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Lab Rats

Written by Leo_Todrius

Supported by my Patrons

Warning: Contains Unusual/Extreme Kinks

Every chapter of human history had been an attempt to outdo the last, pushing the extremes of experience further and further apart. The disparity between the rich and the poor had grown so great that many of the rich had abandoned Earth entirely. The wild swings of the climate were barely held in check by massive atmospheric plants around the globe. Most species of animals were available as virtual pets in augmented reality but had long since left the biosphere. The planetary dysmorphia was something few had time to contemplate in the great city of Matarta.

Most citizens were born, grew old and passed away without actually seeing beyond the city's boundaries. The lower levels were shrouded in a toxic fog and the upper levels pierced the clouds. Vast mountains of industrial complexes and deep channels of aerotravel created landscapes out of the urban sprawl. Construction bots roamed the expansion region like seething leviathans while algaes and molds colored the older buildings shades of yellow, green and blue. Civilians wore respirator masks as they traversed the web like catwalks that crossed the expanses between buildings and public transport ran on tracks like determined yellow caterpillars.

Sometimes, early in the morning, Zeke would look up and imagine that he saw stars or planets, maybe even the moon. It was all lost beneath the ever present greenish-pink clouds that hung over the continent, changing hue slightly from the sun or Matarta's light pollution. The unsettlingly warm and saline air whipped against Zeke's wheat blond hair and his white smock. He stood on the balcony that adjoined the rail station and the edge of one of the city's centermost structures. While those walking around wore countless other shades, Zeke's white smock identified him as an employee of Horizon. As such, he was not at risk of any criminal threat. To take on Zeke was to take on one of the most dangerous corporations in the Solar System.

A soft chime sounded, barely audible over the churning growl of the city itself. Still, Zeke's ears were trained enough to pick it out. He turned, walking along the balcony, pressing his hand to a reader. A door opened, admitting him to a massive marble white structure, rising out of one of the great cavernous gullies like a lone mountain peak. If it hadn't been for the geometrical perfection with which each level broadened outward, it might have been almost beautiful. The structure itself had no visible windows, though presumably the workers could see out… but whatever happened inside was a mystery that even the government did not know about. After all, Horizon would inform the government of what they needed to know when they needed to know it.

Inside, Zeke's senses were trying to adapt. The air was sterile and perfectly controlled for humidity. The walls were clean, as were the floors. There was no artwork, at least in the hallways. What limited signage there was came in the form of pictographic runes that only the initiated could decipher. Zeke always felt a little bit like he was floating when he got to work. The air stopped feeling sticky at the perimeter, stopped oppressing his lungs. It was like he was a ghost in hallowed halls.

Zeke passed a few more individuals in similar white smocks. He hesitated to prevent their paths from intersecting his. They headed into the gray wing, each of them looking tired and drained before even starting work. Zeke had attempted to strike up a conversation with some of them once but he'd only managed to glean that they worked with 'the wraiths'. He had no idea what that meant and was lucky enough to have gotten that much. Zeke continued on, modulating his pace to make up for the lost time. He reached the end of the hall, pressing his hand to another reader. Doors parted, revealing an elevator that Zeke took down… and down… and down.

As Zeke sank, his heart rose in his chest. It felt oddly comforting to be so far away from the rest of the city, away from the head of the Division. When the doors parted, he was greeted by the comforts of his workspace. There were vending machines recessed into the left wall, offices to the right, a small anteroom, and then the laboratories. Zeke walked in, feeling the door whisk shut behind him. As he moved through the anteroom into the lab proper, his eyes were drawn to the glass lined space in the dead center. It had been movement that caught his eye, though his eye swept all over when treated to such a spectacle.

A massive frictionless ring was spinning, propelled by a large, clawed pair of pink leathery feet. They belonged to an anthropomorphic creature a bit taller and brawnier than Zeke. The research assistant stopped, his blue eyes looking up. Strong, fit furry white legs pounded in regular rhythm. A furry white chest rose and fell with perfect timing. A long, furless pink tail with segmented ribs swayed almost hypnotically. Muscular arms swung forward and back, pumping to keep rhythm, and the figure's skull was elongated, his skull stretched into a muzzle tipped by a pink nose. Wiry whiskers came out of his cheeks, though the back of his jaws were covered in a bristly, slightly yellowed hair that was wilder and thicker than the fur, resembling mutton chops on a human. Likewise, a crest of yellowed bristly hair stuck up from between two large fleshy pink ears before cresting down to one side in a sweep.

“Bravo is even more energetic than usual today." One of the scientists said, adjusting his round glasses as he took more notes. Zeke regarded him with a head nod before looking back, unable to keep himself from looking between the rat's legs. A pendulous pair of plump, fat balls were swinging to and fro with the running studs, complimented by a thick tube of manly flesh that draped down over them, swinging like a pendulum.

“Did he have the new supplements?" Zeke asked. The bespectacled scientist nodded.

“Protein shakes and a new cheese blend." he added. Zeke was astonished. He gave the other man a grin before he moved over to one of the desks, logging in with a finger swipe and by tracing a pattern onto the screen. As his terminal woke up, Zeke couldn't help but feel amazed. He'd been working with the lab rats for a few years now, but he'd never seen such rapid results from anything they'd tried. Bravo had been one of the smaller members of the test group and now he was putting olympians to shame. Zeke brought up the results, seeing life-signs and measurements in real time. The white rat continued for almost twenty more minutes before he slowed his pace, stepped off the wheel and grabbed a towel to mop up the sweat from his face. He walked along the narrow hall that connected the research area to the living space at the rear of the lab.

With Bravo having retreated back to his living areas, a glass partition dropped to cordon off the exercise area and two individuals in environmental suits appeared from a ramp in the floor, rising up into the observation area to collect samples and sterilize everything. With the show over, Zeke returned his focus to the computers. Complex formulas and nanocode began to fill the terminal, giving him countless data points to examine and manipulate. Zeke had only made it a few lines in when a giant navy blue rectangle appeared in the middle of his terminal. Zeke's breath caught in his throat.

“What does it say?" His coworker asked, a thirst for chaos sparkling in the corner of his eyes. Zeke shook his head slightly.

“It's nothing, the boss just wants to see me." Zeke said. His coworker couldn't suppress his smile.

“Oh yeah, a level one directive, it's nothing I'm sure." The coworker grinned a little more. Zeke swatted their shoulder hard enough to dislodge their glasses from the well worn crook in his nose.

“Shut up Deckard." Zeke murmured, straightening his smock before accepting his fate. He walked calmly back the way he had come. Deckard adjusted his glasses back into place, the reflection from the computer screens turning them opaque for a moment.

****

Zeke had lost count of how many times he'd walked past the boss's office on the way into work, but he could certainly count how many times he had been inside. This occasion marked the third. Before now; he'd been hired and he'd been promoted. Other works only came in shortly before disappearing from the program. Like any in the division, Athan Joffrey was dressed in pristine white, though his button up silk shirt was capped by a nehru collar and his slacks looked as though they could glide across any surface. Sharp green eyes remained locked on his computer screen, perfectly manicured taupe fingers brushing across the faintly textured surface.

“Ezekiel Wilde… You are rated E15, are you not?" Athan asked without looking up.

“I am, sir." Zeke replied. Athan gave no visible response for a moment.

“And in your HR file, you bequeathed your body to science?" Athan asked. Zeke's lips tightened a little at that. That particular subsection was in the part of the application regarding what would happen if Zeke died, though the donation did come with a particular pay raise while he was living. Had they made a mistake on payroll and he had back dues coming?

“That is correct, sir." Zeke said. At that, finally, Athan looked up. His features were pristine and sharp, his hair immaculate and short. Before working for the Division, Zeke would have called him the least human human he'd ever met, but after working with humanoid rats…

“The Division has elected to offer you an opportunity. A worker at the core of the project has been terminated, leaving need for a handler for the test subjects. Security vetting can take months, if not years, and you are already familiar with the project. There would be hazards, of course, but also a commensurate pay increase as a result. Discussion of this opportunity with anyone outside of this room would be considered treason and a breach of your NDA." Athan said, his offer barely containing enough inflection to prove he wasn't a stage one artificial intelligence.

“What… would I handle? If I may ask, of course." Zeke said. Athan seemed a little surprised by the question. His rigid posture shifted to allow the inclusion of a foreign concept.

“The handler enters the experiment to collect samples, deliver treatments, and perform upkeep on various apparatus and implants." Athan said as if giving a rote presentation. Zeke's brow furrowed.

“Isn't the entire experiment sealed?" Zeke asked hesitantly.

“There is a time lock access point. Anyone entering and exiting the experiment is added to the calculations and margin of errors for potential contamination, but the timing of such contamination is strictly controlled to make the math easier." Athan stated. Zeke shifted weight slightly from one foot to the other. That didn't sound so bad, and he'd been analyzing the data for over a year already.

“I would be-" Zeke paused, looking at Athan's antiseptic expression. He had been about to say happy to accept, but that seemed inappropriate given the recipient. “I accept the opportunity." Zeke corrected. Athan gave a curt nod of his head.

“Use the rest of this shift to organize, catalog and end-cap your work in the analyst system. When you arrive tomorrow, use grotto two instead to access your new work area." Athan said, returning his attention to his computer. Zeke swallowed, nodded to no one in particular and excused himself.

****

Despite centuries of research, even by Horizon, humans were still a jumble of chaotic impulses. Logically, starting a new job would be best served by having a restful night's sleep. Zeke had been too anxious to fall asleep and all the medications and supplements that might have forced the issue had too many side effects. He'd have to force his way through the shift with pluck and determination alone. That determination felt heightened as he passed the normal elevator he took, heading farther down the hall to take another one.

The scan of his hand came with a slight abrasion, a scan of the tissue rather than just the prints. The doors opened with an artificial chirp, allowing Zeke inside. The doors shut but the elevator didn't descend. Zeke's brow furrowed as he looked around for a button, but a quick flash of pale blue light answered his question. He'd been scanned. Apparently he had passed the test as the elevator descended down, down, down. It slowed with a gentle stop that made Zeke feel weightless for a moment before the doors opened to a new world.

Unlike the lab Zeke was used to, the walls here were periwinkle in color, the floors a utilitarian gunmetal gray. As he stepped in and looked around, a gangly man in his mid twenties looked up from where he'd been hunched over his terminal. A long dangly spike earring hung from his left ear and his glasses were triangular, a contrast to the organic mess of a bun and ponytail his long hair had been bundled into. If it hadn't been for the white tunic he wore, Zeke would have sworn he was a very lost member of the janitorial staff.

“You Wilde?" the man asked. Zeke forced a smile. The security system wouldn't have let anyone else in.

“Yes, but you can call me Zeke." he replied. The gangly man stretched his long arms above his head, letting out a yawn before he stood up and came over, offering a hand to shake.

“Milo." he said companionably, “Now, we don't have a lot of time. We better get you ready." he said, gesturing to a set of lockers.

“Because of the time lock, right?" Zeke asked. Milo shrugged his narrow, boney shoulders a little.

“Well, do we really have any time in general? But yes… The test environment only has one entrance and one exit each day. If you miss it, that's a twenty four hour wait until your next chance." Milo explained, opening one of the lockers to pull out a tunic and thicker pants than what Zeke had arrived in. He fished around for a pair of boots that would hopefully fit the newbie. Zeke, however, had hung up on the explanation.

“So if I was late to work and no one went in on time, would they starve?" he asked in horror. Milo looked at Zeke as if he was a few bits short of a byte.

“You did work on the other side, didn't you? The test environment only needs a top off of supplies every year or two. Even if we weren't here, they'd be alright. Wouldn't be very good research, plus they'd get pretty cranky." Milo said, starting to tug at Zeke's smock until he pulled it off himself.

“Because they like company?" Zeke asked, casting the smock aside to pull on a tunic instead. Milo nearly gave a snort.

“They like new games, holos, cards, stories, junk food… But I'm sure they'll love your company too." Milo said. Zeke wasn't sure how he felt about Milo yet, oscillating between annoyance and mirth.

“So what is today's delivery?" Zeke asked, kicking off his dress shoes and pants before pulling on the dark gray pants. Milo couldn't help but study the curve of his co-worker's bubble butt before returning his attention to the question.

“A little bit of everything, but you'll be retrieving an important batch of samples for processing." Milo said. Zeke brightened.

“I bet Bravo's got a bunch of samples ready from the newest treatment." Zeke said. Milo wobbled his head side to side in an approximation of a shrug.

“I guess, if you're into muscle growth. I'm more interested in the gabbahistantin tests on Echo and Lima." Milo said, pushing the boots into place so Zeke could lower his feet into them. Instead, the younger researcher looked over his shoulder.

“Isn't that the enhancer that was banned?" Zeke asked. Milo shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head.

“I'm sure this is a new formulation, otherwise Horizon wouldn't be working with it, right?" he asked. Zeke nodded, trying to convince himself of the immutable fact. After all, the Division knew what it was doing.

****

A heavy hiss came as the inner door of the airlock released, sliding into the wall of the narrow chamber. Zeke stepped out with the large plastic case in his arms only to be hit by the aroma of the environment inside. While he had gotten used to the tart, clashing smells of the city, this was something else entirely… It was the smell of hay, sweat, dander, ammonia, and salt. It was a natural brine, unusual in its lack of artificial scents. It was oppressive, but it was also exhilarating. It was like setting foot on another world.

“Hey, who's the pipsqueak?" A deep, smooth voice asked. Zeke looked up to see Bravo sitting on a bench, lifting weights up and down that made the skin under his white fur bulge and stretch. In this light his sideburns and hair crest looked even yellower against the white of his fur. Another furry rat head leaned into the room, this one notable from the chunk missing from one of his large ears and the silver rings dangling from them. Pink eyes regarded Zeke, clawed fingers reaching up to stroke the long tuft of white fur that hung down from his narrow chin.

“A new little cheese?" He asked.

“Hi Echo. My name is Zeke." Zeke introduced. Echo gasped, his hand going to his chest.

“He's heard of me! My star is rising!" Echo pretended to swoon.

“He's probably just a pervert who has watched you night and day for months, just like the rest of us." A solemn voice sounded from the other corner of the room. The last test subject was trying to read, the yellowed wiry hair combining with his whiskers to give him the look of someone with a waxed mustache. Despite his more reserved attitude, that rat had distinctly pierced nipples that jutted out from his furry chest. Zeke had seen them all from a distance and had gotten used to the fact that they were always naked.

“They only see us when we perform for them, right pipsqueak?" Bravo asked as if zeroing in on his thoughts. Zeke nodded shyly at that.

“Yeah, we only get raw data from back here, no feeds." Zeke said.

“He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake…" Echo said with a sing song before disappearing back into the kitchen. Zeke supposed that was about as good of an introduction as he could hope for. He set down the case and popped the lid, opening it up to reveal a variety of items… including pornography magazines, cigars, boxes and bags of junk food and several items he couldn't identify. Bravo set down his weights and padded over, slinging a heavy, dense muscled arm around Zeke's shoulder. The proximity nearly pulled Zeke into the rat man's armpit like the gravity well of a black hole.

“Now that's the stuff." Bravo said, reaching inside to pull out one of the pieces of pornography. Zeke was just as shocked by the material it was made of as the content. He knew hundreds of years ago that pornography had been printed on paper, but he supposed that they couldn't introduce any electronic equipment into the test environment beyond basic appliances. Bravo started to flip through the magazine before stopping, showing Zeke the picture of two young men with long, full beards kissing as they ground their cocks together and tangled arms around one another. “You should think about growing your beard out, it'd look good on you kid." he said with a grin, his own pink erection slowly swelling and descending over his furry balls.

If Zeke had been in his right mind, he would have excised himself from the situation and got back to work. He would have been polite, yet firm, establishing boundaries. He would have kept a professional distance. Instead, he gazed up into those pink eyes, seeing that muzzled grin, smelled those sweaty, salty pits and a dumb grin crossed his face. He swallowed a little bit nervously, feeling his own erection firming in the heavy gray pants he wore.

“You think so?" he asked. Bravo all but purred, bringing his rough, nimble pink fingers up to caress one side of Zeke's face, then the other.

“Oh yeah, you'll steal a heart or two." Bravo grinned. Seeing the human suitably dumbstruck, he pulled out the package of cigars and tossed them to Lima before drawing out the junk food for Echo, carrying it off to the kitchen. Zeke looked up, watching that powerful tail sway back and forth over that muscled ass, catching the rubbery pink sphincter beneath. Zeke shuddered, trying to shake it all off of himself. He still had samples to collect and work to do. Still, his shoulders felt oddly light without Bravo's arm across them. Aside from shaking Milo's hand, when was the last time he'd touched another living being? And here this rat had just pulled him in like he belonged. Zeke felt dizzy from the experience, but he felt equally amazing.

****

The following week had continued without incident. The positive reception from both his boss and the test subjects had led to Zeke sleeping better than he had in months. He'd warmed up to Milo, especially after learning that his weakness was chocolate flavored energy drinks. Even the whiplash of going from city smells to no smells to test smells had started to lose its edge. Zeke was starting to grow fond of being 'Little Cheese' and 'Pipsqueak' to the rats. The test vials clinked and jostled as he lifted the crate, his blue eyes scanning the yellow, red, white and clear liquids inside. He hesitated, realizing his count was off.

“Echo, I got your urine sample, right?" Zeke asked. The white rat with the goatee and the earrings reached down to grope himself lewdly.

“Hell yeah, I had the biggest sample of the rat pack." Echo grinned.

“I know I got Lima's…" Zeke murmured. There was a chirp from the chrono pinned to his shirt sleeve. He was running out of time. Zeke racked his mind before remembering; he had taken Bravo's sample, but he hadn't brought it back out to the case. He grunted, setting the case down, running into the living area. He looked around before grabbing the vial from under the bench, running back. Lima slipped out of the way as the human rushed past, dropping the vial into the case before hoisting it up. He stumbled back toward the airlock, using all his left arm strength to keep the case upright before he placed his hand on the reader. The panel started to turn turquoise before suddenly flashing a bright orange color. Zeke heard heavy thumps somewhere in the wall as the locks engaged.

“What was that?" Bravo asked from where he stood. Zeke tried the panel again, then again. Each time it flashed orange, unyielding. Zeke wasn't sure if he should feel shock, shame or indignant. Instead he just stood there with the case in his hands.

“I think we're going to have a house guest." Lima commented, reaching to stroke his right mustache.

“Oh my god, we're gonna have a sleepover!" Echo said, clapping his hands together excitedly. He ran over, his long fleshy tail coiling around Zeke's ankle. He leaned down, resting his fuzzy chin on the human's shoulder, “You can stay in my bed if you want, bro." he said.

“If he's going to stay, he's going to have to take part in our customs." Bravo said thoughtfully. Zeke blinked slowly, his brains struggling to catch up.

“He doesn't have anywhere else to go." Lima observed.

“Doesn't matter. If you're staying here, you're going to do what we do." Bravo said, “Right Pipsqueak?" he asked, putting a hand on the human's shoulder. Zeke looked up, realizing only then that Bravo had to be a good foot taller than he was. He nodded numbly at that.

“I'll go get started on dinner!" Echo said, leaning down to give Zeke's cheek a little kiss before he ran off. Bravo chuckled at that and returned to the bench, fishing around to find his weights.

“What do you do in the evenings?" Zeke asked Lima. Lima walked back over to his chair, reaching down to pick up a container that Zeke knew only too well.

“It's time for my medication." Lima said simply. He opened the container and popped a pair of pills into his mouth before grabbing a water bottle. He tipped it back, swallowing it down. Zeke swallowed a little, knowing that Lima had been given the GBH. Sure enough, in moments, the rat began to swell. His shoulders popped and snapped as they broadened. His rib cage spread outward as his pectorals filled out. His hips rounded, his ass bloated and his legs bulged. The respectable, mild mannered mature member of the rat pack was building in every direction. The yellowed hair on the top of his head began to stand on end, rising upward in a mohawk crest. He grunted suddenly, his manhood swelling outward. It surged and hardened, going from a pinkish color to a dull dusty gray.

Every breath, every heartbeat pushed him further along. Muscles and mass were coming from seemingly nowhere, at least until Zeke was hit by the sharp tang of the rat's sweat soaking his fur. He was metabolizing quickly, hence Echo making dinner. Lima started to pant and grunt and moan, his sphincter undulating and pulsating. The fur under Lima's arms got thicker and longer, more sharp bristles pushing out of the white fur on his cheeks and chin. Even his pierced nipples seemed to be swelling outward, growing longer and fatter, almost bouncing. Toe knuckles popped and cracked as his feet engorged and his hands grew longer as well. His tail slithered back and forth, whip-like. He used his larger hand to coil around his shaft, tugging on the loose flesh. As it pulled back, it revealed the mushroom shaped glans, a sheen glistening in the light of the lab. Underneath it was a matte finish, more opaque, an earthy and peaty aroma hitting Zeke's nose. Two pills… It had only taken two pills to do all that.

“Does that happen every night?" Zeke asked. Lima seemed too worn to talk but he nodded, moving over instead to sink into his chair. He fished out the box that Zeke had brought on his first day. In moments the huge rat had extracted a cigar, crimped the end and lit up. He held the stogie between his lips, puffing until the flame took. A few more puffs and the sinewy smoke slipped out of his lips. He held the cigar with one hand, stroking himself off with the other. Zeke was left standing there, staring, seeing this behemoth, this titan, watching him smoke and jack off, existing only in that moment with no other purpose than self satisfaction.

He knew the rats enjoyed the porn he brought them, but he was even more certain that the world would undoubtedly get off on this rat daddy with his mustache and piercings, his stogie and his fat cock… Zeke was nearly hyperventilating. He looked around, spotted the sample case and he grabbed it, moving it out of the way. If he was going to be stuck in there, the least he could do was be a good guest. It also gave him a way to hide his own erection, at least for the moment.

****

Dinner with the lab rats had been modest but tasty, though Zeke was already thinking of all the spices and condiments he'd suggest having brought in if it didn't interfere with the experiment. What they DID have was some of the best beer he'd ever tasted, enough that Zeke could still feel it after dinner as he walked to the sitting room with the rats. Each of them towered over him with broader shoulders, longer backs and legs. They were so elegant, so confident, having absolutely no shame in being naked. Maybe it was the fur, maybe it was because that was all they had ever known, or maybe because they hadn't been trained to think of themselves in that way.

“You've shared our meal, now it's time for our next tradition… The Rat King." Lima said. It wasn't until then that Zeke questioned the idea of a sitting room when the boys had a separate living room. Three chairs sat in the space, arranged into a circle pointing inward. Brave moved and grabbed a crate that had been used as a night table and pushed it over, spacing the chairs out again to make a larger ring. Once positioned, he sat on the crate and let Lima and Echo take the chairs, leaving an empty one for the human between Lima and Echo.

“The Rat King? Isn't that…" Zeke trailed off. Echo chuckled.

“Not that urban legend horror monstrosity thing." he said, bracing his legs to either side of his chair and leaning back. As the three rats got more comfortable, they each reached over to caress, stroke, and then grab the cock of the rat next to them. Lima wrapped his leathery, strong hand around Bravo's manhood, Bravo ran his thumb and fingers up and down Echo's cock, and Echo looked at Zeke with an encouraging smile. Zeke flushed immediately, realizing what was expected. He took only a moment to compose himself before he pushed down his concerns.

Still standing, Zeke slipped off his tunic and set it on the floor before removing his shoes, socks, pants and underwear. Bravo barely paid any attention, his eyelids looking heavy as he stroked Echo's shaft up and down with firm pressure while his own cock was being kneaded by Lima like a baker with rising dough. Echo was torn between his hand job and watching the human, drinking in his body. The human's hair was longer and darker than any of theirs, almost on the edge of brown while still being blond. It was longer on either side of his face and shorter in the back. There were a few marks on his body, implants most likely, and he apparently didn't trim the hair around his cock - his pink, fleshy, human cock.

“Dive right in, we don't bite." Echo said, pausing before his eyes went to the ceiling, “Well, Bravo does bite, but not on the first date." he amended. Bravo shrugged a little at that, still remaining focused on what he was doing. Zeke slowly settled down into his chair, looking over at Lima. He seemed like the eldest, the mature leader, and his cock was already at the ready. Zeke reached out, inhaling a bit at the rat's size. His cock skin was more resilient than his, somewhere between rubber and leather in texture. There was a warmth buried inside the flesh, though a little insulated on the surface. As Zeke's hand traveled up, the skin was softer and more moist.

“Not bad, don't be afraid to be a little rough." Lima said, his muzzle curving into a smile slowly. Zeke almost bit his bottom lip in focus, though he gasped when Echo's hand found his cock. The fingers felt alien on his skin, both in texture and shape. The exotic quality sent a jolt of energy through him as he embraced it. Zeke's nipples firmed and his heart raced, but soon he settled back into the chair. They were just three rats and a human in one big circle jerk, stroking each other off. The rats clearly enjoyed it, and Zeke was too. He'd felt starved for contact and this felt like a buffet.

Moments slipped into minutes and those too slipped away. Zeke felt warm, his circulation on point with so much adrenaline rushing through his system. A sheen of sweat had formed across his forehead, chest and under his arms. The dander smell of the rats had wrapped around him like a blanket. Every so often Echo's technique would change and Zeke would try to mimic it on Lima; extra squeezes, playing with the tip. Zeke shivered when Echo ran a thumb along the underside of his cockhead and when he tried the same with Lima, his finger plunged through a soft surface layer like thick butter on toast.

“What?" Zeke murmured, more to himself than the rats.

“It's head cheese, a delicacy among our people." Echo grinned.

“Smegma." Lima said. Zeke looked up at the men around him.

“A delicacy?" he repeated.

“Savory, a bit tart sometimes… I can't ever get enough." Echo moaned.

“You should try it." Bravo added, his deep voice so comforting. Zeke reluctantly pulled his hand away from Lima's cock, looking at the yellow-white substance on his fingertips. It was a little oily, soft, and spread easily. He brought one finger to his mouth, looking down at it before he popped it inside. The flavor that blossomed across his tongue was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was rich and robust, aromatic, a sickly-sweet edge to an otherwise cheesy consistency. The flavor and texture were even better than the one time he'd tasted semen. He licked and sucked his finger clean, then the two on either side, then practically his whole hand. He salivated and drooled over it. Lima gave each of the other rats an appreciative grin as the human returned his hand reverently to the cock that had just given him such a blessing.

****

The two weeks following the 'sleepover' had been routine, though hardly boring for Zeke. Rather than being upset at his mistake and intrusion into the experiment, those conducting it seemed fascinated by his personal insights to the personalities and quirks of the three rats. It had also opened the door to request the culinary improvements he had hoped to bring them. His visits were greeted with enthusiasm by the rats as well as hugs and kisses on the cheek. He'd begged them to move the time of their Rat King tradition. While they no doubt still conducted longer sessions after dinner, they had indulged the human by allowing him to join them for shorter versions in the narrow window he was able to access the testing environment.

Another point of fascination was the results the GBH treatments were having. Each of the rats had added on a good fifty more pounds of mass in the last few weeks. Bravo's was, understandable, pure muscle. Lima had packed on a bit of fat around his stomach and legs, and Echo was a combination of the two. Their yellow, bristled hair was longer and more pronounced, as were their manhoods. It was taking all of Zeke's willpower not to stare as he collected the test samples from the recent batch.

“Mango curry chicken over a bed of dirty rice…" Echo murmured, already salivating as he examined the box of food and stroked his eight inch long goatee. Zeke couldn't help but grin.

“I thought you'd like it." he said, adding notes to the labels on the sample containers.

“A new flavor of cigar?" Lima asked. Zeke glanced over.

“I didn't ask them to change anything. Maybe they just ran out of the old one." Zeke said. Lima nodded his head a little, accepting that as good of a reason as any. He clipped the end, brought it to his lips and proceeded to light it.

“Did they have any more MSU episodes?" Bravo asked Zeke hopefully, already groping himself. Zeke tried to run his mind back over the inventory.

“Man Sluts of the Undercity?" he asked. Bravo nodded eagerly.

“I love them. The men in it are so… unique and distinct and… dirty." he grinned.

“I'll double check. If there aren't any today, I'll get you some for tomorrow." Zeke said, continuing his work.

On the other side of the room, Lima had lit up and was puffing away… but something was different. The smoke was thicker, oilier, more pungent. It had a bluish tinge to it instead of silver. The flavor had an alkaline bite to it that was all too familiar from his medications. As Lima filled his lungs with the smoke, his chest began to grow more rapidly. The skin beneath his fur tightened over swelling muscles, veins pushing outward. The white fur of his muzzle began to yellow, displaced as thicker, bristly hairs began pushing outward. The curated mustache Lima sported was soon framed by the rest of a beard filling in.

The pink of Lima's eyes began to darken, taking on a redder hue as he inhaled. His cock hardened, rising upward, throbbing as it swelled and stretched and slinked and grew. His sphincter contracted and released over and over again, throbbing. The salty smell of his sweat grew more intense, but the true musk was released in a rancid cloud as his cock grew so tight that the skin peeled back, allowing the ring of head cheese around the tip to breathe. Lima brought the cigar back to his lips and took a long, full drag, letting it flood his system. As he exhaled, the smoke billowed and curled around him, playing along the tips of the yellow bushy beard that was unspooling from his face and descending downward rapidly.

“Is there anything else you want in the next delivery, Lima? They're pretty receptive after-" Zeke's words fell away from his throat as he looked up. He hadn't been paying attention and in just a few short moments the leader of the lab rats had become something else entirely. Lima's red eyes looked at the human before his hand snapped out, grabbing Zeke by the back of the head, pulling him in. Holding the cigar away for a moment, he leaned down and kissed the researcher, doing the best to make his muzzled lips meld to the human's. As he expelled his lung full of smoke, it filled Zeke's mouth and wrapped around his head.

Vials fell from Zeke's hands as he went slack, his eyes glazing over and a tent forming in his pants. His cock began to drool at once, his nipples poking against the fabric of his shirt. When Lima broke the kiss and pulled back, a soft fuzzy mustache was starting to sprout on Zeke's upper lip like mold on old bread. A sheen of dark hair also marked the point of his chin. It took him a few moments for the haze to clear and his vision to return, but his dumbfounded look melted into a mixture of confusion and unbidden horniness.

“Fuck…" Zeke moaned, reaching down to paw at his pants, “Fuck!" he panted hard. His lips worked in wordless shapes as his mustache and goatee thickened, his nipples aching painfully. Lima grinned and brought the cigar to Zeke's lips. Zeke was confused at first as the thick, firm stogie pushed into his mouth. By instinct he drew in and the smoke filled his mouth before billowing out of his nostrils. Once more his eyes glazed over, but this time his body knew what to do. He dropped his pants just low enough to grab onto his cock and start jerking off with desperation.

One puff, two, three, four. Smoke spilled from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth as his mustache grew out, curving over his upper lip, draping against the cigar like a curtain. The hair on his chin descended outward, fanning out wider, wispy. The facial hair looked far too mature for someone as young as him, but that ironic contrast drove Lima wild. He pet Zeke's hair, watching the brown slowly draining from it as it turned from the color of wheat to the color of corn, then slowly the color of snow. Lima looked up at Echo.

“It's time." he said decisively. Echo wasted no time, moving over. He used his clawed fingers to cut through Zeke's shirt, then his pants and underwear, ripping away his clothing. Zeke's youthful chest was sprouting with soft platinum blond hair. His already long pit hair was growing impossibly thick and long. While slower than Lima's change, every breath of the smoke was helping Zeke's chest to grow and swell. His pectorals filled out and plumped, his stomach began to gain definition. He didn't resist as Echo took his shoes and socks off. Lima looked up as Bravo entered from the other room, giving him a nod.

“Hey pipsqueak, time for your cheese." Bravo said, massaging Zeke's shoulders. Lima took his cigar back, puffing on it gratefully, feeling it enrich and strengthen his body. The tendrils of smoke still spilled out of Zeke's lips, his goatee already a good four inches. Lima settled into his recliner, spreading his legs wide. His cock rose up from his groin like a pillar. A stream of drool leaked from the corner of Zeke's mouth before he dropped onto his knees, bracing one hand against Lima's knee for support while he grabbed onto the rat's shaft with the other.

Zeke leaned in, mouth wide, his tongue homing in on the warm flesh being offered up. It slipped up Lima's shaft before dipping into the rancid ring under the tip. The human leaned in and lapped at it hungrily, letting it taint and corrupt his mouth. He licked and slurped, working his way around until he couldn't take it anymore and popped the whole thing into his mouth. Zeke's cheeks caved in as he sucked and sucked, slowly taking more in. Lima reached up, tugging on his nipple ring, feeling the bottom of his newly grown beard tickling his collarbone. Clenching the cigar in his lips, he snapped with his one free hand.

“I'm so proud of you, little mouse…" Bravo said, stroking himself off a little as he came up behind Zeke. Resting the head of his rat cock above the cleft of Zeke's ass cheeks, he shuddered and let out a heavy floof of yellowed rat cum. It drizzled down the fleshy gorge like an ancient river, giving just enough lubrication before Bravo began to push his cock down and then in. Zeke's hungry sucking only grew more desperate as he was skewered from behind. Echo grinned to himself, dropping onto the floor on his back. He dug his clawed toes into the carpet for support and pushed, sliding himself underneath Zeke before he leaned back up, letting the human's manhood come into his waiting muzzle.

The air had already been full of smoke, but soon it was filled with the wet, lewd, sloppy sounds of lovemaking. Zeke sucked and slurped on Lima's cock while Bravo pushed more and more of his muscled meat into his ass. Echo had fully encased the human's shaft in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth and tongue. Long, leathery rat tails were caressing Zeke now and coiling around his shoulder, arm and ankles. Lima looked down at the human, watching as the hair on his head lost the last of his pigment while the hair on his upper lip and chin remained dark. Seeing how much he'd already corrupted the human, he knew it was time to seal the deal.

A thick, sticky, syrupy brine began to sputter out of Lima's cock before a thicker, steadier stream filled Zeke's mouth. The cheeks that had sunken in from sucking bulged out, barely able to contain the flow. Rather than swallowing, he merely relaxed his throat and allowed the pressure to pump the semen directly down his throat and into his stomach. With every second that passed, the white hair that had started on Zeke's chest began to spread out. The color blanched from the hair under his arms and around his cock, the invisible hairs on his arms and legs looking like frost as it turned white.

Every ounce of cum that filled Zeke's belly pushed the change on further. Lima stroked his long, full beard as he watched Zeke's ears starting to grow. The complex ridges flattened out, the cartilage melting and being reabsorbed. The skin grew thinner and thinner as they grew larger, pulling out away from his head. As the skin thinned, it grew pinker, the light of the room passing through his ears and the capillaries within. Zeke's cheeks stung as wiry whiskers began to push out, but the pinprick paled as a numb buzzing warmth began to fill his face.

With all the docile supplication of a good pet, Zeke continued to suckle from Lima even as his jawbone began to stretch and warp around the dick he swallowed. His nose and upper mouth pushed forward as well. As his mouth reshaped, his dark mustache split into two distinct sickles, one on either side. The stretching skin pulled on his nose, flattening the bridge out while the tip grew fleshy and soft. The skin around his nostrils became spongy, twitching and quirking while his throat throbbed with every pulse of cum.

Bravo's strong hands held Zeke's hips, claws perilously close to breaking the skin as he held on. It had been a very tight fit at first, but as he'd rammed into Zeke over and over, he'd felt the human stretch out around him. Now his huge cock was gliding in easily. Each inward thrust issued out a squirt of the muscle rat's own semen which ran down the white fur growing down Zeke's legs. The change came as Bravo felt something stiff and firm pressing against the upper side of his dick. At first he'd been confused, but as the pressure started to ease again, he saw that the Zeke's lower back was rapidly reshaping itself. His ass cheeks had parted slightly, his anus had grown rubbery and a new nub of leathery flesh was rapidly extruding from the base of his spine.

The new appendage was wild and unwieldy at first, flailing around. Every time it surged a few inches, a new segmented depression ringed the growth like an earthworm. The movements began to calm down as it pushed past a foot in length, beginning to curl and flex and sway as the nervous system adopted the prehensile extension. Bravo felt it slap across his firm furry stomach before slithering down along his hip, dangling down lower and lower until it was almost tickling Echo in the face. Echo, though, was far too focused on the sweet milky cream that had started drizzling out of Zeke's cock. He could taste it starting to turn salty and savory, but he was enjoying the unusual flavor while it lasted.

Sickening pops and snaps came from Zeke's toes as they lengthened abruptly and sharply. His toenails grew tough and thick, curving slightly and honing into points. Virgin pink frothy flesh closed over the tops of the claws, sealing them inside before the skin toughened up and sprouted moss-like white fur. His feet easily doubled in length without getting any wider, his ankles and heels popping and contorting into their new shape. They skidded back along the carpeting as Zeke's legs lengthened, then again as he was forced to adjust due to the ache in his back as it grew as well.

The former human's huge, round, thin, pink ears twitched slightly as his muzzle slowly settled into shape and the numbness began to melt away from his jaw.White fur swept up his throat and neck before spilling across his cheeks. It swirled around his eyes and covered his muzzle - all of it white save for his dark gray mustache and goatee. The last patches of human skin disappeared beneath his new white coat. Even his plump avocado sized balls were protected in a fuzzy white sack that rested heavily on Echo's cheek. The long tail extending from Zeke's backside slowly began to pool and coil on the floor, twitching every so often.

As with all good things, Lima's orgasm eventually came to an end. He slumped in his chair, spent. He rested the butt of his cigar in the ashtray, his own heart still fluttering. Zeke kept sucking even after the nourishing flow had stopped, proceeding to clean Lima's dick until it was immaculately clean. Bravo let out a moan, a howl and then a groan as he let out the last of his biggest orgasm, remaining buried to the hilt inside of Zeke's furry ass. Echo, too, laid back on the carpeting, licking his lips as he decided that Zeke's seed had most certainly become ratty enough. Zeke panted for breath, the room finally starting to air out a bit.

Thoughts rose slowly like bubbles through the sediment between Zeke's ears. Had that just happened? Was this real? Had he really done that? What time was it? What would happen when he left the lab? Could he leave the lab? Would he be fired, or worse, killed? What if they never let him see the others again? What would Milo say? Worry, concern, anticipation and doubt all began to percolate into a frenzied froth that turned the corners of Zeke's new rat muzzle into a frown.

“What is it, little cheese?" Lima asked, reaching down to caress Zeke's chin. Zeke shook his head, brushing his long white hair out of his face with a pink paw.

“I don't know what will happen to me now, or what will happen to us." Zeke said.

“Where are we at, Bravo?" Lima asked, stretching a bit as he sat back upright.

“We should have about ten minutes?" Bravo said, eyes scanning the clock.

“What do you think, kid, you ready to get us out of here?" Lima asked. Zeke blinked in shock, grinning for half a second before looking down at his paw. He wiggled his clawed, gangly fingers before shaking his head.

“My palm print won't work anymore." he said softly.

“Is there anyone out there that will help us?" Bravo asked.

“Someone we could… recruit?" Echo added with a lecherous grin. Zeke's smile slowly returned to his lips.

“I think there just might be…" Zeke whispered.

****

Milo's head bobbed slightly to music being transmitted along the bones in his ears from an unseen implant carefully placed, his spike earring swinging in exaggerated arcs from his movement. Lips mouthed the unheard lyrics and his triangular glasses rested low on his nose as he got the hover-palette ready for the samples that Zeke would be bringing back. His hair was a little more messy today, fewer strands of dark brown hair caught in his bun. He glanced up when he saw a flashing yellow and amber symbol on the airlock. Milo's brow furrowed.

“Don't tell me you leaned the crate on the touchpad and broke it…" he muttered, moving over to the heavy door. Tapping the display on his side, the airlock sensor indicated a positive inner seal but that almost every cubic inch of the interior was occupied, indicating a mass several times greater than Zeke and the samples would have taken up. Milo grimaced, thinking of the various protocols in place… but if Zeke messed up again, he might have to break in an entire new assistant.

A hand pressed against the console, presenting the necessary credentials. The door slid open and a seething mass of white fur and muscle came spilling out. Milo skidded back in shock until a huge arm wrapped around his gangly shoulders, pulling him directly into a sweaty, thick furry white armpit. Bravo closed his arm tighter, squeezing the lab tech into it, coating his long hair in his scent. The muscle rat grinned even more when he saw the tall man pop a boner. He reached down and began to grope Milo before reluctantly letting him out of the head lock. When Milo's head emerged, the lens of one of his glasses was cracked, new stubble had blossomed on his cheek and he had a very happy, dumb look on his face.

“Looks like you were right, pipsqueak." Bravo said. Milo looked up uncertainly, seeing Lima and Echo and… another rat? A thinner rat? Equally tall as the others but lithe, with a split mustache and dark goatee and a long, dripping cock and-

“ZEKE?!" Milo asked, his jaw dropping. Zeke raised one of his rat paws to wave.

“If you help us get out of here, you can join us. I promise you, it feels so good…" Zeke said. Milo looked at his coworker, then down at the huge hand molesting his cock and then up into Bravo's smiling face.

“I bet so…" he said, unable to help but press his groin into the hand of his would-be abductor. Lima moved over to the lockers at the far side of the room and opened them up, rooting around before he started pulling out jackets and pants that looked like they might possibly be big enough.

“It won't be easy, Horizon got its name for a reason." Zeke said.

“We're not going out, we're going down." Lima said, tossing Zeke a new tunic. Zeke's pink eyes widened in surprise.

“Man Sluts of the Undercity…" he repeated in dawning realization.

“Told you I loved those movies." Bravo said.

“Me too…" Milo said, gazing up into Bravo's eyes.

“Enough with the first date, we have to get out of here while your palm print is still good." Lima said. Milo all but peeled himself off of Bravo's hand.

“Yes sir, right this way." he said, moving to press his hand to the reader that led to the elevator. The doors opened up, allowing the rats to file in. Once they were in place, Milo inserted himself between them, sure he was going to enjoy the cramped space. As the doors slid shut, Zeke saw the gunmetal gray lab disappear. He'd never been quite so happy to leave work before.

****

The polarized windows on the horizon building appeared to be solid white from the outside but presented those inside with a pearlescent shine to an otherwise unimpeded view of the vast city of Matarta. Late afternoon light spilled in across a vast hexagonal platinum toned table and onto the nickel colored floor beyond. Athan Joffrey stood on one side and three equally antiseptic individuals sat on the other. Athan's nehru collar was austere, though a new pin had been added - a white triangle.

“The next phase of the experiment has commenced?" One of the triumvirate questioned, her voice so spare in inflection that it almost sounded like a statement rather than a question.

“Exactly as we projected." Athan said, his pale green eyes not focusing on any of the leaders but rather staring into an aggregate space that encompassed them all. The third member's perfect posture tightened almost imperceptibly.

“There are still countless risks. You have introduced a foreign element to the outside world, an element capable of reproducing itself at an astonishing rate." they commented. Athan gave a slight incline of his head.

“We have, but it would hardly be the first time Horizon has taken such actions. The goal of the project was to address an imbalance in the city's lower population. Our lab rats require the smallest fraction of food and water to survive, are able to exist in temperature extremes double that of humans and have a tolerance for the pollution nearly twenty fold compared to their peers. In fact, they thrive on several of the chemicals present in the undercity. Precautions were taken, but this experiment will yield great benefits for Horizon." Athan said. The triumvirate seemed satisfied with the answer, their posture returning to the baseline perfection.

“Of the many successes in this project, your ability to manage and maneuver personnel to exacting time scales was the most impressive." the man on the left stated.

“That is why we will be moving you to another project immediately." the man on the right said before Athan had any time to digest the compliment.

“May I be permitted to ask which project?" Athan asked, eliciting surprise from the two men. The woman, however, looked directly into his eyes.

“The Wraith project." she said simply. There was no reaction in Athan's eyes. He merely bowed his head two inches in appreciation of the courtesy.

“Details will be provided to your quarters. If you have a successor in mind for your current project, please leave it in your debriefing report." The man on the left stated. It was as much of a dismissal as he was likely to get. Athan turned and walked off with a perfect stride. The large doors opened and closed, leaving behind the vast empty room with the view of the busy, bustling, cramped city beyond.

****

Sight, sound, smell and sensation… After years in an experiment, the undercity had presented the rats with an endless feast of life itself. Having scurried deep and far away from the shadow of Horizon, the rat pack had found abandoned housing three levels below what the government considered to be habitable. The walls were painted a rich red rose and the floor was a workable linoleum. Fortunately most of the light strips that ran along the crown molding still functioned and there were only a few splotches in the wall that doubled as a display screen. Music drifted down from somewhere above, rich enough in percussion and strings that Echo managed to snake his way through the living room with a sway to his hips as he carried two bottles of beer.

Lima had found the largest recliner to settle in and was currently reading a stack of physical books he'd found, paying no mind to the fact that Milo was on all fours, his body rocking forward every time Bravo thrust his huge rat dick into the former human's ass. Milo wrapped his transforming hand around his own cock as it stretched and fattened in his grip, drooling corrupted cum all over his now-furry legs. Drool escaped from the corner of his muzzle, his pink eyes hazy with abject pleasure as the last of his humanity was squeezed out of him.

Echo walked over to where Zeke was sitting cross legged by where the front door once had been. The catwalk that had once been fastened outside had long ago rusted and fallen into the abyss, giving Zeke an unobstructed view of the city outside. Just enough diffused sunlight made it down this deep for shadows to wax and wane every time flying vehicles passed by a few stories up, but Zeke was looking out across the way instead. How many hundreds of doors and windows were there? How much of the city was built on the desiccated bones of the past? Were there other survivors like them, nesting just out of reach of where humans could tread?

“You look like you could use this." Echo said, offering him one of the beer bottles. Echo reached up and took it, his thick tail curling around Echo's ankle. The rat interpreted that as an invitation to sit down next to his rescuer. He scoot up until they were hip to hip and then he leaned over to give Zeke a kiss. Zeke tilted his head, allowing their muzzles to interlock and part, their tongues wrestling and tangling in an intimate embrace. It took little effort for either male to reach full arousal and when they parted, Echo shivered as Zeke's left hand curled around his cock and began to stroke it.

“You look like you could use this." Zeke repeated. Echo nodded, moaning a little as he set down his beer and reached over to return the favor, cooing.

“Little mouse got so big!" Echo grinned, inclining his head, “And your face tail is almost as long as mine now." he added, indicating Zeke's goatee.

“Maybe we could take turns braiding each other's facial hair." Zeke grinned. Echo grinned wide at that, wrapping his tail around Zeke.

“I knew I liked you, kid." Echo said happily. Zeke smiled as well, though his eyes returned to the city before them. Echo tilted his head to rest on Zeke's shoulder. “And I know I'll like you even more when you're done hatching that egg in-between your ears there." he added. Zeke looked surprised.

“What?" he asked, a little startled. Echo didn't bother to lift his head and kept jerking Zeke off with a languid, methodical pace.

“You want to share this with others." Echo said simply.

“Do I have the right? The safety of our brothers has to come first…" Zeke said. Echo smirked a little.

“I mean, we shouldn't be careless, but we just spent more than a decade in a very cozy box. Hiding away in another box just because it's safe isn't going to be any better. You helped us get out of there so we could live life rather than be studied. We're out of the lab and into the maze." Echo said, using his free hand to lift his beer bottle up. Zeke grabbed his with his right hand and brought them together in toast.