The Zapper's Club 

Part 2

Bounding, Katsumi rushed to her side and asked, "Did you bring all your new inventions?"

Gloria sighed, wiped the sweat from her brow, and responded, "New? Oh! OH! Oh…ooooooh…yeah. Of course, I did. Sure, I did. Absolutely.... What were we talking about? I mean specifically. I do remember what you asked. I haven't tested my short-term memory-erasing thingie beam. Not lately. I'd definitely recall if I did. Perhaps. But yeah, you're going to have to be more specific than 'new' because I invent all the time so new and recent are something of a blur."

Katsumi narrowed her eyes and said, "Just tell me what you brought."

Cassandra laughed at the crystalline decanter and narrow wine glass which appeared on the table near her, along with a heavy plate of chocolate cake, and remarked, "Oh, Gloria, my dear…is Arjuma not with you this time? I must apologize as I was quietly planning that my girls and yours might have some fun together. But, alas, it seems none of them have been able to join us."

Gloria gave a little furrow of her mouth. "Oh, dear. Sorry. I was considering it. But Arjuma got into my special catnip again. And she gets fuzzy when crossing dimensions. Or is it fussy? Can never remember…Oh well. And I apologize to Kat because I knew she kinda wanted to meet her as well."

Katsumi gave a sigh and told her, "Quite alright. Another time. Just…you don't often meet a cat which has been turned into a young girl." Cassandra gave a private little chuckle as she filled her glass and cut into the cake.

Cynthia arrived next with a quick glance around the room. She didn't say anything, just sat at an empty table a ways away.

Katsumi noticed her and said, "You can scoot closer. It'll be a while before the targets are set up and I think we'll be having a meal first….or what amounts to it…" She gave a sideways glance at Cassandra's cake despite the fact she'd only ordered tea for herself.

Shaking her head, Cynthia said only, "I'm fine."

Gloria started setting out the contents of her bag on a nearby table. They were all nicely labeled on the side. She held one thing up. It was a toilet seat. She noted, "I had an idea. A rather interesting idea. At least, I thought it was interesting. Maybe. But anyway…point is…My idea involved a specially-designed toilet seat which automatically fitted itself to any public restroom toilet…actually probably should've been a urinal cake now that I think about it…but continuing. Any man who uses this seat either sitting or standing will be altered due to a persistent series of nanites which offer up the usual gender-changing criteria. Fun bonus…they would be fueled by the dirt in the restroom and make it cleaner the longer they're present."

Katsumi gestured to the toilet seat with wide eyes about the possibilities of attaching it to the boy's restroom at her high school. "And that's the one right there?"

After her gaze undulated a few times, and she looked at the toilet seat in quiet surprise, Gloria noted, "Actually, no. As I said, it was only an idea. I just picked this one up at the store because the previous one….let's say 'imploded' is probably the nicest word…needed replacing. And here it is. I'll probably need to buy another one to follow through on that idea. I will say that 'taco night' is not the time for new experiments. Definitely learned that…"

Cynthia made the same observation to Gloria she'd made each of the previous times she'd attended the Zappers Club, "You sure do talk a lot…"

Gloria gave her a little look with her eyes shifting about before settling on, "Thanks", as the appropriate response.

Katsumi huffed and asked, "Did everyone else get a chance to order?"

Cynthia gave a single, efficient nod. Gloria looked alarmed for a moment then gave a furious nod. It didn't take long till Gloria's pasta, squid, and sparkling orange juice found a clear island to rest near her massive pile of stuff. Cynthia regarded her nectarines and amber wine quietly and partook of each.

The last member of the Club (and her guest) arrived shortly thereafter. Lynx first looked at Katsumi and they shared a nod, their eyes following one another till Lynx sat down near Cynthia. The Aibora caused a quick stir for everyone but Gloria, who stuck out her hand and said, "Greetings!"

Katsumi looked to Lynx with her arms folded and asked, "Who is that?"

Lynx settled into her chair and leaned back with her arms folded too. "She followed me. Made her promise not to go nuts. And she's wearing gloves."

Everyone looked at the Aibora. Gloria kinda looked around and asked, "Wait…why does the kid need to wear gloves? Aside from the fact gloves are nifty…"

Katsumi just said, "Aiborae."

Gloria blinked. "You bore a what?"

With a sigh, Katsumi dug into her bag and fished out the Club's official Guidebook to Gender-Changing Species and Phenomena. She turned to the beginning of the "A"s and handed it to Gloria.

Aibora and their symbol (respectively by MysticSwordsman and Alex Yaeger/Yaegerwerkz)

After a minute of quick reading, Gloria noted, "I never knew there was a gender-changing aardvark!....See 'strange mammals'…"

Katsumi leaned over and pointed out the area she meant. Gloria read that and looked over at the Aibora in question. Softly, she said, "Ooooh. Ahhh…oh okay. Umm…oh. Right right right. Anime-inspired Aeternal snake-derived cousin with mind-overwriting transformative touch venom. So then…why did you call her an 'Aiborae' when the singular form is 'Aibora'?"

Gritting her teeth, Katsumi arched her back a little and asked, "Do you get the point?"

Gloria waved a finger with a smile. "Yes. Yes. Indeed I do. We need to turn her loose on the boys tonight….or was that not the point?"

Katsumi took back the book and said, "This…Aibora…will just watch…that's for the best…"

Lynx interjected, "She said her name is Siana."

Furrowing her brow, Katsumi noted, "You probably could've mentioned that to me when I asked who she was…"

Lynx shrugged and commented, "Probably…" And said no more.

After a pause, Katsumi continued, "Anyway, she'll stay back. We don't want a ton of Aiborae hatchlings running all over Kersi's place. But let us begin the meeting proper. Who will be taking minutes?"

Cassandra raised a hand and said, "I will. I took them last time."

Katsumi settled in. "Fine. Now what do you have of the last meeting's minutes?"

Cassandra smirked. "I don't. I tend to use them for kindling. But I will tell you it involved a bit of talking, a bit of drinking, and a bit of doing what we all love: Making brand-new girls." At those words, the Aibora hunched a bit in her chair, as though hiding. This action didn't go unnoticed by Cassandra. Lynx's udon and juice showed up and she slowly began to eat.

Siana's order came soon after. Katsumi gave a little time for everyone to eat before she cleared her voice and said, "Since there isn't…much of a record of the previous meeting…I'll note what I consider the highlights from two weeks ago. I mentioned that a particular new attachment would be coming in the mail for me from Nuhaizi. And it has. And I intend to make full use of it. The winner of the best transformation last time was Cassandra…so she gets to make the decision of whose transformation is best this time, according to Club rules."

Cassandra leaned back with her glass. "I'm glad it was enjoyed. I may try something similar…for fun…this time around…"

Katsumi gave an efficient nod and then noted, "Also, there were the continuing plans. Has anyone transformed anyone outside of the meetings? Or had any good ideas in this regard? There was the…uh…toilet seat…just a bit ago….Lynx?"

Lynx paused, holding up a long, white noodle. Her expression was flat. "I kicked a boy when he tripped a friend of mine. My special shoes made him permanently female. That's all."

Katsumi bent her head a bit and nodded. For Cynthia, she brought up her recent hunts.

"My ladies have been pursuing men around my temple who seem to think they can steal a glance at those inside. They swiftly regret it. And I pursued a rogue man across ten miles until he tired and I had a clear shot through the trees. He fell down a tired, weak man and she rose a vibrant woman, cleansed by my bow." Lynx gave a little nod behind her hand and the faintest impression of a smile.

Siana, who had already taken several big bites of her apples, looked around and softly asked, "If I may be…so bold. I know this group w-wants to turn all men into girls. But I only…know a l-little about each of you. And Lynx…was pretty hush about herself. I'm so honored…I mean….I would be so honored…if you could kinda tell me a little. Because this is my first time. Sorry!"

Katsumi folded her arms and Cassandra tapped her lip a bit as she watched Siana, who looked down at her food with her small hands in her lap. Gloria tinkered a bit at her table but didn't look up. Cynthia and Lynx both just glanced in Siana's direction.

Gently, Cassandra replied, "With the sort of bold, world-change-willing egos you can find in this room, I'm sure plenty would wish to present themselves…my dear. And I'd be quite willing to go first, little one."

Elegantly, Cassandra rose from her table with a hand bent towards her breast. "My name is Cassandra and that is the only name I have ever chosen for myself. I wield a never-ending fire which coolly but permanently burns off anything male and leaves behind the lovely girls I seek to shape."

Cassandra (by Sanmo)

She took a few steps towards Siana, who sat up a little straighter and watched her carefully. Continuing, Cassandra said, "How I came to this is a long and sad story which would only bore those present. Just suffice it to say…all is well now. I have my mansion of countless rooms my little girls love to explore. And we are happy. Especially when some wandering explorer happens to join us." She softly chuckled before yielding the floor with a little curtsey.

Next came Katsumi, who spoke simply, "Nakagawa Katsumi. Though I'm only in my first year of high school, I know with all my heart it's my destiny to make perfect maidens of every man out there. Make girls and then teach them womanly ways. I'm helped through a special internship with the Nuhaizi Corporation back in my world. The Corporation and I really see eye-to-eye on the fate for all 'mankind'."

Bending her head up, Siana asked, "But why?"

There was a slight murmur. Katsumi's face tightened a bit. "I would hardly expect someone like you to ask that. It's the same sort of innate imperative every Aibora feels. Isn't that right? Don't you deeply desire to hug and convert all around you?"

Siana bit her lip, her expression tense. "Welll…it depends. And I try to control myself because it can get me into trouble. But new Aiborae will go around hugging everyone. I'm much quieter…but I do love making new sisters."

Katsumi's expression relaxed. "As do I…and all the men out there will be my sisters. And what a better world it will be at the end! Not perfect…but BETTER! That much is certain and there is no stopping its inevitability." Siana nodded back and said a soft, "…Sorry."

With a wave of her hand, Katsumi passed the floor to Gloria, who didn't respond to Katsumi's gesture. Instead, she seemed to be running some sort of small experiment on her food. It took a forceful cough from Katsumi before she looked up. Katsumi pointed at her and said, "Tell about yourself."

Gloria's eyes widened and she left her meal alone for the moment. She paused and explained, "I've sometimes wondered if pasta could achieve consciousness. Or, at the very least, be used as a cheap form of small robot. Or a means of confusing your neighbors. But that's not talking about myself…"

She tapped her chin and said, "I am Doctor Gloria S. Peizo. Although it sounds the same…my name is actually spelled with the e and the i reversed from the piezoelectric effect. My grandfather picked out that family name because he liked the piezoelectric effect but he was never sure how to spell it. My first name doesn't really have a story to it. That's just my great-grandmother's name. But my middle name is actually Sdfypwd. It was supposed to be Susan but there was a typographical error at some point which no one ever bothered to correct…and I kinda like it. At least I know that whenever I do a search for my middle name online…I'm absolutely sure to find it. First, however, I need to get a computer which doesn't easily incinerate…"

After a little nod, Gloria's eyes widened a bit and so did her lips. She added, "Oh…I should probably say more about me. In the…me-ish way. I'm a home inventor. In that I invent out of my home. Apartment. It would be fun to invent homes though. Although I'm not sure how long I could go without inventing a home which accidentally killed people. But I live with my daughter and former pet cat, Arjuma. That was quite a Tuesday when I woke up to her sleeping on my chest. And then the pieces left over from the experiment. There are always pieces left over and, in this instance, those pieces tried to eat the walls. Quite a Tuesday…"  

It seemed like Gloria had something else she wanted to say, but she looked up and noticed a familiar, stern look on Katsumi's face. So she finished with, "…Uh…Who's next?"

That was Cynthia, who rose from her chair, set down a nectarine, and said, "The name I choose for myself now is Cynthia. But I have gone by many names in all the time I have lived. My temple is an all-woman place, protected always from the prying eyes of men. I live by my strength and the magic of my bow and arrow. And there is really nothing more I could say…" So she sat down and bit into another nectarine.

Katsumi nodded and looked to Lynx, who was already standing up from her chair. She raised her head and said, "I come from a universe where the genders of boys and girls are decided by games of conflict. I make sure I always win. I fight with stealth for the truth of all women everywhere. I make sure there will be as few boys as possible and as many girls as my breath and strength will allow me. I have my reasons which I don't wish to speak on, but I will also be happy on the day there are only girls…" She adjusted her glasses a little then sat down as well. Katsumi nodded with a wide look of approval.

All that finished, Katsumi clapped her hands and asked Siana, "Will that do?"

Siana bowed and blushed a bit. "That was amazing. Thank you so much. I don't want to interrupt anything else. I'll just watch…if that's okay." Katsumi nodded and none had complaints. Cassandra, however, traced her lips lightly with a gloss of flame and watched Siana closely.

Suddenly, a bell rung above and sound emerged from the walls, as though from a well-hidden PA system. It was Kersi's voice.

"Hello…girls. If any of you need anything else for the evening so far as refreshments…there are several order cards in the back of the room, near the door. Just fill them out and I'll get to it promptly. Things are getting a bit busy, but I just wanted to say…as I alluded to…I have something quite special tonight for the main attraction. At the previous meetings, I have given you some various, willing boys for your entertainment. I recall a few wanted boys…of a more lively sort. More apt to run and give concern and conflict. Well…I may have just the thing…"

The wall on the far end fluttered a bit and shifted, poofing out like a skirt. Ridges flowed across it and the familiar, reddish contours of curtains filled out. Before long, there was a curtained stage drawing out from the wall with a nice little wooden platform and a soft light spilling over.

"There", continued Kersi's voice. "And now for the boys. And not just the sort you've had before. I've managed to get in contact with a special dimension…A world stocked full of random guys just asking for a good, strong zap from Katsumi's gun. Have fun!"