Nexifem Inc. (Chapters 12 & 13)

Chapter 12

“You will become smaller and smaller, you small people! You will crumble away, you comfortable people!”

-“Thus Spoke Zarathustra”, by Friedrich Nietzsche

Chad decided to ignore Selina’s text for the moment. He didn’t have time for that woman’s games. He wished someone would lock Selina in a room with the angry construction worker who had gotten in his face in the morning. Let the two of them destroy each other.

Chad sat down at his desk and sighed at the stack of paperwork waiting for him.

“Well good morning to you too,” Tiffany said. Vicki snickered.

“Sorry, I’ve had a rough morning,” Chad said.

Tiffany’s head tilted. “Monday’s suck,” she said.

“Tell me about it,” Chad said, wishing he could vent honestly to his pretty petite co-worker. His eyes shifted to Vicki, who was busily typing away on her computer.

“So!” Tiffany said, leaving a lingering silence.

“Um…what?” Chad asked.

“Aren’t you going to tell us about it? We can see your posts and tags online you know.”

Vicki snickered again behind her workstation. “Yeah, ‘vulni-chic princeling’. Tell us about your romantic weekend,” she cooed.

“Kelly posted that without telling me!” Chad exclaimed. “But…it was a nice date.”

“See? We told you! You should have listened to us earlier,” Tiffany said.

“We know what’s best for you,” Vicki added. “You need a woman in your life, to guide you.”

Fresh from a humiliating meeting with Ms. Everhart, Chad was in no mood to be teased in this way, even if it was in a light-hearted manner. “I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions,” he retorted, as he opened a spreadsheet program on his workstation.

“Like when you agreed to be shrunk down in size?” Vicki asked.

Tiffany smiled, adding, “Well, to be fair, that was a good decision. He’s much cuter this way, and it got him a girlfriend too!”

“I didn’t exactly have a choice, well not completely, I mean…I can’t really talk about it,” Chad stammered.

“Now you’ve confused him Tiff,” Vicki remarked. The two women laughed playfully.

Chad blushed and tried to turn his attention to his work. He was too distracted to out-manoeuvre the teasing of his colleagues. Ms. Belmont was definitely making sure he kept busy in the office. The fleeting idea of her response were Chad to become smaller was not something he wanted to dwell on. If only he had the money to walk away from Nexifem, to take a job somewhere else. But that wasn’t the way the world worked anymore. Chad pulled up Nexifem’s internal messaging app and looked for John Fairview’s name. He knew there was a risk that any message he sent would be tracked, but Chad didn’t have time to wait until he could give John a private phone call. He hoped it would be safe for him to message one of Nexifem’s board members. He would keep his message very neutral and vague.

“Hi John. Really need to meet with you within 36 hours.” Chad sent the message. He wanted to include more information, but felt it would be risky doing so.

Chad worked steadily through the morning, but was constantly distracted by his overarching anxiety. He tried to lose himself in the repetitive nature of various data entry files or note-taking duties, but it proved all too easy for his thoughts to drift back to the events of the morning. It didn’t help that Tiffany and Vicki were bantering in the background about their fun weekends filled with parties, dates, and shopping. For as much as Chad was struggling with a new reality amid a changing society, his co-workers seemed to be flourishing.

Vicki looked fitter after a weekend spent at the gym and socializing with successful friends. Tiffany was dressed in an amazing tight violet body-con tube dress that emphasized her natural curves. She complained about two separate dates she’d had over the weekend, where neither one had been into ‘fempowerment’ like their online profiles had suggested. Chad resisted weighing in, and tried to focus on his work, but he didn’t go so far as to put on his headphones, giving in to his own curiosities about Tiffany’s life outside of work.

Meanwhile, no message came in from John Fairview, only reminders from Ms. Belmont on various file deadlines, sent in her usual bossy direct tone. Worse, when Chad brought Ms. Belmont a completed stack of statistical print-outs later in the afternoon, he spotted a brightly-branded bottle on her desk. A woman’s silhouette was illustrated in stylish curving line-art, and elegant purple text spelled out ‘Voluptupram’ along the side of the bottle. Smaller descriptive text ran along the opposite side, but it was too small to read without picking up the container. Ms. Belmont was on the phone talking about some sort of logistic complaint from a warehouse on the prairies. Chad stood frozen in place for a moment, staring at the bottle.

The supplement was already available.

Perhaps Ms. Belmont had gotten early access as a manager at Nexifem. She probably had regular contact with Ms. Everhart after all. Whatever the case, seeing the product out in the world this soon was a surprise. Chad had assumed it would take weeks for it to reach stores. But Nexifem was a well-oiled corporate machine. They obviously hadn’t advertised a product without ensuring consumers could get hold of it quickly. Now here it was, being used by a woman who actively claimed to see “little point in men”, a woman who seemed to revel in her authority over Chad while demoting the few remaining males in the admin pool.

“What are you doing?” Ms. Belmont had lowered the landline to her shoulder and was looking at Chad. “Do you need something?”

“Um…no,” Chad said.

Ms. Belmont’s eyes followed his gaze to the bottle on her desk, and she smirked. “Hmm…I just got that stuff this morning. I took my first dose a few hours ago in my morning coffee,” she said. “I’m not ashamed. I don’t need to hide my cosmetic choices.”

Chad looked away to a picture on the wall. “I was just surprised,” he said. “Sorry I interrupted your call. I’ll let you get back to work. I was just dropping off these fabric purchase figures.”

“You’re lucky I’m busy,” Ms. Belmont said. “We’ll talk about this later. I think you have an issue with women wanting to improve themselves or something. Go on, get back to work.”

“Yes Ms. Belmont,” Chad said. He knew better than to make a rebuttal. He’d been given a way out, and he took it. Chad went quickly back to his desk and resumed his work. He wondered how many other women in the office were already taking Voluptupram. Was Tiffany? Was Vicki? Chad didn’t dare ask. Not yet.

The end of the day came quicker than he expected. For once, Chad wanted the clock at work to slow down. Every minute that went by was potentially a minute closer to the Adtenuo Tank. It was either that or crushing poverty. Chad shuddered at the thought of having to sign up for one of the multi-year resource industry contracts increasingly common with low-status men. One of Chad’s best friends had left for an Antarctic mine four years ago on one of those contracts. He hadn’t heard anything good about the experience. An even worse fate would be getting forced into an informal job in the city, like housecleaning or yard work, at the mercy of cash payments from unethical employers.

He’d waited all day, but still heard nothing from John Fairview. Chad wondered if the Nexifem executive was still angry with him for not returning his messages weeks ago. Chad had been unconscious in the Adtenuo Tank, and then in recovery trying to cope with a shocking new reality. He couldn’t be blamed for disappearing for a while. Perhaps Fairview was just too busy. Of course, there was also the possibility that Chad’s message had been intercepted. He didn’t want to think about that.

Once Chad was out of the office, he pulled his phone back out. He largely avoided spending too much time on it at work due to the scrutiny of Ms. Belmont. The few times she’d caught him on his phone at work, she’d threatened to cut his pay or fire him. She seemed to be more lenient with Vicki and Tiffany though, but pointing that out was probably not a wise idea, and Chad was unsure if it was even true or a just matter of perception.

His phone was cluttered with a series of alerts from earlier in the afternoon, messages from Kelly, Selina, and Hank. Chad opened Kelly’s message first. It was the least anxiety-producing option.

“I hope your day is going well. I crushed a killer workout this morning. My glutes and quads are so sore! Thanks for adding me online. I know I have a lot of followers. I hope you don’t mind the hashtags and comments. I was just being playful. I think my followers doubled after the pics I posted of you!!”

Kelly had sent a second message following the first:

“Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night? I know it’s a work day, but we can take it easy. No pressure.”

Chad looked at the messages, feeling pleasure at getting such positive communication from a pretty woman who liked him. He sent a quick reply: “Sure! I’ll be over tomorrow after work. Should I bring anything?”

It could end up being his last evening as a 4’6” man. Chad hoped not, but he didn’t want to lose the chance. Plus, he really like the idea of getting to kiss Kelly again.

Kelly responded to his text immediately. “Awesome! So around 6 or 7? Just bring your cute self. See you then.” Heart and kissing lips emoticons followed.

Chad sent some back, adding, “Okay! Looking forward to it.”

He smiled and then sighed. Next, Chad clicked on the message from Selina. A darkly lit video filled the screen and he furrowed his brow. Chad pulled out his earbuds and glanced around at the other pedestrians nearby who were waiting for the crosswalk light to change. None of them had noticed him, and most were in their own private digital worlds anyway. Chad restarted the video. It was a shadowy and grainy, but Selina’s voice could be heard distinctly.

“…building manager let me in. I said I was your girlfriend and that I’d been locked out,” Selina said. “I don’t know why you won’t talk to me. You think you’re better than us or something, because you’re one of the lucky dicks who still have a corporate job.”

There was a scuffle and the video moved around jerkily. Selina must have brought at least one of her boisterous friends from the pub, because her thick amazonian silhouette appeared briefly in the video. Someone else was doing the filming on their phone.

“You can’t just come into my home like this!” It was Hank’s voice. He sounded angry, but also frightened. “I don’t owe you anything.”

The unseen woman holding the phone laughed. “Oh my gawd Selina, he DOES think he’s better than us.”

“Just like his little vulni friend,” Selina said. The video’s light settings adjusted, and for a moment Chad could see a blurry image of Selina pushing Hank against a refrigerator in a messy apartment. The sound of Hank grunting was clear enough.

“Come on, I know you like my boobs. I saw you staring at them the other day when I tried to talk to you at the bank. Most guys would kill to be this close to them,” Selina said.

The sound of heels on hardwood could be heard. The camera’s operator was moving closer to Selina and Hank. Chad peered into his phone’s small screen, trying to see what was happening.

“Please…don’t…”

Selina burst out into throaty laughter. “Ohhh…he’s getting hard!”

The woman holding the camera began to laugh too.

“You’re going to tell me some things I want to know, Hank,” Selina said. Her slight accent surfaced for a sentence or two. “Tell me what I want to know, and we can make out. Or keep being a stuck-up retrograde prig, and we’ll do some redecorating of your apartment.”

“You can’t just…ahh…” Hank’s voice cut off with a grimace. Selina seemed to be digging into his neck with her nails. Hank’s small hand was pushing at Selina’s curvaceous hip ineffectually.

“Wh…what do you want to know?” Hank asked.

“That’s better,” Selina replied. The phone camera view moved even closer, carried by Selina’s friend, and Chad saw Selina’s mouth move down close to Hank’s ear. Her tongue slid out slowly, and then the video ended abruptly. That was all there was. Chad lifted his eyes. The light had changed several times while he’d stood transfixed by the video message from Selina.

Worse, Chad felt slightly stiff in his underwear. What was wrong with him? He’d just witnessed a quasi home invasion. The mere fact that Selina had sent him the video showed her arrogant confidence that she wouldn’t get in any trouble for what she’d done. Chad wanted to tell a lawyer, or a cop. But he also wasn’t sure if anything would happen, seeing how the video ended. It looked almost like Hank was enjoying Selina’s body, giving in to her demands. It was also very hard to even make out the faces of the people in the video, and Chad had bigger worries of his own. He had to make up his mind about the Adtenuo procedure within less than 24 hours.

But now there was an added worry. Did Selina know where he lived now, or where he worked? Chad had to assume she did. Maybe she would be satisfied with dominating Hank for the time being.

Chad felt like he was betraying his friend by not taking an immediate action.

There was still one more message on his phone, from Hank himself:

“I saw that Selina woman from the Lazy Owl at the bank this morning. She tried to talk to me in line, but I pretended I didn’t know her. I think that pissed her off even more though. I’m not a small guy like you, but I sure feel that way around that chick. LOL. She might even have overheard the teller tell me I’m in overdraft on my account. I really need to get back out of janitorial. It was a serious cut in pay and hours.”

Chad swallowed down a feeing of guilt and worry. He started to type a reply and then deleted it. Would Selina still be with Hank, at his place? It was too dangerous to attract her attention. What if she was waiting for Chad at his own apartment?

Chad wished he could just go straight to Kelly’s a day in advance. Instead, he took his usual path to the train station, but abruptly changed his mind when he saw the long lines of commuters on the platform. Chad hailed an automated car and settled into the passenger seat, directing it to take him home. He’d had enough confrontations and drama for one day. Chad just wanted to go somewhere safe and quiet.

When he finally got to his building, he pulled up Kelly’s number. Chad was prepared to dial her if Selina appeared. He wasn’t about to risk facing Selina alone. It briefly entered his thoughts that while he might have once called a male friend or two, he now felt safer reaching out to his confident girlfriend as a safeguard - at least in this situation.

In the end, nothing happened, and Chad got into his apartment like any other day. His evening was almost frustratingly mundane, each minute bringing him closer to the decision deadline set by Ms. Everhart. The simmering guilt over Selina’s video lurked in the back of Chad’s mind. John Fairview did not call, and when Chad tried to dial Fairview’s cell number, he found it had been disconnected. Chad wasn’t surprised. He could only imagine the deluge of attention from press and shareholders that someone like Fairview had dealt with after going against Cassandra Payne and the Nexifem board of governors in the press.

In an effort to settle his nerves, Chad phoned Kelly after dinner.

She answered on the last ring. “Hello?”

“Hi Kelly, it’s me Chad,” he said. “I’m sorry to call you. I just…wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh, is everything okay Chad? People don’t audio call each other out of the blue like this much anymore. It’s so…old school,” Kelly said.

“Yeah, everything is alright…well mostly,” Chad lied. “I mean, work has been demanding and there was a crazy guy at the cafe this morning. That was kind of stressful.”

“Mmhmm…” Kelly said. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

“Well, I know you like that I’m not very tall,” Chad began. He felt nervous even broaching this question, but he needed to know before he decided.

“Yes I do. I like how cute and small you are,” Kelly said. She laughed. “Are you just phoning me to get compliments?”

“No…um, how do I put this… Would you still like me if I was even smaller?”

There was a moment of quiet and then Kelly asked, “What do you mean, like even more vulni?”

“Y…yeah,” Chad replied.

“That would be so amazing,” Kelly said. Her voice had become breathy. “Are you trying to turn me on Chad? Because it’s working.”

“Well, I just was curious. I mean…just if something ever happened,” Chad said. “Like if I was shorter or smaller for some reason.”

A womanly moan filled his ear. “You tease,” Kelly whispered.

Chad was shocked. He hadn’t expected this reaction.

“I didn’t mean to-”

“You’ll have me distracted all night. I have to go though,” Kelly cut him off. “I have a friend coming over. We should talk about this tomorrow though. I love your imagination.”

Chad heard a doorbell ring in the background.

“Oh…okay,” Chad said. He heard another woman’s chattering voice and it was clear Kelly was about to hang up.

“Bye honey!” Kelly said.

She’d hung up. Chad lowered the phone and looked down at the bulging stiff erection in his pants. The sound of Kelly’s moan had instantly triggered Chad’s arousal. Kelly thought he was just flirting on the phone. What would she do when she saw him actually show up smaller for real?

———

In the end, the dreaded decision was far less dramatic than it should have been. On Tuesday afternoon, Chad sent Ms. Everhart a message over Nexifem’s internal messenger system, telling her he had decided to proceed to the next part of the research plan.

“Good!” Ms. Everhart had sent back. “You made the right decision, Chad. Report to R&D first thing tomorrow morning. You probably won’t be home for several weeks, so you might want to do whatever you need to this time in expectation of that. Just remember, this project is a corporate secret.”

Just like that, Chad had less than 24 hours until he would be shrunk again. He tried to tell himself that it was for the best, that his girlfriend would approve, that he’d keep his job, that he might even get a bonus - but a deep anxiety and fear churned in his stomach. Chad felt like he had little option but to proceed or he’d face a life of poverty, and risk losing his apartment and girlfriend. Nexifem’s ambitious executives wanted him to be smaller. His status as a corporate asset now made it nearly impossible to stand in their way.

Toward the very end of the day, Chad was packing his things into his bag, preparing to head to Kelly’s for their dinner date. The fourth floor was deserted. He’d stayed late to finish up some minor work and tidy up his desk, knowing he’d be gone for a while. Vicki and Tiffany had both left the office ahead of him. Chad was looking through his phone to check the weather, when Ms. Belmont walked up.

“Chad, I hear you’re going to be away for a few weeks helping out with another phase in one of Christine’s big R&D projects,” Ms. Belmont said.

Chad nodded, slightly relieved that Ms. Belmont was aware of his work, but also nervous at her sudden appearance. “Yes, did she tell you?”

Ms. Belmont nodded, folding her arms under her sizeable bust. Light blue fabric strained against her breasts as she peered down at Chad. “What is this about? Is she planning to shrink you again?”

“I’m…not supposed to talk about it. It’s in my contract,” Chad said. He glanced up at his supervisor’s blue eyes, framed in stylish glasses. Her lipstick was a more purple shade today than usual. Chad watched Ms. Belmont’s mouth subtly shift into a secretive smile.

“Good,” she said, ignoring his words. “Maybe you won’t even reach the height of my belt when you come back.”

Chad swallowed and his eyes dropped to Ms. Belmont’s belt holding up her business slacks. The pretty silver buckle was nearly level with his chest.

“That’s right, look at it,” Ms. Belmont continued. “I’m going to keep taking Voluptupram while you’re gone. After the way you looked at the bottle, it’s obvious you still have some sexist attitudes about what women should look like.”

“I never said anything,” Chad said, lifting his eyes back to her face.

“You didn’t have to. I know how men think,” Ms. Belmont said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you get smaller again. Don’t worry, I’ll have lots of work waiting for you to catch up on when you get back.”

“That’s not fair,” Chad protested. “I’m already working during that time. I’m sacrificing my body for Nexifem’s profit!”

Ms. Belmont scoffed. “See? This is exactly what I mean. You’re much better behaved than you were when you first came here, but you still have a lot to learn,” she lectured. “Maybe when my crotch is staring you in the fucking face, you’ll get it!”

Chad’s eyes widened in horror at the mere idea of Ms. Belmont’s crotch being level with his face. Looking down at his frightened expression, Ms. Belmont burst into laughter. Her bitchy laughs echoed across the empty office floor. Chad turned and grabbed his bag, walking to the elevators. Ms. Belmont’s laughter grew louder. “Aw, did I upset you?” She taunted, shouting at his back. “I’ll see you soon Chadwick! Have fun working with Christine!”

The elevator doors muffled the sound of Ms. Belmont’s laughter when they finally closed. Chad couldn’t believe what she’d just said to him. The mere anticipation of his change in size had ramped up Ms. Belmont’s demanding dominance to a whole new level. He doubted Tiffany or Vicki would believe him if he told them what had happened. Hank would.

Hank. Chad had completely forgotten about Hank. He pulled his phone out and then decided agains the idea. He’d reach out to Hank after the Adtenuo Tank. He had bigger things to worry about - his own problems. Chad pushed the thought out of his mind. There was too much to deal with and he was just one small man in what seemed to be more and more of a woman’s world.

Still rattled by Ms. Belmont’s gloating, Chad tried to find a free automated car to reserve on his phone. Most had been taken by commuters. Chad didn’t want to take the train and bus to Kelly’s, but it soon became obvious that he had little choice. He’d left work too late to get a car.

Chad was overly aware of his small size the entire journey to Kelly’s. Ms. Belmont’s words lingered in his mind. He found himself glancing at women’s waists, asses, and crotches on the train, trying to figure out how he’d line up after being shrunken again. How much smaller did Ms. Everhart’s team plan to make him? Why hadn’t he thought to ask about that?

One thing was for sure, after another round in the Adtenuo Tank, it seemed impossible that he’d be up to any woman’s breasts, even the short women. And it seemed very likely that he might end up staring into many women’s navels if Ms. Everhart’s team chose to shrink him by even half a foot. Chad felt a rising panic in his chest as he passed from train to bus, walking by enormous poster ads for Voluptupram, Nexifem software, airline tickets, video games, and movies. Most of the ads targeted women. The advertisers knew where the spending power was.

When he finally reached Kelly’s door, and saw her smiling down on him, Chad ran straight into her arms and hugged her. He wrapped his arms as far as he could around her hips and buried his face against Kelly’s abdomen. He felt her fingers push into his hair, caressing his head. He was safe.

“Hello to you too!” Kelly exclaimed.

“Yes…YES!” A strange woman’s voice added. “You were totally right. He’s pure vulni-chic!”

Chapter 13

ALBANY:

…thou art a fiend,

A woman’s shape doth shield thee.”

GONERIL:

Marry, your manhood, mew!

-“King Lear”, Act 4, Scene 2

“Chad, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Maeve,” Kelly said. Chad felt his girlfriend’s hand cupping his head as he drew back slightly, suddenly embarrassed of his clingy behaviour. A few feet away stood a young woman with long wavy honey-brown hair that cascaded down to her mid-back. Light freckles dusted Maeve’s cheeks and she smiled down at him with her head tilted to the side in curiosity. She stood the same height as her mother, but had smaller breasts and bright green eyes. Both women wore comfortable but expensive active-wear that could be used in either the gym or as casual everyday clothing. The tight garments emphasized Kelly and Maeve’s attractive figures.

“Hi Chad,” Maeve said. She put out her hand and Chad took it. His small hand slipped into Maeve’s soft palm easily. She shook it respectfully. “It’s nice to finally meet the guy my mom keeps talking about,” Maeve said.

Chad looked up at Maeve. The young woman was definitely Kelly’s daughter. She had the same body-type, but was more lithe and willowy. She was pretty, but Kelly was more sensual and curvaceous. Kelly had been blessed with a sexy face, natural curves, and had benefited from the hours she consistently put in at the gym.

“Hello Maeve,” Chad replied. “I’ve heard about you too. I’m glad we could meet.”

Kelly’s hand had moved to Chad’s shoulder and she smiled down at him. “Maeve was on her way out to a friend’s, but you came earlier than I expected,” she explained.

Maeve’s was looking down at Chad, her gaze shifting up and down his body in a way he’d seen in other women. She was sizing him up, undoubtedly fascinated by how he compared to her mother.

“I’m glad he did,” Maeve said. “Now I can tell Emily all about your vulni-chic boyfriend. She thinks your pics are all put through filters or Photoshopped.”

Kelly wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t cheat like that. Well, not so blatantly,” she said. “Besides, I don’t think he’s that small really. He’s a nice size”

Maeve nodded. “He is a great size, but it’s not that normal mom,” she said with a small laugh.

“Oh, I guess not,” Kelly admitted. “But I have noticed that guys just don’t really measure up to women like they did when I was your age. Maybe it’s just the fempowerment movement, or all the vulni-chic style couples affecting my view. I mean, heels have had such a huge come-back in the last year or two, not to mention the fad-diets for guys and stuff.”

“And now some women are taking that new supplement,” Maeve said, nodding.

“Voluptupram,” Chad said.

The two women looked down at him. Kelly’s eyebrows were lifted in surprise. “That’s the one,” she said. “How do you know about a woman’s cosmetic product like that? Next, you’ll be telling me about lipstick shades.”

“Oh, well…my employers make it,” Chad said, feeling embarrassed for so eagerly blurting out the name of Nexifem’s latest women’s brand mark.

Maeve grinned. “Oh right! I forgot you work for Nexifem,” she said. "Maybe he can get you deals on stuff, mom!

“Maeve,” Kelly cautioned.

“It’s okay,” Chad said. “I do get an employee discount on some stuff, but not new things like Voluptupram. It’s quite expensive from what I’m told.”

Maeve nodded. “It is, and no one I know has been able to even find any. It sold out the first day it was in stores.”

Chad almost said that there would probably be more soon, but then he was reminded of just how he’d be a part of that production. His mood was yanked back to reality, and his gaze dropped to Kelly’s hips. He instinctively stepped closer to her. It was disconcerting to hear a young woman like Maeve talk openly about her peers trying to get access to Voluptupram.

Kelly seemed to pick up on Chad’s body language. “Well, have a good time honey,” Kelly said.

“Okay mom,” Maeve said, heading out the door. “I’ll be out until at least midnight.”

“Okay, text me.”

“I will!”

Kelly closed the front door and turned to Chad. “Sorry about that,” she said.

“It was fine. I’m happy I got to meet her,” Chad said. “Sorry I came in so…clingy.”

Kelly shook her head slightly. “I liked it. It was really…cute,” she said. “It felt real and honest.”

Chad nodded, blushing slightly. He tried to change the topic. “I need to let you now about a project that came up at work. I have to go away on a business trip,” he said, stretching the truth. “I’m going to be away for a few weeks for Nexifem. I’ll miss you while I’m gone. I really didn’t want to be a part of this project, but my boss gave me little choice.”

“Aww, you will?” Kelly said. “I’ll miss you too. I like having you come over like this. What kind of project is it?”

“I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Chad said.

“Oh,” Kelly said. She looked down at Chad, scrutinizing his face. “Can you call me while you’re gone? I liked what you brought up on the phone the other day.”

“Well, no,” Chad said. “I hate it, but they won’t allow it. But don’t worry, Kelly. When I come back, I’ll have a surprise for you that I think you will really like.”

Kelly had looked unhappy at his response, but now her expression shifted to curiosity. “A surprise?”

“Oh yes,” Chad said. He put on a confident smile, trying to show that everything was fine. But inside he felt butterflies at the idea of the ‘surprise’ he would be bringing to Kelly in a few weeks. Ms. Belmont’s laughter was still fresh in his mind, and he found himself glancing down for a split-second at the tight crotch of Kelly’s athletic leggings.

Kelly may have noticed. “Hmm…well I like surprises,” she said. “I really liked your old-fashioned phone-call the other day. Normally, that kind of thing would annoy me, but not from you.” She tousled Chad’s hair and turned, climbing the stairs.

“Come on,” Kelly said. “I have dinner ready for us.”

Chad followed his girlfriend eagerly.

———

Later, the two of them were seated on Kelly’s sofa and soft music was playing via an app on her television. They’d had a nice meal, paired with some wine, which left a warm glow in Chad’s body. He felt comfortable and safe her with Kelly, not having to worry about Selina, work, or anything else for a few hours. His problems seemed to fade away beyond the walls of the townhouse.

Kelly’s hand was resting on Chad’s knee as she talked about her friend from college who was now a doctor. “She keeps asking me about you. I told her that she’s the lucky one. She has a huge apartment downtown and her boyfriend is an engineer,” Kelly said. “But she said she wishes he would spend more time at home. She said she’d rather have a guy who cooks meals and takes care of his body than one who makes a bunch of money and works all the time.”

Chad listened. “Wow, really? I thought an ambitious engineer would be a great catch,” he said.

“Me too!” Kelly exclaimed. “Well, at first, but then I thought about it. Things are changing. Not many guys have jobs like that these days, and sometimes the ones who do seem to be forcing themselves into a role they think they should have. I mean, computers and bots have replaced so many of those older jobs and professions. Plus, it’s hard for a lot of guys to get spots in the newer programs. It definitely doesn’t fit into the vulni-chic category, and Marzhan started dating Revaz years ago, before anyone thought so much about that lifestyle.”

“Well, then it’s not really his fault I guess,” Chad offered.

“No, though it might be yours,” Kelly said, laughing.

“What did I do?!” Chad said.

“Haha, nothing really,” Kelly said. She leaned closer, her lips grazing Chad’s cheek. “Except be small and sit in my lap. When I told Marzhan about that, she got kind of jealous.”

“Oh…” Chad said. Here it was, another guy he had inadvertently affected through his agreement to be shrunk. Size comparisons were rippling through the people he interacted with, changing expected norms. What would happen when he got even smaller?

Kelly wrapped her arm behind Chad’s back. “Mmm…speaking of which, want to get in my lap? I like it when you’re near me, against me.”

Chad felt too warm and content to resist. He slid closer to Kelly, and swung his leg over her thighs, straddling his girlfriend’s lap and facing her.

“There you go,” Kelly sighed. “Close to me just like when you came in the door.”

Kelly looked into Chad’s eyes intensely. Sitting in her lap, they were just about eye-to-eye. Kelly flexed her hips slowly and Chad’s body shifted.

Chad’s hands braced on Kelly’s shoulders and she smiled, her gaze flitting over his torso. “Did you like how I hugged you when I came in?” Chad asked.

“Yes, I did,” Kelly said. “It was like you needed me. Like you were afraid of the big bad world out there.”

Chad swallowed. Kelly had read his emotions well. “I guess that’s a way of putting it,” Chad said.

“And it made me think of what you said yesterday on the phone…” Kelly bucked her hips in a sensual wave, causing Chad to bounce a little.

“What do you mean?” Chad asked.

“Imagine if you were even smaller,” Kelly voice slid down into a moan for the last word of the sentence.

Chad felt a nervous chill run down his back. He wanted to tell Kelly everything, but he couldn’t. He felt his member stiffening.

“Then I’d really need you?” Chad asked, following Kelly’s lead.

“Mmmm, ohhh…yes. You’d be so cute,” Kelly moaned. “Afraid of the big scary world beyond my hugs and kisses.” Her hand slid up behind Chad’s head and she pulled him to her in a deep kiss.

Chad kissed Kelly back, losing himself in her embrace, feeling her fingers undoing his shirt buttons. Before he knew it, his shirt was somewhere on the floor and Kelly was pulling his the fly of his slacks open. The bulge in Chad’s underwear was in her palm, as her hand slid inside his pants.

Kelly laughed against Chad’s lips as he lifted her tight top. He pushed her top up against her bra, and felt his hands press against the full lacy cups. Kelly broke the kiss and sat upright, pulling off her top in one smooth motion, revealing her black bra. He breasts filled each lacy bra cup and Chad could see Kelly’s nipples straining against the floral patterns. She reached around behind her back and undid the clasp, causing her breasts to fall free, swollen and developed, yet buoyant and smooth. Kelly’s nipples were puffy, revealing her arousal as much as Chad’s erection had for his own feelings.

Chad stared for a moment, taking in the sight of Kelly’s big breasts.

“You can touch them,” Kelly said. She took Chad’s wrists in her hands and drew his hands to her breasts. Chad tried to cup Kelly’s boobs in his hands, but they spilled out over his fingers. He could feel the heavy warm weight of each breast in his palms.

Kelly moaned, looking down at his hands against her breasts. “Oh my gaaawd,” she said. “You can’t even hold my boobs fully.” She laughed, but not in a scornful way. “Don’t worry, it feels good."

Chad felt Kelly open her thighs wider, causing his bottom to sink down. He was falling in between her legs. Kelly reached down and hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her tights, pulling them down with her panties.

Chad fell to the floor and stood up. By the time he was standing, Kelly had taken off her leggings and was naked. Chad pulled his own pants and underwear down and fell back into his girlfriend’s arms. He felt her hand on his back slide down to his butt. Her other hand was on his shoulder, guiding Chad, pushing him down her body as she lay back on the sofa under him. Chad felt the warm fuzz and the moist lips of Kelly sex against his stiff member.

“I want you inside of me, Chad,” Kelly moaned.

Chad didn’t need any more encouragement. He shifted his pelvis and pushed the tip of his cock into Kelly’s pussy. He felt her hips move to match and thrust up against him, pushing his member deeper. Chad’s head was resting between Kelly’s big breasts as he sunk into her vagina. Kelly’s hand gripped, her nails sinking into his ass cheeks, and she pushed him further. Chad felt his member sink all the way in, his smaller-than-average size swallowed up in his girlfriend’s warm wet depths. Kelly’s inner muscles flexed and pulsed around him. He felt her legs wrap around him, her thick strong thighs on either side of his body.

They began to fuck. Chad couldn’t help but thrust eagerly, and it made him feel like a ‘real man’ for the first time in months despite the obvious size difference between them. Kelly’s hips moved with his, taking over the rhythm, her hand on his lower back, as if to keep him inside her, against her. Her other hand was on the back of his head, pushing him to her nipple. Chad thrust into Kelly as he pushed his mouth over her puffy nipple, sucking on her breast, his tongue swirling around, rubbing and teasing.

Kelly moaned loudly, her hips rocking against Chad, holding him close. Pleasure washed through the two of them as they brought each other closer and closer to orgasm. Chad sucked on Kelly’s nipple and closed his eyes, feeling her stroke his hair as she fucked him. He clung to the elation of normal sex with his girlfriend, even as his face was buried in her boob, her hips like a force of nature.

“Oh, yes. Suck on my tit, my little prince. I’ll take care of you,” Kelly whispered. “Come deep inside of me.” Her vaginal muscles flexed and rippled with her words.

Chad sucked harder, obeying Kelly’s encouraging voice. He pushed his member inside of her, so deep his pubic mound rubbed her clitoris hood. Kelly shook with pleasure and moaned.

They came together, lost in each other’s bodies.

Kelly’s cries of pleasure filled her living room.

She stroked Chad’s hair and whispered soft comforting words into his ear, telling him she would care for him, encouraging him to be more vulni-chic, describing how she wanted to keep him with her.

Eventually, she began to rock her hips again, and they began all over. Kelly lifted him from the sofa and took him to her bedroom, his shaft buried inside of her pussy, where they made love several times more. Eventually, Chad drifted off asleep in Kelly’s bed, her thick thighs wrapped around him, nuzzled between her breasts.

———

Chad woke to his phone’s alarm the next morning. It was lost in a pile of his clothes on a chair in Kelly’s room. Chad sat up, confused at first. He was not in his own bed and it took him a moment to get his bearings.

Then, the previous night came flooding back. Chad’s erection stiffened at the mere memory. His body smelled of sex, of Kelly’s pussy, amid the lavender aroma of the bed linens. Chad scrambled from the queen-sized mattress and found his phone. He turned off the alarm and stood naked in the quiet of Kelly’s bedroom.

There was a a text on his phone from her: “Good morning lover! I went to the gym. Feel free to let yourself out. I can use an app to lock the front door from the gym. Maeve is at work. She doesn’t know you stayed over because I cleared up your stuff! So be discreet.”

Kelly had added an emotion with mischievous devil horns.

Her message concluded: “Have a good business trip and come home soon! I like having you in my bed.”

Chad touched his cock, stroking it gently as he re-read Kelly’s message.

He didn’t have much time to get to work, not even to shower. Kelly lived further from the Nexifem headquarters than he did. He’d need to get a car to make it to work on time. Chad felt torn between the comfort and afterglow of a night of passion, and the sudden demands of the work-day.

He tried not to think about what this particular work-day entailed.

It wasn’t fair. He had finally had sex for the first time in at least a couple years, and to a gorgeous healthy woman. It had been incredible. Now he had to go and have more of his manhood siphoned away. Even if Kelly liked the idea of Chad being smaller, he was loathe to shrink. How could he pleasure his girlfriend in the same way if he were smaller? His body ached from a night of thrusting and sucking. Chad had thrown his whole form into the act of pleasuring Kelly, of trying to fill her and stimulate her to orgasm. Would he be able to do it as well once he got smaller? Would they even be able to have penetrative sex together?

Chad sighed, knowing it didn’t matter. He’d agreed to proceed. At this point, he’d have to become a literal fugitive to escape what was waiting for him at Nexifem. Chad got dressed and went into Kelly’s bathroom for a quick glance in the mirror, to make sure he looked presentable. He sprinkled some water into his hair and raked his fingers through, pushing it into a normal shape. The air in the washroom was slightly muggy and the shower was wet - evidence of Kelly’s morning routines. Chad was a little surprised he’d slept through it, even if he’d been tired and very relaxed.

He contemplated himself in the bathroom mirror. On an impulse, Chad took a photo with his phone, a record of his current size and height.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” he said.

———

Chad made it to the R&D floor just in time. He stepped off the elevator and found Ms. Everhart waiting for him. “There you are,” she said, not even offering a greeting. “I was beginning to think you backed out on us.”

“I’m not a liar,” Chad countered.

“Good, because the price would have been very high,” Ms. Everhart said. She was wearing a lab-coat, buttoned up over a formal dark pant-suit. She turned on her heels and and began to lead the way, not even bothering to look back to see if Chad was following.

Chad walked slightly behind Ms. Everhart, trying to keep up with her long strides. Her black heels echoed down the clinical corridors as they moved closer and closer to the large open laboratory space which held the Adtenuo Tank machinery and research. The industrial science equipment in the high-ceiling space brought back unpleasant memories for Chad, and he had to will himself to keep walking forward. The bewildering mix of order and chaos amid all the technology, wiring, and plumbing made him feel small and stupid. If someone had asked him how anything in the lab worked, he doubt he could have answered them.

Women in white lab coats were working on consoles and controls around the gleaming polished cone of the Adtenuo Tank. It had clearly been modified, and several new parts and tubes now fed into it. Nearby, a large tank made of an opaque blue plastic sloshed with some sort of liquid. Tubes and pipes fed into it as well.

“As you can see, we’ve made some changes,” Ms. Everhart said. “We expect to harvest considerably more material from the Adtenuo Process this time. It’s a more efficient technique, so we can get more results with the same input.”

Chad didn’t like being referred to as an input, a commodity. He felt many of the women glancing at him, re-enforcing his perception of being objectified.

“You mean so you can make more Voluptupram?” Chad asked.

“That would certainly be one benefit,” Ms. Everhart answered, nodding. Her mane of black hair had been pulled back in a thick ponytail, likely for practical reasons in the lab.

“We are also testing out techniques that will be useful for some of the potential commercial applications of the Adtenuo technology,” Ms. Everhart continued. “There is a government demand for a cost-effective way to reduce male aggression, especially among violent criminals. On the retail consumer side, we are interested in appealing more fully to the vulni-chic trend. So we’ve modified the Adtenuo process to test some of these added goals.”

“What do you mean?” Chad asked. “This is going to do more than shrink me? Isn’t that enough?”

Ms. Everhart smiled down at Chad. “Don’t worry about it, Chadwick. It’ll all be for the best. You’ll only be improved through another round in the Adtenuo Tank.”

Chad swallowed, feeling fear and anger rise in his throat. He hadn’t agreed to this. Chad recalled the horror he’d felt at waking to Nexifem’s first ‘improvements’ to his body. What did Ms. Everhart mean by reducing male aggression?

“But…”

“What? Are you going to back out now?” Ms. Everhart quipped. “Does it really matter? I was just letting you know so that when you come out of the tanks, you’ll be a little bit less surprised this time. You should be grateful I’m even telling you about any of this. It’s well above your pay-grade. You’re here to do a job, remember.”

A woman with straight glossy auburn hair pulled up in a severe bun stepped up to Chad. “Hello Chad,” she said in a cool tone.

“Hello Ms. Young,” Chad said, making brief eye-contact with the scientist through her glasses. Her gaze was clinical and calculating as she peered down at him.

“Oh you remembered her name,” Ms. Everhart said. “That’s impressive! You really are suited for admin in a way.”

Chad looked down to the floor.

“Well, you should take off your clothes. We’re all ready for you,” Ms. Young said. Chad was somewhat surprised she was talking to him directly. His last encounter with Ms. Young had made him feel more like a lab rat than a person. She’d talked over him more than to him.

“Yes, Chad,” Ms. Everhart added. “You can put your things in the container by the wall and I’ll make sure they are sent back to your apartment later. Please go remove your clothing.”

Chad turned and walked to men’s shower room, leaving the women to talk about scientific things he didn't’ understand. The beige tile of the changing area was spotless. Had anyone even been in the room since his last visit? It certainly didn’t feel that way, but everything remained obscured in secrecy at Nexifem. Low-ranking employees like Chad were not privy to such information.

Chad removed his shoes and clothes carefully, folding them and setting them aside. He took a white terrycloth robe from a hook on the wall and slipped it on. Chad knew they’d want him naked for the Adtenuo Tank, but he decided that it was better to at least try to keep his dignity as long as possible. The robe touched the floor. It was clearly made for a more normal sized man. Chad sighed.

He left the change room and put his shoes, wallet, phone, keys, and clothes into a rubber container by the wall, then dropped in his cloth office bag. A clear lid for the container was resting nearby and Chad picked it up, pushing it over his things, securing them inside. The act gave him a small sense of security. His possessions were stowed away and would be waiting for him. At least he had that knowledge.

“Come here, Chadwick,” Ms. Everhart called. “We need to do the preliminary measurements.”

Chad saw his phone’s screen light up in the clear rubber container. Someone was messaging him. He leaned closer to make it out. It was John Fairview. Chad felt a mixture of surprise and frustration. Now? Fairview was getting back to him now??

“Hello? Come here,” Ms. Everhart. “You can send your girlfriend flirty texts when this is done.” Some of the other scientists laughed.

Chad inhaled deeply and turned, walking over to a cluster of six women, all now wearing white medical face-masks that matched their lab coats. Chad met Ms. Everhart’s gaze, and noticed she was wearing subtle mascara and eye-liner. Her dark eyes glittered in anticipation of the coming experiment.

“Don’t you already have my measurements from before?” Chad asked.

“Of course,” Ms. Everhart replied. “But we need to confirm that you’ve stayed the same size these last few weeks. It’s also standard as part of the test procedure.”

Ms. Young nodded. “Please step onto the scale and remove your robe,” she said.

Chad tried to tell himself this was like a visit to the doctor’s office, that the women around him were professionals and just doing their jobs. But he still felt shy as he undid the cloth belt of his robe while female scientists watched. Some women were writing on clipboards or tapping on digital tablets. Others were holding measuring tools or working at nearby consoles. A soft hiss sounded as the Adtenuo Tank’s thick conical glass began to lift from its unfolding metallic cradle petals. The sound of electronic servos whirred somewhere.

Chad let his robe drop to the floor.

“Ah, there we go,” Ms. Everhart said. Ms. Young and two other women stepped forward and began to measure Chad’s body, wrapping tape around his wrists and waist, holding up instruments to his head, legs, penis, and chest. He was gently poked and prodded by feminine hands. The women talked softly to each other.

“Note the body hair coverage and skin tone,” Ms. Young said. Another scientist nodded.

A pair of scissors appeared, and a woman took clippings of Chad’s hair, then some from his pubes and chest. Another woman took hold of his hand and clipped his pinky finger with quick precision. A small jar was held up to his mouth.

“Spit,” an anonymous woman commanded.

Chad spit out a glob of spit, and felt confused. “What is this all for?” He asked.

“I don’t exactly have time to go over the science with you Chad, but just think of it as more in-depth recording of your bio-statistics,” said Ms. Everhart. “We need to know about you so we can track how well the experimental procedure does.”

Ms. Young held up an extremely bright light to Chad’s shoulder, which clicked and took some sort of image. She wrote down some sort of number in her clipboard as she looked at the screen on the instrument.

“Residue on his genitals,” a woman remarked, swabbing at Chad’s testicles with a cotton ball.

Ms. Young leaned in, glancing down at Chad’s member. “Hmm…have you had sex recently, Chad?”

Chad blushed. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” he said.

Ms. Everhart put her hands on her hips. “Oh my, Chadwick! Good for you,” she said, a laughing tone in her voice. “Just remember, you’re doing this for her, for a new and better world.”

“Please answer the question,” Ms. Young persisted.

Chad simply nodded, looking away from Ms. Everhart’s scrutiny.

Ms. Young nodded and wrote something on her clipboard. The cotton ball was slipped into a glass tube and taken away. Nothing was being ignored. Chad felt that Nexifem knew him better on a physical level than he did himself. He felt a weird sense of disconnect from his own body for a moment.

“Just think of it,” Ms. Everhart continued. “Won’t she be happy when you get even smaller?”

Chad resented Ms. Everhart’s obvious approval of what was about to happen, and her confidence and comments about Kelly’s feelings. Chad knew she was right about Kelly. His mind flashed back to the previous night, and the weight of Kelly’s breasts in his hands, the feel of her legs wrapped around him. He forced himself to stop this line of thought. The last thing he needed was to get an erection in front of Ms. Everhart, Ms. Young, and the other scientists.

“I guess,” Chad said. “But that’s not all she cares about.”

Ms. Everhart looked down at Chad, as the other scientists moved away. They were done with their measurements. “I would think not, but it’s important,” Ms. Everhart commented. “Women have more demands these days. We expect more boxes to be checked. We’re on the edge of a whole new age, as big a change as the advent of the internet was decades ago. Probably bigger. This is progress, and your girlfriend…what’s her name?”

“Kelly,” Chad answered.

“Your girlfriend, Kelly, is a part of progress. She wants what’s best for you, I’m sure,” Ms. Everhart concluded.

Chad felt a mixture of frustration and a growing desire to please Kelly. She did want what was best for him, but hadn’t her desires had been shaped by marketing? Who decided what was best for a man? If fempowerment and vulni-chic were this powerful as fads and lifestyles, who was to say that what had existed before was any different? Chad’s mind reeled as he tried to tell himself that the old way of things was more normal and natural than this ‘new era’.

“But some women have taken advantage of the changes. They’re not all like my girlfriend,” Chad said.

Ms. Everhart gave a short scornful laugh. “Oh, they have? My goodness, a man would never ever have taken advantage of his size or position,” Ms. Everhart exclaimed. Her surgical mask did little to hide her cooing sarcasm.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Chad protested.

“Yes it is,” Ms. Everhart interjected. “It’s our time to take the lead. You’re worried about a few ladies who are more assertive, or maybe bitter from past experiences? So what if there are a few over-corrections along the way. It’s an acceptable cost after thousands of years of war, rape, assault, and patriarchy. Nexifem is devoted to helping make a better world a reality. I intend to help entrench vulni-chic as much more than a fad or style. This is just the beginning, Chadwick.”

Chad swallowed. He didn’t want to hear this, not now, standing naked in a lab before his boss.

“Now get into the tank,” Ms. Everhart ordered. “If you’re feeling squeamish, I’ll lift you in myself.”

Chad backed up from Ms. Everhart, noticing how she shifted her weight, watching him. She wasn’t kidding. He turned and talked toward the tank. There was nowhere to run, anyway. He’d already agreed to this. The only thing he could do, was follow through and deal with the consequences afterward.

An asian woman standing to side was chatting to a colleague. “It reminds me of the rock-tumbler I had as a girl. I’d put in plain old rocks I found at the beach or on hikes, and then days later they came out smaller, shinier, and all new and nice!”

Her peer nodded. “Totally,” she agreed. “It’s basically a rock tumbler for men.” Both women laughed at the metaphor.

Chad ignored them and stepped up to the tank. Ms. Young gave him a helping hand as he struggled to hoist himself in under the glass cone. Her palm slipped under his foot and he was able to climb in relatively easy. Chad felt pliant honeycomb ribbing under his soles as he stood in the tank. The glass cone began to slowly lower down as several women gathered around, watching the process. Chad felt horribly exposed, on display under the glass like an ornament or consumer product in development. The concept actually didn’t seem that far from the truth.

The air-pressure in the tank changed with a thunk of gaskets connecting and a hiss as the cone settled into its brackets. Metal petals lifted and gripped the base of the glass, re-enforcing the seal. This was the part Chad hated the most. He could see Ms. Everhart talking to her staff behind the glass. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but then he saw most of the women break into muffled laughter together. Chad didn’t think he wanted to know what was so funny.

Translucent blue synthetic tubes snaked out of the honeycomb floor of the tank. Chad tried to suppress his instinctive revulsion and fear as they connected to his body. There was more variety in the tubules this time, with some looking like fibre optic filaments and others like glowing IV ports. Chad cringed and jerked his hand back from the sudden sharp prick of a cluster of connections, but more and more emerged from the below him. There was no escape from the synthetic interface. The Adtenuo Tank forged more and more connections to Chad’s arms and legs, restricting his movement, as his body was increasingly integrated into the Nexifem lab equipment. Blue liquid began to flood the chamber, rising around Chad’s ankles.

As he was slowly engulfed in the Adtenuo Process, Chad felt a chilling wave of nausea. Tubules snaked into his nostrils and mouth, causing him to gag, before the reflex dropped away. He saw fluid and light moving up the tubes and into his body, injecting a chemical mix beyond his understanding. Chad’s emotional state spiked from fear to deeper fear, anxiety and tears, frustration and claustrophobia. The feelings went beyond the helplessness of his predicament. It was obvious some sort of hormonal mix was entering his body, as his emotions wavered all across the spectrum in mere moments. Blue gel-like liquid rose over Chad’s vision and further obscured his sight of the lab in an eerie sapphire veil.

Chad fought to retain consciousness, clinging to his last moments as a 4’6” tall man, as Nexifem altered his body to suit their vision for a new kind of male. He could feel the extraction process beginning, the syphoning away of a part of him. Chad felt a looming sense of loss, of reduction. He screamed into the gelatinous blue liquid around him, as his consciousness entered a liminal state. Time seemed to stretch and warp, interspersed by blackouts and blurry dream-states. Sometimes it was dark outside the tank, other times bright. Sometimes he felt watched, other times all alone. But through it all was a liquid sense of change, of strings yanking and manipulating him from the inside out. Chad struggled weakly in an artificial womb, awaiting his cold rebirth into an uncertain world.