Chapter 3

Everything did change the next day, but it wasn’t in a way that either Casey or Janet figured it would have. Their two years and five months was about to either be all for nothing or put to the test.

Ronin comes into the lab carrying a piece of paper and wearing a fine tailored suit. “I’ve got the decision from the FDA,” he says without even the slightest hint of a smile.

“I feel a rejection coming on,” Casey groans.

“It’s not too bad, but it’s not too good either,” the older man says.

“Just give it to us,” Janet says, shaking her head.

Ronin clears his throat before speaking. “They won’t allow us to go to human trials just yet because our animal trials were too short.”

“Too short?” Casey blurts. “We spent almost two whole years doing nothing but animal trials.”

“I argued the same thing, but they want more ape trials, perhaps using a gorilla,” Ronin says frowning. “After another year, maybe a year and a half, they will reconsider. Right now surgery, while low risk, is safer.”

“That’s bullshit, plain and simple,” Janet argues.

“It may be, but we cannot look for volunteers or even move on until we’re approved,” the older man states. “You two now have a choice to continue this project or go back to the grind with our other current projects.”

“Are you saying that you’re shutting this down?” Casey asks as he pushes away from the counter.

“I’m not doing that,” he says and then quickly adds, “I know how much you two have worked on this. I do not wish to have you spend any more of your life in here if you don’t want to.”

“Out of curiosity,” Janet says. “Who do you plan to replace us with?”

“I was thinking of Mark Davis, your old lab assistant, and Betsy Cummings.”

“Mark?” Casey asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, he completed his doctorate last year and is showing some promise in the field of research, probably thanks to you two.”

“We’re staying,” Janet says quickly.

“Don’t need to think about it?” Ronin asks.

Casey casts Janet a glare and Janet gives him a look back. It is a look that he has dubbed the look. It tells him not to argue and just keep his mouth shut.

“We don’t need to think about it,” Janet confirms. “We started this and we’re going to finish it.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” the older man says. “I’m not getting any younger, so if you can find a way to get the data we need faster than by all means find it.”

“We’ll get you that data,” Janet says smiling.

Ronin nods and leaves the lab. Once the door closes behind him Casey is throwing his hands into the air. “Why the hell did you tell him that?”

Janet’s smile turns into a frown. “I figured you would like to see this to the end.”

“You heard him,” Casey argues. “They want another year to a year and a half of more data. Then, if that works, we still have human trials for however long that takes.”

“I’m willing to go the distance and I thought you were too.”

“I am,” he says dropping his chin. “I just would like to start a family.”

Janet slides over to him and places her hand beneath his chin, lifting it to look him in the eyes. “I want the same, but it’s not much longer. We get to the human trials and then we can have all the kids you want.”

Casey’s face brightens a little and then he grins. “What if there is a way to speed things up?”

“Ronin would like nothing better than that, but unless we ask him for a few gorillas and chimps, maybe throw in a few orangutans and a new wing of the building to house them all, I don’t see how we are going to speed the data up.”

“Yes,” Casey agrees. “And time is out biggest enemy, but what if we got the human trials underway now and collected the data from it.”

“We can’t do that,” Janet objects. “We’d break so many laws, they’d throw us in prison and we’d only hope to ever see the light of day again.”

“But what if we didn’t use anyone from the outside. What if a volunteer close to the project came forward?”

“There are only three of us that know of this project, Casey,” Janet says. “And I doubt Ronin is going to volunteer.”

“I’m not talking about Ronin,” Casey says grinning bigger than ever.

“Oh no, you’re talking about you.”

“Precisely.”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Janet asks, not wanting to believe him. “You’ll be a fucking woman.”

“We can easily reverse it unless you prefer a woman in your bed,” he says with a wink.

Janet puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head. “Now that you mention it, it may be fun.”

“Now you’re just being sarcastic,” Casey says with a frown.

“No, I’m being serious but still skeptical,” she admits. “But it is still wrong what you want to do. The consequences alone...”

Casey holds up his hand in a stop gesture. “What can they do? Arrest me for changing my sex without a surgery? There isn’t any law saying you can’t experiment on yourself and Ronin will stay out of trouble because he has no knowledge that it is happening and I can always say neither did you.”

“And what about husband and wife team discovering this?”

“You have to marry me first,” he answers with a smirk.

“You didn’t even what to continue with this five minutes ago,” Janet argues.

Casey knows where she is going with this, but he isn’t going to give in. “No, we’re going to finish what we started and nothing is changing my mind on this. Let’s prepare the formula and get it going.”

Janet sees the expression set in place, and like hers, she knows his means he isn’t budging from his position on the topic. So she throws her hands into the air, giving up the fight. Like the old adage says that if you can’t beat them, join them.

The two set to work on creating a new serum and after a few hours it is ready to be injected into Casey.

“This is your last chance Casey,” Janet says, holding the needle ready. “There isn’t any turning back.”

Casey, who is shirtless, says, “At least not until after it’s finished.”

Janet sighs heavily, wanting so bad to voice her concerns but she knows that he is just going to either dismiss everything she has to say or find a way to justify it. She looks at his scrawny body and mentally shrugs. At least he is already on his way to having a feminine body. It was one thing that attracted her to Casey in the first place. And in that case maybe it wouldn’t be bad if he was a woman. She already likes his personality, why not a body she’d like to sleep with too?

The needle plunges into Casey’s arm and Janet pushes the syringe in, injecting the formula into him. There are no chances to change his mind now. There is no going back. This is it and from this point on, nothing will be the same—ever.

Janet pulls the needle out and sets it down on the tray next to the table. “There,” she says. “All done.”

“Now we wait,” Casey says.

“Maybe we should have one last hooray while you’re still a man,” Casey says with a wink. She quickly sheds her pants and grabs Casey’s hand, placing it on her inner thigh.

Casey instantly applies a bit of pressure with his fingertips, sliding them upward along her skin and eliciting a little noise from the back of her throat as she closes her eyes. He strokes his hand back down and then back up, repeating and each time pushing his hand toward the center of her thigh and going higher each time. Janet takes in a deep breath and then exhales. He strokes her skin more firmly, pushing his hand up between her legs until he can’t go any further, inviting her to open them and let him in.

Janet grabs his other hand, pulling him from the examination table to the floor and she climbs up, taking his spot. She leans back and slides her ass to the edge, spreading her legs open wide, to give her boyfriend, soon to be girlfriend, complete access, but Casey is in the mood for teasing.