{
  "submission_id": "3488380",
  "keywords": [
    {
      "keyword_id": "3171",
      "keyword_name": "cobra",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "2167"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "133685",
      "keyword_name": "echolocation",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "20"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "462",
      "keyword_name": "handjob",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "15280"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "1440",
      "keyword_name": "human",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "109998"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "165",
      "keyword_name": "male",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "1213023"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "762",
      "keyword_name": "nudity",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "46684"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "3078",
      "keyword_name": "orca",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "3993"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "4999",
      "keyword_name": "scales",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "4549"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "40668",
      "keyword_name": "sonar",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "83"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "1336",
      "keyword_name": "transformation",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "44811"
    }
  ],
  "hidden": "f",
  "scraps": "f",
  "favorite": "f",
  "favorites_count": "0",
  "create_datetime": "2024-11-29 18:51:32.131581+00",
  "create_datetime_usertime": "29 Nov 2024 19:51 CET",
  "last_file_update_datetime": "2024-11-29 18:46:45.153462+00",
  "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "29 Nov 2024 19:46 CET",
  "username": "titan",
  "user_id": "62327",
  "user_icon_file_name": "45732_titan_titan_icon.gif",
  "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/45/45732_titan_titan_icon.gif",
  "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/45/45732_titan_titan_icon.gif",
  "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/45/45732_titan_titan_icon.gif",
  "file_name": "5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
  "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
  "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
  "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
  "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
  "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
  "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
  "thumb_huge_x": "204",
  "thumb_huge_y": "300",
  "thumb_large_x": "136",
  "thumb_large_y": "200",
  "thumb_medium_x": "82",
  "thumb_medium_y": "120",
  "files": [
    {
      "file_id": "5323338",
      "file_name": "5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
      "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
      "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
      "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.txt",
      "mimetype": "text/plain",
      "submission_id": "3488380",
      "user_id": "62327",
      "submission_file_order": "0",
      "full_size_x": null,
      "full_size_y": null,
      "screen_size_x": null,
      "screen_size_y": null,
      "preview_size_x": null,
      "preview_size_y": null,
      "initial_file_md5": "29925ca02a5daff39b71c51ed0bb0ee9",
      "full_file_md5": "29925ca02a5daff39b71c51ed0bb0ee9",
      "large_file_md5": "",
      "small_file_md5": "",
      "thumbnail_md5": "00abd3d62b632cb69b7710c94f9d77a3",
      "deleted": "f",
      "create_datetime": "2024-11-29 18:46:45.153462+00",
      "create_datetime_usertime": "29 Nov 2024 19:46 CET",
      "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
      "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
      "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5323/5323338_titan_dinner_-_ib_publishing_copy_-_copy.jpg",
      "thumb_huge_x": "204",
      "thumb_huge_y": "300",
      "thumb_large_x": "136",
      "thumb_large_y": "200",
      "thumb_medium_x": "82",
      "thumb_medium_y": "120"
    }
  ],
  "pools": [
    {
      "pool_id": "97779",
      "name": "Stories",
      "description": "A folder for written adventures of my characters.",
      "count": "1"
    }
  ],
  "description": "Kosey becomes embroiled in a feud between 2 brothers, costing him dearly.\n\n\nA TF commission featuring Kosey, my OC, who transitions to an anthro, mer, then full-fledged orca. Ride the wave, Kosey.\n\nA story written by [icon]triple_16[/icon]\n\ntriple_16 on FA\ntriple16.bsky.social\n\nThanks for reading. ",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Kosey becomes embroiled in a feud between 2 brothers, costing him dearly.<br /><br /><br />A TF commission featuring Kosey, my OC, who transitions to an anthro, mer, then full-fledged orca. Ride the wave, Kosey.<br /><br />A story written by [icon]triple_16[/icon]<br /><br />triple_16 on FA<br />triple16.bsky.social<br /><br />Thanks for reading. </span>",
  "writing": "[center][u][b]GUESS WHO’S CHANGING FOR DINNER[/b][/u][/center]\n\n[i]THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW OF [b]CASE #19670:[/b]\n\n[b]September 30th\n\n[/b][/i]It’s funny. In a family of self-proclaimed geniuses, I’m always the dumb one. The runner-up. The silver-plate second-placer. When I got an A, he got an A+. When I made the baseball team, he got made captain. Twenty years of disappointments and embarrassments really start to weigh you down.\n\nBut that all ends today.\n\nAlright, it ends a month, but we’re starting [i]now[/i]!\n\nAs I christen the proverbial boat of Project Oasis, our next subject is already en route to the lab. The perfect specimen for one last experiment.\n\nOur mission statement is this:\n\n[u]We will transform Subject 23 into a hybrid super soldier in thirty days or less.\n\n[/u]Huh. On paper, it reads like a weight loss ad. Talk about ironic. Too late to change now, though.\n\nOnce the process is complete, I will present Subject 23 to Mother and Father and finally swipe the crown from the prodigal son’s big stupid head.\n\nSuck it, Jonas!\n\nI’m done playing the fool. This time, the joke is on you.\n\n[i]~ From the desk of Dr. Neil Bromer ~\n\n-----\n\n[b]October 1st\n\n[/b][/i]If this is a prank, I’m not laughing. At all.\n\nI was [i]supposed [/i]to have a soldier – a 190 cm tall, 100 kg slab of muscle with enough fortitude to glide through the Oasis process. You’d think 2.4 million USD would buy you that much on the Arabian black market.\n\nBut much like that every barista I’ve ever met, the traffickers got my order wrong.\n\nInstead, they’ve bought me a servant boy. Emphasis on [i]boy[/i]. Lanky. Scrawny. With long brown locks of hair that are [i]seriously [/i]going to clog the drains by the time we’re done. Am I being [i]Mulan[/i]’d right now? Really?\n\nOh, and the worst part? Ever since the sedative wore off, he won’t shut the fuck up. He only seems to speak Arabic, so it’s like listening to word salad in a blender. I would just send him back, but our budget’s tight enough as it is, and the market has a strict policy on returned merchandise. Strictly [i]lethal[/i]. I don’t need that on my conscience.\n\nBesides, the clock’s already ticking. We’ll have to track progress as we go, so I gave him a notebook to collect qualitative data. Hopefully, he can fill the pages instead of talking the translator’s ear off – who, by the way, gets paid per [i]word.[/i] For half the price, I could’ve built an A.I. drone, even if the Scientific Review Board would have my head. \n\nThey [i]also[/i] have some fairly lethal policies.\n\nI’m not paying for any more overpriced services, so I’ll get the kid’s writing translated once the project is over. Everything else proceeds as planned.\n\nT-minus thirty-one days until dinner.\n\nAssuming, he survives that long. \n\nGoddamnit.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 1\n\n[/b][/u]I am supposed to write a letter? To whom? Sir Al-Hadidi wasn’t clear, and he’s the only one who speaks my language. The others just stare at me like some wild boar. It’s strange.\n\nTo whoever reads this, I suppose,\n\nMy name is Kosey from the Temple of Haje. I should start by thanking you for rescuing me from that horrible ship! There have been rumors around my village of strange abductions, but I never imagined that I would become a victim. This journey has been truly perilous.\n\nSir Al-Hadidi says we are in a hospital, that I am unwell and need to recover. I appreciate the concern, really, but I must be on my way soon. I need to find the Heart and cannot return home without it.\n\nIf you have any knowledge of its location, please let me know.\n\nIn the meantime, could I possibly ask for more blankets? On nights like this, I typically stoke the fire in our apprentice chambers. I suppose I’m not used to the chill of its absence. Or the silence.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 2nd\n\n[/b][/i]Great news! It turns out that Kosey [i]does[/i] have lean muscle wrapped up in his string bean of a body. That means he’s 10% less likely to die on us. Fingers crossed.\n\nApparently, he does a lot of grunt work in his village as an apprentice, but that’s probably code for being somebody’s bitch. I know the feeling.\n\nWait, was it a village or a temple? Al-Hadidi went back and forth on the wording.\n\nOne thing he did make clear: Kosey wasn’t a fan of the strip-down. Even if all the kid had on was a dirty loincloth, sandals, and these painted-on tribal markings. It felt a bit disrespectful to power-wash them off, but they’d look really weird on his body once he starts to change.\n\nNot to mention, Mother and Father have very strong opinions on tattoos.\n\n----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT A] [/b]\n  •  FIRST NAME: Kosey \n  •  LAST NAME: [REDACTED]\n  •  AGE: 18\n  •  HEIGHT: 170 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 60 kg\n  •  HAIR: Brown\n  •  EYES: Brown\n  •  BLOOD TYPE: O\n  •  ETHNICITY: Egyptian\n  •  NOTABLE FEATURES: Temporary tribal markings (removed)\n  •  TARGET OUTCOME: Orca Hybrid (40/60 split)\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 0%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC: \n\n[/I][u]Subject 23[/u] was skittish as we took his measurements and began profiling his genetic code. This baseline will serve as the foundation for protein synthesis.\n\nDr. Bromer discovered the importance of genetic customization after Subject 1’s trial and subsequent disposal.\n\nSubject 23 is smaller than anticipated, but we expect his vitals will improve in subsequent reports. \n\nI can only imagine the wonders we shall see born from his body.\n\n[i]*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 2\n\n[/b][/u]What in Haje’s name was that about? I felt like I was standing under the flood of a waterfall. My temple marks are ruined, and I cannot reapply them here. I feel naked without them.\n\nThis strange gown also leaves my back exposed, which does not help the feeling. And what is this salve on my skin? It’s cold to the touch! I started to shiver as soon as that woman applied it. She even went as far as to spread it along my rear. Very rude! How is this supposed to help me recover?\n\nI’m more likely to catch an illness from sleeping in this room. Even the squishy walls are cold as snow. The floor is like ice. Could I please have my sandals back?\n\nI haven’t gone to many hospitals in my life, but this one is the strangest by far.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 3rd\n\n[/b][/i]Despite a few setbacks, Project Oasis has set sail! The lotion’s mutagen proteins sank deep into his pores the moment it made contact. Just from the sample scrape, we can see Kosey’s skin expand at a cellular level, becoming more elastic by the second.\n\nThis will lead to sweating and a fever as the chemical agents kick in. Lucky for him, that containment cell is air-conditioned. We realized that was a necessity early on in the project.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 2. \n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 3\n\n[/b][/u]I promise I won’t complain about the temperature anymore. My head is on fire, but I can’t stop shivering.\n\nPerhaps I caught something on the boat with all those strangers. Or the stress of this journey has finally caught up with me. Either way, I suppose I need more time to recover after all. Sorry to inconvenience you. You’ve all been quite attentive to my needs, changing my sweat-soaked blankets or delivering food to my doorstep. \n\nI have never been waited on before.\n\nIt is a nice feeling.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 4th\n\n[/b][/i]The cameras in Kosey’s room let us track his progress and anticipate his needs. So far, his body is reacting normally to the pre-treatment lotion – i.e. he’s not a pile of dissolving pink goo in the corner.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 3.\n\nGiven his still-solid state, we felt confident bringing him down to the radiation floor for an initial battery. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to share that confidence. He said the lights were “too bright,” according to Al-Hadidi. I’m trying not to be offended by that.\n\nI designed the lab to be as sterile as possible. Perfectly white from top to bottom. Crystalline lighting tuned to kill microbes. It looks pure. Professional. The kind of labs you see in sci-fi movies – in space. I guess Kosey can’t appreciate the aesthetic. His village [i](temple?)[/i] has probably never seen such marvels or the films that inspired them.\n\nIt’s fine. I’m used to being underappreciated.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 4\n\n[/b][/u]What in Haje’s grace was that machine? It feels cursed! I’m used to enclosed spaces within my temple, but as I slid into that dark cylinder and the hatch at my feet sealed shut...\n\nI believed the tunnel that would collapse on me at any moment. Fear of suffocation overpowered the shame of my nudity. The cold face of the table gnawed at my back, made worse by the slick sludge on my skin. All I could hear was my heartbeat rattling the walls and my breathing as it stuttered in the darkness.\n\nThen came a low hum, as if a botfly was locked in the chamber with me. I couldn’t see anything.\n\nThen the walls started to glow. Fire red like a demon’s eye.\n\nJust when my fever had finally settled, I felt smothered by heat all around me. It was almost painful! My skin vibrated, shaking beyond control. I could imagine my blood boiling like a spit-roast lamb.\n\nIt did not last long, I think, but the sensation was truly terrible. My stomach still aches. From the stress or the heat, I don’t know. \n\nI understand you are trying to help, but I hope this treatment is not needed again.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 5th\n\n[/b][/i]Another day, another radiation bath. This was actually the first method we tried on Subject 4 since injections by themselves were taking [i]forever[/i]. But as it turns out, you can’t just blast something with gamma rays and expect it to become a Hulk.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 4.\n\nThat’s where the lotion idea came from. Now when we irradiate people, they’re basically covered in sunscreen. SPF 9000!\n\nWe lathered up Kosey right after breakfast. For him, a high-calorie, high-fat meal to fuel his transformation. For me, tofu and eggs. I’d like to avoid any comments at dinner regarding my waistline.\n\nSo far, progress has been subtle but impressive. Kosey’s skin is noticeably softer thanks to the topical cream. He looks at us funny while we prod him, but I don’t think he has any idea what’s happening yet. \n\nI try to delay that conversation as long as I can. There’s no way to [i]not[/i] make it awkward.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 5\n\n[/b][/u]My stomach aches worse than yesterday. Another time in the roasting box and I came out to the world spinning. I thought I would throw up, but I held it in. A miracle since I had eaten so much this morning.\n\nBread, eggs, and a strange block of orange paste. I appreciate the meal, truly, and my people find it rude to leave a plate unfinished. But I must ask that there be less food delivered to my room. I have never been served so much in my life.\n\nIf I may ask another question, what is the medicine you gave me today? The fluid in the needle. Dark and cold as night. It sent a shiver up my arm, and I could see it traveling under my skin. My veins wound up into a black web, like Venom from my Spider-Man books.\n\nI followed the strange threads down my side and watched them wrap around my stomach before fading away. When I pressed my hand there on my abdomen…I thought I felt something move.\n\nI must be imagining things.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT B]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 171 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 61 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 2%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Serum O-200 concentrate has been introduced into Subject 23’s body. Scans show that the compound breached his internal organs and muscle fibers at a rapid rate. Transfusion is successful.\n\nComplaints of abdominal pains indicate stomach lining alteration and intestinal swelling. This is expected. \n\nWe received several other complaints not related to the physical procedures (e.g. room temperature, general anxiety). \n\nWhile this information is worth noting, we have reminded Mr. Al-Hadidi that he is not required to translate every spoken word to or from the subject. I suspect he is trying to bolster his paycheck.\n\nShould he continue to overcharge Dr. Bromer in this manner, I will surely have stronger words with him.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 6\n\n[/b][/u]What in Haje’s name are you doing to me? You keep stabbing needles into me and shoving me in that box, and I feel worse every time. Aren’t doctors supposed to heal their patients?\n\nThe needle was much larger this time, and my back still hurts from the insertion. I turned to see myself in the mirror on my wall. The welt is hot red like a branding burn. I cannot lay on my back at all.\n\nI cannot sleep.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 6th\n\n[/b][/i]The human body doesn’t produce enough collagen to form fins, especially big ones, so we came up with a direct injection method. When mixed with a stem cell combo based on Kosey’s genes, there shouldn’t be any risk of bodily rejection. We haven’t had a mass cellular failure since Subject 5.\n\nIt’s something we learned to recognize immediately since the subject’s skin blackens like a steak after an hour.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 5.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 7\n\n[/b][/u]There is a black spot on my side. What is this? \n\nI woke up on my stomach, which is the only way I can rest now. Even my shoulders ache if I lay on them for long. They didn’t use to do that.\n\nWhen I crossed to the bathroom, I spotted an odd blotchy shape in the mirror. I would’ve missed it if my arm did not swing by at the right time.\n\nIt’s not the veiny web from yesterday. This splotch is shaped like a squashed tomato that bulges out in all directions. It is the size of my hand. I poked it with my finger and shuddered when a shock ran up my back. It’s very sensitive for some reason.\n\nMy concerns do not end there. When I grazed it again, carefully, it felt like the rubber texture of rain boots. I sometimes trade for a pair during flooding season, but the feeling is distinct. And it should not be on my body! Why is there rubber on my skin? I do not want to become boots!\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 7th\n\n[/b][/i]I think the translator’s got a screw loose. Apparently, Kosey keeps asking about “boots?” But the boy was wearing sandals when he got here, and that doesn’t even matter because he’ll never wear shoes again anyway.\n\nLinguistic issues aside, we made great progress today. We spotted the first development of orca skin! It’s black as coal and touching it feels like rubbing a pool toy. Kosey kept trying to pull away, but the texture was too amazing to ignore. It’s way more animal-like than in previous trials.\n\nWe might have had a slow start, but the project is about to take off like a rocket!\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 8\n\n[/b][/u]This is so gross!\n\nWhat is this horrible blue mess you’ve doused me with? Like slime from a slug or tree sap. It’s so much worse than the salve. I cannot imagine what it is for. I asked Sir Al-Hadidi, but even he could not explain it. All I know is that I shiver when it touches my skin.\n\nHe said not to wipe it away or wash it off. Not that I could. There is no bath in the washroom. I have asked for water, but the woman watches me until I have swallowed every drop.\n\nI sometimes forget that I am being watched.\n\nIf this ooze is supposed to help my skin, it isn’t working. The black stain on my side is larger than yesterday. It reaches around me like a thick vine, crawling along my back and beneath my arm. \n\nI’m scared it will entangle me. Strangle me! I’ve had nightmares about that exact thing. \n\nCan’t you do anything to stop it? \n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 8th\n\n[/b][/i]Fun fact: despite their sizes, orcas have very weak skin. It’s why you see so much scarring on their hides in the wild. I learned that in biology class in 7th grade when I decided to do my science fair project on marine wildlife.\n\nI built a diorama of a synthetic biome that could protect all organisms within. It could even separate predators from prey without starving out any species. It was a really nice model.\n\nThe next week, Jonas built the real thing inside the Georgia Aquarium.\n\nHe got a gold medal and a government grant. I got second place and ten dollars off at McDonald’s.\n\nSmug bastard.\n\nThe only bright side, I guess, is that’s how I met Samuel. He placed third with his potato battery, which also doubled as a ham radio.\n\nAnyway, with Kosey’s skin in mind, we’re applying a protective gel to his body after each treatment, with extra smatterings on the black spots. This will keep him hydrated and stave off problems with his remaining human skin.\n\nThe gel’s mutagen isn’t as concentrated as an injection, but that’s by design. We can’t have his whole body change at once. Nothing good ever comes from that.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 6.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 9\n\n[/b][/u]You are poisoning me! I am not stupid. My people are not so ignorant, despite what you all seem to think. This is a sign of disease!\n\nI was playing with one of those puzzles on the table, the one that forms an image of the Sphinx. But when I picked up one of the pieces, light as it was, the edge got caught on the tip of my finger. \n\nMy nail peeled off like an apple skin!\n\nA small strand of flesh dangled it from my cuticle, but that did not last. In a panic, I flung my hand aside, knocking the puzzle box onto the floor. The skin gave way and sent my nail flying into the pile of scattered pieces. I have yet to find it.\n\nThe rest of my nails sheared themselves off as I throttled the door handle and clawed at the metal like a dog, screaming for someone, anyone to aid me. Nobody came to my room this time. Nobody.\n\nNow my fingertips are sore and barren. The indents of my lost nails are still visible. I can’t help rubbing at the exposed skin, which should not be exposed at all. Although the flesh is still pink, it feels strange. Too soft. Too smooth. Too much like the venomous ashy spot on my right side.\n\nThis is no hospital. You are trying to kill me.\n\nI must leave here at once.\n\n-----\n\n[b][LAB NOTICE]\n\n[/b]Subject 23 has grown agitated and is demonstrating resistance to procedures. Today, after attempting to shove one of the lab assistants, the subject was promptly subdued by security.\n\nThe following guidelines are now in effect:\n\n  •  24-hour guard placement outside the subject’s room.\n  •  Armed escort to and from lab facilities.\n  •  All staff will work in pairs when interacting with Subject 23.\n  •  The assigned translator will not be accompanied into the room. This is permissible only due to his role as an independent contractor and lack of health insurance.\n\nQuery: Is the subject’s outburst fueled by human frustration or an impulse of animalistic rage?\n\nPlease share your hypotheses at tomorrow’s Happy Hour.\n\n[i]*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[i][b]October 9th\n\n[/b][/i]Samuel said I’m wasting paper with my “personal affairs” and I should try to stick to research-related matters. Then I said okay, but he’ll have to listen to more of my ramblings in person. He didn’t seem to mind.\n\nToday, we’re honing in on radiation hotspots, specifically on Kosey’s hands and feet. There are certain areas we need to hit so the digits will fuse and grow the right amount of webbing. Miss the mark, and he’ll wind up with paddles for hands.\n\nBut of course, the day we need to be precise is the day he starts acting like a baby.\n\nWhen the guards [i]finally[/i] got him on the table, he immediately rolled up in a ball to shield himself from the chamber’s rays. They ended up restraining him spread eagle and latching him to the machine.\n\nI could tell he was uncomfortable with his sore back pressed against the metal. Sorry, kid! Maybe stop fidgeting so much?\n\nFucking teenagers.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 10\n\n[/b][/u]This is a slow, strange death.\n\nMy feet are showing signs of poison now, the same way as my hands. When I woke up this morning, all the nails had fallen off, and soft black spots had sprouted around my ankles. I thought that would be the worst experience today. Then, I went into the hot box again.\n\nThe red light appeared only around my feet, glaring down like the sun as an uncomfortably hot pulling took hold of my naked toes. They curled and tensed in resistance. I could not do much else in my restraints.\n\nSomething felt terribly wrong, something that shook my spirit and compelled me to look down into the demon’s eye. I lifted my head what little I could inside that sarcophagus and stared at my feet.\n\nIt was not easy to spot, but when I did…may Haje guide me.\n\nThe skin between my toes started to expand, growing from the base of my foot like a poisonous root. I was forced to watch, jaw slack, as it climbed up along the insides of my toes, stringing them to their neighbors and filling up the gaps. My own [i]flesh[/i] was stretching and expanding like a ceremonial fan until it reached what used to be the base of my toenails.\n\nIt’s disturbing to look at even now. This excess skin. I can’t remove it. Pulling on it too much hurts, and it restricts the movement of my toes, if only slightly. How long until I cannot even walk?\n\nI shared my concerns with Sir Al-Hadidi, but he seems powerless to stop them. I too am powerless.\n\nWhy am I writing still? I do not believe you are reading my letters. Or, you are ignoring my pleas.\n\nBoth things may be true.\n\nHaje hear me. Guide me in this time.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 10th\n\n[/b][/i]We finally brought Kosey to the gym for a stress test. The Oasis Process will naturally increase his muscle mass, fingers crossed, but we need to get him used to carrying extra weight over time. Mental endurance isn’t something we can just inject, at least not in this trial.\n\nRight off the bat, it was obvious that he’s never lifted weights in his life. He struggled to curl a 5 lb dumbbell with proper form. I was hoping he’d do better in the pool since his village was next to the ocean, apparently. He should be a strong swimmer, right? \n\nTwenty laps was the goal. He tapped out at three. \n\nGoddamnit.\n\nIt also doesn’t help that he’s been in a shit mood lately, and Al-Hadidi just [i]loves [/i]making any and all complaints known. Aside from the whining, I asked if there was anything of note in the kid’s writings, any psychological changes or warning signs. \n\nI got a definitive “nope.”\n\nWho the hell hired this guy, and what am I paying him for again?\n\nSeriously, who hired him? I never even saw his resume.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 11\n\n[/b][/u]Is this machine working? I’ve been told that this slate can write down my words as I speak. It is too hard to write by hand now. My fingers have gone numb.\n\nCruel needles were shot in between my knuckles. They stung so badly! I almost preferred the hot box. Just a minute later, the same horrible skin between my toes began to form along my fingers. The aching pulling returned, making my hands shake until the new flesh clawed its way up to my second joint.\n\nWorse still, the webbing of my feet continues to grow, slowly climbing higher like a sloth. The doctors used a measuring stick to see how much it changed. I was not watching the numbers. All I could focus on was the chilling sensation of a ghost tugging at my flesh.\n\nNow each toe is conjoined at the tips, and they are starting to swell. Swelling is another sign of poison. The sight turns my stomach.\n\nHaje guide me. I must leave while I can still feel my legs.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION _ALFA//\n\n[/b]Target has received the modified transcription device. Signal link established at 1200 hours.\n\nThe operation has begun.\n\n[i]#19670 initiating transmission…\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[i][b]October 11th\n\n[/b][/i]Holy shit! Talk about progress. I feel like Ahab about to scoop his white whale out of the sea.\n\nAfter today’s swim session of three-and-half-laps, we brought Kosey to an exam room and gave him another round of collagen shots between the scapulae and above the coccyx. Just 5 ml each, that’s all. Not a minute later, he started complaining about a “bulging” sensation. We tried to pull him off the exam table, but he wouldn’t budge. He just sat there, hunched over, shivering. And what happened next was, well…\n\nLet’s just say Mother and Father will be ecstatic with our progress.\n\nAnd Jonas is going to eat shit.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 12\n\n[/b][/u]Haje guide me. Something is terribly wrong with me. With all of this.\n\nThe doctors brought me to the machine room. Again. They put needles into my back. Again. It stung worse than before. I already felt an uncomfortable pressure there and above my rear end. The spots were red, and I do not wish to say “squishy,” but that was accurate.\n\nI thought the stabbing pain would be the end of their abuse. But then they laid me on my stomach and held some horrible cursed wand over me. It glowed a grim red, same as the hot box. My teeth clenched as their machine hummed like a hornet and flew down my back. \n\nThe stinging! I thought it would burn a hole through me! \n\nFire rippled down between my shoulders and deep into my tailbone. The pressure began to bubble like a stomachache in my spine. I thought I would burst!\n\nInstead, there came the familiar sensation of cruel pulling, just as it was between my fingers and toes. But now worse. Much worse. With so much force, I felt stretched out and twisted. Another phantom had taken hold of my flesh, as if my own back was tearing away from me. A deep hot ache that wouldn’t leave me.\n\nI shouldn’t have looked behind me, but I did. Haje guide me.\n\nSomething began to rise up along my spine. I could see it grow higher and higher into the air. As if I was sprouting a tree trunk, whose bark was as black as the midnight sky.\n\nThe longer it grew, the more terribly aware I became of its presence on my body. I wriggled in my restraints, powerless once again. I begged Sir Al-Hadidi for help, to stop the flowering burn that rushed through me, but they didn’t respond to his words or mine. I don’t think they listen to either of us.\n\nThis [i]thing[/i] now lives on my back. It is not much longer than my hand, but it’s covered in blue gel like the rest of my body. I cannot bear the sight of it.\n\nI am going to run. Before they burn me to death. Before something more terrible expels itself from my body.\n\nI do not know which fate is worse.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 12th\n\n[/b][/i]Kosey tried to run today.\n\nWe didn’t stop him.\n\nIt was during lunch break, and he was hobbling anyway.\n\nIt’s better if he gets this out of his system now.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 13\n\n[/b][/u]Where are we? Where on Earth [i]are[/i] we?\n\nMy plan was a secret even Sir Al-Hadidi didn’t know. I thought he would try to stop me. Perhaps I was wrong.\n\nI stole a card from one of the women bathing me then found a map of sorts hanging in the hallway. I thought if I could reach the top of this hospital, I could understand where I was. I could find a way home!\n\nBut the highest floor is nothing but a block of black road. A flying vehicle sat empty at the far end. I cannot control it. I’m not foolish enough to try.\n\nThat is why there are no windows down below.\n\nThere is nothing to see.\n\nNo land. No sand. No trees. Only water for all the horizons.\n\nWe are alone.\n\nI am lost.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT C] \n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 175 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 64 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 6%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Subject 23 was retrieved from the helipad and cleaned of outside contaminants. Today’s radiation battery proceeded as scheduled.\n\nKey updates:\n\n  •  Hands and feet show a significant increase in mass.\n  •  Webbing between fingers and toes has thickened to an acceptable minimum density. \n  •  Muscle growth is visible on limbs, chest, and dorsal region.\n  •  Dorsal fin now measures 16 cm in length.\n\nStaff members are reminded to keep ID lanyards around their necks at all times and avoid covering the barcodes with stickers. \n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 14\n\n[/b][/u]I am only writing for myself now. To track the days in this windowless prison and keep myself sane. \n\nThis morning, I woke up flat on my stomach, my body covered in more disgusting gel. I didn’t want to wake up at all. Not when my body is stolen. When my freedom is stolen.\n\nI feel so bloated. Not just in my abdomen, though it did look fatter than normal. In truth, I have been eating more lately. Even my chest and arms grow thicker. I can no longer wrap my pudgy fingers around my wrist. \n\nMy shoulders look wider as well, perhaps from all the exercise they force upon me. Endless hours spent in the water. If I’m so active, why do I feel so swollen? Nothing makes sense to me.\n\nAs I stared into the mirror, my mind became frenetic. I felt trapped. In this prison, in this room, smothered in the gross jelly for the hundredth time. \n\nFinally, I decided to wipe it off. All of it. In spite of what the doctors and Sir Al-Hadidi say. The sheets worked well enough. Now they lay in a pile on the floor. Go clean them! I may be your prisoner, but I will not cooperate with every idea of torture you have in mind.\n\nFor the sake of the temple and the Heart, I cannot give up.\n\nHaje guide me.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 13th \n\n[/b][/i]Okay, minor setback. No big deal. I guess.\n\nI’m not panicking. Really.\n\nBut for some dumb fucking reason, Kosey wiped off all his cooling gel and made a mess of his bedspread. Sure, we changed the sheets easy enough, but I’m certain he regretted his decision right after.\n\nThat’s not a threat. The gel was literally for his own good. \n\nSo, when a nurse brought him a fresh blanket, he was already writhing around the floor, crying over the “horrific flames” along his ribs and back – right where his new skin meets the old.\n\nI could’ve told you not to rub it off, dumbass!\n\nNow he’s sedated, floating in a whole [i]barrel [/i]of the stuff. It’ll take some time to heal the damaged cells – which means, yes, we’ll lose a few days of progress. Things have already slowed due to his stubbornness, so this isn’t great. He’s lucky the skin didn’t start to necrotize.\n\nOn the bright side, I think he learned not to do this again.\n\nGoddamn fucking teenagers.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT D]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 176 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 80 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 13%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Subject 23 is recovering after attempting to remove the mentholated cooling gel. This left us no option but to test the infusion chamber earlier than scheduled.\n\nThis method is ideal for a prolonged, stable transformation of the subject. On average, the mortality rate is safely below 15%. It is only due to time constraints that we cannot rely solely on its implementation.\n\nThe chamber is also, subjectively, a far more boring instrument.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 15\n\n[/b][/u]I have slept for three days. It is the most rest I’ve enjoyed since coming here, though I’m still coughing up fluid from the cylinder. At least my skin no longer feels like it’s made of lava. Grace to Haje.\n\nBut my body is not the same as I left it. The black skin has wrapped completely around my back and my sides, while my chest is turning sickly and white. Whenever I look down, I see more pale spots bleaching my stomach. Some are climbing up my neck, trying to choke me in my sleep.\n\nEvery part of skin feels the same now, no matter the color. Uncomfortably smooth, shining in the harsh lights overhead. Like a royal gown. But still so sensitive that my head reels when I press anywhere for too long. The doctors poke and prod and send little shocks all through my body. My toes curl from the sensations. As much as they can, at least.\n\nI cannot even separate them anymore.\n\nMost of my toes have fused together. I am left with two bulging stumps on each foot, with only faint dividing lines to remind me of the original number. Both are connected by the same alien skin as before. It reminds me of a forest frog, though the webbing is not so see-through. I don’t know what to make of it, only that I cannot stare at them for too long.\n\nMy hands fare the same. Swollen thumbs that grow thicker by the day. Fingers which have merged in pairs, also connected by a thick net of ebony. At least I can move them again, even if my motion is limited. By Haje’s grace, I do not have to serve drinks or sweep floors at the moment. I would be reprimanded for poor performance.\n\nI am told these changes are the result of my rebellion, though I will not be punished otherwise. They are, as Sir Al-Hadidi described, “slapping my wrist.”\n\nI do not understand the expression. I understand so little anymore.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 16th\n\n[/b][/i]“I don’t think we’ve really been introduced,” I said, taking my first steps into Kosey’s room. “I’m Dr. Bromer. How are you feeling?”\n\nAl-Hadidi conveyed my words, though in noticeably fewer syllables than I expected. Despite my introduction, Kosey didn’t stir in bed, his head still buried in the pillow. I waited for some translation of a greeting that never came. \n\nRude, but whatever.\n\nI shut the door behind us. It’s not often that I interact directly with a subject, or else why bother having a staff, but given Kosey’s dumb little scare this week… “I was hoping we could chat about your arrangements here. We should’ve had this conversation earlier, but hey, time flies when you’re having fun.”\n\n“This is not fun,” he muttered, finally looking in my direction. For simplicity, ignore Al-Hadidi playing telephone for us.\n\n“Well, fun or not, it’s still a big deal. This is bleeding-edge science, and you should be honored to be part of it.” Unfortunately, I didn’t detect an ounce of pride in Kosey’s muted face. “The Oasis Process could revolutionize medicine, agriculture, perhaps even space travel. Isn’t that amazing?”\n\nSilence. Nothing was getting through that thickening skull of his. I wanted to get up close and drive home my point, but Al-Hadidi blocked me. The guy’s surprisingly quick on his feet.\n\n“Dr. Bromer, please keep your distance. For your own safety.”\n\nI don’t recall hiring him as a bodyguard, but sure. I’m not going to throw hands with an 80 kg dolphin boy.\n\n“Alright, Kosey,” I said from the doorway. “Since you’re not interested in helping mankind or literally saving lives, I’ll make you a deal. In exchange for your full cooperation, I’ll send you back home when the project is over. No fins, no animal hide, just totally back to normal. Do we have a deal?”\n\nAl-Hadidi stayed silent, cocking his brow at me. \n\nMy eyes narrowed, silently screaming: [i]Just[/i] [i]fucking say it![/i]\n\nAt least he’s not as thick-skulled as the kid. He took a knee as they exchanged more muttered words, then Kosey looked at me with that same sort of suspicious arcing brow. Was I not clear? Or was he calling my bluff? And why the hell do they bother whispering when I can’t understand them anyway?\n\nAl-Hadidi gave me a nod. “He understands.”\n\nGreat. Clearly, that was the end of our conversation as Kosey rolled over in bed and his dorsal fin pointed us to the door. What a drama queen!\n\nI get that “understand” doesn’t mean “agree to,” but at least if Kosey [i]believes [/i]we’ll reward his good behavior, he might give up the bratty attitude. Fingers crossed.\n\nI can only deal with so many brats in my life.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 16 \n\n[/b][/u]The man in charge, Neil, rarely talks to me directly. When he does, he never looks me in the eye.\n\nToday was an exception.\n\nHe tried to explain what he was doing to me, and why, but it didn’t make sense. He uses many words, but doesn’t say much. I still don’t trust him.\n\nAfter he left, Sir Al-Hadidi told me why I am here. The true reason. Maybe it was out of pity, or he’s grown tired of me asking, but it doesn’t matter. \n\nI am to appear at some strange ritual during a meal with the Bromer family. My first thought was, “I’m going to be eaten at dinner!” \n\n“No,” Sir Al-Hadidi said. I don’t know if I believe him, or if he knows the truth. The people here are strange and cold. Savage in their own way. I would not put such behavior beneath them.\n\nSomehow, I am supposed to help Dr. Bromer “win his parent’s love?” It sounds like nonsense. This is why I am turning into some grotesque beast, to be gifted like a goat?\n\nI use the word “beast” because that is my fate. I realize this now. My hands and feet are monstrous. An animal’s pelt is replacing my skin, now bleaching my knees grey. The fleshy stump between my shoulders grows longer with each needle, throbbing in pain from morning to night. A similar ache has started above my rear.\n\nI asked Sir Al-Hadidi if Neil’s words were true. If I cooperate, will they return me to normal and send me home? His face is unreadable as always. All that he said was to have patience and “ride waves, not make them.”\n\nI suppose I have to try. It is all I can do. \n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_BRAVO//\n\n[/b]Kosey changes more every day. Time is of the essence. I have begun my questioning subtly, but he seems reluctant to discuss much of his private life. Dr. Bromer has eroded his trust of strangers, and I am likely hanging on by a thread.\n\n“Have you been before?” I asked, grabbing a corner of the jigsaw and setting it aside.\n\n“No, I don’t leave my village often. Look at what happens when I do.” Kosey struggled to grip the pieces with his meaty, three-fingered hands. He had to brush each one into his swollen palm and drop it haphazardly onto the table. Our construction of the Eiffel Tower has been incredibly one-sided.\n\n“It’s quite beautiful. With wine that rivals Italy, though don’t tell anyone I said so. You must not let this experience poison your spirit for travel.”\n\n“You assume I will be free again to travel, Sir Al-Hadidi.”\n\nYes, perhaps I am making assumptions. I know that Dr. Bromer has other plans for the boy once his transformation is complete. However, it would only upset Kosey further if I relayed that information.\n\nAnd while it is not my main objective, I have no intention of allowing the doctor to introduce his insanity to the world stage.\n\nThe operation continues.\n\n[i]#19670 transmitting…\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[i][b]October 17th\n\n[/b][/i]Whether Kosey got my message or not, he was less of a pain in the ass today. He really dragged his feet on the way to the exam table, but he didn’t put up a fight when we strapped him down.\n\nWe gave him two more collagen injections, one at the base of his new dorsal fin and the other around his tailbone. Then lighting fell right into our bottle.\n\nJust seconds after we aimed the radiation beam at his rear, the skin around Kosey’s tailbone began to pulsate, throbbing in a swelling red mass. A sharp crack pierced the air, followed by a very unhappy wail.\n\nSomething shifted dramatically at the end of his spine. A new bulb of flesh sprouted just above his cheeks, more than just fatty tissue like in his dorsal fin. This had support. Structure. Amazing potential.\n\nKosey continued to writhe in pain on the table, his ass sputtering up and down like a hydraulic motor. The nub continued its inflation just centimeters at a time, each second marked by a new wet crunch and the sound of stretching rubber. Tiny bones were metastasizing under the skin, and I seriously couldn’t wait to X-ray them.\n\nAfter two gripping minutes, ten new centimeters of sweaty meat jutted out from his body and lay motionless overtop his butt cheeks. Every so often, the bump would shudder with Kosey’s tired exhale – which meant it had nerves and muscles and everything it was designed to.\n\nWe’ve grown him a tail. A small one, but a tail nonetheless.\n\nThat’s one small step for Neil, one giant kick in the balls for Jonas!\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 18\n\n[/b][/u]Of all the horrible things happening to my body, the pains in my back are the worst. Like fire through my veins. Lightening through my soul. \n\nThey forced me onto my stomach again and sent another wave of sweltering heat down my back. Every creaking bone in my spine rose and fell like snakes slipping through grass. A low moan sputtered out of my mouth. I couldn’t help it. Never before did I feel like my own bones would tear out of me.\n\n“Five centimeters added to the dorsal fin and seven to the tail. Not bad!”\n\n“It’s incredible work, Dr. Bromer,” said the brown-haired man, who follows Neil around as if chained to his hip. “You can already see the spinous ridges of his vertebrae pressing up against the skin.”\n\n“Yeah, but we’d be farther along if he didn’t shift around so much.”\n\n“Shall I restrain him further? It is no trouble.”\n\nI glanced back at them, silently pleading for mercy. I was not trying to resist this time. My body reacts on its own, as if I can control my pain and the gut-churning discomfort they subject me to.\n\nNeil met my eyes, if only for a moment before looking away. “Not today, Sam. Let’s move him to the gym. See if we can get six laps out of him.”\n\nWas this mercy or cruelty? I cannot say. I’m not sure if they understand the difference.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_CHARLIE//\n\n[/b]It was around midnight when I visited Kosey’s room. He was flat on his stomach again, face buried into the pillow, his back smeared with the familiar blue gel. I couldn’t help but notice the bulges of excess fat clustered below his ribcage and along his darkened thighs. His lean, boyish figure was dissipating.\n\n“How do you feel?” I asked. A redundant question since he was in visible pain, but it’s one he typically responds to.\n\nHe sighed despondently. “I am riding the wave.” I wonder if he understands the irony in that statement. Perhaps it was a mistake to offer it offhandedly. \n\nDoes he realize how large the fin on his back has become? What about the bulging tail beneath it that resembles a black beach ball? Or the stray albino splotches on his stomach that sharply contrast the rest of him. Even his limbs are a far cry from what they once were, now heavy-set like an Austrian bodybuilder’s. I doubt he realizes his own strength.\n\n“Perhaps keep thinking of why you are on this pilgrimage.”\n\n“Every day, I do.”\n\nI took my seat at the table, glancing at the half-finished puzzle we left behind. The image of the tower is only just starting to form.\n\n“It’s quite a journey you’ve set out on. Where were you planning to go after you left the temple?”\n\n“The city was my last lead, I’m afraid. I had asked around many neighboring villages, but none had seen the Heart.” He paused. “If they had, they did not want to speak of it.”\n\n“Why is that?”\n\n“The Heart of Haje is a status of power my village holds dear. It has warded off invasion for a hundred years. Few would dare to try.”\n\n“And have you witnessed its power yourself? What is the Heart is capable of?”\n\n“It is…uh…” he stuttered. “Maybe I should not speak on that. If that is okay?”\n\n“Of course,” I lied, rising from my seat. “I will pray for you tonight, Kosey. As always.”\n\n“Thank you, Sir Al-Hadidi,” he said, forcing a smile through the pain. “You are the only person here who is kind to me.”\n\nI returned a smile equally as forced. Kosey does not understand his role in this, and perhaps he shouldn’t. I am not kind. I am just another outsider using him for my needs.\n\nI should keep my distance for now.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 19th \n\n[/b][/i]I [i]knew [/i]Kosey’s long-ass hair was going to be a problem. We brought him to the pool again, and by the time we were done six laps – his new personal record, sadly – a big fat clump of brown hair was floating around like a turd. I’m not wasting my or my staff’s time fishing that stuff out of the water. I did one month of pool cleaning for a summer job and swore off it for good.\n\nI had Samuel chop off the rest of the hair. And by chop, I mean laser with a 150-degree ion wrench prototype. It doubled as a field test. \n\nIt’s actually a good thing we’re shaving him now. Waiting until his blowhole opened would’ve been a real problem. Imagine choking to death on your own hair. It’s gross.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 7.\n\nAlso, once Kosey’s head was as bald as Father’s, we found several dark patches that had formed above his ears and, notably, right at the crown of his skull. This is the perfect position for a blowhole to form. You can already feel a slight divot caving into the flesh. Considering we’ve had blowholes form in worse spots, I’d call this a major success.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 8.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_DELTA//\n\n[/b]The tip of Kosey’s tail has reached down to his calves. Each has turned pitch black, overtaken by a shimmering animal skin. But that is still not enough for Dr. Bromer’s cavalcade. Every time they inject the fifth limb with needles, his skin swells and grows as if on the verge of popping, though it never does. Still, it must feel horrific. The boy’s yelps bounce off the walls of this cold prison. Sweat beads along his dark skin like condensation on a wine glass.\n\nI can only watch in silence from the other side of the room. Sometimes, I flinch, but I hide my expression well. It is my training to avoid such much emotion.\n\nYet I cannot help but feel for him.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 18\n\n[/b][/u]An ache has taken root in my gums. It grows worse every day. I can feel things moving, things I have not felt since I was a child. It’s not right.\n\nLast night I was staring in the mirror. Poking at my teeth, afraid they’d fall out like in my dreams, and I finally noticed the weird bump that my jaw has become. I would turn away, then back, just in case it grew longer when I wasn’t looking. Perhaps I’m becoming paranoid, like when I am hunting in the mornings and one too many bushes start to shiver.\n\nBut it is not just my mouth swelling. My entire face looks bloated. I feel these strange squishy patches around my cheeks. And the white skin on my chest is already clawing at my throat. How much of me remains once they’ve stolen my face?\n\nThe worst part, however, is the saving of my hair. They could not simply cut it with a knife. It was a strange blast of lightning that nearly singed my scalp. They cannot do anything normal here. Perhaps they have machines to wipe their butts as well. If they try to put one near me, I will destroy it!\n\nA deep shame plagues me this evening. I was not supposed to cut my hair until I finished my apprenticeship. This is an attack on my culture.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT E]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 200 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 100 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 30%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Subject 23 complains of headaches targeted in the upper part of the skull. Due to the sensitive nature of the brain, we performed a CAT scan and an MRI for reassurance.\n\nNo issues were identified within the skull cavity. Significant mutations in the bone structure are within projected scope.\n\nThe subject’s human nasal cavity is shrinking, while a separate chasm has begun to form above the subject’s eye sockets. Respiratory changes are to follow.\n\n----- \n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 19\n\n[/b][/u]I asked for something to numb the throbbing pain in my head. One injection later, and I think the pain has gotten worse. That is a common occurrence around here. I could hardly get out of bed this morning.\n\nWhen I stood up to look in the mirror, I found a bump on my forehead as if I’d walked into a heavy branch. It was right where they put a needle into my skin yesterday. I was careful to touch it, and when my finger made a dent into the bulb, I realized how unbearable spongy it was. More so than other parts of my swollen flesh.\n\nI regret touching it. I regret knowing most things happening to my body.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 21st\n\n[/b][/i]We’re in the home stretch. 8-ball stage!\n\nI called it that because I’m kickass at pool and the fact that the melon growing in front of Kosey’s skull is roughly the size of a billiard ball. We gave him one more injection in there for good measure and took a biopsy to check for potential malignancy. Otherwise, we’re letting science do her work.\n\nWe’ve also started measuring the divot caving in at the top of his head. It’s small, maybe just 1 millimeter deep, but it still makes a great dent in his dome.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 20\n\n[/b][/u]I couldn’t sleep last night. Aside from the headache and the uncomfortable weight of this bloated mass near my brow…I heard a whistling inside my room. It was soft. Barely audible. But its presence was enough to make me nervous.\n\nWhen you are out gathering wood or fishing for a meal, a foreign whistle could mean anything. An animal on the prowl. The signal of an attacker. I’ve been taught all my life to be weary of a whistle.\n\nI held my breath for as long as I could, and then came silence. When I finally exhaled, with a heavy breath, the whistle returned with a shriek.\n\nThen, I realized the whistling came in time with my breath. It was coming [i]from[/i] my throat. Somehow. Without even trying. Even when I talk, when I say certain words, the whistle seeps out with them. I only noticed this when Sir Al-Hadidi mentioned it.\n\nHe laughed at me! It was a rare time I saw his stony face break, though I still blushed, not quite as amused as he was.\n\nNow I feel it vibrate in my forehead, where this bulbous growth is taking shape. The lump has grown to the size of my fist. I fear it will get bigger. I have no idea what purpose it serves. \n\nI cannot understand all that is changing within me. All I can do is pray to Haje and wait for the day of his grace.\n\nMy time will come.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_ECHO//\n\n[/b]I took the black piece from Kosey’s hand and placed it in the center of the jigsaw. The base of our tower was finally complete. 60 pieces down, 240 to go.\n\n“And what will happen if you don’t retrieve the Heart, Kosey?”\n\nHe groaned, rolling forward in bed and pressing his face into his inky black palms. Whether prompted by the recurring pain in his jaw or my probing question, it was unclear. \n\n“My village will be overtaken. If it has not already.”\n\n“Surely, your people can survive without it. Your temple trains warriors, no?”\n\n“Yes, but they are guards, not soldiers. We have not held an army in some time.”\n\nMy lips pursed. “And were you to return without it…what becomes of you yourself?”\n\nKosey didn’t respond. He turned his head towards me. It was the first time I noticed his underbite and the way his nose has flattened against his face. He did not look like this yesterday.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi, why are [i]you[/i] here? You don’t seem to work for the doctors. They do not respect you.”\n\nI leaned back in my chair, trying to formulate a satisfying answer. “It’s just another job. I try to convey your words, but sometimes they don’t listen. Rarely, to be honest.”\n\n“That is obvious. Still, I thank you for try-[i]hiiii.[/i]”\n\nKosey whistled. Or squeaked, in a way. [i]Some[/i] sort of squealing noise spilled out of him in place of his words.\n\n“What was that?” I tried to stifle my laugh as a faint blush swelled up on his plumb-colored cheeks. “It is like a whistling underneath your words. Like you have two mouths talking.”\n\n“Please don’t tell the doctors! They will try to carve out my voice box to see what has changed.”\n\n“Has this happened before? The whistling?” His eyes fell to his feet, which have grown so long and wide that no human footwear could ever withstand them. Black flesh wraps around his ankles like chains. I slowly moved over to his bedside and set a hand on his shoulder. “Regardless, your secret is safe with me.”\n\nWe exchanged smiles before I took my leave. I am glad that Kosey still trusts me enough to talk about his life, his culture, and what he is going through. What he is searching for.\n\nThis information is vital.\n\nThe Heart of Haje must be recovered. It is not safe in the hands of the natives.\n\nLet alone, the Bromer Family.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 23rd\n\n[/b][/i]I went to theatre camp when I was in the 5th grade. I begged and pleaded because all my friends were going, and so was this cute girl from my class.\n\nI didn’t tell Mother and Father how much I enjoyed it. They wouldn’t get it.\n\nThat summer’s play was [i]Moby Dick (Junior Edition)[/i]. I was, quite obviously, not the captain. I was Crewmate #5. But the boy who played the whale – this bulking child who had a future career as a linebacker – painted his chest white, donned a massive foam head and tail, and stomped across the stage, chewing on us with big squishy teeth.\n\nAnd that’s when I thought…who needs a foam snout, when you can grow the real thing? What if you could [i]become[/i] a hulking beast? And what if you could have an [i]army [/i]of hulking beasts? \n\nNot twenty years later, Project Oasis was born.\n\nAll that to say – Kosey’s muscle and blubber growth is keeping pace with his skeletal development. He’s at least 10 cm taller, and his chest size has swollen to a solid 9 cm without flexing. You could cut diamonds with those pecs.\n\nWon’t lie, I’m almost a little jealous. [i]Almost.[/i]\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 21\n\n[/b][/u]A splitting headache erupted behind my eyes. I grabbed at my face, terrified that what I feared most would come to pass. But that wasn’t where the discomfort lay. It focused higher than that, far above my forehead.\n\nCreaking roars like falling trees rang between my ears. I screamed at the sensation – the feeling of skin ripping open at the top of my skull. The flashpoint of my migraine worsening by the second as it drilled deep and widened, pushing forward against my eyes and backward into my brain. Then when new pathways connected inside me, a wind chill whipped through my skull as cold air sucked into this terrible new hole. I shuddered. I was no longer breathing from my mouth alone.\n\nMy fingers moved around the crown of my scalp. When they found the open pit, my stomach sank into one of its own. I could push my fingers inside, but I dared not go far, not when I could [i]feel[/i] myself touching the spot. The rim alone was warm and moist in a way I dared not imagine.\n\nAs I exhaled, a hot breeze fluttered out like a wind through a ravine.\n\nIt is times like these, when my body shifts most, that I think of home to calm myself. The grass of the hills beneath my feet. The sound of birds calling out into the morning sky. With these thoughts, I can lull myself to sleep once the pain ebbs away. This is how I will sleep tonight.\n\nBy Haje’s grace, I dream of the day I will be home again.\n\nAnd I will be home again.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 24th\n\n[/b][/i]We’ve reached blowhole status! That basically means we’ve successfully created a whole new fissure in Kosey’s skull, letting his windpipe extend upwards without piercing his brain. Thank God, that would’ve been bad if it happened again.\n\nRest in peace Subjects 9, 10, and 11.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_FOXTROT//\n\n[/b]I sat with Kosey this morning during breakfast, though there wasn’t much room on the bed for two of us. The width of his shoulders and increased muscle mass now dwarf me in comparison. He’s recently surpassed fitting into a hospital gown, but instead of providing any sort of alternate covering, the doctors have opted to leave him in the nude.\n\nHe was noticeably unhappy about that.\n\nWhile we ate, he kept a blanket over his white-skinned lap. It doubled as a napkin since his use of silverware has also been outgrown. More than a few pieces of egg missed his mouth, but he was quick to scoop them up and eat them afterward. His appetite has not weakened in the slightest.\n\nIt was then that I noticed a bulge starting to form beneath the sheet. A lump between his legs that was obviously not his tail. I didn’t need to ask what it was.\n\n“Oh Haje, help me,” he muttered as he set his plate aside and turned from me.\n\n“Is everything alright?”\n\nA searing blush rippled across his cheeks, where black skin met white. His meaty thighs shifted around beneath the blanket.\n\n“I am….my body has been…um…”\n\nA soft whimper escaped him. I stole a glance at his waist before he could notice. The tent in his lap was much bigger than it should have been. Twice the size at least, like a junior league bat.\n\n“Ah, can I be alone, Sir Al-Hadidi? I’m sorry.”\n\nHe needn’t say more. I rose from the bed with a simple nod and grabbed his half-finished plate.\n\nKosey nearly tore the saucer out of my hands. “No, leave it please.” \n\n“Of course. If you need anything, have the guards call for me.” \n\nI hurried out and closed the door behind me. The rustling I heard inside remains an open secret between us.\n\nI may have found a new means of gathering information.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 26th \n\n[/b][/i]Kosey’s penis is bigger by, well, a lot. Which is weird because we haven’t even touched that spot yet. The high concentration of blood vessels must have offloaded the excess mutagen over time. That would explain the black skin around the area, as well as his wider-than-expected shoe size.\n\nYou know what they say about big feet anyway.\n\nSpontaneous growth is fascinating to observe, but obviously hard to control, so we’ll be targeting other areas to mitigate these side effects. Too many mutagen proteins in one spot can lead to serious problems down the line. You’d be amazed how much one extra limb can disrupt an experiment.\n\nRest in peace, Subject 12.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 22\n\n[/b][/u]I don’t know how much longer I have left as a human. Everything in my body feels strange, vibrating, like it is on the verge of eruption.\n\nMy head, my limbs, even my…personal areas. \n\nEverything is bigger, exceeding even the largest men in my village. My feet have become long and thick, their white soles firm like tended leather. They hang off the end of the bed now while my muscular arms barely fit on the sides. The sensation is frustrating beyond description.\n\nToday, they brought me to the machine room again and focused their attention on my growing tail. Many of the changes do not phase me now, at least physically, but the growths on my back are still uncomfortably sensitive.\n\nAs heat welled up in my new appendage, bulging branches swelled along the sides, as if hornets had taken to striking my skin again. My neck craned back, as much as it could despite the thick muscles around my collarbone. It is only because my tail is so long that I can see it.\n\nTwo angular wedges, thin as blades, began to sprout at the tip of my tail. I knew on instinct that they were the flukes of a whale, as much as I wish they weren’t.\n\nI feel helpless and barely in control of my body. My blackened tail whips about when I walk, smacking into doors and hallway corners as I’m forced to march from room to room in the nude. Women snicker as they pass, but I can only bow my head in shame. My private area is now too large to cover by hand, and…I’ve had to tend to it more than once.\n\nThen there is the hunger. It is not normal, and it comes in waves at all hours of the day and night. I often do not want to eat at all, and I have tried not to out of protest. But once they dangle a fish in front of me, I start to salivate. I blink, then it is gone.\n\nHaje forgive my gluttony. Do not forsake my body and soul.\n\n----- \n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT F]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 212 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 130 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 65%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Tail length is 120 cm. An increase of 10 cm from last week.\n\nPenis length is 30 cm flaccid. An increase of 5 cm.\n\nI wonder how long they will be by the end of the trial. Or, more accurately, how long we can make them.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_GOLF//\n\n[/b]My chats with Kosey have been cut short as of late. It seems we cannot go more than fifteen minutes without his body reacting in an unusual manner. He’s promptly kicked me out each time.\n\nI’ve tried to narrow down the cause, whether it be our discussion topics or the phallic image of the Eiffel Tower we’re assembling. Today, I believe I found the answer.\n\n“Your family must be worried,” I said, pulling a Jenga block from the top of the structure. “It’s been some time since you’ve contacted them, I suspect.”\n\n“I am cared for by the temple elders, as much as I serve them. But they are surely more concerned by the Heart’s absence than mine.”\n\n“Is it possible that the Heart might be in the hands of another village?”\n\nHe shook his bulbous, black head, reaching for a wooden piece on the outermost rim. A safe bet in this game. “That is unlikely. An enemy would have used it immediately, before leaving the temple.”\n\n“But if someone were to use it against your village, is there a way to defend against it?”\n\nKosey’s unsteady hand made short work of the tower, collapsing it before he could get the block halfway out.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi, there are things I cannot discuss with outsiders. On my honor as an apprentice.”\n\nIn that moment, I allowed my intuition to take hold. “Am I just an outsider to you, Kosey?”\n\nHis eyelids fluttered as he processed my question. “No, you are…I am very grateful…”\n\nMy hand fell upon his. I watched his bulging chest twitch, a shaky breath hitching in his throat. My strategic position was clear.\n\n“Kosey, I want to help you. But I need you to be honest with me.” With a gentle touch, my fingers trailed up his mountain of a bicep. His eyes went wide in my direction. I waited for any signal to stop, but none came.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi…you are…” His voice trembled with a whistle as he looked down at the sheet draped over his thighs. A telltale tower replacing that of our decimated Jenga game.\n\nBefore he could finish the thought, I glided onto his bedside and lifted one side of the fabric, waiting for him to accept my proposal. Kosey swallowed as he tried to think of words that would never come.\n\nHe took the other side of the sheet and pulled it away. What remained was 50 cm of pitch-black flesh angled high into the air. It was the first time I saw him this way, as I previously tried to maintain his decency in the lab. His member was, for the most part, still human-like in its shape. The difference was simply a matter of size.\n\nIt curved in a slight bow, arcing forward with the tip jutting back towards his chest. The vague outline of veins wrapped around his shaft and climbed halfway up its length. I cannot say what his shaft looked like before, but I doubt it could even compare.\n\nMy fingers grazed the underside of his length, making the long voyage from base to tip. Blood pumped heavy beneath the skin. Just wrapping my fist around his length was enough to illicit a twitch and a shiver from the young man. I needed two hands just to cover his full girth.\n\nThe gleam in his eyes lingered between confusion and longing, his log-like fingers clawing at the bedspread. \n\nI began to stroke. \n\nWe started slow until his tip began to leak, which didn’t take long at all. A chemically heightened libido sent his body into overdrive. Like a pipe sprung a leak, Kosey was dribbling down his length, coating my hand in pre-cum. His slick stream relieved the friction with ease.\n\nMy advance continued, and I won’t deny that his labored breaths encouraged me. Sweat ran down his white-stained chest, curving along the rims of his chiseled pectorals and abs. In other circumstances, I would have pressed my hand against them, but this was a matter of business, not pleasure. At least, I believed that at the time.\n\nOur engagement did not last long. A whistling whirr squealed out of his blowhole, his four bulbous toes curling against the floor as he reached his limit. He nearly tore the blanket with his grip. His towering body rocked back while his tail thumped on the bed beneath us, its girth whacking me more than a few times.\n\nWith a few more swift motions, I felt Kosey’s release like a champagne bottle bursting between my fingers, rocketing its froth onto his chest and lap. A deep huff and squeal rattled out of his swollen jaw as he fell back onto the mattress.\n\nI borrowed his blanket and wiped the deluge of cum from my hands then took a moment to calm myself before I lost my own composure. My plan was to resume my questioning while he drifted along in the haze of his climax. However, I heard another whistle through his blowhole, its voice slow and fluttering. \n\nThe tremolo was muddled with sobbing. He pressed his face into the pillow and turned away.\n\n“Forgive me,” he muttered into the cotton. “I haven’t been...I have never…ah…I’m sorry.”\n\nThe room turned cold again, and I realized what I had done. \n\nHe was in no position to aid me after that. Our conversation had ended.\n\nI believe I have made an error in judgment.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 27th\n\n[/b][/i]Usually, I wouldn’t let someone physically interfere with a subject, but if this arrangement helps mellow Kosey out, even a little, I’ll let it slide. His trajectory is too far along to be affected anyway.\n\nIt’s full steam ahead. Like the Titanic ready to split an iceberg.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 23\n\n[/b][/u]I do not remember the moment it happened. \n\nJust the searing, cruel pain bombarding my skull. The second my jaw shattered and expanded beyond a human’s size. How the days of pressure buildup finally erupted, boiling my bloodstream and permanently mutilating my image.\n\nHow my nose broke itself and melted into the growing mass of my face, which stretched so long and thick that the fatty bulb on my forehead, now as wide as my jaw, no longer seemed so out of place.\n\nWhen drool splattered onto the ground as my tongue swelled and threatened to choke me at the back of my throat, no one tried to help me. I cried out for Sir Al-Hadidi, but the doctors held him back. They stood by in silence, observing me on the verge of death.\n\nDo they see what I see? The horror. The monstrous fangs that have replaced my teeth. The razor fin that looms over my back. The massive winged tail that whips around behind me. Or the black ink that has stained my skin and my eyes in turn.\n\nAm I the only one capable of seeing the truth?\n\nI cannot bear to look in the mirror anymore. My fist tore through it with not a drop of blood spilled.\n\nI look like a devil.\n\nHaje forgive me.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 28th\n\n[/b][/i]Kosey’s a success! Jonas is going to regret ever leaving Mother’s surrogate’s womb.\n\nI’m lucky I was in the room when it happened. Well, the hallway. We gave him the usual shot in the gums, then started walking him down to the gym. Not three steps out of the lab, Kosey fell against the wall, clutching his face, whirring in pain. My assistants pulled his arms away and restrained him so we could record the perfect view. \n\nCrackling like electric sparks filled up the hall. What was once 10 cm of a bump on his face became 12, then 20, then 50! Kosey‘s mandible widened as he lifted his head up and bellowed. A shrill, wavering whistle shot out of his blowhole, putting that second windpipe to good use. \n\nAs his mouth expanded and protruded more, a new fleet of thick teeth sprouted up in the back of his mouth, sharp little blades perfect for chewing flesh eagerly tore through his reforming gum line. Drool dripped down his jaw, raining onto his chest in a real mess.  Samuel was quick to collect a sample before it could reach the ground.\n\nKosey’s legs finally gave out and sent him to the floor, his face still twitching as it refined its rotund shape. It’s not totally identical to an orca’s – the edges are a bit too blocky like a human’s jawline – but it fits perfectly well on his hybridized body. It’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for.\n\nProject Oasis is a success.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_HOTEL//\n\n[/b]Kosey has finished his transformation. It was…difficult to watch.\n\nI wish I could have comforted him, but they kept me back. I could do nothing without exposing my cover.\n\nIt is in my ability to restrain myself as always. But his cries still echo through me in the night.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT G]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 250 cm\n  •  WEIGHT: 182 kg\n  •  CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 100%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Subject 23 is ready for presentation.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]October 29th\n\n[/b][/i]We had a rehearsal dinner in preparation for Friday night. A few volunteers from the team stood in for Mother and Father and my obnoxious, lame, loser brother. I knew Kosey might be in a mood after his transformation finished, but he was [i]such [/i]a pain in the ass. I’d say to act your age, but he’s only 18, so I guess he [i]kind of[/i] is. \n\nFucking teenagers.\n\nI’m not sure what table manners are taught in his culture, but the fact that he tried eating steak with a salad fork speaks volumes. This was [i]after[/i] I yelled at him for using his hands. Hopefully, the warping of his skull didn’t mess up his brain too much. We’ll run a CT scan to double-check.\n\nSince this rehearsal went so poorly, I’m not letting Kosey eat at the real thing. Al-Hadidi will make sure of that.\n\nIf not, he’s fired.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_INDIA//\n\n[/b]I fear I am growing too close to my target. Perhaps I am crossing the line. That is a hard question when you are in my position.\n\nI went to check on Kosey after the rehearsal dinner, which was embarrassing to have to take part in. Dr. Bromer kept referring to me as “Mother” throughout the meal, but I found it unwise to dispute my role.\n\nWhen the door opened, he lay on his side in bed, not bothering to cover his blackened genitalia.\n\n“Forgive me. I am not in the mood to talk,” Kosey muttered. His voice carried a new weight to it, lower in pitch and muddied by the larger resonance in his skull. I am surprised he’s able to talk at all with a snout.\n\n“We do not need to talk much. I ask that you listen.”\n\nI gestured for him to make room on the mattress. My instructions had to stay out of earshot of the room’s microphones.\n\n“Kosey,” I started. “Tomorrow at dinner, Neil will ask you to do several things for his presentation. Then, I will tell you what to do. And I need you to follow my instructions exactly.”\n\nHis sullen black eyes shifted up to me.\n\n“Of course, Sir Al-Hadidi.”\n\n“And please, be careful. These are dangerous people you are meeting. Do you know that?”\n\n“Neil is dangerous, I think.”\n\n“Yes, but the family is…” The words caught in my throat. I could not tip my hand entirely. “Just know that I will be by your side. Please remain calm.”\n\n“I will do my best.”\n\nI pressed a hand to his thick, bulging shoulder. Nothing like the frail arms of the young man I’d met just a few weeks ago. His eyes looked tired. Even when separated by the length of his muzzle, they did not lose their expressiveness.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi…what happened before…” \n\nI immediately pulled back from his body. “I must apologize, Kosey. That was a mistake on my part. I took things too far.” And I did. I believe that to be true.\n\nSensing my tension, Kosey sat up and swung his massive legs over the side of the bed. Even sitting down, he towered above me.\n\n“No. It was unexpected. I cannot say I’m familiar with courtship, really.” His three-fingered hand rested gently on my knee, covering it entirely like a shadow. “But I was not unhappy with your actions. I did not ask to stop. There are few things I find comfort in at the moment. You are one of them.”\n\nThe word “courtship” twisted in my stomach. That should have been my queue to leave. Permanently. But then his hand slid higher up along my thigh, as if to ask for my intrusion once again. I wanted to reject the idea. I did. But something in my chest pushed me forward.\n\n“You know they are still watching us…” I reminded him as my hand returned to his body and finally found a home along his rippling abdomen.\n\n“Yes. And if I can bring them any sense of distress, that will bring me comfort as well.” The corners of his snout upturned into a soft smile, the look of an urchin about to steal his share of bread. It’s a remarkable contrast to his behemoth form.\n\nSomething sparked in me, and I found my hands around him once again.\n\n----- \n\n[i][b]November 1st\n\n[/b][/i]It’s a four-hour flight to Stockholm by helicopter. Felt like the longest flight of my life. Normally, I wouldn’t bring anyone from the team, but Al-Hadidi was a mandatory guest. I thought he could keep Kosey calm long enough to get through the presentation.\n\nMy mistake.\n\nOur chopper set down just a few yards west of the front gate. As usual, Helipad 5 was free for the taking. I fixed my tie and checked my navy blazer for stray landing dust, not that you could see much in the tarmac lights. Al-Hadidi hopped out behind me in the same black suit he always wore. Always so damn spotless.\n\nThen the ground shook as Kosey took his first steps on land in a month. His leathery soles slapped hard against the asphalt since footwear options were limited. He’s lucky that his dinner robe arrived on time, even if we ordered it a size too small. Apparently, there’s a big difference between 6X and 7X. The frown on his snout told me how uncomfortable he felt in the periwinkle silk.\n\nSpoiler alert: we’d all be uncomfortable that evening.\n\nThe family home was as imposing as always. Three levels of brick and chapel glass dangling on a razor-thin cliff, one typhoon away from disaster – or as Mother and Father called it, a tax write-off. I doubt Kosey would’ve even walked through the aged oak doors if Al-Hadidi didn’t literally hold his hand. Considering what they’ve been doing behind other closed doors, I’m sure they were enjoying the moment… \n\nWe climbed the grand staircase in the foyer, where this gaudy, twelve-armed chandelier hung overhead like a corpse. It was a gift from Jonas several holidays ago. Like I said, gaudy. I winced every time Kosey’s lumbering footsteps slammed down on the wooden boards. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he caved the whole thing in.\n\nWhen our party of three reached the dining room, the absurdly long, familial table fell silent. Mother sat at one end, blonde hair spun up in a royal cocoon. Father positioned himself around the corner. The good scotch was already in his hand. \n\nAnd there, close to the center, pouring himself another glass, was my vainglorious, self-aggrandizing, whiny piece of shit brother.\n\nJonas.\n\nA bulky stranger sat to his right with an unapologetically tight tank top and a tan, like something out of a fitness ad or a roid-rage PSA. Why wasn’t [i]this[/i] guy my subject? Whatever.\n\n“Hey, big bro!” he said with this massively shit-eating grin. “How’ve you been? How was the flight?”\n\nHe sipped on his orange juice and wiped his dripping mouth on his sleeve. Fucking teenagers.\n\n“Wonderful,” I said with every hint of sarcasm I could muster.\n\n“Sweetie!” A clarion call came from the far end as Mother rushed over. Her big red sleeve wrapped around my neck, pulling me into her puffy party gown. The scarlet lace nearly smothered me.\n\n“Hello, Mother.”\n\n“It’s so good to see you. It feels like it’s been forever!”\n\n“We just saw him last month, Shirley,” Father said as he tucked a napkin into the collar of his sweater vest. “How’s it going, kiddo?”\n\n“Wonderful, Father.”\n\n“Oh, and these must be your friends! What a strapping young man, how lovely.” Mother squeezed Kosey’s obsidian biceps, which made him visibly shudder. I know the feeling.\n\n“Mother, he doesn’t speak English. Please don’t freak him out.”\n\n“Ah! [i]¿Tú hablas español?[/i] [i]Parles-tu français?[/i]” She turned to Al-Hadidi on a dime, which was quite a feat in her heels. “Hi, Shirley Bromer, Bromer Real Estate. Hope you’re staying for dinner!”\n\n“Indeed,” he said, accepting her hug and an invitation to be swallowed up in her frills.\n\nMarching boots filed in from the kitchen. Our usual fleet of butlers delivered the first course before we could even sit down.\n\nOysters.\n\nI could see Kosey salivating already.\n\n“Everyone take your seats. Shirley, that means you.” Father cracked a smile as he clinked the butt of his knife on the table.\n\nWe all found our spots, and I put Kosey across from Jonas’ buff friend just to intimidate them. I’m not sure if they noticed. \n\n“So!” Mother said, slipping an oyster from its rock. “Jonas, tell Neil your plans for the school year.”\n\n“I’m going…to try for varsity volleyball this year! Coach says…I’ve really improved my serve.” As always, my brother spoke with his mouth full.\n\n“I’m sure you have.”\n\n“And how’s work been, Neil?” Father asked.\n\nI rose from my chair, on cue. From the moment, we stepped foot into the house, I was counting the seconds until our presentation. We’ve waited long enough.\n\n“Well, we’ve literally made history, Father. Allow me to demonstrate.”\n\n“Sweetie, I know you’re always eager to share, but can we wait until dessert? Your friends have barely touched their oysters.”\n\n“Science waits for no clams, Mother. As you can see, I’ve successfully transformed a small, impotent human into a super soldier built for amphibious combat!”\n\n“Yes, he looks quite nice, Neil.” Father nodded. “Very buff!”\n\nMy jaw clenched. Nice? [i]Buff[/i]? Did Father develop cataracts in a month? Kosey is the pinnacle of human evolution!\n\n“Yes, nicely done, sweetie.” Mother smiled at me before returning her attention to my juice-guzzling little brother. “Jonas, isn’t your science fair project like that? An animal sort of thing?”\n\n[i]What? [/i]My stomach sank. Whether from the terrible news or the oysters, I can’t say for sure. Both, probably.\n\n“Oh, yeah! This is my class partner, Frankie.” Jonas pointed as his beefcake of a dinner guest, who looked way too old to be a high school junior. “Bro, you really inspired my last month with your shark guy, and I’ve never dabbled in biology before, but --”\n\n“It was an [i]orca[/i].”\n\n“Was it? Well, anyway, me and Frankie did a little genetic engineering, and I think you’re gonna like what we came up with.”\n\nI did [i]not[/i] like it. Was he seriously stealing my ideas? Again? I couldn’t believe his bullshit! Despite its ridiculous size, there’s only enough room at this table for [i]one[/i] orca.\n\nBut then, his hulking friend stood up, stripped down to a loincloth, and without one prick of a needle or a single blast of gamma rays…the guy was growing [i]scales[/i]. Of course, he was so bulky that he didn’t even flinch when the skin of his neck pulled itself into a frosty white cobra hood, or when giant ugly fangs burst out of his gums.\n\nThen, in the most absurd fashion, his thighs began fusing together. A barrage of crunching bones and white-plated flesh, all the way from his groin to the tips of his toes. Golden scale bands crossed over his knees and shins. He looked like Medusa with a six-pack. A serpent from the waist down.\n\nIt was fast. Impossibly fast. But far, [i]far[/i] from elegant.\n\n“Oh my,” Mother said with a round of unnecessary applause. “That was so quick! It’s like a magic act.”\n\n“Excellent work, son. We’ll have to buy another shelf for the trophy.”\n\nGoddamnit!\n\nI tried to rally, but it felt like the snake got my tongue.“Uh, yes, my subject takes time to develop…but his…amphibious abilities far exceed those of a reptile.”\n\n“Oh sweetie, your shark friend is lovely too. As always.” \n\nThere she goes again, tagging me onto the end of a sentence. Always leading with [i]Jonas[/i]. Always missing the whole goddamn point.\n\n“Kosey, get up,” I muttered, my voice teetering on a break. I had to show them more. My subject’s strength. His swimming prowess. Even if I had to pit him against the cobra or toss him over the cliff to see if he could swim in the Baltic.\n\nBut when Al-Hadidi relayed my order to the kid, he sat still in silence. I nearly kicked his chair. Did he go deaf when his ears melted into his skin? Or was he being stubborn after I wouldn’t let him shovel down some rotten oysters?\n\n“Get him [i]up[/i]…” My hushed words seethed through my teeth.\n\nHe whispered once more into what would’ve been Kosey’s ear. Again with the whispering? The orca looked at me blinking, confused, as if he had no understanding of the importance of the situation. I wanted to strangle him, even if I couldn’t fit my hands around his bulky, blubbery neck.\n\nIt took a full minute for him to move at all. The moment had long passed, and Mother and Father and Jonas and the big stupid snake kid resumed their dinner in peace.\n\nThen Kosey grabbed his plate, still full of shells, and lobbed it across the [i]fucking[/i] room. It shattered against the fireplace mantle. At least it wasn’t the good China. Or the good fireplace.\n\n“Oh my!” Mother gasped. “He certainly has an arm on him!”\n\nWorse still, like a brute, he poured the oysters from Al-Hadidi’s plate down his gullet, shells and all, then destroyed that plate too. He started running towards the exit, and it took seven butlers and two maids to restrain him.\n\nWhat the [i]fuck[/i] just happened?\n\nAs the help scurried in and cleaned up the mess on my side of the table, Father shot me an awkward smile. “You may want to teach him some table manners next time.”\n\nNext time? After this embarrassment? I never wanted to show my face in the home again! An entire month wasted before the main course even arrived. Did I focus too much on the physical change? Did I miss some signs of a mental break? Maybe I should’ve finished [i]My Fair Lady [/i]after all.\n\nNo. Oh no. I wouldn’t turn tail and hide. I wouldn’t accept this. Not when Jonas stole my goddamn idea [i]again [/i]and made my work into a total fucking farce. I could do better. Way better. There wouldn’t be any mistakes next time. And no need for table manners.\n\n“No, actually you’ll have one less plate to set next month. Kosey will not be seated at the table.”\n\n“Oh, sweetie, he didn’t mean it like that. We love when you bring friends over.”\n\nFriends? Please. I pushed in my chair and turned my back on the table. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”\n\n“Neil!” My father piped up again. “At least stay for the meal, please. Your mother’s staff worked very hard on it.”\n\nI made my way to the exit hall. Alone. Apparently, Al-Hadidi took his bathroom break at the worst possible time. Bastard.\n\nHow could I just sit there and stomach my failure? My first instinct was to react. Get back up and try again. Nothing short of a miracle will impress Mother and Father, so that’s what I’m going to perform.\n\n“See ya, bro!” Jonas’s whiny voice echoed behind me, but I was too focused to waste time with a sick comeback. My mind started racing through new calculations and possibilities. I ignored our butlers escorting my renegade orca back to the helicopter. And I hardly noticed Al-Hadidi already seated inside, ready to depart. Why bother reprimanding him? He’s getting replaced anyway.\n\nMy focus was entirely on the future. On the final gambit for Project Oasis.\n\nI gathered my courage, everything in my power, to do the impossible.\n\nTo rewrite the human genome in its entirety.\n\nI’ll push the project past its limits\n\nAnd I swear, I won’t look like a fool again. Never again.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 24\n\n[/b][/u]I am very confused.\n\nThe air feels tense. Did the dinner not go as planned? Was I not supposed to follow Neil’s instructions? The doctors scowl at me whenever I wade into the hot box room. How am I to blame for their problems?\n\nThey’ve taken the robe I wore that evening. Once again, I am left naked and alone.\n\nI wish I understood. Only Sir Al-Hadidi can explain what is happening, but now he is gone. I don’t know where. Maybe as punishment for what has happened. What will they do to me in retribution?\n\nI am praying for him.\n\nI must pray while my spirit remains human. There’s no salvation in my culture for animals. Or monsters.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 2nd\n\n[/b][/i]Here’s the new plan. Forget human-animal hybrids. They’re antiques as of yesterday. I have to prove that mankind’s DNA is totally rewritable and I’m the only one able to scribe it.\n\nNew mission statement:\n\n[u]I’ll turn Kosey into a complete orca if it’s the last thing I do.\n\n[/u]The idea of a full transformation was just speculation in the early days. We scrapped the whole Stage II plan once Samuel and I reached the same conclusion: the change could be lethal. And given our subsequent body count for Stage I, we probably made the right call.\n\nBut now that we’ve succeeded in keeping Kosey alive, I believe Stage II can work. I had this thought when I saw Jonas’ stupid snake guy transform. In theory, we can reduce the impact of the transformation by shifting Kosey to an in-between stage first, a hybrid of a hybrid. This should reduce the shock of the overhaul and prevent any cellular rejection. If my math’s right, it just might work. \n\nNo, it will work. It has to. \n\nMother and Father won’t settle for anything less.\n\nI won’t settle.\n\n-----\n\n[b][LAB NOTICE]\n\n[/b]The following is an outline of the next stages of the Project. Dr. Bromer is expecting a rather expedited approach for this transition:\n\n  •  Further blubber development on subject’s tail and pelvic region\n  •  Total withdrawal of subject’s lower limbs\n  •  Full alteration of subject’s genitalia\n  •  Complete construction of tank housing\n  •  Prolonged tank incubation\n\nWhile there are fewer distinct steps than Stage I, the larger structural overhaul may lead to complications. We must be vigilant. \n\nDr. Bromer has made history, and he is attempting to do so again. The sheer hubris of his work is astounding. And truly inspiring.\n\n[i]*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 25\n\n[/b][/u]I met Sir Al-Hadidi’s replacement today. It’s a machine, a small cube built of blocks like those colorful toy puzzles. But like everything else here, it is pure white and cold. It floats around me like a gnat, stalking me in every room. Although the doctors cannot seem to hear, its annoying hum sizzles in my ears. Or, where my ears once were. My hearing is not the same now.\n\nI don’t understand how it works, but the cube translates faster than a human could, spitting out both languages as if someone were living inside my head. Now whatever I say is projected out in their tongue. I must be more careful with my words.\n\nOnly through Sir Al-Hadidi’s scribe can I speak my true thoughts when alone. I hope he is well. I recall the last thing he said to me after dinner, on the journey back…\n\n“Do not trust the doctors, and do not make waves. But when the wave does come – ride it.”\n\nSo I will endure like I always have. Even if I am alone.\n\nI will think of him, my temple, and Haje’s grace.\n\nI will hold myself together, no matter what they take from me.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 3rd\n\n[/b][/i]I know the risks of overworking Kosey but we have to push the envelope here. He won’t survive a full transformation if he doesn’t get stronger. \n\nWe have breakfast at six, hit the gym by seven, and get into the water by eight. Repeat. We’re testing to see how long he can hold his breath with his increased lung capacity. I’m expecting high marks.\n\nWe can’t afford less than perfection.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 26\n\n[/b][/u]They work me like a mule, but without such purpose. Instead of tending fields, I lift metal. Instead of fishing, I go back and forth in a pool. Then they force me to hold my breath until I nearly fall unconscious. When I resurface, I can’t help but force a jet from the hole in my head. It is a disturbing feeling, like having too much water in your nose and trying to blow it out.\n\nWith all this useless labor, I am glad they are feeding me. Even if my diet has changed wildly. There is a mountain of fish in each meal, six times a day now. I cannot believe I’m able to stomach it all, or that it’s still not enough to fill me.\n\nI can smell it down the hall when they bring me meals. They leave the plate by the door, and I am so hungry that I am immediately on my knees, shoving meat into my elongated mouth. I eat like an animal, and I don’t realize it until I’ve licked the dish clean.\n\nI tell myself that I won’t behave in such a way next time.\n\nBut I have said that before.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 4th\n\n[/b][/i]On top of the extra meals and workout sessions, we’re taking some more direct measures to bulk up Kosey’s frame. \n\nWe recalibrated the laser arm for deeper radiation pulses, almost like a sonogram. Samuel’s idea. Now we can observe the muscle growth in real-time on the monitors.\n\nAlso, we turned up the intensity by 200%. Sorry, kid.\n\nKosey’s muscles are somewhere between human and orca, but new cetacean fibers are already boiling into existence. Visible bulges formed as the muscle swelled and stretched down his back. His flesh rippled onscreen in grayscale like an old film.\n\nAll the stimulation must’ve been bugging him though, since he started wriggling around and asking us to slow down. I get the feeling we’ll hear a lot of those requests now that he can talk.\n\nBut I’m no longer interested in keeping things comfortable for him.\n\nSuccess isn’t made with comfort.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 27\n\n[/b][/u]I awoke in my room, cold and sore as usual, though I could barely raise my arms up to my chest. I reached halfway, but then a throbbing ache struck my shoulders. When I turned around in the mirror, there was more flesh packed along my spine. Round and bulgy. Fat.\n\nHow large do they intend for me to become?\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 5th \n\n[/b][/i]Growing Kosey a tail was easy. The hard part is making it the main source of his locomotion. If not done properly, he may never have full control of his tail as an orca. Which he means, ultimately, he’ll drown. Mission failure.\n\nWe need to prepare him for the physical and mental burden of not having limbs. If it sounds like a tall order, it sure as hell is.\n\nThe physical part is theoretically sound. We’ll move him to the full-sized tank once it’s built and infuse the water with a new strain of mutagen gel. A few days in a medically induced coma should be enough to shrink down Kosey’s legs without him going into shock.\n\nThe mental factor? Well, we have a few ideas we’re testing.\n\nIt’s safe to say we’re back in uncharted waters. \n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 28 \n\n[/b][/u]I’m happy to be out of my room more often, even if it is time spent in the water, the gymnasium, or under their machines. As my body grows larger, my shrinking room is driving me to insanity. \n\nNeil has started talking to me directly, if only a few words at a time. I have several rude things I would like to say to him, but I’m restraining myself and following the will of Sir Al-Hadidi. I know better than to fight a battle I cannot win.\n\nThe translator cube makes talking easier, though when I ask Neil questions, I do not always receive clear answers. Those are questions I probably shouldn’t be asking.\n\nIt’s odd. He is not much older than me, I think. And yet he feels aged. A heaviness pulls on his heart.\n\nPerhaps I am receiving the brunt of this weight.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT H]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 2.25 m\n  •  WEIGHT: 225 kg\n  •  LENGTH (Snout to tail)*: 2.6 m\n            •  *We will continue to measure this as Subject 23 orients towards a horizontal position.\n  •  CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 2%\n\nBlubber accounts for 40% of Subject 23’s body mass. Muscle continues to build beneath the adipose layers, but is no longer visible around the torso.\n\nOn a separate note, construction of the final housing tank is underway. We are overestimating the dimensions of the space. Given Kosey’s undersized frame, we should expect lower projections, but it is better to have more room than less.\n\nDr. Bromer does not need any more surprises.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 29\n\n[/b][/u]By Haje’s grace!\n\nA knock came at my door this morning. I didn’t bother to get up since the room opens automatically for the doctors. They would not stay out if I asked.\n\nBut only one person has had the kindness to knock before entering. I did not think it was possible, or perhaps I was dreaming, but I nearly leaped from my bed.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi!” I roared, more literally than I would’ve liked.\n\nHe came over to my bedside to save me the trouble of getting up, which I was rather grateful for. My tail and rear have been swelling in the past few days, and walking has become difficult.\n\nWe embraced, and I found myself gripping the back of his coat. \n\n“I hope you’re well, Kosey.”\n\n“No worse than usual, I suppose.” Perhaps it was annoying to hear the machine repeat my words, but he did not complain.\n\n“Though you’re larger, I see.”\n\n“Yes. I don’t know how I’ll be able to walk soon.”\n\n“I believe that’s the point.”\n\nA groan escaped me as I sat up and pulled my tired legs over the side of the bed. A squeal came from the frame below.\n\n“I’m glad you’re alright, but why are you here?” I asked as my hand found its way to his shoulder. “They have replaced you.”\n\n“I’m staying for another purpose. Dr. Bromer can’t be rid of me so easily.”\n\n“By Haje’s grace, what are they asking of you now?”\n\nHe smiled. “Firstly, I’m to make sure you don’t break any more plates.”\n\nMy eyebrow raised, or it would have if I still had them. “But did you not instruct me to?”\n\n“It was my mistake. A mistranslation.” As unlikely as that sounded, I didn’t question him further. “I’m also going to collect a few samples from you while you continue to change. Despite his bluntness, Dr. Bromer refuses to take such things by force.”\n\n“They have been stealing my blood since I first arrived.”\n\n“I am not talking about blood.”\n\nIt took me a moment to understand his meaning. My stomach churned at the thought. I wondered if that was his reason for visiting today.\n\nBut before I could ask, he rose from the bed and returned to the door.  “Please get some rest. I suspect they’ll have you swimming laps soon enough.”\n\nHe was correct. I am trapped in an endless cycle of swimming, feasting, and probing.\n\nThough his new position fills me with unease, I am grateful for Sir Al-Hadidi’s return. And, of course, to Haje for keeping watch over us both.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_JULIETT//\n\n[/b]The mission has failed. I was unable to locate the Heart of Haje.\n\nAlthough I managed to sneak into the family vault during their spat, one-sided as it was, there was an empty pedestal among several other priceless valuables. Jewelry, fine art, mummified royal family members.  A seemingly bottomless pit of gold coins.\n\nHowever, if the Bromer family ever had the Heart in their possession, it is gone now. All I can provide is the following based on my investigation of the home:\n\n  •  Despite their wealth, no member of the family has clear ties to the [REDACTED]. It would appear that our previous intelligence was incorrect. \n\n  •  Of note, past intel was extrapolated from Dr. Bromer’s own correspondence with the S.R.B.\n\nI’m aware that this protocol demands immediate extraction, but I believe Kosey possesses information that may be vital to our pursuit of the Heart. Presuming he survives the next phase of Dr. Bromer’s megalomania, he may prove to be an asset still. I will do my best to see him through it.\n\nPerhaps that will make up for my use of him as a distraction. \n\nPerhaps it will atone for many things.\n\n[i]#19670 resuming transmission...\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[i][b]November 7th\n\n[/b][/i]I warned Al-Hadidi that his new position is as replaceable as the last one. And if sperm samples weren’t such useful gauges of radiation exposure, his ass would be on the tarmac already.\n\nSo what if Kosey’s using an A.I. drone to talk? The S.R.B. can fine me all they want!\n\nAnyway, today was our first time training his echolocation abilities. We tossed him in the pool blindfolded and had him swim through some buoys. He only smacked into them about twenty times. Apparently, having the physical ability doesn’t mean he has the coordination to use it.\n\nHe’d better learn fast. The clock’s ticking, and it’s all sink or swim from here on out. That’s how my parents taught me.\n\nA butler tossed me into the sea.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 30\n\n[/b][/u]I am spending more and more time in the water. It’s comforting to relieve the constant weight of this new body, and I am no longer constrained to the small pool on the floor below.\n\nAt the far end of the hall, they have built a new enclosure. It is titanic. Nearly twenty canoes in length. I never realized how large this whole facility must be.\n\nThe rim contains glass windows through which I’m observed, and the water is a marine blue. It is far deeper than the pool as well. How freeing it was to swim around such wide, open waters. The doctors allowed me to circle without any sort of intervention or trial. \n\nOr was it a trial all the same?\n\nThere is a large standing platform carved into the rim almost like a peninsula. I was swimming towards it when Neil came up the stairs and approached the edge of the water. It took much strength to slow myself and pull back from the inlet. Haje knows what he would do if I accidentally splashed him.\n\n“Having fun in there?” He knelt down and ran his hand through the water. “Get used to it. You’ll be living in here soon enough.”\n\nThe little translating bug circled my head as it always does. “This is not fun. I have said this before.”\n\n“Yeah, yeah, you’ve mentioned. Do you at least understand what we’re doing? Why this is…oh, I don’t know…revolutionary?”\n\n“It does not matter why. You will not let me go no matter how I appear.”\n\nHe rolled his eyes at my response. “Oh, did you figure that out yourself? Guess the cat’s out of the bag.”\n\n“What cat?”\n\n“It’s just a saying, y’know…”\n\n“I [i]don’t[/i] know,” I said, my true voice growling even though I did not mean to. “I do not understand any of you people! You think I’m some kind of mindless savage, but you are all cruel. You talk about nonsense and blood feuds. You are intelligent, so you look down on me.”\n\n“Please, you want to talk about looking down on people? This is nothing compared to my family. You wouldn’t get it.”\n\n“No, I would not. But I am cared for by my neighbors. My temple. And I care for them all. You would not [i]get it[/i].”\n\nHe splashed me out of spite. “Oh, yeah? Hold on to the memories, kid. Cause you won’t see any of them again.”\n\n“Haje will guide me. I have seen his symbols even in your home. His spirit is everywhere.”\n\n“What do you mean my home?”\n\nNeil wished to know further, but I would not give him that satisfaction. Such kindness must be earned. \n\nHe groaned at my silence. “Jeeze, you must really hate me for doing this to you, huh?”\n\nIt wasn’t clear if he wanted an answer to that question. I have not forgiven him for his actions, and I do not trust him or the other doctors. But in my culture, “hate” is not used lightly. It is almost like wishing death. I am not like these people.\n\nI swam closer, slowly, so I would not appear as a threat. “I do not hate what I don’t understand.”\n\n“What a non-answer. You should get into politics when you’re older.”\n\n“The boy at dinner. That was your brother?”\n\n“The scrawny one, yeah. Obviously.”\n\n“And do you hate him?”\n\nNeil stiffened. He didn’t have an answer, or he wouldn’t answer. Another question I shouldn’t have asked, it seems.\n\nHe dried his hand on his lab coat and marched back down the stairs. “Feel your feelings, kid. But you’re gonna hate me by the end of this. And I’m sorry for that.”\n\nNeil walked off into the darkness. It was the longest conversation we’ve ever had. At the time, he sounded threatening. Or, he was [i]trying[/i] to. \n\nThe more time I spend listening to his conversations, watching him pace around anxiously, the less he seems like a villain of Spider-Man.\n\nHe is like a frustrated child.\n\nHis nervousness grows by the day. I know he is rushing and desperate. And what men do in desperation, I have seen end in tragedy.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 8th\n\n[/b][/i]Kosey’s tail grows with every injection and ray burst…but he’s still relying on his arms and legs to swim. It probably comes natural to him since the webbing grew on his hands and feet so early. Guess I can’t blame him too much since that was the original plan. \n\nBut plans change, and we have to adapt.\n\nToday we tied his limbs together and sent him into the new tank. He had to rely on his tail, body motion, and the increasing amount of buoyant blubber swelling up on his sides.\n\nHe sank for a while before he finally got the message and began paddling with his tail. Even with his impressive lung capacity, he can’t sit at the bottom forever.\n\nOne thing humans and animals have in common is an unstoppable survival instinct. That’ll motivate him if nothing else.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 31\n\n[/b][/u]They are going to extremes! Bounding my limbs and watching me sink like a stone? Are they trying to drown me?\n\nBy the time I reached the surface, my vision was blurred. My head began to ache from the lack of air. \n\nDo they not understand? I am not a complete whale yet. If they wished for me to breathe underwater, they should have chosen a shark.\n\nStill, this was not the worst of their horror. From the ceiling came a large sheet of fabric with holes slashed into the sides and down the middle. The doctors forced me from the water and into this entrapment, which raised me well above their heads. I believed they were simply examining my body, but then…\n\nHaje forgive me…\n\nNo, I will not describe such a transgression.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 9th\n\n[/b][/i]It’s not like I take pride in shoving a needle in Kosey’s dick. I don’t [i]enjoy[/i] all these weird, intrusive processes that convert his body to a cetacean’s. They’re a necessary evil.\n\nThat’s why I had Samuel and the team string him up. Someone has to watch his vitals, right?\n\nAnd it wasn’t like a spinal tap needle, alright? Just a small, focused prick into the internal lining of his dickhead. We have to use micro-dosage or his dick might just explode. \n\nOr, he’d be stuck with a 10-meter-long shaft. That’d make some lucky orca very, very happy.\n\nIt only took a few seconds for the serum to kick in. Kosey started moaning and wriggling around in his harness. I said he needed to keep still, but either the audio drone glitched out or Kosey didn’t pay attention as usual.\n\nA rosy flush began to cover his member like watercolor paint on a canvas. His otherwise blackened skin made the contrast extra noticeable. It was also the perfect measurement for pigment testing.\n\nWith a slick suction sound, Kosey’s uncut foreskin began to pull back, unrolling itself from the tip of his cock. The liberated head pulsated in midair, stretching forward until it tapered off to a bestial point. Perfect for underwater mating.\n\nHis shaft also swelled up a bit, though not quite to its expected size. We’ll need a few more injections for that. See my previous point about not making his penis blow up.\n\nI almost thought we [i]did[/i] fuck up when Kosey started groaning and kicking his stubby legs up in the harness. Turns out, it was just the second injection doing its thing. This one, unfortunately, had to go right in his nuts. How else are they going to move up into his abdomen?\n\n“My stomach…something hurts…” he forced out a moan as we watched his big black ball sack start to shrink like one of those vacuum-seal bags. All the shadowy veins and wrinkles were hard to spot, but up close they were throbbing. The half-orca already had two honeydew melons swinging around beneath this tail, but now they were swelling into truck tires and climbing up through his guts. Imagine trying to swallow a disco ball through your crotch. It’s kind of like that.\n\nGoddamn, I almost sympathize with him on this one. [i]Almost. \n\n[/i]If this shit doesn’t make the kid hate me, then nothing will.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 32\n\n[/b][/u]I feel powerless. Despite my size, I’m still no match for the horrible advances these people make on my identity.\n\nThe last part of my human self has been stolen. It now resembles a pink slug. I won’t even dare to touch it, despite my urges. Another needle inserted into the more awful of places, and it made my shaft stretch forward again. There’s a horrible pressure in me whenever it starts to grow. Like my stomach’s being clenched in someone’s fist.\n\nMy only solace is the time I am given after with Sir Al-Hadidi, even if he works on Neil’s behalf. It is a strange sensation my body feels, and I’m terribly embarrassed when things become too messy.\n\nNever have I released so much at once before, but Sir Al-Hadidi pays it little mind and fills the glass tubes as instructed. Does he find this role disgusting? Is my swollen, beast-like body a burden?\n\nI watch my own fluids being carried off down the hall. I hope they are not…using it for anything…\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_KILO//\n\n[/b]I am doing my best to keep Kosey’s spirits lifted, as manipulative as it may be. I touch his body for one purpose, I interrogate him for another. The lengths I’ve gone to for this operation border on excessive, but I must believe our goal is worth the fine lines I tread.\n\nWherever it takes, we must find the Heart of Haje. Or else we must destroy it.\n\nWhen I entered the new tank room, which resembles a theatre at Seaworld more than anything, I was unprepared to find Kosey’s massive body held up on wires like some museum display. He wriggled in the air uncomfortably, his limbs spilling over the harness that was clearly too small for him already. \n\nI was also struck by the unsettling adjustments made to his member. Its pink hue glowed like a flowering hibiscus. His shaft had stretched out and no longer held its human shape.\n\nMy reservations about this new role suddenly peaked. It’s not uncommon to care for animals in this manner, but to know my hands were on something human just hours ago…\n\nI asked the doctors to give us the room, and to my surprise they granted that request. Perhaps they had no interest in seeing a man sexually pleasure an orca. I couldn’t blame them.\n\nCarefully, I approached Kosey’s bulking form, acutely aware that if he slipped out of the tarp, I’d certainly be crushed to death.\n\n“You look uncomfortable.”\n\n“Very uncomfortable, Sir Al-Hadidi.”\n\n“I will be gentle.”\n\n“Must we do this now?”\n\n“They are watching. If I do not, they will surely find someone else. And knowing Dr. Bromer, it may not be a human hand on you.”\n\nKosey shivered at the thought.\n\nFortunately, his shaft was already erect from the recent changes. As I slid my hand along his shaft, I found it glistening with a strange new moisture. A translucent slime seeping out of the skin itself. No external lubrication was required. I felt as if I was wrangling a snake. Per usual, I did not stroke for long before Kosey released himself, half-missing the funnel I held in my other hand.\n\nThe remainder splattered onto my suit. He apologized profusely for the mess, but I wasn’t bothered.\n\nDespite his considerable growth, he’s still the soft young man I first met, careful and considerate when he’s not being tormented. He does not deserve this misfortune.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT I]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 2.31 m\n  •  WEIGHT: 420 kg\n  •  LENGTH: 3.5 m\n  •  CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 16%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]My task for today is calculating the ratio of human to cetacean sperm in the collected sample. This will determine alternative means of reproducing hybrid soldiers without starting from scratch.\n\nToday is a good day.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 10th\n\n[/b][/i]We finally installed the audio transducers into the observation tank. She’s all ready to go!\n\nNow when we target Kosey with the radiation arm, you can actually hear his bones creak underwater when they expand. Like today, when we watched his vertebrae swell up and stretch out his torso, pushing his hips further and further back from his chest. It sounded just like one of those ASMR crinkling videos.\n\nI bet folks would pay good money to hear that. \n\nUnfortunately, my scientific ventures have integrity.\n\nUnlike some people…\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 33\n\n[/b][/u]I haven’t been this shaken since this whole nightmare began.\n\nAnother terrible sting in my…penis, and I could feel it starting to twitch. Not in the usual way, but with this strange discomfort all along my shaft, bearing deep into my pelvis, which has melded into the base of my tail.\n\nAs the same aching pressure wrapped itself around my groin, signaling my shaft to swell and lengthen again. It started to move. I could feel my length starting to twist and bend itself as if it were my arm! Even when it moved about, I felt erect. My brain couldn’t deal with the conflict.\n\nWorse still, a sharp pain lanced along my skin, above and below the base of my member. I tried to look down, but I’m so restricted in the harness.\n\nSir Al-Hadidi came to see me not long after. I could tell by his expression, as stony as he tried to be, that my change is progressing rapidly.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 11th\n\n[/b][/i]If you’ve never seen a dolphin vent grow on a human, you’re really missing out. The slit safeguards an orca’s penis when it’s not mating, which is less often than you’d think, and keeps the shaft housed within the lower body. I thought it might look like a vagina honestly, but it really doesn’t. With the way Kosey’s skin began to peel apart around the base of his shaft, we could actually go in with forceps and examine the vent as it grew. We actually watched the insides of his flesh move around and make room for this brand-new dick chasm. \n\nWild stuff.\n\nWe used a sonogram to make sure Kosey’s nuts were still in the right spot and didn’t shift around too much after his vent opened. Lucky for him, it looks like those testicular truck tires doubled in size. But as long as they stay back behind his intestines, they can get as big as they want. There’s a web of blood vessels snaking up to his dorsal fin, which helps keep them cool and fertile no matter the size.\n\nNot that it matters since we aren’t in the breeding business…and I don’t think Kosey even swings that way.\n\nBetween the ultrasounds and live recordings, I’m glad we caught this all on tape. We’ve only seen genital transformations happen once before, to very mixed results. Samuel erased those old videos for a reason.\n\nRest in Peace, Subject 13.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_LIMA//\n\n[/b]I found Kosey propped up on the edge of the tank platform, his head resting on his arms. He is now confined to the water since his body weight has grown too much to bear, and the exhaustion of constant swimming was clearly taking its toll.\n\n“You’re going to be sedated for a few days as they continue your progress. I’m not privy to the details.”\n\n“It cannot be worse than today, Sir Al-Haidi,” he said with a grimace. His voice was raw from near-constant squealing throughout the afternoon. I believe the shape of his vocal cords is modulating as well.\n\n“Do you want me to take care of you…before you go under?”\n\nHe looked at me with hesitation. I think he wonders if our friendship is simply a job requirement or if there is something greater to our actions.\n\nFunny how I find myself writing “friendship” here.\n\nHe made his decision without a word, pulled himself up onto the platform, and rolled over on his side. His legs were starting to atrophy from lack of use, not that they had any chance of moving his massive form.\n\nAs I took a knee, I came face to face with the new vent that housed his cock. It wasn’t immediately clear how I was supposed to address it.\n\nMy hand graced the slit once over, circling its rim in small soft spirals. A minute passed without much of a response.\n\n“Sir Al-Hadidi, I think you may need to be, uh….more firm than before.”\n\nThat made sense given his new weight class. I was no longer working with the tender frame of a young man. Kosey was nearly three times the height of a human from tail to snout. I couldn’t treat him like a junior.\n\nI slid my hand into his slit and pressed firmly into his internal walls. Never before have I had my hand inside another man, nor a whale for that matter. In other circumstances, I can’t say I’d be so eager.\n\nBut when I heard Kosey’s squealing voice and watched his tail fin twitch, I believed I was doing the right thing.\n\nI continued the exploration of his vent, my free hand running along the side of his body and passing over his leg. The webbing between his toes seemed thicker than before, not that I was often looking. \n\nAll my work, inside and out, finally led to the slow emergence of Kosey’s cock. The way it flowed out of his slit looked unnatural, writhing and twisting in some way a human penis never could. Whether it was by his command or not, I couldn’t say. I doubt even he knew.\n\nBut I wrangled his cock regardless, relying on the slippery fluid already present within the vent to lubricate his tapered shaft. My strokes advanced in speed and pressure, taking his previous note into consideration. \n\nI worked his rosy length with both hands, and despite my fitness, exhaustion quickly seeped into my arms from the sheer weight and mass of his slithering member.\n\n“Ah, I am…I…” A shrill chirp followed his words, and I silently thanked him for his low stamina in these matters.\n\nHe finished quickly, and I promptly collected a sample per Dr. Bromer’s request.\n\n“Thank you, Sir Al-Hadidi.”\n\n“Do not say thank you, Kosey. It feels…well…” I couldn’t find the right word at the time. \n\nThe word was [i]transactional[/i].\n\n“Of course. I’m sorry.”\n\nI wiped my hands on my slacks and turned away. “Good night, Kosey. I will pray for you.”\n\n“You as well, Sir Al-Hadidi.”\n\nBefore Kosey slid back into the water, I turned around and stared into his obsidian eyes. The soft haze of sexual ecstasy still lingered in their shimmering lenses. I felt drawn to them.\n\n“Kosey. You may call me Rashad. Just when it is the two of us.”\n\nI should not have shared that information. It is as sensitive to me as the secrets he holds of the Heart, secrets that I still have yet to steal away.\n\nBut he let out a soft click, perhaps unintentionally, and smiled.\n\n“Yes. I would like that, Rashad.”\n\nI returned to my room promptly and still wonder what our connection is. A transaction predicated on a job, which is predicated on deception. Even as I read back my words, I feel there are details I did not mean to capture. But I cannot bring myself to erase them.\n\nPlease note, I will not be taking any more undercover missions in the future. I do not have the stamina.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT J]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 2.8 m\n  •  WEIGHT: 500 kg\n  •  LENGTH: 4.1 m\n  •  CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 40%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Subject 23 has been sedated. Tank water has been infused with gel concentrate.\n\nThis incubation period shall continue for 10-12 days as the legs and pelvis deteriorate. We will monitor for signs of shock and cardiac arrest.\n\nDr. Bromer is observing the tank tonight. He does not seem interested in much else.\n\nI suspect we will be down one player for poker night.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_MIKE//\n\n[/b]It has been three days since Kosey fell asleep. The lab is eerily quiet at this time. Everyone watches him with nervous eyes.\n\nI came to view the tank after dark. Most of the staff should’ve been asleep by then, but Dr. Bromer was standing by the glass, eyes locked on Kosey’s body floating along the surface. The water glowed a deep purple like some witch’s brew.\n\nIn just seventy-two hours, Kosey’s legs have already started to recede. His feet look more like stumps than anything worth walking on. Not that he’s walked on them in some time.\n\n“He’s really something, isn’t he?” the doctor asked. A question posed to himself, not me, I believe.\n\n“He is more than your lab pet. Do you understand that?”\n\n“He’s whatever I need him to be.”\n\nI examined Kosey through the observation window. He’d grown so much since we had first met. The mass of his tail jutted out behind him as though his legs had been swallowed by a whale. It dwarfed his upper body, but this would not last. The bulging blubber around his waist made the transition from tail to torso almost seamless. Only his arms and chest appeared relatively human.\n\nIf not for the snout plastered on his face, I’d think he resembled a merman of myth. Or, perhaps a vengeful siren luring sailors into the deep.\n\n“What do you intend to do with him when you’re finished?” \n\n“Well, I’ll have to change him back to a humanoid form before taking him to market. There’s no point in trying to sell an orca as is.”\n\n“Are you truly able to turn him back?”\n\n“Yeah, and I don’t need another person doubting my abilities, thanks.”\n\n“It is just surprising given the cruelty you inflict upon him.\n\nHe scoffed at my critique. “I’ll have you know, we’ve bent over backward to keep him alive and well. This isn’t some SAW movie I’m recreating.”\n\n“You have enough corpses to warrant one. Twenty-two and counting.”\n\n“Who told you about that?” He turned to me, tensing his jaw. I shouldn’t tip my hand so carelessly, but his reaction was nonetheless satisfying.\n\n“Your staff enjoys their gossip,” I lied. A look of skepticism crossed his face, but he dropped the issue and soon took his leave. His boots stomped off like a child sent to his room.\n\n“Laugh while you can, buddy. This is all gonna work out. Everything’s coming up Neil!”\n\nThe doctor’s footsteps faded, and I stayed with Kosey well into the night.\n\nI hope you are right, doctor. Truly.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT K]\n  •  [/b]HEIGHT: 3.6 m\n  •  WEIGHT: 819 kg\n  •  LENGTH: 6.5 m\n  •  CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 65%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Nine days of incubation have passed. Subject 23’s legs continue to lose mass and definition. Toes have fused entirely into singular units of flesh. Length reduction in femurs is at 89%. Tail gains length and mass by the day.\n\nNote: A significant spike in Subject 23’s size and weight has occurred. The growth does not seem to have disrupted subject’s rest pattern.\n\nVitals remain nominal.\n\nLast night, Dr. Bromer fell asleep watching over the tank. I brought him to his chambers myself. His back bothers him whenever he sleeps on hard chairs and tables, a bad habit he has possessed since graduate school. \n\nPerhaps I can engineer a brace for such matters.\n\n------\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_NOVEMBER//\n\n[/b]Kosey has survived the incubation.\n\nWhile Dr. Bromer and his staff cheer for a successful benchmark, I am comforting the young man’s phantom pains.\n\nPerhaps his survival alone is worth celebrating.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 34\n\n[/b][/u]Imagine waking up to find your legs are missing. It’s a horrible thought, is it not? The image sparks ideas of combat and war. Some elders in my village have paid such a price for that valor.\n\nI have not earned such honor or sacrifice, but still I am missing a pair of limbs. All I possess is a gigantic tail fin where my hips once were. It feels like I am shaking my rear when I move through the water. So embarrassing.\n\nMy heart aches.\n\nI have asked Rashad to stay with me this evening.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 25th\n\n[/b][/i]Goddamn that brother of mine.\n\nWe were in the middle of improving Kosey’s echolocation, aka throwing beach balls at him and seeing if he can dodge them in the dark. It’s very fun, honestly.\n\nWhen who else but Jonas lands his stupid chopper right next to mine. On a one-body helipad! He nearly clipped off my propeller.\n\n“Hi, Neil!” he announced himself, trotting in like a showhorse. “Wow, so this is the new lab! You’ve really upgraded.”\n\nTwo things stuck out to me as Jonas and his “lab partner” hopped off the elevator. Number one, he must’ve come right from volleyball practice because his sports jersey smelled totally rank.\n\nNumber two, his friend was missing his scales. And tail. [i]Everything[/i].\n\n“Your friend looks more fleshy than last time,” I said with impeccable restraint.\n\n“Oh yeah, he can just change back and forth now. Pretty cool, right?”\n\nYeah, so [i]fucking[/i] cool…\n\nThe two brats scampered over to the tank where Kosey was floating. If the half-orca had any snide remarks about our familial feud, he kept them to himself. Smart move.\n\n“Wow, you’re really going for it, huh?” Jonas said, feigning amazement as he bent over and peered through the glass. “He’s gotta be mostly animal by now!”\n\n“Are you here just to gawk, Jonas?\n\n“Oh, yeah. I came to tell you that Mom and Dad are renovating the dining room, so we won’t be having dinner at home next week. They want to know if you could host.”\n\n“And this couldn’t have been a text?”\n\n“You didn’t give me your new number.”\n\n“Of course I wouldn’t,” I muttered. “And why couldn’t Mother and Father tell me this directly?”\n\n“You didn’t give [i]them [/i]your number.”\n\nGoddamnit.\n\nI sighed. “Yes, fine. Now get out.”\n\n“Sure, sure.” He turned on his heel and scurried off like a coward. “This might be a good thing. Now you don’t have to wheel this tank into the house.”\n\n“I had a tank ready, Jonas.”\n\nSamuel probably could’ve put it on wheels. I think.\n\nJonas and his dumb fleshy friend hopped back in the elevator while I stood there absolutely [i]seething[/i]. \n\nDid Jonas seriously figure out transformative reversion in less than a month? Was that his sole reason for being here, to rub another great achievement in my face? The audacity to waltz into my lab just to insult me!\n\nHis chipper words dripped with sarcasm, same as always, and I know he’s plotting something for next month. I’d send someone to spy on him if I had the manpower to spare.\n\nBut at least now we have the home-field advantage. Preparations have already begun. If I’m hosting dinner, things are going to go my way. Finally.\n\nEverything’s coming up Neil!\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 35\n\n[/b][/u]BY THE GRACE OF HAJE!\n\nA MIRACLE! \n\nFinally, fortune favors me. Proof I am not forsaken.\n\nI will not even dare to write it here, even when no one is reading.\n\nI pray to my ancestors that this is the boon I’ve been waiting for.\n\nThis is the wave I must ride.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_OSCAR//\n\n[/b]When Kosey summoned for me, I never expected such news as this.\n\nThe Heart of Haje has been found. It was here in the lab, just hours ago.\n\nImpossible, I thought. He couldn’t be talking about the Heart. And yet…\n\n“Neil’s brother. He wore it on a chain beneath his shirt. I saw it as he looked into the water.”\n\nI hadn’t realized how small this gem was.\n\n“I see. Have you told Dr. Bromer?”\n\n“No, but he shouldn’t know! I have to retrieve the Heart. I do not trust it in either of their hands.”\n\nI shared the sentiment, but… “You’re not exactly in a position to reclaim it yourself, Kosey. I will take it from them.”\n\n“Would you do that for me? Steal the Heart from the brother?”\n\n[i]For[/i] him? I cannot say that for certain.\n\n“I do not believe we’ll need to steal it at all. Dr. Bromer will give it to us of his own will.”\n\n“That seems unlikely, Rashad. You may be handing him --”\n\n“I can trade with him,” I said, kneeling down to his level. “But I need to know first. How do you nullify its power?”\n\nHe was taken back by the question. I knew I was tipping my hand again, but this would be my ace. “I’m sorry. It is forbidden of me to reveal that knowledge.”\n\n“Kosey, I am going to get the Heart away from the Bromer family, and I’m going to see you through this. But I need to know what I am up against. I cannot do this without you.”\n\nOur eyes met, and I tried to find his intention in the black pit of his iris. He searched mine for understanding, any trace of deception. But he couldn’t find any. I did not lie in what I said. The Bromer Family will not have the Heart.\n\nSo, after much consideration, Kosey told me the secrets of the Heart of Haje. And I will tell Dr. Bromer.\n\nAnd we will all get what we want.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 26th\n\n[/b][/i]You son of a bitch.\n\nJust when I thought you couldn’t go any lower.\n\nI knew you were a brat, Jonas. But I never thought you were a cheat.\n\n“Fuck!” I downed my shot of vodka and immediately had Samuel pour me another. \n\nAl-Hadidi leaned back against the break room bar top, sipping his beer as if he didn’t just drop a bombshell on my ass. “Do we have a deal or not, doctor?”\n\n“And you’re sure? Totally, completely sure?”\n\n“Kosey saw it himself.”\n\n“Should we really trust the words of a test subject, Dr. Bromer? Or those of an outsider.” Samuel searched for any bullshit in Al-Hadidi’s stony face, but he came up as empty as I did.\n\n“You’re free to ignore my words and proceed as planned. Simply allow your brother –”\n\n“Don’t mention him again. Just don’t.”\n\nThat stony bastard nearly smirked. I saw that, you weasel!\n\n“Fine. I’ll let Kosey go. But he’s your responsibility.”\n\n“And the Heart?”\n\n“Yeah, whatever. Just tell me what we need.”\n\nAl-Hadidi set down his glass, thoroughly satisfied, I’m sure. “I will coordinate with your staff. No need to worry.” Then he sauntered out, suit jacket slung over his shoulder like some gangster from the ‘20s. So obnoxious.\n\nSamuel ran the empty mug under the water and waited for the room to clear.\n\n“Are you truly willing to surrender Subject 23, Dr. Bromer?”\n\nI took another shot then tapped the bar. “If it’d send Jonas running with his tail between his legs, I’d sink this whole place right now.”\n\nAnd despite seven shots already down the hatch, that was the truth.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 36\n\n[/b][/u]The new deal is in motion. As Neil often says – my fingers are crossed. And I would cross my fingers if not for the thickening skin that grows between them. \n\nI do not trust the doctor or his followers. But I trust Rashad and Haje’s grace to guide me, so I am enduring the last of these trials to the end. \n\nEven eating has become a challenge.\n\nThey have started to feed me squid. I have never liked squid. I find the look of it disgusting, but once it is in my hands, I can’t help but bite down. The sensation of my sharpened teeth tearing off its tentacles gives me some strange kind of joy. But once I have swallowed, my stomach churns. I swear I can feel the tentacles gripping at my throat. \n\nI am trying not to think about it too much. \n\nI must remain focused on my task. Retrieve the Heart of Haje. For the sake of my village, and for the blessing of Haje himself.\n\nI must not lose myself.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 27th\n\n[/b][/i]We’re in the endgame. Fourth quarter, no overtime.\n\nIn this final series of radiation targeting, we’ll fully reform Kosey’s torso into that of an orca. His head will be the last thing to go.\n\nThe masculine definition of his shoulders and upper back is slowly vanishing under all the blubber, rounding him out like a crescent moon. Nine meals a day will do that to a guy. It sucks to see all those days at the gym go to waste, but science giveth and science taketh away.\n\nMeanwhile, some other staff members are making some perpetrations for the dinner itself. A few “necessities” that Kosey and Al-Hadidi require.\n\nOne so-called necessity was a book, which the kid called reference material for this whole plan.\n\n[i]Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #8\n\n[/i]I think he’s talking out his ass, but I’ll let him have it in exchange for helping to kick my brother’s.\n\nMy brother’s ass, that is.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 37\n\n[/b][/u]It is a strange feeling as my hands vanish before my eyes. The webbing between my fingers grows thicker, climbing up onto the tops of the digits and compressing them into one plank. It’s harder to move them individually, not that there is any reason to. My days are spent floating about, chasing balls or finding fish in the dark. I feel like a pet, performing tricks for entertainment. Perhaps that is why they’ve placed chairs around my tank.\n\nToday, the doctors injected more fluid into my hands, but I barely notice the needle pricks, only the swelling pressure that starts soon after. The bones in my fingers crackle as they swell, losing the little definition and dexterity they have left. It does not hurt as much as it used to, but that may be my mind blocking the sensations.\n\nThe thickness of my hands does help me swim faster, like two boat oars at my side, but most of my speed comes from the swishing of my tail. It feels more natural since my slumber, as uncomfortable as that is to say.\n\nI am counting the days as much as Neil is.\n\nAnd I’m reading to pass the time, while I still have the ability to turn pages. Sometimes Rashad helps when my arms are too sore to move. The comic books, I’ve said, are part of the plan to retrieve the Heart, but I did not explain further.\n\nIt is not entirely a lie. I have always found strength in the pages. And I must be strong in the days to come.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_PAPA//\n\n[/b]“This one is my favorite,” Kosey said as he pointed his flipper-like hand at the comic cover. “It’s more than just Spider-Man, but this is when you first see the Symbiote.”\n\n“Symbiote?” I asked. “What is that?”\n\n“It is a black alien that takes over the victim’s body and turns them into a monster. Have you never read these? Or watched the American films?”\n\n“No, I don’t find time for things like this.” Truly, the last decade of my life has been dedicated to work. I haven’t stepped foot in a theater in years.\n\n“You’re a busy man, Rashad. Do you translate for many people?”\n\n“Sometimes,” I said, omitting how often I decode government radio channels and foreign ciphers.\n\n“You should take time for yourself after we are finished. I can’t imagine this is an easy role to play.”\n\n “It is nothing compared to your ordeal, Kosey. I am sorry that I have taken part in it.” A sympathetic smile escaped my restraint. Never did I imagine such a young man would be entangled in this operation. It was not our intention.\n\nHis webbed hand rested upon my arm. “Do not apologize. You are helping me in so many ways you cannot know. I will be forever grateful.”\n\nA tug came at my chest like an anchor tied itself to the lowest chamber and began pulling me towards him, my lips parting a red sea.\n\nI stopped myself before he could notice. Before I could cross another line.\n\nI rested a hand on his snout and let it be. \n\nI do not deserve his embrace.\n\nWe should not have placed him in the hands of Dr. Bromer. His humanity is the cost of our silent intervention. Will our capture of the Heart be worth all of his suffering?\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 28th \n\n[/b][/i]The human brain is like an angry Redditor. Sensitive. Volatile. Even I know not to prod it too much. To change it both physically and mentally, you need to lure it into a false sense of security.\n\nThat’s why we’ve surrounded Kosey’s tank with LED screens and angled a projector up to the dome ceiling. A constant feed of “Ocean Scenery and Ambiance [4K UHD VIDEO] No Ads” loops around him to stroke latent instincts and acclimate him to ocean life. Psychology isn’t my field, so this procedure came directly from the team. I have to trust their methods.\n\nIf we aren’t careful at this stage, Kosey could end up with any number of animal psychoses, from DID, to mania, to rabies-like hysteria. And even if we revert him to his human form…there’s no coming back from that last one.\n\nRest in peace, Subjects 14 through 22.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]Journal Entry 27\n\n[/b][/i]Rashad’s presence helps to keep me grounded. When I am alone, I feel like I am trapped in a waking dream. There is endless ocean on every side of me, even if I am locked in a tank. I know this, but the horizon feels so real and so close.\n\nWith all the distraction, I barely noticed the heat erupting in my ribs today. My chest was expanding, and I could even hear the crackling of bones and blubber as they swelled inside me, pressing visibly against my skin and bending my body further into a black barrel shape. Fat flowed around muscle. The pressure grew around my heart as it pounded faster and faster. But I wasn’t as frightened as I should have been.\n\nThe view is so calming. Hypnotic.\n\nI wish the doctors had performed this trick from the beginning.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 29th\n\n[/b][/i]Kosey was surprisingly docile this morning. I think the simulation setup is working better than expected. If we knew it’d be so effective, we probably would’ve hired a hypnotherapist weeks ago. But hey, [i]c'est la vie[/i].\n\nMoving on from his hands and chest, we gave him some fresh injections around the shoulders today. Even under the blubber, we can see how the bones and muscles shift around, swelling and compacting into simplified bulks.\n\nHis arms waded in the water until they started flapping like a landing bird. They’re going to be perfect fins in no time. \n\nWhich is great, because there’s really no time left.\n\n-----\n\n[u][b]Journal Entry 38\n\n[/b][/u]I feel like I am floating more and more. Drifting out to sea.\n\nI’m not in full control of myself at the moment, so I am putting my faith in Haje that Neil will honor our agreement. \n\nHe is a strange man, and I still cannot understand his motives. But a promise is an oath in my village, and Haje’s grace shall forgive those who uphold their word.\n\nWhether I can forgive him is another question.\n\nBut I believe in Haje’s grace.\n\nSo I believe in Neil’s word.\n\nAnd should all that fail, should my faith be betrayed, I believe in Rashad.\n\nHe will know what to do when the time comes.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]November 30th\n\n[/b][/i]We hooked Kosey up to his last IV and started transfusing mutagen for about an hour. In those sixty minutes, we all sat and watched his arms grow stubby while his hands compensated for the loss.\n\nThe sounds of his arm muscles stretching like rubber, twisting up in new strands that were optimized for buoyancy. The collapsing crunches as his radius and ulna condensed into blocky squares. Despite the messy crackling and bubbling below the surface, Kosey seemed unbothered by it all. Maybe the ocean videos did the trick. Or maybe he just knew that our sprint was reaching its end. \n\nThose thick sheets of webbing between his fingers finally swallowed the digits, raveling around them until the distinctions disappeared. Left behind were simple black paddles, flat and wide. Both were still growing as his thick phalanges lengthened within.\n\nWhat remained of his arm shapes pulled in closer towards his shoulder blades, which were already drowning beneath layers of blubber. Once his scapulae shifted to the sides of his body and fused to his devolving hands, Kosey had finally run out of limbs. He had two pectoral fins and a long-ass tail. Nothing more, nothing less.\n\nAll we had left to do was complete his skull. But that will come tomorrow.\n\nTomorrow is the last dinner party.\n\nTomorrow, I rewrite the human genome and make history and rub it all in my brother’s snot-nosed face.\n\nTonight, we drink.\n\n-----\n\n[b][PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT L][/b]\n  •  HEIGHT: 3.72 m\n  •  WEIGHT: 1042 kg\n  •  LENGTH: 7.14 m\n  •  CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 99%\n           •  DNA QUOTIENT: Orca 99.98% / Human .02%\n\n[I]DIAGNOSTIC:\n\n[/I]Per Dr. Bromer’s request, .02% of the human gene strand remains in Subject 23 to support genetic reversion. Whether such a feat is possible remains to be seen. However, Dr. Bromer is never one to shy away from a challenge.\n\nAll vitals appear nominal for a young orca. As expected, Subject 23 remains on the lower end of the weight and size scale, more akin to a maturing female calf than a fully adult male. This will have to suffice. It is worth exploring in future studies what human features may influence the outcomes of subject transitions.\n\nSubject 23 is resting in preparation for the event.\n\nDr. Bromer has made history with Project Oasis.\n\nTomorrow, he will surely write another chapter.\n\n-----\n\n[i][b]December 1st\n\n[/b][/i]In the summer before 10th grade, I went back to theatre camp. Told my parents I was interning at JPL – which I did, but only on Fridays. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was worth going back. That girl I liked had moved away three years ago, and Samuel was working that summer at McDonald’s. So, I was flying solo.\n\nWhat I learned that summer was how to work a smoke machine. And that I look damn good in a cape.\n\nSo when Mother and Father and the two little babies strolled into the lab, peering through an amethyst haze of fog and neon lights, while I flew down on a wire rig like Peter Fucking Pan, I knew it was a summer well spent.\n\n“Good evening!” I declared with gusto, slinging my cape open to reveal a sexy mauve tuxedo. “Welcome to Bromer Labs. Tonight we stand on the bleeding edge of scientific discovery!”\n\n“Sweetie, can this wait until after dinner?” Mother asked. “Your father needs to eat with his medication.”\n\n“It’s fine, Shirley. He’s already started.”\n\n“Unfortunately, dinner will have to wait as we change the course of human history.”\n\nI glided past the tank windows, which we hid behind a row of violet curtains three shades darker than my suit. With a wave of my hand, my team rose from the smoke [i]Thriller[/i]-style and took hold of the fabric. Even Al-Hadidi volunteered, and for once, he didn’t charge me a fin and a leg.\n\n“Imagine you are a government power in the middle of a new Cold War. When all your intelligence tactics fail, your ace in the hole will be a secret underwater agent, a trained spy hidden among a school of sea life. The art of espionage has been forever transformed!”\n\n“Oh, like a secret agent!” Mother gleamed. “Is that your costume, sweetie? Double-O Neil!”\n\nI ignored the question by gnawing at my cheek. “In just one month, we have transformed a hybrid soldier into an imperceptible asset. And tonight, we complete the evolution.” While I distracted everyone, Samuel hid up on the tank platform and shot the last injection into Kosey’s jaws. Apparently, the kid didn’t resist one bit.\n\n“Behold the final act of Project Oasis!”\n\nKosey dipped back into the water just in time for us to drop the curtains. His coal-button eyes peered through the window at my awestruck family, and even I was astounded by the view. Aside from his half-humanish head and neck, he was as orca as you can possibly get.\n\nThere’s something elegant about whales. It’s why people stare at them all the time. Unlike the messy gaps and segments of the human body, an orca’s shape is seamlessly round and singular. Agile. Powerful. Perfect.\n\nKosey was the perfect subject after all.\n\nHis body began to warble in the water, fins shaking up and down like the flailing arms they once were. What little range of motion remained in his neck began to shrink, his twisting chin growing stiffer as the seconds ticked by. His throat expanded, even as it got absorbed into the trunk of his body. Then blubber started filling in the remaining spots that once silhouetted his skull, closing every angular gap until his body became a complete crescent shape, streamlined from the edge of his flukes to the tip of his short little beak.\n\nIt wouldn’t stay short for long though.\n\nThe blunt snout he’d grown over the last few weeks was nothing compared to the real thing. Kosey’s face bubbled and pulsated like a boiling pot, the bones beneath it elongating into a pure, bestial shape. His eyes migrated further up on his and swelled to the size of tennis balls. Two black neutron stars floating behind glass.\n\nThe orca’s bulbous forehead widened with his expanding skull, hiding the fatty melon that had bloomed in between his eyes. It was smooth and sleek – not obtuse like those hideous belugas. A perfect mathematical curve sloped from his upper lip all the way back to his blowhole. It only grew more refined as his primordial snout took its final shape.\n\nKosey’s facial restructuring went smoothly until the last growth spurt. Then he started flailing as the upper and lower jaws raced for the finish line in a neck-and-neck marathon. Bubbles scattered as he squealed and gasped underwater, but he did his best to stay in view of the window. That was what we agreed upon. \n\nHis teeth bared as his skull pushed out further and further, stretching the black and white skin to its physical limit. A dash of blood seeped into the water as more bony arrows shot up through his gums. When the distinction of his head began to fade beneath all the blubber and bony mass, the race was nearly won.\n\nWith a final sharp snap so strong we could hear it thump behind the glass, Kosey’s swollen jaws locked into a perfectly cetacean snout. His gaping mouth twitched then slammed shut hard, swallowing all the noise behind a row of carnivorous fangs. The human male was gone. All that remained was a perfect beast of my design. Not God’s. Not Jonas’. \n\nMine.\n\nA windy whistle swept through the lab as Kosey rocketed up and breached the water’s surface, erupting with his first blowhole spout as a full-fledged orca. He sailed along the rim of the tank as his tail fin slammed down into the water, sending a Titanic wave over the edge and showering us with a monsoon that would put SeaWorld to shame. Apparently, he follows directions better as an animal than a human.\n\n“Oh sweetie, you could’ve warned us about the splash zone,” Mother laughed, shaking out the soaked skirt clinging to her legs.\n\nSure, but why ruin the surprise? \n\n“Wow, that’s amazing, bro!” Jonas squawked. I didn’t ask for his opinion, and yet he just had to pitch in, still clapping like an amused baby.\n\nBut I was ready to wipe the smile off his oily little face.\n\nMy hand gripped his shoulder. “Incredible, right? But I’m sure it’s [i]nothing [/i]compared to your subject, Jonas. Care to demonstrate?”\n\n“Me?”\n\n“Well, I’ve shown you a complete transformation. I’m sure you can do the same?” I pointed at his lab partner, who looked very preoccupied with some juvenile mobile game.\n\n“Oh, I just…he just needs to be like a snake guy for our project. I wasn’t going to --”\n\n“Really? For the first time, you’re not going to upstage me? You don’t have any aces hidden in that hoodie of yours?” I scanned his neckline, where that same chain clung to his skin and sneaked away beneath his hoodie. I had no idea why he was hesitating. Now was not the time!\n\n“Upstage you? I never --“\n\n“Never! Of course, that’s always your line. You [i]never[/i] tried to be a prodigy. You [i]never[/i] meant to steal my ideas. Never, never, never.”\n\n“Sweetie, have you eaten today? You always get worked up when you skip meals.”\n\n“I am worked up, [i]Mother[/i], because Jonas is a lying little cheater!” My voice bounced off the dome ceiling. I was firmly out of patience. We had a whole plan prepared, a brilliant one I might add, and all Jonas had to do was activate the Heart’s power.\n\nBut [i]this [/i]was the moment he decided to restrain himself and stonewall me and make me look insane? I wouldn’t stand for that.\n\nI pulled at his collar, reached inside, and lifted the necklace high like the slain head of Medusa. “I know your secret, Jonas. This is the Heart of Haje!”\n\n“No, it’s not! It’s just…I got this from Hot Topic!”\n\n“You [i]stole [/i]it from the family vault. This stone has the power to transform anyone into a beast in the form of Haje, god of the serpent.” I glared at Jonas’ classmate again, who hid behind his phone and clearly didn’t want to be involved in the drama. “Ironic because that is exactly what you are, brother. A [i]snake[/i].”\n\nMother came between us, inspecting the gem as its glistening red edges reflected in her eyes. Jonas blushed. His hands dug deep into his hoodie pockets while I towered over him in triumph. \n\nCheckmate.\n\n“Jonas Neil Bromer! What have I told you about taking things from the vault without asking? The staff has been looking for this for weeks.”\n\n“Yes, Jonas. It begs the question, how many times have you cheated in your academic career?”\n\n“Bro, c’mon.”\n\n“You’ve thrown your entire legacy into question, and for what? To fuck me over one more time? The hundredth victory wasn’t enough for you? Well, good luck getting a license from the Scientific Review Board. I won’t be endorsing you!”\n\nThen my goading [i]finally[/i] hit its mark, and Jonas stomped his foot like a child in a toy store.\n\n“I don’t even [i]want[/i] to be a scientist, Neil!”\n\nI scoffed. “Really? That’s why you always enter your school science fair with [i]my [/i]ideas?”\n\n“Oh my God, bro, are you still mad about that? We were in junior high!”\n\n“And you haven’t apologized since for ripping me off!”\n\n“Sweetie, can we please just set the table? It’s well past dinner time and --”\n\n“I know it’s dinner, [i]Mom. [/i]Why do you I’m doing any of this?” I redirected my rage at my tyke in front of me. “Just admit it, Jonas. You think I’m incapable of doing anything so you just pluck my ideas like tomatoes and throw them in my face. Because you don’t respect me!”\n\n“No, Neil! I want you to respect [i]me[/i]!” He bit into his lip, shoving his hands back into his pockets. “I just…I just want you to [i]like[/i] me, okay?”\n\nMy spit literally gagged me. Nothing was coming out. Eons later, I managed to sputter, “Well, who says I don’t?”\n\n“Dude, really? I see how you roll your eyes at me all the time. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you. I know I’m not a super genius. I’m not coming up with these amazing plans to make fish people!”\n\n[i]Orca[/i]. But I held my tongue.\n\n“I just wish for once, you’d be a little proud of me for doing something right. And maybe it’s cheating or whatever, but this thing is powerful.” He clutched the stone tight, and a faint glow flickered in his hand. “If you really want to see a snake, I’ll make one. For you.”\n\nHis classmate, whatever his name was, finally put the phone down. “Dude, that’s not what we agreed on! I need my arms for shit!”\n\n“Don’t bother, kids.” I snapped my fingers, and the staff killed the smoke machines. As the heavy fog settled at our feet, a semi-circle of rolling chalkboards appeared around the room, surrounding us and half of the tank enclosure.\n\nCarved into each one was a set of runes, carefully drawn to Kosey’s specifications, that could nullify the Heart of Haje’s power.\n\nBut that was my mistake…\n\nListening to fucking teenagers.\n\n-----\n\n[b]//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_QUEBEC//\n\n[/b]The following is my final report on the operation, unfiltered to the best of my ability:\n\nI believe an error was made when inscribing the negation runes. Perhaps I should have double-checked the lab assistants’ hurried scribbles. Or maybe I copied them incorrectly from Kosey’s drawings.\n\nRegardless, the stone did not transform the boy into a cobra. It did nothing of the sort.\n\nAs the Heart’s power boiled the air with a white-hot glow, the walls began to crumple as though made of tin foil. The floor twisted itself into grooves and valleys, coiling like snakes desperate for a meal. Creaking metal soured the room, and everything began to shake amid an underwater quake.\n\nWe could feel it. A slow, terrible decent.\n\nThe doctor’s lab began to sink.\n\nI covered my ears as a shrill siren screeched from above. “[i]Level Four has exceeded nominal depth measurements. All staff please report to the evacuation pods.”[/i]\n\n“Jonas!” the doctor yelled as he took his brother by the collar. “What the fuck did you do?”\n\n“I-I don’t know! It was working before!”\n\n“See? This is what happens when you try to copy my homework, you cheater!”\n\n“Neil, this sounds serious,” his father asserted. “Let’s not worry about the science fair right now.”\n\n“It’s not about the goddamn science fair!” Dr. Bromer snapped. “He ruined my presentation again! He does this every dinner, and that’s why I never fucking win with you two!”\n\n“Kiddo, what are you talking about?”\n\n“Every month!” Dr. Bromer stomped his foot like a toddler in a toy aisle. “We always go through the same goddamn thing! I present my amazing work, you and Mother look at it for five seconds, then you parade Jonas around like he’s the second coming of Christ!”\n\n“Sweetie, is that what you think we’re doing?”\n\n“It’s what [i]I’m[/i] doing! Why else would I step away from my work and fly all the way to Sweden every month for a goddamn dinner?”\n\n“Because we’re a family, Neil…” \n\nThe doctor’s grimace twisted into confusion. As I helped his staff exit through the lingering fog, I kept a close eye on Dr. Bromer and his family. And the pulsating jewel around Jonas’ neck. \n\nHis father marched forward, nearly tripping on the twisted floor tiles. “Son, I don’t know who you’re trying to impress. We’re not scientists. We don’t understand how any of this works. We never have.”\n\n“But we’re always glad to hear about your work, sweetie.”\n\n“Do you remember how you used to hide away in the basement for hours working on your projects? If we didn’t drag your ass out for dinner, you just wouldn’t eat!”\n\n“I can’t count how many times you fell asleep at your worktable,” his wife said.\n\n“But then you’d come up with some amazing gadget, and you were so gosh darn happy.” Mr. Bromer put a hand on his eldest’s shoulder. “We’re very glad that this makes you happy. But you can’t just lock yourself in your lab like some supervillain, and then we don’t see you all year.”\n\n“Well, I’m not! I’m doing that. That’s ridiculous!”\n\nBut as the walls of the lab continued to warp, bending into serpentine curves, the reality of the situation sank in. Water was seeping through the cracks. \n\nNeil looked around at the growing flood, his lips pursed in begrudging submission. It was the moment that I myself realized the circumstances of the family’s ritual. \n\nDinner was simply dinner, and Neil Bromer was only ever competing with himself.\n\n“Maybe you were right, Shirley,” his father sighed. “We should’ve kept work away from the table.”\n\nThe younger son rocked back and forth on his heels. “Look, I’m sorry I used your idea for my project, Neil. Twice. I thought I could be like you, but I’m not.”\n\n“Why would you want to be? Mother and Father praise you all the time.”\n\n“We’re just trying to encourage him, sweetie. He’s still figuring things out.”\n\nHis father laughed. “Sound familiar, Mr. Theatre Camp?”\n\n“We’ve always known you could do amazing things. But we never knew you felt unappreciated. We’re sorry.”\n\n“Sorry, son.”\n\nNeil stood quietly for a moment, perhaps having some internal debate I was not privy to. I couldn’t care less about his revelation or lack thereof.\n\nThe lab was on the verge of collapse. The family’s timing for reconciliation was absurd and, to be frank, lethal.\n\nOnce the water level reached our ankles, Neil approached his brother, not quite ready to embrace him, but not as eager to throttle him as before. “Jonas, give me the Heart.”\n\n“I still need it for the science fair…”\n\n“C’mon, if I never had to cheat, then you definitely don’t.”\n\nAfter a moment of hesitation, Jonas resigned, unhooked the Heart from his chain, and handed it off to his brother.\n\n“Al-Hadidi, do you know how to use this thing?” The doctor came to me and finally placed it in my hands. \n\nA shock ran down my neck.\n\nIn that moment, I could feel power pulsating from the Heart, its white aura throttled by the runes’ presence. The energy was beyond what I imagined, what our calculations predicted.\n\nThe Bromer Family had no concept of the power that the Heart of Haje truly possessed. How its potential exceeded transmogrification. How it could warp reality itself. How it could, in fact, bring the Serpent God Haje into our world.\n\nThey were sitting on a weapon of apocalyptic scale, and I did not know how to stop it.\n\nOnly one of us did.\n\nI hoped.\n\nStone in hand, I hurried up to the rim of the tank and knelt down by the water’s edge. Kosey swam up to me immediately, as if he already knew my plans.\n\n“I believe this is the wave you were looking for.” My comments were poorly timed as the dome ceiling finally sprung a leak. Like a fire hose. I could feel my stomach start to churn from the change in pressure.\n\nHe responded with a squeal and opened his mouth, in light of his lack of hands. I prayed for him once again.\n\nAnd so, much like the tale of the wooden boy, the Heart of Haje ended up in the stomach of a whale.\n\nThe tank room accelerated its collapse, and the scattered rain turned into a hurricane. In my heart, I did not want to leave Kosey’s side, but if anyone could survive such a deluge, it would be him. He’s survived far worse.\n\nI ran to the escape pods with the doctor and his company, and we arrived on the surface at 1900 hours. Once we paddled to shore, I made a swift retreat to the extraction point.\n\nThat was the last I saw of the Heart of Haje. And the Bromers. And Kosey.\n\nAs you’ve gathered from subsequent reports, the doctor’s lab did not sink entirely. I suspect Kosey’s efforts to negate the Heart were successful. However, I believe the stone was lost in the chaos.\n\nYou may find my decision to barter with Dr. Bromer suspect, but I assert that it was our best chance to relieve him and his family of the stone. In that regard, my gambit proved successful.\n\nI hope that the doctor will uphold his side of the agreement, despite the complications. I can only hope for the best.\n\nIt is with this swift end that I close my transmission on Operation Indiana. I solemnly swear all the words in this report are accurate to the best of my knowledge.\n\nPlease forward all messages to [REDACTED]. I will be on leave starting on [REDACTED].\n\n[i]#19670 ending transmission.\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[u][b]Miscellaneous Correspondence – December 19th\n\n[/b][/u]Dear whoever is reading this,\n\nI’m currently staying with family on holiday. My assistant is busy rebuilding our workplace and has no time for solicitors or stalkers.\n\nStop calling me. Stop texting me. Stop trying to get an interview. The next person who shows up at the house is getting turned into a louse. We have nothing to say about the “heart of whatever.”\n\nAnd don’t listen to a word Rashad Al-Hadidi says.\n\nHe’s a big fat liar.\n\n[i]~ From the desk of Dr. Neil Bromer ~\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[u][b]Intercepted Communication – December 22nd\n\n[/u][LAB NOTICE]\n\n[u][/b][/u]With the completion of Project Oasis, we will be shifting our focus to synthetic biome development per Dr. Bromer’s directive. All staff will be assigned new roles after the holiday.\n\nIn addition, the break room has been successfully pumped and suffered minimal structural damage. Happy Hour will resume on Thursday.\n\n[i]*Samuel Anderson, Interm Research Lead\n\n[/i]-----\n\n[u][b]Miscellaneous Correspondence – December 24th\n\n[/b][/u]To Rashad,\n\nI know I’m not supposed to say it, but thank you. For everything.\n\nFor your compassion. For your care. And for giving me your [u][i]heart[/i][/u]…\n\nMay Haje guide you and bless you. May he forgive Neil for his transgressions, as I hope [i]you[/i] will forgive me for [u][i]mine[/i][/u]…\n\nIt is my duty as an apprentice to protect my village.\n\nI will be as I always was, until we meet again.\n\nBy Haje’s grace,\n\nKosey\n\n-----\n\n[i][B]FINAL ASSESSMENT:\n\n[/B][/i]After extensive review of the enclosed documents, it is the conclusion of this review that Agent #19670 (code: [i]Al-Hadidi[/i]) failed to retrieve Item 7 (code: [i]The Heart[/i]) in Operation Indiana.\n\nHowever, he is [b]not[/b] liable for the destruction of Dr. Bromer’s laboratory off the coast of Libya. The doctor’s reimbursement claims are invalid. Furthermore, Dr. Bromer will be fined $2.3B for unauthorized use of A.I. in his translation services.\n\nInfiltration of the Bromer Family Vault has led to key data collection. We will consider this a minor operative success. Agent #19670 will be placed on leave for 30 days before next assignment. Pay will be docked 5% during this period.\n\nThe location of Item 7 remains unknown.\n\n[u]Reviewed and filed by: \n\n[/u]Agent #11 (code: [i][REDACTED][/i])\n\n[i]Internal Affairs, The Scientific Review Board\n\n[center][u]THIS CONCLUDES THE REPORT ON [B]CASE #19670.[/b] [/center][/u][/i]\n\n",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'><div class='align_center'><span class='underline'><strong>GUESS WHO&rsquo;S CHANGING FOR DINNER</strong></span></div><br /><br /><em>THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW OF <strong>CASE #19670:</strong><br /><br /><strong>September 30th<br /><br /></strong></em>It&rsquo;s funny. In a family of self-proclaimed geniuses, I&rsquo;m always the dumb one. The runner-up. The silver-plate second-placer. When I got an A, he got an A+. When I made the baseball team, he got made captain. Twenty years of disappointments and embarrassments really start to weigh you down.<br /><br />But that all ends today.<br /><br />Alright, it ends a month, but we&rsquo;re starting <em>now</em>!<br /><br />As I christen the proverbial boat of Project Oasis, our next subject is already en route to the lab. The perfect specimen for one last experiment.<br /><br />Our mission statement is this:<br /><br /><span class='underline'>We will transform Subject 23 into a hybrid super soldier in thirty days or less.<br /><br /></span>Huh. On paper, it reads like a weight loss ad. Talk about ironic. Too late to change now, though.<br /><br />Once the process is complete, I will present Subject 23 to Mother and Father and finally swipe the crown from the prodigal son&rsquo;s big stupid head.<br /><br />Suck it, Jonas!<br /><br />I&rsquo;m done playing the fool. This time, the joke is on you.<br /><br /><em>~ From the desk of Dr. Neil Bromer ~<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>October 1st<br /><br /></strong></em>If this is a prank, I&rsquo;m not laughing. At all.<br /><br />I was <em>supposed </em>to have a soldier &ndash; a 190 cm tall, 100 kg slab of muscle with enough fortitude to glide through the Oasis process. You&rsquo;d think 2.4 million USD would buy you that much on the Arabian black market.<br /><br />But much like that every barista I&rsquo;ve ever met, the traffickers got my order wrong.<br /><br />Instead, they&rsquo;ve bought me a servant boy. Emphasis on <em>boy</em>. Lanky. Scrawny. With long brown locks of hair that are <em>seriously </em>going to clog the drains by the time we&rsquo;re done. Am I being <em>Mulan</em>&rsquo;d right now? Really?<br /><br />Oh, and the worst part? Ever since the sedative wore off, he won&rsquo;t shut the fuck up. He only seems to speak Arabic, so it&rsquo;s like listening to word salad in a blender. I would just send him back, but our budget&rsquo;s tight enough as it is, and the market has a strict policy on returned merchandise. Strictly <em>lethal</em>. I don&rsquo;t need that on my conscience.<br /><br />Besides, the clock&rsquo;s already ticking. We&rsquo;ll have to track progress as we go, so I gave him a notebook to collect qualitative data. Hopefully, he can fill the pages instead of talking the translator&rsquo;s ear off &ndash; who, by the way, gets paid per <em>word.</em> For half the price, I could&rsquo;ve built an A.I. drone, even if the Scientific Review Board would have my head. <br /><br />They <em>also</em> have some fairly lethal policies.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m not paying for any more overpriced services, so I&rsquo;ll get the kid&rsquo;s writing translated once the project is over. Everything else proceeds as planned.<br /><br />T-minus thirty-one days until dinner.<br /><br />Assuming, he survives that long. <br /><br />Goddamnit.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 1<br /><br /></strong></span>I am supposed to write a letter? To whom? Sir Al-Hadidi wasn&rsquo;t clear, and he&rsquo;s the only one who speaks my language. The others just stare at me like some wild boar. It&rsquo;s strange.<br /><br />To whoever reads this, I suppose,<br /><br />My name is Kosey from the Temple of Haje. I should start by thanking you for rescuing me from that horrible ship! There have been rumors around my village of strange abductions, but I never imagined that I would become a victim. This journey has been truly perilous.<br /><br />Sir Al-Hadidi says we are in a hospital, that I am unwell and need to recover. I appreciate the concern, really, but I must be on my way soon. I need to find the Heart and cannot return home without it.<br /><br />If you have any knowledge of its location, please let me know.<br /><br />In the meantime, could I possibly ask for more blankets? On nights like this, I typically stoke the fire in our apprentice chambers. I suppose I&rsquo;m not used to the chill of its absence. Or the silence.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 2nd<br /><br /></strong></em>Great news! It turns out that Kosey <em>does</em> have lean muscle wrapped up in his string bean of a body. That means he&rsquo;s 10% less likely to die on us. Fingers crossed.<br /><br />Apparently, he does a lot of grunt work in his village as an apprentice, but that&rsquo;s probably code for being somebody&rsquo;s bitch. I know the feeling.<br /><br />Wait, was it a village or a temple? Al-Hadidi went back and forth on the wording.<br /><br />One thing he did make clear: Kosey wasn&rsquo;t a fan of the strip-down. Even if all the kid had on was a dirty loincloth, sandals, and these painted-on tribal markings. It felt a bit disrespectful to power-wash them off, but they&rsquo;d look really weird on his body once he starts to change.<br /><br />Not to mention, Mother and Father have very strong opinions on tattoos.<br /><br />----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT A] </strong><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;FIRST NAME: Kosey <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LAST NAME: [REDACTED]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;AGE: 18<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;HEIGHT: 170 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 60 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;HAIR: Brown<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;EYES: Brown<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;BLOOD TYPE: O<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;ETHNICITY: Egyptian<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;NOTABLE FEATURES: Temporary tribal markings (removed)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;TARGET OUTCOME: Orca Hybrid (40/60 split)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 0%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC: <br /><br /></em><span class='underline'>Subject 23</span> was skittish as we took his measurements and began profiling his genetic code. This baseline will serve as the foundation for protein synthesis.<br /><br />Dr. Bromer discovered the importance of genetic customization after Subject 1&rsquo;s trial and subsequent disposal.<br /><br />Subject 23 is smaller than anticipated, but we expect his vitals will improve in subsequent reports. <br /><br />I can only imagine the wonders we shall see born from his body.<br /><br /><em>*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 2<br /><br /></strong></span>What in Haje&rsquo;s name was that about? I felt like I was standing under the flood of a waterfall. My temple marks are ruined, and I cannot reapply them here. I feel naked without them.<br /><br />This strange gown also leaves my back exposed, which does not help the feeling. And what is this salve on my skin? It&rsquo;s cold to the touch! I started to shiver as soon as that woman applied it. She even went as far as to spread it along my rear. Very rude! How is this supposed to help me recover?<br /><br />I&rsquo;m more likely to catch an illness from sleeping in this room. Even the squishy walls are cold as snow. The floor is like ice. Could I please have my sandals back?<br /><br />I haven&rsquo;t gone to many hospitals in my life, but this one is the strangest by far.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 3rd<br /><br /></strong></em>Despite a few setbacks, Project Oasis has set sail! The lotion&rsquo;s mutagen proteins sank deep into his pores the moment it made contact. Just from the sample scrape, we can see Kosey&rsquo;s skin expand at a cellular level, becoming more elastic by the second.<br /><br />This will lead to sweating and a fever as the chemical agents kick in. Lucky for him, that containment cell is air-conditioned. We realized that was a necessity early on in the project.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 2. <br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 3<br /><br /></strong></span>I promise I won&rsquo;t complain about the temperature anymore. My head is on fire, but I can&rsquo;t stop shivering.<br /><br />Perhaps I caught something on the boat with all those strangers. Or the stress of this journey has finally caught up with me. Either way, I suppose I need more time to recover after all. Sorry to inconvenience you. You&rsquo;ve all been quite attentive to my needs, changing my sweat-soaked blankets or delivering food to my doorstep. <br /><br />I have never been waited on before.<br /><br />It is a nice feeling.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 4th<br /><br /></strong></em>The cameras in Kosey&rsquo;s room let us track his progress and anticipate his needs. So far, his body is reacting normally to the pre-treatment lotion &ndash; i.e. he&rsquo;s not a pile of dissolving pink goo in the corner.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 3.<br /><br />Given his still-solid state, we felt confident bringing him down to the radiation floor for an initial battery. Unfortunately, he didn&rsquo;t seem to share that confidence. He said the lights were &ldquo;too bright,&rdquo; according to Al-Hadidi. I&rsquo;m trying not to be offended by that.<br /><br />I designed the lab to be as sterile as possible. Perfectly white from top to bottom. Crystalline lighting tuned to kill microbes. It looks pure. Professional. The kind of labs you see in sci-fi movies &ndash; in space. I guess Kosey can&rsquo;t appreciate the aesthetic. His village <em>(temple?)</em> has probably never seen such marvels or the films that inspired them.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s fine. I&rsquo;m used to being underappreciated.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 4<br /><br /></strong></span>What in Haje&rsquo;s grace was that machine? It feels cursed! I&rsquo;m used to enclosed spaces within my temple, but as I slid into that dark cylinder and the hatch at my feet sealed shut...<br /><br />I believed the tunnel that would collapse on me at any moment. Fear of suffocation overpowered the shame of my nudity. The cold face of the table gnawed at my back, made worse by the slick sludge on my skin. All I could hear was my heartbeat rattling the walls and my breathing as it stuttered in the darkness.<br /><br />Then came a low hum, as if a botfly was locked in the chamber with me. I couldn&rsquo;t see anything.<br /><br />Then the walls started to glow. Fire red like a demon&rsquo;s eye.<br /><br />Just when my fever had finally settled, I felt smothered by heat all around me. It was almost painful! My skin vibrated, shaking beyond control. I could imagine my blood boiling like a spit-roast lamb.<br /><br />It did not last long, I think, but the sensation was truly terrible. My stomach still aches. From the stress or the heat, I don&rsquo;t know. <br /><br />I understand you are trying to help, but I hope this treatment is not needed again.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 5th<br /><br /></strong></em>Another day, another radiation bath. This was actually the first method we tried on Subject 4 since injections by themselves were taking <em>forever</em>. But as it turns out, you can&rsquo;t just blast something with gamma rays and expect it to become a Hulk.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 4.<br /><br />That&rsquo;s where the lotion idea came from. Now when we irradiate people, they&rsquo;re basically covered in sunscreen. SPF 9000!<br /><br />We lathered up Kosey right after breakfast. For him, a high-calorie, high-fat meal to fuel his transformation. For me, tofu and eggs. I&rsquo;d like to avoid any comments at dinner regarding my waistline.<br /><br />So far, progress has been subtle but impressive. Kosey&rsquo;s skin is noticeably softer thanks to the topical cream. He looks at us funny while we prod him, but I don&rsquo;t think he has any idea what&rsquo;s happening yet. <br /><br />I try to delay that conversation as long as I can. There&rsquo;s no way to <em>not</em> make it awkward.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 5<br /><br /></strong></span>My stomach aches worse than yesterday. Another time in the roasting box and I came out to the world spinning. I thought I would throw up, but I held it in. A miracle since I had eaten so much this morning.<br /><br />Bread, eggs, and a strange block of orange paste. I appreciate the meal, truly, and my people find it rude to leave a plate unfinished. But I must ask that there be less food delivered to my room. I have never been served so much in my life.<br /><br />If I may ask another question, what is the medicine you gave me today? The fluid in the needle. Dark and cold as night. It sent a shiver up my arm, and I could see it traveling under my skin. My veins wound up into a black web, like Venom from my Spider-Man books.<br /><br />I followed the strange threads down my side and watched them wrap around my stomach before fading away. When I pressed my hand there on my abdomen&hellip;I thought I felt something move.<br /><br />I must be imagining things.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT B]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 171 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 61 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 2%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Serum O-200 concentrate has been introduced into Subject 23&rsquo;s body. Scans show that the compound breached his internal organs and muscle fibers at a rapid rate. Transfusion is successful.<br /><br />Complaints of abdominal pains indicate stomach lining alteration and intestinal swelling. This is expected. <br /><br />We received several other complaints not related to the physical procedures (e.g. room temperature, general anxiety). <br /><br />While this information is worth noting, we have reminded Mr. Al-Hadidi that he is not required to translate every spoken word to or from the subject. I suspect he is trying to bolster his paycheck.<br /><br />Should he continue to overcharge Dr. Bromer in this manner, I will surely have stronger words with him.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 6<br /><br /></strong></span>What in Haje&rsquo;s name are you doing to me? You keep stabbing needles into me and shoving me in that box, and I feel worse every time. Aren&rsquo;t doctors supposed to heal their patients?<br /><br />The needle was much larger this time, and my back still hurts from the insertion. I turned to see myself in the mirror on my wall. The welt is hot red like a branding burn. I cannot lay on my back at all.<br /><br />I cannot sleep.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 6th<br /><br /></strong></em>The human body doesn&rsquo;t produce enough collagen to form fins, especially big ones, so we came up with a direct injection method. When mixed with a stem cell combo based on Kosey&rsquo;s genes, there shouldn&rsquo;t be any risk of bodily rejection. We haven&rsquo;t had a mass cellular failure since Subject 5.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s something we learned to recognize immediately since the subject&rsquo;s skin blackens like a steak after an hour.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 5.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 7<br /><br /></strong></span>There is a black spot on my side. What is this? <br /><br />I woke up on my stomach, which is the only way I can rest now. Even my shoulders ache if I lay on them for long. They didn&rsquo;t use to do that.<br /><br />When I crossed to the bathroom, I spotted an odd blotchy shape in the mirror. I would&rsquo;ve missed it if my arm did not swing by at the right time.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s not the veiny web from yesterday. This splotch is shaped like a squashed tomato that bulges out in all directions. It is the size of my hand. I poked it with my finger and shuddered when a shock ran up my back. It&rsquo;s very sensitive for some reason.<br /><br />My concerns do not end there. When I grazed it again, carefully, it felt like the rubber texture of rain boots. I sometimes trade for a pair during flooding season, but the feeling is distinct. And it should not be on my body! Why is there rubber on my skin? I do not want to become boots!<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 7th<br /><br /></strong></em>I think the translator&rsquo;s got a screw loose. Apparently, Kosey keeps asking about &ldquo;boots?&rdquo; But the boy was wearing sandals when he got here, and that doesn&rsquo;t even matter because he&rsquo;ll never wear shoes again anyway.<br /><br />Linguistic issues aside, we made great progress today. We spotted the first development of orca skin! It&rsquo;s black as coal and touching it feels like rubbing a pool toy. Kosey kept trying to pull away, but the texture was too amazing to ignore. It&rsquo;s way more animal-like than in previous trials.<br /><br />We might have had a slow start, but the project is about to take off like a rocket!<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 8<br /><br /></strong></span>This is so gross!<br /><br />What is this horrible blue mess you&rsquo;ve doused me with? Like slime from a slug or tree sap. It&rsquo;s so much worse than the salve. I cannot imagine what it is for. I asked Sir Al-Hadidi, but even he could not explain it. All I know is that I shiver when it touches my skin.<br /><br />He said not to wipe it away or wash it off. Not that I could. There is no bath in the washroom. I have asked for water, but the woman watches me until I have swallowed every drop.<br /><br />I sometimes forget that I am being watched.<br /><br />If this ooze is supposed to help my skin, it isn&rsquo;t working. The black stain on my side is larger than yesterday. It reaches around me like a thick vine, crawling along my back and beneath my arm. <br /><br />I&rsquo;m scared it will entangle me. Strangle me! I&rsquo;ve had nightmares about that exact thing. <br /><br />Can&rsquo;t you do anything to stop it? <br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 8th<br /><br /></strong></em>Fun fact: despite their sizes, orcas have very weak skin. It&rsquo;s why you see so much scarring on their hides in the wild. I learned that in biology class in 7th grade when I decided to do my science fair project on marine wildlife.<br /><br />I built a diorama of a synthetic biome that could protect all organisms within. It could even separate predators from prey without starving out any species. It was a really nice model.<br /><br />The next week, Jonas built the real thing inside the Georgia Aquarium.<br /><br />He got a gold medal and a government grant. I got second place and ten dollars off at McDonald&rsquo;s.<br /><br />Smug bastard.<br /><br />The only bright side, I guess, is that&rsquo;s how I met Samuel. He placed third with his potato battery, which also doubled as a ham radio.<br /><br />Anyway, with Kosey&rsquo;s skin in mind, we&rsquo;re applying a protective gel to his body after each treatment, with extra smatterings on the black spots. This will keep him hydrated and stave off problems with his remaining human skin.<br /><br />The gel&rsquo;s mutagen isn&rsquo;t as concentrated as an injection, but that&rsquo;s by design. We can&rsquo;t have his whole body change at once. Nothing good ever comes from that.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 6.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 9<br /><br /></strong></span>You are poisoning me! I am not stupid. My people are not so ignorant, despite what you all seem to think. This is a sign of disease!<br /><br />I was playing with one of those puzzles on the table, the one that forms an image of the Sphinx. But when I picked up one of the pieces, light as it was, the edge got caught on the tip of my finger. <br /><br />My nail peeled off like an apple skin!<br /><br />A small strand of flesh dangled it from my cuticle, but that did not last. In a panic, I flung my hand aside, knocking the puzzle box onto the floor. The skin gave way and sent my nail flying into the pile of scattered pieces. I have yet to find it.<br /><br />The rest of my nails sheared themselves off as I throttled the door handle and clawed at the metal like a dog, screaming for someone, anyone to aid me. Nobody came to my room this time. Nobody.<br /><br />Now my fingertips are sore and barren. The indents of my lost nails are still visible. I can&rsquo;t help rubbing at the exposed skin, which should not be exposed at all. Although the flesh is still pink, it feels strange. Too soft. Too smooth. Too much like the venomous ashy spot on my right side.<br /><br />This is no hospital. You are trying to kill me.<br /><br />I must leave here at once.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[LAB NOTICE]<br /><br /></strong>Subject 23 has grown agitated and is demonstrating resistance to procedures. Today, after attempting to shove one of the lab assistants, the subject was promptly subdued by security.<br /><br />The following guidelines are now in effect:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;24-hour guard placement outside the subject&rsquo;s room.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Armed escort to and from lab facilities.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;All staff will work in pairs when interacting with Subject 23.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;The assigned translator will not be accompanied into the room. This is permissible only due to his role as an independent contractor and lack of health insurance.<br /><br />Query: Is the subject&rsquo;s outburst fueled by human frustration or an impulse of animalistic rage?<br /><br />Please share your hypotheses at tomorrow&rsquo;s Happy Hour.<br /><br /><em>*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 9th<br /><br /></strong></em>Samuel said I&rsquo;m wasting paper with my &ldquo;personal affairs&rdquo; and I should try to stick to research-related matters. Then I said okay, but he&rsquo;ll have to listen to more of my ramblings in person. He didn&rsquo;t seem to mind.<br /><br />Today, we&rsquo;re honing in on radiation hotspots, specifically on Kosey&rsquo;s hands and feet. There are certain areas we need to hit so the digits will fuse and grow the right amount of webbing. Miss the mark, and he&rsquo;ll wind up with paddles for hands.<br /><br />But of course, the day we need to be precise is the day he starts acting like a baby.<br /><br />When the guards <em>finally</em> got him on the table, he immediately rolled up in a ball to shield himself from the chamber&rsquo;s rays. They ended up restraining him spread eagle and latching him to the machine.<br /><br />I could tell he was uncomfortable with his sore back pressed against the metal. Sorry, kid! Maybe stop fidgeting so much?<br /><br />Fucking teenagers.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 10<br /><br /></strong></span>This is a slow, strange death.<br /><br />My feet are showing signs of poison now, the same way as my hands. When I woke up this morning, all the nails had fallen off, and soft black spots had sprouted around my ankles. I thought that would be the worst experience today. Then, I went into the hot box again.<br /><br />The red light appeared only around my feet, glaring down like the sun as an uncomfortably hot pulling took hold of my naked toes. They curled and tensed in resistance. I could not do much else in my restraints.<br /><br />Something felt terribly wrong, something that shook my spirit and compelled me to look down into the demon&rsquo;s eye. I lifted my head what little I could inside that sarcophagus and stared at my feet.<br /><br />It was not easy to spot, but when I did&hellip;may Haje guide me.<br /><br />The skin between my toes started to expand, growing from the base of my foot like a poisonous root. I was forced to watch, jaw slack, as it climbed up along the insides of my toes, stringing them to their neighbors and filling up the gaps. My own <em>flesh</em> was stretching and expanding like a ceremonial fan until it reached what used to be the base of my toenails.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s disturbing to look at even now. This excess skin. I can&rsquo;t remove it. Pulling on it too much hurts, and it restricts the movement of my toes, if only slightly. How long until I cannot even walk?<br /><br />I shared my concerns with Sir Al-Hadidi, but he seems powerless to stop them. I too am powerless.<br /><br />Why am I writing still? I do not believe you are reading my letters. Or, you are ignoring my pleas.<br /><br />Both things may be true.<br /><br />Haje hear me. Guide me in this time.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 10th<br /><br /></strong></em>We finally brought Kosey to the gym for a stress test. The Oasis Process will naturally increase his muscle mass, fingers crossed, but we need to get him used to carrying extra weight over time. Mental endurance isn&rsquo;t something we can just inject, at least not in this trial.<br /><br />Right off the bat, it was obvious that he&rsquo;s never lifted weights in his life. He struggled to curl a 5 lb dumbbell with proper form. I was hoping he&rsquo;d do better in the pool since his village was next to the ocean, apparently. He should be a strong swimmer, right? <br /><br />Twenty laps was the goal. He tapped out at three. <br /><br />Goddamnit.<br /><br />It also doesn&rsquo;t help that he&rsquo;s been in a shit mood lately, and Al-Hadidi just <em>loves </em>making any and all complaints known. Aside from the whining, I asked if there was anything of note in the kid&rsquo;s writings, any psychological changes or warning signs. <br /><br />I got a definitive &ldquo;nope.&rdquo;<br /><br />Who the hell hired this guy, and what am I paying him for again?<br /><br />Seriously, who hired him? I never even saw his resume.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 11<br /><br /></strong></span>Is this machine working? I&rsquo;ve been told that this slate can write down my words as I speak. It is too hard to write by hand now. My fingers have gone numb.<br /><br />Cruel needles were shot in between my knuckles. They stung so badly! I almost preferred the hot box. Just a minute later, the same horrible skin between my toes began to form along my fingers. The aching pulling returned, making my hands shake until the new flesh clawed its way up to my second joint.<br /><br />Worse still, the webbing of my feet continues to grow, slowly climbing higher like a sloth. The doctors used a measuring stick to see how much it changed. I was not watching the numbers. All I could focus on was the chilling sensation of a ghost tugging at my flesh.<br /><br />Now each toe is conjoined at the tips, and they are starting to swell. Swelling is another sign of poison. The sight turns my stomach.<br /><br />Haje guide me. I must leave while I can still feel my legs.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION _ALFA//<br /><br /></strong>Target has received the modified transcription device. Signal link established at 1200 hours.<br /><br />The operation has begun.<br /><br /><em>#19670 initiating transmission&hellip;<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 11th<br /><br /></strong></em>Holy shit! Talk about progress. I feel like Ahab about to scoop his white whale out of the sea.<br /><br />After today&rsquo;s swim session of three-and-half-laps, we brought Kosey to an exam room and gave him another round of collagen shots between the scapulae and above the coccyx. Just 5 ml each, that&rsquo;s all. Not a minute later, he started complaining about a &ldquo;bulging&rdquo; sensation. We tried to pull him off the exam table, but he wouldn&rsquo;t budge. He just sat there, hunched over, shivering. And what happened next was, well&hellip;<br /><br />Let&rsquo;s just say Mother and Father will be ecstatic with our progress.<br /><br />And Jonas is going to eat shit.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 12<br /><br /></strong></span>Haje guide me. Something is terribly wrong with me. With all of this.<br /><br />The doctors brought me to the machine room. Again. They put needles into my back. Again. It stung worse than before. I already felt an uncomfortable pressure there and above my rear end. The spots were red, and I do not wish to say &ldquo;squishy,&rdquo; but that was accurate.<br /><br />I thought the stabbing pain would be the end of their abuse. But then they laid me on my stomach and held some horrible cursed wand over me. It glowed a grim red, same as the hot box. My teeth clenched as their machine hummed like a hornet and flew down my back. <br /><br />The stinging! I thought it would burn a hole through me! <br /><br />Fire rippled down between my shoulders and deep into my tailbone. The pressure began to bubble like a stomachache in my spine. I thought I would burst!<br /><br />Instead, there came the familiar sensation of cruel pulling, just as it was between my fingers and toes. But now worse. Much worse. With so much force, I felt stretched out and twisted. Another phantom had taken hold of my flesh, as if my own back was tearing away from me. A deep hot ache that wouldn&rsquo;t leave me.<br /><br />I shouldn&rsquo;t have looked behind me, but I did. Haje guide me.<br /><br />Something began to rise up along my spine. I could see it grow higher and higher into the air. As if I was sprouting a tree trunk, whose bark was as black as the midnight sky.<br /><br />The longer it grew, the more terribly aware I became of its presence on my body. I wriggled in my restraints, powerless once again. I begged Sir Al-Hadidi for help, to stop the flowering burn that rushed through me, but they didn&rsquo;t respond to his words or mine. I don&rsquo;t think they listen to either of us.<br /><br />This <em>thing</em> now lives on my back. It is not much longer than my hand, but it&rsquo;s covered in blue gel like the rest of my body. I cannot bear the sight of it.<br /><br />I am going to run. Before they burn me to death. Before something more terrible expels itself from my body.<br /><br />I do not know which fate is worse.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 12th<br /><br /></strong></em>Kosey tried to run today.<br /><br />We didn&rsquo;t stop him.<br /><br />It was during lunch break, and he was hobbling anyway.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s better if he gets this out of his system now.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 13<br /><br /></strong></span>Where are we? Where on Earth <em>are</em> we?<br /><br />My plan was a secret even Sir Al-Hadidi didn&rsquo;t know. I thought he would try to stop me. Perhaps I was wrong.<br /><br />I stole a card from one of the women bathing me then found a map of sorts hanging in the hallway. I thought if I could reach the top of this hospital, I could understand where I was. I could find a way home!<br /><br />But the highest floor is nothing but a block of black road. A flying vehicle sat empty at the far end. I cannot control it. I&rsquo;m not foolish enough to try.<br /><br />That is why there are no windows down below.<br /><br />There is nothing to see.<br /><br />No land. No sand. No trees. Only water for all the horizons.<br /><br />We are alone.<br /><br />I am lost.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT C] <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 175 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 64 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 6%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Subject 23 was retrieved from the helipad and cleaned of outside contaminants. Today&rsquo;s radiation battery proceeded as scheduled.<br /><br />Key updates:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hands and feet show a significant increase in mass.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Webbing between fingers and toes has thickened to an acceptable minimum density. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Muscle growth is visible on limbs, chest, and dorsal region.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dorsal fin now measures 16 cm in length.<br /><br />Staff members are reminded to keep ID lanyards around their necks at all times and avoid covering the barcodes with stickers. <br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 14<br /><br /></strong></span>I am only writing for myself now. To track the days in this windowless prison and keep myself sane. <br /><br />This morning, I woke up flat on my stomach, my body covered in more disgusting gel. I didn&rsquo;t want to wake up at all. Not when my body is stolen. When my freedom is stolen.<br /><br />I feel so bloated. Not just in my abdomen, though it did look fatter than normal. In truth, I have been eating more lately. Even my chest and arms grow thicker. I can no longer wrap my pudgy fingers around my wrist. <br /><br />My shoulders look wider as well, perhaps from all the exercise they force upon me. Endless hours spent in the water. If I&rsquo;m so active, why do I feel so swollen? Nothing makes sense to me.<br /><br />As I stared into the mirror, my mind became frenetic. I felt trapped. In this prison, in this room, smothered in the gross jelly for the hundredth time. <br /><br />Finally, I decided to wipe it off. All of it. In spite of what the doctors and Sir Al-Hadidi say. The sheets worked well enough. Now they lay in a pile on the floor. Go clean them! I may be your prisoner, but I will not cooperate with every idea of torture you have in mind.<br /><br />For the sake of the temple and the Heart, I cannot give up.<br /><br />Haje guide me.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 13th <br /><br /></strong></em>Okay, minor setback. No big deal. I guess.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m not panicking. Really.<br /><br />But for some dumb fucking reason, Kosey wiped off all his cooling gel and made a mess of his bedspread. Sure, we changed the sheets easy enough, but I&rsquo;m certain he regretted his decision right after.<br /><br />That&rsquo;s not a threat. The gel was literally for his own good. <br /><br />So, when a nurse brought him a fresh blanket, he was already writhing around the floor, crying over the &ldquo;horrific flames&rdquo; along his ribs and back &ndash; right where his new skin meets the old.<br /><br />I could&rsquo;ve told you not to rub it off, dumbass!<br /><br />Now he&rsquo;s sedated, floating in a whole <em>barrel </em>of the stuff. It&rsquo;ll take some time to heal the damaged cells &ndash; which means, yes, we&rsquo;ll lose a few days of progress. Things have already slowed due to his stubbornness, so this isn&rsquo;t great. He&rsquo;s lucky the skin didn&rsquo;t start to necrotize.<br /><br />On the bright side, I think he learned not to do this again.<br /><br />Goddamn fucking teenagers.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT D]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 176 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 80 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 13%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Subject 23 is recovering after attempting to remove the mentholated cooling gel. This left us no option but to test the infusion chamber earlier than scheduled.<br /><br />This method is ideal for a prolonged, stable transformation of the subject. On average, the mortality rate is safely below 15%. It is only due to time constraints that we cannot rely solely on its implementation.<br /><br />The chamber is also, subjectively, a far more boring instrument.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 15<br /><br /></strong></span>I have slept for three days. It is the most rest I&rsquo;ve enjoyed since coming here, though I&rsquo;m still coughing up fluid from the cylinder. At least my skin no longer feels like it&rsquo;s made of lava. Grace to Haje.<br /><br />But my body is not the same as I left it. The black skin has wrapped completely around my back and my sides, while my chest is turning sickly and white. Whenever I look down, I see more pale spots bleaching my stomach. Some are climbing up my neck, trying to choke me in my sleep.<br /><br />Every part of skin feels the same now, no matter the color. Uncomfortably smooth, shining in the harsh lights overhead. Like a royal gown. But still so sensitive that my head reels when I press anywhere for too long. The doctors poke and prod and send little shocks all through my body. My toes curl from the sensations. As much as they can, at least.<br /><br />I cannot even separate them anymore.<br /><br />Most of my toes have fused together. I am left with two bulging stumps on each foot, with only faint dividing lines to remind me of the original number. Both are connected by the same alien skin as before. It reminds me of a forest frog, though the webbing is not so see-through. I don&rsquo;t know what to make of it, only that I cannot stare at them for too long.<br /><br />My hands fare the same. Swollen thumbs that grow thicker by the day. Fingers which have merged in pairs, also connected by a thick net of ebony. At least I can move them again, even if my motion is limited. By Haje&rsquo;s grace, I do not have to serve drinks or sweep floors at the moment. I would be reprimanded for poor performance.<br /><br />I am told these changes are the result of my rebellion, though I will not be punished otherwise. They are, as Sir Al-Hadidi described, &ldquo;slapping my wrist.&rdquo;<br /><br />I do not understand the expression. I understand so little anymore.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 16th<br /><br /></strong></em>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve really been introduced,&rdquo; I said, taking my first steps into Kosey&rsquo;s room. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Dr. Bromer. How are you feeling?&rdquo;<br /><br />Al-Hadidi conveyed my words, though in noticeably fewer syllables than I expected. Despite my introduction, Kosey didn&rsquo;t stir in bed, his head still buried in the pillow. I waited for some translation of a greeting that never came. <br /><br />Rude, but whatever.<br /><br />I shut the door behind us. It&rsquo;s not often that I interact directly with a subject, or else why bother having a staff, but given Kosey&rsquo;s dumb little scare this week&hellip; &ldquo;I was hoping we could chat about your arrangements here. We should&rsquo;ve had this conversation earlier, but hey, time flies when you&rsquo;re having fun.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;This is not fun,&rdquo; he muttered, finally looking in my direction. For simplicity, ignore Al-Hadidi playing telephone for us.<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, fun or not, it&rsquo;s still a big deal. This is bleeding-edge science, and you should be honored to be part of it.&rdquo; Unfortunately, I didn&rsquo;t detect an ounce of pride in Kosey&rsquo;s muted face. &ldquo;The Oasis Process could revolutionize medicine, agriculture, perhaps even space travel. Isn&rsquo;t that amazing?&rdquo;<br /><br />Silence. Nothing was getting through that thickening skull of his. I wanted to get up close and drive home my point, but Al-Hadidi blocked me. The guy&rsquo;s surprisingly quick on his feet.<br /><br />&ldquo;Dr. Bromer, please keep your distance. For your own safety.&rdquo;<br /><br />I don&rsquo;t recall hiring him as a bodyguard, but sure. I&rsquo;m not going to throw hands with an 80 kg dolphin boy.<br /><br />&ldquo;Alright, Kosey,&rdquo; I said from the doorway. &ldquo;Since you&rsquo;re not interested in helping mankind or literally saving lives, I&rsquo;ll make you a deal. In exchange for your full cooperation, I&rsquo;ll send you back home when the project is over. No fins, no animal hide, just totally back to normal. Do we have a deal?&rdquo;<br /><br />Al-Hadidi stayed silent, cocking his brow at me. <br /><br />My eyes narrowed, silently screaming: <em>Just</em> <em>fucking say it!</em><br /><br />At least he&rsquo;s not as thick-skulled as the kid. He took a knee as they exchanged more muttered words, then Kosey looked at me with that same sort of suspicious arcing brow. Was I not clear? Or was he calling my bluff? And why the hell do they bother whispering when I can&rsquo;t understand them anyway?<br /><br />Al-Hadidi gave me a nod. &ldquo;He understands.&rdquo;<br /><br />Great. Clearly, that was the end of our conversation as Kosey rolled over in bed and his dorsal fin pointed us to the door. What a drama queen!<br /><br />I get that &ldquo;understand&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t mean &ldquo;agree to,&rdquo; but at least if Kosey <em>believes </em>we&rsquo;ll reward his good behavior, he might give up the bratty attitude. Fingers crossed.<br /><br />I can only deal with so many brats in my life.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 16 <br /><br /></strong></span>The man in charge, Neil, rarely talks to me directly. When he does, he never looks me in the eye.<br /><br />Today was an exception.<br /><br />He tried to explain what he was doing to me, and why, but it didn&rsquo;t make sense. He uses many words, but doesn&rsquo;t say much. I still don&rsquo;t trust him.<br /><br />After he left, Sir Al-Hadidi told me why I am here. The true reason. Maybe it was out of pity, or he&rsquo;s grown tired of me asking, but it doesn&rsquo;t matter. <br /><br />I am to appear at some strange ritual during a meal with the Bromer family. My first thought was, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to be eaten at dinner!&rdquo; <br /><br />&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Sir Al-Hadidi said. I don&rsquo;t know if I believe him, or if he knows the truth. The people here are strange and cold. Savage in their own way. I would not put such behavior beneath them.<br /><br />Somehow, I am supposed to help Dr. Bromer &ldquo;win his parent&rsquo;s love?&rdquo; It sounds like nonsense. This is why I am turning into some grotesque beast, to be gifted like a goat?<br /><br />I use the word &ldquo;beast&rdquo; because that is my fate. I realize this now. My hands and feet are monstrous. An animal&rsquo;s pelt is replacing my skin, now bleaching my knees grey. The fleshy stump between my shoulders grows longer with each needle, throbbing in pain from morning to night. A similar ache has started above my rear.<br /><br />I asked Sir Al-Hadidi if Neil&rsquo;s words were true. If I cooperate, will they return me to normal and send me home? His face is unreadable as always. All that he said was to have patience and &ldquo;ride waves, not make them.&rdquo;<br /><br />I suppose I have to try. It is all I can do. <br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_BRAVO//<br /><br /></strong>Kosey changes more every day. Time is of the essence. I have begun my questioning subtly, but he seems reluctant to discuss much of his private life. Dr. Bromer has eroded his trust of strangers, and I am likely hanging on by a thread.<br /><br />&ldquo;Have you been before?&rdquo; I asked, grabbing a corner of the jigsaw and setting it aside.<br /><br />&ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t leave my village often. Look at what happens when I do.&rdquo; Kosey struggled to grip the pieces with his meaty, three-fingered hands. He had to brush each one into his swollen palm and drop it haphazardly onto the table. Our construction of the Eiffel Tower has been incredibly one-sided.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite beautiful. With wine that rivals Italy, though don&rsquo;t tell anyone I said so. You must not let this experience poison your spirit for travel.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You assume I will be free again to travel, Sir Al-Hadidi.&rdquo;<br /><br />Yes, perhaps I am making assumptions. I know that Dr. Bromer has other plans for the boy once his transformation is complete. However, it would only upset Kosey further if I relayed that information.<br /><br />And while it is not my main objective, I have no intention of allowing the doctor to introduce his insanity to the world stage.<br /><br />The operation continues.<br /><br /><em>#19670 transmitting&hellip;<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 17th<br /><br /></strong></em>Whether Kosey got my message or not, he was less of a pain in the ass today. He really dragged his feet on the way to the exam table, but he didn&rsquo;t put up a fight when we strapped him down.<br /><br />We gave him two more collagen injections, one at the base of his new dorsal fin and the other around his tailbone. Then lighting fell right into our bottle.<br /><br />Just seconds after we aimed the radiation beam at his rear, the skin around Kosey&rsquo;s tailbone began to pulsate, throbbing in a swelling red mass. A sharp crack pierced the air, followed by a very unhappy wail.<br /><br />Something shifted dramatically at the end of his spine. A new bulb of flesh sprouted just above his cheeks, more than just fatty tissue like in his dorsal fin. This had support. Structure. Amazing potential.<br /><br />Kosey continued to writhe in pain on the table, his ass sputtering up and down like a hydraulic motor. The nub continued its inflation just centimeters at a time, each second marked by a new wet crunch and the sound of stretching rubber. Tiny bones were metastasizing under the skin, and I seriously couldn&rsquo;t wait to X-ray them.<br /><br />After two gripping minutes, ten new centimeters of sweaty meat jutted out from his body and lay motionless overtop his butt cheeks. Every so often, the bump would shudder with Kosey&rsquo;s tired exhale &ndash; which meant it had nerves and muscles and everything it was designed to.<br /><br />We&rsquo;ve grown him a tail. A small one, but a tail nonetheless.<br /><br />That&rsquo;s one small step for Neil, one giant kick in the balls for Jonas!<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 18<br /><br /></strong></span>Of all the horrible things happening to my body, the pains in my back are the worst. Like fire through my veins. Lightening through my soul. <br /><br />They forced me onto my stomach again and sent another wave of sweltering heat down my back. Every creaking bone in my spine rose and fell like snakes slipping through grass. A low moan sputtered out of my mouth. I couldn&rsquo;t help it. Never before did I feel like my own bones would tear out of me.<br /><br />&ldquo;Five centimeters added to the dorsal fin and seven to the tail. Not bad!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredible work, Dr. Bromer,&rdquo; said the brown-haired man, who follows Neil around as if chained to his hip. &ldquo;You can already see the spinous ridges of his vertebrae pressing up against the skin.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yeah, but we&rsquo;d be farther along if he didn&rsquo;t shift around so much.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Shall I restrain him further? It is no trouble.&rdquo;<br /><br />I glanced back at them, silently pleading for mercy. I was not trying to resist this time. My body reacts on its own, as if I can control my pain and the gut-churning discomfort they subject me to.<br /><br />Neil met my eyes, if only for a moment before looking away. &ldquo;Not today, Sam. Let&rsquo;s move him to the gym. See if we can get six laps out of him.&rdquo;<br /><br />Was this mercy or cruelty? I cannot say. I&rsquo;m not sure if they understand the difference.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_CHARLIE//<br /><br /></strong>It was around midnight when I visited Kosey&rsquo;s room. He was flat on his stomach again, face buried into the pillow, his back smeared with the familiar blue gel. I couldn&rsquo;t help but notice the bulges of excess fat clustered below his ribcage and along his darkened thighs. His lean, boyish figure was dissipating.<br /><br />&ldquo;How do you feel?&rdquo; I asked. A redundant question since he was in visible pain, but it&rsquo;s one he typically responds to.<br /><br />He sighed despondently. &ldquo;I am riding the wave.&rdquo; I wonder if he understands the irony in that statement. Perhaps it was a mistake to offer it offhandedly. <br /><br />Does he realize how large the fin on his back has become? What about the bulging tail beneath it that resembles a black beach ball? Or the stray albino splotches on his stomach that sharply contrast the rest of him. Even his limbs are a far cry from what they once were, now heavy-set like an Austrian bodybuilder&rsquo;s. I doubt he realizes his own strength.<br /><br />&ldquo;Perhaps keep thinking of why you are on this pilgrimage.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Every day, I do.&rdquo;<br /><br />I took my seat at the table, glancing at the half-finished puzzle we left behind. The image of the tower is only just starting to form.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite a journey you&rsquo;ve set out on. Where were you planning to go after you left the temple?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The city was my last lead, I&rsquo;m afraid. I had asked around many neighboring villages, but none had seen the Heart.&rdquo; He paused. &ldquo;If they had, they did not want to speak of it.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Why is that?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The Heart of Haje is a status of power my village holds dear. It has warded off invasion for a hundred years. Few would dare to try.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And have you witnessed its power yourself? What is the Heart is capable of?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It is&hellip;uh&hellip;&rdquo; he stuttered. &ldquo;Maybe I should not speak on that. If that is okay?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; I lied, rising from my seat. &ldquo;I will pray for you tonight, Kosey. As always.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Thank you, Sir Al-Hadidi,&rdquo; he said, forcing a smile through the pain. &ldquo;You are the only person here who is kind to me.&rdquo;<br /><br />I returned a smile equally as forced. Kosey does not understand his role in this, and perhaps he shouldn&rsquo;t. I am not kind. I am just another outsider using him for my needs.<br /><br />I should keep my distance for now.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 19th <br /><br /></strong></em>I <em>knew </em>Kosey&rsquo;s long-ass hair was going to be a problem. We brought him to the pool again, and by the time we were done six laps &ndash; his new personal record, sadly &ndash; a big fat clump of brown hair was floating around like a turd. I&rsquo;m not wasting my or my staff&rsquo;s time fishing that stuff out of the water. I did one month of pool cleaning for a summer job and swore off it for good.<br /><br />I had Samuel chop off the rest of the hair. And by chop, I mean laser with a 150-degree ion wrench prototype. It doubled as a field test. <br /><br />It&rsquo;s actually a good thing we&rsquo;re shaving him now. Waiting until his blowhole opened would&rsquo;ve been a real problem. Imagine choking to death on your own hair. It&rsquo;s gross.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 7.<br /><br />Also, once Kosey&rsquo;s head was as bald as Father&rsquo;s, we found several dark patches that had formed above his ears and, notably, right at the crown of his skull. This is the perfect position for a blowhole to form. You can already feel a slight divot caving into the flesh. Considering we&rsquo;ve had blowholes form in worse spots, I&rsquo;d call this a major success.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 8.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_DELTA//<br /><br /></strong>The tip of Kosey&rsquo;s tail has reached down to his calves. Each has turned pitch black, overtaken by a shimmering animal skin. But that is still not enough for Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s cavalcade. Every time they inject the fifth limb with needles, his skin swells and grows as if on the verge of popping, though it never does. Still, it must feel horrific. The boy&rsquo;s yelps bounce off the walls of this cold prison. Sweat beads along his dark skin like condensation on a wine glass.<br /><br />I can only watch in silence from the other side of the room. Sometimes, I flinch, but I hide my expression well. It is my training to avoid such much emotion.<br /><br />Yet I cannot help but feel for him.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 18<br /><br /></strong></span>An ache has taken root in my gums. It grows worse every day. I can feel things moving, things I have not felt since I was a child. It&rsquo;s not right.<br /><br />Last night I was staring in the mirror. Poking at my teeth, afraid they&rsquo;d fall out like in my dreams, and I finally noticed the weird bump that my jaw has become. I would turn away, then back, just in case it grew longer when I wasn&rsquo;t looking. Perhaps I&rsquo;m becoming paranoid, like when I am hunting in the mornings and one too many bushes start to shiver.<br /><br />But it is not just my mouth swelling. My entire face looks bloated. I feel these strange squishy patches around my cheeks. And the white skin on my chest is already clawing at my throat. How much of me remains once they&rsquo;ve stolen my face?<br /><br />The worst part, however, is the saving of my hair. They could not simply cut it with a knife. It was a strange blast of lightning that nearly singed my scalp. They cannot do anything normal here. Perhaps they have machines to wipe their butts as well. If they try to put one near me, I will destroy it!<br /><br />A deep shame plagues me this evening. I was not supposed to cut my hair until I finished my apprenticeship. This is an attack on my culture.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT E]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 200 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 100 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 30%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Subject 23 complains of headaches targeted in the upper part of the skull. Due to the sensitive nature of the brain, we performed a CAT scan and an MRI for reassurance.<br /><br />No issues were identified within the skull cavity. Significant mutations in the bone structure are within projected scope.<br /><br />The subject&rsquo;s human nasal cavity is shrinking, while a separate chasm has begun to form above the subject&rsquo;s eye sockets. Respiratory changes are to follow.<br /><br />----- <br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 19<br /><br /></strong></span>I asked for something to numb the throbbing pain in my head. One injection later, and I think the pain has gotten worse. That is a common occurrence around here. I could hardly get out of bed this morning.<br /><br />When I stood up to look in the mirror, I found a bump on my forehead as if I&rsquo;d walked into a heavy branch. It was right where they put a needle into my skin yesterday. I was careful to touch it, and when my finger made a dent into the bulb, I realized how unbearable spongy it was. More so than other parts of my swollen flesh.<br /><br />I regret touching it. I regret knowing most things happening to my body.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 21st<br /><br /></strong></em>We&rsquo;re in the home stretch. 8-ball stage!<br /><br />I called it that because I&rsquo;m kickass at pool and the fact that the melon growing in front of Kosey&rsquo;s skull is roughly the size of a billiard ball. We gave him one more injection in there for good measure and took a biopsy to check for potential malignancy. Otherwise, we&rsquo;re letting science do her work.<br /><br />We&rsquo;ve also started measuring the divot caving in at the top of his head. It&rsquo;s small, maybe just 1 millimeter deep, but it still makes a great dent in his dome.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 20<br /><br /></strong></span>I couldn&rsquo;t sleep last night. Aside from the headache and the uncomfortable weight of this bloated mass near my brow&hellip;I heard a whistling inside my room. It was soft. Barely audible. But its presence was enough to make me nervous.<br /><br />When you are out gathering wood or fishing for a meal, a foreign whistle could mean anything. An animal on the prowl. The signal of an attacker. I&rsquo;ve been taught all my life to be weary of a whistle.<br /><br />I held my breath for as long as I could, and then came silence. When I finally exhaled, with a heavy breath, the whistle returned with a shriek.<br /><br />Then, I realized the whistling came in time with my breath. It was coming <em>from</em> my throat. Somehow. Without even trying. Even when I talk, when I say certain words, the whistle seeps out with them. I only noticed this when Sir Al-Hadidi mentioned it.<br /><br />He laughed at me! It was a rare time I saw his stony face break, though I still blushed, not quite as amused as he was.<br /><br />Now I feel it vibrate in my forehead, where this bulbous growth is taking shape. The lump has grown to the size of my fist. I fear it will get bigger. I have no idea what purpose it serves. <br /><br />I cannot understand all that is changing within me. All I can do is pray to Haje and wait for the day of his grace.<br /><br />My time will come.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_ECHO//<br /><br /></strong>I took the black piece from Kosey&rsquo;s hand and placed it in the center of the jigsaw. The base of our tower was finally complete. 60 pieces down, 240 to go.<br /><br />&ldquo;And what will happen if you don&rsquo;t retrieve the Heart, Kosey?&rdquo;<br /><br />He groaned, rolling forward in bed and pressing his face into his inky black palms. Whether prompted by the recurring pain in his jaw or my probing question, it was unclear. <br /><br />&ldquo;My village will be overtaken. If it has not already.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Surely, your people can survive without it. Your temple trains warriors, no?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, but they are guards, not soldiers. We have not held an army in some time.&rdquo;<br /><br />My lips pursed. &ldquo;And were you to return without it&hellip;what becomes of you yourself?&rdquo;<br /><br />Kosey didn&rsquo;t respond. He turned his head towards me. It was the first time I noticed his underbite and the way his nose has flattened against his face. He did not look like this yesterday.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi, why are <em>you</em> here? You don&rsquo;t seem to work for the doctors. They do not respect you.&rdquo;<br /><br />I leaned back in my chair, trying to formulate a satisfying answer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just another job. I try to convey your words, but sometimes they don&rsquo;t listen. Rarely, to be honest.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;That is obvious. Still, I thank you for try-<em>hiiii.</em>&rdquo;<br /><br />Kosey whistled. Or squeaked, in a way. <em>Some</em> sort of squealing noise spilled out of him in place of his words.<br /><br />&ldquo;What was that?&rdquo; I tried to stifle my laugh as a faint blush swelled up on his plumb-colored cheeks. &ldquo;It is like a whistling underneath your words. Like you have two mouths talking.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Please don&rsquo;t tell the doctors! They will try to carve out my voice box to see what has changed.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Has this happened before? The whistling?&rdquo; His eyes fell to his feet, which have grown so long and wide that no human footwear could ever withstand them. Black flesh wraps around his ankles like chains. I slowly moved over to his bedside and set a hand on his shoulder. &ldquo;Regardless, your secret is safe with me.&rdquo;<br /><br />We exchanged smiles before I took my leave. I am glad that Kosey still trusts me enough to talk about his life, his culture, and what he is going through. What he is searching for.<br /><br />This information is vital.<br /><br />The Heart of Haje must be recovered. It is not safe in the hands of the natives.<br /><br />Let alone, the Bromer Family.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 23rd<br /><br /></strong></em>I went to theatre camp when I was in the 5th grade. I begged and pleaded because all my friends were going, and so was this cute girl from my class.<br /><br />I didn&rsquo;t tell Mother and Father how much I enjoyed it. They wouldn&rsquo;t get it.<br /><br />That summer&rsquo;s play was <em>Moby Dick (Junior Edition)</em>. I was, quite obviously, not the captain. I was Crewmate #5. But the boy who played the whale &ndash; this bulking child who had a future career as a linebacker &ndash; painted his chest white, donned a massive foam head and tail, and stomped across the stage, chewing on us with big squishy teeth.<br /><br />And that&rsquo;s when I thought&hellip;who needs a foam snout, when you can grow the real thing? What if you could <em>become</em> a hulking beast? And what if you could have an <em>army </em>of hulking beasts? <br /><br />Not twenty years later, Project Oasis was born.<br /><br />All that to say &ndash; Kosey&rsquo;s muscle and blubber growth is keeping pace with his skeletal development. He&rsquo;s at least 10 cm taller, and his chest size has swollen to a solid 9 cm without flexing. You could cut diamonds with those pecs.<br /><br />Won&rsquo;t lie, I&rsquo;m almost a little jealous. <em>Almost.</em><br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 21<br /><br /></strong></span>A splitting headache erupted behind my eyes. I grabbed at my face, terrified that what I feared most would come to pass. But that wasn&rsquo;t where the discomfort lay. It focused higher than that, far above my forehead.<br /><br />Creaking roars like falling trees rang between my ears. I screamed at the sensation &ndash; the feeling of skin ripping open at the top of my skull. The flashpoint of my migraine worsening by the second as it drilled deep and widened, pushing forward against my eyes and backward into my brain. Then when new pathways connected inside me, a wind chill whipped through my skull as cold air sucked into this terrible new hole. I shuddered. I was no longer breathing from my mouth alone.<br /><br />My fingers moved around the crown of my scalp. When they found the open pit, my stomach sank into one of its own. I could push my fingers inside, but I dared not go far, not when I could <em>feel</em> myself touching the spot. The rim alone was warm and moist in a way I dared not imagine.<br /><br />As I exhaled, a hot breeze fluttered out like a wind through a ravine.<br /><br />It is times like these, when my body shifts most, that I think of home to calm myself. The grass of the hills beneath my feet. The sound of birds calling out into the morning sky. With these thoughts, I can lull myself to sleep once the pain ebbs away. This is how I will sleep tonight.<br /><br />By Haje&rsquo;s grace, I dream of the day I will be home again.<br /><br />And I will be home again.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 24th<br /><br /></strong></em>We&rsquo;ve reached blowhole status! That basically means we&rsquo;ve successfully created a whole new fissure in Kosey&rsquo;s skull, letting his windpipe extend upwards without piercing his brain. Thank God, that would&rsquo;ve been bad if it happened again.<br /><br />Rest in peace Subjects 9, 10, and 11.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_FOXTROT//<br /><br /></strong>I sat with Kosey this morning during breakfast, though there wasn&rsquo;t much room on the bed for two of us. The width of his shoulders and increased muscle mass now dwarf me in comparison. He&rsquo;s recently surpassed fitting into a hospital gown, but instead of providing any sort of alternate covering, the doctors have opted to leave him in the nude.<br /><br />He was noticeably unhappy about that.<br /><br />While we ate, he kept a blanket over his white-skinned lap. It doubled as a napkin since his use of silverware has also been outgrown. More than a few pieces of egg missed his mouth, but he was quick to scoop them up and eat them afterward. His appetite has not weakened in the slightest.<br /><br />It was then that I noticed a bulge starting to form beneath the sheet. A lump between his legs that was obviously not his tail. I didn&rsquo;t need to ask what it was.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh Haje, help me,&rdquo; he muttered as he set his plate aside and turned from me.<br /><br />&ldquo;Is everything alright?&rdquo;<br /><br />A searing blush rippled across his cheeks, where black skin met white. His meaty thighs shifted around beneath the blanket.<br /><br />&ldquo;I am&hellip;.my body has been&hellip;um&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />A soft whimper escaped him. I stole a glance at his waist before he could notice. The tent in his lap was much bigger than it should have been. Twice the size at least, like a junior league bat.<br /><br />&ldquo;Ah, can I be alone, Sir Al-Hadidi? I&rsquo;m sorry.&rdquo;<br /><br />He needn&rsquo;t say more. I rose from the bed with a simple nod and grabbed his half-finished plate.<br /><br />Kosey nearly tore the saucer out of my hands. &ldquo;No, leave it please.&rdquo; <br /><br />&ldquo;Of course. If you need anything, have the guards call for me.&rdquo; <br /><br />I hurried out and closed the door behind me. The rustling I heard inside remains an open secret between us.<br /><br />I may have found a new means of gathering information.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 26th <br /><br /></strong></em>Kosey&rsquo;s penis is bigger by, well, a lot. Which is weird because we haven&rsquo;t even touched that spot yet. The high concentration of blood vessels must have offloaded the excess mutagen over time. That would explain the black skin around the area, as well as his wider-than-expected shoe size.<br /><br />You know what they say about big feet anyway.<br /><br />Spontaneous growth is fascinating to observe, but obviously hard to control, so we&rsquo;ll be targeting other areas to mitigate these side effects. Too many mutagen proteins in one spot can lead to serious problems down the line. You&rsquo;d be amazed how much one extra limb can disrupt an experiment.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subject 12.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 22<br /><br /></strong></span>I don&rsquo;t know how much longer I have left as a human. Everything in my body feels strange, vibrating, like it is on the verge of eruption.<br /><br />My head, my limbs, even my&hellip;personal areas. <br /><br />Everything is bigger, exceeding even the largest men in my village. My feet have become long and thick, their white soles firm like tended leather. They hang off the end of the bed now while my muscular arms barely fit on the sides. The sensation is frustrating beyond description.<br /><br />Today, they brought me to the machine room again and focused their attention on my growing tail. Many of the changes do not phase me now, at least physically, but the growths on my back are still uncomfortably sensitive.<br /><br />As heat welled up in my new appendage, bulging branches swelled along the sides, as if hornets had taken to striking my skin again. My neck craned back, as much as it could despite the thick muscles around my collarbone. It is only because my tail is so long that I can see it.<br /><br />Two angular wedges, thin as blades, began to sprout at the tip of my tail. I knew on instinct that they were the flukes of a whale, as much as I wish they weren&rsquo;t.<br /><br />I feel helpless and barely in control of my body. My blackened tail whips about when I walk, smacking into doors and hallway corners as I&rsquo;m forced to march from room to room in the nude. Women snicker as they pass, but I can only bow my head in shame. My private area is now too large to cover by hand, and&hellip;I&rsquo;ve had to tend to it more than once.<br /><br />Then there is the hunger. It is not normal, and it comes in waves at all hours of the day and night. I often do not want to eat at all, and I have tried not to out of protest. But once they dangle a fish in front of me, I start to salivate. I blink, then it is gone.<br /><br />Haje forgive my gluttony. Do not forsake my body and soul.<br /><br />----- <br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT F]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 212 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 130 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 65%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Tail length is 120 cm. An increase of 10 cm from last week.<br /><br />Penis length is 30 cm flaccid. An increase of 5 cm.<br /><br />I wonder how long they will be by the end of the trial. Or, more accurately, how long we can make them.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_GOLF//<br /><br /></strong>My chats with Kosey have been cut short as of late. It seems we cannot go more than fifteen minutes without his body reacting in an unusual manner. He&rsquo;s promptly kicked me out each time.<br /><br />I&rsquo;ve tried to narrow down the cause, whether it be our discussion topics or the phallic image of the Eiffel Tower we&rsquo;re assembling. Today, I believe I found the answer.<br /><br />&ldquo;Your family must be worried,&rdquo; I said, pulling a Jenga block from the top of the structure. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been some time since you&rsquo;ve contacted them, I suspect.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I am cared for by the temple elders, as much as I serve them. But they are surely more concerned by the Heart&rsquo;s absence than mine.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Is it possible that the Heart might be in the hands of another village?&rdquo;<br /><br />He shook his bulbous, black head, reaching for a wooden piece on the outermost rim. A safe bet in this game. &ldquo;That is unlikely. An enemy would have used it immediately, before leaving the temple.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;But if someone were to use it against your village, is there a way to defend against it?&rdquo;<br /><br />Kosey&rsquo;s unsteady hand made short work of the tower, collapsing it before he could get the block halfway out.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi, there are things I cannot discuss with outsiders. On my honor as an apprentice.&rdquo;<br /><br />In that moment, I allowed my intuition to take hold. &ldquo;Am I just an outsider to you, Kosey?&rdquo;<br /><br />His eyelids fluttered as he processed my question. &ldquo;No, you are&hellip;I am very grateful&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />My hand fell upon his. I watched his bulging chest twitch, a shaky breath hitching in his throat. My strategic position was clear.<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey, I want to help you. But I need you to be honest with me.&rdquo; With a gentle touch, my fingers trailed up his mountain of a bicep. His eyes went wide in my direction. I waited for any signal to stop, but none came.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi&hellip;you are&hellip;&rdquo; His voice trembled with a whistle as he looked down at the sheet draped over his thighs. A telltale tower replacing that of our decimated Jenga game.<br /><br />Before he could finish the thought, I glided onto his bedside and lifted one side of the fabric, waiting for him to accept my proposal. Kosey swallowed as he tried to think of words that would never come.<br /><br />He took the other side of the sheet and pulled it away. What remained was 50 cm of pitch-black flesh angled high into the air. It was the first time I saw him this way, as I previously tried to maintain his decency in the lab. His member was, for the most part, still human-like in its shape. The difference was simply a matter of size.<br /><br />It curved in a slight bow, arcing forward with the tip jutting back towards his chest. The vague outline of veins wrapped around his shaft and climbed halfway up its length. I cannot say what his shaft looked like before, but I doubt it could even compare.<br /><br />My fingers grazed the underside of his length, making the long voyage from base to tip. Blood pumped heavy beneath the skin. Just wrapping my fist around his length was enough to illicit a twitch and a shiver from the young man. I needed two hands just to cover his full girth.<br /><br />The gleam in his eyes lingered between confusion and longing, his log-like fingers clawing at the bedspread. <br /><br />I began to stroke. <br /><br />We started slow until his tip began to leak, which didn&rsquo;t take long at all. A chemically heightened libido sent his body into overdrive. Like a pipe sprung a leak, Kosey was dribbling down his length, coating my hand in pre-cum. His slick stream relieved the friction with ease.<br /><br />My advance continued, and I won&rsquo;t deny that his labored breaths encouraged me. Sweat ran down his white-stained chest, curving along the rims of his chiseled pectorals and abs. In other circumstances, I would have pressed my hand against them, but this was a matter of business, not pleasure. At least, I believed that at the time.<br /><br />Our engagement did not last long. A whistling whirr squealed out of his blowhole, his four bulbous toes curling against the floor as he reached his limit. He nearly tore the blanket with his grip. His towering body rocked back while his tail thumped on the bed beneath us, its girth whacking me more than a few times.<br /><br />With a few more swift motions, I felt Kosey&rsquo;s release like a champagne bottle bursting between my fingers, rocketing its froth onto his chest and lap. A deep huff and squeal rattled out of his swollen jaw as he fell back onto the mattress.<br /><br />I borrowed his blanket and wiped the deluge of cum from my hands then took a moment to calm myself before I lost my own composure. My plan was to resume my questioning while he drifted along in the haze of his climax. However, I heard another whistle through his blowhole, its voice slow and fluttering. <br /><br />The tremolo was muddled with sobbing. He pressed his face into the pillow and turned away.<br /><br />&ldquo;Forgive me,&rdquo; he muttered into the cotton. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been...I have never&hellip;ah&hellip;I&rsquo;m sorry.&rdquo;<br /><br />The room turned cold again, and I realized what I had done. <br /><br />He was in no position to aid me after that. Our conversation had ended.<br /><br />I believe I have made an error in judgment.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 27th<br /><br /></strong></em>Usually, I wouldn&rsquo;t let someone physically interfere with a subject, but if this arrangement helps mellow Kosey out, even a little, I&rsquo;ll let it slide. His trajectory is too far along to be affected anyway.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s full steam ahead. Like the Titanic ready to split an iceberg.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 23<br /><br /></strong></span>I do not remember the moment it happened. <br /><br />Just the searing, cruel pain bombarding my skull. The second my jaw shattered and expanded beyond a human&rsquo;s size. How the days of pressure buildup finally erupted, boiling my bloodstream and permanently mutilating my image.<br /><br />How my nose broke itself and melted into the growing mass of my face, which stretched so long and thick that the fatty bulb on my forehead, now as wide as my jaw, no longer seemed so out of place.<br /><br />When drool splattered onto the ground as my tongue swelled and threatened to choke me at the back of my throat, no one tried to help me. I cried out for Sir Al-Hadidi, but the doctors held him back. They stood by in silence, observing me on the verge of death.<br /><br />Do they see what I see? The horror. The monstrous fangs that have replaced my teeth. The razor fin that looms over my back. The massive winged tail that whips around behind me. Or the black ink that has stained my skin and my eyes in turn.<br /><br />Am I the only one capable of seeing the truth?<br /><br />I cannot bear to look in the mirror anymore. My fist tore through it with not a drop of blood spilled.<br /><br />I look like a devil.<br /><br />Haje forgive me.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 28th<br /><br /></strong></em>Kosey&rsquo;s a success! Jonas is going to regret ever leaving Mother&rsquo;s surrogate&rsquo;s womb.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m lucky I was in the room when it happened. Well, the hallway. We gave him the usual shot in the gums, then started walking him down to the gym. Not three steps out of the lab, Kosey fell against the wall, clutching his face, whirring in pain. My assistants pulled his arms away and restrained him so we could record the perfect view. <br /><br />Crackling like electric sparks filled up the hall. What was once 10 cm of a bump on his face became 12, then 20, then 50! Kosey&lsquo;s mandible widened as he lifted his head up and bellowed. A shrill, wavering whistle shot out of his blowhole, putting that second windpipe to good use. <br /><br />As his mouth expanded and protruded more, a new fleet of thick teeth sprouted up in the back of his mouth, sharp little blades perfect for chewing flesh eagerly tore through his reforming gum line. Drool dripped down his jaw, raining onto his chest in a real mess.&nbsp;&nbsp;Samuel was quick to collect a sample before it could reach the ground.<br /><br />Kosey&rsquo;s legs finally gave out and sent him to the floor, his face still twitching as it refined its rotund shape. It&rsquo;s not totally identical to an orca&rsquo;s &ndash; the edges are a bit too blocky like a human&rsquo;s jawline &ndash; but it fits perfectly well on his hybridized body. It&rsquo;s more than I could&rsquo;ve ever hoped for.<br /><br />Project Oasis is a success.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_HOTEL//<br /><br /></strong>Kosey has finished his transformation. It was&hellip;difficult to watch.<br /><br />I wish I could have comforted him, but they kept me back. I could do nothing without exposing my cover.<br /><br />It is in my ability to restrain myself as always. But his cries still echo through me in the night.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT G]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 250 cm<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 182 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT HYBRID STATUS: 100%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Subject 23 is ready for presentation.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>October 29th<br /><br /></strong></em>We had a rehearsal dinner in preparation for Friday night. A few volunteers from the team stood in for Mother and Father and my obnoxious, lame, loser brother. I knew Kosey might be in a mood after his transformation finished, but he was <em>such </em>a pain in the ass. I&rsquo;d say to act your age, but he&rsquo;s only 18, so I guess he <em>kind of</em> is. <br /><br />Fucking teenagers.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m not sure what table manners are taught in his culture, but the fact that he tried eating steak with a salad fork speaks volumes. This was <em>after</em> I yelled at him for using his hands. Hopefully, the warping of his skull didn&rsquo;t mess up his brain too much. We&rsquo;ll run a CT scan to double-check.<br /><br />Since this rehearsal went so poorly, I&rsquo;m not letting Kosey eat at the real thing. Al-Hadidi will make sure of that.<br /><br />If not, he&rsquo;s fired.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_INDIA//<br /><br /></strong>I fear I am growing too close to my target. Perhaps I am crossing the line. That is a hard question when you are in my position.<br /><br />I went to check on Kosey after the rehearsal dinner, which was embarrassing to have to take part in. Dr. Bromer kept referring to me as &ldquo;Mother&rdquo; throughout the meal, but I found it unwise to dispute my role.<br /><br />When the door opened, he lay on his side in bed, not bothering to cover his blackened genitalia.<br /><br />&ldquo;Forgive me. I am not in the mood to talk,&rdquo; Kosey muttered. His voice carried a new weight to it, lower in pitch and muddied by the larger resonance in his skull. I am surprised he&rsquo;s able to talk at all with a snout.<br /><br />&ldquo;We do not need to talk much. I ask that you listen.&rdquo;<br /><br />I gestured for him to make room on the mattress. My instructions had to stay out of earshot of the room&rsquo;s microphones.<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey,&rdquo; I started. &ldquo;Tomorrow at dinner, Neil will ask you to do several things for his presentation. Then, I will tell you what to do. And I need you to follow my instructions exactly.&rdquo;<br /><br />His sullen black eyes shifted up to me.<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course, Sir Al-Hadidi.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And please, be careful. These are dangerous people you are meeting. Do you know that?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Neil is dangerous, I think.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, but the family is&hellip;&rdquo; The words caught in my throat. I could not tip my hand entirely. &ldquo;Just know that I will be by your side. Please remain calm.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I will do my best.&rdquo;<br /><br />I pressed a hand to his thick, bulging shoulder. Nothing like the frail arms of the young man I&rsquo;d met just a few weeks ago. His eyes looked tired. Even when separated by the length of his muzzle, they did not lose their expressiveness.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi&hellip;what happened before&hellip;&rdquo; <br /><br />I immediately pulled back from his body. &ldquo;I must apologize, Kosey. That was a mistake on my part. I took things too far.&rdquo; And I did. I believe that to be true.<br /><br />Sensing my tension, Kosey sat up and swung his massive legs over the side of the bed. Even sitting down, he towered above me.<br /><br />&ldquo;No. It was unexpected. I cannot say I&rsquo;m familiar with courtship, really.&rdquo; His three-fingered hand rested gently on my knee, covering it entirely like a shadow. &ldquo;But I was not unhappy with your actions. I did not ask to stop. There are few things I find comfort in at the moment. You are one of them.&rdquo;<br /><br />The word &ldquo;courtship&rdquo; twisted in my stomach. That should have been my queue to leave. Permanently. But then his hand slid higher up along my thigh, as if to ask for my intrusion once again. I wanted to reject the idea. I did. But something in my chest pushed me forward.<br /><br />&ldquo;You know they are still watching us&hellip;&rdquo; I reminded him as my hand returned to his body and finally found a home along his rippling abdomen.<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes. And if I can bring them any sense of distress, that will bring me comfort as well.&rdquo; The corners of his snout upturned into a soft smile, the look of an urchin about to steal his share of bread. It&rsquo;s a remarkable contrast to his behemoth form.<br /><br />Something sparked in me, and I found my hands around him once again.<br /><br />----- <br /><br /><em><strong>November 1st<br /><br /></strong></em>It&rsquo;s a four-hour flight to Stockholm by helicopter. Felt like the longest flight of my life. Normally, I wouldn&rsquo;t bring anyone from the team, but Al-Hadidi was a mandatory guest. I thought he could keep Kosey calm long enough to get through the presentation.<br /><br />My mistake.<br /><br />Our chopper set down just a few yards west of the front gate. As usual, Helipad 5 was free for the taking. I fixed my tie and checked my navy blazer for stray landing dust, not that you could see much in the tarmac lights. Al-Hadidi hopped out behind me in the same black suit he always wore. Always so damn spotless.<br /><br />Then the ground shook as Kosey took his first steps on land in a month. His leathery soles slapped hard against the asphalt since footwear options were limited. He&rsquo;s lucky that his dinner robe arrived on time, even if we ordered it a size too small. Apparently, there&rsquo;s a big difference between 6X and 7X. The frown on his snout told me how uncomfortable he felt in the periwinkle silk.<br /><br />Spoiler alert: we&rsquo;d all be uncomfortable that evening.<br /><br />The family home was as imposing as always. Three levels of brick and chapel glass dangling on a razor-thin cliff, one typhoon away from disaster &ndash; or as Mother and Father called it, a tax write-off. I doubt Kosey would&rsquo;ve even walked through the aged oak doors if Al-Hadidi didn&rsquo;t literally hold his hand. Considering what they&rsquo;ve been doing behind other closed doors, I&rsquo;m sure they were enjoying the moment&hellip; <br /><br />We climbed the grand staircase in the foyer, where this gaudy, twelve-armed chandelier hung overhead like a corpse. It was a gift from Jonas several holidays ago. Like I said, gaudy. I winced every time Kosey&rsquo;s lumbering footsteps slammed down on the wooden boards. It wouldn&rsquo;t have surprised me if he caved the whole thing in.<br /><br />When our party of three reached the dining room, the absurdly long, familial table fell silent. Mother sat at one end, blonde hair spun up in a royal cocoon. Father positioned himself around the corner. The good scotch was already in his hand. <br /><br />And there, close to the center, pouring himself another glass, was my vainglorious, self-aggrandizing, whiny piece of shit brother.<br /><br />Jonas.<br /><br />A bulky stranger sat to his right with an unapologetically tight tank top and a tan, like something out of a fitness ad or a roid-rage PSA. Why wasn&rsquo;t <em>this</em> guy my subject? Whatever.<br /><br />&ldquo;Hey, big bro!&rdquo; he said with this massively shit-eating grin. &ldquo;How&rsquo;ve you been? How was the flight?&rdquo;<br /><br />He sipped on his orange juice and wiped his dripping mouth on his sleeve. Fucking teenagers.<br /><br />&ldquo;Wonderful,&rdquo; I said with every hint of sarcasm I could muster.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie!&rdquo; A clarion call came from the far end as Mother rushed over. Her big red sleeve wrapped around my neck, pulling me into her puffy party gown. The scarlet lace nearly smothered me.<br /><br />&ldquo;Hello, Mother.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s so good to see you. It feels like it&rsquo;s been forever!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We just saw him last month, Shirley,&rdquo; Father said as he tucked a napkin into the collar of his sweater vest. &ldquo;How&rsquo;s it going, kiddo?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Wonderful, Father.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, and these must be your friends! What a strapping young man, how lovely.&rdquo; Mother squeezed Kosey&rsquo;s obsidian biceps, which made him visibly shudder. I know the feeling.<br /><br />&ldquo;Mother, he doesn&rsquo;t speak English. Please don&rsquo;t freak him out.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Ah! <em>&iquest;T&uacute; hablas espa&ntilde;ol?</em> <em>Parles-tu fran&ccedil;ais?</em>&rdquo; She turned to Al-Hadidi on a dime, which was quite a feat in her heels. &ldquo;Hi, Shirley Bromer, Bromer Real Estate. Hope you&rsquo;re staying for dinner!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; he said, accepting her hug and an invitation to be swallowed up in her frills.<br /><br />Marching boots filed in from the kitchen. Our usual fleet of butlers delivered the first course before we could even sit down.<br /><br />Oysters.<br /><br />I could see Kosey salivating already.<br /><br />&ldquo;Everyone take your seats. Shirley, that means you.&rdquo; Father cracked a smile as he clinked the butt of his knife on the table.<br /><br />We all found our spots, and I put Kosey across from Jonas&rsquo; buff friend just to intimidate them. I&rsquo;m not sure if they noticed. <br /><br />&ldquo;So!&rdquo; Mother said, slipping an oyster from its rock. &ldquo;Jonas, tell Neil your plans for the school year.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going&hellip;to try for varsity volleyball this year! Coach says&hellip;I&rsquo;ve really improved my serve.&rdquo; As always, my brother spoke with his mouth full.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you have.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And how&rsquo;s work been, Neil?&rdquo; Father asked.<br /><br />I rose from my chair, on cue. From the moment, we stepped foot into the house, I was counting the seconds until our presentation. We&rsquo;ve waited long enough.<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, we&rsquo;ve literally made history, Father. Allow me to demonstrate.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie, I know you&rsquo;re always eager to share, but can we wait until dessert? Your friends have barely touched their oysters.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Science waits for no clams, Mother. As you can see, I&rsquo;ve successfully transformed a small, impotent human into a super soldier built for amphibious combat!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, he looks quite nice, Neil.&rdquo; Father nodded. &ldquo;Very buff!&rdquo;<br /><br />My jaw clenched. Nice? <em>Buff</em>? Did Father develop cataracts in a month? Kosey is the pinnacle of human evolution!<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, nicely done, sweetie.&rdquo; Mother smiled at me before returning her attention to my juice-guzzling little brother. &ldquo;Jonas, isn&rsquo;t your science fair project like that? An animal sort of thing?&rdquo;<br /><br /><em>What? </em>My stomach sank. Whether from the terrible news or the oysters, I can&rsquo;t say for sure. Both, probably.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, yeah! This is my class partner, Frankie.&rdquo; Jonas pointed as his beefcake of a dinner guest, who looked way too old to be a high school junior. &ldquo;Bro, you really inspired my last month with your shark guy, and I&rsquo;ve never dabbled in biology before, but --&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It was an <em>orca</em>.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Was it? Well, anyway, me and Frankie did a little genetic engineering, and I think you&rsquo;re gonna like what we came up with.&rdquo;<br /><br />I did <em>not</em> like it. Was he seriously stealing my ideas? Again? I couldn&rsquo;t believe his bullshit! Despite its ridiculous size, there&rsquo;s only enough room at this table for <em>one</em> orca.<br /><br />But then, his hulking friend stood up, stripped down to a loincloth, and without one prick of a needle or a single blast of gamma rays&hellip;the guy was growing <em>scales</em>. Of course, he was so bulky that he didn&rsquo;t even flinch when the skin of his neck pulled itself into a frosty white cobra hood, or when giant ugly fangs burst out of his gums.<br /><br />Then, in the most absurd fashion, his thighs began fusing together. A barrage of crunching bones and white-plated flesh, all the way from his groin to the tips of his toes. Golden scale bands crossed over his knees and shins. He looked like Medusa with a six-pack. A serpent from the waist down.<br /><br />It was fast. Impossibly fast. But far, <em>far</em> from elegant.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh my,&rdquo; Mother said with a round of unnecessary applause. &ldquo;That was so quick! It&rsquo;s like a magic act.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Excellent work, son. We&rsquo;ll have to buy another shelf for the trophy.&rdquo;<br /><br />Goddamnit!<br /><br />I tried to rally, but it felt like the snake got my tongue.&ldquo;Uh, yes, my subject takes time to develop&hellip;but his&hellip;amphibious abilities far exceed those of a reptile.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh sweetie, your shark friend is lovely too. As always.&rdquo; <br /><br />There she goes again, tagging me onto the end of a sentence. Always leading with <em>Jonas</em>. Always missing the whole goddamn point.<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey, get up,&rdquo; I muttered, my voice teetering on a break. I had to show them more. My subject&rsquo;s strength. His swimming prowess. Even if I had to pit him against the cobra or toss him over the cliff to see if he could swim in the Baltic.<br /><br />But when Al-Hadidi relayed my order to the kid, he sat still in silence. I nearly kicked his chair. Did he go deaf when his ears melted into his skin? Or was he being stubborn after I wouldn&rsquo;t let him shovel down some rotten oysters?<br /><br />&ldquo;Get him <em>up</em>&hellip;&rdquo; My hushed words seethed through my teeth.<br /><br />He whispered once more into what would&rsquo;ve been Kosey&rsquo;s ear. Again with the whispering? The orca looked at me blinking, confused, as if he had no understanding of the importance of the situation. I wanted to strangle him, even if I couldn&rsquo;t fit my hands around his bulky, blubbery neck.<br /><br />It took a full minute for him to move at all. The moment had long passed, and Mother and Father and Jonas and the big stupid snake kid resumed their dinner in peace.<br /><br />Then Kosey grabbed his plate, still full of shells, and lobbed it across the <em>fucking</em> room. It shattered against the fireplace mantle. At least it wasn&rsquo;t the good China. Or the good fireplace.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh my!&rdquo; Mother gasped. &ldquo;He certainly has an arm on him!&rdquo;<br /><br />Worse still, like a brute, he poured the oysters from Al-Hadidi&rsquo;s plate down his gullet, shells and all, then destroyed that plate too. He started running towards the exit, and it took seven butlers and two maids to restrain him.<br /><br />What the <em>fuck</em> just happened?<br /><br />As the help scurried in and cleaned up the mess on my side of the table, Father shot me an awkward smile. &ldquo;You may want to teach him some table manners next time.&rdquo;<br /><br />Next time? After this embarrassment? I never wanted to show my face in the home again! An entire month wasted before the main course even arrived. Did I focus too much on the physical change? Did I miss some signs of a mental break? Maybe I should&rsquo;ve finished <em>My Fair Lady </em>after all.<br /><br />No. Oh no. I wouldn&rsquo;t turn tail and hide. I wouldn&rsquo;t accept this. Not when Jonas stole my goddamn idea <em>again </em>and made my work into a total fucking farce. I could do better. Way better. There wouldn&rsquo;t be any mistakes next time. And no need for table manners.<br /><br />&ldquo;No, actually you&rsquo;ll have one less plate to set next month. Kosey will not be seated at the table.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, sweetie, he didn&rsquo;t mean it like that. We love when you bring friends over.&rdquo;<br /><br />Friends? Please. I pushed in my chair and turned my back on the table. &ldquo;Excuse me. I have work to do.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Neil!&rdquo; My father piped up again. &ldquo;At least stay for the meal, please. Your mother&rsquo;s staff worked very hard on it.&rdquo;<br /><br />I made my way to the exit hall. Alone. Apparently, Al-Hadidi took his bathroom break at the worst possible time. Bastard.<br /><br />How could I just sit there and stomach my failure? My first instinct was to react. Get back up and try again. Nothing short of a miracle will impress Mother and Father, so that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m going to perform.<br /><br />&ldquo;See ya, bro!&rdquo; Jonas&rsquo;s whiny voice echoed behind me, but I was too focused to waste time with a sick comeback. My mind started racing through new calculations and possibilities. I ignored our butlers escorting my renegade orca back to the helicopter. And I hardly noticed Al-Hadidi already seated inside, ready to depart. Why bother reprimanding him? He&rsquo;s getting replaced anyway.<br /><br />My focus was entirely on the future. On the final gambit for Project Oasis.<br /><br />I gathered my courage, everything in my power, to do the impossible.<br /><br />To rewrite the human genome in its entirety.<br /><br />I&rsquo;ll push the project past its limits<br /><br />And I swear, I won&rsquo;t look like a fool again. Never again.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 24<br /><br /></strong></span>I am very confused.<br /><br />The air feels tense. Did the dinner not go as planned? Was I not supposed to follow Neil&rsquo;s instructions? The doctors scowl at me whenever I wade into the hot box room. How am I to blame for their problems?<br /><br />They&rsquo;ve taken the robe I wore that evening. Once again, I am left naked and alone.<br /><br />I wish I understood. Only Sir Al-Hadidi can explain what is happening, but now he is gone. I don&rsquo;t know where. Maybe as punishment for what has happened. What will they do to me in retribution?<br /><br />I am praying for him.<br /><br />I must pray while my spirit remains human. There&rsquo;s no salvation in my culture for animals. Or monsters.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 2nd<br /><br /></strong></em>Here&rsquo;s the new plan. Forget human-animal hybrids. They&rsquo;re antiques as of yesterday. I have to prove that mankind&rsquo;s DNA is totally rewritable and I&rsquo;m the only one able to scribe it.<br /><br />New mission statement:<br /><br /><span class='underline'>I&rsquo;ll turn Kosey into a complete orca if it&rsquo;s the last thing I do.<br /><br /></span>The idea of a full transformation was just speculation in the early days. We scrapped the whole Stage II plan once Samuel and I reached the same conclusion: the change could be lethal. And given our subsequent body count for Stage I, we probably made the right call.<br /><br />But now that we&rsquo;ve succeeded in keeping Kosey alive, I believe Stage II can work. I had this thought when I saw Jonas&rsquo; stupid snake guy transform. In theory, we can reduce the impact of the transformation by shifting Kosey to an in-between stage first, a hybrid of a hybrid. This should reduce the shock of the overhaul and prevent any cellular rejection. If my math&rsquo;s right, it just might work. <br /><br />No, it will work. It has to. <br /><br />Mother and Father won&rsquo;t settle for anything less.<br /><br />I won&rsquo;t settle.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[LAB NOTICE]<br /><br /></strong>The following is an outline of the next stages of the Project. Dr. Bromer is expecting a rather expedited approach for this transition:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Further blubber development on subject&rsquo;s tail and pelvic region<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total withdrawal of subject&rsquo;s lower limbs<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Full alteration of subject&rsquo;s genitalia<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Complete construction of tank housing<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prolonged tank incubation<br /><br />While there are fewer distinct steps than Stage I, the larger structural overhaul may lead to complications. We must be vigilant. <br /><br />Dr. Bromer has made history, and he is attempting to do so again. The sheer hubris of his work is astounding. And truly inspiring.<br /><br /><em>*Samuel Anderson, Lead Research Assistant<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 25<br /><br /></strong></span>I met Sir Al-Hadidi&rsquo;s replacement today. It&rsquo;s a machine, a small cube built of blocks like those colorful toy puzzles. But like everything else here, it is pure white and cold. It floats around me like a gnat, stalking me in every room. Although the doctors cannot seem to hear, its annoying hum sizzles in my ears. Or, where my ears once were. My hearing is not the same now.<br /><br />I don&rsquo;t understand how it works, but the cube translates faster than a human could, spitting out both languages as if someone were living inside my head. Now whatever I say is projected out in their tongue. I must be more careful with my words.<br /><br />Only through Sir Al-Hadidi&rsquo;s scribe can I speak my true thoughts when alone. I hope he is well. I recall the last thing he said to me after dinner, on the journey back&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Do not trust the doctors, and do not make waves. But when the wave does come &ndash; ride it.&rdquo;<br /><br />So I will endure like I always have. Even if I am alone.<br /><br />I will think of him, my temple, and Haje&rsquo;s grace.<br /><br />I will hold myself together, no matter what they take from me.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 3rd<br /><br /></strong></em>I know the risks of overworking Kosey but we have to push the envelope here. He won&rsquo;t survive a full transformation if he doesn&rsquo;t get stronger. <br /><br />We have breakfast at six, hit the gym by seven, and get into the water by eight. Repeat. We&rsquo;re testing to see how long he can hold his breath with his increased lung capacity. I&rsquo;m expecting high marks.<br /><br />We can&rsquo;t afford less than perfection.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 26<br /><br /></strong></span>They work me like a mule, but without such purpose. Instead of tending fields, I lift metal. Instead of fishing, I go back and forth in a pool. Then they force me to hold my breath until I nearly fall unconscious. When I resurface, I can&rsquo;t help but force a jet from the hole in my head. It is a disturbing feeling, like having too much water in your nose and trying to blow it out.<br /><br />With all this useless labor, I am glad they are feeding me. Even if my diet has changed wildly. There is a mountain of fish in each meal, six times a day now. I cannot believe I&rsquo;m able to stomach it all, or that it&rsquo;s still not enough to fill me.<br /><br />I can smell it down the hall when they bring me meals. They leave the plate by the door, and I am so hungry that I am immediately on my knees, shoving meat into my elongated mouth. I eat like an animal, and I don&rsquo;t realize it until I&rsquo;ve licked the dish clean.<br /><br />I tell myself that I won&rsquo;t behave in such a way next time.<br /><br />But I have said that before.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 4th<br /><br /></strong></em>On top of the extra meals and workout sessions, we&rsquo;re taking some more direct measures to bulk up Kosey&rsquo;s frame. <br /><br />We recalibrated the laser arm for deeper radiation pulses, almost like a sonogram. Samuel&rsquo;s idea. Now we can observe the muscle growth in real-time on the monitors.<br /><br />Also, we turned up the intensity by 200%. Sorry, kid.<br /><br />Kosey&rsquo;s muscles are somewhere between human and orca, but new cetacean fibers are already boiling into existence. Visible bulges formed as the muscle swelled and stretched down his back. His flesh rippled onscreen in grayscale like an old film.<br /><br />All the stimulation must&rsquo;ve been bugging him though, since he started wriggling around and asking us to slow down. I get the feeling we&rsquo;ll hear a lot of those requests now that he can talk.<br /><br />But I&rsquo;m no longer interested in keeping things comfortable for him.<br /><br />Success isn&rsquo;t made with comfort.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 27<br /><br /></strong></span>I awoke in my room, cold and sore as usual, though I could barely raise my arms up to my chest. I reached halfway, but then a throbbing ache struck my shoulders. When I turned around in the mirror, there was more flesh packed along my spine. Round and bulgy. Fat.<br /><br />How large do they intend for me to become?<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 5th <br /><br /></strong></em>Growing Kosey a tail was easy. The hard part is making it the main source of his locomotion. If not done properly, he may never have full control of his tail as an orca. Which he means, ultimately, he&rsquo;ll drown. Mission failure.<br /><br />We need to prepare him for the physical and mental burden of not having limbs. If it sounds like a tall order, it sure as hell is.<br /><br />The physical part is theoretically sound. We&rsquo;ll move him to the full-sized tank once it&rsquo;s built and infuse the water with a new strain of mutagen gel. A few days in a medically induced coma should be enough to shrink down Kosey&rsquo;s legs without him going into shock.<br /><br />The mental factor? Well, we have a few ideas we&rsquo;re testing.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s safe to say we&rsquo;re back in uncharted waters. <br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 28 <br /><br /></strong></span>I&rsquo;m happy to be out of my room more often, even if it is time spent in the water, the gymnasium, or under their machines. As my body grows larger, my shrinking room is driving me to insanity. <br /><br />Neil has started talking to me directly, if only a few words at a time. I have several rude things I would like to say to him, but I&rsquo;m restraining myself and following the will of Sir Al-Hadidi. I know better than to fight a battle I cannot win.<br /><br />The translator cube makes talking easier, though when I ask Neil questions, I do not always receive clear answers. Those are questions I probably shouldn&rsquo;t be asking.<br /><br />It&rsquo;s odd. He is not much older than me, I think. And yet he feels aged. A heaviness pulls on his heart.<br /><br />Perhaps I am receiving the brunt of this weight.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT H]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 2.25 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 225 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LENGTH (Snout to tail)*: 2.6 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;*We will continue to measure this as Subject 23 orients towards a horizontal position.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 2%<br /><br />Blubber accounts for 40% of Subject 23&rsquo;s body mass. Muscle continues to build beneath the adipose layers, but is no longer visible around the torso.<br /><br />On a separate note, construction of the final housing tank is underway. We are overestimating the dimensions of the space. Given Kosey&rsquo;s undersized frame, we should expect lower projections, but it is better to have more room than less.<br /><br />Dr. Bromer does not need any more surprises.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 29<br /><br /></strong></span>By Haje&rsquo;s grace!<br /><br />A knock came at my door this morning. I didn&rsquo;t bother to get up since the room opens automatically for the doctors. They would not stay out if I asked.<br /><br />But only one person has had the kindness to knock before entering. I did not think it was possible, or perhaps I was dreaming, but I nearly leaped from my bed.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi!&rdquo; I roared, more literally than I would&rsquo;ve liked.<br /><br />He came over to my bedside to save me the trouble of getting up, which I was rather grateful for. My tail and rear have been swelling in the past few days, and walking has become difficult.<br /><br />We embraced, and I found myself gripping the back of his coat. <br /><br />&ldquo;I hope you&rsquo;re well, Kosey.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No worse than usual, I suppose.&rdquo; Perhaps it was annoying to hear the machine repeat my words, but he did not complain.<br /><br />&ldquo;Though you&rsquo;re larger, I see.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes. I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;ll be able to walk soon.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I believe that&rsquo;s the point.&rdquo;<br /><br />A groan escaped me as I sat up and pulled my tired legs over the side of the bed. A squeal came from the frame below.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad you&rsquo;re alright, but why are you here?&rdquo; I asked as my hand found its way to his shoulder. &ldquo;They have replaced you.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m staying for another purpose. Dr. Bromer can&rsquo;t be rid of me so easily.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;By Haje&rsquo;s grace, what are they asking of you now?&rdquo;<br /><br />He smiled. &ldquo;Firstly, I&rsquo;m to make sure you don&rsquo;t break any more plates.&rdquo;<br /><br />My eyebrow raised, or it would have if I still had them. &ldquo;But did you not instruct me to?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It was my mistake. A mistranslation.&rdquo; As unlikely as that sounded, I didn&rsquo;t question him further. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m also going to collect a few samples from you while you continue to change. Despite his bluntness, Dr. Bromer refuses to take such things by force.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;They have been stealing my blood since I first arrived.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I am not talking about blood.&rdquo;<br /><br />It took me a moment to understand his meaning. My stomach churned at the thought. I wondered if that was his reason for visiting today.<br /><br />But before I could ask, he rose from the bed and returned to the door.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Please get some rest. I suspect they&rsquo;ll have you swimming laps soon enough.&rdquo;<br /><br />He was correct. I am trapped in an endless cycle of swimming, feasting, and probing.<br /><br />Though his new position fills me with unease, I am grateful for Sir Al-Hadidi&rsquo;s return. And, of course, to Haje for keeping watch over us both.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_JULIETT//<br /><br /></strong>The mission has failed. I was unable to locate the Heart of Haje.<br /><br />Although I managed to sneak into the family vault during their spat, one-sided as it was, there was an empty pedestal among several other priceless valuables. Jewelry, fine art, mummified royal family members.&nbsp;&nbsp;A seemingly bottomless pit of gold coins.<br /><br />However, if the Bromer family ever had the Heart in their possession, it is gone now. All I can provide is the following based on my investigation of the home:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite their wealth, no member of the family has clear ties to the [REDACTED]. It would appear that our previous intelligence was incorrect. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of note, past intel was extrapolated from Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s own correspondence with the S.R.B.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m aware that this protocol demands immediate extraction, but I believe Kosey possesses information that may be vital to our pursuit of the Heart. Presuming he survives the next phase of Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s megalomania, he may prove to be an asset still. I will do my best to see him through it.<br /><br />Perhaps that will make up for my use of him as a distraction. <br /><br />Perhaps it will atone for many things.<br /><br /><em>#19670 resuming transmission...<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 7th<br /><br /></strong></em>I warned Al-Hadidi that his new position is as replaceable as the last one. And if sperm samples weren&rsquo;t such useful gauges of radiation exposure, his ass would be on the tarmac already.<br /><br />So what if Kosey&rsquo;s using an A.I. drone to talk? The S.R.B. can fine me all they want!<br /><br />Anyway, today was our first time training his echolocation abilities. We tossed him in the pool blindfolded and had him swim through some buoys. He only smacked into them about twenty times. Apparently, having the physical ability doesn&rsquo;t mean he has the coordination to use it.<br /><br />He&rsquo;d better learn fast. The clock&rsquo;s ticking, and it&rsquo;s all sink or swim from here on out. That&rsquo;s how my parents taught me.<br /><br />A butler tossed me into the sea.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 30<br /><br /></strong></span>I am spending more and more time in the water. It&rsquo;s comforting to relieve the constant weight of this new body, and I am no longer constrained to the small pool on the floor below.<br /><br />At the far end of the hall, they have built a new enclosure. It is titanic. Nearly twenty canoes in length. I never realized how large this whole facility must be.<br /><br />The rim contains glass windows through which I&rsquo;m observed, and the water is a marine blue. It is far deeper than the pool as well. How freeing it was to swim around such wide, open waters. The doctors allowed me to circle without any sort of intervention or trial. <br /><br />Or was it a trial all the same?<br /><br />There is a large standing platform carved into the rim almost like a peninsula. I was swimming towards it when Neil came up the stairs and approached the edge of the water. It took much strength to slow myself and pull back from the inlet. Haje knows what he would do if I accidentally splashed him.<br /><br />&ldquo;Having fun in there?&rdquo; He knelt down and ran his hand through the water. &ldquo;Get used to it. You&rsquo;ll be living in here soon enough.&rdquo;<br /><br />The little translating bug circled my head as it always does. &ldquo;This is not fun. I have said this before.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yeah, yeah, you&rsquo;ve mentioned. Do you at least understand what we&rsquo;re doing? Why this is&hellip;oh, I don&rsquo;t know&hellip;revolutionary?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It does not matter why. You will not let me go no matter how I appear.&rdquo;<br /><br />He rolled his eyes at my response. &ldquo;Oh, did you figure that out yourself? Guess the cat&rsquo;s out of the bag.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;What cat?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a saying, y&rsquo;know&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I <em>don&rsquo;t</em> know,&rdquo; I said, my true voice growling even though I did not mean to. &ldquo;I do not understand any of you people! You think I&rsquo;m some kind of mindless savage, but you are all cruel. You talk about nonsense and blood feuds. You are intelligent, so you look down on me.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Please, you want to talk about looking down on people? This is nothing compared to my family. You wouldn&rsquo;t get it.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No, I would not. But I am cared for by my neighbors. My temple. And I care for them all. You would not <em>get it</em>.&rdquo;<br /><br />He splashed me out of spite. &ldquo;Oh, yeah? Hold on to the memories, kid. Cause you won&rsquo;t see any of them again.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Haje will guide me. I have seen his symbols even in your home. His spirit is everywhere.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;What do you mean my home?&rdquo;<br /><br />Neil wished to know further, but I would not give him that satisfaction. Such kindness must be earned. <br /><br />He groaned at my silence. &ldquo;Jeeze, you must really hate me for doing this to you, huh?&rdquo;<br /><br />It wasn&rsquo;t clear if he wanted an answer to that question. I have not forgiven him for his actions, and I do not trust him or the other doctors. But in my culture, &ldquo;hate&rdquo; is not used lightly. It is almost like wishing death. I am not like these people.<br /><br />I swam closer, slowly, so I would not appear as a threat. &ldquo;I do not hate what I don&rsquo;t understand.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;What a non-answer. You should get into politics when you&rsquo;re older.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The boy at dinner. That was your brother?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The scrawny one, yeah. Obviously.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And do you hate him?&rdquo;<br /><br />Neil stiffened. He didn&rsquo;t have an answer, or he wouldn&rsquo;t answer. Another question I shouldn&rsquo;t have asked, it seems.<br /><br />He dried his hand on his lab coat and marched back down the stairs. &ldquo;Feel your feelings, kid. But you&rsquo;re gonna hate me by the end of this. And I&rsquo;m sorry for that.&rdquo;<br /><br />Neil walked off into the darkness. It was the longest conversation we&rsquo;ve ever had. At the time, he sounded threatening. Or, he was <em>trying</em> to. <br /><br />The more time I spend listening to his conversations, watching him pace around anxiously, the less he seems like a villain of Spider-Man.<br /><br />He is like a frustrated child.<br /><br />His nervousness grows by the day. I know he is rushing and desperate. And what men do in desperation, I have seen end in tragedy.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 8th<br /><br /></strong></em>Kosey&rsquo;s tail grows with every injection and ray burst&hellip;but he&rsquo;s still relying on his arms and legs to swim. It probably comes natural to him since the webbing grew on his hands and feet so early. Guess I can&rsquo;t blame him too much since that was the original plan. <br /><br />But plans change, and we have to adapt.<br /><br />Today we tied his limbs together and sent him into the new tank. He had to rely on his tail, body motion, and the increasing amount of buoyant blubber swelling up on his sides.<br /><br />He sank for a while before he finally got the message and began paddling with his tail. Even with his impressive lung capacity, he can&rsquo;t sit at the bottom forever.<br /><br />One thing humans and animals have in common is an unstoppable survival instinct. That&rsquo;ll motivate him if nothing else.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 31<br /><br /></strong></span>They are going to extremes! Bounding my limbs and watching me sink like a stone? Are they trying to drown me?<br /><br />By the time I reached the surface, my vision was blurred. My head began to ache from the lack of air. <br /><br />Do they not understand? I am not a complete whale yet. If they wished for me to breathe underwater, they should have chosen a shark.<br /><br />Still, this was not the worst of their horror. From the ceiling came a large sheet of fabric with holes slashed into the sides and down the middle. The doctors forced me from the water and into this entrapment, which raised me well above their heads. I believed they were simply examining my body, but then&hellip;<br /><br />Haje forgive me&hellip;<br /><br />No, I will not describe such a transgression.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 9th<br /><br /></strong></em>It&rsquo;s not like I take pride in shoving a needle in Kosey&rsquo;s dick. I don&rsquo;t <em>enjoy</em> all these weird, intrusive processes that convert his body to a cetacean&rsquo;s. They&rsquo;re a necessary evil.<br /><br />That&rsquo;s why I had Samuel and the team string him up. Someone has to watch his vitals, right?<br /><br />And it wasn&rsquo;t like a spinal tap needle, alright? Just a small, focused prick into the internal lining of his dickhead. We have to use micro-dosage or his dick might just explode. <br /><br />Or, he&rsquo;d be stuck with a 10-meter-long shaft. That&rsquo;d make some lucky orca very, very happy.<br /><br />It only took a few seconds for the serum to kick in. Kosey started moaning and wriggling around in his harness. I said he needed to keep still, but either the audio drone glitched out or Kosey didn&rsquo;t pay attention as usual.<br /><br />A rosy flush began to cover his member like watercolor paint on a canvas. His otherwise blackened skin made the contrast extra noticeable. It was also the perfect measurement for pigment testing.<br /><br />With a slick suction sound, Kosey&rsquo;s uncut foreskin began to pull back, unrolling itself from the tip of his cock. The liberated head pulsated in midair, stretching forward until it tapered off to a bestial point. Perfect for underwater mating.<br /><br />His shaft also swelled up a bit, though not quite to its expected size. We&rsquo;ll need a few more injections for that. See my previous point about not making his penis blow up.<br /><br />I almost thought we <em>did</em> fuck up when Kosey started groaning and kicking his stubby legs up in the harness. Turns out, it was just the second injection doing its thing. This one, unfortunately, had to go right in his nuts. How else are they going to move up into his abdomen?<br /><br />&ldquo;My stomach&hellip;something hurts&hellip;&rdquo; he forced out a moan as we watched his big black ball sack start to shrink like one of those vacuum-seal bags. All the shadowy veins and wrinkles were hard to spot, but up close they were throbbing. The half-orca already had two honeydew melons swinging around beneath this tail, but now they were swelling into truck tires and climbing up through his guts. Imagine trying to swallow a disco ball through your crotch. It&rsquo;s kind of like that.<br /><br />Goddamn, I almost sympathize with him on this one. <em>Almost. <br /><br /></em>If this shit doesn&rsquo;t make the kid hate me, then nothing will.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 32<br /><br /></strong></span>I feel powerless. Despite my size, I&rsquo;m still no match for the horrible advances these people make on my identity.<br /><br />The last part of my human self has been stolen. It now resembles a pink slug. I won&rsquo;t even dare to touch it, despite my urges. Another needle inserted into the more awful of places, and it made my shaft stretch forward again. There&rsquo;s a horrible pressure in me whenever it starts to grow. Like my stomach&rsquo;s being clenched in someone&rsquo;s fist.<br /><br />My only solace is the time I am given after with Sir Al-Hadidi, even if he works on Neil&rsquo;s behalf. It is a strange sensation my body feels, and I&rsquo;m terribly embarrassed when things become too messy.<br /><br />Never have I released so much at once before, but Sir Al-Hadidi pays it little mind and fills the glass tubes as instructed. Does he find this role disgusting? Is my swollen, beast-like body a burden?<br /><br />I watch my own fluids being carried off down the hall. I hope they are not&hellip;using it for anything&hellip;<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_KILO//<br /><br /></strong>I am doing my best to keep Kosey&rsquo;s spirits lifted, as manipulative as it may be. I touch his body for one purpose, I interrogate him for another. The lengths I&rsquo;ve gone to for this operation border on excessive, but I must believe our goal is worth the fine lines I tread.<br /><br />Wherever it takes, we must find the Heart of Haje. Or else we must destroy it.<br /><br />When I entered the new tank room, which resembles a theatre at Seaworld more than anything, I was unprepared to find Kosey&rsquo;s massive body held up on wires like some museum display. He wriggled in the air uncomfortably, his limbs spilling over the harness that was clearly too small for him already. <br /><br />I was also struck by the unsettling adjustments made to his member. Its pink hue glowed like a flowering hibiscus. His shaft had stretched out and no longer held its human shape.<br /><br />My reservations about this new role suddenly peaked. It&rsquo;s not uncommon to care for animals in this manner, but to know my hands were on something human just hours ago&hellip;<br /><br />I asked the doctors to give us the room, and to my surprise they granted that request. Perhaps they had no interest in seeing a man sexually pleasure an orca. I couldn&rsquo;t blame them.<br /><br />Carefully, I approached Kosey&rsquo;s bulking form, acutely aware that if he slipped out of the tarp, I&rsquo;d certainly be crushed to death.<br /><br />&ldquo;You look uncomfortable.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Very uncomfortable, Sir Al-Hadidi.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I will be gentle.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Must we do this now?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;They are watching. If I do not, they will surely find someone else. And knowing Dr. Bromer, it may not be a human hand on you.&rdquo;<br /><br />Kosey shivered at the thought.<br /><br />Fortunately, his shaft was already erect from the recent changes. As I slid my hand along his shaft, I found it glistening with a strange new moisture. A translucent slime seeping out of the skin itself. No external lubrication was required. I felt as if I was wrangling a snake. Per usual, I did not stroke for long before Kosey released himself, half-missing the funnel I held in my other hand.<br /><br />The remainder splattered onto my suit. He apologized profusely for the mess, but I wasn&rsquo;t bothered.<br /><br />Despite his considerable growth, he&rsquo;s still the soft young man I first met, careful and considerate when he&rsquo;s not being tormented. He does not deserve this misfortune.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT I]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 2.31 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 420 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LENGTH: 3.5 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 16%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>My task for today is calculating the ratio of human to cetacean sperm in the collected sample. This will determine alternative means of reproducing hybrid soldiers without starting from scratch.<br /><br />Today is a good day.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 10th<br /><br /></strong></em>We finally installed the audio transducers into the observation tank. She&rsquo;s all ready to go!<br /><br />Now when we target Kosey with the radiation arm, you can actually hear his bones creak underwater when they expand. Like today, when we watched his vertebrae swell up and stretch out his torso, pushing his hips further and further back from his chest. It sounded just like one of those ASMR crinkling videos.<br /><br />I bet folks would pay good money to hear that. <br /><br />Unfortunately, my scientific ventures have integrity.<br /><br />Unlike some people&hellip;<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 33<br /><br /></strong></span>I haven&rsquo;t been this shaken since this whole nightmare began.<br /><br />Another terrible sting in my&hellip;penis, and I could feel it starting to twitch. Not in the usual way, but with this strange discomfort all along my shaft, bearing deep into my pelvis, which has melded into the base of my tail.<br /><br />As the same aching pressure wrapped itself around my groin, signaling my shaft to swell and lengthen again. It started to move. I could feel my length starting to twist and bend itself as if it were my arm! Even when it moved about, I felt erect. My brain couldn&rsquo;t deal with the conflict.<br /><br />Worse still, a sharp pain lanced along my skin, above and below the base of my member. I tried to look down, but I&rsquo;m so restricted in the harness.<br /><br />Sir Al-Hadidi came to see me not long after. I could tell by his expression, as stony as he tried to be, that my change is progressing rapidly.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 11th<br /><br /></strong></em>If you&rsquo;ve never seen a dolphin vent grow on a human, you&rsquo;re really missing out. The slit safeguards an orca&rsquo;s penis when it&rsquo;s not mating, which is less often than you&rsquo;d think, and keeps the shaft housed within the lower body. I thought it might look like a vagina honestly, but it really doesn&rsquo;t. With the way Kosey&rsquo;s skin began to peel apart around the base of his shaft, we could actually go in with forceps and examine the vent as it grew. We actually watched the insides of his flesh move around and make room for this brand-new dick chasm. <br /><br />Wild stuff.<br /><br />We used a sonogram to make sure Kosey&rsquo;s nuts were still in the right spot and didn&rsquo;t shift around too much after his vent opened. Lucky for him, it looks like those testicular truck tires doubled in size. But as long as they stay back behind his intestines, they can get as big as they want. There&rsquo;s a web of blood vessels snaking up to his dorsal fin, which helps keep them cool and fertile no matter the size.<br /><br />Not that it matters since we aren&rsquo;t in the breeding business&hellip;and I don&rsquo;t think Kosey even swings that way.<br /><br />Between the ultrasounds and live recordings, I&rsquo;m glad we caught this all on tape. We&rsquo;ve only seen genital transformations happen once before, to very mixed results. Samuel erased those old videos for a reason.<br /><br />Rest in Peace, Subject 13.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_LIMA//<br /><br /></strong>I found Kosey propped up on the edge of the tank platform, his head resting on his arms. He is now confined to the water since his body weight has grown too much to bear, and the exhaustion of constant swimming was clearly taking its toll.<br /><br />&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to be sedated for a few days as they continue your progress. I&rsquo;m not privy to the details.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It cannot be worse than today, Sir Al-Haidi,&rdquo; he said with a grimace. His voice was raw from near-constant squealing throughout the afternoon. I believe the shape of his vocal cords is modulating as well.<br /><br />&ldquo;Do you want me to take care of you&hellip;before you go under?&rdquo;<br /><br />He looked at me with hesitation. I think he wonders if our friendship is simply a job requirement or if there is something greater to our actions.<br /><br />Funny how I find myself writing &ldquo;friendship&rdquo; here.<br /><br />He made his decision without a word, pulled himself up onto the platform, and rolled over on his side. His legs were starting to atrophy from lack of use, not that they had any chance of moving his massive form.<br /><br />As I took a knee, I came face to face with the new vent that housed his cock. It wasn&rsquo;t immediately clear how I was supposed to address it.<br /><br />My hand graced the slit once over, circling its rim in small soft spirals. A minute passed without much of a response.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sir Al-Hadidi, I think you may need to be, uh&hellip;.more firm than before.&rdquo;<br /><br />That made sense given his new weight class. I was no longer working with the tender frame of a young man. Kosey was nearly three times the height of a human from tail to snout. I couldn&rsquo;t treat him like a junior.<br /><br />I slid my hand into his slit and pressed firmly into his internal walls. Never before have I had my hand inside another man, nor a whale for that matter. In other circumstances, I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;d be so eager.<br /><br />But when I heard Kosey&rsquo;s squealing voice and watched his tail fin twitch, I believed I was doing the right thing.<br /><br />I continued the exploration of his vent, my free hand running along the side of his body and passing over his leg. The webbing between his toes seemed thicker than before, not that I was often looking. <br /><br />All my work, inside and out, finally led to the slow emergence of Kosey&rsquo;s cock. The way it flowed out of his slit looked unnatural, writhing and twisting in some way a human penis never could. Whether it was by his command or not, I couldn&rsquo;t say. I doubt even he knew.<br /><br />But I wrangled his cock regardless, relying on the slippery fluid already present within the vent to lubricate his tapered shaft. My strokes advanced in speed and pressure, taking his previous note into consideration. <br /><br />I worked his rosy length with both hands, and despite my fitness, exhaustion quickly seeped into my arms from the sheer weight and mass of his slithering member.<br /><br />&ldquo;Ah, I am&hellip;I&hellip;&rdquo; A shrill chirp followed his words, and I silently thanked him for his low stamina in these matters.<br /><br />He finished quickly, and I promptly collected a sample per Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s request.<br /><br />&ldquo;Thank you, Sir Al-Hadidi.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Do not say thank you, Kosey. It feels&hellip;well&hellip;&rdquo; I couldn&rsquo;t find the right word at the time. <br /><br />The word was <em>transactional</em>.<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course. I&rsquo;m sorry.&rdquo;<br /><br />I wiped my hands on my slacks and turned away. &ldquo;Good night, Kosey. I will pray for you.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You as well, Sir Al-Hadidi.&rdquo;<br /><br />Before Kosey slid back into the water, I turned around and stared into his obsidian eyes. The soft haze of sexual ecstasy still lingered in their shimmering lenses. I felt drawn to them.<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey. You may call me Rashad. Just when it is the two of us.&rdquo;<br /><br />I should not have shared that information. It is as sensitive to me as the secrets he holds of the Heart, secrets that I still have yet to steal away.<br /><br />But he let out a soft click, perhaps unintentionally, and smiled.<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes. I would like that, Rashad.&rdquo;<br /><br />I returned to my room promptly and still wonder what our connection is. A transaction predicated on a job, which is predicated on deception. Even as I read back my words, I feel there are details I did not mean to capture. But I cannot bring myself to erase them.<br /><br />Please note, I will not be taking any more undercover missions in the future. I do not have the stamina.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT J]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 2.8 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 500 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LENGTH: 4.1 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 40%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Subject 23 has been sedated. Tank water has been infused with gel concentrate.<br /><br />This incubation period shall continue for 10-12 days as the legs and pelvis deteriorate. We will monitor for signs of shock and cardiac arrest.<br /><br />Dr. Bromer is observing the tank tonight. He does not seem interested in much else.<br /><br />I suspect we will be down one player for poker night.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_MIKE//<br /><br /></strong>It has been three days since Kosey fell asleep. The lab is eerily quiet at this time. Everyone watches him with nervous eyes.<br /><br />I came to view the tank after dark. Most of the staff should&rsquo;ve been asleep by then, but Dr. Bromer was standing by the glass, eyes locked on Kosey&rsquo;s body floating along the surface. The water glowed a deep purple like some witch&rsquo;s brew.<br /><br />In just seventy-two hours, Kosey&rsquo;s legs have already started to recede. His feet look more like stumps than anything worth walking on. Not that he&rsquo;s walked on them in some time.<br /><br />&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really something, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; the doctor asked. A question posed to himself, not me, I believe.<br /><br />&ldquo;He is more than your lab pet. Do you understand that?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;He&rsquo;s whatever I need him to be.&rdquo;<br /><br />I examined Kosey through the observation window. He&rsquo;d grown so much since we had first met. The mass of his tail jutted out behind him as though his legs had been swallowed by a whale. It dwarfed his upper body, but this would not last. The bulging blubber around his waist made the transition from tail to torso almost seamless. Only his arms and chest appeared relatively human.<br /><br />If not for the snout plastered on his face, I&rsquo;d think he resembled a merman of myth. Or, perhaps a vengeful siren luring sailors into the deep.<br /><br />&ldquo;What do you intend to do with him when you&rsquo;re finished?&rdquo; <br /><br />&ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;ll have to change him back to a humanoid form before taking him to market. There&rsquo;s no point in trying to sell an orca as is.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Are you truly able to turn him back?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yeah, and I don&rsquo;t need another person doubting my abilities, thanks.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It is just surprising given the cruelty you inflict upon him.<br /><br />He scoffed at my critique. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have you know, we&rsquo;ve bent over backward to keep him alive and well. This isn&rsquo;t some SAW movie I&rsquo;m recreating.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You have enough corpses to warrant one. Twenty-two and counting.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Who told you about that?&rdquo; He turned to me, tensing his jaw. I shouldn&rsquo;t tip my hand so carelessly, but his reaction was nonetheless satisfying.<br /><br />&ldquo;Your staff enjoys their gossip,&rdquo; I lied. A look of skepticism crossed his face, but he dropped the issue and soon took his leave. His boots stomped off like a child sent to his room.<br /><br />&ldquo;Laugh while you can, buddy. This is all gonna work out. Everything&rsquo;s coming up Neil!&rdquo;<br /><br />The doctor&rsquo;s footsteps faded, and I stayed with Kosey well into the night.<br /><br />I hope you are right, doctor. Truly.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT K]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>HEIGHT: 3.6 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 819 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LENGTH: 6.5 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 65%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Nine days of incubation have passed. Subject 23&rsquo;s legs continue to lose mass and definition. Toes have fused entirely into singular units of flesh. Length reduction in femurs is at 89%. Tail gains length and mass by the day.<br /><br />Note: A significant spike in Subject 23&rsquo;s size and weight has occurred. The growth does not seem to have disrupted subject&rsquo;s rest pattern.<br /><br />Vitals remain nominal.<br /><br />Last night, Dr. Bromer fell asleep watching over the tank. I brought him to his chambers myself. His back bothers him whenever he sleeps on hard chairs and tables, a bad habit he has possessed since graduate school. <br /><br />Perhaps I can engineer a brace for such matters.<br /><br />------<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_NOVEMBER//<br /><br /></strong>Kosey has survived the incubation.<br /><br />While Dr. Bromer and his staff cheer for a successful benchmark, I am comforting the young man&rsquo;s phantom pains.<br /><br />Perhaps his survival alone is worth celebrating.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 34<br /><br /></strong></span>Imagine waking up to find your legs are missing. It&rsquo;s a horrible thought, is it not? The image sparks ideas of combat and war. Some elders in my village have paid such a price for that valor.<br /><br />I have not earned such honor or sacrifice, but still I am missing a pair of limbs. All I possess is a gigantic tail fin where my hips once were. It feels like I am shaking my rear when I move through the water. So embarrassing.<br /><br />My heart aches.<br /><br />I have asked Rashad to stay with me this evening.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 25th<br /><br /></strong></em>Goddamn that brother of mine.<br /><br />We were in the middle of improving Kosey&rsquo;s echolocation, aka throwing beach balls at him and seeing if he can dodge them in the dark. It&rsquo;s very fun, honestly.<br /><br />When who else but Jonas lands his stupid chopper right next to mine. On a one-body helipad! He nearly clipped off my propeller.<br /><br />&ldquo;Hi, Neil!&rdquo; he announced himself, trotting in like a showhorse. &ldquo;Wow, so this is the new lab! You&rsquo;ve really upgraded.&rdquo;<br /><br />Two things stuck out to me as Jonas and his &ldquo;lab partner&rdquo; hopped off the elevator. Number one, he must&rsquo;ve come right from volleyball practice because his sports jersey smelled totally rank.<br /><br />Number two, his friend was missing his scales. And tail. <em>Everything</em>.<br /><br />&ldquo;Your friend looks more fleshy than last time,&rdquo; I said with impeccable restraint.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh yeah, he can just change back and forth now. Pretty cool, right?&rdquo;<br /><br />Yeah, so <em>fucking</em> cool&hellip;<br /><br />The two brats scampered over to the tank where Kosey was floating. If the half-orca had any snide remarks about our familial feud, he kept them to himself. Smart move.<br /><br />&ldquo;Wow, you&rsquo;re really going for it, huh?&rdquo; Jonas said, feigning amazement as he bent over and peered through the glass. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s gotta be mostly animal by now!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Are you here just to gawk, Jonas?<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, yeah. I came to tell you that Mom and Dad are renovating the dining room, so we won&rsquo;t be having dinner at home next week. They want to know if you could host.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And this couldn&rsquo;t have been a text?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t give me your new number.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course I wouldn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; I muttered. &ldquo;And why couldn&rsquo;t Mother and Father tell me this directly?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t give <em>them </em>your number.&rdquo;<br /><br />Goddamnit.<br /><br />I sighed. &ldquo;Yes, fine. Now get out.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sure, sure.&rdquo; He turned on his heel and scurried off like a coward. &ldquo;This might be a good thing. Now you don&rsquo;t have to wheel this tank into the house.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I had a tank ready, Jonas.&rdquo;<br /><br />Samuel probably could&rsquo;ve put it on wheels. I think.<br /><br />Jonas and his dumb fleshy friend hopped back in the elevator while I stood there absolutely <em>seething</em>. <br /><br />Did Jonas seriously figure out transformative reversion in less than a month? Was that his sole reason for being here, to rub another great achievement in my face? The audacity to waltz into my lab just to insult me!<br /><br />His chipper words dripped with sarcasm, same as always, and I know he&rsquo;s plotting something for next month. I&rsquo;d send someone to spy on him if I had the manpower to spare.<br /><br />But at least now we have the home-field advantage. Preparations have already begun. If I&rsquo;m hosting dinner, things are going to go my way. Finally.<br /><br />Everything&rsquo;s coming up Neil!<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 35<br /><br /></strong></span>BY THE GRACE OF HAJE!<br /><br />A MIRACLE! <br /><br />Finally, fortune favors me. Proof I am not forsaken.<br /><br />I will not even dare to write it here, even when no one is reading.<br /><br />I pray to my ancestors that this is the boon I&rsquo;ve been waiting for.<br /><br />This is the wave I must ride.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_OSCAR//<br /><br /></strong>When Kosey summoned for me, I never expected such news as this.<br /><br />The Heart of Haje has been found. It was here in the lab, just hours ago.<br /><br />Impossible, I thought. He couldn&rsquo;t be talking about the Heart. And yet&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;Neil&rsquo;s brother. He wore it on a chain beneath his shirt. I saw it as he looked into the water.&rdquo;<br /><br />I hadn&rsquo;t realized how small this gem was.<br /><br />&ldquo;I see. Have you told Dr. Bromer?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No, but he shouldn&rsquo;t know! I have to retrieve the Heart. I do not trust it in either of their hands.&rdquo;<br /><br />I shared the sentiment, but&hellip; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not exactly in a position to reclaim it yourself, Kosey. I will take it from them.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Would you do that for me? Steal the Heart from the brother?&rdquo;<br /><br /><em>For</em> him? I cannot say that for certain.<br /><br />&ldquo;I do not believe we&rsquo;ll need to steal it at all. Dr. Bromer will give it to us of his own will.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;That seems unlikely, Rashad. You may be handing him --&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I can trade with him,&rdquo; I said, kneeling down to his level. &ldquo;But I need to know first. How do you nullify its power?&rdquo;<br /><br />He was taken back by the question. I knew I was tipping my hand again, but this would be my ace. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry. It is forbidden of me to reveal that knowledge.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey, I am going to get the Heart away from the Bromer family, and I&rsquo;m going to see you through this. But I need to know what I am up against. I cannot do this without you.&rdquo;<br /><br />Our eyes met, and I tried to find his intention in the black pit of his iris. He searched mine for understanding, any trace of deception. But he couldn&rsquo;t find any. I did not lie in what I said. The Bromer Family will not have the Heart.<br /><br />So, after much consideration, Kosey told me the secrets of the Heart of Haje. And I will tell Dr. Bromer.<br /><br />And we will all get what we want.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 26th<br /><br /></strong></em>You son of a bitch.<br /><br />Just when I thought you couldn&rsquo;t go any lower.<br /><br />I knew you were a brat, Jonas. But I never thought you were a cheat.<br /><br />&ldquo;Fuck!&rdquo; I downed my shot of vodka and immediately had Samuel pour me another. <br /><br />Al-Hadidi leaned back against the break room bar top, sipping his beer as if he didn&rsquo;t just drop a bombshell on my ass. &ldquo;Do we have a deal or not, doctor?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And you&rsquo;re sure? Totally, completely sure?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Kosey saw it himself.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Should we really trust the words of a test subject, Dr. Bromer? Or those of an outsider.&rdquo; Samuel searched for any bullshit in Al-Hadidi&rsquo;s stony face, but he came up as empty as I did.<br /><br />&ldquo;You&rsquo;re free to ignore my words and proceed as planned. Simply allow your brother &ndash;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mention him again. Just don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;<br /><br />That stony bastard nearly smirked. I saw that, you weasel!<br /><br />&ldquo;Fine. I&rsquo;ll let Kosey go. But he&rsquo;s your responsibility.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And the Heart?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yeah, whatever. Just tell me what we need.&rdquo;<br /><br />Al-Hadidi set down his glass, thoroughly satisfied, I&rsquo;m sure. &ldquo;I will coordinate with your staff. No need to worry.&rdquo; Then he sauntered out, suit jacket slung over his shoulder like some gangster from the &lsquo;20s. So obnoxious.<br /><br />Samuel ran the empty mug under the water and waited for the room to clear.<br /><br />&ldquo;Are you truly willing to surrender Subject 23, Dr. Bromer?&rdquo;<br /><br />I took another shot then tapped the bar. &ldquo;If it&rsquo;d send Jonas running with his tail between his legs, I&rsquo;d sink this whole place right now.&rdquo;<br /><br />And despite seven shots already down the hatch, that was the truth.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 36<br /><br /></strong></span>The new deal is in motion. As Neil often says &ndash; my fingers are crossed. And I would cross my fingers if not for the thickening skin that grows between them. <br /><br />I do not trust the doctor or his followers. But I trust Rashad and Haje&rsquo;s grace to guide me, so I am enduring the last of these trials to the end. <br /><br />Even eating has become a challenge.<br /><br />They have started to feed me squid. I have never liked squid. I find the look of it disgusting, but once it is in my hands, I can&rsquo;t help but bite down. The sensation of my sharpened teeth tearing off its tentacles gives me some strange kind of joy. But once I have swallowed, my stomach churns. I swear I can feel the tentacles gripping at my throat. <br /><br />I am trying not to think about it too much. <br /><br />I must remain focused on my task. Retrieve the Heart of Haje. For the sake of my village, and for the blessing of Haje himself.<br /><br />I must not lose myself.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 27th<br /><br /></strong></em>We&rsquo;re in the endgame. Fourth quarter, no overtime.<br /><br />In this final series of radiation targeting, we&rsquo;ll fully reform Kosey&rsquo;s torso into that of an orca. His head will be the last thing to go.<br /><br />The masculine definition of his shoulders and upper back is slowly vanishing under all the blubber, rounding him out like a crescent moon. Nine meals a day will do that to a guy. It sucks to see all those days at the gym go to waste, but science giveth and science taketh away.<br /><br />Meanwhile, some other staff members are making some perpetrations for the dinner itself. A few &ldquo;necessities&rdquo; that Kosey and Al-Hadidi require.<br /><br />One so-called necessity was a book, which the kid called reference material for this whole plan.<br /><br /><em>Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #8<br /><br /></em>I think he&rsquo;s talking out his ass, but I&rsquo;ll let him have it in exchange for helping to kick my brother&rsquo;s.<br /><br />My brother&rsquo;s ass, that is.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 37<br /><br /></strong></span>It is a strange feeling as my hands vanish before my eyes. The webbing between my fingers grows thicker, climbing up onto the tops of the digits and compressing them into one plank. It&rsquo;s harder to move them individually, not that there is any reason to. My days are spent floating about, chasing balls or finding fish in the dark. I feel like a pet, performing tricks for entertainment. Perhaps that is why they&rsquo;ve placed chairs around my tank.<br /><br />Today, the doctors injected more fluid into my hands, but I barely notice the needle pricks, only the swelling pressure that starts soon after. The bones in my fingers crackle as they swell, losing the little definition and dexterity they have left. It does not hurt as much as it used to, but that may be my mind blocking the sensations.<br /><br />The thickness of my hands does help me swim faster, like two boat oars at my side, but most of my speed comes from the swishing of my tail. It feels more natural since my slumber, as uncomfortable as that is to say.<br /><br />I am counting the days as much as Neil is.<br /><br />And I&rsquo;m reading to pass the time, while I still have the ability to turn pages. Sometimes Rashad helps when my arms are too sore to move. The comic books, I&rsquo;ve said, are part of the plan to retrieve the Heart, but I did not explain further.<br /><br />It is not entirely a lie. I have always found strength in the pages. And I must be strong in the days to come.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_PAPA//<br /><br /></strong>&ldquo;This one is my favorite,&rdquo; Kosey said as he pointed his flipper-like hand at the comic cover. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s more than just Spider-Man, but this is when you first see the Symbiote.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Symbiote?&rdquo; I asked. &ldquo;What is that?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It is a black alien that takes over the victim&rsquo;s body and turns them into a monster. Have you never read these? Or watched the American films?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t find time for things like this.&rdquo; Truly, the last decade of my life has been dedicated to work. I haven&rsquo;t stepped foot in a theater in years.<br /><br />&ldquo;You&rsquo;re a busy man, Rashad. Do you translate for many people?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sometimes,&rdquo; I said, omitting how often I decode government radio channels and foreign ciphers.<br /><br />&ldquo;You should take time for yourself after we are finished. I can&rsquo;t imagine this is an easy role to play.&rdquo;<br /><br />&nbsp;&ldquo;It is nothing compared to your ordeal, Kosey. I am sorry that I have taken part in it.&rdquo; A sympathetic smile escaped my restraint. Never did I imagine such a young man would be entangled in this operation. It was not our intention.<br /><br />His webbed hand rested upon my arm. &ldquo;Do not apologize. You are helping me in so many ways you cannot know. I will be forever grateful.&rdquo;<br /><br />A tug came at my chest like an anchor tied itself to the lowest chamber and began pulling me towards him, my lips parting a red sea.<br /><br />I stopped myself before he could notice. Before I could cross another line.<br /><br />I rested a hand on his snout and let it be. <br /><br />I do not deserve his embrace.<br /><br />We should not have placed him in the hands of Dr. Bromer. His humanity is the cost of our silent intervention. Will our capture of the Heart be worth all of his suffering?<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 28th <br /><br /></strong></em>The human brain is like an angry Redditor. Sensitive. Volatile. Even I know not to prod it too much. To change it both physically and mentally, you need to lure it into a false sense of security.<br /><br />That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve surrounded Kosey&rsquo;s tank with LED screens and angled a projector up to the dome ceiling. A constant feed of &ldquo;Ocean Scenery and Ambiance [4K UHD VIDEO] No Ads&rdquo; loops around him to stroke latent instincts and acclimate him to ocean life. Psychology isn&rsquo;t my field, so this procedure came directly from the team. I have to trust their methods.<br /><br />If we aren&rsquo;t careful at this stage, Kosey could end up with any number of animal psychoses, from DID, to mania, to rabies-like hysteria. And even if we revert him to his human form&hellip;there&rsquo;s no coming back from that last one.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Subjects 14 through 22.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>Journal Entry 27<br /><br /></strong></em>Rashad&rsquo;s presence helps to keep me grounded. When I am alone, I feel like I am trapped in a waking dream. There is endless ocean on every side of me, even if I am locked in a tank. I know this, but the horizon feels so real and so close.<br /><br />With all the distraction, I barely noticed the heat erupting in my ribs today. My chest was expanding, and I could even hear the crackling of bones and blubber as they swelled inside me, pressing visibly against my skin and bending my body further into a black barrel shape. Fat flowed around muscle. The pressure grew around my heart as it pounded faster and faster. But I wasn&rsquo;t as frightened as I should have been.<br /><br />The view is so calming. Hypnotic.<br /><br />I wish the doctors had performed this trick from the beginning.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 29th<br /><br /></strong></em>Kosey was surprisingly docile this morning. I think the simulation setup is working better than expected. If we knew it&rsquo;d be so effective, we probably would&rsquo;ve hired a hypnotherapist weeks ago. But hey, <em>c&#039;est la vie</em>.<br /><br />Moving on from his hands and chest, we gave him some fresh injections around the shoulders today. Even under the blubber, we can see how the bones and muscles shift around, swelling and compacting into simplified bulks.<br /><br />His arms waded in the water until they started flapping like a landing bird. They&rsquo;re going to be perfect fins in no time. <br /><br />Which is great, because there&rsquo;s really no time left.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Journal Entry 38<br /><br /></strong></span>I feel like I am floating more and more. Drifting out to sea.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m not in full control of myself at the moment, so I am putting my faith in Haje that Neil will honor our agreement. <br /><br />He is a strange man, and I still cannot understand his motives. But a promise is an oath in my village, and Haje&rsquo;s grace shall forgive those who uphold their word.<br /><br />Whether I can forgive him is another question.<br /><br />But I believe in Haje&rsquo;s grace.<br /><br />So I believe in Neil&rsquo;s word.<br /><br />And should all that fail, should my faith be betrayed, I believe in Rashad.<br /><br />He will know what to do when the time comes.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>November 30th<br /><br /></strong></em>We hooked Kosey up to his last IV and started transfusing mutagen for about an hour. In those sixty minutes, we all sat and watched his arms grow stubby while his hands compensated for the loss.<br /><br />The sounds of his arm muscles stretching like rubber, twisting up in new strands that were optimized for buoyancy. The collapsing crunches as his radius and ulna condensed into blocky squares. Despite the messy crackling and bubbling below the surface, Kosey seemed unbothered by it all. Maybe the ocean videos did the trick. Or maybe he just knew that our sprint was reaching its end. <br /><br />Those thick sheets of webbing between his fingers finally swallowed the digits, raveling around them until the distinctions disappeared. Left behind were simple black paddles, flat and wide. Both were still growing as his thick phalanges lengthened within.<br /><br />What remained of his arm shapes pulled in closer towards his shoulder blades, which were already drowning beneath layers of blubber. Once his scapulae shifted to the sides of his body and fused to his devolving hands, Kosey had finally run out of limbs. He had two pectoral fins and a long-ass tail. Nothing more, nothing less.<br /><br />All we had left to do was complete his skull. But that will come tomorrow.<br /><br />Tomorrow is the last dinner party.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I rewrite the human genome and make history and rub it all in my brother&rsquo;s snot-nosed face.<br /><br />Tonight, we drink.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>[PHYSICAL EXAM REPORT L]</strong><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;HEIGHT: 3.72 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;WEIGHT: 1042 kg<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;LENGTH: 7.14 m<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;CURRENT FERAL STATUS: 99%<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;DNA QUOTIENT: Orca 99.98% / Human .02%<br /><br /><em>DIAGNOSTIC:<br /><br /></em>Per Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s request, .02% of the human gene strand remains in Subject 23 to support genetic reversion. Whether such a feat is possible remains to be seen. However, Dr. Bromer is never one to shy away from a challenge.<br /><br />All vitals appear nominal for a young orca. As expected, Subject 23 remains on the lower end of the weight and size scale, more akin to a maturing female calf than a fully adult male. This will have to suffice. It is worth exploring in future studies what human features may influence the outcomes of subject transitions.<br /><br />Subject 23 is resting in preparation for the event.<br /><br />Dr. Bromer has made history with Project Oasis.<br /><br />Tomorrow, he will surely write another chapter.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>December 1st<br /><br /></strong></em>In the summer before 10th grade, I went back to theatre camp. Told my parents I was interning at JPL &ndash; which I did, but only on Fridays. At first, I wasn&rsquo;t sure if it was worth going back. That girl I liked had moved away three years ago, and Samuel was working that summer at McDonald&rsquo;s. So, I was flying solo.<br /><br />What I learned that summer was how to work a smoke machine. And that I look damn good in a cape.<br /><br />So when Mother and Father and the two little babies strolled into the lab, peering through an amethyst haze of fog and neon lights, while I flew down on a wire rig like Peter Fucking Pan, I knew it was a summer well spent.<br /><br />&ldquo;Good evening!&rdquo; I declared with gusto, slinging my cape open to reveal a sexy mauve tuxedo. &ldquo;Welcome to Bromer Labs. Tonight we stand on the bleeding edge of scientific discovery!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie, can this wait until after dinner?&rdquo; Mother asked. &ldquo;Your father needs to eat with his medication.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fine, Shirley. He&rsquo;s already started.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Unfortunately, dinner will have to wait as we change the course of human history.&rdquo;<br /><br />I glided past the tank windows, which we hid behind a row of violet curtains three shades darker than my suit. With a wave of my hand, my team rose from the smoke <em>Thriller</em>-style and took hold of the fabric. Even Al-Hadidi volunteered, and for once, he didn&rsquo;t charge me a fin and a leg.<br /><br />&ldquo;Imagine you are a government power in the middle of a new Cold War. When all your intelligence tactics fail, your ace in the hole will be a secret underwater agent, a trained spy hidden among a school of sea life. The art of espionage has been forever transformed!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, like a secret agent!&rdquo; Mother gleamed. &ldquo;Is that your costume, sweetie? Double-O Neil!&rdquo;<br /><br />I ignored the question by gnawing at my cheek. &ldquo;In just one month, we have transformed a hybrid soldier into an imperceptible asset. And tonight, we complete the evolution.&rdquo; While I distracted everyone, Samuel hid up on the tank platform and shot the last injection into Kosey&rsquo;s jaws. Apparently, the kid didn&rsquo;t resist one bit.<br /><br />&ldquo;Behold the final act of Project Oasis!&rdquo;<br /><br />Kosey dipped back into the water just in time for us to drop the curtains. His coal-button eyes peered through the window at my awestruck family, and even I was astounded by the view. Aside from his half-humanish head and neck, he was as orca as you can possibly get.<br /><br />There&rsquo;s something elegant about whales. It&rsquo;s why people stare at them all the time. Unlike the messy gaps and segments of the human body, an orca&rsquo;s shape is seamlessly round and singular. Agile. Powerful. Perfect.<br /><br />Kosey was the perfect subject after all.<br /><br />His body began to warble in the water, fins shaking up and down like the flailing arms they once were. What little range of motion remained in his neck began to shrink, his twisting chin growing stiffer as the seconds ticked by. His throat expanded, even as it got absorbed into the trunk of his body. Then blubber started filling in the remaining spots that once silhouetted his skull, closing every angular gap until his body became a complete crescent shape, streamlined from the edge of his flukes to the tip of his short little beak.<br /><br />It wouldn&rsquo;t stay short for long though.<br /><br />The blunt snout he&rsquo;d grown over the last few weeks was nothing compared to the real thing. Kosey&rsquo;s face bubbled and pulsated like a boiling pot, the bones beneath it elongating into a pure, bestial shape. His eyes migrated further up on his and swelled to the size of tennis balls. Two black neutron stars floating behind glass.<br /><br />The orca&rsquo;s bulbous forehead widened with his expanding skull, hiding the fatty melon that had bloomed in between his eyes. It was smooth and sleek &ndash; not obtuse like those hideous belugas. A perfect mathematical curve sloped from his upper lip all the way back to his blowhole. It only grew more refined as his primordial snout took its final shape.<br /><br />Kosey&rsquo;s facial restructuring went smoothly until the last growth spurt. Then he started flailing as the upper and lower jaws raced for the finish line in a neck-and-neck marathon. Bubbles scattered as he squealed and gasped underwater, but he did his best to stay in view of the window. That was what we agreed upon. <br /><br />His teeth bared as his skull pushed out further and further, stretching the black and white skin to its physical limit. A dash of blood seeped into the water as more bony arrows shot up through his gums. When the distinction of his head began to fade beneath all the blubber and bony mass, the race was nearly won.<br /><br />With a final sharp snap so strong we could hear it thump behind the glass, Kosey&rsquo;s swollen jaws locked into a perfectly cetacean snout. His gaping mouth twitched then slammed shut hard, swallowing all the noise behind a row of carnivorous fangs. The human male was gone. All that remained was a perfect beast of my design. Not God&rsquo;s. Not Jonas&rsquo;. <br /><br />Mine.<br /><br />A windy whistle swept through the lab as Kosey rocketed up and breached the water&rsquo;s surface, erupting with his first blowhole spout as a full-fledged orca. He sailed along the rim of the tank as his tail fin slammed down into the water, sending a Titanic wave over the edge and showering us with a monsoon that would put SeaWorld to shame. Apparently, he follows directions better as an animal than a human.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh sweetie, you could&rsquo;ve warned us about the splash zone,&rdquo; Mother laughed, shaking out the soaked skirt clinging to her legs.<br /><br />Sure, but why ruin the surprise? <br /><br />&ldquo;Wow, that&rsquo;s amazing, bro!&rdquo; Jonas squawked. I didn&rsquo;t ask for his opinion, and yet he just had to pitch in, still clapping like an amused baby.<br /><br />But I was ready to wipe the smile off his oily little face.<br /><br />My hand gripped his shoulder. &ldquo;Incredible, right? But I&rsquo;m sure it&rsquo;s <em>nothing </em>compared to your subject, Jonas. Care to demonstrate?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Me?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;ve shown you a complete transformation. I&rsquo;m sure you can do the same?&rdquo; I pointed at his lab partner, who looked very preoccupied with some juvenile mobile game.<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, I just&hellip;he just needs to be like a snake guy for our project. I wasn&rsquo;t going to --&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Really? For the first time, you&rsquo;re not going to upstage me? You don&rsquo;t have any aces hidden in that hoodie of yours?&rdquo; I scanned his neckline, where that same chain clung to his skin and sneaked away beneath his hoodie. I had no idea why he was hesitating. Now was not the time!<br /><br />&ldquo;Upstage you? I never --&ldquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Never! Of course, that&rsquo;s always your line. You <em>never</em> tried to be a prodigy. You <em>never</em> meant to steal my ideas. Never, never, never.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie, have you eaten today? You always get worked up when you skip meals.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I am worked up, <em>Mother</em>, because Jonas is a lying little cheater!&rdquo; My voice bounced off the dome ceiling. I was firmly out of patience. We had a whole plan prepared, a brilliant one I might add, and all Jonas had to do was activate the Heart&rsquo;s power.<br /><br />But <em>this </em>was the moment he decided to restrain himself and stonewall me and make me look insane? I wouldn&rsquo;t stand for that.<br /><br />I pulled at his collar, reached inside, and lifted the necklace high like the slain head of Medusa. &ldquo;I know your secret, Jonas. This is the Heart of Haje!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No, it&rsquo;s not! It&rsquo;s just&hellip;I got this from Hot Topic!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You <em>stole </em>it from the family vault. This stone has the power to transform anyone into a beast in the form of Haje, god of the serpent.&rdquo; I glared at Jonas&rsquo; classmate again, who hid behind his phone and clearly didn&rsquo;t want to be involved in the drama. &ldquo;Ironic because that is exactly what you are, brother. A <em>snake</em>.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mother came between us, inspecting the gem as its glistening red edges reflected in her eyes. Jonas blushed. His hands dug deep into his hoodie pockets while I towered over him in triumph. <br /><br />Checkmate.<br /><br />&ldquo;Jonas Neil Bromer! What have I told you about taking things from the vault without asking? The staff has been looking for this for weeks.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, Jonas. It begs the question, how many times have you cheated in your academic career?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Bro, c&rsquo;mon.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve thrown your entire legacy into question, and for what? To fuck me over one more time? The hundredth victory wasn&rsquo;t enough for you? Well, good luck getting a license from the Scientific Review Board. I won&rsquo;t be endorsing you!&rdquo;<br /><br />Then my goading <em>finally</em> hit its mark, and Jonas stomped his foot like a child in a toy store.<br /><br />&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t even <em>want</em> to be a scientist, Neil!&rdquo;<br /><br />I scoffed. &ldquo;Really? That&rsquo;s why you always enter your school science fair with <em>my </em>ideas?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh my God, bro, are you still mad about that? We were in junior high!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And you haven&rsquo;t apologized since for ripping me off!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie, can we please just set the table? It&rsquo;s well past dinner time and --&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s dinner, <em>Mom. </em>Why do you I&rsquo;m doing any of this?&rdquo; I redirected my rage at my tyke in front of me. &ldquo;Just admit it, Jonas. You think I&rsquo;m incapable of doing anything so you just pluck my ideas like tomatoes and throw them in my face. Because you don&rsquo;t respect me!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No, Neil! I want you to respect <em>me</em>!&rdquo; He bit into his lip, shoving his hands back into his pockets. &ldquo;I just&hellip;I just want you to <em>like</em> me, okay?&rdquo;<br /><br />My spit literally gagged me. Nothing was coming out. Eons later, I managed to sputter, &ldquo;Well, who says I don&rsquo;t?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Dude, really? I see how you roll your eyes at me all the time. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you. I know I&rsquo;m not a super genius. I&rsquo;m not coming up with these amazing plans to make fish people!&rdquo;<br /><br /><em>Orca</em>. But I held my tongue.<br /><br />&ldquo;I just wish for once, you&rsquo;d be a little proud of me for doing something right. And maybe it&rsquo;s cheating or whatever, but this thing is powerful.&rdquo; He clutched the stone tight, and a faint glow flickered in his hand. &ldquo;If you really want to see a snake, I&rsquo;ll make one. For you.&rdquo;<br /><br />His classmate, whatever his name was, finally put the phone down. &ldquo;Dude, that&rsquo;s not what we agreed on! I need my arms for shit!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t bother, kids.&rdquo; I snapped my fingers, and the staff killed the smoke machines. As the heavy fog settled at our feet, a semi-circle of rolling chalkboards appeared around the room, surrounding us and half of the tank enclosure.<br /><br />Carved into each one was a set of runes, carefully drawn to Kosey&rsquo;s specifications, that could nullify the Heart of Haje&rsquo;s power.<br /><br />But that was my mistake&hellip;<br /><br />Listening to fucking teenagers.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><strong>//#ENTRY_DECRYPTION_QUEBEC//<br /><br /></strong>The following is my final report on the operation, unfiltered to the best of my ability:<br /><br />I believe an error was made when inscribing the negation runes. Perhaps I should have double-checked the lab assistants&rsquo; hurried scribbles. Or maybe I copied them incorrectly from Kosey&rsquo;s drawings.<br /><br />Regardless, the stone did not transform the boy into a cobra. It did nothing of the sort.<br /><br />As the Heart&rsquo;s power boiled the air with a white-hot glow, the walls began to crumple as though made of tin foil. The floor twisted itself into grooves and valleys, coiling like snakes desperate for a meal. Creaking metal soured the room, and everything began to shake amid an underwater quake.<br /><br />We could feel it. A slow, terrible decent.<br /><br />The doctor&rsquo;s lab began to sink.<br /><br />I covered my ears as a shrill siren screeched from above. &ldquo;<em>Level Four has exceeded nominal depth measurements. All staff please report to the evacuation pods.&rdquo;</em><br /><br />&ldquo;Jonas!&rdquo; the doctor yelled as he took his brother by the collar. &ldquo;What the fuck did you do?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I-I don&rsquo;t know! It was working before!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;See? This is what happens when you try to copy my homework, you cheater!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Neil, this sounds serious,&rdquo; his father asserted. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not worry about the science fair right now.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about the goddamn science fair!&rdquo; Dr. Bromer snapped. &ldquo;He ruined my presentation again! He does this every dinner, and that&rsquo;s why I never fucking win with you two!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Kiddo, what are you talking about?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Every month!&rdquo; Dr. Bromer stomped his foot like a toddler in a toy aisle. &ldquo;We always go through the same goddamn thing! I present my amazing work, you and Mother look at it for five seconds, then you parade Jonas around like he&rsquo;s the second coming of Christ!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sweetie, is that what you think we&rsquo;re doing?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s what <em>I&rsquo;m</em> doing! Why else would I step away from my work and fly all the way to Sweden every month for a goddamn dinner?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Because we&rsquo;re a family, Neil&hellip;&rdquo; <br /><br />The doctor&rsquo;s grimace twisted into confusion. As I helped his staff exit through the lingering fog, I kept a close eye on Dr. Bromer and his family. And the pulsating jewel around Jonas&rsquo; neck. <br /><br />His father marched forward, nearly tripping on the twisted floor tiles. &ldquo;Son, I don&rsquo;t know who you&rsquo;re trying to impress. We&rsquo;re not scientists. We don&rsquo;t understand how any of this works. We never have.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;But we&rsquo;re always glad to hear about your work, sweetie.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Do you remember how you used to hide away in the basement for hours working on your projects? If we didn&rsquo;t drag your ass out for dinner, you just wouldn&rsquo;t eat!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t count how many times you fell asleep at your worktable,&rdquo; his wife said.<br /><br />&ldquo;But then you&rsquo;d come up with some amazing gadget, and you were so gosh darn happy.&rdquo; Mr. Bromer put a hand on his eldest&rsquo;s shoulder. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very glad that this makes you happy. But you can&rsquo;t just lock yourself in your lab like some supervillain, and then we don&rsquo;t see you all year.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;m not! I&rsquo;m doing that. That&rsquo;s ridiculous!&rdquo;<br /><br />But as the walls of the lab continued to warp, bending into serpentine curves, the reality of the situation sank in. Water was seeping through the cracks. <br /><br />Neil looked around at the growing flood, his lips pursed in begrudging submission. It was the moment that I myself realized the circumstances of the family&rsquo;s ritual. <br /><br />Dinner was simply dinner, and Neil Bromer was only ever competing with himself.<br /><br />&ldquo;Maybe you were right, Shirley,&rdquo; his father sighed. &ldquo;We should&rsquo;ve kept work away from the table.&rdquo;<br /><br />The younger son rocked back and forth on his heels. &ldquo;Look, I&rsquo;m sorry I used your idea for my project, Neil. Twice. I thought I could be like you, but I&rsquo;m not.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Why would you want to be? Mother and Father praise you all the time.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just trying to encourage him, sweetie. He&rsquo;s still figuring things out.&rdquo;<br /><br />His father laughed. &ldquo;Sound familiar, Mr. Theatre Camp?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always known you could do amazing things. But we never knew you felt unappreciated. We&rsquo;re sorry.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Sorry, son.&rdquo;<br /><br />Neil stood quietly for a moment, perhaps having some internal debate I was not privy to. I couldn&rsquo;t care less about his revelation or lack thereof.<br /><br />The lab was on the verge of collapse. The family&rsquo;s timing for reconciliation was absurd and, to be frank, lethal.<br /><br />Once the water level reached our ankles, Neil approached his brother, not quite ready to embrace him, but not as eager to throttle him as before. &ldquo;Jonas, give me the Heart.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I still need it for the science fair&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;C&rsquo;mon, if I never had to cheat, then you definitely don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;<br /><br />After a moment of hesitation, Jonas resigned, unhooked the Heart from his chain, and handed it off to his brother.<br /><br />&ldquo;Al-Hadidi, do you know how to use this thing?&rdquo; The doctor came to me and finally placed it in my hands. <br /><br />A shock ran down my neck.<br /><br />In that moment, I could feel power pulsating from the Heart, its white aura throttled by the runes&rsquo; presence. The energy was beyond what I imagined, what our calculations predicted.<br /><br />The Bromer Family had no concept of the power that the Heart of Haje truly possessed. How its potential exceeded transmogrification. How it could warp reality itself. How it could, in fact, bring the Serpent God Haje into our world.<br /><br />They were sitting on a weapon of apocalyptic scale, and I did not know how to stop it.<br /><br />Only one of us did.<br /><br />I hoped.<br /><br />Stone in hand, I hurried up to the rim of the tank and knelt down by the water&rsquo;s edge. Kosey swam up to me immediately, as if he already knew my plans.<br /><br />&ldquo;I believe this is the wave you were looking for.&rdquo; My comments were poorly timed as the dome ceiling finally sprung a leak. Like a fire hose. I could feel my stomach start to churn from the change in pressure.<br /><br />He responded with a squeal and opened his mouth, in light of his lack of hands. I prayed for him once again.<br /><br />And so, much like the tale of the wooden boy, the Heart of Haje ended up in the stomach of a whale.<br /><br />The tank room accelerated its collapse, and the scattered rain turned into a hurricane. In my heart, I did not want to leave Kosey&rsquo;s side, but if anyone could survive such a deluge, it would be him. He&rsquo;s survived far worse.<br /><br />I ran to the escape pods with the doctor and his company, and we arrived on the surface at 1900 hours. Once we paddled to shore, I made a swift retreat to the extraction point.<br /><br />That was the last I saw of the Heart of Haje. And the Bromers. And Kosey.<br /><br />As you&rsquo;ve gathered from subsequent reports, the doctor&rsquo;s lab did not sink entirely. I suspect Kosey&rsquo;s efforts to negate the Heart were successful. However, I believe the stone was lost in the chaos.<br /><br />You may find my decision to barter with Dr. Bromer suspect, but I assert that it was our best chance to relieve him and his family of the stone. In that regard, my gambit proved successful.<br /><br />I hope that the doctor will uphold his side of the agreement, despite the complications. I can only hope for the best.<br /><br />It is with this swift end that I close my transmission on Operation Indiana. I solemnly swear all the words in this report are accurate to the best of my knowledge.<br /><br />Please forward all messages to [REDACTED]. I will be on leave starting on [REDACTED].<br /><br /><em>#19670 ending transmission.<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Miscellaneous Correspondence &ndash; December 19th<br /><br /></strong></span>Dear whoever is reading this,<br /><br />I&rsquo;m currently staying with family on holiday. My assistant is busy rebuilding our workplace and has no time for solicitors or stalkers.<br /><br />Stop calling me. Stop texting me. Stop trying to get an interview. The next person who shows up at the house is getting turned into a louse. We have nothing to say about the &ldquo;heart of whatever.&rdquo;<br /><br />And don&rsquo;t listen to a word Rashad Al-Hadidi says.<br /><br />He&rsquo;s a big fat liar.<br /><br /><em>~ From the desk of Dr. Neil Bromer ~<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Intercepted Communication &ndash; December 22nd<br /><br /></strong></span>[LAB NOTICE]<br /><br /><span class='underline'>[/b]</span>With the completion of Project Oasis, we will be shifting our focus to synthetic biome development per Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s directive. All staff will be assigned new roles after the holiday.<br /><br />In addition, the break room has been successfully pumped and suffered minimal structural damage. Happy Hour will resume on Thursday.<br /><br /><em>*Samuel Anderson, Interm Research Lead<br /><br /></em>-----<br /><br /><span class='underline'><strong>Miscellaneous Correspondence &ndash; December 24th<br /><br /></strong></span>To Rashad,<br /><br />I know I&rsquo;m not supposed to say it, but thank you. For everything.<br /><br />For your compassion. For your care. And for giving me your <span class='underline'><em>heart</em></span>&hellip;<br /><br />May Haje guide you and bless you. May he forgive Neil for his transgressions, as I hope <em>you</em> will forgive me for <span class='underline'><em>mine</em></span>&hellip;<br /><br />It is my duty as an apprentice to protect my village.<br /><br />I will be as I always was, until we meet again.<br /><br />By Haje&rsquo;s grace,<br /><br />Kosey<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><em><strong>FINAL ASSESSMENT:<br /><br /></strong></em>After extensive review of the enclosed documents, it is the conclusion of this review that Agent #19670 (code: <em>Al-Hadidi</em>) failed to retrieve Item 7 (code: <em>The Heart</em>) in Operation Indiana.<br /><br />However, he is <strong>not</strong> liable for the destruction of Dr. Bromer&rsquo;s laboratory off the coast of Libya. The doctor&rsquo;s reimbursement claims are invalid. Furthermore, Dr. Bromer will be fined $2.3B for unauthorized use of A.I. in his translation services.<br /><br />Infiltration of the Bromer Family Vault has led to key data collection. We will consider this a minor operative success. Agent #19670 will be placed on leave for 30 days before next assignment. Pay will be docked 5% during this period.<br /><br />The location of Item 7 remains unknown.<br /><br /><span class='underline'>Reviewed and filed by: <br /><br /></span>Agent #11 (code: <em>[REDACTED]</em>)<br /><br /><em>Internal Affairs, The Scientific Review Board<br /><br /><div class='align_center'><span class='underline'>THIS CONCLUDES THE REPORT ON <strong>CASE #19670.</strong> </span></div>[/u]</em><br /><br /></span>",
  "pools_count": 1,
  "title": "Guess who's changing for dinner",
  "deleted": "f",
  "public": "t",
  "mimetype": "text/plain",
  "pagecount": "1",
  "rating_id": "2",
  "rating_name": "Adult",
  "ratings": [
    {
      "content_tag_id": "4",
      "name": "Sexual Themes",
      "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal",
      "rating_id": "2"
    }
  ],
  "submission_type_id": "12",
  "type_name": "Writing - Document",
  "guest_block": "t",
  "friends_only": "f",
  "comments_count": "0",
  "views": "119"
}