The Busting Frontier
by Plato Voltaire
Copyright 2009

This story is dedicated to Al, editor of the Research and Development webzine and quintessential BE writer, who passed away on 06/16/06. He also wrote under the pen names of Some Sort of Dog and Axolotl. He helped with my initial forays in BE writing and his effort was greatly appreciated. I hope this assemblage of electronic chicken scrawls will be a worthy enough effort to dedicate to his honor. -- PV  


1

As ships go, the Endeavour was as large as they come. At 300,000 tons and crewed by 500 it was currently among the largest ships operated by the 2nd Union of Man. The main dining hall on the Endeavour could seat 150 normally and 400 maximum if additional non-table seating was arranged. With the addition of 400 mission specialists the hall was standing room only and the two smaller dining areas were at capacity as well. Captain Parker, standing on a riser at the front of the hall, was informed that everything was ready. He spoke to the assembly.
     "This is your captain," he said with the flair of a professor addressing wide-eyed freshmen. "In two days we'll be dropping out of hyperspace in the Pacifica system. Located 300 light-years from Earth, Pacifica was the most distantly colonized world of the 1st Union. Like the other worlds of the 1st Union, it was attacked by anarchistic Luddite forces. Since communications was always the first target of the Luddites, we have no idea what has happen on the planet. Given their record, it's likely we'll find another empty world."
     The audience murmured. For a group that professed a return to nature the Luddites made use of every technological gadget to achieve their draconian ways. Feeling that Man's dominion in space was an abomination, the Luddites sought to return the race to a subsistence level of existence, in harmony with the environment. This harmony was only to be found on Earth, as the colonies were proscribed to extinction. So, after decades of planning and with a surprizing number of followers the Luddites nearly succeeded. Planets such as Nova Terra and Thunderhead were rendered into radioactive wastelands. Huron and other worlds received plagues that made them into unclaimable biological hotzones even to this day. Being thorough, the Luddites also had asteroids fitted with maneuvering engines. Years after the last nuclear and biological attacks these asteroids moved into orbits that would intercept their target planets. In this way anyone that survived the radiation and plagues would be finished off by an extinction-sized impact.
     In the packed hall was one Hazel Youngerford, assistant engineering officer, and her boyfriend Kyle Maklin, chief life support officer. At 147cm Hazel was the shortest person aboard while Kyle, at 204cm, was the tallest. He lowered himself so as to talk closer to Hazel's level. "I can put you on my shoulders for a better look if you like."
     If there was one thing Hazel was sensitive about it was her height. Kyle forgot this, and Hazel turned with a look she used when she felt patronized. "I don't need to see the Captain. I can hear him quite well, thank you," she said curtly. In Kyle's mind he felt like his teeth were kicked in.
     Parker continued. "The Luddite Revolt ended 300 years ago. It took 250 years to undo the damage they done to Earth. We've only regained hyperspace technology in the last ten years. Out of the 40 worlds settled by the 1st Union 39 have been found devoid of human life." A three-meter wide holographic image of Pacifica appeared next to Parker and at various spots in the dining halls. It was an ocean world with ten small continents and innumerable islands and atolls. With two moons in orbit the tides were complex but the surfing was unparalleled. "With a population of only five million at the time of the revolt Pacifica may not have received as much attention as the other worlds. With the Luddite predilection for asteroid bombardment, however, we just might find another empty nest."
     The thought of finding the last 1st Union world to be as dead as the others was a disheartening one. By placing itself on so many worlds Humanity was insuring that no collection of disasters could remove the whole of the race from the face of the universe. The Luddites have shown that, if nothing else, where nature fails Humans are all too eager to pick up the slack. "If Pacifica is found to be unsuitable for human life then we'll be heading out to a system twenty light-years beyond," Parker informed his crew. "It'll be the first totally new system survey conducted by the 2nd Union. If successful, it'll lead to the establishment of the first colony beyond the Earth system in over 300 years. Let us all hope that this voyage will end with some form of good news. Dismissed."


The day to emerge from hyperspace arrived. Down in Engineering, referred to as the Boiler Room by the crew, Oscar Wallace watched his displays and dedicated indicators. Having been Chief Engineer for the last three voyages and Assistant Chief for five voyages before that Oscar knew his business. Next to him at his console was Hazel. Serving aboard Endeavour since graduating from Space Service Academy, Hazel was a veteran of four expeditions to former worlds of the 1st Union. She made up with talent what she lacked in height. Impressed with what he saw, when Oscar was made chief he selected Hazel as his first assistant. Another distinction she held was being among the first group to receive the rediscovered and enhanced life prolonging treatment twelve years previous. On the calendar she was 27, but her body had only advanced one year in age. With her shiny tomato red hair and light spray of freckles the blue-eyed Hazel looked to the uninformed like a 15-year-old girl. While she appreciated the fact that her lifespan could go as far as 500 years it would be decades before her physical stature fully matured. On the bright side at least her wardrobe would last longer since she only grew two centimeters in height in the last twelve years.
     "Coming upon translation point," came the voice from the bridge. "Two minutes to emergence."
     "Acknowledged," replied Oscar. "Extending bleed fins now."
Like all hyper-capable vessels, the Endeavour could remain within the realm of hyperspace for most of its journey. When time comes to exit, however, a ship has to bleed off energy collected along its hull. Otherwise substantial damage could occur in the translation back to normal space. For this voyage the charge was particularly large. This was the first continuous 300 light year journey made by a 2nd Union ship. Oscar would've felt better had the ship made stops at the 100 and 200 light-year marks to bleed off the collected charges. The Space Service, along with Captain Parker, decided otherwise. They needed to know if Endeavour's bleed system could handle a 300ly charge. With all the other former 1st Union worlds, save Earth, unusable for hundreds if not thousands of years ships were going to make far longer voyages to habitable worlds.
     "One minute to emergence," intoned the bridge voice. "Activate final transition protocols."
     Oscar steadily decreased power to the hyperdrive. As the ship lost its grip in hyperspace the bleed fins began to glow white. Energy was dissipating away from the hull, lessening the chance for a catastrophic discharge.
     "Fifteen seconds to emergence. All hands brace for the transition."
Endeavour was heralded back into normal space with a light display worthy of the gods. Arcs of energy lept from the bleed fins like lightning. It was such a violent event that a nighttime observer on Pacifica, looking at the right patch of sky, would've easily seen it with the naked eye. While it made for an impressive picture, it wasn't always a routine event. Alarm klaxons yelled throughout the ship. It was too large of a charge and the fins couldn't dissipate it in time. Some of the energy went back into the ship, reeking havoc on internal systems. Emergency capacitors took some of the load, but not all of it.
     Oscar heard a sickening crackle fill Engineering. Wayward power had found the hyperdrive before it was fully deactivated. Sounds of components bursting and burning lasted a full ten seconds before the drive area was isolated and vented to space. Another thirty seconds later the hyperdrive chamber was sealed and pressurized.
    Parker waited for a respectable two minutes before calling Oscar. The sound of crackling had reached as far as the bridge, so he had a fair idea how bad it was, but asked anyway. "Chief, how's the boiler?"
     "It's bad, Cap'n," Oscar replied unhurriedly. "Stuff not meant to break has broken. Me and my boiler gang won't know the full extent of the hurt for at least a day. Our sublight engines are green all around."
     "Very well, Chief. You can trouble me with the details when you're ready. Bridge out." Sighing, Parker gave out the next order. "Helm, confirm out position."
     The helm officer, a tall and attractive woman with a nice shade of brown skin, consulted her displays. "Sir, our location is 15 AU from Pacifica's primary. Our entrance was off by 5 AU."
     Parker grunted. "A fine piece of hyper navigation, Michelle, especially for the first unbroken 300ly trip ever made. Now set a course for Pacifica's orbit. Engage engines at .1c."
    "Aye, aye, Sir."


2

It was five days after the Endeavour entered the Pacifica system. In the ship's conference room Parker assembled the various department heads for a comprehensive meeting. He spoke just as the last few participants took their seats. "Let me say up front that performing such a long hyperjump in a ship this large when it wasn't tried by a smaller one, even by the 1st Union, was an unwarranted risk on my part. The temptation to save two weeks travel time to get here has now made our return trip much longer."
     "How much longer?" asked someone further down the table.
     "I'll take it from here, Captain," said Oscar. "As the facts go the longer and faster a ship stays in hyperspace the more efficient its drive becomes. Our drive was rated at five light years a day. By staying in hyper for the whole trip instead of sixty days we made it in forty-seven. As for our return trip," Oscar consulted a data pad not so much for effect but for fortitude, "well, let's just say my engineers proved that they're in league with the angels. We made a new drive using what was left of the old one and by cannibalizing one of the two hypercomm satellites for its pulse regulators. If we make one stop at the 150 light-year mark to dissipate the charge collected on the hull, then the return trip will take 275 days."
     "Over nine months?" said Hiromi Sanada, a woman of delicate Asian features and the ship's chief doctor. Also a recipient of the life prolong treatment, the 34 year-old Hiromi didn't look older than 22. She wore archaic glass and the obligatory lab coat that formed the doctors' ensemble for centuries. "Wouldn't it be quicker just to have a repair ship come here?"
     "It would be," Parker jumped back in, "but no other ship is as fast as Endeavour. We'll be waiting for six months, and it'll take another month to get the drive fully functional. We haven't received a reply from the Space Service yet, but with all the activity going on back home I won't be surprized if we return as is."
     Oscar nodded. "The Space Service has it hands full in building the first hyper-capable colony ships. They would rather have us come home on our own than remove another ship in circulation for thirteen months."
     "That's the bet we should be taking, Oscar. Besides, a nice nine-month cruise will be a fitting capstone to this voyage." Parker leaned forward ever so slightly for emphasis. "As it goes by the grapevine the whole crew knows we've been picking up radio traffic from Pacifica for the last two days. Despite what they think or have been told, this isn't the kind of traffic we found at Crescent and Alpine. All that turned out to be was automated weather satellites that kept working for over 300 years. No, this is actual human voice radio chatter." That bit of official confirmation made everyone else sit up straighter in their chairs. Parker couldn't help but grin. "Our telescopes have been observing the planet since yesterday. Place names mentioned on the radio are the same as those used before the Luddite attack. Correlated with broadcasted weather reports, what we're seeing happening on Pacific is actual and not some computer recording. The 'scopes even picked up evidence of ocean going ships entering and leaving the harbor of Fremantle, the pre-war capital."
     "Any evidence of active cities?" breathed Samuel Unger, one of the sociologists.
     "Glad you asked, Mr. Unger. In fact, all of you should be itching to get your gear together and stowed on the shuttles. Not only is Fremantle still there, it is far larger than it was before. Call it at least 400,000. That's ten times the population 300 years ago. And," the Captain added coyly, "judging by the baseball and soccer stadiums, I'd say the Pacificans have been doing really well as of late.
      "After I hear the other departmental reports we'll discuss the preliminary contact plan," Parker added. "Being the first and only situation which we'll be contacting an isolated colony world I want to do this right. Having already heard from Mr. Wallace, let's start with ship's inventory...."


Thanks to its generous size the crew quarters on the Endeavour were equally large. With a total of ten missions under his belt Oscar made his quarters into a five-room apartment that well-to-do bachelors would appreciate. An amateur artist, Oscar painted the walls of the living area, kitchen and bedroom with cityscapes of 20th century Earth. He used the spare room as his pocket art studio and repair shop, fixing small electronic devices for fellow crewmembers.
     At 173cm and 73 kilos Oscar was average as far as men went. What distinguished this 33-year-old was his bald head. He didn't know what group of genes ordained that his hair stop grow at a the age of 20, but he wished it would've been much later. Like the rest of the crew, Oscar received the life prolong treatment when it became available over twelve years ago. He had hoped for a few more decades of luscious crown of curls, but nature conspired otherwise. Upon reflection he admitted that there was a certain freedom in not having hair. There was the money saved in not having to visit a barber, as well as not buying shampoo. Then there was definite perks, as in having the hands of one Michelle Tiumalu rub the top of his ebony head unobstructed.
     With Michelle sitting on the couch in the living area Oscar was on the floor immediately in front of her. So situated Michelle could easily rub the head of her boyfriend while watching a video on the big screen monitor. While Oscar's ancestry hailed from the North American continent Michelle came from the Samoan Islands. Indeed, when Luddite forces fought on Earth to bring down the 1st Union islands such as Samoa were ignored due to their low populations. Like the rest of her fellow islanders, Michelle had attractive dark eyes and a pleasant shade of brown skin. She had the arms of a wrestler, imparting a sense of strength befitting her height, and what height. At 186cm Michelle was the tallest woman on the ship by a wide margin, a marked advantage for basketball playing since most of the females onboard averaged at 162cm.
     Oscar and Michelle had been dating steadily since the previous two missions. Such crew relations were permitted as long as the involved parties were the same rank and not in the same department. It started simply enough when Oscar did the most basic ploy to attract a woman by providing her with food. Even though it was in ship's mess she understood Oscar's intent. In the course of six months the relation evolved to where they spent three nights a week together. Tonight would've been devoted to watching an old Earth movie. Instead  they were treated to video broadcasts from Pacifica. The science teams had in fact detected video as well as audio signals, but kept knowledge of the video part to themselves for two days. When it came time to inform the crew there would be something of an explanation to go along to what they were seeing.
     "The Luddites must've counted on plague germs to wipe out the population," commented Michelle after viewing two hours of planetside video. "There's been no evidence of nukes, and had the planet been hit by an asteroid then no-one would be down there at all."
     Oscar grunted in agreement. "The survivors must've had the right set of genes. It may also explain what we're seeing now."
     Michelle also grunted. "They must've started from a small gene pool for something like that to be so..."
     "Prevalent?" Oscar offered. With two hours of channel switching he couldn't recall seeing any woman with anything smaller than volleyball sized breasts. "The society had obviously evolved to openly accept the pneumatic nature of their females. I can only imagine the savings of not using bras."
    Michelle teasingly pinched the top of Oscar's head. "I thought I felt a decrease of blood flowing to your head. Especially when we came across that sand volleyball tournament."
    "They weren't showing anything, babe. Not with those copious t-shirts they were wearing."
    "You didn't need to see them directly, Oscar. Those tees were giving a good show all by themselves. Besides," she said as planted a kiss on his head, "with those large sleeves you got some good views of side-boobage."
    "I won't have mentioned it at all," Oscar replied. "But now that you did, I think I saw some nipple as well. I guess that confirms they still have high-definition video capability."
    "Men!" Michelle said in fake disgust. "The only way you'll keep looking at me is if my boobs covered your eyes."
    "Heh. Right now there's not enough for a single eyepatch."
    "Keep that rich mouth and there will be no dessert, you ebony wiseacre."


First contact with the Pacifican government went quickly. It came as a surprize to the Endeavour crew that there were still original colonial survivors of the Luddite attack 300 years ago. The Luddites had indeed conducted a major biological attack that encompassed the whole planet. A bacterium, tailored to kill humans, claimed most of the population. Of the 5,100,000 colonists only 6,011 were left. Of that number, all were female and pregnant. Due to their previous life extension treatments these survivors formed the core of a new society, literally becoming the grandmothers of everyone on Pacifica.
     The oldest Pacifican was Haley Cole. At 330 she could pass for a spry 55-year-old. She was also a former planetary president, selected by the current government to act as its ambassador/liaison with the Endeavour specialists.In the first formal meeting both sides got down to learning what happened to the other. "So," Haley said eagerly after the first few questions, "you're all wondering if the Luddies had an asteroid with our name on it. They did, but by some miracle it was a fraction of a degree off course. It was four years after the biological attack. That rock skipped off the atmosphere and headed out to deep space, but it sure was an awesome light show."
     "A fortuitous event," commented Dr. Sanada. "The Luddites knew that biological wouldn't be 100% effective, which was why they followed up with an asteroid drop. However, from a medical point, I must address the 'elephant' that's in the room. From what we saw in our video observations and our brief looks so far it appears a good majority of the adult female population is rather endowed."
     "You can say we're all above average," Haley chimed. "The bacterium had two major effects on the survivors. As far as our doctors could determine it, our DNA was altered in the same way, as were our unborn children. They gained a portion of the life extension process. Because of that the average lifespan of all children born after the disaster is around 125 standard years. We had the necessary materials to make life extension treatments, but the DNA change was sufficient enough to render them useless. None of the specialists in genetic engineering that could've made the necessary changes survived.
     "As for the other effect, you're looking at it." The spry woman patted the top of her well-filled blouse. "The genetic trigger for breast growth had been altered and passed on to our daughters. The growth is faster and lasts longer. You'll find that there is no such thing as a flat-chested woman on Pacifica. Average bust size is 140cm, which happens to be my size." She placed her hands under her cladded bosom and gave her natural basketball-sized mounds a good shake for emphasis. "My current set of greatest granddaughters are a prime example of the size range. Kayla is 21 and 110cm. The only way she'll be able to add a few more centimeters is when she has kids of her own. Darla, on the other hand, is 17 and already a professional balloon smuggler at 178cm, and she is still growing. All the boys are reluctant to ask her out on a date 'cause they're afraid she'll crush the breath out of 'em."
     "I would like to look at those records, Ms. Cole," said an intrigued Dr. Sanada, "as well as run some generational genetic tests."
     "Just call me Haley, sugar. I'm on a first-name basis with everyone on this planet."


3

Shore leave was authorized for the crew with one-quarter on the planet at any one time. It was an exhilarating experience for all, but for Hazel Youngerford it was tempered. Despite the news services informing the population that the Endeavour crew were all above the age of 20, Hazel, being so short and youthful-looking, was often mistaken for a child. It was worse when she was in the company of her boyfriend, life support officer Kyle Maklin. He was the tallest crewmember and, by the looks he was getting, most likely the tallest man currently in Fremantle if not the whole of Pacifica. He had the same red hair as Hazel along with a spray of matching freckles on his face. At best, the Pacificans assumed Kyle was Hazel's older brother while a handful, all well-intentioned senior citizens, believed the little woman was Kyle's daughter.
     Hazel let those observations slide, but it was a different story at the beach. She knew that Kyle couldn't help it being so tall would act like a magnet for attention. Even sitting down it was clear that he was big, and that made it easier for the curious and admirers to approach and ask questions. Again, Hazel was assumed by the Pacificans to be a child and was approached by them while Kyle received the adults, mostly female and very friendly. Utterly flat and wearing a one-piece swimsuit Hazel had to hold herself while the much taller and generously endowed females got closer and closer to her beau. Like in the beach videos that were very popular with the male Endeavour crew, the women wore bikini bottoms with large tee-shirts. Those tees were wet, doused with a nearby hose operated by an obliging boy. Underneath the soaked fabric Hazel saw the women had nipple caps, except for one particularly tall, blond Pacifican bombshell. She was just a head shorter than Kyle, and her clinging tee only covered the top two-thirds of each breast. Kyle enjoyed the view despite himself, spying the pinkish nipples winking at him past the fabric.
     Then came the photos and the last of Hazel's patience. Kyle was practically mobbed by slim and stacked Pacificans, breasts being pressed into him like so many metal shavings against a magnet. As Hazel saw it the blond was all over Kyle like ugly on an ape, and it had to be stopped. Imperiously, the tiny woman marched up and shoved aside the admirers. Then, with everyone looking on, she put her fingers down the front of Kyle's swimshorts and grabbed the waistline, pulling out and slightly down. Like a person dragging a reluctant dog Hazel walked away with Kyle in tow, crouched down in embarrassment with hands covering the gap caused by Hazel's impromptu leash. Not for the last time Hazel wished she was 18 when her mother gave her those life-extension treatments.
     Elsewhere on Pacifica Oscar and Michelle were exploring a picturesque archipelago. Teaching Oscar the finer points of plying an outrigger canoe the couple went from islet to islet for an entire week. At night Oscar cooked using the local fish and fruit, each meal easily the equal one could find in a top-rated restaurant. Following two weeks aboard ship, tending to repairs and establishing the hypercomm satellite in the outer portion of the Pacifica system, they went back down for a three-day stay in the city of New Solomans. Like the rest of the crew they noticed that Pacifican women almost never wore bras, settling instead on nipple caps. The explaination was that the original 6,011 colonial women ruled well into the second century of isolation. Having given up bras as their naturally enhanced breasts were quite firm, as well as making dressing up easier, it became a tradition no-one could fault as the women liked the freedom and the men enjoyed having one less item of clothing they had to contend with during loveplay. Arranging lines of credit with the government, the crew loaded up with locally produced products ranging from clothing, artwork and furniture. Oscar had enough products in storage to equip a loft apartment back on Earth. Michelle was no different, though her wardrobe was much more extensive. Likewise Captain Parker came back with relics of pre-Luddite Pacifica the inhabitants gave him. He especially treasured the 1st Union hyperlane survey data as it didn't survive the Luddite's onslaught on Earth centuries earlier.
     Six weeks later all repairs were complete and the hypercomm satellite was operational and in contact with Earth. Saying their farewells the crew of the Endeavour headed home, leaving behind the 400 mission specialists to conduct their studies and technological upgrading of Pacifican infrastructure. It was a good time, and everyone expected an uneventful nine-month trip.


"Doctor, is there anything you could do?" Hazel implored. "I don't want to hear anymore of 'toughing it out'. It's interfering with my work."
     Dr. Sanada had to remind herself that she had an adult patient that happened to look like a girl pining for her sixteenth birthday. "There's no infection and the swelling will go down on its own. I read the Pacifican journals. The poison from a spinefish quill doesn't kill humans, so be thankful."
     "I'll be thankful if I had something for the pain," Hazel implored. "Can't you give me something that'll take the edge off?"
     "That I can do, Miss Youngerford. It can't be too strong, otherwise you won't be able to work at your duty station."
     "Just fine, Doctor." Hazel recalled the source of her discomfort. Three days earlier, just before the ship left orbit, she and Kyle had one last day at the beach. This time, taking advice from her friend Michelle,  they went to a secluded atoll and frolic in the sand and water. Hardly an hour went by when Hazel bumped into a spinefish and became a recipient of one of its quills. All over the situation, Kyle called in a medical shuttle so quickly that Hazel hadn't the time to use up her repertoire of engineering curse words when it arrived. The toxin was neutralized before paralysis set in, so she was thankful for that. As for Kyle arbitrarily picking her up and carrying her to the shuttle instead of waiting for the medics Hazel appreciated the gesture, though she didn't show how much she liked be carried in Kyle's huge, powerful arms.
     "Here you go, sunshine," Sanada teased slightly as she gave Hazel an injection. "Come back tomorrow for a follow-up. You're the only one in the crew that got poisoned by a Pacifican fish, so I like to do further study on your recovery."
     "As if I have anything better to do than be your guinea pig," replied the little woman.
     A trio of guests entered Sickbay, smiles on their faces and gifts in their hands. First and foremost was Kyle. He placed the small flower-filled vase next to the examination bed and got down on one knee like a knight honoring his liege lady. "Hello, gumdrop. Were the leeches agreeable?"
     "I'd be more agreeable to a kiss," Hazel said without hesitation, and was treated to one of Kyle's sweet smackers on her cheek.
     "Well, Doc, can I put her back in the salt mines?" Oscar asked, handing Hazel a box of chocolates.
     Sanada lowered the pair of archaic glasses she purchased on Pacifica for dramatic effect. "I just gave her something for the pain, but she can't do any heavy lifting or anything that requires deep concentration."
     Hazel made a grumpy face. "Hey, I'm not that bad off," she said humorously.
     Michelle chimed in as she handed over a get-well card. "Let me give you an ancient Samoan remedy that'll banish that boo-boo." She got down and kissed the afflicted portion of the leg, making Hazel blush.
     "Hey, that looks good." With a 'me-too' attitude Kyle also kissed the swollen red spot.
     "No more of that, you'll get germs," chided Oscar.
     Hazel made a playful pout, folding her arms. "That looked like an indirect kiss to me, Kyle. Now go eat a whole onion to remove the taste of Michelle from your mouth."
     "Only if you kiss it first, my carrot cookie."


4

Two weeks out from Pacifica one Captain Parker worked up the courage to ask Haley Cole for a private meeting in his cabin. Haley was one of fifty Pacificans making the journey to Earth, a handful of them genealogists tasked to find Earth relatives of the original Pacifican female colonial survivors. She was also the ambassador for the Pacifican government, empowered to enter talks with the 2nd Union. It was under the pretense of a courtesy meeting that Parker actually planned a dinner. The cook whipped up a confection made from the ship's food stores and fresh produce from Pacifican farms. Inbetween bites of genuine Pacifican steaks and sips of Canadian wine Haley asked the first question. "Captain, how old are you?"
     "344," he said without hesitation. "I was in the Union Navy during the Luddite Revolt. Revolt, heh, should've been called genocide. Those historians should call it as it was."
     "I see." Haley paused while digesting both her food and what she heard. Looking at Parker, she decided to go ahead with her inquiry. "Any family?"
     After finishing a big piece of broccoli Parker replied. "Only the wife and a daughter survived the Luddites. Radiation from a battle did a number on my package, so I became a grandfather to the ever-increasing Parker clan. Wife died from an accident a century ago."
     Sensing that Parker had made peace with what fate dealt him, and noticing he wore no wedding rings, Haley felt more confident. "At least you had the chance to remarry, if only for companionship. While being a literal grandmother to the world is empowering, it meant little without having someone to confide with and share closeness."
     "Oh," Parker said immediately, then he thought up a more substantial replay. "You'll have to forgive my bluntness, Haley, it comes with age and hide-bound conservatism. You've been without a man for 300 years and I've been a widower for 100. Since I, and daresay you as well, don't have to worry about 'happy accidents' anymore, I would like to have a more intimate relationship with you. I'd be robbing the cradle if I dated anyone younger."
     Haley beamed like a child finding one last handful of cereal at the bottom of the box. "There you go, rushing like a man and stealing my thunder. So much for the crockpot approach in building the relationship. Very well." She raised her wineglass with Parker reciprocating, the clinking quite audible. "You get to kiss me tonight but no touching of granny's goodmuffins until the third date."
     "I can live with that, Haley," Parker said approvingly. "Call me Joshua from now on."
     A comm buzzer interfered with the mood. "This has to be important enough to interrupt a captain's dinner with his guest," Parker said aloud.
     "It is, Captain." The voice belonged to Dr. Sanada. "I've confirmed a condition that is affecting the female crewmembers. Please meet me in Sickbay and have the senior Pacificans join you as well."
     Parker looked rightfully concerned. "What is, Doctor?"
     Sanada's tone was like a girl explaining to her parents why she came home after curfew. "It's best to fully explain in person. All I can say now that it isn't life threatening... for the time being."


Oscar was in Michelle's cabin for the evening; in fact it was his first time since being assigned to the ship. He found it was decorated like a college dorm room with no concern for style or harmony. Large floor pillows and a big plush toy panda were arranged in front of the tri-dee. After dining on Samoan cuisine Michelle learned from her mother both sat down to watch an ancient film called 300. Oscar sat down first with Michelle nestled next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "I can see why you like this film," Oscar teased. "Big, strong sweaty men with naked chests and washboard abs."
     "I'm entitled to my fantasies, you ebon prince," Michelle teased back. "You're wishing for more sweet shirtmeat pressing against you."
     Oscar grinned, betraying his true thoughts. "Well, you do seem a little bigger," he said while eying Michelle's front. She wore a a close-fitting tee that had a cartoon panda face on the front of it. The slight curves of her small breasts were a little more substantial, putting a little stress on the fabric.
     "Well, tomorrow, meet me at the main pool. I'm finally able to wear that bikini you bought me on Pacifica."
     Placing his hand on Michelle's tee-clad athletic belly Oscar moved it up to the equally-covered breasts, capping the left teat like a snow mantle on a mountain. "Well, I was surprized they sold bikini tops at all. Then I found out they're used by teenage girls until they're big enough to move on to nipple caps and tee shirts."
     Michelle kissed her adventurous beau. "Lech. If I get bigger I'll graduate to the nipple caps and no tee."
     Further amorous activity came to a halt when the tri-dee paused the movie and a ship-wide message played. It was Dr. Sanada, looking every bit the medical professional in her knee-length labcoat. "Crew of the Endeavour, speaking on behalf of the Captain I have an important announcement to make. By now all of you have noticed the slight increase in bust size of the female crewmembers. This is not the result of consumption of Pacifican foods or a reaction of the Pan-Immunity against Pacifican diseases. It is a mutated form of the Luddite bacterial agent, totally benign to native Pacificans but potent against Earth women. Like before, the agent is reacting to the life extension alterations in the women but now it doesn't require said women to be pregnant first. Myself and the other doctors will be researching a way to halt this breast expansion process before it becomes a detriment to the operation of the ship. Please take the growth in stride and regard it as an unexpected bonus for discovering the only other world to have survived the Luddite Revolt. Good night."
     Making a catty purring sound Oscar glommed Michelle's left breast. "I hope they wait for a week or two. You'll get the lady curves you so richly deserve."
     Michelle rolled and came on top of Oscar, eyes glittering like a panther playing with its prey. "You want that, don't you? Be careful, or I might get so big that'll I'll put your eyes out."


Perhaps the happiest woman on the Endeavour was Hazel. Four weeks into the journey back home she now had cantaloupe-sized breasts. No-one was going to mistake her for a girl now. To be doubly sure she had Kyle come to her quarters for the first time. All the furnishings were scaled to her 147cm height, the only exception being the large bed. With Kyle clad in pajamas Hazel had him get into bed for a long night of tri-dee viewing and much needed personal time. As for the little woman herself she just had her pajama bottoms on, getting into the bed and then rested for several moments on Kyle's chest. "Feel those, my giant?" she playfully teased. "Those are the love muffins I've should gotten had my mother waited three more years before giving me my life extension treatments."
     "They're beautiful and an affirmation of your feminine potential," Kyle said in restrained lust. This was the first time he saw Hazel topless, only wishing that she posed a few minutes before getting on top of him like a mountain climber. Her breasts were just so cute, matching her equally cute little bottom.
     Grinning, Hazel moved up the sheer side of virility and planted her pneumatic wonders on Kyle's face, blocking his view of the tri-dee. "I hope they get a little bigger. I want to be able to completely bury your head in my chest. Your breath against my flesh feels like a hurricane of love."
     "That's 'cause I can't breath," Kyle protested. Hazel obliged and settled for just snuggling up against her boyfriend. "Thanks. Now it feels like two rubber balls are pressing into my side."
     Hazel playfully pouted. "You poor liar. If anything it should be like pillows. You'll have all night to come to that conclusion."
     Kyle placed his right hand on Hazel's left breast, holding it like a succulent ham. "Starting now?"
     "Starting now, you giant."


5

The sickbay of the ship was empty at the request of Dr. Hiromi Sanada, save for herself, Captain Parker and Haley. Even so the grapevine will inform everyone else what was about to be said. "Hiromi, what has your investigation discovered?" Parker asked expectantly, hoping for good news.
     Her shipsuit unable to close at the top now, Hiromi was showing off a considerable amount of cleavage. "Not the words you wanted to hear, unfortunately, but I believed I discovered the source of the bacteriological agent. Hazel Youngerford was jabbed by a quill from a spinefish while on Pacifica. Upon further study, it was found this species of fish harbored the mutated strain of the agent. She was brought back up to the ship for treatment. The agent wasn't identified as such at first, and in the interim Hazel was visited by several crewmembers while in sickbay."
     "Thus spreading the agent," Haley finished. "How is it the Pan-Immunity doesn't work?"
     Hiromi shifted in her chair, causing the seam at the front of her shipsuit to go down a few more centimeters. "A good question, Haley, that will get a good answer. The mutated agent incorporated key gene receptors that's recognized by the Pan-Immunity and thus was ignored. We're hoping a counter-agent based on Pan-Immunity will work."
     Like any red-blooded male Parker couldn't help but notice Hiromi's shipsuit seam went down a few more centimeters, exposing more cleavage and breast. "How are the women coping, Doctor?"
    Seeing where the Captain's eye was gazing so delightfully, Sanada removed all doubt and arched her back, making the seam go past her bellybutton. "As well as one could expect when dealing with expanding breasts, Captain. Ship services is making new shipsuits as fast as possible, and some women have mentioned how their breasts are interfering with their duties, especially when it comes to operating consoles or working in confined spaces. It's been nine weeks since the effects of the agent became apparent. For the record, the average bust size of the female crew is now 135 centimeters, that's basketball size for hot-blooded males like yourself. As you see," she said while poking her right boob with her left index finger, "I'm measurable bigger than the average."
     Haley pinched Parker's earlobe, a grandmotherly trait used to bring little boys into line. "Why did you do that, Haley?" said the afflicted Captain.
     "Even on Pacifica it's not nice to stare at partially exposed breasts," said a matriarchal Haley. "Now compliment the good doctor."
     Rubbing his ear, Parker looked at Sanada directly. "Doctor, you absolutely have a pair of breasts that can bring men back from the brink of death."
     The busty expanding doctor blushed. "Thank you, Captain. Dr. Frohlander agrees with you."


"This sucks vacuum," Hazel said to her tablemates in the dining hall. Like the rest of the women present, she had her shipsuit open down to her waist. Her watermelon bust was resting on the tabletop and only then because her chair had a booster cushion. "None of my off-duty tops fit me, it's becoming harder and harder to do my job in Engineering, and my back hurts. Plus I'm the one who brought this booby plague aboard ship. I've been happy with cantaloupe boobies. Now I wish I was just flat chested."
     "You can't mean that," said Cheryll, a friend from the Shuttle Maintenance Division. Like Hazel, her bust was also resting on the table and exposed to reveal substantial cleavage. "Can't you admit all the fun and attention you've been getting from Kyle? I know Abraham can't wait to get his hands on me tonight and apply and sensual back and chest massage."
     On cue, Kyle, sitting next to Hazel, began to rub the shoulders and back of his now-plentiful girlfriend. "Keep it up, you wicked man," Hazel said in a dulcet tone, resisting the urge to purr as she was wont to do in private when Kyle applied his massage techniques. "You've been enjoying my discomfort way too much as of late."
     Susan, another friend from Communications, agreed. "Frank's been the same way, having me play that ancient game of Twister as a stretching exercise and enjoying each little fall I made. So I had him watch historical dramas with romantic subplots with me if he wants to rest his head on my pillows."
     "That sounds like a great idea." Hazel gave Kyle a seductive smile. "Honeybear, I fear my delicate constitution won't let me walk back to my quarters tonight. If you carry me there I'll treat you to some classic musical videos I found on Pacifica."
     "You didn't have to ask me twice, sweetmelons," Kyle said forthrightly.


"I think this shirt has seen better days," Michelle commented, walking into Oscar's spare room-turn-art studio in his quarters. Her cartoon panda tee-shirt was stretched to the limit, the panda's face distorted to comical proportions.
     Looking up from his tablet, Oscar was in awe of Michelle's appearance. As of yesterday she sported a pair of watermelons apparently left on the vine to get that much bigger. The hair spilling over her shoulders framed her beautiful face to full effect. "I doubt you can put that shirt back on once I'm done as it'll likely rip. You can have one of mine."
     Sitting on the posing stool, Michelle swished her hair to give it a more natural look. "By done do you mean tonight or tomorrow morning? My shift on the bridge won't start until 1600 hours."
     "More like early afternoon. I'll save painting the bust for last, as you'll have gotten ever so slightly bigger by then."
     The Samoan woman stuck out her tongue. "Lech. That's hoping that I don't smother you in bed tonight."


6

With the female crew still growing Kyle and his technicians were putting in double shifts to produce shipsuits with more give on top so they'll last longer. For temporary back relief that didn't rely on zero gravity the women 'gravitate' to the ship's Olympic-sized pool and numerous hot tubs. Hazel, wearing an oversized robe, walked to a hot tub that had Dr. Sanada and a few Pacifican women in it, including Haley. The robe couldn't deny that Hazel's bust was now righteously big and that she had to use her arms to carry her front flesh.
     "Come on in, Hazel," said Hiromi Sanada, hands atop her breasts that were like small beachballs blown up past capacity. "This feels like the onsen back home."
     The spry Haley had to comment on Hazel's attire. "Where did you get that robe, sweetness? It looks like the kind of gift a boyfriend would give."
     The robe in question was adorned with cartoons bears in recliners, drinking beer and watching tri-dee sets. Letting the robe fall to the floor, Hazel showed her breasts were as big and proud like those Hiromi sported. For the hot tub she wore just an orange bikini bottom, descending the steps with a firm grip on the railing until her righteous lungs floated on their own accord. "He actually left it in front of my cabin door. I was thinking of returning it."
     "Don't do that," Hiromi admonished. "He left it on purpose. It's so big you can use it like a blanket." During a pause the good doctor used her cupped hands like ladles and administered several servings of water over the top of her breasts, the water running down the sides like overflow on a dam. "Maybe he left it so you have something to hold onto on those nights he's not there to receive your tender embrace."
     Haley giggled. "Perhaps its a proxy boyfriend. Something to whisper sweet nothings into while squeezing it close to your bosom on lonely nights."
     "Nothing of the sort," Hazel said in a grump. "He's a sloppy boy, treating my cabin like it was his own."
     Hiromi moved along the submerged bench to sit to Hazel's right, bust touching bust. "Oh, so he's been in your cabin? That means you trust him to see your inner sanctum. So tell us how long you two have been an item."
      "Tell us," asked one of the Pacifican women, her basketball breasts looking like fleshy round islands in the water. "If he wasn't your boyfriend we would've claimed that man-mountain in the name of womankind."
     With all the expectant looks Hazel decided to tell the story. "It was the first day we were assigned to the Endeavour. I dropped a file reader on the boarding tube, and when I stopped to pick it up Kyle tripped and fell on top of me."
     "Ah," Haley cooed conspiratorialy. "An inauspicious start."
     "He apologized, that lummox, and I would've called him out for not watching his step," Hazel continued, her hands massaging some soreness out of her left breast like a baker working a big pile of pizza dough. "When I saw his face I couldn't speak. He just looked so boyishly handsome. Things just naturally developed from then on."
     Hiromi jiggled her frontage, and being right next to Hazel's own ladybumps they jiggled as well. "I'd say. The way you were looking and holding onto him when he carried you into Sickbay was like a scene from a romance video."
     "Hey, that's personal," said a defensive Hazel.
     "Kyle's a big man," Haley joined in, "with big hands. I bet when he's not plying his fingers over your mountainous mammaries he's lifting you up by your cute bottom in the palm of his hand."
     "He'll still have to spread his fingers out, but yes she's a tiny thing," Hiromi amended.
     Hazel blushed hard, arms corralling her breasts like grocery bags. "Hiromi! Don't get raunchy."
     Another Pacifican woman made her opinion known. "I'm amazed you're not married, Miss Youngerford. I don't know about Earth, but redheads are very rare on Pacifica. The handful born in the generations after the Luddite attack have proven to been very fertile and are reported to be sexual tyrannosaurs. Being so little, I bet your potency is highly concentrated. You should tie the knot with Kyle and be knee-deep in children."
     A sour tone crept into Hazel's voice. "Make that ankle deep for Kyle and breast-deep for me. Just suppose I do get Kyle to make babies with me. How will I be able to care for them with lungs this big?"
     Haley moved to sit by Hazel's left, her bust only a third of the little woman's apparent size. "It'll be far easier affair for you, sugar. We were nowhere as big as you and the rest of the female crew. You'll have family and all kinds of support once you're home. Me and other 6,010 women had a tough row to hoe for the first few decades on Pacifica after the Luddite attack. Kyle could get a job that'll leave plenty of time to spend with you, the babies, and the twins."
     "Twins?" Hazel questioned with a raised eyebrow.
     Haley patted the top of Hazel's left breast like it was a precocious grandchild. "Oh, girl, don't tell me you or Kyle haven't given your ta-tas pet names yet. They're big enough to get their own rooms and allowance!"
     Hazel blushed again, reminded of graduation at the Space Service Academy when her own grandmother patted her on the head in front of God and everybody. It was so embarrassing, especially when the Academy Superintendent laughed. She had worked so hard in her training, coming in the top 5% of her class, and that little incident made her feel it went all to waste. She could manage only one exclamation of surprize. "Haley! Act your age!"
     The old and wise woman gave Hazel the best hug possible in the hot tub. "I am, sweetness, I am." The other women in the hot tub made small laughs. Hazel couldn't stay mad at Haley, for she was truly a helpful and blessed soul.


Halfway through the journey the Endeavour translated out of hyper, safely dissipating the energy that collected along its hull. It stayed out of hyper for a full day, sending and receiving messages both from Pacifica and Earth. The mission specialists reported no incidents of breast expansion and were warned by Dr. Sanada of the mutated bacteriological agent. Earth was told as well, with the request for a quarantine section be arranged on Luna Alpha just in case.
     In the Primary Life Support Office Captain Parker was asked to inspect a new piece of crew equipment. Keeping his bashfulness at bay, Kyle explained the specifics. "I've modified the standard female shipsuit to include small hologram screen projectors and touch controls on the front and side paneling. The controls are universal and can sync up to any control station via infrared and solid-connection fiber-optic cable." He indicated to one of his technicians, a shapely lass with a generous 208cm watermelon bust. "Most importantly, I've included null-grav strips on the undersides of the bust paneling. As long as a woman is wearing the shipsuit it will draw power from the floor, the null-grav reducing the apparent breast weight by 75%. Lamia is wearing one of the suits and is willing to perform a demonstration."
     Parker raised a forestalling hand. "I have faith that you made a winner, Kyle. No need to see a lovely lady play with her love muffins, I have Haley for that." Getting some strange, awkward stares from Kyle and Lamia, Parker made a quick amendment. "Not that there's anything wrong for that, as its proven that seeing ample breasts improves the health of a man. Just don't tell Haley I said that, understand?"
     "Your secret is safe with us, Captain," said a knowing Kyle.


Oscar waited outside the Sickbay while Michelle got her weekly checkup from Dr. Sanada. He was grateful for Kyle's new shipsuit design. While Michelle may be strong as they come he knew she couldn't take the strain of standing up for long periods of time. With no end to the expansion in sight Kyle was going to be busy constructing even more voluminous shipsuits.
     Michelle emerged, her suit-cladded bosom preceding her by a safe margin. Oscar got a look inside the Sickbay before the door closed, noting that even Sanada was as buxom as Michelle, appearing to have proper beachballs on her lap. "The adaption drugs and exercise regimen are working," she said. "Of course, I had a strong body to begin with, but the other women are coping just as well. I'm now up to 242 centimeters." For emphasis she placed a hand on a cladded breast that would've been mistaken as a personal pillow.
     "Wow, you Samoan women aren't pikers," Oscar commented. "Most of the other women are averaging 210cm at the moment."
     Michelle made a slight frown. "There's nothing average about Hazel, poor sweet thing. She's been growing faster than anyone else, and only me and Sanada come close in absolute size. Perhaps being so short to begin with she had extra energy in the tummy to fuel her growth."
     Oscar looked at the lovely curves and swells Michelle's bust made to her shipsuit. "I'd agree with that assumption. I think your growth has been fueled by all those burgers you've pounded down for the last few weeks. I'm glad all that weight didn't end up on your thighs and that slappable bottom."
     With a playful push of the bust Michelle made Oscar fall to the floor. "Behave yourself, little boy, or you won't get invited to my place tonight for a pillow fight."


7

The alarm rang out its irritating tone, rousing Hazel from her slumber. Gravity had been set to 25% overnight, making it easier for the red head to rest on her back without her unnaturally large lungs pressing down too hard. Maintenance had performed a marathon session in modifying her cabin to accommodate her new size. The number of partitions was reduced, making the five-room cabin into a two-room affair. The bath was opened to the master bedroom, and it took only a few steps to enter the newly enlarged shower, sitting on the bench and verbally order the computer to start the water. A low-level force field kept the water within the shower, but the computer would allow a person to enter and exit without penalty.
     Hazel washed one breast first, using a wash cloth applied to a plastic extender to reach all of her mass before moving onto the other. She actually showers twice a day, and if the shifts coincide Kyle helped with the evening shower. The modified shipsuits weren't quite perfected yet, resulting in sweat collecting at the bottom of the breast cups faster than it can be processed. With his big hands Kyle made short work of cleaning the breasts, often retracing his steps at Hazel's insistence to make sure no cease or fold was left untouched. The two conditions Kyle had to abide by was that he had to be in his beach trunks and that Hazel would take care of her 'private patch.'
     Drying off was accomplished with towels and strategically-positioned blowers. A light appliance of powder followed, finishing the process. With makeup and hair done it was at last time to don the shipsuit. It was attached to a rig in a corner of the bedroom, the top actually divided into  symmetrical halves. A weighted rope hung from the ceiling in front of the suit. With gravity lowered to 10% Hazel walked backwards until the rope made contact with her shoulder. She pulled the slack to her front and then climbed up a meter. The rig moved forward just enough so that the bottom half of the suit was under her. Deliberately she lowered herself, her feet and then legs covered by the shipsuit. Then came the difficult part.
     Like trying to put a plastic lid on a container that was slightly warped Hazel tried to get her breasts covered and the suit sealed. It was required that all on-duty personnel wear a shipsuit in case of accidental decompression or release of hazardous gasses. The suit came with a built in flash helmet and gloves that would cover the head and hands in seconds. So equipped, the suit could act like a limited space suit with a two-hour air supply. Right now Hazel just wanted the suit to fit. She would get one breast covered only to have it pop out when tending to the other. This went on for five minutes until she tried another tack. Little by little, she had both breasts within the cups and gradually raised the gravity while closing the front at the same time. A green tell-tale told Hazel the seal was complete. Happy, she had the null-gravity strips in the suit cups come to full power and had cabin gravity to full. The suit disconnected from the rig, and Hazel made her first triumphal step.
     Then the seal failed, both halves of the top flying open like a pair of unsecured windows in a windstorm. Hazel's breasts were luxuriant in the light, slightly trembling from the energy of  the release. The little woman didn't bother with the rope; she simply crawled out the suit at full gravity, performing her own pantomime of a butterfly leaving its cocoon. She kicked the suit to the corner in a fit of tears and made for her bed, coming to rest on top of her breasts. With urgency she clutched a pillow to her face and cried into it, ignoring the buzzer that undoubtedly had Oscar on the other side, wondering what was holding up his chief assistant.


Kyle rang the buzzer outside of Hazel's cabin five times in two minutes. He knew she was in there, and Oscar requested that he go and see her immediately. Using a private key, Kyle entered the cabin, finding the lights down low and hearing a faint sobbing sound coming from the bedroom. He entered, finding Hazel lying on the bed, flanked by her enormous breasts with the equally large shipsuit in a corner, apparently tossed in frustration. Having heard from Dr. Sanada directly, Kyle knew Hazel played host to a beanbag chair bust of 335cm and was still growing at 3 centimeters per day.
     "I didn't report to my shift today, Kyle," the little redhead said after a sob. "I tried and tried and tried to get my suit on but I'm now just too big to do it alone. Even with all the features you made, and voice-activated gravity control, I just couldn't get it to fit!" She broke out into another sob, Kyle knowing better that to interfere with a woman's tears. "How can I do anything with my life now? I'll just keep growing and growing until I'm crushed under my boobs."
     Saying anything now wasn't going to do any good. Kyle simply undressed and got into bed with Hazel, moving underneath her right breast to get as close to her as possible. He stroked her fine red hair and wiped away tears with his fingers. Hazel clasped onto his hand and held it as best she could to her beating heart. Her crying stopped, and after a long pause she kissed Kyle's hand, softly saying 'thank you.' The couple stayed in the cabin for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. They needed the time together.


8

Captain Parker looked about the bridge, taking stock of what he saw. Crew spirits were high as the Endeavour was now only two weeks out from Earth. The doctors had finally figured a way to halt the breast growth but it hardly mattered now as Nature had run its course. Apart from three exceptions, every crew woman now had an average bust size of 230cm, varying no more or less than 5%. Dr. Hiromi Sanada was at 257cm, owner of a pair of proud beachballs and was thoroughly enjoying the company of Pacifican doctor Daniel Frohlander. Helm Officer Michelle Tiumalu was even bigger at 295cm. She was on the bridge for her shift rotation. If one didn't know any better it appeared she was touching her overfilled beachball breasts for no reason, but was actually operating the helm controls thanks to an innovative and inspired shipsuit design made by Kyle Maklin.
     For being the shortest woman aboard Hazel Youngerford was also the largest with room-dominating 370cm beanbag breasts. She worked her duty shift in her cabin, using the same touch-control and holo display shipsuit the rest of the crew women wore. Her boyfriend Kyle and everyone else treated the pneumatic woman with great tenderness and support, but an air of melancholy still floated over her. As if reading his mind, Haley entered the bridge. "Joshua, me and the other Pacificans decided that a ship-wide celebration is in order. We won't be able to have an 'intimate' one all to ourselves once we make planetfall, too many noses under the tent and that sort of thing."
     "What do you have in mind, Haley," the Captain said with interest.
     "A dancing gala, complete with Seattle steaks and music from a eleven-piece band. If the girls lack dresses, we can make them with the good services of the Quartermaster, Mr. Maklin and his technicians."
     Parker grunted. "Good idea, Haley. Inform the appropriate members of my crew. But this party must happen no later than two days from planetfall. We must allow time for cleanup and putting on our best face for the media."
     Haley went up to her man and kissed him on the cheek, the bridge crew keeping their grins out of view. "You won't be disappointed, my honey-do."


It was a grand party, with no expense spared on fine food and the best champagne from deep storage saved for such an occasion. The band was composed of both Earthers and Pacificans, playing an ancient form of music known as 40s big band. What all the female crew wore were adaptions of a standard Pacifican evening dress. A slit on the left side went up to the upper thigh, and a soft fabric belt went around the waist. The top was made of gossamer silk, making the breasts visible but muted past the delicate fabric. There were solid panels on the underside of the breasts, each containing null-gravity strips powered by current passing from the floor, up insulated nano-wires in the dress shoes and panty hose. Following Pacifican tradition, nipple caps completed the ensemble along with jewelry and exquisitely mastered hairstyles.
     The talk of the party was Oscar and Michelle. Using his artistic skills, Oscar painted Michelle's breasts to resemble azimuthal projections of Earth and Pacifica's northern hemispheres respectively. To complete the effect Michelle's nipple caps were white, matching the two planets' north poles. Obviously she couldn't make use of null-gravity strips, but her strength and endurance allowed her to remain standing for much of the evening.
     While Oscar and Michelle were the talk of the party it was Hazel and Kyle that were the ones that brought it to life. Kyle looked handsome in the tuxedo the ship's Quartermaster had assembled on the fly. Hazel's dress was bright yellow with a yellow gossamer top. Unlike the others this top showed all of her cleavage and it became apparent why. The couple had the honor of the first dance, and with Kyle flanked on both sides by Hazel's succulent breast flesh they slow danced to both the music and and cheers of their crewmates. When Hazel cried after the dance it was from happiness, and she didn't care that others were watching when she smothered Kyle with kisses.
     After the party all the myriad couples went to quarters for more intimate activity. For having her breasts expertly painted Michelle decided to do something for Oscar. Using paint and brush she gave him a tattoo, known as a pe'a in Samoan, though it was only temporary. "You believe your father will allow me to have one of these pe'a for real?" Oscar said, his eyes more on Michelle's paintwork than on the closeness of her breasts. "That'll mean working the skin and pigment and all that entails. From what you showed me I bet it's painful."
     "Only if he used the old methods, " Michelle chided. "He used the more modern technique on me." Though he couldn't see it now, Oscar knew Michelle had a small, elaborate tattoo around her belly button and a beaded line that followed the curve of her waist and going down the sides of her legs. "Besides, showing no discomfort while the pe'a is applied is a sign of manhood. As much as what we've accomplished in finding fellow humans on this trip he'll be just as impressed if you get an extensive pe'a as part of becoming a member of the family."
     Oscar grinned like an idiot. "Oh, so will that mean I'll have to follow other Samoan traditions, like begetting a large family? Like seven or ten children?" He patted Michelle's left breast. "You'll well equipped to nurse a horde of babies."
     In a playful spat Michelle dabbed Oscar's nose with the brush, making it red. "You're already chest-deep in my valley, my ebon prince. I'll certainly oblige by making you knee-deep in rugrats as well."


Like a loyal puppy Kyle followed Hazel back to her cabin. He was certain what was going to happen next right after she said she was 'changing into something more comfortable.' After what felt like an eternity but was actually four minutes Hazel had her expectant man enter the bedroom. He saw Hazel sitting on the edge of the bed like an imperial queen, her full shapely breasts like great mastiffs on the floor in front of her. Just as she calculated that Kyle was at maximum interest she voice-ordered the cabin computer to change the lighting. It took a moment to register, but Kyle knew it was ultraviolet 'black' light. An object coated with UV-reactive substances would shine in black light, just like Hazel was doing now, specifically her breasts. The room was illuminated by their purple glow, her little nipples fire red and fingernails a bright green.
     "Okay, lover," she said seductively. "Strip. I've got something for you to see." Hazel couldn't help but chuckle as Kyle practically ripped the clothes from his body like he was on fire. "Good boy. Now flick my left nipple." When the huge man obliged he was treated to great wonder. Lines of blue light radiated out from the nipple, forming a pattern that Kyle recognized as the circuit schematic of his primary control panel. Hazel beckoned and got Kyle's hand, in which she placed a large broad-point pen. "Yesterday I had Oscar and Michelle use UV electric-link paint on my body, creating this wonderful display. Now, my clever man, if you can find the break and fix it you'll get a just reward."
    Be the thorough type, Kyle took his time as he followed the lines on the left breast, tracing them with his finger and feeling the soft, yielding flesh underneath. He had to stop several times when Hazel broke out in fits of giggling, for her sensitivity to be tickled had increased along with her breast size. Once the 'break' was found and fixed a whole new set of lines, pink this time, appeared to highlight various parts of her body. It was a treat for the eyes that Kyle treasured deeply. "Gravity 10%" Hazel commanded, and the computer obeyed, making Hazel's task of parting her breasts that much easier. "The reward is yours," she said delightfully, "but first you have to break the seal." She wore a string panty, and it only took the tug from Kyle's pinkie to remove it. Having practiced the preliminary stages in the months leading up to this moment the couple went the distance, climaxing only after putting out a 110% effort. Afterward they rested, Kyle taking residence in Hazel's cleavage and kissing her every so often.
     "I think we've forgotten something," Hazel said as she teased Kyle's hair.
     The big man lifted his head out of his woman's ampleness. "Protection? No, we've agreed on that." He rubbed Hazel's belly for emphasis.
     A playful slap to the top of Kyle's head was delivered by the little woman. "Not that, you big silly. You haven't thrown the other switch."
     Pulling himself out further, made easy in the greatly reduced gravity, Kyle placed his big hand on Hazel's right nipple. "What will happen if I flip this switch?"
     "You'll find another break in the circuit, lover. Fix it and this time we'll definitely see God."
     Needless to say, both weren't disappointed.


9

The Endeavour reached Earth after its nine month voyage. For the crew and Pacificans they were given temporary quarters on Luna Alpha, held in an understandable quarantine for two weeks until it was clear there was no danger of the bacteriological agent being spread. Once released the crew was treated like heroes and given honors, becoming stars along with the Pacificans. Had the crew's expansion not happened the media would've only made some discreet and indirect references to the Pacifican womens' busts. That the expansion did happen made the reporters and editors control themselves to a high degree, leaving it to low-brow noisemakers to comment at their peril. Hiromi, Michelle and Hazel had fun at the great expense of those unfortunates who were so base and uncouth in discussing this so-called 'delicate condition' they shared.
     Within a year all the Endeavour women got married and had their first children, but not necessarily in that order. Of the men that waited for their women to return there was a handful that couldn't accept the change in the relationship dynamics. Due to life extension, those men had centuries to live with that decision as they witnessed what they missed, and regretted it to their dying days. Captain Joshua Parker and Haley Cole got married and became the official grandparents of the 2nd Union, working together to ensure the new nation avoided the pitfalls of the previous one. Hiromi Sanada and her Pacifican husband Daniel Frohlander became experts on breast health. They were to first to document the primary difference between the buxomness of the enhanced crew women and natural Pacifican women. Each time the crew women got pregnant their busts expanded 15 to 20 centimeters, and it was a perminent addition as practically all of the pregnancy weight gain went into the breasts. Hiromi stopped after her sixth child, feeling that a 369cm beanbag chair bust was just the perfect size for her, and Daniel was all too pleased to suggest otherwise.
     Oscar and Michelle had the most celebrated marriage in the history of the Samoan Islands. He endure the ritual of the pe'a like a man should, becoming a member of the extended family. Michelle fulfilled her duty by providing five beautiful daughters over a space of 12 years, and in the process made her bust love-sofa size at 407cm. When the planet Sahara was declared safe for colonization, making it the third world of the 2nd Union, Oscar agreed to relocate the family there, provided Michelle was willing to give two more tries in providing a son. She agreed, and even if no sons were produced there would be two more daughters to love and cherish.The consolation prize of gaining 50 more centimeters of life-affirming frontage would be appreciate by Oscar as well as Michelle.
     Hazel, being a very exceptional woman, also had an exceptional expansion. In fourteen years she had eight children. Her life extension still held back in one area, having only letting her grow 3cm taller, but her bust more than compensated by taking her up to a sofa-sized 562cm. Kyle, the very model of a devoted husband and family man, started a clothing business that tailored to tall men, short women, and the large breasted. The business was called Tailored to Fit. All the female descendents of the Endeavour crew had on average a 204cm watermelon bust. His null-gravity bras increased in sales as each new generation brought forth more and more very endowed women.
     In their huge, private north Nevada home Hazel and Kyle treated the extended family to a party. Kyle announced that the first Tailored to Fit franchise on Pacifica was set to open. But that wasn't the only announcement. Out on the patio deck in the warm May Nevada sun, with Hazel clad just in shorts, head scarf and nipple caps, the couple informed their guests that there was room for two more children in their family. One had to be living under rock not to know they had love to spare, and no-one could fault them for wanting more little ones around. What they did not know was that Hazel had a private reason for having two more children, for she wanted to have a 6 meter sofa and endtable sized bust. Having two more children would ensure that she would be the most endowed woman of the human race for decades, if not centuries, to come. While all the kin congratulated the couple Kyle softly squeezed Hazel's hand in approval; he was more than willing to help his sweet love reach her goal.
END
 44

Thanks to Woot for his editorial suggestions. A tip of the hat to Gunbuster, Sheber, Corinne, The Surgeon, and Stingray for their help in past stories. The character Hazel was inspired by Redcat.


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