Listening carefully at the metal walls of the cylinder, Karyn finally heard Eric and Keith describe the experiment they were going to do.
"Now that we have the stone," said Eric, "we don't need to wait. If you need a big metal tube of sand to test vibration dampening, just wish the tube was full of sand. Brooke, get us the stone from the closet."
"Of course!" said Karyn's girlfriend. "You know how I love doing what you say!"
Karyn, hearing this, was aghast. If Brooke gave them the stone and they used it to materialize sand inside the cylinder--Karyn would suffocate instantly. She knocked off the lid and tried to climb out onto a group of boxes that the cylinder had been placed next to. She'd be instantly seen, but she had no choice at all. The cylinder just wasn't safe any more.
"Brooke?" she said. "Help me!"
"Karyn, you came to help me..." said Brooke and started to walk towards Karyn as she was climbing out.
"The stone! Give me the stone now, Brooke!" exclaimed Keith. "We need to stop Karyn! You have to do it, you like doing what we tell you to."
Brooke stopped. She looked between Karyn and the two scientists. Tears began to run down her face. "Oh, I so like obeying their orders... Karyn, help me! I can't stop myself!" She took a step towards the scientists, hesitantly, then another.
Meanwhile Karyn had managed to climb out of the cylinder and onto the boxes. They were made of cardboard and mostly empty, and they promptly collapsed under her, leaving Karyn stumbling into a crushed pile of cardboard.
The expression on Brooke's face changed momentarily to concern for Karyn. She stopped and turned around to look at the crash. "Karyn?" she asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Karyn. "You're the one who I'm trying to rescue... just give me the stone. Brooke, you don't have to obey these people. I don't know what they did to you but you can't love them like you do me... you're only doing what they say because they zapped you with something! Resist it!"
Brooke hurried towards Karyn, ready to run into the arms of her girlfriend and lover, but Eric yelled at her. "Brooke! Give us the stone right now!"
"As you command," said Brooke. "As-- as--" She collapsed on the floor. "No, I don't want to! I say I want to but it's all your experiments! You're treating me like a slave in here!"
"I'm not giving you a choice," said Eric. "I'm telling you. Give me the stone, now. You have to."
Brooke got up and....
