To say that Max had lived an altogether boring life wouldn’t be much of an understatement. He, by no means, hated his life. As a matter of fact, he enjoyed it for what it was worth. Upon receiving the confirmation email to work at the closest NewLight Industries branch to him, it stopped him in his tracks from the sheer shock and joy of it all. This, perhaps, wasn’t for the best in that particular moment, as he was about to get off the train and was about four stops along before the elation had finally faded and he realised he now was miles from home. The job in question was a research assistant in their R&D department, which sounded more exciting than it actually was. Occasionally, he and the team would get to test various experimental devices and gadgets and even the odd thingamabob, but most of it was just meetings and paperwork and spreadsheets and the excitement that he had a year ago had started to wane. However, this soon changed with the newest project that he and a few select others had been chosen to work on: size reduction technology. The project was being kept under the tightest of wraps, only those on the team and the higher ups were to know. He’d been so blindsided at the opportunity, he hardly read the several NDA’s he was ‘encouraged’ to sign.

The size reduction machine - affectionately named the Shrink Shack - sat in a sealed off room with an observation window to the control room, various cables and wires connecting to the walls and ceiling high above. The machine itself was more of a large metallic pod with a round door that would magnetically seal once activated, not opening again until the size reduction cycle had been completed. The testing had been going somewhat promising, objects being able to be reduced by as much as seventy-two times their original size. However, things got a little more complicated when they decided to test this on organic subjects. They started with an apple, placing it in the Shrink Shack and went for a mere 15% reduction. At first, the results looked promising. The apple started to contract and the results on the monitors told them that the reduction had indeed started to take hold. The celebrations were cut, ironically, short when the apple reached around 10% reduction, suddenly expanding rapidly and covering the inside of the pod with chunks of apple.

“Well, at least we found an interesting way to make apple sauce,” said Ava next to Max, nudging him playfully. She was around Max’s age, and had started not long before he had. Her auburn hair was tied in a neat updo, and she perhaps would’ve come up to his shoulder even in heels. While he didn’t know her that well, she seemed nice, even if it seemed wherever he was, she’d inevitably end up gravitating to him on any given shift. Max gave a polite chuckle back, before doing his best not to get noticed. The last thing he wanted was to be picked to clean that mess up. Again. As the weeks turned to months, the project continued to stump the entire team. They’d made marginal improvements here and there, but apparently things of a more squishable nature just didn’t want to be shrunk.

The New Year rolled around, and in an effort to lift the spirits of the team, the project leaders had decided that it would be good for them to have a party and enjoy themselves, on pain of a meeting with middle management. Max stood near the back of the office room that had been hired out for this, currently thanking whatever deity was listening that drinks had been included while Vivienne gave a speech. She was older than him, perhaps in her early-to-mid thirties, and almost as tall. Max admitted that he had a mild crush on her, although he’d never pursue it. She was a woman with her act together, while he considered Instant Ramen to be a delicacy.

“-a tremendous job this year,” she said, voice powerful even from where Max was standing. “We’ve had several new recruits and they’ve all done exceptionally, except one. You know who you are.”
The crowd laughed. Vivienne waited to speak again.
“However, when we come back in a week, I expect the very best from you. We’ll face whatever comes at us as a team. Now fuck off and get drunk.”
The crowd cheered and started to pair off into their various cliques. Max, for his part, stayed where he was.
“I think she just likes to hear herself talk,” came a familiarly playful voice. Max lazily turned his head to Ava, who leaned against the wall. She was wearing a rather form fitting blouse and skirt, ditching her usual flats for some heels. At that moment, he couldn’t help but think how attractive she looked right now. This thought came as a surprise to him, he’d never even so much as glanced at her that way before. Max took a moment to drink in the sight before answering.
“I hear she gets paid by the word,” he said, laughing at his own joke perhaps a little too much, he was that kind of drunk.
“And not by the syllable?” Ava joked along, sliding up next to him, words slightly slurred.

“Company cutbacks,” he quipped.

“Damn cutbacks.”

“Ghastly.”
“The worst.”
The two laughed, a moment of silence falling between them. Several thoughts sluggishly crossed his mind, before mentally backspacing out of each as they came. He opened his mouth before he gave up, and covered it by taking another sip from his glass. A moment dragged by as he thought of something clever to say, but nothing came.

“Hey, wanna see something cool? Together? Away from here?” Ava said, breaching the silence.

“Yep,” he said instantly, downing the drink.

*

Max felt the wall bump into him as Ava kissed him, her hands cupping his head. She was surprisingly forceful, and a part of him actually kind of liked it. His own hands went to her head, fingers sliding through her soft hair, but before long they started to make their way south. One hand cupped her ass cheek, while the other was moved onto her breast by Ava herself, gently squeezing it. Ava gave a small low moan, gripping him harder. They’d managed to find their way to the testing lab, several floors down from the party above. Almost guaranteed that nobody would disturb them. A stray thought buzzed in his ear, but he couldn’t hear it over, well, everything right now. Her tongue peeked into his mouth and he reciprocated in turn. They held the kiss for several moments before she broke it off, looking up at Max with a face that even the blind knew what she was wanting. Ever so slowly, she unbuttoned her blouse just enough to tease her impressive bosom. Max gulped, his hands already frantically finishing the job for her. They both leaned into kiss again, sliding along the wall and into the testing chamber as they did. The next thing he knew, Max had his shirt off and belt unbuckled, Ava straddling him in the pod, hips practically gyrating against him. Looking up at her, he took a breath at the woman on top of him, feeling himself start to harden.

But that thought came into his head again. Something was off here. He looked at her again, her eyes half lidded and movements heavy. Just how much had she drank? As soon as the question crossed his mind, he felt the boner die and so did she.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, freezing.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Max said, as gently as he could. “Not here, anyway.”

Ava looked down at him, several emotions flashing across her face at once. She climbed off him, embarrassment now the dominant expression.

“I’m sorry,” she said, voice quivering. “This was - I shouldn’t have…I’m so stupid.”

“No! Hey, hey! No!” Max comforted instantly, sitting up. “It’s just we’ve had a lot to drink, maybe some more than-”
The look on Ava’s face cut him off. A hand covered her chest almost instinctively while the other was on the wall of the pod to steady herself.

“I’m gonna go,” she said, strained. “I’m sorry.”

Before Max could say anything, she climbed out of the pod, closing the door behind her. Well that went great, he thought. An attractive woman throws herself at him and he had to kill the mood. At least he had a clear conscience. Things would be awkward, that he was sure of, but the last thing he wanted was for her to do something without really thinking it through. He sighed, head leaning back against the inner wall of the pod.

“Good job Max,” he grumbled to himself. Getting to his feet a little too quickly, he bumped his head against the top of the inner pod, where the beam came down to shrink whatever the target was. He cursed under his breath, gingerly rubbing his head. Yeah, that figured. Pressing his hand against the pod door, he was surprised to find it didn’t swing open.

“Odd,” he mumbled, pushing harder. Nothing. His eyes widened. No, he couldn’t get stuck here. Nobody was allowed in this, let alone half naked. He pushed harder, with both hands, grunting from the effort. It didn’t even so much as creak. “Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh fuck.”

What now? Nobody was going to be here for a week! Was he just going to be stuck in this thing that whole time? Then fired and likely sued for everything he had. Oh god, he hated New Years.

He didn’t have time to dwell on this, as the nozzle above him he’d bumped into sparked. Before he had time to even question it, there was another spark and light filled the pod.