Nakamura-Noah Industries (often referred to as NaNo Industries in internal documentation) was a lesser known corporation in the public eye - one of the types that did most of its business with government contractors behind several dozen NDAs, or traded in research secrets in the circles of the top 1% of the 1% - but, they still needed to interact with the ‘regular’ world now and again - and their targeted algorithms made it rather trivial to find people willing to volunteer for scientific progress who wouldn’t easily be missed, should something go awry.

So - when Riley received the email, it was not from NaNo Industries - but rather a shell corporation called Frontier Medical Services. It was tailored with a large confidence interval to appeal to the target demographic - and so it did - Riley, a young man in his early twenties with little going on and a desire to do something worthwhile, had signed up in minutes.

Riley arrived at the spartan white waiting room at the location he was told to go to - a nondescript, unmarked building in downtown Chicago that looked a bit like a doctor's office, only without windows, a single door, and no signage anywhere on the exterior walls. Unsure if he had come to the right place, he looked around - a tall, blonde woman with a lab coat and a name badge reading, "Dr. Natalie Hines"  greets him shortly after arrival. She smiles warmly, waving him inside the building. The doors clicked shut behind him as he stopped into a rather sparse and vacant lobby - lined with nothing more than a few chairs and a small table.

“You must be Riley!” The woman smiled warmly, extending a hand. He took it, and shook it firmly, appraising the woman in front of him. Her long blonde hair was pulled back smartly in a tight bun, a pair of simple-framed glasses sitting atop an aquiline nose that seemed to belie an air of command and confidence. She gave him a wide smile that didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes. “Welcome!” She continued. “You’ll have to excuse us - we’re still getting set up - zoning laws and all that sort - I’m quite glad you were able to find us alright!” She says, walking back towards an unmarked doorway near the rear of the spartan lobby. “If you’d just follow me back here, I can get you up to speed on everything!” She said, already walking briskly towards it.

“Ah - Oh, well - of course.” Riley replies, still a little taken aback by the situation - but Dr. Hines seemed to know what she was doing, at the very least. She pressed a keycard to a panel beside the doorway, and an automatic lock disengaged with a surprisingly heavy click. The doctor steps through briskly, taking it for granted that Riley was following - luckily, he was - the door shuts abruptly with an automatic servo, the lock whirring back into place. Given scant time to process the surprising amount of security, Riley has little choice but to follow the sharp clack of the heels on the tile.

She turns and beams a rather genuine smile at him. “Now- we don’t normally do things quite like this, but - how would you like to meet the patient you’re here to help today?” She asks. 

“Well, I - I suppose that would be nice!” Riley says, smiling back - after all, this is why he came all this way! Doctor hines nodes enthusiastically, and leads him down a brightly lit hallway to the right. He follows her clacking steps to a small room that bears a strong resemblance to a children’s hospital ward. Sitting in the bed is a young girl, looking at a wall-mounted television in the corner of the room. The girl appears to be around 13 or 14 years old, and at the behest of doctor Hines, introduces herself as Ava. Her hair is light brown and wavy, her skin pale, freckled, and smooth. She meets Riley’s gaze shyly with a pair of bright hazel eyes, looking between him and Natalie. She is wearing simple clothing, consisting of a plain t-shirt with jeans and a pair of green hospital non-slip socks. One of her legs is slightly elevated on a wedge-shaped cushion. She gives the pair a shy wave. “Hi…” She says, softly.

“Hello there, Ava. I’m Riley!” Riley says with a friendly smile, sitting down near the bed. 

"So, why are you here today, Ava?" Riley asks the young girl.

Ava replies quietly, glancing downwards briefly then back up towards Riley. "Well, uh - I can't really run right now." She says almost apologetically; her voice is soft, like that of a whisper, but her words are clear and understandable. "The doctors say there’s some sort of development or muscle problem in my right foot, so I have trouble when I'm trying to run fast." She looks down at her leg again. “I used to be the soccer captain for my school team.” She adds forlornly, disappointment creeping into her voice.

Riley simply listens for the moment, nodding along. 

 "It's kind of SUPER frustrating because I only want to play soccer, and if I can't then I won't be able to play with all of my friends anymore." She adds, pouting visibly. “And my mom took me to like 5 doctors and they said it’s genetic and they can’t do anything.” 

Riley looks to Doctor Hines, who nods approvingly. 

Ava continues speaking; "And then, they said-I mean, FMS said - that they could help make it go away completely - like magic!" She laughs nervously after saying this last bit, clearly excited by the prospect of being totally healed of her condition. 

"What exactly did they tell you?" Riley inquires curiously. "Did they say how the treatment would work?” Riley probes, that feeling of mild unease at the back of his mind rising up again. 

Ava sighs lightly before replying; "They didn't tell me anything," she says quietly. "All they ever told me was that they'd help and make it so I could run normally again. And my parents were really happy, too."

"Thank you, Riley." Dr. Hines steps in. "Do you want to help Ava?" She asks him pointedly.

Ava glances up at him, her eyes looking almost painfully heavy with worry that he might decline - and then she’d be stuck like this forever! 

Riley glances between the two and answers hesitantly, "Of course - but- how exactly?"

"I love that inquisitive spirit! There are some formalities before I’m allowed to tell you more, though - if you’d follow me, I’m sure I can help answer any questions you have." Dr. Hines says, gesturing for him to follow her out of the waiting room and into a hallway that leads deeper into the building.

Barely keeping pace with the pointed stride of the woman, Riley rounded a corner to a small office. The buzz of fluorescent lights formed a backdrop to the sound of the chair rasping against the cheap carpet as Dr. Hines sat down behind a small desk facing an empty chair on the other side. She gestured for him to fill it, which he did - seemingly along for the ride, at least for the time being.

“We really are so glad to have you here, Riley. It’s people like you that allow us to help those who need it most, you know.” She says with the exact same smile she had given him at the entrance. “We just need to get some formalities out of the way, first.” She says, reaching behind herself towards a filing cabinet and yanking it open with a small grunt of exertion.

Riley blanches white as an almost comically thick packet is hoisted from the depths of the filing cabinet with a visible amount of effort on Doctor Hine’s face. She lets it fall onto the wooden surface of the desk with a soft slam, taking a moment to fix a stray curl of hair that had fallen across her forehead.

Riley looks on, incredulous. “That’s all just for me to sign?”

Doctor Hines waves a hand dismissively. “Hah, well - I know it certainly looks like quite a lot, doesn’t it?” She says, with a rather wooden laugh. “All this - NDAs, noncompetes, research disclosures, boiler-plate legal agreements, all that sort - you know how it is!” She slides it across the table along with a pen, looking at him expectantly.

Riley must have appeared nervous at the prospect - she cocks her head to one side. “Unless, of course - you’ve changed your mind about vastly improving Ava’s quality of life…?”

Riley stammers. “Well, no- that’s not it, of course - I just -”

“Wonderful! I’m very glad to hear that.” Doctor Hines says, flipping several dozen pages of the packet to one side, revealing two highlighted boxes. “Then, you’ll just initial right there, and there -” she trails off, expectantly.

A little shakily, Riley finds the pen in his hand marking along the indicated lines - the sight of Ava’s heartbroken gaze still fresh in his mind’s eye.

“Is it like -  a muscle cell donor program, then -?” He inquires, but is cut off by the sharp turning of more pages.

“Ah, and - a signature here -”

“And one more, here, if you please -”

“And then just initial here -”

The pages flipped by so quickly, and the print was so fine - Riley scarcely had time to even make out what the text said. What he could read was so obtuse and filtered through legal language, it was almost Greek to him.

“And then here -”

“A thumbprint here, please- “

“One last set of 3 initials -”

“And a signature! There you are, wasn’t that easy?” Doctor Hines scoops up the packet and pulls out the drawer again, letting it thud into the bottom. 

“Honestly, It’s all simply a formality - standard stuff in this line of work, you’ve absolutely nothing to worry about.” The blonde woman adjusts her glasses, smiling in a way that was clearly meant to be reassuring - and yet, Riley felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

“So…” He said, nervously eyeing the room. “What exactly is the nature of this … experimental treatment?” He asks, as the woman stands up and grabs a clipboard, walking around to the doorway.

“Oh, it’s quite fascinating! Now, since this is a study, there are portions of it that are still quite confidential - even to subjects, you understand - so I can’t tell you everything you might want to know, but - rest assured, you’ll get quite the intimate understanding in no time. If you’ll follow me, I can explain further?” She says, already walking down the hall as if this were not a question at all.

Having no other real option aside from causing quite a scene - perhaps in earshot of Ava, Riley followed. He couldn’t help but shake a feeling of deep unease about this - but he told himself that helping someone else could never be a bad thing. The road to hell is often paved with good intentions. 

Riley skirts behind Doctor Hines, keeping along silently as she walks briskly through the hallways, past several unmarked doors until they finally reach a set of double doors that look quite a good deal studier than all the rest. Dr. Hines leans into a panel near the wall, and a small scanner runs up and down her eye - surely overkill, Riley would quietly think - as the doors swing open with an audible hydraulic hiss.

“It’s just through here - it will make more sense once you can see it.” She says, beckoning the nervous young man through the thick steel doors. He obliges, and they swing shut silently behind him - an electromagnetic lock engaging with a dull, heavy thunk. 

Natalie leads him down a spartan, white hallway with glaringly white bulbs lining the ceiling, metal doors with small windows like a schoolroom’s lining the hall. Natalie’s heels click on the tile with a steady rhythm, and Riley struggles to keep up with her purposeful stride, desperately wanting to dawdle behind and peer through the windows. Most of the rooms beyond them seemed to be empty, but from a few he could hear the hum of machinery or voices - but the labyrinthine nature of these halls made him fear he’d get lost if he broke from Dr. Hines, so he scrambled along after her like a baby duckling.

“Right this way -” Dr. Hines instructs, placing a palm on the side of the wall where the door rested. It opened with a click - revealing a remarkably spacious room beyond. He is ushered in, eyes wandering the walls to behold a shocking array of equipment. A low counter wrapped around the outside wall, sporting dozens of apparatuses - some that Riley vaguely recalled from his stint in highschool chem lab, and some that he couldn’t begin to guess the function of. However, what immediately drew his eyes was near the right corner at the back of the room - a large, cubicle-sized construction, that looked to have two robotic arms like the kind one might see at an auto-assembly line poking out from the top.  

A small buzz captured Dr. Hines’ attention before she could give any further explanation- and she steps around the corner, whipping out a small phone that she holds to her ear. Riley can just make out the words if he focuses “Yes?” She spoke curtly. “No, I’m in Workroom 3C  - No - “ She takes a deep inhale, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What do you mean lost - “ She covers her face with one hand, nodding slowly, her brow darkening. “I’ll be there shortly. Stay exactly where you are - not a step. ” She says icily, hanging up.

She does a sharp heel-turn, and the sour mood around her seems to have vanished entirely. “Well, Riley, I’d love to give you a more in-depth tour, but it appears something - don’t worry, it’s quite small, really - almost nothing- “she assures, the faintest hint of a smirk playing at her lips-  “-has come up that requires my attention. But, not to worry- I will leave you in the very capable hands of our Research Assistant, Miss Wade - she’ll be with you in just a moment, I’m sure - If you’ll excuse me, this is a little time sensitive.” She says, and quickly ducks through the door. 

Riley can scarcely finish saying  "Oh, I understand-" before the door has shut behind her, a flurry motion, jangling ID badges, and the whirl of a white lab coat. He feels the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as the electromagnetic lock engages again with a mechanical whirring -  clunk. He’d have no choice but to wait for someone to return.

As it turns out, he didn’t have to wait very long at all - he hadn’t been alone after all. With a loud scrape and the sounds of metallic clanging, a body slid out from underneath the strange contraption on a wheeled dolly, nearly scaring Riley half to death.

The figure sprung up with a small grunt of exertion, and looked at him with a beaming smile, taking out a pair of earbuds with one gloved hand that was moderately streaked with machine grease. “Oh! You must be ….” She snaps her fingers, lips pursed in thought. “Riley, right!” She bounds over to him, standing at a rather short height- Riley would guess that she was somewhere around 5’2”, making him a good head taller than her.

He nods. “I - Yes, that’s me.”

She pulls off one glove hastily, wiping her hand unceremoniously  on the hem of her lab coat as a courtesy, proffering a fairly clean hand to shake. He takes it, surprised at a rather firm grip and an enthusiastic shake. “I’m Molly - Molly Wade, but you can call me Molls, if you like. Everyone does!” She grins, releasing his hand. He gets a better look at her now that she wasn’t half-buried in machinery - a petite framed girl who must have been in her early twenties, with bright hazel eyes and short brown hair in a boyish cut, and a small, upturned nose. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a graphic t-shirt underneath her lab coat sporting a clearly well-loved pair of Converse All-Stars.  She was such a sharp contrast to the straight-laced Doctor Hines - effusive and friendly, casually dressed, smiling brightly - it was enough to give Riley whiplash.

“I know you're probably a little confused right now, it’s definitely a lot!” She says, placing a hand on her hip. “But don’t worry, I’ll take great care of you, alright?” She waves him over to the other side of the workroom. Her friendly attitude was refreshing - and it helped put him at ease. He saw a small cot, like one you would see in a doctor’s office, surrounded by a simple curtain on wheels, a small cart beside it. Molly patted the top of the examination table with her hand. “If you could do me a huge favor and park yourself here, we can get all the boring stuff out of the way, and I can start answering your questions! I’m sure you have a lot!” She says, and trots over to a nearby sink to wash her hands.

Riley takes a seat on the crinkling paper cover atop the exam table, feeling a bit less nervous - Molly seemed to be a lot more down to earth than Dr. Hines - she probably didn’t have as much responsibility weighing her down, he reasoned, and she was still younger. He much preferred dealing with her, a bit glad that Natalie had gotten that phone call.

Molly returns, parting the curtain and pulling on a pair of purple medical gloves. “Awesome, I’m super excited to work together, Riley!” She says, rummaging around in the drawer on the metal cart. “By the way - I think it’s super cool that there are people like you out there, who still want to help people. It feels like there aren’t many left!”

She walks over holding something in her hand, and motions to take Riley’s blood pressure with a cuff - she takes his arm warmly. “It’s really not that big of a deal, honestly - I just had the time, and figured, you know…” Riley says, sheepishly smiling, the praise not unwelcome.

Molly takes notes on a clipboard and replaces the cuff in the cart, placing a hand on top of his, gently. “Hey, don’t minimize it! You’re special.” She says with a genuine smile - a faint flush coming to Riley’s cheeks. “It takes a special kind of person to help someone less fortunate, and in an experimental setting, too! Don’t sell yourself short!”

Riley grins widely, feeling a few butterflies in his stomach, trying not to read too much into it. He laughs it off - “I bet you say that to all of the experimental procedure volunteers.”

She laughs back. “Hah, well, maybe they’re all special! Alright - I just need to give you a little poke here, okay? Can you hold out your arm for me?” She asks - and Riley offers it without a second thought, the high of casual flirtation wiping that vague worry out of his mind. Molly rolls up his sleeve and swabs the area on his upper arm with an alcohol wipe. “Just a little pinch- “ Riley winces - he had never been a big fan of needles - but it was over in a blink.

“What, I don’t get a sticker for being so brave?” He says, with a coy smile.

Molly places the needle in the sharps bin and returns the grin. “Tell you what, I’ll do everything in my power to get you one, since you’re by far my bravest patient.” She says, peeling off her gloves.

Riley laughs, finding it difficult to stop after a few seconds - the atmosphere was just so much more lighthearted and friendly now. He grins at Molly.

“Oh, one other thing! I just need you to change into this real quick, and then we can get into the interesting stuff, okay? It’s just standard procedure.” She explains, holding up a simplistic paper hospital gown. “ You can put your clothes in this bin, for now.  I won’t peek, promise.” She says with a smile sliding a plastic bin across to him, before stepping out and closing the curtain. Feeling strangely unconcerned with the development, Riley tosses his clothes in the bin in a messy pile, trying to fight the urge to smile like an idiot. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but he felt almost… giddy? Had it really been this long since he talked to a cute girl his age? He shook his head clear of the thoughts, finding himself having to focus to put the hospital gown on properly - he should have eaten breakfast, he reasoned - he was sluggish, clumsy.

He finally manages, and slides the bin out under the curtain to announce his successful change. Molly takes it, and then parts the curtain and returns.

Riley sits back on the exam table, with some effort. “So, uh - you guys really think you can help Ava?” He asks.

Molly nods. “We’re super optimistic about it! I’m actually doing my thesis on the process we’re hoping to use for her - we call her ‘Patient AH4- it’s really fascinating stuff - are you familiar with Dr. Walker’s work? I was really inspired by it, and it got me thinking -” Riley feels as if the entire room is glowing faintly, Molly’s words seeming almost musical to his ears, finding it hard to process what she was saying - it just sounded so nice! He blinks as she talks animatedly, trying to pay attention. “- and matter is basically just 99% empty space, and there was so much potential -” Riley nods along dumbly, watching Molly’s gesticulating hands trace swatches of liquid light in the air, eyes wide as he watches them dance as he catches snippets here and there.  “... theoretically infinite service life, self-repairing properties, and completely unexplored kinesthetic properties -”

Riley brought his palms into his lap, feeling like he was moving his arms through a thick syrup, looking at them with curiosity.

“Oh, gosh - I’m sorry, I got carried away, I just get so excited!” Molly says, and leans in to catch Riley’s eye. “How are you feeling?”

Riley shakes his head a little. “I feel.. .a little funny - what did you give me, exactly?” He struggles to move around, feeling weak and woozy.

“Oh, we call it compound SK90 - I’ve been working with Dr. Hines on a stable formula!” She gushes. “She’s so talented, I really want to impress her - oh, that reminds me, I’m technically only supposed to be calling you ‘Subject 4’, at least per protocol -” She grins a bit at Riley. “But, since it’s just you and me, I figured we could be a bit more informal, right?”

Riley blinks, straining. “Compound SK90…?” He says, blearily.

“Oh, it’s basically a molecular malleability agent - I’m really excited to see this variant in application, honestly!” She bounces a little in place, her sneaker soles squeaking against the tile. She snaps her fingers, pressing the heel of her palm to her forehead. “Oh, sh- dangit, Molls, there you go again - jeez- ” She pauses and regains her composure. “I’m supposed to verify you signed the forms and everything, before I tell you anything - you did, right?” She asks, snagging what looked to be a small flashlight from the cart.

Riley nods. “Y-yeah, I did - what exactly is the procedure?”

Molly flicked the switch - it was a UV blacklight, turning Riley’s hand over to shine it on his thumb, where he had imprinted the document - it glowed brightly under the beam, confirming he had indeed signed. “Awesome, just gotta make sure and all that - Dr. Hines would go on the warpath if she saw me skirting protocols! I hear another team got in huge trouble, and well, they’re probably never going to do that again, let me tell you- ”

Riley sits up a little. “The procedure, you were going to explain more…?” He said, slowly getting acclimated to his new, altered perception.

“Right!” Molly says, and pulls up a wheeled stool, sitting on it wide-stanced. “So, basically, SK90 makes the matter in your cells more malleable, right? Here, watch-” She says, reaching over and gripping Riley’s forearm, hard. His skin yields a little under the pressure - and then, to his shock, continues to yield. Her fingers sink in a good half-inch, the tomboy visibly exerting herself to squeeze as hard as she could, until she finally lets go. When her hand retreats back, there is a distinct imprint of her grip in Riley’s arm - a visible divot in the shape of her hand that starts to slowly rise back up, as if she had squeezed a memory foam mattress. Riley blinks at the surreal sight, speechless.

“It’s really cool, right?” She beams, grinning widely.

“I don’t… understand, how does this help Ava?” Riley asks, watching his forearm slowly re-form to its ordinary shape over the course of the next few minutes.

Molly is more than happy to explain. “So, you’ve heard of, like, podiatric correctional devices? Basically things like… custom-fit orthotics, Dr Schol’s, stuff like that, right?”

Riley nods, not at all certain as to where she was going with this.

“Well, the serum we injected you with allows for some fascinating properties, like the one you saw! Of course, there’s a bit of an effective window - we’re dialing exactly how long that is, exactly - before the body produces antigens and subject ductility diminishes along an exponential decay curve, but we’re working on mitigating that - ack, sorry, I’m going off topic again!” She says, playfully tapping her temple. “The key points of the idea are the malleability, compressibility, and shape memory!” She says, ticking off each item on her fingers. “Like your arm earlier, it’s back to normal now!” She adds to illustrate her point.

Riley nods, hoping she’ll get to some sort of point soon, his mind swimming as Miss Wade talks circles around him - she kept going, dropping in terms he hadn’t ever heard before, losing him in a web of jargon. 

“So, back to orthotics, insoles, right?” She says, a little flushed from her animated speech. “Thanks for sticking with me through that, I just can’t help but get into it!” She says, laughing. “You’ve heard of them, yes?”

Riley nods.

Molly points her finger at Riley’s chest. “Well, basically – that’ll be you! For Ava! While you’re compressible and malleable - we’ll basically be custom-fitting you to the specific shape of Ava’s foot, compressing your mass and size until you are the same size and shape as a shoe insole. We will be tailoring your new body to her therapeutic needs, and you’ll essentially serve as a podiatric correctional device designed specifically for Ava's needs - only, worlds better than anything on the market today!” She gushes, practically giddy. “Isn’t that incredible?”

Riley looks back at the face of the eager research assistant - blinking as his addled mind tried to piece together the implications of what she had just said. She seemed to be waiting with bated breath for his reaction - no doubt one of amazement at the technology.

To Be Continued…

Riley seems to be at a loss for words - blinking and opening and closing his mouth as Molly looks at him expectantly. After a moment, he simply starts to grin widely, and then lets loose a nervous, shaky little laugh. “Hah, alright, you got me. What are we really doing?” 

Molly seems a bit thrown off by the statement. “Hm?” She cocks her head to one side, squinting. “It’s - that is what we’re really doing - everything was in the introduction pamphlet.” She muses. “What did I give you for the serum, was the dosage too high…?” She begins flipping through her charts. 

“N-no, I don’t think that’s it-” Riley says, sitting up a little from the examination table. “It’s that I obviously don’t want to go through with this?” Riley says, as if this should be obvious. 

Molly sighs, rubbing her face with her hands. “Riley - I know it can be nerve-wracking, and I don’t blame you for getting jitters, but -” She sets down her clipboard. “I’m afraid that really isn’t an option - not at this point.“

Riley lets out another nervous laugh. “What?”

“Hey, don’t worry, alright? I’m going to be right here with you for the whole thing, okay?” Molly says, scooting closer to him in a wheeled chair. “And I’ll explain everything, every step of the way, alright?” She gives him a reassuring smile, and rubs his back with one hand. “I know it can be a lot to process, but try to remember how important research like this is, and how exciting it is to break down these barriers, yeah?”

Riley was stunned, speechless. Molly continued right over his apparent discomfort with a gleam of excitement in her eye. “So, of  course, you’re going to see a little reduction in stature - but the bulk of the work has to be done mechanically, to get you to the proper size.” She says, gesturing to the contraption she had been working on when he first entered the room. “That’s a prototype I’ve been working on to speed up the forming process, but, unfortunately, it’s in disrepair.” She explains. A glimmer of hope sparks in Riley’s chest, but she quickly extinguishes it. “But! Not to worry, I’ve already spoken with Dr. Hines, and I’ve gotten special approval to proceed with an alternative method! I’ve put a lot of hours into this, so I’m not about to give up that easy!” She says, giving Riley a spirited nudge that deforms him slightly. 

“What.. what do you mean? If the machine is broken, can’t we call this off?” He asks, forlorn.

“And let that stand in the way of progress? Not a chance!” Molly beams, and rolls up her lab coat sleeve. “As it so happens, I’m actually only a size or two off from Ava - and we’ve got very similar foot structures!” She explains, rolling up her other lab coat sleeve. “I think it’s a bit of fate, in a way- like, a test! That we really believe in what we’re doing!” She says, and Riley feels the implication slowly set in.

“You don’t mean…” He says, tentatively.  Molly nods energetically. “It’s just like the pioneers of old discovery, Riley! We’ll have to do it by hand! Or, by foot, rather -” She snorts loudly at her own joke, covering her mouth as she laughs despite herself. “Sorry- Dr. Hines would give me an earful if she saw me being ‘unprofessional’, gosh-” She says, and as if summoned like an evil spirit, the doors at the center of the room burst open, revealing a very irate looking Hines. Molly immediately stiffens a little, looking more uptight and grabbing her clipboard.

She leans in closer, speaking more quietly “There’s just a few more things we need first, before the process begins properly - “ she hesitates, and then doubles down. “It’s  - we need a blood sample, a saliva sample, and, um- a sperm sample.” She says with a wry smile. “But - my performance review is coming up soon, and since this is sort of my flagship formula - It would mean so much to me if you were on your best behavior for her, okay? I’ll owe you one!” She says in hushed tones before Dr. Hines’ clacking heels reach earshot. She calls out. “Well? Has the serum been administered?” She says, setting her coffee down on a nearby work desk.

“Yes ma’am!” Molly answers chipperly. “We just have the baseline samples to gather next.”

Riley sits up, gripping the edge of the clinical bed with white knuckles. “H-hold on, I just - I want to- this isn’t-” He stutters a bit, finding it hard to make his brain cooperate with his mouth under the intense emotions and the drug coursing through his veins.

Natalie Hines raises one blonde brow. “Seems as though your subject is a bit agitated, Ms. Wade.” She remarks, detached, picking up her clipboard and making a few scribbling strokes -  which Molly responds to as if a starter pistol had gone off, leaping into action. “Oh, that - nothing to worry about - just a side effect of the first phase of the drug, it’s really quite addressable!” She says, moving like a startled rabbit to fill a syringe, and bounding over to Riley in the blink of an eye. “Just a little something to help you relax, okay?” She says, swabbing him furiously with an alcohol pad and then pressing the needle firmly into his arm.

“Molly, I don’t want to rel-hhh…” Riley says, rather incoherently by the end, as the fast-acting sedative doubles up with the compound he had been injected with to make his movements feel slow and sluggish, the words falling out of his mouth like pudding. Molly smiles, a tad nervous, patting him on the cheek with a blue gloved hand. “There we go, isn’t that better? You feel better, Riley?” She says in sweet, dulcet tones, big brown eyes locked on his. He can’t help but smile and nod at her. “See! That’s right, all better, huh?” She says, and Dr. Hines scoffs noncommittally. “He’s not a baby, Ms. Wade. Just collect the samples, and tell me about the procedure for the report.” She says, sitting down in a chair with a clipboard.

Riley barely feels the prick as a needle draws a vial of blood from his veins, and the swab has no trouble collecting a good amount of drool. He feels warm and fuzzy all over, and he is having trouble recalling exactly what it was he was so worried about before. The hospital gown hangs loosely from his shoulders as Molly caps the swab in a sealed tube, placing it on a tray nearby - and only now does he realize her once petite hand now easily could wrap around his entire forearm. 

Riley found that he was now about 4 feet tall, give or take - and that Molly's ordinarily petite frame now towering over him, looming above him from Riley's vantage. He blinked up at her, the ceiling lights starting to swim and twist, the whole world seeming as if viewed through a fisheye lens. He moves his head, and even the slightest motion elicits a bizarre sensation- almost like being on a rickety rollercoaster, dizzy and unstable. Molly reaches out a hand to steady him, a large palm cupping warmly around much more of his shoulder and back than it had before. "Whoah there, take it easy, tiger! No sudden moves, yeah?" She says, concern mixing with amusement at Riley's pitiable state, swaying precariously. "Feeling a little loopy?" She asks, in a voice that almost sounded coddling, earning a glance of quiet disapproval from her supervisor. Riley can only manage a soft, dazed nod, blinking sluggishly and letting his gaze wander a little- finding himself much closer than before, looking up into her large hazel eyes, his field of view consumed by her slender features, freckles dotting her cheeks like paint specks on a canvas.

"You're doing just fine, Riley!" Molly beams, before clearing her throat, nodding over his head at doctor Hines. "Well, Dr. Hines- shall I continue with the procedure outline?" Molly asks, awaiting confirmation. Natalie simply scrawls something out on her clipboard - not even bothering to look up- "go ahead." Her clipped tone confirms, a sharp contrast to Molly's upbeat pep. Molly puts a hand on Riley's back- finding his diminutive form nestled easily in the palm of her now much larger hand. "Right-!" Molly says, and rolls the instrument cart over with her other hand, retrieving a glass vial. She proceeds to sanitize her hands while speaking to Dr. Hines as if Riley weren't even present, sliding on a pair of tight blue nitrile gloves. "As outlined in my report, the miniaturization process consists of three major stages - Stage one is the injection of compound SK90, which has already been completed on the Subject - resulting in the partial loss in stature you observed when you arrived." Molly says, glancing over at her supervisor expectantly. Her tone and demeanor were quite different than when Riley had been alone with her - she stood up straighter, seemed more tense. Doctor Hines simply nodded curtly, pen scrawling away, expression neutral, flaxen hair perfectly straight, not a strand out of place.

Molly continues after the brief pause, retrieving a small unmarked tube from the instrument cart. "Stage two involves an anabolic reagent designed specifically for maximizing compression ratios, increasing compound efficiency, and accelerating the subject's miniaturization process through the rapid removal of the newly unnecessary structural components - as well as ensuring the integrity and dimensional stability of the Subject's new form." Molly continues, unscrewing the cap and squeezing the clear contents into one gloved palm. "Excess mass will be exuded primarily through exhalation during stage 2 - since the subject no longer requires the bulk of their musculoskeletal structure, the reagent administered in stage 2 will target these structures particular. However, the subject's internal organs and vascular systems will remain relatively intact during this process, as the reagent does not interact with necessary biological tissue." Molly adds, slicking her palm thoroughly, re-capping and replacing the tube back on the cart.

Riley felt the shift in tone and conduct more so than any of the words - his newly addled brain host to all manner of experimental compounds, it almost felt as though he were watching a film of events unfolding in another language. Molly paused briefly, and then wordlessly slid her hand between Riley's legs, grasping him firmly- the cool slickness of the gel against his genitals startling him a little, eliciting a sharp, short intake of breath, Molly's other hand laying flat across his back, gently but firmly holding him still. "Go ahead and stay still for me, thank you-" Molly briefly addresses Riley before returning her attention to Dr. Hines - "In stage three, the subject's mass would ideally be compacted to the desired form factor taken from patient measurements mechanically , using an adapted compression apparatus, which unfortunately is in need of repairs." Molly says, sliding her now slick palm back and forth against Riley's slowly stiffening shaft, coaxing out his erection without even acknowledging him, treating his steadily hardening manhood like a mechanical component.

Riley felt the shift in Molly’s tone and conduct more so than he understood any of her words - his recently addled brain now host to all manner of new compounds and chemicals - it almost felt as though he were watching a film of the events unfolding in a foreign language. Molly paused briefly, and then wordlessly, methodically - she slid her hand between Riley's legs, grasping him firmly beneath the hospital-style gown, the cool slickness of the gel against his genitals startling him a little, eliciting a sharp, short intake of breath, Molly's other hand laying flat across his back and shoulders; carefully but firmly holding him in place. "Go ahead and stay still for me, thank you -" Molly briefly addresses Riley before returning her attention to Dr. Hines - "In stage three, the subject's mass would ideally be compacted mechanically  to the desired form factor taken from patient measurements, using an adapted compression apparatus of my own design - which unfortunately, is currently in need repairs." Molly says, sliding her slick gloved hand back and forth against Riley's slowly stiffening shaft, coaxing out an erection without offering him even the barest acknowledgement, treating his steadily hardening manhood like a component of a machine she was working on.

Dr Hines taps her pen on the clipboard pointedly. "Yes - Quite a roadblock for your proposal, is it not?" Dr. Hines notes, glancing up from behind her horn-rimmed glasses. Molly nods, struggling a little to keep a collected demeanor, her grip unconsciously tightening uncomfortably hard around Riley's cock as she stammers a little- "Yes, but, um- well, I have sourced an alternate solution - that I feel will be perfectly sufficient!" Riley bucks forwards, wincing and bringing his hands towards his groin at the sensation, impaired. Molly firmly re-adjusts him onto the bench - "Hey, hey - please keep your hands flat on the mat, okay?" She says, hurriedly, speaking as if she were correcting a child. Riley makes a feeble, pathetic noise, finding his arms no match for the assistant's corrections, arranging his now quite little palms splayed flat again on the bench. "I uh- as outlined in section three, part two-a, my proposed alternate solution utilizes my body's approximate size and shape factors- following administration of the appropriate reagents, to serve as a suitable ersatz compression chamber." Molly continues, her hand pumping at Riley's cock with a detached, clinical rhythm as she speaks past his squirming figure. "That is to say - I happen to share similar dimensions, as well as a a shoe size, with the patient!" Molly grins, and Riley is able to pierce the scientific jargon long enough to form a coherent thought. "I- you- what? I don’t… Molly!" He manages, panting softly, a flush spreading across his chest and face as Molly casually pumps his cock, speaking past him as if he wasn't even there, her clinical terminology glazing over his clouded mind- a dark, sinking feeling settling in his stomach, eyes darting between Dr. Hines stoic gaze and Molly's polite, enthusiastic face- not knowing which was worse, but desperately wanting some kind of confirmation or clarification.

Natalie simply nods, flicking over a page. "Fortunate indeed. You know - we do value resourcefulness of that sort." Dr Hines remarks - the barest hint of approval creeping into her tone. "I'm quite certain that nobody would have held it against you, if you put a hold on testing until the repairs were complete." She remarks, tapping her pen against her bottom lip.

Molly shrugs a little, smiling widely. "Well, we're here for results! And, y'know - I've put so much into this formula, and my proposal, and it would have killed me if I had missed the chance to - ah -" She glances down at Riley, seemingly only noticing him again as he quivers beneath her grip, a red tinge beginning to spread across his cheeks, a soft whimper of confused protest leaving his lips as she stroked him relentlessly - "Ah - I need you to tell me when you feel yourself approaching climax, okay -?" She says, the wet sounds of her gloved hand sliding mechanically up and down his cock filling the silence between words as she turns immediately back to Dr Hines. "-if I missed this chance to prove my formulation can work, that is!" She finishes, cheerily, her other hand absentmindedly pressing down on Riley's back, the casual display of force keeping him pinned effectively to the examination table . Natalie nods, a ghost of a smile appearing momentarily on her otherwise icy demeanor. "Proactive initiative is commendable, Ms Wade." She remarks, scribbling a few lines onto her clipboard.

Molly was visibly enthused - her hand starting to move faster. "Thank you, Dr Hines! I've just really been putting my all into this - the trial phases have gone so well, and I feel confident in the dosages, and the reagents, and, ah-" She looks down at Riley, a pitiable little sight - his manhood leaking pr-ejaculate against the lip of the plastic test vial. "Oh- sorry, one moment, Doctor-" Molly addresses her supervisor, pressing the open end of the vial against his tip, just in time for him to twitch and release, her labcoat-covered arm pinning him firmly down against the paper-covered exam table, absorbing his half-hearted attempt to buck, a breathless gasp exiting his lips- his cock pulsating weakly into the mouth of the vial, depositing a steady stream into the clear vessel. Molly holds tilts vial upright, preventing spillage. "And- there we are! Doesn't that feel better?" She says, wiping down the slit of his cockhead with disposable cloth and flipping the gown back down over Riley's thighs, releasing him, his exhausted, drooping manhood hanging freely, barely covered by the thin white fabric, trembling, flushed red with embarrassment and exertion. He hadn't even been able to help himself - despite the confusion, the fear, the uncertainty - he had nearly filled the entire sample vial in spite of himself. He shivered a little, face flushed red - unable to resist his biological urges even at the extremes. He doesn't respond- but Molly seems content anyway, placing the vial aside with the rest, his pearlescent emissions swirling inside. Dr. Hines finally sets her clipboard aside, tapping the vial with her pen. "Commendable work, Ms. Wade. However-" She stands up, and plucks the vial from the padded tray with one hand, her heels clacking loudly on the tile as she moves to the exit. "This sample is unviable - you've collected too large a portion of the subject's Cowper's fluid along with the ejaculate. An... understandable oversight, yes?" She says, and drops the vial into a biohazard disposal bin on the wall, turning and locking eyes with the flustered, beet-red Molly - closing the door before she could speak further, leaving Riley alone with Molly once more.

Molly takes a deep breath, visibly deflating- her persistent grin slipping a bit as Dr Hines leaves the room. Her face betrays an inner frustration and disappointment, furrowing her brow and puffing out her cheeks, letting loose a strained, heavy sigh. "Dammit- Molls, one step forward and two steps back- !" She huffs, and paces, her Converse squeaking on the tile. She takes a second, taking a few deep breaths, and exhales heavily, slapping her cheeks a few times- putting a determined smile back on her face and pivoting towards Riley, pulling off her gloves and disposing of them n the cart's bin. She jumps a little in place, shaking her shoulders loose, and then reaches for another pair.

Sanitizing her hands once more, she pulls them on, mumbling a little bit to herself - Riley could sense she was upset, but struggled to process the happenings that had occurred as Molly flips through a clipboard. She turns on a heel to look at him, a little red-faced but still pleasant. "You did really good, bud- okay? But, I've got good news, and bad news." She says, taking a deep breath. "So- bad news first, Dr Hines - rightfully so, you know- runs a right ship protocol wise! So, um-" She clasps her hands together, thumbs pointed forwards, leaning her body forwards a bit, tilting her head down and looking at him, sheepishly. "So, the bad news is, since that last sample was compromised, we have to get another - and we're on a very tight timeline for the experiment phases - but I know you're a great subject, and we can get past this!" She says, beaming. "The good news is, according to your chart data here - you should theoretically have a short and sweet refractory period!" She says, reaching for the tube of lubricant she had grabbed moments prior and uncapping it. "Now, I know you're gonna be a little sensitive - and I'm really sorry about this, I appreciate how flexible you're being about all this, okay-? This stuff is cold, ah -" She says conversationally.

Riley scoots back on the paper- covered table. "M-molly, wait, I can't - I literally just - " He says, finding his brain still struggling mightily to process, much less act or comprehend- his diminished size making it hard for him to move too far back. Molly shakes her head apologetically. "I know, buddy, I know, it sucks, right? But we're on such a tight schedule, and we have to- ah- no- don't lean back, okay, Riley? Palms flat on the table, remember?" She says, and cups a hand behind the small of his back, broad enough to cover most of the reduced Subject's back - scooting him back to the edge so his feet dangle and his groin is easily accessible. "There you go, thank you." She says, primly, and squirts a generous dollop onto her hand. Riley gives an involuntary shudder at the cold sensation of the slick substance against his hyper-sensitive cock, an audible whimper leaving his lips despite himself, leaning his head back, feeling utterly humiliated. Molly clicks her tongue apologetically, spreading the thick lubricant deftly and thoroughly along his shaft with one blue-gloved hand, forming a loose ring around the base and squeezing her fist up the length a few times, Riley wincing at the intense overstimulation. "Sorry buddy, I know it doesn't feel too good- but we need to get this done real fast, okay?" She explains, her clinical detachment from his state and his person showing plainly on her face, seemingly distracted from his pitiable protests by her sense of urgency mingling with her self-chastising at her mistake. "It's my fault, 100 percent - I obviously knew better, C'mon, Molls..." She says, quickly veering into talking more to herself as she focuses on stroking him back to full erection, tugging a bit less delicately than before- clearly trying her best to expedite the process as much as possible, Riley quivering and yelping beneath her grip. "No, Molly - it's t-too much, I -" He gasps, the sensation like icy electricity on his glans.

"Shh, shh - sit down, Riley." Molly admonishes, pressing down firmly with her free hand, forcing him down. "God, I should have known better - I DID know better, honestly- " Molly mutters, her hand working faster, rougher - in her own world now, continuing her self-recrimination without noticing or acknowledging Riley's desperate protestations and pleading beneath her grip. Her strokes begin becoming in sync with the words, squeezing more tightly- his shaft slick and glistening. "But did Molly know better? Nooo, no, not Molls, Molls is ditzy and clumsy, Molls misses the sample bin, Molls can't get simple paperwork right-" Riley shudders and twitches, the merciless pace overwhelming him, biting his lip and starting to tear up a bit. He grabs at Molly's moving wrist with both miniaturized hands, and she snaps ever-so-slightly at him. "Hey- Hey! I said hands flat. Okay, Riley? Flat like this." She places his hands firmly, just shy of roughly - on the paper once more, and resumes tirelessly milking his cock. "If I had just done it right the first time, then none of this would be an issue, and-" She mutters, continuing, her firm, rapid pumps showing no mercy, not seeming aware or present enough to notice the subject's desperate noises- eyes fixed forward, focused, jaw set tight, the occasional taut laugh and head shake at her own apparent foolishness and ineptitude intermittently punctuating her words. Molly holds another vial at the ready, and despite his hypersensitive state, Riley feels a deep, building pressure, building against his every conscious thought. He tries his best to resist, writhing and bucking futilely under her firm, resolute grip, stammering and whimpering. He gasps and bites his lip, breathing erratically, Molly barely noticing his vocalizations, still muttering her self-recriminations. Her unflagging strokes maintain an uninterrupted pace, her slick, gloved fist sliding easily along his hyper-sensitive shaft, ignoring his gasps and pleads, and she pressed him down against the bed. "Riley, come on - we're on a tight deadline here, I need you to give me one more, buddy- come ON, let's go-" She presses, her grip shifting, gloved thumb and forefinger encircling the crown- and he leaks pre-ejaculate in spite of his wishes. "That's right, get that out of the way- " Molly mutters to herself, and swabs the fluid away with hyper-focused care, watching intently - until he cannot hold back any longer. Riley arches his back, grunting loudly - spurting a weak stream into the open vial, toes curling, unable to resist her relentless assault. Molly squeezes the remaining fluid out as if he were a tube of toothpaste, ensuring not a single drop was left uncollected- and swiftly removes the vial from the tip, capping it and replacing it in the padded tray beside the exam table. She breathes a visible sigh of relief, yanking off one glove with her teeth, a faint sheen of sweat visible on her forehead as she runs her fingers through her hair. "Phew- okay, yeah- that's, alright- that should be good, yeah?" She mumbles, tossing the gloves into a nearby bin. Riley slumps forward, his member achingly sore and limp, letting out a soft, helpless noise - trembling and exhausted. Molly regains a degree of her former warmth as she notices his pitiable state - scooting a stool closer and helping him up lightly.

"Oh, buddy- ah, yeah- gosh, I'm really sorry about all that - just a little bump in the road, huh? Sacrifices for the good of human knowledge - " She muses, retrieving a sanitary wet-wipe, cleaning him gently. Riley lets out a pained noise, any sensation still overwhelming. Groaning softly, his head laying flat against the mat, cheek against the table, feeling absolutely mortified and embarrassed with himself.

Molly collects herself, tidying up the station and seeming to regain some of her composure as Riley stews in his newfound shame. She gathers the samples, depositing them in a padded protective case- setting it aside, and writing some notes onto Riley's chart. "Okay, well- that should just about do it for the first stage, Riley!" Molly remarks, chipper as ever. "Are you ready for stage two?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “Great!"