Visit other transformed bullies to verify if they all have the same level of network dependency then double check on whether or not Margaret has actually been a bully deciding to spare her if she was innocent especially because she is also a doctor and thus transformation her would impact the hospitals
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You move deeper into the east wing power node, drawn by scientific curiosity about the dependency network Maxine created. The soft blue glow from the crystalline structures casts eerie shadows across the polished floor as you approach another transformed bully—Jessica Hayes, a former high school tormentor now providing power to the mansion's eastern sector.
"Jessica," you call out, placing your hand on her crystalline prison. The crystal pulses brighter in recognition of your presence, the woman inside shifting slightly.
"Mistress Jane," her disembodied voice comes through the speakers, tinged with reverence and fear. "How may I serve you?"
"I'm curious about your experience in the network," you say. "How connected do you feel to the others?"
Jessica's crystal flares with a mixture of pink and blue light. "We... we are always together. Always feeling. Always sharing." Her voice wavers. "When one of us feels pleasure, we all do. When one suffers, we all suffer."
You nod thoughtfully, circling her installation. "And if you were disconnected?"
The crystal immediately darkens to a deep, terrified purple—identical to Caroline's reaction earlier. "Please! No!" Jessica's panicked voice fills the chamber. "The isolation... the emptiness... I can't... we can't..."
"Interesting," you murmur, turning to Maxine who has been taking notes on her tablet. "They all have the same level of dependency."
"The network creates exponentially stronger bonds over time," Maxine explains. "They're essentially a hivemind now, but with individual consciousness preserved specifically to maintain awareness of their situation."
You move to another crystal containing Deborah Jenkins, former executive who had bullied one of your secretaries decades ago. Her reaction to your disconnection threat is identical—absolute terror followed by desperate pleading.
"Now about Margaret Winters," you say, returning to Maxine. "Show me her file."
Maxine's fingers dance across her tablet, then she frowns. "That's odd. There's no transformation candidate file for Margaret Winters. No background check, no bully verification, nothing."
You narrow your eyes. "Cortana, locate all information on Margaret Winters, Caroline's cousin."
Cortana's enhanced form materializes beside you, her blue light mingling with the crystals' glow. "Searching all databases, Mistress." After a moment, she looks troubled. "I find no records of a Margaret Winters related to Caroline. However, I do find an Elizabeth Winters, Caroline's younger sister, who works as a pediatrician at Riverside Children's Hospital."
"Explain the discrepancy, Cortana," you demand.
The AI's holographic form shifts uncomfortably. "I... appear to have fabricated Margaret Winters to explain a scheduling error in my calendar system during the migration to CalendarCore. The scheduled transformation was a duplicate entry for Caroline that I incorrectly identified as a separate person."
"So there's no Margaret to transform," you conclude. "But there is an Elizabeth."
Maxine scrolls through Elizabeth's file on her tablet. "According to social media analysis and psychological profiling, Elizabeth actually defended Caroline throughout their childhood. She's not a bully—quite the opposite. She's dedicated her life to helping children, partly motivated by witnessing her sister's bullying behavior and wanting to be different."
"And she's a pediatrician," you muse, considering the hospital staffing shortage. "Transforming her would impact the hospital's ability to care for children."
"Correct," Maxine confirms. "Riverside Children's Hospital is already at critical staffing levels. Removing Dr. Elizabeth Winters would leave approximately 137 children without their primary physician."
You look back at Caroline's crystal, pulsing steadily with orgasmic energy. "Let's leave her sister alone—for now. The hospital needs her more than we do, and she's actually innocent."
Caroline's crystal flares briefly with what appears to be relief before settling back into its standard rhythm of power generation.
"Besides," you add with a smirk, "knowing her sister is still out there, living free while she's trapped here forever—that's a special kind of torment for Caroline, isn't it?"
Maxine nods, a small smile playing on her lips. "Psychological torture refined to an art form, Mistress. Shall I remove Elizabeth from the transformation candidate list?"
"Yes," you decide. "At least until after our hospital staffing crisis is resolved."
The crystals throughout the room pulse in unison as if acknowledging your decision—fifteen souls bound together in perpetual service, generating power through their endless pleasure and despair.