Chapter 4.

It was raining when Violet drove into the secure compound of Naira’s studio, because even summer in this part of what was once “great” Britain didn’t mean much but warmer rain. Whilst the compound being hidden from the street gave protection for her Land Rover it didn’t protect from weather like this, the rain quickly soaking Violet’s purple hair and dripping off the long bangs at the front whilst she strode from the vehicle to the door, lighting up a plain white cigarette as she walked. Upon reaching the door she took a long drag on the cigarette, before holding it in her fingers, lightly scowling at it before throwing it away into a puddle 

‘She *hated* those things’ she thought ‘but she’s gone now’

Exhaling the vaguely menthol smoke she punched the door code in, a slight smile at what the numbers meant on her permanently purple lips as the door opened and revealed Naira standing waiting for her to enter.

As the door opened Naira was once again struck by the harsh & imposing almost beauty of her face. From her high angular cheekbones, even more brutal with her lost weight. To the Intenseness of her eyes, framed in the permanent feline winged heavy black eyeliner. Coupled with the jagged scar running from her left eye socket, back under her hair to the pitted scar tissue where the ear had been, still angry these years later. Her deathly pale skin adding even more contrast, she was striking. A phrase Violet herself used back before the accident was “like Tim Burton designed a lesbian”, a good natured quote from a friend of a friend as Naira remembered. This all thankfully passed through Naira’s mind in barely a moment, but long enough to get a flick in Violet’s eyebrow. “Come in come in! Gods you’re soaked, let me get you a towel”
Violet followed Naira into the studio’s waiting area and stood faintly dripping whilst she fetched a fluffy black towel, handing it to Violet to dry off with.

As Violet dried off they both sat on the sofa in the waiting area, and once she finished she turned to Naira “are we all set then?” she asked her, merest hint of emotion in her voice

“Yes, Completely! I’ve checked and checked and triple checked EVERYTHING repeatedly! I got the Very best of all the supplies that I could, and even so you still sent me too much money!!”

“No!” said Violet abruptly “I barely sent you enough! Even if this doesn’t work you’ve given me something to actually look forward to, a faint glimmer that being alive is worth it more than keeping my promise to Her!” Naira looked ready to argue, but realised it was fruitless, so shifted to the important, falling into her business like professional manner

“Now I’m going to have to send you under for the first operations, the implanting of the ears & tail, because I need to splice into your nervous system and attach both the control and to attach the polymer groundings to your spinal cords nerves as well as your skull. And the agony otherwise would stop your heart. Of course there are risks with these operations…” 

“I Don’t give a fuck about the risks, you know that” interrupted Violet “if I’m dead it’s problem solved, and if I can’t walk or worse then throw the switch. It’s a win win for me!”

Naira sighed, she’d known that was coming. Violet had Never had any fear of death or dying in all the years they’d known each other. When her partner was alive she’d developed a sort of sense of self preservation, but that was long gone now. 

“I know you don’t” Naira said “but I Have to tell you. You’ll be under for about 14 hours at least, and then I’ll have to keep you sedated for another 48 hours whilst the healing takes place. Then comes the hard part, for you at least”

“The hard part?” queried Violet “what do you mean?”

“Well” gulped Naira “ then I’d need you to be fully awake and aware, without any medication, before going into the BrainSuite. That part will be horrible for you”

Violet looked at her with a concentrating expression, before it smoothed off her face and she gave a shrug of casual indifference, so much like she used to in the past “eh, whatever, I’ll deal with it. Shall we?” Gesturing towards Naira’s operating theatre room, the pair of them rose and Violet followed her shapely and much shorter friend through the short corridor to the room.

Once through the door to the room it opened up to having a medial style operating theatre off to the left, with the laboratory-esk workspace off to the right, with all the machines, jars and vat’s still beeping and whirring away. Naira led the way over to this side first, pointing the skeletal structures in a sterile case for the ears and tail, and a glass case of transparent red ooze that contained bright yellow muscle-like strands
“Those are the frames I’ll be attaching the polymer muscles to before attaching them to yourself” she explained “and this here” she gestured towards the vat with the fur, which now not only had the hair-matching base colour, but also a distinctly snow leopard pattern of lighter and darker rosettes and spots. Upon seeing that Violet let out a small gasp “Heh I thought you’d like that Vee” smiled Naira “I Had to put the right markings on for you! Once the polymer and bone grafts have taken, I’ll cover the ears & tail in the fur, and attach it to your own skin, along with the blood vessels. It’s been grown from the samples of your skin I took, and is a perfect DNA match. Or should that be purrfect maybe?” Naira gave a nervous giggle to her own joke, with Violet giving a smirk and a raised eyebrow in response.

“So what do I need to do to prepare?” pressed Violet

“You need to strip, and shower over there” Naira gestured towards her decontamination shower “I trust you’ve not eaten in the last 48 hours? “Does menthol cigarettes count?”

“No, though I Wish you’d stop smoking them Vee” sighed Naira “but good, now go shower, and I guess we’ll make a start”

Violet merely rolled her eyes and stripped off her heeled knee-high boots, tactical combat style skirt and asymmetrical low cut but collared top & bra before walking naked to the shower, Naira watched her walk away, following each step of her almost comically long legs before she vanished, then turning to make a start on her preparations

A short while later Violet emerged from the shower still naked, before walking over to the bed “ I’m guessing you want me to lie down then?” Naira rolled her eyes “you know I put a gown out for you to wear, you don’t have to be naked you know!”

Violet shrugged again “what's the point, it’ll only get in your way. Besides not like I’ve anything worth seeing anyway!” Naira shook her head gently “some things never change with you Vee!” switching to her professional demeanour “Now just lie down on your back facing up” Violet climbed onto the bed come operating table 

“Now” said Naira “I’m going to have to strap you down before sending you under, because I’ll use the motors to roll you over for the tail” at which point she started attaching straps to Violet’s ankles, wrists, hips and shoulders, as well as just below her chest & across her chin

Upon completion and once sure Violet couldn’t move, something she looked Decidedly uncomfortable about, Naira hooked up numerous monitoring sensors and clips all over Violets body, before finally preparing to insert an IV into her right wrist “Now Vee, when I start this I’ll count up to Ten, you should be out by 6 or 7” Violet simply nodded as much as possible
Naira turned on the tap to the IV “One...Two...Three...Four...”
Locking eyes with her Violet interrupted at that point
“I’ll see you on the other side Naira”