Sean aimed again at Frank. This time he was in range and his stats flashed up: H:6'1"W:180lbs:22yrs. Frank was super smart but oh-so-arrogant. Time though Sean for a change in perspective.
Sean programmed in an immediate one inch reduction. Frank was hunched over a book at the other side of the library. As the effect hit home he looked up briefly and shivered, he then returned to his book. Sean programmed in another three inches of reduction to kick in over the next two hours.
On and on Frank read, completely involved in his book. Lunchtime came and when Frank stood up he could tell straightaway that something was wrong,very wrong. Whereas before he had been a tall 6'1" He was now a very average 5'9". He also looked uncharacteristically scruffy in his now baggy clothes with their loose cuffs, waist and collar. He rolled up his sleeves and trousers and tightened his tie. Sean didn't know what was going through Frank's head but he guessed he was planning a quick exit back to his digs.
Frank left the library, just as he disappeared round the door Sean hit him with another three inches reduction to take effect on the way home.
Next Sean took a short cut to "bump into" Frank en route.
In fact, Frank literally ran into Sean knocking him sprawling. As Frank helped to his feet Sean had a sudden idea.
"Whoa, didn't see you Sean"
"You're in a hurry"
"Eh..."
Sean thought he would have a bit of fun.
"Hey Frank, are you OK, have you lost weight or something?"
Frank was now about 5'7",an inch shorter than Sean and getting smaller with every minute. Sean guessed that 5'6" was about 5 minutes away.
"Eh..", said Frank, looking visibly lost, "perhaps you've hit a growth spurt Sean, you don't look as short to me as usual...I guess we're around the same height now"
"Oh do you think so?" said Sean, drawing himsef up to his full height Frank tipped his head slightly upwards to accommodate. He blushed deeply
"Thing is Sean, mate, I think I might be...I mean it sounds crazy...but...", Frank paused, "I think I'm shrinking!"
Sean looked suitably dumbstruck. A moment later Frank surprised by suggesting that he come to Sean's room as borrow some smaller clothes until he either figured out was happening or started to grow back to normal.
"I mean", said Frank, "I don't want to meet anyone I know like this, I feel tiny". This sounded tactless. "I mean there's nothing wrong with being this height...but it's not what I'm used too", he finished unconvincingly.
As Frank turned Sean programmed in a final reduction of three inches for the next 30 minutes.
By the time Frank was trying on an old shirt of Sean's he was a meagre looking 5'3" and even Sean's medium sized clothes were uncomfortably oversized.
"Oh man, where can I go looking like this?"
Sean's idea returned to him.
"Listen Frank, there's a friend of mine who's a foreman on a building site, he's always after casual labour. You can hide by working on the site in the daytime, sleep in the bunks at night and get your meals in the meantime, at least until all this blows over"
Frank was feeling desperate now and leapt at Sean's plan
"What are you waiting for, let's do it!"
"OK, first of all we've got to make you look a bit more of a natural on the site, we don't want any awkward questions being asked do we?
That means scruffy clothes, no shaving, a haircut and acting, well... a bit dumb"
"No problem"
Sean looked own an old pair of sneakers and a pair of dirty socks, next he found a pair of old shorts and a T-shirt he used while decorating at home a few years ago. He'd never cleaned them: they were baggy, dusty and covered in paint in plaster. Frank looked a picture in them. Near the building site they ducked into a seedy looking barber.
"Ask for a number one", said Sean
Sean waited outside and pondered what changes to carry out next. He decided on the following:
1. Frank was going to grow some stubble, about three days growth
2. Frank's IQ was going to take a tumble, not to make him an imbecile but to make him fit in with his new builder colleagues
3. One final inch of reduction, 5'2" would make him significantly smaller than everyone on the site (by about 5") and also about 99% of the adult male population.
4. Frank's accent would also change from educated to uneducated. Sean fixed that Frank would think at least to begin with that he was "doing" this accent to fit in. As time went on and his IQ slumped he would quickly lose the ability to do anything but.
5. Frank would have a deep outdoors tan
Frank emerged. In place of the 6' plus top med student was a scruffy, unshaven, crop haired little builder of 5'2" in baggy shorts, sneakers and dirty socks who looked as if he'd boogied straight off the building site. He looked a long way up at Sean
"Will I do?"
"Oh yes, you'll do!"
On the site Sean fixed things that they saw Frank as just another casual labourer, a bit on the shrimpy side. He would begin at the bottom and while he was obviously too small and puny to do heavy work he could do fetching and carrying. He could also be the butt of jokes.
Sean looked back, Frank was being placed under the supervision of Terry a big looking 18 year old. In a few days it would be all he ever knew. Sean decided to leave him there for a while.