Plot: V1

[--pandora.]

In the year 2007 scientists began experimenting with ways to alter genetic code in humans to make them faster, stronger, and most of all able to resist more harmful diseases like AIDs, polio, and others. It took them nearly twenty years until they were finally able to breed a small race of sub-humans, Anthros.

The first of their kind had been mutated with gorilla DNA, something the scientists had decided would bond most easily with our own.
They succeeded, and thus Amarillo One was born in Houston, Texas, 2026.

Amarillo One, though, did not live long, for her genetic code was still unstable and her body could not function correctly with the introduction of the new and strange genetics, which her body had undetectably fought off as some kind of disease. When scientists realized the cause of her death they were back to square one and the government pulled the plug on it's funding.

But a small group of scientists saved their notes and a few subjects from the destruction of their lab. They went to a new base in Boston, Mass. In an abandoned shoe factory, they re-read their notes and attempted the mutation once more, this time a male with a male gorilla.
This time it was a success.

The man mutated, crying out in horrible agony over endless weeks. The scientists only watched with stony faces, jotting down notes on behavior and growth.
The man's arms became longer and muscled, his legs bending and growing thick. His face flattened and fur began to grow on tufts randomly on his body. His breathing was soon labored and his chest expanded in great heaves.
He was decidedly called Amarillo Two.

Amarillo Two lived for quite a long time, long enough for the scientists to run tests and try to discover new genetic mutations that would allow for better, stronger humans without the side effects of a change in appearance.
Eventually, different animals were combined with captured subjects. After Amarillo Two came Amarillo Three, who was a female dog subject. She, although having a slight brush with death, also lived.
Then the scientists decided that to make advances, they had to make more of these creatures and study them.

Taking genetic material from the leader of the scientific group they impregnated the female, who became pregnant almost immediately. Surprised with their sudden success, they did not see the emotions that were beginning to grow in their newly created monsters. They did not look and find the anguish and torment in Amarillo Three's eyes when the men told one another of their ideas for her, nor did they see the anger in Amarillo Two's eyes when he caught drift of the idea to create more of their kind.

After a few months of waiting, Amarillo Three gave birth to a small infant, who had even more human-like qualities than it's mother. His mother had a very dog-like face and her hands had molded together to create paws, her legs became jointed oddly and she preferred to walk around on all fours, though her back arched greatly. Her child, though, stood upright and walked after a few months, had a face like a dog though it was about the size of a pug's, and surprisingly enough, it had a tail, which the mother lacked in notable detail. The child could also speak, which was a tremendous breakthrough.

In all the time they had experimented on Amarillo's Two and Three, they had not spoken since their mutation and, upon further examination, they found that their voice boxes had been mutated by the genes to an extent where they could hardly cry out in pain when stretched out on a cold examination table.

Amarillo Three was taken from her child as soon as it began speaking.
She died shortly thereafter of heart failure and a shattered vertebrae. She had killed herself attempting to escape and reach her child.

The scientists continued to grow and mutate normal people into these creatures, which they then impregnated with human DNA to create talking, walking, animal-like humans.
This was a mistake on the scientists' parts, because now they would not hear the end of their cries.
Each animal wanted out of it's small, inhumane cage. They picked up speech remarkably fast, even when the humans spoke in whispers and gestures.

One thing, the scientists learned, was that the creatures were smart.
Too smart.

Soon there was practically an army of the Anthros, all living in the now soundproofed factory. And one night, Amarillo Four, son of Amarillo Three, devised a plan. They were going to leave this place.
Amarillo Three, or Martyr, as he later was called, got out of his holding pen one night. He had figured out his lock. He put it back in place, but sent along his plan to the Anthro in the cage beside him, and on it went until the entire factory, save the scientists, had heard of the plan.
They were going to escape tonight.

Finally the hour came and Martyr undid his lock with some difficulty. Stepping out he immediately set to work in freeing his companions.
Within the hour everyone was free, all one hundred and forty six of them. They headed out the back gate and into the woods, led by Martyr. Using his senses he tried his d**ndest to find them all a place to hide, and soon he found it.

A plague had swept through the human race in the year 2007, which had prompted the early Anthro research. Now entire cities lay in waste, humans not a rarity but certainly not living so spread out as they used to.
There were large groups of them, vast countries all one city.
But small ones out in the open had been abandoned long ago.

they had covered a vast amount of miles in the night and when they came across the city it was almost to good to be true. Completely empty and guarded by a forest, there was no where else they could go.
And so they hid out in the old homes and buildings for days, unsure if they were being hunted or not.
Eventually, they began to come out and celebrate their freedom.
Martyr was elected leader, and the city became busy. A wall went up just outside the forest and the city was cleared of any debris. Homes were built, families begun.

They don't know if the government hunts them, but they do know that not a single Anthro has been known to roam outside the city gates.
They are safe.
For now.