Dr. Koizumi could not help but smile to himself as he walked down the hallway of the campus building. This area was very much old-style offices, almost quaint, feeling almost out of place on the more modern campus. Hadn't they heard of modernism, he thought as he walked.

He got to the elevator and took it down to the third floor, where his office was set up, thankful that at least that area of the building had been updated. Of course, the bottom few floors were more for research anyway so modern was what they needed, especially for his line of work. When one is a neuroscientist, quaint does not cut it.

As he got out, he looked out a nearby window and saw a group of students gathering with a few signs. Likely this a demonstration about Vietnam, he guessed, but he didn't stop to see more. It wasn't his cause and his home country was not directly involved, so he didn't worry much about it.

Finally, he got to his office and opened the door to see another professor waiting for him, his dean. The dean smiled at him.

"Sorry for letting myself in, but I wanted to see how everything was going."

Dr. Koizumi could hear the anxiety in the dean's voice and he thought it best to both soothe his worries and be as truthful as possible.

"While we have had some issues with the equipment and some staff being uncomfortable with the experiments, overall it is going very well. The first five transplants have been great successes using brain-dead donor bodies and volunteers for the heads, and our first one without me as the lead was also a very successful, as you can plainly see."

"It's just, it's not the success, it's how we've done it."

"We've gone beyond what the medical ethics require. Yes, I can understand the consternation with not doing it with respect to race or gender but that is not how genetics or organ compatibility works. I think once we show the research and the results it will still be a challenge, but given how fast social norms are changing I am less concerned than I think you are of this."

"Remember, I'm the one who gets disgraced and fired if this goes wrong," the dean pointed out. "You merely return to your university."

"Possibly, but I think that is the worst-case. Remember, we have successes, one of which is me. I would say to not worry, but it is your job to do so."

"True, yes." The dean laughed. "Anyway, good to hear things are going well overall. Just keep me informed."

"Yes, always, sir." Dr. Koizumi said as the dean left

Dr. Koizumi shrugged and sat down, crossing his legs and reading a status report on a new machine they were modifying. He smiled as he read, shifting his legs slightly. While he hadn't particularly wanted to be a woman, he had to admit, he didn't mind it. Plus,, he thought, this showed not only his commitment and that his technique worked outside of him, but it also showed he personally wasn't worried about the "issues" that become seemingly paramount when compatibility takes a front seat to every other consideration.

He hoped it would help. Time would tell.