Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 28: Morphing

Kai and Cam's tour was extensive, but it became less about the tour and more about being together after a while. They'd become every object that would support their combined goo. They'd oozed into conduits, blended with walls, mimicked materials like glass and concrete. Kai was quite ecstatic; he'd become familiar with Cam's thoughts and emotions, and he was pleased to know that this was the first time in months that Cam had been happy. Kai was thrilled that he was the one who'd been the source of this happiness. Someone finally accepted him, not just because he was useful, but because he was a person. It was nice to be a blob with Cam. It was nice to be objects for hours with Cam, and they were together for the same time that Russell and Maxion were together for four days. But they weren't having a child. They were getting to know each other. 

Cam and Kai were currently holding the shape of a plant on the promenade, an identical duplicate of the others in the area; when they'd started to make this station home, many shopkeepers were itching to put decorations like plants in their shop windows. Hoping to make the place feel more like the natural vegetation-filled environment of Omeocoon. A tiny part of Kai enjoyed what Cam called 'meditation.' It was terrific; as an Omeocoon, he was, of course, really good at paying attention to detail, but when he was with Cam. Such abilities expanded. He'd never realized what it felt like to be a plant, to replicate the nuances of the pot, from its general shape, plastic material, and color, to how the plant would receive the artificial sunlight from the illumination in the windows. Kai had never thought of any of this. Someone even offered them respite in the form of water, the liquid absorbing into their soil and connecting with their roots like a classic rainstorm on his home island. The person doing this didn't even realize they were watering a fellow Omeocoon. Kai was tickled by this internally, which was quite an odd sensation..? He found the water quite refreshing for someone who didn't like to eat or drink; Cam was used to this, of course. But Kai liked hiding in plain sight for the first time. Virtually indistinguishable from any other plants nearby. 

"This feels great. I'm so glad I got to do it with you." Kai mentioned. He purred internally, and Cam responded. "I'm glad... I don't often share my abilities with anyone else. It isn't easy to open up to most people. I haven't merged with anyone in two years. Tommy was the last person I did it with." 

"I know... there wasn't much room for... understanding. It was more informational. But you could feel his anger, yes?"  Kai said, reading Cam's memories like an open book. Cam nodded mentally. "It is difficult to be alone. But I understand why no one would want to be with me." 

"And I hope you understand now that I've been with you. I won't let you leave." Kai informed his mousy merge partner. He'd been the inner Cam and knew his plans to leave the station. It was not unheard of for Omeocoon to slip into the thoughts of someone they had a romantic interest in; Cam and Kai were surprisingly compatible. Cam was now fully aware of Kai's thoughts on love. The loss of his childhood crush influenced him so much that he couldn't bear to look at his planet; it took him years to regain the strength necessary to come back. Additionally, he knew that Kai had been a pilot for a long time, trained by his father. He wasn't just a run-of-the-mill pilot; he was cunning and loved testing new designs. When he was four or five, his father had given him an old type-15 shuttle pod, acquired from his dealings with an off-world traveler from the tower of trade in Omeocoon's Capital City, figuring he could get it up and running. Kai would spend hours in the garage on their island, tinkering with the thing, hoping to take it up for an aerial view of his providence. He was having quite a lot of fun rebuilding its engine, and this was around the time Bodi was born, so he was around to help; infinitely curious, he was more interested in the butterflies and bugs swarming around the area, but his company was welcome, even if it were for brief periods. Of course, Kai never got the pod to fly, but it gave him further insight into what he loved to do... He loved ships, shuttles, and anything with a cockpit and an engine; he was immediately thrilled by it. This was also his motivation to acquire the solar sailor, and now that Bodi was not under his careful watch 24/7, he was free to express his love for starships again. For Kai, the only thing he saw in Cam's mind was that he was eager to return to the surface. And that Kai would do anything in his power to convince him to change that decision. "Well... with all due respect, I'm unsure how you could stop me." 

"I could have my cousin keep you here against your will. You're the only Doc we've got. You do have a duty to our people." Kai further solidified, but Cam already knew he was messing around. "You're not funny."  

"That isn't what you said in medical a few days ago; you were smiling and laughing at my jokes. You like them." Kai referenced that he did not hesitate to flood his and Cam's combined minds with the instance from Sickbay in which Kai asked Cam out on a date. "Oh... well, I was just being polite." That was a fib, for sure. Kai knew that Cam genuinely thought that he was funny. "Bodi likes you. I think that's more than enough reason for you to stay." 

That paused Cam; he supposed he and Bodi had a unique bond. When he was in surgery, Bodi was perhaps the most complex procedure he'd ever done; having to replace blood and an entire nervous system was a task that required all of his knowledge of Omeocoon physiology, as well as Narr's ability to improvise as a trained medical assistant and D1's computational software and ability to see things in multiple dimensions, they developed a sophisticated surgical technique in only one hour, and performed it continuously for 34 hours. The first of its kind, it was awe-inspiring, so much so that the chief medical officer on the Trinity wanted to analyze the reports of what was being known among his medical staff as 'The Cam Method' in hopes that it would provide them some insight into how this procedure could further help to revive brain dead patients in the future. That was Cam's first time writing a report to anyone official, but he also recognized the efforts of his staff. 

"Stay with us. Please, Cam. Tommy said he was sorry. And people like Bodi, once they see you hanging out with him, they'll have to accept you... I know what happened on the promenade really hurt you. But I still think that people can change."  Kai further persuaded; Cam remained silent for a few seconds, "No matter how small my involvement with... Kieran, I still don't believe they'll adapt to my being here." 

"Why does that matter? When I've already adapted to your being here. And let's not forget, Bodi likes you too, as does Narr; you've also got Kipp and Maxion. They've given you a second chance, remember? People want you here, Cam."  The plant leaves rustled excitedly, directly responding to Cam's feeling of pure joy at Kai's words. It felt incredibly pleasing knowing that Kai liked him, and he wasn't even bothered by the fact that Kai was skimming through his thoughts. Not that he could help it. "Alright, you've convinced me; I can try again. But I make no promise that I'll stay in the future." 

"That's great! But let's go back to our friends. I think someone might've stubbed their toe or something like that. You should go back to being the only doctor we have." 

"Aw, I liked being with you... we only got to be that plant for a few hours." 

"I promise I'll do it again with you tonight. Why don't you come over? I'm sure my family would be happy to have you."  

"Isn't it a bit crowded over there... I mean, there are four of you?" 

"Five, Kipp is staying with us, but you should still have friends. Normal friends, not just people you work with. Let me take you there." Kai added he wouldn't have minded having his, 'friend' over for a few hours. "Oh, look! There's Kipp and Bodi now. We can say hi."  

"I don't think that's a good--" Too late, Cam was interrupted, he murmured as the connection was severed. Kai... very pleasurably reverted their shape into a tall, gooey gel mixture and separated their forms. Cam winced as this happened, and he was relatively dizzy as he was left alone. He shivered as Kai held his hand tightly and pulled him toward Bodi and Kai. They looked like they were on a mission of their own and needed to be bothered.