Ellie And The Alien

She was on her feet, on a solid surface. Around her, unfamiliar colors hinted at a landscape that she couldn't quite make out. A feeling of 'not quite right' tinged her senses.

Where am I? Am I dreaming?

She had no memory of how she had arrived here, or even where 'here' was. And yet it seemed authentic—all her senses appeared to be working correctly—colors were vivid, sounds were clear and present, there was a not unpleasant scent of something flowery in the air, and the ambient temperature seemed comfortable, although perhaps a little warm. She pinched her arm. "Ow! Okay, pain receptors are working. Maybe not a dream."

<The environmental parameters are acceptable? Affirmative or Negative?>

The voice was neutral in tone and pitch, denoting no nationality or sex. She whirled around but couldn't pinpoint the source. "What?"

There was a pause.

<The environmental parameters are acceptable? Affirmative or Negative?>

"Oh. Umm. Affirmative. I guess."

Ellie looked down at herself and saw her usual sleeping attire—a white, too-large t-shirt sporting an electron micrograph of a DNA strand on a computer chip, and a pair of seen-better-days, white cotton panties.

Okay, this still might be a dream.

<Your species is anatomically binary? Affirmative or Negative?>

Ellie's thought processes raced.

Anatomically binary? Bilaterally symmetric? Bipedal? Two sexes—more or less.

"Umm, clarify, please."

<For species propagation—two anatomical variants? Affirmative or Negative?>

Ellie was finding her interrogator's questions a little disturbing. "Affirmative. Why are you asking?"

<We are acquiring data in order to calibrate the subject interface. During species-specific propagation your primary role is receptive? Affirmative or Negative?>

Subject interface? Propagation? What the hell? Is it asking if I'm female?

"Okay, whoever you are, enough is enough! I'm not answering any more questions until I know what this is about."

There was a long pause.

<Our apologies. We require this information to accurately configure the subject interface. Please confirm your primary role during species propagation.>

Ellie sighed in frustration.

This has to be the weirdest dream I've ever had. I guess I just have to go with it.

"If I answer your question, will you tell me what this is all about?"

Another pause.

<Agreed. When the subject interface is acceptably configured it will explain the investigative parameters.>

Investigative parameters? What am I? Some kind of lab rat?

Ellie felt decidedly disoriented. "Fine. I'm female, so I suppose my primary role would be receptive."

Not that I have any experience of that.

<A moment please. Subject interface configuration in process.>

Ellie's surroundings came into focus and she took time to orient herself. She appeared to be outdoors, standing on a grass-like surface, although the color was much too blue. The grass was composed of tight spirals that depressed when she stood on them, and returned immediately to their previous state when she lifted her feet. The terrain was smooth and rolling, broken in places by patches of purplish shrubbery of varying heights. The horizon appeared to be too close, and the sky was a pinkish shade of aqua. It was clearly daytime, but although there were no clouds, she couldn't see any sign of the sun.

<Subject interface configuration is complete.>

A voice came from behind her, a pleasing male baritone. "I apologize if I'm not quite what you're used to."

Ellie squealed in shock and spun around. In front of her was a roughly spherical being, about three feet in diameter, its surface a green-tinted orange, covered in arrays of rounded bumps of varied sizes, forming intricate patterns. The sphere had three pairs of tentacle-like appendages, four of which supported it, and two that seemed

to serve as manipulators. Above the 'arms' was a 'face' consisting of two, very large eyes, and below and between them a flexible protuberance that resembled a six inch long elephant's trunk. The effect was eerie, but not unpleasant.

"How shall I address you?" the creature asked, its voice coming from its 'trunk'.

"My name?" Ellie asked. "Umm, it's Ellie."

"Ellie," the sphere repeated. "I'm afraid your vocal apparatus can't reproduce my name. You will have to provide me with an acceptable designation."

"Oh." Ellie's mind flashed to one of her favorite films. "Let's call you Klaatu."

"Klaatu," intoned the creature. "Very well."

Klaatu lowered himself to the ground by coiling his lowest limbs, and patted the grass in front of him with the left-hand intermediate tentacle. Ellie surmised that the intermediate pair of limbs could function both as manipulators and as supports.

Conscious of her scanty state of dress Ellie sat on the ground, carefully keeping her knees together. The 'grass' was surprisingly comfortable, soft and springy, and provocatively sensuous against her thinly covered buttocks. She felt a liquid warmth creeping between her thighs.

Is this turning into some kinky kind of wet dream?

Trying to ignore her feelings of arousal, Ellie found her eyes examining the area between Klaatu's lower limbs. The surface appeared smooth and unbroken.

No genitals? At least not where they are on humans.

She gazed speculatively at the flexible protuberance on the creature's face, imagining it exploring between her open thighs.

Ellie! That's disgusting!

She quickly pushed the image away.

"Does your species not wear clothing?" Ellie blurted.

Klaatu's large eyes closed briefly, then opened. "My appearance is offensive to you?"

"No, not offensive. It's just ... in my society it is not permitted to appear unclothed in public."

"We are not in public. It is just the two of us."

"Um, yes. But we are not ... we don't have the kind of relationship that would allow nudity."

"I think I understand. My species does not have clothing taboos. We adopt coverings only when it is necessary to protect ourselves. Why do you have a taboo against a lack of clothing?"

"Clothing for us serves many purposes—protection and bodily warmth, status signaling, decoration, and concealment of our genital areas."

"Am I to understand that you only display your genital areas as an invitation to procreate?"

"Umm, yes."

"Our two species are not cross-fertile, so procreation is not possible. Therefore there is no basis on which to apply your taboo against a lack of clothing."

Am I really dreaming all this?

."Never mind. It's not important. You can stay the way you are. Now, what's this all about? Where am I and who are you?"

"This is a synesthetic representation of my world calibrated to your sensory apparatus."

"Synesthetic?"

"Your brainwave pattern—I believe you call it a 'REM state'—is receptive to a specific type of modulation, which your brain translates as sensory inputs."

"REM state ... so you're making me dream all this?"

"Well, not me personally. And it's not exactly a dream."

"That's not very helpful. If I'm not dreaming, where am I really?"

Klaatu slow-blinked again. "The simplest answer to your question is—you are exactly where you think you are. For a more definitive answer you would need to be familiar with trans-dimensional quantum chromodynamics."

"Um—I know something about quantum theory, but it's not really my area of expertise."

"What is your area of expertise?"

Ellie's specialty, and her almost life-long passion, was bioinformatics. She was currently doing a post-doc in the department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah, "Bioinformatics," she replied.

"Ah. Then you will understand when I tell you that I am part of a galactic enterprise to catalog and preserve representative samples of the reproductive cycles of intelligent species that have a significant risk of going extinct."

It was Ellie's turn to blink. "So you've picked me to be a representative sample?"

"More accurately, you are a sample source. We merely need to collect material from your reproductive organs, and to make a record of your reproductive behavior."

Ellie let out a dismayed laugh. She was twenty-three years of age, unattached, and she'd never had a boyfriend. "Me?":she repeated, "You want to record me having sex? I'm a virgin. I've never had sex."

"Does that mean you are ignorant of the procreative process?"

Ellie snorted. "No. I know how it works. I've just never done it myself."

"Why not?"

Ellie found herself blushing. "If you must know, I have been unsuccessful in finding an acceptable male willing to partner with me."

I have to shut this down right now.

"If you need a record of our reproductive behavior, all you have to do is interface with our global communications systems. You will find a plethora of material depicting our anatomy and our reproductive behaviors."

"I'm afraid that is not possible. If you were familiar with TDQCD, you would know that the only contact we can establish with you is by way of your REM state."

How do I get out of this?

"Why me? Surely you could find a more suitable subject?"

"Yours was the first synesthetically receptive consciousness we found. We used a substantial amount of resources to establish and calibrate this interface. Terminating it, searching for another subject, and establishing and calibrating a new interface would be extremely counter-productive."

"So, what if I deny you permission to take samples of my reproductive organs, and absolutely refuse to engage in an act of procreation?"

Klaatu's eyes closed for a few minutes, then opened. "That is your prerogative. However, our projections indicate that such a choice on your part reduces the probability of obtaining representative samples and records of your species reproductive parameters to an unacceptably low degree. Are you really willing to leave your species with no chance of reintroduction in the high likelihood that it becomes extinct?"

"You're saying that if I refuse, my species won't be included in your biological repository?"

Klaatu rocked backwards. "We calculate that the probability of contacting a subject as accessible as you are is approximately 6. 133%."

"That sounds like a fairly exact approximation." Ellie was beginning to feel trapped.

I'm not sure I believe any of this, but I can't take the chance that I might be dooming us to permanent extinction.

"Do I at least get to choose the man I do it with?"

"You would have to select someone who is receptive to our synesthetic communication protocols."

And he'd have to be willing to have sex with me. Not likely!

Ellie sighed in resignation. "Fine, If you can find someone I like, and who likes me—I guess we'll try. So what happens now?"

Klaatu rocked forward. "Initially, we need to know the parameters that trigger your species to procreate. For example, is your desire to procreate seasonal?"

"Seasonal? No!". Ellie laughed in spite of herself. "Oh, there are many species on our world for which that is true, but we humans are not one of them." She thought a moment. "No, the male of our species is always ready to procreate, and we females are fertile for about six days every lunar cycle."

"So you, as a female, are receptive only during that time?"

"Not necessarily, and not only during that time." Ellie sighed. "A female is potentially receptive anytime she is attracted to a male of our species."

Klaatu blinked again. "Why? What benefit can she receive if she is not fertile?"

"Sex is—or can be—very pleasurable. A successful coupling results in the release of a hormone that bestows feelings of intense pleasure and emotional well-being. This hormone can be addictive. Many members of our species engage in sexual liaisons solely for pleasure and regard procreation as an undesirable side-effect."

"So your species can engage in the act of procreation at any time, and in fact may even seek out opportunities for procreation because it is addictively pleasurable?"

"That sounds about right, yes."

"How often are you able to bear young?"

"I suppose from the age of about fifteen years, perhaps a little younger, to about forty years, maybe a little longer. Gestation of a full term fetus is nine months."

"So a female of your species over her lifetime can give birth to more than thirty offspring?"

"Theoretically, I suppose so. Although the practical limit appears to be ten or twelve."

"No wonder your species is listed as being at high risk for extinction."

Ellie nodded sadly. "Yeah, more than a few of our scientists and philosophers have remarked on that."

"Then it is imperative that your reproductive tissues and behaviors are preserved in our collection." Klaatu blinked. "It appears we are ready to proceed to stage two—anatomical parameters."

Anatomical parameters? DANGER, Will Robinson, DANGER!.

Ellie glowered threateningly. "What do you mean?"

'The male of your species deposits reproductive material into the female. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you each have a special organ for this purpose?"

"He has testes and a penis. I have ... the female has ovaries and a uterus ... and a vagina."

"Can you elaborate? Explain the purpose of each?"

"Certainly. The male testes produce the sperm. The female ovaries produce the eggs—ova. The penis inserts into the vagina to transmit the sperm. The sperm unites with the egg, and the fertilized egg is incubated in the uterus."

Klaatu rocked backwards then forward again. "And it is the act of the male entering the female that is pleasurable?"

"So I am told."

"May I view your genital areas?"

"What!?"

"May I view your genital areas?"

"No! Why would you need to ...? No! Definitely not!"

"Are you rescinding your agreement to proceed with your species' biological preservation?" Klaatu's voice was maddeningly calm.

"No, of course not. But what you are asking is extremely intimate I would only show my genitals to someone I intend to have sex with."

"You are aware that when we watch you engage in the act of procreation with a male of your species that every detail of your reproductive organs will be quantum encoded in all forty-two accessible dimensions?"

"So you're going to see them anyway."

"That is correct."

"Fine, I will take my clothes off." Ellie sighed forlornly and got to her feet..She looked around at the alien landscape.

No one can see me. Except Klaatu. And I'm pretty sure he won't get turned on by the sight of a human female body. Especially not mine. Just think of him as an animated volleyball.

Ellie tugged her t-shirt off over her head, then took a quick glance at Klaatu to see his reaction. On a human male, his gigantic, wide open eyes would have meant intense interest, but Klaatu's gaze was maddeningly unreadable. Ellie gave a mental shrug, sighed again, and pushed down her panties.

There! I'm naked. Are you happy?

"Turn around, please," Klaatu said.

Ellie obediently did a slow three-sixty turn then stood, waiting. An awkward two minutes passed without anything happening."Are you done? Can I get dressed again?"

"Why?" Klaatu asked. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

"Physically comfortable? Or emotionally."

Ellie let out an exasperated sigh. "Emotionally."

"Why?"

"Because I hate the way I look!" she blurted.

Klaatu's eyes closed for another brief period, then opened. "Would you feel more comfortable being unclothed if you had a more desirable appearance?"

Ellie blinked in confusion. "Umm, I suppose. Maybe."

A nude female figure appeared next to Ellie. It took a moment for her to recognize herself. Ellie was the only child of multi-racial parents—her father had Latino, Afro-American and native roots, and her mother was from Jakarta, with a mixture of Oriental heritages. Her duplicate, whom Ellie immediately dubbed 'Ellie2', stood just about five foot four, with pale brown skin and lank, dark brown hair. Her skinny frame had a slumped, awkward stance, her hands clasped protectively over her small, saggy breasts and hairy groin. A sparse, dark stubble marred the mottled skin of her legs. She had a face that could kindly be called plain, with a too large nose, dark sunken eyes too close together, and thin uncompromising lips.

Ellie shot Klaatu a questioning glance.

"That is a multi-dimensional representation of yourself as you currently are. If you specify the parameters you desire, they will appear here simultaneous with them manifesting on yourself."

"Bigger boobs?"

"What are boobs?"

"These." Ellie moved her hands to her duplicate's chest, and was startled to feel warm, resilient flesh. "Oh! Is she alive?"

"She is the product of a ninth degree quantum bio-entanglement. Essentially you, but without your consciousness."

"I see." Ellie's mind had passed beyond boggling. "Boobs is a slang term for human female breasts."

"Ah, mammary glands: primary purpose—to provide a nutritious fluid to feed your young. Why do you wish bigger boobs?"

"Milk supply is

not

the primary purpose for human female breasts. Among all the mammals on Earth, only mature human females have permanent, prominent breasts." Ellie lifted the sagging tissue with her hand. "Human males seem to be attracted to breasts, and in many societies larger breasts are viewed as being more sexually desirable." She took her hand away. "My breasts are small and saggy. Can you make them bigger? Fuller? And better supported?"

Ellie watched in amazement as Ellie2's breasts increased in size and fullness, perking up and standing higher. At the same time she felt her own chest get heavier. Her hands moved up to relieve the unaccustomed weight. The sensation of her breasts swelling in her cupped palms confirmed to her that it was really happening.

"Stop!" she called out in alarm. Dropping her arms she stepped around her duplicate to view her from a different angle.

Wow!

Her breasts were perfect, but now looked overly large on her gawky frame.

She stepped back and viewed Ellie2 critically. "Taller," she directed. "Add three-quarters of an inch to her upper legs, the same amount to her lower legs, and a half-inch to her neck."

Her head spun dizzily as her perspective suddenly altered. Ellie2's eyes remained level with her own, but everything else shifted lower.. The dizziness abated after a few seconds and she examined her duplicate again.

Too thin. Spindly. She needs to fill out. And wider hips.

She placed her hands on Ellie2's hips, then indicated a space a half inch wider on each side. "Widen her hips ..." She touched her right hand to her duplicate's nipple. "Make these a little longer, pinker, less dark; lighten the pigment in the areolas—she brushed her finger over the dark area surrounding the nipple—and make them smaller."

She watched the changes take place. "Increase the size and strength of the muscles in the arms and shoulders, chest, buttocks, thighs, and calves; increase the fat layer under the skin to make it soft and smooth. Make the body hair lighter and finer, especially on the legs and arms"

She felt as if she were being stretched. An almost intolerable itch permeated her entire skin for two and a half seconds, then died away. Ellie2 transformed before her eyes—from a gawky, almost skeletal figure into a strong, beautifully proportioned woman.

Her hands moved over Ellie2's face to demonstrate her next set of commands. "Shrink the nose about twenty percent, and turn up the tip just a little. Increase the size of the eyes by ten percent and move them a bit further apart. Raise the cheek bones and bring them forward slightly, pulling the eyes forward as well. More fat in the lips to make them fuller, more blood flow to make them redder. And just a trace of a smile."