Stephen Cunningham wasn't supposed to be on that bus.

He rarely took the bus to school. His roommate usually picked him up, but today his roommate went to visit his parents, and Stephen's alarm didn't go off. He overslept. He got ready in a hurry, rushed out of the dorm at 8:47, threw an unwashed hoodie over his shoulders, and ran to the bus stop.

The bus pulled up a minute later.

Steven didn't pay attention to the number or the route. He was looking only at his phone, opening a lecture on quantum physics he hadn't finished yesterday. He hopped up on the step, swiped his student ID card at the validator, and plopped down in the nearest window seat.

The bus pulled out.

Only a minute later did Stephen look up and realize: the bus was empty. Absolutely. Not a single passenger. Just him, the driver's cabin behind the tinted glass, and the cloudy, scratched windows.

"Strange," he muttered. "An empty bus at rush hour?"

He wanted to get up and go up to the driver, ask where they were going. But then he felt something strange: his legs wouldn't obey him. Steven looked down. His legs and arms were starting to tingle and go numb.

Steven had time to think, "Cramping? I need more potassium." And then his spine cracked. He let out a cry of surprise. Steven watched as his height increased, his hands changed right before his eyes. His thin, pale fingers thickened, the skin on his palms became rougher. Veins stood out on the backs of his hands. His calves and thighs strained against the fabric of his skinny jeans, and the fabric dug painfully into his crotch—Steven felt himself growing bigger there too. He felt his muscles begin to bulge and grow larger. Not enormous, but still, he was becoming more athletic. His biceps and deltoids grew, straining against the fabric of his hoodie. His back broadened. Rounded pectorals and six-pack abs appeared.

His buttocks rounded out, straining against his jeans so tightly that he could hear the fabric crunch.

"What... what the...?" he choked out in a strange voice. Low. Hoarse.

He jumped up. The pants were his favorite jeans. On his feet were some white sneakers with dirty laces. A bomber jacket replaced his hoodie, and a necklace appeared around his neck. A ball appeared in his hands instead of a phone...

And then he realized: this strange bus. He had to get out...

He ran for the exit. His body was unresponsive. It felt heavier. Broader in the shoulders.

The bus stopped at a traffic light. The doors opened. Stephen tumbled out, sprawled on the pavement, scraping his palms. He jumped up. He ran. He tripped over the curb and fell to his knees in front of a flower shop window. He raised his head. And he saw his reflection in the glass.

A stranger was looking back at him.

Steven had never had red hair. His was dark and long. A boy with a short, sporty red haircut stared back at him in the reflection. A pale, frightened face. The face was still his, but now it looked slightly more masculine.

Steven touched his cheek. The reflection repeated the gesture.

"No," he said. "What happened? How?"

Then Steven felt a slight twinge in his neck, dizziness, and caught a glimpse of two uniformed figures above him.

INCIDENT SUMMARY

Date: May 17, 20■■, City of [DATA EXPUNGED]

A subject named Steven Cunningham was found by agents monitoring the STR-793 anomaly immediately after his transformation. He was tranquilized and brought to the facility. He was interrogated. The subject is fully aware of his personality and memory. He expresses deep concern and anxiety about his new appearance. He notes behavioral and cognitive changes, namely a desire to exercise, a craving for light alcohol, and a desire to get onto the field to play football. He actively suppresses these desires, successfully. He was informed of the threat of information dissemination. Protocol 47 was used to contact civilians. He was released for observation.

RESEARCH PROTOCOLS

[DATE: 08/14/20■■]

SUBJECT: D-4472 (female, 34 years old, weight 72 kg, height 163 cm)

METHOD: Subject instructed to enter STR-793 to test the selectivity hypothesis.

RESULT: After 7 minutes, a man 188 cm tall and weighing ~102 kg of muscle mass exited the bus. When asked, "Do you remember your name?" he replied, "My name is... Margaret," after which he burst into deep baritone tears. After 20 minutes, the subject began performing voluntary push-ups, commenting on his condition.

DURATION OF OBSERVATION: 3 months. Referred to the PSI Threat Unit for further research. Report pending.

4. TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT CONCLUSION

Object STR-793 cannot be destroyed without risk. Two detonation attempts resulted in [DATA EXPUNGED] being released to all personnel within a 500-meter radius. Containment is safe unless the anomaly is interacted with.

Containment protocol recommended: secure parking in Zone [DATA EXPUNGED].