The Blue Box

Chapter 1

"I knew it," Jeffrey muttered to himself. "One letter in my INBOX, and it had to be this one." In the past three years of his dealings with the government, they had always used private couriers to correspond, or more often the telephone. But when the message came via MCI MAIL, he knew that his three-year project was at an unsuccessful end.

From: George F. Frankel MCI ID: 213-9164

To: * Jeffrey Landers MCI ID: 150-1060

Message-ID: 5M113684/818802K3

Subj: Final Project Decision - Confidential

Dear Mr. Landers,

It is with great regret that we must inform you

that your proposal to refine, and implement the

use of, the device we have discusssed has been

denied. Unfortunately with budget cuts applied,

this department does not have the resources to

properly administer programs which consist

primarily of research and development. I will

personally keep the proper information on file so

that, if the situtation changes, we might be able

to continue work on what could be a valuable tool

to our society. I also commend your work and

thank you for your efforts to this point. Formal

notification will be sent to IDT shortly along

with cost recovery information.

Sincerely Yours,

Gen. G. F. Frankel

Human Services

He switched the terminal off. Government Imbeciles. Not only did they make any sort of effective demonstration impossible, but they had to break the news through MCI MAIL.

Strangely, he felt little anger. He had a good time working on the project, excellent pay, at the mere expense of his social life. His time had been devoted to endless revisions, modifications, and testing of the Device. It wasn't his fault that the Federal people who came to test it were just too-- too-- boring to use it. Unfortunately he'd never be able to prove that. He wasn't sure of the situations that caused the tests to fail. It worked for him, he felt, because he had a good imagination. Good enough to think up the device in the first place means that one must be good enough to use it.

The Device was a thought amplifier. Bred from some licensed Japanese electro-encephalographic technologies that never saw any use outside some experimental psychiatric clinics that (giggle) were now being sued for some sort of fraud, the Device was a miracle more stunning than the space program, the new light-speed superprocessors, or Ronco's solid-state IR laser turkey carving set. It started out as a device which could clarify thought patterns for analysis by trained therapists, for use in mental hospitals. The Feds got involved when the NSA wanted to know if it could be used to read minds. Even if Jeffrey could have spent a few years researching that application, he wouldn't think of it-- because certainly he wouldn't be ALLOWED to think of it if the device became a reality. But Jeffrey's employer, Interactive Device Technologies, liked the idea of lucrative government contracts and encouraged him to continue with the development. Three years later, Jeffrey and IDT had finished the thought amplifier, but this last MCI letter meant that there was NOBODY, and that meant nobody, interested in continuing with it. Now that IDT had no hopes of a $12 billion contract, Jeffrey would probably be out of job.

*** Chapter 2 ***

Cheryl walked into the Lab. "Is that the TA-12?" she queried, pointing to the metallic blue box on the counter, without even saying hello.

Jeffrey knew at that instant he was being set up. Cheryl never had anything to do with the technical staff. He had seen her around the building often enough, but learned quickly of her distaste for the techies, and had properly ignored her ever since. Undoubtedly one of the IDT managers got a carbon-copy of the MCI letter and sent Cheryl in to cheer Jeffrey up, rather than stopping in themselves. How unthoughtful. He didn't want to be cheered up. Cheryl was still standing there, though, and Jeffrey racked his mind to remember what she had asked him.

"Yes, that's it."

Cheryl didn't waste a second. "It doesn't work, huh?"

Nice cheering-up job, Jeffrey thought. He answered in a tone normally reserved for when you lose your best friend. "It works fine. It just doesn't work for everyone, that's all. All the government people who tested it were so skeptical, so narrow-minded it couldn't have possibly worked." He wondered if he was rationalizing it or not.

Cheryl continued her insistent questions as if she had a list of them. "It works for you?"

"Yes. And most other people can use it too."

"Oh." It sounded like she just ran out of questions. "Sorry to be ignorant. I just don't pay much attention to what our experiments do, that's all."

Jeffrey reached behind him and picked up the Device. "Have a seat", he said, pointing to a chair across from him. Cheryl sat. "All it is, primarily, is a thought amplifier. It looks to what you're thinking, and retransmits it so that you can see it more clearly. But the big advantage is that it transmits to others within a few feet. Want a sample?"

*** Chapter 3 ***

Cheryl nodded without saying a word. Jeffrey started his long- rehearsed demonstration speech, required so that the visitors would know what's going on and would have some margin of safety should something go wrong.

"Touch your finger here for a second", he said, pointing to a small metal circle on top of the Device, which was in his lap. Cheryl did. "All you did was allow the device to calibrate itself to your..." (he hated the oversimplification)... "'wavelength', so you can participate. You know what the Device does, and it's easier to show you it's abilities than to tell you. All you have to know is this: This box cannot reproduce itself in this color in your mind. It's a safety device that took almost nine months to install. If I were to try to fool you into thinking that the demonstration was over, you'd notice that the box was red, not blue, because it won't let you see it any other way. There's a timer on the top that will end the demonstration in..." (he set the timer) "about ten minutes. That's another safety device in case for some reason I can't turn it off. It'll also turn off on any sort of sensory disturbance, so you have to be comfortable before you can start." He elected to omit the usual comment about using the rest-room first. "The final safety device limits the amount of pain and suffering you can feel no matter what happens to you. In the image that the box presents, you could stab yourself with a knife and would feel only momentary discomfort. And of course, you wouldn't sustain any real-life damage. That prevents the Device from being used to torture someone, for the most part. Now just clear your mind for a moment, and relax."

He looked up at her. She closed her eyes. He stole a quick peek at her uncrossed legs and the space between them, that had crossed hi mind many times before. Why didn't she like the technical people? Such a waste. Oh well. He leaned back and pressed the switch to start the demonstration, then put his hands at his sides.

He opened his eyes. "Cheryl?" She opened hers without saying anything. The box was red, instead of blue. It was incredible-- she could have, by any other measure, been actually sitting there staring at a red box there with Jeffrey. But no, the box was blue, and her eyes were closed. It just SEEMED that way. She moved her arms. They moved. Fingers too.

"Everyone always does that", Jeffrey giggled. "Obviously it works with you. Yes, everything seems normal. Your fingers wiggle. And no, they aren't really wiggling in real life. But, for now, they might as well be."

"Incredible. You did this?"

Jeffrey smiled. "Yup. Three years for this. But you haven't seen anything yet!"

They both got up. Just as they got to their feet, the walls and ceiling of the building vanished, revealing the trees, sky, clouds, and such outside. It may have been 41 degrees on the outdoor thermometer 5 minutes ago, but it was a comfy 70 or so now.

"How did that happen?"

"Easy. I just decided that the walls should go away, and even before I imagine it happening, it does. The Device reads what I'm thinking, and makes it seem like it's happening. It was all so simple once we got the basic theories straight. Notice how there's no detail left out?"

Cheryl looked around the room (what was left of it) and nodded.

Jeffrey continued. "In actuality, that's not true. For all we know, none of the things we're not looking at this second exist. But once we go to look at anything, the image gets filled in from our own thoughts. For the most part, what we see, hear, smell, feel, or taste depends on who looks at it first-- it fills in the detail from that person's memory. The other person sees that as the first imagined it. But the person who's holding the physical box has the ultimate authority. Watch." A small metal box appeared on the counter, with a lid that was closed. "There's an index card inside that box with a four-digit number on it," he said, "but I don't know what it is because I haven't decided on one. Why don't you open the box and see what it says?

Cheryl walked over to the box while Jeffrey looked around outside. It was mid-afternoon. Some birds flew nearby, something not formerly present.

"It's 9601, the last four digits of my phone number", Cheryl reported. How did that happen?"

"Either because you wanted it to, or because the Device decided that it was the most likely thing to put there. I don't know your phone number and couldn't have put it there. See?"

Again, Cheryl just nodded. With that, the numbers on the card changed to 2066, Jeffrey's office extension number. Jeffrey explained. "You might create something out of your imagination... but if there is a conflict, the box-holder gets his way with reality. The problem with the tests was that the people who tried it either didn't have the imagination (faith if you like) to make the device work for them, in which case the only effect they ever saw was the box changing color, or they couldn't mentally lock on to the signals from the box, which meant that even THAT didn't happen." Again, did he really know? Maybe not. It could take years of research. Oh well. "Come on, let's go."

*** Chapter 4 ***

Cheryl wheeled around and discovered that Jeffrey had sprouted a perfect pair of wings, feathers and all. It was one of his favorite diversions, which he had developed after weeks of testing. He picked Cheryl up from behind; his arms fitting into the somewhat innocent space below her breasts. She was very light because he had decided that she should be, at least for now. She didn't complain about it. In an instant Jeffrey cringed down, and leapt into the air.

It was too fast for Cheryl, who felt that the exciting part had been rushed. They were already fifty feet above the ground, coasting over the trees towards downtown. With a few flaps, Jeffrey lifted them both to several times that altitude. "Nervous?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine." It wasn't convincing. The only other person he'd ever taken on this tour couldn't take it too well. Jeffrey pitched upwards a little bit and slowed down, then gained some more altitude, and generally swooped around a bit. The scenery was breathtaking, and the feeling was unparalleled.

"Afraid of heights?" Jeffrey remembered how he had thought of the Device as a tool to eliminate such fears, the last time he asked that question. Cheryl didn't answer.

With nothing to lose as far as Cheryl's opinion of him, Jeffrey did the only thing he could think of to remedy the situtation. He dropped her. Cheryl screamed, fell a few feet, and stopped in midair at Jeffrey's command. She couldn't have done that herself. He stopped in midair and had her float up to him, facing him. "You see? There's nothing to be afraid of. You can't get hurt here. And I wouldn't let you get hurt anyway.

She didn't look resentful. She looked down at the streets below, then reached down as if to see what was holding her up. It always seemed to take a while for people to get "the idea"-- that the constraints of reality no longer hold.

"It can be like an amusement park-- thrills without danger, or whatever amuses you." Cheryl was now smiling. It was time for Jeffrey to try and promote that idea. It was no fun here with someone that didn't understand, and it looked like Cheryl was beginning to. Jeffrey continued. "Take my hand," he said. "I think you've got the idea."

She did. Jeffrey's wings disappeared. A moment later they started falling, from the five thousand feet (funny, we weren't that high up a moment ago) to the town below. Jeffrey looked straight at Cheryl. She looked up at him. It had worked! She felt enough confidence in him to be able to take her eyes off the approaching Earth. He couldn't keep his feeling to himself.

"I'm impressed, Cheryl. You've got more inside than I credited you for. Congratulations." He pulled her to him, and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him, and looked down.

Just before they reached the earth, a large pool of water appeared below them and they splashed harmlessly into it, coming to an almost instant stop. Cheryl, who had let go just as they reached the water, paddled back over to Jeffrey and grabbed onto him again. He liked the feeling where she was pressing against him.

Finally, she spoke up again. "Can we try it again? Not the fall, I mean, but flying around? I'd like to try it out for myself."

Jeffrey nodded. A moment later, they were both in midair, and Cheryl had developed some nice orange feathers. Jeffrey followed Cheryl as she flew back towards the company, swooped down over the trees, and shrieked with excitement. "I want to try landing", she said. "Will you go first?" Jeffrey agreed, and lined up in front of her, feet down, heading for the flat roof of IDT's main building.

Then he was sitting in a chair, with the blue box on his lap. He looked at the top of it. "Timer's... No, there's still time left, must be..." He looked towards the door. His supervisor had walked in, and the noise had tripped the sensory-monitor device, ending the simulation.

"Good night, you two. Lock up the lab when you leave, OK?"

Jeffrey and Cheryl both nodded. Jeff added a "Good night" as the supervisor was on the way out the door. As the door closed, he turned to Cheryl once again. "Always happens that way... There were only about 30 seconds left anyway."

"That certainly seemed like more than four and a half minutes!", Cheryl exlaimed.

"It always does seem longer," Jeffrey agreed. "It would be impossible to test, though, right? A simulated clock would go just as fast as you would imagine it to go. Everything else could speed up too. It just seems to be the way people think."

Surprisingly, although it was a few minutes after five, Cheryl wasn't leaving like Jeffrey expected her to. Did she really feel like spending time with Jeffrey? Maybe her opinion about techie types had changed a bit.

"Can we try it again? Everyone's gone now and I just had so much fun with you...?

*** Chapter 5 ***

Jeffrey couldn't get his mind off the words 'with you' very easily. "Sure, I'm in no hurry tonight." He started to reach for the timer controls again, and Cheryl interrupted.

"Could I do it this time? You did it last time, and..."

Jeffrey nodded and handed the box to her, touching the circle on the top after setting it in her lap. "We just set the timer for as long as we want-- maybe ten minutes would be better this time, and..."

Cheryl didn't wait for the explanation. She set the timer for four hours, sat back. An instant later, the box turned red. Jeffrey got up, startled, and noticed the timer was set for 4:00, not 0:10. "How come you--"

"Because I don't want to be interrupted again. I can turn it off anytime before four hours runs out, right?"

"Yes-- you just IMAGINE you're holding the box, and are turning it off, and it does. Maybe we should do that, and fix the timer--" Jeffrey reached for the box, but it vanished from Cheryl's lap before he could reach it. She had made it disappear. She could bring it back, but he couldn't. He felt uncomfortable at the prospect.

"I just want to play a while. I'm SURE you won't mind. You said you weren't going anyplace." Pointing to her lap, she added: "Pretty good, huh?"

"Um... Yes", said Jeffrey, obediently staring at her lap. "OK, then, let's see what you can do. Want to go flying again?"

"Not right now. I was just thinking how you can do anything here-- like flying before. Anything." She looked straight into his eyes. "Must be pretty good when your company's getting horny, huh?"

At first, Jeffrey thought she was talking about him. After all, the thought had crossed his mind since they first started the adventure. But no, he hadn't expressed that thought. Then maybe she was just being hypothetical. But the tone of her voice was telling him otherwise. He didn't know what to say.

Cheryl stood up, and wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against him. "Remember? In the air? It was your idea, not mine. I don't know whether it was all the adrenalin, the thrill, or you personally. And I don't know how you felt, but it got me positively wet between the legs. Even if I was just imagining it."

Jeffrey restrained himself at the thought of that wetness. He had felt a little something, but at the same time was worried about being a little too forward. But he had to say something. "Isn't this a little... fast? I like you a lot. But two weeks ago you wouldn't have given me the time of day, much less admit what you just said."

"Maybe. I never really thought about you at all until about two weeks ago. I don't know why. I guess I started feeling guilty about the reasons I DIDN'T pay attention to some people. So, it seemed like the perfect opportunity when Dan asked me to see how you were doing. And..." (she ran one hand across his bottom) "...what a better way to meet? Perfectly romantic." They were standing on a boat, facing a setting sun, with a violin playing in the background. "Or however else it should be." The corny sunset-boat-violin scene disappeared, leaving total darkness except for themselves. "Much better than meeting in a laundromat." Sounded rational.

Of course, rational was the last thing on Cheryl's mind. Jeffrey had his arms around her. He slid his hands down across her derriere, feeling the soft fabric of the jeans she was wearing. She seemed to approve. But she let go of him. She stood back a foot or so.

Slowly, and tauntingly, Jeffrey's clothes began to fade away. First his shirt, then his slacks, and without any hesitation, his underwear began to become transparent, revealing everything to Cheryl's eyes. He couldn't bring his clothes back. The awkward situation made him lose what erection he had.

"Neat", Cheryl exclaimed. "I just have to imagine it starting-- your clothes disappearing-- and unless I stop it, it happens by itself without me helping".

At first, Jeffrey though "Neat" was referring to his naked body. But then he realized that he was an unwilling accomplice to Cheryl's vanishing-clothes trick. She had never seen him naked before, and so the vision that she now saw was constructed from Jeffrey's own thoughts. He was beginning, more and more, to feel like the student in this environment, when before he was only the teacher. He'd never done anything quite like this in the demonstration--

Cheryl's voice interrupted his thoughts again. The sexy tone in her voice had returned. "YOU'RE neat TOO, you know." She was staring, unashamed, at his previously private areas. She walked back up, still dressed, and touched his penis. He didn't complain. She looked at him straight in the eyes, and made her own blouse disappear, slowly like before. No bra-- just two very nice tits were now visible. She still looked straight into Jeffrey's eyes, watching them sweep down her body, hesitate, then look back up into her eyes. "I want to see you get hard. I want it to happen right here. Bigger, harder than you ever have before."

Jeffrey obliged her. He felt himself starting to stretch right in her hand, growing, getting warm, and longer. Her grip tightened around him as he grew. He ran his eyes over her chest freely now, using the stimulation to carry out Cheryl's request. Finally he reached up and touched her breasts, which somehow seemed to excite him more than her. Her attention was on his growing member. He rubbed his fingers, then hands, then both hands over her tits, watching her nipples grow erect at his fingertips.

She let go of him. It felt cold now, but his penis didn't wither. Cheryl stood back, again, and this time revealed the rest of herself to him. Jeffrey's eyes, as one might expect, focused on the little patch of brown hair between her legs-- as his mind focused on the infinite pleasure just beyond.

At this point Jeffrey's mind was so fixed on the impending copulation, that even the unnatural absence of background didn't seem unnatural anymore. This wasn't imagination; it was reality. There was Cheryl, and Jeffrey, and that was all. Nothing else. And Cheryl had decided, apparently, that there was only one thing to be done-- vand it was just minutes away. He was impatient-- knowing that those minutes would seem SO LONG -- until he finally reached his goal.

*** Chapter 6 ***

Cheryl's voice was the sexiest he'd heard yet. "Touch me. Touch me all over. You know what I want. You know what to do so I get it." Jeffrey slid one arm around her, pulling him to her. Her bosom pressed into his chest again, and he could feel her nipples stiffening against him. He wrapped his other arm around her, and slid his hands over her buttocks. It was something he never thought he'd be doing. A few seconds later they were both floating, weightless.

Cheryl kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth, exploring it. Her hands went to his bottom also, one hand between his bowels, rubbing the area around his anus. Nobody had ever done that to Jeffrey before; he liked it.

Jeffrey's hands approached her pussy. It seemed warm even before he touched the hair around it. He could smell her wetness. The scent was making him lose what little control he had left. He hesitated for a moment, giving himself final clearance to proceed, then probed through her pubic hair, touching the skin between her legs. He rubbed the area for a minute before one finger felt her pussy's lips. It was wet inside. He spread them apart, and touched it. After a few seconds he knew what was where... She clenched him as one finger slid by her clitoris; and when a finger finally discovered the opening into her vagina, she grabbed his hand and pushed his finger inside. He slid it back and forth. His other hand was now on her breasts.

Cheryl came after just a few seconds. She pushed his hand against her. He felt a ripple inside her as her muscles contracted. She held him there for a moment, then let him slide out.

"Lick me," she demanded. "Learn what I taste like."

Jeffrey wasn't bothered by that prospect. He floated away from her for a second, then she floated towards him, aiming her pussy towards his head. As he started to slide between her thighs, she locked her legs around him, squeezing him, locking him in place. Sh was getting him wet. His tongue instantly found its target, first sliding across her clitoris, and then inside. He swallowed her juices. She came again, squeezing with her legs so hard that, for a minute, he couldn't breathe. Her pussy surrounded him. He felt another surge of liquid from within her. As soon as it was over, she released him, and they floated alongside each other. She had regained some of her control; yet now her pussy was aiming towards his previously ignored cock. She held on to him, and pulled him towards her, keeping a careful eye on his navigation.

Jeffrey seemed to have some reservations. He hardly knew her, really, and that thought was starting to surface. That thought got through to Cheryl, who knew better-- that they both wanted the same thing and there was no reason not to have it.

"You have no choice now." The distance between their pubic areas continued to reduce. "Besides, I know what you want. You wouldn't have gone this far. You're not getting away now. You want me as much as I want you." She was right.

Jeffrey insisted, though, not because he was unwilling, but because he was afraid that she'd regret it later, and would blame him for it. "It's too fast. Why are you rushing? I want to learn about you... get to know you..."

Cheryl didn't listen. Jeffrey's penis touched the hair around her pussy. Then he felt the warmth at the tip of it. His cock still had some flexibility to it. In a short time-- almost too fast, Cheryl took him inside. The heat made him grow very hard, conforming to her shape. She started to wrap her legs around him, and to slide against him. He grabbed her body, realizing that it was the last chance to save his rational self, and stopped her from moving. He concentrated on everything but the fact that they were now mating.

She resented the fact that he was forcibly interrupting her pleasure. But it did return her faculties to her, long enough to realize once again that this wasn't really happening, and that she was in control of things. She hadn't heard what Jeffrey said, but this time decided quite consciously to continue. She could show her anger now without Jeffrey being able to do anything about it. Besides, she knew that he was struggling to hang on to his mind, while her pussy did its work on him, her breasts and body draining his willpower.

"Shut up. It's too late. I'm screwing you and there's nothing you can do to stop me." The words, she figured, would send him over the edge and he'd stop resisting. Jeffrey never thought he'd ever be in the situation of resisting a beautiful woman's advances, unless she was married or had some disease or something. But neither was the case now.

Her words were a temptation of defial. He placed both hands on her hips, and started to push her away, hoping she'd forgive him, and even be thankful that he gave her a chance to think rationally about her actions. His penis started to slide out. The tip was swelling inside her, though, at Cheryl's command. Jeffrey felt his skin stretching. He didn't know how big he was, and he wouldn't feel much pain as long as the Device was working.

Cheryl's orifice tightened around the base of his cock. It had grown inside her, and she was growing tighter. He pushed harder against her hips, but couldn't slide out. He was locked inside her. He slid back in to try again, and this time the sensation of sliding into her warm flesh pushed him over the edge. Her words had come true. He lost his last reasons for stopping it, and his thoughts faded with only one intense purpose remaining. He started sliding in and out, making no further attempts to escape.

Cheryl giggled once. "That's it, animal. Fuck me. Then, maybe I'll let you go." It was all a game, Jeffrey and Cheryl both knowing the rules quite well. Each word, each motion, could do nothing but stimulate desire. Jeffrey's attempt to "stop" her was played perfectly. He probably knew it would excite her. And now, he was hers, undulating against her, and pulsating inside her. She giggled again once more, watching Jeffrey turn into the animal she wanted, before her own thoughts turned again towards the act of mating. She grew hot inside as the excitement increased.

Cheryl was approaching her climax, but still had a handle on what was happening. Her words came one at a time, with each breath and each of Jeffrey's thrusts. "I.. want.. all of.. you... inside.. deep.. yes..."

*** Chapter 7 ***

It took a few more seconds before Jeffrey understood that

Cheryl's words were not just the usual ones that come to a female mind

in the heat of passion. With every undulation, he felt as if he was

sinking deeper into her, deep between her legs, feeling more and more

of her. But it didn't just seem that way... it was true. Her pussy

was widening, her pelvis growing, and her legs spreading, and all

together, somehow, they were taking more than just his cock. He had

somehow slipped inside her, and now much of his body was feeling her

warm slipperiness. He was using most of his body, not just a small

part, to excite her to orgasm. Each of her motions caused her vagina

to swallow more of him, as she urged him deeper inside. His torso was

inside now, his arms around her legs, all of him sliding in and out

like only his penis was doing before. His whole body had the exciting

sensation that his penis had before-- he was experiencing her in a way

that could never happen without the Device. Jeffrey had less trouble

now reminding himself that it wasn't really happening, thank goodness;

because he had lost his grip on her legs, and her opening was

devouring him, pulling his arms and head into her body, consuming him.

He might have been able to see out through her cunt, but it was still

only dark outside. She was losing her control over the Device-- her

mind wandering towards orgasm and no longer maintaining Jeffrey's

sense of reality. Jeffrey started to feel closed in-- not sure

whether her vagina was still open, or where it was, or what was

happening at all. He came, and felt his own semen mixing with the

wetness that was there all along-- but it didn't seem quite real... it

was too much like a dream. Neither Cheryl nor Jeffrey, for the

moment, could think clearly enough to define reality.

Jeffrey felt a sudden tightening around him, and a sudden flood

of love juice around him. It was very, very tight, and as Jeffrey

returned to clearer thoughts, he had to tell himself he could breathe

even while immersed in Cheryl's come, if that's what it was (it tasted

like it) and that's where he was located. Her orgasm seemed to stop

for a moment, and then continue, and finally, it was over.

He was back outside her, penis still inside, as if the wilder

events never happened. Did she really pull him ALL inside after

uttering those words, or did he just imagine it after she lost control

of the Device? He'd have to ask later, but somehow that seemed like

it would be an embarassing question.

Jeffrey tried to turn around, out of her, then realized that they

were still fixed together. Jeffrey pointed "down there", Cheryl

nodded and relaxed herself, and he slid out of her. They floated down

towards the soft floor.

*** Chapter 8 ***

They had rested for quite a while, lying next to each other on

the undefined black surface. Jeffrey knew that in real life, they

didn't need to rest at all. It just felt nice, for now.

Cheryl was the first one to speak. "Alright, enough of the black

hole, here." With that, Jeffrey watched as Cheryl "painted" in an

environment. Warm afternoon sun, blue sky with just a few puffy

clouds, ocean off in the distance. As long as Cheryl was occupied

with that area, Jeffrey created a lagoon a few feet away, and the

obligatory waterfall at the opposite end of it. Soft, grassy earth

underneath. Still no clothes. He appreciated the naked female body

next to his, which looked almost a little tan now, and didn't want to

change anything. In fact, he couldn't remember what either of them

were wearing before-- it all seemed so natural now. Cheryl turned

around and admired his work, while Jeffrey admired hers-- faint salt-

air scent, all the sounds of the surf, and even a few seagulls, which

flew in lazy circles for as long as he stared at them. Quite

pleasant. The warm sun and cool breeze went well together. There

were enough details now to make Jeffrey seriously consider staying in

a place like this more permanently-- rocky cliffs in one direction,

and an innocent-looking wooded area the other way. Best of all, there

were no insects or other pests.

Time was proceeding slowly, and they didn't rush themselves.

They played with each other for a time; talked about themselves and

each other, learning things that were suddenly easy to learn.

Everything felt comfortable. They swam for a while, made love again

in a much more conventional, casual fashion, then walked on the beach,

and then, at Cheryl's request, both went for a long flight over the

area, trying to imitate (for a while) the way the seagulls floated

into the wind, hardly moving. They landed, returning to their normal

form, walked along the shore again, talking. No sunburns here, thank

goodness.

Jeffrey didn't credit the Device for all this. Cheryl had what

it takes-- the imagination, spirit, and will to make it all happen,

and she seemed to love sharing all her experiences with him. Somehow,

things would never quite be the same again.

"How long is left?" Cheryl asked.

"Don't ask me. You have the Device, remember? The only way to

actually look at the timer, is to bring the box back, and just read

the time off the top. You can't change the setting from here, though.

That can only be done in real life."

Cheryl held her hands out, and the red box reappeared in them.

She peered at the liquid-crystal display. It read 1 hour, 17 minutes.

"One-Seventeen, it says. We've used up most of the time we have."

*** Chapter 9 ***

Jeffrey said, "Then it's about 7:44 back in reality. We'd be

hungry (or have other bodily needs) not too long after the timer runs

out... So we better just make good use of the time we have. I'll

take you out for a REAL dinner at 9, then. Good thing today's Friday.

When do you usually eat?"

"Pretty early, but I can eat late with no trouble."

Jeffrey peered towards the box. "Good. If you got too hungry

back in reality, the Device would shut off. Same if..." He trailed

off.

"I used the ladies' room at about 4:30."

That answered his question. "Good enough. Then we'll be OK

until 9 and don't have to worry about it before then. Of course, we

could stop now--"

Cheryl cut him off. The box disappeared again. "No need to.

Why leave early?"

Jeffrey agreed, now thankful for Cheryl's decision to set the

timer for four hours. He nodded.

Cheryl looked more serious now. "Jeffrey, there's one thing I

absolutely have to do while I'm here. You've been great so far,

putting up with all my wishes-- like it or not. You've enjoyed it

too."

Jeffrey couldn't agree more. His eyes swept towards the ground.

"Very much."

"Good. But I've got to try this while I'm here. You'll have to

put up with this even if you don't like it. I don't think you'll mind

at all-- I never have, but I'm not you. But I'd never forgive myself

if I didn't experiment with this-- even if you'd never speak to me

again. Understand?"

Jeffrey nodded, confused. Why didn't she just ask what she

wanted? Was she afraid that he'd say "no", and didn't want to give

him that chance? And what hadn't they already tried? And how did she

know she liked it if she never tried it?

Cheryl led him back to a point near the lagoon, where they had

started. The sun had dropped a bit. "No, this isn't good enough.

It's too perfect, and not realistic enough." With that, a door

appeared. Nothing else, just a door. It was kind of pink, and had a

little plate on it that said "Cheryl". She took Jeffrey's hand,

walked to the door, and opened it. There was a complete room inside,

where there was only a door outside. She'd seen too many Pink Panther

cartoons, where such anomalies were commonplace. This was realistic?

The room, of course, was Cheryl's bedroom. Quite roomy for a

bedroom, it had all the details already in place. She led Jeffrey

inside and closed the door, ending the beach/lagoon/waterfall

environment entirely. All the details were already here, even a damp

towel on the back of the chair and a pair of panties on the floor in

the corner. The bed was made. "Sorry, I didn't clean up this

morning." AHH. Now it made sense. Her room was FAMILIAR to her, and

thus was infinitely more realistic than an environment created

(literally) from scratch. This place had a real counterpart, and that

eliminated the constant reminders that none of this was happening.

"Bet you'd never thought you'd see the inside of my bedroom, huh?

Not many people have."

Jeffrey was looking out the window into a parking lot, which

belonged to a professional office next door. All he could tell is

that they were on about the second floor of some kind of apartment

building. Every bit of information was from her memory.

Absentmindedly, he answered. "No, I never did. And your room isn't

messy. You should see mine. I actually cleaned it today, but it's

usually a mess until after I get home."

Cheryl pulled him from the window, reaching up for the shade,

then realized that there could be nobody out there who could see in.

"I'll show you the rest of the place later. But we don't have much

time."

Jeffrey looked impatient, somewhat frustrated because he didn't

know what was going on. "Well, what do we do?"

"Just stand there. Just like that. Relax." She reached for

his penis again, which was in a semi-erect state and started to grow

again at her touch. But she wasn't fondling him-- it seemed more like

an examination. She stooped down and looked at it more closely,

lifted it and examined his scrotum, and ran her fingers around it all.

Then she just dropped it, and turned to look at herself. She set one

leg on her bed, and took a quick glance at her own genitals, then took

a quick look at her whole body in the mirror. Then she plopped down

on her bed, one knee up, with a satisfied look.

Jeffrey took that as an invitation. He advanced towards her bed,

growing harder. But Cheryl stopped him.

"No, just stay right there. You'll join me in a few minutes."

Again, he was frustrated, confused, and, now, somewhat angry.

But before he could say anything, he felt funny. Just a little. His

erection had disappeared. Cheryl, again, was examining herself, with

one hand near her thighs. She kept looking down there, then back at

Jeffrey.

Jeffrey took the clue to look at himself. His scrotum was gone,

and his penis was far smaller than it ever was before. He grabbed it,

and felt it slide away, out of his fingers. Something equally

eventful was happening to Cheryl, but her attention was still mostly

focused on him. She was almost smiling while he was anxiously trying

to figure out just what she was doing. She didn't look right. For

starters, the breasts he had admired so much were gone. Why would she

do that? She liked 'em too. Jeffrey reached for his groin again...

and this time, found nothing there at all. The patch of pubic hair

had nothing in the middle of it. It felt like his penis, somehow, was

inside, but there was nothing for it to be inside of.

That drew attention away from the rest of his body, which was

starting to change also. For starters, he had lost some height. And

weight. The muscles that he was so proud of before, hardly showed at

all. The hair on his chest, arms, legs, were all gone. His shape was

changing, too.

It wasn't until he felt a slight depression between his legs that

he noticed the other changes, and with considerable fright learned

what Cheryl had done. He looked on the bed, and saw some sort of

penis starting to emerge from her crotch. With all the exploration

they had done, Cheryl had decided that she wanted to know what it felt

like to be a man, and she was changing Jeffrey into a woman, like it

or not.

Cheryl was starting to grow a little hair on her chest. She slid

over, and now invited Jeffrey to lie down next to him. Jeffrey had

his fingers between his legs, trying to figure out just how he was

changing.

"Relax, you're only a little girl right now. Don't fight it.

You can explore yourself later." Her voice was changing. The

process, just like the disappearing clothes, had been started, and

would continue by itself to completion unless Cheryl stopped it.

Jeffrey, feeling helpless as well as speechless, climbed onto Cheryl's

bed, stared at the ceiling, and then turned to look at Cheryl's

developments. Her penis was almost fully-grown, and she had developed

balls just like his were before. There was some on her chest, she no

longer had a feminine figure-- at this point, for all practical

purposes, Cheryl was a man, though it would take her a while to learn

just what that meant.

Jeffrey looked at his chest, which although was now hairless,

didn't really seem different. He looked at Cheryl as if to ask what

was happening.

She understood. "I'm sending you through it slowly. Feel what

it's like to change from a girl into a woman. You might as well get

the experience." And if you have anything to teach me, go ahead."

The word "girl" had an effect on him. It was hard for Jeffrey to

think of himself as a "girl", but now, he was. There just wasn't

anything masculine left. Cheryl was maturing faster, but she was

changing all at once. Jeffrey was changing according to some schedule

that Cheryl had defined. Jeffrey made a few "touch-up" adjustments as

Cheryl started her journey through puberty, particularly the annoying

parts that came to mind-- a voice that wouldn't stay at one pitch, and

so on. But before long, she had grown to maturity, with complete

genitals, hair on chest, and so on. Jeffrey removed the only other

reminder of Cheryl's former gender-- the long hair, trimming it

mentally to a more appropriate length. Jeffrey was wondering, though,

how the Device would reproduce the effect of hormones-- or instinct,

that had changed. The best that could be done for now was for Jeffrey

to concentrate for a moment on the hought of male hormones being

generated in Cheryl's new genitals, surging through her bloodstream in

increasing quantity. She was done, now.

Jeffrey, however, wasn't. He had started to develop hips, and

his vagina was complete. But the rest wasn't happening by itself, or

so it seemed. Jeffrey explained the hormone/instinct question to

Cheryl, who of course couldn't answer either, but promised to do what

she could to connect Jeffrey's new organs, and hormones, hopefully.

Cheryl turned his attention to Jeffrey. His areolas were

widening, darkening, and had swollen a little, a sure sign of the next

step towards womanhood. He felt a distinct tingle in his chest, first

in the area around the nipple, then spreading.

"You're growing tits, girl!" Cheryl exclaimed. "Funny how you

have tits one day, before you can even see 'em, but suddenly you just

know what's there!"

They both stared at Jeffrey's chest. Now the whole area around

each nipple was swelling. His breasts enlarged, perky and cone-shaped

at first. His areolas still seemed swollen. His breasts grew into

the familiar round shape, now even with the areola, then grew yet more

before the changes finally stopped. They drooped a bit to his sides.

They seemed heavy to Jeffrey, even though he was lying on his back.

Cheryl ran her fingers over them lightly, then turned to talk to

Jeffrey.

Her voice was deep and a little unnatural. "I don't feel that

different, really, except when I think about my cock, or that my tits

are gone. I don't know just how I'm supposed to feel everywhere else,

or if it's really the same."

Jeffrey thought a moment, then answered in his new feminine

voice, which sounded at least a little more realistic. "I don't know

if we'll ever know for sure. I-- I guess that most of the stuff is

the same, but the Device just can't tell us that. The biggest changes

would be our lifestyle, not the way our own bodies feel to us, I

guess. But..." (he touched her penis) "...Some of it we can find out

right now."

*** Chapter 10 ***

The cock didn't grow at Jeffrey's touch like he expected.

Apparently the equipment was there, but the instinct wasn't, at least

yet. Undoubtedly the Device was working on it, and the software he

knew so well, was now madly trying to interpret each other's thoughts

and sort out the neural patterns that probably were responsible for

instinct.

"We don't have each other's instincts yet. We can try it anyway

and see what happens." As Jeffrey said this, his fingers were still

on the part of Cheryl's penis he knew was effective when it was his

own.

"No, not yet", she replied. "Let's get a feeling for it first.

I mean-- we're just out of puberty and rushing to lose our virginity

before we even understand ourselves. You haven't even had your first

period-- no, I guess I'll spare you that. You probably wouldn't like

it and we don't have the time."

Jeffrey was thusly reminded once again of the power the Device

could vest in someone. He started thinking of the political uses of

it. Literally, you could cause someone great mental duress even

though the Device would prevent someone from inflicting much physical

pain. You could have someone raped by a goat in the middle of Times

Square, and although it wouldn't do any physical harm or even be

painful, it would be humiliating and unpleasant, and enough things

like that could persuade anyone to do anything. Certainly something

to look into if the Device gets any further "official" interest.

Cheryl was up now, and Jeffrey got up too. She dressed them

both, in clothes similar to the ones they were really wearing. It

happened suddenly, and Jeffrey realized that the tightness around his

bosom meant that Cheryl had decided to outfit him with a bra. Given

the size of its contents, it seemed necessary. Everything else felt

normal except the lightness between his legs. Cheryl looked quite

normal in her selection of clothes.

Jeffrey looked in the mirror. It took a moment to really

convince himself that the female in the mirror was, in fact, him. The

fact that he couldn't hide his new figure, and that he didn't want to,

piqued his interest. Cheryl took a quick glance at herself, adjusted

her shirt a bit, and walked towards a door near the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom. I'll be back." Cheryl didn't bother to close

the door, and Jeffrey didn't look to see what she was doing.

Again, puzzling. The only time anyone would actually have to go

is when they REALLY had to go in real life. The Device would create

that sensation when it sensed that condition in reality. It meant

that it was about to shut off the simulation. But that didn't happen.

He heard the sound of a zipper, then the sound of urine in the

toilet, silenced for a moment, along with Cheryl's giggle. "I guess

my 'aim' needs practice." He sat on the bed and waited. The sound

stopped, another zip followed by a flushed toilet, and Cheryl

returned.

"Neat", she said. "I guess that's really handy at times. Not

that I'd want to live with it forever, but it is definitely a plus.

It really does feel different. You ought to try too. Maybe it would

help this identity thing work faster."

Jeffrey answered "You mean instinct. I don't have to... You

can't get the feeling unless you really have to go. Besides..."

"Nonsense. You just tell yourself you have to go, and suddenly

you do. Go ahead, I'll wait."

"Wait a minute, that means you can actually imagine internal

FEELINGS directly-- without first imagining some physical event that

causes it. That's way beyond the design expectations that the Device

was..."

He was cut off by a sensation from his bladder. Cheryl had,

essentially, decided that he had to go, and now he did. He didn't

finish his thought, but merely sighed "Okay", and walked to the

bathroom. He didn't bother to close the door either. Why should he?

He found it a sudden inconvienence that he had to remove half the

clothes that Cheryl had just given him. He saw the panties he was

wearing, for the first time. That elicited a chill along with a "what

am I doing?" feeling. He sat on the toilet and relieved himself,

surprised once again to find that the feeling did go away as he

emptied himself.

He was surprised to find Cheryl looming near the doorway,

watching him perform this animal function. "Different, huh? Now just

imagine that every day for your whole life. Imagine being used to

it."

"Yea... I guess I might. Oh well." He got up, flushed the

toilet, and dressed again. "I think I know what you're doing. The

clothes... the bathroom... You need to make me feel like a woman, in

addition to just looking and sounding like one. Right?"

"Exactly. I'm starting to feel a little more like a man, I

think. I want to know what it's like before our time runs out. So,

do you feel the part, or what?"

"I think I am. The hardest part right now is convincing myself

that I might want to make love to you-- you're a MAN."

Cheryl had an answer ready. "I know. But then, you're a woman.

That should make it easier. It's natural, now." She took his arm as

he re-entered her bedroom, guiding him towards the bed.

Jeffrey took a look at Cheryl's pants, which started to show a

bulge. "You're getting horny, aren't you?"

The bulge continued to grow. "Well..." Cheryl looked at

herself. "I guess I am. It's just that you're so..."

Jeffrey interrupted as Cheryl trailed off. "Hormones. Instinct.

It's working. You've been looking at me. I've been turning you on

all this time."

*** Chapter 11 ***

"Geez, I never thought I'd feel like this. I DO want you. And

the longer I think about it, the harder it gets to take my mind off

you." Cheryl started to unbutton and unzip the jeans that Jeffrey had

only finished with.

Jeffrey stopped her, then looked up into her face. "I don't know

if I'm ready. This body's too new to me. I'm not sure if I want you

doing that... with..."

Cheryl put both arms around Jeffrey, which was now very easy for

her. Jeffrey put his head on her shoulder. "It's my fault", she

said. "This is really spectacular. I know what it feels like.

You're ready. You're just not as excited as I am. What did you do to

excite a female when you wanted to...?"

"I was gradual. I'd touch innocent places at first... Kiss,

touch her nipples, rub where she liked it, put my fingers between her

legs..." Jeffrey realized that he was now telling Cheryl what to do

with him. The words, and the images, started to work on him.

Cheryl took him to bed, and kissed him. He didn't resist. She

played with him, gradually stimulating him, like he had done to her

before. She put her hand under his blouse, and touched his bra. He

still didn't resist. Jeffrey's pussy was getting wet. The Device was

even able to produce his scent's effect on Cheryl. It caught her

attention, and made her anticipate the copulation she wanted. The

bulge in her pants had grown, and she removed her jeans and shirt.

Then she put her hands in Jeffrey's pants, and quickly found the

opening of his pussy. She stroked him for a while before sliding a

finger inside. It was very wet.

"Wow..." was all that Jeffrey could say. Cheryl stopped long

enough for them to undress. She now inserted her finger all the way,

feeling the softness around it, and watching Jeffrey fade away into

ecstasy. Finally she couldn't stand it. She climbed on top of him,

but couldn't manage to find the opening with her penis alone. In the

ultimate act of consent, Jeffrey reached between his legs and guided

the tip of her cock into his pussy. Her cock was dry, and it didn't

go in at first. Jeffrey's touch on her penis was driving her crazy.

She started moving, in and out, and with each thrust was moistened a

bit, and slid further in. They both chimed together; "Oooh" as she

penetrated him, her penis finally vanishing into his body. Copulation

lasted for several exhausting minutes... Jeffrey keenly aware of

Cheryl's presence inside him, and Cheryl feeling the semen building

inside her, ready for the climax. They came a moment later, Jeffrey

feeling his cunt tightening involuntarily around Cheryl's member...

and Cheryl feeling the hot come traveling through her body, through

her penis, and finally relieved as it quietly spurted out from her

penis and vanished into Jeffrey's body. She collapsed, penis still

inside, and a few moments later found the energy to move. Her penis,

which was smaller now, slid lazily out of Jeffrey. Neither of them

talked for about 10 or 15 minutes, it seemed.

*** Chapter 11 ***

Cheryl was the first to speak. "I'm never going to forget this.

Now I know just how it feels. I can be a perfect lover, now that I

know what does what! But you know something? We COULD have

forgotten something."

"What?"

"I know we didn't need it here, but I bet you didn't even think

of it. Protection. Birth Control. For all you know, I could have

just made you pregnant! To think! I could have made YOU pregnant!"

"Well... Hmm. No, I guess I didn't. As a man, I would have. I

did when we mated the first time. Eeeks, you're right. I'm on the

other end now, huh? At least..."

With a bit of pride, Cheryl resumed. "Well, you never know.

Right this second MY sperm are swimming around inside YOU, hunting

for an egg that may or may not be there. If they find it... Well,

let's just say you'll have another use for your tits besides exciting

ME."

Jeffrey was suddenly concerned. She had done strange things in

the past. "You wouldn't...."

That's the question Cheryl expected. "Relax. I've never had a

baby. So even if I was going to be mean about it, I wouldn't know how

to make you feel it. And it takes a while before you'd know, anyway."

They continued talking for a while, mostly exchanging their

experiences so far. They played with each other some more. They made

love again, this time with Jeffrey sitting on top of Cheryl. After

that, they learned that they could "reset" right away if they wished,

and started again, side by side. But this time, just after Cheryl

pushed inside Jeffrey, he tightened up and motioned her to stop. He

proposed an experiment.

*** Chapter 12 ***

"Let's try something. Let's switch back to ourselves, and try

again that way. I want to feel the difference now that I've had sex

as a woman."

Cheryl nodded, but didn't move from her position. She was too

far along to just stop. She pushed her penis into Jeffrey as far as

she could, and pressed herself tightly against him. Then she held him

still. Jeffrey didn't say anything.

She had pressed her chest against Jeffrey's; nipple against

nipple. They adhered to each other. Jeffrey started to feel his size

changing. Cheryl's body shrank in Jeffrey's arms, and he felt his

former strength returning. She planted the penis firmly inside him.

It fused to his vagina as his breasts fused to Cheryl's chest. He

felt the sensation between his legs changing.

She started to pull away from him, tugging on his chest and

groin. As she did, Jeffrey started to feel a stickiness within

Cheryl; it grew, and started to change to slipperiness. He was now

moving within her. She tugged once again on his chest, and now the

breasts were Cheryl's. The secondary changes had all happened-- hair,

voice, and such, but nobody noticed. Without even separating, Jeffrey

started sliding his penis in an out of Cheryl's pussy, and started

towards his orgasm. It didn't feel better or worse to invade than to

be invaded, he decided. Different, but he liked it both ways. The

contractions of his pussy were now the pulsations of his cock.

He nearly lept out of his chair. The Device had switched off.

Cheryl opened her eyes and set the blue box down on the counter,

panting even though she couldn't have possibly been out of breath.

They sat for a moment. Jeffrey could tell that Cheryl was wet; He

grew hard for a minute or two, carrying over from the fantasy just as

Cheryl had. The erection subsided.

Jeffrey broke the silence. "That's too bad. It always seems to

happen at a bad time. Oh well, I promised you a dinner, and you must

be hungry. It's after 9."

Cheryl sighed one last time. "No, it's not 'too bad'. Uhh.. I

don't know what to say! Thanks very much. Mind, though, if we save

the dinner for some other night? All I want tonight is a quick pizza

or something."

Jeffrey tried not to look too dejected. He got up and switched

off the equipment and a few lights. "No, that's OK, I can take you

out some other time." He continued locking up, and headed with Cheryl

towards the door.

"Good. It's getting late, and I want to have as much time as

possible... That is, if you don't mind spending the night. Or a few

nights. Just this time, let's remember the birth control, okay?"

Jeffrey laughed, then embraced his mate for a long kiss. With

that, they headed out for a pizza.

Chapter 13

Cheryl and Jeffrey took Jeffrey's car to Pizza Hut. It wasn't a long walk to the restaurant or to Cheryl's apartment, but Jeffrey didn't want to leave his car at IDT overnight. The drive seemed short, because they both had so much to talk about.

Cheryl was speaking. "Darn! There's some stuff I forgot to try back there. I'm thinking of all these things to do NOW! Why couldn't I imagine it BEFORE?"

"Forget it," suggested Jeffrey. "EVERY TIME I've used that thing I've thought of stuff to do after I left. I just try to remember it for next time. Even then, there's just so much to do when you can do ANYTHING."

"Yea... Can we try it again tommorrow?"

"I suppose so. Don't tell anyone this, but I have another version of the Device nearly completed at home. I just couldn't stand to have my own invention taken away so I can't use it. We didn't have any security agreements anyway."

Cheryl sounded like a little girl. "Want to go to your place, then?"

Just at that moment they pulled into the Pizza Hut. The conversation continued over a 14" Sausage pizza.

"It's fine with me. But, really, I can't recommend using the Device again for a while. It's just not healthy to be using it very often."

Cheryl didn't know if she understood, but decided not to ask further questions. "Oh. Let's go to my place then. Besides..." (she gave Jeffrey a very interesting glance) "...I'm sure we'll be able to enjoy ourselves, no?"

"I think we can manage it. Besides, I'll get to see if your room is really like you pictured it with the Device."

For a while, the conversation turned to more conventional topics. They talked about their parents, what they thought about their job, the fact that neither had plans for the future, really, and so on.

Just after getting into the car, Jeffrey remembered something. "Oh, Cheryl, this is always so awkward... But, I promised you I wouldn't forget, and since... well, are you... protected? I'm not."

Cheryl answered flatly. "No. I have a Card, though, if you do." She reached into her purse and pulled out a red plastic card.

"Looks like you have a card WHETHER OR NOT I have one. I DO have one. Where's a machine?"

"The drug store on the corner. Turn right here. My building's on this block."

They pulled into the drugstore's parking lot and went inside. The machine was near the door. It was a very innovative form of birth control, just starting to gain some acceptance. To use it, you had to apply for a Card, which cost several hundred dollars because of the complex tests and encodings which were done when you got your Card. Basically, your Card was encoded with an image of your gene me pattern (that's the expensive part), as well as your fingerprints and some other data.

Cheryl walked over to the side marked "Female", and slid her red card into a slot. Jeffrey pulled a similar, but blue, card from his wallet, and put it in the blue slot, which was marked "Male". He grabbed a $10 bill and put it into the slot marked for such. There were two openings at the far ends of this machine. Cheryl put her left hand in one, and Jeffrey put his right hand in the other. Foam pads gripped both wrists, and some light and noise came from the machine.

What it did was still somewhat of a marvel. It checked your fingerprint against the one on your card (to make sure it was YOU), and took a very small blood sample. The sample was used to check for every known sexually transmitted disease as well as for other abnormalities, a feature well worth the $10. Finally, using the information on both cards, it prepared a two compounds which were air- injected through the thumb of each person. The effect was that THAT man's sperm could not fertilize THAT woman's egg. It was called Specific Binary Contraception: Specific because it only worked between the two people that had it, and Binary because both partners needed the treatment. It lasted (supposedly) for about two months (56 days, officially), but was guaranteed only for 31.

Jeffrey and Cheryl both felt the "twinge" of the injection. The foam pads released their grip. The screen on the device now read "Process completed, Tests negative. REMOVE CARDS." After Cheryl and Jeffrey pulled their cards out, two reciepts appeared at yet another slot. As was the custom, each took one and put it away.

SPECTRATECH INC.

Specific Binary Contraception

Female: CHERYL STILLMAN

35166369910501

Male: JEFFREY LANDERS

10610047100622

Ref. No. 91626S

Treatment Date: 06-22-01

RENEW BEFORE: 07-23-01

Keep this reciept. The information

on it is contained nowhere else. It

is your only proof of treatment.

Periodic Medical Examinations are

recommended. Treatment may lead to

temporary specific sterility lasting up

to six months.

Dieters! Try SPECTRATECH Nutra-Solv

now available at health food stores!

Although Jeffrey rarely had occasion to use them, he didn't like the Spectratech machines, merely for the fact that the reciepts had an advertisement which wrecked the otherwise serious, important nature of the document. The IBM machines were much classier, even if they cost twice as much and were rumored to have an imperfect success rate.

Having a SBC certificate in your pocket was almost erotic by itself. It meant that out there somewhere is someone who wants to make love with you. Of course, Jeffrey thought, there's no telling how many receipts Cheryl has with her right now, but he was most pleased just to have one. It meant she was SERIOUS about him. It meant that there was no going back now. He didn't know that Cheryl felt the same way.

Chapter 14

The short trip to Cheryl's happened in silence, though there was a lot of smiling. Jeffrey was still wondering what he was doing-- having spent the evening having all sorts of sex somewhere in an environment that came from Cheryl's mind-- and now, on his way to her apartment with a certificate in his pocket. The most amazing part was that this morning, he couldn't have even dreamed of what would be happening tonight. It was confusing, overwhelming, and he didn't want to change it. He felt a little light-headed, even. As Cheryl was trying to break through this mental fog, with the directions to her parking lot, Jeffrey finally decided that he was becoming lovesick. That discovery only made the other feelings worse.

The only thing he was allowed to notice on the way to her bedroom was that there was another bedroom in this apartment. "A roommate?" he asked.

"Uh huh, but she probably won't be here tonight. It's Friday."

The apartment was simple; a large common area with a kitchen, some closets, and two bedrooms, the door of Cheryl's looking exactly like the one that appeared near the lagoon this afternoon. She didn't say a word, but led him straight to her bedroom, holding his hand. She closed the door. She turned to him, and he took her in his arms, kissing her. Jeffrey couldn't believe it; the mechanism of love had started and wouldn't be stopped. Cheryl's tongue probed Jeffrey's lips, and then poked its way inside. She ran her tongue all around his mouth, blissfully around and underneath his tongue, then back into her own mouth. Jeffrey welcomed the invitation, and slipped his tongue inside her. He could hear them both breathing, and could feel her tits pressing against his chest. His hands on her back, he could tell that she was wearing a bra, which she didn't reveal before.

Cheryl pressed her waist against Jeffrey. She could feel him growing, through the fabric of his underwear, his pants, her jeans, and her panties. The bulge was growing and pressing gently into the soft area just above her pubic hair.

She leaned back and unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off him, and then ran her hands through the hair on his chest. She pulled her shirt up out of her jeans, and lifted it over her head. Jeffrey took it from her and removed it. He looked for a place to put it, and finally threw it on a chair. The panties that were in the corner earlier weren't there, so either she had put them there in her mind, or the image was from some other time than this morning. Her shades were drawn, and it was dark out.

Jeffrey ran his hands over the outside of her bra. Her breasts were quite warm, and that warmth was coming through the fabric. He unclipped her bra and it fell away by itself. He touched her breasts gently, and then, as her nipples awakened, poking out at him, she unbuckled his pants.

Her tits kept him busy while she undressed him. She was impatient. He had to tear himself away from her to remove his shoes and slide out of his pants. It was cold without any clothes, unlike before. He unfastened her jeans, and slid them off while on his needs. Her scent was already there, through her panties. It was similar to before, but now seemed more powerful. He clawed at the top of them, pulled them down to her ankles, and gave her a light kiss right in the middle of her pubic hair.

Cheryl giggled, and ran her fingers through Jeffrey's hair. She grabbed his earlobes and pulled him to his feet. "I'm getting weak in the knees. Come on, let's get in bed." She let go of him and jumped onto the bed, then bounced back to her feet. "I'll be back," she said. "I better do this now." She patted the covers. "Warm up my bed for me." She opened the door and went into the bathroom, where she was for at least five very long minutes. He got into her bed, which seemed like a very unfamiliar place even though, in Cheryl's mental adventure, he had been there before. The sheets were cold. His erection subsided.

Cheryl returned. Jeffrey told her that he had to take care of the same business. "Be my guest," she said, grabbing his hand as he got up.

"I'll only be a minute", he said.

Cheryl clawed her fingers through his hair. "I'm in no hurry. We have all night!"

Jeffrey liked the way that sounded. He stood in front of the toilet and then realized that Cheryl had followed him, standing behind him. She put her arms around him, knocking him off balance and preventing him from doing what he came for.

"Go ahead", she whispered. "Don't mind me."

"Well, I guess. But..."

Cheryl was a bit insistent. "You should feel comfortable. After what happened today, I can't say we have anything to keep from each other. Right? I sucked your body into mine. You belong to me. And I'm all yours. Share everything."

Jeffrey's eyes were suddenly brighter than the hundred-watt bulb in Cheryl's bathroom. "You really did that, didn't you?" He turned around, facing her. "I mean, I wasn't sure if I was only imagining it myself."

"Well, I kind of lost you somewhere. I couldn't concentrate. You were making me come. But, yes, that was the idea. I wanted you so much, I had my pussy swallow you alive. I could feel you slipping into me as I sucked you in. I could tell where you were inside me. Then I started coming, and lost track of you."

Jeffrey grew hard again. The images of the afternoon came back. Cheryl continued. "I want us to be ONE, Jeffrey. Not two separate people. I want to be part of you, and want you to be part of me." She turned him around, and held his penis from behind. "Now let's go. You DO want to go to bed, right?"

Jeffrey thought a second. "More than you could ever imagine."

Cheryl pressed her other hand above his penis, against his bladder. She had excited him, and it took half a minute for him to manage to overcome that feeling so the right valves would open. She held him while he emptied himself. Cheryl took some delight in the fact that her body would soon coax a different fluid from that opening.

Chapter 15

They both got into bed and spent a while in foreplay. Cheryl enjoyed the closeness, the feeling of satisfaction in having a bedmate, someone that would be with her during the time she was normally alone. She realized that she was giving herself up to Jeffrey, and that he would probably never again be content without her. Each moment they spent together drew them irreversably closer. Finally, Jeffrey stopped playing with her breasts long enough for his fingers to play with her anxious pussy. His touch made her grow hot inside. The heat drew his fingers in. Other fingers found her anus, which magically opened as he touched it. One finger played around the edge, and then carefully probed inside. It was warm like her pussy, pushing against him, loosening to let him further in. He could feel the fingers that were in her cunt, rubbing the flexible walls between his fingers. Just as happened with the Device, she was so excited she started coming right away. She held his hand, fingers inside, pressing hard against the soft space between her legs. She spread them apart, lifting one over Jeffrey, so he could reach deeper. Her come leaked out around his fingers. She was shuddering. Jeffrey was very close to his own orgasm, stimulated by the pure energy that Cheryl was releasing.

She was ready. She took Jeffrey by the shoulders, and lowered her knees so he could climb between them. Once he was between her legs, she lifted them and wrapped her legs around him. He aimed carefully, and as she squeezed him, the tip of his cock rubbed against her rough pubic hair. Her pussy's lips slowly separated, and Jeffrey's cock was now welcomed into the wet area just outside her cunt, her pussy's lips sliding up around him. He slid very slowly into her, pushing deeper, and in seconds began a slow, rhythmic motion. She pulled on his cock, then squeezed it inside with her powerful muscles. He was very hard, but she could still feel his cock yield to the force her pussy exerted. It made it tight, and sealed the plumbing that now existed between them. She anticipated his orgasm, pulling him in with her legs. The tip of his cock seated against her cervix, the walls of her pussy were now involuntarily contracted, the tight feeling letting Jeffrey know that Cheryl was having her orgasm. Jeffrey's come pumped out of his body into Cheryl's, travelling into her pussy, through his penis, and directly into her womb. From the point where Jeffrey's penis entered Cheryl, they could both feel it happening. He kept pumping it into her for several seconds, the hot semen disappearing into her so efficiently, that her newly ovulated egg would have certainly been fertilized if it wasn't for the SBC that only minutes ago started effectively protecting them.

It was over. Cheryl tightened her (rather tired) pussy so she could roll over, on top of Jeffrey, without losing him. She put her legs between Jeffrey's, closing them tight around his penis, which was still entirely inside her. She put her head on the pillow right at Jeffrey's shoulder, and both went quickly to sleep.

As they slept, Cheryl's pussy went to it's resting state faster than Jeffrey's penis. Her opening shrank almost to its normal, unexcited state, squeezing Jeffrey's cock tight enough to prevent the blood from leaving it. He couldn't shrink this way, so her sleeping pussy held his still-enlarged cock quite firmly. It was a technique she liked to use, for it meant more excitement when either of them awakened. Unlike the earlier events, Jeffrey could escape her grip if he wanted to, but it made it difficult, and it certainly wouldn't happen by itself. A few times when either of them tried to roll over in their sleep, the gentle tug between their legs would remind them that they were, for the moment, one, and that neither wanted to move from this position.

Chapter 16

Jeffrey woke up first. It took a moment for him to wake up enough to realize that yes, Cheryl was asleep on top of him, and yes, his cock was still buried in her pussy. He liked the feeling of the way her breasts pressed against him, moving as she breathed. He was getting excited again. He started to stretch inside her, from almost- completely-erect to completely so. But she was asleep, and her pussy was too. It wouldn't grow along with him like it would if she was awake. It started to get painful. Even her legs were squeezing him too tight, it seemed. But he didn't want to awaken her. He lied there that way for almost an hour, watching the ceiling through Cheryl's hair, which was draped over him. The sun was up and there was some traffic noise outside. Then he realized that some of the noise was coming from inside the apartment. Cheryl's roommate, entering the apartment, had awakened him. She was clanking around in the kitchen.

Jeffrey was quite happy when Cheryl finally opened her eyes, for a second. She closed them. He decided not to let her go back to sleep, and whispered "Good morning" to her. Cheryl didn't seem to hear, but seconds later, she spoke out loud, though in a sleepy voice. "Morning, lover. Guess we really wore each other out last night. How many times did we?"

"Only once," said Jeffrey. "In real life, at least. So far." He didn't mention the pain he still felt in his cock, or that he wanted her again, right now. Maybe, like previous partners he'd had, she'd just want to get up and have breakfast. How depressing.

Cheryl was a little bit more awake. "Oh, right. Gee, we're a little tight, aren't we? I hope I wasn't..."

Jeffrey finished. "Painful."

Cheryl started to prop herself up on her elbows, her breasts now dangling down in front of Jeffrey's eyes, still touching him. "Well, I can fix that right now." She slid the covers off (they were uncomfortably warm), and looked down at the point where she and Jeffrey were joined.

Her pussy started pulsating. Blood was flowing to Cheryl's cunt as she exercised it. It grew warm, then hot. It started to get wet inside. And, finally, it loosened it's grip. What a relief. Jeffrey's cock, having slid out just a bit during the night, slid in by itself. The pulsations continued for a while, stimulating Jeffrey to the point where he put his hands on her hips, and started to lift up and down, beneath her. It was very slow and gentle. Cheryl didn't seem to mind, but wasn't helping. She was letting him do the work this time. Her pussy stopped pulsating.

There was a knock at the door, which then opened even though nobody said anything. The woman at the door was about Cheryl's size, and age, and build. She looked totally different, though, and had dark, short, curly hair, as opposed to Cheryl's long, straight hair. She was wearing a T-shirt, which covered her just enough so Jeffrey couldn't tell if there was really anything else on.

"Oh, sorry. Good morning. Found a friend?" the girl asked.

Cheryl looked back at her door. Jeffrey was a little nervous. A long, tight squeeze of her pussy silently told him to relax and not worry about it. He got the message.

Cheryl put her head back on Jeffrey's shoulder. "Deirdre, I'd like you to meet Jeffrey. Jeffrey, this is Deirdre, my apartment- mate." She didn't seem to mind the fact that Deirdre was still standing there, unembarassed even though she must have known that she and Jeffrey were at this moment locked together, and weren't even under any covers.

Cheryl continued. She obviously wasn't trying to get rid of Deirdre, either because Deirdre was of the sort that didn't get the hint, or because they shared this sort of thing. That idea intrigued Jeffrey a bit. "So how was your night?"

Deirdre answered. "Terrible. That guy your friend introduced me to was no fun at all. We played Trivial Pursuit for almost two hours and he's no good at it. Then all I did was sleep. I should have just come back here after dinner. What was he, too tired to do anything else?"

"Ask Sue, not me. I don't know him." Cheryl seemed oblivious to Jeffrey, until another squeeze let him know that he was still on her mind.

"OK. Tell me when you're ready for breakfast. You too, Jeff."

Jeffrey spoke to Deirdre from underneath Cheryl's hair, which had fallen across him again. "Ok, thanks." He got a mouthful of hair.

Deirdre left, but didn't close the door the whole way. Cheryl didn't even look. She made Jeffrey come rather quickly, in less than ninety seconds, and her own orgasm went by just as fast. She spread her legs far apart, letting the cool air finish off the last of Jeffrey's erection. His penis slipped out of her. She got up on her knees, her pussy dripping combined love juices onto Jeffrey's abdomen, then got off the bed, as if there was a hurry to go somewhere. They went into the bathroom, and this time Jeffrey stayed there, talking with Cheryl as she relieved herself. He kind of admired the way that she felt comfortable performing an animal function with him right there. She seemed kind of elegant while doing so, too.

They showered together, which was fun though neither of them were really ready to excite themselves over it. Jeffrey watched Cheryl pick out some clothes, and dress herself. She picked out some black panties, showing Jeffrey that the choice was made with him, and later activities, in mind. Jeffrey wore the same jeans, but with the underwear and shirt he brought in from his car last night.

Breakfast was uneventful. Jeffrey managed to have what seemed like a good rapport with Deirdre. She was a little crazier than Cheryl, but had a good sense of humor. Even though Cheryl had taken him to bed the same day that they met, it was Deirdre whose lifestyle was more liberal. Apparently, it was a running joke between both of them...

"Always thought I was the slut around here", said Deirdre in a tone that couldn't have been mistaken for an insult. "For someone I've never seen before, you two were humping away like I've hardly ever done."

Jeffrey was a little annoyed. "We weren't..."

Cheryl bailed him out. "Deirdre, what we did in my room..." (Jeffrey was thinking "...wasn't any of your business"?) "...was... was... Well, you should have seen what we did before! I just did more in four hours than you've ever done in your whole life."

Deirdre was shocked. Jeffrey was too, shocked that Cheryl was telling Deirdre all this. Deirdre grew indignant. "That's impossible!"

Chapter 17

Cheryl was smiling. Could she, after all this time, have finally outdone her roommate? Of course she did. As Jeffrey learned about this friendly rivalry, he looked a little smug, too. After all, it was not only his mind that made it all happen, but it was his Device, too. Cheryl explained the Device, and most of the achievements that she and Jeffrey made during those four hours.

"But... Really?" Deidre asked. "You sucked him inside? Into your pussy? Changed him to a female? Made love with him... or her... using a man's body? Now THAT'S REALLY impossible. Isn't it?"

Jeffrey realized that if Deirdre continued to doubt the Device, those doubts would block the ability of the Device to work on her. Just like the government people. Somehow, skepticism, carried near the extreme, blocked the communication to and from the Device. It was a problem he was trying to fix on his personal version of the machine.

"Deirdre, listen." He had to explain it the right way the first time. "It's a real device. It monitors the flow of information from your brain to the rest of your body. It intercepts that information, but returns a false neurotransmission that's consistent with your environment. It also monitors your thoughts. If you have a good imagination, you can not only LIVE in this environment, but you can actually CHANGE it.

She understood. "What happens when two people disagree about what's going on? Like if I wanted us to have a box of cheerios here, and you imagined a box of raisin bran?"

"It depends on who's holding the box in real life. Whoever holds the box gets the final say."

"Then," Deirdre asked, "what if neither of the two people having this argument are holding the box in real life?"

"Then those two people would keep changing it back and forth, until the one with the box decided to make a change that was permanent. The one with the box can decide, mentally, whether or not the others can change his creations."

That seemed logical enough. Deirdre stood up and tossed her bowl into the sink. "Sounds fun. Ok, let's go!"

Cheryl didn't expect this. Jeffrey had only been here a short time and she didn't want to share his time with Deirdre. She said, quietly, "Right now?" She realized that this was a bit selfish after all Deirdre had done for her.

Jeffrey and Deidre answered together. "Why not!"

Cheryl, outvoted anyway, agreed. "Ok. I think Jeffrey and I have a lot of things to show you! Wait a minute, IDT's locked. We can't!"

Jeffrey had an idea. They all piled into Jeffrey's car, and headed for his place. It was neat, thank goodness. They were there in a few minutes. Jeffrey's version of the Device was on a workbench in one corner. The two females watched Jeffrey's not-really-legal cable TV, talked, and made lunch, for the two hours it took Jeffrey to put the Device together. He unplugged it from the umbelical connecting it to the recharger, computer, and test equipment, and brought it out to the center of the room. It was smaller than the one at IDT, and looked a little neater, even though the case had a number of holes sealed with rubber plugs. The controls were different. But it was the same blue color as before. Cheryl and Deirdre came over to him when he brought the box over to his coffee table.

At Cheryl's recommendation, they each used Jeffrey's bathroom. Jeffrey, last to go, poured three glasses of water while Cheryl was in the bathroom. When Cheryl returned and Deirdre left, she wanted to talk to him.

"I don't know what we're going to do. If you haven't noticed, Deirdre likes some pretty kinky things and I have a feeling that's what she's going to want to do. She won't be happy flying around downtown."

Jeffrey didn't know how he was supposed to react. "So?"

"We can have fun with her if YOU DON'T MIND it. But I hope you understand. You're the only one I have. I want to keep you. I love you. She might like your body, but she can't love you like I do."

Jeffrey answered quietly. "I love you too. I haven't told you yet. You must have known it."

Cheryl was relieved a bit. "I saw it in your eyes. The Device couldn't have reproduced that."

"Guess not. Don't worry, I belong to you know matter what happens with Deirdre. I want YOU to be my girlfriend."

"I already am." They kissed, and Deirdre returned, breaking them up. Jeffrey headed for the bathroom, noticing that the two girls had warmed up the seat.

Deirdre was excited. "I want to try what you did. I want to go skydiving. Walk on the moon. There's so much I don't know where to start!"

Cheryl tried to calm her down. "You won't be able to do it all. Just relax! Enjoy what you DO do. That's all that's important. And remember, Jeffrey's MINE."

"You mean... We can't..."

"No, we CAN share him. You'd do that for me. And there's so much for you to experience. But I want him back."

"Fair enough."

"I think we'll even have a little fun with him. It doesn't look like he's ever had to deal with two girls at once. I'm sure he won't mind."

Jeffrey returned. They sat down around the table. He touched the metallic circle on the top, had Deirdre do the same, and then he gave the box to Cheryl. "I think you should do it this time. You know what you're doing, and know Deirdre better than I do. Four hours again?"

She puzzled over the controls. They weren't simple anymore. The display was blank. Jeffrey talked her through it. "Press TIME, and when it says 'TIME?', press 4, and then four zeroes."

Cheryl entered the time. The display then said "START?", and Cheryl pressed the button marked START.

Chapter 18

The box beeped. The display read "START -10", and the number stared counting down. Cheryl sat the box on her lap, and all three of them sat back and closed their eyes. There were five more beeps the last five seconds, and then a loud one, which Jeffrey knew was being generated by the Device only in their minds. When Cheryl and Jeffrey opened their eyes, the box was yellow. Deirdre's eyes were still closed.

Cheryl looked at the box. "Why is it yellow and not red?"

Jeffrey had forgotten to mention that. "Security device. It won't run until I personally enter a code to make it start. Deirdre?"

Deirdre's eyes were still closed, and she didn't answer. Jeffrey tapped her on the shoulder. Still nothing happened. "Darn, she didn't lock on it."

Cheryl was concerned. She got up, setting the box on the table, and slapped Deirdre on the side. Still no response. Jeffrey reached for the box and pressed the largest button on it, a red one labelled "Stop".

They returned instantly to their sitting position, the blue box back in Cheryl's lap. Deirdre's eyes were open, and she was sitting up. Jeffrey looked at the box; the display read "CODE STOP 0:00:22". This box was much more informative: It was explaining that the adventure was cancelled from within, while the box was waiting for the authorization code, as well as the total elapsed time.

Deirdre said, "What happened? All you did was sit there. I didn't see anything."

Jeffrey had had this problem with the people who tested the Device before. Deirdre wasn't being receptive to the signals from the thought amplifier. She might get past one failure, but if it happened again, she'd lose so much confidence in her ability to enter the other world, that she'd probably never be able to do it. Jeffrey picked up the box, removed one of the rubber plugs, and adjusted a knob inside using a plastic tool of some sort, watching the display on the top as he did so. He put the tool and the rubber plug back where they came from.

"Deirdre, it worked, it just didn't take you along for the ride. It's partially my fault. The final amplifier was set too weak for where you were sitting. I turned it up."

Deirdre looked happy again. "So we can try again now?"

Jeffrey gave the box back to Cheryl, asking her not to start yet. "First, I want you to stare at the center of this table. Just look at the table. Ok?" When Deirdre did as asked, he continued. "I want you to imagine a soda can right in the middle of the table. Get a picture of it in your mind. See it?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about it. What kind of soda is it? Which side of the can do you see? Don't make it up now, tell me what you see in your picture."

"It's a Coca-Cola can. The side that says "Coke" is facing me, and the tab's... TAB's? Hahaha. The pull-thing is facing over toward Cheryl. It's open, but not empty, because I hear it fizzing."

"That's very good. Cheryl, you have the picture?"

Cheryl nodded.

"Ok, Cheryl, four hours again. Deirdre, close your eyes. Remember that can. Don't open your eyes until we tell you to. Just sit back, relax, and remember the soda can on the table just the way you saw it. Whenever you're ready, Cheryl."

Five seconds later, there were five beeps and a louder one. Jeffrey and Cheryl both opened their eyes. The box was yellow. Jeffrey leaped over to where Cheryl was sitting, and punched a few numbers on the keypad on top of the Device. It beeped once again and turned red. "Okay, Cheryl, let's see that can now..."

A few seconds later, the can that Deirdre described appeared on the table. Jeffrey looked to make sure that the side facing Deirdre was as it was supposed to be. "Okay, Deirdre. Open your eyes."

This time, her eyes opened. "You guys are kidding me. That's a real can. I knew I was being set up." Her skepticism was showing, but the Device was working on her. She picked the can up. It was cold, and half-full. She had a taste. "This is real Coke. Where did you get this from?"

Jeffrey pointed to the box. "It's not red in real life. You made it here!"

Cheryl, while Deirdre was looking at the box, changed the Coke can to a Sprite can. When Deirdre looked again, she was startled. "Cheryl-- you just imagined this? Very impressive! So realistic!" If a soda can was impressive, Deirdre had some pleasant surprises coming.

Chapter 19

Cheryl asked what else was different with the Device. Jeffrey was anxious to explain all the new developments. "This box does quite a bit more than the other one. It's a lot smarter, has more memory, and is programmable, if you know what you're doing."

Cheryl and Deirdre both asked at once, "Programmable?"

"Well, yes. The first version of the Device couldn't do anything unless you imagined it happening RIGHT THEN. That was no fun, because, for example, if I were to roll a tennis ball over to you, one of us would have to pay attention to it, or it would just stop moving. The one you saw yesterday could handle SEQUENCES of events-- flying birds, disappearing clothes, or other things that happen the same way no matter what you do." Cheryl had mastered event sequences when she changed him into a female, literally setting it up in advance so Jeffrey would go through the changes she wanted. "This device can handle repetitive or conditional events. That means you can set up some event which happens IF, or WHEN, something else happens, even if you're not in control of the other events. I can say, if Cheryl will let me, that IF someone touches the top of the table, THEN it will turn green. I don't have to stick around waiting for someone to touch it, and then make it green myself. If I set up something like that, Cheryl could undo it. But if she did, I couldn't undo it, because she's holding the box."

Deirdre touched the table, and it did, indeed, turn green. "Neat", she exclaimed.

Jeffrey tried something else. "Watch this one." A thin piece of plastic appeared in his hands, clear, and about a foot and a half square. It had sixteen small squares on it, visible from either side, which were just black outlines. He handed it to Deirdre, who took it by the edges. "Cheryl, don't do anything. Just watch. I'm going to play one myself, and not even pay attention to Deirdre."

Deirdre still didn't know what to do with it.

"Touch any box," Jeffrey said. "Try to get four in a row before the Device does."

Deirdre touched a square, which glowed green. A light "beep" sound came from nowhere. Then, another square glowed red, with an omnious "bong" noise. Deirdre touched another square, there was another beep, and another bong, and two more colored squares. This went on for a few more seconds until there were four red squares along the bottom row. A deep voice laughed, and boomed out: "You LOSE!!! Hahahahaha." The winning squares blinked. Then the piece of plastic just vanished.

"That whole series of CONDITIONAL events was set up before, while I was testing. I can start the same thing again without having to put a lot of mental effort into it." Three more plastic sheets appeared. He handed one to Cheryl, and one to Deirdre, and played the third himself. "Damn", yelled Jeffrey, as four red squares started blinking and the "You LOSE!!! Hahahahahaha" sound boomed out. A moment later, a giant illuminated sign appeared, with arrows pointing to Deirdre, who was holding a game with four blinking green squares. The sign said "Congratulations!". Bells rang, sirens whooped, and then the sign and plastic card vanished.

Cheryl was still staring at her card. She had made one bad move, so that either of the moves she could now make would result in a loss. As the other two were watching, one of the red squares on her game turned green. Cheryl then touched the one in the corner, causing another "Congratulations" sign to materialize. "No fair!" yelled Jeffrey.

"Of course it's fair. Everything's fair to ME. I'm holding the box! By the way, nice work. That's really neat how things can happen by themselves. Now I have to think up some uses for it!"

Chapter 20

It wasn't too long before the first few erotic thoughts crossed Cheryl's mind. Meanwhile, the trio had just been talking, and amusing themselves with simple magic tricks, all of which used real magic.

Cheryl had promised Deirdre some fun, but, with all the joking going on, it was time to play one on her. She waited until the others were watching her.

"And now, a real disappearing act!", she said in a very professional voice. She stared at Deirdre for a second. She picked a bag up from the floor, which had materialized where the others couldn't see it. Holding it open to them, and then shaking it just as magicians do, she showed that it was empty. "Nothing up my sleeve...", she exclaimed with laughter. She reached into the bag, fumbled around for a few seconds, and pulled a shirt from it. It was Deirdre's. Cheryl had a very wide smile on as Deirdre discovered that her shirt was no longer on her, but in Cheryl's hand! Jeffrey was looking at her. She felt a bit embarassed for a few seconds, as she put her arms in front of her bosom. Then she relaxed a bit, lowered her arms, and took a deep breath, making the contents of her bra a little more prominent, as if to show off.

Cheryl was digging around in the bag again. "Let's see... What else do I have here?"

Deirdre felt a tug on her bra, which Cheryl pulled out of the bag from across the table. Her breasts bounced a bit as the bra disappeared. Jeffrey looked again, and this time looked away quickly. Deirdre felt embarassed again.

"Hmmm.... What's this?" Cheryl queried, as she rummaged around once again. She tugged as if whatever it was inside the bag wouldn't come out easily. She pulled out Jeffrey's underpants, which vanished from inside his pants. (Cheryl couldn't have done that if she hadn't already known just what he was wearing!)

Deirdre and Cheryl both giggled. "Hey!" yelled Jeffrey. Cheryl reached into the bag again, and gave Jeffrey's cock a gentle squeeze. He started to grow inside his pants.

Cheryl then, in rapid succession, pulled from the bag Jeffrey's shirt, his pants, and Deirdre's slacks, and finally panties. She pulled her own shirt off over her head, and then made her own bra disappear, as well as the bag, and everyone's footwear. She made the table disappear, which gave Jeffrey a good look a Deirdre's private parts and vice versa.

It became a contest of sorts. In minutes everyone was showing off. Cheryl had managed to relax everyone's inhibitions. "What do you think?", she asked of Jeffrey, while pointing to Deirdre's bush, which was neatly trimmed, looking a little less natural than her own.

Jeffrey didn't know how he was supposed to answer. "Not bad. It's no fair though. There's nothing to see from here." He was right-- all he could see was the dark patch of hair between Deirdre's legs. The actual equipment, unlike his own, was concealed, at least until she was ready to use it.

"GUYS don't have to cover up their CHEST. Besides, what would you want to see anyway?" With that, Deirdre slid down in her chair a bit, and lifted one leg, spreading her legs apart. The lips of her pussy were visible; as she spread her legs, the lips parted. Jeffrey and Cheryl both got a good look and the pink flesh inside, and the moist opening into her body.

Jeffrey closed his eyes and sighed, the image fixed in his mind. His cock grew completely hard.

Deirdre put her leg down, and then stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Cheryl. "What about YOU?"

Cheryl still had her pants on. She stood up, and her jeans and panties disappeared at the same time. "Fair is fair", she said. Jeffrey opened his eyes, and looked at Cheryl. She smiled at him, her pussy looming at about eye level with Jeffrey. It wasn't as interesting as the view that Deirdre had just shocked him with. Cheryl was standing with her legs together. He sighed again. Both girls noticed the state he was in... Their bodies had melted him.

Chapter 21

Cheryl startled Jeffrey back to life by zapping the chair out from underneath him. He fell to the floor, hitting his rump on the somewhat rough carpeting. "Ow!", he yelled.

Cheryl apologized, having underestimated the force of the impact. She changed the flooring from carpet, to a smooth, comfortable surface, kind of like foam rubber. It was soft to the touch, but you wouldn't sink down into it. Deirdre nodded in approval. She simplified the room, eliminating all the furniture, and making the room square, and smaller. There were no doors. Jeffrey stretched his legs out, and started to sit up.

Cheryl stepped over him, straddling his legs, with her hands on his shoulders. Her pussy was almost right in his face. Her scent was mesmerizing. She squatted down, pushing his shoulders, and forcing him to lie down. He didn't complain. In seconds she was straddling his pelvis, her pussy wide open, and his cock pointed straight into it. He grabbed her hips, and helped her ease down onto him. She teased him a bit, pulling up just as the tip of his cock touched her. Deirdre was watching intently, noticing the elements of Cheryl's and Jeffrey's technique she hadn't seen yet. Cheryl finally sat down, squeezing him between her legs, and his penis sank deep into her vagina. With that done, sitting stationary and upright, she looked up at Deirdre. "Well, come on!! Take a ride!" She squeezed her vagina, sending a silent, invisible wink to Jeffrey. He squeezed his own muscles, sending the reply.

Deirdre was standing over Jeffrey, with her feet on either side of Jeffrey's head. She was facing Cheryl. Deirdre smiled at Jeffrey, then squatted down. She got on her knees, and twisted around to take one last look at her pussy's target. "I'm gonna come all over you", she said to him, with a wide grin. Jeffrey sent another "message" to Cheryl, who then smiled at Deirdre. Deirdre then slowly settled down on Jeffrey. His face disappeared between her legs. She squirmed a bit, nestling him in, and allowing her pussy to open to him. Her lips opened around his. She put most of her weight on him, pinning him down. Her legs squeezed his head-- blocking his ears. Jeffrey tampered with the image to allow himself to breathe, through his nose. His mouth was sealed to Deirdre's cunt. He started to probe it with his tongue, and he reached up and found her tits with his hands. Even though he couldn't see, hear, or talk, he did an admirable job. Deirdre's breasts were a little larger than Cheryl's, and her nipples responded to his touch just as quickly. His tongue circled her clitoris. She started moaning.

Cheryl, jealous for a second at Deirdre's state of arousal, started rocking back and forth, and then started sliding up and down. Jeffrey started to bounce underneath her. She didn't feel as involved; Jeffrey couldn't reach her body with his hands, and she was watching him play with Deirdre. Deirdre and Jeffrey left the world of self-control before Cheryl did-- Jeffrey being unable to communicate with her any longer, even through his cock, which was too busy inside her now. As she saw Deirdre show familiar signs of an approaching orgasm, her own seemed far away. So, Cheryl tried something new. She whispered to herself... "Let him hear me. I've got to talk to him..."

Jeffrey was startled by Cheryl's voice, which was coming from inside his head somewhere. "Jeffrey... I need you... Take me with you..."

Jeffrey pulled his tongue from Deidre for a moment. He replied, just as Cheryl had. He had never thought of this use of the Device before. "You ARE coming with me... I'm giving as much of myself as I can..."

He took one hand off of Deirdre's bosom, and grabbed Cheryl's hand with it. "You have to hurry, I can't hang on much longer..."

Cheryl had yet another good idea. "You can hang on as long as you want..."

Deirdre's juices were getting to Jeffrey. Even without his tongue, she was starting to come, and the juices he was swallowing were making him lose touch with everything. He managed to get a final few words out to Cheryl... "Use... A... Conditional...".

Cheryl knew what he meant. She sent a few words to him. Not only did those words give the Device a rule to follow, but just thinking them sent Cheryl into a deep level of intercourse. "You CAN'T come... until I do..."

Chapter 22

Jeffrey's tongue was back inside Deirdre's body. He had it grow inside her, so that it was long, and thrust it in and out, feeling the texture of her vagina with his tongue. Every contraction squeezed it. Her come started to leak over Jeffrey's face. Deirdre's orgasm continued, and more come flowed from her than Jeffrey could drink. She loved to come, to see the fluid leave her own body and cover someone else, as if it was evidence of her pleasure that she could keep. With the Device, the amount of fluid she could produce was unlimited. She took advantage of it. Jeffrey's hair was wet, even, beneath her pelvis. It made him slippery, and she slid her body around a bit.

Jeffrey was on the edge. Cheryl's pussy was ready to suck his come out of him, and he was ready to shoot it into her, but he just couldn't. He was on the edge, but couldn't go over it.

Deirdre, exhausted, out of breath, and completely drained, let her orgasm complete itself. Jeffrey knew that it was over, and returned his tongue to his mouth. With a sucking noise, Deirdre lifted herself from Jeffrey, who immediately started panting. She lay down next to him.

Cheryl went on for a few more minutes, sometimes taking it easy, and sometimes very intense. She started coming when Jeffrey took both tits in his hands. Jeffrey felt her orgasm. His own was still pending; the semen already built up, and ready to leave him. Finally, just as Cheryl finished coming, Jeffrey went stiff, pushing his cock in as far as possible, and letting his come enter her body. It was finally over. Fluid leaked from Cheryl, into Jeffrey's pubic hair.

Deirdre was still panting. Touching the puddle of her own come, which surrounded Jeffrey's head and made his hair both wet and sticky, she talked to Cheryl. "Not bad, huh?"

That was another running joke between them. Always highly competitive, Cheryl and Deirdre had even compared the quantity of their own come, as if that was some measure of sexual ability.

Cheryl said, "Not bad, but...", and pointed to the spot where she was joined with Jeffrey, and liquid was still dripping out.

"That doesn't count. That's Jeffrey's too."

That got Cheryl to her feet. Staring Deirdre right in the eyes, she said: "Oh YEAH?? Take THIS, then!" She squatted down a bit, still straddling Jeffrey, and a flood of come lurched forth from her pussy. It was very warm as it poured onto Jeffrey, and didn't stop, as if someone had left a faucet open. "So there!"

"Okay, Okay, you win! Stop already, you're getting ME all wet."

Since everything was wet anyway, Cheryl shook her pelvis once in Deirdre's direction, splashing her with the hot liquid. Then the flow stopped, and Cheryl's pussy closed. Things had gotten quite silly.

"Time for a shower, I think", Jeffrey said quietly. With that, Cheryl transported them all to the top of a grassy hill, outside, in the dark mid-afternoon as some storm clouds rolled by. It started raining. The rain was warm, and cleaned them all up. Jeffrey sat up, and rinsed the come out of his hair. Nobody said anything about Cheryl's novel way of taking a shower.

A few minutes later, the rain stopped. It was warm and breezy out. The seagulls from last time were back, though they made less sense here since there was no ocean in sight. The sky lightened a bit. Everyone was warm and dry, still naked, after a time. Nobody said anything, until Cheryl finally broke the silence. "So, what do you think of my boyfriend?"

Jeffrey's ears perked up. He was Cheryl's boyfriend. He liked that.

"I'd take him myself if he wasn't yours." So flattering! Jeffrey had to return the comment.

"You're BOTH good. I haven't been able to overestimate Cheryl yet." Jeffrey licked his lips. "And you DEFINITELY know what you're doing, Deirdre." She smiled. Both girls slid over and leaned up against him. He put one hand on each of them, gently caressing Cheryl's left breast, and Deirdre's right. They sat again in this position for a "while" (minutes having no real definition).

Chapter 23

Cheryl sat up. "Well, shall we go back? Or do you want to go flying or something?"

Deirdre wasn't too excited about flapping about thousands of feet from the ground. "Well, I'm kind of beat, and I don't want to impose.."

Cheryl answered: "It's no trouble at all. We can go back and find something REAL to do..."

Deirdre jumped in. "Well, there IS one thing I'd like to SEE with my own eyes, if you two will oblige me. "

Jeffrey answered, "What's that? Whatever you like."

"After all, we could have just done what we did in real life, almost. Well, what I'd really like to see is what Cheryl told me about. I want to see her pussy swallow you, if you don't mind."

Jeffrey looked at Cheryl. Her pussy looked so small... It looked like she was thinking about it.

Cheryl, without turning her head, said, "Ok... Let's go back...". A moment later, they were back in Jeffrey's apartment, just as they had left it, except that the floor was clean and dry now. Deirdre's eyes lit up. "You're really going to do it?"

Jeffrey smiled a bit at the thought. Cheryl first said, "Of course! That's what you wanted, right? Not as if we haven't done it before! But this time, I'm going to do it RIGHT, so I don't lose reality..." She pointed to Jeffrey, and uttered a command: "Shrink!"

Jeffrey looked around, at himself. "Huh?" Nothing seemed to be happening.

"You're a little too big to fit inside right now!" Cheryl pointed to her pussy, which did indeed seem to be tiny when one is considering being inside of it. "So, I'm shrinking you. About cock- sized would be very nice!"

Deirdre ran her fingers through Cheryl's bush, touching for an instant the lips of her pussy. "I can't believe it!"

Jeffrey was shorter than Cheryl now. He reached up and touched her, and his hands slid down her sides as he shrank. When he only came up to her knees, she sat on the floor, spreading her legs, with one on each side. She waited. Deirdre knelt down beside Cheryl so she could get a close look.

Jeffrey was now only about six inches tall. He looked up at Deirdre, who smiled and then laughed at him. He didn't say anything; he didn't know what his voice should sound like. He walked to Cheryl's crotch, and ran his fingers through the stiff, wiry hair, touching the moist lips that he only could have moved with both hands. Unlike before, she hadn't grown a bit. He couldn't have climbed over her legs, even. He started to walk away from her, as if he was having second thoughts about being subjected to it all. Cheryl would have to do this one.

She grabbed him, as he was walking away. Her grip was gentle, and she wrapped all her fingers around him to hold him. She brought him close to her crotch. Her other fingers went inside, and she rubbed him, coating him with her slippery fluid. She had to lubricate him to get him inside. She held him on his back, her hand around him.

She leaned back. The time was here. She poked him towards herself, with his feet first. His feet bumped up against her skin, very close to her anus. She brought him up, and with one hand opened her pussy. His feet and legs slipped effortlessly inside. It was warm, soft, and infinitely more realistic than before. He could feel every response of her vagina as he slid inside. Cheryl pushed him in, past his knees, telling him to hold stiff. He wouldn't fit otherwise. She let go, and grabbed him again, higher up. This time she pushed him in past his waist. Her cunt, inside the lips, was sucking at him. She let go again, and laid down, no longer looking. She raised her knees. Deirdre watched with intent as her pussy began sucking. He'd move out a bit, then in, each time a bit deeper. Jeffrey realized that he didn't want his arms to be last inside; as his chest was pulled in, his put his arms at his sides, letting Cheryl grasp them and pull them in, too. Cheryl took a deep breath, and pulled him in, up to his neck. She took a few deep breaths, breathed the words "Say goodbye!", and with another effort, expanded her vagina, sucking Jeffrey in completely. Her lips slid around his head, brushing against his ears, and, as he was pulled into the hole, closed.

This time, Jeffrey was able to see Deirdre's curious face right up to the time when Cheryl's pussy closed. Deirdre, still shocked, hesitated before pulling Cheryl's labia apart with her fingers. By the time she did that, Jeffrey had disappeared into Cheryl's vagina beyond where she could see him.

"He's gone?"

"No, he's inside me. I can feel him. Like that."

"What's it feel like?"

"It's kind of like having a man inside you. I mean-- a penis, kind of. Except--" she giggled-- "this one knows right where to touch you!"

Jeffrey was having a tough time moving his arms around inside her. Her vagina was very strong, and it was a tight fit. He decided to find a sensitive spot inside her-- it would be interesting to Deirdre to see Cheryl come with no outside stimulation.

"Can I talk to him?" Deirdre asked.

"Well..." Cheryl put two fingers inside, to open a space for Jeffrey to talk through, but he was too deep. She pulled her fingers out, and her pussy snapped closed again. "Oh, of course. Go ahead."

Now Jeffrey could hear the outside world, where all he could hear before were the rumblings of Cheryl's intestines, and heartbeat. He could breathe, so he was able to answer. His voice, somewhat muffled, came from between Cheryl's legs.

"How is it in there?" Deirdre asked.

"Warm and cozy. Really wet too. Even wetter if I can find..."

Cheryl giggled again. A powerful contraction of her vagina nearly crushed Jeffrey.

"Look up, not too far inside. That's where mine is."

"Fine," came the voice. "But where's UP? There's only in, and out."

"It's kind of rough. You'll find it."

Jeffrey reached up. He could just reach a rough spot with his fingertips. He used his legs to try to climb up, but couldn't bend his knees. He slipped, and the tightness forced him further in. His feet were caught in her cervix.

He pulled one foot loose. Now that there was a little room to bend, he started sliding his whole body back and forth through the muscular barrel. His cock rubbed against the smooth, warm, soft walls. It excited him. He felt contractions, but just kept up what he was doing. Loud thumps told him that Cheryl had collapsed back onto the floor-- she must have been getting up.

It got wet, very wet, and hot. Very hot. Almost painfully hot. He put all of his energy into her, from within. She was putting her energy into him, squeezing him from everywhere. He kept sliding back and forth. She came, her body loosening for a moment. For a second, he could see outside-- light-- and the walls of the room. Cheryl was on her back, and had spread her legs. His legs caught firmly in her cervix.

He heard Cheryl's panting. Her heartbeat, which surrounded him, was fast, but slowing. He felt himself tipped, head down. She was standing up. It was still comfortable. He got another glimpse of the outside; this time he saw the floor. Then it went dark. "You can STAY in there for a while," she said. It got light again, her pussy opening a bit. This time, he saw the inside of her panties. She was putting them on. Through the fabric, he saw the inside of her jeans. He tried to scramble towards the outside-- it was loose enough now for him to have moved around, but his legs were still stuck. It got dark again. He heard the sound of her zipper, and then a snap, along with muffled giggles. She had locked him inside!

Chapter 24

Cheryl and Deirdre had both dressed themselves, and decided to go for a walk, on a catwalk they had stretched about fifty feet above the town. The sun was setting, and the terrific view was one of the reasons that Cheryl had built the elevated walkway. The other reason was, possibly, to help alleviate her roommate's fear of heights. It seemed to be working. They walked most of the way around the town, above the silent, vacant streets. The town was mostly in shadow, but the two girls, above the buildingtops, were in sunlight. They cast long shadows in an area that was blocks away. They talked about Jeffrey, and how they met. It became evident to Deirdre that Cheryl was really in love this time; that made Deirdre, who made friends easily but had no steady lovers, jealous of Cheryl for the first time. Deirdre had always thought that she was a little too forward, and that had turned people off. Cheryl revealed that her involvement with Jeffrey was no accident. She had made up her mind, thanks to Deirdre, that she wasn't treating people properly. Jeffrey had done favors for her at IDT that she had never returned, fearful of gaining his attention. She knew that hurt him. Everyone seemed to like him, but she wouldn't give him a chance, even though she was lonely. He was on her mind much of the time. She didn't want to wait through a lengthy courtship-- she had convinced herself, over time, that she wanted him, and that he might want her. She had learned of the Device, and one night decided that if she wanted Jeffrey, she'd just have to get his attention and hold on to him long enough for him... to realize that she really was worth having. So, when the opportunity came up for her to meet Jeffrey alone AND possibly try out the Device, she had just taken a deep breath and jumped in with both feet, which is what she was hoping he'd do.

Deirdre complained that for her, it wasn't that easy. Even if she had done the same thing with people in the past, she hadn't been able to hold on to them. She had a lack of commitment; she gave the few potential boyfriends she'd had a feeling that she was still shopping for something better, and none of them would put up with it. She was two years older than Cheryl, and had been doing the wrong thing all along. She was depressed.

They had walked over the woods outside their town for a while now. It wasn't getting any later; Cheryl hadn't programmed the Device to continue with the sunset. It was still very pleasant. A cool evening breeze blew from one side of the walkway. Both women had totally forgotten that Jeffrey was still inside Cheryl's body-- he hadn't moved a bit since they started walking, though at first Cheryl could feel his presence inside her as she walked. As time went on, her vagina had returned a state of tonal contraction-- it was very tight. As she walked, the tightness had forced Jeffrey from her vagina into her womb, where at this second he was both quiet and comfortable, the smooth rubbery walls insulating him from the world just as the sealed opening below him locked him inside. He felt very secure. He floated deep inside her for long enough to know she had forgotten about him. He had tried to "magic" his way out, and to send a message to Cheryl, but her mind wasn't on him, and he could only supersede her reality with her consent. He wasn't claustrophobic, fortunately, so he just went along for the ride. With not much else to do besides feel the sway of Cheryl's body and listen to the sounds it made, he had (for most purposes) fallen asleep. Sleeping with the Device engaged wasn't much different from sleeping in real life.

While they glided back to Jeffrey's on the walkway (which was now a moving one), Cheryl talked Deirdre out of the mood she was in.

"I can't create a friend for you. I can do most anything else here, but not that. You HAVE a friend-- ME. There isn't anything wrong with you! You're just killing yourself trying to have a good time, instead of letting it come to you."

"It doesn't just come by itself," said Deirdre. "You didn't get Jeffrey by just letting him come to you."

"No, but that was my fault," replied Cheryl. "If I had been nice to him earlier, we could have been together that much sooner."

Deirdre was still depressed. "I feel like I'm losing a friend."

Cheryl knew the feeling. Somehow, it wasn't fair that someone you just met could take you away from someone you knew for a long time, just because the new person was of the other sex. She had had a great time with Deirdre; they never fought, and managed to do a lot together.

"Deirdre, you're not getting rid of me that easy. Jeffrey gets along with you. And, heck, I'm not moving out. Maybe he should move.."

"Not a bad idea," replyed Deirdre, a little more cheerfully. "He could pay part of the rent. God knows we have the space. If he'll be on your mind all the time, he might as well be around all the time."

"Hmmm... Maybe I'll ask, if the time is right. You're right. He is on my mind a lot. He's also in my... OH NO!" Deirdre and Cheryl both took a worried glance at Cheryl's pants. "He's been in there... for a LONG TIME!"

Chapter 25

As the walkway brought them into Jeffrey's apartment, Cheryl was tapping her pants, near the zipper. "Jeffrey? Where are you?" They ran into the room, zipping off the end of the walkway which Cheryl didn't bother to remove. In a panic, she unsnapped her pants and unzipped them. The sneakers she was wearing disappeared, and she removed her pants. She was about to remove her panties, when she remembered that she could probably speak to him. "Jeffrey?"

Jeffrey awoke from a dream with a start. He reached over, expecting to find Cheryl in bed next to him. Boy, was it hot in here. But he wasn't in bed. Cheryl was nowhere to be found... Wait... It's wet... soft... all around... He realized, in an instant, that Cheryl was EVERYWHERE. On every side of him. Surrounding him. It was very exciting, and he became erect immediately.

"Jeffrey?" Her voice was muffled. It was coming from down there, somewhere. He tried to answer. "Cheryl! I was asleep."

Unfortunately, Cheryl couldn't find him to "magically" listen. Jeffrey bumped the wall of her uterus with an elbow.

Cheryl put her hand on her abdomen. "Jeffrey... He's REALLY inside..."

Deirdre thought this all most amusing. "Well, of COURSE he's inside. That's where you put him. I'm sure he's fine."

"No, you don't understand... He's not in my vagina. He's REALLY inside. I don't know how to get him out. I can't see him.

"No need to do that," Deirdre reasoned. (She was really getting into it, now.) "Cheryl, you HAVE the equipment. Just USE it. That should be no problem for YOU!"

"Okay, okay. Help me off with this stuff..." Cheryl removed her own panties while Deirdre stood there wondering how to help. Cheryl pulled her shirt off, and sat on the floor. She lay back on the floor, spread her legs, and pulled her knees up. Then she sat there, not knowing what to do.

"Now what?" asked Cheryl.

"Just push", replied Deirdre. "Push from inside. Breathe deep."

Cheryl took a deep breath. Her vagina squeezed shut. Nothing else happened. Deirdre took a closer look.

"No, no... Don't squeeze, push. It's the other way."

This time, Cheryl did it the right way. Her muscles contracted, and pushed Jeffrey towards the outside. He slithered through her cervix, propelled by her powerful muscles. Now she could feel him, sliding towards her more sensitive areas. Her cervix snapped shut after he was through. A few more pushes contracted her vagina. An instant later, Jeffrey slid from her body, landing on the floor right at her crotch. He was coated with a thick, shiny substance. Cheryl relaxed, panting not due to the exertion, but from her panic earlier.

"Whew!" exclaimed Deirdre and Cheryl together. Jeffrey leaned up against Cheryl's leg.

Deirdre reached between Cheryl's legs and picked Jeffrey up. He looked perfectly fine. Holding him up to her, she asked: "Want to go for another ride?"

Cheryl wasn't watching. She was still staring at the ceiling. Deirdre, without waiting for Jeffrey to answer, which he didn't anyway, unzipped her own pants, and pulled her panties down a bit, and started to put Jeffrey between her own legs. It looked fun for Cheryl and Jeffrey, and she didn't want to be left out. Watching Cheryl extrude Jeffrey's body was exciting.

Cheryl looked up for a moment, then stared back at the ceiling. "No," she said, "not now."

Jeffrey grew to his former size in seconds before Deirdre could do anything. She couldn't hold him up. He yelled another "Ow!" as he hit the ground.

"Oh. Sorry!", said Cheryl. "Let's go back now, OK?" Without waiting for agreement, she summoned the Device while still on her back, and pressed the STOP button. Then they were all back in their seats around the table. Cheryl looked at the display... it read "IMAGE STOP 3:11:21". Jeffrey took the Device and plugged it into the recharger.

Chapter 26

The three of them went out for the rest of the afternoon. They went for a walk in the mall, played some indoor miniature golf, had dinner early, and saw a movie that they later decided wasn't worth seeing. Jeffrey drove them Cheryl and Deirdre back to their apartment. They both invited him to stay the night. After all they had done together, Jeffrey had no reason to decline. They watched some television, and finally, Cheryl and Jeffrey headed off for Cheryl's bedroom. Deirdre followed. That made things a little sticky.

"Oh, Deirdre, it's you...", Cheryl yelped, as if she didn't know who was behind her. She turned around, just inside her room, holding on to Jeffrey.

"Cheryl, you won't mind, just this once? After today, I don't want to be alone tonight. Oh... if you DO mind, I'll...."

"No, Deirdre," spoke Cheryl in a disappointed voice. She really wanted the time alone with Jeffrey; but it was too early to make Deirdre's fears come true. She'd get over it in the morning. Cheryl would have Jeffrey all to herself for a long time. "It's okay. Let's just not make a HABIT of it, okay?"

Deirdre nodded. They all undressed themselves quietly. Jeffrey got into bed first. Cheryl slipped in on one side, and Deirdre bounced in on the other, wrapping an arm around Jeffrey before Cheryl could. There was plenty of room in the bed.

"Deirdre, are you... Well, Cheryl and I have an SBC between us..."

Cheryl quietly answered Jeffrey. "She's got a general, Jeffrey. She's protected." Cheryl hadn't planned on Deirdre actually having Jeffrey, at least not in real life. There was something she didn't like about sharing him in reality. She was having worried thoughts about Deirdre's intent.

Cheryl felt Jeffrey's hand on her breast. He squeezed it. He seemed very excited; she wasn't, yet. There was a good reason for it; Deirdre had one hand wrapped around his cock, which was growing at her touch. This delighted Deirdre very much. She moistened him with her own juices. Jeffrey was putting his efforts into Cheryl, not Deirdre. His hands found two pussies; Deirdre was wet, and hot; Cheryl was warm, but dry. He got a finger inside Deirdre, but he could only rub Cheryl on the outside, so far. She started breathing deep. She was opening-- he started a finger inside Cheryl, and she started moaning. It was intentional; Cheryl was letting Deirdre know that Jeffrey's attention was on her. He slid his finger deep into Cheryl, rubbing the spot that made her come before.

Deirdre, who wasn't holding Jeffrey's cock anymore, rolled on top of Jeffrey. Her legs were in the right place; his penis was right between them. Her vagina swallowed his penis quickly. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his hand out of Cheryl in the process, and really started to screw him. Jeffrey's eyes were closed, and his arms were wrapped around her. He was locked into copulation with Deirdre, as Cheryl did nothing but watch.

This, of course, was too much. Deirdre had managed to press Jeffrey's buttons the right way. He was under HER control, and wasn't being nice about it. Cheryl grabbed Deirdre's hair and pulled her up, which produced a breathy "Ouch" from her. She bent backwards as Cheryl tugged on her. Cheryl slipped in front of her, sat on Jeffrey's face, and let go of Deirdre, whose head dropped into Cheryl's bosom. Deirdre sat up a second later, forced to let Jeffrey slide out. She took him again, sitting up exactly as Cheryl had done before. Cheryl looked like he was having a good time, though Jeffrey now had to tilt his head back every so often to breathe.

Cheryl liked this better. His hands were all over her, his tongue inside. It wasn't as stimulating as his cock was, but that made it last longer. Deirdre was humping away again. She came, as Jeffrey did, and rolled off so she could lie down, Jeffrey's sticky come inside her, and her juices all over his crotch. Deirdre now had to watch Cheryl as she started coming. She was making it slow and painful to Deirdre. She sat there, pounding Jeffrey's head between her legs, for over a half hour. She'd come, stop for a moment, and start all over again. Obviously, Jeffrey was participating. What endurance! Deirdre was too tired. Cheryl and Jeffrey kept her awake. Cheryl finally got up, which prompted a "...finally..." from Deirdre, at which time she merely swiveled around, and sat on his cock, which had hardened again while he was licking her. She tasted better than Deirdre, Jeffrey thought. Deirdre tasted too sweet. Of course, that was not necessarily what she REALLY tasted like, but only what he had imagined, or either Cheryl or Deirdre projected. Neither of them would have known Deirdre's flavor, right?

They made love now, in a slow, gentle fashion. Their rhythmic motions were actually pleasant to Deirdre, as the bed slowly rocked her. She still couldn't sleep. The pace picked up for a moment, and then, with a short scream from both Cheryl and Jeffrey, it was over. Cheryl rolled off to the side. They all slept very soundly.

Chapter 27

When Cheryl and Jeffrey finally woke up, Deirdre wasn't there. They weren't in the mood for sex, though they cuddled for a while. They got up, and found a note from Deirdre thanking them both for a wonderful time, and telling them that she left early to go visit some friends. She had even picked up the apartment before she left.

They took their time eating breakfast. Cheryl still looked sleepy. They procrastinated for quite a while before taking a bath, which, as one might expect, they took together, sitting in the tub for almost two hours, talking, and playing. When Jeffrey finally asked what Cheryl had liked best so far, she thought about it a moment.

"Meeting you," she said. "Really. All the feelings I'm having are so sudden-- and I can't attribute them all to the Device."

Jeffrey smiled. "What else?"

"Well, if I had a choice, it was to be a man for a while. That's what I'd want to do again the most. All my life I've been female, and I only got to be a male for a couple hours. Didn't you like being a girl?"

"Yes, Cheryl. I hope I don't regret saying this, but I'd do it again. In fact, I wish we could trade places in real life for a while. I'd like to see what it's like to be treated like a woman."

Cheryl smiled, and then looked puzzled. "What's so different about real life?"

"Well, it's different. For one thing, there are people in it besides those few you take with you. I can't get the Device to simulate other people, even if the new one IS programmable. I could have giant crowds, or other people at a distance, or a few up close that only do certain predictable things. But I've heard so much about how women are TREATED different, I'd like to see it. Have doors opened for me. Have a zillion guys wanting to take me out, and being able to say 'no' to all of them."

"I hope you know it's not like that," Cheryl replied. "Not at all. Well, I mean not for everyone. First of all, unless you're really attractive," (Jeffrey smiled. She WAS really attractive.) "...you don't have guys crawling all over you even if you wanted them. And if you DO look good," (Cheryl smiled back) "the guys who ARE after you are after you because of your looks. Then you have to decide how to turn them down. It's so hard at first... and then you just feel MEAN about having done it. But you can't LOOK like you're sorry about it. But, I have to admit, I was going too far. I would have lost YOU if I had kept treating you that way. And you never made a move towards me. In fact, you were kind of nice."

"All I know is that I'd rather have a SURPLUS than a SHORTAGE."

Cheryl shook her head. "You forget, dear Jeffrey, that NOBODY wants to go out with someone who goes out with EVERYBODY. I know that's true for guys too, now."

"I guess so. I'd still like to see for myself. For a while. But, I can't. You'd like to do the reverse, wouldn't you?"

"Sure I would." answered Cheryl. "As long as you were my girlfriend. Actually... notice something lately? Now that we've seen the other side, we have a different perspective."

"Exactly. I'd love you no matter what bodies we were in. This way, or the other way. Or just together."

Cheryl's eyebrows perked up. She didn't say anything, though.

Chapter 28

They spent the whole day together. They washed Cheryl's car, did the laundry together, and enjoyed every minute of it. Jeffrey felt that he'd be very comfortable living with her on a more permanent basis. Cheryl seemed unusually quiet and moody that afternoon. Jeffrey asked her why.

"Oh, I don't know, Jeffrey. I haven't been away from you at all since Friday afternoon, and we have work tommorrow. I love falling in love. In the morning we go back to a regular existence. I can't get my mind off of it. I'm starting to hate this job."

"Cheryl, we DO work in the same place. We aren't ever far away from each other. And after work we'll be together again. And what's so bad about your job?"

"I can't do it right. There's too much politics, too many favors... and... Kevin."

"Kevin?" Jeffrey asked.

"Yes. The assistant supervisor in the records department."

"Oh, THAT Kevin. Yes, I know him. What about him?"

"I can't stand him. He's on the same employment level as I am, but treats me like an underling because his Dad is on the Board of Trustees. He's asked me to do things that even the janitor shouldn't have to do. He hates the fact that I was promoted to his level even if I'm in a different department. And..."

Jeffrey waited, holding his breath at the suspense.

Cheryl started whispering. "he's made it very clear that I won't get promoted until I... take him to bed."

"That's impossible," Jeffrey said. "He wouldn't have the authority. And he'd get into big, big trouble. Why didn't you blow the whistle on him?"

"With what evidence? How could I prove anything without a laserdisc recorder? And you KNOW it's impossible to smuggle a recorder into the records area. I'd even thought of inviting him out somewhere and THEN recording him, but he won't do it. He knows me too well. So, I just stopped talking to him. And I haven't gotten any promotions since then. Nobody will explain why. He's on my level, so he's part of the team that has to review me."

Jeffrey thought a moment. "Sounds like he's called in a few favors from up above. He can't keep it up forever. Even with his ego, he's going to run out of favors sooner or later."

"No, he won't," replied Cheryl. "He's only got to see that I stay in this position a little longer. Then HE'll get the next promotion, even though I've been here longer."

Jeffrey thought again. Then his eyes lit up. "Ego. That guy's probably the only one on the earth who feels that he's superior just because he's a man. He'd kill himself if he had to live as a woman, don't you agree? Well, maybe not KILL himself..."

Cheryl knew, instantly, what he was talking about. Jeffrey was exactly correct. They spent the afternoon arranging the Plan. They slept at Jeffrey's that night.

Chapter 29

It was lunchtime at IDT. As with most companies of this sort, that meant about two hours where this part of the building was vacant. Jeffrey stayed in the Lab until everyone else left. Cheryl burst in shortly thereafter.

"It's perfect," she said. "He's asleep as usual. He usually sleeps half the morning and then goes out to lunch, the moron."

Jeffrey grabbed the Device (IDT's version) in one hand, and Cheryl's hand in each other. They went to Kevin's office. Jeffrey set the Device up outside his door, and then Cheryl took it, and quietly brought it into the room. She brushed the metallic circle on the device against a finger; this almost woke him up. She waited, then quietly opened his drawer, dropped something inside, and closed it. She then quickly stepped out of the room with the Device.

"This way," Jeffrey said, pointing to the door to a maintenance room adjacent to Kevin's office. "In here." They quickly went in, and closed the door. "I turned the power up this morning. It should easily get through this wall. Where did you put the stuff?"

"In the right bottom drawer. Next to his lunch. Got it?"

"Ok, right bottom drawer." Jeffrey set the timer for ninety minutes, and set the box in his lap. "Comfy?"

"Yup!" Cheryl leaned against him. He pressed "Start", closed his eyes for a second, and when they opened their eyes, the box was red. He made the box disappear, and got up. "We're in real trouble if we get caught, you know."

Cheryl was determined to go through with it. "We won't get caught. Now let's get in there before he wakes up. You have to change first."

"Ok, Cheryl. Help me out a bit, ok? I won't have a THING to wear." He grinned at her. She nodded at him. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the image they had agreed upon earlier. He started changing. The tingle in his chest grew, and two breasts started to swell under his shirt. Cheryl nodded approvingly. They stretched his shirt a bit; Cheryl started unbuttoning it. Jeffrey's figure changed rapidly. His hair grew much longer, and straight, like Cheryl's. There was a warm, light feeling between his legs that told him that the female parts were now in place-- it felt strange, but now a bit familiar. Cheryl put a bra on him, gave him a bright blouse, and, this time, a skirt. She kept on what she already had. Jeffrey didn't look a bit like Jeffrey anymore. He made a perfect female. Cheryl straightened him up a bit, brushing his hair back, adjusting the blouse a bit so that Jeffrey's nipples would show once they were erect. Then she gave him a long hug, her breasts meshing with Jeffrey's. It was unique.

The noise of the door opening awakened Kevin, who was a bit upset at having been awakened as Cheryl entered. He squelched his anger when he saw Jeffrey enter the room. This other girl was beautiful, and rather unexpected. Cheryl went to his desk. She spoke in a sexy, yet businesslike, voice. "This is an old friend of mine." She looked at Jeffrey. "Sue, meet Kevin, one of the other assistant supervisors." Jeffrey held out his hand. Kevin kissed it. It was working. With Cheryl's coaching, he could now fool anyone. He smiled gently.

Cheryl sat on his desk. She whispered into his ear. "She's a REAL good friend of mine. I knew you wouldn't mind having BOTH of us."

Kevin's eyes lit up. He stared at Sue again, who was still smiling. Jeffrey was quite impressed with himself. Cheryl sat in Kevin's lap, and with her bottom could feel Kevin growing in his pants. It wouldn't be long now. She whispered to him again. "I couldn't stand being an assistant forever, you know?"

Jeffrey walked over to Kevin now, behind his desk, and ran his fingers through Kevin's hair. He didn't like it. He had to keep convincing himself that it was really okay; he WAS a female for the moment, and as such there was nothing 'strange' about his actions. Of course, the whole thing was strange. He was generating pheromones now, that were wafting out under his skirt, and making Kevin more susceptible to the seduction.

In minutes Kevin was on the floor, on a foam mat he kept supposedly for such occasions, and had pulled out of his drawer. Cheryl was right, Jeffrey thought. He WAS overly aggressive. He had already unbuttoned Jeffrey's blouse, and had his hands all over him. His nipples responded quickly to Kevin's hands. He had to keep Kevin's attention off of Cheryl, who was at this moment unzipping Kevin's slacks. She didn't take them off. She reached for her belt and started to unfasten it, and then nodded once at Jeffrey.

Jeffrey, who felt comfortable as "Sue" now, swiveled around, lifted the skirt, and quickly sat on Kevin's face. He wasn't wearing panties at all. Kevin quickly nuzzled through the pubic hair to Jeffrey's cunt, and probed inside with his tongue. He was good, Jeffrey thought, but not as good as Cheryl. His mind floated for a second. He had to keep up with the script. He looked at Kevin, who reached for his breasts. "Suck me," Jeffrey said. "Drink my come." It sounded perfect. He sat up straight, burying Kevin entirely, and then dropped the skirt. The skirt hid everything from Jeffrey's waist down. He nodded once at Cheryl, who now finished removing her pants.

Chapter 30

The skirt was was a great idea. Even if Kevin COULD have seen anything other than "Sue's" private parts at this instant, which he couldn't, the skirt would keep him from seeing the other things that were happening. He would never be allowed to actually see Cheryl's naked body. She didn't want that to happen, ever.

Cheryl straddled him. In a well-rehearsed move, she quickly took his cock between her legs. Kevin made some noise, which was muffled by Jeffrey's cunt. Jeffrey closed his eyes for a second, remembering the second image they had discussed. When he opened them again, he patted Cheryl on the head. She panted a bit, and licked his hand with her huge tongue. Cheryl was now a golden retriever. Without speaking, he asked her: "You okay in there?"

She replied almost instantly. "Fine! How do I look?"

"Beautiful, well, as beautiful as a dog can be, I guess. How does it feel? We've never tried THIS before."

"Fur is definitely warm. I'll tell you later. Let me screw him and get it over with, ok?"

Cheryl, who was in a sitting position, held her tail still, and enjoyed the ride as Kevin plunged inside her, and out again. He was really into it, as Cheryl and Jeffrey both were.

Jeffrey came first. Remembering what Cheryl had told him, he made Kevin drink a lot of come. Jeffrey's body shuddered, and his legs squeezed Kevin tight, preventing him from breathing, for the moment. There was no chance that he'd miss "Sue's" orgasm.

When it was over, Jeffrey didn't get up. He rocked forward a bit so Kevin could breathe again, but wouldn't get up. He waited until Kevin started coming, then lifted up just a bit so Cheryl could hear Kevin: "Oh, Cheryl, you're REALLY good..."

Cheryl wagged her tail a bit, brushing the inside of Kevin's legs. Finally, Jeffrey got up. Kevin's mouth fell open. The dog had obviously had a good time. Kevin turned quite red. He pushed Jeffrey out of the way. Jeffrey stumbled, but managed to regain his balance just in time to teleport Cheryl so that she, in her original form, was standing next to the door, leaving the image of the dog under his control. Cheryl opened the door, and Jeffrey had the dog, who was about to get smacked by Kevin, run outside. Cheryl closed the door. She had a devilish grin on her face.

"You've called me a bitch enough," she said, still smiling, "that I thought you might like to make love to a one. By the way, if there are any puppies, you can keep some of them..."

Kevin was on his feet, advancing toward Cheryl, threatening her. Jeffrey was worried; if he tried to hurt her, he'd have to do something that would ruin the show.

Cheryl kept on talking, still smiling. "So, Sue, did he drink it?"

"Every bit of it," Jeffrey answered. "I could feel him swallowing." Kevin knew it was true. He turned his attention to Sue, wondering what had happened. Cheryl continued, still grinning.

"They have some neat stuff in genetics now. A viral-acting modifier, I think they call it. It invades your cells one at a time and changes one specific gene to another. It can't have any effect on Sue, but it was in her fluid..."

Kevin turned towards Cheryl again. Jeffrey started the changes working on him. It made him suddenly weak. He took one more step and fell to the floor, his legs no longer able to hold him. Jeffrey rushed over with the foam pad and helped him onto it, placing a pillow beneath his head as if he cared for him.

Kevin's voice wasn't working right anymore. With effort he managed to ask: "What... have you done... to me..."

Cheryl was happy to answer. "Well, dearest Kevin, you'll be fine. There's just a temporary delay while your body repairs itself. You see, the women here have put up with you long enough. We felt that this was the best thing to do. I mean-- you can chase after the men now, but I don't think that will be like it was before." She started giggling.

Kevin's voice was clearer now, but higher. He was feeling better. "Cheryl, WHAT DID YOU DO? Undo it or you'll be waiting on line for unemployment tommorrrow."

With effort, Cheryl stopped laughing. "Sorry Kevin... I can't! There just isn't a way yet to replace X chromosomes with Y... And besides, even that wouldn't work if you've had the other virus..."

Kevin's mouth fell open again. "You mean... I'm..."

Jeffrey, still kneeling next to Kevin, brushed the hair from Kevin's chest. Kevin's figure was changing, and he hadn't noticed it.

"That's right, Kevin!"

"Impossible!" he yelled. "If we could do that I'd know about it. It's a trick."

"You better tell THESE that, Kevin!", Jeffrey said, pointing to the elevated, dark circles on Kevin's chest. Jeffrey poked one with a finger. They were swelling a bit, but the breasts themselves hadn't started yet. Jeffrey wanted to make it slow, and thus harder on Kevin.

"Shit!" Kevin jumped to his feet. He was shorter, and smaller. He ran to his mirror, and looked at himself. Breasts were in fact growing now. He pressed them with his hands, as if he was trying to hold them back. He couldn't.

Cheryl pointed violently to her crotch, and then to Kevin. Jeffrey had forgotten to start the important changes. He nodded back at her, at which time Kevin's apparatus started to disappear into his body, folding inside out. The sensation took his attention away from his partially-mature mammary glands. He grabbed at his penis, trying to hold on to it. It slipped out of his fingers, and disappeared entirely into the vagina that had formed there. Another expletive came from his mouth.

He looked back up to see that the breasts were now complete and final. All of the other changes had happened. He screamed once, and it came out as a very female scream, which made him scream again. Cheryl and Jeffrey smiled at each other. Kevin now looked up at them, with water in his eyes, and gave them the sorriest expression they'd ever seen on him. They would have rather seen Kevin's face with that expression, but just knowing that it was Kevin who was inside was enough.

Chapter 31

Cheryl walked over to Kevin and patted him on the shoulder. Jeffrey had changed her again, this time in ways not quite yet visible. "Kevin, it's not THAT bad... Really. Half the people in the world are female, right?"

Kevin's face was still red. He was crying a bit. "No... ... It's not possible. I'm dreaming. I CAN'T BE THIS WAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"

Jeffrey fired off a mental communication to Cheryl. "He has to stay convinced that this is real. Otherwise we'll lose him."

Cheryl put her hand on Kevin's forehead. "You're burning up. It's the virus. It always does this. We have to get some water and food into you. Many of your cells are being replaced with new ones-- that's why you're so hot."

"I am really hungry. I've got lunch in my drawer. But I have to use the bathroom first."

Cheryl whispered loudly enough to Jeffrey that Kevin could hear. "She's got to get rid of all the stuff her body doesn't need any more. She'll be alright afterwards."

Cheryl took a towel that she had brought with her, and wrapped it around Kevin's shivering body. They helped him through the quiet hallways to the ladies' room. He cried out again when he realized where he was. Sue took him inside and waited for him while Cheryl, outside, was supposedly at the cafeteria getting something for him to eat. She was, in fact, just waiting outside the door, holding the lunch that Jeffrey had materialized.

They all returned to Kevin's office a few minutes later, and fed Kevin the mean that Cheryl had "bought". He'd be very hungry for a while and would eat his own lunch later. Kevin, though still upset, felt better. "I still can't believe it. You've ruined my life. How am I going to live like this? I can't face my friends."

It was time for the final act to start. Cheryl spoke. "Kevin, you're not alone here. You'll make lots of new friends. You're very pretty. Isn't she, Susan?"

Jeffrey nodded.

"I mean, just look at the way you've developed. You'll have everyone here after you. Except the women, but that was the idea, right?"

Kevin nodded silently.

"Look at all you get to do now. You can have children. You get to see life from both sides, where the rest of us won't. Not until the virus goes into full production, and even then it only works once. Besides, there's one very good benefit... The REAL reason you're a woman now..."

Kevin was almost cheerful. "Why?"

Cheryl, all of a sudden, had a masculine voice. "Because you wanted to make love with me, and now you can. I can't believe you, of all people, didn't know."

"You're a... man? But how?"

"I can't believe I had you fooled all this time. I was a victim of the test of a reversible virus a long time ago, and it didn't work. Only changed me enough to sound female and look it from a distance. They're supposed to change me back eventually, though. For now they gave me a new identity and lots of money."

"And... you're STILL working here?"

"Of course. Lets me monitor the progress and help out with my own cure." She unzipped her pants, and pulled her penis from it. "See?"

Kevin's towel fell away. "You ARE male..."

Cheryl advanced towards him. "Good thing, huh? Come on..." ...her penis grew hard, and she started to undress. Kevin backed away.

Cheryl had breasts, but they were extremely underdeveloped. Her clothing was padded to make her look female. She disrobed. Kevin shook his head. Seconds later she was on top of him. Kevin was too weak now, Cheryl overpowered him, rolling him on his front, climbing on his back, and recklessly plunging her penis into him. It was difficult at first. Kevin wasn't ready. He hadn't asked for this. He struggled for a minute. Cheryl clasped Kevin's breasts, and worked her penis inside from behind him. Her other hand went to the front of Kevin's pussy, and her touch excited him. Jeffrey sat on the desk and watched with interest. Cheryl slid her cock into his cunt easily now. Kevin couldn't say a word. It was over quickly, Cheryl squirting her come inside, and pulling herself from him before he could learn what a female orgasm felt like. She got off of him, and got dressed before he could recover, stuffing her penis back into her pants and tucking it in so it wouldn't show. She and Jeffrey helped Kevin to his feet, and into his chair.

"Sorry to be in a hurry," Cheryl said, "but we haven't eaten yet and there's only a few minutes left to lunch." Kevin looked at the clock. "Sue here brought some clothes for you, and I even think we got the right size."

Jeffrey took, from Cheryl's bag, some clothes. "Now here's your panties, and I think this bra should be about right..." He handed the bra to Cheryl, who started putting in on Jeffrey. Kevin grabbed it and angrily threw it down. "I can't wear girl's clothes."

"Now now, Kevin, it's only appropriate. You're a girl." She took the clothes and put them in the drawer. "You'll have to start learning a lot of new things. Clothes are one of them. You can't just sit here naked. Put the stuff on when you're ready, it's right here in your drawer."

Kevin didn't look up. Cheryl and Jeffrey headed for the door. Jeffrey looked at the clock once more on the way out.

The door clicked shut. Jeffrey and Cheryl ran back to the maintenance room, changing to their original forms on the way. They sat down where they were before, leaning against each other. The Device, red, reappeared in Jeffrey's lap. He looked at the timer. "Almost perfect. There's about ten minutes left before everyone gets back, like the clock said. Here goes." He pressed the STOP button, and suddenly they were sitting a slightly different way, eyes closed. They opened their eyes. The box was blue. They hurried out of the closet. The halls were still empty, thank goodness. They went back to Jeffrey's lab.

Chapter 32

Kevin opened his eyes. He sat in his chair for all of five minutes pondering his fate; worrying about whether or not he was really pregnant, how he would learn all the things he now needed to know, and so on. It wasn't until he looked at his feet, trying to decide what kind of shoes he would have to buy, that he realized that his own shoes were still on his feet. In fact, he was still dressed. He checked himself-- no breasts, and the cock that he was so proud of was still there. What a realistic dream! He was overjoyed that none of the events he had just imagined had happened.

Meanwhile, Cheryl was hugging Jeffrey. "We did it!", they both told each other.

Kevin's bubble had just burst. He was hungry, and opened his drawer to get lunch. Sitting there, in the drawer, were the bra and panties that Sue had given him. They were EXACTLY the same as the ones they were about to outfit him with just minutes ago. He never had put anything into that drawer except lunch. He sank back into his chair, having lost his appetite.

The Boss walked into the Lab. An imposing man in his 40's, he was officially called the inter-department coordinator, but was responsible for most everything, and thus everyone called him The Boss. He was friendly, but very firm about people doing the work they were being paid for. Cheryl started slinking towards the doorway, then realized that the Boss had brought two sandwiches. "Missed you at lunch, Jeffrey. I figured you had to be doing something important." He handed one sandwich to Jeffrey and the other to Cheryl. Jeffrey looked at his sandwich, and set it down. The boss had forgotten that he didn't like ham sandwiches. Well, he MIGHT eat it if he was hungry, but later. Cheryl bit into hers. "Thanks," she mumbled with a mouthful.

The Boss hadn't left, so Jeffrey decided it was time to show him some of the latest developments he'd been working on. He had almost finished a sort of recording machine that could record everything in an enclosed area at once. There was a camera under development in a different department. Together, you could record a place for a while, and then, at any time in the future, you could use another system to play back any view at any angle. By manipulating controls, you could move a "virtual camera" to any point in the area. It would produce perfect 3-D images. Of course, Jeffrey's dream at that time was to hook the recorder up to the Device-- HIS device. IDT's version didn't have the interface for the recorder, but his did. That's why he made sure he was involved with the recorder project, so he could build his own.

Jeffrey showed the boss an optical cartridge. "It DOES have some recordings on it now," he claimed, "but we can't play them back quite yet. That's why we don't know if the bugs in the original camera affected it or not."

Suddenly, the doors to the lab burst open. It was Kevin, who stormed in. He was mad. "You're out of here, Landers. You and your girlfriend here set me up with the Device. That's the only explanation."

Cheryl, to Jeffrey's surprise, was the one to answer. "But Kevin, YOU said I HAD to have sex with you."

"Yes, but with you as a girl..." It was the wrong thing to say. The Boss' eyebrows were raised. Cheryl baited the trap, and in his anger, Keven fell right into it. The Boss had heard occasional allegations of Kevin's wrongdoing, but even with the influence he had with the CEO, refrained from testing that relationship over hearsay. The Boss now sounded much less friendly.

"Is this true, Kevin?"

Kevin remained silent.

"Kevin, if you've anything to say about this, I'd say it right now. I wouldn't want any unfriendly legal actions going on."

Kevin still didn't say anything. The Boss excused himself from Jeffrey and Cheryl, and took Kevin out of the Lab. Kevin would quit the next day. Jeffrey walked to Cheryl and shook her hand vigorously. "Fantastic. You knew he was still frazzled."

"Thank you. Wouldn't you have been frazzled if you were him?"

"No," Jeffrey replied, "not any more. I'd be savoring the experience."

"But he thought it was for REAL."

"As you said before, Cheryl... What's the difference?"

Chapter 33

It had been three weeks now, that they had been together. The only magic that had faded was Jeffrey's lovesick feeling. That queasy feeling, he had decided, was beneficial ONLY in that it heralded the love that followed, much like one's first dive into a swimming pool. He was comfortable with Cheryl; she was comfortable with him. Each cared more about the other than anything else. They were quite an item at work, and a lot of people were surprised when, after only a week, Cheryl had invited him to move in, which he did after a few days of discussion. Jeffrey's parents didn't like the idea at first. Cheryl's parents were happy that she had found a mate. Deirdre had given them their privacy, for the most part, but they had seen that she never felt left out. Anyway, it looked like she was getting serious about a friend of hers that she'd known for a while.

They hadn't used the Device that much. Cheryl and Jeffrey were too busy getting to know each other, and fooling around in real life. They had let Deirdre run it once with her boyfriend-- she seemed to be proficient with it-- after all, her boyfriend enjoyed the experience. She hadn't even rushed sex on him-- he seemed to appreciate that. He'd get enough once Deirdre was familiar with him.

The one thing that Cheryl and Jeffrey had done with the Device was prompted by Cheryl's experience as a golden retriever. On the weekends, Jeffrey would take a few hours with his computer and program the Device with the characteristics of a number of animals; then over a few nights they'd spend ten or fifteen minutes as a pair of animals, in the environment that was most fitting, experiencing sex each way. The least exciting were birds and fishes. Although birds mated in mid-air, the transfer of sperm happened without much contact. They'd press belly against belly, and Jeffrey would squirt semen from an opening near his tail into the same opening on Cheryl. That was it. Fishes had no contact at all, though Cheryl found it intriguing to be able to lay hundreds of eggs in one spot in a few minutes. She could feel each egg leave her body through the opening that neurologically corresponded to her vagina. Jeffrey would then swim up to the eggs, and seconds later would disappear in a white cloud of semen. He didn't think it was exciting to him at all.

Insects weren't terrific either. They had looked forward to the praying mantis, which copulates for half a day at a time. Cheryl promised not to devour Jeffrey afterwards. But, once they got into position and started the sperm transfer, it became boring after only one or two hours. They didn't try most of the others.

The reptiles and amphibians were better, but it wasn't comfortable. The sex was alright, but everything not directly related to intercourse wasn't as much fun. There were no soft curves, no quiet giggles, and no moans.

The mammals had it the best, they decided. Dogs (which they tried first, golden-retriever style) were fun; because they locked together in real life, just like Cheryl had locked Jeffrey's penis inside the first time they made love using the Device. His penis would grow, and her vagina would shrink, and they couldn't pull apart until Cheryl came.

The best part of the experience was that neither could talk until it was all over. They compared all the things they had done. The best, of course, was as humans. THEY could stimulate desire with their voices and the images those voices could create. Over the three weeks, they had made love in real life many more times than they had with the Device, animals included. Deirdre had gotten quite used to them being together. And Cheryl and Jeffrey had gotten very proficient together. They could make love in any position-- as Deirdre found when they were watching television in the Living room. Cheryl just quietly unzipped Jeffrey's fly, lifted her skirt and sat in his lap. Deirdre wasn't sure anything had happened until she heard the distinctive sound of Cheryl and Jeffrey coming; they always seemed to come together.

The day after Deirdre finally made it with her boyfriend, Cheryl demonstrated a new invention of her own. She liked the idea that men could have sex without even taking off their pants. But she didn't like wearing a skirt just for that purpose-- sex without undressing. Even with men's-style, front-zippered jeans on, Jeffrey's cock couldn't reach her pussy. Cheryl held up a pair of jeans identical to the ones she had on. They were clearly women's jeans, with no fly, and two zippers on the side that held them snugly over Cheryl's shapely hips. "They can be any slacks, not just jeans", she said. The crotch of the jeans had been modified-- with some elastic added, and plastic eyelets with a cord weaving through where the original stitching was in the crotch. The original stitching in part of the crotch area was gone. The cord and the elastic together held the crotch shut.

She held them up to Deirdre, inside out. She pulled the cord out, and showed her how only the elastic now held the opening shut. The opening had a plastic-film liner so the rough denim wouldn't be uncomfortable to Jeffrey-- he had suggested that part. She threw them to Deirdre, who took a closer look.

Cheryl walked to Jeffrey, and lifted one leg. Jeffrey tapped the fabric around the opening as Cheryl stretched. The cord held it closed.

"See, Deirdre, the cord goes into one pocket. There's a cotton liner that I didn't put in that pair you're holding, yet. You can't pee through it, but it is good for something..."

Cheryl reached into her pocket and pulled the cord from it. She unzipped Jeffrey's fly; pulling his penis from it. She rubbed it, and even licked it. It grew quickly. She kissed him once, deeply, with her hands still on his cock, and his hands on her tits.

She turned around. Deirdre was watching. "Oh, yes, you have to wear crotchless panties," she said. Deirdre nodded.

Cheryl lowered herself carefully onto Jeffrey's lap. The tip of his rock-hard penis touched her pants. As he pushed against them, the elastic opening yielded, and his cock sank into her pants. It slid through her panties, past her already-most pussylips, and into her warm wetness. Her buttocks settled down onto him. He held her tightly, and bounced her slightly with his knees. The real action wasn't visible to Deirdre. The design was working. He was deep inside Cheryl, and both had their clothes on. They came, with the usual noises, and Cheryl got up, the opening in her jeans closing tightly just as the opening in her body did. The plastic liner kept her fluids from leaking to where they were visible, though some had leaked onto Jeffrey's jeans.

Chapter 34

Cheryl promised to make a pair of the jeans for Deirdre, who said she'd use them to pleasantly surprise her boyfriend one afternoon in the park.

Jeffrey took Cheryl down to the drugstore after the jeans demonstration, for it was now time to renew the SBC between them. It went normally. On the way home, Cheryl remembered something she had promised to talk about a long time ago.

"Jeffrey, I want to know if you've been feeling something lately..."

"Like what?"

"Well, all the times we've made love, as humans, men, women, animals... What's been in common?"

Jeffrey didn't know what she meant. "A lot of things. What do you mean?"

"Well... Let me put it this way. What have you STILL wanted, even at the peak of our passion, no matter which way we've done it? That you want all the time and isn't satisfied just by sex?"

"Well, I want to be even closer to you than I am..."

Cheryl was pleased. "Exactly. You want to be ONE with me, more than you can just by having sex. Right?"

"Yes, very much. You know, we SHOULD probably talk about marraige sooner or later."

"Well..." Cheryl said, "Yes, we should... But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about leaving this body and sharing yours. Or the other way around. Fill the empty hole inside me."

"Well..." Jeffrey scratched his head. "YES! I COULD program the Device to do that. Let's do it!"

"Alright!" yelled Cheryl.

Jeffrey spent the rest of the afternoon working on the computer attached to the Device; programming the Device to tie together neural lines (he called them "ports"). She'd join him in his body; he'd hold the box. For once, they'd share the exact same experiences, and would be able to mentally communicate. Either would be able to control all of the muscular actions; and both would feel the results. It was actually quite a simple program, since the same basic pattern of combination was repeated over and over.

Finally the time was here. He got Cheryl, went with her to the bathroom where they both relieved themselves, and sat her down next to him on the couch. "If there's problems, tell me. I'll stop it." Cheryl nodded. "Here goes!" Deirdre looked over at them, then returned her attention to the dinner that was cooking. Jeffrey, with the device in his lap, pressed the start button.

What happened was not what either expected. After the last beep of the Device, they were together. They were one. Jeffrey's mind started wandering through Cheryl's. She started wandering through his, examining the memories that were stored there. Neither was conscious of the outside world, or tried to open Jeffrey's eyes or even move. She met, in his mind, his first love, and the awkward activites of his first sexual encounter. Jeffrey looked at her own memories of him. He suddenly was aware, without thinking about it, how lonely Cheryl had been before she approached Jeffrey on that Friday afternoon. She met his parents, his brother, knowing instantly all that Jeffrey thought about them. Jeffrey reviewed Cheryl's childhood; her first training bra, the anxiety as her classmates developed ahead of her; frustration and success at school, and HER first sex partner and the awful events that followed. He didn't have to think about them; as long as he let his mind wander inside Cheryl's, he KNEW.

Something was definitely wrong. He didn't know what; the experience was fantastic. He was going through years in seconds. The frustration while she waited for her first period; the bother that she put up with now, knowing that her next period would start tommorrow or the next day. It was all too much to put into words.

But, something in his mind told him he had to stop this. Now. He summoned all his willpower to get out of Cheryl's mind. He concentrated on the word STOP. His eyes flashed open, catching Cheryl's attention while she was exploring his experience with her. She watched as her own hand, or Jeffrey's, reached for the STOP button. She didn't stop it. The button was pressed.

Chapter 35

Deirdre was startled by the sudden irregular breathing coming from her roommates. She rushed over; their eyes were open, but they weren't saying anything. The display on the box read "IMAGE STOP 00:01:13", nothing wrong with that. They weren't talking, though. Deirdre started to panic. She grabbed Cheryl's hand.

"Cheryl! What happened??"

Jeffrey now realized what was wrong. He had made a programming mistake, somehow connecting EVERYTHING, not just the nerves leading to and from the brain to the rest of the body. He had connected them together mentally. It wasn't supposed to be possible. He had to get the words out to Deirdre. Reality seemed a bit foggy. He was having trouble speaking.

"Deirdre..." he said in a raspy voice. Cheryl parroted him, word for word, at the same instant; though not as clearly.

"I connected... us... together inside. We've been in each... other's... minds." He knew very well the textbook theory, which was what he realized gave him the will to stop the Device. Cheryl was still speaking along with him, missing a word here or there. "We have... to sort ourselves out from each other. We don't know who I are... we are... no..."

Deirdre looked Jeffrey right in the eyes. "Jeffrey. You're Jeffrey." He told Cheryl of her identity, and returned to Jeffrey. "What happened?"

Jeffrey shook himself. He seemed better now. Cheryl wasn't repeating after him anymore, but she didn't say anything at all, now.

Jeffrey turned to Cheryl, hugging her tightly. After a brief delay, Cheryl hugged him back. "Oh Cheryl," he said, looking into her eyes... "You're perfect. I can't believe what I saw inside you. Everything I've always wanted. No wonder I love you so much." Cheryl, still silent, squeezed him tightly and they went into a long kiss. Deirdre, who had seen enough of this sort of activity over the last few days, was getting impatient.

"What happened?" she repeated.

"Imagine," Jeffrey said with suddenly perfect clarity, "that your mind is a deck of cards. We just got shuffled together. I've got lots... not all... but lots of Cheryl inside me. It's fantastic. You wouldn't believe it. I'm so different! It feels kind of like she's right here inside. I don't know if... No, I'll be okay. I can handle it. I CAN handle it. Cheryl..."

He turned to her. "Cheryl?" she answered. "Jeffrey? What am I doing here? In this body?"

"Cheryl... You're Cheryl. You'll be alright."

Jeffrey turned back to Deirdre. "I think she got a bigger dose than I did. She absorbed more of my mind than I..." He looked at himself, reassuring who he was; "...than I did. She'll be better with time."

Cheryl echoed again. "Better with time." Then she added, in a purely ethereal voice, "Yes, Jeffrey. We're one now. What can we do?"

Jeffrey's eyes pleaded to Deirdre for help. "It's a disaster... What can we do like this? We're in two bodies... Apart but together!"

"Together...", Cheryl whined.

Deirdre had good advice. "Nothing now. You're tired. Sleep." She helped them into Cheryl's room, where they disrobed. They got into bed at the same instant. Jeffrey curled up around Cheryl. They slept.

Deirdre was right; the morning did make things a little better. Some things seemed clearer now. Cheryl and Jeffrey both knew who they were; they even said "good morning" to each other, and kissed as they always did. They got up. But it hadn't been a dream. Jeffrey and Cheryl both realized that when Jeffrey told Cheryl that her period would be starting today, probably.

"I know, Jeffrey. Today, probably. I have some pads in the top drawer there. Darn nuisance sometimes. Get them for me, OK?"

Jeffrey got them from the drawer. It seemed familiar, somehow, and he didn't like the feeling that it would get worse over a few days...

No. It wasn't him. It wouldn't happen to him. Just Cheryl. He had gotten more of a share of her than he realized.

Cheryl dressed herself while Jeffrey did, and sat him down on the bed. She was fully rational now. "Tell me, once more, what happened."

"Dreamsharing, they call it. It was only a theory about what would happen if two people's minds are linked directly. We each could recall each other's memories as if they were our own. Like sharing dreams together. Problem is, after a while, we lose our own identities. I stopped it before that happened."

"That's right," Cheryl said. "It wasn't supposed to be possible. You gave the Device commands to link your ports with mine, using a repeat command. It took longer to set up than it should have, because somehow it set itself up to link everything, not just ports."

"There's almost no use talking with you," Jeffrey said. They finished the rest of the sentence together. "...because you know everything that I know."

Cheryl added to that. "Well, almost everything. You didn't explore me fully. Let's see... you learned about my puberty, my first period, dating, parent, school. But you took yourself away before you could learn it all."

Cheryl was right, of course. She kept talking. "It was incredible. All this time I've WANTED YOU so much-- and, for a minute and a half, I HAD YOU. Inside me. Inside you. One. Together. And now we're apart. I'm empty inside, again. I NEED you, Jeffrey. Let's do it again."

Jeffrey sounded sad. "We can't. We can't ever do it again. We'd never recover. We'd lose ourselves in each other."

Cheryl looked him straight in the eyes. Jeffrey knew what his eyes looked like through Cheryl's... he knew exactly how she felt with him. He wanted to be one with her, too.

"Think of it, Jeffrey. Together. In the world. Twice the experience. Your technical knowledge. My business experience. Every bit shared between us. We'd be unstoppable. And we'd be together."

Chapter 36

The idea that Cheryl had was, indeed, very tempting. Their lives could never be the same now. In one minute and thirteen seconds, they had learned things about each other that they couldn't have done in a lifetime without the Device. If Jeffrey hadn't stopped the Device, it would have gone on to completion. They would have been mentally identical in just few more minutes. They were becoming different, now, because they were apart, and were having slightly different physical experiences.

The idea was still inviting. But, they had a problem NOW, after only 01:13. Jeffrey explained the root of it. "Cheryl, no matter WHAT we do we can't really be together. I want it more than anything else. But we have separate physical bodies. Making our hearts-- our minds-- one, will just make us want it more, and we can't have it."

"Jeffrey--- I've seen too much of you. I know your feelings, your thoughts, and most everything else. You didn't explore me as well. You're perfect for me. Nobody else can take your place in my life, Jeffrey... YOU'VE GOT TO BE A PART OF ME!"

Cheryl searched through the technical knowledge she had absorbed. She found what she was looking for. She held Jeffrey by the shoulders.

"Jeffrey... There IS an answer. You know it. The GenMod Lab."

The Genetic Modification Lab was developed primarily as a possible cure for cancer. Using a computer modeling program, the gene structure of an individual was reproduced externally and modified to exclude the genetic code for cancer. A "carrier" virus was produced, which would, much like the "virus" Cheryl had made up to scare Kevin with. She didn't know, before she read Jeffrey's mind, that it really existed. Jeffrey had learned of the secret project accidentally, before they involved him in the development of one of the electronic modules. The "carrier" virus carried its own code plus the corrected DNA for the subject. It would invade a body much like any other virus, but instead of replacing human DNA with it's own, it would replace it with the "carried" genetic code. For that reason, the virus wouldn't reproduce itself; that had to be done outside the body by a machine. The genetic changes resulted in many entire cells dying as others grew to replace them. That was too much for any animal to withstand. All but one test animal had died in the experiments-- even the control experiments where no real cancer was involved.

Cheryl was still talking. "We can do it. We could create a new body for us."

"The test animals died, Cheryl. There's no hope for us."

"Jeffrey-- you're WRONG. The answer's in your mind. What happened? Think of WHY the animals died..."

"Not enough matter. Protein. Other stuff. You know. Half of the animal's body was destroyed in the process. Even with the nutrient solution, there wasn't enough left for the body to rebuild. The other half was excreted as waste, or decomposed." The previous results really were quite grisly. Without enough cells remaining for the body to continue functioning, it died. The cancer WAS eliminated, but nobody was going to be recommending THAT therapy for a while.

"Wait a minute." Jeffrey found what Cheryl was talking about. "There's two of us. Twice the matter to build a body out of. That's what you mean, isn't it?"

Cheryl smiled proudly. "I know I can't go on THIS way. We can melt ourselves together." This raised a new question.

"Into what?" asked Jeffrey. "If we used my body, or yours, it wouldn't be fair. You could be part of me, or I of you, but after a while, we'd be either Cheryl or Jeffrey again, depending on whose body we were in. Of course, we'd still be together. That would be worth it either way."

"Yes," said Cheryl. "Either way. Flip a coin. Let's just do it."

"We should wait a day. We wouldn't rush into marraige. Cheryl, this one is INFINITELY more permanent. Wait forty-eight hours."

"Okay. Two days. We have to try to explain this to our parents, and Deirdre." Cheryl pulled a quarter from her pocket. "Okay. Tails and I move into you, heads and we're female for the rest of our life."

Chapter 37

She tossed the coin into the air. While it was in the air, Jeffrey yelled out; "No... Wait..."

The coin landed on the bed. It came up tails. Cheryl sighed, glad that Jeffrey had called it off.

"Cheryl, I know you better than that. You'd never be happy to have your future decided by a coin flip." Jeffrey was right, of course.

"Now what?" asked Cheryl.

"We need a better way of deciding. Neutral. Consistent. Intelligent."

"How about if we combine our genes ourselves? We hop in the sack, and... and whatever the baby would have been, we'll be. The GenMod tank will accelerate us to whatever age we choose.

"Only if you don't mind waiting two months for the SBC to wear off. We just got it, remember?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Okay, here's a better idea. We'll use the computer. I have a software cartridge for GenMod that I can use here. We'll design a new body out of what we've got now. We can do it! Create a new body with whatever we want. I can fix all the problems that most humans have... perfect vision and hearing, immunity to disease, anything like that."

Cheryl nodded. "I can get you into IDT at night now that I'm a supervisor. I've got the right card. You can get us into the GenMod Lab on... Wednesday evening. That's two-and-a-half days from now. We'll work on the body tonight."

Jeffrey looked at the clock. "Holy cow, we're LATE!" They got up, and bolted out through the apartment. Deirdre, who was in the living room waiting for them, asked them how they were. "Better", they both yelled, running. "We'll tell you tonight."

They got to work, Jeffrey running into the electronics lab, and Cheryl to her office. Both got reprimanded by their work-mates for being late, and both promised that it would "never happen again". It wasn't until mid-morning that they both realized that this job was no longer really important; they'd only be at it one more day. Then they'd either have to explain what happened, or just disappear and maybe apply for a job as a new employee.

All their friends were around at lunchtime, and sat with Cheryl and Jeffrey so they didn't have a moment alone. The couple had been quite an item recently. They had a number of friends in common now; it was a great way to meet new people.

Cheryl and Jeffrey rode home together as always.

"Still want to do it, Cheryl?"

"You bet, Jeffrey. You do too. I can see it."

They started discussing the body they wanted. By early evening they had settled on something novel; a primarily male body with some female parts inside. They could live easily as a man. But inside there would be complete ovaries, a uterus, and a small passage that led to a hidden opening on the outside. They would be able to ovulate voluntarily, so there would be no telltale menstrual periods unless for some reason they wanted one; and a duct would lead from their testes to the uterus. They could silently, invisibly engage in self- fertilization, and would bear normal children-- the ovaries and testes producing sex cells with the same genes as Jeffrey's and Cheryl's were now. They would be able to enjoy sex with women if they really wanted to. The decision came from the fact that they had to LOOK like one sex even if both were inside. With that concession made to Cheryl, she agreed to the male body.

Jeffrey was up very late, using the GenMod software to set up the genetic patterns. The new body would be very attractive. It would have superior strength and endurance. When the time came, the vaginal opening hidden behind his scrotum could expand easily large enough to deliver a baby; and once pregnant, breasts would develop on his chest, and would disappear once the baby was weaned. He spent the midnight hour reviewing the design with Cheryl; she seemed less interested in her future self than he did. She kissed him and hugged him, and they went to bed. They made love this time; realizing that it was probably the last time it could ever happen. Unable to get the new body and unknown future off their minds, they couldn't sleep easily.

Chapter 38

The next day went by surprisingly quickly. Hanging on to their last day apart made it go fast. Both Cheryl and Jeffrey were a bit nervous, especially in the last hour before five o'clock. They couldn't say anything to their friends yet. Cheryl mentioned to another department supervisor that she might be in for a while after dinner, having some work to do. That was an infrequent practice at IDT, but for supervisors was necessary once in a while when work piled up. The other supervisor nodded approvingly. That would add at least SOME credibility to the trip she would be making later.

Back at home, Deirdre was making dinner as Jeffrey and Cheryl arrived. They hadn't explained to Deirdre what they had planned. They did that over dinner. Deirdre took the news surprisingly well once they finally convinced her that what they wanted REALLY WAS possible.

"Okay. I won't tell anybody," Deirdre said. "But you'll HAVE to tell the world of this after you do it. It's not fair to keep it to yourself if others might benefit."

Jeffrey still had some explaining to do. "We're not sure it's a benefit, Deirdre. Not yet. Cheryl's idea to become "one" using the Device had merit, but-- you saw what happened-- the trip itself did something to us. I found that Cheryl was just what I wanted..."

Cheryl took over. "...And I found that I had to have Jeffrey. We're too far entwined. I couldn't live without him. It's hard for us to be apart. Now we won't have to be."

"Why didn't you just marry each other?" Deirdre asked. "That's what people have been doing for years."

Cheryl answered her roommate. "Yes, but we're the first ones to have been united mentally, not just physically or legally. We have to take the last step."

There was a minute or two where nobody said anything.

"I'll miss you," Deirdre said. "I've gotten used to having you both around. And I guess I'm kind of jealous of what you two are doing. Especially after I broke up with my boyfriend..."

Jeffrey and Deirdre were both shocked. "YOU broke up with your boyfriend? When?"

"Yesterday. He called. I feel so rotten-- like there's so much good stuff inside me, but nobody can ever see it."

Cheryl answered. "I can see it, Deirdre." Jeffrey, who now knew Deirdre as well as Cheryl did, knew that Cheryl was telling the truth. She always told the truth.

"I don't know. It's just that I feel... that if it looks like a relationship is going well, there's no REASON not to sleep together. If two people can make each other mutually happy, physically, they should be willing to do so. They can always stop if everything else doesn't work out. But it's so... UNIMPORTANT compared to everything else, and sex still gets in the way of so many things."

"You mean you were too forward with him?"

"No, Cheryl. I didn't do ANYTHING! I thought I wasn't doing enough, so when HE brought the subject up, I talked about it. I guess he didn't like what I said."

"Deirdre," Jeffrey asked, "what DID you say?"

"Nothing specific. I just told the truth about what I like, and what I've done."

Jeffrey was surprised. "And THAT was too much for him? In this era? You ARE uninhibited, Deirdre, but I thought the world always looked UP to people like you."

"Don't ask me. Really there's nothing to talk about. I'm not too discouraged. Cheryl gave me some hope."

They had finished dinner. Cheryl sat with Deirdre at the computer terminal to show her the new body they had designed. Deirdre was impressed. She went into Cheryl's room with Jeffrey to put some things together-- some towels, a jogging suit that they figured would fit their new body. They picked out some different sizes of sneakers from a boxful of old ones, figuring that some size would have to fit. Meanwhile, Cheryl sat in front of the terminal pondering the new body. She touched up a few things that Jeffrey wouldn't mind, and removed the cartridge with the new genetic code on it. They were now ready to go. Deirdre, who had agreed to help, drove them to the IDT building.

Chapter 39

Cheryl opened the fingerprint-controlled outside door to the IDT building. Jeffrey and Deirdre followed her to the personnel department, which again only she could open. Deirdre carried some other supplies, in a large shopping bag.

Cheryl authorized the change that would let Jeffrey open the door to the Genetics lab after hours. That was one ability that she had at her clearance level. They went to the Genetic Modification Lab.

This room looked even less like a laboratory than the other areas. It was very modern-- with diffused lighting, and even carpeting on the half of the floor. The other half of the room was taken up by the tank and the machines that supported it. The tank, of a black acrylic-like material, was far more formidable than the haphazard-looking machines connected to it. The machines would exchange the fluid in the tank several times a minute, replacing the "dirty" solution with a fresh supply. The solution had most of the characteristics of human blood in that respect, in that it carried everything that blood did, but would not easily support certain kinds of life, and was perfectly clear.

The other machines would manufacture, and add to the solution, the "viruses" carrying the new genetic code to be installed. As the virus could not reproduce itself, there had to be a continuous supply of it. There were a number of stages in the genetic modification treatment, each having its own genetic code. The stages allowed the changes to happen in an orderly manner. You couldn't just dissolve everything and rebuild it at once, for the creature inside the tank wouldn't survive.

It only took a minute for Jeffrey to set up and insert the cartridge including the design of the new body into the computer. He switched on the machines connected to the tank. It would take only a few minutes for the genetic material to be created for each stage. Then the machine would wait until the subject was in place.

Those few minutes weren't long enough. There was too much to say and too many feelings to express in the short interval before the machine was ready for them. They were all rightfully nervous, Deirdre especially so, because she didn't know what she'd do if something went wrong. She'd stay there, in the Lab, for the few hours the process would take. Jeffrey pointed out the displays that Deirdre could watch to see how far the process had gone, and reminded her that under no circumstances may she open the tank until the computer said it was okay to. Either they'd make it or not. There was nothing inbetween.

Cheryl and Jeffrey both gave Deirdre a long hug. Jeffrey gave her a kiss. They undressed. For the first time, Deirdre was a little embarassed in seeing them naked.

Jeffrey turned to Cheryl. "I won't ever see you again."

"You'll be with me always."

"I'll never be able to look into your eyes again, to feel your touch, or hear your voice. I only hope we're doing the right thing."

They kissed once again. Cheryl planted the moment firmly in her memory-- so she'd remember his chest pressing against hers, the firm grip of his hands around her, the way his breathing sounded... everything.

"Okay, Deirdre," Jeffrey instructed, "Remember to get those milk- shakes ready before the time runs out. They have some stuff in them that the new body will be hungry for. And don't touch the the machine or let anyone else interfere with it.

Deirdre nodded.

Jeffrey opened the tank lid. It was dark inside, and the clear solution filled the tank to the top. Cheryl looked inside.

Deirdre still didn't understand fully. "You just... both climb in? How will you breathe?"

"We won't have to," Cheryl answered. "Not until after we get out. All the oxygen comes from the solution."

"Oh." said Deirdre. "Good luck. See you in a few hours."

"Okay, Deirdre." replied Cheryl. "Thanks."

Cheryl turned to Jeffrey. "I have to get you hard so we can start." With all that was going on, it seemed that this would be a problem. The program they had developed depended on it, though, for the first stage. It was cold with no clothes on in the Lab. The tank would be warm. Jeffrey's penis was quite tiny at the moment.

Cheryl knew what to do. She held her body close to him, squeezing them together. She, too, was too scared to be physically excited. One hand went between Jeffrey's legs. She whispered some words into his ear, which were obviously effective...

When she stepped away from him, his penis was fully erect. She smiled, proud of herself. She dipped a hand into the tank, and moistened Jeffrey's penis with the solution, sliding her hands sensually over him. He closed his eyes once and sighed. Deirdre didn't know why they were doing this now. SHE was impatient.

Chapter 40

"Come on, Jeffrey," said Cheryl. "Time to go. We're really about to become...one." The words had a nice ring to them-- erotic and frightening at once-- like when Cheryl's body swallowed Jeffrey's. That wasn't real. This was.

The scared feeling was replaced by anticipation. Jeffrey stepped into the tank first. It was long, but not very deep. He lay down on his back, splashing under the surface for a moment and then bobbing up, floating, shiny and wet. He blew out enough air for a bubble. He was still erect. Cheryl's behind was facing him. She had a terrific rear, he thought.

She backed into the tank, stepping over Jeffrey's floating legs. She pushed on her muscles, opening her anus. Her bowels started to settle over Jeffrey's glistening penis. He had never had sex with her this way, even though they had done virtually everything else imaginable in the last month.

She stopped her approach at Jeffrey's words. "I love you, Cheryl."

"I love you too." She sat down, her anus gently taking Jeffrey's penis inside. It felt good. Her bowels spread as they touched Jeffrey's body, letting her down onto him as much as possible. She faced away from him still. Her weight pushed Jeffrey's pelvis underwater. She lay down on top of him, facing the ceiling. Deirdre started closing the lid on the tank. She set her legs on top of his, and her shoulders pushed his under the surface. Bubbles came from his mouth as her weight pressed him to the bottom of the tank. Two wet arms came from the solution and wrapped around her, under her breasts. She felt his penis send her a message, which she returned. She let the air out of her lungs, and she sank into the solution, bubbles coming from her also. Deirdre closed the lid, which locked shut. It was completely dark. The sound of a motor outside the tank got a little louder, and another motor started. The new genetic material started flowing into the tank.

Jeffrey tightened his grip around Cheryl. He could hear their hearts pounding. It was uncomfortable and claustrophobic, the two of them motionless. Physically, it was fine, but the sensation of drowning underwater was disconcerting.

The first-stage changes seemed to take forever to start. Jeffrey felt a tingle in his penis. Cheryl's anus tingled also. The two openings joined together inside her body. It was one of the shortcuts they had taken with the program to save precious living tissue.

Cheryl's skin became soft and pliable, as did Jeffrey's. His arms started to sink into her. Her body was becoming soft and pliable, as was his. He squeezed her, until his arms sank into her body and disappeared. The separation between the two bodies was dissolving. New skin formed around the two, sealing them inside the shell of the new body that would soon be theirs. Cheryl's pelvis sank into Jeffrey's as her bowels joined his pelvis. Their bloodstreams interconnected. Their digestive systems connected together; the new body used the first part of Cheryl's, and the last half of Jeffrey's. The new skin sealed them together part by part-- two legs fastened together, pelvis, torso, and head. Within, they dissolved as new parts formed. Urine and feces passed from opening in the new body. As the old matter left them, the new body grew smaller. This stage took the longest. The new combined body, as the new parts formed, would shrink from its previous size, which held both Cheryl and Jeffrey's original selves, to the ordinary size of only a single human. Inside that body, the structure they had designed was taking shape out of a nebulous form.

In the second to last stage, most of the internal organs, now unified, were solidified and started to function as normal. There was one heartbeat. The last of their old selves was eliminated into the tank and washed away by the machines connected to it..

Finally, the skin around them became tight, taking its final shape, and started to insulate them from the nutrient solution in the tank. This was the most important step-- if it wasn't finished, they'd die of infection or exposure when the tank was opened. The new body was hairless except on the head, and between the legs. It wasn't exactly as Jeffrey had designed.

Chapter 41

A beeper sounded in the Lab. Deirdre, who had been watching the clock, literally, for the last twenty minutes, already had her hand on the tank's lid. She waited about five seconds, and opened the tank.

At first, the glare on the surface of the solution prevented Deirdre from seeing anything at all. Her friends' new body was still submerged, lungs full of solution. She waited over a minute before Cheryl and Jeffrey coordinated themselves.

A head came bobbing out of the tank. Liquid spurted from the mouth; and a few seconds later, it was coughing, and finally, breathing. A hand reached up out of the solution. Deirdre took it, and helped the person out of the tank. The person who left the tank looked very much like Cheryl, but was younger. Deirdre looked into the tank, to see if Jeffrey was inside. The tank was empty.

Cheryl looked pale. She was decidedly skinny, and had no breasts. The dark pubic hair between her legs prevented Deirdre from seeing if anything was underneath. She didn't say anything. Clearly, something was wrong.

"Cheryl?" she said to herself. She answered her own question, apparently.

"Yes, Jeffrey, I'm here." Both had the same, high-pitched voice.

Cheryl looked at herself. "Cheryl! What happened?? We're female!!"

"You'll know in a few minutes," she answered herself. She was still dripping wet.

Deirdre was concerned. "You're both in there? Two, not one?"

Cheryl answered. "Yes, for the moment. I'll let Jeffrey talk."

Deirdre shook her head as if she didn't get it. "W-what happened? Jeffrey?"

"Yes?" squeaked Cheryl. "No, Jeffrey. Try again. You can make your voice lower." And, suddenly, it was. "Like this?"

Deirdre gave Cheryl a towel. She started to dry herself off. "Your minds are separate?"

Jeffrey's lower voice answered. "Only for the moment. Once we enter each other's minds we can't come back. Cheryl, what did you do? I have no... penis!"

Cheryl's voice was high-pitched again. "That's right, Jeffrey. I changed us before we left. It's the last surprise I could ever keep from you."

"You mean... We're a girl?" Jeffrey's voice asked.

"You'll know in a minute. Come on. Let's get it over with."

Jeffrey's voice answered. "I thought you'd never ask. But let's have a shake first. You get it. It's your body and you know how to handle it."

"No, silly, it's OUR body. You know as much about it as I do."

"Will you just drink a shake, please? I'm hungry!"

Cheryl walked a few clumsy steps, picked up the shake, and drank it.

"What are you doing?" asked Deirdre.

Cheryl's voice answered. "Finishing what we started, Deirdre. We've got to learn the rest of everything about each other. Then we can stop talking to ourselves. We'll be one. I feel like-- he's here with me and we're about to make love. It's so exciting... so tempting..."

"I am with you, Cheryl. Come on inside."

Cheryl sat down on a chair. She closed her eyes, and was breathing deeply.

She opened her eyes about four minutes later, and sighed once, as if in ecstasy. "It's done."

"You mean Cheryl and Jeffrey are gone?" Deirdre asked.

"Well, they're still here, kind of. But we... or I... think as one now. I can hardly describe it. I've learned so much about... everything...

"What happened to you? I thought your body would have a... well, you know, male parts."

"Cheryl changed my body before we left."

"But..." Deirdre asked, "...How could she do that without asking Jeffrey? You both told me that you had agreed on a specific body, and she made you into a female!"

"She didn't have to ask Jeffrey. She knew he'd agree. And she was right. Remember? She knew most of his thoughts. It was the last surprise she could give him. We're perfectly content this way. Besides, I'm not completely female."

"Yeah... You don't have tits. And you look kind of young."

"I don't? And I do? I've got to see..."

Deirdre gave her a mirror.

"You're right. The changes Cheryl made took up more of us than Jeffrey's plans would have. She made more changes, added more... I have some growing to do."

Cheryl looked between her legs. Deirdre looked too. There was what seemed to be the standard female genitals present.

"I'm past puberty... Maybe 14 or 15."

"Then where's your tits? You should have them by now."

"Yes and no. I don't have enough, yet, for them to show. I have to start eating to finish growing. And..."

Deirdre cut her off. "Here, drink this." She handed Cheryl the second of the three containers of milk-shake-like stuff that Jeffrey had prepared. Cheryl drank it, hungrily. More color returned to her flesh.

Chapter 42

Deirdre continued. "What happened to your plans of being hermaphroditic?"

Cheryl answered. "I am, but in a different way. Cheryl's idea was very good."

Cheryl put a hand between her legs, feeling inside a bit. "Yes. Come here." She stood up, and Deirdre walked over to her.

"Feel. Here. Inside an inch or so, in back." She took Deirdre's hand, and helped her get a finger inside.

"I don't feel anything."

Cheryl grabbed Deirdre's hand, sliding it around a bit. "There. Feel that?"

"A little depression... No, it's like a slit inside. I can push on it... hey!"

A smooth, slippery structure came from the opening, into Cheryl's vagina, and then pushed Deirdre's finger out. It extended from Cheryl's body, wet and slippery. It was stiff, and would have looked exactly like a penis, only it was smoother and had no foreskin. It extended from her body to the length of about seven or eight inches, and as it slid out, tilted upwards a bit. Deirdre stood back, afraid to touch it. Cheryl's voice was much lower, and sounded, again, suspiciously like Jeffrey's.

"It was a good idea. Cheryl hid the penis inside, behind the vagina, and made it long enough to... Well, you see."

"That means you can do it either way, with someone else."

"Well, if I did it right, I can do this, too..."

The penis slithered back inside, disappearing. Cheryl squeezed her legs together.

"Ahh...." she sighed. The penis had extended again, but this time into Cheryl's vagina instead of out of it. It could slide back and forth inside. Any constriction outside the body would force the penis in, instead of out. She'd be able to, literally, have a good time by herself even with pants on. Without even starting towards orgasm (she was too tired anyway), the penis retracted and disappeared once again.

Of course, Deirdre couldn't see any of this, so Cheryl had to explain it. "It can go INTO me too. We can have our own children, or have one with someone else. I can still ovulate voluntarily and can start or stop sperm production. Cheryl thought ahead there-- because binary contraception can't work on us (well, me) anymore."

Deirdre understood. "And you've done one very good thing, Cheryl, Jeffrey. You not only have each other, forever, but you can have anyone else, male or female. There's twice as many people out there for you. You can LOOK kind of male, and obviously can sound it if you like. And you could pass for a female with the voice... except... where's the rest?" Deirdre pointed at Cheryl's chest.

Cheryl put on the bottom half of the jogging suit. "Give me the next shake. I'm hungry again. We're going to do some hefty shopping, because I'll grow a year or two's worth in only a few months, and I'm going to have to eat a lot, or I'll stop growing and it'll take me five years before I look old enough."

Deirdre handed her the next shake. They weren't cold, and didn't really have any ice cream in them. Lots of carbohydrates and protein, which Cheryl would be able to pack away at amazing rates for the next few months. She drank this shake all at once, then panted a few times.

"Amazing", said Deirdre.

"When I'm finished I'll be stronger than Jeffrey was."

"Even more amazing", Deirdre replied.

"Okay. I should have enough now." Cheryl took a deep breath. Her breasts seemed to inflate, as though with air, but were heavy like normal breasts were. It took more than a few minutes for them to grow to a moderate size. They bounced, but didn't sag.

"Good enough?" Cheryl asked, showing herself off. "I can make them bigger. I don't know if I can do it now, though."

Deirdre, shaking her head, answered: "No, no, that's enough. You'll make me jealous. Are they permanent?"

"No, I can make them disappear again. It will probably take a while.

"Sounds like you've got the reproduction business sewed up. But what would your children be like?"

"Just like me. Even if the other parent is normal, the child will still have all this. And their children too. If we went to all the work to create a terrific body, I should be able to pass it on. Besides what you see, I fixed most everything else. I can't get most diseases, my bones are stronger, I have terrific eyesight and hearing, and so on."

Deirdre handed Cheryl the top of the jogging suit, which fit loosely.

"Come on... Next you'll be telling me that you'll live to 300."

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait to see that one."

Cheryl helped Deirdre pack everything up, and clean up the machine. They giggled a lot.

"We really did it, Deirdre... We really did it. It wouldn't have been possible without you. You're terrific. If Cheryl was a man, you would have been her first choice."

"Thanks..." said Deirdre. "It's been fantastic for me too. You've shown me, and shared so much. You showed me the impossible. Maybe, someday, I'll get to do it too, if I have the guts. Oh-- you ARE going to stay in the apartment, aren't you?"

Cheryl laughed, this time in the low, male voice. They left the building and headed for Deirdre's car.

"Of course, Deirdre. My name sounds so funny now. I understood, though, that it was easier to keep an existing identity. After all, you and I both know that I'm not only Cheryl. And that's all that matters. Hey, if you're nice and feed me, we can..."

They got into the car. "What?" asked Deirdre.

"Well, something that's much easier now that I'm in one body..."

"What, Cheryl??"

"I've got some equipment to try out and all this extra room in my bed now, you know?"

They both started laughing, and drove off towards home.

Chapter 43

Cheryl and Deirdre both felt a little queasy about sleeping together. Before the original Cheryl had met Jeffrey, she had shared several interesting activities with Deirdre, but this was the first time they had ever done it by themselves. The fact that Cheryl wasn't really Cheryl anymore didn't help too much. She looked kind of male now, but not completely so. Cheryl didn't really have an urgent need to lose her newly-gained virginity, and so, since Deirdre was uncomfortable, she didn't press the matter, and they each slept alone that night.

That night, Cheryl discovered some disturbing facts about herself. She could once again be lonely, kind of. Jeffrey was inside; but since they were now one, there was nobody to talk to. She also found that she tended to return to a semi-female state if she wasn't thinking about it-- both physically and mentally. Cheryl's contributions to their new sexuality had somehow been stronger than Jeffrey's. She could become a man, enough to pass for one in most respects, but it required more concentration. Being a woman seemed somehow easier. Jeffrey was right. The choice to use Cheryl's old identity as their new combined identity meant that they were not in balance. She could forget, that Cheryl and Jeffrey were together-- both inside, and even though she had the memories of Jeffrey's boyhood, it would be all to easy to live the rest of her life as a woman. Those memories of being male would fade, in time, if she did so, as might any memory of Jeffrey himself. She'd be Cheryl again and life would return to normal, except for the physical differences. She might even forget that she DID have all the male parts inside...

No. Never. She'd never forget. She could be as much of a man as she wanted. Maybe someday she'd decide to remain in a male configuration, and then Cheryl would be forgotten...

That was reassuring. The balance wasn't so bad after all. She would have to work out the rest of her life with this body, but that could wait until tommorrow. She was complete now-- two individuals perfect for each other, now together for eternity. The empty space inside had been filled. She was greater than all those other lonely, separate souls out there. She could now tell the world... There was so much to say...

Cheryl finally fell off to sleep, dreaming of the events earlier that evening... of hatching from an egg after having been joined within the egg by her best friend.

It was close to noon when she woke up. She pulled the covers off and looked at herself. No breasts, no penis. Wet between the legs. She must have had an erotic dream before waking. Too bad she couldn't remember it. She looked young to herself-- with no breasts, especially.

She got up and went to the bathroom. It was quiet and sunny outside-- it was almost noontime on Thursday. Walking to the closet, she didn't know which of the two sliding doors to open-- with Cheryl's clothes on one side and Jeffrey's on the other. Undoubtedly they knew that something was wrong at work now. Deirdre was in the apartment, having taken the day off.

She slid open Cheryl's side of the closet. A box on a shelf held a few clothes that were too small for Cheryl before, and should fit her well now. She put them on. She had panties that fit, but no bra. Then she realized that she didn't need a bra. She got one of her old sweaters and put it on. Then, watching herself in a mirror, she took a deep breath. Her breasts swelled slowly, and when they looked about right, she stopped making them grow. She bounced up and down a bit. Yup, nobody would be able to tell she wasn't wearing a bra. What a pleasant difference!

Deirdre didn't say much to Cheryl after Cheryl opened her bedroom door and went out towards the kitchen area. In fact, Deirdre was much quieter than Cheryl expected.

"Good morning, Deirdre", Cheryl said.

"Morning."

"Is this for me?" Cheryl asked, pointing to a packet of oatmeal sitting next to the thermal transfer unit.

"Yup, left it for you."

"Thanks."

Cheryl threw the plastic packet into the thermal-transfer unit, which looked kind of like the old microwave ovens, but was much larger, inside and out. TTU's, as they were called, were commonplace now. They worked on an interesting loophole in the Third Law of Thermodynamics, a loophole which let you transfer thermal energy from one place to another using hardly any energy in the process. Basically, you could take two objects of equal mass and swap temperatures. A home-type TTU had two such masses inside the cabinet; one cold and one hot, with only a small electric circuit keeping them that way. Controls on the front allowed you to instantly change the temperature of whatever was inside-- heating OR cooling whatever you wish to whatever temperature you wish.

Cheryl closed the door on the TTU and set the temperature of the oatmeal at 95 degrees Celsius, the opened the door and took the hot oatmeal out. She ate it from the plastic bag.

Finally, Deirdre was a little more talkative.

"Sleep okay?"

"Yes, fine," said Cheryl. "How about you?"

"Fine."

"Oh."

"Um... Are you going to tell everyone what you've done? I don't think you should wait very long."

"Yes, Deirdre. Today. I'll drive to IDT and tell them there. The media will want to talk to you also, so you should brush your hair before you come along."

"I DID brush my hair, Cheryl. Oh, you're right. Sorry. I'll go fix it again."

Chapter 44

Deirdre had an unending supply of questions for Cheryl during the trip to work, which would be only a subset of what she would be asked later. Mostly, she wanted to know what it felt like. Then she asked Cheryl how she was planning to break the news to everyone else.

"I don't know, Deirdre. I'll play it by ear, I guess. I know the people at IDT twice as well as I did before, right?"

"Guess you do," said Deirdre.

Cheryl opened the fingerprint-access lock with no problem (she had copied the original Cheryl's fingerprints for that reason). It was about ten minutes before Cheryl and Jeffrey usually went to work. They'd talk to the Boss himself, for that was the accepted procedure for any situation where an employee wasn't sure who to talk to. Deirdre and Cheryl walked into his office. He had a waiting room outside, which was always impeccably clean. A large monitor screen on the far wall had the usual, familiar words: "The Boss is busy. Please state your name and business."

Cheryl stood squarely in front of the display. As she spoke, her words appeared on the display. "Cheryl Stillman. Personal."

The words "Is this OK?" appeared below her name and message on the display. "Yes", Cheryl replied. The display blinked "Please have a seat" for a few seconds, and then switched to a local television station which was now showing the morning version of the $25,000,000 Pyramid.

They sat quietly, watching the game show for at least twenty minutes before the screen went blank, and then read "Please Enter." Cheryl got up, coaxed Deirdre to her feet, and walked to the door just as it slid open.

"Come in, Cheryl," the Boss told them. "You're not Cheryl! You kind of LOOK like her, but she's older! Who are you?"

"I am Cheryl. That's why I came here."

Cheryl introduced Deirdre to the Boss. They both had a seat. The Boss, while in his office, seemed most formidable. The office wasn't that large, but the Boss' towering presence made the two females (well, one-and-a-half, at least) a bit uncomfortable. Still, the Boss had a great reputation for understanding the employees' personal problems.

"So, what's going on? How did you get in here?" the Boss asked.

"Mr. Dann-- it's about Jeffrey..."

The Boss turned his eyes towards a display on his desk. "Hmmm... I noticed that Landers isn't here this morning. What's wrong? He's not... sick, is he?"

"No. But he won't be here. Or, in a sense, he already is. It's a long story."

The Boss got up and sat on his desk in front of them. "I think you better tell me." He looked at Deirdre. "That's not... he didn't get a..."

"No, Mr. Dann. That's my roommate."

"If I understood, Jeffrey was your roommate."

"True, but Deirdre was my OTHER roommate. I brought her along because she's the only other one who knows."

"Relax. You can tell me."

Cheryl looked at her feet, keeping her eyes off the Boss for the duration of her next two sentences. "I know... I'm trying to tell you. I'm very different."

"Intentionally? Please go on..."

"I better start from the beginning. Quite a while ago, Jeffrey introduced the person YOU know as Cheryl me to the TA-12 Thought Amplifier he was working on. We had great fun with it and... fell in love. Jeffrey built his own version of the Device, on his own time of course, and we used it quite a bit."

The Boss didn't seem upset, yet. "And..."

"Well, we tried an experiment with it. As a result, we became tangled up inside each other, so much so that we couldn't exist in two separate bodies. I have both Cheryl and Jeffrey inside. It's terrific."

The Boss sat for a second, then said: "Let me understand. You and Jeffrey somehow had an accident with the TA-12 and now he can't come to work."

Cheryl was short with him. "No. I look like Cheryl to you, kind of. But I'm not. I have all the components of the original Cheryl and Jeffrey. We are both sitting here in one body, together."

"That's impossible, Stillman. The TA-12 can't manipulate matter in the real world."

"No, but the Genetic Modification Lab can."

The Boss stood up, walked behind his desk, and fell into his chair. "You mean that you-- and Jeffrey-- used the tank at once-- and are..."

"Together", replied Cheryl.

"Incredible. Of course it could work. But you don't seem like two people, Cheryl."

"I'm not, Mr. Dann. Jeffrey and Cheryl are one. I'm that one. It's not like we're two people anymore."

"And... What inspired you to do this on your own, and made it so urgent that you couldn't have told us? What would have happened if it didn't work?"

"It WAS urgent. It was so painful to be separated after Cheryl and Jeffrey saw inside each other. And I didn't want anyone to know just in the event that it didn't work. IDT was not liable."

"Hmmm..." said the Boss. "Why don't you give me all the details. Then we can decide what to do."

Cheryl explained everything, from Jeffrey's programming of the Device, to the design and execution of the genetic changes themselves. She couldn't help but sound excited, but the Boss failed to share that enthusiasm.

When she finished, the Boss called several of the department heads and asked them to meet at 10:00 am in one of the meeting rooms. Cheryl and Deirdre sat in the waiting room while the Boss handled some other business, then they followed him to the meeting. The Boss handed Deirdre an identification badge as they walked down the hallway.

Cheryl explained it all again in front of the supervisors at the meeting. These people were responsible, as a group, for many of IDT's decisions, especially those involving problem-solving. This time there were many technical questions for Cheryl to answer, which she did. She hadn't brought the cartridge with the design for her body, and she felt a bit embarrassed when asked questions about her anatomy. She explained her design with a lot of euphemisms, and decided not to mention the cartridge-- the cartridge that contained all the details of her body. That would be a REAL invasion of privacy!

Finally, there were a few questions about how she felt now, and what it was like to be "together". She was very happy to answer those questions. It made some of the people present look envious, even.

An agreement was reached to issue a press release immediately and worry about how to make use of Cheryl and Jeffrey's "invention" later. The Boss asked that Cheryl be allowed to make final approval of the press release, and that Cheryl and Deirdre would remain at IDT to talk to reporters. Cheryl took Deirdre to the communications room, where they could examine the press releases before they were transmitted.

Reporters showed up in the late afternoon. They stayed until well after "quitting time", along with most of IDT's employees who were all very excited about what had happened. Deirdre, who hadn't said a word most of the day, was most happy to be asked a lot of questions about her soon-to-be-famous roommate. At 9:00 that evening, most of IDT's staff were still around, waiting to see Cheryl and Deirdre on the news. It was the second story on the report, and the longest one. At about 9:04 pm, the world learned about what had happened. Just as when Cheryl had first joined Jeffrey inside the Device's world, things would never be the same again.

Chapter 45

Cheryl and Deirdre went home right after seeing themselves on the news. The Boss told Cheryl to take the next day off; and to show up the next day so they could do some tests on her and document everything for the scientific journals. Cheryl figured that there would be more interviews and questions from the press, and that it was her chance to tell everyone of the benefits of the invention. Her mind was racing with ideas... Ideas that she could have, now, because quite suddenly, she had twice the knowledge she had before. Problems which somehow seemed insurmountable before, suddenly had answers.

"Deirdre, I got it!" she shouted, in the car on the way home. "Why didn't I think of it before??"

"Got WHAT, Cheryl? Whatever it is, I know of ONE reason you didn't think of it before."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Come on, airhead! You KNOW more things now than you did before. Cheryl knew half of the stuff needed for your idea, WHATEVER IT IS, and Jeffrey knew the other..."

"Yes, of course. Somehow it's hard to remember that. It just seems like I never thought of it before and I can't tell why."

"What IS it??"

"A way of solving the problem with the Device. To eliminate the air gap between the transmitter and the receiver with no feedback. So it will work better. Technical stuff."

Cheryl nodded. Somehow it looked like this would be hard to live with.

The next morning, Cheryl stared at the frozen eggs that she made for breakfast, while Deirdre ate hers.

"Deirdre?"

"Yes, Cheryl?"

"How old do I look?"

"I don't know. Sixteen, seventeen, maybe. Why?"

"I'm not hungry."

"What's that have to do with it?"

"Deirdre, when was the last time I wasn't hungry?"

"Last night. You didn't eat much, you were excited over those ideas you've been having."

"No, I WAS hungry last night. Before then?"

"Come on, Cheryl, you've been pigging out continously. You've said you were hungry ever since you came out of the tank."

Cheryl continued staring at her plate. "Exactly."

"So what's wrong? You've always liked eggs."

"Yes, but I'm not hungry!"

"So what?? Will you TELL me what's going on?"

"Bad news, I'm afraid. I've been growing real fast the last few days, right?"

"Yup. You looked older yesterday than the day before."

"I think I blew it last night. I didn't eat right. I stopped growing."

"Stopped growing?? Cheryl, that means..."

"No, not STOPPED... The plan was that I'd age more quickly as long as the nutrients were available. So when I got to the right age, I could just skip a few meals, and then I'd be normal."

"You mean-- if you're sixteen now, it will be TEN YEARS before you're twenty-six again?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Don't sit there then! Eat!"

Cheryl tried to force down most of breakfast, but it didn't help.

"Of course you know, Cheryl, people would PAY you if you could make them seventeen again."

"Yes, Deirdre... but my body's not the proper age for ME! I look like I should be in high school."

"Take a deep breath."

Cheryl did. Her breasts grew a bit.

"That makes you look older."

"Thanks."

Cheryl picked up her dishes and threw them into the recycler. She slumped against the counter, still upset.

Deirdre got up walked over to her. Deirdre was now slightly taller than her, and gave her a hug. "You're alright, kid."

"Who are you calling a kid?"

"Cheryl! Stop it."

Cheryl smiled a bit. Deirdre made her feel good... She felt like she could look up to her friend now, a real friend who had helped her through many difficult times, and obviously cared for her.

Later in the day, while Deirdre was wandering around the apartment with little to do after having taken yet another day off, Cheryl walked up to her and gave her another hug.

"Deirdre, you've been a real friend. I'm sorry for all you've had to put up with."

"Forget it, Cheryl. You've done at least as much for me. Besides, I've got a famous roommate now."

Then there was silence for a moment. Cheryl didn't let go of Deirdre, and it didn't seem like Deirdre was letting go either. It suddenly seemed like the situation was more than friendly. Cheryl had been waiting for this moment; Deirdre figured it would happen, but wasn't expecting it this instant.

Cheryl was doing the right things to Deirdre, who squeezed her a bit more tightly. Cheryl felt funny; Jeffrey had felt a little guilty when he had made love with Deirdre before, and Cheryl a little jealous; and with those memories not only present but COMBINED, it was hard to convince herself that it was alright now.

Deirdre's resistance weakened. Of course, THIS Cheryl had all the knowledge of her weaknesses that Jeffrey did; and Jeffrey knew how to treat her. And, unlike before, those energies were now focused on Deirdre.

Chapter 46

Cheryl had unleashed most of the seductive power she had, and suddenly felt more masculine, even though her now-moist pussy would have reminded her otherwise. She felt Deirdre melt, and was unsure whether she should proceed, Deirdre no longer making up her own mind.

When Deirdre realized what was happening, she had already been half-undressed. She was wet between the legs, and suddenly realized why. Cheryl seemed to have her mind set on this, and was half- undressed too, and had one hand on Deirdre's chest, the other about to remove her bra.

Deirdre's awareness was only momentary. Her bra fell away, and Cheryl's touch on her nipples sent her back into a quiet, dreamy state. Cheryl removed Deirdre's panties, and the rest of her own clothes. She wasn't going to give Deirdre another chance to stop her. She would have Deirdre now, and prove once and for all that she could get what she wanted.

But Deirdre did get one more chance, and now found herself lying on the floor with Cheryl next to her, with one hand between Deirdre's legs, trying to keep her aroused and unable to stop Cheryl's actions. Deirdre tried to sit up, and fell back again. This time Cheryl wrapped one arm around her. She kissed Deirdre, her tongue quickly exploring Deirdre's familiar (of course, Jeffrey did it before) mouth. Deirdre kept her tongue in her own mouth, which Cheryl found disappointing.

Cheryl's breasts were now barely visible. She had done that intentionally, to ease Deirdre's fears and make it seem a little more like she was with Jeffrey, and not a female roommate, because at this moment, she wasn't.

Deirdre rolled over onto her back, legs squeezed together. Cheryl climbed on top of her, running her fingers through Deirdre's hair, and kissing her lightly. Deirdre was nearly motionless, and totally silent. Cheryl kept it up, lying flat on top of Deirdre, trying to keep her excited and relax her a bit. Jeffrey appreciated the weight on top of him; Deirdre probably did too. Having an active, naked body lying on top of you was exciting and made you feel secure somehow... But Deirdre wasn't participating like she did with Jeffrey before. She wasn't resisting, but wasn't making life easier.

Cheryl's voice was low again. It wasn't very low, not even as low as Jeffrey's was before, but it didn't sound quite as feminine.

"Relax yourself, Deirdre. I know you want this as much as I do. It'll be easier after we've done it once." Of course, Deirdre usually felt more comfortable in a sexual situation than Cheryl did; which made this circumstance more unnerving. Cheryl herself was slipping out of her aroused state; and considered giving up on it.

Deirdre finally spoke. "The voice won't help you, Cheryl. I don't care whether you sound male OR female. You don't have to play that game with me."

Cheryl understood. She was taking advantage of abilities that Deirdre didn't have, in order to seduce her roommate; Deirdre resented it.

"Don't listen to my voice, Deirdre. Listen to my feelings. Listen to yours." The voice still had a low pitch; Cheryl didn't bother changing it.

Deirdre didn't respond.

Okay, then, one last chance. Cheryl propped herself up, with her weight on her hands and on Deirdre's pelvis. Suddenly, she was playful, licking the tip of Deirdre's nose. Cheryl's weight on Deirdre's pelvis made Deirdre warm inside.

It worked. Deirdre was playful too. "You can't have me," she said, giggling.

"And why not?" Cheryl asked with some insolence.

"I hardly know you!" Deirdre answered, eyes closed, giggling.

"You always lie on the floor naked with people you don't know?"

"That was your fault. I didn't do that."

"Will you do THIS?" Cheryl kissed Deirdre's nose.

"Uh huh", answered Deirdre.

"Or this?" Cheryl said before kissing her on the lips.

"I don't mind that..."

"Or... this?" Cheryl played with Deirdre's breasts.

"No..."

Cheryl lay down again, clasping Deirdre, who in turn wrapped her arms around Cheryl.

"Then you won't mind... this..."

Cheryl pushed a bit. Deirdre felt something wet between her thighs, poking up towards her pelvis, sliding between her legs. It pressed against the lips of her pussy, Cheryl shifting around slightly. It was warm. It slid down a bit, suddenly finding the opening into Deirdre's body, and the tip of it slipped inside. Deirdre suddenly opened her eyes to discover that Cheryl's eyes were closed. She had gotten what she wanted.

Cheryl, now holding on to Deirdre and remaining motionless to the outside world, pushed quite a bit. The penis slid out of her body, and pushed its way into Deirdre. Cheryl kept pushing until she had reached the other end of Deirdre's vagina, and was fully inside. Then her penis grew in diameter, stretching Deirdre as her blood flowed into it. Deirdre felt the emptiness being filled. She held Cheryl tightly, and squeezed her muscles. Cheryl felt it.

"Do that again..." Cheryl said, whispering.

Deirdre squeezed again. "Like this?"

Cheryl had to share her past experience. "We used to do that with each other all the time. I remember when you were sitting on Jeffrey's face... and when you came in while we were making love..."

"You mean YOU two before you..."

"Right. We sent these little messages back and forth to let each other know everything was okay. Like this." Cheryl's penis grew a bit as she contracted muscles inside her body.

Deirdre felt it. "Neat..."

"Nobody except us, now, can tell it's happening."

Deirdre squeezed again. Everything WAS okay.

Cheryl started sliding back and forth now. This was much different than it ever was before; she could not only feel the depths of Deirdre's body, but felt Deirdre's crotch and her own penis sliding against her own parts. She pressed her pussy's lips to Deirdre's for a moment, then carried on as any other male might.

Deirdre moaned. Cheryl was panting, but otherwise silent.

Cheryl knew instantly when Deirdre starting her orgasm. Deirdre stopped moving and squeezed Cheryl tightly, pressing Cheryl's featureless chest against her own breasts, and tightening the muscles between her legs involuntarily. Cheryl pushed deep inside at that same instant. Then she came also, squirting a clear liquid (which really had no function now) into Deirdre. Muscles inside her pumped the liquid for ten or fifteen seconds... Then she collapsed, penis still inside.

Chapter 47

Five minutes later, getting a little restless, Cheryl got up. She loved the sudden release from the sexual frustration; as if an immense fog of passion had lifted, and she could think clearly, freed for the moment from the cajoling of her own hormones. Her long, somewhat deflated penis felt cooler to Deirdre as it slithered out of her tired, wet body, and across her legs. As Cheryl started standing, the penis started to disappear within her. It was wet inside Cheryl; partially an oversight in the design, partially to allow the penis an easy trip back into its hidden resting place behind her vagina. The wetness was kind of annoying, since before now it was one thing that didn't later bother an ordinary male.

Deirdre lay there for another minute or two, and then got up. "Now look who comes more!", she announced, pointing to the clear liquid that was now dripping from her, down her legs, while Cheryl wiped just a small bit of moisture from herself.

"No fair, roomie. That's mine too," Cheryl replied.

"You mean you actually CAME inside me? I don't know if..."

"Relax. No sperm, hopefully. I didn't turn it on."

"What do you mean 'HOPEFULLY', lover? I said I liked your design, but that didn't mean I want to help reproduce it now."

"Don't you have a general contraceptive working?"

"Expires today. But that's not the point. Who knows if it works against your gene structure?"

"Good question. Let me look..."

Cheryl looked between Deirdre's legs, saw that the fluid was, in fact, clear, and told this fact to Deirdre, who was satisfied at that point.

"Tell me," she said as started to clean herself up, "just HOW DO you turn it on and off?"

"It's all voluntary. I pump one muscle long enough, supposedly, and sperm production starts, at which point I'm dangerous for a couple days. I squeeze something inside--" she pointed just above her belly button-- " ... and hold it for a minute or two, and I'll ovulate.

"What happens after you ovulate?"

"Well, after a couple of days I can be fertilized."

"If that doesn't happen?"

"Then it's just like you. I menstruate. But just once unless I decide to ovulate again."

"Can you feel it--- when you ovulate?"

"Supposedly... I put nerve endings so I'd feel it when the egg is released. But I haven't tried it."

Deirdre was sitting on the couch, and Cheryl went over and sat in her lap.

"You're good, kid. Real good.", Deirdre said, smiling.

"Stop calling me a kid!"

"Alright... After all, you didn't make love like a kid... Even if you do look like one."

"I do not!"

"You do now!"

"Look, Deirdre..." Cheryl took a deep breath, held it, and pushed.

"Yes, squirt?"

Cheryl bared her teeth, then swiveled around suddenly. There were breasts there now. They were larger than Deirdre's already, and still growing.

"I'm not a kid!" squealed Cheryl.

"Alright! Alright! I won't tease you anymore. Stop before you embarrass me, or blow up or something."

Cheryl smiled a tiny smile.

There was a knock at the door. Several knocks, followed by some voices. "Is Cheryl Stillman here? It's the Video News..." "...Herald Time Newsmonth..." all garbled together.

Deirdre jumped up, and Cheryl fell backwards to the floor. Deirdre grabbed her clothes and started dressing. Cheryl ran to the window, and upon opening the curtain, saw several news-crew trucks parked in the lot across the street, along with a small crowd. Someone pointed at the window, and Cheryl threw the curtains shut and stumbled to her room to get her clothes. "Just a minute!" Deirdre yelled towards the door.

Cheryl, whose body was still wet with perspiration from her previous activity, grabbed a towel to dry some of it off, and dressed quickly. There was a wet spot on the floor that she'd have trouble explaining. No, they wouldn't ask that. She turned the air exchanger up so that the sexual scents they had left would disappear.

Deirdre was dressed and at the door. Cheryl hadn't even put her panties on yet, so (with the central area free of underwear now), went into her room and closed the door. She locked it, which would be the first time ever that she ever had locked that door.

She dressed in a minute so as to look somewhat presentable. Her breasts were too large, still, which she noticed as she tried to put on the shirt she wore earlier; it would take a minute or two for her form to shrink to the size she had before. She'd have to look just right; normal enough not to shock anyone, but not quite so female as to make the story unbelievable; of course, she wouldn't be able to prove anything to the press.

She brushed her hair, and opened the door. The room was full of people; actually it looked like only two news crews and a few reporters. The rest were people from the building; mostly friends, but a few people who lived there that Cheryl and Deirdre had hardly ever seen.

They had all sorts of questions for her; questions that she hadn't been prepared to answer, but even under the pressure was able to. Most of them weren't about HER, but instead how the two inventions she had used would affect everyone else. Would two lovers ANYWHERE who wished to combine their bodies be able to do so? Cheryl couldn't answer that, saying that the use of the tank would of course be up to IDT, and a number of safety tests would have to be done to approve it for the general public. What about the Device? How does it work? What can we use it for? What about illicit uses of it?

Those last questions were the ones that Cheryl could best answer. She described what the machine did, and offered to take some reporters on a "tour" of its capabilites after she was finished with the IDT testing. She had to tell them of one of the best uses of the device so far...

"I'd like to see it used in hospitals, for critically injured, disabled, or paralyzed individuals. Because it communicates directly with your mind, a subject can forget about physical problems and pass the time in a MUCH more enjoyable way than by lying in a hospital bed. And while the patient is on this voyage, the body is being taken care of by the medical crews who don't have to worry about the patient doing something that might hurt himself. The patient would return to find himself all fixed up... Or, if he can't be fixed up, he'd be a lot better off than in the REAL world."

That brought about momentary silence, followed by more noise and a few people asking where the phone was.

Cheryl had a few more things she had to say. "Someone can do things that are impossible in real life. We can use it for testing, training, therapy, or just plain entertainment."

"As for the genetic modification lab... Sure, it might be a cure for cancer, or other diseases, or whatever. But the fact that you get to JOIN someone PERMANENTLY is worth much more, or at least it has been to me, than those other changes."

Chapter 48

Cheryl was discovering, rather quickly, that with all of Jeffrey and the original Cheryl inside, that having only one body between them was a bit of a problem. With only two hands and one mouth, she couldn't get her ideas to work as quickly as she thought of them. She had completed the tests that IDT administered to her, though they wouldn't tell her what they were looking for or what they found. They took lots of pictures, one skin sample, gave her a battery of physical and mental tests, and even had her talk to a psychologist for an afternoon. She cooperated with everyone, figuring there had to be some useful purpose to it all.

IDT let her work on her own projects. IDT wanted the license to the Device; in return, they'd provide the facilities for whatever else she decided to spend time on. Her first project was to build a new Device, the one she thought up on the way to IDT with Deirdre a few days ago. This one didn't get its signals through the air; but instead, the participants wore a plastic "collar" which plugged into the device itself. The collar could intercept signals from the brain with far less trouble than the indirect receiver did. It had connectors for external devices (like a recording device). While various government agencies worked to approve that device for use, she worked on the accessories for it. Within a month she had finished two inventions: First was an audio/video interface, which let you record music and/or images that you simply imagined in your head. The second was a communicator-- a device which clipped to one's belt and could transmit thoughts to another person also so equipped. The communicator didn't recieve agency approval right away; but the other devices were put into production. The first of them would be used for therapy, and it wasn't for another year or so that people could use them for recreational purposes. Meanwhile, Cheryl went on to work with the Genetic Modification people to see how that could be used. A number of willing volunteers went through the same process that Cheryl and Jeffrey had; Cheryl was no longer unique in that respect. The government clamped down on Genetic Modifications without specific approval, fearing that with the tank, one man and one woman could turn themselves into a race which could exterminate the rest of humanity. They would approve specific biological designs on an individual basis; a lengthy process full of red tape. Only a tiny fraction of applicants would live long enough to have that dream come true.

Deirdre had become famous too-- though she was still known by most as "Cheryl's Roommate", she had a growing business all her own. Cheryl had given the idea for the elastic-crotch pants to Deirdre, who patented it, and the pants couldn't be manufactured fast enough to keep up with the demand. What made Deirdre really happy, though, was that she had found a real boyfriend for herself, and in fact planned to get married.

Cheryl seemed too busy to think about Deirdre's impending marriage. Cheryl herself had no boyfriend (nor girlfriend, really, now). Success hadn't treated her very well in that respect. She didn't feel upset at all, until about a month before Deirdre was leaving. Cheryl had gone on a few dates. It seemed that the people she went out with didn't like the fact that Cheryl could date people of both sexes; though, in fact, she had developed far too much of a female physique to really look like a man. She could appear as an 18- year-old female, or look ambiguous, but was never a convincing male. For that reason all but one date she had was male. She didn't like it; she felt that only half of her talents were being used. There was one male who Cheryl felt comfortable with, enough to sleep with. But Cheryl felt constrained; he wanted a FEMALE, and one night, as Cheryl was telling him how he really made her feel feminine, he told her that he wished she'd never be anything else. Cheryl resented that so much that she broke up with him right then, never seeing him again.

A week before the apartment lease expired, Deirdre, in the apartment to pick up some of her things, heard some panting from Cheryl's room. Figuring that Cheryl had aroused herself, and wanting to join her, Deirdre slipped into her room with a grin on her face, as she unbuttoned her top.

Cheryl was lying on her bed, undressed and on top of the covers, with her legs squeezed together. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't hear Deirdre enter. Deirdre planned to surprise her one last time, pouncing on her and letting Cheryl share herself... but as Deirdre was about to climb on the bed, Cheryl suddenly went tense, then relaxed. Her orgasm was over; Deirdre missed it. She heard a sucking sound as Cheryl's penis disappeared from inside herself.

Cheryl opened her eyes, and saw Deirdre, half-undressed, sitting next to her.

"Darn, I thought I'd surprise you. Is it too late?" Deirdre asked.

"Deirdre! Thanks for thinking of me. No, I can't."

Deirdre ran her hands through Cheryl's pubic hair, as if to coax Cheryl's penis out. "Why not?"

"I'm dangerous. You don't want to get pregnant."

"Pregnant? No thanks, I'll leave that to Robert. Why are you dangerous? Turn on the sperm just so I can't have you?"

"No. I didn't expect you."

"Obviously not. You know, we still don't know if SBC's and stuff work on you."

Cheryl looked dead serious. "I ovulated a couple of days ago."

"What?? Cheryl, why? You know... Wait a minute! You could make yourself..."

"Pregnant," Cheryl concluded. "That's what I wanted to do. I'll probably be pregnant in just a few minutes, once the sperm find my egg..."

"You're going to have a baby?"

"That's the general idea for pregnancy, isn't it?"

"Cheryl... I don't believe it... You, a mother..."

"Father too. Staying over tonight?"

"I guess I might as well. Geez, Cheryl, I never figured..."

Cheryl and Deirdre talked with each other until they finally fell asleep.

The next morning, they had breakfast together. As Cheryl ate her potatoes, Deirdre noticed that Cheryl's breasts, formerly invisible, were growing. That never happened when Cheryl wasn't paying attention to them.

"Cheryl, your tits..."

Cheryl looked down at them. She HADN'T done it intentionally... [eof]