Trish and Robert - ch1
#1 of Trish and Robert
Something new my furred, scaled, slimy and other friends, this is a story that started as a bit of TF roleplay and, before we knew it, had blown out to an epic story.
At the moment it is looking to be co-authored, in alternating chapters, each will be submitted by the authors (Sorin and myself. There will be a nifty little browsing button thingy made up as soon as the second post is made.
Sit back, and relax, there is no yiff in this one, just the beginning of a new tale of life.
"Damn I could use a part time job, but who in this town would hire a college student for the few hours I could spare?" I said, repeating myself to Mike, lamenting a little having left my home country to come to America to study.
"Hey you're a student from up at the college aren't you?" a female lynx, working out on the next machine over to mine in the gym, asked.
I gave another push at my muscles, braced in the machine, "Yeah, why? You have a job?" I asked.
She continued her own workout, "Not me, but I heard a friend say they made some good money at some testing place over on pine street. I think there was a flyer up in the biology area asking for more people. She said the pay was really good."
My mind worked at this, "Testing? Like drugs?" I asked the feline.
"No idea." she said, almost panting in exertion now, "Hey, what exactly are you? I thought you were a dog but..." she trailed off, panting.
I grinned, showing the trademark thylacine jaw-line, almost as long as my head was. Mike cut in then, "May I present to you a very rare furr indeed, a tasmanian devil!" he said.
Having trouble keeping my breath I corrected him, "Tiger you nonce, I am a tasmanian tiger."
The girl gave a laugh, "Thought you looked different, names Jesica." she introduced.
"Robert. Pleased to have met you Jesica." I countered.
We chatted about things, the three of us, as we finished our sets, it left me in great spirits as I got changed and made ready to leave.
Suddenly a paw pressed against my own and I felt a card there, "If you get lonely Robert." A voice in the small crowd around me purred and was gone. I looked at the card.
Call me any time, Jess.
It had her phone number scrawled on it. "Damn if you aren't the smooth one." Mike said, noticing the number and thumping me on the back.
-
I looked down at the small form in my paw, it had all my details on it. I took a step and entered the building through the front doors.
There was a small open area at the front, and as I looked around a female voice down the corridor called out, "Over here sir!" I followed it until I found a little hole-in-the-wall, a beautiful looking vixen behind it. Obviously seeing my application she asked, "All applications come in here."
I passed over the form, managing to get out, "Uh, thanks." even as I watched her efficiently type the data into her terminal.
She was asking me something suddenly, something I half missed while I was admiring her, but I caught 'alteration testing' in her words, "Alteration? Um, what does that mean exactly?" I Blushed in embarrassment, "I guess I didn't really read the information you put in the ad past the 'payment' section, you see I need the money for University..."
She giggled a bit, "Don't worry. Not many people read past that. Dr. Q will actually explain everything for you. If you do need money quickly, the first trial session is only about two hours and pays seven hundred dollars upon completion. Would you like to do it now or come back possibly tomorrow?" I noticed then just how cute she was when she laughed, I was trying to think of a way to make her laugh again when her words sunk home.
My mind reeled with shock, 'Seven hundred...' I thought. "What do I have to do?" I got out at last.
Smiling now, she replied, "Door seven. Dr. Q is there. He'll be waiting for you to do your preliminary briefing." some sort of machine behind her came to life and spit out an ID card. She took it and handed it to me. It had my name and photo and everything. "This is your ID. Use it whenever you come in. Have fun."
I nodded, reluctant to leave the bubbly fox, never the less, I made my way as directed.
Knocking on the door, a male voice within encouraged me to enter.
"You must be the new volunteer. Good to have you aboard. Please take a seat." a large, bespectacled male skunk told me.
The man known as Q stepped around a desk and sat down. "Have you ever participated in a medical study before?"
"Thanks." I said, taking the seat, "I.. I have done some of those surveys they are always asking students to do, but nothing like this."
The doctor just chuckled, "That is quite alright. You don't have anything to be worried about. Well, I suppose you do, but we've narrowed the chances of ill effects from the experiment down to just one in nine, which are quite good odds for us."
He pulled out a small pile of papers connected with a staple, "Now, before we actually begin, we need to go over several things including the contract, make sure you understand the procedures and compensations and everything. Any questions before we get started?"
"One in nine? That's uh, that's... how many people have you seen this morning already?" I asked with a grin, my sense of humour overriding my nerves at last. "No, please, don't answer that." I added hastily, "No questions so far, I will let you know if I do have any." he now had my full attention.
"Excellent. Well, first I suppose compensation would be a good thing to explain. Each session will pay you one thousand dollars. You are limited to one session per week and will be contractually obligated to make a minimum of five sessions. After that, we can see how it's going and possibly add more weeks. We provide full medical coverage plus twenty percent if something should go wrong, but as I said, there are good chances we won't see anything." he explained, "Would you like me to explain the process of our research or do you not care for the science mumbojumbo?"
"The receptionist said it was seven hundred for the first, some sort of trial but... five thousand dollars over five weeks..." I was flabbergasted, I had taken a student visa to the States, expecting to be destitute for the whole time, living off the small amount my student grant gave me. This would mean I could pay almost all my rent for the first year. My mind sort of skipped some of the words the doctor said then, rolling over and over the idea of not living out of a cardboard box. Shaking myself mentally I said, "Actually, yeah, just explain it to me in layman's terms though, I don't have any medical background."
"Ok then. Basically, we have a serum that can turn matter into other living matter. We take what's already in your body as energy, usually food from a meal, and use it to physically alter your body. From what we've seen, the changes can be quite extensive. We could do anything from making you more muscular to turning you into a female lizard." I almost gasped at his words, this was too far out there, "We know the serum works. We are currently testing its range of effects. So, through the weeks, we'll submit you to various levels of adaptation." He slid the papers forward with a pen. "If you wish to read the full docket, you are welcome. If you would rather begin the test session, which is not part of the five sessions, you can sign the contract and we can begin immediately."
I thought about it a moment, "Is the process reversible, I am pretty sure my mother was hoping for a small pack of striped pups one day." I tried to make a joke of it, but frankly I was a little scared now. The risks, becoming something I couldn't live with and them not being able to change me to something else. The rewards, possibly setting myself up with a solid income that will see me through a few years. Without thinking any further, not wanting to contemplate all the 'what-if's, I scrawled my autograph on the dotted line, initialising as needed the other pages. "Ok Doc, I think I will just waive the trial and just get into the full thing." I sighed, the weight of indecision gone from my shoulders, I was committed to this now.
"Oh, no, we can't do that." he exclaimed, "We need to set ourselves a baseline." He took the paper, signed it just under where the thylacine had signed it, and filed it. "And it will give us a good indication of whether you'll be the one in nine. Statistically, if you can pass this preliminary session, you'll be clear for the full tests." he walked over and opened the door. "If you'll follow me, we can go to the lab and get you under way."
I shrugged, "You're the one with the training doc." I said and followed him down the hallway. This far into the building, each wall was lined with windows showing small labs of scientists quietly working away.
He stopped and pushed open a door, "Here we are." inside was what looked like an examination room. At its centre was a table with numerous electronic readouts attached. "Please strip. There's a bag for your belongings in the corner. The team will be in in a moment." he told me as he gave a strange grin, finishing with, "Enjoy."
With that, he closed the door and left me alone.
I looked around the room and began to follow the doctors instruction.
"So white..." I said to myself, glancing at the walls as I let my voice trail off.
Suddenly I felt horribly self conscious, there was a difference between a half drunk marsupial running around his university campus naked and standing in a doctors surgery cold sober similarly attired.
Putting my boxers in the bag and zipping it closed, I returned it to the corner and began to try and guess what all the dials and readouts where on the table.
The door opened and a female cat walked in holding a clipboard. A lab coat hung around her, open, showing that underneath she was wearing a one-piece outfit, though it was lucky to even be considered that. The tight upper portion barely covered a set of double C cup breasts and didn't hide the bulges of another, smaller set just below. At her waist, a tiny skirt hugged her legs only halfway down to her knees.
She turned and gave me a big smile. "Hello, Robert. I'm Trish. I'll be your supervisor while you're here for testing."