Joe_Bates_Saga________________________________________________________35__



35.  Chapter



Joe was asleep in Linda's arms for only about fifteen minutes when she
jostled him awake.  "Come on sleepy-head.  Let's get up.  I'm hungry."

Joe wasn't hungry at all.  He was wonderfully content resting in
Linda's arms, but he reluctantly got up.  Linda rolled to the side of
the bed, and quickly slipped off the black bikini underwear to put her
own things back on.  Joe found his own underpants and slipped them on.
He was standing at the foot of the bed watching Linda as she stood
wearing only panties, gathering her up skirt and blouse.  He turned
around and spotted the silver chemise teddy.  Joe held the silky
garment out to Linda.  "I think you put this in my bag."

As Linda looked at the sexy little garment, a strange expression formed
on her face.  "Don't you like it?"

Joe was confused.  What was she trying to tell him?  "I guess it's ok,
but it's yours.  Why did you send it with me?"

"I bought it for you.  Of course, if you don't like it..."

"You bought this for me?  When did you do that?"

"Well, actually, it was for me to wear, but FOR you," Linda said,
smiling.  "I just thought that you might find a need for it on your
trip.  I have no idea what you wear in bed while you're away from me."

Was she hinting at something, Joe wondered?  "What's going on here?"

"Joe, you just went on an overnight trip with a man.  I see the way Jay
looks at you.  I know you've had to see it too."

"And so you think I'd want to sleep with him?"

"Are you telling me you don't?"

Joe was silent.  He didn't really know what to say.  Linda obviously
knew him much better than he thought.  Maybe he shouldn't lie.  "No.  I
won't say that.  I noticed that Jay was acting kind of funny, too."

"And what did you do?"

"What did I do?" Joe repeated.

"How did you respond to him?  Come on, Joe.  I know you two are old
pals, and I'm pretty sure you can't keep any secrets from him.  The way
he was fawning over you, you must have fooled around a little."

"Why do you say that?" Joe said, trying to sound hurt.

"Because I can practically read your mind," Linda said confidently.  "I
know that you're dying to know what it would be like with a guy.  Your
body is so beautiful, so amazingly feminine.  I'm sure you've already
noticed what you do to men."

Joe felt a blush of embarrassment as he pulled on his shorts and
slipped the little tank top on.  This woman is so darn observant, he
thought.  Can nothing be hidden from her?  "What if I did sleep with
Jay the other night?" Joe asked bluntly.  "How would you feel about
that?"

Linda stared at Joe.  He couldn't tell what was on her mind.  Had she
simply been fishing, and drawn him out?  "I wouldn't blame you.  I
think if I suddenly became a guy, I guess I'd want to know how it feels
to be with a woman."

"You wouldn't be mad?" Joe asked gingerly.

"Why should I? You're a big girl now," Linda added with a smile.

Joe just stood there, looking at her, smiling, saying nothing.

"So did you?" Linda asked.  Her curiosity had been piqued.

Joe widened his smile.  "I thought real girls don't talk about stuff
like that," he said smugly.

"The heck they don't!" Linda countered.  "You don't have any idea what
real girls talk about." She was right there, too.

"Well, they shouldn't.  Who I choose to sleep with is kind of private."

"Not private to me, Joe Bates.  Did you, or didn't you?"

Again Joe was silent.  He wanted to tell her, but didn't know how.

"Did you sleep with Jay, or not?"

"Uh...  We were in the same bed for a while." Joe said carefully.

"Did you do anything?"

"Anything?" Joe repeated, stalling for time.

"Did you screw him?"

Joe just smiled.  "Well, I let him look...  Then...  I let him
touch..." Joe idly stroked his breast for emphasis as he spoke."

"Did you screw him?"

"You know, I didn't realize how big another guy's cock looks when it
gets hard.  I don't think I ever saw anybody else's before."

"Did you do it with him?"

"Yes, I did it," Joe said curtly.

"So, what did you think?" Linda didn't sound mad, just curious, and
maybe, relieved.

Joe looked at the bed.  "Well, actually, it kind of hurt at first, but
then it really felt pretty good." He smiled, as if remembering the
sensation.

"You screwed Jay?" Linda said incredulously.

"I guess that describes it," Joe said, smiling broadly, relieved for
the truth to finally be out, but wondering what she was going to do.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes.  It was pretty good, once I got used to the difference.  Does
that make me queer or something?"

"I don't think so.  I mean you are physically a woman now, I suppose."

"So what does that make us, then?  Are we lesbians?"

"I don't know.  Maybe it does," Linda said without conviction.  "Do you
care?"

"Hey, I'm just a guy who woke up with this pushed in, and these things
popped out." Joe touched his crotch, and then his boobs.  "I really
don't know what the hell I am anymore."

"Did you climax?" Linda asked bluntly.

"Climax?"

"When you did it with Jay.  You know.  Did you come?"

Joe looked at her and smiled, then took on a wide grin.  "Yes.  I guess
I did.  Maybe even a few times.  Like I said, it did feel pretty good."
Joe's grin got slightly wider.

"I guess you really are a woman, then, Joe Bates," Linda said
conclusively.

"I thought you only became a woman after your first menstrual period.
I'm still waiting for that to happen."

"Well, I think for you, we can make an exception, and say it literally
happened overnight."

"Can you handle that?"

"What choice do I have?"

"No more than I do, I guess," Joe admitted.  "Do you want me to leave?"

"Only if you feel you want to.  I don't know why you would want to stay
with me."

"But...  Don't you understand?  I love you.  I need you."

"What can I really do for you?"

"You've been doing it.  You're my friend, and now, you're my mentor, my
advisor, and as far as I'm concerned, you're still pretty good in bed,
too."

"Thanks.  I guess you are, too."

"But, just a little short, right?" Joe teased.

"Well...  I did like you better the other way."

"Sorry.  What you see is what you get."

"What about Jay?"

"What about Jay?" Linda countered.  "How do you feel about him?"

"Jay Logan is still my best friend.  With all that's happened to me,
he's helped in all kinds of ways.  I think we were both curious, and we
just satisfied our curiosity, that's all."

"So you wouldn't want to do it again?" Linda asked.

"I don't know.  I don't know what I want to do."

"Well, I can't be a man for you," Linda said, saying the obvious.

"And I realize that I can't be everything you need either."

"So what should we do then?" Linda said, as much to herself as to Joe.

"Let's take it one step at a time," Joe suggested.  "Who knows, maybe
by next week, all this will all be a weird memory.

"And maybe it won't."

"Yeah...  Maybe it won't."

"What are you hungry for?" Linda asked suddenly.

"I don't know.  You're the one who claimed you were hungry."

"I've been thinking Mexican all day." Linda was still standing in her
underwear, holding her skirt and blouse.

"Ok then, go get some clothes on, and let's go out and find some food,"
Joe ordered.  "What do you think I should wear?"

"I was planning to wear something like what you have on.  That looks
fine."

Joe looked down.  He could practically see his breasts through the
cotton top's thin material.  "I feel practically naked like this.  I
can't wear this in public."

"You look just fine."

"But everyone can see my boobs."

"No, they can't.  Besides, you're kind of cute looking anyway."

"Yes, but..." Joe persisted.

"Put a bra on then, if you must," Linda said as she left the room.  She
didn't want to argue with Joe over his deserved self-consciousness.

Joe went to the dresser and searched for an appropriate garment.  With
most of his underwear in the laundry, or still drying in the bathroom,
his choice was limited.  He decided on a simple white cotton bra, one
of the first he had bought.  He pulled off the tank top and slipped the
bra on.  It was a back close model.  Most of his bras were front close.
It was obvious his shape was still developing because the new bra
already felt a little tight, but it could still be worn.  He slipped
the top back on, feeling much more secure, but only slightly less
exposed.  He added sweat socks and Reeboks, found his wallet, stuck it
the little side pocket of his shorts, and went to Linda's room.

Linda was in her walk-in closet, hanging up clothes and selecting
something to wear.  She came out holding orange colored shorts and a
matching top with yellow sunburst design.

"Yeah.  That looks nice." Joe said simply, in approval.

"It's really going to be hard to go out with you anymore.  Everybody is
going to think I'm your older sister."

"Nah.  I don't think they'd think that.  But I am getting a bit young
looking though, aren't I?"

"If you keep changing, I'll look more like your mother than your
friend.  Have you any idea what all this is doing to my ego?"

"I'm sure it can't be as bad it is for me."

Linda looked at the pretty young woman standing in her room.  It was
probably true.  Compared to Joe's problems, her own were minuscule.
And yet, this girl...  this very young girl, who under the skin was
really a guy...  her guy...  as old as, even slightly older than she
was...  He...  She was just so darn beautiful, so fresh looking...

They drove to the restaurant in Joe's car.  When they arrived inside,
the waitress immediately seated them in a small booth.  They seemed
like two good friends, out for the evening, and that's just what they
were.

As they sipped Margaritas, waiting for the food, Linda began telling
Joe about the real estate contract she was currently working.  Joe
listened, and tried to appear genuinely interested.

Joe felt a little self-conscious when he noticed that a young man, with
his wife and two small children, was watching his every move.  The
whole thing was strange, not bad really, but totally unlike anything he
had experienced when male.  Once, when their eyes met, Joe smiled
shyly, and the guy smiled back.  It was then that Joe began to
appreciate just what power his changed body possessed.  He knew he
looked pretty good, even he could see that, but he realized he was
acquiring the capability to make men melt.

After one Margarita, Joe was feeling a little less inhibited.  Linda
kept talking, and he kept listening.  The guy at the other table kept
sneaking glances whenever his wife wasn't watching.  Once, feeling a
little spunky, Joe bravely gave the guy a quick wink.  Joe could see
him perk up.  The little flirt made his day.

The waiter brought the food, and they began to enjoy it.  By this time
Joe was hungry, too, and he began to wolf his food as he usually did as
a male.  Linda saw what he was doing, and frowned.  "Stop that, Joe.
Try to act like a lady, if you can."

"What do you mean?" Joe didn't realize he was doing anything unusual.

"You're eating much too fast," Linda explained.  "Slow down.  Take
small bites.  You eat like a lumberjack."

Joe smiled.  She was right.  He hadn't realized what he was doing, or
what it looked like to others.  Acting like a woman was still something
he had to constantly work at.

"Dr.  Krell has started with monkeys," Joe said, trying to break the
sudden silence.

"What is he doing with them?"

"The cage is set up to duplicate the conditions which they believe
caused the change, and they want to try and duplicate it with animals
first."

"When do you think they'll be ready to change you back?"

"That's a good question," Joe said.  "I really don't know.  But Dave
wants to be first."

"What if it works?"

"I don't know.  I guess I'd want to change back, but I'd sure miss some
of this."

"I'd like to have the old you back," Linda said."But you should do what
you need to."

"Let's wait till we have to make a choice."

"Ok.  Let's wait."

They finished the meal without further conversation.  Joe could sense
that their relationship was changing.  They were really becoming more
like friends...  like sisters even...  and there was nothing he could
do about it.  He didn't know if he even wanted to.  They finished, and
Joe paid the bill.  Then they drove home.

Each went to their own bedroom without much discussion.  Joe began to
undress and prepare for bed.  He expected that Linda would probably be
in to join him before long.  He went into his bathroom.  As he slowly
removed his clothes, Joe examined his body in the bathroom mirror.
When completely naked, he peered straight into the glass.

It was true.  He was still changing noticeably.  And he was becoming so
young looking.  His breasts continued to fill out.  They didn't seem
much larger really, more firm might be a better description.  The bra
he just removed had made little marks on the soft skin, outlining where
it had been touching.  It seemed that the skin on his chest where
breasts had formed was being stretched by still growing mammary tissue
underneath.  Full pink nipples seemed to glisten in the bright light.
He looked lower, at the quite pronounced curve of his waist and hip.
Those lines too were still developing.  His body was slowly acquiring
feminine contours, and seeing them, seeing himself with them, could
only be described as disconcerting.  It was like staring at someone
else's body, someone familiar, and yet a stranger, admittedly an
awfully attractive stranger.

Was this the way it was to be?  Was this it?  Was life from this point
on going to be lived in this semi-familiar, amazingly youthful, but
very female looking body?  It wasn't that he didn't feel at home in it.
Quite the contrary.  Mostly, everything that had occurred felt somehow
totally natural.  The physical differences in genitalia were probably
the hardest to get accustomed to, but he was adapting well.  Though
down deep Joe still thought of himself as male, there was no denying he
certainly didn't look very masculine anymore.  At first, he worried,
sexual orientation would be a problem, but even that seemed to be
working itself out.  He was quickly developing interests and desires
that reflected his changed anatomy, his new gender.  Not only did he
look like a young woman, he was truly beginning to feel like one too.
At least he thought that he was.  Who knew what they really felt like?

Joe looked at the trimmed hair of his pubic area.  It was still a
source of wonder to see himself with protruding female-like breasts,
and nothing but light pubic hair where his penis should be.  That was
simply not how he saw himself in his mind.  And the familiar sensation
of his cock still being there didn't help matters any.  What was it had
become certainly couldn't be described as a penis, and it didn't
function like one either.  The area between his legs had acquired the
appearance and characteristics of the female vulva.  Except for the
lack of the clitoral hood, Joe's genitalia were identical to those of a
"real" woman.  They functioned exactly the same, too, Joe thought to
himself, as he reminisced about last night, with Jay.  If Jay noticed
any difference, he hadn't let on, in fact, he had seemed rather
satisfied.  Joe grinned as he thought about experiencing sex as a
female.

In the mirror, he observed the dark pink skin of the labia minora,
barely visible behind short, dark-blond hair.  He thought about what
his body was like before this had happened.  It was totally amazing how
easily it cast off masculinity, and took on this new appearance.
However, whatever it looked like now, this was still very much his
body.  These were his breasts.  His hips.  His butt.  His vagina.  His
clitoris.  He had become the young looking, shapely person in the
mirror.

He placed his hand at the gap between his legs.  While his pelvis
continued to change, that space continued to grow perceptibly wider as
his legs became softer and even more feminine.  The slight paunch of
approaching male middle age had completely disappeared.  The area
between his now noticeable pelvic bones had become unbelievably flat.
Even his navel looked different.  Running his fingers over it all, he
cupped his palm over the prominent pubic mound.  Whenever he did that,
the strange sensation of his male parts being missing became plainly
evident.  Otherwise, unless he became uncomfortably wet, it didn't feel
too much different down there.

Joe ran an index finger along sensitive vaginal lips, enjoying the
pleasant sensation.  He was still found it awesome to be changed like
this.  There was no denying the facts, he was actually enjoying it.
Did he miss his penis?  Sure.  But if he still had that, he'd never
know what it was like to be this way.  Some might call it an acceptable
swap.  At least equal, anyway.  Besides, his penis was still there,
sort of, though it was changed a great deal.  Maybe his balls were
history, apparently absorbed by his changing body, but he didn't really
miss them like he thought he would.  No.  Any remorse, any feeling of
loss, was more over the very different physical capabilities of a body
turned female.

Sex, which one would have thought would be the major issue, wasn't
really even a problem in itself, at least not for Joe.  He still liked
women.  He certainly liked their soft bodies.  He liked to be around
them even if they did tend to treat him very differently now.  But of
course, he was becoming interested in men too, perhaps even more.
Funny how he would never even have considered a guy as a sexual partner
before this happened to him.

Joe had felt completely normal as a heterosexual male, and he felt just
as normal now, as a bisexual female, if that's what he had become.  He
thought about it, and couldn't decide if he really had a preference.
Each gender had its advantages, its pluses.

Joe stood there in front of the mirror, examining and fondling his
changing body, when he suddenly realized the bathroom door stood wide
open.  He stopped and hurriedly went over to close it.  He didn't want
Linda to see what he was doing.  Returning, he noticed the tub, and
decided to run some water and soak in the bubbles for a while.  If he
really was a girl now, he might as well enjoy it.  When the tub was
full enough, Joe tested the temperature with a toe, and, satisfied, he
slipped into the silky suds.

It had been a long day.  Joe was tired, and the warm tub was relaxing.
With his bare hand, he lathered all over with the soapy bubbles,
caressing every growing bump and curve, exploring every new crease and
crevice.  Could this be what heaven is like?

Joe had lost track of time as he languished in the tub.  He thought
Linda would have joined him by now, but she didn't.  He didn't know how
long he had been in the bubbles, but they were starting to dissipate.
He stood and stepped from the tub, grabbing a large bath towel to dry.

The bath oil made already soft skin feel even smoother, and Joe felt
wonderfully sexy as he dried off.  He watched the reflection in the
mirror as he preened.  The sensation was eroticism mixed with a strange
curiosity.  It had been at least a decade since girls he had been
intimate with looked this way.  It was as if his body was being
transformed to that of a mature teenager, probably no more than
eighteen years old.  Unbelievable.  Could it be that while innocently
testing aircraft avionics, they had accidentally stumbled onto a real
"Fountain of Youth".  But you just had to sacrifice masculinity to
experience it.  Was it worth that?  When was it all going to stop?

He dusted with after-bath powder, the scent again reminding him of
Linda.  When all finished, he left the bathroom and walked towards the
bed.  Linda wasn't there yet, either.  Maybe she was going to leave him
alone tonight.  If she did, it would be the first time.

Joe lay down on the bed.  He was about to turn out the lamp, when he
saw the chemise teddy laying on the chair.  He decided to put it on.
When he had the sexy little outfit on and the snap between the legs
fastened, he looked at himself in the dresser mirror.  The top was
slightly stretchy since it contained lycra, and it clung closely to
those firm breasts.  The bottom part was definitely tailored to flatter
the female form, and it had no problem with that part of his anatomy
either.  He suddenly experienced an overall sensation of contentment.

If Linda wasn't going to sleep with him, he'd just have to sleep by
himself, he thought.  He extinguished the light and lay back on the
pillows, enjoying the silky texture of his clothes, the wonderful scent
and soft sensuous feel of his own body.  Joe quickly fell asleep,
alone, and didn't wake till morning.

When Joe opened his eyes, the sun was streaming through the curtains.
He looked over at the clock on the night stand.  It read Six A. M. He
looked across the bed.  He was alone.  Linda never came to his room
last night.  He had been so tired, he didn't wake once the entire
night.

Joe pulled away the sheet.  He looked down at himself, and the satiny
chemise.  He remembered the mellow way he felt last night.  It was
morning.  How did he feel now?  He was becoming accustomed to the
erratic ping-ponging of his persona as the hormones, or maybe the
physical changes, or both, affected his personality.

He put his hand to his chest, feeling the softness of a breast through
the silky fabric.  He moved down, between his legs, exploring that
area, touching the tiny snaps at the crotch of the teddy.  Another
night had passed, and he was still quite female.  He now expected that.
He no longer checked every morning in hope that he would wake up
changed back.

Joe sat up in the bed.  He looked over at the dresser, trying to see
his reflection in the mirror.  The light was still too dim to tell.
Had he changed even more overnight?  Was he even younger looking?
Curiosity overcame sleepiness, and he struggled out of bed.  He stood
in front of the mirror, straining his eyes to detect any difference.
If there was any, he couldn't tell.  Everything looked the same as last
night.

Joe continued into the bathroom, and he snapped on the light.  The
almost intense brightness hurt his eyes, and he squinted as he stood in
front of the sink.  As his eyes adjusted to the light, Joe looked
again.  His hair was disheveled, but otherwise, still no noticeable
change.  He certainly didn't feel any different, though he did have to
pee.

Unsnapping the crotch of the little satiny garment, Joe pulled away the
little beaver tails from his crotch.  Changing his mind, he removed the
whole thing, and stood naked.  He looked at himself in the mirror
again.  Still no difference.  Still the same.  Still beautiful.  He
twisted so that he could observe his profile in the mirror.  As they
continued to develop, his breasts were truly becoming impressive
looking.  At first, they were just small, slightly cone-shaped bulges.
But in the week since he had sprouted them, they were getting fuller,
and rounder each day.  Joe touched them and caressed them, experiencing
a combination of wonder, pride and embarrassment.  Did real teenage
girls feel the same way as they acquired this highly noticeable badge
of womanhood?

Joe lightly squeezed both breasts with his hands.  Here it was,
morning, and he was still pleased to find his body this way.  He
couldn't remember going this long before without experiencing some
feeling of remorse over what happened.  Was he really beginning to
accept it?

He raised the lid on the toilet and took a seat.  As he sat, he eyed
the underwear hanging on the shower door.  It was dry now, and ready to
be put away.  He looked at the panties and bras.  He pulled the black
bra, the one that matched the black thong, from the door and examined
it closely.  He had never noticed that it actually had a subtle print
over the entire shiny black spandex fabric.  A very dark gray lace
print.

He hadn't even noticed it before, but it now was quite easily seen in
the bright light.  That's the way it is with women's things, Joe
considered.  They were filled with little subtleties like that.  Things
a man wouldn't even notice.  Things he didn't notice, until now.

When he was finished, Joe washed his face, then brushed his hair.  It
was Saturday morning, but he wanted to go in to work.  He was curious
to know if anything happened to the little monkey overnight.  As he
dressed, he could hear sounds from the kitchen.  Linda was making
coffee.  Joe wondered if she was angry with him.  It was hard to tell
with women.  Even though it was even possible that he was one now, he
still couldn't predict how they would react.

She hadn't seemed irritated when he finally told her about him and Jay.
In fact, she seemed more curious than anything.  He almost thought
she'd be asking for details.  As he thought about it, he realized that
from that point on, she had been a little different around him, a
little less talkative.  Maybe she was pissed off.

Joe decided to wear a pair of pants and a blouse he bought in St.
Paul.  Since it was the week end, no one would be dressing up, but this
was about as casual as he wanted to get.  He went to the bathroom, and
carefully put some powder on his face, and then a little lip gloss.
Joe was still experimenting with makeup, and was getting a bit better
each day.  He brushed his hair, and then decided he was ready.  Joe
took a small handbag, and checked that he had his wallet in it, then
went to the kitchen.  If she was going to be angry, he might as well
know about it.

When Linda saw Joe, she smiled.  "You look nice this morning," she
said, then she came over and kissed him on the cheek.

I guess she isn't mad, Joe thought to himself.

"Did you get a good rest?"

"Yeah.  I slept like a baby."

"I could tell you were tired."

"It was the first time we didn't sleep together in this house."

"I know," Linda said, "but I thought you might like some time alone."

Was she always right?  "It was kind of nice.  But I do like snuggling
with you, too."

Linda smiled.  "Are you going to work this morning?"

"Yes.  At least for a while.  I want to know if anything has happened
with the monkey."

"What if something did?"

"I don't know.  There is probably a big difference between repeating
something like this, and reversing it."

"So the monkey might be stuck just like you?"

Joe looked into her eyes.  "Yeah.  That's right.  Poor animal."

"Is it really that bad?" Linda asked.

"No.  It's really not.  In fact, it's not so bad at all."

"I wish it hadn't happened," Linda said.  "But since it did, at least
I'm glad you like it."

Joe had a cup of coffee with Linda and then drove to Honeybone.  When
he arrived, none of the people he recognized were there yet.  Dr.
Krell hadn't arrived.  The lab assistant was alone in the room, and
there was no change in the monkey's appearance.  There were no results
from blood or tissue samples yet, but Joe suspected that nothing at all
had happened.

The lab assistant agreed.  "There are simply billions of combinations
and possibilities.  It could literally take years."

Joe went into the office and sat at his desk.  He looked at the stack
of mail and was going to begin looking through it all, when he decided
against it.  His heart just wasn't in it.  Those things seemed so
trivial now.  He just sat there thinking.

In a few minutes, Dave came in the room.  Joe hadn't seen his friend
for days, and he immediately saw that the change was still occurring to
him too.  Dave had become almost cherubic.  His face, which had always
been sort of full, was now very rounded, as was the rest of him.  He
looked so much younger.  Were they all destined to look like children?

"Hi, Joe," Dave said, his voice sounding strange to Joe.  It was
plainly Dave's voice, but at a slightly higher pitch.  Joe knew the
same thing had occurred to his voice, and he was getting accustomed to
the new sound.  Hearing Dave brought out the contrast of what was, and
what is now.

"Good morning, Dave," Joe answered, smiling.  "You're looking pretty
good."

Dave just frowned at him.  He wasn't in any mood for joking about his
changing appearance.  "I see nothing happened with the monkey
overnight.  I wonder what they're going to do next."

"There must be a million combinations to try.  The monkey's chromosomes
aren't exactly like ours."

"I guess they need to try it on a human then.  I'll try it, if they
need a volunteer."

"I think they want to duplicate what happened first.  You've already
been changed.  They'll probably want a genetic male."

"That's the truth," Dave said, as he sat down at his desk.

"How's it been going, pal?"

Dave just smiled.

"I see you've been getting younger looking, too," Joe continued.

"Yeah.  And if it keeps up, everybody will think my wife is my mother
instead of just my sister," Dave said sarcastically.

"It really is a bummer isn't it?"

"Joe, I've got to tell you, if they don't come up with something,
anything, pretty soon, I think I'll just try something on my own."

"Like what?"

"I don't know.  But I'm ready to try the cage any time they ask.  What
else could it do to me?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Joe responded.  "There is almost
no limit to what genetic damage can do to your health."

"Sometimes I think I'd be better off if I had been killed instead of
this."

"Come on, man.  Surely you don't mean that.  I'm certain Cindy and the
kids would rather have you like this than as just a memory."

"You don't know how it is," Dave objected.  "To need to have your wife
help you with so many things, stuff a man shouldn't even need to know
about."

"Yeah.  I know, it is kind of weird.  But I have basically the same
thing with Linda.  She's been more than willing to help."

"Sure, Cindy helps," Dave admitted, "but that's not the point.  She
shouldn't have to do that.  I'm the man.  I'm the strong one.  I'm the
one who helps everybody else."

"You're just going to have to learn to adapt.  It really isn't all that
bad if you just accept it, and try to live with it."

"I don't agree," Dave insisted.  "I can't accept it, and I won't live
with it."

"If you approach this thing with that attitude, I think you're going to
be disappointed."

"I'm already disappointed.  What I want is just to be what I was."

"And if it's possible, you will, but until that happens, why don't you
quit your bitching."

Dave looked at Joe with a familiar big grin.  Maybe he looked like a
big chubby angel now, but Joe recognized that smile.  "Yeah.  I'll
try."

"Are the others coming this morning?" Joe asked.

"Well, everybody knows what's going on.  I would think they'd all want
to be here this morning."

With that, Mike/Michelle came in the door.  She was carrying a box of
doughnuts.  "I thought everybody might want some of these."

What a switch, Joe thought.  Before, Mike would never have thought of
others like that, and in any case, would never have even eaten a
doughnut, much less bought a whole box of them himself.  "Thanks,
Mik...  er, Michelle," Joe said.  He still had problems referring to
his friend by her preferred name.

"I can't eat those," Dave objected.  "My butt is already getting huge."

"Aw, one won't hurt," Michelle countered.

"Something has to give," Dave said.  "I don't want to look like this."
He pointed to his hip, and very round derriere.

Joe was hungry, and the doughnuts smelled great.  He took one and went
to the coffee pot to pour a cup.  He'd have to watch his weight too,
but just one wouldn't hurt.

As Joe sat at his desk enjoying the coffee and doughnut, and reading
his junk mail, a very young looking woman entered the office.  Joe
looked up, and then back down when he didn't immediately recognize who
it was.  He looked up again and realized that it was Tim.

Joe had been thirty years old when the accident had happened.  Mike and
Dave were about the same.  But Tim was barely twenty one.  When Joe
first saw him after the change, he had already acquired completely
feminine physical characteristics.  In fact, he had become quite well
endowed on top.  But like the rest at that time, he had not yet
experienced the strange de-aging that Joe and the rest were only now
beginning to notice.

One look and it was obvious that the phenomenon had now hit Tim with
full force.  The genetic changes that had made a thirty year old Joe
Bates look like an eighteen year old girl had now transformed the
twenty-one year old Tim into a very precocious looking thirteen or
fourteen.  He knew it too.  As a guy, he was fairly large, about as big
as Joe.  After the change, like the rest, he had become slightly
shorter, and lost a great deal of upper body mass.  But anyone who knew
him could still have easily recognized him.

In the two or three days since Joe had last seen him, Tim had become
much smaller, thinner, and lighter.  Framed by fairly short hair, Tim's
face had become like that of a young girl, perhaps barely into her
teens.  The de-aging process had taken some, but not all of Tim's new
voluptuousness.  He no longer had bigger breasts than Joe, but still
enough to give him that child in a woman's body appearance that some
early developing girls have.  He was probably having trouble finding
clothes that fit his rapidly changing proportions, because he was
wearing a strange combination of his old male things and some of the
women's clothes they had purchased in San Diego.

His new appearance was obviously causing him much embarrassment.
"Tim?" Joe asked."Is that you?"

Tim smiled thinly.  "Yeah.  It's me," he said, in a much different,
little girl sounding voice.

"I see we're all getting younger looking," Joe continued, trying to be
careful about what he said.

"Yeah," Tim agreed.  "And I'm turning into a little kid.  A child.  Bad
enough to turn female.  Now I guess I'm going to have to get used to
looking like an adolescent, too."

"You don't look all that young," Joe said, trying to make him feel a
little better.

"Hah!" Tim responded.  "You mean because of these?" He pointed to his
breasts.  "I think I look like jail-bait now."

The statement made Joe smile.  He looked at Tim.  He was right.  His
youthful but precocious femininity did look a bit out of proportion.
Could this, would this, also happen to him?

"Is everything ok otherwise?" Joe asked.

"Damn it, Joe, how would I know?  I guess so." Tim exclaimed.

"Has Dr.  Krell seen what's happening to you?" Joe went on.

"Well, yeah, he saw me yesterday," Tim answered.  "But he hasn't got
any suggestions either."

"Did it get any further along since then?" Joe continued.

"Yeah...  Probably...  I don't know for sure.  I think so." Tim
answered.

"I think we should go to Dr.  Krell with this," Joe said seriously.
"Who knows when it might stop?"

"And what can he do?" Dave asked.  "Hell, he doesn't even know for sure
what's caused it yet.  How can he fix it?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Joe countered.  He was getting a little
irritated with Dave's sarcastic attitude.  That wasn't helping at all.

"I think we should try the transmitters in the cage on ourselves," Dave
said.  "I've already said I'll volunteer to try it."

"You might get your chance soon enough," Joe said.  "I don't think
anybody wants to be responsible for what might happen.  They want to
see if the thing will make matters worse before they put anybody in
there."

"Like I said before," Dave said.  "I'm willing to try anything right
now."

"Yeah.  But Dr.  Krell doesn't want to be held responsible for killing
you." Joe said solemnly.

"Maybe I just have to get in the damn thing some evening, all by
myself," Dave said.

"Don't do it," Joe ordered.  "You're smarter than that.  When they
think it's worth a shot, I'm sure they'll let you try it."

"But what if it doesn't stop?" Tim asked.  "What if I...  What if we
just keep getting younger?  How far can it go?"

"I don't know," Joe answered."I guess we'll be finding out."

"I think Dr.  Krell is in the lab now," Michelle said.  "Let's go talk
to him."

They all walked down the hall to the avionics test lab.  Joe walked
slightly behind Tim, and his eyes were constantly drawn to the movement
of Tim's braless breasts under his colored oversized T-shirt.  The
young man really was becoming very young looking, and the sight of his
erect nipples jiggling under the shirt as he walked was highly erotic,
and very out of place below that little-girl face.

As he watched Tim walk, Joe could feel himself becoming aroused.  He
was suddenly aware of his own breasts, and his nipples where they
rubbed against the bra.  He was awash with a strange mixture of male
and female urges and sensations.  He tried to put them out of his mind.

They entered the lab and found three others already there.  The
assistant who Joe had already met earlier, Dr.  Krell, and Karen.

It had been a few days since Joe had seen the nurse, Karen Simpson, and
Joe's eyes lit up when he saw her.  In past week they had become pretty
close friends.  Karen's past experiences, while in many ways quite
different from Joe's, gave them much common ground, and they shared
many interests.  Joe walked over to the tall woman.  "Hi, glad to see
you're here," he said, holding out his hand.

Karen looked down at it, and smiled.  It was kind of a masculine thing
to do, and it looked strange for two women to offer a handshake in
greeting.  She took Joe's hand and squeezed it.  "How are you doing
Joe?"

"Pretty good, I guess.  But if I get any younger looking, I'm afraid
they'll take my driver's license away."

"Yeah.  I've noticed what's happening," Karen said seriously.  "We've
got to find out what's causing that too."

Dr.  Krell went directly over to Tim when he saw him, and took his
hands in his own.  "Look at you," Dr.  Krell said, in his very jovial
voice.  "I think you've lost another two years last night."

"What do you think is causing this, Dr.  Krell?" Joe asked.

The doctor looked him over, too.  Then he put his hand under his chin.
"I wish I knew.  Of course, the changes in skin texture and such things
usually cause males subjected to high levels of estrogens to appear
become somewhat younger looking.  But nothing like this.  This is much
more, much more."

"How far can it go?" Tim asked.  "Can I get even younger than this?"
His high voice sounded frightened.

"We'll have to figure out what is causing it first," Dr.  Krell said.
"I promise you, I'll have everyone who I think can possibly be of
service, working to solve this."

"Can it kill me?" Tim asked.  His little girl voice sounded almost in
tears.  Without male levels of testosterone in his system, Tim, and all
the others, were losing that chemically derived source of confidence.

"I don't think so, Tim." Dr.  Krell said, taking the young looking
man-girl's hand.  "I don't know for sure, but I don't think so."

The fax machine on the desk received a call, and began ejecting pages
of paper.  Dr.  Krell took the pages and began reviewing them
carefully.  Then he returned to Joe and the others.  "That's the latest
lab report on the primate's blood sample.  They haven't discovered any
anomalies yet."

"What does that mean to us?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, does that mean the transmitters didn't cause this?" Dave asked.

"It only means that we won't be able to know what caused it with one
test run," Dr.  Krell said, smiling.  "As you may know, there are
almost infinite combinations to try."

"But wouldn't it be faster if you use a human subject?" Dave asked.

Dr.  Krell shook his head.  "At this point, that would be far too
risky."

"When, then?" Dave asked.  "I'll try it any time you want to."

"I know," Dr.  Krell said gently.  "And as soon as I think it might
cause more help than injury, I'll ask you to try it.  But not before."

"We've got to hurry," Tim added.  "If I keep up like this, by next week
I'll look like an infant."

"I don't know what's happening to you," Dr.  Krell admitted.  "But I
don't really think you'll change that much."

"I don't know, Doc," Tim said.  "I think you should look me over again.
I'm changing.  A lot."

"If it will make you feel any better, we can go to Hillcrest as soon as
I'm done here," Dr.  Krell said, in an effort to comfort Tim.  "I'll
see if there is anything I can do for you."

The words were meant to soothe, but the sense of fatigue and
bewilderment in the tone only made Tim feel even more concerned about
his immediate future.  "You've got to do something real soon.  You've
got to try something, anything."

"Come with me to Hillcrest in a while," Dr.  Krell repeated.  "We will
do everything possible.  Don't be alarmed."

The review of the experiment went quickly.  Dr.  Krell decided on
another power/time setting for the transmitters in the cage, and
selected another primate for the experiment.  The assistant put the
holding cage inside the Faraday cage, and the power was applied for the
appropriate time.  Then the monkey was put back into its big cage.
Another test sequence was complete.

Dr.  Krell was ready to go to the hospital, with Tim following him like
a shadow.  It was strange to see this person, who had only a few days
ago been a strong, confident young male, now looking and acting like a
fearful, almost timid, very young girl.  Joe hoped that wasn't what was
in store for him, too.

Joe, Dave, Michelle, and Karen all watched as Tim and the doctor said
their good-bye's and left for the hospital.

Joe looked at his wristwatch.  "I guess that'll be all for today.
Anybody want to get an early lunch?"

"Yeah, I'll go along," Karen said.

"I'll go." Michelle added.

"Count me in," Dave said.  "Where should we go?"

"I'm hungry for breakfast," Joe said.  "The Denny's down on the corner
is fine with me."

"Ok.  Let's go," Michelle said.  "There's nothing else going to happen
here today."

They said their good-byes to the lab assistant and left the building,
each to their own car.  Joe was anxious to talk to Karen.  She was
always a good source of the latest information about what was going on.