Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business LMB Onevision: I Was a Teenage Gill-Man!

BZZZZZZZZ-SLAP!

“Damn bugs…” Dr. Tnarkiv Nall grumbled as he slapped a mosquito that had decided to make a meal of the back of his neck.

The humid air of the Adavi basin was swarming with the insects, zipping through the air like a blood sucking cloud. The other passengers on the riverboat did not seem to mind the nuisance though, continuing with their incessant chattering or obnoxious snoring. He sighed as he watched the endless procession of mangrove trees pass by along the riverbank. It was hot, humid, and every creature was looking to make its next meal of you. Luckily, he had the advantage of safety in numbers should any beasts come looking for a midnight snack here.

“Would you like some insect repellent, young man? You don’t appear to have any on.” an elderly Asian man said, noticing him incessantly swatting at the air.

“Yes, please.” Tnarkiv said, quickly grabbing the small vial and spraying it on his arms and neck. “Thanks, Mr…?”

“Imura. Dr. Takeshi Imura.” the man said as he shook his hand. “I noticed your ID badge. I assume that you’re heading to the Corman research station too?"

“It’s my first time meeting him..” Tnarkiv said nodding. “Hell, it’s my first time coming down here.”

“Looks like we have something in common then.” Dr. Imura said with a reassuring smile.

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud blare of a foghorn from the top of the riverboat, sending birds scattering from the trees around them. The two weary travelers looked up to see the boat approaching the shore. As the boat began to slowly reach land, the curtain of trees pulled away to reveal a bustling riverside town. The buildings were an odd goulash of architecture, a marriage of wood and stone structures embellished with electric doors and generators to supply power. The muddy streets were narrow and bursting with villagers bustling between the alley ways the squeezed between the various homes and shops. Dim lanterns illuminated the roads, providing quaint light against the setting sun.

“I guess this is our stop.” Dr. Imura remarked as the ship pulled up to the old wooden dock. The planks seemed to creak under their weight as they stepped off, making Tnarkiv fear that they would fall through into the murky water any second. As the crewmen handed them their luggage, they were immediately drowned by a sea of merchants trying to sell their wares.

“Muthi root paste for your skin? It will make you very handsome!”

“Could I offer you some fine silk? Very cheap and good quality!”

“100 credits for fresh water!”

“We’re not interested!” Dr. Imura shouted, pushing away the vendors like they were a flock of seagulls at the beach. “They’re like vultures here. If you’re not careful, you’ll leave here penniless without a clue as to what you just spent all your money on..”

“I’ll make a note of that.” Tnarkiv said laughing. “Do you know what Dr. Corman looks like? I believe his communication said that he would be meeting us here.”

At just that moment, his question was answered in the form of a loud honk from a jeep speeding toward the dock from deep within the swamp. Mud splashed on the rabid vendors, sending them away with an onslaught of groans and expletives.

“Looks like I arrived right on time!” the driver said with manic glee as he pulled out a pocket watch from his suit pocket. “And Reed said I wouldn’t make it here till after sundown!”

The man was tall and lanky, a skeleton draped over with a thin sheet of skin which clung tightly to his bones. His wrinkled face betrayed his age, suggesting a man in his late 70’s to early 80’s. His wispy white hair was combed to the side and hung limply over his thick glasses. In contrast to the rest of the villagers and even Nostalgia Lad and Dr. Imura, he was dressed in an old tweed suit, which was no doubt covered in sweat from the tropical swelter.

“Oh, where are my manners?” the old man said with embarrassment as he held out his hand. “Dr. Lloyd Corman at your service. Welcome to the Adavi rainforest.”

Interested to see where this goes! Jungles always interest me especially if there are ancient ruins inside!

“I trust you had a good trip? I imagine this summer heatwave can be pretty brutal on newcomers.” Dr. Corman said as he and a few villagers helped load their luggage into his jeep.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Corman. I have experience living in places like this.” Tnarkiv responded, recalling the sweltering summers of his youth in Legionopolis

“Well, I don't!” Dr. Imura said with exhaustion as he fanned himself with his fedora. “How long does it take to adapt to this heat? It’s killing me!”

“A few days, give or take a few weeks.” Dr. Corman replied nonchalantly.

“Er, don’t you mean that the other way around?”

“Mean what?” Dr. Corman said in confusion.

“The days..and the weeks…oh,never mind.” Dr. Imura said shaking his head. “How far is the station from here?”

“About 5 miles into the heart of the jungle. We should be able to make it there by sundown if the weather doesn’t rain on our parade.” Dr. Corman said eyeing his pocket watch. “Now fasten your seat belts. This is going to be a bumpy ride!”

“What do y-“ Dr. Imura asked before the impact of the jeep accelerating forward sent him flying back in his seat.

————————————————————————————————

As they ventured deeper into the jungle, the dirt path quickly gave way to a muddy trail of swamp water and grime. The combination of the mud sloshing underneath the jeep’s wheels and the incessant buzzing of mosquitos was enough to drive anyone insane.

“So Doc, what’s all the commotion about? My boss said that you were on top of something huge out here, but didn’t give me any details on what it was.” Tnarkiv asked as he munched on a turkey sandwich he had packed in his backpack.

“It’a secret, my boy.” Dr. Corman said with a sly wink. “You’ll see when we get there….which should be right about now!”

With a sudden jerk of the wheel, he sent the jeep in a sharp drift, nearly sending the car careening and the passengers tumbling in their seats before coming to an abrupt stop.

“What the hell was that, Doc?! You nearly got us killed!” Tnarkiv shouted as he struggled to get out from underneath Dr. Imura who had somehow landed on top of him.

“Sorry about that, my friends. It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the wheel.” he responded nonchalantly, flipping his fedora back on his head. “We’ve arrived at our destination. Welcome to our humble abode.”

Tnarkiv and Dr. Imura peeked out form behind Dr. Corman’s stretched out arms to get a better look at the research outpost. To say they would be roughing it would be an understatement. The “station” was more akin to a modest campsite rather than a multi-million credit scientific research station. A smattering of battered tents littered the muddy rainforest floor between the towering Kapok trees. Dimly shining oil maps hung over the campsite from the low-lying tree branches perched perilously over the tents. In the center of the campsite, was one massive tent, nearly five times the size of the others. A large satellite dish shot out from the top of the tent, pulsating with a strange blue aura and buzzed incessantly.

“Looks like you’re keeping things…er…old school, Doc.” Tnarkiv said with a wince, trying his best mask his disappointment in the site.

“The university’s been rather stingy with funding as of late. In fact, I had to fight just to get toilet paper for th-Great Scott! I’m late!” Dr. Corman said with a sudden jolt of shock as he fuddled with his pocket watch. “I’m sorry, but I have to run, gentleman. I’ll explain more later!”

With that, he ran off deep into the campsite, leaving the two men alone with their belongings.

“I don’t know about you, but I could really use a shower.” Dr. Imura gasped as he wiped away sweat from under his thick mustache. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

He picked up his belongings and ventured into the campsite to find his tent, leaving Tnarkiv alone as the jungle rustled around him in the evening breeze.

Dr. Corman is quite a character. This promises to be an interesting excursion Stalgie! Looking forward to what comes next.

Glad you're liking it, Ibby! There's more shenanigans with Dr. Corman to come!

Tnarkiv wasn’t one to raise an eyebrow at most things at life, but something about the whole setup felt a bit “off” to him. Perhaps it was the fact that Dr. Corman had sent him the invite directly to his personal communication link rather than though the institute’s direct invoicing system. Perhaps it was the fact this research site was miles from the nearest sign of civilization. In giving in to his usual dismissal of anything that would be more work for him, he shrugged off his doubts and resumed his search for his tent.

His tent was located near the back of the camp, a few yards from the large tent that stood at the center of the camp. As he passed by it, the strange buzzing began to grow louder, sending a dull vibration through his entire body. He shuddered and entered his tent. He was pleasantly surprised to find that his living accommodations were much more comfortable than he had initially been led to believe. A modest yet sturdy wooden bed stood in the center of the tent, flanked by a bedside stand to its left and a wooden chair to its left. A lone oil lamp perched over the bed, illuminating the rest of the tent with a faint haze.

“Now that’s more like it.” Tnarkiv said with a grin of elated satisfaction.

“I’ll say!” a voice chipped up from behind him.

“Woah!” Tnarkiv excalimed, jumping around to see the stranger behind him. “Who are you?”

“Blimey, my apologies! I forgot to introduce myself! The name’s Marty…Marty Schultz.” the man said shaking his hand. He was a young man, around Tnarkiv’s age if not slightly older. He had a shaggy mop of blonde hair on his head and a thin beard pencilled on his sharp chin.

“Nice to meet you…Marty.” Tnarkiv said with confusion. “Are you my tent mate or something?”

“Not at all, chap. My tent’s just next door to yours. I was just here looking to welcome you to the Corman camp, but it seems I…er…beat you here. Sorry about that again. I promise I wasn’t snooping!” he said wincing in embarrassment.

“Ah, no worries. Since you’re keen on being part of the welcoming party, could you show me around a bit? I just got here and Dr. Corman ran off as soon as we arrived.” Tnarkiv said as he finished putting his bags down.

“I’d be more than delighted to, my friend.” Marty said grinning from ear to ear with excitement. “Follow me!”

As they stepped out of the tent, the sun had long since hidden behind the impenetrable forest canopy and it was pitch black in the jungle.

“Looks like we’ll be needing this.” Marty commented as he grabbed an oil lamp from his own tent. “I take it you haven’t seen the “main event”, have you?” he said as he gestured toward the large tent in the middle of the site.

“No, I haven’t. In fact, Dr. Corman never told me exactly why he called me here. Perhaps could you shed some light on what’s going on here?” Tnarkiv said, trying to gauge Marty’s response.

“Aha, he still doesn’t know! Looks like I finally get to be the one to unveil it!” Marty said to himself.

“Er, unveil what?” Tnarkiv said in confusion.

“You’ll see…” Marty said with a devilish grin as he lifted the flap to the central tent. “C’mon in!”

With a gulp, Tnarkiv nodded and followed his new friend, anxious to see what strange sights awaited him. The inside of the main tent was akin to mad scientist’s laboratory. Sparking transistors littered the outskirts of the tent, all connected together by a mess of wires that resembled a pile of writhing snakes. A circle of computers beeped and buzzed incessantly, constantly compiling and processing information faster than the eye could read it. However, what caught Tnarkiv’s eye was the strange glass capsule in the center of the tent, glowing blue from the light of the transistors. Inspect the case, Tnarkiv noticed a figure floating in front of him. As he stepped closer, he nearly fell back in shock as he saw what Dr. Corman had kept under wraps from him.

It was a tall, imposing creature that was nearly 7 feet tall. Murky green scales covered its entire body from its head to its webbed feet. Two inch jagged claws jutted out from his hands and feet, ready to slice anyone who dared disturb its slumber. Its face was grotesque amalgamation of fish and man, it’s eyes and mouth noticeably fish-like but its head shaped like that of a humanoid. Gills on the sides of its head ebbed and flowed as the water ran through the frills.



“Grife…is that…a Gill-Man?” Tnarkiv said in a mix of horror and fascination.

“That it is.” Marty said crossing his arms and grinning. “That it is, lad.”

Whoo! Excited to see where you take this Stalgie! I thought from the title that someone would be forcibly mutated!

“Marty, am I dreaming?!” Tnarkiv exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.

“If I pinched you, I don’t think you’d feel too swell, lad.” Marty said with a laugh. “It’s the real deal all right.”

“How is that possible? I thought the Gill-Man was just a myth!”

“You’re preaching the choir, my boy.” Dr. Corman’s voice laughed from behind the Gill-Man’s capsule. He stepped out from behind, dressed in a stained lab coat and thick goggles. “I was hoping to explain it to you tomorrow, but it appears Dr. Schultz beat me to it!”

“Doc, this is insane! How…where…when…?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow, but for now you need to get some rest. You’ve had a long journey today and your body could use a few hours of sleep.” Dr. Corman said pushing the two of them out of the tent and back into the sweltering jungle night.

As Tnarkiv returned to his tent, he couldn’t help feel that it was all still a dream, as the grotesque visage of the Gill-Man haunted him once he closed his eyes.

————————————————————————————————

The camp was abuzz with activity the next morning as Tnarkiv groggily awoke to the smell of meat sizzling in a frying pan just outside his tent.

Marty was waiting outside, flipping over sausage patties and eggs over a crackling fire pit.

“Breakfast?” he said holding out the pan with his usual overeager grin. “It’s fresh!”

“It’s delicious. I’m on my third helping!” Dr. Imura piped in from the side, sitting on a log next to Marty and wiping crumbs from his chin. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yeah, the bed was great.” Tnarkiv said as he pushed his hair from his eyes and rubbed his eyes. “Is Dr. Corman awake yet? I need to talk to him.”

“He’s in the lab right now.” Marty said, gesturing toward the central lab in the center of the camp. “You sure you don’t want breakfast before you go? It’s not fun working on an empty stomach.”

“I’ll be fine." Tnarkiv said as he threw on his faded lab coat and headed into the lab.

——————————————————————————————

Dr. Corman was hard at working adjusting the main transistors in the center of the room when Tnarkiv walked in. The lab seemed to be notably messier since last night as papers and journals littered the floor amidst the various computers. Dr. Corman himself looked noticeably disheveled as his hair was mattered like the gnarled jungle vines just outside the lab.

“Geez Doc, were you up all night?” Tnarkiv remarked as he stepped over the papers.

“Ah, good to see you my boy. I’m glad you’re here. We’re almost ready for the main event.” Dr. Corman said as his eyes lit up as he plugged in the last few wires into the main computer harddrive.

“You said you were going to tell me what the deal was with the Gill-Man, Doc! That’s not supposed to be real! You’ve got to be pulling my leg here.” Tnarkiv said shaking his head.

“Ah, but it’s as real as it gets! I’ve heard rumors of this fella’s existence down here for several months now, but I finally managed to capture him.”

“This is crazy…What do you plan on doing with him?"

"The university doubted me for years, but I’m finally a few steps closer to cracking the missing link in human evolution.” Dr. Corman said raising his finger in elation. “I may not have many believers left in the university, but I knew you would jump on my offer to come here. You still have the youthful hunger for discovery that all the others have lost."

“Doc, the "fish-man theory" was disproven decades ago!” Tnarkiv sighed as he shook his head in disbelief. “You’re going to be the laughing stock of the academic world of you publish this…and so will I!”

“Nonsense! This will bring me back to the top of scientific community.” he scoffed as he pulled out a helmet attached to a chair in front of him. “We’ll see who has the last laugh!”

“The program is all set up!” Dr. Imura shouted from across the lab, pulling a large lever on the computer. “Ready when you are, Doc!”

“Tnarkiv m’boy, you must aid me in this endeavor. We can change the world!” Dr. Corman said as he grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “All I need is for you to link minds with the creature.”

“Uh, I’m going to have to pass on that, Doc.” Tnarkiv said as he pushed Dr. Corman away. “This is mad-science territory!”

“I beg of you. Help an old man have one last shot at his dream. I would link minds with it myself, but I’m too old and Dr. Imura is too lily-livered to do it.” he said as he held out the helmet.

“I am not!” Dr. Imura said as he pouted in embarrassment.

Tnarkiv was quiet for a moment, pondering the choice he now had. Should he turn his back on Dr. Corman and return to the university? He had been working for years on trying to rise to the top of the department, but was constantly turned down for promotion. If he took the risk and took part in Dr. Corman’s crazy scheme, could he be just moments away from the greatest discovery in scientific history?

“Doc, hand me the vodka.” he said gesturing toward a bottle in the corner.

As he took a swig, he shuddered, feeling the alcohol burn his throat as it went down.

“Let’s do this, Doc.”

————————————————————————————————

“Are you ready, my boy?” Dr. Corman said with excitement as Dr. Imura fastened the other helmet to the Gill-Man’s head.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Tnarkiv responded, trembling with anxiety.

“The Gill-Man’s ready for linking, Doc. We are ready to engage the linkup.” Dr. Imura said.

“It’s showtime! Run the program, Mr. Imura!” Dr. Corman shouted with the zeal of a circus ringmaster. “Let’s make history!”

As Dr. Imura pulled the lever, bolts of lightning surged from the transistor and immediately lit the room in a display of blue and yellow light. The electricity began to travel through the wires and into the helmet. Tnarkiv could feel his head vibrate and his vision blur. Visions began to rapidly flash through Tnarkiv’s head, incomprehensible and gone as quickly as they had entered.

“What do you see?! Are any of its memories visible?” Dr. Corman shouted over the buzz of electricity.

“I see…stars….and a large fire in…the jungle.” Tnarkiv shouted as he strained to make sense of what he was seeing.

Suddenly, sparks began to erupt out of the central computer and smoke could be seen coming out of the hard drive. The transistors began to surge irregularly, sending pulsations across the room. The visions in his head began to meld and twist, like a fever dream that would never end,

“Dr. Corman, the program is malfunctioning! We have to get him out of there!” Dr. Imura shouted as he swatted the smoke away from him.

“You try to shut down the program!” Dr. Corman shouted back, suddenly realized how horribly the experiment had turned in an instant. “I’ll try to unhook him from the simulation.”

As he ran toward Tnarkiv, the computer exploded, sending him flying back and knocking him unconscious.

As he struggled to make use of his body, Tnarkiv used what little energy he had left to turn his eyes toward the Gill-Man. The creature was writhing in anguish and hissing in pain. The two locked eyes for just a moment before everything went black.

Yikes! This can't be good for poor Tnarkiv...

It only gets crazier from here!

“He’s dead…we have to notify the university of the casualty…”

“Let’s not be hasty! I think he…it might still have a little juice left!”

“Well, we should still call for…Wait, it’s moving!”

—————————————————————————————

Tnarkiv awoke with a throbbing sensation reverberating through his head, like a bad hangover after a night on the town. As he finally pried open his eyes, his gaze was met with the distorted faces of Dr. Imura and Dr. Corman through the Gill-Man’s glass case. Bubbles flooded the capsule as he gasped in horror at his situation and he failed to form words as only a gurgle of sound was emitted.

“What the sprock is going on!?” he thought to himself. “How did I get in here?”

As he raised his arm to bang on the glass, he recoiled in horror at the sight of his hand. His skin was covered in jagged green scales that glistened under the pale laboratory light. Long talons jutted from fingers and a thin membrane of skin covered the gap between his fingers. He hadn’t just traded minds with the Gill-Man: he had become him!



In a fit of panic, he began to bang on the glass capsule, cracking the case as water began to seep out.

“Quick! Sedate him before he breaks out!” Dr. Corman shouted.

Dr. Imura ran over to capsule and injected a large syringe into Tnarkiv’s neck. Within seconds, everything went black again.

———————————————————————————————

When he woke up again, he now found himself strapped to a large metallic lab table. Dr. Imura and Dr. Corman stood by his side, adjusting data in the badly burnt up computer.

“Doc, what-“

Before he could complete his sentence, he gasped and clutched his throat. Rather than his familiar voice, the words he emitted sounding like a mix of a guttural growl and an animalistic hiss.

“Easy, m’boy. It’s going to take a while for you to adjust to your new vocal chords.” Dr. Corman said as he puffed a cigar.

“D-doc, what the sprock happened? Why am I in the Gill-Man’s body? Where’s my body?! Is that monster running around in my skin?”

“Relax, Tnarkiv, If your heart rate gets too high, the sedative will begin to take effect and you’ll pass out again. I don’t think you want that to happen.” Dr. Imura said quietly, obviously somewhat terrified of being so close to a monster.

“No, but what I do want are answers. Namely why I’m stuck in the body of a fish-man!” Tnarkiv shouted as his gills flapped.

Dr. Corman sighed deeply, taking off his glasses for a moment and rubbing his brow. It was clear he was trying to present his words in the best way possible, though he knew that it wouldn’t be easy.

“The mainframe short-circuited in the middle of the mental transmission. When the mental transmission is active, the two consciouses exist in a sort of limbo state, a state of equilibrium between the two individuals in which each have equal access to the others thoughts and memories. However, there was a fatal error within the system and the program began to malfunction. As a safety mechanism, the program would automatically shunt the two consciouses into a body for protection.” Dr. Corman said quickly, taking a deep breath after finishing his long winded explanation.

“Wait, can’t we reactivate the program and swap the consciouses into the correct body?” Tnarkiv said with inspiration as he searched around the burnt out lab for his original body.

The two scientists looked at him for a moment in silence. Dr. Corman rubbed the back of his neck, obviously hiding something.

“Theoretically, that could work. Unfortunately, we would need the two bodies for the transfer and yours is…well…gone.” he said.

“Gone?! What do you mean gone?!” Tnarkiv roared, his gills standing up on end.

“When the fire broke out, your body was immediately caught in the explosion. Unfortunately, we had to make a choice: save your body or save your consciouses.”

“So I’m going to be stuck like this for the rest of my life. That’s great. That’s sprocking great…” Tnarkiv grumbled to himself.

“At least you survived.” Dr. Imura said, trying to console him. “Unfortunately, the Gill-Man’s consciousness was lost in the explosion so this who project is at a dead-end.”

“That makes me feel so much better.” he replied with sarcasm.

“Not quite a dead end, Dr. Imura.” Dr. Corman said from behind him. “Tnarkiv may still have some of the creature’s memories from before the transmission was broken.”

“All I remember was seeing stars and a fire in the jungle. I’m not sure what they mean though.” Tnarkiv said as he tried his best to remember what he had seen in his head.

“Maybe he should get some rest.” Dr. Imura said to Dr. Corman. “His mind could need some time to adapt to the new body before it’s able to process those foreign memories.”

“You may be on to something, Dr. Imura. In fact, we may all need a good night’s rest after what’s happened today.” Dr. Corman said as he shut down the computer system.”

“Where am I going to sleep now though? I’m way too big for the cot in my tent and I can’t stay on dry land forever.” Tnarkiv asked.

Dr. Imura turned and looked at the glass capsule the Gill-man had originally been held in.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…” Tnarkiv groaned as he was wheeled toward the capsule and dropped into the frigid waters.

“Sweet dreams.” Dr. Corman said as he and Dr. Imura began to leave the tent.

“You have terrible bedside manners, Doc.” Tnarkiv said rolling his eyes as floated in place.

“So I’ve been told.” he said with his classic jokester grin.

Yikes! I was expecting the body transfer, but didn't expect poor Tnarkiv's body to be destroyed. How is he ever going to get back to normal?

I'm on the edge of my seat!

Tnarkiv was awoken the next morning by the sound of Dr. Corman tapping on the glass.

“What time is it?” he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes with is webbed hands. “It’s too early to be awake…”

“It’s actually 12 P.M! You slept straight breakfast and lunch.” Dr. Corman replied with a jovial laugh. “Your mind must still be adjusting to the creature’s natural circadian rhythms.”

“This is like jet lag on a whole new level.”

“I suppose that’s an apt analogy.” Dr. Corman said scratching his chin. “Anyway, I woke up this morning a brilliant idea that came to me in my sleep last night."

“And just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better…” Tnarkiv said rolling his eyes.

“You’ll be interested in what I have to say.” Dr. Corman as he untangled a new set of wires and plugged them into the main computer.

“If it doesn’t involve an extra large strawberry milkshake or me getting my old body back, I highly doubt that.” Tnarkiv scoffed.

“What if I told you I may have a way to help you retrieve the creature’s memories from your subconscious?”

“Considering that fits neither of those two options, I’ll pass on that.” Tnarkiv joked as Dr. Imura helped him climb out of the capsule.

“Sheesh, you got some plankton in your gills? You’re in a bad mood this morning.” a familiar voice piped in from entrance to the tent.

Tnarkiv turned his head to see Marty standing off to the side helping Dr. Imura bring in some new equipment.

‘Marty? What are you doing here?”

“The Doc told me about what happened to you and figured I could be of assistance.” he said between chewing on a piece of tobacco.

“Help how?”

“I’m a bit of a hologram expert, if I say so myself.” he said beaming with pride. “I was able to whip up this little number before I hit the sack last night.”

He pulled out a small device from his pocket and placed it down on the lab table in front of the capsule. It was shiny and metallic, with a single screen at the center. Below the screen were several glowing buttons that read “ON/OFF, REPLACE and SCAN”.

“What exactly is that?” Tnarkiv said in confusion.

“Blimey, you mean to say you’ve never seen an image inducer before.” Marty said in shock. “I thought these were commonplace in Legionopolis.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever needed one when I looked like an average human being.” Tnarkiv replied.

“Oh right, my mistake.” Marty replied with embarrassment.

“Enough vanity talk!” Dr. Corman said, interrupting the two. “Marty, link up that last transistor to the circuitboard.”

“Aye-aye, captain!” Marty responded with a mocking salute.

Dr. Corman placed the helmet on Tnarkiv’s head, this time careful to not cover his gills.

“You ready, m’boy?” he said giddy with excitement.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Tnarkiv said with a groan. “Just don’t zap my mind into a housefly or something on accident. Being a walking fish-stick is already bad enough.”

“Great! Let’s get started then!” Dr. Corman responded jovially, the sarcasm obviously lost on him.

Dr. Imura nodded and pulled the lever on the central transistor. The periphery transistors began to hum and glow with electric and Tnarkiv could feel the currents run through his body. Suddenly, the visions began to flash through his mind once again, this time slower and with a more cohesive flow.

“Doc, I can see them again! It’s…it’s…you’re not going to believe this! The creature is-“

Before he could finish relaying his experience, the system began to malfunction again as sparks began to fly from the circuitboard and the electricity shot from the transistors.

“Abort the program! Hurry!” Dr. Corman shouted as Dr. Imura and Marty rushed the engage the emergency shutdown command.

Dr. Corman ran over to Tnarkiv and flung the helmet off his head.

“Are you... okay? What did... you see?” he said asked between gasps for breath.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine, Doc.” Tnarkiv said with a laugh. “However, you may want to sit down for what I’m about to tell you.”

“Why? What did you see?” he said as his eyes grew wider.

“Remember how I saw the stars and that fire in the jungle during the transmission last night?”

All three scientists nodded.

“That fire was no accident. It was an explosion. And those stars? They weren’t just the night sky over the jungle. It was space, this solar system to be exact.”

“How do you all this, mate?” Marty asked as he scratched his head.

“The explosion was caused by something crashing in the jungle…a spaceship.”

“Wait, does that mean…” Dr. Corman gasped.

“Yep.” Tnarkiv said nodding. “The 'Gill-Man’ isn’t actually from here. He’s an extraterrestrial who hit a bump on the road and ended up in the Adavi basin.”

“Great Scott!” Dr. Corman shouted. “This whole project has been a sham then! I’m going to be the laughtstock of the academic world!”

“That’s not the whole story, Doc.” Tnarkiv said, suddenly grimacing. “It only get worse.”

“How can it possibly get worse?” Dr. Corman sighed as he pinched his forehead in frustration.

“Well…the Gill-Man was kind of…uh…an ambassador for his planet to Legion World...so uh..might have just killed an important diplomat.” Tnarkiv laughed weakly, trying to make light of the situation.

“Oh, this day just keeps on getting better…”

“Er, there's even more to it…”

“Of course there is...” Dr. Corman groaned. “Why would I expect that to be the end of it?”

“So…the leaders from his planet are kind of coming here tomorrow to establish relations with Legion World and…uh, well…I don’t think they’ll take too kindly to us killing off their dignitary. We may have just started an intergalactic war.”

“Blimey! We really screwed the pooch, lads!” Marty said with astonishment.

“We are so sprocked.” Tnarkiv said with a nod.

WOW! I did NOT see that coming! Who knew the Gill-Man was not only sentient, but a VIP! Wow, awesome twist, Stalgie!

There was a tangible atmosphere for anxiety surrounding the camp the next morning as everyone prepared for the aliens’ arrival. Even as Tnarkiv walked about the site, the other scientists largely ignored the fact that a 6 foot tall walking fish-man was wandering around their camp. He guessed that the incredulity of the situation they were faced with had left them still somewhat shellshocken from the momentous occasion they were about to partake in.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Marty said from behind him.

Tnarkiv turned around to see Marty struggling to hold a large pile of hologram archive tape.

“What are those for?” Tnarkiv said raising an eye.

“To document this pivotal moment in history of course!” Marty said as if Tnarkiv had just asked a stupid question. “If they don’t vaporize us all on the spot, I imagine this footage is going to be worth a million credits.”

“And if you’re dead, then all of that’s worthless.” Tnarkiv said shaking his head.

“Hey, don’t like that!” Marty said as the entire pile fell out his hands. “I’ve got a potential fortune riding on your negotiation skills tonight so don’t screw it up!”

As he picked up his tapes and left, Tnarkiv couldn’t help but feel more nervous. He knew Marty was joking, but the pressure on him was as real as it could get.

————————————————————————

As the research time drove to the rendezvous spot Tnarkiv had seen in the mental transmission, he could feel his stomach grow tighter. His head began to throb as he felt himself growing faint.

Dr. Corman, who was in the driver’s seat, could sense his uneasiness and pulled the jeep over, signaling the others to go ahead to to the meeting spot.

“I’m no expert on Gill-Man facial emoting, but something tells me that something is bothering you.” he said as he cleaned his thick glasses.

“Doc, this is such a huge responsibility. I’m not sure I can pull this off.” Tnarkiv said sighing.

“Trust me, you’ll do great.”

“How can you know that? I’m no ambassador…just an average lab worker in the body of a walking can of cat food.” Tnkariv said sarcastically.

“I can’t promise you that this will be easy, but the universe tends to unfold as it should.” he said as he started the engine again.

“So you’re saying I was destined to end up like this?” Tnarkiv said rolling his eyes.

“Every dog has his day. Perhaps this is yours.” Dr. Corman said with his usual madman grin.

With that the two sped off, to catch up with the others.

——————————————————————————

The sun had begun to recede behind the canopy by the time they reached the site. It was a bare spot of land at the bank of the Adavi River, near the edge of where the river fed into the coast. The other members of the team had set up barricades to hide behind and stocked their arsenal.

Tnarkiv said at the edge of the river bank, where the coordinates in his vision had told him to wait. He stared at his reflection in the rippling water in front of him. Gone was the scrawny kid with crooked glasses and shaggy hair. In his place, stood a behemoth of a creature, as inhuman as could be. How could he return to his normal life if he made it out alive?Could he ever have a normal relationship with other people again?! How was he going to renew his shuttle license next Tuesday?!

His jumbled thoughts were broken by the ground suddenly shaking. The other researchers began to shout and ran to the cover of the forest behind the river bank, peering fearfully from the safety of the mangrove trees. Suddenly, the sky exploded into an array of brightly colored lights as a large wormhole slowly tore its way through the evening sky. Out of the endless void a large spaceship began to emerge, slowly descending toward the riverbank. As it hit the ground, a massive shockwave erupted through the ground, sending Dr. Corman and Dr. Imura flying back.

“Gentleman, prepare for a close encounter of a third kind…” Dr. Corman said with a grin as he readjusted his goggles.

The ship was wide, curved like a large pancake. The complete outer surface was covered in an array of dazzling bright lights of varying colors that lit up and faded in synchronization. At the front of the ship, a large door opened and a metal ramp slow extended as smoke leaked out of the ship and enshrouded the river bank. Out of the dim light of the ship, three shadowy figures slowly stepped out.

As the smoke cleared, the three figures were revealed. The Gill-Man in the center was dressed in an ornate robe that seemed to flow behind him, glistening in a shiny red cloth with gold ornamentation. The two Gill-Men to its side wore white spacesuits, with breathing apparatuses strapped to their backs, and some sort of laser gun in their hands. All three Gill-Men wore large glass helmets on their heads filled with water. Bubbles flooded their helmets with each breath they took.

Tnarkiv gulped as he stepped forward.

There was a silence in the air as the three Gill-Men stood across from Tnarkiv. The near agonizing placidity was brokenly only by the sounds of the air being pumped slowly into the Gill-Men’s helmets and Tnarkiv’s own nervous breathing.

“Let’s get this over with.” he thought to himself. “If I don’t make the first move, they’ll be sure to know this is a facade.”

Suddenly, the two Gill-Men on the side drew their blasters and pointed them squarely at Tnarkiv. There was an audible hush from the researchers behind him. Dr. Corman and Dr. Imura took a few steps back.

“Identify yourself, imposter! You are not Uv’ehn...” a hoarse voice said to him in his head. “If you do not answer properly, we will have no choice but to use lethal force.”

“Wait, let’s not get carried away! Give me a chance to explain!” Tnarkiv thought to himself as he frantically looked at the three aliens. The voice had to be coming from the center Gill-Man, the one dressed in the ornate robes.

“We will grant you this opportunity. However, we urge you to pick your words wisely.” the voice responded again. The other Gill-Men lowered their weapons.

“How are you able to communicate with me without using words?” Tnarkiv thought to them in confusion.

“We of the planet Kmycret are able to communicate with one another telepathically as we have no spoken language like your own kind.” the voice responded. “Now, answer our questions, or face the consequences."

Tnarkiv a deep breath as he relayed his thoughts to the other Gill-Man, explaining Dr. Corman’s botched experiment, Uv’ehn’s own conscious perishing along with Tnarkiv's original body, and the misconception that Uv’ehm was creature from Legion World.

The three Gill-Men stood silently pondering the incredible story they had just heard. The suspense in the air was nearly tangible as the humans stood by and watched them stand frozen in their place, communicating with each other through their minds. They seemed to have been able to shut out Tnarkiv from their thoughts as he was unable to hear what they were saying no matter how hard he concentrated.

After nearly 20 minutes of standing, the center Gill-Man finally entered Tnarkiv's mind once again.

“After much deliberation, we have decided to give you a chance to make a plea for your case before we make our final decision. In most cases, an attack of one our own ambassadors would be taken as an act of war. However, based on your account of the events, it would seem the Uv’ehn’s death was one of misunderstanding.” the voice said with somber tone. “Prove your pure nature to us."

“Look, I’m not Uv’ehn, nor dont I want to be. I’m just some unlucky kid who was at the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up in this body. Trust me, I don’t want to be here anymore than he did when we stuck that helmet on his head. I can’t promise you that we can ever make up for what happened to him. However, what I can promise you is that we are extending a hand of peace of cooperation from our planet to yours in the hope of promoting trade and cultural enlightenment. We have much to learn from you and you have much to learn from us. Let us not make Uv’ehn’s voyage here a vain one.” Tnarkiv said, remembering Dr. Corman’s words from earlier.

The three Gill-Men were silent for a moment, before the center Gill-Man stepped forward and signaled his two guards to stay behind him.

“Your words have moved me, Tnarkiv Nall of Legion World. Perhaps your kind are not the savages we thought to be.” he said as he held out his hand. “Though we are still weary of this partnership, we hope that in time we will grow to become alliance. Don’t show us that our trust has been misplaced.”

Tnarkiv grinned as he held out the shook the leader’s scaly hand.

The forest erupted into a cheer as the researchers burst out of the jungle and ran down toward the riverbank. The Gill-Men, terrified at the sight of the humans running toward them in a frenzy, pulled out their weapons again.

“Wait, don’t shoot. They’re friendly!” Tnarkiv relayed to them frantically, trying to prevent any unnecessary loodshed.

The Gill-Men nodded and put their weapons back in their holsters.

“You did it, m’boy! I knew you had it in you!” Dr. Corman laughed as he grabbed him in a headlock.

“Ack! You’re choking me, Doc!” Tnarkiv gasped.

“Great Scott! I’m sorry about that. I just got a little excited is all” he said with embarrassment.

“I’m going to be rich!” Marty sang with glee as he hugged the tapes he was holding and started dancing.

The other researchers began to approach the three Gill-Men, showing them their own technology such as hologram tapes as the the aliens looked on in astonishment.

“Hey, look in the sky!” Dr. Imura shouted as everyone looked up to see a figure fly overhead before slowly descending down to the ground before them.

The stranger was a young Asian man with black hair that fell to his shoulders. He wore an all black costume with a crescent at the top of his chest. His eyes seemed to light up as he walked by, reflecting the various colors of the rainbow.

“Is that…it is!” one of the researchers whispered with excitement.

“Do you think he’ll notice me?” one scientist said as he brushed his hair to the side.

“Fat chance! He already has a boyfriend who’ll burn you to a crisp if you make a move!” his friend next to him laughed.

The stranger walked over to Tnarkiv looking him over and then glancing at the three Gill-Men and their massive spaceship.

“I take it you’re the one who helped negotiate this peace treaty?” he asked.

“I guess you could say that.” Tnarkiv said. “And who are you?”

“Invisible Brainiac of the LMBP.” he said with a reassuring smile. “I was assigned to investigate this alien landing."

“Word travels fast, huh? How did you find out about this though?” Tnarkiv said with a mix of wonder and confusion.

“Our scanners picked up a large craft with an unregistered energy signature entering the atmosphere at this exact point. Initiating first contact with unidentified alien species is under our jurisdiction.” he said as he looked over the scene once again.

“I see…so what can I help you with? We’ve got things under control now.”

“I can see that. That’s why I would be interested in possibly offering you a chance to join us. You clearly seem to have a knack for impromptu intergalactic negotiations”

“Wow, me? A member of the LMBP That’s a crazy offer so I’m going to have to think about it.” Tnarkiv said as his heart beat fast with excitement.

“Well, you know where to find us if you make your decision.” Invisible Brainiac said with a laugh as he held out his hand. “By the way, I don’t believe I caught your name.”

Tnarkiv looked at his scaly, webbed hand. Was he still Tnarkiv anymore or Uv’ehn now? Could Invisible Brainiac’s offer be a chance to still have a normal life after he left this jungle?

“The name is Tnar - no, Kappa Kid.” he said with a grin as they shook hands.

THE END

Whoa! Kudos for writing an ending that was peaceful! No wiles, no trickery, no violence, just good old earnestness and sincerity and levelheadedness. Totally refreshing! And realistic too, I like how you had the aliens be suspicious and wary BUT willing to give the LWers a chance.

And may I add, I am totally pleased with my surprise appearance at the end! The gay scientist was a nice touch, as was the mention of a jealous Blaze

Awesoooooooooome, great one Stalgie - er, Kappa Kid! Looking forward to see where you take this next!

Thanks, Ibby!

The peaceful ending was based on the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I feel having aliens come to destroy us is a bit cliche and this is a more realistic portrayal of what first contact would be like.

I'm glad you liked your cameo at the end. The joke with Blaze was inspired by our Comedic Adventures thread!

I love it! Awesome ending that leaves the door open for a lot more. Nice save, building an alliance from a regrettable misunderstanding.

Blaze was playfully telling me how annoyed he was at being shown to be all jealous, and that he'll get back at me by REALLY acting jealous all the time. Oops

Now Blaze needs to get involved in our Comedic Adventure shenanigans!

Sadly, he's too lazy. Too lazy to even post a comment, even though he finds our shenanigans hilarious

You need to whip him into shape and get him to post more!

I mean "whip" metaphorically, Ibby! Don't get any funny ideas. Sheesh!

Aww, that got me all excited for a bit.

Haha Kappa! That's a great story! It's like the Three Stooges of Science go wild, try to patch things up and actually succeed - so everything's okay in the end.

Nice guest appearance by Invisible Brainiac. Will Kappa Kid/Tnarkiv's diplomatic adventures continue? (Maybe he could do a crossover with Klar Ken's Rainbow Girl.)

Thanks, FC! I haven't thought of any immediate story plans, but we'll see what lies ahead for our bumbling heroes.