Copyright by an350017 1995. This story may be reposted or placed on electronic archives only with the author's permission. I'll probably give permission, but want to keep some control.
Some of this material may be offensive to some people. If you are underage or likely to be offended, stop reading. This article doesn't contain violence but there is towards the end reasonably explicit sex.
This is the second version of this story. A number of people have made some good suggestions. As a result, the story has been extended and revised. If I get more good critiques, the story may be further revised. If it is, I would appreciate it if any extant copies on archives could be replaced. I will inform any archivists that I know about.
If he was right, he seemed to have found a theoretical loophole in the laws of physics.
He went to work the next day determined to learn what he had done wrong. All day he spent examining his reasoning, but he couldn't find the error. Finally he decided that he needed another mind to help him.
Albert worked in the Advanced Development Lab of a major high tech company, and it should have been possible to find someone to help. Albert had come to the lab directly from getting his Ph.D. He'd never been in the "outside" world. When he first came, three years ago, there would have been several people that could have helped him.
Unfortunately, that scientist set unrealistic expectations, and had never produced a commercially valuable product. Larry was very quick on his feet and charismatic -- abilities Albert didn't have. But, he never examined a difficult issue all the way. He was smart, but not wise. Nevertheless, he had managed to fascinate the company's owners with his intellectual speed. They couldn't see that there was very little behind it. Most of the good scientist in the company had either left or were leaving in disgust.
Larry was the only scientist who might be able to understand the complex mathematics. Albert made an appointment. As Albert was presenting his work, he could see why Larry had so many fans. Larry seemed to be following right with him as he presented the work. He was elated by the end of the meeting, not only had Larry not found any errors but promised to help get support to push the theoretical ideas to practical completion.
Soon, Albert was part of a 100 person effort, code named Atlas. At first it was great fun, but there were some small practical drawbacks to the method, any enlargements would require tremendous energy, and would only be temporary. The amount of energy required would be equal to the maximum theoretical chemical energy that could be obtained from the extra mass. The law of conservation of energy still held, if you enlarged a teaspoon of gas to a gallon, burned it, and then later let it revert to a teaspoon, you wouldn't gain anything, because you'd have to put more energy into enlarging it than the gallon would yield. The energy would be returned when the item returned to normal size minus any energy that had been "used".
It was a heady experience to be a leader in one of the companies major strategic thrusts.
Larry wanted to build a machine that would make the enlargements permanent. Albert was sure that the loophole he had found would not permit that. But, none of the other scientists was willing to stand up with him against Larry. When Albert was with Larry, Larry would plunge into details, which he had an immense grasp of. They just didn't fit together.
Larry's plan required several complex components. Exactly what each component did kept changing. Every time Albert would challenge Larry's plan, one or another component would change, to match his specific challenge. Albert was convinced that the whole thing couldn't work together, but could never convince any one of the managers.
As 25 people were put on each of Larry's major component's confusion just grew. The game plan kept changing. It was just like all of Larry's previous projects. Larry had promised to deliver in 9 months, and two years went by. Albert wanted to go off and pursue his own plan. He was sure that he could build his device in a year, but since Larry kept promising to build his better machine in 9 months, he stopped Albert from getting any material, or even any time to build his own machine.
Sometimes the most perceptive people in an organization are the secretaries. The boss's secretary, Mary, believed Albert. Mary was young, and beautiful, but she'd been in the real world. She could see Larry for what he really was. She could also see who Albert was.
Mary started feeling protective of Albert. She could he see he was a painfully shy, brilliant boy who didn't have the kinds of ambitions many in the corporate world did. He didn't understand ambition in others. She made sure that Albert got access to the company owner, John Acer. Unfortunately, for all her coaching, he still made a hesitant presentation. At the end the owner looked him straight in the eye and said "Albert, I want to thank you for all your hard work. I know that you got us started down this path. I'll ask a group of our top technical people to review it. But, we've invested a tremendous amount of money in Atlas I'd rather not going to throw it away."
Albert was elated, he was going to be given a chance; Mary knew better.
The committee was established. It was put under a manager who had once been a promising scientist. But, he had chosen the management path. It was tempting to follow his scientific instinct's, but in the end, politics prevailed and Atlas remained the company's direction.
Albert suffered for another year being a team player. The boss was beginning to wonder whether all investments in Atlas had been wasted. The more pressure he put on Larry the more focused the project became on a direction Albert didn't believe in. Albert tried to make the plan work, but he kept thinking through how he would build a machine that he believed could work. He started to see that some of the components of Atlas might help him make a working machine if they could be put together with a new component. At nights he started to design his own machine Phoenix.
Four years after Albert had the initial insight he was almost ready to put Phoenix together. He needed to get a part from Atlas. He knew that Larry would never agree. He had fought so hard, but didn't know what to do next.
Mary had noticed that Albert had been animated for several months, and all of a sudden seemed deflated. She invited him to dinner. He blushed nicely when she asked if he was busy, but he eventually stammered out an acceptance. Over dinner he told her the story.
Albert didn't know, but Mary had keys to every room in the lab. As he was talking, she got a sly smile on her face, "How long is it going to take you to get the machine working once you've gotten Larry's part" she asked
"Oh, it really shouldn't be more than an hour or two."
"Well then, lets go to the lab, I've got a big dessert planned."
Albert didn't understand what was happening as Mary went to the refrigerator and wrapped something small in a napkin.
At the lab, Mary watched as Albert realized his dream. After an hour he put a penny in the machine and pushed a button. He pulled out a 50lb. copper barbell.
Mary asked him to show him how it worked. She had him turn his back. After a moment, she told him she had dessert, but she needed his help. She had turn the enlargement down, but she just couldn't lift the 100lb cookie. Even together they couldn't pick it up, but they could break it and pick up some of the 10 LB pieces. They feasted on one of them.
The next day started like an ordinary work day. Their 50lb copper barbell had shrunk back to being a penny, but they were still full from part of the cookie. Pieces of expanded matter that had merged with normal matter stayed expanded. At midday Larry came in and told Mary he had an emergency and needed to see the boss right away. Emergencies were Larry's strong suite, he had them quite often, so Mary didn't think much of it until she was told to get Albert right away.
She did, and when she opened the door she could tell there was a lynching about to take place. Larry was accusing Albert of destroying his part. He knew he needed a scapegoat, since he was failing and it appeared Mary had helped make Albert into a great target.
Albert didn't know how to deal with an attack from Larry. Mary though knew what she had to do. If Albert had known what she was going to do he probably would have tried to stop her, but he was preoccupied trying futily to save his job.
Mary went to Albert's lab, set the machine, and stepped into it herself. Ten minutes later, she was eight feet tall, and was a svelte 300 lb. She had to slouch the whole way back to avoid scraping the ceilings. As she got back to her office, outside the bosses and was thinking about what exactly she should do, she heard Larry say "Its 100 to one. No one else believes Albert's fantasy that he can do what 100 people can't. He's just disrupting the real direction. I want him out of here."
She entered the room, and sat on the same couch as Larry. Larry bounced slightly when her weight hit the couch. My God she thought, they're just like little boys, and they're fighting like ones. "Gee Larry, I think its at least two on Albert's side, I believe him" Patting his head "Or don't you think I'm entitled to a vote -- I'm only a surprisingly big secretary".
For once Larry was speechless. The more she talked the more she started to realize the advantages of size. Somehow her larger size was making her the leader in the room. It was as she was the only adult in a room full of children. They were not only looking up to her physically, but also were looking to her for guidance.
Mary seized the opportunity. "Boss, I think it's time to put this charade to an end. Obviously Albert knows more about the theory and operation of our new device. He should be in control of the scientific effort." The boss could only nod his head. "We don't really need this large a staff. Do we Albert?" He also seemed to be having trouble controlling his tongue, but he nodded. "Fine, then Albert will choose the scientific direction, and the boss and I should be able to handle any of the people contact."
"But where does that leave me?" Larry half squeaked.
"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll figure it out" Mary stated. She paused and added "I would think you should be able to find something to do, here or elsewhere." She was a bit amazed that she was on the way to firing Larry, but somehow her size seemed to let her lead the others. She decided to go for broke and see how far she could push it. "Two weeks ought to be enough time, but perhaps we should be generous, why don't you come back in three with a proposal? I'll make sure that we make time for you." She looked around the room, and said "I guess we're all agreed, lets go back to work."
After everyone else had left the boss's office, she walked over to Albert, and said "I hope that was all right with you".
He craned his neck upward, looking past her massive breasts to her face and said, "I've never seen a meeting so dominated by one person, you did a wonderful job. I only wish I could do as well."
"Thanks. Albert, I'm about to have a small problem." She said looking down at him, "Perhaps you could help."
"Anything" he replied. "What's the problem?"
"I'm not going to fit in my car and at this size I'm going to have some difficulty getting around".
Albert took her home, got a pizza, which they shared -- he had two pieces and she made a dainty meal of the rest. As he was about to leave Mary asked him, did he believe in kissing on the first date. He looked a bit dumbfounded and started to get red faced. So, she picked him up by the armpits, lifted him --****ATTENTION****--****ATTENTION****--****ATTENTION****--***ATTENTION*** Your e-mail reply to this message WILL be *automatically* ANONYMIZED. Please, report inappropriate use to abuse@anon.penet.fi For information (incl. non-anon reply) write to help@anon.penet.fi If you have any problems, address them to admin@anon.penet.fi