Gazing down at an alien planet from space was a wonder that Leah could not have prepared herself for, even having seen Earth from the same angle only weeks before. While many humans had been granted the privilege of seeing Earth from space, so few had seen AJ201, or as some simply called it, ‘planet of the slugs.’ Such was hardly an insult, given that the planet’s intelligent species had no concept of Earth slugs or how her own species viewed them. Either way, it was hauntingly beautiful to view such a planet from orbit, one that only a handful of other humans had witnessed.
It was the fact that she would have to make this place her home for the next two years that truly had Leah nervous, however. Not that it wasn’t of her own will. On the contrary, she had spent the better part of a year undergoing rigorous training to earn this coveted spot. There were only a handful of humans they could send through the spatial distortion, one that had been discovered just beyond the edges of their own solar system. Leah had been a child then, fascinated by the possibility of exploring space beyond their home. Twenty years later, she was here to see it in person, in awe of her reality, and truly thankful for being part of a select few to have the honor.
The planet, while inhabited by sentient species, was still poisonous to humans, making it impossible to set foot there directly. A base did exist in orbit, though the crew was only able to spend no more than a few hours on the surface, even with full gear. Such made interactions with the native species were tenuous at best. Being the first instance of sentient life humanity had discovered, huge investments had been made in the exploration of their planet and species, and they had made many strides in communication. The aliens, so slug-like in physiology, were composed of entirely different chemical components, and could not exist on Earth as much as humans could not visit them. Still, the resemblance was uncanny, save for their sentience, greater perhaps than even humans. Convergent evolution across the cosmos seemed impossible and spoke to the notion of greater intelligent design, something scholars would no doubt explore for decades to come.
While early contact was difficult, humanity came to learn much about their society, even as they shared their own. The species had no name for itself as did humans, the concept being foreign to them. Their society was highly integrated, and the slugs themselves were rather long-lived and carried memories of many generations and lineages. They did not speak in human terms but rather communicated entirely with pheromones. It was sophisticated enough that they could communicate over vast distances, exchanging enormous quantities of information. Without being able to examine them more closely, much of the information was directly translated through what technology humans had contrived for basic communication.
While humans could not remain on the planet for long, it was quickly discovered from donated blood and tissue that a unique way persisted to speak to the indigenous species. What passed for DNA within the slugs was highly dynamic, able to reshape their bodies in ways to allow them to exist in a variety of environments. The effect on even human tissue was shocking as an infusion of alien DNA rapidly reconfigured itself to bond with its host, and in turn, impart its own physiology. The implications were endless, though, as best as they were able to communicate, it was possible to fully change another species into one of their own. It could even be a temporary exchange, eventually undone with some effort on the part of the human science team.
While it was assumed to be a great risk to the volunteers, humanity had been successful multiple times in changing a human entirely in body to match one of the aliens. Even while possessing the instincts and drives of the host species, one’s humanity remained intact and in control, allowing the former person to live among the natives, so to speak. And with the ability to be eventually turned back, they could report on their experiences. It had become a method to communicate and learn from this species in ways that it would take humans decades to manage otherwise. Such was a costly endeavor, but for a few of the bravest humans, the experience was the dream of a lifetime.
Leah was one of a handful of humans who had undergone the prerequisite training to qualify to be changed and joined the slugs on their planet for an extended period. She was required to undergo a variety of rigorous physical and mental tests, something she took great strides to pass. They had to ensure her body could survive the change and her mind could process such a drastic alteration. It was somewhat useful to have people from multiple ethnicities and genders be chosen for the mission, bringing those unique perspectives to interactions with the indigenous species. Of course, a scientific mind was preferred to get the most from the experience. The cost of sending even a small group of humans across the galaxy was astronomical, after all. As scared as she had been, Leah had worked for over two years to be one of the lucky few, and even the inherent dangers were not enough to dissuade her decision. There were great financial incentives for doing so, of course, and once she returned to her humanity, Leah would be essentially set for life. That was hardly her motivation, however. She was sure she would be able to use her own unique perspective and abilities to help propel mankind into the future.
Only three other people were on this mission with her: two men and another woman, though gender hardly mattered with what they were to become. Like leopard slugs on Earth, the aliens were hermaphroditic. Also like Earth leopard slugs, they performed an intimate mating dance when they had chosen a partner. The slugs had been informed of the cultural exchange, so to speak, and were eager to greet their guests to learn of their lives in such an intimate way. It seemed a little bizarre from Leah’s point of view, given they knew aliens were literally walking among them. Yet, for all intents and purposes, she would be welcome as a visitor, eager to exchange their knowledge. It would be her life for the next two years, though even her months of training could not fully prepare her for such a drastic journey.
Such would come sooner than later as their ship prepared to dock with the orbital station, where she would be changing in short succession. Supplies were limited, and all of her biological needs would be taken care of the moment they were transformed and she was transported to the planet. While the crew had chatted with each other to a degree when preparing for take-off, they were oddly silent as they disembarked to be greeted by the station staff. Leah barely took in the drab, mechanistic structure as they were led toward the chamber to be transformed. It was a testament to how much ingenuity humanity possessed to embark on a cosmic journey and interact with an alien planet. So, too, was it a prison of sorts, all that stood between humanity and death from an unrelenting black nonethingness. Everything a small contingent of humans needed to survive was inside, and without it, even the planet would provide no salvation.
Chastising herself for such fatalistic thinking, Leah focused on the goal ahead as she was taken toward the chamber with little fanfare. Part of her might have liked a tour of the facility, though she didn’t protest the matter. In the end, she figured it didn’t really matter, given that she nor the others would be living here. Still, it was a little odd, given the civilian nature of the station. There wasn’t much to see, drab and colorless, leaving Leah thankful she didn’t have to stay here for an extended period of time. While she had been told her eyesight wouldn’t be functional in her new body, the sensory information she could receive through olfactory detectors went well beyond even anything of Earth animals or slugs in particular. To undergo such a change was daunting, though she couldn’t deny the end result had to be better than this!
Each member was given their own pod to change in, and they would be transported down on the planet once the process was completed. As much as she had prepared herself for this moment, Leah couldn’t fully come to terms with what was about to happen. To change one’s own body to something entirely alien went beyond any human’s ability to fully comprehend. The fact that it had been done successfully before was of little consolation in the grand scheme of things. The change would be relatively gradual, for better or for worse, to take about an hour or so. She had mused that the ramifications for future endeavors in the medical field went well beyond even her scope of experience. It was an honor of sorts to be one of the few to undergo the change and be used for its study.
Getting naked, all Leah could do was wait for the chamber to release a mist that would chemically expose her to the slug’s mutagenic properties. She wouldn’t need coverings any longer, given her new species having no real modesty. She was being filmed, of course, though if it would aid in scientific endeavors, then she was happy to allow it. As the door locked behind her, the distinctive hiss was a sign that it was beginning. There was no going back now.
Standing there being bathed in the light mist, Leah couldn’t help but wonder how it was going to start. The transformative agent was settling into her skin, her mouth, and nose, and would be enough to work its way into her very cells. At this concentration, it would not take long, a testament to how aggressive the slug cells were when exposed to foreign DNA. The process would be relatively painless, her new physiology not able to perceive such things very well. She had read that the slug’s bodies had amazing regenerative properties, save for their genitals. That only applied within the chemical concentrations of the planet’s atmosphere, which might be why the slugs were unable to visit their onboard human facilities, though Leah could only postulate such.
Of greater concern was the thought of what it would be like to lose her human attributes. Of all the alien species they could be based on, a leopard slug was so far removed from human anatomy. Even all the work she had done to prepare for this was insufficient in the heat of the moment. Her limbs, her torso, and even her eyes were all to be forfeited in the wake of the transformation. Hell, even her sex would be altered, though such was not something she found herself as concerned with. For the promise of aiding in vital research and being on the edge of a new frontier, Leah was willing to undergo almost anything!
Lost in her self-reflection, it took Leah a few moments to realize that the changes were beginning. It started as a damp, sticky sensation over her skin, one she had attributed to the temperature in the chamber and the solution settling in. It needed to be far more humid to match the environment on the planet for her progressive changes, after all. And she had already been sweaty, feeling gross and a little dirty, though willing to endure it for now. In some ways, she was thankful for the compound to change her skin so that she didn’t have to suffer in a very human way from the discomfort.
Yet, there was no denying how distressing it was as the sticky fluid dripped from her. It was rapidly becoming more viscous, strings collecting in the air as they slid off her. From her studies, Leah was well aware that her skin would be secreting vast quantities of slime as part of her new physiology. Like in Earth slugs, it would aid in keeping her skin moist and clean, as well as be essential for locomotion. When the changes were complete, she was sure it would feel normal, natural, and welcome. But there was no denying the annoyance against her skin, making her wish to shudder all over. It was repugnant, and the smell wafting off her body was starting to make her feel a little ill. As well as she had been prepared for the process, there was nothing in the program to match the repulsive stench coming from her changing form!
Soon, the viscous sweat was so thick that there was no denying it had matched the consistency of slime. It seemed impossible that so much could be generated from her mostly human body, yet the sickly fluids dripping off her showed no signs of stopping. It was stuck in her hair and her groin, and was even getting into her mouth and nose, making her want to vomit. If she weren’t to change the rest of the way, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to get it off! The smell, too, was rapidly becoming repugnant as well, a sickly sweet stench that did not belong on the human body. Or anything she had come in contact with on Earth, at least at this scale. Perhaps her body would not stink so badly if she were to shrink to the size of an Earth slug. But that was not to be the case, and it was all she could do to endure it until the change rendered it normal.
Coated in slime as she was, it took some moments for Leah to realize her hair was starting to fall out, not just over her head but her whole body as well. Armpits, groin, legs, and anything she had forgone shaving in the past few months were erased without pain or notice. If anything, it was an affirmation of her lack of hygiene in the past few months as she prepared for this day. There was a part of her that wanted to touch it, though her fear of feeling her slime was such that she resisted. She would soon lose the tactile ability from her fingers, at least, and scientific curiosity was not enough to surpass real human disgust.
It seemed to Leah that she had been standing there for an eternity, slime rolling from her skin and making her feel physically ill. She could not vomit, thankfully, though it was hardly a reprieve from the nausea that plagued her changes. It grew to the point her arms and legs felt weak, and standing was becoming more and more precarious. It took some moments for Leah to realize that she would have to get down or risk hurting herself before she did. Not that she wouldn’t recover easily, but it was something she didn’t want to endure. For the moment, she balanced on her knees, figuring it would be better than falling from her usual height. And it was at least more comfortable than standing, as much as her center of gravity was soon to change.
No sooner had she done so than the slime seemed to stick her legs together, making it impossible to part them. As much as she knew it would come, there was something alarming about the reality, especially as the sensation moved all the way to the tips of her toes. While the energy to move them had been robbed from her, it was still surreal that they were being merged into one. As weird as she had anticipated this part of the process to be, it was still rather jarring that the muscles, bones, and everything that persisted within were all robbed from her, leaving a quivering mass. The fact that she could even perceive her toes sticking together was rather disconcerting, a remnant phantom sensation causing her to try to twitch them and fail. It was maddening, and only the tip of the iceberg for the changes she would undergo.
The mass of her former legs was all that held her up, even as her kneecaps dissolved and she was left to teeter there. It was difficult for her to perceive her body in such a state, though it was thankful as her internal organs prepared to alter. The fact that her insides were to shift by twisting around themselves was more than she could bear. She couldn’t begin to associate the gurgling within her stomach with everything specific she was about to undergo. All she could do was ride through it as best he could as the changes undertook her.
With a sudden shudder, Leah felt her sex being pushed against her anus. It was strangely orgasmic, sending a shiver through her being as her internal pumping was merged. A part of her had to wonder what the equivalence was for a human male to change in such a way, but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. As best she could tell, her ovaries were being reconfigured within to reorient toward her torso, a sensation that was disturbing on its own. For now, the singular orifice was left to sit under the mass of her former legs, where she understood would be her gastropod foot. Still, there was a semblance of pleasure that came with the loss that could not be denied. It was hardly something she had been taught during her training, but it was present all the same!
As strange as her internal changes were, Leah was soon distracted by further alterations to her skin. It was thankful as human dermis was becoming rather irritated by the slime constantly oozing from her pores. Leah was having a hard time seeing the skin under the slime, though it seemed to be shifting toward a sickly yellowish shade, brown in some places. Leah didn’t want to touch it, though not simply from disgust. Her fingers were rapidly losing their ability to twitch, and even moving her arms from her torso was tiring. She knew they were destined to fold against her skin and be repurposed, though the idea of such was rather daunting, and she wanted to avoid it for as long as possible.
Soon, the skin of her arms and back had fully altered, thin and squishy and repulsive to her human nose. It was thankful she wasn’t able to touch it, though hardly a reprieve as it spread down to her merged legs and caused her top-heavy body to keel over. Leah was well aware that her bones were no longer properly supported and, for a moment, was worried they might push out of her skin and injure her. Such was not likely to happen as the slime seeped inside of her, preparing her bones to decalcify. They would rapidly dissolve and become repurposed, the excess secreted from her pores as slime. Such was repulsive, though as her toes, her legs, and her pelvis continued to deteriorate, Leah was only thankful the process caused her no pain. It would not even impact her body as she changed, no longer requiring human organs to survive, as slug cells replaced their functions.
While her skin had become rather thin and squishy, Leah was well aware of how much more elastic and tensile it was. It was a strange contrast to find such disgust over the changes but carry a fascination for them as well. To her chagrin, it would be one of the last things she would clearly view for the next few years. That in mind, Leah forced herself to take in any sights as best she could. This would be her body for the foreseeable future, and she was somewhat thankful that her vision had not yet altered to remove her ability to see her humanity waning.
As her lower half continued to alter, Leah was granted a surprising level of sensory ability through her altered skin. The firm flesh where her legs once sat soon erupted with a series of what she figured were minute tubercles, which would soon work in tandem to allow her to move. Trying to do so, Leah nearly panicked as she fell over, hitting her squishy torso against the deck. There was no pain, thankfully, even though the skin of her upper body had not fully altered. With some effort, Leah could perceive the tubercules gripping the floor and pushing her forward, albeit slowly. It was nearly maddening, and she couldn’t manage to move fair with her upper body in flux as it was. She would soon be living a very different existence, where distances did not matter, and she could communicate with her new people without being close to them. Still, with her largely human anatomy for now, the slow, steady crawl was tiresome!
A crack in her shoulders was a sign that the rest of her bones were shifting, preparing to dissolve within her. The slow, steady rise and fall over her chest soon stopped altogether, as though her lungs had deflated. Thankfully, the shifting of her internal organs allowed a hole to open in the skin, which she recalled to be a pneumostome, widening rapidly to take in the air of the room. For a moment, Leah found her ability to breathe stunted, no longer accustomed to the air of Earth that she had unconsciously relied on. But as the gas chamber in the room continued to hiss, the atmospheric consistency began to shift, and Leah found her body reflexively relax. Surely the air in here would be toxic to her human self, but the changes to her body made it the perfect fit.
Similarly, her heart, too, began to shut down, something Leah could perceive more as her skin thinned and increased its sensitivity. As her blood reduced its white blood cell counts and lost its iron, Leah knew that only something akin to hemolymph remained, spreading to the rest of her systems and providing her a much more simplistic circulation. While common in Earth’s invertebrates, such was not sustainable for creatures as large as the giant slugs that inhabited the planet below. Due to a combination of the planet’s gravity and atmospheric composition, the species was able to grow as large as they did while maintaining easily recoverable systems. It was amazing that convergent evolution allowed such a species to exist even when chemical compositions for life were so distinct. Regardless, Leah was thankful to maintain much of her human size, not wanting to become as diminished and weak as their Earth counterparts!
While it was difficult to perceive, what bones persisted within her chest were changing composition, forming what she figured would be the basis for a mantle. With her remnant organs adjusted through it, Leah could feel a second opening above her pneumostome, one where her internal genitals had rerouted to. Not expecting to feel anything significant at first, Leah was shocked as a surge of pleasure ran through her body, as though her sex was being stimulated all at once. The swelling might well have been her new gonads forming from remnant ovaries. However, it was the folds within unfurling that truly had her attention. They seemed to be creating a new appendage, one that could extend far further than anything Leah could have expected. Soon, it had become surprisingly long and sensitive, and while Leah was largely confused, her instinct was to allow it to be forced open.
The elongated organ accidentally brushed against the inner folds of her new orifice, making her quiver and shake with something akin to orgasm. It was far more intense than its human equivalent, possibly due to limited internal organs or the necessity of sensitive skin. Barely able to hold on to her awareness, Leah wanted to moan out her lust, though her vocal cords were largely absent by now. She was left a quivering mess, the long organ reaching its apex and writhing as though seeking something. Perhaps a similar hole which to fuck, though as more of her innards were inverted, the form it took was rather complex and impossible for her to fully grasp. As best she could perceive, even her gonads were inverted, though the reason immediately escaped her. While the mating habits of this species were highly documented and resembled leopard slug mating habits on Earth, it was far different to be experiencing it from this side!
Of all the tribulations of being a slug, Leah had not thought sex would be a huge issue. While the slugs had complex mating practices, such was considered taboo by her crew, and something she was not inclined to partake in. As best she understood, the act was sacred among their people and reserved for individuals willing to donate part of themselves for their offspring. She had assumed such would not be tempting, even with the invasion of new instincts and inclinations. Yet, with the sensitivity of her new penis, there was no denying how powerful her drive was for pleasure, even if any immediate source eluded her. Much too soon, her inverted organs retreated within her, and Leah was left with a sense of longing, almost as though she was disappointed she didn’t get to use them. It was a deeper ache than she was expecting, almost leaving her in despair. Perhaps it had something to do with the intricacies of slug mating as best she understood them, but in the end, it didn’t really matter. Being a slug was an almost inherently sexual experience, and forgoing mating would be a more difficult endeavor than she had expected!
Lost in the sexual euphoria that came from her organ changes, Leah had forgotten the effort it required to keep her arms aloft. The skin had become stuck to her slimy sides, and feeling them being sucked within her to make up more gastropod muscle caused her a bit of alarm. The fact that her fingers and arms had already lost their mobility hardly made things any better, given their uselessness for her new form. Even knowing her body was able to function without them, it was still alarming to lose such an important human feature!
By now, her body and torso were largely uniform, the remnants of her belly and breasts being subsumed by her gastropod mass. The expansion of her new foot did not reach that far underneath her, and Leah found she could lift her upper body somewhat, albeit slowly. It was a little discouraging to lose her breasts for the duration, though they were hardly needed for her new life. With her neck fattening and her body stretching, Leah was sure the process was nearly at conclusion. It was interesting to discover, as she moved forward, that her upper body was able to extend, pulling almost to the point she felt it might separate from the rest. Such would have been too much, and Leah was thankful for the flexibility and regenerative abilities her new form possessed.
While she had somewhat acclimated to the stench of her slimy secretions, Leah was still thankful for her nostrils to close up and render her nose blind. It was somewhat alarming, given that her new senses would be almost wholly dependent on scent. Yet, she was well aware that her primary sense organs were yet to develop. For now, the squishy sensations emanating from her lower face disgusted her human inclinations. The thin slimy skin opened up with a series of protrusions, somewhat akin to her penis though thicker and within her total control. They seemed to extend of their own accord, though as Leah focused on them, she could retract all four pairs, possessing more than an Earth slug, though similar in basic functioning. She wasn’t quite able to detect pheromones to the degree her altered senses would soon allow. Yet, she knew it was coming along with the full scope of what the new world might offer her.
The sensation of her mouth being pulled into an O shape was rather alarming, though, without her ability to speak, she hardly needed it any longer. The dissolution of her teeth was more disturbing, something akin to a literal nightmare, as she was left with slimy gums. In its place, a rounded, horny growth poked out below her lips, what served as a radula in Earth slugs. To her surprise, her tongue also persisted, perhaps larger and more flexible, as Leah experimented with pushing it from her mouth. It was something she had learned from her studies that slugs used for social interactions. She wasn’t sure how she felt about licking a slug’s mucus-coated skin with it, but surely it wouldn’t be as bad as Leah might have feared.
External ears had also been subsumed by this point, though other than the lack of equipment buzzing around her, Leah largely found their loss unnoticed. Surely her mind was altering as well, though few slug drives or instincts persisted to challenge her humanity. Of most interest was her ability to interpret the scents her seeking tendrils seemed to absorb. At first, it was the mechanical remnants of the pod that drew her attention, though they quickly carried no interest. Soon Leah began to understand that she was detecting pheromones, ones that were emanating from her own pores. Those scents drew the attention of her tendrils, and as her thoughts raced, so, too, did the nuances within her secretions. Parts of her mind began to attribute them to her anxiety or curiosity, but her inexperience with her body made it hard to be certain.
Even with so much of her body already converted into that of an alien slug, Leah still had to brace herself for perhaps one of the most disturbing parts of the process. In some ways, it had been to her detriment to view the putrid yellow skin covering her body, or the way her arms and legs squished to form her simplistic systems. Especially the loss of her mouth and the tendrils that replaced it, making Leah thankful she did not have a mirror. But with so little left of her to change, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to see in human terms much longer.
Even when expecting it, the sensation of an eye socket popping was more than a little alarming. The first burst out, and then the second, enough that she instantly lost her sight. The muscle and tissue were soon filled in with slime and slug skin, though she was barely aware of it. Without the ability to see, panic rushed through her being, losing the most cherished ability of humans to perceive the world. She knew sight was limited for the slug she was becoming, but a panic rose within her nonetheless, leaving her longing for the ability to scream. All of it was accented with the bizarre sensation of her new eye stalks growing longer, popping uncomfortably from her squishy head.
With the same flexibility as her tendrils, Leah could perceive their contours reforming, surprised at the level of sensitivity they possessed. Something new and simple was present in their place, and as though an old TV dial was being adjusted, Leah was given some semblance of vision. Still, everything was blurry, and nothing made any sense from either a design or color perspective. It was as though she had been transported to somewhere else, a world beyond human awareness. Extending and retracting her eyestocks did little to improve her vision, leaving Leah to lament this being her view of the world for the foreseeable future.
However, as the changes cemented themselves, Leah soon came to truly realize how reliant her new species was on smell. It took some moments bathing in her own pheromones to realize there were qualities she could put to human terms. Knowing she was scared and concerned, it seemed some of those bodily odors were excreted to match her emotions. There was little to assure her of her deduction, other than such was the only logical answer. Other undiscernible odors soon came to her awareness, and the more she pondered them, the more they seemed to alter somewhat. Were her pheromones adjusting in tandem with her thoughts? It was hard to tell, though, given the species’s primary way of communication, such was certainly likely!
Still, with little other stimuli, Leah felt a sense of alarm, left alone in a way that did not sit well with her new inclinations. It was more than just the human her that worried about being blind and deaf in a box whose contours could barely be perceived. Recalling that the slugs possessed no technology, such a dynamic planet and all it smells would provide ample background for her brain to focus on. But in such a human construct, there was nothing to stimulate her brain, leaving her to wallow in despair. The pheromones her body was producing should have been interesting, though, in this limited space, they were almost repugnant to her. It was all she could do to wade through it, knowing she wouldn’t be trapped in here for long.
While her body was largely unaware of it, Leah knew her pod was likely being dropped onto the planet. However, it would still take some time for her to land and for the door to open. Having some idea of where she would exit, Leah tried crawling forward, finding the process rather arduous. It was all she could do to flex her tubercles, likely leaving a messy trail of slime in their wake. She did have the advantage of size, making some headway from their thousands of undulations. Still, she was far slower than she wished to be and was quickly becoming painfully irritated.
Yet, the moment the doors opened, Leah was hit with a plethora of scents, leaving her mind awash in too much information. To her slug senses, they were rather attractive, and she moved forward with more intent. Outside was where she belonged, the air feeling amazing on her skin, moist and damp. It caused her to reflexively excrete odors that spoke of joy and relaxation. Her tendrils stretched wildly, trying to take in as much of the world as they could. While she was largely unable to make sense of it all, her body seemed eager for more, drowning in sensory delights.
Vaguely, Leah was aware that the other three pods had landed and her teammates were crawling out into the world as well. They each carried their own unique odors, something of the humans they had been. It was a delight to understand them from an alien perspective, knowing far more information about their moods and perhaps even their thoughts. Yet, three distinct scents were a far cry from the millions that were slowly becoming aware of her on the wind. She knew they were slugs like her and had the same general air about them. But there were so many more, her ability to detect them spanning miles or more, places her slower body might not even easily reach. Their individual identities were something Leah was slow to parse through. But their odors spoke of so much more, speech and ideas and opportunities that went far beyond her human expectations. All she would come to immerse herself in time…
******
It had already been some time since Leah’s transition had ended, yet Leah had awareness of the passage of days or weeks. It meant little to her new life, and she soon forgot to keep track, even with her keen scientific mind. Her slug anatomy was able to detect changes in the day and night cycles of her new environment, and her new circadian rhythms were better suited for the dampness of night. She did not quite sleep as humans did, simply having periods where her higher functions shut down while her body continued to store information from the world around her. Leah found that her body did not tire easily and that her muscles were in a constant state of renewal. And that kept her in relatively constant motion as she interacted with her new species and explored their world.
It had been daunting to live among an entire planet of aliens, each knowing who she was and where she was from. Being accepted by their number was a relief, though she was quickly assured that such was the norm. In fact, they relished sharing their knowledge with others and learning about their culture in kind. Yet, experiencing everything from a mostly olfactory standpoint took some getting used to. It was not just the pheromones from individuals she had to contend with, though that was a struggle in and of itself. Rather, the entire planet was dynamic with millions of varieties of flora and fauna creating pheromones of their own. The complex molecules were so numerous that it was overwhelming, not loud, per se, though it was frustrating that she could not immediately understand them.
She was quick to understand that the pheromones produced by the slugs were so complex that they could almost be akin to speech. It made little sense to put into human words, though as she came to become accustomed to it, Leah found herself fascinated beyond measure. It went far beyond simple verbal communication, odors that could be attributed directly to making one’s information or desires known. Emotions, worries, and even memories were all there for her understanding, though Leah figured it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend them. Even two Earth years felt like a drop in the ocean for what she could learn!
Still, she was at least able to comprehend the more basic elements of her new life. Things didn’t smell good or bad in the way that her limited human senses had once separated them. Food scents were more alluring, of course, though even waste and detritus were seen as part of the landscape and carried little disgust. Everything from trees to fruit to water had its own unique imprint. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of other complex life, she was soon to discover. Perhaps things she might interpret as akin to Earth invertebrates, but nothing else she was able to detect as an individual being like the slugs. A study on the indigenous fauna would be interesting, though it hardly held a candle to what the slugs could teach her!
Such was something they were eager to impart on her, as foreign as their all-encompassing communication could be. As Leah did her best to practice forming a mental image from a specific series of pheromones, it became somewhat more natural for her to do so. At least she had the benefit of human memory to fall on, but much of the information she was presented with had nothing to compare with her human experiences. But as she slowly gained experience with her interpretations, some new perspectives came to light. Beyond communication with individuals or perhaps groups, Leah’s mind had to wonder if she was beginning to discover fragments akin to what they were learning was a generational memory. The layers upon layers of folded tissues within a slug’s mind could store scent libraries that could be replicated and released for others to detect. Even those individuals who had passed on were retained in the memories of millions of others on the planet. It went beyond anything she could have expected, and Leah was sure her brief time among their numbers would not be enough to fully understand what secrets their species possessed. No wonder dozens of humans had been sent as part of the ongoing program!
Then there were the interactions between individual slugs, something she was coming to enjoy. It had been their species that introduced the possibility of temporary change, after all, and welcomed the exchange of information and perspective to their collective memory. It was just as fascinating to them to learn of her world and species as Leah was coming to learn of them in kind. Of most confusion to them seemed to be the differences in sex and gender that made up much of human society. Even though they had discussed the topic with the few people who had joined the program already, it seemed they were always curious for more. Still, it was difficult for Leah to articulate the experience to them, and not simply with the disparity of using her new abilities. There were literally thousands of experiences to draw on, of course. Yet, her pheromones were scarcely able to convey all the facets of her society that defined her life as a female on Earth. Still, many of the slugs she had met were fascinated by what she was able to convey, and there was some solace for Leah to know her perspective would exist for generations within their collective knowledge.
In return, the slugs were eager to share their own perspective on life and culture, and Leah appreciated the directness they provided. On the surface, their interactions with each other could largely be attributed to food sources, weather, moisture competition, and other mundane things. However, to Leah’s surprise, their communication was far more integrated than that. With a much slower pace of life, they had extended periods of time to reflect on other pursuits. While they could not create music or art in the manner that humans did, the myriad pheromone combinations they could create went far beyond human expression. It was well more developed even than what the English alphabet could muster, all manner of combinations of scents that spoke to creativity and innovation. And with an entire planet of sentient beings devoting much of their time to creative endeavors, Leah found herself overwhelmed, receiving only a mere snapshot of a grain of sand in a galaxy of possibilities.
Thankfully, the slugs had some experience communicating with transformed humans, though it must have been akin to teaching a juvenile. Yet, Leah was thankful for having individuals who could discuss things with her on a limited scale. They were eager to convey aspects of their biology and society that they thought were relevant, as part of the exchange. Favorite foods, meetings with friends, and plans for new art and creations. It was fascinating that they could keep track of it all, literally carrying on discussions with dozens of individuals at once while privy to information from miles away. Such made up a significant part of their lives, and Leah was thankful to have some ambassadors close by to keep her grounded.
Life as a slug carried with it a myriad of other unknown delights that Leah came to enjoy over the next few weeks. She was at least able to crawl somewhat, but other than to find cultivated food sources, there was little need for expediency. She could not view the planet with her human eyes, though from what she had seen in pictures, there wasn’t much to look at. To her limited slug eyes, however, the planet was vibrant, dynamic, and alight with colors she had never even fathomed. It took her some time to discover her senses could detect chemical and heat trails, not requiring the necessity of shapes. There was little on the planet that could physically harm her, even with how sensitive her skin was. Most wounds healed rather quickly, and Leah was surprised to discover that individuals easily lived for hundreds of years. While there was no competition for dominant species on the planet, the slugs were allowed to grow and evolve without further pressures. Leah felt she should have inquired about their evolutionary history further, but she soon found it largely left her mind.
It was easy to lose track of time as the slugs showed her many of the pleasures they had come to cultivate. Food preparation was one of the more surprisingly complex facets of their lives. Eating, like everything else, was slow, Leah carefully drawing her tendrils around her meals and pulling them into her radula. To her surprise, her taste buds were rather diverse, and she was able to discover a whole new palette of culinary delights. The slugs were rather particular about their horticulture, and while it was generally their bodily secretions used to grow and ferment food, Leah was fine throwing out her human squeamishness. Naturally, her slug self found decomposing food exceptionally palatable, and care was put into fermenting food for the optimal taste and pleasure. Such was something Leah was even allowed to partake in, her own bodily secretions adding something unique to the flavor that the slugs discussed for many miles!
Yet, one thing that kept coming to the forefront was their descriptions of their genitals, in particular, their penises. At first, Leah wondered if she was understanding them wrong, or if they were talking about mating in general. After all, the entire species was hermaphroditic, and penises were something they all shared. However, Leah was somewhat confused to learn that not all individuals possessed them. As repulsive as she found the action, it was something she recalled occurring in some species of Earth slugs. Appoesia was the act of biting off a mate’s penis, and while it was not common for mating pairs, it did happen to a few individuals that were deemed lesser, having committed a crime or something similar. While it was disconcerting, it was part of a culture she didn’t belong to and decided to leave it there. At least they didn’t see it fit to remove her own, though she had no intention of mating, and the act was generally performed during that moment of climax. Otherwise, one’s penis would not be erect and there would be no way to damage it!
After some time on the planet, Leah had come to befriend some of the individuals, enjoying their specific presence and companionship. She had long since lost track of even the other three former humans who had come down with her. They couldn’t have gone far, but she was mostly interested in the small group of ‘friends’ she had made. These were slugs that she greeted each day, licking and wrapping their tendrils against each other, feeding together, and sharing their opinions on new scents and their perspectives. Names were irrelevant, of course, given the distinct pheromonal composition each created. She truly felt like one of them, though she was not quite ready to forgo her gender identity as they had none. Still, she was thankful they seemed to accept that, even if their culture viewed it from a much-stunted perspective.
One slug, in particular, had her interest, spending the most time with her and licking and stroking her longer than any of the others. Leah might have thought they were trying to court her, and such emotions were nearly impossible to hide with the way their bodies perceived their pheromones. Thankfully, the slug respected her desire not to mate, even if she couldn’t quite articulate why it was she needed to abstain. Still, the two of them spent ample time together, Leah learning more about how perceptions of the same information varied between vast distances or from a single individual. And even as much as Leah wanted to deny it, she was experiencing a growing sense of infatuation toward the slug. It was something she could not hide, but something she realized that she felt little shame over.
Giving these beings her total trust, when Leah was offered the chance to partake in a ritual with her new friends, she was eager to agree. They had been working to ferment a special drink, one that would stimulate a rather unique series of pheromones to be released and shared with their neighbors. It was considered an honor to be asked, Leah viewing it as a sign of trust. They were to use a rare fruit that they had recently come across, and Leah was part of the process as they waited several days for its fermentation. When the drink was finished, Leah was allowed to sample it first, guiding her tentacles down to suck it in directly. The taste was divine, perhaps among the best she had consumed in her time on the planet. A rare treat that perhaps even her fellow changed humans had never experienced!
At first, Leah didn’t sense anything was off, even as the odors of the others altered somewhat in response. But as she scented them, something new became aware to her, triggering a sensation that she had forgotten from her time of transformation. It seemed to settle in her mantle, the positioning bizarre to her human inclinations. It was some time before she attributed the sensation to arousal, as had happened to her during her change. But by then, it was too late, her body charged with something beyond her understanding. She needed to…what, exactly? The desires in her mind were so foreign, so strong, they threatened to wash away her human reasoning and logic. With a steady haze overcoming her, Leah had an impossible time trying to think beyond the now. That part of her that had been told not to partake in such a deep-seated instinct had been pulled under, and she could find no fault in acting just as her biological drives dictated.
While painfully slow, Leah was compelled to follow her new friend, their pheromones burning into Leah’s being. A vague part of her mind recognized the destination as a mating tree, its colors to her slug senses far removed from other landmarks. But with arousal burning through her being, Leah was only eager to follow, her slime trial more viscous than at any point she’d been able to perceive. Any notions of resistance were quickly quelled, unable to stop such a powerful biological drive with mere human inclinations. Leah was a passenger in her own body as she prepared to undergo a process she could not even regret.
With fervor, the two slugs started licking and rubbing each other, going so far as to entwine their necks around each other. Such was bizarre to experience, the capabilities of which were something she had not explored before. The urge to lick and rub the other slug was all-consuming, hours passing without Leah having much of a sense of time. Surely, if it was going on that long, one of the other slugs would have come to stop them. After all, she had become intoxicated and forced into a more complicit state. But with the tension in her mantle reaching the breaking point, the sensation of the slug’s tongue and the pressure of their mantle pressing against hers was more than she could bear. Even as the other slug ceased the courtship and started to climb the tree, Leah was compelled to follow, wanting nothing more than to see the action through to its completion.
Any fleeting rational thought that she should stop was erased the moment she climbed up the tree. As best she could figure, the trees were only used for their mating practices, but that was a moot point given her inability to focus. Slime trail following her, Leah was surprised at the ease with which she was able to scale an entirely vertical structure. It was something she had never tried in her tenure as a slug. Yet, no fear persisted as she climbed, Leah unable to understand the scale and her slug body sufficient to climb beside. All that mattered was getting as high as possible, following the other slug, and joining them in union.
Soon, the viscosity of her slime was such that Leah allowed her tubercles to loosen, slowly falling toward the ground. Yet, the speed of her descent was such that she was not alarmed, but rather felt it was natural. The slime she had secreted was so thick that it allowed her massive body to hang upside down, and she could partially perceive the other slug doing the same. At least she was not inconvenienced by vertigo or the like, the position was rather comfortable as she swung back and forth. The moment the other slug touched her body, Leah was spurred into action, stretching out her neck impossibly long and wrapping it around her mate’s once more. It seemed such should have been injured her, body pulled impossibly long and wrapped around each other several times. But with the scent of their arousal, Leah could find nothing wrong with the arrangement, even as she felt her gonopore start to unfurl as it had during the change. Even so far removed from human sexual experience, there was no denying her need at the moment!
The two carried on their rubbing and licking, acting almost primal now as their bodies went into sexual overdrive. Even if Leah had not been under the drug’s influence, she would be hard-pressed to resist the urges, falling into a sea of bliss. It served to unfurl her penis, and Leah felt her mind floating away, a strange tingling over her brain that made little sense. It took far too much of her awareness, as though her penis was more than one-third of her total mass. While it felt strange, Leah was entwined with the other slug at this point. There was no going back now until they had finished, a fact that seemed not to bother her as much as she figured it should.
Her sexual insides were being entirely inverted now, a seeking penis continuing to unfurl into a shape that she could hardly understand. It was akin to the blossom of flower petals, though the wriggling tip was still present within the center. It seemed the petals were meant to entwine with those of her mate’s, each possessing some degree of claps to hold them together. It was a complex organ, gonophores part of the display, while inverted for the mating act. Her eyes were overwhelmed with a display of a thousand colors, as though their mating was the most beautiful thing she could ever possibly perceive.
As their genitals continued to blossom and intertwine, Leah could perceive the tips connecting within the center, creating what her mind could only think to call a reciprocal of some sort. Its purpose eluded her, though, as what she felt was a mini orgasm built along the trail, she had to wonder if it was intended for her sperm. It was as though all her awareness was focused on that pleasure, and her mind continued to waver. Almost as though her ability to think was being taken from her…
Too late, a series of odors from her mate sent a shiver of fear through her being. They had somehow eluded her until now, a series of rather frantic secretions that left her confused. It was as though a book was being translated for her in real time. As impossible as it was to understand what was going on with her thoughts swirling, the individual fragments slowly began to make sense. It seemed impossible that such creatures could have any secrets from her, with pheromones the primary way they communicated. Yet, the details of what was to happen all flooded toward her at once, and they were like nothing she could have prepared herself for.
She had been tricked. That truth hit her all at once, that she was not on this voyage to bring back her personal experience of being one of the slugs. No one within the government cared about exploration for its own sake. Rather, it was a front in order to gain their true objective. The seminal secretions from the slugs were highly nutritious, with a concentration of special enzymes that did not exist on Earth. It contained not only a pooling of genetic material but also fragments of the slug’s memories. Experiences that extended not only the lifetime of the slug but even racial memory as well were passed onto their offspring. It was a combination of both parents that was collected and shared within their pool of semen.
As best she was able to understand while on the precipice, the government’s goal was to retrieve samples of that semen. Yet, it was something that the slugs would not donate willingly. Requiring the complex mating ritual for a pair to come together and form their collective semen, such was not something that could be acquired by force. And even if they had obtained some of the collective goop in sufficient quantities, it was quickly obvious the superfluid could not be replicated in the lab. Therefore, a deal needed to be struck, something to the benefit of both species, even at the sacrifice of those they sent to be transformed into one of the slugs.
Of course, there was no way to be changed back. Such a transformation was permanent, something that not only worked on humans. Of all the complex lifeforms to evolve on the planet, all had been converted into slugs over the course of their evolutionary history. It was impossible to say how many unique species were assimilated in such a fashion, and in some ways, it was thankful they were focused on adding to their racial memory and were not inclined toward space travel. Still, eager to broaden their experiences, a trade had eventually been arranged. In exchange for new experiences from donated human specimens, the humans would be allowed to harvest the semen and genitalia of their former employees after they had been joined in a mating ritual.
It was hard for the slugs to understand why humans would require such a substance, lacking the understanding of mortality due in part to their racial memory. But even in her current haze, Leah was able to ascertain what rich investors would be after. The ability to preserve their minds and their sense of self in such a way that they could continue to exist and grow their wealth was the only possible goal. Any level of potential medical advancement was secondary, though it was also of financial interest. They were literally using her life for profit, removing her humanity and autonomy for the sake of their own longevity.
And more than just that, Leah was becoming aware. All she was seemed to collect within her penis, as though her seed contained all traces of her memory engrams. It was far beyond intimacy in the way humans could ever understand, essentially leaving her in an out-of-body experience. Everything she was, not just her DNA but her thoughts, memories, dreams, and sense of self, was being used to fertilize their eggs. Would it change things if those at the upper levels of wealth and government knew what they were harvesting with such a lack of respect? No, she figured.
One more thing came to her awareness at the fleeting moments of her mating act. While a natural-born slug could retain parts of itself, having years of racial memory to replace them, such was impossible for those transformed from other species. She was to lose herself to her semen, her entire life passed on without any trace remaining in the body she had now. Such was terrifying, akin to a lobotomy, leaving her reprogrammed to become one of the slugs as though she had been born as such. Worse, an amalgamation of various individuals gathered from what they had gleaned from her testimony, a being as foreign to her as any of the slugs she had met. Would that even matter if all she was, even her concerns and ire toward those who had betrayed her, was erased in the moment of orgasmic rapture?
Yet, even with all that new information, Leah was aware there was no going back now. Any struggle was for naught with her body entrapped in the carnal acts. All she was sat at the tip of her penis, prepared to collectively pool within their shared organ. It was as though bits of her life were steadily flowing through her genitalia, glimpses of her past that were being robbed from her forever, one by one. It was startling, yet her body could not stop. In some ways, it was cruel to discover so much at once, only to have it ripped from her at the last second. Yet, the reality of her situation was much worse!
Fleeting parts of her mind were desperate to resist, to break the mating bond. With every childhood dream, every aspiration, and every creative insight swept up into semen, she was losing her uniqueness as an individual. It should have been pure survival instinct to try and escape with herself intact. Yet, there was no denying the pure bliss that came with each inch of her penis entwined with her mate’s own as the two ungulated in perfect synch. No human experience could equate to such rapture, as though her mind was removed from her body and all worries were left to melt away. It was not only a physical sensation that came with it, but a sense of satisfaction that went beyond human comprehension. Having never wanted children, the idea that she was preparing to aid in procreation went beyond any attempt to fight against it. Even the reality that their semen would be used to fuel human greed and not the next generation of slugs could not dissuade those instincts!
While fragments of memory engrams had been eroded all the while, Leah was not expecting the rest of her humanity to white out in a blaze of glory. It was simply too good as the rest of her semen was ejaculated all at once, leaving her to float away on the winds. All that remained was that sense of purpose, life a blank slate as the new slug became encased in absolute euphoria. Stirrings of pheromones slowly began to settle into their mind, though they mattered little in the moment of rapture. The slug had procreated, undergoing the most intimate and significant act in life. What did it matter that nothing before persisted in their mind when the present carried so much bliss?
The new slug barely had awareness their mating connection had been severed before a pain assaulted their penis. It was as though the firm flesh was being torn by a sharp radula. With a quick bite, their penis was removed, and with it, left a sense of despair. While their thoughts were jumbled, the pheromones around them told a story. Their life was less than their contemporaries, having originated not in an egg but as something else. While it was impossible for them to comprehend another existence than this one, the pheromones around them were enough assurance of that truth. And with that, the other slugs saw it fit to remove their penis, a status symbol no longer part of their being. Without it, she was female now in a race that cherished both. She would no longer share her genetic material with others, being an outcast forevermore.
Yet, even as her being attempted to shift through the pheromonal information all around her, she could hardly find fault with her situation. She was not like her fellows; they regarded her as beneath them, to be harvested for some purpose she could not comprehend. However, she was among them still, bathed in centuries of life experience and information, even fleeting fragments that told her tidbits of that other existence. Such would give her purpose, something she could never be shut out from. And in the final moments of a past life, she had contributed something to her species with her seminal secretions. With that, she could find peace…