Don't Do What Doctor Don't Little Does

Escaped

“You said to call if there’s a problem,” Adam said as he picked up the phone, “So, yeah, there’s a problem. My body escaped.”

Adam listened for a while to his professor on the other end of the phone. Then he finally had no choice but to cut him off. Adam explained, “I’m not so worried about her running around in my body. I’m worried about not having my body here to be able to swap back.”

He listened a little more, but interrupted quicker this time. “What do you mean that wasn’t the plan?” He asked, “You can’t seriously mean that you meant to swap Melissa and I for good? Is that what you promised her? Is that why she ran off? Because that’s not what I agreed to!”

Halfway to Hell

Dustin looked in the mirror. The swapping procedure had been much more intense than he could have ever imagined. It was certainly Aimee’s face that was looking back at him, but it looked like it had been through a lot -- her nose was running, a blood vessel felt like it was popped behind her eye, and there was a general sense of weariness.

They were supposed to swap back right away, but in this condition, it seemed downright dangerous to do so. Her body looked like it had gone halfway to hell, and he absolutely didn’t want to send her there completely. He was sure his own body didn’t fare much better.

But how long would it take to recover before attempting the return to their own bodies? A few hours? A week? A month? Right now, it seemed a little unclear.

Frankenstein's Monster

The doctor could feel the stares of his experiment from the other side of the glass. Being able to splice two different people together like that was a medical marvel! Now it was locked up in the local hospital after escaping from the doctor’s lab. However, if the medical board ever got wind that he was the one responsible for it, he would probably lose his license.

Of course, he had taken precautions to ensure his work couldn’t be tracked. He removed both voice boxes to ensure the experiment couldn’t speak. The two halves of the brain were only loosely connected enough for survival and not well enough to tackle complex tasks like writing or sign language.

In fact, the doctor considered the way the experiment was pressing up against the task in a coordinated manner to be quite an accomplishment. Perhaps both sides were so aligned in their hatred of him that they were able to pull this off. But it could pull this off, it might still be a threat to him.

Luckily, he had been called in to study it -- the hospital not knowing it was his experiment, after all. And if the sides were showing signs of cooperation, he could easily cripple it...

Curiosity

Dr. Watkins had thought about calling in sick. He was convinced the changes to his body were a direct result of the experiments the day before, but his curiosity brought him into work as usual. His curiosity paid off when he saw his colleague, Dr. Liu sitting at his work station.

Of course, Dr. Liu had been transformed in a similar manner to Dr. Watkins. They had both been changed into women.

“It’s a direct result of our tests yesterday, isn’t it?” Dr. Watkins asked.

“I believe so. We’re all affected,” Dr. Liu responded.

“And no one thinks it’s weird that we’ve been transformed into women?”

“That’s the strangest part. To everyone else, it’s like we’ve always been like this...”

Difficulty (Part 2)

View Part 1 of Difficulty.

Orson arrived the next morning to find much of it destroyed with only the power source still emitting a dull light. Hannah had come in early to do the damage, ensuring they could never swap back.

After living one night with her life and in her body, he understood why. Her husband was a cold man, and the evidence he was cheating on her was clear to Orson the moment he had walked in the door. Her children were grown and had moved away, so he wondered why she stayed with him.

Of course, with the machine destroyed, Hannah’s life was his now. He could do what Hannah couldn’t, and he guessed that was kind of the point. Hannah knew the type of guy Orson was, and if he was going to be stuck as a woman, he wasn’t exactly going to be satisfied sticking in an unloving marriage. And he was Hannah now; there was no going back. Things were going to change...

Molecular Level

Reginald sat in the chair in his basement thinking about the breakthrough he had just achieved. He had modified his entire body on a molecular level; he had literally made it possible to become someone else completely. Picking a different gender, a different race, and even a different wardrobe was all about testing the limits of his technology.

Though it seemed a short cooldown period was needed before being able to return to normal, he didn’t expect this to be a problem. He didn’t expect his wife to come home early either.

Trying to explain why a strange woman was in the house wasn’t going to work, as she angrily escorted him out without allowing him to say a word. Of course, if he couldn’t get back to his basement lab, he’d never be able to revert the changes. He’d be stuck like this!

Difficulty (Part 1)

Orson had a lot to think about as he rode the subway back to Hannah’s apartment. For starters, the very fact that the experimented had worked was a big win today. Of course, that’s exactly why he was heading to Hannah’s apartment instead of his own -- he had invented a body swapping machine.

It still seemed impossible, yet the fact that he was now an Asian woman in her late 40s proved it wasn’t. They would’ve swapped back immediately, but the device seemed to having some difficulty doing so, and Orson was sure he could fix it in the morning.

One night as Hannah couldn’t possibly be so bad. It might even be interesting to spend some time as a completely different person to get a different perspective. Hannah never talked much about her life outside of work, and even after they swapped, Orson didn’t get many details besides the basic facts. He realized he actually had very little idea what he was getting himself into.

The Passenger

Mirabel and Dave both know they couldn’t keep going on with both of their thoughts running through her head. Miabel’s mind was a supposed to be a temporary solution, a place where Dave’s brain could be stored as the university researchers worked to restore the problems with the device.

It would be one thing if Dave was just a quiet passenger in her mind. He was not. It was like they had to share control in order to keep her body coordinated, though sometimes one might be able to exert a bit more influence than the other -- those moments were usually fleeting.

And yet somehow it also wasn’t as difficult to work together as they would’ve imagined. They were able to mostly coordinate her body to go through a basic day, other than the headaches. However, when the device was finally fixed, this would come to be a problem when trying to separate Dave from Mirabel...

Version 2.0

Bradley had been the only one on his team not to test v1.0 of the Body Switcher. And he wasn’t exactly eager to do so. He had seen the other people on his team as they inhabited each other’s bodies, as they struggled with even the most basic movements, barely able to utter a word or give a thumbs up before being zapped back to their original bodies. But when version 2.0 had been completed, he couldn’t hide anymore. They knew he was the only one who hadn’t participated so far; he ended up first on the list.

Among the many improvements made in v2.0 was the fact that the other subject didn’t need to be in the lab with them. The brain could be swapped into any body anywhere. Bradley really objected when they picked Lexi; he was sure Lexi would have objected to if she had any clue about what was going to happen.

As it turned out, the proximity limitation wasn’t the only improvement in the new version. For starters, the swap was painless -- his colleagues had often described the experience of actually switching as “torture.” And he wasn’t a mindless vegetable either. In fact, he now seemed to not possess Lexi’s body, but her amazing balance and poise. While he would’ve described himself as a bit of a klutz in his former body, Bradley was now standing effortlessly in heels. And it wasn’t just standing; he could probably do yoga or dance or just about anything he wanted to, even with this wild heels on his feet.

That should make his next task easier: Getting back to the lab to announce the success to his team. Then again, what was the rush?

Great Escape

Harold had gotten into some deep debt with a lot of bad people. For the sake of his research, he knew it was worth it. If his experiment was a success, he’d be able to cheat death -- and given he wasn’t going to be able to repay many of those loans, this was something that was sure to come in handy.

He always knew it was possible that they’d come after him, but he still never saw it coming. Fortunately, his tech was rather passive; it just needed a warm body nearby, and it would automatically trigger by slipping his consciousness into that other body.

As his brain started to take hold in his new form, Harold guessed he’d end up in the body of the coroner or maybe a police officer. And while he was certainly in a coroner’s office, there was no way he was in the body of the coroner! Sure, it was possible this hot woman had that job, but she just wasn’t dressed for the part. They wore medical scrubs, and this woman wearing high heels and tight leather pants. He guessed she wasn’t an officer either.

But just what was she doing in here? He also wondered why his device hadn’t activated earlier. One thing was for sure, he was glad to escape from his debt...

Unplugged

Everyone thought the spooky mansion on the edge of town was abandoned. In high school, Zeke and his nerdy friends would sneak in here and play D&D. Now on break from college, he was scouting it out so he could shoot some scenes for the student film he was making.

But on this visit, he found the mansion certainly wasn’t abandoned, and things inside were way weirder than he ever expected. For starters, the lights were on. Not once in high school did he ever remember the lights being on. And a particularly bright light was coming from one room.

In that room sat Josie Phelps. Zeke had gone to high school with her, and she always acted too good to ever talk to anyone like Zeke. But right now, she seemed to be in trouble. She seemed frozen as she sat in a chair with a weird thing above it that seemed to be zapping her brain and leaving her traped in place.

Perhaps this was his chance to be a real life hero. He could free her, and she would surely be appreciative. Maybe she’d even kiss him or agree to a date. At the very least, he hoped she wouldn’t be a jerk to him. And so he sought to free her by reaching up and unplugging the odd device.

But as soon as he grabbed, his hand became frozen too. Soon enough his whole body was being zapped along with Josie. And a few moments later, the electricity just stopped. And Zeke now realized he was sitting in the chair. He was wearing a pink sweater; he had on a skirt; he was in Josie’s body!

“You idiot,” He heard a familiar voice -- his own -- say, “You shouldn’t have touched anything. You screwed it all up.”

He presumed that was Josie, now in his body. And yet she still talked down to him, despite being in his nerdy body. And even thought he was now in Josie’s body, he still wasn’t brave enough to stick up for himself.

Cramps

Up until this point, Martin’s participation in the experiment had gone swimmingly. Swapping bodies with Lexi had been practically a non-issue for him. He had grown up with two sisters, so putting on makeup or choosing a fashionable outfit were just things he knew how to do.

But then about three weeks in on his way to work, the cramps started. Nothing could have prepared him for period pains. They were like nothing he had ever felt before. For about ten minutes, he couldn’t even move. He had known they were coming eventually, but no amount of warning could have prepared him for this. Were Lexi’s particularly bad? Or was this just something all women felt?

His hope was that he’d just get used to them. After all, he still had six more months left in this experiment!

A Long Time

Bill was only supposed to be in this body for a few minutes. He and the young woman he switched with had volunteered to test the machine. But before they could swap back, the fire alarm went off. Everyone picked up their coats and evacuated with Bill an the woman remembering to switch coats once they got outside.

As they waited for the fire department, the fire got worse. Everyone was worried, but (for obvious reason) Bill and the woman were particularly so. And then the explosions started. Everyone ran to get as far away as possible.

Bill lost track of most of the scientists and the woman he swapped with. He didn’t know anything about her; he hadn’t even asked her name! He didn’t expct to be stuck like this! And considering the size and amount of explosions, he was pretty sure he was going to be stuck like this for a long time.

429-B

Today we are reviewing footage from Test Subject 429-B. Given the results of earlier test 414-A, this time we ensured all sharp objects in the room have been removed. As you can observe, the initial reactions of the test subject upon waking up the chair in a body different from their own is a state of panic. This has been nearly universal in all of our cross-gender body swap experiments with only about 2% not displaying such a reaction. The remaining 2% display an instant outward sense of curiosity.

Now, the reason we are observing this subject today is the period after the panic. Once he realizes he is a woman, he proceeds to get quite angry. When he discovers his new body is not as strong as his previous one, this only makes him angrier.

...And yet, it doesn’t last. Despite the period of anger, he too eventually falls into a previous of curiosity where the new body is sufficiently explored and ultimately enjoyed.

Escaping the Experiment

Joe’s heels clicked on the linoleum. He was sure his original body had to be stored in one of these chambers. He just had to find it, bring it up to the body switching machine to swap back, and then get the hell out of this place. It took him several hours to check each one until he finally found it. He considered himself lucky not to run into any security, but once he opened the chamber, he realized why they may not even be necessary. Joe’s new smaller female body seemed barely able to move the weight of his former male body. There was no way he’d be able to drag it all the way to the machine. Which meant he had two choices. He could wait around here and see what sort of other experiments were done on him, or he could escape and live the life of a woman forever.

Help a Guy Out

Ricardo approached the beautiful blonde woman in the bar with his usual swagger and confidence. “Can I buy you a drink?” He asked.

“Uh,” The blonde woman stammered, “You can. But I feel like I should be upfront about this. I am NOT a lesbian.”

“It’s cool. It’s cool. Neither am I. This sitch with the body is just a...temporary condition.”

“So you’re trans? You were born female and getting surgery or something to become a guy?”

“Naw. I did this body swapping experiment at the university. I’m just stuck in this body for a few months, but I’m actually a completely normal, totally straight guy.”

“You’re a straight cismale who voluntarily agreed to swap bodies with a woman? That doesn’t add up.”

“The swap was random with another participant. I didn’t know who I’d swap with until it actually happened. But I gotta be honest that this swap has killed my game, and it’s got me frustrated because I’m still a dude inside here, Baby. Help a guy out, come on.”

With being called “Baby,” the blonde woman decided she’s indulged Richardo enough. She threw a drink in his face and simply walked away.

Participant

With his unemployment running out, Cameron had signed up for a medical experiment that offered to pay him $100 per day. But when he found out what it entailed, he seriously considered backing out. It seemed that for a month, they were going to swap his brain into someone else’s body. It was absolutely crazy, but his hesitation was more about who he’d be swapping with. If he agreed to this, his brain would be put inside the body of a scrawny white woman; while she would be inside his Black male body. He was seriously off-put by the entire idea, but his need for the money ultimately won out.

The procedure took longer than he had expected, and there was a lengthy period to allow the participants to adjust to their new bodies. By the time he left and began walking home, it was getting dark. Cameron always hated being out of this time. It wasn’t uncommon for a police car to pull up with an officer convinced he was in the “wrong neighborhood.” Cameron always hated it. Wrong neighborhood? Hell, he lived here!

He was only two doors away from home when a police car did pull up and expected the usual. Instead, the officer politely asked if Cameron was in need a ride home or if he’d like an escort of any kind. It took Cameron by surprise until he remembered what he currently looked like. As much as he hated being stuck in this body for the next month, at least there were some inconveniences he wouldn’t have to put up with. Though as he noticed the officer eyeing his new body up and down, he also realized there were a few other inconveniences that he’d have to get used to.

Genius (Part 4)

View Part 1 of Genius.
View Part 2 of Genius.
View Part 3 of Genius.

The next day, Martin and his mom had a lot to discuss. Thanks to Martin’s invention, they would have to live in each other’s bodies for the next two years. His mom would have it pretty easy. Martin had mostly stayed at home tinkering on various inventions, so she could probably either stay at home doing nothing or get any number of temporary jobs. She may have had his body, but she didn’t have his social anxiety. Whatever she chose to do would be pretty easy for her.

Martin, on the other hand, would have it a lot harder. He’d have to handle his mom’s job. While he was certainly smart enough that the actual work would be no problem, the social interaction aspect of it would be more of a challenge. And while he’d be able to wear whatever around the house, like he currently was, getting dressed in women’s work clothes and putting on makeup were things he was not looking forward to. Still, he told himself how well he did last night going from club-to-club looking for his mom. He did manage to talk to people, and he did in a dress and heels! He COULD do it, even if he didn’t want to. Every day was going to be a challenge, but with one down, ther were only 729 to go until they could swap back to normal.

The Long Road into Town (Part 3)

Part 1 of The Long Road into Town.
Part 2 of The Long Road into Town.

By the time Barney arrived, morning had broken. He walked into the diner on the edge of town in a distressed state.

“Someone get this girl some coffee and some hotcakes,” The waitress shouted as she ushed Barney to a seat and put a cup of coffee in front of him.

“I don’t have any money on me,” Barney replied.

“It’s on me, Hon. I don’t know what you went through last night, but it looks like hell. You deserve it.”

“There was a fire, and I can’t find someone.”

“County got that forest fire under control,” A trucker at a neighboring table interjected, “Heard it on the scanner. Also heard about a guy they found being sent to the hospital. Could be him? Your dad or something?”

“I’m not that old.” Barney realized his mistake, “I mean, he’s not that much older than me. About five years or so.”

“Well, after your done here, I’ll drive you over, and you can go see. Might want to get yourself checked out as well. My name’s Fred, by the way.”

“I’m B-Bar-,” Barney realized he was about to mess up again,”I’m Joanne.” Hearing himself say it aloud still felt so unreal, so he said it again but slightly softer, “I’m Joanne.”