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Gabi gave a hesitant wave as I backed her old Toyota down the driveway. We'd been close for so long. So in tune with each other that I had to hide my shock when she reacted that way. She'd always been tolerant, but everyone has a line and with her it was me. Probably out of frustration she told me things about Molly that she probably didn’t mean to. Nothing terrible, but she was trying whatever she had to change my mind. I assured her that I was just getting information and hadn’t made a decision yet. While it was probably true, it is also true I was ninety percent set on being with Molly.

Since the Toyota didn’t have snow tires it was good to see the plows had been busy. My mind wandered as I drove. There'd be arrangements to make. Gabi made it clear she didn’t want to physically see me if I downsized. We’d stay friends, but seeing me tiny would be too much I can't say I keen on seeing her as a giant either.

Molly said most Swedes speak great English so it would be like moving to Minnesota or North Dakota except for the different countryside. I didn’t tell either of them the school system offered me a job teaching history. It'd leave me enough time to continue with my studies on the side.

There were three cars in the lot. She said it’d be locked and she’d meet me. I pulled out my phone

I’m here!

The moon was nearly full and a few snowflakes sparkled as they tumbled down in the moonlight. The kind of night made for walking with your lover. Mine was thousands of miles away, but maybe this meeting would bring us back together. A door opened and I pivoted towards the tall figure waving me over. It felt good, but she was so far out of my league and Sweden of course.

“Beautiful night” was all I could muster.

Jolene looked up at the sky as a snowflake crashed on the tip of her nose. “Yeah.. too bad I have to work.” she paused and held up her hand with her fingers making a U shape. “You sure? I mean this tall?”

“Not if I have to live with giants, but where I’m going it won’t matter will it?”

“Think about being out in the snow or a rainstorm…”

“Maybe, but what walking under wildflowers?”

She shrugged her shoulders and motioned me inside. At more than a head taller than Gabi, she had a few inches on me. Girls this tall weren’t my thing, but I’d make an exception. Shit! I really needed to focus!

“We’ve got about an hour.” she said motioning me into a messy room with a small conference table. I tried not to stare as she took off her coat. Gabi said she got 'em for her dancing. Whoever did ‘em did fine work.

She noticed me looking at too closely and cleared her throat.

“Yeah.. They helped me survive but I’m in school and soon that’ll be behind me. Just tell this woman you like to never do this” she said pointing to them as she sat down. I took a seat across from her and changed the subject.

“I have impression you can downsize people here.”

“Umm.. well … yeah… We’ve got this four year military contract. They did quite a bit of downsizing. Miniature pilots and …”

“Still?”

“Not like they used to, but yeah.. still.. other things I can’t talk about… It’s way different from what it was and from the commercial places. We don’t have to shave or remove metal and we can downsize things too. It’s much easier.. safer too.”

“Any side effects?”

“The long term studies show heart disease is way down and almost no cancer. Of course the government doesn’t let us say that because..”

I nodded and asked. “Tempted?”

“If everyone I knew did it and society said ok maybe, but now I’d miss out on too much. I’m way more interested in studying it.”

“What would I need to do it? I mean legally”

“A signed statement saying it's your choice alone, that you understand it's irreversible, and you won’t sue us.”

“That’s it?”

She nodded. “You need to send a copy to the registry in Norway and you'll need a passport to go to Sweden unless you have somewhere to go here.”

“I’ve got one, but it’d take a few days to get everything lined up.”

“We have an apartment you could use.” She leaned forward and her tone was more serious now. “How does this women is Sweden feel? She’s all for it?”

I nodded and launched into a lie.

“We’ve been planning on this, but it’s too hard to get it done here and Sweden requires it to be done first.”

“Would I owe you anything?”

“Some good chocolate and we’re square. Helping lovers would be my good deed for the month.”

I wanted to ask if she had a boyfriend. She wasn’t wearing a ring. At least I knew enough not to go there.

“C’mon .. I’ll show you the machine.”

I got up and followed her down a short aisle and through a door with face and hand ID. Inside was a small room with a terminal, fire extinguisher and a rack with yellow suits that looked like what hazmat wearers use. On the other side was steel door with impressive looking seals.

“ thought you said it’s safe..” I said a bit nervously.

“We just don’t want to get contaminated with the gases. It’s a combination along with a strong electric field that does the work. They completely break down after awhile, but we don’t take chances.”

She punched in a combination and pulled a large lever on the door. I could feel air rushing by me into the dark space.

“We keep a slightly negative pressure to keep the gases from escaping.” Like any room with computers a lot of lights were blinking. Unlike normal computer rooms there was something that looked like an operating table.. expect it had a cover. She flipped a light switch and I followed her inside.

It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

“impressive, eh?”

I nodded.

“Our PI made sure it looks like this for our client. Those lights behind it…” she emphasized the word ‘it’ “they’re just blinking lights like in a bad sci-fi movie” she said with a little laugh.

“That thing… that’s where I’d sit”

“Where you lay. You get in and it tips flat. It floods with a liquid that’ll sensitize almost anything but the inside of the chamber. I’ll come up a few inches. Then there's a heavy spray. Then only thing you have to do is hold your breath for about thirty seconds when I tell you. Can you do that?”

I nodded nervously.

“Good! Then I flush the fluid. You’ll be soaking wet, but you’ll dry off way before it’s over. You’ll also go to sleep for awhile and probably wake up while you’re shrinking. Just stay still. It’s probably disorienting and I need to find you afterwards. Then the table gets tipped up like it is now to drain fluid. When it’s over I’ll open up and take you out.”

“How do you know it’s over?”

“There are only three sizes. It’ll stop at the downsizing standard - fourteen point twenty one.”

“Always?”

“always” she said as she nodded “oh, and bring anything you want shrunk. Might as well save money.”

We went back to the conference room. I had learned enough and wanted to do it.

“I guess I should get going. I’m interested if you’re still willing to help.”

“Not just yet” she said looking at the clock “technically we have twenty minutes and I’ve got some questions for you.”

I wasn’t ready for that, but the next twenty minutes were just getting to know each other a bit. She was fascinated that someone could be interested in history and wanted to know about my connection with Gabi. I learned a bit about her life. And finally she wanted to see photos of Molly. I knew otherwise, but it felt like we could be friends. That and I’d be in Sweden anyway.

“I could do it early Tuesday morning” she said out of the blue. “like four in the morning.”

My mind was racing. “I .. I think so.”

“I’ll get you a form. Sign it, have it witnessed and notarized and bring your passport and anything else you want shrunken. Just nothing bigger than you… 'has to fit in our machine.” she said with a bit of a laugh.

We walked to the door and she let me out. I was starting to snow again. Not much had accumulated, but I didn’t notice. I had a lot to think about on the way back to town.

___________

The more detailed 4000 pixel final render goes to donors

Description
Gabi gave a hesitant wave as I backed her old Toyota down the driveway. We'd been close for so long. So in tune with each other that I had to hide my shock when she reacted that way. She'd always been tolerant, but everyone has a line and with her it was me. Probably out of frustration she told me things about Molly that she probably didn’t mean to. Nothing terrible, but she was trying whatever she had to change my mind. I assured her that I was just getting information and hadn’t made a decision yet. While it was probably true, it is also true I was ninety percent set on being with Molly.

Since the Toyota didn’t have snow tires it was good to see the plows had been busy. My mind wandered as I drove. There'd be arrangements to make. Gabi made it clear she didn’t want to physically see me if I downsized. We’d stay friends, but seeing me tiny would be too much I can't say I keen on seeing her as a giant either.

Molly said most Swedes speak great English so it would be like moving to Minnesota or North Dakota except for the different countryside. I didn’t tell either of them the school system offered me a job teaching history. It'd leave me enough time to continue with my studies on the side.

There were three cars in the lot. She said it’d be locked and she’d meet me. I pulled out my phone

I’m here!

The moon was nearly full and a few snowflakes sparkled as they tumbled down in the moonlight. The kind of night made for walking with your lover. Mine was thousands of miles away, but maybe this meeting would bring us back together. A door opened and I pivoted towards the tall figure waving me over. It felt good, but she was so far out of my league and Sweden of course.

“Beautiful night” was all I could muster.

Jolene looked up at the sky as a snowflake crashed on the tip of her nose. “Yeah.. too bad I have to work.” she paused and held up her hand with her fingers making a U shape. “You sure? I mean this tall?”

“Not if I have to live with giants, but where I’m going it won’t matter will it?”

“Think about being out in the snow or a rainstorm…”

“Maybe, but what walking under wildflowers?”

She shrugged her shoulders and motioned me inside. At more than a head taller than Gabi, she had a few inches on me. Girls this tall weren’t my thing, but I’d make an exception. Shit! I really needed to focus!

“We’ve got about an hour.” she said motioning me into a messy room with a small conference table. I tried not to stare as she took off her coat. Gabi said she got 'em for her dancing. Whoever did ‘em did fine work.

She noticed me looking at too closely and cleared her throat.

“Yeah.. They helped me survive but I’m in school and soon that’ll be behind me. Just tell this woman you like to never do this” she said pointing to them as she sat down. I took a seat across from her and changed the subject.

“I have impression you can downsize people here.”

“Umm.. well … yeah… We’ve got this four year military contract. They did quite a bit of downsizing. Miniature pilots and …”

“Still?”

“Not like they used to, but yeah.. still.. other things I can’t talk about… It’s way different from what it was and from the commercial places. We don’t have to shave or remove metal and we can downsize things too. It’s much easier.. safer too.”

“Any side effects?”

“The long term studies show heart disease is way down and almost no cancer. Of course the government doesn’t let us say that because..”

I nodded and asked. “Tempted?”

“If everyone I knew did it and society said ok maybe, but now I’d miss out on too much. I’m way more interested in studying it.”

“What would I need to do it? I mean legally”

“A signed statement saying it's your choice alone, that you understand it's irreversible, and you won’t sue us.”

“That’s it?”

She nodded. “You need to send a copy to the registry in Norway and you'll need a passport to go to Sweden unless you have somewhere to go here.”

“I’ve got one, but it’d take a few days to get everything lined up.”

“We have an apartment you could use.” She leaned forward and her tone was more serious now. “How does this women is Sweden feel? She’s all for it?”

I nodded and launched into a lie.

“We’ve been planning on this, but it’s too hard to get it done here and Sweden requires it to be done first.”

“Would I owe you anything?”

“Some good chocolate and we’re square. Helping lovers would be my good deed for the month.”

I wanted to ask if she had a boyfriend. She wasn’t wearing a ring. At least I knew enough not to go there.

“C’mon .. I’ll show you the machine.”

I got up and followed her down a short aisle and through a door with face and hand ID. Inside was a small room with a terminal, fire extinguisher and a rack with yellow suits that looked like what hazmat wearers use. On the other side was steel door with impressive looking seals.

“ thought you said it’s safe..” I said a bit nervously.

“We just don’t want to get contaminated with the gases. It’s a combination along with a strong electric field that does the work. They completely break down after awhile, but we don’t take chances.”

She punched in a combination and pulled a large lever on the door. I could feel air rushing by me into the dark space.

“We keep a slightly negative pressure to keep the gases from escaping.” Like any room with computers a lot of lights were blinking. Unlike normal computer rooms there was something that looked like an operating table.. expect it had a cover. She flipped a light switch and I followed her inside.

It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

“impressive, eh?”

I nodded.

“Our PI made sure it looks like this for our client. Those lights behind it…” she emphasized the word ‘it’ “they’re just blinking lights like in a bad sci-fi movie” she said with a little laugh.

“That thing… that’s where I’d sit”

“Where you lay. You get in and it tips flat. It floods with a liquid that’ll sensitize almost anything but the inside of the chamber. I’ll come up a few inches. Then there's a heavy spray. Then only thing you have to do is hold your breath for about thirty seconds when I tell you. Can you do that?”

I nodded nervously.

“Good! Then I flush the fluid. You’ll be soaking wet, but you’ll dry off way before it’s over. You’ll also go to sleep for awhile and probably wake up while you’re shrinking. Just stay still. It’s probably disorienting and I need to find you afterwards. Then the table gets tipped up like it is now to drain fluid. When it’s over I’ll open up and take you out.”

“How do you know it’s over?”

“There are only three sizes. It’ll stop at the downsizing standard - fourteen point twenty one.”

“Always?”

“always” she said as she nodded “oh, and bring anything you want shrunk. Might as well save money.”

We went back to the conference room. I had learned enough and wanted to do it.

“I guess I should get going. I’m interested if you’re still willing to help.”

“Not just yet” she said looking at the clock “technically we have twenty minutes and I’ve got some questions for you.”

I wasn’t ready for that, but the next twenty minutes were just getting to know each other a bit. She was fascinated that someone could be interested in history and wanted to know about my connection with Gabi. I learned a bit about her life. And finally she wanted to see photos of Molly. I knew otherwise, but it felt like we could be friends. That and I’d be in Sweden anyway.

“I could do it early Tuesday morning” she said out of the blue. “like four in the morning.”

My mind was racing. “I .. I think so.”

“I’ll get you a form. Sign it, have it witnessed and notarized and bring your passport and anything else you want shrunken. Just nothing bigger than you… 'has to fit in our machine.” she said with a bit of a laugh.

We walked to the door and she let me out. I was starting to snow again. Not much had accumulated, but I didn’t notice. I had a lot to think about on the way back to town.

___________

The more detailed 4000 pixel final render goes to donors