First rejuve/Page1

Violet walked unsteadily on her feet as she pondered around the room, trying to guess how her new body would act and test it out. She was waiting at the moment for her husband to come back and had, until then, been placed in the play room that she and her husband had designed for testing her new body. Barely four feet high her new body was wobbly and her feet seamed to have a mind of their own. ‘Either that or my muscles are slightly distressed from the process.’ she thought. ‘Having your body forcefully halved in mass and reconstructed would naturally effect muscle toning!’ She knew this in her head. But even so, the dress was unforgivable. Tony had told her he would have a nice cute outfit for when they met the directors of the board but she had expected something that would be at least formal. Like a school uniform or something - rather when her husband had dressed her this morning he had pulled out and shown her a knee length frilly dress with a big yellow ribbon and Janice Virtual Idol image on the back. Violet put a few more wooden blocks on top of the others. This was a simply motor and recognisance test that she herself had set and therefore couldn’t get out of. In front of her was a picture consisting of 100 wooden blocks constructed in a large multi-layer tower similar to the Eiffel tower. It was going good so far, although the colours weren’t matching well she suspected.

Violet looked up as the automatic door to the ‘Test Room’ opened and got to her feet to run towards her husband, tripping part way then getting up again and wrapping her arms around her partner’s waist. “I’m nearly done Daddy!” she said, “My muscwels aren’t workee right but I’m gettin dere!” Violet did a double take and turned to the scientists and officials piling in behind her husband. Delivering a small curtsie she greated, trying to keep her voice as grown up as possible. “Welcome to our Speriment gentlemen! I am Violet Asuhara, age 42. Currently six years old!” She looked up at the men in front of her and saw skepticism. “I’m sure you have read our brief.” the older man explains, “This girl, formerly my wife but now my Daughter is the first Human Test Subject of the recovered Rejuvenation Chambers.” “I saw the data and the video clip of the process. Eight hours in a suspension chamber flooded with strange radiation and you get this?” “You were expecting maybe the Hulk?” Violet snapped, her hazel eyes flashing - Tony put a hand on the little girl’s head. This was another sideeffect they would have to work on. “I suspect they were hoping for something older.” he tells his daughter, “Gentlemen, the very fact that she has become physically younger at all instead of just physically smaller but still the same age is a huuge acomplishment!” “We think its something to do with memory space...” Violet mumbled, “Anything that doesn’t fit into the buffer gets purged in the rejuve.” “I see!” Violet looked up at a big man with a long handlebar moustache and had to resist laughing. “So, anyone who goes through this process will become six years old?” “No”. Tony responded, “The mass and data seam to be contained by a large set of crystals that control the flow of energy within the chamber.” “We think theres an error with the information transfer between the crystals!” “With some work on it we should be able to achieve older ages but likely no older than 12, by human standards. The Drakonian’s who have also been experimenting with the technology have been getting younger ages but we think that’s because females of their specie are so well, large!” Violet looked up at her partner with a grin on her face. It was good when they talked in sync like that!

“Come with me please!” she spoke to the adults, and began to quickly walk over to where she had been performing the cognitive tests. “As you see, rejuve is mostly a body process! Here I have been performing maths tests!” she indicates a chalkboard on which she had been attempting to perform some advanced calculus. “The writing is terrible!” Violet frowned, “I cant seam to write properly now but I think if you check the maths its on the ball! No other six year old can do that!” There was nodding all around. “And over here I’ve been doing Cognitive, trying to construct a building as accurately as possible!” “Playing with blocks now are we?” a nerdy looking man snickered. “It’s a perfectly valid test!” Violet snapped back. Tony made a face and looked at Violet. She was loosing her temper fairly regularly at the moment, normally a very reserved woman - back when she was a woman - snappish comments and comebacks like this were not common. Bending down he lifted Violet’s chin and looked into her face, she was fighting him and pouting him. “If this is about the dress then I’m sorry!” he said quietly, using the chance provided as the other scientists looked over Violet’s maths and confirmed it. “It’s not that!” “Then what?” Violet shrugged, “I dunno. I’m tired I guess. It’s another thing, on top of all the other problems rejuvenation causes!” Violet smooths her dress, causing a crinkling sound as the large cloth and plastic nappy covering her bottom half wrinkled and moved.

“You should go lay down then. You kno - “ “So, Tony. It seams to be correct like she says and I dare say looking at the other tests around the room that things are turning up trump! So, inside she’s still an adult?” Violet’s jaw set and she gripped her husband’s pant-leg as though daring him to say otherwise. He hesitated and then with a sigh responded, “Honestly, it doesn’t seam that way. We’ve been doing experiments with the results and it seams when you put water in a jar, it becomes jar shaped!” “Jar shaped?” this question was from what looked like a government official. “Yes, Mr Bossle -” “I think I know this,” a female scientist interrupted, “Your saying that by putting an adult mind into a child’s body it has taken on childish attributes.” Violet resisted the urge to stamp on the woman’s foot. “Indeed. In fact I have been drawing up recommendations for the medical and child welfare boards directly in regards to this. My first recommendation is that in spite of their adult minds Rejuve’s be expected to be treated more like children!” Violet went wide eyed at this “Wait, What!” “And that children under the age of nine be required to have full time care or be placed in childcare along with people equipped to handle the child’s well. Rehabilitation! At least until we figure out how to make children over the age of ten.”

“Tony! NO!” Violet grabbed her husband by the arm and dragged him away. “I gather there’s trouble in paradise!” the politician joked to the scientists. Tony struggled to keep up. “Tony!” Violet commanded, “We didn’t discuss this! We Always discuss things! Equal Partnership Remember!” Violet purposely pulled the older man’s arm so that he she didn’t have to crane her neck up so heavily. “I know but well -” Violet picked up the nervousness in Tony’s voice. “But what?” “Look around you at the tasks you’ve been performing. I mean, seriously look!” Violet did a double take as she was turned around and she looked. At first she saw the tests, the block puzzle, the maths test, the board where she’d been writing, the doll she’d dressed, the … the... Violet’s eyes widened and a frown appeared on his face. The writing was primitive, she’d been having to hold it in a fist to hold on and it made her hands sore. The clothing she’d put on a doll had been spacious - she had been unable to put in the shoes and the buttons had caused her trouble so she had used things with zips. And the blocks, it was well built but.... “I really am childish aren’t I...” she concluded, and sniffed. ‘Oh no! I’m not going to cry, I’m Not going to do this!” she scolded herself, “It’s not fair - I thought I’d have more control than this!” Despite her instructions to herself she felt her face screwing up and tears starting to well in her eyes.

Standing, Tony turned to the scientists and government officials. “Gentlemen, ladies. If you will please all adjourn to the Meeting Room then I’ll be with you in a moment!” Violet stood there and rubbed her hands on her eyes as Tony shuffled the other adults out of her room. For some reason the tears were not stopping and this was just the Latest problem. When tony came back and placed his arms around her Violet leaned in to the kiss. “Your still my woman!” Violet sniffed and stifled a sardonic laugh. “I’m a child now.” “Your still a woman and your still my wife!” Tony insisted, “You need to think about this creatively. Think of it like another experiment!” Violet snorted, snot and tears were starting to plaster across her face and she was grateful when Tony brought out a handkerchief. “It seams my whole life is an experiment lately!” she replied. “I wanted to become young, and it fixed all my issues AND cured my cancer. But I sometimes wonder if the treatment was too extreme.” Violet kept her hands by her side and allowed her face to be cleaned. Then accepted the kiss on the lips that followed. “Starting monday you’re going to be attending a childcare center.” Tony said, “The carers there will be told about it and they will help to rehabilitate you so you can learn to walk and run and do everything that you used to sooner rather than later!” Violet sniffed and put her arms around Tony, holding the much larger man. “I understand.” she responded. “Now, I rather think you should go have a lay down.”

Tony guided the young girl across the room to the large Futon Lounge and sat the sniffing girl down on it before placing a light blanket over-top. “Once you’ve rested and regained your composure please, by all means, come and help out with the rest of the presentation.” Tony put a box of tissues near the lounge and dimmed the lights to the room as he left. Once the door was closed he groaned. “What have I let myself in for!”