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Getting a graduate and degree is never easy. It takes years of hard work, study and sheer determination. It doesn't matter what field. Medicine, engineering, psychology, politics ect. They all require you to apply yourself and work hard. Some have a natural skill with this while others come through as less impressive. Could it be laziness? Could it be genetic? Could it be part of your unconscious? It's very hard to determine why these things occur how they do for most people. But that hasn't stopped many thinking about it and one young man believing he found a solution. On his fourth year of university Callum Darlow was putting his I.T. and Psychology skills together for what could be a revolutionary new invention. Callum was a young rabbit of 23. He was doing a mix degree of I.T. and Psychology and specialized in behavior and stimulation. His research has led him into how individuals study. He believes he has found a way through a customized V.R. headset and a special program he made which could help someone study and increase their academic skills. If his theory proved correct a few short minutes in his program could take someone from an underachiever to a top tier scholar. All he needed was someone to test the prototype. With a message posted on some flyers around the university and some smooth talking he put up ads offering extra credit towards a class for their cooperation as well as a small part of any total profits. When money and extra grades were included he quickly snapped up an interested student.                

The university had several labs across the large campus. Callum was able to set up in a small and private room labeled 'Lab 2B'. It was a small room used mainly for small group projects or private experiments with staff permission. Callum had been setting up his little experiment for about fifteen minutes. Callum was a thin guy with light grey fur over most his body but faintly darker on his ear tips. His ears were pointed up for the most part but half way they droop and fold over. He has a small black nose and inquisitive brown eyes. Wearing a black shirt with a gray image of what looks like claw marks and dark navy jeans he was dressed casually for what he hoped would be a groundbreaking experiment. Setting up his laptop on a desk he had it plugged into a wall and on the screen several technical programs and tabs were open. Connected via a USB port was the altered V.R. headset. It was fully black with a smooth casing over it and a head strap to prevent it falling off through motion. Where the headset itself looked like any normal one the programs on it where different. Callum had been studying this for years. Since his last years of high school in fact and through several types of programming and psychology courses he feels like he has found a perfect combo of psychological stimulation and technical timing to make it work. He flicked his phone's screen to check the time. He had a few minutes before his volunteer would be late. This made him nervous even though it was a minor thing. The volunteer was another student. His name was Diego Santigan. He was an engineering student on his second year and found this to be a perfect chance to get some extra credit for his course and also a chance to potentially earn some good cash if this works out and the chance it could help his study was appreciated. Callum spun in his chair looking anxiously at the door. Suddenly the wonderful sound of knocking on glass is heard and leaping to his feet he moves to the door. A thumping excitement in his chest as he prepares to test would could be revolutionary tech.       

The door was rather heavy. Probably due to the metal hinge used for auto closing it and Callum's own nerves. Opening the door he can finally be face to face with his volunteer. He was a tall guy. About six foot tall and with two broad shoulders and open yellow eyes. He was a Green Iguana. His spine had several down pointing spikes moving along it. His body was tall and bulky. He wasn't fully muscular but he had some good bulk and well defined biceps. Wearing a workout singlet that was a clean white, camo shorts and runners. The large lizard smiled down to the rabbit.

"Hola." He says raising his hand to wave. Callum smiles and nods.

"Hey there. Diego correct?" He asked to clarify.

"Si." He responds with a friendly smile. His snout came out more slender then that of a gator or croc but still slightly extended. He looks into the room. "I'm not early am I?" He asks. Callum stands aside to let him in.

"Oh no. I was just thinking." He laughs as the reptile wanders in. He looks around curiously. Seeing the headset he stares at it pondering what it could be.

"So this thing is what we'll be using?" He lifts it. Callum lets go of the door as it pulls shut before clicking in place. He rushes over.

"Oh please don't touch that. It is part of the experiment. The main part actually." He says looking at it once he gets next to the table. "If you don't mind. I would love to get started. I don't mean to rush you just that I've been waiting for this moment for months." He says blushing with excitement." Diego chuckles.

"Don't worry I understand. What would you like me to do?" Callum brings up an office chair.

"Simply sit on that and get comfy. Lean back and get comfortable." He says checking the laptop to make sure everything is working. Diego nods.

"Right. I'll get onto it." He says sitting on the chair and adjusting it back as far as it will go. He wiggles about on the chair positioning himself in the most adequate position. Once he gets comfy he smiles to Callum. "Comfy." He chuckles.   

This was the moment of truth. Callum had been waiting for this to happen for so very long. He waited till the laptop screen had a full bar with the words 'sync complete'. With a grin containing nothing short childlike delight he lifted the VR headset.

"You ready?" He says glancing to the laying Diego. He gave a thumbs up.

"Si. Fire away." He says relaxing into the chair. Callum put over the headset on Diego's eyes. The visor had a faintly blurry red hue on it.

"Oh we just have these too." He grabs a pair of large headphones. Sliding them over his ears he adjust them so they sit around the visor strap. Behind his head. The strap went around and sat behind his neck. Callum rubbed his hands together and lifted the ear piece. "Now I'm going to start. Just sit back and relax. It will feel strange." He puts it down and receives another thumbs up. Callum takes a deep breath and presses play on the program. The screen on the laptop and visor go a brighter red and begin pulsing in liquid like colours. Similar to a lava lamp. Diego takes a deep breath as the sound comes through. It is a slow humming noise with some pulsing undertones. Callum smiles as he sees the program working. He saw Diego's body twist and muscles roll softly. These were fairly common responses to this kind of tech. The program was having the suspected effect. Diego gazed at the screen curious and intrigued. His pupils grew wide as the rhythmic colours and deep sounds erupted onto his senses. His lip quivers as Callum monitors him. Seeing the progress of the program. It was only about three percent through. As Callum watched he had a thought. "Should have gotten some medical gear to monitor him." He sighs. "Maybe I'm over thinking." He shrugs as a million afterthoughts run through his mind. At this moment the one thing which was certain was that the program was working.           

Diego laid back continuing to gaze at the pulsing simulator. The colours moved like liquid and the sounds washed over the lizards mind playing to the effects of the purpose. The purpose of helping one learn. Diego's eyes were wide and pupils dilated as his lip hung open slightly quivering. His arms seemed slightly tense and his biceps tensing for a moment. Callum saw this and wondered. He looked him over and wondered if it was causing discomfort. But then the firm arms relaxed. The scales relaxed and he saw the reptile's body relax. His legs which were a little stiff went limp and loose. His arms soon fell limply on the chairs arms. His shoulders roll over and neck falls loosely and tired. Callum looked at the program and saw it was working as expected at fifteen percent. He couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. He didn't want to take the headset off as it would interrupt the whole process. But then he froze when he realized something. How would he test it? How could he test to see if the program worked. What did he have store for it? He shivered.

"Maybe I didn't think this through." He sighs. Looking onto the laptop he toys with his ears, fidgeting to quell his nerves. Several more minutes went by and looking at the file he saw it was only twenty two percent done. "When watching it through it didn't seem to take this long." He says flicking his ear back and looks to Diego. Standing next to him he notices the lack of movement. His breathing was slow and consistent but seemingly away to make him almost look deceased. He couldn't help but smile seeing the big guy seem so distant in his seat. There was a sudden change of light as the laptop screens glow went from changing colours to a solid blue. Callum's ears perked up as he turned his head curiously. The screen made his eyes go dull and blood run cold. An error message came up. It stated the program had crashed. "No no no." He says trying to get the program to respond. Clicking on the window he waits. It seems to resume but the mouse turns to a spinning icon. The screen goes gray and says 'this program has crashed'. Callum says something under his breath with a scowl. "Damn it. Hope he's ok." He says forcing the program closed and he wanders over to Diego. "You ok?" He says undoing the headphones and pulling them off. "Diego?" He asks seeing no response. Callum tilts his head and wiggles off the VR headset. "You ok there?" He says confused as he see's the Iguana's eyes. Diego's eyes were dull and seemed distant. His pupils seemed larger but shrunk down though the glassiness remained. His mouth was slightly agape and tongue tip loosely hung out the side. This was something Callum didn't expect. Diego seemed distant and unresponsive. He waves his hand in front of his face. "You there?" He says with no response.                 

Callum was in a position he didn't expect. He had this young man named Diego sitting back and seemingly brain dead while his program looked as if it failed. The rabbit started to breath heavily and anxiously.

"This can't be happening." He says fidgeting his hands together. "Diego come on get up." He says as his wide brown eyes glisten with what resembles a deep fear. He sighs and turns around to look at the computer. As he turns a creaking sound is heard and his right ear perks up. He turns. There he saw something he didn't expect. Diego was sitting up. His gaze blank and reptilian tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Callum moved over and looked around his head. He circled the Iguana with a curious look. He waved his hand in front of Diego's head and got no response. His eyes went from fear to curiosity. What had happened. He was sitting here staring blankly forward and not responding. Yet he listened when being told to sit up? This thought was confusing the young Callum. "What happened to you?" He asks again to no response. He taps his chin. "Wait a minute. Hey Diego." He says pulling his ear nervously. "Raise your left arm." A second went by and Diego lifts his thick left arm into the air. He cocks an eyebrow. "Drop the left and open your mouth." The mans arm drops in a loose mass and his mouth opens wide. His tongue still hanging out slightly. Callum's hand came up tentatively. It shook gently as he used his index finger to push the tongue into his mouth. "Mouth closed." He says and the lizard's mouth shut. "So is he..." Callum scratched his chin. "He's in a trance." He says wide eyed. Callum was putting it together. The program was meant to help someone open their acceptance of information. To make them more prone to accepting information and learning. But it seems to have just made him more susceptible. "So I made a hypnotic program?" He says allowed. This news was hard for him to accept. "I wonder." He relaxes slightly. "Stand up." The lizard obeys without a single concern. Callum smirks. Even though his work was on mental adjustment and an apparent hypnotic program is different it is still an outstanding device. It would be a shame not to test this unique accident. The bunny got an idea. "Stand up. Once standing I want you to curtsy." He chuckles pulling up his phone. One little recording wouldn't hurt. It would be for his own research. The large lizard stood. He moved his hands down and lowers his legs performing the feminine motion. Callum chuckled as he managed to record the scene. Something about the large lizard doing such an out of character thing gave him a degree of power. Something he felt stage hypnotists must have felt. A deep level of control and dominance. This was strange for him as he never saw himself as a power hungry person. But giving a little to someone can make them hungry for it. "Ok then. Stand normally" He says putting his phone down. "Diego. Shortly you'll be woken up." He says repeating what he has once heard from a show. "When you wake you'll want to come back here and work with me when I call you. When you see my number you'll answer immediately and follow my instructions to the letter. Understood?" He asks. Diego nods. "Then wake up." Callum says snapping his fingers. To some surprise Diego awoke. He blinked and looked to Callum.

"Did it work well?" He asks seeming a little dazed. Callum nodded.

"Yea slightly different then I thought but it worked out. You were a great help. Would you be able to come in for future tests?" Callum asks smiling.

"Yea sure. It was not a problem." He checks his phone.

"Well then I'll pack up here now. You can go. Have a good night." He says cheerfully.