DNA
I like to walk to work on the days that aren't too hot or humid.
Virginia Beach weather can be very unpredictable with the exception
that from May through October, everyone knows it will be both hot and
humid. Today was one of those rare exceptions to the September weather
pattern. It was seventy-five degrees and the humidity had dropped low
enough to not guarantee the need for a shower by the time I got into
work.
I smelled the fresh cut lawns and the subtle hints of humidity induced
molds as I walked through my neighborhood towards my workplace at
BioStore Inc. The neighborhood I lived in was a mecca for families.
People were outside with their children. Older people were walking
their dogs. I was enjoying my walk more than usual until I caught sight
of a beautiful young woman. I frowned as continued to move steadfastly
towards my office, but I kept an eye on the young woman through my
peripheral vision. At forty-seven years old I knew I had no aspirations
of securing a date with a twenty-year old. It wasn't that I lusted
after her. I wasn't some creepy stalker with nefarious motives. I
frowned because as I looked at the young woman, I had a deep sense of
yearning to be like her, a yearning so strong that it made my stomach
hurt.
As I continued to walk I reminisced about my life and how this yearning
had always been so prevalent. All these years I thought I was the
byproduct of my environment. Perhaps it was my upbringing, the media I
watched, or maybe the choices I'd made over the years that led me to my
confluence of thoughts, this dichotomy of my mind, this duality of who
I was. Until recently I never knew why I was the way I was.
Growing up I was all boy. Well, maybe that's not quite true. I never
thought I was anything but a boy, however, I found myself differing in
subtle ways. I was slightly more emotional than other boys. Not an off-
the-scale emotional wreck, but when things emotionally hurt me or when
I felt passionate about a cause, my emotions were stronger than other
boys in similar situations. Where most boys tended towards
aggressiveness, I tended towards gentleness. Not enough to be noticed
or pointed out, but even so, I was slightly different. I enjoyed
spending time with girls just as much, if not more so, than with boys.
It helped that I grew up with a girl neighbor my age and we played a
lot together. And no, I didn't play with dolls.
As I approached puberty I began noticing other things. I'd walk through
a department store and catch myself glancing at girl's clothing. I've
always had a fascination with girl's clothing. The feel of the silky
softness and the delicate patterns of lace call to me. Still, no one
would have ever say there was something odd about me, even though I
secretly had a fantasy about being locked in the department store
overnight where I could try these clothes on.
By my mid-teens the boys in my school became more and more aggressive.
Because I chose to avoid fighting I was often picked on. It's not that
I was smaller, rather, it was because I was larger. If a smaller boy
wanted to fight me and I refused, it would make the smaller boy look
tougher in the eyes of his peers. It's not that I wasn't a man, or
courageous, I just thought all the fighting and machoness was stupid.
As I grew into a young man, I hid my wish that I secretly desired to be
a woman. To everyone around me, I was one of the guys. I played soccer
in summer, was a lifeguard, and in winter I skied downhill with some of
the toughest and fastest skiers in the nation.
Later in life I entered the workforce and eventually got married. I
knew I wasn't gay. I loved and adored women. Now, looking back, I led a
very good life even though my internal pain was routinely pushed aside
and I chose to live with the secrets buried within me. Unfortunately, I
chose to confess my secret to my wife and she was less than accepting
of my feelings. Although nothing would change between the two of us,
she couldn't understand I wanted to be a woman. All I desired was to
share my deepest secret with the person I loved the most and it
backfired on me.
Now divorced and afraid of entering another relationship for fear of
future rejection, my mind craved something I knew I could never have.
If anything my thoughts and desires to be a woman have only increased
over time. The sense of conflict has become so great within me it seems
every moment of every day my thoughts are consumed by the idea.
In today's world of Caitlyn Jenner and everyone claiming to be
something, I imagine people over simplifying my situation. They'd say
'hey, if that's how you feel then go ahead and make the change.' Of
course these same people don't realize what that would do to the people
immediately around me and wouldn't consider a six foot five, two
hundred and seventy-five pound man would make a very unattractive woman
who wouldn't be able to pass. Ever. At all. Although I'm considered
obese by BMI charts, I'm not in the least. My weight is nearly all
muscle and I have a low fat percentage. I can bench press close to four
hundred pounds and squat twice that much. Even though I'm large, I can
run a marathon in under four hours and I remain flexible through my
karate classes and exercises. In a way, my building up muscle mass is
an attempt to hide my desire for femininity. This is my way of 'hiding
in plain view'. Weightlifting also has a side benefit of releasing the
frenetic energy built up through my continual focus on wanting to be a
woman.
It was only recently that I discovered the possible root cause to my
gender identity issues. I discovered that my mother took
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) when she was pregnant with me. DES is a
synthetic estrogen developed to support a woman's natural estrogen
production. I began researching side-effects of DES as it's potentially
harmful to sperm production, yet the more I researched the more links I
found between mothers that took DES and sons with identity confusion.
I reached out to a doctor who had performed some studies. Her reply
indicated my identity issues were highly likely to have been caused by
DES. This was when I had my 'aha' moment, as all my life I believed my
condition was a direct result of my personal choices and the
environment. As a man of faith, I struggled with the sin of my
fantasies. I remembered reading the doctor's letter with a sudden flush
that washed over me.
The reality is that extra estrogens from DES created an environment
within my mother's womb causing portions of my brain to develop more
like a female brain. It's been known for years that the sex organs
differentiate in the second and third weeks of pregnancy, while the
brain develops in the second half of pregnancy. Most of the time the
sex organs and the brain develop in accordance with one another,
although recent research indicates there's essentially no such thing as
a "male" or "female" brain; nearly all brains have some of both
characteristics. We also know many factors, including the DES my mother
took during pregnancy, can be responsible for the sexually dimorphic
parts of the brain, those parts that are usually quite distinct between
males and females, to develop in the opposite, or nearly opposite,
direction to the physical sex organs. This results in a lifelong
medical condition where, for example, the female brain steadfastly
insists that the person is female, irrespective of what the body looks
like. Throughout my entire life my brain was constantly working
overtime to rectify my dichotomy.
Having received this revelation, I finally felt absolved of the guilt
and feelings I carried my entire life. Yet, what difference would it
make? There was no chance my body could ever become what my brain
wanted.
I was now standing at the front of my office and my reminiscing was
done. It would start all over again the next time I saw a woman. I did,
however, have one small hope. My work in DNA memory storage was showing
signs of progress and could offer some side benefit to easing my
brain's unrelenting focus. Two and a half years ago, I successfully
transferred the contents of a novel into my own DNA. I could access
this information in a similar fashion to regular memory recall. The
process wasn't foolproof and took a fair amount of preparatory time to
generate, but the results were amazing.
The concept of using living DNA to store information has been around
since DNA was first created. Every single cell in our body contains
DNA, and the DNA from a single cell contains the equivalent 1.5 billion
characters of information. A teaspoon of DNA could hold all the
information in the entire world. Using human DNA to store and retrieve
information that is accessible to the human brain would be
revolutionary.
Two years ago, I attempted something new. I recorded both autonomic
response and knowledge of a skill simultaneously. After some tweaking I
managed to successfully test inject myself with the skill of Krav Maga.
One day I knew nothing about Krav Maga and the next, I was a master.
BioStore's investors were very excited about the ramifications and
potential markets, in particular military and education applications.
They had connections with the military and CIA who had been taking an
interest in touring the facility on a frequent basis.
Since the successful implementation of Krav Maga, I'd been building a
mass set of knowledge and skills. This final test would include
detailed knowledge of just about everything. Aircraft design, piloting
and driving skills, architecture principals, complete sets of Wikipedia
articles, computer science, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics,
languages, physical skill sets, survival skills, and much more. It was
important to see how a person would react to a massive increase in
knowledge and skills.
On the side, I was working on something to possibly help me in a very
personal way. When I recorded the Krav Maga skills I found I could feel
like the other person when using those skills. I had since modified the
recording process to eliminate those feelings, but one thought
persisted in my mind. What if I were to create a female framework?
Record experiences from women so that I could truly feel those
experiences as if I was a woman. I began building a library of recorded
female experiences and also built an image of my perfect woman, the one
if I could become, I would choose to be. This way I could tap into
those feelings and that image at any time I wanted. Today, I would test
the entire contents of this cumulative skill and knowledge set along
with my recordings of my side project into myself. I was both excited
and frightened at the same time.
***
Half a world away Matt Stinson sat in a room filled with Chinese
hackers. He was conversing with General Yan of the Chinese Army. "We're
in."
"And you believe you'll get everything we need?"
"It's all there. Their security has been very high and it's taken
longer than expected. We're copying project documents and plans. We
have video evidence the procedure works. If all goes well, in a few
hours the Chinese government will be on the cutting edge of genetic
enhancement."
"You must also destroy their work to set them back."
"I caution you against that. They don't know we've infiltrated them. If
we plant a virus they'll be alerted."
"Mr. Stinson. You're being paid handsomely for your service to China.
You'll do as I ask. Insert the virus code into the implementation
routine."
Matt knew he still needed to get out of China so he decided he'd do
what was asked of him. He didn't consider that he'd be betraying his
government as ever since his father had died in Iraq, he'd hated the
US. This was his chance to get even. "I'll do it."
"A wise decision, Mr. Stinson."
***
I updated the implementation code for the injection and prepared for
the injection. I'd been delayed by several hours as I explained the
process to a new General, Michael Anton, who was here to witness the
event. An attractive young woman from the CIA, Samantha Moore, was also
on hand. Over the past year I'd been getting to know Samantha with her
routine visits to BioStore. I was attracted to her on many levels, but
the nearly twenty years of age difference and my fears of getting
involved again with my secret held me back.
The injection process is all computerized with robotic arms, but I
could just as easily inject myself. Using the computers allowed me to
record vitals and the progress of the injection. I sat back in the
leather chair that resembled a dentist's chair. The onlookers stood
behind a glass window in another room. This was more for my personal
comfort than necessity. At my right hand a laptop rested under my
fingertips. A silver robotic arm with a laser guide and a syringe hung
from the ceiling. A laser targeting point was located on my neck.
"I'm ready to proceed."
"You're good to go Blaine."
I tapped on the keyboard and my wrists, head, and feet were locked into
place by robotic braces. They weren't heavy duty, but were used in case
of convulsions and also had monitoring equipment built in to measure my
vitals. This was the part I was the most concerned about. I was about
to inject a massive amount of information into myself and there was no
guarantee it wouldn't overload my system. I tapped another key to
initiate the implementation program. The robotic arm scanned my neck
and aligned with the injection site. The process included the injection
of DNA knowledge along with a set of nanobots that carried out the
insertion of the DNA knowledge into my DNA before the nanobots went
inert. I felt the needle enter my neck and I watched as the syringe
contents empty into my body.
The needle pulled out just as a commotion and yelling began in the
onlooker's room. "Stop the injection! We've been hacked and the
implementation code has been altered!"
I looked up at the window as the faces moved closer. The injection had
completed. There was no turning back now. At first all seemed to be
going as usual, but I knew it would take a few minutes before the
integration of the knowledge began in earnest. Everything felt fine,
just as it had before. I sighed in relief when suddenly I felt searing
pain course through my body. My teeth ground together. Sweat pooled on
my forehead and dripped into my eyes as I looked down at my convulsing
body. I was pulling hard against the restraints. I let out roar of pain
that morphed into a feminine sounding scream. My large body was
shrinking in on itself. The massive muscles on my shoulders compressed.
The restraints could no longer hold me and parts of metal flew across
the room as they shattered. One smashed into the onlooker window
sending people scurrying. I fell out of the chair and onto the sterile
cold tile floor. My leg convulsed, kicking the chair and sending it
crashing into a bank of computers showering the room in sparks. The
lights flickered with a power surge and finally went out. Red emergency
lighting activated.
The onlookers stood in momentary shock, unsure of what to do. I was no
longer near where the chair was and was outside of their view.
***
Samantha dialed 911 and quickly organized a security team to enter the
room. She eased the door to the lab open. The red light cast an eerie
glow around the room. The odd spark still flared to the left from the
damaged computer systems. Two security guards had their weapons drawn.
Samantha's eyes searched the room and finally found Blaine curled in
the corner. His back was away from her. It was clear his body had
changed as his large shirt and pants looked like they were practically
falling off of him. Slight movement of the clothing indicated he was
likely still alive and breathing. Samantha waved at the two guards to
move forward. They reached Blaine and carefully rolled him over.
Samantha let out a gasp as she stared down upon the unconscious body.
Blaine's short cropped and graying hair had been replaced by long
brunette hair. His body was now that of a young woman. Gorgeous, even
though Blaine's clothing hid his shape. His face was angelic
perfection. Samantha reached down and hesitantly touched his face.
"Blaine? Blaine, can you hear me?" She waited and then lightly shook
him. He seemed hard to move. "Blaine?"
"Careful with him. Let's get him out of here."
The guards tried to pick him up but he was too heavy. One of the guards
began to comment on the situation. "If I didn't know any better, he,
she's got to weigh nearly three hundred pounds. We need more help to
move him. I mean her."
***
I slowly opened my eyes. The pain had been so intense that I was
frightened to see what might be left of me. I heard a sound to my left
and turned to see Samantha and several members of the BioStore team
standing there.
"Blaine. Thank goodness you're awake. There was an accident. You... you
were changed." That was Bob Mathers, CEO of BioStore. "From what we can
tell, we were hacked. The hackers altered the implementation code and
turned it into some form of virus. Somehow it must have rebuilt your
body in the image of..."
"Oh for heaven's sake, Mr. Mathers." Samantha pushed Bob slightly
aside. "Blaine, your body was changed into that of a young woman."
I replayed what I'd just heard. Did Samantha say I'd been changed into
a woman? "You're joking." My voice was soft and gentle sounding.
Definitely feminine. I raised my hand to my face and turned it around
as I looked at it. Slender fingers, perfectly manicured nails. No hair
on my arm. "You're not joking." They all shook their heads.
"How are you feeling?"
I had to think about that for a moment. Almost mechanically, I moved
parts of my body and tried to sense if I was in any pain or if
something was wrong. "I think I feel fine."
"Gentlemen. I know I'm just a visitor, but I'm also the only female in
the room right now. Blaine needs to see himself and he shouldn't be
left alone. I think you should leave me with him for a little while."
They nodded and stepped outside the room. Samantha closed the door
behind them and drew the blinds. Samantha turned back towards me. "Do
you feel well enough to get up?" I nodded. "Let me help you up. Take it
slow. Aside from a few anomalies, the doctors found you perfectly
healthy and... fully female."
"Anomalies?"
"While you appear perfectly normal in every way, you weigh the same as
you did before the accident. You're still two hundred and seventy-five
pounds."
I sat up in bed and immediately felt the weight on my chest as my new
breasts shifted under the hospital gown. Inside I was both elated and
terrified. I was a woman. But what kind of woman? I swung my legs over
the edge of the bed and gazed down upon them. These were not the legs
of a nearly three hundred pound woman. These legs looked like they
belonged on a fitness model. They were silky smooth, lean, and lightly
muscular. I remembered the female framework I'd built. Could it be? "I
need to see myself."
"Just be careful, Blaine. The bathroom has a mirror over the sink."
I walked slowly over to the bathroom. I felt perfectly fine. In fact, I
felt incredible. My body moved smoothly and gracefully. I noticed the
sway of my hips and the movement of my breasts and the tug of my hair,
but nothing felt awkward or off. Before I even got to the bathroom I
glanced in the mirror. I recognized the face. It was the face I modeled
for my dream woman. High cheekbones, full lush lips, perfect
complexion, large blue eyes, and long lustrous dark brown hair. I
reached my hand to tentatively touch my lips. I turned my head from
side to side.
Not even thinking or remembering that Samantha was still in the room, I
reach to the hospital gown ties and pulled, letting the gown drop to
the floor. I heard Samantha's gasp, but I was so enraptured by what I
saw I couldn't tear my eyes away. I looked exactly like the woman of my
dreams, albeit slightly more lean. Large firm breasts, trim waist, a
perfectly flat stomach, and my new womanhood. I was gorgeous. Every
man's dream. Definitely my dream.
I finally turned away from the mirror and looked at Samantha who was
trying hard not to stare and blush. "I'm stunned."
"I know this must be hard for you, Blaine, harder than even for us to
see it happen. Can you please put the gown back on?"
I looked down at my naked body and realized this must be difficult for
Samantha. I reached down and pulled up the gown and retied it. "I think
I know what happened." Samantha looked relieved to see I'd covered
myself back up. I sat on the bed. "You might want to sit down for
this."
Samantha took a chair. "You don't seem too freaked out by this."
"I am and yet I'm not. It's sort of a dream come true."
"I don't understand."
"My mother took DES while she was pregnant with me. This caused
portions of my brain to develop in a unique way from my body. The
hormones in the DES confused the development process so that my body
was male but my mind was female. I'd struggled with this all of my
life. I felt that I always should have been female."
"But you were the manliest man I'd ever seen. You were tall, good
looking, exceedingly fit and muscular."
"I was large to begin with and the weight lifting and things I did were
to force myself to act and be more like a man. It was painful for me.
When I confided this secret to my wife, she left me. Inside I was a
mess. From the outside, I tried hard to make sure nobody knew my
secret."
"Why tell me this?"
"Because I'm now free, but it also has relevance to how this came to
be."
"I still don't understand."
"My initial research gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to be
another person. The Krav Maga injection came along with it a sense of
feeling like the other person. For the last two years, knowing I'd be
the test subject, I secretly built into my injection a female
framework. I built in the features, hair color, eye color, everything I
could think of how I'd like to see myself. I even recorded women's
feelings and autonomic responses for everything from walking to, I know
this will sound strange, having sex. With this injection, I would give
myself a glimpse of life as a woman. One that I could tangibly feel and
one I'd hoped would put my brain at ease."
"I think I understand, but how did this happen."
"Bob mentioned we were hacked and the implementation code was rewritten
to act more like a virus as opposed to writing just the knowledge into
my DNA. It must have used the female framework I built as a guide and
re-wrote my body. It's the only thing I can think of. It's an accident
and one we may never be able to reproduce, but it's a blessing to me.
My mind is finally at rest."
"But what about your weight?"
"I assume that I never lost mass during the transformation. Thus, my
cells compressed somehow leaving me the same weight, just smaller."
"You look so lean."
"I was around 14% body fat. That's good for men, but would be lean and
athletic for a woman. Assuming my cell ratio stayed the same, that's
why I look so lean."
"How do you feel?"
"Fantastic. I want to get home. I want to learn... uhm... I need time
to get used to the changes that have occurred."
"Listen, Blaine. This accident has far reaching implications. We need
to find out who hacked BioStore and what their purpose was. We need to
verify you're okay, especially in light of your transformation and risk
to future use of the DNA memory process. I'm assuming this isn't
reversible and thus, you'll need a new identity. You'll need new
clothes. You have to transfer things from Blaine to your new identity.
All of this will take a lot of time."
"I can help on the hacking. I now have all the skills I need as that
was part of the knowledge bundle I was injected with. Can you help me
with a new identity and take me shopping?"
"Before you help anywhere, we need you to have a psychological
assessment. People will need to feel you're moral values were not
corrupted along with the changes you just underwent. I can help smooth
the way for your identity change. I'm not so sure I'm the right person
to help you clothes shop."
"I understand about the assessment and thank you for any help on my
identity. I know we don't know each other that well, but you've always
dressed so well. I've admired the way you choose your clothing. I
thought you'd be a good choice."
Samantha looked rather flustered. "I'll help you out with initial
shopping, but after that, you're on your own. I'm going to let the rest
of the team come back in. I'll get started on your assessment and try
to find you a set of clothes you can wear out of here."
***
It was a half day later when Samantha finally returned. I'd been
itching to get away from the hospital and all the commotion from my co-
workers. I told the story a dozen times now and offered my suggestions
as to why I thought it happened. I cautiously left out my secret desire
to be a woman. I was frustrated that every time I snuck into the
bathroom someone was knocking a minute later. My self-examination
wouldn't happen until later.
Samantha came into the hospital room with a bag of clothes. "How are
you doing, Blaine?"
"I'm doing fine. I just need to get some time to myself to absorb
everything that's happened."
"I think I can empathize. I have your assessment set up in a half hour.
You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find three psychologists that
would believe me when I told them what happened. I had to show clips of
the video recording, which, by the way, have all been classified as top
secret. The entire project has and anyone hearing about it needs to
sign non-disclosures and have top secret clearance. It appears the hack
came from China. We know nothing else yet. The military implications of
this research alone is beyond comprehension. I got you some clothes. I
had to get you a dress. I'm sorry. It's just that I don't know your
sizes and a dress is a little more forgiving that way."
I reached over and took Samantha's hand in mine and looked into her
eyes. "Thank you, Samantha. You've done so much for me. I wouldn't
expect that from a BioStore visitor."
Samantha's eyes were riveted on my hand touching hers. She slid it out
from mine and tried to hide her face. "Here's your clothing. I'll be
back in a few minutes to take you to the assessment." She turned and
exited the room quickly without looking me in the eyes.
I took the bag of clothes and emptied them out on the bed. I reached
for the panties and ran my fingers over the fabric. I smiled. This was
what I always wanted. I wasted no time in getting rid of the hospital
gown. After checking myself in the mirror again I slipped on the
panties and bra. The bra was a little snug around the chest but the cup
size seemed appropriate. I examined the dress and thought how my
massive frame would've been too much for such a small piece of fabric.
I figured I'd lost eight inches in height and if I weighed a normal
weight for this size and body shape, I would have weighed less than
half what I was before. I stepped into the light, airy dress and
struggled a little with the zipper, not quite able to get it all the
way up. I found some flat shoes that were a close match for my feet. A
hair brush was a nice touch that Samantha had thought of. I brushed out
my long hair and checked myself out in the mirror once again. I had
such a pretty smile. I looked to be about twenty one years old. I was
flawless.
A knock on the door sounded and Samantha walked in. "How'd you make
out?"
"Good. This feels great. I just can't get the zipper all the way up."
"I'll help you."
I turned my back towards Samantha and looked at myself in the mirror.
Samantha came up behind me. She was my height. I watched as her golden
hair and blue eyes as they came into view. She was focusing at my
zipper. I felt her fingers lightly touch my skin; shivers ran down my
spine. I felt her body's warmth. I watched as she looked over my
shoulder and saw the two of us in the mirror. Our eyes met briefly
before Samantha looked away.
"You look beautiful, Blaine."
"Thank you, Samantha."
"Let's go."
***
The assessment took nearly four hours. The three psychologists peppered
me with questions. It was another two hours of consultation between the
psychologists before they reached any conclusion. Samantha, Bob
Mathers, and I sat on a couch as they discussed the evaluation.
One of the psychologists began the review. "Blaine, we're quite frankly
stunned by your transformation. I doubt any psychologist in the world
has had to perform such an assessment. You appear to have adjusted well
to your new situation. Obviously there's much for you to learn and
you're still in some state of shock. We've found that your emotional
state is good, and that you appear to have had no ill changes to your
character or demeanor. We'd like to follow up with you in a week. We
recommend that your work be supervised, that your health and fitness
assessed more thoroughly, and that, at least, for now, you either stay
with someone, or have someone stay with you at all times."
"Thank you. I don't really have anyone I can call to stay with."
"I believe you have another meeting after this yet. I'd suggest you
bring it up then."
I nodded slowly as I wondered if I'd ever get a chance to be alone
again. We drove back to BioStore for the next meeting. When I walked
into the room the conversations ceased immediately. It took an awkward
moment for people to realize it was me and they sympathetically stood
and clapped. General Anton, a few members of the board of BioStore, and
some other people I had never seen before were in the room.
General Anton began the meeting. "We're here to discuss matters of
national security but I first want to check in with Blaine, Samantha,
and Bob. Blaine, we're all terribly sorry for what happened to you. I'm
sure this has been a terrible experience for you. How are you holding
up?"
"I'm doing well, sir. It's an adjustment and I could use some time to
get my head around the transformation. I'm trying to look at things on
the bright side. By all accounts, I appear to have regressed close to
twenty-six years. Aside from being a woman, I appear to be very fit,
and at least I'm not a smoldering blob of flesh. I also seemed to have
retained all of the knowledge set and skills that were a part of the
bulk implementation."
"And you can add you're damn good looking. It's a good thing you didn't
turn out like my cousin Vera." The General shuddered at the thought.
"Samantha and Bob, how'd the assessments go?"
"They went very well and said Blaine has adjusted remarkably with no
ill effects towards character. The panel recommends supervised work and
to have someone stay with him, I mean her, for the next week until a
second assessment can be done."
"Good to hear. Samantha, you seem to have taken a protective role
around Blaine. Can you stay with him?"
Samantha blanched. "Sir, I'd have to clear something like that with my
superiors. I'm not sure I'm the right person..."
"Nonsense. This is a matter of national security and your supervisors
have cleared you for our disposal. You're the only woman that is in the
know with this situation. Look at Blaine. Do you think he'd be safe
with some male chaperone?"
I tried to help Samantha out as I saw how uncomfortable she was. "Sir,
I've got a black belt in Karate and with the latest injection I know
Krav Maga, Jujitsu, Wing Chung, Mui Thai, boxing, and some mixed
martial arts. I think I'd be fine."
"Blaine, I appreciate your willingness to help, but you're a woman now.
It's a known fact that even with those skills, you'll never overpower a
man that weighs twice as much as you. I'm sorry, but you'll need to
stay with Samantha."
"But..." Samantha tried to interject.
"What part of 'you've already been cleared', Samantha, don't you
understand?" I looked over at Samantha and tried to convey an
expression of sorrow for her. She looked at me and quickly averted her
eyes.
"Now, let's get on with this. We've isolated the hack to Nanning,
China. There's a known Chinese hacking group working in that area. On a
hunch, we've cross referenced every US citizen that has entered China
in the past three weeks. We've come up with one name that had any
connections to the work being done here. Matt Stinson."
"He worked with me three years ago." I was suddenly very concerned.
Bob stepped forward. "Yes, but we found him stealing secrets and fired
him. You really think he's behind this?"
"His bio suggests he's held a grudge against the US for many years. If
he's behind this, that's treason. It appears as if the Chinese have
copies of everything you've done here. This is why the military was so
interested in this project. With the successes you've shown, this
technology could be used to create enhanced soldiers. Soldiers with the
ability to know every weapon, to use any military vehicle, and to
immediately go from recruit to a seasoned veteran in days. Minutes ago,
under orders of the President, this facility has been locked down and
cut off from the Internet. Everyone that been a part of these projects
is to be under watch at all times. Starting tomorrow, we'd like to
proceed with ongoing evaluations of Blaine's knowledge and skills. Even
with the virus impacting his transformation, that doesn't negate the
validity of the project. We must continue at all costs. I expect you
all back here at 0900 hours."
I looked at the clock. It was 12:30 am. Samantha went over and spoke
with the General who just shook his head. She turned and led me to her
car. "Would you like to stay with me or at your home?"
"I've got a spare bedroom you can use and I know I have enough food for
breakfast."
"And I have spare clothing if you need it unless you think you can
survive with what you have on now? I don't have an extra bed but I do
have a couch. I don't have anything I need to stay overnight and it's
very late. How about you stay with me tonight? I'll pack some things
for tomorrow to stay at your place. We can try shopping tomorrow for
more clothing for you. Plus, I need to get my sidearm. I'm told I need
it all the time now."
"You were hesitant to shop with me and now you're forced to babysit me.
I'm sorry. I think I can understand how you must feel with a strange
person that's just gone through a transformation."
Samantha started to reach out and touch my arm but then pulled back.
"It's not that... Don't worry about it. Let's go."
I got in her little car and it leaned slightly at my weight. We drove
in silence to Samantha's apartment. I kept looking down at my breasts
and exposed legs. I felt so good. Tired, but good.
Samantha's apartment was small and quaint. She had nice furniture and
excellent taste. "I'll set up the couch for you. I hope you don't mind?
Do you need anything? I'd recommend showering in the morning. With all
your hair it would be a mess if you slept in it while it was still
slightly wet."
"Thank you, Samantha. I'll be fine."
"Let me at least get you a nightgown so you can use those clothes in
the morning. They'd be totally wrinkled if you slept in them tonight.
The door is dead bolted and I have my handgun. I doubt we'll have any
troubles."
"I'll protect you."
"I don't think it's me that needs protecting." Samantha left the living
room and returned a few minutes later with a silk nightgown. It was
rather short and altogether very light and thin. "Good night, Blaine."
"Good night, Samantha." I went into the bathroom and did the best I
could to get ready for bed. I stripped out of my clothes and stared at
myself for many minutes before putting on the nightgown. I felt every
nuance of my new body, ever subtle shift of weight, the sensitivity of
my skin and especially my nipples, the feel of my hair tickling my back
and getting in my eyes, the full feeling of my lips, and the smoothness
of my perfect teeth. Every movement caused me to consider my new female
body. Inwardly, I was thrilled. My brain, for the first time in my
life, wasn't screaming at me. I almost felt buoyant. I remembered some
men that had started on estrogen therapy commenting on feeling that
way.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Blaine? Is everything alright in
there?"
I opened the door and stepped out. "Sorry, Samantha. I seem to get
stuck when I get near a mirror. I'm transfixed at what I see. To look
at myself and realize that's me when it appears as if a total stranger
is looking back at me."
"I can't fathom what that must be like for you. I hope your
transformation will ultimately be a blessing for you." Samantha had a
hard time looking me in the eyes. I suspected that she felt
uncomfortable that I was wearing the skimpy, mostly transparent
nightgown. Her eyes flickered lower as she squeezed passed me and into
the bathroom.
I noticed subtle ques being given off by Samantha but took them as an
indication she was embarrassed by me. I could empathize with her
feelings. I walked back to the living room and placed my clothes on the
coffee table before stretching out on the couch and pulling up the
blanket. I waited patiently for Samantha to head back to her room.
It was nearly thirty minutes before Samantha silently crossed the hall
to her bedroom. In the darkness of the apartment I thought she looked a
little flushed, but I knew I must be mistaken. With her door safely
closed, I let my hands roam across my body. I closed my eyes as my
fingers danced lightly across my exposed skin. My skin felt so soft and
smooth, my muscles underneath, lean and taught. I slid my foot along my
thigh and calf relishing the sensitive touch of my skin. I slid one
hand up my nightgown to glide across the skin of my stomach. I could
feel my abs. With one hand I brushed my breast. They were large, and
looked and felt larger than they actually were. A generous C-cup size,
almost a D, that's what I had felt would be the perfect size. I was
suddenly glad I didn't build this perfect female with anything larger.
Men fantasize about large breasts but never understand the
complications that come with them. It would be so hard to exercise with
large breasts and I can imagine the backaches some women might get.
My hand cupped one breast and I let my thumb and index finger gently
squeeze my nipple. A soft involuntary moan escaped my lips. I pulled my
hand away and opened my eyes towards Samantha's door. I waited, barely
breathing, feeling like a thief in the night waiting to be caught.
After several minutes and now feeling safe again, my hand found its way
back to my breast.
***
In the bedroom nearby Samantha struggled to get to sleep. Her thoughts
crisscrossed back and forth through the events of the day. She liked
Blaine when she had a chance to work with him over the past year. He
had a good sense of humor and an honorable character. That he was
brilliant would be an understatement. She closed her eyes tightly as
she recalled his screams. The image of the restraints shattering and
his body convulsing caused her to shiver. The pain must have been
extraordinary, yet Blaine didn't even mention it afterwards. His
confession that he'd been born with a female brain made some sense.
He'd always seemed a little subdued. But after the transformation, his
eyes were vibrant with life. His new blue eyes, swallowed her
completely. His new body, beyond perfection. His lips... Samantha's
lips parted slightly, her fingers touched her own lips, mimicking the
soft moist pressure of Blaine's lips against hers.
***
My hand continued to gently caress my breast. Before my fantasies were
always of myself as a woman making love to another woman. It was the
only fantasy that allowed me to orgasm. Now that I was a woman, my
fantasies blossomed within me. What I imagined before, I could now
truly feel and what I was feeling was infinitely more pleasurable than
I'd ever dreamed. My thoughts, so focused on myself throughout the day,
now turned outward to fuel my fantasy. I thought of Samantha with her
long golden hair and aquamarine green eyes that reminded me of a
tropical ocean. She was beautiful, five foot eight, fit, with slightly
smaller breasts than I now had, nice hips and a sexy behind and legs. I
imagined her coming out of her bedroom, dropping her nightgown, then
joining me on the couch.
***
Samantha had fought with herself throughout the day. She'd never told
anyone about her fantasies and her relationships with men always
failed. Her thoughts had continuously pressed against her mind since
she first looked down upon Blaine's new face and body. That she was
attracted to him was a surety. Blaine was gorgeous. When he dropped the
hospital gown she had fought the urge to tackle him and the rest of the
day she was thrown into his presence. She'd watched the rise and fall
of his new breasts and the sway of his hips with the dress she brought
him. It was safe to fantasize, but the reality was Blaine had just gone
through a major transformation. He probably wasn't even aware of her.
She'd avoided looking him in the eyes, but tonight, her restlessness
demanded action. She imagined Blaine inviting her into the shower with
him. He pressed his body against hers as the water cascaded over them
both. His hand cupping her cheek and kissing her passionately. Samantha
squeezed her breast as she let imagination run wild.
***
I was moaning lightly as I imagined Samantha kissing me starting at my
lips and working down to my breasts. I imagined her hand sliding
between my legs. I moved one had between my own legs and slipped a
finger inside my very wet lips. I arched my back at the sensual
feeling. It was as if an electric wire was connected from my vagina to
my breasts as my nipples became instantly erect and extremely
sensitive. In my mind, Samantha slipped her finger inside me as she
sucked my breast. I could feel her golden hair cascade across my skin.
Her scent of flowers and passion mingled together to form an
intoxicating aroma.
***
Samantha whispered to Blaine in her shower fantasy. "Take me, lover."
She felt his lips against her neck, his thigh sliding between her legs.
He pulled her up and along his thigh as they rocked back and forth. Her
hand slipped under the bedsheets and between her legs. She was very wet
from a day filled with tantalization. She moaned and caught herself,
willing herself to be quiet.
***
I felt an overwhelming tension build and build within me. The erotic
feelings of my new body were beyond my expectations. I continued to
imagine Samantha making love to me. Had I known what I'd been missing
out all my life, I would've been even more despondent over my old
condition. With an amazing wave of pure bliss, I experienced my first
female orgasm. I let out a loud moan, unable to control myself. The
extreme pleasure lasted for far longer than any orgasm I'd experienced
before causing me to curl up and sigh. If this was what life as a woman
had in store for me, then I was very grateful. I was more tired than I
realized and with the release of so many endorphins, quickly fell
asleep.
***
Samantha was close when she thought she heard a throaty sexy moan
coming from the living room. It was enough to send her over the edge as
she shook with orgasmic pleasure. She let out a small whimper as the
tensions of the day slowly drifted into oblivion. Knowing that a
scantily clad Blaine was lying in the living room was almost enough to
keep her going for more. However, the day had been long and the sudden
release helped her to drift into sleep.
***
In a room filled with computer monitors, Matt Stinson was reviewing
what they'd captured from BioStore. It was only two hours after they
left the modified virus infected code that all access was shut down. It
was clear they'd been discovered. As he perused the files, he examined
one log file of experiments in particular. Right after they infected
the code an injection test was scheduled. The logs indicated a complete
knowledge and skill transfer would be used. There was an implementation
serial number that he looked up amongst other files. Once found, his
eyes went wide. Almost two years of skill recording, military
applications, and knowledge had been built into a single application.
He perused the captured files and slammed his fist down on the table
causing the Chinese hackers in the room to jump. The implementation
file was missing. It must have been in another location. Getting that
file was critical.
"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Stinson?"
"We've been found out and our access has been shut down. We've
everything we need to recreate the project."
"Then what appears to be the problem?"
"Today they initiated a full knowledge and skill test. The cumulative
DNA injection amounted to over two years of research. That file is
critical to jump starting your endeavors."
The General became visibly angry. "We need that file!"
Thinking on his toes Matt offered some suggestions hoping to extend his
life. "There are two options I can think of." He turned back to the
computer and was able to bring up information on the recipient and the
video recording they'd captured. "Blaine Pierce. He's the primary
researcher for the project. He'd have access to the files. He was also
the recipient of the latest injection. Here's the video footage." Matt
played the video that showed a clear shot of Blaine in the laboratory
chair and the injection process. He turned back as the video continued
to play. "All we need is him."
"And you suggest we just sneak into the United States and kidnap Blaine
Pierce?"
Suddenly a scream emanated from the computer and they both turned
towards the screen. They watched Blaine writhe in pain and convulse on
the chair, finally breaking the metal restraints and collapsing in the
corner of the laboratory. Matt scrolled forward to watch the two guards
and a woman roll a now very feminine Blaine Pierce onto a stretcher
with six people carrying him away.
"What did we just witness?"
"This is just a theory, General Yan. We modified the implementation
code just before he used it. We added code that caused it to damage the
recipient as a virus would. We're playing with DNA, sir. What if the
code we added re-wrote Blaine's DNA?"
"This has even better possibilities than I first believed. Assuming
he's still alive, we need Blaine Pierce. He, or now she, is critical to
our success." The General turned back to some guards standing by.
"Guards. Take Mr. Stinson to his luxury accommodations." He emphasized
the word luxury.
***
I stirred on the couch. Surprisingly I'd slept well even though the
couch wasn't designed for a thin five-foot eight, two hundred and
seventy-five pound woman. His new narrower and smaller frame increased
the pounds per square inch on the poor cushions. My endorphins and
transformation both left me able to sleep soundly. I got up and went to
the bathroom trying to make as little noise as possible. It was just
after 7:00 am and I thought Samantha could sleep a little longer.
Waking up as a woman was such a thrilling experience for me. It meant
the entire thing hadn't been a dream after all. I checked myself out in
the mirror again and I knew I needed a shower. My hair was all
disheveled and I smelled a faint musky odor. But first I thought I'd
make some coffee to help wake up a little.
***
Samantha woke slowly to the odd sounds coming from her apartment. She
knew Blaine must be up when she heard the toilet flush. She waited a
few minutes as she tried to focus her thoughts. Last night her personal
ministrations and fantasy enlightened her to her true inner feelings.
Obviously she needed to let things happen as they came and take time to
process the events of the previous day. She got up and wrapped a robe
around herself before leaving her bedroom.
She didn't intend to be quiet, but the door to her bedroom opened as
silently as a gentle meadow breeze. She stood and held her breath.
Looking into the kitchen she saw Blaine. He was in his skimpy nightgown
and on his tiptoes reaching up into a cupboard. His extended reach had
lifted the bottom hem of the nightgown to just below his shapely bum
and fully exposing the backs of his smooth, long, and athletic calves
and thighs. Suddenly the fantasies from the previous night came to her
mind full-force and she instantly felt her arousal stirring. She
deliberately turned away and stepped back into her bedroom to get a
second robe for Blaine.
When she returned Blaine was still rummaging, this time bending down
and looking under the sink. Samantha paused again admiring the view.
"Ahem..."
***
I stood and turned. My eyes focused on Samantha's. She looked so pretty
standing there in her robe. I wondered what she had on underneath. "I'm
sorry if I woke you. I was trying to make us some coffee."
Samantha walked over to me and handed me the robe. "No worries. You
might want to put this on." Her hand brushed mine and this time she
didn't pull it away as quickly as she had before.
I looked down at myself and became self-conscious. I felt so
comfortable in my new body that I'd forgot I was almost naked in the
nightgown. "Thank you." I pulled the robe around me and tied it off.
"I'll get the coffee going. Why don't you get showered and changed?
Feel free to use my shampoo and conditioner. It should work with your
hair. There's a blow dryer and a brush also if you need it. I'd be
happy to help you if you need it. Having long hair is both a blessing
and a curse. I love it, but it takes some management and something I'm
sure you're not used to."
I fought the urge to fulfill my fantasy last night and finally broke
eye contact with Samantha. "I'll reimburse you for anything I use or
eat." The comment sounded a little cold and I regretted saying it.
"For a few tablespoons of shampoo, some coffee, and a bagel? Please
don't worry about it. Besides, it's not like you're going to go into a
bank as Blaine. Once we figure out your new identity and get you
settled you can treat me. In the meantime, relax and try to adjust."
"It's a date." I turned quickly feeling my hair fly up and land back on
my shoulder. I grabbed my clothes from yesterday, and quickly headed to
the bathroom leaving Samantha with a look on wonder on her face. I saw
her smile.
I took my time in the shower, taking the opportunity to explore myself
further. I wasn't sure whether the compression of my body had caused
concentration of nerves or just that a female body was more sensitive,
but the water of the shower seemed harsher than before. I enjoyed the
smoothness of my skin and the additional freedom of more space within
the shower. The soap combined with water and my hands elicited waves of
enjoyable pleasure. I let my fingers slip between my vaginal lips and a
few minutes later I slid shaking to the shower floor in ecstasy. I
realized that I never wanted to return to being a man. Not that I
considered it, but in my mind I was still thinking my desire to be a
woman might have been my own desire and not created by the DES. It was
sort of a grass is always greener scenario. In this case I knew, at
least for me, the grass was greener as a woman.
I finished washing my hair then, still flushed, proceeded to dry myself
off and deal with my mass of hair. I brushed it out first then used the
hair dryer. I was pleased how shiny and beautiful it turned out. The
shower had done wonders for me. I felt clean and pretty as I donned my
clothes and headed back towards the kitchen to find the table was set
and breakfast and coffee were ready.
"You took your time in there. I was worried you might have drowned and
needed resuscitation."
I wondered if Samantha suspected something. "I took your advice and
spent a little time adjusting. Even though this body is half my
previous size, the varied equipment and options it came with take some
getting used to."
"You sound like you just bought a new car. Can you try to open that jar
for me? It's stuck."
I grabbed the jar of jam and put a little effort into removing the lid.
I figured that if Samantha couldn't open it then I'd also have a hard
time. I expected tension but found no resistance whatsoever and the jar
exploded in my hands with glass and jam going everywhere. "I'm so
sorry, Samantha. Do you have a rag so I can clean this up?"
"Did you cut yourself?"
"It doesn't appear so." I wiped my hands removing the jam and bits of
glass. "No, nothing."
Samantha grabbed my hands and held them, carefully turning them over.
"Not a scratch. I guess you got lucky."
I felt Samantha's warm fingers on my skin, the soft stroke of her
thumb. I realized she wasn't avoiding me nearly so much. With a light
squeeze Samantha let go of my hands so we could continue cleaning up. I
wanted to reach back to take her hands into mine but realized she was
likely just being nice.
We sat down together and ate our breakfast. "Have you thought about a
new name for yourself?"
"Not really. What female names do you like? I guess I'd keep my last
name."
"I like names that seem to suit someone. Have you ever seen a Hildegard
that's young and beautiful? I always picture Hildegard as a woman the
size of a mini-bus wearing her hair up and pulling on a latex glove." I
laughed and it felt good to laugh. Samantha seemed to take a bold step
and looked directly at my face and eyes. "You're hard to describe. Your
skin is flawless and slightly olive shaded. Your eyes are vibrant and
piercing in their blue color. I'd eliminate Slavic and Middle Eastern
names even though you have the right coloring. I've always been fond of
names like Amanda, Emma, Mia, Faith, Jennifer, Zoe, Sadie, and Kate. If
I had to pick one, it would either be Sadie or Kate. You sort of remind
me of a Penelope, but that's such a mouthful. Sadie means princess, and
you have that princess look about you. Kate means pure, clear. You sort
of remind me of the royal British Kate. With your bright, clear blue
eyes. I'd have to go with Kate. Kate Pierce."
I sat back. That was the most Samantha had spoken to me in a long time
and there was a lot unsaid within her words. "Kate... You're sure not
Olga or Hildegard?"
"It's your name so it's ultimately your choice. If you want people to
picture you as a three hundred pound female shotput thrower..." She was
smiling at me.
"Kate... I could get used to that. My birthdate could stay the same,
just the year changed. 1995? That would make me twenty-one."
"You're definitely thinking like a woman now. You're what forty-seven
and you tell people you're twenty-one?"
"You think I should say I'm younger? If I say younger then I can't buy
you a glass of wine when we go out on that date."
"Funny. I don't recall that we're having a date."
"I do owe you for some shampoo, water, coffee, a bagel, a jar of jam,
and some air that I've breathed while here. Would you prefer a check,
cash, or dinner?"
"Let's just get through the next couple of days. What's your backstory
going to be?"
"My parents are both dead. Would it be possible to be Blaine's niece or
much younger sister? Could we claim that Blaine had an accident and was
killed but he left all his money and things to Kate?"
"To do that you'd need a will. Don't worry about your belongings or
bank accounts. By tomorrow I can get all of those transferred to your
new name. If you can start writing down your bank accounts, retirement
funds, and any debtors you may have, I'll get started this morning on
making your new identity. I'm going to take my shower. Try not to break
anything, Kate."
I smiled and began writing down what I had at my fingertips. Hearing
Samantha call me by my new name helped solidify my feelings about my
new femininity. The name, Kate, felt comfortable but it would still
take time to turn when someone called me that. I realized from this
point on I needed to think of myself as a woman in every aspect.
***
Xin Xo received a call on an encrypted line. The conversation was in
Mandarin and rushed. On his phone the grainy picture of the new Blaine
Pierce was displayed along with instructions. He ended the call
silently and walked to a hallway closet where he pulled out a long bag
and a black backpack. His drive from New Jersey to Virginia would take
an entire day and he had to stop to pick up a dozen more people along
the way.
***
Back at BioStore Samantha had left Kate in the hands of General Anton.
She had to start the new identity process and was grateful to gain a
little distance from the situation. Samantha had started thinking of
Blaine as Kate now and felt a need to let her raw passions subside. She
was concerned what might happen had she been left with Kate for an
extended period of time. She kept picturing holding Kate's hands this
morning and the intense desire to lick the jam from her fingers.
***
I went through another battery of tests that morning. These were
physicals that even included a gynecologist exam, something I wasn't
too thrilled about. With the exception of my weight and one doctor
getting injured when he checked my reflex response by hitting below my
knee with a rubber hammer, everyone agreed I was the picture of health.
They found me some workout clothing which I changed into. I rather
enjoyed the feel of the workout spandex material against my lean body.
I was currently lying on my back with a spotter by my head for bench
press. Starting out with just the forty pound bar I quickly had them
add additional weight. After ten minutes I was nearing two hundred and
fifty pounds and not struggling in the least. From this point I
requested that they add ninety pounds at a time until I could no longer
lift the weight. It was at approximately nine hundred and thirty pounds
that I reached my limit.
General Anton stood by and watched until I finally stood back up. "How
could this be?"
I've been trying to figure this out as I was lifting the weights. "I
weighed two hundred and seventy-five pounds as a man. I could bench
press over three hundred pounds. I still weigh the same amount but I'm
less than half the size. Think of muscles like steel. A bar of steel
has a certain tensile strength but if you fold the steel and compress
it over and over again on itself, the strength of the steel increases.
Not only did I maintain my original strength, but the compression of
the muscle tissue caused my muscles to be almost three times stronger.
Of course we'd have to test further to be sure. It's unbelievable and
explains how easily I broke the jar of jam this morning and how the
metal shackles couldn't hold me."
"What about speed, jumping, and reflexes?"
"We'd have to assume they've also increased."
For the rest of the morning I was further tested on strength and speed.
Everyone, including myself, was astonished.
***
Samantha had finally arrived back at BioStore just in time to witness
Kate being tested in hand-to-hand combat. Three soldiers with padding
attempted to take her down but Kate was so blindingly fast. It was
clear that the knowledge and skill training, combined with what
appeared to be enhanced reflexes, speed, and strength were all working
together to turn Kate into a weapon of mass destruction. Samantha stood
in awe as she watched Kate easily knock the three men aside.
Samantha walked up next to General Anton. "I can't believe what I'm
seeing."
"That's not the half of it." He simply shook his head in disbelief even
though he'd watched Kate all morning. "She can jump almost ten feet
straight up, bench press almost a thousand pounds, and run sustained at
speeds that would put her faster than an Olympic marathon runner. So
far, all the skills that were transferred and tested are at a master
level. Obviously there was a massive amount of information in the
injection we haven't tested. I'd need to get her to a military base for
that."
"How is she capable of these things?"
"You'd have to ask her that. She has a theory about muscle density,
compression, and steel."
Samantha looked at Kate with awe, but hardly witnessed the incredible
skill. What she saw was the light sweat that glistened across her bare
shoulders and her beautiful lean body. Her staring was interrupted by
the General.
"She's really something. How's the identification coming?"
"Hmmm? Oh, yes. You're now looking at Kate Pierce, 21 years of age,
younger sister of Blaine. Some of the bank account stuff will take
another day, but I have her passport, birth certificate, and driver's
license."
"Good work, Samantha. We're about done here for the day. This way you
have the afternoon to get Kate situated. We'll reconvene tomorrow
morning at 0900 again. Our plan is to go to the naval amphibious base.
They have a shooting range and we can test her operational abilities
with some of the machines out there. I think the Pentagon wants her for
military enlistment."
"You'll have a fight on your hands, General. The CIA has just informed
me they think Kate might be an asset."
***
Later that afternoon Samantha and I headed out shopping. Samantha had
procured nearly a thousand dollars for my shopping spree. This was
donated by BioStore employees to help jumpstart my new identity. I
showered and changed back into the dress I'd been wearing for the last
few days.
"Let's start by heading to Ross. I know it's sort of a low end clothing
store, but you need so much that this will stretch your dollars. You'll
get ten times the clothes for the same price as the mall."
I nodded and sat in contemplative silence for a few moments. "Am I a
monster? What do people think of me? I need an honest answer."
"You're not a monster. Nobody thinks that. They recognize you've gone
through a remarkable transformation and they may be confused, but they
still see you as Blaine, just in a different looking body. You're
gorgeous, Kate. I admit I was a little shocked seeing how fast you were
and how easily you took out those trained soldiers, but in no way do I
consider you a monster." Samantha hesitated a moment. "Quite the
opposite actually." She added in a low whisper.
I fidgeted until we arrived at the clothing store. I was so glad the
transformation had occurred, but was concerned about my future. We both
sat in the car for a few moments. "What happens to me now?"
Samantha reached over and took my hand in hers. I felt a rush of warmth
spread throughout my body at the touch. "I'm sure you're somewhat
afraid of what the future may bring. It's expected with the suddenness
of the changes in your life. What happens depends on you, Kate. I'd
almost suggest you take some time off to help you remember what's
important. You have a new lease on life. You could do or be anything
you want. You could be a model, you're pretty enough. You could
continue your work at BioStore. I need you to know both the Pentagon
and CIA are looking at you to see if perhaps you could be leveraged
there."
"You're right. After the initial tests are done, I should take some
time off." I squeezed Samantha's hand. "Let's go buy some clothes."
***
Two black vans pulled into the parking lot across from BioStore. A
dozen men exited the vans and found their way to strategic positions on
rooftops, behind trees, and in the bushes. Using encrypted radio
communications they relayed information back to Xin Xo. BioStore was
still on lockdown and security was very visible. There wasn't enough
security to hinder their plans, but they also didn't need to get into a
firefight here. With a single command over their headsets, they all
reconvened at the vans and disappeared into the evening.
***
It was getting late and the car was filled with clothes. I was excited
as I'd never had so much fun shopping before. Samantha and I seemed to
enjoy each other's company and the uncomfortable unspoken rift between
us seemed to be dissipating. I remembered one particularly sexy outfit
I tried on. When I stepped out to model the outfit, Samantha reached
out and ran her hands along my body, feigning that she was checking the
fit. I didn't mind at all and was flushed by the time I headed back to
the change room. I purchased several dresses, a few pairs of jeans,
four pairs of shoes, some rather sexy undergarments, a swim suit,
fitness clothing, and some skirts and blouses. In addition, Samantha
helped me to buy some new necessities including feminine hygiene items,
shampoo an