Hybridization
You step through the door marked "Hybridization," and find yourself in a cylindrical waiting room. The room is poorly furnished, with only a few uncomfortable looking chairs and a large television screen. The surrounding wall is covered with numbered doors, each with a small viewing window. The room itself is incredibly hot and humid, so much so that you begin sweating almost as soon as you enter. Before you can see much more of your surroundings, you are greeted by a computerized voice that seems to be coming from the walls all around you.
"Welcome to the Plant-Human Hybridization Room. By entering this area, you have chosen to participate in this branch of the Transformation Institute's Studies. To begin, please remove your clothing and step into Chamber Number 3."
You don't much like the sound of that, but the door behind you is locked. You peek into the viewing window of Chamber Number 3 and find a small, dark, room. All you can see of the room is four huge wicked-looking mechanical arms, two coming from the ceiling and two from the floor. You certainly wouldn't want to be handled by those things, especially not naked. But the only way out of the room is through one of the chambers around the side. You glance into chambers 2 and 6 and find the same setup. So, it looks like your options are pretty limited. Still, there's a door on the opposite side of Chamber Number 3. You open the door to the chamber, hoping to sneak past the arms, but they instantly snap to attention and start grabbing for you--you dash back into the cylindrical room, slamming the door behind you. Your options are VERY limited.
As a last-ditch effort, you try negotiating with the computer: "Do I have to do this?"
"You chose this specific section of our research yourself. So, yes, you are now committed to the Hybridization project."
"I meant--"
"You must also disrobe. Clothing inhibits our photosynthesis treatment. If you are truly uncomfortable disrobing, the arms can undress you, but the Transformation Institute is not responsible for any damage they may do to you and your clothing."
Feeling defeated, you undress and, finding no corner to leave your things in a cylindrical room, dump everything in the centre of the room. You then walk into Chamber 3 to face the Hybridization project.
Chamber 3 is intensely hot. For a moment, you're grateful that you've left your clothes in the other room. You don't have much time to reflect on this, though--the experiment is beginning! Before you realize what's happening, the lower robotic arms have grabbed your ankles and the upper arms have grabbed your wrists. The arms then lift you up, suspending you in the middle of the chamber with your arms over your head. No matter how you squirm, the arms hold you fast. Conveniently enough, the chamber comes with a full-length mirror facing you so you can watch whatever is about to happen next (although it's probably a one-way mirror, so there's someone behind it watching whatever is about to happen next also).
"Beginning Phase One: Initial Modifications," the voice says. This cue is accompanied by four sharp stabs, one from each of the arms. You also notice that each arm has an attached tube, which is now pumping the injection site with a pale translucent green fluid. The injections have an instant calming effect on you, and you no longer struggle as you passively watch the changes.
Along your blood vessels, stemming from each of the robotic arms, you begin to see the green fluid branching out into your body. Wherever it goes it leaves your body stained a pale green colour. Your hair, meanwhile, has been falling out everywhere, so that when the changes stop you are pale green and completely hairless.
"Phase Two," says the voice, "Intensifying Plant Modifications." The injection becomes a deeper green, and the deepening green colour spreads again to your entire body, leaving you a much darker green. Your skin, also becomes harder and stiffer, much more plant-like. Soft leaves and thin vines begin growing to replace the hair you lost, and a wave of contentment washes over you.
"Phase Three: Reproductive Conversion."
The arms pump a blue fluid into you. You struggle a bit, knowing that you'd probably rather not have a plant reproductive system, but it's far too late to make any protest. You can only watch as your crotch shrinks and vanishes, replaced by a large blue flower. Smaller blossoms also appear at your belly button and nipples, and in your vine-leaf "hair." And then it's over.
"Phase Four: Photosynthesis Treatment"
From above you descends a ring of body-length sun lamps, temporarily cutting off your view of the mirror. The light and heat would be unbearable to your human self, but after all the modifications, you find them quite pleasant. You even, despite the uncomfortable nature of your position, fall asleep. Your rest is interrupted by another pleasant surprise, an artificial rainstorm. When it ends, you drift back to sleep until the next one. You have no idea how long the cycle repeats, but at length the Photosynthesis Treatment ends, the sunlamps are lifted away, and the arms gently release you.
You linger in front of the mirror to have a good look at yourself. You're still basically human in shape, but the Hybridization has changed quite a lot. Your skin is now a beautiful deep green, and your hair has been replaced by a luxurious tangle of leaves, vines, and flowers. The Photosynthesis Treatment has also done you a lot of good-your muscles are much larger and better-toned, your plant hair is longer and thicker, and your flowers are considerably larger and healthier.
The door to exit the chamber opens, revealing what lies beyond. You're still underground, but in a massive enclosure illuminated by more sunlamps, and all around you are other plant-people. Some are lounging in the artificial sun, others are playing in a nearby grove, and still others have gathered at a fountain for life-giving water. One plant-person in particular, a female<span class="female">male</span> greets you.
"Welcome to your new home."
Written by Zodiac on 04 February 2008
The end (for now)