Sophie stood outside the large metal door to Heather's containment cell in a sublevel of Horizon Labs. Two big members of the Rhino guard stood just outside the door, each holding what appeared to be lethal weapons. Sophie knew they were meant to reassure her, but it just made her more nervous.
"Just a warning before you go in. Don't get too close to her. She has not been vaccinated," said the NSA man.
"She hasn't been vaccinated? Why not?" asked Sophie angrily.
"We were afraid to try. The virus inside her is so unique, so unusual that we did not want to influence it in any way. The hodgepodge collection of degraded DNA stored inside the virus should not have done anything. Yet here she is, a living dinosaur. We believe it may be related to some undetected genetic anomaly present in her body before she was exposed to the virus. Most likely, it would not uplift another person even if they were exposed to it. At least, it hasn't in any of the preliminary trials...." said Dr. Stein.
"You tried to infect someone with the virus inside her?!" asked Sophie.
The NSA man gave Dr. Stein a dirty look, and he quickly dropped his head to the ground.
"Not in any human or animal, just in tissue samples," said the NSA man. "Like Dr. Stein said, it doesn't appear to be contagious. But I still wouldn't take any chances if I were you."
"Great, " said Sophie. "Anything else I should know?"
Dr. Stein continued to look at the ground. But the NSA man looked directly in her eyes.
"Just be careful. Her mutation may have made her more aggressive, even a little crazy, but she is not stupid. Don't let your guard down, not even for a second, " said the man gravely.
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As Sophie passed through the large metal door to Heather's cell, she knew she should be scared. The large anthropomorphic dinosaur sitting on a chair was certainly intimidating. Her large size and sharp claws would have frightened most people, and the large shackles and chains did little to make her feel more secure.
But as Sophie approached the large smiling monster she could only feel one thing - anger. A rage burned brightly in her chest as she looked in the face of the fiend who had attacked her, taken away her sense of security and hurt her friend. Her hatred was visible on her face, but Heather did not seem to take notice. She just continued to smile wickedly, her sharp teeth hanging just below her upper lip.
"Hello, Sophie. It has been too long since I last saw you. How have you been?" asked Heather.
"Cut the crap, Heather. What do you want? Why did you ask to speak to me?" said Sophie coldly.
"My, my, what terrible manners. I was just trying to be hospitable. There is no need to be so rude," said Heather.
"Really? You attacked me, threatened my friends and you expect me to be 'nice'. Not to mention what you did to Roland, " said Sophie.
"Oh? And how is your little friend? I was so glad to hear that he survived our little unfortunate misunderstanding. Did he ... change?" asked Heather hopefully.
"No, thank goodness. He won't become a monster like you," said Sophie.
"Ah, such a shame," said Heather wistfully. "He is such a brave boy. So daring and courageous. He would have made a good .... companion."
"Okay, that's it!" said Sophie angrily as she stood up. "I am out of here!"
Sophie began walking towards the door.
"Wait!" said Heather desperately. She reached out to Heather, her clawed hands still restricted by her shackles, the chains rattling loudly. "Please don't go. It gets so lonely in here. People come and go, but no one talks to me. They treat me like an animal!"
Sophie ignored her and continued walking towards the door.
"I'm sorry, " mumbled Heather.
Sophie had reached the door and was about to knock on it. Her closed fist stopped in midair. She turned and looked at Heather, malice still plastered on her face.
"What was that?" she asked.
Heather rolled her eyes.
"I said I was sorry, " said Heather a little louder. "Geez, do you want it in writing or something? I'm sorry, okay."
Sophie whirled around, stomping back to the seat in front of Heather. She slammed her hands down on the table in front of her.
"After what you did, that is all you can say. 'You are sorry'. Do you really think that makes up what you did to me and Roland?!" Sophie yelled.
"What? You think I was apologizing for that? And they think I am crazy! You deserved that! And more! My only regret is that I didn't finish the job," yelled Heather. "Look what you and your friends did to me. Look!"
Heather held up her clawed hands, still restrained in shackles.
"I am a freak! A monster! You ruined my life!" yelled Heather.
Sophie scoffed.
"You did that to yourself. You can't blame us for that, " said Sophie.
"What choice did I have? Kids - you are all the same. You arrogantly believe that you know everything, when in truth you know nothing. You and your young friends were just tourists. You have no idea what Costa Rica is really like. The seedy underbelly, hiding just below the pleasant face they present to the tourists, where life is cheap and people are treated like just another commodity, " snarled Heather.
"What did you think was going to happen to me in jail? That I would be locked up in a nice, safe cell with plenty to eat? Give me a break!" said Heather angrily. "Prison in Costa Rica is a nightmare. By turning me in you sentenced me to a fate worse than death. The prisons are overcrowded, with poor sanitation, little food and less protection. Sure, if you have the money you can pay gangs for protection and food. But a poor, weak girl like me didn't stand a chance. At best I was looking forward to repeated beatings and rape. At worst...."
Heather sighed.
"So I made a choice - I decided I would rather risk becoming a monster than ending up dead. You can judge me all you want, acting all superior and 'holier than thou'. But I know you would have made the same choice if you were in my position. I saw it when you challenged me at the school, the way you fought back against a monster twice your size. And I can even see it in your eyes as you look at me now. You are a just like me, a survivor willing to do whatever it takes to live, " said Heather.
"I am nothing like you, " said Sophie. "And I would never want to become like you."
"Do you think I wanted to look like this? I had hopes, dreams just like everyone else. I wanted to be an artist. But now look at me. What can I create with these? " said Heather holding out her clawed hands.
There were tears in her eyes. Sophie was shocked into silence.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone, not really. But I needed money to pay for art school. Once I was a big success, I was going to help everyone who supported me. Effie would never have to worry about food or shelter ever again, " said Heather. "The internship in Costa Rica was supposed to help pay for my schooling. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was a start and the curator had some connections. And then I found all that gold. What was I supposed to do?"
"You should have reported the find, " said Sophie.
Heather chuckled.
"God, you kids are so naïve. What do you think would have happened if I did that? The government would have seized all the gold. I doubt they would have shared any with the museum. They probably would have torn up the museum to get to it," said Heather.
"Maybe they would have given you a reward, some kind of finder's fee," said Sophie, quietly sitting back down at the table.
Heather chuckled again.
"I doubt it. More likely I would have just 'disappeared' along with the rest of the museum staff," scoffed Heather. " You really don't understand how the world works. It's a dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest, law of the jungle. Only the toughest and strongest run the world. The weak ones are just tolerated as long as we don't get in the way. But there is one equalizer in the world, something even more powerful than a gun. And that's money. With enough money, you can be safe, do anything you want. You don't have to worry about watching your grandmother slowly starve to death or see her die from an illness that could easily be treated if you just had enough money. You don't have to worry about being homeless, freezing to death on the streets. You don't have to abandon your child because you just don't have enough money to care for her, regardless of how much you love her..."
The door to the cell suddenly opened and two Rhino guards entered, electric batons charged and at the ready.
"Everything okay in here? " asked one of the guards.
Heather said nothing. She turned away, trying to hide her tears.
"It's fine, " said Sophie softly. "We were just talking. You can go."
The guards turned and began to leave. One looked over his shoulder, eyeing Heather suspiciously. But they had their orders. They closed the door and left the pair alone.
"You are not a freak, you know. There are lots of other people just like you, uplifted into Animalians on accident or purposefully. It's not always easy, but they can integrate with human society, even be accepted as equals by other humans. Most Animalians have found a new purpose in life, or just improved their old ones. Their altered bodies offer them advantages that no human body could. They see it as a blessing, rather than a curse."
"You don't believe that, not really. If it's so great, why haven't you been 'uplifted' or whatever they call it? With all your Animalian friends, you certainly have had the opportunity," said Heather snidely. "Admit it - we are all just freaks to you. It's okay. I know it's the truth. I wouldn't wish this cursed existence on my worst enemy."
Sophie blushed.
"No, it's not that. I think Animalians are great. It's just that...."
Sophie paused, trying to find the right words. Heather's eyes narrowed as she studied Sophie's face.
"Ah, I see. You would like to change, but you are afraid of what your parents might think. I mean, this isn't like getting a tattoo," said Heather. "Or is it your little boyfriend that worries you? He's still human. Is he not into Animalians?"
"No, it's not that. He wouldn't care which animal I chose. And he's not my boyfriend, at least I don't think he is. He's just a good friend."
"So, you want to change, but haven't decided which animal to use?" asked Heather with curiosity.
"No, no. It's not that. I know exactly what I want. It's just...."
Heather's eyes went wide as she reached a profound realization.
"Let me guess - they haven't perfected it yet. Those little creeps have been bending over backwards trying to figure out how I did it. It's obvious they don't know how to do it themselves," said Heather. "So, you want to become a dinosaur like me, huh?"
"Oh no, like you!" said Sophie a little too quickly. She saw the hurt in Heather's eyes and quickly corrected. "Not that you are ugly or anything. But there is a specific kind of dinosaur I would like to be. I have always loved birds, even have one at home. I have dreamed of flying like a bird since I was a child. I was seriously considering uplifting with a bird. But then I heard about the Thylacine Project and a pterodactyl seemed like a better choice."
"I am not offended. This would not have been my first choice. Although, I have to admit I am getting used to it. Certainly was useful in the jungle. But I get it - something that can fly and is pretty tough. That's a good choice, " said Heather.
Sophie couldn't help but feel a little pride. She did think it was good choice. And Heather was the first person to really get it, to understand and approve of her decision. Sophie found that she was beginning to warm up to Heather in spite of her previous animosity.
"So, why do you really want me here? If you didn't want to kill me or taunt me, why would you ask me to come? If it's just about the research, you could have used any scientist to help you. I am no scientist, although I do very well in my classes," said Sophie.
"I don't trust them. As much as it pains me to admit, I trust you. You are too good to betray me, " said Heather. She paused for a long time, as if debating something in her mind. Finally, she broke her silence after reaching some internal decision. "The truth is, I don't know how I did it. I am not a scientist, I am ... well, I was ... an art student. My transformation was really more luck than anything else. But if anybody in charge finds out, I will be useless to them. At least, alive I will be. They might put me in a medically induced coma so they can use my blood or just kill me and dissect me. So, unless I want to end up as a vegetable or dead, I need to string them along for a little while."
Sophie looked up at the microphones in shock.
"Don't worry, they are turned off. Part of my deal. If they record anything, my lawyer will see to it that I get set free. And I have a very good lawyer," said Heather with a smile. "Anyway, I knew I needed a little help with the con. A sort of go-between that would make it seem like I was trying to help, but some of the technical stuff was lost in translation. And that was when I thought of you. No one would be surprised if a high school student couldn't explain the finer details, what with their lack of formal training and poor knowledge of scientific jargon. And I figured you owed me for what you did, you know, forcing me to become a freak and all...."
Sophie opened her mouth to protest and Heather held up a clawed hand to silence her.
"I know, I know. You don't feel responsible. I can't say I agree with you, but it's useless to debate the point. So how about we make a new deal - you help me keep the higher-ups convinced that I more valuable alive than dead and in return I'll tell you everything I know about how I did it. That kind of information should be worth enough to buy a ticket to get uplifted into a pteranodon," said Heather.
"It's a pterodactyl," said Sophie.
"What?" asked Heather.
"It's not a pteranodon, it's a pterodactyl. There is a difference, " said Sophie.
"Really? I don't understand," said Heather.
Sophie went into great detail describing the differences, as well as all she had learned while researching the prehistoric beasts. Heather listened with rapt attention, occasionally noting things she had discovered about her own body. The conversation drifted, as all conversations eventually do, to other topics - life, family, school, and future plans. Sophie even confided in Heather some of her concerns about being separated from her uplifted friends. It took several hours, but gradually they began to talk just like old friends.
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Dr. Stein and the NSA man were waiting impatiently outside the door as Sophie left the room. They looked at Sophie expectantly.
"Okay, I'll do it," said Sophie. The scientist sighed with relief. "But only if you put me on the list of Thylacine volunteers."
"Yes, yes. Whatever you want. Thank you," said Dr. Stein happily. He pulled out a phone and began to make calls as he scurried away down the large hallway.
"Thank you, Sophie," said the NSA man. "But remember - this must be kept strictly confidential. No one can know that you are working on the Thylacine Project. As far as anyone else is concerned, you are just an intern at Horizon Labs, part of some afterschool program for local kids."
"Yeah, I understand, " said Sophie sadly. It would be hard to keep it a secret from her friends. But she couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when she was finally revealed her uplifted Pterodactyl form. It would be priceless.
Sophie cast one last look through the window at Heather, still chained and sitting in her chair. She was still angry at what Heather had done, but she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. She liked to think that she was better than Heather, that she never would have stolen gold or hurt anyone who had wronged her. But hadn't she wanted to punish Heather just as harshly as Heather had planned to punish her? Was she really any different?
The thought made her a little uncomfortable, but Sophie mercifully did not have time to dwell on it. The NSA man was motioning for her to follow him. He wanted to show Sophie the lab where she would be working for the foreseeable future. Sophie was excited and eager to begin. But she just hoped it didn't take too long for the Thylacine Project to be ready for its first volunteers.