Transcendence - 8 (Patreon)

8.1

Randy, with a mix of disbelief and hope, stepped past the velvet security rope that cordoned off the exhibit area. His eyes locked with those of Meadow's Grace, searching for any sign of the woman he loved. "Beth?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

The horse before him, Meadow's Grace, responded with a soft nicker, her head moving up and down in an almost knowing manner. In that simple gesture, Randy saw a glimmer of the Beth he knew — her intelligence, her spirit. It was her. It was really her. His heart ached at the realization, a mix of relief and profound sorrow washing over him.

"We have to get you out of here!" Randy said, urgency lacing his words. But as he spoke, Meadow's Grace made an awkward, constrained movement. Glancing down, Randy’s heart sank further. The mare’s front forelegs were hobbled, bound together with heavy carbonite shackles. The sight was a cruel reminder of her captivity and transformation.

Randy knew all too well what hobbling meant. He had hobbled enough horses on the ranch to understand its purpose — to limit movement, to control. In this state, Meadow's Grace, Beth, wouldn't be able to move quickly or escape. The realization hit him like a physical blow. Not only had Beth been transformed into a horse, but she was also being treated like a mere animal, her freedom and dignity stripped away.

His hands clenched into fists, a surge of anger and helplessness flooding through him. How could he get her out of these shackles, out of this nightmare? The task seemed insurmountable, yet he couldn't — wouldn't — leave her like this.

Randy looked into Meadow's Grace's eyes again, those deep, expressive eyes that still held a trace of Beth. He made a silent vow to her. No matter what it took, he would find a way to free her, to bring her back from this unimaginable fate. The love they shared, the life they had built together, was worth fighting for, against all odds.

8.2

Randy was still grappling with the shock and heartache of Beth's transformation when he heard a voice from across the room. It was Janice, her tone casual yet laced with authority. "Uh, hey there, cowboy. What'cha think you're doing?" she called out, her eyes fixed on him with a knowing look.

Randy, fueled by a mix of anger and desperation, opened his mouth to confront her, but Janice quickly silenced him with a sharp gesture. "Get over here, stupid, if you know what's good for you," she said in a low, urgent tone, pulling him away from the exhibit and Beth.

Confused and on edge, Randy allowed himself to be led away, his gaze lingering on Meadow's Grace. Janice's demeanor was unsettling — it wasn't the tone of someone caught in wrongdoing; rather, it was one of someone in control, confident and unafraid.

As they moved to a more secluded spot, away from the prying eyes of the conference attendees, Randy's mind raced with questions. What did Janice know? What was her role in all of this? And most importantly, what did she want with him?

Janice's expression was inscrutable as she turned to face him. Her next words could hold the key to understanding the nightmare that had enveloped their lives, or they could plunge him deeper into the abyss of the unknown. Randy braced himself, ready to confront whatever truth lay behind Janice's enigmatic façade.

“Look,” she began, her voice carrying a tone of pragmatism laced with a hint of regret. “Beth got a little too close, and wouldn’t play ball, if you know what I mean. But Randy, she still has a full life to live. A very long, human-sized life. She’ll live as long as you do, or longer, actually, because she’s literally the apex of science and nature!”

The implications of what Janice was saying were horrifying yet clear. Beth, transformed into this equine hybrid, was now a living experiment, a fusion of human intellect and equine form. Randy’s heart ached at the thought – Beth, alive yet not as the woman he loved, but as something else entirely.

Janice continued, her gaze piercing. “They wanted her intellect, her mind, fused with that of the equine she’s become.” She scoffed dismissively, “You? They’d just shoot, bang, dead. Do you want that? Do you want that for Elizabeth?”

The starkness of Janice’s words struck Randy with a chilling force. "No!" he said. "I refuse to believe this. The police—"

"The police what, darling?" Janice said. "You really think you'll be able to convince them that somehow, this—" she patted the mare's withers. Randy notices that the animal's flank quivered in response. "Is somehow the ensorcelled body of your wife? How would you ever prove it."

The mare nickered at that rolling her head from side to side.

"You see?" Janice took out an apple and split it deftly into quarters, then handed the slices to Randy. "Even Beth doesnt want you to do something so foolish. Here, feed her some apple."

Stunned, Randy nodded, and held the apple slices under Meadow's nose. The horse's velvety soft lips fumbeled at his hand a moment, before the teeth took the slice in her mouth and chewed.

"Can she…still understand us?"

Janice shrugged. "That's the part we don't know. And why we need your wife's intellect. We know they have some functioning capacity after the transformation, but not how extensive. You could help us with this, Randy, help your wife to remember who she was."

Randy nodded, stroking the horse between her ears. Meadow lowered her head, obviously enjoying it, before rising up again to take another apple slice."

"How…why…"

"All answers in good time, darling." Janice said.

The realization that he was powerless in this situation, that any rash action on his part could result in not only his death but also further harm to Beth, was paralyzing.

Randy’s fists clenched at his sides, a tumult of emotions raging within him. Anger, fear, helplessness – each battling for dominance. He looked into Janice’s eyes, searching for any trace of humanity, any sign of remorse. But all he found was a cold resolve.

Janice’s ultimatum was clear: comply and Beth lives a long life, albeit as a creature of science, or resist and risk everything. The weight of the decision pressed heavily on him. He was torn between his instinct to fight against this injustice and the need to protect Beth, whatever the cost.

As Janice waited for his response, Randy realized the gravity of his situation. His choices were limited, and each carried a heavy price. In this moment, his love for Beth was both his greatest strength and his most profound vulnerability.

Janice leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper, ensuring their conversation remained private. "Now, before Beth...well..." She gestured subtly towards Meadow's Grace, Beth's new form, a mix of sorrow and calculation in her eyes.

She continued, "She told me about a certain set of data. Data that could bring Jerome Raskin down, Randy." The mention of Raskin's name was like a spark in the dark, offering a glimmer of possibility amid the despair.

Randy's attention sharpened. This was about more than just EquiGen's unethical experiments; it was about the man who had orchestrated this nightmare. The idea of bringing Raskin down, of exacting some form of justice, ignited a faint hope within him.

Janice peered at Randy intently. "If you could find out where that data is, and use it to strip Jerome of his position...well, certain people might find that a very good thing. Do you think you could find out where that evidence is, Randy?"

"If I found it, would you be able to reverse—" Randy swallowed past a hard lump in his throat.

Janice laughed at that, and for a brief moment, Randy realized he liked hearing the woman laugh. "Oh, no, that ship has sailed, dear. She's an equine all the way down to the genetic level, no different from any equine born from a dam."

The proposal hung in the air between them, fraught with danger and opportunity. Randy understood the gravity of what Janice was suggesting. Locating the data Beth had mentioned could be the key to dismantling Raskin’s influence and potentially exposing EquiGen's atrocities. But it was a perilous path, one that required stealth and cunning.

Randy weighed his options. The risk was immense, but so were the stakes. Beth's fate, his own, and possibly the fate of others subjected to EquiGen’s experiments hinged on this. It was a chance to fight back, to do something meaningful in the face of overwhelming odds.

He met Janice’s gaze, a newfound determination steeling his expression. "I'll find it," he said firmly. "For Beth. For all the harm Raskin has done. I’ll find the evidence."

Janice nodded, a semblance of approval in her eyes. "Be careful, Randy. You're playing a dangerous game now. But it's one we need to win."

With that, she slipped away, leaving Randy alone with his thoughts and a daunting mission ahead. The task was monumental, but Randy knew he had no other choice. He needed to find that data — for Beth, for justice, and for any hope of turning the tide against the darkness that had enveloped their lives.

8.4

Retreating to the room they had shared, Randy was engulfed by a profound sense of loss. The room, once filled with Beth's presence, now felt hollow, a stark reminder of the vibrant life that had been so cruelly altered.

He moved slowly, almost reverently, through the space, each of Beth's belongings a poignant reminder of what they had lost. He picked up her perfume, the scent a vivid memory of her. With a heavy heart, he sprayed a little into the air. The familiar fragrance enveloped him, evoking images of Beth getting ready for their evenings out, her laughter filling the room.

Randy's gaze fell upon their photographs, memories captured in happier times. He picked up a picture of them together, Beth's smile wide and full of life, her eyes dancing with joy. The fire in her soul, her passion for life and her work, radiated from the image. He traced his finger over her face, the glossy surface a barrier to the past he longed to return to.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he held the picture close, allowing himself to be swept up in the memories. The sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, the warmth of her embrace – all these sensations flooded back, overwhelming him with a mix of nostalgia and despair.

The reality that the Beth he knew, the woman he loved, was now trapped in the body of a horse was a truth too painful to fully accept. It was a transformation that defied comprehension, a twist of fate so cruel and surreal that it left him grappling with a torrent of emotions.

In the quiet of their room, surrounded by the remnants of their life together, Randy mourned the loss of Beth's humanity. Her spirit, her essence, might still exist in some form, but the woman he had married, the partner he had built a life with, was forever changed.

As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, Randy realized that his love for Beth was unwavering, transcendent of her physical form. But the reality of their situation loomed large – a chasm between what was and what now was, a gap he was unsure how to bridge.

In that room, amidst the tangible memories of a life once shared, Randy grappled with a grief that was as profound as it was unique, mourning a loss that was both physical and existential. The path ahead was uncertain, but his resolve to fight for Beth, in whatever form she now existed, remained steadfast.

8.5

Randy took a deep breath, attempting to shrug off the crushing weight of his mourning. He needed to focus, to think clearly. Janice's request echoed in his mind — the data. He remembered the fleeting moment when Alex had handed something to Beth. It was the day before; she had slipped it into her jacket pocket.

With renewed purpose, he stood up and began searching through Beth's clothes. He found the jacket she had worn that day, its fabric still holding the faint scent of her perfume. His hands moved quickly, patting down the pockets, but his heart sank as he realized the drive wasn't there.

Panic mixed with determination as Randy began to tear apart the room. He checked under the bed, inside every drawer, and even in the most unlikely places, hoping to find the elusive drive. Each empty search heightened his sense of urgency. That drive could be the key to bringing down Raskin and possibly even finding a way to help Beth.

Clothes were strewn across the floor, papers shuffled and reshuffled, every book and magazine flipped through. The room, once orderly and calm, now reflected the chaos of Randy's frantic state.

He paused for a moment, trying to think like Beth. Where would she hide something so important? His gaze swept the room, stopping at her suitcase, her toiletries, her laptop. Nothing seemed to be out of place, yet he felt he was missing something, a crucial detail that eluded him.

Randy’s mind raced through every interaction, every moment of the past few days, searching for a clue. The drive contained information that could change everything, and its absence felt like yet another insurmountable obstacle in a situation that was already teetering on the brink of hopelessness.

As he continued his search, the realization that time was running out pressed heavily upon him. Every minute lost was a minute closer to a future where Beth remained trapped in her equine form, and Jerome Raskin remained untouchable. The drive had to be somewhere, and Randy was determined to find it, no matter what it took.

8.6

Randy's search for the elusive drive led him back to the conference room where Beth had presented. The room was now occupied by another speaker, the remnants of Beth’s presence long gone. He waited impatiently for the session to end, his mind racing with possibilities and plans.

Once the room cleared out, he meticulously searched every inch of it. He looked under chairs, around the podium, and even in the waste bins, hoping to find the small, yet significant, piece of technology. Despite his thoroughness, the drive remained elusive, a critical piece of evidence slipping through his fingers.

Feeling a sense of desperation mounting, Randy knew he had to change his approach. It was time to delve deeper, to investigate how exactly Beth had disappeared, and who might have taken the drive. The answer, he realized, might lie in the hotel’s security footage.

Determined, he made his way to the hotel’s security office. His plan was to request access to the surveillance tapes from the night of Beth’s disappearance. It was a long shot, but at this point, every lead was worth pursuing. The footage could potentially reveal who had approached Beth, where she had gone after their last meeting, and, crucially, what had happened to the drive.

As Randy navigated the hotel’s corridors, his resolve hardened. He was playing a high-stakes game, one that involved not just the search for the drive, but also the fight against a powerful corporation and the quest to restore, in whatever way possible, the life he had shared with Beth.

Reaching the security office, he prepared himself for a potential battle of wills. Convincing the security personnel to allow him access to the tapes would require tact and determination. But Randy was ready to do whatever it took. The truth about Beth’s disappearance, the whereabouts of the drive, and the fate that had befallen them both were mysteries he was determined to unravel.