197 Chapter 195 - Forced Changes

*(mood song: "Ween - Ocean Man")

Erik first took a shower as the changes were not happening quickly, Timberly was also showering with him as she sneaked a peek at his belly and then at her own and smiled.

Timberly: "So... are you... are we... how do I say this... will you have my baby?"

Erik: "Huh? Ah that... no sorry, I already have enough daughters"

Timberly was sad: "Why? you had Inky's daughter..."

Erik: "Yeah, I love Inky"

Timberly: "And me?"

Erik sighed: "...sorry, I like you but...-"

Timberly interrupted him: "But not in the way as Inky and Sarah... hmm it's fine, I get it... I will still have yours though!" storming out of the shower.

Erik sighed and finished showering, the probability of a proper insemination between species that were so different was almost null but not zero. As Inky had proved by consuming his DNA until she was able to get pregnant, though Timberly should still be far from that.

Erik then went to the armory and scanned his body, his body was mutating in undesirable ways for him as the huge amount of refined DNA was still inside him.

Erik: "Let's see the scan... not pregnant that's good, now a list of expected changes... thicker scrotum with more blood circulation and cartilage covering... that's fine, fixes a weak point... more flexible articulations... good too... slimy skin... erase..."

At that moment Sarah walked in, surprised at seeing Erik seated there, almost naked as just a towel covered his crotch.

Sarah: "...Are you... fine?"

Erik: "Hm? Ah this... yeah it was kinda urgent you see ugh!" one of his teeth fell as a sharp shark like teeth started to emerge "shit..."

Sarah got closer and raised Erik's chin worriedly as she examined his face: "Too much octopeople DNA I right?... get on the pod, and I will program the editor injectors"

Erik nodded and got inside, putting on a breathing mask and closing the tube as it filled with sterile fluid.

Sarah sat on the chair and looked at the scan: "You are... quite dilated... Timberly I presume?" she shook her head as she got a slight boner "I mean... I saw her once too... Rose showed it to me so I... I spy on her sometimes so I get it... but isn't it scary in the end too... so" she looked at Erik to see him smiling and pointing at the monitor "R-right you are in a hurry sorry..." Sarah got serious again "Let's see.. you already approved the first detected changes... change in the lining of the intestines to generate... nope, internal mucus generation would mess with gut bacteria, what else... uterus and ass dilation revert... organ elasticity... that can pass, hm? organ conflict detected? amphibian respiratory system..." she clicked on it "expected to develop a third lung capable of breathing in water through tubes on the neck..." she looked at Erik "Erase or leave?"

Erik pondered for a moment and nodded, if he didn't use both sets of lungs at the same time his thoracic space should be enough.

Sarah: "Alright, then... development of an egg sack new organ besides the uterus... and aphrodisiac venom in the sperm fluids...yikes..." She looked at Erik with a raised eyebrow "wanna keep this?"

Erik shook his head, he didn't wanna spray eggs or aphrodisiac out of his dick.

Sarah was relieved: "Alright revert those... teeth revert... poisonous sweat and saliva... erase too, that should be most of it... oh, wait olfactive system revert that too... you need to smell in the air, not in the water... that would confuse the brain too much, well that should be enough...., I will keep making the invisibility potions while you mutate back" starting the program as she stood up.

A robotic arm injected a serum inside different parts of his body as Erik fell asleep.

In the control room, Timberly suddenly appeared next to Rose naked.

Timberly: "Surprised you~?"

Rose continued focused on the controls of the submarine: "Haha... not really, what do you want? I'm a bit busy"

Timberly noticed the eyes of other octopeople in the room looking scared and smiled slightly but then got sad again. She bent down and spoke to Rose's ear.

Timberly: "I wanna be able to have Erik's baby... am I pregnant or whatever humans call it?"

Rose turned slightly and scanned her belly with a scanner coming out of her left hand: "No, you are not"

Timberly was sad: "But how? he came inside me?!"

Rose: "I know... well you see, the thick gelatinous wall of your eggs ain't compatible with human sperm fecundation..., you would at least need to add different genes to add micropyle holes like fish eggs have... or to use artificial fecundation, human sperm can't go through the thick mucus layer of your eggs"

Timberly: "Hmm... so how did Inky get pregnant?"

Rose: "Well, by eating human DNA the walls of her eggs became thin and compatible with human sperm, as well as her uterus adapting to become bigger as instead of lots of small babies, single well developed babies would be born instead".

Timberly was hopeful: "I wanna have that too then!"

Rose stopped her patting her abs: "Aren't you the main remaining procreator of your species?" looking at Timberly in the eyes "If you do this you might not be able to have external fertilization"

Timberly: "I've already created enough octopeople descendants, I think making some... what did he call it... Atlanteans, would be good, they will be the future leaders of our society quite possibly, and my descendants will be part of that too, you are smart anyway, right? I'm sure you can find the most viable way"

Rose smiled as she shook her head: "Alright, I shall help you then, I will raise some cultures of human DNA tailored to your needs so you can mutate extra fast, how do you wanna eat it?"

Timberly: "Hmm, a smoothie is fine"

Rose: "It's decided then, I will prepare some DNA batches to create a separate humanlike uterus beside your egg sack, and add micropyle holes tailored to the size of human and octopeople sperm to your eggs... now if you will excuse me... I have to pilot this submarine through a dangerous abyss, and you... need to put on some clothes, and go clean your room~ right? go to your room in some hours I will add a fridge with smoothies inside"

Timberly scratched her head as her fingers went through her hair tentacles, and went away by turning invisible again, giggling to herself "Hehe ~ guess I have to make the most of time then..."

Back at the armoury Jennifer came in to help Sarah.

Jennifer: "Did you start on the potions again? Let me help- huh?" she then noticed Erik floating on a tube "What happened to Erik?"

Sarah sighed slightly embarrassed: "Your sister happened..."

Jennifer: "My sister... ahh... Timberly, I understand... she really took her in?"

Sarah nodded as her face reddened slightly.

Jennifer: "Hmm sigh... Timberly is quite obsessive with things sometimes... hopefully, she will forget..." she massaged her forehead "Hah! Who am I kidding she won't..."

Sarah: "Hmm that's concerning, this time she... stretched Erik quite a bit..."

Jennifer: "If only Megan was around..., she knows how to deal with Timberly... oh well, no use worrying needlessly, let's start"

Sarah nodded as they readied the equipment.

Jennifer and Sarah got to work on the invisibility potions, carefully measuring and mixing the refined DNA along with the flavorings to make them more palatable. They worked in comfortable silence for a while, their familiarity with the process making the task routine.

After some time, Jennifer glanced over at the tube where Erik was resting: "So what exactly happened to Erik? I don't think I've ever seen him inside those tubes for so long"

Sarah cleared her throat awkwardly: "Well, I had to reverse some of the more extreme physical changes that were starting to happen. Things like developing egg sacs and even secreting aphrodisiac venom."

Jennifer's eyes widened in surprise: "Timberly really went all out this time, sigh..." She shook her head in exasperation. "That girl... she has no self-control, although Erik also should have known better, even if it looks fun, only Megan can take Timberly repeatedly"

Sarah agreed. "At least I was able to stop the changes before they got too out of hand. Erik will be back to normal in some more hours. Thankfully, his body is extremely sturdy by now... and well, not all the changes were bad after all"

Jennifer: "Well that's good then, Timberly is the strongest of us after all, so her genes are the best among us after all"

Sarah: "What about your parents, they were much bigger than you guys for what I was told?"

Jennifer: "Well indeed, at least three times the size of Timberly or more, we were kids so its hard to remember... but without eating leviathans and experiencing the abyssal depths with our bodies, it will be hard to reach those sizes... not like we need to anymore though" pointing around them "now we can rely on Technology instead of size and numbers, I'm fine with my current size"

Just then, the door to the armory slid open, and Timberly poked her head in, looking around furtively. "Is Erik awake yet?"

Jennifer shot her sister an unamused glare. "Timberly, he will need more rest, go somewhere else"

Timberly pouted. "I just want to check on him! I promise I won't do anything..." She inched further into the room, eyeing the tube anxiously.

Sarah stepped between Timberly and the containment unit. "I'm sorry, Timberly, but Erik needs to rest. Why don't you go back to your room for now? I'll let you know when he's feeling better."

Timberly's face fell, but she reluctantly nodded and slunk back out of the armory, muttering under her breath.

But then the door opened revealing an empty hallway.

Sarah: "We know you are using your invisibility, just let Erik rest, it will just take some hours"

Timberly then materialized naked in front of Sarah, looking at her up and down.

Timberly: "Does... Erik love you?"

Sarah was taken aback but she nodded: "Of course, and I love him"

Timberly nodded: "Are you gonna have his kids too?"

Sarah blushed: "Well, I didn't wanna tell anybody but... I'm actually pregnant, I inseminated myself some time ago with his sperm"

Jennifer: "Shouldn't you tell him? How did you get the sperm?"

Sarah: "Well, Rose and... yeah I will tell him later"

Timberly took a deep breath and calmed down, looking determined: "I thought... I should let you know, Erik doesn't feel the same but... I think I love him too... and I wanna have his kids too" disappearing right there as the door of the armoury opened again.

Sarah and Jennifer stood there dumbfounded for a moment.

Jennifer sighed heavily. "I swear, that girl... her purpose is impregnating others and now she wants to get pregnant herself... what's gotten onto her, she's never been like this before..."

Sarah nodded in agreement: "I guess it's love? but judging how Erik didn't get pregnant after all of that... it will be a while until she could get pregnant at least..."

Jennifer nodded: "hopefully she won't do anything drastic, we depend on her to sire our strongest warriors, we can't let her suddenly go off rails without a substitute to be the main impregnator of the tribe"

Sarah: "What about Shana? She appears on Erik's logs as quite strong"

Jennifer nodded: "She is indeed strong and deadly, but her interest in reproduction is almost null, she's only worried about safety and hunting, keeping everyone safe..." she shook her head "She doesn't know how to relax sigh..."

Sarah: "Then... what about you?"

Jennifer blushed: "W-well I'm average I guess? My offspring wouldn't be strong warriors..."

Sarah was amused by her embarrassed reaction and patted her shoulder with a smile: "Well, I'm sure we will figure it out" turning around and going back to her table.

Jennifer glanced at Sarah from behind as she muttered to herself "What about me huh..." a tent started to appear on her clothes but she soon exhaled and calmed her mind "I guess I could give it a try too sometime...".

They both returned to their work, hoping Erik would recover quickly from Timberly's antics.

-- Back at the base --

Crabina was extremely bored, she had gotten top marks, but without her dad to praise her it felt like an empty achievement. Aunty Megan and Shana were at the base, and Anhuka too, but she missed Erik the most.

Just then a knock was heard on the door of her room.

Anhuka: "Crabina come out, your friends came to pick you up!"

Crabina exited her room and ran past Anhuka as she bolted for the door, and opened it, at the other side were Brekta the ex-bully girl descendant of Timberly, Shukua the shy scout girl who liked reading, Nhasa the orphan hunter girl, Ekty Brekta's hunter caste lackey, and finally Vickthy the class chatterbox.

Brekta and Crabina had become friends after Crabina won the hunting contest.

Brekta stepped forward: "Sup Crabina, what do you wanna do today?"

Crabina pondered as her pincers clacked and her right hand massaged her chin: "What about going to check the cliff?"

Shukua: "But.. the cliff is off-limits, is the fourth Elder finds us we would be in trouble... it's also dangerous... why don't we watch a movie?"

Crabina: "Nah, I wanna do something fun today, besides.. I'm sure Aunty Shana won't mind as long as we come back safely so-"

At that moment the voice of Rose was heard all around the base.

Rose: *Come to the plaza everybody, I have an announcement*

Anhuka then came from behind Crabina, she had been cooking in their personal kitchen, as now most rooms at the base had been refurbished to be similar to futuristic city apartments.

Anhuka: "Let's go girls" grabbing Crabina's hand and dragging her along as the others looked at each other and followed along.

At the base plaza which was now much bigger, waited all the octopeople along with the leaders of the crab people.

Crabina looked around and saw Thanya, Trebetuk's daughter, and her fiancee Alkban amongst the crab men and waved at her, causing Thanya to smile and wave back at her.

A bot then walked to the middle of the plaza as spotlights centered on it from the ceiling.

Bot (Rose): *I have important news to announce that were delayed until now due to the renovations, Sarah the human recovered perfectly and.. is now pregnant with Erik's daughter too, as for Erik and Inky their daughters are growing up nicely after the successful births of two daughters by Erik and three by Inky, their names are as follows... Zoey and Eirene birthed by Erik, and Ana, Elena, and Maria birthed by Inky. Everyone is safe, for more details, you can all read a detailed report on the base's network media, that's all, end of the report* and walked off as the lights dimmed again.

Crabina noticed that Anhuka was holding her hand way too tightly.

Crabina: "Mommy? Are you okay?"

Anhuka: "Yeah... I'm okay sweety, I'm... okay...." releasing Crabina's hand "Go play with your friends, mommy needs to go somewhere..." turning around and going away.

Crabina: "Okay.." she turned to her friends and shrugged "I guess we can go now"

-- Beritkan's Laboratory, previous greenhouse --

Beritkan was listening to a recorded lecture on genetics when suddenly Anhuka stormed in.

Anhuka: "Old man I need your help!"

Beritkan sighed: "Old man... by human standards, I now look like someone in his forties... sigh... anyways, what is it?"

Anhuka: "THAT, HUMAN STANDARDS... I wanna look beautiful by human standards"

Beritkan lifted his eyebrow: "What's gotten into you?"

Anhuka: "You didn't go to the plaza since you like your solitude, but they announced that Erik and Inky had each other's daughters, not only that but I have more competition now... I can't be left behind"

Beritkan shrugged: "Well why don't you ask Rose for help, why me?"

Anhuka: "Hmm she's also a woman right? why would she help the competition? I certainly wouldn't and she seems too friendly with Erik..."

Beritkan: "You are projecting your own insecurities on others but... sure, I will help"

Anhuka: "Really?"

Beritkan: "Sure, why would I reject a willing test subject~" he pointed to a metallic table to the side that was designed for crab people's anatomy "Just lay down there for now" patting the table "So many memories... well, let's get started"

Anhuka laid down with some difficulty as her lower body was quite big.

Beritkan walked around her: "Well, you are a crab woman and octopeople hybrid so are way more humanoid looking than I was when I started... first we will induce human DNA mutations and then we will correct anything necessary" pointing to a gene-editing huge pod on a corner.

Anhuka: "Aren't those the same from the infirmary? when did you get one?"

Beritkan: "I got this one made by Rose just last week, XXL sized for bigger creatures~"

Anhuka: "Do you even know how to use that?"

Beritkan rolled his eyes: "of course, I watched all the training videos"

Anhuka: "That doesn't-" but Beritkan shut her off.

Beritkan: "pa pa pa... you came to me for help, and the alternative would be extensive surgery like I did to myself after every mutation, so yeah I do recommend the gene editing pod instead"

Anhuka nodded: "Okay, let's start then"

Beritkan nodded and handed her a big two liter flask full of a gray liquid: "Now down in one go"

Anhuka: "What... is this?"

Beritkan: "Human DNA mixed with the DNA of creatures eaten by Erik before that I could get access to like the armorlisk, and creatures with desirable features like the smooth skin of a pigfish, and since its abundant, octopeople DNA from discarded eggs, a dozen of these bottles and you will be more and more humanoid"

Anhuka nodded and chugged the entire contents of the bottle: "Ugh, I feel sick..."

Beritkan: "That's a good sign, your body is starting to arrange the mutations" he handed her another bottle "The quicker the better, drink this one too"

Anhuka: "okay... urgh!"

-- Cliff Area near the elevator --

Crabina and her friends had arrived at the cliff past the sand dunes in front of their base that now held the crab people's base underground.

The endless blue waters extended in front of them as they could see the sun's rays coming from the surface, as cold currents of water rocked them back and forth like a breeze, and below the cliff an infinite darkness.

Shukua looked down and felt scared, holding Crabina's left hand: "You all saw it already, right? let's go back..."

Brekta: "Hah, are you scared?" she was now friends with Crabina, but she still didn't like the shy scout girl, she was too tiny and weak.

Shukua quickly nodded: "Yes, extremely scared, my instincts are telling me that darkness is dangerous"

Nhasa swam over the cliff and looked down: "Looks fine to me... though the ascending currents are a bit annoying"

Vickthy: "Nothing to worry about guys, the fifth Elder, Erik installed living barriers" she pointed at a nearby metallic structure "and Rose installed automated defenses around the base, we are safe right now, so let's just enjoy a snack" she pulled out strips of meat wrapped in algae from her backpack "My progenitors prepared some snacks for all of us"

They all took one and started eating.

Crabina patted Shukua's back: "Do you feel better now?"

Shukua munched slowly and nodded, but just as she was about to answer, the metallic structure beside them moved and pointed at the cliff.

Crabina: "Get behind me!"

Crabina took out her spear and knife Anhuka had given her each on one hand, while her pincers opened ready to strike.

Suddenly a black deformed tentacle held to the top of the cliff, as a dark blob pushed itself up, full of eyes and parts from different creatures, as well as glowing mushroom-like structures, giving it an eerie green glow.

Shukua: "I knew I was right, we shouldn't have come here" starting to cry *sob* *sob* *sob*

Crabina: "Not now Shukua... I don't think we can fight that..."

Suddenly a voice was heard behind them: *And you don't need to*

They turned around to see a dozen bots, with one of them stepping forward.

Bot (Rose): *Get behind us girls*

The children quickly obeyed as they observed the horrifying black mass getting closer, and in the next instant, a harpoon with a metal cable connected to it shot out of the metallic structure and hit the blob, followed by an explosion of bubbles and light as the creature was vaporized with a discharge of electricity.

One bot then turned around and looked at Crabina: *Now... let's go back to base girls*

Crabina: "W-what was that auntie Rose?"

Bot(Rose): *Can you girls keep a secret?* all the girls nodded *Well, it seems to be the parasitic army from an underwater monster that seems to be obsessed with attacking us, but I can deal with them, no need to panic*

Nhasa: "What about the shadow claw city down below?"

Crabina nodded: "Yeah, the parents of my friend Thanya are still down there"

Bot(Rose): *No need to worry, I'm taking care of that too, an army of my own with bigger bots is on its way, that way nothing will be able to even touch the cliff wall without me knowing... also I plan to move all of those essential personnel to the crab people base this week, the renovations and expansions are already completed after all*

The kids didn't understand completely, but they felt relieved an adult was handling the problem already.

Bot(Rose): *now now, let's get back to base~*

-- Beritkan's Laboratory, previous greenhouse --

Anhuka was twitching in extreme pain as dozens of mutations were happening to her body at the same time, most noticeably her skin became smoother and her exoskeleton broke into scales, as her lower thorax got smaller and smaller along with her organs, while her upper humanoid body grew in size, developing a humanoid bone structure as the organs were slowly pushed inside, and she finally passed out.

Beritkan on the other hand, was happily whistling by the side as he observed the changes: "Twenty bottles... can't wait to see what she becomes~" a scanner on his right hand constantly scanning Anhuka and recording the changes.