Miranda slowly came around. She seemed to be in a daze. Almost like she had been sleeping for a week straight.
"Wha… Where am I?" she screamed. In something that looked like a silver elevator, only lacking buttons & a door. It slowly started to come back to her. She had come to apply for a job with MDK Tech, one of the biggest military developers in the nation. The ad in the classifieds said they needed 25 young women to hire because of a company 'equal-opportunity' hiring quota. It sounded a little odd but poor unemployed Miranda needed a job. A well-paying job! It wasn't that she was money-grubbing or greedy by any means. But after Student loans & a horrible driver's record, well, monetarily things weren't good for her. The last thing she remembered was walking down a glass corridor to the boss's office. A steel door shut on the waiting room where many young other applicants were also hoping to be picked up. "Strange!" she thought. But as Miranda walked down the corridor, two large Secret Service looking guys followed her from both sides of the steel door. As she stopped to turn around, she was injected with something & fell asleep. It was vague after that.
Standing up in the small room's corner, she realized all of her jewelry & shoes had been take off. Even her fingernails were cut to the quick.
"He-Hello?" she asked wondering if anyone was there. "Where am I? What are you doing with me?"
"Hush up!" said a harsh Texan over a PA system. "Miranda Wilkins?"
"Y-yes?" she asked timidly.
"Congradulations! This is General Bagwell of the US Army. You have got the job you applied for!"
"But… I just… Huh?" she asked confused.
"You see, my darlin', that ad we placed in the paper was for lab rats basically. But since the flat-out truth would have scared people away, we decided to dupe you into coming here!" He laughed.
"But… That's like faulty advertising or something!" she argued.
"No, it's not. In that ad… did it say you wouldn't participate in an experiment?"
"Well… no. But…" Miranda sighed. "You can't keep me here! I demand to be let go! This instant!"
"Miss Wilkins, I can assure you, You'll be given the chance to leave on your own freewill one week from today!" He said with a laugh. "But National security codes state that you must at least stay one week."
"No! I want to be released now!" Miranda said, stomping her foot.
"But my dear, we never discussed payment!" he laughed again.
Miranda's eyes seemed to light up a little.
"Payment?"
"Yep!" laughed the General. "150,000 US dollars a week! Now how does that sound?" Miranda began to choke.
"Well…" she said, trying to make it sound as though she wasn't interested. "What kind of experiment is it?"
"That's classified information as of right now, but I can assure you that there will be no long lasting after effects!" Bagwell swore. "You might even have a little fun with it as well, some of the others are." He said with a laugh again.
"Not good enough. Sorry." Said Miranda, now very interested but trying her best to haggle for maybe a few more grand.
"Did you even see where you'd be stayin'?" Suddenly, the wall directly in front of Miranda parted to both sides. She nearly fainted at what she saw.
"Here?!"
"Yep, Ma'am!" Bagwell laughed. A luxurious room about 30 x 30 with a high tech entertainment system & a jacuzzi & everything else you could think of. The furniture looked like comfortable plush leather & the floor was a silky velvet carpet. As Miranda set foot in, a shiver ran down her spine. "Now, Miranda. $150 grand a week just to stay here? In the lap of luxury? We even have a computer to take care of all your needs. Say hello, LX!"
"H'llo!" said a proper British sounding robotic voice.
"Uh… Hi!" laughed Miranda, scanning the room in awe.
"Now, Miranda!" The General said with hasty seriousness. "To begin the experiment you must first drink that cup on the table." He said. Miranda looked around & saw a long, mahogany dining table that could have comfortably held a feast for 10! Besides an elaborate, silver centerpiece, the only other thing on the table was a yellow plastic cup filled to the brim with a dark liquid. Miranda approached it.
"I just have to drink this to get the experiment under way?" Miranda asked timidly. "What is it?"
"Again that violates national security. I can't tell you just yet. If you're so curious, why don't you just try it out?" Miranda looked at the plastic cup for a minute, holding it in her hand. Poison? Acid? Super-Soldier Serum? What the hell was it? Then she remembered the 150 grand & poured it hastily down her throat. "Excellent!" laughed Bagwell. "Okay! The experiment has begun! This will be day one of Miss Wilkins's first cycle. LX make a note of it. Miranda, I'll check on you daily to see how you… I mean, things progress. So long & thank you for serving your country!" But Miranda wasn't paying much attention. She felt like she was going to gag. Whatever she had just drank had the taste & consistency of maple syrup, straight down!
"Ugh! That shit's disgusting! Do I have to drink it regularly?" Miranda asked.
"Um… 3 times a day I'm afraid is the minimum." LX said.
"Oh Jesus! Next time, see if you can put it on some pancakes or waffles or something!" said Miranda just trying to get the computer to lighten up a bit.
"I'll see what I can do!" laughed the computer as he gave Miranda the guided tour. There was a room off to the side where a huge king-sized bed lay comfortably in the center & a long wooden closet that was filled with all sorts of clothes. But what seemed odd to Miranda was that they were in all different sizes. Some actually looked like she could where them as tents. When asking the computer about them, "We didn't know what size the 'applicants' would be so we got all different sizes." LX said timidly. Miranda looked at a suit on the very end that looked as though 6 of her could fit into. She'd never seen anyone that big before!
The tour continued. LX told Miranda all about the facilities her quarters had & how he was programmed to basically pamper her. Miranda said that sounded great but asked him what the experiment was.
"As the General told you, you cannot know just yet but you will find out soon!" said LX.
"Okay well answer these then!" Miranda said with a little frustration. "How many others were there?"
"Well a month ago, they brought in 10 applicants & this time over 35 showed up. All will be used."
"How are they doing?" asked Miranda inquisitively.
"Again I can't say. My, is this twenty questions? I do love a game!" laughed LX
"Ah, sarcasm! Not bad for AI."
"I'd rather be artificially intelligent than originally dumb." LX laughed wittily again.
"What's that supposed to mean? I guess that's what they get for getting a limey to voice a computer."
"Beg your pardon…" This verbal one-upmanship continued for a good twenty minutes or so until LX informed Miranda that it was time for supper. Miranda wondered how long she had to have been knocked out. The last time she looked at her watch it was 10:30 & she was just about to be interviewed when all this went down. Suddenly her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten a thing all day. She hurried over to the dining table & sat impatiently starving. LX informed her that he had a specialty international cuisine for each night of the week. Miranda said it sounded very festive but she just wanted something to eat, anything!
After a huge bowl of pasta & a loaf of Italian bread, Miranda finally felt full. She didn't think she'd eat that much but shrugged it off. She lounged back in the leather chair & yawned.
"Mmmm. I feel a little… weird." She said nonchalantly.
"OH?!" LX jumped. "Are you okay? Are you in pain?"
"No, no nothing like that." Laughed Miranda. "I just feel a little…"
"Gassy?" asked LX.
"Yeah! How'd you know?" Miranda asked.
"Lucky guess… I… guess…" LX said after a minute's hesitation. "What would you like to do now?"
"I'm still pretty damn tired with whatever they injected me with this morning. I think I'll just go to sleep.
"Right!" said LX, whose mechanical hands & brushes were cleaning off the table. Miranda gingerly strolled into the bedroom. She was still in her business clothes that she came in for the interview with. After changing into some boxers & an old tee shirt that said Army, she looked into the mirror of a mahogany vanity & let her hair down. Beautiful midnight locks that went to her shoulders. Then she took out her contacts, revealing her natural, rich hazel color. She stood up & looked herself over in the mirror. Fearing how much she ate, she was considered about the usual growth she'd get around her hips. But she was still just as slender as she came which put her mind at ease. "Goodnight, Miss Wilkins." Said LX, turning the lights off in the bedroom.
"'Night, L'! And call me Miranda!" she laughed, gently getting under the covers.
"As you insist, Miss... Miranda." With that, the machine powered down for the night & everything was off.
Miranda woke up the next morning & stretched. She still felt rather gassy. Laying back down she thought she'd be fine by this morning but if felt even worse. She put her hand on her flat stomach, only to find that it wasn't so flat anymore.
"LX!!!!!!" she screamed. With that, all the lights & machinery went on with a whirl.
"Yes, Miss Wil… I mean Miranda! What ever is the matter?"
"I-I-I grew over night!" she said, looking down at her stuff. It looked as though she had gone thru a trimester of pregnancy overnight! Her trim figure not had a large 3-month pregnant bulge in the center, making the waistline of her boxers strain. "What's happening to me? You've gotta tell me! Am I pregnant with some… thing? What?! Tell me!"
"Calm down! Calm down, Miranda!" LX said serenely. "You're in a delicate condition!"
"So I am pregnant?"
"Did I ever say that?" LX asked frustrated. "I still cannot tell you what the experiment is doing to you but I can assure you that you're not pregnant!" Miranda sat in bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout." LX said apologetically. "But remember. I'm here to take care of you. I'm doing things in your best interest."
"BS! You're doing them in their best interest. What are they doing to me? What is this experiment? C'mon! Who the hell am I going to tell here?" Miranda was in hysterics. LX sighed. He almost told her but changed the subject instead.
"Breakfast is in fifteen minutes." He said & the computer screen facing the bed turned off.
"What's happening to me?" Miranda cried.
20 minutes later, Miranda walked slowly to the table with her new belly sticking prominently out in front of her. Her scrambled eggs where beginning to get cold. Her eyes still red with tears she didn't say a word to LX. Lowering herself gently into the leather chair, she looked up & saw a concerned looking on LX's simple pixelated face.
"I'm…sor…"
"That's okay! I understand." Said Miranda & she ate her breakfast. A mechanical arm placed down a glass of the syrupy enzyme they were making her drink. Miranda just looked at it. "Is this what's doing it to me? Can you answer that?"
"Yes. It is." LX said plainly grim. "That I can answer."
"What is it doing to me?" Miranda asked, her puffy red eyes looking stonely firm at the computer monitor. LX gulped rather scarcely.
"You really want to know?" another voice asked gruffly. It was General Bagwell. Miranda looked around puzzled. Another computer monitor lowered from the ceiling showing the General behind all this. He looked like a stereotypical general with a huge cigar & dark sunglasses.
"Sir." Acknowledged LX.
"You Bastard!" screamed Miranda.
"Bastard?" Laughed Bagwell. "Is that what you call the person who's about to give you an explanation?"
"What is all this? What are you doing to me? Am I pregnant? It's some like genetic super race you're trying to create, right?" Miranda was getting hysterical again, leaning up over her belly towards the monitor. The General just laughed.
"No. No. No super race. You're not pregnant!" He decided to be funny then. "If we were, why would we pick you of all people?" Miranda was too curious to be offended.
"I…? What's happening to me? If I'm not pregnant… why am I so… big?"
"I know this will sound crazy to you," Bagwell started. "But you're actually filling up with air."
"Huh?"
"You heard him, you're blowing up. Sort of like a balloon." Said LX.
"I'm… inflating with air? What…?" Miranda was speechless for about 30 seconds. "How is it possible?"
"Now I can't give away everything now can I!" Bagwell laughed as though it were a game.
"So basically I've inflated? With air?" Miranda asked, trying to grasp the situation only to see Bagwell's smirking face nod. "Why? What for?"
"All the answers will be known at the end of the week, Miranda!" LX said. It was a relief for him. One less thing to have to keep secret.
"LX, take care of her. Miranda, I check in with you again later tonight. Bye for now. And keep up the good work. It's really… heheheh swell!" With that the monitor blackened & rose up to the ceiling.
"The military… is inflating me?" she said still in a bit of disbelief.
"Yes." LX gulped.
"This is crazy! I've gotta wake up!"
"This isn't a dream, Miranda." LX said sternly.
"But why? Why are they doing this to me? Why does the military want to make people inta balloons?"
"They're not really concerned about you inflating, but rather what you are inflating with."
"Air?" Miranda asked puzzled.
"Actually a gas to be more precise. I'm afraid if I say anymore they'd power me down." LX worried. "Permanently!
"This is nuts!" Another hour of silence fell over the room as Miranda ate her breakfast slowly, trying to grasp everything. LX waited for her to finish & cleared the table. Miranda sat in the leather chair, depressed, rubbing her new belly. What were they doing to her?
"Miranda?" LX said breaking the silence. "I drew you a bath if you are interested?" Miranda sighed.
"Yes, L'. Sounds good. Just give me a second." she said, slowly standing up. She walked slowly to the jacuzzi. "L'?" she asked. "Do I have a chance of… popping? I know that sounds crazy but I'm just worried."
"Maybe the more you progress, but I'll take perfect care of you! You shouldn't worry one bit!" LX assured her.
"Great. How big am I going to get? Will I 'balloon' until I end up looking like I'm 9-months pregnant or so? Because I don't know if I'd be able to handle that."
"Well, no. Technically."
"How much?" Miranda ask, taking off her clothes.
"I can't say really it depends…" He said discouragingly. "But no one has ever been that 'small' by week's end."
"That sma…?"
"The bath is ready." Miranda stepped into the jacuzzi & lowered herself in gently. What a week this would be,
Miranda unwittingly fell asleep again, only to feel a metal arm nudging her.
"Miranda?" LX asked. "It's time for lunch."
"Mmmmm. Great." She said, half-awake. "I'm famished." The Jacuzzi's jets were off & it was draining the water. Miranda slowly raised from the tub feeling a little more gassy. "Did I…?"
"Yes. You are in equivalency to an expectant mother in her fourth month."
"Great." Miranda said sarcastically, stepping back out of the tub. She looked down at her grown belly. "You know. Don't tell the General… but I kinda like my belly like this." She giggled. "But I don't want it to grow anymore! Understand?" she laughed sternly pointing at it.
"C'mon! I have fixed you up some nice burritos for lunch." LX laughed.
"Perfect! Mexican… if I wasn't gassy enough!" she laughed, trying to bend over & reach her tee shirt & boxers. She could only get about halfway. A mechanical arm reached down & handed them to her. "Thanks." She smirked. Pulling up her boxers first, she could feel how much she had grown in the tub. She heard a snap & sighed.
"Don't panic." LX laughed. "It's just the boxer's waistline.
"I could tell." She said, wondering what else could go wrong. She pulled over her tee shirt, pulling it down as much as she could. Her tender belly button was still visible.
"I'll get you some new pants after you take a seat." LX said.
"Thanks." Said Miranda, slowly lumbering to the table. She was starting to show the developmental signs of a waddle. "Hey… um…? This gas? Is it lighter than air, like helium?" she asked, as she approached the table. LX laughed.
"No I'm afraid not. You won't be floating around the quarters any time soon." He laughed. "The good news is that it isn't heavier than air either. Which means no matter how ever large you do get, you'll never feel heavier."
"Ooh. Yippy!" she laughed, slowly lowering her gas-filled frame into the leather seat. The meal was already waiting for her. "Mmmm." She groaned. "You sure I'm not pregnant? I'm always starving!"
"Uh… heheh Yeah!"
"What?"
"Well basically… for you to swell up like this, the same hormones have to be stimulated." LX laughed factually.
"Mmm. So basically my body thinks I'm going to have a baby? But it's really just a horrible case of gas" Miranda asked with a mouth full of burrito.
"Yes. Technically."
"Oh." Miranda said. She swallowed her mouthful. "But I was just asking rhetorically though, Mr. Science!"
"Heheh, sorry." With that Miranda ate her entire meal like a ravenous vulture. After 3 minutes, the table was full of plates that were now licked clean. Then another glass of the syrup lowered from the ceiling. "Here you go." Laughed LX.
"Ugh! I hate this shit!" Miranda whined, but she was thirsty & downed it quickly. "Mmm. I feel so lazy."
"Would you like to nap before dinner?" LX asked caringly.
"No. No that's okay! Every time I fall asleep, I end up waking up larger." She laughed, just as a pair of larger boxers were handed to her by mechanical arms. "Thanks." She tried to bend over & tug off her old ones but she couldn't reach. "Um… L'? Don't mean to bother ya but some… assistance?"
"No bother at all!" said LX. Mechanical arms in the floor grabbed hold of chair's back legs & leaned it back. This freaked out Miranda for a second but she knew LX'd never harm her. Meanwhile another pair of hands pulled off the boxers gently. "Is everything okay?" LX laughed. Miranda giggled.
"Perfect!" she said almost child-like. The pair of hands then pulled on the new, slightly larger boxers. The chair lowered back to all fours & Miranda laughed thanks. Slowly she stood up, using her arms to support her. She let out a cute little burp, followed by another snap. "LX?"
"5-Months." He laughed gingerly. "Would you like me to change you again?"
"No, No! I'll be fine. It was just one of the elastics." She said, walking even slower than usual to the plush leather couch. "I'm just going to relax & put my feet up for a while."
"Good. You need to relax a little."
"What have I been doing all day, L'?" she laughed. She lowered herself onto the couch & sighed. She pat the top of her belly with her right hand. "Boy I'm getting big." She sighed as her tummy pressed her now-also-puffy breasts into her face as she slouched, She laid there, bored. LX offered to turn on a movie for her. Miranda, in a yawning stupor told him to go ahead but she didn't know if she'd be up for most of it. Right as the opening credits began to roll, Miranda conked out.
"Poor thing." Sighed LX as he sent mechanical arms to throw a blanket over the bloated sleepyhead.
Miranda woke right as the last of the ending credits reached the top of the screen. She stretched her arms & let out a fairly loud belch.
"LX?" she chimed with a little perk.
"You're the equivalent of a pregnant woman in her seventh month now." He said almost timidly. Miranda moaned & rubbed her grown belly. Her belly button had finally popped but it was still a little tender.
"So I basically grew 2 months in 2 hours?" she asked puzzled.
"I'm afraid so." LX said with a factual tone. "And from now on, you'll probably have more rapid growth."
"So I'm just going to get bigger & bigger, faster & faster?" A pixelated face on the computer monitor nodded. Miranda sighed. "Oh well." She said almost playfully. "As long as you can take care of me I think I'll be fine." Miranda slowly shuffled her bulk into a sitting position on the plush leather couch. Her massive tummy dominated her like a pink beachball perched on her lap. Her army tee shirt was not just under her bust line, as it could now longer be pulled to mask her belly. Her belly was beginning to fascinate her. 'How could I, of all people, get suckered into this?' She thought, poking it with her index finger. Remarkably, Miranda thought it to feel a lot firmer, but it was hardly any different than a balloon. She placed both hands on it & played around, poking, prodding, & pushing it in. She was beginning to enjoy this.
"Miranda?" asked LX, trying not to interrupt anything. "Dinner's in 45 minutes. It's Chinese night tonight."
"Perfect!" she laughed gleefully, most of her attention on her tummy. She continued to play with her belly for another 35 minutes until LX said she should probably start making her way over to the table. Like a mother who had called in her child for a meal, LX had stopped Miranda's joyful belly poking time, & Miranda let him know it by giving an ornery whine. But she obeyed him. She tried to stand up but was having problems. It took her 4 strenuous chances to get onto her feet. Once she was in a standing position, she cradled her belly & caught her breath. "L'? Make sure I get more exercise will you?" she asked sarcastically.
"Will do, Miranda!" He laughed. Miranda slowly shuffled to the table. She was in official waddle mode now & her style of walk was more sway than stroll. She let out a small, delightful giggle. She actually liked it. She was going slower than ever though. One of LX's mechanical arms had to help push her to her destination. She waddled happily.
After a large, delicious Moo Goo Gai Pan, It was time for Miranda to drink again. She was getting used to the taste of the stuff, but it still made her gag. Then a large monitor came from the ceiling & powered on. Miranda glubbed on the drink in attention. It was the General. The sight of Miranda made him crack up laughing.
"You're looking mighty…. Swell! HAHA! Get it?" he laughed.
"Ha-ha." Miranda said sarcastically, slamming the empty plastic cup on the table.
"How is she progressing, LX?" Bagwell asked the computer.
"Amazingly well sir! She should be one of the best yet the way she is progressing!" He said with his factual tone of voice.
"Great!" laughed Bagwell.
"What am I swelling up with?" asked Miranda. This made the General collect a deadpan face.
"It's… just air, my dear." Smiled Bagwell
"Now I know that's untrue." She said pointing a finger at him.
"How can you tell if you're not?" Bagwell asked less happily.
"Well why would regular old air like this make you go into a tizzy?" She asked, mocking his Texan accent.
"I… well… you see…. LX! Just make sure she's safe. Make sure she doesn't do any heavy lifting, no exercise, & make sure she doesn't get a puncture or anything either!" He said spitefully. The screen turned off.
"Yes Sir." Said a solemn LX as the monitor rose back to the ceiling. "You shouldn't get him upset like that, Miranda." He warned.
"Oh? Well I think if he can do this to me that I can give him a little stress back!"
"If you insist." He said, giving her a hand to help pull herself up on. With a few seconds, Miranda was standing again. She was tired & waddled to the bedroom for the night, hoping she didn't look like she was carrying triplets when she woke up the next morning. After slowly lying down on the bed, mechanical arms pulled the comforter over her & she went out like a light.
Miranda awoke to LX's cheery humming from out in the kitchen. She felt her belly to feel the recent growth.
"Omigod!" she said, jolting up as far as her belly would permit. A TV monitor came into her room & said good morning calmly. "L'? How big am I now?"
"You're about nine months in size, Miranda. May I say you've also developed a wonderful glow!" LX said, sounding as if he was trying to flatter the poor girl into calmness.
"Nine months?" she cried. "I'm huge! And I'm just going to keep on growing bigger! And Bigger!" she began to bawl again. LX tried to calm the poor woman down. After about 5 minutes, LX convinced her to start out to the table for breakfast. With her more defined waddle, she made it to the table a good 5 minutes after that. She sat down & ate a bowl of corn flakes quietly. When the bowl was empty, she pushed it to the center of the table. "More corn flakes." With that, a mechanical hand poured some out of the box & filled it with milk, carefully pressing it back to the swollen girl. After 3 minutes, "More!" The bowl was pushed, filled, pushed back & emptied. This happened about 8 times. "More!" requested the unhappy woman.
"My, you are hungry this morning!" said LX in a quiet, concerned sounding tone.
"Well, when you're as big as me…" Miranda belched. "You're always hungry. Are you going to make me drink that shit again?"
"I'm afraid I have to!" he said with a guilty tone, a mechanical arm placing a full glass next to her as her bowl of corn flakes was pushed back. She scarfed down the cereal & turned to the syrupy concoction. She shut her eyes & poured it down her throat, trying not to taste it. But that gag was inevitable. She tried to raise herself from her seat but it was becoming such a hard task that she decided she'd just sit there for a while & relax. Then Bagwell's gruff voice could be heard welcoming her to Day Three of the experiment. Miranda sighed uncooperatively.
"How's she progressing, LX?" Bagwell laughed. "She still looks rather swell!"
"Well physically, she's still in perfect health & maybe producing a bit more gas than the other girls are. But she's in a bit of a depression." LX admitted.
"LX-29314…" started an angry Bagwell.
"Actually I'm LX-29313."
"Same difference! Your objective is to make sure that the producer is at all times in a stable attitude! If you can't fulfill your functions, it's the shut down for you!" Bagwell huffed.
"But sir…" started LX.
"Good day!" with that Bagwell's screen turned off. There was a moment of quiet sadness.
"Sorry, if I got you in trouble, L." said a very monotoned Miranda pushing her empty cereal bowl away.
"It's not your fault! Just cheer up!" said the computer happily, almost as if it were trying to change the subject. "Remember! I'm here to take perfect care of you. There's nothing you have to worry about!" Miranda slowly smirked.
"Okay." She smiled, bracing her arms to slowly raise her out of the seat. "So what else do you have to do?"
"There's always music! How about some nice Jazz to sooth you?"
"Well I'm usually the alternative/grunge type, but that'd sound good right about now." Laughed Miranda, finally standing. She waited a second to gain her bearings. She let out a sigh & began to make her way over towards a black leather reclining chair, much like a dentist chair but fair simpler & extra wide. Her waddling hobble was getting slower & slower as she grew. She reached the chair huffing & puffing. She lowered herself into it ever so slowly. A mechanical arm handed her a pair of headphones & she slipped them on over her ears. The sounds were soothing, so soothing she decided to make the chair recline. It was just what she needed. All of her concentration was focused on the music, making her rather sleepy, she fell into a half-awake listening trance.
The next thing Miranda noticed was a familiar twinge in her already full tummy. She let out a bit of a moan that attracted LX's attention.
"Are you alright, Miranda?" came LX's voice over the jazz, calling Miranda out of her trance a bit.
"Huh? Yeah… I'm just… growing again." She sighed unhappily. She placed her hands on her full term belly & awaited the expected results.
"Okay, just relax. If you need anything, just call." Laughed LX.
"Right." Said Miranda, agreeing with him. She rubbed her tender tummy. With a small surge, her hands got pushed out more, getting further & further apart. "How much am I going to grow this time?" She pondered. Her belly grew larger & larger. At first it looked maybe as if she was just overdue, then swelling as much to hold twins. Something was strange about this growth. Miranda could feel other parts of her body starting to inflate as well. Her whole torso seemed to feel a bit puffy as well as her upper arms & thighs. Her breasts swelled as well, to the ripe, spherical size of soccer balls mounted on her belly. "I'm…"
"Yes, Miranda?" Whirled LX.
"I'm huge!" she whined with a grunt as the growing stopped. Her belly wasn't the only huge thing now, her entire torso looked puffy. She was inflating with air. She felt as if she was stuck in the chair, the arms digging into the sides of her inflated belly. "This is b-becoming too much!" she huffed trying to sit up. It took several more attempts than usual. Finally getting to her feet, she looked down at herself. A huge sphere circumnavigated its way around her. Her limbs were slightly coned shaped, making her look as if she was retaining a couple gallons of water. Her breast perky with the strange air, the two taut balls were pushed up into her face.
"You're coming along nicely. All your stats confirm that you're perfectly healthy!" said LX, laser-probing her with one of his arms.
"That's what you think!" whined the poor girl. "Listen. I'm really tired! I think I'm going to just sleep all day. Why don't you hold up off on lunch & wake me for dinner?"
"If that's what you'd like!" said LX as the massive Miranda hobbled towards the bathroom. "Sleep well."
"I will! Thanks!" smiled Miranda, reaching the door. It was beginning to become a bit of a squeeze. Her sides brushed against the sides of the extra wide doorway, tickling her a bit. She was able to squeak pass, making a balloon like noise & wobbled over to her bed. "Good night!" she yawned, falling into a deep sleep.
Miranda's nap was long & uninterrupted. This made her oblivious to the happenings around her.
"LX." Said a raspy voice over a PA.
"General Bagwell?" LX asked.
"It seems as though this spunky one's got a lot of potential! She's grown the quickest out of any so far!" laughed the General happily. "But I'm afraid there's some bad news." This was said with a complete tone shift.
"Oh?"
"We've also been monitoring your treatment of this subject. You're showing human weaknesses." Said, as if he was reading something that the scientists had issued him.
"Human wea…?"
"We are replacing you with model XL immediately because we feel you are stunting this subject's full potential!"
"But… But!" stuttered the computer. "…I-I'm sorry… Miranda!" There was a power down followed by an upload. The quirky computer program was now ejected from his disk drive in the main super computer. The programmer there took his disk & whirled it at a pile called duds.
"Right!" said the new unit, XL. It's voice was more of a Winston Churchill than LX's Hugh Grant-ish type. "Let us get down to work! Shall we?" laughed the computer to Bagwell.
"You know what you are to do, XL!" laughed the Texan general as a TV screen with his likeness bleeped off. A swarm of robotic arms lowered over the bed around Miranda. All had the 'syrup' in one form or another.
Miranda awoke with a jump. She felt funny! Even funnier than before! Her whole body began to twinge as she tasted the Syrupy aftertaste of the chemical, & felt the sore needle marks up & down her arms.
"LX? Did you do anything to me?" Her hands lay at the top of her belly. She heard a laugh much deeper & more sadistic than LX's. "L?"
"Hello, Miss Wilkins!" laughed the computer. "I'll be your robotic helper from this point on! My name is XL!"
"What the hell happened to LX?" shouted Miranda angrily. Her rage made something gurgle deep within her. She held her tummy sensitively & slowly sat up against the headboard of the bed.
"Why he proved obsolete. I am his replacement. You may be feeling some discomfor…"
"Bring LX back!" shouted Miranda. Her only reply was a snicker from the new computer. This made Miranda enraged. LX was the only one who seemed like a friend to her throughout this entire process. Now he was gone. Her rage built up more & more, along with the strange feeling deep inside her tummy. "Wh-what's going on? What did you do?"
"Well, the 'higher-ups' all think you've got a lot of potential. They ordered me to give you a mega-dose of the gas serum. I administered the injections & drinks. You should be feeling the effects in any minute now."
Miranda was speechless. A blank, gawking stare frozen to her beautiful face. There was a sudden blast of growth & she continued to grow again. This time, everything seemed to grow! Her belly was seemingly assimilating the rest of her body into one large spherical mass.
"No! Stop this! Stop this now!" she screamed. Her thighs & hips ballooned to look like two cones, as did her upper arms as she held them at her sides. She had to do something! She tried to get to her feet but all she could do was roll to the floor. When she landed, her whole body bobbed as a dropped balloon would. She rolled facing up & panted as she inflated. She was truly blowing up like a balloon. With a loud gasp, her joints from the ankles & elbows down had now become a monstrously swollen mockery of their normal selves. She was gigantic! "HELP! HELP! I… I… I'm going to blow!" she screamed as the pressure within her built up. She writhed on the ground helplessly, kicking & screaming as she helplessly grew into a sphere. Thirty seconds later, her limbs were no more. She was just a growing orb with little hands, feet, & a head with puffed up cheeks straining to talk. She finally stopped. The orb Miranda had become laid there silently as XL laughed in a sadistic tone.
Unable to even roll on her own, Miranda sat there as XL pumped her full of the syrupy fluid. In an hours time, Miranda grew twice as large. What was her tummy, was now brushing against the ceiling as the poor girl silently felt like she was going to pop.
"Sir… This one is Ripe for the picking!" laughed XL.
"Excellent!" laughed General Bagwell. "She looks exquisite! I'll send some help right away!" Laughed Bagwell. Suddenly the wall to the side of Miranda opened hydraulically. Two soldiers in regular camouflage uniforms walked around her & poked her inflated side just to see how firm she was. It made Miranda jiggle a little & they realized it was okay. Leaning into the giant orbed girl the two started rolling her out of her room. One looked down at her face to see her puffed up cheeks.
"Damn! Must have been a hottie before we blew her up!" he laughed.
"Just watch what you're doing! We're all screwed if she pops a leak!" said the other. The rolling made Miranda dizzy but when she finally came to a rest, she was lying on her belly & looked up to see a face that she recognized.
"Well hello Miss Wilkins! You're looking quite swell today!" laughed the general. "You show a lot of potential so I'd be happy to hold onto you indefinitely! But I promised you that you could leave if you wanted. So if you're not up to this again, you can just walk away." Miranda looked at him with squinted eyes.
"S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-sick…… f-f-f-f-fu-u-u-uckkkkkkk!" she groaned.
"Well then… looks like you're staying… You want the details now? You see MDK Tech has come up with a new form of gas for chemical warfare. It can knock an army of strapping boys like these out for weeks!" laughed Bagwell, patting the shoulders of the two soldiers. "The only problem is that the only way to harvest this chemical is by creating it in a female. There, conditions are perfect & the gas can replicate itself 10 fold in a matter of seconds. That's what this is all about. We have biologically engineered the strongest tear gas ever & it's all thanks to your help, Miss Wilkins!" said Bagwell with a sadistic laugh. "You & these girls!" Bagwell directed her attention towards a giant pillar with tubes & hoses sticking out of it, around the base were the other applicants. All were in various stages of deflation, none were anywhere close to Miranda's size. "Boys! Attach her over there to the extractor! Be careful! We don't want any leakage!"
"Yes sir!" they said, continuing to roll Miranda towards the pillar. She as placed at an empty spot between a girl with a full term belly of gas & another orb girl, though only half her size.
"Well…" sighed Miranda to herself. "At least it pays the bills."