CHAPTER 4
Joe lay in his bed. He didn't want to get out of it. Even
walking across his small room to the toilet seemed to wear him out.
He'd lost all track of time and didn't know how long he had been
here. Severe diarrhea had afflicted him shortly after his arrival,
he'd lost a lot of weight, and was exceedingly thin. He still
didn't feel quite right, his skin was pasty white, he'd grown a
beard, and his sex drive had vanished. This last worried him most.
Joe had always prided himself on his virility. He couldn't even get
a hard on to masturbate, no matter how erotic his thoughts.
Joe's image was displayed on a video monitor in the conference
room. The doctor in charge of this phase of his treatment addressed
the audience in the room. "Treatment has proceeded along the
determined lines. The administered dosages of the prototype drug
A6D have been effective. Subject's testes are no longer producing
sperm or male hormones and are degenerating. There has been an
ensuing loss of interest in sex as a result. Subject is, in effect,
castrated. I recommend that A6D be commercially developed and made
available to those governments that have expressed an interest in
such a treatment for chronic sex offenders."
"Thank you doctor," said Dr. van Damme. "Your work, as always,
is praiseworthy. Now our genetic engineering department will have
the floor."
A bearded young man, looking barely old enough to be a
graduate student, approached the podium. "As you all know we have
conducted extensive research into recombinant DNA theory. One of
the easiest DNA chains to manipulate is that of the bacteria,
Escherichia coli, which lives in the human digestive tract. A
bacteriophage was introduced into subjects diet which exterminated
all E. coli resident in his body. Subject then consumed foodstuffs
containing our modified species. It has thrived and far exceeded
our expectations."
"This introduced species produces natural estrogenic compounds
as waste, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream through the
lining of the large intestine. Analysis shows that the subject's
hormonal balance is now that of a mature female. The only
difficulty is that it is slightly on the high side. That's not
really of any concern in this case, and we think we've found the
cause. We believe this treatment can be manipulated to do away with
the need for repeated dosages of almost any drug, not just
hormones. Early experiments show a potential for a bacteria that
can produce insulin. Furthermore, I personally feel this line of
research warrants additional inquiry as having the promise to
provide a reversible birth-control 'vaccine'."
Dr. van Damme led the room in a standing ovation for the
researcher. "Thank you very much. If I don't miss my guess, you may
have a Nobel Prize in your future."
Standing up, Dr. van Damme spoke into a small microphone. "You
may commence."
Then she addressed the assemblage. "Well, I'm sure we can all
agree that this subject is making an enormous contribution to
scientific and medical knowledge."
Ignoring the snickering that followed her remark, she
continued. "Next is a demonstration of a product that we hope will
someday be in every beauty salon in the world."
While she spoke, attendants had entered Joe's room and
restrained him to the bed. They were busily attaching connections
between Joe's body and a control board.
Dr. van Damme spoke. "As you know women employ many methods of
depilation. Few opt for electrolysis due to the time, pain, and
expense. We hope this device will change all that. A process has
been developed which we call batch depilation. As you know, when a
person comes in contact with voltage, electrical current passes
through the body, more often than not producing death by
electrocution. An exception to this is electricity at high
frequencies, not the radio frequencies used for some electrolysis,
but rather four hundred cycles per second. This electricity passes
along the skin. What we do is pass high voltage four hundred hertz
power between electrodes attached to the skin, after desensitizing
it. Then, as the current flows, it burns out the hair follicles.
Let's watch a demonstration."
Speaking into her microphone, Dr. van Damme said "You may
proceed with the presentation now."
Joe didn't know what was going on. He offered no resistance,
lacking both the energy and the inclination for such a move. His
skin had been coated with a slimy gel which tingled for a moment
then stopped. Metal bands had been fitted around his body at
various intervals from his feet, up his legs, around his waist,
chest, arms, and even his fingers. He was fitted with a collar and
then a cap, not unlike those used with the electric chair.
The technicians stepped back and threw a switch. There was a
humming sound and Joe felt the skin on his right calf tingle. After
a period it stopped, only to be repeated at another location on his
body. There was the odor of burned hair in the air. Finally, the
bands were removed and a mask was fitted over Joe's face and the
procedure was repeated there. The technicians removed all their
equipment. An aide came in and helped Joe to the bathtub.
Dr. van Damme changed the video pickup to the bathroom and she
and her staff observed as Joe was bathed. They watched with
fascination as the goo was scrubbed from Joe's body, for along with
it came his hair.
All of it!
"As you can see it is quite effective. We can choose the area
to be treated. The process is quick, cheap, and relatively
painless. You will notice that the subject now exhibits no hair
anywhere on his body except in the pubic region."
Joe was put back in bed and administered a sedative. Totally
hairless, and bald as a baby, he drifted off to a gentle sleep.
