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Description
Woman: Lockstock
Snake: Creative Commons

The Zoo
Pythoness

Chloe stood watching as her world fell apart. Her boyfriend had insisted that his plan to get them rich was foolproof. It had seemed so simple. All she had to do was stand with what he said was a toy gun at the door of the mall where they'd ambush the guards as they brought money in to replenish the ATMs. Only two problems. First he hadn't counted on there being a rush of people in the mall. This made it near impossible to stay together. Second, the gun wasn't a realistic toy. When she brought the gun up to menace the guards and get them to hand over the money bag, she pressed the gun's hair trigger. As soon as the gun began firing, Chloe, being inexperienced with any kind of firearm and only having seen them used in movies, had panicked. Her hand froze, keeping the trigger pressed. The kick of the gun pushed the gun all over the place. Chloe had little or no control. Bullets sprayed everywhere. Fifteen people including her boyfriend fell bleeding to the mall's tiled floor. Five of them died instantly. Chloe's response was to throw the gun down and collapse in a heap to the floor. That's where the police found her when they arrived minutes later. EMS arrived but a few minutes after that but her boyfriend had become one of the victims. He was pronounced dead at the scene. She, for her part, didn't resist the arresting officer. She was in total shock and continued to mutter, again and again, "But it was a toy".

The court case against her was speedily concluded. Defence and prosecution agreed with the guilty plea and only haggled over the exact charges and recommended sentencing. It totalled to life without a chance of parole for 60 years. She'd be ancient when she got out if she didn't die in prison. She wished there were some other way as she was led from the courtroom to begin serving her life sentence. Only fifteen months into her sentence, she found herself ushered into one of the interview rooms. A man in a polo shirt and dark baggy pants was sitting at the table, an open briefcase to his right. The guard merely nodded his head towards the chair. It was clear Chloe was to sit down.

"You're probably surprised by all this," the man began.
"Uh, yeah," was all Chloe could think to say.
"You are healthy but facing a life behind bars. I've got an offer that will get you out of this prison. You won't be released to society at large, of course. That would violate your sentence. But you'd be free within the confines of a small island."

Chloe thought a moment. There was something odd about this whole offer. She was sure she should say no. She decided to just stay quiet.

"I've a little research program," the man continued. "You'd have to agree to undergo an experimental procedure. Once it was complete, you'd be released to an island I own in the South Pacific. You'd have plenty to eat and shelter would be provided. You'd have no further contact with society as a whole but there are several other individuals who have elected to join the program who are already on the island." Chloe frowned slightly.

Trade her near sterile existence in prison for some unspecified medical procedure and then isolation on a tropical island?

"Do I have to decide right now?" she asked.
"No, of course not. This program will be running for several months."
"What kind of island is it?"

In answer, the man pulled a large tablet from his briefcase and started a video going. It showed the approach to an island from the air. It was a beautiful island with a reasonably high mountain at one end. Buildings, that proved to be fairly substantial, were dotted about the island. They looked decidedly unprison-like. Not hotels, for sure. More like institutional buildings, labs maybe. The island itself was part of a ring of smaller islands. She could see the high fencing that formed a double ring around the outside of the main island and enclosed the entire lagoon, stitching each of the smaller islands in an irregular enclosure. It was clear that the fencing extended right to the ocean floor. It seemed idyllic save the fence. Far nicer than the prison, for sure.

"What kind of experiment?"
"Genetic modification. I'm working on ways to extend life and rebuild bodies."
"What would I have to do?"
"Not a great deal, really. You'd have to undergo the procedure and let us do some medical tests at their conclusion. Then you'd spend the rest of your life on the island. We'd want to do yearly medical tests to get long range data. Aside from that, your time would be your own. I understand some of our other volunteers have something going for entertainment so life wouldn't be too boring.
"I see. How many others are there?"
"Currently there's only a few. Less than ten right now.

Chloe had never been one for large crowds. Ten or so on an island? That would be paradise. All she had to do was take part in this experiment. It didn't seem too terrible. She hated the idea of being the target of genetic modification but, without any chance at ever getting out of the prison, it was a better choice than where she was now. After all, what would they do? Make her grow an extra arm or something?

"Okay," she nodded. "I'm in. What do I have to do?"
"Sign this form," the man pushed the tablet across to her.
"Okay," she took the stylus and signed the screen.

She didn't even bother to read the form save to note the number in the upper right corner of the screen: XTD-317. Probably the experiment number, she decided.

"Good enough. We'll come collect you tomorrow, once the transport papers have been approved.”

Two days later, the guards called her out of a line and directed her through several security gates to a side door. She was handcuffed as per standard prison transport regulations and pushed into the side of small van. One of the guards, took the wheel and another entered the forward passenger door. She had the entire back to herself. After half an hour on the road, they turned towards the airport. Rather than the standard departure area, they took a side road to one of the hangars. She was extricated from the back seat and led into the hangar. Inside was a private jet. She found herself led up the stairs and ended up in a comfortable seat, belted in place, with one hand shackled to the seat arm. Chloe smiled as the guards handed a key
to the pilot and left. Off to paradise!

They didn't take off immediately, though. It seemed there were all kinds of checks that needed done. But long before Chloe became too uncomfortable, the pilot returned and signalled to someone outside. A small tractor was hooked to the jet's front wheel and the jet was towed out of the hangar. After a few more minutes, it's engines started and they taxied out onto the runway to wait their turn in the queue of other aircraft waiting to take off. The wait wasn't too long and they were soon in the air, climbing for altitude.

Once they'd been in the air for an hour or so, they left North America behind them. They were out over the Pacific. Chloe began to get a bit nervous. If they crashed now, she was doomed. She would go down with the plane. It was then she heard a hiss and felt a cold spot on her left arm. Startled, she looked over to see a robot arm with a gas hypodermic retracting into a wall slot. She fell asleep. She awoke, hours later as they were circling a small island. As promised it was a classic Pacific island atoll. One or two large islands and a bunch of smaller ones in a rough circle. A huge fence circled everything, even linking the small islands. Just like the video. So it was a real place!! It was clear from this altitude that the fencing prevented access to the ocean entirely. Anyone on this island would stay on this island. It was far better than a prison cell, that was certain.

They were met by a small electric car and she was whisked away to the front of one of the gleaming buildings. She was met by the man who'd interviewed her in the prison. He tilted his head towards a corridor and started walking.

"This way," he said.

She was led to the door of a room. He indicated she was to enter. At this point, not even knowing where she was, she had little choice but to comply. It was a sparse room like some kind of hotel room. A robot porter brought in her belongings which had been returned when she left the prison. There wasn't a lot. That was part of the reason she'd agreed to his scheme in the first place. She was startled by a jab in her shoulder and turned her head to see him withdraw an old-style hypodermic. She'd been injected with something but what exactly was totally unknown. Probably the genetic modification agent since that's what she'd agreed to. He turned and left the room, which closed with a decidedly loud click. She tried the door but wasn't surprised to find it locked. After all, she was a convicted felon and he probably had to ensure she was under control until after the experiment. If even then they'd let her out on the island. She hoped she hadn't traded one prison for another.

Settling in proved fairly simple. She placed her few belongings in drawers and on tables. Then making a decision, she stripped the prison uniform off and headed for the shower. She'd not be wearing that thing again even if she was stuck in this room forever. When her shower was done, she discovered a food tray had been deposited on the small table against the wall. It wasn't the greatest meal but, for some reason, it tasted better than prison fare. After lunch, she started the console and spent the rest of the afternoon watching ancient movies. She'd always liked the old movies and this console seemed to have an abundance of them. Later that afternoon, a robot let itself into the room and announced it was going to do some quick tests. It scanned her with some kind of wand, pressed a sensor against her hip, had her stick out her tongue and then left. She wondered what it had gleaned from all that. She'd half expected some kind of blood test or something. As she was watching the second movie of the day, she began to feel uncomfortable. The chair, which had seemed to fit her bottom so well at the start, now felt like she was sitting on some kind of rope. Assuming something had shifted and wanting to be more comfortable, she paused the movie and got up from the chair. It was totally unchanged but, as soon as she sat down, the uncomfortable rope returned. Reaching behind her to find out what it was, she discovered a short, tapered rope. Frowning, she yanked on it to pull it loose and discovered it was attached to her. She dashed to the bathroom to see if she could figure out what was going on with her hand mirror. It didn't take long to discover she now possessed a significant tail nearly 50 cm long! Now why would they want her to grow a tail? That wasn't the usual kind of body modification she'd heard about. Facelifts, nose jobs, reconstruction -- those were what body modification meant. Not a tail. She tried to find a communications application on the console but discovered there was none.

After finally finding a less uncomfortable position, she finished her movie. They'd send someone in again for more tests, she was sure of it. She'd just have to wait until that happened and pose her question then. In the meantime, her body demanded sleep. Even though she'd been drugged for much of her flight, it wasn't the same as real sleep. Bowing to the inevitable (a trick learned in prison very quickly), she rolled into bed and turned off the light. When she awoke, she discovered her tail had grown significantly overnight. She now sported a tail that dragged on the ground behind her for nearly 2 meters!!! And she was ravenous. She at the breakfast they supplied and it barely made a dent. She noticed a small green button off to the side and pushed it. A few minutes later, another tray appeared. This too she hastily consumed. That helped a little but she still wasn't entirely satisfied. She didn't want to eat more though as it seemed, well, unladylike and greedy. Having nothing better to do, she started another movie and, two hours later when it finished, she discovered she was starving. Something was decidedly up. She debated with herself for several seconds about having yet another meal but decided that the hunger must be part of the genetic modification. She pushed the green button and a fully laden tray consisting mostly of meat dishes arrived. She ate them in haste, her hunger driving her. Not until she'd eaten more food than she ever had at one sitting did she lean back in her chair more-or-less satisfied. The robot, once again, had appeared silently and was beginning it routine of tests. Just as it was finishing and was turning to leave, she asked the burning question.

"What kind of genetic modification is this?"

The robot paid her absolutely no attention and wandered over to a panel that opened in the wall. It slipped inside and the door closed so quickly that Chloe was left absolutely dumbstruck. So it hadn't come in the main door. She wondered how many other bolt holes there were in this room. Given how well this one was hidden, she'd never find them. The robot had proven useless as far as getting an answer. It clearly wasn't programmed to respond to questions outside it's area of activity. Ah well. Maybe they'd send someone live in once the process was closer to completion. By lunch, her tail had become considerably thicker. It was as thick as her arm and nearly four meters long. The food needed to grow this thing was clearly why she was so hungry. Obviously she'd not gain weight as long as this transformation was taking place so she'd best just give in to the hunger whenever it arose. She hoped the urge to eat would stop once it was finished. Dragging the tail about was annoying though. Going through doors, it caught on things. She could feel it when it snagged on something and then she was forced to stop, backtrack and free it. She hoped it wouldn't be a useless lump forever. Dragging the stupid thing about for the rest of her life was not something she relished. Two more movies and four more meals carried her through to bedtime. The tail was now so long that it would be difficult to sleep with. She wondered how she was to deal with it. It was flexible to some extent. Chloe tried to coil it around the bed and sleep on her side. Her normally sound sleep was disturbed all night long. Whenever she tried to roll over, the tail prevented it and she awoke briefly. It was, perhaps, the worst night's sleep she'd ever had. Even the prison beds were less uncomfortable and that was saying a lot.

Bleary eyed and still tired, she dragged the appendage (now nearly 8 meters long and as thick as her thigh at its base) to the meal station to get the first of perhaps a dozen meals she'd order during the day. As she did so, the tail snagged on the bedroom door. Unconsciously, she shifted it aside and freed it up again. It was only when she finished her first breakfast that she realized she'd moved it without having to push it about. Well! That was definitely an improvement. Looking down it's length from the console, she noticed the colour was different somehow. It had matched her own skin up to this point but now it was taking on a slightly yellow hue. It was patterned, too. She'd never been one for the outdoors and zoos but she recognized the pattern. It was some kind of snake skin. So this monstrosity was a snake tail. Once again she wondered who would want to grow a snake tail. Once again, though, there was no one to ask and she had to stifle her curiosity once again. By the time her hunger drove her to her mid-morning meal, she realized something else was changing. She had trouble getting up. At first, she thought it just the weight of the tail but soon realized her legs were weakening. How was she supposed to move about, pulling this damned thing, without legs.

"What in hell are you doing to me?" She shouted at the walls.

There was (as expected) no answer. When the robot popped out of the wall alcove for her daily tests, she cornered it by the simple expedient of blocking the panel with her now 10 meter long tail. It wasn't designed to traverse anything save level floors. They'd have to come rescue the thing and maybe she'd get some answers. The alcove door opened about five minutes later. It was another robot, this one clearly was designed to traverse just about anything as it had legs instead of wheels. It deftly picked up the stranded robot, slipped it onto a back carrier and, stepping over her coils, entered the alcove which promptly shut. That definitely had no gone the way she'd hoped. They had every contingency covered. Not good for her finding out what was happening to her. She began a systematic hunt for other alcoves but, after several hours had found none. Either there were none or they were just too well hidden. It was during this search that Chloe discovered the tail was becoming muscular. Her legs (which by now were only 3/4 the strength they'd been) were almost unnecessary. The tail itself could lift her upper body from the floor and, moving like a snake, could propel her across the room. She was still unsteady using the tail but it was easier to use it than drag herself about on ever weakening legs.

The next morning brought more changes. Overnight her legs had vanished save for two little soft spurs at her hips. The tail was now nearly as wide as her hips had been and 12 meters in length. As she looked over her tail, she noticed that some scales were darkening and others lightening. It made a pleasing pattern, beautiful in its own way. Since it had only grown a meter overnight, she wondered whether her transformation was nearly over. The answer came from her hunger. Instead of being driven to eat as she had been since this ordeal had started, it was now more normal and far less insistent. Pushing the now useless chairs and bed into corners to make more room, she arranged things to be able to use her new body more effectively. The mattress was far more comfortable on the ground and it didn't take her long to pile the bed frame against the wall. Not ideal but better than an uncomfortable bed. She then settled on her own coils for another of the movies at the console. Her day was almost relaxing for the first time since she'd arrived. There was something different now but she couldn't place what. And, truth be told, didn't really care much either. When the robot popped from it's alcove, she didn't hinder it's progress. It did it's tests in exactly the same order as always. Chloe was taken aback when she was told to stick out her tongue. Her tongue now sported a decided slot. Well, she thought, snakes have split tongues. She might as well have one, too.

The middle of the morning brought a surprise. Instead of the usual routine, the man and a robotic gurney pushed their way through the main door.

"Well, you are finished," he announced. "We've a few final tests and scans and then you are free to roam about the island."
"Really?" Chloe could hardly believe it. She wasn't going to be stuck in this room forever.
"Easier for you to take care of yourself than for us to have to keep doing it," he stated. "Now slide up onto the gurney and we'll head for radiology."
"Why did you change me? Who'd want to be a snake?" Chloe finally got to ask her question.
"No one, I suspect. This is more for my own curiosity than for a commercial reason. My business holdings pay for everything so not everything has to make sense commercially."
"So I'm a snake --"
"A naga," he interrupted.
"Okay, a naga then just because you wanted to make one?"
"Of course."

Chloe just shook her head. She was stuck this way because some crazy scientist thought it would be interesting to make a naga? There had to be a law. She was sure of it. But she'd' bet everything she owned that the contract had stated this was going to happen. She'd just declined to read it in detail. Her bad. But as she thought of it, she decided that being a naga wasn't all bad. She wasn't a weak little wimp any more. She bet she could now crush a man in her coils. A wicked thought that was soon stifled. Likely attacking the man would only cause problems. After all she wasn't the first person he'd had to deal with and the gurney probably had something ready if she proved difficult.

The scans took hours. It seemed scanning 12 meters of anything was more than the equipment had been originally designed for. Eventually, it was over. The man briskly walked to a desk at the far side of the room, and picked up a shiny something. He snapped it around her wrist. Chloe felt it warm slightly and then cool off. The join line had vanished. She twisted her arm about so she could read the etching on it's surface.

Subject: XTD-317
Species: H. Sapiens Pythonidae
TF Date: 2095-01-08

"As in python?" she asked.
"A Boa Constrictor."
"How curious," was all she could think to say.
"How about you slide down off the scanner and I'll have a guide take you outside."

Chloe shrugged and slid from the table. The guide, in the form of a small wheel robot with a flashing light, appeared from somewhere. The man left the room by one door and the guide by another. Chloe followed the guide robot down several corridors and stairs (elevators simply weren't for her any more). Finally, they arrived at a wide pair of glass doors. The guide robot trundled off down a path, with Chloe following. In a small clearing, the guide robot turned around and headed back to the building, it's light no longer flashing. Chloe was left alone, looking about.

"I see he's changed another one. That's at least three I know of. Might as well follow me and I'll introduce you about," a woman's disgusted voice came from behind Chloe.

Turning her upper body, Chloe faced the direction of the voice to see a creature that was like a centaur with a dog's body instead of a horse. More curiousities?

Description
Woman: Lockstock
Snake: Creative Commons

The Zoo
Pythoness

Chloe stood watching as her world fell apart. Her boyfriend had insisted that his plan to get them rich was foolproof. It had seemed so simple. All she had to do was stand with what he said was a toy gun at the door of the mall where they'd ambush the guards as they brought money in to replenish the ATMs. Only two problems. First he hadn't counted on there being a rush of people in the mall. This made it near impossible to stay together. Second, the gun wasn't a realistic toy. When she brought the gun up to menace the guards and get them to hand over the money bag, she pressed the gun's hair trigger. As soon as the gun began firing, Chloe, being inexperienced with any kind of firearm and only having seen them used in movies, had panicked. Her hand froze, keeping the trigger pressed. The kick of the gun pushed the gun all over the place. Chloe had little or no control. Bullets sprayed everywhere. Fifteen people including her boyfriend fell bleeding to the mall's tiled floor. Five of them died instantly. Chloe's response was to throw the gun down and collapse in a heap to the floor. That's where the police found her when they arrived minutes later. EMS arrived but a few minutes after that but her boyfriend had become one of the victims. He was pronounced dead at the scene. She, for her part, didn't resist the arresting officer. She was in total shock and continued to mutter, again and again, "But it was a toy".

The court case against her was speedily concluded. Defence and prosecution agreed with the guilty plea and only haggled over the exact charges and recommended sentencing. It totalled to life without a chance of parole for 60 years. She'd be ancient when she got out if she didn't die in prison. She wished there were some other way as she was led from the courtroom to begin serving her life sentence. Only fifteen months into her sentence, she found herself ushered into one of the interview rooms. A man in a polo shirt and dark baggy pants was sitting at the table, an open briefcase to his right. The guard merely nodded his head towards the chair. It was clear Chloe was to sit down.

"You're probably surprised by all this," the man began.
"Uh, yeah," was all Chloe could think to say.
"You are healthy but facing a life behind bars. I've got an offer that will get you out of this prison. You won't be released to society at large, of course. That would violate your sentence. But you'd be free within the confines of a small island."

Chloe thought a moment. There was something odd about this whole offer. She was sure she should say no. She decided to just stay quiet.

"I've a little research program," the man continued. "You'd have to agree to undergo an experimental procedure. Once it was complete, you'd be released to an island I own in the South Pacific. You'd have plenty to eat and shelter would be provided. You'd have no further contact with society as a whole but there are several other individuals who have elected to join the program who are already on the island." Chloe frowned slightly.

Trade her near sterile existence in prison for some unspecified medical procedure and then isolation on a tropical island?

"Do I have to decide right now?" she asked.
"No, of course not. This program will be running for several months."
"What kind of island is it?"

In answer, the man pulled a large tablet from his briefcase and started a video going. It showed the approach to an island from the air. It was a beautiful island with a reasonably high mountain at one end. Buildings, that proved to be fairly substantial, were dotted about the island. They looked decidedly unprison-like. Not hotels, for sure. More like institutional buildings, labs maybe. The island itself was part of a ring of smaller islands. She could see the high fencing that formed a double ring around the outside of the main island and enclosed the entire lagoon, stitching each of the smaller islands in an irregular enclosure. It was clear that the fencing extended right to the ocean floor. It seemed idyllic save the fence. Far nicer than the prison, for sure.

"What kind of experiment?"
"Genetic modification. I'm working on ways to extend life and rebuild bodies."
"What would I have to do?"
"Not a great deal, really. You'd have to undergo the procedure and let us do some medical tests at their conclusion. Then you'd spend the rest of your life on the island. We'd want to do yearly medical tests to get long range data. Aside from that, your time would be your own. I understand some of our other volunteers have something going for entertainment so life wouldn't be too boring.
"I see. How many others are there?"
"Currently there's only a few. Less than ten right now.

Chloe had never been one for large crowds. Ten or so on an island? That would be paradise. All she had to do was take part in this experiment. It didn't seem too terrible. She hated the idea of being the target of genetic modification but, without any chance at ever getting out of the prison, it was a better choice than where she was now. After all, what would they do? Make her grow an extra arm or something?

"Okay," she nodded. "I'm in. What do I have to do?"
"Sign this form," the man pushed the tablet across to her.
"Okay," she took the stylus and signed the screen.

She didn't even bother to read the form save to note the number in the upper right corner of the screen: XTD-317. Probably the experiment number, she decided.

"Good enough. We'll come collect you tomorrow, once the transport papers have been approved.”

Two days later, the guards called her out of a line and directed her through several security gates to a side door. She was handcuffed as per standard prison transport regulations and pushed into the side of small van. One of the guards, took the wheel and another entered the forward passenger door. She had the entire back to herself. After half an hour on the road, they turned towards the airport. Rather than the standard departure area, they took a side road to one of the hangars. She was extricated from the back seat and led into the hangar. Inside was a private jet. She found herself led up the stairs and ended up in a comfortable seat, belted in place, with one hand shackled to the seat arm. Chloe smiled as the guards handed a key
to the pilot and left. Off to paradise!

They didn't take off immediately, though. It seemed there were all kinds of checks that needed done. But long before Chloe became too uncomfortable, the pilot returned and signalled to someone outside. A small tractor was hooked to the jet's front wheel and the jet was towed out of the hangar. After a few more minutes, it's engines started and they taxied out onto the runway to wait their turn in the queue of other aircraft waiting to take off. The wait wasn't too long and they were soon in the air, climbing for altitude.

Once they'd been in the air for an hour or so, they left North America behind them. They were out over the Pacific. Chloe began to get a bit nervous. If they crashed now, she was doomed. She would go down with the plane. It was then she heard a hiss and felt a cold spot on her left arm. Startled, she looked over to see a robot arm with a gas hypodermic retracting into a wall slot. She fell asleep. She awoke, hours later as they were circling a small island. As promised it was a classic Pacific island atoll. One or two large islands and a bunch of smaller ones in a rough circle. A huge fence circled everything, even linking the small islands. Just like the video. So it was a real place!! It was clear from this altitude that the fencing prevented access to the ocean entirely. Anyone on this island would stay on this island. It was far better than a prison cell, that was certain.

They were met by a small electric car and she was whisked away to the front of one of the gleaming buildings. She was met by the man who'd interviewed her in the prison. He tilted his head towards a corridor and started walking.

"This way," he said.

She was led to the door of a room. He indicated she was to enter. At this point, not even knowing where she was, she had little choice but to comply. It was a sparse room like some kind of hotel room. A robot porter brought in her belongings which had been returned when she left the prison. There wasn't a lot. That was part of the reason she'd agreed to his scheme in the first place. She was startled by a jab in her shoulder and turned her head to see him withdraw an old-style hypodermic. She'd been injected with something but what exactly was totally unknown. Probably the genetic modification agent since that's what she'd agreed to. He turned and left the room, which closed with a decidedly loud click. She tried the door but wasn't surprised to find it locked. After all, she was a convicted felon and he probably had to ensure she was under control until after the experiment. If even then they'd let her out on the island. She hoped she hadn't traded one prison for another.

Settling in proved fairly simple. She placed her few belongings in drawers and on tables. Then making a decision, she stripped the prison uniform off and headed for the shower. She'd not be wearing that thing again even if she was stuck in this room forever. When her shower was done, she discovered a food tray had been deposited on the small table against the wall. It wasn't the greatest meal but, for some reason, it tasted better than prison fare. After lunch, she started the console and spent the rest of the afternoon watching ancient movies. She'd always liked the old movies and this console seemed to have an abundance of them. Later that afternoon, a robot let itself into the room and announced it was going to do some quick tests. It scanned her with some kind of wand, pressed a sensor against her hip, had her stick out her tongue and then left. She wondered what it had gleaned from all that. She'd half expected some kind of blood test or something. As she was watching the second movie of the day, she began to feel uncomfortable. The chair, which had seemed to fit her bottom so well at the start, now felt like she was sitting on some kind of rope. Assuming something had shifted and wanting to be more comfortable, she paused the movie and got up from the chair. It was totally unchanged but, as soon as she sat down, the uncomfortable rope returned. Reaching behind her to find out what it was, she discovered a short, tapered rope. Frowning, she yanked on it to pull it loose and discovered it was attached to her. She dashed to the bathroom to see if she could figure out what was going on with her hand mirror. It didn't take long to discover she now possessed a significant tail nearly 50 cm long! Now why would they want her to grow a tail? That wasn't the usual kind of body modification she'd heard about. Facelifts, nose jobs, reconstruction -- those were what body modification meant. Not a tail. She tried to find a communications application on the console but discovered there was none.

After finally finding a less uncomfortable position, she finished her movie. They'd send someone in again for more tests, she was sure of it. She'd just have to wait until that happened and pose her question then. In the meantime, her body demanded sleep. Even though she'd been drugged for much of her flight, it wasn't the same as real sleep. Bowing to the inevitable (a trick learned in prison very quickly), she rolled into bed and turned off the light. When she awoke, she discovered her tail had grown significantly overnight. She now sported a tail that dragged on the ground behind her for nearly 2 meters!!! And she was ravenous. She at the breakfast they supplied and it barely made a dent. She noticed a small green button off to the side and pushed it. A few minutes later, another tray appeared. This too she hastily consumed. That helped a little but she still wasn't entirely satisfied. She didn't want to eat more though as it seemed, well, unladylike and greedy. Having nothing better to do, she started another movie and, two hours later when it finished, she discovered she was starving. Something was decidedly up. She debated with herself for several seconds about having yet another meal but decided that the hunger must be part of the genetic modification. She pushed the green button and a fully laden tray consisting mostly of meat dishes arrived. She ate them in haste, her hunger driving her. Not until she'd eaten more food than she ever had at one sitting did she lean back in her chair more-or-less satisfied. The robot, once again, had appeared silently and was beginning it routine of tests. Just as it was finishing and was turning to leave, she asked the burning question.

"What kind of genetic modification is this?"

The robot paid her absolutely no attention and wandered over to a panel that opened in the wall. It slipped inside and the door closed so quickly that Chloe was left absolutely dumbstruck. So it hadn't come in the main door. She wondered how many other bolt holes there were in this room. Given how well this one was hidden, she'd never find them. The robot had proven useless as far as getting an answer. It clearly wasn't programmed to respond to questions outside it's area of activity. Ah well. Maybe they'd send someone live in once the process was closer to completion. By lunch, her tail had become considerably thicker. It was as thick as her arm and nearly four meters long. The food needed to grow this thing was clearly why she was so hungry. Obviously she'd not gain weight as long as this transformation was taking place so she'd best just give in to the hunger whenever it arose. She hoped the urge to eat would stop once it was finished. Dragging the tail about was annoying though. Going through doors, it caught on things. She could feel it when it snagged on something and then she was forced to stop, backtrack and free it. She hoped it wouldn't be a useless lump forever. Dragging the stupid thing about for the rest of her life was not something she relished. Two more movies and four more meals carried her through to bedtime. The tail was now so long that it would be difficult to sleep with. She wondered how she was to deal with it. It was flexible to some extent. Chloe tried to coil it around the bed and sleep on her side. Her normally sound sleep was disturbed all night long. Whenever she tried to roll over, the tail prevented it and she awoke briefly. It was, perhaps, the worst night's sleep she'd ever had. Even the prison beds were less uncomfortable and that was saying a lot.

Bleary eyed and still tired, she dragged the appendage (now nearly 8 meters long and as thick as her thigh at its base) to the meal station to get the first of perhaps a dozen meals she'd order during the day. As she did so, the tail snagged on the bedroom door. Unconsciously, she shifted it aside and freed it up again. It was only when she finished her first breakfast that she realized she'd moved it without having to push it about. Well! That was definitely an improvement. Looking down it's length from the console, she noticed the colour was different somehow. It had matched her own skin up to this point but now it was taking on a slightly yellow hue. It was patterned, too. She'd never been one for the outdoors and zoos but she recognized the pattern. It was some kind of snake skin. So this monstrosity was a snake tail. Once again she wondered who would want to grow a snake tail. Once again, though, there was no one to ask and she had to stifle her curiosity once again. By the time her hunger drove her to her mid-morning meal, she realized something else was changing. She had trouble getting up. At first, she thought it just the weight of the tail but soon realized her legs were weakening. How was she supposed to move about, pulling this damned thing, without legs.

"What in hell are you doing to me?" She shouted at the walls.

There was (as expected) no answer. When the robot popped out of the wall alcove for her daily tests, she cornered it by the simple expedient of blocking the panel with her now 10 meter long tail. It wasn't designed to traverse anything save level floors. They'd have to come rescue the thing and maybe she'd get some answers. The alcove door opened about five minutes later. It was another robot, this one clearly was designed to traverse just about anything as it had legs instead of wheels. It deftly picked up the stranded robot, slipped it onto a back carrier and, stepping over her coils, entered the alcove which promptly shut. That definitely had no gone the way she'd hoped. They had every contingency covered. Not good for her finding out what was happening to her. She began a systematic hunt for other alcoves but, after several hours had found none. Either there were none or they were just too well hidden. It was during this search that Chloe discovered the tail was becoming muscular. Her legs (which by now were only 3/4 the strength they'd been) were almost unnecessary. The tail itself could lift her upper body from the floor and, moving like a snake, could propel her across the room. She was still unsteady using the tail but it was easier to use it than drag herself about on ever weakening legs.

The next morning brought more changes. Overnight her legs had vanished save for two little soft spurs at her hips. The tail was now nearly as wide as her hips had been and 12 meters in length. As she looked over her tail, she noticed that some scales were darkening and others lightening. It made a pleasing pattern, beautiful in its own way. Since it had only grown a meter overnight, she wondered whether her transformation was nearly over. The answer came from her hunger. Instead of being driven to eat as she had been since this ordeal had started, it was now more normal and far less insistent. Pushing the now useless chairs and bed into corners to make more room, she arranged things to be able to use her new body more effectively. The mattress was far more comfortable on the ground and it didn't take her long to pile the bed frame against the wall. Not ideal but better than an uncomfortable bed. She then settled on her own coils for another of the movies at the console. Her day was almost relaxing for the first time since she'd arrived. There was something different now but she couldn't place what. And, truth be told, didn't really care much either. When the robot popped from it's alcove, she didn't hinder it's progress. It did it's tests in exactly the same order as always. Chloe was taken aback when she was told to stick out her tongue. Her tongue now sported a decided slot. Well, she thought, snakes have split tongues. She might as well have one, too.

The middle of the morning brought a surprise. Instead of the usual routine, the man and a robotic gurney pushed their way through the main door.

"Well, you are finished," he announced. "We've a few final tests and scans and then you are free to roam about the island."
"Really?" Chloe could hardly believe it. She wasn't going to be stuck in this room forever.
"Easier for you to take care of yourself than for us to have to keep doing it," he stated. "Now slide up onto the gurney and we'll head for radiology."
"Why did you change me? Who'd want to be a snake?" Chloe finally got to ask her question.
"No one, I suspect. This is more for my own curiosity than for a commercial reason. My business holdings pay for everything so not everything has to make sense commercially."
"So I'm a snake --"
"A naga," he interrupted.
"Okay, a naga then just because you wanted to make one?"
"Of course."

Chloe just shook her head. She was stuck this way because some crazy scientist thought it would be interesting to make a naga? There had to be a law. She was sure of it. But she'd' bet everything she owned that the contract had stated this was going to happen. She'd just declined to read it in detail. Her bad. But as she thought of it, she decided that being a naga wasn't all bad. She wasn't a weak little wimp any more. She bet she could now crush a man in her coils. A wicked thought that was soon stifled. Likely attacking the man would only cause problems. After all she wasn't the first person he'd had to deal with and the gurney probably had something ready if she proved difficult.

The scans took hours. It seemed scanning 12 meters of anything was more than the equipment had been originally designed for. Eventually, it was over. The man briskly walked to a desk at the far side of the room, and picked up a shiny something. He snapped it around her wrist. Chloe felt it warm slightly and then cool off. The join line had vanished. She twisted her arm about so she could read the etching on it's surface.

Subject: XTD-317
Species: H. Sapiens Pythonidae
TF Date: 2095-01-08

"As in python?" she asked.
"A Boa Constrictor."
"How curious," was all she could think to say.
"How about you slide down off the scanner and I'll have a guide take you outside."

Chloe shrugged and slid from the table. The guide, in the form of a small wheel robot with a flashing light, appeared from somewhere. The man left the room by one door and the guide by another. Chloe followed the guide robot down several corridors and stairs (elevators simply weren't for her any more). Finally, they arrived at a wide pair of glass doors. The guide robot trundled off down a path, with Chloe following. In a small clearing, the guide robot turned around and headed back to the building, it's light no longer flashing. Chloe was left alone, looking about.

"I see he's changed another one. That's at least three I know of. Might as well follow me and I'll introduce you about," a woman's disgusted voice came from behind Chloe.

Turning her upper body, Chloe faced the direction of the voice to see a creature that was like a centaur with a dog's body instead of a horse. More curiousities?