Sylvia Tisdale trudged through the winding corridors of the research laboratory, her nose buried in a tissue and her hand gripping the memo. The R&D department was a world apart from the sterile, paper-and-pencil confines of her accounting cubicle. The buzzing of high-tech machinery and the hum of intense intellectual curiosity surrounded her as she approached the testing room. Each step felt like it was leading her closer to a leap into the unknown.
Inside the testing room, a trio of lab technicians stood at attention. Their lab coats were pristine, their faces marked by expressions of clinical detachment—though Sylvia suspected they were harboring a mix of excitement and nerves. Harriet, the head researcher for this particular experiment, greeted her with an oddly cheerful grin.
"Ah, Sylvia! Right on time. We're about to get started with our new transformation serum. This one’s really something special!"
Sylvia forced a smile, feeling the weight of her impending fate. "Great. So, what am I transforming into today?"
Dr. Harriet’s grin widened. "This serum is designed to regress your age until you are an infant. It’s a sort of ‘reverse aging’ effect. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe."
Sylvia, still skeptical but resigned to her fate, took a seat at the testing station. The lab technicians began preparing the serum, and Sylvia eyed the colorful vials with a mix of apprehension and curiosity.
The test was straightforward: a quick injection followed by a brief observation period. Sylvia barely had time to brace herself before the needle was in, and the serum began its work.
The transformation was almost immediate. Sylvia felt a strange tingling sensation as her body began to regress. Her clothes started to get too big for her, and she shrank down to the size of a toddler. Within moments, she was reduced to the form of an infant.
Dr. Harriet and her team quickly dressed the now baby Sylvia in babyish clothing (a diaper and a pink onesie) and then they carefully transported her to a nursery exclusively designed for her. It was a brightly colored room filled with cribs, toys, and other baby essentials. The setting was designed to be soothing and comforting for any test subject in their regressed state.
As they entered the nursery, Sylvia’s cold-induced sneeze erupted. The involuntary action sent droplets through the air, landing on Dr. Harriet, one male assistant, and another female employee who happened to be passing by.
Harriet and the female employee didn't regress immediately but began to experience some subtle changes. Some of Dr. Harriet's gray hairs began to fade while the other female employee began to feel a slight dizziness as she walked to the parking lot. The male assistant, however, remained unaffected by the regression flu. The serum’s effect was gender-specific. This means that the only people who would be affected by the regression flu would be women and not men.