May 23rd, 2057 11:24 am PST

Like a spy cloaked against its enemies, three small spiked shapes danced unnoticed by the neighboring cells floating in the culture dish. Dimmed light from the monitor lit Dr. Campbell's face while he watched the movement of the magnified sample. Computers hummed in the darkened room, providing power to the algorithms that automatically tracked and recorded the specimens.

Dr. Campbell cleared his throat before speaking. "Allie, begin recording. Adenovirus Infection Test Number 689. This sample is from Batch 23-A and I've recoded to hopefully prevent the previous disruptions of the cell wall. I've introduced the virus into the sample of cells and am- hang on, here we go. Allie, mark affected displayed cell as a-1, please. "

One of the spiked viruses attached itself to a cell and Dr. Campbell watched quietly as the tiny structure decomposed after delivering its payload. Mentally, Dr. Campbell counted slowly while watching the larger cell. When he passed ten seconds, he smiled; when he reached thirty, the normally restrained man felt like laughing.

"Allie?" the doctor said out loud.

A soft feminine voice purred in response, "Yes, Dr. Campbell?"

"Status on a-1, please?"

The small array of computers silently ran a series of tests while he waited. Once completed, the AI gave its report. "A-1 shows the modification as described in your test case scenario, Dr. Campbell."

"Beautiful," the man whispered. "Now... Allie, I need an assistant. Please create a listing for me. Maximum of $5000 for the budget and I want precedence given to the local university listings. Male or female between 18 and 25 with some experience in biology but nothing beyond either simple interest in the subject or high school classes required. Give the advertisement a seven day lifetime."

"Yes, doctor. The postings have been created and I've debited your account for $4503. Shall I keep you notified of potential applicants?"

Dr. Campbell tapped his nose in thought. "A daily reminder is fine, Allie." On the screen, only one adenovirus was left and he watched it attach to another cell. "I need a cryo injection on the samples. And disposal. Have my car ready and notify my office that I'm on my way."

"Yes, doctor," Allie responded.

Dr. Campbell stood and knuckled his back. "And, Allie, once the samples are disposed, please roll back to the save point created at 7:00 am this morning. That includes all data."

A faint hiss announced the destruction of the samples currently on display. Dr. Campbell watched as the small tray was carefully lifted by a delicate metal arm. Five seconds later, a cheerful 'ding!' sounded over the room's speakers.

"Good morning, Dr. Campbell," Allie announced.

Following routine, the man answered, "Good morning, Allie."

"Dr. Campbell, you've received two emails regarding applications for an assistant's position. I've located advertisements listed in eleven different resources on the Internet. Would you like a summary of the applicants and their qualifications?" Dr. Campbell could almost hear the frustrated surprise in Allie's voice; a frustration that could never exist in her electronic brain.

"Not at the moment, Allie. Please set up a daily notification at 5 pm."

"Yes, doctor," the voice replied.

-----

The young woman in front of the large glass desk fidgeted nervously and Dr. Campbell watched while she did. The girl alternated between biting her lip, rubbing her hands and setting her hands on her lap. Her eyes strayed to the large animal sitting alertly at the side of Dr. Campbell's desk. She was an average looking girl with a small chin and a slightly pointed nose. Her blond hair was held back in a ponytail and her hazel eyes darted nervously around the room. Without makeup or revealing clothes, she'd fade into any crowd; neither pretty nor ugly.

"So," Dr. Campbell said. The young woman jerked minutely, bringing her eyes back to the man. "Trisha, isn't it? What do you know about our company?"

Trisha swallowed and then bit her lip again before answering. "There's not much I could find, actually. Umm. You, well, your company, Alpha Gen, I mean, works with animals-"

"Wolves," Dr. Campbell interrupted.

"Y-yes," Trisha continued. "Wolves. You work with wolves. And, umm, gene therapy. So, not much? The search bots all came up with the nearly the exact same mission statement. It was, umm, sparse. No history of the company, no products, no list of employees or anything."

"And? What do you think we do?"

The young woman fumbled at her fingers in her lap and then glanced at the wolf again. "I- I think you modify the wolves in some way. Probably government work. Maybe stronger? Faster? More loyal? For the police and such?"

Dr. Campbell stared at the woman and she wondered if she'd made a mistake by asking a question. "You are basically correct in your assumptions. I founded this company with Dr. Schneider and we've done an immense amount of work with the canine genome and are pioneers in identifying key aspects of the genetic code and either encouraging or discouraging certain aspects of the genetic code. All according to our client's specifications. As you've said: strength, speed, loyalty, obedience, fearlessness, aggression and more. We were the first to fully sequence and understand the common wolf genome and we've only grown our understanding from there."

The silence stretched between the two as Trisha wondered if she was supposed to say something. Again, Dr. Campbell allowed the woman to squirm uncomfortably. He'd always been fascinated by the little tics and mannerisms people displayed under pressure. Even more, he enjoyed having power over people. As with the animals, asserting control needed to be done quickly and firmly. A gentle ping signaled an incoming secure, bringing Dr. Campbell out of his reverie. The almost invisible, razor-thin bone conducting speakers near his ears relayed Allie's voice to him without letting the young woman know anything was happening.

"Dr. Campbell," the AI said. "I've completed my initial research. Trisha Renee Adams. Born August 3rd, 2038 at Mercy Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents both died in a car accident when she was five years old. The incident was blamed on the flaws in the third generation of fully auto-piloted vehicles. She lived in foster care from that point on. Her psychological profile shows her as insecure, submissive and easily adaptable. She was physically abused, non-sexually, four years ago by her foster father but, when questioned by police, she dropped the charges. Further investigation on my part shows a link between the father, Terence McMillan, and the local precinct. Nothing was filed but they moved her to keep suspicion from developing. The University of Washington was her first and only choice of college. Rental agreement records show she moved here from New York one week ago."

"Do you like animals, Ms. Adams?" Dr. Campbell asked.

Trisha's face positively glowed as she answered. "Yes! I love animals! Especially dogs. My family, well the family I lived with when I was ten, had a husky and I spent all my time with her. I'm actually starting at UW for veterinary medicine next quarter. I'd love a chance to work with dogs... I mean wolves while going to school."

Dr. Campbell smiled. "Well, Ms. Adams, I do believe you'll get your chance. The job is yours if you want it."

-----

August 9th, 2057 6:17 pm PST

The contoured black chair creaked as Dr. Campbell leaned back, massaging his temples. "Allie, prep another sample. Rotate to Batch 83-d and mix when ready. I want solution Number Six standing by in aerosol form this time."

Allie responded immediately. "Yes, doctor. Estimated completion time in two minutes, thirty-three seconds."

Machinery moved, whirring and hissing as samples were destroyed, removed and exchanged. So close, he thought. Twenty-three years of work and I'm finally so close. The affected cells respond to the virus and the code is stable. Why won't it activate? What am I missing?

Allie's soothing voice filled the room. "Doctor, the solutions are ready."

Still with his eyes closed, Dr. Campbell answered. "When the payloads are all delivered, activate the aerosol." Barely twenty seconds later, the older man heard a faint hiss as the solution was released into the enclosed area containing the culture dish. After a few minutes, Dr. Campbell leaned forward to look at his display. His eyes widened in shock. "Allie! Replay from the beginning!"

The doctor's display reset itself and he watched as the viruses delivered their tailored payload. The time at the bottom-right of the display flickered as milliseconds passed. After seventy-four seconds, the cells began dividing at a frenetic pace until the fluid in the dish was entirely drained.

Swallowing to clear a suddenly dry throat, Dr. Campbell stared at his screen. "Allie, what is the status of the cells?"

It took nearly a full minute for the powerful AI to respond. "All cells carry the modified genes, Dr. Campbell."

"Oh my god. Allie! I did it! This- I did it, Allie!" Dr. Campbell stood from his chair. "Allie, warm up the back areas and wake up the rats. Start the bacteria working on more of Solution Six. I'll need at least five gallons of it."

-----

Trisha sighed. Two weeks since my birthday, she thought. And I still haven't worked up the nerve to talk to anyone. So, here I sit doing paperwork. They promised animals! Although... wolves? I've never done anything with wolves before.

Glancing at the corner of her monitor, Trisha noted the time and then rubbed her eyes. "Cecilia?" Trisha called out.

"Yes, Trisha?" Alpha Gen's AI answered.

"Could you please have a public car called for me? I'm going back to my apartment."

"Yes, Trisha. Transit responds with an arrival time of 4 minutes, 24 seconds. I've informed your apartment AI of your arrival in approximately 12 minutes. Have a pleasant evening, Ms. Adams."

"Thank you, Cecilia," Trisha said. The young woman collected her bag as she left her desk. Cameras with an array of sensing equipment worked to track her progress. Soft overhead lights silently powered down as she left various areas of the empty office. Trisha stepped outside to wait for her car. Bicycles raced past in their designated lanes while public and private cars wove around each other. Trisha stepped to the curb and watched the flow of traffic while she waited. Seattle was slower than back home but she preferred it here. Less people, less in-your-face noise and activity. She'd often felt like she'd had no room to breathe on the east coast and escaping here seemed like the best option.

A small red and white car separated from the stream of traffic. She watched as it gently and noiselessly parked next to her. She was used to the color pattern of the public cars by now but the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left no doubt. The small, smooth oblong shaped car dinged cheerfully as she approached and the front of the car pushed up and forward, exposing the single cushioned seat within. Trisha carefully arranged herself and the car closed around her with a faint hiss. The five point restraint system settled solidly around Trisha and she closed her eyes against the feeling.

"Breathe deeply," she reminded herself. "Slow and steady, in and out. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. You're okay. You're okay." She felt her heart racing as the car pulled away from the curb to insert itself into the flow of traffic. Seven years ago, a foster family decided that they would physically restrain her when they felt like she'd misbehaved. For two years she'd lived them, screaming and crying for hours when they left her tied up all night. Even now she still panicked from something as simple as a car restraint system.

A soft female voice spoke over the car's audio system. "Welcome to King county public transportation with partial funding from Google. Please, visit their website for more information." The limited intelligence of the cloud based AI paused as it looked up her information. "Trisha Adams, would you like to view top news stories listed as relevant based on-"

"Yes," Trisha hissed through her teeth. "Anything to distract me."

Unseen to her closed eyes, a small video appeared on an overlay of the front window. A male voice, not human, spoke over the muted roar of a large crowd. "Protestors and human rights activists clashed with Russian police this morning over recent remarks made by Russian president, Alexander Putin."

The seasoned voice of the simulated news host was replaced by a dour, heavily accented voice. Trisha couldn't understand Russian but the English translation followed the speech. "Homosexuality is an aberration of society. I will round up all suspected homosexuals and-"

Trisha waved her hand to the right and the news feed vanished. Maybe not anything, she thought. The rest of the ride was nearly silent and the young woman focused on her breathing. She'd often wondered why the car ride itself didn't bother her but she thought that perhaps she was too young to remember anything about the crash that took her parents.

Her car announced her arrival and Trisha eagerly exited when it opened for her. She hurried through the front door of her apartment complex and then up the two flights of stairs to her room. The door registered her arrival and opened automatically for her. She pulled it shut and then lay back, nearly gasping in relief. She could still hear the sounds of people outside but they were outside and she was home and safe and by herself.

"House," Trisha said (she always renamed her shared apartment AIs to 'House'). "It's too bright in here." The windows darkened and the overhead lights dimmed slightly in response to the command. Trisha made her way to the small bathroom just inside the door. With deft, practiced moves, she removed the small amount of makeup she used. Mostly to hide her nearly constant fatigue; sleep never came easily to her.

After a quick look in her small closet, Trisha grabbed her favorite pair of cotton pants. Rummaging further, she found an oversized black shirt and then quickly changed out of her work clothes.

"Rocket ship jammies? Check," she said to herself. "Old tattered comfy shirt? Double double check. Now where the hell did I put my tablet? Ah!" Trisha pulled her tablet from under a stack of papers and then settled in under her blankets on the narrow bed she used. Detaching the small stylus from the device, the young woman resumed her calculus coursework with a sigh.

Two hours later as the sun finally set, Trisha received a small message notification on her tablet. The message was from Cecilia at Alpha Gen: Ms. Adams, tomorrow you will be working with Dr. Thompson and her training group. Please arrive on time at 7 am. Trisha smiled. Dr. Sheila Thompson worked directly with the animals. She'd seen a few more of the wolves by now but she'd not yet had the chance to interact with them. It'd taken a bit of time but she'd overcome her fears after watching the large animals calmly walk around the facility. Never once did one of the animals step out of line or misbehave. She was fascinated. They were larger than wolves she'd seen on video and they walked with a majestic, sure purpose. None of them were on leashes but when a command was given, they acted immediately as if that was what they'd intended to do all along.

The night passed as it almost always did and Trisha eventually settled into troubled sleep. She tossed and turned, muttering under her breath, fragments of old conversations becoming vocalized. Begging to be let out, for someone to untie her. Whimpering quietly, she woke as soon as the apartment AI slowly turned on the overhead lights to a comfortable morning level. At the same time, it picked a random selection of her favorite Chopin and gradually increased the volume. Trisha sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed as the windows lightened to let in a fraction of natural light.

"At least," she grumbled. "At least I get to finally see the animals today."

-----

Dr. Campbell sat nervously at his desk. It was an odd sensation for him and one not felt since completing his final thesis. With a glance at the time (6:58 am) he stood and made his way to the front. Allie whispered in his ear as Trisha's public car pulled to the front and he forced himself to walk nonchalantly past the car. The young woman seemed taken aback when she stepped out of the small vehicle.

"D... Dr. Campbell. Good morning," Trisha stammered.

"Ah, Ms. Adams. Good morning. I was on my way to the coffee shop when I got a call from Dr. Schneider. Dr. Thompson was called away for a customer meeting and I'm told you were meeting with her today. I'm sure I can find a few things for you to do around the office in her absence."

"Oh, that's... oh. Okay. Sure, that'd be great."

The older man sighed sympathetically. "I'd forgotten that you've been waiting to work with our wolves. It is perhaps against procedure but, if you like, you could visit my home. I have two of our wolves as guards while they wait for placement."

Trisha considered her options. She had no classes today so she could either spend an entire day staring at the screen or she could go out for some fresh air and actually see what the wolves were capable of doing. All she knew about them was from a much sanitized presentation and the various bits of whispered gossip around the office and she was dying to learn more. The only problem she had was Dr. Campbell. He was remote and rarely around but, when he was, she felt nervous. Something about him set her nerves on edge. However, he hadn't mistreated her so...

"I'd love to," she told him.

Dr. Campbell felt a nervous tension leave his shoulders. "Wonderful. Why don't you buy yourself a coffee and I'll bring my car around and meet you when you're finished. I'll be just a moment." Dr. Campbell watched Trisha walk away. "Cecilia?" He said out loud.

The Alpha Gen AI answered over the man's private headphones. "Yes, Dr. Campbell?"

The man talked as he walked towards the company's small parking garage. "Trisha Adams just met me outside and informed me that she's leaving her position. Could you please make an advertisement for a replacement and inform Dr. Thompson? Also, please have my car meet me at the parking entrance."

"Yes, Dr. Campbell. Trisha Adams' access rights are now revoked and I've updated our records. Will you be in the office later today? I cannot seem to find a record of your events."

"No," he told the computer. "I have a potential meeting with the Seattle police department in one hour. Non-official and it may be canceled. If so, I may come back to the office or just take a day to myself and shop. I do have my sabbatical coming up so I may just prepare for that, instead. Allie will inform you of any changes."

"Very good, Dr. Campbell. Good luck on your meeting, sir."

The parking garage gate opened and Dr. Campbell's black sedan drove through the opening. Dr. Campbell walked over to the driver's side and the door popped open for him. Taking the manual controls, he turned onto the street and drove the short distance to the small coffee shop three blocks from his building. Trisha was waiting near the curb with a small iced coffee drink. Dr. Campbell slowed to a stop and the passenger door opened. The young woman settled into the leather seat and then buckled herself.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Campbell asked.

"Yes, sir!"

With a small smile, Dr. Campbell accelerated away and into traffic. "Glad to hear it," he told her. "Very glad."

"I'm surprised," Trisha said.

Dr. Campbell glanced to the side. "At what?"

"Well, that you're driving. I thought, well, no offense but I thought with a man of your stature, you'd rather let the car drive."

"Ah," the man said. "No. I like to drive, actually. When the auto systems take over, you're just a passenger and there's no control. There's no variance. The car takes exactly the most efficient path and adjusts itself to ensure the rest of the traffic also moves efficiently. When I'm driving, the other cars move around me. I pick the path and direction and how fast I want to go."

"So you like the control, then?"

Again the man glanced sideways. "Yes. Yes, I suppose that's true."

The rest of the car ride was in silence as they sped along the interstate. Trisha watched as massive concrete highways turned to tree lined single lane roads. Houses stretched further and further apart as they drove deeper into the countryside until, finally, the doctor turned onto a tiny dirt road. Large brick walls were partially hidden behind trees and bushes and the automated gate blocking their entrance seemed to be made of solid metal. The doors swung open to welcome the car.

Just inside the gate was a massive red wolf. Calm and serene, it watched the car pass.

"That," Dr. Campbell said. "Is Rex. I've had him for a year now."

The wolf's head turned as the car passed. "You said there were two of them?" Trisha asked.

"Yes. Umbra will be stalking us. He always does. Rex is there to let us know we're seen while Umbra follows, hidden. They will both follow us but Rex will always be visible. He seems to enjoy it - making himself known." Rex frightened her immediately. His eyes were hard and when the car had passed, the wolf simply stood and trotted alongside the vehicle. The car rolled to a stop in front of a palatial three story house. "Stay in the car for a moment."

Dr. Campbell opened his door and stepped out. He held his hand flat down and said in a clear voice, "I'm fine." Rex sat back once again. "All right, Ms. Adams, you may come out. Please come here to my side."

Trisha slowly eased herself out, her eyes warily on the large wolf. Stepping around the front of the car, she went to Dr. Campbell's side. Rex was even larger now that she stood in front of him. The male seemed taller than any Great Dane she'd seen (the largest dog breed she'd seen in person) and far more muscular. Rex's ears stood tall and alert.

"Rex," Dr. Campbell said. "She's a friend. A guest." The man laid a hand on Trisha's arm while she spoke. "Now, Trisha, keep your eyes on his and give him your hand. He had your scent when we pulled in but it's symbolic. Just keep your eyes on his while you do it."

Trisha nervously held out her hand. The wolf had beautiful eyes; golden with small shards of green. She found herself caught in his gaze as she reached. Dr. Campbell touched her arm again. "That's fine," he told her. "It's just a gesture. He's not actually going to sniff at your hand. We can go now, Ms. Adams. I'll give you a small tour of the house and then you can spend some time with them."

Once inside, Trisha became lost as Dr. Campbell rattled off one piece of architecture after another. Paintings and statues and rugs covered the entire house but all she could think about were the wolf's eyes. They seemed almost human to her.

"Ah," Dr. Campbell exclaimed. "I nearly forgot. If you're going to be working with the wolves I'll need to give you a little inoculation. It's a simple precaution that we do for all of the handlers. I myself received the same one."

"Inoculation against what?"

Dr. Campbell shrugged. "One of the enhancements in the wolves is a mild paralytic agent in their saliva. We've seen that repeated intramuscular injections of the agent is able to cause tissue deterioration. Of course, that was after hundreds of doses but why take the risk? Make yourself at home while I find my kit. There's still a bit more to show of the house."

Trisha looked around the large kitchen after Dr. Campbell walked away. Everything was spotless and she envied him for the amount of space he had. A large kitchen island dominated the center of the area. Stainless steel pots and pans hung from the ceiling above the island. Glass jars full of pasta and flour and dried fruits and vegetables covered a large area of counter space. Trisha was examining a delicate helical sculpture at the center of the island when Dr. Campbell walked back in.

"Now," he said. You'll want to sit for this. There may be a brief period of nausea and sweating after the injection but only for a moment and then it will pass. Roll up your left sleeve a little please."

Trisha sat and braced herself. The needle stung going in but the pain was engulfed in sudden warmth. Spreading from the point of injection, the heat moved throughout her body. Beads of sweat broke out all over and she almost wished she'd taken a change of clothes. When the warmth spread to her head, the world spun around her. Everything seemed upside down and wrong and then she felt a cool sensation on her cheek. Trisha shuddered and then realized she had her head down on the tile of the kitchen island. When she tried to move, the room spun dangerously again.

"Is it bad?" Dr. Campbell asked.

"It's... it's..." Trisha's tongue felt weird in her mouth and she had to force herself to close her eyes so she wouldn't throw up. "Don't you remember yours?"

"It's... different for everyone. What does it feel like to you?"

"My tongue feels odd and thick. Everything is too hot. I'm sweating so much and if I move, I think I'm going to throw up. Wait. Wait, I think it's better." Trisha gently moved and, when the world stayed in one place, she sighed in relief.

"Yeah. Way better. Holy crap, that sucked. And I think I need a towel."

Dr. Campbell smiled. "I brought one just in case. Now, I'll show you my testing grounds. Follow me. I'm quite proud of it as I designed it myself. Down the stairs right here." The man pointed to an open doorway set in a smooth white wall. A stairway led down and out of her sight.

The narrow stairs frightened Trisha but the stairs and basement area were well lit so she just focused on Dr. Campbell until they reached the bottom. The floors were smooth grey concrete and the ceiling was at least ten feet high. The lights above were set into the ceiling behind a thick clear pane of glass or something like it.

"The first stop is the observation room. Follow along, Ms. Adams." Trisha stepped into the small, dark room and then shivered. Dr. Campbell continued. "I have my own house AI and it is completely separate from the rest of the world, if I choose for it to be. I've forked the Open AI source and made some of my own patches to the system. Allie does a phenomenal job managing everything for me."

A huge window looked into an even larger room. A single chair faced the other room, set before a dark control panel. The room was otherwise bare. Dr. Campbell touched the control panel and it immediately came to life. Graphs and virtual gauges covered the screen. "I have control of everything in the adjacent room from here."

"What do you do down here?" Trisha asked.

"Everything. The test room is a mixture of steel and concrete walls and that window is Tri-Tetra Glass. Unbreakable by anything other than an artillery round. I can disperse chemicals to test various effects on the wolves and we do psychological and aggressive physical testing from time to time as well. Shall we?"

Trisha frowned as she followed the doctor to the door leading to the next room. "Is it humane?"

"Well," the doctor said. "As humane as possible. We've never had a death among the wolves and we have to have some way of testing our methods. It is no worse than testing outside or actually using the wolves under combat conditions. The difference here is that they're in a room and no one is shooting at them. They walk out alive and unharmed and prepared for their service."

Dr. Campbell led Trisha into a small area between the observation room and testing room. He closed a thin door and Trisha felt a moment of panic as she stood in the small space. She jerked when a sharp buzzing sounded. The room flashed deep blue and then the door leading to the testing room opened automatically. This secondary door was at least a foot thick and both looked like the same material as the window.

They both stepped into a large, very well lit area. The floor was a slightly spongy black material while the rest of the room was a smooth, somewhat reflective white. The wall with the window was off-color compared to the rest of the room and completely opaque from this side. Below that, was a large rectangular silver area on the wall. Looking up, Trisha saw the same recessed lights as earlier. Interspersed among the lights were small black holes.

"Now-" Dr. Campbell began.

The house AI's voice spoke clearly from hidden speakers. "Dr. Campbell, you have an urgent call waiting for you."

"Oh... all right. Will you excuse me, Ms. Adams? I'll take care of this and be right back."

"Sure." Trisha ran her hand along the smooth wall. No joints, she thought to herself. I wonder how much it cost to print this whole room? I can't- The young woman jumped when the door leading out of the room clicked shut. "H- hey!" She yelled. The tiny room turned blue and then Dr. Campbell stepped into the control room.

Trisha strode over to the door. "Hey! You closed the-" Oh, right. He probably can't hear me and the door has to close to let him out. Of course. Jesus, that scared the crap out of me. Still, Trisha felt her heart pounding loudly in her ears. The room smelled like chemicals with an undercurrent of something else. Her mind conjured fears of entrapment - being stuck beneath the ground, forgotten by everyone.

"Trisha," Dr. Campbell's voice rang out through the speakers. "I'm afraid I've lied to you."

"Wha... wha... what do you mean?" Trisha looked around wildly. "Hey! What do you mean?"

"I've planned this from the beginning, Ms. Adams. Months ago. All of that planning to lead you here now."

Trisha hammered on the door and then watched in horror as the surface faded to the same off-white color on the other wall. The door didn't even vibrate under her blows. "Hey! Stop fucking around!"

"The shot I gave you earlier was no inoculation, Ms. Adams. And I'm afraid I lied there as well - you're the first human to receive it. Decades of my own personal research all in one shot. I'm not afraid to admit that I wasn't exactly sure whether you would survive it. But, here you are."

"This... this isn't funny. Come on. I get it. Haze the new person. Scare her a little. Now open the door, doctor." Trisha looked around for the camera before remembering the window. She couldn't remember where the console was so she just stood in the middle of the large area. She felt cold sweat along her hairline and in her armpits. She tried smiling but the muscles in her face couldn't seem to hold. "Doctor, I get it. Open the door, now. Please? Please, doctor? Please open the door."

"Ms. Adams, in the brief time we've known each other, you should know I don't 'joke around'. Now-"

"YOU FUCKER!" Trisha screamed. Again, she slammed her fist against the wall and, again, she felt nothing give or move in return. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! THEY'LL FIND YOU AND ARREST YOUR SORRY ASS!"

"Ms. Adams, please, calm yourself. I'm afraid you quit your position at Alpha Gen and there is a video recording of you talking to me outside the building this morning and then walking away. Nobody is coming for you. Nobody will know what happened. You have no parents or family or friends. Now, please, calm down. It's important that you remain-"

Trisha screamed, spit flying from her mouth as she slammed her hands on the wall. She felt the pain in her hands but she didn't care. She screamed over and over until she could no longer breathe. And then, finally, she laid her head against the smooth surface and gasped for air as tears rolled down her face. "Please... please, doctor. Don't do this."

"Ms. Adams, I already have. There is no going back at this point."

Face hot from tears and frustration and anger and exertion, Trisha whispered again. "Please."

"The next part is important," the doctor continued. The silver area in front of her slowly flipped open to reveal a black tray. On top of the tray was what looked like a large white brick, nearly double the size of a loaf of bread. "In two minutes, I will release a gas. This will trigger the genetic mutations I introduced through the injection. I don't know what will happen exactly after this. However, it is important to remember one thing through the pain and confusion: you will need to eat something. Your cells will be dividing at a monstrous rate and you'll need to sustain them. On the tray before you is a homemade nutritional substance. It is nearly 60,000 calories and you may need the entire thing. It doesn't have the best taste but it is vital to remember it. One minute left."

"No," Trisha moaned. "No, no, no. Please. Please. Please, doctor."

"Thirty seconds, Ms. Adams. Please remember the food. Despite what you think, I wish you the best. I'll be monitoring everything from here."

Trisha sank to her knees. "Why?" she asked. "Why?" She looked at her hands as they lay against her legs. Everything was blurry through her tears. With her heart raging in her ears, Trisha missed the gentle hiss as gas was released from the overhead system.

Time slowed as the seconds ticked mercilessly passed. At fourteen seconds, she felt a sharp pain where Dr. Campbell had injected her earlier. Trisha looked dumbly over at her arm and saw how her skin was red and puffed out around the area. Trisha's shock slowly faded as she watched reddish hairs push through the skin of her upper arm. She could feel them moving through the flesh and it was not an unpleasant feeling. The hairs grew longer and longer until she had an irregular patch of fur covering the injection site. Trisha carefully touched the fur. She could feel the ends of the fur lightly tugging at the skin of her arm. Soft, she thought. Like real fur. Is that it? That's not so-

A sudden immense cramp radiated down from her arm to her fingers and Trisha's arm convulsed from it. The young woman grabbed her arm as it took on a life of its own. She could feel things moving inside of her arm and it made the small hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. An intense headache bloomed behind Trisha's temples and she felt her heart stop. Gasping and in a panic, the young woman beat at her chest with her one good arm. There was a kind of pressure deep in her chest - an aching pressure that made it hard for her to breathe. Suddenly, her heart began beating again and it was a loud drum in her arms. Blood sprayed from her mouth as an odd cough was forced from her lips.

Trisha's heart was a suddenly enormous beast deep within her chest. A wild creature straining against the small cage containing it. Blood soared through her veins as her headache flared. Everything seemed too bright and too slow and Trisha felt the urge to move. To run. To do something. A deep flush broke out over her entire body and she felt her clothes become soaked.

"I can't... I can't... Oh Jesus!" Trisha screamed. Her left arm had settled at some point and she stared at it. Hard ridges outlined solid muscles giving her an incredible definition. She made a fist and tensed and watched as her bicep and forearm bulged, straining against her light skin. Thick veins lined her arm and the patch of fur was darkened from her sweat.

The young woman leaned forward on her hands, panting from exertion. Sweat soaked blond hair hung heavily down around her head and drops of the salty liquid dripped from her nose. Trisha breathed shallow and quickly over and over and, before she realized it, she was panting. Even worse, it seemed to help with the heat and she couldn't stop it from happening. Small tugs at the skin of her left arm brought her attention back to it. More hairs pushed out through her hardened skin. Down the length of her arm to the tips of her fingers she watched her fur come out. Whether a side effect of the injection or from whatever was happening with her heart, time was slow for her. She could see her skin opening to allow the hair to grow out. Tiny little mouths spewing hair from her arm. As she leaned on her hands, she noticed her left arm was several inches longer than her right.

Trisha grit her teeth, lips pulling back and the skin of her nose furrowing as a small growl rumbled deep within her body. Her right arm ached and she knew what was about to happen. Veins filled to near-bursting with insane pressure stood out but then twisted as her muscles shifted, breaking and growing over and over again. The ache turned to stabbing pain as bones grew faster than her muscles and tendons. This time she could see the arm growing longer. She could feel the nausea-inducing way the bones ground against each other as they lengthened. Trisha gripped at the floor and the bicep in her right arm flared, tensing painfully against her still-shifting insides. The woman felt the creeping, itching, almost tickling sensation of her fur coming out along her left shoulder. It was moving along to her right side but, before it could reach her right shoulder, her right arm fairly erupted with thick, shaggy fur. She moaned at the sensation. The feeling was almost orgasmic - like an insane itch finally scratched.

The heat inside her body was worse now and she was sweating even more. Trisha wrinkled her nose and an odd chuffing sound escaped her lips. The smell of wet dog filled the room. She felt fur creeping up her right arm and it met the fur from her left side near the right side of her neck. And then she couldn't take it anymore. She was soaking wet and the heat was intolerable. Trisha gnashed her teeth and grabbed at the neck of her shirt. She expected resistance and so was thrown off-center when her new muscles tore the shirt as if it were toilet paper. The shirt landed wetly to her side and the sudden release and cool air felt good against her mostly naked skin. Her nipples felt sore and hard against her wet bra. She wanted to take it off but she knew Dr. Campbell was watching.

Hunger.

Sudden hunger hit her with unexpected force. Although it seemed like the transformation had stopped, she felt something at the core of her being. It almost felt as if her body didn't fit properly anymore. Her skin felt wrong. But, beyond that, hunger. Again, she grit her teeth and her lips pulled back. Trisha sniffed at the air and groaned when she smelled the food on the black tray.

The food Dr. Campbell left for her. "F... fuck... you..." Trisha said out loud. She refused. She saw the block of nutrients and refused. Eating it meant giving in. Eating that food meant the doctor won and she refused to let him have that victory. Blood trailed down the corner of Trisha's mouth and pink bubbles oozed with it. Her chest hurt worse than she wanted to admit. Her panting was ragged and it hurt every time she breathed in. Trisha sniffed at the air again and another small growled rumbled in the back of her throat. She'd never been so hungry in her life. Blood dripped to the ground from her chin.

Trisha crawled on her hands and knees to the tray of food. The smell was bland but she didn't care. Drool pooled in the corner of her mouth and mixed with the taste of blood. I just... Just one bite, she told herself. Just one bite and that'll help. Oh god. Just... just one... Trisha went to her knees and stared at the food. It was solid white and smelled like barely anything at all. A sharp pang tugged at her stomach and Trisha felt her ribcage crack. She wheezed and a large bubble of blood formed around her lips. Just...

Abandoning all manners, Trisha shoved her face into the block of food. It tasted like semi-solid chalk and she wanted to gag but she couldn't stop eating it. She growled and gripped at the ends of the food as if it would escape from her. She tore chunks out of it and barely stopped to chew.

The food fueled her transformation. Starved cells suddenly came to life and her changes renewed. Trisha barely noticed when the pressure in her chest lessened. Such was her hunger that the pain of her chest expanding to contain her enlarged heart barely even registered. Dense muscles grew around her expanding ribcage. The bra covering her modest breasts strained over her larger upper body. The small metal clasps at the end of the bra straps bent and then simply fell apart and the bra landed in her lap. Trisha's breasts were slick with sweat and her nipples appeared swollen, red and erect. She did pause her feast when her spine pressed against the fur growing along her back. Her spine stretched her skin as muscles pushed and moved to accommodate her new girth. New nerve endings snaked their way down and around and she felt something small wriggling at the base of her spine.

A large chunk of food landed on the floor. Trisha snarled at it and bent low. Canine teeth scratched against the surrounding teeth as they pushed further from her gums. Pieces of her blond hair fell to the ground around her as her tongue lashed out for the food. Long and wider than it should be, her tongue touched the food and she pulled it into her mouth. Bending even lower, she lapped at the crumbs, rumbling in pleasure as she ate. Trisha sat up and rolled her shoulders, feeling the skin shifting beneath thick, wet fur. Her muscles pulled at bones and she felt her shoulder temporarily dislocate as her back continued to expand. The band of her pants pushed down to allow for a new growth - a thick stubby tail pushed the fabric aside as it slowly formed. Skin and bone and nerves attached themselves to her spine and continued to push out.

All she knew was the hunger and the pain behind her eyes. The block of food was half gone and Trisha continued to eat. The skin of her breasts stretched and pulled her nipples down and to the side as they grew. New lobules grew within her breasts and they became engorged and heavy and full. Her areola increased in size and Trisha moaned between bites. She wanted to rub at her chest, to massage the ache away but she couldn't stop eating. Even when her stomach muscles cramped, she kept taking bites out of the tasteless food. The skin along Trisha's stomach tightened as she widened. Rows of hard muscles formed the typical six pack of a season athlete and sharp, defined lines pointed from her sides directly to the mound above her vagina. Small, light red hairs grew down from her belly button in a line to her smooth vagina.

Trisha's tail swayed behind her and she could feel the muscles working in her lower back. But, her hunger distracted her. The food was almost gone and she was still hungry. Unseen to her, the skin along Trisha's nose darkened to a deep black and then the color fled down to her lips. Inch by inch her lips darkened to the same color as her nose and the itching within Trisha's gums intensified.

The flesh of her hips dug hard into her blue jeans and Trisha grunted in pain. Fabric strained and stretched as the woman's hips flared. It hurt but she was almost done eating and refused to do anything about her clothing. The skin of her nearly flat ass strained and stretched as muscles furiously developed, readying her body for the powerful leg muscles she'd soon develop. Trisha's modified cells were telling her body that she was built for running and it was forcing those changes on her along with everything else. The fabric around her crotch tore first and Trisha sighed in relief. Her ass cheeks continued to push against the jeans as they grew and the rip widened, spreading behind her as the jeans separated in two. Her soaked black panties were pulled tight between her pussy lips.

Trisha leaned in to the empty tray and her long, flat wolf tongue lapped at the left over bits of food. She held herself over the tray and her swollen, sweaty breasts pressed against the cool metal. Once the crumbs were cleaned up, Trisha looked around the floor. Falling to her hands and knees, she pressed her pebbled, black nose to the ground, sniffing for errant pieces of the nutrient block. Her tail, now two feet long and thick with fur was held high above her torn pants. With her ass raised, she was exposing herself to the observation room. Her straining panties did nothing to hide her swollen pussy lips from view but all Trisha cared about was finding more food. The ground was littered with her blond hair and she barely noticed when she accidentally ate pieces of her hair in her search for food. The fur from her back slowly grew up her bare neck while she crawled along the floor.

A small tear in the top of her jeans announced the expanding muscles of her thigh. Trisha stretched her leg out behind her and her calf muscle flexed. The back of her jeans ripped as it tried to contain her growth. Her other leg followed and she growled in frustration. Can't... food... where... food... She thought, fumbling at the words. Her right foot hurt. She was used to the pain now - her thoughts were more animalistic and it was easier to ignore certain things but her foot still hurt. She looked behind and watched as a sharp point cut through the front of her left shoe. She felt something happen to her toes and more sharp black points opened her shoe. The bones of her feet pushed at her flesh and her feet nearly exploded out of the shoe. Her left pinky toe pulled back as her foot elongated and widened.

Trisha felt fur growing on her legs. With an almost tickling feeling, fur sprouted from her thighs and lower legs, sliding against the fabric of her blue jeans. Thick reddish fur pushed through the various tears in her jeans. The clothing bothered her but she couldn't think of how to get it off. Pressure in her right foot made her smile. The wolf had asserted dominance and she was pleased to finish her true form. A song was being sung deep in her body. A song of what she should be. What was right. Her frail human body wasn't right. It wasn't right to not have a tail. To not have claws to tear.

To not have teeth to kill.

Trisha's jaw cracked and she howled in real pain. Thick black wolf-like lips expanded and she spit broken, bloody teeth from her expanding muzzle. She wanted to growl and bite and howl at the same time. New teeth pushed through her gum line, some in existing holes left by old teeth and some cutting new holes. She spat blood again and again as her muzzle filled out and then she howled even louder when it finished. Her breathing was harsher, deeper now and she licked the blood from her lips with her long tongue.

The world was awash with new colors and heightened contrasts and Trisha looked out into the world with eyes the color of molten gold. Fur continued to creep up along her scalp and down her naked muzzle. Atop her head, the fur grew inches longer than the rest, as if a mockery of human hair. Through the thicker fur, her ears expanded. Whistling sounds crashed with other, nearly inaudible sounds as her ears grew longer and wider until they ended in a sharp, furry point above her head.

More tears opened in Trisha's blue jeans as her legs thickened. She clearly heard the faint snap of her panties as they finally gave in to her expanded figure. Her jeans hung on to her legs but her crotch was completely bare to the world. Trisha stood on wobbly legs and then looked down. Her feet were now thick paws. Her toes were bunched and oddly shortened in proportion to her feet. Deadly black claws tipped each toe, even her old pinky toe, which was now high on her foot. Trisha's tail wagged behind her. Thick and red and bushy with fur. Her headache faded but her thoughts were still slow. Trisha cupped her large breasts, feeling their new heft. She could see fur creeping along her sides from her back. Reddish with black strands. Trisha's fingers were shortened like her toes when compared to the size of her hands. She hadn't noticed when her fingernails had fallen off but she did bite back a snarl as skin split open at the tips of her fingers. Her body's cells asked the question and her body answered: what kind of a wolf doesn't have any claws? Hardened black shapes came through the wounds on her fingers.

The palms of her hands - paws now - darkened into a rich black color. Trisha touched the bottom of the paw with one of her new claws and she felt the thicker skin. Now the fur from her sides continued down to meet the fur on her thighs. Trisha's pussy disappeared behind a tuft of red fur. White hairs mixed with red as a line of fur sprouted between her breasts. A curious sensation made her look at her lower belly. More and more white hairs pushed through the skin of her belly but she caught a glimpse of her skin bubbling as tiny nipples appeared. Six nipples appeared in rows down her stomach. Small at first, they expanded until they matched the size of the nipples on her engorged breasts. She touched one and felt it harden under her attention. Below the skin of her stomach, new ducts and tissues developed until her new nipples were properly wired. The white fur on her belly moved as the lower breasts grew slowly into small a-cup sizes. How can you feed your pups if you don't have enough nipples? Her body asked.

And then, it was done.

Trisha stood a little over seven feet tall on her new paws. Red and black fur lined her body, but her stomach was nearly all white. Her nipples and the bottom of her hands and feet were the only part of her that was left uncovered. She ran her hands (paws, her body told her) along the length of herself and she felt the dense muscles beneath the mat of fur. Her jeans clung to her massive legs in tatters.

I'm... wolf? I'm... done? Trisha grit her fangs and her ears and tail twitched in frustration. I... remember. I'm... Trisha. Smart. Doctor. Doctor. Campbell. Trisha looked up to the off-white color of the wall. There. He there.

She roared and it was a thundering mix of a growling wolf and the roar of a lion. Above ground, Rex and Umbra stood on all fours and howled in return. Trisha heard their answer. She spread her arms, bared her claws and opened her mouth to show her fangs. It was hard to think. She was angry and, on some level, she knew she should be but she also couldn't turn it off. She couldn't make herself be reasonable and think of her situation. All she knew was fighting. Fighting and anger and killing. Doctor, her mind thought. Doctor fault.

Trisha launched herself at the window. Her clawed feet dug into the softer floor and she slammed hard against the wall. She felt it shake against her impact. Again and again she hit the wall and her muscles bunched and moved under her command. Striking and pounding. She snarled and roared and slammed until she thought she might hurt herself. And still the anger remained.

When gas was released overhead, Trisha's sensitive ears clearly caught the hiss of the release. No. No again. Again. No. Trisha ran on all fours, slamming into the far corner. She hunkered down with her tail wrapped down and up between her thighs. She stared at the ceiling in challenge, growling and growling and...