"We did it!" Dr. Scott said to his team and the Bio-Chem lab. "The Medusa virus is unlike any that has been created before. It lives up to all lab expectations."

      "We still need to know how it effect a human host." Dr. McDonald replied as the other doctors nodded into agreement. They each held up a piece of string. "Short one gets chosen?"

      Dr. Scott drew the short string and thought if the virus worked on her like it did the monkey, she'd be perfect and beautiful forever.

      "Okay then." Dr. Scott said as they each drew the strings and Dr. Scott drew the short one. "I guess my wife is the subject. She's expecting her period. Also since she just had her period any day now so I'll wait to give her a fake flu shot till after it's finish. We don't want her getting suspicious when her biological functions cease."

                  NOW

      Jem Scott was sitting on the edge of her bed, with one leg folded under the other and brushing her hair when he husband came home. He put his briefcase to one side, removed his tie and hat. He went upstairs to where he found his wife.

      "Hi honey, I'm home." Dr. Scott said as he gave her a kiss. He then check the vile with the virus in it and tried to hid his worried look from her. "As I promise, I brought the you your flu shot so you don't have to go down to the doctor. I'm just glad you're on vacation so we can spend time together."

      "Thanks dear." Jem held out her arm and looked away as he injected the virus into her arm.

      "There." Dr. Scott breathed a sigh of relief. "All done. This may make you weak for a couple of hours so why don't you lay down and get some rest."

      Jem just smiled as she climbed under the covers. He pulled the sheet up to her neck and head down to the kitchen to fix himself a snack. He wanted to be alert to mark down the first states of the virus when it appeared as blemishes on her skin.

      The next morning, Jem rolled out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. She dropped to her hands and knees before the toilet and threw up into it. Dr. Scott rolled over and rubbed the sleepy seeds from his eyes when he turned toward his wife. "You alright, hon?"

      "If I hadn't just finished my period, I'd say it was morning sickness." Jem said between throwing up. She whipped the outside of her mouth, rinsed the inside and brushed her teeth. "I'm sure I'll be find after I get something in my stomach."

      Dr. Scott just smiled as Jem eat her eggs. She was too woozy to notice that her finger nails were the same color as the rest of her skin. He took a mental notice of the first blemish to put in his files while having only a moment of regret about what he was doing.

      It wasn't until she started on the breakfast dishes that she notice what her husband had already notice. Making sure that he wasn't around, she slipped into her room and covered the blemish up with bright pink polish.

      "Something wrong honey?" Dr. Scott asked.

      "N...no, nothing." Jem replied a bit nervous.

      She remained nervous until she watched her husband drive off toward work. By this time the discoloration of her skin had covered both hands. She put on a pair of white gloves that slipped on almost effortlessly before taking her own car down to the doctor's office.

      She sat nervously in the waiting room with an issue of Cosmo when she notice how stiff her fingers seemed to be. When she got in to see the doctor, she removed the gloves and showed him her hands. He had notice how much concentration it took how to move her fingers.

      After a full exam, the doctor was more than a little stump. "I'm sorry Mrs. Scott, but outside of premature arthritis, nothing seems to be wrong."

      At the same time in Bio-Chem Labs, Dr. McDonald lowered the lights as Dr. Scott and Dr. Checkers set up the equipment. Moments later, the scientists were watching Jem's brainwave paten and the blood sample taken during the night. "Things are going as expected. Like the monkey, she is going through the first signs of transformation. If things work out, the elderly and sick will be able to live on forever in the bodies they've always dreamed of."

      "Forget about paying a fortune to have yourself frozen." Dr. Checkers joined in. "Not when you can have your body changed into the body of a fashion model or movie star when brought back. This will be the wave of the future. We'll own the rights to rake in the dough."

      "Keep us inform of her process and we'll finish going over what we already have." Dr. McDonald said as he saw the look on his partners face. "Not having second thoughts are you? She could die if the process is interrupted."

      "No. No second thought." Dr. Scott said realizing he had no choice if he wanted her to live.

      When Dr. Scott returned home that evening, he found his wife in bed with her feet under the sheets and evening gloves stretching to just below the shoulders. She gave a fake smile trying to convince him that nothing was wrong.

      "You cold honey? Didn't I get you that shot in time?" Dr. Scott gave fake concern as he made sure his arm pushed the blanket off her. He noticed that Jem's toes had fused together and her pale feet arched downward like she was wearing invisible heels. "What happened?"

      "I...I don't know dear." Jem stuttered as she removed her gloves. "When this happened this morning, I went to the doctors and even he couldn't figure out what was happening."

      "You went to a doctor?" Dr. Scott asked.

      Jem just nodded solemnly. "I was scared."

      "I just hope I didn't carry any germs here from the lab." Dr. Scott said with as much fake worry as he could muster. "I could be a carrier and you're infected."

      "If work got out and the lab closed, we could loose the house." Jem answered.

      "Better than loosing you." Mr. Scott said as he turned away with a smile. "I'll get my team studying your problem. Why don't I pack you a over night bag and we can have the boys look you over."

      "Okay." Jem said weakly as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up on her tip toes. "I don't think I can walk."

      "I've got an idea, but I don't think you'll like it." Dr. Scott said as he glanced over at his wife's dress maker's dummy. "It does have wheels to get you from here to the car and then from the car to my lab. That is if you don't mind."

      "I can't just lay in bed while this gets worst." She said as he removed the limbless form off the pole and set it in a chair.

      With permission, Dr. Scott lifted his wife up and made a mental note at how light she felt. She let out a slight moan as the rod slide up her night shirt and penetrated her ass. This was followed by a slight smile.

      "Honey, you alright?" Dr. Scott asked with genuine concern.

      "Uh-uh." Jem continued to smile. "This is actually an erotic turn on if you want to know."

      "Okay." Dr. Scott said with a snicker as he wheeled her out to the car. Picking her up off the rod, he set up into the front seat. He found it hard to bend her knees into a sitting position. He took notice of blemishes on her lower legs and specks about her knee caps. He then put the rod in the car of the car and got in himself.

      "Hello, Dr. McDonald." Dr. Scott said on the car phone. "It seems that my wife might of picked up some sort of bug that I brought home from work. Normal doctors couldn't find anything wrong and she insisted that I bring her in for a look over. Bring Dr. Checkers back to the lab and we can give her the once over. Right. Talk to you then."

      "Don't worry dear." Dr. Scott smiled over at his wife. "Everything will be all right."

      "I've always trusted you with my life." She smiled back.

      When they arrived at Bio-Chem Labs, Jem found herself planted back on the pole. Dr. Scott had to really apply pressure to straighten her bent knees and lock them back into place. Both her legs seem to be entirely made of plastic now. He then pulled out a dildo and slid it effortlessly into her sex. "I brought this to keep you entertain why my assistants and I figure this all out."

      As Dr. Scott and his assistants pretended to find a cure, Jem found a burning sensation where the dildo was humming its merry little tune. As she reached stiffly down to her vagina, she found it had seal into mound as smooth as any of her childhood dolls. The idea of the vibrating dildo trapped forever inside her instantly sent her into an orgasm.

      When she first tired to tell her husband about what had just happened, the waves of pleasure kept her from speaking. After a while she realized it wasn't just the dildo. One of the blemishes had appeared on her throat and stolen her vocal cords from her.

      As the hours went by, Jem just stood silently on her support rod. It hadn't even occurred to her how long it had been since she had the need to eat or go to the bathroom. It was like her biological functions had started to cease. Like being in a prison without walls, she turned her head stiffly toward a mirror. She notice her mouth were redder than normal and her breasts looked fuller. Even without external support, they remained erect.

      After Dr. Scott and his assistant finished their research, they went up to her. Dr. Scott touched Jem's left breast with his finish and notice how unnaturally firm it was. Dr. McDonald noted the same thing had happened with her ass.

      "The findings for the Medusa Virus is right as expected." Dr. Checkers said as he make his markings on his note pad. "The first of our suspended animated mannequin people."

      "Good thing your wife got picked." Dr. McDonald added. "Since she works as a living mannequin, she can continue at her old job. You just have to explain that she asked you to drop her off and pick her up at work just before she lost her voice."

      "Now we can get the government grant we need to become millionaires." Dr. Checkers added. "I want my nagging wife next. I've not only wanted to always be married to a model, but to see her silent for once. I could even rent her out to a local store and let her bring in side money for a change."

      "As much as I love my wife, I'd better do the same." Dr. McDonald added. "Our wives are too close to one another. Until we get the paten rights secure, we can't let any of our blabber mouths learn what happened to Jem."

      Dr. Scott nodded in agreement.

      That evening, Dr. McDonald and Dr. Checkers made love to their wives for the very last time. After which they used a chloroform spray to knock them out. When the girls awoke, they found themselves side by side in a double bed. Each had a length of chain shackling an ankle to a bed leg and a pair of handcuffs holding their arms against the bed frame behind their heads.

      "What are you doing to us, Richard?" Dr. McDonald's wife screeched.

      "While you were out, we've injected each of you with our new virus." Her husband gently replied as he wheeled Mrs. Scott into view.. "Before anyone has time to miss you, you'll be as perfect as Mrs. Scott turned out."

      "Th...That's a mannequin." Mrs. Checkers cried. "Donald, what kind of monster are you?"

      "One who has found a way to give people the type of bodies they've always dream of."

      "By murdering them in the process?" Mrs. McDonald cut in. "The type of dream by only the undertaker gets to enjoy seeing."

      "They are far from dead." Mr. Scott explained. "Merely in a suspended animation. Unlike when you pay to have your body quick freeze, you're not even put to sleep with our process. You know how much you're admired for your new body."

      "Speaking of freezing, honey." Dr. Checker looked toward his wife. "You two must be cold sitting in the bed in your birthday suits. "Dr. McDonald and I each packed you an over night bag so that you'll have plenty to be dressed in while here. For now a bra and pantyhose should do."

      &nChained up, the girls could do little to stop their husbands from dressing them. Before pulling the hose over their hips, each put a dildo into their sex. Once inside, the hose was pulled snuggly up and the husbands ran their hands over the cotton panels. "Just a little pleasure while you wait to be transformed."

      As the girls hips started to rock, they moaned softly. Each were in too much pleasure to even notice the blemishes that appeared on their feet and legs under the hose. Not to mention those on their chest, hands and face.

      The scientist all took notice of the time as the stages first appeared. They also made note of the time when their rocking hips became immobile. They knew each of the girls where coming along internally when they mouths continued to make movements, but no moan or any other sound came out.

      Dr. Checkers ran his hand over the rigid butt of his wife, while Dr. McDonald removed the bra from his. Mrs. McDonald's breasts didn't drop in the slightest and Mrs. Checker's butt made a hollow sound when tapped.

      "They seem to be coming along ever faster than Mrs. Scott." Dr. McDonald noted. "It would seem the chemicals that makes up the chloroform seems to speed up the transformation process. How interesting."

      The following day, Apollo's Department Store had three naked mannequins rented out to them. The three plastic girls had waves of erotic pleasure surge through their forms as the store dresser choose outfits for each of them. Mrs. Scott was placed in a thin blue sun dress with a matching ribbon on her large brim hat and sandals. Mrs. McDonald was placed to her right in a red tank top and white shorts. Mrs. Checkers found herself standing in a high collar red sleeveless dress with slits up both sides and matching pumps.

      "Are we ready to go down the paten office?" Dr. Scott asked his two partners at the lab. They made sure that their research material were in a brief case and headed out the door. As Dr. Checkers turned to leave; however, he elbowed a flask of the virus that got knocked over into the sink. The virus traveled down the lab's drain and into the city's drinking water.

      THREE HUNDRED YEARS LATER:

      "It seems to be a distress signal." A young man in a decorated military uniform said as the planet earth appeared on the ship's monitor. "Third planet in the solar system, directly ahead."

      "Atmosphere capable of supporting our life." The first officer turned to the captain. "Shall we investigate?"

      "I think we can risk a minion away team." The captain said as he and the first officer joined the ship's doctor and geologist in their shuttle craft. "Eagle one ready for take off. Launching now."

      The shuttle landed in the middle of a small town. The old buildings falling apart from lack of use and the streets deserted. "This is horrible. What could of wiped out the town...the planet." The doctor said as he took a sensor reading for life.

      "Get out!" A voice suddenly cried out as a man ran up in rags and knocked the doctor to the ground. As the doctor fought back, the captain and first officer had to work together to pull the man off. The man fought back, and forced the captain into a fight. With each punch thrown, the strangers movements became more sluggish.

      "Get out!" Was all he'd say, as the man was knocked onto his back and didn't get up. The first officer bent over him and rapped on his check bone only to get an echoing sound from it.

      "Hollow, captain." The first officer said as the doctor examined him. The life reading just seemed to get weaker and then stabilized at a point where it barely registered. "If he didn't attack us, I'd say he wasn't even alive."

      "The blemishes he had seemed to fuse together and coat his skin over the this plastic substance." The doctor said. "He's in the type of suspended animation that our people use to use to travel between worlds. Before light speed came about that is."

      Hearing the giggling of children echoing from the seemingly empty buildings, the group of space soldiers split up along the street. They started to take readings for airborne viruses and radiation fallout. "Is someone here?" The captain asked. "If you can hear me, we mean you no harm. You can come out."

      As the captain opened the cellar door, he looked down and saw a young girl crouched in the basement. She was barefooted and dressed in rags for a dress. The captain notice that she had blemishes on her chest, hands and legs.

      "Don't hurt me." She whimpered.

      "It's okay." The captain said as he helped her to the top of the stairs. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are there anyone else around?"

      "You're not going to hurt?" The girl asked.

      "Course not." The captain replied. "Why would you be afraid of us."

      "You're grown ups." The girl answered back. "Grown ups only hurt and die."

      "You say the grown ups died." The doctor asked. "Is that why the streets are so empty."

      "Of course." The girl turned away to hide her face. "First the blemishes appear. Then you die."

      At the same time, the first officer used his tracer to follow a weak life signal. Going to a window, he rubbed the dust away with his shirt sleeve. Peaking inside, he saw it filled with finely dressed mannequins with the best looking bodies he'd ever seen. He was about to look inside when giggling from across town caught his attention. He headed in its direction with weapon drawn.

      "Guards!" The first officer called as he heard more giggling coming from a buildings upper floor. As they arrived, he began climbing up a fire escape. "You cover me while I go in."

      As he reached the window, the ones inside started to throw rocks at him. Force back down the ladder, he heard a scrambling across the room. When he looked again, it was empty. Shadows moved along a side street and out of view.

      "Did you find anything?" The captain asked as his party returned to the building they made their headquarters.

      "The buildings aren't as deserted as we thought." The first officer replied. "Whoever they aren't, they don't want anything to do with us."

      "Because grown ups hurt." The girl said again. Her gentle voice trailed off as she looked at the captain's hand and saw a blemish. "But you're different, you don't..."

      "You have the blemishes." She said with a tear in her eye. "Now you're going to die too."

      "What is she talking about?" The first officer asked.

      "Seems that these marks are the first stages of the virus that froze our greeter upon our arrival." The captain explained as he lead the group the shuttle. "Eagle one to Flagship. Don't send any more personal to the surface. If they come, they'll be infected with a virus."

      "What are your orders sir?" The second commander asked.

      "We'll keep in touch while using the shuttle's science lab to try to find a cure." The captain stated with a sigh. "If we don't find a cure in 48 hours, break orbit and return to base. That's an order."

      "Aye sir."

      Locating a place called Bio-Chem Labs, the ship's doctor took tissue samples of each and began to run blood tests on the disease while the others started to go through dusty research book to find out what it was and if there was a counter agent.

      "At least we have our own equipment." The doctor said as he ran scan over himself and the others. "My fingers are becoming so stiff that I wouldn't be able to handle the antique equipment this place offers. I haven't a clue to its cause."

      "The older you are, the quicker it spreads." The girl said as she touched his ridged hand and felt its plastic smoothness. "That's why there is so few of us left."

      "I guess it is tough to meet someone you love and have kids with such short life spans." One of the guards said as he leaned against a desk. "I don't know if I could find miss right in such a place as we find here."

       "Short life?" The girl said in a confused state.

      "You're only 13 and you're already showing states of the virus." The doctor answered as politely as he could. "If you don't have kids soon, the population will die out."

      "I'm 313 years and nobody has ever had kids." The girl said as everyone stared at her in a start. "What is here is all there is and have been. There are never been replacements."

      "Practically immortality." The first officer declared. "Interesting."

      "Not practically." The captain corrected. "Actual. The virus first slows their life span and then make them living plastic statues. True immortality, but not a fate that I'd wish on any of the crew. If there's a cure, we'll find it before what happened to the grown-ups happens to us."

      "Grown ups." The doctor declared. "That's it. The hormone changes that happens have got to be the key to the virus and the cure."

      "Eeeeek!" A woman covered in blemishes screeched as she lost her voice. She leapt on the Captain's back like a monkey, biting and scratching. The captain grabbed her arm and flipped her to the floor of the lab. The girls back slapped on the floor just before it completely hardened into plastic.

      "Melcia!" The mysterious 13 year old screeched as she ran off to another room in tears. Before the captain could react, younger kids shot out from every direction. They scattered and confused the alien group so to escape with their frozen friend and place her on a display stand somewhere.

      The guards went after them, but soon lost them. They returned just when they came across Dr. Scott's notice. "This is it. At least what hasn't been destroyed on purpose or by age." The doctor flipped through the notes. "Seems they've been working on a virus that would preserve the sick and elderly until a curse for whatever was wrong with them was found. Obviously it must of either mutated or escape to infect the entire population."

      "The population and then the planet." The captain added.

      A clattering sound on the ground drew their attention. The captain looked down to see one of the guard's guns on the ground. "Sorry, Captain." The guard apologized. "My fingers are so stiff that I can no longer hold on to the weapon. I'll keep it in the holster so the kids can't get hold of it."

      The few hours later, the computers finished computing the data from Dr. Scott's notes. The antidote that was once lost, was rediscovered . The alien doctor used the formula to recreate it and injected it into himself. The captain watched as blemishes soon vanished from his body one by one. After which he passed the cure out to the Captain and the rest of the infected crew.

      "Take this." The captain said he injected her with the cure. "When we leave here, we leave the cure with you in hopes that you can pass it on to the others."

      "Thank you." The girl said with a smile as she watched the blemishes start to fade from her body one at a time. The stiffness gone and full movement returned to her. "I'll try my best to see that everyone else gets your magic."

      "It isn't magic, but your welcome." The captain said with a pause. "I don't believe I ever did ask what your name was."

      "It's Link." She smiled as he nodded and boarded the shuttle. She waved and was soon joined by those coming out of hiding as Eagle 1 took off and flew beyond the atmosphere to their flagship in orbit. With the captain's order, the ship soon left orbit to refuel at the nearest star base. "Take us out of here ensign."

      "Aye sir."

      THE END