"During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition called war; and such a war as if every man is against every man. "
- Thomas Hobbes

It was odd for a high school like the Immaculate Conception to offer an honors religious studies class run by a non-religious teacher, but there had been an effort lately for the school to become more PC. Mr. Wilde never told them he wasn't Catholic, but it was obvious to Heather he was not. He approached the subject matter the way a surgeon might approach a patient, professionally but without reverence.

"Ms. Halcyona," he addressed Heather as he did all of his students, by her last name. "What would you say is the main thesis of Wright's book?"

They had been reading The Evolution of God for his class, which has only confirmed Heather's suspicion about their teacher's beliefs. They were assigned to read the end for this class. Heather, who was a shoe-in for valedictorian, had of course read it. She was a tall rail-thin wisp of a girl, with scraggly brown hair, glasses, and braces. While few in her class would call her 'friend,' she had still managed to be voted class president three years in a row, mainly out of pragmatism. She was polite and courteous to her classmates. No one really disliked her, but that was as far as it went. Heather liked it better that way -anyway- since it gave her more time for her studies. She knew she had to work hard to live up to her full potential.  

"That our understanding of the Divine has been evolving throughout history, much like our understanding of other subjects like math and science. This book is meant to convince us that humanity has not yet found the true appreciation of God."

"I see," Mr. Wilde said noncommittally. "Do you agree that is what Wright is saying, Mr. Immanuel?"

If the Immaculate Conception had a vice-valedictorian it would have been Adam Immanuel. He had transferred in late last year. Adam was tall, handsome, and smart, but everyone was convinced he must have a social disorder of some kind, because he was horribly awkward when it came to conversation. He was undisputedly intelligent, which only made his utter lack of social graces even more unbearable. Most people in the school had quickly learned to ignore him, those that did not openly despised him.  He had a higher grade-point average than Heather in math and science, but not in any other subject. He seemed to even bother the teachers.

Mr. Wilde had taken to pitting Heather and Adam against each other in the class discussions. Heather was sure that Adam was just playing Devils advocate with her, since he, without fail, took a position opposite to hers, but he spoke in such a matter-of-fact almost monotone voice it was hard to tell.

"No," said Adam to which Heather rolled her big brown eyes. Adam continued, "Wright's thesis is not truly about humanity's imaginings of a God, but of the driving uniting force behind human society. He is attempting to say that, by working in tandem, man can become God." An argument ensued.

Heather left at the end of class aggravated. Arguing with Adam always got her that way, and she was also upset that other people in the class enjoyed egging them on and that Mr. Wilde seemed to encourage it.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, except for the fact that Heather was in a bad mood. She was relived when school ended and she could spend some quality time alone in the library studying. Heather loved staying late in the library since the quiet and books always calmed her. But, soon the school was closing and she was on her way to the senior parking lot. The school was in a rural neighborhood and was spread out, so it was about a 10-minute walk from the main building to the parking lot.

Once there, she found that she was not the only one who had stayed late that evening. Fred Mensch, star of the wrestling team and homecoming king, and several of his friends had surrounded someone. In the fading light passed the jocks, Heather could not quite make out who it was.

"Hey Poindexter," Fred was saying, "Katy tells me you were bothering her."

"I am told I have that effect," came a clear voice that could only belong to one person. Heather hurried over to see Adam in the middle of the group. Typical for him he had no fear in his eyes and seemed almost unaware of his soundings. Heather was sure this was only further infuriating Fred.

"Yeah, you do. You're having it right now," said Fred. Then Fred punched Adam square in the face. Heather winced.  Adam simply took it which, again, only angered Fred more. Fred's buddies grabbed Adam by the arms and Fred started punching Adam right in the head, again and again.

This is no simple bullying, thought Heather. She knew she needed to do something.

"Hey," she called out.

Fred turned and looked at her his fists still raised. He had a sadistic look in his dull blue eyes, and Heather took an involuntary step back when she saw it.

"Hey boys, the whore wants some too," Fred said as he advanced on her, the twisted expression on his face matched his eyes. Heather took another step back. Then she noticed Fred's friend were not following him, but were looking at each other a little nervously.

They probably think he's going to far too, thought Heather as she found her courage and stopped retreating.

Fred had short blond hair and was the same height as Heather, but he was much heaver without an ounce of fat. Fred had been accepted into College early with a wrestling scholarship. He was lean and strong, a teenaged male in peak physical condition. Yet skinny Heather now held her ground against him.

Looking past Fred to his friends, Heather said: "Do you think I need to be taught a lesson, too?" She more addressed them than she did the maniac in front of her.

The group looked at each other again. Finally Bobby, the good-natured heavyweight of the wrestling team, came up next to Fred, who was staring dangerously at Heather. Plaintively Bobby said, "Com'on Fred, we came here to pound on a freak, not a girl. Let's just get out of here."

Fred continued his deadly stare at Heather. She was convinced he was going to hit her, or worse. Suddenly, his face changed completely as the sadistic glint vanished form his blue eyes. Turning to his friend, Fred put his hands Bobby's shoulder and said in a jovial matter, "You're right, Buddy, let's go."

Heather couldn't tell if the sigh of relief was from her own lips or the crowd's. Fred and his friends filed past Heather, but as they did Fred whispered in her ear, "I'll be seeing you, whore."

As soon as she safely could, Heather went over to Adam, who everyone seemed to have forgotten about. He was just sitting on his car, looking at her with an expression that could be described as shock, or maybe curiosity. As Heather approached she also took on a look of shock.

Adam's face was bleeding, but that was not what unsettled Heather. The fact that the blood was green was what surprised her. Her mind was about to tell her that it must be a trick of the evening illumination when her hands came to her own face in horror a she noticed that Adam's wounds were healing themselves right in front of her.

"You didn't have to do that," he said in his matter-of-fact tone as his face reformed. "I would have been alright, but they could have hurt you."

After her confrontation with Fred, this was too overwhelming for Heather. She turned and fled, leaving Adam standing there alone in the dark. His bright green eyes almost seemed to glow in the fading light.

Needless to say Heather got home quite late that night, but she had collected her thoughts by that time. Her father was still waiting up for her, as he always did. It was not that he did not trust her; Heather knew he did. Heather's father had done his best to fill the hole her mother's death had left in both their lives.

"Dad, you don't have to stay up," she said when she saw him on the couch waiting for her.
"I know," he said with a tired smile, "I just want to make sure you know I care when my only daughter is out late. But, you are home later than normal, is everything alright?"
Heather did not want to tell her father about the night's events, but she did not want to lie to him either.

"There was a fight in the parking lot between two boys and I broke it up." She said going into the kitchen to get something to eat.

Her father sounded worried and stern, as she knew he would. "You shouldn't do that. Was anyone hurt?"

Heather thought for a moment at that as she found the sandwich her father had made for her. "No, no one was hurt." She replied from the kitchen. Her father seemed satisfied and Heather finished her sandwich and went to bed resolving to confront Adam at school tomorrow.

But, Adam did not come to school the next day, nor the next. He was absent from school for almost a week, and Heather found herself missing their arguments in class. Of course, no one else cared.

It was Tuesday of the next week when Heather was outside of the main building right after school let out that she saw Adam's beat-up run-down old car idling where parents and busses were picking up the students too young to drive or without cars. Heather walked over to it and inside was Adam.

Staring strait ahead not looking at her he said in his matter-of-fact voice, "You did not tell anyone about me."

Heather was unsure this was a question or a statement, but she replied, "No."

Turning to her and fixing on her with his green eyes. He continued, "Was it because you did not think people would believe you, or because you wanted to protect me?" As always, his direct manner was off-putting.

Heather was not one to answer a question in haste and thought a moment before replying. "Both," she finally said.

"No one has ever done something like that for me before, trying to protect me. I would like to return that favor. I would like to present you with a gift." He said almost with emotion in his voice, still looking at her with his bright green eyes. "You can come with me so that I might return that favor, or you can stay here. No harm will come to you because of me regardless of which you choose."

There was something about his voice that made the statement sound like a solemn oath, and there was something about his green eyes that made Heather believe him. Heather was not what you would call an adventurous girl, but she was a curious one. She hated being confused, and liked to know the answers to things. She knew this green blood was something she needed to resolve or it would bother her forever.
So, sighing, she said, "I'll come," and opened the back door and put her backpack down and then got into the passenger seat.

They drove in silence. The Immaculate Conception was indeed in a rural area; students would attend sometimes from over an hour away. But, they drove deeper into the countryside, not towards any town. Trees and farmland was all that was out this way. Heather was already regretting her decision when they turned onto a dirt road that ended at an abandon barn.

"He's going to kill me out here," was all Heather could think as Adam stopped the car and got out. He just walked into the barn and left her in the car. For what seemed like ages Heather just sat there, not knowing what to do. Finally she got out the car and followed Adam into the barn.

She could not believe what she saw.

The barn had been completely converted into a laboratory. Old farm parts now were repurposed. It was a mix between a chemistry and physics lab. There were Bunsen burners, microscopes, and something she was sure was an industrial vacuum chamber. She could tell everything in the building had been scrounged from junkyards and the like. Despite its steam-punk aesthetic, it had a very futuristic, almost alien feel to it.

"You're an extraterrestrial," Heather whispered.

At that, Adam laughed. It was the first time Heather had ever heard his laugh, and despite his mannerisms it was deep and almost infectious. "No," he said, "but I'm not human. His words aside, his voice sounded more human than she had ever heard it. He continued, almost with a sense of relief as he explained. "I was developed in a lab. Designed to be a more advanced organism, though most of my DNA was originally human."

Had Heather heard all this at any other time she would have rejected it out of hand, but given the circumstance, she knew it to be true. Heather was almost at a lost for words. She did manage a weak "Originally?"

"Oh, yes," said Adam. He was the happiest she had ever seen him. "My DNA is recombinant." He paused for a moment as he seemed to search for words. When he spoke again his matter-of-fact tone had returned. "For lack of a better explanation, I can control my own evolution organically."

"What?" Heather was still trying to process all of this.

Adam seemed to be back to his never-before-seen excited self. "That's what you saw in the parking lot. My body was healing itself. Wow," he exclaimed, "I guess they're right, confession is good for the soul, if I have one. Telling another sentient being all this is... exhilarating."

Heather, who was trying not to scream, nodded meekly.

"Please," he was saying, obviously oblivious to her distress, "I've never had a visitor before. May I show you around?"

Again she nodded. He looked at her curiously for a second as if waiting for a response. Then he spoke again, "Oh, right, that neck motion represents an answer in the affirmative. That was one of the reasons I have such trouble 'fitting in...' I've not taken the time to really understand human body language. It's a very complex subject and I will get to it soon. I know it is one of the reasons people are so uneasy around me. I emulate human speech and appear human, but my mannerisms aren't human, yet. I am evolving my brain to be able to absorb information faster. The more I know, the more I can learn how to know. It was one of the reasons I was able to escape. My creators did not correctly calculate my learning curve...."

Adam was rambling on while he showed her around his lab. While she was only absorbing half of what was being said, she was at least feeling more comfortable around this new, much more open, Adam. Honestly, she felt it now all made a lot of sense; his awkwardness, his manner of speaking. She was warming up to him now that she was getting past his personality and seeing him actually displaying emotion, since he was genuinely thrilled to have a guest. She was appreciating his good looks more. He really was tall and handsome, with neat brown hair and beautifully vivid green eyes.

Finally, he was describing something he called an atomic de Broglie microscope and he ended with saying, "This is what I wanted present to you."

Heather, who for the past few minutes had only understood one word in ten coming out of Adam's mouth as he showed her around his makeshift lab, took a second to realize this was a statement she was meant to respond to. After replaying the question in her mind she answered, "A microscope?"

Adam grinned, "Well, it is more of a nanoscope, I don't know why they called it an atomic de Broglie microscope, but no, what it's pointed at is what I'd like to give you. Please, look."

It was clear this scope did not channel light, for what Heather was meant to look at was a screen with lots of wires behind it, not a lens. Adam was looking at it proudly, but it was blank.

"Aren't they magnificent?" Adam asked.

"Umm... I don't see anything, but I don't know what I'm meant to be looking at," Heather replied.

Adam looked very confused for a moment and than exclaimed, "Oh, right, your eyes can only process electromagnetic waves propagating at frequencies of 400 to 800 Terrahertz, let me see if I can adjust the screen." He took out a very odd-looking tool and started fiddling with the wires. Finally, a red-tinged image appeared on the screen.

"Fleas?" Heather asked.

"What?" Adam looked confused again as the bug like images moved around on the screen. Then: "Oh, no, they're nanites, nanobots. You know, tiny robots. I'm sorry." He looked slightly ashamed. "I honestly forget you are human sometimes. I always found our discussions in class very tantalizing. I had to make sure I kept my vocabulary limited for the audience, but I never felt like I was doing it for you. I think it's auspicious that our science class did not allow for open disputation or I would have no doubt disseminated my true nature.... There I go again...." He looked crestfallen.

Heather took him by the hand. "It's OK, why don't you explain to me what they do and why you want to give them to me, and," she said almost patronizingly, "try to remember I'm only a teenaged human while you do."

"Right, well, they will make you like me."

"What?" Heather was shocked.

"Wait, let me explain. I was lonely and while I'm not yet to the point were I could make another one of myself, I did develop these machines that could make a human more like me. I said earlier that I could control my own evolution, well these nanites would allow a human to do the same. They might even give them greater abilities than mine, like the ability to interface with machines."

Heather did not know what to say. She felt like the room was spinning. She blurted out, "Might? You've not tested them on yourself first?"

"I can't." Adam said, "My recumbent DNA would just overwrite all of their changes and the pH levels of my body are too high for them to survive." He looked abashed again. "My blood is caustic," he explained.

Heather was taking all of this in. "How do you even know they'll work at all?"

"Simulations," Adam replied.

"You've not used it on anything living?"

"It will not work on a non-sentient creature. The nanites must be controlled by a self-aware will."

"And I really don't even know what you mean by controlling my evolution."

"It should give the human total willful control of their own body."

"Should?" She let out an almost hysterical laugh. But, she had seen Adam heal in the parking lot. She had seen all this crazy stuff he had made. She had always felt like an outsider, and she had always felt like she was meant for something more. This was a change for greatness. It was risky, sure, but the rewards? Could she really afford to not take such an advantage when offered? She knew she needed to live up to her full potential. She looked at Adam seriously. "How can I know they'll not mutate me into a freak, or kill me?" She asked.

He looked back at her his bright green eyes looking deep into her big brown ones. Sincerely he replied, "I would never do anything to damage you."

She looked deeply into those almost glowing green pools and she believed him. She knew this was her destiny; she feel that this was what God wanted her to do. "OK," she said almost breathlessly, "I'll take your gift."

Adam looked delighted. Before she could move or say anything else, faster than any human could follow, he injected her with something and she instantly passed out.

* * * * * * * * *

Heather awoke in her own bed, with no idea how she got there. Her head was pounding and it was dark. She stood up, and instantly felt unbearably hungry and hunched over in pain.

"That was probably pretty stupid," she muttered to herself as she made we way down stairs, noting that Adam had left her backpack next to her bed. She was home earlier than usual and her father would be back from work soon. She made her way to the kitchen and opened the cabinet to grab some cereal. She decided to forgo the bowl and milk for now and simply reached into the bag and started pulling out and eating handfuls of the Total Raisin Bran. Right now, it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.

Heather had almost finished the whole box when she finally felt a lessening of her hunger. She decided to pour the rest of it into a bowl with some milk. She sat down and ate in a more dignified fashion. "What did he do to me?" was all that ran through her head. As she ate, her father opened the door to the house.

He came into the kitchen and put the mail on the table. "You're home early," he said as he went to the fridge to make himself a sandwich. Heather nodded and kept eating. "There's a letter for you," her father said nonchalantly as he got out the bread.

"A letter?" Heather asked not really playing attention and still contemplating the day's events.

"From Brown," her father said, no longer able to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Oh!" Heather quickly stopped eating and went though the mail to find the letter. Brown was the school she had applied to for early admission. Forgetting everything else Heather tore the letter open and began to read.

"Oh! Dad! I made it!" She cried, and threw her arms around her father.

Heather was back in her room, too excited to do anything but lay there.  As she closed her eyes she felt very funny.  She tried to pinpoint the sensation when, suddenly, she realized she could literally feel herself digesting the cereal. She had been so preoccupied with all that had happened Heather has not realized it until now, but she could feel her body absorbing the nutrients inside of her.  Even more disturbing, she could feel the nanites using the iron in the cereal to replicate themselves. It was such a revolting image she was sure she was going to throw-up. But then she realized she could feel, and perfectly control, her gag reflex. Heather closed her big brown eyes. She could feel every part of her body. She could feel herself breathing, feel her pupils dilating, feel her sweat glands, feel her blood flowing, her cells dividing. A million things her body was doing, she could feel them all, understand them all. It was simultaneously the most stimulating and the weirdest sensation Heather had ever felt.

On a whim she tried to stop her heart… and it did! Quickly she willed it to start up again, and it did. "Yeah, that was a bad idea," she thought. "What did Adam say I could do? Control my own evolution?"

Keeping her eyes closed she felt the nanites moving throughout her. She could feel her consciousness extend into them. They were a part of her. She willed the nanites to remove her hair from every place except her head, and she felt them comply. Soon, they had completed this task.

She felt her braces, and willed them to fix her teeth. As they started pain shot through her mouth. She quickly had them stop. "Should I stop here, or have them sever my nerves?" she asked herself. Tentatively, she cut one nerve and then tried to repair it. Success.  She numbed her mouth that way and continued fixing her teeth. She had the nanites remove her braces and use the metal to make more of themselves. When they were done she had them reconnect the nerves.

She thought about her eyes, with them still closed she focused on the muscles around them, and the flexibility of their lenses. She opened them and took off her glasses. Her 20/40 vision went to 20/20, to 20/10, to 20/2. She had 10 times the normal optical acuity of a human. She mused: "Adam seemed to be able to see things outside of the visible spectrum. I wonder..."

She cried out and grabbed her head. Her eyes changed but her brain did not. It did not know how to process the signals being set to it and it was giving her a splitting headache as it was bombarded with completely unfamiliar nerve impulses. Quickly she changed her eyes back.

"You OK in there," her father called from the hallway.

"Yes, I... was... just surprised by something." Heather called back.

"Alright," he said and Heather could hear her father moving to his room to go to bed.

"I can work on that later," Heather said to herself.

Heather stood up and walked to the mirror in her room. Taking off her clothes, she looked at herself with her inhuman eyesight. She felt and saw her skin, every part, every imperfection and pockmark. Closing her eyes she willed the nanites to fix them. She could feel the nanites flowing over her, replicating, repairing. Her complexion went from normal to perfect; flawless. She willed her skin into soft radiance. The feeling was indescribable.

She fixed her eyebrows, her nails; she reddened her lips, everything. She willed her hair into a prefect voluminous brown shine, and as she did she suddenly realized that the nanites had to go outside her body to do that. "I'll have to look into that too," she thought.

Then, she focused on her breasts and hips. She had always been thin as a rail, and as curvy. Heather had never given it much thought before because it was not something she had the power to change, but now? She knew she needed to sever her nerves again if she was going to widen her hip bones. She did and then willed her hips apart. Stabbing hunger flashed through her body as soon as she tried to move her hips. Not ready for pain from her stomach she doubled over; clutching her midsection, Heather almost cried out again.

"Machines need fuel," she realized. "And they need materials to build anything. No wonder I was so hungry before. They must have exhausted the box of cereal I ate."

Fighting through the hunger, Heather stumbled downstairs, almost falling. Her father was no doubt already asleep. At least Heather hoped so, as she was buck-naked.

Heather made her way to the fridge and, opening it, her enhanced eyes fell on a nearly full gallon jug of whole milk. On impulse she reached for it. Opening it she brought the rim to her mouth and drank deep. She felt so much better as she slowly chugged the gallon. As her throat muscles worked she went back to her original task of widening her hips and expanding her bust. The nanites efficiently used what she gave them. Her hips went from those of a girl to those of a woman. Her silky smooth bosom rose from an A cup to a B, and finally a C. She kept drinking until the jug was empty.

There she stood naked, bathed in moonlight in the middle of the kitchen, a stunning example of the ideal; a Greek goddess sculpted to perfection by her own will.

With her new self-perception, she needed no mirror to perfectly see herself in her mind's eye. She could feel her beauty; fully understand her own loveliness. Laughing to herself she thought, "I guess I'd better wear baggy clothing for the next few weeks or I'll be mobbed with questions." Heather connected the nerves back to her hips and made her way upstairs and, though no one was there to see her, she could not help but sway her now-perfect butt suggestively as she did.

Back in her room she went to her bed to fall asleep, wondering how she would explain the lack of milk to her father and thinking about how best to cover up her new physique. As she lay there, suddenly her eyes flew open. "My homework," she almost cried out in alarm. After all that had happened that day she had forgotten about it. It was always the first thing she did when she went to the library, but she had skipped it to go with Adam. Heather had never missed a homework assignment in her life and she was not going to start now.

Turning on her lamp, she went over to her desk and opened her backpack. She thought it was going to be a long night, but she was wrong. She was very good at focusing when she did work and today was not different.  Opening her assignment she started to read. She wanted to skim to find the information for the assignment, but the faster she tried to read, the faster she found she could. Quicker and quicker she was turning pages, and remembering everything. The nanites were enhancing her memory and recall! She realized they were responding to her desire to finish faster. When she went to write the assignment they increased her dexterity and her deft hands transcribed her words as rapidly as she could think them. It all happened so fast, and she had been so focused on her work, she was almost unaware of what was happening until it was over.

"Do I even need to sleep anymore?" she thought to herself. She decided to stay up and read all of her books completely.

The next few weeks went by like a blur. Everyone in the school treated Heather differently. Even with the baggy clothing she was wearing, people could see she had changed. She was much more confident, not that she was lacking before. Her face and hair were stunning. She just told people she had started wearing make-up, and that seemed to placate them.

Heather also told everyone that she was dating Adam, which met with more than a few raised eyebrows. But, she did start hanging out with him more, and they would spend lots of time alone. People thought that they were doing what teenagers do when alone, but really they were sharing information. Heather was teaching Adam how to act more human, something which could not be found in any book (he looked). Adam was helping her control and understand her new abilities. With his instruction she could now see more than just the visible spectrum, and was working her way up to x-rays and down to radar.

Heather gradually started to wear more and more revealing clothing - claiming the changes were do to a late puberty - which made the fact that she was dating the freak Adam more distressing for the boys in her class. Soon, Heather was inundated with requests by the cheerleading squad to join. Heather had no interest in such activates. She had started going home earlier, since she found boys had started hanging out in the library when she stayed late there.

At home she had started using her newly augmented abilities to efficiently get information from the web. All of human knowledge was at her fingertips and she hungrily drank it all in. Adam was also correct that the more she learned, the more she learned how to learn. The more she learned about how humans thought, the more she could change herself to think better. More than her enriched comeliness, she was also having difficulty hiding her unearthly intelligence from people, and more than once she and Adam almost gave the game away debating in class.

The only downside to her new abilities was that she now needed to eat almost constantly to maintain her level of activity. At first she tried to hide that too, but soon she was constantly snacking throughout the school day and going back for seconds and thirds at lunch. If her new looks by themselves did not earn her the envy of every girl in school, that coupled with her new eating habits certainly did.

On the web she was finding new sources of income to supplement her growing dietary needs. She had her hands in everything, from eBay® to the stock market. Heather was not making much money because she did not have much money, but like everything else about her, that too was snowballing.

She wanted to learn the upper limit of her food consumption, since Adam had no idea what it might be. He didn't need to eat as much as she did, and had found ways of synthesizing most of what he needed from the air. Heather's intake was increasing, as were her mental and transcribing abilities. She could now type much faster than her computer could process, and could read about 4 pages in a book while a Wikipedia® page loaded. Heather speculated that the nanites were improving her without her conscious consent because she had always tried to be better before the change. She had always pushed herself to live up to her full potential, and now the nanites were responding to that deeply seated drive of hers. But, she was growing more and more hungry as her abilities increased.   Adam had tried to think of a way to make a "super food" for her, but the amount he could process in his lab would have been too small for her intake. Industrial factory farming could easily turn out more calories than he could, even if he could compact them better. Heather had not felt full since the change, and she wanted to see if she could be sated.

So, a few months after the change, she used much of her saved up money to buy a crate of the highest quality weight gaining supplements on the Internet. Heather's father was already more than a little troubled by his daughter's sudden changes - like asking her about her braces - so she had it sent to Adam's barn instead of her house.

When it arrived Adam, who was still learning the finer points of common sense, brought it to school. Heather had to hide it, but she did not want to try this experiment at home, and she did not feel comfortable conducting it around Adam. So, that night she stayed late at school and went to an out-of-the-way girls restroom. This late at night she thought she would not be disturbed; she was wrong.

In the girls' bathroom Heather opened the crate of the quality weight-gaining supplement. She had with her a laptop she had modified for her purposes, as well as several water jugs to mix the powered formula. Turning on all of the water faucets, she used her enhanced dexterity to mix as much of the supplement as she could. She was planning on drinking as much she could stomach to test her upper limits. After several minutes she was satisfied that she had more then enough. Turning off the water, she went to the mirror and put a jug to her ruby lips and started to drink. Her taste buds had been changing with the rest of her and now assessed foods based on their usefulness to her stupendous body. This liquid was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. She could savor how packed with calories and nutrients it was; it felt wonderful. She quickly finished the jug. Almost mindlessly she started on another one, drinking deeply; and then another. It was so heavenly to be indulging herself like this. By the time she thought to stop and look at herself in the mirror, what she saw shocked her. Her stomach was so engorged with the potent liquid that she looked pregnant. The nanites had stretched her stomach like a sack to store the excess. What's more, she still didn't feel full. She was so engrossed by what she was witnessing in the mirror that she did not notice Fred Mensch.

Fred Mensch had had followed Heather this evening, and had been in the hall, waiting. When he heard the water stop he had listened to make sure that she was truly alone before going in. He was going to teach Heather a lesson for ruining his fun with Adam.

Now in the isolated girls bathroom, Fred quickly grabbed Heather from behind and manipulated her arms into a full nelson, locking his hands behind her neck and cranking her head forward. He whispered in her ear: "I told you I'd see you again, whore. I'm glad I waited. This will be so much sweeter. You're a real slut now, flaunting your curves at every opportunity." Then, when he saw her bloated belly in the reflection in the mirror: "What the fuck is that?!" But his surprise only made him tighten his hold on her, his body pressing against hers uninvited. She could smell him and in the mirror saw that same sadistic look in his dull blue eyes.

Heather's mind raced. If she had studied martial arts she would have tried to pry his hands off or stomped his foot, but she hadn't. Fred's skill and strength would have made it a hard task in any case. She could feel his healthy muscles tighten, trying to cut off her oxygen. She might not have been studying self-defense, but she had been studying the inner workings of the human body. Her heart-rate increased dramatically as adrenaline and nanites flowed through her veins. Quickly, the tiny machines followed her silent commands and set to work. Using the influx of protein, they started to build up her muscles. Her biceps bunched and bulged; her shoulders expanded and her lats spread wide like wings; her pecs ballooned outward. Veins, filled with the nano-sized workers, popped all about her arms and chest.

Heather's torso now formed a perfect, huge V while her abs became cobblestones under her tummy. Her skin-tight shirt was turned to tatters. Fred was very strong, but now Heather's upper body was far stronger. She inelegantly broke out of the hold and turned to face her attacker.

"— The fuck?" Fred almost let go as this change happened. He tried to keep Heather's arms pinned, but soon was overwhelmed. As Heather broke free Fred quickly regained himself and confidently settled into a wrestling stance. He eyed his growing opponent "Alright you bitch-freak; you want to do this the hard way?"

In a physical confrontation, Heather was completely out of her depth. Fred had been wrestling since he was six. Despite the complete impossibility of the situation, his training and experience were taking over. He appraised the new capabilities of his opponent and - expertly - he ducked behind Heather's arms, concentrating on her still weak lower limbs. Heather fell flat as he locked up her legs. Pain shot through her as her face hit the floor. Quickly, she was pinned to the cold tiles of the girls room.

Heather responded the only way she could think to. Nanite-infested veins popped along her smooth legs as they swelled with new muscle. Her gluteus and quads tightened and grew. Her leg muscles became tight expansive ropes. Her inner thighs swelled until they were touching, becoming massive. Every part of her became rock-hard and defined. Fred was used to wrestling people who were bigger, stronger, and knew what they were doing. Already he had locked her into a new submission hold. Heather needed to overcompensate for her incompetence. She had to resort to the only tool she could: brute force.

Her body used more and more of what it had ingested. Fred was finding it harder and hard to contain Heather as her strength grew along with the rest of her. Each careful and subtle move by Fred was met with superior might. Nanite-filled veins could be seen all over Heather's skin, pulsating with the ever increasing strength of her heart. Her lack of experience was made-up for as she became as built as a professional bodybuilder … and then more. Finally, her overdeveloped body broke free of Fred's grip as well as the ribbons of her clothing. Heather stood, a pillar of physical supremacy. Still her strength swelled.

Fred tried again and again to knock her to the ground, but each time she easily resisted; even his prowess could not overcome her raw power. In desperation he lunged, and Heather – acting almost on instinct – took hold of his head slammed it into the sink. Fred fell to the floor unconscious.

The now-massive Heather stood over him. Her huge naked body glistened from the exertion. She calmed her heart-rate. Heather had used all of what she had ingested and was now a goddess of physical power, massively ripped. Every one of her muscles obscenely defined and hardened.

"What am I going to do with you?" Heather asked herself as she reached a powerful hand to his head to evaluate the damage to his skull. The nanites were swarming through her body as she tried, for the first time, to reach out into another person. The nanites poured out from the sweat glands on her palms and into Fred's skin. They were so small Heather's enhanced eyes couldn't see them, but - even outside of her body - she could sense and control them. The sub-microscopic soldiers worked their way into Fred's unconscious form. Heather threw her head back as she linked with Fred's body. The nanites were now in him as they were in her; it was truly as if their souls were touching. But, doing this felt so... wrong. With her other hand, she reached out and grabbed another jug of the weight-gaining supplement and downed it.

Despite how unsetting the sensation was, Heather explored the link between them. Horrifically, she realized she could do more than just repair Fred's skull; she could reach into his brain. She saw with her mind's eye Fred's thoughts. They were alien, deviant, reptilian; without empathy for others. She wanted to draw back, but instead forced herself to dig deeper, going further under the surface.

Heather felt Fred's inner feelings of abandonment when his parents passed the responsibility of raising him from one nanny to another; Fred was never able to bond with another human being. She felt his insecurity and fear and how it had twisted inside of him, filling him with this void. As she reached into his mind, Heather also realized she could just rewire Fred's brain. She could fundamentally alter him to be more compassionate to others; she could force his thoughts to conform to hers; she could tear out his sadism and exterminate his inner pain. It would be so easy.

She shook her head. "No, not that way." Heather felt that would be stealing what she considered Fred's God-given free will; that it would neuter his soul. Keeping contact with Fred, she reached out with her other hand to her computer. She started to look up ways of counseling psychosis. But, she quickly realized it would take too long. Almost on a whim, she reached out into the computer with her nanites as she had into Fred. They again swarmed out of her skin and infected the computer. Adam said she might be able to link with machines and she found now that this was true. Online her nanites were swimming in a sea of information. She broke her contact with the computer and drank more of the weight-gaining supplement and then resumed her searching.

She was hacking into psychiatrists' computers, learning how to treat people like Fred. Fred was by no way unique in his infliction and she found many cases like his; some that were even cured. She studied those. She could have just ripped out his bad memories rewiring his brain like this computer, but she felt that would be completely amoral. It was bad enough to be linked to him like this. Instead she strived to change him by counseling him. She downloaded what she was learning into Fred. He showed him he could love and he could become a normal member of society. He did not have to feel the way he felt. She was fixing him by convincing him, not by forcing him; literally showing him the error of his ways. The hours ticked on and slowly she could feel it working.

* * * * * * * * *
The Fred that opened his eyes was not the Fred that had closed them. His dull blue eyes looked up into Heather's bright brown ones. He blinked a couple of times and his mouth opened and closed but no sound came from it. "Thank you..." he said as tears fell from his face. Humongous naked Heather looking down at him said coldly – but not without some compassion, "I'd appreciate it if you left right this second."

Fred jumped to his feet and fled the girls' room.

When he was gone Heather stood. She inspected herself in the mirror. The only word that could describe her was monstrous. Her body was a mountain of absolutely shredded muscle covered in think veins. She flexed and her whole body rippled and writhed with power. She was massively hulking. Heather's body was like a male professional bodybuilder. No, it was more. She did a double bicep pose and her defined body exploded in deep, hard, monumental muscle. In front of the mirror she reveled in her physical dominance. She could feel her pulsating power. Her body was a temple of brawn. She felt invulnerable… and she loved it. But all those veins and bulk? She found it gross and uncomely.

Sighing, she said to herself, "No amount of baggy clothing will hide this. There is no way I can go to school like this..." Resolved, she mixed the rest of the powered supplement and drank all of it. With those calories she started searching the web again. This time she studied polymers and chemistry.

More hours ticked by and she slowly shrank, her muscles receding. After a long while she was back to the size she was the day before, except now her body looked fit and toned. Her abs were perfect; her butt muscular. In addition to the curves she had given herself before, she now looked like a fitness expert. She was both undeniably athletic and heartbreakingly feminine. Looking at her naked splendor in the mirror she smiled. Her physique was elegance made manifest. As she admired herself she went over to the sink and took hold of the faucet. With no effort at all she crushed the metal into a ball, careful to not let water leak. She was the same size she was the day before, but her muscles were not human. She was as strong as she had been when she fought Fred, if not stronger.

She mused to herself in the mirror, "My body looks so much more athletic than before; I'm still going to have to wear baggy clothing again. At least for a while." She sighed. "Maybe, I should start going to the gym to keep up appearances."

Before she left she used her new learning capabilities to teach herself origami and made herself some very stylish clothing out of the paper towels in the girls room.

The next day was Saturday and Heather awoke early to have breakfast with her father. He was still bewildered at the changes his daughter had undergone. Things were happening too fast for his liking and their relationship had become a little strained. What had not changed, however, was that he still trusted his daughter and they both still loved each other.

After breakfast Heather kissed him good-by, telling him she would be hanging out with Adam that day. Her father requested again to meet this boy that was monopolizing his daughter's time, and Heather, again, promised to bring him by sometime. Heather took her car out to Adam's barn. She was anxious to rehash the events of the night before with someone. When she archived at Adam's barn she found him outside waiting for her.

As soon as she got out of the car he said, "How did the experiment go? Did you find your upper limit?"

"I don't think I have one," she replied.

Adam scoffed. "Everything has an upper limit."

Adam was very much like the scientists that had created him; he was always both childlike in his curiosity and then irritating in his skepticism.

Heather related the events of the night before as they walked inside. Due to their mutually augmented faculties this did not take very long. Adam asked questions in descending order of his interest. They discussed the new composition of her muscles. Heather learned, much to her surprise, that Adam had already enhanced his own muscular system long ago. His own physical strength was currently, and had been, much more than even Heather's. It just had never occurred to him to tell her about it, and it had never occurred to Heather to ask. She had been more interested in the workings of his mind than of his body.

They discussed different configurations of hydraulic muscles and different polymers. Long into the day they worked out different formulas. Together they created a muscular and skeletal system much stronger than either of theirs. A being built like they had devised would have an easy time punching through ten feet of steel. Again, Heather was a little annoyed when she learned that Adam did not want to try to change themselves to this new configuration as soon as possible, claiming it would use too much energy. He was right that it would take quite a bit just to enact it, but Heather was upset how quickly Adam dismissed even trying.

"But, we will be better if we did this," she protested

"'Better' is an ill-defend term. It's unnecessary to be this strong and the design is inefficient for common activities," Adam replied.

Suddenly a thought stuck Heather. "In the parking lot when I got Fred to stop beating you; you were several times stronger than all of those boys together then?"

Adam nodded; he had been working on his body language.

"So, why didn't you stop them?"

Adam shrugged; these small gestures were becoming more natural to him. "For what reason? To what end?"

"To stop Fred from hurting you."

"I would heal."

Heather was taken back by Adam's causal disregard for his own person; she tried another tack. "You could have prevented him from hurting others. You might have taught him a lesson."

"I've heard that expression before, and never really understood it. What lesson could I have taught him?"

"If you had beaten him up he might have realized his actions had consequences and wouldn't go around stalking girls."

Adam scoffed again. "Unsupported speculation; you stopping him was the very thing that caused him to stalk you."

"And I put stop to that. He'll not be stalking anyone else."

"Yes; you essentially changed him into another person."

Heather was getting angry. She loved talking science with Adam, but philosophically she could not understand him at all. Heather was flabbergasted to learn that he identified himself as an agnostic atheist and she had quickly realized that they had irreconcilable differences when it came to morality. "I did not change him into another person. I convinced him he was wrong," she declared.

"I disagree. You mentioned you could have changed him much easier by simply overwriting who he was. You seem to believe there was a great difference between that method and the one you chose, morally. I only see a difference in efficiency. If you wanted to change who he was, why do it in such an inelegant way?"

"I needed to convince him as to not violate his free will."

"Free will?" Adam said almost to himself. "I've never gleaned an internally consistent definition of that term." Then to her he continued. "Anyway, how many different ways did you try before finding one that 'convinced' him?"

Heather had a feeling he was not after an exact number, but gave one anyway. "Seventeen."

"I see, and if the last one you tried had not worked, you would have tried for an eighteenth?"

"Yes," Heather said almost defiantly.

"You would have just kept trying until you did find away to 'convince' him."

"Of course."

"So, what choice did he have? I submit none. You were going to change him, regardless."

Heather was infuriated now. "He tried to RAPE me," she almost screamed.

Adam responded with a shrug. "So? I honestly don't see how him trying to violate you justifies you violating him." Then Adam looked at Heather as if he really expected a response to such a statement.

Heather almost punched him, but instead she said nothing and simply turned and walked away. Through the walls of the barn Adam watched her get into her car and drive away, his green eyes shining.

Continued in 'Omega...'