Harry and Max were on campus for the experiment they were a part of. Jimmy was to meet them for lunch. He entered Robert's Hall and found the lab. He went in, and saw Harry and Max on some kind of exercise machine. Both were struggling. Three men in lab coats were monitoring them. No one noticed Jimmy.

The older man was the first to talk. "That's the last rep, boys. Thanks. Looks like each of you has gotten stronger. Max, that was 4000 pounds. Harry, 4100." Both lifters were covered in sweat.

Harry turned to Max. "Got ya!"

"Til next time," replied Max. Max noticed Jimmy standing in the door. "Hey Jim. Be with ya after we shower." The older white coat turned to Jimmy. Jimmy recognized him as Professor Apple. He'd be in Apple's class on biogenetics next semester.

"Doc, this is our friend Jim Schumaker. Jim, this is Doctor Apple. The doc is doing the study we're involved in."

"Nice to meet you Jim."

"Nice to meet you. I'm signed up for your class next semester."

"Really? Are you a biology major?"

"Double degree candidate, sir. I'm getting my B.S. in Biology and my B.S. in Chemistry."

"That's a lot of work. I hope you know that my class is rough. I expect a lot from my students."

"That's fine with me, sir. I have a 4.0 GPA now, so I think I can handle it."

While Harry and Max showered, the professor and Jimmy continued to talk. The professor was impressed with Jim, and asked if he'd like to work in the lab. "We need undergraduates to monitor some of the experiments. You might like it." Jimmy accepted.

Tom was thrilled that his brother was working in the lab that Harry and Max went to. Charlie still didn't trust any experiment, and this would give them someone on the inside to let them know what was going on.

"Besides. Max and Harry seem to be making some good gains," said Tommy.

"Oh, that's probably just because of the equipment. State of the art stuff. It uses magnetics and hydrolics for resistance, and adapts to the lifter. Probably helps them get a good pump."

While Jimmy monitored other subjects, some stronger than Max and Harry, some weaker, he read some of Dr. Apple's papers. The lab was involved in a research project to understand strength. In particular, the doctor had recruited men who displayed above average strength -- supermen like Charlie, Tommy, Harry, Max, and others. The doctor was trying to understand the source of the strength.

As Jimmy became more aquainted with the workings of the lab, he discovered that there were three projects going on simultaneously. One involved the supermen. It measured their strength, modelled their DNA and body chemistry and looked at how these things changed pre and post workout and over time. The second project sought to apply the first research to normal subjects to improve their abilities. Publicly, this project was funded by a muscular dystrophy organization, but Jimmy learned it was really funded by the military. The last project was more secret. Jimmy thought it had something to do to further enhance the supermen.

Jimmy aced Professor Apple's course, which enhanced his status in the lab. By the end of Jim's junior year, the Dr. Apple was getting him more involved with the nuts and bolts of the research. Dr. Apple even signed off on a research independent study for Jim's senior year.

"Jim, I've been thinking about your senior project. I think you're ready to make a major contribution for us. As you know, we've identified hormonal difference in our Study-1 subjects. This enables them to develop excess slow and fast twitch fibers. It also seems to allow many to hyper-contract their muscle tissue. This manifests itself as increased strength. What you may not know is that we identified the gene that produces the hormone. It's a mutation on the long arm of the Y chromome."

"That's great professor. That would explain why only men manifest the strength and not women."

"That's right. And for the past year, I've been working on a way to splice that gene into a normal man. I've had some success with using a virus to insert the gene, but there are two problems. First, the subject's immune system seems to attack the virus, so we don't get good diffusion in the system. Second, once inserted, the gene remains inert. We don't know what activates it. Do either of these sound like good projects for you to work on?"

"Yes, sir. Can I think about it and get back to you tomorrow."

"That would be a good idea."

Jim wanted to confer with Tommy and Charlie. For a couple years, he had been allowing them to train in the state-of-the-art gym after everyone had left. Both had made substantial gains in size and strength. Tonight was a back workout.

Tommy was doing lat pulldowns using magnetic resistence when Jimmy broached the subject with Charlie. Charlie listened as Tommy finished his final rep before the machine maxed him out at a little over 6 tons. "I'll beat this sucker yet."

"I doubt it, big boy," said Charlie. "These machines are designed for guys like us." Charlie started his workout, and the machine quickly adjusted to poundage to give him a great pump.

"Jim, I think you should look at what turns this gene on. I mean, you and I are twins. We've got the same genes, but you don't have my strength. Don't you want to know why?"

"Ya, but I think the other problem is easier. Virology is state-of-the-art stuff right now, and it would help me get into grad school if I crack this problem. My technique might even be able to be applied to other diseases."

"Why not do both?" Charlie grunted, unable to push out a rep at nearly 4 and a half tons.

"I don't think Dr. Apple would let me?"

"Does he need to know?"

Jimmy took Charlie's advice. He got blood samples from Tommy and Charlie, and sure enough, both had high levels of the muscle hormone in their systems. Tommy's was one and a half times as high as Charlies, and three times higher than either Harry or Max. As he suspected, the hormone was absent from his system. He used the remaining blood samples to map their Y-chromosomes. As he suspected, he and Tommy were identical. This was Jimmy's secret project.

For his senior project, Jim did research on immune responses to viruses. Some research suggested turning the immune system off, but Jimmy didn't like that. If the immune system could be tricked into believing the virus were from the subject's own body, that solution would be better. Professor Apple agreed, and provided Jimmy with a blood sample from the first subject.

He was a soldier who had "volunteered" to be part of the research. According to his stats sheet, he was six feet tall and weighed 145 pounds. He barely was able to complete boot camp, and was assigned to KP where 'he couldn't do any harm.'. Jimmy tested this soldier's blood, and found no trace of the muscle hormone. His Y chromosome lacked the mutation to produce it.

Jimmy then did tests to identify genetic markers common to this solider's muscle cells. He found several candidates, and he and the professor spliced the markers into the RNA for the virus. Next, they tested the candidates on white cells grown from the soldier's blood. Several of the candidates were immediate failures. The white cells attacked the virus and destroyed it. One virus, however, worked perfectly. There was only a .01 reaction to the virus, and it was able to infect 99.7 percent of the cells in the culture. Professor Apple was ecstatic. He would arrange to have the soldier come to their lab after Christmas break.

During the break, Jimmy continued his secret experiment. He added some of the Tommy's muscle hormone to some of his blood cultures. Within hours, there was no trace of the hormone. It was like his blood just absorbed it. Jim hypothesized that maybe that's what was happening. His body WAS producing the hormone, but something in his system absorbed it. Perhaps the trigger actually turned off this absorption process.

When the soldier showed up in the lab, he was told to remove his shirt and pants. The only word to describe him was Wimp (with a capital W). His ribs were visible under his skin. He was flat chested and his stomach pushed out from lack of muscle tone. His arms measured 10 inches around. "I joined the army so they could make me a man," he said. "That's why I'm here. They couldn't do it. Maybe you can." The only thing large about the soldier, whose name was Jeff, was his cock. It was larger than Tommy's at 14.5 inches, but still smaller than Jim's 15 inch monster.

Jim ran the soldier through a series of exercise. He could barely curl 50 pounds. His bench press was only 90 pounds. He couldn't squat 50 pounds without breaking into a sweat.

"OK, Jeff. We're going to give you a shot now. We'll be putting you up in a hotel room for the next few months, and Jim will monitor your condition. Let us know everything." Jeff got the shot of the virus.

The next day, Jeff said he felt like he had the flu. He had a temperature of 101, sweats and body aches. At first, Jim and the professor feared that he was rejecting the virus, but he wasn't. Yes, he was having an immune response, but the virus was replicating and splicing the muscle mutation into his Y chromosomes. Daily blood tests showed the progess from 1% to 90% within the first week. After seven days, Jeff said he felt great, almost like a new man. That's when he began to change.

The first signs were that his stomach began to flatten. His ribs became less visible, and his chest showed the slightest hint of definition. In the gym, he began to lift heavier and heavier weights. His bench press jumped to 150 pounds during the second week, and 225 in the third. He began to curl 100 pounds, then 120, as his biceps broke the 14 inch mark. By then end of January, he was benching 300, curling 145, and squatting 400. He looked like a soldier.

During February, Jeff began to complain that the weights were too light. His body weight broke 200 pounds, though he kept a 28 inch waist with an amazingly defined 8-pack. His chest reached 48 inches, and his biceps broke 17. His thighs were 27. He was growing amazingly fast. Blood tests confirmed the muscle hormone in his system, though not yet at superman levels.

That changed in March. The tests showed an incredible increase in the hormone in Jeff's blood. It was higher than the concentration in Charlies. Jeff had an insatiable appetite, and it seemed it body metabolized food into muscle quickly. By the end of the month, he was stronger than either Harry or Max in every lift. By mid April, he was stronger than Charlie. Blood tests showed Jeff had more hormone in his blood than even Tommy. This both scared and thrilled Jim.

It was near the end of the school year, and Jim was about to graduate as the class valedictorian. He was supervising one of Jeff's workouts, lifting weights he'd only seen his brother attempt. Jeff worked out shirtless, in spandex running shorts. Jim thought he was the second hottest man he'd ever seen, after Charlie.

"Jim, I want to thank you. All my life I've been weak. You turned me into the hulk. Thanks." Jeff walked over to Jim, took his hand, then pulled him close and gave him a hug. There was a tear in Jeff's eye and he hugged the small scientist.

"Sorry, guy. Guess I shouldn't get this emotional, but it means so much to me. I mean, look at how big I am." Jeff hit a most muscular pose that rivalled his brother's. Jim began to get a hard-on.

"Hey, Jim. Ya know that don't ask, don't tell stuff. I got a feeling about you. Maybe you want me to tell, if I ask you?"

"Huh?"

"Jim, I'm gay. Always have been. I got a feeling you are too. Am I right?"

Jim nodded. Jeff walked over to Jim, hugged him, and lifted him into his massive arms. He carried Jim into the shower area. Slowly and passionately, Jeff kissed Jim, unbuttoning Jim's shirt and removing his pants. Jeff put his big hand on Jim's crotch. It was hard. "Mmmmmm" sighed Jeff. He broke the embrace and removed his shorts, freeing his massive meat. He then lowered Jim's shorts, freeing Jim's more-than-ample endowment. "Fuck." Jeff said, as he grabbed Jim's horsecock. He placed his next to Jim's only to see that Jim was bigger. "Oh ya, fucking turn on."

"Your body is a turn on. God, I love your muscle," said Jim, realizing his secret desire for the first time. Jim wanted to be like Tommy. Jim wanted the strength he had given to Jeff. Jim wanted Jeff. The two made love. •