What really caught Theo's eyes was her lack of belly button and purple-ish eyes that seemed to swirl and mix like a cloud of gas. As she floated closer He noticed freckles scattering her body colored like her eyes and somewhat iridescent. She stopped a foot away from his face and smiled, her silver colored hair floated back and forth while covering her ears. A small nose and soft lips confirmed in Theo that she was beautiful. “This shouldn't hurt” she whispered. It hurt.

20XX

The popular name for it was the “Stargate” or “Monolith”, neither movie reference properly described the 'interstellar debris/bomb/starship', but it did a good job of making it much less frightening. Nicknames weren't the only thing people used to cope; movies/television fictionalized the 'object', never-ending hordes of monsters pouring out of the 'wormhole' or the 'device' was the modern day burning bush or book ends of our story spectrum. Unfortunately for earth the 'Alien' didn't appreciate a good story arch and promptly stood still at its landing/crash site since its arrival.
If only it hadn't been suspended 20 feet in the air and was the size of a basketball court, people could begin to ignore and forget about it. Amazingly the first groups of people to actively ignore the 'construct' were conspiracy theorists, having deduced that the 'UFO' was a government feint, because no g-man worth his salt would let such a 'weapon' become public knowledge. The crackpots' faith in the government made the idea of a bloated, inefficient governing body which couldn't respond to an earth shaking situation quicker than the local media a quaint and an uneducated point of view. Not much later the general public learned to look at the 'portal' as a landmark, a weird landmark in Central Park but New Yorkers were used to looking at weird stuff.

--------------------

Theo's directionless life agonized and depressed him every night. He'd lie in his bed drifting off to sleep; at twenty seven years old his only accomplishments were a long string of low level jobs and some credits from a community college. His nightly thoughts would usually end at the subject of his pathetic sexual and romantic exploits. He found it harder and harder to live as a virgin but harder still to find a girlfriend, 'why would they even be interested in me anyways', he often thought. He knew it was his personality to blame, at 5'11 and an average build with fairly attractive facial features, part of his mind understood he had a good chance at love.

With a controlled beard and a constant supply of Converses to put on his feet he felt cool sometimes, so cool, in fact, he doubted girls would even notice. The past few years for him went like this; wake, work, read, video game, Internet, and minimal human contact . His schedule 'slightly' changed when the 'starship' landed; he was working 20 or so blocks away, so with a quick and frantic run to the park he found his direction. A Government grant for schooling and AV club experience got him a job and as the documenter for a team led by his theoretical physics professor. The waning public/government interest in the 'object' opened up opportunities for private companies and learning institutions to rent out time to research the 'device'. 90% of the renters were colleges.

--------------------

A crisp cool September's morning saw a small group of college students and their professor loading up their respective cars in preparation. Theo's compact was filled to the brim with camera equipment and various tools of the trade, he was happy he fit everything in without sacrificing the use of 2nd and 4th gear. Looking over the top of his car he spotted his professor and called out “I think I'm pretty much ready, even got the smores packed in.”

“Yeah, I got my fishing pole in here just in case.” replied Professor William Locke, finely aged to 48 years and sporting a bald head, glasses, stubble, and a slight build. Taking from a kids hall sketch and changing slightly; 'He's Hip, He's Cool, He's Freud' was the way Theo would always remember Doctor Locke.

“Looks like everyone is ready, let’s get out of here!” Beth excitedly said. Cute and pixie like Beth was the “Velma” of the group, glasses included, the only difference was the rumors of Velma's orientation weren't rumors for Beth. She was fun and easy to talk to for Theo, He often wished he was a lesbian(it never came into his mind to wish her straight).

“Yes let’s, who is riding with me?” Dr. Locke asked

“I will, Professor,” Heather volunteered. Ginger haired and curvy, Heather was much too attractive for the male dominated class to take. The awkward and nerdy male class members never moved past their ogling phase and Heather responded by dressing more conservatively but stylishly. Theo had formed a crush on her as did most of the class, but never in a billion years did he think of trying to become anything closer to her than an acquaintance. He felt like a boy compared to her, though younger than him she seemed so put together, so adult... no way she would be interested in him.

“I guess you're with me, Beth.” David said as he inspected my crammed car. Lanky and as shy as Theo, they become good friends, same taste in shows and video games. Most of their conversations were back and forth quotations of the Simpson's, Futurama, and Mr. Show and various other cult media that only really made sense to other geeks.

“Saddle up!” Theo commanded.

--------------------

The section of park where it 'landed' was in the southern corner by Columbus Circle. After the 'object' was deemed mostly safe, the government cleared out the trees, flattened the ground and build a lab around the 'bottom' of the 'object', and the lab was split into two sections by the 'object'. Climbing the stairs up to the lab, Theo gazed at the 'StarSeed' as he called it. Far from being poetic the name he gave it was quite literal, It came from space hence 'Star' and it looked like a sunflower seed ala 'Seed'. The two big differences were; its immense size and its glass-like composition, 'If someone could put a nebula into a glass bottle, this is what it would look like' he thought.

--------------------

“Recording.”

“Thank you, Theo. Now kids, just follow the list of experiments, record the results and continue,” stated Dr. Locke.

“You think we'll find the door on this thing, doc?” jokingly asked David.

“When it opens, get ready to say 'My gawd, it's filled with stars'.” Theo quipped .

“I think we can crack this thing, I mean, did all those teams of super scientists have college sophomores who could rapid fire movie quotes like you two can?” Dr. Locke replied back

'No expectations' was the keyword of their scientific outing, every super power of the world had time with the 'monolith'. The result from every one was 'nothing'. X-rays, gamma rays, nearly everything, passed through it like nothing was there, all except visible light and curiously, sound. Sonar tests proved either the inside of the 'object' was transfinite or the matter of the 'thing' didn't vibrate or move.

“Could this be 'Dark Matter'?” asked Beth.

“When we figure out what 'Dark Matter' is I'll tell you.” Dr. Locke said smiling while staring at the 'monolith'.

“I think it’s a drive core from a saucer, it's obviously not affected by gravity” David stated.

“Then, why did it fall down to earth?” Heather pointedly asked.

Raising an eyebrow, David said “Programmed to land on nearest planet for pickup , it was probably up here since Roswell”.

“Oh that's YOU calling up Coast to Coast AM every night!” beth exclaimed.

“Duh huh huh huh” David mock laughed dumbly to signify he had no snappy response.

“There's no way the reptilians that rule the government made this thing, it's too advanced” Theo stated as he walked along the side of it and ran his hand along its surface. It felt like his hands were magnets and the surface was repelling his hand, the absence of a sense of texture bothered him. Forgetting the joking, everyone stood in silence and gazed at 'it', thinking, waiting.

“I need a smoke” Beth called out.

“I join you” Theo said.

--------------------

Standing outside on a deck that circled the lab Beth took a petite puff of her cigarette and smiled at Theo “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“ Naw, Theo said with a cigarette in his mouth trying to put on the bravado of a casual sex-having bachelor “You?”.

“Currently? No, I've had a few, nothing ever serious, I'm surprised you haven't asked Heather out yet, I think she kind of likes you.”

“What? No, I...uh... I'm not good at talking to girls.”

“You're doing fine now.”

“Yeah, but you know you're not attracted to me and all that so that whole romantic flirt talk doesn't come up.”

“Uh huh.” she said looking out into the dimly lit park, To Theo she was opening him up and and exposing all of his guts. He left the conversation to wither out there as they looked over the skyline. He liked the restful silence they shared.

A wild hare took him ”What do you want that 'thing' to be?”

Beth looked over to him and grinned while rolling her cigarette in her mouth in contemplation. “A test... like some aliens send it down and to gauge our response, to see if our culture could take such a shock”

“I hope you’re right and I wish they'd hurry up and make an appearance, I’m getting bored of talking to humans.”

“Heh, yeah, I can't wait for small talk to be about space weather”

“It's pretty cold in space today, I'm glad I brought my heavy space suit this morning” said Theo in his best mid-western accent.
“At least it's a dry cold, ay.” Beth said in her Fargo impression.

“well... Best be gettin' back to work, those cars won't anti-gravity themselves.” Theo said scratching his belly.

“Yep” Beth smiled, putting out her cigarette.

--------------------

The girls and boys split to separate labs to sleep, so when the scream came it was muffled through a glass door. The guys woke startled and confused, looking to each other for the source of the scream. Beth burst through the door as much as a tiny girl could, dressed in pj's. “THERE'S A HOLE IN IT!”

Pants were hastily thrown on and the boys followed Beth into the second lab. Nearly stretching to the ceiling, the 'hole' was about 15 feet high and 8 feet across in the shape of the 'object' itself. “I woke up to... get some water and it was just there.” Heather quietly said while staring at the 'aperture' as if waiting for a hell beast to emerge.

The professor neared the hole with a quiet step . “Amazing! It looks like a tunnel, an opening in space and time maybe, or the inside is bigger than the outside. I wonder.” He sidled up to the hole and felt the edge.

“Why did it open now?” Heather asked, The guys interpreted the question as rhetorical.

“I say we ask whoever is on the other side.” Beth exclaimed, Theo could almost see the imaginary adventures playing out in her head.

“Let’s go learn a new language!” Theo trumpeted, He was sure the adventures playing out in his mind were shared by Beth.

“Whoa,. whoa, whoa... you're not going through there!” Dr. Locke demanded “I'm not letting my students walk through a potentially dangerous hole in space even it isn't dangerous and there is someone on the other side, I'm not comfortable having a couple of college students be the representatives of earth.”

“You could do worse.” Theo pointed out.

“Even so, I don't want you going into that hole” the Professor said.

“Yeah we should at least wait for someone with a tri-corder or something to tell us it's safe” David cautioned.

“Yes, we need to get some officials, government, people who trained for this for this kinda of situation” Professor Locke agreed. “We need to call everyone who needs to know about this, and please for the love of God, STAY HERE!” Dr. Locke said walking backwards towards the door. The group watched Dr. Locke back up to the door and fumble with the handle while his eyes where still locked onto the hole. As the door clicked shut and the professor was out of sight, Theo and Beth turned to each other.

“If the Men in Black get here we'll never get to see the other side of that portal.” Theo said in a hushed tone

“Fuck that, let’s go before he get back” Theo found he liked when the word 'fuck' came out of Beth's lips, it made her cuter than before to Theo. They gave each other a nod and turned to the tunnel. “Now or never, guys, are you going to join us?” she called over her shoulder.

“No” Heather meek-ed out. The look of terror that played over her face tugged a few heart strings in Theo.

“David?”

“Come on dude, don't go, don't make me break the bad news to your parents.” David pleaded. Theo could see his point of view, too many unknowns. Neither of them went to many parties because of the same frame of mind, but he wasn't going to stray from his 'direction' now. He felt a real need to step into that unknown and it would not be denied.

“Sorry bro, I've got to...it's my destiny”

“Haha, bullshit!” David laughed. “ go if you have to, then, but be safe, okay?”

“Sure thing” Theo turned to Beth. Another nod and they took their first step into the hole.

--------------------

After a few steps into the 'aperture' the gravity they knew and loved decided to abandon them. Luckily for Theo and Beth, momentum carried them down the tunnel toward the ever-growing daylight. “Got to think of something smart to say when we get there.” Theo suggested.

Beth grinned “I hope these aliens don't mind waiting for you.” Theo started to form his response when a bright flash of light passed through them. The sound of warping metal mixed with high voltage arcing quickly followed the light. Covering his ears, Theo's heart dropped at the sight of the tunnel bending and warping around them. His attention went to Beth when he saw shewas floating 15 feet ahead of him.

“BETH! Try to 'swim' back to me!” He paddled his legs in vain while reaching out to Beth.

“We've got get to the end before this thing collapses!” Beth screamed

It felt like hours to Theo as he tried he best to tread through the air towards the end of the tunnel. He estimated that he had about 25 feet to go when a compression blast of air pushed the pair apart, he fell farther into the tunnel. “BETH” Theo yelled. His vision was filled with white light and his ears deafened by the silence he was now in. The next thing he experienced was his body falling apart.

--------------------

Gravity embraced Beth again and pulled her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Coughing and sputtering Beth lifted herself up to her knees, she sat there with eyes closed trying to catch her breath. With breathing under control and her eyes adjusted to the bright daylight Beth took her first look around.

Sand as far as she could see. Black sand in fact, much like the black sand beaches of Hawaii. Littered in the foreground of her vision were settlements. Their white color contrasted against the black sand quite beautifully and their shape reminded Beth of a shark's fin.

“Do you see this?” she asked... no response. Beth looked behind her expecting to find Theo lying passed out on the ground. All she found was the 'object' buried in the sand 10 feet away and more importantly the tunnel she came out of was gone.

“No...Theo”

When the shock and grief faded Beth wondered why there was no one here to greet her. Getting up to her feet and Looking up into the blue sky she glimpsed the massive star that heated this planet. She licked her parched lips and looked to the settlements and decided to start walking.

--------------------

“Hello?” a soft female's voice called out

Theo's ears perked and he opened his eyes to look around for the source of the greeting. Still weightless he found him self in a void surrounded by a nebula. his thoughts of the girl's voice were replaced by the fact that he was breathing. “How?”

“I made a bubble of atmosphere for you.” replied the same voice. Theo looked around wildly for the girl he just heard.

“Who are you?” he asked to the void.

“That would be kind of hard to tell you right now” She answered

“What? Why?” He couldn't pin down where the voice was coming from.

“Well you are a creature of 3 dimensions and I am not, so trying to explain would be pointless with your current point of view, like explaining color to a blind person.”

“I see”

“Oh, a joke!...it's been a along time since I've heard a joke” 'Where ever she is, she must be cute' Theo thought.

“and how long has that been, may I ask?”

“A little bit before the creation of this universe”

“how can you be older than the universe?” Theo asked in disbelief.

“Well I'm not as old as the universe, but I went to the beginning”

“Huh...where am I? And where is my friend?”

“Your friend made it through to the end of the 'Fold' , you, though, did not and fell into “extra dimensional space” extra to you anyways.” Theo detected some concern in the disembodied voice. It was strange to Theo that this entity/alien appeared to have very human like emotions. “It was awful, all your organs and bones falling out of you, I find myself wondering from time to time how you creatures don't fly apart all the time.” she/it paused as if in deep thought but Theo felt like it was more for his sake. “I almost forget, I was like you”

Theo chewed on that last comment for a while before responding “Well, thank you for saving me”

“You're welcome!”

“I'm Theo, by the way”

“Hello, Theo”

“Um... can I ask what your name is”

“Oh, a name? I haven't used a name in while, I guess you could call me SATAN or GOD which ever one strikes more fear in your heart!” she said with a follow up giggle.

“Heh okay...so I've got ask, were you one of the aliens who built the gate”

“Nope” she paused again perhaps waiting for Theo to ask a follow up question. “I am the “Gate” it's like my 'footprint' into your home dimension.”

“Wait, I don't quite understand.” I'm trying to downplay my ignorance to a ancient being, Theo thought. “Why did you make the “gate” then?”

“Cause”

“For fun? Is that all you do with your abilities?” Theo asked

“And make sure the universe is a habitable place for all life” she said almost off handedly.

“How's that?” he wondered why his statement came out sounding disbelieving.

“I bleed off the excess gravity from the universe” Theo was about to respond, but she cut him off. “just ask your professor when you get back”

“Okay”

“I should put you back now, but first I have to alter you.”

“WAIT... why!?”

“you wouldn't survive the trip back, you'd fall apart again.” Theo really hoped she was being sincere. “I've got to patch all those 'holes' on you, don't worry, you'll still have two arms and legs.”

“Thank God for that”

“You’re welcome” she joked? “and tell your friend hi for me!” as she said that her voice became more localized in front of Theo. Fading and twisting into his view 'she' appeared. Slim and elven in appearance she was definitely human looking and very naked. Her small breasts and thin hips gave her a graceful and almost prepubescent look. What really caught Theo's eyes was her lack of belly button and her purple eyes that seemed to swirl and mix like a cloud of gas. As she floated closer, he noticed freckles scattering her body colored like her eyes and somewhat iridescent. She stopped a foot away from his face and smiled, her silver colored hair floated back and forth while covering her ears. A small nose and soft lips confirmed in Theo that she was beautiful. “This shouldn't hurt” she whispered. It hurt.

--------------------

He felt sand on his naked skin and the hot wind blowing in hair. “Beth” he called out in a unfamiliar voice. He pulled his face out of the sand and opened his eyes. Black sand everywhere and the open 'Gate' 100 feet behind him, his gaze finally fell onto the settlements that were a half a mile away. Looking down to get his footing Theo saw the extent of 'her' alterations. He could now use the same words to describe his own body as he did for 'her'. Theo raised his small hands up to his breasts and cupped them. “Oh shit.” He let his left hand trace down his chest, past where his belly button should have been and stopping at his pussy. The touch of his fingers on his new genitalia sent strange messages to his brain which sent signals to his stomach to empty itself. He hunched over and dry heaved into the sand while tears formed in his eyes. “What the fuck...”

Theo's thoughts raced in his head; Is this real? How am I going to prove I'm me? How will my family respond? What will the world think of me? WHY?! The panic was fading and his brain started to remember why he was here. “BETH” his mouth horsed. Raising himself awkwardly to his feet, he spotted the closest settlement and started walking.

He reach the entrance of the structure and leaned against the hexagonal shaped ceramic bricks that the building was made up of. Looking into the dimly lit interior he called out “Hello!...Beth?”. The sound of sand scraping on tile came from a kitchen like room to his right. He plodded over to a table made of stone block and looked to the corner of the room. Beth was propped up on curved corner of the room with her eyes closed. He neared her, he saw her dirty clothes and dry and cracked lips, 'how long has she been here?' he thought. “Beth” he said softly while touching her arm to wake her.

“Wha...who?” she mumbled

“Beth, are you alright?”

“No one is here” Beth said in a sleepy tone with her eyes still closed.

“We need to get out of here, you're very dehydrated, can you walk?”

“Did Theo make it?”

“Beth...I'm Theo.” he gulped.

“No...” Beth started to cry but no moisture escaped her eyes.

“Beth? It's me” but Beth pulled away. “Beth, you aren't crazy! I'm real.” she didn't respond, 'She must think this is a hallucination' Theo said to himself. “Come on Beth, we're going home” Theo grabbed her arms to pull her up. He managed to get up to her to her feet despite being in a much weaker body. She swayed back and forth upon seeing Theo for the first time she fell back into the corner while staying on her feet. “I'm as short as you now” Theo said to the shocked and unresponsive Beth. He put his back to Beth and said “Come on Beth, put your arms around my shoulders” He grabbed her hands and put them around his neck. He bent over and hoisted Beth onto his back. Holding on to her upper arms he started trudging back into the desert.

“Where are we goin'?” Beth whispered.

“Home”

“Wha planet is that?” Theo sighed.

--------------------

Weightless again Theo moved Beth in front of him and held her tight in case the 'fold' collapsed again. Gravity slowly took hold again, The feeling of growing weight on his naked chest made his stomach do flips. Theo dragged Beth from the 'fold' onto the lab floor. The clicks of safeties being disengaged brought Theo's attention to the large group of people surrounding him. A dozen scientists, an equal number of suits and three MP's holding M4s stood in silence, staring at Theo.

“Beth!” Heather called out, she pushed through the suits and looked Theo up and down nervously. 'Great, I look like an alien to them' Theo thought.

“Get her some water she's been severely dehydrated” Theo said as he push Beth towards Heather. Her eyes opened wide, not expecting to hear English come out of the 'Alien's' mouth. David stepped out from behind her and grabbed Beth and lifted her up into his arms, he looked back to Theo “Was there another one with her?” Theo lowered his head in pain 'They won't believe me, this is going to be hard'.

He raised his head and looked to his friend with a grimace “David, It's me, Theo”. David just stared down Theo then looked over to Heather and walked through the crowd to the cots.

A suit stepped forward from the group “What happened in there? Miss?”

“Theo, my name is Theo....Me and Beth almost made it through the 'fold'” Theo pointed over his shoulder to the hole “When the thing went unstable and we got separated, I woke up floating in some kind of nebula and this being talked to me.” He could tell they wanted more “She apparently built or somehow IS this thing” again pointing to the 'gate'. “She told me she is older than the universe but also not older and that she makes sure the universe is habitable for all life by “bleeding” off the excess gravity”.

“Wait, are you saying she's the reason gravity is a much weaker force than the others like electro-magnetism?” Dr. Locke asked while sliding into view.

“I guess so Mr. Locke” the Professor's eyes widened a bit, 'I have to keep surprising them like that, maybe they'll start to believe me' Theo thought. “Then she told me she was sending me back but had to alter me; 'patch all the holes' she said or I would die, and then I woke up on “Dune” like this” Theo gestured to his new body. “I found Beth in a ruined settlement, she must have been there for at least two days, Jesus... how long have we been gone?”

“3 hours” David called out, That fact was just another drop in the bucket of weirdness for Theo. Staring out into the middle ground Theo's mind went blank, A few people in the room recognized that he was 'shell shocked'. At that moment the suits in the room decided it was a good time for an impromptu conference, words like Alien, Unknown threat, and Quarantine were shared among them.

--------------------

It had been close to an hour since the 'Girl' went silent and unresponsive. In that short time Beth managed to gain some cognitive thought. Her eye's still fluttering she saw her friends seated beside the bed. “How did you find me? The gate was gone.” Beth said in sleepy tone. Her eyes started to close when they shot open wider than before. “Theo... did he...?”

“We didn't rescue you Beth, she did” Heather had been holding Beth's hand and using her free one she pointed over the foot of the bed. Beth shakily raised her head and peered in between a couple of G-men and saw her. “She's real?!” Beth breathed, Her second viewing filled in the gaps of her dreamlike first encounter. Her hair was a boy's hipster cut and the same shade as Theo's and poking out of her hair was her ears. Sticking about five inches from her head and they were shaped almost like a cat's but more slender and delicate; they were angled down. The combination of her open mouth, wide eyes and downcast ears telegraphed well feelings of hopelessness and sadness. “She said she was Theo” Beth mumbled.

“She said the same to us, too” David replied

“Could she be one of the inhabitants where you were?” Dr. Locke asked Beth.

“No one was there, no bodies.” Beth's eyes were closing.

“What about the fact that she speaks English and look at her hair it's like Theo's” Heather's tone said to everyone that she was still skeptical of the girl's claims that she was Theo.

“Could we test her? Ask her some questions only Theo knows?” Dr. Locke asked the group.

“I didn't even know Theo's last name much less anything personal.” Heather's comment sounded like a passing remark at a funeral.

“It's Holmes” David told Heather. “I've known him for about 7 months I think... Jesus! I don't even know if he had...” He looked over to the girl “...has any family.” lamented David.

Their silent recollections of Theo were interrupted by and sound of the door's air seal breaking and the commotion of feet. A baker's dozen of clean suits stormed the room, setting up a guard at the door and dishing out orders to the suits. The two spare clean suits circled around the sides of the alien girl with hermetically sealed body bag in hand.

“What's going on here!?” David yelled over the commotion.

Clean and the regular suits ignored David and continued with procedure. The two closed in on the vacant alien girl pulled the bag over her head. She didn't react until they had the bag down to her waist, she jerked around trying to fight them off. Her feeble struggles didn't slow the clean suits who each had at least a 150 pounds on her.

“NOOOOO....PLEASE DON'T...” she moaned through the plastic bag. The gang could hear her starting to crying out in fear. The clean suits finished stuffing her in and sealed the writhing bag. Grabbing each end they lifted her up and carried her out of the air tight door.

“What are you doing!?” Heather called out in alarm.

“Quarantining the alien” The closest Suit told them. “removing the contamination and sealing this area in case of foreign diseases.”

“They're sealing us in!?” David questioned.

“Yes, for the standard 30 days” The suit said turning his back to the gang and walking off to the other suits.

“Fuck me.” David muttered.

“Where...are they taking Theo?” Beth mumbled half asleep.

To Be Continued...

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Update: proofed and edited by djkauf, thank you.
Authors note: My first time really writing and I just finished this. I should probably wait until I have some of the second part done before posting but I was too excited. The part about how weak gravity is compared to the other forces(Electro-magnetism,Weak Nuclear force,Strong Nuclear force) is true. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesseract maybe this will help you get into my mindset of higher dimensional space. Also called a 4th dimensional hypercube, the cube shown is a "shadow" of a 4D cube, remember that in 4th dimensional space the cube would have all 90 degree angles unlike the picture in the wikipedia page.