Game Time

I haven't read the next chapter yet, but here is my guess.   The brain mapping machine at minimum detected the eye. I wouldn't be surprised if it could just outright show him memories. So anything from her past and the meeting with Brother and Betty occurred before one of the sessions. He knows the entire plan.

Well, the way that was said about 'left,' I think we can presume they are safe in their new location? I don't picture her ever going home though. The operative here is the one I think we'll all be wondering about. I don't blame you for taking a break from DD stories, I honestly didn't plan to have this long saga I'm writing now with LCW and then the side story of Playing Doctor, as I am looking to new things when I'm done myself!  I'll look forward to seeing your next story. Congrats on finishing! 🙂

Hey everyone! Starting off here, I think for future polls, at least for a little bit, I might ease up on the Diaper Dimension stories. I am absolutely thrilled that this story was chosen and that I finally got to write it after three years but considering that I’ve written 17 stories including this one and 14 have been set in that universe, I think easing off in terms of poll choices might be the better move. Also, I just counted, and as of today, I have 29 possible stories not set in the diaper dimension, so… there’s definitely plenty more to tell. I’ll still go by the polls, but I just might not load them up with the DD stories as much anymore… just have to see though. Speaking of polls… the results are now in. Counting personal messages, any listed on here, and the ones from the poll… winning 55.81% of votes, the winner is ‘Sissification and Babification Government Study’ (Title TBD)! So, with what I previously noted, I will carry over the ‘Bethany’ story into the next poll as the DD story, but I will retire The CONtinuance on polls for now. It won’t go away forever, but it’s been at the bottom for a little while now and I think other stories of mine should be given their due. Also, I think I’m going to stick to the two possible votes for future polls. I think it gives everyone a chance to narrow down what they want, and looking at the results… there was a clear first and second place this go around. Looking ahead, this next story is a bit of a task to write. There’s lots of nuances I need to be careful of in that story with some of the topics involved and there’s a number system involved that makes my head itch in making sure it all works still. That all being said, I’m going to take a tiny break once again and I will post the first chapter of that story on 01 August. This should give me time to air out my own head, relax a smidge, ensure the plot is still good for the story, update all the DD materials, and take a crack at the first few chapters of the story at least. Also, I just want to give a big thank you to all who have read this story and to anyone who commented on it or engaged with it. It may not be my most popular story ever, but with that you all have been saying, I have no reason to be saddened over that. My goal is to always improve with these stories and provide a little outlet for you all to enjoy on here. From what you all have said, I think I have achieved that goal, so again, thank you. Now, last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this final chapter! Chapter 28: Delivering the Scoop Day 140 – 5:42 P.M. MDT – Earth 2 The trio now staring back at Pete seemed only moments away from either fainting or fighting. For his own part however, Pete blinked back as if he was about to ask if they had heard him. For Ashley, it had to be seen as yet another seeming loss in this horrible dimension. Seeing Pete there and him telling her a big fat ‘no’ to leaving… from her facial expression and sudden lack of life in her body, it was almost like a little of her soul seemed to have died. “Pete…” Betty began, almost stumbling over her words as she tried to explain what was happening. “I…” “Not now, Betty,” Pete said adamantly though curiously and likely thankfully not hatefully. “We need to discuss other things at the moment. Our conversation about all this secrecy can wait, but… seriously, did you all not hear me? Ashley can’t leave as far as I can tell.” Seemingly snapping out of his previous stupor, Brother popped in next. “And just what the heck does that mean?” he asked, stepping back up to the countertop and placing his hand firmly on top to emphasize his point. “Betty and I have a vested interest in getting Ashley back home. You, however… you work for the people actively trying to keep her here. You betrayed her and…” “Woah, woah… settle down there. I can tell feelings might be a little flared, so before you go and challenge me to pistols at dawn, can I at least explain myself here? I mean… you all are assuming the worst of me,” Pete noted hastily… almost like he was trying to defend himself against an angry mob about to descend on him. “I mean… have you even dealt with the chip in Ashley yet?” Everyone’s eyes bulged and Ashley even began to search her body for the sign of a chip. “Chip?” Brother questioned, the seeming skeptic of the group now. “What chip?” Pete sighed and then turned slightly to show off better when he pointed to the back of his own neck. “Here…” He then turned back around to face the trio again. “When Ashley broke into the facility and was caught, our esteemed mayor had a real bone to pick with her. He was going to obliterate her on the spot! And by that, I mean… near absolute brain death. She would be a newborn at best… it was a ‘no chances of recovery’ sort of policy with him after what she managed to pull off.” “No…” Betty looked like she was going to cry or faint any second now. “He wouldn’t… couldn’t…” “Well, he didn’t because I stopped it, Bee… I got the phone call and got there just in time to stop things,” he explained. “Vasiliou was threatening everything he could at us. He had the evidence with him and everything, so he had the means and the temperament to throw us down and destroy us. Right then, we had no chance. We were going down…” He then trailed off for a moment before looking back up and sticking one finger out. “But I knew there was something even he couldn’t pass up or say no to… FOY.” No one said a word for a few seconds after that. “FOY?” Ashley questioned, seemingly the most perplexed and yet intrigued about it. “I’ve heard about that before, but…” “Pete…” Betty now seemed horrified as she interrupted Ashley… almost like she had just realized something terrible in implication. “You didn’t… please tell me you didn’t.” Pete sighed. “I wish I could tell you that I didn’t, Bee. I really do, but… we were going to lose Ashley and then we had a 90% chance of going to jail ourselves. I weighed the options and chose the second choice of amnesty. I had to agree that she would be regressed in certain ways, a chip would be planted inside her spine to keep her grounded, and… I would finish the FOY compound for them… but nothing else for us. It was a deal I knew I would never get again...” “And what the heck is FOY?” Ashley asked, nearly stomping her foot, her patience seemingly wearing thin now over her previous question having gone unanswered. “It’s death to any mature Little,” Brother explained with clear disdain in his voice, most of it now appearing to be directed squarely at Pete. “There’s a street version that’s been out for at least a decade now… maybe more, but it essentially causes Littles to regress in a massive way… permanently.” “That’s right,” Pete confirmed with a heaviness in his words that indicated he knew exactly the lengths of negativity that he was now unleashing on the world of Littles. “I hated it, but at the time, I felt I had no other choice. My family that I loved or a population of Littles… I hate myself for it even now, but I gave Vasiliou and the general the new compound. More stable… less bugs than the street drug, but more importantly for those two… a way they could affect every Little across the board without exception…” He then winced quickly. “And certain wayward Bigs as well…” “Wait… I thought that was just a myth!” Brother seemed horrified over the possibilities of such a powerful drug. “Are you telling me…?” “It was… but now that I’ve altered the drug, it can be used against Bigs… Middles… Littles… everyone! For the sake of my family… I sacrificed everyone else. I will regret that the rest of my life, but… now, we need to focus on the future. What we can do now. I have a plan, but we need to refocus on Ashley first.” The trio, though still horrified and shocked over that revelation, nodded in agreement. Pete then turned to Ashley. “So… back to what I was saying about the chip…” He looked deep into her eyes with a sense of sympathy and regret. “Sweetie… that chip can’t be removed. And, in all likelihood, it would kill you if you left this dimension.” Ashley’s eyes instantly watered over the clear implication. “No… please… tell me no!” Seeing her Little in distress, Betty quickly ran over and comforted her, but it seemed even her presence combined with Bunty wasn’t helping the now shaking Little. In desperation, Betty looked back towards her husband. “Isn’t there anything you can do, Pete?” she asked her eyes full of hope… even if it might have only been false at this point. Pete sighed. “Maybe… but not right now. Right now… we need to focus on that camera in her eye… and critically, what’s stored on it.” He pointed right at Ashley. “That is our best shot of getting back at these people and maybe our solution for getting out of this mess.” Ashley sniffed and seemed to break through her dashed hopes… if only for a moment. “You know about the eye?” Pete nodded. “Yes… and you really being an investigative journalist.” He sighed and then pulled out a file from his nearby briefcase labeled ‘Ashley Cutters.’ “I’ve known about your identity for months now…” He opened the file up. “I’ve known some personal trainers in my time, and frankly… you never struck me as one.” Ashley winced through her tears. ‘Crud… I knew that cover wasn’t good enough!’ “At first, I just waved it off as personal trainers being different on Earth, but then… you started asking me questions. Littles are inquisitive, so again, I didn’t think anything of it… but then you broke into my office.” Pete blinked back at Ashley as if he was waiting for an explanation. For her part, Ashley could only stare back at Pete for a moment before wiping her nose and sniffling a little. “You… you knew about that?” Pete nodded. “I did, but I didn’t raise a fuss about it. If anything, it made me even more curious about you… so I pushed harder with some of my more anonymous contacts in portal travel, and… well, your file of ‘Ashley Jones’ was good. Definitely professional… just not good enough for us and our methods of deep analysis and detection. But since you were a Little coming over voluntarily… no one really cared at the office when they found out at first. To be honest, I think most of them just thought you were going to be captured and regressed. Which, frankly, was a good guess… at least usually.” “And you didn’t tell me?” Betty asked, now finding out all this herself now as well. “I didn’t want to burden you, Bee,” Pete said in earnest. “When I found out about all that, you had just been told about your slim chances to conceive, and I had never seen you so passionate about taking care of a Little. So,” he then turned back to Ashley, “I stowed your file and kept an eye on you.” “And that’s it?” Ashley questioned, wiping a few more tears away. While she was clearly still deeply saddened over the chip and what that meant to her, the investigative journalist in her always looking for the truth seemed to be coming out fully now. “Well, no…” Pete sighed. “See, when you broke into the facility, that set off a lot of things. First off, they discovered your identity as well, but like the portal agency, by then, they didn’t care since they had caught you and only thought you had the physical copies of the files. Secondly, though, in the whole investigation that was launched, one of the more loyal guards to me, and not Vasiliou or the general, handed me this file.” From inside the thick manila folder, Pete pulled out a familiar looking small one. “Wait…” Ashley pulled the file closer. “My memory is fuzzy, but is this…?” Pete nodded. “The one that was hidden from me in my own files. You had taken it and from what I can tell, you were going to show it to Betty and me. I knew about your eye camera by then, so there wasn’t a more rational explanation of why you would take something so cumbersome with you. So, more than a little curious and suspicious of the company, I looked inside and…” Pete sighed and pulled the file over to Betty. “This brings me to my last point. When I saw what was in there, I knew Diamond Technologies was dirty, but I had always felt that they were an ‘ends to justifying the means’ kind of company. Seeing this file to better show how to manipulate me and my wife… and then later when they started to threaten all three of us…” Pete’s knuckles cracked, and he stood up and took some deep breaths. Meanwhile, Betty’s expression turned to horror, shock, and despair as she looked over her file… particularly the spots regarding getting closer to Ashley because she couldn’t have kids and Ashley would make a great substitute… and way to manipulate the Big. Pete then turned around. “So… time to lay out my cards…” Pete took in a huge breath of air. “When I saw all that… something in me clicked and I knew something needed to change. So, as part of that, I need all three of you for this to work, but bottom line… I’m planning on going against Diamond Technologies with what we all know.” The room sat unmercifully still and silent for at least a minute. Pete looked relieved to have finally gotten it all off his chest. Brother looked suspicious but as if he was already scheming as well. Betty looked stunned but maybe relieved as well… probably owing to the fact that Pete had not betrayed them and seemed to actually be currently helping them instead. For Ashley, her face was still full of sorrow, but maybe a little confusion and more than plenty of concern. “I… I’m stuck here. It’s… it’s terrible, and I want to help with my camera,” she noted with sincerity as she pointed directly to her eye housing the camera. “And it might be important, but it’s just one thing and I can’t access it. Also… I’m leaving without any way of helping you all. I just… I want to help, but… I just don’t see how you all can go against this place and come out on the other side.” Betty sighed. “I have to agree, honey. Ashley may be a huge part of this, and it’s great she wants to help, but… what about us? She gets to go home, but… we’re still here, right? Between the general, Vasiliou, and even Beakerman, all this just seems like suicide… or at least a one-way trip to being regressed ourselves with your own new formula. So… tell me. Am I missing something here?” “Yes and no,” Pete admitted after a heavy sigh. “It’s one of the reasons I’m just telling you all this now. I wasn’t sure about a few details, and I’m still not, but… I needed LRGs help in this, and I didn’t know about Brother until the other day when I arrived home a little earlier than usual and saw the man that we suspected to be codename, ‘Brother’ exited the driveway. Naturally, I was curious, so, I came home early today to listen in… and I did.” “Okay… fine,” Brother said with a clear impatience now… seemingly still trying to figure out if all this was a trap or not. “You need LRG, and I can get that for you, but… how does it all connect? How does Ashley, me, and even Betty work into you screwing over this place?” Pete smirked and sighed. “Well, I have a plan. I just… I need some time to put it all in motion. I’ll explain everything, but… can you all wait to enact your own previous plan?” It was an obvious risk, and from everyone’s facial expressions, they knew it as well. Ashley ran the risk of staying here longer, now that Brother had shown his face, he was running a risk, and Betty waited on all this in her own yet unannounced role. Plus, all this was hinging on the trust of one of the top scientists and personnel in Peirama. Still, after a moment, all nodded. With the addition of Ashley’s chip, whatever Pete had planned now had to be better than simply sneaking Ashley out of town and risking her life just getting home. *              *              * Day 152 – 10:16 A.M. MDT – Earth 2 Wait. Listen out and wait… those were the instructions that Pete had ultimately passed to the trio on that fateful Monday. He had laid his plan out in its entirety, and while it was strong and had a high chance of both hurting Diamond Technologies and freeing Ashley, it still needed time. And in Peirama, with everything exposed now, it was a large risk. Still, everyone was motivated in both of their tasks now and vigilance seemed to be the key while Pete gathered up what he needed in order to execute the plan properly. And in the meantime, each member had their own tasks. Brother needed to contact LRG to provide passes and transportation afterward to not only guarantee they could leave in something besides what turned out to be a company car if needed but also get Ashley away safely as well with her chip. Betty had to gather her own information on the plant that FOY was derived from coming from Tanassum. Knowing its components and makeup, nature sometimes had a counterbalance… or in this case, cure. Plus, her own research had touched on several projects in town, and she knew several of the Bigs and were on friendly terms with them, so, she had also been assigned to ask a few questions to add to the information being sent back about Peirama. Ashley, given her high visibility as a Little both around town and at daycare, and her apparent value to Beakerman, she had the unenviable task of simply laying low. Stay out of trouble. Not fights, no inciting riots, no risks whatsoever. For the Little that had been at the center of so many things, being pushed to the side to protect her own well-being and the safety of the information in her head was tough… but ultimately necessary. Fortunately, Ashley knew that and while she sighed and bitterly complained about it at first, she mostly went on as she had before when it was just her, Brother, and Betty making the plans. Simply put… she had to act like a true Little and blend in. The general and maybe even Vasiliou knew that something was happening at the facility each Wednesday for her, but the outcome was still very much left in the dark. Now that Pete had shown his hand, so to speak, it was obvious that it was done on purpose. So, time passed on. Naps, diaper changes, and Bunty were all mixed in with secret meetings, hushed discussions, and a plan coming together. If one wasn’t too wise, they might have thought that it was all just stalling, but soon, it seemed every activity in Peirama was now twinged with the prospect of the four’s ultimate plan. It was November. Halloween had passed with much fanfare and all the Littles had dressed up in their very best and had taken away a haul of candy. But with that passing and the days growing both colder and darker, the last of the fall festivals had descended on the town of Peirama. Ashley, not one to shy away from fun anymore and adopting her role of bestest Little ever, had readily joined in with her friends as they took part in the various activities located just outside of town… namely for the pumpkin chunkin held there. Given that it was Peirama though, the various contraptions used to throw old pumpkins away were far too dangerous for Littles, so Ashley and her friends readily enjoyed the other fall activities. “Alright, honey,” Betty guided as she sat down at the top of the hill where one of the slides had been set up, “I’ve got the burlap sack all situated. You just sit between my legs and hold on.” “And Bunty?” There was an edge of fear in her voice… one of the many things that still hadn’t abated after several Wednesday night sessions with Pete. Betty smiled. “She’ll go right between your legs. Keep them closed tight and Bunty will be with you the whole way… just like I will be.” “Yeah, Ash,” Olly actively encouraged from just behind them. “It’s just a slide. No big deal. I mean… if Marilyn and Simon could do it…” He looked down the large hill at the two Littles and their respective caregivers right behind them. Ashley nodded. “Right. Can’t have them showing off better than me, but… just in case…” Ashley sat down and stuffed Bunty instead inside the front part of her denim overalls. “There! Now she won’t be going anywhere!” Betty smiled and clung onto Ashley. “Very clever. Now… ready?” Ashley winced as she stared just beyond Betty’s feet and at the drop off coming in moments… but still nodded. “Alright! Here we go!” Betty took a breath and gripped the sides of the hay bales lining the track. “And… one. Two. Three!” With all her effort, she pushed off and the two rocketed downward. “Ahhh!” Ashley screamed bloody murder as they raced down the hill. Betty clung onto her as she clung onto her Big. There was definitely a sense that though Ashley was supposed to be pretending and had ‘matured’ in the past few weeks thanks to Pete, there was a legitimate sense of comfort and protection that she received from Betty. “Oh! Look at Daddy!” Betty called out, temporarily moving her hand from Ashley and pointing to Pete while also using his public name. In truth, she did know that Ashley no loner called him that, but for multiple reasons, Littles simply never went back to calling their Big by their first name once they started with ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy.’ So, it was decided as a group, even with Ashley’s approval, that Betty and Pete would still be called Mommy and Daddy, respectively, in public. Nearby and on the side of the track going down the hill, just a little way up from the bottom, Pete was standing and waving as he took a picture of the two women in his life. It was a classic family moment that no doubt millions had captured before them. It was almost too perfect. “There’s my girls!” he called out, racing over to them while snapping several photos once they reached the bottom. Ashley was laughing but it did take a moment for Betty to pry her hands off her pant legs once they had come to a stop. “It’s okay, Ash. We’re at the bottom now.” Ash let go quickly and jumped up. “Oh! I wasn’t scared. Just… safety is all…” Betty looked skeptical but Ron beat her to it. “Right… and that screaming Little coming down the slide was… someone else, right?” Ashley rolled her eyes and just turned in time to spot a hurdling Olly come down with his mommy as well. It seemed the tradition today… along with the face paint that most of the Littles had gotten or the petting zoo where all had chosen their favorite miniature animal… including Ashley. With all Littles and their Bigs now firmly on the ground, the group took off to wander around the fall festival once more. Pete gawked at the odd machinery and several stalls of tantalizing food, eventually succumbing and grabbing a slice of Milo pie. From her juice at the daycare, Ashley immediately seized on it as well. “Still can’t believe this tastes like apples…” she mused, getting her mouth slightly sticky from the filling inside the delicious treat. Betty smiled and pulled out a convenient baby wipe to clean her mouth off with. “Well, of course, sweetie. Milo is our version of what you call the apple. It’s the same thing.” She giggled slightly like it was the most obvious thing in the world… much to Ashley’s resultant blush. “Oh, don’t be too hard on her, Bee…” Pete said, swallowing yet another bite of the pie himself. “It took forever for you to learn that yourself in college during our Earth course together.” Betty sighed and nodded, and for a second… almost looked wistful, nostalgic, and yet sad as she looked around her. Ashley might have pressed more, but a microphone soon buzzed to life in the speakers overhead. “Attention! Attention! The mayoral speech will be beginning in approximately two minutes on the main stage.” Given the trio’s run-ins with the mayor lately, it likely wasn’t a shock to any of them as they all simultaneously groaned. Still, they continued to the main stage… likely to keep up appearances as supportive members of the community. On the way, however, they also bumped into Brother. Of course, here, he was simply the overall landscaper of the town. Ashley had seen him around before and had even caught him staring at her a few times when she first got here, but she had always shrugged it off as another odd Big. Now though, there was almost tension between the four of them as they passed each other. It wasn’t in an adversarial way. Just… more of a way that they all knew the other was carrying around a secret with them that could undo the rest in a second. Being seen together, knowing that they all knew each other’s secrets seemed dangerous in such a public setting. So, after a bit of a frozen and tense moment, Brother quickly departed from the family trio. Pete only brushed it off and continued toward the stage with Betty and Ashley following close behind hand in hand.   “Good afternoon!” Mayor Vasiliou began, soon going on several tangents about the fall weather, corporate success, and all manner of things that sounded more like a would-be future CEO rather than a simple scientist or the mayor that he was. Still, it was pretty typical and even boring to anyone but the most loyalist company members… which didn’t include people like Pete or Betty. Then, he started talking about company loyalty. That got their attention. “We are all a family here. The disloyalty of one member… or even two, is never something we should take lightly. What one of us does affects us all. This can be both bad…” His focus now seemed to be directly hovering over Pete and Betty. “Or with loyalty and cooperation, a good thing!” He then walked to the left of the stage. “Soon, we will be judging the weights and sizes of our animals.” He gestured over to some of the fattest pigs known… all a result of specific genetic and specialized food manipulation. “Or… the event you all came for… our pumpkin chunkin competition!” He then turned to the general behind him on stage. “General? Will you do the honors of throwing the first pumpkin today?” The general stepped forward and smiled. “It would be my honor.” The man then stepped up, and in one motion, yanked the cord and activated the machine… sending the poor attached pumpkin hurdling far and away toward the distant mountains. Everyone cheered. A few bits of pomp and circumstance later, the speeches were over, and the crowd dispersed. Betty, Pete, and Ashley ambled around as they perused more treats, gadgets, and homemade items, but it didn’t take long for them to run right into a wandering general and mayor. “Betty… Ashley… Pete…” Vasiliou glared with hot hatred behind his eyes at the three of them. Knowing all she did about him now, Ashley clung to Bunty even tighter and backed up into Betty for some measure of comfort and safety. By the way she gripped her Little as well though, Betty seemed like she needed the added support from her as well. “General… Mayor…” Pete nearly growled at Vasiliou and while no punches were thrown, the hatred simmering between Pete and Vasiliou seemed boundless. Only the general seemed to be the mediator and the lynchpin which kept them from brawling on the spot. “So… any progress with my next formula?” he asked with a near twinkle in his eye. “Some…” Pete was clearly trying to be as vague and murky as possible. With his distaste for his work now and the eventual leak of information, more progress had been deemed ‘unwise’ in the planning stages previously. He would stay on and work, but only as a means to keep finding out more information. Actual progress would either be nearly stopped or at least slowed to a crawl. But the general didn’t know that. “I see…” the general sighed. “Seems to be going slow these days, but… I guess that’s just progress for you here. Waited for years for that special formula before, and then, bam! You got it in less than a month!” “Speaking of which,” Vasiliou jumped in and looking first at Pete and then towards Betty and Ashley. “I hope you all our minding yourselves. Wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened last time now, would we?” His words seemed to slide off his cruel tongue and worm their way around the family at present. “I can promise you this… there won’t be any third chances with some special deal by creating yet another drug for us…” His glared narrowed on Ashley and the Little let out a little squeak of fear. ‘Oh no! Does he know about us? Our plans? Is he just toying with us? Are we sunk yet again? And this time I’m going to be regressed, and Pete and Betty jailed or worse? And then I lose my mind, and the world goes to pieces and…’ Betty pulled in Ashley tighter and bent over slightly to hug her upper chest from behind. It wasn’t a full hug, but the Little’s thoughts slowed, and she took deep heaving breaths. “Well, thanks for that lovely image, mister mayor,” Pete nearly mocked. “We’re all fine and even… I have to say that we’ve never been happier. I’m sorry to say that your efforts have been in vain to hurt my family further. Sad really…” Vasiliou snarled and stepped closer, cracking his knuckles as he did so. Pete simply reached to his side and gently nudged Ashley and Betty behind him. Once again though, the general nearly hopped in the middle of it. “Now, look here you two! We cannot have our mayor and top scientist at odds with each other! I want this to end righ…” He then stopped and his right eye seemed to quiver before easing up in nearly an instant. “But that can wait for another day. Come, Mayor. You have other… mayoral duties to attend to. I’m sure the animal size contest needs an extra judge to break a tie…” Vasiliou sighed before glaring intensely at Pete and Ashley and Betty behind him. “No, those can wait. This employee is making a bad example, and I think Beakerman should be informed that As…” “Phillip!” The general grabbed the mayor by the shoulder and nearly shoved him to the ground from the sheer might of his single grip. “We will do this another day.” Mayor Vasiliou glared back at him for a moment before nearly shrinking away. “But I…” “Please…” the general emphasized. “They have a… matter to attend to.” When that didn’t seem to work though, the general shifted his eye movements in the direction of Ashley. “An important, Little matter.” Right then, Vasiliou seemed to finally understand the implication. “Oh… right…” Turning back, he glared at Pete before adopting a more neutral look. “Until next time, Pete. And you better have progress with that new formula.” Not giving Pete a second to speak, Vasiliou turned and walked away. The general, sighing, turned to Pete. “We really need to get you two talking again. It’s not good to have you two in this stalemate of bickering.” Pete nodded. “You have yourself a good festival, general.” Pete was blowing him off, but gratefully, the general was either too dense to understand that or too diplomatic to make any move against him. So, like Vasiliou, he nodded, thanked him for the formula again, and then left. Once gone, Pete turned to Ashley with a wide smile. “Oh! That was brilliant thinking, Ash! The general deals with Littles all the time, but he can never stand their actions… particularly some of the more squishy, sticky, or smelly aspects that come along with them! Using your diaper like that was a stroke of genius to get him to leave and end the conversation. 10 out of 10 for effort and execution!” Ashley looked like she was about to object but stopped cold and wiggled slightly. ‘I’m… mushy? I went… poopy? I… I didn’t know…’ She winced but still played it off. “Well, you know… anything to help. I don’t like either of them anyways…” Pete chuckled and Betty sighed before readjusting the strap of the diaper bag draped over her shoulder. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s get that mush tush of yours all nice and clean.” She held out her hand. Ashley quickly took and walked away with her now usual waddle. She didn’t say anything, but dread filled her expression completely… likely dread over her own future after all this was over. *              *              * Day 157 – 6:05 P.M. MDT – Earth 2 Ashley paced around the room nervously. “Where is he?” she asked for at least the seventh time in the past ten minutes. “He should’ve been here by now!” “Easy there, Ash,” Betty said trying to calm her Little down. “Brother said six and it’s only five minutes after.” “Right,” Pete agreed, stepping back from the front room where he had been on the lookout for any suspicious activity. “He needs to be careful. After today, all this could be done, and besides… talking to him, we need the codes he has to ensure this message gets sent out.” “Yeah. I just…” Ashley shook her head and kept pacing. Her stress wasn’t dissipating though, but it wasn’t too surprising given everything it had taken to get where they were right then. Codes, at least two dozen more interviews from Bigs and Littles alike about the various experiments going on here and a massive data copy from the facility’s main servers. All had been done in secrecy as much as possible, but they were all still committing a massive crime… both for the company and legally speaking as well. Also though, Ashley was now getting nervous about what came after all this. Get more information and then bundle it up and send it out. That was the plan, and it was darn simple, but there were elements that hadn’t been discussed… at least not with her. It wasn’t the worst thing ever, and per her continuing nightly logs, she knew being a Little and vulnerable to interrogation after being regressed if captured that she would be left out of some things… just not most of the plan. Further, while elements of the plan still seemed a mystery, her life afterward continually plagued her mind. Pete’s efforts were nearly miraculous given the scans of her brain that he had done before. He had literally reawakened part of her that might otherwise sleep forever until the end. So, that was great… but it still wasn’t enough. Simply put, Ashley wasn’t herself… or at least the self she was when she first came to this dimension back in June. Five months later, Ashley was a different Little. First off, she was a Little. Not regressed, but daily she would be reminded of her changes in likes, movements, abilities… it all was different. Various shades maybe, but when Betty still had to change her diapers or a life without Bunty seemed utterly horrifying to her, those shades seemed pointless. “Ash,” Betty said with a little more force. “Please… sit by me and take a breath. Please, honey.” Her words seemed to work and the Little stopped pacing and sat where instructed. “Good. Now some deep breaths for me and remember… don’t get too worked up over this. We take it one step at a time, and we don’t worry what we can’t control, right?” Ashley nodded and hugged Bunty tighter as she breathed harder in and out as instructed. Relief soon came to her. ‘I don’t want to stay, but… what am I going to do without Betty?’ The question had been asked before dozens of times… and even now, it still lingered. Soon though, hearing the designated knock, Pete went to the back door and let Brother in. “Sorry I’m late. I think you might have a spy checking in on you. Circled the block at least four times in the past hour. Not good, so I have to ask…” He then reached inside his bag and produced a flash drive. “Are you sure about this?” Pete looked over at Ashley and then back at Brother with a fierce set of determination. “Absolutely.” Brother nodded and handed the drive to Pete. Pete wasted no time and unlocked the door to his basement office. After the group arrived in the basement as well, Pete showed off the massive computer he had been tinkering with recently. “Okay… I’ve had a chance to look at the specs of Ashley’s eye. Combined with these codes, my information, and what Betty could pull as well, we now have a deep file on this place.” “And… we mail it to someone?” Ashley asked, almost innocent and Little-like in that one moment, only further emphasized by how close she was hugging Bunty still. Pete smiled but shook his head. “Not exactly. Based on the schematics I pulled, I can just wirelessly connect the feed from your camera into a file that I will then send out. Just to be sure, I’m going to send it through the portal transmission network to your paper’s branch on Earth, but just in case its monitored and intercepted before going through, I’m also sending it to a few areas around here… including several LRG locations.” He then pointed to the now inserted flash drive. “Hence the codes I needed.” Brother nodded. “Yep. All should be there. The locations I tagged… they’ll sit on the information as requested, but I have to say… once they act on it, you two,” he said pointing to Betty and Pete, “are going to be in some awfully hot water. You have to know that when you do this, Diamond Technologies will absolutely know that this data was pulled, and… you would be a prime suspect.” Ashley clinched to Bunty closer, even moving her up to caress her cheek tenderly. Pete nodded. “Yes, I thought of that, and I was very thorough covering my tracks. Helps to be one of the top scientists at the facility… gives me access to erase things.” He then took a deep breath. “But also… tomorrow morning, I am handing in my notice of resignation. I am leaving Peirama.” Brother’s mouth dropped open and Ashley gasped. Betty smiled and took Pete’s hand. “Actually… we both will be.” “You’re doing… what?” Ashley seemed flabbergasted over this new information. Pete and Betty were pillars of the community and the company here. ‘Holy… leaving here for them would be like if the Statue of Liberty suddenly up and left New York City!’ “We’re resigning and leaving Peirama, sweetie,” Betty reiterated before sighing. “Ash… we know you can’t leave this dimension, but if you stay here… you’ll never have a normal life again. Plus, we don’t care for the company or the town too much anyways. It’s a win-win.” As Ashley seemed to be mulling it all over, Pete then turned to Brother. “Also… I’ve anticipated them possibly finding out that a leak came from me. So, I am also sending this information to a secure server. There, I have to send a safety code to it every three days. If I don’t, a message will automatically be sent to every paper across the country about all the nasty deeds being done here. If Betty, Ashley, or I ever are captured or confronted about the leak, it will be our bargaining chip… or at least our revenge.” Ashley, clearly still thinking on the information, seemed to have only one outward thought though. “So… if you all are leaving… I’m assuming I’m coming with you all. So… am I just going to forever be your Little to be carted around the country forever now?” Pete almost said something, but Betty was faster and quickly took Ashley’s hands in hers. “We would never want that for you, honey. I know as a Big, I was never happier than when you called me Mommy… but that wasn’t you… or at least not the you that I wanted in my life.” She blinked a few times, the weighted emotion of it all clearly getting to her still. “I would be happy forever if you stayed with us as we wandered around the country, showing you all the sights, but… both of us have already found jobs at our alma mater in Cepalocum.” “And what’s there that’s so special?” Ashley asked, her satisfaction clearly not having been met yet. “There’s a lot there,” Pete then explained. “It’s actually where we first met each other, but also… the university there can advance our research into FOY and combatting it, and with Brother’s help, we’ve already been in contact with the LRG offices there where we can help out even more.” Brother nodded from his spot in the corner of the room. “But for you,” Pete continued, “they might have the equipment to help you and even remove the chip from in your neck.” “So, I then can go home?” This time, her desire for satisfaction seemed to be more replaced by hope. Betty sighed with a deep set of sadness but nodded. “If that is what you want, then yes.” There was silence for a moment afterward, but the computer then beeped. “Oh! It’s done. Link established!” Pete exclaimed. He then clicked on several buttons and a few more beeps sounded off before he turned around to Ashley. “Ash… since this is your story… your information… you paying the high cost of getting it all… I want you to do the honors and push the button.” ‘Execute’ flashed in green to the lower left of the screen. “That’s it?” Pete chuckled but nodded. “That’s it. Push that, and instantly, all will be transmitted out there.” Ashley looked at the button again, but instead of pushing it, went over and hugged both Pete and Betty. “Whatever happens next… I just want to thank you both. I… all this has changed me in ways I’m still not even fully sure about, but… if it wasn’t for you two… and even you Brother,” she noted, looking over in the corner to the for once happy looking red head, “I might have never succeeded. I would have just been another blip… another stat of a failed journalist over here or worse, a babbling and regressed Little. So... thank you.” “And you’re very welcome, sweetie,” Betty beamed, her Little’s thank seemingly warming her heart in a place that had been cold ever since Ashley had stopped calling her ‘Mommy.’ It still likely wasn’t perfect, but her bond with her was one without regrets. Pete smiled. “You’re also very welcome, honey. But now…” He then turned her over towards the screen once more. “Push the button and complete your story.” Looking back for a second, Ashley smiled and nodded before turning back the button. “And here we go…” With a sigh of relief of completion, the Little pushed down on the button. *              *              * * Recording Terminated – End of Line * *              *              * Vincent unhooked from the headset for what seemed like the final time. “Woah… all the data… it’s… it’s all the data from Diamond Technologies from Peirama. This is… this is huge. I…” He sighed and looked back at his screen. “I wondered what happened to them though…” Vincent pressed in on his screen and immediately began to transmit the final data package to ‘X’ and LRG headquarters. It would take months… likely even years to sort through it all, but it was there. “Now, let’s see where you three ended up and…” Vincent stopped and saw another blinking light in his mailbox. “Huh… wonder what that is.” Vincent clicked on the message. “Looks like it’s from ‘X’ about another file they found that seemed linked to Ashley’s? Oh, and here’s the link to the page with the files. Seems like it’s a Sgt. El…” His screen blacked out for a second and soon, another message popped on his screen that turned Vincent white. “They’re coming! Run! - X” Vincent briefly and visibly panicked and looked towards his monitors and other security devices. Seconds later, switching to another view from the perimeter, several vans showed up and were soon unloaded with at least a dozen soldiers. Vincent shot back and checked the status bar of the transmission of data. “Okay… almost done. The perimeter fence is at least a mile away from me and it’ll take them a second to bust in. Gives me a moment longer to ensure the next steps…” So, as he had practiced before when his safety was threatened previously, Vincent sent a message to LRG about a possible tracer bug on the file, a mystery code for further contact, and a coded transmission to prove it really was him. Then, he copied the files as well on to a removeable drive and stashed that in his bugout bag. “Okay… just need to…” The sound of an explosion ripped through his small cabin. “Well… crap. They made it through. Gotta go now!” Looking at his screen the information was sent, and again as practiced, Vincent ran over to a very specific box and pulled out two very powerful and specialized magnets. “Sorry my beauties, but… I can’t risk you all being read.” With a sigh of anguish, he then scanned all his devices… and erased them. Finally, he pulled all his paperwork in a specific and high-end incinerator and burned all the perishable files to a crisp. Dinging to show it was done, Vincent checked the monitors one last time before cratering them as well. “Sorry… but on to a new place I guess!” Vincent then grabbed his bug out bag, took one last look around and fled out the back door. About fifteen minutes later, the front door caved in, and the cabin was surrounded by armed military personnel. Moments later, they began to search everywhere and under every object. “All clear!” the leader announced about a minute later. Several of the armed personnel left, but then two very familiar figures walked in. “Did they find anything, captain?” the general asked as he scratched his head in seeming exhaustion. “Negative, sir. Appears the hacker wiped everything down,” he informed the general. “We’ll still take it all back with us to analyze. Could be something left or a manufacturer’s tag or something useful for us to track him down. And we could also analyze the house for any photos or receipts or…” “There’s not going to be any of that, you idiot!” Mayor Vasiliou exclaimed, looking nearly half-crazed at that point as he threw his hands up in the air. “He managed to avoid us and set several traps for us and is situated on a compound in the middle of fucking nowhere and…” “That will be all, captain,” the general noted quickly before Vasiliou could yell anymore. “Thank you, and good ideas all of them. But… will you give us just a minute here?” The captain nodded wordlessly and used some hand signals to get all his men out of the cabin as well. Now alone, the general glared back at Vasiliou. “May I remind you that in all likelihood, the reason that Pete and Betty left was because of your handling of the situation? Your hot temper cost them the original life of their Little. If you were any kind of decent father to Nancy, you would know that.” Vasiliou growled before turning away and kicking one of the discarded trash bins over. Meanwhile, another armed personnel came from the back. “Sir? Sorry to disturb you sir, but we found a trail out back. Can’t be too old, but… it leads off outside of the back perimeter here to some tire treads in the mud. Subject is probably gone, but we could follow to maybe see his next move and go from there.” The general nodded. “Good, good. Send a team to follow and have the rest come back here and begin taking this cabin apart for evidence.” The man nodded and nearly trotted away before the general stopped him. “Oh… and sergeant?” The sergeant stopped and walked back into the cabin after placing only a single foot outside the door. “Can you do me a favor and cut the power or disconnect that camera?” he said pointing to one of the few blinking cameras still in the corner of the room. “Could still be being watched by the hacker or whoever he works for. Don’t want to take that risk.” “Yes, sir!” The sergeant then walked over and stood on the couch before reaching up and grabbing one of the wires. “This… should do it.” He then gave the wire a hard yank. Everything turned black.

Thanks to @joemama for donating $100!

I agree, they're always a good choice. Especially the made in America version!