“Overall, how would you describe the experience,” Prof. Youngblood asked Karyn.
“What a rush,” Karyn answered. “I mean, it hurt a little during the change, but the feeling of being a horse,
to be able to run like that, was just amazing.”
“I’ll bet,” Prof. Youngblood said.
“Why did some of the change hurt?” I asked.
“All that changing and repositioning of muscle and bone,” Prof. Youngblood said. “No one’s been able to make
that painless yet. The person who accomplishes that would be the envy of the scientific world. However,
that’s not why I asked you to stay for a minute.”
Karyn asked, “What is?”
Prof. Youngblood sat down behind her lab desk. “Have you two ever heard of the Transformation Trial Works?”
We both shook our heads. “I’m not surprised. It’s not very well known. It is a collective program that
studies various different transformation types in order to see if any of them could succeed as an alternate
lifestyle and form.”
“An alternate lifestyle and form?” I asked skeptically.
Prof. Youngblood nodded. “That’s right,” she said. “Its goal is to see if humanity could survive in another
form if some sort of catastrophe occurred that could not be remedied.”
“Like an asteroid hitting the Earth?” Karyn asked.
“That would be one potential scenario,” Prof. Youngblood said. “Now bear in mind that none of these events
are considered likely, and there are also methods being researched to try and prevent those in other fields,
but…this one is right up your alley.”
“How so?” I asked.
“You two have proven to be exceptionally gifted when it comes to this discipline,” she said. “Your excelled
in your classes in previous years at this school, and you both appear well on your way to doing so this year.
Here,” she said as she went through some papers on her desk, “Ah, here is the information on it. It is
something for which you would have to apply and be approved, but I feel you would both be accepted with ease.
Think it over and let me know if you’re interested.”
I took the paper from her but did not closely study it. Students began to pour into the class. “Looks like
our time is up,” I said. “But we’ll let you know.” She nodded. We gathered our things and left.