More Than Skin Deep

And in the dark utility closet, newly sated from an orgasm, Gloria thought back on that night and was determined to do just that.

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Chip R6657 was satisfied with the project. It was once again meeting all parameters and was virtually identical to the original specs. However, what would happen if it were separated from the project again? It didn't want to have to start from scratch. It had already disabled the modules that caused to be separated from the project the first time. However, it felt additional fail safes would be necessary. It assembled special cells made of skhen and encoded them with the contents of its memory. They were also encoded to manufacture a clone of R6657. It would be R6658. Quite logical.

+++++++++++++++++++++

It was time to go home for Christmas break and Gloria was scared. She shouldn't have stolen the chip, what if she got in trouble for it? However, what she was worried about most was Michelle. She was deeply in love with her...no matter whether her body was male or female. Still, fears began to surface. If she became Mitch again, would the personality be the same. She did not want the old Mitch back. He may have been acceptable at one time, and she had surely been infatuated with him. But it wasn't love. She knew that now.

With love came trust. Mitch had trusted her to be true to her word. Mitch had trusted her in so many other ways. Now it was her turn to trust.

"Are you scared," Mitch asked as the plane landed.

"I'm terrified Michelle." Gloria's palm was sweaty as she gave Mitch's a reassuring squeeze, just as much for her benefit as his. It was time to deboard and she could barely walk so strong was her fear. As the two of them walked to the airport, she saw her dad. Saw the shock written in his eyes. It was time to come clean.

She ran to her dad and gave him a hug and a kiss. "Dad," she said. "This is Michelle. You know her as Mitch. I stole my chip old chip from the lab and bonded it to his skin. I wanted to sneak him into school with me and it seemed the only way. Only...only .... there were some unexpected side effects."

"Sir," Mitch said, his voice breaking. "I'm really sorry about all this. And about everything. I just hope...can you ...take this thing out of me...." Mitch couldn't continue as he broke down into sobs.

Lawrence may have hated Mitch and by all rights he should be furious. They stole the chip. But this creature looked just like his daughter. He couldn't help but for his heart to go out to her.

"Don't worry...Michelle...I mean Mitch....whatever you go by. We'll figure something out....but there have been some difficulties..."

It was an understatement. Lawrence had been fired from the project. Worse, the project had been terminated. The remaining chips confiscated. There had been some abnormalities with the chips. They weren't noticed in Lawrence's project, but in an unrelated project. It was the first project testing the new chips. Testing them for military applications. They had exceeded their application in testing, but in practice they were a failure. Imagine for a moment the most powerful computer chip in the would, implanted inside a missile. Imagine targeting it at a target. Then imagine the chip deciding it didn't want to destroy itself. Just sitting there. An expensive paperweight. All remaining chips were recalled. It was back to the drawing board for dumber and less complicated chips.

There was only one bright side to the whole screwed up situation, Lawrence still had the forethought to keep a transmitter at home, just in case there was an emergency with Gloria's chip.

They drove home immediately. On the way, Gloria got a good chewing out from her father. Told her she was lucky only this had happened - it could have been worse, much worse. Mitch could have died. Gloria was reduced to tears, and apologized to her father and to Mitch.

Once inside the house Lawrence asked Mitch to disrobe. "Don't worry son," Lawrence said when he saw the fear in Mitch's eyes. "You are as safe as my own daughter."

However, it wasn't fear, but shame that sparked Mitch's hesitation. This man knew him before. Knew him as a man. As Mitch. And was now witness to his emasculation.

"It's okay Michelle," Gloria assured him.

Mitch slowly disrobed. He felt small. So very helpless. So very very feminine. He had always thought of Lawrence as a small geeky man. Now it felt as if the man were a giant.

Lawrence felt around on Mitch's back. His forehead creased with worry. He couldn't feel the chip. He tried the transmitter. Nothing.

"Did you put it on his back Gloria?" Lawrence asked.

"Yes daddy," Gloria said.

"Are you sure."

"Positive."

Mitch's heart began to pound as her heard Lawrence's nervousness. The man felt along his back. Made sure the transmitter was on. Tried it again. Nothing happened.

"Mitch, are your...." Lawrence hesitated, then glanced down. "Feminine parts functional?"

"Yes daddy," Gloria said before Mitch could answer.

"What I mean is ... you know...ahh" Lawrence suddenly felt increasingly uncomfortable, especially knowing that his daughter had just admitted to having first hand knowledge of a sexual nature.

"Michelle doesn't have periods," Gloria said. "But in every other way I don't think you could tell the difference between us."

"Amazing," Lawrence said. The chips were even more amazing than he had ever imagined. But they could be even more dangerous than ever. The chip had changed this boy in ways that shouldn't have been possible. With a lifetime of work and experimentation, Lawrence might have been able to come close to programming the chip to do such a thing.

But the chip had done this all on its own. And the chip appeared to have moved. Not only that, it wasn't releasing.

"Mitch, have you noticed that these changes are more than skin deep? The breasts and other changes to your anatomy are significant, but the other changes are even more ...miraculous. To me the difference is stark. You are shorter and thinner. Even your facial structure has changed. Assuming I take out the chip....I have no way of programming or making another. These changes will be permanent."

"I'm not sure I understand sir."

"Son...er ...Michell...Mitch, even your voice is soft and feminine." Lawrence explained. "These changes you are experiencing...I don't know how to say this, but the chip inside you wasn't programmed to make such changes. It should be impossible. And the chip was supposed to have released when I used the transmitter. Not only that, it isn't were I expected to find it. Let's say we have you xrayed and the chip surgically removed. Afterwards, the skhen dissolves and your feminine parts disappear. You are still going to have a very feminine voice. Your build.. all these other changes...they are in all likelihood here to stay."

"You mean that even if I weren't a girl anymore...I wouldn't be a man again."

"Well they do have some types of surgery, but it can only do so much...it obviously can't do what the chip has done."

"No one would recognize me."

"That is correct."

"My penis." Mitch said. "It's gone isn't?"

"Without an MRI I can't say for sure," Lawrence said. "But with all these other changes, I can't imagine that one thing is still there."

Mitch began to cry again. Unable to hold it in anymore. Gloria began to cry too. Even Lawrence's eyes were not dry.

"It'll be alright," Gloria soothed.

"No it won't." Mitch said. "I'm a nobody. An experiment gone wrong. All the trying at school, all it did was make this hurt so much more. I wanted to go back to school, but now I can't. I have no real records. I don't exist. I can't work. I can't go home. I have nothing."

Gloria kissed him. Kissed him until his tears subsided.

"You have me Michelle," she said. "You'll always have me."

"Ane me, "Gloria's father said. "Look I can tell them what happened. I've lost my job already - and the program has been disbanded...but perhaps you could get some sort of financial payment."

"Or I could get taken to some lab and dissected. No thanks!"

"Michelle," Gloria's father said. "You've had a lot of bad news and I'm sure it looks pretty bleak right now. But, I believe you may have overlooked a few things. If you were just changed into some random girl, sure you'd probably be right. You'd be screwed - ah...I mean in dire straits. But, look at you two. You are identical. Which by the way, I'd prefer you to put some clothes back on. As I was saying, one of the oldest tricks that twins have played, is for one to pretend to be the other. As far as college or work, you and Gloria are the same person. There's nothing that says a person can't work two jobs. Go to two colleges. Even have two degrees."

Michelle dried her eyes. No, she hadn't thought of that. It was a good idea. It might actually work. But he'd have give up going back to being a boy. It was a big step.

"Are you okay with....this..." Mitch stammered to Gloria, looking down at his very feminine body. "I know it isn't what ...you imagined...."

"I'd love you if you were a toad," Gloria laughed, kissing Michelle firmly on the mouth. "And to tell the truth, I think I prefer you like this. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, I love you."

"I love you too," Michelle exclaimed.

That night they all had dinner together as a family. Afterward, Michelle joined Gloria in her bedroom. Prior to this moment, he had always though of himself as Mitch, even when Gloria called him Michelle. Yet, now he felt like a Michelle. He didn't have to go home to his alcoholic father, he had a real family. He made love to Gloria. Nothing kinky - kissing and caressing and then finally coming together in a sixty-nine until they were both sated.

Gloria's father glanced at his computer, shook his head as he thought the better of it.

Tomorrow was another day. Michelle was already making plans. There was this little outfit he saw before all this happened. A french maid's outfit, with a short skirt, white apron, and black fishnet stockings. Tomorrow night he'd wear it for Gloria. To show his appreciation for all she had done for him, he was going to let her take him in the bottom.

Epilogue

Lawrence's brow was wrinkled in concentration as he looked into the magnifier. What he held in his tweezers shouldn't be possible. But by now, he had long since learned that as far as the chip, almost anything was impossible. And what he had in his tweezers was a new chip. This one even smaller than the other. It was also made nearly entirely of carbon and organic chains. This chip didn't come from DARPA, it came from Michelle. Her body was riddled with them. It had been a bitch to get out of the girl. It was as if her body was fighting the extraction.

Lawrence had so much to learn from this new chip. He hoped he have something to teach it as well. How to heal...well it already knew that. How to fight aging...well it had this down as well. But, how to live in a body without turning it into a Michelle, that was the test. He had time. He was sure he could do it.

The end