Jade sat in the waiting room at 2B Labs, looking out through the wide window onto the 2B Lab’s recovery gardens. The verdant gardens were spread out between the buildings of the laboratory’s sprawling campus, a carefully arranged mixture of meadows and miniature woodlands, natural lakes and artificial pools, flower beds and well-tended paths; all intended to help subjects and clients get used to their new bodies in a relaxing environment. Jade didn’t know much of this. In fact, she knew relatively little about the place except they were offering good money for clinical trials. The advert had been circulated through her university’s botany department with some skepticism: a treatment that would produce chlorophyll in the subject’s skin, allowing them to survive without food for weeks. It seemed a strange idea to Jade, but curiosity - and the need for a bit of surplus cash - had led her to apply.
She stood from her chair and walked towards the window, focussing on a distant pool, trying to make sense of the two figures standing there: one a blazing orange, the other blue, but looking surprisingly… curvaceous. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening behind her, soft footsteps heading towards the waiting area.
“Ms. Jade?” The voice called out, young and female, kind of cute sounding. Jade tried to build a mental picture of the speaker before she turned around, the woman standing before her beating all expectations. Jade tried to look straight at her, but her eyes wandered upwards, past the bubblegum-pink hair to the equally pink cat-like ears nestled there, twitching slightly.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Summers, and I’ll be conducting your trial today,” the newcomer extended a hand. If she noticed Jade staring at her ears, she was careful not to let it show.
“Hi… pleased to meet you…” Jade replied, distracted by trying to work out if those ears were real or not, mutely following as Dr Summers turned to walk back to her office, gesturing to Jade to follow, the pink tail curling out from the back of her lab coat only giving Jade another thing to stare at.
The office was small but comfortable, the opposite wall dominated by another large window looking out into the gardens. Dr Summers sat down at her desk, tidying away a few papers, Jade sitting opposite. She brushed aside what looked like a photo of a shark-human hybrid, overlaid with a pattern of blues and yellows, setting in its place Jade’s own folder.
“So… welcome to 2B Laboratories! Please call me Kate, I’m only Dr Summers when there’s others watching. I understand this is your first time with us, so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to interrupt me,” Kate smiled at Jade, warm and kind, though Jade still kept glancing up at her ears. Finally, the young doctor seemed to notice, blushing brightly. “And to answer your first… yes, I am a catgirl…” she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it around one ear, showing it was truly part of her. She smiled a little “Just one of the perks of the job. Here at 2B Labs we work with all kinds of treatments that can modify a person’s body, temporarily or permanently. We’ve gotten animal changes pretty sorted, but plants present an… interesting challenge, merging animal and plant DNA.This treatment represents a first step in seeing how far we can incorporate plant traits into a human, starting with chlorophyll…”
Dr Summers continued to explain the treatment, Jade only half paying attention, still somewhat distracted by that pink tail swishing idly behind the desk. Something about developing chlorophyll in the skin, producing sugars from sunlight and air, letting people survive without food for weeks. A treatment created from a blend of different plants, the scientists not quite sure which would be most effective. It had seemed such a far-fetched idea, but given the evidence in front of her it suddenly seemed quite plausible, making Jade increasingly apprehensive it might actually do something.
“Okay!” Kate set the file down with a snap, getting Jade’s attention. “All your paperwork and tests came through fine, so we’re ready to begin, if you’re ready?”
Jade gulped, weighing up the options, apprehension steadily turning back into curiosity. “Yeah. I’m ready.” She replied, trying to maintain her composure and smiling back at Kate, despite her heart pounding in her chest.
Jade stood in the middle of the test chamber, staring at her reflection in the mirror, fidgeting a little with the green bikini-like underwear she’d been given. It was designed to leave as much skin bare as possible, the fabric largely transparent to red and blue light, to help ensure what was covered up could still absorb enough light for the chlorophyll. Around her, Kate was setting up an array of gleaming sun lamps, aiming them directly at Jade.
“Okay… so these should ensure you’re fully bathed in sunlight. Well, artificial sunlight. In theory, it should help encourage the growth of chlorophyll… and… there.” Kate retreated to the bench at the back, putting on a pair of black goggles, specially adapted to work with her cat ears. She returned with a normal pair of sunglasses, a small paper cup of pills, and a glass of water. “Alright… these are for you. Enjoy!” She grinned, Jade only now noticing the slight point to her fangs, adding to her catlike features.
Jade pulled the sunglasses on, taking the two cups as Kate went to switch the lights on. Bathed in warming light, Jade looked down at the pills before her, glowing a strange pink colour that conjured up thoughts of flowers more than leaves.she wondered if it could really work, figuring there was only one way to find out. She tipped the pills into her mouth, swallowing them down with water before she had second thoughts.
Jade stood a moment, glancing between the reflection and down to her feet. “How long should this take to kick in?”
“Afraid we’re not quite sure… will probably take a few minutes to work it’s way through your stomach, I’m afraid.” Kate stepped beside her, clipboard in hand, still smiling kindly, cast in strange shadows by the lamps. “Just let me know if you feel anything… good, bad, strange.”
Jade nodded, turning back to look at her reflection, pale flesh gleaming in the light, in stark contrast to her jet black hair. She stood for a while, feeling nothing as the pills worked their way through her body, slowly being absorbed into her bloodstream and carried through her body. Bathed in the warm light, she began to feel surprisingly good, skin tingling a little. Stepping closer to the mirror, she noticed her veins seemed to be standing out more, the skin around them changing in hue.
“Kate… I think it’s starting…” Holding her arms out, Jade could see the skin around her veins was becoming faintly green, gradually spreading out over the rest of her skin. The more it spread, the better the light felt on her skin, tingling pleasantly.
“How does it feel? Good, I hope?” Kate asked, as much out of genuine concern as scientific curiosity, jotting down notes.
“Yeah, I think I can feel it in my skin… absorbing the light. Feels warm, kinda nice.” She smiled, running her fingers down her torso, the green colour becoming richer with each passing moment.
Kate stepped closer, lifting her sungoggles briefly to get a better look at how Jade’s colour was progressing, noticing her skin was becoming oddly shiny, rough skin texture shifting to the smoothness of a leaf.
“Oh! It’s feeling… I dunno, tight?” Flexing her arms out in front of her, Jade could feel her skin toughening, growing tighter, the changes progressing further than Kate had intended or anticipated. Plant DNA was mingling with her own, the cells of her skin taking on the qualities of a plant’s stem, stiffening a little. “This is really weird…”
“May I?” Kate stepped closer, extending a hand out.
“Err… sure…” Jade replied, flexing her body a little, not quite getting used to her new skin’s feel and flexibility.
Kate gently pressed her hand to Jade’s shoulder, squeezing gently, unable to press far into her toughened skin. There was still soft flesh beneath, but the new plant cells making up Jade’s skin had remarkable stiffness.
“Okay, plant skin too…” Kate thought out loud, gently pressing a palm to Jade’s chest. “Still breathing, so the good news is you’re still an animal, unless there are any more changes?” She said it as a joke, but the truth was Kate was pretty relieved.
“I don’t think so…” Jade looked down at herself, confident she was still the same apart from her skin. “Say, do you think we could go outside? I’d like to feel the real sun on me.”
“Oh!” Dr Summers eyes lit up. “Sure, of course. I’ll just write a few things down, then we can take a walk in the garden, you can get to know your fellow plants…”
The sun shone down on the pair as they walked along the path, Jade rejoicing in its light while Dr Summers rolled up her sleeves, a little stifled by her lab coat. Jade’s skin tingled more and more as they walked between rows of trees, her green colour almost camouflaging her against them.
“This feels nice…” Jade started, glancing up at the plants and trees around her, lifting her sunglasses briefly. As the real sunlight hit Jade’s eyes, her irises shifted from brown to a vibrant pink, an odd quirk from the treatment helping filter out UV - not that she or Kate noticed at first. “But I’m feeling strangely… not quite thirsty, but like I really need some water, if that makes sense?”
“I think so…” Kate frowned, a little concerned “We can easily get you a drink, or go back inside if you would like to shower? It could be your skin is drying out or-”
“I have an idea!” Jade interrupted, calling over her shoulder, already sprinting off towards the closest pool, feeling so energetic now in the sunlight. Reaching the side of the pool, she carefully sat down, lowering her legs into the cool waters, swishing them back and forth. Instantly, she felt so cool and refreshed, relaxing a little.
“How does it feel?” Kate had finally caught up, sticking to the dappled shade of the trees by the side of the pool, looking at the emerald woman as she cooled herself in the water. Kate’s tail flicked behind her, as if seeking the warmth of the sun the rest of her shunned.
“Pretty refreshing, actually.” Jade glanced down into the pool, staring at her slender legs as she kicked them back and forth, watching the light dancing off the water’s surface. The cool waters seemed to satisfy that strange desire inside her, quenching her growing thirst, her legs feeling so cold compared to the rest of her body still basking in the water. The strong sunlight was warming her emerald body, invigorating her, helping fuel the next wave of changes.
Below the surface of the pool, she could feel her feet shifting a little, wiggling her toes as they spread out into the water, flexing more than she thought possible. Peering down into the water, Jade could see her skin was starting to change colour below the surface, green giving way to a rich brown. The previously shiny skin grew slightly full and rough, the supple bark of a sapling. Her toes grew slightly longer, white at the tips, the tapering shape looking almost like claws - though Jade instantly realised she was growing roots.
“I... I’m still changing?” A wave of cool spread up through her legs, her feet beginning to absorb the water of the pool, passing it up through her body. She felt a slight tensing in her limbs as her body continued to adapt, xylem growing and joining her blood vessels through her body, the changes gradually progressing upward. Kate stepped forward, looking down into the pool at Jade’s feet, her eyes moving up her legs. The bark was progressing upwards, past her knees, fading back to green at the base of her thighs. They were bulging a little, swelling with each passing moment, skin getting brighter and firmer as her developing plant tissue filled with water.
“Oh, hmm... it looks like your body is adapting more than we thought. Does it feel alright? Painful? Don’t be afraid to get out of the water...” Kate bit her lip, emotions flitting between excitement and concern.
“No, no, it’s fine. Just... unexpected.” Jade ran her hands over her thighs, feeling how firm they’d become now, and she could swear her hips were a little wider. The cool of the water seemed to be filling her, a relief from the warmth she felt from the sun. She closed her eyes for a moment, basking, concentrating on the feeling of the water flowing through her body, reaching up through her chest...
Her daydreaming was interrupted by a tightening in her bikini top, the straps digging into her skin. Then, the unmistakable feeling of the weight on her chest getting heavier and heavier. She blinked her eyes open, looking down at her breasts, straining and bulging out of her bikini. Fumbling a little with the straps, she freed them, a sudden surge of growth as the pressure was released. They stood proud and gleaming in the sunlight, growth slowing, the weight of them pulling her forward slightly.
Kate blinked a few times at the sight of them, trying to maintain a professional demeanour, betrayed by the flicking of her ears. Jade made no attempt to hide her growing breasts, starring with a mixture of surprise and awe, hands gently supporting them as they pushed forward, the weight of them tugging at her body. The skin seemed to have toughened, lightening a little to match her thighs, better to support the weight of all the stored water.
“Well...” Jade began, looking up at Kate and grinning. “I did always want a large pair of melons.” She ran her hands across the unnaturally perfect skin, shivering a little at how sensitive they’d become, doing her best to hide it.
Kate stifled a giggle. “Good to see your sense of humour is intact…” she took a few more notes, glancing up in surprise as Jade’s hair began to surprise.
Jade gasped, reaching up as her black hair shifted, green vines - small at first, but rapidly thickening as the grew longer - spilling and writhing from her head. Small leaves grew along them, buds forming, quickly blooming into a dazzling array of flowers, from cherry blossoms to hibiscus to delicate lantana. The vibrant array of pinks and oranges stood out against the lush green of her body. She looked down into the water, vine-hair cascading around her face, the air suddenly filled with the perfume scent of her floral hair.
“Wow…” the plant woman and Kate gasped together, both awestruck by her strange beauty.
Jade pulled her legs out of the water, watching it stream off her rough bark skin, setting her feet down in front of her. She flexed her changes toes, running her fingers between them, watching as they withdrew slightly. Out of the water. They returned to something close to her old feet, each toe like a bark-covered talon. She slowly stood, turning this way and that, looking down over her body, previously slim figure now so exaggerated and curvy, cascading vines framing her breasts. With each step she took, the vines swayed, aromatic pollen spilling around her.
“So…” Kate grinned, looking up from her notes, gently probing one of Jade’s breasts with a pen. “We might need to make a few refinements for the survival treatment, but if anyone wants large melons and to give their enemies hay fever, I think we’re covered.”
Jade blushed a little, cheeks almost the definition of rosy, lifting her sunglasses to look down at her changed body. She grinning a little sheepishly “Sounds like a success to me!” Jade stretched out a little, taking in the rest of the garden, now feeling an odd sort of affinity with the plants. “Wonder if I can get a PhD out of this…”