“Mr. Thompson. I am Doctor Rachel Carter. I am Head of Growth and Reduction Sciences at AllTec,” the large woman said, resting her knuckles on the table. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. You represent half of my entire life’s work. The other half is just outside that door.” She motioned one knuckle slightly in the direction of the exit to the hallway. “However I must be candid with you. While Heather is truly the first human subject selected for growth, you are hardly the first for miniaturization.”

This much he already knew. But he stared silently upward, trying not to react to the information. He had never seen this woman before. Even at his normal height he felt she could crush him with those menacing hands of hers.

“It was the decision of the Candidate Selection Committee, including myself, that Heather be first paired with a shrunken subject, to see how she responds to a size differential. If she exhibits any signs of threatening or abusive behavior, or presented any other behaviors that might jeopardize her candidacy for enlargement. Thus your testimony today will be of the utmost importance. I need you to be completely honest with me. Do you understand?”

He nodded in agreement. Those green eyes stared down at him. He knew those eyes, not just from their shape but by the way they moved, the way she blinked. They were just like Heather’s. But this couldn’t be Heather’s mother. Ben knew Heather’s mother very well. So who was this person?

She set a small microphone in front of him. “You may speak into this. It will enhance your voice so you will sound as you did at your normal size. Please provide your responses into the microphone.” She turned on the recorder.

“Dr. Rachel Carter, 8:57 AM, April 11, 2020,” she said into her own microphone. “I am here with Subject 4017, Ben Thompson.” Ben took note his subject number was considerably higher than one. “Subject appears to be miniaturized to approximately 12 millimeters. Current progression of his condition will likely render him under a millimeter in the next several days. At that point all verbal communication will be impossible, rendering the necessity of this evaluation urgent. It will be the final evaluation for several months, until the subject recovers from his reduction.”

The monolith with breasts finally sat down. She still loomed over him as far as Ben could see.

“Mr. Thompson. Are you prepared to provide your testimony?” She clasped her hands together in a way that Ben couldn’t quite tell was a threat or not. She sure gave the impression that she could squeeze the life out of him with minimal effort.

“I-” He stammered, feeling truly fearful of his amazonian interviewer. “I’d like to talk to AJ.”

“Dr. Jacobs no longer works at AllTec,” she replied curtly.

“Well where is she? I want to talk to her,” Ben insisted.

“I don’t know. She no longer works for me,” she said. “Are you prepared to give testimony.”

He sighed, feeling trapped. Like Heather was in the room, and she was asking the questions. It didn’t matter what he said now. And he worried about AJ, deeply hoping wherever she was, she was unharmed.

“I am,” he said, weakly.

“Good. Then we shall proceed. Has Human Growth Subject 1, Heather Curtis, ever mistreated you?”

Oh God. They’re making me do this. They’re actually going to make me state, on the record, that the psycho goddess who will end the world is a saint. And if I tell the truth?

Dr. Carter’s hands unclasped. She balled them both into fists, pushing her manicured nails into her palms. Thick veins pulsated over her knuckles. “Mr. Thompson?”

“..............No.”

“Ever? In your entire life?” she pressed. “She’s never mistreated you? Threatened you?”

His breathing was heavy as the weight of the situation was collapsing upon him. He almost wanted to cry.

“No. She never has.”

“Has she ever made you feel uncomfortable?”

“No.”

“Not in your current situation?”

He shook his head.

“Mr. Thompson, I need you to speak your answers into the microphone.”

He shook his head again.

“Subject is shaking his head to indicate ‘no’.”

It didn’t matter what he did, even if he said yes she would wipe the tape. Then wipe him off the bottom of her shoe.

“Do you feel Ms. Curtis would be a good candidate for human enlargement?”

“Yes,” he whispered, barely able to say the word. He felt like he might throw up.

The giantess peered down at Ben the way someone looks at a fly they’re about to swat.

“Mr. Thompson, do you like your current condition? Are you enjoying being reduced?”

The question itself was a trap. How was he supposed to answer this?

“It’s fine.” Tears were forming in his eyes, blurring his vision.

“Would you like to remain like this?”

He said nothing.

“It is possible. If you like it so much, we can arrange for it. You could even come under my care, when Heather is enlarged of course. Would you like that? To be under my care?” she pressed.

The question was an obvious threat. So obvious that Ben came to a depressing conclusion. No one is ever going to hear this tape. This whole “examination” was an exercise in intimidation. 

“I want to be normal again.”

Dr. Carter pressed “stop” on the recorder, and stared at him for several seconds. She clasped her fingers together and rested her nose where they crossed.

“She’s told me so much about you,” the giant woman said, disdainfully. “She said that you’re not a very big guy, but you make up for it with intelligence, and confidence. That you aren’t a coward. That you’re a man of action and a man of his word. But I don’t see any of that in you. I see a stupid, frightened insect. Not even a man at all. I have no idea why she chose you to be her witness.”

Her "witness." What the fuck.

“You’re lucky she loves you. If she didn’t, I would swallow you whole.”

It probably wouldn’t be the first time she had actually done that, Ben figured, wiping tears off his face.

“Get back in your cage.”

He obeyed, and she shut the door, locking it behind him. Dr. Carter got up and knocked on the hallway door, letting Heather know they were done with their session.

“How did he do?” Heather asked, with sincere concern.

“He needs discipline.”

“I understand.”