A Taller Anita Arrives On Mars
And it’s not a bad thing
“Your teleportation journey from Earth is successful. Welcome to Mars, Anita Singh,” announced the AI.
Anita stumbled out of the pod, disoriented. “Something’s… wrong,” she mumbled.
“Ms. Anita?” A voice crackled through the intercom. “How do you feel?”
“I feel… taller?” Anita looked down at her elongated body. “What’s happening?”
“Stand by, Ms. Anita. We’re assessing the situation.”
Hours later, in an urgent meeting on Earth:
“Ladies and gentlemen,” began Dr. Zhao, the project lead, “we have a situation. Anita Singh, the first human we teleported to Mars, has arrived… two feet taller than when she left Earth.”
Gasps filled the room.
“How is this possible?” demanded General Harris. “The teleportation technology was perfect on Earth!”
Dr. Zhao sighed. “It was perfect on Earth, where it was subject to Earth's gravity. However, when subjected to the lower gravity on Mars, it affected the reassembly process, resulting in an elongated body.”
“Can we fix it?” asked Sarah Cole, the project manager.
“Not immediately,” Dr. Zhao replied. “We need time for research, the fix, and the testing-”
“Time?” interrupted Sarah. “We don’t have time! We’re supposed to move a million people to Mars in the next six months!”
General Harris slammed his fist on the table. “We can’t send a million stretched-out humans to Mars!”
Sarah checked her tablet. “Anita Singh is requesting a video call. Should we accept?”
“Put her through,” Dr. Zhao nodded.
Anita’s face appeared on the screen. “Hello, Earth. I assume you’ve noticed my… growth spurt?”
“Ms. Anita,” General Harris leaned forward, “how are you coping?”
“Surprisingly well,” Anita replied. “The lower gravity here on Mars makes the extra height manageable. I can reach things more easily and see farther. It’s not all bad.”
The room fell silent, processing this information.
“What if,” Sarah said slowly, “we spin this as a feature, not a bug?”
“Excuse me?” General Harris frowned.
“Think about it,” Sarah continued. “We’re not just offering a new world, but a new you. Taller, lighter, able to see farther…”
Dr. Zhao nodded. “We could market it as an evolution — the next step for humanity.”
“This is preposterous,” General Harris sputtered.
“Actually,” Dr. Zhao mused, “it might work. Ms. Anita, would you be willing to be the face of this… ‘enhancement’?”
Anita grinned. “I’d be standing tall and proud to do so.”
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