Mare's Tales                   by: Beverly Taff

 

Chapter 15

 

Our main avenue of attack now lay down the genetic engineering road. It was to prove a long and difficult one with thousands of blind alleys and disappointments.

Jacky the biochemist directed our researches and we simply followed her instructions. We plodded laboriously up and down the genomes as we patiently identified likely looking genes and then located them on the various chromosomes of either man, mouse or horse. The most important creature in the early stages was the mouse. It was the fastest breeder for producing genetically accurate usable lab material. Each series of experiments required the modification of ovum, sperm or both to confirm any findings or theories by reproducing a correctly mutated animal.

Running parallel to these experiments, of course, were experiments with horses. Eventually we had several genetically mutated animals running around the paddocks. One mare even reproduced human milk, which its foal could thrive on because it was omnivorous and could handle a human diet.

After many hours and long weary nights that ran into years, we five girls were finally ready for the great step. We had horses that were genetically suitable for grafting onto humans. It was to be the most exciting and also the most frightening step; the creation of a centaur. That mythical creature of Greek legend was now biologically possible. Fantastic though it was, our team had every reasonable expectation of it succeeding.

We had the micro surgical skills for the neuro-surgery. We had genetically designed horses, which had been bred, to be individually suitable for both Jenny and Vee and we had two very nervous but excited recipients in Jenny and Vee.

There were long discussions deep into the nights as we thrashed and laboured through every possible complication we could think of. Our correspondence with other researchers amounted to a virtual library of files and books, which we laboured over day and night in our searches for flaws. Jenny's computer discs ran into thousands and all loaded with vital knowledge, the sum of our researches.

The day had come when we were to finally step over the threshold into new scientific and legal territory. We made videos of Vee's and Jenny declarations to accompany their affidavits agreeing to the experiments upon their bodies.

Veronica, being the legal expert, agreed to 'go first'. She explained her wishes eloquently and persuasively in the video. We all felt it was the best legal protection we had. Additionally, there was a lot less surgery to do on her legs and thighs. These were to comprise the bulk of her centaur-like forelegs and they already had easily identifiable nerve-endings at the stumps.

Veronica had chosen for her 'partner' a pretty little palomino pony about ten hands high. Her golden mane and tail was in fact a genetic extract of Veronica’s soft long blond hair and her coat was a pale downy velvety texture that gave a soft golden hue to the body. It was really too fine to give any body warmth or protection to the skin which was another genetic extract from Veronica’s genome.

The golden coat felt soft and feminine to the touch so that the horse felt almost human when it nuzzled up to you. If you closed your eyes you could almost be mistaken for thinking you were stroking Veronica. The horse's name was Juno and it was exactly what Veronica had wished for. She couldn't resist caressing Juno with her stumps as she cared for her and contemplated a future life shared.

After much soul-searching we finally agreed to invite Dr James over from Miss Lanes academy. We swore her to secrecy as we introduced her to our plans.

She was so shocked and then excited by our work, that she couldn't wait to join the operating team. She asked hundreds of questions about the plan and raised some very valid points that we were forced to address. One or all, we answered her questions immediately and satisfactorily.

"After all Dr James, if any person requires a legal sex change, they are required to live as the opposite sex for at least a year. We have been involved in this for a few years now and we have knowingly and actively contributed to the whole exercise far more than any sex-change patients and their surgeons. No judge anywhere could accuse us of not having knowingly and willingly agreed to the operation, nor could that same judge say that we will not benefit from the same operation.

If it’s successful, we will be mobile and free to go where we want, when we want." Argued Veronica.

"That's as may be," countered Dr James, "but think of the riots you will cause when you are seen in public."

"No more than any other circus freak." I added. "The Siamese twins that I visited in America all agreed that, once the local people got used to their peculiarities, they accepted you. If Jenny and Vee live with us then the village people will soon come to accept them. Even now when we go on shopping trips, the locals know them and treat them very well."

"But they will be virtual prisoners here. Just imagine the paparazzi press coming down here with their sensationalist cameras; peeping through the trees and creeping over walls all the time."

"Well if they become celebrities then they will soon learn to live with it," added Cynthia. "Anyway, think of Beverly's problem. What will happen when they discover that she is the mother and father of her twins. That's bound to become public one day. I can assure you Dr James that we have come to terms with all our various problems and we are quite determined to push on with this."

Dr James shrugged her shoulders as she replied.

"Yes. I've come to that conclusion as well. It's all right for you though; you’ve been intimately associated with this whole project right from the start. It's come as complete surprise to me and you must agree, it takes some getting used to."

We nodded our heads. This last agreement by Dr James more or less signalled her acceptance of the project and her future participation in it. We made our way from the labs to the big house. The operation was scheduled for two days hence so I was Vee's last chance of a meal before being prepped. We enjoyed a lovely dinner that had been thoughtfully prepared by Dot.

Our lovemaking that night had peculiar atmosphere. Vee seemed to take perverse delight in her disabilities as she wriggled and squirmed helplessly under our various attentions. It was almost as though she was mentally preparing for her rite of passage in the coming days.

 

Morning came, and with it the last day for Vee to duck out. She had to forego all food and simply drink some special preparations to clear her intestines and prepare her metabolisms for the forthcoming body-shock.

As Vee took to her room to mentally prepare, we met over dinner to discuss the operation. I was to be involved with the neuro-microsurgery, primarily connecting and splicing the two spinal chords of girl and pony. It would involve some very long and complicated surgery removing most of the horse's neck vertebrae without damaging the brain. The brain and protective scull case was to be relocated near Vee's lumber vertebrae where Dr James had removed her intestines. This was to be, without a doubt the most complicated surgery as Vee's and Juno's spines were conjoined.. It was important to keep the horse's brain and body connected because of all the important glandular and hormonal balances. All the digestion was to be handled by the horse's omnivorous system but the colon was to be connected to Vee's anus so that she would control defecation from between her ‘forelegs’.

"After all," I smiled, "we don't want her to -'shit in the street'- do we?"

We all giggled as we remembered Cye's words so long ago when the whole project had been mooted. We then had to explain the joke to Dr James.

"Well enough of that Ladies," I continued. Most of the sensory and motor functions will be enjoyed and controlled by Vee. Juno and Vee will share most of Juno’s old sensory functions, but Vee will control all the motor functions associated with these. The horse will also share the digestive sensations with Vee so it will in fact still be 'alive'

There will, of necessity, be a lot of cerebral interaction between Veronica and Juno but I have no idea how much of Vee’s 'consciousness' she will share with Juno."

Jacky described that she had 'grown' many meters of compatible nerve tissue for ‘rewiring’ work. We agreed that, if there were time, we would endeavour to interconnect Vee and Juno's cortexes, although it was to have a fairly low priority. it would be interesting to see it the human and horse could 'read each others minds'. I continued describing the allocation of other tasks.

Whilst Dr James and I are busy with the 'wiring', Cynthia and Jacky will be busy with the 'plumbing and engineering."

The advances we had made in these fields alone would merit a Nobel Prize for medicine. The changes to the digestive canal would entail some considerable alterations to the back of Vee's pelvic girdle as the intestines were redirected out and back, into Veronica’s trunk. The same would apply to the urine canals. Veronica would create quite a splash when she went for a pee, for the horse's bladder was to be evacuated via Vee's slightly enlarged uthrea. Further difficult surgery would solve the connections between Vee’s pelvis and Juno’s scapulas.

The only function remaining at the horse's tail end was to be sexual and this would compliment Vee's own sexual organs. It meant that Veronica and Juno could both enjoy sex as a human and as a mare. It was going to be interesting to discover if the lower orders of animals actually enjoyed orgasms. Veronica would be able to tell us if Juno shared her orgasms.

Dr James digested this and was silent for quite a while as she chewed pensively on her food. The rest of us had discussed all this many times over and knew the details off by heart.

 

The remainder of the meal was spent discussing techniques and advising Dr James on the various methods and researches we had developed over the years. As we finally rose for coffee, Dr James eventually spoke.

"Well I'm flabbergasted girls you certainly have done some incredible things here. Do you realise that you've taken science and medicine forward light years."

"Yes," agreed Jacky, "but we've left ethics and morality dark years behind. It remains for the law to catch up- if it can." She added quietly.

Jenny shook her head contemptuously.

"To hell with the law. If I can move around on my own again then I'll be more than happy. Sod the law; bunch of old duffers with their dusty books anyway."

"Don't ever let Vee catch you saying that Jen." Laughed Jacky.

The mood became silent again as we thought of Vee alone in her room.

"Never mind." I interjected . "Vee tells us we haven't actually broken a single law. We are a fully licensed research laboratory."

I spoke with more conviction than I felt but Dr James supported me.

"It would appear not Beverly. That's what excites me. The prospects are amazing. Think what this could do for quadriplegics and paraplegics."

"Early days yet Dr James. We have not been able to use a single human embryo or sperm and all the human tissue we have used has been our own. If medicine really wants to take our knowledge and help people generally then they are going to have to totally revise the laws on all this. Mind you, I think we are some way down the road to developing some sort of useful 'human' limb with hands for later grafting onto Jenny and Vee. As I've said already though; early days yet."

"Yes," added Jacky, "for all our researches here. We have still only mapped out a fraction of the mammalian genome accurately. We actually only targeted those genes essential to our plans. What's more, the bits we have mapped are sometimes totally unconnected and have no identifiable 'end-keys' to fit into other parts of the genome. Without Jenny's incredible computer skills, we would never have come this far."

If a limbless torso could have 'preened' itself then that was exactly what Jenny was doing now. Dr James smiled at her as she spoke again.

"Well Jenny, you always were the most brainy of the gang. I hope that Veronica’s operation goes well and we can turn our attentions to you. What will you be doing tomorrow when all this is going on?"

"I'll be monitoring all the life support machines and clinical sensors. Just as any other anaesthetist would be doing in any other operation. I'm not completely helpless you know!" Snapped Jenny.

Dr James had touched a raw nerve. Jenny was hypersensitive about the success of Vee's operation and still bitter about her disabilities.

"I'm sorry Jenny. That was tactless and crass of me. I'm feeling very tired and my mind's not working right. Is it O.K. for me to go to bed?"

We nodded and she left. Dot showed her her room whilst we made our way to our bedroom. Veronica had shut herself away in another bedroom so we were in no mood for any fun.

We were all feeling tense and fully aware of the burden facing us in the morning. Although we slept together we didn't fuck together that night.

 

 

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