"Good lookin, Mertz!" a couple athletic cadets commented as the pair walked by, apparently due to the youthful look. They looked at eachother and it became apparent that Sarah enjoyed the attention.
"A shame really." R'sera commented slightly disapointed.
"Why?" Sarah asked, still blushing a little.
"It takes loosing a couple pounds and a couple years for boys to notice you. Humans are so superficial. You were already a skinny blonde to begin with."
Sarah shrugged.
"I suppose. It's still nice for a change."

At the Chief's office, Brok knocked on the door which was partly open.
"Enter" The chief's voice replied. He was standing at the window with his arms crossed. "Have a seat, son."
"Yes sir".
The chief was a formidable looking man. Tall and slicked black hair, clean shaven and a handshake to crush bones.
"You now know what we are dealing with is a "Situation", right?"
"I suppose, Sir" Brok replied.
"Tell me what you saw." the chief leaned forward on his desk, looking the vulcan in the eyes. To anyone other than a vulcan this may have been unnerving.
"I saw a flash, some windows broke and two men came running out of the lab."
"Anything else?"
"They may have been carrying something."
"Yes they were. An important something." He straightened back out and turned around. "Your friends were exposed to the radiation from an experimental medical device. Without getting too technical, for which I am not at libery to discuss, this was a device to aid genetic research into terminal diseases."
"Interesting"
"Very. I was impressed at the thought of how it worked, but apparently someone else was also. Two of the scientists on the project are missing and they took the key processor/emitter. Without it we cannot repair any effects your friends are experiencing."
"Such as?"
"The process was to reset the genetic material to pre-adolescent stages and fix the defects of cancer and other related diseases and return to nominal age. Tremendous potential. The problem is that it will get a big fare in the black market if the safetys are modified."
"What would happen?" Brok asked. The Chief stood up and faced the window.
"I suppose secrets are irrelevant at this point. You know enough. The reversal could theoretically have no stop point. We can only hope your friends were not hit by this more extreme mode."
"Do you suspect an illegal use?"
"Undoubtably." The cheif replied. "The terrorist community for one thing could use it to incite a coup. Turn a chancellor into a baby and your resistance is gone. Likewise, if it was set to advance you could passively kill the same"
"I understand, Sir. Can I assist you?"
"Our best teams are on it, so you may have little to offer. You may join in for experience if you choose. I will put a word in for your professors that you are on assignment."
"Thank you, Sir. What of my friends?"
"They will be under observation daily, but we cannot reverse the process until we capture the unit. Another team is attempting to reproduce one but it has many un-replicator cabable components which will take time. Time which we don't have."
-------------------------------------------

Sarah and R'sera sat down for dinner in the cafeteria. Sarah could feel the other cadets looking at them differently. This time it was different than it was earlier, it was almost strange. This time it wasn't so much the high-school looks.
"R, do I look different?"
"You look younger, but not much to me." She said as she took her scanner out. "15yrs old. You regressed a year."
"We don't have all that many to go. Hope they find something soon. At least your body isn't so obvious. I feel like a kid already."
Just then a professor came by.
"Mind if I join you two?" She asked, holding a tray. They nodded.
"Dr, Mccoy!" Sarah recognized. "So glad to see you." The doctor raised an eyebrow for a second.
"Cadet...Mertz? What happened? I thought you had a little sister or something."
"She, we were hit by some experemental ray and we are un-aging." R'sera stated flatly, almost bored sounding. The doctor put down her food and got bright eyed.
"Fascinating.!" She caught herself. "Sorry, I just love to see new phenomena. So, how do you know this information?"
R'sera pulled out her tricorder and handed it to the doctor. Mccoy looked at it with a scentimental look.
"You have a classic peice here. I had one of these when I was a cadet. My Uncle gave it to me. A federation civilian multi-role medical tricorder. Somebody must love you a lot".
"My dad gave it to me when I got my nursing credentials on Cait. He owns a Practice there."
"How sweet. I see here you are correct in your readings. You are only 13, R'sera?" Then she paused, "Credentials?"
"Actually that is college age on my homeworld. But really I am 17. That's how much I've... we've lost to this. Yes, ma'am on Cait I am a certified Nurse."
"I see. Did you go to the Medical office to get checked yet?"
"This morning, we need to do it again today for a follow up." Sarah replied, looking at herself oddly.
"What is it, Sar?"
"My voice is getting higher. This is so wierd"
"Do you mind if I come along?" The doctor blurted and caught herself "Sorry."
"It's alright. I find it intriguing too, but soon I won't be able to do very much without a chauffer!" The three smirked.