A slight, stinging pain; like a bee sting, all over wakes me up. Compared to earlier, this is nothing and it’s more of a surface pain than the deep burning of the gills and tail. I’m assuming it’s the scales, but I'm unable to lift my head to check. Not that I want to.

“That should be the last of them,” Jenny comments. I jump, a startled gasp escaping me. I didn’t know she was in here.

“The last of what?”

“Your scales sweetie. You’re a little late; your tail took longer than expected. You were supposed to be done around eleven. It’s twelve thirty. But it looks like that’s the last of them coming in now. How are you feeling?”

“Awful. Tired. Sore. Like I'm going to be sick,” I mutter. The only bright side is that she’s right and the immediate pain fades, leaving me battered and sore, but okay.

“I know, I'm sorry… oh. Oh, I didn’t know they did that!” She exclaims.

“What?” I ask, panicked.

“Your scales, even the ones on your chest; they used to be colorless, but when your tail stopped growing them, color bled into all of them and into your fin as well. It’s a really pretty-”

“Don’t tell me,” I interrupt. “I don’t want to know.”

“It’s high time you came to terms with all of this. You have no choice now,” Jenny states as she begins releasing me from all the restraints. “Dr. Auldon will be here any minute to take you to a tank.” She helps me sit up and forces my head to look down. I don’t bother closing my eyes, and am shocked by what I see. The tail looks surreal. It’s longer than what my legs were, and lacks any definitive joints. My knees are gone. The fin isn’t two separate tailfins like in cartoons, but one large fluke of fish fin. The tips are long, thin, and curl inwards slightly. The scales gleam and shimmer. They are a rich amethyst color. The fin is lighter and brighter, more of an electric purple, with lavender veins running through it. The scales on my chest could almost resemble a sleeveless top. The straight band of them run just below my collarbone and taper off under my arms. They extend midway down my ribcage and are very effective at preserving modesty. To be honest, everything I was once worried about being visible is now hidden and I'm not even sure if it exists in the same manor anymore. I swallow the lump in my throat.

“How do you even work this thing?” I ask.

“You’ll have plenty of time to figure it out,” Jenny states. “You can swim right?”

“Yeah, of course, but that was with legs. I’ve never been especially great at dolphin kick and somehow I can’t see this being the same thing either.”

“No I imagine that it would be a little more difficult. Maybe instinct will kick in once you’re in the water.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

Jenny shrugs. “I doubt you’ll be left unattended in the beginning. Besides, you’ll have a teacher.”

“What if she doesn’t like me?” I inquire. “Would she attack me? If she figures out that I'm not really a mermaid?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know very much about her at all really.”

“That doesn’t really reassure me,” I reply. “I mean, what if-”

“I think that’s enough chit chat,” Dr. Auldon sneers, cutting me off and startling me. He and his goons have returned, another gurney is pushed by a man I haven’t seen before. “Miss Barnes, have you nothing better to do than sit around and talk to fish? And you,” Dr. Auldon’s gaze whips to me. “Don’t make me regret not having your vocal cords removed.” I bite my lip, but don’t reply. It would only get me into trouble. He nods. “Better. Miss Barnes, if you would be so kind as to get the creature loaded up, we’re ready to begin.”

“Of course,” Jenny forces a smile. She fixes me an apologetic look before picking me up. My tail hangs limply as she sets me down on the gurney. I’m still not really sure how to move it. Jenny pushes a hand against my collarbone and I lie back, not wanting to get either of us into trouble. My arms are restrained at the elbows and more restraints are placed at the base of my tailfin and across my hips.

Where do they expect me to go? Once I’ve been deemed immobile, the man who brought the gurney in pushes me out of the room. Dr. Auldon and Jenny follow.

“I thought that your experiments always resulted in a colorless tail and fin,” the unknown scientist comments. “Did you inject color under the scales or something?”

“We were going to, the tail was going to be green, but then this happened. I see no point in changing it now, the purple suits it fine.”

“Really? Well that’s fascinating. I wonder if it’s the consciousness of the girl’s mind that allowed for color. Your other human test subjects where all minimal brain wave coma patients, correct?”

“Yes, I suppose that is a possibility. Though I’m uncertain of why the color didn’t turn out the same as your mermaid.”

“Perhaps color and fin shape are not strictly genetic. They could be randomized features dependant on the omega gene.”

“It’s possible.”

“The omega gene?” Jenny asks. “What’s that?”

“A unique gene that these creatures possess. You see, most genetic hybrids are very unstable creations and most changes can only occur if the DNA is grafted onto a subject in the early stages of life when they are nothing more than a fertilized ovum. The reason we are able to graft mermaid DNA onto a grown host is because of the omega gene. So far they are the only species we’ve found to have it. It is a very submissive cell. So much so that no host body ever rejects it, but once inside and secure, it takes over. Dominates the host’s own genetic code and forces the mermaid genetics onto the host, triggering the change. It leaves no lasting damage to the host however and strives for the organism to survive and complete the transformation successfully. It is a massive discovery,” Dr. Auldon explains.

“Indeed,” the other scientist agrees. “And I am fascinated by your success with this subject.” His hands brush over my scales. “Very authentic. I doubt even another mermaid could tell the difference just by looking at her.” He presses his fingers into the side of my neck. Instead of being mildly uncomfortable, the motion is incredibly painful and I wince. It must be because of the gills. They must be very sensitive. One glance at the scientist tells me that he knows that and is trying to cause me pain. He grins and pushes harder. I whimper. “I don’t suppose you’d allow me a look inside her would you?”

Dr. Auldon grabs his hand and pulls it away from my neck. “Dr. Patron, you know full well that the mermaids are both falling under my care when the new tank is fully equipped. Until then, you are free to continue to study your own as long as she’s returned to the holding tank afterwards, but I would caution you to keep your hands to yourself when it comes to my specimen. She is not for public study.”

Gratitude sweeps through me at the kind gesture of protection, but it’s dashed when Dr. Auldon glares at me. He didn’t do it to protect me, he did it in an act of possessiveness and as an opportunity to show dominance towards the other scientist.

Dr. Patron grins, the sadistic gleam in his eyes makes me shudder. “Of course. I presume that the real thing is better than a copy anyways and I'll have to be sure to make the most of my time left with the little devilfish.”

The other mermaid. I realize, remembering the past conversation. He’s in charge of her. Knowing how he had tried to hurt me, with no provocation, and how happy he seemed while doing it, I instantly feel sorry for the mermaid. And Dr. Auldon had said that she had been here for six years, I wonder if she’s been Dr. Patron’s charge the whole time. I'm not given a chance to ponder it further because my attention is drawn to the doors that my gurney is pushed through. They lead into a very large, very tall room. Two huge identical cubed tanks stand attached to one another, but clearly separate boxes. The room has several large cranes probably used for moving heavy objects and animals around, as well as a bunch of different computers and machinery. I don’t want to know what any of it is for. The other mermaid is in the left tank. I’m not given the chance to see her enough to even describe her, only know that it’s too big and skinny for a regular fish and not proportioned to be a dolphin. She’s torn from my line of sight when the gurney is quickly spun around. There’s a man operating some of the machinery and with a loud cranking noise, one of the cranes lowers a green sling. The kind that are used to move dolphins and porpoises in and out of the water, except this one lacks the holes for the pectoral fins. I'm unstrapped from the gurney and placed into the sling. Conversation continues around me as I'm fitted into the sling and it’s prepped and checked.

“So have you decided on a stage name for the mermaid,” Dr. Aulton asks. “She’s your charge so it’s your decision as long as it appeals to the crowds.”

“I was considering Suzie. I had a dog named Suzie. Only creature I’ve ever been close to. What about for this one?”

“My team has been debating names, but I’ve decided on Bailey. I’ve always liked the name and it’s my niece’s daughter’s, name, so I think she’d like that.”

“Mhm.”

Bailey. I mull the name over. It could be worse, but I'm still not happy about the decision being made for me. Without warning the sling is lifted into the air. It’s a very disorienting feeling, being this high in the air with nothing holding me up but some fabric. I’m forced to flop around with the slight jerking of the sling as there’s nothing to use to straighten myself out and keep my balance. Too late I remember that they haven’t taught me to swim or how to use my gills. Panic grips my heart as there’s a click and the one side of the sling is released from the crane’s hold and I plummet down into the tank below. I hit the water on my side with a splash and sink. I just managed to fill my lungs before my head went under and I'm grateful for it now. I desperately try to propel myself to the surface, but the tail is heavy and I can’t get it to work enough to help me.

“Is she going to be okay in there?” Jenny asks. “What if she can’t use her gills?”

“Instinct will kick in,” Dr. Auldon states.

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then she hasn’t been successfully changed and we find a new subject,” Dr. Patron states, his voice full of indifference. I continue to struggle without success, hurt that my life means so little to them.

“What about the other mermaid? Would she attack her? Can she jump the wall of the tank?”

Dr. Patron snorts. “I doubt the stupid beast knows how to jump. Being in a tank this large is a luxury for her. She’s being spoiled and she doesn’t deserve it.”

“I really think we should get Kat-Bailey out of there, she doesn’t look so good,” Jenny says.

She’s right. My lungs are screaming for oxygen and I haven’t been able to move from the floor of the tank. I hear a splash and Jenny shrieks and cries out, “I thought you said she wouldn’t jump!” Her words concern me and suddenly a thin pair of arms are wrapped around my waist. The mermaid’s tail presses down on my own and she squeezes my stomach, forcing out the last few precious bubbles of oxygen that I have left. I futilely try to struggle as she attempts to drown me faster. But then her hands move to my neck, scratching lightly over the skin. I feel something pull away and suddenly I can breathe again. A hand is pressed over my mouth and nose to prevent me from inhaling. I'm grateful for it because otherwise I’d be choking on water. I turn and come face to face with the other mermaid. Her wide eyes are full of concern. The vibrant shade of crystal blue makes her eyes look bigger than they really are. Her hair is a soft, wet sand shade of brown and falls down past her waist. Suddenly the hair extensions make sense, they wanted us to look alike in design. Her scales are a rich sapphire color and her fin is more of an ocean blue. She has no visible veins in her fin, but there are two symmetrical navy blue circles in the middle. Her fin is similar to mine, with the fluke-like shape of fin, but the tips of her tailfin are shorter and more rounded. Hers isn't as wide as mine, but it is longer by an inch or two. She’s a few years younger than me, probably between ten and fourteen years old. Her chest scales seem to have just started growing in because she only has about three small row of them rather than the six or seven rows I have. She hesitantly moves her hand away from my face and backs away, her gaze staring at the ground. She glances up at me shyly before returning her gaze to the floor. I continue to watch her. The way her fin ripples slightly, barely moving as it keeps her upright. She looks meant for the water, perfectly capable of moving around. I can’t help but reach out and attempt to touch her, to make sure she’s really there. She shies away from my hand.

She’s afraid of me. I realize. It’s then that I realize what it has been like for her. No one to trust. She’s been here for years and I doubt anyone has shown her any kindness. I look like the same species, technically I am now, yet she’s still afraid I'm going to try and hurt her. I turn to stare at the people behind the glass. My gaze trains on the scientist who did this to her, who took pleasure in hurting her. I notice her following my gaze. She bares her fangs and a hiss rings out through the water. Then she turns and swims to the far side of the tank, her back to the people there. I easily point out the brownish-green bruises that run the length of her spine. They were probably made from the extraction of her spinal fluid. I want to go over to her and give her a hug, but something tells me that would only frighten her, so I decide to keep my distance. Not that I can go anywhere anyways. I attempt to move my tail in the same way I saw her do it, but I have little success.

My efforts clearly don’t go unnoticed because she approaches me again, more slowly this time, and grabs my arm. She pulls me up and takes a hold of my fin, moving it back and forth so I can get a feel of it. Her eyes never leave mine, constantly checking and searching, clearly making sure that her actions are okay and I'm not going to attack her. I don’t understand the fear though. She seems to hate Dr. Patron and has no problem hissing at him, so why is she afraid of me? I look deep into her eyes and see her intelligence. See the hope behind the fear and understand. She’s afraid of me because I'm older, I'm bigger, but also because she’s been alone for so long that she’s afraid to upset me. Afraid I might hate her, hurt her, and ignore her like everyone else. She’s afraid of me in the same way I'm afraid of her.

She releases my fin and I continue to move it. She nods, satisfied and carefully touches my hips. She kicks her tail, her hips moving too and I realize her point. My hips are still the same, so I have no problem completing this task. I combine the two movements but I don’t really get anywhere. So she takes a hold of my tail again, bends it at a point I wouldn’t guess it could bend. It’s midway down the tail, lower than where my knees would be if I still had them. She continues to bend it like she did with my fin. It isn’t long before I can go up and, by throwing my weight forward into a flip, down. She helps me get into a more horizontal position and then I can go left and right without to much difficulty. Her fin brushes mine as she falls into place next to me, keeping pace with my slow stroke. Every time she moves, my fin instinctively follows her movements. It isn’t long before I can easily change direction and swim laps around the tank. I attempt to hug her, but she just shies away again and eventually jumps the barrier back into her own tank. I decide she wants time to herself and I leave her alone, continuing to practise on my own.

I swim a long time in a daze, lost in thought. And a soft knocking on the tank is what brings my attention back to reality. Jenny is standing on the other side of the glass. She points to a ladder that leads to a stand the overlooks both tanks, then point to the surface. She probably doesn’t think I can hear her. I nod and head towards the stand. She meets me up there.

“You’re looking pretty good out there,” she comments. “Adjusting okay?” I chew my lip and don’t answer. “It’s okay, no one else is in here, you won’t get into trouble. Are you hungry?”

“Starved,” I agree. “What’s for dinner?”

“Are you fond of sushi?”

“Not really,” I say. “Why.”

“I'm just following protocol. They’ve set you on a specific seafood diet,” She says as she pulls out a whole capelin from the tin bucket she’s carrying. I eye the fish with disgust. Scales and all, this fish looks recently dead and I don’t want it in my mouth. My stomach growls in complaint. I haven’t eaten in almost four days and IV supplements don’t do a thing to sate hunger. She tosses me the fish. “Sorry. You can have kelp too if you want it.” She pulls out some long, dark green tendrils and offers it to me. I hesitantly grab them. Then I hold up the fish.

“I don’t even know how to clean a fish. Can I eat the scales?”

“I’d assume so,” Jenny says. “Look if you want to forgo the fish tonight, you can, but that makes the kelp your dinner. Think carefully. You only get fed once a day in the evening. Either way, you will need to learn to like the fish, you need more nutrients than what kelp can offer.”

I sigh and reluctantly bite into the fish. The scales are crunchy and the flesh is a little goopy, but it doesn’t taste as bad as I thought. I take another bite, hunger making me gulp it down. Within seconds my fangs have sheared the meat off the, now clean, bones of the fish. All that remains is the head and tailfin. I dump it into the bucket and Jenny offers me another fish. I eat it just as fast as the other and gulp down the kelp. The slimy plant has a salty taste that is actually kind of pleasant. Jenny offers me a third and final fish.

The ladder shakes slightly as Dr. Patron ascends. He peers into the bucket at the leftover fish bones. “You using those?” he demands.

Jenny shakes her head. “No, why?”

Dr. Patron grins. “Perfect. Looks like you can have dinner after all, you stupid fish,” he calls out. “You can thank the handler for being kind enough to share.” He grabs the fish bones, void of any meat except for the head and fins, and tosses them into the other tank.

“Oh, sir, you can't seriously mean for that to be all you’re going to feed her!” Jenny exclaims.

“She’s being punished,” the man says, shrugging. “If you want to give hr the bones of the other one after, fine, but nothing more.” I glare at him, my eyes following him as he climbs pack down the ladder, types something into the panel that I think controls the tank settings, and then walks away. Jenny shakes her head and sighs.

“Poor little girl. I’ll make sure she’s fed properly when you're both moved to the new tank. You both become my charges then. Try and save her some extra meat on that one okay?”

I nod. “Don’t worry, I will.”

Jenny nods and then climbs down the ladder and walks away, turning out the lights as she does.

I quickly learn that I can see in the dark. I watch the young mermaid as she tears at the fish carcass, trying to pull any meat she can from it. Her ribs jut out, and she’s painfully thin. I know this isn’t the first time she’s been given little to no food. The real question is how long has it been since she had a proper meal? Without a second thought I throw the final fish over into the other tank. It’s the best I can do, but hopefully it will fill her belly a little more. I curl up at the bottom of the tank and watch her a little, before dozing off.

A while later, I wake with a start. It’s clearly very late and everything is quiet. What woke me up? My eyes fall on the girl in the other tank. She’s squashed herself into a corner and is curled into a very tight ball. Her whole body is shaking. I become worried that she might be having a minor seizure or something. I hurry to the surface and leap as high as I can. I actually manage to clear the glass and splash down into the other tank. As soon as I hit the water, I discover the source of the problem. The water is freezing, far colder than the water in my own tank. That bastard must have turned the heat settings way down.

If it’s so cold, why didn’t she just come into mine? I stare at her shivering form. She must still be afraid of me. She probably didn’t want to upset me by invading my space. That and she may think she’ll get into trouble with the scientists for coming into my tank. She probably will. I'm probably going to, but I'll take my chances. I dive and lie down beside her. She wakes up, clearly startled and tries to swim off. I pull her back down and curl around her, wrapping my arms around her thin waist to try and share my body heat with her. Her shivering lessens a little, but she still tries to pull away. I hug her, but let her go. She rolls over to face me and I smile at her, before opening my arms again. If we are going to share a tank, she should know that I want to be her friend. She hesitates, but lies back down. She cuddles closer to me and quickly falls back asleep. I stroke her silky hair. It doesn’t take long for me to start thinking of her as a little sister. She doesn’t deserve to be here. No matter what it takes; I'll see her to freedom even if it costs me mine, permanently.