Home Again

It was decided that Jim would drive Dave home. Dave lived alone in a large apartment with a view of the river. Much to the chagrin of his elderly parents, Dave never settled down and raised a family. Of course, when asked, Dave would explain that he was married to his work. But it was a bit more than that. When he was younger, Dave had tried to meet a woman who he could build a life with, but it never worked out. Dave's drive for discovery was almost all consuming. The women he dated never understood why he would disappear for weeks on end, his head in a schematic, his mind on a circuit board.

And so Dave lived alone. There were times when he felt lonely, when a companion would be a welcome addition to his life. After any project was complete, Dave would return home and open a bottle of champagne. He would toast to his own success, then fall asleep on the couch. How much more satisfying would it be if he had someone to clink that glass with? How better would it feel if he could share his success with someone who loved him?

But alas, at forty-eight, he recognized that that ship had sailed. As long as he was pushing for the next big discovery, as long as he kept driving toward the next world-changing invention, he would be a bachelor. And that was okay.

"Yes, hello," Dave was speaking through Jim's mobile while being driven to the apartment, "This is Doctor Smith from apartment 1407. I am sending a friend to my apartment without a key. I was wondering if you cold provide a key and entry fob for her so that she can get inside?"

The property manager recognized Dave's voice and asked who she should be looking for.

"You'll know her when you see her," Dave laughed, "She's blonde, quite attractive, wearing a bikini and lab coat."

The property manager laughed, "I'm not here to judge," she said with a giggle, "What you get up to in your place is your business. I'll grab a spare key and fob for her and have it ready. When will she get here?"

"Shouldn't be too long," Dave answered, "maybe twenty minutes, depending on traffic."

They exchanged brief pleasantries then ended the call. Getting inside his apartment was the first step of the plan. In the rush to evacuate the lab, Dave hadn't grabbed his briefcase, his jacket, nor his keys. How could he? Jim had ordered Alexa to take him outside, and he was **** to obey! Now, at least, he'd be able to be somewhere familiar while he considered how to fix his situation.

"You won't have any clothes that fit," Jim suddenly said, changing lanes to pass a slow driver.

"I don't need clothes," Dave said, defiance in his voice, "I'm going to get out of this body right away."

"Dave, I don't think that's going to happen," Jim said, "The only way out of the suit is to use The Printer, and since the lab is locked down, you're going to have to spend some time like this."

Dave leaned his head back and roared in frustration. Why hadn't he taken a few extra hours to go over the new code before the test? This was the last time he would be so trusting of his team. And the last time he took an inter, no matter who their parents are!

"I don't know what you're going to need," Jim said in a calm tone, obviously empathetic to Dave's plight, "Terri and I will go shopping this evening, grab a few things, and drop them to you in the morning. Just stuff to get you by while we wait."

"Fine," Dave grunted, crossing his arms under his gargantuan breasts.

"Listen, it's not ideal, but it could be fun!" Jim smiled, "Your invention worked! You're in a fully operational skin suit, totally undetectable in any way to observers. Your invention is going to change the world! You need to go home and celebrate, even if we did hit a bug that needs fixing."

"Yeah, I know," Dave said in a sulky tone.

"Oh, that reminds me," Jim said, "Alexa, change Dave's voice to a woman's voice."

"Changing Dave's voice to a woman's voice," Alexa answered through Dave's lips.

"What the Hell, Jim?" Dave squeaked in a thin, soprano voice.

"You can't show up to see your property manager with your male voice," Jim said, chuckling, "she'd have far too many questions. We need to keep the project on the down-low until the patents are finalized."

"Don't use Alexa on me again without asking," Dave's new voice rang, "I'm still your boss. I think you'd better remember that."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I promise I'll check with you next time."

The rest of the ride was silent. Dave sulking, staring out the window at the familiar landmarks of his commute, Jim wary of his boss' temper. When the arrived at the apartment, Jim stopped under the concrete overhang by the front entrance. Already the property manager, from her glass-enclosed office, could see Dave getting out of the car, his long legs on display for all onlookers. She was smiling from ear-to-ear, holding a key and a fob.

"I'll see you in the morning," Jim said, admiring his boss' new rear end, "Just remember. Keep it on the down low."

"Yeah, yeah," Dave's voice sang, "in the morning."

The car door closed and Dave walked up the steps toward the building entrance. Jim began to drive away, a strange feeling inside. What was it? Hunger? No. It was temptation. Having the power to control a person felt incredible. He couldn't help wonder how far the coding went, how many changes, how many orders he could give before Dave would be able to assert himself.

No, Jim thought, he's your friend! Stop thinking about it!

But as he picked up his phone and dialed Terri to see if she was available to shop, he couldn't help it. He'd had a taste of control, and now he wanted more.