An Expanded Hypothesis [mini-gts, 18+]

[pseudoclever]

Greetings Process readers. Here's my second story...took a bit longer to write than I might have expected, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Real quick, I want to mention that although this story does contain adult content, that element is a bit light in chapter one. Also, there's some SW content in here as well, though the story is mostly mini-gts focused.

Comments/critiques welcome. But please, lay off my pseudo-science. :P


An Expanded Hypothesis
by Pseudoclever

It was another perfectly normal evening in our perfectly normal town. Night air was wafting in through an open window, smelling sweet and full of promise. My fiance James and I were snuggling together on the couch, watching American Idol. I knew he hated the program, but under special treaty he had consented to watch it with me. This granted him certain privileges in the bedroom.

And then, like clockwork, a perfectly normal explosion shook our house. James reached for his drink, protecting it from a cascade of plaster that fell from the cathedral ceiling of our condo. ?Turn it up a bit, would you hun?? I said.

Heavy footsteps came from the basement stairs and a moment later our roommate emerged, her face blackened with soot. ?Hey Mel,? James said, not looking up. ?If you're headed to the fridge, could you grab me another beer??

?Guys, you'll NEVER believe it! This is the big one, the one that'll solve everything! It's....?

?Ah, yeah...could it wait until the commercial?? I interrupted. ?Simon is about to tear this no-talent bitch apart.?

Melany snatched the remote control from the coffee table. With a little flourish of her wrist she clicked the television off. ?Hey! Rude much?? I grumbled.

?I'm not kidding around here, Sandra. This is the most important scientific discovery in a hundred years.?

?More important than the internet?? I asked, trying to feign interest.

?Way more important.?

?Nuclear power??

?Better.?

I sighed. It was obvious she wasn't going to stop until we let her say her piece. ?Alright, let's hear it,? I said. ?What have you done this time??

?I'm so glad you asked,? she grinned, cracking her knuckles. ?Okay, so for as long as human beings have known about electricity, our process for collecting it has been incredibly inefficient. If you want to get power from coal, you burn it, then use the heat to boil water, then use the steam from that water to turn a turbine. You go from chemical energy, to heat energy, to mechanical energy, to electrical energy. And with each step, you lose something. With me so far?? We nodded.

?Alright. Einstein's Theory of Relativity states that matter and energy are actually the same thing. If you could find a way to convert a substance directly to electricity, it would be at the rate of something on the order of twenty-five million kilowatt-hours for every gram. As far as we know, this is practically impossible ? even our best sources of power can only get a few thousand joules per mole.?

My eyes started to glaze over as she went on. Once in awhile I caught words like 'Heisenberg' and 'orbital.' James, on the other hand, was leaning forward, appearing to hang on her every word. True, he was a bit more scientifically-inclined than I was. However, I suspected that his interest probably had more to do with the fact that Melany was drop-dead gorgeous.

My roommate had a dynamite body, with perfect hour-glass curves. Her long blonde hair had become a bit frayed in spots, what with its owner constantly getting herself blown up and all. But this only seemed to grant her a certain unique exoticness. Melany's skin was pale from long hours spent hiding away from the sun. The color was something reminiscent of marble, giving her a vague resemblance to a Greek statue. She was tall and leggy, perhaps just a few inches short of six feet. She typically wore an unnecessarily tight latex lab outfit, that she claimed was to protect her from ?splash-back.?

Melany was charismatic when she wanted to be, and almost impossibly brilliant. Perhaps her only flaw was that all her good qualities gave her one hell of an inflated ego. In the year or so that I'd known her I had never seen her go on a date. Not that she didn't have offers ? lord, she probably couldn't even go outside without the boys lining up around the block. As far as I could tell, she just wasn't interested in this facet of human relations. Somehow this made her all the more attractive. Even I sometimes caught myself admiring her, and had to force myself to stop staring.

By contrast, I cultivate much more of a 'girl next door' kind of look. I have a nice figure, but it certainly won't get me on the cover of any magazines. My hair is nut-brown and shoulder-length, and sometimes I like to braid it. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but you would probably describe me as 'healthy.' That is, if you knew what was good for you. I am a mere five feet two inches tall (or perhaps I should say that I was ? but I'm getting ahead of myself.) My boobs are my pride and joy. They're big and shapely, mid D's, and they look especially huge on my tiny frame. I like to refer to them as my boy bait ? they worked wonders on James.

Speaking of James, he was still drooling over Melany and her oratory. She was really getting into it, flailing her arms about and gesturing wildly. Whenever she thrust outward, the cleavage that stuck out of the top of her outfit jiggled enticingly. She used words like 'expanded' and 'vibrations.' My man was completely enthralled, and I had to admit that she was appealing. I trusted James, I really did. But he was a guy, and it's a well-known fact that men can only think with one head at a time. I found myself getting jealous.

?...resulting in a near-perfect conversion of mass to energy from any object! Isn't that amazing?? Mel finished at last. She was out of breath, her eyes twinged with just a hint of insanity.

?That's amazing!? James gushed. ?So, uh...what exactly did you invent??

?Good question!? she beamed at him, as I shot daggers at her with my eyes. ?All the theory is useless without a practical application. And here it is!? She reached into her pocket, and produced a small device. It looked like a television remote control from the 1980's. Square and grey, with a short antenna sticking out of the top. It had only two buttons; one green, one red. For something that required such a long, complicated speech, it looked pretty simple to me.

?So that thing can take the energy from anything, convert it directly to electricity, and store it?? James asked. He'd obviously been paying more attention than I had. I fought down another wave of resentment.

?You're close. It can capture the energy, it can convert it. But as for storing....? She turned the remote over, exposing the back to us. Two disconnected metallics leads were sticking out. ?I'm still working on a battery that can deal with the stress involved in the process.?

?Can I hold it?? I asked on an impulse. To this day I have no idea what made me ask that question. Maybe I just wanted someone to pay attention to me.

?Ah...I don't know Sandra. It's kind of fragile.? Melany shifted her feet nervously, not looking at me.

?Oh come on, I'm not going to break it.?

?You always break my inventions though. You broke my perpetual motion machine just last week!?

?You said yourself that that thing was an abomination against the laws of physics,? I shot back. ?Seriously, what's the worst thing that could happen??

She sighed. ?Alright fine. If you're going to throw a hissy-fit, here. I've got the documentation, I can just build another one anyway.? She pressed the device into my hands.

I held it up, examining it critically and trying to form some sort of opinion. All I could come up with was that it needed to be a brighter color. I said so. Here followed a heated partisan discussion as old as mankind ? marketing versus engineering. James took a couple steps back, trying not to get involved.

?Alright whatever,? I said at last, deciding that Melany had all the aesthetic sense of a blind gopher. ?Why don't you just tell me how it works??

?It's so easy a child could use it,? she replied with just a hint of venom. ?You point it at whatever you want to capture energy from, and press the green button. You use the red button to discharge the energy.?

?So if there was a battery in it, I could just point it at the TV,? I said, lifting my arm to demonstrate, ?press the green button, and...?

I was vaguely aware of Melany screaming something like ?OHGODNODONTDOTHAT!? and leaping towards me. But in the instant my thumb touched the button, an earth-shattering noise tore through the house. The room filled with a blinding light as the television screen shattered and imploded. Lightning arced across the room into the remote. The air around me crackled, my hair stood on end. Pain shot into my palm as the two metal shards on the back of the remote became red hot.

Within a few seconds the show died down. We stood, my roommates staring at me, no one saying anything. After the deafening shock, the room was awkwardly quiet. A thick acrid smoke and the smell of ozone hung in the air. My hand throbbed in pain.

And then I felt a strange tingling in my lower back. It was similar to the pins and needles feeling you get when your foot falls asleep, but broader, more intense. It quickly spread up my spine, into my neck. Within a few seconds my whole body was filled with this odd sensation. ?Ah, guys....? I began, but cut myself off as the feeling changed. Every muscle in my body tensed and flexed involuntarily. It felt like the first stretch of the morning, right after you roll out of bed. But this stretch never seemed to end. My clothes were getting uncomfortable, my shoes were pinching my feet. But despite all this, it felt...good.

All too soon it passed. It reminded me of my first orgasm ? I had no idea what had happened, but I knew I liked it, and I wanted to figure out how to do it again. James and Melany were staring at me open-mouthed. Their faces looked panicked, horrified. Something about them was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it could be. And then it struck me ? they were smaller. No, everything was smaller! I am by no means a stupid girl, and I quickly put two and two together. My roommates hadn't shrunk ? I had grown!

Melany was the first to break the silence. ?OF COURSE!? she yelled. ?I must have installed the Chadwick Compensators backwards. It's not converting mass to energy, it's converting energy to mass!? She pulled out a pad of paper and began scribbling furiously, muttering to herself.

Meanwhile, I was fighting down a wave of hysteria. It was true that I'd always wished to be taller, and on some level I found this new development exciting. But the suddenness of this change was profoundly unsettling. ?James, honey,? I said quietly. He jumped at the sound of his name, and gave me the same sort of look I might've expected him to give a giant spider. ?It's still me baby, don't be scared,? I cooed. ?I really need a hug right now. Please?? He clenched his fists, but then sighed.

?Okay Sandra. I understand.? His body relaxed, and he crossed the room without hesitation and wrapped his arms around me. Say what you want about James, but I could always depend on him to be there for me. It felt strange, being hugged by him this way. I was used to him being so much than me, and now we were nearly the same height. Holding each other now, it wasn't the same...but it was still good. We stayed that way for awhile, and gradually I could feel my pulse slowing, my breathing returning to normal.

?Sandra,? he whispered in my ear. ?This might sound weird but...I think I kind of like you like this.?

?Really?? I asked, my heart fluttering in my chest. ?It doesn't creep you out??

He shook his head. ?Not at all, not now that I'm used to it. Don't take this the wrong way, but I guess I've sort of got a thing for tall girls.?

My eyes narrowed. ?Like Melany?? My voice carried the same element as the shake of a rattlesnake's tail.

?I told you not to take it the wrong way. You're smart, you're beautiful...you make me happy every day. I might like big girls, but I fell in love with you.?

My cheeks grew warm, and I felt a tingle rushing through my body. A different tingle, more natural, but no less exciting. ?Oh James...you don't know how much it means to hear you say that.? We leaned forward, pulled by the inexorable force of passion. I felt his lips brush against mine, soft and wet. We kissed, as we have a thousand times before. But this was unique, special. At long last, I was sure that James accepted me for who I was, and for whatever I would become. I felt his tongue slip into my mouth.

?Ah-HEM,? Melany said from across the room. ?Public display of affection!? We ended our kiss reluctantly, our eyes full of longing. James stood beside me, and took my hand. It would have to be enough for now. ?If you don't mind Sandra, I need to take some measurements. Come over and stand back-to-back with me.?

I obeyed, crossing the room to press my back into hers. This felt a little awkward. Why didn't she just use a tape measure? My intuition told me that this was personal somehow. Melany had always towered over me, had always thought herself so much more attractive. Perhaps in some way she was measuring her new status as much as my growth. ?James,? she said in a sickeningly sweet voice, ?be a dear??

James came over, eyeing us critically. He tilted his head back and forth, squinting his eyes. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation. If Melany was hung up on who was taller, then I guess I was too ? and damn it, I wanted to win!

?I think,? James said at last, ?that Melany is maybe half an inch taller.? My heart sank in my chest, and behind me I could hear my roommate give a little twitter of joy. I tried to put it in perspective, to think that I was still attractive, still had the love of a wonderful man, and still much taller than I'd been before. There was no need to compete with Melany.

I turned and noticed a faint, smug smile on her face. I tried to ignore it. ?It's just as I thought,? she said. ?You're close to five feet nine inches tall. That would mean you grew seven inches from roughly five seconds of exposure to a standard household circuit. I don't know how to explain it, because the wattage that television could produce doesn't come close to accounting for your growth. There must have been another source....?

James turned and walked over to the remains of our television. He began to pick through the wreckage, his brow furrowed in thought. ?You know, there's no broken glass over here. And I think there might be some parts missing. This is just a guess, but...maybe that thing actually IS turning mass into energy. But since there was nothing to absorb the electricity, Sandra's body is acting like a mass battery. Did that make any sense??

Melany ran across the room and, to my chagrin, threw her arms around him ?James, you're a genius!? She turned her head gave him a little peck on the cheek. His eyes widened, and he looked at me helplessly. My zen-like attitude dissolved around me.

I marched over and grabbed Melany by the shoulder. I spun her around, and thrust my hand inches from her face. ?Do you see this?? I shouted at her. ?This is an engagement ring. Since you're not from our planet, let me explain it. It means you don't get to touch my man. Or flirt with him. Or show off your cleavage. I'm sick of watching you hit on him, and I'm not going to take it anymore.?

Melany's jaw dropped open and she stared at me, dumbfounded. James looked shocked as well. I've never been the aggressive type; passive-aggressive is more my style. But my new-found height had given me a bit more confidence. And seeing that woman draping herself all over James had pushed me over the edge.

A moment later Melany stiffened, and that familiar smirk was once more plastered on her lips. ?Hey, I'm just showing him a little harmless affection. I know James enjoys it, don't you hun?? He threw up his arms and desperately tried to sputter a response. ?And besides, if you're so insecure that I might steal him away, maybe you shouldn't be getting married.?

My mind burned with righteous fury. I gritted my teeth so hard that I was afraid they might break. My hands balled into fists ? and I remembered that I was still clutching the remote. No jury in the world would convict me, I thought. I raised the device and pointed it at Melany. Already beginning to formulate my temporary insanity plea, I jammed my finger down on the green button.