Monica sat in the waiting room of the transformation center for New Atlantis. She was still fighting back tears of the horrible fate which seemed to await her. From the outside she looked like a normal African American woman in her mid-twenties, dark hair in multiple neck long dreadlocks, chocolate color skin and a simple black blouse and jeans.
She had tried everything to avoid becoming infected with the Mermaid Virus, she stayed at home, refused to see anyone and only really communicated by text/video chat. As a computer programmer she could work from home and paid for her small private apartment even though she was only a few years out of college. She kept track of the news coming out about the number of people transforming and how the governments around the world were working on a cure/vaccine. It quickly became clear that any cure to reverse the effects of the change would take decades to make but hopefully a vaccine could be made in a few more months.
She kept track of it daily, then one morning she found a rash on her foot and pulled it back to see scales. She had somehow become infected with the mermaid virus.
Knowing the horror stories about the government run transformation centers which were trying to deal with the large numbers of people transforming daily, she used all her funds to get a spot in New Atlantis.
“Monica Richards.” Said the nurse as Monica stood up and walked clip board in hand toward the desk. She handed the board over as the nurse, who was wearing a full biohazard suit took it.
“Alright, looks like you’re all paid for and ready to go down into the transformation center.” stated the Nurse “Anything special we need to know that wasn’t included on the form?”
“I almost drowned as a kid, so I am afraid of water to the point of almost passing out in anything deeper than a bathtub.” Answered Monica as the nurse looked up at her.
“Well… is going to be an issue.” Stated the nurse “Still we can handle it and once you get your gills you will not have to worry about drowning.”
The nurse handed her a waterproof smart watch.
“This contains your records, keep it on you. It will also open the door to your room.” stated the nurse “You’re in room 441, looks like you will have some roommates, unless you want to pay extra for a single room.”
“Don’t have the money.” stated Monica as she moved toward the elevator and tapped the button for the fourth floor.
The elevator when down instead of up, and Monica felt the need not to pass out as she discovered that the elevator was in fact made of glass and looked out into the open ocean. Behind her she could see some already transformed merfolk whom where likely staff of the company working with newly transformed people.
The elevator beeped as she got off and rushed back into the more normal looking building. She found her room and entered to find three other beds none of them where currently being used. She picked one far away from the “window” which looked out into the sea and just sat there. She didn’t really bring anything with her, she couldn’t take anything with her underwater anyhow. So she just sat there awaiting her fate when the door opened again.