Published: November 16th 2022, 7:56:55 am
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"Uh oh, looks like somebody needs a change," said Garreth, grabbing the back of my powder blue lock-on shortalls and pulling me toward the changing room. "You really need those diapers, don't you, buddy? And learning to fill the extra heavyweight ones too!"
I stayed silent and nodded, my eyes locked straight ahead. I couldn't give away how grown up I was now that my headset was turned off. Garreth seemed a bit put off, but I didn't look over to see for sure. When he put me on the table, I had the crazy notion of pretending to be totally baby-brained in order to get put on the nightshift myself, but I got rid of that idea just as quickly. Something told me that it was curtains for me if I tried that.
"You sure are acting strange, little one," said Garreth as he pulled open my diaper, noting that I wasn't even hard. I did the most sensible thing I could think of. I sucked my thumb. "Hehehe, still cute though!"
He made short work of my embarrassingly soggy diaper. The thick padding, heavy with wetness was quickly removed and replaced by another impossibly thick and puffy diaper followed by a pair of shiny powder blue rubber pants that poofed out around it. The diaper forced my legs wide and made certain that I would be doing a ridiculous waddle if I could walk at all.
"I think it's time we put you in daycare for a bit. I think you need a rest..."
"Huh?" I said, pulling my thumb out of my mouth. I didn't have much time to elaborate on my question because he carried me right out of the changing room and down the hall to the nursery room. It seemed to be a catch all. After-lunch naps, after-work training, and now apparently, a daycare too. Garreth smiled down at me as he plopped me down in the middle of the room. There were one or two other big babies playing with blocks and other assorted baby toys, but they seemed more out of it than myself. Just like PeeJay had been. There seemed to be an invisible boundary that some people here crossed. With PeeJay the guys had surely made light of it until it ceased to be a joke. And now...
My thoughs were interrupted as Gareth spoke again.
"Did you know that you've already completed all the training modules we have?"
"Huh?"
"That's right, buddy. You're probably the most overqualified baby here."
I was confused. I hadn't even been here the longest. Had I? Wait. How long had I been here anyway?
"You might be due a promotion, little guy. It would be a real shame to let all that knowledge go to waste..."
I just looked at him quizzically, hesitant to say anything that would sound too adult.
"I know you understand me," he said, looking me in the eye. My heart skipped a beat, but he broke eye contact and smiled as if nothing had happened.
"You wait right here, baby boy. HR will be by in just a minute."
The moment he was gone, I ran to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. I tried the side doors. Locked. A nurse came in and fussed over me telling me to be a good boy and play on the carpet. Maybe it was okay. Maybe everything was going to be fine and I was overthinking things. Begrudgingly I rolled some toy cars around on the carpet feeling silly. It was actually pretty fun. So fun that I didn't even hear Linda come in.
"Having fun there little guy?"
I startled, jumping half a foot as I heard her voice.
"Now isn't that funny? I'm surprised you heard that through your noise canceling headphones."
Shit. I had been caught.
She took the headphones off my head, looking at them with mild disinterest as she turned them this way and that.
"You know, tampering with company equipment is against company policy."
"I know," I said looking up at her glumly from the floor. There was no point in playing dumb anymore.
"You're a pretty smart one, though, to figure this out."
"You can thank Chubs for that."
"I could... but I don't think he'd understand if I did..."
"What did you do to him?" I said, leaping to my feet, suddenly angry.
"I can show you. Do you really want to see him?"
"Yes. I really do. Where is he?" I said. It was more of a demand than a question.
"Follow me," she said simply, with a smirk.
Her brown windowpane suit jacket and matching skirt were always two steps ahead of me as I struggled to waddle after her brisk pace. I felt like a fool in my bulging blue work attire that looked like it belong more in a playpen than a factory. I soon recognized where we were going as the orientation rooms, where I had been first strapped into my VR chair. She opened one of the doors, and there he was, strapped in, smiling, drooling, and babbling incoherently as the light from the VR headset spilled over his face.
"Chubbs!" I yelled in surprise.
"He can't hear you or understand you," said Linda.
"Let him go," I said, turning to her. I was practically a growling dog at that point, balling my fists.
"Let me show you something first," she said, stepping over to the next door and opening it. "Go ahead. Look inside."
"I'm not going to leave his side until you let him out and fix whatever you did to him. I don't trust you."
"Your friend will be fine," she said, "and safe and happy. Now look. No tricks, I promise."
She stepped several steps back from the door and raised her hands to her chest to show she was not about to try anything funny. Wary, I crept toward the door and looked in. I gasped and nearly fell to the floor.
"That's... that's...!"
"It's you," she said. "You've been there the whole time. Ever since we brought you here. Just like Chubbs has been in his chair. And everyone else."
"No. This can't be real. You're lying!" I said, rushing her. She must have been stupid not to have any security here, but her negligence was my advantage. I wanted to knock her senseless. I wanted to run. But my bear-hug met only air and I stumbled through her. I turned around to see her looking right at me.
"You've been here the whole time. Testing our diapers. Turning into a baby. Because we don't just make diapers. We make..."
"Babies..." I said, breathlessly.
"Smart cookie!" said Linda. "Garreth wasn't lying when he said you deserved a promotion. You can be one of us and help us keep the factory - the real factory - going. Or you can fight us, and become a baby... Just like everyone else."
"But.... why?" I asked.
"Oh look," she said, ignoring my question. Little Charles's parents are here.
A couple was looking into the doorway at Chuck and smiling as a virtual video panel showed several successive scenes of him being a sweet and adorable baby. They oohed and awwed.
"Oh, he's perfect," said his soon to be Mommy. An adoption contract appeared in front of them and the two proud parents signed. Chuck was released and was helped up by two big goons in their powder blue jumpsuits and into an oversized stroller.
"He don't walk so good," one of them said.
"We wouldn't have it any other way," said his soon to be Dad.
"NO! Chubbs!" I said, trying to grab him but going through the image as he was wheeled away.
"He's going to a happy home. And so will you, unless you want to keep your big boy brain and work for the factory for real. What do you say, little Boomer?"
I looked at her, hardly believing the choice laid out in front of me. But to me, the answer seemed obvious...