Galatea 2 - Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15: RETURN TO FORMULA

Brian took a deep breath and steeled his resolve as the elevator door opened to the underground lab. Tensions were high between him and Vanessa, so he hoped and prayed that Giles’ interactions with her weren’t as common as he theorized.

The first sight his eyes became privy to absolutely baffled him.

Vanessa’s body had long since surpassed any known celebrity that warranted comparison. All that remained was Audrey, an equivalent which seemed to become increasingly antiquated with every passing day. Her form was strewn about in a half-lay on one of the many lab tables, posing like a model as professor Giles appeared to cross-reference her several times as his fast fingers clacked continuously on the keyboard without him even looking.

The lab coat she wore strained to contain the gravity-defying swells of her breasts, though it was loose around the waist. Her long, black hair shimmered like a flickering void, consuming the light in the room like a black hole, its suction effect extending to the eyesight as it compelled one to gaze upon its magnificence. Only once Brian was able to peel his attention away from that, he noticed Vanessa was going commando underneath her lab coat, her supple body barely censored by its limited frontward fabric.

“V-Vanessa! Are you just going to let him totally objectify you like that?” Brian couldn’t help but blurt out at such an absurd sight.

Vanessa brought a hand to her mouth and giggled. “Oh Brian, don’t be so obtuse. This was my idea!”

Giles backed up her claim with a thumbs up and a giddy nod in Brian’s direction. “Yup, she’s actually quite the intellectual, even before the virus. Isn’t that right, cutie?”

“‘Quite’ is selling it a bit short, wouldn’t you agree, Kev?”

“Of course, Nessy.”

They even had pet names for each other. Ugh.

“Well, er, I suppose you’re both consenting adults, so…”

“That’s right, Brian. Now leave me to my work,” the professor fired back, wanting to get this conversation over with as fast as possible, clearly having more important matters to attend to as he returned to ogling Vanessa’s chiseled abs and curvaceous contours.

“But sir, um,” the student peeped up, reclaiming the disgruntled professor’s attention. “Aren’t you supposed to help guide me through, um, whatever it is exactly you’re doing here?”

“In due time, Brian. For now, I must focus. If you insist on being helpful, why don’t you go home? I’ll compensate you for today. Right now… I must be fully alone with my muse.”

Vanessa giggled as she brushed a pristine lock of hair out of her face, an endless leg dangling to an invisible rhythm whose tempo only seemed to become more excited at the sound of being complemented.

“Yeah, buzz off, Brian! Tomorrow, Kev is taking me to a fancy restaurant and if you keep distracting him with your nonsense, he’ll never jot down my projection proportions so that he may create a malleable dress for me to wear that won’t rip and tear!”

Brian sighed. He couldn’t believe Giles had found an addiction somehow even more debilitating than the bottle the professor had been drowning in two semesters ago. Oh well, he thought to himself. This frees me up to do something I should have done a while ago.

***

Audrey sniffled as she longingly looked through her photos app. What should have been a quick search for a reaction GIF in response to a text turned into a five-minute-and-counting doomscroll through memory lane. Her camera roll was littered with carefree bathroom selfies and goofy party photos, both of which predominantly featured Vanessa within them.

It seemed like such a simple time back then. Even when Audrey was afflicted with the virus and undergoing changes, the actual conflicts she faced amounted to little more than a misunderstanding and a shitty guy using his status as a prolific actor to score. Now, the odds seemed insurmountable to Audrey. Vanessa was freaking floating! There’s no way she’d be able to replicate something like that! Vanessa could walk all over Audrey if she wanted.

Tears breached her ducts as a blurry video of the two of them drunkenly singing karaoke together at a party surfaced. Audrey recalled how the last thing she wanted was to get up on that stage, yet Vanessa insisted and insisted until Audrey eventually caved. That night was a highlight of her entire life.

There was a knock at the door, probably another one of Vanessa’s desperate fans. Audrey had half a mind to just ignore it entirely, that was, until she heard the sound of a familiar voice on the other side.

“Audrey? Are you in there? I know this door’s meant to keep out sound but I’m pretty sure you have super-hearing, right?”

The door opened soon afterwards, with both the dorm and Audrey’s face appearing to be in disarray. Yet, as soon as her eyes caught a glimpse of the pound of chocolate within Brian’s arms with the words “I’m sorry” engraved into the rich cocoa, the iciness within her soul melted immediately.

“Audrey, you were right. Vanessa was trying to undermine you on every front. I shouldn’t have played devil’s advocate when you were in such a vulnerable mental state. All I hope is that you can forgi—”

Audrey accepted his apology in the form of a passionate kiss. Then two passionate kisses. Then a perpetually increasing amount that Brian quickly lost count of.

Pretty soon, the two were hanging out on the couch Vanessa has found herself sleeping upon many times, exchanging jokes and generally enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t long before the conversation transitioned into anecdotes about their days, with Brian bringing up the strange instance of Vanessa posing for Kevin.

“Giles though? Seriously? They actually seem to be in a relationship?” Audrey replied in disbelief.

“That’s the only explanation of their behavior that I could find.”

“I suppose that tracks,” Audrey remarked, chuckling to herself. “If anyone could have a perpetual bad taste in guys, it would be Vanessa.”

Brian chuckled along, but the developing jovial mood didn’t last much longer after that.

“Right, Vanessa… that habit of hers… You’ll think she’ll ever grow out of that? Or is she doomed to be your boss’ armchair for the rest of her life?”

“Who knows… who knows…” Brian replied, scratching his chin, deep in thought.

“Oh well, I suppose all that matters at the end of the day is if Vanessa’s happy with him. After all, he’s just some bookworm science nerd. Surely, there’s no way he could be worse than Patton Robertson!"