A Warm Welcome
Doctor Wingerd stood to the side of the stage as she
watched her test subjects file into the large hall and find their seats. Excitement coursed through her. At last she was going to get what she had
always dreamed of: fame and power. Once everyone was seated and had quieted
down, she turned on her mike and climbed the steps to the stage.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” she cried as
she strode to the center of the stage, her heels clicking on the hard
surface. She spread her arms in welcome
as she beamed at the faces around her. “I
cannot tell you how pleased I am to see you all here before me and that you
were all so willing to sacrifice your time to help science continue to move
forward! I hope you all had safe travels
here from wherever you came from and I hope you are all finding your living
arrangements to be satisfactory!” A
murmur of approval arose from the audience as these words. She wasn’t surprised, everything about the
apartments she had built for them was top of the line and most had never lived
anywhere quite so nice in all their lives.
Silencing the crowd with a slight wave of her hands,
she continued, “Now, I know you are all eager to get to the dinner we have
specially prepared for you, so I will be quick in giving you some of the
details as to how things are going to work out here. Over the next week you all will be meeting
with 250 of the world’s best 3D modelers to create your new bodies. You will also be meeting with 250 of the
world’s best psychologists and medical professionals to create your new mental
and medical state. Tomorrow you will
have the whole day to yourselves to explore our facilities, begin to work out
and list what changes you would like to make to yourselves, or anything else
you might want to do around the center.
I am sorry that you will not be able to go into the city as there is
just too much of a risk of injury or of you getting lost.” Groans of disappointment and some protests
erupted at this, but were quickly silenced by her next words. “I know that is a disappointment to many of
you, but I want you to know that later on during testing, there will be several
trips into the city, so do not despair.
We just need you to be patient.”
