Too Late (vignette) (Patreon)

I was too late.  A naked Tim stood on the other side of the glass, looking just as gorgeous in real life as he did in my fantasies.  I was glad he couldn’t see through the two way mirror, that he didn’t know I stood there trying to burn the image of his tapering, athletic build into my brain.  I’d seen his smooth, leanly muscled torso at the beach before, but the plump, round globes of his perky rear were even better than I’d imagined.  I’d spent plenty of time staring at them beneath his clothing over the years, but exposed the muscled mounds were on another level.  The same went for the thick, shapely cock that hung above a pair of heavy, egg-shaped balls, all nestled beneath a trimmed, brunette bush and framed in by his toned thighs.  I’d heard he was impressively hung, and I’d caught hints through wet swim trunks at the previously mentioned beach, but I’d never seen his pride-and-joy laid bare before.  Tim loved to brag about his skills with the virile organ, and now I could understand why he was such a hit with the ladies.  Not that he needed the help.  With his fit frame, short, chocolate hair, and Prom King face, a girthy banana just felt excessive.  He was even charming.  He could have coasted by on his looks alone, but Tim had a personality that was just as sparkling.  He wasn’t always the sharpest, but his heart was usually in the right place.  That last part was one of the big reasons I’d had a crush on him for so long.  That, and those perfectly round cheeks looming behind the glass.  I’d hoped to make it to the station before anyone else, but someone had beat me to it.  This was the first time I’d finally been able to see Tim how I’d always dreamed, and it could be the last.

“Hell of a looker, ain’t he?”  The technician was a balding, heavyset man who looked to be in the back half of middle age.  Instead of a lab coat he wore a jumpsuit like a mechanic, and I got the impression he liked it that way.  “You’re in luck.  A guy was just in here working on him, but his payment got declined.  Long as you don’t mind a few of the tweaks he made, you’re about to get a sweet bargain.”

“Tweaks?  What do you mean?  He doesn’t look any different than…” I caught myself and swallowed hard, not wanting to let on that I knew Tim.  It wasn’t against the rules or anything, but I knew a sleazy salesman when I saw one.  It wasn’t unheard of for “extra tips” to be required in these situations, so the less the man knew, the better.  “...than anyone else who spends too much time in a gym.  What’d he look like when he got here?”

“You’re still lookin’ at the original.  Some of the programs have been fed in already, but the real show don’t happen ‘til she’s all said and done.”  I bit back a wince when the man stepped close and gave my arm a light, backhand tap.  “This one’s gonna be somethin’ else.”

“If they haven’t happened yet, can you undo them?”  I tried my best to sound disinterested even as my blood began to boil.

The man shrugged his permanently-slumped shoulders.  “Ehhh...here’s the thing.  Between you and me, I sorta messed up on this one.  I should’a ran the guy’s credit BEFORE I programmed anything in.  Once he breathes in the nanites there’s nothin’ for it except to do a whole cleanse and start from scratch.”  He shook his head, a sour look on his face.  “It’s a lotta paperwork and I’d get my ass handed to me by my boss.  Plus, it ain’t great for the pretty boy in there.  That cleanse wipes EVERYTHING out...personality, memories, you name it.  You can program stuff back in, but it’s not the same, you know?”

I folded my arms over my chest and turned towards the glass, hoping to hide both my rage-induced trembling and the murderous glare in my eyes.  Although he couldn’t see it, some of that glare was directed at Tim.  There was a reason I’d programmed an alert into my phone in case his name ever popped up on the daily list.  He was a sweetheart, true, but a macho one.  I’d seen how easy it was to push his buttons, especially when he was drinking, so I wasn’t surprised to learn he’d been arrested for getting into a bar fight.  Unfortunately for Tim, the guy he’d assaulted was a cop, which automatically elevated him to the Chamber.

Once the technology was there, it was infinitely cheaper to pump someone full of nanites, make whatever changes you wanted, and send them home with someone instead of housing them in a cell for years on end.  Given that interested owners had to pay for the process, the State actually made money off the new system.  People had the choice of whether or not they wanted to go through with an old-fashioned trial, but given how those usually ended, and the heightened sentencing, most people chose the nanite option.  It was still a sort of freedom, if they were lucky.  Other than the glaring moral implications, it was seen as a win-win.

I tried not to think about those implications as I stood and stared at Tim’s beautiful, naked frame.  He seemed to be in a daze, a byproduct of the Chamber’s process.  I was a little glad I hadn’t been here when they brought him in and didn’t have to see him go through that.  It at least made things a little easier.  No matter what, even if I’d made it before anyone else, I wasn’t just leaving with Tim as his friend, but as his jailer, regardless of how happy everyone seemed.

“What’s already been programmed,” I finally asked, mustering every ounce of self control to keep my tone curious instead of accusatory.

“Standard Party Boy stuff.  Guy comes in here from time to time to stock up his clubs and his houses.  Guess business ain’t doin’ so hot if he couldn’t afford this one,” the man laughed, looking over his tablet.  “Let’s see...currently he’s 6’3”, going down to 5’6”.  Easier to manage if they’re not so big, you know?  And the proportions are staying mostly the same.  That’s the kicker.  We see it all the time with big guys like this.  At his current size he’s a dime a dozen, but put those muscles on someone smaller, small enough for guys who’ve been picked on by guys like him to turn the tables?  Instant money maker.  Plus, the original buyer didn’t want our friend’s ass or that impressive package to get any smaller, so those are gonna look bigger than ever.  But otherwise it’s a one-to-one on the shrinking.”  He paused and looked at me, annoyed that I wanted him to continue.  He took a deep breath and kept going.  “Then there’s the heightened physical sensitivity and increased libido...gotta put those showpieces to work, I guess.”  He smiled suddenly, and I knew it couldn’t bode well for Tim.  “This one’s a little weird, but he went with the ‘spontaneous eruption.’  Might be some messes to clean up when the little guy pops off all over the place, but he should enjoy himself, at least.”  I nodded when he stopped and looked at me again, and this time he didn’t bother to try and hide his irritation.  He rolled his eyes and shrugged, waving the tablet.  “Look, buddy, the rest isn’t that exciting.  It’s all boilerplate internal wiring stuff.  He’s here on an assault charge, so aggression has to go, and compliance is built into whoever the buyer is, along with a healthy dose of infatuation.  Since he was going to be a Party Boy the original buyer wanted someone laidback who didn’t think about things too much.  Probably not a big change.  Kinda looks like a dumb jock to begin with, ya know?  Think more ‘airhead’ than ‘meathead’ and you’re pretty much there.  It’s lucky for him, really.  Makes it easier to process the whole thing.  He won’t even want to wear clothes, let alone miss ‘em like most of the guys who come through here.”  He folded his arms across his doughy chest, nodded at the glass, then fixed me with a look that made it clear it was now or never.  “So what’s it gonna be?  You want him or not?”

I swallowed hard and mirrored the man’s actions so he couldn’t see my hands shaking.  This was going to basically drain my bank account, but I couldn’t leave Tim to such a fate with just anyone.  At least that’s what I told myself.  “Yeah, I’ll take him,” I said, the words hanging in the air like a cloud.  They were so thick with guilt I could practically see them.

“Great,” the man said, not even making a token attempt at enthusiasm.  “You want anything added?”

I hate that I even thought about it.  I could afford one, maybe two more things if I really wanted.  I did my best to think of things he’d want, but my head was spinning.  “What’s his voice going to sound like when he shrinks?”

“It’ll go up a bit.  Not like he’s been sucking on helium or anything, but higher.”

“Can it stay the same?”  Tim and I would both want that one.  I’d be lying if I said the thought of my friend’s deep, smooth voice coming out of a compact package didn’t turn me on like crazy.  All of it did, but I couldn’t process what that meant yet.

The man tapped the tablet and nodded.  “Done.  And I’ll tell ya what...since you’re getting some slightly used goods, I’ll finish off the Party Boy plan as a freebie.  The original guy only got through the start, so I’ll toss in the rest.”  He tapped the tablet again before I could ask what any of that was, waiting until after to explain what it meant.  Even in the moment I knew I could have stopped him, but I didn’t.  “He’ll be a hell of a dancer.  And he’ll know how to use every inch of that compact little body of his.”  He winked and nodded towards the glass and motioned for me to step forward as he absently punched in a final sequence.  “This is the good part.”

I couldn’t hold back a gasp when it happened.  There was a loud hum, and then Tim started changing.  I don’t know why I expected lasers or a gas cloud or something that would obscure the view, but there was nothing.  Just an empty room and my shrinking friend.  Luckily his dazed expression never changed as his head dropped nearly a foot towards the floor, the rest of his sculpted bulk seeming to pull inward.  The only parts that appeared to grow were his now-heaping cheeks, which looked almost impossibly large on his smaller frame, and the thick, seven-inch rod that shot to attention and began spraying.  It spurted until the changes had settled, a span that felt like hours even though it was minutes at most.

The tech’s casual attitude was more infuriating than ever.  He didn’t even watch as my friend was irrevocably altered, no more interested in the process than someone working a car wash.  He swiped my credit card, making the same motion as the automated floor that whisked Tim out of the chamber and into a processing cell.  It would take a few minutes for the daze to wear off, like someone coming out of anesthesia, but I was free to go wait with him if I wanted.  “He’s in 3-B,” the man said, motioning to the open door behind me.

With nothing else to do I stumbled into the stark corridor, my stomach dropping at the number of white doors that lined the hall.  Each one represented someone else who’d just gone through the same thing as Tim, like a chrysalis from which emerged an entirely new being.  Or a meat grinder.  I locked eyes with the disinterested guard and pointed at the door marked 3-B without saying anything.  He reached over and tapped a panel on the wall, the metallic hiss of a door sliding open shattering the silence.  I kept my eyes on the ground as I stepped inside, not looking up until I heard it hiss shut again behind me.

My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out as I stared at Tim’s dozing, altered frame.  He was still standing, his eyes drooped and his chiseled slab of a chest rising and falling with a slow rhythm.  The much-larger looking cock hung long and limp between his legs, a coiled serpent just waiting to strike at any moment.  Though I hated the man who’d beaten me there, there was a part of me that felt like I owed him.  He’d done all the things I wanted, but never would have brought myself to do.  I know Tim technically chose the program option.  He knew what he was getting in for, but I wouldn’t have actually made any changes.  I’d have taken him home with the bare minimum and spent the rest of my life secretly regretting the wasted opportunity.  Hell, maybe Tim even wanted this?  He was always adventurous when it came to his sex life, and he had to know what was waiting for a guy who looked like him in a program like this.  As much as I hated him, too, the tech had been right about one thing.  Tim lived for putting his impressive body to use, to hooking up as often as he could, and there’d be plenty of that now.

I was so busy staring at my friend’s naked beauty that it never occurred to me to think about what I was going to say until his eyelids started to flutter.  All at once he gasped and started awake, his eyes going wide and frantic as he looked around the bare, white room.  His pecs heaved, awareness clawing its way slowly through the clinging fog.  “What...what the fuck...where…” he trailed off, his confused expression softening when he saw me.  His sleepy, half smile hit me like a punch in the gut as he reached up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  “Bobby?  What the hell, man?”

“How you feelin, bud?”  I kept my tone as casual as I could, not wanting to alarm him.  “What do you remember?”

Obvious difficulty played across his face as he thought about it.  I hoped it was due to the lingering effects of the process, but I had a sinking feeling I was seeing one of the changes at work already.  “Uh...not much, man.  I was...I was at a bar?  Yeah!  I was at Trios and some guy started...oh.  Oh no…dude...I think I beat up a cop.  They brought me in and I...” he gasped, his eyes going wide again when he looked down and seemed to notice his nudity for the first time.  “WHAAAAT?!”  His cry was half panicked, half amused as he reached down and hefted his deceptively larger cock.  The eager organ started to twitch and plump at the slight touch, but there was no embarrassment on his face when he looked back up at me.  “Is my dick...bigger…” he trailed as he looked at me, looked up at me, then looked back down at himself.  He repeated this process half a dozen more times, his eyes going a bit wider with each tilt of his head.  “Am I...did they shrink me,” he finally asked with a shocked laugh.

I couldn’t get over how cute he looked from this new perspective.  I know that’s the last thing I should have been thinking about, but I’d literally never seen him like this.  Watching him stand frozen in place was one thing, but seeing the way he moved, looking down at the top of his head and broad shoulders for the first time, it all made my stomach flutter.  And his deep voice coming out of the smaller body was even hotter than I’d expected.  “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

He thought about it a bit too long before shrugging.  “Whatever you want to give me.”

Another piece of programming.  I wondered if he’d ever make a decision that I didn’t tell him to again, but I could worry about that later.  “I’m not going to lie, dude.  Out of all our friends, you were the one I was always afraid would end up here.  I saw your name pop up on the list this morning, but some guy beat me here.  I just want you to know it wasn’t me who did this.  I’d never…”

“Oh, yeah, bro, of course!” he said, beaming up at me.  “I know you got my back.  For real, dude, I’m so glad to see you.”  I tensed when he stepped forward and wrapped his meaty, shortened arms around me.  I tentatively returned the hug, waiting for him to eventually let go and enjoying the sensation of the top of his head hitting my chin.  When it became clear he wasn’t going to let go I gave his broad back a few light strokes and gently nudged him back.  He let out a short laugh when his rigid cock batted against my thigh, looking up at me with a bashful grin.  “This is soooooooooo weird,” he giggled.

I cleared my throat and tried not to look too hungry as I stared.  “So, uh, yeah...your cock didn’t actually get bigger, the rest of you just got smaller.  5’6” to be exact.”  I stopped and waited for it to sink in when he got the same look of intense focus on his face.

“How much is that?” he asked, sounding confused.  It was another gut punch.  Tim had never been a genius, but simple arithmetic should have been in his wheelhouse.

“Nine inches,” I said, not letting my rattled nerves show.  “But your dick’s not the only thing that stayed the same size.  Your, uh...you got some serious junk in that trunk,” I laughed, nodding down at him.

“WHHOOOOAAAAA!” he cried, sounding more excited than anything when he reached back and palmed his oversized melons.  He gave them a bounce and shook his hips, letting out another giggle at the way they shifted and shook.  “Damn I’m thicc!”  He gave another shake of his hips before tensing, his jaw dropping.  There was a split second of silence before a deep, guttural moan issued forth, his deep voice at least temporarily raising an octave as his moan turned into a cracking wail when he came unexpectedly.  His every muscle tensed, the spasming shudders accentuating his powerful little build while he sprayed and sprayed.  Any hope I had that the “spontaneous eruptions” would just be a quiet little grunt and a shiver were quickly dashed.  Or, more appropriately, drowned beneath the copious deluge.  “What...what the fuck was that?!” Tim panted, absently stroking a plump pec when the explosion came to a reluctant end.

“About that...I guess one of the options the guy picked was for random orgasms like that.  Kinda weird that it’s an option in the first place, but…” I shrugged.  I didn’t know how much I should tell him all at once.

He looked confused for a moment.  “So that’s gonna happen all the time?”

“Looks that way.  I’m really sor…”

“That’s fuckin’ awesome, bro!”  Tim reached down and hefted his softening cock, not seeming at all fazed by what he just heard.  “Shit felt great,” he sighed, pursing his plumped lips.  “You want me to give you one?”

“I...not right now,” I croaked, the wind knocked out of me by the sincerity of his offer.  “So are you feeling...okay?  You want to get out of here?”

“I feel good, bud.  Real good,” he said, nodding too quickly.  There was a slight edge to his voice, a seductive purr that crept in at the end.  I’d heard it before whenever he was trying to seal the deal with women at the bar, and it was usually accompanied by the exact look he was giving me at that moment.  It was entirely disarming.  I wasn’t used to seeing it directed at me, though I’d often fantasized about what it would feel like, nor had I ever pictured seeing it while looking down at him.  “Wherever you wanna go,” he said, stepping close again.