The summer had brought a lot of hot weather to Lyre, as it was in many places. And to a degree the added dry heat was continuing to present further problems in much of the region. Doctor Stein had seen that in the news reports about the fire in Yosemite and the drop in water usage that was also being pushed on the major agriculture areas of California and even the Brown farm in Animalia as rivers and streams that were being overused were beginning to try up. It was something that hovered in the back of Doctor Stein's mind, though it wasn't the only thing that was there, as the summer heat also brought in various other things that weren't necessarily bad. That related at present to the group of people that he and some of his staff were leading through Horizon's corridors. They were Dennis Vile, Edmund Warson, Francesca Fyne, Julio Hemenez, Ezri Ismail, Paul Wunder, and Lyle Limm.
"I'd thought your group came in earlier in May or June?" Doctor Stein asked, as he did remember seeing those names come through the paperwork before. So far as he had, their choice of animals hadn't changed, but there had seemed to be a cancellation for actually carrying out the conversion earlier.
"We had..." Dennis said slowly, "but a lot of that was more an experimentation on what Horizon would accept for payment."
"Like a crypto payment," Francesca added, "using the AniCoin."
Doctor Stein remembered that in the notes that came with the cancellation. It wasn't so much that the conversion was to be cancelled but delayed, which made him think that this group had showed up with only the crypto currency they had been doing business in and likely had the idea that it would be good for their business. And while AniCoin hadn't been hit has hard as most of the other crypto currencies and had some retailers that did accept it as a payment, as was the case with Bitcoin, Doctor Stein had noted that that market had proven exceptionally volatile and even avoiding the worst mistakes of others wouldn't avoid potential problems. It had led Horizon to favor payments that were to be considered more stable.
"But Horizon had stated you guys had a policy against using crypto currency as a payment," Julio spoke, "so... we had to increase certain shares and so on to convert things into cash and credit."
"Which took a little time," Dennis then spoke, "which is why we had to delay our conversions until now."
Doctor Stein nodded as they approached the conversion rooms and lead each member of AniCoin's development and management team to each room and delivered the double doses needed for the conversions, as requested. Dennis was to convert to become a Burmese Python Animalian. Edmund was to become a Tasmanian Devil Animalian. Francesca was to become an albino Rat Animalian, the species was technically the Brown Rat, but was related to genetic developments that had come out of breeding them for the pet trade and medical research. Julio was to become a Great Grey Owl Animalian. Ezri was to become a Komodo Dragon Animalian. Paul was to become a Sphynx Cat Animalian, and Lyle was to become an Australian Copperhead Animalian. Once he finished with Lyle's shots, Doctor Stein returned the hallway to let the conversions progress peacefully.
"Will they need new clothes, doctor?" one of the staff asked as Doctor Stein set the used syringes down in a tray on cart for disposal.
"All will need some to some degree," Doctor Stein answered, "but most of it would be about Human sized clothing, not too far off from what they came in in with. Dennis and Lyle will need attire that would work with the various Snake Animalians, with Dennis' being larger given that he will by a python. Julio will likely need the most extensive alterations given that he will be a Bird Animalian."
"Right, sir," the staff member spoke, "I'll dispose of these and will be back as quickly as possible with what we have for those that would need to change clothing."
Doctor Stein nodded and waited. Dennis was the first to finish and knocked to be let out. Doctor Stein was about to tell him that clothes were on their way, but he made his way out into the hallway and was still wearing the polo shirt he'd gone in with. Though now, that shirt was stretched more over a more muscular and scaled torso, which had the typical coloration of the Burmese Python with a tan to olive-brown body with large dark brown blotchy spots on his shoulders and the dorsal side of his body and dark olive-brown blotchy spots on his sides. The belly scales were whiter in color.
"The sssssshirt isssssssssssssssn't to bad," Dennis said slowly, trying and failing to hide the hissing tone that his voice had taken on, and had his hands over the area where the slit was in his belly scales that covered where all his equipment moved to, "but... I'm afraid my pantsssssssssssssssssss won't fit."
"Pants were designed to fit beings with legs," Doctor Stein reminded him, "most male Snake Animalians will wear a kind of kilt."
"I'm not Ssssssssscottissssssssssssssssssh," Dennis pointed out.
"Maybe, but it'd be the only thing you could wear short of going completely naked," Doctor Stein spoke, "which depending on the area... might not work."
Dennis nodded to that and waited with Doctor Stein as the others finished. He found that both Lyle and Ezri had ended up with the same hissing tones as he did, which then made the letters s, c, and x difficult. Though Doctor Stein said that was likely the result of how deeply forked the tongues of all Snake and some Lizard Animalians were. Though it was Francesca who had the next question.
"I must ask... why didn't my eyes change?" Francesca asked to Doctor Stein, "a lot of what's happened with albinos has been some deficiencies in terms of color, and that has included the eyes. It's why albino rats always have pink/red eyes, while mine are unchanged."
"A lot of that has been noted for the fact that you've converted to be an Animalian," Doctor Stein answered, "it's one of those sorts of quirks with the Animalia Virus that we can't fully explain in that your Human eye color and shape just carried over. Which is why we have some people that have become Horse Animalians, animals known for having brown eyes and retaining their Human form's blue eye color. The only thing that really changes is the shape of the pupil... if anything with the eye outwardly changes at all."
"Weird," Francesca commented.
"And one of the areas where we're still researching to just to note on how the Animalia Virus works in these conversions," Doctor Stein commented, "the biggest mystery is why the Animalia Virus without attached animal DNA doesn't seem to affect people. One would think that Lyre would have ended up with a lot of Human-Animalians... but we haven't."
"Wouldn't that be because Humans already evolved to the level and form that you were going for?" Julio offered.
Doctor Stein shook his head "no," though he was intrigued by the curiosity in the now Great Grey Owl Animalian's voice, "No. That sort of thing would be something that would assume that man is already somehow special and above the rest of the animal kingdom and that Horizon was actively looking to create Animalians when all this started."
"It wasn't?" Julio blinked, "but you guys have made lots of money from these conversions. You've been like a furry's perfect dream..."
"That was more an accident," Doctor Stein admitted, "the original research was aimed at creating a sort of supplement that would help ranchers produce heartier cattle or other livestock that wouldn't produce some of the byproducts that other sorts of treatments have led to. So, the livestock that would get it would still be considered "organic," if you know what I mean."
"Maybe there's something specific to Human DNA that responds differently to the Animalia Virus that would prevent the sort of reaction that is seen in uplifted animals or with Humans that convert with animal DNA attached to the Animalia Virus," Edmund offered.
"That's our best guess at the moment, but we're still trying to isolate that point in order to see what would need to be done to the Animalia Virus to trigger the reaction on its own," Doctor Stein nodded, "but a lot of that is research. If you come with me, I can get you the numbers you can call for those that can help you adjust and adapt to your new forms as part of the acclamation classes."
"This wouldn't be about trying to set up dates, would it?" Paul asked.
"No," Doctor Stein spoke, "while dating those that will help with you acclamation is in theory possible, that isn't a goal. And some of them may already be married and have partners of their own."
Doctor Stein watched as the others nodded to that.