Chapter 26: Taking

13 November 2025

Rebecca stepped out of the lab complex and into the crisp autumn air. As she walked toward the corner coffee shop, she allowed herself to enjoy the different way she experienced the world now. She was attuned to the vibrations around her, as if she had been transformed into a living, breathing tuning fork, and suddenly she had been struck against a solid object.

Don’t get too in your head, she told herself. This isn’t a social call. You’re on a mission.

She spotted Emily through the window: a flash in red and distressed denim, her leg bouncing with restless, chaotic energy. Her hand took hold of the handle, and she pulled the door open and headed inside, ready to meet her quarry.

"Emily?" Rebecca asked, her voice a perfect, soothing melody. "I’m Rebecca. I’m so glad you could make it. We have so much to discuss regarding the surprise for your sister."

Emily’s expression faltered. “I’m sorry, but my sister never mentioned you. The only Rebecca I’ve heard her talk about at work is this lawyer bitch who is always telling her no… oh fuck, and I’m just a royal prat now, aren’t I?”

The old Rebecca would have taken offence at the comment, if not had a go at Emily for her rudeness. The new Rebecca, though, was able to look directly past the young woman’s casual repetition of the insult. It was far more important to stay on task for Master.

“No more of a prat than the lawyer who didn’t appreciate your sister for the talent she is,” Rebecca said with a sweet tone, followed by a wink, as she sat down at the table with Emily. “That version of me is long in the past though. And in no small part because of your sister.”

Emily’s expression softened into a smile. She felt a strange, magnetic pull toward the woman across from her. “Thank you, Rebecca. Maybe Jenny misjudged you. It wouldn’t be the first time. Hugs?”

Rebecca arched her eyebrow, and then smiled even more broadly. She was perceptive enough to spot the signs: she had hooked this girl. Before she even knew it, the noise pervading Emily’s existence would be subsiding.

She leaned in from her chair, and Emily followed. While Emily was reaching for her, Rebecca feigned a posh social awkwardness and ended up kissing Emily square on her lips, before manoeuvring to give a continental kiss to each cheek. To any onlooker in the centre of the shop, it looked like a slightly awkward greeting between friends. For Emily, though, it was the moment her life changed.

Rebecca watched as Emily’s cheeks flushed and her pupils briefly dilated.

“Are you okay, Emily?” Rebecca asked.

“Oh… yes, sure, of course. Just suddenly got a little warm, you know? And there's this... weird taste all of a sudden. Like I've been sucking on a copper coin.”

“I know just what you mean. Maybe you got a bad batch of Sumatran beans for your dark roast,” Rebecca said smoothly. “So tell me, Emily, what was your emergency? You said something about being broke when you called.”

Emily looked embarrassed. “Umm… yeah. About that… you’re not going to say anything to my sis about that, are you? I’d really rather she didn’t know that I was trying to bum money off her when I talked to her work colleague.”

“Your secret’s safe with me, dear. What sort of help do you need?”

“No way? You’d do that for me? I’m a total stranger to you, just a complete git.”

“I never had a little sister, Em. I feel like now that we’ve properly met and all, I should be able to help you.” Rebecca chuckled, drawing Emily further into the intimacy.

“Well, if you put it like that… I sort of spent too much money on concert tickets and a new outfit. I mean, it was for the Oasis reunion, and I fuckin’ had to get in. I’ve been a bit short ever since.”

“Of course you did, Em. If I were your age, and looked like you do, I’d have wanted to be there too.” Another blush from Emily - Rebecca had identified another trigger for her, now being amplified by the virus.

“Thank you, Rebecca. You’re so kind. I don’t know why Jenny said such mean things about you behind your back.”

“I’m sure at least some of them were deserved. After all, I did tell her no far more often than she liked.”

“Yeah, she does that to me too,” Emily joked. “So, what is this surprise you’re planning?” Emily’s natural curiosity - the impulsive streak Jenny had often complained about - overrode any past instinct for discretion. She loved secrets, especially the ones that felt like leverage.

“Let’s just say that, when the time is right, I want to have a little get-together for Jenny, plus some special colleagues, to celebrate Jenny’s success with her research project.”

“That sounds hot. I always thought that Jenny’s work was so boring. I never thought people would want to celebrate it.”

“Oh, just wait, Em. Perhaps soon, you’ll be wanting to celebrate with us too.”

Rebecca reached out and tucked a stray red curl behind Emily’s ear. The girl didn't pull away; she leaned into the touch, her skin buzzing. Emily was slowly losing herself to a surprising high, even though she hadn’t used anything in a week.

"When it’s time, Jenny is going to be so happy to see you," Rebecca whispered.

The words were a promise and a sentence. Emily tried to speak, to ask what she meant, but she found her voice had vanished into the coppery heat of her mouth. Her mind felt like a radio station losing its signal, as the frantic noise of her personality was being softly subdued.

Rebecca smiled softly as she noted Emily’s fluttering eyes had taken on a faint purplish glow, like an amethyst.

***

The council block was a far cry from the clinical sanctuary of the lab. As Sarah climbed the stairs to the third floor - the lift, as usual, smelled of damp and stale cigarettes - she carried the calm of her new existence with her. Her movements were no longer the wild and sometimes clumsy gestures of the artist she had once been. Now, they were much more efficient and precise. Every footfall served a purpose.

She stopped in front of Door 3B. She knew that before, Chloe had been her friend. And soon, she might be again. But for now, she had something else to attend to. She was approaching a potential subject for the Master. It was her responsibility to bridge the past to the future, regardless of the potential impact on anyone else.

When the door swung open, Chloe stood there, clutching a large glass of red wine, her face etched with the exhaustion of a week spent underpaid and overworked. She was prepared to spend the evening venting. But as her eyes fell on the woman in the hallway, she froze.

"Sarah?" Chloe breathed, her voice a fragile mix of shock and awe. "Bloody hell... is that actually you?"

Sarah was stunningly composed. The messy, paint-stained oversized t-shirts and frayed jeans were gone. In their place, Sarah wore a tightly fitted silver crop top that shimmered like liquid metal under the hallway lights, paired with a dark blue, knee-length pleated skirt. Around her neck, a silver choker sat snugly, a physical representation of the leash she now wore with pride. Her wild, curly auburn hair was tamed, cascading over her shoulders in structured, shimmering waves.

"Hey, Chloe," Sarah said.

"Get in here! You look... incredible. You look like a different species," Chloe pulled her into the flat, pacing around her as if inspecting a gallery piece. "The clothes, the hair... your skin? You’re literally glowing. Sarah, talk to me. Did you win the lottery? Or did you finally find a man who isn't a total bin-fire?"

Sarah sat on the edge of the sofa, her back perfectly straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap. As she looked at Chloe, she felt an unusually tangy sensation bloom on the back of her tongue. She had heard about this from Jenny and Rebecca, but it was her first time experiencing the stirring of the virus first hand.

“Well…” Sarah said, drawing out the sound of the final consonant.

Chloe put a matching glass of red wine on the side table next to Sarah, before sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of her friend.

“Come on, girl. What’s the story?”

"Okay, okay. So, yes, I have met someone," Sarah said, her voice dropping into a coy lilt.

"I knew it!" Chloe squealed. "Tell me everything. Is he a model? An architect? Who is he?"

Sarah leaned forward slightly. The amber in her eyes caught the low light of the floor lamp, creating a sparkle in her irises that dazzled her friend.

"He isn't like anyone I’ve ever known, Chloe," Sarah confided. "He doesn't want to change me. He wants to... optimise me. He’s shown me that all the things I thought were important - the painting, the deadlines, the independence - they were distractions. Just… noise. He’s given me a gift. A gift of total, beautiful quiet."

Chloe’s smile faltered. A strange, cold shiver ran down her arms, and she shook her head lightly to try to clear her confusion. "Quiet? That sounds... a bit intense, babe. But hey, if he’s responsible for making you look like a literal goddess, I want his number."

"I’ll be happy to arrange that, Chloe," Sarah said, her amber gaze locking onto her friend’s eyes, and taking Chloe’s hands in hers. "Let’s just say that I think you could be a perfect addition to the collection."

"Whoa, 'the collection'? That sounds bloody kinky," Chloe joked. "So... tell me more about this guy and his quiet."