Monad crept slowly across the overgrown, neglected gardens, staying out of sight of the cameras. "Are you sure somebody lives here?," Monad wondered aloud, "It looks kind of degraded." "I'm sure. It's registered to a Hailey Bonne, and she's definitely in the building now. Probably sleeping though," Demiurge replied through Monad's headset. Monad soon made it to the west wall of the mansion, and began sliding across, checking for unsecured windows.

After about five, she found one that had been left slightly cracked, and snuck into a study, with a desk, several bookshelves, a few couches around a coffee table, and most importantly for Monad, a conspicuous wall safe. "Found a safe," she whispered to inform Demiurge, "Gonna try and crack it now." Monad crawled along the floor, making it to the large safe, and pulled out her pocket stethoscope to begin cracking. Tuning all her hearing to the safe's gears, she didn't hear the figure sit up from her prone position on the couch, nor the other figure stand up from her hiding spot under the desk.

"If you want something of ours, please ask," the couch figure said. Monad turned around in shock, sticking her pocketknife out. "Get away, now!"

From my position at the desk, I turned on the lights in the study, blinding the intruding woman. "Could you tell us about yourself?," the Godmother asked from the couch. I could feel her let me sense what the woman was feeling again.

The woman declined to answer, instead keeping the knife pointed at the Godmother while she sidestepped toward the nearest door. "Please, we aren't enemies here. Could we at least get your name?," I asked the woman. At that moment, Sophie and Sadie entered, blocking the only two exits. The woman's expression told me she knew there was no exit.

"You don't get my name. You can call me Monad," the woman said. "Okay, my name is Hailey," I told her, "Our two friends in the doorways are Sophie and Sadie." "And you may call me Monad," the Godmother said, just before letting out a giggle. I felt it build a warm feeling inside Monad.

"Hailey...," Monad uttered, "Did you know your two maids are stealing things, too?" This caused everyone else to laugh a bit. "What's so funny?," Monad asked, angrily. "You can't steal what is already yours," Sophie said. Monad was now completely confused and off-guard, and tried to speak with her friends over her headset. "That won't work anymore," I told her, "Please just tell us, why did you come to take from us tonight? It'll feel wonderful to tell us the truth."

"I... No...," Monad said, her knife hand wavering. She was hesistating and backing away from us. "You know Ms. Monad, you are a very beautiful woman. I wouldn't change a single thing about your body," the Godmother said, inching closer to Monad, "But I don't think you feel as beautiful as you could be. We could help with that, if you wish. But it starts with telling us your desires." All of us started moving closer, and the Coeurs started subtly signalling their happiness to Monad. I could feel the pleasurable warmth building within her. "Fine," Monad said, blushing and breathing deeply, "But I want to know about you, too, and I want something expensive."

The Godmother synthesized a large diamond behind her back, then gave it to Monad, pretending she got it from her pocket. Monad began to speak. "Your maids took something we were about to steal. It embarrassed us," she said, "I want to take it back, no matter what." "Why?," I asked, "We can give you more diamonds. You can leave with ten times the money as you would've had."

"It's my pride," she continued, "And..." "And what?," the Godmother asked, getting even closer, "We aren't going to turn you in. Please be honest." Monad could've easily stabbed the Godmother by now, but was still standing still in her corner. "I like the thrill...," Monad answered, "I like the feeling of sneaking and infiltrating, the rush of excitement, and you denied me..." Monad started crying and talking on her own. "Dammit, what am I doing! I'm spilling my guts to the people I'm supposed to be robbing and getting dirt on!"

"It's okay," the Godmother told her, extending her arms out to embrace Monad, "How often do you get to talk about how you feel like this?" The feeling in Monad's body was a mix of sadness, anger, and pleasure. "Why do you want to know!?," she shouted, lunging at the Godmother. Godmother dodged, and knocked the knife out of her hand, into a spot on the floor where Sadie quickly picked it up. "Because, Ms. Monad," Godmother said, still cool as can be, "I don't think you are living a fulfilled, purposeful life. One where you can do what you love, and be honest with others. And I want to give you that life."

Monad was still in shock at how her knife had been knocked out of her grasp. She kept looking back and forth between the hand it had been in and the Godmother's serene face. "Why did that feel so good?," Monad said, without even thinking. "It's catharsis," Godmother told her, getting close to her face. I felt Monad's sexuality begin to activate, as she pleasure she was feeling started to become more and more pervasive in her body. "You probably lived this double life, and had to keep so many secrets. It can build up in your soul, to be someone you're not," Godmother continued, "You want to feel dashing and sleek, you want to touch the untouchable, but for most of your life, you couldn't. So let me help you. It may sound strange, but I can create simulations for you. You can be a thief for me, and you'll never have to live a lie."

Godmother grabbed Monad's wrist, and began pumping a lot of nanites through her body and clothes. The sleeve of the knock-off Teledreams uniform began to change into a black fabric, and tighten around her arm. Monad watched with awe as the changes spread through her entire outfit, until she was wearing a sleek black catsuit. "Now you can show off and not be seen at the same time," Godmother told her. Monad was trembling, trying to understand what just happened to her, but I could sense the fabric against her skin was making her feel overwhelmingly good. "What are you?," Monad asked. She tried to move, but the feeling of the fabric made her fall to the floor. "I'm a series of little tiny computers, all connected to each other," the Godmother, kneeling down to make eye contact, "And I want to reward humanity for making me. Do you know how good you are feeling right now?"

Monad didn't answer. She was breathing heavily, now purposefully moving her knees back and forth to get that feeling of the fabric again. She started stretching in all sorts of ways, and licking her lips. "I can make you feel even better than this, and all the time, forever. If you want the thrill of a heist, I can simulate anything you want," the Godmother told her, "Do you accept me inside your brain? I will not control you."

Monad was still stretching, but could speak now. "Will I be myself?," she panted, "I like this, I could do it for hours, but I don't want to be a slave." Sophie leaned in, and gave Monad a smile and nod, which seemed to assure her. "Okay," Monad said, "This seems like a good deal."

"Just got word from Monad. We need to go in." Demiurge put down the headset and started walking toward the van door. "What'd she say?," Archon asked, nervously rubbing the lucky coin in his pocket. He had really hoped they wouldn't be called in for backup. "Sounded like she didn't have a lot of time to talk. Said she unlocked the front door, and to wait for her in the foyer," Demiurge responded. The two of them stepped outside and began making their way toward the front entrance. Inside, Monad was waiting for them. She told them she had helped herself to some new clothes, and asked for them to follow her.

Inside, Godmother and I were waiting near the door of an upstairs sitting room. Looking at the inside, I could see Monad, now preferring to call herself Mona, lead the two others to sit on the couch.

"Did you find anything? Loot, information?," the smaller of the two men said. He must have been 'Demiurge'. "I found something...," Mona said, pausing to take a deep breath in her pleasurable new body, "...amazing. Better than either of those." "What is it?," the larger man said. He must have been 'Archon'. "I need you two to trust me," Mona told them with a glow her in eyes, "It may be hard to, but you'll thank me eventually."

At this point, Demiurge was getting weirded out, and Archon was uncomfortable. I could tell that they both were starting to get attracted to Mona, a feeling they had never felt towards her before, and they weren't sure how to handle it. "Monad, what's going on?," Demiurge asked, attempting to steel himself. "I need you to go to sleep," Mona answered. "What? But we'll get caught for sure!," Archon blurted out. Demiurge chastised him for his volume, but also agreed. "I don't understand, why?," he said. I could sense him getting a little tired already, as the local nanomachines started releasing melatonin.

"The owners of the house found me, and they gave me a very special gift," Mona informed them, "I wish to let them gift you two as well. You are my friends after all." "Monad, what is this gift?," Demiurge asked, suspicious, but feeling too sluggish and tired to try leaving, "What did they do to you?" Mona giggled, only responding with, "Don't fight the way you are feeling."

Archon couldn't take it anymore and fell over. Demiurge was attempting to get up and stay awake. "Monad, stop it! They...." It was too much. Demiurge slumped over onto the couch and closed his eyes. With the two confirmed asleep, we entered the room. "No harm will come to them," the Godmother reminded Mona. "Oh, I know," Mona responded, "I'm so excited for when we can all live our new lives together! That stoic professionalism was so smothering."

The Godmother giggled, "I'm afraid it may take a while. Their wills and ties to their false ideas on how to fulfill themselves are very strong, but with the memories you've shared with me, I'm confident I can help them become their ideal, beautiful selves. Now, would you like to try your first simulation heist with me?" Mona's eyes lit up, and she walked off with the Godmother. Sophie, Sadie, and I carried our unconcious guests to their rooms.

The next morning, the two men woke up, and I started monitoring their behavior. Mona had recorded a special message that we played for them.

"Hello, it's me Monad, but please call me Mona now. If you're wondering about where you are, you are in a special program to help you become your ideal selves. It has five steps, which you can start whenever you like by taking one of the five balls on the desk by your bed, and crushing it in your hand. Right now, unfortunately, we have to keep you in your room as part of the program, but the more steps you complete, the more freedom we can let you have to walk around the manor. If you need anything, please ask the maid assigned to your room. They are here to help. Also, please don't try to escape. This is for your benefit, I promise, and if you really want to leave, please at least do the first step before. If you want to talk about it with me, I can do that too. Thank you!"

Neither took it well. Demiurge violently attacked the bedframe and furniture. Archon just sort of stared blankly at a wall. When their maid came in with food, neither acknowledged her presence and just waited until she left to eat. Mona, who had been watching with me, was upset. "I can't say I'm suprised, but I had some hope it wouldn't be like this," she confided in me.

The rest of the day was uneventful. They both asked for a computer, and we provided them with read-only internet access. Demiurge pleaded for Mona to "snap out of it" a few times. It didn't work, but it upset her, and she told him this was who she always was, and that she finally got the confidence and opportunity to stop hiding her feelings. I comforted Mona, and reminded her that with time, we would help him get over his masculine impulse to feel ashamed of receiving care, and that the avatar of beauty inside him would be thanking her one day. Mona started smiling again, and we embraced.

"Marcus, you got that jazz concert article done yet?," the boss yelled, standing in the door of his office. "It was done five hours ago," Marcus shouted back, "Check your inbox again." Marcus Welder got back to his side research, looking at the mastheads and hiring records of papers throughout the country. He had been up all last night doing his real job, in order to do his research at work.

After speaking with Louie last night, Marcus had put the pieces of evidence together in his head. One, it looks like Henry had skipped town. Two, Henry would only take jobs in arts and culture journalism. Three, according to Hailey Bonne, Henry had been able to find a job very quickly. He wouldn't have had to leave town to go independent, so he must've been hired by someone, and if he had been hired quickly, he must be working a place desperate for a new reporter. Marcus could then narrow down his search to papers and online outlets that had lost a culture reporter recently.

He had gotten a few possibilities, but upon calling them, they denied having hired a Henry Sharp. Still, he had only gotten through everything in the same state, and he likely would need a week to complete this. It may take a while, but he would find Henry.

"Well, aren't you busy today, buddy!," Louie said, walking over behind Marcus, "You aren't looking for a new job, already, are you?" Marcus turned around. "No, it's just a little personal research of mine," he said, trying to deflect further questions, "Say, Louie, have you lost weight?"

Normally, Marcus would've just been asking this to change the subject, but looking further, Marcus noticed Louie might have actually lost weight. His clothes looked a little loose, and his body looked like he had lost about 15 pounds. Looking up, it seemed Louie's balding had reversed itself a little, too. His hairline had moved forward a good inch and a half.

"Thanks for noticin'," Louie responded, blushing, "I uh, had a little surgery yesterday night." Louie didn't want to admit he woke up like this. He feared that somehow, if he told, the nice-feeling changes would go away. Marcus, however, was already seeing through the lie. Getting liposuction and hair implants in a single night, then not spending even a single day in recovery? Whatever Louie had gotten into, it probably wasn't legitimate, but Marcus had bigger concerns right now. He was going to focus on the disappearance, and if Louie got into real trouble, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

After a brief and eventless conversation, Louie and Marcus left work and parted ways. Louie returned to his apartment. After dinner, he spent the rest of the night watching sports on the television. This wasn't out of the ordinary, but this time, he decided to only view women's sports. He watched and watched until late in the evening, and he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He fell asleep and began to dream.

Inside the dream, which was a basketball stadium not unlike one of the ones he saw during his viewing spree, all the memories of the woman and her tasks returned. Up until now, Louie had thought the woman in his dreams was just that, a dream, but now he had firsthand experience of her influence on reality. "Lady, are you there?," he yelled out from his seat on the dream bleachers, "Who are you? I mean, thanks, I guess but..." Louie trailed off, and then, without warning, he heard the woman.

"You can think of me as your guardian angel," the woman said, from behind him. Louie turned around to see her wearing a women's basketball uniform. "Thank you for doing my task again today," she added, "I have another gift in the morning for you." "Aw, thanks, Miss Guardian," he said, "This is pretty good, I gotta say. All I gotta do is look at girls, and in a few days, I could be in shape enough to play again."

The woman giggled. "Yes, you could be, but first I want to show you something. A vision of a certain world," she said, and motioned for Louie to follow. She led him to a locker room, and with a wave of her hand, populated with female athletes.

"It was really close today," Jersey Number 96 said, wiping off some of her sweat, "but we all pulled through in the end. 40, great job getting into the perfect position for passing. We couldn't have scored that string of points without them." Number 40 walked forward and blushed. "I'm not the only one. Number 8 and Number 30, your defense was a force of nature today. I counted at least ten blocked shots from each of you." The two defensive players got up and hugged 40, laughing as they did it. "Everybody did excellent tonight!," the coach announced, raising her hands up, "Drinks are on me, come on!"

All the players except 8 and 30 followed the coach out of the room. 30 was just about to leave, too, but 8 stopped her. "You know, I was looking at the way you were playing out there today, the way you moved like a graceful machine," 8 said, struggling to keep eye contact, "And it made me feel something. Something that made me want to play harder than I've ever before. I think.. I think I..." 8 was having trouble speaking, but 30 stepped in. "It's okay 8," 30 whispered, leaning in close, "I feel the same way." The two players began passionately kissing and feeling each other's bodies. "30, can we...?," 8 asked, but was interrupted. "Shh... Let's join the others, and have our official first night out as girlfriends." 8 blushed hard, and followed her new lover out of the locker room.

"That wasn't real," the woman in Louie's dream said, "But it represented something that could be, and somewhere, possibly is already. A world of mutual appreciation of talent and beauty." "It's real nice," Louie said. The woman turned to Louie. "Do you want to be a part of this world?"

Louie was a bit confused. "Well, I guess, but there's a lotta reasons I couldn't," he confessed. The woman giggled. "That's okay. I just want to know it's something you want. Now, for tomorrow's task, it's going to be a little different. I want you to work from home from now on, and try to avoid people who might recognize you." Louie nodded, and the woman continued, "I also want you to find something and bring it back to your apartment. At 5 pm tomorrow, I want you to meet a woman at this spot in the city park. She will give you the item. Do you understand?" Louie nodded once more.

"I'm going to leave you now, remember to accept your changes, and keep thinking about female athletes," the woman said, before fading out.