And here we have the third chapter! I do want to clear up a few things now from the previous chapter before continuing.

Max's last name: I'm actually using an uncut original script from Avatar to help me with dialogue, on their Max's last name is Cullimore not Patel. So yes apologies about that. I have already made the necessary changes in the previous chapter.

The Nav'vi name: Because of my poor wording, or rather what I want to emphasis on later chapter's was that the Na'vi simply hate the 'skypeople' using their name's and their words. They feel that it cheapens the meaning.

On a much bigger note anyone good at speaking Na'vi? I need help with translation, could probably manage single words but with full I have trouble. So please either PM me or review to offer your help!


Thank you very much!

Chapter 3: New body

Grace stormed past through the halls, everyone keeping a safe distance away from her when they felt the anger emanating off the Doctor. No one wanted to get in her way. She walked all the way from the Link room to the main OPS centre, the heels of her shoes racketing against the metal grill of the floor.

The OPS centre reminded Grace sometimes of an air-traffic control tower with lots of screen and wide bay windows showing off the whole complex.

The Administrator of the whole complex was one Parker Selfridge, a weedy little fellow in Grace's opinion. With his greasy slicked back brown hair and corporate dress style he was certainly out of place amongst all the soldiers and Technicians. He was young, smart, charismatic, like a salesman, and just like them he could be ruthless. Selfridge wasn't here to explore the planet or research the natives; all he was interested in was numbers, dollar numbers to be precise. Next to him was Colonel Quaritch, if he had it his way he would simply nuke the whole planet out rather than go through all this tedious negotiating.

Currently Selfridge was playing a game of indoor golf that had Grace sneering. He took a ball from a newly opened case and set it carefully on the floor. He assumes the stance and lines up his putt, aiming towards a practice up across the control room floor. But before the ball even reached the cup Grace kicked it away. Parker looks up at her, barely keeping his anger in check.

"Parker, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see that you're intentionally screwing with us," she said glaring at the younger man.

"Grace, I do so enjoy our little talks," god even his voice seemed to be dipped in grease.

"I need a research assistant, not some jarhead dropout."

"Actually I'd say we got very lucky with him," Selfridge replied putting his putter back in its case so that he wouldn't hit her with it.

Grace put her hands to her hips. "Lucky? How is this in any way lucky?" she asked, her voice filled with derision.

She watched as Selfridge walked past her to pick the ball and practice cup up before it went lost. Trying to get new equipment on this godforsaken planet would take years.

"Well- lucky your guy had a twin brother, and lucky the brother wasn't an oral hygienist or something. A Marine we can use. I'm assigning him to your team as security escort."

"The last thing I need is another trigger happy asshole out there!"

"Look," he shouted turning back to her. "You're supposed to be winning the hearts and minds of the natives; isn't that the whole point of your little puppet show? If you look like them, if you talk like them, they'll trust you, right?" he then walked right past her storming into his office with the doctor following right behind.

"But after what- how many years?- relations with the indigenous are only getting worse."

The redhead fixed him with a glare. "That tends to happen when you use machine guns on them."

Selfridge sighed, but not out of defeat, more like repressed anger; they had this argument so many times it was starting to annoy him. Was it his fault that when they tried to educate the aliens and teach them some civility they simply threw it all back in his face? He wanted to take care of things peacefully, minimal loss, but things were taking too long and the company was starting to get impatient with the lack of results.

He reached towards his desk on which on a magnetic base hovering in mid-air surrounded by an almost invisible field, is a lump of metallic rock. He grabs it and holds it up between thumb and forefinger, almost pushing it into Grace's face.

"This is why we're here. Unobtanium," he said, gripping the rock tightly as if it was some sort of magical item.

"Because this little gray rock sells for twenty million a kilo. No other reason. This is what pays for the party, and it's what pays for your science. Comprendo?" When Grace didn't answer he went to place the rock back into the magnetic field.

"Those savages are threatening our whole operation, we're on the brink of war, and you're supposed to find a diplomatic solution. So use what you've got and get me some results."

He didn't need to turn around to know how angry the doctor was at him, he could hear it in her stomping footsteps as she walked out.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"The idea is that every driver is matched to his own avatar… or at least that's what they tell me. In all honesty I don't really get it…"

Jake snorted and looked away from the camera, feeling stupid. They were meant to do daily video diaries to help keep track of their 'emotional' and 'psychological' progress while assimilating with their Avatar. It was meant to monitor the effects of neurological transfer or something like that for research purposes. All in all it didn't make sense to him and he didn't want to think about it any further, it only gave him a headache; but he still had to finish this video report.

A sigh left him as he went to continue. "It's something about how their nervous systems are in tune. Which is why they offered me this gig, because I can link with Tommy's Avatar." The next part he mumbled more to himself, "Although after what they told me yesterday I don't really know how much I want to do this."

After finding out that his particular Avatar was a hermaphrodite Jake wanted to run for the hills, just get off planet no matter what. But there wouldn't be another ship to get him off planet for another eleven years, and staying on Pandora wasn't free. There were also very few jobs that a man like him could do. That wasn't even including the fact that those Avatars were expensive, and the company wouldn't allow him to abandon his new contract on what they would call a 'technicality'.

When he asked if the so called 'womb' could be removed Max told him that it would probably be a bad idea. There still wasn't a complete understanding of the alien anatomy and no one wanted to risk removing a body part without full understanding of its effect and consequences. Jake just thought that they simply wanted to 'observe' an actual hermaphrodite rather than actually remove the damn organ and risk damage, than to make him feel more comfortable.

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, he hated being recorded it made him feel self-conscious. Jake growled inwardly and then turned around to Norm, who was making his own video log, and Max who was doing some calculations. "Is this right? I just say whatever in these video logs?"

Norm looked up and nodded. "Yeah. You just need to get in the habit of documenting everything, like what you see or feel. It's all part of the science, good science starts with good observation," he said with an almost haughty tone.

The brunette arched an eyebrow. "Right…" he said and then slowly turned back to look at the camera. Still not really understanding why he was doing this. "So, whatever. Here I am, doing science. Never been in a lab before," he said, looking around his new surroundings.

He ignored the giggles coming from both Norm and Max, but he didn't have any idea what to say next. So far he didn't have a test run of his Avatar yet, that was meant to happen sometimes later today, so there wasn't a way he could really talk about his 'feelings'. He was at a loss at all the information cramped in his head the day before, Jake still felt he had been given absolutely no time to process things properly. There wasn't much else that he understood about anything else, he wasn't a scientist but a solider, he had a different of type training that ruled a life.

Jake was just about to simply give up when Max suddenly stood with Norm following him. "Log off. The boss is here."

Being glad about not having to continue his video log anymore, he eagerly followed Max and Norm out of the room. As he wheeled him into the Link room he noticed there was quite a rush of people moving about, looking data over, and fixing last minute glitches. Grace was amongst it all, barking out orders for everyone to follow. As soon as she spotted him, she made her way towards them.

"C'mon boys get moving, we haven't got all day," she shouted waving them over.

Jake looked around and as he came down the ramp he noticed the other room, separated by a thick piece of glass. Inside it was a sterile room with that reminded him of a hospital room what with all the people going around in scrubs and face-masks. Yet what drew his attention the most were the two Avatars lying on the oversized gurneys, slowly breathing through exo-masks. He frowned at first but then he remembered that they couldn't breathe in the normal human air. But they went past the room and towards the Psionic Link units which looked as if a coffin and MRI machine decided to hook up and get a baby. Really claustrophobic looking.

The lid to his coffin was slowly opened to reveal that it came in two 'layers', a white mech-like shape which was the biomentric sensor, and a gel-like interior that had a human-shaped indentation in the middle. Jake pushed his fingers into the soft material experimentally; it seemed nice enough, so he pushed himself closer to the bed, bracing his arm at the edge and used his upper body to pull himself up on it. Grace was already there, bracing his back, but when he saw her reaching for his legs so that they could also be placed inside he slapped them away.

"No, I can do it," he said, feeling uncomfortable about anyone touching his legs.

Grace frowned but stayed up watching him as he slowly dragged his legs up and placed them inside before he himself laid down. He settled himself into the warm fluid gel packs lining the unit that seemed to engulf him.

Dr. Augustine continued watched him with a shake of her head. "So you figured that you'd come all the way out here in the most hostile environment known to man, with minimal training of any kind, and see how it went? What was going through your head?" she said dispassionately.

Jake only gave her a glare. "Maybe I was just tired of doctors telling me what I couldn't do."

The redhead didn't say anything to that, instead she slowly leaned forward and slowly lowered the clamshell mech over him. It really made him feel like he had been netted in; the doctor, noticing his sudden apprehension, leaned over so that she was looking straight into his eyes.

"Relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be hard for you," she said with an almost smile.

Jake glares at her. "Kiss the darkest part of my lily white-" but his voice was muffled by the lid being slammed down.

She then turned towards Max and nodded at him, who nodded back. The Indian picked up his PAD and pressed a few buttons. "Initiate link."

The link techs started pressing the holographic tabs and buttons. On a large monitor a 3D image scan of Jake's brain appeared, the regions with brain activity flow shifted with complex colour. Max hummed in approval at the sight.

"Nice brain activity," he commented, the link tech agreed.

Grace snorted and crossed her arms together in distaste. "Figures…" she grumbled. "Alright, I'm going in," she said and went to her own Psionic Link unit.

The link tech pressed another button. "Phase-lock at forty percent. He's in transition," she said watching the monitor. Max watched as the red 3D image indicating Jake started to slowly merge together with the bluish 3D Avatar figure. Their nervous systems aligning, like two ghostly networks of light merging.

Inside Jake watched his light blue surroundings, his confinements really starting to bother him, but he tried to relax himself and clear his mind just like Grace had told him. He took a deep breath, relaxing himself into the cool gel and closed his eyes and started to dream. His eyes move under his lids like in an REM sleep. Inside his mind radiant light streamers coiling together into a pulsing tunnel that he followed down like a rollercoaster and then-

He was blinded, the light too much for him to take; two blurry shapes and out of focus images blocked out the light. Golden eyes blinked open and close, cat-like pupils contracting at the searing light as they slowly pulsed with life.

"He's in," Max called out.

The link tech nodded. "Phase-lock at ninety percent, the link is stable."

But their words were distant echoes to Jake, but it was completely blocked when he heard that horrendous clicking hammering against his ears. They made him flinch and he tried to move away from the noise. That's when he noticed that those blurry things were actually the doctors wearing masks and protective suits. They were sayings things but Jake wasn't really listening, instead he was overwhelmed by all the new sensations and feelings bombarding him. It was intense and new as if he was experiencing everything for the first time.

He groaned and slowly sat up, ignoring the protests from the doctors; instead he was more fascinated by his new body. Jake stretched his fingers, moving his fingers testing their dexterity, spellbound by their sight. Then he looked down at his legs and his golden eyes widened when he saw how strong and muscled they looked, his breathing hitched in when he managed to wriggle his toes. God, it had been years since he felt his legs now there they were, stronger than ever. A deeper part of him reminded him that these weren't his real legs, heck this wasn't even a 'real' body, just some petri dish Frankenstein's monster. But all those thoughts were instantly pulled aside when he managed to stand up.

The happiness coursing through him could not be described; he looked at all the doctors panicking around him. They looked so small! Like children against his nine foot frame.

Then he felt a sudden pain going up his spine; he looked behind himself and a gasp left him when he noticed that he also has a tail! Jake tried to more the new appendage again, but even though he only wanted to move it a little it whacked against the gurney, making him wince in pain again. The doctors were telling him to calm down and sit down again so that they could conduct some tests but Jake was too excited to simply sit down. He wanted to explore, he wanted to feel!

He staggered around, moving around the smaller doctors afraid that he would accidently crush them as he moved past them, ignoring their calls for him to stop. The wires to the biomonitors pulled taut around him; he yanked them off his chest, instruments clattered to the floor and his cat-like ears started to flick in pain again. Yet he continued on towards the door and opened it, freezing in the archway as he was blinded by the morning sun of the strange planet.

Jake stared in amazement at the sight before him. He found himself in the Avatar compound- a living and training area for all newly linked Avatar's, a place where they could get used to their new bodies. Nearby, a couple of Avatars were playing one-on-one basketball on a non-regulation basketball net. Others were tackling the obstacle fields and other sports activities. Eagerly Jake flexed his legs, he took a few steps getting used to the new muscles before he started to build up to a run. Soon he was moving swiftly past through all the courses, ignoring all the shouts and avoiding anyone who got in his way.

After what seemed like forever he found himself in the compound garden surrounded by neatly cut rows of strange alien plants. The smile on Jake's face grew and he continued to look around himself, wanting to touch and feel everything, but he felt too scared to even reach out. Looking down at his feet he delighted in the fact that he could actually feel the dirt from the ground between his toes. He inhaled deeply, reveling in the smells- the earth, plants, nearby forest, but what amazed him even more was that he could see his footprints in the soil. Actual footprints and not tire marks!

While he was distracted by his new environment he never noticed Grace making her way towards him until he heard her calling. "Hey, Marine!" she shouted.

Jake turned around, his golden eyes nearly popping out his skull at the sight of the doctor's Avatar body. It certainly looked like her, at least her facial features, expect for the whole blue things; but the rest of her… well it sure was something different. A slim long body with what he guessed would be a normal-sized dark green shirt on a human body only barely reached her navel on her Avatar. Tight cargo pants covered her shapely hips, showing off her athletic figure and making her look younger.

"Grace?" he called out in disbelief.

"Well what do you expect, numbnuts?" she reached into the bushes ripping something off a plant. "Here, think fast!" she shouted throwing the object at him.

Jake caught it easily, looking down in confusion at the strange new, slightly squishy, object in his hand.

"Motor control is looking good," Grace commented and then laughed when the marine started sniffing and touching the object.

"It's a fruit, you can eat it," she said.

Jake looked back at her before he brought the Pandorian fruit up to his mouth and took a big bite out of it. Instantly his tongue was bombarded with a million sweet flavours as he chewed through the juicy flesh. He only had real fruit one time on earth, it had been an apple, and his parents had to save up quite a lot of money to simply buy four for each of them. The actuality of eating 'real' food was only a right reserved for the rich, and usually a treat when he was younger. Instead they usually made do with synthetic slurry filled with all the necessary nutrients the body would need, for a daily meal.

So even though this alien fruit looked plain and unremarkable with its almost leathery brown bumpy skin and ovalish shape, the flavour itself was indescribable. He had never eaten anything like this.

"Hey, check this out!" came a familiar voice.

Jake turned around to see Norm behind him flexing his body like a body builder to show off his new toned and muscular body. He wanted to laugh, it truly must be a new experience for the geeky man to possess such a well-defined body, compared to his tall lanky one. Then Norm looked back at them with a cheeky grin.

"I'm a living God."

The laughter he had been holding in spilled out.


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