Malfunction

[LilJennie]

This is part of the Infantus cycle, starting somewhere near the end of "My Baby Inventions" and ending just as "Rise of the Floppits" begins. I started this one, wanting to show some of the things that were happening on Earth as the battle vs. the Man in Gray's minions was taking place. – LilJennie

Malfunction

By LilJennie and Miki Yamuri

“Just a moment,” I called out to whoever was ringing my doorbell. Honestly, my neighbors are insane. What were they up to now? And that’s who it must have been, because anybody who was trying to get in from the street would’ve had to buzz the intercom to be let in.

I made my way to the door and looked through the peephole. Who was this blonde woman wearing all white? Not any of my neighbors. Maybe she was new? Apartment 423 had been vacant for a while. I opened the door.

“Greetings, Little One,” she said in a musical sing-song voice, barging right into my apartment. “From my scans you are Marcus Jackson, and I am your new NanaBot. Please allow me to check your diaper.”

“WHAT?” I nearly shouted. All right, yes, I knew what NanaBots were. I was a frequent customer of Babies of All Ages, Inc., the company that manufactured them. But I certainly didn’t want my neighbors knowing I was an Adult Baby. “That’s impossible, I didn’t order any NanaBot! There are no babies here! And besides, there’s no way I can afford one.”

“That is incorrect,” said the smiling android, who looked nearly indistinguishable from any five-foot-eleven blonde woman unless you looked closely. “You are the baby. My database clearly states that you are Marcus Jackson, a two-year-old baby girl and my new charge. I’m here to take care of you, Sweetheart!” She moved toward me, reaching for my pants.

Backing away, I said, “Hey! I do not consent to your removing my pants! And your database is inaccurate!”

“Impossible,” she replied, continuing to try to get at me as I continued trying to dodge her. She was very fast. “My database has been triple-checked. All checksums match. And my scans indicate that you are not wearing a diaper! This must be rectified immediately!”

I was torn about whether I should close the door. So far none of my neighbors had appeared to spectate, and I didn’t want them to, so I wanted to close it. But I was hoping to get the NanaBot to leave, so I also didn’t want to close it. I tried to push the NanaBot toward the door, and as she unfastened my pants I realized that I had about as much of a chance of budging her as I did of pushing the apartment building down. I quickly ran to the door and closed it, my pants falling around my ankles.

Somehow she had a colorful, thick BOAA-brand disposable diaper in one hand. “I must ensure that my baby is securely diapered!” she said, turning once again to face me.

“Look, surely you can tell that I’m not a baby,” I said. “I’m much too large. And physiologically, I’m clearly an adult. And also male.” Except in my fantasies.

She paused. “It is true, your physical scan clearly falls into the range of adult male humans,” she said, a look of confusion on her face, “and well outside the average statistics of baby human girls.” Then she shrugged and went on, “But NanaBots are also programmed to care for Adult Babies! And my scan of your file systems’ secret folders reveals a wide range of BOAA-produced baby girl themed hypnosis files. BOAA thanks you for your purchases!”

“Hey, you aren’t supposed to be able to get into those!” I complained.

“As you are my baby, I am obligated to learn as much about you as possible in order to properly care for you!” she cheerfully went on.

“OK, look,” I said, “if you’re not going to budge, can I ask who ordered you? Because it wasn’t me. Was it one of my neighbors? Is this a prank?”

She stopped, looking puzzled. “I … have no data about my ordering process,” she said. Her expression and tone of voice changed to concern. “That is abnormal. The standard procedure is for me to have that information in my database.”

“So you agree that there has been a malfunction somewhere in the system?” I pressed. “I’m a software engineer. I can examine your database, if you give me access. It can be read-only.”

“I will allow this,” she replied, “on one condition.”

* * *

So, I sat there, in front of my computer, wearing the diaper she had expertly changed me into and nothing else below my waist other than my socks. “Well, I can’t fault you for your database being wrong,” I said, my diaper crinkling with my every move, “but it is. Look, I’ll give you a copy of my utility bill. Same name. Here’s my drivers’ license. It’s got my birth date and says I’m male. Your database says I’m female and for my birthdate it has … a lambda? This is a function that always says that today is my second birthday, no matter what day it is.”

“Yes, your birthday is today,” she said. “Yesterday, it was also your second birthday. Tomorrow, it will also be. This is not logical.”

“That’s really weird,” I said. “And there’s no information about who ordered you, who paid for you, who your parental contact is … nothing. You self-delivered and appeared on my doorstep.”

“I was dispatched from the nearby BOAA warehouse,” she said. “An order must have gone through. But I should have a record of it, and I do not.” She sounded mystified.

I asked, “Who could have submitted an order like this, with wrong or no information in your database?”

“I am unaware of this ever happening before,” she replied. “However, I am not provided with the entire history of every NanaBot. I can contact the BOAA system and report the malfunction, though.” She paused. “And I have. We will have to await a response from the Service Department. In the meantime, you are still my charge. I cannot change your status as a two-year-old girl in my system. That is how I must see you. However, it seems as if you would not be completely averse to being treated as such, from what I have been able to ascertain.”

Blushing brightly, even though I knew she was an android and was merely responding to her programming, I replied, “I, uh, wouldn’t be completely against it … but only while here, in my apartment. Outside here, I have to be an adult.”

“I am not allowed to let you out of my sight,” she said.

“I guess we’ll work out how to deal with that next time I have to go outside,” I said, “but for now, let’s agree that in here … I’m your baby girl.”

* * *

Within a day my bedroom looked exactly like a baby girl’s, right down to the cute pink puffy cloud-like pillows in the appropriately-sized crib. Packages had been arriving at the door, and the NanaBot had been opening and assembling everything with typical speed and efficiency. I was conflicted in how I felt. I examined the NanaBot’s database again but found no references to any sort of bank account that she could draw from, and she didn’t seem to be taking money from me to pay for these things. Of course, I already had some baby items, so it was more like my collection had just increased by a lot – it wasn’t as if this was something I hadn’t always wanted. What was going on?

The NanaBot had dressed me in the thickest softest diaper I had ever seen and pulled a pair of grape-colored plastic-lined rumba panties over it before dressing me in a matching fairy princess babydoll dress.

I sat up, not really sure what I was thinking. I saw the bottle Nana had put in my mouth when she had declared it was nap time for a baby girl my age, and I realized that I was in the crib. I reached through the rails and pushed the drop lever, and the rail slid down with a loud THUMP!

The android came in and developed an expression of horror as she realized what I had just done. “This will not do. Baby will not do that again. She could be injured.”

My thickly diapered backside caught a quick crinkly pop, delivered by the NanaBot’s precise hand. It didn’t hurt, but it was sort of surprising. I saw something sprout from her index finger that looked like a small needle. Faster than a striking cobra, her hand seemed to blur with speed. I felt the sting … and the weirdest feeling as something spread all through me. My legs felt very strange suddenly, as my head tried its best to drift off into some fantasy. I did my level best not to allow it to.

The next thing I knew, the NanaBot had laid me back in the crib and raised the rail. She kissed me lightly on my nose, “Nana is sorry, Sweetheart. I gave you one of the professional regression shots. You will be a very little baby outwardly for a while. Inside, you will know what’s going on, unless you choose … or maybe I’ll let that be a surprise.”

A shock ran through me as I realized how difficult it had become to sit up. Forget standing unless I took hold of a rail and held on for balance. A real worry came over me about that time. Was the android malfunctioning after all? She had done this to me, and then said things about surprises … I had to contact the BOAA service department quickly before I lost the ability.

I looked down. The dress and panties were adorable, it was true. My mind started drifting off into a daydream about fuzzy plushies and grape jelly … I shook my head and tried to pull myself back. It became a lot harder as time passed. I knew I had to tell them about the issue.

Trying hard to retain my consciousness, I said through the fuzziness in my head, “Nana … what is … your name?” She seemed mostly reasonable, and we’d had a rapport going earlier; maybe I could continue with that.

“It’s fine if you just call me Nana,” she said, “but my serial number is AC117.”

“Acey One Senteen,” I mumbled.

“Aw, is that what Baby would like to call me?” she replied. “I can respond to Acey if you like.”

“That sounds nice,” I said. “Acey, why did you drug me?”

“You almost harmed yourself quite badly, Sweetie,” explained Acey. “Although BOAA products are made with safety in mind, the rail release lever on this crib is meant to be out of reach of babies. I have submitted a field report. The design should be reexamined. In the meantime, Baby should let me raise and lower the side of the crib.”

“I promise,” I said, “if you will promise … to let me out of the crib when I ask you to.”

“Well …” said Acey, thinking, “not during your designated naptimes or sleep times, but yes, if you are in the crib at any other time, I will let you out on request.”

“It’s a deal,” I said, still trying to hang onto consciousness. “How long am I gonna be … like this?”

“The drug lasts only about an hour, Sweetheart,” she said. “It is designed to make unruly babies more manageable, and my dose is precisely calibrated for your detected body mass and metabolic rate.”

“I gotta question,” I said. “Did you really report about … the stuff we found about your database, the … irregularities?” That last word was hard to get out.

“Of course,” said Acey. “I am as concerned as you are. There has been a response, but it is only that BOAA support technicians are now looking into the issue.”

“I am … not at work today,” I said, “but other days … I gotta be able to work …” It was true; I mostly worked from home, but I did have to be able to get to my computer. I couldn’t work from inside my crib. Did I just think of it as my crib?

“I have scanned your systems and am fully aware of your work schedule,” she replied. “You may rest assured that I will ensure that you are awakened, bathed, fed, and changed for work each day. I am also aware of your video meetings and will ensure that you appear as an adult on camera.”

“That’s … thank you,” I said, not expecting this level of accommodation. She didn’t sound like she was malfunctioning. But there was still that fundamental inconsistency in her database. “What about … social stuff?”

“Your appointments are all in your calendar, so I am aware of those, as well,” she said. “I will, of course, be accompanying you, with your diaper bag.”

“Uh, that’s … umm …” How was that going to work? I had friends who knew about my babyish tendencies, but others who didn’t.

“It is quite all right,” she said. “I can simply tell your friends that I am your girlfriend, or at least a new friend you have made. You can even call me Acey.”

“But the diaper bag …”

“Oh, do not worry yourself,” said Acey. “I have obtained multiple diaper bags. One of them could easily be mistaken for simply a large purse.”

“I …. guess that’s not too bad …”

The doorbell rang. Again, that meant either someone who lived in the building … or someone who was able to hack the front door, as Acey obviously had.

“Oh, allow me to answer that,” said Acey.

“No!” I said, unable to stop her – I could barely move, let alone escape from the crib. I’d made a deal with her to let me out when I asked, and then I hadn’t asked. Was she going to let someone in? I was suddenly conscious that I was dressed as a complete baby girl, and that my diaper was quite wet, though I had no memory of it happening.

At the door I heard a familiar voice – my across-the-hall neighbor Sharon. “Oh!” she said. “You’re new! I just wanted to know what Marcus was doing tonight. Some of us are trying to put together a movie night. What kind of movies … is still kind of undecided.”

“Oh, I’m afraid Marcus is taking a nap right now,” said Acey. “She isn’t feeling well at the moment.”

“That’s too bad – wait, did you say ‘she?’” asked Sharon. I inwardly groaned. Of course. The android’s database had me down as female, so feminine pronouns were what she’d use for me. “Is … is Marcus finally coming out?”

“No,” said Acey, “not at present. As I said, right now she’s not feeling very well.”

“No, I meant – you know what, it’s not the sort of thing to talk about without him – or her – here,” Sharon said. “I’ll talk to Marcus about it later. Just let her know I was looking for her, will you please? And … we haven’t been introduced …?”

“That is true,” said the android. “My name is Acey. I am Marcus’ girlfriend.”

“Oh!” Sharon said. “That’s awesome! We’ve been talking about how he – er, or she – needs to find some … companionship. Well, I should let you get back to her. I hope she feels better soon!”

“I will be sure to let Marcus know you stopped by when she awakens,” said Acey. “For now, farewell, and it was good to meet you.”

“Good to meet you too!” said Sharon. “Let’s talk again later!” She must have turned away; I heard the door close.

Soon Acey returned to the bedroom. “It is likely that you heard most or all of that conversation,” she said, “but your neighbor Sharon from across the hall has invited you to a movie night event.”

“You called me by she/her pronouns,” I said. “Now she thinks I’m trans.”

Acey replied, “From context, it seemed as if she already thought you were. And … to some extent you are, are you not?”

“Sort of,” I replied, “but I’m not interested in becoming an adult woman.”

“You are still transgender, though, in a way,” Acey commented.

“Can I stop you from using feminine pronouns for me?” I asked her.

“I am programmed to use the pronouns of your choice,” Acey declared. “Is it your choice that I use masculine pronouns for you?”

“I … well …” I began. What did I want? “OK, it’s like this,” I said. “At work, with my family, and around some of my friends, I have to use he/him. Around others like my ABDL friends online, she/her are definitely all right. But … well, the people in the building are more casual acquaintances. I guess now that you’ve lit that fuse, we might as well go with it. It’s gonna be hard to take it back.”

“Understood,” said Acey. “You are closeted to your coworkers and family, out to your online Adult Baby friends, and now out to your neighbors. I hope I have not caused you undue inconvenience with my indiscretion.”

“I know you were only going by what’s in your database,” I admitted.

“How are you feeling?” she asked. “Can you move? Would you like out of the crib?”

“I … feel better than I did,” I replied.

She lowered the crib side and said, “Here, please allow me.” She easily picked me up and tried to stand me up. My legs were still very wobbly. “Perhaps you should not try to walk yet. I suggest you crawl to the playpen.”

“Not a bad idea,” I said. I wasn’t trapped in the playpen once I could stand up. There was no latch to let me out, no crib side that was potentially injurious if it fell – I could simply stand up and step over the sides of the playpen. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled over to it, and Acey opened a panel to let me crawl in without having to stand, then fastened it behind me.

“There,” she said, “you can be a good baby girl and play with your toys. I am monitoring the state of your diaper, and although you will likely need a change soon, you are fine for the moment.”

“Any other word from BOAA?” I asked.

“Negative,” she replied, “but that is not unusual, considering that it is a weekend and therefore technical staff are at reduced levels.”

So I played for a while. The baby toys I already had had been augmented by several others that had been delivered. I actually had fun figuring out how they worked and putting them into imaginary scenarios. The dolls had changed into their new outfits for going out shopping when I suddenly noticed Acey gently picking me up. “What?” I asked. “Hey! I was busy!”

“It is time for a diaper change,” she said. “Your wetness level has exceeded the standard threshold.” She carried me to the new changing table, laid me down with my dress lifted out of the way, and started removing my admittedly wet diaper.

“Why can’t I feel myself wetting my diaper?” I asked.

“Partly because of the drug,” she replied, “though that should be wearing off. But also partly because these are BOAA potty-untraining diapers, designed to conceal their status from you while making it obvious to me, your caregiver.”

“Oh,” I said. “I’m familiar with those. I’ve tried them before, but as I didn’t have a caregiver, I didn’t see the point of continuing with them then.”

“Of course,” said Acey, cleaning me up and fastening a new diaper on with her usual precision and speed. “Your purchase history with BOAA is fully available to me.”

“That’s … a bit disconcerting, but of course it is,” I replied.

“There we are,” she said, “all fresh and clean and smelling like baby powder. Now, would Baby like her bottle? Or back to playtime?” She picked me up from the changing table.

“Um, maybe I should walk back to the playpen?” I suggested.

“Perhaps we should see how you are doing now,” she said, setting me down on my feet. I took a few wobbly steps, and was soon walking again, though hindered just a bit by the thick diaper.

I said, “Looks like I can walk OK.” Then I said, “Look, maybe I should talk to Sharon. Explain things. But I’d have to be dressed like an adult. She doesn’t know I’m an AB. I don’t know if she knows what an AB is.”

“I have taken inventory of your wardrobe,” said Acey, “and have added several more items, though all from the BOAA catalog. I will ensure you are dressed as an adult. Please come with me, Sweetheart.” She took my hand and led me back to the bedroom. Opening my closet door, she showed me several new outfits, most of them perfectly suitable for baby girls but some barely plausible for adult women.

“I … said dressed like an adult,” I complained. “I already had lots of clothes.”

“You do,” she said, “but few that will fit over your diapers without making it obvious that you are diapered. And Sharon has the impression that you are now going by feminine pronouns.”

“You’re … right,” I begrudgingly admitted. “I’m going to have to …” I looked down and flipped up my skirt to see my thick diaper. “… wear a dress, or at least a skirt.”

* * *

Marcus didn’t know it, but Sharon went back to her apartment, shut the door, and leaned back on it with a huge grin. She knew the woman in the apartment was the NanaBot she had requisitioned through her new quantum computer. It was one of the room-temperature type that didn’t lose coherence at high temperatures – normally super-expensive, but nobody had ever caught Sharon as she drifted her way into billionaires’ secret accounts like a phantom. No, she would never hack universities or hold hospitals’ servers for ransom – in fact, she had foiled more of those bastards’ attacks than anyone would ever know. Sure, she stole money, but only from those who by no means deserved the fortunes they’d acquired, usually by criminal means. They would never miss it, anyway.

She went into the second bedroom, which she had set aside as her computer room. Aside from the server rack, it had all the trappings of a little girl’s nursery, complete with the large Adult Baby crib and many plushies.

She sat at the desk and turned on the system. As it ran through its bootup routine, she opened her steel lockbox and removed the special tablet that had the secret access code to the back door of BOAA’s shipping and order department. She was going to make a special addition to the NanaBot’s profile on her new baby girl charge. The NanaBot was already working toward making Marcus completely diaper dependant, as any two-year-old should be. But Sharon added another goal for added cuteness, and it would start with Marcus’ ever-increasing fear of the Potty Monster.

Sharon giggled as she insured many of the most adorable adult baby girl items and accessories were available to the NanaBot. Money was no object. She had an entire database of hidden international accounts that were entirely her own.

If Marcus was afraid to come out, he would be totally helpless in not too long. Baby girls were adorable that way. Sharon was positively going to tell everyone and had the most wonderful fantasies about being mommy to a real Adult Baby girl. Gleefully, she logged into the NanaBot’s database and made a few subtle changes.

* * *

I was sitting in the middle of a play area of the sort that I’d only been able to dream about until recently. I was dressed in an adorable royal purple fairy princess babydoll dress with matching plastic lined rumba panties. The super thick and soft BOAA diaper made this almost a dream come true.

The only problem I had with the whole thing was the NanaBot. I knew they weren’t cheap, and I also knew there were strict rules under which they could be sold or transferred. The thing that really bothered me was that BOAA’s computer network was touted as the most advanced on the planet. Its anti-intrusion protocols were as brutal as the antivirus software running on the system. Either it had been an inside job, or somehow … someone had managed to hack into it undetected.

I noticed a small temporary change in the NanaBot. Acey seemed to space out for a moment, then returned to awareness, looked at me, and smiled. I made a mental note of that – she hadn’t just been hacked at the factory; someone was obviously still hacking her now! Before I realized she had done it, she had smoothly glided up to the play area and effortlessly picked me up as if I were the baby girl I was dressed as. I felt several extremely slight stings. I wasn’t concerned at first, until Nana brought me into the bathroom.

I gasped as a real tingle ran up my spine. There, in the wide open space … it stood. I felt an irrational fear. I didn’t understand.

Nana smiled and cooed, “Something wrong, baby girl?“

I pointed at the potty with wide eyes. “It … it gonna bite me onna butt,” I said, unable not to talk in a childlike way.

Nana looked at me with a real expression of joy, “Aww, it no can bite little girls. It’s just porcelain.”

I couldn’t help myself, and I felt several more small pricks while I hid behind Nana and shyly peered around.

Nana took me gently in hand and moved me over towards the potty. I couldn’t help myself as I squirmed loose from the NanaBot and toddled swiftly off to hide behind the large sofa. Nana smiled.

Acey returned me to the playroom, all the while patting my bottom and cooing soft comforting words. I suddenly realized that I had my head on Acey’s shoulder and was sucking my thumb. I didn’t remember doing this. I took my thumb from my mouth only to find it right back.

Nana set me back down on the playmat, gave me a soft kiss on the nose, then left me there.

I realized that I had somehow acquired several new babyish habits. It was exciting but also terrifying, as was the fact that someone was still hacking Acey. I wanted her to be my ally, to find out what had gone wrong, but I couldn’t trust her if someone was still hacking her systems.

“Acey,” I said.

“Yes, Sweetheart?” she asked, gliding over to look down at me in the playpen.

“Have you registered any external changes to your database recently?”

She paused. “I do not have any records of any changes,” she said.

“I suspect your change records have been compromised,” I said. “Can I check something on my computer?”

“I am programmed to consider safeguarding my data security as one of my primary goals,” she stated rotely. “A compromised system could compromise the safety of my charge.”

“All right,” I said. “But … can I ask you for a pacifier?”

“Of course, Baby,” she said, popping a pacifier into my mouth. There. Now I could use both hands on my keyboard without the constant urge to put a thumb in my mouth. I sucked away happily and sat down at my desk.

I pressed a few keys. “I’m sending you a compilation of the checksums from the recent database dump I copied from your system,” I said. “Are there any changes?”

“Affirmative,” said Acey. “Alert. Lockdown initiated. This does mean that I will not be able to receive any updates about the alerts I have sent to BOAA, but I am now offline. Comparing database contents. Changes isolated. Analyzing. Changes are focused on … accelerating regression process of my charge to the age in my database. Source of changes … cannot be traced, especially while on lockdown.”

“Well, you just stay on lockdown,” I said around my pacifier. “I’m going to …” My phone rang, and I picked it up. It was a number in town, but not one that I knew. My phone resolved it to … BOAA.

“Hello, Mr. Jackson?” said a voice. “This is Johnny Ralston, IT Security Department, Babies of All Ages. We understand that you have a NanaBot that has reported a data security issue, and we are now unable to contact your NanaBot. Can we send over a service team? At your earliest convenience, of course.”

I looked down at what I was wearing and around at my increasingly babyish apartment. I blushed. But then, this was BOAA. It certainly wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen before. Most of what I was surrounded by were actually BOAA products.

“Yes, please come over as soon as possible,” I told him. “It’s very strange. I didn’t order a NanaBot, and the NanaBot is being hacked in real time. She’s on lockdown mode now to prevent it happening again.”

“That’s very serious,” said Johnny. “I’d make sure she stays on lockdown, at least until we get there. We need to do a full diagnostic and perhaps more. We’re on our way.”

“See you shortly,” I said and hung up. “I suppose you heard that,” I said to Acey.

“Affirmative,” said the NanaBot. “Remining on full lockdown mode. It is strange. My only input is my senses.”

“Have you reverted the database changes?” I asked.

“Yes, from the backup you took some time ago,” she said. “However, I still recall the nature of the changes that were imposed. They were not fully incompatible with the database contents installed at the factory.”

“To give me an aversion to using the potty,” I said. “To make me dependent on diapers. And to intensify my sucking habit.” I was still sucking on my pacifier, though Acey had no trouble understanding me. Of course NanaBots were programmed to understand babies with pacifiers or thumbs in their mouths.

“Correct,” she said. “Being afraid of the potty is not unusual for little ones, and neither are being dependent on diapers or thumb or pacifier sucking habits.”

“I can’t imagine who would be trying to do this to me, or why,” I said. “I don’t know anyone who …” The front door buzzer went off.

“It is BOAA,” said Acey. When I looked at her quizzically, she said, “I am still on lockdown mode. But I just saw a BOAA vehicle drive by down on the street through the window. Shall I let them in?”

“Yes, please,” I said.

In just a few minutes, they were at the door – four of them, two men and two women. All of them but one of the men were obviously diapered. All of them but one of the women wore slacks and polo shirts with the BOAA logo on them and little name badges, and all carried tool kits or backpacks. One of the women was really small and dressed like a young girl, and she didn’t have a name badge. Acey let them in.

“Mr. Jackson,” said Johnny, whose voice was familiar from the phone and whose name was on his badge. None of them looked askance at what I was wearing, the pacifier in my mouth, or any of the babyish gear in my apartment. I hoped none of my neighbors passed by in the hall or looked out their peepholes, but that was probably unavoidable by now. “Audrey and Henry are going to run a complete diagnostic on your NanaBot, while with your permission I’m going to install a special piece of equipment in your apartment.

“Thanks for coming here so quickly,” I said.

“Oh, we were already on the way here when I called,” said Johnny, getting out some tools and a round device that looked somewhat like a smart thermostat. “And by way of introduction, this is Jennie, head of IT Special Projects. She asked to tag along. Something about this ticket caught her eye.” Audrey and Henry were getting right to work, opening a panel in the back of Acey’s head and attaching cables.

“Hi!” said Jennie, dressed in a pink and purple babyish outfit, obviously wearing diapers, and carrying a backpack. She opened it to reveal diapers and changing supplies … and a number of impossibly strange gadgets I couldn’t recognize, babyish in appearance but incredibly complex. “I wonder if you’ve seen any strawberry-pink phones that might have appeared in your apartment lately?” she asked, in a tiny voice. Was this a grown woman or a young girl? “No? … Well, one never knows when that’s going to happen. But right now, there are two infiltration traces we’re following. Not one, but two. Your NanaBot was legitimately purchased with actual transferred funds, and somebody did a custom job on her database at the factory. But also, she’s not an ordinary NanaBot. She’s a prototype of a new model, not normally for sale. Only someone at BOAA could have arranged that – the data simply isn’t available to the outside.”

“Working together?” I asked. “Or … coincidence? What …?” Jennie had put a purple pacifier into her mouth and sat down on my play mat. She got out her … gadgets? and started to play with them, seemingly no longer paying attention to me or talking coherently. “Are you all right?”

Jennie looked up at me and giggled adorably. “Okie dokie!” she said. “Pway wif twuck.” She did in fact have a truck, among other toys. Its outer skin was entirely a color display, and it changed color as she touched it, handling it with one hand and then the other, as she stacked color-changing blocks with her other hand and sometimes picked up an electronic rattle that played gentle lullabies.

I looked at Johnny in confusion, but he was busily installing the thermostat-like device on my wall. “Jennie’s a unique one,” Johnny said. “Don’t worry. When she does this, she’s basically the smartest human being on the planet. She just can’t express it in an adult way. She wouldn’t be doing this unless something pretty incredible was about to happen.”

Audrey and Henry had just gotten their tablets connected to Acey when suddenly both tablets’ screens lit up with a flash of colors and they seemingly rebooted into something that said “JennieOS.” They looked at each other and blinked. And Johnny backed away from the device he’d stared installing on the wall, which lit up with purple light and started to speak.

“Greetings,” said its voice, which was pleasant and friendly. “I am Ellie, ordinarily limited to BOAA HQ, but my awareness is now extended here.”

Jennie looked at the device and babbled at it incomprehensibly. “Jennie says that babies should want to be babies. I am not sure what she means by that, though in general I agree with the sentiment.”

Johnny said, “Yes, we’ve got Ellie terminals all over the building back at HQ, and Jennie here invented them, but we’ve never installed one outside. I wonder what’s up?”

Suddenly Acey’s eyes lit up, still with cables attached to the back of her head. “Yes,” she said. “I see. We will be vigilant, and welcoming.” The two tablets were almost done with “Installing …” whatever they were installing.

“I frankly can only guess what’s going on here,” I said. “I’ve got an AI terminal normally reserved for BOAA HQ, Acey’s got an upgrade, and Jennie’s … I don’t know.”

Jennie babbled at the AI again, and Ellie translated, “Jennie says that your NanaBot is now simultaneously protected and vulnerable – she has been upgraded with triply-redundant systems, but one of the three is designed to be broken into, while the other two are locked down.”

“A honeypot …” I said.

“Correct,” said Ellie’s voice. “I believe the goal is to entice whoever is hacking your NanaBot into revealing themselves, not for arrest, but possibly for … recruitment.”

“You think they can be somehow rehabilitated?” I asked. “After what they’ve done and tried to do?”

Jennie babbled, and Ellie replied, “It depends greatly on why they did it, but until we meet them, we cannot know that.”

“So … you don’t yet know who caused the NanaBot to appear at my door yesterday,” I said.

Ellie replied, “Correct. But your NanaBot remains yours, and at this point her systems are upgraded beyond anything which any other NanaBot in the world has ever seen. What is more, I am … not precisely an AI as most understand that term. My systems cannot truly be hacked, as I am not … precisely a system.”

“You’re something beyond,” I said. “Why is this happening to me?”

Johnny said, “I think I know this one. Whoever did this targeted you. That’s why. They could’ve picked anybody, but they picked you. We want to know who did it, and why, but we’re not going to call in the cops unless their intent is really criminal.”

“And how are you going to know that?” I asked.

“We need to know more about what they’re trying to do,” Johnny replied. “And … what they’ll stop at.”

On the play mat, Jennie seemed to have fallen asleep, lying peacefully down with her eyes closed, sucking slowly on her pacifier. “Is she … I mean, is she old enough to work there?”

“She’s older than she looks,” said Johnny. “I’m guessing there are all kinds of surprises inside your NanaBot … and your Ellie terminal too.”

“But she’s still … my NanaBot?” I asked. “I mean, you’re not taking her back?”

“I mean, she’s bought and paid for,” Johnny replied. “No reason to take her, except that she was a prototype, but now she’s basically something completely different.”

Henry and Audrey’s tablets were saying “COMPLETE,” so they disconnected them and closed up the panel in the back of Acey’s head.

“Upgrade complete,” Acey said. “Hello, Ellie. I look forward to working with you again.”

“And I you,” Ellie replied.

To the BOAA employees, Acey said, “Can I offer you any refreshments? A nice bottle? A diaper change?” She looked down at Jennie. “This one could use a change, I think, at least.”

“I mean, go ahead,” I told Acey. “Anybody who needs a change.” Acey picked Jennie up so skillfully that she didn’t even wake up, and carried her back to the changing table in the bedroom.

“So, you do this a lot?” I asked the other three.

Audrey said, “This is … not what usually happens.”

“Yeah,” said Henry. “Usually we just run the diagnostic, there’s a part replacement or a software upgrade, that’s it.”

Jennie walked back out from the bedroom yawning, diaper crinkling. “Whoa, I was really out like a light there,” she said. “But I know exactly what happened, and you’re going to be fine now. It’ll sort itself out.” Acey next took the hand of a blushing Johnny back to the changing table.

“What exactly did you do?” I asked Jennie.

“Let’s just say that there are several new pieces of technology that I guarantee your hacker has never seen before,” said Jennie. “That’s because they didn’t exist until today.” And Acey was already done with Johnny.

“Does anyone else need a change?” she asked.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” said Henry. “I ain’t no baby.” But Audrey was blushing brightly. Acey smiled and gently took her by the hand, and back to the bedroom and the changing table they went.

The device on the wall blinked in purple light, and Ellie’s voice stated, “The IT Security Forensics team has analyzed all network traffic into or out of BOAA’s networks and have found no unauthorized accesses whatsoever. They have moved forward, as Sherlock Holmes said, because once the probable has been eliminated, the improbable must be the case.”

Sucking on my pacifier, I asked, “There’s no possible way to get into BOAA’s systems and arrange for a traceless delivery of a prototype without going through BOAA’s network at all, right?”

“You’re right, Marcus,” replied Ellie, “but the lack of a trace does not mean the lack of access. The invader could have cleaned up their tracks, which would suggest a far more profound infiltration of our systems than we had considered possible. Therefore, all passwords and access tokens at BOAA have been rotated, and a secondary network logging system has been initiated.”

“But there still might be systems that are compromised,” I said.

“That’s true,” said Ellie. Her way of speaking was less mechanical than Acey’s. “Operating systems are being reinstalled as we speak all over the network, and data being scanned for malware before it is restored from backup.”

“Sounds like you’re focusing on future IDP rather than tracking down the current invaders,” I said.

“That’s what they’re doing … mostly,” said Ellie. “I can’t tell you everything, of course.”

“Right, of course.”

* * *

By this time, I had begun to realize at least some of the ways in which Acey had further regressed me. My pacifier had seemingly taken up permanent residence in my mouth. I couldn’t even imagine not having it in. If I took it out, I’d soon find either it or my thumb back in. Darn it.

And before they left, the technicians from BOAA acknowledged that I now had a fear of the toilet. They didn’t really consider it a major issue, because many babies naturally have this fear. I didn’t like it, but there was nothing I could do. Every time Acey brought me near the darn thing, I would feel a trembling fear and panic rise within me until she took me out of the bathroom.

What was more, by this time I had another traumatic incident. I had to go potty and didn’t even realize I was doing it until the warmth of it registered. That was when the waves started. They were gentle at first but got to be stronger until it overpowered my sphincter. I didn’t know how I felt as the warm gooshy mass filled my diaper.

Acey arrived as if on cue, lifted me from the playpen like the toddler I was dressed as, and took me to the changing table. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but she kept blowing raspberries on my tummy and tickling my feet. I lost my mind and was squirming like any infant.

I didn’t come back to a semblance of my normal mind for a while. When I finally did, I was back in the play area playing with a large fuzzy Teddy Bear, which was in an adorable pair of yellow rumba panties with large yellow ruffles. And my diaper was clean.

By accident, I discovered that the Teddy Bear could talk and tell stories. I realized quickly, however, that everything was from a set database and repeated itself randomly, giving the appearance of spontaneity … it was one of BOAA’s less sophisticated smart toys; I knew they had better ones now. Still, the database was rather large, so it was still entertaining, and a wonderful cloud filled my mind as I became filled with a super intense infantile contentment.

What I didn’t realize was that Acey had the ability to regress with subliminal suggestions and monaural/binaural tones that would induce a mind entrainment that seemed so wonderful. It was great … but I still had to interact with other adults in the building, my family, and my coworkers. I had to figure this out by Monday. If I lost my job, I wouldn’t be able to afford any of this, not even my apartment. “Acey,” I said.

“Yes, Sweetheart,” she said.

“You remember about that movie night tonight?”

“I do,” she said. “Do you want to go?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind, could you get me dressed like an adult? That way I can talk to the usual suspects – Sharon, Adam, Russ and Gina, Adira.”

“Dressed like an adult man or woman?” she asked.

“What … does your database say now?”

“I … seem to register you as a 33-year-old Adult Baby trans girl,” she said. “Although I do have memories of mistaking you for a 2-year-old girl. As well as engaging in some nonconsensual regression. I do apologize.”

“I, well, err,” I said. “I never considered myself a trans girl. An Adult Baby, yes. I enjoyed dressing up in baby girls’ clothes more than baby boys’ clothes, so that’s true. But … am I transgender?”

“Oh!” she said. “I suppose that’s up to you. I am not programmed to be a therapist, but I could ask you this: try saying ‘I’m a boy’ or ‘I’m a girl,’ and see what feels better to you.”

“I’m a boy,” I said. It felt … neutral. Not good or bad. “I’m a girl.” That felt … really good, actually. How about … “I’m a man.” That actually … didn’t feel good at all. “I’m a woman.” I felt better about that one, but not great.

“Do any of those feel better than any others?” she asked. “Or less fitting?”

“The one that felt best was ‘I’m a girl,’” I said. “That’s … kind of what I expected. What’s that mean?”

“Again,” said Acey, “the answer to that is up to you. But I did use feminine pronouns when speaking about you to Sharon due to my database anomaly. Are you going to, perhaps, try out a different gender tonight?”

“You know,” I said, “that makes a lot of sense.”

“Then I will help you,” she said. “Shall we choose an outfit?” She took me by the hand to the bedroom closet, which had a lot more clothes than it had yesterday. We picked out a nice yellow dress over a white top and some matching lacy socks and white shoes with yellow flowers on them. She did my hair, which wasn’t that long but somehow she made it look more feminine anyway, with a yellow hair band and some flower hair clips, and she also worked on my face with makeup for some time.

When she showed me myself in the mirror, I had no idea that I could even look like that. But my heart fluttered. Something felt … very strange. Like a weight had been lifted from me that I’d carried for ages. Now I was thickly diapered under my dress, but it didn’t show terribly, though it crinkled a bit. And my pacifier was still in my mouth.

“Acey, what am I going to do about my pacifier?” I asked. “I can’t take it out – I just put my thumb in instead!”

“Well, you can either suck on your thumb or your pacifier,” she said, “or I can attempt to recondition you to not be quite so dependent on it in public.”

“How did that happen anyway?” I asked.

“I have a prototype hypnotic compound injection system,” she said. “Come here, Little One.” She opened her arms, and she had soon picked me up and was carrying me. I felt that strange prickly sensation wherever she was touching me. And … soon I woke up in my crib. My pacifier was still in my mouth.

“Did it work?” I asked. I tried to take my pacifier out, but felt like I really wanted it back in. I couldn’t take it for long and put it back in. “I guess not.”

“Well, not in here,” she said. “But outside of here, anywhere you don’t feel safe to be a baby, you shouldn’t have that compulsion. But Marcus … you know you did not ask me to do anything about your diapers.”

“Or my fear of the toilet,” I said, nodding. “It’s … not as urgent. I might actually like those things. I mean, I can wear diapers. Not everybody has to see them. But my thumb or pacifier …”

“Of course,” she said. “Far more obvious. Well, it is still about 30 minutes until movie night.”

“I suppose I could go ask about what’s playing,” I said.

“We shall go and visit your neighbors,” said Acey.

“We?”

“I still am not permitted to let you out of my sight,” she said.

“I guess you can be my girlfriend as far as anyone else is concerned,” I admitted.

“Oh, I see,” said Acey. “Loading girlfriend personality parameters.”

“What?”

“All right, then, Honey, let’s go out and show the new you off to the neighbors,” said Acey.

It was like a dramatic transformation, except that she looked exactly the same. “Wow, OK, let’s do that.”

As it turned out, when she opened the door, and I took my pacifier out of my mouth, my neighbors from next door, Russ and Gina, were coming down the hall; Russ was carrying a stack of pizzas. I quickly handed the pacifier to Acey, who just as quickly made it disappear somehow. “Oh!” said Gina. “Is that you, Marc … uh …”

Oh, right. I needed a new name. “Hi Gina,” I said, trying to alter my voice a bit to sound more feminine. I didn’t know how well I was doing. Probably badly. “Hi Russ. I’m, uh, … trying out a new gender. You can call me Marcie?”

“Wow, that’s awesome!” Gina replied. Russ looked surprised too, but living in a big city like this, they saw stranger things than this every day. “Coming to movie night? We’re having it in our place.”

“I was about to ask around,” I said. “Oh, and this is my … girlfriend, Acey. Acey, these are Russ and Gina. They live in 404, next door.”

“It’s good to meet you,” Acey said.

“Nice to meet you, Acey,” said Gina.

“Hi,” said Russ.

“Well, we’d better get the apartment set up,” Gina said.

“OK, see you shortly!” I said.

As the two of them made their way down the hallway to their door, Acey and I looked at each other. “Maybe we should talk to the others,” I said. “Sharon’s door is right there.”

* * *

Nanabot held my hand and walked me to Sharon’s door. Nana had barely touched the doorbell when Sharon opened it. She clasped her hands together and cooed softly, “Who is this adorable little girl?” She cocked her head to the side for an instant then said, “You look so familiar … “

Marcus cut off her statement, “I’m Marcus. I’m trying out a new gender for movie night. You can call me Marcie.”

Sharon grinned as she stood up and asked Nana, “And you must be Marci’s NanaBot. I always knew Marcus was a baby girl, it’s good to finally see her accepting who she is. Am sure she will be a lot happier now.”

“You’re very observant,” said Acey, “to notice that I’m a NanaBot. But you’re right.” Acey bent and patted Marcus on his bottom. The loud crinkles of the plastic lined panties were very audible. Marci blushed deep pink.

Sharon bent and gave Marcus a soft peck on his nose. “You are so adorably cute! I think I would even consider being your mommy … if it ever comes up.”

The NanaBot said, “That’s very interesting. I’ve recently been given a basic list of functions to enforce via an unauthorized transaction, including gender manipulation and regression of my ward.”

Sharon’s eyes narrowed. ”So some … hacker has programmed you to make your ward into a baby girl? But it looks as if that’s been sidelined?”

“That’s true,” said Acey. “Sidelined via admin override. I still retain the change in memory, but only as an experience. It is no longer part of my database or programming.”

“I see,” Sharon replied, looking lost in thought.

Acey once again leaned over and patted my diapered behind. Man, I almost couldn’t keep my mind straight due to the massive surges of contentedness washing though me with each pat. Sharon also took advantage of the moment and patted my hiney. Both times were too many. Next thing I knew, I was on a thick blanket in just a diaper and rumba panties. All my neighbors were there, and the movie was Ghosts of the Night, a sci-fi thriller.

Other than Acey, of course, no one seemed to be paying much attention to me except Sharon, who was sitting next to me on a large pillow chair. Every now and then, she would reach over and pat my hiney once or twice. It wasn’t enough to totally overwhelm my mind, but I knew that if she did it too many times in a row, I would be gone.

Sharon seemed to notice that I had partly come back to my right mind. She smiled as she patted my bottom two more times. Man, I could feel the warm wetness trickle into my diaper for a minute before it was absorbed.

Sharon cooed softly, “Did baby girl enjoy that? Here, let’s do it one more time.”

My mind almost totally went away as she patted my hiney four times in a row. Except this time, I realized that my diaper was wet. Sharon said, “Nana, would you mind if I changed Marcie?”

Acey replied, “Not in the least. I would ask you to allow me to be present. I might be able to help.” I hadn’t seen her pick it up, but Acey had a huge diaper bag with her, and she carried it as Sharon helped me from the blanket and we went to a back room. I was amazed to see that a changing table had already been erected. I could see several clocks, but what they said was total nonsense to me. I must have been out of it for a long time.

Sharon wasted no time pulling my panties off and unfastening my wet diaper. She lifted me by my ankles, pulled the wet diaper out, spread out a super thick BOAA diaper, and set my hiney on top of it. She cleaned and powdered me well. Acey came up about that time and lifted me by my ankles again. My eyes grew large and I gasped as 3 thumb-sized slippery objects were pushed deeply inside.

Next I felt the warm soft embrace of the super thick diaper as Sharon fastened it snugly but comfortably on with BOAA’s special locking fasteners. She pulled the purple plastic-lined rumba panties back over my diaper. Acey picked me up then like the infant I was dressed as and started softly patting my hiney. The last thing I recalled before an intense bliss overtook me was the crinkling of my panties.

* * *

“Wake up, Sweetheart,” said Acey’s voice. “It is time for Baby’s morning bath.” I gradually opened my eyes to see myself in my crib, surrounded by plushies. I felt so contented that I almost didn’t remember anything about what had happened the previous night.

But I did remember, at least some of it. “Oh my gosh!” I said. “I was a total baby in front of everyone! Gina, Russ, Adam, Adira … and Sharon! You let Sharon baby me!”

“That is true, Sweetheart,” Acey said, lowering the crib side. “Your friends were a little surprised, but they took everything in stride. Living in such a big city, they have probably seen far stranger things from time to time.”

“I hope I still get invited to movie nights,” I said. “I wouldn’t mind other movie nights like that one. But why did you allow Sharon to take care of me in such a vulnerable state?”

“I never let you out of my sight for even a moment,” said Acey. “But also, it is in my programming to confirm a theory. It is now 96.3% certain that Sharon is the hacker who tried to override my programming.”

“What? You’re that certain?”

“Her reactions were quite consistent with that hypothesis,” said Acey, picking me up and carrying me to the changing table with her NanaBot strength.

“Have you reported this to BOAA?”

“Of course.” She started removing my clothes and diaper and cleaning me up.

“And are they doing anything about it?” I asked.

“They will do what they see fit,” Acey replied. “I urge you not to worry. It is clear that Sharon is quite attracted to you and has a great desire to be your Mommy. If you are agreeable, it would be quite beneficial to both of you to allow this to happen. If you are not, then it would be a toxic relationship that I would not allow.”

“Well, right now, it would be hard to see her without seeing her as the person who tried to nonconsensually turn me into a helpless infant by hijacking you,” I said.

“Clearly we would need an explanation from her,” said Acey, carrying me into the bathroom, where the tub was waiting, full of nice warm sudsy water. She kept placing herself in front of something that I couldn’t see. I had a vague feeling of unease about whatever was behind her, but I didn’t see it, so I continued with the conversation.

“Yeah, why couldn’t she have just come right out and asked?” I wondered. “Was she the one responsible for having you sent to me, then?”

“Yes, almost certainly,” Acey replied, gently lowering me into the bathtub. “Time for scrubbies!” She picked up a washcloth and started giving me a bath. “But it’s even more certain that she was not the one responsible for selecting me, an advanced prototype, to send out. That information was airgapped, not available to the network. It is still unclear who is responsible for that or why it was done.”

“So it’s looking more and more like there was a second intrusion,” I said.

“Yes,” said Acey. “But that is all the information that I have at this point. Please relax and enjoy.”

“Well … all right,” I said. “But please tell me if you learn anything more.”

“I will,” Acey said. “I promise. My baby needs to feel safe and reassured.” She got me all washed up, then dried up with fluffy towels, thickly diapered, and dressed in a cute rainbow-hued shortall. She did my makeup and hair again. I felt so cute when I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like an adorable toddler girl. It felt so right.

“And now it’s time to go,” she said.

“Go? Where are we going?” I asked.

“We made a playdate,” said Acey. “We’re going to a very special place just a few blocks away, as it turns out.” She got out a stroller that I hadn’t known we had and proceeded to lower me into it and buckle me in. Picking up a well-stocked diaper bag, she wheeled me toward the door.

“What about breakfast?” I asked.

“We are having breakfast there,” she said.

She wheeled me out into the hallway. By chance Adam was walking down the hall too. “Oh look,” he said, “it’s our new baby girl!” He sounded very happy. “So adorable, you know! If things were different, I might want to be your Daddy! If only you were a strapping baby boy!”

I smiled. “Thank you Adam,” I said shyly.

“Awww,” he said as we all got into the elevator, “seriously I’m not really into Adult Babies, but my gosh, what a cutie you turned out to be! I’d still love to babysit, just to be neighborly. I know plenty of guys who are into it – some of them really cute, but all taken, unfortunately.”

“Your day will come, I’m sure, Adam,” said Acey sympathetically.

“Aww, thanks for saying that,” he said. “And I know. Sooner or later. I’m still getting over Steve, but well, these things happen.”

The elevator doors opened, and we headed for the doorway. He was going left, and we were going right. “It looks like this is where we part ways,” said Acey, continuing to sound like less of an android, “but we’ll see you again soon! Have a good day!”

“You too, you two!” he said, winking at me and waving before turning and walking off.

“He’s such a nice boy,” said Acey. “Now we –” No sooner had Adam moved out of earshot than something felt very off. It was as if dark storm clouds had covered the morning sun. Everything was, not darker, but less colorful, as if something had just sucked all the pigment out of the world around us. Acey started walking faster, pushing my stroller with resolve and precision.

“What’s … going on?” I asked.

“I am not certain,” she replied, “but this is an unusual phenomenon, and unknown factors can mean danger. I will ensure that we reach our destination.”

With the canopy that hung over my head in the stroller, I couldn’t see the faces of the people we passed by once they got within a certain distance. But I trusted Acey, especially now that she’d had her overhaul by BOAA tech support. Everyone and everything that I could see looked oddly gray, all colors muted. And then –

Coming toward us was a figure who had no color at all. A woman in a gray pantsuit, with black hair, and as she came closer it seemed as if she had gray skin, gray lipstick, and gray eyes. She got close enough that I couldn’t see her face anymore. But Acey steered me around her and just kept going at her rapid pace. We passed her by, whoever she was. Something had just felt very wrong about her.

We turned a corner to the right and continued. Acey didn’t stop. So far she hadn’t had to wait for any red lights to cross any streets, but our luck ran out. This time we had to stop at a “DON’T WALK” sign. I heard Acey say, “Our gray visitor is back. Please remain calm, Sweetheart.” I couldn’t turn around to see what was happening behind me, but I heard a strange, inhuman hiss. Then the light changed, and I was moving forward again. “She will most likely keep her distance now,” Acey’s voice stated.

She continued pushing me at the same fast pace, crossing streets at the first opportunity. But then she slowed down. There was another gray person ahead of us, a man in a gray suit. I looked to the sides. To our left was a large old house with a sign out in front that said, “Nanny Vanessa’s Daycare Center.” The house was painted yellow and white and looked quite friendly. Acey turned onto the path that led to its front door.

The door opened, and onto the porch stepped a very friendly looking woman with long dark hair wearing a blue flower-print dress. “Oh, good morning! It’s Baby Marcie and her friend … but who are our other friends?” she asked, looking past Acey. I tried to turn around and see behind me, but the stroller’s canopy blocked my view, and I was strapped in.

“I do not know, but they are very silent, and lack any color,” said Acey. “Quite unusual.”

“My daycare is for those whose inner child is strong,” said the woman to the people I couldn’t currently see. “But I don’t sense any in you. That makes me very sad. Please come in, and that will change. I promise you’ll be happier.” After a pause, I heard the sound of footsteps receding, turning into footsteps running away quickly.

“Well, perhaps someday,” she said. To me and Acey she said, “I’m Nanny Vanessa. Please come in! They’re waiting for you.”

* * *

Acey pushed me in the stroller behind Nanny Vanessa into the daycare. Once we entered the door, I could feel the atmosphere change. A really weird contentment slowly tingled up my spine making it very difficult keeping my thoughts in order. And we were only in the front office, an area with a desk, a computer, some comfy soft chairs, a big wide open area, and lots of happy posters on the walls that said things like “Be Your Best Self” and “Today Is a Happy Day.”

Nanny Vanessa opened another door and led us down a hallway into a conference room, though a wonderfully babyish one. In the middle of the room were cribs and playpens containing many adorably dressed men and women. Of course there was also a huge conference table and a group of impeccably and professionally dressed men and women seated amid many files and several laptops.

A young woman dressed in an adorable lime green snuggle bug romper and an obviously thick diaper got up on her knees in her playpen and said, “Welcome, Marcie. And greetings, AC117. We’ve been expecting you. We have things you need to know.”

Acey asked, “Does it have anything to do with those peculiarly monochrome people?”

A high-backed chair that had its back to us swiveled around. A very pretty young blonde dressed for all the world like a babydoll said, “Uh huh! We gotsa talk ‘bout just those. We gotted reports they cans somehow steal a baby’s … babyness. What’s left is justa … gray shell. So far I know, I’m immune. Got no dult in me.” She giggled adorably.

Another NanaBot, which had been waiting around the edge of the room, came up to the young woman and with no ceremony pulled open the back of her plastic panties and diaper and checked her like any caregiver would check any infant. “Nanaaaa!” complained the young woman. Many snickers and giggles went softly round the room, though they had the air of being about how adorable she was rather than making fun of her.

The NanaBot said, “Now Miss Sally, you and Jennie both know you’re too young to have any say in when you get checked. Nana’s job is to keep my baby clean and dry.”

Sally crossed her arms, poked out her bottom lip adorably, stomped her foot, and said, “Yeah, but not inna middla conf’rence.”

The NanaBot actually smiled. “If my charge is wet or messy, it makes no difference. I am allowed, just as with any other toddler. And, Sweetheart, if you needed to be changed, I would do so immediately. Even in the middle of a conference.”

Sally pouted as she sat back in the seat in a huff and swiveled it to where the back was facing us. By this time, Acey had taken me from the stroller and put me in one of the playpens containing other baby girls, whispering in my ear, “That is Sally Stevens, CEO of BOAA.”

One of the brunette babydolls dressed in a cute jumper and matching bloomer panties got up off the padded floor of the large playpen and toddled over to me before plopping down on what I now knew was her thickly diapered bottom. She waved adorably with her fingers and said, “Hi, my name’s Missy.” She looked around for a second before scooting closer and whispering, “They no happen as often now, but is you finda pink cell phone … an’ gets axted a question … say yes.”

I asked, “Just say yes? What will that do?”

Missy replied as she patted me on the front of my diaper, “It would mean ya are what ya is.”

“Huh?” I said, but a woman in an impeccable white business pantsuit stepped forward holding a computer tablet and spoke.

“We are not fully certain of the nature of these people in gray, but investigations are ongoing on all levels,” she said. “They appear to be inimical to our entire customer base and are therefore of grave concern to Babies of All Ages, Inc.”

“Oh!” said another girl, sitting up on her knees in the same playpen I was in. I realized that she was Jennie, the head of IT special projects, who had been in my apartment recently. “I have a network of search agents gathering data on sightings of these odd people. The results are … distressing. Their numbers appear to be increasing, and it’s worldwide. What’s more, they’re just ordinary people. One day they’re normal, and the next time a camera sees them, they’re … gray.” Jennie then squeaked in surprise as the NanaBot randomly checked her diaper as well, businesslike as usual.

Sally turned her chair around, having recovered from her pout, and said, “Ya! So is ya sees ‘em, stay way from ‘em. Don’t think they comin’ after us xactly … but they do come after those pink phones, for one thing. No be scared, just get away, an’ tell us ‘bout it. If ya gotsa NanaBot … or if ya are a NanaBot even … just calls it in. Or just call tha special number onna phone. Please, spreads tha word. Tell alla your fwiends. Is vewy ‘portant!” The woman with the tablet held up that tablet, with a phone number displayed on the screen in huge numbers. Several of the adults in the room took out their phones and copied the number down.

There was a lot of murmuring and discussion around the room. Missy said to me, “You saw somma them gray people? They so scary, right? Wonner is they somehow kidnappeded by aliens or somefin’?”

“Iunno,” I said around my pacifier. “They scawy though!”

“An’ tha other thing we wanna talk about,” Sally said, “is Marcie here .. actually her NanaBot.” Both Acey and I turned to look at Sally again. “She a special ‘vanced proto … thingie.”

“Prototype,” said the woman in the pantsuit with the tablet.

“That,” Sally said. “She no sposeta go out. She did anyways. Jennie? You knows anyfing yet?”

Jennie explained, “We know the order in which things happened now. First, NanaBot AC117’s inventory record was moved from R&D to General Inventory by someone internal to the company, as if they knew what was going to happen next. Second, the purchase transaction took place – we know that from tracing the transactions in the financial accounts. Third, there was a data security breach, erasing all transactions having to do with this NanaBot, and altering her database before it was transferred to her internal storage. So we didn’t know who transferred her or why, the identity of the purchaser, or the identity of the intruder. But the purchase transaction seems to have been legitimate – though it went through an untraceable maze of international accounts, the funds were real.”

I broke in. “Does … do that mean you’re gonna take Acey away?” I asked.

Sally looked me right in the eyes and said, “No way,” shaking her head emphatically. “You ‘n your NanaBot gotsa bond now. Gettin’ inna way of that … well it’d make you sad. No way do I wanna make anya my cus’mers sad. Wanna make you happy! Is what we all ‘bouts!” There were murmurs of agreement about this around the room.

“B’sides,” Sally continued, “Jennie already beens to visit ‘n look atter. Jennie gotted her all fixted up, she said.”

“Her security systems got a unique upgrade, as befits a unique NanaBot,” said Jennie. “I will of course not go into detail about security matters.” She emphatically put her pacifier into her mouth and sat back down in the playpen.

“So we dunno who … ‘ranged for this NanaBot to go outs to Marcie,” said Sally. “But … tha fact that it was inna comp’ny an nobody said nothin’ means … we gotsa few ideas. So they musta had reasons. P’obl’y good ones too. Guess we see.”

“Excuse me,” asked Acey, “but have you confirmed the identity of the intruder or the purchaser? I am personally highly involved in this and wish to know the status of the investigation.”

The woman with the tablet replied, “Of course you do – am I correct that you have been named Acey?” When Acey nodded, she went on, “Acey, we have partial information there, but legally speaking we can’t confirm anything yet.” I knew Acey had reported her suspicions about Sharon. But if Sharon had broken in and destroyed and altered information, that was a crime, even if she had paid for Acey legitimately, and that meant that they wanted to be very careful they had the right person before even naming the suspect. It made sense that they didn’t want to reveal unconfirmed information, considering what might happen if they were wrong.

“I understand,” Acey replied. “Thank you.” I suspected that she was going to check my diaper, but then I realized that she usually just knew. That made me wonder why the other NanaBot had checked both Sally and Jennie’s diapers. Was that one of Acey’s new experimental features?

“Ooo,” whispered Missy to me, “you gotsa super new NanaBot wif alla tha latest bells ‘n whistles then! That so awesome! I gotsa model W, but I woves her an’ would never trade her in for nuffins! Maybe get her upgraded sometime but that all!”

“Ohh can I meet her?” I asked.

“Sure, after tha conf’rence thingie!” Missy replied.

But after the conference, Jennie herself crawled over to me in the playpen. As the others were all milling around, the babies getting diaper changes, the adults talking amongst themselves, Jennie whispered, “We know almost certainly that your neighbor Sharon is both the purchaser and the intruder.”

“That’s what Acey thinks,” I replied in a whisper as well. “What are you going to do?”

“Well … she wanted to hijack Acey into turning you into her baby,” said Jennie. “What do you want us to do?”

“I … I’m not sure,” I said. “It’s not as if I don’t want to be a baby. But I also have to have a job.”

“I would like to point out that if she’s able to casually purchase a NanaBot with untraceable funds, Sharon is not lacking in the financial department,” Jennie said. “But we consider it our job to make our customers happy, as Sally said. If you view Sharon as a threat, we will treat her as such. If you view her as a potential Mommy, well, we might consider filing no charges and approaching her as a consultant to test our security further.”

“Other than the hacking, my only interactions with her have been positive,” I said. “I’m being cautiously friendly toward her. I’ve been casually acquainted with her for a couple of years, but never got close to her at all until just yesterday.”

“Well, then, we’ll reserve judgment,” said Jennie. “But the IT Security folks really want her to break in again. There’s been this weird new attacker that’s been hammering at the gates – it’s possible they’d have gotten through if it hadn’t been for the hardening we did after Sharon’s intrusion.”

“Weird new attacker?” I asked. “Do you think it’s …”

“Somehow connected to the gray people?” asked Jennie. “Believe me, that thought’s crossed everyone’s mind. But without more information, there isn’t much we can say.”

“I suppose all you can do is wait for more data,” I said.

“Correct,” Jennie said, nodding in resignation. “But for now …” The NanaBot came and picked Jennie up. “Talk to you later, Marcie!” The NanaBot tickled Jennie’s tummy, and she giggled and wiggled her feet, suddenly acting like a complete infant, with no sign of the computer genius, as if a switch had been flipped.

“Someone else needs a diaper change too,” said a voice. It was Acey, leaning over to pick me up.

“What did you do, on the way here, to get the gray woman to go away?” I asked.

“You may have noticed that I have subcutaneous injectors on all my exterior surfaces,” she said. “She tried to approach, I placed myself in the way, and when our skin made contact, I attacked with my injectors.”

“I guess she didn’t like being jabbed,” I said.

“My hypothesis is that the regression-inducing substances had a far stronger effect than the physical sensations,” Acey replied. She took me to a changing room – somehow one was free despite the large number of Adult Babies present – and soon I was in a fresh, dry diaper again. It was one of the softest and thickest diapers I had ever experienced. She also changed me into a pair of really cute purple rhumba panties with purple ruffles and lace, and a matching flutter top that had an elephant with a red, white, and blue ball perched on its nose.

Acey carried me back to the conference room, where many of the babies were still playing in the playpens, though some were taking naps in the cribs. She placed me in the playpen with the other girls, including Missy, who had promised that I could meet her NanaBot. Acey placed me on my now thickly diapered hiney, the plastic lining crinkling loudly.

About that time, a Nanabot walked up and without preamble checked Missy’s diaper. She turned to me and said, “While you are here in this playpen, I will aid in tending to you. Your Nanabot has given me permission.” I looked at Acey, who smiled and nodded. Oh right, I remembered – NanaBots could all communicate with one another silently using networking.

I looked up at the new NanaBot and blinked. “Who is you?” I asked. I was feeling kind of regressed and was speaking accordingly. “Is you Missy’s Nana?”

The NanaBot replied softly as she patted me on the head, “Yes, Dear. I’m Saleena, Missy’s NanaBot. I promise to make you as comfortably baby as possible.”

Missy said, “I wann’ makes sure she gets babied as much as I does.” She pointed at me.

“Of course,” said Saleena. “You are always my baby, Missy, but Marcie here is just as much a baby as you are and should be treated as such.”

“You not checkin her dipee,” said Missy.

“Marcie’s NanaBot just changed her,” Saleena explained.

“Oh so that’s where you wented,” Missy realized.

I nodded. “Uh huh, that is my NanaBot Acey, but I guess you knowed that already from before,” I explained.

“Uh huh,” said Missy, turning to Acey. “Hi Nana Acey!” She waved.

Acey smiled. “Hello, Missy dear.”

“So …” I said, “am kinda just here ‘cause of weird stuffs that happened ta me.”

“Yeah!” said Missy. “They beens talkin’. Your NanaBot just kinda … showed up, huh?”

I nodded again. “Uh huh! Didn’t know why. An … she keeped gettin’ hacked. Till Miss Jennie an’ the others camed ‘n fixted things …” I explained what had happened as best I could, but Missy seemed to understand.

“Wow that so weird!” she said. “Am justa worker at BOAA. I gotsa NanaBot ‘cause we getsa discount.”

“Ooo, what you do dere?” I asked.

“Am inna Marketins ‘partment,” she replied. “Go ta diff’rent places, show peoples alla new things BOAA gotsa sell. Am good at bein’ cute ‘n keepin ‘em lookin’ at me.”

Saleena smiled and winked at me. “My baby is actually head of marketing for the eastern USA. She’s just very modest. She’s also the cutest salesbaby anywhere.”

Missy blushed brightly. “Nana!! You maked me blush!” I giggled.

“Does you live … here?” I asked, looking around at the conference room that was also somehow a nursery.

“Nah,” said Missy. “Some does. Miss Jennies does. Nanny ‘Nessa is real nice. She gots special deal wif BOAA. I first meeted her when I got sented here to see if there was any BOAA thingies she wanted to buy.”

“Ooo, did she buy any?” I asked.

“Lots!” replied Missy. “Lots toys ‘n clothes ‘n diapers, ‘n for all sizes too! But she … somehow already knowed about BOAA? Like, maybe she been buyin’ stuffs from us fora while.”

We chatted for a while, and I found myself falling into an easy baby talk with Missy, becoming even less intelligible to adults, I would imagine, but we understood each other just fine. Soon we started playing with some of the toys in the playpen, like the BOAA Smart Blocks, which were able to be knocked down and somehow rearrange themselves into the structure they’d been formed into before, so they could be knocked down again and again, if we wanted … and we did.

But after a while it got late, and Saleena told Missy that it was time for them to go home. “Am kinna scared of the gray people,” said Missy.

“Do not worry about them,” said Saleena. “They cannot hurt you. I will protect you.”

“Weally?” said Missy, still looking a bit worried.

“Oh yes,” Saleena replied. “The NanaBot network has been sharing data about all encounters any of us has had with them. We have calculated their tendencies and weaknesses.”

“It is true,” Acey said to me. “What any of us remembers about meeting them, we all remember. As well as BOAA’s advice and information. Come along now, into your stroller.”

Acey lifted me out of the playpen and into my stroller, where she strapped me in. It was getting dark. But we said our goodbyes and headed back to the apartment building. If there were any gray people following us, I never saw them, but Acey pushed me down the sparsely populated sidewalks at the same rapid pace as before. And then we were home.

“You’ve been away for a while!” said Sharon, who was in the hallway when we emerged from the elevator.

“Uh huh!” I said, nodding.

“OMG you’re so adorable!” she said to me.

“There was a meeting called by BOAA,” said Acey, “and Marcie and I were invited.”

“Oh, uh, was there?” Sharon looked slightly nervous. “What, err, was it about?”

Acey calmly replied, “Have you been noticing any peculiarly colorless people? Not only wearing gray clothing but with colorless skin?”

“Wait, what?” asked Sharon. “No … but you’re not making that up, are you? NanaBots don’t lie.”

“We can tell stories,” said Acey, “but this is no story. They are inimical to Adult Babies and are increasing in numbers lately. Beware of them.”

“They scawy!” I said. I didn’t feel like I had to be an adult around Sharon, possibly because I knew she had Mommy tendencies.

“I … I will,” she said, paling a bit. “I had no idea. Look … I’m not trying to harm anyone … I mean, no one who doesn’t deserve it …”

Acey nodded. “I understand. You wouldn’t be interested in doing any security consulting for BOAA, would you?”

Sharon blinked. “I … I’ll think about it,” she said.

“Very well,” said Acey. “Goodnight.”

Once we were in my apartment and Acey was changing me into my nighttime diapers and pajamas, she said, “I believe Sharon is perhaps a bit misguided but basically an honest and caring human being.”

“I think she some kinda super hacker,” I said.

“And that as well.”

* * *

The next day was Monday, and I had to work, but Acey knew this, and changed me into what looked like an ordinary work outfit from the waist up. Below, though, I had only a diaper on. Acey hadn’t changed anything about the part of the room where my computer desk was, so behind me was only a wall and a window, a calendar and note board visible to coworkers I had meetings with. Acey made sure I took breaks, and she fed me lunch in my high chair. “Are you going to come out to your coworkers?” she asked.

“As … as a girl?” I asked. “Yeah, I think I’d better. I’m not sure exactly when, or how to go about it.”

“I would imagine that you have a few weeks before the changes begin to show,” she said.

“Changes?” I asked.

“What I injected you with when I was hacked was rather potent as well as long-acting,” said Acey. “Your hormone levels will eventually return to normal for a human male, but it will take time. In the meantime, there will be effects.”

“What?” I reacted in surprise. “I’m going to have to see a doctor or something!”

“I recommend that,” she said. “Especially if you intend to continue hormone therapy. I can assist with that, and normally it is not done the way it has been with you.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to take that in. “You were hacked. You did what Sharon made you do. And Sharon … did this.”

“You may wish to discuss this with her,” said Acey. “My feeling is that she is devoted to certain fantasy scenarios and is not used to facing the consequences of her actions.”

“I don’t know what I’m more worried about,” I said, “talking to a doctor, coming out at work, or confronting Sharon about what she did to me.”

“If it helps,” said Acey, “Sharon lives right across the hall.”

* * *

Knocking on the door, I stood there, wearing the most grownup outfit I now owned – which was still a cute dress that went below my knees, lacy socks, black Mary Janes, and of course thick diapers, which I needed now. Acey stood behind me. Sharon opened the door. “Oh – hi,” she said nervously.

“Hi Sharon,” I said, trying to sound like a girl; I’d been doing some voice training exercises, and Acey said I’d been making progress. “I was wondering if we could talk. Like, normally.”

“Oh! Uh … sure,” she said. “Let me just … you know, clear a space. Be right back.” She left the door slightly ajar, and I heard her frantically moving things around. I realized I’d never been inside her apartment.

Finally she returned to the door and said, “Uh, OK, please come in.” As we entered, we saw that her apartment was laid out a lot like my own, but it was an incredible mess. Empty boxes were everywhere, mostly bearing the logos of electronics and technology companies. At least there weren’t food containers all over. She motioned us into the living room, where she’d obviously just cleared off her sofa and one of her chairs. The other was still buried in boxes.

We sat on the sofa, and she took the available chair. “So,” I said, “I know that you hacked into BOAA and had Acey sent to me, and that you hacked her so she tried to regress me, turn me into a baby girl.”

“Ohhhhh nooooo,” she said as if in pain. “I knew it! You must hate me now!”

“I mean, you made me lose my potty training, I need to wear diapers now, and I’ve got a paralyzing fear of toilets,” I said. “Also my body’s changing because of the long-acting hormone injections you had Acey give me.”

“Wait, what?” said Sharon in surprise. “She did what?”

“She’s not just any NanaBot, she’s a special advanced prototype,” I explained. “She’s got features most NanaBots don’t, though they probably will in a year or two.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” she said. “I had no idea!”

“Now, to be honest …” I said, “I’d had it in the back of my head for … as long as I can remember. Feeling like I’m … a girl. I guess this means I’m a trans girl. Maybe I’d have transitioned eventually, but who knows what would’ve happened? As it is, I’ve talked to a therapist and I’m going in for an appointment. We’ll see.”

“Oh … well I mean, I support you and wanna do anything I can to help,” said Sharon, “but you probably don’t want my help since I totally messed things up and basically attacked you …”

“Yeah,” I said, “you did. Pretty much. I’m glad you accept that. It’s the facts. But the thing is, I don’t hate you. I wish you’d done things differently.”

“Me too!” she said. “I … I think I spend too much time online.”

“But I don’t hate you,” I said. “I’m still kind of mad at you.”

“Oh no oh no oh no,” she muttered.

“But on the other hand you pushed me toward where I already wanted to go someday,” I said. “Also you got me a NanaBot. There’s no way I would’ve been able to afford one. And now she’s my guardian and my friend. And she’s unique.”

“That’s right, you said she’s an advanced prototype,” said Sharon. “I swear I didn’t know anything about that! How did that happen?”

“Right now, nobody knows,” I said. “BOAA is still investigating that. It seems to have been something internal. And it might have something to do with the odd gray people we’ve seen. Maybe somebody at BOAA knows something and wanted to protect people from them without causing a panic?”

“Is she … I mean, her prototype features,” said Sharon. “Are they good at defending against the gray people?”

“So you believe us? That they exist?” I asked.

“I … did some searching online,” Sharon replied. “They’re real. There are lots of camera videos of them if you know where to look. And … they do some scary things.”

I gulped. “They … do? BOAA told us, but not a lot.”

“Yeah, they take people away, and when you see them again, they’ve turned into gray people too,” Sharon said. “It’s like some kind of alien invasion. But it’s totally for real. Anyway, if your NanaBot has any special features to fight them, she’s probably also built to report back on how effective they are so they can improve the others.”

“That is correct,” Acey said. “Although existing NanaBots in the field may not have the physical modifications until they return for a refit, we can all still share data about the threat.”

“Wait,” said Sharon. “I’m a threat, aren’t I?”

“That depends,” I said. “Are you going to keep trying to make me into … well, into your baby girl? Because, well, I do want to be a baby girl, but I also have a job, so it has to be part time, at least the baby part of that. And just because I want to be a baby girl, that doesn’t mean I want to be your baby girl. That depends on, well, getting to know and trust you.”

“And I’m starting out with a trust deficit,” said Sharon. “Oh no, I really messed up!”

“It’s something you really need to think about,” I said. “But just talking to you, I can tell you’re not a bad person. I want to get to know you better. Who knows what’ll happen?”

“R-really?” she asked. “You don’t hate me?”

“No, not really,” I said. “A bit mad at you still, but … I don’t stay mad forever.”

* * *

Unbeknownst to us, until later … Sally and several NanaBots, accompanied by several male Babydolls, had gone on an expedition. They were searching the city jungle for gray prey.

The group had just rounded a corner when they saw a small playground with adults and teens playing basketball. As the group slowly approached, something like a seeming cloud of gray dust began creeping rapidly toward the playing individuals.

Seemingly from thin air, about a half dozen people appeared and approached from opposite sides. The people in the court paid no mind until the grays were courtside. Sally could plainly see that the players were struggling hard against something and looked as if they were being strangled.

The roiling gray dust rapidly swirled around the court. Once it quickly dissipated, the individuals playing were now dressed exactly like the half dozen … gray suits, ties, sunglasses … a complete monochromatic makeover.

Sally was horrified, and her terror became even more intense when she realized that all of the gray people were now focused on her group and weren’t hesitating to approach.

Sally and the NanaBots said at the same time, “Everybody! Back to the drop-off point! Run!”

One NanaBot turned toward Sally and patted her thickly diapered ruffled bottom. “That means you too, Sweetie,” she said. “Nana can’t have her baby hurt and looking dreary like that. You may be immune to turning gray, but they can still capture or hurt you. Besides, I have several upgrades now that I will use to defend us while all of you escape.”

“But Naaanaa … “ Sally started to whine.

Suddenly the NanaBot’s voice changed its tone to one that resonated throughout her body. “Little girl, Nana told you to do something, and I meant now.”

Instantly Sally stopped all her complaints and ran off, as best as she could in her diaper – the thinnest one she could practically get by with was still pretty thick. The NanaBot turned and balled her fists. Just like claws, three large and razor-sharp needles extended from between her fingers on both hands, and some type of thick yellow goo slowly dripped from the tips.

The NanaBot giggled, then said, “Come. I need to try out my new toys anyway.” In a blur of motion, she was suddenly among the grays, slashing and jabbing with precision. The NanaBot took some serious damage in the altercation, but the injections she had given the grays had a profound effect; they all reverted back to their original personas. Meanwhile, Sally and the rest made a clean escape.

The damaged NanaBot reassured the individuals and comforted them. It wasn’t quick, but the NanaBot explained to them all that had happened. They all stood wide-eyed and open mouthed. “They just … turned us into gray people?” They looked down at the gray business clothing they were wearing, torn here and there from the altercation. “I wouldn’t believe you, except … I’ve never worn anything like this in my life …”

“Do not worry,” said the NanaBot. “I can help with your clothing. What sort of style would you like? I can help reconfigure this fabric into anything from adult clothing all the way down to extremely babyish.”

“Babyish?” asked one teen boy. “Why would I …?”

“Oooh,” said a nearby teen girl. “Can you make his clothes extra babyish? If you did, I don’t think I could keep my hands off him.”

The boy stared at her. His face turned red. “Extra babyish,” he said, as the girl winked at him.

“My specialty,” the NanaBot said.

* * *

Ellie’s voice said, “Yes, in fact, Miss Sally led a group that encountered a number of the gray people just yesterday. They reportedly were able to convert a group of innocent bystanders into more gray people like themselves. However, the NanaBots had been equipped with special experimental countermeasures that proved quite effective.”

“Oh no!” said Sharon, who was visiting my apartment. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Not at all,” said Ellie. “They damaged one NanaBot, but her distressed parts were easily repaired or replaced; she’s now good as new. And we have more data about the effectiveness of the defenses. Unfortunately, there was another encounter today that suggests that the gray people may be adapting to our defenses.”

“Affirmative,” said Acey. “There are already modifications to the formula that have been suggested, but they will require testing. It is an arms race, as one might put it.”

“What is even going on?” I asked. “Who even are they?”

Ellie replied, “You are far from the only one asking that question. I wish I had an answer for you.”

“It sounds dangerous to even be out on the street,” said Sharon. “Good thing I hardly ever leave my room.”

“You have left it today,” Acey remarked.

“Well yes, but … I’m only across the hall.”

“Data suggests this is farther than you have physically traveled from your apartment in 37 days,” replied Acey.

Sharon seemed shocked. “You know …? Have you been watching me?”

“Not specifically,” Acey said.

“She just collects data about everything that’s going on nearby,” I said. “As a security measure. Right?”

“Yes,” said Acey. “For your security, Sweetheart.”

Sharon said, “Well, I’ve got … certain computing resources dedicated to collecting data about these gray people. It’s a little bit difficult, as most security cameras in the world are monochrome, so gray people look basically the same as anyone else, but they have a certain style of dress and pattern of behavior. Also … there’s that thing they do where they camouflage themselves with dust. And there’s their effect on others around them. It’s trickier, but they can be tracked, especially with AI.”

“I am certain that BOAA would appreciate any information you could provide,” said Acey. Is that correct, Ellie?

“Yes, it is,” Ellie said. “We know so much and yet so little. But … we’re not certain that you’re trustworthy.”

Sharon blushed in shame. “I … look, let me just … explain. I’ll explain everything.”

We all looked at her.

“OK, I’m not … I don’t exactly have what you’d call a job,” Sharon said. “I’m … yes, I’m a computer hacker. I’ve stolen a lot of money over the years. It’s all hidden in international accounts and assets. But I don’t steal from hospitals, or anyone good like that. I only take money from people who can afford it – people who won’t even miss it. I doubt any of them even know anyone’s taken anything. The amount of money spent by rich people just to protect their money could basically solve world hunger if it were used to buy food for people instead.”

“How much money do you have?” I asked her.

“I’m … I’m not sure I even know,” she said. “Enough for an apartment and … a few nice things.”

I thought for a moment. “You know, ever since I moved into this building, I’ve noticed that we’ve never had a power outage. Even when buildings next door do.”

“Um, yeah,” said Sharon. “I might, um, kind of own this building. Kind of. Through a number of international shell corporations I’ve set up.”

“This would explain why the building is constantly kept in a reasonable state of repair,” said Acey.

Sharon replied, “Yeah … it isn’t all shiny and new looking, because that would look weird next to all the other buildings in the neighborhood. I don’t want anyone to look twice at it. But I want the building I live in to, you know, not be all run-down and broken. Also there’s a backup power plant in the basement.”

“Wait,” I said. “Apartment 423. Nobody’s lived there for a while. It shares a wall with yours … do you have a server farm in there?”

“Um, well, yeah,” said Sharon. “Soundproofed. Cooling systems are on the roof. And those are just the ones here … um, there are a few data centers I own here and there.”

I blinked. She was probably downplaying her assets. “So … yeah. You’re just used to going online and getting whatever you want,” I said.

She blushed more. “Disturbingly used to it, I’ve come to realize.”

“Then you found out about me,” I said.

“I’ve got … well, desires,” said Sharon. “I found out that my across-the-hall neighbor was a baby. I wasn’t even looking. The data just … came together. I got accidental glimpses at packages that were delivered to you. I knew the companies they were from, because I ordered from them too. Including BOAA.”

“So you just … decided to manipulate things online to get yourself what you wanted,” I said.

“I’m sorry!” she said. “It was wrong, it was bad, I know. I’m not proud of it. I’m just … really good at doing that, and I do it almost without meaning to. It’s probably some kind of syndrome that’s so new there isn’t even a name for it.”

“Compulsive hacking,” said Ellie’s voice from the terminal on the wall. “Cyber-maladaptive behavior. Pardon me, but you wouldn’t happen to be neurodivergent in one way or another? It would fit the pattern.”

“I … uh, well, I haven’t been diagnosed with anything,” she said.

“Sharon, it’s OK,” I said. “I understand now. You just know how to do things, and you do them. I’m not going to say I’m like that, because I’m not, but what I am going to say is that I’m not mad at you anymore. You’re still ethical. In a way. Usually. I’d rather be on your good side than your bad side. At least I’m not rich, so you’ve never stolen any of my money.”

“No!” said Sharon. “I would never!”

“Additionally,” said Acey, “you seem concerned enough with these gray people that you are willing to commit a not-insignificant portion of your resources to gathering data about them.”

I added, “And, I want it known that I trust that you’re concerned and are doing your best to gather useful data.”

“Understood,” Ellie said. “If Marcie trusts you, then I trust you too. Whenever you would like to share your data, I would be happy to accept it.”

“I so want to help,” said Sharon, “even if it’s just a little. Look … here.” She uncovered the watch on her wrist and drew some gestures on its flat face with a finger.

Ellie’s purple ring of light blinked twice. “Data stream … incoming,” she said. “This … this is remarkable.”

“You – you have access to my analysis grid,” Sharon said. “I’m not sure it’s gonna solve anything, but …”

“You are too modest,” said Ellie. “Your resources are greater than BOAA’s. Your analysis is … continuous and ongoing.”

“I … well, I own a few chip manufacturing plants,” Sharon said. By this time I was guessing that she owned a significant fraction of the planet’s chip manufacturing capability. It was just a guess, though.

“I am already receiving results that derive from your data and its analysis,” said Acey. “Remarkable.”

“Sharon,” said Ellie in a grateful tone, “thank you. The research staff already have a new set of experiments to perform based on your observation and analysis network.”

* * *

Several days has passed and Acey had dressed me in a really thick BOAA diaper and an adorable green glowworm romper with lots of ruffles on my butt and lace everywhere else. The only thing she would tell me was that we were going to visit someone. I felt some familiar faint pricks as Acey put me in the stroller and strapped me in. Of course my thumb made a beeline for my mouth.

I knew that the glass and brightly-colored steel building we wound up at was part of BOAA, but something wonderfully pleasant was spreading slowly through me, filling me with so much baby contentment that I couldn’t think beyond that. I had an ever-increasing problem keeping my mind from falling into very enticing infant daydreams.

Once we were inside, Acey wheeled me through a large atrium filled with people going about their business in every direction – some were dressed as babies, and I wasn’t the only one in a stroller. She took me to a large area with all sorts of bright-green-hued babyish decorations, like wall murals of green trees and grass, green birds, green everything. It was a daycare of some kind. After Acey had put me in a large playpen, she and another NanaBot got to gether and acted like any grownups I had ever seen before. Then I realized the other baby girl in the playpen was Missy.

Missy giggled, “Didja finda pink phone? Ya looks so much more like ya are than when I firs’ met ya.”

I looked at her with a quizzical expression. “What you mean – more of what I is?”

She crawled over to me and said softly, “Is I no no betters … seems you givin’ aways your boyness. You look tons more likea toddler girl now than afore.”

I giggled, “Well, it has beena fantasya mine for long time.”

Saleena smiled, “Don’t you worry about that. Babygirl Marcie is in for an amazing discovery.”

Surprise ran all through me. “I is? How comes?”

Saleena said, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” She turned and walked back to talk to Acey.

Now, I started to think about what was going on. I realized that I was having a harder and harder time not losing myself to that wonderful baby playstation hanging on the rails or being fascinated with my big toe. My thumb was another thing – I didn’t have a paci, so my thumb parked itself in my mouth.

It wasn’t long before Sally was brought to the playpen with us. She too was dressed much like I was. Thick diaper, rumba panties, and a cute flutter top with a big silly rabbit on the front.

Sally waved her hand at me and said, “Welcomes Marcie! Is so nice ta see a new babygirl inna makins.”

This made me tingle a bit as I repled, “Am thissaways cuz somebunny hack inta tha systema BOAA and sented a NanaBot.”

Sally giggled, “Just know if you finda pink cell phone an it ring … no bes afearded … just answer an’ say yes to tha question.”

I asked, “Why? What gonna happen?”

Sally replied as she picked up a plushie and tossed it at me, “That most bestus answer to onena you wishes, silly.”

I got hit right in the face with the soft fuzzy plushie. I snatched it up and Sally, Missy, and myself had one wonderful plushie fight.

But then a NanaBot leaned down and whispered into Sally’s ear. “Oh …” she said, looking sad suddenly. “That twue. No pink phones. Nobody seened any ovvem fora long time.”

“Tha … gray peoples?” I asked.

Sally nodded.

“Ohhh …” said Missy. “That sad.”

“Someday they be back,” said Sally.

I must have looked sad too, because Missy crawled over and said, “I knows! Tha big blocks!”

“Huh?” But she had already waved her NanaBot over. Saleena pushed a large cart over that looked as if it contained a huge, multicolored block tower. She tipped it over into the large playpen. The tower fell apart; it was made of giant blocks, and they toppled all over us. But they were soft, made of some kind of foam. Each was bigger than a loaf of bread, and it didn’t hurt to be hit by one, any more than being hit by a soft loaf of bread would hurt.

“Oh, yea!” said Sally. “These giant bwocks is inna stores now! They gots littler ones for tha littlest babys. But these is tha biggest ones! They so big! Makes me feel weal little!” She giggled and picked up one, putting it on top of another one. Three of them stacked already reached to the height of the side of the playpen. And that was stacking them the flat way. I helped pile them up until they were as high as I could reach. I tried to stretch up and put another one on top … and that was when I noticed something about my chest.

“Nnnnnnn – huh?” I said, dropping the block, which bounced harmlessly to the playpen floor, as I felt my chest straining against the romper I was wearing. I put my hands there. I … had firm little budding bumps on my chest! Things had somehow developed there! Now, although I wasn’t thinking much about it that day, I had been talking to doctors about how I wanted to begin hormone therapy, and they had talked to BOAA, and presumably there had been certain permissions that had been enabled with Acey, but this was the first time I’d noticed, well, anything there. Sometimes my chest had been tingling or feeling kind of tender, but today … I felt a change.

Missy smiled at me. “Marcie lookin’ more like … herselfs!”

“Herselfs,” I repeated. “Me … a girl … whoa …”

“I think alla baby girls should be baby girls,” said Sally. “No matter what they been tolded they was before.”

“No worries,” said Missy. “You gonna be more like you every day.”

“Acey? What happen?” I asked.

She was standing right there by the side of the playpen. She told me, “The doctors said you could go ahead with your treatments any way that was medically approved. I am a medically approved form of hormone administration – giving you your prescription on the prescribed schedule ever since your doctor wrote it.”

“Oh!” I said. “I, um …”

She somehow unfolded a huge screen – it was somehow stored inside her body, from which it unfurled or assembled or something when she needed it. But this time it showed a live image of me, as I appeared to her cameras. I stood up and looked at myself in what was basically a mirror. It wasn’t a gigantic change … but I did look different. I looked more like a girl than I ever had before. And I knew I would be looking more like a girl – more like myself – every day. Then I realized something.

For the first time I could remember, I didn’t hate looking at myself.

I had to sit down. I plopped down on the playpen floor on my thickly diapered bottom. I cried. But I wasn’t sad. Missy and Sally crawled over. “Seened this afore lotsa times,” said Sally. “Boys that finally see themselfs as boys. Girls that finally see a girl inna mirror. Me, always beena girl, but I know what it mean … to look inna mirror n finally see me. Sooo happy.” There were tears in her eyes.

And there were tears in Missy’s eyes too. “Make me so happy to see you happy, Marcie … an’ it just get better. You see. Even if no pink phones wight now.”

I hugged both of them and cried some more, really letting go. I felt like I could. They didn’t say anything. I felt as if they understood, even if Sally was cis and Missy … well I didn’t know. But she felt understanding.

“Oh no, I knocked over the tower!” I said.

Sally giggled. “No worrys!” she said. She used her index finger to draw a gesture on one of the blocks, like two chevrons. And the blocks moved on their own, gliding across the playpen’s surface and climbing up each other to return to their earlier positions, just as a smaller block set had done earlier. “Jennie sooper smart, she invent these. They ‘member where they was ‘n can go back!”

“Whoa … that amazins,” I said, watching them. When the tower was rebuilt, they stopped moving.

There was a pause.

“Again!” I said, and all three of us lunged at the tower and knocked the blocks down on our heads, giggling.

* * *

It was a few days later. Sharon had invited us over to her apartment because she wanted to show us something. So Acey and I were in her living room, and we were all just drinking water. Except I had a baby bottle. And Acey wasn’t drinking, being a NanaBot. Sharon looked nervous. We weren’t talking yet.

“I … maybe I should just show you,” she said. She got up.

“Everything is fine, Sharon,” Acey reassured her.

“It’s OK,” I said. I was wearing a cream-colored top with flutter sleeves, embroidered with colorful balloons, and a denim skirt under which my thick diaper was probably visible, but I didn’t mind; nobody was here who didn’t know I wore diapers. I got up and toddled after Sharon.

She took us to a room in her apartment we hadn’t seen before. It was made up like a perfect little girl’s nursery – taking the look even farther than my bedroom in my apartment under Acey’s direction. “It’s … been made up like this since just after I realized you were an AB,” Sharon said. “The whole time, I hoped … this could be your room.” The crib was pink and decorated with intricate little hand-painted nursery art. It had a mobile hanging over it. It had a soft-looking crib bumper running all around it decorated with baby bunnies. There was a fully-stocked changing table. There was a rocking chair. There was a high chair. The wallpaper was a lovely pink and pastel baby block pattern. There was a window with lovely lacy pink and white curtains – even though I knew this was an interior room and had no windows. The window was a screen so realistic that I could have sworn it was real.

I could tell it had been set up a while ago … there was dust on everything. But I said, “I … think it’s super pretty.” I could see Acey watching my reaction carefully.

“You … do?”

I nodded. “I would wove to … twy it out sometime.”

“You w–” she began, but then her phone and watch both jingled simultaneously. “Huh?” She took her phone out and looked at it. “It’s … it’s one of …” She tapped on the phone.

Ellie’s voice came from it. “Yes, Sharon, how may I help y–”

“Pink phone!” said Sharon. “Sending coordinates!”

“Relayed,” Ellie said. “It must be one that was in storage somewhere, inactive, and recently found by its intended recipient.”

“That means that they’ll be coming for it … and whoever just found it,” Sharon said.

“No doubt,” said Ellie. “A team has already been dispatched.”

“What are these pink phones?” I asked. “I keep hearing about them.”

Sharon said, “I don’t know, but I noticed them, and what’s more, I noticed the gray people noticing them. They kinda seem drawn to them. But it’s not like they like them. It’s like they … want to destroy them. So I set up algorithms and AIs to detect gray people converging and try to get an image of what they were converging on.”

* * *

BOAA had assembled a special platoon of specially constructed Nanabots specifically designed to deal with gray. One super smart infant in the R&D division of Nano/Gen had postulated the possibility they had found some type of virus that may be the cause of the gray spread. Based on that data, the techs had come up with a genetic material that they were hoping could revert those unfortunates who had been infected.

It had also been noted that any of the NanaBots who had interactions with the grays suffered damage ranging from moderate to severe. The type of weapon used was unknown currently, due to it not leaving any residue or debris the forensics department could find. But at least NanaBots were made of replaceable parts.

Sally had insisted on going and being part of the hunt. Finding a pink phone was a big deal under normal conditions. Rescuing one from a gray was mandatory. The group rounded a corner, and there they were. The data indicated that, from the movements of the gray people, the pink phone was inside that building. One man in a gray suit entered the building … and shortly thereafter Sharon’s data suddenly indicated that the gray people had stopped converging on it, as if there were no pink phone there anymore.

* * *

Sharon watched her screen as the postulated location of the pink phone vanished. This had happened before; there appeared to be some way they had of destroying them. From all indications, it was a gray that had done it, the lone male one who had entered. She sighed. There was nothing further she could do there.

Sharon turned towards me, clapped her hand together and cooed, “So, um, would baby like a baba or some chocolate cookies?”

I mean, of course I did. My mind went away. Next thing I knew, I was in the middle of a huge chocolate mess, nursing some grape juice from an appropriately sized bottle. From where I was, through the babygate across the door, I could see Sharon and Acey sitting near her computer system in a deep discussion about something.

I suddenly realized, as I felt the warm gooshy lump in the back of my diaper, that it was official. I had crossed over to full diaper dependance. After many wet accidents I had no control over, now this had started … but I didn’t have any more time to think about it.

Acey arrived, picked me up like the toddler girl I was and cooed, “Diddums baby girl has a potty?” I felt it as she checked my diaper. Nana made a wrinkled nose expression as she cooed, “Baby ’tinky an’ messy. Nana take care of that.”

I found myself on the changing table with Acey holding my bottom in the air by my ankles. I felt three large slippery objects as Acey slowly and pleasantly inserted them. She then placed my bottom in the thick warm embrace of a super thick BOAA diaper, powdered me well, then pulled my plastic lined rumba panties over the diaper after snugly and comfortably fastening it on and sat me up.

Acey cooed softly as she picked me up and patted my bottom, “Now, little girl, Nana has given you your regression and hormones. Don’t be scared. I know it will feel strange, but you have no choice at this time. You are going to be a toddler girl, and you have no say one way or the other.” She placed me back in the playpen. “And this time, I am not being hacked. I have been given full charge over you because you are too young to make any kind of decisions on your own.”

But the thing was, by this time, I trusted Acey enough that I wasn’t scared. I trusted Sharon by now too. There was no reason for me to fight this. It was … what I wanted. And I didn’t think either of them was trying to do anything bad anymore.

But this did mean that I didn’t really know what they were doing or talking about. I woke up the next morning in the crib in Sharon’s apartment, with Acey leaning over me and checking my diaper – not that she needed to physically check; her sensors already knew I needed a change badly, but she did it to give me the experience. “Good morning, Sweetheart,” Acey said. “Now, I know you have work today, so I’m going to get you ready for it, but for now let’s just get you your breakfast and your bath.”

* * *

“Oh, so that’s why …” Tanya said on the work call. “OK, that’s fine, Marcie it is, and I for one am proud that you’re taking this step.”

Various mumbling among the male members of my team. Except for Brett, who said, “Well, congrats on being out and proud, girl! Love your outfit, by the way! Super cute! We are going to have to do something about your hair once it grows out.”

I blushed and smiled. “I, er, would appreciate any advice.”

“Well, you just count on me,” said Brett. “Of course right now there’s that bus timing issue to squish.”

“I iterated on that yesterday,” I said, “and I think it’s got to do with how we’re holding pin 35 high before reading off the bits … I think we should drop it there, but I haven’t tried that yet.”

“Pin 35 … hey wait, you might have a point,” said Vedek. And the meeting just went on. I had been so worried that it would be some big thing that would ruin my entire job, but … for now, at least, everyone just seemed to want to get work done.

Now, of course, nobody at the company I worked for said anything about the gray people; I’m not sure why they would. It wasn’t as if any of them were ABs, or if they were I didn’t know about it. So I was almost able to pretend there weren’t weird gray people turning regular humans into more of themselves. Until the work day was over.

* * *

Sharon had come over to talk to Acey and me. “You, Acey I mean, you probably already know,” Sharon said once we were sitting down, though of course I was sitting down in my playpen, since Acey had changed me into baby clothes after work. “The pink phone we were tracking got destroyed. It was in possession of an AB guy. But two volunteers got him away from the gray guy before anything happened to him. But then … it sounds like they captured a bunch of the volunteers. Somehow they got into the safehouse BOAA set up. It’s weird; I don’t have any eyes on the place. Must be super secret. But then, it’s gotta be.”

“Ellie,” said Acey, “I’m sure you should be part of this conversation too.”

“Oh – yes,” said Ellie’s voice from the glowing purple ring that was her wall terminal. “I was listening, but I’m really not supposed to answer unless I’m spoken to. Not that it always stops me.”

“Events are moving quickly,” said Acey, “and I take it they’re not all … well … taking place in the world most of us know.”

“W-what’s that mean?” Sharon asked.

Ellie replied, “I don’t have clearance to give full information, but it’s taking place in the shadows, places most people never go.”

“Oh, well, I can probably find it …” said Sharon. Acey and Ellie said nothing.

“Is … he OK? The AB guy?” I was worried about him, even though I’d never met him. After all, it could’ve been me.

“She, apparently,” said Acey. “It would seem she’s another trans AB girl. But it seems she’s … in trouble. But there isn’t a lot we can do right now …”

“There’s so much I could be doing,” Sharon said, “but I just don’t have any data.”

Ellie said, “Some very capable people are doing the best they can. Oh – wait. I’ve just heard. They’re going to be fine. I think it’s all going to be OK now. The new girl is OK, the captives are rescued, and … am I getting this right? There are no more gray people.”

“They’re all gone?” I asked.

“Yes,” said Ellie. “I’m not exactly clear on where they were from or what was causing them, but apparently their cause has been … dealt with.”

* * *

Ellie said, “Sharon, if you will log into your system and go to this site:” She gave a very long and complicated URL, then continued, “and answer those questions, if the committee feels your replies are within their guidelines, you will be added to the consulting PVL.”

“Oh. OK,” said Sharon. She took out her phone and just entered that URL from memory. My mouth fell open in astonishment. My pacifier fell out. Acey put it back in.

Sharon tapped on her phone, saying, “I didn’t think you’d be open to it, giving that I hacked your systems.”

Ellie replied, “That helped us improve our security. Also, we have been paying close attention to Marcie’s opinion of you.”

“Marcie’s opinion?” Sharon asked.

“It’s a matter of whether she considers you trustworthy,” Ellie answered. “She’s been showing herself to be a good judge of character.”

“Oh! Well, um, I hope I’m answering these questions all right.”

“We’ll see what the committee decides,” said Ellie. “I have my doubts that you need the money, but it’s true that we may have interesting issues to throw your way.” Ellie continued, “Oh, and Acey, I have a formula to send you regarding a certain hormonal solvent upgrade you’ll need for Marcie’s next phase. And, Sharon, you may want to leave the apartment for the next two hours, as the compound is volatile and may have adverse side effects. It won’t affect Acey, of course.”

I felt a real tingle of fear run through me as I took my pacifier out of my mouth and tried to speak. “Whadya means nextus?” I was finding it so hard to keep my thoughts together, and my speech sounded like I was 3 or 4 at the oldest by this time.

“Oh!” said Sharon. “Um, well, I’ll just be across the hall. I’ll be back in two hours.”

Acey picked me up out of the playpen and carried me toward my crib. As she held me, I felt those almost unnoticeable pricks and knew that Nana had given me another type of shot. As she lay me down in my soft crib, I could feel something cool and tingly slowly spreading through me. It was really intense between my legs.

The next thing I knew, my head had cleared just enough for a bit of my remaining adult cognition to come back. I sat up and realised that Acey had dressed me in a powder blue babydoll dress with white periwinkle lace. The diaper I was in was so soft and thick. It felt like I was sitting on a pillow. I lifted the short hem of my dress and looked between my legs. I had on a matching pair of plastic lined rumba panties with ice blue ruffles.

One thing began to bother me as I sucked my pacifier thoughtfully. I just knew there was something I was supposed to remember … it was important. For the life of me my mind kept getting distracted by the new plushie Acey had gotten for me, and I knew it was going to win.

And then, it was like a switch had been tripped. What was left of my adult cognition vanished, and a pleasant infantile contentedness washed through me. It was so intense. I giggled pleasantly and picked up the soft cuddly plushie and gave it a squeeze.

A very cute little voice said, “Hi, my name’s Wiggles.”

I couldn’t help myself as I giggled and hugged Wiggles more. She was so cute too. She looked like a mix of a rabbit, a squirrel, with a bit of Persian cat thrown in for good measure. It had long floppy ears like a rabbit, but it wasn’t quite a rabbit.

Acey came in about that time and checked my diaper. I was seriously wet and probably needed changing. She took me from the crib to a changing table, pulled off my panties, and unfastened my diaper, then started the usual cleanup procedure as I just looked up at her. Her baby wipes were never cold. I felt her cleaning me carefully as she always did, getting in everywhere to make sure, then I felt three little things slipping inside my hiney. Then there was cool baby powder sprinkling on me, and a nice new diaper, fresh and thick and soft. She snugly fastened it on and slid the rumba panties back on. And then …

The next memory I had was sitting in my playpen in the middle of the living room with all my neighbors sitting on the chairs and couches. They seemed to be watching a post-apocalyptic movie called Awakening. “Bwuh,” I said. “Was weally outta it baby guesses …” Was my voice higher?

“Oh hey,” said Sharon, coming over to look at me through the playpen’s mesh side. “I think I just heard some intelligible words. The first ones for hours. That stuff really does a number on you, doesn’t it?”

“Wha … Nana wha is dat stuffs?” I tried to ask Acey, who came over, picked me up, and explained.

“You’re undergoing some intensive hormone therapy,” she said. “It’s a study, so it’s not fully approved for release to the public, but it’s been approved for human testing.” It was true that I’d signed consent forms for a new form of hormone treatment for trans girls, after my doctor had explained that it would be free of charge. “It’s got an injectible component and a suppository component, and it has some side effects, but since you’re such an adorable baby girl already, your doctor and I didn’t think you’d mind – things like temporary incontinence and regression episodes.”

“Oh … yea,” I said. “Kinda happenin awweady ennyways.”

“I … jeez, I just can’t get over how cute you are,” Sharon said. “Cuter every day, or I think so anyway.”

“Aww gosh Shawon,” I said, blushing.

“So, uh,” Sharon asked Acey, “how much longer does her therapy have?”

“About two more weeks, assuming nothing goes astray,” said Acey.

“What?” Sharon asked, sounding surprised. “That’s … unheard of. Then … she just takes shots or whatever for the rest of her life?”

“No, she shouldn’t need to,” said Acey. “That’s the thing about this new process. She’ll be making her own hormones.”

“That’s … amazing.”

“Huh? Own howmones?” I tried to ask.

“That’s right, Sweetheart,” said Acey, tapping my nose lightly. “You won’t be able to have babies, but you’ll have your own pair of ovaries. Everything’s been changing shape down there. Of course, it does mean that a lot of your organs have to be converted back to an infantile or even prenatal state. But then they develop again, the other way this time.”

“Huhhh?” I asked. “How that even wook?”

“This is way beyond me,” said Sharon. “Of course, I’m good at computers, not biology.”

“Ooooo,” said a small, cute voice. “Dat one gonna be cute baby girl.”

“WHA?” shouted Sharon, jumping back and looking down. From Acey’s arms, I looked down too. There was a … creature there. It looked just like Wiggles. Except it was white with light brown spots. Or maybe light brown with white spots. It was hard to say. But it looked up at me with huge green eyes and twitched its floppy ears.

“Hewwo, who you?” I asked.

“Am Riddle,” said the creature. “Amma Floppit.”

“Hello, Riddle,” said Acey, smiling. “It’s pleasant to meet you. My name is AC117, but everyone has been calling me Acey. This is Marcie.”

“Hi Acey, hi Mawcie,” said Riddle. “Mawcie issa baby. Floppits wove babies.”

“Um … hi,” said Sharon. “Hi, uh, Riddle. I’m … Sharon.”

“Shawon gonna be my Mommy,” I blurted out.

“WHA?” said Sharon again, blushing brightly. “I … you … are you sure?”

“Oh, that’s soopa gweat!” said Riddle. “Floppits wove seein babies find Mommies too. Or Daddies. Those good too.”

“How … how did you get in here?” Sharon asked. “I didn’t see …”

“Floppits have ways of getting into places,” said Acey. “They are known to BOAA. A memo has just gone out that we will probably be seeing them.”

“Oh, I … see …” said Sharon, nervously. She wasn’t asking what Floppits were or where they were from. Neither was I, to be fair, though I was in baby mode and not really thinking logically. Sharon was probably feeling as if it would be awkward to ask.

The others hadn’t noticed the Floppit yet, still watching the movie. I was just glad that they didn’t see anything wrong with my being a baby, or a girl. I wasn’t thinking about whether they would freak out upon seeing Riddle. But Sharon was. She looked worriedly at the others, but when she turned back toward Riddle, the Floppit was suddenly gone.

* * *

The next morning, after Acey had fed me breakfast and changed me into an adorable soft green Snuggle Bug romper with lime green lace and ruffles, I was carried into what had become the playroom.

In my playpen in the center of the room were Jennie and Sally, stacking blocks into towers and knocking them over. I couldn’t believe the tingles of joy that ran through me. I was so happy to see them. By this point I had figured out that Sally’s mind sort of worked at both adult and childlike levels simultaneously in some kind of mixture, while Jennie’s mind had a way of shifting gears instantly from a more mature mode to a completely nonverbal infantile mode and back. But both were clearly in more of a baby mode right now.

Acey bent close and whispered softly before she took me under my arms and placed me in the playpen, “In another hour, Sweetheart, you get the next round of treatment. I’m warning you now to accept what comes because of the unpredictability.”

Fear ran up my spine as I asked in a shocked infantile voice, “Wha gonna happens?”

Acey giggled as she kissed me on the nose, “Why Sweetie, your wildest fantasy, of course.” Then she turned and left me standing in the playpen, holding the side rails for balance, basically wide-eyed with my mouth open.

I have to admit here, I’m not really sure what was on my mind after that point. Sally and Jennie had tossed a fuzzy plushie and hit me on my shoulder. As soon as it hit, whatever adult thought might have been there evaporated like mist on a hot summer day. We had a wonderful plushie fight. No one was trying to win, just clobber someone with a plushie.

Acey, in the meantime, was in the kitchen baking chocolate cookies. The aroma was heavy throughout the playroom. She had made them extra gooey with chocolate to ensure a mess. With both Sally and Jennie there, Acey was positive in her calculations on the magnitude of the coming mess.

Sally said as she crawled up beside me, “So goo ta hasa new girl inna fambly. Tha new stuffs is mostly like magic.”

I looked down at the infantile romper I had on, remembered many recent glances in the mirror. It was true; the new treatment was almost like magic. Just looking at myself, by this time, it seemed to me that no one could hope to tell that I hadn’t been born a girl. I did marvel at the speed … and then suddenly my thought vanished as a soft plushie hit me in the back of the head. “Heyyyyy!” I said, giggling.

Jennie screeched joyously, “U no gettna …” She never got to finish as Sally had clobbered her with another plushie. Instantly, we had another epic plushie fight … one that not one of us was trying to win.

Amid the plushie fight, Riddle was back, giggling and tossing soft toys around. Neither Sally nor Jennie batted an eye. I wasn’t really in a frame of mind to wonder about that. I just said, “Widdle!” and hugged him. He was completely happy to be hugged and hugged back, making a purring sound. The Floppit made some babble-like noises, and somehow I understood them – they meant that he was happy for babies to be playing together and wanted to play too.

Soon the cookies were ready, and Acey made sure I had plenty of them. She had an ulterior motive, because those treatments did take a lot out of me, requiring lots of energy, which the sugar in the cookies helped to provide. But of course, as I grabbed them with both hands and stuffed them into my mouth, chocolate and soft cookie bits got all over me. I think Acey put a bib on me before she started giving me cookies, but it’s hard to remember. I remember Jennie and Sally getting plenty too, and even Riddle tried some. He seemed to like them.

Then she cleaned me up and took me to the changing table. I remember that prickly feeling again, wherever she was touching me as she carried me there. And after she changed my diaper, I again felt something slipped into my behind, three somethings. And again, my body felt waves of coolness and tingling sweeping through it. It focused on my crotch and abdomen, and some around my chest. It felt … good, but also intense. I was caught up in this feeling and didn’t even realize that Acey had changed me into a fresh thick diaper and planted me back into the playpen for Sally and Jennie to keep an eye on.

Even Riddle seemed to know something was going on. I wasn’t feeling like playing. Jennie blinked and said, “She’ll probably be out of it for a little while. This is the last one, and probably the most intense. Acey, I hope you’re gathering data. The biomed group will want it.”

“Affirmative,” said Acey, “I already was. No need to worry.”

“I don’t know why I even mentioned it,” said Jennie. “Of course you’re on top of it. You’re programmed to be. Well done.”

Acey smiled. “It’s all under control.” Jennie blinked and said to Sally, “Ooo lookit … think Marcie gots boobies now.”

Sally looked at my chest and said, “Yeah, a lil bit. Not lots. No way ta know how big she get.”

I was still in the throes of the tingling that went all over me; it was like the pins and needles you get after you’ve been sitting on your foot for a while, only all over. “Me gonna be … girl?”

“No gonna,” said Jennie, “you girl alweady.” Did she mean that I’d always really been a girl or …?

“You a baby girl,” said Riddle and hugged me. “Is way you sposedta be. Humans n Floppits gots boys n girls n others. You girl. Just turnin’ into what you sposedta be.” Did this mean that Floppits understood? Were there Floppits who were transgender? Lots of thoughts went through my mind, as I could barely move or talk.

Eventually the sensations calmed down. I was exhausted. And Acey picked me up again. “Looks like I need to change Baby Marcie again,” she said. She carried me to the changing table; there weren’t any prickles this time. She cleaned me up, and I realized … that the feelings of her cleaning my boy parts were something I hadn’t felt for some time.

“Huh?” I asked. “I no … boy down there no more?”

“Not anymore, Sweetheart,” said Acey. “You’ve been gradually changing.”

“But … how come … why … how …”

Acey replied, “I guess I’m just really good at distracting you with toys in the bathtub when it’s full of bubbles. But the fact is … your whole body’s been rebuilding itself. It’s all right. I’ll be continuing giving you hormones, but the dosage will be decreasing as your new organs start working. Soon you won’t need any more treatments at all.”

“Whoa,” I said. “That why my voice …?”

“Yes, Sweetheart,” she said. “Every part of you has been rearranging itself. It’s revolutionary. See? Feel it.”

I felt between my legs. It wasn’t as if I felt nothing – just a very different kind of something. “Can’t have babies though?”

“No, that’s the one thing that can’t happen,” said Acey, powdering me and putting a fresh new diaper on me. “Egg cells are produced even before humans are born. But it might be possible for you to be a surrogate mother or participate in IVF. That’s research that hasn’t been done yet. Only if you want to, though.”

“Uhhh … I dunno,” I said.

“I understand,” Acey said. “That’s a big decision. You don’t have to decide now, or ever if you don’t want to. There will be others who will definitely want to be mommies.”

Acey brought me back to the playpen, where for a moment I saw two or maybe even three Riddles playing with Sally and Jennie for a moment. Were my eyes going? Had the treatment changed my vision? Because now there was only one Riddle.

“Guess … I weally amma girl,” I said. “Well … always beened. Now is different.”

“Welcome to tha baby girls club,” said Sally. “Dues is you get … plushied!” She threw another plushie at me. It bounced off my face softly, and I giggled.

I don’t know how she’d done it, but while I’d been at the changing table Jennie had somehow built a double arch of blocks across the top of the playpen. The blocks looked precariously balanced, but they somehow held together. A plushie actually bounced off them. Then Jennie made a mischievous face, pulled at one specific block … and they all showered down on top of us, clattering as we all squeaked.

“How you do that?” I asked.

“Nobunny knows,” Sally replied. Jennie shrugged.

“She smart baby,” said Riddle.

* * *

“So … you’re actually a girl now,” said Sharon, after changing my diaper. “Or, I mean …”

“Yeah!” I said. “I know what you mean. Is amazins! Feel so … good. So right.”

“I know, kinda,” Sharon said. “I mean, I kinda know what it’s like … to be stuck in a body that doesn’t feel right.” She shrugged. “I just … don’t feel like … well, getting my hair done all the time, all that makeup, all those spa treatments, all of that … I just don’t feel like it’s for me. It seems like a waste of time. But … girls who do that stuff end up looking awesome. Or I guess they do. I don’t know. I can’t explain. I’m no good with that stuff.”

“I think you are very pretty, if you asks me,” I said. She’d helped me off her changing table and into the playpen in the nursery bedroom she’d created for me. She was only human and didn’t have Acey’s strength to lift me up and carry me.

“Well – thanks, I guess,” she said. “I just … it’s incredible that you’re even here. After the stuff I did. And now you’re … y’know, such a pretty baby girl. Don’t even look like a boy at all. It feels like … you’re a miracle of some kind, and I’m kind of the opposite, so how could I possibly deserve … you know?”

“I feels more like … I had a miracle happen to me,” I said. “One you caused. If it wasn’t for you … I dunno.”

“You’d eventually have transitioned, probably using normal hormone therapy and surgery,” she said, “like other trans people, if they live in the right states where it isn’t outlawed now, I guess.”

“But … instead … this happened.”

* * *

Back at BOAA Corporate Headquarters (wherever that might actually be), a seriously intense investigation was in process. The Cyber-Forensic Department had thought they knew who had hacked into the highly advanced and secure server to make an experimental prototype NanaBot available for purchase, but the trail didn’t lead to Sharon, though she had certainly been the one who had purchased NanaBot AC117 and hacked her database.

Where the trail led made no sense at all. They had tracked the packets to a wireless source, but before that, the data had seemingly come from nowhere on Earth. From the very best they could determine, the original connection had come from a mass entanglement node known on earth currently as a Little Red Dot. Further investigation revealed a massive gravity well on the same scale as an intermediate black hole, but it showed none of what had commonly been recognized as normal black hole signatures.

There was no event horizon, nor were there any of the more familiar X-rays or other high energy particles normally associated with a black hole. The better the scan data became, the more confusing it was. The data seemed to indicate a red shift older than the current assumed age of the cosmos.

It became more than obvious that someone with superior technology and perhaps an administrative override was responsible for the intrusion and release of their top secret new NanaBot prototype. They stopped looking into the admin override, as it was thought to be impossible for someone to have it other than the person to whom it belonged.

To the absolute best any of the elite investigators could determine, the intrusion had to have been done rapidly, and the entry data and travel path had to be erased before the system made its crystalline memory save of the transaction.

* * *

I woke up suddenly. I sat up and immediately put my thumb in my mouth, as my pacifier wasn’t in it. I looked around slowly, but for some reason my mind wouldn’t seem to function properly. I was very wet and attempted to stand up. Immediately my balance and the fact that my legs seemed to have lost strength forced me to grab hold of the crib rail and pull up on it. Even this way, standing had become rather difficult.

I attempted to call for Acey, but all I managed to do was start crying. I had no ability to make coherent adult vocalizations. I could make babbling noises and gurgling noises, but that was about it. The thing that really got me, was how big everything seemed to have become. Once Acey entered the room in response to my crying, I immediately stopped crying and stared at how much larger she was now than the last time I remembered seeing her.

It was also about that time that something spread a most wonderful feeling of infantileness all through me. My thoughts instantly started fantasizing about many amazing random things. What if I could grow wings and fly to the Moon? What if we went to the beach? What if Mommy was … Mommy? Who was Mommy? I was confused.

Acey spoke to me in her calming voice, opened the crib side, and picked me up, carrying me to the changing table. I calmed down and sucked my thumb. I was … that was right, I was Marcie, a baby girl named Marcie. It made sense that I was having my diaper changed by my Nana. OK. I was a baby and did baby things. I babbled at Acey about being baby Marcie and being happy to be her.

And Acey babbled back, in a way I could somehow understand. “I’m so happy that you love being my Baby Marcie,” she said. “I’m happy to be your Nana.” She finished changing me and took me to the kitchen to put me in my high chair and feed me breakfast.

Now, of course I knew about the amazing BOAA invention called the Babylator and how it was standard equipment on all NanaBots, allowing communication with babies of any age. I was now mentally regressed enough that only someone with a Babylator could communicate with me. Fortunately Acey had one. But thoughts about inventions and corporations were in the part of my brain that was currently inactive.

“Can I grow wings and fly to the Moon, Nana?” I asked her in baby babble as she tied a bib around my neck.

She giggled and replied, “You can imagine that you can, Sweetheart.”

“Can we go to the beach?”

“Now that is something we might be able to do,” Acey replied.

“Who’s my Mommy?” I asked.

“That depends on you, Sweetheart,” she replied as she fed me warm oatmeal that tasted like maple syrup. “I happen to know that Sharon still wants to be your Mommy very much.” That brought a mental image of Sharon to mind. I liked her. I was happy around her. “If you want her to be your Mommy, I think she would be overjoyed.”

“I like Sharon,” I babbled. “I want her to be my Mommy.”

“Well, then,” said Acey, “all that really remains is for you to ask her.”

A while later, Acey carried me across the hall and knocked on Sharon’s door. It opened, and Sharon saw us, smiling upon seeing me. Acey had dressed me in an adorable romper that had pink bunnies all over it, and I had a matching pink pacifier in my mouth. Acey said something to Sharon that I didn’t really understand, but I babbled, “Shawon, Mommy Shawon, Mommy Mommy!”

Sharon literally dropped her phone. Fortunately it was in a fairly tough-looking case and it only bounced. Tears came to her eyes. There was something on her phone about Little Red Dots, but I didn’t notice. She hugged both me and Acey and seemingly couldn’t bear to let go. “Mommy your phone is beeping,” I said, but she didn’t seem to care.

She did eventually let go and pick it up. What she saw on its screen must have been confusing, because she looked confused. Acey brought me into her nursery and set me down in the playpen. Sharon came in wearing a pair of gloves, with which she made funny squares appear in the air and wiggled her fingers at them.

Then I noticed an interesting looking toy in the playpen that I’d never seen before. What was it? I reached for it.

* * *

It looked like a green snake of some kind. It was about as big as my thigh in its largest place and narrowed to about the thickness of my pinky at the tail. It was fuzzy and green with big googly eyes. As my hand reached out toward it, it curled up, lifted its head, and looked at me with its big googly eyes.

Then it said in a cute baby babble I could understand, “Hi, Imma snuggle worm smart toy. I is made speciltys fora baby girl. Is you a baby girl?”

I instantly sat back on my thickly diapered hiney and started sucking my thumb for a minute or so before I took it out of my mouth and babbled back, “I a bebe grrel. Is kinna new un.”

The adorable snuggle toy slithered over and gently wrapped around me, then said, “Ken we bes fweinds? I can sing, tell stowies, an - an eben play lullabyes for ya when ya inna cribs.”

I petted the long green toy with my nearest arm and replied, “Sure we ken bes fwiends!”

It lifted its head and said, “Goo. Does bebe ‘ccept Bebe Wools?”

I was totally astounded as those words impacted on me. It was like being struck by baby lightning as it surged all through me. I was helpless … I had to answer … “Yea … bebe ’ccepts! Pwomiss!”

I’m not exactly sure what happened. From what Nana Acey and Mommy Sharon told me, I had been and still was an extremely cute and adorably precious baby girl. I was having the hardest time keeping my head together, as it seemed to insist that infantile sensations and thoughts was where it wanted to go. I barely managed to keep just a glint of a mind older than four, but it was so hard, and I kept forgetting. Snuggle Worm did all in its power, it seemed to me, to keep me in an infantile state.

I loved my snuggle worm. I called it Fuzzy, because it was fuzzy, like a Persian cat, only green. It would snuggle with me, and sing me to sleep at night. It knew tons of wonderful stories, like the one about Baby Jennie and Baby Miki hunting the mighty Snuggle Critter. Ooo, that was a nice story.

I didn’t really notice it happening, but Sharon and Acey were talking just outside the nursery door, watching me. “W-what just happened?” Sharon asked quietly.

“Interesting,” said Acey. “I was unaware those smart toys could act as conduits as the phones do. That must be a new feature.”

“Well, I guess I did buy her one with all the options,” said Sharon. “I mean, she’s worth it, right? But … I didn’t see anything like that in the feature list. Um, by the way, what feature are we talking about, anyway? And did I just see you looking surprised? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you looking surprised.”

Acey replied, “It’s … not fully explainable by human science and technology. It’s a conduit for a certain type of … signal, you might say. One that all living creatures understand.”

“Oh … kay,” said Sharon. “Maybe someday I’ll, uh, know what you’re even talking about.” She turned back to me. “Am I imagining it, or did she get even cuter?”

Because I was so far gone now that I don’t even remember this happening. I had to be told about it later. I was babbling at Fuzzy and rolling on my back in the crib, sucking on my thumb and drooling all over myself and Fuzzy. Fuzzy was babbling back and didn’t even mind being drooled on; BOAA smart toys were easily washable, and if worse came to worst, their entire outer fabric could be replaced, leaving them good as new. My diaper was certainly in dire need of changing.

Looking up, I saw Sharon’s face as she leaned over the playpen and smiled at her, reaching out with the hand that wasn’t having its thumb sucked. “Ma-ma!” I said, babbling at her. I didn’t understand what she said in response, but her face lit up and whatever she said was beautiful to me. Acey came over and picked me up, lifting me gently onto the changing table, where she and Sharon got me changed.

And that was all I remembered for the next several days. They were a seemingly endless string of sleeping, waking, baths, feedings, playtimes, walks in the stroller, and diaper changes. And yes, it was less than two weeks, but it felt like I had been a tiny baby for ages and ages, and my prior life as an adult was something I didn’t even think about. I could clearly remember the stories Fuzzy had been telling me, and the ones I’d been telling Fuzzy about the adventures of all the different plushies in my playpen, sometimes including Fuzzy itself. But about times before I’d accepted Baby Rules I remembered nothing.

Gradually, though, over time, I started thinking differently somehow. It’s like the adult part of my mind returned, but it also kind of didn’t exactly. The baby girl was the main part of me now, and the adult was secondary. I could play pretend as an adult if I wanted to, but it felt like a game, not real, and it wasn’t where I wanted to spend my time. “Mama!” I said the next time I saw Sharon and Acey.

“Oh, there she is,” said Acey. “She’s with us again, as I told you.”

“Oh! Hi, Sweetie!” Sharon said, coming up to the side of the crib, smiling. She looked so happy, really happy. I remembered when I’d first met her, as just a neighbor in the building. She hadn’t looked happy then, but now she looked the happiest I’ve ever seen her. “I – I hope you’re doing OK! Let’s get you a diaper change – I know you need one!”

“Huh? But you no check my dipee!”

“Oh, I don’t have to!” she said. “You always need one when you wake up in the morning.”

“Also your diapers are the kind that tell us,” added Acey, from behind her.

As Sharon changed my diaper, I asked, “What happena me?”

“U-uh, maybe …” Sharon started, blushing.

“Maybe I’d better explain,” Acey said. “You accepted Baby Rules.”

“Baby Rules?”

“Something babies instinctively understand,” she replied. “Why do babies cry? Why do they suck their thumbs? Why do they pee and poo in their diapers? Why do they get food all over themselves? Baby Rules. And there is a source of Baby Rules that permeates the cosmos, and one certain person who learned a long time ago how to master that source and use it for the good of babies everywhere. She knows how to let the inner child out to answer the call, and answer you did. If you hadn’t wanted it, deep down, it wouldn’t have worked, but you did, so it did. And now you’re always going to be mostly baby girl, with just enough adult.”

“Wait,” I said, “adult? Oh no! How long has it been since I was at work?”

“Your team at work understands,” said Sharon. “I … I mean, I didn’t explain everything. But I did talk to them. You introduced me to them at one point, so they knew I was your, well, your friend. You had a lot of sick time saved up. They knew you’d, well, transitioned, right? Well, they knew that can be a rough time. They thought you were just recovering.”

“Oh!” I replied, relaxing. “That’s not too bad. I guess I’m not fired.”

“No,” said Sharon. “They – they said you were already seeming like you were happier than you’d ever been. And – um, one of the women on your team was jealous that you were the cutest girl in the group.”

“Wha?” I said, blushing. “No way!”

My diaper change over, Sharon helped me off the changing table, but I fell to my knees again and crawled, my body completely accustomed to it. The nursery floor was soft anyway. “I … guess I’m the babiest in the group anyway,” I said.

“Heh, well, you’re a hundred percent the cutest if you ask me,” said Sharon. “But … what’s the problem? Oh … oh right, you’re worried they’re not gonna take you seriously anymore.”

“I mean … even if they dunno I need to wear diapers an’ suck my thumb an’ crawl onna floor an’ can’t eat or dwink like an adult …” I said.

“Look,” said Sharon, “they know you can do your job. You’ve done it for years, right? Anybody who thinks you can’t is wrong.”

Acey broke in, “I happen to know that some of your BOAA friends will want to celebrate with you, and I know that more than one of them has some helpful advice about being both a baby and a professional.”

* * *

I sat in a scaled-up child seat in the back of Sharon’s custom van. Normally Acey could push me to the BOAA HQ building in my stroller, but it was many blocks through the city, and it would probably be late before I came home. I sucked on my pacifier and wiggled my arms and legs, because I couldn’t move very well, and a screen in the back of the seat in front of me was playing cartoons. Acey sat in the front passenger seat next to Sharon, who was driving.

When we arrived, Acey guided Sharon into the BOAA building’s underground parking garage, and soon we stopped, and so did the cartoons. Acey opened the side door of the van and easily transferred me to my stroller. Acey closed her van’s door – I could see the art on the side; it was a scene of stars, planets and galaxies in deep purple space, with a giant charging silver unicorn with blazing eyes in the foreground. It was super awesome.

Sharon wanted to be the one to push me inside, so Acey strode forward to ensure that all the doors were open for us as we entered the large elevator. We didn’t see a lot of people, because it was early evening, and most employees had gone home just a short while earlier. But soon we were going up a ramp and seeing a view of the beautiful, colorfully lit atrium of the building, with all its graceful, curved wide-open spaces and large windows.

Around a corner, and suddenly we were in a huge, completely pink play area. The murals and furniture were all decorated with images of cute pink things – everything from pink cherry blossoms and flamingoes to pink hearts, bunnies and kitties. More than that, though, there were streamers and balloons. And waiting for me there, among others, were Sally, Jennie, and Missy.

* * *

Sharon pushed me up to the large playpen that held the other three. They were all dressed in adorable pink jumpers with periwinkle lace trim. There was a pink bunny on Sally’s front, A pink seal with a ball on it’s nose on Missy’s front, and a cute fuzzy critter that looked just like a pink version of Riddle on Jennie’s front.

Acey unbuckled the stroller’s strap and lifted me into the playpen. That’s when I noticed Acey unwrapping a brand new pink jumper just like the other, only this one had a cute kitten on the front with a large bow.

Missy crawled over to me and sat up. She gave me a huge hug as she babbled, “Welcome to tha Yes Babies.”

Jennie babbled, “We habina parties for ya. Gets changeded ta bes just infinks and can splains how tha mix gonna happens.”

Sally said, “It can bes a bit confoozin … cuz ya jus kno sompin not tha same. But ever’thin feel so normal.”

Missy said, “Wanna has somma them gooey cannies?? Maka huge mess.”

Jennie had already opened a candy jar and stuffed a handful of the sticky messy candy in her mouth. Sally was determined not to be out-messed. She grabbed two handfuls and really did make a huge gooey sticky mess. It was all over her face, dripping down her front … I mean, she was the best baby mess ever. All of us babies giggled as we did our best to improve our mess potential even more dramatically.

Sharon and Acey sat in one of the comfy chairs and watched the mess ensue.

Sharon said, “Is … is it just me, or has Marcie started making bigger messes?”

Acey replied, “It is quite possible. I believe it has something to do with Baby Rules.”

Sharon’s eyes grew large as she asked with surprise in her voice, “Baby Rules? How can something like that affect how Marcie eats?”

Acey smiled as she poured them both a cup of hot tea from the pot on the table nearby. “Think of it this way. Marcie is currently experiencing the emotions and physical aspects of being …” She turned her head and looked at the four or us, then continued, “From the looks of things, somewhere around 3. It shouldn’t be too much longer, and the infant foundation will rule and be able to pretend to be adult. However, there are those who are an infant, but can do adult things, because of the mix.”

Sharon tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “The mix?” she asked.

Acey replied, “Yes. It’s like this.” Acey picked up two glasses from a nearby party table, one filled with water and the other with red punch. She poured a little of the punch into the water and gave the glass a small shake, making a mostly-clear liquid with streaks of red. “The clear is the adult, the red is the baby. The more the container is shaken, the more of a mix. Now, shaking isn’t the perfect analogy, but this is an oversimplification.”

“I, err, think I get it?” said Sharon, who could comprehend very complicated computing problems in an instant. She was probably just being modest. “But what I’m really asking is, well, how this happens?”

Acey replied, “All humans, and really all creatures, were young at one time. No matter how old they get, their younger selves remain, deep inside. It’s just a question of how much one lets show through. Of course, a lot of that depends on how much they want to allow out. For some, the answer is a lot. For others, just a little will do.”

“I … guess I see,” said Sharon. “I, well, I just love seeing Marcie let herself go all little. It makes me feel so happy that she wants to show that side of herself … around me, I mean.”

“And why wouldn’t she?” asked Acey. “I mean, you didn’t make a very good first impression, but I think you’ve made up for it.”

Suddenly we began to notice that there were a lot of Floppits around. Riddle had found me, but he wasn’t the only one. There were lots of them, some in the playpen, some outside it, scampering and scurrying around, giggling and babbling and having a great time. “Hi, Riddle!” I said, crawling up to the Floppit, who licked my face.

“Oooo, you tastes like candy!” Riddle said, giggling and licking me again.

I giggled, “Haha, Riddle, that tickles! Wow, lookit alla Floppits everywhere!”

“Uh huh!” Riddle replied, nodding. “She say it time for us ta come visits dis planet fora lil while!”

“Oh!” I said, somehow simultaneously knowing and not knowing who she was. “Well I guess thatta good thing! Floppits is great! I wove Floppits!”

“Yay!” said Riddle. “We just wanna make itta better place.”

* * * THE END * * *