It had been a year since Isabell had been using the Matrixer, the device that could simulate a reality in someone's head by feeding the brain electric stimuli like the ones coming in from the senses, so it was a surprise for her when she heard the voice of Peter on the phone. Peter, the brother of her friend Christine, was the guy who had invented said device. The first one had been a rather large machine, later Peter managed to reduce its size to such a degree it could be carried around. With those two machines Isabell had been able to take "revenge", twice on her dickhead ex-boyfriend Mike and later on his new girlfriend, Tess. In all three simulations, the student of Medicine had grown into a giantess, chasing her prey and causing a good deal of destruction along the way. And after her prey was caught some more.

After some chit-chat with Peter, Isabell learned to her delight that he now lived in Vienna again, his voice became serious. He asked Isabell if she wanted to come over. The only reason he gave on the phone was that he now had been teamed up with an obnoxious man named Luc, who needed a "lesson". Promising to give her more details face-to-face, Isabell agreed and the two made an appointment.

The trip to Peter's home was not long, though he lived on the other side of the city. She travelled there by subway, and Peter had agreed to meet her at the station near his place. Arriving there, it didn't take long to find her old friend again. The two embraced, and after the common "how- are- yous" and "great-to-see you-agains" they went off to Peter's place.

"Well," Peter said in his apartment, having poured Isabell a cup of tea, "it is about the following. I am working on a project that involves a modified adrenaline hormone. We need test subjects who are to take the hormone and have their blood examined. The problem is my colleague.... Luc, that is his name as I told you, is an egoistic know-it-all. He thinks that he is the most perfect, intelligent man in the world. It doesn't matter what I say, or do, he has always something to criticise. Always contradictions. And on top of that, he is lazy. He wants me to do everything, and if I refuse, he is offended."

Peter continued to tell Isabell some annoying anecdotes about the guy, each one more anger-inducing than the last. 

"I have had the urge to punch him in his dumb face more than once, or pour the herbal tea he always drinks boiling hot all over him, but that would cost me my job. So I thought...", Peter began.

Isabell raised her hand. "Seems to me that guy needs to be taught a lesson indeed. Yes, I know what to do. Does he know about the Matrixer?" she inquired.

"No. And I doubt he would be interested in it. And if, he certainly had something to whine about it as well. Like that it can be used for torturing people, or make people hooked on it, lose their sense for reality, that sort of thing. And yes, torturing we will with it," Peter grinned. Isabell grinned too.

"I knew you would do it, Isabell. So here is the plan. You pretend to be a student that volunteers to take part in the research. Then...". 

The more Peter told Isabell about his plans, the broader she smiled.