"It can turn Kats back?" the President asked again.
"That is what the report is," Raul answered, "It may take an additional week or so to get enough of it ready... but it might be something that you could use with any Kats the Cubans have... the transformation isn't instantaneous and can be painful..."
"So we dart one, they cringe in pain and stop while they change back and we could take them prisoner," the Secretary of Defense mused, "that might really help... fewer fatalities and we'd get some ground level intelligence from any prisoners taken in the fight."
"And it could allow us to restore those on our side that get transformed," Raul nodded, "It may work more to protect outside than just the vaccine, but... in pure theory it could work to control any Kats they have..."
The president nodded, "We can't cancel the overall operation... but we do have a surplus of naval and areal weapons... and we've been moving the new Sniper anti-air missiles all along the Gulf Coast. They shouldn't be able to launch another missile at us... The landings will be pushed back and priority will be to get them to the Marines in New Orleans, since the plan will have them taking on the bulk of the Cuban military."
Raul nodded. Maurice's latest discovery wouldn't necessarily kill the virus, but it might make dealing with Kat soldiers easier. Some might still be killed in the course of what was likely coming, but this discovery would likely cut down on that and might even create panic. They didn't know if the Cubans had any Kat soldiers, but it was expected, and it was also figured that Cuba was likely resisting as much as they were because they thought they had an edge in some category, which was likely in the Kats they had. Something that would turn them back into humans would surely create some confusion and would disrupt the actions of the other side. At the same time, Raul wondered if this would also be something that might allow them to avoid having to leave Earth. Many of the Kats were victims and he knew that while many had adapted to being Kats, Raul knew that they would go back if they could.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Janace, Colorado Maurice and Snowy stood in awe as they continued to look at the test results they got from Brent's transition from Scorpkat to Hybrikat. It only combined two animals in Brent's case, whereas Janace's transformation had combined six, but the transformation had produced results far more dynamic than Janace's transformation had been.
"Absolutely amazing," Maurice said after a few moments, "absolutely amazing."
"This would be real atonement," Snowy said with a smile, "Real atonement. We can give people the chance to be who they were if they wish..."
Maurice nodded. Shi liked being a Kat. Hir original idea had come from an idea to end war hatred, and given the love shi felt from Snowy, Maurice knew shi would NEVER go back to being human, and it was likely that those that were in relationships where they had both been the same gender before becoming Kats would likely remain as Kats because they weren't homosexuals while they were human and had come to love their Kat partner, which would count for Alexis and Flake or Danna and Mikkie. Others would likely remain Kats because they had grown to love it despite initial resistance, which would count for Charlie and Sally or Nikole and Jess. But there were those that became Kats, accepted being Kats and made the best of it, but still wanted to be human again. And now they would have the option give those that wanted to be human again the option. Some of it rekindled the idea of altering the serum that could allow a Kat to change at will, but that would have to wait until later.
"Are you still going to need me?" Brent asked from where shi stood.
"Not for the moment," Maurice answered, "We're probably going to need you to make more of this... but for the moment we need some time to analyze the chemical composition."
"Okay then," Brent nodded and turned to Elise who stood behind hir with a nice smile on hir face.
The two greeted with a warm hug and nuzzled their muzzles to each other. Elise was surprised by Brent's transformation. Shi knew that in individual cases, a person who had been vaccinated could be changed with a personally tailored version of the serum so that they remained vaccinated but did change, but had also been told that a lot of this was difficult. It was partially why shi had agreed to the trimates idea with Kathy. Brent would be happy and loved and wouldn't be forced to do anything shi didn't want to do, especially since Kathy had also agreed not to push anything if Brent didn't accept the idea. The idea that Brent would want to become a Hybrikat hadn't occurred to hir. Though, Brent had become a very beautiful Hybrikat and had grown the same sort of feathers that covered Elise.
"I take it you like?" Brent asked.
Elise smiled and gave Brent's enlarged breasts a gentle caress.
"I like it a lot," Elise smiled, "though... I thought you liked being a Scorpkat..."
"I did... but I love you more, Elise, and I couldn't let you get into something you aren't fully comfortable with because you're wanting to make me happy," Brent answered, "as I told you and Kathy, I actually felt quite happy that you would be willing to go that far to make me happy... but you shouldn't have to do anything you don't want to..."
"I see," Elise gave a warm smile as shi followed Brent back toward the home that was now Brent's. "Well... I'll have to admit, I'm not entirely opposed to the idea... Kathy is a nice girl and once we get everything up and running... we'll be seeing a lot of her anyway."
"So you like her too?" Brent said in a surprised voice.
Elise gave a nervous chuckle and nodded, "Yeah... it's strange... most of the time when I've heard the "trimates" idea it's been as a joke... but she's obviously head over heals in love with you and... and is very sweet... it's almost like she was a version of you that was born female... that didn't sound too weird did it?"
"No weirder than anything else we've had to deal with," Brent admitted.
"And how do you feel about Kathy?" Elise asked after a moment.
"Well... I do like her, and she has has been very helpful with my kids," Brent answered, "and the two of you apparently get along well enough to put together a whole trimates idea without me noticing. I suppose I wouldn't mind having an additional mate... but I'd only accept it if it's okay with you."
Brent didn't make the mention that part of hir reasoning for that was based on a story that Charlie had told hir, based on how shi and Sally got the Foxkat Vaccine after the Fee City outbreak. Charlie had had sex with Jess and Nikole had sex with Sally.
"I see... and where is she now?" Elise asked.
"I think she's actually watching the construction workers work on the museum," Brent answered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sure enough, Kathy was seated in a picnic chair watching as a pair of construction workers were actually digging to build the foundation and set the pipes to connect to the main water lines. Shi didn't notice them at first, as she seemed quite happy to watch.
"Hey, Kathy," Elise spoke in a friendly voice, "What do you think of the new Brent?"
"New Brent?" Kathy wondered and looked over her shoulder and her eyes then widened tremendously. Brent had grown taller and now looked like a Dinokat/Scorpkat mix, a Hybrikat, and the dinosaur species seemed to mirror Elise's. This came complete with some visible scales, particularly on Brent's hands and four feet, but the rest of hir had the same coating of feathers that Elise did. Kathy chalked that up to the fact that modern birds had evolved from dinosaurs and particularly from the theropods... and even more specifically their smaller members. After all, many people referred to dinosaurs like Deinonychus (the DNA base for Elise's form) as "raptors." And the word "raptor" means "bird of prey." Though Elise was probably the one to really ask on which precise species of dinosaur birds evolved from.
"Wow..." was all Kathy could manage.
"Hi, Kathy," Brent said slowly, "You okay?"
Kathy only stood their with hir mouth agape. Brent stood there for a moment and was a bit puzzled and then hir new nose caught something on Kathy... she was getting aroused!
"Kathy!" Brent gave a screech, attracting some glances, but the workmen rapidly returned to their work.
"You... you became what..." Kathy began.
"What you wanted to become?" Brent finished.
"Well, yes," Kathy nodded, "do you still have a Scorpion's organs in addition to the male and female versions of a raptor?"
"I might still have the male organs... but I don't know for sure, and don't feel the gonopore of a female Scorpion anymore," Brent answered. "I can mate with those that I love and care for now..."
"I see," Kathy said slowly.
Brent came forward and placed one hand under Kathy's chin to raise Kathy's face and to look into her eyes.
"Kathy... I didn't do this to reject you or solely claim Elise... but I didn't want either of you to do something that you didn't want to do just to make me happy," Brent spoke, "I'm flattered that both you and Elise would be willing to do something like this to make me happy... but I want you be able to make your choices of what you want to be... not because you're giving up something... if you want to be a Kat it should be for you're own reasons and because you want to be a Kat..."
"And I do," Kathy gave a smile, and then leaped into both Brent and Elise's arms, giving each a kiss on the tip of their muzzles, "especially if it means I can be as sexy as the two of you..."
"You are rather eager," Brent commented as shi hugged Kathy as shi would any good friend.
"To be honest... you Kats have been a sort of a salvation for me..." Kathy then commented.
"Hm..." Brent wondered.
It was then that Elise put a hand on Brent's shoulder, "She's a lesbian, Brent. She told me when we were first coming up with the plan... and most that learned of her... "leanings" have rejected her... it's why she's liked us Kats... since we have both sets of anatomy, we have no sexuality that could be defined in the way humans or Taurs define sexuality... and... I had a younger sister once... she was a lesbian too... smart... funny... perfectly normal. But some son-of-bitch's hate speech on gays broke her heart, and I never knew how much she had been hurt..."
"Elise?" Brent said nervously as Elise began to sniffle.
"My sister committed suicide because she thought people would never accept her, the guy who had made the comments ended up doing ten years for harassment, but my sister still payed the ultimate price for his hatred," Elise finished.
"And you don't want that to happen to Kathy?" Brent asked.
"She reminds me of my sister," Elise admitted.
"And you want to be a Kat?" Brent then asked.
"Yes," Kathy answered, "If you don't want me to be yours and Elise's mate too... that's okay... but I do wish to be a Kat."
"Then let's go," Brent offered Kathy an arm.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kathy moved along between Brent and Elise as they made their way into the Chakat Industries Labs. They lead her into one of the main lab areas where they ran into Snowy who was looking into a computer screen on something. After a few moments, she watched the white furred Chakat turn one ear and then turn to them.
"Ah... Brent, we're about ready for you, and..." Snowy spoke, "and miss Kathy... I take it the three of you have your mating arrangements established?"
"Not really," Kathy said slowly, "but I do wish to be a Kat... like what Brent became..."
"Okay then," Snowy gave a smile, "Elise, Maurice is in lab four. Take Brent there so shi can begin making donations for the Retrovirus Vaccine..."
"Retrovirus?" Kathy actually asked.
"The name we came up with," Snowy shrugged, "it will allow us to turn any outbreak victim that doesn't want to stay a Kat back into a human and may give us an edge with regard to what's probably going to go down in Cuba."
"I see," Kathy said slowly and stopped to let Elise and Brent head out toward "lab four."
"If you'll come with me," Snowy said to Kathy.
Kathy then slowly followed hir until they came to the room where Elise first became a Dinokat and just earlier that day Brent became a Hybrikat. Once at the door to the chamber, Snowy then turned to a small table near the door, and then motioned to it.
"Unless you wish to destroy your clothing when you change, you'd be best served to to place your clothing there," Snowy instructed, "and don't worry...I was a woman before I became a Kat and soon we'll all be gurls here. I'll be right back with your dose."
Snowy then turned and headed into a different portion of the building. The area was quiet for the moment and no one else was present. Alone, Kathy began to strip down, setting her clothing on the table. As she set her underwear down, Snowy returned holding a syringe.
"Are you ready?" Snowy asked.
Kathy presented an arm as she was more than ready. Snowy nodded and carefully injected Kathy in her arm and then stepped back to let Kathy enter the chamber.
"How long will it take?" Kathy asked, half nervous, half eager.
"You should feel it any moment now," Snowy gave a smile and then shut the door.
And as the door shut, Kathy was hit by a wall of pain, like none she'd ever expected before. The pain took her to her knees as she looked down to herself as her hands touched the floor. Claws were already beginning to push out from her fingertips and further down, her smaller toes began to merge and grow longer while her big toe also grew bigger and began to raise off the ground slightly.
"It's happening..." Kathy breathed as the transformation continued. Her seemed to toughen and form a series of interlocking scales, but with the exception of her hands and feet, the scales looked too weak to function well on its own. She knew then that soon she would grow feathers, much like the ones that covered Elise and Brent now. That gave her some joy as she felt her toe claws tap against the floor as they pushed out of her now three toed feet.
The pain hit hard again as her hair fell out and pressure built up in her skull. Kathy only screamed as bones in her head and face cracked and snapped as they slowly began to push forward, forming a very saurian muzzle. She also felt her tongue grow slightly longer as her head pushed forward. As it lengthened, Kathy ran it along her teeth, and rapidly found that her teeth were mutating as well, becoming sharp and pointed. The transformation hurt, but seeing Brent and Elise made her certain it would be worth it. She would be beautiful and no one could ever go after her for who she found attractive. Her body was still wracked with pain, particularly along her spine. At the same time, her skin began to itch, and she looked to her arms. Brown feathers were beginning to push out, the same kind of feathers that paleontologists believed covered Deinonychus.
"Yes! It's happening!" Kathy cried happily as her spine rapidly began to push forward and lengthen to allow her taur form to take shape. The bones in her feet snapped and stretched as they began to push out longer. The lengthening of her feet ended up sending Kathy face down onto the floor. This left her butt up in the air somewhat as her taur half began to form. Nerve endings lengthened and the pain of new bones forming and pushing through her body, but soon added a new sensation. She was taking very rapid breaths, trying to endure the pain and after a few moments she felt her second set of ribs begin to expand and contract in the same rapid breaths that her upper chest. In addition, she could almost feel an additional heartbeat. And then as her forelegs began to grow, the sensations began to change. There was still some pain, but this was now particularly at the end of her spine, but now she was actually beginning to feel some pleasure.
"Ommmmm," Kathy actually moaned as she got up onto her four legs as she felt an increased weight on her chest. Her breasts were swelling larger, covered in feathers and with her nipples inside a sort of slit where her feathers were actually thinner. It gave her a good understanding as to why Kats were such sexual creatures... it felt good... and she actually began to actively play with her breasts as they swelled in her hands.
Those sensations were soon cut off however as the throbbing pain at the end of her spine increased. Then in rapid sensations... her tail began to form. With each throbbing sensation new sections of a very scorpion-like tail grew out. The strangest sensation though was that as her feathers shifted into the exoskeleton on her tail, she also felt like her spine grew with the tail. It was like her tail had her bones on both the outside and the inside. Once it was at its full length the pain finally died away.
"Almost done," Kathy thought to herself and then felt it. It created a very pleasant pulling sensation occurred between her rear legs. Protected by her feathers her sexual openings altered and changed and a penis (or at least what would be likely equivalent for a Deinonychus) pushed out for a moment and then gradually pulled back inside hir.
"There," Kathy thought and looked toward the door and walked toward it. Shi stumbled a little as shi got used to being on four legs, but shi felt secure and shi felt strong. And above all, shi felt confident.
Shi tapped on the door and waited for Snowy to come open it. When the white Chakat did so, shi was carrying a button down shirt for hir.
"Here you go, Kathy, this should fit you better and won't irritate your Dromaeosaur feathers," Snowy said to hir.
"Hmm...?" Kathy wondered as shi accepted the shirt and slowly fit it on, and while hir feathers weren't long enough to enable hir to fly, they did seem rather sturdy, and the shirt fit loosely enough that that it didn't irritate hir newly grown feathers.
"The specific family of carnivorous dinosaurs that were noted for their rather bird-like characteristics," Snowy answered, "Elise has already taught us a lot about Earth's extinct animals... I'm sure you and hir will do well with your idea for a mixed museum and insectarium."
"I hope so," Kathy nodded, "can I show Brent and Elise?"
"I don't see why not," Snowy smiled, "we'll also want a sample of your venom... see if yours will operate the way Brent's does now..."
That left Kathy a little curious, but shi let it go. Hir first and foremost mission was to see hir friends.