This is where you ended up. The wind is blowing softly as the sun has begun to set.

Ehri began to walk along the beach, looking out over the sea.  Each seascape on each world was slightly different, different colors, different waves, different smells... but all beautiful in their own way.  She needed something like this to clear her head, every now and then.

A single crab, about the size of a small dog came out of the sand and stood there, staring at you.

That... that wasn't right, was it?  She stopped and looked at it.  What species was this?

"...what are you?" she asked it, out loud.

It raised one claw and clacked it at you.

"A vague answer," said Ehri.  "And not an actual attempt to communicate, or I'd know what you were saying.  But I don't think you're a native species around here..."

The crab looked from side to side.

"Woof," it said.

"And now you just revealed that you aren't even a displaced terrestrial crab," said Ehri.  All around her, the Hands began to deploy themselves.

"I suppose that if this was a trick to get me to reveal myself, well done, it worked," she continued.  "But I think you may find that it wasn't a good plan."

The crab began to scuttle away.

Well, she was committed now, wasn't she?  She followed the crab.

The crab reached a large hill and began to dig furiously there,

Ehri followed and waited, ready for trouble.  What was going on here?

You can see the crab has unveiled some sort of pet door and with that it went inside.

...very suspicious.  Luckily, she had solutions, and she activated a scanner to sense what was inside the mound.

Remote Sensing.  Easily within range.

Inside you found a large elevator shaft, currently the crab was riding a smaller elevator down. Further down into the darkness you eventually come to a brightly lit laboratory. There is a figure rushing about, checking things in vats. Getting a closer look, it appears to be your classmate Harriet! The only human in the school that could even approach your mighty intellect.

That was unexpected.  Ehri attempted to find a way to open the door and go down.  One of these days, she was going to have to figure out an approach to teleport gateways...

You manage to get the doors open and the elevator controls don't appear to be locked in anyway. It rides down for a while before stopping in front of the lab doors.

Well, best to be polite.  Ehri knocked, using one of the Hands, just in case.

You hear the clacking of several machines behind the door.

"Who dares to try and enter my sanctum?!" Harriet demanded.

"It's me, Ehri, Harriet," said Ehri.  "May I come in, please?"

"How did you find me?" Harriet demanded.

"Your crab is too large to be a native species," Ehri answered.  "It was also looking at me and responding to my words.  Including by barking like a dog, which gave things away.  I followed it when it came back, and found you."

"Damn it, Spot! What did I tell you! you're a crab now!" Harriet said, let out a sigh and hit a button opening the doors.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 06:28, Wed 10 Feb 2021.

"Is that a robot or an engineered dog?" Ehri asked.

"It was my dog at one point," Harriet said.

"Very impressive, but I do wonder how you keep him from acting like a dog," said Ehri.  "Why the change?  Crab-shaped creatures are quite common, but dogs seem to be quite adequate on their own."

"Why not? Just to see if I could do it," Harriet said.

Ehri nodded.

"I suppose that's fair," she said.  "Expanding knowledge is valid.  Be careful, though.  This time, it led me right to you."

"I know," Harriet said. "But I managed to detect the energy signal given off by your little test. Some sort of biological and mechanical subject. I wouldn't mind having a sample of that DNA..."

"Unwise, in this particular case," said Ehri.  "Possessing it might make you a target.  The wrong people possessing it would be worse."

...just a DNA sample, by itself, might not be too bad, but from what she could see, Harriet was the type to take it much, much further.

Harriet chuckled.

"You're going to have to explain that."

"I have great respect for your skill," said Ehri.  "A sample of my DNA that you just sequenced and studied might not be too bad, but there's technology that scans for certain things that you might find the unlocking sequences for, especially if you had enough stem cells to work with.  Possessing that, in turn, might make you a target for anyone who wanted to use that technology, given that it's sealed with me far away from it."

Harriet sat down in her chair and the crab leapt up into her lap. She stroked it's shell a few times.

"I want either you or your creation," she said. "It will certainly help upgrade my shark-men."

Ehri frowned.

"My creation... the Hands?  They wouldn't help you with genetic engineering.  Although I suppose polarized-gravity technology would have some uses, depending on what you wanted your shark-men to do... what do you want to do with your shark-men?"

"Not your hands, whatever you activated at the old church," Harriet said. "And as for what I'm going to do with them? Well, who doesn't want a bunch of powerful servants?"

"A sentiment that I've heard before," said Ehri.  "And no, you can't have her, either.  She's busy right now.  I don't know if she'll want to let you have a sample of her genetic material, but there's considerably more than that in her."

Harriet laughed,

"Really? You're that ethical that your creation is a person?"

"Oh, my creations aren't sapient," said Ehri.  "Not the Hands, anyway.  Oh!  Oh, I see.  No, Umuru isn't my creation.  I just woke her up.  She was trapped in that church for a couple of centuries, and I'm not that old."

"So, it was alien then? Interesting...," Harriet said. "I need a sample then. For sure!"

"You can talk to her about that," said Ehri.  "Since she's a war-machine intended for interstellar combat, though, I suggest you respect her answer if she says 'No.'"

"Hmm. I'll need a way to make sure she can't refuse. Does she care about you?" Harriet asked.

Ehri smiled.

"I imagine that she does, at least a bit," said Ehri.  The Hands rose up into the air all around her, shimmering with power.

"Out of curiosity, do you value this facility?"

Harriet grumbled.

"Fine, fine, I'll ask her."

"...You might want to consider the advantages of cooperation in your research, for that matter," said Ehri.  "I'm impressed with this lab.  How did you secure the funding?"

"I salvaged most of it. I found this place mostly as is when I was younger," Harriet said.

Ehri nodded.

"So was it a genetics lab?  Or did you add that on your own?"

"I believe it was, but there are no serial numbers or any other markings to show who ran it," Harriet said,

"Interesting," said Ehri.  "I built my lab... it wasn't cheap, but well worth it, I think.  I'm hoping that we can have a peaceful relationship, as it would be nice to have someone to talk to who really understands science..."

"I just hope I can get some samples to improve my shark-men," Harriet said as she walked over to the cases.

You finally get a good look at them. They appear to be very buff men with cartoonish-shark heads.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:15, Thu 11 Feb 2021.

"Interesting," said Ehri.  "What do you think they need?"

"Well, if I can get my hands on alien DNA, there might be additional powers I can give them," Harriet said.

"Potentially, but that could also be dangerous," said Ehri.  "How firm is your control over them?"

"There are subconscious commands, as well as a kill switch," Harriet said.

"How intelligent are they?" Ehri asked.  "Can they communicate?"

"I'd say as smart as an average person right now," Harriet said,

"...I don't know if that's necessarily wise," said Ehri.  "Well, that's possibly your business.  But can they communicate?"

"Oh yes, they are will love me and be loyal," Harriet said.

"...my father felt that way about some of his followers and creations," said Ehri, darkly.  "But that's up to you, ultimately.  Hey, Left Shark, there.  Can you talk?"

"They're in suspended animation for now," Harriet said. "And please don't disgrace them by using a meme."

Ehri was a bit sad.  She was working on picking up human culture... oh, well.

"So they aren't finished yet?" said Ehri.  "Have you tested them at all?"

"A bit, yes," Harriet said. "But now I want the sample first, so I can improve them, perfect them."

Ehri considered that statement.

"...What constitutes 'perfect' in a shark-man?" she asked.

"Powerful, loyal...loving...," Harriet said, seeming to drift away for a second.

Oh, dear.  This was probably going to go very badly indeed.

"You should have more specifics planned out," she suggested.  "Otherwise, your projects could run into scope issues.  How will you make them loving?  What kind of power do you want?"

What will you do if you lose their love and loyalty?

"The post hypnotic suggestions implanted in their brains, they will believe me to be and treat me like a queen!" Harriet said, still not fully there.

Ehri sighed.

"You're really reminding me of my father a lot right now," she said, sadly.  "Why don't we exchange phone numbers?  That way, you can get in touch if and when you need help."

...Humans, she had long since decided, were an incredibly incurious lot.  So it went.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Harriet asked. "Is it wrong to create some boys that will actually pay attention to me?"

Well, that was an unexpected twist.

"Well, consider," she said.  "It's a great deal of trouble for a small, ethically-questionable gain, however.  If they are truly self-aware, they may acquire free will.  If they have free will, they may decide to love you or not on your own merits.  If they feel that you've been keeping them as slaves, you may have your head bitten off.  It's a very real risk, under these circumstances...

"...are there other ways to get attention?  I know one boy who will not leave off paying attention to anything female in his vicinity, regardless of danger to himself."

"Who? Dan Satan? Please, I'm not that desperate," Harriet said. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps I should just leave them unable to harm me and undo everything else..."

"There's a fundamental flaw in your stated premise," said Ehri.  "If you want attention from boys, but not the boys who want to pay attention to you, you should be clearer about your expectations.  And perhaps take a look at the principles that you're working from.

"But if you want your shark-men to love you, I'd strongly suggest earning it, based on my experience."

"Oh please, I have plenty of experience with the cute boys not wanting anything to do with me," Harriet said and sighed. "I just wanted to make something that would love me unconditionally...but I would be like their...oh, ick."

"It's a tricky situation," Ehri acknowledged.  "I don't see any reason that something you create wouldn't love you if you treated them right, though."

"I wish I had less morals...," Harriet said. "This would be easier..."

"So you might think," sighed Ehri.  Harriet, it was clear, was very bad at really listening, or paying attention to certain subtext.

"But having morals can pay off, especially when things go wrong.  And you have to have plans for when things go wrong."

"Yes, I feel my backups are good. What would you suggest?" Harriet asked.

"Raise them," said Ehri.  "Treat them with respect and love.  Pay attention to their needs and wants.  Also, be very cautious kissing them.  They don't seem to have lips."

"Hmm. How did I over look that?" Harriet said to herself.

"Well, the shark thing probably had advantages," said Ehri, generously.  "All the senses and everything."

"Well, we are next to an ocean," Harriet said. "It has advantages."

"I can see that," said Ehri.  "Well, don't let me tell you who you want to kiss.  If it's shark-men, more power to you!"

"What about you? Growing your own or do you have your eye on someone?" Harriet asked.

Ehri sighed.

"Complicated," she said.  "Someone I have an eye on, but I don't know how it's going to work out.  I'm not as good with genetics, anyway, so making my own doesn't seem like a good plan."

"I could try making you one if I get that DNA sample," Harriet offered.

"I appreciate the offer," said Ehri.  "And I'll get you in touch with Umuru... but I think I'll fight my own battles there.  My father tried doing things for me with my dating life, and it was... bad.  Very, very bad."

"You father was a mad scientist too, I take it," Harriet said.

"Not exactly," said Ehri.  "My father was what happens when you have a mad scientist who makes promises that certain people desperately want to hear, and no one stops him.  Well, no one stops him for years and years."

"Ah. A shame. Sorry about my morals comment," Harriet said. "Would you like some tea?"

"All right," said Ehri.  "Thank you."

...even if it was drugged or something, she'd be fine.  Her father had seen to that, fearing his numerous enemies.

"Do you have preference? I have wild berry and earl grey," Harriet said, heading to the small kitchen in the back.

"Earl Grey, please," said Ehri.

Harriet set to work boiling the water and making some cucumber sandwiches. Soon enough it was ready and sitting in front of you.

"Thank you," said Ehri, tucking in.

"Think nothing of it," Harriet said. "So, you're more of a mechanical genius, I take it?"

"That kind of thing is my usual field, yes," said Ehri.  "I can do some work with genetics, though.  I have a very broad education."

"Now then: how is your relationship so complicated?" Harriet asked.

"I'm attracted to someone who is attracted to multiple people," said Ehri.  "That's awkward.  I'm trying to ride it out, but we'll see..."

"You need to make some kind of big, romantic gesture," Harriet said. "Clearly show how you're the most compatible."

"Well... I might," said Ehri.  "I'm kind of worried about how that would go, though.  I don't know how to do that kind of thing."

"I don't have great ideas either," Harriet said. "But I shall cheer you on."

"Thank you," said Ehri.  "And do take my number, won't you?  I might be able to help some of your work.  Almost no one on this whole... well, almost no one I've met understands technology or science at all."

"Certainly!" Harriet said getting out her cell phone.

Ehri exchanged contact information with her.

"This has been lovely," she said, "but I should get going soon.  I'm looking forward to seeing where your research takes you!  Marine biology is a field with great potential."

"See you later," Harriet said as you headed back up.

There were a few other people on the beach, a married couple with their kids and some other teenagers. Umuru had her tail wrapped around her waits, like the bikini she was wearing was fur trimmed on the bottom. She was taking things in.

"It's a nice day," said Ehri.  "We could go swimming, or just lie in the sun, or get some food-- what do you want to do first?"

"Food would be nice!" Umuru said.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 23:18, Sun 14 Feb 2021.

"All right," said Ehri.  "There's a stand over there.  Let's go!"

She was buying, of course, and got a variety of things so that Umu could experiment with different tastes.

Umuru excitedly took everything in.

"I don't know what to try."

"Well, you could start with small bites of lots of things," said Ehri.  "Here, try some of my nachos."

Umuru did.

"Ooo, nice and crunchy! I like them."

She picked a few different things out.

Erhi had a few things as well.  She set up a blanket and umbrella, sat down with Umu, and proceeded to feed her bits of all of her food.

Umuru laughed.

"I like this, it's fun!"

"It is!" said Ehri.  "So, after we eat, do you want to play outside, go swimming, or just enjoy the sun for a bit?"

"I want to try swimming," Umuru said. "I haven't tried it before."

"Well, I'm quite sure neither of us can drown," said Ehri.  "So it should be fine.  Let's go in."

She walked into the surf.

Umuru followed.

"How does this work?"

"I'll show you," said Ehri.  "Just come into the water all the way, like this.  You can move your arms and legs around to stay afloat."

"AH, okay, I think using my full strength would not be a good idea," Umuru said as she followed.

"Quite right," said Ehri.  "But you should have no trouble managing this, with all of your power.  It shouldn't even take much precision."

Umuru managed to tread water without any difficulty.

"This is pretty simple."

"Swimming is similar," said Ehri.  "Bigger movements of your arms and legs, mostly..."

Perception

(OOC: Perception Check - Umuru rolled 11 using 1d20+2)

Umuru followed Ehri's instructions.

Well, it was working...

...something brushed past Umu's leg...

And a head popped out of the water, right next to Ehri!

"Well, hey there!" said the new girl.  "Having fun?"

Umuru stopped swimming, treading water again and took in this new girl.

"Hello?  Have we met before?" asked Ehri, confused.

The new girl swam quickly and easily, and was instantly right next to Ehri.

"Don't you remember me?  I'm Olive," she said, and she ran a finger over Ehri's shoulder.

Umuru moved closer.

"Um, no, I don't think--" Ehri said.  Olive moved in even closer, somehow.

"Don't be like that," said Olive, pouting.  "Don't tease me!  I just want to have some fun with my friend, now...."

Now that finger was starting its work on Ehri's cheek.  Who knew where it might go at this rate?

"What are you doing?" Umuru asked Olive.

"What do you mean?" Olive asked.  "I'm just talking to my friend, here..."

Her head was, at this point, actually on Ehri's shoulder.

"It appears to be flirting. I am currently dating her," Umuru said.

"But... I like her, too," said Olive.  She hadn't moved away from Ehri.  "Is that a problem?"

"We are on a date now," Umuru said.

"Can I have her when you're done?" said Olive.  "She's such a genius, I'm sure she can work out how to share herself..."

Something odd passed behind Ehri's eyes, but she didn't say anything.  Yet.

...And there, something brushed Umu's leg again.

Umuru looked down at see what it was.

"That would depend on what she said."

Whatever it was was under the water; Umu couldn't cleanly see it.  But there certainly was something.

"But you're fine with it, right?" said Olive.

"Not while we are on a date," Umuru said.

"So, um, that's how it is, Olive," said Ehri.  "Would you mind letting go of me for now?"

Olive pouted a bit, but backed off from Ehri, moving somewhere between her and Umu.

"All right," she said.  "But I'll see you again, soon, Ehri!  Right?"

"But later," Umuru said, swimming up to Olive and picking her up one handed, turning to place her back on shore.

"Hey!" said Olive.  "No fair!"

...and it was clear that there was going to be an issue now, as she had wrapped a large number of tentacles around Umuru in response.

"Hmm. You are clearly not human. What is your goal here?" Umuru asked.

"Get close to Ehri!" said Olive.  Okay.  She was actually human down to about her legs, and from there, tentacles.  Many tentacles.

"I've loved her all my life!  No fair of you to try and just throw me away!"

"She has not been on this planet long. Explain yourself better," Umuru said.

"Why is that any of your business?" Olive asked.  "It's true!"

"How old are you?" Umuru asked.

"Why should I tell you?" asked Olive.  "You're just a bully who likes hurting people!"

"I haven't hurt you....or anyone on this planet since I have been awake," Umuru said.

"You're holding me up in the air and shouting at me!" said Olive.  "Bully!  Bully!  Bully!"

Umuru put her down.

"Now you can answer."

"You picked me up and wanted to drag me from the nice water onto the nasty dry sand!" said Olive, crying.  "Why is Ehri with a meanie like you?"

"You appeared to be human," Umuru said. "Please stop crying."

"What's 'human' got to do with anything?" Olive sobbed.  "Why do you hate me so much?  I didn't do anything to you!"

"I don't hate you, I was annoyed by you interrupting our date," Umuru said.

"Well, fine!" said Olive.  "I'll leave you alone on your stupid date with Ehri.  But I'm warning you-- if you don't treat her right, there's INK in your future!"

And she vanished under the water.

"Was I in the wrong?" Umuru asked, pointing at herself in confusion.

"You seemed very upset by her," Ehri observed.  "...I think I know who she was, though.  Unexpected."

"Who was she?" Umuru asked.

"She's a lab specimen I had," said Ehri.  "An octopus that was part of some tests I was doing on local genetic structures.  I raised her from an egg."

"I feel bad. I am going to find her," Umuru said.

"Well, all right," said Ehri.  "It might be hard, though.  She went underwater, and she's an octopus.  She might become very hard to find.  Bring a light or something."

"I am sorry for my behaviour," Umuru said, as she dove into the water.

Well, it wasn't that hard to find Olive, luckily.  She still looked the same, and was sitting on the seabed, poking at some clams with a stick.

Umuru swam up to her.

Olive turned to face her.

"What?" she said.  "Go have your date!"

"I am sorry," Umuru said.

"You are?  Um," said Olive.

She patted the seabed next to her.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," Umuru said, taking a seat besides her.

"I'm sorry," said Olive.  "I know you don't want me interfering with your date.  I wouldn't want someone to do that to me, too.  But I wasn't sure I'd ever see Ehri again, and I really love her!  I really did know her all my life...

"...which is just a couple of months so far."

"It seems she remembers you," Umuru said. "I was dealing with emotions I hadn't felt before. Again, I am sorry."

"Hey, it's fine," said Olive.  "I understand... she's really nice, isn't she?"

"She is, yes," Umuru said. "I am new to these feelings and I can tell."

"Um, it's fine if you like her," said Olive.  "You can date her, too... but.  Um.  Is it okay if I like her, too?"

"I don't see why not," Umuru said.

"Okay, good..." said Olive.  "Um.  What about... dating her?"

"Again, I don't see why it would be a problem," Umuru said.

"Then I'll support you any way I can!" said Olive, proudly, and she hugged Umu.  With lot and lots of arms.

"This is a new feeling," Umuru said.

"Do you like it?  What's it like?" Olive asked.

"It is strange, being hugged by so many limbs is strange," Umuru said.

"Oh, sorry," said Olive, letting go.  "...are you all right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Umuru asked.

"You said it felt strange," Olive explained.

"Ah, yes, I did. Just a weird emotion," Umuru said.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:38, Thu 18 Feb 2021.

"Oh," said Olive.  "Anyway, why don't you go back to your date with her?  And I'll date her another time."

"As long as you are okay now," Umuru said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Olive.  "Thank you for checking on me."

Umuru waved and headed back to Ehri.

"So, what happened?" Ehri asked when Umu returned.

"We worked things out," Umuru said.

"Well, good," said Ehri.  "And it looks like you got swimming down quite well, too."

"Yes, thanks to you," Umuru said.

"That's good," said Ehri.  "...I didn't realize that Olive was mutated quite so thoroughly, you know.  I thought she was just a very clever lab specimen, adapted for higher intellect."

"We have agreed to share you," Umuru said.

"That's very fair-minded of you," said Ehri.  "I'm surprised, after how upset you got earlier."

"I don't know what came over me," Umuru said. "But it is only fair as I am dating Dan too."

Ehri reluctantly nodded.

"That's fine," she said.  "So.  For now... more swimming?  Go back to shore to rest and warm up?"

"Relaxing on shore sounds good," Umuru said.

Soon Ehri was stretched out on a towel, soaking up the sun.  This posture rather put her body on display, even in her human diguise.

Umuru felt some heat rise in her cheeks, but she did likewise.

"MMmm, the sun is nice," said Ehri.  "...although I should really put on some tanning oil.  Would you like to help me, Umu?"

"Yes," Umuru said, reading the bottle on how to apply it and then did so.

"Mmmmmmmm...."

It appeared that Ehri appreciated the attention, judging from her current slump.

"I have finished," Umuru said.

"mmmm, thank you," said Ehri.  "Do you want me to try it on you?"

"I don't believe my skin can be harmed by the sun this far from it," Umuru said. "But if it will help me fit in, then go ahead,"

"Well, just for appearances, then," said Ehri.  "Lay down and I'll take care of you."

Umuru did as she was told.

Ehri tried very, very hard to be good.  And she succeeded, but oh, there was some serious temptation going on here.

"There you go," she said.  "Now we can relax in the sun for a bit."

"The date has been fun," Umuru said. "Thank you."

"Mmm, yes," said Ehri.  "I wonder if the Shark-Men are ever going to turn up on the beach?  I imagine that Harriet will need to revamp them a bit, first..."

"Shark-Men?" Umuru asked. "Are they common here?"

"Well, not as such," said Ehri.  "Except that there are a bunch of them sealed in Harriet's base over there somewhere."

"Ah, is that the friend that wants my DNA?" Umuru asked.

"The very one," said Ehri.  "I should introduce you two formally."

"After the date," Umuru said.

"Well, of course," said Ehri.  "I know you don't like interruptions."

Umuru blushed.

"I said I was sorry..."

Ehri kissed her on the top of her head, that place not having suntan oil on it.

"It's fine," she said.  "I just do want you to be happy here.  And that means doing things with just the two of us."

Umuru snuggled in close to Ehri.

Ehri cuddled with her for a while.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Umuru did so as well.

"What do we do from here?"

"Well, we could go get more food, or walk around more," said Ehri.  "Or head home, for that matter."

"Perhaps we should meet with your friend to get that done," Umuru said.

"Why not?" said Ehri.  She packed up and headed for Harriet's base.

You arrived at the base and took the elevator down.

"Who's there?" Harriet's voice came from a speaker.

"It's me," said Ehri.  "Who else knows the way down here?  I brought Umu-- the one you wanted a sample from?"

"Ah, good. Come in, come in," Harriet said, clearly excited as the door opened.

"All right, down this way," said Ehri, leading Umu.  "Umuru, this is my friend Harriet Smith, who's also a scientist."

Harriet began to look Umuru over.

"This is amazing. An alien being like this."

"She is an amazing piece of work," said Ehri.  "...cute, too.  Is she the only alien you're aware of meeting?"

"Ph course," Harriet said currently poking Umuru.

"What would you do if you found another?  There are at least two more that I'm aware of in the general area," said Ehri.

"Really? Fascinating...," Harriet said.

Umuru looked quizzically over at you.

Ehri winked at her.

"I'm just curious," she said.  "What you'd do if you spotted one of the others around here."

"It would be interesting certainly," Harriet said, tapping the gem on Umuru's forehead and then feeling her ears. "This mechanical bits are curious. How fleshy are you? Can you reproduce?"

"Those are my only mechanical parts on the surface," Umuru said. "I don't know, but I doubt the Priest-King would want us reproducing on our own."

What was it about this planet and the people on it?

"Well, that makes sense," said Ehri.  "You're a cyborg, after all.  Your artificial parts weren't grown from stem cells, presumably."

"Just curious what would happen if I crossed you with my shark-men," Harriet said. "So, did you bring the DNA sample?"

"No, but you can take one now," Umuru said, opening her mouth.

Harriet hurried off to get a swab and collected a sample, clearly ecstatic.

"Do you know what your original DNA was?" Ehri asked, curious.

"No, it was certainly not of the Priest-King's people," Umuru said.

Ehri nodded.

"I wonder what his starting point was, then?" she pondered.  "...not my field as much, though."

"I don't know. I had no time to investigate the laboratory," Umuru said.

"Well, we can ask Harriet what she finds," said Ehri.  "Who knows?  You might learn something interesting about yourself."

"I doubt she has any samples of alien DNA," Umuru said. "...besides mine."

"...have you noticed that many humans are incurious?" Ehri remarked.  "It's odd."

"She seems very interested in me," Umuru said.

"Yes, well, you're quite interesting," said Ehri.  "Only to be expected."

"This is amazing," Harriet said, looking through her microscope. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"Oh?" Ehri came floating over.  "What did you find?"

"To start with, Earthly DNA is a double helix in shape. It appears that this is a triple helix," Heather said.

"Ah, interesting," said Ehri.  "That has implications about her whole system... I shall have to thoroughly investigate the effects on her physiology.  And anatomy."

"We could do some test right here," Harriet said, he glasses shinning evilly.

"That's a bit forward," said Ehri.  "I've already done certain tests on her... did you have something specific in mind?"

"it'd only be fair to share such an amazing discovery like this," Harriet said.

"I am," Ehri pointed out.  "I also scanned her a great deal already, but I supposed I could share my data... or were you asking if you could date her, too?"

"Sure, but how much did yu scan her biological parts?" Harriet asked. "And no, I'm not into girls."

"...I scanned some, but... Hm.  Umu," she said.  "Would you object to being scanned a bit further?"

"I suppose not," Umuru said.

"Good, good. Now strip down and get on this table...please," Harriet said.

Umuru did as she was instructed and Harriet set about poking and prodding her.

"I'd like a blood sample, but I see that won't be happening," Harriet said as she broke a syringe against Umuru's skin.

"No, not with tools like that," said Ehri.  "I'd stick with passive scans, that swab you got, and perhaps the scans I made."

"I suppose I must," Harriet said as she began scanning Umuru with various devices.

"All done?" said Ehri after a while.

"I am," Harriet said as she stepped away and Umuru got dressed.

"Are all scientists like this?" Umuru asked.

"Most of them," said Ehri.  "Except the really bad ones.  Like my father."

"I meant more how I end up naked on a table a lot," Umuru said.

Ehri considered this.

"...still common," she said.  "In my experience.  And still worse with my father, I assure you.  But don't worry-- that can't happen, baring time travel or somehow-undiscovered clones."

"I have noticed you seem to enjoy it," Umuru said.

Ehri considered this.

"Well, I suppose I do," she admitted.  "Is that a problem?"

"No, it is just a statement," Umuru said. "I am still figuring things out, after all."

"That's fair," said Ehri.  "You should.  I'm still trying to think of who I am, away from my father's shadow."

Umuru nodded.

"I can sympathize with that."

"It's a journey we both face, I think," said Ehri.

"Any help you can offer is appreciated," Umuru said.

"Well, of course," said Ehri.  "The best plan I can think of is to try things, and see what fits us."

"I look forward to learning from you there as well," Umuru said.

"Of course," said Ehri.  "...I wonder if Harriet and Dan would get along?  I don't think that they'd have much to talk about, though."

"Probably not? Why do you ask?" Umuru asked.

"Oh, Harriet's looking for a boyfriend," said Ehri.  "Dan's the only boy I know around here."

"Are male humans rare?" Umuru asked.

"No, there are plenty of them around," said Ehri.  "But I don't actually know very many."

"Ah, should we befriend some?" Umuru asked.

"Well, I suppose we could," said Ehri.  "The problem is that they often are distracted by trying to date me, and I'm not interested in dating boys."

"Ah. I thought dating friends was normal," Umuru said.

"It varies," said Ehri.  "There are, for example, some people who aren't interested in dating boys, like me, or who aren't interested in dating girls, like Harriet.  I don't know about who Dan isn't interested in dating, but he's only ever asked out girls."

"Ah. I didn't realize that was a thing," Umuru said.

"It is," said Ehri.  "Most boys on this planet are primarily concerned with dating girls.  Not all, of course, but I'd say a clear majority."

"Hmm. I need to learn more," Umuru said.

"We could learn a fair amount by observation," said Ehri.  "If you'd like.  Or research."

"Research? How would I go about that?" Umuru asked.

"Oh, internet research, for example," said Ehri.  "Do you know how to do that?"

"How are computers on this planet? I normally connect myself to them," Umuru said.

"Well, if you look at Harriet's setup over there," said Ehri, pointing, "you can see how it is-- keyboards, pointing devices, sometimes touchscreens."

"Ah. I have no experience with that," Umuru said.

"Well, I can show you the basics," said Ehri.  "Actually, why don't we get you a phone?  It would help you fit in, and you might find it very useful."

"If such a device will help, that I am for it," Umuru said.

Harriet had started talking to herself about the amazing results and possibilities being endless.

"...So do you think you can make kissable shark-men now?" Ehri asked.

"They're already like that, but I think I can boost their strength and stamina with this easily," Harriet said. "Who knows what else...imagine if I brought this forward to the scientific community! I'd be like unto a god..."

"Careful, now," said Ehri.  "Slow, deep breaths... remember, one step at a time.  All right.  Umu, are you ready to go?"

"Right, right. Shark-men first," Harriet said.

"Yes," Umuru said.

Ehri arrived at the beach and began to look around.

Not many people were here this early. There were a couple of joggers and someone else walking a dog.

Well, that was fair.  Ehri went for a walk through the surf, reasoning that maybe Olive could find her more easily in the water.

There was a loud splash and suddenly there was an octopus girl hugging you.

Ehri laughed at that.

"Hello, Olive," she said.  "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. How are you?" Olive asked.

"I'm fine," said Ehri.  "You've really changed a lot since I last saw you, Olive.  How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Especially since I found you again," Olive said.

"Aw, you're sweet!" said Ehri, putting an arm around her.

"So after you grew into a humanoid form, what have you been up to?  Still living in the ocean?"

"Yep! I can't really live on land with the tentacles and everything," Olive said.

Ehri nodded.

"...I could try to find you a solution," she said.  "I'm sure you can move around on land.  That's how you got out in the first place.  But why don't you show me where you've been spending time underwater?  I can go down there, although I can't move as easily as you do."

"Sure!" Olive said, taking you by the hand and leading you out into the ocean.

After swimming for about ten or so minutes, she stops at a large patch of coral. With some careful maneuvering you were inside. There were some large pots and bits from ship wrecks decorating inside.

"So this is your home?" asked Ehri.  "It's very nice.  Will you give me the grand tour?"

"Uh, sure," Olive said. "I sleep here, with a few options to change things up."

She motioned to the pots.

"I also tried to decorate with stuff I'd find."

She said motioning to the walls which have the aforementioned ship wreck bits as well as sea shells.

"It's very nice," said Ehri.  "If I can find a way to get you up on land, are you interested in exploring there?"

"Would it be with you?" Olive asked.

"It could be," said Ehri.  "So... you've been looking for me.  What did you want to do together?"

"Weeeell...I mean, I do love you and want to be with you," Olive said.

"So you'd like to start with some kissing, for example?" Ehri asked.  "I don't object..."

Olive kissed you quite quickly.

Ehri wasn't entirely surprised, and kissed back, not at her highest intensity, but certainly enough to show sincere interest.

"This is nice," Olive said.

"Yes," said Ehri, kissing her again.  "You're very direct here.  I don't mind that."

"Is there another way I should be?" Olive asked.

"Not at all," said Ehri.  "As I said, I like that.  Not everyone is, and that's all right.  You know what you want, and you're making it very clear, and I like it, too."

And she kissed Olive again.

"Get a room!" a young voice said.

Ehri pulled back and looked for the source of the voice.

"And what's your problem?" she asked.

"Dunno, just heard other humans shouting that," A weird octopus-thing with a child's head said.

"I see," said Ehri.  "I don't think we've met.  I'm Ehri Garamel.  And you are...?"

"Dunno, don't have a name," the thing said.

"But who are you?" said Ehri.  "I don't think that you're one of my specimens.  The only octopus I did much with was Olive."

"Oh, this weird lady with glasses made me," the thing said.

"Oh, Harriet did?" said Ehri.  "I didn't realize that she'd made creatures besides her shark-men."

"I was practice," the thing said.

"Did you escape like Olive did?" Ehri asked.  "Or... well, you should have a name, too, shouldn't you?"

"I did!" the thing said proudly. "I guess, it'd be easier for you humans and human-octopuses."

Ehri nodded.

"It's easier to communicate, especially with three people," said Ehri.  "Do you know what kind of name you want?"

"Nope, I'll take whatever name you want to give me!" the thing said.

"...fine," said Ehri, after a quick Wikipedia search.  "Since she's Olive, you can be Sweetpea.  It's a Human reference.  Do you live with her?"

"Sometimes," Olive said.

"Where do you stay otherwise?" Ehri asked.  "I know that you're smart, but the sea seems like it could be dangerous for someone your size now and then."

Olive was large enough to protect herself, at least.

"There's lots of places to hide," Sweetpea said.

"That's good," said Ehri.  "Are you good at that?"

"Yep!" Sweetpea said.

"Well, good," said Ehri.  "...What about you, Olive?  Are you safe here?  I don't know how dangerous the predators here are."

"Eh, there's a rare shark, but those are easy to hide from," Olive said.

"All right," said Ehri.  "I'm still concerned about the two of you, though.  If there's anything that I can do to make this place more comfortable or safer for you, please let me know."

"Well, there was the whole me moving into your house thing," Olive said.

"I can certainly arrange for that," said Ehri.  "I can easily get a nice, big tank for you to spend time in the water, as much as you need to.  Just so you know, Umuru also lives with me, and I hope the two of you can get along."

"We get along fine now," Olive said.

"Well, good," said Ehri.  "I could probably get a tank ready for you by tonight or tomorrow."

"I can help if you need it," Olive said.

"Thanks," said Ehri.  "I think I'll take you up on that-- I want your input, at the very least."

"It's been ages since I've been in your home," Olive said.

"It has, hasn't it?" said Ehri.  "It's a little different, but nothing major.  Some furniture got rearranged."

"Should we head back?" Olive asked.

"I think that would be for the best," said Ehri.

"Yay!" Olive said, as she took your arm.

You arrive at the beach and swim out to where Olive's home was.

Ehri went down into the ocean and began to scan.

You could sense the power source nearby. Suddenly you hear a yawn and Sweetpea came out of a pot.

"Hey there."

"Hey, Sweat Pea," said Ehri.  "I was getting some readings about of a serious power source in this area.  Is that you?  Or do you know what it is?"

"What kind of power source? You couldn't hook me up to a fan and expect me to power it," Sweet Pea said.

"No, it doesn't necessarily mean that," said Ehri.  "It might be personal power, great strength, internal energy reserves, psychic powers, anything like that.  Ring any bells?"

"I dunno. Why are you looking for it?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Curiosity, in no small part," said Ehri.  "Also, there are people who want to kill me.  I don't want to have a big power source next to me and not know what it is.  Obviously, if it's you, that's not a concern.  But I'm still curious."

"I guess it must be me, there's nothing else here," Sweet Pea said.

"Interesting," said Ehri.  "Do you know what kind of power you have?  I could detect it from quite a distance away; others could probably do the same."

"I guess, not many on the planet can though," Sweet Pea said.

"Granted," said Ehri.  "The problem is that some of the ones who can are probably ones you don't want finding you unprepared.  Do you know what kind of power you have?  I'm assuming that you can protect yourself."

"Reasonably well," Sweet Pea said. "Should I be worried about you?"

Ehri considered.

"Not directly," she said.  "I don't intend you any harm; I have no desire to take you away from where you are, either.  I am curious about you, and wouldn't mind studying you, but I'm not going to do that unless you give me permission, and I'm not going to pressure you for that, either."

"I'll consider it," Sweet Pea said.

"That's quite reasonable," said Ehri.  "Do you want a way to get in touch with Olive and me when we aren't here?"

"It couldn't hurt," Sweet Pea said.

Ehri rigged up a phone for Sweet Pea.

"There you go," she said.  "Keep in touch, all right?"

"Thanks," Sweet Pea said. "Pretty impressive you can get that working underwater."

"Once you have to work out the tech for maintaining communication in a galactic empire, this isn't so bad," said Ehri.  "Not my work, but I know the principles."

"Impressive," Sweet Pea said. "But I need some sleep. See ya!"

Sweet Pea climbed back into the jar.

Well, that was that.  Ehri went back to the lab.

"All right," said Ehri.  "Now, you should have some new weapons, a high-speed mode, some shields, things like that.  But get some distance from the town before you try them out."

"Right," Umuru said, taking off and beginning to test everything.

Enhanced Str 10, Lifting Str 4
AE: Focused Blast: Ranged Damage 10, Improved Critical 4
AE: Spread Blast: Damage 8, Area (Burst), Selective
AE: Force Walls: Create 8, Selective
AE: Tractor Beam: Move Object 8, Perception
Pre +1

"Thank you, Ehri. May I kiss you?" Umuru asked.

"Certainly," said Ehri, smiling.  She intended it to be a good one.

Paha was staring.

After the kiss, Umuru looked over at Paha.

"Is there a problem?"

Paha blushed and shook her head, her eyes huge.

Umuru kissed her girlfriend again.

Paha was making noises again, perhaps excitement?  It was hard to be sure.

"You seem upset," Umuru said.

"No!" squeaked Paha.  Her eyes were wide, shining.  "No, you can... keep doing that...

"...what does it feel like?"

"Has no one ever kissed you before?" Umuru asked.

"...No," said Paha in a very small voice.

"Are you curious?" teased Ehri.  "Did you want to try it?"

Paha nodded, mutely.

Umuru flew over to Pahaliah and kissed her.

"Do you want to as well, Eri?"

"I believe that I will," said Ehri, and she did, rather thoroughly.

Paha's blush was bright enough to light up the entire beach.

"Was that good?" Umuru asked.

"Yes," Paha squeaked.

"Ah. good," Umuru said and stepped aside for Ehri.

"Do you think we should keep her, Umu?" Ehri asked.

"I suppose we could. Do you want to?" Umuru asked.

"It's very tempting," said Ehri.  Paha was giving both of them huge, shimmering eyes like a dog claiming it had never been fed at all.

"What is that look?" Umuru asked. "I don't understand."

"I do," said Ehri.  "She's being hopeful."

"Ah. Would it be okay to be dating another person?" Umuru asked. "Things seem to be expanding rapidly."

"They do," said Ehri.  "But I think we might manage.  Especially since she seems to be fond of both of us."

"That is good at least and something to look forward to after the fight," Umuru said.

"W-will you do... work on me?" said Paha.  "Like you did to her?"

Ehri blinked.

"Well, I could," she said.  "...I think this might be a little more complicated than I thought.  Or perhaps more interesting."

"Should I be jealous?" Umuru asked.