Identikit

by Prudence Walker

Chapter Seven

 

Koos looked surprised too. "You did something very unusual, most TK abilities manifest themselves, slowly, and usually can only affect objects separate from the operator. What you did was the equivalent of lifting yourself by your own bootstraps."

I said, looking at my open toed sling-backs. " I think I don't need to use boot straps either," I giggled. "I guess it's just as well I didn't know that, otherwise I wouldn't have thought I could do it," I added, with a grin. "There's no doubt in my mind that I can handle the egg tomorrow, just make sure your people are ready to take it… wherever."

Koos left after we finished lunch, to alert his people for the preparations. I went outside to begin relaxing with some Tai chi exercises, Misty followed, along with Christine. They watched, and then clumsily at first, they began to copy my movements. I stopped and moved behind them in turn, correcting and showing them some of the basic movements. I then started again, but did each movement at a snails pace, so they could follow in turn. I slowly sped my movements up and watched them following. We worked for an hour, until I felt they had, had enough, and then I moved into a cooling exercise so they wouldn't stiffen up.

I'd stripped off to a bra and panties, walked to the edge of the jetty, and plunged into the water in a graceful dive. The martial exercises had allowed me to become one with my body, no more compensating for the changes in balance and the lower centre of gravity. As I surfaced, I saw the girl's had stripped off their outer clothes too. I lifted Misty into the air and carried her squealing over the water till she was next to me. Holding her clear of the water I split my focus and attempted to bring Christine to me as well. I knew if I dropped Misty, all she get, was wet. Christine yelled it wasn't fair as she lifted off and was brought, hovering next to Misty. Amid the yells to let them down, I did, to the accompaniment of more loud protests as they found themselves swimming. I did a fast retreat, swimming away, while they attempted to chase me. I figured that things would be better all round, if they caught me so they could exact their revenge. We stayed in the water, mock battling, as they stripped off my underwear so I ended up naked. I wasn't the only one; the lake gratefully accepted our donations and dutifully hid them in its depths.

I started to walk out of the water to get inside, when a van drove up. It was Warren and Alan; they had decided to both bring out the king-sized bed out that I'd ordered from town. I'd forgotten that I'd told Warren about whether he could delivery it that day. Knowing Alan was a friend, he'd asked him along to help. There I was, waist deep in water without a stitch on, my breasts were bared, and my nipples were puckered from the slight breeze. I thought, 'what the hell,' and continued walking towards them as they looked on in astonishment. The girl's, seeing me walking nonchalantly with no attempt at covering up, decided to follow suit.

Warrens face was red and I felt smug in knowing the bulge in his trousers was my doing. Alan looked then tried manfully not to look at our bodies as we trooped up. I gave Warren a hug and a kiss, which probably made him come. I did notice a certain awkwardness in his movements as he excused himself to the bathroom. Alan looked at me accusingly, as if I'd done it on purpose, (which I had of course).

I noticed that Misty lingered with Alan, as she did her best to use him as a towel, rubbing her body all over his. The lip lock the pair had, would rival a superglue bond, as their arms entwined together. I coughed loudly as I entered the house to remind them to take a breath. Christine beamed, as she passed them, and patted Alan's butt with encouragement. I grinned, as I saw him jump. Alan jumped, breaking the kiss, to look at Christine's retreating back in surprise. Christine winked to me in a scheming manner, while continuing to walk towards me.

I turned and went inside, heading for the bathroom to get some towels. I grabbed two more, handing one to Christine so she could go directly into her bedroom to get dressed. I walked out to Misty, having wrapped myself in a towel and handed her one as she came inside.

"Look's like you got some sun Misty, you're all red." I said, grinning at her blushing body.

Misty mumbled something about getting me back, which made me laugh with a touch of anticipation. She parted reluctantly, from Alan, as she wrapped the towel around her and followed me into our bedroom. I heard the toilet flush and heard Warren talking to Alan as we dressed quickly. They had gone outside, by the time we were decent and were starting to bring in the bed. I left them too it, and asked Misty to start stripping our bed, ready for removal, while I started to make dinner.

By the time I had finished the preparations, and dinner was in the oven, the men had finished. I came in to look, and saw Misty and Christine had just made it up with the new blankets and sheets I'd remembered to tell Alan to get for us. I jumped onto the bed, checking its comfort amidst yells from the girl's that they'd just got it wrinkle free. I laughed and was suddenly inundated with two more sexy bodies, as they piled onto the bed, not wanting to be left out. The two men, lingering in the doorway, said nothing, showing that they had some sense to leave us to it. Either that, or they weren't game enough to get into the tickle fest that quickly developed.

I surrendered, claiming I had to check the dinner, as I tried to get my breath back from laughing so much. I escaped back into the kitchen, threatening not to serve them if they followed. I gradually recovered, and a few minutes later, Warren poked his head in, asking if I wanted a glass of wine.

"Thanks I will." I answered him with a smile.

I could hear the girl's talking in the lounge with Alan. Warren was back soon with two glasses of claret. Handing me one, he started to leave.

"Hey please stay, that only applied to the girl's. I'd like some company here, that is, if you want too," I rapidly explained.

"Thank you. Well, whatever you're cooking, it sure smells great," he replied, as he sat on a stool by the bench.

"Well, they say, the way to a man's heart is though his stomach," I flipped back to him, unthinkingly repeating that worn out clique.

I blushed, as I realised how that sounded. I looked at him from the corner of my eye as I bent to check on the beef casserole in the oven… he had picked up on the comment, and was looking at me with an expression of surprise, and I could see hope lurking in his puppy dog eyes. Sheesh, I hadn't the heart to tell him I'd meant the comment with Misty and Alan in mind. Warren was very nice and I certainly had feelings for him, feelings I still had to evaluate. I didn't want to rush things, especially with the current situation. I didn't want to get involved in romantic liaisons until things were settled with the egg demonstration, no point in risking any more people.

I rose up and smiled at Warren, I didn't want to burn any bridges, so I thought a little encouragement wouldn't go amiss, as long as it was at my pace. He moved closer, handing me an oven mitt, still looking uncertain of his welcome. I took it and pecked his cheek with a quick kiss, before giving the casserole a stir.

He handed me my wine glass, from where I'd placed it on the bench, and our hands touched. I took the glass with my other hand, leaving our hands linked. I pulled him over to the stool and sat him down, and then gave in to an impulse and kissed him on the mouth. I tasted the tang of wine and felt my insides melt as he responded with alacrity. A tiny part of the old me screamed, and then fell silent, as my body responded to his touch. So much for my resolve to keep things slow, but my body wanted more, and it was hard to stop my impulse to attack him sexually, right there in the kitchen.

I'm sure he examined my tonsils with his tongue, as I moaned in my throat. The rush of feelings in my body, threatened to overwhelm me. I wondered if it was my body trying to make up for the lack of men since my change. My mind opened to his, increasing the bond between us, as I felt the experience from his point of view. Just then, Christine barged in, then paused as she saw the tableau, her question of when was dinner ready, dying unspoken. She turned and bounced out, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as we broke apart both blushing a little at being caught out.

I was going to wipe the smudged lipstick off Warren's face, but then changed my mind. Let Misty see she wasn't the only one to get a man, even if I wasn't sure how far I was going with Warren. At least I was trying to enter the playing field, even though I was a novice and was still learning the rules. I got Warren to mash the potatoes, while I took the plates out of the warming drawer in readiness for serving up. I called Christine to set out the cutlery as I took out the casserole dish. As she started to leave the kitchen, after taking the cutlery out of the drawer, she whispered that my lipstick was smudged. I winked at her and nodded, and watched her grin get wider and her eyes twinkled as she realised I'd left it smudged deliberately.

I nearly dropped the plates of food I was carrying, as I saw Misty's eyes widen in shock at seeing my face. I could hardly retain my mirth, when I saw her look at Warren and the lipstick left on his face. Choking back a truly girlish giggle, I walked nonchalantly to the table as Warren followed with more plates. Christine had brought the last plate, and was watching everyone, while grinning like a loon. Alan saw the lipstick and raised an eyebrow in question, as he caught Warren's eye. Poor Warren, he was the last to realise he'd been rumbled as he realised belatedly what everyone was looking at. He blushed a deep crimson, as he hastily wiped his lips with a napkin.

Christine piped up with the comment, that Warren had been taste-testing the dish in the kitchen.

We both blushed, as the innuendo was very plain that I was the dish in question. Alan smiled and replied that he wouldn't have minded doing some tasting as well. Misty jabbed him in the ribs, giggling that she was the only one, he was allowed to taste. Alan complained mightily how unfair that was, as his eyes lingered on me, before laughing at Misty's pouting expression.

I was complimented on the meal, which made me feel good. Alan mentioned that he hoped Misty was taking lessons from me, while she could, as he liked home cooked meals. I winked at her and got a tongue stuck out in response. I stuck my own tongue out in reply and watched grinning, as she cracked up laughing. It was a pleasant evening, with several bottles of wine disappearing mysteriously. It was good to relax with friends, as I knew tomorrow would bring more stress.

That night, after the men had left, we decided to bathe together and squeezed into a hot bath scented with jasmine bath salts. We lingered there, letting the heat sink into our weary bodies, before heading off to bed… yes you guessed it, the new king-size bed. Needless to say, sleep took some time in arriving, not that anyone was complaining.

Morning saw us up early. We ate a quick breakfast and waited for the arrival of Koos. About the time we wondering where she was, I noticed an oval shaped shimmer in the air at the front of the house. I was just going to call attention to it, when Koos suddenly stepped into view out of the near invisible shimmer.

"Wow! An invisible spacecraft," I murmured in awe.

"Hello, sorry I'm late, rush hour traffic is hell these day's." Koos laughed, humorously.

"So what's with the invisible…?" I waved a hand in the general direction of the shimmer. "Is that really necessary?"

"Actually, its just a protective shield against radar," Koos replied, smiling. She turned and motioned a cutting action with her hand, and suddenly the shimmer took on a grey tone that solidified quickly into the classic UFO shape, one would expect. I could see the ramp extended out, that Koos had used to exit the craft. Overall, it must have been 35 feet in diameter and took up all the front lawn. Three legs supported it, and I saw a pinkish glow coming from the open hatch. On the grey surface, were numerous round bulges. Whether they were for weapons or some sort of sensors, I couldn't tell and I doubted Koos would enlighten me if I asked.

The girls were standing by the door watching, probably shocked by the sight of a real live space craft just mere yards away. I peeked to check and felt their fear of the unknown waging war with curiosity, as they debated moving closer for a better look.

"We scanned the area, and we can stay for about ten minutes before we must move again," Koos offered. " Can you move the egg in that time?"

"Yes, no problem." I assured her, turning to go back indoors.

I went down to the lower level while Koos did some trick with the hatches, which allowed both to be open at the same time. I focused my will on the egg and saw it rise smoothly and float over to the hatch. I sent it directly up the shaft, as I followed a few feet behind it. In three minutes, it was outside and drifting over the spaceship. I looked at Koos and got the nod to proceed up the ramp, the egg just a few feet in front of me. I felt no stress or problems moving the egg, I just kept my eye on its progress and directed its movements as I walked. Koos slipped into the ship ahead of the egg and directed me to a room that was lined with all manner of unrecognisable equipment. I placed the egg in a blue raised section of the floor and released my mental grip in relief. Koos turned to a console near the wall and punched some lit segments on it. Immediately, the egg was cocooned in a string of lambent glowing cords. At my gasp, Koos smiled and explained it was just stasis field that would prevent and movement in its journey to the prime home world.

Koos forestalled my question about whether we could have a tour of the ship, by saying time was of the essence and the ship had to leave. I followed him out, trying to take in as much as I could while I walked along. Not that there was much to see in the corridor, just the indirect lighting and a few knobs and buttons near the airlock. Disappointed, but happy to be heading back to the familiar surroundings of our front lawn, I stepped out into the morning sunlight. Koos stopped at the entrance, signalled to the as yet unseen crew, and then stepped back to watch, as the airlock closed and the ship silently shimmered and quickly disappeared from sight.

I turned to Koos and asked her what was she going to do about the demonstration set-up.

"Will the girls need to be involved?" I asked worriedly. "I mean I can assume another form, but they could be in deep trouble if they were recognised later," I explained.

"I think I can help there," Koos smiled. "I may not have the identikit, but I do have access to some very high tech equipment, that would fool anyone, including the Kernog's."

"Oh! then why all the bother with the identikit then?" I asked, feeling rather puzzled.

"Well, I can alter a persons outer form, but I cannot give them the gifts you transferred to yourself. If you hadn't found those options in the computer, or decided not to avail yourselves of them, then the computer would have found some new owners."

"I don't understand," I replied, feeling like I was missing something.

"It was decided that a certain type of individual with a special talent, was needed to uncover the enigma engine. One of my associates in New York had decided, you filled the bill, so we set up a chain of events that would lead you here. Although the labs destruction wasn't in the plans, that was unfortunate. We did have a plan to have you flee New York, with a subtle nudge from your chief, to draw the rogue MIB into following." Koos paused at my look of anger.

"You mean this was just an elaborate plan to get your hands on the engine?" I ground out, barely holding my temper.

"It had started out that way," Koos admitted with an apologetic shrug. "Remember, the earth was, and still is in danger from the Kernog's. They may decide to invade and search openly for the engine, instead of doing it covertly. The deaths of your Chief and Brian were not our doing, they were done by one of your own people."

"I guess I only have your word on that, and that having the engine won't make things worse for us," I conceded, reluctantly. "What was that about finding new owners? That didn't sound like it would have been healthy for us." I persisted.

"Oh no! You wouldn't have been harmed," exclaimed Koos, looking shocked. "I meant that had you not become enabled with all the options, you wouldn't be any use to us, and the identikit would have been removed and given to our second choice…a sergeant Collins if I recall."

"Sergeant Collins?" I repeated, "Now there's a thought that boggles the mind," I laughed at the mental image of John Collins, the fattest lump of lard on the force, looking like a female like myself. "He couldn't find his own feet if he tried, let alone anything that wasn't above waist level."

"Well, he was our second choice, maybe a change in gender would have been an incentive," Koos argued.

Just why was I changed into a female in the first place? Why not a healthy male body?" I asked.

"That was my idea, I thought being female would keep you off balance and allow a certain amount of distraction, while we led you where we wanted." Koos admitted, ruefully.

"Off balance… now there's an understatement, if ever I heard one," I agreed, with a wry grin.

"So…what are you planning?" I persisted, getting back to the matter of the demo.

"We thought that we could have you three in male guise, turn up in Nevada and seek out some publicity for your new invention. If you call it the Kernog space drive, it will draw everyone of them to it."

"Isn't that a bit obvious?" I asked dubiously.

"You could say you named it after the inventor…you. How about calling yourself Patrick Kernog?" Koos offered with a smile.

"I'm not becoming a man again, no way!" protested Christine vehemently. "I don't mind becoming a different looking person, just so long as she's female."

"I'll try it," Misty said. "I could be fun to see how the other half lives."

"Thanks Misty. Christine? It's okay, I understand. Maybe you could be our assistant?" I offered quickly.

Plans were made and discarded, as one flaw or another, was discussed and worked out. Koos didn't want the spacecraft used just as a transport, unless absolutely necessary. "To limit the rare chance of its discovery by the Kernog's." was her explanation.

She produced two small devices, which she said, would produce similar changes in the girl's, which would duplicate my own ability without the presence of the detectable Nanites. They were in the form of necklaces with a crystal similar to amethyst, attached to it. She gave the girls one each, and instructed them on their use. Apparently, they could be removed between changes without problems, but warned, that if lost, the original body form stored within the matrix of the crystal would be lost as well.

Two phone calls, informed both Warren and Allan of our plans to go away for a while. They both wanted to know where we were going and for how long, but we told Allan it was important to keep our destination quiet, as something important had come up. He must have thought it was something to do with the hidden basement and we didn't disabuse him of his partially correct assumption. We didn't tell Warren much, just that we had to go away for a time on urgent business. He seemed resigned to the news, as if it was just too good to be true, that what had happened between us would last very long. I made a promise to myself, that if I survived this, then I'd make it up to him.

Koos had set up some preparatory work at the demo site with help from her fellow crew. We assumed that they had used some of the same stealth technology as used by their spacecraft, to conceal the equipment until it was needed. More documents were produced to substantiate our new identities for both the "so called" inventors and our travelling identities. I laughed quietly as I saw the proposed diversionary forms, the girl's would be taking on our trip down to the state of Nevada.

Finally, everything was ready. Alan drove us to the airport in Syracuse, groaning in mock pain as he struggled with our suitcases. In them, were our changes of apparel for all our new body shapes that we had yet to assume. There was a cunning gadget in the cases that would conceal the seeming disparaging clothing in case of inspection by the authorities.

Misty kissed Alan goodbye, before getting the hurry up from us. We needed time to change, before we had to board the flight. Entering the toilets, we each in turn went though our change, while the others kept a look out and handed the appropriate clothing through the semi-closed door. I repressed a giggle, as first Christine, and then Misty reappeared as 8-year-old girls. They were now identical twins, and couldn't be told apart except from their clothing. Long blonde hair, both in pigtails, fell to mid back and their cute faces would melt a stone statue. They smiled at me as I took my turn to change, emerging as an older woman, who bore a marked resemblance to the young girls. My hair was now as blonde as theirs and almost as long, but without the pigtails.

"Come on mommy," they called impatiently, with their high childish voices. "We don't want to miss the plane."

"Jenny and Julia Manchester, you'd better behave yourselves on this flight," I chided them gently, using their new names.

I was now for all appearances, their mom, Diane Manchester. We hurried out to check ourselves in, I felt strange, walking with my more matronly form and saggy breasts. Gone where my nice perfectly fitting clothes, now my dress although neat, was just a bit drab and out of fashion. After the luggage was handed over, I held the girls hands and walked out to the boarding concourse. A short time later, we were in the air heading south. Time for a sigh of relief as the first stage was over.

The girls fidgeted on the flight, the stewardess fussed over them and gave them colouring books. The expressions on their faces nearly cracked me up, as they tried to behave like the children they looked like. As the flight neared its destination at Elko Nevada, I hoped Koos had set-up the other part of our plan.

Disembarking from the plane, we felt the heat from the desert roll over us in the late afternoon sun. Luckily, we hadn't worn any heavy clothing as we had anticipated the desert's heat. After collecting our luggage, we were greeted by a dark coloured limo with tinted windows. I was somewhat surprised to see Koos sitting in the back, but guessed he'd (Koos was back in male mode) taken alternative means of travel. We kept one of the cases with our next change of clothes with us as we got inside the limo. Once on our way I stripped out of my clothes and transformed into the likeness of Fred from a photo Koos had taken of him. As before, I felt odd being male again and the clothes felt blah, after wearing satins and silks.

Misty changed next, and was intrigued with her new appendages. We had to stop her from doing more than a cursory inspection, as we struggled to get dressed in the moving car. Christine's change was anticlimactic in comparison, as she grew slightly in the chest area and her hair turned blonde. She complained in a sultry voice, that she looked like a typical blonde bimbo, but we said it was the perfect camouflage. She would look like a typical macho jerk's of a boss's idea of a secretary. All body and no brain, just eye candy for the randy. She snorted and turned her cute little nose up at me, (her boss) and she sniffed and said, I'd better not get any ideas.

Her deadpan expression as she said it, cracked Terry, (Misty's new identity) up. I followed and the twinkle in Becky's (Christine's new identity) eyes grew until she started giggling herself.

Soon, we arrived at a small place called the Comfort Inn, where we climbed out and unloaded the cases. Our booking had been prepaid and after getting the key, we adjourned to our rooms. Becky had her own and 'we men' had our own with twin beds. Knowing the place had a pool, I stripped and pulled on a pair of Speedo's, and Terry wasn't that far behind. Although there was a slight delay as she/he looked over her new body.

"Boy! How do you walk with this thing in between your legs?" Terry moaned.

"VERY CAREFULLY." I warned, with a knowing grin.

Becky joined us, after I knocked on her door and mentioned the pool. The three of us spent a pleasant few hours cooling off before we decided to eat out at the local restaurant. Terry wasn't impressed with the choice of clothing and said he missed her old clothes. I agreed, saying I never realised how nice women's clothes felt before my change. We had a light dinner; I think nervousness of the next few days' planned events, had taken the edge off our appetites.

Becky looked a little bit jealous when Terry and I went into our room together when we returned to the inn, but I told her it wasn't like we were going to be sleeping together. Being men meant sleeping alone. Society's tolerance for two women being able to sleep together, without eyebrows being raised, two men doing the same meant trouble, you were instantly labelled as homosexual or perverts, even if it was just for comfort.

I didn't have any problems with the thought of sleeping with Terry as a guy and myself as one too, as long as it was, just sleeping. I knew Terry was really Misty and so, my emerging femininity was attracted to her male form. However, I didn't want to have sex as a man especially with another man. I didn't want my first sexual act as the penetrated to be sullied by having homosexual sex with a man, even if that man was Misty.

Terry was openly fingering her new addition, until I told her to leave it alone. It was distracting, to say the least. He pouted, which didn't quite come off as intended, I think that can only really be done justice, by a woman. I turned in, wanting to get a good night of sleep, but I remembered my dreams being filled with intimate images of Terry. Some time in the night, the call of nature lured me from my slumber. I noted sleepily that I'd reverted back to my default female body, but was to sleep ridden to think of the implications of that.

I woke to the feeling of some ones tongue in my mouth and the sensation of my breasts being gently caressed. Opening my eyes, I saw Terry's face looming over mine. He was making my body aroused. So much so, I just lay there allowing him to continue as my body became awash with feeling. I'd slept only in silk boxers and his hand had found its way past them and was gently rubbing my crotch. As he started to snuggle closer, I could feel the heat of his erection pressing on my body. I moaned my protest against his mouth and tried to push him away, as I realised his intentions.

"Please…just this once," he pleaded as he released my mouth to speak. "I need to find out what it's like for a man."

I thought rapidly for a moment, considering Terry's request. I nodded consent, as I felt it appropriate that we both find out together, what sex was like from the other perspective. I knew that there could be no one more suited to initiate me into the joys of womanhood, than one who had been a woman. Terry didn't need to be told twice and was soon hard at it, (pun intended). It felt strange at first, as he breeched my virgin sanctum, but as the tempo increased, I gave in to the overwhelming sensations flooding my body, and just let my mind drift away. Terry played my body like a violin; I felt all the high notes, my body twanging, as my orgasm's hit me in wave after wave. We both collapsed together after our joint release. Later, I felt boneless, like a pile of jelly in human form. So relaxed I was that I hardly noticed the time passing.

Someone knocking on the door and calling for us had me scrambling for the shower amid a tangle of sheets that threatened to trip me. Terry stood, and pulled on some pants and opened the door while still bare-chested. Becky saw my still female naked butt disappearing into the shower, as she stepped inside.

"My god… Becky exclaimed, as she inhaled the telltale smell of our sexual secretions from the aftermath of our joint journey of discovery. Then as she realised what that smell was, she gasped. "Wait a minute, you both had sex? With each other…like that…" she giggled and sat down, a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face. "Jan, so how was it? Misty? Was sex as a man, anything like you expected?" she asked.

"It was an experience, like no other for me," I yelled to her from out of the bathroom, "and yes I loved it." I added, as I soaped my self.

"It's definitely harder than it looks." Offered Terry, grinning at the unintentional pun. "I had to do all the work, while she just lay there, taking it easy."

"Hey!" I interrupted indignantly. "Stop complaining, you were the one who begged me to do it."

"Stop avoiding the question," Becky retorted with grin.

"Well…it's very intense, and it's centred on just one place, but on the whole I prefer sex as a woman."

"Me too," I agreed, as I walked out of the shower, back in my Fred shape. "Let's get breakfast before Koos gets here." I said, shooing Becky out as I went to dress.

Koos' arrival coincided with our finishing breakfast and we were promptly whisked away to the west of the town. The limo's suspension managed to take the worst out the rutted road as we headed out into the desert, until we were just south of the Adobe ranges. The limo slowed down, amid the seemingly barren surroundings.

" Where's the test site?" I asked, as I looked around for signs of any construction.

"All taken care of," grinned Koos. Getting out of the now stationary car, Koos waved an arm above his head in a circling motion. Instantly, with a shimmer, a building came into view along with signs of a test bed similar to those use to trial rocket engines.

"We used a cloaking device similar to the type we use on our ships to stop unwanted aerial surveillance or the odd passer-by." Koos explained. "It will also prevent unwanted attention from the Kernog's until we want them to know about it."

I nodded agreement at that, got out of the car, and walked over to the site. I could see what looked like the egg, nestled between two cylindrical sections of complicated looking machinery. One section looked like the business end, with a fancy array of gleaming protrusions. I walked around it in amazement. It seemed so realistic, as I slid my hand over the shiny metalwork.

"We need you to get hold of the media to start the ball rolling. We have everything almost set up here." Koos stated, as I came back to the car.

"We have made duplicates of this detector," he continued returning the compact I'd given him earlier, as per our plan. Then he handed me three wristwatches, one in a feminine style, saying they were for the three of us.

"These will give a buzzing sound if they detect any Kernog's near you. Pressing on the button will give you the direction and distance on the digital display," He explained carefully. "We don't expect any threat on your safety, they will more likely be interested in your movements once they're alerted by the press, so this will be the last time you can safely visited here till the day of the test, is that clear?"

"As crystal," I replied, handing the others their watches. "What about contacting you?" I asked.

"The watch has a smaller button that will alert us and whoever is nearest to you, remember, we have people all over the town in various disguises. You are not alone, okay?"

We started calling several media sources and scientific agencies when we got back into town. We didn't expect any immediate reaction to our news that we had discovered a new type of energy source to power a space drive, but one said they would send someone out immediately. We told the people from Scientific America where we were staying and how to contact us. We took out page space from the New York Times to put in an article about the test and made sure it contained the key words we agreed would trigger the interest of the Kernog's.

We passed some time relaxing in the pool, knowing things had started in earnest now and the safety of the earth depended on our success. I hoped we were up to the challenge. That evening seemed to pass quickly and we were in bed early, as we wanted to be well rested for whatever developed in the morning.

The call came just after breakfast; a journalist was arriving from NY on the 9.30 flight. We decided to meet him at the airport and we quickly made a placard with an M Finson on it so he could locate us straightaway. But when were arrived for the flight, he turned out to be a she, as the petite russet haired woman introduced herself to us.

"Hi, I'm Maggie Finson. You must be the scientist's behind this new breakthrough of yours," she said with a smile that had them awestruck.

I looked at Becky to see her wide eyed as she drank in the beauty of this woman. Looking at Maggie with my nearly forgotten male viewpoint, I could see she was the epitome of femininity. Maggie's dulcet voice was tinged with a slight brogue, indicating her Irish ancestry, although her russet shoulder length hair was a dead giveaway contrasting with her creamy skin.

"Yes, that is correct. I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting a woman, especially a lovely lass from the old country," I explained.

Maggie laughed, "They say you can take the Irish out of Ireland, but you can't take Ireland out of the Irish. And yes, I get that a lot, 'what's a woman doing reporting for a scientific magazine.'"

I could see Becky was smitten with Maggie and judging by the way Maggie was looking at Becky, I could see a measure of interest being returned.

We gathered her luggage and drove her to the comfort inn where we had organised a room for her. She was grateful for the room, and promised to meet us after she had a chance to clean up after her flight. We decided to meet for lunch in a couple of hours and left her to it, while we went into our room for a meeting.

"Wow!" exclaimed Becky, "I want her so bad." She moaned, as she slumped down into the couch.

"Ha ha, whose hormones are raging now?" I laughed, as I tousled Becky's hair playfully.

Becky just poked her tongue out at me in answer, knowing she couldn't deny it.

"Exercising already?" I quipped. "Better save that tongue for Maggie, I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Judging by the look I got, I knew Becky wanted to retort, but she held her tongue (pun unintended), and snorted instead. Terry was listening, barely containing her merriment, then started giggling in a very un-masculine manner that set all of us off.

Lunch with Maggie was an eye opener in more ways than one. She was more than just a pretty face; she was a very bright woman, with a good grasp of science and technology. Maggie asked some pretty probing questions about the device and it's specifications. We were hard pressed to avoid coming off like idiots. Luckily, our scripted explanations passed scrutiny. We gave her the prepared photos of the unit that Koos had supplied us with, saying that the site was being kept secret till the day of the test firing. We explained that the test would be remotely filmed using TV cameras, as there was still a small risk of containment failure.

By evening, Maggie's report and faxed pictures were in the papers and we got ready to become the target of alien interests. Terry and I returned to our room to hash out any final details, while Becky stayed to chat with Maggie. I hoped she made the most of the opportunity while she could, as I figured Maggie would have other commitments after this job. Before I went to bed, I checked the surrounding area with the detector, relieved that I could rest easy at its negative response.

The sound of buzzing woke me in the morning, and I fumbled sleepily, cursing whoever it was that had set an alarm. As I groped futilely for a clock that wasn't there, I realised it was my watch that was buzzing. It took several seconds before I realised why. Damn, it was alerting me to the presence of Kernog's in the area. I shook Terry as I leapt out of bed, my heart pounding as a rush of adrenaline made my heart race. I quickly explained to him as I hurriedly dressed and went outside. The display showed me that two aliens were in the inn only 30 feet away. From the direction, I worked out that they were in a room several doors down. I cursed under my breath, just our luck to have the enemy staying at the same place as ourselves.

I knocked on Becky's door to apprise her of the situation, but heard nothing. Worried, I opened my mind to link with hers to see where she was. Boy did I get a surprise. I cut the link and went back to Terry, who by now, had dressed and was waiting on my return.

"Where's Becky? I thought she'd be with you," he asked, nervously.

"Umm, she's otherwise occupied in Maggie's room down the hall." I coughed somewhat red-faced.

"Doing what?" Terry asked, not catching on at first. "You don't mean…" he spluttered.

I nodded, as I pressed the communicator knob on the watch. "They must have hit it off right at the start," I said, as I waited for a response on the watch.

"Mother goose, mother goose, the foxes are in the henhouse." I spoke the code phrase as the receive indicator lit up. I knew I wouldn't get a reply as it wasn't two way, but at least they were alerted. Terry was dressed and waiting when I went and quietly knocked on Maggie's door. I knew they were up and decent from a quick peek so I waited, as I heard movement inside. Maggie opened the door and blushed as she saw both of us standing there. Terry had followed me from our room and was burning up with curiosity.

"Come in please," she said, opening the door wider. "This isn't what it looks like," she added as we spotted Becky sitting on the sofa.

"No need to apologise or explain," I said, peeking in her head. "We know exactly how things can appear different from the actual reality." I added, smiling at the thoughts that were flashing through her mind. "I'm happy for you to have found your soul mate and happy for Becky too. She thinks the same as you… that you're her ideal mate." I said, smiling at her gasp of astonishment.

"What! How? But…I've only just…" she spluttered.

"Thought of it?" I prompted, beginning to enjoy this. I wasn't going to let them pussyfoot around the issue, knowing what was in both of their minds. Maggie had had lesbian liaisons before, and was resigned to the occasional fling as she travelled around in her job. I had 'read' her intent to quit and knew that this was here last assignment before she put in her notice.

"Things aren't as they seem, and yes I read your mind. Admit it, you saw something in Becky the moment you arrived." I affirmed.

"Jaan! Oop's I mean Fred, that's not fair," blurted out Becky, as she blushed crimson.

"What's going on here? Why did she call you Jan? A mind reader? I think I need a drink," murmured Maggie as she slumped down into the sofa.

Becky, I think its time for the truth; we can't leave Maggie out of this. It's too important. Besides if I hadn't revealed each other's thoughts, you may have wasted valuable time, sorry I had to cut to the chase, but you both are ideal for each other…trust me."

An hour later, things were very different. We had revealed everything to Maggie. She was sceptical at first till I changed into myself. It struck me then, that I had truly accepted being Jan. 'Myself' as I had mentally referred to, was Jan not Ian. She was amazed when it was revealed who Terry was and the whole situation with the alien threat. Armed with a few stiff drinks, we told her of our plans.

======

Two days later, we had five TV cameras aimed at the test sight with remote feeds linking to the different networks that were covering the demonstration. The actual press and bystanders that were there to get a good view were pressed against the chain link fence that Koos and her people had placed around the site at a safe distance. Maggie had been marvellous, setting up the press and pulling enough strings to get it shown live.

Our limo with Maggie onboard entered the high security perimeter fence and drove the five miles to the site. We had ensured that one camera would survive the explosion by setting it up by the fence. Koos reassured me the radius of the explosion was far short of the fence and would ensure the survival of the people on the other side of it.

The count down started as we took our positions. Maggie started interviewing us live as we explained again about our discovery. We never actually indicated that we had built it, just that we had discovered it one day. We thought the Kernog's would pick up on that and realise it was what they were looking for. Our sensors indicated enough Kernog's were situated around the fence. As the countdown continued to single figures, I noticed several Kernog's had breached the fence. They were heading straight towards us as the engine fired up.

We were surrounded in a glowing light as the fake egg lit up. The small force field Koos had surrounded us with protected us until it was impossible to see our forms from afar. Seconds before the engines pyrotechnic display turned destructive, the ground fell away from us as we dropped into the opening of the buried spacecraft. We heard the hatch close with a hiss, and we dusted ourselves off from the small amount of dust our drop had covered us with.

I heard the ship boom, as the detonation occurred. The shields surrounding the ship held, just as Koos had promised. I felt movement and realised we were airborne. Koos explained that we would remain cloaked and shielded as we rose up within the fireball of the explosion. An hour later, we were home and watching it all on TV. There was no doubt in my mind that we were dead, as portrayed by the camera pictures. The fireball was impressive and took out all the inner cameras with a flash, as the fire rolled toward them. Only the single camera by the fence caught the last view as everything was consumed.

Koos came later that evening and informed us that according to their instruments several vessels had left the earth and headed out of the system several hours later. We hugged each other. (We had resumed our proper forms.) Maggie was soon in a pensive mood though as the celebrations died down. We asked what was wrong and were relieved when she said she had no identity now that she was officially dead. She had no job, or anywhere to live. I responded with a hug and explained that she and Christine could live in the other house. Christine could set up her new identity and any money in her accounts could be withdrawn electronically.

I guessed Misty was champing at the bit to see Alan and told her to ring him. She was picking up the phone before I finished speaking. I too was ready to meet with Warren. I missed his friendly face and the way he made me feel. I was ready now to go that extra step and knew it was going to be an interesting experience. I picked up the mobile phone and punched out Warren's number. As I waited for him to answer, I knew that things would work out, the girl's had their life mates, and I had Warren. Time would tell, but I was looking forward to my new life as a woman, to be the one that gives birth to new life in the form of children. It was going to be an interesting change.

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