-.-Avatar Driver-.-

"Ready when you are, Doc!"

"Then let's go!"

Phoenix practically ran to where the link beds lay side by side.

Jake flashed her a smile from his own link bed next to her assigned one. "See you out there."

"Yeah, see you soon!" She lay back and settled in the bed.

Doc came over. "You nervous?"

"Not one bit! Should I be?"

"I like your enthusiasm, but be cautious. Just try and relax your mind and body," Dr. Augustine reminded her. "Lay back, hands down, head down, and let your mind go blank. And listen to the scientists - unlike that idiot there." She nodded in the direction of Jake's bed. "See you soon." And with that, she closed the lid over Nix's body.

The bed hummed and went dark. She closed her eyes.

Everything was dark... Then, bright light. A really bright light, like, right in her eyes.

"Ms. Vallencourt? Can you hear me?..." A distant voice, like it was speaking through water, filled her thoughts. "Phoenix?"

Two people in lab coats stood over her, peering down at her. Other scientists working under Grace's supervision.

"Hi... Did it work?"

"Your vitals are looking good. Let's try sitting you up - nice and easy, take it nice and slow-"

"Okay-" She swung her legs off the bed - long, blue legs.

And blue hands. "Oh wow - it worked! I'm here!" She peered down at her new body, that of which was not covered by a medical dress.

"Are you feeling light-headed or dizzy at all?"

"Uh no, don't think so... Doesn't feel like it... Hey! You added my tattoo! That's awesome!" The tattoo that snaked all the way from around her right ear and all the way down the side of her body, down her arm to the back of her hand, and down her leg to her toes.

"How do you feel?" the scientist asked.

"Great!"

"That's good. Now let's try standing up."

"Okay - wow, I'm so tall! So this is what things are like from this perspective-" It was going to take some time to get used to her new long and gangly limbs. "Hey Max!" She waved through the lab window to where Max was watching her vitals and brain function on screens.

"Hi Phoenix." He smiled and waved back. "Looking good so far."

"Feeling good so far! Oh, sorry!" she apologized as her tail knocked over a tray of equipment.

"That's okay, you'll get used to it. Now let's take a walk outside." The scientists guided her to the lab door.

"Okay-" BONK!

"OW! Bugger..." She rubbed her now tender forehead. She actually had to duck to go through doors - that was new. This was a whole new world that would take some getting used to, but she couldn't wait.

Ducking down, she followed them outside, where she took her first breath of fresh Pandora air. No mask, nothing. Amazing.

"Hey, looking good, kid."

She turned and instantly recognized the avatar before her. "Hi Doc."

Grace grinned. "Welcome aboard - officially."

They were the best words she could have heard.

"Hey! Why so blue?" She chuckled at the camera. "So today I finally was able to take my Avatar out for the first time - I'm officially an Avatar Driver! I can't even describe it, it was everything I ever imagined and more!" She beamed right into the camera. "I'm so tall, it's like I suddenly had a random growth spurt that I've been waiting for for years. And the tail - that's going to take some getting used to. Valuable appendage though. But tomorrow - I can't wait for tomorrow. We're actually going out into the field, the Doc's taking us. I can't wait. More updates then."

"'Why so blue?'" Miles repeated, looking up from the tablet.

"It's funny!" She had just delivered the first of her official video logs. "What? It is!"

He just chuckled and shook his head. She punched him in the arm.

"For tomorrow we've arranged for Captain Chacón to take you out there, and Wainfleet will be supporting."

"Sounds good!"

"Make sure you take the-"

"Take the gun, I know, I know."

The next day, Grace got her a pair of khaki shorts, shirt, and boots to wear. It was strange, but it worked.

"How's it feel so far?" the Doc asked.

"I love it!"

"Hey, Phoenix!" There were Norm and Jake in their own Avatars, decked out in their own field gear, Norm with his pack and Jake with a gun.

"Hey boys! Hey - why so blue?"

"Hey, good one!"

"Thank you!" Ha, take that, Miles!

"Hey Nix!" Trudy called.

"Hi Trudy!"

"You ready?"

"Am I ever!"

Not needing masks to breathe in their Avatar forms, they were able to lean out the side of the craft while they flew. She gave a whoop, letting her arm stretch out and trace the wind.

"Shut it down, we're gonna stay a while," Grace told Trudy when they landed. "Stay with the ship," she then ordered Wainfleet. "One idiot with a gun is enough."

"You the man, Doc."

Phoenix patted the windscreen on her way around. "Thanks for the ride, Trudy."

"Anytime! Have fun out there - and be careful!"

Nix gave a salute and followed Grace. At the last moment, she remembered to take Miles's pistol with her.

"Kid, can I trust you to document and catalogue?" Grace asked.

"Sure can, Doc!"

"That's what I thought-" Grace passed her a camera which she immediately looped around her neck.

Click! Click!

Click! Click! Click!

Soon she was snapping pictures of anything and everything. Grace led the way, Nix and Norm following in awe, with Jake picking up the rear, on guard with his weapon.

"There's a yar tree-"

"Are you just gonna continue pointing out everything we see?"

"Oh yeah!"

Above them, multi-armed creatures swung through the trees, chittering as they went. "Oh - Prolemuris!" They resembled monkey-like creatures of Earth, only in vibrant blue and green colours.

"Relax, Marine." Grace shoved down Jake's gun. "You're making me nervous."

As they trekked further into the forest, Nix removed her boots and socks, tying the laces of the boots together and hanging them over her shoulders, digging her toes into the mud. Oh yeah, this was awesome!

She crouched down in the earth with Norm and Grace who were gathering a sample. "Amazing, isn't it," chuckled Grace.

"Yes!" he cried.

"Norm, you've contaminated the sample with your saliva."

"Right..."

A loud bellow from up ahead caught their attention - Jake was standing face-to-face with a Hammerhead Titanothere. By the looks of things, both he and the creature had startled each other.

"Don't shoot!" Grace ordered. "Don't shoot, you'll piss him off."

"It's already pissed off!"

"It's a territorial threat display - do not run, or he'll charge."

"So what do I do, dance with it?"

"Just hold your ground."

"Amazing!" breathed Nix.

"Seriously?" he cried.

With another bellow, the giant creature charged forward. Jake charged as well, with his own yell of "AHH!", spreading his arms wide to make himself appear bigger, and met the creature halfway.

"Yeah, ha, that's what I thought," he hollered when the creature slunk off. "Not so big and tough now are we? Yeah, that's right, get your punk ass back to mommy."

"Uh Jake - it's not you..." Another creature had surfaced. "Thanator!"

Jake turned to the wild cat-like creature. "So what about this one? Run, don't run? What?"

"Run, definitely run!"

Jake wasted no time and took off running.

"Back to the ship!" Grace ordered, ushering Nix and Norm that way at a sprint.

"What about Jake?" Nix cried.

"Just go! Go!"

Without looking back, they fled the scene.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)