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“Hmm…date of birth…weight…mother’s maiden name?” Wayne looked up from his clipboard, incredulous. “Hey, is that even relevant?”

The secretary behind the front desk simply gave him a dismissive nod, and then returned to her crossword puzzle.

“Right…” Sighing, he glanced back at the empty waiting room, surprisingly plain-looking with its whitewashed walls and shiny, checkered floors. Large potted plants and dark grey couches were positioned in neat rows throughout the room, and there was a long table overloaded with various pamphlets and magazines next to the front desk where he stood. Pre-recorded voices greeted him from the ceiling far above: “Welcome to Helena Pharmaceuticals! Your Key to a Better Life!”

The young man grinned at that. He tried not to, but he couldn’t help it. It was just too exciting, especially whenever he stared at the thick metal door on the far side of waiting room, slightly dented and decorated with large red and white caution signs.

Because beyond that door was where it would happen. Where he’d lose his humanity.

It wasn’t that strange a concept for him, being altered genetically. After all, hadn’t he shared a great many transformation fantasies with his girlfriend Eva--changing forms, shifting bodies, growing wings, paws, a tail? Still, those were only fantasies; simple, empty daydreams that he knew would never happen no matter how many stories he read or wrote about them.

Which was one of the reasons why it’d had seemed like something out of a dream when they’d received those letters from the company. Letters saying that they’d been chosen to be in the experiment…and be changed forever. And Wayne couldn’t be more excited.

He broke from his thoughts when the metal door suddenly opened, and a thin brunette in a lab coat stepped into the waiting room. She pushed up thick, rounded glasses as she hurried towards him, fingers tightening around her own clipboard. The smile she wore was bright, cheerful…and more than a little eager. “Welcome back, Mr. Murphy! I’ll be the overseeing nurse for your procedure today!”

“Sounds good,” he replied, straightening up, “It’s very nice to meet you, again, Alicia.”

“Likewise,” Alicia said with a polite nod, “Please follow me into the Outer Laboratory so we can begin the experiment…” She paused after looking down at his clipboard, and then an odd little smile crossed her face. “…after you finishing filling out your waver, sir.”

“O-oh, right.” Wayne was getting ahead of himself. He took in a long, deep breath to curb his excitement, and hurried through the rest of his forms. His hand moved stiffly as he signed the waver on the dotted line. “So, I guess I’m signing away my life, huh?”

“Actually, I’d prefer to call it a trade,” the nurse replied, taking his clipboard, “for a life more…interesting.” She passed his clipboard over to the secretary, who set it aside without a single thought. Then Alicia gestured towards the thick metal door with a hand. “Well then…right this way.”

The large room they entered wasn’t nearly as hi-tech as he’d thought. It was mostly empty space, just grey concrete walls surrounding tiled floors. A single examination table was bolted down at the very center on the room, next to a writing desk on nothing on top but a folded white robe and a clipboard. At the far corner of the room was a rather spacious cot next to a large mirror that was attached to the wall, and then another thick metal door, likely leading into their inner laboratory.

The last thing he noticed was the older man hunched over the examination table, grumbling to himself while he fumbled with a voice recorder. And Wayne had to admit, at first glance, the man did look like a mad scientist, with his pale complexion, short unruly hair, and wide, tired eyes. He looked almost sickly in his lab coat, which was about three sizes too big for him. And yet, he somehow had a strange sort of youthful energy about him as he moved and spoke.

“Dr. Winston!” Alicia called out, “Meet your next client, Wayne Murphy!”

“Mr. Murphy?” the unkempt doctor muttered, glancing up from the device, “Why, if isn’t the dragon-man, himself!” He stuffed the recorder into his lab pocket, and then quickly walked up to shake Wayne’s hand. “Dr. Albert Winston, genius geneticist, at your service. I‘ve already heard quite a bit about you from my lovely assistant, Alicia.” Then he made a quick wave of his hands like a magician, and added, “So, are you ready to be…transformed?”

Huh. Well…after that display, Wayne quickly decided that his initial assumption about the good doctor…was pretty accurate. “Uh…um, sure?”

“Well then, let’s not keep him waiting any longer!” Alicia interjected, still smiling as she walked over to the desk, “I just have to perform the pre-procedural physical, to make sure that your body is still in good condition for the experiment.” Then she gestured at the long white robe. “Remove all your clothes and put that on, please.”

When she glanced back and saw the surprised look on Wayne’s face, she giggled and added, “Trust me, you’re not going to want to transform in your current clothes.”

“O-okay…”

The next couple of minutes were spent preparing for the experiment. Alicia conducted the physical examination while Wayne wore nothing but the long robe…which was awkward enough without Dr. Winston asking him a dozen different questions about his diet, his exercise routine, his relationships, his sleep habits, and a host of other embarrassing things that he’d never want to talk about in front of Alicia. Or any female, really. Which was why he was thankful when she graciously changed the subject.

“So, what made you decide on oriental dragons as your new form?” she asked, setting down the stethoscope, “They aren‘t exactly the most common creatures in the animal kingdom.”

“It’s actually for my girlfriend, Eva,” Wayne replied, scratching the back of his head shyly, “We decided soon after the acceptance letters came in from Helena Pharmaceuticals. Our five year anniversary was coming up soon, so I told her that I loved her enough to become her favorite creature…” He paused to chuckle a bit. “…and she absolutely adores oriental dragons. So...here we are.”

“Aw…that sounds very romantic. Lift your arms please.”

As Wayne raised his arms, he heard Dr. Winston chuckle from somewhere behind him. “Really? Giving your girlfriend free reign over your body as an anniversary present? Pretty drastic, if you ask me. Why, in my day, candy and flowers were all you needed to make a woman happy.”

Alicia shot him a playful grin. “In your day, people were still figuring out how to powder their wigs and iron their petticoats! By the way, how was the American Revolution, old man?”

Wayne barely managed to stifle a laugh at that exchange.

“Well, that’s just hurtful, Alicia!” Dr. Winston cried out in mock-injury, “What would your parents think of you insulting an old man’s feelings like that?!”

“They’d be too busy laughing to care!” she teased, lifting her clipboard, “Okay, I’m done with the examination, Wayne. You‘re in great condition for the experiment.” Then she reached over and opened one of the desk drawers, pulling out a small, black case. “Did you read those preparation pamphlets I gave you?”

“Yeah,” he replied, climbing off the examination table, “I’m going to be injected with GEMS, right?”

“Yes, Genetically Engineered Mutagenic Serum…or ‘GEMS’ for the less-inclined,” Dr. Winston said with a chuckle. Alicia opened the case as he spoke, showing Wayne the stubby syringe inside, half-filled with a green, viscous liquid. “It’s an evolutionary catalysis of sorts; a chemical that infiltrates the human genome and rewrites it, forcing the rapid physical transformation of its host. Each syringe is unique, specially designed to fit each individual customer by using their specific DNA signature as the basis for programming the GEMS.”

“It’s why I had to meet with you last week during that preparation visit,” Alicia added, “We needed a sample of your DNA to make your personalized GEMS.”

“Wow…” Wayne replied, leaning closer. The liquid inside the syringe shimmered in the light, looking almost…radioactive. Was she really going to stick that stuff into his veins? “…um…will it hurt?”

“Of course not,” Dr. Winston continued, “I’ve already taken every precaution to make sure that the procedure is completely safe and painless. Although…among other things, you will feel some intense heat as the GEMS begins to infect and rewrite your DNA.” He paused to rub his chin thoughtfully. “So…maybe just a tiny bit of discomfort.”

Wayne’s brow furrowed at that, and he let out a nervous exhale. “R-right.”

“Sorry, but you’ll have to stay awake for the entire procedure,” Alicia said, wiping her glasses with a cloth, “But don’t worry too much about it. Once the GEMS is injected into your system, we’ll be carefully observing you on that cot for the duration of the procedure, just to make sure that nothing goes wrong.” Then she slipped on her glasses and looked at him expectantly, eyes bright and hopeful. “So, you ready for a change?”

Wayne paused, then turned to look at the large mirror. Even from a distance, the reflection that met his pale green eyes was the very definition of average; thin, with pale skin and shaggy auburn hair hanging loosely around a slightly angular face. Then he thought about all the forms that he’d once imagined himself becoming…dragons, beasts giants, and so many other creatures of legend….and he let out a final, wavering exhale.

Yes, maybe it was time for a change.

He turned back to Alicia, gave her a quick nod, and then he walked across the room to the place of his transformation. To the end of his old life. The cot was firm but comfortable, which did little to ease the thudding of his heart, either from anxiety--or anticipation. He wasn’t quite sure which. All he knew was that it got stronger when he saw Alicia grab both the syringe and her clipboard, and then round the examination table heading towards him.

Meanwhile, Dr. Winston had lifted the voice recorder to speak. “GEMS Imbuement Experiment # 21: Wayne Murphy, Caucasian male, age 23. Starting height: 5’9”; and weight is 135 lbs. Set for complete genetic transmogrification from human to an oriental-style dragon. This is be the first custom-made GEMS programmed to produce a currently non-existing creature, so…dramatic results are expected…”

Wait…what? That didn’t sound reassuring at all! Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. Maybe he should tell--

Wayne winced from a sudden prick in his arm as the syringe sunk in, muscles tightening when he felt the slight pressure of the GEMS being pushed into his body. It was a bizarre sensation; oddly warm at first…then almost burning, like she’d injected liquid fire into his veins. Whatever it was, it quickly swept through every inch of his body, striking at his core with an explosion of heat and electricity. Wayne could only grit his teeth at the intense feeling, eyes snapping shut as he clutched helplessly at his own chest. “Ugh!”

“Stay calm! It’s alright!” he heard Dr. Winston say, his voice punctuated by the sound of pencil scratching on paper. “It’s just the GEMS taking effect! It’s a completely painless process, I assure you! Just try and relax your muscles!”

Well, that’s easy for him to say! Wayne was shaking on the cot, desperately trying to keep his wits about him, when the first changes set in: a strange stretching sensation that rippled down his spine. Then he cried out as his back arched sharply, the sound of cracking bone filling his ears when his spine started to shift and lengthen. Every muscle locked up as the stretching intensified, and he felt his legs sliding awkwardly along the makeshift bed…away from the rest of his body.

Wait…was he getting longer?! He couldn’t say for sure, but that’s certainly how it felt, almost like being pulled at both ends like a piece of taffy. “Ah! Ugh!”

Wayne’s body jerked again as the powerful stretching settled in his pelvis, distending the pale skin of his backside as his spine pushed further onward. Then he felt the tensing of unfamiliar muscle, and a quick brush against cloth as the new appendage slid out of his robe, freeing itself to curl and flex in the air behind him.

“Wow, your tail grew in fast,” he heard Alicia say as a wet cloth wiped the sweat from his brow. “How does it feel?”

“A-ahh…” he barely managed to mutter, “It…feels weird. Can‘t…ugh…explain it…”

He heard an relieved sigh at that, and the scratching of pencil on paper started again. “That’s very good news, because that means it’s not painful. However, be prepared for the more intense stages of GEMS imbuement, which should begin in a few seconds.”

Wait…more intense than this? Wayne let out a low groan as he forced his trembling eyelids open to stare back at his changing body. Then a silent gasp escaped his lips.

Small, dark brown scales had begun to cover his legs and tail, shimmering eerily in the harsh lights of the Outer Laboratory. They swept across his body smoothly, like a gentle rush of air, almost comforting in a way…until he realized how much they itched. He barely had time to cry out before he felt the pale flesh on the underside of his tail thicken, becoming almost rubbery as it spread upwards towards his chest and neck in smooth segments. An underbelly? Then he heard a soft whooshing as thick tufts of auburn fur spouted at the very tip of his tail, spreading along the small of his back to connect with the growing mane on his head.

“Wayne,” Alicia asked gently as she raised her clipboard to write again, “What does it feel like to grow scales?”

“I-it itches! I…I can’t…” His words trailed off mid-sentence when he heard the cracking again. He glanced back in time to see his legs beginning to shift and twist in their sockets, sprawling out to either side of his body like a lizard. Wayne flinched visibly at the sight of his scaly feet stretching out into long, digitigrade limbs, complete with sharp claws on the end of each thickened toe. His arms followed suit a moment later, shoulders shifting and shrinking until they jutted awkwardly from the sides of his coiling, rounded form.

“Interesting!” Dr. Winston noted, raising the voice recorder again, “The transformation of Mr. Murphy’s bone structure seems to be progressing at a fairly rapid pace, as planned. His limbs have already been reshaped to fit his longer, more serpentine form. Strangely enough, he reminds me a bit of my old wiener dog, Tiberius…”

What? Wayne was about to yell again when he felt the heat building into his midsection, and he began to hear gurgling and squelching as his organs shifted to suit his new form. Wait, was that another stomach he just felt materialize down there? Or was it a lung? Wayne couldn’t help but feel a little queasy at the thought--and the sensation as well, like motion sickness rolling through his insides.

“Wayne? How are you feeling, now?”

He didn’t respond that time. Or more, he couldn’t, because the changes had finally swept up his elongating neck and into his head…which quickly turned the light haze of heat there into an raging inferno. He gave a gurgling scream as his brain was set alight, wiping away every thought in an explosion of incorporeal flames and smoke. Bright flecks of red flashed across Wayne’s eyes as his body began to curl and thrash in a desperate attempt to rid itself of this sensory overload.

“Wayne, what’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Alicia leaned in close, placing a hand to his forehead. “Wayne, can you hear me?!”

He stared up at her with dazed, unfocused eyes, searching for something, anything resembling understanding in her surprised expression. No, the doctor been right. It had been completely painless. However, what he’d failed to mention in detail was the host of other sensations that came with the transformation, harsh and unrelenting. Wayne screamed again as his body crumpled from another sharp muscle spasm, powerless to stop the constant waves of heat that washed over him with every pounding heartbeat, mingling with the itching and stretching that felt like it would never stop.

It was all too much to handle! He…needed help!

“Ahh! A-Alic-ia!” Wayne cried out breathlessly, his mouth and nose already beginning to stretch out into a long muzzle, “I-I…it‘s…help!” His body contracted again from another spasm, and the world spun before his eyes for just a moment as he rolled off the cot and hit the floor hard. He managed another scream while his new body shook and coiled tightly about itself, tail flailing about wildly, smacking against the wall and floor repeatedly even as he became longer. “Ah! Agh!”

Anxious voices reached his ears from far away, distorted and unintelligible amid the sweltering blaze in his mind. He caught a glimpse of fluttering white as a clipboard clattered to the ground several feet away. The ground vibrated slightly from the impact of rapidly approaching footsteps.

“Doctor! He‘s seizing too violently!”

“Hold his head, Alicia! I’ve got his tail! Ugh!”

Firm, soft arms wrapped around his long neck, anxious fingers gripping the thick mane on his head as it was parted by two curved horns. Moments later, a rougher, stronger set of arms grabbed his tail, pressing down against it. What was happening to him? A gentle hand rubbed along his newly-formed muzzle, brushing against two long, sensitive strands on either side that flicked about restlessly in the air. Wait, was he growing whiskers, now?

The softer voice came again, closer this time. “J-just relax, Wayne! Calm down! It’s almost over!”

Wait…who was that? A female voice, terrified?

He didn’t have time to consider it, as the pulsing heat intensified, building to a crescendo as it settled into the space between his shoulder blades. The stretching sensation started again, and he suddenly felt bone and muscle pulling away from him, twisting upward, reaching higher into the air and farther across the room. Then he heard the loud ripping of cloth as something freed itself from the long robe, shoving against the cot, brushing against cold walls and warm bodies as it moved up and down erratically. It almost seemed to be about as confused as he was…

…at least until he felt a sharp jerk of muscle, and heard the distorted sound of leathery flapping. Wings.

And then…it was over. The sensations faded so quickly that for a moment, he didn’t know what had happened. But then the haze in his mind began to clear, and he started to remember who and where he was…and how tired he was. Wayne managed a weak sigh of relief as his muscles slackened, and his long body fell limp on the ground.

“Wow, that was close…” Alicia said as she stood up, “…for a minute there, I’d actually thought we’d lost you.”

“No…t-that’s impossible,” Dr. Winston muttered from somewhere behind him, clearly out of breath. “The GEMS is a genetic enhancer, building muscle and greatly increasing vitality. No way he could’ve died.” He walked into Wayne’s view and leaned against the examination table, wiping his brow with a sleeve. “I might though, if I keep this up! I think I might need to retire!”

“Please…” the nurse replied playfully, “…you’d be bored in no time if you quit this job!” Then she crouched down to remove the tattered remains of the white cloth from the newly-transformed dragon. “So, how are you doing, Wayne?”

He hesitated at her words again, and then he turned to take stock of himself. Not exactly an easy task with his body still bent and coiled loosely like a snake. Wait a minute…was that really his body? His eyes widened as he started to un-coil himself, the sensation of his scales rubbing against each other making him shiver a bit. Then he gathered his paws under his body and stood up, tail wagging triumphantly as he looked around the room, which somehow seemed brighter, more vivid with his sharpened senses. Finally, he turned to Alicia. “I…I think I’m okay.”

“Okay? Amazing seems more accurate,” she replied with a smile, pointing at the large mirror hanging from the wall, “Have a look.”

Nodding eagerly, Wayne took his first awkward steps, claws clicking against the floor as he slowly trotted past her to the mirror. Then his muzzle fell open when he got close enough to see his reflection.

She was right. He resembled…no, he was a creature of legend, like something taken from the dusty pages of some ancient book. His tail flicked about happily as he took in every detail of his serpentine body, shimmering with small, brown scales that almost seemed to glow. Long whiskers attached to his muzzle began to sway about aimlessly, curling a bit around his powerful, lithe limbs. Then Wayne gave an excited growl as he extended his wings as far as they could go, making Alicia gasp in surprise from the resulting gust of wind.

It seemed utterly impossible, but the graceful, powerful oriental dragon in the mirror…was him. It was the start of a new life. And Wayne had to give the doctor his credit. The man was very good at his job.

Alicia was giggling as she walked behind him towards the table. “So, do you feel like a dragon, yet?”

“I feel like…myself,” Wayne replied, raising a clawed hand to study it, “it almost feels like this is how I’ve always been.”

“That’s just your brain adapting to your new form,” Dr. Winston said as he appeared in the reflection, “Soon, you’ll be able to move just as naturally as you did when you were human. Only you’ll be stronger, faster, four-legged…and able to fly with your new wings.”

“Unfortunately, science hasn’t yet discovered the gene that’ll allow you to sail on the wind currents…so we had to improvise a little.” Alicia grabbed Dr. Winston‘s voice recorder from the table, and lifted it to speak. “GEMS Imbuement Experiment #21 Results: Wayne Murphy, Male Oriental Dragon, age 23. Barring a final physical examination, I think we can safely call this procedure a…complete success.”

Then she clicked the device off, and smiled her odd little smile. “So...scale of 1 to 10, how shocked will your girlfriend be once she sees what’s become of you?”

“Oh, I doubt she’ll be too surprised,” the dragon replied with an amused flick of his tail, “After all, her appointment is next week.”

Several months later, a group of tourists were driving through the outlying wildness of some foreign land. It was early in the morning, and the passengers were all still asleep. The driver had already drank several cups of coffee, but that didn’t help much. He could only grumble bitterly to himself while he worked to avoid potholes in the weatherworn road.

So, it was no surprise that he failed to notice the smoldering campfire in the distance, where two dragons were sleeping peacefully under the pale moonlight.

After a while, the blue oriental dragon stirred from her sleep, craning her head up to stare at the stars above with a contented sigh. She turned to nudge her slumbering companion awake with a clawed hand. “Hey, Wayne? How far are we from the nearest major city?”

The brown oriental dragon roused, yawning as he smiled affectionately at her. “Good morning, honey…” Then he looked at the GPS device strapped to his forearm. “…from the looks of it, we’re just over 100 miles away from Tibet.”

“Tibet?!” she replied with glee, “Oh, we should go there next!”

“Sounds good,” Wayne replied with a rumble of approval, “I hear the new branch of HP is opening this week in Tibet. I’m sure they‘ll be happy to see us.”

It hadn’t been long after Eva’s procedure that Wayne had received another letter from Helena Pharmaceuticals, one that offered them jobs as the company‘s official spokespersons, relaying their personal testimonies of the GEMS’ success. And, of course, making the occasional public appearance. It wasn’t always an easy job, but it did provide them with more than enough freedom to travel and enjoy their new lives. And in return, the company would support them forever; they‘d never want for anything.

Which, considering all the new paying clients that Wayne and Eva brought into the company, was really the least they could do.

“And then we can finally head into Beijing!” she added with a giggle, “Oh, they are so going to freak out when they see us!”

“Yep,” he replied, giving her a toothy grin, “Wayne and Eva: genuine oriental dragons! That’s definitely going to be fun.”

Then again, with Helena Pharmaceuticals already in China, Wayne knew that it wouldn’t be very long before other dragons started showing up. And he looked forward to that day very much.

And with that, the two oriental dragons strapped their backpacks over their custom-made clothing, spread their wings and took off into the night, onwards to their next adventure.

Apparently, Alicia had been right. An interesting life, indeed…

Description
“Hmm…date of birth…weight…mother’s maiden name?” Wayne looked up from his clipboard, incredulous. “Hey, is that even relevant?”

The secretary behind the front desk simply gave him a dismissive nod, and then returned to her crossword puzzle.

“Right…” Sighing, he glanced back at the empty waiting room, surprisingly plain-looking with its whitewashed walls and shiny, checkered floors. Large potted plants and dark grey couches were positioned in neat rows throughout the room, and there was a long table overloaded with various pamphlets and magazines next to the front desk where he stood. Pre-recorded voices greeted him from the ceiling far above: “Welcome to Helena Pharmaceuticals! Your Key to a Better Life!”

The young man grinned at that. He tried not to, but he couldn’t help it. It was just too exciting, especially whenever he stared at the thick metal door on the far side of waiting room, slightly dented and decorated with large red and white caution signs.

Because beyond that door was where it would happen. Where he’d lose his humanity.

It wasn’t that strange a concept for him, being altered genetically. After all, hadn’t he shared a great many transformation fantasies with his girlfriend Eva--changing forms, shifting bodies, growing wings, paws, a tail? Still, those were only fantasies; simple, empty daydreams that he knew would never happen no matter how many stories he read or wrote about them.

Which was one of the reasons why it’d had seemed like something out of a dream when they’d received those letters from the company. Letters saying that they’d been chosen to be in the experiment…and be changed forever. And Wayne couldn’t be more excited.

He broke from his thoughts when the metal door suddenly opened, and a thin brunette in a lab coat stepped into the waiting room. She pushed up thick, rounded glasses as she hurried towards him, fingers tightening around her own clipboard. The smile she wore was bright, cheerful…and more than a little eager. “Welcome back, Mr. Murphy! I’ll be the overseeing nurse for your procedure today!”

“Sounds good,” he replied, straightening up, “It’s very nice to meet you, again, Alicia.”

“Likewise,” Alicia said with a polite nod, “Please follow me into the Outer Laboratory so we can begin the experiment…” She paused after looking down at his clipboard, and then an odd little smile crossed her face. “…after you finishing filling out your waver, sir.”

“O-oh, right.” Wayne was getting ahead of himself. He took in a long, deep breath to curb his excitement, and hurried through the rest of his forms. His hand moved stiffly as he signed the waver on the dotted line. “So, I guess I’m signing away my life, huh?”

“Actually, I’d prefer to call it a trade,” the nurse replied, taking his clipboard, “for a life more…interesting.” She passed his clipboard over to the secretary, who set it aside without a single thought. Then Alicia gestured towards the thick metal door with a hand. “Well then…right this way.”

The large room they entered wasn’t nearly as hi-tech as he’d thought. It was mostly empty space, just grey concrete walls surrounding tiled floors. A single examination table was bolted down at the very center on the room, next to a writing desk on nothing on top but a folded white robe and a clipboard. At the far corner of the room was a rather spacious cot next to a large mirror that was attached to the wall, and then another thick metal door, likely leading into their inner laboratory.

The last thing he noticed was the older man hunched over the examination table, grumbling to himself while he fumbled with a voice recorder. And Wayne had to admit, at first glance, the man did look like a mad scientist, with his pale complexion, short unruly hair, and wide, tired eyes. He looked almost sickly in his lab coat, which was about three sizes too big for him. And yet, he somehow had a strange sort of youthful energy about him as he moved and spoke.

“Dr. Winston!” Alicia called out, “Meet your next client, Wayne Murphy!”

“Mr. Murphy?” the unkempt doctor muttered, glancing up from the device, “Why, if isn’t the dragon-man, himself!” He stuffed the recorder into his lab pocket, and then quickly walked up to shake Wayne’s hand. “Dr. Albert Winston, genius geneticist, at your service. I‘ve already heard quite a bit about you from my lovely assistant, Alicia.” Then he made a quick wave of his hands like a magician, and added, “So, are you ready to be…transformed?”

Huh. Well…after that display, Wayne quickly decided that his initial assumption about the good doctor…was pretty accurate. “Uh…um, sure?”

“Well then, let’s not keep him waiting any longer!” Alicia interjected, still smiling as she walked over to the desk, “I just have to perform the pre-procedural physical, to make sure that your body is still in good condition for the experiment.” Then she gestured at the long white robe. “Remove all your clothes and put that on, please.”

When she glanced back and saw the surprised look on Wayne’s face, she giggled and added, “Trust me, you’re not going to want to transform in your current clothes.”

“O-okay…”

The next couple of minutes were spent preparing for the experiment. Alicia conducted the physical examination while Wayne wore nothing but the long robe…which was awkward enough without Dr. Winston asking him a dozen different questions about his diet, his exercise routine, his relationships, his sleep habits, and a host of other embarrassing things that he’d never want to talk about in front of Alicia. Or any female, really. Which was why he was thankful when she graciously changed the subject.

“So, what made you decide on oriental dragons as your new form?” she asked, setting down the stethoscope, “They aren‘t exactly the most common creatures in the animal kingdom.”

“It’s actually for my girlfriend, Eva,” Wayne replied, scratching the back of his head shyly, “We decided soon after the acceptance letters came in from Helena Pharmaceuticals. Our five year anniversary was coming up soon, so I told her that I loved her enough to become her favorite creature…” He paused to chuckle a bit. “…and she absolutely adores oriental dragons. So...here we are.”

“Aw…that sounds very romantic. Lift your arms please.”

As Wayne raised his arms, he heard Dr. Winston chuckle from somewhere behind him. “Really? Giving your girlfriend free reign over your body as an anniversary present? Pretty drastic, if you ask me. Why, in my day, candy and flowers were all you needed to make a woman happy.”

Alicia shot him a playful grin. “In your day, people were still figuring out how to powder their wigs and iron their petticoats! By the way, how was the American Revolution, old man?”

Wayne barely managed to stifle a laugh at that exchange.

“Well, that’s just hurtful, Alicia!” Dr. Winston cried out in mock-injury, “What would your parents think of you insulting an old man’s feelings like that?!”

“They’d be too busy laughing to care!” she teased, lifting her clipboard, “Okay, I’m done with the examination, Wayne. You‘re in great condition for the experiment.” Then she reached over and opened one of the desk drawers, pulling out a small, black case. “Did you read those preparation pamphlets I gave you?”

“Yeah,” he replied, climbing off the examination table, “I’m going to be injected with GEMS, right?”

“Yes, Genetically Engineered Mutagenic Serum…or ‘GEMS’ for the less-inclined,” Dr. Winston said with a chuckle. Alicia opened the case as he spoke, showing Wayne the stubby syringe inside, half-filled with a green, viscous liquid. “It’s an evolutionary catalysis of sorts; a chemical that infiltrates the human genome and rewrites it, forcing the rapid physical transformation of its host. Each syringe is unique, specially designed to fit each individual customer by using their specific DNA signature as the basis for programming the GEMS.”

“It’s why I had to meet with you last week during that preparation visit,” Alicia added, “We needed a sample of your DNA to make your personalized GEMS.”

“Wow…” Wayne replied, leaning closer. The liquid inside the syringe shimmered in the light, looking almost…radioactive. Was she really going to stick that stuff into his veins? “…um…will it hurt?”

“Of course not,” Dr. Winston continued, “I’ve already taken every precaution to make sure that the procedure is completely safe and painless. Although…among other things, you will feel some intense heat as the GEMS begins to infect and rewrite your DNA.” He paused to rub his chin thoughtfully. “So…maybe just a tiny bit of discomfort.”

Wayne’s brow furrowed at that, and he let out a nervous exhale. “R-right.”

“Sorry, but you’ll have to stay awake for the entire procedure,” Alicia said, wiping her glasses with a cloth, “But don’t worry too much about it. Once the GEMS is injected into your system, we’ll be carefully observing you on that cot for the duration of the procedure, just to make sure that nothing goes wrong.” Then she slipped on her glasses and looked at him expectantly, eyes bright and hopeful. “So, you ready for a change?”

Wayne paused, then turned to look at the large mirror. Even from a distance, the reflection that met his pale green eyes was the very definition of average; thin, with pale skin and shaggy auburn hair hanging loosely around a slightly angular face. Then he thought about all the forms that he’d once imagined himself becoming…dragons, beasts giants, and so many other creatures of legend….and he let out a final, wavering exhale.

Yes, maybe it was time for a change.

He turned back to Alicia, gave her a quick nod, and then he walked across the room to the place of his transformation. To the end of his old life. The cot was firm but comfortable, which did little to ease the thudding of his heart, either from anxiety--or anticipation. He wasn’t quite sure which. All he knew was that it got stronger when he saw Alicia grab both the syringe and her clipboard, and then round the examination table heading towards him.

Meanwhile, Dr. Winston had lifted the voice recorder to speak. “GEMS Imbuement Experiment # 21: Wayne Murphy, Caucasian male, age 23. Starting height: 5’9”; and weight is 135 lbs. Set for complete genetic transmogrification from human to an oriental-style dragon. This is be the first custom-made GEMS programmed to produce a currently non-existing creature, so…dramatic results are expected…”

Wait…what? That didn’t sound reassuring at all! Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. Maybe he should tell--

Wayne winced from a sudden prick in his arm as the syringe sunk in, muscles tightening when he felt the slight pressure of the GEMS being pushed into his body. It was a bizarre sensation; oddly warm at first…then almost burning, like she’d injected liquid fire into his veins. Whatever it was, it quickly swept through every inch of his body, striking at his core with an explosion of heat and electricity. Wayne could only grit his teeth at the intense feeling, eyes snapping shut as he clutched helplessly at his own chest. “Ugh!”

“Stay calm! It’s alright!” he heard Dr. Winston say, his voice punctuated by the sound of pencil scratching on paper. “It’s just the GEMS taking effect! It’s a completely painless process, I assure you! Just try and relax your muscles!”

Well, that’s easy for him to say! Wayne was shaking on the cot, desperately trying to keep his wits about him, when the first changes set in: a strange stretching sensation that rippled down his spine. Then he cried out as his back arched sharply, the sound of cracking bone filling his ears when his spine started to shift and lengthen. Every muscle locked up as the stretching intensified, and he felt his legs sliding awkwardly along the makeshift bed…away from the rest of his body.

Wait…was he getting longer?! He couldn’t say for sure, but that’s certainly how it felt, almost like being pulled at both ends like a piece of taffy. “Ah! Ugh!”

Wayne’s body jerked again as the powerful stretching settled in his pelvis, distending the pale skin of his backside as his spine pushed further onward. Then he felt the tensing of unfamiliar muscle, and a quick brush against cloth as the new appendage slid out of his robe, freeing itself to curl and flex in the air behind him.

“Wow, your tail grew in fast,” he heard Alicia say as a wet cloth wiped the sweat from his brow. “How does it feel?”

“A-ahh…” he barely managed to mutter, “It…feels weird. Can‘t…ugh…explain it…”

He heard an relieved sigh at that, and the scratching of pencil on paper started again. “That’s very good news, because that means it’s not painful. However, be prepared for the more intense stages of GEMS imbuement, which should begin in a few seconds.”

Wait…more intense than this? Wayne let out a low groan as he forced his trembling eyelids open to stare back at his changing body. Then a silent gasp escaped his lips.

Small, dark brown scales had begun to cover his legs and tail, shimmering eerily in the harsh lights of the Outer Laboratory. They swept across his body smoothly, like a gentle rush of air, almost comforting in a way…until he realized how much they itched. He barely had time to cry out before he felt the pale flesh on the underside of his tail thicken, becoming almost rubbery as it spread upwards towards his chest and neck in smooth segments. An underbelly? Then he heard a soft whooshing as thick tufts of auburn fur spouted at the very tip of his tail, spreading along the small of his back to connect with the growing mane on his head.

“Wayne,” Alicia asked gently as she raised her clipboard to write again, “What does it feel like to grow scales?”

“I-it itches! I…I can’t…” His words trailed off mid-sentence when he heard the cracking again. He glanced back in time to see his legs beginning to shift and twist in their sockets, sprawling out to either side of his body like a lizard. Wayne flinched visibly at the sight of his scaly feet stretching out into long, digitigrade limbs, complete with sharp claws on the end of each thickened toe. His arms followed suit a moment later, shoulders shifting and shrinking until they jutted awkwardly from the sides of his coiling, rounded form.

“Interesting!” Dr. Winston noted, raising the voice recorder again, “The transformation of Mr. Murphy’s bone structure seems to be progressing at a fairly rapid pace, as planned. His limbs have already been reshaped to fit his longer, more serpentine form. Strangely enough, he reminds me a bit of my old wiener dog, Tiberius…”

What? Wayne was about to yell again when he felt the heat building into his midsection, and he began to hear gurgling and squelching as his organs shifted to suit his new form. Wait, was that another stomach he just felt materialize down there? Or was it a lung? Wayne couldn’t help but feel a little queasy at the thought--and the sensation as well, like motion sickness rolling through his insides.

“Wayne? How are you feeling, now?”

He didn’t respond that time. Or more, he couldn’t, because the changes had finally swept up his elongating neck and into his head…which quickly turned the light haze of heat there into an raging inferno. He gave a gurgling scream as his brain was set alight, wiping away every thought in an explosion of incorporeal flames and smoke. Bright flecks of red flashed across Wayne’s eyes as his body began to curl and thrash in a desperate attempt to rid itself of this sensory overload.

“Wayne, what’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Alicia leaned in close, placing a hand to his forehead. “Wayne, can you hear me?!”

He stared up at her with dazed, unfocused eyes, searching for something, anything resembling understanding in her surprised expression. No, the doctor been right. It had been completely painless. However, what he’d failed to mention in detail was the host of other sensations that came with the transformation, harsh and unrelenting. Wayne screamed again as his body crumpled from another sharp muscle spasm, powerless to stop the constant waves of heat that washed over him with every pounding heartbeat, mingling with the itching and stretching that felt like it would never stop.

It was all too much to handle! He…needed help!

“Ahh! A-Alic-ia!” Wayne cried out breathlessly, his mouth and nose already beginning to stretch out into a long muzzle, “I-I…it‘s…help!” His body contracted again from another spasm, and the world spun before his eyes for just a moment as he rolled off the cot and hit the floor hard. He managed another scream while his new body shook and coiled tightly about itself, tail flailing about wildly, smacking against the wall and floor repeatedly even as he became longer. “Ah! Agh!”

Anxious voices reached his ears from far away, distorted and unintelligible amid the sweltering blaze in his mind. He caught a glimpse of fluttering white as a clipboard clattered to the ground several feet away. The ground vibrated slightly from the impact of rapidly approaching footsteps.

“Doctor! He‘s seizing too violently!”

“Hold his head, Alicia! I’ve got his tail! Ugh!”

Firm, soft arms wrapped around his long neck, anxious fingers gripping the thick mane on his head as it was parted by two curved horns. Moments later, a rougher, stronger set of arms grabbed his tail, pressing down against it. What was happening to him? A gentle hand rubbed along his newly-formed muzzle, brushing against two long, sensitive strands on either side that flicked about restlessly in the air. Wait, was he growing whiskers, now?

The softer voice came again, closer this time. “J-just relax, Wayne! Calm down! It’s almost over!”

Wait…who was that? A female voice, terrified?

He didn’t have time to consider it, as the pulsing heat intensified, building to a crescendo as it settled into the space between his shoulder blades. The stretching sensation started again, and he suddenly felt bone and muscle pulling away from him, twisting upward, reaching higher into the air and farther across the room. Then he heard the loud ripping of cloth as something freed itself from the long robe, shoving against the cot, brushing against cold walls and warm bodies as it moved up and down erratically. It almost seemed to be about as confused as he was…

…at least until he felt a sharp jerk of muscle, and heard the distorted sound of leathery flapping. Wings.

And then…it was over. The sensations faded so quickly that for a moment, he didn’t know what had happened. But then the haze in his mind began to clear, and he started to remember who and where he was…and how tired he was. Wayne managed a weak sigh of relief as his muscles slackened, and his long body fell limp on the ground.

“Wow, that was close…” Alicia said as she stood up, “…for a minute there, I’d actually thought we’d lost you.”

“No…t-that’s impossible,” Dr. Winston muttered from somewhere behind him, clearly out of breath. “The GEMS is a genetic enhancer, building muscle and greatly increasing vitality. No way he could’ve died.” He walked into Wayne’s view and leaned against the examination table, wiping his brow with a sleeve. “I might though, if I keep this up! I think I might need to retire!”

“Please…” the nurse replied playfully, “…you’d be bored in no time if you quit this job!” Then she crouched down to remove the tattered remains of the white cloth from the newly-transformed dragon. “So, how are you doing, Wayne?”

He hesitated at her words again, and then he turned to take stock of himself. Not exactly an easy task with his body still bent and coiled loosely like a snake. Wait a minute…was that really his body? His eyes widened as he started to un-coil himself, the sensation of his scales rubbing against each other making him shiver a bit. Then he gathered his paws under his body and stood up, tail wagging triumphantly as he looked around the room, which somehow seemed brighter, more vivid with his sharpened senses. Finally, he turned to Alicia. “I…I think I’m okay.”

“Okay? Amazing seems more accurate,” she replied with a smile, pointing at the large mirror hanging from the wall, “Have a look.”

Nodding eagerly, Wayne took his first awkward steps, claws clicking against the floor as he slowly trotted past her to the mirror. Then his muzzle fell open when he got close enough to see his reflection.

She was right. He resembled…no, he was a creature of legend, like something taken from the dusty pages of some ancient book. His tail flicked about happily as he took in every detail of his serpentine body, shimmering with small, brown scales that almost seemed to glow. Long whiskers attached to his muzzle began to sway about aimlessly, curling a bit around his powerful, lithe limbs. Then Wayne gave an excited growl as he extended his wings as far as they could go, making Alicia gasp in surprise from the resulting gust of wind.

It seemed utterly impossible, but the graceful, powerful oriental dragon in the mirror…was him. It was the start of a new life. And Wayne had to give the doctor his credit. The man was very good at his job.

Alicia was giggling as she walked behind him towards the table. “So, do you feel like a dragon, yet?”

“I feel like…myself,” Wayne replied, raising a clawed hand to study it, “it almost feels like this is how I’ve always been.”

“That’s just your brain adapting to your new form,” Dr. Winston said as he appeared in the reflection, “Soon, you’ll be able to move just as naturally as you did when you were human. Only you’ll be stronger, faster, four-legged…and able to fly with your new wings.”

“Unfortunately, science hasn’t yet discovered the gene that’ll allow you to sail on the wind currents…so we had to improvise a little.” Alicia grabbed Dr. Winston‘s voice recorder from the table, and lifted it to speak. “GEMS Imbuement Experiment #21 Results: Wayne Murphy, Male Oriental Dragon, age 23. Barring a final physical examination, I think we can safely call this procedure a…complete success.”

Then she clicked the device off, and smiled her odd little smile. “So...scale of 1 to 10, how shocked will your girlfriend be once she sees what’s become of you?”

“Oh, I doubt she’ll be too surprised,” the dragon replied with an amused flick of his tail, “After all, her appointment is next week.”

Several months later, a group of tourists were driving through the outlying wildness of some foreign land. It was early in the morning, and the passengers were all still asleep. The driver had already drank several cups of coffee, but that didn’t help much. He could only grumble bitterly to himself while he worked to avoid potholes in the weatherworn road.

So, it was no surprise that he failed to notice the smoldering campfire in the distance, where two dragons were sleeping peacefully under the pale moonlight.

After a while, the blue oriental dragon stirred from her sleep, craning her head up to stare at the stars above with a contented sigh. She turned to nudge her slumbering companion awake with a clawed hand. “Hey, Wayne? How far are we from the nearest major city?”

The brown oriental dragon roused, yawning as he smiled affectionately at her. “Good morning, honey…” Then he looked at the GPS device strapped to his forearm. “…from the looks of it, we’re just over 100 miles away from Tibet.”

“Tibet?!” she replied with glee, “Oh, we should go there next!”

“Sounds good,” Wayne replied with a rumble of approval, “I hear the new branch of HP is opening this week in Tibet. I’m sure they‘ll be happy to see us.”

It hadn’t been long after Eva’s procedure that Wayne had received another letter from Helena Pharmaceuticals, one that offered them jobs as the company‘s official spokespersons, relaying their personal testimonies of the GEMS’ success. And, of course, making the occasional public appearance. It wasn’t always an easy job, but it did provide them with more than enough freedom to travel and enjoy their new lives. And in return, the company would support them forever; they‘d never want for anything.

Which, considering all the new paying clients that Wayne and Eva brought into the company, was really the least they could do.

“And then we can finally head into Beijing!” she added with a giggle, “Oh, they are so going to freak out when they see us!”

“Yep,” he replied, giving her a toothy grin, “Wayne and Eva: genuine oriental dragons! That’s definitely going to be fun.”

Then again, with Helena Pharmaceuticals already in China, Wayne knew that it wouldn’t be very long before other dragons started showing up. And he looked forward to that day very much.

And with that, the two oriental dragons strapped their backpacks over their custom-made clothing, spread their wings and took off into the night, onwards to their next adventure.

Apparently, Alicia had been right. An interesting life, indeed…