The morning sun pierced through the narrow openings of the blinds, casting thin beams of light onto the bedroom’s hardwood floor. Jennifer’s eyes fluttered open, slowly awakened by the obnoxious light striking her face. For a few seconds, she lay there, soaking up the stillness, letting the headache in her mind slowly fade, from the one too many wines the previous night. Her gaze wandered to the nightstand where framed photographs stood — images capturing moments of laughter and love between her and Anton.

She threw off her covers and sat up, stretching her arms high above her head, relishing the sensation of waking muscles. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the time. Early, but not too early. A perfect start to what promised to be an adventurous day. She swung her long, golden legs over the bed, her feet touching the cold floor below. She padded off to the kitchen wearing nothing more than her tank top and panties.

Jennifer flipped on her electric kettle and grabbed a tub of her favorite instant coffee. She took a deep breath of its rich aroma. As she waited for the water to boil, she glanced down at her engagement ring. The light caught the diamond just right, causing it to sparkle brilliantly. She felt her heart swell, the luminescent gem serving as a small but profound reminder of their upcoming big day.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, disrupting her musing. It was a text from Anton: "Can't wait to see you. Today's the day! :)" She felt her lips curl into a smile as she read the words. Anton was a physicist, and today marked a significant day for him — an experiment he'd been working on forever was finally taking place. Jennifer texted back: "I’ll be there soon! Love you! <3"

She made her coffee, using a touch of cream. Jennifer took a sip and felt the warmth travel down her body, helping her overcome her tiny hangover.

She moved around the apartment, completing her morning routine. She showered and dressed. Anton had told her to dress in something that would be suitable for exploring. She suggested a sexy Tomb Raider outfit, but Anton insisted that would be impractical — completely missing Jennifer’s obvious flirt. Still inspired by Lara Croft, Jennifer went with hiking boots and some outdoorsy trousers. She also put on a blue tank, and a button-up beige blouse on top of that. She pulled her blonde hair back into a pony tail, with a few strands of hair on either side of her face. She looked ready to kick some ass.

Her satchel lay on the couch, already packed with all her necessities. She grabbed it and took one last look around the cozy apartment that was filled with memories and keepsakes she’s accumulated since she met Anton. She loved her little apartment, but was more excited about moving in with Anton when the time came.

As she stepped out, locking the door behind her, she had no way of knowing it would be the last time she’d be in her apartment. She hummed a tune, feeling the excitement for the day bubbling up within her, completely unaware of the twisted, miniature world that awaited her.

-

Nestled amidst manicured lawns and an impeccably maintained landscape, the imposing structure of the University's Science Facility loomed like a beacon of modernity. Its glass facade, a striking anomaly amidst the campus's traditional brick architecture, captured the eye with its sleek, avant-garde design. Bathed in the soft morning light, the building exuded an air of sinister ambition.

The hefty budget allocated to the science department was meant for a singular, grandiose goal: to make groundbreaking discoveries, capable of altering humankind’s future. Many rolled their eyes at such lofty mission statement, but the University’s budget for this high-tech facility was unwavering.

Jennifer made her way through the pristine campus and entered the facility. She was flanked by two imposing guards in crisp uniforms. “Hey Chuck. Hi Jean.” Jennifer warmly greeted the two. She fished in her satchel for her ID.

“Good Morning, Jennifer.” Chuck, the larger guard said. His mood changing positively upon seeing the stunning woman. “Y’know I don’t need to see your ID, right?” He waved her to pass through the metal detector.

“Oh, thanks Chuck. Good thing, because I’m having a hard time finding it.” She passed through the metal detector, causing an alarm to go off. “Oh shit, I think it’s my—“

“Just go.” Chuck said with a smile. “Your future-husband is waiting for you.”

That phrase elicited goofy, toothy grin. Husband, my future Husband, she thought. Considering past events, she’d never thought she’d marry. Let alone find the one. Anton was a brilliant, charming man. Tall, dark, and handsome they would say. A real catch. “Have a good day guys,” she said to the guards as she raced down the hallway to the elevators. She pressed the button for the basement lab where Anton would be waiting for her.

After several minutes of navigating a labyrinth of hallways and corridors, Jennifer reached the lab. Anton was busy writing something on a clipboard and didn’t notice his fiancée walking in.

“Babe!” Jennifer belted out in a burst of excitement. She ran up and jumped on Anton who only had a fraction of a second to catch her.

“Jen, honey!” They hugged amorously before turning to kiss each other in the lips. Jennifer squeezed hard and would not relent, unaware that the other scientists were looking at them. “Jen—“ Anton barely had a chance to say before being inundated with more kisses. “Jen,” He chuckled, “Jen, you remember Mitch, Aaron, and Sarah.” He pointed out the three other scientists in the room.

“Oh, yea.” Jennifer blushed as she realized she had an audience. “Hey guys.” She gave a little wave, not too entirely bothered by her public display of affection.

Aaron and Sarah smiled and waved back to Jennifer, before getting back to preparing the machine. Mitch, with his hands in his pockets walked up to the statuesque blonde woman. “So, Jennifer, you and Anton planning on having some inter-dimensional babies today?” Mitch was one of those typical scientists you’d see in the background of a movie. He was 5’5”, balding, and wore thick-rimmed glasses. He was an accomplished scientist, but had a personality of a high schooler.

“Hey Mitch. There won’t be any baby making on my end. What about you? You planning on making babies with aliens or are you afraid your hand will get jealous?”

Mitch smiled, “very funny. But mark my words Jen, if opportunity presents itself, alien cheeks will be clapped.”

Jennifer internally cringed.

“Excuse me Jennifer,” Aaron wedged himself in front of Mitch. “I just need to verify your biometrics so I can cross it off my checklist. You’re 180 centimeters tall, right?”

“I uh…” Jennifer stammered.

“Oh sorry, that’s 5’11”. Right?” Aaron asked.

“That’s right.”

“Let’s see here.” Aaron said as he studied the sheet in front of him. “You’re 33 and you weigh—“

Jennifer cleared her throat and looked at him sternly.

“Oh,” Aaron said looking up at Jennifer. “I guess this other stuff isn’t important. Thank you Jennifer.” He turned and headed back to the machine.

Mitch whistled, “5’11”, that’s giantess height right?”

“You tell me Chicken Little.” Jennifer patted Mitch on the head before moving on to Sarah.

“I am so excited for you two,” Sarah enthused. “I just knew you and Anton were so right for each other.” Sarah held both of Jennifer’s hands in her own.

“Thank you Sarah.” Jennifer said, looking over the array of scientific equipment strewn about her workbench. “So, you really think this is going to work?”

“Oh, we know it works already. Today is just another step in the experiment. Have you picked out a dress already?”

“I’ve narrowed it down to three. I can show you them this afternoon. Y’know, when this things done.”

“That would be wonderful!”

Jennifer broke away from the gaggle of the scientists and made it back to Anton. She gave him a peck on the cheek as he set down his clipboard.

“How your morning coming along?” Anton asked with a grin.

“Much better now that I’m here with you.”

“You’re such dork.”

“Nerd.”

Anton sighed excitingly. “Can you believe it, in just a few moments, we’ll be traveling to another world.”

“I thought it was another dimension?” Jennifer asked with a smug look.

“Yes and yes. It will be Earth, but in one of many possibilities of Earth.”

“Yea, about that. Is this…safe?” She asked waving her arms aimlessly around the lab.

“Absolutely. It’s already been tested. Just not with humans. Look, we tested with animals successfully. Transporting them to an alternate dimension and back. And today, we’ll be going to an Earth that is devoid of life.” Anton thought about something for a second and then added, “well, almost devoid of life. We detected insects and plant life. Breathable oxygen and comfortably warm climate. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to be pioneers babe. Like when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.”

“I don’t know…”

“Hey, look, if it makes you feel any better, there’s a whole team upstairs monitoring the experiment. They’ve ran many simulation and double-checked the calculations. This will be like a walk in the park!”

“Well — you sound super sure about this. And if you’re excited — I’m excited.”

He kissed her, the warmth of his lips brushing against hers as he spoke, "Great to hear, babe. Let me unveil this marvel." He led her to the far end of the lab, where an imposing glass monolith dominated the space. The cube was a crystalline sight, it’s sides about 8 feet in length, width, and height, like an oversized elevator.

Surrounding the enigmatic cube were four peculiar machines, their design reminiscent of 1950s ray guns, about the size of a standard washing machine. Each of these contraptions possessed an air of retro-futuristic mystique, adorned with metallic fins and plastic dials. Their collective purpose remained cloaked in scientific nonsense. Large-gauged black wires spewed out from the machines and littered the floors.

"All five of us," he continued, gesturing toward the towering glass chamber, "will start our journey within that room. With the flick of a switch, a whole bunch of science will be unleashed, propelling us to to another dimension. And when our experiment is fulfilled, our trusty dimensional remote will put the powers in reverse, bringing us back home."

He counted off the specialized team on his fingers, "Our crew consists of everyone here. Three theoretical physicists - that’s Mitch, Sarah, and your truly - a medical scientist, who is none other than Aaron," he nodded towards the girthy man, "and, of course, you," he turned to Jennifer, a glint of affection in his eyes.

Jennifer raised a skeptical eyebrow, her curiosity tinged with apprehension. "Me? A college drop-out with zero qualifications," she mused aloud. "Listen, I do want to be with you when you do this … science thaang. But I still don’t see why you’re brining me along."

Mitch budded in, “it’s ’cause you’re sleeping with the lead physicist.”

Jennifer grabbed a nearby stapler and threw it at Mitch. It struck the side of Mitch’s head with pinpoint precision. “Ow.” He groaned. It wasn’t thrown hard, but sure to leave a mark. Sarah could be heard laughing in the background.

Anton gently placed his hands on Jennifer’s arm and held them close to her side. “You’ll be our expedition leader. We’re not expecting rough terrain or anything, but — well, I’ve seen you rock climb and do those insane workouts at the gym. I figured you’d be a great addition to the team. Having an outdoors man, I mean, outdoors woman with us — a bunch of nerds, could only help strengthen our group. Besides,” he leaned into her ears and gently kissed her side, “nothing would make me happier, than having my future wife, by my side, as we make humankind history.” They kissed.

Breaking away, Jennifer shrugged. “Good enough for me.” She smiled, leaning in for another passionate kiss.

-

The experiment was slated to last no longer than an hour. Jennifer decided to empty her cute satchel and bring only essentials: a thick plastic water bottle and a Swiss Army knife. The rest of the team took off their white lab coats and were dressed as if they were going for a hike in the woods.

They stepped inside the crystalline enclosure, seamlessly sealing the near-invisible door behind them. Sarah, clutching a device resembling an oversized remote control, assumed her position as the expedition's conductor. Beyond the transparent walls, the quartet of enigmatic machines trained their inscrutable mechanisms upon the cube, their intricate components thrumming with purpose.

Jennifer tightened her grip with Anton’s. As the hum transformed into a deep rumble that reverberated through her chest, her anxiety mounted.

"Quantum Mechanics," he whispered soothingly into her ear.

“Huh?” She whispered back.

"There's nothing to be scared of. It's not as if we’re splitting atoms, re-packaging them, and then transmitting them through space in a million pieces. Nothing preposterously stupid like that will be happening — this isn’t Star Trek.” He laughed.

He continued, "instead, we are poised to orchestrate an event where the latent particles resident within the crystalline lattice of this glass enclosure will undergo a catalytic transformation, induced by an exquisitely precise energy infusion. This infusion, precision-engineered to the nth degree, will induce perturbations in the subatomic strings that form the very fabric of our quantum universe, propelling them into a hitherto uncharted plane of existence. Effectively, our undertaking entails an intricate dance of entanglement, allowing us to resonate with a distinct oscillatory frequency, thereby granting us access to an alternative dimension."

Jennifer turned and starred at him. “How long didn’t it take you to memorize that shit?”

“20 minutes. I almost got you though.” He bumped his shoulder into hers. They both shared a quiet laugh together.

“Here we go, y’all.” Sarah said as she made final preparations on the remote. She pressed a green button which caused the machine to really whine up.

Two things occurred at the same time. 1) The walls of the glass cube started to glow white, with a hint of blue sparks fracturing across it. 2) The outside room began to fade away into darkness. It looked as if someone was zooming out on a camera lens while fading it to black at the same time.

The glass cube jolted. This caused everyone to momentarily lose their balance, but not trip over.

“It’s okay.” Anton re-assured everyone. “This was expected.”

More electrical energy spidered across the glass walls. The bright white glow receded. It was dark everywhere except for the occasional electric pulses. Jennifer wasn’t sure if they were still in the lab.

“T-Minus 5 seconds, and we’ll be in another world!” Sarah said excitingly, devoid of any fear.

It didn’t make Jennifer feel any better. None of this felt normal or safe. Her heart raced. Her grip on Anton’s hand intensified.

The darkness outside transformed in a split-second. It looked like they were outside. Were those clouds? Looked like it was nighttime. Raining. Full moon, but it was barely visible through thick clouds. There was an eerie stillness as they looked around. Jennifer gazed downwards and noticed they were not on ground-level. Were they floating? “Guys, I think—“ Was all Jennifer managed to say when a spectacular bolt of lightning, originating from the thick rain clouds, struck their glass cube.

Suddenly, the entire room flipped and was in a free fall. All five members were thrown across the room as the glass cube fell from the sky. Another bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky lighting up their world. They screamed at each other asking what was going on and what should they do. Jennifer’s mind went straight to survival mode. Although the cube was spinning as it fell, she was the only one with enough cognition to orient herself correctly and assess the situation.

Jennifer held tight to Anton and looked out the glass cube. It was dark, but the sparse moonlight and lightning was enough for her to see the ground coming up quick. Another bolt of lightning struck the cube, shattering the monolith cube into a million pieces. The occupants were now exposed to the outside world.

Everyone was blasted out in opposite directions in a chaotic free fall. “Hold on!” Jennifer yelled out to Anton as they fell from the skies, never releasing their grip from one another. As they sped quickly to the ground, Jennifer could see they were over a large body of water. Without thinking, she maneuvered her body and wrapped her long legs around Anton, she then pulled them so that they were falling towards the Earth with their feet down. “We’re going to land in water, point your toes down.” She shouted. There just was no time to think. From the moment their glass transport started to fall from the skies, to them about to hit the ground was approximately 3-seconds. Only Jennifer’s acute mind could assess and process a situation like that so effortlessly.

They struck the water and dove deep into it. Jennifer could feel Anton’s heavier body sinking away from her at a faster rate than her body. Her grip on her fiancé’s hand was steadfast. She held him tight and started to swim back up to the surface.

Anton was dazed for only a few more seconds before he started kicking his legs. With hardly any breath left, they breached the surface and swallowed in as much air as their lungs would allow. They also inadvertently drank in some of the water, quickly tasting its saltiness — giving a big hint that they were in the ocean. Yet, the ocean waves were almost non-existent. Jennifer didn’t have time to ponder why the waves weren't swelling 10 feet over their heads during a thunderstorm. The gears in her mind were still set for survival. Curiosity and truth-gathering could be accomplished later.

“Let’s go.” Jennifer yanked on her fiancé’s hand and pulled him towards what she believed was land.

“Did you see the others?” Anton asked during gasps as they swam.

“No.” Was all Jennifer could say. She strained to scan their surroundings, her senses on high alert, but there was neither sight nor sound of their companions.

When placed in such a situation, it was hard to tell how much time passed. They could’ve been in the water for an hour or merely five minutes. Eventually, Jennifer's booted feet brushed against submerged terrain, and they stumbled upon the shore. Their soaked garments clung to them like lead weights, forcing them to crawl up onto the beach, hands and knees sinking into the exceptionally fine sand.

Jennifer couldn't help but notice another odd detail in their strange surroundings — this beach appeared devoid of the usual rocky outcroppings and seashells that usually litter beaches. She pushed the thought aside, too exhausted to dwell on such mysteries. Collapsing onto their backs, they lay side by side with Anton to the right of her, gasping for air and striving to regain their composure. The rain was nothing more than gentle drizzle, enveloping them in a warm, humid embrace. Thunderstorm above, yet only a drizzle of rain? Jennifer momentarily thought about.

Between ragged breaths, Anton managed to whisper, "I'm sorry, babe," before leaning over to bestow a kiss upon Jennifer's forehead. “I think someone missed a decimal point.”

Sinking back onto the sand, the weight of what just happened finally overcame them, and they both succumbed to unconsciousness, their hearts still racing in the aftermath of their inexplicable ordeal.