Like many traumatic experiences, Claire's transformation was not perceived by her to be true until she was confronted with reality upon waking. She had been dreaming that she was a stegoceratops, and there was nothing odd about that, but it seemed to her that something felt wrong, even within her mind. She took a few minutes to wake up fully, and every time she saw her hand swimming in and out of her field of vision, she told herself that it was part of her dream. She realized that this was false, but continued to tell herself otherwise, afraid of facing something as horrid as her human self. It was only when her eyes opened for good that she was forced to give up on her denial. She flicked her fingers up and down to confirm that they belonged to her, then sat up in bed. Owen, she noticed, was not lying on her belly, as he usually did on cold nights. He had fallen asleep next to her, above the covers, probably by accident. She snuck away from him, sliding delicately off the bed, and limped towards a square mirror that was hanging on the wall.

First off, she noticed that she was slimmer than she remembered. As a dinosaur, she had exercised a great deal more than she had as a human, and when she pulled up the base of her tank top, she could even detect the faint outline of muscles beneath her skin. She wasn't one hundred percent fit, because on certain parts of her body, she could see the remnants of what used to be stretch marks. Those probably came from her pregnancy. She still had miscellaneous scars from the violent encounters she had been a part of, but most of them were faded, as it had been quite a while since she had been forced to fight. She wasn't sure that she remembered what parts of her were supposed to sag more than others, because she had almost completely forgotten her human proportions.

She didn't recognize herself. Perhaps she never would.

Claire paused in thought, then proceeded to strip. Once she had kicked her clothing away from her ankles, she stood naked in front of her reflection and took it all in. She had more freckles than before, she noticed, as well as darker skin. Being naked in the sun had taken its toll, even when she was a dinosaur. Still, she was kind of glad it had. Although her freckles were not as colorful as the olive scales that once caressed her body, she felt as though having something to break the evenness of her complexion was desirable. It would be better, as a matter of fact, if she could be as close to her dinosaur self as possible.

She tried bunching up her hair so that it resembled a frill, but it wouldn't stay put. She exhaled quietly, but her eyes met the eyes of her reflection, and she froze with one hand still lifting her hair. The two women, one perceived and one real, did not abandon each other's gaze for a long time. Claire began to shake, and she considered smashing the mirror, but she decided that it wouldn't be a good idea. Instead, she crawled into bed with Owen, wrapping her bare limbs around his body. She tried to flip him onto her stomach, but he was too heavy for her now.

She hoped that he wouldn't feel her tears soaking his chest.

***TSJWFEW***

Owen was surprised to find Claire lying naked beside him. Part of him was thrilled that she had decided to remove her clothing, but at the same time, staring at her nude shape felt like a betrayal to the actual Claire. He didn't have time to ponder this perceived infidelity, because her eyes opened, and she stared at him in a way that made him want to shrink away and disappear forever.

"Owen, I don't feel good."

He gulped.

"I know. There's nothing we can do about it. Not now."

"Rub my snout."

Owen's eye twitched.

"Claire, you don't have-"

"I know, but just try."

He placed his hand on the ridge of her nose uncertainly and ran it up and down her face. She winced. Her eyelashes were getting in the way.

"It's not the same," she sighed, "I thought it would help, but I was wrong."

Owen removed his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"What can we still do?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"What can we do as humans that we could also do when I was normal?"

Owen gave her a kiss. It should have been good, but it wasn't. Although the softness of her mouth was the same on the inside, her lips did not feel pleasant. He was used to her beak, and pressing his mouth against something so tender made him think that the red part of her face was not lips at all, but rather, a freshly-healed wound where her beak had been cut away. She clearly felt this too, because she pulled away from him and put her fingers over her mouth self-consciously.

"God . . . I didn't think it would be like this," she quavered.

"Me neither."

"But it's ridiculous, right? I mean, we used to do it this way before . . ."

"But that was a long time ago."

"It was."

They sat quietly, not touching each other. Claire broke their shared stillness by reaching for a pen that was lying on the bedside table. She tied it to her hair with great difficulty, as she had lost some of her dexterity through the years. She reached for the pen on Owen's side, and he handed it to her without saying a word. When both pens were secure, Claire shook her head. She found out very quickly that it was not an ideal solution, because unlike horns, pens could not be fixed in place. She quite literally tore them from her scalp, losing two clumps of hair, and threw them to the ground.

"I hate this!" she sobbed.

Owen held her against his chest.

"I know, I know . . ."

"I just want to die. This isn't right, and I- I just-"

She screamed in frustration. She was missing the deeper pitch that surfaced in a moo whenever she lost control.

"I'm never leaving this room! I want to sit here and not be seen and die alone!"

Owen shook his head.

"You know I can't let you do that. Lily is counting on us."

The name was like an antidote to Claire's insanity. Her eyes became focused, and she sat up straight, forgetting her personal grief.

"Lily . . ."

She stood up.

"Lily! We have to go! Now! We have to find-"

She looked down at herself.

"No . . . I can't let her see me like this. She'll think . . ."

She shook her head, crying again.

"I have to, though. I have to. Owen, promise me that if Lily hates me, you'll take care of her on your own."

"She won't hate you," he said seriously.

"But if she does, you need to be there for her."

He stood up.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let's tell the others that it's time to go."

Claire nodded and reached for the door handle, then gave a surprised jolt.

"Wait. I'm naked. That matters now."

Owen picked up a lonely duffel bag.

"Charlie nabbed a few things. I'm sure they'll fit."

Claire got dressed, forgetting at first which order the clothes were supposed to be put on. When she had it right, Owen handed her the final piece of her costume. She hesitated before taking the beige heels, but despite the ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach, she slipped them over her feet and stood up tall.

"For Lily," she whispered.

Owen nodded.

"For Lily."

***TSJWFEW***

Barry and Delta, it seemed, were pushing the limits of the soundproof wall that separated them from the rest of the limo's occupants. It would be rude to interrupt the happy couple, considering Barry had hooked them up with this ride in the first place, but it was getting harder and harder to keep the conversation going without having to pause and hear the rhythmic thumping and dirty words being uttered from the other side of the barrier. They tried to fill the silence as much as possible, but it was an uphill battle.

"So, as I was saying, we have a few options at this point, one of them being to go through with Barry's plan," Owen said too loudly.

"What's his plan?" Charlie asked as soon as he finished his sentence.

"He didn't tell me, but I trust that he can . . . uh . . ."

His pause left room for a deep moan to fill the air. He cleared his throat quickly.

"It's probably a safe plan, because Barry is good at these kinds of things, and he really- really understands- the, um-"

They could just make out the word "baguette". Owen shuddered.

"Well, that's something I'll never be able to unhear."

He knocked on the wall.

"Can you guys keep it down? You're going to scar us for life."

"Sorry!" they chorused.

Owen shook his head.

"Alright, there's a few things we need to remember. One, keep the chitchat to a minimum. Every second that goes by is a wasted opportunity. Lily is out in the wilderness right now, and she needs to be rescued. Soon. Second, don't mention that anyone here was a dinosaur-"

"I still am!" Foxtrot snapped.

"Shush. They won't be able to tell," Owen replied impatiently, "Third, do whatever Barry says. He's putting his ass on the line to help us. From what I understand, he hasn't spoken to his parents for a while."

"Why not?" Charlie asked, "Did they kick him out?"

Owen shook his head.

"No, but he's sensitive about his privileged upbringing. He just wants to be treated normally, so let's not make a big deal about this."

Blue scoffed.

"Oh, please. How rich can he be?"

It was then that they pulled up to a tall, golden fence, which circled a vast, imposing mansion. The group fell silent as the gates parted. When they passed an ostentation of white peacocks, they exchanged looks of disbelief. The limo pulled up to the front doorway after circling an ornate fountain with bronze statues spouting water in thin arcs. Barry got out of the car with a straight face, unimpressed by their reactions.

"Nobody say a word. We're going in now, so for the love of god, don't stare."

They shuffled up to the front door, which looked something like a drawbridge. When it opened, an old man in a fancy suit bowed before them.

"Welcome, Lord Barrington. Your parents are waiting in the study."

Barry's face tightened as he sensed the group's dumbfounded expressions. He stormed forward and led them up a marble staircase. They passed about fifty rooms before they reached a Victorian-looking library. Barry's parents were standing near the door.

"Barry, honey! How have you been?!" his mother clucked.

"Fine," he replied tersely.

"What have you been up to all these years?" his father boomed.

"Nothing. Can we just skip to the important part? The others are waiting."

His parents peeked over his shoulder. The raptors waved shyly, and Owen gave them a quick nod.

"Oh, are these your friends?" his mother gushed, "They seem nice. Sorry about the mess: we didn't have time to clean up before your visit."

If there was a mess, it was practically invisible. Barry's parents crossed the room, and the guests followed when they beckoned to them. Claire leaned against Owen for support, still too weak to stand on her own two feet.

"For many years, our family has been developing a complex tracking device, capable of locating any person on the globe with stunning accuracy," Barry's father announced, "It all started when Barry got lost in our mansion . . . erm, the one in France. It's much larger."

Owen was done being surprised.

"But how will you track Lily? You don't know what she looks like."

Barry's mother stepped forward.

"Does she have any distinct features?"

Claire lifted her head.

"She's part dinosaur."

Owen's eyes went wide. Barry's parents didn't seem to notice the oddness of her remark.

"That should make it easy. Follow me," his mother said.

She punched an eight-digit code into a control panel on the wall, and one of the bookcases split in half to reveal a secret elevator. It was difficult to fit everyone inside, but they managed. During the descent, the booth grew dark, and the only light came from periodic flashes of blue neon that they passed on their way into the abyss.

"So have you found yourself a girlfriend yet, Barry?" his mother asked casually.

"Maman!"

"I'm just asking . . ." she mumbled.

"I don't want to talk about it," Barry grumbled.

"It's okay, Barry. We'd accept you even if you weren't into women . . ." his father said sincerely.

"What?! No, I'm not- Look, I have a girlfriend, I just don't want you meddling!"

"We're not meddling, Barry," his mother replied, "We just want you to be happy. It's impossible to know how you're doing when you never write to us . . ."

"I'm his fiancée," Delta said tersely.

Barry's mother turned pink with glee.

"Oh, how wonderful! I always knew that Barry would find himself a pretty girl! When's the wedding?"

"You're not invited," Barry muttered.

Owen elbowed him.

"Barry, don't do this. They're helping us . . ."

"Yes, but I don't owe them anything."

"They raised you."

"Shush. We'll discuss this later."

The doors parted, and they entered a vast, dark workshop. In the center, a holographic globe rotated slowly, casting blue and green light across the floor. Barry's parents walked up to it with the rest of the group trailing close behind them.

"You said this girl is part dinosaur, right?" Barry's mother asked.

Claire nodded.

"Part stegoceratops. It's stegosaurus and triceratops-"

"Oh, we don't need to know specifics. As long as we clarify that she contains your genes, we should be able to pinpoint- ah, there we go."

A red dot had appeared in Arkansas. As the globe grew large to specify the location, Claire noticed that the blip was moving along something that looked like a track.

"She's on a train," Owen marveled, "But why would she be interested in hitchhiking?"

There was another beep, and a wall of text appeared in front of the globe. Charlie leapt to the side, unaware that it was not physically present. Owen scanned the page briefly and realized that it was describing a traveling circus.

"Wait . . . does this mean the computer understands us?" he asked.

Barry's father nodded.

"It's very intelligent."

Claire stood up straight, pushing Owen away gently, and moved towards the globe. It was the first time she had attempted to walk without Owen's help.

"We need to go there," she said, pointing at the red dot, "If we catch up to this train, I can find out where Lily is stowed away. We can't use a normal plane this time. By coming here, we unintentionally distanced ourself from her. We need to ride something fast."

"But how will we stop the train?" Owen asked, "I don't see much official information on this circus, but I don't think it's going to change its schedule on our behalf."

Barry's father lifted his chin proudly.

"The solution to both of these problems is simple. This OS isn't the only technology our family has been funding. Over the years, we've been developing a more hands-on approach to search and rescue missions."

He marched across the workshop with a dignified air.

"Can anyone tell me what one might use to rescue a person in distress?" he prompted.

Charlie raised her hand.

"Helicopters?"

"Drones?" Echo suggested.

"Rollerskates?" Foxtrot guessed.

Barry's father shook his head.

"All helpful in their own way, but severely limited. The best way to rescue a person is by using your wits to come up with the most reasonable solution to your problem, which varies from case to case. But how is one to do that in a machine that does not reflect their own design? It's like having a chimp pilot a whale. The solution is simple: our vehicles need hands, feet, heads, and anything else that echoes the human form."

"Are you saying that you built a giant, humanoid robot?" Blue joked.

A series of spotlights flicked on, revealing a giant, humanoid robot. Blue's face fell.

"Oh."

"They told us we were crazy," Barry's father recalled, "They said we were watching too much anime. But we ignored them and built the most complex robot known to man. Humans are designed to help humans, and by improving our form with metal armor and rocket boots, we've created the ultimate vehicle that will save billions of lives . . . starting with your daughter."

Owen blinked and gestured to the robot vaguely.

"Yeah, I don't know what this thing is, exactly, but it looks like it'll work just fine. Does it have a driver, or . . ."

"That's up to you," Barry's mother said, "The machine is controlled by brainwaves, so once you're inside, it will be like you've literally become a giant metal man . . . or woman, since your wife could pilot it too."

Claire reached out and touched the metal foot.

"This will work. When's the soonest we can leave?"

"Right now," Barry's father replied, "Everyone, hop inside. I'll open the back door so you don't have to take off indoors."

Owen frowned in puzzlement.

"Aren't you coming too?"

"No," Barry's mother replied, "We don't want to slow you down."

"But we've never driven a robot before. What if we wreck it?" Owen asked.

"That doesn't matter," she said softly, "We spent twenty six million dollars on this machine so that we could save lives. Even if it only ends up saving one person, it's well worth the price we paid. It doesn't matter if you scuff it up in order to reunite with your daughter, because a single life is more important than all the robots in the world. This is our gift to you."

Claire nodded.

"We'll take it. Thank you."

"It's our pleasure," Barry's father declared, "Now, let's not waste any more time. Lily is counting on you."

The heel of the machine opened, revealing a small elevator. The group once again crammed themselves inside. While the raptors (and Barry) exited to sit passively in the torso area, Owen and Claire made their way to the head. They stepped into the artificial cortex and peered out the front window. The machine suddenly came to life, and they were lifted into the air, suspended by an unknown force. As they moved, so did the robot. When they had achieved a balance of power, they took two massive steps out the secret door, which led into an empty courtyard. They activated the rocket boots, which scorched the lawn. As they hovered above the ground, Claire took a deep breath.

"This is going to work. We're going to save Lily."

Owen took her hand.

"Are you ready?"

"I've always been ready."

He nodded.

"Alright, let's get this thing moving."

They kicked both legs in unison, and the robot shot into the night sky. Claire adjusted their trajectory with a determined frown.

"We're coming, Lily!"

Owen squeezed her hand.

"This is gonna be one hell of a ride."