"They've given you quite a set-up here," I commented off hand as Leona lead Molly and I into her lab.
Vials and cabinets lined the walls and there were other pieces of equipment on counters there. Most of these things were human sized, and I was about to ask when I noticed a young human man doing something on a computer in another section of the lab.
"A reward I guess for going along with it all," Leona gave a depressed sigh, "I still do not think selling the serum is the best idea. It wasn't ready..."
"We know," Molly told her, "at least there is no risk of unleashing some horde of mindless humanoid animals on the world."
"That doesn't make me feel better," Leona grumbled.
"Sorry," Molly shrugged slowly.
"It's alright," Leona sighed, "there are some good things to this, I suppose..."
That left both Molly and I curious.
"Like what?" I wondered.
"Well... I can go back to my original research," Leona explained, "turning humans into animals is not what I want to do with my life... but the lawsuit did end the automatic ban on my original research."
"So you're still working to cure cancer?" Molly wondered.
Leona nodded, "it's what I originally set out to do... and that's what I want my legacy to be. Not that of a woman who got bullied by her first assistant. Not as the lioness who helped people shed their humanity."
"Philosophically, our humanity hasn't been completely lost," I sighed, "Molly and I can feel our instincts and we do recognize them. But we can control them."
"All the same," Leona sighed back, "I want to be remembered for doing something that all humanity will say is a benefit... not just those of you who have adjusted to being an animal and those for various reasons desire to be an animal."
Molly and I nodded. We had sided with Leona in giving her our support in the lawsuit, though it obviously didn't do Leona much good.
"But, there is no need to cling to the past," Leona then shrugged, "You're here for a happy occasion... and it will be. All things aside."
"It was very nice of you to ask Molly to be a bridesmaid," I told her, "and it's had her all shades of excited, even if its the standard process in reverse."
"Reverse?" Leona wondered.
"Bridesmaid then bride," Molly groaned, giving my arm a playful swipe, "while I've gone bride then bridesmaid."
"Oh," Leona sighed, "well... I owe you a great debt of gratitude, George. You freed me and all of Eugene's other victims. I owe you for that... and you two have talked more with me since Eugene's arrest and trial then many of the others. It's good to hear from people."
"What about people you knew before Changes had you become a lioness to start his "show"?" I wondered.
"Most want nothing to do with a three hundred pound African Lioness," Leona sighed, "particularly one that has a male lion's instincts."
"Jerks," Molly growled.
"Maybe," Leona nodded, "but it isn't all bad. My younger sister has agreed to be the maid of honor and has been very supportive... though I've had to talk her out of asking for the formula too..."
"She wants to match you?" I gave a soft smile.
"Proof, I guess, that I am still loved with my family," Leona sighed, "though too much of her concept of a lion's pride is too much like the Lion King..."
"I thought that was fairly accurate as a kid..." I commented.
"It isn't beyond the obvious appearances," Leona answered, "the Lion King shouldn't be used as a reference for lion biology and behavior."
"Like Shere Khan is not an accurate depiction of a tiger," I grumbled under my breath.
"No predatory animal that is depicted as a cold blooded killer of people is accurately depicted," Leona answered, "Most of those tales are either written from fear or from people who understand very little of nature seeking to tell a tale of adventure and thus over-embellish the dangers predatory animals pose to make their story exciting... in reality though, you should have more to fear from prey animals then from predators. Deer are not necessarily cowardly. Bull elk and moose will charge people during the mating season... white-tail and mule deer will if they can't heard their females away, female moose will charge people if you get too close to the calf... and let us not forget the temperament of the American bison... more people are gored to death by bison then are mauled by grizzlies each year."
Molly nodded, "a couple of the bucks I chased during the last hunting season did turn on me. I let one go... the other tried to charge, but I managed to catch his antlers with my paws and then sling him to the ground."
"But anyway," Leona then spoke, "I have a couple of others who are willing to be bridesmaids with you, Molly, and my sister will be the maid of honor. And her idea of becoming a lioness aside, she is happy for me and Officer Jackson."
"Good to hear," Molly and I nodded.
"We plan to have the rehearsal done in the morning," Leona said slowly, "Do you know where the Methodist church is here?"
Molly and I nodded.
"Jackson managed to pull some strings and the wedding will take place there," Leona continued, "the reception will be here."
"Convenient," I shrugged.
Leona nodded, "we'll do the rehearsal at ten on Thursday. That won't be a problem will it?"
"No," Molly answered, "that'll be fine."
"Both of you are free to come," Leona offered.
"That's very generous of you," I began, "I..."
"Well, that's interesting," Leona's aide spoke for the first time since Molly and I had entered the room, making all of us turn toward him.
"What is it Harry?" Leona asked she turned back to the man at the computer.
"I was just going over some of your notes and calculations," Leona's aide, Harry, spoke, "and I think there might be a way to use the Animatrix Serum... or at least the retrovirus part of it... to affect one's gender as well as, or in place of one's species."
"Gender?" Molly and I asked.
"Yes, gender," Harry nodded, "Gen-U-Tech provides a lot of services, not merely the Animatrix Serum to make animal people. We are also one of the leading industries in hormone replacement for those who go through sex change operations."
"The CEOs had the idea to find away to use the retrovirus to be able to alter one's gender as well," Leona commented, "If it works it'll cut down on the surgeries that will half to be done, reducing the complications people going through with sex change operations... I don't entirely agree with the idea... but I doubt there's anything that can stop it."
"It'll cut down on the surgeries and all the potential complications that come from it," Harry added, "a good thing from a simplistic point of view. And unless it's also combined with the Animatrix Serum, the person taking the serum will remain human."
"So, what is your theory, Harry?" Leona asked.
"Just a copy and paste job of your retrovirus," Harry answered, "instead of attaching it to an animal's DNA, we attach it to a chromosome, either an X or Y with no other DNA sequences to speak of, to even allow animal people to take it as well. The simulation here seems to produce good results."
He then ran the computer simulation again for all of us to see. The data on the screen meant little to Molly and I, but Leona seemed to understand it.
"From the simulation... it might work," Leona sighed, "we can commence animal testing... mundane animal testing as soon as possible. Once they're certain it will work, you can test it on me for the sentient test."
That startled Molly and I heavily.
"You'd test it on you?" Molly gasped.
"I'm a lioness with a male lion's instincts," Leona sighed in a defeated tone, "my instincts don't control me... but it's left me confused gender-wise for awhile."
"What about Jackson?" Molly asked, "won't he be upset if you suddenly become male?"
"He knows and understands," Leona sighed, "he's actually why I'm not as against the gender altering issue as I am against the human to animal-person issue."
"He's willing to become a lioness," I said slowly.
Leona slowly nodded, "Yes. He's been a wonderful companion, and to forgo his gender and possibly his humanity to be with me... I find it hard to argue with him on that."
"..."
"I NEED to do this," Leona finished, "I can't keep going around with a male voice inside my head."
Molly and I only sighed.
"Okay then," Molly spoke after a moment, "We'll support you."
"Thank you," Leona nodded, "Thank you."