~~ Infantus Conspiracy - Part 2 ~~

Vickie just knew something was wrong as the Nana lifted her onto the changing table and lifted her by her ankles. She was a big girl and didn’t have accidents … wasn’t she?

Vickie felt the coolness of the baby wipe as Nana cleaned her privacy and bottom, then set her hinny in the thick warm embrace of a hugely thick crawly diaper. Nana powdered Vickie well before pulling the diaper between her legs and fastening it on with locking diaper pins.

Vickie let go of her trepidatious feelings, this felt so normal that she had no idea what could possibly be wrong … it all felt so incredibly right.

Nana helped Vickie to her feet, then held out a pair of adorable powder blue, plastic lined rumba panties with large ruffles.

Nana coos softly, “Be a good baby and step in for Nana.”

Vickie couldn’t help herself as she did as she was asked. She poked out her lip adorably and said in a cute pouty voice, “I notta baby … amma … big girl?”

Vickie held her arms out and looked behind her at her poofy ruffled hinny. Whatever it was that was wrong … was forgotten … this was perfectly right as nana placed a powder blue crocheted pair of matching booties on her feet.

Nana giggles, “Of, course, You are just a wonderful big girl.” and gave Vickie a loving hug before taking her back to where Billy and she had been playing earlier.

Billy was sitting there holding his pink comm device, staring blankly at it, or so it seemed. As soon as he had thought to go see if he could help Vickie, the comm device had gone off, playing its merry little nursery-rhyme music.  His heart leapt.  Was it really his chance?  But … it seemed to really affect people who accepted Baby Rules.  It changed them a great deal.  He was a little scared.  But he answered the call.  “H-hello?  Billy here.”

“Hello, Billy,” said a sweet cooing voice, which sounded just like Persephone’s, but he wasn’t thinking about that.  “Billy, you’re such a good little boy, aren’t you?  Such a hard worker and so helpful to little Vickie.  And what a cutie you are too!  Now, I know it’s hard, but I need you to think carefully and answer truthfully … do you accept Baby Rules, sweetheart?”

Billy was finding it hard to think, actually, but part of him was warning him that there was probably no going back from this, either way he answered.  Then, an even deeper part of him cried out with joy.  “Uh huh!” he said out loud, nodding vigorously.  “Yes pwease, I wanna be unner Baby Rules an’ be a good boy an’ help Vickie!”

“Oh, you’re so adorable,” said the voice.  “Don’t worry, dear.  You’ll always be safe.  Just do what the nice Nana says.  Soon it will all be OK.”

Suddenly Billy’s world turned inside-out.  He used to look at things with a bit of childlike whimsy as he went through the businesslike motions of his job at this odd company.  Now he looked around and saw everything around him as perfectly normal and right.  He had adult knowledge, but the child inside him was now in charge, and always would be from now on.  He didn’t notice it happening, but he was wetting himself right through his overalls, and his thumb had found its way into his mouth, and he was sucking vigorously on it.  He looked over to make sure Vickie was all right, because he still knew it was his job to make sure she was happy, as if he was her protective big brother.

Vickie was already coming back, being led by the Nana who had just changed her.  “Oh my,” said the Nana, “I think someone else needs some help too.  Don’t worry, little guy, you’ll be just fine.  Come with me, and you’ll be alright again.”  

Billy was looking at Vickie.  Vickie looked happy if a bit confused, so she was OK.  That was good.  He took the Nana’s outstretched hand, and she helped him off the floor and to his feet.  Unlike Vickie, who had already been in training panties, Billy only had regular underwear on, so there was a puddle on the floor where he had been.  However, a cleaning robot emerged from a panel in the wall and whizzed over to clean it up.

The Nana quickly had Billy’s uniform overalls off him and had lifted him up onto the changing table.  Billy was confused about the warm feeling that had appeared in his pants and spread around his bottom and down his legs as he had sat on the floor, but now it was starting to feel cold.  He babbled some incoherent sounds at Nana, concerned and confused by what was going on.

“I know, little guy, you’re not very comfy right now,” said the Nana, as she removed his sopping underpants and had him all clean and dry in moments.  Shortly after, she got out a fluffy, crinkly disposable diaper, a very thick one that was typically called a “crawly diaper” because it was difficult for those wearing them to do anything but crawl, and slid it under him, easily lifting him up -- as an android she was gentle but very strong.

Billy felt the Nana spray wonderful-smelling baby powder onto his skin and bring the diaper snugly up between his legs, firmly fastening it.  He then let her remove the blue T-shirt that was also part of his uniform and raised his arms when she asked him to so she could slip a similarly blue onesie over his head and fasten it between his legs.

Then she got out another pair of overalls and slid them on over his legs, helping him down off the changing table and fastening them over his shoulders.  Billy wasn’t paying attention to what they looked like, but they were yellow just like the ones he had been wearing before, with a few important differences.  There were snaps up the legs and in the crotch, for easier changes, and there were no side snaps or buttons, leaving them loose on the sides.  The pockets had hook-and-loop closures so nothing would fall out of them; the Nana made sure his multicom and the strawberry-colored comm device were safely stowed.  On the front, his overalls didn’t just say his name now; they said “Baby Billy” in big blue letters.

Before Billy could put his thumb back into his mouth, the Nana gave him a pacifier, perfectly sized for his mouth, and he happily started sucking on it.  After she put a pair of crocheted booties on his feet, Nana took him by the hand and led him back to Vickie, who was on the floor playing with the blocks again and smiled up at him when she saw him.  Billy smiled at her behind his pacifier, waved to her and sat back down to play with blocks too.  

Letting go of Billy’s hand, the Nana said, “Now, you two just play, OK?  I’ll be back to check on you soon.  Be good!  Bye-bye.”  

She waved at them, and they waved back.  Billy only somewhat understood what she was saying in his current frame of mind.  He was more interested in Vickie, who seemed happy, and in playing with the blocks with her.

Persephone watched them in her magic mirror.  She knew that now that they were infants and in the system as employees under Baby Rules, the Nana androids would monitor their condition and take care of them as needed.  They would be fairly helpless at first, as helpless as babies, and the Nanas would take care of them, but in time they would adjust, and in the end they would be able to do their jobs perfectly well, just with a very childlike point of view.  She could tell that they were both very special, and, she knew, they would become very important to her in times to come.

Trent Miller sat at his desk … if that’s what you wanted to call it. It was more like a tyke’s play place than anything else. He had no trouble bringing his specialized pad computer into the company and establishing a connection with the mainframe.

Trent was slightly upset over the new uniform he was required to wear. It was better suited for a little girl than for a man of his stature. It had adorable little animals in pinks and reds all over it. The bib tied behind his neck. He was really upset over the ruffles … they seemed to be everywhere. The matching booties he was required to wear were even worse.

Another thing he was having trouble with, was hacking in. The harder he tried to get in … the more it seemed the computer was playing a game with him. Nothing he had attempted had allowed him access to anything more important than the daily feeding schedule or a game called Candy Land.

Suddenly, Trent realized a nursery rhyme had started to play. It appeared to be coming from the cute little fuzzy pink pouch around his waist. He unzipped it and reached in … sure enough, that stupid pink comm thing was playing a tune.

He opened it and said, “Hello, this is Trent. Can … I help you?”

A softly cooing voice that sent super intense tingles all through his soul answered, “Hello sugar bug. You are such an adorable little girl. I see you like to play with electronic toys.”

Trent almost wet his pants the voice sounded so wonderful and made him feel so good speaking to it. He replied, “I … love playing with computers and things.”

The voice giggles softly and asks, “Well, sweetheart, do you accept baby rules?”

It was like being hit by lightning as the softness of the question penetrated him all through. He had to answer … he must … the promise of a total release was at hand. Something he had wished for his entire adult life was right there in the offering. He forces himself to settle down and think about his mission.

He replies suddenly and sharply, “Hell No! And just who are you to ask such a question?”

The tone of voice was now very sad, “I am the bringer of babies and childhood … and you are now refused.”

A terrible stab deep in his heart spread all through him as a dark depression settled on him. The comm went dead … then suddenly seemed to fall apart in his hand to dust.

Trent left the office that evening, changing back into his ordinary clothes with a sense of relief -- everyone inside the Babies of All Ages office dressed outlandishly, but what if someone outside the company saw him dressed like that?  Once he got back to his apartment, he activated the end-to-end encryption on his multicom and called his contact, audio-only, to report in.

“The water is under the bridge,” he said, before anyone had spoken on the other end.

“Good,” said a male voice on the other end.  It seemed as if he had a different contact person every day.  It was possible that his contact number was a relay and redirected him to a different office each time.  “Have you learned anything?”

“Their computer system is very difficult to hack,” said Trent.  “However, there is no mention of THAMPRAS or mining activity anywhere.  If they have any interest in mining, they keep it very well hidden.  On the other hand, they seem very interested in detailed space-time mapping of this part of the galaxy.”

“Could still have to do with interstellar navigation,” his contact surmised.  “You might want to follow up on that.”

“I will,” Trent agreed.  “Also … I got a call on a strange pink-colored comm device today.  Everybody gets one of these comms when they’re hired.  Someone’s voice asked me if I wanted to accept something called Baby Rules.  Apparently those who agree to this are guaranteed to move up in the ranks.”

“I assume you declined.”

“Of course.  I have to remain inconspicuous.  Besides,” Trent added, although why did he feel like he was making excuses? “I understand that whatever it is, it supposedly affects the mind, and I need to stay sharp.”

“Good.  Any repercussions to declining?” his contact asked.

“Well, the comm device had a self-destruct,” Trent answered.  “I’m not getting any more calls on that thing.  I’ve never heard so far about someone getting a second chance … but I’ve also never heard of anyone saying no.”

“Hm,” said his contact.  “We’ll see.  Anything else to report?”

“Their computer system is really confusing, and our cracking software is mostly ineffective on it.  I’m uploading the logs now.  Maybe our coders can come up with something better.”

“Good.  Log received.  Transmitting it to the proper department.  Well done so far.  We didn’t expect it to be easy.”

“Are my instructions unchanged, then?” Trent asked.

“For the moment.  See if you can find out something about why they want those detailed space-time maps.  Meanwhile, we’re going to try to lean on the local government to see if we can force BoAA to sell just the mineral rights to their land -- whoever they sell them to, we can buy them from.  So don’t be surprised if you see something like that coming.  Though you may want to act surprised.”

“Gotcha.  Out.”

“Out.”

Trent hung up, then sighed, and had a boring dinner alone as he fought the deep dark depression in his heart over refusing Baby Rules.

A few days later, Vickie and Billy had progressed to the point where the Nanas decided they could interact with some of the other Baby Rules employees.  Their lunch was served to them on a tray -- a tray in front of them on a high chair, that is, and fed to them by expertly-programmed android Nanas who managed to coax them into opening their mouths at the right time.  

“Heeeere we go,” said the Nana in a singsong tone, “the spaceship is going into hyperdrive,” and she made whooshing noises as she brought the spoon down and into Billy’s open mouth.  

Other Nanas were nearby in this dining room, similarly trying to feed squirming, distracted adults whose minds were readjusting to operating on a toddler level.  Vickie was right next to him, and at some level he was thinking that they could get back to work after lunch, and he could assist her.

Persephone sat at her desk and read over the pile of papers that had arrived from the local government. She shook her head as she thought about the audacity of those mortals to think they had any say over this planet. She was a goddess and it belonged entirely to her … not to them.

Persephone watched her magic mirror as that employee who refused Baby Rules entered his work space. She read over what it was he was attempting to do yesterday … nothing outstanding or spectacular. She was mildly amused to see how many times he had opened Candy Land and read over the feeding schedule for the regressed employees.

Trent entered the locker room. To his total amazement, all of his ‘Uniforms’ were missing, and instead, what looked like an extremely expensive suit with black oxford loafers were in its place. He dressed. As he was entering his office, its decor had changed as well. It now looked like an executive’s office most anywhere in the known universe.

He sat and plugged his pad computer into the receptacle, and turned it on. Just as the previous day, the harder he tried to hack into the system, the more it appeared it was playing a game with him.

All he was able to bring up this time, was stock reports, local news, sports, and a few mild girly sites with no nudity. He finally got frustrated when the solitaire site came up for the umpteeth time.

As he sat in dark depression, thinking of how it felt when he refused Baby Rules, an adorably dressed young woman entered. She was dressed like a 2 or 3 year old, down to the very thick diaper beneath her rumba panties that were visible beneath her very short babydoll dress and the really cute booties on her feet.

Trent’s eyes get large in surprise as he says, “Hello, there, little girl, my name’s Trent.”

The little girl giggled and replied, “My name’s Vickie … an Imma CEO of this branch of Babies of all Ages. Am here ta tells u …. ur access ta baby stuffies is denied. Same as u denied Baby Rules.” She stuck her tongue out at him, turned, and toddled out where a very cute young man awaited her. The 2 of them held hands and skipped off out of eyeshot.

Trent’s pad computer suddenly made a long beeping noise, then shut itself down. He was unable to make it function so long as he was plugged into the local network. Trent banged his fist on the desk in total frustration.

Persephone looks up as Vickie and Billy enter her office hand in hand. Vickie says in her adorable voice, “Miss Sephone?? U gotsa visitor … is man from BOFFOUT??”

Billy and Vickie giggle as they act silly. Persephone already knew who it was … and was adamant that BOFA would not mine a single crystal of this world so long as she was its owner.

Back at his apartment that night, Trent called his contact again.  “The water is under the bridge,” he said, as before.

“What do you have to report?” said a female voice.

“My cover isn’t blown, but my access is restricted,” Trent said.  “Apparently declining this ‘Baby Rules’ set off a red flag somehow.  I can’t get anything out of the computer system now.”

“Well, maybe I can help you there,” said his contact.  “I’m sending some new hacking software to your multicom.  Apparently the coders think this is going to do the trick.  They were all over those logs you sent -- fascinated by them.  They’ve never seen anything like it.  But you know how they are with new problems -- they just loved sinking their teeth into it.”

“Great!” said Trent; this was the first time he’d felt hopeful in days.  “We’ll see how they did.”

“Meanwhile, our BOFA subsidiary has approached BoAA to see if they’re interested in mineral rights, but no dice so far.  There’s a province council meeting tonight, and we’ve sent some lawyers to argue the case of forcing the mineral rights issue.  I’m not a lawyer, but legal says there’s at least a chance.  Something about old interstellar laws on the books about materials necessary for navigation.”

“OK, thanks for keeping me posted,” Trent said.  “I’ll try the software tomorrow.  I hope it unearths something.  And I hope it doesn’t get caught.  I … had a visit from the CEO of this branch office.  She was dressed like a baby girl, in diapers and everything.  And her voice -- she was just one step up from baby babble.  I think that’s what this ‘Baby Rules’ thing does to you.”

“Sounds like you narrowly escaped that fate,” his contact said.

“But my point is that they have some kind of mind-altering … something.  I don’t know whether it’s drugs, brain surgery, implants, or whatever, but they can do that to an adult’s mind.  It’s … chilling.”  Trent did not add, “And intriguing.”

“Well, if it ever looks like they’re going to force something like that on you, don’t let yourself be compromised,” his contact reminded him.  “Use the emergency pack.  Otherwise, if they’ve got some way to turn your brain to mush, they’ll probably have you spilling the beans in no time flat.”

“Right,” he said.  “You should have seen the getup they had me in before I refused.  I think they were going to turn me into a baby girl.”

“Really?” said his contact.  “That would have been something to see.  I’ll bet you’d make a cute one.”

“Yeah, sure, well, all joking aside, they’re the weirdest outfit I’ve ever seen.  And I think the CEO of the whole place is there right now.”

“Ms. Persephone is there?  Nobody knows anything about her, not even her first name.  If Persephone is her last name.  Maybe she only has one name.  Well, keep your ears open.  If she’s there, important things are going down.  Someone might say something.”

“Got it.  Out.”

“Out.”

The next day, Trent got to the office and felt completely out of place -- everyone else was dressed in bright colors, some with more frills than others, but other than him no one was wearing a dark business suit and polished shoes.  

“Oh, hi Trent,” said Gloria, who was wearing her usual bright pink overalls with a big white and yellow flower on the front.  “Gosh, you’re looking super grown up again today.  There must be some kind of … meeting?”

“Something like that,” he said, not wanting to tell her the truth.  The fact that he’d been offered Baby Rules and declined would certainly spread like wildfire if he said anything.  “I might be meeting with some regulators or something.”

“Oh, right,” she said.  “No-nonsense types.  Oh well.  You’ll be back in the happy colors in no time, I’m sure!”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he said, with a bit of a smile.  Part of him wished he could be as carefree as the majority of the employees seemed to be, even the non-Baby Rules ones.

He sat down at his desk and started looking over documents with his multicom, fairly mundane stuff, but as he worked he touched an icon that activated the new cracking software.  He didn’t watch it work; he just went about his business and let it do the same.  It would store whatever information it gathered, and he’d send it in later, once he was back in his apartment, on an encrypted connection.

“Wow, Mr, Trent, you sure busy,” said a young man -- looking like a very young man in yellow overalls with the words “BABY BILLY” embroidered on the front, along with a picture of a toy sailboat.  “I sure wish I knowed how come you no ‘cept.  Is sooooo cool!”

“Yes, well, it’s too late now,” Trent said.  “I heard there were no second chances.”

“Well, I dunno,” Billy said.  “Miz ‘Sephone’s real nice if you nice to her.  All she wants is for us to be happy ‘n stuff!”

“I’m -- just doing my job,” Trent said.  “As best I can.”  

Trent saw an employee go by wearing an outfit just like the one he’d been wearing, all bows and frills.  He sighed involuntarily. Trent was realizing his soul felt fantasy was to be a real girl … and a baby on top of that would make it more exceptional.

“Yeah, me too,” Billy said.  “Well, it’s time for lunch wif Vickie!  Bye-bye!”  He scampered out the door.

After lunch, Vickie and Billy were brought to see Persephone.  “It seems the province council is entertaining the notion of invoking a centuries-old law to force us to sell the mineral rights to our land, if we won’t be extracting the very valuable minerals under it,” she said.  “Now, I know your minds have recovered from the Baby Rules process to the point that you can understand this, even though it might not be obvious to most people.  I think they have to prove there’s a shortage before it can really happen, but they’re likely going to play with the legal definition of ‘shortage.’  The problem is that the process of mining this mineral usually produces a lot of pollutants and by-products, and I don’t want to do that to this world or its people.”

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The BOFA representative, Ted Bryant was getting the picture really fast that all of his legal arguments over the raw mineral mining rights for the abundant THAMPRAS of Iota-95 were going very badly. No argument he could make showed any kind of serious shortage under universal law to force BoAA to sign over the mining rights, nor held much credence with the court. Whoever this Persephone person was, she must be a goddess or something and see the future to keep out thinking and out maneuvering him this quickly and efficiently.

He thought he had her on this last argument, dredged up from several centuries ago when THAMPRAS was scarce. It sounded reasonable enough … and, for the average person … it would have been. Persephone seemed to have read his mind and already had filed an injunction with the Planetary Court to block his motion before he had the chance to even file it.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bryant,” said the judge when he finally got in contact, “but given the amount of environmental destruction it causes to mine this type of ore, not to mention the pollution and toxic waste it generates, I had no choice but to grant the injunction.  Until the legalities are thoroughly reviewed, you’ll just have to wait.  It’s a lot easier to wait now and mine later than it is to mine now and try to clean things up later if it’s decided that you have no legal right to do so.”

“I’m sure you and your colleagues will find …” Ted began.

“I’m sure we’ll examine the case law and come to a reasonable conclusion,” the judge said.  “Now, if that’s all, I’ve got a busy docket for today.  Have a good day, Mr. Bryant.”

Ted sighed inwardly.  “Thank you, Your Honor.”  The connection closed.

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~~ End - Pt2 ~~

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~~ Infantus Conspiracy - Pt3 ~~

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The judge was right.  If they did mine now, and if the courts decided later that it was illegal, BOFA would be held responsible for the cost of cleaning up the damage done by their illegal actions.  And he doubted OAF would help with that cost.  Of course, they couldn’t mine now anyway, not without drawing a contempt citation.  Besides, everywhere they wanted to mine was private property -- property of BoAA.  He had nowhere to turn … then his multicom rang.

“Ted Bryant here,” he said, opening the connection.

“Hello, Mr. Bryant,” said the man on the screen.  He was dark-haired and wore a business suit, but he’d never seen him before.  “My name’s Trent Miller, and I work for OAF.  I read your brief.”

“Oh -- yeah, that doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere,” Ted said.  “I was going to start thinking about other angles.”

“Look, I just wanted to let you know,” said Trent, “there are ways of … making sure shortages happen.  You didn’t hear this from me, but I’ve been told from my superiors to pass that along.  They’ve been keeping track of your efforts too.”

“Oh …” Ted said.  “Interesting … it would take a seriously huge investment to make that kind of thing happen, which means OAF must be expecting to make even more from this.”

“I believe we are,” said Trent, “but, again, you didn’t hear it from me.  I was told to tell you not to give up just yet.”

“Thank you, Mr. Miller,” said Ted.  Trent nodded, and the connection closed.  He quickly started searching through the business news and found a story: OAF, which already owned several THAMPRAS mining companies as subsidiaries, had just made bids to purchase controlling interest in its two biggest competitors.  If it could get this by the antitrust regulators, OAF would own 97% of the THAMPRAS production in all of known space.  There could be a shortage then, all right, if OAF wanted there to be one.  All they would have to do was close down a number of mining planets “for preventive maintenance” at the same time.  Spacecraft fuel rod  production would practically shut down.  There would be a small amount being mined by the small independent mining companies, but nowhere near enough to satisfy the demand. It would happen.  It might take weeks, but it would happen.  Ted didn’t feel particularly happy about the ethics of it, but it wasn’t strictly illegal.

Meanwhile, although Trent was happy in a way that OAF had a plan to pull this off, still, he found himself thinking about the happy, if saccharine, corporate lifestyle at Babies of All Ages.  Work got done, of course, but it seemed to happen almost by accident while everyone was having fun … except for him, of course.  He was the only one dressed in normal business attire, though everyone seemed to assume it was because he had to talk to government and corporate contacts a lot -- although he didn’t.

“It’s too bad you have to wear that, actually,” said Gloria to him one day at lunch, pointing at his dark gray business suit.  “You actually seemed happier back when you were wearing your company uniform.”  She giggled.  “Isn’t it funny how we call them uniforms, even though each one is different?  I really like mine, though!  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t.”

Trent looked at Gloria. All she had on was a pair of lacy pullups and a really cute top with a pair of crocheted booties that matched perfectly. Trent  knew that Gloria had started having cute little potty accidents just like the little girl she appeared to be.

“But you wouldn’t go around outside the company dressed like that, would you?” asked Trent.

“Well no, maybe not,” Gloria said with a giggle. “It would earn me a lot of stares and odd looks.  But I guess I could just say I was … what did they used to call it? … cosplaying.”

“People still do that?” Trent asked.

“Well, it kind of combined itself with makeup and wearable electronics and morphed into just wear art,” Gloria said.  “Depends on the character you’re playing.  If you dig back far enough into retro 2D vids, you can probably find just about any type of character you want.”

“I see,” Trent said.

“But you did like your outfit, didn’t you?” This was really more of a statement than a question.

“Well … if you can keep a secret,” Trent said in a low tone, “I really did.  I liked how people seemed to smile whenever they saw me, and it wasn’t a smile of derision -- it was like they thought it was cute, not like they were making fun of me.”

“No, nobody would make fun of you for wearing something like that,” Gloria said quietly.  “Not around here.  Everybody else is wearing the same kind of thing!  I do wonder how they manage to make sure everyone gets an outfit they love, though.”

“Well, I guess this is my uniform now,” Trent said.

“Yeah …” Gloria said.  “I guess it’s almost everybody’s.”

As Trent left, he heard that same musical nursery rhyme tune. He turned and saw Gloria answering the pink comm unit. He saw her nodding her head vigorously … then seemed to be stunned as she grabbed between her legs suddenly. Trent shook his head as he saw several of the Nanas arrive and lead Gloria off by the hand as if she too were a very little girl.

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Persephone sat back in her executive chair with Vickie and Billy next to her. Over the past few weeks they had all watched the magic mirror reveal what OAF was doing. They watched as several high ranking officials in the Universal Government took bribes from OAF and allowed OAF to purchase their major competitors. And now, within a few hours after acquisition, The many processing and mining facilities had been shut down. According to the briefs filed with the Spacing Consortium, it was a necessary precaution for safety upgrades and major maintenance. There were also subsections to the brief where it outlined major new safety training requirements for the workers.

Vickie said softly with curiosity in her voice, “Idn that gonna makes a shortage? Mosta tha places makesa fuel crystals are gonna b offline for … many months.” Vickie began to count on her fingers as Billy watched.

Persephone pats Vickie on her head as she says softly, “It will. There is no shortage of THAMPRAS … and they had no way to prove otherwise. So they made a shortage to get the mining rights to my planet. No mortal will ever touch my planet … I can assure you of that sweet heart.”

Billy asked, “Whacha gonna do Aunti Sephone?”

Persephone smiled at Billy lovingly. He had made the perfect child as did Vickie. Both of them fit together like soap and water.

Vickie got a light in her eyes all of a sudden.  “Waaaaait,” she said.  “If … if …” she stammered, almost breathless.  “If therea shortage … howcomes they getsa keep their mines closed?  Can’t we tellem ta open em back up?  Would be lots easier n cheaper an makin all new mines, right?”

“Good girl,” said Persephone, patting Vickie on the head again.  “I knew you were a perfect choice.  You’re so smart!”  Vickie beamed with joy.  “Not to mention flat out adorable.”  She pushed a button on her desk.  “Trent, could you please come to my office for a moment?  I have an assignment for you.”

“Howcome you askin him?” Billy wondered.  “Him’s all borin’ an’ stuff.”

“We all have our part to play.” Persephone said.

There was a knock on the door.  “Come in, Trent,” Persephone called.  

The door opened, and sure enough, it was Trent, in his straight-collared brown button-down shirt, collarless dark gray blazer vest, and matching dark gray slacks -- currently the height of executive office fashion ... for most companies, at least.

“You asked to see me, Ma’am?” said Trent, coming in somewhat nervously, his eyes flickering to Billy and Vickie, seated together to the left of Persephone’s large desk in what looked for the world like children’s chairs.

“Trent, I’ve got something very important that needs to be done,” she said.  “I’m having the legal department file some lawsuits, and there are several companies that need to be served the court documents.  If it were just some minor matter, I’d just have a courier do it, but for something of this magnitude, I need someone I can trust.”  She leaned forward over her desk and looked directly into Trent’s eyes.  “Can I trust you, Trent?”

It took everything Trent had not to run out of the room or blurt out that he was also working for OAF.  As it was, he wasn’t sure whether Persephone had figured him out.  He couldn’t even exactly remember whether he’d managed to keep control of his facial expression during those moments before he answered.

“Yes, of course, Ms. Persephone." He stammered, "Just get the documents to me or tell me where to pick them up, and where they need to be delivered, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Excellent,” Persephone said.  “Thank you, Trent.  If you do this … I might consider giving you another chance.  But remember … when your chance comes, take it, because you won’t get another.”

Trent left the office and just stood there outside her door for a few minutes, his thoughts racing and heart pounding.  Did he want … a second chance at Baby Rules?  The thought of being a girl … was so enticing it almost hurt. On the other hand … these documents she spoke of most likely had something to do with the shortage plan.  Perhaps she’d come up with a loophole or defense.  

If he delivered the wrong documents, or delayed them, or otherwise caused some kind of mix-up, he might be able to guarantee OAF’s victory in court.  It seemed as if Persephone had just put the entire future of this planet in his hands.  A few weeks ago, this would have been the very opportunity he’d been dreaming of -- a way to get his job done and go back to the home office, probably with a nice bonus waiting for him.  But now … he wasn’t sure.

A few hours later, Trent left the building and stopped in wonder as he looked all around. What had been a major construction zone that morning when he had arrived, had now become a beautiful lush garden filled with many places for children of all ages to play.

He saw a beautiful fountain that appeared to spray many different colors of sparkling liquid. He wondered how the colors were kept separated as it all fell into a sparkling pool. He walked over and looked in. There were many different kinds of fish from all over the universe swimming around going about their fish errands for the day.

There was a huge and very aesthetically pleasing arcade that could more than adequately cater to adults as well as infants of all ages. He looked around in wonder at the many unique playground equipment designed for all to enjoy.

Trent looked at the thick sheaf of papers in his hand and began to have second … and even third and fourth thoughts about not delivering them. A sadness came over his heart as he thought of this place being all dug out as a mine. Even with reclamation, the planet would basically have been raped of all its resources and left a used up hulk of its former beauty.

He walked over to what he thought was a water fountain and took a sip. What came out startled him. It wasn’t water, but instead was something that tasted exactly like Lemon aid. He straightened up and looked at the fountain in surprise for a second, then bent and took another sip. This time, it tasted just like red berry slushy … it was even cold in the same way.

Billy and Vickie giggled like the little children they appeared to be and clapped their hands at the expressions they saw on Trent’s face in the magic mirror.

Persephone smiled as she said softly, “Now, little girl … let’s see how you handle that.”

Trent headed back to his apartment, his head full of conflicted thoughts, but still, he had to pack for his journey.  The flights were all arranged, and he would have to travel to three different worlds to deliver all these documents.  

Persephone was right -- for routine matters it was common to just send them electronically, but for truly important affairs companies would have an employee hand-deliver them.  The employee could then be called upon to testify in court that they had handed them over, and to whom, if necessary.  And now that he had read them, he knew that these were just the sort of documents that any company would want hand-delivered.

What he couldn’t figure out was why Persephone had chosen him.  If she did, in fact, know that he was working for OAF, she’d made the worst possible choice, as he could betray her in the worst possible way.  However, if she also knew he was having conflicted loyalties, perhaps she was counting on him to choose her side.

His multicom buzzed.  “Trent Miller,” he said.

“Miller,” said Phil, “glad I got a hold of you.  Listen, there’s a possibility that BoAA might have a legal countermeasure to our little plan.  They’d have to file the lawsuits soon, but they might be able to file to reopen the mines and factories. Have you heard of anything like that yet?”

Trent paused for a moment.

“No, sorry, Phil, but I’ll check into it,” he said.

“OK, well, if they don’t do something soon, we’ll be flying our mining equipment in within a couple of weeks.  I can just taste the THAMPRAS now!  Of course, I don’t know what the stuff really tastes like.  Deadly toxic.”

“Hey, do they ever recycle that stuff?” Trent asked.

“How should I know?” Phil answered.  “I don’t know how they refine it either.  I’m management; I hire people to know that stuff.”

“Oh.  Oh well, just wondering.  Anyway, do you have anything else?  I was going to make it an early night.”

“Nope, just keep your eyes peeled.  If they’re going to make their move, they have to do it soon.”

“OK.  Miller out.”  The connection closed.

He had just lied to Phil.  What was he doing?  He wasn’t lying about one thing, though -- the flight was early in the morning, so he had better start packing and get to bed.  Assuming he could sleep.

That night, Trent dreamed very realistically and intensely the dreams of his heart. In them, he was a little girl playing in the beautiful park that Iota-95 was. When he awoke, he really regretted having to get up … he had never dreamed such vivid realistic dreams before ... nor ones in which he was a real girl. He could still feel the fabric of his clothes … and there seemed to be a faint lingering of baby powder on his skin as he shaved and prepared for the coming flight.   

Just as he had finished dressing and packing his bag, there came a knock at the door. When he opened it, a man he had only seen pictures of stood there. It was Bubba … the Enforcer. The man was a gargantuan mountain of meat.

In a very deep voice that rattled all through Trent the man said, “I’m here to make sure you manage to do what OAF has instructed.” His face took on a stern look as his coal black eyes looked at Trent, “I’m sure you will … won’t you Trent?”

Trent could see the slight bulge beneath his left arm. He was sure it was a blaster. One of the Alpha models from the way his suit hung. A real nasty one.

Trent replied, “I have some important papers to deliver and I need to be going if I’m to catch the shuttle at the spaceport.”

Bubba said, “I’m your new escort and body guard. Where ever you go for the next month … I’ll be right there. The lab techs looked over those computer files the new software supposedly hacked. It’s weird stuff that came back. That system apparently played games with it the whole time. I never knew there were so many nonsensical games for children … but it seems that computer is full of them.”

Trent smiled and had to stifle a laugh. So, it didn’t matter what tried to gain access to the data banks, it kept redirecting all inquiries to the games files or feeding schedules .. or to some other unimportant website.

“But they were able to get one phrase,” Bubba said, interrupting Trent’s mirth.  “‘Infantus Project.’  That mean anything to you?”

“No, it doesn’t,” said Trent, honestly.  He’d never heard of such a thing.  “Some kind of secret plan …”

“Might explain what they want this planet for,” said Bubba.

-------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------

Bubba stuck close as an Alabama Tick during the flight out to Omicron Ceti 5. It had gotten really annoying when Trent had to go to the toilet. He turned sharply and grabbed Bubba’s huge arm. To his surprise, all the pivot angles worked perfectly … and Trent found himself restraining Bubba.

Trent said sharply, “I’m a big boy, you know. I don’t need someone trying to check my training pants.”

Bubba said with a gasp of pain, “I’m just doin’ what tha boss tol’ me to. You are really worth money to ‘em, ya know.”

“Well, look, I’m just here to do a job and go on to the next planet,” Trent said.  “If I don’t deliver these documents, it looks suspicious.  You don’t want to blow my cover, do you?”

“No no,” said Bubba.  “You gotta do what they tell you so they like you and tell you everything, that’s what the boss said ta me.”

“Good,” Trent said, releasing Bubba’s arm.  “I’m glad we’re on the same page.  Now let me finish my business in here so I can finish my business up there.”  He pointed upward, which was roughly the direction of the office he had to visit, according to the nav map on his multicom.

“Well … okay,” Bubba said.  He went into a stall to take care of his own business.  When Trent was done, Bubba was already outside the bathroom door waiting for him.

“OK, the fact is that I’ve got an ID, and you don’t, so they won’t let you in,” Trent said as they walked up to the Ceti Mining Concern office building.  “You can wait in the lobby, but I’m still gonna have to explain you.  I’ll just tell them that I hired you for protection or something.”

“Well …” Bubba said as they entered the front door along with many others who were coming and going, “I guess that makes sense.  I don’t got an ID.  Except for my O …”

“Omicron Ceti 5 transport pass,” Trent interrupted, not wanting Bubba to say OAF, in case someone was listening in.  “Yeah, that won’t get you in anywhere except the airtram and magtube stations.  Just wait here.  I’ll deliver the documents, and I’ll be right back.”  He went up to the front desk.

“Welcome to Ceti Mining Concern can I direct you to the right floor,” said a bored-looking older woman in an outfit of pale cream and faded rose, barely pausing for punctuation.

“Uh, hello, I’m Trent Matthews, and I’ve been sent to deliver some legal documents to room 8840,” Trent said.

“Elevator on the right, press floor 87,” she said.

“Not 88?”

“Bad planning,” she said.  “Next.”

Trent went around to the right and found the elevators, and, sure enough, the lobby’s rooms were labeled in the 100s, above it was the first floor, with rooms he was certain were labeled in the 200s, and so on.  What had possessed this building’s planners to lay it out this way?  Oh well, it was none of his business.  He boarded an available elevator along with a number of other people and pressed 87.

The elevator traveled quickly, and after he reached his floor he soon found room 8840, which was actually a glass-enclosed open office space full of people dressed just as he was -- straight-collared dark shirts, light-colored ties, sharply-creased slacks, and all the other latest professional office fashions.  Exactly what you’d expect from a corporate legal department.  So why was he finding it so horribly dull?  Anyway, he was here to do a job, and that was what he would do.  He walked up to what looked like a reception desk.

“Can I help you, Sir,” a young man in a shirt and tie said more than asked, putting whatever conversation he’d been electronically conducting on pause.

“Courier with legal documents,” Trent said.  “I’m told they’re very important.”

“Let me scan the data card, and I can direct them,” said the receptionist.  Trent held it out, and he waved a pen-like device over it, which made a brief melodic tone.  “Yes, those go to Notices of Pending Action, office A.”  He pointed.

“OK, thanks,” Trent said, but this receptionist was already back on his conversation, making appointments and scheduling meetings.  He went to office A and was greeted by a gruff older gentleman.

“Yes?” he asked Trent.

“Documents for Notices of Pending Action,” Trent said.

“Mm.  Right place.  Here.”  He held out his hand.  Trent handed him the data card and held up his signature tablet.  The man tapped the tablet with a finger and swiped a flat silver electronic signer over it, indicating receipt of the documents, and it was done.  All this distance and effort, just for that.

“OK, thanks,” said Trent.

“Mm,” said the man, who had already inserted the data card into a slot, copying the documents into their data system.  Trent turned around and walked away.  There was no further need for him to stay here, and he wasn’t finding much interesting about being here.  It was very much like the legal department of OAF, or any of its other various subsidiaries, and he’d never found any of them particularly fascinating.  Then again, he wasn’t a lawyer.  His line of work was much more … varied.  Still, he was missing the colorful cheerfulness of … oh, the elevator was here.

“All done?” asked Bubba.

“Yeah,” Trent said.  “Well, on to the next place.”

Bubba still kept an eye on Trent on the fight to Delta 6, but did manage to keep a respectful distance while doing it. Trent was amazed at himself for getting that move down just perfect the only time he needed it. He felt elated.

The next office he arrived in, was like something out of the old movies of a mining company. A brick and mortar building with a huge, rusty, chain link fence providing minimal protection for the many types of what appeared to be junk machines scattered across the large yard.

Trent walked in and found a very heavy set woman in a red gingham dress at the desk. She looked up and smiled rosily, “Howdy, there pardna … how’s it goin fer ya today, sugar pie?”

Trent was taken aback for just an instant as he adapted to these totally new surroundings.

Trent said as he looked around the dusty and junk scattered office, “ I’m … a courier with legal documents from BoAA?”

The heavy woman held out her hand as she replied, “Oh, there yew are. Was wonderin how long it would take onena you fancy pants little babies ta get here.” She shook her head in disgust, “Ain’t right fora grown person ta act like they 2 years old … it’sa corporate disgrace. Isa wonder how they make so much money too.”

Trent smiled as he held out the data-pad and the woman electronically signed for it once again.

He said softly, “It would depend on one’s … perspective, I would think. Have you ever met Vicki?”

The woman shook her head, “And just who in tarnation is this Vicki?”

Trent smiles as he fixes his tie and shoots his cuffs, “My boss … and the executive CEO of the Infantus BoAA, second only to Persephone … who owns everything.”

The woman watched with mild disinterest as she said, “So? What’s that gotta do with anythin?”

Trent turned and started leaving as he said, “She, is a Babydoll of only 3 years old … and runs one of the largest and most powerful companies known in the explored universe. Good day Ma’am.”

Trent left the woman with her mouth open as the door shuts behind him.

“All done here?” asked Bubba.

“Yeah,” Trent said.  “Flight to the next planet isn’t until tomorrow.  I suggest getting some shut-eye.”

“Any decent hotels on this planet?” Bubba asked.

“We can find out,” said Trent, asking his multicom to find one near the spaceport.  “Yep, I can book us rooms in this one here.”

“Nope,” Bubba said.  “Same room.  Boss’s orders.  And if I’m s’posed to look like your bodyguard, I gotta be with you all the time.  Your idea.”

“Great,” said Trent.  “Just great.  Oh well.”  He booked them a room.

------------------------------------------

~~ End - Pt3 ~~

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------------------------------------------

~~ Infantus Conspiracy - Pt4 ~~

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The next few planets were uneventful.  It was basically just a matter of serving the documents, getting a signature, and back on the spaceliner.  As grand tours of the galaxy went, this was the most boring one imaginable.

Mercifully, when he returned to Iota 95, Bubba said he had to report back to the Boss -- Trent assumed he meant Phil -- and left.  So Trent did what he would be expected to do and returned to Babies of All Ages to report in.

Trent was more than happy to be back. When he walked into his office, he noticed a large pink package on his desk. He went over and checked the card fastened to it near the large and cute white bow.

The words spoke directly to his soul, “To one of the cutest and soon to be real baby girls ever.” There was no signature, but he was positive it came from Persephone.

Trent opened the box. Within he found a cute little sun outfit with lacy pantaloon bottoms. It was pink with little white dots all over it. He reached in once again, and pulled out a small flip top comm unit. It was as strawberry pink as any strawberry ever was.

Trent felt a tingle run all through him as he saw it in his hand. Here it was: his second chance.  It wasn’t ringing yet, but it was here.  He knew it was within his reach.

He looked at the sun dress.  Should he put it on?  He wasn’t sure.  It was almost time for everyone to go home, actually.  He’d just have to take it off again and put on his street clothes for the ride back to his apartment.  But … not to put it on would seem like a slap in the face to whomever had given him this present -- Persephone, he imagined.  And besides, he had yet to report in.

So he quickly changed clothes.  The pantaloon bottoms were more than just panties or bloomers -- they had some thickness to them, which made him waddle a bit as he walked, but a lot of the other employees did too, so that wasn’t out of place.  The top was very light and soft, caressing his skin with its smooth fabric.  There were cute baby slippers to wear too -- the only thing that didn’t really fit were his hairy legs, but there wasn’t much he could do about that at the moment.  He got into the tram for a quick visit to Persephone’s office.  She’d given him the assignment, so she needed to know it was done -- though he suspected she already knew.

When the doors opened, she was there at her desk, doing some typing, but she looked up at him and smiled.  “Oh, there you are, Trent,” she said, in her beautiful musical voice.  “Oh, I much prefer that outfit, don’t you?  It’s so sweet and pretty.”

“I -- er -- well, yes,” said Trent.  “You’ve no idea how dull and lifeless the other one made me feel.  It’s just not …”

“Not you,” Persephone said.  “I know.  Believe me, I always know.  But welcome back!  Everything went smoothly, I assume?”

“Yes,” he said, “every document delivered, and the receipt signatures transmitted back, everything proper and legal.”

“Good,” she said.  “OAF can’t have its cake and eat it too!  If the law applies here, it applies everywhere.”

Trent nodded.  “That’s that, then.  We’ll see how the courts rule, but I can’t imagine they’ll rule in OAF’s favor.  It’s far easier to open a few mines that already exist on different planets than to build entirely new mines on one single planet.”  

He didn’t really feel bad about the likelihood that OAF would lose in court.  They had lots of money already.  They didn’t really need the billions they’d make if they could mine and sell all of this world’s THAMPRAS ore.  “Well, I’d probably better head home for the evening.  See you tomorrow, Ma’am.”

“Yes, Trent,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye, “I’ll see you tomorrow.  And remember … when your chance comes, it will be the last.  Best take it.”

“Um, I understand.  Thank you for the second chance.  Good night.”  He got into the tram and headed back to his office.

He changed back into his business suit for the airtram ride back to his apartment.  Part of the way home, though, he looked up and noticed a number of people getting on the tram at one stop -- large people in suits.  He recognized Bubba as one of them.

Finally, one more passenger got on.  It was Phil.  “Trent,” he said, “old buddy, how’ve you been doing?”

“Phil!  What are you even doing here?” Trent asked.  “It’s … great to see you.”

“I just thought I should visit this place firsthand,” he said, “just to see what it was like here.  And have a bit of a talk with my favorite agent.  Have you had dinner yet?  I hear there’s a very good restaurant near the next stop.”

“Why … no, I haven’t,” Trent said, as his danger alarms were going off.  Why were there all these goons?  What did Phil want?  “I’ve had dinner there before, though -- nice place.  Want to go?”

“Yes, Trent, I do.  I think we need to have a good heart to heart talk,” said Phil.

They got off at the next stop, and the goons got off right behind them, not saying a word.  Phil and Trent went into the restaurant, and the goons waited outside.  Trent saw some of them leave -- probably to cover the rear entrance, which Trent knew about, and apparently these guys did too.  He wouldn’t be leaving this place until Phil was ready for him to.

After ordering some refreshing drinks, Phil got right to the point, now that they had some privacy.  “I notice that you’ve been delivering some documents for BoAA,” he said.  “Documents that have made things very inconvenient for us.”

“I had to,” Trent said.  “I was specifically assigned to do it.  If it hadn’t been me, they’d have sent someone else.  I had to do just as anyone else would do, or they’d have gotten suspicious.  Come on, Phil, you know how it is.”

“And you didn’t think to perhaps delay your delivery a bit?” asked Phil.  “Really now, I would have expected at least that from you.  A little bit of a delay -- engineer some kind of minor mechanical failure on a starliner or airtram, make things look accidental.  You’ve done things like that before.  Why not this time?  Or even better, why not tweak the documents just a bit?  Make it look like a data transcription error, so you’d have to go back and get fresh copies?”

“I -- well, wouldn’t that look suspicious too?” asked Trent.  “Too much of a coincidence.  They were probably already a bit suspicious of me.  That would have added more evidence that something was up.  I was already having trouble getting them to trust me as it was, what with not wanting to dress like the other employees.”

“OK, I’ll admit you still have my respect for that,” Phil said.  “And yes, I’m sure they thought that was a bit odd, considering everyone who goes to work for that crazy company seems to like dressing like some kind of baby doll clown.”

“Well, some don’t like it, but don’t mind it either,” Trent said.  “When in Rome.”  Nobody knew what Rome was anymore, except for scholars of esoteric ancient Earth history, but the expression lived on.

“Look, we’re talking about your career here,” said Phil.  “You need to choose right now.  We need you to do something for us, and you’re going to do it, and then you won’t have to go back to that place again.”

Just then Trent felt a twinge in his bladder.  It was true that he hadn’t stopped to visit a restroom since getting back to this planet.  He’d been planning to do that when he got back to his apartment, not knowing that there was going to be a detour.  And, he’d been sitting here sipping drinks with Phil.  “Uh, what exactly is it that you’re talking about, Phil?  Your tone suggests that it’ll be a bit … different from what you’ve been having me do so far.”

“Look, Trent, as private as this table is, it’s still too public to spell it out,” said Phil.  “The components are already planted in caches in different parts of the city.  There’s a file on this data card, encrypted with your key, showing where.”  He slid a data card across the table under his hand.  “A good night’s work and that building you’ve been working at won’t be there anymore -- and if we time it right, certain people who work there won’t be either.  And you’ll be safely off planet with an alibi and on to your next assignment.”

Trent hadn’t seen this side of Phil before.  This kind of ruthlessness was really not in his character.  Then again, he was probably getting a lot of pressure from the people above him in the corporation.  But Trent didn’t know what to do, or even say.  He did know one thing, though.

“Looks like this plan’s well worked out,” Trent said.  “You know, though, I haven’t used the restroom since I landed -- I’ll be right back.”  Before Phil could say anything, Trent got up and headed for the restrooms.

He turned a corner out of Phil’s line of sight and found himself facing the restroom doors.  There they were, like a choice.  He knew Phil would send his goons after him -- but it would buy him a minute or two if he did something unexpected.  He went into the women’s room and into the farthest stall, just in case an actual restaurant customer came in.

Sure enough, through the wall he heard the men’s room door thrust quickly open and the banging noises of every stall door being slammed back.  He looked up at the ceiling, planning to leap through an access panel he saw there.

Just then he heard a melody coming from his blazer pocket.  He knew exactly what it was.  The strawberry pink comm unit began playing its musical nursery rhyme tune. It was like being struck by lightning. He had to answer … he couldn’t resist. This … was something he had dreamed about as far back as he could remember.

He opened it and said meekly, “Hello? This is Trent.”

“Trent, you need to listen very carefully,” said what he knew was Persephone’s voice.  “Do you accept Baby Rules?  Remember, this is your last chance.”

“I --” he said.  He remembered that he was in danger, but then he realized that this could also solve that problem if things went right.  “I’m kind of in trouble … but yes.  Yes, I do.”

“I know, Sweetheart.  Everything’s going to be just fine.  Don’t worry.”

 Suddenly Trent’s pants were getting warm and wet as he completely lost bladder control and sank down on top of the toilet in the stall he was in, his thumb making its way to his mouth of its own volition.  He found himself thinking about toys, games, soft plush animals, cute baby clothes, sweets, cartoons, and absolutely nothing adult.  The baby thoughts pushed everything else out of his mind as he sucked his thumb, and he couldn’t think of anything else -- and didn’t want to.  

He wasn’t thinking at all about how his body was changing, his facial features shifting slightly, his hair growing longer, his chest and hips expanding, and other transformations occurring inside his soaking wet pants.

Trent felt the entire exquisite transformation from being an adult male to a real little girl. The intense surges all through his body drained any adulthood … or masculinity within him leaving a very pretty and adorable little girl in the pile of over  sized and very wet men’s clothing.

He -- well, now she -- had somehow kept holding the comm unit up to her ear, however.  “How does that feel, Sweetie?  I bet it feels wonderful, doesn’t it?” Trent nodded at the voice.  “Now, normally we’d have a Nana android take care of you, but there isn’t one nearby.  Someday they’ll be everywhere on this world, but not yet.  Instead we’ll do it another way.”  

Suddenly there was a subdued but sparkling light all around her, and the sopping wet, way oversized business suit transformed too, into an exact copy of the outfit he’d found in the box earlier that day, pink with white polka dots, only the pantaloons were even thicker than before, and quite obviously plastic-lined.  Everything was dry and clean, though -- even the toilet seat and the floor below her was completely pristine.  

“Now I need you to be a good little girl and open the stall door -- can you do that for me?” the voice asked.

Trent opened the door and immediately saw someone in the bathroom mirror across from her.  She was adorable, with long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, full red lips, slightly rounded cheeks, smooth legs, and a very short pink sundress with white polka dots, revealing the very thick diaper she wore, which was covered with a perfectly matching plastic lined panty.  She had shiny matching shoes as well, flat-soled slippers that were comfortably padded inside.  

Trent stared at this reflection of a very young and beautiful girl, who was standing there staring back and sucking her thumb, until the voice in her ear said, “Yes, dear, that’s you!  That’s who you really are.  But some people are going to come in soon, and they’ll be a bit scary, but you’ll have to be a brave little girl.  Don’t worry, they’re not looking for you.”

Sure enough, the door burst open moments later and several large men tramped in.  Trent shrieked in fear and began to cry, her thumb falling from her mouth and the pink comm device falling to the floor, clattering across the room.  The men ignored her and pushed every stall door all the way open with one slamming noise after another.

One of them turned to her.  “You see a guy come in here?  Taller’n you but not as tall as me, black suit, white tie?”  Trent was crying too hard to even shake her head no.  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, another one of them baby people, we’re not gonna get anything useful outta her.  At least … not right now.”  Trent felt even more afraid and cried even harder.

Out in the hall, one of the men shouted, “Hey, Boss, he ain’t in here, we’re gonna start searchin’ the kitchen -- what?”

“Out of my way!” said a woman’s voice, and into the bathroom walked a female figure.  She was tall, blonde, and dressed in practical white slacks and a red tank top, with matching red shoes.  “What are you men doing in here? This is the girl’s bathroom, you perverts!” she questioned, in an outraged tone. “And look how much you’ve upset her!  You should be ashamed!  She’s just a little girl! Out!  Out!”  She grabbed two of the men’s arms and dragged them toward the door with a strength not obvious from her size.  “You hear me?  Out!”  The men soon left.

The women put an arm gently around Trent’s shoulders and pushed her hair out of her eyes.  “Now then, don’t worry, everything’s going to be just fine.  It took me a little while to get here, but now we can go someplace safe.  Here’s your phone, and I found your purse too.”  She held up a transparent plastic little girl’s purse with a pink and white minicom in it.

“Y-you … Nana …” Trent sputtered.

“That’s right.  Ms. Persephone sent me to look after you,” said the Nana android.  “Now we’re going someplace safe, Trina.”

“T-Trina?”

“Well I can’t go on calling you Trent,” she said.  “Ms. Persephone says people should be called by the name in their heart, and she said that was yours.”

“Th-thank you … Ms. Persephone,” said Trina, even though she knew Persephone wasn’t there, Trina had a feeling that she’d hear.  The Nana held Trina’s hand and led her out of the bathroom, through the restaurant, and back to the airtram station.

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Persephone magically changed the floor layout several times in front of and behind the OAF men. She was going to drive most of them insane. She knew , for instance, that the big brawny one they called Moose … was nothing more than a 3 year old little girl in diapers. Persephone smiled softly as she removed a small, pink, flip top comm unit from her belt and opened it.

Moose was a huge mountain of a man. His only thought right at this moment, was find that stupid corridor that led out of this mad house. He walks into a room. The only objects in the room, are a table, and a small strawberry pink comm unit on top.

It rings, playing a soft nursery rhyme that penetrates all the way to Moose’s soul. His limbs twitch involuntarily several times before he slowly walks to the table, and answers the comm unit, “H… hello? This … Moose.”

A cooing, tinglingly intense voice giggles, “Well, aren’t you the big girl, sweetie?”

Moose’s mind is totally overpowered as he begins to feel a weird sensation all through his body ... he had to answer. This was speaking directly to his soul's life long fantasy … Moose nods his head like a child.

The voice coos to Moose’s soul, “And are you a good little girl and accept Baby Rules, sugar dumplin?”

No thought, Had to answer … only one answer. It bubbled softly from his lips, “Yes! .. oh … I so want to be a little gir…”

He didn’t get to finish his words … he found himself sitting in a huge bundle of way over sized men’s clothes as a strange warm, wet sensation wrapped itself around his hinny.

Phil had already left the building.  “Come on, guys,” he said quietly into his comm unit, “let’s handle this from outside.  Block the exits, watch the streets.  He’s gotta come out sometime.”

“OK, Boss,” said Carver.  “Me and Juice are still at the back door.”

“Right,” said Uyghur.  He didn’t even say this on the comm.  He was standing right next to Phil outside the front entrance.

“Um, Boss?” said a voice on the comm.  “This is gonna sound strange, but … how do we get out?”

“Bubba?  Is that you?” Phil said.  “What do you mean, how do you get out?  You come back out into the main part of the restaurant, then you go to the front door.  Or if you’re in the kitchen, you go out the back door.  Where are you?”

“I … don’t know, Boss,” said Bubba.  “I’m all alone in a white room.”

A woman leading a very pretty little girl by the hand left the restaurant, one wearing white and red, the other in some kind of silly pink getup with white polka dots.  Phil ignored them.  “Well, find a door and get out of there.”

“There … isn’t a door …”

“What the …?  Moose?  Where’s Moose?  Come in, Moose!”

“I dunno where Moose is, Boss. I dunno where Bubba, Snake or Red are, either,” said Milton.

“Where are you?”

“It looks like some kind of … playroom, almost,” said Milton.  “It’s all bright colors everywhere.  Lotsa toys too. The floor is soft. There’s this stupid pink comm unit playing a tune … I’m gonna answer it.”

Milton’s comm went dead immediately after Phil heard him answer the other comm.

“Look, everyone, get outta there,” said Phil. “I don’t care how.  Meet at the extraction point.  We are outta here.  Abort mission.”

“Roger that,” said Carver at the back door.

Only six of them made it to the ascent craft. The rest were totally unaccounted for and never found.

Moose’s mind was totally blown. He was changed and dressed in a really cute, and very short little princess dress and slippers with matching powder puff lace pullup panties. He was now a very pretty little girl in diapers and not the huge mountain of a man he was a few minutes ago … and Nana was leading him to play with others.

Nana Stopped and kneeled beside her, “Now, sweetie, you are a little girl and all of your life rules are very different from now on.”

Moose nodded his head until his cute ponytails flew.

Nana said softly, “We have to give you a pretty name … to match how pretty you are …. let’s see … how about … Stacy?”

To Moose, hearing that name was like being hit in the head. His male name vanished and was replaced by Stacy. She couldn’t remember what it was she was thinking just a second ago. Stacy’s eyes got large as she saw other children playing in the large sand box.

The Nana released Stacy’s hand and allowed the adorable little girl to waddle off and … begin a brand new life as a very beautiful and loving female. The Nana smiles as she feels she accomplished some greater good for this one individual.

Phil was very concerned over his missing men. He was super worried over how Trent managed to walk into a wall and vanish right under their noses. Phil also couldn’t figure some of the wild stories the men were telling. How entire walls and halls changed into other things. Like a forever changing maze.

Phil picked up the receiver and made a very important secure call.

It rang once, then a deep voice answered and said, “Speak.”

Phil had never spoken directly to the real boss, usually he gave orders through text messages or courier. Phil gathered his courage and said, “We … are being thwarted by some superior force.”

The voice said in a dangerous deadpan, “What kind of superior force?”

Phil replied the best he could, “I’m not sure. This woman, Persephone … seems to be able to see the future or something … like … read our minds.”

The voice replied in a tone that sent serious fear all through Phil, “An insect on the sidewalk knows no fear of the pedestrian’s shoes. It doesn’t change the indifference with which they will be stepped on.” The unit goes dead.

Trina remembered very little about what had happened in her life before about five minutes ago.  Right now, it seemed as if she had been born, or reborn, inside an echoey room with some scary guys in it and a big mirror, and Nana had come to take her away, and that was everything she knew.  

Now Nana brought her to a big building, and onto a train thing, and into a big playroom where there were other little boys and girls.  There was a boy in yellow overalls that had blue … marks on the front of them.  Trina thought those marks probably meant something, but she couldn’t think what just now.  There was another girl with long blonde hair in a powder-blue dress.  Both of them looked … kind of familiar … but Trina couldn’t place their faces yet. Trina knew exactly who this other woman was.  She was Miz Persephone.  Every baby knew who she was.  

Persephone walked up to them and said, “Vickie and Billy, this is Trina.  This is who she really was on the inside all along.  Trina, this is Vickie, and this is Billy.  They’re going to be your friends.  You might not remember them right now, but soon you will.  I know this is very confusing, but it will get better.”

“Me Twina,” said Trina, knowing there was something wrong about how she was pronouncing her name, but Vickie and Billy smiled when she spoke, and Miz Persephone smiled at her too, suffusing her heart with a feeling that it was perfectly fine and proper for her to be little, cute, and helpless.

“Hi Twina,” said Vickie.  “Wanna pway wif us?”

“Uh huh!” Trina said, nodding.  Soon they were all playing with blocks and toy cars and toy people on the floor, and when Trina noticed her long hair getting in the way, one of the Nanas came and tied it back into adorable pigtails, before checking her diaper and pronouncing her wet.

“Wha?” said Trina, confused.  “Wet?  When?”

“It happens to us babies all the time,” said Vickie, laughing.  “No worry!  Nana gonna make it better.”

“That’s right, little one,” said the Nana who was leading Trina away to a changing table.  “And I’ll be checking you and Billy next, don’t worry.”

When she was in fresh dry diapers and back on the floor playing, Trina asked, “How come I ‘member scary people?  How come were they there?”

“They’re here because they want to turn this beautiful planet into a dump,” said Persephone.  “And they’ll keep trying, too, until we prove to them that it’s beyond their reach.  They’re like an ant on a sidewalk, with no idea what’s coming down on them.”

“Ma’am, the location of the bomb components has been leaked to the authorities,” said a Nana to Persephone.  “They’re being collected and disassembled.”

“Good,” said Persephone.  “One more thing I won’t have to bother with.  But they seem to have decided that we’re an obstacle that needs to be removed by any means necessary … and they’ll keep coming and trying things until they’re stopped.”

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Phil sat at his desk and fretted in real fear. The vague comment made by the BOSS had scared him to his deepest gut. Phil knew that the BOSS had no emotions or remorse over taking out an entire planet and turning it into a radioactive slag pit to get what he wanted.

Phil raised an eyebrow as he thought about the insane things Bubba had said over the com. Several of the other men made similar insane comments. And … what the hell happened to Moose? Or Milton? Both seemed to drop off the face of the planet.

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~~ End Pt4 ~~

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~~ Infantus Conspiracy Pt5 ~~

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Phil’s comm screen signaled an incoming call, “Hello? This is Phil.”

The sexy female voice on the other end replied, “Hi sugar, this is Milissa from the code department. The last set of hacking software has been deciphered. Seems we uncovered some kind of plan called … Infantus?”

Phil had seen a report about this project before, “What data did it uncover?”

Melissa replied softly in a really sexy breathless voice, “Ohhh, it seems that someone named Babies of all Ages is planning on making Iota into a real garden paradise. The planet has been exclusively owned by a concern that is not only secret to the max, but apparently has a real honest to god Originator's claim to the world. It has been on the books … as long as there have been books … and obviously before then.”

Phil asked, “What plans do they have for the mineral rights?”

Melissa replied, “It appears that this planet is basically off limits to mining or other things like that without an Originator's approval. But, then again, these records are older than the spacing guild or the mining concern. Probably aren’t enforceable now. I think the Originator's all died out over 3 hundred years ago … didn’t they?”

“No way whoever discovered this planet’s still alive,” said Phil.  “But if somehow they were … they would have a legal claim.  I’m going to ask Legal to do some research.  Maybe one of the colony’s Originators started a corporation that still owns the claim, or at least the land.  There might not be any Originators left alive, but corporations can outlive people.”

“You might be right about … some of that,” Melissa said coyly.  “How would I know, of course?  You just do all the research you like, hon.  Bye, now.”

“What a strange conversation,” said Phil.  “Who’s screening employees in the IT department?  Anyway … I have a call to make … privately this time.  I’m going in the vehicle.  Don’t let anyone in.”

“Right, Boss,” said Carver.

Once he was in the ascent vehicle with the door closed, Phil dialed a number he kept only for emergencies.

“Yeah, I know I’m only supposed to call this number if it’s really bad,” he said.  “Well, it’s really bad.  Don’t laugh, but have you ever heard of an outfit called Babies of All Ages? … I told you not to laugh.  Anyway, they’re giving us real trouble, and it’s worth a lot to my employer to get them out of the way, especially on Iota-95 Chameleontis.  If your people can get the job done, you stand to make a lot of money. … Yes, a considerable amount of money.  I promise you’re not wasting your time listening to me.  Money is literally no object. … Good.  We need the minerals in the ground, and if we get those, we’ll make you very happy …”

“Now, then, what would make a big corporation change their mind?” asked Persephone.  “Suppose there was a treasure here, but to get it, they have to turn this beautiful world into a wasteland.  How do we make them give up?”

“Maybe if they found a bigger treasure somewhere else?” Billy suggested.

“Good idea, Billy,” Persephone responded, “but they’d just try to get both treasures.”

“Wha … whatif … you turnem all inna fishies?” said Trina, whose mind was still not very clear, as was always the case early on for anyone who had accepted Baby Rules.

“Turning people into fish is more in Poseidon’s domain than mine,” Persephone said.  “I can turn people into babies and change their gender and make them children of any age  -- physically, mentally or both -- but only if they’ve got enough of an inner child for me to get hold of.  I do have other powers, but that gets to be really messy … besides, there are a lot of people in OAF, and they’re all over the galaxy.”

“Oooo, um,” said Vickie, “whatif the treasure turned into raisins?  Or … water?  Or somethin’ non-treasurey anyways?”

“That would certainly make them give up,” said Persephone.  “But I can’t turn ore into water.  That’s the job of Hades, as god of the underworld and everything underground.  But … that doesn’t mean we can’t make everyone think it’s turned into something that isn’t treasure.  Good girl, Vickie!”  Vickie beamed happily.  “But first, there are a lot of bad people coming soon, and we have to make sure they don’t hurt anyone.”

“All right you lazy bums!” shouted the command sergeant. “Hit the deck … it is now 0235 am and mission time.”

Sergeant Joe Lipion looked on proudly as his elite team sprang from their bunks and readied themselves in a well ordered confusion. OAF had called … and they were going to deliver. All the special bio weapons were ready and the team was itching for a fight.

“Squad leader 1st squad … ten hut!” Many men sprang to attention, grabbing their gear in the process … “On the double, load!” they began filing quickly and orderly into a transport drop ship.

“This is DS 5 ready for launch, “ the pilot said.

His reply came immediately back, “Drop … now … now … now!”

The hatch beneath the drop ship opened. A rush of residual gasses escaping as the seal broke … the planet many hundreds of miles below … passing rapidly as the mother ship orbited … the drop ship cants forward until it was standing on its nose … then drops from the belly of the transport.

Persephone sat and watched this on her magic mirror. She smiled as she thought of some of the things a regendered and reborn virus could do? Possibly one that will attack only … those men? Maybe?”

Billy and Vickie snuggled closer together. Persephone smiled lovingly, “I won’t let them take away your magic play land my infants. I have an eternal claim to this world, a claim that no mortal has the authority or ability to break.”

She stood and clenched her fists by her side … the world trembled to its core as lightning shot across the sky. The people living on Iota 95 all shivered in total fear for a while after that … they knew … something very bad had happened.

Many of the old timers began telling the old tales of the spirit that guided this world, stories that had been around since the first humans had walked on this planet. It told of a protective spirit with awesome powers that kept this world a garden for the last several centuries of man’s colonization of other planets. No one had ever been able to do any ecological harm to this biosphere.

Persephone’s comm unit rang.  “Yes, I know,” she said.  “Tell everyone to take cover if they like, but I know they’re really coming for us here.  Yes, you don’t run a big company without making a few enemies.  Please don’t worry about us.  Just stay away from our complex, and they’ll pay no attention to you.  But I think it will take them a few hours to get here.”

She closed her comm unit.  “It’s such a shame they have to come all the way here to find out the truth,” she said. “But that is some people’s way -- they must be shown.”  

She opened the comm unit again, chose one of her contacts, and then … Vickie, Billy and Trina looked on in confusion as she seemed to sing into the unit’s microphone.

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    Two of the mercenary privates were discussing Iota 95 as their ship dropped through the early morning atmosphere into the low-lying hill area just outside the city nearest to the objective site.

One of them commented, “Hey, Briggs, you heard the story on this planet?”

Briggs replied, “Nope. To me, this is a backwater 5th generation pigsty of a world.”

The first private snorts a laugh, “You obviously don’t know a thing about this planet … it’s the garden of the known universe. Rich in most every conceivable thing.”

“Yea, yea … I’m sure it’s just effin heaven or something. What’s this story you mentioned, Garcia? Might help pass the time.”

“Well, according to that planet’s history … when earth first attempted to colonize it, they discovered it was already owned and fiercely protected by some super superior race … or a spirit as those that actually saw it called it.”

“Saw what?”

“The spirit, dummy … the one that took out the entire 6th fleet back about 350 years ago …”

Persephone didn’t want a mess like the one when men had first invaded her domain here. She had reacted angrily and wiped out many thousands before she realized they didn’t understand. She sighed regretfully as she thought of what she was about to do this time, but at least it would be less destructive.

The transport set down in a valley behind a copse of trees, out of sight from the complex of buildings that was their objective.  “Shields up!” shouted their sergeant, which was the order for all of the soldiers on board to inject themselves with a pheromone agent designed to make them immune to their bio-weapon.  Briggs, Garcia, and all the rest took out the color-coded syringes from their packs and did so.  They knew the soldiers on all the other transports were doing the same.  It was procedure.

Next, a gunship descended from the clouds directly above the building and started peppering every building in the complex with flechette-like needles, very strong and penetrating.  Unless the target was heavily armored, these would pierce at least into the uppermost level of each building, carrying another pheromone that was meant to be irresistibly attractive to their bioweapon.

Finally the gunship released the hive.  A huge black sphere dropped from an opening in the gunship’s base -- it wasn’t fired like a shot; it just fell.  And before it hit the ground, its outer shell degraded from contact with the air and fell away, leaving an enormous mass of tiny flying insects, probably numbering in the millions, which immediately headed for the many tiny holes left in the buildings by the needle fire.  Soon they had all disappeared inside, and the gunship had ascended back into the clouds.

Briggs and Garcia had seen this weapon used several times before.  They knew that their sergeant was listening to his comm, waiting for the order to move in.  They knew what they would find when they did, too -- empty buildings.  The insects were ruthlessly efficient, devouring all organic matter they found, living or dead, except each other -- they secreted a pheromone that prevented that.  It was this pheromone, or a synthetic duplicate anyway, that the troops had all injected themselves with -- to the bugs, they smelled like other bugs, so they wouldn’t be attacked.

“What --?” said Briggs, who had been looking out a view port at the buildings.

“What?  You see something?” Garcia asked.

“I thought I saw … well it looked like the whole complex just kind of glowed for a second,” Briggs said.  “Probably my imagination.”

“I didn’t see nothing,” said Garcia.

“All right, let’s move in!” the sergeant shouted.  The transport lifted off again, taking them up to the complex, and the rear doors opened wide, allowing the troops to exit four at a time, taking up defensive positions at first just in case, then starting to enter the buildings -- knocking the doors in whether they were locked or not.

“What the hell?” Briggs was one of the first in, and what he saw wasn’t what he expected, which was a lot of gorged, happy bugs on the floor that had just eaten their fill.  Instead, he saw cocoons.  The corridors were filled with silk, and interspersed among the silk strands were millions of tiny white lumps.

“Never seen them do that before,” said Garcia.  “Damn bugs.  Shoulda just blown the buildings up.”

Persephone stood in her traditional gown and crown. She looked every inch the goddess she was. She smiled to herself as she watched the soldiers in her magic mirror attempt to figure out why those awful insects .. reverted to their pupal state.

Her mirror focused on one of the mercenaries and brought his young, smooth, youthful face into sharper view. Persephone smiled as she immediately recognized a weekend warrior baby. He was perfect to show his companions what happens when you face the goddess of childhood. A flash of light, and Persephone’s inner sanctum was empty except for the magic mirror that showed many of the mercenaries were children … very young ones at that.

Tylor was warily looking around when he caught a small movement from the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, and his weapon fell from his hands … he couldn’t hold it. What he saw was an amazingly beautiful young woman standing in a shimmering semi-transparent gossamer gown … with a golden tiara on her head.

Tylor felt as if someone or something were holding him in place as the gorgeous woman walked up to him and kissed him on his forehead. He felt it all through his body as electric rushes coursed through him intensely.

The woman leans close to his ear and coos so compellingly soft, “Hello, cutie bugs. My, aren’t you just the cutest baby ever? I bet you love to wear thick cloth diapers and breastfeed … don’t you?”

The man was paralyzed. Whoever this was, spoke directly to his inner child. There was suddenly nothing in the universe that he wanted more than just that.  He couldn’t resist and had to answer, “Yessum … I would,” he nodded like a little boy.

The man couldn’t believe he had just told this woman his deepest fantasy.

She cooed a question softly in his ear, “Do you accept Baby Rules, sweetie?”

It was like being struck by lightning … he had to answer … it boiled up from his deepest heart as he shouted, “Yes … I accep xcty rfdddd thhhhphhh ...”

    He was no longer old enough to talk as he looked around in amazement from the way oversized clothing and battle armor his small body now sat in the midst of.

His 6 buddies couldn’t believe what they saw … as they watched the whole thing transpire. When the woman vanished, Garcia pointed and said in awe, “It … it’s true. There is a spirit … and … and … she’s so beautiful.”

The other 5 stood slack jawed and nodded … no one would dispute the story Garcia had told them earlier after actually witnessing what they just did.

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Then the cocoons began to open, in all the buildings, at the same time.  The insects that emerged were still soft, but very hungry.  It was a good thing that they were … different now.  Millions of glistening pink exoskeletons glittered in the ceiling light, filtered through the white silk thread that filled every hallway.  The troops tried to run, but the bugs had lost none of their flight or speed.

Persephone had actually only changed a few of the bugs.  They were now determined to spread their new gift to their fellow insects, which they had, prior to spinning their cocoons.  And thanks to their pheromone injections, the troops all smelled like … other bugs.  Every one of them found himself or herself covered with sparkling pink insects, biting and injecting their serum.

In an inner room, where the insects had never reached, Persephone and all her babies, all the ones who hadn’t evacuated the complex, were safely sheltered.  

“Don’t worry, my little ones,” she said to Trina, Vickie, Billy, and the others.  “It’s true that I can only offer Baby Rules to those who truly are babies inside -- whether they admit it to themselves or not -- but, that is far from the limit of my powers.  And these soldiers brought with them a weapon that was easy for me to turn against them.  Those who were not babies inside shall be babies outside.”

The soldiers howled and screamed in pain as they felt their bodies shifting and twisting into new, smaller shapes.  When Persephone changed someone, it was a very pleasant, even extremely blissful process, but this was like torture, all the growing pains experienced during a human’s youth and adolescence but all at once, and in reverse.  Excess matter oozed from every pore, jelly-like pinkish protoplasm that made up the difference in mass, since of course matter can neither be created nor destroyed, unless a Goddess is using her powers to reshape reality itself.  The troops soon found their bodies reduced to helpless six-month-old babies, squirming in piles of jelly and cast-off uniforms, as if they themselves had just emerged from cocoons.

Suddenly, many tall female figures emerged from farther inside each building, dressed in red and white but otherwise appearing human.  The insects, however, ignored them completely.  They began picking up the infants and asking them, “Oh, my, does the little baby need help that only a Nana can give?”

In tiny baby voices there came whines of, “What happened?” and “What are you gonna do with us?” and “I’m notta baby!” but they were helpless to prevent the Nanas from picking them up and carrying them to Babies of All Ages’ numerous and well-stocked nurseries to be cleaned up, well diapered, and put down for naps.  “Help!” some of them cried.  “I don’t wanna be a baby!”  Persephone could regress the mind, but the bite of these altered insects regressed only the body.

Tylor and the few other exceptions were the only new babies that calmly accepted their new status, happily sucking their bottles as they drifted off to nap time in their cribs.

Vickie stood and looked through the thick pane into the large BoAA main nursery complex. She watched wide eyed as Persephone decided which of the new babies were going to remain male … and which she was going to transgender to female.

Billy came up and asked Vickie, “Whacha doin?”

Vickie replied, “Wachin aunti makes em inta girls.” Vickie giggles softly, “An we getsa b their playmates n teachers too.”

Billy’s only response at that time, was to put his new custom made pacifier in his mouth. Vickie made a little squeaking noise as her eyes got to be huge and she had this adorable expression on her face for a few seconds. Billy recognized Vickie’s cute poopie face … he had one just as adorable when it happened to him.

Billy asked, “Vickie needa Nana ta com n helps?”

Vickie nods slowly as she looks down. She replies in a small voice, “Am messy. Baby done … a poopies.”

Billie snickers as he brings out the strawberry colored comm unit and punches a button. Shortly, several Nana arrived and began checking both of them. Billy found himself under a Nana’s playful arm as he and Vickie were both carried off to the changing stations for a clean up, and a quick diaper change.

Persephone came to one very rowdy boy on the end of one of the nursery sleeper lines.

The baby looked up at Persephone with a mean expression and said haughtily in a small voice, “U gonna hasta lets us aww go … an change us back … hear? Ur gonna bein tonsa trouble is ya don’t. Our employer is gonna spank u soo hard.”

Persephone laughs a beautifully tinkling laugh. She said so softly and enticingly, “Aww, sweetheart. You are such a pretty little girl, why mess up that lovely face with a frown?”

Persephone reaches in the cradle and caresses the infant on his cheek. The infant’s eyes get large as he grabs herself between the legs with a loud gasp. She pulls open the front of her diaper and looks in. Her mouth falls open as she looks back to Persephone.

The now little brunette girl’s face clouds up … then she begins to cry. A Nana showed up quickly, took the new little baby girl into her arms, sat in one of the many rocking chairs scattered all around, and breastfed the little girl with one of her very biological breasts.

Nana coos softly, “Everything’s alright sugar bunches. I know, you are a girl now for the rest of your life, and you have to grow back up. Don’t worry, by the time boys start to notice you, you won’t remember being a boy.”

Persephone looked into her mirror.

“... just … lost contact with them all, Sir.  They moved in, as you saw, and then … radio silence, bio traces stopped, nothing.”

“OK.  Well, pull out, bill OAF for expenses, file insurance if they don’t pay, and let’s move on.  What’s our next job?”

“Defensive job, Sir.  Protecting the Chairman of 61 Cygni B during some trade union negotiations.  Could get ugly, but our presence itself might prevent …”

Persephone smiled at this.

Phil was looking very nervous.  The mercenaries he had called in had cut their losses and given up.  He didn’t know what he was going to say to the BOSS.  His comm buzzed.

He sighed with relief.  It wasn’t him.

“Hey there, sweetie,” said Melissa from IT.  “You look like you could use some … relaxation.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” he said.  “Did you dig anything up in the data mines?”

“Well, what I wanted to tell you about was that BoAA is very interested in the space/time anomalies that region of space is totally riddled with.  They’ve got lots of data about them.  The system’s a confluence of several geodesics -- it produces a gravitational lensing effect even though its star has nowhere near the amount of mass you’d need for it.”

“That’s … great.  What’s it mean?”

“You need to hit the books harder, Hon,” Melissa said.  “I was thinking that myself, and then I thought, how do we know that planet even has any THAMPRAS ore under it?”

“Orbital radar density scans,” Phil said, “just like with any other planet.”

“Well, you might want to scan from the ground.  Weird photon-bending space warps can affect those readings.  Check this out.  This is a scan of silicon and iron oxides.  This is that scan warped by that kind of gravitic effect.  And this is a scan of THAMPRAS ore.”

“Oh.  Oh no.  It’s all been a waste of time?” Phil looked like he was at his wits’ end.

“Well, before you give up, get a team to do a ground scan.  Maybe a core sample.”

“Yeah, good idea --”

Persephone smiled at this too.

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Phil hung up the phone as he put his hands to his face and leaned back in his leather chair. He had no idea what to tell the BOSS … and he knew he was going to call really soon for an update on what the status was. He swivels around and looks out the window of his office to the streets below. Several skycars passed before Phil realized someone was in the office.

He turned quickly and saw a beautiful young woman dressed in a dazzling white gown and a golden tiara on her head. He snatches open a drawer and removes his stunner and points it at her.

“How did … you get in here young woman? That door has a mag-lock on it and I have the only combination to the lock.” Phil asked forcefully.

The woman laughs a very intoxicatingly wonderful laugh. She replies, “I am here to tell you … this planet belongs to me. All of it to its core.” She tosses a notarized and finger printed copy of a yellowed document on the desk. She continued, “I have an Originator's claim on this world … and you, mortal … are just a tenant here and can be forcefully removed.”

Phil stood. He was confident this document meant nothing … and this woman could do nothing to harm him. He said with an arrogant tone, “I suppose an inherited claim bears some weight … but I hold the aces.”

The woman leans over the desk and looks him directly in the eyes, “One thing you should know … and I can prove it … I am the Originator … and this planet belongs to me and I will defend it.”

With this, in a sparkly flash of white/blue light, the woman vanished right before his eyes. Phil dropped his stunner and fell limply back into his chair in total astonishment.

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~~ End Pt5 ~~

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~~ Infantus Conspiracy Pt6 ~~

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A few minutes later, after he recovered from his shock, he pressed his comm device.  “Any word on the survey team?” he asked.

“We’re still getting one assembled,” said the man from the lab he had hired -- Collins, yes, that was it, Zack Collins.  “Some of the personnel we’ll need are still out in the field on other projects.  Sorry, Mr. Delvon, but there’s nothing anyone can do but wait.”

He scanned the document Persephone had left and sent it to Legal.  Maybe they could make head or tail of this.  Meanwhile he sat and tried to brood, but it was difficult in the dazzling light of the glorious sunset that he could see from this rented office space.

“See now, Trina, that spells ‘dog.’  What’s a dog say?” the Nana calmly instructed.

“Woof, woof!” said the beautiful brunette baby girl, and giggled.  “Doggie!”

“Good girl!” said the Nana with a smile.  “Now it’s time for supper.  Come on over here, and we’ll get you in your high chair -- upsie daisy!”  She lifted Trina easily into a high chair, whose tray auto-fastened to keep Trina in and her food off the floor.

The Nana made cute little roaring noises and brought the spoon of food to Trina’s lips. The little girl managed to get more in her … than on her … but she truly enjoyed her custom made meal.

“Here comes the MP-930 cargo transport, in for a landing,” the Nana said, bringing a spoonful of delicious applesauce in toward Trina’s open mouth.  “Rrrrrrrrrrshhhhhhh … mission accomplished!”  Trina made happy sounds.  Nearby, other recent Baby Rules converts were likewise being fed their supper, including Vickie and Billy.

Vickie finished first and was given a bottle of milk to nurse, and when she was done, her Nana cleaned her face up, removed her bib and released her from her chair.  She ran over to Trina’s chair, where Trina was still finishing her own bottle of milk.  “Trina, Trina!  The Nanas say you is getting more ‘n more used to Baby Rules in your head!”

Trina looked confused as she sucked on the baby bottle, but her Nana smiled and said calmly to Vickie, “That’s right, dear -- of course, Trina will always have many adorable baby behaviors, just like you!”  She lightly beeped Vickie’s nose, which made her giggle.  “But of course for a while after Baby Rules take effect, little girls and boys’ minds have difficulty doing anything little babies can’t do, like talking and walking.  Then their little brains settle in and get used to it, and then they’re just as smart as they used to be -- but lots happier.”

Trina nodded as she finished up her bottle.  She did feel happier.  Actually, she couldn’t remember a time in her life when she had felt more truly herself, through and through, except maybe for a few fleeting memories of early childhood, before she had been told -- erroneously, as it turned out -- that she was a boy and she needed to be serious and tough.  

Now she had a second chance at a happy childhood.  The bottle was empty, so she put it down and sucked her thumb contentedly.  Her Nana started cleaning her face with a damp, warm cloth, patiently working around that thumb, then removed Trina’s bib and lifted her out of the high chair so she could play with Vickie and Billy for a while.  The three of them toddled off toward the play area.

Phil looks at the comm on his desk as it buzzes. he sees legal is calling. He thinks to himself how fast this was as he answers, “Yes? Hello? This is Phil.”

A woman’s sexy soft voice answered, “Hi, sweetie. I commed you as soon as I got information on that … document you sent to us. I need to tell you that it is original. The prints on the paper match the ones on electronic file. I’m sorry sugar britches, but whoever this … Persephone is … she's too legit.”

“What can we do about this claim. Surely it’s an inherited claim?”

The woman replies, “Fraid not sugar, if Persephone came to visit you … she is for real. We’re not sure what race she’s from, but we do know, and it is documented, she owns this planet … and has since … the dawn?”

Phil said with astonishment in his voice, “You’ve got to be kidding. That would make her several centuries old.”

“Somethin like that sweetie. Guess those older women sorta fall for you … huh?” she giggles, “Chat later when we come up with another strategy. Make sure you get those core samples. Only thing we can do is prove the strike is super rich. Even then, I’m not so sure we can do anything. Chat later sweetie.” The woman said with a very sexy airy goodbye, the comm went dead.

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“Uh huh,” said Robbie, “me do that, no worries!  Bye bye!”  

He closed his multicom, took his pacifier out of his mouth, put it in his jacket pocket, and straightened his tie.  When he left his office he looked the consummate professional. Robbie fit right in with the geological survey group. None ever knew he was actually an employee from BoAA.

“OK, I’m ready for yet another job,” said Dr. Laura Feinstein, entering the lab’s main office area.  “What do we have this time, Dr. Jeffries?”

“Looks like an order to do some subsurface radar scans,” said Dr. Robert Jeffries, holding up his multicom, holographic images of the surrounding area appearing in the air above it.  “Client wants us to scan these sites -- looking for mineable ores.”

“Ah, good, geology,” said Laura.  “Sure beats digging for worms.”

“I don’t know, there’s something very down-to-earth about getting your hands dirty,” Robert said.

“Well, as long as they’re your hands, that’s fine,” Laura said.  “Anyway, got the truck loaded up?”

“It’s still loaded from the last time,” Robert said.  “Got the destinations programmed in its nav system already, too.”

“Good, should be a piece of cake.”

“I like cake,” said Robert.  “Shall we?”  The two of them went toward the garage.

A few hours later, they stood atop a hill with a breathtaking vista of the surrounding terrain -- mist-filled valleys full of wide-leafed trees, flocks of white birds flying above them.  In another direction the sea glittered in the distance.

But Laura and Robert weren’t here for the scenery.  They had a post that had drilled itself into the ground but still extended about four feet into the air, with a data console on it.  “Ready,” Robert said from the truck, ready to observe the incoming data.

“Sending pulse,” Laura called from the transmitter post.  “Now.”

“Data … coming in,” Robert said.  “The computer is analyzing it now ...”

On his screen appeared a three-dimensional multi-spectrum image of the layers of geology that lurked hundreds of meters below their feet.  As the software ran its analysis, it indicated the presence of different mineral ores.  The largest one … THAMPRAS.  He touched a key to apply a spectrum correction.  The reading changed to say IRON.

“I think we’ve got our data,” said Robert, getting out of the truck.  “I’ll come break down the transmitter with you, and then it’s on to the next site.”

Robbie would make sure that the presence of THAMPRAS was never confirmed here.  For the Infantus Project … and most importantly, for Aunti Persephone.

Vickie had just had her diaper changed and the Nana had dressed her in a really cute little romper with a bunny on the bib. Vickie looked in the mirror and giggled. The romper was red and yellow with white lace and ruffles.

Billy came in dressed in a cute play suit with Baby Billy embroidered across the front. He waddled over and took Vickie by the hand.

He said, “We gotsa go ta tha meetein. Says som kinna thingy bout minreals or sompin is makin huge mess.”

Vickie followed Billy as he lead her to the huge boardroom. When the door slid open, the ‘children’ stopped and stared shyly at all the men seated around the large table. All of them were dressed in very expensive business suits. Vickie got over her shy and lead Billy in by the hand. She waddled around the table and sat in the CEO highchair.

Vickie said in her adorable voice, “This meetin wuz called cuz u thinks u can come here n takes away our toys n stuffies. No gonna happens.” Billy stretched up and handed Vickie a heavy stack of papers. “Vickie continued, “It say that this … thingy ya’ll made us do ta our planet show that tha … Thumpers stuffies no exists.”

There is a small twitter of laughter before all the people became straight faced and the room went silent.

Vickie took one of the large poster boards and held it up. It showed a diagram of the test area. All the layers were depicted with all the minerals located at each depth. There was one glaring omission from the poster … no THAMPRAS … only iron.

Vickie said, “Now, this scriggle show that ther nonea that stuffies yall lookin for. It awso shows, “ She points to the signatory on the bottom of the poster, “The approval of tha Universal Court. Proves thisa authentical one.”

“And we are meant to believe this … babble?” said one of the suited men.

“Well, I did order the study,” said Phil, who happened to be one of them.  “I don’t know how they got a copy of the results, though.”

“I’m not seeing anything … inconsistent here,” said another one of the men.  “I’m obviously seeing different results from the ground scans and core samples as compared to the orbital scans, but … the orbital scans also revealed temporal anomalies that can redshift the readings.  The ground scans can be tampered with via software, I suppose, but core samples would be much harder to alter.  Assuming they were really taken from the sites the data claims.”  He looked up.  “At the moment, there’s nothing here that says the data is erroneous.  No proof is ever 100%, but there’s no evidence of tampering.”

“It certainly looks as if there’s no ore here,” said the man in the center, “but it’s going to take a lot of proof to dissuade us -- or anyone else -- considering how much money could be made here.”

“I believe you’ve already seen a lot of proof,” said Persephone, entering the room in her gold-embroidered semi transparent white robes and crystal tiara. The image of her wonderfully curved and scrumptious body visible as an enticing shadow through the elegant material.

“Persephone,” said Phil.  “You know, in the Greek mythology of ancient Earth, Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by Hades to be his wife.  Nothing to do with childhood or babies.”

“I suppose you’re the only man called Phil in the universe, too,” Persephone said.  “We always called her Kore to keep it clear.  Yes, I’m an Originator of this colony.  The DNA, the  fingerprints, the photos …”

“You’d have to be well over 300 years old,” Phil said.

“I’m quite a bit older than that.  I’ve been here on this planet, in a way, since before it was a planet at all.  Its unusual space/time properties are of particular interest to me.  Everyone’s a newcomer here … except for me.  This world is mine.  But, I’m content for people to live here in peace -- as long as it remains an unspoiled paradise.  I’m even fine with a few cities.  But strip-mining radioactive ores -- that’s a no-no, naughty boys.  Not only aren’t you going to find what you’re looking for, I won’t allow it.  Ever.”

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One of the well dressed men who had been sitting with his back to the meeting turned around and stood. He pointed his finger at Persephone and asked in a harsh tone, “And just who in this universe do you think you are? Trying to convince us you are several centuries old? From most of the surveys we have taken of this world, and even some of the original maps, this planet has the richest deposit of THAMPRAS ever found, not to mention the giga-trillions of dollars worth of other minerals. We are going to investigate, with or without your permission.”

Persephone’s expression became a sad and pained one as she commented softly, “Ahh, mortals. You are so blind in your own conceit … and forget so quickly. The last group of mortals to make an ultimatum to me … were totally destroyed, along with their puny fleets and even punier weapons.”

Phil said in a surprised tone, “Those records were sealed by the Universal Court … but it did happen. The entire 6th fleet armada was totally eradicated without them being able to defend themselves. It is a matter of Historical Exploration Documentation.”

Persephone said, “Having a father who happens to be the god of war … has given me many useful powers I haven’t used in … forever. Don’t push me mortal.”

The man banged his fist on the table as he said in a loud voice, “Lady, you … are a psychotic idiot if you think you can convince us you are some kind of … being from ancient fairy tales.”

Persephone smiles as she turns and looks at one of the young executives. She sort of glides over to his side and whispers softly. The whole room can feel the electric sensations all through them as her wonderful coo fills the room.

She says in a very soft cooing voice, “Ohhh, there you are sweetheart. My, aren’t you just the sweetest little girl? And so adorable too.”

The young man shivers as he answers, “I’m … not a … girl.”

Persephone laughs as the whole room stares in awestruck silence. She coos, “Isn’t your real name … Mary Ann?”

How … how did …”

The young man's eyes get big as his soul realizes what is about to happen.

Persephone bends closer and asks in an intensely captivating coo, “Never mind cutie pie … do you accept Baby Rules?”

The man gasps as his eyes get huge. His body stiffens as he starts to nod his head. There is nothing in life he wants more. He replies in a soft gasp, “Yes .. I accept.”

All the people at the table could see of him after that, was a pile of clothes with an infant in the midst where the young man had been sitting.

The room resonated with gasps and the sounds of chairs sliding away from tables as everyone stood and tried to get a better look, trying to be sure that they had truly seen what they thought they had.  They saw Persephone picking up a tiny female baby and holding her, cooing at her; the baby giggled back.  

“By the way,” she said to Phil, “you have a sample of THAMPRAS ore in your pocket, in a shielded container, correct?”

“I … uh … well, maybe I do, and maybe I don’t,” he said.

“When you leave this planet,” she said, “you won’t.  Even if someone does find that ore on this world, I won’t permit any of it to leave.  Take it from here, and it will become mere iron once it leaves the ground.  I have spoken.”  She turned … and vanished, taking the baby with her.

“‘Sephone come ‘n goes whenever she wanna,” said Vickie, shrugging.

“Wh --” Phil began.  Then he stopped.

“Parlor tricks,” said the loud man.  “Sleight of hand.”

“Uh … what do we tell his family?” asked one of the other executives.

“Err …”

“Umm …”

“‘Yer big lawyer son issa baby girl inna arms ofa goddess from ancient myth?’” suggested Vickie.

“More like kidnapping,” said the loud man.  “We demand his immediate return.”

“How ya gonna demand anyfing, Mr. Shouty Mans?” asked Vickie boldly.  “What kinna ev’dence ya gonna get?  What kinna court gonna b’lieve you?  What make ya think ya gonna ever get ta leaves here?”

The engineer who had spoken earlier, looking quite pale, said, “Um, Sir … regardless of whether she is a legendary immortal figure or not, she clearly wields power beyond our understanding.”

“But --”

“Please, Sir, we need to leave while we still can,” continued the engineer.  “We know this world, this entire system, is in an area of unstable spacetime.  She is clearly able to exploit that instability at will.  The spectrum exhibited by THAMPRAS does resemble that of iron when red shifted -- she is clearly able to turn that shift into reality in some way.  In relativity, the perception of the speed of light is everything -- people moving very quickly and people moving very slowly see light moving at the same speed, and because of that, time and space themselves must change …”

“And there’s no way to counteract what she’s doing?” asked the loud man.

“At this moment, I don’t see how, Sir.  We’d need to know what it is to work against it, and frankly I have no idea.”

The loud man sighed.  “Then I vote we cut our losses.  There is other profit to be made elsewhere at less risk.  I’ll have to explain it to the BOSS, but I think he’ll listen.  He knows you don’t make a profit from uncompromising stubbornness.”

They all gathered their things and began to leave. Vickie and Billy began to giggle and clap their hands.

The loud man turned and said in a harsh tone, “Young woman, how does it feel to be a weirdo and wear diapers and baby clothes? You should be ashamed.”

He turns to leave. Persephone is standing in front of him, blocking his departure. She says in her sweet intense coo, “Sugar panties. I see that the child in you is almost dead … but there is a spark.” She leans closer and coos in the intense musical, and irresistible voice of hers, “Don’t resist sugar pie. Just say yes. That’s all. Do you accept Baby Rules little girl?”

The man gasps as the question courses all through his body. It was like being struck by lightning and discovering it to be super intensely and irresistibly pleasant. He couldn’t resist. He tried hard to … until he realized he had wet his pants and his mouth was already speaking without him knowing.

From his lips … he said, “I do ... I accept!”

The remaining executives scrambled hard to leave when they saw Persephone picking up yet another infant from a pile of clothes that the head lawyer had been wearing, cooing softly to it. They didn’t fail to notice … the infant was female.

Persephone coos softly to the confused infant, “Now, sweetiekens, is what happened to you just a parlor trick? Or, am I maybe who I said I am?”

“Booble nadwa oh oo,” babbled the baby incoherently as the executives ran.

“Bye bye!” called Billy, waving out the door.

“Get in!  Get in!” shouted Phil to his minions as he approached his ascent vehicle.  They all haphazardly piled in and the doors began to shut.  “Go!  Go!”  he shouted to the pilot.  The ship began to lift off from the secluded hilltop where it had been parked even before the airlock had sealed.  “C’mon, c’mon,” he said, “we gotta get outta here …”

There was a musical sound, almost like … nursery rhyme music.  One of Phil’s employees, Slade, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small strawberry-pink comm unit.

“Where did that come from?” Phil yelled.  “Get rid of that!”  He seized the comm out of Slade’s hands and tossed it in the closing airlock.  “Now everyone!  Go through your pockets!  I don’t want to see anything else like that!  Show me everything!  I’ll do it too!  Just in case one of them planted something on me while I wasn’t looking!”  They all started going through their pockets.  But luckily, they found nothing.  Except …

Except for Phil’s THAMPRAS sample … in its shielded container.  Was it … different?  He remembered Persephone’s threat.  Had it turned to iron, even though it hadn’t even been mined on this world?

Phil opened a locker and took out a hand scanner.  Opening the sample container and pointing the scanner directly at the chunk of gray metal inside, he was bemused to see the readings … “99.7% IRON … 0.3% TRACE METALS”.

“Um, Sir, you might want to stow all the gear and buckle in …” said the pilot.

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Phil sat back in his gravity seat and sighed as he fastened his harnesses. He knew now that what his legal department had said was true … Persephone was legit. He took a small digi-pad from his pocket and turned it on. He brought up all the information they had managed to worm from the BoAA computer system. It wasn’t much … but this Infantus Project intrigued him. If only he could get more information than just these crumbs.

The pilot had just engaged the primer for the star drive when a comm arrived, “This is Delta Echo Papa … go ahead.” the pilot responded.

His body stiffened as a soft cooing voice filled his entire soul with intense electric surges, “Hello love bug. My, won’t you make the most wonderful baby ever?”

The pilot struggled hard to resist, there was absolutely nothing he could do. He replied in a small voice, “I … am not a baby for many years.”

The intense cooing reply, “But you could be, and you can choose to be a boy, as you are … or a little girl. All you have to do is one simple little thing.”

The pilot gasps out softly, “W … what do I do?”

The irresistible coo replied, “Just say yes, sweet heart. Do you accept Baby Rules?”

It was like being struck by lightning as that question surged all through him. He couldn’t resist as hard as he tried. He had to answer …

Phil looked up just in time to see the pilot vanish and an infant sat in the empty flight suit with an over large helmet on his head. The skycar began to rapidly deviate from its course with no one at the helm.

Quickly unbuckling his safety harness, Phil grabbed for the controls and used the limited knowledge of piloting he had to at least keep the ascent vehicle from crashing.  He needed help.  “Any of you guys know how to fly one of these?” he asked his minions.

There was silence behind him.  He turned around to see them all staring at Persephone, who had somehow appeared on board, holding the baby that had once been the pilot.  

“I just wanted you to know, dear,” she said to Phil, “that if you manage to leave my planet, it will be because I let you.”  

With a breath of air that smelled like baby powder, she was gone again, the pilot with her.

Phil cursed a stream of profanity that didn’t make him feel any better.  “That’s it!” he shouted.  “Radio silence!  All comms off!”  He turned off the ship’s communications systems, and his minions turned off their comms.

“Uh, Boss,” said Carver, “I’ve done some pilotin’.”

“Then by all means,” Phil said, getting out of the pilot’s seat.

“Transponder’s down,” Carver said.  “How we gonna find the mother ship, Boss?”

“Like this,” said Phil.  “I’ll connect the encrypted channel to the transponder signal so it can’t be intercepted.”  The navigation beacon came back on, and Carver was able to direct the ascent vehicle back onto its proper course.

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~~ End Pt6 ~~
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