The Road to My Dream Zap

      I wasn't thrilled with the announcement, but Mom talked me into the process by the time we made it over to the lab ray. Mom stood behind the tinted glass wall with the crazy scientist. I had to stand at the end of this great big ray gun that I was assured was "perfectly safe." Since the one telling me this was standing behind the glass, I was unsure about that.

      The scientist flipped a switch. The machine started humming. Bolts of electricity began shooting down the giant ray gun. Straight for me. The large rounded end was red when the switch was flipped. I watched in terror and wonder as the red was completely replaced by white.

      "Mom? I've changed my -- "

      ZAP. A lightning bolt shot out from the end of the ray and covered me. It didn't exactly hurt, but it wasn't entirely pleasant. It was a strange sensation. The brilliant light around me faded. Mom and the scientist were stepping out from behind the glass.

      "Colleen," Mom gushed. "You're beautiful!"

      I looked down, and then studied myself in the nearby mirror. I was still an Aisha, thankfully, but my color was different. I was now painted Christmas. "Cool!"

      By the time we left the lab, I had relaxed. Being a lab pet wasn't that bad.

      I would soon discover the downside of being a lab pet.

      I didn't mind the stat changes. We weren't BD people back then, so it didn't matter. But the first time I changed species, I was a little shocked. Unlike paint brushes or morphing potions that change you within a few minutes, the lab changes you within seconds.

      First I was an Aisha, then I wasn't. I was an Usul. Losing my antennae for some fluffy tail took some getting used to.

      Not all the paint jobs were awesome, either. Mom hid me in a Moach Costume for the colors neither of us could stand. I hated the costume, but I hated some of those colors more. My brothers, Neo and Rich, had a field day whenever I was hiding in that costume. At least my sister Alysa was sympathetic.

      Over the years, I've been an Aisha, Usul, Uni, Buzz, Flotsam, Tuskaninny, Koi, Lutari, Lupe, and a Kougra, just to name a few. My least favorite colors were Zombie, Brown, Biscuit, and Woodland. I'm sure there are more, but thankfully I've forgotten them.

      The worst part about being a lab pet is NOT being changed to a species or color you hate. It's not even the uncertainty of what will happen for each zap. My least favorite part of the lab ray experience is changing gender.

      To all owners considering a lab ray purchase, think carefully on which pet you choose! The name must work as a name for both genders. As you can imagine, Colleen_girly is NOT the name you want to be stuck with when you are a boy.

      My brothers, as you can imagine, had a lot of fun teasing me after my gender changes. "Colleen makes such a cute little boy."

      "Hey, girly, how you feeling today?"

      Naturally, I responded by testing out my BD skills on them. Mom broke up those fights. We eventually decided that my alternate name would be Colin. But Colin_girly was worse than Colleen.

      Things finally settled down with my brothers and I, sometime after Neo was taken to the lab ray "by accident." I was disappointed he didn't end up with a color, species or gender change, but Mom was relieved. At least the relentless teasing stopped.

      Mom finally resorted to giving me a wig while I was a guy. We fought the Lab Ray Scientist a few times, but decided it was easier to live with the gender changes rather than fight him so often. My stats weren't very good back then, so the BD was a challenge for us.

      A few months ago, I was zapped into a Kougra, like Neo. I was a boy, and I enjoyed being able to annoy my brother by wearing his clothes. Mom didn't care when he complained. "You aren't wearing them, Neo. I don't see the problem." I rejoiced over the victory. It was nice to be able to annoy him over something for once.

      Then came the final straw for Neo. He didn't mind when I was zapped into Electric or Biscuit. But the moment I came home a Tyrannian Kougra, like him minus the pirate clothes, he lost it. "Mom! It's not fair!"

      "I can't do a lot about it, Neo. Besides, you both look awesome!"

      "He looks like me! Change him!"

      "We'll see what the lab does."

      Three fights with my brother later, Mom took me to the BD. We'd gotten more proficient there since it had been revamped. It took one fight with the Lab Ray Scientist to make me a girl again, for the first time in months. Mom dressed me in a jacket, a bow, and a glittering necklace. Even Neo was happy when we came home. We were no longer twins.

      Mom left Neopia for a few days. She came back late in the evening and did her dailies. She took me for our routine zap of the day.

      ZAP.

      I felt myself shrinking. I felt my tail wither away. I was changing species again. The light faded, and I looked down. What was I this time?

      "Colleen!" Mom gushed! "You're beautiful!"

      I examined myself in the nearby mirror. I was no longer a Kougra, but a Cybunny. A Cybunny! I was FINALLY a Cybunny?

      "Yes!" Mom said. "Yes! Yes!"

      "Mom?" I wondered. "Does this mean -- ?"

      "Yes, Colleen. Your zapping days are over."

      I've never been so happy to hear such a thing. But I was curious. "Mom? You like the lab ray now. Rich is painted. Are you going to stop using the lab ray?" If she did, she'd yammer on about "losing out on an investment" for awhile.

      "No. I'll bring in my new lab pet on my side account."

      Mom talks gibberish sometimes, and forgets we don't know what she means. "What?"

      "You know how we've been sending those Loveberries elsewhere? That's going to feed my other pets."

      "You have more pets, Mom?"

      "I love all of you, Colleen. And one of those other pets is a lab pet."

      "But our home is full." Neopia only allowed four pets in a single home.

      "Yeah... one of you will have to move." She smiled at me. "But not you."

      Rich moved to Mom's other home. All he does lately is act like a ninja and read. I'll be glad that I won't have to check the corners of a room when I walk through our house now. Did I mention I was glad Rich was the one moving, not my sister, who rarely made fun of my changes?

      Oh, back to the story. Sorry, it's easy to get sidetracked. Rich moved away, and our new sister Terry arrived. She was a Garlic JubJub at the moment.

      "Hey, Terry. I'm Colleen. Here's your room. I've put a few things in your closet for you."

      She looked through the rows and rows of species specific clothes."Wow! All this is for me? How?"

      "I used to be a lab pet. Now all this is yours."

      "Wow! Cool! Being a lab pet is the best thing ever!"

      I smiled and hopped away. Some things Terry will just have to learn on her own.

The End