Gerdie carefully placed ten hot water bottles on her bed, then eased herself on top of them. She had never been so sore in her life and she knew why-the machine. She had been lugging it all over town for a week. Every time she turned it on, it sucked all the electricity out of the surrounding area, so she was constantly forced to find new locations to draw power. She guessed that the machine needed the energy to open the doorways to other worlds, but she couldn't wrap her head around the math to fully understand. Once upon a time, her brain had been upgraded with nanobyte technology. Back then there was no mystery she couldn't solve. Oh well. She was still smart enough to make herself beautiful.
"We've both been working hard, and it's time for our reward," she said to the machine, which was propped up next to her bed. "We're both getting makeovers! I'm getting the works and you're going to get smaller and lighter. I know that our real beauty is on the inside, but who can see it through all these layers of ugly?"
She gingerly sat up and scooped her phone off the nightstand. She tapped a few numbers into the keypad and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello, this is the medical office of Thompson and Chase, Plastic Surgeons. How can I help you?"
"I'd like to make an appointment," Gerdie said.
"Very good," the receptionist said. "And exactly what procedure are you interested in?"
Gerdie eyed herself in her mirror. "You name it."
"OK," the receptionist said. "And can you give me your insurance information?"
"No need," Gerdie replied as she gazed around her room. It was filled with golden statues, great works of art, buckets of jewels, and exotic furs she had shoplifted during her trips to other worlds. "I'll be paying in cash."