The Device

The box was small and black, with a shiny red button in the exact middle. The parcel had arrived on the doorstep of a flat in London earlier that morning, but the occupants had only just decided to open it up. It had arrived in an unmarked cardboard box, wrapped in pure-black wrapping paper that felt like velvet against the skin.

At first, Teegan had wanted to leave it outside, alone in the dank, musty hallway. Their flat sat on the ground floor where there was the most foot traffic, and there was always a likelihood that someone had left their post at the wrong door. But that had been six hours ago, and the nobody had come back for the package. There were no new or suspicious cars in the car park outside, either. In fact, with everything locked down, there hadn't been much in the way of traffic at all recently.

Oliver had convinced Teegan to bring the parcel inside and unwrap it. If it was something of questionable legality they could always dump it in the bin behind the building.

And so now they sat next to each other on their sunk-in couch, looking at the peculiar box on the chipped coffee table with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.

"I mean, there's a button. Button's do something. Otherwise there wouldn't be a button." Oli repeated the sentiment for the fifth time. He ran his hands through his sandy hair.

"But what does it do?" Teegan leaned forward and picked the box up. It was heavy and smooth, with sharp corners. The black metal contrasted against his dark skin as he moved it around to examine it.

"Hell if I know. I don't think I even want to find out. What if it's a weapon, man? What if you push that button and the whole block falls down on—"

"The fuck are you on about it being a weapon?" Teegan looked over at his friend. The man was rubbing his hands anxiously and seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else. "Why would someone drop a bomb off on our doorstep?"

"Why would someone drop that off on our doorstep? I mean, look at it! That looks expensive, mate. It's heavy and metal and clean, with a button that does— wait, what are you doing? Don't press it!"

Teegan ignored Oli and kept playing with the button. There was something off about the whole thing. For the majority of the button's round perimeter it sat a millimeter or two off from the box, but in this one little section it was flush with it. Was there something there? He ran his fingernail along underneath the button and felt a satisfying click as his nail caught and pulled on something.

"What did you just do?" Oli looked like he was ready to make a run for it.

"Chill out, mate. There was a lever underneath. Check it." Teegan held the box out for Oli to inspect. The red button was now raised a few centimeters off the box, the lever obviously being a release of some sort. For a brief moment, Teegan was reminded of the process of pulling a pin to prime a grenade, but he shrugged it off.

Tentatively, Oli took the box. Teegan though he held it much the same way he'd hold a stray cat— touching the least amount of it as possible and trying not to get flayed. "That's weird. Why did it... Agh!"

Oli tossed the device onto the table and leapt off the couch, pointing at the black box accusingly. "It moved! It buzzed or something!"

Teegan frowned, "Moved? What—?

But then it moved again. A slight whirring noise came from it and Teegan saw it buzz like a mobile phone. "What did you do, Oli?!" he began to get up off the couch, afraid the thing was about to explode.

"Nothin'! I swear!"

And then, all of a sudden, a bright, silent flash exploded from the thing, blinding them. Teegan swore and fell back down onto the couch, covering his eyes. When he opened them, spots of color swam in his vision. He blinked, "Oli! You okay?"

"Yeah! What the hell was that?!"

"Not a clue." He rubbed at his eyes and looked to see what was happening with the box, but it hadn't moved again. Then a voice, or, rather, what sounded like a mixture of voices, rang out.

"HELLO. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT."

"What's it on about, Teeg?" His flatmate was looking at him for some sort of support, but Teegan had nothing but confusion on his face.

"IN THE PAST THE COMPANY WOULD DELIVER BOXES LIKE THIS TO STRANGERS, PROMISING THEM ONE MILLION POUNDS IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SIMPLE PRESS OF A BUTTON. YOU GET RICH... AND SOMEONE DIES."

"Holy shit!" Teegan exclaimed. Everyone'd heard the stories. Individuals getting rich overnight for no reason, claiming stories of just that same scenario happening. Last year a journalist had tried to uncover something about it, only she went silent after a while. Some said she'd died, and others said she'd received a box of her own and had decided on pressing the button herself. Either way, Teegan knew this was serious shit.

"WE NOW KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE SITUATIONS. WELCOME TO THE NEW EXPERIMENT. BE HAPPY THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST TO PARTICIPATE."

"What 'experiment'?" whispered Oli, skittishly approaching.

"ONCE THIS MESSAGE ENDS, THERE WILL BE SIXTY SECONDS FOR ONE OF YOU TO PRESS THE RED BUTTON ON THIS DEVICE. IF ONE OF YOU PRESSES THE BUTTON, CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE JUST WON THE LOVER OF YOUR DREAMS. OUR TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSFORM REALITY TO WEAVE A NEW ONE INTO EXISTENCE WHERE YOUR FLATMATE IS YOUR IDEAL LOVER. THEY WILL HAVE A NEW IDENTITY, NEW CREDENTIALS, AND A PERMANENT MONTHLY STIPEND. IF THIS TIMER REMAINS UNACTIVATED AFTER THE SIXTY SECONDS ARE UP, YOU WILL BOTH MEET THE SAME FATE FOR OTHER INDIVIDUALS. YOUR MINUTE STARTS NOW."

Teegan blinked. Transform reality? Lover of my dreams? What does that even mean? He ran his hands through his short, curly hair and stared at the box, trying to register what the message had just said.

Across the room, Oli had frozen. Then, he started laughing hysterically. He was bent over, holding his belly as the laughter poured out of him. "Oh, shit, Teeg! You had me for a second there."

Heart racing, Teegan looked over Oli in confusion. "What?"

But Oli didn't even meet his eye. Once he'd stopped laughing he turned and started walking toward the fridge. "Good, God, how much did a device like that cost you?"

Realization dawned on him. "Oli, I'm not having a go at you. I didn't buy this."

Oli shut the fridge door and opened the can of beer he'd pulled out. "You expect me to believe that thing is real?"

"What, did you get it as a prank?"

Mid-sip, Oli shook his head.

"Well then yeah, I'd say it's fucking real."

Oli shook his head again, smiling ruefully. Blond bangs fell into his blue eyes and he brushed them aside. "Nah, mate. I'll not let you get me again. I remember our first term at Uni, you—"

"This isn't Uni!" Teegan knew the minute would be up soon. "And that's not nair in your bloody shampoo bottle, Oli! I don't know where it came from or what—"

"TWENTY."

They both looked at the box.

"FIFTEEN."

Oli laughed again. "Whatever, mate. I don't know what's going to happen when it gets to zero, but I'll not be pushing that button."

"TEN."

Teegan looked between his friend, really his only friend for almost four years now, in disbelief. What was he supposed to do?

"FIVE."

He looked at the box.

"FOUR."

He looked at his friend.

"THREE." The box started buzzing on the table.

He reached over and slammed his palm down on the red button and a flash of white light filled the room.

The flash lasted longer this time, and something like a fine dust filled the air, making Teegan and Oli cough. When they opened their eyes a few moments later, the last few sparkles of some shiny sort of dust had dissipated into the room around them. Teegan idly noticed a lot of it resting on Oliver, and then just... disappear. At the last second before they were gone he noticed some resting on him, too.

"Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of prank was that?" Oli said between coughs. "Was that a glitter bomb? God, it's all in my eyes!"

Teegan didn't know what to say. It did look like his friend had just been enveloped in glitter, but now it was gone. Had it gone into them?

"I'm fucking done, mate." Oli shoved his first and second fingers in the air before heading down the hall. "You're buying take away tonight, you arse. And not that cheap shit you like! I'll text you my order."

A door slammed and he was gone, leaving Teegan sitting stunned and alone in the living room. For a minute, the only sound he could hear was his own heavy breathing. When the voice from the box came again he nearly fell off his seat.

"YOU WILL HAVE ONE HOUR TO FINALIZE THE CHANGES MADE TO YOUR FLATMATE. SIMPLY SPEAK THEM TO THE DEVICE. CHANGES WILL OCCUR GRADUALLY. THE SUBJECT MAY BE AWARE OF THE CHANGES AND WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY."

...

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. THIS DEVICE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS."

--

Teegan studied the black box. The round button was now entirely flush with the rest of the box, so much so that he couldn't even find a seam with his fingernail.

This is nuts. He thought. This can't be real.

But what if it was? What if, in the next hour, his flatmate was going to be turned into his perfect lover? Was there anything he could do to stop it?

Would he try to stop it if he could? Should he?

Sure, Oliver and he went back a ways. They'd studied together— engineering— but other than that... Did they really have that much in common? Yeah, they were friends, but mostly out of necessity. They'd dormed together at Uni for a few years, and had both gotten in as interns at a contractor down the road, but... things hadn't always been comfortable.

Oli had come from some money. He'd grown up in a posh house outside town, while Teegan was from not more than a few kilometers from the inner-city. He'd been the first black person Oli had ever spent significant time around— let alone lived with. It didn't help that Oli had spent a lot of time on holiday in the States with his family in Mississippi, either. Teegan had always tried to be patient with him, because he was aware of his family's prejudices and wanted to change, but there were definitely enough marks against him for their relationship to have cut off plenty of times in the past.

No. Shaking his head to clear it, he got up and walked to where they kept menus on magnets on their fridge. No way this is real, anyways. Just gonna order dinner, shower, and get ready for bed. The stress from the weird box, plus his anxiety about a presentation on Monday, had him knackered to hell and back. Oli had his family to fall back on, but Teegan only had himself. He'd had to work his ass off to get where he was. Oli'd just needed a phone call.

Stop. That wasn't fair. Oli worked hard, too, even if he did get some help from the outside.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the other line.

"Yeah, hi. I'd like to order take away..." Teegan looked at the menu. It was the place Oli liked.

"Sir?"

"Actually, I'm sorry. I think I dialed the wrong number."

"Are you sure? We have take away. Were you looking for—"

Teegan hung up. He looked through the fliers on the fridge for the restaurant he wanted, but couldn't find it. On a whim he checked the rubbish and found it in the bin. That bellend! He pulled it out and stuck it back up on the fridge before dialing the number.

Once he'd ordered dinner from the small, family-owned place he'd been going to for probably decades now, he decided to hop in the shower. All the while, in the back of his mind, the question nagged at him...

Who would my ideal lover be?

--

Oli was pissed. Teeg had expected him to just be fine with that lot of bullshit he pulled earlier today, planting some crack box that blinded him and made him think a bomb was going to go off in their flat, but he was not fine. What a right bastard.

Still, it had been a strange prank to pull. They'd had their share of jokes in the past, but they were supposed to have outgrown that by now. They were working at a proper contractor now, after all. But then again, Teegan had never grown up around professional people. Maybe he just had to grin and bear it and deal with the fact that Teegan was still learning how to be a responsible adult.

In the meantime, he could take a breather. He didn't have any large projects to worry about at work at the moment and could simply enjoy the rest of his Saturday night off. Soon enough he'd have Chinese food on the way and he'd be able to plop down with his desktop and have a nice wank and a good shower.

But, then again, why wait for the food?

He rubbed at his eyes and sat down at his computer. It was on in a flash— he'd spent a bit extra on the CPU for this current build and it was up and loaded by the time he'd looked back up at his monitor.

It was his pride and joy. A thirty-inch, curved monitor with IPS. Did he need it? Not in the slightest. Did it feel good to play games on? Absolutely.

The computer was his like the TV in the other room was his. Teegan stayed with him because Oli was able to buy some nicer things than could usually be found in this block of flats. Sure, they probably wouldn't be able to afford this place without their joint incomes, but still. Oli knew Teegan liked tasting the finer things.

Speaking of finer things... He'd pulled up his favorite subreddit and had begun scrolling through post after post of nubile young women, all with large tits and blond hair. So what if he had a type? After today's bullshit he deserved a bit of a rest.

--

Teegan stepped into the hot shower and let the steam roll down his skin. He bathed regularly after his daily workouts, so there was never much grime to wash off, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the comfort of a steamy wash.

The hot water ran down his face and he scratched at his cheek where an ingrown hair had started to bother him. There'd been fewer of them as of late since he'd started with a safety razor, but any one of them was more than enough.

His thoughts took him elsewhere as he briefly entertained that question itching at the back of his skull. My ideal lover... Interesting that it hadn't just said "woman" or "wife". Lover. Not a partner, no. Something different.

Lover.

He felt a stirring in his cock and rubbed it absentmindedly, gripping it at the base between his thumb and forefinger and stretching it out. Then he stopped. Keep your head about you, mate.

The shampoo felt nice as he rubbed it against his scalp, his fingers scratching away at the dandruff he could never seem to ditch.

Ideal lover...

Dipping under the shower head to rinse, he fumbled blindly for the conditioner. Maybe he didn't really need it, but it felt nice out of the shower. He found it and poured a little in his hand, then teased it through his hair. Now to wait.

My lover...

A shiver ran through his body as he reached for the body wash. Again, did he need it? Nah. But it would feel good. Feel good...

My ideal lover...

What would she look like? He shook his head as he ran the creamy wash over his body. No, what would she be like?

First, she'd need to love him, be totally devoted to him. She'd need to be there for him when he needed her.

My ideal lover...

She'd need to be independent. Somebody with goals— who just got... distracted... around him.

A twinge. His cock was getting harder.

Maybe she could make some money online? Only Fans? Or perhaps as a camgirl... that could be fun to watch.

Lover...

She'd have to be hot if she were a camgirl. Thoughts of sexy, mocha-skinned women flash through his mind.

But no. Oli wasn't black, and there are some things you just can't teach.

Then a thought ran through his head. A pale white girl, like those Irish girls, with bleached hair— totally obsessed with him. Obsessed with his cock... with his skin...

With him.

What if it was real?

He needed to go grab that box.

Not bothering to grab a towel, he let the water drip off his body as he stepped out of the shower and ran through his bedroom. He stopped at the door and peeked out, but Oli hadn't come out from his bedroom yet. Within seconds the box was in his hands and he was on his way back into the shower.

It made sense that the device would be water proof, but he didn't want to risk it and instead of bringing it in left it just outside and propped the shower door open.

Teegan looked at the box, suddenly feeling stupid. This can't be real... He stepped under the spray of water and let it rinse away the conditioner. Suds ran down his body and he closed his eyes, only to be faced with a picture. A woman, younger than he was, with hair that was nearly white. She had striking blue eyes and a curvy frame, with wide hips and a bum made for grabbing at. A sports bra strained to contain her large, perky breasts and her exercise shorts did little but emphasize her thick thighs. Her midriff showed off two lines on either side of her belly— not quite a four-pack, as he liked them with curves to grab, but lines that drew his gaze and directed it downward...

Opening his eyes, he was surprised to be looking down at his hand wrapped around his fully-erect cock. He let go and took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to speak. Small changes first... nothing he'd notice yet. If this was going to work, he'd have to be careful. Maybe even a little forceful.

Then a thought came to him. What if he just... didn't say anything? Would Oli remain Oli?

He shook his head. There's no way the device was real, anyways.

And even if it was...

Teegan cleared his throat, shrugged, and announced on a whim, "My ideal lover... would always be a little bit turned on. And my ideal lover would love black cock, especially my cock."

The device beeped.

--

Oli continued to browse through Reddit. He went through subreddit after subreddit, but nothing was doing it for him. Only a few minutes ago he'd been on the edge, watching a busty brunette do Tik Tok dances, but then all of a sudden he just wasn't interested in it anymore.

On a whim he'd decided he needed something more explicit. Scrolling down the front page of his favorite porn site, he came across his favorite actress— Maria Espenez. She didn't quite fit his niche of busty blonde, but she was special.

He'd stumbled across Espenez months ago and so far she hadn't failed to get him off. The curvy Latina was known for her awesome costumes— the waitress, the maid, the nurse... Oli loved them all. He clicked on the thumbnail that showed her dressed as a cleaning lady.

The video started slowly, with Maria going about cleaning someone's house who obviously wasn't there. She was on her toes, breasts pressed against the glass as she reached for a spot that was juuust out of reach, and then she was hoovering, her shapely legs spread out as she moved back and forth... back and forth... And then she was washing the dishes, water splattering on her collarbone. She's sweating and panting with the effort and undoes a button on her blouse. Why not? No one's home. She grins a little bit— then she drops the plate into the dirty water, sending a fountain of grime up at her and staining her clothes!

Oli laughed as Maria shouted a slew of Spanish swears. She grumbled and finished the dishes before heading to the laundry room, spitting a steady stream of curses. When she gets there she tosses the laundry bin into the wash and then pauses. A blush comes over her face and she rushes out to check the time. She smiles and runs back into the laundry room before taking off her clothes.

The camera moved closer as she unbuttoned her messy blue top and tossed it in with the clothes. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she bent over and pulled off her trousers— letting the camera linger on her bum for a little. Giggling, she removed her bra, letting her breasts bounce free. It got tossed in with the other clothes, followed soon after by her panties, and... why wasn't he hard?