Mana's Investigation

Series: Nikke

Characters: Mana, Eleg,

Contains: Weight gain

Reward

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Research notes

Case: Strange weight gain through Nikke in the Ark

Key researcher: Mana

Begin log 1

Nikke throughout the Ark have been mysteriously gaining weight recently. There is a variety of body types amongst the Nikke, especially custom models. Some are more curvaceous, others are rounded, and a few have become large enough to compromise movement. A Nikke’s body should remain unchanged as they are purely mechanical and meant only to imitate the human form. That brings the main question of how Nikke are able to gain weight at all.

I initially had no idea anything was amiss in the Ark as I was busy with other projects. One brief stroll through the city confirmed that the issue is indeed present. The members of Maid For You, 777 squad, and Prima Donna have displayed significant weight gain. I didn’t have time for proper measurements, but based on appearance, they seemed to have gained over four hundred pounds each. Nikke bodies naturally exceed such weight with ease, so further and more precise measurements will be required.

Current theories suggest that these non-combatant Nikke might be undergoing psychosomatic weight gain. They remain within the Ark and do not engage in combat like Nikke that travel to the surface. Too much food and a lack of exercise would cause a human to gain weight, so their bodies may be mimicking what would happen if they were still humans.

Further testing is required, but I intend to meet with other Nikke who are more active in combat.

End Log 1

——

Begin Log 2

The previous theory is falsified.

A further venture around the Ark confirmed that more Nikke have experienced weight gain. Some were light, but the majority were drastic increases. The members of Cafe Sweetie have all seen combat on the surface, and they appear to be just as rotund as Nikke who are listed as non-combatants. Even the members of ACPU who engage in law enforcement and thus move about the Ark seem ill-fit for any sort of activity.

Stranger still is none of the Nikke seem to care. I informed ACPU of my investigation, and they were very eager to assist. They quickly volunteered to go about the Ark and record all Nikke over their base weight threshold and even categorize them. I feel bad, but I still can’t understand how they’ll be able to complete this in a timely manner. Poli’s width has surpassed her height, so she looks as round as a ball. If she were to trip, I doubt she could lift herself without assistance. I doubt Miranda or Quiry could help, as they are just as rotund.

Still, I decided to accept their offer. I’ll plan a trip to the Outpost and speak with the Commander. This phenomenon might be limited to the Ark, but I must confirm that.

That will wait until tomorrow. I’m already fatigued as is. A trip to the bar is in order.

End Log 2

Addendum - The issue runs deeper than I thought. I encountered Brid and Yulha, as I often do, and we decided to drink together. These two and their weight surprised me the most. The three of us are so often too busy to eat, so to see them so overweight that they took up two barstools each was a surprise. Even seated between them left me with hardly any room. I can’t remember how many times I accidentally bumped into them.

Despite that, this was the opportune time to gather information. The countless accidental collisions confirmed that their extra mass was supple and malleable, indistinguishable from the fat a human body would gain.

When I tentatively touched upon the topic, Yulha went on a tirade about how stressful her job was and that it had driven her to eat more. The Central Government had increased Splendamin rations for Nikke, so it seems she managed to eat that briefly between tasks. I couldn’t discern how much this was, but she ate twenty servings as we sat at the bar.

Brid’s situation was the same. She was stressed at work, had excess Splendamin, and readily consumed much of it. Seeing her consume something more than coffee felt uncharacteristic, but the extra weight appeared to mellow her out.

I have yet to receive these additional rations, so perhaps that is why I am unaffected. This could be caused by the splendamin being distributed through the Ark. Further testing is needed, but I am hesitant to use myself as a subject…

I was coaxed into eating some Splendamin while we were drinking. It tasted no different than usual, and the texture was not altered. The results will be included in the next entry.

——

Begin Log 3

I am unsure if I consumed more Splendamin than I remember, but I awoke to startling changes to my form.

My stomach has distended far enough to fill my lap when seated, and my office chair is snug on my newly expanded hips. I hardly have room to sit anyway, as my rear takes up most of the seat. I am unable to separate my thighs with ease, and I struggle to see my keyboard past my chest.

A rough estimate would be that I appear to weigh nearly 300 pounds, while in reality, my weight has hardly increased. Weight gain in Nikke was unrecorded until recently, so much is still unknown. The only conclusive information I have thus far is that the weight is merely aesthetic and is likely linked with excess splendamin consumption.

My counseling session with the Commander in the outpost is a more pressing issue. I’m embarrassed to be seen like this, but I can’t cancel. This is also my excuse to visit the Outpost and see if the Nikke there are also undergoing unexplained weight gain.

A growing part of me hopes so. It would be mortifying to be the first overweight Nikke the Commander sees…

End Log 3

——

A camera feed came to life, and Mana appeared on it. She ensured the device was recording and stepped back. Her cheeks were flushed as she took in her reflection on the digital screen.

“This is Log 4 of my investigation into the unexplained weight gain among Nikke. The logs will be in video format going forward.” Mana sighed and tapped her foot. “The reason for this is…certain difficulties hampering my productivity.”

Those difficulties all resulted from Mana’s weight. None of the office chairs was large enough for her. Whenever she forced and wiggled her hips past the armrests, they pinched uncomfortably. New fat rolls at her sides then curled over the armrests, preventing Mana from placing her arms there. She could hardly type anything with the awkward bow-armed posture this resulted in.

Standing was the next option, but typing on a digital pad was awkward, too. Her breasts got in the way and blocked most of the screen when she held it. She was simply too padded to type in any efficient way.

Thus, Mana chose video logs. Displaying her physical development contributed to the data more than simple words would. It was more embarrassing than she thought, though.

“Let’s start with an update on my condition before continuing with my visit to the Outpost.” Mana started and turned slightly. This put her in a 3/4th perspective to the camera. “My stomach has grown considerably and hangs slightly past my upper thigh. My skirt prevents this, but I confirmed this measurement earlier.” Mana ran her hands along her pencil skirt. It had always rested around her lower abdomen, but now it was severely stretched by a beachball-sized stomach. The belts she usually wore were absent, unable to match the circumference of her belly.

Mana’s hands slid to her hips. “Another place my weight has focused is toward my hips. I am fortunately not as wide as some of the Arc’s Nikke. I failed to see who, but someone had gotten themselves stuck in the hotel doors at the Outpost. Those were double doors.” She shook her head and sighed. “Moving on, my hips and butt had gotten too large for any of the chairs in the research labs. I have hesitated to order larger ones, but I have the request forms ready just in case.” Mana turned a little further to show the curve of her rump. Her skirt was stretched tight over the plump, round cheeks. They were perfectly bubbly in shape, and they seemed perky. Once they had been displayed, Mana turned back.

“My legs have doubled in thickness, and I have given up on replacing my pantyhose. They either tear around the thickest part of my thighs, or they rub against each other between them.” Mana gently slid one of her legs forward. Each was noticeably wider than they should be, but they remained smooth. Just as she said, there were numerous tears throughout her pantyhose. This allowed bubbles of supple fat to poke through.

“Also, my arms are so thick that I have to stuff them into my sleeves. A new lab coat will be necessary at my current growth rate.” Mana gestured toward her upper arms. The sleeves of her lab coat were visibly taut around them. It looked as though the seams could burst any second.

“My chest is…” Mana stopped and raised her hand to her brow. She groaned and mustered the willpower to continue. Even then, she kept her hand to her rounded face and groaned again. Her fingers gently brushed her cheeks, which were now supple and curved. “Has gone up three sizes. Each breast is larger than my head, obstructing anything directly beneath my chest…aside from my stomach.”

Mana took a few moments before she continued. “With the update to my physical state complete, I will summarize my visit to the Outpost. The Nikke there are also experiencing the weight gain phenomenon. The Commander knew of this, but I feel he is treating the situation too leniently. Every Nikke on the Counters squad seems incapable of combat. Anis was apparently large enough that she had caused the sofa in the counseling room to collapse. At least, that’s what the Commander said as he offered me his personal chair…of which I nearly broke.”

“The Commander did inform me that the Cooking Oil squad is investigating potential ties to Splendamin. He also recommended that I remain at the Outpost and relax for the time being. I politely refused and returned here. As of now, my plans are to-“

Mana was cut off as Elegg entered. She was out of breath, surprising for a Nikke, but she quickly recovered and waddled over. The difference in Mana and Elegg’s size was staggering. The arriving Nikke was twice Mana’s size, and her clothes were in a worse state. Her hips were so broad that she had to squeeze through the doorway, and her shorts were nearly invisible. They had always been exceptionally short, but now they were obscured by the overhang of a belly twice the size of Mana’s. Then, flabby love handles hid all but the tiniest sliver of fabric. Just one leg was wider than Mana’s waistline, her arms were so bulbous that the puffy sleeves of her jackets were skin tight, and her breasts were twice the size of her head.

Elegg acted as if none of this were true. She waddled over to Mana’s computer with her arms loaded with bags. Mana sniffed the air. It was heavy with various intense aromas. Every bag was stuffed to bursting with food, and some packaged items spilled across Mana’s desk. Elegg placed the bags down and leaned toward the computer. “Hey, sorry I just got the sudden craving to install boom in something, and oh, what do you know, this will do!” Elegg sputtered and started to type on Mana’s keyboard. The camera feed wavered and then went offline. The last thing it recorded was a confused Mana, frantic Elegg, and then the logo for B.O.OM.

Log 4 was brought to an unceremonious end.

——

The Camera feed resumed, and Elegg filled the frame. She smiled a wide, toothy grin. “Is it live? Hey Commander! I got the job done, just like you asked.”

Elegg moved aside. Mana’s lab was a mess, very uncharacteristic of its owner. Empty bags and crumbled burger wrappers littered the floor. Then, near the center of the lab, was a cream-colored lump that rose and fell rhythmically. It was immediately apparent that this lump was Mana.

Mana’s stomach was now large enough that it buried her lap and flowed over the sides of her thighs. The curve from her love handles to her belly was seamless. The only thing that interrupted the curves was the crevice of her belly button. Other than that, her belly was perfectly smooth. This uniform state allowed the furthest curve of her belly to reach waist-high level.

Mana was splayed out on her back, which allowed a glimpse of her thighs. Her stockings were no more. Their final remnants had burst and slipped down the curves of her legs like a cut ribbon around a tree. Just one thigh was so broad that Mana could have used them as a chair with ample room if her waistline hadn’t quadrupled. The thickness of her thighs failed to taper at her knees, so they rolled over the sides of the burdened joint. Her shins were coated in fat, and her calves bulged outward. The thinnest point of Mana’s lower body were cankles so thick that her hands couldn’t wrap around them.

There was no way she could bend to reach her ankles, but still.

Elegg reentered the frame and reached down. She grabbed Mana by the underarms and hauled her upright. “Urgh…just a second…hrrrgh!” She groaned and pulled once more. Now Mana was seated, and her upper body was visible.

The first thing that stood out was Mana’s chest. Her breasts rested atop the shelf of her belly, each orb surprisingly perky for their size. Just one was twice the size of her head, and they took up all the available space of her shirt. The buttons over her belly had popped, but the three over her chest struggled to remain closed. One deep breath might have been enough to spell their end, but for now, the only sign of strain was the fist-sized gaps between each. Her tie had been removed thanks to the newfound thickness of her neck. If it remained, it surely would have been lost in her cleavage.

Mana’s lab coat had also been shrugged off. Her shoulders were too broad for it now. It had been snug, but it would have split down the back if she hadn’t removed it. The sleeves were likely to burst as well. Mana’s arms weren’t as padded as the rest of her, but they were still as thick and robust as the average person’s thighs.

Her face was slightly marked with grease and condiments from the burgers Elegg brought. Other than that, it was mostly unchanged. A close analysis would reveal that her cheeks were slightly fuller, and her second chin was more pronounced. The average glance would miss those details.

Mana continued to pant. She was frazzled from being stuffed, and she felt on the verge of a food coma. She tried to get to her feet only to fall back on her butt. It was enough to make her bounce slightly. Dealing with her rump was already an issue, and it was sure to be worse now. Her hips stretched over four feet across, and her rump was impossible to cover with her pencil skirts. It might not stand out as much as her stomach, but it was big enough to dwarf her former self comically.

‘I have decided to conclude my investigation…the phenomena behind Nikke gaining weight is more trouble than it's worth…’ Mana thought. She didn’t let herself slide back onto her back. There was no way she’d get up on her own. Maybe she could wait, and Elegg would help her to her feet. Then she’d waddle back to her room and sleep…or go to the bar. The idea of an ice-cold beer was enough to curl her lips into a small smile.

“Yep, I think this one is gonna take it easy for a while!” Elegg flashed a thumbs-up at the camera.

On the other end of the feed, The Commander leaned back into his chair. Having Elegg stuff Mana to that degree wasn’t part of his plan, but he couldn’t stand to see her run herself ragged. With her indisposed, he could let his plan go on a little longer. He closed the video and spun around in his chair. The other members of the counters were present. Rapi stood off to the side while Anis and Neon sat on the crushed remnants of the counseling room’s couch.

“Commander,” Rapi started. “Do you really think tampering with Splendamin in this way will help you gain renown?” She had gone along with the plan, even as her waistline gradually ballooned. She just wondered if they’d wrap things up while most Nikke could still stand.

The Commander smiled. “Oh, Rapi, this plan went off the rails weeks ago.” He shamelessly admitted.

THE END