1 comments/  13396 views/  1 favorites

The Magic Elixir Ch. 01

By: Iconoclast99



This tale is based on the short story "The New Accelerator", written in 1901 by H.G. Wells. Wells' characters and the basic scientific premise have been used here but in a much altered form. Much of Wells' literary output is available online, and it is well worth reading some of the lesser-known short stories. Though the style and language seems rather antique to us now, many of the ideas are still fresh.

- - - - - 

Think of this as a confession, if you will, or an explanation if you are more charitable. You may have read the little story about me and my good friend Professor Gibberne that I wrote many years ago. The times being what they were I could not, of course, relate the whole of it. And many remarkable things came to pass afterwards, so I have set my mind to telling the whole of it so far. Forgive me if my phrasing seems somewhat dated, but I was born a long time ago, and it is hard to shake off the habits of one's youth.

I told the story to the point at which Gibberne and I had tried the Accelerator but once out of the house and numerous times under controlled conditions in the laboratory, until we were sure that we had measured and understood its effects. In brief, my good friend Professor Gibberne was a most ingenious scientist, with a particular interest in the effects of drugs on the human body. After many years of study and experiment dedicated to seeking a drug which would invigorate the body and accelerate the nervous system to new heights he perfected the New Accelerator. Although he had been hoping for a doubling of energy and speed he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The New Accelerator increased the tempo of the body a thousandfold, and allowed the user to do in minutes what he would ordinarily do in hours or days.

At first the Professor had thought to market the accelerator immediately under the name Gibberne's Nervous Accelerator and to provide it in strengths of 200, 900 and 2,000 to 1. Thus, we spent many weeks experimenting with the dosages in the laboratory, until we had finally perfected the manner of controlling both the rate of acceleration and the length of time the effects would last.

So, well satisfied with our progress, Gibberne and I sat one evening in his library and discussed our plans for the future.

"This will allow me to secure a place in the annals of science. I will be listed among the greats! And of course the money to be made from this will enable me to continue my researches at leisure without worry about the future."

"Most assuredly," I replied. "But should we not be concerned about the effect on society? I know that as scientists that is not our concern; yet, I would not like to think that we will be remembered for the evil that we have unleashed, like a modern Pandora."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Gibberne. "We are merely extending the boundaries of science. What use is made of that we cannot guess, nor be held responsible for. Any tool may be used for both good and evil, and it is up to the civil authorities to control the effects. I have no doubt that the accelerator will be put to evil uses by some, but think of the good it can do. Firemen able to go into a burning building and rescue the occupants at their leisure. Scholars able to research in a day what would take many months or years in ordinary time and without the petty annoyances and disruptions that plague us in daily life."

"You are right, I suppose. There will be much of good that can come of this. And yet, I cannot help but think of the evil that will also surely come." 

And yet I acquiesced without demur when he suggested that I join him in the experiments in the use and dosage of the New Accelerator. You may have read my first story abut the next events, as we tested and refined the Accelerator. You may have noticed how brief and lacking in detail that story was; that of course, was due to a deliberate evasiveness on my part. As we were preparing to put Gibberne's Nervous Accelerator onto the market, a bit of publicity was felt to be efficacious in bringing our product to the attention of the market, but we neither of us dared to reveal the full and true story of our experiments. This, then, is as much in the way of a confession as it is a journal, and given the way our world has changed since the introduction of the New Accelerator, I now feel free to tell the entire story.

Allow me to go into a little more background behind this stupendous elixir. As I said, it allows an individual to work, to move, to think, to live at a much faster rate than the ordinary flow of time. But only the individual. Time moves at its regular pace in the world at large; all substances, air and water and earth and fire, continue at their measured pace, one second per second of elapsed time as the earth follows its course in the heavens. But the individual lives at a far greater rate, dependent on strength of the dosage of the Accelerator that he has taken. Thus, if I take the 200 strength draught, I live at a rate 200 times faster than the world around me. A gentle stroll of three miles per hour is, to the outside world, a superlative run of 600 miles per hour. Should I stand beside you for a minute by my internal measurements, then you will notice a brief blur lasting a mere three tenths of a second. And you may imagine what will happen at the dosages of 900 or 2,000 to 1.

And so our experiments proceeded. We did not foresee the results of these experiments on the world or on ourselves. Or rather, we chose to turn a blind eye to the consequences that might ensue.

So without further remonstrance I shall tell you of our adventures after those which were previously recorded. When next we ventured out of doors we had a much better idea of the dosages and their effects and how to prepare ourselves for the adventure. We first donned tight clothing, so that the wind could not whip our coats and pants around as we moved. Then we took a dosage of 200, fearing that the higher dosages were too great to use out of doors. We had left the front door of Gibberne's house open, remembering the consequence inertia had on inanimate objects in our accelerated state, and strolled out carefully after the Accelerator had taken effect.

Because we were using a dosage much weaker than we had previously tried outdoors we were not subject to the same heat from friction and its consequent problems. We made our way down the road to the village, observing passers-by as we went. All were still, caught in an instant of repose as they went about their tasks. I particularly observed the women, looking like statues holding their parasols as they strolled in the park. I could not help looking at them closely, the form of their breasts and bottoms drawing my eyes. You must remember that in those days all was concealed, and bachelors like ourselves did not dare to look too closely at a lady lest we be shunned as perverts.

"Quite a sight, eh W?" 

"Yes indeed. The spring air has brought out the loveliness of women like flowers in bloom. Shall we go over to the beach and see what the latest fashions decree for bathing?"

"Yes indeed. And maybe more."

With the last cryptic sentence Gibberne proceeded down to the strand, and I followed with some puzzlement. On arriving at the shore we walked to the sandy beach, a rarity in our pebbly and gravelly English seaside. The sight that greeted us was, to my mind, overwhelming. Hundreds of bathers were on the shore walking, sitting on wooden chairs or strolling along the sand, all of them in a perfect state of stasis. I confess that I do not get out much, and the sight of all the lovely women quite overwhelmed me. So much so that I noticed a stirring in my loins and felt the need to adjust my slacks for a bit more comfort.

"Come with me! There is much more to see and do." Taking me by the arm Gibberne pulled me toward some bathing machines which were standing half in the water. They were small wooden houses that had doors on the water side which allowed their patrons to step into and out of the water without showing themselves in their bathing dress to the ruder folk along the beach. Gibberne pulled me along until we were standing beside one of these doors, soaking our trousers in the water so we could look inside And what a sight! A lovely woman with porcelain skin was posing herself in front of a mirror, with her head turned half-around to see the view of her suit from the rear.

I was transfixed by this sight, not least because it felt so wickedly delicious to peer, unseen and unnoticed, at a woman in an intimate moment. But the Professor was not interested in just a chance glimpse of leg or disarrangement of bathing costume. He pulled me back from the door and whispered "We'll come back later at a more propitious time." I was then pulled along to the next bathing machine, and then the next again and so on until Gibberne found what he was looking for.

A woman in bathing dress was walking up the wooden stairs and approaching the door of her bathing machine. Gibberne tugged my arm more urgently and led me up the stairs and inside the interior. "hsst" I whispered. "What are you doing? This cannot be right!" He ignored me and led me inside just in front of the woman, who was moving too slowly for us to detect any but the slightest motion. Once inside we stood by a corner out of sight of the woman and waited while she made her slow way inside. We knew that she could not see us while we moved, but this would allow us to stay still without being observed. 

You may wonder why I acquiesced in this venture. Gibberne had obviously done this before, for his timing and deliberate movements suggested some degree of practice, yet this particular sort of adventure was not something we had discussed before. Obviously he knew me better than I knew myself, for I stood patiently back waiting for what was about to unfold. I did make some whispered comments to him, for we had plenty of time.

"This is not right, Gibberne! Surely we are intruders of the worst sort in doing this. Surely no gentleman would stoop so low."

"And yet you continue to wait with me. Come, man., we have a perfect opportunity here, and no harm will come of it to us or to that young woman. We are merely connoisseurs of the female form, and society must take the blame for not giving old bachelors like us an opportunity to behold the female form. This has to be better than skulking around the low streets of the city and engaging the services of some poor prostitute. When we have had our fill we will leave, and none will be the wiser. We take nothing but pleasure and leave nothing but admiration."

Our discussions went on for a while, but I stayed despite the weakness of his argument, for in my heart I could not turn away from the sight before me. We waited some hours as the woman walked up the stairs and entered the mobile hut, hours which were but a minute to her. I must confess that I was getting quite restless waiting, for I am a man of action, and having to adjust my position every so often to avoid detection was the only respite I had. 

But eventually she started to remove her bathing dress, and Gibberne and I watched eagerly as her clothes started to come off. First the buttons on the front came undone as she slowly pried them open, revealing ever more of her front. Fabulous smooth skin was revealed with each move, the front of her outfit widening ever more to show the chest, then the inner side of the breasts, a stomach of perfect smoothness. When the buttons were undone she lifted her arm to her shoulder to pull down the right sleeve of the garment, and as it slowly dropped one perfect breast was revealed. With no pause the left sleeve was also pulled down, and we could fully see the top half of her body. It was but the work of a few minutes more to tug at the hem of the bathing dress and pull it down past the faultless globes of her buttocks and reveal herself in full glory.

We beheld her wonderful cunny in some awe; alabaster skin shading down to a few stray hairs and then the hair growing luxuriantly thick as if to conceal the last vestige of her modesty from unknown eyes. Then, as if to securely ensnare us this vision of loveliness reached out for a towel and started to dry herself. I could not look away, and I felt rather than saw my friend's eyes also drinking in every vestige of this marvelous sight.

I could not help myself in what I did next, for the sight of her body was too overwhelming too resist. For some time I had felt a tightness in my groin as I looked at the hidden charms revealed to me, so I slowly reached down and undid a few of my trouser buttons in order to provide more room for my engorged manhood. With my hands over my groin it took no thought to slowly rub myself, feeling a wonderful sensation of warmth and pleasure as I did so. I moved as close as I dared to our lovely tableau vivant and stared at her as she raised a leg in a precarious position and rested it on a stool. Now all was revealed. With her legs spread, one on the ground and the other on the stool, I could see perfectly well all the delights normally reserved for married men.

Suddenly I was pulled away by an arm, and I could only think that I had gone too far and that Gibberne was appalled by my boldness and lasciviousness. But he only whispered to me to move as he pulled me to another spot within the cabin. I realized that staying too long in one spot would cause us to be revealed to a normal onlooker, but I had been too enchanted by the sight before me to pay heed to this detail.

We continued thus for some hours, moving around so as not to be observed. By the time the woman had finished drying herself and started to put on some clothes I was quite sated with the sights I had seen and getting tired from the hours of moving and standing. 

"Gibberne, how will we get out of here? I don't relish spending several more hours just waiting for an opportunity."

"Just so. All we need is to quickly get out the door and close it again. If she notices at all it will appear to be a gust of wind that has rattled the door." 

His prompt answer made me even more certain that he had done this before, so I readily agreed. But I had one more errand before we left. I had spied a lady's calling card case on a small desk in the room, so I quickly went over and took out a card and placed it in my vest pocket before we left.

We escaped the room with no problem, and walked home in silence. As we approached my house I could hold my tongue no longer. Feeling all a-jumble with guilt and with the emotions that I had experienced that day I felt the desire and need to talk about it. 

"Won't you come inside please, professor? I think we have much to discuss. Cook has the afternoon off today and our discussions will not be disturbed or overheard."

"Of course we do, and I think that we had better talk about our commonality of interest and approach."

Without further discussion we went in and had a cold supper that cook had left and said very little until it was finished. After finishing our supper we repaired to the parlour for a cigar and port, and when we were both relaxed our conversation started anew.

"Gibberne, I am most ashamed of what we did today, yet I cannot help but feel quite pleased with the results of our adventures. But I am even more concerned about the consequences when your elixir reaches the hands of the general public. We are gentlemen, and can restrain ourselves in our harmless pleasures, but the great mass of rough persons will not show such restraint, and you can imagine as well as I what perversions and atrocities may come of this."

Gibberne sat in quiet contemplation for some time carefully considering his response, and then shook himself as if to clear his head and answered. "You may have surmised that I have done this kind of adventuring prior to this afternoon. I have carefully been weighing the same arguments and proposals as you. Am I correct in assuming that you want to halt the sale of Gibberne's elixir?"

"Yes! It's too dangerous to let out into the general public."

He nodded. "I too was concerned about that. Let me explain how I came to feel otherwise. Primus, the elixir exists, and if I suppress this discovery then some other scientist will come up with the same formula at some other time. Secundus, if it is we who control the elixir, rather than some hypothetical future scientist, then we can control its distribution. Tertius, if we control its distribution then we can ensure that only the worthiest of men can buy it, and that we can use some of the profits to set up safeguards to control its use. Come W., we are both honourable gentlemen, and surely much better suited to this task than some unknown drudge whose only motive is profit."

His arguments seemed convincing to me, but I think my own predilections in the use of the elixir foreordained my reaction and my mind suppressed any counter arguments.

"I know that you are worried by our adventure and by your own reactions. I assure you I feel like you, but as I said before we did nothing wrong or ungentlemanly. The elixir has brought in a new era, and we must adapt to it. We took nothing; we left no slightest taint of immodesty that would make any young maiden blush. We are good fellows and cannot be blamed for any slightest breach of good breeding. Come, old friend together we can resolve any troubling issues"

I will not lie and say that his arguments were wholly convincing, but I wholeheartedly accepted them just the same. We spoke long into the night, and when he finally left I had felt a modicum of peace. After he was gone and I was preparing for bed I found the visiting card that I had put in my pocket. The name Hester Pringle was written across the card, with an address in Kensington. Well then, she was down here in Folkestone on a visit to take the waters and she would likely be here less than a fortnight. Somehow this made me feel both glad to be rid of the object of my guilt and unhappy that I would scarce have a chance to see her again.

After a restless night I walked over to Gibberne's house to confer with him some more. I found him in good spirits and could scarcely renew last night's conversation in front of the servants, He bade me come into his laboratory where we could have more privacy, but instead of renewing our previous conversation he was full of new experiments with the elixir. I gladly joined in, preferring this to philosophical discussions on a topic about which I still had some moral qualms. In fact I even suggested some new experiments, and we spent a happy day with vials of chemicals and stopwatches determining the effects of the new accelerator. 

I confess that some of those experiments related directly to our adventures of the previous day. In particular I wanted to see the exact length of time that one could remain unobserved before moving on to a new position and how well voices speaking at accelerated speed could be noticed by someone living in normal time. I knew that this would take days of careful measurement, since the one taking the elixir would perforce become quickly bored by the length of apparent time it took to get results. 

But Gibberne resolved that problem almost immediately in normal time, although he informed me it took several days' worth of experiments to come up with the formula in quickened time. What he did was to create a new potion which counteracted the effect of the accelerator without producing noxious side effects, a brake or decelerator if you will. What a marvelous effect! Not only did it help our experimentation to proceed apace but it solved some practical problems we had encountered during our adventures.  

And although we kept insisting to each other that the primary purpose of the accelerator would be for the expansion of time to allow for more productivity, the greater part of our experiments consisted of researches into the limits of concealment. For instance, we discovered that our whispering during our adventure had been for nought, both by reason of the speed of our voices and the lack of pressure or force behind them, which scarce enabled any person living in normal time to hear them even if we shouted.


The Magic Elixir Ch. 01



Armed with the knowledge from our new researches we finally felt we were again ready to go into the outside world, and we fixed a date a few days in the future when we would go out supplied with the accelerator and the brake. 

Before the day arrived, however I received a most unsettling call. The maid brought in a calling card from an unexpected visitor, on which was printed the name of Miss Hester Pringle of Knightsbridge. To say I was discomfited would be putting it mildly. I informed the maid that I would receive Miss Pringle in the parlour and repaired there in some degree of apprehension.

Hester Pringle was even more beautiful than I remembered and I am afraid I was severely ill at ease in her presence.

"I'm sorry Miss Pringle, but I am ill prepared for visitors, and I cannot remember meeting you before."

"Oh, we haven't met Mr. W. but I took the liberty of introducing myself to you because your literary work leads me to believe you may be able to solve my problem. You see, I have come here to take the waters because of a nervous condition. More specifically I suffer from a depletion of vitality which saps me of the energy I need to do all that I must do. The potion you described in your story in the Strand, the so-called New Accelerator, seems to be just what I need. I would like you to introduce me to your friend Professor Gibberne so that I may obtain some of this marvelous elixir as soon as possible. I am a member of the Women's Suffrage Society, and since you are a well known member of the Fabian Society I hoped I could intrude on your good graces to join in common cause by introducing me to the Professor, who is, I understand, a good friend of yours."

"Miss Pringle, I am pleased that you thought well of my little stories, but I am afraid that the Gibberne's Nervous Accelerator is not yet ready for release. Much more experimentation must be done before it can be sold to the public."

In truth I was discomfited by her presence, and her appeal to my well-known Fabian connections was unsettling. The Fabian Society fully supports the idea of Women's Suffrage in the abstract, but surely there is something unseemly about a lady who gets involved in the pursuit of politics. It was no wonder that such an involvement would cause her to arrive without introduction to speak to a gentleman in his parlour, and I wanted no part of it.

"But Mr. W., the need exists now, and I would be very grateful for any help that you can give me. Perhaps if I could speak to the Professor I could help to further the experiments in some way and thus speed the process."

She was most fetching, and if I did not foresee disaster in such an enterprise I would gladly have done any thing to earn her gratitude. But for many reasons I did not want anyone, and her in particular, to learn too much about the Accelerator or my role in its development.

As is the way of these things just at that moment at the worst possible time Gibberne came into the room. The maid, assuming that I was taking visitors, had let him in without announcement

"Pardon me. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance." he said to my guest with a perfectly calm expression. Naturally I could not get out of the situation and perforce had to introduce them. Seizing this opportunity Miss Pringle boldly stated her case.

"Professor, I am so glad to meet you, for you are the main reason I am visiting here. I read Mr. W.'s account of your new accelerator and I just had to see if it would be possible to get some of this marvelous potion for myself to help me with a chronic nervous condition. I understand that it is still in the experimental stage, and I would be perfectly willing to aid your researches in order to speed up the introduction of this marvelous elixir."

"Miss Pringle, I am most gratified by your interest, but I am afraid that final refinements to the accelerator are just now reaching completion, and your help, while much appreciated, would only serve to distract rather than hasten the process."

Hester Pringle was not deterred by this, and repeated the arguments which she had used with me, and by appealing to the Professor's scientific vanity as well as his chivalry she slowly won him over to her side. I stood back from the fray, hoping that my fears would not be borne out, but eventually the Professor could no longer hold back the tide of argument.

"Miss Pringle, I am not convinced that your help is needed for my experiments, but you are remarkably forthright and ingenious in your arguments. I would be glad of another subject on whom to test my potion, and this coming Friday is set for the next excursion. If you could meet us in my laboratory at 10 o'clock on Friday morning I would be happy to include you in this test. W. and I will make a journey around the town, and your observations from the female point of view could prove most valuable. Let me warn you though that this drug is still experimental and I cannot vouch for its efficacy or safety to a young woman."

"Gladly, Professor Gibberne. I look forward to it, and I will meet you at your laboratory at the appointed time." So saying, and with a most excited expression, she took her leave.

"Gibberne, are you mad? We cannot allow her to see some of the places our wanderings take us."

"We will have to curtail some of our adventures, but this is a perfect test of our findings, having an outside party, and a woman at that, confirm or dispute our findings. Besides, very soon the Accelerator will be offered to the public at large, and our little secret will no longer be ours alone."

No argument by me could dissuade him, no matter that I spent many hours presenting my case, and so he took his leave some hours later with the venture still firmly fixed in his mind.

The following Friday I awoke feeling a mixture of elation that I should see Miss Pringle again and dread as to the possible outcomes of our adventure. I walked to his house at about 9:30, and at 10 o'clock exactly our new partner arrived at the front door. She had shown common sense instead of bowing to fashion and wore a hiking outfit with comfortable shoes and a durable dress rather than the morning dress that I had expected. Gibberne and I were likewise attired in sensible hiking clothes. After giving the servants the day off to ensure our privacy Gibberne led us into the laboratory and explained the preparations we were to make. We all got a vial filled with the 200 strength Accelerator and another with the Brake with which we could slow back to normal time when it became necessary. The front door was opened, and without further preamble we all swallowed our draughts of the Accelerator, eager to set out on our adventure. 

The potion quickly took effect, and it was noted that there seemed to be no difference in its effect on men or women, as Miss Pringle emerged into a heightened time rate at the same time as Gibberne and I. Strolling out the door we proceeded up the lane and into the centre of town, observing the statues which were visitors and our neighbours as we walked. We ambled for some time, taking note of the reactions of various objects to our passage, until we eventually found ourselves down by the fish market a short way from the sandy beach along a road called The Stade.

Gibberne and I had agreed that we would not go along the beach with Miss Pringle along, but it was such a pleasant walk and I felt so comfortable in her company that I made no protest as we came to The Stade and walked along it looking down at the bathing machines parked near the water

"Look how funny they all look frozen in the water in mid-stroke while swimming! Let us go and test the reaction of the water to our accelerated state." said Miss Pringle, leading us toward the beach. With some degree of discomfort Gibberne and I followed her down to the scene of our previous adventures. When she neared the shore she put her hand in the water and remarked how much resistance there was to movement in the water. This was something we had not noticed in our previous excursion, as we had slowly waded into the water, and it bore out Gibberne's contention that a different perspective would prove invaluable in our researches.

"I have never been past this part of the beach. We should go and see what is beyond." Her joyful expression indicated that Miss Pringle was not to be denied, and Gibberne and I happily followed her eastward, glad to be away from the strand. The beach above the waterline changed in character from the sandy expanse of the bathing beach to a shingle beach covered with grasses and flowers. We were about to go back, having seen no people for some time when all of a sudden we rounded a headland and saw a group of bathers near the water.

I immediately made to turn around since the bathers were all men and all were naked. I realize that this is a common practice of ordinary folk who cannot afford the rental of a bathing machine or even a bathing costume at the regular beach, but I did not want Miss Pringle to be confronted by this immodest sight.

But she had spotted them too, and rather than being repelled by the sight she headed toward the water where the bathers were.

"Miss Pringle, come this way. We surely must leave here now as this is not a fitting sight for your eyes!"

Looking back at me with a half-smile she responded "Surely those men cannot hurt me, and I think I can stand the sight with composure. After all, once the Accelerator is introduced to the public I imagine that such incidents will not be at all uncommon." So saying she kept walking toward the shore, and we followed her with some discomfort, joining her in sitting down on a grassy spot just a few yards away from the group. She seemed quite taken with the sight of the nude men and did not hesitate to observe them closely. 

After some time sitting thus she turned and spoke to us. "With the beach so close to your houses have you never gone down under the influence of the Accelerator and closely observed the female bathers?" Neither of us answered, but our reddened expressions betrayed our guilt as surely as if we had shouted out "Yes!"

"Well, I see I am not wrong in my assumption. I have had my fill of looking here, so let us return to the sandy beach and see what we can see that might be of more interest to the two of you."

Surprised by her boldness the two of us followed as she stood and walked back toward the regular beach. Not a word was spoken until we arrived and had ensconced ourselves on the dry sand above the high tide line and sat down.

"I am most sorry to discomfit the two of you, but as soon as I read Mr. W.'s account of the New Accelerator I realized that all of our social mores and notions of decency and propriety would be turned upside down. No longer would any of us feel secure from prying eyes in the privacy of our own chambers. Notions of decorum and modesty must of necessity undergo a violent change, since no longer can such ideas have any currency in a world in which every man and woman is subject to viewing by any other. Politics too will have to change, as well as any area which now retains its power over us by being hidden from view. Think what this will mean in all areas of our lives. The secrets of domestic betrayal will no longer be secrets, nor will political maneuverings, not even the secrets of the body, which have so long kept women from achieving their rightful place in the world. Come gentlemen, surely you have considered this yourself and pondered the social and political implications."

I considered, a jumble of new ideas suddenly filling my head. "Of course we considered the implications. But we did not go as far as you did, as we expected no difference in the structure of our society. Naturally we thought about how this would effect the course of criminality and science and work, but the moral nature of society is surely a given, we thought. I see now that we did not go far enough in our thoughts, and perhaps this is a good enough reason to withhold the secret of the Accelerator for as long as we can. 

Gibberne looked at me as if I had just taken away his baby. "Nothing can be allowed to hold back the progress of science. If there is blame or credit for this invention then I expect to take my full share, and I will not be denied by qualms about any potential effects. No! The Accelerator is mine, and I will not be privy to hiding it until it is discovered by someone else."

"Let us have no more disputation. It is a beautiful day and we are here at the water watching perfectly normal life going on while we are mere observers. This may be one of the last days in which this scene plays out as it now is, and we should surely enjoy it as a last remnant of a passing era. Come, we shall have few such days before the Accelerator changes all our lives, and we must drink it all in in remembrance of what will soon be gone." With that she stood and walked toward the bathing machines, and we followed as if helpless to disobey her command.

Bold as brass, far bolder than we had been on our previous trip, she walked up to each machine in turn and opened the door at the back and then quickly closed it. At the third one she found what she was looking for, for she signaled us to follow her, and as we approached she led the way inside. Sitting on a stool off to the side was a woman undressed and in the process of putting on her bathing costume. Her legs were akimbo, and she seemed to be struggling mightily with the unwieldy costume. She was of middle age and not particularly pretty, but Gibberne and I were transfixed by the sight of her body. 

Turning to us Miss Pringle bade us admire the sight. "This woman is not the ideal in either face or body, but I suspect that we will all become more used to bodily imperfections as time goes on, for the use of the Accelerator will not allow device or artifice to conceal such imperfection from the world, and we must all become accustomed to seeing each other through new standards of intellect and personality rather than the body alone.

Looking closely at us, she was suddenly overcome with a new thought. "You have done this before, haven't you? No, no, don't deny it, I can see it in your faces. How delicious it is to see you two act like schoolboys caught with forbidden sweets."

Our faces continued to go through all the many shades of red as she gaily strode about the room, with no fear of being caught or causing a commotion. We finally left, with Miss Pringle leading the way out and proceeded back to Gibberne's cottage. It had been a full day, with much to think about, even though the sun had not yet reached noon.

"While we are about pondering the new era to come, I would like you to call me Hester or Hetty, as my friends do rather than Miss Pringle. One of the customs I am sure will change in the future is the formalism which now governs our social interactions. And may I call you Herbert and David? I am sure that after this adventure we have earned the right to an informality of address even under the current code of conduct."

"Yes, that's quite all right with me, though my friends call me George."

"I still prefer to be addressed as 'Professor', if you don't mind. My given name has never appealed to me."

Such honorifics were bread and meat to the scholarly world, and I could see that not even the world turned upside down would allow the Professor, or most of his colleagues for that matter, to abandon their hard-won titles.

"Very well then, it shall be George and Professor and Hetty from now on, and may our friendship thrive in the bold new world to come."

And so we proceeded to the Professor's cottage, aware that much had changed already, with many more changes to follow.



The Magic Elixir Ch. 02



The three of us, Hetty and Professor Gibberne and I, entered the Professor's cottage in the early afternoon. Our ramblings and the excitement about the new ideas advanced by Hetty had enervated us, and as soon as we entered the Professor's lab we all sat down to make ourselves comfortable. The ideas which Hetty had advanced concerning the changes which would be wrought by the potion ran through my mind like scampering insects, and I could scarce contain my excitement and chagrin. Excitement from the events which we had witnessed today, chagrin due to my failure to see the full import of what the Accelerator would mean to society. 

Hetty was the first to speak once she had collected herself. "How enthralling! I don't believe there is anything like as exciting as to go unobserved through the world. Just think of all that can be done with this invention. Professor, we must quicken the pace of our researches so that its benefits can be spread as soon as possible."

I did not fail to note the use of 'we' and 'our'. Without any formal declaration we had suddenly acquired a new partner in our enterprise, a partner moreover who assumed her place at the table as a matter of right and assumption, without discussion or approval.

"It was so funny seeing the bathers on the shingle beach and on the sandy beach. I cannot believe that such a separation by social status or in the modes of dress can endure when the Accelerator reaches the general public. That is why we must hurry in order to bring about this social change. Just think what change this will bring. A society wherein each individual, no matter their sex, is free to chart their own course. George, as a Fabian you must be excited about the prospect of such an upheaval in the running of society."

"Upheaval and massive change is not what we need, for there lies Anarchy. Gradual and enlightened change for the betterment of man in general is our goal, and we Fabians wish to change the current order through education and a general uplifting of the minds of men. I can see no benefit in throwing our society into chaos merely for the sake of change."

"But George, it is not merely change for change's sake. When all men and women are judged not just by their sex or their class but by the qualities of their minds and hearts, why then we will have a real flowering of freedom and justice and commerce."

I could see that she was a hopeless optimist, but a dangerous one, in that she wanted to overthrow all that we are in order start afresh. She was naïve, for which I could not blame her because such is the has the temperament of her sex, but my own more studied analysis told me that in Anarchy lies death and madness.

Professor Gibberne roused himself, for being of an amiable disposition he loathed personal disputation and disharmony. "Come, we must have a supper, for our internal clocks tell us that we have spent too long without sustenance." So saying he led us into the kitchen, where we prepared a cold meal, including a delicious joint left over from dinner the night before.

I do not know why we all stayed in speeded time, for we all had the Brake on our persons, which would have returned us to regular time without problem. I suppose that we all felt freed by the effects of Accelerated time, and were loath to end it. I acknowledge that I felt quite free from responsibility or hurry, with no appointments to keep or urgent tasks to consider or letters to write. For the first time ever I felt free of all of the social responsibilities which a man must undertake, and this feeling was one I did not want to lose.

The silence of the meal was broken by Hetty who, putting aside her utensils, brought up what we had all been thinking. "I feel much refreshed now and there is much left to do. We should continue our experiments now, especially as it is as good a time as any to determine the effects of long term use of the Accelerator. We all took a dose that would last for an hour, which means we have over eight days of accelerated time still left to us."

Gibberne and I agreed, perhaps too readily, and we all made plans for the long adventure. We decided that food would not be a problem, since it was the middle of the day and we could obtain such from any street vendor as needed. We were already dressed for a ramble, and there was no sign of inclement weather coming, so we would not need extra clothes or raingear. So off we finally went, happy as schoolchildren going on an outing.

We were drawn as if by a magnet back to the shore and in particular back to the beaches on the east end of the town. Still feeling somewhat abashed, Gibberne and I deferred to Hetty and followed where she led, until we finally approached the shingle beach again, with its nude bathers. The Professor and I were not terribly interested in the sight of the nude men on the shore but we followed with alacrity, knowing that our turn would come. I don't know how it happened, but of a sudden I realized that Hetty had taken command and that we were but followers to her compass.

We spent some time among the various groups, with Hetty closely observing what she could, without betraying any sign of discomfiture or unease. She approached one strapping fellow who was in the process of taking off his pants, and without warning she reached out and put her hand on his buttocks. You can imagine how shocked the Professor and I were, but she took no heed of our incredulous looks and continued to rub his bottom as we stood and watched. Turning back to us with a wicked smile on her face she left off her unseemly groping.

"Well, as you can see there was no immediate effect of my touch on that young man, and I can inform you that the flesh felt firmer than is the case in real time, but that except for that firmness I it felt no different than flesh does in regular time. Now we must sit and observe if there are any long term effects." As soon as she said that she sat down on the beach.

Shock would be too mild a term for my feelings, but the Professor sat down in rapt attention like the scientist he was. I finally sat too, knowing that I really could not say anything about these events without getting into an argument with Hetty, and I discovered that more than ever I wanted to stay in her good graces. 

We watched the man for some time as a look of puzzlement crept into his face, and then as he brushed at his buttocks as if to dislodge a sand flea. "See, the touch was too short in duration to arouse more than annoyance. I can assure you that I did touch him quite firmly, and yet he felt no more than the gentle brush of an insect. Come, let us proceed and not flinch from finding out what we can." And so saying she rose, brushing off some dirt that clung to her frock where she had sat. 

I confess that I was entranced by her motions, and could not help but wish that I could aid her in her lavage, gently rubbing the dirt from off her backside and continuing . . . ;but no, I abandoned my fantasies and rose to follow her.

After walking only a little further along the beach we came upon a group of men lying on blankets and sunning themselves dry, for the water on their bodies still glistened. Hetty made a cursory inspection and judging, I presume that these would be good specimens for study. Turning to Gibberne and me she said "I told you we could not shirk from our experiments. George, Professor, no scientific experiment is valid unless it is replicable by another observer. I said my touch was firm, but you cannot believe me until you have seen for yourselves, especially as I am a woman and may have very different notions of pressure and firmness than you. So you must confirm the experiment for yourselves."

Brooking no objection she took us by the hand and led us to the group. Choosing the nearest one, she placed my hand on his buttocks and pressed it there until she was sure I would not retract it as soon as she left. She did the same with the Professor, though I saw that he kept his hand on the man's bottom with no hesitation as she withdrew to a perch on the beach. 

I felt the flesh beneath my hand with some fascination, and agreed that it was indeed like the feel of flesh in real time save for the firmness. The drops of water which had collected on his body had a slightly soapy feel, and I moved my hand up to the small of his back to where a small puddle of water had formed and confirmed that it did indeed have a more slippery texture than ordinary water. The pressure I applied kept growing firmer as my hand moved, as I was determined that I should test out Hetty's contention regarding the firmness of her touch. I moved away after a short while to join Hetty and watch for the results of our experiments, and so did the Professor.

So we watched and waited until we finally saw the early signs of reaction from our subjects. It appeared to be no different than before, with only the cursory moves and twitches of someone brushing away an insect. In the case of my subject, he did not even raise his head while doing so, showing that he had noticed nothing but a feathery touch on his body.

When we were all satisfied that we had seen the complete reaction we headed off again. 

"Gentlemen, it is getting quite late by our internal clocks, even though the world around us is still in a bright noontime. We can continue the experiment after we have all had a sleep and all will be here and it will still be noon when we return. Professor, can you accommodate us at your house, as I do not wish to be discovered sleeping at noon by the staff at my hotel."

The Professor and I were no longer surprised by Hetty's boldness in suggesting that a woman might sleep in the house of a single gentleman, in fact with another single gentleman present, so we all ambled back to the Professor's house content with our day. It is remarkable how quickly the human mind adjusts to any situation, and whereas previously I would have been aghast at the thought of touching the back of a naked man or sleeping in the same house as an unchaperoned single lady now such circumstances seemed perfectly logical, if not entirely normal.

Some discussion occurred while we were walking about how the sleeping arrangements would be made. The Professor, of course, would sleep in his usual bedroom, but there was only one other bedchamber in the cottage, and one of us would have to sleep on the couch. I gallantly insisted that I would take the couch while Hetty just as insistently demanded that we should allot the sleeping accommodations by a wager. She remained adamant until we arrived at the Professor's house where a toss of the coin resolved the matter in my favour. 

Retiring for a sleep under a blanket on the couch in the Professors parlour, I spent a restless time thinking about the events of the day before falling asleep. Not the least of my restlessness was caused by thoughts of Hetty sleeping in the same house, and my mind kept worrying over endless questions as a dog worries a bone, until I finally fell asleep.

Since time had so little meaning for us we did not fix a time for rising. Be that as it may, when I finally arose to a still-noon brightness I discovered that Hetty and the Professor were already up and in the kitchen eating a light breakfast.

"Good morning. Or rather good waking. I suppose we shall all have to learn a new language to describe what happens in real time as opposed to Accelerated time. Come George, there is still some bread and jam for you, and we shall consider this breakfast no matter what the sun says."

She smiled at me as she said this, and I discovered that I was really glad of that smile. She sat there looking radiant in her walking dress, and I could not help but compliment her.

"You are looking extremely fine today, Hetty. Your dress looks as if had just been ironed, and you look well rested."

"Why thank you. I feel marvelously rested, as the Professor's guest bed was remarkably comfortable. As to the dress that is no wonder, as I took off my clothes before retiring, and everything stayed unrumpled."

I made no reply to this, as I was shocked by the thought that a single lady had slept in the same house as me without wearing a stitch of clothing. And not just any lady, but Miss Hester Pringle of Knightsbridge, whom I discovered I was admiring more with every passing minute.

Noticing my confusion the Professor quickly jumped in. "No lingering over breakfast, George. As soon as you are done we must get out and continue our researches."

The rest of the meal went remarkably well, considering my agitation, which I hid behind an exaggerated attention to my breakfast. Finally we all finished and went out to meet the day.

I will not say that we had all become bosom friends, but there was an easier air to us as we set out. The Professor had been my friend for some time, of course, but now it seemed that we had all achieved an easy camaraderie, something I had ever experienced with a woman. We chatted gaily as we walked, and I felt more closeness to my companions than I had ever experienced. 

"So, where are we going today? Shall we extend our researches to the City?" In truth I spoke in jest, since any journey, even by the fastest train, would have been unbearably tedious. 

"Not at all for we have barely scratched the surface of what we may observe here." replied Hetty. "Surely even in a seaside resort we can find all the exemplars of what we wish to observe and there is no need to make a long journey into town, for at our present pace we will find enough to engage us to last a lifetime. And paraphrasing Doctor Johnson, he who is tired of Folkestone at accelerated speed is tired of life." 

Our banter as we went along provided us with much amusement, and we willingly followed in the path in which Hetty led us. It was no mistake that we happened again on the sandy beach, and no accident that we again approached the bathing machines. It was, however, my own fault that I confused an easy disposition and adventurous spirit with a complete turnabout in attitude. 

Let there be no mistake: during the course of our acquaintance I had become increasingly fond of Miss Hester Pringle. Her quick wit and easy camaraderie had won me over, and I had even entertained the thought that being with her rather than continuing as a bachelor would be a most exciting and interesting mode of living. Although I did not know her feelings for me the easy friendship we shared determined me to press my suit as soon as I might. 

As we approached the bathing machines our mood turned gayer yet. After the events at the shingle beach the day before I had no question about our purpose here, and soon my suppositions were confirmed as we went down the row of machines and Hetty opened the door of each to see what was inside. This took longer than the previous time we had done this, as if she were looking for something special, but at last she bade us come up the steps to the one she had selected. Inside was a young lady of comely face and body, standing up naked in front of a mirror. She was of much more interest to me than the woman we had espied the other day, as her youthful skin and cared-for body were much more exciting to me. We came in and made ourselves comfortable while gazing at the young woman. Even Hetty seemed entranced, observing her toilette with great care. 

"It is such a shame that a woman as handsome as this must cover herself completely with an ugly bathing dress before she dares to go out into the world. How much better would she feel if she could enter the water in her natural state, and then rise from the sea like Venus, covered only by her long hair."

Hetty's comment emboldened me, and I reached out my hand to the woman and touched her side. Her skin felt like that of the men we had touched the previous day, firmer than ordinary skin yet still soft to the touch. I moved my hand from her waist to the side of her breast, and continued until I had one breast in my hand. The feel of it moved me to transports of delight, and the feel of the nipple between two of my fingers was quite extraordinarily exciting. I moved my hand down her stomach and approached the hair between her legs and gently felt it. The hair, like the skin, was a bit rougher and harder than in ordinary time compared to how my own hair felt, and yet it excited me nonetheless as I ran my outspread fingers through it.

"She is quite pretty, George, do you not think?

As I touched the woman and felt her intimate parts I could not help but compare her body to that of Hetty, who had been part of our first venture into the Accelerated world.

"Of course Hetty, but not as handsome as you, and her body lacks your refinement."

I had meant, of course, to give Hetty a compliment, and with all that we had seen and done in the past few days I was very bold in my words and deeds. I could see in an instant that Hetty did not take this in the way I desired. She started at my words as from an electric shock.

"What do you mean it is not as good as my body? On what basis do you make this comparison?"

Like a fool I kept on talking, when I should have left well enough alone. "Well, Hetty, when the Professor and I started on our outdoor experiments we happened to go down to the strand and peer into some of the bathing machines, as you already surmised when you first came with us. You happened to be in one of those machines, and I must say your body entranced us. With that comparison it is easy for me to say that this woman has nowhere near the beauty of body or face that you display."

"You were watching me? And pray what did you think about skulking like Peeping Toms at a woman engaged in a private moment? When I first came to meet you face to face did you think you had an advantage over me because you knew what I didn't? Good day gentlemen, though I am loathe to call you that. I do not think that we should continue or acquaintance any longer."

At that she walked out the door. The Professor and I sat there stunned for a little while, and then silently headed out the door and along the road to his cottage, feeling a mixture of shame and guilt. I too felt the despair of never seeing Hetty again, and these thoughts consumed me along the way. How could I have been so wrong? And why was I fool enough to tell all? It became suddenly quite apparent to me that I was still a bachelor because I did not deal well with the various reactions of women, preferring instead the scientific mind of someone like the Professor to the emotional irrationality of women.

As we approached the gate of the Professor's cottage Hetty suddenly appeared before us. Startled, I was taken aback by the fact that she was now wearing an afternoon dress instead of the walking outfit she had been wearing when she left us. 

"George, Professor, I owe the two of you an apology for my earlier behaviour. I would like to be welcomed inside so that I can explain it all to you."

"Of course, you are most welcome." The Professor's lifted spirits showed in his smile and a courteous way he waved her inside. When we had seated ourselves in the parlour Hetty began speaking.

"I know my sudden appearance must startle you, so I think the best way is to go through from beginning to end. After I left you at the bathing machine I was very unhappy and upset. Although I knew the potential of the use of the Accelerator I had never considered its use on me, and I felt most used. When I had gotten some distance away from the beach I was determined to no longer take part in these experiments, so I found an out of the way place in the park in which I could take the Brake and not be noticed. After I took the Brake I was very much surprised to find that instead of again being part of the throng of ordinary people everything seemed slower than before I took the draught. One tenth as slow, in fact, as I discovered with some experiment. Instead of giving us vials of the Brake the Professor had made a mistake and given us the two thousand strength Accelerator instead."




The Magic Elixir Ch. 02



At this the Professor looked terribly uncomfortable. A scientist's chagrin at making a scientific error is much worse than most of us feel at making an egregious social gaffe.

"There was nothing I could do at that point. I had no more vials of elixir, and I resigned myself to being trapped at this extreme rate until the potion should wear off. I headed slowly back to my hotel to mitigate the effects of wind and friction at this tempo, and I sank gratefully into my bed when I arrived. The emotions which I had felt while I was with you had completely enervated me, but I woke after only a short time, greatly refreshed by my nap. I suppose this allowed me to think more rationally, and I realized that the solution to my dilemma lay in the Professor's laboratory. After changing into an afternoon dress I headed slowly in that direction to procure a supply of the Brake. I don't know why I changed, except that I wanted no further reminder of my adventures with the two of you."

"After arriving here I quickly found the various elixirs in the Professor's laboratory and procured myself a supply of the Brake to take back with me, for I did not want to be in your presence while I was in normal time. I had much time to think about my reactions on the way here, and it suddenly struck me that I was not immune from the great social changes that the Accelerator would bring about. I knew that it would bring about tremendous changes in our society, but somehow I had not connected them to my personal life. Suddenly I understood George's fear of the Anarchy that might result, and yet I still believed all that I said before."

"I stopped for a while to gather my thoughts, and I realized that as long as I was not the subject of the experiment I was willing and even eager to participate in it, but that this intellectual viewpoint crumbled at the first hint of personal change. I turned and went back to the cottage with a newfound appreciation of my own inconsistency, and I again went back to the laboratory. This time, however, I procured a supply of the two hundred strength potion. First I used the Brake to bring myself back to normal time, and then quickly consumed the two hundred strength in order to synchronize with the two of you. I was just in time, as you were approaching the gate went I had finished, and so we are brought to the present conversation."

"I am glad that you have reconsidered, Hetty, for you have been a most pleasant companion in our researches." And I was heartily glad, and the Professor too seemed to feel his spirits lifting, evidenced by a smile that was the first to cross his face since the earlier events.

We spent some time in conversation, in particular finding out about Hetty's experience with the two thousand strength potion, which the Professor and I had not yet tried in the outdoors. This continued until at the end I felt reassured that our relations had nearly returned to the easy informality that we had achieved before our upsetting incident. "And now I wish to make amends for my earlier behaviour. George, will you and the Professor trust me to conduct some further tests of the social implications of the Accelerator?"

We both readily nodded assent, at which Hetty rose from her chair and started to walk toward the front door, taking a wool blanket with her.

"Come and follow me then, and I promise that I shall not abuse your trust in the future."

With that she exited, and the Professor and I followed with alacrity. Down we strolled, through the town and down to the shore. I felt misgivings as to where this might lead us, but decided to trust Hetty's prior assurances. As we approached the sandy beach the plan which I thought she had made suddenly changed in my mind, for instead of heading toward the line of bathing machines Hetty instead veered off to a more secluded part of the sand, where at the moment there were only a few scattered individuals.

Spreading the blanket on the dry sand on a spot well away from any bathers, she lay down on it, sitting with her legs straight in front of her and supporting herself with her arms and hands on the blanket behind her.

"Come sit with me, and we will take some time to observe the passing scene."

We did so rapidly, prepared to spend some quiet time and renew ourselves. After the Professor and I had taken our places on either side of her, Hetty raised herself a little and spoke.

"I truly meant what I said about resolving the inconsistency between my intellectual feelings and my personal feelings, and I am resolved to expunge that inconsistency and enter wholeheartedly into the new social order."

With that she took off her shoes and proceeded to unbutton her blouse, an action which both startled and excited me. She proceeded down the row of buttons with no great haste but with a calm efficiency. When the last button was undone she stood and removed her blouse, underneath which was a silk shift. She reached around to her side and unfastened a stay hook, allowing her to easily remove her skirt. Without haste she placed her blouse and skirt carefully on the blanket, dressed now only in the shift and her undergarments. She looked down at us to strengthen her resolve, and then lifted the shift over her head. Now the whole upper half of her body was bare, as were her legs, and only a pair of bloomers served to cover her nakedness. These too were quickly removed, and she stood before us completely naked before sitting down again in the same position as before.

"I could not bear my own hypocrisy in advocating one thing for others and staying above the fray myself. This will be an integral part of our future, and we may as well get used to it now. I am too much a part of our old society to do this with equanimity, yet do it I must, as we all must in the future. I invite you two to look at me and drink your fill of the sight of a woman's body. Although this is hard for me now, it will become easier with time, and I think that you too will find that once the novelty has warn off you will come to think no more of it than seeing a hand or an arm left uncovered."

After saying this she lay down full length on the blanket and closed her eyes, whether to hide as a child does or to relieve our embarrassment I do not know. The Professor stared frankly at her body, and after some initial shame at being caught, so did I. I felt that Hetty must be wrong, for I did not believe that I could ever have my fill of seeing her body, and in fact I felt the first twinges of jealousy knowing that the Professor had a view of Hetty's body that I came to want for myself alone. He, however was the more practical and considerate of the two of us, for of a sudden he said "This may not be the best place for this. We are all here unmoving, and if we stay long enough one of the normal crowd will notice us."

"Of course, Professor, and it is good of you to bring it up. The world is not yet ready for this, and while it may become accepted in the future, for now we have to take care not to cause a scandal.", and with that she picked up the clothes she had placed on the blanket and proceeded to walk with them in her arm in the direction of the shingle beach. The Professor and I folded the blanket and followed her, not certain of where we were going but eager to follow her wherever she went. 

She stopped at a place in the gorse between the sandy beach and the shingle beach, where no people were around and we would not be observed from the path or the water. "Right here would be perfect, and we may even fall asleep for a time without attracting notice." The professor and I dutifully spread the blanket over a flat patch of ground, and after Hetty lay down on it and the Professor and I sat we all resumed our activities from the beach, staring and being stared at. 

After a while I adjusted my position so that I was lying on my side looking at Hetty, and I must have found this most comfortable, for the next thing I knew I was aroused from a deep sleep by a shadow blocking the sun from my eyes. The Professor had taken a swim while I slept, and was just now coming back to the blanket. It took me a moment to realize that he too was now naked, and I saw his clothes piled on one corner of the blanket.

"You looked so peaceful lying there that I didn't want to wake you when I went for a swim. It really is quite marvelous to float around unencumbered, though I must admit it would have felt even better had I not been living in Accelerated time."

He sat down on the blanket, and suddenly I felt like the odd man out. We live our whole lives covered from toe to neck, yet it is a most uncomfortable feeling to be the only one clothed in a group of naked people. How quickly our social conventions change in new circumstances, for suddenly I was starting to feel ashamed about being dressed when my companions were happily enjoying the sea air, having it touch them over their whole bodies. Perhaps Hetty is right, I thought. Soon we may all change our perceptions of what constitutes social decorum and morality, and it were best that I accept those changes now rather than have them thrust on me unwillingly. I had seen too many of the men in my youth who had grown to manhood at the height of the Victorian age and were now being overcome by the tide of new ideas and philosophies. I had no wish to become like them, quaint relics of a bygone past, and I determined that I would adjust to the new order before the change was forced on me.

Without thought I began to remove my clothes. Shoes and socks were first to go and then the coat and shirt and pants. Starting had been easy, but now that I was down to my undergarments I began feeling terribly anxious. But I had started already, and I refused to turn back. I quickly removed my undershirt and underpants, and stood there as naked as my friends and I sat down again straight away. The feeling was one I cannot describe, a mixture of freedom and dread and shame. Surely this could not be part of the new social order, for it created far too much discomfort. But it did not take long before my nakedness began to feel natural. Soon enough I wanted to feel how it felt to go into the water without the restraint of clothes, and with as much naturalness as I could muster I walked toward the water.

With each step it seemed I gained new confidence, and by the time I came to the water's edge I felt only elation. Turning, I waved to Gibberne and walked into the water. I felt like a boy again, splashing and playing, and yes, although I had never really known the meaning of the term before, frolicking. Gibberne had been right: the water did not feel natural, and I envied the men further down the beach who could enter the normal water without restraint. After some time I emerged and walked back up to the blanket. I could see that Hetty was now awake again and sitting back on her hands., looking at me as I walked up the shingle. After a slight hesitation I kept walking until I could sit down on the blanket. 

She smiled at me and said "I'm glad we have all joined into the game. I was most uncomfortable being the first one, and I was getting desperate for some company. But now that both of you are naked I feel most natural." With that she gave us both a peck on the cheek, and though it was like a maiden aunt kissing a nephew it felt to me like a marvelous affirmation of her regard, and I could not overcome my feelings of elation.

We stayed for a while longer and grew increasingly easy in each other's presence. Somehow it didn't seem to make any difference any more that we were naked, only that we were in the company of friends in the warm sun. As all good things must pass, we eventually agreed that we had to leave when we saw what the sun was doing to our skin, especially that of Hetty. She had turned an even light brown, and soon in her face and hands would be indistinguishable from those of a fieldworker,

We dressed carefully to ward off the effects of the sun and picked up the blanket to make our return. We were in a jolly mood as we walked back to the cottage, but I could not help feeling tightly confined by my outfit, and remembering the freedom I had felt lying naked on the beach I began wondering why our society demanded that we wear such cumbersome clothing even when the weather was warm and sunny.

There was not much conversation on the way, but we did stop at a street vendor for some refreshment. We were quite hungry, and the thought of another cold supper was not appealing, not to mention the fact that we were running low on food. We spied a fish and chips vendor near the park, and had a picnic on the grass with the variety of food we had appropriated from him. I must hasten to add that we left him sufficient money for what we took, for we had no desire to become thieves, a potential problem with the use of the Accelerator about which we had some discussion.

Well satisfied with our repast we returned to the Professor's cottage. An animated discussion ensued once we had settled ourselves in the parlour, for we could not let today's extraordinary events pass without turning them over and over again in our minds. At last a lull came in our conversation and Hetty spoke, I think, for all of us.

"It has indeed been an astonishing day, and we will all be quite restless in our sleep. I propose that we retire soon and let these events settle in our minds. As far as I am concerned I will need some time to adjust my thinking to the reality of the new social order and think on what it means personally. We have already overcome some of the long-held ideas of our class as to what is decorous and proper, and I shall spend some time pondering these new ideas. I believe that we have just scratched the surface of what will change, and it behooves us to apply logic and reasoning to what may occur, so that we remain in the vanguard of the new order rather than be left behind and surprised at every new idea or mode of social intercourse."

Gibberne and I readily agreed, and it was only a little time before we decided to settle in for the night. I, of course, wanted to take the couch again, but Hetty insisted that we should alternate stays in the guest bed, and I agreed after only a small argument, seeing that she was determined to assert her rights to equal treatment. I took off my clothes before retiring and chose not to wear nightclothes because my sunbathing experience had made the thought of wearing clothes to bed very unappealing. Ensconced unclad under the covers, and aroused by the faint smell of perfume left behind from Hetty the night before, I went to sleep dreaming not so much of new modes of social intercourse but of the delights of being enamoured of Hetty.

The following morning, or rather what we chose to call morning although the sun had moved little from its noontime height at which we had gone to bed, we met again in the kitchen. Again Hetty's dress looked fresh and unwrinkled, and at my raised eyebrow she turned to me with a smile on her face and said "I put it aside before going to bed last night, and felt wonderfully wicked doing so, but wonderfully free at the same time. It was surely the only time I have ever gone to bed naked on a couch with two men in the house, and yet after our wanderings yesterday I did not feel at all uneasy about doing so."

"I too slept without clothing, and I admit to feeling most deliciously wicked as well. And you, Professor?"

"Yes, yes, of course. After walking about the beach naked and lying in the sun I could not bear to think about dressing for the night. This really is a marvelous effect, and I am more than ever convinced that the Accelerator will have a most healthful effect on our society, much more so than I envisaged at first. Now, what shall we do today? All of the questions I have regarding the outside effects of the Accelerator have been answered, and it remains only to test some of the composite effects of Brake and the higher dosages as Hetty did yesterday before we can release it to the general public."

"If you please, Professor, I would like to make a suggestion. Having felt the effects of the two thousand dose I would like to recommend that it not be released. The problems I had with clothing and movement were really quite severe, and it would be more danger than help to any but the most careful or most nefarious of users. The social effects, which I feel are the chief benefit of the Accelerator would be most beneficial at the two hundred dose."

"As you know I am against any impediment being placed in the way of science, but from what you have said I agree that the dangers outweigh the benefits. If that is agreed, then we have very little to do today. I much enjoyed my stay at the beach yesterday, but the deleterious effects of the sun on your skin mitigate against repeating that experience."

"Not at all Professor, I have but to employ a covered canvas chair to be shaded from the sun, and it is so perfect out we ought to take advantage while we may. So I say let us off and have a picnic. And let it be a dejeuner sur l'herbe like the scandalous painting by that Frenchman. Before long such will no longer be a scandal."

And so the preparations were made, blankets taken up and a picnic basket brought up, with plates and utensils but as yet no food. Armed with our supplies we marched off gaily for a picnic, making sure to head first for the food vendors in the park. There we filled the basket with various delicacies, making sure to leave payment for each, and then headed toward the beach for the canvas chairs. Luckily the day was not so busy that all the chairs were taken, and at the stand of the old woman who rented chairs we found an ample supply of canvas chairs fitted with canopies, as well as a stack of large umbrellas. We each carried a folded chair, for Hetty insisted on being treated with equality, but she did not protest when I also carried a large umbrella.

So equipped we marched east and continued until we were out of sight of the bathers on both the sandy beach and the shingle beach. Finding a suitable spot we spread out the blankets, set down our picnic supplies and unfolded the chairs and canopies and the sun umbrella. Well pleased with our activity, I also felt a twinge of anxiety and anticipation, for anxiously awaiting a repetition of yesterday's events I was also prepared for disappointment. As Hetty started to unbutton her blouse my heart soared and my fears abated. On seeing her start to disrobe I also quickly commenced to do so, almost engaging in a race with her. Gone was my hesitation, I only wanted to feel the freedom of feeling the breeze on my skin and drinking in the sight of Hetty's marvelous body. Gibberne was not far behind, and soon we were all lounging comfortably in the chairs , protected from the sun by the shade covers.

I will readily admit that initially my main motive for lying naked in public was to enable me to enjoy Hetty's body without feeling too much of an outsider, but as time wore on I began to appreciate the feelings I experienced. Undressing on the beach that second day had been much easier than the first, and although I did not fully believe in the supposed health benefits I reveled in the feeling of freedom. Surprisingly I also lost the intense curiosity that Hetty's naked form aroused in me. I was still interested in her body. But familiarity had made my interest less morbid and more appreciative. If such a change in my attitudes could occur in such a short time, I thought, then Hetty was surely correct that society would undergo a rapid change when the Accelerator was widely deployed.

It was with such thoughts that I happily spent my time, and I believe that I was as content then as I have ever been. 

"I am feeling quite famished. Shall we have our picnic now?"

Hetty's voice startled me out of my reverie, and I hastened to open the loaded picnic basket, saying "Of course, splendid idea." I laid out the contents of the basket in the shade of the umbrella and the three of us sat down on the blanket. My thoughts revolved more on lust than hunger as we ate, for the sight of Hetty kneeling down was consuming all my thoughts. I felt a quickening in my groin, and hastily placed a cloth napkin over myself to hide my blossoming erection. Legs and breasts and stomach and all the other marvelous parts of her excited me to distraction. I wanted to kiss those soft breasts, touching the nipples gently with my tongue, running my hands down her smooth skin from her stomach to the silky mound of her nether hair, feeling the warmth of her skin touching mine from head to toe.




The Magic Elixir Ch. 02



"What a curious effect, Professor. The food which we took hours ago is still as warm as if it just came from the vendors' carts." Hetty's remark pulled me abruptly from my fantasies, and with curiosity I noted that she was correct.

"Of course, Hetty." responded the Professor. "In real time this food has been out of the oven for only a few minutes, so it is now just starting to cool."

"Lovely! Then we can have absolutely marvelous picnics with hot food. I don't think I shall want to eat indoors unless it rains." She punctuated this remark by eating a final bite of fish and then changing her position so that she was sitting cross-legged. That exposed her nether regions, and I had an unobstructed view of her open sex. This naturally caused an even greater reaction in me, and I feared that the napkin covering me would soon be insufficient to hide my growing lust.

"Why George, I do believe you are having impure thoughts about me. This will not do. And you too Professor. Surely a lady may have a picnic with friends without being subjected to their lustful stares." This was said in a quite serious tone of reprimand, and only when she finally smiled did I catch her real mood.

"Don't look so serious, I was only teasing. Your reactions are natural, and don't think for an instant that I did not realize the effect my sitting this way would have on you both. I'm afraid that we all have a ways to go before the import of the new lifestyle is natural to us. See how your excitement has caused my nipples to stand out, reflecting my own excitement at seeing your reactions, which shows that I am not immune to being aroused. Women of my class have always been portrayed as virginal creatures, unfit to participate in any matters other than those of maintaining a household, while the men do the real work. Consequently we shall be denied our full rights until we are acknowledged to have all of the failings and virtues and desires of men. And now is the time to begin this change of attitude. In only a few days we have progressed from our old nineteenth century values to ones immeasurably more modern, and I propose to continue our awakening until we all can show that we deserve to belong to a new era."

"I feel a great tension in my body, and I no longer wish to deny it. George, Professor, I want to experience the excitement of my body which has always been denied me by society. Please, I want both of you to touch my body, caress my breasts, feel the sensations of a man's touch on every part of me. Do it now, for I cannot bear to wait another day, another minute to experience this feeling."

I was stunned and shocked. Surely such a lewd attitude was fit only for whores, and not for a lady. But my own desires made me eager to fall in to her plan, and without wanting to I tentatively reached out a hand to touch her arm. The feel of it was soft on my fingers, and I started to stroke gently on the forearm and then up from her elbow to the shoulder along the side and the back. The professor too started to stroke the other arm with the same movements, and I could see his hand start to move down from her shoulder to her side, approaching her breast.

"I cannot do this any more!" I shouted as I pulled my hand away. "As much as I want to touch you I cannot bear the thought of sharing you with another." 

My outburst took them both by surprise, as it did me. They looked at me as if observing a rare insect in a specimen jar. The vehemence of my outburst had shaken me, and after I had spoken, or rather shouted, I stood for some seconds open-mouthed and bewildered. I then turned tail and floundered down the beach, stumbling over small obstacles and in general making a spectacle of myself. It was an undignified rout, and as I sped along my thoughts were a confused jumble of fear and excitement and jealousy and disgust and every other strong emotion.

How could I stand by while the person I love allows several men to touch her intimately? And how could I betray all of the values I had learned since childhood by participating in lewd actions in public and unclothed? And how could I live without Hetty by my side?

These thoughts and more rushed through my brain as I stumbled along. I did not see where I was going nor notice my surroundings until I at last slowed and stopped, out of breath. The pause helped me to regain a bit of my senses, and I finally noticed when I looked around that I was in some sort of sports field. A cricket pitch to be exact, for there was a match going on right then.

Consider my feelings at that moment. I was standing naked in the middle of a cricket game with hundreds of spectators watching. None of them could see me, of course, but although I knew that intellectually my mind could not convince the quivering emotional part that for all my adult life had held me back from doing anything not "proper". I was terrified; of what I did not know, but like any primal fear such as a fear of heights or of crowds I panicked for no reason other than that my fear overcame me.

I looked around for some place to run and saw a route that would lead me out of the field when I suddenly recovered some of my rational capacity. It would be foolish to run any longer. I was out of breath, and no one could see me as long as I kept on at even a moderate pace. The triviality of my fears of discovery suddenly dawned me and I deliberately ambled along at a measured pace walking past the spectators taking tea in their lawn chairs.

The scene seemed so normal and comforting to me that it took me some time to recognize that it was in fact completely familiar. The crowd and the players looked as they always did, and if there was slightly less motion than usual then a casual observer might just put that down to a longer than usual lull in the game. 

I don't know what made me do what I did next. I had been in a panic, barely able to control myself, when suddenly thoughts of mischief and playfulness came to the fore. Naked, I strolled across the field unconcerned about the spectacle I was making, because I finally felt my invisibility to my core. I could walk around entirely unobserved and perform whatever actions caught my fancy. 

And I did. As I walked past the crowd of spectators I delighted in caressing the breasts of the women I passed, and taking my willie in my hand waving it in front of their faces. This was not an action I would normally have conceived possible, and I can only conjecture that my distress at the earlier events on the beach had driven me quite mad. 

After some of this kind of play I became quite jaded. The feel of all those women's breasts and the excitement of my wicked actions began to fade, leaving me with a numb feeling. I stopped my play and just wandered around for a while. My thoughts became pensive, and at last melancholia overtook me. I realized that while my unnoticed actions quite excited me for a brief while I missed the human connection. I missed Hetty already. Without noticing I had wandered off the field and was headed in the direction of my house. Not knowing a better course of action I kept heading in that direction, a jumble of thoughts and regrets racing through my mind. I had just raced away from my best friend and the woman I was coming to love and I could not reconcile my feelings of anger at the events that had led me to this with the regrets I felt at losing my companions.

As I approached the front gate of my cottage a voice interrupted my funk.

"George! We've been looking all over for you."

Hetty and the Professor stood near the font gate looking quite agitated. I must have wandered longer than I had thought, for they were both fully dressed. Added to the turmoil of my thoughts was another, the shame I felt when I realized I was naked and visible to them.

"George! Please stop. The Professor and I want to apologize to you. Please come in, we have brought you your clothes, you see.

"This is very kind of both of you, but I feel very embarrassed by my nakedness and perhaps even more embarrassed by my outburst on the beach. I have had a long time to think while I was returning here. Although I still cannot in all honesty apologize for my earlier feelings I am mightily sorry that I reacted with such vehemence. Now, if you will just tell me where I can find my clothes I think it would be better if you both left. I have some further thinking to do and I think it would be better done alone."

"I understand, George, but I think that this day has been a severe shock to you and you need the presence of a friend to help you sort out your thoughts. Professor, I think it best that you repair to your own house for the time being while I help George in his moment of crisis. George, I insist that you allow me to help you in this, as I was the one that caused this."

Hetty was an unstoppable force, as the professor and I had learned early in our brief acquaintance; so without any attempt at protest we did as she bid us, the professor ambling with no small amount of relief to his own home and I following Hetty without demur into my own cottage.

"The professor and I took the liberty of placing your clothes on your bed and you will find all in order and ready for you should you so wish. However, I suggest that your discomfiture is the result of being the only one here not wearing clothes. We have much to discuss and, as we have seen by our experiences on the beach, not wearing clothes enables us to have a far freer dialogue and exchange of feelings. If you have no objection I propose that you stay as you are and I will ease your anxiety regarding your nakedness by getting undressed myself so that we may have an open and forthright discussion."

She did not, of course, wait for my reply but immediately proceeded with the task of unbuttoning, unlacing and removing her clothes. I am not sure what I would have said had she waited for an answer but I could find no reason to object as I was transported into a state of admiration and lust at the sight before me. Upon removing her last item of clothing she smiled and did a little pirouette before sitting down in a chair opposite me. 

"Well, that's settled. George, I want to apologize for my actions at the beach because I truly did not know that you would have such a violent reaction. In my own defense I can only state that the feeling of freedom that I felt being without clothes in public caused me to want too much too soon. You cannot know what it is like for a woman of my class to feel free after a lifetime of being a prisoner, always doing the right thing, wearing the right clothes and constantly suppressing her emotions in order to keep up appearances. However, you must tell me now if your actions were a result of a particularly strong feeling toward me as a person or whether they were merely the actions of a man wanting to control me."

"You are quite right to see that not wearing clothes enhances the free exchange of ideas. I confess that I have admired you since the first time I saw you. At first it was just a general appreciation of your looks and especially your body, but as I got to know you I became enraptured with your personality and your sense of humour and your forthrightness and a hundred other things. When the time seemed right I was prepared to let you know my feelings by conducting a proper courting, but the incident at the beach today was like a blow to my body and I reacted in a fit of jealousy and grief. I cannot say that there was not some desire to keep control, but I also know that you would not be the woman I love if I could control you."

"I am mightily glad that we have had this talk, George. Would it be presumptuous of me if I said that I am tired of talking now and would mightily like to relive our earlier experiments with just the two of us? Come, follow me into your bedroom and we will see how we truly get along."

And he did. And she did. And they did.