A Rite of Passage

A Rite of Passage



  In many ways Camir was not very different from other terrestrial planets within that sector of the galaxy governed by the republic. Not quite thirteen thousand kilometers in diameter, about two thirds of its surface was covered by water, one third by land. It completed one rotation every twenty four and one half standard hours, and was located at an optimal distance from its sun. This meant it had a substantial temperate zone, which made it an ideal homeworld for its human inhabitants.

  Those inhabitants themselves, by and large, were much like their counterparts elsewhere. Nearly all adults stood between one and a half and two meters tall, with males on average slightly taller than females. Their hair could be straight, wavy, or curly. Their skin tone also varied, ranging from fair to moderately dark. Indeed, Camiris were more diverse than the inhabitants of many nearby (in galactic terms) worlds - and they took some low-key pride in their diversity.

  It was that embracement of diversity and love of variety that set the people of Camir apart from many of their neighbors, and occasionally somewhat at odds with them. While most only took a quiet pride in their sameness, there were a few worlds whose inhabitants harbored attitudes which at least bordered on xenophobic, and which drew occasional frowns of disapproval from those who did not share their beliefs. The Code of Civility however did succeed in keeping tempers from boiling over, with only rare exceptions. That pleased the republic's leadership.

  What really set Camir apart from its neighbors was its developement and acceptance of genetic engineering to modify 'standard' humans. The technology had originally been developed and perfected several centuries earlier, as the outcome of what began as a hypothetical study whether it really was possible to safely modify men and women into mermen and mermaids. When the answer turned out to be 'Yes' more than a few people began knocking on the doors seeking to be genetically engineered into Mers. Many were not deterred by the protocols they had to go through before they could undergo the transformation process. Snap decision-making was strongly discouraged, once transformed it was not possible to be changed back. Once a Mer, always a Mer.

  Despite the various potential obstacles, the early Mer volunteers were nearly all enthusiastic about having been changed, and the early stream of humans wishing to be modified eventually became something of a modest flood. By the time the current millenium reached its midpoint, at least one percent of the human population of Camir were Mers, numbering in the millions. Most naturally spent much the greater part of their time in the water, but wheelchairs and hoverchairs were now a common sight anywhere on land, and Mers were regarded by all as fully as human as their standard counterparts.

  There were many reasons why people would want to become Mers. Those who had found their calling in fields such as oceanography, aquaculture, or underwater construction quickly discovered being able to breathe water as well as air was an enormous asset as they no longer needed to surface periodically for new air tanks, and the bends was no longer an issue for them either. Having tails far more powerful than even the strongest human legs, and being able to take in stride water temperatures which would rapidly induce life-threatening hypothermia in unmodified humans also helped persuade many to take the life-altering plunge into Merdom. Within a few generations, virtually all underwater work was being done by Mers.

  It also came as a  surprise to no one that mermaids and mermen eventually became much sought after as lifeguards. Pools, lakes, and especially ocean shore beaches where their incredibly powerful tails and astounding speed were all that saved some struggling swimmers from drowning.

  It was not only in the water that 'genengineered' Mers soon found themselves much in demand. Like their costumed counterparts, Mers were popular draws at childrens' birthday parties, dunking booths at fairs of various themes, and at meetings to discuss oceanic enviromental issues. At events geared toward children, they were often even more fascinated than the adults, and quite a few wished they could become Mers themselves. Many were the groans (especially among younger teens) when they learned those under seventeen standard years of age could not undergo the transformation process without their parents' consent!

  After the 'first generation' of Mer oceanographers had been created and began imparting their experience and wisdom to those following in their tailstrokes, aspiring oceanographers eventually developed an almost predictable pattern of when they wanted to be modified into Mers themselves. Nearly always it was when they were in their twenties; some were late in their third decade and several years into their careers when they decided they had indeed found their calling and it was time to trade their legs for a tail, it was some of them who first called their transformation a 'rite of passage.' Others were in their early twenties and still in college when the conviction came to them, and every year at graduation time a number of students would glide up in hoverchairs to receive their diplomas, their tailfins prominently visible below the hems of their robes.

  Much as it was said no two humans had the exact same fingerprints, it was said no two Mers had identical tails. That held true, even when the Mer population on Camir had risen into the millions. Color or color combinations, shape of the tailfins, and whether or not one had pelvic and/or dorsal fins  were just some of the ways one mer could be legally distinguished from another. And as the transformation technology was further fine tuned, would-be Mers could even 'design' their future bodies, and not rely on chance alone. The only restriction was they could not choose a design identical to another Mer, if an accidental match did turn up, usually only a slight change was needed to pass muster.

  It thus was not long before Mers began telling their families and friends that their tails were 'as distinctive as fingerprints, and a lot more fun!'

  Hair was another much discussed subject for Mers-to-be, especially among women. Many opted for blue or pink tresses, and it seemed far more often than not, they wanted hair which reached well past their waists!

  Nearly all Camir Mers could breathe both water and air, but a small percentage could only breathe water. With rare exceptions all had been suffering from various incurable respiratory ailments, already had an interest in the sea, and decided being speachless and confined to water for the rest of their lives was much preferable to dying a slow, agonizing death by suffocation.

  Perhaps because they would never have to deal with 'surface world' issues such as cramped car interiors or aircraft cabins, many water-only breathing Mers chose to have unicorn horns attached to their foreheads. That triggered just a bit of envy from some of their air-and-water-breathing counterparts, few of whom could indulge in having such an appendage. That in turn made them the recipients of some good-natured sympathy (while unicorn legends abounded on Camir, oddly there were no comparable stories concerning the denizens of the sea).

  Regardless of what they could or could not breathe, all Camir Mers communicated via telepathy while underwater. That had been planned by their designers from the start, as a hedge against the early Mers having fully webbed fingers and thus having difficulty using sign language. None did at the start, but to the present day about one third of all Mers have fingers fully webbed, and to have earfins instead of standard ears. It made no difference in a Mer's ability to hear which type of ears they had; some of the old legends had them with earfins, others with conventional ears.



  Mers were the first human chimera created by Camiri scientists, but it was not long before they were joined by others. Only a few years later the first centaurs began trotting and galloping on the streets and fields, and even the beaches and forests of Camir. Their mythological predecessors had been the subjects of many legends, now, more than a few men and women sought to follow in their hoofsteps for real. More so than with mers, for many the desire to be genetically engineered into centaurs was a lifestyle choice (somewhat like pursuing a lifestyle centered on motorcycles) rather than a direct effort to advance their careers. No matter, centaurs and centauresses soon began finding themselves much in demand in various ways, and even on the receiving end of unanticipated job offers. As just one example, producers of movies and TV shows soon began seeking to recruit some of the newly minted centaurs for live-action shows. Some had been thespians in their school days, and eagerly seized upon the opportunity to act again - this time for pay. Others had been participants, or visitors, at various horse-themed events, and were likewise impressed at how much they could from their new advocation and lifestyle. Often it was far more than they had been earning at their pre-change jobs.

  Not all centaurs were interested in show business, preferring to live more private lives instead - not the easiest feat when you weigh four to five times as much as formerly! That didn't deter some of them from such activities as hosting childrens' birthday parties or marching in parades, sometimes with a young mermaid or merboy on their back. As the centaur population increased over time, teenage centauresses often found work as babysitters, though their bulk occasionally posed challenges when their charges crawled into tight spaces that were hard for them to reach!

  Though relatively few made the choice some centaurs, both male and female, chose to have unicorn horns on their foreheads, like their finned predecessors. All unicorn centaur chimera were exclusively white on their new lower bodies and legs, but otherwise there was little limit on the color or colors a centaur could have, either by choice or by waiting until waking up following completion of their transformation to see what colors their new lower bodies now had.

  Even more so than their Mer bretheren, centaurs faced a potentially sizable list of places where they could no longer go or work they could no longer do, due to their greatly increased bulk and mass. Many offices lacking wider doors and reinforced floors were now out of the question, but few Camir centaurs had cared much for tradional office work even before being transformed. A fair number had worked on ranches, often as cowboys and cowgirls, and soon found they could now keep pace with their livestock charges. Cattle in particular seemed more inclined to obey and follow them now than they had before.

  Being thus able to do roundups far more easily than before, combined with a strong love of the land, was enough to entice more than a few ranchers and ranch hands into becoming four hoofed versions of their previous selves. Nor were those the only reasons to consider going the centaur route. Dude ranchers also soon discovered having a centaur or (preferably) two was a surefire way to drum up more business. Children especially loved to ride them and be entertained by their stories (both mythological and real life), and everyone wanted to see demonstrations of what centaurs could do that conventional humans could not. Occasionally a guest would come away from their dude-ranch experience wishing they could become a centaur or centauress themselves, and later follow up on that dream.

  For some being a centaur was a lifestyle rather than a job or even an advocation. Often they were wilderness backpacking enthusiasts who appreciated how they could pack much heavier loads much more easily than before, and how their stamina and ability to tolerate weather extremes were greatly enhanced - no more need for hiking boots or worries about blisters, for example. With their new lower bodies covered in insulating horsehair, there was that much less need to wear clothing, although women occasionally delighted in wearing huge skirts which appeared to be supported by bustles reaching about two meters behind them. Only in the most severe or coldest weather did centaurs find it much more comfortable to wear horse blankets (or skirts) to help keep warm.



  Many other human chimera were developed on Camir in the years and decades to follow. Cat people and squirrel people were two favored forms, either fully furred anthros or otherwise standard humans with tails and new triangular ears added. The former vitually never wore clothes, while the latter had to modify theirs to accomodate their tails (women who opted to wear skirts and dresses only had no such concerns!). More than a few had themselves transformed into various humanoid races depicted in various science fiction or fantasy shows produced on Camir and other worlds. Some couples who loved dancing elected to be remade with four arms, and  once transformed, they looked particularly exotic as they danced, arms in arms, in whatever style they favored. Yet others chose to become dryads (the leaves that now grew from their bodies provided the modesty previously provided by clothes), or fairies with colorful insectoid wings that enabled them to fly with an effortlessness that could astonish even other Camiris. Though their height was typically less than a meter and their mass perhaps one tenth what it formerly was, fairies were far tougher than they looked - the beating of their wings could inflict painful bruises on the careless or unmindful!

  While most of the chimera created by Camir scientists drew at least some inspiration from various legends or had obvious practical uses, that was not always the case. A small but surprising number of women would have themselves modified with breasts so huge they could barely see over them. Even more surprising, most were not 'ladies of the night,' but otherwise ordinary wives, moms, professional working women (including the designer), or whatever, who simply savored the look and sensation of being so endowed. The increased bulk did make some tasks more difficult, and they had to aquire all-new wardrobes of tops and blouses, dresses and coats, but invariably neither they nor their significant others ever voiced any complaint. Like their fellow chimera, how they now were was how they were meant to be, as far as they were concerned. Their fellow citizens voiced similar sentiments, only visiting off-worlders would occasionally gawk or do double-takes, to their embarrassment when they noticed the locals' reaction, or the lack of it!

  The huge-breasted women turned out to have an asset their designer had not anticipated; when in the mood, they could seduce men with astonishing ease. For that reason, the government agency tasked with tracking down fugitives and bringing them to justice, or private investigators checking on suspected wayward spouses, would sometimes recruit them for on or off-world jobs to help flush out elusive or slippery prey. Cantinas, 'gentlemens' clubs,' or almost any dive imaginable. They might be bartenders, hostesses, or even pole dancers. Mix in a well endowed female in a flirtacious mood, inhibitions loosened by a suitable quantity of alchohol, and conversation secretly recorded, and another case could be solved!

  Though such 'undercover' work could on occasion carry some risk, one thing the big breasted women did not have to worry about as much as might be expected was the possibility of violent assault. Any one who did grab one with ill intent would immediately find themselves on the receiving end of a severe and painful electric shock. The outcomes for the would-be attackers was often enough mortal word was not long in spreading around the confederation: treat these women nice - or else!



  While writers of fiction on many worlds had written of people who were permanently invisible, it was the genetic engineers of Camir who turned fantasy into reality, as a form of theraputic healing. Despite the quality of the available medical technology, on occasion humans would be so severely disfigured by illness or injury the damage could not be completely repaired, or sometimes not at all. Women seemed to take such bad news particularly hard, but depression, shutting onself away from others, even suicide were problems for both genders. If they ventured out at all, they usually did so only after covering every inch of their bodies hidden from view, with whatever might have been on hand.

  The sister of a genetic researcher was one such victim, and some months after her appearence had been changed for the worse, she worked up the courage to ask if he could make her invisible.

  "Anything would be better than this" she said at the time.

  Somewhat to everyones' surprise, the answer proved to be yes. The sister found herself so overjoyed at being released from the burden of visible disfigurement, she voluntered to visit others who were afflicted as she had been to ask them if they might be interested in being transformed as she had been. Many did; almost anything was an improvement as far as they were concerned. By law, for various reasons invisibles had to be clothed at all times while outside their homes; swimwear was a commonly cited acceptable minimum. Nonetheless, invisibles soon began showing a notable talent for creativity, and even a sense of humor about their new condition. They might go about their daily lives in everything from everyday casual to business wear to formal, seemingly headless/handless/legless, or some combination thereof. Their fellow citizens seldom gave their style of dressing a second thought, invisibles were as fully human as anyone else as far as they were concerned.

  Invisibles did often wear formfitting bodysuits that completely enclosed their bodies from head to toe and permitted others to see their outlines. Sometimes they wore them beneath other clothes, but often they wore them alone, in all colors and in an incredible variety of designs. Eventually they gained a reputation as some of the most renowned fashion designers in the known galaxy. Even many standard humans would sometimes wear full coverage bodysuits, although their vision is restricted by the fabric covering their faces. Invisbles, on the other hand, were designed so they could see through all kinds of fabric without impairment.



  In many societies on many worlds it is sometimes said that 'men plus women plus time often equals babies,' and the human chimera of Camir were no different in that regard than anyone else. They too were apt to fall in love, marry, and eventually start families. A chimera could mate with either a like chimera or a standard human of the opposite sex. By design chimera genes were recessive, to increase the odds they would give birth to a 'standard' baby, unless the parents-to-be chose prenatal intervention. If two like chimera were to mate, then their offspring WOULD be chimeras like themselves. Thus the chimera population now also grew of its own accord, and the human poulation of Camir more diverse.

  If an unmodified human married a chimera, or was already married to one, they often chose to be transformed themselves, either so they could more easily share their new lives together, or because they already had much in common and wanted to continue to live their lives together as such. Nor was that all.
For example, if a husband and wife were being transformed together and they already had kids, the children, with remarkable thoughtfulness, often asked to be transformed along with their parents. Rarely were their wishes denied.

  For a number of reasons the practice of genetic engineering to create human chimera had not been exported from Camir to the other worlds of the republic. Also for a variety of reasons, off worlders rarely came to Camir to be genengineered themselves, although if they passed the preliminary protocols, they were welcomed as readily as any native or naturalized citizen.

  Once genetic engineering had been perfected and the idea of human chimera well integrated into the Camiri mindset, it was eventually noticed there seemed to be two age groups in particular who most wanted to go through the transformation process. Many of course were in their twenties and had found the career of their choice and decided becoming a chimera would be to their advantage. Many others were in their sixties, it turned out more than a few had been dreaming for years or even decades of becoming Mers, dryads, or whatever, but the nature of their work had precluded them from indulging their fantasies then. Once they had retired, that was no longer an issue and they were free to make their dreams become reality...



  Rhonda Church was not a native of Camir, having been born on another world and moved with her parents and two brothers when she was ten standard years old. Her mother was an entomologist, her father a construction engineer, and their professions and interests would have a major influence on their daughter, both as a child and later as an adult.

  Unlike some young girls (and boys) Rhonda did not freak out at the sight of spiders (at least those outdoors!), but would instead look on with some fascination at what they were doing and the webs they would spin. Their geometric construction further roused her curiousity, as did learning that spider silk is stronger, lighter, and longer lasting then its steel equivalent. By the time she was ten she began to wonder if there might be some way to combine what her parents were doing. Her parents encouraged her curiousity, and also encouraged her to be curious about other places and peoples, including those that were not near carbon copies of their own.

  "Variety is a spice of life" they would sometimes tell their children.

  Unfortunately the powers-that-be on their homeworld did not share that sentiment. Not only were some of them openly critical of genetic engineering, even though the republic's Senate had legalized it centuries earlier, but some of their comments bordered on the xenophobic. When the Churchs' began having differences of opinion with more of their neighbors, their parents decided it was time to seriously consider moving to another world, as some of their friends had already done. When one of those friends shortly afterward sent a message telling them of job openings on Camir, the family all but leaped at the opportunity.

  As nervous as she initially felt about starting a new life on a new (to her) world, Rhonda was delighted to find her new neighbors very welcoming. Most were standard humans much like her parents, brothers, and herself, but there were also several chimera living in their new neighborhood. They were the first she had met in person, but thanks to her parents and their friend, she appreciated that they were just as human as she was, and soon began making friends with some of them.

  Her best friends her age, in fact, were twin sisters who lived right next door. Both were invisibles; she learned one had been irreparably disfigured by illness and when she decided she would rather be invisible than have to look herself in a mirror, let alone allow others to see her as she now was, her sister chose to go through the process as well to show her support for her best friend.

  It had been early local summer when the Churchs' had moved in, and Rhonda soon found herself both bemused and thoughtful at the sight of two seemingly empty swimsuits running around their yard or splashing about in their pool, their voices emanating from what appeared to be thin air.

  In public and in school, the sisters usually wore colorful head-to-toe form-fitting bodysuits alone in warmer weather, adding typical 'tween/early teen girl's clothes over them when it got colder. The suits were zipped up the back (seamless in front), and they never put their hoods down except when eating or drinking anything other than water (to avoid stains!).

  The three girls were the same height and build, so when they were invited to a costume party the sisters loaned to Rhonda one of their bodysuits to wear under her own costume to the party. That caused no shortage of confusion among the other partygoers, even the sisters' closest friends could not tell which two of the three were them until they spoke - which was what they had intended!



  The Church family's adopted hometown lay along a major highway linking two larger cities, only a few kilometers from where it crossed a canyon on a large bridge. Construction had recently started on a new span when they moved to Camir (Rhonda's father had been hired to work on the project) and a few months later he brought her to the jobsite so she could watch him at work for the day. Even though he had told his daughter what and who to expect to see, she was at times almost mesmerized by the sights which greeted her. An abundance of workers and machines could be seen in almost any direction, but what eventually most caught her gaze was the dozen or so workers scampering along the cables taking shape between the two towers which stood on opposite sides of the canyon.

  "They are our cable spinners" her father told her "The silk they spin is far superior to steel, and will last much longer. Centuries from now when they will have to replace this bridge, the cables will still be perfectly good and reusable." He checked the time and said "This group will be coming off duty soon. Shall I have a couple come over so you may talk with them?"

 "Yes, Dad, please?" was her prompt answer.

  A couple did walk over a short time later. They doffed their hardhats and introduced themselves as Jacob and Kate. Unlike some of their coworkers they had been born as driders and not genetically engineered from standard humans. His hair was dark brown and wavy, hers was long, straight, and dark blue. Their faces were humanoid, differentiated by their turquoise skin - and their four featureless bright yellow eyes. Their arms and torsos were quite human, except for their turquise skin. From their waists on down, all semblence to a standard human ended. Four pairs of multi segmented legs extended from a dark blue thorax, with an oval shaped abdomen the same color behind.

  [We are glad to meet you, Rhonda] her mind heard Kate's say. Though it was her first in-person exposure to telepathy, she did not flinch. Unlike most other chimera, driders were speechless and relied on telepathy to communicate. It was not necessary for whomever they might speak to to be telepathic themselves.

  The husband and wife duo spent some time explaining to Rhonda some of the unique things they could do because their bodies were different from those of most humans. Their two pairs of eyes afforded them vastly superior vision, especially in darkness, and their eight legs gave them and the others of their kind a speed and agility that oftentimes left their more conventional colleagues green with envy.

  [Have you ever wished you could walk upside down on the ceiling of your home?] Kate asked Rhonda with just a hint of amusement in her mind's voice.

  Rhonda didn't really answer the question, but was clearly amused herself.

  Inevitably, of course, the conversation eventually shifted to silk, which was the primary reason the spider-human chimera were created in the first place.

  [You will be amazed at how much just one of us can spin] Jacob now said. [You should have seen how much bigger our abdomens were when we went on duty this morning!]

  Rhonda was suitably impressed and also eventually intrigued by the artistic talents of driders, and came to number some as among her friends, but she did not then consider becoming a chimera. It was not until the beginning of her final year of high school that she settled on her course of study for college, engineering, as her father had done.

  The university in which she enrolled was in one of the larger cities on the continent. As such, the chimera as well as the standard human population was larger and even more varied than in her hometown, both on and off campus. Two of her fellow students in the first class she attended turned out to be  children of the driders she had met when she had first visited the bridge construction site where her father was then working. They too were driders - and so was the professor who came to deliver a lecture that day. She smiled broadly at her audience, as driders tended to do. Their eyes could not show emotion, so they relied on other aspects of facial expression when they wanted to do so. She said that because Camir was a prosperous world, not only was its native-born population growing, a respectable number of off-worlders were choosing to make it their home as well.

  [As you possibly already know, most of our port cities are located on bays and other bodies of water with substantial tides, or where the water level can vary significantly during the course of our planetary year. Therefor our coastal cities are mostly built upon hills and other elevated areas, which means we have many valleys to bridge, and as our cities grow and new ones are founded, that need will only grow...We are honored that you are looking to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before. I have even heard some of you are considering becoming driders as some of us already are...do not make the choice lightly or in haste...there is work enough for all of you who make engineering your calling, and remember, whether you are a 'standard' human or one of the many varieties of chimera, focus foremost on learning your craft well...do well, and it is quite possible you will have a job already waiting for you when you do graduate...]

  Rhonda took the professor's words to heart, for the duration of her time in college she never allowed herself to seriously entertain the notion of becoming a chimera, though she did occasionally admit to some of her closest friends that the idea did at least intrigue her. A few of her classmates did go through the process while still in school, once they were convinced they had indeed found their calling, on both a professional and a personal level. None ever pressed her to make a decision, the choice to become a human chimera was strictly voluntary and there were laws - and strong societal norms - against pressuring someone into deciding to become a chimera. A year after Rhonda's family had moved to Camir a major scandal had broken when it became public knowlege that the owners of a major accounting firm had tried to 'encourage' one of their top programmers to be modified with four arms instead of two so she could be even more 'productive.' She refused and was fired, but the subsequent public outrage was such that one of the owners took his own life and the business he had helped build up later collapsed.

  The company that did hire Rhonda had no such issues, their workforce included chimera but was predominently standard human, similar to the Camir population at large.

  Before reporting for work with her new employer, Rhonda took some time out to get married. She had met David when both were freshmen, dated him steadily from their second year onward, then said 'Yes' when he asked the question at the start of their senior year. Though he earned a different degree and chose a different career path than she had, they felt as if they were truly meant for each other, and everyone who knew them especially well agreed.



  Rhonda's first job was on a skyscraper downtown in the city where she and her husband had gone to college. As before, the majority were standard humans, but there were also a good number of various chimera, who stood out to her, both because of their appearence and their unique abilities. For example, cat and squirrel chimera posessed an unmatched sense of balance, which made them much desired as high-iron workers. Driders spun the cables used in the elevators, and could climb around the outside of the building without the need for harnesses. When need be, they could also dangle by their own silk rope to inspect an otherwise difficult-to-reach spot.

  Rhonda had continued to be fascinated by spiders and their webs (David shared her interest) and over the first few years of their marraige (they decided to wait five or so years before starting a family) she began thinking more about possibly becoming a drider herself. She had always been something of an artist as well as a tinkerer, her next job would be helping build another large bridge, and the idea of being able to spin her own silk was becoming positively intriguing, and not just for bridge or elevator cables. One of her early coworkers had recently spun silk wedding dresses for both of his sisters. She also began thinking about spinning webs just for fun, as many of her drider friends or coworkers liked to do. She, David, and their families all shared a love for the unusual and the different. Only her husband as yet knew what she was contemplating, and right away he pledged his full support.

  "You know, Dear, I will always love you, no matter what choice you make" he would say.

  "I know you will. I'm just not ready yet to take that step" she would say in reply.

  She did spend some time contemplating how becoming a chimera would - and would not -  change her life forever. Doing so was considered anathema on her former homeworld, but on Camir she would be considered as fully human as any standard human. Even so, she would be giving up much, if not most, of her previous visual humanity, but she would be far from alone in that regard. Finally, she made up her mind, and when she went to her employer and told them what she wanted to do, they were very supportive. Just as standard humans were better suited for some tasks than some chimera, so some chimera were superior to unmodified humans at certain jobs, such as spinning bridge cables. Indeed, driders were so highly sought after for that particular talent alone, some employers would even compensate them for the costs of going through the transformation process. Her family and that of her husband were supportive as well, as were their friends, some of whom were chimera themselves. There was no great fanfare or pubicly marking such a personally momentous occasion. After all, seeing someone become a chimera and living the rest of their life as such was a part of everyday life on Camir.

  For Rhonda, the questioning she went through was time consuming but not overly grueling, all things considered. Some of her chimera friends and coworkers had told her what to expect, so she was not surprised by the protocols she was subjected to. Her health was found to be excellent, both physically and mentally (mentally ill humans were not accepted for transformation, unless a panel of doctors unanimously agreed that becoming a chimera was the best available treatment). Finally, after reading and signing an assortment of paperwork in which, among other things, she certified that she understood the nature and permanence of the change she was about to submit herself to. That done, she was then asked when she wished to begin the process of being transformed into a human drider chimera.

  "This winter, in a couple weeks even, if possible."

  The timing made sense to her. Though the local winters were not exceptionally cold, the storms that did blow through could be severe and occasionally protracted, so work was commonly  slowed down or redirected until local spring arrived and brought with it more sedate weather.

  David was with her throughout her questioning and examination, he was her husband after all. All would-be chimeras were encouraged to bring their 'significant other' or at least a good friend to this all-important meeting, as their planned change would affect not just them but those around them as well. He was briefed not only on his wife's appearence and capabilities when her transformation was complete, but how the process itself would proceed, altogether it would take about five weeks' time.



  Rhonda and David liked to eat dinner at a local restaurant several times each year. Usually there was no special occasion to mark other than their anniversary, but this time was different, unique even, for this afternoon she had been injected with the virus which would begin her transformation into a drider. Soon the face and the body she had had all her life thus far would disappear forever, to be replaced by her chosen new form. While waiting for their meals, and at times while eating, they sometimes gazed at one another with a dreamy look in their eyes - never again would they be able to look at each other in quite the same way. At one point David pulled out a small camera and asked their server to take a couple photos of them.

  "Is it a special occasion for you two?" she asked as her triangular cat-ears leaned forward a few millimeters.

  "Yes" Rhonda answered "I'm going to become a human chimera next month."

  "What kind, if I may ask?"  

  "A drider" she now said, with a low key smile on her face.

  "Congratulations, I presume you will continue to come here from time to time?"

  "We will!" husband and wife answered together.

  The waitress said nothing further just then, instead she began purring - cat people could either speak or purr but not both at the same time. As she went to get the check her customers could see her tail swish slowly back and forth beneath the skirt of her uniform dress.

  For the next seven days Rhonda appeared to remain unchanged. Nothing about her looked any different, nor did her voice sound at all different. Internally however, much was taking place, as the chimera virus gradually spread itself throughout her body. Once it was established in every cell in every organ, then her visual change would commence.

  That began on the eighth day. When David awoke and took his first look of the day at his beloved, he noticed a peculiar sheen to her skin and a faint yellow tint to her eyes. Even without looking herself in a mirror, she sensed what was happening and said "It's time, dear," meaning it was time to go to the clinic where she would stay for the remainder of her transformation period.

  David called to report his wife's early change, and was promptly told 'Bring her in, we are ready for her.' They dressed quickly, then headed for the clinic. When they arrived they were ushered to a curtained-off cubicle (they would later learn the adjacent cubicles housed others also going through the transformation process). Rhonda reluctantly had her hair shaved off, though her doctor assured her it would be back when her transformation was completed. She undressed, then settled herself into what looked like a cocoon version of a clamshell. The interior resembled a beanbag chair coated with a shiny, sticky substance, in moments she felt it adhere to her back, thus immobilizing her in place. At the same time her arms and legs began contracting into a fetal position. She was not taken by surprise, she and David had been told this would happen. Her only regret was that she could not not hug her husband while she was nestled immoble in her cocoon-bed.

  He could, however, embrace her. Leaning over, he cupped her face in his hands, then planted a loving kiss on her lips. Because HE had not been injected with a chimera virus, he was not affected by the substance which held his wife in place. For long moments they just looked at one another, as if communicating by eye contact alone. Finally he stood up once more and faced the medical technicians waiting at the edge of the cubicle.

  "She's ready" he said.

  Rhonda said nothing, instead she flashed a broad smile at her onlookers. With that, the med-techs resumed prepping their patient. One gave her an injection in an upper arm, in moments her head was leaning to one side as if she had just fallen asleep. Now she was irrevocably committed to becoming a human chimera. Without this second injection her body's natural defenses would have eventually overcome the chimera virus and restored her fully to her standard human physical and mental state. It was a precaution in case someone changed their mind at the last minute. It was a rare but not unheard of occurance, and to which no shame or embarrassment was attached.

  Another medtech inserted a tube into a forearm, it would provide the sustenance her body would need until she was ready to emerge from her cocoon some twenty seven days hence. When all else was in readiness, the other half of her cocoon, coated on the inside as the lower half was, was secured in place, thus sealing her inside much like a caterpillar preparing to become a butterfly. When she emerged she would be almost totally unrecognizable.

  Although he could now only see the grayish-brown cocoon encasing his wife and she could now in no way sense his presence, David leaned over and kissed it, then stood there gazing upon it for the better part of a minute, a thoughtful look on his face.



  'It just is not the same without her here' David thought to himself as he poured his morning cup of coffee. Even though he had been told it would be like this, even though he had girded his mind and prepared himself for life on his own, and even though he knew that his present situation was only temporary, after nearly four weeks he still could not shake off the feelings of lonliness. He kept in daily touch with the doctors overseeing his wife's care and was satisfied all was continuing to go well, and regularly came to visit and gaze upon and kiss her cocoon, only its size and the various tubes protruding hinted that it was not an ordinary insectoid cocoon. Though he had the option, he chose not to view her sonograms, preferring instead to picture in his mind how she would look when he did see her again.

  'At least it will not be long now' he thought as he finished his coffee, his mental mood brightening. It was day twenty six; tomorrow, if the doctors' forecasts held true, Rhonda would emerge from he cocoon completely changed physically and with new abilities, but the same mentally as she had been.



  David had just finished his coffee the following morning when his pocket communicator beeped, he flipped it open to take the call.

  "Hello?" he asked.

  "Mister David Tudor?" a now-familiar voice asked.

  "Speaking."

  "Your wife would like to see you..."

  "I'm on my way."

  Despite the several centimeters of snow which had fallen the night before, David reached the clinic in near record time. When he walked into the room where his wife was eagerly waiting, their eyes immediately met. There was no hesitation, they rushed toward each other as fast as their legs could propel them. Wrapping their arms around each other, they shared a most heartfelt kiss, before finally finding the time for words.

  "Rhonda dear, I missed you so much!" he said.

  [And I missed you too!] her mind said in turn, before releasing her grip, backing up a few steps, and asking with a broad smile on her face [Dave dear, how do I look to you now?]

  Rhonda now bore little semblence to her former self. Though her change had of course been fully expected and eagerly awaited, it was quite stark just the same. Her thick and wavy pink hair (a common color for females on her birth homeword) once more reached to her waist, and she had already tied it back as she usually did, but little else was unchanged. From the waist up her skin was now a turquoise blue, the only variation being slightly darker lips - and the two pairs of golden yellow eyes that highlighted her otherwise still humanoid face. From the waist down of course, her change was truly complete, with a reshaped abdomen, four pairs of segmented legs, and a thorax replacing what had been there before. All was covered in dark blue hair, short but dense and well insulating. There was only slight variation in color, somewhat like a standard human's fingerprints. Indeed, except for hair, gender, and size, all  driders looked much the same, unlike most other Camir chimera. For a world which embraced human diversity as Camir did, this seemed odd, but from their earliest days the driders had refused to have it any other way. The first driders had even turned down an offer to have their future kindred genengineered with more conventional pigmentation on their upper bodies and a single pair of standard humanoid eyes, as that would have made them vulnerable to sunburn and given them inferior vision as well.

  "You look positively smashing, Rhonda dear" David answered without hesitation, and there was no doubt in his wife's mind that he meant what he said. The two kissed and hugged once more, then she said [We shouldn't keep them waiting too long. We'll have to see them before we can leave anyway.]

  "Shouldn't you cover up at least a little?"

  [I already had, I just thought you might want to see all of me when you got here!] Rhonda then pulled on a turtleneck - she much liked them in winter - and joked that perhaps she should buy even more, as her body was now so different than formerly and she could no longer wear the pants, skirts, shorts, and shoes she still had in her closet at home.

  The meeting with the doctors and medtechs was somewhat lengthy but straightforward, its primary purpose was to confirm that her transformation into a human drider chimera was indeed successfully completed. The mood was noticibly lighter than when she had first arrived, at one point someone even asked Rhonda if she wanted to shoot some of her sticky silk at a well-used target that hung on one of the walls. She said yes, aimed her thorax, and just missed scoring a bull's eye. Everyone wished her well in her chosen new life, and she in turn thanked them for the help they had given her.



  David and Rhonda decided to spend a few days at one of the winter resorts in the mountains east of their hometown, before returning back home so she could get ready to return to work. Like nearly all places on Camir, it was well able to accomodate almost any chimera as well as standard humans. Skiing and snow boarding, ice skating, and so forth. It even had trails where suitably shod centaurs could walk, gallop, or even pull sleighs. That last was especially popular with mermaids and mermen and others who could not walk for one reason or another!

  On the morning of the first full day of their stay, the couple went to a hangar-like building just a few minutes walk from their room. It had a high ceiling supported by long rafters, so there were no pillars in the middle of the huge interior space. It was an ideal playground for driders, and two 'tweens were already there when the Tudors arrived. Rhonda claimed her reserved section and was soon climbing up and down and along the walls and along the ceiling - upside down. David couldn't help but admire his wife as she clearly enjoyed herself and her new abilities.

  He was both bemused and impressed when she lowered herself by her own silk thread from the ceiling and planted a kiss on his face, while hanging upside down. Finally, she spent some time spinning a decorative web; it would be taken down overnight and the silk sold, she would then receive a credit on her bill.

  They spent part of the afternoon at one of the pools. Because her new legs lacked human-type feet but ended at points instead, Rhonda was surprisingly slow, but possessed remarkable boyancy.

  [Those othe driders I met claimed we are much harder to drown than standard humans] she said at one point.

  After returning to their room following dinner, David and Rhonda were in a particular romantic mood, so they retired to their bed to do what couples in love often seem to do.

  They soon discovered lovemaking was a bit different when one partner now had eight legs instead of two and they protruded from the side of the abdomen instead of the bottom as on a standard human. Rhonda learned she usually had to spread her legs to the side for greater comfort, although rolling around required her to extend her legs behind her, as close together as possible, another learning experience for both her and him. Nonetheless, her mind was soon moaning with pleasure.

  [Maybe it's a good thing I can't moan out loud anymore] she thought during one respite. [I'd probably be keeping the neighbors awake. Remember that first motel we stayed at on our honeymoon?]

  "How could I forget?!" he recalled. Their room on that occasion turned out to have less than adequate soundproofing, and the couple staying in the next room was evidently in an amorous mood - her moaning kept waking David and Rhonda up for much of the night.

  [Me neither!] Rhonda seconded his sentiment with bemusement in her mind's voice.

  "Don't you miss being able to speak out loud like you used to be able to do?"

  [Of course not, silly! I'm supposed to be this way. We driders are all speechless!]

  Actually, in addition to their silk spinning and climbing abilities, driders, like their fellow telepaths, could control who 'heard' their telepathic thoughts. If they only wanted one particular individual to 'hear' what they had to say and someone else was nearer, that other person would hear nothing from the telepath at all.

  [That will make it so much easier for us to keep secrets!] she added.

  After sleeping in late the next day and spending a leisurely morning, they spent most of the afternoon snowboarding. Rhonda in particular was an enthusiastic rider, sometimes her husband would start first, then pause part way down to watch his wife glide past, her mind often whooping it up as she did so.

  Rhonda had more than just enthusiasm, she also had skill. She had been on her school teams in high school and college, and had taught her then-boyfriend to snowboard as well. Watching her on her adapted-for-driders board, David thought she might possibly be even better now than she was before; if she felt herself start to lose her balance, in addition to shifting her body slightly, she might also stick out a leg or two to regain balance.

  Unlike standard humans, Rhonda had no need to wear clothing on her abdomen and thorax, as they were well insulated by the short, dense hair which covered them. She did wear fleece warmers on her legs, as much for style as for comfort, drider chimera were also quite human, after all!

  Following another evening of doing what couples sometimes do in bed, and another day of enjoying some of the various amenities, David and Rhonda checked out on the fourth morning (the clerk had huge curved horns framing her face, she said they had taken two years to reach their full size). During their homeward trip, David found himself reflecting again on his wife's decision to be changed. She was obviously even happier now than before, and that feeling had only increased during their stay at the resort. Now she was looking forward to returning to work, and to adding cable spinning to her other responsibilities. When asked by a perplexed visiting off-worlder why she had had herself transformed as she was, she simply answered with a smile [It's a Camir thing, you wouldn't understand until you have been here for a while.] The visitor did listen with a thoughtful look on her face, which both Rhonda and David viewed as a positive sign!

  Rhonda's happiness was genuine, but if on some level in the recesses of her mind some doubt still existed, she now was incapable of expressing it or even feeling so privately. That was by design, a consequence of a tragedy centuries before, during the early days of the chimera project, when a genetic researcher turned volunteer mermaid had taken her life after discovering she would not be able to change herself back and regain her legs and thus the ability to walk. In addition to a number of changes in protocol, since then every chimera virus had been programmed to permanently render all human chimera unable to feel any remorse about their decision to be changed, once they had received that critical second dose of the virus. To this day it was the only intentional mental change ever allowed, both by the Camir government and the committee overseeing production of perfected viruses and developement of new ones.



  For various reasons, it was not until three months later that David and Rhonda again ate dinner at their favorite restaurant. She - and he - were in a particularly upbeat mood tonight, and for good reasons as far as they were concerned. As she had expected, she had indeed been added to the corps of cable spinners, and took her turn with her drider coworkers aloft, where their sure-footedness and speed were much valued assets. Though her return to work had brought a pay raise with it, sometimes being able to do what only driders could do was exhilarating enough by itself. Sometimes also, on days when she was working and her husband was not, he would come out to watch her at work through binoculars, walking high above the ground spinning her silk as if it were the most ordinary activity in the world. She wondered, with some bemusement, if he might be getting just a bit envious of her new abilities.

  There were also a number of recent off-the-job events to brighten her mood. By far the most significant was learning a few weeks ago that she was pregnant. When she had begun to suspect her condition, she went to her doctor, who not only confirmed that she was expecting, but also verified when she had conceived - which turned out to have been during their recent trip to the winter resort! He told her that she could well have fewer potential complications than many standard women, in part because she now had eight legs instead of two over which to spread the fifteen or so kilos she could expect to gain during her pregnancy. He also told her she could continue to work as long as she ate enough to meet the needs of both her growing baby, and her silk-spinning at work.

  [I might be nothing but an eating machine by the time I get near nine months!] she told David at supper that evening.

  It really goes without saying the parents-to-be were estatic, and lost little telling family, friends, and coworkers the wonderful news.

  It also had not taken them long to decide that their baby (a boy) would make his entrance into the world as a standard human. If at any time while growing up he decided he wanted to become a drider or a different chimera and fully understood what that would entail, his parents would gladly support him. While it was relatively uncommon for children to go through the transformation process, even with the required parental approval, it was far from unheard of either.

  Conversation slowed after their server brought them their meals, but never stopped completely. Like those before her, it had not taken Rhonda long to discover a plus of being a telepath: she could both eat with her mouth closed and talk at the same time. Though he was not telepathic himself, David had eventually learned he could, in a way, communicate likewise himself: by 'opening his mind' to his wife, she could hear his active thoughts as if he were speaking out loud in the conventional way of standard human speech. That ability allowed them to talk privately even while in a public place, no matter how bustling it might be.

  [No matter whether or not he ever chooses to become a chimera, he will think it is perfectly normal to have a Mom like you] Rhonda's mind heard her husband's say at one point.

  [And he will think it is just as normal to have a Dad like you!] she countered with a smile.

  Following a brief pause to rub her belly, which was just starting to expand, Rhonda posed a question to David which was both serious, and not serious.

  [Dave, dear, have you ever thought of becoming a chimera, a drider, yourself at all?]

  David gave his wife a thoughtful smile before answering.

  [I'm afraid that would not really be feasable in my present line of work, dear. Maybe when I retire, or for some reason I change careers. And you know how much I enjoy just watching you spin your webs!]

  [That's OK. You know how much I love watching you do YOUR thing sometimes, too. And I will always love you, no matter what choice you make...] She paused, then went on [Somehow, I feel like I was always meant to be a drider and my whole life was preparation for becoming what I am now...I can't imagine wanting to be anything else...]

  [Do you think your transformation was your 'rite of passage'?] he asked, using the term Camiri chimera sometimes called the time of their transformations.

  [I think you are right...]