Change of Course

by

Julie O.

  

Chapter One

The Notification

  

It was 0630 and the office was almost completely empty and that suited Lieutenant Ben Carlson just fine. He liked the quiet time before the masses arrived, as he usually accomplished most of his morning administrative duties before the rest of the command even arrived.

Ben was a Naval Officer starting his second year at the training command in San Diego CA. His previous duty station had been on a cruiser and due to world events he had spent most of that time deployed. He had been looking forward to shore duty as a welcome change of pace. Shore duty was usually pretty easy compared to being on a warship. The job also afforded junior officers like Ben, the chance to earn a Masters degree.

For the most part, Ben liked his job. He was assigned as a team leader for shipboard weapons qualifications. They would train the crew and prepare them for their pre-deployment inspections. One problem was that while their main office was in San Diego, they were responsible for training ships in the entire Pacific Fleet. This often meant long trips to bases. Another problem was that, for the most part, the personnel they were training saw them as a pain in the ass. Ben understood this attitude as he had felt the same way when he was stationed on a ship.

That morning Ben was adjusting the schedule so that the long overseas trips were equally distributed to all his personnel. It was a thankless job and he liked to work on it alone to avoid the countless sob stories from his team members.

As he worked the schedule, he thought about his six years in the Navy. He had joined NROTC at Penn State, mainly to get the scholarship. He wore contact lenses, which disqualified him from flying, and he didn't want to be on submarines, so all that was left was the surface fleet. He was pleasantly surprised how much he loved being on a surface ship. For the most part he enjoyed being at sea. There was a sense of purpose that didn't exist in many other jobs. At times he missed being on a ship, however, when he reminded himself of the long hours he had spent on a shift at sea, he was happy to be on shore duty.

Ben was also single. This was as much a function of all the traveling he had to do and being on ships, as much as it was due to his personality. Ben had never met the right girl and wasn't about to jump into marriage until he was 100% sure. Still, he enjoyed his life and was seriously debating making the Navy a career.

Just as he was finishing up the schedule he heard someone calling out his name.

"Hey LT Carlson! Are you here?" shouted Petty Officer Jones.

"I'm over here Jonesy," shouted Ben, as he raised his hand and waved it so Jones could see it over the cubicle wall.

Petty Officer Second Class Jones worked in the Commanding Officer's office. His entries into the main training area were dreaded by most in the command. It usually meant that the 'old man' wanted to see you and it usually wasn't for anything good. Jonesy knew this, and enjoyed his power.

"What's up?" asked Ben, knowing the answer.

"I figured you'd be here. You're always here early! Anyway, Captain Wallace wants to see you ASAP! And Sir, before you ask, I have no idea why," replied Jones as he headed back toward the Captain's Office. "If it makes you feel at ease, he doesn't seem to be pissed off or anything."

Ben logged off his computer and hurried to catch up with Jonesy. His mind raced through the possibilities of why the Captain might want to see him so early. The CO usually wasn't in until after 0800. He thought about the ships they were training and he couldn't think of any recent problems.

He arrived at the door leading into the CO's office. He looked around and saw that the CO's secretary wasn't even in the office yet. Well, there was no use putting off the inevitable. He checked his uniform, took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door.

"Enter!" came the reply from Capt. Wallace.

"LT Carlson reporting as ordered Sir," stated Ben, as he entered the office and came to attention in front of Capt. Wallace's desk.

"At ease Ben," said Capt Wallace in a calm voice. "Close the door Petty Officer Jones, on your way out and see that no one disturbs us and I mean NO ONE!"

Ben was now really worried. The CO had never called him by his first name. He looked around the room and saw that there were three other people in the room. Two were officers and one was a civilian. The officers were not familiar. Ben looked at them and saw by the collar devices that one was a Doctor. The other one was a line officer, but had the look of being a spook. Those intelligence guys all had the same arrogant look to them. Ben noticed that the officer seemed at ease and was avoiding all eye contact with him. Ben wondered if he had committed a security breach. Due to his position, Ben held a high security clearance, but was always very careful and followed all the rules to the letter. But why would a doctor be here if he had committed a security violation, he wondered. It just didn't make sense.

The civilian was a woman. She looked as if she was in her late 20s or early 30s and was quite attractive, even in her stern looking clothing, thought Ben. She was in a gray jacket and dress, very professional looking. She had the look of someone in the know. Ben wasn't sure, but he guessed she might be Naval Investigative Service (NIS). They handled the criminal investigations for the Navy. They never brought good news!

"Please have a seat Ben," ordered Capt. Wallace. "Now, I have been told to remind everyone that what is discussed in this room is to be considered top secret."

Ben sat down and looked around that room. He noticed that the Doctor had his medical record in front of him. Worse case scenarios started to run through his mind, but it didn't make sense; if he was dying, why be so secret about it?

"Commander Evans, you can start your briefing," announced Capt. Wallace.

The spook started to read off his record. "LT Benjamin Edward Carlson, SSN 529-23-3247, Surface Warfare Officer, 26, single, assigned to present duty station thirteen months and six days. Holds Top Secret Clearance." At no time did Commander Evans ever look at Ben. It was as if he was deliberately avoiding eye contact.

As Commander Evans spoke, Ben tried to ignore him. He decided to avoid wasting time and to start disliking him now. Commander Evans was the kind of pompous jerk that he couldn't stand.

Next, it was the Doctor's turn. "LT Carlson's last physical was eight months ago. No problems noted. Patient is in excellent health."

Ben was really confused now. He was just about to ask what was going on, when the civilian spoke up. "Yesterday, the Department of Defense received a coded message from an 'outside source'. It wasn't transmitted by any of our units. It was sent by scientist who once worked for the government."

There was a long pause. Ben was starting to think she was a lot higher than NIS.

"The message provided a list of ten military personnel which included LT Carlson, and informed us that yesterday they had been exposed to a process that would physically alter their genetic make-up. The changes would start to appear within 24 hours," stated the woman in the gray dress.

"What exactly does that mean?" Ben interrupted, now sitting on the edge of his chair.

She ignored Ben and continued with her brief. "We believe that the message came from Dr. Martz. He is a well-known genetic researcher and overall genius. He did some work for the company a few years ago, but has since been doing private studies. He contacted us last month with, what he called, a major break-through in genetics and indicated that the Govt. would find it very useful. Apparently he got tired of waiting for our reply and decided to give us a demonstration."

Ben interrupted again, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you tell me just WHAT THE HELL HE DID TO ME?"

"Please, LT, I am getting to that. Try not to be so emotional. We don't even know if he is telling the truth," replied the woman in a calm manner. "Now let me see, where I was before I was interrupted?"

Ben was about to speak again, when he saw Capt Wallace hold up his hand to tell him to be quiet. Ben reluctantly obeyed.

She looked through her notebook. "Yes, here it is…. the changes will run their course in a little over 24 hours. He states that he wants one of the demonstration patients to act as an agent between him and Government. Once we see that the process works, he will provide us with all the necessary information in exchange for $100,000,000 to be deposited in a Swiss Bank Account."

The woman closed her notebook and continued with her brief. "I'm now in charge of the LT. He will be taken to a private clinic that we have reserved and given a complete physical by Dr. Stevens," she explained, pointing to the Medical Officer. "Commander Evans will be responsible for his safety and security until further notice. If the process is successful, I will be instructed on how one of those exposed, will contact Dr Martz. Are there any questions?"

"Well, I have a couple, if you don't mind," demanded Ben angrily. "First off, who are you, and second, what am I going to turn into?"

She looked at Ben. She knew he had a right to be angry. "You can call me Maggie, and lets just say for now, that I work for the Government. Second, the process is supposed to change your Y-chromosomes into X chromosomes, thus making you genetically female. We don't know exactly what will happen or if it will transform you physically into a woman or not."

Her words slowly sank in and the young officer just sat there in silence. He was at a loss for words. This was not some elaborate joke, but how could it be true?

"We need to get going. We have a lot of questions to ask you and I'm sure that you have a few of your own for us, LT," explained Maggie, in a very calming manner. "Captain, you will explain his absence by saying he has a family emergency and had to go on leave."

Captain Watson nodded. "I'll take care of that, no one will know the truth. Don't worry Ben, this will work out."

Ben gave him a look of disbelief. All he could do was nod in agreement, even though he had a bad feeling that it wasn't going to "work out".

 

Chapter Two

So It Begins

 

They left the office. Maggie would ride over with Ben and Doctor Stevens. Commander Evans would meet them at the clinic. Ben's mind was racing. How could this be happening? And even more important, why was this happening to him? He didn't feel any different, he thought.

They left the base and Maggie told him to head up the coast. She told him the clinic was located in Carlsbad. She took out a small recorder and turned it on. She told him that it was vital that he record any and all changes as he became aware of them.

"LT, Anything that feels out of the norm, you must record it no matter how minor it may seem to you. I can provide you with a recorder like this one, or you can keep a journal," she explained. "According to the message, the changes should be starting sometime within the next 24 hours."

"Do you mind we if make a quick stop for coffee?" asked Ben. "By the way Maggie, call me Ben, it's less formal."

"Sure, Ben, that sounds good. I could use some myself," answered Maggie. "I would prefer you use a drive-thru."

Ben pulled into a fast food place and ordered two large coffees. He handed them to Maggie and drove back onto the highway. She asked him if he wanted anything in his coffee. He told her cream and two sugars.

He took his first sip, made a face as if it was too bitter. "I think you left out the sugar. Could you put a put a few more in this please?"

She took the coffee and put in more sugar. It was still not sweet enough. She ended up putting in 10 bags of sugar.

"I hope you don't normally drink your coffee with a pound of sugar in it," she commented with a slight laugh.

"No, you're right, normally I don't use sugar at all," replied Ben. "Suddenly I feel a strong craving for it." He glanced over at her, wondering if was the start.

"Looks like your metabolism is starting to speed up. This could indicate the beginning of your processes," she stated in a lower voice. "I'm sorry Ben, I was hoping it might possibly be all a hoax."

Ben didn't say a word. He could see that Maggie was actually sympathetic to his predicament. At least one of these people was on his side.

"I hate to do this, but I need to ask you a lot of questions," explained Maggie sympathetically.

"I understand. By the way your concern is appreciated," answered Ben. For the first time in years, Ben felt really afraid.

She went on to ask him to tell her everything he had done in the past 24 hours. She told me to tell her everything, no matter how minor it might seem to him. It could possibly give them a clue as to how he had become exposed. She told him that obviously the transmission had to be localized, most likely via physical contact.

She also knew that the mental exercise was good for Ben; it would keep him focused and ease his worrying. She was starting to like this young officer. He was reacting better than she imagined. She had also hoped to stay detached, but that was impossible.

Nothing Ben told her seemed out of the ordinary. Maggie knew that if someone could come up with a complex genetic changing process, then of course, they would have developed a way to use it secretly. She really didn't expect him to say that a dart hit him in the back of the neck.

Maggie told him that there would be agents searching his apartment. They had to check everything. Ben nodded and kept his eyes trained on the road ahead.

"I guess they have to look under every stone," replied Ben. "May I ask you a question? Who is this Dr. Martz? Is he some sort of 'mad scientist'?"

Maggie looked over and turned off the recorder. "Dr Martz is a genius in genetic science. He made advances that are years ahead of anyone else. He is also a bit strange. He likes to demonstrate how much smarter he is than everyone else. I don't think he cares about the money; I think he just enjoys watching us sweat on his behalf."

"Would he sell this to other countries or groups?" asked Ben.

"No, he is a firm believer in democracy and strongly anti-terrorist. This is just a game to him," answered Maggie. She suspected that there was more to this, but she saw no need to make him anymore nervous.

"Some game!" sighed Ben.

They arrived at the address to find the others already there, waiting for them. The clinic looked more like a private home. It overlooked the ocean and the nearest house was a quarter of a mile away. Maggie explained to Ben, that it was used by the ultra wealthy to recover from plastic surgery; it gave them a place to recover in privacy and in comfort. She said that the Government had leased it for the week and that they would be the only ones there. Commander Evans looked at them and mumbled something about having to check the perimeter and quickly walked away.

The doctor smiled at Ben, "Okay, LT, I need to get to started. Please follow me."

Ben looked at Maggie and smiled. "I guess I'll be seeing you later." He then followed the doctor into the next room.

For the next three hours, Ben was poked and prodded in almost every part of his body. The doctor measured his arms, neck, waist, chest etc. They made him take out his contacts and use his glasses. The only time Ben complained was when the doctor kept taking blood samples. He was told that they would be taking a sample of his blood and soft tissue every hour for the next 24 hours.

"I have the latest lab equipment here on site and I can have the samples analyzed immediately. I am hooked up to the main medical computers at Bethesda, The Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical, and several other medical facilities. I am also in contact with the other medical teams, so we can share information. We can detect any changes, however slight they may be," stated Dr. Stevens with a sense of pride.

Ben just glared at the doctor. "And what will that accomplish? You have no idea of how this process works or how to stop it!" grumbled Ben harshly.

Dr. Stevens just stood there with his mouth open, as if he was going to say something. He suddenly remembered that this wasn't just a lab experiment. Another human being was involved here.

"I'm sorry, you're right. This is the first time that our teams have gone into action for real. We were set up following the anthrax scare after 9-11, in order to handle any medical problems discretely. I fear my enthusiasm exceeds my manners. I'm not usually this uncaring," he apologized.

"That's OK Doc, I'm usually not this rude either," replied Ben. He wasn't proud about his emotional outbursts.

When they took Ben's height and weight, they noticed that he was ten pounds lighter. The doctor said this confirmed that his body's metabolism was, in fact, speeding up. Ben confirmed and interjected that he was pretty hungry.

"Well, let me just record your height and we are done for now, then you can get something to eat," explained Dr. Stevens. "Let's see, 5-11."

Ben spoke up. "Doc, I am 6-1, or at least I used to be."

Dr. Stevens checked Ben's height again, and then reviewed his medical record. It confirmed that Ben had shrunk 2 inches. Ben confirmed this when he got dressed; he noticed that his pants were now too long. Ben noticed his waist was smaller and he adjusted his belt accordingly.

Just as Ben was leaving, the Doctor handed him a specimen bottle.

"Doc I already gave you a urine sample, don't tell me you need one of these every hour, because if you do you better get me a keg," quipped Ben, with a slight laugh; at least he still had his sense of humor.

The doctor just shook his head. "I need a sperm sample and I will be needing one every few hours." He pointed to a side room and told Ben he could "do it" in there.

Ben thought about asking if the doctor had any porn, but decided against it. There was a couch in the room and a TV. Ben gave a short laugh when he saw that there were several X-rated videos available. He debated looking at one but decided against it.

As he started pleasuring himself, Ben wondered if they were taping this. As he stroked himself Ben noticed that his cock felt much more sensitive than normal. There was a heightened sense of pleasure. Ben inadvertently reached up with his other hand and began to rub his nipple. It felt really good, more so than usual, and he switched back and forth from one to another.

When he climaxed, he found himself awash in a wave of unbelievable pleasure. It was one of the best orgasms that he had ever experienced. It seemed as though this time the experience was more of a whole body experience than just localized in his cock. He ensured that he had collected the good doctor's souvenir of the episode and cleaned up. He felt strangely refreshed. He had a mental note to record these heightened feelings.

He worked on his journal as he ate. He was famished and no matter how much he ate he didn't feel full. He also noticed that he didn't need his glasses anymore!

Maggie arrived and he told her about his experience in the room. Actually this wasn't necessary, as Ben's actions had actually been videotaped. Maggie had just watched it and she felt a bit strange listening to Ben's description. She felt as if she had violated his privacy.

After lunch and another blood sample, Ben asked if he could take a nooner. It had to be explained to Maggie that a nooner was navy slang for a nap. She showed him to his room. She showed him around and pointed to a pile of clothes on a chair. Ben looked at them. There was a t-shirt, running shorts, sweatpants and sweatshirt. There was also a pair of slippers.

Maggie explained, "We figured that if you do change, it would be better to have loose clothing as we don't know how what size you will end up being."

Ben looked at her and smirked. "What, no bra?"

Maggie laughed and countered. "Well, we don't know your size yet."

Maggie quietly closed the door. She felt suddenly depressed about the whole situation. She could use a drink about now. Ben was a very likeable man and really didn't deserve to be going through this. This job would be easier if Ben had been a jerk, like the "Security Officer" Commander Evans. He had already asked her out twice. Now there was a man she wouldn't mind seeing go through this sort of hell.

 

Chapter Three

Changes

 

Ben fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He had the most vivid and incredible dreams. When he awoke, he tried to write them down, but he could remember exact details. He recalled vaguely, that they seemed to start in his childhood and progress through his "growing up".

He excitedly tried to describe them to Maggie. She didn't say a word, as she was stunned and amazed; not from his descriptions of the dreams, but rather the change in his appearance.

"Ben, have you looked at yourself since you woke up?" she asked, at the same time she silently paged Dr Stevens.

"What do you mean?" he asked, as he examined his body.

When he looked into the mirror, he was shocked at what he saw. His face was different; it was as if he was looking at a totally different person. His hands went to his face to touch it and to see if this really was him. He soon saw that the image in the mirror wasn't totally foreign. He looked sort of like a much younger version of his mother.

His eyes, his nose and his cheeks all looked softer. His face was totally smooth and soft. He also noticed that his hair was a bit longer and as he ran his hands through it he noticed that it felt different. It was thicker and softer than before.

He was snapped back into reality by the sound of Maggie's voice, "Are you okay?"

Ben turned around slowly to see that Dr. Stevens had come into the room. He felt a little unsteady. He reached out for the counter to steady himself.

"I'm not sure," he mumbled. "Actually, I feel kind of light headed."

Dr. Stevens quickly grabbed him as he fainted. With the help of Maggie, they got him into the examination room.

When Ben came to, he was on his back on an examination table. He looked up to see Maggie and the doctor looking at him, with worried looks on their faces. "How long was I out?"

"Only a few minutes," replied Dr. Stevens. "Just lie there for a while. I want to run a few more tests on you before you get up."

Maggie stood back and watched the procedures. She was studying the changes that had occurred to Ben. He looked shorter and, to put it bluntly, his body seemed to be more delicate in structure. His arms were no longer muscular. His wrists were down right dainty. His watch was more like a bracelet now. She could tell that his waist looked thinner and his hips seemed bigger. It really was happening!

"Okay, LT, why don't you try sitting up and see how you feel?" suggested Dr Stevens.

Ben complied and was happy to see that he felt much better. He figured it was the shock of seeing his new face in this new configuration for the first time that caused the dizziness.

"Ben, I need to do another exam immediately," explained Dr. Stevens. "Normally, I would let you undress in private, but since this is a rather unique case, I prefer to stay in here to observe."

"Unique? Doc you can really understate a situation!" Ben replied with a laugh. He was amazed that he still had a sense of humor. "I understand, you don't need me passing out again."

Ben looked over at Maggie and offered to her, "You can stay too, if you wish. It's okay with me."

"Thank you Ben. Doctor I'll just sit over here and stay out of the way," she said.

Dr. Stevens nodded his concurrence. Actually he was glad to have her in the room. She seemed to have formed a friendship with Ben and it might help him of feel more relaxed. He was a little concerned about Ben's blood pressure. It was getting higher with each reading. He hoped that it would lower once the transformation had occurred.

Ben undressed and immediately saw that the changes were fully underway. He looked much thinner. His hips were wider. He noticed his skin felt softer and more sensitive. He was relieved to see that he hadn't started to develop breasts yet. He also noticed that his nipples seemed to be increasingly sensitive. He pointed this out to the good doctor, who proceeded to also check his manhood. Yes, it was there, but it seemed much smaller. He then had a strange thought. He wondered what it would be like to have sex as a woman; to be held and caressed and to have a vagina, which was being penetrated lovingly, by a man. He shook his head to clear his mind of this new direction of thought. He wasn't ready for that!

"Are you okay?" asked Dr. Stevens.

"Yes, just trying to clear my head a bit," replied Ben.

Dr. Stevens once again, examined Ben from head to toe. He took various measurements including Ben's chest, waist and hips. As promised he took more blood and a tissue sample. He looked at the previous results and they confirmed what he could see with his own eyes. This young man was definitely changing into a woman.

Ben was down another two inches in height. His weight was continuing to drop. He also found that Ben's foot size had also shrunk by two sizes. He wondered if this would continue or would it level out.

Maggie also noticed that Ben's voice seemed higher and softer than before and she wondered how much time he had left, until the change was complete.

As Ben proceeded to get dressed after this exam, Dr. Stevens handed him another specimen bottle.

Ben looked at it, smiled and quipped, "You don't need to show me the room this time; I remember exactly where it is."

Ben entered the room and proceeded to gently stroke his cock. He noticed the sensitivity was even stronger this time. Another he noticed was that his pubic hair was almost gone. He decided that he would tell Doc Stevens later. Ben went back to playing with his nipples. As he pleasured himself, he thought that maybe this wouldn't be so bad. The wonderful sensations in his nipples seemed to be so deep; so rich. The feelings of pleasure seemed to run like little fingers of sensation, deep down into his chest. It even took his breath away for a moment.

His cock didn't get as hard as usual, and yet he was able to achieve orgasm. The lack of being hardness didn't seem effect the depth of his sensations; in fact, they were even enhanced above the previous time. He found it ironic that the best sex he had ever experienced might be the last he would have as a male.

After he dropped the sample off, he met Maggie in the dining area. Even though he had eaten just a few hours ago he was famished again.

When they entered the dining area, Commander Evans was sitting there drinking a cup of coffee. He looked up at them and quickly excused himself.

"What's his problem?' asked Ben, pointing to the departing Evans.

"Evans is afraid that you might be contagious," answered Maggie with a hint of disgust in her voice. "He told me that doesn't want to around 'the freak' and that he was worried that 'IT' might be attracted to him."

Ben laughed, "What a jackass, like I would want to come on to someone like that."

Maggie smiled, "I feel that same way."

As he ate, he told Maggie about the changes in the sensitivity that his body was providing for him. He felt really close to her and was glad she there. There seemed to be no sexual attraction for her, which surprised him, as she was a really beautiful woman. He wondered if he should tell her that.

"So what does the Doc think? How much longer does he think I have?" he asked bluntly. "You can be honest with me, there is no need to sugarcoat it."

She admired his courage and how he seemed to be accepting his fate.

"Well, he is still analyzing the data from the last exam, but it doesn't look good," said Maggie. "Your body is undergoing a massive transformation that defies our present medical knowledge."

"What about the other victims?" asked Ben, as he refilled his plate.

"Well, the last progress report shows that the other subjects are all undergoing similar transformations," answered Maggie. "If case you are interested, you seem to be progressing the fastest."

"I see, how many of us are there?" asked Ben. "I am considering the possibility of forming a club." He laughed slightly.

Maggie smiled. "The total number of people on the list is ten, five men and five women. The women who are becoming men, seem to developing a bit slower. Most are here in the San Diego region. Two are out in El Centro and another pair are out in Twenty Nine Palms. By the way, I am amazed that you can still maintain a sense of humor."

"Not much I can do about it. You want to know what is strange? I am starting to accept this. There is a growing feeling that all this is natural and normal," answered Ben. "I wonder if that is part of the process?"

Dr. Stevens walked in and waved Maggie over to him. Maggie shook her head and motioned for him to join them.

"Doctor, I don't think you need to keep anything secret from Ben," remarked Maggie.

Dr. Stevens joined them and sat down across from Ben. He took a deep breath and opened up his folder. "Ben, the latest results are in, and I must inform you that you are now sterile. Additionally, your genetic make-up is, for all practical purposes, female. Your body is rapidly adjusting your hormone levels to that of a young woman entering puberty.

Ben nodded, as if he had expected the news. "Thanks Doc, for being so frank and honest with me." He sighed slightly.

Dr. Stevens held out a small electronic device. "I must also tell you that I'm concerned about your blood pressure. Its very high and I can only hope that it is part of the transformation process. I would like you to wear this heart monitor as a precaution."

"Sure Doc, I don't mind," answered Ben. As he stood up, Ben suddenly felt ill. He was suddenly over-come by severe pain in his stomach to his groin. He screamed as he doubled over in pain, as it was the worse pain he had ever experienced. He fell to the floor and grabbed at his waist. He was aware that Maggie and the Doc were with him and trying to help. Ben tried to tell them what was wrong, but the pain was so intense that he couldn't speak. He started to hyperventilate and felt himself losing consciousness. He felt Maggie holding his hand trying to comfort him. There was a sharp pain in his arm and he descended into darkness.

 

Chapter 4

Rebirth

  

Ben was still in some pain when he came to. It was subdued and was now more like the ache that an athlete experiences from overdoing it while working out. He noticed he was on an examination table and that he had an IV in his arm. As he focused, he saw that Maggie and Dr. Stevens were looking at him with very relieved faces.

"Now, I don't want you to move LT," ordered the Doctor. "You have been through quite an experience."

Ben tried to talk, but found it too difficult. He felt so weak. He looked around and saw that he actually had an IV in each arm. One looked like saline and the other was obviously blood. He tried to move his arms and found that he couldn't.

"Ben, we strapped your arms down so you would tear out the IV's," explained Maggie. "Until we got the sedatives into you, we could barely hold you down."

"I want to be honest with you LT, we almost lost you," interrupted the Doctor. "But it looks like you are recovering now. Amazingly, your body is recovering at a rate that I wouldn't have thought possible."

Ben tried to speak and when he failed again he mouthed the words, "How long?"

Maggie looked at the clock and answered, "Eight hours."

Ben couldn't believe it, but then looking at their tired faces he knew that it was so.

Dr. Stevens interrupted, "The blood loss was much larger that I had expected. Fortunately, your smaller size contributed to your surviving and we had an adequate supply of your blood type on hand. Also, you can thank Commander Evans for donating a pint."

"That was the first useful thing he has done all day," mumbled Maggie under her breath.

Ben heard her and gave her a weak smile.

"I think its best that you just lie there and rest. Your body needs some time to recover," explained Dr. Stevens.

Ben looked toward Maggie and, still unable to speak, mouthed, "Have I changed ….completely?"

Maggie looked down at Ben and could only nod yes. Ben felt tears forming in his eyes. Maggie wiped them away and he mouthed, "Thank you!" Then he drifted off to sleep, aided by the increased medication that Dr. Stevens injected into the IV.

"I think it is best that we let her sleep now," stated Dr. Stevens.

"Her?" questioned Maggie. "Of course, you're right, we might as well start referring to her by the correct gender pronouns."

They sat down in the corner of the examination room. They were both exhausted and only now, what they had seen, was beginning to sink in. After they had gotten Ben into the examination room, he started to go into spasms and they had to tie him down.

Dr. Stevens was just hooking up an IV when Ben went into full cardiac arrest. Amazingly he was able to resuscitate him and get him stabilized. The next crisis occurred when there was a huge drop in blood pressure, due to the fact that he had begun to bleed profusely from the groin. They discovered that he wasn't bleeding, as from a wound; but rather it was due to the spontaneous transformation of his genitals from male to female. Luckily they were able to stabilize him again. They ended up giving him three pints of blood before his blood pressure was able to return to normal. Even after seeing it with their own eyes, they had a hard time believing it.

As soon as they stabilized Ben, Dr Stevens contacted the other teams and informed them of what had happened. As Ben's transformation was two hours ahead of the others, the information ended up saving several lives. They were ready for the massive blood loss when it occurred in the other male to female subjects.

"I know a good OB-GYN doctor over at Balboa Naval Hospital we should contact. I think we can trust her to keep our secret. I think Ben should have a full examination as soon as possible," suggested Dr. Stevens.

"Give me the name and I'll run it through security. If she checks out, we can have her here in the morning," replied Maggie, holding back a yawn.

She looked over at Ben, who was now fully asleep on the table. She instinctively brushed back the hair from Ben's face. "Poor baby, you have no idea of what you are in for."

Dr Stevens said that he would sit up with Ben, and that Maggie should get some sleep. Maggie didn't argue. She told him that she would grab a few hours sleep after she sent in her report and passed on the info on the doctor. She also told him that she'd be back in a few hours to relieve him.

  

Chapter 5

Acceptance

  

When Ben woke, she was still strapped down. She could lift her head slightly and tried to look around the room. She saw Maggie asleep, her head down on the desk.

"Hey Maggie,…wake up," she called out. She paused for a second. Was that really her voice now? It seemed so light and high-pitched, and very young. Oh well, it was something else new to get used to. It was strange, but Ben didn't feel like freaking out. He had a strange feeling of acceptance.

Maggie looked up and rubbing her eyes, walked over to Ben's bedside.

"Looking at you, I would say that I am the only one around here who got a lot of sleep last night!" quipped Ben.

Maggie smiled. "You got that right. Do you need the Doc?

"No I just want to be released from my bondage," replied Ben. "Actually, I feel pretty good, just a bit sore. I also want to see what else has changed besides my voice."

"I will help you, but you need to be patient. I have to get Dr. Stevens first," replied Maggie. "Besides, I think you have a really sweet voice."

Ben lay there trying to prepare herself mentally and emotionally for what she was about to see. Actually she felt very much at peace with her transformation. She wondered if that was part of the process to help the victim adjust to the changes. Her mind drifted about, thinking about the possible uses of this process. An intelligence agency could create new agents and it could be used as the perfect witness protection process. As a weapon, it could be devastating. Ben thought that this was hard enough to take when one knows what is happening. She didn't want to think about the alternative.

She also wondered if there was a way to reverse it. And then she wondered if she wanted to reverse it. Suddenly being male seemed as foreign to her as being female was yesterday morning. Ben knew one more thing; she would need a new name!

After Maggie and Dr. Stevens returned, they began to undo the restraints on Ben from the table.

"Now LT, I don't want you to sit until I tell you to," ordered Dr. Stevens.

"Doc, I don't think that it is necessary to use my old rank anymore, it really doesn't apply anymore," commented Ben. "Maggie, I need your help with something. I need to think of new name. Somehow I doubt that I look much like a 'Ben' right now."

"Sure, anything you say," replied Maggie, as she took Ben's hand into her own. Maggie was feeling very protective. She knew that she had lost all objectivity in this case. It wasn't very professional, but it was very human.

Dr Stevens and Maggie helped Ben to sit up.

"How do you feel?" asked Maggie.

"Not bad, I still feel a little weak," replied Ben

"How about Betty?" asked Maggie.

Ben turned and looked at her and made a face. "That's the best you can come up with?"

Maggie smiled, "Okay, but don't forget, most people don't get to pick their own name!"

Ben smiled back and swung her legs around the side of the table. She could now look into the mirror opposite her. She was more accepting of her face this time around. She had to admit that she was pretty attractive. Her hair was still short although it was several inches longer than yesterday.

She reached under the sheet and could feel her new female organs between her legs. She shifted the sheet aside and looked down. It was still hard to take that she had completely changed. As she reached down and touched herself she noticed that she was just starting to regrow public hair. She shivered slightly as it was all sinking in. What helped to calm her, was feeling the steadying hand of Maggie on her shoulder.

"I know it really happened, but it is just hitting me at this moment," Ben replied softly.

"We have arraigned a complete OB-GYN physical for you later this morning," Dr. Stevens informed her. "From what I have seen, I expect that you will have a fully functionally reproduction system."

Ben looked at both of them. "Oh …yeah, I guess that makes sense. She looked over at Maggie. "I guess I have a lot to learn."

Maggie smiled and replied softly, "You'll survive; we all do."

"I look so small!" commented Ben, as she inspected her new body.

"Yes you are now 5-5, but you should gain some of that back as you grow up," suggested Dr. Stevens.

Ben looked under the sheet and said, "I don't seem to have very big breasts."

The exposed sheet showed that Ben had a small pair of developing breasts. Dr Stevens said that she shouldn't worry, that as her body matured her breasts should get larger. He told her that even though she felt like she was 26 years old, her body was like that of a teenager.

Ben looked at the Dr. Stevens, "Doc, Do you think I will mature quickly or am I going to have to do it the natural way?"

"To be honest I have no idea, but the last blood test showed that your hormone levels were normal for a teenage girl just starting puberty," answered Dr Stevens.

"You know, this might be for the best, as it will give you time to adjust and to grow into being a woman," suggested Maggie.

She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded. Maybe Maggie was right, it would be for the best to take this slowly.

"How about Beth, it's not too different from your old name?" suggested Maggie.

She sat there for a minute and turned to Maggie, "Sounds good to me. I guess we can work on the rest of the name later."

"Are you still hungry, Beth?' asked Maggie.

"Yes, a little, thankfully that ravenous appetite is gone," answered Beth. "So what happens to Ben?

Maggie looked back and said, "We'll talk about that during breakfast."

They found a small pair of sweats that fit Beth and she got dressed. Maggie told her that she would go shopping later and get her some clothes. She felt very small and very vulnerable. She still had the memories and knowledge of a 26-year-old man, yet she now looked like a 12-year-old girl. She was also aware that she had the emotions to go with her new gender.

As they ate breakfast, Maggie informed Beth that, of the nine others who were transformed, two had have experienced a major age regression and two have aged around twenty years each. Both Maggie and Beth agreed that it was better to be younger.

Maggie looked at Beth and explained that there were a couple of different plans to consider for how she could live the rest of her life. While the possibility existed that the process could be reversed, Beth expressed doubts about going through the process again. Maggie told her that it was good that she felt this way since Dr. Stephens believed that her body probably couldn't tolerate going through that process again. As she continued, she explained to Beth that she had almost died twice during the transformation. Beth said that she must remember to thank Dr. Stephens.

Going back to her old family was out of the question. There would be too many questions and for now this had to remain a secret. Ben wasn't old enough to have a daughter her age and she was way too young to be considered his wife.

The agency decided that Ben would be killed in a small plane crash off the coast along with the identities of any of the others who wished so. Of course, no bodies would be recovered. When Beth heard the plan she reluctantly agreed that this was best for her family. However, even though she agreed to the plan she started to cry when she thought about how her family would react to Ben's death. Luckily Maggie was there to hold her and comfort her through this grieving process. Beth let out 24 hours of stress and had a good cry off and on for much of the afternoon. The whole time Maggie held and comforted her. When Beth finally stopped crying, Maggie looked at her and reassured her that everything would work out just fine.

So now, what was to be done with Beth? Maggie told her that the government would give her a new identity from birth certificate to Social Security Number. Obviously she was too young to live by herself. The idea of being in a foster home made Beth shudder. Maggie suggested that they could appoint a guardian, until she became an adult, again.

Beth looked up at Maggie and spoke, "I don't want to put you on the spot or anything, or make you feel guilty, but is it possible for you to be my guardian? I really feel close to you."

Maggie was speechless. She had grown very fond of Ben/Beth in the short time she had known her and it did seemed to be a good solution. She also had a void in her life. Maggie had wanted to have a family but her career always seemed to get in the way. She also wasn't into babies. Starting with a young woman like Beth would be much better, as she if she was inviting a person into her life.

"I would like that myself Beth. I don't expect there would be any objections," answered Maggie.

Beth ran over to her and gave her a big hug. Everything really was going to be okay thought Beth.

 

Conclusion

   

As expected, Maggie had no problem convincing her superiors to allow her to take care of Beth. It would also allow Beth to be closely observed. Beth moved into Maggie's townhouse in Arlington, VA just outside Washington D.C. Maggie enrolled Beth in a private school. The administration was very impressed with Beth and they commented that she had maturity beyond her years. Additionally, she had an education level that was much higher than one would expect by a student from public education.

Of the other nine patients, most adapted to their new lives as Beth did. A few needed extensive counseling. The two who underwent age regression seemed to adapt easier. One of the subjects who underwent transformation into an older female attempted suicide, the rest seemed to accept it and decided to move on with their lives. Each was watched to ensure that they did not expose the truth about their lives.

The teams were immediately expanded to have more medical personnel, based upon Dr. Stevens' recommendations. The data collected did nothing to solve the mystery on how this process was exposed to the patient. Additional screening was to be done on all team members to weed out persons like Commander Evans.

The only piece of the puzzle left, was to select a patient to contact Dr. Martz. Maggie was dead set against using Beth, based on her age and because she now saw Beth as her daughter. Besides she was just starting to adapt to life as a schoolgirl. Beth needed to put all this behind her.

Then the second message was received and in it Dr. Martz left his instructions on how to contact him. He said that he was very interested in meeting Maggie and her ward, Beth. But that is another story.

  

The End

  

  

  

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