Silver Catsuits — Day 2
Tuesday Morning — The Confidant
Jane barely slept. The scene replayed endlessly in her mind as she tried—and failed—to find any rational explanation for what she had witnessed.
Early the next morning she dragged herself to the campus coffee shop. Her best friend Kate, a STEM grad student, was already there.
“Jane? Never seen you up this early. What miracle dragged you out of bed?”
Jane sat down, still visibly shaken. “Very funny, Kate. I didn’t sleep well.” She took a breath, eyes shifting nervously. “Do you know a blonde professor, about forty, shoulder-length hair, with a lab in the basement of the science building?”
“That sounds like Professor Hera Sinclair. Materials Science. I took one of her classes as an undergrad. She’s very strict. Why? A psych grad student has no reason to be in her orbit.”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but this is what I saw last night.” Jane recounted every detail.
Kate listened, eyes widening, then narrowing with concern. She reached across the table and squeezed Jane’s hand.
“Jeez, Jane... that sounds insane. Sinclair is intense, but this?”
“Kate, it was messed up. That suit did something to her—and the other two. I think she’s controlling them.”
Kate opened her laptop. “Let me check something first...” After a few minutes of typing, she turned the screen. “A few years ago she published a paper on a new wearable polymer that monitors vital signs in real time. She even suggested it could send signals to the wearer. It’s fascinating stuff.”
“So theoretically, those catsuits could be made from her material—and actually control people?” Jane asked.
Kate sighed. “Theoretically, yes. But mind-control suits are a whole different level from what she described. Her paper talked about mild electrical nudges for heart patients.”
At that moment, Maria Costa walked into the coffee shop. Her movements were stiff and mechanical, almost robotic. Silver glinted at her ankles where the catsuit peeked out beneath her clothes. When she ordered her coffee, her voice was flat and monotone.
Jane nearly poked Kate, but her friend was already staring intently.
“That’s Maria Costa—the girl I saw last night on the gurney,” Jane whispered. “Tell me that’s normal behavior.”
Kate watched Maria carefully. “Agreed. That’s... odd.”
“I have to do something. If Sinclair is doing this to students, I’d never forgive myself if I just looked the other way.”
“Look, we need to be smart,” Kate said. “Don’t tell anyone else yet. It could ruin your career if you’re wrong—or get you in serious trouble if you’re right. I’ll help you figure this out. We’re in this together.”
“Thanks, Kate. We need solid evidence. And we should keep an eye out for anyone wearing those silver ‘boots.’”
Kate closed her laptop and stood. “I need to get to class. I’ll dig deeper into Sinclair’s research and quietly check on her inner circle. Keep a low profile. Let’s meet later today.”
Jane returned to her dorm and tried to nap. Knowing Kate had her back made the nightmare feel slightly more manageable.
Tuesday Night—The Plan
Jane arrived at the library as evening fell. She had texted Kate after lunch to meet and discuss next steps, but Kate had taken a long time to reply—unusually long, even for her busy schedule. Jane’s paranoia had only grown in the meantime.
Everywhere she looked she saw them: three students walking in perfect lockstep with rigid posture and silver boots on the way back to her dorm; a small table of two more at lunch in the cafeteria; one unnaturally focused student in her afternoon grad seminar; even now, a girl in the library corner sat bolt upright, turning pages with mechanical precision—silver boots visible beneath her jeans.
Jane spotted Kate approaching and instinctively checked her friend’s feet. Black boots. Normal enough. Still, something about Kate’s posture as she walked over felt a fraction too composed after such a long day.
“Hi Jane... I found a bunch of stuff for us to go through—”
“What’s with the boots, Kate?” Jane cut her off, heart skipping.
“Jeez, paranoid much?” Kate laughed lightly. The sound was warm, familiar. “I’ve had these since freshman year. Don’t you the party last year?” She pulled up a photo on her phone showing the two of them. Kate was wearing the exact same black boots.
Jane squinted at the image. She didn’t the footwear—between the drinking and the chaos of that night, details were fuzzy. “Sorry. I’m seeing silver boots everywhere. It’s not just the three from the lab. There are way more.”
“I get it, Jane. Just try to keep a cool head. We’re best friends, ?” Kate’s tone was steady, almost soothing in its calmness.
“So what did you find?” Jane asked.
Kate opened her laptop and showed Sinclair’s faculty page. “I checked her listed inner circle—twelve grad students. Every single one of them has the silver boots and that same robotic vibe.”
“Isn’t that risky? What if she notices you snooping?”
“I’m a STEM grad student who basically lives in the science building. My being there is completely normal. I just happened to be ‘working’ on my laptop in the lounge while keeping an eye out.” Kate’s answers came smoothly.
Jane studied the faculty page and an idea struck her. “Sinclair told Maria to report to her afternoon lecture. According to this, she teaches Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:00 to 2:50.”
Kate raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“I want to talk to Maria afterward. See what’s left of her. Maybe I can get through to her and learn something useful. I know exactly where she’ll be at 2:50 tomorrow.”
“Bold plan,” Kate said, her voice carrying a note of measured approval. “But you might draw Sinclair’s attention. We still don’t know how deep this goes, and talking to one person isn’t hard evidence.”
Jane kept scanning the page. “She also has a grad evening class at 7 PM. Her TAs will almost certainly be there helping.”
Kate looked surprised. “How does that help us get evidence?”
Jane flashed a mischievous grin. “Her TAs will have keys to the office or the lab. One of us ‘accidentally’ bumps into them right before the 7 PM lecture, and the other quietly borrows the keys. While Sinclair is teaching, she won’t be in either location.”
Kate still looked worried. “I don’t know, Jane. This feels reckless. It all hinges on lifting someone’s keys without them noticing.”
“You’ve seen how robotic and stiff they are. I can test the waters with Maria first and see how aware she still is.”
Kate’s expression remained concerned. “I still think this is a bad idea.”
“Do you have a better one? I can’t just sit around waiting while more people get converted. Everywhere I look, there’s another pair of silver boots. Can I count on you, Kate?”
“Affirmative,” Kate replied without hesitation.
Jane’s paranoia spiked. “Affirmative? What was that?”
Kate grinned playfully. “Isn’t that what secret agents say on missions?”
Jane managed a small smile, pushing down the uneasy flutter in her stomach. “Let’s work out the details over text.”