An Out of This World Transformation

An Out of This World Transformation

“Hey, are you OK?” I shouted at the person laying near the running path.

The person didn’t answer so I stopped. Jogging backward, I went back. I took out my earbuds and bent over the figure lying face down on the ground. “Did you fall?” I asked.

The figure didn’t move but moaned a little. I looked closer and saw that it was one of the women from the neighborhood. I didn’t want to touch her because all the medical shows say you shouldn’t move a wounded person. I’m not a doctor but the person looked hurt pretty bad. “Hold on,” I said reaching for my smartwatch, “I’ll call for help.”

At the mention of me calling for help, she reached out her hand and covered my watch with her hand. “No,” She croaked, “I’m fine. I just need to get home.”

I was not convinced. I tried to remove her hand and call for help but her grip only tightened. the sun was just cresting the nearby mountain. With the additional light, I could see that her clothes were covered in mud as though she had been crawling and her ankle looked to be swelling. “Were you assaulted?” I exclaimed.

“Yes,” The woman’s voice stabilized and she seemed to be gaining strength by the minute, “I beat them off. I just really need to get home.”

The word “THEM” filled me with dread. I looked around to make sure, “THEY” weren’t still nearby. Maybe I had seen too many movies but this scene had trapwritten all over it.

“OK,” I said helping her to sit, “I’ll help you get home.”

“Don’t worry, Mark,” Her tone turned cold, “Those guys won’t be mugging anyone, ever, again.”

“How do you know my name?” I asked.

“You said it earlier,” she answered almost before I ask the question.

I had not. I was sure I hadn’t, and I would’ve argued the point but let it go as she was hurt. She was also lovely beyond words. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, a subtle nose, and heart-shaped lips. Her face was angular, smooth, and flawless as though it had been created by a computer AI.

She’s gorgeous, I thought. “Thank you,” she said out of nowhere, “but I really need to get home.”

I helped her to stand. We started walking, her leaning heavily on me. She seemed to wince with every step. “I’m just over her,” She said through gritted teeth, “The blue house.”

“Blue’s my favorite color,” I said, just to have something to say.

“Good to know,” she whispered.

We started to cross the street. Halfway across, her strength seemed to fail and she collapsed into me. Much to my surprise I was able to simply scoop her up. She seemed to weigh only about half what I would’ve expected.

“My hero,” She mumbled and pressed her head to my chest.

I carried her to the front door. This is so bizarre, I thought, I mean, I don’t even know her name. How the hell am I going to get her inside?

“The door code is 1955,” She motioned to the doorknob, “And you may call me Delphina. You would not be able to say my real name.”

I entered the code and then the house. The place was spartan. There was a couch, a coffee table, and a big-screen TV on one wall. Where should I put her, I thought.

“The couch,” Delphina caught, “please hurry. The pain is getting worse.”

I laid her down as gently as I could. It was then I noticed a small trickle of a blood-like fluid coming from the corner of her mouth. The strange thing was the blood, if it was blood, was not dark red but bright purple.

“What the hell?” I thought out loud.

“Mark,” She said then tried to take a deep breath, “help me.”

Her hand was resting on a keypad set into the arm of the couch. I didn’t recognize any of the symbols on the pad. Suddenly a series of symbols appeared in my head. They repeated twice and then they were gone. I tried to remember the code. I was certain of which symbols to use I just wasn’t sure of the sequence. Delphina seemed to stop breathing. I panicked and just started pressing buttons. The keypad turned green. I stood. OMG, what have I done? I thought as a blinding light enveloped her. I took several steps back, right into the coffee table. I lost my balance and came down hard. I heard wood splintering and then everything went black.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

I opened my eyes to find myself staring at the ceiling. I heard something that sounded like dolphins, and so I looked in that direction. Delphina was standing in front of the TV talking to someone. Sensing me looking at her, she quickly saluted and turned off the TV.

I simply stared at Delphina. She was almost the same as before but with a few differences. She was now only four feet tall, had pointed ears like an Elf or Vulcan, her skin was a pail blue and her eyes and lips were a deep purple.

“You owe me a new coffee table,” Delphina said sarcastically.

“Who? What? How?” I stuttered.

“Who’s on first,” she held up one finger, “What’s on second,” She held up another finger, “and I think, How, was one of the outfielders,” she walked over, sat down on my stomach, and poked me in the chest, “but you can’t remember.”

Dozens of questions went through my mind at that point. Delphina closed her eyes and held up a hand. “No, you’re not dreaming. Yes, I am an Alien. No, we are not here to take over. We’re just here to observe. Yes, I know you like me and that’s good,” She leaned in closer to my face, “because I like you too.”

I opened my mouth, “I can read minds,” She answered before I could ask, “I have been reading your mind for the last hour and I really liked what I saw.”

Delphina then kissed me on the lips. “That’s for starting the regeneration chamber,” said looking sheepish. “Turns out, I was more hurt than I thought.” She then bopped me playfully on the forehead, “And that’s for getting the sequence wrong and returning me to my Delphazoid form instead of my Earth one.”

“How does…” I started to say before she cut me off.

“By repairing, and or replacing cells that don’t fit the DNA profile on file.” Delphina smirked before going on, “The sequence you put in told the machine to repair my body but also to change me back into a Delphazoid.”

I thought. She smiled and then took my hand, “I prefer myself this way as well. Blues is my favorite color too,” Delphina added looking at her sky-blue arm and bright blue fingernails.

I had a stray thought and she beamed. “Yes, Mark. It can make you a woman.”

“What?” I was able to ask before Delphina cut me off.

She tapped a few buttons on her smartwatch and a hologram of her Earth form appeared. “At first, I thought you were like most men on this planet. I thought you only desire this form for mating. But after a deeper dive into your mind, I now know you don’t want her. You want to be her.”

I didn’t see the point of lying, “more than anything.”

“Good,” Delphina said taking my hand, “Because I designed this form based on my own personal preferences and desires.” She sat up straighter and then giggled, “You’re about to become my ideal Earth woman.”

“I am,” I asked.

Delphina stood and I moved to the couch.

“Wait…” I asked propping myself up on one arm.

“What about a name?” Delphina finished for me. “How about Terra.”

I shook my head no. She let me think. When I thought of the name she liked, she gave me a thumbs up. “I can call you Cal, or Callie,” Delphina remarked as she started hitting buttons.

I closed my eyes. I was surrounded by light. My entire body began to tingle as the cells were changed and rearranged. After what seemed like only minutes, I heard a computer voice announce something in squeaks and squawks.

Delphina’s face appeared as my eyes came into focus. Then she offered me her hand. I stood on unsteady feet. She was almost more excited than I was. She helped me walk over to the blank TV screen so I could see all of my new body. After several minutes she asked, “how are you feeling, Calypso?”

I began to weep. Delphina, sensing my delight began to cry too. “It’s OK, sweetie,” she cooed, “You’re in the right body now.”