Mr Gordon knew he should be sleeping, but he couldn't. He had been up all night reading the results of various experiments and conclusions from work. Right now he needed a break. He had wondered around the house, now that the kids were off to school. His wife was sleeping in bed too.
He noticed that Billy had got out the old telescope he had given him- her for her birthday.. a birthday that she was going to have again, now that he thought about it. He also noticed that Stacy had broken her own bed. He looked sadly and thought he would make some Tome to repair that today.
Gordon liked to keep busy... even if he felt so useless at the moment. What happened to his family? A father was supposed to protect his children from everything. He remembered when he first became a father and was so fearful of picking his son up, only doing so under the direction of his wife. He was more comfortable working with equations then his family. Yet he wouldn't trade them for the world... he was so proud of his children. He would do anything to make them happy again.
This new situation with the moon intrigued him... but with the sun up, he was cut off from the laboratory until next sunset. He turned on his computer and activated a conference program. Another scientist came into view, a transformed person. He had the body of a lady bird... which seemed quite apt with his strong British accent. He wasn't sure if his wings were capable of flight. It didn't seem likely, even less likely then the occasional harpy he had seen. Still if he could fly, it wasn't something he showed... and the scientist felt it too personal to ask anyway. At least he retained hands that were able to work and manipulate equipment.
"Hello Gordon," He said formally.
"Hello Tom," he said with a smile. "How's the dome looking?"
"All the tests look good so far."
The dome was a new part of the laboratory. It was essentially a room where they had near complete control of the environment. It's roof had a dome with different filters, to adjust the intensity and wavelength of the light that fell under it. Various cameras were also positioned, to record every detail of anyone transforming. Heart rate, temperature, humidity, even the sound and walls could be changed.
"I saw on the news those coma patients. Did our initial tests reveal any pattern?"
"Three gender shifts... as well as animal varsities, one bizarre change... no discernible patterns" Tom replied.
"What about temperature data? Was there any correlations to... anything there?"
"We turned up the heat on a few of them to see if it would encourage transformations with more fur, or hair... there was nothing statistically significant. We still need more tests."
Godon nodded. "I'd like to get that quantum experiment done soon as well."
"It's proving.. difficult. Photons aren't acting like they used to." Tom said looking at a few more papers. The equations looked mind boggling.
Gordon nodded. "They are still a photons. It's still subject to laws of physics. I want to capture some of the light from the dome, and create an interference pattern."
Tom nodded. "A large scale photon cable has been installed, that turns the sunlight into a uniform light... we can shine that onto various surfaces. But I got to tell you Gordon, I'm worried. We don't know anything about this sun... I'm wary to use it on a person. What if it hurts them?"
Gordon sighed. "You know what's at stake... I'm going to find a cure for these people!"
Tom winced. "I-I know... so do I... but there's only so many suitable test subjects that have nothing to lose. We'll eventually have to ask for volunteers... and what if something goes wrong?"
It was a question Gordon often asked himself. What if in their tests, something went so horribly wrong that they became responsible for ruining someone's life? Or downright killed someone? That they were altering the conditions of sun exposure didn't necessarily mean it would cause any actual harm... or even influence the nature of the transformation. Indeed that was precisely what they were trying to test. Laboratories across he world were doing similar things on the vain hope, that a cure might come about.
"What about the photo luminescence experiments?" Gordon asked changing the subject.
"We have that very expensive luminecent cystral. It can absorb a lot of the light from the sun. Light is then re-emitted by the application of a current... it's all wired into the dome. but I don't know if it was worth it."
"You're being negative Tom," Gordon said a little annoyed. "It's come from my own expense."
"But it isn't going to be the same as the light from the sun. It might not have any effect at all."
"We won't know until we try. I wont lose my family over this," Gordon was starting to feel very tired. He glanced hearing footsteps
"Honey?" His wife called.
Gordon turned off the computer. "Just- checking up on work sweety," he said.
"Come to bed," She smiled. "You worked all night..."
"In... in a minute. They are about to do some light experiments... I want to watch the first ones."
Brittany hoped Jon was okay after all that. She didn't mean to push all this onto her... but she had to. She had to know the truth of the legacy she now had... that all this was in her hands. It was a great burden. The merlins of the past stood at the gate between their world and the infinite. She was the one who had changed reality... it had to be her responsibility. Yet she could see that the slug-girl thought it was also some form of punishment... yet somehow, she was hopeful. Maybe she will realise, a greater truth then she understood as a mere servant to the last Merlin.
"I will train you lady Jon," She said. "I will teach you how one speaks to the gods..."
Jon gulped. "I have to tell you... that sounds freaky."
Brittany just smiled. "You are not alone... there are three other elements... each of them will have their own role. But you are the the Earth-mistress... the physical aspects of this world is in your hands."
Adam had a lot of trouble sleeping in her harpy body. Every hour she had thought... just wish it away. Just make a wish on the air-bubble, and all this could be fixed. That's all she had to do! She could have her hands again... become male... and not have to suffer the indignity of her mother washing her!
She rose out of bed and was determined to do as much as she could on her own. Her mother was exhausted and sleeping soundly, no doubt from staying up quite a bit last night. The harpy had to get ready for work... even if she couldn't drive, she still could take the bus.
She looked at the bubble and at her feathered arm... dare she? Should she? Could she? Nobody else had this power! Nobody else could decide that the transformation wasn't for them... and try to fix it. Yet... the way her wish was interpreted last time, placed an entire town into another world. it was so selfish to think of herself...
She decided to forgo the shower having been washed last night.. and oiled. (That was a really weird feeling) She just had to put on something to cover her top. She pulled out a large sweater with her Talons, and debated how to put it on. She sat down on the bed, and pried open the torso part with he talons, and tried to shuffle her head into it. She tried this for a good fifteen minutes. Slowly, she managed to get her head through, and pushed through her winged arms across the sleeves. She heard a slight 'rip' making her wince. She hoped it wasn't anything bad... she was too distracted by the feeling of her nipples on the jumper now. Her small but perky breasts bounced slightly at her exasperation.
Putting on some pants was a lot easier. Pulling those up wasn't easy with winged arms, but not impossible. Sliding it over her talons were quite odd though. It was getting anything else on that was difficult. Her trousers were a bit shredded by her talons from last time. She tried to pull her talons into a ball, as she slid the first leg through, but the jeans slipped through her winged arms. She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.
"I can do this," She whispered to herself. She didn't want to ask for help... not... yet.
Alex sat in the councillors office. She waited in trepidation at the results of her test, her large wings quivering a bit, as was her tail. She was able to stop her wings moving accidentally, but her tail seemed to have a mind of it's own.
She was currently wearing her sisters clothes. A fact that... she really felt weirded out by. They had yet to get any new clothes for her. Money was always tight in the family... though now that her father (or mother) was recovering, maybe that will change? Maybe they could get nice things now.
"You did quite well in your test Alex for someone your age. Your.. current age" she said.
"Does.. does that mean I lost a lot of things?" She asked worried.
The gorgon shook her head. "Actually, you retained a lot. You always were slightly ahead of the curve. This does put us at a bit of a dilemma though. We could keep you in your normal classes, or we can put you with your age group... though either place might be awkward for you. I would like to place you with your normal class and continue your studies as you always have. There's no point sending you back, unless you found yourself struggling. What do you think?"
Alex thought about that. "I... guess that makes sense," She said. She wasn't sure if she had retained all her knowledge though... what if she did forget something on getting younger? She wasn't that much younger... she had become her sisters age.
"Do you have any other concerns? I'm all ears," She smiled.
