A113-91s

The acoustics only reinforced the intimidating feeling the high glass walls gave the aquarium. They had to be at least twenty feet tall.  If an insect got in he’d have a real problem.  The barrier on top would have to work.  They should have bought some of the sticky tape Tanya uses as a barrier.   

Alone Austin started thinking of the bad luck he’d be having on the job search.  There were sales jobs for telemarketers, but the pay was low and he couldn’t operate a keyboard. And there was this little issue of his parents 25th wedding anniversary at the end of August. He seemed to be holding together, but wondered how long he could and what might happen.  Did it make sense to come out?  What would that do to Tanya with the alien?  He didn’t want to wreck her life, although he might have already.

Somehow she put that plant nearby when the was moving things around for the aquarium. Too much of a bug risk.  He found himself pacing.  It seemed more like a prison than a bug-free zone.  She was taking a lot of time. 

He couldn’t figure out his relationship with her.  She was much more open and playful than Tanya and struck him as more of a friend, but even with her size there was a bit of sexual charge there too.   How much of that was just Mari and was any of it real.  Not that it mattered.  At least he felt more like a person than a pet when he was around her.  That was worth a lot.

Finally she came out. She was wearing a skimpy sweater dress and it looked like some makeup. 

“Ready to spring that hole?” she said reaching in.

He held up his arm and she took it between her fingers and lifted him vertically.  They all had different ways of lifting him.

She held him at face level.  That was the best vantage point for talking.  Looking straight up so often wasn’t comfortable.  There was a dynamic of respect he noticed.  He was taking more seriously when he was at face level.  There a lot of subtle body language was lost  and  replaced by something  neither he or the giant women understood.   Women are supposedly better at sorting this kind of communication out, but would it even be possible.  He knew he had found himself keeping track of hands perhaps to predict intentions.

Maybe there were things to talk to Mari about.  He had been thinking about bringing them up with Kari as she was something of a clean slate.  He was a little miffed to see her pass him off, but he sort of understood.  That must have been some relationship.

“It’s been awhile”  She set him down on a pile of clothes the table and pulled up a chair to be more at his level.

“Feeling better - you look ok.”

“ just bad bruises.  so stupid, I could have fallen on you.”

“You heard someone stole the car..”

“Yeah… sucks, get a look at her?”

“Not her face.  It’s too late anyway.”

“Sucks..  ‘ given any more thought to being a model or movie star?”

“I’d end up in a lab cage if I go public”

“Not if you came out publicly .”

“Maybe, but think about what it’d do to Tanya’s life …  the alien and all..”

“Yeah, I’m really starting to worry about her.  She’s on a major guilt trip…”

“She’s weird around me too.  Making passes, walking around nude…  I thought she was going to grab me and pull my clothes off…”

“She wouldn’t  go there..”

“It felt like it from down here.”

“She needs something really positive to happen.  She really likes you. You could ask her out on a date or something.  Maybe even talk about the good and bad points of coming out.”

“Yeah … but there’s..”

“Look.. I do crazier things than she imagines..  Look at the things we’ve done.”

“Maybe it’s body language.”

“at least give it a try.,”

“OK, but let’s change the subject,.”

“Wanna talk about what happens if you come out.. ?”


“You’ve not going to be happy until we do ..”

“Right..  First, when you do it you’ve gotta use me as your agent.”


“And just how does that go?”

“ ‘ have any talents?  Like singing for a sport or anything?”

“Not really.  I work out, but I’m not an athlete.”

“‘ probably doesn’t matter.  We’ll start with some kind of TV show, with a huge buildup on Instagram, Facebook and everywhere.  Afterwards we’d go for endorsements and advertising contracts.”

“Endorsements?”

“Yeah — think about it.  Mercedes could build you a little car and a supermodel could carry you around.” she paused  “if you keep trying to hide there’s gonna be a mistake and then you’d end up in a lab for sure.”

“I’d rather do something a little more productive..”

“You could to afford to do almost anything..  You can do way better than steel frame buildings job, right?  ‘ bet there are dozens of engineers and craftsmen who’d make things for you that really worked. You’ll get used to tall women and  based on what I’ve seen you’d have a choice.  Right now three who aren’t exactly turning you down.  Tell me, how were you doing before?”

“Before I could go a lot farther than put my arms around a girl’s finger”

“You’re just thinking too much of your old size.  Be creative!  …there are girls who’d love a challenge.  Even things you might not think of.  Remember when you used me as a climbing wall?”  he nodded and she continued.  “ ‘turns out it really got me going. After you left I had to take care of matters. …  just saying..”

She realized she may have been pushing things and went to change the subject.  “That aquarium must be awful.  We’ll put together something better, but I hope it’ll be safe.”

“It’ll work for now.  Besides, I was the one who pushed for something.”

“Yeah, well…  I wonder if that engineering woman Kennedy or someone could make a Roomba for bugs?  I bet it’d sell by itself.  I hat having to clean up spider webs in the corners and behind things.”

“I like that.”

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[the full size and more detailed 4000 pixel render goes out to donors]