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  “Time for a break, Jaz needs time to pull herself together. Something strange is in the air,” said Steven to Rick and Mark.

  “I’ve got it, let me take care of her. The atmosphere and lighting has taken a toll on her— too harsh. She needs a moment. Give her some space,” Maggie demanded and led her back to the space van, pushing away the small crowd that stared at her like a zoo animal.

  “She’s so young, unprofessional. Wasting valuable time.”

  “It’s like beauty and the beast and she’s turned into the beast.”

  Jaz sobbed, bundled in the blanket, her body sluggish and soft. She heard their cries of horror, complaints of a worthless shoot and mutterings of her abnormal manifestation. She felt Maggie’s strong shoulders and comforting arms maneuver her back into the bathroom.

  “Take two pills now; then I’ll give you another in a few hours. I hope that it will counteract this strange aberration. In addition, you must think of yourself as the gorgeous woman that you are, overcome your fears and face the consequences. It’s a glitch, triggered by Eden’s atmosphere. Nothing more and nothing less. Got it?” Maggie asked the bewildered Jaz.

  After a few minutes, Jaz felt lighter, the pudginess disappeared, her muscles strengthened. Her clothes loosened and her hair straightened. Her cheekbones grew tight, her eyes widened, and her mouth stretched into a broad smile. She reflected on Maggie’s words of encouragement and blocked out any negativity. The pills worked their magic and the inner confidence showed on her face.

  “Now, march outside and conquer your fear. Believe in yourself. Everyone’s waiting for you, the star. Give them something to talk about,” said Maggie, awestruck by Jaz’s inexplicable change.

  Jaz gave herself a final review, broadened her shoulders, and marched out the door. The group blinked twice, but no one said a word. The miraculous turnaround stunned them into submission. The pineapple trees swayed in the breeze, beckoning her outside. The sky changed from pale green to azure, the fragrance of citrus awakened her senses.

  “I’m ready, let’s go. Hurry before the lighting changes,” Jaz demanded. She said her lines without hesitation. “Stepping onto Eden is just the start of an incredible adventure…”

  Rick opened his mouth and quickly shut it as he adjusted his lens. These immediate changes surprised everyone and made them wonder if it was all a hoax. The photo session resumed and Steven nodded to a doubtful Mark, who shook his head in disbelief.

  “Atmospheric changes do a number on your body. You know what they say about that; Jaz will be fine,” Steven added.

  Mark watched Jaz perform with incredulous eyes and glanced over at Maggie, who joined her to promote her book and EI.

  “And enjoy the ride with Love 2040 on this phenomenal ride into space and beyond. Hi, I’m MJ Moore and I invite you to experience my upcoming book and Sim World on your travels to the spectacular planet of Eden and beyond. Entertainment International, my publisher, brings you the best in entertainment from books to virtual reality to games, the full spectrum of the universe. My host Jaz and I welcome you…”

  As the filming wound down, Mark suggested the crew take a break and beamed at his shining stars, Jaz and MJ.

  Maggie

  As Maggie wrapped up her last take, she heard George and Vera involved in an argument. She knew the cantankerous Vera couldn’t be trusted to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

  “Did you see that girl turn into an alien? What just happened? Unbelievable! Now I’m getting a little bored. I would really like to explore this place,” said Vera, her feet hit unsteadily onto the ground, littered with small rocks and patches of grass.

  “Wait, stop, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I need you to help set up Maggie’s shot, find the right spot,” said George, who started to follow her.

  “Let me handle her. I’ll be right back,” said Maggie, running after Vera. She found her a few yards away, picking up some artifacts and putting them in her pocket.

  Maggie caught up with her and handed Vera a breathing apparatus.

  “Hey, you might need this. And Jaz isn’t an alien, just a little stage fright. Give her a break.”

  “It seems that some people are not who they seem to be. Isn’t that right, Maggie? I finally figured it out. You blew it at that book signing and George never picked up on it. We both know you’re pretending to be MJ Moore. And I’m going to tell George and it will be all over for you. You’re nothing but a fraud; that’s why I fired you. Destined for failure,” said Vera. She wagged a pointy finger like a cranky school teacher, her face flushed from the humid air.

  “I’m so done with you. You wretched old biddy. You’re lucky to have a job at your age and jealous that I’m now successful. I’ve worked on my manuscript for many years; finally, someone believed in me. My influence with George is greater than yours; I could crush your career in one second, and George would listen to me, especially with your involvement in the Blankenship lawsuit that brought LiveItUp.com down. Watch your back!” Maggie shouted at the fleeing Vera, who ran haphazardly toward the mountains, breathing heavily.

  Maggie watched as the older woman stumbled, then picked herself up and ran over the top of a large boulder.

  “How dare you!” Vera said.

  Maggie had had enough and walked back to the space van.

  “You’re on your own.”

  The wind started to pick up, just as Jaz finished her second photo shoot. They panned the lush area, filled with the pineapple trees, hibiscus, and sunflowers, in various shades of pink, purple, and red. The groups sighed at the vivid beauty.

  Maggie gave her approval to Jaz as she joined the group, now totally amazed at Jaz’s dynamic comeback. Mark congratulated her and Steven sighed in relief, not knowing what to make of Jaz’s switch from frightful to fantastic.

  As they headed back to the ship, the once-blue sky darkened to slate gray and the temperature started to decrease swiftly.

  “A storm is developing; we have to get out of here now. Is everyone accounted for?” asked Paul.

  “Has anyone seen Vera? We need to find her before the weather gets worse. Maybe she fell and hurt herself!” exclaimed George.

  “Hold on, let’s have a few of us search for her. The rest can stay here, in case she comes back,” said Mark, motioning for Steven and Maggie to join the group.

  “She said she wanted to find a souvenir to bring back from Eden to show everyone. I guess I shouldn’t have left her alone out there. But once she makes up her mind…” said Maggie.

  The four trudged toward the mountains. A light rain, navy sky, and winds made it hard to see two yards ahead, but the group marched forward in their quest to find Vera.

  “Vera, are you out there? We’re coming to help you. Can you hear us?” George shouted.

  A shadowy figure stumbled toward them and fell to the ground on its knees. George directed his flashlight at the figure in the sand, a few feet ahead of them. As they hurried toward the figure, they discovered a disoriented Vera.

  “What happened? Are you hurt? Where have you been?” George pounded her with questions.

  “Something attacked me! Knocked me down and I passed out for a while. Where am I? I want to go home, wherever that is. Help me! Please!” sobbed a distraught Vera.

  “We’re on Eden, Vera, and we’ll get you back to Earth. Do you remember taking off in the Space Ventures ship with Mark, Steven, and MJ?” asked George.

  “I don’t know these people. Who are you? Saw an animal— no, a monster. It was horrible, terrifying, huge, big teeth, smelled like a dead rat, couldn’t breathe, fainted, thought I was going to die,” Vera babbled and then collapsed.

  “Paul is signaling me. He said we need to take off now. Let’s move,” Mark said as they took the older woman’s arms and dragged her through the thick dust that swirled and gusted around them.

  They made it as they struggled to get to the van.

  Paul had already started it, ready to take off.

  “If you
don’t get in now, we’ll be trapped here tonight. Move!” he said.

  The van hesitated, pushed around by the winds and blinded by pounding rain. The passengers held on tight and looked at each other in apprehension as Paul reached for the controls.

  Vera slumped into her seat and mumbled incoherently. George sat by her side, patting her shoulder and urging her to relax.

  “What did she see? Was it real? We’ve got to get out of here. If word gets out, your campaign is over; no one will want to go to Eden ever,” said George, who turned around to confront Mark.

  “Calm down, she’ll be fine. We’ll give her a sedative and let her sleep the whole way home. Let’s not be too hasty about this trip. We don’t know what she saw or what happened,” said Mark.

  The van sputtered and spun. It struggled to gain lift, being pushed by the strong winds. The visibility was nonexistent and the van seemed to go nowhere.

  “Hang on,” said Paul.

  Then it ascended off the ground, out of the storm and into space. The little group clapped and Paul beamed.

  “Eden was not to be our new home, not yet; back to Earth,” he said.

  Under Paul’s guidance, the space van cruised smoothly through space, diving through the wormhole to other side of the universe. Most of the passengers slept heavily, exhausted from the long day, except Maggie and Mark.

  Maggie stayed wide awake, gazing out the van’s window at the stars and earth suddenly appearing in full view. Distracted from that encounter with Vera, Maggie focused only on their image problem. Vera’s crazy and she’s lost her memory. My secret is safe if I keep on message, reflected Maggie.

  Sitting in the seat next to her, Mark squeezed her hand.

  “I’m sorry about your colleague, but I hope her she forgets everything. We may have to do something about this or it could be bad publicity for Space Ventures,” Mark whispered.

  “We’ll let them handle this. It’s the best way,” said Mark.

  Mark and George viewed the press event from the Entertainment International office monitors. Vera lay on the couch near them, snoring loudly with her feet askew.

  The press gathered to meet Jaz, cameras flashing at this historical moment on the roof top of the Meridian building. A robot opened the van door and escorted Jaz outside. One young reporter ran up to her.

  “How did it feel to take your first trip to Eden? What was it like?”

  “Uhh… breathtaking and unreal.”

  “You looked stunning on Eden and not nervous. How did you do it?”

  “With my friend…”

  Then MJ stepped out of the space van, a huge smile on her face, holding her copy of Love 2040. A group of eager reporters gathered around her, asking a flurry of questions.

  “She’s a natural and we did it together. It was the perfect opportunity.”

  “Why did you promote Love 2040 on Eden?” asked Tom Tucker.

  “Why not? Now you can read my book aboard this beautiful ship, a perfect companion,” said Maggie.

  “Why do this trip together— Space Ventures and Entertainment International?” asked Damon from Entertainment World.

  “We wanted to promote this joint venture, since we have a lot in common and we also share the same floor in the Meridian. We will be inviting more celebrities and guests,” MJ said. She put a protective arm around Jaz.

  “When is your next trip and who will be invited?” the young reporter asked.

  “Jaz and I have had a long day and need to recuperate. You’ll be the first to know about our next trip,” said MJ as she grabbed Jaz’s hand and waved goodbye.

  Jaz fainted as she stepped into the Meridian doors from lack of food.

  “Jaz, let’s take you home, you’re exhausted,” said a gentle male voice.

  She awoke to stare into Enrico’s eyes as he pressed a cool cloth on her face.

  Randall

  His keen eyes spotted the ship hurtling from space on its re-entry to Earth. The current technology still amazed him, but he felt more alive than ever in his primal state. Now with Samantha at his side, he marveled at his cunning brilliance in escaping the fortress unharmed. I got away and saved Samantha! Now all I need to do is rescue the others. It’s not a matter of how, but when, Randall mused.

  “Look how I’m changing. Maybe I will be normal again,” said an excited Samantha, shifting to her new human legs and arms. She still squirmed on the ground to upright herself in the days after they escaped.

  Living in the wilderness above the city had transformed Samantha’s physical and psychological appearance. Randall gave her a steady diet of green pills, along with her usual rats and shrubbery. No longer afraid, she freely roamed the woods, yet stayed near Randall, who kept a watchful eye on her. Plagued by his savior complex, Randall sensed the other creatures calling to him, now tightly locked inside their impenetrable prison.

  He could sense they needed him to free only those who could be saved. Randall knew it would take more than the serum to reverse their hybrid natures. He marveled how quickly Samantha had responded, but how the constant care was making a difference in her appearance and demeanor.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you,” said Samantha. Her transformation was almost complete, the scales having disappeared with shapely body complete with human arms and legs and a freckled face that smiled back at him.

  Randall blushed, now shifting back to human form, his hair tousled and his black glasses askew. He straightened them and grinned.

  “Uh... did you realize you’re naked? We can’t go there right now; we have to keep moving. And Charlie needs us; I can sense it.”

  “I don’t care! You know Charlie is Dr. Arno’s nephew. He’s not going to help us; he only cares that we’ve escaped! His job is on the line— get real!” Samantha snapped, changing back and slithering away toward the brush.

  Randall lost touch with Charlie and his companion after escaping from the wreckage. He knew Charlie wasn’t dead, but worried about his injuries. That fateful night almost cost him his life.

  “Look, wait, I owe Charlie my life; he gave me the pills to survive and I know he will keep his mouth shut. Optimal nearly destroyed my life and I want revenge. We need to stop this experimentation and exploitation so other lives can be saved. Don’t run away now!” said Randall as shifted back to his lion state.

  Then he stood at the top of the mountain trails overlooking the city lights below and roared. His anger echoed throughout the valley below. Samantha poked her head out from under the brush, her body shaking. Randall glanced at her, tossed his head in a northerly direction, and bounded off. She quickly followed his lead, weaving down the trails.

  The sun rose just as they came down the mountain trails with rose and orange skies casting patterns on the rocks as the city below began to come alive. They roamed through the foliage and drank the sparse water barely flowing over the rocks.

  “Such a perfect morning. I’ve never felt so free, so alive,” Samantha mumbled.

  Then a dog barked, followed by the smell of human sweat and sweet perfume and the crunch of boots on the trail. Randall, with his acute hearing, picked up the sound from a few miles away.

  “Humans and their dog, run,” Randall communicated.

  The two ran swiftly together in their animal states across the path as the humans approached. So fast, it was hard to tell who they were, except for the dog that headed in their direction.

  “Did you see that?” said a female voice.

  “Yeah, what just ran by us? Hey, Rusty come here, now,” said a male voice.

  The chocolate lab had a mind of its own, its nose following the scent of two unknown creatures. Randall and Samantha ran quickly, unable to change into their human forms with the dog so close on their trail. By now the two hikers were chasing their dog, begging it to come back. They stood a safe distance, taking photos of the scene on their phones, the woman then throwing a stick toward their dog.

  “Grrrwow,” roared Randall as he confronted the ba
rking dog and protecting Samantha, who had curled up in the brush surrounding the trail. The brave dog advanced toward Randall, hoping to either play or discover what he was protecting. At first, their dance was playful, rolling around together, but then Randall got impatient. They wrestled for a while, struggling for dominance. He batted the dog with his large paw, then bit him, causing a huge gash on the neck. He stopped before killing him on the spot.

  “Yip, yip,” Rusty yelped and finally backed off.

  It howled in pain as it started to bleed heavily. Randall saw his chance to escape with Samantha in tow down the path, pulling her onto his back. The alarmed couple ran toward their dog; the woman hiker screaming, “Call Animal Control, Fish & Game, someone now.”

  Randall glimpsed at the male hiker, who was on his phone, and took off toward civilization, hoping to shift back to his human state before the authorities arrived. Now he probably created a media frenzy, only to draw attention to himself. He sprinted at almost 50 mph, hoping to avoid any more humans. The trail was clear of people, although the sun had finally risen.

  “I don’t have any clothes and nothing to hide Samantha with,” thought Randall, then started to panic.

  He realized his days in the wild were about to end for now. He needed help in going undercover. Randall hid behind a tall bush, laid down beside Samantha and shifted back to his human state, covering himself with leaves.

  Sydney

  “We finally got out of the ER. I feel safe now that we’re back in the suite. My dad, the accident, and Randall’s shifting freaks me out. I can’t stop shaking and wondering if being a part of the Optimal experiment was the right thing to do,” Sydney said, her hand trembling.

  Charlie glanced at Sydney’s bruises and cuts and his broken arm. “We’re lucky to have survived the crash. I promise not to let anything happen to you. Let’s make the most of our time together,” Charlie whispered in her ear.

  They kissed deeply, slipped their clothes off, and stepped into the hot tub; Charlie was careful not to get his broken arm wet. It put a slight damper on their romance, but their bodies just drew closer together.