I entered the lab with excitement- Washington and Miller's messages had said "groundbreaking discovery" and "revolutionary". Neither man wrote in hyperbole and most scientists are naturally timid when it came to findings, so this might've really been something.
I saw a simple metal chair surrounded by stands of emitters. I knew they were working on something about the human brain's reaction to energy exposure, so this must be it.
"Mike!" Washington said from behind a bank of computers and monitors in the back. "Have we got something!"
"What?" I responded.
He and Miller came out.
"You won't believe it!" Washington said (Miller was always the quiet one) "We think we may have discovered proof of alternate earths!"
"What the science fiction thing?" I mocked. "That there's another earth in some parallel reality like ours but slightly different?"
The hypothesis had been suggested in physics for a while but, as I suggested, it was more of a science fiction trope than science fact.
"I know it sounds silly- but yes!"
"We calibrating the emitters last week and the system accidently fired while I was in the target area. For five minutes my body stayed here but my mind inhabited the body of a SWAT officer in a Los Angeles in a riot situation- that didn't happen in our reality. After the five minutes I returned to my body." Miller said.
"He was completely unconscious during that time!" Washington effused. "We then fired it off with me in the target area- I was a Harvard professor but internal combustion engines had been completely given up!"
"We have tried four other firings- each with equal success. But now we need to expand our experimental base beyond just us."
"Are you kidding?! You could've caused brain damage to each other!" I railed "You could just be experiencing hallucinations!"
"We have checked. Neither of us has received brain damage or alteration as far as tests can determine." Washington explained "As far as hallucinations- we have considered it but the details seem to be too precise, the experiences too close to our laws of reality to suggest that."
"Yeah, we haven't smelled colors or thought we were flying, or something like that so that would seem to shoot down hallucinations," Washington said "But that's why we need another test subject- to widen the base. We'd like you to take a ride."
After checking their data, I was curious. Neither man played practical jokes or flights of fancy and their data checked out. I decided to take a ride.
"One thing we have noticed- the longer in the other reality the more the host's thoughts start to leak in- possibly a biological influence from their brain. But it instantly goes away when you come back," Miller said.
"The return time is variable for some reason. We've gone from being there five to fifteen minutes," Washington added.
I sat in the chair and they fired the emitters. I instantly found myself standing in a kitchen. Stainless steel oven, refrigerator, and microwave. I looked down and saw two large breasts- I was in the body of a woman.
I took a step forward and nearly fell- I caught myself with the countertop. Apparently, she/I was wearing heels. After a few steps, it became natural- it must be the host's mind/memory/body helping.
I walked into a hallway that led to the bedrooms- but what interested me was the full-length mirror directly to my left at the end of the hall.
She was a beautiful woman: in her late thirties (possibly older but just didn't show it?). She had blonde hair she wore up in a complex but attractive style. Her skin was perfect ivory. She wore a retro knee length blue dress with small polka dots that strapped around her neck and was low cut to show off her perfect, large (DD?) breasts. She wore transparent high heels. Her model beautiful face wore makeup you rarely saw outside of models or actresses on film- full red lips, shadow, blush, mascara foundation- the works, but not so heavy as to appear unnatural. Rounded red nails and toes finished the look. Any heterosexual man would melt at her visage.
The front door knocked. I headed back towards the kitchen but turned right toward the sound through the living room. Pictures of the woman, a teenage son, and an older man whose expression looked like he ate lemons and gave blood for a living.