Andy Bishop is an engineer working on a new self-contained medical device. He is picked to be the first person to be examined by it. What could go wrong?

Shock to the System
By
Julie O

Edited
By
Amelia R

Chapter 1
August 23, 2012
7:55 PM

"We can't thank you folks enough," wearily exclaimed Dr. Thomas Edwards. "The hurricane took down all the power lines and the hospital is in ruins."

Just twenty hours earlier, Alexandria, a Category Five hurricane had ravaged the Virgin Islands.

"We're glad we could help. It was pretty difficult getting in here. We're fortunate that the helicopter could find a place to land," stated Dr. Hector Sanchez.

"Hector, I must admit, I had my doubts about this invention of yours, but not after what I've seen today. Those machines have saved at least ten lives! I was convinced that the woman currently in that contraption would lose her leg." He was pointing at one of the self-contained medical units.

"It was for emergencies like this that I invented Patecatl, Thomas," replied Dr. Sanchez, as he ran his hand through his gray hair. His weathered face showed the many years of working in the tropics.

"I'm stunned at how quickly you got them operational. You only arrived forty minutes ago," continued Dr. Edwards.

"Excuse me, Dr. Sanchez, we've got two more units up and operating. We're ready for the next patients," interrupted a beautiful young woman, looking up from a computer control screen.

Even though he hadn't had any sleep in the past two days, a gorgeous blonde could still arouse Dr. Edwards. Even in her green coveralls, she was stunning, he thought. They looked like they were painted on her lovely body. He wondered how his old friend Hector was so lucky to have her as one of his technicians.

Chapter 2
July 11, 2011
7:34 PM

Andrew Bishop headed out to the deck and grabbed a cold bottle of Steinlager out of the cooler. Flopping down in a beach chair, he popped the top off the bottle and took a long drink. He could finally relax after months of exhausting work. Tomorrow morning they would finally conduct the first operational exam of Patecatl, a self-contained medical examination apparatus. Actually, it was programmed to do much more than just conducting assessments; it could also be programmed to conduct surgery through the use of nanites.

Andy took another long swig of the beer as his mind shifted to dreams of wealth should the machine operate as projected. Actually the money was secondary, what he craved was the prestige of inventing something special. This was just the sort of project that could lead to a great career. Andy watched the sun slip down in the Caribbean Sea and thought about his bright future.

Chapter 3
July 11, 2011
8:15 PM

Dr Hector Sanchez once again ran the diagnosis program for Patecatl and, for the sixth consecutive time, the program confirmed that everything was operating correctly.

At fifty-seven, he was at the age when doctors with his experience were looking for a nice hospital to run; instead he had put everything he had into creating a dream.

Patecatl was named after the Aztec god of medicine and was the creation of Dr. Hector Sanchez. His goal was to create a portable device that could be used to evaluate and treat a patient located miles from the nearest medical facility.

Dr. Sanchez envisioned Patecatl being flown in to disaster sites or to impoverished areas to treat and save lives. He had served several years with Doctors Without Borders and was often frustrated that lives were lost due to lack of proper medical facilities. It was then that he dreamed up the idea of Patecatl. He studied nanotechnology and soon became a respected expert.

The prototype device was almost ten feet long and five feet wide and resembled a shrunken MRI machine. Dr. Sanchez hoped that future models would be smaller, but that depended on finding better power supplies. Nearly half the weight of Patecatl was the power supply. Hector knew that the device had to be totally self-operating and was obsessed with having a stable internal power supply.

Once a patient was inside Patecatl, all their vital signs and a myriad of lab values could be viewed locally or across the world. After viewing the patient's status, the doctor could then authorize the appropriate treatment. IV fluids and blood transfusions could be administered automatically. The system could store up to ten pints of blood or plasma and could hold up to 100 different drugs, ranging from painkillers to anti-infection medications. Patecatl also held both oxygen and anesthesia gases.

The actual surgery would be conducted by nanites, micro machines injected into the patient. The nanites were programmed to conduct a specific medical procedure. Once the task was completed, they would deactivate and be removed from the body, via the waste removal system. They would be able to perform surgical procedures ranging from closing wounds to repairing internal injuries. One of the many benefits was that by conducting the surgery internally, there was less chance of infection. Another plus side was that the scars were almost invisible.

Hector hoped to get the size and weight down to the point where a patient could be transported inside Patecatl. The goal was to make it portable enough to transport in a standard medical helicopter.

Andy had been hired as a computer programmer. He was initially assigned to work on the emergency power systems. Hector often brought in technicians to work on specific tasks and then he would usually let them go. His fear was that someone would steal the plans for Patecatl. He realized that while his goal was for the betterment of mankind, there were others out there who saw the profits in a device like Patecatl. He knew of several other teams working on devices designed to conduct plastic surgery. However, he had come to trust and respect Andy. This trust paid off as Andy became one of the main troubleshooters for the entire system. Andy had recently redesigned several of the robotic features, making them smaller and more versatile.

Hector had no interest in Patecatl being used to give a starlet larger breasts, his goal was to help those in genuine need and without medical facilities. However, he knew that selling it for commercial uses could allow him to fund his altruistic desires.

In addition to Andy, there were five other permanent technicians presently working on Patecatl. There was Sara Roberts, an electronics genius, who had designed much of the power supply system and the control console. Jim Chambers was a programmer who created the instructional programs for the nanites. Todd Finley designed all the system robotics that maintained internal sterility, analyzed blood samples, administered drugs, manipulated the patient, and administered the proper nanites for surgery. Tommy Jones was Jim's assistant. There was also Randy Brown, another computer programmer who worked on the robotics control systems. Other part time techs were brought in to assist on various parts of Patecatl. There had been dozens of others who had worked on one part or another of the project over the past five years.

Dr. Sanchez had offered each technician a choice of a flat rate salary or a percentage of future profits. The patents alone from Patecatl could be worth millions. While he wasn't interested in personal wealth, he did understand that he was in the minority.

Because of legal and medical "issues" Dr. Sanchez had set up the project on a small island in the Bahamas. When he had Patecatl up and running, he would try to get the approval of the US Government. The biggest obstacle in gaining approval for the project was that Patecatl could perform surgery without a doctor. He imagined that the AMA wouldn't be too pleased about this. He had already received conditional approval by several other countries, assuming he could show the system was safe.

Hector wasn't overly worried about the impending test. It would just be a standard medical examination. The entire procedure would only take one hour. Three doctors were flying in from Miami in the morning to monitor the process. His only regret was that he wouldn't be the first person to be examined by Patecatl. He had originally planned to be the first to be examined, but was talked out of this by the others.

Sara had convinced him that he was the expert on the device and he should be at the controls. There were several volunteers to be first and the decision would be made by drawing straws. Not exactly the most scientific method, thought Hector, but it was at least impartial. He was pleased that almost all of the technicians had volunteered to be the first to be examined.

Chapter 4
July 11, 2011
8:30 PM

Sara joined Andy out on the deck. He pointed to the cooler of beer and without hesitation she accepted his offer. She opened the bottle and took a sip and savored the flavor. Being one of the few single women to have worked on the project, she had grown tired of the constant come-ons, however she didn't seem to mind Andy's attempts to hit on her. Presently she was the only woman working on Patecatl.

Andy was a pleasant looking young man with bright blue eyes. He was five-ten and thin, but muscular, thanks to his morning swims. What attracted Sara to Andy was his easygoing nature and sense of humor. He was the only other male on the island, other than Dr. Sanchez, who wasn't intimidated by her engineering knowledge. Sara lost track of the many times she could have fixed a simple problem, if only the stubborn male engineer would have asked her for help. Andy never hesitated to ask for her help or advice, not that he often needed it.

Andy held out his bottle and tapped it on Sara's. "Here's to a successful test."

He ran his eyes over the attractive engineer. Sara was the same height as he was and was almost as good a swimmer. She wore her auburn hair in a short athletic cut. Sara had told him that long hair was a pain when working inside a machine. Andy was especially attracted to her emerald green eyes.

"Are you going to Miami this weekend?" asked Andy nonchalantly.

Sara nodded. "It's been a few weeks since I've been off the island. I have some shopping to do."

"Exciting. How 'bout I take you out to dinner when you're finished?" asked Andy glancing back over at her.

"Let me guess, candlelight dinner, romantic ocean front view, wine, and music?"

"Nothing so grand. I was thinking hotdogs and beer at a Marlins game," replied Andy with a laugh.

Sara laughed. "You know Todd asked me on a cruise, and the best you can come up with is a baseball game?"

Andy shrugged his shoulders. "I can't help it if I can came up with a better offer than Todd."

Sara laughed in spite of herself.

"What did Randy offer you?"

"Ugh! I wouldn't go out with that jerk if he were the last man on Earth. I can understand why his wife left him," replied Sara.

Randy was a bit arrogant and thought of himself as a real ladies' man. He was in reasonable shape, but was starting to put on a few pounds. His brown hair was thinning slightly too. Andy didn't think he was that good of an engineer either. While Randy was good at design, he was very sloppy in his programming. Andy often spent hours debugging and streamlining systems that Randy had created, and he suspected it was more out of laziness than intelligence.

"So does that mean that I'm winning?" asked Andy with a wink.

Sara laughed. "I just might take you up on that game." She finished her beer and debated reaching for another.

"Go on, a few beers wouldn't hurt you. I already asked Dr. Sanchez and he said that it won't disqualify us from tomorrow's test, unless we're hung over."

"Are you in the running for the maiden run?" asked Sara, as she opened the second beer.

Andy nodded. "I'm a sci-fi geek and wouldn't miss an opportunity to be the first. I think that's why I wanted this job."

"You worried about anything going wrong?"

Andy shook his head. "The program that'll be run tomorrow is just the physical exam program. I know that Patecatl's been prepped for full surgery, but that's just to see how the system operates. Besides, Dr. Sanchez wanted to see how long it took the nanite producing program to warm-up."

"True. This could be a great medical breakthrough. I can imagine that this could lead to a Noble Prize for Dr. Sanchez."

"Maybe, but I doubt that the medical community will be accepting of it."

"That's why he's having some doctors fly in tomorrow to observe."

Just then Jim walked out on the deck munching on a Twinkie. Jim was a brilliant programmer and had designed many of the operating programs for the nanites. In many ways he looked like a stereotype of a computer programmer. He was overweight and wore his long brown hair in a sloppy ponytail. He had an equally disheveled goatee that looked like he trimmed it with a weed whacker. Andy noticed that you could always tell what Jim had for his last meal by looking at his goatee. His standard wardrobe consisted of comic book character t-shirts, khaki shorts, and sandals. Still he was well liked and respected by the rest of the team.

"Doc is ready to hold the drawing for tomorrow's guinea pig," he announced. He then finished off the Twinkie in one bite.

Andy and Sara stood up.

"Are you in the drawing, Jim?" asked Andy.

"Are you kidding? I know that I'm a mess physically. I don't want my wreck of a body to be immortalized for all in eternity," retorted Jim with a laugh. "Hell, my cholesterol level would probable break the damn thing."

Chapter 5
July 12, 2011
7:31 AM

"I still don't think it's fair," bemoaned Sara, as she prepped Patecatl for its initial test.

"Are you accusing me of cheating?" asked Andy with a grin, as he worked next to her. "If I remember right, you did pick before me."

"You can be second if you want," added a distinguished looking man with a gray beard. He was only forty-two, but the gray hair made him look older. He was an avid sailor and was in excellent shape.

"Oh, thanks Todd!" replied Sara. She checked the operating parameters. "Everything looks good."

Dr. Sanchez walked into the room. "Bad news. The doctors won't be coming."

"Why?" asked Todd.

"They wouldn't say. I imagine the government put pressure on them," replied Dr. Sanchez.

"Are we still going to test it?" asked a hopeful Andy.

"I would have preferred to have outside observers, but I think we should run the test as planned. That is, if you're still up for it, Andy?"

Andy grinned. "Let's do it!"

"Where's Jim?" asked Sara.

Andy laughed. "He's too nervous to watch. He said that he would wait outside until the test was over."

Chapter 6
July 12, 2011
9:20 AM

"Andy, can you hear me?" asked Dr. Sanchez, through Patecatl's communication system.

Andy gave a thumbs up. "Loud and clear, Doc."

Andy was lying inside Patecatl. He was naked and his body was covered with electronic monitoring patches.

"Okay, we'll start the physical program. If there are any problems, let us know immediately. Remember there's a panic button to your right. It will stop the program immediately. Press it if you can't talk."

"Got it, Doc."

"Todd, is the video camera ready?" asked Dr. Sanchez.

Todd nodded. The first test of Patecatl would be fully monitored. He was controlling the camera monitoring Andy. Randy was controlling the camera on the controls.

Several of the part-time technicians were standing by, curious to see how the machine operated.

"Okay, Andy, I'm starting the process," announced Dr. Sanchez.

A soothing female voice softly announced the start of the examination to Andy. The voice was specifically selected to make the patient feel at ease. Andy had kiddingly suggested that they use the voice of Sponge Bob Sqaurepants. Andy giggled slightly thinking about this as the woman's voice told him that his blood pressure was normal.

For the first thirty minutes, the program and machine operated perfectly. Dr. Sanchez monitored each step and was pleased that everything was operating according to plan.

"The program should be finishing up shortly," announced Todd, as he looked at his watch.

Andy found the whole experience to be rather relaxing. He knew part of the reason why he felt calm was that the atmosphere inside Patecatl was designed to slightly sedate the patient. He actually had to fight to stay awake a few times. He also knew that the process would be over shortly.

Andy's tranquility was shattered when he heard Sara's voice over the announcing circuit. "What the hell!"

Chapter 7
July 12, 2011
9:55 AM

"Doc, what's wrong?" asked Andy. He tried to stay calm but he was fighting back a sense of fear that something bad had happened. He felt a momentary panic as if he was like a rat in a trap.

Sara attempted to shut down the machine. "A new program has been initiated. I'm shutting Patecatl down."

Andy glanced over at the panic button and was about to reach over to hit it when he felt a sharp prick in his left arm. His head swung over just in time to see one of Patecatl's syringes pull out of his arm. He also saw additional syringes heading towards his body. It struck him that those were syringes used to inject nanites into the body. He tried to speak but was overwhelmed by darkness as the sedatives took effect.

Meanwhile Dr. Sanchez, Sara, and the other technicians were frantically trying to shut down the machine.

"What's happening to Andy?" asked Sara, as she attempted to override the program.

Dr. Sanchez swore. "Stop all attempts to shut down Patecatl! The machine has entered a surgery mode."

"What? That's impossible!" exclaimed Jim, as he waddled quickly into the room. He had been hovering just outside the lab, nervously awaiting the results of the test.

"Look for yourself. So far six different nanite injections have occurred," snapped Dr. Sanchez. "There aren't supposed to be any nanite injections for the physical examination program."

Jim stared at the program and then did a quick check of the computer systems. He looked at the computer connected to the nanite program and all the color suddenly went out of his face. In a growing rage he began to stammer. "Who... who connected my personal computer to the system?"

Tommy, Jim's assistant stepped forward. At twenty-three he was the youngest member of the team. Jim had recruited him from MIT. Tommy had spiked bleached blonde hair and looked more like a surfer than an aspiring computer genius, as Jim had described him. "I did. The nanite computer wouldn't boot this morning. I grabbed yours as it has the backup programs on it."

"Why didn't you get me first?" screamed Jim angrily.

"Don't yell at me! I couldn't find you!" snapped back Tommy. "What's on that computer anyway?"

"Stop it! Jim, look at me. What's happening?" demanded Dr. Sanchez.

Jim calmed down and took a deep breath. "My computer had a program I was working on for the nanites. I had no intention of connecting it to Patecatl without your permission."

"Dammit Jim, what's it doing to Andy?" interrupted Sara anxiously.

Jim hesitated for a moment. He walked over to his desk and lifted up his laptop. The screensaver showed a stunningly gorgeous nude woman. "She's not real. I created her out the best parts of Playboy centerfolds."

"What does that have to do with what's happening to Andy?" demanded Sara impatiently.

Jim stood in silence.

"Jim, you need to tell us," demanded Sara.

"I... I have a college friend who is transgendered. I wrote the program for him," replied Jim softly. "I was hoping to use Patecatl to help him."

The only sound in the room was the humming of Patecatl's motors.

"You mean that the nanites are turning Andy into... her?" asked a shocked Sara, pointing at the centerfold image on the computer's screen.

Jim nodded. "The program will take forty hours to complete."

Dr. Sanchez turned to the monitoring panel. "What can we do?"

"The program cannot be stopped -- correction, make that it must not be stopped. To do so would put Andy's life at risk. Even if we pull Andy out of there, the nanites will be in his system. There is no way to turn them off. Do we have any estrogen in the medical supplies?" answered Jim. "The program requires large injections of estrogen."

Dr. Sanchez nodded. "I'll get it from the medical locker."

"Also human growth hormone. I know we have some of that."

"Can the process be reversed?" asked Sara

Jim shook his head. "Not completely. Andy's entire body is being transformed. I could write a program that would give him back his face, but he won't be a complete male again."

"You mean that he's being completely transformed?" asked Todd.

Jim nodded.

Dr. Sanchez returned with the injectable estrogen and HGH. Todd took them and inserted the bottles into Patecatl.

"So all we can do is just sit here?" asked Sara. "Can't we neutralize the nanites?"

Jim shook his head.

"I don't see any alternative. The nanites are already hard at work. Look at Andy's face," replied Dr. Sanchez.

The team gathered around the monitor showing Andy's body. Sara noted that she could actually see his face change before her eyes. His nose was already becoming small and pert. His cheeks were larger now and his chin seemed softer.

"What about his beard?" asked Todd.

"There are nanites programmed to eradicate his body hair," explained Jim. "He won't even have to shave his legs or underarms."

"Looks like you thought of everything," noted Sara sarcastically. "Except how to keep the program from being used."

"Look, this isn't my fault. I didn't plan on this happening to Andy," retorted Jim angrily.

"You wrote the program!" slammed back Sara.

"I didn't connect the computer to the system!" screamed back Jim.

"Enough!" exclaimed Dr. Sanchez.

There was instant silence in the room. All heads turned to Dr. Sanchez.

"We can work out why this happened later. But now we need to focus on the problem at hand. We need to monitor what's occurring to Andy. There is no sense in all of us being here. Sara, you stay here with me. Todd take everyone else out and set up a schedule for monitoring Andy's progress. Jim, write out a timeline of what's happening. Also, for Andy's sake, no one is to talk about this with anyone else."

Chapter 8
July 12, 2011
5:30 PM

"Jim, sorry I snapped at you earlier," apologized Sara. She sat down next to the control panel. "I know you didn't do this to Andy on purpose."

Jim nodded. "I was just trying to help a friend. Damn, I like Andy, I really do. I can't imagine what he'll do to me."

Sara nodded. "Why don't you take a break?"

"I'm okay. I want to be here if something goes wrong. I can't believe I broke one of the cardinal laws of programming. Never leave a program unprotected. I should have encrypted more some safeguards!"

Sara looked at the monitor and was shocked by how much Andy had changed. His body was smaller, softer, and less muscular. Andy's new face was stunning. He looked identical to the image of Jim's computer. Even Andy's lips were fuller and thicker. Andy was gorgeous, every man's fantasy of a dream woman. Somehow she knew that this would make Andy's adjustment even more difficult.

She saw that he now had breasts. They weren't very big, maybe a B-cup. She looked over at the image on Jim's computer.

"What size breasts did you program?"

"38-E," replied Jim sheepishly.

Sara shook her head. "Why are you guys always so obsessed with huge breasts? Do you have any idea how difficult it will be for Andy?"

Jim shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? The initial program was my friend's dream image of what sort of woman he wanted to be. I can go back later and make them smaller if Andy wants."

Sara glanced over at Jim. She doubted there was a college friend, but figured this wasn't the time or place to bring that up. "What will Andy's new figure be?"

"38E-22-32, why do you ask?"

"Andy will have to have something to wear. Other than his buxom chest, that's close to the small size. I will have to get him some bras, and tops."

Jim nodded. "What will we call Andy?"

Sara looked over at Jim. "Good question. We'll leave that up to Andy."

Sara wondered how Andy would react. According to Dr. Sanchez, Andy was heavily sedated, almost as if he was in a coma. She shuddered slightly thinking what it would be like to wake up with an entirely new body and gender.

Jim stared at the monitors. "Don't take this the wrong way, I'm concerned about what's happening to Andy, but do you realize that we've succeeded?"

"Excuse me if I don't pop open the champagne," replied Sara without taking her eyes off Andy.

"No, I mean it. Look at Andy. The program is working to perfection. His body is within ninety-eight percent of the parameters of the program I wrote. There are no visible scars and judging from his readings, his vital signs are normal. No internal bleeding or problems."

Sara nodded. Dr. Sanchez had reviewed the program and had told her that it was far more complex than anything he had initially imagined for the device. While he was concerned for Andy, he was also pleased that Patecatl was operating correctly.

"Tell me more about how this happened," stated Sara, as she stared at Andy's increasingly feminized appearance.

"As I said earlier, I wrote this program for a friend. I attached it to a copy of the physical examination program. The sex change program would only activate if the person passed the physical. Additionally, the program would only run if the person fell into specific height-weight criteria. If Andy had been taller or weighed less, then the program wouldn't have activated."

"Why weigh less?"

"The nanites are redistributing body fat. The process isn't very efficient and my projections showed that a person would lose 20-40 pounds during the procedure."

"How did you write something so complex?" asked Sara.

"I have a perfect memory. I remember anything I can read. I also have the ability to analyze what I absorb," replied Jim. "The problem is that I don't always take the necessary precautions. I'm a sloppy person, in more than my wardrobe. I wrote the program directly to my computer's memory and included codes so that it couldn't be transferred to another computer. The idea that my entire computer would be moved never occurred to me."

"Tommy must feel awful," added Sara.

"I know. I talked to him and told him that this isn't his fault. The only one to blame is me," answered Jim softly. He muttered another curse under his breath.

Sara nodded and returned to observing Andy. His sexual organs were in a state of transformation. His penis looked as if it was being pulled inside the body and his scrotum appeared to be empty and flat.

"How... functional will he be?" asked Sara.

"He'll have full sensations in his vagina. I based my program on the latest SRS surgery techniques. The nanites are actually redirecting nerve endings into his vagina. In fact, he should achieve orgasm during sex. Of course he can't get pregnant."

"Would it be possible to conduct an organ transplant with Patecatl?"

"Sure. The nanites are capable of making surgical connections far superior to anything done by man. There would be the problem of organ rejection, but the drugs today are far superior to anything used in the past."

Sara nodded, not even sure why she asked the question. In spite of her feelings for Andy's well being, she couldn't help but be fascinated by the program.

"Why is his hair still short?" she asked.

Jim smiled. "No way to make hair grow faster. The same goes for nails. The program can transplant hair, but that wasn't necessary with Andy."

Sara studied Andy's new face and hair. His brown hair wasn't that much shorter than hers, she thought. It wouldn't take much to give him a style fitting his new appearance.

"What happens when the program finishes?"

"After the sex change program is complete, another physical will be run to ensure that there is no internal bleeding. Andy will remain sedated for several more days, to give his body time to adjust. Even so, when he wakes up he'll be in some discomfort. I imagine he'll feel like he went through a massive workout. Every part of his body will be sore. I've already talked to Dr. Sanchez concerning what sort of medication he'll need."

"The physical pain can be handled by drugs," noted Sara. "What will be done about his mental side?"

Jim stared back. "I have no idea."

"It'll be important that we give Andy all the support we can," stated Dr. Sanchez, as he walked into the lab.

"I never planned this program to be run on the unwilling. I never thought what the side effects would be if it was," commented Jim.

"I believe you," replied Dr. Sanchez.

"The big question is, will Andy?" added Sara.

Chapter 9
July 13, 2011
12:15 AM

"How's he doing, Todd?" asked Sara, as she reentered the lab. She took a sip from her coffee mug.

"Vitals are steady. I can't believe that... that women inside there is... or was Andy."

Sara gazed at the monitor and was stunned by how different Andy looked from the last time she had seen him. He was the same height, but was now nearly completely feminine looking. He now had the large E-cup breasts programmed in by Jim. Sara noted that they were perfect in their form and size. Even Andy's nipples seemed perfect.

She ran her eyes down his body. His waist was thin and more womanly in its bodily position. Andy's hips were also larger, giving him the shapely look of the computer-generated model. Jim had actually programmed the nanites to modify Andy's bone structure, so that his new hips weren't all fat and his rib cage tapered down nicely to his slim waist.

She let out a gasp when she reached his newly formed vagina. Other than the lack of hair, it looked totally natural. Sara had gone online during one of her breaks and had checked out several sites dedicated to SRS. While the surgical techniques were good, she could always spot the man-made vaginas. Andy's looked as if he had been born with one.

"I have to hand it to Jim, he's one hell of a programmer," commented Todd, as if he could read Sara's mind.

"I know. However, I'm not sure if looking like a centerfold is going to help Andy adjust. I only wish that Jim's program had been less male fantasy and more reality!" commented Sara.

"I see what you mean. It'll be hard for him to not to be noticed with a body like that. Maybe Jim can write a program to...."

"Take Andy's looks down a notch?" added Sara. "He said he could, but that Andy's body won't be able to have a second round of surgery for at least a year. Something about nanite poisoning."

The nanites were constructed mainly of biodegradable materials. However, there were certain elements used that remained in the body for up to a year. International medical standards recommended a max level of these byproducts. Jim had calculated that it would be twelve to eighteen months before Andy's body could handle another round of surgery.

"The program is due to end at 1:00 AM tomorrow. Although, it looks like Andy's pretty well done now," noted Todd.

"Jim said that the outside appearance would be finished first, the rest of the program is internal."

"Well, I'm going to bed, after a drink. Who's relieving you?"

"Dr. Sanchez."

"I hope this doesn't make him end the project. I'm sorry for what's happening to Andy, but this does prove his machine works."

Sara glanced over at Todd.

"Hey, I know you feel for Andy, and so do I, but look at the big picture, we've succeeded," explained Todd.

"I know. I just wonder how he'll feel about it," noted Sara, pointing to the monitor.

"Do you still see Andy as a guy?" asked Todd.

Sara shrugged her shoulders. It was something that all the team had been discussing. How would they refer to Andy?

"For the sake of not confusing outsiders, I guess we should refer to Andy as a woman. The question is what will Andy see himself as?"

"True. Then there is the whole problem of his identity," added Todd.

"Dr. Sanchez has been working on that. He contacted a lawyer who deals in identity issues. Dr. Sanchez said that Andy's identity could be shifted to female legally, as if he had SRS."

Todd yawned. "See you in the morning, Sara."

Sara nodded slightly and let out a sigh. If only she had won the straw drawing that morning, none of this would have happened. She reviewed the criteria that Jim had placed in the program and saw that Andy was the only member of the team that would activate the program.

She returned to monitoring Andy's progress. Over the next few hours she began to write down names on a notepad. While Andy could keep his same name, she worked on a list of similar feminine names. Of course Andrea was on the list, along with Anastasia, Anne, Angelina, Angela, and many others.

She looked over at the monitoring panel and saw that Andy was doing fine, considering everything that was going on.

Sara thought about one of her college classes and how they had talked about what would happen if you suddenly took a person from one era and sent them into a totally different one. They talked about how mentally shocking it would be to the person and that many wouldn't be able to cope. She momentarily closed her eyes and thought about Andy. He seemed like a strong person. It was then she realized how little she actually knew about him.

She got up and walked over to Dr. Sanchez's desk and accessed the personnel files. Andrew Robert Bishop was twenty-seven and held numerous degrees. Sara skipped the work related information and shifted to his family information.

Andy was born just outside Baltimore. His father was an engineer working for the government. He died in a car crash when Andy was ten. His mother presently worked as a social worker in San Diego.

Andy had graduated early from Cal-Tech with dual degrees in electronic engineering and computer programming. Additionally he minored in philosophy. That caught Sara off guard. She wouldn't have thought that Andy would have studied Plato.

Sara scanned through Andy's file and found that he was a single child. She thought back and couldn't remember if Andy was close to his mother. She did remember that Andy had been engaged once, but he'd never gotten married. Andy refused to say why the marriage never happened.

As she read she learned more about Andy. He played ice hockey and was an avid swimmer. She cracked a grin when she saw Andy's response to the questionnaire's question about what is your favorite fish. Andy wrote "Swedish." She wondered if she could find some of the candies before he awoke.

Sara leaned back in the chair and thought about plans for Andy's life. He was still a brilliant engineer and could get a job almost anywhere. One problem Andy would have to deal with would be that, with his new looks, it would be difficult for him to be taken seriously. Sara sighed at the fact that engineering was still dominated by men. Many would just see his looks and never go any further. Then there would be those who would think Andy got his job based on his looks. She had experienced that several times herself.

Now, if Patecatl became accepted, then Andy wouldn't have to work another day in his life. He had worked on several key systems and he could live off the royalties. No, Andy wouldn't do that anymore than I would, thought Sara. He couldn't stand to just lie around and do nothing.

Sara then began to read the post-operative plan for Andy. According to Jim, Andy would be placed on heavy doses of hormones and HGH. The HGH would be used to speed up his recovery from the procedure.

One of the benefits of nanites was that recovery time was greatly accelerated. At least Andy's physical recovery would be quick.

"How's he doing, Sara?" asked Dr. Sanchez.

"Everything is progressing per the program."

Dr. Sanchez sat down next to her. "I plan on addressing the entire team tomorrow concerning Andy."

"From what I've heard, most are very supportive. I don't think we'll have any trouble with them."

Dr. Sanchez nodded. "I want you to be the first to know of my decision concerning Patecatl."

Sara stared back at Dr. Sanchez.

"We need to make sure that this never happens again. I want the team to design a new computer control system. I want safeguards to prevent a future mishap."

"So, you're continuing with the project?"

Dr. Sanchez nodded. "As it has been put to me several times, the machine works. The humanitarian benefits are too great. What do you think?"

"I support your decision. I think Andy will want to help too."

"I'm counting on it."

Sara nodded. "Oh, I've started working on an order for clothes for Andy. Any problem with me putting it on my project credit card?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I insist upon it," replied Dr. Sanchez.

"Don't worry, I'm not going overboard. I'm focusing on casual stuff, tops, shorts, underwear, etc. I doubt if Andy will want to jump right into a dress."

"When will the order arrive?"

"I'm sending it directly to Stephen. He can bring it with our daily mail. It should be here in two days," replied Sara.

Stephen ran the boat service for the island. He brought in food, mail, and technical equipment. While the island had an airstrip, it was cheaper and easier to bring things in by boat.

"We're lucky to have you. I know that you and Andy are friends...."

"You don't have to say anything else. Andy will need guidance in his new life. I'm happy to help," interrupted Sara.

"Still, I want you to know how much I personally appreciate your help."

Sara smiled. "Too bad I'm not a shrink. I think Andy will be needing one of those."

"I agree. I can handle the physical side, but Andy's going to be facing a huge shock to his mental state. I don't know how I'd handle it."

"I've been wondering the same thing."

"What may make it worse is that he may be unable to speak when he first awakes. Jim told me that Andy's vocal cords will be very sore and that he may not be able to speak above a whisper for several days."

Sara nodded. She then looked around the lab, as if she was confirming that they were alone. "Do you really think that Jim put this much effort into the program, just to help a college friend?"

Dr. Sanchez nodded. "I must admit that it does sound funny. Still, Jim isn't exactly a normal person. He has more than his share of eccentricities. He doesn't care about personal wealth or prestige. Obviously, he doesn't care about his appearance either. He's also one of the most brilliant programmers I've ever met. You know, he has created programs based only on a casual conversation."

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm, well just last month I mentioned that I wished that Patecatl could be used to detect and treat internal parasites. Two days later he showed me a basic program that could be instantly modified to treat parasites of a specific geographic region. He had included a database of parasites common to each island in the Caribbean and Central America. I think he likes taking on great challenges, just for the mental exercise."

"You might be right. Just for argument sake, would you let him help his 'friend'? Assuming he asks you."

Dr. Sanchez pondered the question. "To be honest, I don't have a huge problem with it, assuming the patient has been diagnosed as transgendered. After all, it's an accepted medical issue in most countries today."

"Makes sense. I'd rather Patecatl be used for something like that than to give vain actresses boob jobs and face lifts."

"I agree. However, it might be a good way to introduce Patecatl to the medical community. They might be more accepting if they can see what it can do."

Sara nodded. "If the US doesn't approve it, what are you going to do?"

"My lawyers have begun preliminary talks with several countries, including the Bahamas. I was thinking of turning the island into a clinic. The money raised could then be put to humanitarian causes. I also like the idea of keeping the technology close."

"How would that work with the portable units?" asked Sara. Her mind began to contemplate the problem.

"That'll be one of our next tasks, to safeguard the technology."

"Sounds exciting. I'd love to be involved."

Dr. Sanchez nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. I was going to talk to you about this later, but no time like the present. I want to hire you fulltime. I'm also going to offer fulltime jobs to Jim, Todd, and of course Andy."

Sara looked over at the monitor. Andy seemed to be resting peacefully.

"I wonder if he has any idea of what is happening to him?"

"From looking at his brainwaves, I'd say no. He has all the indications of being in a deep coma."

"I hope he won't freak out too badly."

"Either way, we must support him."

Chapter 10
July 13, 2011
7:55 AM

Sara walked into the lab sipping her coffee. She had tried to sleep, but was too worried about Andy. She found Jim and Todd monitoring Andy.

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"Hey, Sara. Good. There was a slight problem earlier, but everything looks good now," noted Todd.

"What happened?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"He had some minor internal bleeding. The nanites quickly detected the problem and fixed it," interjected Jim. "He only required a half pint of blood."

She reviewed the monitor and saw that Andy's vitals were all normal. Dr. Sanchez had taught all of them much about human physiology, so that they could better understand any problems that might arise. She reviewed Andy's vitals for the previous four hours and saw the dip in blood pressure.

"Where was the problem?" she asked.

"The nanites were adjusting Andy's bladder," stated Todd. "Don't worry, we immediately contacted Dr. Sanchez."

"Everything progressing as planned?"

"Yes. The program is still operating on schedule. We'll be able to remove him from Patecatl sometime after 1 AM tomorrow. However, Dr. Sanchez and I believe it would be best to leave him inside for a day or so. We can better monitor his body and treat any problems that might happen," stated Jim.

"And when do we wake him?"

"I recommend we keep him sedated for at least three days. Even then, when he awakes we should have him initially tied down, so that he doesn't hurt himself. He'll be rather fragile at first."

"Okay, well you guys might as well go grab breakfast. Don't forget that Dr. Sanchez wants to see you at nine," reminded Sara.

Jim and Todd nodded and left the lab.

Sara sat down and stared at Andy's image in the monitor. She shook her head as she stared at the lovely woman that Andy had become. She had overheard several of the male technicians talk about how "hot" Andy was. She had to agree with them. As she gazed at Andy, she felt some strong feelings of sexual attraction.

Sara considered herself bi-sexual. Actually she didn't like that label, she just felt comfortable enough with her sexuality to be attracted to both men and women. She didn't consider one to be better than the other, just different. She began to fantasize what it would be like to be with the now feminized Andy. She smiled at the notion, as she had thought about being with Andy before the accident. She wondered how Andy would react to his new body in a sexual manner.

Because he was a composite of several attractive women, Andy was stunningly beautiful. No, she thought, perfect would be a better description. The only thing detracting from Andy's appearance was his short hair.

Somehow, the short hair made Andy even sexier to her. It gave him an exotic look, she thought. Sara found that she was getting aroused and had to refocus her thoughts.

Sara checked her e-mail and was pleased to see that the clothing order was filled and would be delivered the following day. At least Andy would have something to wear. She looked over her order and went back to the website. She looked at several dresses and skirts and selected several for Andy. She also selected jewelry and other accessories. No, she wouldn't spring them on him immediately, but she would have them available, just in case. Besides, she could always return them.

Chapter 11
July 13, 2011
9:03 AM

Jim walked into the meeting in the conference room a few minutes late.

"Glad to see you could make it," joked Todd.

"Sorry, but someone left the coffee pot empty, AGAIN," bemoaned Jim.

The bantering continued for a few minutes. Dr. Sanchez was actually pleased to see the team joking again. While he couldn't downplay what had happened to Andy, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing either. He would need the entire team, and hopefully Andy too, to correct the flaws in Patecatl.

Dr. Sanchez glanced at his watch. "Okay, we need to get started. Everyone is here, except Sara... and, of course, Andy."

The room immediately got quiet.

"First thing, Andy is still changing. The program will finish tomorrow morning. In spite of the changes, Andy appears to be in excellent physical condition," stated Dr. Sanchez.

He looked out and saw that most were genuinely relieved to hear that Andy was okay.

"Now, we must consider what we're going to do about Andy. When he awakes we must offer him our full support. I realize that I'm stating the obvious here, but Andy's going to be experiencing a major shock. Our support will help him recover. I recommend that you treat him as you did before. He'll need a sense that some things haven't changed."

"How can we do that? My God, have you seen her?" stated Randy. "I mean she's hot. I'm only being honest here, but Andy is literally oozing sexuality."

"First off, even though Andy's body is feminine, let's hold off on referring to Andy as female. I know that we'll have to cross that bridge later, but for now put that aside. Second, the last thing Andy needs is to have you all drooling over him."

"While the program is mainly physical, there are large amounts of female hormones being pumped into his system. That will further put his emotions on edge," added Jim.

"So, Andy will be dealing with some very loose emotions," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"Doc, I've looked up data on SRS. Hormonal changes usually take months, if not longer to occur. Why do you think Andy will be different?" asked Tommy.

"It has to do with the nanites. In addition to conducting the surgery, they're distributing hormones to various parts of his body, including his brain. This doesn't mean that Andy is going to think and act like a woman. It does mean that his emotional state will be in flux. I imagine that it will take a while until he adjusts to the changes. In some ways it will be like a woman going through postpartum depression, or PMS," stated Dr. Sanchez.

There was more head nodding.

"PMS? Shit, my ex was a real bitch when that happened," quipped Randy. He then started to laugh.

No one else laughed and Todd stared back angrily. "Randy, shut the fuck up."

Randy glared back at Todd, but kept his mouth shut.

"Now, I got the letter that Todd wrote and you all signed, stating that you all will abide by Andy's wishes and protect what happened here. I truly appreciate this," continued Dr. Sanchez. He stared directly at Randy.

"Hey, it's not Andy's fault. He didn't do anything to deserve this," stated Todd.

A few heads turned towards Jim.

"That's true. It was an accident. If I thought otherwise I would say so. Now, please don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way, but we have some engineering issues to fix with Patecatl. First we need to redesign it so this sort of mistake can never, ever happen again," instructed Dr. Sanchez.

"Does that mean that we're not shutting it down?" asked Randy.

"Patecatl works. It just had a flaw in the system. It would be a huge mistake to abandon it now," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Randy looked over at Jim, who was holding out his hand palm up. Randy sighed and reached into his pocket, retrieved a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet. He handed it reluctantly to Jim, who smiled back.

"I also want you to look over every system and see if there are other potential problems out there," added Dr. Sanchez. "Look at any part of the system that could be compromised, intentionally or unintentionally."

For the next two hours they brainstormed ways to prevent a reoccurrence of the accident. A new interface was suggested, along with changes to the basic Patecatl program.

"Okay, you've got your assignments. Don't rush this, we need to do it right," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"We should have the new interface ready in two weeks," stated Randy.

"We should have the program changes ready by then," added Jim.

"Good. While I know that you want to get to work, please stay out of the lab until Andy's out," reminded Dr. Sanchez.

Chapter 12
July 14
0030

"Well, if everything continues as planned the program will stop in thirty minutes,' noted Jim as he looked at his watch.

"I still don't like the fact that we're leaving him in there for another day," stated Sara, standing cross-armed by her control console.

"It's for the best. It's sterile, we can monitor Andy better, and it also has a high oxygen level that will help his recovery," replied Jim.

"Sara, I agree with Jim. We designed Patecatl so that a patient could be kept in it for days. Besides Andy needs rest now. His body needs time to recover."

"What about the nanites?" asked Sara.

"Most have already shut down and are being processed out of his body. I don't think we need to worry about nanite poisoning," answered Dr. Sanchez.

They sat down around Patecatl and quietly waited until the program shutdown.

At 1:01 AM Patecatl's audio alarm sounded, announcing the completion of Andy's transformation. Dr. Sanchez immediately placed Patecatl in patient monitoring mode. He began to analyze the data on the monitor.

"Everything looks good, except that he's slightly anemic. That's to be expected after all the changes his body has gone through. I'll make some adjustments on his IV to help bring up his blood cell count."

Andy looked as if he was sleeping without a care in the world. Sara was struck by his peaceful appearance. She hoped he would be able to recover psychologically from the change.

"Do we maintain the watch schedule?" asked Todd.

"Yes. I'll take the first shift," stated Dr. Sanchez. "Todd and Jim, can you relieve me at 4?"

"Sure, no problem," replied Todd.

Sara stood there staring at Andy, lost in thought. "I wonder if he knows what has happened to him?"

"What was that Sara?" asked Todd.

Sara snapped out of her trance. "Oh, nothing. I'll see you all in the morning."

Chapter 13
July 14
5:43 PM

Sara was sitting in her room sorting through the clothing and other items that she had bought for Andy. There were several tops, t-shirts, and shorts. Additionally there were panties and bras. Sara had also ordered a supply of toiletries for Andy. She figured that if Andy wanted more stuff they could always fly to either Nassau or Miami.

She planned to try to get Andy out in the world as soon as possible. It would be incredibly easy for Andy to seclude himself on the island and avoid contact with the outside world. Sara knew that would be the worst thing he could do. Like it or not, Andy would have to adjust to his new body. Sara wanted to be there to help him, guide him, and when necessary, prod him. Being the only other woman on the team automatically made her the perfect person to help Andy.

So far, Andy's recovery was right on track. Dr. Sanchez had reduced the sedation and was keeping Andy in a light coma. All tests showed a normal physical recovery.

She looked at her watch and saw that it was getting close to her shift. She wasn't hungry, but decided to try to eat something. She stopped in the kitchen and fixed herself a salad.

She carried it out to the dining area and sat down across from Jim.

"Are you on next?" he asked.

Sara nodded as she ate.

"You know, I debated fleeing the island for a few days. I'm not looking forward to facing Andy," confided Jim.

Sara finished her mouthful of food. "You won't run away."

"You're right. Still, I'm really worried about how he'll react. I know that I'm a social misfit and I'm also a computer geek. I like my work because I mainly work alone. I don't have to worry about anyone else but myself. Now, due to my inattention to detail, I've fucked up an innocent person's life. If there was any way I could make it up to him, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Just be honest with him. Andy has a right to be upset. Lying to him will only make matters worse."

Jim nodded. " I debated destroying the program."

"Did you?"

Jim shook his head. "Believe it or not, I really did write it for a friend."

"I'd like to hear more about your friend someday," replied Sara with a sly smile.

"You really don't think that I made that program for myself do you?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "If you did, I'm not judging you, you have a right to make your life whole."

Jim laughed. "Trust me, I didn't make it for myself. I imagine that the others think I did it for myself too."

"Maybe, you'll have to ask them."

"If I ever write a program for myself, it would be to get rid of some of this fat." He grabbed his belly with both hands and laughed.

Sara smiled back. She wasn't sure if Jim was telling the truth or not, but she had other concerns.

"I'm glad Doc isn't killing the project. We'll be fixing some serious problems with the system. After that, it should be a much improved and much safer system."

Jim nodded. He then shook his head back and forth in disgust. "How could I have been so fuckin' stupid?" he mumbled.

Sara sat in silence and then answered. "You're only human."

Jim mumbled something else that Sara couldn't quite make out. She glanced at her watch. "Well, Todd will be wondering where I am. Catch you later."

Sara rinsed out her salad bowl and headed into the lab.

"How's he doing?" she asked Todd.

"Take a look for yourself," stated Todd pointing to the monitoring console. "I'm no expert on these things, but it looks like Andy's having some intense dreams."

Sara looked at the console. Todd had brought up Andy's brainwave pattern. It indicated that Andy was in a heavy REM cycle of sleep.

"I didn't think he would be able to dream in the sedated state he's in," remarked Sara.

"Doc came in a while back and checked out the readings. He suspects it may have to do with the high level of hormones in his system."

"I wonder if he's dreaming or having nightmares," added Sara.

Todd shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm off to get together with my engineering group. I have a new idea for the interface system."

Sara sat down and stared at Andy sleeping. He had a content look on his face, almost as if he was experiencing something pleasant. She hoped he would find happiness in his new life.

Chapter 14
July 16
8:45 AM

Sara stood next to Dr. Sanchez in Andy's room. He had been removed from Patecatl that morning and was now lying in his own bed. Sara had dressed Andy in one of his old t-shirts. It was large enough on Andy's reduced frame that it was like a nightgown.

Andy's arms and legs were secured to the edge of his bed. This was done so that he wouldn't hurt himself as he was revived.

"How long will it take him to wake up?" asked Sara.

"Not long," replied Dr. Sanchez. "His vitals are already responding."

Sara watched as Andy's breathing became deeper and stronger. His body began to flex. Sara noted what looked like a twinge of pain on Andy's face. She remembered that Jim said that Andy's body would feel sore all over.

Then suddenly Andy's eyes opened. He looked as if he was trying to focus. Slowly he fought off the effects of the sedatives and tried to regain consciousness. He tried to lift his right hand to rub his eyes, but couldn't. He tried and failed with his left hand. A look of confusion grew on his awakening face.

"Andy, it's okay," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Andy's mind was so foggy, he felt as if he had been asleep for days. The last thing he remembered was being in Patecatl for the physical examination test. Suddenly he remembered the needle inserting into his arm and his vain attempt to reach the panic button. He tried to sit up but was held back.

"Relax, Andy. You're in your room. There was... an accident with Patecatl," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Andy turned his head towards Dr. Sanchez. He cringed slightly as he moved. His whole body ached, what had happened he wondered.

Andy turned his head towards Dr. Sanchez. He cringed slightly as he moved. His whole body ached.

Dr. Sanchez took a deep breath. "We made a mistake when we started Patecatl. A secondary computer was hooked up to run the program when the primary computer failed."

Andy nodded. He remembered the program refused to load. "Go on," he mouthed. He was surprised to see Sara there. Her face instantly told him something was very wrong.

"The computer had an additional program on it, which initiated after the physical program was completed," continued Dr Sanchez.

Andy stared back at Sara and mouthed "Sara. Tell me!"

"Your body was transformed. You're physically female now," replied Sara. She turned to Dr. Sanchez. "Sorry."

Dr. Sanchez nodded his approval.

Andy's eyes opened wide. "What?"

"There was a program on the other computer that was designed for a transgendered person. Designed to give them complete sex reassignment surgery."

Andy shook his head. "Let me see," he mouthed.

Without waiting for Dr. Sanchez's permission, Sara began to untie Andy.

"I'll help you up," explained Sara. "Now wait until I finish untying you before you try to get up."

Andy nodded in a very apprehensive manner.

Sara undid the restraints. "Let us help you up. You're body is still weak."

Andy nodded and let Sara and Dr. Sanchez help him sit up. He was instantly aware of the weight on his chest. He looked down and gasped as he saw his large breasts.

Sara and Dr. Sanchez helped Andy slide around on the edge of his bed so he could look at his reflection in the mirror.

Andy lifted his head and stared at the image in the mirror looking back at him. He didn't see himself, rather there was an extremely attractive woman sitting across from him. He shook his head in disbelief and she did the same. This can't be happening, he thought. He lifted his hand to his face and touched his cheeks. He pulled back as if he had touched something hot. His face felt so different. It was so soft and smooth.

"How're you doing, Andy?" asked Dr. Sanchez.

Andy's eyes cut over to him for a moment, but then returned to the image in the mirror. That woman couldn't be me, he thought. He looked at his breasts, which were very visible, even in the oversized t-shirt.

With slight hesitation, Andy's hands reached down and touched his chest. Instantly he knew that they were real as he brushed against his nipples. He tried to lift off the shirt, but was too weak.

Seeing his plight, Sara reached down and assisted him.

Andy smiled slightly and mouthed, "Thanks."

Andy turned and stared at the mirror. The stunning woman was now naked too. She had huge breasts just like him. Andy looked down and saw that the changes were total. His penis was gone and he had a vagina.

He was almost afraid to touch it, but curiosity overcame him and he reached down. His fingers ran across his labia. It was real.

Andy looked over at Sara and tried to say something, but his head felt like it was spinning and he fell back into unconsciousness.

"It's okay, Sara, he's just fainted. Make sure he doesn't fall forward. We'll get him back into bed," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"Do we reawaken him?" asked Sara, after they had him lying down.

"No, we'll let him sleep. This is going to be a long recovery for him."

"I'll stay here for now," stated Sara, as she sat down in a chair next to Andy's bed.

"Okay. But call me as soon as he wakes up."

Sara nodded and reached over and ran her hand gently across Andy's head, brushing back his hair.

Chapter 15
July 16
2:33 PM

Andy slowly awoke. What a strange dream that was, he thought. He opened his eyes and saw that Sara was sitting next to his bed. He sat up suddenly and groaned as he felt an ache over his whole body. He looked behind Sara and saw his image in the mirror. It was the woman in his dreams staring back at him.

"Shit!" he croaked. Damn, even his voice was different.

"I'm here, Andy," comforted Sara.

"Then it wasn't a dream?" asked Andy, his eyes glued to the mirror.

"That's right."

"This can't be me," he whispered.

"The nanites changed you to fit the program," stated Sara.

Andy struggled to speak. "I've... seen this face before...."

Sara nodded.

Then it hit Andy. "Jim's screensaver!"

Sara nodded again. "She was the model for the program."

Andy began to shake his head and mumble no.

Sara reached over to comfort him. Andy's face began to show a growing panic.

"It's okay, Andy. We're here for you."

Not being able to speak only frustrated Andy more. Sara saw tears forming in Andy's eyes. The panic on Andy's face was turning into fear, pure fear. She called out for Dr. Sanchez, not wanting to leave Andy's side.

Andy turned to Sara and, unable to speak, mouthed in a near pleading manner, "Change... me... back! Please!"

Dr Sanchez arrived and Sara began to tell him what had happened.

Overwhelmed with panic and fear, Andy tried to stand up and escape, but was too weak and collapsed to the floor. The inability to even run overwhelmed Andy, who began to weep uncontrollably. He never felt the needle in his arm as Dr Sanchez sedated him.

Chapter 16
July 16
3:15 PM

"Is this how you'd think he'd respond?" asked Sara, as she looked at Andy, now sound asleep from the sedative.

"I don't know. What's the normal reaction for someone having their gender changed unexpectedly?" replied Dr. Sanchez.

"It was too much for him to accept. He can't even talk to us," stated Sara.

"His voice should start to improve. He should be able to speak better in the next day or so."

"Should we keep him from talking?"

"No, in fact the more he talks the better it will be," replied Dr. Sanchez.

"How long will he be out?" asked Sara.

"Not long. I just gave him enough to put him out for an hour or so. I want to be here when he awakes this time," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Chapter 17
July 16
4:25 PM

Andy opened up his eyes; he was still in his bed. He rolled over and saw Dr. Sanchez and Sara sitting next to his bed. He let out a long sigh. The reality began to sink in. He struggled to sit up, wincing from the pain that seemed to be everywhere.

"Take it easy, Andy. The pain will pass," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Andy nodded. He swung his legs around to the edge of the bed. "I need to see... to see it all."

Sara understood and helped him undress. She pulled the shirt over his head and Andy had his first good look at his new body. He let out a long gasp.

"You okay?" asked Sara.

Andy glanced up at her and rolled his eyes.

Sara cracked a slight smile. It was the first time since the accident that she had seen any of Andy's sense of humor.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Let me know if you need anything," commented Sara.

Andy nodded and stared down at his surgically altered body. He just shook his head in disbelief.

"This isn't me! I don't know who that woman in the mirror is," he complained.

Neither Sara nor Dr. Sanchez said a word; they just let Andy absorb what had happened.

Andy continued to gently shake his head back and forth. His body was gorgeous, but it wasn't his. It belonged to a computer-generated hottie, a composite of several centerfolds. He hesitated to touch his enormous breasts. He reached up and slowly cupped his hands around them. He was amazed by their weight.

He then looked down at his vagina. I have a vagina, that will take some getting used to saying, he thought. He ran his hands lightly around his thighs. He couldn't quite bring himself to touch it. He let out another long sigh. Without thinking he reached up and wiped away a tear.

"I really liked being a guy," he rasped out. There was a tone of true sadness in Andy's words. He wiped away another tear.

Sara nodded and was pleased that he seemed slightly more in control of his emotions that the previous two times.

"Can this... be reversed?" he asked hopefully.

Dr. Sanchez was prepared for this question. "No. Not completely. We can restore your face and some of your body structure. But the surgery was too complex, too many changes, especially in terms of your sexual organs."

Andy nodded. "That's what I thought. No harm in asking though."

"We can't do anything for at least a year anyway," added Sara.

Andy looked at her and then it hit him. "Nanite poisoning?"

Sara nodded.

"What happens now?" he asked, as his eyes turned back to his body.

"We help you recover. Then we get your life back in order," stated Dr. Sanchez. "Just so you know, you have the support of the entire team."

Andy nodded slightly. The tears started again. "I can't remember the last time I cried." He reached up and began to wipe the tears away from his eyes.

Sara handed Andy a tissue. "Your emotional state is going to be loose. The procedure required extremely high doses of female hormones. You may experience large emotional swings."

"No shit," Andy growled out and then paused. A slight smile began to form on his face. "I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help."

"It's okay. I've been pondering how I would react if I was in your shoes," replied Sara.

Andy let out a long sigh. "It's like a living a nightmare. I keep hoping I'll wake up and be... me. But this is really me now isn't it?"

Sara nodded.

Andy stared back and his eyes returned to his body. He cupped his breasts in his hands. "I can't believe how much these weigh."

Sara sat next to Andy on his bed. "In case you're curious, your bra size is 38-E."

"They really get in the way," remarked Andy, as he tried to cross his arms across them. There was a tone of frustration in his voice. "From a strictly practical viewpoint... I suppose I'll have to start wearing a bra...."

"I have some clothes that will fit you. Don't worry, nothing is too extreme," informed Sara.

Dr. Sanchez stepped towards the door. "I'll let you two talk for a while. Call me if you need anything."

Andy looked up and nodded. "Thanks, Doc."

"You want to try on one of the bras?" asked Sara.

"My fiance asked me that once when she was in a kinky mood," joked Andy. He then looked down at his breasts. "Not that I'm happy about this, but I suppose that I have to face the facts. My body is now female... very female. I doubt if many of my old clothes would fit."

"While I'm not as well developed as you, let me tell you that wearing a bra will feel good, from a physical comfort standpoint," explained Sara.

She got off the bed and retrieved the clothing. She pulled out a beige bra and handed it to Andy.

He took it as if she was handing him something dangerous.

"It won't bite," quipped Sara.

Andy grinned. "I just never thought that I would have to wear something like this. I know it's just a piece of clothing, but it doesn't seem right."

"Andy, you have a female body. I know that you're the same person inside and you will have a lot of adapting to do, but you're strong and you will succeed. I'm not downplaying what happened, but you can't lay here naked in your bed for the rest of your life."

"You're right. But knowing that still doesn't make it any easier," stated Andy. "So how do I put this thing on?"

Sara helped Andy slip on the bra. She adjusted the straps and was pleased with the fit, although Andy appeared to be slightly bigger than his programmed 38-E, but she kept this knowledge to herself.

"How's that feel?" asked Sara.

"Not bad," replied Andy; he reached up and adjusted his bra strap. "Okay, what's next?"

Sara reached into a bag and pulled out a pair of matching cotton panties and handed them to Andy.

"What, no thongs?" asked Andy with a smile.

"Sure, I'll get some for you next time," replied Sara.

Andy tried on the panties. He stood up and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "They fit."

"I also have some shorts and tops." Sara laid out a pair of light green shorts and a sleeveless yellow t-shirt. The outfit was similar to what she was presently wearing. It was her normal casual off-work outfit.

Andy picked up the shorts and slipped them over his enlarged hips. He then did the same with the top. In spite of his apprehension, he had to admit that he looked good.

"I also got you a new watch, your old one is too big," added Sara. She handed him a woman's digital watch. She had picked one with similar functions and style to his male watch.

Andy looked at his dainty wrists and nodded in agreement. The new watch was soon around his wrist.

Sara was pleased that Andy had been so accepting of his new wardrobe. She decided to press him slightly, seeing he was being so open-minded.

"Andy, do you want me to help you with your hair?"

Andy glanced in the mirror. As much as he was unhappy about his new body, he had to agree that his present haircut was out of place. He reached up and ran his fingers through his short brown hair.

"I could style yours similar to mine," continued Sara.

"Makes sense. If I leave the island, I don't want to draw any undue attention... not that many people will be looking at my head," replied Andy, looking down at his breasts.

"Okay, sit down over here," instructed Sara, pointing to a chair.

In a few minutes she had trimmed Andy's hair and styled it into a more feminine look.

"After a while, when your hair grows out, we'll go to a salon and get a professional to style you," stated Sara.

Andy looked at himself in the mirror and nodded. "I don't know, I think you did a pretty good job."

"I used to style my friends' hair in college. Earned a little money that way," confessed Sara.

Andy nodded. He looked at himself in the mirror and it was clear that no one would ever suspect that he was once male. He felt his emotions kicking up again and he felt the tears forming again.

"Shit," he mumbled, as the tears began to flow.

Sara reached over and put her arms around him and gave him a long hug.

"Sorry," sniffed Andy. "I was just overwhelmed... again."

"Don't apologize. Besides, it's okay to let your emotions out," replied Sara.

"You mean, now that I'm a girl?" countered Andy. A slight smirk formed on his face.

"Yes, but it's never good to hold in your feelings. Andy, I'm not trying to make you into a woman. But let's face the facts; you have the body of a woman, an extremely beautiful woman. People are going to notice you. You can't try to hide your looks."

Andy sat down and stared back at Sara.

"It's not the end of the world. Yes, it's a huge change, but you're very healthy and you're also very intelligent. That hasn't changed one bit. Dr. Sanchez wants you on the team. He was planning on offering you a fulltime position BEFORE this happened. The accident hasn't changed his opinion."

"That's good to know. So, what do I do about my identity?" asked Andy.

Sara was pleased that Andy was willing to talk rationally about what had happened.

"Dr. Sanchez talked to a lawyer, who suggested that we treat this as if you had a regular sex change operation. He can file the paperwork that would change everything from male to female... along with a name change."

Andy sat silently absorbing what Sara had just said. The logical engineer side of him agreed with Sara. But another part of him didn't want to let go of his male identity. He began to internally debate the pros and cons of what to do.

Sara didn't say anything initially, she let Andy contemplate. However, eventually she felt the need to pipe in. "You don't need to make up your mind this very second."

Andy looked up at her. "You're right. Thanks."

"You hungry?" she asked.

"Famished," replied Andy.

"You want me to bring you something, or...."

"No. Let's go to the dining room," interrupted Andy.

"You up to that?" asked Sara.

"No, but let's go before I change my mind," replied Andy softly.

"Here's a pair of sandals for you," stated Sara.

Andy nodded and noticed that they were the female style of his old favorite sandals.

"Did you buy these too?"

Sara nodded.

"Very thoughtful. Thanks."

Chapter 18
July 16
6:38 PM

Sara and Andy stood outside the dining area. Andy was very nervous and took in a deep breath and let it out in a long blow.

"Okay, let's get this over with," stated Andy.

They walked in together. The room was filled and within seconds all heads turned towards them.

"Yes, I'm alive," stated Andy.

His voice was still a bit soft, but Sara noticed that it was almost up to full volume.

Andy's statement caused a round of laughter. It was a good sign, thought Sara.

"I'll be glad to talk later, but right now, I really need to get something to eat," continued Andy. "Oh, and just in case you're wondering, please call me Andy."

Andy and Sara sat down together with their meals. Andy took a seat with his back to the rest of the technicians.

"Are they all staring at me?" he whispered to Sara.

"Not all of them," replied Sara.

Andy took a bite of his lasagna. "This is really good, but then again it's the first meal I've had in days."

"You're doing great," stated Sara.

Andy nodded. "I can't believe how strange my body feels. I mean when we walked over here I could feel my hips swaying and my.... my breasts bouncing. I know they were watching me."

"I imagine you're right," replied Sara. She had seen a few of the men staring at Andy, and it was a look of lust. She couldn't blame them as Andy had a killer body.

"And it doesn't matter to them that I'm a guy inside this body?" he whispered back.

Sara noted the slight tone of anger in Andy's voice and she wondered if she had pushed him too far, too fast.

"You want to stay out here?" she asked.

Andy nodded. "I guess it's just something else I'll have to tolerate." He let out a long sigh.

"After dinner, you want to take a walk along the beach?" asked Sara.

"No. I want to see Jim."

Sara stared back. "You sure about that?"

Andy smiled. "Don't worry. I just want to ask him a favor."

Chapter 19
July 16
7:18 PM

Jim sat nervously across from Andy and Sara. They were sitting in the main lab next to Patecatl.

"Andy, please let me apologize for what happened to you," Jim exclaimed.

"Thank you. I know you didn't do this to me on purpose. I'm not happy that it happened, but I accept that it was an accident," stated Andy.

"So what do you want? I can't change you back completely, at best I can write a program that will change you partially back or, as Sara suggested, tone down your appearance," asked Jim, he took a bite from his chocolate bar. "But that will be at least a year from now. To do so sooner would have dire consequences."

"I know. Nanite poisoning," interjected Andy.

"Exactly," replied Jim. "It could cause a variety of problems including kidney and liver failure."

"A year is a long time. What I want is for you to destroy the program that changed me."

Jim got a panicked look on his face.

"Before you throw a fit, you don't have to destroy the entire program. I just want the part of the program that gave me my specific looks changed, if that's possible," continued Andy.

"Why?" asked Jim.

"Like it or not, this is my face for now. I don't want to be the first of several copies," replied Andy. "I've lost a lot, but if I have to be this person, then I want to be the only one."

"Oh. Of course," replied Jim sheepishly. "I can do that."

"I'm asking you to do this as a friend," continued Andy.

Jim noticed the sense of sadness in Andy's voice.

"I'll get onto it immediately, Andy. I promise you that you'll be unique."

Andy cracked a slight smile. "I think I'm already unique now."

Chapter 20
July 16
9:38 PM

Andy was lying in a bath filled with hot water. Sara had suggested that it would help him relax. While the steamy water felt good, Andy was too wrapped up in thought to really relax.

First off, he wasn't sure if he wanted to spend the rest of his life as a woman. It wasn't the end of the world, as Sara had pointed out, but it was a huge adjustment. He felt a shiver up his spine as he thought of how some of the men looked at him. His eyes ran down to his vagina. There was no way that a man's cock was ever going inside him, he declared to himself.

Andy began to run through his mind a list of his close friends and family. It was a short list. He wondered how they'd react to his new appearance. He knew that he couldn't just disappear. Andy began to create a list of those people who he felt would accept him as a woman, and those that wouldn't.

Marcy would look upon what had happened as an improvement. She had been Andy's fiance. They had broken up when she'd confessed that she preferred women to men. He'd never told anyone the real reason why they broke up; his male ego was too shattered.

For the first time in months, he thought about Marcy and her pert little breasts. He knew the right way to rub them to get her hot and bothered. Without thinking, Andy began to rub his own nipples. The pleasurable sensation was definitely eye opening. Andy's nipples when he was male were never all that sensitive, but now they were very responsive.

Andy stopped before going much further. He wasn't ready to explore his new body. In some ways he still didn't accept it as his. It would take time to see himself as female.

In a shift of emotions, Andy suddenly became very sad and depressed. He could feel his eyes watering up again.

"Shit," he exclaimed softly, as the tears began to run down his face. "I don't want to be a girl!"

Wiping his eyes, he climbed out of the tub and dried off. He felt composed enough, until he saw his image in the mirror. Seeing his beautiful feminine body was too much and he collapsed on his bed and began to sob.

Sara was standing outside of his door. She wanted badly to go in and comfort Andy, but Dr. Sanchez had told her to hold off. He said that Andy needed moments like this to release his emotions. Sara didn't agree with the theory, but she didn't disobey Doc's orders.

After a few minutes she couldn't hear anymore crying and she figured Andy had fallen asleep. She wished him sweet dreams.

Chapter 21
July 17
06:12 AM

Andy woke up and slowly opened his eyes. His hands reached down and confirmed that he was still a woman. He kept hoping that it was all a strange dream. Sitting up, he felt the weight of his breasts. His hands cupped them and then let them go.

""To think, I always wanted to wake up with my hands on breasts like these; I just didn't want them to be mine."

He stepped out of bed and stripped off one of his old t-shirts that he used as a nightgown. He couldn't quite bring himself to wear the one Sara had bought him. He stretched and was pleased to feel less discomfort in his body. Sure could use a swim, he thought.

Sara seemed to have thought of everything else, and so Andy began to go through the wardrobe she'd bought him. Sure enough, there was a bathing suit. It was an aqua colored one-piece. Obviously Sara knew he wasn't ready for a bikini.

Andy slipped on the suit and was impressed with how well it fit. It seemed to flow across his body, as if it had been poured on; still, he had to wear something. Andy put on his sandals and grabbed a towel and headed down to the beach.

The only other person up was Jim, who waved as Andy walked down to the waterline. Andy stretched and kicked off his sandals and walked to the waterline. It was quite calm and the warm water felt good as he waded in.

He reached a depth where he could start swimming; the first thing he noted was that his stroke would be different. He cursed Jim silently for his mammoth breasts as he swam. Their buoyancy forced him to adjust his stroke. Andy also noticed for the first time that he was physically weaker.

As he swam, Andy adjusted his stroke to find one that worked with his new body. His mind also wandered. Should he refer to himself as female now? It seemed silly to consider himself male, especially with the way he looked, but part of him didn't want to let go of his male identity. Still, it seemed silly to call himself male. His co-workers knew the truth, so why deny what had happened? As for other people, it would be less confusing to just let them think he was a woman, instead of telling them he was really a guy.

Andy turned around and started back on his route. Besides, he thought, I'm the same person on the inside. I don't feel attraction to men. So what if they found him attractive, where was the harm?

Andy headed back to shore and saw that the normally vacant deck had several men standing on it. They were all looking in his direction. No, not staring, they were virtually drooling in his direction. Andy felt his face turning red with anger. So much for his previous thoughts - it did bother him that men found him attractive, especially those who knew him!

Andy swam to the shore and stepped out. He held back the urge to run to his towel and cover up, but decided to try to ignore the men ogling him. He could feel his breasts bounce as he walked across the sand to the freshwater shower. After washing off the saltwater, he picked up his towel and began to dry off. He then threw the towel across his shoulders and draped it across his chest, partially obscuring his breasts. He caught the disappointed looked on a few of the men's faces and he smiled slightly.

He walked up to the deck. "My, my. I never knew you were all such early risers," remarked Andy with a heavy dose of sarcasm, pleased that his voice was returning.

No one said a word. A few had stupid grins on their faces.

"I hope you enjoyed my swim this morning, because I don't want to see a repeat tomorrow." The anger in his voice was evident.

"Hey, what's the harm? Besides, Andy, you have a great bod!" quipped Randy.

Before Andy could reply, Dr. Sanchez walked out onto the deck and glared angrily at the men. "You all signed a code of conduct as part of your contract. If there is a repeat of this sort of behavior, I will consider it a breach of the sexual harassment clause. In case you haven't read your contracts, that means you void your bonus and it could lead to termination."

The silence was deafening.

"I'm hoping that none of you actually mean Andy any harm. However, consider how you'd feel if the roles were reversed," continued Dr. Sanchez.

Andy stood there fighting back another wave of emotions and he was fighting to hold back his tears. Without thinking, Andy nervously bit his lower lip.

"Sorry, Andy," stated Tommy.

Randy mumbled a similar response, as did the other two men. They were part-timers, who Andy barely knew. Andy nodded and watched them leave.

"Sorry about that," stated Dr. Sanchez. "I expected them to behave better."

"I didn't. What bothers me is that I might have been with them if it had been someone else," confessed Andy.

Dr. Sanchez shook his head. "No, I don't believe you would have."

Andy smiled and headed inside. He was pleased to see Sara was up. She was sitting next to Todd.

"Morning," greeted Andy, as he sat down next to them.

"So, you have a great swim?" asked Sara. She had been the one who had told Dr. Sanchez of the situation on the deck.

"Yes, it was refreshing. Thanks for the suit, it fits great," replied Andy.

"How're you feeling, Andy?" asked Todd.

"Okay, thanks. By the way, thanks for not being out there," replied Andy.

"No problem." Todd smiled. He then winked. "Besides that's not my style."

Andy debated going back to shower and change, but decided to eat first. He noticed that his appetite was less than before. He guessed it was due to his smaller physique.

He grabbed a bowl of fruit, a muffin, and a cup of coffee and rejoined Todd and Sara.

"Todd was telling me that Jim already has written a new start-up program. It now requires two different prompts before starting any procedure. It also identifies the procedure that is about to start."

"Our biggest mistake was assuming that the operators were intelligent. We dumbed it down a bit," added Todd, taking a sip of his coffee.

Andy nodded. "I'm just glad that what happened to me won't kill the project. In some ways what happened to me is almost fortunate, at least in terms of keeping Patecatl alive."

"So do you feel like working today, or are you going to work on your tan?" asked Todd staring at Andy.

Andy nodded. "What can I do?"

For the next few minutes, Todd outlined their workload. Sara was pleased that Andy wanted to get back to work.

Andy went back to his room and showered. As he sorted through his new wardrobe, he found a bag of candy Swedish fish. Damn, he thought, Sara really thought of everything. He joyfully opened up the bag and popped one in his mouth. As he munched on the candy fish, he knew he really owed Sara.

Chapter 22
July 21
6:45 PM

Once back in the lab, Andy threw himself into his work; it was the one thing in his life that was the same. He also was becoming closer to Sara. They often spent a few hours after dinner out on the deck.

After dinner, Andy was lying on a lounge chair, drinking a cold Steinlager when Sara joined him.

"How're you doing?" asked Sara as she sipped her beer.

"Not bad. The good thing about working is that it keeps my mind off my.... status."

"It'll take time," replied Sara. "You've made some good progress, but you've got a long way to go."

"I still can't believe that this happened. It's strange, but this still doesn't feel like my body. I can close my eyes and still picture my old body. I can even feel my coc... err... parts that aren't there anymore," stated Andy. "Does that make sense?"

Sara nodded. "I've been reading some of Doc's medical journals, it's a common feeling among those who've had plastic surgery with nanites. Although, they usually aren't resisting the changes."

Andy smiled back. "I'm not sure resistance is the right word. I'm just not comfortable being a woman."

"Give it time. I'm not saying that you've going to want to become Miss America, but you'll adapt. I'm already impressed with how far you've come."

"Nights are the worst. I'm okay when I'm working or doing something. Last night I cried myself to sleep... again," confessed Andy softly.

Sara nodded. "It's okay. Look, Andy, my room is just down the hall. Feel free to drop in, if you want."

Andy looked over at her. "Thanks."

"Andy, I'd be more worried if you weren't going through ups and downs."

Andy took a long sip of his beer. He then set it down and turned to Sara. "Can I ask you a question?"

Sara nodded as she sipped her beer.

"How do you see me now?"

Sara stopped and stared back. She set her beer down and swallowed, thinking about her answer.

"I want the truth," continued Andy.

"The truth? Okay, I see you as a woman," replied Sara.

Andy nodded slightly. "Have I changed that much? Please be honest; I still feel the same."

"Andy, you're still a nice person. No, you haven't changed that much, but it's hard to look at you and not see a woman. Don't worry, as I liked you when you were a male and I like you now.... maybe more. You always treated me with respect, even when you were hitting on me," stated Sara. A slight grin formed on her face.

"So, just how close were you to going out with me?" asked Andy.

"You were pretty close... you still are," stated Sara with a wink.

Andy's eyes opened up wide. "You serious?"

Sara nodded. "I like you --
the person inside; but just so you know, I do like women too."

Andy nodded as he absorbed her answer, and smiled slightly. "I never thought of that."

"However, the most important thing you need to do right now is accept what has happened to you, and start to move on with your life. It's going to be difficult, but this is who you are now."

"I know. But knowing is easier than doing. I can't see myself wearing a dress, putting on makeup, or things like that."

Sara took another drink of her beer. "How does the bra feel?"

"Okay, why?" asked Andy.

"Define okay," stated Sara.

Andy had a confused look on his face. "I'll admit that it's more comfortable wearing one than not wearing one."

"So, it's a practical piece of clothing, it serves a purpose."

Andy nodded. "Yes."

"You'll learn that what you presently see as a 'female wardrobe' will become as normal as wearing a bra. You want to blend in, right?"

Andy nodded.

"You can best do that by dressing as a woman would. Makeup doesn't have to be heavy and overdone; in fact, it's best when it's subtle. I can teach you. As for wearing dresses and skirts, I think you'll find that they're not as bad as you think. I'm not going to push you into anything, but you can't go through the rest of your life in just shorts and t-shirts."

A slight grin grew on Andy's face. "No, I want you to push me. I need someone to help me and push me. Even when I get a little whiny."

"Especially when you get a little whiny!" retorted Sara.

"Okay, okay. So what is your first suggestion?"

Sara looked over, as if she was inspecting Andy's body. "Let's get your ears pierced. Earrings are an essential part of a woman's wardrobe, regardless how dressed up or down she is."

Andy reached up and touched one of his earlobes. "I almost got it done in college."

"We can go over to the resort this week. It doesn't hurt that much."

"Okay."

"Oh, here's a shell choker that will look great on you. It's pretty much a unisex style, but it's a good way to get used to jewelry," stated Sara.

Andy took the choker and put it on. Sara was right, it did look good. "Anything else?"

"One more thing, do you still want everyone to call you Andy? I know there are girls named Andy, but I think we can do better."

"You're right. It's just that it's one of the last vestiges of who I was," confessed Andy.

Sara stared back with a serious look on her face. "It's time to focus on your future."

Andy sighed. "You're right. So, what do you suggest?"

"Well, do you want to stay close to your old name?"

Andy nodded.

Sara began to rattle off a list of names. Andy began to digest them and mentally reviewed the pros and cons of each name. He quickly rejected the first few on Sara's list.

"What about Annie?" asked Sara.

Andy contemplated the name and began to repeat it, as if he was trying on a new suit.

"I suppose it might work. I could use Anne when I wanted to be formal," replied Andy.

"Well, think about it. But just so you know, the sooner you make up your mind, the sooner Dr. Sanchez can start on your paperwork."

Andy nodded. "I suppose that as soon as I take a new name, it might make it easier to see myself as female."

Sara nodded.

"I just hope that if I start calling myself Annie it doesn't give those assholes a false signal that I'm interested in them."

"Doc made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate any more bullshit from them."

"Have you had any problems with them?" asked Andy.

"A little."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's something that you'll have to get used to, especially with your body. Men will think that you're fair game. You cannot let them get away with it. I can give you some pointers on how to deflect unwanted attention without getting nasty."

Andy nodded. "I don't think that Randy got the message."

"He's a pig. Watch out for him."

"I didn't like him before," replied Andy.

"So, do you want me to start calling you Annie?" asked Sara.

"Let me sleep on it," he answered.

Chapter 23
July 22
9:12 AM

"Okay, we're all here at last. Before we get started on the progress reports, Andy has a little announcement to make," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Andy stood up to address the assembled team. He was wearing a pair of tan shorts and a light blue short sleeve blouse.

"Thanks. First off, I want to thank everyone for you help and concern during my little change."

There was a round of laughter.

Andy glanced over at Sara who gave him a supportive nod.

"Second, since there is no sense in fighting the obvious, I would like you all to consider me a woman from now on. I would also like to be called Annie from now on."

There was an initial silence in the room. Annie nervously scanned the room to look for their response. Then, Jim stood up and began to applaud Annie and her announcement. He was joined by most of the others. Annie did notice that Randy was the last one to stand up, in a rather begrudging manner.

Annie did her best to hold in her emotions, as she returned to her seat next to Sara.

"Thank you, Annie. I, for one, am pleased to have you back in the lab," stated Dr. Sanchez. "Now, I have one more announcement. As soon as we correct the deficiencies with Patecatl, there are three doctors willing to come in and observe a demonstration."

There was a murmuring in the room.

"Who are they?" asked Todd excitedly.

"One is an old associate from Doctors Without Borders and the other two work for the UN. They could lead to international approval of Patecatl's use."

"And then?" asked Randy.

"We'd entertain bids for manufacturing Patecatl. My lawyers have already begun the process of protecting our patents," replied Dr. Sanchez. "As you know, I formed this team to produce a medical tool to save lives. However, I understand that there are commercial uses for Patecatl. With some minor changes, we can produce a commercial unit for use in plastic surgery. I've been told that this might be approved for use in the US. I also have hopes that a unit designed for no uses other than diagnosis, life support, and stabilization of patients could become highly successful if it could be economically installed in EMS ambulances and helicopters. "

"And what does that mean, in financial terms?" asked Randy.

"I imagine that you'll all be wealthy beyond you're wildest dreams. As you know, all the patents are owned by the organization. In exchange for your inventions and hard work, you all receive a share of the profits. So you can see the importance of getting Patecatl operating without any glitches."

For the next few hours the technicians discussed the problems and potential corrections. Annie came up with an idea to create am informed consent and certified physician control system that would add another layer of protection for the patient. Jim said that he could have Annie's idea programmed into Patecatl in a few hours. It was projected that all the other changes could be implemented in the next two weeks and that the next test could be conducted shortly thereafter.

Chapter 24
July 22
1:12 PM

Annie was working in the lab. So far, her announcement had been well received. Most people were too busy and that suited Annie fine. The bad thing about the schedule was that it would delay her trip with Sara to the nearby resort.

It intrigued Annie that Sara found her attractive. When she was Andy, she had the usual male fantasies and fascinations concerning lesbians. While she didn't totally consider herself as 100 percent female yet, she was becoming more curious about her new sexual organs.

As she worked, she thought about being with Sara and wondered how it would be. There was no way on Earth that she would consider having sex with a man. Sara had told her that might change over time, but Annie doubted that.

What added to her feelings was the sexist behavior of Randy and some of the other men. At least Jim and Todd were cool with her, she thought, as was Dr. Sanchez.

Annie thought about her recent meeting with him. He had stated that he really wanted her as a fulltime employee and not just a contract worker. What made Annie feel good was that he showed her the contract dated two weeks prior to the accident; he just hadn't gotten around to showing it to her.

What intrigued Annie was that Dr. Sanchez wanted to send Sara, herself, and a few of the other technicians through EMT training, so they could have a better idea of medical treatment. He stated that he would even send them through medical school if they wished and if they could get accepted. Annie found that idea particularly exciting.

"Hey, Annie, can you come here for a minute?" asked Jim.

"Sure, what's up?" she replied.

"I have the startup program in place and need someone else to test it. Let me know what you think of the prompts," stated Jim.

Annie nodded and walked to the control panel. She turned on Patecatl and saw that the console screen listed all medical functions presently loaded in the computer.

"Touch any of the procedures," stated Jim.

Annie selected broken bones. A screen came up listing what procedures Patecatl could accomplish. A detailed diagram of the human body came up on the screen. Andy moved the arrow to the thighbone. A list of specific procedures came up.

"Select one of the options," instructed Jim.

Annie picked x-ray and setting of the bone. A prompt came up and listed the procedures and approval for the x-ray. All additional procedures would require an additional approval based on diagnosis.

"You'll be able to hit each one of those for more a detailed description," stated Jim. "The programming is being written as we speak."

"Cool."

"Now when you hit approve, a second prompt comes up," stated Jim. "I call this the second chance option."

Andy pressed proceed and looked at the screen. It stated what would be done. It had to be approved or else the procedure would not occur.

"There's a sixty second countdown, that will allow the operator to cancel at anytime or to hit "Pause" in order to think longer or get a second opinion," continued Jim.

"I like it. It covers the safety issues, without being too cumbersome. Do you think that it might cause too long of a time delay? Just being the devil's advocate," stated Annie.

Jim smiled. "No, that's a good point. We don't want someone dying during the time delay. There'll be an emergency override for some procedures, like internal bleeding. I haven't decided how to work it in yet."

"That sounds good. After all the main purpose of this is to fly it into areas of emergencies and places without medical facilities. A few seconds delay won't be that huge of an issue for most procedures."

"That's what Dr. Sanchez feels."

"From what he's told me before, I think maybe we should set up Patecatl to immediately differentiate between patient stabilization measures and actual treatments, recommending the necessary stabilization items first unless actual immediate treatment is the only way to save a life."

"That sounds good, Annie. It's practical and gets the priorities straight. I'll bet Doc will approve that!"

Jim then went on to show Annie how the patient and doctor approval subprograms worked. Annie was very pleased at how easy the programs were to operate.

"I'm working with a friend who's working on bilingual programs. For now, she's working on Spanish, but eventually we'll have language programs in several languages. I'm also thinking of having audio instructions for the patient permission program," continued Jim. "After all, we'll probably be operating in places where some patients are illiterate."

"I'm impressed! Anything else you want to show me?" asked Annie.

"Nope. Oh, I modified the program that changed you. I removed the facial details of the program. You won't have a twin," stated Jim. "Here's what she'll look like."

Annie smiled. She looked at the new image on Jim's computer. As promised, her face was different, although her body structure was similar, including very large breasts.

"Jim, do her a favor and tone down the breasts. Trust me on this one."

Jim nodded. "Okay. But other than that, is she okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

"It's the least I could do for you," stated Jim.

"I know you didn't do it to me on purpose. I'm still not totally accepting of what happened, but I need to move on with my life, no sense in raging about something that can't be undone."

"I know you're probably getting sick of being asked this, but how're you doing?"

Annie smiled. "I have my moments. My emotions are still on a major roller coaster ride."

"I hate to ask you this, but if you have time could you document some of your feelings," asked Jim.

"Why? Oh, I know, so you can fine-tune the program," stated Annie.

Jim nodded. "I hope that Dr. Sanchez allows me to use it for my friend."

"Not you?" asked Annie with a grin.

Jim laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but there's no woman trapped in this body. Hell, I have room for two in here!"

Annie laughed. She should have been angry with Jim, but she wasn't. She could sense that it really was an accident and that he had written the program to help a friend.

Chapter 25
July 23
5:12 AM

Annie woke up with a start and sat up in her bed. It took her a few seconds to realize where she was. She'd had another dream of being trapped in Patecatl, about to be modified again.

She looked at the clock and decided against going back to sleep. Looking out her window, she could see that the sea was calm and inviting. In a few minutes she was in her bathing suit and heading down for a swim.

Swimming gave her the peace to work out the conflicts in her mind. Asking to be treated as a woman and to be called Annie was a huge step, but she was glad she'd taken it. Sara was right; she couldn't just crawl into a shell. Even with Patecatl, she would never be Andy again.

Annie swung around and started on the next part of her swim. She laughed to herself that most of the others thought she was nuts to swim in the "shark infested waters" off the compound. However, she was careful not to wear a watch, as the reflection might attract some uninvited guest.

Annie's thoughts turned to her impending vacation break with Sara. Assuming the demonstration was successful, then the two of them would spend a week together in California. Sara wanted to drive down the coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Annie was just pleased that Sara wanted her around.

Annie thought about her mom. She wondered how her mom would react to what had happened. Maybe Sara would consider extending the trip down to San Diego, thought Annie.

Annie suspected that her mom wouldn't be all that upset about her son becoming her daughter. Annie also thought about Marcy. Now, she would be trilled to see her old boyfriend a beautiful woman, thought Annie. Annie shook her head and cleared out those thoughts. The breakup had been too painful, and Annie had no intention of opening up old wounds.

Dr. Sanchez promised that Annie would have her new papers by then, so legally there wouldn't be any problems. Annie wondered how'd she respond in the real world. Even though she was out to the rest of the team, it was still a safe environment. How would she respond to strangers?

As Annie turned back to the beach, she thought she saw someone standing in the trees next to the compound. As she got closer, she could see that there was someone there, but she couldn't make out who. However, they were watching her.

Annie stepped back on shore and as she headed up to the shower she watched as the person melted back into the trees. Judging by the size, the person might be Randy. But she never got a good enough look at him to be sure.

She debated telling Dr. Sanchez about it, but she decided not to. She wasn't entirely sure it was Randy, and there was no sense in making false accusations. Besides he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Annie dressed in her customary shorts and t-shirt. She looked at the skirts that Sara had bought her, but decided that she wasn't ready for them.

She headed off for something to eat before going to the lab.

Chapter 26
July 23
11:02 AM

Annie sat down next to Sara at lunch.

"Okay, what's wrong?" asked Sara.

"Is it that obvious?" asked Annie in reply.

Sara nodded as she ate her salad.

Annie told Sara about the person watching her swim.

"Have you told Dr. Sanchez?"

Annie shook her head no. "Tell him what?"

"True, but I want you to start documenting anything Randy does. I don't trust him."

"I can handle myself," replied Annie.

"Are you sure?"

It struck Annie that Sara might be right. While she had never been overly muscular, she had been in great shape and had even played ice hockey. Annie had been frustrated several times with her reduced strength. She was still a strong swimmer, but overall she was less strong.

"I guess you're right. I'll keep a journal on my computer," replied Annie. "I'll be glad when we get Patecatl up and operational. I really need to get off the island."

"I know how you feel. I already told Doc that we'd be taking a week off after the test."

Annie smiled and let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, I have to run over to Nassau tomorrow to pick up some documents for Doc. You want to tag along? We could get your ears pierced while we're there."

Annie nodded. "It'll be good just to get off the island."

"Now, remember how you told me to push you? Well, I think you should wear a skirt tomorrow. Nothing fancy, but it would be a good time to try one out," stated Sara.

"Okay."

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole way," replied Sara.

Chapter 27
July 24
10:42 AM

"Relax," whispered Sara, as they walked down the street.

Annie smiled nervously back. "Easy for you to say."

Annie had submitted to Sara's request and was wearing a skirt. It was cotton, with a tropical pattern. Annie noticed at least a dozen other women wearing similar ones, including Sara.

Sara had even convinced Annie to wear a touch of makeup.

"I like your lip color, it works with your eyes," stated Sara, referring to the coral colored lipstick that she had bought for Annie.

"Thanks," replied Annie. "It feels strange."

"You'll get used to it, just like you've gotten used to other things."

"I still feel a little funny in this skirt," remarked Annie.

"That'll wear off. Just remember when you sit to make sure it's shaped under you. Also, keep your legs crossed or your knees together when you sit," instructed Sara.

"Yes, Ms. Roberts," replied Annie with a smile.

They walked into a salon that advertised that it did ear piercing. A few minutes later, Annie had a gold stud in each of her ears.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" asked Sara.

Annie reached up and touched her ears. "No, it wasn't."

"Just remember to keep them clean. Trust me on this one, you don't want to get an infection," continued Sara.

Annie nodded. "So now what?"

Sara looked at her watch. "The flight with the documents won't arrive for two hours. Why don't we get you a real hair style?"

Annie looked at herself in the reflection of a storefront. She ran her fingers through her short hair. "I don't know. I don't think it's long enough for anyone to do anything with it."

"I think they can make it better. I also want you to consider a dye job. I think you'd look great with auburn hair. Your present color is rather bland."

"Bland?" asked Annie with a grin.

"Yes, come with me, we'll go to the salon where I get my hair done."

Annie hesitated for a moment.

"Come on, remember that you told me to push you when needed," chided Sara softly.

"I know, but I don't know if I'm ready for a salon," replied Annie.

"You are. Look, part of what I'm doing is getting you used to your new status. Eventually you'll need to go to a salon, so why not start now?"

Annie nodded, although she wasn't all that enthusiastic about going into what she still perceived as a woman's place.

"Also we'll get our nails done. Don't worry, nothing fancy, but we both could use a manicure," continued Sara.

"What's wrong with a nail clipper?" asked Annie.

"Very funny!"

Annie cocked her head. "Funny? What do you mean?"

Sara rolled her eyes in mock disgust and grabbed Annie by the arm and pulled her towards the salon.

Fortunately the salon wasn't busy and they were able to get right in.

Chapter 28
July 24
1:35 PM

Annie was sitting across from Sara as they waited for their lunch to arrive. She kept holding out her hands and staring at her nails.

"Big improvement, I must say, even if it's just a clear coat. Next time we go for color," commented Sara.

"I have to admit that my nails look better. I'm totally sold on having my hair dyed. Are you sure this was a good idea?"

Sara giggled. "Yes, it was a very good idea. You look fantastic with auburn hair."

"We're almost twins," commented Annie.

"No, my hair is darker than yours, girlfriend."

"I still don't feel like a girl," stated Annie.

"What does a girl feel like?" asked Sara, as she sipped her drink.

"You know what I mean," replied Annie.

"No... no, I don't. You don't have to give up what you like to do and start loving shopping or sewing or any stereotypical ideas you have of what a woman likes. Do you see me as feminine?"

Annie nodded and smiled. "Very."

"Okay, well does the fact that I like going to ball games make me less feminine in your eyes?"

"Of course not."

"Okay, so let's get rid of your predisposed thoughts of what a woman is."

"So, you're saying there is no difference?"

"No, but there are varying degrees of what is masculine and feminine. Tell me, when you were Andy, did you play sports?"

Annie nodded and looked around to see if anyone overheard Sara's comments.

'What did you play?"

"I played ice hockey, baseball, and other sports."

"Ice hockey? So I take it that you fought a lot," replied Sara with a grin.

Annie shook her head. "No, I never got in a single fight. It wasn't my type of game."

Sara sat there and gave Annie a look that said "And?"

Annie stared back and then nodded in agreement. "Okay, point taken. But I don't think I can live up to the level of femininity of this body. I mean I'm a virtual advertisement for sex."

Sara laughed. "That may be true, but just because you're gorgeous doesn't mean you have to sleep around. You're beautiful, but that doesn't make you a slut."

"I know that, but look how some of the guys back on the island act. They KNOW my past, and yet they're constantly leering at me, as if I would suddenly jump into bed with them!"

"Your voice is getting a bit loud. Bring it down a notch," corrected Sara.

"Sorry," stated Annie who looked around and was relieved that no one was staring at them.

"You're going to have to deal with the jerks of the world. Trust me, there're a lot of them out there. However, you've done a good job so far. Just remember there're guys back at the compound who have treated you nice too."

"That's true. I think Todd's glad I'm a woman," replied Annie.

"Why? Because you both were hitting on me?" asked Sara.

Annie nodded.

Sara laughed. "Todd's cute, but trust me, you were slightly ahead of him then. Now you're winning in a landslide."

Annie raised an eyebrow.

"However, my dear, we should wait until the project is done. I also don't want to take advantage of you in your confused condition," continued Sara.

They both started laughing and only stopped when the waiter arrived with their food.

Annie and Sara shared an order of conch fritters.

"Have you started to explore your body?" asked Sara.

"A little. It still feels funny. I can't get over how sensitive my nipples are now," replied Annie, glancing around again to see if anyone overhead her.

"That's understandable. What I'd like is for you to try to experiment a little. We can pick you up a vibrator before we head back. You shouldn't deny yourself pleasure."

Chapter 29
July 27
2:45 PM

"Annie, when you get a chance, please stop by my office," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"Okay, Doc," she replied.

Ten minutes later she was standing outside his office. She knocked on his door and entered.

Dr. Sanchez looked up and waved her in. He was pleased with her appearance. Annie was wearing a floral blouse, and green shorts. He noticed a touch of makeup. Her demeanor also seemed softer. He was worried at first that Annie would reject her new gender, but thanks to Sara, Annie seemed to be adapting.

"I just wanted to tell you that your new identification papers are being processed. We won't have the final copies for a few days, however, we should have a temporary passport for you by week's end," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"Thank you!"

"It's the least I can do. I still feel terrible about what happened."

"It wasn't your fault. We all thought that Patecatl was ready. I know one thing, we won't repeat that mistake again," stated Annie firmly.

"I agree. By the way, I've sent in applications for you to attend EMT training this fall. Sara will be in the same class."

"Cool. Are any of the others going to be staying on fulltime?" asked Annie as she sat down across from Dr. Sanchez.

"Todd and Jim will be, but they're staying on the production side. I haven't decided about the others."

Annie nodded. Inside she was glad that Randy's name hadn't been mentioned as a fulltime employee. He had watched her again this morning when she was swimming. She debated telling Dr. Sanchez, but decided that Randy hadn't done anything wrong.

"Are the doctors still coming out?" asked Sara.

"As soon as we're ready to test Patecatl again. The changes are coming along faster than expected. Jim's projecting a test in three more days."

"Just as long as we get them right. I shudder to think what would have happened if they had been here when I was transformed," confessed Annie.

Dr. Sanchez nodded in agreement.

"Will my transformation always be kept a secret?" asked Annie.

"That's up to you. I will honor your wishes," stated Dr. Sanchez.

"Thank you. However, someday I might be used as a good example of how effectively Patecatl operates."

"Hopefully, we won't ever have to go there," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Chapter 30
July 30
9:17 AM

"Okay, let's take Patecatl through initial operation procedures," stated Jim.

The technicians hung around the machine as Jim monitored the changes. No one was inside the machine. That would be the next test. Today they were testing that the safeguards they had created worked. This time, Jim had his laptop inside Patecatl, programmed to give a variety of responses to its sensors, depending on what scenario they wanted to test.

"So far so good," stated Jim as he operated the system. "The checks we installed seem to be working."

"Can you see a full listing of all loaded programs?" asked Annie.

"Yes. It shows all programs currently loaded. I can also click on them and see what they'll do."

"What's the next step?" asked Randy impatiently.

"The next step? That's when we try to get around our new program. Todd, you go first, see if you can violate the operating program from the main control console."

Todd spent several minutes trying different ways to bypass the safety system.

"Try the emergency override," suggested Tommy.

Todd nodded and pressed the emergency override function, designed for use only in a life and death situation. It would bypass the 60-second time delay.

"Nope, won't let me do it for standard procedures," replied Todd.

"Excellent!" announced Jim.

"Does that mean it works?" asked Tommy.

"It passed the initial test. Now, we need to repeat the human test, but first I want others to try to get around the safeguards,' stated Dr. Sanchez.

Over the next two hours everyone took his or her best shot. No one succeeded, although they did crash the system once or twice. It immediately rebooted itself and was back up in seconds, fully operational.

"So who gets to play guinea pig today? Annie you want a second shot?" asked Tommy.

"Sure," replied Annie, even though she was a bit wary.

"You sure?" asked Sara. She knew of Annie's occasional nightmares of being trapped in the machine.

Annie nodded. "Just like when a horse throws you, you need to get back on. Besides I trust that we corrected the mistakes."

Jim shook his head. "No offense, Annie, but I think we should use someone else, strictly from a medical viewpoint."

"What do you mean?" asked Annie.

"It just hit me. We've programmed Patecatl for biological women and men. I'm not sure how Patecatl would diagnose you," replied Jim.

Annie nodded. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Looks like we have another program to write," interjected Sara.

"For that matter, we need Patecatl to immediately detect whether or not a woman is pregnant. Many medications and some other procedures are contraindicated in pregnant women. I'm surprised at myself for not thinking of that earlier," exclaimed Dr. Sanchez.

Jim nodded. "In the meantime, we need a volunteer for the test, or do you want to draw straws?"

Several of the technicians raised their hands to volunteer.

"Okay, we'll draw straws, but we'll wait until the morning. I want you all to spend the rest of the day trying to get around your safety programs," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Chapter 31
July 30
7:38 PM

"Well, despite the best efforts of everyone, Patecatl appears to be safe now," stated Jim, as he passed beers to Sara, Todd, and Annie.

"How long do you think that it will take to write the program for transgendered people?" asked Annie as she opened her beer.

"A few weeks. I was able to cheat a little for men and women, as I used an existing database. It'll take some extensive modifications to create the transgendered database, but I look at it as another challenge," stated Jim confidently.

"I think you can save some time by creating a sub-routine in the medical history input section," stated Todd.

For more extensive procedures, doctors could input the patient's medical history.

"Since the patient's physical state would be essentially the same as before their surgery, you wouldn't have to write a whole new database," continued Todd.

Jim shook his head. "From a strictly medical standpoint you're right, but I know the patient wouldn't see it that way."

Todd nodded. "Oh, I never thought of it that way." He glanced over at Annie. "Sorry, no offense intended."

'Don't worry Todd. I wasn't offended. You were thinking like an engineer," replied Annie with a smile.

They started laughing.

Chapter 32
July 31
9:02 AM

"Damn, I was sure I'd win this time," bemoaned Sara with a laugh.

"I guess I'm just lucky," stated Tommy, as he held out the short straw as if to taunt her.

"Okay, Tommy, get undressed and we'll load you," stated Todd.

"And I'll connect the additional computer with Jim's program on it," cracked Annie.

Tommy glanced over at her and smiled nervously. "Hey, come on, Annie, I apologized."

Annie smiled back. "Just kidding."

Twenty minutes later the test was ready to begin.

Annie sat back and watched as Patecatl ran through the physical examination program. An hour later it finished. The test was flawless, although Patecatl recommended that Tommy lose ten pounds.

"So, when do the doctors arrive?" asked Randy.

"I'll call them this afternoon and set up a date," stated Dr. Sanchez.

Chapter 33
July 31
8:45 PM

The celebration of the success of Patecatl started after Dr. Sanchez told the team that the other doctors would arrive on August 3rd. They would witness several operational tests in order to gain their approval to conduct actual evaluations of injured patients.

"I've talked to a doctor who runs a local hospital. He has agreed to let us test Patecatl, assuming we get the approval of the doctors," stated Dr. Sanchez. "Initially I want to test it on simple injuries, like simple fractures and cuts. We'll set up in the emergency room and wait for appropriate patients."

"We could always pay someone to get injured," joked Todd.

"Or better yet, pay someone to cause injuries!" added Randy.

Annie glanced at Sara and rolled her eyes. It was obvious that Randy, like several of the technicians, had been partying rather heavily. Tommy was fast asleep on a deck chair.

She contained her disdain for Randy, as he would soon be gone. As soon as Patecatl gained approval, then several of the techs would be leaving.

"You want a refill?" asked Jim, standing next to her with a half full bottle of champagne.

Annie smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine."

Sara held out her glass. "I'll take a little more."

Jim nodded and filled her glass.

Sara turned to Annie. "You okay?"

"Yes. I guess I'm having another one of my emotional moments. I'm ecstatic that Patecatl works, but...."

"I'm sorry. You must be going through some real mixed emotions," interjected Sara.

"I'll get over it. I think I'll go for a walk and then to bed."

Annie said goodnight and walked down towards the shoreline. Sara was right; Annie's mind was filled with mixed feelings. Why couldn't they have discovered the security problems before the first test? She was soon lost in her thoughts as she walked along the beach.

Chapter 34
July 31
9:37 PM

Annie didn't hear the person approaching, until he was right behind her. As she turned around, she felt him wrap his arms around her and pull her to the sand.

"Hiya, schweetie," slurred Randy, as they landed on the sand.

"Get off me," ordered Annie angrily.

"Come on, you don't need to play games. We're all alone now. I know you want me... and I want you."

Holy shit, thought Annie, as she tried to fight off Randy's groping of her body. Unfortunately he was too strong and he was soon pinning her down on the sand.

"Randy, let me go," she pleaded.

"Yeah, that's good, I like it when my babes fight back!"

"I'm not your babe. Dammit, Randy, remember me? I used to be a guy!"

"That's right, used to be a guy! Annie you're so hot," continued Randy. "You know you want it!"

His hands were pinning down her arms and his body was pressed close to her. He was kissing her and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She could feel his cock pressing against her and she knew that there was no way she could reason with him.

"Now, come on, sexy, don't fight me."

"Okay, okay, you're right. Please let go of my hands, you're hurting me," cooed Annie.

"I knew you wanted it," stated Randy. He leaned down and kissed her, pressing his tongue deep into her mouth. He then sat up, released her hands, and then reached down to unbutton her blouse. He hovered above her with his eyes glued to her breasts.

Annie knew she only had one shot at this and acted. One thing that she had lied to Sara about was when she had said that she never fought when she played hockey. Actually she had been in a few fights, and knew more than a few rough plays.

Annie threw an elbow across Randy's face that would have put her in the penalty box for two-minutes. Instead it caused Randy to scream in pain, as his nose was instantly broken.

Annie didn't hesitate and she pushed him off her. She stood up and started to run, but before she could get away Randy grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back.

"You fuckin bitch! You broke my nose! You'll pay for that," he bellowed, as he pulled her close. "I'm going to fuck you till it hurts! I hope you like pain!"

Without hesitation, Annie lifted her right knee into Randy's groin. He immediately released his grip around her wrist and fell to the sand bawling in agony.

"Was that painful enough for you?" she screamed down at him.

Randy only cried out in pain as he rolled around on the sand holding his privates.

She didn't wait for a reply and ran down the beach to the compound.

Chapter 35
July 31
10:22 PM

"We found Randy, it was pretty easy, as all we had to do was follow the trail of blood. I never knew a nose could bleed that badly," stated Todd.

"Where is he?" asked Annie anxiously, as she sat trembling in the lounge area inside the compound.

"We have him in the lab. He'll need some medical attention for the nose. It's broken," answered Todd. "Oh, don't worry, he's not going anywhere."

"I can't believe he tried to rape me," exclaimed Annie.

She was sitting on a couch with Sara next to her. Dr. Sanchez was just finishing examining her.

"What do we do with him?" asked Sara.

"Give him to the police. I understand that even for attempted rape they have a mandatory sentence," stated Todd.

Annie looked over at Sara. "What will happen to me?"

"You can't let him go!" stated Sara.

"I know, but if we go to trial, then the whole world will know my past!" Annie's voice showed her fear.

"Sara, why don't you take Annie to her room. I'll go see how badly Randy is hurt. Don't worry, he won't cause you anymore harm," stated Dr. Sanchez. "I'll stop by later and see if you need anything."

Annie nodded and followed Sara to her room. They entered and sat down on Annie's bed.

"I can't believe he tried to rape me. I thought he was a creep, but I never thought he would try something like that," exclaimed Annie. Her voice began to crack as the reality of what had happened sank in. "He almost did. If I hadn't tricked him, he would have."

Sara put her arm around Annie and pulled her close.

"Dammit! What the hell was he thinking?" continued Annie.

Sara let Annie vent and waited for the inevitable tears.

"For the first time since I... I was changed, I truly felt afraid," Annie vented. She then turned to Sara and when she made eye contact the tears started. In a moment her head was buried into Sara's shoulder as she cried.

Sara stroked the back of Annie's head and let her cry. Sara also felt rage at Randy. Annie was just becoming at ease with her new life, and now this had to happen.

Chapter 36
July 31
10:45 PM

"You're nose is definitely broken," stated Dr. Sanchez, as he examined Randy.

"I'm suing that bitch," stated Randy to no one in particular.

"I'd be more concerned with going to jail," interjected Todd. He stood across from Randy with his arms crossed.

"Jail? I didn't do anything. Everyone saw how Annie wanted me. I just followed her lead and she freaked out. Owww!" moaned Randy, as Dr. Sanchez pressed against his nose.

"I'm sorry. Did that hurt?" asked Dr. Sanchez.

Randy glared at Dr. Sanchez and wondered if he had just done that on purpose. "There's no way that Annie will press charges. How would she feel if it came out what she really is?"

"Please be quiet, Randy, and let me finish examining you."

"How're your balls?" asked Todd sarcastically.

Randy gave Todd the finger. "I know you want her too, Todd. Look, Doc, it was just a little misunderstanding. Maybe I did misread her intentions a little, but that didn't give her the right to assault me. Come morning she'll apologize and everything will be okay."

"Randy, I examined Annie. Her bruises are consistent with someone who was attacked. If Annie wants to press charges then I will contact the authorities."

Randy stared back at Dr. Sanchez and the others. "Just so you know, I'm not bluffing about telling everyone what Annie really is."

Todd felt his anger grow and started towards Randy, when his shoulder was grabbed from behind. It was Jim, who had a sly grin on his face.

"Randy, you'll do nothing to hurt Annie," stated Jim calmly.

"Oh, and what are you going to do, fat boy?" retorted Randy.

Jim just smiled and patted his belly. "Can't argue with the fat boy smack. No, I'm just referring to what's in this file. It's a printout of a file currently sitting in my computer."

Jim held out the file for all to see.

"What're you talking about?" asked Randy.

"This file contains some rather interesting information that I gleaned from your computer files. You see, I suspected that you'd threaten blackmail to protect your sorry ass. So while the others were watching you and helping Annie, I went into your computer files and pulled out some rather interesting dirt."

"You hacked into my system?" exclaimed Randy.

"I wouldn't call it hacking, it wasn't THAT hard. You'll all be interested that Randy has several secret bank accounts that I doubt the IRS knows about. I think your ex-wife would also love to know about them. They go back years before your divorce. Oh, there's also a letter to your lawyer concerning questions about hiding the profits from Patecatl. I must admit that I love the idea of setting up a fake charity," continued Jim.

Randy glared back.

"Now, what's going to happen is that, if you threaten Annie with disclosing her true identity, I'll send this out to a multitude of people who will take great pleasure in making your life a living hell."

"So you're extorting me to get me to plead guilty?" snapped Randy.

Jim shook his head. "No, that's up to Annie. I'm just telling you that if you try to hurt her, I'll hurt you worse. That's not a threat, it's a promise."

Randy stared back with pure rage.

"By the way, I already sent a copy of this to my own lawyer. He has instructions to send it out if anything happens to me," continued Jim.

"You're all a bunch of gullible fools. Annie isn't the person she appears," exclaimed Randy.

"I'm a good judge of people and I trust Annie. I think you're a piece of shit. However, just to show that I treat everyone equally, I can write a nice program that will fix your nose. We can make it part of your going away package."

"You can't fire me, you're just a tech like me," replied Randy.

Jim shook his head. "Wrong again, Randy. Dr. Sanchez has appointed me director of research and development. Technically that means you work for me. So consider yourself fired."

"Come on, Doc, you can't do this to me," pleaded Randy.

"I agree with Jim's decision. You were warned about your contract. I consider this assault on Annie a valid reason to terminate your contact," replied Dr. Sanchez.

"Terminate my contract? You can't be serious!"

"Very serious. Oh, just in case you forgot, you forfeit all profits, benefits, and future profits from Patecatl," interjected Jim.

Randy's face turned pale as the seriousness of the situation sank in. "You can't do that."

"Yes, we can. Here's a copy of your contract. I took the liberty of highlighting the relevant sections. I've also contacted our lawyers and they agree with our decision to fire you," stated Jim.

Randy sat there raging.

"Well?" asked Jim.

"Do I still get my salary?" asked Randy sarcastically.

"Sure, you'll get your pay, and I will fix your nose if you want, at no extra charge," replied Jim.

"Fuck it. I can't believe you guys are betraying me like this," mumbled Randy.

"Is that a yes or a no?" asked Jim.

"Fine, screw me, take my bonus!" bemoaned Randy.

"You'll be locked in your room tonight. If you attempt to flee, I'll immediately call the police," warned Dr. Sanchez.

"Will there be a guard?"

"Yep. I get the first shift," stated Todd, who was secretly hoping Randy would try to make a run for it.

"We can fix your nose in the morning," stated Jim.

"Why not fix the rest of him?" added Todd with a grin, as he led Randy to his room.

Chapter 37
August 1
8:15 AM

"How're you feeling this morning?" asked Sara, as she greeted Annie.

"Better, thanks," replied Annie.

They walked together to the dining room. They passed Tommy, who was standing guard on Randy's room.

Over breakfast, Todd told Annie and Sara what had gone down with Randy the previous night.

"Remind me to give Jim a big hug the next time I see him," exclaimed Annie.

Dr. Sanchez walked over and joined them. "Have you made up your mind concerning pressing charges against Randy?"

Annie shook her head. "I don't want him to just walk away, but I don't want to go through a trial. This isn't just about my privacy. If this goes to trial, then the whole accident could be exposed. It could mean the end of Patecatl."

"If Randy reneges on the deal, then he'll be in deeper trouble," Todd pointed out.

"I checked online this morning, the Bahamas have mandatory jail sentences for sexual assaults. Randy could figure he has nothing to lose and try to shift the blame," stated Annie.

"So what do you want to do?" asked Sara. "We'll support you either way."

Todd and Dr. Sanchez nodded in agreement.

Annie thought about it. The idea of going into a courtroom terrified her, but she didn't want Randy to walk away without being punished.

"I wish I knew."

Just then Jim sauntered into the dining room. Annie smiled and got up and gave him a big hug.

"You're welcome!" he replied. "I have the nose program ready."

"Annie's trying to decide what to do with Randy," informed Sara. She then explained Annie's fears concerning a potential trial.

"Let him go. Trust me, he won't bother you and he'll get what's coming to him," stated Jim.

"What're you talking about? You don't mean that you're going back on your agreement?" asked Todd.

Jim shook his head and grinned. "Trust me on this one."

Sara noted to herself that he looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Chapter 38
August 1
5:55 PM

Todd stood by Randy as the boat pulled up to the dock. Randy's hand ran across his nanite-repaired nose.

"Well, it looks like Patecatl worked again," he remarked. "Look, can you talk to Dr. Sanchez and see if I can be reinstated?"

"Randy, if it was up to me you'd be in jail. If I was you, I'd count this as a very lucky day," replied Todd.

"Fine! I may not have any of the patents for Patecatl, but I know how the systems work. I can change then just enough and make millions!"

Todd nodded. "You do that." He doubted that Randy could accomplish his threats. He wasn't that good of an engineer. He was good at accomplishing set tasks, but he had no real vision.

A few minutes later, Todd watched as the boat left the dock. He wondered if Jim's plan would work.

Chapter 39
August 3
2:31 PM

"That was incredible, Hector," declared Dr. Warren Thornton.

The team had just conducted its third operational test of Patecatl for the visiting doctors. For the third test, Dr. Thornton had volunteered to be the subject.

"I must admit that I was initially nervous, but I felt calm during the entire procedure," he continued.

"We've worked very hard to get it operational. While Patecatl can do routine checkups, it's capable of doing so much more," explained Dr. Sanchez.

The other doctors hovered around Dr. Sanchez and Jim as they showed them the library of medical procedures that had been programmed into Patecatl.

Annie, Sara, Todd, and Tommy sat back and watched the show. The demonstrations had been a total success. Dr. Thornton had just received his annual physical and was impressed that Patecatl had been able to diagnose a rash that had baffled his own doctor. It was from a plant common to the West Indies, and its effects were unknown to his doctor in New York.

"Looks like we may gain our approval to start the next round of tests," remarked Todd.

"I know. It's so exciting," replied Annie.

"So, when are you two taking off for your EMT courses?" asked Todd.

"We're going on vacation starting tomorrow. We start classes in three weeks in Miami," replied Sara.

"Dr. Sanchez just asked me if I wanted to stay on fulltime," stated Tommy.

"And?" asked Todd.

"I jumped at it. He's sending me to Cal-Tech to take a few more courses in nanites," replied Tommy.

"Ah, my old school. I can suggest a few good bars there," replied Annie.

"What about you, Todd?" asked Sara.

"I'm staying here with Jim and Doc. I'll take my vacation after hurricane season. I'm going to sail from here down to Belize."

"That sounds like fun," replied Annie.

Just then Dr. Sanchez led the other doctors towards his office. He looked over at the team and gave them a wink.

Chapter 40
August 3
11:41 PM

Annie walked slowly back to her room. She was sorting through a thick envelope that Dr. Sanchez had given her that afternoon. Inside was her new life.

Annie changed for bed. She applied some moisturizer to her face and body. Sara had bought it for her, telling her that she had to protect her skin from the saltwater and sun.

She then sorted through the papers. Everything was there, from her new passport to birth certificate. She opened her nightstand drawer and put the papers inside. She then took a silver object out of the drawer.

Annie sat down on her bed and held the vibrator in front of her. Even though she'd had the sex toy for over a week, she still hadn't used it. It was silly, but it still felt strange to put an object like this in her body.

She wasn't unfamiliar with vibrators, as she had used them with Marcy. That should have been a giveaway, she thought. Marcy preferred the vibrator to actual sex. Annie laughed wondering what Marcy would say if she saw Annie now.

Annie turned it on and began to run the vibrating silver object along the outside of her vagina. It felt pretty good and she began to press it in slightly. Annie was instantly amazed by the new sensations. Her nipples began to harden as she worked the vibrator deeper into her vagina.

Annie lay back on her bed and began to let nature take its course. The sensations were new, but familiar, as she continued to pleasure herself. She closed her eyes and began to press it deeper inside her body.

Sara stood outside the door and was about to knock; she cocked her head at hearing a familiar sound. She smiled and turned around and went back to bed.

Chapter 41
August 7
11:51 AM

Sara pulled the car off the road. The view of the Pacific Ocean was spectacular. They were slowly making their way down the coast of California.

"At this rate, we won't make Monterrey for a week," quipped Annie.

"I don't mind. I just can't believe how beautiful this is," replied Sara.

"Come on, I'm hungry and I know a good restaurant in Carmel."

"Hungry again?" asked Sara with a grin.

"Yes, you nearly wore me out last night. I had no idea how exhausting sex with another woman could be!" replied Annie.

Sara leaned over and kissed Annie. "We'd better get to Carmel. I want you well rested for tonight!"

Over lunch Sara pulled out her computer and checked her mail. There was one from Jim.

She opened it and was stunned by what was inside.

"Annie read this!"

Annie looked at the file, which contained a newspaper article from a Miami paper and some comments from Jim.

The article concerned the arrest of Randy for smuggling in nearly twenty pounds of dope. When Randy had left the Bahamas, he had chartered a private plane. An anonymous tip to the DEA had led to Randy's arrest.

Annie read Jim's comments. He wrote that he had learned from some locals that Randy had been buying dope from them and had been smuggling it into the states for several months. He'd learned that Randy was going to make one last run.

"I guess that was the surprise Jim told us about," stated Sara.

"Too bad he wasn't caught in the Bahamas, they love to catch rich arrogant Americans," replied Annie.

Annie read on that Randy was facing a long list of charges and was being held without bail. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, she thought.

After their meal arrived, Sara turned to Annie. "So, you excited about seeing your mom this week?"

"Excited? Yes. Nervous? Scared shitless? Yes!" replied Annie with a nervous laugh.

"You need to watch your mouth, young lady!" retorted Sara.

Annie laughed. "As you know, I told her the truth about what happened to me. She's excited to see me and to meet you. I'm not worried about her, I just don't know how I'll react."

"You'll do fine. Just be yourself, you're doing pretty good," replied Sara.

Chapter 42
August 23, 2012
7:00 PM

"We'll be landing as close to the hospital as possible. Dr. Edwards has assured me that a suitable landing area has been cleared," stated Dr. Sanchez to the rest of the emergency team.

They were presently flying towards the devastated Virgin Islands to provide emergency medical treatment for the hurricane victims. It would also be the first actual field use for Patecatl. The units were still assembled at the Bahamas compound, but soon they would be produced in a factory in Dr. Sanchez's home town in Mexico.

Over the past year Dr. Sanchez had tested Patecatl in a variety of environments. It had been successfully tested in emergency rooms, but this was the first time it would be used in an actual disaster.

The device had changed greatly over the past year. It was much lighter, thanks to Sara. In between her EMT classes, she had redesigned the power system, making it both lighter and more efficient.

Jim had created several new programs, including one that would test the patient for allergies prior to using certain medications. He was in the process of designing a way to detect prior use of nanites and he was even hoping to produce a way of cleansing the system faster of nanite residue.

The team flying in with Dr. Sanchez included Annie and Sara, along with six other newly trained technicians. They would oversee the setup of each unit and assist medical personnel in using Patecatl.

There were also several doctors from FEMA aboard the helicopters. They were very interested in how Patecatl operated. Their approval was vital for the mass acceptance of Patecatl.

Annie sat in the back of the second helicopter lost in her thoughts. It had been over a year since her transformation. While she still didn't think of herself as completely female, she was comfortable with who she was. In fact she had declined Jim's offer to tone down her looks. She had gotten used to herself and decided to move on.

There had been some rough days. It bugged her when men couldn't get past her looks. Having Sara in her life helped her overcome these moments.

Annie couldn't believe how men treated her. She still wasn't used to men hitting on her. She felt no sexual attraction towards men and had zero interest in exploring or experimenting sexually with one. She had taken to wearing a necklace with a rainbow charm hanging from it during her classes. At least the technicians for Patecatl accepted that she preferred women.

Professionally, it was also a challenge. Many men were either totally intimidated by her engineering knowledge or refused to listen to her. She often vented to Sara over a beer about the shortcomings of men.

Thankfully, Todd, Tommy, Jim, and Dr. Sanchez treated her with respect. Todd and Jim were especially protective. Annie wasn't sure if she needed their protection, but she really appreciated their concern and friendship.

She had also found a wonderful therapist had who really helped her adjust to her new life and got her through some rough times.

Annie adjusted her life to match her new body. Just as Sara had predicted, Annie had gotten used to the wardrobe and makeup. Granted she still felt a bit silly at times, she had to admit that it made her life easier.

Part of her job was briefing medical experts and politicians about Patecatl. She had to dress up for these meetings, which often included dinner. Annie begrudgingly agreed that her looks were an asset when trying to convince some bureaucrat of the benefits of Patecatl. She also learned how to sweet-talk them into viewing a demonstration. She had to admit that it was slightly humorous that she used her sex appeal to promote the very machine that changed her.

Annie also couldn't believe how much she was in love with Sara and couldn't imagine life without her. Her mother was also pleased that Annie had someone in her life. In all, everything had turned out pretty well, Annie thought.

As they made their final approach to land, Annie thought about the e-mail she had received the previous day.

At first Annie almost deleted it, as she didn't recognize the address, but curiosity got the better of her and she opened it.

It was from a woman named Jill in Boston. The woman just wanted to thank Annie for helping her fulfill her lifelong dream. At first Annie had no idea what Jill was talking about. Then it hit her; Jill was Jim's old friend from college! Annie eagerly opened the attached file and saw a photo of a very beautiful young woman. Jill's body was similar to Annie's, in that she had big breasts. However, just as Jim promised, Jill looked nothing like Annie. Annie replied that she was happy that Jill had found happiness. They made plans to meet the following spring.

The sound of Dr. Sanchez's voice in her headset snapped Annie out of her daydreams.

"Okay, everyone, let's show the world what we've accomplished," he stated.

Annie nodded in agreement. She glanced over at Sara who blew a kiss to her. Annie sent one back. Annie smiled. She was deeply in love and had a job she loved. Life had turned out pretty well, she thought.

The End