barucai

[Mini Story] Growing clones

Published: November 7th 2024, 6:07:41 am

Hi Hi ✨

Trying something new with today's story! Already writing part 2 because I'm excited about this concept 😅 T3&4 members, you'll find some extra images in your folders! And yes, still on break from the fmg-35 virus stories, but got some ideas brewing for when we return!

---

Growing Clones

"Not tonight either?" Daniela sighed into her phone, watching the sun set through the kitchen window. The dishes from her solitary dinner were still soaking in the sink.

"I'm sorry, love," Mitchel's voice crackled through the speaker. "This new drug trial is at a critical stage. I can't leave yet."

"That's what you said yesterday. And the day before." Daniela ran a hand through her dark curls, fighting to keep the frustration out of her voice. "I barely see you anymore, Mitch. When you are home, you're in that basement with your secret project."

"It's not secret, it's just..." Mitchel paused, and Daniela could hear the whir of laboratory equipment in the background. "Look, I promise I'll make it up to you this weekend. We'll do something special."

"Right." Daniela glanced at the calendar on the fridge, already marked with several crossed-out date nights. "Well, don't stay too late. Love you."

"Love you too."

The call ended, leaving Daniela alone in the quietness of their suburban home. At 5'6", she wasn't particularly tall, but right now she felt absolutely tiny in the empty house. She looked down at her simple outfit – yoga pants and an oversized sweater, perfect for a day of remote therapy sessions and housework.

"Might as well make use of the time," she muttered to herself, grabbing her cleaning supplies. The house wasn't particularly dirty – she kept it well-maintained – but cleaning gave her something to do besides dwelling on Mitchel's increasing absences.

As she moved through the rooms with her duster and vacuum, Daniela couldn't help but reflect on how things had changed. When they first moved in together two years ago, Mitchel had been so present, so engaged. They'd spend evenings cooking together, weekends exploring the city. Now, at 32, she sometimes felt more like a housekeeper than a girlfriend.

The basement door loomed before her, slightly ajar. Mitchel's "private lab," as he called it, was the one place she rarely cleaned. But tonight, something compelled her to grab her cleaning caddy and head down the stairs.

The basement lights flickered on automatically as she descended, revealing Mitchel's cluttered workspace. His pharmaceutical company paid well enough for him to afford some impressive equipment, though Daniela had no idea what most of it did. Her eyes were drawn to the large cylindrical pod in the corner – Mitchel's pride and joy, though he never explained exactly what it was for.

"Would it kill him to organize his papers?" she mumbled, noting the scattered documents across his desk. As she began straightening them, a particular diagram caught her eye. It showed the pod, along with complex mathematical equations she couldn't begin to understand. The word "REPLICATION" was circled several times in red ink.

Curiosity got the better of her. Daniela approached the pod, noting how its smooth metal surface reflected the fluorescent lights. It was easily large enough for a person to stand in, with a glass door that swung outward. Various cables snaked from its base to a complicated control panel nearby.

"I wonder what it feels like inside," she mused, running her hand along the cool metal. The door swung open easily at her touch, revealing a spacious interior. Without really thinking about it, Daniela stepped inside, just to see what Mitchel experienced when he was testing his mysterious project.

The glass door swung shut behind her with a soft click.

"Oh!" Daniela turned, pushing against the door. It didn't budge. "No, no, no..." She pushed harder, but it remained firmly locked. "This isn't funny!"

The control panel outside suddenly lit up with a series of blinking lights. A soft hum filled the air, growing steadily louder.

"Mitchel?" Daniela called out, knowing full well he wasn't home. "Anyone? Help!"

The humming intensified. The air inside the pod began to feel thick, almost gelatinous. Daniela's skin tingled all over, like thousands of tiny electric shocks.

"Oh god," she whispered as a bright light began to fill the pod. "What's happening?"

The light grew blindingly intense. Daniela squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding in her chest. The humming reached a crescendo, and then...

Silence.

Daniela slowly opened her eyes. The pod was dark again, the door still firmly closed. But something felt different. The space seemed... smaller?

With a pneumatic hiss, the door suddenly swung open. Daniela stumbled out, gasping for air. As she steadied herself against Mitchel's desk, she heard another sound – footsteps behind her.

She turned around and found herself staring at... herself.

Another Daniela stood there, wearing the exact same yoga pants and oversized sweater, sporting the same shocked expression. But something was different. They were both taller – much taller. The basement ceiling, usually well above head height, now seemed uncomfortably close.

"What the actual hell?" both Danielas said in perfect unison.

The original Daniela – at least, she thought she was the original – looked down at her body. Her clothes felt tight, especially around her shoulders and legs. The yoga pants that had fit perfectly moments ago now ended several inches above her ankles.

"We're... bigger," the other Daniela said, examining her own stretched clothing. "And there are two of us."

"This can't be happening," Original Daniela muttered, grabbing a nearby ruler. She held it up to the wall where Mitchel had marked his own height – 5'8". Both Danielas now towered over that mark by several inches.

"Six foot one," Other Daniela announced after a quick measurement. "We've grown seven inches." She didn't sound nearly as panicked as Original Daniela felt. In fact, she was smiling slightly.

"Why are you smiling?" Original Daniela demanded. "This is a disaster! We need to call Mitchel, we need to-"

"Call him and say what?" Other Daniela interrupted, stretching her longer limbs experimentally. "Hey honey, I got cloned and super-sized while snooping in your secret lab? Besides, this is kind of exciting, isn't it?"

Original Daniela stared at her duplicate. They were identical in every way, down to the last freckle, but this version of herself seemed to have a very different attitude about their situation.

"I think," Other Daniela said, running a hand through her hair – which now brushed against a ceiling beam – "we should call me Daniela One. Less confusing that way."

"This isn't funny!" Original Daniela snapped, though she had to admit the naming suggestion made sense. "We need to figure out how to fix this before-"

A loud ripping sound interrupted her as the seams of her sweater finally gave up, splitting along her shoulders and sides. Daniela One's sweater followed suit moments later.

They stood there in their increasingly inadequate clothes, two identical women now several inches over six feet tall, staring at each other in the fluorescent basement lights.

"Well," Daniela One said with a grin, "I guess we need new clothes before we do anything else. Want to raid Mitchel's closet?"

Original Daniela looked at her tattered sweater, then at her clone's amused expression, and felt a hysterical laugh bubble up in her throat. "This is insane. This is completely insane."

"That's not a no," Daniela One pointed out, already heading for the stairs. "Come on, sis. Let's go find something that fits."

As Original Daniela followed her clone up the basement stairs – having to duck slightly to avoid hitting her head – she couldn't help but wonder how this could possibly get any more complicated.

Upstairs in the master bedroom, Original Daniela rifled through Mitchel's closet while Daniela One examined herself in the full-length mirror, having to bend down slightly to see her whole reflection.

"His dress shirts barely fit across the shoulders," Original Daniela muttered, pulling on one of Mitchel's larger button-ups. The sleeves ended halfway down her forearms. "And don't even get me started on the pants."

"At least his sweatpants are stretchy," Daniela One replied, admiring how the grey fabric hugged her longer legs. "Though they're more like capris now." She straightened up, her head nearly brushing against the ceiling. "You know, being tall is kind of amazing. Why are you so stressed about this?"

Original Daniela shot her clone an exasperated look. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because there are suddenly two of me? And we're both giants? And this clearly has something to do with Mitchel's secret project that we probably just messed up?"

"Fair points," Daniela One conceded, flopping onto the bed, which creaked protestingly under her new size. "So let's think this through. What do we actually know about that pod?"

"Almost nothing," Original Daniela sighed, sitting beside her clone. "Mitchel never talks about it. I've just seen him going in and out of it sometimes, taking notes."

"Well, it obviously clones people," Daniela One gestured between them. "And makes them bigger. The question is why?"

A sudden knock at the front door made them both freeze.

"Mrs. Henderson!" they whispered in unison, remembering their elderly neighbor's habit of dropping by unannounced.

"Quick, hide!" Original Daniela hissed, but Daniela One was already heading for the en-suite bathroom.

Through the bedroom window, they could see Mrs. Henderson on the porch, holding what looked like a casserole dish. Original Daniela ducked down, trying to make her new height less visible through the curtains.

"Daniela? Are you home, dear?" Mrs. Henderson's voice carried through the door. "I brought you some lasagna. I know Mitchel's been working late..."

They waited in tense silence until their neighbor finally gave up and left, putting the dish on the porch.

"That was close," Daniela One said, emerging from the bathroom. "We can't hide forever though. What's the plan?"

Original Daniela ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "We need to figure out how that pod works. There must be some instructions, or notes, or-"

"Or we could just ask another you," Daniela One interrupted, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What? No! Absolutely not!"

"Think about it," Daniela One leaned forward eagerly. "Three heads are better than two. Maybe the next clone will understand more about what happened. Plus, we'd have someone to keep watch while we investigate."

"Or maybe we'll just get even bigger!" Original Daniela protested, but she could feel her resolve weakening. They did need help, and calling Mitchel still felt like a last resort.

"We're already over six feet tall," Daniela One pointed out. "What's a few more inches if it helps us fix this?"

Original Daniela stood up, having to consciously avoid hitting her head on the ceiling fan. "This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a 'I can't believe I'm considering this.'" Original Daniela began pacing, her longer strides covering the bedroom in just a few steps. "We'd need to be careful. Plan it out properly."

Daniela One grinned. "That's my girl! Or... our girl? This pronoun situation is getting complicated."

"Focus!" Original Daniela snapped, but she couldn't help smiling slightly. "If – and I mean IF – we do this, we need to think it through. What if we end up even taller? These clothes barely fit as it is."

"We'll grab some sheets and blankets from the linen closet first," Daniela One suggested. "And we should do it now, while it's dark. Less chance of being seen."

Original Daniela glanced at the clock – 9:45 PM. The street outside was quiet, most of their neighbors already settled in for the night.

"I must be losing my mind," she muttered. "Fine. Let's get supplies first. And we need to set some ground rules."

"Yes!" Daniela One punched the air triumphantly, her hand actually brushing the ceiling. "Oops. Rule one: watch out for low ceilings?"

Original Daniela couldn't help but laugh. "Rule one: we try this ONCE. If it doesn't help, we call Mitchel. Deal?"

"Deal," Daniela One agreed, heading for the door. "Though you might want to duck, sis. That doorframe's looking a bit low."

As they carefully made their way to the linen closet, Original Daniela wondered what Mitchel would think if he could see them now. His girlfriend, now two girlfriends, both over six feet tall, wearing his clothes and planning to clone themselves again.

"I really hope you know what you're doing," she whispered to herself, watching Daniela One gather an armful of sheets and blankets.

"When have I ever?" Daniela One replied cheerfully. "Come on, let's go make another sister!"

The basement stairs creaked ominously under their increased weight as they descended, sheets and blankets in hand, ready to potentially complicate their situation even further.

The pod waited silently in the corner, its metal surface reflecting their doubled image. Original Daniela took a deep breath, still not quite believing what they were about to do.

"Ready?" Daniela One asked, already reaching for the pod's door.

"Not even slightly," Original Daniela replied. "But let's do it anyway."

"This pod wasn't designed for two," Original Daniela grunted, squeezing in beside Daniela One. The space that had felt cramped at 5'6" was absolutely tiny now that they were both 6'1".

"Cozy, isn't it?" Daniela One quipped, shifting to make room. Their shoulders pressed against the curved walls, and they had to bend their necks to fit. "Ready?"

Before Original Daniela could respond, the door swung shut with a click. The familiar hum began, but this time it was deeper, more intense. The air grew thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe in the confined space.

"Something feels different," Original Daniela managed to say before the light became blindingly bright.

The humming grew to a deafening pitch, and the pod began to vibrate violently. Both women could feel their bodies tingling, then burning, as if their very cells were being stretched and multiplied.

Then came the pressure. Their already cramped space became impossibly tighter as their bodies began to expand. The sound of stretching fabric filled the pod as Mitchel's borrowed clothes strained against their growing forms.

"Oh god," one of them gasped – it was impossible to tell who in the blinding light and deafening noise.

With a sudden loud crack, the pod's door burst open, and three bodies spilled out onto the basement floor. The pod sparked and fizzled behind them, the control panel smoking slightly.

"Well," said a new voice, "that was intense."

Three identical women lay sprawled on the basement floor, all of them now much, much taller than before. The borrowed clothes had shredded completely, leaving them wrapped in the hastily grabbed sheets.

"Everyone okay?" Original Daniela asked, sitting up and immediately hitting her head on a ceiling beam. "Ow! Is it just me or did we..."

"Grow again?" Daniela One finished, standing up carefully. She had to bend significantly to avoid the ceiling. "Definitely. And check out these muscles!"

She was right. Not only had they grown taller, but their bodies had developed significant muscle mass. Their arms and legs were corded with lean muscle, their shoulders broader and more defined.

The new clone – Daniela Two – was already examining herself in a reflective panel. "Fascinating. The replication process seems to have exponentially increased our physical development. We must be at least seven feet tall now."

"Seven feet four inches, to be precise," Original Daniela said, spotting a measuring tape on Mitchel's workbench. "And yes, significantly more muscular." She flexed an arm experimentally, watching the impressive bicep rise.

"Look at this," Daniela One said excitedly, running her hands over her newly muscular stomach. "I've got abs! We've got abs!"

"The musculature development is remarkable," Daniela Two mused, adjusting her sheet-toga. "The myofibril density must have increased exponentially during the replication process."

Original Daniela and Daniela One exchanged looks. "She got the brains, didn't she?" Daniela One grinned.

"Apparently," Original Daniela replied, watching Daniela Two examine the now-smoking pod with scientific interest. "And you got the... enthusiasm."

"And you got the worry lines," Daniela One teased, poking Original Daniela's forehead. "Come on, aren't you even a little excited? Feel these!" She flexed her arms again.

Despite herself, Original Daniela reached out to touch her clone's bicep. It was rock hard, the muscle perfectly defined. Soon all three of them were comparing muscles, measuring their identical heights, and marveling at their transformed bodies.

"The deltoid development is particularly impressive," Daniela Two commented, prodding Daniela One's shoulder. "Though the latissimus dorsi shows equally significant hypertrophy."

"In English, please?" Daniela One laughed, flexing for her analytical sister.

"We're ripped," Original Daniela translated, surprising herself with a smile. "Though we might have a problem." She pointed to the smoking pod. "I think we broke it."

"Minor setback," Daniela Two said, already examining the control panel. "The quantum replication matrix appears to have overloaded, but the base systems are intact. Nothing that can't be-"

The sound of a car engine outside made them all freeze.

"Is that...?" Daniela One started.

"Mitchel's car," Original Daniela confirmed, recognizing the distinct sound of his hybrid's electric motor.

They heard the garage door opening above them, followed by the sound of a car pulling in.

"He's home early," Original Daniela whispered in panic. "Why is he home early?"

"Probably because it's nearly midnight on a Friday," Daniela Two pointed out helpfully. "The real question is: what's our strategy?"

They could hear Mitchel's footsteps moving from the garage to the front door.

"Hide!" Original Daniela hissed, but as three 7'4" women looked around the basement, they all realized the same thing – there was nowhere for them to hide. Not at their new size.

The front door opened upstairs. "Daniela?" Mitchel's voice called out. "Why are all the lights on? And why is Mrs. Henderson's lasagna on the porch?"

Footsteps moved through the house above them. Three pairs of eyes darted to the basement door at the top of the stairs.

"Think he'll notice anything different about us?" Daniela One whispered, adjusting her makeshift sheet-dress.

The basement door opened, spilling light down the stairs.

"Honey? Are you down here? I saw the lights..." Mitchel's voice trailed off as his footsteps started down the stairs.

Three identical, seven-foot-four, muscular versions of his girlfriend turned to face the staircase, still wrapped in bedsheets, standing next to his smoking cloning pod.

"Hi, love," Original Daniela managed weakly. "We might have a small situation..."

"We?" Mitchel muttered, eyes still fixed on his phone as he descended the stairs. "Who's w-"

Original Daniela frantically waved her arms, shooing her clones towards the shadows behind the stairs. At 7'4", they had to crouch significantly to hide, but somehow managed to squeeze their muscular frames into the darkness. The sheet-togas rustled softly as they moved.

"Just talking to myself!" Original Daniela called up, wincing at how her deeper, richer voice echoed in the basement. "Long day of therapy sessions, you know how it-"

Her sentence cut off as Mitchel, still engrossed in his phone, walked straight into her. At 5'8", his head barely reached her chest.

"Sorry, hon, didn't see you there..." he mumbled, then froze. Slowly, very slowly, his eyes traveled upward. Past her sheet-covered waist, over her muscular torso, up her powerful shoulders, and finally to her face, now nearly two feet above his own.

"Um..." Mitchel swallowed hard. "Daniela?"

Before she could respond, two powerful arms wrapped around him from behind, lifting him clear off the ground in a bear hug.

"Surprise!" Daniela One's cheerful voice boomed as she squeezed him gently – though given her new strength, even a gentle squeeze left him breathless.

"What the- How-" Mitchel sputtered, his legs dangling in the air as he twisted his head around to see another giant Daniela grinning down at him.

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'fascinating'," came Daniela Two's voice as she emerged from the shadows, ducking under a beam. "Though 'unprecedented' would also be appropriate."

Mitchel's eyes darted between the three identical women, all towering over him, all wrapped in makeshift togas, all sporting physiques that would put professional bodybuilders to shame.

"Is... is this a dream?" he squeaked.

"Nope!" Daniela One said cheerfully, finally setting him down. "Though I have to say, your cloning pod has some interesting side effects. Care to explain?"

Mitchel's gaze finally landed on his smoking machine. His face went pale.

"Oh no," he whispered. "Oh no, no, no..." He rushed to the control panel, having to reach up to access it – it had been built for his height, but now seemed comically low compared to the three amazons in his basement.

"Don't worry, the quantum replication matrix is only slightly corrupted," Daniela Two offered helpfully. "Though the biomass enhancement subroutine seems to have exceeded expected parameters."

Mitchel turned slowly to stare at her. "How do you know about quantum replication matrices?"

"Oh, she got your brains," Original Daniela explained, crossing her arms and watching her boyfriend crane his neck to look up at her. "Daniela One got my sense of adventure, and I kept all the common sense – which, clearly, I should have used before stepping into your secret science project."

"Three of you," Mitchel muttered, seeming to finally process the situation. "Three 7'4" versions of my girlfriend. With muscles. And apparently specialized personality traits."

"And we're not particularly happy about all the secrets," Original Daniela added, her new height adding considerable weight to her stern expression.

"Though I'm having a blast," Daniela One chimed in.

"The physical changes are quite remarkable," Daniela Two mused, flexing an arm bigger than Mitchel's thigh. "The implications for cellular biology alone..."

Mitchel slumped against his desk, looking very small compared to the three towering women.

"I can explain everything," he said weakly.

"Oh, you'd better," Original Daniela replied, all three of them stepping closer, their combined shadow completely engulfing him. "You've got all weekend."