The small corridor quietly echoes as you make your way down, aimlessly turning in random directions, only considering the paths that have the least amount of latexes as possible. So far, luck seems to be in your favour as there have been no latexes curious enough to try and confront you, leaving you alone with plenty to think about.
You don’t exactly care where you are going right now, wanting to tackle the complex questions and feelings about…well…everything.
Ever since discovering yet another unfortunate memory of your past, you find yourself struggling to find a clear and fair view of the latexes as a whole. Finding out that Trixie was responsible for the assimilation of your forgotten girlfriend has definitely put her in a bad spotlight, yet she had absolutely no control of the situation.
And to make this even more confusing, those…emotions…the very ones that Trixie has shown you, unlike anything you have experienced before. You don’t know how, but you know that those feelings are from Ellie. Not only that, but the regret and concern from Trixie herself are strikingly similar to Ellie’s.
The strangest part? You know that all of these emotions are real, they just can’t be faked in any way possible. What does all of this mean? How should you take this? Never have you thought when waking up from that stasis pod you would be in such a bizarre position like this, but here you stand…torn apart by conflicting viewpoints.
You…maybe you…
…
‘Why can’t I just make up my mind?’ You mentally groan, collapsing onto the wall.
…
Maybe you just need a drink.
‘Yeah, a nice glass of juice sounds great right now.’ you mentally agree with yourself.
With a new plan in mind, you set out to return to the greenhouse to find that ‘juice bar’ again, recalling Blue’s talent with her drinks. Although…there is one…teeny tiny…
‘Where the heck am I?? I didn’t wander for THAT long, did I??’
To your misfortune, you have no clue as to where you are right now, lost to the labyrinth of the institute full of potential latexes that are too curious about you, and unfortunately for them, you are not in the mood to deal with their shenanigans right now.
‘Alright, I came from…that way…I think?’ you guess, taking a turn to try to retrace your steps.
‘And after that, I went…did I come through here?’
Unfortunately, your surroundings are too unfamiliar for you to get a sense of where you are right now. Taking many steps before turning a corner, you jump back just in time before you step on an all too familiar sight…
‘... Really?’
The brown latex bear trap.
Either this institute is smaller than you think, or it is just that good at tracking you. Then again, Trixie had a knack for finding you no matter where you are in the institute. Glaring at the latex judgingly, you make your way around the trap before walking past it.
After taking a few turns and pushing through some doors, you find that you are nowhere near finding your way out. Looking down to the left, you see a small group of white anthropomorphic wolves patrolling their area.
Not wanting to get into trouble you decide to take a path away from the wolves. Looking down the corridor, you look down to see-
‘HOW?!’
The latex trap again.
‘Are you the same one or are there just so many of you???’ you mentally yell, demanding an explanation, but you hear nothing since you are not linked to this seemingly teleporting latex.
Ignoring the latex, you make your way around it but come to a halt as you see that you are nowhere near finding your way back to familiar territory. If those signs or maps were not destroyed or covered in latex, you would have made your way to the greenhouse…at this rate, you might bump into a latex willing to snatch you away for themselves.
Never have you realized how safe you were when someone like Neon or Trixie is by your side protecting you from others. You will need a guide, a companion to help you make your way back to the greenhouse…but who?
You are not ready to face Trixie, not yet clearing all the insecurities and thoughts in your mind. Neon is nowhere to be found…and Puro…not even an option. You mentally sigh in defeat, you are on your own…
…
…
Unless…
Looking behind you, you see that the brown latex trap is still resting not too far behind you…
…
‘Am I actually considering…’
Yes…yes you are. It’s either this latex or worse…a GROUP of them chasing after you. You start to consider the pros and cons…this latex should be able to guide you to the greenhouse assuming it's the same one…which it likely is, considering Trixie…the latex here should give you protection from others AND deal with the possibility of it persistently chasing after you until you finally step on it.
The cons however…well…it might just be too stubborn to let you go after transfuurring you.
…
It’s either wandering aimlessly until you find your way back with the risk of getting into a worse situation, or gamble it now and save time in the process…
…
‘I can’t believe I am actually doing this…’ you think in disbelief stepping in front of the latex trap.
At this rate, you don’t really have much to lose…Looking down at the trap, you feel your instincts scream in protest, reminding you of the consequences while your feet grow tense, picturing a more…unpleasant consequence of what the latex is presenting as.
‘Let’s just get this over with.’ you think to yourself.
Gently stepping onto the trap with both feet, you brace yourself for what is to come.
…
…?
‘...umm…anytime now?’
…
The latex trap rumbles, coming to life.
And just as you predicted, the trap springs as it clutches together, bringing its tooth-like ‘spikes’ onto your legs. You flinch as your legs get hit by the goo instead of pain.
The latex splashes onto your legs, just reaching your hips. The goo on your feet sticks to the ground to give you little hopes to escape, not that you are exactly planning to. With your legs within the latex’s grasp already, it wastes no time spreading upwards, reaching your torso as it spreads onto your arms, leaving nothing but the light brown colour.
Reaching up your arms, the latex wraps around your hands as the goo starts settling on your body, developing fur. Your hands and feet change into a more stubby form while the goo reaches out onto your face, eagerly taking over.
Knowing what comes next, you take a breath and shut your eyes tightly as the goo envelopes your head. You can feel a long pair of ‘ears’ forming as something grows on top of your head…horns maybe? You also pick up that a small and stubby tail is forming above your hips too.
You don’t have to wait long as the goo finally settles, finishing the transfur. Looking down to examine your new body, you see that your ‘fur’ has plenty of white spot patterns decorating your arms and legs reaching behind your back while your torso dturns a light cream colour.
You have become a deer…
You can easily pick up a sense of irony here.
Before you can do anything, a sense of connection occurs in your mind.
‘I did it…’ A voice rings out in your mind, seemingly in disbelief as he looks at his paws before brushing them against the fur on his arms.
I FINALLY DID IT!!!’ A cheerful voice rings out excitedly.
‘I CAUGHT THE HUMAN!!!’
‘I can HEAR you…’
‘Hmm? Oh, it was you! Hello human!’
‘Yeah it's me…hey listen I need-’
‘You have NO IDEA how much effort I took to get here! I had been searching for you ever since I saw you in the maintenance corridors, not to mention you seemingly disappeared for a while!’
‘Ummm…’
‘It took me so many tries…but now, I have you as my host!’ The deer says cheerfully, hugging himself to relish its new body.
‘Well I’m glad you’re happy but-’
‘It was worth it! Because now I have a human as a friend!’
‘Wait what-’
‘We are friends now right??’ The deer asks, his tail shaking in anticipation.
You take a deep breath, trying to not be annoyed by the deer’s enthusiasm, you would not have minded if it weren’t for the fact you are searching for peace of mind.
‘That’s not exactly how friendships work, but if we give ourselves some time we could be.’ You reasonably explain.
‘Really? I thought that’s how this works.’
‘What made you THINK it does?’ you ask, finding the deer’s logic puzzling.
‘Well, first off I…I…’
…
‘Actually…I don’t have anything, I always wanted to have a human friend!’
‘By turning into a trap and expecting me to walk onto it?’
‘But that’s what I have been hearing from the others all the time! Usually, they say that you are supposed to ‘catch’ a human. Though looking back at it now…it does seem rather silly.’ The deer says looking back at the flaw of logic.
‘Exactly.’
‘Oh…’ The deer replies, all of his energetic energy drains upon realisation of his mistake.
‘C-can we still be friends? I always wanted to have a host.’ The deer asks hopefully, twiddling his stubby paws.
‘Take me to the greenhouse, by the bar. And we call it even.’
‘B-but we can tag afterwards right??’
You can feel your patience reaching its limit, the deer shudders in response.
‘Are you ok…?’
‘...Not doing great, been hitting…what was the phrase?…Rock bottom.’
‘Is it serious?’
‘I got a lot on my mind right now and I thought having a drink at the greenhouse would be a good idea.’
‘You have tried Blue’s drinks?’
‘Recently yes and I could REALLY use one right now.’
‘I guess I can take you there…’ the deer says, walking down the corridor, his disappointment becoming clear and apparent.
Not wanting to be the cause of the deer’s misery, you try your best to lighten up the mood.
‘Tell you what…after I clear up my thoughts and am in a better mood. We can try this again the next time we meet.’
The deer pauses as you feel your ‘tail’ wag slowly.
‘For realsies?’
‘For realsies.’
‘YAAAAA-’
Your glare cuts the deer off.
‘...yaaaayyy.’ the deer cheers quietly.
You mentally sigh in fatigue, while the deer hops happily to the greenhouse, taking you along with him.
----------------------------------------
‘Huh…honey does add to the flavour.’ you comment, taking a sip of your drink.
‘It does, doesn’t it? Just add a pinch and gives it an extra kick!’ Blue mentally says, happy that you are enjoying the drink.
After convincing the deer to release you, Blue gives him his apparent favourite juice with honey added in. He HIGHLY suggested that you try it as he tries to restrain himself from wolfing it down.
Mildly curious, you ask Blue about it as she prepares a glass for you.
‘Although…it surprises me that you came back so soon, not that I mind of course. But what REALLY bothers me is that Trixie is not with you, did something happen?’
‘A lot.’
‘In a small space of time??’
‘You would be surprised…’
The blue wolf drums her claws on the table as she checks her surroundings. She sighs as she leans forward slightly to uphold your attention.
‘Look, I am no stranger when I know something is not right. Heck, you completely changed since we first met, and it's only been like…a few hours at most?’
You say nothing, taking a sip of your drink, only confirming her suspicion.
‘Want to talk about it?’
You sigh in defeat, accepting her offer.
‘Sure.’
‘Good, just let me get my assistant to take over for me real quick, ok?’
You nonchalantly nod, taking a sip from your glass as you try to rid yourself of these plaguing questions and thoughts in your head.
Watching Blue, you see her walk to the side of the bar, reaching out to another latex who is sorting the fruit in the crates. The latex appears to have a blue and purplish mix of fur while donning a small tail and triangular ears, a fox with a strange colour…but then again…there is no limit to what form these latexes can be.
The fox looks up to Blue as they discuss, with a few gestures, including one gesturing to you. The fox smiles and nods before Blue makes her way back to you.
You feel the telepathic connections around you disappear as Blue takes a stool and sits in front of you, giving her full attention.
‘Alright, we can talk. Now tell me what exactly happened, that got you like this.’ Blue says.
‘I’m not exactly very comfortable talking about it.’
‘I can imagine it, but bottling it all up will do you no good. Take as much time as you need.’
You set your glass down, trying to find the composure to speak your troubles to the blue wolf.
‘Do you recall that Trixie and I were trying to remember our past?’
‘Yes, some latexes have remembered memories of their past, most of which are unpleasant. Did you and Trixie remember anything?’
‘We did. Trixie remembered that she was a snow leopard that isn’t made up of latex or anything, and she remembers seeing me visiting her from her old home.’
‘Aww, that’s so sweet! Though I don’t see how this could put you in such a gloom.’
‘It didn’t, it was my own memories that did it.’
Blue leans in slightly, waiting in anticipation with a hint of dread. You clutch your head, still in disbelief before you continue.
‘I recall that I had a girlfriend, “Ellie”, way back before the riot and everything.’
‘Back when we were not ourselves?’
‘Exactly. I had remembered being told that she had been assimilated…by a snow leopard no less.’
‘You don’t think…’
‘I did. I even asked Trixie for the name of my girlfriend, which she recalled…it was her.’
Blue brushes her paw through her hair, taking in the information.
‘Oh no, that explains so much. She did talk about these ‘visions’, I never thought that-’ Blue shakes the thought at her head, not wanting to dwell on it.
‘Human listen, I can’t exactly speak for Trixie but it's not ‘her’ that did it. It-’
‘I know I know…it wasn’t exactly ‘her’ that did it. It was this…weird thing she described, unable to resist the instincts and everything. It gets more complicated for me after that.’
Blue tilts her head in askance.
‘I was upset…well, I kinda am still but…I don’t know. I did try to get away from her, I just couldn’t bear being near her when I found out about it. But she came to me and…shared these…emotions. It was just so strange, at first, it was from ‘Ellie’, I don’t know how to explain it…but it IS from her. And then Trixie shared her own emotions, but I swear it is just so similar to Ellie’s. We kinda separated on normal terms, but I just feel stuck…split even!’
Blue drums her claws onto the table, taking in your story while contemplating how to respond.
‘Jeez that is a lot to take in, but then…what are you going to do now?’
‘I thought I had it all figured out, but now? I have no clue what to do next. I’m just lost.’
‘Maybe you just need to take the time and settle down, get your bearings and have a clear mind. I wouldn’t exactly try to think about it too much for now, from what I can tell you are still quite in a state of shock.’
‘That’s an understatement. All of this is not exactly supposed to be…normal. Well, as normal as it could have been years ago, now it feels like everyone but me changed. Heck, even Dr. K, a scientist that personally knows me, changed into a wolf!’
‘A scientist? You mean that wolf in that white coat?’
‘That one.’
‘You say he had been assimilated and turned into a wolf?’
‘...Maybe? Kinda? He didn’t really want to talk about it, if I didn’t see him as a wolf in person I would have thought he was another human.’ You explain, finishing your drink.
‘...Odd…’ Blue trails off, her eyes squint in slight disbelief before shaking it off.
‘Agh forget about it, not important for now. How about I take you to one of our rooms and you rest up there? You might have to share with a roommate but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.’
‘...Why suggest that?’
‘Human, you do understand how popular you are getting around the institute right? Take a look around you, not all of my customers live here in the greenhouse so there would be a few that might want to do more than just, ‘meet you in person.’ She flexes her claws for emphasis.
Taking a glance at your surroundings, you can see a few oddly placed latexes that don’t seem to be residents of the greenhouse but are giving a curious glance in your direction, some of which are clearly talking about you. You notice an anthropomorphic red panda sitting by a table giving you a somewhat stern look, probably the one Trixie had chased away. One of them just so happens to be talking to the deer who brought you here.
The deer is talking to a…brown anthropomorphic wolf with antlers? The forms and colours these latexes take always puzzle you.
‘Actually, you’re right. I’m not just in the mood to deal with that kind of stuff now. What about this roommate of mine? Are they going to do any of that?’
‘Not unless you ask her. she has a curious hobby you might be interested in.’
‘What kind of hobby?’
‘Not quite sure what you would call it, but it is important to her. Some kind of project she works on in her own time.’
‘Got nothing to lose so…sure let’s do it.’
‘Great!’ Blue says, plucking the glass off the table before making her way down.
‘Follow me and try to stay close.’
With nothing better to do, you get up and follow close to Blue, leading you away while you try to ignore the curious glances from the latexes.
----------------------------------------
You find yourself in a corridor with many doors leading to different rooms, with each door having a number hanging beside each one, all sharing the same design and intention to house a resident. This corridor gives you the impression that these are the living quarters.
You are somewhat amazed by the sudden change of tone and scenery from the plant-infested greenhouse, to well-kept living quarters.
Blue explained that ever since the latexes discovered the greenhouse and the living quarters, they quickly understood the opportunity and took it in a heartbeat, now living comfortably with a supply of food growing not too far away.
Stopping by one of the doors Blue reaches out and knocks.
‘Oh! Umm, just a minute! I gotta- *Thud* OW! Maybe I should put it…*Swoosh*. Oh no! Now they are all over the floor! Come ooonnn…’ a feminine yet somewhat squeaky voice calls out into your mind.
‘Guess Teyla is at her project again.’
‘You think? How often does she work on her ‘project’ anyway?’
‘Quite often, though she does go out to meet people.’
‘...Ok, I will put riiiggghhtt over here and- *Thud*. Oh no! Please don’t be broken!’
‘...uuhhh is she ok?’
‘She tends to be a bit clumsy.’
‘...Ok, thank goodness! It still works! My project would have been ruined! I’m coming, I’m coming!’
The squeaky voice calls out, sounds of tapping growing louder before the door opens, revealing the resident and your new ‘roommate’.
The resident is anthropomorphic with light brown fur, while her torso is cream-coloured. She has large circular ears, a beady black nose and a very large tail, almost as big as her body. The tail has dark brown horizontal stripes decorating it. This latex is a squirrel.
‘Morning Blue!’ The squirrel chirps.
‘It’s actually afternoon Teyla.’ Blue corrects.
‘AFTERNOON??? How long have I been in there?!’
‘Far too long.’ Blue giggles.
‘Blllluuuuueee!!! Why didn’t you call me?!’
‘I have to work at the bar, you know how much everyone loves my drinks! And besides, remember the last time I came to check on you? You came running out and crashed into me!’
‘It was an emergency!’
‘Lunch isn’t exactly an emergency…’
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
‘You don’t know how hard it is to work on an empty stomach, you can think of nothing but food! The greenhouse grows the best acorns…and besides! I had to fight to get those acorns from the others!’
‘But there are other things besides acorns, Teyla…’
‘Like walnuts?’
‘That’s not what I mean…’
‘What else do you mean?’
‘I…err nevermind. I actually came here for a different reason, I got you a temporary roommate!’
‘Really? Who?’
Blue grabs you by the arm and pulls you to her side, introducing you to the squirrel.
‘Him of course!’
You barely have enough time to glare at Blue for the rough treatment before-
‘An actual human??’ The squirrel chirps, her tail puffing out.
The squirrel's eyes sparkle as she looks at you with a sense of awe and wonder.
‘Hello, Human! I’m Teyla! I heard that you were wandering throughout the institute but I never got the chance to meet you, it's a huge honour!’
‘There’s nothing really special about me.’
‘But you are the first and ONLY human seen wandering throughout the institute! No humans outside ever bothered to visit us except for you!’
‘But if you guys want to see humans so much, why not go out and see them?’
‘We can’t just leave the institute, it’s our home! Our birthplace! We have everything we need here! Our food, water and shelter. Some of us tried to see the humans in nearby towns and cities, but it didn’t quite go well.’ Blue explains.
‘I heard one fox tried to see a human up close, but they got yelled at and had things thrown at him. The little guy was crying all the way back here, it took a lot to calm him down.’ Teyla says.
‘Oh…that kinda explains a lot. But how would that make me different?’
‘Well, you surely came here for a reason right??’ Teyla says.
‘Actually, I never really had a choice, I was here in the institute the whole time.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I was actually frozen for a couple of years, I used to live here before the riot.’
‘You mean…’ Teyla pauses, her eyes widening in disbelief.
‘You LIVED here…years ago…along with the OTHER humans?’
‘Yeaahh…?’ you confirm, as Teyla gives a quiet gasp.
‘This is perfect then! Human! I have something I need to show you!’
‘What is it?’
‘My own passion project! I have been working really hard at it and it would mean a lot if you could see it.’
You give Blue a questioning glance, but she smiles and nods, reassuring you.
‘Couldn’t hurt, would use a place to rest.’
‘Oh right! You are my new roommate!’
‘Not for long.’
‘Doesn’t matter to me! Come inside already!’ Teyla says, opening the door wider and inviting you inside.
With no other choice, you accept her invitation as you step inside. Before the door closes, Blue calls out one last time.
‘You two get along! I got a bar to run! Can’t let my assistant do all of the work!’
‘Bye Bluey!’ Teyla calls out, closing the door.
Looking around, you find yourself in a normal size room, including the basics such as lights, a few wooden furnishings, and a bunk bed. However, what catches your eye is on the work desk in the corner, over which hangs a large billboard filled with so many pictures you don’t even know where to start looking. Underneath that riot of colour rests a copiously organised binder with hundreds of tabs sticking out.
‘Welcome to my little home! It’s not much to look at but it has everything you need!’ Teyla says, gesturing to her home.
‘Not bad, you get wooden furniture here?’
‘My room just so happened to come with these, guess I am just lucky huh? They look way better than those weird…things like the ones by Blue’s bar.’
‘The plastic chairs?’
‘Is that what they are? Why make those??’
‘Err…maybe they were easier to make…’
‘Blech! Why go for THAT when you can have THESE?? It’s such an upgrade! If you are going to work to make something, then you might as well make it the best that you can possibly make. Like my nest here!’ Teyla says, walking to the bunk bed.
‘This palace of fluff is the closest I could get to the awesomeness of my own tail!’ she pats the mattress for emphasis on her point.
‘Your tail?’
‘Yeah! My tail! Don’t you see how large and fluffy it is?’ she says, pulling her tail in front of her before nuzzling it.
‘It’s soft…warm…and makes for a great place to rest on!’ She explains, lying on her back onto her tail to demonstrate.
‘If I’m ever away from home and I get tired, I can just simply take a nap whenever I want!’ she communicates getting up from her tail.
‘That sounds too good to be true.’
‘Well…it can be inconvenient at times though…’
‘How so?’
*Bonk…Swoosh*
And just like that, her tail knocks over a file as pages spill onto the floor.
‘...Like that?’
‘Yeah, it happens way more often than it should.’ Teyla sighs.
Crouching down to the floor, you help Teyla gather up the pages before putting them back into the folder. All of these pages contain pictures of humans, with weird symbols describing each human in the picture. However, one certain page…or rather a booklet catches your attention.
Introduction manual for residents of Exiome Labs.
‘Exiome Labs? Why does that sound so familiar…oh wait! That’s the name of the institute!’
‘You can read it human? It came with these pictures.’
‘This booklet seems to be some kind of instruction manual for humans who lived in the institute, why would you have this?’
‘I was actually more interested in collecting the pictures, I just picked that one up along with the file I found.’
‘The documents? Why would you want them?’
‘So I can take the pictures out and sort them on the board.’
‘You take the pictures out?’
‘Let me show you.’ Teyla says, picking up the folder before taking you to the board.
Teyla sets down the folder, allowing you to see the separate folders resting on the table. One contains documents with pictures like the ones Teyla is holding, a folder with pictures, and a folder with documents with…
‘You cut the pictures out of the documents?’
‘Documents? Is that what they are?’
‘Wait, you can’t read??’
‘Uhh, no, is reading important?’
‘I…uh… never mind.’ you reply, trying to shake off your disbelief.
Looking to change topics, you gesture to the small board full of pictures.
‘So why do you collect all of these?’
‘I am creating…some sort of history or timeline of the institute.’
‘Timeline? Why though?’
‘No one knows much about the history of the institute! Some of us only have these vague memories or speculations of what it was like before the riot occurred. Not to mention, there is a good amount of humans that disappeared. Some were discovered dead, others assimilated.’
You flinch with the word, recalling the horrible memories of those you had lost long ago…
‘Human?’
‘Why do you want to create a timeline of all those terrible things that happened in the institute? Why do you want to remember?’
‘Because we HAVE to, Human. We can’t just simply forget who we were or what happened, nor these humans who have been lost to this tragic event. My instincts want me to take these pictures, so it’s my way to show I care about what happened.’
You pick up one of the pictures, a human person that you can’t recognize, but you can easily guess that they used to live in the institute like you once did.
‘But why gather pictures of my kind? Why put them all on this small board?’
‘Actually, this isn’t the actual project, I just use this to put up duplicates and compare them to other pictures and pick the better ones.’
‘Wait, this isn’t the entire project??’
‘Nope, it’s in that other room behind that door. Come on, let me show ya.’ Teyla says, guiding you through the door outside.
‘Wait where are we going?’
‘To my special gallery room.’
‘But I thought it's at your home!’
‘Oh no…my project is waaayyy too big for my room! It’s actually in my ‘secret’ hiding spot!’
‘Hiding spot?’
‘Just follow me and I’ll show you.’
----------------------------------------
‘So THIS is your secret hiding spot?’
‘Yep!’
You find yourself standing in front of a very tall tree, the tree has grown so tall that it had pierced through the ceiling…this tree doesn’t seem to be as well-kept when comparing it to the other plants of the greenhouse that Proto tends to.
‘Doesn’t seem very ‘secret’ to me.’
‘That’s because we aren’t there yet.’
‘Eh?’
‘We have to climb all the way up there, through the hole in the ceiling.’
‘And we’re going to do that, how?’
‘Using this tree of course! How else would we get up there?’ she says, making her way to the tree, readying her beady sharp claws to grab onto the wood.
As soon as her claws dig into the wood, she quickly climbs all the way up through the hole in the ceiling with great speed, making you feel daunted.
Walking up to the tree, you look to see the challenge before you, the height and the lack of branches to use as leverage. To make matters worse, there is no branch close or sturdy enough to climb up.
‘Aren’t you coming?’ Teyla calls out, peering down through the ceiling to check up on you.
‘Umm Teyla…I can’t climb.’
‘Seriously? But it’s not that hard, just use your claws, dig them into the tree and pull yourself up…wait…you have claws right?’
You bring up your hands, showing the lack of claws on your hands.
‘Nope, humans don’t have them.’
‘Oh, well that’s nothing to be worried about. We can fix this issue no problem.’ Teyla says, climbing down the tree.
‘How?’
‘Easy, I can transfur you and take you in as my host, and we can climb up this tree together. Simple as that.’ Teyla offers.
…
‘You are not going to force me or something?’
‘What do you mean?’ Teyla asks, jumping off the tree.
‘Usually when I get transfurred, others just kinda…throw all of this at me without letting me have much say in the matter. My first time getting transfurred was so sudden, I was honestly terrified.’
‘I guess some latexes still have that ‘instinct’. We can search for another way, I just thought we can do this just for climbing up the tree. I admit…I AM a bit curious on what this transfur is like, but I am not going to do it if you don’t want to.’
‘Hmm…’
‘If it helps, try thinking about the upsides of the matter. You will be able to climb like a pro, and you get to try out this awesome tail of mine!’
‘Is it really THAT good?’ you ask.
Teyla brings her tail in front of it, looking down at it as if to admire it.
‘You have no idea how cool this tail is, not until you have it in your life!’
…Honestly…now the offer actually sounds kind of appealing. Not just because of the tail of course, but the idea of becoming something else entirely without any real consequences. Not to mention the abilities you will gain that will vastly surpass your own such as the utility to climb with ease just like Teyla.
Looking back to all the times you had been transfurred…being introduced to the idea by Hunter and Scar, experiencing what it’s like to have a tail and soft fur…to Rose and her leathery wings, too bad you didn’t get to use them, the thought of flying sounds so exciting right now…can she fly with those tiny wings on her arms? Who knows? At least you still have her bracelet recreated by Weaver herself.
The sharks’ ability to freely explore underwater with no need for air…you recall the sense of freedom and not having to swim back to the surface to breathe the air.
Heh, even the speed and agility demonstrated by Trixie as she dashed through the maintenance corridors with ease.
Despite the circumstances…you have grown more comfortable with it.
‘You know what? You’re right. I was amazed that you were able to climb up that tree so fast, think you can help me with that?’
‘No problem at all! With me, it will be a breeze guaranteed!’ Teyla assures you, standing by your side.
Teyla makes her way behind you, as she prepares herself to bring you in as her host.
‘You ready?’
‘Yeah.’
As soon as you give your response, Teyla begins the transfurmation.
She starts by bringing her arms forward, placing them upon yours as she pulls you closer, as her body loses her fur and becomes semi-liquid, readying to accept its host.
You follow her lead as you lean backwards, allowing her to pull you in with ease as you sink into her. Her goo presses the back of your body before it slowly starts to spread, eventually flowing over to wrap around your body.
You watch as her goo coats all around your arms, legs and torso…your hands and feet turning into paws. As it flows around your hips, you feel the familiar sensation of having a tail, it shivers up by your delight.
You then feel something on your shoulder…it is Teyla, resting her head on your shoulder as she watches the process unfold with you. You both see Teyla’s goo start to settle as fur starts to develop, sealing your body with her own.
With only your head left, Teyla nuzzles your cheek with her own as she pulls backwards, preparing to finish the process. Knowing what comes next, you close your eyes as she presses her head onto your own…as they merge into one.
The goo around your head starts to settle just like the rest, developing the soft fur…a snout with a beady nose and a pair of pointy ears. As soon as the last of the goo settles, you open your eyes to take in a fresh new perspective…admiring the transformation of your body.
You can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction and amazement at the transformation…looking at it now…it doesn’t seem to be all bad after all. You can even feel Teyla’s own amazement at the results of the transformation.
‘Wow…is this what transfur is like?’
‘I guess so huh?’ you reply, as you both bring up your paws in sync, sharing the same feeling of curiosity and wonder.
‘Truth be told…I never understood the appeal of this thing, but now? Now I understand…it all just feels so…special? Like a new way to bond maybe? I don’t know, what do you think Human?’
Hearing Teyla’s question, you bring up your tail to brush your paw against it…recalling the familiar experience when you were transfurred by Hunter and Scar.
‘Looking back, I wanted nothing to do with ‘transfur’. I always had this fear that I would lose my identity as a human. I always feel like I’m getting the short end of the deal here. But maybe…with latexes like you Teyla, maybe isn’t so bad as I thought it was.’
You then feel your hand lift up as it reaches behind your head, scratching behind your ear…giving a strange yet welcoming sense of pleasure.
‘Glad that you feel that way human. This may be the start of a beautiful friendship.’ Teyla giggles.
‘H-hey! Stop that! I’m not used to that yet!’
Thankfully, she stops as she pulls your hand away from your head.
‘Alright alright, fine.’ Teyla complies, giving a playful pout.
‘So…wanna try climbing up this tree?’
‘Err sure? Do you think I can do this?’
‘No human…WE can do this, just follow my lead ok?’
‘Ok…’
You and Teyla make your way back to the tree, looking up to see the challenge before you, and the goal that you must reach…through the gap in the ceiling. You can’t help but feel intimidated by the seemingly impossible challenge that demands the skills you’ve never learned.
However, Teyla takes notice of this as feelings of assurance and confidence flood through the bond, granting you the strength you need to overcome any doubt. You and Teyla crouch both legs slightly, staring at the wood as if trying to intimidate it. You feel your claws unsheath, as your breathing, thoughts and determination synchronise with Teyla…
… *Snap*.
You both jump, latching onto the tree as you and Teyla throw one of your paws up as if it weighs nothing, digging your claws into the tree before bringing your other paw…again and again…and…jump!
…
…
Wait…
Blinking your eyes, you snap out of this strange moment to find yourself already on top of the tree and through the gap in the ceiling, noticing the darkness around you.
‘D-did we just climb up that tree already??’
‘I think we did…did we just break my own record??’
‘That was so easy! I didn’t even realise that we were finished!’
‘I know right??? This feels so different from when I climb on my own! It’s like I can lift my paws effortlessly! It’s like it weighs nothing!’
‘I know! I…I never thought I could pull it off!’
‘We just did!’
‘I…Oh damn I need to think this over. Could you let me out?’
‘Sure, I gotta try something out.’
Readying herself, Teyla deforms her body slightly to allow you to separate from her, while making sure you don’t accidentally slip or fall when you step out.
As soon as you step out, Teyla takes a step back and waves her paw.
‘Wow…before I felt as though there was no weight when I moved my paw, but now, I can feel the weight holding me back once more.’
Hearing her comment, you mimic her action and move your own arm, noticing the difference between when you were transfurred and now, just like when you moved those boxes back with Hunter and Scar.
‘I can feel it too… it's so weird…’
‘Err best not think about it too much for now, let me show you what we came here for?’
‘Your project? But it’s so dark in here.’ You reply, unable to see anything beyond the gap through the floor you came through.
‘Give me a second, I know where the light switch is.’
You then hear the sounds of shuffling as Teyla walks into the darkness.
‘Now where is that switch…it should be right…no that’s not it…maybe-’
*Swoosh*
‘Agh, not again…gonna have to pick that one up…if that was there and maybe it’s…aha! Found it!’
As soon as Teyla flicks the lights on, you can’t believe the sight before you.
Pictures lie everywhere, each wall has a large billboard filled with pictures with a symbol on top of each one. There is a table sitting in the centre of the room, with empty folders littered across them.
‘Behold, the history of our home!’
You look around aimlessly, struggling to comprehend the room.
‘How do you have so many pictures??’
‘It wasn’t easy! I had to go to lengths to find some of the pictures around the institute, my go-to place is those small offices with pages in them, they sometimes have folders containing human pictures. Sometimes I had to scavenge through abandoned living rooms, sometimes I could take pictures with my camera here.’ Teyla says, reaching into her tail to reveal the old fashioned polaroid camera.
‘Where did you get that?’
‘I found it years ago, this curious device is what inspired me to build this gallery here.’
‘How did you set all of this up? There are so many!’
‘I simply filtered them in a certain way, the board on the right has the humans, and the one on the left has the pictures of our home. I can give you a tour if you like.’ Teyla offers.
‘Sure, I need to see all of these.’
‘Alright, let’s start from here.’ Teyla communicates, taking you to the left of the board first, showing you the pictures of the institute.
‘Alright, everything began here. When latexes like us were created, everything at the time was tense. I remember humans created us with the intention to fight back against some sort of plague, here we have pictures of what the institute looked like before.’
Looking through the first section of the board, you can see pictures that were torn from a sheet of paper…magazine maybe? These pictures show what some sections of the institute looked like, including some parts of the lab and the biomes such as the jungle and the aquarium.
‘Unfortunately, getting the pictures of the institute was tricky so I don’t have many of them, but just enough to get the idea you know?’
‘Right, so what comes next after the riot?’
‘Yes. As we go further on, you will see pictures of what the institute looked like just after the riot.’
The next set of pictures shows the institute but in a more ruined and destroyed state, with furnishing and equipment smashed, puddles and splotches of latex everywhere, broken glass…screaming voices…
You shudder before shaking your head, as the terrible voices fade away from your head, you don’t want to remember...you’ve seen too much already.
‘I had to take all of the photos in this section myself. It was a good thing I did, we were already starting to clean up the institute, some of the rooms were looking patched up more or less.’
‘It’s a mess…’ you comment.
‘It really was, some of the rooms were more ruined than others. It was a dark day for our home…but then…things took a turn when the aerosol flushed throughout the institute.’
‘That thing that changed you all?’
‘Like that, yes, it was so confusing for all of us…everything we see…how we think…how we feel… it was all so sudden, like being ejected from your own body and coming back to find a stranger had taken over. Eventually, we were able to gather what happened to us, but most of us were unsure of what we should do next. So we did what made the most sense to us…we made our home here.’ Teyla trails off, gesturing to the last set of pictures on the board.
‘From the labs, the greenhouse, the maintenance corridors, the biomes, even the aquarium. We all made this institute our home.’
The next picture shows pictures of latexes, enjoying their lives. One picture shows some latexes sunbathing in the greenhouse, a black latex pup with a mask sleeping with a white pup, feline latexes arguing with each other over their boxes, one picture had a few sharks and other aquatic latexes behind the transparent container, and one even had Blue and some of the latexes posing for the camera.
‘Wow…they all look so happy…’ you comment, feeling somewhat envious.
‘Yes, we all are. It was a strange start for us but we made the best of our new home and live a comfortable life here. But deep down, some of us are still feeling unnerved.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘None of us like to talk about the past, we have a very good idea of what happened but we all refuse to talk, let alone THINK about it. Most of us thought it was best to just forget about it and pretend it never happened. But to me, I see this as counter-productive.’
‘How so?’
‘Because no matter what, it will ALWAYS come back to haunt us. Believe me, I know it. I have seen latexes feeling restless, some of them claimed to see ‘visions’ or humans that felt familiar. If we don’t confront and tend to our past, we will never truly move on and find peace with ourselves.’ Teyla explains.
You recall Trixie’s discomfort when talking about what she was in the past and the things she had done…the very visions of you haunting her every step of the way…to the final emotions of regret and concern she had for you when she confronted her past. Is…is Trixie not the ONLY one who is experiencing this?
‘That sounds a lot like Trixie…’ you think to yourself.
‘Trixie? That snow leopard?’
You grit your teeth at the intrusion before collecting yourself.
‘You know Trixie?’
‘Ohhh yeah, I know her. I remember meeting her back in the days when I first started the project, she was once a member of this club that is craaazzzy about boxes. Still don’t see the appeal of those things, though I did hear that she got kicked out of the club. I never got the chance to talk with her for my project here.’
‘You didn’t go looking for her?’
‘I would have but…the thing is, going to that maintenance corridor is nothing but a death wish. The last time I went in there one of the felines tricked me into this web, and then I met this latex, Weaver. She made me wear those clothes of hers, it feels so…unnatural! And besides, chances are that the latexes in that box club won’t talk about her. I still had a lot of work to do at that time. Oh well, you say that she has these ‘visions’ I mentioned?’
‘Yeah, she remembered that she was a human, it threw us off quite a lot.’
‘Guess it goes to show how important my project is. Especially the next part.’
‘The ones on that side of the room?’
‘Exactly, let me show you a few.’
Teyla then walks to the other side of the gallery room with you close behind. The pictures have different humans on the board, pinned together with another latex creature.
‘What are these pictures pinned together?’
‘These show what the humans have turned into after the riot, I figured it would be a good idea to keep track of who’s who since some of us were these humans…if that makes sense. Like this one for instance…’ Teyla trails off pointing at one of the two pictures.
‘This latex wolf was one of the humans that lived here in the institute, he was very attached to this dog. But after the riot and assimilations, they were separated and couldn’t remember each other. That was, until I figured out who he was, and showed him a picture of his ‘human self’. He started to remember his past, including the dog he loved. Last I checked on him, he was happily reunited with his friend.’ Teyla says with a small smile on her face.
Looking at the picture, you can see a human in a white lab coat, holding a brown pup close to him as they both look at the camera. The picture connected to it shows a brown anthropomorphic wolf, cuddling close to the same pup only larger than in the last picture. You notice that the anthropomorphic dog shares the same eye colour as the human he used to be.
‘I did the same with some of the other latexes, some went well…some went bitter-sweet…some ended on a sad note…but in the end, they all made peace with themselves.’ Teyla explains with a sad sigh.
‘It can be difficult recalling your past, but it’s always for the best.’ Teyla says.
Picture after picture…you see the same thing over and over…a human and a latex beast in the next…sometimes with a pair…sometimes alone…but as you go down…you notice that the pictures are now standing alone, showing only humans.
‘What about these ones? They don’t have a pair.’
‘I haven’t found the latexes that represent them yet, some of them are elusive while others…I fear they might not have survived the riot. I always dread this kind of outcome.’
‘But why THAT outcome? Don’t you die when you get assimilated??’
‘It’s way more complicated than that human…these humans here…the ones that had been assimilated, it is a tragedy yes, but they are still…’there’, if that makes sense.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s, err, how do I explain it to a human...’
After thinking for a moment, Teyla removes a pin connecting two pictures before presenting them to you.
‘Tell me what you see here.’
One picture contains a female human holding a camera proudly, while the other is Teyla herself with the same camera, holding that camera in the same manner as her human counterpart.
‘It’s you and…your host.”
‘And?’
‘You’re both holding the same camera…’
‘Yes, go on…’
‘So you are the same person?’
‘Yes and no.’
‘I…don’t follow.’
‘Let me put it this way. I remember being a normal squirrel. I like to climb trees, I like to eat nuts. But I also remember being a human.’ she pauses for a brief moment, reaching into her tail to pull out her camera.
‘The day I found this camera, is the day I remembered who I was, both a human and a squirrel. I admit I was having an existential crisis when I remembered. I kept asking myself…”Who am I supposed to be? A human? A squirrel? Or am I just someone else entirely?” It took me a while to think until I came up with an idea…’ she explains, admiring her camera, looking up to you to finish her statement.
‘I am both of them. I live like a squirrel, but I also think like a human. I love trees, and I also love my camera. To me, after I assimilated them and felt the gas wash over me, I felt like the joint incarnation of my human-self and my squirrel-self. I represented both of them. It was then I realised that I am Teyla. Sure I may not be the same as I once was, human or squirrel. But in the end, I am them and they are me.’ Teyla explains with certainty, bringing up her tail with her one paw while holding her camera in the other.
‘As strange as it is becoming a latex, there are amazing benefits. I had started to fully understand how great my tail is that my Squirrel-self never truly appreciates AND I can keep my camera safe in my tail at all times! I can simply take it out to capture moments like my human-self always wanted to do!’ she says, putting her camera back into her tail as it sinks inside it.
‘Does that any of that make sense, human?’
‘I…maybe?’
All of this just seems to add conflicting and uncertain thoughts to your head. What exactly happens to those that get assimilated? Do they truly die, is it like how Teyla describes it or is there more to it than you think?
You look through each of the pictures one by one… seeing picture after picture of these seemingly happy humans and latexes…trying to find this ‘closure’ you are desperately seeking…but then…while looking through the pictures, you see that one picture…one picture you cannot ignore…
A family…a family with a mother and father with their two sons…it’s…you…you and your brother. As if in a trance you reach out and take the picture off the wall, examining it closely as if trying to confirm what you are seeing is real.
‘Huh? Hey! Put that one back, you can’t just-’ Teyla cuts off, seeing who it is on the picture.
‘Oh… that picture is you…you and your family.’
You barely nod, taking in the details of your family…the family you may never see again…tears start to drip from your eyes, the pain and fear of what will come in the future…if you will be alright on your own.
‘Do you…know where your family is?’
‘I know what happened to my brother…but I don’t know about my parents.’
Hearing this, Teyla remains quiet, understanding the implications.
‘I see…’
‘I had lost my brother to a black wolf. He assimilated him right in front of me…I was so helpless when I watched it unfold. It hurts, Teyla, I feel so ashamed that I had forgotten about him! This isn’t something I’m supposed to forget!’
Teyla blinks in shock, not expecting this kind of news. Seeing that you are on the verge of breaking down, Teyla reaches out and places a paw on your shoulder, trying to console you. Closing her eyes, Teyla brings out her own emotions…emotions of assurance and empathy. You don’t fight back, allowing these emotions to pull you away from the brink of depression, but the loss still lingers…
Giving a brief moment to calm down, Teyla speaks up.
‘I don’t know how it feels to lose someone like that…but I have a good understanding of what it is like. Many of the latexes I reached out to remembered what they lost just like you…’
‘But what do I do now??? How am I supposed to cope with this??’
‘That is up for you to decide human…I can’t say for you.’
This bothers you…this bothers you so much! Is she insane?! How ARE you supposed to figure it out?? The only thing keeping you from breaking down are these emotions she is sharing with you! What are you supposed to do next??
You want closure! You want answers! You want clarity! You want an explanation! You don’t know ANYTHING about this whole…whatever this may be! You want…you need…
…
You should find your parents.
It’s a long shot, but there is a chance that your parents could still be out there somewhere…and judging from Dr K’s refusal to elaborate on what happened…you can either guess they were killed…or assimilated…
…
But the ache of not knowing your parents’ fate is gnawing away at your mind. You HAVE to know! You already learned what happened to Matthew and Ellie, and now there are two more…
‘I…I want to find my parents…if they are still out there that is.’
‘I am proud of you. I know it is not an easy choice to make, but it will be worth it in the long run.’
‘You say that…but they could be anywhere! It might take forever to find them, let alone recognize if it's them!’
‘And you don’t have to do it alone. I am here with you.’
‘You are going to help me find them? But it would still take forever with just the two of us! Plus we only have this one picture!’
‘Don’t worry Human, I have the perfect plan…’
…