* * * *
The first thing I noticed is that I appeared to be in a stainless steel coffin. And, believe me; I had heard all kinds of sizevamp-and-coffin jokes when I was at Nusi Academy!
Then, I noticed the square piece of plexiglass just above my head. So, I instantly knew this must be some kind of cryostatic transport pod, similar to that used by the Sitmobtia. Except, it wasn't cold inside. And, believe me; I know cold. Because my metabolic temperature is considerably below 98.6! Requiring me to wear a black leather jacket even during the dog days of summer in Manhattan!!
In any event, since I was now wide awake, I decided to use my size-changing power to outgrow this pod.
A minute later, I was free. Though, my nervousness made the noise of the metal shattering sound so much louder than it probably really was that I knelt on one knee. Prepared to instantly grow ten feet tall, and come out fighting. You see, my dad had personally tutored me in kajukenbo and goju-ryu karate during my summer vacations away from the academy.
Yet, nobody came running to see what had happened. So, I slowly stood all the way up and looked around. Noticing right away that there were other stainless steel transport pods surrounding me. Each one containing a person who appeared to be peacefully asleep. Before I could do anything to help them, though, I heard that female voice again.
"Welcome to the Titan Station Duty-free Gift Shop. How may I help you?"
"I understand you have some confiscated humans for sale?" replied another (and younger-sounding) female voice.
"Oh, yes! Station security caught some Kzzz'thn'x smugglers, right in the act. And, naturally, repatriation of the humans is impossible. So, the poor things have been given to us, in the hopes that we can find good homes for them."
"May I see what you have available?" asked the younger female.
"Certainly!" replied the older female: "Right this way."
Call it a premonition, if you want. But, I sensed, right away, that it would be a bad idea for these two women to catch me out in the open. So, I hid behind the stasis pod to my right...by shrinking down to my absolute limit of half an inch tall. And, just in time, too!
Because the two women arrived at that very moment. The older one being rather plump with curly silver hair, black-rimmed eye glasses, and a long-sleeved black dress. While the younger one appeared to be Hawaiian, with purple-tinted black hair cut in what used to be known as the "Dorothy Hamill salad bowl" style. And, as she was wearing a blue blazer over a white blouse (with some kind of white logo on the blazer's left-hand lapel), I could only assume that she was some kind of prep school girl. Which, in turn, could only mean some kind of rich kid. Possibly, spoiled.
Lord knows there had been plenty of those at Nusi Academy, as well!
There was a long pause in between the sales lady's inquiry--as to whether or not the youngster saw anything she liked--and the latter's reply.
"This one! The one in the sleeveless black dress. She has such lovely golden hair, she could pass for one of those captive princesses from one of my nanny's old bedtime stories!"
"An excellent choice," replied the sales lady: "Will that be cash or charge?"
"Charge, please."
"Certainly! Shall we go up to the register, then?"
The two women walked away. Leaving me to resume my normal size and, thereby, affording me a clearer glimpse of them. The younger one, in particular! The sales lady appeared to be one hundred fifty feet tall. While the youngster (whose blue-and-gold plaid skirt confirmed her to be a preppie) was about fifteen feet shorter. And, since the latter had mentioned her intended purchase as wearing a sleevless black dress, I decided to follow her. As I knew only one other person who had been wearing such an outfit at the time of my "white out."
Professor Paula Drake; a.k.a. "Perry Meson!"
Having made up my mind, I jumped off the shelf I had finally seen I was standing on...and enlarged myself to my absolute maximum (one hundred and one feet) before I hit the floor. The moment I stood up, though, I noticed something peculiar.
I practically leaped off ground like a basketball player on steroids!
"Whoa!" I thought to myself, as I narrowly avoided hitting the ceiling): "Wherever this Titan Station is, they must have lighter gravity than on Earth."
You see, I was operating on the assumption that the Sitmobtia had taken us (my fellow captives and I) to the solar sytem of a parallel-Earth. And, that we might be aboard a space station orbiting Luna, Mars, or maybe even Saturn (seeing as how this was called "Titan Station")! So, I gingerly made my way to the front of the store. And, let me tell you; it was a weird feeling seeing both those women tower over me.
"There you go, Miss Gruja. I hope the two of you will be very happy, together."
The pretty young preppie blushed and thanked her. Then, she left the store. I made to follow her...only for the sales lady to finally notice me.
"Oh!" she exclaimed: "I'm sorry, young man. I didn't see you come in."
"Not to worry, ma'am," I replied (with a reassuring smile): "We hypo-thyroid types get used to that, real fast."
"Can I help you find anything?"
"Not today. Thanks, anyway."
I tipped my gray cap, to emphasize my gratitude. Then, I exited the store, as fast as possible. Trying to use the lighter gravity of this place to my advantage, by leaping and bounding like John Carter of Mars, in order to catch up with my quarry. And, yet, at the same time, trying to appear casual about it!
When I finally accomplished the latter, I got my second shock of the day.
She was standing in line at what was clearly a departure gate. Only the sign above it wasn't printed in English, Gromanian, Sizeloan, or any other language I had studied at Nusi Academy. In other words?
I was aboard a space station of literally extra-terrestrial origin!
tbc
Giantess World
