Chapter 1
*Shiftborn*(Part 1: evolution of lixix)
Dr. Wumi Adeyemi, a brilliant geneticist, had just returned to Nigeria after wrapping up her PhD in Synthetic Biology from Imperial College London. Eager to apply her abroad-acquired skills locally, she landed a spot at the cutting-edge lab in Yaba Life Sciences hub, Lagos.
Wumi's obsession? Creating creatures that could adapt and evolve like never before – ones that could _shift_ into extraordinary forms. Her project, inspired by Nigeria's own biodiversity (like the weirdly versatile _Heterotis niloticus_ fish in Niger Delta waters), aimed to push CRISPR tech limits.
Wumi's breakthrough came on a sweltering Abuja night, when she spliced genes from Nigerian dwarf crocodiles, butterfly wings, and luminescent jellyfish. The result? A peculiar frog-like creature she dubbed "Lixix" (after the Yoruba word for "transformation").
Lixix could morph into three wild forms:
*Aeroform*: Sprout iridescent wings like a butterfly, glide above Lagos' traffic-clogged Third Mainland Bridge
*Aquatform*: Grow gills and webbed feet like a crocodile, swim through Ogun River's hidden depths
*Glowform*: Emit blinding bioluminescence like a jellyfish, light up dark alleys in Ajao Estate
Wumi's lab partner, Tolu, a tech-whiz from FUT Minna, urged caution: "Wumi, these shapeshifters fit play dangerous game. If dey escape, who go control dem?" But Wumi was enthralled. She trained Lixix to respond to voice commands – and secretly planned to debut her creation at the next Kaduna Innovation Fair.
Tragedy struck one midnight. A power surge (or was it sabotage?) blasted open the lab doors. Lixix fled into Lagos' chaotic streets.
Panic set in. Wumi and Tolu mobilized a retrieval team. Tracking Lixix via hacked CCTV, dey found it in Bariga – morphed into Aeroform, winging above a startled market crowd. As dey cornered it near Unilag, Lixix flicked to Glowform, blinding onlookers and slipping free.
Wumi faced a choice: destroy Lixix, or teach it _loyalty_. That night, under Akoka's neon bridges, she whispered a command: "Lixix, protect." The creature nuzzled her palm – and vowed (in Wumi's mind) to guard humanity's fragile thread.
Now Wumi's project has gone underground. Whispers spread: in Port Harcourt, mutated fish leap like dolphins; in Kano, stray cats flash butterfly wings. Are these Lixix offspring... or wild mutations?
To be continued.....
Wumi, hunted by shadowy agencies, keeps moving. Her new hideout? A Benin tech-bunker, where she and Tolu refine the shapeshifters' code. Next goal: imbue humans with Lixix's gift – to outrun climate doom, like escaping rising tides at Bar Beach .
Tolu's warning still echoes: _"Wumi, na power dis... but who go control di beast?"_
Written by shewa 💞
