The four friends looked at each other with uncertainty. The cold eyes of the two guards stared back at them, boring into their souls.
"I'll... I'll do it," Matt said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he even realized what he'd said.
"Me too," Trevor said, with a nod of his head.
"Alright," Jack said after a few moments of silence.
John sighed, shaking his head as he spoke, "I hate to say it... but I'm in too."
"Excellent decision," Dr. Squires said, turning from the mirror and beaming at each of them, "You've made the right choice."
"So, what exactly is happening to us," Jack asked quietly.
Dr. Squires smiled wickedly, "Hmm, I guess there's no harm in telling you a little bit. After all, you have agreed to be willing subjects, and that deserves a small reward. So, for this part of the experiment, we injected you with a serum that is reversing the puberty process and reverting your bodies to a younger state. We're currently on day five. On day thirty, the process will be complete. So, for the next twenty-five days, you will continue to change from your current state, and we'll be taking plenty of measurements during that time. I'm sure these few weeks will be exciting for all of you."
"Day thirty... wait, w-what?" Trevor stammered, "How can you reverse puberty?"
"Ah, there are so many things that people think are impossible," said Dr. Squires, a devious smile on his face, "The important thing for you to know is that the serum reverses and resets the normal aging process; in preparation for... I almost said too much. So you'll have to wait to find that part out. Now, I think that is everything for today. Now then, these two gentlemen will give you a tour of the area where you'll be staying."
The four friends didn't have time to react before Dr. Squires was striding past the guards and into the hallway beyond. The two guards followed in his wake, leading all four of them toward the living quarters where they would be spending the next twenty-five days.
Matt tried to memorize the route from the observation room to the living quarters, but it was so disorienting that he couldn't tell if he was backtracking or not. Everything looked the same. The sterile halls and plain surroundings looked precisely the same as every other hallway. However, after about 15 minutes of walking, the guards finally stopped in front of a pair of double doors. These doors were made of fine wood, while the other doors Matt had seen in the lab weren’t.
One of the guards tapped his ID badge to a small scanner on the door, and suddenly the doors swung open of their own accord with a slight mechanical hum revealing a long hallway with fancy carpet and wood paneling on the walls. Bright sunlight streamed through large windows that dominated one of the walls while a row of doors lined the other.
A moment later, the guards were moving again, leading the boys down the fancy hallway. Matt looked out the large windows and almost stopped in amazement. The hallway looked out over a garden area though it was unlike anything Matt had ever seen. The plants were thick and lush, green vines wound around stone columns, and broad, sprawling leaves sheltered exotic flowers. Fountains bubbled with water, and flocks of exotic birds fluttered through the air. A large brick path led through the beautiful garden area, and the guards led the group to a large glass door at the end of the corridor.
Matt took one last look at the beautiful garden, and then the door slid open at the group's approach. Beyond was a kitchen and dining room that almost looked like a fancy restaurant more than a cafeteria. Next, the guards led the boys through more sliding doors on the other side of the cafe and into a large open room that almost looked like the lobby to a fancy hotel.
"This is where you four will be living for the time being," one of the guards said, "There are four dorm rooms, two bathrooms, and a cafeteria where you can find all the food you will need. Here are your keys. You'll find your room number on the key. There's also an exercise facility, recreation room, and several other amenities in this area. You are free to use your time however you wish as long as you stay in the living area and don't cause any trouble. We will occasionally be demanding that you participate in several experiments and observations without complaint. Is everything clear?"
The four friends just nodded in acknowledgment as the guards handed each of them a key before heading back the way they came. The boys stood in silence, watching their captor's backs as they strode away.
"So, what now?" Trevor asked once the guards were out of earshot.
"We're going to escape," Jack said quietly, "Though, for the time being, we should probably look around and get our bearings. Besides, we'll need to find out how to reverse the serum they injected us with before we leave, or we'll keep changing."
"And how do you suggest we do that," John asked, rolling his eyes, "Every day we wait, we'll transform a little more, and the younger we get, the harder it will get to do anything."
Jack shot John an annoyed look, "John, do you ever use your head? Sure we won't be as physically strong as we get younger, but there are things we could do as children that we couldn't do in our current forms."
"Such as?"
"Such as fit into tight spaces or move around more stealthily. Sure we are stronger now, and if there's anything we can do that requires physical ability, now would be the time to act, but that doesn't mean that other options won't become available to us as we get younger. So, I'm saying that it doesn't do us any good to act rashly and jeopardize our freedom. Some doors may close as we get younger and smaller, but others may open."
The four friends looked at each other. Jack's argument made sense. Sure they would become younger as time went on, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They should work cautiously and utilize the tools they had when they had them. It could provide several opportunities for escape.
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