"I will confess if this works as you've asked it will be a first. but moral wise their can be objections" the factory's interviewer firmly insisted as he spoke with the current woman interviewing to be a mermaid, just one with an odd addition.
This was Chloe Martin, 38 years of age, slightly above average height with bright green eyes and medium length black hair of Caucasian decent in base, currently wearing a slightly scruffy blue woman's trousers suit. "all honesty it was my daughter's idea... and really after my husband died...well our options have been growing fewer and fewer by the day" Chloe explained. "can't really be that bad mrs- Ms Martin, my apologises, not unless he left a will that for some reason drained your savings" the interviewer assured. "he died in a crash actually... one his company's black box later claimed he caused... not only was the insurance denied but everything of ours was confiscated to cover the other family members of the victims" Chloe explained.
As Chloe gave her story, actually a standard yet unrequited but hardy opposed or needed (unless they had records the law insisted be known) part of the interview process, the interviewer took a glance at Chloe's daughter that had accompanied her here for obvious reasons, a girl clearly made to be a highly feminineized version of her now late father while clearly being girlish cute, chin-length light-brown hair, standard height for her age but athletic based on the light-green sports top and black knee-length shorts with green trainers she was wearing, only thing she got from her mother was her green eyes. "well ms Martin I can ask my superiors but I must state regardless the process as of now is one way, and before you ask this is a standard statement, and be aware not everyone we have go through the process is successful... no fatalities mind, just they never get 'chosen' you can say" the interviewer then explained. "I understand... but if in this case age is a barrier can I still request if it still applies for Monica to undergo it eventually?" Chloe requested. "circumstances I should think she can stay with us until then" the interviewer accepted.
"So... there is a chance I will not be joining you mum" Monica sadly noted after the interviewer left as she walked closer. "I'm sorry dear... if it fails we did at least try" Chloe assured as she got up to hug her daughter "but as the man said your the first underage person to undergo the process and he offered to look after you if I do succeed. "so I *sniff* just have a unknown chance of being the first teenage transformed mermaid?" Monica questioned. "at the very least your helping them Monica" Chloe kindly insisted. "oh...sorry am I-" the interviewer stammered as he returned. "sorry... just... I was-" Chloe tried to explain. "no I understand... any case the main boss accepted your request and she'll meet you within the main room" the interviewer instructed "if you could both follow me".
"Chloe and Monica Martin I take it" a familiar white-haired women in her mid-50s only wearing a labcoat and seated within a moon pool asked as Chloe and Monica entered. "no way? your Donna Aquinas. the first subject of the mermaid factory" Monica quickly realized. "technically it's doctor Donna Aquinas but it matters little" Donna corrected. "sorry it's just- we were expecting the head of the factory?" Chloe questioned. "I am the head. I found the original specimens, financed the construction, personally recruited the staff... I know a number of news stories call me the first victim but actually I was the first volunteer and once everything was proven and successful opened the opportunity up to all those looking to change like I was" Donna explained.
"Now here's how this works" Donna then started while having Chloe and Monica look at this larger moon pool where the fish that fused to the transformed were swimming about "after stripping your to be hosted above the tank with the 'tails'... at that point if you are both accepted then the tails will jump and half-swallow you, that is when you will fuse to them... but be aware it's the tails that choose and their colours are the colour mermaids you will be. hair, eyes and tail unless white like me in which case your eyes won't change... after that you'll placed in aqua tanks to rest while the fusion process and medical care runs their course... once all clear that's when you can join your fellow mermaids in the sea". "thank you" Chloe and Monica welcomed as they prepared to get ready: