“Ok, you can do this Katie.” She’s currently standing in the bathroom, staring at a heap of mostly-neglected cosmetic products. “It’s been a while, random bag of makeup. Let’s see if I can make anything out of this.”
After a quick evaluation of the current makeup situation, and some advice from the internet, Katie manages to figure out a look that is both elegant and subtle. She turns her head in the mirror for one last double-check. “Good enough! I doubt they’ll be looking at my face much anyway.”
Taking great care to not knock anything over with her splayed-out tentacle legs occupying most of the bathroom floor, she turns to look at her now heavily modified dress, hanging on the back of the door. She carefully uses one of her tentacles to hook onto the hangar and bring it over to her.
She puts on the upper half of her dress, now cut and altered to fit her new form, and split into two pieces. She retrieves the other portion, a short but-not-too-short skirt made from the lower half of the original dress. The tailors modified it to hook into the thin and form-fitting ring that encircles her hips, the outer structure of the prosthesis.
Once arranged, she slowly and carefully spins in the mirror, the cramped bathroom making it difficult. “Not bad. Not bad at all. Definitely makes my ass look huge, but with six more legs that’s kind of a given…”
She grabs her purse and exits the house, and approaches her fully-automated car idling nearby. After some careful rearranging of seats and awkwardly squeezing herself inside, she takes off to the event.
Her car makes its way along the highway and exits onto the newly-rebuilt shoreline, sparkling in the evening twilight. “Wow, Fiona really pulled out all the stops for this one. Must have been really expensive.”
As Katie’s car pulls up, a pair of valets greet her as soon as her door opens. “Good Evening. If you would like, we can provide any assistance for yourself or any companions.”
“Oh, thanks, I think I’m good. I just gotta untangle myself a bit.” Katie grabs the handle above her seat and hoists herself up and out, her tentacles pouring out of the car as she finds her footing. The valets do a pretty good job of not staring, but clearly she’s one of the more unusual forms to show up so far.
She takes a moment to take in the sights - the pristine and gleaming red-carpet paved entrance to Fiona’s new gallery, the small handful of local reporters and influencers standing in front and sharing their content to the world, and the ocean breeze from Puget Sound just past the end of the gallery.
For the first time in a long time, she enjoys the feeling of being in public and not hiding anything. She smooths out her now slightly rumpled outfit, and puts on her best attempt at looking fancy while trying to maintain her balance. With the extreme flexibility and dexterity of her new limbs, her walk up the ramp is more of a floating glide as each tentacle projects out and takes her weight, toward a set of huge double doors. At the top a slightly astonished event worker opens the way into the gallery as she approaches.
She looks around quickly as she steps through the doors, and immediately notices the logo of the Adapts foundation on a banner, front and center. She says to herself, “Oh, that explains it - Fiona got this whole thing sponsored! Nice!”
She looks across the small groups of people gathered throughout the large atrium, and notices a few people she recognizes from the various Adapt-centric social spaces she frequents, with scattered political and social climbers mixed in. Many of the attendees showed up as a pair, their Adapt companion by their side.
Although Katie’s current situation is certainly a little unusual even in a crowd of Adapts, for once in a long time Katie feels comfortable in a large public group.
After standing in the front landing area for probably too long, a man in a suit approaches from nearby. “Katie? Hi, Fiona told me to be on the lookout for you. I’m one of her colleagues. Name’s Max. It’s nice to meet you in person - Fiona speaks very highly of you.”
“Thanks Max, I’m flattered.”
“The festivities are about to get started soon, so I’ll lead you over to your table. Fiona wanted you to meet someone in particular. Please follow me.”
They walk together to the dining and presentation area, a rectangular depression in the middle of the gallery with a small stage at the far side. Circular tables are arranged throughout, with many of the local art crowd and social and political influencers filling in the seats.
Katie and Max thread their way through the dining area, and arrive at a table in the front row. Two people are already seated, and look on expectantly as they approach.
Max speaks up first, performing his role as host perfectly. “Katie, this is Dr. Mizuno, and her companion Hannah. Dr. Mizuno, Hannah, this is Katie.”
“Hi, nice to meet you both.” The doctor doesn’t stand up to meet her, and Katie quickly notices the handles of her wheelchair sticking out behind her shoulders. Her companion is lying comfortably on a padded platform, raised up to just below the table height and outfitted with a small pillow. Her abbreviated limbs transition to cybernetic paws, and she appears to have had her ears removed and a set of cybernetic cat ears attached on top of her head - which reflexively swivel to better hear the conversation.
Katie looks around at the seating arrangements, and realizes that she hasn’t yet had to try to figure out how to sit with such a radically different body. Max immediately notices her confusion, and says “I think a short barstool might be your best bet. I’ll grab one from the back.”
Katie lets her tentacles spread out a little, dropping her down to the same eye level as the doctor and her companion, and tries to think of an interesting way to break the ice.
Dr. Mizuno, a woman who looks every part the professional academic adventurer, beats her to it. “Fiona’s already told me so much about you. She gave me a summary of your underwater exploits, but I’m going to want to hear it directly from you. She totally glossed over any of the technical details, which I absolutely want to pick your brain on.”
“I’d be glad to, what are you wondering about in particular?”
“Basically everything - how you operate, emergency procedures, training. I suppose I should probably give you some background info first though.” Just then, Max walks back with a barstool in hand, and sets it next to Katie. “Here you go! Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thanks Max.”
She slides the seat over, and awkwardly maneuvers the combination of chair, tentacles, dress, and gravity until she finds a way to make it work. “There we go, sorry about that. It’s literally my first time trying to use a chair with these legs. Fiona’s totally gonna lose it when she sees me though, so it’s totally worth it.”
Dr. Mizuno looks very confused, and Katie notices. “Sorry, I used to swap out for a set of standard human-looking legs when I wasn’t working, but these new ones are strong enough to use all the time. My regular land legs are in rough shape, so I’m using these pretty much all the time.”
“Ah, I see.” The doctor looks intrigued.
“It’s certainly a change in pace. I had to figure out how to walk again, and it feels way different like this.”
Hanna replies “You and me both, although I’ve been using these paws for a while now. You get used to it pretty quickly when you’re doing it all the time.
Katie takes a quick glance around the room. “It’s interesting - this is probably the most Adapts I’ve ever seen in one place together, and it looks like I’m the only one doing the whole ‘ocean life’ thing.”
The doctor flips the locks on her wheels and rolls back. “Correction. You’re one of at least two.” Katie sees what the dining table was hiding - where her blouse ends, a powerful dolphin-like tail begins. It curves along her modified chair, spreading into a pair of wide tail flukes. The slightly transparent outer skin of her sleek tail partially reveals the massive ropes of synthetic muscle underneath.
“Oh, that’s badass! I’m not the only one!”
“People here keep calling me doctor, but back at work I’m usually addressed as professor. I do Marine Biology research. Occasionally I end up stuck teaching or grant writing, but normally I’m almost totally focused on field research.” She rolls forward, and Hannah takes a side-step on her platform to nuzzle against the professor’s side. She reaches up and scratches behind her ears, which twitch slightly as Hanah makes little happy sounds.
Just then a screen descends from above the stage, and a projector powers up. From an array of speakers, the familiar voice of Fiona fills the gallery.
“Good evening everyone. I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for being here, and to thank the artists for their incredible work. Their efforts are what brought us all here today.
The fruits of their labor will greatly benefit the efforts of the Adapts Foundation, which in turn benefits all of us. By advocating for the rights of all of us, and assisting those who wish to make the journey into becoming an Adapt, the world becomes a little more tolerant and a little more accommodating.
Today’s gallery show and charity auction highlight Adapt artists from the local area and around the world, many of whom are here today. We’ve made sure to provide all the exhibits with a variety of ways to experience the artwork, and universal access to all parts of the gallery, so it is our hope that all will feel welcome in all spaces.
Many of you are familiar with my work in the local area, especially the artists, and for those who know me through personal or business matters, I have a confession to make. For the past few months I have been embarking on my own personal art project, one closely aligned with the events of tonight.
Working with the local Adapt groups changed something inside me - where some may see people reducing themselves, sacrificing their abilities to connect with others, I instead saw people becoming who they truly were meant to be. A spark was lit within me, which grew into a flame. I needed a way to let the light within me out and show the world who I truly felt I needed to become.
This event is about all of us. Just because I have the microphone now doesn’t mean that I intend to upstage those who have worked hard to get here, and the supporters and Adapts foundation representatives making all this possible.
If you all would permit me a moment though, I would like to submit myself as both a host and a living exhibit for the evening. Obviously, unlike the art on display, I’m not for sale. Sorry to disappoint.” A small murmur of quiet chuckling comes from the audience.
I have been working in the shadows over these past few months to rejoin the world after undergoing my personal transformation, and I think it’s a good time to lift the veil in front of all my friends and supporters.”
From backstage, Fiona steps out into the bright spot lights. The group of her friends and supporters in the audience immediately break out into applause at the sight of her.
Her white and silver dress sparkles in the intense illumination while her huge jet-black eyes seem to absorb all the light around them. A fluffy white feather boa over her shoulders provides a nice contrast to the dress and enhances her moth-like appearance. She waves to the crowd, the silver inlays in her artificial limbs sparkling as brightly as her dress, throwing flashes of light in every direction.
“For all the friends I avoided during my recovery, I apologize. I never wanted to burden any of my friends with my personal struggle, and I had to make sure that I was where I wanted to be in recovery and rehabilitation before I walked back into the world. For everyone here, thank you again for all your love and support. I believe the food should be showing up any moment now, with the gallery tour to follow, so enjoy and I hope everyone has the best possible evening. Again, thank you.”
The audience applauds again as Fiona sets the microphone down and walks off stage. One of her business partners gives her a huge hug as the applause dies down.
The catering staff begin filtering in with carts of prepared food, pulling up to each table. The meals are delivered rapidly, and the covers are lifted with a little flourish and a ‘Bon appétit!”.
Once unveiled, Katie looks over her meal - and for catered event food, the kitchen still impresses. She looks over at the professor and Hannah, who are both looking very satisfied with their plates. Hanna’s is very different, and optimized for her particular requirements. The plate is made of a ring of raised mesas, dished slightly at the top of each like a tiny shallow bowl. The appearance is much like an upside-down muffin pan, with individual bites of food pre-divided on top of each raised section.
Hanna has a huge smile, and says “Oh this is really cool. We totally need to buy something like this when we get home.”
“So no more me feeding you? How disappointing…” The professor puts on a powerfully fake upset face, then laughs. “That’s really cool, I’ll make sure to ask the staff what that’s called. I’ll order a set tonight.”
“Sweet!” Hannah digs in, lowering her head and taking a careful and practiced bite.
After taking a few bites of her plate of food, and some idle conversation about how tasty it is, Katie notices Fiona wandering toward her table. She appears confused at first, then as she nears she practically jumps into the air with excitement, her antennae bouncing along as she picks up her pace. Katie realizes that Fiona’s gaining in speed, so she quickly stands up and turns to meet her.
Fiona moves in for a huge hug, and Katie attempts to clear a way in front of her by quickly moving her front two tentacles out of her path. She nearly crashes into Katie, and wraps her up in her slender cybernetic arms. Katie returns the hug, and adds two of her least load-bearing tentacles to it, squishing Fiona slightly with their powerful grasp. Fiona makes a noise like a tiny frog, and Katie breaks the hug as Fiona takes a step back to look her over from up close.
“Oh my god Katie! I didn’t know you could use your other legs out here! That’s fantastic!” Her voice drops in pitch. “If you’ve been holding out on me this whole time I’ll be very confused…”
“It’s a very, very recent development. I just figured out how to use a chair about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Oh wow! That’s amazing! And you look so good!“
“You do too! You’re so sparkly!”
“Nicely done on the dress alterations, I’m going to have to get a ton of photos later. Would you be interested in modeling for me? I was working a contact at the Foundation to do an all-Adapts photoshoot soon, and you would be an excellent addition.”
“Interesting, I’m not really one for fame though. Also I’ll need to hit the gym for like four months before any photos.”
“Seriously? You look absolutely stunning exactly as you are. You’re already in much better shape than I could ever hope to be. Although I do have to brag a little - with my new limbs disconnected I am about forty pounds lighter. This whole conversion thing ends up being one hell of a diet.” Fiona smiles and makes an odd expression, one of her eyebrows slightly scrunching down. “Oh, I forgot. The whole no blinking thing. That was supposed to be a wink.”
“Oh, you might just have to say ‘wink’ then and do the eyebrow thing now. It’s very cute though.”
Fiona makes a slightly exasperated groan, as her face takes on a pouty expression and her antennae droop down, looking like a still glittery but slightly deflated moth.
“”Oh! That’s even more cute!” They both laugh.
Fiona looks over and acknowledges the professor and Hannah. “Dr. Mizuno, Hannah, it’s great to see you again!”
“Likewise, Fiona. I love the new look - it totally suits you. I’ve never seen anything like it before, hopefully you start a trend.”
“That’s an intriguing possibility for sure, and I’d absolutely love to see other people like me out in the world.”
“Anyway, I need to continue my rounds - lots of people to visit tonight. I’m sure I’ll see you in a little while, enjoy the show!”
“Thanks Fiona, I’m looking forward to seeing the art!”
Hannah says, “Wow, she’s very different now. It’s a cool look though, and she’s always been one for originality.”
“Absolutely, and it suits her perfectly. So Katie, we probably should talk about why we’re here together before we get interrupted again. Well, other than the art show. And Fiona’s debut.”
Just then, an announcement plays and Professor Mizuno looks a bit exasperated. “The gallery is now open, feel free to tour the exhibits from this point forward. Refreshments will be provided outside the gallery throughout the evening, please limit any beverages to outside the gallery area. If you are planning on bidding in the auction, note cards and pens are available at the gallery entrances. If you wish to contact the artists, each placard contains their contact information and sync card. Enjoy the rest of the evening, the auction will start in two hours.”
“I guess we get to do the walk and talk then, assuming no more interruptions…”
Dinner concluded, the Professor, Hannah, and Katie make their way to the gallery. As they enter the first section, the extent that the Adapts Foundation has attempted to make everyone welcome is even more evident.
Works are set at varying heights to accommodate those with significant stature differences, and taller works have ramped platforms leading to small observation decks to allow for appreciating each piece from multiple angles. Each exhibit has a code to connect with an audio guide. The Blink interfaces many of the Adapts are wearing allow them to take in more information about each work, along with the ability to view the contact information for each artist.
As the group makes their way into a slightly less crowded area of the gallery, Dr. Mizuno looks around the room, then to Katie. “Ok, I think we should be distraction free for at least a few minutes now. I’ve been wanting this whole time to see if you would be interested in a proposal. I heard from Fiona that your last gig got shut down with no notice, and you are now looking for work.”
“Fiona said she was working some of her contacts to try and help me. I didn’t think she would be able to find anything so quickly for me though. I’m pretty specialized as you can see, so work isn’t exactly super common.”
“That’s also why I’m here. I’m in the last phase of getting a group together for my next project. It’s on a research station, anchored in the Pacific ocean off the coast of Australia. We’re continuing a long-term ocean rehabilitation project, and it involves a crew of workers and scientists running a continuous research dive for six weeks at a time. As you already are suited to the environment, and bring many skills along that we are currently short in, I would like to make a formal offer for you to join us. That is, if you are willing.”
Katie takes a step back, stunned at her luck. “I don’t know what to say. This was my last bit of fun I was allowing myself until some serious cutbacks in my life, and the job search hasn’t exactly been very productive. I assume you would want me to do some kind of dive work, but I’m no scientist.”
“Oh, we have plenty of those - every highly motivated graduate student in my program is chomping at the bit to get on a fun project, and I run rotations over the summer so they have ample time to help out. We also pay pretty well, hazardous duty pay and all. What we are missing is experience, and the knowledge of how to operate equipment underwater. Being an Adapt, you can handle yourself much better than any of these kids. Also we need a good rescue diver, so you check all the boxes.”
“Oh wow. I’m not usually one to just make a flying leap into something new, but at this point it’s probably my best chance. Maintaining myself isn’t exactly cheap - you probably know all about that. These specialized prosthetics aren’t exactly common.”
“Absolutely, and it sounds like the Adapts Foundation might be wanting a foothold into my research program as well - it’s a really great marketing thing to have Adapts doing the really cool jobs. Hell, at this point we’re way beyond any standard human’s capabilities in the water. All it would take is one documentary about the two of us working offshore, and their message is in every home in dozens of countries.”
“All right, you sold me on it. I assume I’ll need to fill out some kind of application or something, maybe an interview?”
“Most of that was taken care of by researching your exploits a few days ago. Did you know that all the reports from your last gig are public record? It made it much easier. I also called your former supervisor - Fiona mentioned him when we last spoke.”
“Hashim would definitely vouch for me, he’s the one who got me these legs after everything fell apart at the job. Hopefully he’s doing well - I really need to call him soon.”
“I actually offered him a job too; we need a site supervisor and he’s by far our best bet. He was having about as much luck as you were in the job search.”
Katie breaks out into a huge smile. “If he doesn’t take the job I’m gonna pay him a visit and kick his ass before I ship out. That’s amazing, thank you so much!”
“Obviously, there’s a lot of paperwork to fill out, visas, physical exam, the works. But if you’re on board, we’d be glad to take you.” The professor holds out a hand, and Katie glides in closer to meet her handshake. “Welcome aboard Katie, the next adventure awaits.”
“I’m really looking forward to it, and thank you again - I never expected something like this.”
“The work is by no means easy, but there’s a reason I keep coming back. I think you’ll fall in love with it pretty quickly.”
“I’m really looking forward to it. Oh, I need to get your contact info!” Katie pulls her phone from her purse, and Professor removes a card from a small pouch on the side of her chair. She taps the card to Katie’s phone, and it makes a quiet chime as the data transfers.
“You’ll be hearing from me tomorrow for the formal application, basically to make the school happy, and any follow-on steps. I’m really looking forward to getting back into the water with you by my side.”
They continue on through the gallery, Katie now beaming as the three of them wander from work to work, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Hannah occasionally runs off, climbing the narrow ramps and platforms set aside for those in quadrupedal forms, examining the art from a unique vantage.
As the group exits the gallery section and reaches the main ballroom, Katie sees Fiona standing in front of a camera crew and talking to a reporter. She tries to wait off to one side until the interview is concluded, staying out of the line of sight.. Fiona, however, sees Katie and says something to the reporter. She waves to her, and beckons her to come closer.
Katie cautiously approaches, and Fiona introduces her. “This is my friend Katie, I mentioned one of the motivating factors of becoming an Adapt is specialization for demanding environments. Although the art world can be very demanding, her specializations are of a very specific type as you can see.”
A slightly blushing and nervous Katie adds, “Hi, I’m Katie.” She waves to the camera with both a hand and a tentacle.
The reporter turns to her and asks, “So, Katie - have you ran into any issues interacting with the regular public, or any difficulty living in a world designed for un-adapted people?”
“So far, not really. Seattle is a great place for Adapts, and there’s a pretty large contingent of us living here. There are plenty of spaces for us, and the Foundation has really done well in making sure we’re welcome.
For the second question, I have a set of regular legs too. It’s only recently that I’ve been using these ones above the water, and although the car ride here was a little cramped, so far it’s been fine.”
The reporter wraps up her story, and quickly moves on to the next filming spot with the crew in tow to fill the b-roll.
“So Fiona, I think I might have some good news…”
Fiona takes on a “thinking” pose and replies, “Oh really? You have my curiosity.”
“I just got offered a job! It sounds awesome!”
“Fantastic! I suspected that the professor would take one look at you and want your help.”
“I’m going to be working on the other side of the world! I have so much to do now to get ready…”
Fiona gives Katie a huge hug. “You’ll do great, I know it! You have to keep in touch with me though, so I can pay you a visit!”
“Thanks Fiona, I definitely will. I’m super nervous about all of this, but I think it’s going to be really great. We'll have to do a going-away party once I figure out when I’m heading out.”
“Absolutely. I’ll put together an event to remember.”
A chime sounds throughout the gallery, and a voice speaks through the loudspeakers. “Attention, the auction will begin in fifteen minutes. Please make your way back to the center stage if you wish to participate.”
Fiona looks over to the common area, her antennae perking up. “That’s my queue to head backstage again - I’m supposed to be helping out with the process. It's been fantastic having you here with me tonight, and thank you so much for all you’ve done to help.”
“I should thank you as well. I think I’ve done a lot of work on myself in the past week, and your bravery and commitment really helped push me into being more comfortable being who I really am. I’m done hiding.”
“Come here, you crazy squid.” They hug one more time, Katie carefully wrapping her up with a spare pair of tentacles again. “I’d make some kind of moth joke, but I’m way too overwhelmed right now to be witty. You have a good rest of the night, I need to head out before the auction, or I’ll end up accidentally buying something.”
Katie says her goodbyes to Fiona, the professor, and Hannah. She signals her car to return, and makes her way back to the valet area where it pulls up to meet her. She carefully climbs back in, and it begins the half-hour drive back to the home harbor.
She looks out the window, trying to take in every bit of the city still illuminated in the night - possibly for the last time. A deep sense of a kind of nostalgia, anticipating missing the place she called home for years sets in, and reinforces the desire to remember this night as much as possible. Along with this, Katie feels a tempered excitement for the future, finally relieved that the job search and all the uncertainty from it has likely ended along with the incredible opportunity coming up soon.
Her car soon stops in front of her houseboat, and she climbs out of her seat again, this time slightly more coordinated and skillfully. She prepares for bed, and disconnects and plugs her legs in for the night. Climbing up into her bed, she tries to get comfortable but tosses and turns for an hour. Exhaustion eventually overrules nervous energy, and the darkness of sleep takes hold.