Fruiting Bodies, ch. 11 (Patreon)

*** Voting options will be up in the next day or so!  Day job garbage got in the way.***

“It’s so big…it’s so big…it’s so big…” Brad kept repeating the phrase, his distant eyes fixed on an unseen point.  Most people would have assumed that the fit young man was referring to the oversized pillar of a cock that reached the level of his face, but the gargantuan organ was the last thing on the dazed brunette’s mind.

He’d wanted to work for Spore specifically because he knew it was something big.  The things the company could do with their products were revolutionary, and he’d heard that the mysterious source was even more spectacular.  Plus, they paid well and the benefits were incredible, including college tuition for the Sports Medicine degree he wanted to pursue.  And it was an excuse to go live on a floating farm in the middle of the ocean.  The harvesting center sat next to the small island, set up like an oil rig that was several times larger than the atoll itself.

Equal parts processing plant, corporate offices, and stationary cruise ship, the harvesting center was like a self-contained city.  When they weren’t toiling in the cave staff had access to resort-level accommodations, letting them play just as hard as they worked.  Though for most, even their work was a joy.  Spore made sure to emphasize the importance of the site itself, and the level of respect with which they expected everyone to treat it, but the orientation was redundant.  The majesty of the cave spoke for itself.  To step into the surreal, neon landscape was to step into another world, bringing all the weight and wonder of discovery along with it.  Everyone inside had gone through extensive training and knew what the fungus could do, but even without that preparation the power of the place was palpable.  It was like standing on the rim of a volcano or going outside in the eye of a hurricane, equal parts stunning and terrifying in its raw power.  After a while most workers actually preferred their time on the clock to off, wanting to spend as much time as possible amongst the bioluminescent dreamscape that was the towering fungal forest.

Brad was one of those workers.  While he thoroughly enjoyed the tropical vacation that was his downtime, even after nearly a year the novelty of his surroundings had yet to wear off.  Every day he discovered a new facet to the ancient entity while collecting his assigned harvest, and like most of his peers viewed the cave not as a collection of plants but as an individual.  Being underground, and underwater, should have felt claustrophobic, but to Brad it was like standing on an asteroid out in space.  The cave wasn’t confining, it was impossibly vast, and even with the constant presence of guards and other harvesters he felt alone, as if the thing that was the cave spoke only to him.  It wasn’t isolating in a lonely way, but in a way that made him feel special and chosen.

It was a shared experience.  Everyone talked about how connected they felt to the cave, how protective they were of it, and by extension each other.  There was a kind of bond between the staff that Brad had never experienced before.  He’d spent the entirety of his young life playing various sports and he knew what it felt like to be part of a team, but the harvesting center was on another level.  They’d explained during training that the staff was strictly male to avoid concerns related to pregnancy, but Brad had thought that was due to the the effects the fungus could have, not the constant fucking that occurred during off hours.  The brunette jock had always thought of himself as straight, but he only made it to his third night before he had his roommate, Devon’s, cock in his mouth.  Before the week was out he’d learned how much he enjoyed the sensation of a thick cock between his muscled cheeks, and by the end of his second week his fit frame was covered in the same uninterrupted tan as everyone else’s from the hours he spent naked by the pool.  Wherever possible clothing was optional in the recreational areas as Corporate knew it was an inevitability anyway, and they wanted to encourage the strong bonds that formed between their staff.  It wasn’t just gratuitous rutting; their acts of giving and receiving pleasure carried the same, almost religious, weight as their time in the cave.  It was both solemn and liberating, a kind of experience that Brad had thought reserved only for nuns or monks.

When he stopped to think about it at all, that is.  For the most part, the hung, handsome twenty-two year old was just happy to get, and be getting others, off.  Like everyone else he’d quickly gotten over any reservations he’d had about fooling around with other guys, and now he wondered why he’d ever had such a ridiculous restriction in the first place.  He loved it as much as they loved him, but Brad had been surprised to learn that it had nothing to do with his ample muscle, perky bubble, or corn-fed lantern jaw.  He wasn’t overly vain, but he knew his strapping frame could hold its own when it came down to looks, only none of that mattered.  There were guys who looked considerably more attractive and considerably less, who were slightly younger or upwards of three times his current age, and they all held the same magnetism.  They didn’t seek Brad out for his gravity-defying rear or sculpted pecs, but for his eager essence.  The young jock was like a playful puppy, excited to try new things and willing to see it through to make sure that everyone involved was happy and content.  For his part, Brad was equally satisfied writhing against Devon’s ripped frame as he was to be draped across Rich’s back, making the thick, middle-aged man whimper with joy as he thrust in and out of the older man’s plump rear.

It was all the same to him.  Which isn’t to say that the people themselves weren’t important or were interchangeable, but that it was the connection that mattered.  That was what the cave wanted.  To connect.  To spread.  To grow.  To change.  And it’s what they did.  The modest, midwestern jock version of Brad that first arrived was nothing like the laid back, lustful philosopher he’d become.  His mind had grown and his views had changed as he’d connected with his peers and spread his love during the course of his metaphorical journey.

He knew, though, that the journey could quickly become literal.  All around him were examples of the cave’s power, men who had impossible proportions or attributes that would have been at home elsewhere.  He’d been shocked at first by the sight of men only a few feet tall, or those who towered with excessive muscle, or were covered in ample hair, or had none, or who were impossibly hung, or had button cocks, or pussies where their packages should have been.  There were men with tits instead of pecs, men who had rotund bellies and jiggling flesh standing next to waifish twinks, whose deep, foghorn voices or high, helium squeaks didn’t always match the exterior presentation.

And Brad had seen the changes firsthand.  He’d seen men who looked like himself in the morning reappear in the afternoon as walls of naked muscle, or, as with Devon, at half their original size.  A month earlier he’d seen the dark-skinned stud off like always, with a quick blowjob before they both had to report for their shifts, but when Devon didn’t show back up that evening Brad learned that his friend had undergone “the change.”  Far from feeling bad, he’d been excited at the news.  Everyone was.  It meant his friend truly had been chosen.  They all followed strict safety protocols and had been inoculated against the various fungal effects, but every so often breakthrough changes occurred.  They’d been warned of the possibility and had signed waivers, though the forms were pointless because no one saw the alterations as a punishment as much as they did a reward.

Once Devon had been given the all-clear that he wasn’t contagious, Brad had been thrilled to see the pint-size stud.  Instead of his original 6’2” the now-shorter man topped out at an even three feet, though his impressive proportions remained more or less unchanged.  His deep voice had raised a few octaves, and his thick, seven-inch cock was now less than half its original length to the rest of the world, but none of that mattered to Brad.  The sight of the little hunk’s bashful, embarrassed smile drove him wild that first time and it still did even now that Devon had regained his previous confidence.  Brad still loved spending as much time as he could with the other man’s cock in his mouth, only now he could work the whole thing, balls and all, at the same time.  He could still spread his cheeks and let Devon hammer away at his eager rear, and while it didn’t feel the same on his end, what the smaller man couldn’t do with his shrunken cock he was more than able to make up for with his nimble little fingers.  There was an adjustment period, positive change was still change after all, but it didn’t take long before Devon was just as content to drift off nestled against Brad’s chest as the bigger man was to clutch him like a teddy bear.

So when Brad found himself undergoing the change, he thought he’d be ready.  He’d seen the process and the aftermath enough, especially lately as people seemed to be blossoming like flowers all over the center.  But he’d been wrong.  It wasn’t his expanding cock that floored him; it was his expanded perceptions.

His dreams had been filled with the cave, which wasn’t unusual in and of itself, but the vividness was new.  Brad could practically feel the spectral ley lines he saw stretching off like a web in every direction.  He could sense the presence of everyone who carried the spores within them, no matter how small, and no matter where they were.

It was that last part that threw him.  Brad could feel the spores spreading across not just his world, but all worlds.  He had swirling visions of fungal planets, entire universes and dimensions where the cave had spread.  It was more than his mind could process.  Their precious, powerful cave wasn’t an individual at all; it was just another spore, spread throughout the cosmos by something much, much larger.

Brad only caught the slightest glimpse of that something before he was sent screaming back to the waking world.  He awoke to find a shocked Devon nestling a cock that was nearly as large as himself, but his impossibly inflated organ barely registered.  His vision still split between worlds, Brad didn’t remember his roommate calling the medical techs or being bubbled and carted over to the quarantine ward.  He didn’t know how long they’d been poking and prodding and collecting samples, but based on the setting sun outside he guessed it to be a while as his dazed state finally began to fade.

“It’s so…so…whoa…” he stammered, his eyes going wide when he looked over at the fleshy obelisk that was his cock.  Clutched against himself as he sat, it was actually taller than he was, the bulbous, oozing head looming above him.  He had it pulled slightly off the side so he could still see in front of him and he shivered as his stubble-covered cheeks brushed against it when he looked down at the churning cantaloupes that were his balls.  “Oh…oh shit…” he stammered.

“Ah!  Glad to see you’re coming around.”  The medical technician flashed a friendly smile as Brad blinked and shook his head.  “You’ve been saying that same thing pretty much all day.  How are you feeling?”

“Uh…okay, I guess,” Brad sputtered, the celestial visions already fading like a forgotten dream.  “What…what happened?”

“Looks like you had a breakthrough,” the technician said, motioning for Brad to let go of the colossal organ.  “Here…let me.  How does this feel?”

“MMMNNHHNN!”  Brad gasped at the sensation of the man’s strong hands and how small they felt against his cock as it was slowly lowered.  He shook his head when the man stopped, feeling his whole body blush.  “It doesn’t hurt…it’s just…sensitive.”

“I bet,” the man chuckled.  “Tell me if you experience any pain.”  Brad’s chiseled pecs heaved as darts of pleasure shot through him while the technician slowly raised and lowered his cock before finally letting it rest on the exam table he straddled.  The sensation of the heavy organ resting on his impossible balls only added to the growing throbs, as did the rubbing against the sensitive underside whenever he moved, but there was no pain.  “Good!  Range of motion appears to have adapted to accommodate the new size.  Just wanted to make sure no muscles were going to be pulled.”

“But…how did…how is this even…”

The technician shrugged.  “You know how it is around here.  Bit of everything.  You’re at thirty inches, by the way.  In case you were curious.”

“Th…thirty…” Brad’s jaw dropped.  He’d gone from having an impressively girthy eight inches to a third thigh jutting out from between his original legs.  It shouldn’t have been possible, but neither should most of the changes he saw on a regular basis.  “What am I supposed to do with this thing?  How am I going to get anything done?  How do I even take a piss?!”  With his daze fading, the full weight of his current reality was starting to register.  Though he’d always thought of the people who changed as lucky, now that he was confronting a future with a two-and-a-half-foot dick and mountainous balls, his feelings weren’t as immediately positive.

“Deep breaths,” the technician said, putting a gentle hand on Brad’s shoulder.  “You’re in good hands.  Believe it or not, this isn’t the first one of these we’ve seen.  We’re still waiting on the results to confirm, but your body processes waste differently now.  Instead of the methods you’re used to, it converts it to this.”  Brad shivered again when the man reached down and scooped up a few fingers of precum from his gargantuan head.  “So your bathroom breaks just got a lot more fun.”

Brad didn’t know how to process that revelation.  “But how do I get around?  Do I have to carry this thing everywhere?  What about clothes?”

“Elastic waists just became your new best friend,” the technician said with a sympathetic nod.  “As for carrying it around…” Brad blushed again when the man turned and picked up what looked like a harness from a nearby table.  It had a large microfiber panel attached to several straps that went over his shoulders and around his waist, and he tried not to think of it as a type of bra as he stumbled to his feet and hefted his cock upright.  “You’ll get the hang of this on your own, but it’s easier if you have a friend.  It’ll also pull things slightly to the left or right so you can see.”  Brad wasn’t sure he wanted to see as he looked over at his reflection and saw the throbbing monster harnessed against his torso.  Instead of his tight washboard or perfect pecs he saw the wide underside of the impossible organ, and what looked like a second head positioned next to his own.  “Go ahead and move around so you can get a feel for it.”

“OOHhhh…whoa…that’sssssnngg…that’s a lotttt…” Brad hissed as wave after wave of pleasure rocked his stumbling frame.  The slightest movement caused everything to rub against the hypersensitive pillar, whether he was taking a step or lifting his arms, and the light dusting of soft brown hair that coated his chest and ran down his stomach became torturous as it tormented the aching monster whenever he so much as breathed.  “This is…nnnhhhnnn…”

“That’s why I wanted you to give it a test in here.  I know it’s easy for me to say, but you really will get used to that.  Things are dialed up right now because it’s new, and you’re actually due for another release here, so just let it happen.”  There was no “letting” involved.  All Brad could do was gasp and sputter as his whole body felt like it turned inside out.  He shuddered, grabbing the table for support when his cock erupted like a literal geyser.  Angled off to the right as it was, the release didn’t splash back down on him, but warm, salty rivers quickly ran down the side of his face and torso.  “Theeeeere we go.  Seriously, carry some wipes with you and you’ll be fine,” the technician said, gently wiping Brad’s dazed face and heaving chest.  “The harness is meant to repel liquid so it actually stays pretty clean, but we’ll set you up with several so you don’t need to worry about having one ready to go.”

“O..okay…” Brad stammered, his head clearing after the overwhelming release.  He really did feel better, and already the heightened sensitivity seemed to have dulled.  “But what do I do now?  Do I just go back to my room?  What about my shifts?  I don’t want to have to leave and…”

The technician gave him another pat on the shoulder.  “Don’t worry.  Like I said, you’re not the only person to have ever changed like this.  Why do you think we have the harnesses?  It’s been a minute, but it’s not entirely uncommon.  We’ll get you set up in the Adjustment Program for the next week or so, but you’ll be back to work before you know it.”

“Oh thank god,” Brad sighed, letting out the breath he’d been holding.  More than the implications of walking around with a massive cock harnessed to his chest, the thought of having to leave the cave had been troubling the young jock the most.  Knowing that he didn’t have to worry about his job was a huge relief, making the straining monster oozing against his face feel practically weightless.

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

Dave nodded, the matte-black pacifier bobbing in and out between his lips a sharp contrast to his rugged features and the tight button-down that strained against his broad torso.  The top few buttons were undone, exposing the forest of hair that covered his mountainous pecs and drawing further attention to the unique object wedged in his mouth.  From the waist down he was naked, his fat log of a cock rigid and oozing while a lightly buzzing plug wedged between his plump cheeks.  His bare, hairy thighs and exposed package were off-camera, but he knew that everyone on the call was well aware.  He reluctantly pulled the pacifier from his mouth, turning his attention to the square-jawed bulldog of a man with blunted features and a buzzed scalp.  “And we’re sure this isn’t intentional?”

Rogers, the head of security for the harvesting center, nodded.  He’d been giving the facility update as always, seeming increasingly nervous each time as he reported more and more breakthroughs with the staff.  “Absolutely.  We’ve gone over every inch of this place and haven’t turned up any evidence of sabotage to explain the increase in changes.  Staff morale is the same as always, too, so we can rule out disgruntled workers.  You know how it is down here.”

“Sure do,” Dave said with a short laugh.  “So what’s going on, then?  We went from one or two breakthroughs every couple months to at least one each week.  Any ideas?  Anyone?  What about the shots?”

“Effectiveness hasn’t changed.  At least in the lab,” Weston said.  The thin, angular man oversaw the inoculation process, and despite evidence to the contrary, Dave believed him when he said the vaccines were still working.  He couldn’t put his finger on what was going on, but that answer felt too easy.

“And what about the young man you were just telling me about?  How’s he doing?”  Dave nodded again when an image of the overly-hung brunette popped up on screen.  He wore what looked like a short, thin skirt to cover his inflated balls while the mammoth cock was strapped against his bare torso.

“Back to work and happy as ever,” Rogers said.  “Other than some weird dreams his behavior hasn’t changed in the least, but they’re always having weird dreams out here.”

“Well SOMETHING’S going on.  If it’s not sabotage, and it’s not our protective measures failing, what else could it be?  We’re seeing an increase in adverse effects with our products at the same time, which makes this all feel related.  I need you two working on it, got it?  Top priority.  I’ll give Ethan the update and see if he’s got any ideas.  But until then this is an all-hands situation.  Understood?”  Dave waited for them to nod before signing off and sucking the pacifier back into his mouth.

He leaned back in the chair and spun it to face the city, undoing the rest of his shirt so he could run a hand over his burly muscle gut and lose himself to the sensation.  He turned up the vibration of the plug and sucked with increasing frenzy on the pacifier, knowing that neither one would be able to give him the relief he needed.  For that he’d need an actual person, but it would have to wait.

He was starting to connect the dots.  It was only a vague, half-formed idea at the moment, an intuition more than anything else.  He agreed with Rogers that it wasn’t sabotage, and he agreed with Weston that their precautions were still solid, which pointed to a third possibility that was far from comforting.  Coupled with the increased reports of adverse effects, it was possible that the raw material itself was changing.  Or had changed.  Or was stirring.

That last thought bothered him the most.  He’d worked hard over the years to see their products as just that, another health supplement on an already-crowded market, but he’d always known it was bigger.  No amount of logic or science or denial could change what he felt down to his altered bones, what he’d felt every waking minute since they’d first entered the cave all those years ago; that they were serving a much larger purpose.

But whose purpose, and what it was, he had no clue.  Every time he tried to think too hard on it his body would inevitably distract him, as it did now.  He felt like an answer was just out of reach, but before he could grasp it his body revved into overdrive.  “Fuck it,” Dave grunted and hefted himself out of the chair in search of Tom to help blow off some steam.