PONID-21 Day 11 · 1:10am May 25th, 2020
#general
Lisa 1/16/2021 6:43 AM@everyone I need anyone who's worked as paralegal or is a lawyer to contact me via DM. Special project. If you need money for it, I can handle that.
—private-message—
Penny 1/16/2021 7:03 AM
What's up? What're you working on? You know I can find out, so don't try to hide it.
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:05 AM
As if I could, Penny. The truth is, and please don't share this, Doctor Howards is going to wind up taking the fall for this. All this. Karen was doing her job when she told him she'd be making a report on it all, but I don't think it will come to that. He'll try to commit career seppuku.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:06 AM
I figured he would. Someone would have to go down for all this craziness, and he is the man at the top here.
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:06 AM
BUT IT'S NOT FAIR!
I won't sugarcoat it, this has been a nightmare for some and terrifying for others, but I think we're all past that now. I look into people's faces and see smiles.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:08 AM
A smiling person can still be afraid, Lisa.
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:08 AM
And I think it's just getting better. Tell me a single person who doesn't feel optimistic about this now?
I know that, Penny, but fear can be beaten with the type of friendship we're building here.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:10 AM
You phrased that carefully, but go on, I'll humor you.
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:12 AM
I want to put together a legal waiver. A statement. Maybe it would be more like a character witnesses. They can't take him down lawfully if there are no victims.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:13 AM
Okay, that I can get behind. You need it to be someone within our group, right?
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:13 AM
Huh?
Penny 1/16/2021 7:14 AM
The legal eagle.
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:14 AM
Yeah. That'd be best. I don't want to risk any of this getting out because of me.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:15 AM
I'll ask around too. Between us we have pull with pretty much everyone here.
How's the changes going today?
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:16 AM
I look cute, Penny. I have this cute little nose and a cute snout and my ears flop and turn cutely. Whenever I get startled by something, my wings fluff out cutely. If something starts to get me down, my ears fold back cutely. I can't stop being cute and It's bugging me!
Penny 1/16/2021 7:17 AM
Wanna do something uncute?
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:17 AM
I'm not into you, Penny.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:18 AM
Does that matter?
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:18 AM
For me it does. Sorry.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:19 AM
Don't stress it. We both have our own ways of helping people. Would a hug be better?
Lisa 1/16/2021 7:19 AM
A hug sounds great.
Penny 1/16/2021 7:20 AM
OMW
#day-11
Ass 1/16/2021 8:01 AM
Have you ever wondered about how awesome it would be to have a beak? Don't, because I'll tell you. It's messed up in all the right ways. I can't move lips anymore, and it's harder to pronounce some words, but that is totally redeemed by how easy it is to eat with it. Knife? Nope! Closing my beak cuts things like a hot knife through butter. I could hold up…
I'm getting sidetracked, hold on. Okay, so I googled a ton of stuff and looked at more birds than you'd ever believe existed, and this is the one I think I look the most like. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Canaria_blue_chaffinch
#general
Devon 1/16/2021 8:02 AM
Hey, that does look a lot like you. Got the markings around your eyes and everything. Says they eat grains and stuff. Are you still eating meat?
Ass 1/16/2021 8:03 AM
Yeah, I think so. Not that Suzy and Steve are cooking much. Probably the cat side of me, though. Speaking of food, do you know if they need help in the kitchen today?
Devon 1/16/2021 8:05 AM
Probably later. We can ask at breakfast. They'll have something ready soon, so let's head down there. Dibs on first hug from Lisa.
Ass 1/16/2021 8:05 AM
Not if I get there first!
Interview with Katrina Hobbs
female
age 23
ID: 113823992021Transcript of conversation with notes added from my clipboard.
KH (Katrina Hobbs): So why am I here today? Picked me out of a hat or something?
Notes: Katrina is one of Dr. Howards' unique cases. A dragon, she seems much smaller, probably juvenile, than Robert Cowell. Though, despite the size difference, she's shown a lot of similar properties as he has.
KS (Dr. Karen Simpson): Dr. Howards asked for my take on you. Firstly, I am going to ask your permission to use this information at the end of the session. You can tell me to file it privately, delete it, or share parts with Howards. That's up to you.
KH: It's fine to be shared with him. Where do we start? My history?
KS: If you want to. I can include a short--
KH: I'd like to tell you in my words. For the first time in my life I feel truly me. This is who I am, and it doesn't matter one shit if I'm not human anymore.
Notes: In case it wasn't already apparent, Katrina is a M to F trans woman. Now a fully biological woman, according to what scans and tests have been done. She's referring to her sex matching her gender.
KS: I take it you're a fan of all this then? You know that it seems to have been a random dice roll. There's nothing to indicate that the resultant sex had anything to do with your desires.
KH: Well, call it whatever you want, but it got things right this time around. So my temper's a little shorter and I can breathe flame and have a tail, no girl's perfect.
Notes: I don't know what I'd been expecting. She could have been nervous or surprised at her changes, but instead she seems to be completely immune to any of the negative effects just for the one gain.
KS: Victory at any cost?
KH: I think it's more that all this just seems less important than the fact I am exactly what I've always wanted my body to reflect my whole life. The surgery had been… It wasn't easy. Life wasn't easy. I had to keep so much of my personal life a secret from friends that it was cutting me up. Now? Now I'm a dragon.
KS: Female dragon.
KH: Female.
Notes: Damn but if her grin didn't remind me so much of a predator I'd say this was the greatest success case ever. What is it with this virus and everypony feeling so good about it?
KS: How are you finding the side effects?
KH: Of being a dragon or of being female?
KS: Both.
KH: Being sexually female is… It's amazing! Before all this I was taking a small pile of pills each day. They're all on record. Estrogen, antiandrogen… It was a small pile of drugs every day and now I don't have to take them anymore. I am female; right down to the last blood test they were able to get out of me. As for being a dragon, it's pretty cool. I've had a few spars with Bob and so far the only thing that can hurt either of us is pure brute force or our claws. Do you have any idea how good it feels to be able to get physical with someone?
Notes: Okay. This girl isn't just a research paper, she's a psychologist's career in papers. Looking back over the transcript I can't believe her level of excitement and exuberance.
KS: You've stopped taking all your hormone management medications?
KH: I've stopped taking everything. Look, Karen, I might have lost my breasts completely and grown a tail, but I feel complete for the first time in my life! If nothing else happens, I'll be singing the Doc's praises to my dying breath.
Notes: What did you do today, Karen? Oh, I just found out that the secret to mental stability was becoming a pony or dragon.
KS: Let's focus more on the dragon than the female for a moment. How does that make you feel?
KH: I look forward to finishing my changes. When I see Bob flapping his wings and actually flying, it makes my blood run hot… well, hotter… and I get excited just thinking of me being able to fly. Bob was saying today that his back felt a little odd and it was harder for him to stand up on two legs.
KS: It worries you that you might become quadrupedal?
KH: If it happens, it happens. There's nothing I can do to stop that, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop me.
KS: I like seeing you so positive about all this, Katrina, but just remember that there's a lot more around you that aren't as impervious as you are.
KH: Yeah. I don't think I'd have made it this far if it wasn't for Lisa. I was a wreck and she kept chatting with me every step of the way, even when I knew she was having trouble typing. Do you think I can do anything to help her?
KS: I'd suggest a hug. I know she's normally the one giving them, but ponies seem to thrive on regular contact.
KH: That's what you've got going on, Doc?
Notes: I guess that marks the end of the session. Katrina has problems, but they seem far more balanced than I'd have expected given the shock to their mental faculties. Can they maintain allostasis? I think they can.
KS: Pretty sure it is. Looking over Dr. Howards' notes, my changes are consistent with any of the four pony forms. My hands can barely hold anything and I started walking on the balls of my feet today. Added up, it spells a pony on day 4. I keep having these dreams… helping people. I don't know if it's the pony stuff or just my own subconscious.
KH: Maybe a little from column A and a little from column B?
KS: Possibly. Any way it goes, I won't be using these for communicating for much longer.
Notes: I held up my stiff hands to show how the knuckles were starting to merge together.
KH: Do you need someone who can take dictation, Karen?
KS: You know, I was going to give it to one of Dr. Howards' workers, but that would be appreciated, at least for the non-privileged stuff.
KH: I can start with this one if you want?
Notes: Katrina nodded toward my dictaphone.
KS: That would be appreciated.
Post session notes: Katrina gave me full permission to release this to Dr. Howards. She did not see my notes, though I think she suspected I'd have made some. I wish she were removed completely from these events and was a doctor so I could rely on her to type up everything. My hands are sore now, and I think I'll go down to the cafeteria for lunch.
—Doctor Simpson
Peter Howards' Journal
More of them keep hugging me and thanking me. Penny caught me by surprise and coiled herself around me to hug. It should have been awkward, but she was so sincere about it. She's always joking and playing the fool so much you forget there's a sharp mind behind those eyes.
EYES!
Subject: Day 11 notes
1/16/21
12:56 P.M.
Subject: EyesPenny DeSanto helped me with some new tests. What I'd been missing was that she and several other subjects have had their second eye change. Hers, while both have red pupils and yellow sclera, still are distinct from one another.
After a few quick tests, it was established that whatever allowed her to remote view things was working with both eyes now.
I'll have group leaders note down anyone showing this new trait and have them come in for special eye exams.
Lisa Trent also came in to give a baseline, and I discovered another interesting fact. While at first one of her eyes had grown in size, now they were both that large, but only one was the new color/shape.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
1:23 P.M.
Subject: PegasiOf all the groups who submitted results today, the pegasi were the only ones who managed to get organized to do the eye exams. Of them, only Liselle Smith (113823922021) showed the second-eye-coloration. Her right eye initially changed to an emerald green, but now she has both eyes that color instead of her original brown. So far this new trait seems rare.
Devon Creed (113822522021), who has constantly shown that his choice as leader for the pegasi was a valid one, has shown a new and unique trait: he walked around on all fours. It wasn't just "hands and knees" style, like a human might try to emulate, but his spine, shoulders, and hips all seemed to subtly shift to allow him to walk comfortably like that.
We put him on a treadmill and he was able to walk, trot, canter, and gallop without a single hitch. Then, afterwards, he stood up and it was like watching his body change; his shoulders widened, hips too, and his spine seemed to shift just a little to allow him to stand as straight as I was.
I have Devon spending extra time with our orthopedic specialist. They have been told that three PM is the cutoff. I want Devon to also spend time practicing with his wings and working with the other pegasi to teach them.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
1:52 P.M.
Subject: UnicornsNone of the unicorn group were ready for eye exams, though we have had Trent Copperfield (113822472021) and Sally Jeffers (113822512021) asked to put together a list of names of such.
Both Sally and Trent have shown more advances with their magic, the former having been able to pick an object up and levitate it before her horn started to spit out sparks and everything stopped.
Like with the pegasi, I'm having the front-runners disseminate information and help teach those coming behind them. If nothing else comes of this, everyone will at least be competent in their new bodies.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
2:17 P.M.
Subject: Baseline ponyI'm loathe to push Suzanne Timmons (113826992021) or Steven Smith (113824732021) away from their kitchen to teach others, but they are doing the teaching without my prompting. I observed them inviting other baseline ponies in to help them cook, and indeed any of the other groups as well. Cooking, and in particular the prep work for it, seems to be a great way to have those without hands learn mobility and dexterity with their new limbs.
Upon initial examination, it would seem that baseline ponies use magic in everyday things. Everything they touch, every single thing they make, sends the gauges of our potential meters dancing. We haven't worked out a scale for reading yet, but a simple coil of wire with what one of my doctors called a darlington pair that drives an LED. A single LED. We haven't got an actual meter, but we can detect magic in action at a distance.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
2:45 P.M.
Subject: PegacornsIt's a guilty pleasure that I sit in with this group. There's only three, but their presence is something else.
Michael Cooper (113822412021) continues to access every reading material he can both online and the medical journals I have provided him. His hunger for books has led me to wonder how much of them he actually manages to take in. I've asked him to log all his reading over the next twenty-four hours.
John Devero (113822922021) hugged me during the examination today, and kissed me. It was simultaneously both the most confusing and affirming moment in my career. I've been single all my life, but now I can't help… There's something about these pegacorns that make each meeting an almost religious experience.
Celine Baley (113826112021) is the third great conundrum. She has been spending more time with John, and the pair are almost inseparable now. She hugged me, too, and told me that no matter what, she would protect me.
My notes will never be objective for this group. I can't help but let my own emotions color them.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
3:10 P.M.
Subject: Bug poniesI offered to let them name themselves. Most agreed that bug ponies was the closest to what they are and how they feel.
George Higgs (113823532021) made himself the de facto leader of this group. His other eye has turned the same purple now, and he claims there's odd hues around people. I'm not sure what he's seeing, but it might be something akin to Robert Cowell (113823102021) and Katrina Hobbs' (113823992021) infrared vision.
Of the other three, only one stands out: Saavani Ahuja (113826232021). She might be a bug pony, but while the rest are all dark shades, she is brightly colored. Her body is a light gray/blue color and she's sporting a pink fin down her head and as a tail. The darnedest thing, though, is she has a set of wing casings that are almost styled like a ladybug. She only seems to have one eye changing, and that's her left. It's a sort of cyan, though not insectile, it has a very strange structure that has several members of my team almost as excited to examine it as they are George's.
—Doctor Howards
Subject: Day 11 Exam Results
1/16/21
3:29 P.M.
Subject: outliersAnd, once again, we come to Penny DeSanto (113823902021), Robert Cowell (113823102021) and others of their ilk.
Penny is still the strangest of the bunch. She's gained a little more size and is now roughly twice as long as a normal human, though a lot of that is neck and tail. While she was managing to hover a little yesterday, today she started flying. I wish she'd do it using her wings, but no, apparently she uses magic to fly around. This is, without a doubt, the largest demonstration of magic so far, and I have one of our doctors working with Penny to come up with more ideas.
Robert's mood continues to improve. He's taken to walking with a quadrupedal gait most of the time due to his bulk, which has only served to reinforce that he's a dragon in every sense of the word except for one of his eyes. Despite the size of his head and his visage, there's a single piece of humanity left to him.
Katrina Hobbs (113823992021) is our other dragon. She seems like a juvenile form as she has neither the size nor the more bestial aspects of Robert. It could simply be a case of sexual dimorphism, but given their respective reproductive systems are not of compatible size I doubt this is the case. We've had as hard a task of taking samples from Katrina as we have from Robert, but like Robert it's not due to anything she's doing. Her hide and scales are just too hard for any of our equipment to pierce. We even tried to use a surgical laser to cut a scale away, but all that accomplished was to heat the scale up (something Katrina said didn't feel sore at all). Her wings seem well formed and sized for her body, and following Robert's example she tried to fly with mixed success. I'll make a note that the ground is no better at harming dragons than our equipment is.
Our resident ethics overseer and psychologist had a talk with Katrina, at my insistence (see attached note). Let me first say she is a brave woman and and I admire her ability to keep a positive and stable attitude despite the great difficulty this has caused everyone.
Aaron Styles (113823882021) and the other griffons are a strange mix. We've noted that they seem equally at home eating regular food as rare meat. They are all showing increasingly feline tendencies, particularly when we tested Aaron's reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Put simply, as they are now they would leave a fighter pilot in their dust.
—Doctor Howards
*View of large building and a courtyard behind it*
"… view at Alrude Biotech. Just moments ago we saw what looked like some kind of large sculpture that we assume the patients are working on to pass the time. They appear to have taken it some—"
*Sound of female screaming, something big and blue taking up all the unfocused camera's view*
Booming voice shouts: "What are you doing? Can't we have some privacy?"
*More screams, camera focuses in on a huge, slit eye that narrows moments before the feed cuts*
*Back in a newsroom*
"You'll have to bear with us, everyone, as we attempt to reestablish connection with our news helicopter. Celeste Cunningham and her crew are assuredly just fine, but we're anxious to hear back from them. Celeste? Celeste?"
*Mobile phone footage, shakes and all*
Lisa runs past the camera and into view. "Bob? Bob! What are you doing?"
Landing on the ground in view of the camera, Bob has the helicopter clutched to his chest—its blades ripped off and tail missing. "They were filming me. I don't want to be some kind of freak! They won't stop screaming!"
Walking over to Bob, ignoring his towering size, Lisa reaches a hoof out to rub his side. "Bob, put it down. They won't hurt you, and I doubt they're still broadcasting. You scared them, that's all."
"Whoa! Back up! Give them some room. Bob, put it down big guy." Penny DeSanto said, floating in from the right of frame. "Bob? Come on, they're just a news crew, and now they're stuck in here too."
The phone camera, even with its wide-angle PoV, could not encompass how much bigger Bob was. At best it could catch a talon here or a bit of a wing. "What do you—Fuck! What happened to me? What did I do?!"
"That's it. Here, give them to me." Penny floated down and, when Bob released his grip on the body of the helicopter, she seemed to make it float gently to the ground.
Lisa shouted, "Don't go near it! They might not be infected!"
"Way too late for that, Lisa. You help Bob calm down, I'll get these idiots out of this tin can." Landing beside the ruined helicopter, Penny reached out her paw and balled it into a little fuzzy fist—then she knocked on the door. "Hello in there! Please come out and say hi."
"We need you all to back away from the wreckage!" a male voice called from out of frame. "We'll deal with this. Please go back inside."
#general
Lisa 1/16/2021 5:03 PM@everyone Okay, just catching you all up on what the fuck just happened. News helicopter was buzzing overhead despite the quarantine on us, and Bob freaked out a bit because they saw him. He's okay, they're okay, but everyone's a bit shook up. Bob grew when he got angry and didn't shrink afterwards, and the three guys in the helicopter are all freaking the hell out, but the bad bit is that two of them didn't catch COVID-19, so they're under quarantine too now.
Penny 1/16/2021 5:08 PM
Did you see me? Woo! I am best noodle! Got them all to the ground safely and everything. No idea how I did it, but I totally did it!
Lisa 1/16/2021 5:09 PM
Why don't we all head to dinner early and find one of the docs to talk to us about what happened?
Penny 1/16/2021 5:09 PM
And did you see how big Bob is now? Holy effin shit! He's huge! He grabbed a freaking helicopter out of the air!
—private-message—
Lisa 1/16/2021 5:11 PM@Penny calm down. Come to dinner and we can chat about this. Is Kat out chatting with Bob?
Penny 1/16/2021 5:12 PM
Yup!
Okay, OMW, but you owe me a hug.
Damn but I feel noodly.
#general
Karen 1/16/2021 6:20 PM@everyone Dr. Howards has asked me to let you all know this.
What happened today was an accident. The news chopper shouldn't have been flying over our facility, and no one blames Bob. This is unfortunate, but moving forward things are probably going to be a bit higher profile because we cannot deny these journalists the ability to contact anyone. We will ask that you still keep from revealing anything to the outside until further notice. Thank you.
Peter Howards' Journal
The cat is out of the bag. I can no more restrain these journalists and keep them from reporting on what's happened here than I can look any of these people in the eye and tell them "it will be alright".
Only time will tell to what extent my name becomes a curse.
Dr. Howard: Have you thought of just going out and telling everycreature the truth?
"They aren't idiots. Not a single one. They know already that we have no control over this. The only thing we're sure of is that the resulting virus we created requires a host that has no trace of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. While that is a small mercy of myself and my staff, you can see why we're keeping the facility in quarantine until the last trace of this new virus is dead. It's the only way of stopping it from spreading worldwide." The doctor sighs. "At least that was the plan before those idiot journalists decided to fly over a quarantine."
So I do this "Ask X" thing. X can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and they will definitely, hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories, and they will answer the best question in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer. Try to keep it to one question per post! They will pick one question per chapter.
Support me on Patreon or fuel my writing on Ko-Fi!
Join me on Discord. Please use your FimFic name as an alias. Warning, said chat may contain NSFW material and should be considered adult in nature.
Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
Canary in the Coal Mine
Daremo
Dio-Drogynous
Ender Voidwalker
KFS Crimson
Sirion123
Vi Watch
And special thanks to the following, for careful eyes and friendly words:
Lab
Gallus, i presume.
Feels like one of those amazing revelations that's obvious in hindsight.
I've always figured that was the case with earth ponies. Nice to see it elsewhere.
Ooh, emotional aura vision.
Also, we have our Ocellus... and it's very interesting to see that she comes prereformed. This could lead in some very interesting directions with both her and the other changelings.
Ohhhhh dear. Well, they weren't going to keep a life-sized dragon hidden forever.
Now is not a good time for noodlery, Penny.
To the news crew: Okay, I understand that you didn't know that the "sculpture" was alive and camera-shy, but all the same, what were you thinking!?
Not sure which surgery this is referring to. It couldn't be bottom surgery, since then antiandrogens would not be necessary post-op (since the body would no longer be producing nontrivial testosterone) and Katrina states up until this story she was still taking AAs. Could be facial feminization surgery or something like that, of course, just unclear in this context.
But trans eyes aside, oh gosh, this chapter escalated fast. And the question/answer at the end sheds some serious light on what has otherwise been just implication.. not to mention the news crew revealing this to be a biotech facility (maybe unsurprising but still.)
I don't know what to think of Howards, to be honest. The depictions in the other PONID stories on the site make the Howards of the other stories clear antagonists. But here? He seems like we should be on his side. Probably because Derpy's on his side now and when Derpy gives you lemons, you eat your damn lemon muffin.
I'm starting to understand what he did. But not why.
Also, *boop* here's a hug for Karen because she seems to need it c:
Good stuff. Thank you.
5268579
I'm starting to wonder if many of us on the site had that revelation already
Maybe we're all living on one of Twilight's crystal petri dishes from Trick's Simulations... or something.
Feels like there were half a dozen little references squared away in this chapter. (Also Legal Eagle is cool, gotta think like a lawyer). So many characters so little time! Already seeing Cadence getting feel-y with the docs...that can only end well.
To Michael, with all your studying and reading as of late, have you figured out any interesting spells?
5268594 She'd only begun her SRS surgeries when COVID-19 happened. Suddenly she was caught in limbo not knowing when things would be finalized. My thought is she'd had a trachea shave, some cartilage removed around her face, and was in the queue to have bottom surgery. She won't need that now.
5268602
Ah, of course :-) And yeah, I think surgeries are happening again now but a month or two worth were cancelled, just like that. Neigh.
5268609 Yeah. Not sure about the US, but here (Australia) they have started doing non-essential surgeries, but they're starting first with diagnostic ones. And knowing the hospital system, they'd restart the queues all over again. 🙄
Ask Bob: Don't you think you can do a dragon modeling for all the game & movie companies from now on? Since you are the only male dragon on this Earth, you've already monopolized the market.
Is penny becoming Discord or "just" a supreme noodle (draconequs is never again being their species name)?
Those reporters are going to regret doing that... for a while. Gotta say the mental effects are concerning, but better than leave everyone traumatized.
I bet Penny likes Bob's new size