Bitch: Transformation #WATTYS 2018

Chapter 55 - The Alex James

We motored slowly down to the rig he had pointed out. It had the look of a nicer rig that someone had tried to dirty up by adding cosmetic junk to keep it from standing out from the rest of the aging motorhomes around it. A muffled generator muttered somewhere nearby.

They say timing is everything. A large man with thinning hair and a slightly sweaty look to him lounged on a resin chair, he was engrossed in his laptop and sucking down a delicious looking iced tea. It always surprised me the things that would strike a chord with me, reminding me of my other life, my human life. For a moment I was back in high school, sitting with my friends at a birthday pool party and we were all clinking our glasses of sweet iced tea. That grassy smell of wet hay, and the tart of the lemon, and the sweetness as I opened my mouth. I could feel it in my throat as I gulped it down, icy and cool. It felt like it went right into my blood stream and cooled me right off.  That was the other me I remembered.

Red shut off the bike and dismounted.

"Alex? Alex James?"

"Hello friend, do I know you?" Alex snapped the laptop shut and stood.

"No you don't know me, but I know you. And I have a story for you... " Red began.

"Oh no no, no. That's not how we do this. Everyone needs to speak first to my second in command, Christopher. He's the producer.  He'll vet the stories and make sure that I'm not saying anything too crazy." Alex began to collect his things to make his retreat.

"Alex, what if I was to tell you that you don't need anybody to verify this story, because I can show you the proof right here with me. In that side car is a secret government genetic experiment that you won't believe. It has to be all kinds of illegal. Well, two of them actually, and they are different kinds of experiments. They are experimenting on people, again illegally, without their permission."

Alex looked at Red for a long moment measuring.

"Look I'm just about to record today's show. In fact, I was just reviewing my talking points for today when you drove up." Alex was continuing to dismiss.

"Just have a look and decide for yourself. Many people have died already trying to get this out into the public knowledge. I'd say we have a few hours at the most, before they catch up to us. Don't you ever do live broadcasts?"

"Yeah when it is an emergent situation not covered by the traditional media - wide enough that I can buy into their feeds. You know we're just a little pirate online media outlet, we don't have the big government dollars funding a globalist agenda to prop us up. We are 100% viewer and listener supported." Alex's voice was rough and tired.

"And that is why I came here first - because I knew no one else has the balls to tackle this."

Alex half-smiled, and checked his watch. "Alright show me."

Red came around and opened up the travel trailer. Alex peeked in. Then squatted down, and really looked. Apoc and I stared back at him unblinking.

"What am I looking at? It looks like an ugly mutt and a wolf."

"Well that mutt is a, well was, a young woman."

Alex looked at his watch again.

"I can prove it. Please just hear me out."

"One more minute, and I'm not impressed so far, you say people have died?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. C'mon girl. Come out here and meet Alex." I stepped unsteadily out and sat in the sand and stared up at Alex. "Well, ask her a question."

Alex snorted, then looked at me. "So you're a woman?"

I nodded.

"A human woman?"