A Mermaid's Tale

"I guess I should not have triggered the succubus gene as I call it." Jason muttered making air quotes when he said succubus. He smiled and found he did not possess fangs. "Being female must have activated that gene for you. Happy Birthday my love!"

"Thank you, sweetie, I am starved. Do you want to go out or eat in bed?" She purred.

"Where did you find it?" Jason asked holding up the pewter pocket watch.

"Ooh, that's a handsome antique. Where did you get that?" Iris exclaimed and, in the mirror, saw the dark gaze her husband was giving her. "Why are you angry? I have no idea about the watch. Would I lie to you? Have I ever told you an untruth?" She said her anger galvanizing her. They both gasped when Iris' eyes began to shine with an internal amethyst light. It was faint and her shock seemed to dispel it. "Whoa."

"I apologize," Jason said and for once he truly meant it. "I found it just after I injected myself. When I woke it was still there? I thought it was lost when my grandfather died shortly after the invasion of Normandy. He was wounded and an army nurse wrote a letter to my grandmother." He was rambling now. "She promised to return it after the war. She vanished. It was believed that she was killed during the push towards Berlin. The watch was lost until now."

"Are you sure it is his watch? Have you opened it to make sure?" Iris asked.

"No, I am afraid." He admitted as he handed it to her. "There is an inscription."

Iris took the watch and first examined the case which was worn but intact. At first glance the casing looked plain and unadorned until she spied the line of characters along the edge of the outer casing. They looked strangely familiar and yet her mind refused to reveal their meaning. Iris blinked as she pressed down with her thumb and opened it. The interior was gorgeous, crucially it was a labor of love. Iris tipped it in her hand and read the interior of the cover. She knew the poem though not by heart.

"Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire!

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere.

And I serve the Fairy Queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be.

In their gold coats spots you see.

Those be rubies, fairy favours.

In those freckles live their savours.

I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear."

She began reading it and soon Jason joined her knowing the poem from memory. It was the work of the great bard William Shakespeare. The minute script endured and was the work of a craftsman. This was no machine scribed work, oh no, an artist created this watch, and she could see why he had become so emotional upon its sudden appearance. Iris handed the watch back and savored his childlike glee at having something so precious restored to him. Iris hoarded the memory of this moment so that it could endure in her heart. They ordered food to be delivered and took a quick shower to wash off the sweat brought on by the treatment. They were just putting on their matching robes when the doorbell rang.

"I will get it." Iris called out and went to the front door. She opened it expecting anyone but who stood on her doorstep. "Ivy! Why are you...?"

"It is her birthday too," Jason declared. "Come in I ordered enough for three."

"Great," Ivy said as she entered and stared at her twin sister and her husband. "What the fuck happened to you two?"

"This." Jason said as he tossed her an injector. "Happy Birthday."

"Jason!" Iris hissed angrily.

"You are identical twins, were... this will make you identical again." He said and she knew better than to argue with him and his OCD. "Allow me this one little thing."

"You want to see how it affects her. Curiosity is going to bring you to a bitter end." Iris laughed though the words carried a dark weight to them. "Fine. I love you too much than to deny you." She approached Ivy and took the injector from her. "Lie down. It hits like a truck. I will sit by you and keep you safe. We are family." Iris said feeling the anger evaporate. "There is no room in my heart for hate."

"You forgive me," Ivy asked as she glanced at Jason.

"I do not despise you anymore, we are family and always will be." Iris said as she pressed the business end of the device against her twin's throat. "I love you." She paused before triggering the injector. "Booker is here. He is going by Bob. Penthouse. Pleasant dreams." The thing hissed as compressed air pushed the medicine through the skin and into her bloodstream. "Your OCD has gotten the better of you again."

"You are still upset that I fucked both of you." Jason said with a not so charming smile.

"Yes, damn you! I blamed her since she was the one that came sniffing around like she always did." Iris snapped. "You were different. The other guys were just for sex." Her words inflated his already formidable ego and like that the moment was gone.

"Sibling rivalry." Jason chuckled just as the doorbell rang a second time. "I got it." He opened the door and took the delivery from the cute cat girl dressed in bright green coveralls. Omaha winked at Jason and then turned and headed for the elevator. Jason did not miss the two burly males waiting for her. One reminded him of a minotaur with his impressive horns and bulky visage. The other must have been her boyfriend. He was a black furred lion man with gleaming green eyes. He closed the door and stared at the unconscious Ivy sleeping on his couch. "Let us eat. What we don't eat I'll put in the microwave for her."

Iris and Jason had their breakfast and gasped as their new tastebuds made even takeout food taste like a kingly feast. Jason left once the meal was consumed. He was in the thrall of his curiosity. Iris watched him go and she knew his addiction to his work was as strong as any narcotic. The door hissed shut and she moved next to her sleeping sister.

"I forgive you." She whispered. "I will help you any way I can." She stroked her sister's hair as the flood of memories before her mother dropped off the grid again flashed in her mind. Mom had always been eager to be on the move. Their childhood had been one of global travel but not staying at fancy five-star hotels. No, they camped, hiked, and mom knew people everywhere. She spoke so many languages and so many friends and lovers. She was a citizen of the world. Despite it all dad loved her with all his heart. "Oh, mom, where are you? I... we need you now more than ever." Iris paused and let her mind look at things logically just as her mother drilled into her. "He went to his fucking lab to log in, measure, and archive his new senses and capabilities. He wanted to better himself and he has done it, hasn't he? He used me again. Damn you Jason."

The panic was overridden by a single memory and her curiosity kicked in. She had a clear view of the door when the delivery girl handed their food to Jason. When the girl turned her tail was clearly visible. Iris closed her eyes and focused her mind on the memory and replayed it repeatedly. She froze the moment the cat girl had smiled and winked at Jason. Of course, he knew her. Was he fucking her too? Back to logic she willed her emotions out of it. Think Iris. If the law allowing cosmetic genetic tampering had just been passed where did she come from? The first possibility was that she was an American. They had passed their own law six months ago. The second and more disturbing option was that Jason and others had transformed people before the law took effect. If that were the case, he had risked much and for what?

"Overlord be a dear and activate viewing screens and display leading news stories." She requested to pass the time and see if anything stuck out in the latest news cycle. Three minutes later she saw it. The death of a ranking Scotland Yard investigator at the sight of a gentleman's club that was in the process of being renovated. "Oh Jason, you fool you. Overlord, security sensor request. Who was the female that came to our door and delivered the food?"

"Facial recognition comparison running," Overlord said. "Formerly Angel Rodriguez but she has legally changed her name to Omaha, the Cat Dancer. Citizen of the United States. She entered the United Kingdom one month ago where a work visa and other documents were waiting for her. No permanent address on file. Occupation adult entertainer. Current employer is the Zoo and tickets for the reopening night are on sale. She is slated as the lead entertainer. Warning nudity and sexual acts expected."

"Does she have a criminal record?" Iris asked.

"Searching public records. Ms. Omaha has several indictments and convictions for solicitation and prostitution that predate her transformation. Related news articles have Ms. Omaha tied to several deaths in four different states but never indicted or brought to trial." Overlord said. "Probability of her involvement with the Chief Inspector's death demands an interview and recording of her movements. Sending report to Scotland Yard."

"That bitch!" Iris snarled. Ivy whimpered as the fever began to manifest. Instinctively, she grabbed her twin's hand to reassure her even if she were not conscious of it. "I got you kiddo. What the..." she cried out as the sublime light welled up slowly from between their joined fingers. The light grew brighter until Iris was lost within it.

Back to the Zoo:

The Zoo was bustling with activity. The workers were back to work once the technicians and drones had departed the building. The crew size had been tripled but even then, it would still be three more weeks. Much of the work was intricate and required patience and professionals for installation. There were tons of water to be held in transparent tubes for the star to be able to swim through and be observed by the Zoo's audience. This was a show after all, and this had to be done perfectly.

"She is there, I saw them." Omaha purred as she fidgeted and squatted in the seat of the chair offered to her. Her colorful tail swishing in the air as Mags watched its almost hypnotic pattern.

"Them?" Mags asked.

"You did not know. They are twins though one was far prettier than the other. Their scent was remarkably similar." Omaha shared with a toothy grin. "She was asleep, and I saw one of the air syringes on the coffee table. I think they will both look the same by tomorrow."

"Jason's plan is playing out perfectly." Mags said frowning. "Pity Mike had to get nosey."

"The handsome policeman you mean." Omaha laughed. "You loved him, yes? I can hear the change of your voice pattern boss lady."

"It was over a long time ago," Mags lied.

"Of course, it was. The work goes well." The cat girl said changing the subject. "Soon we will dance His prize and I."

"Yes. You will be paid very well my little prima donna." Mags grinned her greed on full display. "You will earn us a lot of money. Keep him happy." She urged as the super soldier walked down the hall outside her office.

"Ares is like no lover I have ever taken to my bed before. His stamina is the stuff of legends." Omaha moaned. "Speaking of, there he is, awake and hungry no doubt. I will feed him in bed."

Mags gaze shifted from the cat girl with her bright eyes to the tall herculean figure clad in only sweatpants. She had been to Italy and seen the carvings of the old masters. He put them to shame in his perfectly chiseled good looks. She watched his muscles contract and relax as he moved. Her desire for him nearly overwhelmed her. He inspired unhealthy thoughts and she could not afford that. Jason would destroy her as easily as he ordered Pendergrass' life to be snuffed out. Oh, he would never lift a finger, no, one of his minions would visit her and she would vanish from the face of the Earth. She watched as Omaha slunk up and grabbed Ares by his arm. He smiled and ruffled her hair in the easy going way lovers do.

"Bitch!" Mags cursed under her breath. "That should be me." She said her jealousy boiling over and then just as quickly as it rose, she squashed it. "I had my time. I am old and tired. Give him one for me girlie." She returned to her tasks at hand. "I cannot believe he is gone. Why did you have to stick your nose... of course you had to. Just as much as Jason must control and keep the patterns in line. You could not fight your nature. Wishing won't make it otherwise."

"Hey, boss lady, good news," the shift leader called from the doorway. "Whoever built this place did one hell of a job. You remember that portion of the basement I was worried about, well under that shitty concrete flooring there is a nice little surprise. Turns out they lugged in diorite to pave the floor. It will help displace the weight of all that water nicely. Oi, are you okay?"

"Great news, I knew you were the man for the job." Mags snapped out of her dark reverie and smiled. "Will we be done for opening night?"

"If things keep at this pace and conditions do not change, we might even finish early. Might." He emphasized with a grin. "We will do our best."

"I have every confidence." Mags said updating her ever changing schedule.

Jason Rainwater strode into his lab and immediately he noticed the inconsistency. Jose, where the hell was Jose? Where he should have been standing was Ian. The chaos threatened to overwhelm him. No. Jose should be there, but he is not. Panic became anger and threatened to ramp up into an uncontrolled rage.

"Ian! Why are you here?" Jason snarled angrily.

"You hired me sir." He replied and Jason blinked as if slapped.

"No. I mean." Jason stammered. "Where is Jose?"

"Home office, he was promoted and transferred." Ian stated. "That fellow that visited did it all. I took it upon myself to step in and make sure the treatments you ordered were prepared as well as one of the larger lounges converted over for the volunteers to rest while the treatment does its work."

"Oh, yes, that was today wasn't it." Jason was clearly thrown off his game. "Overlord display the converted lounge. You placed the scanner shells I ordered above each bed. Surprisingly, good work Ian."

Ian internally flinched at the word, surprisingly. When Jose praised him, it was usually damn good job again Ian. He liked working with Jose. He cringed when he thought about working directly with Jason. The changes that had occurred since he last saw Jason were profound. He reminded him of David Bowie on steroids. He was not exactly feminine, but his features were softer somehow. His feline eyes with their amethyst color were disconcerting. Even the way he moved was inhumanly perfect.

"Ian, contact my wife and inform her that I will not be joining her for... two days at least. I will sleep here near the lab." Jason ordered. "Good job, call the volunteers and when they arrive direct them to that lounge."

"I... they are already here, in house, and changing into the scrubs you provided." Ian stammered nervously. "I figured you would want to start right away. Oh, I also made sure all of their blood samples were viable and stored in the case of buyer's remorse."

"Well damn," Jason cursed but he was smiling. "Buyer's remorse... funny, I think I was wrong about you Ian. You are going to work out fine."

Ian grinned and contacted Overlord with his internal link. He knew better than to interrupt Jason while he worked by interacting with the A.I. aloud.

'Overlord.'

'Yes sir?'

'Please locate Iris Inkpen-Rainwater please.' Ian requested.

'She is not responding.' Overlord replied. 'Searching for her GPS chip.' It continued. Each employee of Numenor including Erotech were chipped for security purposes. Blackmail and kidnapping were still practiced by rivals as well as criminal organizations. 'She is not in this structure. Searching. She is not in London. I have no record of gate activity corresponding with her chip signal.'

'Bollocks! Do you have access to the network of Numenor satellites?' Ian asked feeling a growing sense of peril.

'Accessing the Shaw Array.' Overlord stated. 'It will take time to search. I will inform you when I find her. Contacting Master Nick, he will want to know that Mrs. Inkpen-Rainwater is missing.'

This was way over his pay grade Ian thought. He went to the lounge with the labeled injectors. As the lead assistant technician, it was his duty to deliver the treatment. The ladies were sitting on their beds chatting when he walked in and he reacted to so many beautiful women in one place.

"I apologize ladies, that was unprofessional of me." He said his cheeks burning.

"I think he likes us," a busty violet haired woman said with a wink. "Will my hair still be this shade?"

"No. The treatment will override the dye." Ian replied. "Please hold up your wrist that has your identification number on it. I need to make sure the correct injection gets to the right person."

"Hey, you should know," a Latin teen spoke out. "One of the girls bolted and I took her place. I am the first replacement."

"Thanks." Ian said and went to her first. "Selma. One moment." Ian tied into the network to make sure her blood sample was safe and stable. "All clear. Your sample is on storage in case you change your mind."

"What is the deal with that?" Selma asked as she looked Ian over and licked her lips.

"It is a blueprint of your original self. We use it as a template to undo this treatment. Without it, well you would not be able to revert back if you changed your mind." He looked at her file. Feline. Any. He looked at the injector for the girl that had ran for the hills. "Snow leopard. The girl that left wanted that, is that okay with you or did you have a preference?"

"Snow leopard, hells yes!" Selma exclaimed. "Here." She continued as she rolled onto her belly and stuck her naked ass in his direction. "Stick me."

"Um... as lovely as your buttocks is," Ian stuttered. "The injection is done in the neck."

"I knew it. You are an ass man." Selma moaned and the others giggled. "How long will it take?"

"Six hours minimum and as long as nine. The change is rapid, but you will feel feverish when you wake. Do not attempt to get up until a technician gives you the all clear." He said and turned to the others. "Is that understood. I... don't want anyone getting hurt by falling."

"Yes Master!" They all declared and his blushed deepened to the chorus of whistles, cat calls, and moaning.

Ian focused and now that Selma was on her back, he informed her to roll onto her side. He explained that since her new self would have a tail that position would make sure its growth would be unimpeded. She moaned as she shifted.

"I like this position too." She teased as he gently touched her throat and found her carotid artery. The soft hiss of the injector sounded surprisingly loud since the others had fallen silent. Ian took his time to double check the records to eliminate any possible mistakes. This was a life altering event for them after all. He handed off the empty injectors to another technician for processing and recycling as he went. It took only twenty minutes from first injection to the last. The ladies were sleeping, and it was time to go to the extreme case. While the others had chosen mammalian traits to add this young woman wanted something different.

"Ms. Weaver?" He greeted her and he caught his breath. Her beauty put the others to shame. Short of the boss' wife she was in a category of beauty he had never seen before. "Forgive me."

"I get it all the time," she said. "I have signed the releases and I understand the dangers."

"I spent the time to have one of the techs create a visual for you. I ran the simulations dozens of times over the last few days. I... borrowed samplings from an incredibly special project to make this treatment survivable. I know you have your heart set on this but please reconsider." He urged but he could see that her mind was made up. "Can you tell me why this is so important to you, please."