Ether is a Handy Plot Device



"-with the Hollow collapsing soon after," the radio said. "Thanks to the swift efforts of Public Security, all shipments were retrieved and no supply shortages are-"

It wasn't easy living in New Eridu.  At least it wasn't for Wise and Belle, taking into consideration that their previous Proxy reputation was no more, and with it the lucrative and semi-legal-at-best connections they had built up.  Having the assistance of a type III AI made both building a new reputation and maintaining it easier, though it also brought its own problems.  Namely, their electricity use going up by several orders of magnitude.

Wise sipped on his energy drink as he sat in front of the open side of the HDD. "Everything is running hot," he said, "but the temperature looks to be barely beneath dangerous levels."

"I am currently optimizing processor speeds to maximize performance," Fairy intoned matter-of-factly. "Operating temperature remains at a maximum of 0.8 degrees beneath critical temperature threshold."

"So nothing is at risk of being damaged." He took another drink. "At least not yet."

"Given sufficient cooling, a higher processing speed could be achieved, increasing efficiency and reducing total power usage over time by 18.6%."

"How much would -that- cost?"

"At your current projected rate of income, the upgrades would pay for themselves in approximately-"

"On second thought, don't tell me." Wise pushed himself up to a standing position, throwing the empty can into the trash.  The lingering aftertaste in his mouth was an abstract sort of chemical flavor trying to pretend it was three fruits at once and failing at all of them.  He stifled a belch, the taste of it downright bland compared to what was already there. "Remind me to never buy that brand of-" He belched again, louder and more forcefully, caught off-guard by the outburst of gas he didn't expect to be there.  Patting his gut, he felt as if there was a bit more still in him, a feeling which was confirmed when it -grew- beneath his fingers, navel poking out beneath his clothes. "What the-"

Wise pressed down on his swiftly-swelling belly with both hands, trying to coax out another burp but to no avail.  By now he was even larger than the time he was challenged to a noodle-eating contest by Belle, more and more of his pale skin emerging from beneath his clothing in a rising dome.  What was happening wasn't normal, but continuing to get bigger beyond what he thought his body was even capable -definitely- wasn't.

"Relevant news report found," Fairy said suddenly. "Changing station."

"-safety recall of a shipment of Valen-C energy drink following etheric corruption-"

Wise whirled to look at the empty Valen-C can in the trash, feeling his elbows -bounce- against cushioned sides that weren't there a moment ago.  At this point he was no longer able to see his sneakers, the gas-filled orb wobbling and bouncing with every movement.

"I have accessed all emergency room admissions within the past hour," Fairy added, "and none match the symptoms you are experiencing."

"Great," he muttered.  The gassy build-up was still going strong and worse yet, it felt like it was -spreading-, as his shirt grew more snug beneath his arms and his jacket more tight across his back.  His arms were no able to hang by his sides as his entire torso became increasingly ball-like. "How do I stop this?!"

"No medical records found matching symptoms."

"That was -rhetorical!-" His expansion continued as he struggled to try and squeeze the air out, only managing to cause it to shift around as his hands sank deeply into his inflating body.  The zipper and button on his jeans were pushed open as he relentlessly inflated, denim now growing taut across his backside.  His shirt rode up on him as well, with the only reason it wasn't around his neck was the hem catching on his wide, growing chest.  Wise's eyes shot to the door of the rental room, trying to gauge its size and hoping it was wider than him.  Swiftly waddling over he could feel his body sway and bounce, his moobs slipping free from his shirt as he came to a sudden stop and threw the door open.  Jolting into motion again he threw himself forward... and wedged himself firmly in the doorway. "Oh no."

Sneakers scraped against the floor as he tried to push himself the rest of the way, watching as his gas-filled body spilled out on either side like rising dough, hearing the quiet squeaks while trying not to think about what that meant for him.  With a loud grunt he pushed himself free, unprepared for how off-balance his larger body was, and he stumbled forward before landing on his giant, still-growing gut, bouncing a few times before coming to rest.  Wise let out a sigh of relief, just before realizing that he was no longer able to push himself up or roll onto his side, let alone stand, and he was still expanding.

...and even though the store was closed, the narrow gaps between the blinds seemed all too wide.



*****



The lock to the front door of Random Play clicked open, and Belle pushed it open with Anby following behind. "I'm back from meeting with Shepherd, we have another..." She trailed off, coming to a stop; it took her a moment to comprehend just what she was looking at before her mouth hung open. "WISE?!"

Despite the fact that he was lying down, Wise had gained at least two feet in height, and much more in width.  His figure was nothing less than balloon-like, with stubby mounds marking where his arms and legs were.  His back and shoulders had swollen up partially around his head, giving it a sunken look, with each of his pecs the size of a sofa cushion and puffed up enough to be brushing against his chin.  Despite this his clothing was somehow still largely intact, with the back of his jacket flipped over and covering his head and the rest of it barely even trying to cover up the expanse of his body. "Belle?  I..." He paused. "I can't explain."

"Wise has consumed a substance tained by etheric corruption," Fairly helpfully intoned.

Belle approached, lifting the back of Wise's jacket.  His head was untouched, but he bore a deep blush that was practically burning when contrasted with his fair skin.  As she took in the bizarre sight before her, Belle's hand hovered over his surface with a gentle cautiousness. "I haven't heard of anything like -this- happening.  It doesn't hurt, does it?"

He shook his head as best as he could manage. "It's just... my body feels stiff and relaxed at the same time, like I'm stretching an arm without putting effort in.  I'm not sure how to describe it."

Anby stepped forward, impassively studying Wise for a few seconds before firmly pressing one palm against him.  There was a brief moment of disorientation as his eyes told him she was standing in front of him and his sense of touch told him her hand was on his back, followed by a warm, prickling tingle.  She pushed, and he winced as he felt the gas inside of him shift and his skin -stretch-, an unwelcome reminder of just how altered his body was at the moment.  "Something like this has happened before," she said evenly.

"Really?" the siblings asked in unison.

"A woman suffered corruption symptoms similar to this after eating strange food."

"Maybe we can talk to her!" Belle offered. "Do you remember where it happened?"

"A confectioner's factory.  There was a room built specifically to treat people who ate the food."

Wise and Belle exchanged glances.

"A device was said to be used which applied external pressure, returning her to normal."

"...that was a movie," Wise said.

"Well," Belle said, "until we figure something out we can't exactly open the store.  Although when it comes to commissions, you might still be able to use the HDD.  At least you can walk around as Eous, and we might even find something out about how to..." She gestured to all of him, seemingly struggling to accept saying the word. "...deflate you."

He sighed. "I guess."

Wise made another attempt to move, only managing a slight wiggle of his wide, stumpy arms and legs.  Scanning the room his eyes fell on Anby again, and he realized she hadn't once looked away since she entered.  Her expression was neutral as always, but there was look in her eyes that he had seen before in two situations: Around food and around Ethereals.  He wasn't sure which worried him more.