They all stared frozen in horror as they swelled out and then as the machine began to suck and they deflated. The alternating inflation and deflation continued for some time until finally stopping at a mid point. The scientist returned and started detaching the hoses.
"So is that it?" asked Jon with a gulp, "Are we..."
"Oh my no," replied the scientist shaking his head, "This is just the first stage. You've all been implanted with artificial wombs. They'll take some time to settle in, so you'll be taken to a relaxation area until you're ready for impregnation."
"Wait," interrupted Karyn, "Why were we given artificial wombs? I get you implanting the guys with them, be me and Sarah already have natural ones."
"Yeah," nodded Sarah in agreement "Why've you messed with us aswell?"
The scientist sighed "As your principal informed you...at least as he should have...this experiment is all about artificial pregnancies and new fertility methods. We need to see how the artificial wombs react in bodies of both sexes."
"Why," asked Trevor, rubbing his belly which had already started to shrink back to normal size.
"Well," replied the scientist, "We need you guys because were hoping to develop a treatment for gay couples to have their own children without the need for surrogacy. You girls are needed because we're hoping that these artificial wombs will enable infertile women and women whose wombs have been damaged to be able to get pregnant. Umm, actually that's why you too were chosen, your medical reports said that you two couldn't have kids."
They'd all nodded through the first part and the second one, but that last statement hit them all like a cold bucket of water.
"Oh my god," sobbed Sarah, clasping her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes. Biff looked at her in shock and if he hadn't still been clamped to the chair would have put his arm around her.
"Karyn," whispered Jon, patting her hand in sympathy.
