Zena had just transferred to the university in the "gifted program", to study microbiophysiology. She was assigned to a graduate student, Joey, a Nobel Prize nominee, as his lab partner and assistant. Joey flirted with her a bit but she only seemed interested in her studies and the projects they were working on. One evening, during a student party, he told her that he wanted to show her a project he was working on with one of the professors. They left the party and walked to the lab. No one else was in the building but Joey had the keys and alarm codes, so they went in and up to one of the restricted labs. He told her to stand on a metal disc on the floor while he activated the equipment.
While she was waiting, she asked him what the project was, and he told her it was matter miniaturization. She broke up laughing and said, "Seriously? You brought me up here for some kind of joke? Science has already proved matter miniaturization is impossible." Joey responded without looking up, "Science proved bumble bees can't fly too." At that, he said, "Stand by......." and pressed the activation button. A hum, then a blue light emitted from the machine and enveloped Zena. When it faded, she was 5 inches tall.
Instead of being afraid, she was thrilled. "This is incredible. You know what this means? This could revolutionize food production and transportation. Farmers could grow miniature crops, transport the equivalent of a thousand tons in a pickup truck, then restore the produce at the receiving end. In fact, even human transportation could be made so easy and inexpensive, anyone could afford to travel anywhere, maybe even to the moon or Mars. I can't believe I'm this tiny. This is so cool."
Joey reached down and picked Zena up and set her down on the lab table. She danced around, looking at the giant-sized lab equipment, barely noticing the colossal sized man standing next to the table. Joey then smiled and said, "By the way, I hacked into your computer and read your emails to the Nobel Prize selection board, criticizing my paper and accusing me of plagiarism." Joey bent down and picked up a small animal carrier from the floor and set it on the lab table. "And speaking of human transportation, get in. Now".
