RR Nina Beckett - Chapter 3

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Reduction & Relocation: Nina Beckett

Chapter 3 - Reduction Therapy

[January 27th, 2010]

David was the last to cross the plane of the door into the lab.  The air seemed to carry a subtle electric charge, an intangible hint of anticipation that tingled at the edge of his senses.  The chamber was spacious and the walls were adorned with enigmatic symbols and warnings.  He identified a huge rack of shelves toward the back of the room and several stainless steel stools tucked under a spotless stainless steel table.  

“Whoa…what’s that?

The most eye-catching aspect of the room was staged to his left in the corner.  It was a colossal machine, a monolith of intricate engineering that defied any easy categorization.  Cables and conduits criss-crossed its surface like veins, running back to an electrical panel in the other corner of the room. Clusters of green LED lights blinked to no discernible pattern.  The green lights bathed the surface of a small chair near the machine which was surrounded by four plexiglass walls that stood around 8 to 9 feet tall.

“Oh, this is one of our Radiographic Imaging Instruments…but with an interesting little twist.” Dr. Bexley said, dwarfed in the towering machine’s presence. “It’s proprietary…”

“...and one of the reasons for all those forms you had to sign.” A brunette woman with beautiful brown hair and black, thick framed glasses  poked her head out from behind one of the panels of the instrument. David had only met her once and had not spent nearly as much time with her as he did with Dr. Bexley.  He recognized her to be the other co-founder of RR Labs: Dr. Katie Walker.

“How is she running, Dr. Walker?” Dr. Bexley asked.

“Fully functional again. Rose did a fantastic job.”

David couldn’t help but smile to see Rose’s cheeks redden in response to the praise. He didn’t know her well at all but part of him wanted to pat her on the shoulder and give her a strong, playful ‘atta-girl’. They were already off to such a great start though; maybe with enough time, they’d be close enough and have that kind of relationship for something like that. 

The machine seemed almost sentient, as if it were aware of its own power…whatever that power was.  David assumed it was some sort of radiation instrument he’d never seen before…but why wouldn't Dr. Bexley have mentioned it when he asked about equipment earlier?

“This is impressive, Dr. Walker.” David said.

“Hm?” 

Her attention was elsewhere, spread thin in every other direction aside from David until she looked up and her chocolate brown eyes locked with his.  

“Oh; thank you.” Her lips already curled into a natural smirk, which made her smile even more explosive and attractive…even if it was only polite.  David extended a hand to shake the brilliant doctor’s but she demonstrated that her small hands were covered with grease as she stepped toward a double-basin sink.  She didn’t seem too bothered by her inability to participate in the common gesture of greeting him. In fact, Dr. Katie Walker seemed almost confused by David’s presumption of open conversation–even perturbed. She was nearly as pretty as Dr. Bexley, albeit much more in a ‘librarian’ sort of way…and yet she seemed so much colder. 

“Okay, are we ready to begin?” Dr. Walker asked.

“I don’t have to go in there, do I?” David asked.  

David meant his question as a joke and he fully expected all three women to start laughing.  Of course it would be silly for him to enter into the belly of this mechanical beast.  But none of them laughed.

“Shortly.” Dr. Walker said, stepping out and away from the radiation equipment and approaching David, fresh water dripping from her clean hands.   There’s a bit of procedure we have to follow first. For your safety, we have to perform a physical inspection first.”

David swallowed dryly.  “A..physical inspection? Of what?”

Those cute chocolate brown eyes wandered down. 

“Umm…” David stammered, “Is this all really necessary?”

David felt a small hand on his broad shoulder.  

“Oh yes, David. Very!” Dr. Bexley said, almost as if she was offended by the question.  “We have to make sure that you’re safe.”

Both Dr. Walker and Rose nodded in agreement. While Dr. Walker’s chocolate brown eyes stirred a foreign discomfort deep within himself that he didn’t fully understand, the emerald green of Dr. Bexley’s eyes inspired a very familiar feeling.  It was the same feeling 10 years ago on that dock at summer camp when he had his first kiss with a cute red-head named Lizzy.  David knew now more than ever that he was smitten by this raven-haired beauty.  Would that make working for her complicated?  

..potentially.  

But aren’t all good stories chock full of complications before the characters end up together forever?

“Okay, let’s conduct the physical inspection.  We’ll just need you to remove all your clothing first.”

“What?!” David asked, his heart leaping into his throat.

“David, it's of the utmost importance that we identify any breaks in your skin.  Cuts, scrapes, even minor abrasions could be problematic.”  Dr. Walker said, sounding annoyed and impatient.  “We need to identify them and protect them accordingly.”

‘Why do I even have to go in that thing at all?’ David thought.  

He would have loved to ask but it felt as if the time to do that had passed.  Dr. Walker was visibly annoyed with David’s reluctance and he definitely didn’t want Dr. Bexley getting frustrated with him.  He’d made it to the second interview.  He was sure that there were other candidates out there…and at least one of them probably wouldn’t hesitate to strip naked and enter that machine if it meant working with and learning from these talented women.

“Okay…” David said.

David removed his neck tie and unbuttoned his dress shirt.  He removed his shoes, socks, and pants.  Alarm bells were going off in his head but he couldn’t pass up this opportunity.  He couldn’t blow this chance.

David tucked away his feelings of vulnerability best he could as he removed his trousers, folding them neatly to join his other clothing on the stainless steel table.  

The last thing to come off was his briefs…and now David stood before Rose, Dr. Bexley, and Dr. Walker, naked as the day he was born. 

David found it difficult to maintain eye contact with the three women, but to their credit they were incredibly professional.

“Alright, Rose.  You’ll be performing the inspection.” Dr. Walker said.

“Okay, doctor.” Rose replied, taking position in front of the naked man. “Okay, David. Would you mind getting on your knees?”

He felt goosebumps sprouting all over his naked body.

“Just for the top of your head.” Rose grinned, “You’re just a little too tall for me.”

Dr. Bexley set a thick towel down in front of Rose’s feet to cushion David’s bare knees as he dropped.  He initially stared up at Rose from this new, foreign angle but his line of sight was corrected to align with her flat stomach.

David groaned quietly as she ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp.  He shivered as her fingers ran down his temples and checked his ears.

“Don’t forget the back of his head.” Dr. Bexley chimed in.

Rose leaned in to look over the top of David’s head at the back, consequently brushing the coarse fabric of her thin lab coat against his nose..but not enough for her to notice. 

David looked up and admired her position above him.  She looked even more beautiful peering down at him, her fingers running through his hair.  Rose’s focus was on the inspection, and David saw her lips moving silently, as if she were consulting some internal notebook within her mind for the steps to follow. Her strict focus permitted David’s eyes to wander over her longer than would have been socially acceptable earlier.  The unique position beneath her was an interesting departure from the new but normal dynamic between them considering that he was the taller one…and he was the man.  Women weren’t supposed to lord over men.  They weren’t supposed to tower over them.  He felt a bit embarrassed, but David was getting aroused at the taboo nature of the dynamic shift.

“All good, Dr. Bexley. David, you can stand back up now.”

David gratefully stood back up, returning to his much more familiar position of towering over Rose. 

She continued her inspection, moving down to his chest.  She asked him to raise both of his arms and looked under them as well, shifting the hair under his arms in search of any abrasions or cuts.  David’s stomach twitched as she gently touched an inch below his belly button.  “I think we have one here.” Rose said.

“No…” David chuckled nervously.  “It’s a tattoo.”

“That little red line?” Dr. Bexley asked curiously, leaning in next to Rose.

“Yeah…it was going to be a DNA double helix but I very quickly realized that I have no tolerance for pain.”

Dr. Bexley smiled and nodded, stepping back from Rose and joining Dr. Walker at her side. 

“I wanted it in a spot that I figured nobody in my professional life would see..looks like that wouldn’t have worked out.”

The three women laughed at his joke, which inspired a little more confidence in David to get through this. He needed it for what was to come next.

“Do either of you have any tattoos?” David asked. 

“No tattoos for me, which is ironic considering this new experiment we’re trying to get off the ground.”

“Something with tattoos, then?” David asked.  

“Something like that.  Rose here was actually hired to help with developing some proposals and procedural documentation…but we’re still very early on in the phase.”

“Still early, but very exciting nonetheless!” Rose said. “I’ve got a few tattoos myself…you wouldn’t be able to see any of them here in the lab…and I’m always thinking about what the next one is going to be.”  

Rose shot a playful wink and David’s heart skipped a beat. His mind immediately wandered into the near-infinite possibilities…each permutation of ink against tan skin creating a version of Rose in his mind that he found undeniably attractive.  Maybe she had a delicate flower etched onto the curve of her hip, or a series of hearts stamped upon her lower back.  Wherever they were, David imagined the collections of ink concealed from view and waiting for the right set of eyes to see them…or the right set of lips to press against them

David's mind reeled as he felt the unexpected touch of Rose's hand on his penis, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through his body. Heat radiated from his crotch, his arousal ramping up and out of control, threatening to overwhelm him as her fingers circled his shaft.

And when they tightened, David’s poor knees threatened to buckle.

"Ohhh..." he mumbled, his voice barely audible as he struggled to regain his composure. His mind raced and his muscles tingled.  His heart was swelling and so too was the head of his throbbing cock.  He searched desperately for something coherent to say in response to the surreal situation; she was acting so normal and routine!  As if nothing out of the ordinary was happening…and he was putty in her hand!  

Well…perhaps comparing David to something as soft and pliable as putty was not exactly accurate…

Before he could gather his thoughts, Rose shushed him gently, her touch surprisingly soothing despite the wild storm of desire raging within him. With a gentle yet firm grip, she lifted his penis, her scientific scrutiny focused on the underside of the shaft and where it connected to his scrotum. It was all so normal to her. How could this be so normal to her?

David fought valiantly against the tide of arousal threatening to consume him. He clenched his jaw, willing himself to focus on anything but the tantalizing touch of Rose's hand. He forced himself to think of mundane things—work deadlines, grocery lists, anything to distract himself from the overwhelming sensations coursing through his body.

Yet, despite his efforts, his body betrayed him, responding eagerly to Rose's ministrations. Once or twice, he caught himself ever-so-slightly thrusting his hips against the young woman’s hand.  At one point, he watched her eyes–only her eyes–raise up to his as she continued fondling his cock.  He couldn't decide if the look was a stern reprimand or a girlish fascination…but whatever it was, it passed with the blink of an eye as her full focus returned to his throbbing shaft and aching balls.  His breath hitched in his throat as she continued fondling him–violating him, her touch sending shivers of pleasure down his spine. Was it embarrassing having a hot girl cup your cock and balls in front of two other hot girls? Sure, but that was nothing compared to having to bend over and have his butt cheeks spread so that they could check for any anal tearing. He stood back up and turned to face the women as soon as he was given permission.

“So…can I get dressed now?” David asked somewhat timidly when Rose concluded her evaluation.  At this point, he almost didn’t even care if he got the job.

“Soon, David..you have a small abrasion on your left knee there.” Rose said, squirting a healthy amount of petroleum jelly into her bare hand.  It seemed like way more than she needed but he supposed that she was just being careful. 

“Great job, Rose.” Dr. Bexley said, turning to David. “Let’s finish up with the procedure and we’ll begin onboarding.”

“Umm…onboarding?” David asked.

“Yes, we’ll be setting you up with Brandi Thompson right after we wrap up here.” Dr. Walker said.

“She’s the one you met on the way over here.  With the blonde braids?” Dr. Bexley added with a huge smile.  “I think you’ll learn a lot from her.”

David justified the fact that he’d have to go into this machine as being something similar to police officers having to get pepper sprayed or tased before they could use those tools in the field.  Perhaps David needed to understand what this radiation treatment would feel like in order to compassionately administer it on patients?

“So you had to do this too, Rose?” David asked as he climbed into the plexiglass enclosure of the behemoth instrument.

Again, Rose’s head tilted slightly and David caught her eyes momentarily shift to Dr. Walker and Dr. Bexley.  She then smiled and said, “Oh yes…we all had to do it.  Rite of passage, you could say.”

“Okay David.” Dr. Bexley said, securing the plexiglass walls around him.  The alarm bells were in full intensity now but he was in too deep.  He couldn’t back out now. 

Dr. Bexley’s small palm centered over a large red button and pressed it.  In an instant, the quietly humming machine roared to life, filling the chamber with an almost deafening cacophony of whirring motors. The soothing green LED lights transformed into blinding beacons, overstimulating his senses.  He squeezed his watering eyes in an attempt to protect them from the lights. Yet, the relentlessly increasing brilliance managed to pierce through his thin eyelids, casting an uncomfortable, bewildering dance of colors.

Amidst the disorienting light show, David forced his eyes open and stole fleeting glances at the three women who stood silently facing him.  He sought reassurance from their gaze but he found none.  Dr. Walker’s focused and calculated scrutiny was palpable, her attention darting between the machine and himself. 

Before he could study the other women, a strange whirring could be heard over top of David’s head.  His eyes shot upward to meet the gaze of a strange device…it was a laser contraption positioned menacingly over his head and slowly lowering.  His pulse quickened as he saw more lasers projected from the face of the behemoth machine, aligning to various parts of his body and remaining fixed even as his body moved slightly due to his erratic breathing.  

“Eyes forward, David.” Rose said, her stern words cutting through David’s swirling concerns.  

“It’s okay, Rose.” Dr. Bexley said. “The process has started and can’t be interrupted anymore.”

A peculiar sensation stirred within David’s chest, a tingling that meandered through his veins like a gentle current. He felt an odd warmth suffuse him, gradually extending from his core to his limbs, an oddly comforting phenomenon that left him both intrigued and unsettled.

Yet, as seconds ticked by, the comforting warmth transformed into an intense sensation. Arcs of electricity danced between the LEDs and his enclosure, sparking his disorientation. His gaze returned to the two women who, to his perplexity, seemed to have ascended step ladders, the room expanding vertically as if caught in an optical illusion.

His heartbeat quickened as realization dawned – it wasn't the room, the women, or the chair that were changing. He was shrinking. Panic gripped him, amplifying his discomfort. The tingling that once held a reassuring touch now intensified into an unbearable burn. He whimpered, trapped on the chair, his diminishing form imprisoned under the scrutiny of the LEDs, the lasers, and the watchful, fascinated eyes of the three women.

As he dwindled, the enclosure loomed larger, his ankles grazing the seat's raised edge. The LED lights converged on him, the lasers adjusting their focus to match his diminishing size. The air was charged with the hum of machinery, a relentless reminder of his altered reality. Dr. Bexley and Rose leaned in, observers of his irreversible transformation, their expressions a mixture of scientific curiosity and unsettling fascination.

With every passing moment, the boundary between him and the world around him blurred as cracking veins of deep black and violent purple splintered from his peripherals and consumed his vision. The LEDs dimmed, the lasers recalibrated, and a pulsating pain surged through his veins. His vision blurred, the room a chaotic whirl of colors and shapes. Roots of blackness encroached, veining his sight with threads of violet, his consciousness clouding.

Then, abruptly, the pain ceased. The world around him settled, his body now minuscule compared to the vast expanse that was once his chair. As his vision cleared, he saw the faces of Dr. Bexley and Rose peering down at him, their expressions akin to observers of a mesmerizing spectacle. The world had grown, the LEDs' intensity had waned, and his existence had been irrevocably altered. 

Suddenly, he could feel the pain growing from a barely discernible fuzz in the back of his mind, like a police siren over his shoulder and several miles back. It was all happening again.  The world around him was expanding even more, becoming overwhelmingly massive and intimidating.  The RTD, already a monstrously large machine, was immense.  He was dwindling away, losing more and more of himself.  Where was it going? He didn’t know…he just knew that he was losing himself into the air.  Through the spotty cracks of violent color, David could occasionally pick out the facial features of the angelic young women presiding over him like royalty.  Throughout the three, there were looks of amusement and interest.  Was this all part of the plan?  

“Doctors…” David heard the booming voice of Rose.  Her voice…it was so powerful and commanding. And yet there was a disconcerting uncertainty in her tone.  A fear, almost.  “He’s…he’s not stopping.”

I’m not stopping?

“Yes, you’re right,” Dr. Walker said. “He crossed the inch threshold quite some time back.  Pity.

“Oh, goodness..”

David didn’t like the look of fascination and concern on the young intern’s face.  Why was she getting so blurry? Why was everything around him…changing so much?  

When David's vision finally started to resolve, and the vivid spikes of vibrant black and purple cleared from his vision, he could make out the silhouettes of three shapely women, two of which comforted the third. 

They were towering goddesses to him…larger than anything he’d ever seen or could have imagined in his entire life. They may as well have been celestial bodies in the throws of deep space.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Rose.” Dr. Walker said, patting Rose on the shoulder. “Mistakes happen. Trust me, we’ve had interns with far more seniority make mistakes much worse than this.”

“She’s right, Rose,” Dr. Bexley added. “The reduction tech procedure settings are confusing to set up.  It’s very easy to make a mistake…no one gets it right the first time.”

Rose looked over at the seat upon which David was standing and her eyes welled up.  

“Is The Reduction Therapy Device going to be okay?”

‘She’s more worried about the machine?  What the hell is going on??’ David thought in a panic.

“This isn’t anything we can’t bounce back from.  The RTD might be down for a few days, and sure…we may have to make…” 

Dr. Walker briefly looked at the pale blue manilla folder in her hand before setting it down atop David’s folded clothing on the stainless steel table.

“...Ms. Laurier will wait a bit longer for her subject…but it will be a great opportunity for you and I to pop open the hood of The RTD and get an even better understanding of how it works.”

“What the hell are they talking about?” David shouted.  “Why aren’t you comforting ME?  Look at me?  I’m a fucking speck!”

Rose smiled, oblivious to David’s shouting and wiped a stray tear from her eye.  “Thanks, doctors.”

“Don’t mention it, dear,” Dr Walker said, patting Rose gently on the shoulder. “Now, why don’t you go grab one of the nV Kits from the shelf so we can take care of this.  You remember the nV protocol from orientation, right?”

David recognized that term from earlier.  But what was an nV Kit?

Rose sniffled and nodded her head, probably excited to redeem herself. She walked swiftly to the wall of shelves in the farthest corner of the room. She seemed eager to demonstrate her aptitude in something…anything.

David looked around from atop the seat, specifically the metal flush perimeter that had at one point been easily covered as he sat.  Now, the perimeter was raised what seemed like hundreds of feet over his head.  And the area that the perimeter contained….David tried to estimate how large an area he was standing in atop the seat.  Counting even in quantities of football fields would have been dizzying.

“What did you do to me?!” David wailed, staring up at the magnificent and unearthly feminine figures that towered over him.  

Neither of them were even looking at him, instead fiddling with the settings on the behemoth of a machine that had made him this small.  

“What kind of radiation treatment is this?!” David squeaked into the infinity of his plexiglass chamber, somehow nested within the larger infinity of the Reduction Therapy room.

Neither of the massive doctors could hear him, let alone answer his question.  David then saw Rose enter his field of view carrying some sort of tray filled with a variety of chemistry consumables.  Among a wide variety of items, he saw a pipette with a miniature squeezable bladder…for sucking things up like liquids…and maybe other things. 

Rose opened the plexiglass enclosure and stepped into the small space with David. He swallowed dryly as she turned around to shut the enclosure behind her.  He couldn’t help but notice how large her ass looked from his position at seat level. This was a whole new world that terrified and confused him, and the women didn’t seem nearly terrified or confused enough for his liking.

David cowered away, stumbling backwards onto his back as Rose leaned in, a terrifying goliath of beauty and elegance.  She moved so quickly and gracefully, and yet she was mind-bendingly large. Her face was so close to his now, and she was holding the pipette in one hand and something that looked like a scanner in her other hand. 

~

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