"Now look at these people," Marsha remarks as they walk into the theme park section of the paid customers zone. "No sign of freaky transformations or anything. What gives?"
"It takes a VERY hefty price to go to the REAL Pleasure Island, Marsha. All the people that go to the other one? They're just fodder for the park owners' sick experiments." Donovan answers her as they get in line for a ferris wheel, one much bigger than any in any other parks on the planet.
"Who owns the place, then?"
"Nobody knows, at least out of the people I know. It's not right, but else are we gonna do, you know? Sad thing is, there are alot of people who really get off to this stuff, alot of people with alot of money to burn on their habits. We're like a drug to them. They see us, they're fascinated, and they're hooked. Before you know it, they're paying to come here on a monthly basis, some people come every weekend... demand goes up amongst the rich inner circles, so the Island's gotta get more lower-class people like us to fill the prescriptions. Some like hybrids like us, others like watching humans change into animals... huge donkey fetish around here, it's very sick - and I've heard whispers of them working towards creating the ultimate in appeasing these sick lunatics' fantasies... temporary change."
"Temporary, huh?" Marsha muses.
"Temporary. They haven't perfected the process as far as I've heard, but they've come close."
"What's the problem?" Marsha asks as Donovan helps her into a booth and they begin their ascent.
"Something gets left behind, from what I've heard - fellow hybrid, rhinoceros - she works manual labor in the labs, she says they manage a full transformation, and it wears off after a few hours, but some feature remains on their bodies, like feathers or fur or something - rich people freak out and threaten to sue, so technicians have no choice but to complete the change and make it permanent to shut them up."
"And your friend saw all this?"
"Francine? Yeah, she says she did. Technicians were too busy trying to shut up the squawking parrot-woman to notice her, though. She could have been sent out to pasture if they caught her."
"That's awful," Marsha is reminded of her own situation, which is even more awful, now that she thinks about it. At least parrot-woman had a choice... "wait. They test on customers?"
"I think they volunteer, actually, and even fund the research."
"Jesus... we live in a very sick world, Donovan."
"Tell me about it. Hey, tomorrow night, there's a little... hybrid 'employee' get together in the private area. We should go."
"I don't know... I don't really know anybody here..."
"What better way to meet 'em? Come on, it'll be fun. Ooh, hey look - we can see our dome from here."
"Where?" SHe cranes her neck to look out over the landscape.
"See? Over there... the dome with the interior lighting on..."
"Oh yeah... wow. This is some view."
"Yeah, it's very nice. Uh - ew. I think either Linda or Taylor just jumped out of the tree naked."
"Okay, I guess that means you were right. Taylor's been a lonely guy, though. Can't blame him. This thing pulled him away from his fiancée."
"Oh, that's awful! How cruel can these people be?"
"They don't care, Marsha. We're just fodder to them, a way to make an easy buck."
"This place sucks."
"Agreed. 'Least we have each other to complain to."