“Heehee. Sorry, Val. I couldn’t resist. Anyway, let’s start with any questions you might have while I start the measurements.” She flicked a switch and red and green lines popped all over me, like lines from a laser pointer.

“Doc?”

“They’re fully automated, and you don’t need to take off your clothes.”

“Cool.”

“So. Let me ask you a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Have you heard the term Epigenetics?”

“No, doctor, I haven’t.”

“Well, contrary to what most people think, our DNA changes as we age. Some of these changes are part of what’s called epigenetics - DNA is modified without altering the genetic sequence itself. Epigenetic changes affect how genes are turned on and off, or ‘expressed,’ and thus help regulate how cells in different parts of the body use the same genetic code.

“People have been debating the concept of ‘nature versus nurture.’ Is a person what he is because he was born that way or because the world has shaped him? Obviously, if one identical twin grows up in the slums while the other grows up in privilege, they'd develop into different people no matter how similar their genes were. Epigenetics adds a new facet to this debate because it tells us that environment, nutrition, and social conditions affect how genes are expressed. For example, what if one of the twins was brought up by an abusive stepmother while the other grew up in a house full of pipe smoke? What if one ate gruel while the other ate fatty desserts? These can cause epigenetic changes that can alter how each twin's genes are expressed. Even a difference in diet could put one twin at risk for cancer and leave the other in the clear.”

“Oh.”

“Epigenetic changes normally happen over time, and the changes can be major or minor, and the DNA isn’t changed at all. Follow?”

“So far.”

“All right. Now, there are two parts of chromosomes that we are interested in: there are euchromatins and heterochromatins. Euchromatins make up the overall chromosome molecule. Heterochromatin, on the other hand, is densely packed chromatin.

“Some of this heterochromatin is found at the ends of DNA strands, and are mostly repeating DNA codes that help stop the ends of DNA from degrading and also help prevent DNA from shortening during DNA replication.

“Some of this heterochromatin, on the other hand, can switch between a heterochromatin and euchromatin state, depending on certain conditions. This also includes coding regions in which the expression of a gene can be turned on or turned off. Some also switch between inactive and active forms.

“In other words, Val, heterochromatin helps protect DNA when they replicate, and can control if genes are expressed or suppressed. Physical changes in a human are therefore possible without actually changing her DNA.

“The partial DNA maps in the ten Kodikos maps are mostly heterochromatin. We don’t know where these fall in an actual DNA map, but with all of the students we have, we are slowly understanding where they go. Even so, we are very far away from understanding complete maps pr the partial ones from the Kodikos Ten. Actually, we may never understand.

“As to the ‘ambrosia’ – what it does, really, is that it changes these heterochromatin components of the DNA – they fix them in place, allowing permanent changes to the person’s physicality according to, for want of a better word, an ‘arbitrary’ set of qualities in a human – ‘arbitrary’ because, although there are many qualities that enhance a person’s quality of life, some seem to not be related to survivability or enhancement of life.

“Whether or not these induced changes were deliberately selected by whoever, or if these are all a happy change of random happenstance – we don’t know. I myself don’t know either, but then if we were considering something like evolutionary scales, as in millions of years – maybe it was evolution instead of something deliberate, but then, the oldest human fossils ever found – the Omo remains they found in Ethiopia – are only 250,000 years old at best. That’s too short a time, I think.”

“So, what – some brainy humans or maybe aliens from hundreds of thousands of years ago did this?”

Dr. Penny shrugged. “I don’t know. And, frankly, I don’t care, really. But for now, I’d be happy if I could just understand how all of this works, replicate it, and share the benefits of it with the rest of the world.

“Anyway – do you follow what I’m saying?”

“More or less,” I said. “Well… maybe more on the less…”

“So. How does all this relate to you? Okay – firstly, a part of your DNA matches – a small fraction – matches the DNA base pairs carved on the Kodikos’ partial map of ‘Aphrodite.’” She made air quotes when she said Aphrodite. “That partial map was only a string of 140,000 base pairs, which is tiny – the full DNA map has three billion base pairs, after all. Anyway, a portion of your DNA matches this chain one hundred percent. What does this mean? Well, I don’t know…

“Right now, all that we know is that individuals who have parts of their DNA match the base pair strings in the Kodikos maps have very good genetic characteristics, and the ‘ambrosia’ changes how certain genes are expressed or not, and that it fixes these particular genes permanently.

“Now, what we are doing is mapping out your full DNA.”

“My whole DNA?”

“Normally, we don’t map the entire DNA – just those genes that were switched on or off by the ambrosia – after stabilization, they’d now be permanently switched on or off. And, going by the hundreds of thousands of Endowment graduates, they’ve been switched on or off for the better.

“A big portion of the work of Archimedes Genomics is identifying these particular genes that were affected, and then we share this information to other genomic labs across the world, and they, in turn, use this information to create cures for various things, or to improve things for people. So far, we’ve shared thousands of these, and our track record is so far one hundred percent. Soon, we hope to find a universal cure for cancer or AIDS or the other scourges that humans are experiencing.”

“Wow…”

“Anyway, what we’ll mostly be doing with your blood is, first, to compare it with your old DNA map before the application of ambrosia, and identify which genes were turned on or off. Second, we’ll map your entire DNA and perhaps use the map as an eleventh Kodikos map – we don’t know if we’ll be doing that yet. Right now, this isn’t an easy thing, and we’d need a lot of your ‘new’ blood.” She again made air quotes on “new.” “We don’t really need half a liter of your blood, but it’s good to have some as spare.

“With a hundred percent match, we’re expecting a windfall of identified genes. Looks like Aristotle Endowment will be getting a big infusion of funds soon, and we can do so much more!”

“Why is that?”

“Well, we patent the genes we identify, and we get paid every time our gene patents are used. And we, of course, funnel this to the Endowment, and help keep our schools running.”

I shrugged. “Cool, I guess?”

“Yeah. Cool.” She giggled.

“But, Doc, Even with this epigenetics thing, does it really explain why my gender changed?”

“Our information, and the state of the art in the industry, can’t explain it. Gender isn’t really something that can be changed epigenetically, so we don’t understand. Hopefully, these interviews and the analysis of your blood can explain it. We’re interfacing with a lab in Oregon called Globa Dynamics – they’re doing pretty advanced genetic work over there. Hopefully, we can get more data from them that can help us out.”

“Well, I’m completely in your hands, Doc.”

And then Dr. Penny did a very thorough interview. It felt more akin to a psychoanalysis session than anything (as I knew psychoanalysis to be – I haven’t been to a therapist or psychologist ever, after all). I didn’t understand how this could help, but I trusted her. In any case, after this three-hour “session,” I actually felt great, and I discovered things about me that made me understand things about myself a little better, and maybe help me be a better “me.”

Dr. Maia came in.

“Hey, Val?”

“Yes, Doc?”

“Have you lost some weight?”

“Not as far as I know?”

“Well, you are approximately fifteen pounds lighter than what you weighed during your last PE weigh-in three weeks ago…”

“I am?”

“How has your bowel movements been the past week or so?”

“Um,” I said embarrassedly, “actually, I haven’t gone for a week now…”

She looked a me critically. “Okay, stand up and follow me.”

I jumped down and she led me to a weigh scale. “Yes, you did lose fifteen pounds since four days ago.” She then had me take off my slingbacks and had me stand against the wall with a scale on it.

“How tall are you?” she asked.

“I’m around five-ten.”

“That’s what I got four days ago. I’ll give you an extra inch. Do you mind if you take off your top?”

I took off my sundress, leaving me in my bodysuit and tights.

“Can you take off the bodysuit as well?”

I was still shy around girls, but this was Dr. Maia and Dr. Penny, so I took a deep breath, reached underneath me, unsnapped the crotch of my bodysuit and skinned it over my head.

She looked at me critically again, or more specifically, at my chest.

“Can you take off your bralette as well?”

I nervously reached in front and unhooked it.

“What’s your cup size?” she asked.

“Triple A,” I said in embarrassment. “As flat as can be.”

“Do you mind?” she asked, and before I could answer, she had her hands on my chest. I was so shocked I couldn’t react. Dr. Maia then started massaging my chest, and before I could put my brains back in my skull, she stopped and stepped back.

“You’re not a triple-A,” she said. “You’re more an A-cup, or maybe a B.”

“Nah,” I said. “I’m completely flat.”

“I beg to differ. Penny?”

Dr. Penny came over bringing a hand mirror. She aimed it at my chest, and I could actually see some tiny boobies. What!

“Didn’t you notice?” Dr. Maia said.

I thought back. “When I was getting dressed this morning, I put in the small pads in my bralette, but I thought I might have made a mistake and put in the larger pad ‘coz it was, y’know, too perky…”

“And that’s just today?”

“Yes.”

“How about yesterday?”

“I didn’t notice anything.”

“Penny?”

“Her transformation has started,” Dr. Penny commented.

“But it’s only been a week!”

“I guess we can throw all of our standards and yardsticks away,” Dr. Penny said. “At least with Val.”

“What’re you saying, Doc? I asked, worried.

“Well, Val,” Dr. Penny said, “in our experience, the transformation should start maybe three weeks or a month after ambrosia, and the changes would be minute and not noticeable. Full stabilization should be between six and nine months. That’s why we usually apply the ambrosia at around the beginning of the school year, so at the end of the year, the student would be fully stabilized by then. At this rate – Maia what do you think?”

Dr. Maia shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. What is it now? End of March? I guess you’d be done cooking by June or July. Or maybe August at the outside.”

“That quick?” I said.

She gestured at my budding boobs as if it answered Dr. Penny’s question.

“Three months…” Dr. Penny murmured.

“Maybe four…” Dr. Maia said.

“That’s damn quick.”

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