Joe_Bates_Saga________________________________________________________17__



17.  Chapter :      Learning



It was still dark when Joe woke up.  He could feel an arm across his
chest.  He wondered what time it was, and looked over at the glowing
display of the clock radio on the nightstand.  It said five a.m.  Joe
wondered if it was accurate.  He decided it must be close.

Joe Bates lay deep in thought.  What was it now...  Tuesday?  He had
been this way only five days, and already, here he was, in bed with a
man.  Not just any guy either, but his best friend, Jay Logan.  He
thought about last night.  Neither of them had planned what had
happened, but what did come about was beyond his wildest expectations.

Only yesterday, Joe had signed papers changing his legal gender to
match his new anatomy.  That alone would have been enough for most
guys.  Then, that same evening, he ended the day by sleeping in the
same bed, and actually having intimate relations with, his long time
best friend.  What was next?  What was happening to him?  Here he was,
in bed with Jay, and he realized, he was actually enjoying it.  Was he
now homosexual?  He considered the possibility.  Of course, he still
thought of himself as male, at least in his head.  But, there was no
denying that his body, and now, even his body image, was becoming quite
feminized.  He couldn't deny it any more than he could change it.  Joe
hadn't asked to be this way.  He had no control over the new
feelings...the new urges that the change had given his body.

Joe peered over at Jay.  In the semi-darkness, he could see the faint
outline of his friend's face.  He watched Jay breathing, and wondered
what they might say to each other in the morning.  The whole thing was
a strange combination of familiarity and curiosity, a mixture of old,
and, at least for Joe, very new sensations.  He was surprised at how
natural everything had seemed.  He never thought he would have the
nerve to get this near to a man, but now it had happened, and it didn't
seem so unusual at all.  As he gazed at his pal, he felt a strange
contentment begin to overtake him.  For some reason, he was glad that
he had been able to share this new experience with Jay.

Suddenly, Jay stirred slightly.  He coughed, and moved his arm.  His
hand was now directly on Joe's right breast, and although he was
obviously still asleep, he instinctively stroked it once, and cupped
his hand over it.  This sensation felt strange to Joe.  When he wasn't
walking or moving around, he usually couldn't really sense the new
tissue on his chest.  Even when he did, it sort of felt like a lump of
soft fat, bouncing and jiggling with any movements that he made.  But
it didn't feel particularly sexy, or erotic.  It was now just another
part of his body, if anything, a source of embarrassment, at least for
someone who still considered himself a man inside.  That was most of
the time.  As Joe became more familiar with his changed body, he had
begun to accept the presence of the soft mounds on his now quite
hairless chest.  He was even starting to like the way he looked,
enjoying the feel of soft, feminine clothing which defined his new
curves.  At those times, those little fleshy bulges became more...  a
mark of his new femininity, a source of pride, and sometimes...
pleasure.  Usually, when Joe touched his own chest, the sensation was
nothing special.  But, when anyone else touched him there...  well,
that was different.  As Joe lay there, contemplating the touch of Jay's
hand, he felt his crotch muscles tighten involuntarily.  Strange the
way it does that, he thought.  He tensed the muscles himself.  He
couldn't feel any difference there from yesterday, even though he knew
he had changed ...  perhaps more psychologically than physically ...
with what had happened just a few hours ago.

Joe ran his hand over the soft hair on his now somewhat prominent pubic
mound.  Lower down, between his legs, it was still damp and matted.
Touching there felt good, so he kept his hand there, gently rubbing the
still somewhat unfamiliar, silky soft, folds of tissue which replaced
his male parts.  Even when it was your own, a female body felt so
different than a male, he considered.  Now, everything about it was
soft and pliable.  His male body had been so much harder and rougher.
Even his pubic hair, which was now closely trimmed, felt much softer,
finer than before.  I guess I can get used to this, Joe thought.  Seems
I'll have to, in any case.  Then, he fell asleep again, the contented
smile still on his face.

                              ************

The sun was shining around the edges of the drawn curtain when Joe woke
again.  When he opened his eyes, he saw that Jay was awake, watching
him.  He returned the look, and smiled.

"Who'd have thought this, huh?" Jay said, returning the smile.

"Yeah, who," Joe repeated.  He yawned, and raised his arms over his
head to stretch.  It was only then he realized that he was still
wearing the hairpiece.

"I don't know about you, but it was quite an experience for me last
night," Jay said.  "You were fantastic."

"Well, I guess we both just did what comes naturally," Joe replied.  "I
suppose it helps that I know how it feels like from your side." He
grinned with embarrassment.

Jay kept looking at Joe.  He reached over, and gently ran a finger
along Joe's soft breast, watching its pink tip change from a soft, full
cone to a firm point as he did so.  Joe found that Jay's light touch
tickled the sensitive skin, and he involuntarily shook his chest
slightly, which made his breasts jiggle.

"That tickles," Joe said, feeling an embarrassed blush warm his face.

"Joe, I still have trouble accepting what has happened to you," Jay
said.  "You're so beautiful, it's hard to believe that what happened
was caused by an accident."

"But it's still me, Jay, don't forget that," Joe reminded him.  "And if
that's a problem for you to accept...you should spend a day in my
shoes."

"What do you have planned for today?" Jay asked.

"Well, we all have to go to the clinic at about nine.  We have some
kind of class, or briefing.  I think its about hygiene ...  stuff like
that.  We might even talk about contraception too, I think," Joe
explained.

"So the doctors think you can actually get pregnant?" Jay asked with
curiosity.  "How do they know that?"

"I don't know," Joe answered.  "I suspect they are making an
assumption, based on what they found during the physical examinations."

"What did they find?" Jay continued.

"Nothing, I guess, just that we all seemed to have undergone a more or
less complete transition to a female appearance.  Apparently, even my
chromosomes are now XX, rather than the male pattern XY. That means
that even my body's cell structure has become feminized."

"I suppose it's hard for you to live with, but it sure improved your
appearance," Jay said, a big grin on his face.

"You're just horny," Joe said, punching Jay's hairy chest lightly with
his fist.  "Seriously, it is hard to adjust to the differences, but...I
will admit, it's not all bad though.  And I can still feel changes
happening...  physical, as well as...  I guess...  mental.  I think
it's actually affecting the way I think."

"Well, we both have said, on more than one occasion, that women process
information differently from men.  Maybe it's really true," Jay said,
becoming serious again.

"Yeah, I suspect it is," Joe reasoned.  "But I still have the same kind
of thoughts...  sort of anyway...  but I'm certain I'm more emotional
now.  I still like the same things...  maybe feelings about sex
excepted...  but I know I'm looking at things...  reacting to them
differently.  It's quite a strange thing to experience actually."

"Do guys really turn you on now?" Jay asked seriously.  "Did you really
want to have sex with me, or did you just want to know what it would
feel like?"

"I don't know," Joe said.  "Last night, I could feel myself being taken
over by something...  I don't know what...  I just had to do it...  I
don't know if that's the way it is for all females, or if my male head
was having a strange reaction to the new hormones that must be getting
to it...  I don't know.  I can tell you it felt great.  It really did.
Thanks for being there when I needed you." He grinned.

"My pleasure," Jay said.  "If you find you need to do it again, just
let me know.  I'm always willing to help you with a problem like that,"
Jay's face displayed a wicked grin.

"We'll see," Joe said, making an attempt at an innocent smile.  "We'll
see."

"Do you think we should get up?" Jay questioned.  "It's almost seven."

Joe modestly pulled the sheet over his chest.

"Yeah, I guess I should." He said.  "I have to shower, and it's taking
me longer to get ready now.  Actually, I haven't even done it all by
myself before."

"You can go in first," Jay said.  "Can I use your razor to shave?"

"Sure." If you don't mind that I'm using it on my legs," Joe said,
grinning.  "You can put a new cartridge in, though."

"Ok.  I'll do that." Jay returned the grin.

Joe got up, and began to look for his terrycloth outfit.  He found it
embarrassing for him to be around Jay while nude.  Jay reached down to
the floor on his side of the bed and retrieved the little light blue
cover up.

"Cute," He said, as he handed it to Joe, who quickly stepped into it,
and pulled it over the soft mounds of his chest.

"I know, I know.  It's hard for me to get used to this stuff too," Joe
said.  "But I'm a little smaller and shorter now.  My old clothes just
didn't fit at all, and I've got to wear something.  This is what fits."

"You really look great," Jay said again.  "If you have to be a woman,
at least be glad you're so attractive.  It would be a bitch to be
changed into an ugly girl."

"You know, that's an unusual thing about it," Joe related.  "When I
first see myself in the mirror, I don't always immediately recognize
that it's me.  I guess I'm not used to what I look like yet.  But when
I see myself as I dress...  put makeup on, or whatever, I don't really
feel all that attractive...  I just feel like me.  Sometimes, when I
put this stuff on, I feel like I'm just dressing in drag."

"Well, trust me, old buddy, you're a looker," Jay said.

"I'll try to remember that" Joe said, and turned and walked into the
bathroom, pulling the door closed.

In the bathroom, Joe looked at the items on the counter.  There were
little complimentary bottles of shampoo and conditioner.  Also, there
was a packet of bubble bath, and soap.  Joe remembered the pleasant
feeling when he soaked in the tub with Linda, and decided he would try
a bath rather than a shower.  He put the stopper in the tub, and
started the hot water running.  Pouring the packet of bath beads into
the flow, he watched the bubbles begin to form.  While the tub filled,
he decided to use the toilet.  He removed the little terrycloth coverup
and dropped it to the floor.  He sat on the stool to relieve himself.
He was curious if the changes to his body caused by losing his new
virginity would change the way the flow left his body, but decided that
he really couldn't tell any difference.  The procedure required to
urinate was already much different than when he had a penis.  He
didn't...  he couldn't aim...  but just sat there, and sort of let it
happen.  But the result was the same.

He quickly finished, and saw that the tub was almost filled with warm
water thick with bubbles.  He looked at the tub, and thought about what
he was doing.  This time last week, he wouldn't even have considered
doing anything like taking a bubble bath.  But then, last week he
didn't have this soft, sensitive body to deal with.  He stuck a toe
into the water to feel the temperature.  It felt hot, but tolerable, so
he went to the counter, took a wash cloth and the bar of Caress bath
soap, settled into the bubbles, and let the warmth engulf his body.

Joe took the soap and begun rubbing it over himself, making his soft
skin soapy slick.  He soaped his chest, enjoying how his breasts felt
when they were covered with the sudsy water.  Suddenly, he realized he
was still wearing the wig, and carefully removed it with wet hands.  As
carefully as he could, he tossed it over onto the counter top.  With
the wig off, his scalp felt cool, since it was now covered only by his
relatively short, male, hairstyle.  He scratched his head.  The shorter
hair now felt unfamiliar.  He went back to soaping himself, and
carefully washed his genitalia.  When his soapy fingers found his
clitoris, he spent perhaps a little more time than necessary making
sure that the little nub of flesh, which now seemed to contain all the
sensitive nerves that had been in the head of his penis, was spotlessly
clean.

When Joe felt he was finished, and the bubbles were waning, he got up,
and hopped out of the tub.  His slick, wet, hairless body was still
covered with soapy suds.  Joe wondered how he could get the stuff off.
He remembered why he liked showers better, and reached for one of the
large, thick bath towels on the rack.  The absorbent towels quickly
took the water off, and the soapy residue actually seemed to make his
skin softer.  As he dried his legs, stubble, which had formed since the
last time he had shaved, could be felt.  What would he do about that?

He decided to let the water out of the tub, and when it was gone, he
took his razor, and shave cream from his kit, and stepped back into the
tub.  He put some cream on his legs, and then a little under his arms,
Then he started the shower and began shaving.  From longtime habit, he
felt his face, and the softness he felt there reminded him that he no
longer had to worry about shaving that part of his body.  The hair on
his legs didn't seem to go as high up as the first time he had shaved
there, either.  He had some sharp stubble on his calves, but only light
down was forming on his upper thighs, in sharp contrast to the hairy
legs he had as a man.  Then, of course, he had also had a dark thicket
of hair on his chest too.  That had been replaced by firm breasts, with
only a few hairs around much larger areola.  Joe had plucked those out
when he first saw them, and they had yet to return.

When Joe finished shaving his legs and underarms, he rinsed the shave
cream off under the shower and turned the water off.  He got out of the
tub and again dried off with the thick towel.  When he finished, he
looked at himself in the mirror over the sink.

What he saw was now familiar to him.  Only the short hair was left as a
reminder of his former appearance.  To be sure, his face still had some
resemblance to his male look, but now his reflection was more like that
of his sister, if he had a sister.  His trim, shapely body looked much
younger than its thirty years.  He wondered why, and decided that since
he had just developed feminine secondary sexual characteristics, time
and gravity hadn't done their work on his new shape yet.
Everything...his skin, his hands...everything about him seemed to have
shed ten years.  He even felt younger, much more flexible.  But, he
could tell that he had lost significant strength.  His body was still
well toned, but the large chest and shoulder muscles he once had were
replaced with the thinner, trim, upper torso of a young female.
Examining himself in the mirror, Joe was again amazed at what he had
become.  He bent his left arm like a muscle man, and looked at his
small bicep muscle.  He reached over with his other hand, and felt it.
It was not big, but it was still firm.  He had no flab on his body
anywhere.

Joe took the cosmetics out of the bag, and carefully tried to fix his
face.  He intentionally made sure not to use much makeup, preferring a
well scrubbed, healthy look.

When he was more or less satisfied, he was ready to dress.  He looked
at the underwear that had dried overnight.  Should he put the same
stuff back on, he wondered?  What would he be wearing today?  He
couldn't remember what Linda had packed for him, so he put the terry
romper back on, and, taking his clean underwear, he went back out into
the main room.

Jay was still lying on the bed.  He had turned on the TV, and was
watching CNN. Joe went to the closet, and looked over what he had to
wear today.

"Are you finished in the bathroom?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, you can go in if you want.  I'm trying to figure out what to
wear today.  Linda picked my clothes, and I guess she expects me to
wear this dress.  I don't have anything else here but a suit, this, and
some shorts," Joe said, holding up the red-orange sundress.

"That looks like it would look good," Jay said, getting up, and walking
naked into the bathroom.

Jay went in, but didn't close the door behind him.  Through the open
door, Joe watched his friend stand in front of the stool and urinate.
It reminded him that he wasn't like that...he wasn't a man anymore, and
he felt a slight twinge of envy.

Well, if I'm going to wear this, I'll have to find the right stuff to
wear underneath, Joe thought, trying to take his mind off things he
couldn't change.  He went to his B-4 bag, and located the bra with the
wide set straps, which wouldn't show from under the straps of the
sundress.  He then found a matching panty, and took the things over to
the bed.  He didn't remove the cover up, but pulled it down to his
waist as he put the almost transparent bra on.  Wearing it felt
strangely sexy, just as when he had tried it on in the store.  Joe
found that wearing women's clothing, even underwear, sometimes seemed
so frivolous.  But, for some reason, it made him feel good about
himself again.

Next, Joe stepped out of the romper, and quickly pulled on the nylon,
nude colored, panties.  He found a half slip, and pulled it over his
hips.  He decided he would see how he looked without nylon hose, since
that would be much cooler.

Slipping into the red dress, Joe struggled to fasten the buttons at the
back.  When he finally got them closed, he checked his reflection in
the mirror.  The dress fit his shapely contours, and was quite feminine
looking.  Without the wig, his face seemed somewhat out of place above
his attractive figure.  He needed the hairpiece to give him the look he
wanted.  Joe carefully moved his own hair around, trying to find some
way to comb it that might make the length seem even a little feminine.
He decided that, at least for a while, he would need the wig.

Joe walked over to the open bathroom door.  Jay was in the shower, and
the curtain was drawn.  Joe went into the bathroom, grabbed his wig,
and quickly left the steamy room.

He placed the hairpiece on his head, and found that it needed a little
brushing to get it back into the shape it was in yesterday.  The steam
had caused the wig to get slightly curly, and it was difficult to get
into place.  Joe needed his hairbrush, which was in his shaving kit.

With the disheveled wig on his head, Joe went back into the bathroom
and began looking for his brush in the little cosmetic bag Linda had
prepared for him.  As he was doing that, Jay turned off the shower, and
slid the curtain open.  He looked at Joe, who felt a bit embarrassed,
standing next to his wet, naked pal.  Jay looked at him, and grinned
widely.

"Hey, you look good in that, Joe," Jay said, as he stepped from the
tub.  "The hair makes you look even more beautiful.  I even like that
unruly look."

"I'm trying to get rid of the 'unruly' look," Joe said.  "I left the
wig in here, and the steam hasn't helped it any.  I hope I can get it
back into shape."

"Don't worry, I know you'll look fantastic either way," Jay advised.

Joe quickly left the bathroom.  He stood in front of the mirror, and
brushed the hairpiece until it was as close as he could make it to how
it had been.

As he examined himself critically, he remembered the little ear rings.
He found them, and snapped them on his ears.  He didn't like the way
they felt, but they did set off his face.  The little golden disks
contrasted well with his tanned skin.  He smoothed the dress down his
hips, and adjusted the way it fit around his bosom.  He was doing that
when Jay came out of the bathroom.

"I know I'm impressed," Jay said.  He had seen Joe feel and squeeze his
boob while adjusting his bra.

Joe didn't say anything.  He was too embarrassed.

"The dress looks good on you," Jay said.  He came over to where Joe was
standing.  Coming up behind Joe, he reached up touched one of the small
earrings Joe had carefully snapped on, which were just visible below
his hairpiece.

"These are nice too," Jay said.  "Where did you get them?"

"Linda sent them with me," Joe said.  "I wore them yesterday, too.
They're hers.  I don't have any of my own, so far."

"Are these your clothes?" Jay asked.

"Yeah.  I bought this the other evening, before we came out here.
Karen helped pick it out," Joe said.  He spun around, so Jay could look
at him.

"She has good taste," Jay said.  "Is Honeybone paying for all this new
stuff?"

"Well, no, not so far.  I haven't given it much thought.  I've just
been getting what I need...whatever I need.  I haven't thought much
about who should be paying for it," Joe answered.

"I think, if you keep the receipts, and keep a record of all the
expenses you incur, you'll probably find them more than willing to
cover them.  I'm sure they're worried stiff about the legal
ramifications of what has happened to you guys...  er, girls...  ah
women." The attorney in Jay was again struggling to come out.

"I guess I've still got most of my sales slips," Joe said.  "I'll ask
Jim about it when we get back."

"I really think you should," Jay said.  "Especially if you're going to
stay this way."

"What does that mean?" Joe asked curiously.  "If I'm going to stay this
way."

"You know...  if you're going to remain a woman...  you might find that
a lot of things about your life are going to change...  and you might
be needing all the financial help you can get."

"Jim said that he thought Honeybone would let us keep our jobs," Joe
said.  "Whatever I look like now, I still have the same skills...  the
same education, as I always had.  I may not be quite as strong as
before, but I can still do everything I have to do." Irritated, Joe
heard his voice rise as he spoke.

Jay quickly dressed wearing the same clothes as he came with.  When he
was ready, he turned to Joe.

"Are you going to check out this morning?" Jay asked.

"I guess we should," Joe answered.  "I'll see what Karen thinks." He
went to the phone, and dialed the room next door.

"Karen, Joe here.  Are we going to leave from the clinic?" Joe asked.

"Yeah.  I think so," Karen said.  "I don't know what they will want to
do with Tim, but he can probably leave with us, too."

"How's he doing?" Joe asked.  He wondered how the newest victim of the
change was adjusting.

"Well, I think ok," Karen answered.  "He took a shower, and now he's
trying on some clothes.  I think he's facing the same problem adjusting
as you are.  I think he likes some things, but is having a problem
accepting it, especially if it might be permanent."

"Yeah, I know exactly how he feels," Joe said knowingly.  Everything
was much easier to take, if you could think of it all as temporary.

"I think we should bag up," Karen said.  "If we do have to stay
tonight, we can check in again."

"I'll call Dave and Mike," Joe said.  "I'll see you in about a half
hour, for breakfast." He hung up the phone.

Joe called the others, and told them to get ready to check out.  He
hung up the phone again, and got his things together.  He picked up the
B-4 bag, and was starting to carry it out, when Jay took it away from
him.

"I'll carry that for you," Jay said.

With a bit of irritation in his voice, Joe started to object.  When he
looked at his friend's face, he saw a strange expression ...  one he
had never seen before.

"I...  I can carry this.  Joe said faintly.

"But, you know I can do it easier," Jay said, the look still in his
eyes.  "And anyway, I want to."

Suddenly, Joe realized that the relationship with his best friend was
now very different.  They may still have the same interests, and
hobbies, but now...  there was at least one big difference...  they had
slept in the same bed.  They had made love...  as a man...  and a
woman.  They had been close friends, but now, they were also lovers.
It was very obvious that Jay could not ignore the fact that his best
friend was now an attractive woman.

Joe and Jay found seats in the lobby.  Before long, Dave joined them,
and he was soon followed by Mike.  Dave was wearing another jumpsuit,
this one in a yellow color, which fit his new shape quite well.
Although Joe was becoming familiar with what had happened to his own
body, it was still always a little shock when he saw what had happened
to his friends.

Mike was still wearing his male clothing, but his braless chest was now
quite evident, his prominent nipples poking at his shirt, bobbing as he
walked toward them.  Joe wondered if Mike was still changing and
developing, or if it just seemed so, now that he knew what his friend
looked like.  Mike seemed oblivious to his appearance.

Mike greeted them, and found a seat on the couch, next to Joe.  "I
don't know," Mike said quietly to Joe.  "I was watching ESPN, and I
found myself feeling strange...  I was actually watching the guys...
they...  I had trouble concentrating on the game...  what the hell is
happening?  Am I turning queer?  I don't know what's going on with me."
He looked at Joe, as if he had the answer to the confusion.

"Yeah.  I know what you're saying," Joe agreed.  "I guess we're all
finding new things about ourselves every day." It was hard to put into
words, what was going through his mind.

They had sat there only a minute or two, when Karen walked into the
lobby, followed closely behind by a very self conscious looking Tim,
who was wearing a feminine looking top, and pants which were almost too
snug around his now larger hips.  The clothes were probably Karen's,
and it was apparent that Tim was a bit more well endowed than she was.
He had never worn a bra before, and he self consciously tried to
conceal his bulging breasts, which now seemed even larger, supported by
the bra, by awkwardly holding an arm across his chest.

Tim stood next to Karen and greeted the others, who remained seated.

"You look real good, Tim," Joe said, trying to build the young guy's
ego, but not really knowing how to go about it.

"Yeah.  Real good.  I feel like Dolly Parton," Tim said, cupping a
breast with his hand for emphasis.

"It isn't that bad," Joe countered.  "It just feels that way because
you're not used to having them yet.  Before long, you'll forget they're
there."

"Do you?" Tim asked simply.

"Well...no, I guess I don't," Joe answered truthfully.  "But I think I
have adjusted to them being there."

"Then maybe I will too, sometime," Tim continued.  "But right now, it's
embarrassing as hell." He took a seat on the couch.

"Let's get something to eat," Joe suggested.  "We can discuss what we
want to do as far as checkout."

"Good idea," Jay said.  "I know I've got to get to the airport, and see
that the plane is fixed.  I have to be in Phoenix by this afternoon."

They went into the hotel coffee shop, and ordered breakfast.  As they
waited, they decided on the plan of action.

"Ok then, as soon as we're done here, we all check out, and then we
drive Jay to the airport.  I'll call Dr.  Krell, tell him what we have
planned, and confirm the best times," Karen said.

"What will they do with me?" Tim asked.  He had no idea what was in
store for him.

"I think you'll find out what it's really like to be a woman today."
Dave said, breaking his now customary silence.

"They'll probably give want to take some blood samples, and give you a
physical." Karen explained to the young man.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you've never had one like they're gonna give you,"
Mike said.  " They'll be poking things into openings you probably don't
realize you have."

"Don't worry, Tim," Joe said.  "We've all survived it.  It's not that
bad." He was trying to quell the look of concern that was on Tim's
quite attractive features.

"Will I have to get undressed around people?" Tim asked.

"Well, yeah, but don't worry, you'll find that Dr.  Krell won't think
you're strange, or do anything to embarrass you.  He'll only try to
help you to cope with what's happened," Joe explained.

"I hope he can do more than help me cope," Tim said.  "I don't want to
have to get used to the way wearing a bra feels, I want him to make me
not have to wear it." He pulled at the straps, which apparently were
digging into his shoulders.

"If he can, he will," Karen said.  "And if he can't, nobody can."

"Well, let's get going," Joe said.  "We have a lot to do today.  Go up
and get your things and check out.  I'll meet everyone at the desk in
fifteen minutes."

They all went back to their rooms.  Joe and Jay, since they had already
brought Joe's bag down, went out into the waiting area.

In a few minutes, they all met and checked out.  Then they took their
things to the car and drove Jay to the airport.