Lumbear-Jack Drones
I made this for an event called Hypno bear week
it was funny to write but I have the feeling it was a little lack of furry moments
Jack was a slim and average heigh man who saw an ad about a job offer. The company named 'Forest Darest Inc.' wanted people willing to move to a forest for a seasonal work, they offered a full cover plan: hostage, food, health services and a handsome payment. The bad side was the lack of information in the web about the company. It seemed to be new on the bussiness. Jack had serious feelings about something fishy in everything; but, who can refuse a job offer with many positive points? Specially when you love trees and nature, and you just lost your job.
To increase all suspicious, the interview was at a new building, in a minimalistic decorated office. Everything in the air said 'phantom enteprises', 'smells like a threat'; however Jack made his best to get the job. What made him low his defences was that nobody asked any payment or something like "If you bring people you will grow up inside the scheme". The guy who made the job interview was a big man, his name was Maximus, he had strong arms and chest, his belly was round but firm, like a barrel. He resembled like a bear. The guy made the classic questions: if he lived alone, how much money he used to earn, how many people depended of him, single or married, sexual orientation, if he lived with somebody...
Everything was right and two days later he was called by phone. The big man told him he got the job. Jack recieved an E-mail with instructions and a prepaid bus ticket to a very far place, he knew it was in a forest, so, he wouldn't be communicated, no internet, no TV, no phone calls. Anyway, he didn't have many friends nor family, and the ones he have aren't used to call him frequently. He did as instructed and found the point of meeting descripted in the E-mail of Maximus. There, he met other 9 men, probably they were going to be his new coworkers. The 10 men awaited for 15 minutes, some of them started to panic but when a truck arrived they were calm again. Maximus apologized for getting late and told them they were going to change their lives totally. Maximus picked them up and took them to the facility with all speed.
Jack and the other men thought they would do a job protecting the forest but they shared worried glances when they arrived to an abandoned sawmill complex. Some of them wanted to complain but one remembered them they signed a contract, so they couldn't quit or they would be demanded. Maximus did set them in small rooms and told them they would be very well rewarded for accepting this oportunity. After some arrangements the new workers would have a diner before bed. All and every one of the new (and only) workers cleaned their places, unpacked and tried their comfortable beds. The night was long and some of them got out their rooms to chat a little, included Jack.
Jack found strange that many, or all, of his coworkers had the same profile: single-handed, renting, with little communication with other people and very few relatives. In one hand he thought Maximus could be a psycho men-hunter, in the other, he felt like he belonged and he could make some friends, very comprehensive friends. Other strange thing was that it seemed like Maximus was the only worker in that place, no other showed his or her face, at that moment.
They were called and lid to a table like a picnic in another room. This time, Maximus was with other guy, that guy was like a black bear, strong, with a big belly, thick arms and legs, his name was Cletus. Cletus was the cooker and Maximus took the role of waitress, every dish had fish and berries served with an exotic sauce. The food smelled good but it tasted a little strong. Once everybody finished all the food, first they felt very good, after they felt tired and one by one they returned to their little rooms. After the last one left the picnic room Maximus grined deviously while the eyes of Cletus became glassy and unfocused.
Jack went to sleep with a feeling of a new porpouse in life. After an hour, when he fell in a deep sleep, a couple of speakers apeared in a wall, from them came white noise, but hidden was heard a husky voice, this voice sounded so relaxing and commanding at the same time. A voice too hard to ignore. That voice said he was a good bear, he was a hard worker and he felt pleasure obeying his superiors. That voice told him Maximus was his superior and he must be obeyed. Meanwhile some minor changes occurred in the Jack's body. His arms swelled, his chest and back expanded, his legs went shorter and stronger and his neck grew some more muscles.
The next morning all the new workers woke up eatly, at 6:30 am, they were fresh and ready to do their best, but the awaited patiently until somebody gave them some kind of order, maybe a call or an alarm. Maximus spoke by a speaker, that was the sign, Jack and the others went to a plane area between their rooms and the place where they ate last night. All men formed a line and Maximus showed his face. He walked in front of them and everybody paid attention. Maximus instructed all the new workers to do exercises, walk around and to make lifts to random logs placed across the camping. Nobody tried to protest, everything was in order despite of the futile that it looked.
Jack was unconfortable but he refused to question nor to complain, after all: "Maximus was superior, Maximus must be obeyed". At 13:00 they were called to the picnic room and they ate fish, berries and sauce. After the meal they did as instructed and at 18:00 Cletus and Maximus gave them a strange dish, nobody refused to eat it, nobody complained, because "Maximus was superior, Maximus must be obeyed". Between jokes Jack said to all he was getting used to that flavors and he felt like he was becoming a bear.
At night, he and the other 9 went to their room. Jack didn't noticed his body changes; his arms, hands and wrists swollen; his chest, tummy and back expanded; and his legs too. This time, few patches of fur grew in random places on his body. The hidden speakers apeared again, with the white noise and the calming voice that suggested, and commanded Jack and the others to be good bears. After all, a good bear is an obedient bear.
The next morning was the same, every human (?) was ready to be called. Once Maximus commamded to be out of their places they lined up. This time, the group was less noisy, not many had the wish to chat with the others. Today was going to be the same, exercises until the breakfast, more futil chores before dinner, and more walking before dinner and sleep time. Jack had to obey because "Maximus was superior, Maximus must be obeyed". Some of Jack's coworkers looked out of themselves, just doing what they are told, the others barely noticed the changes in their own bodies. All and every new worker were 4'' taller, many pounds heavier and stronger, included Jack.
All males went to rest and they recieved a new dosis of brainwashing while they were sleeping. That night they grew more and they reached their final size. But some new changes were going to happen the next days. When they woke up next morning, only Jack and other 3 had a 'normal' attitude, the other men had glassy eyes, their stare was unfocused, they had rigid movements, like robots. Anyway, nobody spoke, nobody wanted to talk, nobody did other things but what they were commanded. Maximus were proud of the behavior of all the workers and he gave them a new set of commands.
That day they carried logs from one place to other to count them and then to store them to another place. That was a dumb instruction but no one complained. All big strong male did as they were told. Jack and the others looked unrecognabled, at least 5'' taller, chubbier, stronger and to serious. After the afternoon meal, Maximus lined them and injected them a strange yellow liquid; they were sent to sleep. So all the man-bears marched straight to their rooms. Once every mindless worker was inside his room Cletus went to pick up one worker at a time.
When the moment of Jack arrived, he seemed to regain some conscious. Cletus asked Jack to follow him but Jack showed mild resistance. Cletus said that it was an order of Maximus, and "Maximus was superior, Maximus must be obeyed" so Jack obeyed. They went to a house, got inside and Cletus forced Jack to sit in a chair that looked like one of electric shock of a prision. Maximus appeared and said this was the final step and a new begining. The chief (and only one who was in control) tied Jack with the help of Cletus, placed a mini tv in front of Jack and injected him for a last time.
In the screen there was an spiral and the deep and commanding voice asking to forget all memories, because Jack must be vanished, and BearWorker07 must exist to serve and obey Maximus. BearWorker07 was an object, a slave, something to be owned and programmed. Meanwhile the face of the former human changed and dismorphed. The mouth and the nose became a snout of a canine predator, then became more an ursine mouth. His nose went black and like leather. His ears moved at the top of former-Jack's head, they got smaller and rounded. Fur did spread acros and around all his skin. After 30 minutes there on the chair was an anthropomorphic bear, with no thoughts, with no will, only the desire to do what his owner comanded.
After the success of the experimentation, Maximus, checked the 10 bears, all lined, they wore the classic outfit of a lumberjack. Every bear looked straight a head, with unfocused stares, they stood ramrod with arms at their sides. He had been checked how efficiently the bear-drones worked.
Maximus had plans, meanwhile he would rent the bear drones to a company of wood furniture. Maybe he could try to make guard dogs.