Chapter 18

Quince had stopped at a cheap motel late in the night and had booked into a room. He was glad to finally stop driving; his leg had been getting cramp.

As soon as he reached his room, he opened his suitcase. A quick check confirmed that the vials and money were present and intact. The vials were clearly labelled. The last thing that Quince wanted to do was take the wrong one.

Quince regretted leaving his horses behind, but there wasn't any real choice. At least with the DNA viruses based on their genetic patterns, he'd be able to recreate them wherever he finally settled.

He pulled out the virus that was meant for him. Over the last two weeks, he had seen the virus transform nearly twenty people. It never failed to fascinate him. Now, at last, it was his turn. He felt a little fear at the idea of completely changing his body, but he had no choice now. He was responsible for the murder of eight policemen, including a captain. The authorities would never rest until he was brought to justice. He replaced the vial and shut the suitcase.

Quince decided to have a shower before he took the DNA virus. He stood and stripped off his shirt, before going to the small bathroom.

His leg gave another twinge. Quince swore. The cramp seemed to be getting worse, not better. He unbuttoned his pants and dropped them and his underpants to the floor. He examined his leg and he was shocked to see it covered in short brown hair between his knee and thigh.

He ran his hand over the hair and suddenly realised where he had seen it before. On his horse. He gripped the side of the sink as his head reeled in shock.

Quince had been stabbed in the leg with a syringe by Jeff. It had contained a DNA virus based on one of his horses. He had thought that none of the virus had been injected into him, but obviously a small amount had entered his leg.

As the virus reproduced, the rate of change accelerated. Before his horrified eyes, Quince's upper leg lengthened and changed. The virus raced up towards his hips and down to his foot with frightening speed. Panic gripped Quince. His humanity was being stolen from him!

Suddenly, he remembered the vial of human DNA virus. Only another DNA virus would allow him to stay even partly human. He had to get to the suitcase before he changed even further.

He turned to leave the bathroom just as his pelvis wrenched itself into a new shape: a shape designed for four legs and not two. Unable to stand upright, Quince found himself thrust over onto all fours.

"NO!!" He cried in despair. He struggled to rise to his feet and failed. Looking back, he could see the virus reach and radically change his foot. The foot drew back on itself as the nails of his toes merged and grew into a hoof.

The virus started making its way down his other leg, but Quince was watching his crotch. The virus had been based on the foal, since it was roughly the same size as a human. Quince wished that the foal had been male, as his penis and testicles were absorbed into his body. His mind couldn't face the idea of what had replaced them.

Quince was now possessed by utter hysteria. He had to reach the vial in the suitcase. It was his only hope. His hooves slipped on the tiled floor as he dragged his body through the door of the bathroom. He had little time left. Already the virus was making its way up his torso.

He struggled across the floor to the bed, trying to get his human arms and his equine back legs to work together. He caught his reflection in the wardrobe mirror. He saw his grossly altered body looking back at him. He knew at that moment that even if he took the other virus, only his head, shoulders, and arms would remain human. As a half-human freak, he'd never be free and he'd probably end up in some laboratory somewhere. Perhaps it was better to become totally a horse.

But Quince refused to give up that easily. He might only be partly human, but that was better than not human at all.

He reached the bed. Thankfully, he hadn't locked the suitcase. He tried to flip open the catches, but for some reason he couldn't manage to do it. He screamed in total panic as he watched his fingers shrink. Fur was sprouting down the lengths of his arms as they reshaped into horse's legs. He beat the suitcase with hands that had almost completely turned into hooves, but the toughened case easily withstood his attack.