In the year 2045, society was divided into two primary castes- the big and the small. At a time when fertility was at an all time high and resources continued to run drier by the day, governments of the world came together and agreed that drastic action needed to be taken. There was barely enough space to accommodate everyone on earth, let alone food.

It was decided that over 80% of society would be shrunken down to a mere fraction of their original size, with a ruling class retaining their stature to maintain societal order. Of course, the primary determiner in what allowed someone to dodge the shrinking draft came down to one of two factors: money or connections.

Once the decision was made, action was taken fast and with imperfect technology. Some junior staff were made to process hundreds of people a day, so it was inevitable that inconsistencies would be found. While the target size was 1 inch, it was not uncommon for people to be reduced irreversibly to under half that.

The riots against the new rules were fierce but short lived, as people quickly came to realise that anyone who partook would likely find themselves part of a particularly unfortunate series of malfunctions, which left some people at just a millimetre in height.

Worse still, people’s rights generally correlated with their size, and anyone who could be mistaken for an ant was generally treated like one.

Alex got the dreaded phone call late June. “Hi, is this uhhhh… Alex?”

The man on the other end of the line didn’t sound too experienced.

“Yeah.”

The man sighed, already sounding defeated by a job he can’t have had for any more than a week. “You have been selected for the shrinking process. I’ve been informed to tell you that you should visit your nearest shrinking outpost before the end of today. Alex stayed quiet and the seconds ticked by.

“I know it’s difficult to hear… Trust me, you don’t want to try and avoid this. Hah, I tried to and they’ve already got me working the phones.”

Alex wasn’t surprised that labour was already being delegated to those who weren’t in a position to refuse it.

“Thanks for the advice.” Said Alex, deadpan, before hanging up the phone.

He lifted his head and looked at his wife and daughter, who already knew what the news was. “It’s time.” Said Alex, hugging them both. He had spent every penny he had securing them a safe future, but was unable to avoid the draft himself.

“I’ll drive you to the centre” said his wife, her emotions thinly veiled.

"Do you really have to do this?" Asked Alex's wife, Hazel.

"You know I do." He replied curtly. There was silence.

Alex continued. "It's you or me, you know... And to be honest, I haven't seen you offer."

The remark was cutting, but Hazel could not deny it. "You know I love you," she said. "And it's not the end of the world. Me and Melissa will take good care of you."

Alex wondered how his daughter would fare. She wasn't too young, fortunately, and was fiercely independent even for a 19 year old. Still, she was effectively losing her dad. "Thanks."

While there was little to Alex's final reply as they pulled up at the centre, Hazel knew he was sincere.

There were multiple shrinking stations and the lines to be shrunken were huge. Alex queued nervously with Hazel while being eyed by security stationed in every corner.

“I’ll see you on the other side, I guess.” Said Hazel. They kissed passionately one last time before Alex was called over by a nurse no older than 20.

The blonde was obviously unenthused with her job and didn’t seem too interested in talking. “Get in the thing then” she muttered while chewing gum. Alex couldn’t believe this was how he’d spend his last moments as a normal human, being ordered around by someone the same age as his own daughter. He entered the glass chamber as the nurse fiddled with the settings. "We'll aim for about an inch." She said, sealing the door shut behind him.

He turned to wave to his wife one last time, but what he saw made his heart sink. “No, let me go!” Hazel yelled as she was restrained by two security guards. “I just came here with my husband, I’m not meant to be shrunken!” She protested. Alex couldn’t hear a word of it, but thudded on the glass to be let out. This was a horrible misunderstanding.

“Haha, had a change of heart, huh? I promise you aren’t the first. Now get ready.” Said the guard, hauling her over to the chamber. In the struggle, she managed to break free and bumped the nurse operating the controls. This was the last thing Alex saw before he was blinded by a flash of light.