, but continued.

“Next up, we have Lindsey. And you were the second contestant with close results. In fact, all three took roughly equal shares of the vote.”

Lindsey cocked her head.

“If two options tie, do you determine the tie breaker, or is it like a double whammy situation?”

Leah considered that.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” She said. “What you need concern yourself with is Independent Contractor. In addition to taking challenges on your app, your fellow contestants can bid for the right to propose some as well. They’ll also gain the ability to make requests of you. With the caveat that nothing be ordered that could compromise your ability to compete.”

Lindsey shrugged.

“They gotta pay points and stuff, right?” She asked. “Points is points.”

“Indeed,” Leah agreed. “And I question whether this group has the requisite ruthlessness to take full advantage of something like this. Though I suspect they might find some as the competition winds down.”

She moved on.

“In our second most unanimous result, Cheat Book took nearly 60% of the vote.”

Exe sighed.

“Can you…elaborate a bit on how this works?”

“It’s rather similar to one of my own punishments,” Leah said. “We’ve generated a number of ‘cheat codes’ for you. 50 in all. Think of them as little rituals someone can perform by interacting with you or items associated with you in certain ways. Think…entering the Konami code on your tits, for instance.”

Lindsey snorted a laugh, but Exe only looked cross.

“Once performed, each will have a unique effect on you.” Leah continued, “They run the gamut from altering your stats to compelling behavior to providing you with benefits.”

Exe crossed her arms.

“So anyone who finds this ‘book’ can do whatever they want to me?” She asked.

Leah grinned.

“This is the fun part; only Jake’s copy of the book actually explains what all of the cheats do. The other copies are all partial lists we've hidden around the island. They'll all show the cause and effects of a few minor cheats, but the results of any significant cheats will be hidden until they're used."

She waved her hand.

“There’s a few other minor balancing rules. How often the cheats can be activated and whatnot. But that’s the gist. You’ll get a full copy of the rules.”

“It’s really pretty clever,” Megan noted. “The ambiguity of what the cheats do makes using them a risk/reward balance. There’s guardrails against ****. And it sort of fits with your ‘theme’. Really interesting stuff.”

“Easy for you to say,” Exe grumbled.

“No, it’s okay! This is a transformation we can dissect. Test it out scientifically, in a safe space,” Megan said. “I’ll be happy to help!”

Exe gave her an odd look.

“Really?”

Megan nodded excitedly, her dimples showing. Jake couldn’t help but smile. It was just like her to get giddy over the prospect of deconstructing some problem, and when she was giddy, it was infectious.

“Moving onto Farra,” Leah interrupted. “With nearly 50% of the vote, our audience chose Individualism for your punishment.”

Farra’s bodies, which were already sitting nearby, moved closer together, their shapely thighs touching. She seemed to shift uncomfortably, and with a flush of excitement of his own, Jake wondered if she was sizing herself.

“Are you familiar with the term ‘selfcest’, love?” Leah asked with a grin.

Farra didn’t so much as spare her a glance, her two bodies ogling one another.

“Sounds a good deal like masturbation,” She said.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Leah replied. “Or keeps you up, as I suspect will actually be the case.”

She turned to Julie.

“Your turn,” She said.

Julie gave her a weary look.

“Let me guess,” She said. “Part Timer?”

“Part Timer,” Leah agreed. “You’ll find a schedule in your room, but you’ll be in a new role each day. I suspect business will be rather slow, what with only so many of you here. But your schedule will be posted on the game’s social media page should the other contestants opt to pay you a visit.”

Leah smirked.

“You’ll temporarily have the skills you need for any job. Of course you won’t just be working; you’ll get a sexy uniform for each position and perform it showily as well.”

Julie nodded, absorbing it. To Jake’s eye, she seemed as though all this were some distance, hypothetical concern. He wished he knew what to say to her. Leah seemed unsatisfied with her lack of reaction, and quickly moved on.

“We have only one more punishment, and the most popular. With 58.8% of the vote, AJ, the audience as selected Homemaker for you,” She said. “Cooking, cleaning, decorating…you are now an expert in all the traditionally domestic skills of trophy wife. Including pleasing your lovers.”

Jake frowned. It was antithetical to her nature. But as he turned a sympathetic gaze to her, he found her grinning.

“What makes you think I can't please my lovers already?” AJ asked, “Gotta tell you, Leah, this ain’t much of a loss for me. Jake’ll tell you that I kinda needed some of these skills anyway.”

He snorted.

“That’s the truth. You always were a bit of a slob. This actually might be an upgrade for you.”

Leah crossed her arms.

“It’s not just new knowledge,” She said. “You’ll get sexual pleasure from performing these tasks as well.”

“You telling me I’m gonna get to enjoy doing the dishes?” AJ asked.

The hostess’ face twisted in annoyance.

“Could you at least pretend to be a little bloody perturbed by all this?”

AJ winked at her, and blew a kiss. Jake caught something in Leah’s eyes for a moment, before she rolled them in exasperation, and moved on.

“Alright, we’re onto the rewards,” She said with a shake of her head.

She turned to Loretta.

“For your boon, you’ll receive Pep Rally,” She said. “No compulsion to do so, but should you decide to assist your fellow contestants, you will receive bonus points for it.”

Loretta smiled.

“Seems to dovetail pretty nicely with the whole cheerleader bit y’all stuck with me with.” She said with a giggle.

That it did. Jake reflected that Loretta had a rather charmed run on the show so far. Not only were the changes she’d undergone extremely mild, but she’d set herself up well for the future and ranked high in points. In spite of all his promises, Jake couldn't help a twinge of anticipation at the thought of finally getting to know the woman he'd once admired from a distance.

“Does that make it my turn?” Rachel asked.

“Indeed,” Leah agreed. “And of all the options presented to voters, yours was the most popular by far. Personal Trainer won with a resounding 64.3% of the vote.”

Rachel nodded.

“Well it’s at least work I know how to do,” She said. “Not sure how getting my old job back is a reward, though.”

“Oh, there’s a bit of a secret perk to it,” Leah said, then frowned. “Though, come to think of it, I no longer know what it is. I suppose you’ll find out when you visit your new dominion.”

Rachel absorbed that with a nod. She looked eager to do exactly that, but she kept seated through the end of the ceremony.

“And now we come to you, Emily,” Leah said.

All the eyes that had been trying to avoid Emily now turned toward her. Jake’s own breath quickened. With her flowing hair, expanded breasts, and perfected figure bared for all the world to see, his girlfriend was a living, breathing fantasy.

For her part, Emily only seemed embarrassed to suddenly find herself the center of attention. Embarrassed…and very aroused. She sat with legs pulled tightly together, hair draped over her breasts as she gently rubbed her own thighs, though whether she did so out of nerves or barely contained lust, he couldn't’ tell.

“Hit me.” She said, fiddling with a pink strand of hair that pooled in her lap.

“The winner of your vote was Romanticism, essentially a version of the curse placed on you that caused you to fantasize about your fellow contestants,” Leah explained, then smirked. “Maybe that urge to bully you is affecting our audience as well.”

Emily frowned.

“Doesn’t seem like much of a reward.”

“As it happens, I agree,” Leah said. “That’s why I’m exercising my second veto on you.”

Emily shifted nervously as Leah allowed her to fret for a moment.

“I do think it’s a lovely change to you, so we will keep it,” Leah said. “But I’m going to throw in the effects of another of your potential rewards as well. My way of making up for the fact that your winning option was as much punishment as reward.”

Emily bit her lip.

“Uhm, thanks,” She said. “But which one did you give me?”

Leah gave a slight smirk.

“I won’t tell you,” She said. “Though that’s for your own sake. If everyone knows they’ll be more forthcoming in your presence, they might avoid you. If they know pleasing you will get them points, they’ll be inclined to suck up. This way, we’ll keep them guessing.”

She frowned.

“Bloody hell…I no longer remember what I just chose either.”

Lindsey cocked her head.

“AJ’s handiwork?”

Leah sighed and shook her head.

“I suppose it must be,” She said. “Damn you, anyway.”

“I guess that just leaves me, huh?” Megan said, seeming to shrink in on herself slightly.

One would have thought that winning the grand prize of the contest had cheered his younger sister. Megan looked like someone was going to hit her.

It didn’t take him long to find out why.

“Our final reward of the night is Accelerated Program,” Leah revealed. “You really are quite sweet, but you’re entirely too innocent for this game. So you’ll be receiving a permanent libido boost, as well as an enchantment that will put you in suggestive situations to speed things along.”

Megan was turning an alarming shade of crimson. She balled her skirt in her fists.

“I can't think of anything I want less,” She said.

Leah gave her a sympathetic look.

“I know it doesn’t feel like a reward from your vantage, but a more intimate relationship with your fellow contestants would do a great deal to earn you some points,” She said. Then her grin turned sly. “Besides, love…you have no idea what you’re missing.”

Jake pondered that. He’d never dream of asking his sister about her sex life, but if he were to hazard a guess, ‘404 File Not Found’ would amount to the essence of it. It might do her some good to have a new experience or two.

The hostess clapped her hands then.

“Well…that’s that,” She said. “You’re all free now to go do…anything you want, really. You have 12 days until the next contest.”

“12 days?” Emily asked, wide eyed. “That’s like an eternity.”

“The reasoning is twofold,” Leah said. “First, the producers want us to get good and comfortable with one another. But more importantly, we’ll each get one night with the master before our next round begins.”

“That’s still a really long time,” AJ said. “Gonna get pretty damn boring around here if we have two weeks between every contest.”

Leah smiled a little.

“Well…we might be cheating somewhat,” She said. “Time runs a little funny here. You might find the days don’t feel quite as long as they should.”

“I suppose that stands to reason,” Farra said. “There’s already so much else you can do, and you clearly engineered the island.”

“We felt a certain degree of if when we used the guns, as well,” Megan agreed. “Our captors here clearly have some degree of temporal manipulation under their command.”

Exe gave her a look.

“Okay, now you’re just showing off,” She said. “You’re not in physics or whatever.”

Megan blushed.

“Are we done here?” Julie asked.

Leah nodded.

“You are. Feel free to go your own ways.”

And with that, the girls began to go their separate ways.

Hannah and Julie were especially quick to retreat, and Farra went in two different directions, one body following her transformed son, the other her roommate.

Jake moved to find Emily.

“Hey. How are you doing?” He asked her.

Emily shook her head and turned her back to him.

“Give me some space, babe,” She said firmly. “You’re going to get me all to yourself tonight, and I’m kind of pissed at you right now.”

He felt abashed. He deserved that, and he knew it; watching the girls go through this latest round of changes was a powerful reminder of what they’d already been through.

“I’m…really sorry,” He said. “I was a total jerk earlier. I know you’re going through a lot, and I don’t have any right to judge you for…y’know, having new urges and all.”

She turned back to him, fists on her hips.

“You think that’s why I’m upset with you?” She asked.

Jake was at a loss. If not that, what had he done?

Emily reached out and laid a gentle hand on his cheek.

“Look, I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight,” She said a bit more softly. “But you’re just gonna have to give me a minute. We’ll talk about it later, okay?”

Her forehead was creased; the classic ‘I Want’ line that formed between her brow, and signaled that she would brook no argument. Sighing, he nodded.

“Okay,” He said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “But I really am excited to see you.”

Angry she might be, but a slight smile twisted her lip.

“Oh, you have no idea how excited you will be,” She said, her tone and posture both softening. “But it will have to wait.”

She made a shooing gesture that was more playful than angry.

“Begone. Go comfort someone or something,” She said.

“Alright,” He said, “I’ll see you later.”

She blew him a kiss, and he turned back toward his room. He didn’t get far before a familiar presence fell in beside him. He turned to find AJ strolling next to him.

“Hey AJ. What’s up?” He asked.

“Come with me,” She said. “We gotta talk.”

“Okay,” He said, warily. “I got some time. What’s up?”

AJ looked around, peering over her sunglasses. Several of the others were still milling about.

“Not here,” She said quietly. “Back by the hotel’s entrance, there’s a little hiking trail. Head up there till you find the first rest area. I’ll meet you there in a few.”

Jake straightened. Whatever this was, it was serious.

“Alright. I’ll head straight there,” He said.

She nodded, then headed off briskly in another direction. Jake wanted nothing so much as to cloister himself back in his room. Instead, with a tired sigh, he headed off toward the hiking trail.