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It was a cold and damp January morning on the Brendan University campus. Rebecca Stillwater didn’t mind the weather too much. She had done her undergraduate work further up north and was used to freezing temperatures and snow. Rebecca made her way across campus to the Advanced Aquatics Research Laboratories. With the start of the new semester she had been given a job working there as a research assistant. The job both counted towards her doctorate and paid her for her time so the young marine biology student wasn’t going to complain about it. Rebecca stepped into the foyer and pushed back the hood on her jacket. It was her first time in the AARL building, and had to consult the directory before continuing in for her assignment.

There it is, room 105, Student Admissions Office. She nodded to herself and turned left a short distance down the hall and stepped into the room.

“Good morning, can I help you?” A woman said from behind a desk.

“Morning, I was told to come here, I’m starting work today as a student research assistant. My name is Rebecca Stillwater”

***

Dr Justin Demaret was focused on the computer screen on his desk. He had been analyzing his test results since he arrived early that morning. He liked to come in early and leave late rather than deal with the traffic around the university during rush hours. Dr Demaret smiled slightly to himself.

I think this is finally it. After all those setbacks over the summer I'm finally ready to move onto phase two. I’m going to need help though, and a volunteer. With my budget it will probably have to be the same person.

He reached for his mug of tea, which had gone cold hours ago. Dr Demaret sipped the cold tea as he pondered what his next step should be.

Wait…didn’t Denise mention we were getting some new student research assistants? They are usually up for anything that will look good on their CV. Dr Demaret minimized his research and opened up his email client. I guess it’s time to reach out to HR.

***

“Unless you have any further questions, Ms Stillwater, this will be the end of your orientation.”

“My only real question is: who and where I will be working for the semester?”

“HR is still figuring that out, based on requests from our various teams. Hopefully we will have an answer for you after lunch, if not, by the end of the day for sure. Until then, I could always use some help with data entry.”

“At least I won’t be twiddling my thumbs waiting to do something.”

“Meet me back at my office in thirty minutes and we’ll see where we are.”

Not knowing what to expect on her first day, Rebecca hadn’t packed a lunch, however she was sure she could find something in the break room. Seeing as it was just past noon there were plenty of people already enjoying their lunch when she arrived. Rebecca got a cup of instant noodles and a soda from the vending machine for her meal and sat down at a small table by a window to wait while the noodles soaked in the hot water. She was just peeling the top completely off her noodles when someone approached her.

“Excuse me, are you Rebecca Stillwater?” A middle aged man asked.

She paused mid peel. “Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?”

“I surely hope so.” He sat down across from her, placing a microwaved burrito and a bottle of water on the table. “My name is Dr Justin Demaret, one of the researchers here. I put in for a lab tech assistant and I was assigned you. I wanted to meet with you as soon as possible and I heard you were having lunch. I would have offered to buy you lunch, but I can see I’m too late for that.”

“Don’t worry about it, if we’re going to be working together you can buy me lunch tomorrow.” Rebecca smiled as she stirred the instant noodles.

“I suppose I will have the opportunity. I read through your file and it said you are a marine biologist student, working on your doctorate. I’m glad to hear that, sometimes we get students assigned to the lab studying in completely different disciplines.”

“I wasn’t aware that happened, but I suppose lab work is lab work as far as the administration is concerned.”

“Don’t get me started on that topic.” Dr Demaret shook his head, “If you don’t mind me asking, what area of marine biology are you most interested in?”

“It might seem a bit cliche, but I’ve always been interested in sharks, ever since I was a little girl.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, growing up instead of unicorns and puppies it was tiger sharks and great whites on my folders and backpacks.”

Dr Demaret chuckled. “Well as it happens my work involves sharks, so this is a lucky turn of events for the both of us.”

Rebecca couldn't help smiling at the good news.

“After we finish our feast,” he motioned to the questionable vending machine food, “we’ll head to my lab and I’ll get you up to speed.”

***

At first Rebecca felt out of her depth. The research Dr Demaret was involved in was truly at the fringes of science, and possibly ethics as well. Still she couldn’t help but be fascinated and picked up more and more as she worked with Dr Demaret. He didn’t come right out and say what his actual plans were, instead he allowed Rebecca to slowly acclimate to his lines of research. After about a week, however, Dr Demaret realized he was going to have to fully explain and just hope she didn’t take it as some kind of joke or insanity on his part.

He figured the best way to bring it up was over a meal. Dr Demaret invited Rebecca out to lunch off campus. There was a nice Chinese restaurant nearby that was never that busy at lunch and the large booths gave them a bit more privacy than the average restaurant. He waited until their drinks and appetizers had arrived.

“Usually Chinese is just take-out for me.” Rebecca said as she looked around the restaurant.

“This is a special occasion, and I wanted a bit more privacy than the break room.”

“So, what is this about then?”

“The real purpose of my research and what I’m hoping to achieve.”

“What do you mean?” Rebecca had a questioning look, even as she took a bite out of her egg roll.

“I figured if I came right out and said what my ultimate goal was, you would either laugh at me then complain to the directors, or run away from me out of fear and complain to the directors. That was why I showed you what I was working on in bits and pieces so you could see what I was doing had merit and results.”

“I thought it was for my benefit to get up to speed on your project.”

“It did do that too, but it was a side benefit.”

“So, then what is this big secret project that will scare away student lab techs?”

“Do you know what the single biggest hurdle to exploring the sea and its creatures is?”

Rebecca pondered the question as she finished her egg roll. “Hmmm, I would guess the environment itself. We can’t stay underwater indefinitely, whether we are in a submersible or a scuba gear, we need to come back up for air eventually. I’m not even a certified diver yet myself. And that’s not even taking into account the pressure and temperature issues. Humans may make pretty good swimmers, but we’re not aquatic mammals.”

“Exactly. Half the research going on at AARL is trying to find ways to extend our time underwater. I’ve just been following a biological instead of an engineering solution to the problem.”

“Wait…I thought we were trying to find a way to domesticate sharks.”

“That sounds like an interesting idea, but no, why did you think that?”

“There was research on hybridizing sharks with mammals, you had me assist you on that, we were literally working on it all last week!”

“I did, but you were assuming it was going the other direction. I want to hybridize mammals with sharks, give them the ability to extract oxygen from water via gills and a protective layer of dermal denticles, not to mention growing a tail for better locomotion.”

“But…” Rebecca trailed off when she saw the waiter approaching with their food. After the waiter walked away she continued her question. “Most mammals already have a tail, even if it’s not meant for the water.”

“Yes, but humans don’t.”

“Human…you want to do this to a person?”

“What good would shark-dogs be in exploring our oceans? Other than as companions. What would it mean for you personally if you could spend days, or even weeks underwater, moving just as easily as you could on land? Just imagine what you and every other marine biologist would discover in the future with this ability.”

Rebecca stared down at her plate of Mongolian beef. The entire premise was insane, or was it?

Dr Demaret can’t be serious. This has got to be some kind of prank. But I've seen his research, I’ve already helped with it. He’s right, I just assumed it was going the other direction, I never asked or confirmed it in any way. Would it even work? The data seems to support it.

“Can you see why I didn’t bring this up when we first met in the break room?”

“If you had, I probably would have dumped my noodles on you.” She replied without looking up.

“This opens up an entire world of possibilities, and not just in marine circles. The technology could be adapted for other uses on land, or maybe even the air. You can be a part of all of this.”

“I already am, unless you’re planning not to credit my work assisting you.”

“I would never do that. It happened to me more than once as a grad student and it still boils my blood when I think about it. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Rebecca, I need a volunteer for the hybridization procedure.”

“You want me to become what, a half-shark experiment?”

“That’s an oversimplification, and you know it. I need a young adult, I would do it myself, but I’m too old for the procedure.”

Rather than reply, Rebecca started to eat. Dr Demaret waited for a response, but when he didn’t receive one, he continued.

“You’ve seen most of my research already.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a tablet. “Here is the rest.” he placed the tablet on the table in front of her.

“You must have leapt for joy when you found out how interested in sharks I am.”

“It was, ah, promising to hear. There is a reason I chose sharks as my aquatic base, you know. I’ve always been fascinated by them as well.”

“Enough to become one?”

“If I was thirty years younger, we wouldn’t be discussing this over fried rice. I would already have gone through with it.”

She looked down again at her half eaten meal for a moment. “As crazy as this all sounds, I can’t help but feel tempted by it, both for the practical and the aesthetic of it all.” Rebecca shook her head. “Listen to me, actually considering being turned into a shark-girl by a mad scientist.”

“That’s a little harsh.” Dr Demaret said before taking a bite of food.

“Is it?” she sighed. “Dr Demaret, I’m going to need some time to think about this, I’m not going to have my mind made up by the time the fortune cookies arrive.”

“That’s completely reasonable. After lunch, take the rest of the day off and think about it.”

Rebecca managed a nod before starting to eat once again.

***

Rebecca was spread out on top of her bed. Other than kicking off her shoes she was still wearing her work clothes. She stared up at the ceiling as her mind replayed the conversation she had with Dr Demaret.

This can’t be real, can it? He gave me the rest of his research and it seems legitimate. But Dr Demaret can’t be serious, there is no way this could really work, and it’s probably illegal. Ok, not illegal but ethically questionable at least.

Rebecca turned her head to the side, looking into the mirror on her closet door. After a moment she got up off the bed and stood in front of the mirror. For as long as she could remember, Rebecca had loved sharks. Even now there was a poster of a tiger shark on the wall of her bedroom.

What would it actually be like to be part shark? To swim as long and deep as I wanted without ever having to come up… Rebecca shook her head. What am I thinking? For starters, I’m thinking about how I bombed the written test for my Scuba certification over the summer. He’s right about what it would mean to be able to swim and breathe like a shark. But I wouldn’t be stuck underwater, I’d still have my lungs and can come up whenever I want.

As she stared at her reflection she started to imagine herself covered in sharkskin. It tickled old fantasies from her childhood to the surface. The more she sat there and imagined what it would be like, the more her mind was made up. Rebecca went back to her bed and laid back down.

“I'll do it.” She whispered softly to herself.

***

Rebecca arrived early at the lab the next morning. Unsurprisingly, Dr Demaret was already there, going over some data.

“You didn't need to show up early just because I sent you home early.” He smiled.

“That's not it, I just wanted to make sure we were alone.” She leaned against the counter. “I spent a lot of time thinking about everything you said. And trying to decide if it is even legal.”

“It's not expressly illegal. There's just no legal precedent for it, yet.”

She shook her head. “The point is, I can't help it. The idea of it all is just too good to pass up.”

Dr Demaret smiled widely before jumping up and hugging Rebecca. “Sorry,” he said after releasing her, “I’m just so excited. If you had turned me down, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“It’s alright.” She said as she smoothed out her blouse, “What are the next steps we have to take?”

“First we’ll need a full physical work up on you. I have a doctor friend, a medical doctor that is, who can take care of this for you.”

“I guess I’d rather not get my family doctor involved in this, so alright.”

“I will need some tissue samples from you as well to properly calibrate the equipment. And I will need fresh samples from the doner shark as well.”

“Dr Demaret? Can I have a say in what shark will be used?”

“I suppose to some degree, I don’t exactly have access to every shark known to mankind.”

“Tiger sharks have always been my favorite. If I’m going to be half shark, I’d really prefer that.”

“Lucky for you, I can do that. We’ll start making all the arrangements today, then begin setting up the lab for the procedure.”

Rebecca nodded. Looks like we are really doing this.

***

Between the physical, medical tests, acquiring the tiger shark samples, and additional equipment for the lab it was over two weeks before everything could be set up. The center of the lab was dominated by a large tank full of oxygenated salt water. A metal grate was positioned above the tank where it could be lowered into it. Rebecca was behind a changing screen, just something they had picked up cheap online but it gave her enough privacy to strip down completely. She folded her clothes neatly, but really she was just stalling.

They had waited for a Friday night, when even the Advanced Aquatics Research Laboratories would empty out early. Rebecca stepped out from behind the screen with a hospital gown on.

“Are you sure I can’t just wear a bathing suit?”

“I understand wanting to preserve your modesty, but I have no idea how the process will progress, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. I made sure the windows to the tank avoid your more, ah intimate areas, at least.”

“I suppose I can be a little embarrassed if it’s for science.” She chuckled nervously to herself. “Are we ready to get started?”

“Just about. I need to make sure all the cameras are recording, and positioned to give you the most modesty they can.”

“Thanks for that.” Rebecca made her way to the side of the tank and placed her hand on it.

She could feel the gentle hum of the pumps that kept the water circulating in the tank. It felt rather calming to her at that moment.

“Everything is set, Rebecca, we are recording.”

“Alright.” she turned and faced the nearest camera. “For the record, my name is Rebecca Stillwater and I am willingly volunteering for this experiment.”

“We will begin with a series of injections.” Dr Demaret spoke as he attached the monitoring sensors to Rebecca’s body. “These agents are kept separate for multiple reasons, including safety in the case of unintended exposure. After the injections, Ms Stillwater will be monitored until any physical changes are noticed. At that point she will be fitted with a breathing mask and lowered into a tank of oxygenated saltwater. After her gills have fully formed she will be fully capable of functioning in saltwater with an average amount of dissolved oxygen.” Dr Demaret prepared the syringes, each one filled with a portion of the chemical cocktail that would mix within Rebecca’s body. “After she is fully immersed, she will continue to be monitored as the hybridization process continues to completion.”

“As much as I dislike needles, I think I’m ready”

Rebecca took several deep breaths to steady herself. In total it was three different injections. One in each of her arms and the third into her right thigh. Other than the prick and a slight burning sensation, nothing felt strange for her. She let out a shiver as her bare back pressed against the cold metal grate. Dr Demaret then turned away to monitor the controls and her vitals.

“How long do you think this will take to really get started?”

“I’m not entirely sure. There was a great deal of variance in all my initial tests. Body mass seems to be a factor, but beyond that, I can’t even guess.”

“Can we turn on the radio or something? I'm already feeling bored.”

“Sure thing, I think this is going to be a long night.”

The radio was turned on to a local station. Rebecca didn’t care what was playing, she just wanted something to distract her from the metal plate she was lying on. Dr Demaret watched her vitals constantly as he sipped his tea. At first nothing seemed outside of normal, then he noticed a slight increase in her body temperature and heart rate.

“How are you feeling over there?”

“Bored out of my skull, but fine. Maybe a little warm. Did you turn up the heat in here?”

“No, I believe that is the treatment starting to activate. Your metabolism will increase as it starts to kick in. Are you feeling any physical discomfort?

“This open grate isn’t exactly comfortable, but other than that not yet.”

After about fifteen minutes Rebecca was sweating profusely and taking deep heavy breaths.

“Could I get a fan or something? It’s like I’m in a sauna over here.” She then sucked in a breath and pressed her hands against the sides of her chest. “Oh god! Ow! That doesn’t feel good!”

“That could be your gills getting ready to open.” Dr Demaret moved from his seat at the workstation to the side of the tank. “I think it’s time to get you under water.”

Rebecca nodded as the breathing mask was affixed to her face.

“If you would please remove the gown, then we will continue with the procedure.”

Rebecca sighed as she shrugged out of the gown before tossing it over the side. She raised her arm up with a thumbs up, indicating she was ready to take the plunge. The lift made a few questionable noises before starting to lower her into the saltwater bath. The water was cool, but it felt good as it washed over her already overheating body. Rebecca felt less exposed at least under the water. She couldn’t hear anything beyond the circulation pumps humming under water.

That feels better, but I’m alone with my thoughts again.

Although the cold water was a relief, she felt a sharp tingling pain along the sides of her chest. With a final gasp, Rebecca felt her skin open and the cold water rush in. It was scary for a moment, but as her gills grew larger and started to absorb oxygen it became more calming than her deep breaths through the mask.

I have gills, I’m still using my lungs but this is so amazing! I swear I can feel them working!

She gently ran her fingers over the slits, careful not to damage the growing organs. Turning her head she saw the face of Dr Demaret looking through one of the tank windows. She gave him the thumbs up to let him know she was ok.

Once he felt confident Rebecca was alright, he returned to the workstation to continue to monitor her vitals and observe the changes through the cameras recording the experiment.

Rebecca almost felt a little high between using her lungs and new gills at the same time. She lost track of time as her mind wandered over a dozen different topics. It was actually about an hour later that Rebecca was knocked out of her euphoric state. She squirmed a bit as she felt the pin pricks of the dermal denticles growing out from her skin all over her body.

Through her full face breathing mask, Rebecca watched her arm as they slowly formed and pushed their way out. At first they looked like nothing more than tiny dots on her skin, but as she watched they slowly grew larger and thicker. After another fifteen minutes Rebecca had actual patches of shark skin on her arms and other parts of her body as well.

I hope I get the stripes on my back. Rebecca thought as she gently stroked a patch of greenish gray skin on her arm.

Along her chest and abdomen the sharkskin grew in a light gray, almost white color. From what Rebecca could see on her arms they were a slightly green shade of gray and she assumed her back was the same shade. Although Rebecca was unable to see them, darker stripes were there along her back and were captured on the video recording. Along with the stripes the rigid dorsal rin was starting to grow from her back.

Around the time her body was mostly encased in sharkskin, about an hour later, Rebecca felt something starting to grow at the base of her spine, forcing its way out. She reached behind and felt a stubby tail now jutting out. It was already covered in sharkskin and was growing rapidly. Meanwhile, the webbing between Rebecca’s fingers was growing up along her fingers. Rebecca’s nails were growing thicker and darkening to an almost black color.

Outside the tank Dr Demaret smiled. Everything was going according to his calculations. He was unsure how long the tail would take to grow, but once it had fully formed the experiment would be complete and all his work would pay off.

Inside, Rebecca was also ready for the experiment to be over. As fascinating as it was, she felt deprived of stimulus inside the tank. She thought of popping her head out, but remembered Dr Demaret’s warning about keeping her gills completely submerged until the end of the procedure. She tried to lay on her back, but given her growing dorsal fin that didn’t work. Rebecca did her best to get comfortable on her side and just let her tail and fin finish growing in.

Between the humming of the pumps and her own boredom, Rebecca was just starting to nod off when something jolted her awake. Something felt wrong with her mouth. With her face covered by the breathing mask, all Rebecca could do was inspect her mouth with her tongue. Her teeth didn’t feel right. She wished she could just open her mouth and look in a mirror, but that wasn’t an option.

Are they getting sharper? What is happening?

Not knowing what else to do, she tapped on the tank window to get Dr Demaret’s attention. He looked up from his workstation and made his way back to the tank. Rebecca opened her mouth and pointed at her teeth. When he got there. At first he had no idea what she was trying to tell him, then he noticed her teeth were not the same as when she first entered the tank.

What’s with that look on his face? Something isn’t right. She pointed up towards the surface of the tank, but he shook his head.

As the minutes ticked by, she couldn’t ignore what was happening in her mouth. She couldn’t see anything, but could feel with her tongue as her teeth grew larger and sharper. Then her jaw and front of her face started to feel strange. There was a pressure in the front of her face. She tried to write it off as some kind of a headache at first, but Rebecca could feel something happening between her face and the mask. She loosened the straps around the back of her head that kept the mask secure, but it wasn’t enough it just wasn’t fitting correctly anymore. After a few more minutes it started to leak.

Rebecca then really started to panic. She sputtered and coughed before simply holding her breath. As the time passed, she realized she didn’t need the supply of air anymore to survive. Rebecca pulled the now useless mask off her face. As she did so, she realized just how much her face had changed. Her jaw had shifted and the front of her face had started to grow out into a snout.

Wait, what’s this? What’s happening to my face? I didn’t think this was going to happen! Her mind raced as the transformation continued.

Rebecca was so distracted by her mouth and face, she forgot about her tail. It had continued to grow longer and by now the fins at the tip had started to form. Rebecca’s legs started to feel strange and tingly and she started to rub and massage them, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. She couldn’t take it anymore and moved to pull herself out of the water and talk to Dr Demaret regardless of the state of her gills. As Rebecca moved to get up, her legs slipped out from under her and she landed painfully on her tail

Ow what the hell? What’s wrong with my legs?

Taking a good look at her legs, Rebecca realized they were smaller than they had been when she first entered the tank. It was like she now had the legs of a thirteen year old attached to her body, and they didn’t seem to want to work correctly either. Everything about them felt wrong. But as Rebecca’s legs seemed to shrink, her tail grew ticker and more powerful, as if it was absorbing her legs.

Oh god, my legs! What about my hands and arms? Will I end up with just fins?

She wrapped her arms tightly around her body, but nothing more seemed to happen to them, the changes were all focused below her waist, or at least what used to be her waist. As she watched the minutes ticked by she watched her legs and feet not only shrink, but start to change shape. In the end her feet flattened and grew wider into fins

Outside the tank, all Dr Demaret could do was watch from the windows as the unplanned transformations continued. His mind raced trying to figure out what had gone wrong but he kept coming up blank in the end. As Rebecca’s tail reached its full size at the base, what was left of her legs and feet shifted into position as pectoral fins.

Rebecca thrashed around in the tank, having no idea how to actually use her newly grown tail. Eventually she reached up and gripped the side of the tank with her webbed hands and pulled herself up out of the water. The air on her skin felt harsh and uncomfortable as she coughed, having to get accustomed to breathing air again. Her blue eyes locked with Dr Demaret’s. They didn’t need to say anything; they both knew things had gone wrong and there was going to be hell to pay because of it.

Dr Demaret broke the silence first. “I…I’m, I’m sorry, it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“What went wrong? Why did I lose my legs? And my face…” she ran a hand over her snout. “Get me a mirror, I need to see what I look like.”

“I don’t know if-”

“If what? If it’s a good idea? Like unregulated human modification?” She raised an eyebrow.

Dr Demaret blushed and went to find a mirror. It took him a moment, but he returned with a small mirror. Rebecca took it from him and then gasped when she got a good look at herself. Other than her eyes and hair, nothing remained of her old face. Even her ears had changed, taking on a fin-like appearance. Her mouth was full of razor sharp teeth, it was surprising she hadn’t cut her tongue on them. Her mouth was wide, she had no doubt she could take a huge bite out of anything if she tried. Her nose was gone, merged into her shark snout, though she had no problem smelling the air in the lab.

“We’re going to be in so much trouble…” She sighed handing the mirror back.

“Most of the blame will fall on me. Hell, I blame myself already. You weren't supposed to lose your legs or grow a snout.”

“Technically I didn’t lose my legs, they just became these,” she flicked her pectoral fins in the water, “but that’s not much comfort for me right now. What do we do next?”

“I need to get you to a better tank first. Originally I was going to have you walk to test tank 3, but now…”

“I get it,” she paused to cough several times. “Breathing air isn’t so great right now, I’m going back under while you find something.”

Rebecca didn’t wait for a response and just slipped back into the water. Her skin felt instantly better once it was fully submerged.

Damn…I knew we should have done some more animal testing first, shit. What’s going to happen to me now? I can’t go back to my apartment. I mean, I probably wouldn't have if things had gone according to plan. But now I look like some kind of sharp-toothed mermaid, a monster…

***

The fallout started almost immediately. Security cameras caught Dr Demaret transporting Rebecca by forklift to one of the AARL's large experiment tanks. Of course his lack of forklift certification was the least of their worries. The director of the lab, The Dean and the President of the University, and several government agencies were soon ripping both of them new ones.

Dr Demaret took full responsibility and was ready to resign, Dr Martin Donnelly, the director of AARL, however wasn’t about to let him off so easily.

“I don't think so, Justin. You don't get to just run away from this mess.”

“Excuse me?” Dr Demaret asked with obvious confusion.

Dr Donnelly shook his head. “You are going to do everything in your power to fix the mess you got Ms Stillwater into.”

“What if I end up going to prison? I can see the look on the feds over there.” He motioned over to the gathering

“I'm sure we can work out an arrangement, because I know at least one of them is interested in your research even if they want to lock you in a hole for the rest of your life.”

There were some shifts in position and glares from the government agents, but they said nothing.

Bradley Pearson, the dean, cleared his throat. “There still remains what to do with Ms Stillwater.”

“Am I expelled?” Rebecca asked softly.

The Dean was quiet as he considered his words. “As of right now, no. But your case will need further review. Then there is the matter of whether you can even continue your studies.”

“I believe the school would have to make accommodations under the ADA.” Dr Demaret stepped forward. “You wouldn't kick her out because of mobility issues, would you?”

Dr Pearson narrowed his eyes slightly. “You are in no position to advocate for anyone, doctor.”

“Actually,” Ms Burnetts, the representative of OSHA interjected, “she most likely would have a case. Especially with the source of the disability coming from an incident that happened on campus.”

“At this time, Ms Stillwater is a student, who will be on medical leave pending a full investigation.” the dean sighed, “We have more pressing issues to worry about right now.”

***

Things were not looking great for Rebecca and Dr Demaret at first. But then, somehow the situation was leaked to the media, causing a huge sensation about Rebecca. With all the attention focused on Brendan University, the school had little choice in allowing Rebecca to continue to work on her doctorate. Dr Demaret worked with her to try to find a way to reverse the changes, or at least get her legs back, but they were unable to do so. They did, however, refine and fix the process for future subjects, assuming it was ever given government approval.

But as time went on, Rebecca found she started to not mind so much. As much as lacking legs made interactions on land difficult, what she was able to do in the ocean more than made up for it. Going for her PhD in marine biology meant she was often in or near the ocean, and she found herself to be valuable in her research field. In fact, the research for her own thesis would have been practically impossible if she was still fully human.

As the years went by she soon found herself flooded with offers from universities and research groups before she even had a chance to defend her thesis. Doors were open to her that she had never dreamed of when she first started college. Even if she did still miss her legs, it almost would have been worth losing them for the career now just waiting on her to receive her doctorate.

***

Rebecca swam up to the surface of her tank. She blinked a bit at what the lab staff had done. She knew there was no way she could “walk “ at graduation and receive her PhD. Rebecca was pleased enough she had managed to complete it in the first place. Dr Demaret had heard about her disappointment at not being able to attend the ceremony and had decided to do something about it.

The various pieces of equipment had been pushed to the side and chairs had been set up. Sitting in them were the researchers and staff of the lab, many of them dressed in their academic attire. Dr Demaret smiled and approached with a graduation cap for Rebecca.

“You, you didn’t have to do this Dr Demaret…”

“Yes, I did. You deserve it, and we’re both Doctors now, you can call me Justin.”

Somehow , Dean Pearson had been wrangled into making an appearance. As pressured as he had been to allow Rebecca to continue, her celebrity status had been a net benefit to Brendan University, and everyone knew it. Pearson wore a fake, if convincing, smile while leaning down and posing with the freshly minted PhD, handing Rebecca her doctorate.

There was clapping and cheering from everyone in attendance. Once the photo-ops were done, Dean Pearson slipped out quietly. The rest stayed to congratulate Rebecca and ask what exactly she was doing next.

“I thought about it long and hard, but ultimately, who could say no to the University of Hawaii?”

“That’s going to be quite a trip out there, are you sure you will be ok?” Dr Demaret asked with a little concern.

“I think so, the latest version of my transport tank is far more comfortable than the early improvised ones we put together, and the University even agreed to cover my flight. True, it will be on a cargo plane, but still.”

He laughed. “I’ll have to come down and visit you in Hawai?i when I get the chance.”

“I’d like that, in the meantime, be sure to stay in touch. I’ll only be an email away.”

____________________________________________

Characters and setting belong to Ski Sharp

Writing by Syntaxerror37

FA: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/sevencrown37/

SoFurry: https://sevencrown.sofurry.com/

Discord: therealse37

Bluesky: @sevencrown37.bsky.social