"Impressive - seems all it takes is a bit of fine tuning and we are back on course. Still couldn't figure out why we kept getting relayed to Terra. Now lets see where are we precisely.", Professor Trumble spoke gently into his briefcase as he began to make a rather graceful landing next to a row of bright red mushrooms.
"Oooh dear I see whats happened Ive shrunk.
"Or this world is much larger than you expected", came a voice from inside the briefcase
"Yes you may be right Thomlinson we shall need to investigate. Do you still have that growth hormone in there?"
"Yes but Professor I wouldn't recommend taking it as it may have some undesired effects"
Something stirred in the throng of ferns that surrounded the professor.
"No time Thomlinson. Something large is coming a squirrel or maybe even a fox we must enlarge or risk becoming a dinner for one of these critters"
The professor reached into his briefcase and grabbed a bottle that seemed to magically appear within his tiny grasp. "Here goes nothing. Chin chin. Bottoms up as they say"
As he drank his body suddenly began to grow in all directions before too much time his head poked out of the ferns as his legs grew outward and he landed on his rear which was significantly larger than usual.
"Its turned me into a dwarf. Those arnt my proportions. Well well nevermind atleast its got us out of danger
The Professor looked down to see a small group of tiny field mice making their way towards an opening in the forest. A squirrel looked down on them from above and tutted rather rudely.
Somewhere on a dark and brooding world surrounded by black and red clouds and continually eclipsed by a blue sun there lived a queen.
"How long before he arrives at the capital?", she demanded of one of her courtiers.
He should get to Kellios within a few days assuming he has found a way to counter the size variations in transit
"Damn and how soon can we get a vessel to Kellios"
"Weeks at best. I am afraid he has the advantage and will most likely find the Opal before you."
"Oh hang the Opal I want the professor. I want his brain in a jar just like all the rest. How does he keep elluding me?"
A tall rather elegant statuesqe woman in a rather revealing white dress sat on a ornate black chair that overlooked a room filled with doting servantsone of whom was her Master at arms Johnas.
Her head was perched on her long slender arm as she contemplated the professors doom.
Johnas bowed before his queen
"As you wish madame. He shall indeed be aprehended and the device recovered...
"Yes and we will have his head in a jar", the queen cackled like she enjoyed it.
The royal chamber extended into space from aplanet long since dead - its former inhabitants were a continual source of food for the Queen and her royal retinue and were kept in a kind of stasis continually pumped with artificial proteins which made them plump and delicious. They all dreamed of a day when they could be free.
The queen devoured a roasted leg from one of her denisens. "Mmmmm rather tastey that one what kind of sauce are you using Humphry's?"
Humphreys was the Saute Chief he was preparing the meal for the queen and her guests - other men of whom she relied apon to run her small but manageable inter galactic empire which consited mostly of well trained insects and cybernetic men.
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