Forced Proportion

1
Mid-February, 2519, New Darwin on the planet Outback. The overnight rains had finally come to a stop, and a brisk wind, born of a cold front from the northern latitudes, swept through the city streets. In the western side of the city a group of elementary-aged children was walking to school with an attending guardian. Like all children they got into arguments over trivial matters, and today was no exception. However, this particular argument escalated to the point where Terry took the lunchbox belonging to Suzy. At full tilt little 8-year-old Terry wondered why the guardian wasn't chasing after him or yelling at him to stop. It became apparent as he ran into someone big and tall, falling onto his back as the lunchbox hit the ground, making a racket.
     "What do we have here?" said a female voice. Looking up, Terry could only see a jacket, pants, and a belt with pouches and a pair of handcuffs. Initially he saw no face as the jacket covered a considerable bust that projected a fair distance from the owner's chest, but that feminine mass briefly came closer. A big hand gripped the collar at the back of Terry's jacket and lifted the boy up. Dangling almost two meters up in the air, Terry saw from his new vantage point the officer's badge and face, green eyes looking askance back at him. "You nicked a lunchie from a classmate. Are you a bully boy?"
     "No, Oss'fer," said Terry, his words messed up for his permanent central incisors hadn't grown in fully yet.
     "Partner," said another female voice. "He's a growing boy. Obviously he was hungry and couldn't wait for lunch." The boy's eye caught sight of the owner of that voice. She was as tall and big chested like the first officer, but her eyes were ocean blue.
     "I say he was stealing," said the first officer. "Or he was being mean to a classmate. Boy," she said in a tone often used by Terry's mother, "you'll never get girls to like you if you act like a jerk."
    The second officer came closer, and Terry saw that she had dark hair under her police hat, a complete contrast to the platinum blond of the first officer. "Let him apology to the girl and hand back her lunchie."
    Seeing the toothy smile of the green-eyed officer made Terry uneasy. "Actually I feel a bit peckish," said the tall woman. "I can't wait for my bagel and orange juice. Perhaps I should eat this little urchin. He's so small I can gobble him down without breaking him up to bits." As if to emphasis her point the woman's stomach grumbled so loudly that it made the other schoolchildren and even the guardian giggle.
   "Now, now, partner. You had two children earlier this week. You'll lose that slim waist if you eat more."
   Terry was a little nervous as the green-eyed giant of a woman considered her partner's words. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Plus little boys tend to make me gassy. I'll let him go if he gives me his word that he'll make his momma proud and a be a good boy from now on." She smiled without showing off her teeth.
     "I promith to be good, Oss'fer," said Terry most emphatically.
     "Very well, boy. I want only to hear good things about you from now on." At that the dangling boy was lowered back to the ground. He fetched the lunch box and brought it to Suzy. Offering his apology, Terry was made to walk by the guardian's side for the rest of the way to the elementary school. Both officers waved at the schoolchildren as they passed by.
     "That was a good bit of acting, Madison," said Senior Patrol Officer Bria Parlor. "But I can't help but think he'll develop a subconscious attraction to very tall girls when he's at the dating age."
     "At least he'll be on his best behavior," Madison admitted. "But my stomach wasn't acting. I need something to eat."
     "I say so. Your tummy growled so loudly that it could scare a cat."

************

It was the end of the morning shift. At the West Precinct women's locker room five officers were in the process of donning civilian clothes. Buttoning up her light pink blouse Wenona got a gander at what her partner Gretta was putting on. "Still dressing up like a tomboy, Gretta? Are those suspenders from your beau?"
     "They sure are, Winnie," said the sienna-hued woman. "Billy said they came from his first firefighting ensemble." She tugged at the suspender strap that caressed the side of her t-shirt cladded left breast. "He's been lavishing me with practical little gifts for the past month now."
     "Very nice," said Madison, further down the row of lockers. "My Charlie as been doing the same thing, as well as Ronnie for Bria. Our beaus are following the same script."
    Bria, putting on a plaid outdoors shirt, was also in agreement. "I can't blame them. They're Angelican, after all. This gift giving is a sign that they're willing to advance their respective relationships with us."
     "You better do something soon," advised Audrey, putting on a casual jacket and skirt. "From what you've been telling me and Wenona it sounds like you're leading them on."
     Madison made an indignant huff. "Well, I'm not leading Charlie. I've been raising the temp on the crockpot, and I'm finding the stew to my liking. My relationship is progressing to the next level alright, and it's going to happen tonight."
    "Oh, does that mean some mattress testing?" For her wit Bria got a towel thrown in her face by Madison.
    Gretta made a dismissive gesture. "I'm amazed all of your haven't been haranguing me about Billy. After all, I'm the one that got Audrey's bouquet and garter. Technically, I should be married and pregnant now."
    "He would've asked your hand right off the bat," Wenona teased, "if he didn't keep straining his neck every time he looks up at you."
   Gretta gave her partner a raspberry. "At least he could see my face, unlike two others I know."
   "Billy and Charlie aren't that short, Gretta," Bria volleyed back as she pulled up her jeans. "Plus we meet them halfway by looking down the wondrous slope of our frontage."
    "Hah, Bria. It would've been easier had both of you been 153 centimeters tall, if not 2 centimeters."
    "Hey, no size jokes," Madison said in jest. "Lest you forget that one time Billy took you outside the warehouse for fresh air and sunlight while you were still small."
    Gretta harrumphed. "Geesh, Maddy, it's not like I was the only one who did it. You had Charlie do the same thing, as well as Ronnie for Bria."
    Bria raised her arms in truce. "Okay, okay, no more size quips today, but it's a fact that we chose our beaus by which one of them gave us a trip outside while we waited to be restored."
    Madison gave her blouse a final promise in the tall mirror located at the end of the row of lockers. "I have the feeling they would've asked us out on dates much earlier had me and Bria been at our original heights. It was a shame they pined away for a full year before we broke the ice on that tri-dee interview."
     "Well, they've been making good progress nevertheless. Laters, all." Donning a heavy jacket, Gretta waved as she left the locker room, meeting up with Billy outside in the hallway and then heading out for an afternoon spent in one of New Darwin's museums. Next to leave was Audrey. Also waiting in the hall was Derek, her husband and patrol partner. They hugged and kissed, then went to do some grocery shopping. Wenona went straight home, eager to spend some time with her hubby Clyde and 20-month-old daughter Miracle.
     "What are you going to do tonight, Bria?" Madison said as she donned a fashionable jacket.
     "Cleaning the apartment, I guess," the dark haired woman said. "I won't be able to be with Ronnie until tomorrow night."
     "Them's the breaks, Bria. I'll tell you the good stuff after roll call tomorrow."

2
For one hour a day, every day, rain or shine, one Gus Matlin had use of a private courtyard at the Groveland Federal Prison. Located in the southern clime of Outback's continent of Melbourne, the prison was 200 kilometers west of the city of New Britannia. Aside from the small community of Strongbox, located 10km away and used to service the prison as well as manufacture prison supplies for the whole planet, there were no other towns within 100km. Quite tiny at 2cm in height, Gus had to be confined to a large cart protected by a forcefield, lest a sneaky claw hawk be tempted to dive and snatch him.
     Over the last twenty months Gus had made peace with his inevitable demise. Having been shrunk by the very beam rifle he used on 318 people previously he knew what laid in store four months from now. His body, current in a coexisting side-reality, would merge with its original reality state. When that happens, all the physical consequences of actually being tiny would come home to roost. He had also accepted that despite repeated claims of tireless effort from the CSN BuRes, the other beam rifle wouldn't be modified in time to restore him to his original 180cm height. As the Commonwealth Supreme Court ruled that putting Gus in a stasis field until such time the rifle was fixed a violation of his rights the proverbial clock was ticking. Gus knew practically all the betting pools throughout the worlds of the Commonwealth were getting more infused with money, ever closer to the day of his death. To oblige the betters he even placed a 'do not resuscitate' clause in his living will. He hated to prolong the inevitable.
    To add to his mood of foreboding a brief thundershower moved in. The forcefield kept out the raindrops while his attending guard got soaked, having forgotten to bring along an umbrella. Once it passed Gus was treated to a sight he hadn't experienced directly in decades. A rainbow arched across the sky, and from his position Gus felt it was meant for him to see at that very moment. Deprived of his wealth and power, the tiny man wished that there was a pot of gold at the end of what was a most beautiful rainbow. He wanted to revel in what would be a literal mountain of riches before the end. Then his hour was up, but that rainbow was in his sight right up to the point the cart was rolled out of the courtyard. He enjoyed it.

Of the six officers that were restored in size only Wenona had the most concern. Having given birth to Miracle while still tiny, Wenona and her husband Clyde kept an understandable close eye on their special little girl. For mother and child they had four months of waiting to contend with while the others, having been restored after all of Gus's kidnapped and shrunken victims were attended to first, had closer to six months. Even so all six kept to a schedule of exercise to minimize whatever physical discomfort may come about when their shunted-reality bodies merge back to their original nook in the universe.
     Madison was kept honest to her exercise thanks to her firefighter boyfriend Charlie. His ancestry hailed from North America and Malaysia, and while he was built like a brick and tall in his own right Charlie considered his looks to be kind that only his mother would love. Madison dissuaded her beau from thinking like that, for he had a gentle and compassionate soul underneath the visible layer of macho that all firefighters wore on the outside. Twice a week they did their exercise work together. As the weather was considered good enough the couple, in respective police and firefighter sweats, did a 5km run in a park near Madison's apartment, followed by using the park's jungle gyms for dexterity and agility training. After signing some autographs for a passing group of highschool track team members Madison went home with Charlie in tow. Once there she had Charlie take his shower first for he was going to cook pork stirfry for dinner. Wearing fresh sweatpants and teeshirts both talked about their day.
     "Had you follow through and eaten that kid," Charlie said teasingly, "you think he would've tasted like chicken?"
     "If he tasted like this stirfry you cooked, I would've become a fairytale child-eating giant," Madison sniggered, shoving a pork-tipped fork into Charlie's eager mouth. He licked his lips to savor the lingering drops of juice rather than waste a napkin. "You should be a short-order cook for old Earth Asian cuisine."
     "I have considered it, Maddy. My father is the top chef for the Green Mandarin and taught me all I know about cooking. For tonight I used a special pork stirfry recipe because I had a very nice dream last night."
     Madison's eyes were seductive and inviting. "Oh, can you go into the details?"
     Charlie blushed, wishing he hadn't mentioned it, but seeing that lovely face right in front of him he knew he couldn't deny her anything. "I was an fantasy knight on a quest to rescue a virgin princess from the clutches of an evil wizard. After some epic battles along the way I killed the wizard, but in his dying breath he cast a spell that shrank the princess down to a speck. I cried, and one of my tears fell on the princess, making her grow back to normal size."
     "And?" Maddy pried. "I have cop powers, so I know you're holding something back."
     Tapping this two extended forefingers together, Charlie continued his story. "Well, the princess was practically naked, being dressed, if you call it that, in a little bit of nothing the wizard spelled on her. Plus her breasts were way bigger than they were originally and were only adorned with nipple caps. Then..."
    With a tug at the earlobe Madison got Charlie's attention. "Then what, you sly devil?"
    Charlie was really blushing now. "Then I assisted her in losing her virginity, got married and had ten children."
    The object of Charlie's affection leaned over and planted a kiss on his still-red cheeks. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, Charlie. A healthy Angelican man like you is entitled to such fantasies, especially when you have a super-special girlfriend like me."
    "So you're not put-off by something like that?" The happy man said.
     Madison stood up, making her teeshirt contort momentarily as her braless breasts wobbled like lightly-chilled jello. "Actually I was expecting that, and I appreciate that you waited until now to mention it." She held one of Charlie's hands and made a circle in the open palm. "You get the beer, popcorn and chips. I'll get the living room ready."
    It wasn't lost on Charlie that Madison chose the same hand he used to carry her formerly tiny body all those months ago. She was being particularly affectionate tonight, and he didn't want to blow it. "Okay, you two meters of lovely law enforcement."
     After a few minutes all the preparations were complete. "You'll be in for a treat," Charlie said from the kitchen. "This is the first time the New Darwin Rangers made it to the playoffs since the team was formed five years ago."
    "The Rangers?" came Madison's reply from the living room. "Isn't that one of those HAFA teams?"
     Charlie was a fan of the Rangers, which was a part of the Historic American Football Association. Soccer was all fine and good, but nothing beats deliberate impact of linemen and the snap decisions of a quarterback. This was Madison's first time ever seeing a football game and Charlie hoped to verse his Maddy on the finer points of the game. With tray in hand he entered the living room, finding the tri-dee on and floor pillows arranged in front of the couch. What was missing was Madison. He put the tray down next to the pillows. "The pre-game show is about to start, Maddy."
     "Okay. Give me a second." When Madison said that she was being literal, for when she stepped out from the hallway her naked bust was jiggling with the teeshirt still in her hand.
     It was totally unexpected, for Charlie looked forward to only snuggling against Madison's covered breasts this night. Not that he was phobic about naked breasts, far from it. He was as hot-blooded as a man one could get, and he had his share of pin-up posters in his game room back home. He had seen the pics of Madison in tiny swimsuits, and one would have to be living under a rock not to have seen them. By being topless Madison was making an unmistakable statement, something that Charlie's Angelican parents have told him about. She was telling Charlie that she totally trusted him and was offering the comfort of her bosom tonight to rest his head upon. "Pictures don't do you justice, Maddy," said the fireman without hesitation.
    "Thank you, Charlie." Madison walked deliberately so that every step she made her bust bounced like a truck with bad shocks. She got down on the floor and settled on the pillows like a luxuriant queen. Looking down at her, Charlie swore he saw an angel instead of his girlfriend. "What are you waiting for?" she said playfully. "A written invitation?"
    "I might be too big," the man said honestly.
    "Hon, you're only 15 centimeters shorter than me, and I can handle the weight. Don't let my slender carriage dissuade you."
    "I shouldn't have doubted." The stocky fireman gingerly laid on top of Madison, his head nestled inbetween her breasts like a penguin chick underneath its parent. Madison spread her legs and wrapped them on top of Charlie's, completing the feeling that he was on a warm, yielding yet firm bed.
   "Comfy, hon?"
   "Very," said the quite pleased man. This was better than what his father described.
   Soon thereafter the game proper started, Charlie being fed the occasional chip and popcorn dropped into his mouth like grapes. His beer had a straw so his head remained within the security of Madison's cleavage. "Do you play football?" She asked after the first quarter was done.
   "With some of the guys while waiting for a call," he said naturally.
   "Do you wear the same kind of pants those football players do? They really highlight the butt."
    Charlie laughed. "There you go. I knew there was something about the game you liked."

3
Again, as usual, Gus ate while in the presence of a security guard. In case of choking, prison officials said, but Gus knew it was a suicide watch. The guard had a deadman's switch that controlled the stasis field around Gus' tabletop prison cell. Should the unthinkable happen the field would be activated and a team of medics brought in with very specialized, remote-controlled surgical gear to save Gus' life. They need only to worry about true accidents, for Gus wanted every moment of life offered to him.
     After dinner Gus settled in to watch an archaic game making a comeback in the Commonwealth. Something called Historic American Football, where the objective was to get a thrown, kicked, or tossed oddly-shaped ball across an opponent's 'end zone' or 'goalpost' while preventing the opponent from doing the same. He could see the appeal of the game, combining strategy with deliberate application of brute force. Gus was more of a rugby fan as he found American Football too regimented for his tastes.
    Following the game, which the guards allowed him to watch in its entirety, he took his shower. For both the morning and evening showers there was a female nurse on hand, again ostensibly if Gus had an accident but really there in case of a suicide attempt. Prison officials also seen fit to make sure the nurses were shapely young things in one-piece uniforms that showed a daring amount of leg and equipped with pneumatic basketball breasts that sorely tested the uniform fabric. It's as if they wanted him to lose his load in the shower, seeing such pretty women that he could never touch, much less make sexual congress with. He denied them the pleasure, though he couldn't prevent giving a free show of his naked body as his shower was out in the open in his prison cell apartment.
   After drying off and donning pajamas Gus made for his bed. Everything, from his underwear and minimal furniture, was of nanite manufacture. Gus found the feeling of nanite-made clothes to be rough like burlap, totally unlike the shrunken clothes he once had in his possession. As his head made contact with a pillow that felt like a bag full of ball bearings the lights in the room flickered ever-so-lightly. Gus noticed over the past four months the lights flickered at odd times in the room his cell was located in. It wasn't something that annoyed him, only registering on the back part of his brain as he cataloged the day. What was unusual was that the nurse was standing right in front of the table-top cell, a definite no-no regulation-wise. The nurse put her hands on the sides of her fabric-cladded boobs and pushed in, looking very naughty indeed as she blew a kiss at the tiny man.
    "Whatever the guards paid you to get a rise out of me wasn't enough, sheila," Gus said.
    "Come now, my Gushy Gus," said the nurse in a most familiar voice, though it didn't match the face. "I've done far less to get a rise out of you."
    "Donna?" Gus said the name in a barely audible breath, even for the hidden microphones.
    The giant, buxom woman undid the buttons on the top half of her nurse uniform, revealing bra-produced cleavage worthy of the title of valley. She lowered her hand next to Gus' bed. "Get on board, Gus. I'm busting you out of this joint."

************

The game had ended, and the tri-dee turned itself off when its limited AI recognized both viewers were asleep. Charlie was content, and Madison more so for having her beau still nestled in her bosom. Three hours later this bliss ended abruptly when Madison rose up and pushed Charlie aside so forcefully that he felt like a burning wooden beam being kicked during a firefighting exercise. Madison was breathing quickly, eyes shifting as if she was looking for someone in the room.
     "What's the matter, Maddy?" Charlie said as he collected himself. "Was I sleeping on a bad spot?"
     "No," said the obviously rattled woman.
     "Was... was it that injury acting up, the one you got when..."
     "No!!" Madison barked, then she turned it down several notches. "No, it wasn't anything you did."
     Seeing Madison rubbing a particular portion of her ribcage told Charlie otherwise. "Either I slept on a sore nerve or you're having a psychosomatic episode. My mother is a therapist, and she dealt with people that had phantom pain." He got and held one of Madison's hands, holding it to his chest. "Maddy, I told you about my dream. I slept on the bosom you generously offered. Please, tell me what's wrong."
    She wanted to deny it right there and then, but the police woman couldn't for all what Charlie said was true. She truly wanted a deeper relationship with him, and that entailed sharing. He should know, she told herself. If I hide it then it'll just get worse over time. With sad eyes Madison looked into Charlie's. "It was a nightmare, and it felt so real that my old injury acted up."
    "What was it?"
    Madison gummed her lips. "I had a variant of your dream when it turned bad. The wizard mortally wounded you, and as your life drained he shrunk me down to the size Derek was at. He had a terrible laugh, that wizard, and he had me between his thumb and forefinger like a crunchy nut. Then, just as you had a moment of life left in you, the wizard crushed me. I was nothing more than a bloody smear on his fingers!"
    Charlie hugged Madison intensely, stroking her back. "Maddy..."
     Madison sniffled, and some tears fell on Charlie's shoulders. "Worse of it was that the wizard had Gus' face! Down to every pour and detail! This is the first time I had any nightmare regarding Gus. Why did it happen now, on this special night?"
      Backing away slightly, Charlie planted a kiss on Madison's forehead. "Maddy, don't even think this is some subconscious act on your part protesting what we've shared tonight. Not even that little hobgoblin Gus can take that away. It's a good thing that you're able to speak about it. What we're sharing can only get better and better." He kissed her again on her sweat-streaked brow.
     Madison returned the kiss with one of her own, planted on Charlie's lips and with a passionate power. "You wogger. Doing your manly duty to make me feel better. Keep it up, for big girls do cry and I need some more tenderness."
     For the next twenty minutes the couple hugged, kissed and embraced each other, oblivious to the mess of spilled popcorn, chips, and turned over beer cans.

4
The warden of Groveland Federal Prison, Mr. Fletcher, faced a most unpleasant task. He had to explain to Governor Honour Jackson just how Gus Matlin managed to escape the most secure prison on the planet. It didn't help matters that Mrs. Jackson had a personal interest concerning Matlin. As a child she was rescued by one June Parlor of the NDPD. Since then she vowed to do whatever she could to promote and assist law enforcement. She was incensed at what Matlin had done in general and to June and her friends' grandchildren in particular. She got the news about the escape the same time Fletcher did, using her executive powers to be kept informed on all matters pertaining to Matlin. "So, Warden," Honour pronounced the title like it was past-tense, giving a clear idea on what she thought of Fletcher's performance, "please tell it again for the sake of the record."
    Fletcher worked very hard to keep the ghost of hurry from possessing his throat. "Governor, we conduct a random cell check on Mr. Matlin every night. In this instance it was at 3 a.m. When he failed to respond to a verbal request the guard investigated. He found an animatronic figurine that mimicked the sleeping patterns of Mr. Matlin. It was an incredibly detailed figurine in that it radiated the correct level of heat and even lifesigns such as heartbeat, brain activity, and so on."
    "Any leads on the last person that was with him, that nurse?" Honour asked.
    "None. She was hired back in October of 2517. Her record was clean."
     Honour looked like she bit into a sour apple. "Now it's obvious that she was a fake. How many hours, Warden?"
    "3 hours plus compensate, Governor."
    "Very well, Warden. Whoever went through all the trouble to spring Matlin obviously was very well prepared. It's all well and good the spaceports have been alerted and the Marshals have been mobilized, but I'm the one who has to call Commissioner Stark and explain to him that Matlin is on the loose. As for you, keep the prison on lockdown until the Marshals arrive. They'll conduct the investigation, and you will extend every courtesy and accommodate all requests. Is that understood?"
    "Yes, Governor," Fletcher said like an admonished cadet.

Gus took the clammy hand of claustrophobia like a trooper. The sounds he heard in the darkness made it clear he was in a vehicle of some kind, likely a skimmer, riding on anti-grav and pushed along by thrusters. He still had his tattooed biolume watch, and he knew two hours passed since his rescue at the literal hands of his yet unidentified benefactor. The fake nurse had a shallow cavity on her left breast covered by a flap of quickseal plastiskin. In that cavity was a miniaturized scuba tank good for three hours. While ensconced in that hollowed pocket of flesh Gus concluded that, at the very least, this woman got her hands on Police evidence, for this very scuba tank was shown at his trial last year. He had shrunken a couple on their honeymoon on New Sardinia while they were engaged in a scuba excursion. Moreover the very breast he was hiding in had to be able to spoof sensors of all varieties, and that meant she had the latest in passive stealth wetware tech.
     The sound of rustling fabric brought Gus back to reality. Movement was felt as well, and it was clear the woman was unbuttoning her nurse uniform. The plastiskin flap was raised, and when Gus stood up he found the back of a feminine hand waiting for him. He gingerly stepped onto it and was equally raised with great care up to face level of the woman. She had strawberry blond hair, and her brown eyes were all so familiar. "You're Donna, no doubt about it," Gus said confidently.
     "Hello, Gushy Gus," Donna replied, her smile wide. "Bet you didn't expect to see me again."
     "I thought you went to ground, like I told you in the contingency orders." Despite Madison's implied assertion to the contrary, Gus did have concern about those who worked for him. He had many women in his employ. All under subtle mind control, of course, and quite capable in their assigned tasks. Once Gus was apprehended they followed the contingency plan, ditching all evidence that linked them to Gus and taking new jobs and identities. They were to remain hidden until Gus or his trusted lieutenant gave the all-clear signal.
     "Well, Gus, I did," said the gorgeous woman. "But Ludmilla contacted me and..."
     An almost impossible event happened, for the tiny man felt hope welling up in the pit that served as his soul. "She did it, didn't she?" He asked with excitement.
    Donna brought her hand closer to her face. "That and more, you wonderful man. We're currently heading for Site 2, and the cops won't be able to find us. Everyone will be there."
   "Excellent, my love. Let me kiss those luscious lips of yours. You'll get the whole package once I'm back to normal."
   "I can hardly wait," Donna cooed. With her hand planted above her chin Gus was able to place a kiss on his personal secretary's lower rosy-red lip. Her lipstick tasted like strawberries, his favorite.

************

"I wondered what we did to rate such treatment," Bria said as she and her friends were lead into a conference room on the 20th floor of the Central Precinct Building. They were ordered to report there directly instead of at West, and told to wear civilian clothes. Each were picked up at home by two uniformed officers driving high-security passenger sedans, with Audrey and Derek sharing a vehicle. Once alone in the room and sitting it was Bria that commented on Derek's appearance. "That's quite the shiner you got there, Derek. Were you and Audrey fighting over the last barbie-cooked kebob?"
     Though his nanites had taken care of most of the damage, Derek's left eye was still bruised, dark and swollen. "I wish it was that simple." He made a gesture that told everyone to hold hands for a private 'ware touch conversation. [Audrey had a nasty nightmare last night, and I was in the way of one of her reflexive punches.]
     [I feel awful,] Audrey admitted over the link. [It was so real, and I had to act it out.]
     [Don't feel too bad,] Madison replied. [I had a physical reaction to a nightmare last night as well, and it involved Gus Matlin.] She went on to describe what she experienced, just like she did for Charlie.
     A feeling of an electric shock was shared in the hand-holding group. [He was in my nightmare last night too, Maddy,] Audrey confided. [Me and Derek were confronted by Gus, and he shrank us down to nanite size. We had to fight off a horde of nanites, and just as I was putting the last one to rights Derek was torn apart by it. I was covered in his blood, and I started to shrink again. Gus was laughing at me from a tiny video screen on the last nanite, and I was crushed under the nanite's foot like an ant.]
     Gretta shuttered. [That's harsh. I had a bad dream about him last night as well. I was in my bikini with beachball breasts when he placed me in a glass jar, closing the lid. Then he decided to shrink the jar to make more room on the shelf. I ended up being squeezed and suffocated by my breasts.]
     [That's freaky and unnerving,] Bria commented. [For me it was the court room during Gus' trial, but I was 2 centimeter tall. I was on the bench, and the judge summarily dismissed the case for a lack of evidence. It was Gus in judicial garb, and he brought the gavel down and crushed me into a bloody smear.]
    Wenona wore her concern like a mask. [I wish grandpa Dan was here to make sense of all this. I also had a nightmare last night. Instead of making me tiny Gus shrank my house and everything inside, including Clyde and Miracle. Then he enlarged my breasts, and I got so big so fast that I lost my balance and fell forward, crushing the house like an empty lollywater can. I woke up so suddenly I made Clyde fall out of bed.]
    [This is no coincidence that we all had nightmares involving Gus on the same night,] Madison concluded. [There is something to what Dan said about Gus being a powerful, malevolent force.]
     Just then the door opened and in came Police Commissioner Stark. All six officers stood up, only then realizing they were still holding hands. "At ease, officers," the veteran said. "You can keep holding hands. I would do the same in your situation, and given your pedigree you probably already been informed."
    "Informed about what, Commissioner?" Gretta asked, since she was the senior officer amongst her friends.
    Stark looked like a person relaying bad news from the doctor to a spouse. "Six hours ago Gus Matlin escaped from Groveland Federal Prison. Given the required planning and logistics involved we're looking at a very well-funded and motivated group that executed the escape plan."
     "Oh bloody hell," Derek said.for everybody. "I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that whatever fanatics Gus had in his employ didn't off us between the trial and now."
     "A fair observation, Officer Eddings," Stark conceded. "However, since the group elected to get Mr. Matlin first, and hadn't try to 'off' any of you in the intervening time, means their overall resources are limited or are saving you six for next."
     Madison threw up her free hand. "Wonderful. Sir, does this mean we'll be under protective custody for the foreseeable future?"
     "For now, at least, Officer Wilcox. All of you and your families will get the best protection possible."
     Wenona was downright serious when she spoke, holding Gretta and Audrey's hands firmly. "I hope so for all our sakes, Commissioner. Gus is the kind of psycho that will want to settle pass accounts."
    "I hear you, Wenona," Stark said, using Mrs. Spirit Talker's first name. "Until further notice, all of you will be assigned to Central. You can make calls to your families and tell them the situation. Tell them that they'll get plainclothes police protection shortly. I'll see all of you in Room 410 in 30 minutes. God be with you, Officers."
    Once Stark left the group made their calls, telling and reassuring loved ones that they'll be okay and everything was being done to protect them. They all worried about what Gus had in store for them, as twenty months in prison and having just four more months of remaining life meant ample motivation for revenge. As they started to leave Derek spoke up. "Hey, don't you guys want to know if I had a bad dream about Gus?"
     "You too, Derek?" Gretta said sincerely. "I hazard a guess that it was about you being electrocuted by Gus."
     "No, it wasn't anything like that," Derek said with less conviction, now unsure if he should follow through.
     Audrey made the decision for him. "Go and tell them, hubby. All of it, like you told me."
    Blushing, Derek spoke like a boy caught raiding the last of the cookies from the kitchen. "I was dreaming that I was a sultan, tended to by his harem. All of you were wearing tiny harem outfits, just like the one Piper wore for that photoshoot twenty years ago. Audrey was performing a bellydance..."
    "More like a boobidance, given my build," Audrey teased as she tugged at Derek's ear. "Go on."
    "Well," Derek continued, still self-conscious, "Audrey was really putting on a show, and I ordered my genie, which happened to look like Gus in green paint, to make her breasts bigger. Since I neglected to tell him how big Gus magick the breasts to pillow woman size really fast. Well, Audrey's nipple caps shot off like corks from winebottles, with one of them hitting me in the eye. Of course, that turned out to be Audrey's fist when she was reacting to her nightmare."
     Instead of getting indignant for being imagined as harem girls the female officers just smiled. "You're definitely Tobias' grandson," Madison said. "At least you had some fun first. As for your injury, you need something to make that boo-boo go away faster." With that Madison kissed the bruised spot below Derek's left eye, followed by Bria, Wenona, and Gretta.
     Being last, Audrey gave a longer kiss. "There now, my sweet pea," she said lovingly. "Does that feel better?'
    "Well, yes, you tiny Amazon," Derek said back with equal affection. "But now I have all sort of girl germs on my face."
    "Don't be such wuss, you wogger. Tough it out like a man." Audrey gave another kiss, this time on the lips. After that, both husband and wife left hand-in-hand.

5
After seventeen hours of travel and switching vehicles three times Donna and her liberated boss Gus reached Site 2. Located in the equatorial tropics of the continent of Melbourne, Site 2 was home to Gus' private research center. It was here that the Aquarian BE rifle was modified and Gus' first victims were shrunk for his diorama collection. Carried in the left breast pocket of Donna's nurse outfit, the little criminal took in the wonderful view that greeted him in the main room. A gathering of minions, pneumatic females under his control via a mind-control technique perfected by Mr. Big, were in attendance. Including one Ludmilla Lebedev.
     Gus smiled as he was lifted out of Donna's pocket and placed on a table in the center of the room. Of all the women present Ludmilla was his greatest asset, only equaled by Fifi in terms of intelligence, talent, and indispensability. A formidable physicist, Ludmilla had a deeper understanding on the internal workings of the BE rifle than anyone else. Her intellect was such that she didn't need wetware. For that Gus was thankful, for it made using mind-control techniques on Ludmilla all that much easier. Had I found out about her earlier, he thought as he eyed Ludmilla's pleasant cleavage, then I wouldn't have needed those three nerds to begin with. Ever busy, Ludmilla had spent the last four years pondering the mysteries of the BE rifle and how it was able to manipulate space-time in such a specific manner. She was also engaged in another project, one that warranted Gus' breakout from prison and the risk of exposing the whole operation.
     "I see you all look as fine and wholesome as I remember," Gus said, his words heard clearly for everyone wore discreet earbugs. "Not that I'm ungrateful, mind you, but you could've sprung me several months earlier."
     "Oh, Gushy baby," said Ludmilla, her Russian Novaya Zemlya accent subtle and sexy, "we wanted to make your break for freedom memorable. I'm happy to report that Project B is ready to be deployed."
      "You mean it works?" Gus said incredulously, his heart daring not to believe.
      "Yes it works, Gushy, you wonderful man. For testing Fifi stepped forward and volunteered. The results are what we expected. You'll get to see the second test confirmation tomorrow. Gladys is happy to oblige.
     Gus looked up and to the left. Gladys had honey-colored hair and a face that was just as sweet. She deserved to be on the top of his list of those slated to experience the end result of Project B.
    "There's even more good news." Ludmilla snapped her fingers. Another woman, Natalie, stepped forward. In her hands was a rifle-like weapon, and it was most recognizable.
     "Good God!" Gus exclaimed. "Is that what I think it is?"
     Ludmilla smiled. "It is, my love. Imagine my surprize as the prime rifle component materialized in my lab, right after those two cops were restored. I made a replica rifle to house the component, right down to the actual wood stock and manual sights."
     Gus was giddy with excitement, and it showed in his voice. "Does it work?"
     "Certainly, my love. Let me demonstrate." A practiced shot since she was a child hunting nu-pheasants with her father, Ludmilla took aim and fired at Donna, shrinking the buxom minion until she was the same height as Gus. Donna was most pleased, squealing with delight as she was gentle picked up and placed on the table. She got to Gus and embraced him deeply.
     "Not that I'm ungrateful," Gus said sheepishly, "but I wanted to get big now."
     A brace of giggles from the relatively gigantic females in the room filled Gus' ears. "I couldn't wait to give you the whole package, Gushy," Donna said seductively. "It's been 20 months since you've enjoyed the body of a woman. You can wait one more night to get big. Let's make up for lost time, shall we?"
     "Oh," he said after delivering a power kiss, "you can be so persuasive, Donna."

************

For the whole day the six cops talked with detectives in Room 410. With wetware as a guide they tried to recall anything strange or out of place in the time since they came back onto foot patrol. There was nothing to recall, and even the discrete sensors that Tobias Eddings himself had installed in the homes of the officers 16 months earlier hadn't detected anything. If Gus has his minions watching Madison and the others then it had to done with god-given eyeballs and simple binoculars.
     "I wonder how long we'll be here at Central," said Audrey as she surveyed the room one last time before leaving for the day. "We're not doing much good while cooped up in here."
     Gretta donned her cap and jacket. "It's for our safety. Far too many opportunities for us to get sniped on the streets."
     Derek offered his two centicreds. "We can still do data searches and 'ware investigations. Gus will have to be quick and dirty if he wants us so soon after escaping prison. He'll be leaving traces in the process."
    "It was kind of the detectives to let us have this room," Bria said with reverence. "As Blue Team, our grandparents used this office."
    Sitting at one particular desk, shared by Lynnae and Paul decades ago, Madison had a faraway look in her eyes. She imagined all the cases her grandparents and their friends investigated, all the encounters they had with criminals and the bizarre events that occurred. "I wonder how this will turn out. Gus could simply go into stasis while his cronies try to ice us or come up with some major mayhem that ranks up there with the late Mr. Big."
    "Why not both?" The voice came from the open door leading to the hallway. Turning, everyone saw that it belong to Lynnae Jarvis. "It's been decades since I was in this room. We use to be in 405 down the hall, but after saving the planet they gave us this nice corner office." Like Madison, there was a faraway look on Lynnae's face as she gazed at her old desk. It lasted just a moment, then she walked in, going directly for a now-standing Madison. She was prepared when her granddaughter bent down and picked her up in an embracing hug worthy of a bushbear. "Whoa, Maddy. Don't do Gus' job for him."
    "Sorry, grandma," Madison said honestly, putting Lyn back down. "We're all restless. We should be out there doing our jobs instead of be holed up like moles."
    "I know the feeling, Maddy. There was a case were me and your grandpa had to go to a safehouse while a genuine wacko tried to punch our tickets." Lynnae turned to Audrey and Derek. "Thanks to their granthers, we're here to tell the tale. You'll just have to be patient."
     Madison looked longingly at the desk then back at Lynnae. "I hope we don't need the help of Dan and Tobias. They're on extended vacations to Earth and New Sardinia."
     Lynnae made a knowing smile. "Don't fret. There's plenty of good eggs in New Darwin, plus your aunt Marsha has devoted the full resources of the Marshals to finding that micro-miscreant. However, I'm not going to allow you to become a gloomy 'Gus.' I have some news. Your cousin Allison is taking a vacation here on Outback. She's already enroute and will be here next week with Thaddeus and Lonnie."
     "Oh," Derek said, for Thaddeus was Derek's older brother, "that's news to me. I hope it isn't because of that business in Omaha."
     Both Allison and Thaddeus worked for Blossoming Bodies, a cosmetic nanite business established throughout the Commonwealth. Only on Earth, the last bastion of Luddite influence, was resisting the use of nanites for most things, including breast alterations. The couple had been assigned to Omaha on Earth for the past ten years. In that time the Luddites had burned down the store Allison was in personal charge, as well as their first house and damaged their second one, and killed one her employees, a close friend. That last point still left a sour taste in everyone's mouth, for because of that Allison and Thaddeus elected to stay on Earth and miss Derek and Audrey's wedding.
    Madison looked concerned. "Where are they going to be staying, grandma? They won't know about Gus' escape until they exit hyperspace, and it's too late for them to travel incognito."
     "We thought of that, Maddy. They're going to stay at Piper's house. She's agreed, and Marsha will provide the security."
      "That'll be great," Madison agreed. "They've been away for ten years, and this'll make the first time I've seen Lonnie. She's six now, right?"
     "And she's a firecracker," Lynnae beamed. "At least she was two years ago when I visited them on Earth. Ally is really interested in seeing you and your blessed friends. You can bring along that sweet slab of a boyfriend also." The wily grandmother patted that part of Madison's midriff not covered in breasts. "She'll be wondering why you and your friends aren't preggers yet, considering how powerful and fertile you all are."
     "Grandma!" Madison said in surprize. "Believe me, when I do get the belly hunger you and Ally will be among the first ones to know."
     Lynnae hugged her granddaughter again. "Yeah, you better keep me in the loop, sweetness. The Commissioner asked me take you back to your apartment. I bet you're anxious to spend some time with Charlie tonight."
     "I do, grandma. Same with Bria and Gretta and their beaus."
     "Then I won't keep you waiting." Lynnae ushered the officers out like a school marm at dismissal time. She took one more look inside the office, seeing it as it was decades ago instead of its current configuration. After savoring those memories like a well-cooked steak she closed the door and walked hand-in-hand with Madison to the motorpool.

6
It was with great reluctance that Gus woke up the following morning. Donna's bedroom gymnastics wasn't phased in the least by the feeling of compression from being shrunk. She more than made up for the last 20 months Gus had been without a woman or any other outlet of sexual release. With an effort Gus dissuaded her from a fourth round, telling her that they needed a bath before they were restored. Donna giggled, telling Gus that the bath was going to be extra special.
     Carried in the palm of Ludmilla's hand, the tiny master criminal fell to his knees as he sighted the bath Donna mentioned. Sitting in a massive tub was an equally massive Fifi, her breasts fit to cover a man as a cloth would a table. Ludmilla explained that a small sample of age-accelerated Bubbles, Mr. Big's infamous breast-enlarging lollywater, was given to a most willing Fifi. Gus would've been satisfied with something smaller, but the result in front of him was an embodiment of wish-fulfillment. He had Ludmilla lift him up so he could kiss her on the lips. Afterward, and with Donna's urging, Gus dove into Fifi's water-filled cleavage like an Acapulco cliff driver, making a most minimal splash. Donna settled on being placed on Fifi's right breast and simply sliding into the awaiting warm water. Both swam in the flesh-lined crevasse for a few minutes before they lathered themselves with provided microsized bars of soap, standing on top of Fifi's left breast and applying the soap to one another in turn. All the while the hugely bosom woman controlled her giggling so that her tiny charges could remain standing.
     Following the bath the micro couple were dried off and placed on the floor. Ludmilla handled the rifle again, her look was like that of a purposeful hunter as she aimed and fired. For Gus and Donna it indeed felt like being pulled like taffy, as if a dozen hands had latched onto their limbs and pulled harshly. Gus accepted that tortured sensation for it meant he was getting bigger. The process was over before the couple's empty stomachs protested, and they were tended by two voluminous lovelies that gave them bathrobes. Gus felt reborn, and with Ludmilla right in front of him he could tell he was back at his 180cm stature, for the top of the woman's head came up to his nose. "Luddy, my sweet, have I mentioned you're the most brilliant woman in the universe?"
     "Several times, Gus," said the Novaya Zemlya woman. "Want to see another example of my brilliance before breakfast?"
     "Absolutely, my sweet."
     A snap of the fingers had Gladys step into the master bath, her volleyball bust naked to the world. She took a spot that was in the center of the room, the bath to her right and the huge main doors to her front. In her hand was looked like a standard 24oz bottle of water. "You may want step back, Gushy Gus," the woman informed. "It'll happen rather fast."
   Gus took five steps back, only to be motioned to take several more. Gladys opened the bottle and downed the contents in one go. Just as she secured the bottle top her breasts began urgent, energetic growth. Like tents in high winds her boobs billowed, flesh rippling with each new surge of energy. Gladys didn't have to worry about losing her balance for in thirty seconds her breasts reached the floor, pushing out and forwards. It was as if a wall of molten boob was reaching for Gus, and he took two unconscious steps back. Then the growth slowed, the breasts acting more like rising bread dough, filling out to match Fifi's epic size. Affixed with a blissful face, though no-one could see it at the moment, Gladys cooed with delight. "Just like what happened with Fifi. Just as big and just as fast."
     Gus inspected the breast flesh in front of him like an antique appraiser. "How much of the age-accelerated Bubbles did you use, Ludmilla?"
     "One milliliter, Gus," the woman said proudly. "Prudence demanded that I used that amount as a baseline. Very fortunate for us."
     "Hot damn, Lud! Good work indeed!" The happy man patted Gladys' teats, making the newly-enlarged woman squeal with delight. "You'll have to wait after breakfast to show me your other toy. I'm famished."
     "I wouldn't call it a toy, Gus, but it will provide for many instances of fun," Ludmilla corrected. She had Gus take her by the arm as she lead him to the dining room. A brace of women came in to assist Fifi out of the tub while Gladys herself was moved via tractor beam to Gus' bedroom to assume her new duty as her master's personal pillow woman.

***********

The Nancy-Bird Walton Spaceport, located 100km west of the outskirts of New Darwin, had only very light cirrus clouds in the sky above as shuttles and small ships came and went as directed by air traffic control. It was 6 a.m. when one of the shuttles from the Silver Foxlight, a passenger liner making its weekly run from Earth to Outback, made its landing. Inside the terminal the Allison Eddings family was greeted by Paul Jarvis, Allison's grandfather. After briefly explaining the situation regarding Gus Matlin, Paul escorted the family to an awaiting, unassuming looking aircar. Thanks to the Marshals Office that aircar was as heavily protected as one could make. Security had to be ensured, though Paul resented having to take such a measure thanks to Gus' still unknown intentions.
     An uneventful trip, the aircar pulled into the decadently large garage of Piper Wilcox's house in the Stonewash district of New Darwin. First to great them was Piper and her husband Nigel. After the exchange of hugs and pleasantries in the kitchen came Lynnae and Marsha's turn. Allison appreciated both women, and was thankful that her mother Marsha made the time to see her personally amid this business regarding Gus. Then it came Madison's turn. As the very tall woman entered from the living room, trailed by her friends, Allison couldn't help herself. "Jumping jackalopes! You really are that big!" she blurted out.
     "Nice to hear you still have an Outback accent, cousin," Madison said warmly. She lifted the shorter woman and gave her a deep hug. Their covered breasts acted like marshmellows being pressed together inside a bag. "You won't be able to call me 'Little Cousin Maddy' anymore."
     Placed back down on the floor Allison caught her breath. "The videos and tri-dee don't do you justice, Maddy. I have to say, though, that your bikini photos were the prime cause of a dramatic increase in nanite augmentation for Angelican-sized breasts on Earth last year. Demand hasn't dropped since."
    "Give credit where credit is due, Ally," Madison chided. "Bria, Wenona, and Audrey had their fronts involved as well."
    As one part of the extended family chatted another began their own conversation. Thaddeus gave his own bushbear hug to Derek. "I'm proud of you, little brother. I'm not sure if I would've been as cool and collective like you were, being so tiny."
     "You didn't do so bad yourself on Earth, catching those arsonists in the act," Derek confided. "It's hard to visualize just how small 5 millimeters really is, so I got some visual aids for you." The officer fished two figurines from his jacket pocket. One was of Derek and Audrey, standing side by side in police uniforms. As for the other it was of Audrey as the tiniest pillow woman ever with an equally tiny Derek residing in her cleavage.
    "Goodness, Derek You had the angels protecting you alright. Oh," Thaddeus abruptly said. "Where are my manners? Your wonderful little woman is waiting for her hug."
    "You said it, you hunk," Audrey cooed. Like any girl would, Audrey once had a crush on Derek's older brother. He was tall and handsome, and she guiltily admitted to herself that part of the reason she became Derek's friend back in middle school was to be near Thaddeus. She tempered her strength, but Thaddeus knew he was being hugged by the strongest woman in the Commonwealth. Her pressing Angelican breasts did push some air out of the taller man's lungs as well as making his chest sore for a time.
     "I'm sorry we missed the wedding..." Thaddeus started, only to be silenced when Audrey placed a finger on his lips.
     "No need to apologize, Thad," the little woman said knowingly. "You and Ally were in no condition to leave after that terrible business with the Luddites. However," she said with a smile, "we did save some of the wedding cake in stasis for an occasion just like this."
     "Too bad I can't eat cake," came the voice from Thad's wrist minicomp. "Then again, I don't have to worry about gaining weight."
     Derek smiled like he found a lost 100-c card in his wallet. "So you must the fourth in the travel itinerary, Stamp."
     A human spirit able to communicate and interact with the physical world via electronic devices, Stamp had his choice of 'bodies' to inhabit. He preferred Thad's minicomp, as it allowed a far greater sense of intimacy that a computer network couldn't proved. "So true, Derek. We decided to leave Max in the care of friends back home. The quarantine requirement on Outback is too long to make it worthwhile."
     "Too bad," Derek lamented. "Max sure did like to chase jackalopes."
     The first round of talking went well into the morning. After being introduced to everyone, Lonnie, Ally and Thad's six-year-old daughter, played with Piper's pet dachshund Pitch in the sun room and then with her Uncle Derek with building blocks in the kitchen. They rejoined the rest of the group after lunch. Ally had the pleasure to meet Wenona's husband Clyde and 20-month-old Miracle. After gushing praise and admiration for the couple and their child Ally gave cousin Maddy an expectant look. "Where's that delicious beau hunk that grandma Lyn has been earbashing in all those mail-comms she sent me? Same goes for Bria and Gretta."
     "Well," Madison said defensively, "unlike us in our forced inactivity, the boys are gainfully employed. They have the morning shift and were called out to a fire. You'll get to see them tomorrow for dinner. For today it's just us girls."
     "Girl talk, eh?" Grandpa Paul said with the put-on voice of an old geezer. "You'll be talking about their butts and how sweet they treat you like the Angelican men they are."
     "Grandpa!" Piper admonished like a girl catching her father feeding scraps to the dog at the dinner table.
     Bria waved her hand as if to clear the air. "Well, he's right, but Ally will have to hear all of what happened before we get to 'the good stuff.'"
    "You said it, B," Madison added. "Especially the part when Gus nearly canceled my credit." For emphasis Madison held her thumb and forefinger very close together, just like when Gus had her in his grasp, and then made a particularly loud snap.
    Allison looked like someone exploded a balloon next to her ear. "Maddy! Don't make it like it was a joke! When the details of Gus' trail were released I was nearly inconsolable and I cried my eyes out. It was just as bad when my good friend Jorie Rothschild was killed by those Luddites last year."
    "Ally," Wenona explained for Madison's benefit, "it easier to laugh than to cry. We're going to tell you a first-hand account of what happened to us. We have to include some humor otherwise you'll be dehydrated from crying so much."
    "I'm not that emotionally reactive." Ally stuck out her tongue like an imp at Maddy. "Let me ask up front, then. Had you been a bit more merciless with Gus when you had the chance, would you have killed him?"
     Madison held herself still for a moment, shielding her mind and holding a blank expression on her face. A brief turmoil flared in her soul, then was extinguished just as quickly for she had thought about that temptation. "You're the first person to have asked me that, Allison. Had Gus provoked me by directly harming my friends or the other people in stasis... Yes, I would have killed him. Now that's he's on the loose I can't help but think I've made an error in sparing that sick..."
    Piper raised a forestalling hand. "No bad language in the house, Maddy. Well, not until Lonnie and Miracle are out of the room."
    "I'll take those ankle biters to the game room," Paul said as he stood up. "I want to see if my great-granddaughter has improved her virtual tennis skills."
    "And I'll see how good Miracle is at catching a nerf ball," Nigel offered as he got on his feet as well. "Plus I think she wants to play with Pitch again."
    Piper smiled. "You do that, my wonderful hubby."

************

7
Sitting behind a desk worthy of a captain of industry one Gus Matlin weighed his options. His dutiful secretary Donna, decked out in a black miniskirt and cleavage revealing pink blouse, poured fresh coffee into a ceramic mug. "Fifi," the man said aloud, "what is the confidence in the intelligence assessment?"
     Fifi, the 26th century equivalent of a hacker, replied, her voice a sultry honey that oozed out of the desk's built-in speaker. She was ensconced in her own personal 'crystal cathedral,' tailored to her every need both electronic and physical. "Confidence is 99%, Gus. The targets will be at their respective locations tomorrow within a shared 20 minute window of opportunity."
     "That's not much of a window. Are your bloodhound and doppelganger programs up to the task?"
     "Gushy, you're talking to the girl that made it possible to break you out of a maximum security prison, not to mention what I pulled off to allow you to capture those six..."
     "Okay, I'm convinced," Gus admitted. "I shouldn't doubt that super sexy brain of yours, Fifi. It was your genius that won all those millions at the New Britannia casinos that led me to you in the first place."
    "Thank you, oh most gentle of snugglers," Fifi sighed. "But it's more accurate to say I stole all those millions."
    Gus looked thoughtful and pensive, something that Madison wouldn't have believed possible. A memory opened in Gus' brain. There was a brief time he considered kidnapping Piper and making her a part of his miniature collection. He dismissed it as it might have jeopardized his master plan to capture Madison and her friends. "Are Pamela and Boa in place?"
    "Pamela is always in place, Gus. She received the package today. No worry about her. As for Boa, there is an element of risk as the exact time for the consumption of the drinks will be an imponderable. If it's too soon and Boa is still within the building..."
     "A worthy risk, Fifi. There won't be a better opportunity. Now, get me Ludmilla."
     "Done."
     A moment barely passed when a Russian-accented voice came over the speaker. "Yes, Gus?" said the brilliant woman, working from her lab.
    Gus tapped the desktop with his forefinger. "Lud, this will be the first use of your brilliant engineering work in live field conditions. Will the devices remain undetectable until its too late?"
    "Unless divine intervention is involved, Gus. They'll only find out after the device is used. You have my word." Ludmilla sounded confident without any wavering, her accent at the moment all but unnoticeable.
    "Good. By this time tomorrow the first stroke of my revenge will be complete. Ludmilla," Gus purred, "I have you to thank for all of it."
    "Very generous, Gus. I am elated that my skills were up to the very, very imposing task you gave me. For that I thank you."
    "You're most welcomed, Ludmilla."

************

"I just wish the other shoe would drop already," Audrey said from her desk in Room 410. She looked grumpy, and hungry. 11:30 couldn't come fast enough.
     Sitting next to her, Derek share the sentiment. "Gus could at least make a boastful announcement on how law enforcement has failed to find any clue on his whereabouts. His ego must be locked down tighter than a 'roo's sphincter."
     Gretta made a sour face. "That's a rude image, Derek. I hope I'll still be hungry for lunch."
    Madison brought herself back to full awareness. She was staring at a blank flatpanel screen on her desk, as it served as a focus while she did an intensive 'ware datasearch. "Speaking of lunch, who'll be taking orders today? I did it yesterday."
     "I'll do it," said Wenona. "Just don't order something that'll take half an hour to cook."
     Bria looked playfully rankled. "Winnie, if we just order that particular item earlier than the others then they'll arrive at the same time."
    "Not everyone likes to eat pizza everyday," Gretta commented. "You better stop pounding down all those jumbo extra cheese pizzas. Even your enlarged metabolism can't keep up. Unless Ronnie likes some meat on those thighs..."
    "Watch it, Gretta, or I might make the next pizza a 'sienna sausage.'" Everyone laughed, even more so for those that had grumbling tummies.
     The lunch orders were placed then and there. 25 minutes past before a young delivery woman appeared at the office door with an old-fashion handtruck loaded with just a dozen 24oz bottles of lollywater and tea. She had a datapad in her hand. "I'll need a signature for this," she said as a matter of fact.
     Being the closest, Bria took the pad and signed. "Good. You got here just before lunch. Where's Rodney? And why so few bottles this time?"
     Despite her unconditional desire to serve Gus it was an effort for Boa to keep her voice calm. Standing just 150cm tall, Gus' agent felt downright tiny next to the likes of Bria and Madison. She wondered if Audrey sometimes felt the same way. "He's gotten a bit of the bug. It's these changes in the weather recently. Warm one day and cloudy and raining the next. He taken a little bedrest. As for the lollywater the police department is cutting back on end-of-the-month expenditures."
    "I figure as much," Bria sighed as she gave the datapad a final promise before handing it back. She picked up the two six-packs and took them to the office's full-sized refrigerator.
    "Skip that, Bria," Madison said. "We'll be taking them out in a few minutes anyway. We'll use ice instead."
    Already dismissed from the officers' minds Boa made her way back to her delivery van, hoping everything was going just as well for Pamela.

************

While it may have been a happy occasion at the Piper household it was downright intense for Pamela. She was Piper's personal assistant for the past ten years, but for the last five she was Gus' secret agent, gleaming and collecting information on Piper among other sundry things. As she made the final preparations in the kitchen, part of Pamela's controlled mind recalled how she first met Gus. He pretended to be a movie distributor, and at lunch he worked his mind control magic. Over the course of three more such lunches Gus perfected his control, and to prove it he had Pamela bring him one of Piper's favorite bras, a strong yet lacy little thing that engendered lust in the male of the species. Since then Pamela was dutiful, keeping Gus informed on Piper's schedule and movements. 20 months ago, when told to go to ground by Ludmilla after Gus' arrest, Pamela still kept a most private record on what Piper was doing. When news of Gus' escape reached her ears Pamela secretly rejoiced inside, even more so when Ludmilla contacted her to resume sending reports. It was thus that Pamela informed her cohorts about Allison's impending arrival on Outback, and for the plan Gus engineered on such short notice.
     In the living room there was much laughter and small talk. Prompted by an inspired suggestion by Pamela, Piper invited Allison and the mothers and grandmothers of the six officers on a shopping trip to one of New Darwin's top-flight department store complexes, the Bourke Street Experience. Only Samantha Eddings and Barbara Spirit Talker, Derek and Wenona's respective grandmothers, were not there, as they were still on their extended vacations off-planet. Security for this trip was arranged by Marsha, Piper's aunt and head of the Marshals Office on Outback. She was going along as well, justifying her presence as necessary since a fair number of her kin was involved, and damn-all whatever the press may say about the matter.
     "Mom," Piper said, looking downright naughty at the woman every else knew as Charlene Jarvis, "though I'm her older sister, there's one thing I need to know about Madison."
     "Go ahead and shoot," said Charlene.
     "Well, you've been to her apartment the most and done your best to make it a livable mess," Piper gushed. "I want to buy her something, and I want to make sure she didn't already have a LBD."
     Regina, Audrey's mother, looked inquisitive. "What's a LBD?"
     "Oh, girl, you don't know?" Gretta's mother Lian teased. "It's what Piper likes to wear when she's out on the town with Nigel."
     "Though I can easily do a 'ware search," Regina replied, "I want it explained here first."
     "I'll tell you," June broke in. "The last thing we need is for Amber to get all huffy and defensive over her daughter-in-law, giving out nipple twists in wholesale lots." After a spat of giggling June continued. "Regina, my dear, LBD stands for little black dress."
     Charlene nodded. "She doesn't have one, unless it's well hidden. I've done a complete cleaning of her apartment two days ago."
     "That settles that," Piper beamed. "It'll be fun to watch Charlie when he sees Maddy in a LBD for the first time."
     "It may be little on a woman like Maddy," Amber observed, "but on me it'll be like a floor-length evening dress."
     Coming into the living room with a serving cart was Pamela. There were fifteen, six-ounce filled wineglasses, and she started to dispense them one at a time. "Before we go out and spend all of Piper's money," the brown-haired woman said joyfully, "we should make a toast." With permission Pamela gave the last glass to a plain-clothes female Marshal that was in the room with Marsha. "Here's to Madison, Bria, and Gretta. May they know marital bliss with their beaus by this time next year."
     "Here, here," came the replies. Even Stamp, the only 'male' in the room, joined in despite having no way to partake of the wine. The minicomp that served as current 'body' was resting on the coffee table. Thaddeus had left him in the care of Allison while he, Paul, Nigel and Clyde took Lonnie and Miracle to a children's museum. They, too, had a contingent of Marshals serving as their bodyguard. Stamp watched as the women sipped and then downed the wine in one draw. Having scanned the contents Stamp was a little miffed, for such wine was meant to be savored and appreciated, not pounded down like a can of Fosters. Becoming very concerned that all of the womens' faces blushed at the same time, Stamp went over the results of his scans very carefully. Had he an actual face, then it would've been fixed in a rigor of shock. Finding all outgoing communications and 'ware channels blocked, Stamp employed another mode of communication that no jamming or sly programming could counter. He did this while observing with detachment as the blouses of all the women present began to fill out at an urgent rate.

8
Boa walked down the hallway to the elevator, making sure she didn't shake while porting the handtruck in front of her. A pre-arranged 'ware signal from her delivery van reminded her to keep to her schedule, but it was actually a notice that told her that Pamela completed her task. Boa had hoped for another two minutes, just enough time to get to her van and leave. She felt even more anxious when the food delivery man appeared, heading from Room 410 just as she got into the elevator. As long as Fifi's programming and jamming were up to snuff....
    Just as the elevator doors were about to close Boa heard a commotion originating from down the hall. She knew her time was up.

"Oh God!" Piper exclaimed as her blouse lost the good fight and died a heroic death. Her nearly Angelican-sized breasts were twice as big now. "Is this what I think it is, Grandma? This is something that Mr. Big would've done if he was still around?"
     Now sporting Angelican-sized lungs that ruined her blouse as well Lynnae stood up and looked around. Everyone, even her daughter Marsha, were getting more generous in the chest with each passing second. The room was filled with the sound of blouses and shirts either ripping open or losing buttons like so many rapid-fired bullets. "Correction. This is something right up Gus' sleeve! Everyone! Spread out! Get as much space between each other as we can!"
    "Talk about a bosom blast from the past," June commented as she backed herself towards the dining room, being slowed down with each step. "This is just like what happened on the Heavenly Bosom!"
    Nadia, now at the size while on an undercover assignment on Cloud 9 over a century ago, was able to get closer to the huge bay window. "That was due to a breast beam, June. There was something in that wine that's turning us into balloon princesses."
    "It has to be that damn Bubbles drink," Amber shouted out, walking backwards to the staircase as she, too, became pillow woman sized and continued to get bigger. "No wonder we all drank that wine in one draw. It was tainted."
    Bria's mother Treasure lost her footing. Not because she slipped, but because her now giant breasts were lifting her off the floor. "If anyone makes a crack about me becoming a buried 'Treasure' I'll smother them at the first chance I get."
    "Don't get your knickers in a knot, sweetie," June said as her forward view became more and more limited. "Just be thankful we're not shrinking."
    "You're taking this way too calmly, June," Regina, Audrey's mother, said rather loudly so she could be heard past her breasts. "You and your friends have been blown up by Big or as part of an undercover assignment way back when, but this is a first for me and the others."
    Charlene, having never used nanites to enlarge her bust, looked resigned as her former E-cups rightfully earned another E to describe her boobs as 'especially enormous.' "I thought I knew was I was getting into when I married Trent and was made part of the Wilcox family," she said more for her benefit than for the others. "Who would've know that meant getting an unsolicited expansion at the hands of a super criminal of Gus' caliber?"
    "There's something breaking under me!" Allison yelled. "I think it's my chair! Sorry, Piper."
    "That's okay, Ally," Piper said as her front view was completely made of breast flesh. "I'm resigned to the fact that new furniture and interior work are a given."
    Instead of fabric it was now the sound of collapsing furniture and embattled walls being smothered by fleshly glaciers. "Oh, fuddleducks!" It was Wenona's mother Vivian. Her breasts had engulfed the expensive chair she had been sitting in just moments earlier. "What about Wenona and the others?"
    After a tense moment of concentration Marsha had to express herself. "Shit! Wetware and radio are acting all bonzers on me! Nadia! You're closest to the window. Can you get the attention of the Marshals outside?"
    Nadia grunted as she tried to part her breasts to get her bearings. "That's as useless as sunnies in a cave. The window's tinted, and I can't get close enough to pound it with my fists. They'll be checking in a moment due to the 'ware interference."
    Having the best view from the stairs, Amber whistled as she took in the sight of fifteen pairs of gynormus breasts, including her own. "Damn, girls, we grew with a purpose! If I was by the window I've would've busted it open... and take out the wall in the process. My muscles are aching to push my puppies like rock-filled carts."
    "I know you can do it, Amber," Lyn said in support, immobilized by her own pair of fleshly boulders. "With your strength there's nothing you can't do once you put your mind to it."
   "Don't worry, ladies," came the voice of Stamp from the center of the room. The coffee table was besieged by giant breasts on all sides, the growth slowed but by no means had it stopped yet. "I've contacted Madison. She and her friends are okay... for the most part."
     "Define 'for most part', Stamp," said Allison. She had a view of the spirit-possessed minicomp thanks to the spread of her prodigious boobs.
     "I shall endeavor to be brief, so spare my bluntness," Stamp said. "There was a similar attempt to inflate the officers at Central. Unfortunately, Miss..."

"Oh, goody," said Bria as she consulted her 'ware. "The food delivery guy is coming up the elevator. I'll fill up the glasses with ice."
     "I think I'll skip the ice for the initial swig," said Madison as grasped her bottle of lime lollywater.
     "Same here." Gretta picked up her bottle of kiwi strawberry lollywater and removed the cap, the sound of escaping carbonation like sweet music in her ears. Wenona and Audrey were still deciding between orange and black cherry while Derek got one of the two diet tea bottles.
     Eyes closed, Madison was about to open and raise the bottle to her lips when she 'felt' a pressure in her mind, then it changed into a noise. Had she ever listened to an old-fashion radio, Madison would've likened the noise to that found in-between stations, angry and antic. That noise instantly became a voice that spoke very fast, and Madison understood. Like a piece of memory metal the officer threw the unopened bottle most unexpectedly at the top of the desk shared by Wenona and Audrey. The ice-filled glasses were hit and pushed off the desk, spilling their contents onto the floor while the bottle itself skidded to the far wall of the office.
     "What the hell was that for?" Audrey said. "This isn't bar table basketball night."
     "Don't drink the lollywater!" Madison said urgently. "It's been tainted with..." The sight of Gretta downing the 24 oz bottle without stopping filled Madison with dread.
     Feeling her face heat up, Gretta dropped the empty bottle like a dead rat. "Oh, crap. It's poisoned, wasn't it?"
    "It's Bubbles, Gretta!" Madison said with urgency. "You're going to get very..." Gretta's breasts tripled in size in as much time to draw a deep breath, the bra ruined and making the first of many buttons fly off her police shirt and hitting Madison squarely on the nose. "...big! Gretta, step back! Everyone else come to me!"
    As much as he wanted to get out of the way Derek tripped up on his own feet and fell to the floor. With spilled tea and the melting ice he found getting back up a task, now that Gretta's breasts were growing faster than Derek could move. He was first pushed by Gretta's growing mass and then had his legs covered. It was like a big bag of wet plasticrete had fallen on him. Making a decision, it took all of Derek's strength to turn over onto his back. He hugged the front of Gretta's right breast tightly as it covered his chest, riding the growth like a cowboy atop a bucking horse, the wet floor making the inadvertent trip less rough.
    "Her guardian angel was asleep at the switch," lamented Audrey as she watched both her best friend filling the room with her husband doing his best from being suffocated by relentless, growing flesh.
    "It had to be Gus," Madison seethed. "All wetware communications are down, even the internal comms!"
    With her left breast covering and then collapsing the desk that once held the drinks, and the other taking Derek on a unique trip, Gretta began to laugh.
   "What so amusing about this?" Wenona said with concern. "You're bigger than a pillow woman and still growing."
    "It's just like you said to Allison," Gretta yelled after getting her breath back from belly laughing. "It's easier to laugh than to cry. Once I'm alone with Billy, though..."
    As if she spoken a magic word the growth stopped, Gretta now sporting a righteously huge rack mostly found on caricatures and adult comic strips. Derek, very much alive and with his wits about him, looked up to find that his hands couldn't quite reach Gretta's small but inimitably tweakable right nipple. "I've been in this position before, checking Gretta's anti-grav bra cups while we were tiny. I just want to pinch that nipple to make sure I'm not dreaming."
     "I don't mind if you do, Derek," said the super-pneumatic woman. "I so wish that this is a dream."
     Bria noted the intense look on Madison's face, having seen it before and knowing what it meant. "Maddy..."
    "Wenona!" Madison barked. "You stay here and free Derek. Both of you take care of Gretta while me, Bria and Audrey go after that woman that delivered the lollywater."
    "Not that I'm disagreeing with you," Audrey said as she gave her trapped husband a supportive look, "but what makes you think..."
    Madison spoke quickly, wishing her 'ware wasn't blocked for it would've been faster. "For one, the deliveries were all wrong. Room 410 always gets the lollywater deliveries first. Plus she lied about the end of the month. I checked the office budget file in my 'ware cache. We were scheduled to get 36 bottles of lollywater today. She only delivered twelve to ensure we drank the tainted ones!"
     "Why are we still here and jawing?" Bria said with gusto as she sprinted for the door. "Let's get her!"
     "Ignore the elevators, Bria!" Madison replied. "It's sure as shite they're out of order now! Use the stairs!"
     Audrey was the last to leave, sparing one final look at Derek before sprinting after her friends. All three found it easier to vault from one flight of steps to the next, and they rushed through the halls to get to the parking zone designated for deliveries. People got out of their way, not wanting to be run down by two very tall officers and a super-strong petite one. If the delivery traffic was as bad as it was supposed to be for this time of day then there was a chance to intercept the little woman before she left.

9
Back at the Piper residence the Marshals on the outside managed to get inside, only to be confronted by a blockade of boobage. Though broadcast wetware signals were still inexplicably jammed, touch-enabled communication was still working. All 15 expanded women were able to touch-talk, with the oldest consoling the youngest on their current state of helplessness. Piper kept a brave face, but felt terrible internally. The only way the women could get out of the house was by removing a portion of a wall, namely the huge bay window. That, unfortunately, meant the sacrifice of her carefully tended bloom shrubs, the very ones given to her by great great grandma Felicity when Piper bought the house. [The paparazzi are going to have a field day with us,] said the super-sized super model. [There's no way I'm able to host my show now, and I'm going to lose my role in Nude Attack Woman - The Resurrection.]
     [There are other fish in the sea,] said Charlene. [Now you have the makings of a true-life novel about the complications of being so big and how you overcame them with inner strength and the generous support of your family. Think of all copies you'll sell in the entire Commonwealth. You'll be richer than the dreams of avarice.]
    [Thanks, mom,] Piper replied [I appreciate that you're trying to cheer me up. But what I want now is a kiss from Nigel.]
   A loud woof was heard atop the stairs, immediately followed by the urgent patter of little dachshund feet. Pitch, Piper's pet dog, began his journey across the room. He lept onto Amber's breasts, and from there the little black dog acted like a man on a breaking ice flow, jumping from giant breast to giant breast, leaving in his wake a diffuse wave of giggles as the dog's paws engendered sweet, playful sensations in the women involved. Once atop Piper's mass the dog trotted over to his mistress' face and proceed to lick her cheeks and chin, making her laugh. For a brief time she forgot the collective predicament she was involved in.
    On the other side of the room Pamela, her face unseen, was smiling. She had completed her mission, leaving it to the news services to inform Gus of her success. For now she had to play the part of a helpless assistant, staying with Piper and the rest of the pneumatic women. There was only one place that could handle the special needs of the women, and from there Pamela could realize the other part of Gus' plan with the help of a carefully planted confederate. It entailed a certain level of personal risk, but for Pamela it was worth it. Making Gus happy was the highest honor any girl could hope to achieve, and Pamela wanted to make Gus happy.

Boa thanked the most talented Fifi for her wizard work as she exited the elevator. Playing the datanets like a master violinist, Fifi ensured Boa had the prime parking spot by delaying the other delivery drivers. The van had the closest spot next to the exit, on the top level of the three-level underground parking structure. She picked up her pace, imitating what the previous delivery driver had done, pushing the empty handtruck with restrained urgency. A simple touch of the hand unlocked the van's back doors, again the same as what the previous driver did, and Boa unceremoniously shoved the handtruck inside. She got into the driver's seat, turned the old-fashion key, and sighed in relief as she pulled out of he parking spot. It was only then, in the van's side mirror and rear video display, that she saw three of the officers from Room 410 come charging out of the stairwell doors. As her van had the same logo as found on her jumpsuit those officers made a beeline towards it at an all out run.
    Pulling into traffic, Boa sweated hard for her speed was limited while she traveled the surface roads. Due to hard-wired security protocols that even Fifi couldn't overcome Boa knew her van wasn't allowed to speed up or go to full anti-grav until it was one kilometer way from the Central Precinct building proper. Those two long-legged officers were gaining ground, and Boa lost sight of the short one, the one with the phenomenal strength. However, such strength would only count if she could catch up to the van. With relief Boa moved into the center westbound lane. With traffic on either side and behind and with no lights to slow her down (again thanks to Fifi) Boa counted the seconds before she could engage anti-grav and fly high into the high speed airborne traffic lane. Her confidence grew as she witness the dark-haired officer stumble and was side-swiped by a car, leaving the platinum blond officer on her own.
    However, just about to order the van's computer to enable flight mode, Boa let loose with curse. Apparently a traffic cop caught onto the fact that the lights were behaving oddly and didn't believe the computer commands he was getting from Traffic Control Central. The lights turned red, bringing traffic to a stop and allowing the tall blond to catch up. Just about to retrieve a handgun from the van's glove compartment Boa yelled in relief as the light turned green. Just 100 meters past the intersection the van's computer would take over and enable the anti-grav, and that would be...
    Officer Wilcox, charging harder than she had ever done before, thanked God for the small favor he bestowed. She recalled the obstacle utilization refresher course she took back in November and applied it here. With her great stride Madison jumped onto the back of a low-set car that was to the van's right. Scrambling onto the roof, her weight left shoe imprints that would soon disappear due to the car's memory metal construction. Then she jumped again, adrenaline-pumped muscles enabling her to land on the van's roof with her Angelican breasts actually making two bowl-shaped depressions over the driver's compartment. Ouch! she though. Now I really know what grandma went through in her police adventures!
     "Damn!" Boa exclaimed, powerless to halt the van now that the computer took over. Anti-grav increased to full, allowing the boxy vehicle to rise up to a height of 100 meters and merge with the aerial traffic artery. Speed picked up as well, reaching 140kph. The memory metal was asserting itself, eliminating the breast dents and making Madison scramble for a firm hold. She found one in the form of the whip antenna, mounted just behind the windshield. Bad enough to be moving at high speed so high off the ground, but Boa decided to increase Madison's peril, firing her handgun through the compartment's roof, missing Madison by millimeters. It was enough to make her lose her tenuous hold and be pushed back by the slipstream. Even the drag created by her breasts wasn't enough to slow her down. Ever quick, Madison got her swizarm out from her belt pouch and, with a hard-touch 'ware command, extended the built-in memory metal knife. She plunged that knife into the roof the van like a mountaineer driving a piton into a rockface. The van's memory metal sealed itself around the knife, forming the handhold Madison needed. She dragged herself forward with her free hand, and while pressing down hard she pulled the swizarm out and plunged it down into the van's top a half-meter closer to the driver's compartment.
    Boa didn't like what she was hearing, and vehicular sensors told her what was happening on the roof. Recalling that the van did have an anti-theft device Boa used it, sending a electric charge coursing across the metal exterior. With luck that near-giant of a woman would let go and fall off. It would be a bit of a disappointment for Gus, as he wanted the platinum blond to be endowed with mammoth breasts, but with her dead...
   A police cruiser, set to flight mode and blaring with lights, pulled up alongside the van. Shock filled Boa as the driver-side window rolled down, seeing that it was Audrey looking at her like an angry polecat. She moved the cruiser right up against the van, bumping it hard and making a stunned Madison regain her senses. The electric discharge had caused her right hand to form a death grip on the swizarm, prevent her from falling off. Now it was a question of releasing that grip as well as continue to improvise a way to get the van to ground.
    Audrey had her own agenda. The cruiser's computer had override the van's proximity alert, permitting the bumping to occur in the first place. For an encore she lashed out with her right arm, utterly smashing the van's passenger side window. Boa fired the remaining rounds from her gun, only to have Audry duck down, the bullets glancing off the heavy metal of the cruiser's side or simply drilling holes into the empty passenger seat. With glee, Audrey fired her police stunner into the van's driver compartment, making Boa slump back into her seat. "Hot damn I'm good!" The little officer yelled. "Maddy! The automatics are kicking in! The van will slow and start to descend!"
    "Good! I'm getting tired of this ride!" The quite tall woman eased herself forward on the van's roof, thankful of the already reduced speed. Altitude dropped at a steady clip. When Madison reached the spot where her breasts made their impression on the van's roof she was only ten meters off the ground. The van came to a stop altogether and settled in a section of a parking lot next to a sporting goods store with the police cruiser landing on the passenger side. With relief Madison got onto solid ground and went to the driver's door, opening it quickly only to find the delivery woman was still out cold. That is, until, Madison checked her pulse only to have the little woman awaken suddenly and punch her in the face. Sent reeling, the officer couldn't stop the woman from running off into an alley. However, Boa failed to take Audrey into account. With her superior strength and agility the most recent winner of the Grant Page Award was upon Boa like a bad habit. Madison watched as Audrey played the delivery woman like a cat would a mouse, giving her restrained blows while taking whatever the woman gave back with total indifference. More damage would've been done to a brick wall for all what Boa was doing, but when she scratched Audrey's face and ripped open her shirt, exposing the bra-clad left breast, Audrey called it a day by breaking the woman's right arm and left leg. Ignoring the pain-induced crying, Audrey handcuffed the woman behind her back and dragged her to the van, telling her she was under arrest for possession and delivering an outlawed substance and assaulting a police officer.
    With relief Madison noticed her 'ware communications were back on-line as well as her sensor package as she checked the driver's compartment. Just a moment after turning off all the van's power sources she picked up a distress message, and it was coming from within the van. She opened the rear doors and went inside, finding just stacks of bottles, the handtruck, and a deactivated stasis freezer big enough to hold a person. Carefully opening the lid, Madison did indeed see a body, and was surprized when she recognized the person.
    [Just got a message from Bria,] Audrey said over the link. [She's a little banged up after that sideswipe but otherwise okay. She's going back to Central.]
    [Thank goodness.] Madison replied with noticeable relief. [Just how did you snag a cruiser so quickly?]
    A sense of embarrassment was felt in the link. [Well, there was a cruiser up front at Central that was in the drop-off zone. The officer that was driving it was outside jawing with a friend, and since I couldn't keep up with you I decided to improvise and 'borrow' it.]
    [Commission Stark will forgive you for that, Audrey, as well as breaking that woman's arm and leg. Especially after what I'm about to show you. I found Rodney. He was in the stasis freezer in the back of the van.]
    Rodney was once part of Gus' diorama collection, in a scene that depicted the typical activities at the Tea Cup restaurant. Playing the same part as in real life, Rodney was shown making a delivery to The Tea Cup's service door, right down to the handtruck loaded with steaks heading from one stasis freezer to another. He was most happy to give his thanks again to the officers when he encountered them several days ago in Room 410 on a previous delivery, making everyone feeling appreciated.
    [Oh God, Maddy. Is he...] Audrey stopped, her tightening grip on the handcuffs making Boa wince in fresh pain.
    [He's alive, Audrey. Gus is up to his old tricks again.] Madison stepped out of the van, holding something in her hand very carefully. Looking intently, Audrey gasped in surprize. It was Rodney, tiny at 6cm in height, looking bewildered as he tried to make sense of what happened just moments ago in his frame of reference. [If Gus had a way to make Rodney small, then it's sure as shite that he's big again. This is just the opening round of whatever that shitebrain has planned for us and this city.]

10
Back at Central the scene was one of much activity. Boa was interrogated by voice and 'ware alike by senior detectives even while being taken to hospital. Her identity was quickly established, but she had no criminal record whatsoever, and she proved obstinate by remaining mostly silent and locking down her 'ware with freakishly diabolical encryption. She only admitted that she did what Gus ordered her to do, and would continue to do so if she's given the chance. Audrey wanted to 'persuade' Boa to cooperate, but Commissioner Stark ordered her point-blank to stay away.
     Practically everything in Room 410 that could be moved out was moved, leaving one super-pneumatic Gretta in the tender care of her friends and a brace of firefighters. At Stark's personal request he had Billy, Gretta's firefighter boyfriend, on the scene as well as Charlie and Ronnie. As preparations were made to remove the windows and wall facing the street Derek gave Audrey a well-deserved hug. "I'm glad you kept your strength in check for the most part, my Amazon. Hopefully the defense attorneys won't hold against you what force you did use."
    "If they know what's good for them," Audrey commented. "Boa had reinforced fingernails, explaining why she tore up my shirt so easily." She opened the jacket a generous senior sergeant gave her when she dumped Boa in front of the duty desk. A brief stirring of lust came over Derek as his eyes made contact with the still-exposed, righteously large, athletic bra cups, but it chilled as he took in the scratches on Audrey's face. In a few hours the scratches will completely disappear and leave no trace thanks to nanites, but Derek had contempt for the woman that made those marks on his wife.
    Bria had some major bruising on her right thigh and hip after being hit by a car during the footchase. Internal bleeding was halted by nanites, and the EMT applied chill packs. She had to wear a regulation skirt in lieu of pants, and her walking was slowed. Bria felt better in any event, as it was Ronnie that applied the packs, but not before he kissed the 'boo-boos' to make the hurt go away. At the moment both were helping in removing the remains of the desk under Gretta's left breast, lifting the flesh like it was an enormous bag filled with fresh pizza dough. Charlie fetched said debris, ensuring nothing remained to cause discomfort when it came time to move her. Even Commissioner Stark and Chief Baker lent their help, feeling shame as they felt responsible for Gretta's condition being a failure on their part.
    From the safety of Madison's right breast pocket Rodney was interviewed by a detective. All that Rodney could recall was that a woman in the same delivery jumpsuit he wore surprized him while in the back of his van. She had something resembling a flaregun in her hand, and when she fired Rodney experienced the feeling of compression again, just like when Gus shrunk him for his collection two years ago. He recalled nothing else after being placed in the stasis freezer until the power went off, for it was then he was rescued by Madison. "Sir, we like to take you to the Lydia Burbank Memorial Hospital for a check-up," said the detective. "The medical and techno people would want to investigate if there were any significant differences in the shrinking this time around."
    "No objection, detective," said Rodney, with only his head and forearms visible above the top of the pocket. In the back of his mind he felt like an ancient sailor tending to the billowing canvas high above the deck. "I wonder why that Boa character stopped shrinking me at six centimeters, when she could've easily made me much smaller."
    "If you'll pardon the pun, Sir, be thankful for small favors." That earned the detective a playfully reproachful look from both Rodney and Madison. "You'll be tended by a very special lady, and I'm not referring to the one behind you now."
    "Janet!" Rodney shouted, though the woman wasn't close enough to hear him at all. At the office door, flanked by two brawny officers, was a woman dressed in a waitress outfit with a jacket draped on her shoulders. A basketball bust, a requirement for waitresses working at The Tea Cup, filled the woman's front most generously as she was just 149cm tall. Janet quickly stepped up and got on one knee in front of a still-sitting Madison, seeing what appeared to be her boyfriend in the tall officer's shirt pocket.
    "Oh, Rodney, it is you. This is that bastard Gus' doing, isn't it?" Janet said with a tear in her eye that threatened to be followed by many more.
    "Don't cry, Janet. You'll drown me," Rodney admonished. "You should thank this modern goddess for saving me."
    Like Rodney, Janet was also once part of Gus' collection. She was captured at the same time Rodney was two years ago. The couple sneaked a kiss in a storage closet when Gus made his unwelcome appearance. With an understandably strong handshake Janet worked Madison's arm like it was an old water pump on a parched piece of land. "Oh, I can't thank you enough, Officer. You saved my beau from becoming part of whatever Gus had in store for him."
    "You're welcome, Janet. It seems that I made the right choice in being two meters tall after all. Otherwise, I doubt I could've caught up to the van."
    "Miss Bell," said the detective, "I've asked you to come here so that you wouldn't worry as much had you gone to the hospital first instead. We would like you to take Rodney to hospital in the company of those two fine officers that escorted you here."
    Janet looked perplexed. "How? I'm not exactly equipped to carry him safely."
   Madison smiled. "Ah, but you are." She gently fished Rodney out of her pocket, though the tiny man was a bit reluctant as he came to like the feeling of Madison's breasts, even though a bra and shirt fabric were in the way. Madison placed Rodney at the starting point of Janet's cleavage, making the waitress blush. "There you go. It's like you're a mother kangaroo with a joey in her pouch."
   Looking like a tank commander sitting up in his cupola Rodney patted breast flesh on either side of him. "Keep your jiggling to a minimum and I'll be fine."
   "Just don't slip down," Janet commanded as she zipped up her jacket, leaving just enough room for Rodney to look out but most importantly to breath. "I practically have to undress to fish you out otherwise."
    Madison spared a moment to watch Janet leave with her two escorts, then went to Gretta's right side, reminding herself that all the healthy mass was attached to her friend. Billy was there, holding Gretta's hand in his. "Hiya, sweetness," Madison said with genuine warmth. "Who needs a 400 kilo gorilla when we have you?"
   "I would laugh," said the beleaguered woman, "but I feel faint. While that Bubbles-tainted drink added blood volume to match my new size..." she paused to catch her breath and waited for a dizzy spell to pass, "...my blood pressure is way low."
   "I'm surprized you didn't pass out altogether," Madison commented, placing a hand on Gretta's dominating right breast. She switched to wetware touch communications. [Your nanites are busy. I see they've went for your earrings and collar comms.]
    [That they have, Maddy,] Gretta replied in the same manner. [They need the metal to build the micropumps to regulate the blood pressure in my breasts. I can't undo this collar until the nanites are done. They'll be going lower next, so I have something for Billy and you to hold onto.] With effort Gretta removed her police ring and placed it in Billy's hand. He held the intricate metal band delicately, just like when one tiny Gretta was in his hand all those months ago. Next came the St. Michael's Medallion, and that went to Madison. She immediately placed it around her neck and under her shirt, the medallion safe between her breasts. [I hope the angels will be more attentive for you than for me, Maddy.]
     The tall officer placed his hand over Gretta's now free one. [They were attentive, sweetness, it's just they forgot to talk to you first. Stamp told me about the Bubbles drink, for it happened at Piper's house at the same time.]
    Gretta's mental voice was crestfallen. [Oh God, Maddy! Who got big, and just how big?]
    [It was everyone. Even one of Aunt Marsha's marshals got it. Fifteen women are now stuck with 15 meters of extra breast. Just like you.]
    [15 meters!?] When Madison nodded Gretta sniffled as a tear rolled down her cheek. [Maddy, that's twice as big as the average pillow woman! There's only one place that could possibly take care of me and the others.]
    As Billy wiped away the tear with a tissue Madison slightly tighten her grip on Gretta's hand. [Once they open the wall an air lorry will be hovering outside. Anti-grav mats and a tractor beam will be used to pull you onto the lorry, and from there you'll be flown up to the roof and board a cargo shuttle. Cloud 9 has been alerted and are pulling all the stops to receive you and the others. You know what my feelings are, having family also inflated by Gus' treachery. I want you to be strong for your family, Billy, and for your friends. We will get Gus and put a proper end to him, even if we have to do it without the help of the department. You have my word.]
    Gretta tighten her grip in response. [Don't go full-blown vigilante on me, especially Audrey. Remember the story Grandma Lynnae told us about taking out that Mountain White kingpin? If you do half the stuff she and June did then I'm going to have to flatten you like pizza dough, using my breasts as rolling pins!]
    Madison moved in and planted a kiss on Gretta's cheek. [You still have your 'ware, Gretta. You're by no means useless, and you have the legendary Nadia to help as well. She wrote the book on 'ware tricks, and I bet she kept some to herself after all these years. You'll be with us in more than spirit, and we'll be all the stronger for it.]
    [Thanks for the cheering up.] Gretta's 'ware voice was a bit choked up. [Now, can you remove my utility belt and pants for me pretty please? The nanites will be going for the metal in them next.]
    [Okay, sweetness,] Madison said impishly. [I just hope you wore the regulation underpants and not that thong Billy gave you last week.]
    Gretta blushed heavily, making Billy wonder what was being said in the private 'ware touch conversation. [Maddy! Behave!]

11
Back at Site 2 one Gus Matlin was beside himself with joy. More accurately, he was surrounded by joy, for he was residing in Fifi's mega cleavage while observing the video feeds his techno dominatrix had tapped into. Like what happened to the women in Piper's house, Fifi gained an extra 15 meters of frontage when she volunteered to test the age-accelerated Bubbles sample for Ludmilla. It was fortuitous that the rooms of Site 2 had 4-meter ceilings for Fifi's flesh boulders were 2 meters from top to bottom and preceded her by a good 4 meters. Her workplace, 'the crystal cathedral', had to be upgraded to handle her enormous endowments. The decor of the room remained unchanged; the flatpanel screens where there mainly for aesthetic purposes, but Gus was watching those instead of using his 'ware. He cackled, witnessing the feed of Gretta being loaded onto the shuttle on Central's roof. Her boyfriend was there, right by her side holding her hand, most likely giving encouragement for his head was right next to her ear.
     "If only I was there in person," the criminal mastermind said out loud. "I wanted to see the face of my sienna sweet as she blew up like proverbial balloons."
    "An unacceptable risk, Gushy," cooed Fifi. Her strawberry-scented perfume was making Gus hungry. "We don't want to lose you a second time."
   "Still, a man can dream." Gus drummed his fingers on Fifi's breast flesh like he was at his desk. "Get me the feed from the Piper house."
   "On 2," said the techno-woman.
   The grin on Gus' face was transformed and locked in a rigor of gloating. He watched, patiently, like a cougar, as one after another the blimp-breasted women were brought out of the house and loaded onto a cargo cutter that landed on Piper's front yard. Each cutter could only carry two such women at a time, and when one was filled and took off another took its place. When it came to Lynnae's turn the still gloating Gus had Fifi zoom in on the platinum blond. Despite the brave face the little woman wore Gus sensed the outrage that dweled inside her, the need to yell and rant against the circumstance she was in now, and vent hatred towards the only man who was capable of such an act. It tickled the man's warped mind that he will get his chance to hear Lynnae's anguish. In addition to the now enlarged Pamela, there was another of Gus' ladies on Cloud 9. She was in the perfect spot to witness, covertly record, and then send any and all lamentations Lynnae and the other 14 women would make. Pamela would make some small cries, but it will be out of joy for doing such an excellent job for her precious Gushy Gus.
    The sultry voice of Fifi flowed into Gus' ear like sweet sap from a maple tree. "Ludmilla is ready to report."
    Gus made a normal smile. "Put her on." On a third screen the beautiful physicist appeared, lovely as ever. "All is in readiness, my butterfly?"
    "It is, my little bear," Ludmilla purred. "The first set of devices will prime themselves in six minutes. After that, in a period of twenty minutes, the devices will arm themselves and then wait for the appropriate targets. At your command we can activate the remaining devices in their prearranged groups or individually."
    "Too bad those gizmos don't have cameras so we can see the results," Gus lamented. "Even with encrypted signals the Bronze would've picked up the transmissions. Besides, we have our taps in the NDPD datanets and even the news organizations. All thanks to our Fifi."
    At the mention of her name the mistress of the megaframes rocked her personal mountains in ecstasy. "Oh, Gushy, you wogger."
    Ludmilla continued. "Given what we learned from police chatter, and of data gleamed from the hospital where the delivery driver was sent to, I am confident of the results for the Type-1 devices. As for the Type-2s we'll just have to wait."
   Gus found no fault with that, given that the latter devices weren't tested against actual people. They were placed in spots to gain the maximum effect. Oh yes, the newsies were going to have the proverbial field day and fan the flames of fear for weeks to come. "Excellent. Tonight's victory diner will be all the more special. Fifi, dedicate all the flatpanels to each of Outback's major news outlets. I want to see who'll report first and where."
    "Your wish is my command, Gushy baby," purred the queen of data tapping.

************

There was only one place to go for the specialized care needed for women that were downright enormous of chest, and that was the Cloud 9 Club. A space station that orbited Outback, Cloud 9 was a franchise that had as it specialty women with breasts so big that men paid to slumber in the equally enormous cleavage. The owners were most gracious to help the sixteen super-pneumatic women, and once the request was granted they moved with such speed and purpose it was if angels possessed them. A pillow woman breakroom was cleared of all furniture and cleaned with alacrity. Designed to accommodate visiting troupes of Bally's Buxom Bouncers, the breakroom had thirty plumbing connections, but the size of the women limited the number that could be used to twenty.
     Chloe Braddok, the Head Pillow Mistress of this Cloud 9 franchise, directed her employees like a general on the battlefield. Each inflated woman was attended by a nurse, half of them volunteers from other parts of the station, and three assistants. The trip from the shuttlebay to the pillow woman level was straightforward but time-consuming as the service elevator was only large enough to hold one woman at a time. Once in the breakroom the women found special lounge chairs waiting from them, but to use them they had to strip their remaining clothes. All cursed Gee for this additional but necessary indignity thrust on them.
    [This should feel like old times for you, Nadia,] said June via an encoded 'ware transmission as her assistants made the last set of checks to her recliner and overall comfort. The floor paneling wasn't quite up to the warmth needed, making her comparatively tiny nipples jut out like heat thermometers used for old-fashion turkey cooking. [I bet Harold can't wait to be with you alone. It's been over 100 years since you went undercover on this very station as a pillow woman, after all.]
    The tall woman harrumphed. [I daresay Greg is secretly anxious to see you like this as well, June.] Nadia gave her friend a mental raspberry. [I doubt we'll be getting private rooms. They'll have to set up dividers for privacy and force fields for sound proofing.]
    Amber weighed in with her opinion, sounding naughty. [That soundproofing isn't just for the crying and emotional carrying on, I bet. Before this is over we're all going to put our superlungs to the test.]
    June wanted to see Amber's face, but the breasts made that impossible, so she settled on the short woman's mental generated visage. [You may want to reconsider that assumption. You stated plenty of times that Bert was barely big enough to endure your tender embraces. Right now, you might squash him like a grape.]
    [Ha! Burt's not that fragile. He's had over a century to toughen himself up. I think he can endure all of this extra me.]
    [Well, you'll get your chance to prove it,] Lynnae said over the private channel. [Our hubbies will be here shortly. They mean well, so take all their macho banter in good stride.]
    Lynnae received a second 'ware transmission, on another private channel. It was from Marsha, her daughter. Turning to the left, Lynnae saw Marsha's face was just visible past the curve of her breasts. She looked forlorn. [Mom, I just placed myself on medical leave and had my Chief Deputy take charge. Even though I could do a fare amount of work with my 'ware, if I can't move by myself...]
   [No need to feel sorry for yourself, honey. Just get your cry out of the way and get back in the game. You were huge before, and you'll get past this as well.]
   [I hope so, Mom.] She didn't vocalize it, but Marsha made her anguish felt. [But this was pure Bubbles that bastard Gus used on us with no associated nanites. My own nanites haven't made any progress. Every gram of breast mass they remove is being replaced instantly. I'm beginning to wish that we were shrunk to the size of a peanut instead. We're all going to be stuck like this forever.]
    Lynnae was inclined to share that assertion, but didn't slip into the yawning pit of despair Marsha appeared to be headed for. [Hon, have you forgotten about the other beam rifle already? The Navy still has it in their labs. Once Amber's son David gets the news he'll have that rifle brought here faster than the angels themselves.]
    A wave of tempered hope filled Marsha's metal voice. [I'll jump in joy if that's the case, Mom. But Gus had to consider that in his plans. A man devious enough to make a collection of shrunken people would've covered his bases.]
    [Well, don't concern yourself with that now, sweetie,] Lynnae said in a motherly tone, [our hubbies are here!]
    Fifteen expectant men filed into the room like children in an unfamiliar school. Nadia and Lian's hubbies knew were to go right away for no-one else had their sienna-hued skin. For the others it was like an adult Easter egg hunt. Aside from the two Junker women the other 13 men had to see each woman in turn, a bit shamed for not being able to recognized their wives' breasts by sight despite their enormous size. Paul was a bit quicker off the mark, for he intimately knew the look of Lyn's nipples. Instead of going to the side, he made his way into the cleavage. For him it was like going into a vary narrow valley with sloping walls, and it was enough to induce a feeling of claustrophobia. But not for long, for he found his love waiting on the far end. An uncharitable person would say it was a Frankenstein creation being raised up on the special recliner, a comparatively stick figure of woman attached to monstrously-sized breasts. Paul only saw his wife needing some reassurance, and he did so by kissing and hugging as best he could his love for the past century.
    "Well, so much for saying hi," Lynnae said after Paul pulled back for some air. "Would it kill you to say that I have one heck of a chest cold?"
   "You amaze me," Paul replied, eyes locked onto Lynnae's. "You're 95% breast and still have a sense of humor."
    "As long you're here to listen to my bad jokes, I'll be fine. I'm just worried about Maddy. She's has my righteous blood, and if she gets it in her head to go vigil..."
    Paul silenced Lyn with a finger to her lips. "She'll be here soon enough to listen to our spiel about that, love. Save your breath and let the nanites build those micropumps. I don't want you to faint halfway through."
   "Okay. But I won't use my wetware. Maddy will listen better when she hears it from my own lips."

12
The officers on foot, vehicle and horse patrol learned what happened at Central and at Piper's house just minutes after it happened. To a one they all felt indignant that the only and most likely culprit, Gus, had gotten away with it. All four of most famous female officers in NDPD history, including one that was a former police commissioner, and Gretta Junker had been expanded like so many old-fashion weather balloons. These officers all heard about exploits of the Buxom Duo and even sat in Academy lectures they gave from time to time. All knew this was the start of a period of high strangeness, but instead of a lecherous, wily little man there was a shrink-crazed psycho on the loose.
     As it turned out the weather in New Darwin became much better in the afternoon. So much so that the parks saw an increase in activity, mainly in the form of impromptu soccer matches and parents with children using the playgrounds. One pair of patrolling officers came across a seemingly unattended child in one of the parks, about seven years in age, walking straight towards them. He had his hands cupped together like he had captured a moth. "Whoa, there, little man," said the first officer. "Where you off to?"
     The dark-haired boy looked and acted like he was on a mission. "I'm looking for officers 'cause Mommy always said to look for officers in case of trouble."
     "She sounds like a smart lady," said the second officer. "What's the trouble."
     "I think my Mom is sick 'cause she got real small."
      The first officer tipped up his hat. "Son, don't you mean she took a fall?"
     "No," the boy said assertively, "small." He removed one hand to expose the palm of the other. Lying in that palm was one tiny woman, alert and anxious. The first officer got on one knee to take a real close look, surprized to see the woman's face react to his presence.
     "Oh, I'm so glad my boy found an officer so quickly," said the mother loudly so as to heard. "I'll show you where it happened, Officer."
     "Umm.. sure, ma'am," said the second officer. "We'll need to cordon off the area for the CSI team." As the officer made the call via his collar-comm he shared a knowing look with his partner. The high strangeness had truly begun.

Like a father waiting outside the delivery room Commissioner Stark paced in Chief Baker's office at Central as he waited for a preliminary forensic report on the BE handgun used by Boa and the unopened bottles of lollywater. He got an answer for the latter rather quickly, and wanted to disbelieve. All had expected the 24oz bottles to be completely composed of Bubbles, but only 1 milliliter of the magical substance had been culled from the first bottle and the investigators fully expected to get the same result for the remaining five.
     After his second cigar, and getting the initial report of the park incident, Stark chewed on the initial findings of the BE handgun. It was found in the stasis freezer that briefly held the now-tiny Rodney. Just as it was described, the gun looked like a 30mm flare pistol. Except, of course, the tube that normally held the flare wasn't; the protective cap at the business end actually concealed dozens of rods. Judging by the partial slagging at the heart of the device it was either a one-shot affair or Boa had it self-destruct.
     Stark gave the hologram display an intense look as he thought. The handgun marked a dangerous development, for it implied that whoever worked for Gus had found a way to produce a cheap storage cell for the strange energy of the BE rifle. Indeed, it didn't need to be in the form of a flare pistol at all, just the10cm-long cylinder itself. At that moment Stark didn't care to ponder in just how many items and locations such a small device could be hidden and disguised, waiting to be triggered to inflicted its technological menace. Not by choice, he soon had to ponder that thought.
       Chief Baker, commander of the Central Precinct, entered the office and handed Stark a legal-sized datapad. "Commissioner, we just got reports from six additional locations. Two men and a women have been individually shrunk. A pair of women had their breasts expanded. And the sixth location..."
     "Don't tell me there's been a fatality," Stark said immediately, assuming the worst.
     "No, Sir. A group of women at a lingerie store have been shrunk. In each of these six locations witnesses say the victims were standing still as if paralyzed while shrinking or having their breasts expanded."
     Stark sighed. "So it has begun. What is that madman up to now?"
     "What can we do, Sir?"
     "It's his dance, Chief, and we'll be dancing to his tune until..."
     A harsh warble of alarm filled the room. The hologram projector and the flatscreens came to life and tuned to an emergency channel. A channel reserved for use by the planetary governor. Instead of Honour Jackson, it was Gus Matlin, sans mustache and looking like the proverbial million c-notes. He wore a business suit easily worth a month's salary for the average man.
     "Speak of the devil," said Stark. "It's Mr. Figjam himself."
     Gus sat in a plush chair with knitted covers over the arms and back, and to his right in the background was an active fireplace. One would be forgiven if they thought Gus looked like a head of state about to address his nation. "Good day, citizens of Outback," he said, using the same voice he inflicted on Madison and her friends all those months earlier. "To paraphrase Mr. Big, I'm back, big as life and twice as handsome. As much as I have come to enjoy the services provided by the state, services payed for by your taxes, I had to take my leave of the accommodations the court provided me.
     "To save the Marshals and the NDPD from wasting cognitive power, I will say now that I'm responsible for what happened at the Piper household, to Officer Gretta Junker, and all the other incidents that will occur in New Darwin, indeed, all over the planet shortly. My employees have carried out my will, and I won't be denied."
    Chief Baker harrumphed. "Madison was right. He does like the sound of his own voice."
    Gus could only prove Baker's assertion. "My great treasures have been taken away from me, and for that I blame Madison and her friends. I cannot restore fully what was lost. However," he said with the cheerfulness of an infomercial barker, "I can include the citizenry to join the fun. One of my most talented employees had devised three methods by which one can experience the joy that I'm feeling.
     "The first is the age-accelerated Bubbles. Out of the 500 milliliters at my disposal there is 475 left, each milliliter capable of endowing a woman with 15 meters of breast. That means there could be as many as 475 additional women that could be blessed with room-filling frontage, or," Gus said wickedly, "all of it could be in one bottle. A woman with a bust over 7 kilometers in size would live only for a few minutes, but in that brief time she will be the largest woman in the universe."
     Gus seemed to enjoy the waves of revulsion he knew were sweeping over the viewing audience. Even his innocent licking of his lips took on an edge of undeniable horror. "As for the second method it is a scaled-down one-shot beam emitter, easily disguised and hidden in all sorts of locations and items. Its programming is simple. A man caught in the beam will be shrunk to six centimeters in height. As for a woman, the emitter will shrink her, or endow her with four additional meters of bust."
    "Cripes, Commissioner," said Baker with urgency. "I'm getting more patrol calls from all over the city on my 'ware, and they have Gus' fingerprints all over them."
    "The third method," Gus announced regally, his voice becoming more of an irritant to Stark's ears, "is the best. It's a device that can shrink men and women in an eight-meter radius, or give women an added four meters of breasts. Let's see who'll be standing around the coffee maker the morning after football games now."
     Now wearing the expression of a reporter catching a politico in a lie, Gus leaned forward in his seat. "Now some of you may get the notion in your heads that the other beam rifle, in the possession of the Navy, could be used to restore the various affected people back to normal height and even reduce Bubbles-built breasts. However, I will know if this occurs. For each person restored, even the women that use nanites to shrink their four additional meters of breastage, I will place one of my devices in a most inconvenient place. Imagine being six centimeters tall out in the Windpine Forest, or while bicycling in the Big Empty, or climbing the mountains of the Zipperback. Growing breasts while driving a car locked on manual control, climbing a ladder five meters off the floor, or in a space suit..." he let the audience linger on the consequences of that action.
    "It is my intention that as many citizens as possible will come to appreciate their newfound treasures as much as I had in making my first ones. So I suggest you invest in stasis field generators, so as to keep your tiny keepsakes from expiring. As for myself, I intend to be around of a long, long time with my employees enacting my will. So I say enjoy what has now started to unfold on Outback, as it's only going to get more and more interesting. G'day."

13
On Cloud 9 the officers had joined their families. In the converted breakroom they listened to the broadcast, with only two being able to go past the initial disgust everyone felt. "Gus must've had some hardware installed to get pass the security locks on the Governor's emergency channel," said Derek's father, Nathan. "I wonder how much he had to bribe the installer to do it."
    Derek shook his head. "For all we know Gus could've been the shadow owner of the company that installed the equipment in the first place. We know he didn't tell us everything at the trial. I doubt we'll be able to trace the signal..." He stopped himself, looking at this mother apologetically. "Sorry, Mom. You know how me and Dad end up talking shop."
   "That's quite alright, Derek," said Mary, her head turned as far right as possible. She refrained from using wetware for personal communication unless it was necessary. "I've come to expect and even appreciate those little father/son shop talks. When you two do that, then I can set any plate of grub in front of your gobs and you'll chow it down without a second thought." She giggled, patting Derek's cheek with her hand. "Now, why don't you go see Regina and tell her how it was like being pinned and pushed by a giant joybag? I'm sure she'll appreciate your personal perspective."
    "Okay, Mom. I know you just want more tender time with Dad." He gave Mary a peck on the cheek and moved way. Like the others, he felt like he was in a hanger that housed huge, flesh-colored advertising airships as he navigated his way to Audrey's mother.
    On the other side of the room Gretta was being tended by her boyfriend Billy. Also keeping her company was her equally mega-pneumatic mother Lian and grandmother Nadia. [Looks like we'll be seeing some newcomers if Gus isn't pulling our silly bones,] Lian commented over her 'ware. [The only other weird thing that happened to me was when I almost became a slave to an energy vampire back in highschool.]
    [Actually that was a demoness,] Nadia amended, [but that's splitting hairs. Either way it was a case of high strangeness, just like this one. Good thing I was the police commissioner for that incident; anyone else would've had a brain embolism.]
    Gretta made a mental sigh. [I had hoped that being tiny and fighting off a common childhood pet like it was a dinosaur would be enough high strangeness for my police career. Now I'm so big that I can't even provide for myself. I'll have to become a pillow woman just to earn my keep.]
    [It won't come to that, sweetness,] said Billy, standing behind Gretta with his head on her shoulder, touching cheek to cheek while his right hand caressed the omni-present breast skin before him. [Gus figures he's all figjam and clever fox, despite the evidence to the contrary. His ego will trip him up like it did before, and you'll be doing your part to make that happen.]
    [Sweet talk will get you everywhere, love,] Gretta purred, unable to resist the sweet sensations she felt. [I'm just happy we had some intimate time before this happened to me.]
    [It is something you can share, Gretta?] came a new 'ware voice. It belonged to Ryan, Gretta's father. Along with Grandpa Harold, Ryan returned with a cool chocolate drink to give to his wife. [You better go to skin talk if you want some privacy.]
   [Listen to him, sweetie,] Lian chided her daughter. [It's like listening at the front door when Billy gives you a good-night kiss.]
   [Mom! You're too old to be spying on your adult daughter.]
   [Our house,] Ryan crowed proudly, [our rules. Do your smooching in the car first!]

************

Just as Gus had planned all along the atmosphere on Outback took on a definitive chill. People became very mindful of congregating around likely hidden places of a mass-shrink device. The one found by the Police at the lingerie store was as big as a round, one-layer birthday cake, and it took a visual search to find it as the device, as well as the smaller version, just didn't register on any scanner. It was taken as proof that the 'Gus the Ghoul' still had wealth socked away to afford such ultra-expensive stealth gear for throwaway equipment.
    New Darwin was the sole focus of Gus' machinations on the first day with no less that 25 victims. By the fourth day there had been a handful of either shrinking or breast-enlarging incidents spread out across the planet. The most dramatic was when a woman, after drinking a bottle tainted with Bubbles, trapped six people under her mega-breasts at an opera performance in the city of New Britannia. Fear of future incidents such as that prompted Governor Jackson to pass an emergency measure that prohibited the sales of bottles drinks of all sizes until mass-produced scanners that could detect traces of Bubbles became available.
   It was an early March rain that mobbed Madison as she went up the steps leading to Bria's apartment. The plainsclothes keeping guard had reported no unusual activity, other than seeing Ronnie, Bria's beau, entering the apartment and not leaving. Not answering to 'ware and normal calls, and having waited long enough outside, Madison used the key and entered. The windows in the living room had their shades closed for security reasons, but at this point it was to prevent a peep show. Standing in the middle of the room was Bria and Ronnie. The tall woman was just clad in a long-sleeve shirt, and it had to be custom made for while the sleeves reached to her wrists the bottom went down to her knees. As for Ronnie, with his blond crew-cut hair in contrast to his otherwise notable Indian ancestry, he was dressed in a non-deployment regulation firefigther uniform for he had office duty this day. Both were surprized as Madison, despite being big, had moved with the stealth worthy of a ninja.
   "Ah, we were a 'little' concerned something had happened in here," Madison said smoothly. "One of the recent shrinking incidents occurred while a woman was taking a shower. If her son hadn't arrived home when he did, she might've drowned."
   Bria feigned a fainting spell. "I am moved by your concern. As for not answering the calls they weren't marked urgent."
   "That's true, Maddy," said Ronnie in defense of his most ample belle. "I wasn't called at all, and my supervisor knew I was here last night."
    A sinfully wicked smile grew on Madison's face. "Speaking of last night, what were you two doing, hmmm? Bria, I see you're not wearing the usual pajama bottoms, and that shirt has so much fabric it could be used as the sail of a scale-model three-master."
    After giving Ronnie's tie a final promise and a kiss on the lips Bria raised an indignant eyebrow. "Since you've been so forthcoming in your tidbits regarding Charlie, I can tell you that me and Ronnie engaged in some tender cuddling last night. He game me this shirt as an expression of his endearment to me, and I honored his companionship by wearing it as he settled his tired head on my comforting chest."
    Madison smiled and spoke in a tease. "Well, as long as it didn't go past that." She headed off Bria's return volley with a forestalling hand. "The Commissioner has requested our presence on Cloud 9, Bria, and we're running late. Get dressed, and have Ronnie help you if you think it'll be faster."
   A feeling of electricity was shared by Bria and Ronnie. "Oh, most certainly," said tall dark-haired amazon. She grabbed Ronnie's tie and used it as leash, pulling him to the bedroom while her free hand undid to buttons to the copious shirt. Madison turned her back to give her friends a modicum of privacy, but hearing squeals of giggling and sniggering made the platinum blond giant glad that she didn't see what made those raucous sound of delight.

14
Having already spent the morning seeing to the management of his cleverly hidden money and investment of same Gus took a siesta. He rested in Gladys' more than ample cleavage, his head just under the woman's chin. Donna was there as well, combing the mega-pillow woman's hair before making it into a ponytail. Walking quietly like a cat, Ludmilla entered the master bedroom and stood in front of Gladys' breasts. From her position, the clever scientist saw the face of both the pillow and the pillower. "Gus, I have devised a new random pattern for activating the next major wave of devices," she said with her Russian accent more noticeable than usual.
     "Indeed," Gus replied lazily, rubbing his head on Gladys' right tit as if polishing fine silver. "Will some of the most northern and southern towns and cities be included this time?"
     Ludmilla nodded. "They are, Gushy. Port Parker on the northeast corner of Sydney and New Broome on the southern coast of Melbourne are two locations guaranteed to be selected."
    Port Parker was the home of the blue cod fishing fleet for the ice-free portion of Outback's arctic ocean while New Broome played host to the burg fish fleet for the planet's antarctic water expanse. "Excellent, Lud. No reason to let those blue nosers out of the fun.Is the other plan ready to proceed?"
    Eyes always sharp, Ludmilla noticed a familiar object hanging around Gus' neck. Something told her not to stare while another part made a mental checkmark on a list she was only dimly aware of. "All we're waiting for is your word."
     There was a slight change in tone in Ludmilla's voice, but Gus attributed it to her accent. "You may proceed," he said out of hand.
    "At once, Gushy," Ludmilla cooed. She walked out, touching the shaded band of skin on her ring finger. Again, another check was made on a list she barely knew she kept, and there were just a few more checks to be made.

The Presidential Lounge on the Cloud 9 space station was playing host to a special meeting. All six officers were present, though in the case of Gretta she was represented by a hologram of her normal dimensions. Marsha, too, was there in hologram form along with her designated deputy marshal and Commissioner Stark. All were seated in real and photonic chairs with Stark at the head of the table, looking positive. "I've asked all of you here so that I can convey some good news amid Gus' shrinking and busting shenanigans. CSI has turned up some some evidence. All the beam emitters we found so far contain samples of pollen from a plant only native to one area of the equatorial tropics of Melbourne. Said pollen was placed in such a way that it had to be present for the construction of each device, meaning it was a deliberate addition. There were also fingerprints on the emitter tubes themselves, all belonging to one person - Ludmilla Lebedev."
     Derek stepped in. "I've heard of Mrs. Lebedev. She's a physicist held in high regard for her work in theoretical manipulation of dimensional boundaries. Outside of BuRes, she's the one that would have the know-how to modify the beam rifle."
     "Indeed, Officer Eddings. She went missing four years ago, but now it's clear she's been abducted by Gus. At the time Ludmilla had no wetware, thus it would've made it easier for Gus to use mind control on her. That leads me to the third bit of good news." Though there was no need, Stark pressed an intercom button on the conference table with his holographic hand. "You may enter now."
    All of the police officers and even the marshals stood up when they saw who it was entering the room, only to be waved to sit down. It was a man, dressed in the uniform of a CSN captain. Around his neck he wore the Commonwealth Star of Honor, the highest military honor that can be bestowed to a serving member of the Commonwealth armed forces. He earned that award by performing above and beyond the call of duty, doing his part in saving the distant human world of Gaia. Following him were two naval lieutenants, both 170cm tall, female and with distinct Japanese ancestry. The captain sat in the open chair opposite of Stark's at the conference table, the two lieutenants standing behind him. "Mr. Tyrone Harkin," Stark announced, "will now explain."
    The distinguished man, quite handsome in his own right, caught the eye of every woman, both flesh-and-blood and holographic. Despite themselves they gave Harkin longing looks while he spoke. "From evidence gathered by both the NDPD and the Marshals it's clear the two types of devices have been charged from the same alien powercell that forms the heart of the BE rifle. All the residual radiation frequencies match. Most importantly, despite whatever stealth they may employ, the charging of those devices over time in the same area will result in very subtle space/time changes that can be detected. The destroyer that brought me here from Jadestone is equipped with the latest sensor equipment in regards to the BE rifle." He smiled richly. "When the rifle is used again to make just one more throw-away device in the same area he made the others we'll have him."
    "Not to shoot down your theory," Wenona said like an energetic intern, "but Gus would know about this. Being mind-controlled, Mrs. Lebedev would've told him about it."
    "I agree with Wenona," Derek joined in. "Gus may very well be in a new location. My grandpa's detection equipment had to be practically in the same room at the storehouse to find the sealed tears in space/time. We don't know how many devices Gus has made, and even if he's going to be making more."
    The holographic Marsha made a nod. "That pollen and thumbprints may be red herrings to throw us off the track..."
    Madison hit the tabletop with her left fist, startling everyone. Her eyes were bright with conviction. "He will make more, because he can't help himself. Mr. Big knew when it call it quits, pull up stakes and go somewhere else. Not Gus. He may still try to get to us, but hundreds if not thousands will be affected by those devices deployed by his army of mind-control minions like Boa. As for the evidence, the pollen and the fingerprints, they wouldn't have been there if Gus knew about it. He wants to remain hidden for as long as possible, taking comfort while everyone else is worried about getting shrunk or busted at any place at any time!"
    Harkin gave a hard, approving look at Madison. "Your logic is sound, Officer Wilcox. Events haven't progressed far enough for Gus to develop a desire to be found. If he was more obsessive, he would've tried to get you and the others that he failed to inflate the first time. It's also far too early for him to be dropping clues."
    "It might be trap," Marsha countered. "Perhaps he is playing us for fools so as to entice us to go after him. Capturing and shrinking a team of Marshals or Marines would be a nice addition to his new collection."
    Madison shook her head. "I don't believe so, Aunt Marsha. Capturing them will only give away his location, and with so many surveillance and search assets being used his hideaway will be found, stealth or not."
   "Let's paste that copy for now, Officer Wilcox," Stark intoned. "As we speak, the destroyer Lightfoot is deploying a new generation of tachyon scanner satellites. I'm reasonably confident that Mr.Harkin's theory will be proven right, and I want you and your fellow officers to participate in whatever plan of action Mr. Harkin devises against Gus and his hideout."
    Gretta's photonic proxy imitated her raised eyebrow perfectly. "To beg your indulgence, Commissioner, how can I be of any assistance other than being there in spirit?"
    Stark smiled. "This is where Mr. Harkin's lieutenants come into the picture."
    Now standing, Harkin placed his hands on the shoulders of the two dutiful officers. "Let me introduce Lt. Yukiko Yamato," nodding to his right, "and Lt. Miyako Musashi. They're rather special agents in the Office of Naval Intelligence. Unique, you might say." Both women, Miyako with a round face and Yukiko with a narrower one, blushed like nieces being introduced to their aunt and uncle for the first time.
    "Those surnames sound rather atypical for Japanese," Bria observed. "Weren't those the names for ancient wet-navy battleships?"
    "You're correct on that account, Miss Parlor," Harkin confirmed. "Now I'll tell you their secrets."

15
Ladder 59 of the New Darwin Fire Department responded to the call. A hidden beam emitter endowed a woman taking a bath with four meters of added bust. She was trapped, unable to squeeze through the bathroom door even with a hefty coating of oil to ease the way. Charlie, Ronnie, and Billy lead the way, taking down a portion of wall both at the bathroom and front door with industrial-class power tools. The gathered crowd of neighbors applauded the men for their work and even asked for autographs, having been recognized as being the boyfriends of three of New Darwin's heroines. Stowing their gear, the trio waited until the woman was loaded in an air ambulance before heading back to the firehouse.
     On the way a fresh call was received. A fire broke out in a basement, and the fire suppression system had failed. The trio's rig, being the closest, was sent. Upon reaching the house, a modern two-story affair with a row of trimmed hedges at the front, the firefighters got out and donned their gear. It was then that the firetruck disappeared, as well as the trio, from the surveillance net. Even the police car that was on the scene, along with its two officers, simply vanished as well. Fearing the worst, the police sent a CSI team to investigate. Within minutes they had confirmation that where the firetruck sat there was a very recent disruption to the fabric of space/time. Eyes really widen when it was shown that the residual energy matched exactly that of the beam rifle and not one of the throw-away devices. All saw it as an escalation on Gus' part. From the onset Commissioner Stark put the incident on informational lockdown until Madison could be told what happened. She deserved to hear the news from the top and not from the newsies.

In the mega-buxom quarters of Cloud 9 the women, along with their husbands, were 'ware-listening to Captain Harkin as he told of his adventure on Gaia as well as other missions as part of the ONI. To keep the story private and not inadvertently broadcasting it across the station, everyone had to be in physical contact. Lynnae gave her permission for Harkin to place his hand on her gynormus breasts to enable the link. [If only your grandfather was here to see it,] Lynnae said whimsically. [Back in the day he took photos to his heart's content in the woman's locker room of Central Station, but he really wanted to glom me and my friends like a boob beholder.]
     Harkin grinned and shook his head. [He's just as mellow now as he was when he got married decades ago. In fact he asked me to tell you that he sends his deepest sympathies for what happened to you and the others.]
     [Larry turned sweet, alright,] Lynnae admitted. [He's proof that a man can change his ways. Too bad Gus was so cheap that he couldn't buy a clue and turn legit after BCCI collapsed.]
     Harkin sensed an undercurrent to the 'ware conversation among the rest of the group. Being ONI's top field spook he knew the hidden feelings behind the subconscious crosstalk. He spoke with conviction over the 'ware link. [Speaking as a man, mind you, I do find this predicament mildly arousing. However, I would never wish this on any woman. There's not one bone of lecherousness in my body. I have an adoring Gaian wife, two handsome sons and a beautiful daughter. They all have my affection and are always present in my heart. I give my word that Gus will be stopped and that you'll all be restored, and I always keep my word.]
    [I don't doubt you, Tyrone,] said June over the link. [From what we heard from David you would've made as great a detective as a spook.]
   Having sitting patiently next to her mother, playing a spelling game with Stamp, Lonnie decided she couldn't wait any more. She tugged on Allison's hand. "Mom, I want to ask you som'thin."
    With her head turned all the way to her right and looking down, Allison saw the expectant look on her daughter's face. "What is it, honey?"
    "Can I sleep som'where else tonight? The floor was shakin'."
    That raised an eyebrow on Allison as well as Thaddeus, who was sitting to his wife's left. "What shaking?"
    "It was at 2 a.m. station time," said the young girl. "It felt just like those big trucks that go past our house back at Omaha. The ground shook."
    Ally and Thad gave each other mental knowing glances. Lonnie was as bright as a button, very much like when Madison was at her age. They weren't engaged in any hanky panky last night, and the rest of the affected Wilcox women had their hubbies sleeping next to them instead of inbetween their wonder lungs, leaving...
    "Then I saw Mr. Carson, the tall one," Lonnie continued, like she was giving evidence in court. "He walked by, and his back was covered in big scratches. Maybe he was fighting a big cat, like the one down in the room with all those flashing lights and tables filled with chips."
    "Ah, perhaps he was, sweetie," said Thad. "Perhaps he wrestled the big cat for the prize money, so he can get Mrs. Carson a big blanket."
    Lonnie make a look that told Ally that she wasn't buying it. "Mommy, you can say they were telling secrets. I'm not four-years-old."
    That made both parents blush. Almost every night since being aboard Cloud 9 Amber and Bert had been 'telling secrets.' Everyone had the good sense not to talk about the way the floor vibrated, like clockwork, at 2 a.m. Amber felt the most frustrated for being in the same fix as with the rest of the women, for her strength was practically useless, and only finding release when she and Bert made out with great passion. Last night was the first time she had Lonnie sleep next to her instead of the guest suite two decks up.
    "Lonnie," Ally asked paternally, "do you know what 'telling secrets' is?"
    Another look of disbelief came across the girl's face. "Well, it's what you tell me when you and Daddy explain the noises that come from your room..."
    "Okay, honey, that's enough. Sometimes you're too bright for your own good."
    As for the 'ware conversation it was still going on when the officers entered the room. Audrey, Wenona and Derek went over Gretta while Madison and Bria got next to their respective mothers.All looked as if they had taken a bite of rotten fruit. The two lieutenants Harkin brought with him also entered, going to their Captain's side with one of them touching the back of his hand for a private 'ware talk. Madison wrapped her arms around Charlene's shoulders with Bria doing the same for Treasure. Warm, salty tears fell from their respective eyes and onto their mothers' skin. "He got them," Madison said in choked-up words. "That bastard took my Charlie and his friends." Reaching back, Charlene patted Madison's thigh in a gesture of comfort.
     "I just talked to Ronnie two hours ago," Bria managed to say past a sob to Treasure. "He had tomorrow off, and was going to take me to dinner at The Marbletop." She hugged hard, not that it bothered her mother in the least. "There's only one reason why he was going to spend two weeks pay at such an expensive restaurant. He..." she stilled herself, "...he was going to ask me, Mom!"
      "And he will, B," Treasure reassured. "He will ask you."
      Gretta was hugging Audrey and Derek as close as possible, their bodies being drawn into her omnipresent breasts. "He got my Billy. My sweet, puggy Billy," she said while stifling tears. "Winnie, can you give Lian a hug for me? She treated Billy like family, giving him extra helpings..."
     Wenona bent down to briefly placed her chin on Gretta's shoulder. "I will, Sweetness," she said with conviction into her friend's ear. "I'll hug her extra hard for everyone."
    "He may think he's the shite by pulling this stunt," Derek added, his worlds only partly muffled by breast skin. "Gus pushed the wrong buttons, and he's going to fall so hard that he'll never get back up."

16
Sitting at his desk one Gus Matlin looked downright displeased. Before him he had Donna, Ludmilla, Wendi and Percy. On the desk itself stood three miniaturized firefighters, each 6 centimeters tall and very indignant. Gus looked at them like a father would towards a bunch of strays a child brought in, then focused his critical eye on Ludmilla. "I didn't authorize this action. You potentially jeopardized the safety of the rifle as well as this instillation."
     The Novaya Zemlya woman stood her ground. "The modification I made to the rifle demanded a field test. I finally discovered how to adapt a high-density multi-phase power supply to service the original alien core component. The knock-off rifles built by the Aquarian pirates only had to deal with breast expansion and reduction, thus their power needs were simpler. Our original needed far more study and work."
    "Couldn't you have used it here?" Gus demanded. "You could've gone outside and..."
    "I could have, Gushy," Ludmilla injected. "But it would've resulted in only tiny trees and animals. As you have spoken your desire to restart your collection, I took it upon myself to get it off to a good start."
    "At the cost of Wendi and Percy's perfect position in the NDPD, Lud." He motioned to the two women, still decked out in their uniforms. The two officers had fallen to Gus' mind control some years ago, keeping their master informed of the happenings in the police department. Now they had to play along with the illusion they were shrunk and captured like the firefighters. Still, they did like the fact they got use the beam rifle for the first time. If Gus was willing, the duo hoped to get outfitted with disguises and go out on a 'shrinking safari' to get more people for the new collection. "Now we have fewer agents to carry out the instillation of shrinking and BE devices."
    Donna bent down to get a closer look at the men, making them back up in understandable caution. "Well, now that we got them, can me and girls play with them before they're placed in stasis?" She pointed to one miniature, showing her teeth as she smiled. "I think I like to play with Billy and see if he can put out my fire."
   Billy, Gretta's beau, was the literal farmboy that grew up in the wheatfields of southwestern Sydney. His skin was tanned after summers of work, and often described himself as having a puggish face. Gretta didn't agree, and found a warm, wholesome man underneath his self-deprecating mask. Having been teased by pretty girls back in high school Billy wasn't about to let what Donna said slide. "The name is William, lady! Only my friends can call me Billy! I'm not going to be anyone's plaything, and that goes double for floozies that work for Gus!"
   "My, such a mouth on something so small. A girl is entitled to her fun." She got down closer, Billy standing his ground as well as Charlie and Ronnie. A pair of huge brown eyes peered at him like he was under a microscope.It unsettled him to see his reflection in those eyes. "You got to carry your girl in the palm of your hand one time. Bet it made you feel wonderful and protective."
    "Yes it did. If that fire you mentioned is where I think it is, then I'll have none of it! I rather see it burn itself out on its own accord!"
    Incensed, Donna flicked her forefinger against Billy's chest, making the man fly backwards and land flat on the desktop.Charlie and Ronnie went to his side, sitting him up so he could look Donna in the eye again. "I don't like you," he said once he got his breath back. "I'm going to tell mom that you play too rough."
    "You stop right there, Donna," Gus said with authority. "Having gone through all this trouble, we would be remiss if harm comes to our new additions." He waited until the strawberry blond acknowledged and backed down, looking miffed for not getting another word in. "Ludmilla, you started this, so you'll be responsible for the care of these three until such time Site 3 is ready. Take them and go."
    "At once, Gushy," Ludmilla said. She opened the top third of her blouse, and with a coaxing hand she gathered the three men and deposited them, one at a time, into her cleavage. Giving Donna willful cat-eyes of triumph, the physicist left the office, cradling her breasts and the tiny men within like the great treasures they were.
     Well, having gone this far might as well make it a full-ass thing of it, he told himself. Gus tapped a portion of his desk, activating a comm. "Fifi, send the message to Sandra. She's to carry out her mission as soon as practical."
     "Understood, Gus," came Fifi's dulcet-toned voice.

************

It was the morning after the abduction of the three firefighters and two officers. A rearrangement of the mega-buxom women was done by Head Pillow Mistress Chloe Braddok, seeing Marsha and Gretta taking a spot closest to the huge hatch that lead to an equally massive shower room. Two new women, victims of drinking bottles tainted with the age-accelerated Bubbles, were brought up from Outback. One took Marsha's old spot, benefiting from being right next to Lynnae and her comforting assurance, and the other was placed next to Nadia. That woman was just in time to receive Nadia's recounting of her previous Cloud 9 adventure, as she played host to three visiting 'normal' sized pillow women. It was like a den meeting of girl pioneers, with giggles lacing the juicier bits of her tale.
    Piper decided to stop feeling sorry for herself and do something useful. With technical assistance from the Cloud 9 staff and co-ordinating with Pamela and her production team Piper was able to appear on her talk show again for a segment. Not with a holographic avatar, but a flatscreen view of her face and a portion of her mountainous breasts. Her pet dachshund Pitch, resting on her shoulder and part of her chest, looked at the video pick-up with seemingly intelligent interest, for he was featured on the show several times before. She interviewed a couple that was shrunk with a handful of others while in a hotdog queue at a NDU soccer game, and then presented her bombshell. Right then and there, she announced a 15 million credit award for information leading to the capture and conviction of Gus Matlin and his confederates in crime.
     Pamela's eyes bugged out, not in surprize but in shock. How dare she make such an announcement, she told herself. Gus in not some lost dog that an owner posted an award for finding! Perhaps now, after this taunt, he'll try again. While Pamela considered what Gus and Fifi will have her do next, she failed to notice the officers making their farewells to their families, being lead to a normal-sized hatch by Harkin and his two lieutenants. It was only later that she found out, and by then it was too late to inform Gus of what was coming.

17
In her crystal cathedral Fifi was going over some information that troubled her. Earlier she ran a comprehensive inventory check for Site 2. Now that there were 'guests' to attend to an accounting of supplies had to be done. It was while doing this she found an oddity. Of the dozen of work gloves stored in Ludmilla's assembly workshop none were used, meaning she did the finally assemblies of the devices by hand. That meant fingerprints, and it was sure as 'roo shite that enough samples survived for the police to find them. Next was the beam rifle. A minuscule but notable residual radiation signature would've been the result of having shrunk down the firefighters, their rig, and the police car. At the very least the rifle should've been placed in a lead-lined chest if not in stasis altogether for its trip back to site. That begged the question why the rifle was use at all, making Fifi agree with Gus that throw-away devices should've been used instead.
     Finally there was matter of the 252 small satellites launched by a Navy destroyer. All had assumed equidistant positions over the planet at a height of 1200 kilometers. So arranged the satellites could conduct a complete surveillance of the planet. Ludmilla had assured Gus that Site 2 was safe from detection, but Fifi wasn't so sure. If Naval sensors had ferreted out the beam rifle, which they couldn't have failed to notice the action that took place in New Darwin of all places, then it could've been followed all the way back to Site 2. After that, all that it would take was a mass tachyon pulse to discover the underground instillation with all of its chambers. Including the one occupied by one mega-breasted Fifi.
    The mainframe mistress didn't want to hedge her bets and hope for the best. Gus had to know of her ruminations. She keyed a direct link, finding her master in a deep slumber in-between Gladys' breasts. "Gushy baby, so sorry to wake you," she said like a penantive.
    "What is it?" Gus said groggily. In the underlit room he appeared to be one of the undead rising out of a grave composed of cleavage.
    "I need to talk to you, and it has to be private."
    Gus actually looked grumpy. "This had better be good. If it's a whimsical booty call I'm going to wail on that all-so-cute little bottom of yours, Fifi."
    "It's important, Gushy, and I like your spankings regardless of the reason."

************

Aboard the destroyer Lightfoot the officers, sans Gretta and Marsha, were in the Marine suit locker compartment, gearing up with special equipment courtesy of Captain Harkin. Derek and Audrey had one corner to themselves, so that their giggling, smirking and occasional displays of affection didn't distract the others. Even Yukiko and Miyako suited up, but from what Harkin told them it was merely for show as the two 'women' really didn't need the suits at all.
    Products of decades of work from BurRes, Yukiko and Miyako were the most sophisticated androids every created. With the latest plastiskin coverings and internal artificial organs the two could pass for real in all but the most invasive of tests. Only the interiors of their brains showed their true nature, a bundle of neural net processors and learning programming that allowed for the development of a genuine personality. The primary reason android technology was developed by the ONI and the Marshals was to reduce the loss of human agents on deep undercover assignments. Especially against pirates, and having an agent with special equipment already built-in went a long way to silence the bean counters in the Commonwealth Budgeting Office.
     One other important feature the two androids had was the capability for 'dual-hosting.' With encrypted tachyon communications it was possible for a 'ware-equipped person to see and experience what the hosting android was doing, and, if necessary, take over the body. This was a most useful tool in training as virtual environments, while helpful, didn't have the impact of actually seeing the physical results of a misstep. Again this was proof for those holding the coin over the ONI. A broken android can be fixed relatively quickly while an injured agent, whether in training or in the field, often required months to heal. Sharing the mind-space with Yukiko was Marsha, while Gretta had Miyako. Both had scored rather high in VR rationalization testing and thus were good candidates in case the need to assume control of the android bodies arose.
     After getting their cammo suits a final promise from naval specialists the officers assembled in the shuttle bay. Audrey blushed profusely when the Lightfoot's complement of Marines, 40 strong, gathered in formation in front of her and went down on one knee, presenting their right hands, palms down, like it was an inspection. On the back of those hands were tiny tattoos of Audrey in police uniform with the words 'righteous fists' below them. She went to each one, shaking their hands or, if the Marine was male and especially cute, kissed the tattoo. Once done she dismissed them, being treated to a marching jodie that exemplified the power of a super-strong, tiny woman.
     The officers moved on, finding a brace of chairs on the shuttle deck. In front of these chairs waiting was Harkin, also in a suit and looking very much the secret agent. Having seen his fair share of breasts in his career his heart wasn't stirred in the slightest by the sight of four Angelican-busted female NDPD officers in body-conforming (indeed, enhancing) high-tech suits. He didn't bother with hologram or flat panel displays as all the data was sent to everyone's wetware. "Thanks to a fortuitous deployment of tachyon satellites," Harkin said, for the spoken word grounded everyone into present reality, "the use of the beam rifle within New Darwin proper has allowed us to track it back to Gus' lair. This corroborates the pollen evidence, and our satellites have confirmed a very high concentration of space/time disturbances. Hundreds, if not thousands, of those throw-away devices have been charged in one location." Hearing that just confirmed the worst of what everyone thought of Gus.
    Harkin continued. "Thanks to tachyon scanning we're able to get a full read of Gus' complex, using the rifle as the point of focus. It use to be a research station for the Department of Nature Preserves, but was officially abandoned 150 years ago. Evidently Gus paid or ensnared whoever is responsible for records to have that abandoned station off the list or mentioned as unsuitable for reactivation. It's located in the heart of the Melbourne equatorial tropics." He smiled innocently. "There's no need to remind you of what lurks in those wilds, provided you kept awake in elementary school."
    Giving the mental image of the station a hard look, Madison spoke up. "Sir, have those sensors picked up anything in the way of weapon emplacements and the number of personnel? Gus' warehouse had nothing in the way of defenses other than it's apparent anonymity."
     "Truth, Miss Wilcox. In this instance we found a ring of emplacements. Holdovers from its previous government use, each emplacement has a flamethrower, used to keep the larger wildlife away from the structure. However, the sensors show that the emplacements have been filled with plasticrete, just as it was described in the records when the facility was shut down, but its clear someone has been maintaining the grounds for there are no ferns within 20 meters of the structure proper. As for personnel, fifteen have been indicated. Obviously, those in stasis can't be picked up, and even tachyon scanners have difficultly in finding something as small as..." he trailed off, wishing he had stated the last sentence differently. Bria looked dejected, and it took an affirming hand on the shoulder from Audrey to keep her from crying.
     "Our task," Harkin quickly continued, "is to recover the rifle and capture Gus and his inadvertent minions, and I do mean inadvertent. The only male detected is Gus, and going by Boa's condition it's likely all the women are mind-controlled and totally loyal. Deadly force is only to be used in justifiable self-defense." He looked at Madison's indecipherable face. "Do I make myself clear?" A unanimous hail of 'yessirs' filled his ears.
    "Good. By the enlightened grace of Governor Honour Jackson, on the moment you all volunteered for this mission, your commissions in the Home Guard have been activated, and such you're under my command. We will be supported by the Lightfoot's Marines. One squad will be manning anti-air weapons in case Gus tries to fly off while the other will provide close support in case he tries to break out into the jungle. They'll be Red and Green Teams respectively."
     "What about us?" Derek asked impishly, for he got the clue faster than everyone else.
     Harkin grinned. "Isn't it obvious? We're Blue Team."

18
Sandra Rice, head chef of the kitchen staff responsible for feeding Cloud 9's pillow women, was one happy woman as she finished the final set of pancakes. At the suggestion of Chloe Braddock the husbands of the Bubbles-affected women were having breakfast on the station every other day in a dining room next to the mega-women's quarters. Tending to these hungry males were half-a-dozen hostesses, all Angelican busted but wearing modest waitress outfits instead of their usual ensemble of short-shorts and circular pasties. Not piker herself, Sandra had a similar bosom, but on her little 145cm frame they looked all the larger.
    A melodic tone told her that her minicomp received a message. Retrieved from its pouch on her belt she entered her personal password. Seeing the name of the sender made Sandra enter an much longer and complex password. Hungry eyes drank in the three-word message - Age of Aquarius.
    Like there had been a thrown switch, Sandra felt and acted like a different person. She entered a set of commands into her 'comp, the view of the dining room appearing on the tiny screen. It was packed, the men making playful banter as the waitresses stood by to lend assistance at any moment. Perfect, she thought. A few taps with her finger brought up a program of Fifi's design. All Sandra had to do was press the commit button to set it into motion. She played her finger on the screen, only needing one firm touch. It will but take less than two minutes, and she regretted that she couldn't be there in person as it happened.
    Her thoughts were dark and dripped with malice. Finally, after decades of waiting, I shall have my revenge. Her finger pressed hard on the touch-sensitive screen. As much as she wanted to watch, she had to fetch the tools she needed for the second half of her plan. In just half an hour the ache in her heart will finally cease.

************

Brought to what had to be Ludmilla's quarters, the firefighter trio were kept in a glass cage that a pill mouse would've found roomy. They spent the night sleeping on tiny beds, reluctantly accepting the pajamas their giantess hostess gave them. She admonished them like a mother to wear the provided garments, telling them that only sailors slept in their clothes in case of sinking. Before breakfast, one at a time, Ludmilla had the men use the sink in the bathroom to wash, during which she processed and cleaned their clothes. She even provided miniaturized razors and bottles of aftershave. The men didn't know whether she was being considerate or had something more base in mind. All agreed that they didn't want to be near Donna, her vibe making it clear she wanted something more than cuddling and kissing. All wanted to be with their police girlfriends, especially Ronnie. "That damn bushsnipe Gus," Ronnie swore. "I was going to ask for Bria's hand tonight. She knew the significance about The Marbletop. No-one goes there for a casual night of dinner and face talk."
    Charlie slapped Ronnie on the shoulder. "Buck up, lover boy. You'll be mashing faces with Bria in short order."
    "Gus is going to have ivory croutons for his salad," Billy chimed in. "Courtesy of Bria and her Brick Fists."
    A shadow fell over the cage, silencing the men. It was Ludmilla, looking every bit like a mother inspecting her brood. Her Novaya Zemlya accent was noticeable this time. "How are my little bears doing this morning? Did you find your breakfast agreeable?"
    "Very agreeable," Charlie said. Like Madison, Charlie had the undeniable air of leadership, and not just because he was a vehicle commander. "But me and my friends will find it even more agreeable to be set free."
     "You'll have to be patient, Charles Market, as well as your friends. Soon you will know the comfort of your woman's bosom again, and it shall feel very sweet indeed."
    Ronnie gave the woman a harsh look. "Don't be making promises you can't keep, Lady," he said dismissively. "Yesterday it sounded like your 'Gushy Gus' wanted to put you in the corner."
    "Tell that pom to cram it with bushnuts!" Billy yelled. "If he's going to use us in a trap to get Maddy and the others then forget it!"
    Ludmilla looked playfully rueful. "Now, now, my little bears. Had Gus been more focused he would've placed you and your vehicle in stasis right after seeing you. Now he won't have the time, for things are happening now. I'll be having a meeting with Gus later this morning, so be ready for what's coming."
    "What's coming?" Charlie demanded.
    Ludmilla's eyebrows raised perceptibly. "Maddy and her friends, of course."

************

If one was in the right place and had the right viewing angle then a stealth-enabled shuttle would've been seen dropping what appeared to be eight sky-colored people into the jungle some five kilometers south of Gus' instillation. Those ghostly apparitions rappelled down equally invisible strands of 3mm-thick wire, all of which were quickly drawn back up as soon as feet made contact with the ground. As the craft moved on to the next drop zone the figures easily blended into the foliage, and for all purposes were like moving, blending backgrounds. Harkin lead the way, with Madison closely following. The Captain heard Madison's physical expressions of impatience by the way she stepped, how she pushed aside branches and ferns much more energetically that necessary, and how she breathed. It was like air being forced through a duct that was choked with debris. He stopped, and grabbed Madison by the arm. [Miss Wilcox, I wouldn't have allowed you to come along if you didn't have your feelings in check. Do I have to re-evaluate my decision?]
     [No Sir,] Madison replied firmly. [I will keep my feelings from interfering with the mission.]
    [Good, because your carrying-on can attract unwanted attention from native wildlife...]
    Audrey interrupted, her directional tach-comm linking up to Harkin's 'ware. [Sir, we got a problem. A BIG problem.]
    Harkin didn't turn around for his suit's sensors told him what is was. A Slick Bushbear, standing 3 meters tall in an upright posture, was but ten meters away. It had been hiding behind the broad trunk of a serrated banner tree, likely rubbing its back. It looked placated, idly walking on all fours across the officer's path.
    [Should we shoot it?] Derek questioned. [We can take it down without making much noise.]
    [No!] That denial came from Wenona. [There are other ways.]
   Harkin's gaze fell upon the massive animal's claws and teeth. He swore that two of its four eyes were looking at him. [If you can, Mrs. Spirit Talker. We're on a schedule.]
    Like many of her relatives before her, Wenona had a measure of shamanistic power. In this case she inherited it from her grandfather Dan. As a child, she could coax cats out of trees and have dogs come home by going into a semi-hypnotized state. With further training from Dan it was now just an exercise of the will, compelling an animal to go as well as approach. Everyone held their breath as the huge bushbear stopped in its tracks, looked in the general direction of the camo officers, lifted its snout into the air, and then trundled in a direction that took it deeper into the jungle.
    [I'm not convinced,] said Derek. [It looked like it moved away of its own accord. Couldn't you just forced it way with a mental push?]
    Wenona felt a little snippy. [You're always into the big show, Derek. Natural talent don't have to be gross display of power in order to work.]
   [If you're quite through,] Harkin injected, [let's proceed.]

19
Ludmilla entered the office, finding Gus radiating the attitude of a principle about to discipline a student. He made no motion to have her sit down, instead willing her to stay standing. Before she spoke, Ludmilla felt herself being immobilized by a tractor beam. What troubled her was that the office didn't have a tractor beam included in its construction. Only then did her eyes discovered a fine layer of dust at her feet, telling her that said beam was installed in the ceiling perhaps no later than breakfast.
     "Ludmilla, I'm so disappointed," Gus said melodramatically, "but not surprized. You have such a wonderful mind, and it should've been clear to me that part of it would've been untouched by my mind control. Your conscious mind was unaware of what your subconscious was doing behind its figurative back. After Fifi spoke her concerns I had Donna inspect several of the one-shot devices. Not only did she find your fingerprints but also the pollen samples. Eventually the Marshals would've discovered that the pollen not only came from this tropical jungle but from within this specific area. Indeed, the flowering plant was grow in this instillation's green room to see if its oil could be used for industrial purposes."
    "You're playing a good joke on me," Ludmilla said jovially, her accent strong. "Just like when you placed that robot mouse under Fifi's breasts."
    Gus pulled an immobilizer gun from his desk, aimed at Ludmilla's legs and fired. Often called a gloop gun, a sticky resin covered the woman's legs and solidified, making walking impossible once free from the tractor beam.
    "This is no time for games, Gus."
    "Lud, I know you're honestly saying that, but your hidden self has betrayed you. I heard you talking to those firefighters earlier, thus confirming your guilt. I still need your incredible brain to further my ends, but I need to reestablish my control over you." Entering from another door was Wendi. She had the beam rifle in her hands and the power pack on her back. "I can't devote the needed time to do that now, however. So I'll have to confine you, preventing you from escaping while I make my exit. Wendi, do the honors."
   The brown haired Wendi leveled the beam rifle at Ludmilla. The tractor beam was shut off, and the Novaya Zemlya woman fell to the floor, the feeling of immobilization replaced by the sensation of compression. Ludmilla was wide-eyed as she experienced for herself what her inventions had done to dozens of people on Outback in recent days. Disappearing into the carpeting, she felt she was going to shrink away into nothingness, at which point the beam stopped. Gus got up from his desk, his footfalls thunderous to Ludmilla's tiny ears. In one hand he had a small opaque vial, in the other tweezers. As much as her conscious mind felt revulsion to having been made small it was fact Gus was picking her up not with his fingers but with tweezers. Tweezers, of all things! It was if she was some sort of poisonous bug that Gus didn't dare touch directly. It was with disdain that Gus deposited Ludmilla into the vial, closing the perforated top harshly with his thumb.
    "Don't worry, Lud," said the smoothing-talking smarmy man. "You'll be two centimeters tall for only a short time. Once I've reasserted my control you'll be made to appreciate what I'm doing for you."
    Ludmilla seethed, and it would've been wise for Gus to have covered her mouth. "You chernazhopi! One doesn't treat a lady this way!"
    "I'm sorry, Lud, I thought I heard a bug fly by my ear." He pocketed the vial, looking at Wendi. "Standby with Gladys and Fifi. Everyone else is to get into their bodysuits immediately. Bring me the cage holding the firefighters. I have plans."
    "Right away, Gushy baby," Wendi purred, caressing the beam rifle like a lover.

************

The five kilometers came and went, the officers reached the earth-covered research station. Only the main entrance was visible, its south-facing surface kept clear of vines and other vegetation. Tachyon sensors revealed no landmines, but it was sure as shite that a host of sensors kept vigil. Recalling their Home Guard training Madison and her friends walked in irregular steps and as lightly as possible from different directions to fool the seismic sensors. Incorporated in their suits was a passive tachyon mesh, kept energized by tachyon beams from dedicated satellites within line-of-site of the officers. So equipped laser, radar, and sonar search systems couldn't sense them, for the weave carried their impulses to the other side of the suit and transmitted them out. It was like they weren't there, and someone or something had to physically run into them to know otherwise.
    To everyone's surprize there was no electronic pad for Derek to work his talent. Harkin considered his options, which really meant only one, and had Audrey come forward. With a hand on each handle she summoned her immense strength and pulled the doors open, straining only briefly as the solid lock and catches lost the contest. Madison and Bria finished the job, pulling the doors all the way open, at which point Yukiko and Miyako darted inside. The room was the size of a double-wide garage, used previously as a staging room for research teams before heading out into the jungle. Now it was mostly empty, the only light coming from the open doors.
   Marsha and Gretta felt like proverbial spirits, their 'ware in perfect sync with the android's sensors and movement. Something caught Marsha's mental eye, and that impression was picked up by Yukiko, the mechanical woman fixing her gaze on a wall. Four skeletal android constructs, equipped with cutters instead of hands, were in their recharging sockets. They were stripped down groundskeeper androids, used by the eccentric rich to keep their hedges and trees in repair without resorting to actual human beings. It was clear they were used to keep the entrance free of vegetation, since using a person would've risked an attack by a bushbear.
   [Good,] said Harkin. [The other two teams are in position. Let's get further into this rabbit warren, shall we?]
   [Odd that Gus hasn't tried anything yet,] Wenona commented, her suit vision suit making the room as clear a day. [No optical mounts or microphones present, yet they have to know we're in.]
   As if to answer her question the four androids activated and lurched forward. Knee joints squeaked, proving that Gus was on the cheap when it came to the artificial help. They couldn't sense the officer's precise presence, so they flailed their arms as they spread out, cutters making menacing sounds. It would've been a simple matter for the officers to fire weapons at them, but that would've exposed their locations. Yukiko and Miyako took a more direct response. Fast, strong, and agile they grappled the menacing lawncare bots and utterly wrecked them, ripping out their arms and smashing their stylistic metal craniums. For Marsha and Gretta they felt like they were actually there, their real-life arms and legs doing their best to mimic the move of the androids.
   [That was subtle,] mused Bria. [No way anyone could've missed that racket.]
   Gus' familiar, patronizing voice came over a simple speaker located next to the door leading further inside the station. "Hello, officers. You didn't leave me much time to prepare my humble abode to receive guests. Come on in, anyway. My girls are waiting in the Rec Hall. They'll keep you company while I must make my farewell."
   "Like Hell you will!" Madison barked. "Do your mind-controlled puppets know you're leaving them behind?"
   The guffaw that came from the speaker grill grated the ears like harsh static. "Dear Madison, how sweet it is to hear that voice again, despite the arrogance behind it. There are several escape vehicles nearby, but no doubt those Marines have found and disabled them, all thanks to those tachyon scanners. Most of my girls don't know that, and while they're occupying the Marines I shall be long gone."
   "We'll get you just the same, you misogynistic bastard," Harkin said. "I gave my word as a man and naval officer to Lynnae and the others that you'll be stopped."
   One could feel Gus' sanctimonious reply like it was thick, scratchy sweater. "And risk the lives of five of New Darwin's finests in the process? Especially the three firefighters. You should have listened last night as they felt sorry for themselves and moped, wishing they were in the loving, protective hands of their giant girlfriends."
   "No-one is going to shed a tear when your personality gets snipped, you arse!" Bria bellowed, her unseen bust testing the camo suit sore."The court should've done that as part of your life sentence, rendering any break-out attempts meaningless!"
   "An oversight for which I'm am thankful," Gus purred. "Now, come on in. It's rude to keep the girls waiting."
   [He's up to usual ass self. No doubt he's lying.] Derek said over the link.
   [No, he means what he says,] Gretta replied. She truly felt like she was there with her friends, despite the fact her physical body was several hundred kilometers up in Cloud 9. [Recall his travel logs about his shrinking safaris we read after the trial. He's the embodiment of outrageous self-confidence.]
   Madison slapped the side of her military-grade stun gun. [All the more reason to go in and clean his clock! He won't kill the boys as long as he thinks he'll get away. He wants them for his new collection!]

"What's keeping our men?" questioned June as she styled her hair with the help of two mirrors bodypasted to her breasts. "I need my extra cup of morning sugar from Greg."
     "We're all aching for our men," Piper announced as she applied makeup in preparation for recording a segment for her show. "Some far more than others."
     "Hey, I said I was sorry for the vibrations," protested Amber. "This room wasn't designed for the megatonnage involved, especially with my strength. When I get going everybody knows about it."
     Nadia made a dismissive sound. "You should give Bert a break, Amber. He's burning up like a candle at both ends, and you're not giving his nanites enough time to heal up those back scratches. The only way you two can justify this much nighttime gymnastics is if you end up preggers."
   "Well, I'll have no regrets if that ends up happening, Nadia. Even though over a hundred years will separate the newborn from the others, I'll still treat the child, if it happens, like a blessed treasure."
   "I'm going to treat myself to a blessed treasure," said Lynnae, licking her lips. "Sandra is here with the doughnuts!"
   The mentioned woman walked in, pushing a cart with a large covered plate. Everyone used their 'ware to access the cameras in the room's ceiling to get a gander of the sinfully delightful pastry concoctions Sandra had to offer. "Good morning, ladies," she said sweetly. "I'm glad you found breakfast to your liking, and your husbands had found theirs just as delicious. Now let me offer you my latest creation." She lifted the metal dome covering the plate, showing a slightly smaller glass one underneath. "Ta-da!"
   Combined, the gasps of the women sounded as if they came from one person. And it was Lynnae who spoke for all. "Just when Gus couldn't get any lower," she delivered in a most condescending voice. "What does that dero want you to do now?"
    Underneath the glass were the fifteen husbands, six Cloud 9 hostesses, and Head Pillow Mistress Chloe Braddok. All were 6 centimeters in height, rightfully angry at Sandra while at the same time fearful. They tried to speak, but the glass effectively blocked them off. Amber caught sight of her son George under the glass. She had her 'ware zoom in a camera for a closer look. He was prone, his head on the lap of one of the ample hostesses with two of the others tending to his legs. "What happened to my son!" Amber yelled.
    Sandra smiled like she had taken a bite of rich chocolate. "As he possessed your formidable strength, I very well can't have George up and about despite being tiny. So, after the temporary paralyzing agent was applied, I broke his legs. Don't worry, he's in the best available care for the hostesses are also fully qualified nurses. I need him for my revenge upon you, Amber."
    Best as it could, the air was unable to get out of the way fast enough for Amber's angry words. "Revenge? Revenge for what, you bloody bitch! What did I ever do to you?"
    "My, aren't you mad as a cut snake. As for the others, don't bother with communications. Thanks to a confederate, the rest of the station won't know what's going on for another ten minutes. For all they know, you're all enjoying doughnuts." Sandra peered at the glass dome and tapped it, annoying the tiny people like fish in an aquarium. "Wetware communications won't work, Nathan and Clyde. So stop trying and watch the show." She then walked up to Amber's paramount breasts and landed a harsh slap on the left nipple. The pain was eye-jolting, but was nothing compared to Amber's anger. "As for what you done to me, it was the spawn from your womb. You son David, damn forever his name, killed my father on Aquarius as he defended the Pirate King."
   "Your father was an Aquarian pirate? Then he got what he deserved!" Amber's words earned another painful slap across the nipple, only enraging her more. "I know what you're going to say next, Sandra! Don't even try to play the 'poor girl that lost his daddy' tripe! Like all pirates, your father was a murdering, raping, sadistic barbarian bastard! I bet he smiled like Bourke Street when he handed you blood-stained bobbles from his latest outing!"
    This time Sandra landed a solid punch on the twice-slapped teat, making a shockwave suitable for a bowl of chilled pudding. "He was still my father! It took me years to put that behind me. I even moved away from Aquarius when I was old enough, making a whole new life for myself." She giggled in an evil manner, making not just Amber but all the women nervous. "I became a cook, a damn good one. So good that the Cloud 9 Corporation gave me an exemption and hired me to work in their restaurants. Eventually, I ended up on this Cloud 9 franchise." The smile she made was onerous. "That's when I met Gus, fifteen years ago."
    On the far side of the room Marsha and Gretta were sweating bullets. Thanks to their tachyon link-up, they were still in contact with the androids, and in turn with the Lightfoot. Despite that advantage they worried what was going to happen next. Having somehow gotten shrinking devices aboard the station, it wasn't much a stretch that Sandra could have explosives on board as well. [I think Sandra is going to suicide on us,] Gretta said via the tach-link. [Another agent wouldn't have gotten personally involved like Sandra.]
    [It's bad,] Marsha admitted. [We can't access the tractor beams or gravity control. There's nothing stopping her from putting a gun to our heads and pulling the trigger.]
    The vengeful little woman went to Amber's right nipple and tugged hard, earning a squeal of pain to treat her ears. "Gus made me remember the loss I suffered all those decades ago. Originally he wanted me to kill you, Amber, so that you wouldn't embark on a life-long quest of vengeance that would eventually be realized. But then his plan changed. He told me that seeing you in torment over the unknown fate of your granddaughter was more 'satisfying' than coating my hands in your blood. I was so disappointed when he was captured, with me going to ground as he instructed me to do." She played the nipple roughly, intensifying Amber's discomfort. "Then, when Gus was freed, I felt happy. I got all sort of goodies from my confederates in short order.
     "Your son David, damn forever his name, is regretfully beyond my reach. The assassins hired by the Widow's Walk Society failed to get him 43 years ago." Had there been a sound to go along with Sandra's smile it would been that of fingernails on a chalkboard "The same cannot be said of Oscar. Do you still say a prayer over his grave every year on his birthday?"
    Oscar was George's twin brother, and to this day both Amber and Bert catch themselves calling George by his brother's name. Amber's blood was beyond boiling. "You bitch!" She lowered the recliner until she was nearly vertical, feet planted on the floor. Wincing as the personal plumbing connections came undone, she willed herself to move, and her titanic mass yielded to her efforts. Each footfall moved her out of her alcove by dozens of centimeters. It was like witnessing a fleshy glacier in motion, and the little woman wanted to smother the life out the conceited witch.
    From her chef's coat Sandra produced a gun and shoved it into Amber's mass. "No-one told you to move." With wicked eyes she pulled the trigger...

21
The officers went deeper into the instillation. Standing water one centimeter deep covered the floor, revealing footfalls as well making noise, allowing Gus to know where they were at any moment. They expected more, especially traps. Perhaps Gus had an aversion to falling victim to his defenses. It wasn't if Harkin and company didn't know where Gus and his women were at, far from it. Ahead of them in the Rec Hall were eight lifesigns, all atypical female. From his experience in dealing with pirates and other unsavory individuals, Harkin figured those women had some form of combat enhancements. With Yukiko and Miyako in the lead the officers entered the room. There was no standing water here, but the carpeting glowed when weight was placed upon it. The room was pitch black otherwise, and it hardly mattered at all. Lined up on the far side were the eight women, and it took a moment for the officers to register that their sensors were telling the truth.
    "Imposing, aren't they?" It was Gus' voice, wafting through the air from ceiling speakers. "Each of them 3 meters tall and brimming with powerful femininity. They'll flatten you all like so many empty cans of Fosters. Make it easy for yourselves and give up now."
   "Why should we?" Madison challenged. "They can't hit what they can't see."
   "Yeah," Audrey added. "Plus the bigger they are the harder they fall!"
   "Have you forgotten already, Maddy?" Gus said, his voice thick with sanctimony. "I have three perfectly wonderful young men being treated by one of my women right at this moment. You will fight for their lives, and incidentally for my amusement, unless you want to attend three funerals with empty caskets. Three tiny cask..."
   "You'll do no such thing!" Yelled Bria. "You're a mind-controlling coward that hides behind women."
    Gus snorted, driving the speakers into feedback. "Perhaps I am. Want to know something else? Check your 'in box' for some really good news. Tachyon communication is jam-proof, after all."
    A moment past, and the officers saw through Marsha and Gretta's perspective on Cloud 9. They heard what was said too. Just seeing the images alone was enough for Audrey. "Bloody bastard! I'll break bones and walls, and nothing will stop me from shoving your pommy head up your arse!"
   "I expect that from you, Mrs. Eddings. Want a trip down memory lane? Girls!" Gus yelled "Now!"
   With the speed of quick-draw artists the eight women produced and fired the same kind of flaregun-like reduction device that Boa used. Each beam struck an officer, but instead of shrinking them the camo suits became visible. Harkin acted bored, rubbing his glove-covered fingernails across his chest. "Honestly, Mr. Matlin, didn't you consider that BuRes would've come up with a defense against the beam rifle energy? Not that shooting use with other weapons would done any good either."
    Audrey grinned viciously "Now you're burnt barbie, Gus!" She surged forward with Madison reaching out to restrain her, for Gus never did things in halves. While commendable, it would've been better to trust Audrey's strength. Like a light blue bubble enveloping a flea, a stasis field appeared around Audrey, freezing her in time, her grimace fixed in place. Also stuck in time was Madison's left hand, the field neatly separating it from her arm at the wrist. There was no pain at that moment, but it came nonetheless. Stasis fields don't cauterize, so when the platinum blond pulled back her arm blood pumped out of the neatly made stump. The suit reacted immediately as the underlining smart cloth stretched to cover and seal the stump even as Madison's 'ware pumped emergency coagulant and anti-shock drugs into her system.
   The voice of Gus flowed like a sports announcer. "There, I believe I've applied the right level of handicap to your team, Maddy. Having Audrey would've unbalanced the game to an insane degree. Sorry about the hand. You will, however, abstain from using stunners. With the protection my girls are carrying they'll only work at point-blank range, and you know what results from that."
   Steadied by Bria and Derek, and a bit disorientated, Maddy knew she made two fists despite the evidence of her eyes. Witnessing one's own disembodied hand hanging in mid-air in a stasis bubble was surreal enough. Watching and listening via 'ware of the ongoing situation on Cloud 9 could've sent the tall officer over the edge. The core that formed Madison's being and beliefs rose to the occasion, however. Her rising righteous fury pulled her pain and conviction into a deadly coalition of power. "That's just fine, shitegob. I'll just have to punch with my right fist twice as hard to compensate!"

************

Sandra believed she had accounted for everybody in the mega-women's quarters when she enacted her revenge plot. She failed to take into account an event that happened late last night. Lonnie, Allison and Thaddeus' daughter, had a bad dream. Not yet implanted with wetware, the 6-year-old had used Stamp to gain access to the quarters and settled next to her mother for comfort. In the morning Ally, in an effort to reduce the strain on her neck from looking down and sideways, had her daughter get up close between her breasts so that she could hear about the dream in relative comfort. Pitch, Piper's pet dog, was lounging peacefully in Lonnie's arms while the minicomp Stamp used as his 'body' rested at the base of Allison's neck. It was during this parental talk that Sandra arrived. Using Stamp's minicomp body to see what was going on, Lonnie became unnaturally still when she witnessed the female chef draw out a gun and fired it, point-blank, into Amber Carson's gynormus left breast.
     It wasn't a bullet, but a pellet that held a minute amount of Ludmilla's age-accelerated Bubbles. It took only a moment for the contents to work its diabolical magic. Amber cried both in voice and 'ware, assaulted by the growing sensation from her breasts. "What are you trying to do? Make me into a Boastful Bethany, or explode me?"
    Sandra sniggered as she stepped away from Amber, pocketing the gun. From her perspective it was like bread dough rising out of a too-small pan. "No, more like immobilize you. Your feet won't be able to touch the ground now, and I'm sure not going to get anywhere near your arms!"
   Amber's growth spilled over the sides of her personal alcove, her left breast now encroaching on Regina's space while the right one threaten Treasure's. "Just how much more, you psycho!" she demanded. Her body labored and strained with each surge of growth.
   "Just another fifteen meters." Another collective gasp was made by the ultra-buxom women, which sounded like joy in Sandra's ears. "You'll be the most endowed woman in history. With your constitution, and the help of a several dozen more micropumps, you'll be able to live for at least another century. A century of being attached to a 31-meter bust."
    "Pardon me if I'm not honored," Amber labored as the growth came to an end, every sinew in her body protesting and stressing from the added mass. She felt everything, from where her breasts pressed up against Regina and Treasure's like sandbags being piled up one one another. Yet she endured, her tremendous strength serving to keep her body intact and working.
    "All courtesy of Gus," Lynnae said for Amber's benefit, sensing the physical stress the short woman was going through. She had to cut off the 'ware link, the sensation of her friend's pain threatening to manifest itself inside her had she allowed it. "What's the point of making Amber bigger? That other beam rifle will be made to shrink our endowments down in due time."
    Turning so as to lazily gaze at the tiny forms under the glass, Sandra's smile scared the reduced husbands and hostesses alike. "Heh. In due time may mean anywhere from a week to fifty years. Oh, it will be a minor inconvenience to be that big, for sure. Gus has great respect for Amber's strength, so it was necessary to keep her still." From her chef's coat came another gun, a stunner actually. She leveled and fired the weapon, rendering the tiny people unconscious.
    This time it was Nadia that yelled. "They better not be dead! So help me I'll make sure you'll get the death penalty instead of being mindwiped."
    "Don't get your knickers in an uproar, you former top police pig," Sandra said with disdain. "I dialed down the power just enough." Picking up the lid, she not so gently picked up the prostrate form of George. The father of Audrey was roused from his light stun by fresh pain from his broken legs, and wished he was still out like a light when greeted by Sandra's toothy smile. Lid back in place, the devious minion faced the copious mass that was Amber's breasts. "Hopefully you're still able to watch this via 'ware, Amber. Before I put George to rights, fulfilling my revenge, I shall carry out Gus' will."
    "Explain yourself, bitch!" Regina raged. "What are you going to do to my husband!"
    Amber joined in, willing herself to speak despite the pain. "Get your hands off my son!"
    "It will be over soon enough, you cows," Sandra said in a sneer. "It will take fifteen minutes for station personnel to burn through the access hatch. They dare not burn through the two main hatches, in fear of harming you all. I'll be done in fourteen minutes." Again with less than gentle care the vindictive little woman dumped George on the surface of the cart. He gave Sandra an earful for which she repaid with a slight tap on his legs, making him grimace in pain. "As for what I'm going to do to George, he'll be dunked in a bowl of treacle before he becomes my morning snack. Perhaps then that hole in my soul can be closed forever." The storm of vindictive and outrage that ensued was music to the vengeful woman's ears.
     Her pockets a veritable magazine of misery. Sandra pulled out the gun again. This time her target was Lynnae, and as big as she was the pellet didn't miss. "Gus can't be here in person, but he told me what to say." She fired, the sound of the pellet penetrating Lynnae's skin was tiny and dull. The almost immediate growth was anything but tiny and dull. "Take that, you murderous whore! Mr. Big will be avenged! You're going to be killed by the very attribute that's the core of your fame!"
    What Lynnae felt now was totally unlike what happened before in Piper's house. It was like having a manic army of clastrophobes trying to get out of her breasts, their relentless, frantic pushing and shoving making her immaculate mass bigger and bigger. Her body was being drawn up into the air, and she cried as the plumbing connections in the recliner were released in urgent haste. Above all her heart ached as if a massive hand surrounded it, and squeezed mercilessly. It might as well have been Gus' malevolent paw, each increasingly laborious beat only fueling the man's sense of victory. Her right breast pushed forward and to the side, partially covering Charlene's left tit, while the mighty left imposed itself on the opera woman's right wonderlung. For both it felt like being subjected to a glacier's weight, but it was nowhere near what Lynnae was experiencing.
    Sandra consulted her biolume tattoo watch. "Hmm. Gus knew Amber couldn't be killed with so much tit flesh. You're strong, I give you that. If you're not dead in five minutes Gus told me to give you a blast of BE energy, and if that doesn't do the job..."
    Now just as mega-buxom as Amber, Outback's most famous heroine still had some fight left in her. Her words came out in bouts laced in pain but they were heard by all. "Damn Gus! Every woman... he touches... becomes a victim. You've been used... and tossed away... like trash. You have... my pity."
    That angered the little Aquarian woman. She walked up and had to jump in place to slap Lynnae's right nipple like it was a petulant child. "Keep your damn pity! I wanted this!" Tossing aside the gun that fired the Bubble pellets, Sandra pulled a flaregun-shaped BE device from her copious chef's pocket. "I think I won't wait five minutes. In a moment you'll be slightly bigger than Amber, but your reign as the most endow woman in the Commonwealth will end as quickly as it was attained. I'm just disappointed that Felicity didn't arrive in the morning shuttle. I so wanted her to witness her granddaughter die before her eyes."

22
The fight in the rec room, with vision provided by light-enhancing visors, the pale glow of the stasis globe, and the glowing footfalls on the carpet, wasn't going well for the officers. Using their height to maximum advantage, even though they couldn't raise their arms fully due to the 4-meter ceiling, the 3-meter tall women lashed out with legs almost as long as Derek was tall. This is not even mentioning the use of furniture as thrown projectiles, making the officers' task difficult. They didn't want to cause outright harm to the women, knowing they were mind controlled by Gus, but at the same time refused to become undersized punching bags.
    Yukiko and Miyako showed the way. With their tag-along 'ware guests looking on, the androids struck first the ankles of one giantess, then the knees. The dominating female fell to the floor where Yukiko delivered a calculating blow to the base of the skull, rendering the woman unconscious without the use of a stunner. Meanwhile the others had their hands full. It was one-on-one with Bria losing her helmet as one Amazon's encompassing palm covered it like an octopus over a clam. Only the emergency release allowed her to pull clear of the helmet before it was crushed like an empty tin. Coming to her friend's defense, Madison landed a devastating blow on the Amazon's knee, sending her to the ground like a pile of bricks. Before she could do more another of Gus' women came from behind and grabbed her by the left forearm, sending a paroxysm of pain before her 'ware suppressed it. Lifted up in the air, Madison was abruptly dropped when Miyako struck the giant squarely on the back with a flying kick worthy of a legendary martial artist.
   Barely holding his own, Derek knew he could release his wife from the stasis field if he had just five seconds to place a minicomp on its surface. With his back to the field, he faked out his tormentor, her fists hitting the field like the immovable object it was. It was here, while the aspiring giantess gawked at her suffering hands, that Derek slapped a flashed-programmed minicomp on the field. However, the giantess' confederate shoved Derek out of the way like an obstinate dog and punched the device, utterly ruining it. About to do the same to Derek, this woman was felled by a harsh blow to the knee delivered by the techno specialist.
   Poor Wenona was getting the worst of it with her sparring partner. Having also lost her helmet in the struggle her face received two harsh blows, temporarily losing her sight. She didn't let that phase her, silently thanking her grandfather Dan for the training, both conventional and shamanistic, to use her other senses to compensate. Her hand flew to the nightstick strapped to her thigh, pulling it free in one fluid motion. Living up to her 'Eckythump' nickname, Wenona nailed her assailant cleanly in the abdomen. A howl of pain followed but was strangely replaced by a squeal. Eyes clearing, the officer saw that the woman wasn't only doubled over by the hit but was also smaller. At first she attributed it to her recovering eyes, but when the woman became erect it was plain to see. Everyone took a look, amazed and stunned as the woman was now Wenona's height and still dwindling fast.
    Harkin took advantage of the involuntary lull and nailed his gawking opponent cleanly on the shin, sending Gus' titaness to the floor. Like her sister combatant, she, too, began to dwindle. He grasped the implications clearly. [Yukiko, Miyako, Go! Get to that data center and secure it immediately!]
   [Yes, Captain!] Said Yukiko, her Japanese accent present in her 'ware voice. Both androids sprinted for the door on the far side of the room, shoving two Titanesses out of the way with great energy. Said door wasn't opened as so much as ripped apart like tinfoil, and as the duo disappeared the fight was continuing its weird progression. One after another each Titaness began to shrink, but that didn't mean they were finished as a fighting force. Madison was viciously punched in the breasts, both orbs briefly flattened like air cushions, and had her stump grappled again until her assailant was too small to hold on. She tackled and held the breast-puncher, having to keep renewing her grasp as the pugilist shrank to a mere 3 centimeters in height. Rightfully terrified, the tiny minion made no move to escape from Madison's giant palm. The officer handed her over to Harkin, depositing her in a secured belt pouch.
     Having punched out another minion, Bria watched with fascination as the woman's figure kept diminishing. As for Derek he was handed a back-up minicomp from Wenona, and was rewarded when the harmonic frequency it emitted defeated the stasis field. Audrey resumed her interrupted rush and fixated on the remaining Titaness in the room. Knowing what the little woman was capable of that giantess attempted to leave, but fell over her own legs which were then broken in Audrey's zeal to stop her. "What the bloody hell is going on?" she barked, watching as her impromptu tackling dummy becoming more and more compact with each passing second.
    "You were in stasis for most of it, honey," said Derek as he gently picked up a cowering micro woman and handed her over to Harkin. "We were this close to getting our clocks cleaned when they started shrinking. How and why I don't know 'cause we didn't pick up any beam emissions at all."
    Audrey barely registered those words as she gingerly picked up her captive. She caught up what was happening on Cloud 9, right up to the point where the tachyon transmission was terminated at Harkin's order. It only served to make Audrey all the more angry and anxious, for not only did she learned what happened to her father it was that she witnessed the little female chef produce and point a gun at her grandmother. She carried the tiny woman as if it was Derek himself, and only when relieved of the burden did she make fists worthy to bash down walls.
   Bria and Madison both placed a hand on Audrey's shoulders. "Don't blame that woman," Bria pleaded. "It's Gus' control that twisted her mind. Just remember he has Ronnie and the others, so don't do anything stupid." She gave Maddy a hard look. "That goes double for you. Don't let him get the best of you."
     "He's certainly doing his best now, isn't he?" countered Maddy.

23
"Now I'm impressed," Sandra admitted. "It's been three minutes and you haven't flatlined yet, Lynnae. If the medics could get to you, then you might have a chance." She looked at the emergency hatch, the one that she sabotaged, and saw the first flicker of the plasma cutter breaking past the seal. "However, you won't endure the pressure of having a 35 meter bust for much longer. You've been quoted as saying that the only thing larger than your breasts is your heart. Looks like I put that assertion to rest for good. Now, any last words?"
    For only four meters of additional bust Lyn felt she was about to die. Just as Maddy described it, the breasts felt like carnival taffy being stressed and pulled in every direction, totally unlike the billowing caused by Bubbles. It was difficult, for her wetware was doing its best to manage what reserves of strength she still had, but Lynnae had to speak. "You have... my... sympathy, Sandra. I... forgive you."
   The chef physically scaled the all-dominant left breast in order to punch Lyn's left nipple, pain flowing like a creek into a river of torment . "No! Gus said you should be praying or begging for death at this point! I don't need your sympathy!" Dropping to the floor, she pull out one final weapon from her pocket. "With this your body will shrink, perhaps not as small like those under the glass. You won't survive this fresh round of stress, and if needed I will cut your mega-melons and let you bleed out!" She leveled the weapon, finger lifting off the trigger guard...
    About to witness the certain death of a blessed soul, something that he couldn't ignore even if he wanted to, Stamp acted. Entering Sandra's mind was like exploding a flash grenade in a dark room, illuminating all that was cloaked from view. This violent entry had the effect of Sandra dropping the gun and clutching her head with both hands, fingernails digging into her scalp. As she staggered about the room Stamp found what he was looking for in the woman's mind. It was a glowing sphere, and inside it was a copy of Sandra's body, naked save for a length of gold ribbon wrapped around it and surmounted by a knot. Reaching for it, Stamp was blocked by a dark specter that had Gus' face. They struggled, Stamp finding the specter very strong, thus confirming the malevolence that formed the core of Gus' being. With all of his might thrown into the fight Stamp couldn't get an edge as the specter held his own, gloating filled his Gus face.
    Then the unexpected happen. Ignoring her mother's commands Lonnie slipped out from between Allison's breasts, nearly falling as she ran across the smooth floor on her jammy-covered feet. She picked up the beam gun, aimed liked a marksman, and fired at Sandra. The shock threw the dark mental specter for a loop, letting Stamp reach the ribbon-bounded woman. As he pulled the knot apart he sensed Sandra getting smaller and smaller, her conscious mind confused and terrified as her perspective changed. Her cries of dismay changed to downright distress as the golden knot came apart, her mind liberated from Gus' control. The dark specter disintegrated into a pile of ash that Stamped kicked with contempt. It was then he spied that the ribbon actually trailed out into distance in a taunt line that went slack and fell to the ground entirely. He couldn't spare another moment to investigate, leaping back into the minicomp. With security cameras serving as his eyes he witnessed Lonnie picking up a now very tiny Sandra, holding the chef level with her face.
    "You hurt my great grandma," said the girl in a tone of voice one would expect from a tasking mother. "You better cooperate, or I'll let you play with Pitch."
    Looking down, Sandra saw the black-coated dachshund, sitting up with a paw out as if expecting to get a handshake, looking back up with happy eyes and tongue hanging out. All this serve was to make Sandra cringe in fear, crying and pounding her fists on Lonnie's finger.
    Viewing the scene from Stamp's minicomp screen just reinforced what Allison saw from the camera 'ware view. "Lonnie! Take Sandra over to Daddy right now! And stay away from the hatch! They're about to open it!"
    "Okay." Lonnie sounded more like a child now, one that was denied having an extra scoop of ice cream. She walked over to the cart, removed the glass lid and opened her hand, her father Thaddeus leading Sandra out onto the surface. Relieved of that duty, Lonnie trotted over to Lynnae. Unable to reach her hand, the child settled for hugging her great grandmother's breast. "It'll be okay, grandma," Lonnie said. "Maddy will fix everything."
    For those that heard it was a touching sentiment, but most were listening to Pamela, Piper's assistant, cry and wail. Over and over, with much emotion, she said 'Oh God, what have I done.'

************

"Aren't you done yet, Fifi?" asked Wendi, looking nervous despite her newly acquired height. Along with Percy, the mind-controlled officer knew what happened in the rec room, wondering if she was going to dwindle at any moment. She hoped not, for Gus need her and Percy to carry Gladys and Fifi to the escape craft. Gladys had already been secured, the mega-bosomed woman reduced to a size that could fit in a portable stasis-field container. Wendi had six of the one-shot beam devices on her belt as it was uncertain how many were needed to reduce Fifi as the rifle was now in the hands of Donna. Covering the door was Percy, armed with a 10mm assault gun. Gus' control over her mind was so complete that she felt no compunction using deadly force against a fellow officer.
   "Cool your jets," Fifi snapped. "Gus wants me to send the arming signal for all the remaining devices, download Site 2's data into Site 3's mainframe, and then melt my Crystal Cathedral so as to leave nothing for the Bronze. You just be mindful when you shrink me down. Don't shove me in that stasis container like a pair of Christmas hams."
    "Oh, Crap!" Percy yelled, witnessing the door being bashed in by the two very nimble and devastating officers she saw on the monitor minutes earlier. She fired her assault rifle, hoping its armor-piercing ammo was taking care of the Bronze on the other side. Gus' control was such that Percy couldn't help but obey the orders given to her, and while she did reload the rifle with practiced speed, the two officers broke in, camo suits perforated with holes and anointed in bloody spots. This threw Percy for a loop as she knew for a fact what she was seeing was an impossibility. Reaching the shocked giant first, Yukiko grabbed the rifle from Percy's hands and bent the barrel, then using the ruined weapon as a club to Percy's kneecaps. Her fall to the floor would've done a lumberjack proud. Wendi, also having been made a 3-meter giant by Gus, ripped a flatpanel monitor from its mount, earning a squeal of distress from Fifi, and threw it at Miyako. The android batted it aside like a mega-mossie and then applied the hurt on her assailant. With both suborned NDPD officers unconscious Yukiko went right up to Fifi while Miyako checked the stasis container. Gretta found the contents to be worthy of a whistle, and had Miyako do one on her behalf. "So it's confirmed that beam rifle energy can shrink the bust of a woman that ingested Bubbles," said Miyako, her accented English pleasant and melodic.
    "Good," Yukiko commented as she mounted Fifi's left boob like a docile bull. Leaning forward, she placed her hand on the top of Fifi's head. "After we're done here we can shrink Ms. Super-Hacker here and put her in that stasis box."
    "Get your bloody hand off me!" Fifi yelled. "And get out of my head! This is a violation of my rights!"
    "Cram it, lady!" It was Marsha's voice that came from Yukiko's mouth this time. It made the cyber queen terrified. She knew of Chief Marshal Marsha Jarvis' reputation, and Fifi would've given her soul to be elsewhere at that moment had she not already handed it to Gus. "For aiding and abetting a monster like Gus you can very well shut up this one time. You're not going to help that monster shrink or bustify another person."
    "I got access," said Yukiko with her own voice. "She lost her concentration when you startled her just now, Marshal. Thanks for the assist."
    "Thank you," came Marsha's reply. Hearing two completely different voices coming from the same body was making Fifi wonder about her grip on sanity. Then it happened. From time to time Fifi felt as if her mind was wrapped up in a golden ribbon whenever she wondered about her life before meeting Gus, especially when it came to family. Now that feeling was gone, being replaced by the sensation of a brick wall that separated two worlds collapsing into a heap. Her mind united, memories and feeling mixing like a cake recipe in a bowl. The first thing Fifi did was to scream, followed by some crying and cursing Gus' name. For an android, Yukiko found Fifi's behavior disquieting and intensely personal. She slipped off the breast like a dollop of butter on a hot cob of corn.
    "Poor thing," Miyako commented as she relieved Wendi the burden of the beam devices. She watched, fascinated, for a moment as both Percy and Wendi started to shrink in size. Something clearly was going on in regards to the beam rifle as the one-shot devices, according to Fifi's records, could only shrink or bustify. With one such device in hand Miyako aimed and fired, reducing Fifi overall size by 25%. "It must be her breast mass," Miyako admitted. " We may have to use the remaining five to get the job done."
    "Do that, Miyako. Once we're done securing Fifi and her friends inform Green Team to send two of their number inside to pick them up, then join me."
     "You got it, Yuki."

24
Once again Gus was livid with rage, tearing up Ludmilla's office. He had been looking for something, anything, that would explain why his women were shrinking. He had only minutes before the officers reached him. The reinforced doors and traps weren't going to be much of a deterrent to someone like Audrey and those two super-officers Harkin brought with him. Making several decisions at that moment, Gus pulled the container that held Ludmilla's tiny body from his pocket. Not wanting to see her face again, Gus held the container up to his ear. "What the fuck is going on, Ludmilla! You did something to that rifle, didn't you? I went through your notes, and all of them are written in Russian. Now tell me what you did, or I'll crush you like the miserable insect you are!"
     "You're the insect, chernozhopi!" Ludmilla yelled with all her might. "I know who you really are! Your control over my mind is gone!"
     Gus squeezed the container, and for a brief moment instilled fear into the 2cm tall woman as she felt the plastic surround her body. "Tell me, or the next squeeze will be your last!"
     "I shall tell you, because it will be pleasing to my ear," said the physicist, her accent lending force to her words like a warhammer. "Early this morning I entered an encrypted program into the rifle's computer. All the women you enlarged beyond their normal height didn't have their growth based in this reality, but in a side reality where said person was only three centimeters tall."
    "What?! How can that be possible!" Gus demanded.
    "I'm that brilliant, you miserable Cossak! All you cared about is making breasts bigger and shrinking people. As for your girls, their giant size is unstable and will become tiny very shortly if not already."
    Sweat rolled down Gus' face, glad that he had removed his mustache. "Damn you! I don't need you anymore, you Russian witch!" He tossed the container into a pile of plaspaper, clipboards, and datapads he created during his hectic search in one corner. Around his neck he yanked off a thin chain that held Ludmilla's wedding ring, and tossed it into the pile as well. "This place will burn up once I set the self-destruct. You'll be lucky if they find anything of you to bury!" Gus stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Ludmilla stilled her heart as the container slipped deeper into the pile and was covered by colored sheets of plaspaper. She moved up the crumpled plastic container's interior to get to the cap, hoping against hope that she could pop it off and escape.

************

With twelve miniaturized women in the care of two Marines from Green Team the officers divided into groups of three. One pair, Audrey and Madison, took a side hallway to the heliport. Another pair, Derek and Wenona, took the other side hallway. Straight up the middle was handled by Bria and Harkin. They found Donna waiting for them, smiling and looking like a modern Amazon in her curve-accentuating bodysuit. Standing 3 meters tall just like her formally gigantic fellow women, Donna caressed the nightstick in her hand like she would a lover. "You won't get past me," she quipped. "Once you two are nothing more than a collection of bloody bruises and broken bones I shall join Gus and leave this place."
    "And abandon your friends in the process," Bria sneered. "Are you sure that Gus isn't going to leave you behind?"
    "He won't," Donna countered with total sincerity. "He loves me, and you will not stop me." She undid the upper part of her suit, revealing a cleavage that outdid Bria's considerable bounty. "Go ahead a take a gander at these, officer," Donna cooed. "A real careful look." With wetware-aided eyes Bria noted a hot spot in Donna's left breast. The officer grimaced when the 'ware identified the heat source as being consistent with miniaturized men. "As you see, I have the firemen secured in the comfort of my bosom," Donna teased. "For them to remain unharmed is all up to you."
    "You're already harming them, you dero! They'll suffocate before too long." Bria moved in a deliberate manner, intent on knocking down the giantess without being brained by the nightstick. Harkin had the same idea, moving like a cat but was kicked like a dog by Donna's long and powerful leg. Barely avoiding a powerful downstroke, Bria landed a blow on Donna's shin, ears filled with the giantess' wail of pain. Bria hesitated too long and was slapped hard by Donna's free palm. It was such pain that she teared up, but Bria was unfazed. She punched the kneecap and grabbed the nightstick, yanking it out of the giantess' hand. That hand, now without a weapon, grabbed the front of Bria's suit instead. Harkin, having gotten up, was then slammed to the ground when Donna threw Bria at him like a rag doll, being bashed full in the face by the woman's bosom.
    "This is just like the schoolyard," mused Donna while hobbling towards the officers, her kneecap hurting like all get-out.. "Come on, Bria. Try your best. It won't be enough."
    Bria got to her feet, face still smarting from being slapped. She channeled that pain into her arm, the nightstick begging to be used. She charged, throwing the stick in mid-stride and taking Donna by surprize. The dense plastisteel weapon hit Donna's left forearm, causing considerable pain as the underlying bone was fractured. In that moment of paralysis Bria struck, hitting that afflicted appendage with righteous fury. For that attack Donna struck back with adrenaline-fueled strength, punching Bria so solidly on the right breast that she fell backwards onto the floor. An angry foot came down on the officer's right ankle, promoting an eruption of obscenities that would make a dockworker blush in embarrassment. The verbal assault made Donna stumbled backwards. Even Harkin was taken aback from the verbiage Bria used, wondering if she was channeling the souls of every Marine drill sergeant that ever lived.
     Getting up and experiencing excruciating ankle pain worthy of ten toothaches, Bria was about to give Donna a richly deserved solid thrashing when she was knocked down again; not by the amazon but from Yukiko and Miyako. The two androids, rushing from behind, unceremoniously pushed the officer down in passing as they set upon Gus' favorite. No time for subtlety, they broke Donna's other forearm and pummeled the shins, leaving the giantess wailing as they went on their way down the hall. A thick partition descended from the ceiling, preventing Harkin and Bria from following.
   "No!" Donna said past her pain. Laying on her side, she regarded the 10cm thick plastisteel panel like a miner would a caved-in tunnel. "Gushy, you gave your word!" She cried more from the betrayal than from pain, and it was here she began the same unaccounted-for shrinking that afflicted her friends.
   Bria managed to say a polite expletive. "Oh, fuddleducks!" She got to Donna and rolled her over flat on her back, finding the hollowed out pocket on the left breast was getting smaller as well. It formed a bulge over the tiny bodies underneath, and it was getting tighter with each passing second. Urgently, Bria pinched the top of the fleshy flap that covered the pocket, its resulting pain unnoticed by Donna, and pulled it back. There, she found just two of the three firefighters. She gingerly picked up the 6cm tall men, finding it was Billy and Ronnie. "You two injured?" She asked, putting her back to the partition to take the pressure off her broken ankle, holding the men like porcelain figurines atop her suit-covered paramount breasts.
   "Only our pride, Sweetmuffins," Ronnie crooned. "Miss Bigness over there," he pointed to the still shrinking Donna, "made us strip down to our drawers before putting us in that booby pouch of hers like a couple of joeys. Me and Billy were about to go bonzers from claustrophobia, not to mention all the shaking and bouncing just now."
   Bria planted a kiss that covered Ronnie's face. "There, that will have to hold you over until you're big enough to wrap those macho arms around my waist, you stud. Billy," she looked at Gretta's boyfriend in her other hand, "Donna's going to end up at half your height. If she's like the others, she's going to wonder what happened to her and asked questions. Stay with her until the Marines show up."
   "Will do, though I wish I had some pants," said Billy as he was lowered gently to the floor, running over the Donna's diminished form.
   "Sweetmuffins," Ronnie teased. "Don't you need some sugar on that boo-boo of yours? It looks nasty."
   Bria touched her bruised cheek and winced in pain. "Ouchies! Okay, you can plant some of that sugar on me, lover boy." She brought Ronnie up to her face, smiling despite the discomfort, and felt every one of Ronnie's dreamy kisses.
   Harkin limped over to Bria, looking worse for wear. "I had expected my past field experience would've allowed me to get past one giant woman. Now I can officially say that I'm too old for front-line work. I hope the girls get to Gus before he escapes or does something stupid."
    "He has done something stupid," Ronnie said, looking up at Bria's ocean blue eyes. "He took Charlie."

25
"Dang! This partition can't be raised back up, Wenona. It's a dead drop, no motors involved." Derek gave the plastisteel panel a kick in frustration. Seeing it come down from the ceiling as the pair approached, Derek was half-tempted to run and then slide under the partition like a movie hero would, but his 'ware calculated that there wasn't enough time. "We'll have to double back. Too bad we didn't have any kaboomite charges."
     "Derek, look at this." Wenona thumbed to the door next to her. "That's Cyrillic writing on the nameplate, and my 'ware translated the words. It's Dr. Lebedev's office."
    "If we can't go forward, then let's move sideways." Chest still smarting from the pummeling he got from a formerly towering red head, Derek opened the door and expected it to explode in his face. When proved otherwise he walked in, followed by Wenona. He went to the desk first, picking up papers and giving them a glance, his wetware recording and analyzing the writing. Next were the datapads, and even with his skill and 'ware assistance he couldn't break the encryption, proving that Dr. Lebedev was quite talented indeed. He stuffed the pads into the camo backpack he brought along like they were Christmas presents.
   Wenona eyed the wreckage that once was an orderly, well-kept office. One capable of great anger obviously was the author of this ruin, and Wenona knew it had to be Gus. She saw the assorted plastpaper hardcopies, datapads, and old-fashion clipboards that had been apparently tossed in anger to one corner of the office. Her hand shifted through the paper like it was a pile of leaves, finding a broken chain and a wedding ring. "We better go, Derek. I'm getting the impression Gus isn't the kind that likes having others play in his sandbox."
   With eyes like a child that found one more present under the tree, Derek set himself in front of the pile with Wenona and dug right in. "Okay. Just let me get all those pads first." He piled pad after pad into his backpack, moving so fast that he almost didn't notice what appeared to be a 120-Quantumbyte storage drive that rested on the most recent retrieved pad. It was the way he picked the pad up that caused the drive to flip into the air like a flapjack. He thought nothing of it, for it would be a simple matter to pick it up off the floor.
    Unconsciously, so it seemed, Wenona's left hand moved on its own, catching the drive before it fell to the floor. She gingerly removed the cap, a bit difficult due to the crushed casing, and ever so gently shook the drive as if to liberate a pill from a dispenser into her open palm. Instead of a pill it was a tiny woman, dressed as if about to deliver a lecture to a hall full of students. Collecting herself, the miniaturized form of Dr. Ludmilla Lebedev rolled onto her back to look up to Wenona's giant, caring face. "Hello, Doctor," said the officer. "You've gotten locked up in your work, it seems."
    Ludmilla wiped away her tears. She had tried to break out of the casing but lacked the strength and leverage required to open the cap. Exhausted and defeated, the 40-year-old woman cried. Gus's mental stranglehold had disappeared, and that detached piece of her subconscious, the one that had worked behind the scenes to undermine him at the appropriate time, merged with her liberated mind. She cringed as she realized that four years, four years of her life had been spent working for a man that could've been Rasputin's brother. Four years spent away from her husband and two young sons, the ones she called with much affection 'little bears.' She remembered with sickening clarity how Gus seduced her mind with his entangling words and webs of lies, causing her to leave her beloved family in the dead of night so as to work for his benefit. With the demolition charges set and accelerants in place, the very ones she herself had overseen in their instillation some 21 months earlier, Ludmilla was certain she would die today, her body utterly consumed and undiscovered. It was in the midst of a prayer that she heard Derek and Wenona enter the room, her voice too hoarse and tiny to be heard. Only Wenona's capture of the flying case prevented the physicist from a calamitous impact with the floor.
    "We're going to get you out of here, Ludmilla," said the officer. "You have my word as an officer and as a mother. You'll be with your family again, just as I was reunited with my family. Can you be brave and trust me?" Unable to speak, the tiny figure nodded her head sharply. "Thank you." She looked to Derek. "You can move on ahead if you can, but I'm going to take the good doctor here to the Marines and then join you."
    Derek looked pentative, realizing that he nearly caused the inadvertent death of Ludmilla. He gave a solemn nod. "Please do, Wen. Enough hearts have been broken because of Gus."

Yukiko and Miyako battered their way into the covered heliport, gloved hands looking the worse for wear but nonetheless still able to function. The stealth cargo skimmer sitting on the pad was primed and ready for flight, perfect for a man that truly thought only for himself and sacrifice everyone to cover his escape. The android duo saw the man himself, standing like the sanctimonious pom right next to a collection of decaliter-sized bottles. What was a surprize was that Gus stood 3 meters tall, just like his women.
     "This is going to be easier that I thought," mused Yukiko, her accent sensual as it was poignant. "You needed a cargo skimmer for that giant ass of yours, Matlin, but it's irrelevant. You're going to shrink just like those women. If you're not careful, I might squash you like a bug."
     "But not before I break those bones," Miyako added. "I admit it's a poor substitute for all the hearts you've broken but it'll have to do."
     Picking up a bottle, Gus handled it like a pitcher considering his next toss. "No fancy pair of wind-up toys will stop me. I'm not so fragile like those women. I must admit that I shall miss Fifi, Donna, and Gladys as they were ever so useful, especially Fifi. Did she endure the multiple beam applications well?"
     Miyako flexed her synthetic muscles. "She didn't cry out openly, but it was painful for her. I daresay you'll be crying for your momma in the first 20 seconds."
     Instead of Yukiko it was now Marsha's voice coming from the android body. "I read your casefile. You had a toy collection when you were a child, and your divorced mother was a drinker." The look on Gus' face was priceless, like that of a deer in the headlights. "She came home one night and crushed your miniature town and train set, one that you built with money you earned from cutting yards and hedges. You hated her guts, and once you turned 18 you couldn't get out of that house fast enough. Your collection of miniaturized people and dioramas was an attempt to plug up that gaping hole in a soul that was already dead."
    "Dead? I'll show you dead!" Gus hurled the decaliter bottle at Yukiko with such force that it broke apart upon hitting the android's body, its liquid contents spilling and flying everywhere.
    "Old fashion cooking fuel? How drole." This was Gretta talking from Miyako's body, making Gus feeling both repulsed and aroused at the same time. "As rich as you are, you're too cheap to get the good stuff."
     "Nice to hear from you, my sienna sweet," Gus barked, throwing another bottle of petrol. "Now come over here and make good on your word."

26
The emergency crews broke their way into the quarters. A pair of medics tended to George first, taking him to the medical center with two of the miniaturized hostesses/nurses to provide assistance. Another pair went to Amber, taking her vitals as fresh nanites were prepared to construct more micropumps in her breasts. Lynnae had six medics and two doctors, all grimly determined to save her life. The husband Paul and son Trent were brought close to her in the hands of an Angelican-endowed nurse. As for Marsha she was fully preoccupied with the mission as there was nothing she could do then and there to affect the situation. She knew that getting Gus was the best use of her talent and effort, though she still damned the super criminal for what he had done by proxy. Daughter-in-law Charlene and granddaughters Piper and Allison were beside themselves with grief, feeling equally helpless and unable to place a supportive hand on Lyn in this her time of greatest need.
     Lynnae's three closest friends shared a level of compassion that was only equaled by her present family members. Nadia, Amber, and June tried to maintain a strong face, but they knew via 'ware that Lyn was among her final moments. There was no time to deploy a stasis field, and the amount of drugs required to keep her body functioning even at an unconscious level would've been fatal. The dire measure of cutting off her breasts was impossible as any anesthetics, even localized ones provided by nanites, would kill her just as quick.
     Nadia sobbed, recalling how Lyn retrieved, at great risk to herself, the rings Mr. Big stole just hours before Nadia and Harold's wedding. It was something Nadia could've lived with, using rolled-up pieces of foil in lieu of actual rings until replacements were made, but Lynnae was Lynnae. She couldn't let it go, and though it cost her the maid of honor dress in the process she recovered the rings just in time. No-one could have a more true friend like her.
     Amber cried a torrent that could fill a drought-dead creek. There was nothing she could do with her strength, and she prayed for God to take it from her and give it to Lyn. She owed her life to her best friend. 104 years ago Lynnae pulled an unconscious Amber out of a warehouse rigged with explosives courtesy of the Postmaster General. By rights both should've been killed in the ensuing concussion and fireball, but Lyn apparently used up a good measure of her luck as well as her overworked guardian angel, suffering only very light burns on her back and legs while Amber herself was unharmed. If anyone deserved a second chance it was Lyn.
     June lost herself in her memories, recalling the first day she partnered with Lyn. She knew her from the academy, and nothing had changed in those few years in-between. She was a short, serious woman that took to her job like a crusader. Initially of little humor, and dressed off-duty in a manner that downplayed her natural beauty, June was tempted to write-off her partner as a hopeless workaholic. But as in all partnerships, this one no exception, June learned what made Lyn tick and vise-versa. She learned about the deaths of Lyn's parents and grandfather at the hands of criminals, and how such tragedies altered her friend's life. June prided herself in gradually getting her friend out of her protective shell and actually enjoy life instead of seeing it as something to get through day after day. In turn, she learned from her best friend the values of moderation and prudence, the practical application of wisdom. For Lyn to go now, leaving so much undone and experiences yet to be had, would make the world all the poorer. June's tears were the most intense and hottest of all present.

All the plastisteel that stood between Audrey and Madison might as well have been paper. The super-strong little woman simply busted down the panels like gangbusters until she came up to the last one, leading into the heliport. Communications with the androids was inexplicably out, but the Lightfoot's sensors showed what was happening on the other side of the partition. Maddy consulted her mental map. "Yukiko and Miyako are keeping Gus occupied by the exit doors," she said. "Audrey, can you bust down this partition without making too much noise?"
     "No promises," said the little woman. Having done this twice before, Audrey repeatedly kicked the partition where it slipped into a groove in the plasticrete walls. Shattered and broken plasticrete showered down, creating a gap that allowed the woman to get a firm grip on the plastisteel. She pulled the supermetal back like it was a obstinate tab on a can of Fosters, creating an entrance large enough for the far-larger Madison to squeeze through. Audrey followed, both officers focusing on the skimmer in front of them. With a live sensor feed from the Lightfoot the duo saw the beam rife in the skimmer's cargo bed. [You get the rifle], Maddy told Audrey. [I'm going to help the others in subduing Gus.]
     The smaller woman squeezed Maddy's arm. [Be careful. We don't know where that bastard has stashed Charlie.]
     Maddy's reply squeeze was equally formidable. [I promise. You just get that rifle out of here pronto.]
     With speed and purpose Audrey got into the skimmer with Madison rushing to the front. She stopped suddenly, her heaving bust threatening to topple her over. There, in front of the exit doors, was Gus. Seeing him 3 meters tall should've been a relief as that meant he'll be shrinking soon. Instead Maddy felt trepidation, for the man had Yukiko by the head, clutching it like a pitcher about to throw a baseball. The android's legs were shattered with the right gone below the knee. The left forearm was missing, and for the right arm it was in Gus' free hand. "Hello, Maddy," came Marsha's voice from Yukiko's body. "Gus here is working out his mommy issues."
     "We could've wiped the floor with him," admitted Gretta from Miyako's form. That android was just as bad off as Yukiko. Propped up against the wall, the android's head was a collected of perfectly replicated bruises and trickles of plas-blood. "He has Charlie on him, and he used that against us. Plus he spilled cooking fuel all over the place and threaten to light it and dump Charlie in the middle of it." Maddy's helmet-covered face flared with heat, all of it directed to the towering madman.
     "Well hello, Beautiful," sneered Gus as he glowered at Maddy. He waved at her like a friend would upon arrival at a birthday party, using the severed android arm to exaggerate the effect. Gus showed signs of having been in a fight, with the front of his suit ripped in places and his face hosting a good bruise under the right eye. "I imagine those bruises and scuffs you got in the rec room fight made you more appealing, not less. I will get to see them up close and personal before all is said and done."
     "He's all shite, Maddy," Marsha countered, her voice slightly distorted as Gus applied more pressure to Yukiko's head. "You should've been here when he heard Gretta's voice coming from Miyako's head. He looked terrified while sporting a big pipe under his trousers. His priorities are all mixed up."
      Gus tossed Yukiko like a rag doll at Miyako, enjoying the sound of collision and aftermath as both artificial women tried to get themselves situated. "I advise you take those two and leave, Maddy. Otherwise I'm going to do something drastic." He pulled something out of his untouched suit pocket. Maddy's heartrate accelerated greatly when Gus opened his hand, showing the tiny form of Charlie. Both the stump of her left wrist and the old rib injuries flared up with pain to a hellish intensely. It took all of Maddy's will from doubling over from the pain. "If you don't let me go I'm going to crush him."
     "He doesn't have much time," Yukiko said, for Marsha could no longer contribute to the action, her attention now fully focused on Lynnae's plight. "He'll be shrinking very soon."
     "I have wetware, so it doesn't matter," Gus barked. "My stealth skimmer will take me to Site 3, and I still have girls under my beck and call. I'll be restored in no time, but," he squeezed Charlie ever so slightly, "it'll take you years of therapy to get over the death of your beau. Now, back off."
      Madison was choked up, tears threatening to flow should Gus follow through on his death threat. She started to move to the android duo...
     "Hey, shitegob! Guess what I found!" Gus looked at the source of the insult, finding Audrey atop the cab of the skimmer, holding the beam rifle in her hand. "What a pretty toy you have. Does it shoot gold B-Bs?"
     "Put... That... Down!" He held out his hand. "I'm going to crush him into paste if you don't!"
     "No! You hand over Charlie to Maddy right now, or else!" Audrey reached with her free hand and pulled something from behind her back. Gus blanched when he saw what it was. Looking at the rifle just confirmed it. The core component to the beam rifle, roughly the size of a 16oz soda can, was no longer in the rifle but in Audrey's hand. Her very strong, bone-crushing hand. "A one-of-a-kind gizmo now, isn't it. It's not like you can go to a Greeny-5 for a replacement now."
    Face now fearful and trembling like a scolded child, Gus sweated up a storm. "Pu... Pu... Please don't damage it! Nothing can replace it. Here!" He lobbed Charlie like a hot potato, forcing Maddy to dive to catch the miniaturized man. She landed atop her left arm, but no cry of tormented came out for she safely caught her boyfriend. Leaving him on the ground for a moment, she opened the top of her suit so as to put him between her breasts for safety.
    Audrey looked intently at Gus as would a cat to a wounded bird. "I bet you're hoping the court will sentence you to an asylum, and for some of your mind-controlled floozies to come to your rescue. Well, you can forget it, shitegob! We got your records from Fifi, so we know about Site 3 and all the other little hidey-holes. Plus your women are no longer under your control. Even Boa is freed, and she's crying and regretting the things she did while in your employ. Your little egomaniac empire is done!"
    "They why don't you get me and be done with it?" implored the master criminal, his eyes fixed on the primary component.
     A dangerous smile filled the little woman's face. "I've considered that, but you'll be shrinking pretty soon on your own." She judged the component like a jeweler appraising a diamond. Each turn in her fingers earned an apprehensive gasp from Gus' mouth. "This time you won't a reprieve, and just to be sure..." With only a modicum of effort on her part Audrey crushed the component like an empty can.
     Anguish and rage played out on Gus' face and voice. One wondered how he avoided crushing his own head between his hands, covering his ears in denial. Again Madison swore she made two fists instead of the actual one. "Okay, Maddy," Audrey said gleefully, "he's all yours!" At that she bounded off the skimmer and ran for the entrance she made, rifle still in her hand and the adapted power pack on her back.
    "Yukiko, Miyako, I have this!" Madison yelled. Like a predator she moved on Gus. "Get out of here!"
    Both androids had gotten up, leaning on each other as if ready for a three-legged race. While it was Miyako's eyes looking at Madison the voice belonged to Gretta. "He's done for, Maddy. Just subdue him and get outside. He'll spend his last two years of life in solitary."
     "Solitary... in a cracker box!" The righteous one-handed woman's gaze was fit to melt plastisteel. "Gus, you have nothing to gain by resisting. Show that you have some dignity and give up peacefully."
     Gus' face instantly became intense like current applied to memory metal. "Like Hell! That bitch Audrey has doomed me to death! In two years I'll die when my altered reality merges back to the normal one. Even if I'm restored by the second rifle my mind will be wiped clean by the courts like an outtie before inspection. I don't want a new life. I want to keep what I have! So," he dipped a hand into the strap-equipped carrying case he had with him, "I might as well have fun on the way to prison!" When the hand came back into view it held the miniaturized police car used by Wendi and Percy. He threw it with great energy and speed, and it connected perfectly with the visor of Madison's helmet. It cracked, becoming an instant ruin while the reduced car fell to the floor and was made into a true wreck. Maddy disengaged the helmet in time to swat down the shrunken fire truck Gus also threw. The bright yellow vehicle made cringe-worthy expensive breaking noises as it impacted on the hard plasticrete below. For good measure Gus threw two bottles of cooking fuel, coating Madison's suit with the flammable liquid.
     A harsh grin covered Madison's face. "Resisting arrest and willful destruction of city property. Now you're just being juvenile."
    "Come and get me, Bronze! I'm not through resisting yet!" Gus taunted like a common street tough. "If you need more prompting, here's another tidbit! Not only did I had Fifi alter Chad Franklin's delivery route and schedule I also used some light mind control on him." He made a hideous giggle. "I made him feel compelled to take photos of the parade floats that day! Of course, you know the result of that little incident. Nothing salves my mind like the tears of a woman!"
     "You did that just to torment Bria and June for your pleasure? You clacker!" The officer charged and connected with her fist, Gus doing nothing to evade and taking the full force of her hit on the chin, falling down hard. The floor was indeed slick with cooking fuel, staple of all barbie pits on Outback, and it made Maddy fall down as well, flat on her back. [Charlie! You okay?] she asked via her 'ware, deathly concerned about her beau after forgetting about him in the heat of the moment.
    [Just don't do that again, sweetness,] Charlie said with bravado, ensconced deep in Maddy's cleavage. [They may be soft, but another jostle like that and I'll be smothered!]
    [I'll try, honey, but I can't promise anything.]
    Gus was quicker to get up and savagely grabbed Maddy, pulling her up by the ankle like a soiled doll found in the garbage. After punching both breasts and squeezing her right hand, he then threw her against the wall, causing the contents of an added-on shelf to fall atop of her. "Come on, Maddy. Where's that righteous fire that Wilcox women are supposed to exhibit in times like this?"
    Extricating herself from the debris, Maddy resented the fact that she had to look up at Gus' face. "As if you really want to see it, shitegob. You had your chance to fight back the first time, yet you folded faster than a porty! Is that why you had to be bigger than me?"
    Menacingly, Gus made tight fists and grinned like a face set in rigor. "It would've been perfect, but that bitch Ludmilla sabotaged the rifle! I'm gonna to get my licks in while I can!" He moved, lunging at Maddy with speed that belied his size. She ducked, and an angry fist meant for her face hit plasticrete instead. Also quick, despite the frontage she carried, Maddy swung her considerable suit-covered assets and slammed them into Gus' side like a pair of wet plasticrete bags.
     "I learned that maneuver from my grandmother, you dero!" Maddy shouted, already adding to Gus' laundry list of pains and discomfort. "The next one will be far worse! In the end you'll wish for the release of death! Stop resisting and surrender!"
     Gus touched his side, winching in pain as he attempted to glower at his comparatively short enemy. "Your grandmother? How many people did she kill while on duty, eh? Did she ever tell you those stories during rainy Sunday afternoons in the family room while sipping bitter tea?"
     Livid with indignation, Maddy forget about her missing left hand and got a fresh rush of misery as her left wrist hit Gus in the lower gut. The taller man grabbed and gave the righteous woman a hug worthy of a bushbear, holding her close so he could see her face to face. "Oh, such a pleasant feeling! Those mega-lungs pressing into me is like being coddled by an angel!" His gaze found Maddy looking back with hateful eyes. "I must've hit a nerve. Lynnae killed four people while serving as an officer in the NDPD. Three of them were true murderous bastards, going down in a hail of gunfire they started instead of trusting their slimy lawyers." He hugged harder, making Maddy gasp in reflex. "Then there's the first one, and while he was bastard of sorts, a habitual wife abuser, he didn't deserve to die. You precious little Lynnae shot him by accident, practically decapitating him. You're killing Charlie right now, suffocating him. Why did you put him between those boobies when you could've given him to Audrey and the androids? You think you're playing the part of a virtuous knight saving their love? You're a fool that read too many romance novels, just like Lynnae!"
     With the swiftness of a pneumatic hammer Maddy nutted Gus in the face. It caused a trickle of blood to run down her forehead, but she was released. Stepping back, she kicked with mule-like intensity, pushing Gus back on his heels. He slipped on the cooking fuel again and fell onto the pile of debris under the shelf. Then, to the officer's satisfaction, the giant man began to shrink. "Charlie is here to witness, so that there'll be no misunderstanding later."
    "What honesty," said the reducing man, now just a head taller than Maddy and still dwindling, reaching into the carrying case. "You'll regret having him involved, for now he'll see his belle being shot. Die, whore pig!" Gus produced a small handgun. He aimed right between Madison's eyes, pulled the trigger and sent a rocket-propelled spark-trailing bullet flying out of the barrel. It moved so slowly that Madison was able to reflexively swat it out of the air like a mossie. Some the sparks did reach the floor while they were still hot, hot enough for the cooking fuel to catch fire. A wall of flame separated officer from master criminal. Mindful of the fuel that covered her suit Madison moved away. Gus, now down to 150cm, was running out of options. He gripped the edge of the shelf, waiting until he was small enough to haul himself on top of it and out of the fire entirely.
       "Yukiko and Miyako told me about the gun," Madison said, gauging Gus' size at 80cm. The fire was advancing on the debris like ants on a picnic. "Their sensors pick it up. It was an old weapon, and its security software hadn't been updated in decades. They told the gun's computer to fire at the least efficient setting." She smiled harshly. "It was the same gun you used to kill Alberto, and only now did you take it out of storage in this your desperate flight from justice. Don't try to deny it, for those two also downloaded the firing log for the gun. Now Alysa and her family can get the closure they need."
       Gus eyed the fire with great worry for it now reached the debris. Among the assorted items were chemicals and materials that would burn rather nicely "That doesn't bother me a damn at all. I just regret having to waste a bullet on Alberto when I could've just cut and choked him." He let loose with another ghoulish cackle of glee. "Had you not beaten me up two years ago the court would've given me a mind wipe instead of life imprisonment. I would've been considered a new person the eyes of the law, and those damn BuRes pukes would've moved heaven and earth to restore my size since 'Gus Matlin' would've been legally dead. Everything that lead up to this moment was your fault, Madison. Secretly, Lynnae has to be disappointed." He cackled again. "You held back your friends' careers when they refused promotions in a show of solidarity when you were reprimanded. So for you,o succumbing to revenge wasn't worth it. What you've done here has ensured another reprieve for me, and," he smiled harshly, "the whole process can start a third time. Who knows, perhaps I'll kidnap your children if the opportunity presents itself. Now, why don't you be a dear and rescue me from this fire. As an officer, you're obligated to secure wanted felons."
      "Actually, Gus, I'm not here in the capacity of an officer. My Home Guard reserve commission has been activated, so I'm military, not civilian, so another set of rules come into play." Seeing Gus becoming upset, and not just because of the fire, she decided to be generous. "Okay, I'll do what I can." She held out her covered left wrist, complete with spots of blood that seeped past the elastic fabric. "Here, take my hand."
     "Take your hand?! Don't be silly, you bastard! Come over here and pick me up!"
     "Bastard? Most often 'bastard' is used for men. Women are usually called 'bitches' in situations like this."
     "Whatever!" Gus had finished dwindling, and now at 3 centimeters he felt as small as he actually was.
     "I'm afraid you're too far way, Gushy," Madison taunted. "Plus your side of the fire has the extinguisher. The manifest from your skimmer's computer shows that it doesn't have an extinguisher. Your karma is upside down and inside out today, bastard."
      The fire found what it was looking for, and the conflagration under the shelf became more intense. Occasional shoots of flame licked the bottom of the shelf, which did nothing for Gus' sense of well-being. "You have to try, damn you! I will admit to everything this time, even to the stuff I held back in the first trial!"
      A contemplative looked took Madison's face. "Tempting, tempting, but it won't 'bother me a damn.' Gus, now that we're alone, I'm going to speak my mind about you." Contemplation was replaced by conviction, and Madison's accent became neutral. "You thought of yourself as the next Mr. Big, but you failed to truly appreciate the difference between you and him. Big was cursed, immortal, and my grandparents and their friends had to put up with his shenanigans because they had no other recourse. You, however, are not cursed and immortal. Most importantly, you had a choice back when BCCI was destroyed. You decided to continue with a life of crime rather than cut your losses and run. For a hundred years you had every opportunity to quit crime, but didn't. Now you're going to have to accept the consequences of that decision. One Mr. Big is enough for the history of the Human race. You're an unredeemable evil, something to be hated without reservation, and to be extinguished at the first opportunity. If I rescue you, it's sure as shite that some mercenaries will help you escape." She spoke this as fact for in Fifi's files the androids found a contingency plan in case Gus was captured. 200 million credits would tempt even the most seasoned and professional lawbreaker to stage a rescue. "Instead of shrinking and breast expanding, you'll try to have me killed, along with my friends and their families. That's how sick minds like yours operate."
     The fire grew more intense and flames now coated the bottom of the shelf. Gus was enveloped in heat, his desperation at crisis levels. "You.... you're not going to let me die! Save me!"
     All emotion fled Madison's face. Her voice was fit for a tsunami about to strike a shoreline. "Mr. Big got out of situations far worse than this, and now you can prove to me you're truly his successor. Oh," she snapped her fingers, "I just remembered something. Grandma Lynnae use to show me ancient movies. There's a phrase from one of them that perfectly expresses my feelings. 'I'm not going to kill you, but neither will I save you.'"
    She watched, ignoring the piteous cries of Gus as the fire weakened the plastic mounting for the shelf. It tipped over and fell into the source of the conflagration below. Waiting a moment, and then another, she held herself still until her 'ware enhanced eyes told her there was no life in the miniature hell. She left, running down the corridors until she emerged on the far side. It was just in time, for hidden incendiary devices activated throughout the complex. Fire gutted every room, just as Gus had planned, doing work that would do a recalcitrant arsonist proud, a fitting end for Gus' dream of an ongoing shrinking and BE spree across Outback.

27
Madison boarded the shuttle that landed in the clearing, finding her friends and Captain Harkin waiting. The androids Yukiko and Miyako were secured to their seats, inspecting the damage done to them by Gus. Madison sat down by Bria, getting help to apply the restraining belts before lift-off. "Audrey, you got it?" asked the one-handed officer.
     "Sure do!" Undoing the top third of her suit, Audrey pulled out the prime component to the beam rifle from her deep cleavage. "Good thing we found that replica in Gus' office along the way. That look on his face when I crushed it, thinking it was the real deal, was priceless. By the way, where is Gus? We didn't get any signals once you were alone."
    "He resisted and refused to surrender," Madison said without wavering. "He pulled out his gun, but thanks to Yukiko's tampering it misfired. That spilled cooking fuel caught fire, and he was trapped in the corner and had already shrunk. I couldn't get to him without catching fire as cooking fuel coated my suit. Since Gus had some of that fuel on his suit also... well, I guess the CSI teams will be lucky if they find more than a trace."
     "A shame," Bria said, placing a hand on Madison's shoulder, squeezing ever so gently. "A shame that there wasn't anyone else to witness that... for the purposes of the report. Now the newsies are going to have a field day and call you a loose cannon." Along with Harkin, they locked eyes ever so briefly. They understood.
     "Whatever possessed him to make himself as tall as his women? Chutzpah?" Derek wondered as he took the prime component from Audrey and placed it back into the rifle. He kissed his wife on the forehead, sensing her deep concern about Amber and especially her father George. "Had he know about Ludmilla's sabotage then he would've left in the skimmer and not stick around."
     "He just had to get one final shot at me," Madison commented. "He used Charlie to threaten me, like the wizard in Charlie's dream... Charlie!" With furious energy Madison undid the top of her suit, ignoring the pain of her squeezed right hand, unsealing it halfway down her massive bust. She pulled on the chain that held Gretta's St. Michael's Medallion, finding her beau had hung onto the chain by wrapping it around his arm. She gingerly placed him on the shelf of her left breast, eyes welling up. "Charlie! Wake up, please!" She waited a moment, then nudged the 6cm man with her pinkie. There was no response. "Oh, damn me! What was I thinking? He should've gone back with Audrey, but I had to keep him with me!" The first of several tears rolled down her face. "I wanted him with me to keep me honest to my convictions. I'm not getting anything from his 'ware! I crushed the life out of him, and it's all my fault!"
     "Maddy..." Bria said, shaking her friend's shoulder. A sharp thrust from the crying woman threw off that hand.
     "I wanted to spend my life with him. Now he's gone! How can I make peace with that, being the cause of his death?" A big tear landed on Charlie's face. What followed was some spluttering on the supposed dead man's part. Two tiny hands wiped away the residue of the salty tear like someone had doused him with a bucket of water.
   Charlie sat up, looking at Madison's face with innocence. "If you're an angel that fell to Earth, then that would explain your face, Sweetness."
   An exhale of relief blew over the tiny man as Maddy picked him up with her right hand, holding him up to eye level. "Oh, you worthless wogger!" she panted in a playful voice. "Playing dead and making me feel all miserable and heartbroken. Serves you right if I never talk to you again!"
   "Will an apology work, Maddy?" Charlie said sweetly. "Followed by kiss?"
   "You just give this big girl all the kisses you can, you wogger." With a compassionate hand she held Charlie up to her cheek, feeling every kiss he planted while the man himself took all the tears that fell on his firesuit-covered body. Everyone turned to give the couple the courtesy of privacy. Seeing Ronnie and Billy looking on with fraternalistic voyeurism Bria gently pushed them back down into her cleavage. Those two would get their sugar by the ton before the day is through.

Instead of going back to the Lightfoot the shuttle landed on Cloud 9. Everyone went to the mega-quarters with utmost haste, and though they knew what happened to Lynnae and Amber it was another matter seeing it in person. Madison and Bria handed the firefighter trio to an Angelican-endowed nurse, who in turn placed them on the cart that had the miniaturized men and hostesses. Waiting for Madison at the entryway was Felicity, her great-great-grandmother. They hugged, the older woman asking the younger to be strong for Lynnae didn't need to see her granddaughter brokenhearted about her plight. The group entered, and were met with a surreal sight that made Madison speechless: a pair of gigantic breasts that composed most of Lyn's body literally overwhelmed the room. Bria and Wenona had to steady their friend to prevent her from falling. The doctors had no explanation as to how Lyn clung so tenaciously to life. They admitted their ignorance, saying there was no reason why the beam rifle shouldn't be used at this point, and at that Derek charged and leveled the device without further prompting. Madison gave her consent with only a small nod. With Audrey at his side holding his free hand Derek fired.
     The breasts shrank, retreating like soap bubbles that weren't given enough breath to break free of the wand. One wondered what Lynnae was feeling, or if she was feeling anything at all. Everyone felt intense agony as they imagined the undeniable grip of compression hurting her, making them pray all the harder that she would survive this ordeal. It took two minutes, and with his practiced artist eye Derek stopped the beam when Lyn's breasts were back to their volleyball proportions. An attentive nurse quickly clothed her in a robe to restore her modesty, at which Lyn said a soft 'thank you.' For Madison it was hearing the voice of an angel, lips trembling as the short woman put a hand to her head in a fashion model pose, looking sly as she walked towards the granddaughter. Lyn's eyes sparkled with undeniable life when she spoke. "Well, it can be safely said that Piper no longer has the most famous naked body in the history of the Commonwealth."
    "Grandma!" Madison rushed and picked up her treasured grandparent, hugging her firmly and safely against her immense chest. The cheering went on for several blessed moments.
    "You're welcome, my little pumpkin." Lynnae kissed Maddy on the cheek. "Everyone here was pulling for me, so my guardian angel had to oblige and save my precious little butt. Stamp had a hand in it too. Stamp," she said, looking in the direction of Allison, "if I start seeing ghosts and spirits you'll have some explaining to do."
    "Stamp?" Madison simply asked.
    "I thought I would never have to do that again," said the spiritual entity, his voice tired as it sang from the room's speakers. "With me as a conduit I channeled all the positive thoughts and goodwill everyone was broadcasting and shored up Lynnae's life functions. It's not unlike being slowly numbed by electricity. I'm exhausted, and at the risk of sounding cliched, I need a vacation."
     Lynnae looked up to the ceiling, smiling. "You're always welcome in my house, Stamp." Still smiling, her gaze went back to Madison. "You can put me down, honey."
    "Oh, sorry grandma," Madison said in playful guilt. Once down the women watched as Amber was restored and received cheering just as strong and heartfelt that Lyn experienced. After donning a robe that was two sizes too big the wonderfully strong woman embraced Lyn with the strength of a tired child, and unable to say anything at the moment she simply cried.
     After a moment Madison turned her attention to another Angelican-busted nurse, walking stiffly as the day's action finally caught up with her fatigued body. She knelt down, not trusting her right hand to be steady, and looked at her miniaturized father and grandfather in the nurse's hands. "Well," she spoke like a girl that caught a parent eating the last of the ice cream, "you two always said that you needed to lose some weight."
    Trent grinned and waved an admonishing finger at her giant daughter. "You be mindful of your elders, 'little' lady."
    "If that mouth gets any richer," Paul added with grandfatherly gumption, "I'll have you over my knee and paddy your tuckus, giantess or not."
    "You're welcome to try, gramps."
     Madison tried to stand, wavering until Bria came to steady her. "Whoa, that's enough effort for today, Maddy. Time to get you to hospital and have that hand reattached."
    Before she could protest two male nurses, tall and with strong arms, appeared as if from thin air and planted Maddy in an anti-grav chair. She did glimpse on the way out as June, now back to her famous basketball buxomness, gave Lynnae a life-affirming hug that only best friends could give.

A total of nine of the mega-women had been restored before the power pack was almost drained, requiring a whole day to recharge. There was enough power to enlarge one of the shrunken men, but Amber stepped forward instead and volunteered to be reduced. She made her case, saying that as a general medical practitioner (having been inspired to become one by her daughter-in-law Kayla) for the last 25 years she was far more suited to take care of the women from Gus' Site 2. No mention was needed for the concern she felt for her son George; everyone understood she wanted to take care of him. Only after his injuries were sufficiently healed would George and the women be restored in size. A hidden bonus was that Amber and Bert were able to fulfill a fantasy of theirs of being the same height. Amber worked during the day with Bert at her side, and at night they engaged in all sort of fun in Cloud 9's Presidential Suite, waited hand on foot by five staff members. No-one knows exactly what they did in the ten nights they frolicked about in the comparatively gigantic room. It was known that when both were restored in height they smelled very strongly of barbecue sauce. As they were served just half a jackalope rib the night before with 'copious amounts of rib sauce' as specifically ordered, it didn't take much of a stretch as what caused the stains on the master bed.
     For the eighteen women, both mega-sized and restored, they had at least two nights with which to have tender time with their shrunken husbands. Hearing how much fun Derek and Audrey had playing 'the princess and the pea' they decided to indulge themselves. For the men it was like scaling sheer walls made of flesh, having to use strong yet pliable bonding agents on their palms to climb up their womens' cleavage, all the while their movements making their belles giggle in delight. Even Wenona, Gretta and Bria had fun with their respective beaus, being treated like goddesses and in turn treating their miniature men to wonderful baths in water-filled cleavage.
     Madison's surgery was a success. The stasis-sliced hand was reattached with nanites connecting bone, blood vessels and nerve endings. In her hospital room on Cloud 9 she was reunited with Charlie. They didn't talk much, either by voice or 'ware, for they already said what was needed to be said. They spent their time idly lounging on the hospital bed, watching tri-dee and engaging in displays of intimate affection. On the morning of the third day a pajama-clad Charlie awoke from a particularly peaceful slumber in Maddy's cleavage. Seeing that his wonderful woman was still asleep, he made for the right nipple and pushed it like a rocker switch several times until the desired result was achieve. Eyes fluttering open, Maddy grinned as she spied Charlie sitting Indian-style with the nipple in front of him like a red tree stump. "Good morning, Sunshine," said Charlie. "Are you all excited about starting your physical therapy today?"
     "All the more so since you'll be back to full size as well," Maddy admitted. She could feel her left hand, even tentatively move her fingers, but it was like she had on three gloves. "Sweet words of encouragement can only go so far."
    "Ah, what about sweet feelings?" The tiny firefighter then played the nipple like it was a block of modeling clay, making the giant woman's face blush a healthy shade of red. "I can't wait to see you get all porno with the exercise equipment."
    Before Madison could admonish her beau the couple was interrupted by guests. She hurriedly ushered Charlie off her breasts and covered them with the blanket, though her left hand felt like a dead weight of fish. Lynnae, Wenona and Charlene entered, each grinning like schoolgirls and carrying their husbands like pouch-riding joeys between their breasts. Charlies' parents were there as well, both smiling as they spied their son trying to act innocent while perched on Maddy's shoulder. "Hope we didn't come at an inopportune time," chided Trent, Maddy's father. He patted Charlene's breasts affectionately. "The power pack has finished recharging early, and most of the people shrunken by Sandra will restored this morning. That's assuming, of course, Charlie is available."
    "I am," said the microman. He gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek and stepped onto his mother's open palm. "Forgive me for saying, Miss Jarvis, it appears you're more healthy than usual."
    Charlene blushed warmly. "Thank you, Charlie. I had Derek give me a 'little' more than what God originally endowed me with. I'm going to go shopping with the girls here to buy some I-cup bras and some new blouses."
    "A fine decision too," Trent said. "Otherwise there wouldn't be enough 'bracing' to hold me firm in here!" For that quip Charlene lightly tapped Trent's swell head like a mother to a petulant child.
     "The girls will be joining you for some exercise before going shopping, pumpkin," said Lynnae, lightly rubbing the top of Paul's head. "My sweet hubby is all anxious to watch me 'get all porno with the exercise equipment'."
     Maddy's embarrassment was complete. "Grandma! You were listening out in the hall? How?"
     Grinning, Lyn patted the side of her trademark volleyball bust. "Well, I certainly didn't put my ear to the door, or else Grandpa here would've been smothered!"
     "You gotta tell me, Grandma. I can't have you eavesdrop on me and Charlie when we're trying to be intimate."
      "Okay, okay. I'll tell you how later."

************

Epilogue
Life on Outback had long since resumed its normal flow. All the victims of Gus' shrinking spree had been restored, and the buxomized women had nanites reduce their beam-added mass to normal or to far more manageable proportions. Some decided to keep their extra 4 meters of bust for awhile; some until the resultant babies had finished breast feeding with others until the children went to college. The one-shot beam devices deployed by Gus' minions were located and disposed of, but not before a few more men and women were temporarily inconvenienced. As for the remaining samples of Bubbles, thanks to the data from Fifi's computers, they were found and destroyed. The one true lasting effect were the 18 women that were mega-sized by Bubbles. Nanites were of no use to shrink them, and even when shrunk by the beam rifle said breasts were still heavy. Additional internal bracing and support made by the nanites still helped, but all 18 now had to make use of low-powered anti-grav bras when standing for long periods of time for the rest of their lives.
     Lynnae, June, and Nadia were restored to their pre-mega size busts. As for Amber, after having undergone two natural expansions of her nanite-built 30G bust decades earlier, decided to have one more go at it and be even bigger, courtesy of the beam rifle. She now carried 128cm of frontage on a 142cm frame, a pair of overinflated slightly squeezed basketballs that were hardly a burden due to her great strength and stamina. When asked why she decided to be that big, she simply stated that it was natural for 'older women' to get a 'little' bigger as they age and that it was appropriate for her, as a grandmother, to have a bust to match. Privately, she wanted to be a bit bigger so that her husband Bert had more 'cushion' for his head to rest upon at night. No-one, not even Outback's media, made any hay about her choice, having seen what happened to some paparazzi that harassed Piper Wilcox.
     Speaking of Piper, she settled for a full Angelican bust as her natural one was just a dozen centimeters shy of the required measure. The producers of the Nude Attack Woman movie were eager to have Piper in the leading role, but she turned it down to devote time to a forthcoming member of the family. While mega-buxom, she and Nigel had a rather passionate session of lovemaking with pregnancy as the result. The baby was due in late November, with Madison looking forward to becoming an aunt for the first time. Also expecting a baby in November was Allison, now back in Omaha with her family and sporting a full-sized Angelican bust. It was as much a tribute to her fallen friend Jorie as it was a statement to the Luddites that their violence won't dissuade her from promoting healthy buxomness and the wholesomeness of the Angelican lifestyle. This and other factors lead to a strong increase in business for all Blossoming Body stores on Earth.
     In mid-March the six officers went back to the West Precinct to undergo training to become detectives and well as participate in the upgraded ethics evaluation and training program. Placed in the General Crimes Division, the group was under the tutorship of two senior detectives, dubbed 'rabbis' in NDPD slang. Once they 'graduate', which could take as much as a year, promotions to the rank of sergeant-detective would be bestowed upon them. Settled in Room 308, the detectives-in-training were given the informal title of Blue Team at the subtle insistence of Commissioner Stark. Gretta, despite some playful urging from her friends, elected to revert to her J-cup bust size than carry breasts worthy of the title Angelican. Having undergone two unwanted expansions, and with Bubbles-altered breasts that could only be made bigger or smaller via the beam rifle (and the unpleasant sensations that went along with its application) Billy fully understood Gretta's feelings, along with his family and her friends. With wit, she told her friends that they needed a 'good cop' for people to relate and reason with when Bria and Madison did their half of the 'good cop, bad cop' routine.
     Ludmilla Lebedev had a tender reunion with her husband and two sons, the 'little bears.' Her research into transformational dimensional reality earned her several scientific awards, along with becoming in charge of the Naval R&D department devoted to further study and development of what came to be known as compression technology. In time her name joined the short list of humanity's greatest scientists and physicists, which included Einstein and Newton.
     Captain Harkin and the androids Yukiko and Miyako returned to Jadestone. Along with recovering the primary alien component and computer records the action against Gus was a great learning experience for the two artificial women. Moreover their personalities were augmented by Marsha and Gretta's input, making them that much more effective in the field. In time, Yukiko and Miyako were recognized as individuals in Commonwealth law, just like Stamp, and enjoyed all the rights, privileges, and obligations that such recognition entailed, including paying taxes and serving on juries. As for Harkin he eventually became the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence, retiring at the rank of Admiral after 70 years of service.
     Then there were the former women of Gus. It was a tricky subject, as the mind control was a proven fact as tons of similar examples, courtesy of the late Mr. Big, served as precedent. Most were excused, for while under Gus' influence they had no conscious choice to refuse. Nevertheless Pamela, Piper's assistant, felt very bad for the actions she unwittingly performed. She wanted to quit, but Piper convinced her to stay on, forgiving her wholeheartedly.
     Sandra went through a thoroughly miserable period, expected to be convicted and jailed for her actions, especially against George Carson, despite the fact her actions were the result of Gus' mind control. She had indeed gotten over her pirate father's death, but Gus' insidious control was like a poisonous weed that grew in the pit of memories and feelings long since resolved. Lynnae was sincere in her forgiveness of Sandra, and it was amplified by George, his wife Regina, and even Audrey. It took Amber longer to do the same, unable to avoid recalling painful memories of Oscar's death, but she reconciled her feelings after spending a whole evening talking with Sandra alone. Over time they became close friends, with Amber becoming the godmother of Sandra's first child twenty years later.
     Fifi was the exception. She truly was a once-in-a-century genius when it came to computer infiltration and data manipulation. He skills were such that she prevented Dan Spirit Talker, Tobias Eddings and their wives from returning home early by screwing up their personal data, bank records, reservations, and causing a Commonwealth-wide strike by starport workers. It finally took the personal intervention of Admiral David Carson to get them home, using a pair of corvettes to pick them up and returning them four days after Lynnae was restored. She was given forty years of probation, and for every year she worked for the Commonwealth Data Security Service (DSS) (a branch of the Marshals Office) two years of probation were removed. To prevent the remote possibility of being mind-controlled again Fifi was trained by Mr. Spirit Talker to defeat such attempts. Tobias, having no pressing need due to his well-earned wealth, became a part-time civilian Marshal employee to keep an eye on Fifi as well as teach her the value of being a good, law-abiding citizen. It took a long time to overcome the stigma of being 'Gus' Geek Girl', but in the end Fifi earned hard-won respect and accolades from friends and co-workers alike.
    Gus' body was recovered, and after the required autopsy it was entrusted to Dan Spirit Talker. He buried the body in secret after performing a shamanistic ritual, only saying that since Gus' malevolent energy couldn't be destroyed, but transformed, he placed it in a most appropriate place. Only Wenona was told, Dan informing his granddaughter that the remains were placed in a natural hot spring in a remote portion of Outback. So, for the next several centuries, one hot spring would be noticeably hotter than the ones around it.
    It was now September, and aside from Gretta the officers experienced four days of flu-like symptoms, a sign that their bodies were integrating back into their original reality state. Recovered, they were taking a break in what became known as the 'classroom' in the Western Precinct. The two senior detective 'rabbis' had excused themselves, but the grapevine had them in Captain Vogal's office. Everyone crossed their fingers, especially since they scored well in nailing a ring of antique thieves. Shooting the breeze, the officers were pleasantly interrupted by guests. "We were in the neighborhood," said Rodney the deliveryman, his arm around a quite pregnant short woman on his left, "so we came by to say hi."
     "Rodney, Janet, good to see you!" Madison had to get on her knee to hug Janet while Bria shook Rodney's hand. "How's the oven doing?"
     Janet played her hand over her life-filled belly. "In perfect health, thank you. Thought at times I feel like the back seat of a compact. The triplets sometimes kick in unison."
     "Let's hope they don't break-out during the wedding this Saturday," chimed Wenona as she came over and placed her hand on Janet's belly for a feel. "Thanks for inviting us."
     Rodney blushed. "It's the least we can do for those that saved Outback from Gus for good, not to mention rescuing me all those months ago."
    "When are those future rugrats due?" asked Aurdey, also getting into the action by placing a hand on Janet's baby pouch.
     "Early November," Janet beamed. "From now until December it'll be a combination of vacation, honeymoon, and maternity leave for me."
     Derek raised an eyebrow. "Early November?" An inadvertent smile played on Rodney's face as Derek took the line of reasoning to its logical conclusion. "That meant that you and Janet had to have..."
     Grinning like an idiot, Bria slapped Rodney on the rump. "Oh, you dog you, Rodney! Getting Janet preggers while tiny makes you some kind of super-stud!"
     "Well," Janet blushed heavily as she put her arm around Rodney's waist, "I must admit that I wasn't expecting it, but I'm very happy nonetheless. The women in my family line have always been really fertile."
     Bria shook Rodney's hand again, but this time like a car salesman closing the deal. "Not only a super-stud, but also super-virile to get Janet preggers with triplets. You better watch yourself or you'll end up with an army of ankle-biters."
     Now it was Janet's turn to tease. "Speaking of family and marriage, when are you three getting hitched?" She pointed to the small red bow around Madison's neck. The tall woman played with the bow while she blushed. Bria and Gretta also subconsciously touched theirs as well. "Those aren't just for show, you know."
    According to Angelican custom, an engaged couple doesn't use rings. Men wore blue head bands while women had red bows around their necks. "Gretta's getting hitched to Billy in October," Madison started. "Bria and Ronnie will exchange rings in January, and me and Charlie will tie the knot in April. It's going to be a busy seven months, but Gretta's got it easy since she's first."
   "Easy? With an Angelican mother involved it's like planning for a war," Gretta playfully huffed. "She even designed my wedding dress with Lian's help, right down to the last stitch with emphasis placed on my 'wholesome' bust."
   "And such a wholesome bust it is, Gretta," Janet complemented as she rubbed Rodney's belly. "I'll make sure Rodney doesn't eat all the buffalo wings at the reception. And with that we have to go."
    With farewells given the officers went back to waiting for their detective teachers. It wasn't long when the two came back, their smiles conveying the good news before words were spoken. After the congratulations Madison still played with her bow, thinking of Charlie. The forthcoming wedding, while it was going to be a memorable event, was just a public affirmation of the commitment the two shared. She looked forward to spending a life-long partnership with Charlie and, when the time was right, raising a huge family. With Gus gone the last remnants of Big's legacy went with him, clearing the way for Madison and her friends to have comparatively normal police careers with no supercriminals or gangs with delusions of grandeur to muck things up. This was going to be the era of the new Blue Team, and Madison was glad she was going to be part of it.

END 46