[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
were ready.
Willy had Gillian transferred from the ward at the hospital into the
transformation quarters at the Alternities project building. There were
several other couples present going through transformation and training at the
same time. After the formal signing of the contracts, they were escorted to
various places to await the fitting of the nanite containment suits. They
would be monitored for several days until the nanites had been monitored to
ensure they were doing their jobs.
Willy had paid little attention to the part about a common room. His
only concern was Gillian and he felt he'd spend little time socializing. He
glowered at the underling who brought in Gillian's containment suit and
offered to help get Gillian into it. The underling dropped off the suit and
beat a hasty retreat. Willy unpacked it and stretched it out on the bed beside
Gillian. The suit was of a shiny, rubber-like material and in the shape of the
mermaid Gillian would become. There were also two sleeves for her forearms and
a cap-like cover for the top of her head. It worried Willy somewhat that the
suit was bright blue and yellow instead of the colors he'd selected. The nurse
on duty smiled as she informed him that the suit wasn't the color of the final
form.
He assumed it would be difficult to get Gillian into the costume,
remembering a Catwoman outfit she'd worn one Halloween that had taken nearly
an hour to get into (and out of). Surprisingly, the fabric stretched easily
and slid up her body with little resistance. When she was in the costume, she
lay there, looking like a one of those rubber costume fetish mermaids he'd run
across on the Internet. She was very beautiful to his eyes even in the strange
costume. Following the instructions, he slid the forearm sleeves on and placed
the cap on her head and aligned it carefully. He then stood back, not quite
knowing what to expect.
* * * *
Willy had been told in the many meetings by the doctor in charge but
had been so concerned about Gillian that it had slipped by him. He waited,
wanting the nanites to do something instantly. Hoping, almost insanely, for a
miracle. Nothing happened for what seemed hours. Finally, he became worried
and signaled the nurse.
"Why aren't you in containment, too?" she asked puzzled.
"I'm waiting until Gillian gets better."
"But you won't notice anything for a week, maybe even two. If you
aren't changing with her, it'll be harder for you."
"I have to wait until she's better before I start," he replied with a
firmness that brooked no argument.
"Why don't you go home? You can visit tomorrow. We'll take good care of
her."
"Can I stay?"
"Yes, certainly. There is a room for the two of you prepared, of
course. It's just that everyone else will be in the containment suits. You'll
feel mighty out of place."
"I just want to be with her. We were on our honeymoon when the accident
happened."
"I'm sorry about that, I really am. I sure hope this works for you. Can
I give you a hand getting her to your room?" Willy nodded and the nurse soon
returned with a wheelchair. Willy lifted his unresisting wife into the chair.
The nurse strapped her in and they chatted all the way to the rooms.
"Call me when you have her in her bed," she called as she left. "I'll
pick up the chair.
"Thanks," responded Willy automatically.
* * * *
He lifted her into the bed. There was something odd about the way her
legs felt near her hip. There seemed to be some kind of extra bumps in places
he was sure there hadn't been any before. He put it down to his own exhaustion
and went to bed forgetting to page the nurse to pick up the wheelchair. Not
wanting to disturb Gillian's sleep, he made up the single bed beside her. His
dreams were troubled by Gillian with a fishtail instead of legs hating him
forever because he didn't become a merman and live with her.
He awoke in a cold sweat. The sky through the skylight was still dark.
Something had changed, that much he knew. He didn't know what but he sensed
something had in some way. He turned on the bedside light and looked around.
The door was still closed. The rumpled sheets and the blanket on his bed still
seemed the same. Nothing at all had changed that he was immediately aware of.
He was about to put it down to a bad dream when he looked over at his wife.
She'd rolled over in her sleep! Months had passed and she'd not moved. Nurses
had had to turn her regularly to prevent bedsores. Now she'd moved on her own!
Frantically, he scrambled for the call bell. He had to be sure. Had a
nurse turned her while he slept or had she really moved on her own? Within a
few moments, the night nurse let herself into the room.
"Is there a problem?"
"Did you turn her?" Willy asked without any preamble.
"No. She's not due for..." her voice trailed off. "She's moved.
Wonderful!" she smiled a wide smile. "I've got to page the doctor." She left
the room with Willy following close on her heels. Within a few minutes, two
doctors stepped off the elevator.
"...too soon. We won't be seeing nerve regeneration for days yet if it
occurs at all," the younger one announced pontifically.
"If she's turned herself, then the process is starting. These nanites
could be the regenerative breakthrough we've been hunting for for any number
of injuries and disease."
"But creating the pattern is the problem. You know that."
"Indeed, mermaids are one thing. People have no expectations as to what
the mermaid tail will look like in any detail. But recreating their own lost
limbs..." he noticed the nurse and Willy. "Mr. Thompson?" he asked.
"Call me Willy. Is she healing?"
"It's too soon," the younger one snapped. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
were ready.
Willy had Gillian transferred from the ward at the hospital into the
transformation quarters at the Alternities project building. There were
several other couples present going through transformation and training at the
same time. After the formal signing of the contracts, they were escorted to
various places to await the fitting of the nanite containment suits. They
would be monitored for several days until the nanites had been monitored to
ensure they were doing their jobs.
Willy had paid little attention to the part about a common room. His
only concern was Gillian and he felt he'd spend little time socializing. He
glowered at the underling who brought in Gillian's containment suit and
offered to help get Gillian into it. The underling dropped off the suit and
beat a hasty retreat. Willy unpacked it and stretched it out on the bed beside
Gillian. The suit was of a shiny, rubber-like material and in the shape of the
mermaid Gillian would become. There were also two sleeves for her forearms and
a cap-like cover for the top of her head. It worried Willy somewhat that the
suit was bright blue and yellow instead of the colors he'd selected. The nurse
on duty smiled as she informed him that the suit wasn't the color of the final
form.
He assumed it would be difficult to get Gillian into the costume,
remembering a Catwoman outfit she'd worn one Halloween that had taken nearly
an hour to get into (and out of). Surprisingly, the fabric stretched easily
and slid up her body with little resistance. When she was in the costume, she
lay there, looking like a one of those rubber costume fetish mermaids he'd run
across on the Internet. She was very beautiful to his eyes even in the strange
costume. Following the instructions, he slid the forearm sleeves on and placed
the cap on her head and aligned it carefully. He then stood back, not quite
knowing what to expect.
* * * *
Willy had been told in the many meetings by the doctor in charge but
had been so concerned about Gillian that it had slipped by him. He waited,
wanting the nanites to do something instantly. Hoping, almost insanely, for a
miracle. Nothing happened for what seemed hours. Finally, he became worried
and signaled the nurse.
"Why aren't you in containment, too?" she asked puzzled.
"I'm waiting until Gillian gets better."
"But you won't notice anything for a week, maybe even two. If you
aren't changing with her, it'll be harder for you."
"I have to wait until she's better before I start," he replied with a
firmness that brooked no argument.
"Why don't you go home? You can visit tomorrow. We'll take good care of
her."
"Can I stay?"
"Yes, certainly. There is a room for the two of you prepared, of
course. It's just that everyone else will be in the containment suits. You'll
feel mighty out of place."
"I just want to be with her. We were on our honeymoon when the accident
happened."
"I'm sorry about that, I really am. I sure hope this works for you. Can
I give you a hand getting her to your room?" Willy nodded and the nurse soon
returned with a wheelchair. Willy lifted his unresisting wife into the chair.
The nurse strapped her in and they chatted all the way to the rooms.
"Call me when you have her in her bed," she called as she left. "I'll
pick up the chair.
"Thanks," responded Willy automatically.
* * * *
He lifted her into the bed. There was something odd about the way her
legs felt near her hip. There seemed to be some kind of extra bumps in places
he was sure there hadn't been any before. He put it down to his own exhaustion
and went to bed forgetting to page the nurse to pick up the wheelchair. Not
wanting to disturb Gillian's sleep, he made up the single bed beside her. His
dreams were troubled by Gillian with a fishtail instead of legs hating him
forever because he didn't become a merman and live with her.
He awoke in a cold sweat. The sky through the skylight was still dark.
Something had changed, that much he knew. He didn't know what but he sensed
something had in some way. He turned on the bedside light and looked around.
The door was still closed. The rumpled sheets and the blanket on his bed still
seemed the same. Nothing at all had changed that he was immediately aware of.
He was about to put it down to a bad dream when he looked over at his wife.
She'd rolled over in her sleep! Months had passed and she'd not moved. Nurses
had had to turn her regularly to prevent bedsores. Now she'd moved on her own!
Frantically, he scrambled for the call bell. He had to be sure. Had a
nurse turned her while he slept or had she really moved on her own? Within a
few moments, the night nurse let herself into the room.
"Is there a problem?"
"Did you turn her?" Willy asked without any preamble.
"No. She's not due for..." her voice trailed off. "She's moved.
Wonderful!" she smiled a wide smile. "I've got to page the doctor." She left
the room with Willy following close on her heels. Within a few minutes, two
doctors stepped off the elevator.
"...too soon. We won't be seeing nerve regeneration for days yet if it
occurs at all," the younger one announced pontifically.
"If she's turned herself, then the process is starting. These nanites
could be the regenerative breakthrough we've been hunting for for any number
of injuries and disease."
"But creating the pattern is the problem. You know that."
"Indeed, mermaids are one thing. People have no expectations as to what
the mermaid tail will look like in any detail. But recreating their own lost
limbs..." he noticed the nurse and Willy. "Mr. Thompson?" he asked.
"Call me Willy. Is she healing?"
"It's too soon," the younger one snapped. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]