August 15th 2043

An elevator descended, headed straight for the basement floor of the Association headquarters. The journey through the more familiar parts of the building had been far quieter than usual, as it was a weekend. Three women occupied the elevator. Beth fidgeted nervously, aware of the atmosphere in the adequately sized metal box. The other woman, despite being kind towards Beth, was adamant in her efforts to ignore the blonde's tag-along friend. Riley stood at the back of the elevator quietly.

“So, Dani...” Riley decided once more to try and break the silence. She already attempted it whilst the trio travelled the corridors of the building, but had only been given short answers in a rather hostile tone. “Have you worked in the interrogation department for long?”

“A year.” The SCO answered. She didn't even turn, leaving Riley staring at the back of her head. It wasn't a terrible sight, honestly. Riley could appreciate how well the short blue hair suited her, cutting off at the bottom of the skull. At first glance it seemed black, but after a closer look it was clear that the shade of blue was just incredibly dark. The colour caused the scarlet clip pinning back hair from her face to stand out.

Riley felt a growing sense of annoyance. They were both SCOs, equals; just because she had a place in the interrogation department didn't make her any better. Fortunately, Riley wasn't the kind of person to stay quiet and stew in her anger. She was the kind of person who acted.

“Do you have a problem with me, Officer Traiger?” She suspected that a use of titles might force a lengthier response.

The silence remained intact. Beth's discomfort with the situation was obvious based on her body language. Riley kept her eyes on the back of Dani's head, the woman turned to set upon Riley with a cold glare. Her dark eyeliner really did add to the intensity.

“Officially? No. Unofficially? I don't think someone as fresh as yourself should be given access to the lower level.”

“I'm not being 'given access'. It was made clear to me that this is a one time thing. Besides, Beth is just as fresh as I am.”

Dani's eyes moved over to Beth's black boots for a moment. “Officer Barracloud has good reason to be involved with the interrogation department. She managed to break an odour record at Hemlock, in case you hadn't heard.”

Beth turned red and squirmed a little, still not totally used to the idea of being celebrated for her foot odour condition.

“Believe me, I know. And I'm very proud of her.” Riley smiled and reached out, touching her friend on the shoulder as if to say 'You don't have to be ashamed of that any more.' Then she moved her attention back to Dani. “What's to say that I'm not a talented SCO?”

“You might be. I have only skimmed your file. Your teachers seemed to be convinced that you'd go far in the Association, that you have the right attitude for success. I however, will not be easily convinced. I imagine the same will be true for the other interrogators.”

“Well then, sounds like I'll have to try extra hard to stand out, eh?” Riley responded to the still icy glare with a warm grin.

“Hmph.” Dani made a dismissive noise and turned her head back towards the doors, just in time for their opening.

As she emerged however, cocksure as hell, she crashed directly into another woman.

To the rancorous sound of Riley's laughter, Beth rushed forwards to help out. The woman who had collided with Dani had ashy brown hair that, prior to the fall, had been messily collected in a high ponytail. Now it fell loose on her white lab-coated shoulders.

Dani rose easily enough with Beth's assistance, shooting knives at Riley with a glare that put her old one to shame. But with the lady in the lab coat, Beth had to help further in order to find the thick rimmed glasses that had fallen from her face. When the clumsy woman was back on her feet, glasses on and hair put back up in a way that was messier than before, she was surprisingly pleasant.

“I'm so sorry! It becomes so easy to be distracted down here, especially when I need to run back and forth between two departments.” The expression on her face was distracted, flustered and grateful all at once somehow, with the gratitude taking a back seat.

“No need to be so sorry, Professor Branning.” Dani trained a thin lipped smile on the woman, inclining her head respectfully. “These girls are Officer Barracloud and Officer Levin, visitors of the interrogation department today.”

“Barracloud?” Professor Branning adjusted her glasses as her eyes suddenly became more focussed. “As in the girl with the stupendously stinky feet?”

That oh so familiar shade of red found Beth's cheeks. “That's me!”

Professor Branning took Beth's hand with both of her own and shook it firmly. The action brought Riley's attention to the size difference between the two. The newcomer was shorter than Dani, making her the smallest amongst them.

“You have to stop by the research and development department before you leave. Bring your friend too.” Professor Branning barely cast any attention Riley's way as she said this. “I could use samples from as many SCOs as possible. Your feet are wondrously smelly.”

Riley and Dani shared a look, the first that wasn't brimming with hostility. It told Riley that yes, this woman was as odd as she appeared to be. Regardless of the odd behaviour, she found herself liking the professor.

“We'll be glad to stop by, Professor Branning.” Riley said.

“Y-Yes. No problem.” If the professor sensed Beth's unsure tone, she didn't show it. She simply waved at them, scampering off in the same direction that she had been going.

“With that interruption over, follow me.” Dani went in the opposite direction. There were only three corridors down here and the middle one led to a metal door that looked rather secure. The corridor used by the professor was marked with a gold plaque engraved with the words 'Research and Development'. As expected, Riley saw a similar plaque with the name of Dani's department as they trailed behind her.

They walked along a stark grey corridor. Had there been silence, it would have been stifling. Luckily, the stomping of three pairs of boots on the hard floor provided plenty of sound.

In what appeared to be the lobby of the interrogation department, a strong looking woman with fiery red hair awaited them, leaning against the wall.

Suddenly seeming rather amicable, Dani gave a slight bow to her superior and introduced the guests with a respectful tone. “Head-interrogator Ivanov, this is Officer Barracloud and Officer Levin.”

The tall, terrifying woman strode over to the them, standing at the same height as Beth, and stuck out her hand. “Welcome to the interrogation department, Officer Barracloud, Officer Levin.” She shook their hands in turn, showing none of the unkindness that her subordinate had offered.

“Please, call us Riley and Beth, Head-interrogator Ivanov.”

A sharp nod. “In that case, you may call me Katya.” Her accent was thick, but her words fully understandable.

Those usually hard eyes, currently softened, settled on Riley. Riley held them. “I assume that Beth has explained her invitation here to you, considering that she asked that the invitation extended to you as well. I take it that Officer Everett couldn't attend?”

“She's busy, Head-interrogator Ivanov.” Beth answered.

“Katya.” The woman's lips formed a warm smile.

Beth gave a shy smile back, but a smile all the same. “Katya.”

“No problems. In fact, what I planned requires only two. Had you come alone, another interrogator would have joined you. Dani, I can handle our guests from here. You are dismissed.”

“As you command, Head-interrogator Ivanov.” Riley noticed that no correction came.

“Both of you, with me.”

Katya led the way down a corridor, leaving Dani behind. On either side were doors, windows set high into the metal. Riley didn't get a chance to stop and peek inside, not at the pace the head-interrogator expected of her, but the screaming, pleading and silence said enough. The screaming and pleading suggested that it wasn't only shrinkees enduring the attentions of Association interrogators. The silence however, carried a weight of misery in itself. The quiet rooms were obviously occupied, as all the vacant windows were devoid of light. The sadistic part of Riley itched with curiosity, wanting nothing more than to step into one of those quiet rooms and she exactly how they dealt with shrinkees in this department.

Paying just enough attention to the accented speech of her guide, Riley reminded herself that she was likely to soon satiate that curiosity, based on what Beth had told her. The tall blonde had seemed excitable on the day that Riley had received Teddy, telling of how the interrogation department were interested in her... 'abilities' and would like to schedule a visit. Taylor seemed disappointed but firm when she refused, however Riley was all too eager. It was no surprise that Beth had managed to convince them to allow others, that girl could be so naturally sweet that it made her hard to refuse.

“Here.”

The single word snapped Riley back to full reality. They had stopped by a door, this one wide open. “Step inside, and we shall begin.”

Following the orders of their superior, Riley and Beth entered the room. It was devoid of furniture, save for a large screen on one wall and two chairs that were attached along the floor to a box. As Riley came closer, she noted a rectangular indentation in the top of the box, as well as a hole on the side in front of one of the chairs. After moving over to the other side, she saw that the first hole had a parallel twin facing the second chair.

“Beth was asked here to check out the potential of her feet in regards to the interrogation department.” Katya explained. “However we will be happy to see you in action too, Riley. Your profile is impressive, especially considering it only features academy achievements.”

“Thank you, Katya.”

“Please, both of you, take a seat. I'll have to ask also that you remove one boot and place your feet through the hole. That right there is a device that I believe you two will appreciate, especially once our guest joins us.”

Still following orders, Riley and Beth sat down. Their eyes met over the strange box and they smiled. Even with Beth's soft exterior, it was clear that deep down she did enjoy the practise of her profession, in a more conservative fashion than Riley.

“Now, if you wouldn't mind, place the foot correspondent to the hole before you into the 'footsie press'. Don't worry about what happens inside, you'll feel the machinery grab your ankles, this is normal. The heat inside the box portion of the footsie press is turned up 10° more than your SCO boots at max, so it'll be stuffier than you're used to.”

“That's... how hot, again?” Riley asked.

Katya looked at Riley to see if she was joking, then chuckled upon realising it was a series question. “Do you want to answer that, Beth?”

“Our boots can reach a temperature of 30° Celsius, Off– Katya.”

“At least one of you remembers.” Katya said with a smile, patting Riley on the shoulder. “Anyway, like I said. Boot off, foot in. I'll go and retrieve the prisoner.”

Riley bent over, manually releasing the straps and slipping her foot from the boot. Beth did the same. Had there been a non SCO in the room they would be on the floor right now, clutching desperately at their nose. Riley laughed at the thought, wiggling her freshly freed toes. She still liked the cherry red colour that she had chosen and wondered what she'd replace it with if she ever grew tired of the colour. She had the toe ring that Tom had bought for her adorning her third toe. When he first gave it to her he had slid it onto her second, but it fit better on the third, clinging nice and snugly to the digit. Glancing at Beth's massive feet, Riley noticed that her friend was wearing a gorgeous black on her long, pale toes.

Today, Riley had opted to give her feet a rest from the heater within her boots. But judging by what Katya had said, it seemed that her soles were going to be hot and sweaty regardless of her intentions. Well, hotter and sweatier than normal, at least.

“Oooph!” Riley made a high pitched noise when her lower leg entered through the hole in the footsie press. Beth somehow managed to contain her surprise. The reaction was caused by something within the machine clasping around her ankle, holding it in place. However, she found that she could still roll her foot around. Suddenly thrust into such a high temperature compartment, beads of sweat began to form on both trapped feet, starting in the perpetually moist toe gaps and quickly appearing everywhere else.

“So how do we...”

“Ah!” Beth pulled a lever at the side of her chair all the way back and her chair flew forwards, burying her lengthy leg further inside the torture machine.

“What did you do?”

Riley looked down at the side of her own chair, seeing a lever matching the one that Beth pulled.

“I just tugged on that and suddenly something propelled me!”

“Hold on.” Riley pulled the lever too, but far more gently than her friend. Her chair shifted steadily towards Beth until their perspiring soles met within the confines of the box. “Footsie!”

Riley used her toes to tickle the larger foot of her friend, setting both of them off giggling.

“Riley!” Beth's foot jerked around, trying and failing to escape the tickling toes. “Stop!”

“Make me.”

Katya returned about a minute later. “I see that you two have figured out how the footsie press works.”

“We have.” Riley said, grinning.

“Saves me explaining. Push the levers and your chairs will retract. All the way back, please.” Katya lifted an object in her hand, a transportation cylinder, and placed it on top of the footsie press. She looked more serious than before, not sparing amused expressions for her guests.

After taking the lid off of the cylinder, Katya gazed down at the shrinkee within. “Enough stewing in sweat, Mr Barnaby. I have a couple of young SCOs here eager to show you their 'talent'.”

Neither girl could take their eyes off of the small man that Katya lifted from the container. He was dripping with thick liquid. “Girls, this is Keith Barnaby. He and his followers have assaulted SCOs like yourselves and stolen shrinkees undergoing rehabilitation: Association property. For the past hour, after having his size altered to six inches to properly fit this particular device, he has been standing neck-deep in foot sweat generously donated by interrogators, straight from their boots.”

Keith hung limp in the relatively giant woman's grip, looking worn out. “What's wrong, tough guy? Nothing to say? You were so full of protests and insults a few days ago.”

Katya allowed seconds to pass. “I didn't think so. Let me show you how this device works.”

She pushed down on the rectangular indentation on the top of the box. Riley noticed that this wasn't only positioned above the place where her foot met Beth's, but that it had a pair of tiny holes as well. The rectangular portion rose, motivated by some mechanism. Katya split it into two with a flick of her fingers, dividing the small holes into four semi-circles.

“You go in this bit. Dangling upside down. Then you will be lowered down into the big box. It's hot in there; very hot. Not to mention that our youthful SCOs here both already have a foot inside, sweating profusely and stinky up the entire thing. You'll be in there for a long while. Do you have anything to say about that?”

Riley observed the tiny face slowly. She'd seen enough people break to know when someone was nearing that point. It hadn't been many people, just a few, but it was enough to sear the expressions they made into her mind. The kind of expression belonging to someone who didn't want to give up, yet faced a stint of stinky torture if they refused to.

“Hmm.”

Katya lowered the tiny towards the spilt parts of the protruding rectangle. He passed through the gap, until his ankles came level with it and Katya snapped the halves back together, leaving him hanging there without the assistance of her hand.

Showing not even a hint of mercy, a sole finger from the hand of the head-interrogator pushed the rectangle back into the footsie press, submerging him in a den of heat and stench with only his tiny feet exposed.

Pulling a remote control from her jacket pocket, Katya switched the screen on. The three SCOs were shown a scene inside the box of Keith Barnaby suspended from his ankles, writhing and struggling. It seemed that the odour rapidly building inside the hot box was already proving to be a challenge. The whole thing was filtered through a light fog that was apparently sourced from the desperately sweating soles.

“Now girls, this is where the fun begins.” Even Riley thought that Head-interrogator Ivanov looked scary when she spoke those words. In that moment the young SCO knew that this is what Katya was put on the Earth to do. This was her purpose. Riley found herself hoping that she was in the same boat as the experienced torturer.

Two electric toothbrushes were drawn from pockets. Wielded one in each hand, Katya lowered them to the wiggling tiny feet of the shrinkee in the box and they whirred to life once they came close. “Watch his reaction to this, girls.” Katya was unable to keep a sadistic grin from curling her lips. “He's going to go wild!”

They watched. With expressions of both excitement and awe, they watched. As the spinning brushes came into contact with the trapped soles, the man on the screen did indeed go wild. Swinging around as much as he could, Keith tried to raise his body up towards the restraints that held him, wanting to at least bang on the closed stocks and unleash his frustration if he couldn't break free of them. But he couldn't even do that. Whether it was because of the laughter racking his body or because he lacked sufficient core strength, Riley could not say. All she knew was that she was enjoying this.

Moving her eyes over to Beth, Riley saw that her friend was spectating the events on the screen with wide eyes. An inexperienced onlooker might confuse the glint in those rich blue irises as horror, but Riley knew that Beth felt similar to her.

“Now girls, pull on the levers. Carefully; we want to build this worm's anticipation up as much as possible.” Katya didn't shift any of her attention from her task, knowing that her subordinates would obey without question.

Thankfully, Beth showed much more control than last time. Both chairs began moving forward at a snail's pace, swallowing one pale leg and one slightly less pale leg once more.

Keith didn't spot the encroaching feet immediately. He was busy struggling under the ceaseless tickle torture, but when he did the fearful look that came over his micro face was clear even on the screen they watched him through. It wasn't obvious if his renewed panicking came from an increase in odour or the threat of those feet touching him.

Katya's toothbrushes kept spinning, ever so quickly. Riley and Beth's feet kept coming, ever so slowly. Keith struggled more and more, waving his arms hopelessly in the foggy void beneath him. Sweat dripped off of him. It could have been the foot sweat from the transportation cylinder or his own, summoned from his pores thanks to the heat and terror.

As her foot drew near, Riley started flexing her toes tauntingly, as if reaching out for the hanging man with five fingers, eager to grasp him. She couldn't help but admire how pretty her feet looked on the screen. Wearing the toe ring was a good decision. Despite the tough conditions that SCO feet went through they were somewhat easy to keep looking nice so long as you took care of them. Many theorised that this was another side effect of the Pesfetorus virus, allowing the soles and toes to remain soft for longer and resist the intense conditions that would usually cause an outbreak of calloused and peeling skin. Beth saw what Riley was doing with her toes and mimicked the action, although the blonde came closer to actually grabbing the tiny, flailing body with her longer digits.

“Stop.” Katya gave the command when their toes were oh so close to touching Keith. He was just about spasming with fear now and continued to do so even when the head-interrogator lifted the twirling bristles from the miniature feet. On both sides was hot, smelly foot flesh of such potency that his senses must have been screaming.

Katya's finger pushed on the rectangular indentation again and it moved out, freeing the prisoner from the stink chamber. Some wisps of the growing foot fog escaped.

“Please! NO MORE!” The shrinkee screamed. His eyes streamed with a mixture of tears and condensation.

“Are you ready to make a full confession, little one?” Katya loomed over him.

He trembled. “YES! Don't let those feet touch me, I beg you.”

It was hard for Riley to make out exactly what he was saying, but she could just about do it. The head-interrogator seemed to be having an easier time of it.

“Excellent.” A set of white teeth flashed through an evil grin. “But, I'm not sure you're... ready to confess just yet.”

“W-what do you mean?” The colour, which was pinkish after being subjected to the inside of the footsie press, drained from him.

“What I mean is,” Katya lightly touched a finger to the stocks, pushing them back inside with maddeningly slow speed. “you're going back inside. For a whole hour.”

“No.”

“I'm going to keep tickling you, with no chance of giving you a break.”

“No!”

“Beth and Riley are going to use you as the filling for their foot sandwich. Squished between their reeking, sweaty soles.”

“NO!”

“Yes. There's no avoiding it. I look forward to watching every moment.”

He likely would have shouted again, but before he could he was sealed away, back within the footsie press.

“Go on girls. It's footsie time.”

Riley met Beth's eyes. They both wore smiles and were on the verge of spluttering into laugher. “Footsie!”

As they proclaimed the word simultaneously, both of them tugged on their respective levers and their feet slammed together. All of Keith's tormented motions were halted as he was smushed between two incredibly stinky feet. Their sweltering soles, literally dripping with newly formed sweat, were firm yet supple, preventing movement and burying the tiny body inside at the same time.

“I think he's screaming against my foot.” Beth noted. She giggled. “I kinda like it.”

“He's probably laughing. I can't blame him, I shudder at the thought of someone running these thing over my soles.”

“He could be laughing and screaming, Katya. If you'd ever got a whiff of Beth's feet before desensitisation, you'd understand.”

The three of them laughed at that. Beth didn't tend to get embarrassed when caught up in the moment.

“It does feel nice though.” Riley said in a near whisper. She stared at the box, not at the screen, feeling the fruitless physical protests that the older man made against her sole. But it wasn't Keith that she was imagining in there, stuck between a giant, extremely smelly foot and another bigger, smellier foot. At first it was Teddy. The thought of her foot trampling him, pinning him against the floor as she ran her fingernails over his exposed, sensitive soles caused Riley's lips to curl upwards.

Then she started imagining it was Tom, and her lips curled higher still.