There was once a couple, very rich, with huge pedigrees, and always active in the most progressive movements.
They didn’t like each other, and never had—regardless of their common ground in social issues, politics, or sports teams. They just didn’t click. Perhaps it was a case of a socially arranged marriage gone wrong. Certainly the financial reward had more than doubled their net worth. With their combined wealth, they could play in much better playgrounds.
They had long decided to live apart.
He lived on a private cove on the island of Maui.
She had a few secluded acres in Montana.
She used her family ranch as a base for big game hunting all over the world.
Jill had enough money to purchase permits for even the most protected animals. She was tall, big-boned, and could pass for a Nordic shield woman.
Jack preferred the water. He had private beach access to some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world. Jack made use of it for most of the daylight hours. Unfortunately, Jack suffered from osteoporosis, similar to what the French artist Toulouse-Lautrec suffered. Jack’s leg bones had not grown to full adult size—he was barely five feet tall. While walking on land was difficult and painful, Jack found he could use a dolphin kick in the ocean with no ill effects. He was a trim 140 lbs with heavily muscled legs suited for the water.
Jill traveled the world gathering trophies and developing an interest in dramatic taxidermy. She even revisited earlier kills to mount them more excitingly. She had most of the larger, more dangerous animals already bagged. Now she focused on a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. She had a habit of giving a name to each of her targets. They were always named Jack.
Jack spent most of his days in the ocean. He even worked at a “desk on the dock” to manage his hundreds of trusts and foundations. Relationships didn’t interest him. The marriage had never been consummated except financially. Divorce was not an option—too much power to lose.
Jill had the same understanding.
She had flings but never found anyone interesting enough to rival her wealth.
Divorce was inconvenient.
Widowhood, perhaps.
A contract killer? Tempting—but too messy.
Besides, Jack’s genetic condition might solve things naturally.
She could wait.
The Accidents
Five years into the marriage, something awful happened.
They were both nearly killed—in the same week—thousands of miles apart.
Jack, snorkeling in his private cove, saw a blur from the deep. Before he could react, a great white shark took his right arm, between the shoulder and elbow. Blood clouded the water. Jack, trained and disciplined, managed to surface and paddle to shore.
Jill, high in the Rockies, was tracking a bighorn sheep—“Jack,” she called it. As she descended toward a ridge, a grizzly bear intercepted her path. She had no sidearm, only a long rifle slung over her shoulder. In seconds, the bear crushed and nearly severed her right arm. She played dead, and the bear buried her shallowly under brush. Her guide, hearing the commotion, arrived in time to rescue her.
Both survived.
Both lost the same arm.
Both were left-handed.
Transformations
Jack recovered quickly. But swimming was now asymmetrical. He developed a neoprene sheath with attached fins—a prosthetic merman. Eventually he added a stabilizing fin to his stump.
Jill explored prosthetics—traditional limbs, bionic fingers, even bows drawn by teeth. Ultimately, she settled into fly fishing. It wasn’t big game, but it was precise, elegant, and quiet.
Jack went deeper.
He found researchers developing artificial gills—originally intended as military breathing devices. Jack volunteered for surgical trials. He didn’t care about looks or scandal. He wanted more time underwater.
And it worked.
Jack could now sleep beneath the surface.
He stopped blinking.
He developed synthetic skin, resistant to cold.
His legs were fused.
A tail formed.
Finally, he amputated his remaining arm—his last human limb.
He kept the wedding ring—now hooked between his nostrils.
Jack had become the first trans-species.
Back on the Surface
The world wasn’t ready, but it adjusted.
There were court challenges.
Inter-species marriage became legally recognized.
Some people married pets.
Jill didn’t mind. She was still waiting for the whale.
Final Act
Saltwater degraded Jack’s synthetic skin. Freshwater was kinder.
He moved to a spring-fed lake in Montana.
Stocked with fish.
He lived in a private compound on the shore.
Jill couldn’t believe it.
After thirty years—now they lived in the same state.
She sponsored a fishing competition one summer.
A Polish fisherman won, hooking a 140-lb monster from the lake.
The creature had a gold ring in its nostrils.
Jill presented the trophy.
She was pleased.
A Work Progressing 