Grace's letter was full of anything but grace. She had been one of the unlucky few chosen to help replenish the devastated plant population by being transformed into a pumpkin.
***
Earlier, she had bemoaned this ill turn of fate with her parents, rapidly jetting through denial, anger, bargaining and what-have-you. She was actually getting ready to run, until she saw a small disclaimer on the bottom of the letter...
"This category of Farmland Regeneration has not been fully tested yet. Success or failure may vary based on body chemistry, DNA/RNA compatibility, or other factors. By law you are only required to report to the Regeneration Center once per lifetime, results notwithstanding..."
Further internet research had let Grace in on a few unpublished and repressed statistics, which made her fate as a pumpkin anything but certain. For example, while serums for trees had been virtually perfected, those meant for fruit bearing plants like most vegetables were rejected by forty percent of the populace. Another twenty percent developed a mild rash and cold-like symptoms, which went away after a few days.
Grace had always been a lucky girl, so she felt optimistic that she would come out of this with no problem. Foolishly overconfident, she drove down to the regeneration center herself.
***
Now, Grace lay on the steel table, covered by a robe, while a nurse gave her the drug that would either ruin or save her. Grace felt a mild itch at the point of injection.
When nothing immediate happened, Grace boldly asked, "So, I hear this serum actually fails in over half the people it's tried on. Is that true?"
The nurse replied...