Wendy ended up becoming a Stardust blue Furren as well. The changes happened just as fast as they did with Hailey because of the ocean water. And unlike Hailey, it was a well documented fact that Wendy was absolutely, completely, and 100% boy crazy.

The funny thing about that though, is she found herself attracted to Brie, big time.

Candy giggled, “Brie turned your friend Rolly.” she watched as Wendy was staring at Brie.

“Got to say,” Hailey laughed, “I honestly never saw that one coming. She’s had more boyfriends than I can count, and more crushes than that.”

“Brie is attractive for a Sartori, but definitely not my type.” Candy giggled.

“I could swear Brie didn’t swing her door that way,” Ella giggled as she joined them.

“I don't think she knows it yet either, but look how Wendy stares at her.” Hailey laughed.

“Poor Brie,” Karen giggled softly.

“Poor Wendy when Brie breaks her heart.” Hailey sighed.

Brie glanced up from her computer, and Wendy pretended she hadn’t just been staring the entire time. Brie remained oblivious, returning her attention to the computer.

Hailey wandered over to Wendy and whispered to her, “You should just come out and ask her, the worst thing she can say is no.”

“The worst two letters in the English language,” Wendy said, sticking out her tongue. “At least let me have the fantasy for a while,” she giggled.

“If you don’t ask her Wendy, I will ask her for you.” Hailey giggled, “Like that time you made me ask Derrek out for you.”

“You do and I’ll tell your girlfriend where you’re ticklish,” Wendy said sternly.

“Too late, she found out last night.” Hailey giggled. Wendy pouted cutely, trying to give Hailey the puppy pout.

“Seriously though, I totally thought you only dug boys?” Hailey sighed.

“I do! Or.... Fuck me,” Wendy sighed. “That’s what I wanted everyone to think. I can deal with being that weird girl who likes survival stuff because I’m a girl scout too, but if people found out I liked girls on top of it, I’d be labeled a man-bashing feminazi dyke for the rest of high school, and I couldn’t deal with that.”

“Well you’re Furren now, and being Rolly is accepted.” Hailey grinned, “Seriously though talk to her at least, make friends with her, you're good at that.”

“You’re right,” Wendy sighed, then slowly got up, like a condemned woman marching to her execution, and sat down next to Brie.

“Hey.” Brie smiled and waved.

“So um... That looks like an inverse formula?”

“You know about Quantum science?” Brie asked surprised.

“A little,” Wendy giggled. “Quantum mechanics is still just a theory where I’m from, but I absolutely love science. I’ve been watching documentaries on quantum theory since I was like ten.”

“That’s cool.” Brie said, “I have a degree in Quantum Science and Electro Engineering. I was studying for a degree in Bioengineering as well.”

“God,” Wendy said under her breath, glaring back at Hailey for making her come over. Talking to Brie was only making her feel more intrigued.

Hailey grinned and brought over two 16 oz bottles of Doctor Pepper, “Here you two go, you both looked really thirsty and Brie just found out she loves Doctor Pepper the other day.”

Brie nodded. “I gave a sample to Chuck, the mixologist back at the main colony, to try and replicate something similar for when our stocks inevitably run out. It’s like drinking liquid pleasure,” she said sheepishly as she opened her bottle.

“You know, I’ve always been keen to Doctor Pepper, but I like Baja Blast Mountain Dew as well.” Wendy said.

“I haven’t sampled that yet, but I believe we found several cases in the 7-11 storage area,” Brie nodded. She was still completely oblivious.

Hailey nodded, “I have them in my personal storage back home actually. But I can share some.”

“I’d say ‘I’ll love you forever’,” Wendy giggled, “But A, I already do, and B, Candy would have a stardust blue rug,” she teased.
“Have you ever had a Furren walking massage?” Brie asked.

Wendy shook her head. “Until last night I didn’t even know there were other species out there. I always hoped though.”

“We’ve found out that we all share a common ancestor.” Brie nodded. “It’s good to know others who share the same DNA exist.”

“Never know when you might need a kidney,” Wendy giggled, paused, and put her hand to her forehead. “Can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

“You’re furren.” Hailey said as she turned to leave, “We say all kinds of things before we can catch it.”

Brie giggled. “It comes as natural as breathing, but don’t worry. I’ve heard far, far worse, and far less funny in the last 48 hours,” she teased.

“Tell her about the Author and the you know what Brie.” Hailey grinned as she left.

Brie snorted, snickered, fought it down, but eventually just had to give in and laugh.“What's so funny?” Wendy asked.

“Watch,” Hailey said. “You’re about to see a Sartori approach to Furran humor in action,” she whispered to the others. Sure enough, Brie started explaining the joke, but before she was even halfway through, Wendy broke down and started giggling too.

“See.” Brie grinned, “Furren’s have some of the weirdest and cutest jokes.”

“If I said something like that back home, they would just stare at me like I was crazy, shake their heads, and walk away. Hailey can testify,” she laughed.

“We’ve heard, but you see, most of us come from a part of the galaxy where our species actually know of each other.” Brie said. “If my theory on isolationism and creation is correct, I believe human beings were a ‘base template’ from which other species were developed.”

“No, that makes total sense,” Wendy said. “If I was doing an experiment then I’d go out of my way to keep my control as pristine as possible.”

“So what I’m not thinking.” Brie smiled at Wendy, “Because of what you just said, is that the species that brought us all here, wasn’t part of the original experiment.”

Wendy nodded her agreement. “It wouldn’t make sense to just change the experiment halfway through. That would taint the results. And even just ‘borrowing’ people from the control group ruins the experiment because they take people who’d be missed.’

“Not to sound like a mad scientist who would ever do such a thing,” Brie said, cracking a smile, “But if it was my experiment, I would proceed precisely as you say, by only finding subjects who wouldn’t be noticed missing. It would seem a new experiment was enacted by a different organization, species, or beings.”

“The problem is, Hailey and I would be missed..” Wendy spoke up. “Hailey’s parents are control freaks, well at least her mom is. And my Dad worries about me hardcore.”

“Moreover, it sounded like you were part of an organized search party with local authorities,” Brie nodded. “Nothing raises a red flag faster than taking someone under official protection. And this only began approximately eighty galactic standard years ago.”

“So I’m thinking they might be after people who are going to become famous or are on their way to becoming famous for one thing or another.” Brie spoke up, “Candy was on her way to winning a Galactic Peace prize. I haven’t shared that theory with anyone else yet, however.”

“Really? Why not?” Wendy asked. “It makes total sense to me.”

“Two reasons,” Brie answered. “The first being that I wasn’t on my way to being famous. I was on my way to a crappy lab job at my mother’s conglomerate. Two, your subjects being aware of being subjects alters the test, and I don’t want to bring any problems down on my friends or the other colonists.”

“Maybe it’s not an experiment, maybe they are trying to free us?” Wendy shrugged. “When something bad is coming a mother bear will protect her cubs.”

“But why would they restrict our movement if we’re not, technically, prisoners?” Brie asked.

“I don’t think they are, I’m betting dinner and a date, that you and I can create a fuel source that is native to this planet.” Wendy grinned.

“Better, smarter scientists than me have been trying for fifty years,” Brie laughed.

“Yeah but they didn’t have me, the Geek of Almand High, I was president of the rocket club, and I invented a new type of Biodiesel for our club.”

“Hmm,” Brie said. “Very well. One dinner date against...” She grinned, leaned closer so that the others, whom she now realized had been watching them for awhile couldn’t hear, cupped her hand so they couldn’t read her lips, and whispered, “Against one dinner date.”

“Sounds like a deal.” Wendy grinned. “Do you have a lab that I can tests on different things?” and they shook hands.

“Oh, they have a small lab setup here, and an entire facility back on Heart,” Brie nodded.

“I think a bigger lab might be better more equipment right?” Wendy asked.

“It shouldn’t take us long to get you up to speed on the equipment,” Brie nodded. “Everything uses a universal interface based on international trade language, like this,” she said, showing Wendy her tablet device.

“Holy shit,” Wendy said, “It’s like Apple and Google got together with a bottle of cheap wine and made a glorious baby.” she paused, “I need to talk to Hailey, she said she was in the exploration guild, so while they’re out exploring I need them to be on the watch for specific things.”

“We’re on the same expedition team,” Brie giggled. “You can join too, if you want, but I suspect you’d be happier in the Science lab.”

“Oh wow!” Wendy said and pulled out her iPhone, it was pink just like Hailey’s, and pulled up some pictures, “These something similar to them, they’re called Wheat, and this one's called Maize or Corn.”

“Hmmm,” Brie said as she brought up a search window on her tablet and leaned close to Wendy. Their faces practically touched as she overlaid her tablet over top of Wendy’s phone for a moment, as she scanned the image.

“If you could have a lab on that boat, I’d totally join you.” Wendy giggled.

Brie’s face lit up, and she grinned. “Come with me?” she said as she offered Wendy her hand. “I’ll show you my work space. I do a lot of element and material analysis on-ship.”

Wendy smiled and got up to follow Brie taking her hand. She winked at Hailey as they passed the girls. “Cool, I just need a hotplate, a broiler, some barrels to store the stuff in, and a chemical testing kit.”

“My science instructors would have loved you,” Brie nodded. “They were big believers that if you could take some rocks, some pond scum, and a stick, and create a complex chemical compound, then you could make miracles with proper scientific equipment.”

“Oh and if we can approximate it, I need copper or Plastic tubing, lots of it.” Wendy grinned. “Copper works the best, and it’s the most common mineral..”

“You need something that can conduct electricity effectively?” Brie asked.

“Disperse heat actually.” Wendy said.

“Heat dispersal, resistant to overheating itself,” Brie said thoughtfully and began rapidly searching through her tablet’s database even as they walked toward the ship. “Ah, super polymer Zed-716, extremely easy to make from materials found all over the islands, can be made rigid with application of comprehensive force. Should work nicely until we find a ready source of copper tubing.”

“Flexible to some degree, I’m probably going to have to bend it.” Wendy nodded.

“Extremely,” Brie nodded. “In its natural uncompressed state it has properties similar to rubber, however it doesn’t require application of heat or introduction of carbon molecules to add strength.”

“Nice.” Wendy said, “We might be able to just use that.” she got led into a pretty big and mostly empty area of the ship, there was some machines in there.

“First Aria, now you,” Brie giggled. “This island is fast becoming my favorite yet.”

“Speaking of Aria, we need to figure out how to trade with her for her engines.” Wendy said.

Brie grinned. “Oh, that’s easy. She told me that if we ever found a way to repair them, that we were welcome to them. It seems she’s decided to settle down here, and call this planet home - even if she does get her ship repaired.”

“If this works, we might not have space flight, but I’m betting we can have faster world travel.” Wendy grinned. “Think like Airplanes, Hailey showed you pictures of earth Airplanes right?”

Brie nodded. “Among other things,” she said with a grin. “Pink is most definitely your color,” she teased Wendy.

“Well if she’s showing embarrassing pictures then you have to see this one.” Wendy grinned and pulled up some pictures of Hailey at a party the bug out group held.

“What... is that thing on her head?” Brie laughed. “It looks like a lamp shade...”

“It is.” Wendy grinned. “These are one of the few times we’re allowed to drink, because our group leader is responsible.” she showed Brie another one with Hailey passed out and Wendy drawing a penis on her face.

Brie giggled, “Ok, that one I get because of Candy’s Pussy in a Penis joke. But why did you draw it on her face?”

“We had one wine cooler too many,” Wendy giggled. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. I saved all the pictures to blackmail her if I ever had to. But it’s a power I only use for good.”

Brie nodded she understood what Blackmail was, they used the same practice on her homeworld, and other species used it as well. “So I think we can set you up in here with my equipment since I don’t take much space.”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Wendy nodded. “I could even set up a cot in the corner so I can catnap,” she giggled.

“Actually there’s bedrooms on the ship too.” Brie laughed. “I’m thinking that we can place the Engines over there for you to work on. I already know why it won’t function, and it’s a relatively easy fix. I suspect she didn’t want to fix it because that would mean leaving.”

“Well Primative fuel won't get us space travel with them, But I’m thinking we can make Jet engines out of them.” Wendy nodded. “I’ve kinda noticed that most of the people here don’t really want to leave anyway. Even Hailey.”

“This place... It gets inside of you,” Brie nodded. “For example, I told you before how I had nothing to look forward to back home. But here, I’m appreciated for my talents as a songwriter too, and not just as a cog in a machine.”

“You’ll have to sing me a song sometime.” Wendy said.

Brie giggled. “My species possess two sets of vocal chords which in effect, allows me to sing in harmony with myself.”

“That’s got to be damn useful.” Wendy said, “I have a tail now, but so do you, why don’t your species have fur?”

“Divergent evolutionary paths,” Brie nodded, adding, “But we are actually extremely close - both highly intelligent, but where Furran are playful, Sartori are...” She chuckled. “We over-analyze everything until all the fun in a room is nothing but a shriveled, quivering mass in the corner.”

“You suck the fun out of Parties?” Wendy shrugged, “You seem pretty normal to me.”

Brie nodded. “I get that a lot. They also tease me occasionally for going off on a tangent, but not cruelly.” She laughed a bit. “It’s just a part of my species that we externalize our thoughts - sometimes very quickly, in order to posit a solution.”

“I’d scratch their eyes out of they were mean to you.” Wendy stated.

“It’s sort of like how I tease Candy and Hailey about Furren humor by intentionally explaining their jokes out loud, even if I got it immediately.” She grinned. “But don’t tell them I said that.”

“Oh I won't, I’ve noticed I get the urges to tell dirty jokes more now too, but I told them even as myself, so It’s not like it’s any different.”

“You’ll fit right in,” Brie laughed. “But I do have one question.”

“Ask me anything.” Wendy said, swishing her tail.

“Why did you want to wager our success, for a date with me?” she asked.

Wendy blushed Brie couldn’t see it through the fur, “I’ll tell you after I win.” she winked.

Brie laughed. “Fair enough. It’s just... Even among my people I was never considered attractive. As it goes, I’m average at best in intelligence and appearance.” She shrugged. “I’m not used to the attention.”

Wendy shrugged, “Their loss our gain.” and nodded, “Attention can take some getting used to - good or bad. I went from a lanky, kind of homely 12 year old to having my body catch up to itself over one summer, and suddenly everyone wanted to go out with me. Add to that, I had a crush on the girl who would become my other best friend, and you’ve got a recipe for one awkward as fuck school year,” she giggled.

“Well, all the same,” Brie said as she turned and kissed Wendy’s cheek, “Thank you. I hope that you win, even if losing is the same result for us,” she teased.

“Yes but me winning has an added bonus of me telling you why a date.” Wendy winked.

“And less awkward than saying that I won a date with you in a wager,” Brie giggled as they walked out into the hallway again. Ella was on her way through carrying a bedroll under one arm, and waved lazily.

“Don’t mind me. Karen and I are going to explore the island since Rebecca wants to stay on another day and head back tomorrow.” she paused, “Hailey and Candy are out looking around as well.”

“Out looking for a love nest,” Wendy giggled.

“Probably not, Hailey said she thought she spotted something interesting.” Ella spoke.

“Either way,” Brie said, “Looks like it’s just you and me tonight.”

“And Rebecca,” Ella laughed. “But she’s swapping war stories with the Admiral and Tricia over drinks.”