After placing down his food, the magical floating plate moved out of the way. Aster followed it with his gaze before turning to the food before him.
As he requested, it was a light meal composed of creamy chicken rice soup, two buttered toasts, and vegetable juice. It wasn't much of a meal, but it should be just right for his famished body.
But as he was looking at the food, he suddenly remembered how he was currently 2500 years into the "future." He couldn't be sure if humans' taste buds still work the same!
"It looks... normal, though." He muttered after careful observation.
He reached for the spoon and dipped it into the creamy white soup, getting half a spoon full. Then, he brought it slowly to his lips and, with grim determination, closed his eyes and...!
*Gulp!*
"...~!"
Despite his preparation for the worst, he was surprised in a good way. As its name implied, the soup was creamy and mild, passing through his throat gently. The mix of herbs gave it a refreshing aftertaste, urging him to dip his spoon and have another!
Before he noticed what he was doing, the soup had already been reduced to half.
"Ah, I gotta try the toast first."
He put down his spoon and reached for the toasted bread. He could tell it was crunchy from picking one up alone! He brought it to his mouth and took a small bite, chewing slowly. The sweetness of butter mixed with the bitter, slightly burnt parts of the toast, playing a complex melody of flavors!
Perhaps his hunger made everything taste better, but soon enough, his soup and toast were finished. Left with only the glass of light green vegetable juice, he picked it up and took a cautious sip.
"...!"
And... it tasted as he imagined it. Like vegetables placed roughly in a blender and dumped into a glass. Although it was "healthy," he would not willingly drink one when given a choice.
Not wanting to leave anything behind, he closed his eyes tight as he chugged its contents in one go. He was thinking that the shorter the time he suffered, the better!
"Uegh...!"
No matter how fast he drank it, what tastes bad will taste bad. He felt a wave of nausea but managed to keep everything down. After a moment, the discomfort subsided, and he exhaled in relief.
Staring at the empty dishes, he made a mental note: "I should ask for a different juice next time."
---
After finishing his breakfast, Dr. Zell returned just in time and led him back to the laboratory. This time, instead of the massive MRI-like machine, Aster was directed towards a peculiar-looking pod.
"I'm going to... enter this?" He asked, eyeing the pod with slight apprehension.
It looked like the egg case of that hateful black insect, who liked to crawl on dark corners of your home, evoking a sense of reluctance to enter in him. Although, of course, it's of a pure white color instead of being close to burgundy red.
Dr. Zellbrook nodded with a faint smile before patting his backside.
"Don't worry, it's safe. We gotta do something with your skinny body first, or else you might not be able to endure the rest."
"..."
Unfortunately, Officer Helvetica was away, so he couldn't ask for a second opinion. He sighed before moving toward the weird pod and getting stopped by the doctor. "Ah, please strip first before entering."
'Well, of course...' he thought.
After removing his patient gown and the new pair of boxers he was wearing, he carefully laid down the diagonally oriented pod. It felt almost as if he were entering another cryogenic capsule for once, so he gradually relaxed.
After the doctor pressed a few buttons, the lid began to close as a facemask covered his mouth and nose. As that happened, he started to have a bad feeling about it.
"Well then, let's begin." The doctor announced, not paying attention to Aster's expression.
Following his words, green liquid started to stream inside, pouring from small vents at the bottom of the pod. "I knew it!" Aster exclaimed as he tried to calm his breathing.
The reason? He was scared of getting submerged from head to toe in water. It was almost close to giving him aquaphobia, in fact. His heart rate started to spike as he started to hyperventilate.
Of course, Dr. Zell noticed the weird readings on his heart rate, sweating, and eye movements. However, he decided that it was within "acceptable range" and continued.
"...!"
As soon as the water level reached his shoulder, he started to have muscle spasms while trying to keep his head above. However, of course, the entire container was designed to get filled to the brim with liquid, so it was a futile exercise.
As the water reached his ears, his vision started to black out, and he fainted.
"Good. As predicted." Dr. Zell nodded before proceeding. "Better than having him flail around, I guess."
After pressing another button, the inside of the pod started to move. The inner walls turned into countless pointed syringes, each ranging from two to five inches long. The sight of it alone could most probably trigger someone's aichmophobia.
Then... the modification began.
A few hours later, Aster stirred once more. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was back in his previous bed inside the hospital. Looking outside the window, the sun was still shining brightly. He was out for only three hours, as it was barely noon.
"What happened..." He raised his body, holding his aching head.
As he did, he caught sight of a bulky arm and did a double take. "Huh?" He checked it once more, turning toward his right arm, and found that it was more "meaty" than before.
Confused, Aster moved the blanket covering half of his body and saw that his previously skin-and-bones build was replaced with firm muscles, without any flaws. "Is this... real?" He doubted what he was seeing.
Before he fainted, he should've been skin and bones, and now he looked as fit as a fiddle!
"What happened, really?"
He asked once more, but nobody was present to answer his question.
*DING!*
Again, right as he woke up, the soft ring of the notification rang, telling him that another visitor had come. The person, without even waiting for a reply, entered immediately before turning to him and smiling.
"You look tougher now, Mr. Aster." He exclaimed with a friendly smile.
The one who entered was none other than Officer Helvetica!
"Officer!" Aster called in surprise. "I, I'm not sure what happened either. When I woke up, I'm like this."
"Ah, did you faint, perhaps?" Helvetica muttered with a wry smile. "Well, that pod would make even a grown man cringe, after all." He added.
"Eh...?"
Aster was surprised. "So there's that many people scared of getting submerged nowadays?" He thought.
Ignorance is bliss, as they say.