FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Should be about twenty minutes out sir," came the pilot's voice over his headpiece, and Sam nodded, going back over his pad. His workload was far too much that even a trip to their research site left no time for relaxation. Though he preferred it that way, not so much caring for the landscape of Pandora after having seen it each and every day for the past ten years.

Sam was the chief researcher focused on a Pandoran species akin to earth whales called the Tulkan by the Na'vi. They were by far the largest species observed on Pandora, having the same function in the ecosystem as earth whales by being filter feeders. Though, more so than whales, it seemed they were vastly intelligent, with every chance they were a more intelligent species than the Na'vi themselves, or even humans, with a racial memory beside. Without the dexterous abilities of primate species, it was impossible for them to achieve technological feats. Not that they needed them, perhaps, though it made them inferior enough for humanity to exploit them.

Though he was privy to the ecological studies of a myriad of Pandora's species, once humanity had discovered the body of a dying Tulkun and what it contained, Sam's job was set in stone. Within the whale's rather complex brain was a chemical, dubbed 'Amrita' that was considered nearly as valuable as the Unobtanium also being harvested from the planet. Its medical properties were enormous, including the possibility of extending human life spans beyond anything the Avatar program could manage. With that in mind, his superiors rendered all other projects he was working on moot, and he was forced into this rather questionable line of work.

Sam felt some guilt over what he was doing, of course, needing to kill the specimens to obtain the chemical. Morality aside, he was being paid beyond his wildest dreams, though often wondered how worth it the money was when he was executing self-aware beings. Oh well. They weren't human, at least, right? At the end of the day, they were little more than whales, and the benefits to humanity were too great for him to give it more than a second thought.

"Looks like a storm coming. We should be...Oh shit!" The pilot called out startling Sam from his thoughts. All at once, a massive crack spread across the window, and with it, the air was sucked from the cockpit. Sam hardly had enough time to get his breather on before he was robbed of air. Secured from the immediate threat, he went to call out to the pilot, only to see a spear had been fired through him, blood pouring from the fatal injury. Sam went to move for the controls, though had little idea of how to fly the machine, even if it wasn't damaged. He had no idea what had happened, if they had been attacked, or if the storm had lobbed something at their helicopter. It mattered little. Everything was happening so fast Sam was not prepared for the next shockwave to rock the helicopter enough to knock something free and hit him over the head before he was rendered unconscious.

Waking what felt like some hours later, Sam found himself on a beach, the warm Pandoran sun beaming on him. The wreckage of the bird was nowhere to be found, as though he had been thrown from it, though it was unlikely, given his relative state of health. More likely, he had gone into the ocean with the helicopter, though it was fortuitous to wash up on the shore. Either way, he was alive, and that was all that mattered. He couldn't say the same about his colleague, but there was nothing to be done about it for now.

Taking stock of his surroundings, Sam found himself on a small island, barren save for a few plants with some fruit and a small spring of fresh water. Though it would keep him alive in the short term, there was nothing on the horizon he could see beyond the ocean. There was no chance of swimming anywhere, especially since Sam had limited oxygen, and would be the victim of any number of aquatic predators. It was a miracle his mask had stayed intact, though it was the only thing of note that he possessed.

Still, some of the wreckage eventually washed up on his shores, and with it, Sam figured his only chance was to build a raft. He had nothing remaining to make a flare or signal his location. Someone was sure to come look for him when they failed to check in, but attacks by the Na'vi were common enough if they didn't find the wreckage they would assume he died along with the helicopter. The loss of a valuable asset such as he would be felt but eventually, the higher-ups would recruit someone else for his position, and the project would go on. If he wanted to survive, Sam was on his own.

Eventually, enough flotsam had washed ashore that he was able to put together a makeshift raft, albeit barely. Having no navigation equipment and unknowing of the major stars in the Pandora sky, his only chance was to hope he made the right choice in direction. And so Sam set out, hoping his raft was not the target of some undersea monster or that he came upon land before running out of air. He had no supplies to speak of and figured consuming the fruit and water of Pandora would likely be fatal. So he was at the whims of thirst and breathable air, giving him a much smaller window of rescue than he preferred. But all he could do was to try.

It was not to be. A leak in the material had gone unnoticed until Sam was too far from the shores to make it back. Taking on water, it was soon obvious Sam had no choice but to literally sink or swim. But given the distance from any help, any land, fatigue soon came for him. Tired, cold, and at the mercy of the planet he had sought to help profit off, Sam felt his strength waning, and eventually, his body gave out, slowly floating down into the clear water and the end of his life.

The dreams that followed were vivid, making Sam forget that he was dying. It was as though he was more alive than ever, plugged into the planet in a way the human him had never known. He was in tune with a myriad of interconnected beings, dead and alive, their energies taken by the planet and repurposed toward new life. Everything was recycled, and part of every being lived on in the vast neural network. And he would be taken into that embrace, to live on in a way...

Yet, there was something else there, something alive, massive, and majestic in the sea around him. Even in his stupor, Sam recognized it as one of the Tulkan from his work with them. He hadn't realized how beautiful they were, how intelligent until the planet itself had shown him through its visions. How it must be to live in a world where he might know more beyond his physical surroundings and could plug into a connection that told him far beyond what he could ever perceive from a limited perspective. What a wonder from a scientific perspective!

For some unknown reason, the Tulkan seemed as interested in him, circling and singing in a way Sam wished to understand. For a moment, it almost seemed that this Tulkan knew he had been one of the researchers to capture their kind, either through the forced connection with the planet directly or some other means. But that did not matter. He somehow knew she was lonely, that she had lost her mate some time ago as a consequence of his actions. And she was looking not for justice, but for reconciliation, in any way she could be granted it...

It was those thoughts, shared between Tulkan and man, that allowed the connection to take hold. He was not sure how the implantation was made without the abilities of Pandoran physiology. There was no physical appendage from his human body to connect to the planet, what the Na'vi referred to as Ey'wa. Yet, it was much like using avatar bodies to become part of the planet's life force, plugged in and aware of everything all at once. The information was overwhelming to the point he could not process it, thinking it would kill him as much as drowning. Yet, one thought did persist at the surface of his thoughts, that if he could not connect with the planet in such a way, he would be able to soon, if Ey'wa allowed it...

Awaking some hours later, Sam stood up, dizzy and finding himself on the familiar sandy shores. Sam had no idea with certainly how he'd ended up back on the island when he'd gotten so far from it. Perhaps it had been the only land mass anywhere near him, though it mattered little. He was safe for now, something he had not expected. Whether it be the Tulkan that had saved him or the planet itself, Sam was alive and well. He couldn't get the images out of his head of Ey'wa, the Tulkan, or the interconnectivity of it all. Still, above all, he had to remember his goal to get help and back to civilization. Hell, if the knowledge he'd gained helped his superiors and the betterment of humanity, it would be all worth the inconvenience.

Reaching up to touch his face reflexively, Sam was shocked to discover that his mask had been removed from him entirely. He struggled to find it on his body, but it seemed it was not there at all. Sam felt he should have been asphyxiated by this point, not able to breathe in the air of an alien planet. Yet, for better or for worse, he did not seem to need his mask to survive for long periods. And that truth, more than anything he could fathom, was terrifying.

Something thrashing in the water near the shore brought Sam's attention, and for a moment he thought himself to be the victim of some sort of underwater monster. The thing was massive, and it took Sam time to understand what exactly he was looking at. The sight of the creature from this perspective was bizarre and alien, but nothing he had seen on Pandora could match the physical spectacle that was one of the Tulkan. It was the female from his dream, he was sure, though, without empirical evidence, it was hard to say how he knew such to be true. Either way, he was sure he would be safe. The Tulkan were not a vicious race, even knowing what the aliens were and what they had done. Sam was sure they were passivists, but without the ability to communicate, it was impossible to say for sure. Better for the human race not to feel a shred of guilt in killing animals, he had always told himself.

Yet, there was not much time to think about such things when Sam felt a sharp pain in his crotch. Sam, despite being in the presence of a sentient creature, pulled his pants down, wondering what was wrong with his cock. In truth, he was worried that he'd been poisoned or infected by something that had influenced his most private of places. But with what he saw the moment his pants and underwear were down, a horrified gasp escaped his lips. His cock was still there, to be sure, though hardly what he had come to know of his maleness. His groin seemed to be sucked in as though it had opened up into some sort of slit from which his cock was suspended. The head and the cleft had been eliminated entirely, the tip pointed while the base had fattened within the slit. And strangest of all, the skin around the area of his groin and testicles had turned a dark blueish gray, as though he was frozen, though Sam did not feel any pain from cold.

Curious, Sam reached within himself to tease the insides of his slit and determine what had happened to his cock. For a moment he was terrified he had lost his cock entirely, though the moment he touched himself, the pointed tip poked out of his slit, opening it up as though an exploratory tongue. It was soon larger than his humanity had ever been, and to Sam's shame, it seemed as though a significant amount of blood was being utilized to fuel his erection. Unable to feel a modicum of pleasure in his shock, his erection slid back into his new home, and Sam was left to stare at the state of his genitals, something that should not have existed on the human form.

Pulling up his pants, Sam did his best not to think about it, not wanting to believe that his junk had changed in such an alien way. There was no denying what he'd seen, yet the human ability to ignore reality was strong enough that Sam was able to put it out of his mind for now. There were more urgent problems, such as the pain in his guts that denoted a vicious hunger. Still, there was nothing for him to eat, and it was likely that anything on the planet would be poisonous for his physiology.

It took him some time to consider his situation, all the while feeling the strange sensation that was his inhuman cock sliding in and out of his slit. He knew he needed to eat and drink, but on the island, there was nothing for him save the likely toxic fruit. He didn't want to consume it and risk death when there was every chance he could be saved. Then again, the fact he could breathe the Pandoran air, and had a penis that matched nothing he'd ever seen before, led him to the possibility that he could eat the fruit without ill. In the end, there was no real reason not to try it, better now than when he was too tired.

Taking one of the fruits from the branch, Sam stared at it for a few moments, turning the moist, spherical orb and finding it fleshy to the touch. Sam sniffed it, finding the odor rather plain before he took a bite. The taste was sour, strongly so, but at least the texture seemed rather palatable, and as the juices ran down his throat, Sam found it somewhat tolerable. With that, he was inclined to eat one more and then another, hoping he wasn't dooming himself. Yet, even after a few hours, save the urge to relieve himself, there were no repercussions to his dinner, and he was at least saved from dehydration for the moment.

With basic needs out of the way, Sam was left to wonder about the Tulkan still around, circling the island and occasionally rising to gaze at him with two curious eyes. The beast was clearly aware of Sam's presence and seemed to be fixated on him if that was the right term. It did seem to leave for a period of time, only to resurface in the distance, keeping a watchful eye all the while.

With such an intelligent species watching him, Sam hardly had the confidence to reach into his pants and look at his member, as much as it was confusing him. It was buried within him as best as he could determine, and a persistent ache within seemed to be the result of his testicles being pulled in as well. Not absent, as best as he could tell. Not female. No less unnerving, if he was being honest with himself. But the mixture of terror and curiosity about what was happening to him prompted him to pull down his pants and see what had become of his sex. Only a slit persisted where his cock was, the sight of which was not as surprising given what he had felt prior. What did concern him was the white skin that seemed to spread from the site, moving over his groin and down his taint. Worst than that was the lack of pubic hair over his groin, something he did not bother to tend to in his work but something that was absent now. And it seemed more than likely the changes would spread...

Afraid to touch it, Sam was nonetheless far too curious, thinking that it would not spread to his hands and figuring it pointless to avoid it. The texture was rough and bumpy, and there were patches of dark gray around the white. The color seemed familiar, something he had seen before but not on himself. It was terrifying to behold, as though something like a fungus or infection Sam could not identify without access to his equipment. Part of him was left to wonder if it had something to do with the avatar program. Not sure how such was possible, it did make a semblance of sense, given that he was able to breathe the air and eat the food. But what would an avatar's body change him slowly like this? They were grown rapidly in vitro, but not converted from one form to another. Nothing like this had ever happened before in the history of the program, leaving Sam to postulate without any further evidence.

With nothing else to focus on that made any sense, Sam was left to lament his fate, sitting for hours as the sun started to set. He was fatigued, and there was little chance of him being spotted after dark by any rescue parties. More to the point, he wanted to stay clear of the water, figuring there were dangers rising to the surface at night, things that even the Tulkan could not protect him from. Not that he figured that was her purpose, but anything was possible, after all, given the situation Sam found himself in.

Sleep did not come easy, for more reasons than just fear for his life. His body ached all over, reminiscent of his youth and the growing pains of his body changing. Whatever was happening to him now, however, was much faster than anything his childhood self had experienced. It seemed his stomach was gurgling and distending, and even relieving himself several times did not cease the discomfort. His lean stomach had rounded significantly, and although it was dark, he could tell the rough skin had spread up his belly, moving toward his pecs. And, to his confusion, all the hair of his treasure trail had fallen out in its wake. It was a little unnerving, and Sam found himself touching the skin frequently, wanting to see how far the white skin had spread and how much hair was lost.

To his dismay, that was not the only thing to plague his thoughts overnight. The ache in his crotch was getting insistent, as though he was powerfully aroused. His now slimy cock was aching to be touched, sliding sensually out of its new slit and writhing around like it had a mind of its own. Sam had to take off his pants to prevent them from making him cum through their contact. Though there was a maddening need to touch himself, Sam resisted for now, not wanting his hands to trace over something so alien and fearing the repercussions of doing such.

Even in the low light from the Pandoran stars, Sam could tell the Tulkan was out there, surfacing every once and a while as though letting Sam know of their presence. They sang, too, something Sam had heard before, but something that was still disconcerting this close-up. He couldn't understand it, of course, even if he had his equipment. They never did learn to determine the language from the songs. If that was even what the haunting tones were, though these creatures were far smarter than the extinct earth whales, and there was every chance their culture and memory far surpassed any expectations.

Eventually, Sam did fall asleep, though it was plagued by dreams just as visceral as the ones he'd had after sinking underwater. It was as though he was being summoned, like the song of the Tulkun was calling out to him. Telling him to join the wider world, learn their ways, their culture, and their very state of being. And, perhaps, to join her...

Waking eventually, the first thing Sam noticed was that the sun had come up over the horizon, a sign that he actually had gotten some sleep after all. Yet, there was something wrong with the world as he was staring at it. Trying to blink the sleep from his eyes, it seemed another membrane was present over his eyes, changing the shade of the world from something considerably clearer than it should have been to something akin to an off-yellow shade. He blinked a few more times, trying to get used to the heavy lids on his eyes, something that had clearly not been there prior.

It was during this exploration that something else came to his awareness. Closing his eyes and keeping them shut, he was soon aware his vision was stunted, though not absent. It was as though he was looking at the world through multiple sets of eyes, something that seemed natural for the moment but horrifically frightening as soon as he realized he possessed them. He wanted to reach up and touch them, though figured it was a moot point, not wanting to hurt the sensitive lenses. So, instead, he scoured the beach and island, looking for something, anything with a reflective surface.

When he did find one on a piece of wreckage, Sam stared for what seemed like an eternity, horrified by the visage he possessed. His eyes were larger, as large as though could likely sit on his face without massive changes to his skull. Their formerly blue shade was closer to brown, though other than that, they were normal, human. He could clearly tell the translucent lenses were present atop them, several layers that made him nervous to try to blink again. But even those changes were a drop in the bucket to the sight of two smaller eyes on the sides of this head beside his 'main' eyes, looking alien and animalistic like the rectangular slits of a goat's eyes. It was a haunting image, one that he could not get out of his mind no matter how much he tried.

That was not the only thing that had altered, to his horror. In exploring his new anatomy, Sam became aware his fingers were stiff, and a thin material had started to spread from the insides of the digits, white in shade underneath and a darker bluish gray on the backs. It was hard to tell at first, but given the slight restrictiveness of his clothes, it seemed he had grown somewhat as well. Some of it was in his gut, extending and losing the muscle definition he had cherished. He wanted to rub at it, though was scared of the skin that now covered it, its alien feeling confirmation of all that was happening to him. But it was of little consequence if the changes kept going. Sam was sure they would eventually be forfeited.

For the next while, Sam sat there, wracking his brains trying to figure out what was happening to him. It was well beyond any human technology he knew of, and Sam was privy to the most up-to-date technology for both the Avatar program and their exploration of Pandora. Then, what had happened? The dreams of connecting with the planet, with that the Na'vi called Ey'wa, were vivid in his mind, though he was still having difficulty interpreting the mental images he had seen. It had to have something to do with it, but nothing within his scientific-focused mind could explain the physical changes coming over him. Surely, if they continued like this, they could cause him to expire. And besides, what was their end game for him should he survive?

Eventually, hunger got the best of him, ravenous starvation that made him wobble as he stood up. At first, Sam attributed the sensation to fatigue from hunger, but the more he tried to walk, the more it seemed his legs were weak, as though atrophied from weeks of sitting. It was even more than what his experience in the crash could account for, and he was sure he was walking just fine the other day. Still, even with the numbness and weakness felt, Sam was able to make it to the plants and the succulent fruits on their vines. Even the off-putting taste from yesterday was gone, hunger making him salivate as he ate his fill.

After some time, Sam stopped, feeling the pangs in his belly finally subsided. Juices were running down his face and coated his clothes, a sign he had gorged himself. Hell, he'd barely remembered eating, so ravenous that the only thing on his mind was filling the void in his belly and the discomfort that came with it. Still, with his gut distended even further, Sam was soon aware of an immediate problem. There were only so many plants on the small island, and Sam had consumed over half of them already. What if he was stuck on the island for days? If he had to eat like that again, he would only have till some time tomorrow before his food supply ran out. And then what? Fish? Could he risk it?

Hunger was not the most immediate concern, however, even as he sat there allowing his binge eating to digest. The changes were still coming as more of his skin was eroded in the wake of the alien flesh. It was already up to his neck and seemed to be spreading over his sides as well. Even his hands were starting to form their own covering as the webbing continued to rise toward the tips of his fingers. Worse, his belly was continuing to distend, raising his shirt and making it harder to keep his clothes on comfortably. While his legs were not lengthening, his waist seemed to be expanding, making his pants feel precarious on his frame as well. But there was little he could do about it, not wanting to take off his clothes until it was absolutely necessary.

There was something else bothering him the more he sat there, lamenting his fate. The sensation of his cock sliding from his slit was ever-present to the point that it was getting harder to think. Not that Sam had any idea of how to escape this fate or the changes, but his persistent erection certainly wasn't helping matters. It was getting tighter and tighter in his pants, to the point he had to pull it out to look at it or risk it hurting himself and his clothes. Already knowing what it looked like from his exploration yesterday, Sam was still shocked at the monster on his groin, sliding out of a slit that ran all the way down toward where his balls once sat. It was obvious he was still male, the member he possessed present if not entirely alien. He was sure he'd seen something like this in nature before, but given its state on his own being, it was as foreign as any of the other life forms on Pandora. It was massive, pushing the slit taught as it writhed around and needed to be pleasured more than anything Sam could recall.

Having been some time since he'd touched himself, and alone as he was, the rational parts of his mind told him he should give in. Besides, the sheer amount of blood he needed to support such a cock made him almost dizzy. There was little he could do to manage conscious thought, much less formulate a plan to escape his predicament if he didn't ease the ache in his loins. As grossed out as he was by touching it, there was little other way for him to get off, and he steeled himself, rubbing the flesh with trepidation. The feeling was uncomfortably warm, a little slimy, and leaking copious fluids. But the pleasure it provided him was too tempting to resist, and soon Sam was stroking with reverence, working up and down a shaft that was clearly a two-hander.

With his erection at its apex, it was little wonder it took no time for Sam to reach orgasm. He wanted to close his eyes, though it was impossible to look away from his cock as it writhed and trashed and grew even longer and firmer at the base, while the tip maintained surprising flexibility. In the moments before release, Sam felt his eyes reflexively shudder, his penis stiffening all the way to the tip as an explosion set off within his loins. In moments he was cumming and cumming hard, nearly a geyser from the tip and spraying on this shirt, his hands, and even hitting him in the face. Sam was even privy to the taste of his own cum, a little disgusted though it was hardly more tart than the fruit he had come to love.

Coming down from such an amazing orgasm, there was no denying in Sam's mind that it was far superior to anything he had managed as a human. Not that he allowed himself time for self-pleasure, let alone with one of the opposite sex. But if his humanity could elicit such a divine sensation, then he would certainly have taken more time for himself! He didn't wish for such an alien penis, mind. But it was the one point of enjoyment he had been granted since the crash, and the afterglow was such that he was taken from the aches of change and the unknown future that had troubled his thoughts.

Only the sensation of something poking at the back of his pants could draw him from his reverie, prompting him to reach back to alleviate the ache. There was a bump down there, far larger than anything that should have persisted on his flesh, and Sam was left wondering if he had some rapidly forming cancer or the like. Though he couldn't see it, Sam did manage to get up, rubbing at it and feeling it growing slowly in the time he'd discovered it. A variety of aliments ran through his mind, but given the changes thus far, it was more likely that he was in possession of some sort of alien...tail?

His suspicions were only confirmed as the afternoon carried on, the growth irritating him to the point he couldn't sit down on his ass anymore. So eventually he was forced to lay on his side, the thing on his ass a few inches now and growing far too large of it to be anything but a tail. Far from being skin shaded, the alien flesh had spread down toward his ass now, and while it was hard for him to turn around and look at it, it seemed as though the discoloration and texture change was coating it as well. The sight of its flattened end, as well as the dark color on top and white on bottom, only brought one mental image to his mind. It was plain as day that the color pattern seemed to match one he knew so intimately with his work. Even if it didn't, the sight of the creature in the water still circling him was all the tell he needed to know he was steadily gaining the attributes of a Tulkun. Perhaps turning all the way into one, though such was impossible. And yet...

With nothing else to do, Sam thought it preferable to rest, not able to totally comprehend his situation. It was impossible to change one organism into another like this, especially one of such a size difference. Even the changes that had taken him over thus far should have been enough to kill him. The fact he was breathing the air and eating the food with little consequence was already a sign of alterations to his anatomy that should have been impossible. None of this made any damn sense!

Eventually, fatigue came over him, though not without another binge eating session as he'd feared. He tried to ration the food as much as possible, and thankfully its juices were enough to quench his thirst. But the hunger was powerful, and it was hard for him to manage on such little nourishment for a growing, changing body. His feeding frenzy had consequences as well, a distending belly riding up his shirt and feeling impossibly taut around his shoulders and pecs. He would have to be rid of his clothes soon but figured he would try to hold onto them for as long as he could. After all, he wasn't fond of his new slit and desired not to see it wherever possible. Save for his masturbatory urges or the rather frequent need to relieve himself, internal anatomy was in flux as it likely was.

Sleep came too soon, his changing body likely requiring the rest. There was something different in the dreams this time, as though he was hearing a voice within his mind rather than one imagined. Part of him wondered if it was Ey'wa, or whatever force was present in the planet's collective neural network. But it was quieter than that, one voice dominating the cacophony he had once heard through his unexpected connection. It was calling to him, wanting him to join, to...what? If only he could understand the words, then he might be able to figure out what was happening to him!

Sam was jolted awake by pressure in his spine, the thing attached to him moving of its own accord, which was threatening enough. It seemed large enough from the base that it was actually pushing down his pants. Getting up, he was shocked to feel the thing touch the back of his knees, growing at what should have been an impossible speed. His newest reality was that a tail was hanging heavy on his backside to the point he could move it up and down if he tried. And its implication left him to lament the possibility that the changes would continue to further rob him of his humanity.

Standing up, Sam was left to wobble back and forth, not realizing how weak his legs had become in his panic. Far worse than yesterday, they were sore, aching, and barely able to hold him up. Surely, it was the added weight his body was putting on, but it was clearly more than that, his legs hardly having the strength to move him a few steps. It made some bizarre sense, after all. If he really was turning into a Tulkun, then he wouldn't need legs, right? Then he would be left helpless, too human to enter the ocean, and too heavy to make it on land. If the changes didn't kill him directly, they were sure to end his life one way or the other.

The increase in tail size was hardly the only thing to have changed in the interim of sleep and wakefulness, though it took him a few moments to realize it. It seemed like something had formed from the creases of his nose, pushing up from either side. He didn't want to rub them and was worried about looking at the webbing between his fingers, which might someday soon become fins. Bracing himself, he was able to reach up to grope the firm protrusions, finding them thicker than bone. They appeared to be crests of some sort, and Sam was quick to recognize them as being part of Tulkun's anatomy, something likely involved with mating or sexual dimorphism. They never did determine it, far from necessary for their collection of Amrite from harvested specimens.

Perhaps worse of all was the sensation of his hair loosing from the top of his head, and reaching up to touch it, Sam took a significant chuck of his hair with it. Naturally, more of that Tulkun skin was running up his scalp, leaving Sam sure it would soon cover him entirely, save for his legs, which he wouldn't even have soon. Hair loss should have been the least of his worries, though it was just another sign of how far he'd fallen and how far he still had to go to lose it all.

Jaw aching, Sam was prompted to reach up and rub it, feeling it twitch at his touch. It was as though it had been getting longer, likely bulking up in relation to his face. It wasn't too noticeable in his field of vision, not yet. But it was likely not to be the case before too long. Perhaps the most alarming thing about the persistent ache was that it was a sign the changes were coming faster. How much longer would it take for him to transform fully? Tulkun was massive, after all, and he had a lot of growing to do, assuming he survived the process.

Survival was becoming relatively unlikely with his appetite as it was. It took all he had not to eat everything in sight, devouring the fruit and even the vines. There was little left after his feeding frenzy, but it seemed like nothing was sufficient to sate his hunger, growing body evidently needing the nutrients. It did little to help his walking gait, but he was able to stay upright for now, for as much time as that would last.

He was larger, too, enough that he had to tear off his shirt to finally be rid of it. Fingers were able to manage but only just, their tactile ability robbed from him if not yet their flexibility. His pants, too, were forfeit, and underwear no better, Sam now thinking it best to resign himself to be naked. He didn't like the sight of his white skin, rough and grey along his flanks like so many sea creatures had evolved. He hated that the moment he removed what little humanity he possessed, his cock was on display, sliding out of his slit and begging to be touched. But it was no matter given the intensity of his arousal and his need to be stimulated. It was the only boon in a sea of despair that brought him from his reverie and left him with enough motivation to carry on.

Worried that this might be the last time he would be able to do so in his current state, Sam decided to say screw it. He was already dirty and smelly from his feasting and sexual escapades. Soon, he would likely have to move to the water, and such would be moot. For now, his cock eagerly slid from its home, seemingly larger than before, though it was likely an increase in his stature that translated to the size of the member he possessed. Still, the sensitivity was beyond anything he had known, and even the grossness of his rod was forgotten in his need to touch himself and get off. The lack of sensation in his fingers was enough an incentive to keep him going, and a low moan escaped his lips as he was quickly brought to the brink. It was amazing, mind-shatteringly so. Sam hardly had the cognizance to care as his chest and even his mouth were splattered with his new seed. Body rocking as it was, Sam was almost forced to keel over on his tail, both sets of eyes rolling back in his head as he let himself fall into the bliss of it all.

The sound of a Tulkun's cry roused him from his post-orgasmic reverie and looking out toward the sea, he realized he was being stared at with some sort of interest. The Tulkun was female, as much as he was able to interpret from the dreams he'd been having. Did she understand what was happening? Or, worse, was she the cause of it? She had been there when he'd been taken under, he was sure. Was she trying to make herself a mate or something? Or, had she been trying to save his life in the only way she'd known how? Was she trying to communicate with him? Sam wished he had the ability to understand her, figuring she had the answers he was looking for. And, perhaps, he soon would, if the changes continued as they were.

The day passed slowly, with a noticeable increase in size as the changes relentlessly stole his humanity. His tail was closer to his ankles now, and it was fatter at the base as well, closer to the circumference of his torso. His chest and belly had started to stretch, no longer as chubby in relation to his features but larger all the same. And the discoloration had spread all over his body, as best his new eyesight could tell. Without a way to be sure, Same guessed he had put on several hundred pounds, some of it fat but much of it muscle. A good portion was in his tail, though he had to have put on significant muscle mass all over. Whatever was in the fruits he'd been eating must have been more than sufficient to fuel his growth, though, without them, he was likely to starve to death. That was if he didn't get crushed by his own weight, given the sheer size he was likely to reach. He would have to get to the water in the near future, he reasoned. And to her, whatever that ended up meaning.

Of all the changes thus far, his altered mouth made him all the more disturbed. His neck was steadily fattening, losing the flexibility it needed to turn around and see himself fully. And the crests on either side of his face were larger than his nose, which itself seemed to have crunched in his face, though he couldn't see it even with his wider range of vision. His mouth was getting larger all the while, even in relation to his head, which was starting to swell as was the rest of him and losing its primate configuration.

It was the sensation of his teeth loosening that really caused him panic. When the first few molars fell out, he'd almost swallowed them. Spitting them out, he was soon alerted that his other teeth were loose as well, though no blood was present as they fell out. All Sam could think of was that the Tulkun didn't have teeth, instead something akin to baleen. Not that there was any fruit left for himself to consume with human teeth, but it was still disturbing to lose them for now. With his hands in his current state, there was no way to reach in and pull them out prematurely. So he was left there to stay awake, to change, and allow them to fall out at their own pace.

Night came, and then day, and with it, the rush of changes that signaled his permanent fall from humanity. He could tell that something was pushing through his gums, though could only perceive them with his tongue as long and bristly, so close together they soon seemed like teeth in their own right. His legs were losing muscle mass and bone density, making them difficult to move, likely reducing into stubs that were no longer necessary on his form. He didn't want to try walking anymore, figuring it was a moot point. Instead, he crawled his way closer to the shore, figuring there was little point in staying toward the center of the island. He had eaten all the fruit present, and his frequent need to relieve himself was making staying nearby unappealing. It was getting closer and closer to the time, for better or for worse, when he would need to enter the ocean and make that his world for the rest of his life.

Even before the sun rose above the horizon, the persistent hunger was enough to leave him all but stationary. He was growing more slowly now, likely from a lack of necessary nutrients. Without any food, he was literally starving and in need of both food and drink in quantities that could sustain the larger creature he was becoming. He wasn't sure how tolerant he was to salt water at this point, but Sam figured he would need to find out soon, hoping he could draw water from the salt as much as the Tulkun circling the island. He was sure she was out there, watching, curious, perhaps to the point of offering protection. He didn't want to assume, but any guesswork was soon to be taken out of his fins, so to speak.

Though he knew he had to wait until dawn to see the changes to his head, Sam was sure it was larger, bulbous, with his mouth stretched impossibly large to accommodate the new baleen forming within. His tongue was surely massive as well, though it seemed to match the size of his mouth enough to sit within comfortably. And his breaths were coming in a little more nasally, as though he was not able to breathe in as well from his nostrils as he was used to. All in all, it felt bizarre, and Sam was thankful he didn't have anything to see his visage reflected in, not wanting to perceive whatever had replaced his humanity reflected back at him.

At the moment the sun rose and he was able to see, Sam tried, in vain, to stand up, not expecting his ability to do so had been completely robbed from him. Stumbling forward, Sam hit the dirt hard, too heavy with the size of his head and torso, with his legs weakened as they were. He didn't want to admit it was time to enter the ocean, which was not something he wished to experience. But it was obvious that staying on the shore would be his downfall, and with that, he figured it was best to make his way to the water. Of course, a myriad of consequences came from that outcome, not the least of which would prevent him from being spotted should help come for him. But it had been a few days, and could they even revert him into a human form if they did come to help him? Worse than that, there was more of a chance they would use him for experimentation, and a source of Amrite if he was to develop that particular fluid within his brain.

With that, Sam made up his mind that if he was to become a Tulkun, he might as well try to persist and live as one. And the more he thought about it, the more the idea started to appeal to him. After all, it would be an amazing scientific endeavor for him to explore the ocean as a Tulkan. Not that he could ever report to the human world about any of his findings, but for his own benefit, for once, the possibility seemed endless. He couldn't imagine what that life would be like, an ocean existence within an alien world beyond his fathoming. But it was better than death, right? And then there was the female out there, one that was calling out to him, through her song and her presence, like she was hoping he would...what?

Heading into the water was a terrifying endeavor, for more than one reason. Standing was precarious at best, and Sam was sure he couldn't make it all the way into the water. But he managed, feeling the water's salty fluid against his feet, even in their current state of insensitivity. Moving out into the deep, he felt himself desiring to get down on his belly. As his legs gave way and his belly hit the water, he did just that, pushing out with his tail and finding that he could swim. It wasn't much, but enough that he could make it from the sand bar and move toward the open ocean, where he would likely spend the rest of his life.

Part of him, the curious part, figured he should make his way toward the female. She was there, close by, as she had been since she'd saved him. Thankfully, his membraned eyes could easily see through the water without pain. Even at a quick glance, it was obvious he was much smaller than the female, and would have quite a ways to go to reach her statute. Something he hoped to do if he was to survive in his hybrid state. He couldn't live only halfway changed, after all!

Moving toward her, Sam was surprised she started rubbing against him as soon as he was close enough. And Sam was glad for it, knowing he would make his home here and want to take every advantage. The moment he reached her was the moment she breathed in deep from what seemed to be multiple holes in the back of her neck. With that, she descended into the depths, moving so fast that Sam could not hope to keep up. He knew he needed to follow her, not wanting her to leave him behind. She was his only guide in this new world, and he didn't want to flail his way around.

As though responding to his desires, something seemed to tingle in his neck, and Sam gasped as a series of holes opened from the back of his neck, six in all as best as Sam could perceive. The moment he tried to take his next breath was the moment it seemed to come from the new holes, letting him intake sufficient air. Though his nostrils had not closed, not exactly, he wasn't drawing oxygen in from the passages in the way he was used to. And with six functional blowholes, he was sure he would be able to hold his breath enough to descend to meet the female.

Breathing in deeply, Sam thrust his tail downward to find the female, surprised at the power it possessed already. He couldn't see as far as he thought, especially as he descended further and further. Yet, as Sam opened his mouth, the sound of something piercing hit his ears, as though he was eliciting some sort of pulse that immediately bounced back. Opening his mouth once more, Sam tried to speak, that same sound emanating from within and bouncing back to hit some sort of sensor he was not aware of. Regardless, so long as he tried to speak, the sounds quickly returned to him and he was able to make up for the lack of vision in the depths of the ocean.

There was another sound in the water, one that attracted his attention almost like words. Alien as it was, he was able to understand instructions, if not in words as he understood them. He was being guided to open his mouth, to move toward the sound of the voice, and to...feed? How was he to...?

Yet, as he swam with his mouth open, the sensations of something being attached to his filaments caught his attention, as though hundreds of tiny animals had become lodged on their surface. It was bizarre, thinking them to be debris, though part of him knew he was feeding, at least as much as he could with his new body. Closing his mouth, Sam reflectively swallowed, thinking the water would be too much for him to handle. Though he was able to expel most of it through his mouth, the things within his baleen were swallowed along with what he did ingest. Was this what it felt like to feed as a Tulkun? It seemed bizarre, though he had little time to think on it with the fact his gullet was hardly full. With that knowledge, he opened his mouth again, that same sensation of his meal of debris collecting against them as he swam, determined to sate his growing body.

All the while, the song from what he assumed was the female echoed in his mind, and through some bizarre awareness, he was able to discern some semblance of words, as much as his mind could interpret. <We eat much. Feed and grow strong> came what he deciphered to be the meaning, and with that, Sam felt his mouth opening and collecting as much debris as he could. Surely, some of it was inedible objects, but he was sure enough of it was sufficient nourishment to feed his growing body. And as much as he figured it would not be enough, creatures as large as he was to become subsisted on such minute orgasms.

Though his body could not keep up with the female in his current state, the female soon moved toward him, swishing her flukes with some pressure as though directing the current toward him. Opening his mouth, Sam was shocked by the sensation of more detritus being guided into his mouth. Swallowing quickly, he felt greater quantities of micro orgasms being ingested by his throat, as much as he could perceive. It was hardly enough to sate his appetite, but if the female's words held true, he would need to eat constantly in order to satisfy his hunger. And that was what his new species did, right?

And so he did, having to rise a few times when it felt like his breath was being sucked from him. Thankfully, there was plenty of time for him to rise to the surface and use his new blow holes to draw in oxygen and dive back down. Sam was sure he could hold his breath for quite some time, enough that he was able to eat his fill. There was some solace in that existence, he found. His only goal in life now was to eat feed and grow. All the constraints of his human life, all the urgency, and abuse for not achieving results fell by the wayside for the primal need to change into something more, something better.

And the changes were still coming as much as the aches in his joints were an indication. He was getting larger, tail stretching longer as his torso grew and his neck thickened to support him. His mouth was getting wider as well, stretched outward as more baleen filaments erupted from his gums. Rather than being disturbed by the developments as he had been, Sam was able to more readily accept the alterations to his being that aided with his aquatic life. Not that he wanted to be a Tulkun or any other nonhuman species, but with little choice in the matter, Sam decided he was of a mindset to live on, and if that meant in the form of a Tulkun, then so be it.

It was a little disconcerting in some ways, no longer able to move his toes or even his fingers, the joints within having dissolved by this point. The logistical part of him was sure that such was necessary for his aquatic life, but it was still disparaging to lose those aspects he had taken for granted all his life. Still, Sam tried to wiggle them every once and a while, a last mourning attempt to do so. Eventually, even that ability was robbed from him, something that Sam found eventually did not matter in the grand scheme of things.

The loss of his fingers and toes was hardly missed with how long and thin the remaining digits became, able to move even as his shoulders compressed and their sockets lost their range of motion. He was able to move them somewhat, though their action was for more to guide his fluid motion through the water. His massive tail swinging up and down was what really propelled him forward, allowing him to swim, though not nearly at the speed as his female benefactor. At least, not yet.

Constantly hungry, Sam was thankful as his neck swelled, more and more of those tight bristles forming in his jaw allowing him to take more microorganisms within his gullet. His physiology was designed to purge the backwash from his mouth so that he never drowned. What was left hardly felt enough to satisfy him, so he ate constantly, likely fueling his growth. The female followed him close behind, pleased to see him adapting to Tulkun's life as much as possible.

At this point, with his impressive range of underwater vision, Sam was more curious than scared of what was happening to his body. He wanted to know what it was like to lose the rest of his anatomy, taking on the qualities that would adapt him to his new aquatic life. His flukes, in particular, were growing ever larger, and a split down the center of where his toes once sat seemed to indicate the formation of a second pair, one that allowed him to move even faster through the water. Such was a boon to his feeding, allowing him to accelerate toward where he perceived the food in the water. That, and keeping up with the female, something that became a point of pride.

Growing all the while, the aches of bones and muscle expansion were ever present and subsided only while he was feeding. Much to his embarrassment, with the amount he was consuming, the need to defecate came several times in a short period, though it was something he only concerned himself with after the first few times, the water diluting the experience to the point he was only grateful for the relief it gave. The biggest issue for him now was to feed and grow, forsaking his human body toward the creature whose form he might maintain for the rest of his life.

Even with the speed at which he was growing, Sam was well aware he had much further to go to reach the size of the female. From their studies, he was sure that males were a little larger than females, and from his best estimates, he was currently less than half her stature. He knew she was a female, having known through the sounds as well as the physical characteristics he could easily perceive with his amazing underwater vision. And, to his embarrassment, his member seemed to constantly slide from his slit, longer and more sensual than even it had been. But with no way for him to masturbate, Sam was forced to ignore the persistent erection, even as his fluids leaked into the water. He wasn't sure if it was the change or some unknown sense that led him to his lust. Perhaps the female was in season? There was no way to tell, unused to his senses as he was.

All the while, his mouth getting larger and pushing outward in front of him, as though aching to reach a proper Tulkun size. More and more filaments erupted from his expanding gum lines, allowing him to feed even more effectively. He was thankful for that, the rumblings in his belly finally sating him to the point it was almost tolerable. It allowed him to finally take stock of his body, shocked at the impossible speed of growth. The sun was preparing to set, leaving him in darkness, but his additional eyes needed little light to perceive the ocean around him. He was mentally tired, though still swam, his muscles hardly fatigued as they were designed to be.

Fatigue eventually came over his mind, though sleep as a Tulkun, or at least a partial one, was far different than anything he could have imagined. Higher functions shut down and allowed rest while his body moved of its own accord. He was still feeding, still growing, but he was also gaining rest, the hours fading as he continued to grow and change. While part of Sam's mind wanted to witness the loss of his humanity, such was largely gone from him by this point, and the awkward shapes over his body only had yet to take their proper form as he grew to the weight of the adult male he would soon become. In those periods of lucidity, Sam made constant checks of his body and its further alterations. The calcified ridges where his nose once sat were massive, filling out over the night, his tail was longer, and his former hands had converted to their new purpose as fins. And, most noticeable of all, it seemed his new penis was massive, almost heavier than his former human body had been. Something that desperately craved to be tended to...

The one thing he could not see was forming within himself, different from the baleen-like substance he was using to feed. It tickled the back of his throat a little, starting to distend from his mouth if he focused on it. Over the course of a few hours, it seemed to lengthen enough he could leave his mouth, and witnessing the thing poke from his lips, long tendrils with hundreds of waving filaments on the surface brought forth the image of what the Na'vi called a Queue. The organ that allowed them to connect to each other, to the species on the planet to merge their minds, and to communicate with Ey'wa. It was bizarre to operate such a thing, and in his experimentation, the female moved up to him and extended her own in a sign of solidarity. Part of him wondered if she wanted to connect with him, but Sam was not ready for that, not yet.

As dawn approached, the female began brushing against him in an almost sensual way, before singing in that haunting tone the human him could not hope to understand. There was something else in the music, however, something that his brain couldn't quite decipher. It seemed to beckon to him, however, and he was encouraged to follow, marveling how much closer he was growing toward her own size in such short a time.

Rising to take a deep breath, the female dove, and Sam did the same, descending as fast as he could, trying to keep the female in sight. Even as she disappeared, Sam was prompted to open his mouth, eliciting a series of clicks reflexively that bounced back and allowed him a mental image of the ocean where light could not penetrate. All that mattered, despite the topography of the ocean, was the female, moving far faster in the open ocean than he could hope to keep up with, fast as he was.

The sights he was receiving during his descent should have been wondrous to him beyond anything he could imagine. But he hardly had time to explore them, his focus being on the female and making sure she did not leave his field of awareness. He was fixated on her, thinking she had his best interests in mind to the point he would follow her anywhere. It was of little comfort that he had little choice in the matter, his life in her fins, so to speak. As intelligent as she was, it was obvious she didn't want to cause him harm, but rather save his life even if it had been transformed in the process. It was a small price to pay in the end, he reasoned.

Though it seemed as though they had dived for miles, Sam was not expecting a glow to emanate from somewhere deep, getting closer as he swam after the female. The sight was familiar, somehow, as though he had been here before in his dream. The pressure should have killed him, but he was large enough that it was hardly an inconvenience. And, it made sense, if what he was swimming toward was what he presumed it was.

Sam was soon privy to a series of thousands of interlocking vines dotting the ocean floor, like a mass of living organisms. Though Sam had never seen such a thing, far deeper than his former team had ever made, some instinct knew that the organisms were alive, and they were connected to a larger network across the planet, able to link any indigenous being to what he presumed was Ey'wa. Sam had no way of knowing if Tulkun had the same word for it or perceived it in the same way. But if he was being brought here, then, surely...

Hovering just above one vine-like organism, Sam was privy to just how large they were, one of them nearly the circumference of the female. Still, she lowered her head, opening her mouth and extending her Queue, its tendrils caressing the surface until it seemed as though they were hooked. Sam had to wonder if she was tapping into the planet's neural network, as though the vines were neurons, synapses connected with them. As far as he understood, the female was engaging with it, and, perhaps encouraging him to do the same. Not sure why else he had been brought there, Sam lowered himself beside her, able to maintain his stationary position as he opened his mouth and released the same Queue. Not sure what to do, exactly, and feeling the organ was a little unruly, Sam nonetheless was able to move it toward what he perceived as a neuron.

The moment his tendrils connected was the moment Sam's mind was opened up like a flower, in a way that defied his understanding. Surely, if he was human, he would have been overwhelmed by the stimulus, but his mind was more complex than any human could hope to be. He was overwhelmed with images, not words, per se, not in a language he could understand. But the longer he kept the connection, the more he was able to understand what was being conveyed. It was a vast history, memories from all members of his new species stretched back all the way to what was known as the first songs. Once, much like humanity, they had fought violently with themselves, bringing the race to the edge of extinction. But eventually, a peace was formed, and all Tulkun denounced violence in every way, the memories of its consequences too fresh in their minds even though it happened eons ago. Perhaps he didn't agree, especially with the case of the humans hunting them. But it was what it was.

Lost in the connection and the unfathomable amount of information he was receiving, Sam was hardly aware his body was growing larger, as though the planet itself was fueling his growth. The aches of growth and change were hardly felt while Sam was 'plugged in'. Sam was aware of the rapid development of his crests, changing color to red and now visible in front of him, something that was possessed by the most virile males, like one that could attract any female he wanted...

Even as he eventually disconnected, he was aware he had grown impossibly large, feeling his body settling into its final form. Yet, rather than be afraid, Sam had accepted that this was who he was now. He was part of a rich heritage, culture, mathematics, music, and a million other things that would take him a lifetime to sift through. It was all too much, yet the larger brain he'd developed would eventually be able to make sense of it.

Now, it was his body's air supply that needed attention, Sam knowing it was time to rise to the surface to take in more air without discomfort. He did not need the female to guide him, understanding several million lifetimes of experience on how to be Tulkun. Yet, he was more there was something else he needed from her, and she, him, even without words being exchanged between them. The source of his arousal was obvious, as much as he'd been ignorant of her pheromones. But now that he understood more about his life, his species...

<Mate with me?> came a voice in his head, though it was not quite that. It was rather in vibrations within in the water, like her song, or...

It was a language, that was certain. And though his mind was still trying to process the information he had given. There were many words, a complex language that would take time for him to understand in human terms. But that sentiment came through clearly. And had an obvious effect on his body...

Though he could not quite reply in human terms, his cock coming to erection was all the acknowledgment the female needed. Member aching, he was not expecting her to swim underneath him, brushing against it and making his gargantuan body tremble. Nothing in his experience could match such, and Sam felt his body was on fire, needing the touch of the female more than anything in his human existence. Even his own hand on his member was a far cry from the pleasure she promised. And she was as much into it as he was, given the scents of her pheromones in the water. Even the sight of her sex, swollen and reddish, told his new awareness that she was in need, receptive to a male. And that male was to be him...

Moving as though on instinct, Sam went to nibble her sex, unable to taste with his mouth but providing her pleasure all the same. A thought occurred to him, and, reaching out his Queue, his tendrils coaxed the sides of her inflamed sex and caused a shift in her song, something he was able to perceive though not fully understood. He wanted to play with her a little more, likening it to something he had done many years ago with a woman. But she soon pulled away, and for a moment, Sam felt he had done something wrong to the point of being disappointed.

He did not have to worry for long as the female moved under him, taking a while with her bulk but surprisingly flexible for her mass. Like Sam, she was able to reach out with her Queue and rub it against his aching, prehensile cock, wrapping around the massive, slimy member and making Sam call out with his own song. It was the first time he had tried to do such, and he could not understand what he was saying. But the pleasurable tone in his voice was not lost, the tension in his cetacean member enough to bring him closer to the edge.

Given the pent-up pressure he was feeling, it took him no time to reach his end, as embarrassing as it was for him to finish in such a way. Still, there was little he could do, his need causing his rod to pulsate in the water and spill his seed in waves. The salty taste was almost palpable on his tongue, though rather than being disgusted, he was elated, his massive body reveling in the sensations that his former humanity could scarcely hold a candle to.

To his delight, though perhaps a little bit to his discomfort, Sam soon found that one orgasm was hardly enough to keep him from being fully satisfied. He was still horny, as though the release was a prelude for what was soon to come. And seeing how eager his rod was, the female turned herself over, grinding her body against him until the tips of his cock touched her sensual folds. Flexible as his cetacean member was, Sam was able to wriggle his member inside of her, the female's sex slick and open and welcoming him in like a glove around his massive member.

Yet, that was not the only way for the two of them to experience connection as the female swam in tandem with him, opening her mouth and allowing her Queue to move toward him, caressing the side of his massive head. Reflexively, his own mouth opened, and his Queue distended to meet her own. He wanted to seek it out, a deep-seated instinct longing for the deepened bond that could be achieved. Knowing how good it could feel to be bonded in such a way, Sam did not fear it any longer. Rather, he embraced it, desiring it as much as his penis to be inside of her.

The moment their tendrils wrapped around each other was the moment Sam saw into her, her life, her body, her experiences, her goals, her dreams. It was a spiritual bonding beyond anything he had known in his past life and something he could scarcely comprehend in the moment of lust. She had saved him, had asked Ey'wa to change him in hopes that he would live, but more than that, to give him a new perspective. And, perhaps selfishly, she wanted a mate of her own. Something he was more than eager to give her if it could mean the rest of his life might be like this...

Lost in seeing her thoughts in real time, the tremors of orgasm were hardly noticed as he unloaded his cock, spilling his seed inside of her. Just as much pleasure was granted from the connection between their Queues, though his gigantic member was more than enough to send massive ripples through his entire body. The quantity of sperm seemed hardly inconvenienced from the previous orgasm, Sam as virile and eager for the connection their sharing of minds seemed to grant.

Eventually, Sam pulled out of her, a backwash of his seed floating into the water. Enough was present within her to inseminate the next generation, as best as he understood. More than that, however, the biological drive to mate was surpassed by the connection he felt with the female, the one that had saved his life and given him such a wonderful experience. They belonged to each other now not only in body but in spirit, their souls intertwined and connected through Ey'wa, a bond that would last even beyond their deaths. Their lives, their memories, their experiences, everything would be preserved by the planet's living system. And, with further matings, any life that would come from their new union.

The female's uplifting song, rather than through words, translated directly into images, memories, and tales of her life, her existence before him, and her loneliness. How satisfied she was with him, how his experience of this life made everything new to her in ways that she could not have anticipated. He longed to share that with her, but with all the memories of his past, killing their kind for profit, the experiments, the torture, how could he have done that? She sensed his concern, forgave him, and promised a new life with him to make up for the lost ways of his past. Sam found he was not yet ready to forgive himself. Eventually, perhaps, it would be time. But not yet, not now.

Still, this was the way to retribution, and it was something Sam welcomed, now thinking his new life was wondrous. All the pressure to service wealthy overlords was done, a past life that had little meaning. This was to be a life of wonders, an entirely new perspective of the planet, and more than several lifetimes of research material to explore. And, perhaps best of all, he knew that it would take many more times for them to mate to make sure she was filled with new life, something he was eager to experience again and again. Then, his life now would be one of exploration with his mate, and eventually, her offspring, as he learned the song of the Tulkun.