No Longer Beta-Testers

— Oh my God, I have to take a picture of this! — squealed Jessica, squinting and holding her iPhone up to eye level. The camera captured something almost unreal: perfect curves, a smooth back, a waist you could wrap your hands around, and thin green bikini strings digging into her hips.

— Seriously?.. — drawled the girl standing in front of the mirror, pretending to sound annoyed. But her tone... no, the tone made everything clear: she knew she looked stunning. And every move of her new ass was a challenge to her former self.

— Seriously! Your ass is fucking gorgeous! — confirmed Jessica, staring at the screen without blinking. — I’m telling you, Evan— I mean, Ashley... if I didn’t know you were that tall guy who used to crush me in Mortal Kombat, I’d swear you were just some TikTok model. — Jessica snorted with laughter, but her gaze never left the screen. — Look at this! God, you’re a perfect babe, and those little strings on your panties... They’re literally begging to be untied.

— Cut it out, — Ashley grimaced, adjusting the terracotta bikini top that kept riding up her small, girlishly delicate breasts. — This thing feels like it was designed to be... damn, too real. It even chafes. I mean, seriously, is a simulation supposed to emulate fabric rubbing on nipples?

— Well well, sounds like you're kinda into it, — Jessica smirked, snapping a few more shots from another angle. — Admit it, you picked that swimsuit on purpose. Wanted to feel like a hot girl, huh?

— I didn’t pick it, — Ashley snapped, raising her chin a bit and staring into her reflection, into those big brown eyes. — The program chose it. Probably some kind of “visual harmony with body” algorithm. And on top of that — the height! I barely reach your shoulder now.

— Sorry, shorty, — Jessica chuckled, leaning against the concrete wall. — The sim's got its own standards. I guess they thought you should be petite. Adds... spice?

Ashley rolled her eyes, stepped back from the mirror, and awkwardly stumbled, immediately grabbing her thigh — or rather, the tight olive fabric that was cutting into her skin.

— Jesus... I can’t even move right. This body... it’s too soft! I can’t flex without everything... jiggling! — her voice cracked a little, and for a second there was almost panic in it. — And why the hell can I smell my lotion? Why does it smell like vanilla and coconut?!

— Uhh, maybe because you are Ashley now, — said Jessica, drawing out the name like she was savoring it. — The new you. New Me 3.0, baby. Don’t blame the code— embrace the upgrade and move on!

— This isn’t an upgrade! — Ashley barked, storming over to Jessica and trying to snatch the phone away. — I’m not supposed to feel like this when I move my hips! It’s like... like they want to sway on their own, you get me?! And it’s fucking weird!

Ashley tensed up a bit. She still hadn’t checked what was down there, but she already felt like it wasn’t just a visual change—like there might be an actual, real female vagina now. And that scared her. Had the developers really gone that far with the new version of the virtual program? And why the fuck, when Ashton came back to his job as a “beta tester” and logged back into “New Me”, did he end up with this?!

Jessica was supposed to help, but since they met here, she’d only been making things worse with her teasing, her little jokes that were starting to sound more and more suspicious.

— It’s not weird! I can tell—you’re just at the “body awareness” stage, — Jessica said gently, hiding the phone behind her back. — The next stage is “does this look good on me?” You’re not there yet, but you’re close. Soon you’ll be begging me to hit the mall with you.

— Never, — Ashley exhaled. — I want out. That’s it. Experiment’s over, jokes are done. Where’s the fucking exit?

Silence fell. Jessica looked at her carefully. The smile vanished from her lips, and for the first time, Ashley saw something in her eyes she didn’t want to see.

— I tried too. Seriously, — Jessica said quietly, scratching the back of her head like a guilty schoolkid. — But the “exit” button doesn’t work. Like it’s just... gone. Like... we’re really inside now. Not on a test. Not in beta anymore.

Ashley went dead silent. She turned to the mirror. Slowly ran her fingers along her waist—thin, girlish, something that never used to be there. The smirk she usually wore like armor didn’t seem like part of the game anymore.

— So... — her voice was quieter than a whisper. — They weren’t joking about... brain copying?

— Looks like they weren’t... I’ve been here a month. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner — Jessica said softly, then gave Ashley’s butt a playful smack and added. — So get used to it, girl. Or... enjoy it. Looks like this is our life now.