Note: This story takes place during trials of the new altered versions of the Fox Serum. Dr. Craig Welton is now looking into longer-lasting transformations, as well as an antidote to reverse the change whenever desired. These events occur after the story “Research Trial” but before “Zoo Tour”.
Jayson Penryn cursed as he fiddled with the key to his apartment. He could not open his own door – the perfect end to an atrocious day. He was hardly over the pain of last week's break-up with his girlfriend when today he was 'let go' from work. Apparently the computer language he excelled in was antiquated, and his expertise was no longer needed by the company. “Damn it!” he yelled, kicking at the door.
“Hey, you okay, Jayson?” The soft voice of his neighbor, Hannah, made him look up. She had just returned home as well. “You need to come by and talk?”
Jayson was not particularly unattractive; in fact, his light hair and six-foot one-inch frame was quite inviting to some women. But he was not a talker, and he suffered because of this. At the same time, the idea of pouring out his woes to Hannah was tempting. She was not threatening or critical, and speaking with her was like being with a life-long friend. With only a slight hesitation, he answered, “You know, I'd love to.”
Hannah appeared surprised, but she invited him inside, and he quickly followed her. “What's up?” she asked, settling down on the couch.
Jayson sat down beside her with a sigh. “Remember Brit and I broke up last week? Well, today I got fired.”
Hannah sucked in her breath. “I'm sorry, Jayson.”
“Me too.”
“But you're so good with computers. There's plenty of other places that would hire you in a minute.”
“Not now. I have to get up with the times, you know. My computer knowledge is so...twenty years ago.” He bent over, head in hands. His glasses slid down his face, and he straightened up to fix them. “How's it going in the lab? Any new breakthroughs?”
Hannah studied him momentarily, her mind working. “Jay, you need a break?”
Jayson nodded miserably.
“Would you like to make $50,000 a year for the next few years by doing nothing?”
“Sounds good to me. What's the catch?”
“You just need to turn into an animal.”
Jayson's eyes bored through hers. “The Serum?”
“Yup. Dr. Welton is getting together another trial group. We're working on a longer-duration serum that lasts about five years.”
“I don't think I want to be an animal for five years, Hannah. I'm already forty years old.”
“Well, he's also working on an antidote, or anti-serum, that will change you back whenever you want. Five years would be the longest.”
“What animals is he doing?”
“Well, he's finding he can do anything now. He's looking for a few people to be something from each major animal group- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects...”
Jayson's mind was racing. He was curious about the famous Fox Serum, and being in animal form sounded intriguing. Hannah had told him of her seven-day experience as a tabby cat, and he had actually been jealous.
“I'd rather do the week-long thing,” he grumbled.
“Jayson, I could put in a good word so you can be whatever type of animal you want. He's also looking at things from a...reproductive standpoint.”
Now Jayson was fascinated. “Really? Like I'll have a mate? A transformed woman-mate?”
Hannah blushed. “Yes.”
“Damn,” Jayson was quiet for a few moments. He shuffled his foot against the floor. Five years as an animal? Well, they could change him back before that if he wanted... And he needed a vacation...a very long vacation...
Mating in animal form? How cool was that?
“I'll do it. Sign me up.”
***
On deciding he would like to be a bird, Jayson picked “North American Black-billed Magpie” from a list of several avian species that Hannah had given him. “Magpies are amazing. They're really smart,” he explained to her. She handed him several consent forms to fill out, and he underwent a thorough medical exam, including blood tests.
He was well aware that there were few people to miss him now; his girlfriend was gone, his father was deceased, and his brother had not spoken with him in years. His few friends thought what he was doing was 'awesome' and they promised they would visit him if possible.
But there was still his mother.
The dreaded phone call commenced. “Mom, I'm taking a very long vacation that I'm getting paid for.”
“Oh? How much? Where are you going?”
“I'm turning into a bird for five years.”
There was silence on the other end of the line, and then Jayson heard some coughing. “Mom, are you okay?”
“What the hell are you talking about, Jayson?” his mother burst out.
“The Fox Serum. I'm participating in one of the trials.”
“With that crazy magician?”
“Magician? Mom, it's science. There's no magic involved here.”
“People changing into animals is hardly science,” the woman mumbled. “And you need to do this for five years?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, unless they want to try the antidote on me, but I'm good with the five years. I can use the money. It's fifty-thou a year for doing nothing.”
“Nothing? You're just altering your very body...Jayson, please don't do this,” she pleaded.
“Oh, Mom, I want some excitement in my life. I'm so burned out, I have nothing...Imagine being a bird, and flying...No, I have to do this. You can come visit me whenever you want.”
His mother sighed, knowing there was no way to change his mind.
***
And the day swiftly came. Jayson stood with the other volunteers, serene in that his old life was in order, and an exciting new existence was about to begin.
“Hi, everyone. I'm Dr. Craig Welton, head of these new Fox Serum trials. Hannah's already given you the details, so I'd like to introduce you all to each other. Darrell and Michaela here are newlyweds who are about to undertake a long honeymoon as bears! They'll be joined by Richie and Samantha, who are looking forward to making each others' acquaintances.” Both couples laughed nervously, and Dr. Welton continued. “Patty and Gene are to be our reptiles as snakes. They went to school together, but they didn't know each other that well. Now they might...” Dr. Welton winked, and Patty blushed. “They'll be joined by Maggie, who will be one of the first to test our reverting serum. Some of you have signed on for the full five years, and on others we'll utilize the antidote to see its effects.” He bobbed his head towards the next group. “Adora, Nick, and Selena are to become our amphibians as tree frogs, Harry, Priscilla, and their neighbors Tom and Katherine will be clownfish, Lila, Duncan, Fred, and Marla will be insects – bees, to be exact, and Jayson and Vicky,” he indicated to a short brunette standing across from Jayson, “will be our birds. Magpies, actually.”
“Cool, magpies! They're really smart, aren't they?” the man named Gene commented to Jayson, who nodded in response.
“One thing I wanted to add, in case Hannah didn't make it clear when she spoke with you all,” Dr. Welton resumed, “Yes, we'd like to study reproduction between the transformed. But don't feel any pressure. We're just going to let nature take its course. Whatever happens, happens.” He cleared his throat. “Now Hannah and Mary are going to show each of you where you'll live...”
Jayson studied Vicky as she approached him. He felt no interest in the mousy girl, but she seemed genuinely happy to see him, and the sparkle in her eyes was admittedly appealing. “Hi. Nice to meet you,” she uttered timidly.
Gulping, Jayson stuttered, “Nice to meet you too. Sounds like we'll be spending a lot of time in each others' company.”
“Don't worry,” she reassured him. “They say when you're in animal form, you act like the animal. You're attracted to each other like an animal is, you do what an animal does...”
“But it's still you. You still have your own mind. Your body is just different.”
“Yes, but it's an animal body, and it works that way. You have to fight the urges sometimes...”
She blushed, and Jayson coughed.
The woman named Mary came by and showed them the place they would call home for the next few years. The enclosure was extremely large, encompassing part of the forest that was on the edge of the university grounds. The front part contained a small pond surrounded by a lush, grassy expanse. The area was decorated with flowers and vines, and all was contained under a very tall glass dome. They would share the expanse with the snakes, while the mammals, amphibians, and fish would be in the next enclosure down, and the bees would have their own much-smaller area. Apparently Dr. Welton was curious to see if they would build a comb and produce honey.
“How pretty!” Vicky exclaimed on viewing their new living arrangement, and Jayson silently agreed. It was safe, clean, and, once he had wings, he could fly safely without worrying that any predators would eat him for lunch.
He would have wings! The idea sent his heart racing for not the first time. What human being had not dreamed of taking wing and flying through the skies? Before the invention of the Fox Serum, one could only do this in a plane... now he could do it on his own!
***
Vicky had a dreamy expression on her face as they waited to receive their injections. “I can't wait to change. I've dreamed of this for so long...They say it feels so lovely, your body reshaping and resculpting itself...”
The transformation part was what worried Jayson the most. Hannah had also reported that it was quite pleasant. But how much could drugs disguise what was going on? A human-sized body was shrinking or enlarging, somehow losing or gaining mass, bones and organs rearranging...There had to be discomfort at some point.
They stood in what seemed to be a small amphitheater. At front stood Hannah and Dr. Welton, setting several sets of syringes on a table. Jayson and Vicky stood to the side with the rest of the volunteers, most of whom were chattering excitedly. A full-length mirror was on the far wall, and Hannah noticed Jayson looking at it.
“It's so you can watch yourself change. My transformation was taped, and I can't tell you how frequently I watch it. It's so cool to see my body go through a whole metamorphosis,” she called, moving towards him. “There's several cameras in your enclosure, and the one in the corner there,” she pointed up at the black box nestled where the walls met the ceiling, “will tape everyone's transformations.”
Jayson grunted. He understood the recordings were necessary from a research standpoint, and he did not completely object to the fact that there were cameras recording his every move, but it felt like Big Brother more than a little.
Hannah saw the concern in his eyes. “Don't worry. There's plenty of places for privacy in your enclosure. The cameras are only in the front.” She winked as she noticed him glance at Vicky.
He rolled his eyes.
Dr. Welton raised his voice over the din. “Okay, last chance. Any of you want to transform privately?”
The group looked back and forth at each other. “I kind of want to see everyone change,” uttered Samantha, who was biting her lips anxiously.
“It's no problem for me,” said Gene, removing his shirt and tossing it to the side.
“Will we be naked?” Maggie squealed.
“Well, if you want to, yes. Otherwise, take off as much as you feel comfortable with. Except you guys who are becoming bees – when you get that small, you might get drowned by your underwear. And the four of you becoming bears, your transformation will end up tearing your clothes into pieces.” Darrell, Michaela, Samantha, and Richie began to remove what they could.
“Now, snakes first.”
Patty, Gene, and Maggie stepped up. Maggie was visibly shaking in anticipation. Patty looked vaguely worried. Gene, flexing his muscles, shoved his arm in front of Dr. Welton's face. “Let's do this!” he demanded. “I'm going to slither my ass off!” he decreed happily.
Patty made an exasperated look. “Gene, you haven't changed since high school, you know.”
Dr. Welton grinned. “He will now!” and with that, the syringe buried deep into Gene's arm and delivered its goods.
Gene stood there momentarily, rubbing his arm where the needle had pricked it. “Well, nothing yet...Oh, but...I'm starting to feel...very nice...”
“That's the drugs kicking in,” Dr. Welton explained to the others.
“Yess...” Gene hissed, and it seemed that his tongue had possibly begun to fork at the end...
“Me next,” cried Maggie, and she received her own dose. She blushed as the drugs began to take effect. “How nice...it feels really...nice...” she stuttered, embarrassed, her eyes still on Gene.
While Patty received her dosage, Gene had already slunk to the floor and was writhing back and forth, his arms clasped to his sides, his legs tightly pressed together and shrinking fast. He was emitting deep groans as his limbs disappeared into his body and he grew smaller, scales sprouting from his skin. His eyes became snake-like as his nose and face shrank away. As his metamorphosis came to completion, he let out a long, victorious hiss.
Maggie was so intent on Gene that she was missing much of her own change. With a delighted grunt, she fell to the floor, whipping her new serpentine body back and forth. She came beside the ecstatic Gene, and the two twisted around each other. Soon Patty joined them, and the other volunteers watched as the new snakes explored their drastically different bodies.
Hannah came by with a box and Dr. Welton scooped the three reptiles up. “Okay, guys. Off to your new home. Enjoy!” He placed them into the box, and Mary brought them off to their enclosure.
Jayson found it funny that none of them were bothered that they were all standing around in various stages of undress. Everyone was so focused on the transforming that nakedness was suddenly completely uninteresting.
“Dr. Welton, you guys are amazing! I still can't believe you can do this!” Nick burst out.
And Jayson had to agree. Hannah seemed to be right about the transformation; it looked downright fun! And what did it feel like to be a snake? Maybe one day he would try that too!
Next they watched Darrell, Michaela, Rickie, and Samantha grow into large black bears. The four changing humans stood beside each other, crowing in awe as their bodies thickened and grew larger. “I'm getting huge!” Michela shrieked, and several of the others chuckled.
Rickie prodded at his arm which was growing a thick mat of fur. “Check out the fur! And the claws!”
Samantha, who had continued to bite her lips until she no longer was able, cried, “I love the way it feelsss....”, but her words blurred into a bear-like roar, and she clasped her new claws over her snout.
“She lost the ability to speak,” Dr. Welton pointed out in a scholarly tone. “She's all bear now.”
“They're damned impressive like that, Dr. Welton,” Nick commented. And, waving to the others, the bears were led out.
Adora, Nick, and Selena were next. “Ooh... nice...Oh, my God!” Selena gasped as she began to change. She ran her hands down her torso, then blushed, trying desperately to restrain herself from doing anything inappropriate. “I've never felt...anything like this...”
Dr. Welton and Hannah glanced at each other, but decided all was well. Selena just seemed to be more sensitive than the others to the pleasure-enhancing drugs. “Lucky girl,” chuckled Dr. Welton so only Hannah could hear.
As the three near-amphibians shrank down to the floor, he called out, “Get on your hands and knees so you don't fall over.” Each crouched down, their legs bending back into frog legs, and their arms becoming their front legs. Selena giggled as her eyes migrated to the sides of her head and her new face buckled out into frog form.
The three tree frogs hopped around, experimenting on their new legs. Mary opened a box for them, and they jumped inside.
A tank of water was wheeled in. Harry, Priscilla, Tom, and Katherine walked over to it and looked inside. “Our home?” Priscilla asked hesitantly, poking her finger into the water and swishing it back and forth.
“Priscilla, dear, you're forgetting the enclosure they showed you with the big pond in it,” Katherine said gently.
“No, I didn't. I just wasn't sure when we'd go there. Like maybe they have to observe us for a little while first in here.”
“No,” Dr. Welton explained, drawing up a syringe. “This is just to transport you there. Now this could get a little dicey here. I'm asking you to remain calm as you change. At some point, you will develop your gill slits, and then we have to get you right into the water. It might be a little disconcerting, but try not to get too worked up.”
“Ah!” gasped Katherine. She was dwindling away, and her body was becoming sleek and scaly, like the mermaid she had always wished she was. Her hands coalesced into fins, her legs fused, and her feet flattened into a tail. Then there was a slight pressure in her neck, but she felt so good, it did not matter...
Then fear gripped the changing girl. I need water, I can't breathe... Help me, someone...I can't talk... The small clownfish began to flop against the floor in desperation.
“Now, Hannah!” Dr. Welton ordered.
Katherine was scooped up into a fish net and dumped into the tank.
Ah, water...I can breathe...I'm really a fish... She darted back and forth across the tank at lightning speed, and was soon joined by the others.
The still-human volunteers gaped in at the four new fish in wonder.
“How beautiful they are!” Lila clapped her hands together. “They're perfect!”
“And they're so graceful,” Vicky added.
“Well, the serum always makes you pretty perfect. We take DNA from the finest, healthiest specimens to make it,” said Dr. Welton.
“And I'm guessing this glass box is for us, Doctor?” Duncan asked, as Hannah set a tank in front of them.
“Also just transport,” he uttered, pulling out the serum that would create his bees.
When Lila, Duncan, Marla, and Fred began their changes, Jayson watched their diminishing figures grow insect-like, and he wondered if he was making the right choice. He wanted the money, he wanted a vacation, and he would be helping to further science in the process. But being a bird? Maybe one of the other animals was better? He really did want to try being a snake. Maybe five years from now, when this was over, he would use the week-long Fox Serum to experience other forms.
Despite Dr. Welton's gentle warning, Lila had left on her bra and underwear, and it was interesting to see them fall to the floor as she shrank out of them. The completion of her transformation was unseen as she was caught under her panties. She wiggled free, a tired, but very impressive queen bee.
“We got a queen, Hannah!” Dr. Welton exclaimed in shock. “I wasn't sure what kind of bee that serum would make the women. And Marla,” he studied a new smaller female bee, which was studying its body in awe, “you're not a queen. We'll have to research that further, by all means!”
The bees were brought away, and then it was Jayson and Vicky's turn.
Jayson gazed at the unassuming girl before him. Five years with her? Well, she was pleasant enough. But they wanted to study reproduction, if possible. Could he really mate with someone he was not interested in in the least?
Vicky met his gaze. “Second thoughts?”
He swallowed. “No. I'm doing this.”
They both stood in front of the large mirror, Vicky slightly abashed in a bra and panties, and Jayson in a pair of bleached-out boxers. “You might want to take off your glasses, Jay,” Hannah suggested in a gentle voice.
“Then what's the point of standing in front of a mirror?”
Dr. Welton retrieved Jayson's glasses without any resistance. “Jayson, the serum will correct this for you in animal form. You'll see better than you've seen in a while.”
Jayson was intrigued. He never thought of transformation as way to correct his eyesight. He pondered if, when he returned to humanity, there was a way to just transform his eyes...instead of having that laser surgery that sounded so scary...
Hannah handed the scientist a syringe, and he moved towards Vicky. “Ladies first?” he offered with a theatrical sweep of his hands.
Beaming, she held out her arm and accepted the injection. Immediately, she turned to the mirror. The pleasure she was experiencing was evident on her face, yet she was intent on observing her changes, and she did little more than to emit a few elated moans. “I'm getting small!” she squeaked.
“Yes you are, dear. And your feathers are getting ready to come in,” said Dr. Welton. “Ready, Jayson?”
But Jayson was watching the girl, fascinated. She wriggled slightly as the changes continued. She was holding her arms down and back as if they already were wings, and her shapely legs were thinning out.
“Watch her feet change,” Hannah cried excitedly. "It should be amazing!”
Jayson tried to keep his eyes where the assistant suggested, but knowing these events would happen to him was simply unbelievable, and he felt impelled to witness every aspect beforehand. Vicky was now maybe two feet tall and shrinking fast, and her body was much more avian than human. Black tail feathers grew from her spine, and her feet were now the clawed ones of a bird. Her head was shaping itself into a bird's, and her beak was growing.
Vicky studied her white feathered chest and black plumage in amazement. “I'm becoming so beautiful,” was the last sentence she was able to emit before her transformation was complete.
Open-mouthed, Jayson viewed Vicky admiring her iridescent back feathers. She strutted around, testing her new legs and stretching her wings.
She was truly beautiful.
“Caw!” she yelled at him angrily, jarring him from his daze.
He had to join this magnificent creature right now. Immediately.
Dr. Welton fulfilled his wish, and suddenly Jayson doubled over.
Hannah and Dr. Welton leaped towards him with concern. “What's wrong? Are you in pain?”
Jayson shook his head back and forth in response. He was not in pain at all. He was in unspeakable bliss. “Feels...amazing...”
The scientist and his assistant gaped back at each other in wonder.
Jayson could speak no further. Did the serum effect everyone else this way? Maybe he was more sensitive than the others for some reason? The dose seemed to be triggering every pleasure center in his body and raising his euphoria exponentially. Maybe this was what it was like to be on recreational drugs? Who knew? He had never even smoked a cigarette, and he had no wish to.
But this....
“Jayson! Watch! You're changing quickly!”
Jayson tried to focus on the mirror, but the feelings washing though his changing body made his vision blur. He was aware of a feeling of being pulled down, as if his body were melting. Every bit of his skin felt like it was being massaged, yet he was able to capture a glimpse of feathers sprouting out of his arm to form his wing.
“Oh, my feet...” he sputtered. His toes were stretching into bird feet, and his eyes were changing, migrating, and then his vision was remarkably clear...
“You were right about the vision, Dr. Wel–” But his beak formed, and he could only caw now.
He was a bird.
Jayson did not like how small he was now in relation to the humans nearby. Though the last bits of the pleasure drugs were wearing off, he still relished the feel of his new avian form, but it was unsettling the way Dr. Welton and Hannah gazed down at him like giants. He needed to work on his flying; something deep inside of him wanted to flee from them.
He flapped his wings, allowing him to rise up and down several times.
“Hey, hey, don't go anywhere, buddy,” Dr. Welton exclaimed, cupping Jayson in his palm. “We'll take you where you have to go.” Jayson wriggled angrily against the scientist's grasp, but now his slight frame was no match for the man's hand. Realizing that he could easily be crushed to death, he settled down, allowing Dr. Welton to place him into another box. Vicky soon joined him. Reproachfully, he stared up at the giants as they closed the lid.
“Sorry, you two. Can never be too careful,” Dr. Welton's voice boomed from above.
They were in darkness.
He could not see Vicky, but her low coos told him she was in the corner of the box, and he went to her and nudged her reassuringly with his beak. This in itself felt odd, for having something jutting out from his face was rather ungainly.
She responded with another coo, and suddenly the top of the box was opened.
“Come on out, guys,” Hannah's voice emanated from the skies. “You're home!”
“See if you can fly out,” Dr. Welton instructed. “It's just like you think. You were getting it, Jayson. Just flap your wings and steer yourself where you want to go.”
Jayson exited the box, rising above them as high as he could go without hitting the dome. He flew from the front of the enclosure all the way to the back, barreling through the trees almost maniacally. The feeling of the wind under his wings raised his spirits to such a high that he cried out in glee. Even though he was enclosed under a dome, he felt freer than he had ever been in his life, and he wanted to remain this way forever. Here, in the air, was where he belonged.
Vicky soon joined him, and they each darted about, their flights becoming more and more acrobatic with practice. They flitted after each other, through the leaves, over the treetops, until both alighted on a branch, tired and out of breath.
The branch itself was an excellent vantage point. From here, Jayson could see through the glass dome at the bustle of the university grounds outside.
“Guys, Gene, Maggie, and Patty are somewhere in the woods here. You're omnivorous, so you'll eat anything, but don't get any ideas. No matter what the instincts push you to do, please don't attack them. They've been instructed to keep out of your way, and we'll supply plenty of food for you. Still – remember that they're people,” Dr. Welton called up to them.
“Have fun, guys,” Hannah yelled, scooping up the box.
“Give us a squawk if you need us,” Dr. Welton tossed over his shoulder as he and Hannah left the enclosure.
Jayson and Vicky were now alone, and, sitting atop their perch, they merely studied each other in awe.
This splendid creature before Jayson was once human...
He studied the graceful curves of her avian form. Her feathers shined, and she began to preen them, which he found amusing. In this small amount of time, the instincts were definitely becoming stronger in him as well. He puffed his feathers up and held out his wings, shaking them a bit to get her attention. A courting ritual? Already? noted his human mind, leaving him even more amused.
***
The days began to run into weeks, and somehow, to Jayson, they sped by. He had never felt so alive; he could rest, he could eat, and he could fly to his heart's content. He would spend hours on their perch, sometimes with Vicky, sometimes without. Soon, he lost track of time completely, simply going to sleep with the sun and waking with the dawn.
And now he understood Adam Fox's love for his mate, as well as the Fox Serum's inventor's wish to remain an animal. As he and Vicky surveyed their world from their perch one balmy July night, he ignored the drunken laughter of the students celebrating Independence Day. He did not wish to be among them. He was content to be as he was, more bird than human, and he surmised that Vicky felt the same way. Jayson felt an intense love for Vicky, yet the mousy brunette was far from his thoughts. Here was a spectacular avian female, with shiny, striking black and white iridescent plumage, her long black tail feathers rustling gently in the warm breeze.
Fireworks broke out on the horizon, and they studied them with disinterest. There were other things to do in private on a perfect summer night.
***
When Vicky started gathering grasses and twigs, Jayson tapped her with his wing, uttering a shocked “caw?”. But she knew what he was asking, and she nodded at him. Finally, he was to be a father! So it was only to chicks, but it was obviously possible as transformed humans, and they had been the ones to prove it! With great pride, he leaped to the top of his perch and began to sing like never before.
The singing did not cease for hours, and eventually, it brought three snakes slithering from the safety of the woods. They looked up questioningly, and Vicky fluttered down to them, pointing to the half-finished nest she was building and making jubilant chirps.
The three snakes expressed their joy as well as they could, slithering back and forth and attempting to nod at the bird. Jayson came barreling at them, a large collection of grass and twigs clutched in his beak, and the reptiles slunk off. Vicky led him to the nest, and they finished fabricating it together.
“What's all the racket? Was that you, Jayson?” Dr. Welton's voice reverberated around the enclosure. Jayson cawed in response, and the scientist walked towards the tree. He let out an exultant cry as he located the nest. “You're expecting, Vicky! Oh, I'm thrilled! Try to remember how you feel so you can describe it to us when you change back. Would you mind if I get a camera focused on your nest?”
Vicky seemed to be considering this for a moment, but she eventually nodded. Jayson had completely forgotten that there were cameras in his new home, but in his present state of mind, he did not care in the least. Hopefully they had provided enough content for a good nature special, he thought to himself merrily.
“We'll get right on it. These trials have been strikingly successful. I suspect Michaela the bear is pregnant, the fish have laid eggs, and the bees have reproduced and have constructed an amazing honeycomb. I expected that, since their minds are human. What I didn't expect is the amazing quality of the honey they're producing. It's unlike any I've ever tasted. I don't know why it would be different from other bees, but it is.”
So they had not been the first to reproduce. No matter; they were still the first humans transformed into birds to have young...
The expectant couple sat on their perch, the night air invigorating them. Neither could sleep due to the excitement. The tree frogs trilled their songs, and Jayson wondered if Dr. Welton had told them the news. He thought about what it would be like for
Vicky to lay her eggs. Hopefully it was not as bad as human childbirth.
***
Vicky was proud to display her five speckled eggs to the scientists. They snapped pictures and inspected them for so long that the bird mother grew antsy and began to make small distressed cries. “Oh, sorry, Vicky. I know the urge to incubate them must be very strong for you. We're done here,” said Dr. Welton, and he backed away.
Vicky diligently incubated her eggs, and within about two weeks, all hatched except one. Both parents were saddened by this, but they knew that this was the way nature worked, and they themselves were part of it. They took turns feeding their four young, and they watched them grow. When they fledged, Jayson swelled with pride. His sons and daughters took to the air, and since they were all enclosed in a dome, they would always be nearby.
***
One day, nearly three years into the trial, there was a large din outside their home. Jayson rushed to his perch to see what was going on, but Hannah soon entered to let him know. He fluttered to her shoulder, and she giggled in surprise. “Hey, Jay,” she put out her finger and he alighted onto it, cocking his head as if to ask her for an explanation.
“Yes, I'll tell you what's going on. We tried the anti-serum out on Maggie, Selena, Richie, and Fred. Everyone changed back – except Selena.”
Vicky joined them on hearing this. “Caw?” she said.
“This is the second time we tried it on her. It's not working for some reason. We're probably going to let her go the five years and see if she changes back on her own.”
Vicky looked concerned, but Jayson was not. He was enjoying his life too much.
***
“You have a visitor, Jayson,” Hannah announced.
Jayson settled down on a branch near the assistant's head as a woman walked in behind her. It was his mother.
The woman drew in a deep breath. “Oh, God, is that him?” she gasped, pointing to the magpie above them.
“Caw!” Jayson shrilled, bobbing his head up and down. He was angry that she had not visited sooner. In fact, no one had ever visited him, despite his friends assuring him that they would. Vicky, on the other hand, had had scores of visits, which he had always made himself scarce for.
“Oh, my Jayson...” The woman collapsed into tears. She stared at the small animal that had once been her six-foot one-inch son. “I just don't know what to say. I couldn't bring myself to visit you all this time. I just felt this was so wrong, you throwing away years of life to do something so against nature...” She sniffled, then looked up. “Can I pet you?” she asked curiously.
Jayson jumped to her shoulder in annoyance, and she gingerly ran her finger down his feathers. “My dear,” she breathed, “I will admit that it's truly amazing that they are able to do this to you. You're...strikingly beautiful... There wasn't any pain?”
Jayson shook his head no.
“You're happy?”
Jayson nodded, and pointed up at Vicky, who watched from beside her nest.
“That's Vicky. She's really a person too,” explained Hannah, as two of the younger magpies flew overhead.
Jayson's mother watched them, and it soon dawned on her what was going on. “They're...yours?” she asked in a slightly horrified voice. Jayson nodded proudly.
“Oh...my...” she stuttered. “I...I think that's enough for a first visit. I'll try to come back soon.”
Hannah led her out, and Jayson watched sadly. Maybe he did miss his human life a bit after all...
***
Vicky laid her second clutch of eggs, and this time all six hatched. As Jayson fed a choice worm he had unearthed to one of his chicks, he wondered at the back of his mind what would become of his babies once he became human again. Right now his family remained with him, but he wished he could go out and show his children the world.
Dr. Welton had tested his older children vigorously, coming to the conclusion that, although even more intelligent than usual, they were still simply birds. No hint of humanity was evidenced, and this was just as well.
***
It was four and a half years into the trial, and Jayson's mother had never returned. Hannah came in one day with news that she had passed away, and Jayson felt a pang. Yet he was not affected as much as he would have thought. Perhaps it was because his emotions were more avian, or maybe it was simply because she had never visited again. Had she been afraid of him? Was she disappointed in him? Who knew? But when Hannah offered him a dose of the anti-serum to change back so he could attend the funeral, he steadfastly refused.
***
Jayson was very aware of when they were approaching the five year mark. Over the course of a few days, joyous cries rang out intermittently, and Hannah came by each time to inform them who had changed back. Vicky and he frequently studied each other, looking for the signs of reverting, but so far, there was no evidence of any changes.
The three snakes reverted around the same time somewhere deep in the woods. When they stepped out of the trees naked and fully human, it startled Jayson and Vicky, and they fluttered to their perch.
“See you guys! It's been fun!” Gene yelled, testing the muscles in his arm.
“Enjoy changing back- it's just as fun!” Maggie added, blushing and trying to cover herself with her hands.
“Thanks for not eating us,” Patty smiled, and they left.
And then the day came when an Vicky flapped agitatedly to the ground. Her body began to twitch and shudder, and a cloud of feathers shed from her side. “Caw!” she cried, and Hannah and Dr. Welton burst in to observe.
“We missed the snakes. We're not missing you!” Hannah shouted, clutching a blanket in her hand.
“She's changing quickly,” Dr. Welton noted, and his assistant agreed.
Vicky was trembling as she began to grow larger. More and more of her glorious feathers fell to the floor around her enlarging feet.
“Can you get closer to the camera, Vicky?” the scientist requested of the changing girl. She shuffled awkwardly to the corner camera as her beak retracted into her face and her eyes migrated back to their human position.
Jayson watched sadly, as the love of his life turned back into a woman.
And he did not love this woman.
Vicky leaped into the surprised doctor's arms. Embracing him tightly, she cried, “I'm back! I had a lovely time, but I'm back!”
Completely missing the fact that Dr. Welton was averting his eyes from her nakedness, she turned and hugged the lab assistant. Suddenly she looked down in alarm. "Oh, I need clothes. Forgot about those."
“Now come and 'debrief' us,” Hannah laughed, throwing the blanket over her. “Tell us all, and then you're off to see everyone. Your family and friends want to know the minute you're back! Go call them!”
The three turned to leave. “I'll come back to check on you soon, Jay. I basically forgot what you look like as a human!” Vicky called over her shoulder, and they walked out.
***
Several months past the five-year mark, a growing concern was coming over them all.
“Selena hasn't changed back either, Jay,” Hannah pointed out, as he walked nervously from one of her fingers to the other. “But don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll take care of you. We'll fix everything.”
But Jayson was not sure they would be able to. If he was to spend the rest of his life as a bird, he did not want to remain trapped here like a prisoner. He wanted to fly out and see the world. He wanted to show his children the outside, let them meet other magpies like themselves...
Where the glass dome met the wooden wall of the enclosure, a small opening had formed from water damage. Fervently, over the next few days, he pecked it into a hole large enough for a bird to get through.
***
Vicky came back one day, surprised to see him sitting sedately on a branch. “Jayson, I'm sorry you haven't changed back yet. I know they'll figure it out. I hear they gave you the antidote and it didn't work?”
Jayson nodded. It had not done anything but introduce a slight tingle through his body, which quickly dissipated. The shot had hurt like hell, until the pleasure drugs took over. Those worked quite well on him again, but in the end, he remained unchanged.
Hannah wandered in, her face grim.
“Well?” Vicky asked.
“I don't know. I just don't know.” She wrung her hands in angst, avoiding Jayson's eyes. “Vicky, would you like to change back to be with him until we figure out how to help him?”
“Well,” Vicky fumbled for words, “what if you can't change him back? I don't want to be a bird forever.” She looked embarrassed about her comment, and she grew silent.
“Just for a bit?”
Vicky studied the bird that had once meant everything to her. Now it was just a bird, a curiosity to be viewed at a zoo or lab. “I'm sorry, Jayson. I can't stay with you. I have a boyfriend now, and I'm ready to move on with my life...” her voice trailed off, and she quickly left.
And Jayson's spirits sank.
***
“Jay! Selena changed back! It turns out you both have an extra little nub on one of your chromosomes, which is not uncommon in people of your background. We figure that's what stopped your reversion, although it also afforded you an enhanced pleasure reaction to the drugs. Anyway, we made an antidote specific to her DNA, and it worked. So, if you're ready, I've got yours right here.” Dr. Welton displayed the syringe, and Hannah walked in behind him. “Jayson?”
But there was no response. The enclosure was devoid of life.
***
Triumphantly, Jayson burst out into the open air, his family following behind him. He was free forever, and he realized he was satisfied that events had turned out this way. His every problem had been solved, and there was nothing to go back to as a human anyway.
How long he could he live this way? Although Hannah had said magpies live four to six years in the wild, how old was he in bird years?
Yet he was not interested in the answer to these questions. His children were free to find mates and have their own young, instead of living their lives in captivity. And when Jayson and his sons and daughters came upon a flock of magpies the next day, they were accepted into the group, and they grew to know the other birds as extended family.
***
And Jayson grew to a ripe old age, much older than a normal magpie, though far short of a human lifespan. But he was content as he watched his progeny multiply, and he was one with nature. Life was complete, and he died happy and fulfilled.
And, in true magpie fashion, the intelligent birds mourned him, placing grass around his once-human body, preening his feathers, and paying their last respects to their venerated patriarch.