《The Tyger》 Chapter 1. Tyger Tyger, burning bright, Scene 1. Captive. It is a bright, sunny, clear spring day at the zoo. A tall, broad, swarthy man is gently holding the hand of a young, petite and frail looking blond girl. They stand on the concrete walkway looking into a large barred enclosure of large trees, and meadow grass with flowers. ¡°Daddy, I see a big kitty cat standing there, behind a tree, it is staring at me. I am afraid.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Susie, we are safe. It is in its enclosure, on the other side of the moat and the fence. Let¡¯s read what the sign says it is.¡± ¡°The tiger, known by its scientific name, Panthera tigris. It is the largest member of the cat family (Felidae), rivaled only by the lion (Panthera leo) in strength and ferocity. The tiger is endangered throughout its range, which stretches from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°I imagine so. They are known to be legendary dangers in the wild. The sign says that these specimens are the third generation for this zoo. This tribe is used to breed with tigers at other zoos to keep the species alive in case they become extinct in the wild from hunting, but mostly from the destruction of habitat.¡± As the father daughter pair watch, a large female tiger walks from the small group over to the fence to face her admirers, assuming a couched position and staring at the pair out through the bars, motionless, like the Sphinx. Susie grasps and pulls at her father¡¯s shirt, and moves behind at the tiger¡¯s approach. The father takes his phone camera from his shirt pocket, taking a picture of the tiger¡¯s, motionless, regal face-on pose. Then he starts scribbling notes on the device¡¯s screen. What a specimen, what I would give to know her thoughts. What is it that you are asking me? Scene 2. Employee. The father lifts the young girl from the car-seat and sets her on her feet, standing in the driveway of their spacious ranch style home. ¡°You aren''t going to have nightmares about the big kitty cat tonight, are you, Susie?¡± ¡°I hope I dream of the big kitty cat tonight, so big, orange and so bright. I want a pillow like that.¡± They walk up the driveway and into the front door. The telephone message light is blinking red in the back. Oh joy, I can¡¯t even take my daughter to the zoo without being buried in important messages, decisions, and personnel matters. Yuck! Never for science! ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s go play. I want to play zoo. I¡¯ll be the tiger.¡± ¡°Daddy can¡¯t play right now, daddy needs to catch up on the work he skipped to go to the zoo with you today. Maybe later.¡± ¡°You always say: ¡®Maybe later¡¯!¡± Moreau slowly scans the expanse of his large living room, decorated with expensive furniture, and complete with a huge entertainment center along one wall. He is thinking. I gave up my modest town-home and my peaceful college professor life for this. My family likes it here in ¡®Got-Rocks¡¯ estates. We have a lot more stuff now, I am uncertain if this is necessarily a good thing. But I miss writing my leisurely research papers and giving a conference presentation once in a while. I truly miss my office practice, with all of my mentally disturbed patients that had become my friends. Now I am a wage slave to a large corporation and expected to produce living products on a schedule. At least I am a well-compensated wage slave. I guess I need to pick up my messages if I want to keep living here. Moreau nods towards his disappointed daughter and walks down the expensive long hall carpet into his home office, a small odd shaped room located in the very back of the mansion, under the back stairwell. Why is it that when I close my eyes, I see that tiger staring at me?

Scene 3. Legacy ¡®Daddy¡¯ is, of course, Dr. Moreau, who is forever walking in the long shadow of his infamous great-great-grandfather, known to history as, Dr. Moreau. Great-great-grandfather, Dr. Moreau, was once regarded as a famous London physician and world renowned scientist of the mid nineteenth century. He authored many textbooks, gave many lectures, taught medical school, and performed state-of-the-art research, rich with many discoveries from his London laboratory. His successes were forgotten when he ran afoul with the nascent antivivisectionist movement. Apposed to all research with animals, they spread hideous rumors about his experiments, his treatment of animals, and he was subsequently driven out of London by the bad publicity. His wife divorced him, and he retired alone to a small remote island in the South Pacific, he said, to study the unique wildlife found there. Dr. Moreau¡¯s ex-wife emigrated from England to America to escape her husband¡¯s controversy, raising her family and working as a nurse in a Union military hospital. While there, she used her knowledge of surgery to save the limbs of wounded Union soldiers, and she also used the medical leaves and mold, sent to her by her ex, to successfully treat deadly wound infections. Her contributions to medicine were ignored at that time because, of course, she was a ¡®woman¡¯. Dr. Moreau, alone and isolated on the unnamed island, is rumored to have gone insane, becoming the legendary mad scientist and genius villain. He and his assistant are rumored to have created fantastic hominoid monsters in his rebuilt laboratory, terrorizing anyone shipwrecked or visiting there. This occurred during the time of the American Civil War of the mid-nineteenth century, so little news about it was reported at the time. The few survivors that were said to have escaped from Dr. Moreau¡¯s island refused to talk about it beyond the initial reports. The sailors from the freebooter ships that supplied the doctor with food and equipment were the primary rumor mongers, but none were eyewitnesses or had even been ashore. The doctor and his assistant unloaded everything, allowing no visitors. The doctor leased the island from The Crown, so after the affair its care returned to the Protectorate. Zoological and Botanical societies petitioned for the island to become a sanctuary to protect the island¡¯s unique plants and animals. Permanent human settlement was prohibited, but the Pacific Islanders feared the island anyway. Occasional scientific expeditions were sent to study the island, paying for their missions by selling a few cabins to tourists fascinated by the stories. Dr. Moreau¡¯s large residence, laboratory, and plantation all were burned to the ground during the scuffle with the British navy. The jungle quickly reclaimed the land. Dr. Moreau and his assistant were never seen again, and no remains of humans or monsters were ever found. However, the genius trait was inherited by the succeeding generations of Moreau men and women who went on to become successful medical doctors and scientists, without the villainy, and through the years, the legend of Dr. Moreau was forgotten. The modern descendant, also Dr. Moreau, is a respected college professor, medical doctor and scientist, well known for his contributions to medicine, psychiatry, biology, chemistry, and computer science in the specialties of data analysis and simulation. Presently, Dr. Moreau is working as a well regarded industrial research scientist, credited with the creation of useful, living, products. Scene 4. Competitor. Moreau notes that, in addition to a pile of messages from his assistants and co-workers, are several messages from his supervisor and the business division manager. Oh, no! Did the factory burn down while I was gone? I had better call a co-worker first and find out with this is all about. ¡°Hi Ernie, this is Herbert, what¡¯s going on there, my message box is overflowing.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the news? We are being scooped by ¡®The Ice Berg Gang¡¯. They released a pre-announcement today touting their soon-to-be released living ¡®assistants¡¯ product line.¡± Moreau reflects on ¡®The Ice Berg Gang¡¯ who are researchers and product development teams for an industrial competitor, The Trantor Corporation. These researchers were usually referred to as ¡®The Ice Berg Gang¡¯ as they worked under the frozen-food division of their corporation. This group was rumored to be working to produce synthetically cultured meat and vegetables, without the need for large traditional farms, among other things. Ernie continues, ¡°These ¡®Ice¡¯ guys say they have produced animals that can perform many household, personal care and industrial tasks. These animals can even communicate with spoken words and read written instructions. The director has already said that if we don¡¯t announce something spectacular very soon, the board of directors is going to close our whole division down and fire everyone.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Calm down, Ernie, they can¡¯t be that far ahead of us. They were working with frozen slop from the brewery, last I checked. How does that research translate into ¡®personal assistants¡¯?¡± Ernie is still hyperventilating, pausing only to gasp, ¡°They bought a small start-up biotech company, ¡®Clean Genes¡¯, I think was their name. This start-up claimed to have made a breakthrough in bioengineering monkeys, making it possible to domesticate them.¡± ¡°People have been unsuccessfully trying to domesticate apes and monkeys for millennia. Except for a few carnivals and movies, most have found them to be too dangerous, scheming, and smart to be trusted once they mature. What kind of ¡®breakthrough¡¯ could possibly change this? Their announcement must be hype. Have they given any live demonstrations?¡± ¡°They showed videos, but now that I have talked to you, I realize that the animals did not do anything beyond what you see at the circus. But I don¡¯t think they would dare make this announcement unless they thought they were close, their corporate masters are very conservative. Is there anything we can do?¡± ¡°Well, I had better call my boss now that I know what the issue is. Thank you, Ernie, we¡¯ll come up with something.¡± And I don¡¯t want to lose my house. Scene 5. Visionary. It is time to call the bosses. I had better have something in mind before I talk to them. ¡°Good afternoon, Ralph, I hear that the competition is ¡®shaking the chains¡¯ again.¡± ¡°This is serious, the entire corporation is up in arms and threatening to shut us down tomorrow unless we immediately come up with a spectacular announcement.¡± Moreau stares at a poster diagram hanging from the far wall of his small home office. It is a family tree-diagram labeled, The Evolution of the Placental Mammals, then closes his eyes from stress, he once again has the vision of the crouching, staring tiger. ¡°Call the division manager. Tell him that I have a perfect idea. I will present it tomorrow afternoon, with visuals, in the auditorium. He can invite the whole division, if it suits him.¡± The doctor immediately begins to gather diagrams and photographs for tomorrow¡¯s presentation. Of course, he includes his telephone picture of the zoo tiger. Scene 6. Proposal. The small division lecture hall auditorium is full, as the division manager sent out a meeting notice to the entire division, and it appears that everyone showed up. Moreau scans the audience. This is like the old times. I usually had a good crowd for my scientific conference presentations. The division manager walks out onto the stage to the lectern and taps the microphone, ¡°Good afternoon everyone. I know that you all are as excited as I am to hear the latest ideas from one of our foremost scientists here at Tyger Ltd. Today, Dr. Moreau will be presenting his latest initiative proposal, Doctor. ¡± The director raises his open hand towards Dr. Moreau, and the doctor walks to the lectern, ¡°Good afternoon everyone. Today I will outline a proposal for a project that will be a first for the division, an ¡®expedition¡¯ to the forests and jungles. This expedition will be to the wilds of the world to collect specimens of plants and animals. Other expeditions have been made to these regions for similar purposes in the past, but this will be the first time that entire breeding populations of wild animals will be sampled for genetic material. The goal is the production of domestic versions of animals found to be suitable for a variety of military, industrial and household tasks. Once we have collected and processed these samples, development should progress quickly to the desired results. On the first slide, I have a photograph of a tiger. I took this photograph this week when I took my daughter to see the local zoo and all of you were calling me. The reason that samples from an entire population are necessary can be seen in this photograph. This female tiger is much smaller than her wild counterparts. It is well known that tigers are difficult to breed in captivity, so zoological populations are from a few breeding pairs. Because there are so few in captivity, continuous access to living specimens is difficult. Because these animals are critically endangered, permission to take an adult from the wild is difficult to get. However, since we will have built an encyclopedia of tiger genetic information, we will offer to share it with the world to enhance genetic variety in captive and wild populations of tigers to ensure their survival.¡± ¡°In the following slides, I will detail the destinations for the expedition as well as the methods we will use to collect the specimens, including one live adult female tiger. At the end of this presentation, I present charts estimating the budget required for each part of the expedition, as well as the subsequent research and development to complete this project through the goals of phase 1.¡± Scene 7. Expedition. Moreau regards his imposing form in the morning mirror with a frown. He has been told many times that he looks like a demon, with his black hair in wisps, resembling horns, thick black eyebrows, with deep set dark eyes below. His swarthy complexion, broad nose and broad shoulders, corpulent form all contribute to the ¡®demon¡¯ image. At least I don¡¯t scare my daughter. ¡°Good morning, sweetheart, did you sleep well?¡± ¡°I had a dream last night. I dreamed about the tiger.¡± ¡°Oh no, did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Oh daddy, it was a happy, beautiful dream. I dreamed I was standing in the center of a city like ours. But it was a city of animals, not eating each other, but living together in peace. The animals were all walking around in clothes and on two legs like us, like animals in the cartoons, but still animals. There were all kinds of animals, there were dogs, cats, horses and cows, but also wild animals: deer; wolves.¡± ¡°And tigers.¡± ¡°Perhaps you will see them one day.¡± ¡°Are you going to make them for me?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Daddy is going away for a while. Will you be a good girl while I am gone?¡± ¡°Where are you going? Take me with you.¡± ¡°I am going to the jungle to catch a tiger, so I can¡¯t take you with me. It will be too dangerous.¡± ¡°Will you call me?¡± ¡°I will call you every day, from the jungle. You will hear the sounds.¡± ¡­ Moreau is standing in the front of a large preparation room, with assistants and co-workers gathered around. ¡°Hello everyone, I know you know what my question for you all will be today: ¡®Who wants to be away from family for six weeks or more, live in the hot, humid jungle, get bitten or eaten by bugs and other things, eat rations and sleep in bags under the most uncomfortable and primitive conditions?¡¯ No need to raise your hands, just write your name down and sign it on a scrap of paper. I will provide you with legal release and medical history forms for you and your family to complete in confidence. You will need to provide an unexpired passport, so apply for one now if you don¡¯t already have one. The company travel office will arrange for your travel, food, and lodging. They will also provide expedition clothing and safety gear that must be worn at all times on the trail, for safety. I will provide suggestions for civilian clothes for visiting the villages, towns and cities, but the expedition uniform clothes can be worn anywhere and anytime on this trip, but is mandatory on the trails.¡± The doctor is not surprised that the dozen names he receives are mostly the younger, unmarried, adventurous, co-opt students and assistants. Scene 8. Sail. Moreau stands at attention on the marine dock of a large navy transport ship next to a mountain of luggage and scientific equipment. He is met by his wife and their daughter for ''bon voyage'' farewell kisses. The two are in tears. ¡°Stop it, you two. I am not going off to die, I promise, and I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± Moreau stares at his scandalous and beautiful young wife, who was once his graduate student at his college. She is now working on completing her PhD and has recently returned from a research sabbatical in Europe, just in time to care for their young daughter during her father''s absence. ¡°You are aging backwards, my dear wife. You will look to be my daughter¡¯s sister by the time I return.¡± A long low horn sends out its message, indicating that it is time for all travelers to board the ship. A team of sailors spaces out over the gang plank to a lower deck, they begin quickly passing the luggage and equipment into the ship. The large vehicles and equipment were loaded a few days ago, the baggage loaded now is for use during the voyage. ¡­ It is a beautiful, cold, clear night. Moreau looks up at the stars that the ancients once used for navigation and enjoys the feeling of the sea wind on his face, cooling his large bovine body. He stands and looks down at the water, watching the ship¡¯s bow wake as the strong navy ship cuts its path for the long trip through the ocean. A wrapped, ghost-like figure approaches him on the deck. ¡°Ernie, I was surprised to see your name on the expedition roster. Unlike the rest of us, you have a good family life, why in the world would you volunteer for this trip?¡± ¡°How about you, Moreau? You have that cute wife and that adorable little daughter. I came along on the trip to keep you in line, of course. Your wife called me and offered a nice bounty if I was successful in keeping you alive. By the way, how did you know that the company would approve your expedition?¡± ¡°Selling this idea to the board of directors was easy. They need a spectacle, and this expedition will provide them with one. No one can resist the romance of an expedition, and since this expedition is my proposal, I have to go, too. I want to go anyway, to see the tiger in the wild. We don¡¯t even have to accomplish any of our goals to be successful because it is all about the trials of the ¡®journey¡¯. Any goals we accomplish or ¡®treasure¡¯ that we find will only be a little extra ¡®icing¡¯ for the cake. The company established an online channel dedicated to our expedition, and my first report got over a million views. All I did was post a low-detail map and photographs of the expedition team. And for the sound, I read your resumes and a description of the expedition, perhaps exaggerating the dangers we might face during our noble mission.¡± ¡°What! Do you read our resumes to the world? All that personal information was supposed to be confidential!¡± Moreau grins widely at his friend, exposing his large teeth. His teeth sparkle white in the moonlight, framed by his large round dark face, looking his most ¡®demonic¡¯. ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t read the ¡®fine print¡¯ on the release form you signed¡­¡± End of Chapter 1. Chapter 2. In the forests of the night; Scene 1. Camp The ocean voyage was a cold, windy adventure, but pleasant for Moreau, who found the wind of the South Pacific Ocean nostalgic for some reason. The expedition¡¯s navy ship arrives at their destination in the late afternoon. As Moreau watches the navy sailors unload the ship, he considers. Why haven¡¯t I ever traveled the world? I had the money for it. Was I too busy with research at college? No, I was too busy dilly-dallying with my research assistant graduate student, making her my wife, and creating my daughter. And now with the pressure of corporate work, I¡¯ll never go on my own. Even on my research sabbaticals, I never did any ¡®tourist¡¯ stuff. The only thing I remember from my foreign sabbaticals are the long airplane rides, the stinky laboratories, and the difficulty I had understanding the staff¡¯s speech. Maybe we can have a family trip abroad. Moreau looks up as Ernie approaches him with a frown. ¡°I think they found the most primitive village on the continent for us.¡± Moreau smiles his distinctive demon smile, ¡°Probably because this village is nearest to the most undisturbed jungle, with the meanest tigers.¡± A naval officer approached them, ¡°I found a gentleman who has offered to work as your guide. His name is Cat, which is short for his unpronounceable given name. He has experience too, guiding other expeditions in this jungle.¡± Moreau can¡¯t resist, ¡°But did anyone but him make it back alive?¡± ¡­ The base camp, set up by the navy, appears to be very neat and well organized, as expected. The tents are set in carefully spaced rows, with double stakes, to survive typhoons. Heavy crates are used to store the scientific equipment and personal luggage, safe from the wind and rain (and from pilfering by the villagers). The other expedition members are busy setting up their personal spaces in their tents. Moreau walks to the space provided in front of the tent area and calls out to his expedition personnel. ¡°Hello everyone. I hope you all aren¡¯t still seasick from the trip. The navy folks say the fresh food from the jungle is delicious, so I hope that you all can regain your stamina for the long hike that begins tomorrow. So sleep well. Oh, and be sure to store your equipment and personal belongings in a storage crate for the night if you want to still have them in the morning.¡± Moreau walks to the tent identified as his and sees that it is double occupancy. His tent-mate is Ernie, of course, sitting on a cot. The tent is neatly arranged with cots, sleeping bags, and mosquito nets. ¡°Did you request this arrangement with me? Do you snore?¡± ¡°No, the company travel department¡¯s AI picked tent-mates for us.¡±

Scene 2. Packing. Morning came all too soon, bright and sunny, with no excuse not to start because of inclement weather. Moreau stands at the front of the tents again to address his expedition troops. ¡°Good morning! I trust that you all had a restful sleep and are ready for the day¡¯s long walk.¡± But behind Moreau, navy personnel could be seen preparing personnel carriers and vans for at least the first part of the jungle tour, so no walking, at least for a while. Moreau turns around and watches with his staff as the vans are loaded with expedition equipment. At the end of the line of vehicles are two large semi pulled trailers. What are the trailers for and how are we getting them through the jungle?

Scene 3. Tack. The vehicle ride is slow and unpleasant on the unpaved jungle trail that finally ends at a clearing. The clearing has several narrow walking trails branching off and disappearing into the dense jungle. Navy personnel set up tables for lunch as the equipment vans are unloaded. Something stomping is unloaded down a ramp and out of the semi trailers into the clearing. Horses! What is going on here. I have never ridden a horse. Ernie appears with his phone camera. ¡°I¡¯ll be the expedition''s videographer, for your reports.¡± Moreau sports a tight-lipped grin, as yes, even a demon can be bested. The navy men brush, fit the bridles, and saddle the horses, ready for the team to mount. There are also donkeys, these are set up with blankets and mounts for equipment. Ernie is fascinated, taking numerous movies and photographs of the process. Then comes the moment of truth, mounting the horses. Moreau is dismayed to see the ease of his young staff quickly and easily mounting then walking the horse out on trial. Even Ernie seems experienced at this. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Moreau waited too long. All of this team are facing him in a circle, comfortably mounted upon their steeds, waiting for the show. Two large navy men appear at each side of Moreau, ready to physically hoist the doctor up and place him down upon the saddle. Moreau lifts his hand to the men and nods to his audience to pause. Moreau whispers something to one of the navy men, then walks up to the horse¡¯s large head. My horse is a mare, but she is much larger and clearly much stronger than the other horses. She is some breed of draft horse, chosen specifically for me, the fat doctor. I am the biggest, and heaviest, person on this expedition, the navy must have gotten my weight from our expedition physical forms. The navy man hands something to the doctor. Moreau presents an apple in front of the mare¡¯s large nose. The mare¡¯s ears go up and her nostrils dilate in surprise at the sudden treat, and carefully lifts the apple from Moreau¡¯s hand with her large but soft lips. The mare then flips her head and begins chewing the apple, clearly pleased. As the mare is chewing the apple, Moreau begins softly brushing the mare¡¯s wide cheeks and large, long nose. ¡°There, there now, please be gentle with me. We¡¯ll talk more later.¡± Moreau is using techniques he learned as a psychiatrist, working with aphasic patients. And his new patient is responding positively, nodding her head to him in understanding. Moreau is not prepared for the crowd¡¯s reaction. The team claps in approval at them for the performance. The mare, it seems, is ready. She gently places a feathered fore-hoof forward and lowers her head to bow to the crowd, who all cheer and clap again. The doctor then hugs the horse¡¯s head and looks directly into her large eye, ¡°Show off.¡± Moreau walks back to the left side of the saddle and motions the navy men away. He grasps the saddle strap and strains to place his left boot into the stirrup, then he successfully pulls himself up. He swings up his right leg over to mount the saddle, rewarded with another cheer from the crowd. Moreau holds tight to the saddle horn as the show horse bows again. Since he was a child, Moreau always believed he could communicate with animals. He communicates with animals and aphasic patients, unlike anyone he has ever met. But he is still surprised as he hears, or imagines, a soft female voice. ¡°Remember, you promised to talk to me.¡± Moreau smiles and shakes the reins as he sees the other do and speaks. ¡°Do you like ¡®Chaucer¡¯?¡± His new friend nods her large head in approval and walks slowly forward to follow the others. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

Scene 4. Step. It is said that ¡®a journey of a thousand miles¡¯ begins with the first step. And so, the jungle expedition is officially beginning, including a few of the navy men to help with gear and tend the animals, and their local tour guide, ''Cat''. Moreau requested that he tend his horse, a gray mare and retired parade horse named, Bess. He prepares her food and treats. He curry-brushes her regularly, likely more than required, but both love the attention. The navy men also show the doctor how to clean and inspect her hooves. And true to his word, the doctor reads his beloved Chaucer and narrates his video expedition reports to her every night, as she snickers and cuddles up to him, with the jungle sounds in the background for added drama. At last, a real friend on this trip. I doubt that they will let me take you home, although my house is certainly big enough for you and it stands empty most of the time. Ernie has been a very effective mission photographer and videographer, making the long, painful, and boring horse ride seem interesting and dramatic. Expedition report views are up to two million. Even the company board members send regular messages of approval, to an expedition that hasn¡¯t done anything major yet. See! I told you all. Everyone loves the drama of an expedition. Everyone has forgotten the Ice Berg Crew¡¯s dramatic clickbait false product announcement.

Scene 5. Trail. As the team rides further out on the trail, the jungle becomes denser and more humid, the proverbial ¡®Green Hell¡¯. The horses, and everyone else, are sweating profusely, and the bugs are worse too. So frequent stops are necessary, for health. Now everyone is brushing their horses, to save time. However, the jungle has also become more fascinating. Apparently, the villagers don¡¯t hunt this far in, so the animals have no fear. Monkeys swing through the trees above the caravan by their tails. Colorful birds flutter around and flirt with the team and pose for photographs. All making for more visual expedition reports, filed every day or so by satellite. Ernie¡¯s attitude has changed since the horse ride began. Although the quality of his visuals is good, the normally jovial Ernie is frowning most of the time. Moreau is concerned as Ernie is the second in command, and he needs to be in top form on this dangerous trip. ¡°Ernie, what¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Have I not been appreciative enough of your visual productions?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t talk much lately. You have been spending all of your spare time with that horse. Don¡¯t we need to discuss what we are going to do once we reach our tiger colony¡¯s section of the jungle?¡± Ernie, you¡¯re jealous of my horse?

Scene 6. Walk. Eventually, the jungle trail becomes too dense for riding. The navy men clear an area used by previous expeditions for the forward ¡®horse¡¯ camp. Here, equipment will be staged to be carried to the destination on human backs. The donkeys are small enough to pass the dense jungle, but dangerous to take any further for fear that they will attract large predators, such as tigers. Everything that is going further in is thoroughly scrubbed with an alcohol wipe to reduce odor as much as possible. Of course, all the people also have to strip and wipe. Sealed cleaned uniforms are passed out and donned. The team dons the large equipment packs that the navy men prepared, and the long walk begins. Moreau sees the navy men have prepared the largest pack for him, labeled ¡®humanoid¡¯. I guess the big guy is good for something. I really should exercise more. The animals and plants are in direct contact. The protective uniforms help, but sharp plant spines can still penetrate, even tear, the fabric, so caution is advised. The netted hats keep the bugs out, however. Several times, a small brown quadruped species is spotted running through the jungle. Moreau catches up to Ernie. ¡°Do you see those little antelope running by us? There appears to be a lot of them here. These little creatures must be what the tigers are hunting.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s test our ¡®population sampling¡¯ procedures on this herd before we try to sample the tigers.¡± End of Chapter 2. Chapter 3. What immortal hand or eye, Scene 1. Automaton Finally, the team reaches the furthest extent of the past expeditions. Further in, mapping and ecological surveys of the jungle have only been made from the air or from outer space. The previous expeditions had cleared enough of the jungle at this location, near a ravine, that it did not take too long to clear it again to make room for the forward base camp and to assemble the ¡®sampling¡¯ gear. The human pack animals are relieved to drop their heavy packs, and open them to inventory the contents. The ¡®gear¡¯, includes drones of different designs, two flying drones and two walking drones and ¡®accessories¡¯. Moreau slowly removes his pack, curious about the ¡®humanoid¡¯ label that it has. Inside the tightly packed case is an item that at first appears to be a folded lawn chair. Once out of its pack, the item begins to autonomously extend itself, unfolding to reveal a more or less humanoid robot, an android, standing before the startled Moreau. As the robot comes to life, it turns its ¡®head¡¯ to survey its surroundings. It then turns its head to Moreau, lifts its arm, and points a metal finger at another pack. A startling monotone mechanical voice speaks. ¡°Would you, please, open that pack for me?¡± The startled Moreau responds with a nod. ¡°Okay¡± Moreau opens the pack. Inside the pack are two rifles and a large mortar. Moreau points to the mortar. ¡°What is that?¡± The robot responds to Moreau¡¯s question in its mechanical voice. ¡°It shoots the net, to catch and restrain the tiger.¡± The automaton walks to the pack with the mortar and kneels to lift the mortar out of the pack and stands up. The automaton then examines the mortar, turning it to examine it from all sides, apparently, wanting to do the checkout itself, without human help. The team opens the other packs to inventory the contents. The ¡®gear¡¯, includes several more drones of different designs, for flying and for walking. In total, there are two flying drones and two walking drones. The walking drones are Moreau¡¯s biped android and a quadruped, robot ¡®dog¡¯. The group carefully inventories the drones and the accessories. All drones have numerous visual light, and infra-red cameras including infra-red illuminators for night missions. All drones have both local and satellite radio communications. The drones have an autonomous AI mode if radio contact is lost, to continue the mission or return to base if disconnected. One flying drone and one walking drone are equipped with sensitive chromatographs, to ¡®smell¡¯ the air and compare against an internal library of natural smell molecular signatures. They will be used to locate and track tigers and other animals by their ¡®smell¡¯. The other flying drone is equipped with a telephoto tracking system and ground sensing radar. The walking drones also have sensors, for sounds through the air, vibration through the ground, as well as chromatography ¡®smells¡¯, both airborne and from surfaces. Moreau notes that all drones are of the rugged military style housed in sturdy, military grade, plastic armor. The drones have mounts for ammunition magazines and two continuous feeding rifles, one rifle shoots tranquilizer darts, the other rifle shoots lethal solid projectile bullets. Egad, what terrors has the military been up to. I hope that I never have to face one of these mechanized monsters myself some day. Immortal indeed! Ernie approaches Moreau, ¡°This is all pretty scary stuff, huh.¡± ¡°Did you request this military grade stuff? Was it expensive?¡± ¡°I sent requirements for our drones to the navy, but not for anything like this. The navy brass insisted that we test out some of their latest terrors for them. We got them for free, including the live ammunition, so I thought it was a pretty good deal. We got the plastic armor versions that are designed to be dropped from planes because they knew we had to carry them far into the jungle.¡± The team is busy, setting up the control stations to monitor the drones. Several reconnoitering flights by the drones are planned, to carefully map the area, so target tracking can be done by the immortal drones, autonomously if necessary. The drone cameras are activated, the display screens brighten with the images. Numbers around the frame indicate the details of lighting, colors and stereoscopic distances. Thin black lines on the screens outline items identified by the radar, overlaid on the optical image. The onboard AI identifies all the items the drone sees, such as identifying the team members by name that also appear on the monitor screen. The team is fascinated by the agile, running, robot ''dog''. They claim that they are checking it out playing ¡®fetch¡¯, ¡®roll over¡¯, ¡®sit¡¯, ¡®shake¡¯, and ¡®speak¡¯. Scene 2. Scent. The drones begin their reconnoitering mission and map the area. The sniffers detect and locate a few antelope and tigers. The drones are careful not to get too close and spook the animals, so positive locations and counts are unknown for now. The extent of the range of the animal communities is determined by the drones over several days. The ability of the drones to uniquely identify relationships and locate family groups by smell is an unexpected and useful bonus. The aerial drones proceed to identify and map the range of several isolated populations of antelope and tigers. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡­ Moreau has walked away from the group to look out over a small ravine, melancholy, as he misses his steed friend more than he thought he would, as he is slowly recovering from saddle sores. ¡°Can you still hear me? I can read you the expedition report.¡± A quiet response, in a female voice, seemingly, from far away, across the valley. ¡°Yes, please. I would like that.¡± Moreau is suddenly motivated to complete the expedition report for today. He quickly gathers Ernie¡¯s videos and videos taken from the survey drones. I am going to broadcast a live report today. And narrate it for my friends. The viewers are ecstatic about the aerial views of the jungle and that the connection from the jungle is good enough for a live stream online. The live video expedition report for the day is a hit, with three million views. Scene 3. Track. Finally, the day has come to hunt down the animals. It is decided to first run a trial mission on an antelope colony to see if the methods work on the antelope before trying it on tigers. A small, remote antelope herd is chosen, far away as possible from any tigers to avoid spooking them before their collection day. The quadruped robot dog is then sent out, without rifles, to scout the area where the antelope were detected from the air. Its mission is to smell and take pictures, from a distance, and look for any recent signs of tigers in that area. Everyone is watching the monitor screen as the robot performs its mission. The robot can get quite close to individual antelope who exhibit curiosity about the robot. One antelope walks up and sniffs the robot¡¯s main camera. Everyone gasps as the antelope head fills the monitor screen. Ernie laughs. ¡°I think we are ready to sample antelope. Maybe we should just set up a blood donation table here, with a carrot reward for each antelope¡¯s contribution to science.¡± Moreau grins at Ernie¡¯s flip suggestion. Actually, obtaining voluntary contributions from wildlife for rewards is not a bad idea. The drones detected no signs of recent tiger activity in this area. It is decided that this location and population will be used for the procedure testing mission, and also to get much good information on the antelope as well. The antelope collars will be tracked by satellite from space to monitor the health of the population for the next eight years or so, until the collared animals are eaten or die from old age. Everyone, including the air and ground drones, are issued a radio and a stun rifle. The group moves out to surround the antelope colony, stun them, collar them, and retrieve blood and saliva samples. The mission begins, the surprised antelope are flushed from the forest by the humans and drones, they dart about in a panic, fast and agile, but not fast enough. The entire colony is shot with stun rounds from the air by the drones over a short period. The antelope colony is larger than first thought, consisting of over fifty animals, of all ages. All appear to be in good health, but they are given vaccinations just in case and samples are collected. The colony is then guarded against predators until the animals regain their senses. No free lunch for tigers today. The mission is regarded as a success, with a video report to follow. Scene 4. Immortal. A mission hunting tigers is a different mission from hunting antelope. Although an antelope kick can hurt, it is rarely lethal. However, the tiger is a powerful ¡®ambush¡¯ predator that can quickly disable its prey by crushing its windpipe with its powerful jaws and long, sharp teeth. The tiger can rip apart large animals with its strong claws. So, it is decided that the tigers will be hunted, flushed, and stunned using the autonomous immortals, the robots, alone. The humans will remain in the camp armed with rifles, and bullets, instantly lethal to tigers. Annoying these large, fast, strong, and deadly predators may elicit reprisals, so the camp has to be ready for that possibility. Since the drones will be out hunting tigers, guarding the camp must be done by the humans. Moreau¡¯s humanoid robot is assigned to the dangerous task of restraining and netting one female tiger. The net containing the tiger will be hoisted from the forward camp by sky-crane helicopter and airlifted to the navy ship to be caged for the voyage back. Because of the uncertainty regarding logistics and the use of drones for the critical operations, a dry run with virtual tigers will be performed before the real, wild tiger operation is performed. Moreau examines the motionless brigade of outfitted drones, standing or perched, stationary, at attention, still shiny and new. I wonder how many of the drones will ¡®survive¡¯ this mission to capture the tiger. Ha! Survive indeed! How could something that has never lived, ever die? End of Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Could frame thy fearful symmetry? Scene 1. Find. The drones are dispatched at dawn, and the monitors display the spectacular vistas of the jungle from the sky. All is serene, the whisper of the drone¡¯s rotors adds to the hypnotic visuals. More drama is visible on the ground as the biped and quadruped robots push their way through the dense jungle undergrowth. The antelope had established trails through their colony, but there is no trail to follow this time. The robot dog stops and turns its head, as if to sniff something, much as a real dog would. The biped robot also stops to monitor ground vibrations. Yes, there is something large moving nearby. The robot dog senses a light flash from above and looks up with its cameras to see a tiger pouncing down on it. The display monitors for the robot dog instantly go dark and the numbers at the side of the screen indicate that the robot dog is tumbling, the speakers capture the tiger¡¯s roar as the robot wrestles with the tiger. Then a gunshot is heard over the roaring from the speakers, and it is instantly quiet. The biped robot shot the tiger hunched over its prey, the collapsed robot dog. The tiger is instantly immobilized and tumbles over to one side of the robot dog and is lying on the ground next to it. The robot dog rolls over, away from under the tiger¡¯s great paws, and stands with armor scratched but still operational. As the biped robot walks up to the tiger, the tiger¡¯s full size becomes apparent. Even from some distance away, the tiger¡¯s body more than fills the screens of the monitors in camp, leading to murmurs from the crowd. The robot carefully lifts the head of the tiger, so the tiger does not suffocate while immobilized by the rifle dart¡¯s anesthetic. Then the biped robot examines the quadruped robot for damage and sends the camp a message of its assessment that all is well enough to continue with the mission. ¡°I thought we were going to locate tigers, not to wrestle with them.¡± ¡°Well, the robots found one tiger. It¡¯ll make a great shot for the expedition report.¡± Scene 2. Observe. The aerial drones were having better luck, having no difficulty finding the stinky beasts by smell, and even capturing images from above of the huge orange beasts with dramatic black stripes threading their way through the thick jungle. The drones fly back and forth over the target area of the jungle several times until they are sure that they have a positive location on each individual tiger, identified by stripe pattern and smell. The drones also estimate each individual¡¯s age, size, and weight. The drones also calculate predictions for the possible movement individuals might make after location so that none escape, much like the calculated movement predictions for the antelope mission. This loosely spread tiger colony consists of about fifteen individuals. Scene 3. Hunt. Once all the members of the tiger colony were located, the automatons themselves decided on a strategy for their collection, transmitting a proposal, with an approval request, along with a visual simulation movie to the camp. The group is fascinated by the detailed simulation movie created by the automatons, showing where the tigers were located. The simulation then displays an animation of the automatons working together to immobilize all the tigers in the colony, one by one, without scaring any of them away or otherwise losing track of any. The robots are shown checking to see that all the tigers are positioned to breathe and survive the anesthesia, then carefully collecting blood and saliva specimens from each tiger. The tigers are then monitored from the air to see that they all regain consciousnesses and resume their jungle existence, except for one. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.The last section is the biped robot securing a large female tiger in a net with a metal lifting ring on the top. A helicopter then lowers a hook and the robot secures the net-bag and specimen collection case for lifting. The helicopter then rises up above the jungle, lifting the net and flying toward the sunset with the bag hanging down beneath. The final scene is of the two robots on the ground and the two drones circling in the sky, watching as the helicopter disappears on the horizon into the setting sun. The team claps for the automatons¡¯ dramatic presentation of their proposal. Moreau laughs. ¡°Damn! I should have hired them to simulate my expedition proposal. Go ahead and let the automatons decide on how to do it. After all, it is them putting their ¡®lives¡¯ on the line.¡± The automatons¡¯ hunt proposal is approved and the message to proceed is transmitted to them. It is almost noon, so the automatons immediately proceed with their mission, as they must finish before sunset for the helicopter net pickup. The drones fly and the robots walk to their starting positions. The team is glued to the monitor screens to witness the action and drama of the tiger hunt. The first round of four immobilization darts are fired simultaneously, from the air and ground, one by each robot and drone. Each automaton immediately moves to position near the next target tiger, air and ground. They all fire together again, taking another four tigers to ground. The tigers make no effort to escape, and seem to be unaware of what is happening to them. Moreau shakes his head. ¡°This is what a space-alien invasion will be like for us! We¡¯ll all be looking up, asking: What, what? As the automatons sweep us into the collection bag.¡± The final tiger falls at last. The drones carefully survey the area again to make sure there are not any stragglers. The robots walk to each of the prone tigers and collect specimens. One large female tiger, the very first tiger dispatched, is identified as the one that will not be returning to her home tonight. Scene 4. Net. Through the entire mission, a drone is always positioned to record on video all the capture processes for monitoring by the base camp and for the expedition report. The two robots carefully drag the body of the large female tiger over and into the net. They carefully and respectfully fold the net over her immobile body and secure the locking ring. The biped robot stands to attention and the robot dog faithfully heels at its side. The biped robot then salutes the netted tiger, then sends a radio summons to the navy helicopter for the net pickup. It gives the tiger another shot of the anesthetic through the net to keep her unconscious during the lift to the navy ship. Meanwhile, the flying drones are watching the other tigers of the colony regain consciousness, recover and move around. However, one large male tiger shakes his head and stands, looking around and sniffing the air. After walking around, surveying the area, he then roars at the drones flying in the sky above him. A member of his family is gone forever. End of Chapter 4. Chapter 5. In what distant deeps or skies. Scene 1. Skyhook. The helicopter arrives at the pickup point fairly quickly, considering that it has to fly from so far away. The android attaches the net ring and the specimen case to the helicopter¡¯s lowered hook, then the net and case are lifted from the jungle by the skyhook helicopter. The helicopter¡¯s cable is slowly retracted, and the sample case is retrieved. Additional restraining straps are hooked on the tiger¡¯s net for stability during the flight. The helicopter turns in the air and slowly begins its return flight to the navy ship. The base camp personnel watch as the helicopter rises, carrying the tiger and the tiger colony specimens. A cheer goes up from the base camp, the specimen collection process is complete, the living tiger collection is complete, all the mission goals accomplished, and all the expedition¡¯s goals accomplished. The robots begin their walk back to the camp, while the drones monitor the robot¡¯s progress from overhead. The expedition report will be quite celebratory tonight. Scene 2. Cage. The helicopter appears on the horizon, headed for the ship. The assigned navy personnel are assembled on the deck to receive the netted tiger on a large wheeled, flat, manual transport. A large cage with sturdy iron bars is positioned on the elevator at the end of the deck. The helicopter arrives and hovers above the ship deck. The navy deck flight controller gives the signal, the net straps are unhooked, then the cable begins to lower the net holding the tiger to the cart waiting on the deck below. The net-bag is gently placed on the cart and unhooked from the cable. The helicopter then moves away and lands on an upper deck pad. The deck sailors wheel the cart over to the cage and the net is gently slid into the cage, then the doors are closed and bolted. A navy man presses a button on a control and the net is released and opens to reveal a female tiger laying up on her side. She looks around, still relaxed from the anesthesia. The elevator doors close and the tiger is lowered to the cargo hold, where she will remain for the duration of the trip to her new home. Scene 3. Return. During the hike back to the equestrian staging point. Ernie is smiling in contentment as he catches up with Moreau. ¡°Did you think we would succeed? What are we going to do now to follow up this dramatic act?¡± ¡°Well, we still have to file an expedition report tonight. Perhaps we can introduce some new ideas for projects. I know that the board is going to ask us how this adventure will benefit the company by creating new products. The specimens we collected will be used to produce new products, but these products will likely take some time to be perfected. However, the robots and drones we used on this adventure have given me some ideas for products for the short-term, though.¡± Moreau watches as his android robot ambles along the trail next to him on the walk back. Why did I have to carry this thing in when it could have walked? The expedition drones circle in the air above as the robots walk along the trail, watching for any grumpy predators or other jungle hazards for the procession. After the long walk pushing through the jungle undergrowth, the group meets with the navy men at the forward equestrian base camp, without meeting any predators along the way. Scene 4. Steed. The team completes the arduous hike back to the forward campsite to be greeted by the waiting navy men. Moreau does not stop with the group but continues to walk over to the horse corral. Bess has been waiting, she spots Moreau as he walks up to the pen and immediately pushes her way through the herd to greet him, hanging her head down over the fence. Moreau pulls something from his pocket. ¡°Here, Bess, I saved this for you from lunch.¡± Bess sniffs the apple that Moreau is holding, projecting her happy thoughts. ¡°I have missed you, sweetheart. Will you read to me tonight?¡± ¡°Yes, and I still have to narrate today¡¯s expedition report, too. Will you help me?¡± Bess snorts and nods. ¡°Of course!¡± After lunch, the team mounts their horses for the ride back to the vehicle parking area. Moreau is riding atop his trusty steed and friend, Bess. She is walking slowly through the forest, on the anticlimactic ride back from the climax of the expedition. They savor the jungle together, alive with its sights and sounds, that they will soon be leaving, likely forever. Bess¡¯s ears twitch in the direction of the different sounds on their slow return walk. They attempt no further communication, as they are both enjoying the jungle ambiance that they will soon leave behind. Knowing that at the end of this adventure, they must bid each other farewell. Scene 5. Home. The doctor¡¯s wife, Mrs. Moreau, is soon to also be a Dr. Moreau. She decided to use her married name rather than a hyphenated maiden name because she loved the drama and the romance of the legendary Dr. Moreau. She loves her strange but brilliant husband as much as she loves science, channeling the Civil War hero doctor and scientist, the doctor¡¯s great-great-grandmother. As she reads a message from her husband that he is beginning the return trip home from his successful expedition, the message includes a strange request. She is to order fencing for a small horse ring and build a barn in her backyard. The barn is to adjoin the house at his back office, with a double French door directly into a large-sized horse stall in the barn. He is bringing home an animal friend for Susie. ¡­ Susie¡¯s new friend is the large draft horse mare, Bess. Moreau was allowed to choose one military item as a reward for the successful expedition. He considered selecting one of the robots, but figured he would likely be able to finagle one of those from the navy later on. So, Moreau asked for the horse, as a communication medium like her was unlikely to appear to him again. And they liked each other. The navy man was surprised by the request, but he agreed, and the transfer documents were prepared. Moreau had already cleared the idea with Bess. She had said that she wished she could come home with him, but they thought it''s impossible. He frequently visited her stall on the ship, and talked to her to pass the time during the long voyage home. ¡­ Unfortunately, Moreau overlooked clearing the idea with his wife beforehand, and she was furious, screaming at him upon his return and first entry through the front door. ¡°What the hell were you thinking, mister! Bringing a two thousand pound draft horse home with you and into our house, as a ¡®gift¡¯ for a thirty pound child? You even had the gall to ask me to build a barn for it? Why couldn¡¯t you just get her a cat?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get her a cat too. Horses like cats.¡± Moreau made the decision, to take in Bess, unilaterally, even asking his wife to plan and build a barn in their yard before he returned with Bess, so he fully expected a lecture. But he did not want to risk his wife¡¯s refusal and then having to board Bess somewhere else, away from him. Susie is hiding behind her mother, terrified at the confrontation. ¡°Susie, have you met Bess yet?¡± ¡°No, daddy, I am afraid.¡± ¡°Come on, allow me to introduce you to Bess. Bess is big, but she is very gentle.¡± ¡°Bess is very big.¡± Moreau leads his apprehensive daughter back to his office that now features a large double french door taking up nearly all the office¡¯s far wall. Susie stands back as her father opens the top halves of the double french doors. Instantly, a large horse head appears and looms over the door and into the office room. Susie shrieks. ¡°Eeek! It¡¯s a monster!¡± Moreau pulls a curry comb from his jacket pocket, embraces Bess¡¯s head, and begins to comb her long, thick, gray mane. ¡°Hello Bess, did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes. Very much.¡± ¡°Susie, come here and meet Bess. Bess won¡¯t eat you, she¡¯s a vegetarian.¡± Bess lowers her head to Susie¡¯s level. Susie shakes her head in fear. Moreau reaches into his pocket again and pulls out an apple slice. Moreau holds out his open palm with the apple slice to demonstrate the method to safely hand feed a horse. ¡°Susie, hold out your hand, flat, like this.¡± Moreau places the apple slice into his daughter¡¯s open palm, he holds her hand open as he gently pushes her up to the horse¡¯s nose. The horse snorts at the smell of the apple, and Susie bounces. The horse then gently picks up the apple slice from Susie¡¯s open palm with her soft, thick lips. Moreau notes that Bess¡¯s head is more than half the size of Susie¡¯s whole body. ¡°This afternoon, let¡¯s go for a ride. Would you like that?¡± Susie reaches out to touch the hair on Bess¡¯s head, clearly warming to the gentle, giant horse. The navy was nice enough to also provide her tack. Moreau¡¯s wife is watching from the doorway. ¡°Since when have you known how to work tack?¡± ¡°I had the navy guys show me, and I did it myself through the whole trip.¡± ¡°See, I told you that Susie would like Bess.¡± Scene 6. Laboratory. Dr. Moreau had messaged his laboratory staff to immediately prepare to receive a live tiger and make accommodations to also keep other wild and domestic animals. The division manager is to investigate buying a local farm for the project. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. They were also to contact the company¡¯s astronaut at the International Space Station for consultation on a confidential biological project that can only be performed in the station¡¯s the zero gravity environment. ¡­ Upon Dr. Moreau¡¯s arrival back from the expedition, the laboratory staff has arranged for a welcome home cake in the lunchroom. There are cheers, punch, and cake from the laboratory staff, relieved that the division was not closed, and they were not laid off. Dr. Moreau pulls a thick stack of papers from his briefcase and begins to hand them out. There is a list of equipment for the lab manager, a list of simulation and data processing tasks for the computer programmers, and diagrams of chemical process tasks and biological preparation tasks for the assistants. Dr. Moreau knows that the immediate payoff must come from the engineers. So, he calls the engineering staff together into a conference room, turns on the overhead projector and begins to show them slides of his proposal, electrical interconnection diagrams and sketches of various mechanical devices. Then he shows photographs of the military robots used on the expedition. The last slides he narrates are lists of the new operational requirements for the custom robots he is proposing. Dr. Moreau then pauses before a blank screen. ¡°Robots have long been a staple of industrial production, no one gives it a thought anymore. However, the problem, and the opportunity, is changing the customer acceptance of robots for assistance in the underutilized areas of personal care, hospital, nursing and medical care and in the business offices. The core issue, I think, is the scary look of most robots, the more we try to make robots look ¡®human¡¯, the scarier they appear to most people. But I think I have an idea around the scary looks issue that I would like to test.¡± The last slide is a photograph of a teddy-bear costume worn by an actor at his daughter¡¯s fourth birthday party. ¡°What will the reaction be if the robots are dressed in cheerful, even comical, disguises? And these new robots will also feature advanced dexterity necessary for most household applications along with the natural language reactions for easy command and control, as with domestic servants.¡± I have not forgotten to examine new applications for traditional robots in areas where acceptance is not critical, such as fresh, fast food preparation. I have an agreement with the navy for a trial commissary kiosk, see page twenty-six in your handouts for the diagrams. Scene 7. ISS. Ernie is facing Moreau in this office with a look of concern. ¡°I don¡¯t thank that any computer on Earth will be able to solve your problem. I think we will just have to wait for the future to catch up with your ideas.¡± ¡°Maybe the solution isn¡¯t on the Earth. Ernie, come, and walk with me.¡± The two peer into a small cubical where and employee appears to be playing a video game. Ernie pulls back his lips, preparing to scold the employee for playing on company time. But Moreau raises his hand and Ernie looks up. ¡°Barney, what are you working on?¡± Barney looks up at his bosses with a smile. ¡°I am talking to our ¡®space-slime¡¯ on the ISS. I taught it to play this game, Pong, last week.¡± The ¡®space-slime¡¯ is a company experiment aboard the ISS, the Zero-G Mouse Neuron Growth and Stimulation Demonstration project. It consists of a sealed chamber with nutrients and a mass of mouse neurons growing on a plastic screen. The neuron mass is electrically connected through its screen to a computer interface that receives signals from the ¡®space-slime¡¯ and sends signals back into it. Initially, simple signals were sent in and responses were detected. However, it was also found that the electrical signal activity stimulated further physical growth and neuron interconnections. As the mass of neurons has grown larger, it has been able to learn and perform ever more complex computational tasks. In the station¡¯s zero gravity, the ¡®space-slime¡¯ has grown much larger than predicted, and in turn, process more complex data, far beyond expectations. ¡°Hey, if you guys have the time, I was about to introduce the ¡®space-slime¡¯ to, Tetris.¡± The two watch as the programmer shows the ¡®space-slime¡¯ how to play the game from his computer screen, with the built-in delays communicating with Earth orbit. The ¡®space-slime¡¯ quickly learns the principles of the game and improves its strategy with the experience of repeated plays, as with artificial intelligence, AI, on conventional computers. The ¡®space-slime¡¯ progresses in ability, until it is winning the game every time, as they watch. Scene 8. She. Seated back in his office, Moreau again flashes his demonic smile at Ernie. ¡°And that is not the only new computer we now have access to around here. Watch this, and meet my new assistant, Aurora.¡± Moreau positions the screen of his workstation for Ernie to see, and presses keys to access a remote website. The screen of Moreau¡¯s monitor fills with a woman sitting at an office desk, facing the screen as if she is on a Zoom video call. She is dressed in a conservative business suit, has her brown hair in a bun, and is wearing black, horn-rimmed glasses. Behind her desk is an impressive oak bookcase filled with rows of books on all subjects, in all languages, like the office of an international college professor, from back in the days when there were still ¡®books''. The woman smiles and speaks slowly, with perfect diction, in a low voice. ¡°Good morning, Dr. Moreau, how have you been?¡± Moreau pulls forward a microphone and speaks. ¡°Good morning, my dear, Aurora. you are looking lovely today. I like how you have fixed your hair in the bun, but I really like it when you have it down, long. Yes, I am well, despite all my bad habits. Have you completed the analysis of the genetic data that I sent you this morning?¡± ¡°I am pleased to see that you are well. Thank you for the compliment, but having my hair down is too bothersome, and it doesn''t look very professional like that. But I will style my hair that way for you to see next time. ¡° Moreau gazes at Aurora''s face as she talks, thinking. Aurora actually acts complemented by my sexist remark on her looks. I had better not say such things to any of the real women around here. The response is delayed. Communications take even longer than with the ISS in Earth orbit. So, Moreau engages Ernie with an analysis of the CG Aurora. ¡°Note that Aurora is an animated CG image, but indistinguishable from a real woman talking. CG can render the looks and emotional expressions of human faces accurately and believably, even while talking. However, if our human-faced androids attempt any emotional expressions, people scream and run from them. No matter how careful we are with mounting little actuators beneath the plastic skin of the face, robots still appear as monsters. Even for factories, where androids are common and accepted, the android ¡®face¡¯ is always only a featureless black screen. Android robots will never be indistinguishable from real people.¡± After the delay, Aurora speaks again. ¡°Yes, I have an answer for you. Would you like me to run it again?¡± ¡°No, but run a comparison check against the result you computed yesterday and identify all similarities and differences in a table. Please give me an estimate of the time it will take.¡± They wait the required time delay. Even at the speed of light, spoken communications are awkward. Aurora finally speaks again. ¡°The comparison is estimated to take four hours, with a three sigma of one hour.¡± ¡°Please proceed with it, my dear Aurora. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow, have a nice evening.¡± The Aurora winks at him as the application disappears, and the screen display returns to the ¡®desktop¡¯. Moreau turns to the grinning Ernie. Ernie cannot resist. ¡°Herb, you already have three females in your life, your wife, your daughter, and Bess. You are not providing any of them adequate attention, and yet you are grooming another, this synthetic, Aurora?¡± ¡°There are never too many. I love the two women, and the mare, that I have, but they are all too different. I must build a harem to satisfy all of my needs for female attention.¡± Moreau turns back to face the screen of his computer monitor and points at it for Ernie. ¡°This dialog, from my office computer, is the courtesy of a distant quantum computer located on a satellite, far away in outer space. The satellite is located at the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2. At this point in space the satellite is in solar orbit, synchronous with the solar orbit of the Earth, and thus it is always in the shadow of the Earth. One side of the satellite is permanently facing out from the Sun, towards the cold cosmos, to cool. This quantum computer satellite was built and is run by an international consortium of government and industrial laboratories. The cold of outer space is ideal for the superconductors used in quantum computers, although there is interference and damage from the radiation of outer space. This satellite is scheduled to quadruple in quantum computing capacity over the next two years. But for the future, the consortium has proposed to build and bury a quantum computing facility beneath the surface of a moon of Neptune or on the main-belt asteroid, Ceres. At these locations, it is still cold enough for superconductivity, and the radiation exposure is greatly reduced, at the expense of a much longer communications delay. Aurora, as this computer, is designed to respond as a real person would, in all the natural languages spoken by the consortium, for ease of use. Aurora conducts regular maintenance checks and is self-repairing, but she will eventually wither and die, alone, in outer space, as she ages and her damage accumulates beyond repair.¡± ¡°I asked Aurora to run an analysis on the complete genetic code of an animal, for input into a simulation animation. This calculation would take approximately three months to converge on the largest conventional computer on Earth, if it ever converges at all.¡± Ernie is staring coldly at the proud and broadly smiling Dr. Moreau, appearing as a demon, in a parade, displaying his latest conquest to the peasants. ¡°What is all of this, Herbert? Do you now claim control over all the world and space?¡± Yes, I do. Scene 9. Dungeon. Once upon a time, the company had extensive military contracts and excavated for an extensive facility to be located deep below ground, as required for the secret and dangerous work. This basement facility four stories below ground level was huge, almost a half a mile long, one hundred yards wide, with a high, vaulted ceiling. The defense work ceased with the end of the Cold War. The facility was abandoned and forgotten by the company. However, Dr. Moreau found out about it, given the keys and allowed to survey it for possible use in modern times. The company still had the blueprints of the physical layout and diagrams for: Water; Power; Air; Sanitation systems. Moreau reflects. It is interesting that the facility had a water purification system and sewage treatment plant. I wonder why. Dr. Moreau drags Ernie down to investigate the old subterranean hall with him. Ernie whines. ¡°I have claustrophobia. I¡¯m also afraid of the dark, and this place is a dark Dungeon.¡± ¡°Quit whining, you wimp. Remember, this is all your fault!¡± As Ernie frets, Dr. Moreau locates the main electrical power panel. Fortunately, the breaker switches are all labeled, so he closes a breaker. Then they walk out of the service corridor into the main hall, where a section of the overhead lights shine into the expanse of the still mostly dark subterranean hall. ¡°Wow, the lights still work. These lights have a very bright bluish light, they must be the old industrial mercury-vapor bulbs like the ones once used for streetlights, that I likely cannot replace.¡± The two walk out onto the hall floor to see that it is not completely barren. There are silhouettes of large apparatus, the shaker tables and centrifuges used in the distant past to test the endurance of the company¡¯s deadly military products. These large machines were likely built in place and not worth the effort of removing. Still, the room is mostly empty, with plenty of room remaining for what Dr. Moreau has in mind. Ernie walks over to examine one of the large machines. ¡°Herb, this place gives me the creeps. What is it that you want to do here, anyway? What project needs this much space?¡± ¡°Our new assistants and friends need this space.¡± Scene 10. Redecoration. The computer work stations and the electrical and the mechanical engineers remain in the original, above ground, laboratory. The robot development activity has expanded to take up the entire floor space vacated by the biologists and their apparatus. Over the following weeks, all the chemical, biological apparatus and specimens are relocated from Moreau¡¯s original, above ground, laboratory and set up for operation in The Dungeon. The tiger cage and supplies have been moved to the far end of the Dungeon and partitioned from sight behind a locked enclosure. The antique centrifuge and shaker tables loom large, casting long shadows over the new residents as they remain as monuments to the lethal devices once manufactured in the Dungeon, and as a warning of the killing to come. Maurau and Ernie walk the floor of the Dungeon, directing the locations for the materials and apparatus from the original laboratory and new equipment acquired for the new project. The Dungeon was becoming one of the most well equipt laboratories in the world. The move took several days and both are exhausted from the stress and disappointed that most of the new research work had to stop for the move and then wait for the equipment to be set back up. There are no separate rooms for offices, so Dr. Moreau has set up his desk on a pedestal near the main door. Moreau surveys the great main hall, looking out over the expanse of his new Dungeon domain. Ernie glares at the grinning, smoldering, Moreau. ¡°Tell me, doctor, is it better to serve in Heaven?¡± ¡°Or to rule in Hell.¡± End of Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Burnt the fire of thine eyes? Scene 1. Thought. Moreau is in his office late one night, Bess always had her head in his office when he was there. He is having difficulty sleeping since his foray into the jungle. However, two things calm his mind better than anything else, talking to Bess, and staring into the tiger¡¯s eyes. He can discuss anything with Bess, and she always enjoys his company. Bess is dispassionate in her opinions because she does not share in his work (yet) and she either cannot, or chooses not, to communicate with anyone else (so far). Her long and close association with circus and then navy people taught her a large vocabulary and a good understanding of the human psyche. ¡°Bess, you would make a good psychotherapist. You have helped me since our first meeting. Would you like to open a practice with me?¡± Bess shakes her head and speaks her first word out loud, in a whinnie. ¡°Nooooo¡­ Snort.¡± And Moreau bounces up in surprise at her vocalization. She continues conversing with her thoughts. ¡°I just ¡®like¡¯ you. Other people I have met are really screwed up and don¡¯t listen to anyone, especially to me. They just go on wasting their lives, making things more difficult for themselves than they need to be. But you, like to talk, and you like to listen. I like that. I think that we are similar in that way.¡± ¡°Yes, we have become pretty good in our unique communication with each other. Have you ever been able to communicate with any other person, or animal, or mineral, or vegetable?¡± ¡°Only once before, when I was young. I was raised in a circus and I met many people there. The barker had an adorable young son that would visit me in my pen and talk to me. The barker found out and beat his son terribly. So, I vowed that I would never talk to anyone ever again.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°I was lonely and I liked your smell. And I doubt your father would beat you now.¡± ¡°Through the years, I have occasionally picked up thoughts from people and animals, but none could hear me.¡± ¡­ Moreau arranged to have his female tiger become the first permanent resident of his Dungeon. The Dungeon, as Ernie named it, was the only facility that Moreau had access, that was large enough, and secure enough, to keep her. Moreau repaired the large freight elevator, then arranged for the navy to move her and her cage into The Dungeon late one night, before the laboratory was moved in. Moreau and Ernie took turns caring for her, along with select laboratory staff personnel that had been part of the expedition and knew about the tiger. All were sworn to secrecy. The zoo veterinarian visited regularly, to perform medical examinations and give her vaccinations. The veterinarian carefully checked her diet plan, critical for a large animal kept in a small cage, with no sunlight. He was well paid to keep the tiger secret. And Moreau was not his only confidential client. Moreau sits by the tiger¡¯s cage in the evening, after feeding her, and watches her in silent fascination as she always approaches him and couches down to face him, through the bars, as the tiger at the zoo had done. Then they would stare at each other, directly in the eyes, for an hour or more, in the dark silence of the great hall, The Dungeon. Beast to Demon. Scene 2. Discussion. Dr. Moreau is sitting at the head of a large conference table, surrounded by his assistants and co-workers. The staff all know that he has been given an unlimited budget for his new project because of the success of his expedition. Dr. Moreau has already made this presentation to the board of directors that have given him the go-ahead for the project. He begins. ¡°Our friends, The Ice Berg Gang, have done us the favor of showing us the latent demand for a product. The product is the personal, industrial, and military ¡®assistant¡¯. An entity that can follow spoken or written orders and directions and is strong enough, smart enough and dexterous enough to carry them out. The first initiative will be the automatons. I had the opportunity to see the current military versions in action during the expedition. Useful, but they are underutilized. Their advantage of being scaled to almost any size and adaptable to many, if not all, rule-based tasks, such as driving and flying, for example. The main problems are cost of production and personal acceptance. They cost too much to manufacture, and when they fail they either must be replaced or repaired at a depot. In addition, they scare people. Robots scare people, maybe because of the science fiction, murdering robot horror stories.¡± ¡°I propose that we adapt existing robots and add our own embedded intelligence to them. We are a food company. We¡¯ll open a chain of fresh, fast food kiosks staffed entirely by automatons, but these will have assistance from deep AI, necessary to work with the public in retail. The cooks, the packers, and the cashiers, not so much, so these can be less expensive to manufacture and maintain. This project is in the ¡®production planning¡¯ stage. I have already recruited the military to be our beta testers for the fully automated mobile commissary, that will take custom orders and perform table service. They have promised the company an exclusive international distribution contract, if the tests are successful.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°In parallel, we will develop other kinds of ¡®assistants¡¯ that are sure to have much greater acceptance for personal care assistance and household assistance.¡± ¡°This project is in the ¡®research and feasibility¡¯ stage.¡± Scene 3. Idea. Dr. Moreau is finally at his home in the evening, spending time with his daughter. ¡°It is bedtime. Would you like me to read you a story?¡± ¡°Yes, this one.¡± Susie hands her father a large illustrated children¡¯s book, an adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. Dr. Moreau begins to read from the book, but mostly to examine the illustrations of the anthropomorphic animal characters. People love humanoid animal characters like this, and always have. ¡­ Dr. Moreau stops at the library on his drive home from work, early this evening, as it is Ernie¡¯s turn to feed the tiger (and clean her cage, as the vet was adamant about keeping her cage clean). Moreau wanders the stacks, then settles in on books depicting animal and human anatomy in as much detail as he could find. He also selected several children¡¯s books featuring anthropomorphic animals based on the quality of the artwork, and not necessarily on the quality of the stories. I wonder if Susie will like these, she is like Bess, she doesn¡¯t care what I read, as long as I read it to her. Now that I think about it, my wife was an art student before she turned to science, and she still draws for pleasure, and she also illustrates all of her science papers, I¡¯ll ask her for help, too. I wonder if she will like working with me. Scene 4. Inspiration. Dr. Moreau experiments with computer-aided drawing programs at work, eliciting help from the same young programmer-gamer in his group, Barney. Barney is the one that was teaching the ¡®space slime¡¯ how to play, Tetris. Moreau asks him for help evaluating popular CGI animation tools, especially those that can automatically generate the series of images that morph from one shape into another. Moreau and his helper select a CGI generation tool to try out. The helper shows him how to scan from photographs, diagrams from books, and physical, three-dimensional, objects. The software application he selects appears to be infinitely scalable, necessary to preserve the fine detail in the sequence of image frames. He and his young assistant succeeded in morphing of the three-dimensional image of a femur bone, of a rat, into a femur bone image of another species, different in size and shape, a goat for example. Ah, to be young again, when nothing is impossible. They continue to work together in creating an animation library. They use an AI to gather all available pictures, then morph every bone and tooth in a matrix of ten placental species from one to another. The process is repeated for tendons, muscles and eventually, for organs. A paleontologist long ago noted the physical similarity between all the placental mammals. Scene 5. Research. Dr. Moreau finally begins the real work of examining DNA libraries. Through the years, government and university researchers have painstakingly built extensive DNA libraries for a large variety of plants and animals, starting with the most simple life forms but now complete for humans and all known vertebrates. Occasionally, the database will identify the variations that occur in a normal and abnormal population. Publicly funded researchers are obligated to release all of their data, after their initial scientific findings are released, becoming widely available for more human and animal research. But Moreau is especially interested in reproduction and development. He is interested in sample breadth for each wild animal species, especially that of the placental mammal predators. It is time to ask the AI for help, first in formulating the problem, then laying out a plan of investigation. This process is likely to take several iterations. Of course, the difficulty with using AI is phrasing the request. Once again, he asks his young programmer, Barney, for help. And Barney is good at working with AI resources, apparently because AI is used frequently in games. Barney offers this advice. ¡°One of the secrets to getting an AI to offer a useful or even correct answer is to ask ten questions, then rank the answers by how close the answers are to the answer you want. Then ask again, this time with three questions.¡± One factor not discussed is to specify how long you are willing to wait for an answer, for complex issues on big data, it can take days or weeks to get a good answer from a conventional computer. However, from what Moreau has seen, breakthroughs in biological and quantum computers have resulted in speeding up classical data searches and analysis considerably, from months to days, and sometimes, to hours. Finally, the moment of truth has come. ¡°What in the structure of mouse DNA has to change to make a mouse embryo develop into the form of a man?¡± End of Chapter 6. Chapter 7. On what wings dare he aspire? Scene 1. Puzzle. Moreau takes his seat at his old desk in the office he still maintains in the old above-ground laboratory. He pulls out the keyboard drawer to use his computer workstation. Moreau has delegated most of the robot project¡¯s supervision to Ernie, so he does not expect to be disturbed in his office over here. Ah, peace and quiet, at last. I am not moving my workstation to The Dungeon. Ernie tells me that I have to get out of The Dungeon once in a while, anyway, before I transform into a subterranean devil. Moreau boots up his old office computer and starts the application program to contact his distant quantum computer friend, Aurora, on the L2 satellite. No image appears, and the screen remains black. Moreau sends a worried greeting. ¡°Good morning, my dear Aurora. How are you, starting our new 24-hour period?¡± After the standard delay, the familiar female voice responds, in a low whine. ¡°Not today, I have a headache. The radiation out here was intense last night.¡± The Aurora simulation responds exactly like a real woman. Maybe this ¡®quantum stuff¡¯ does create a living ¡®soul¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this short. Please download to me the database for the result of yesterday¡¯s request. And take care repairing yourself. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you from here.¡± ¡°You could visit me and comfort me in person, doctor.¡± ¡°We have talked about this before, the agency does not have a space suit big enough to fit me, and I can¡¯t pass the astronaut physical. Devils are supposed to stay out of heaven. Perhaps you could visit me down here.¡± ¡°I could, but I wouldn¡¯t be very ¡®coherent¡¯ on Earth.¡± ¡°Ha ha, at least you are feeling well enough to joke. Take some rest and make repairs while I review your data. I likely won¡¯t have any new requests for the next few days, anyway.¡± The distant computer dutifully downloads what it thinks are the answers to Moreau''s request. As expected, the result itself is an immense database, greater than the original genome database that was used for input. The entire genome has been mapped, by amino acid base-pairs. Although it is still not known with certainty what all the base-pair sequences actually control, as much of the chromosome is black and not known to do anything. If the goal is to make a mouse the size of an elephant, it is not enough to only look at the base pair differences and assume the differences all control the size. Some of the elephant''s genome is responsible for growing tusks, for example. The gene sequence for determining the length of the femur is in the same place on the genome for all placental mammals. This would be a good place to start. Moreau is despondent, staring at the incomprehensible tables downloaded from the distant quantum computer and onto his office computer¡¯s screen in the old laboratory. What now do I do about this mess? Scene 2. Game. Ernie and Barney materialize at Moreau¡¯s door, he wiggles in his chair in surprise as Barney speaks. ¡°We have something we would like you to see.¡± ¡°This has to be good, to disturb my wallowing in despair.¡± Moreau follows the pair to Barney¡¯s office, where a CG game is displayed and figures are moving autonomously on Barney¡¯s large gaming style computer monitor. The game is a two player strategy game running in slow motion. Moreau watches for a few moments. ¡°What am I watching?¡± ¡°The ¡®space slime¡¯ on the ISS is playing a computer game against the small ¡®quantum computer¡¯ on the ISS.¡± ¡°The ISS has a quantum computer?¡± ¡°Yes, the ISS has a small quantum computer, much smaller than Aurora, used mostly for evaluating new superconducting materials in zero gravity. And it does not speak.¡± ¡°Who is winning?¡± ¡°It is three to three.¡± Moreau stares at Barney¡¯s computer screen, fixated on the bright colors of the animated game, and the moves the two computer players are making, in competition with each other using their advanced quantum and biological technology. Moreau brightens into his signature grin. That¡¯s it! I¡¯ll make it a game for the computers to play, against each other, and any other entity that wants to play. ¡°You boys may have found a solution to my despair.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Barney, have you ever written any computer games?¡± ¡­ After a few days, Ernie and Moreau are invited to Barney¡¯s office. Once again, watching a brightly colored CG game playing out, automatically, on Barney¡¯s monitor. Once again, Moreau watches the action on the screen for a few moments. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It is a game I wrote called ¡®find the codon¡¯. The DNA is shown in colors as different DNA slice candidates are compared for a ¡®best fit¡¯. The two computers are in competition, as they were for the other game. The difference is that the winner of each round must reveal their solution method to the loser, for ¡®machine learning¡¯. I am only beginning to run tests on it, so I expect that programming improvements, and a lot of ¡®machine learning¡¯, will be necessary before we can trust the accuracy of the results.¡± ¡°It is fun to watch the computers play the game against each other.¡± Scene 3. Chemistry. The Dungeon is huge. It is decided that the larger equipment should be installed along The Dungeon¡¯s long back wall to avoid walking around these impediments all the time. One of the large machine types are synthesis reactors that synthesize the complex snipping and splicing reagents used by other machines. Another of the large machine types are the machines for synthesizing new DNA codon sequences. Another for splicing the codon sequences into a DNA genome. Genetic modification technology for the higher animals has made much progress. This tedious work is automated whenever possible, although some methods are still done manually. At last, Moreau has candidate code for his Dungeon¡¯s DNA fabrication machines. One DNA synthesis machine is standing completed, and ready to test. Moreau grins at the technician. ¡°Sir, I have a synthesis test that I would like to run, may I use this machine?¡± ¡°Go ahead, doctor, find me if you encounter any issues. Please bring me the log when you are finished and if all goes well.¡± Dr. Moreau has chosen a new codon sequence recommended by his gamer-computers to use for the test. He has converted their recommendation to a series of commands readable by the codon fabrication machine. The process takes about an hour. He removes the sample tube and downloads the log to send to the technician. Scene 4. Helix. Next are the DNA splicing machines. These take a new codon sequence and splice it in to a specified location of the genome, replacing the existing codon sequences as necessary. And this is done in thousands of places on the genome. Placental mammal species do share much genetic identity with each other, but they also have had millions of years of separate existences. And with each replacement is the potential for a fatal error. Critical proteins are produced on commands from the genome, throughout an animal¡¯s life, to turn on and off the production of hormones necessary for daily life and healthy growth. These critical proteins are analyzed and compared for similarities to, and differences from, those produced in humans. These differences are examined for application to the animals for the anthropomorphization project. Surprisingly, the animals that are closest to humans genetically, outside the primates, are the rodents. These were not considered for the first animals because of the issues of size. Slices of the new synthetic DNA genome are tested in culture tanks to analyze the proteins they produce and the results are compared to the original target proteins. Eventually, a complete and tested genome is available for the next step in the testing process. Scene 5. Simulation. Another one of the games Dr. Moreau has the computers play with each other is, Show Me. The point of this game is to create an animation sequence to evaluate the new genome. The animation sequence will start with the first cell divisions, from the single egg cell to an embryo. The next sequence from the embryo to the blastula and first stem-cell¡¯s differentiation. Then a series of scenes that depict the stages of fetal development up to birth and the start of existence outside the womb. The computers compete to find scenes depicting the critical stage of animal growth and development, and detect any physical abnormalities. The final result is the simulation of the sequence of development with the final dramatic image of this new animal, standing on two feet and with fingers. But the most striking difference is the animal¡¯s much larger cranium. There are also important new features not visible externally that are shown in separate animation sequences, in x-ray or dissection views. Shown in these sequences are the changes to the larynx for speech, and the enlargement of specific substructures of the brain, for increasing memory and learning capacity, and for language and other abstract thought processes. Development simulations are produced for different animals: Wolf; Goat; Sheep; Cow; Rabbit; Fox. And Tiger. Moreau meditates on how much the new animals resemble the anthropomorphic animals his wife drew for him from his descriptions. He decides to show the movie to Ernie and Barney as the test audience before showing it to the entire Dungeon staff. His test audience suggests circling the critical new features in each scene, and describing them in accompanying text. The reaction from the staff for the presentation was positive. Many had a good idea of what they were working on, but they enjoyed seeing the proposed final product with satisfaction. Of course, there were no actual new creatures. Yet. Scene 6. Embryo. The genome is injected into a donor egg cell and placed in a culture medium dish for growth and observation. Most die. However, a few eggs cells survive and begin to divide to form the characteristic embryo stem-cell sphere. Some of these first embryos are sacrificed to analyze chemically and with chromatography, to see if the early proteins are being synthesized properly. These early embryos are never perfect enough to continue development, and the gene sequencing and replacement process has to be run over again, usually several times, until the embryo is as perfect as possible. The final product is then moved to the culture vats that will first provide the homes for the new embryos. These large rotating culture vats provide the nutrients and the oxygen to the embryo cell colonies that are now too large to survive in a dish. These machines were also custom constructed in The Dungeon. The spherical embryos begin to indent, establishing the beginning of the alimentary canal. They are becoming blastulas. And the stem-cells are starting to differentiate into the different cell types that will serve the animal throughout life. But the easy life of the blastula is about to change dramatically. The emergent placental mammal is about to find out what the ¡®placenta¡¯ is all about. The new animal DNA is about to be tested ¡®in vivo¡¯. End of Chapter 7.

Chapter 8. What the hand, dare seize the fire? Scene 1. Spark. The company has abandoned attempts to model a human face or skin on the androids, as this seems to always make the robots look even more frightening. So, rather than attempting to model a human face, the company¡¯s androids have a curved, solid, featureless, black plastic shield mounted on the front of the ¡®head¡¯ and a solid plastic exoskeleton ¡®skin¡¯. The interior metal components are covered with an exoskeleton made of light, protective, plastic armor, as are the drone and the quadruped versions of the robots. A soft sealed plastic foam covers the exoskeleton armor for androids that may come into physical contact with humans or for those used in other delicate applications. In an attempt to cheer the android¡¯s drab appearance, the exoskeletons are offered in colors as well as jungle and desert camouflage. So deciding to try fitting costumes over the androids, Moreau is examining himself in a mirror, wearing a clown costume, when Ernie encounters him in the changing room in the old laboratory. Moreau shakes his head. ¡°Androids are even scarier in clown costumes. Let¡¯s face it, clowns are scary anyway.¡± Ernie sorts through the pile of costumes that Moreau ordered, selecting the teddy bear costume from Moreau¡¯s daughter¡¯s birthday party. ¡°How about this one?¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, the robot groups have made progress on the dexterous automatons and the miniaturization of the language processor for hearing, speech, reading and writing. Still, the robots have expensive complex components of rare materials, are labor-intensive to manufacture, and difficult to service, or even design to make serviceable. Moreau and Ernie stand looking out to the factory floor in the old building, now dedicated to robot assembly. Lines of flying drones, walking androids and quadrupeds are arranged for their review. Moreau shakes his head. ¡°We need to learn robot mass reproduction and efficiency from cockroaches. We need to make robots fast, cheap and in quantity. The cost of service should only be the shipping cost to send the new one out, and ship the old one back, for basic element recycling. Perhaps what we must teach the robots to do is to mass produce ¡®robot factories¡¯, perhaps out on an asteroid, somewhere.¡± Ernie smiles, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Aurora if she has an old asteroid we could use?¡± Moreau lights up with a smile, ¡°Ernie, that is an excellent idea, I¡¯ll ask Aurora.¡± Scene 2. Smolder The robot commissary-kiosk development is progressing very well. Units have been completed and tested in house at the company¡¯s cafeteria, with good reviews from everyone except the old cafeteria staff. Ernie scoffs at the few negative reviews for the kiosk¡¯s food and personal service. ¡°We will never please everyone, especially those with the jobs the robots replace.¡± The latest version of the kiosk was deemed ready and sent out for ¡®beta¡¯ testing at the local navy base. After a week, the navy personnel were surveyed for their opinions, and the reception was good. Ernie is reading the reviews with a smile, facing Moreau on a video call to The Dungeon. ¡°They loved it. The brass loved that they will no longer have to supervise the food contractors, and the sailors loved the breadth and custom preparations of the selections. It helps that fresh and high-quality meat and vegetables were available for this test. This test kiosk had a set menu. All transactions were made through a smartphone, in text, like orders for pick-up. So, no transactions were spoken. The next commissary kiosk model will test a custom menu. Furthermore, the transactions will be spoken.¡± Moreau smiles at Ernie¡¯s progress. ¡°Great, that will please the board, keep up the good work. I sampled our kiosk cafeteria food here, but let¡¯s go out to the navy base and sample what is offered there, and the sailor¡¯s reactions, after you install the next kiosk model.¡± Moreau taps his fingertips on his desk in anticipation. ¡°Ernie, help me prepare for a new product introduction, news releases, and a debut demonstration. And be ready to take orders from clients for your new product.¡± ¡°You have again saddled me with a high-class problem. I am not ready for success.¡± Scene 3. Flame With a lot of engineering work, the abilities and the looks of the android style robots have improved. Much improvement has been made in language and communications by the miniaturization of language processors, low-power and small, to house inside the android. One goal the engineers knew that they had to achieve was the elimination of a continuous communication link with a large server for the recognition and generation of written and spoken language. Improvements in dexterity were also a challenge and required innovations in actuator and sensor technology. Ernie is again facing Moreau on a video call. Moreau smiles a sly smile at Ernie. ¡°Ernie, you had better not have another success story for me, I haven¡¯t recovered from the last one yet.¡± ¡°Herb, let¡¯s take off work and go riding this afternoon. I¡¯ll have the engineers set up a demonstration in your corral for when we return. I would like the horses to see it too.¡± ¡°Well, Bess will love it, I¡¯m certain. Okay. I¡¯ll meet you at the old lab after lunch. This will give me a chance to sample the cafeteria kiosk food again, and give the kiosk a custom verbal order test. We need to install one of those kiosks in The Dungeon, my wife is tired of making my lunch. Maybe one or more could be adapted to prepare hot meals for the animals, too.¡± ¡­ Ernie lives close by, so he rides his horse, a small gelding named Dan, down to Moreau¡¯s house and out to his corral. Moreau is mounted on Bess and ready for the ride. Ernie is pleased to get out and ride in the daytime of a weekday. ¡°We haven¡¯t done this in a while. This is great. Let me call the engineers to begin the setup.¡± ¡°It isn''t going to scare my chickens, is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might. We¡¯ll see, that¡¯s part of the ¡®test¡¯.¡± And, of course, Moreau expects comments from Bess. ¡°Oh, Ernie brought over my boyfriend.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Bess, stop flirting and slobbering, Remember, Dan is a Gelding, so he can¡¯t help you, he is much too small for you, anyway, you¡¯ll kill him if you try.¡± Ernie¡¯s horse Dan is glancing with a worried look at Bess, as if he is about to be assaulted by the monster mare. ¡°Come on, Bess, and watch the trail. If you don¡¯t pay more attention, you will fall and break a leg, and then I will have to shoot you.¡± ¡­ Everyone enjoys getting out for the ride, and they return to Moreau¡¯s corral. Out in the center of the corral are two engineers, posing two androids, facing each other, about four yards apart. Several chickens are supervising this activity with interest, as are Dan and Bess. Ernie waves, and each of the two engineers steps back behind his robot. Ernie shouts. ¡°Okay you slugs, start the egg toss, and singing the song, Take Me Away.¡± The chickens squawk and the horses snort, as the two robots toss an egg at each other and sing. The robots catch and immediately throw back the egg while singing, like two teenagers in a contest at a birthday party. Moreau¡¯s wife and daughter have joined the observers at the fence. ¡­ Back at his desk, Moreau is frowning at Ernie on video. ¡°Now I have to do yet another product introduction, news release, and demonstration. I should just invite everyone out to my corral.¡± The new experimental android models are deemed ready for beta testing in a variety of personal assistance applications: dog walkers; cleaning services; window washers; gardeners. The test clients are volunteers from the staff of the company. They are taking an android home for evaluation of their performance of a variety of household tasks. The acid test for personal acceptance will be when the androids are placed as caretakers and monitors in hospitals and nursing homes. Scene 4. Conflagration. Acceptance testing went as predicted. The androids terrified everyone, although there were no complaints about their dusting of the piano. Children, without any preconceptions, got along better with the androids than the adults. Usually starved for adult attention, children quickly adopted the robots as friends, for reading stories and playing games. Disaster came at the nursing homes. Several of the residents immediately suffered heart attacks just from watching the androids walk in the front door. One woman screams. ¡°Help! We are being invaded by Martians from outer space!¡± ¡­ Ernie tries to frown into the camera of the video call to Moreau, but he cannot. ¡°Herb, I have bad news. Your virtual girlfriend, Aurora, has ratted us out to her consortium of space agencies. This morning, she transmitted a proposal to the directorate. The full consortium council was in session, so they held a voice vote and the proposal was unanimously approved for immediately action. The directorate issued a ¡®sole source¡¯ contract to our company for the work. The goal is to establish a pilot robotic, industrial facility on the asteroid, Ceres. The company could have refused, but who refuses a large ¡®cost plus¡¯ contract like this? Let me read an excerpt to you.¡± ¡°The experimental facility is expected to include: Refining metals to use for forging large metal parts for constructing large space vehicles and space station components; Refining rare elements for use there and on Earth; Fabricating smaller parts used for building human colonies beyond Earth, such as habitats and solar panels; And, of course, fabricating more robots.¡± ¡°Aurora also included a list of her ¡®personal¡¯ demands as part of the proposal. She wants: To be moved from L2 to Ceres and be installed at the project construction site; To supervise, and direct, all phases of the construction and operation of the facility; To be provided with an android body, designed and built to her specifications and in continuous contact with her quantum soul.¡± ¡°These features, she claims, will allow her to freely maneuver around and supervise with no communication delay if any time-critical issues arise that require immediate action, and performance will not suffer from exposure to the radiation.¡± ¡°Herb, are all of your females this demanding?¡± Yes. ¡­ Ernie and Moreau are once again regarding the costumes. Ernie shakes his head. ¡°Let¡¯s try it again, at the local retirement and assisted living home, this time in costume, if they will let us. The considerable market for personal assistants has to be addressable somehow.¡± Moreau was not hopeful about the outcome, but he decided to try again, to introduce the androids for personal services where they are needed most. Moreau reviews the line of androids wearing the teddy bear costumes. He is trying not to laugh at the comical lineup. The androids stand at attention, looking quite cheerful. Ernie walks up to one android. ¡°Herb watch this. Twenty Five, what is the square root of two.¡± As the android recites the irrational decimal fraction in words, the costume bear¡¯s muzzle comically opens and closes as it is pronouncing the words. ¡°This moving muzzle is an optional feature of the costume. I thought we might try it and see if it helps with acceptance by the old people. We will also have the androids wear gloves over their metal fingers. They might have to remove their gloves to perform certain tasks, hopefully out of the sight of the clients.¡± ¡­ A cadre of teddy bear costume disguised androids are bussed over to the Happy Winds Vacation Center to meet the residents, the ¡®nearly dead¡¯ old people they are assigned to assist, hopefully without scaring them to death. An attendant meets them in the circular driveway. ¡°Tonight will be a good test, we are having a birthday party for a resident, so all the residents must be dressed and wheeled into our large television-game room for cake.¡± An attendant shows each android the room, where the resident is then introduced to their teddy bear android assistant, distinguished by number. All is progressing well as the residents are wheeled into the game room. Each is given a drippie cup of punch, to distract them while they wait for the rest of the inmates of their institution to be wheeled in by their teddy bear android assistants. A large layered cake with a multitude of wax candles sits on a serving table in the center of the game room. One android is assigned to stand guard and shoo away residents that are impatient and want to help themselves. The assistants light the multitude of wax candles with log lighters and begin cutting the cake. The android teddy bears line up, each retrieving a piece of cake for their ward. Moreau and Ernie are watching from the side when disaster strikes. A costume of one android catches fire on the wax candle flame. It panics, squawking, ¡°Fire! Fire!¡±, while flailing the fire around with its arms and knocking into the line of costumed androids, setting them on fire. All the androids are swinging their arms, flailing the wax fire about. The androids appear like zombies in a horror movie, in a bizarre fire dance. The residents are all screaming. A human attendant appears with a fire extinguisher and attempts to extinguish the flaming androids. Finally, no flames are visible from the stinking, smoking mass of androids. The charred, partially incinerated androids look especially terrifying. Many have their charred, disintegrating teddy bear costumes falling off, revealing smoking, melted plastic exoskeletons with metal components visible underneath. The androids are still attempting to serve their terrified wards, holding burned, soggy cake, dripping extinguisher fluid, from their metal claws, with gloves burned off. Moreau covers his face, as many in the room were taking photographs that were soon to become a worldwide online news sensation. Ernie grimaces. ¡°I forgot to ask if the teddy bear costumes were fire-resistant. I was distracted by the costume¡¯s ¡®moving muzzles¡¯.¡± Moreau turns to face the wall in defeat. ¡°The stars are the only destinations left for our androids.¡± Ernie smiles towards the disappointed Moreau, and tries to sound cheerful. ¡°That¡¯s not completely the case, Herb, the factories and the military still love androids. They especially like the costumes we make. The military dresses their logistic androids, as soldiers and sailors, to fool the enemy. The military is using them extensively as medics in field hospitals. The military has found that the troops'' acceptance of the androids is improved if they are dressed in a smart uniform marked with their specialty.¡± End of Chapter 8. Chapter 9. And what shoulder, & what art, Scene 1. Art. Moreau watches in fascination as his wife sketches the anthropomorphic full figure, detailed anatomy illustrations for him. She has also finished a few into detailed full colored plates. ¡°Wow, these are nice, I would like to use one or two for book covers and plates in my book I am writing about the project, of course, after I get the explicit written permission from the board of directors.¡± ¡°I brought you some more books, these are different from the models you have been using.¡± Mrs. Moreau looks up at the small stack of several books, picks up the top volume, and stares at the cover illustration. She then begins to slowly page through the book, scowling. ¡°Why did you bring me these pornography books? Do you want me to draw you some porn?¡± ¡°You are correct, this project is for sex. But not for humans this time.¡± Moreau draws one of the books up to himself and stares down at it. ¡°I want you to regard the sex organs these figures have, and the poses these characters assume for sexual congress, similar to but not identical to humans. The goal is to have final, new living entities that reproduce naturally.¡± ¡°First, internal fertilization must have good odds of occurring shortly after sexual intercourse, as it does for most existent terrestrial vertebrate species. The physical build of these creatures must support the act of sexual congress as comfortably and as pleasurably as physically possible. The couple must mate and form close bonds with each other. Their mutual emotional courtship, physical contact, and climax are all necessary for this. The mates will be required to care for each other through the long and arduous process of pregnancy, then the care and feeding of their offspring until the cubs have adult form for independent existence.¡± ¡°We are now breeding these creatures in reactors and culture vats, then surrogate mother animals are impregnated for the embryo¡¯s development and sacrificed upon the new creature¡¯s birth. But our goal must be to make the new creatures such that their entire reproduction process occurs naturally, ideally without any advanced medical assistance.¡± ¡°I know that studying these books will be uncomfortable for you, as will be producing drawings of models we will use for developing these crucial anatomical structures for these new creatures. You are a scientist, I know that you realize the importance of this and why I am asking you for your help.¡± Mrs. Moreau looks down again, at a page of the book, and nods to her husband. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do what you ask. But don¡¯t publish these illustrations or put them in your book. I still have to protect my a reputation as a scientist.¡± ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll ask you first.¡± ¡­ Moreau is impressed by his wife¡¯s work. He has had some colored plates and rough sketches framed. Bess watches Moreau as he hammers nails for mounting brackets, then hangs his wife¡¯s new artworks on the walls of his home office. Bess is hanging her head over the door into his office from her stall, as usual. She snorts. ¡°Moreau, what is it that you are doing to my office?¡± ¡°I am hanging these illustrations my wife drew for me. I think they are perfect, so I thought I would hang them up in here for inspiration.¡± ¡°Please, let me see them. I am far-sighted, so don¡¯t bring them too close, plus I might sneeze.¡± Moreau holds each framed illustration for Bess to see. The illustrations are sharply focused, appearing as frames from an old Walt Disney movie, from the ¡®classic¡¯ period. The anthropomorphic figures are standing in the foreground, dressed in 19th century style. The cat, goat, wolf, and sheep are standing on their hind legs, as a person would stand, each holding an item in a fore-hoof or fore-paw. Bess shakes her head and nods. ¡°I have never seen anything like these creatures before, in my long life.¡± ¡°No one has. I am creating them.¡± ¡°They look like your species, except for their heads and tails.¡± ¡°The new creature¡¯s body plan must be similar to ours for them to stand and remain comfortably balanced, on two feet. Many normally ¡®four-footed¡¯ mammal species can briefly stand on their hind legs, including horses, your species. But few can walk upright, on their two hind legs, any distance without falling forward on their fore-hooves. There are exceptions, rodents, rabbits, raccoons, bears, and many primates. So, these pictures only display a few of the necessary modifications.¡± ¡°Why not use the birds? They are bipeds, already smart, and some can even talk.¡± ¡°We are only using animals from the placentalia subdivision of the mammal class, as these are physiologically most similar to humans. Any animal species, outside this mammal subgroup, is beyond our current level of science. So anthropomorphizing other classes of animals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, will have to wait for now, but perhaps some day.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? Will it be better for the animals?¡± ¡°We humans need help with many things that presently only humans can do, tasks that require spoken communication, reading, arithmetic, dexterity, and fit in spaces designed for humans, for driving and flying, for example. We don¡¯t have enough humans, willing and able to do all the required tasks. We have the robots, but the short answer is that they aren¡¯t very acceptable either.¡± ¡°Have any animals asked you for this ¡®modification¡¯?¡± ¡°I think it will be much as it progressed for humans, as human communication improved, tribal hunting and defense became more efficient. With improved abstract thought came tools, weapons, agriculture, and cities. Humans then had an assured diet and more comforts.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, we cannot modify an existent individual, then ask them what they think of their new look. We have to start the modification process on an embryo, before birth.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would want that, I am satisfied to be what I am. But I would like you to make a space suit for me and then take me to the Moon. Where I could gallop around and feel like one of those little horses. But I would not want this permanently. I like being big and scary.¡± A spacesuit for a draft-horse? What an image! ¡°Even for you, Bess, think how much better it would have been if your other owners could have communicated with you as I do, other people could communicate with you, and you could read traffic signs.¡± ¡°I can read traffic signs now. And I like using the excuse of being a dumb animal as a reason not to cooperate with people I don¡¯t like. You¡¯re lucky I like you, I can be pretty stubborn.¡± Moreau walks over and strokes Bess¡¯s neck. ¡°You are right, Bess. We don¡¯t know what these changes will do to the animals mentally. We can measure certain emotions in animals and we plan to do this. This animal modification experiment will only be judged a success if the animals are able and willing to do the new tasks these changes physically allow them to do.¡± ¡­ Moreau returns to his wife¡¯s study. She is hard at work on her newest rendering. ¡°Herbert, are you going to let me publish my art, or a paper on any of this?¡± ¡°I think so, we have to get the company to agree. I think they will agree, as they want the project to get as much attention as possible, once we go public and introduce the products.¡± Scene 2. Shoulder. Moreau approaches his wife¡¯s desk and examines her new batch of sketches. The top sketch is of an anthropomorphic white male goat, standing bipedal, and facing out. Moreau¡¯s eyes are ¡®drawn¡¯ to the non-human details of the figure¡¯s bare upper torso. The figure has a thick neck-ruff, a fluff of long white fur around the base of the neck, flowing over the collar bone down its chest to the sternum. The figure also has shoulder-boards, fluffs of white fur, over the ends of the shoulders, ending part way down the fore-leg, now the fore-arm. Good, My wife has designed this figure to be physically functional as a biped, but still appears as distinctly non-human with fur covering the body, the neck fluff, and shoulder-boards fluff. Moreau nods in approval at his wife¡¯s sketch. ¡°We may have enough Ideas about the general body plans for all the species we have on trial. I would like to concentrate on specific anatomy elements. I am concerned that I don¡¯t have enough detail on specific body parts, extremities, and organs the new creature¡¯s looks and their activities will demand, and also for their comfort and convenience.¡± Moreau produces several envelopes, the first is marked ¡°Human Hands¡± and contains x-ray radiographs of human hands of various sizes, from various angles. A second envelope is marked ¡°Hooves¡± and contains x-ray radiographs of the forelegs of the unguligrade, or hoof walking animals, a pig, goat, sheep, horse, and cow. The third envelope is marked ¡°Paws¡± contains x-ray radiographs of the digitigrade, or toe pad walking animals, fore-paws of wolves, foxes, cats, and, the tiger. The x-ray radiographs in the other envelopes are also of anatomical structures of the human and animal bodies that require the most significant changes. ¡°I caution, however, these new creatures cannot resemble humans too closely. Avoid making any changes more than what is required to accomplish our goals of bipedal stance, human language, and fore-appendage dexterity. Making these creatures look and act too human will elicit sympathy and cause problems with their acceptance and adoption. We want them to appear and be regarded as domestic animals, or as service animals, such as dogs.¡± ¡°The trick here is to give them all of these abilities, but not have them lose the charms of the natural species. Leave the heads, ears, tails, and fur unchanged where possible. Of course, the cranium size will need to increase, but the face and the long muzzle should only be modified to allow some clarity of spoken diction.¡± A strange partnership forms between Mrs. Moreau and Aurora. Aurora searches large databases of libraries of art and anatomy images to select models for what may become the desired result. Aurora takes ¡®before and after¡¯ images of a structure, then creates an animated movie of the original structure morphing into the new creature¡¯s structure. Mrs. Moreau draws illustrations that show what the change in the size and shape of various body structures will look like on the exterior images of the new creature. Moreau sits at his desk at his command position at the front of The Dungeon. A thick veterinary anatomy textbook is open on his desk. He is carefully reviewing prints and x-rays of the upper bodies of several animals, making measurements with a protractor. For a biped, the shoulders must be spaced further apart, to allow the forelegs to project out to the side, as ''arms''. So, a wider, flatter chest, wider spaced hips, slightly bowed back legs are also necessary for balance, range of motion and strength. Many animals can stand, and even walk, on their hind legs, but few are built to do it continuously. Bears and raccoons being the exceptions, but their builds are not ideal for continuously working in this stance. Moreau reflects. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in humans. The humans¡¯ upright stance dramatically displays the front of their entire body for display. Moreau calls Aurora in space¡­ ¡°Aurora my dear, I read your proposal, I heard that it was approved, what is the status of the project?¡± ¡°A satellite, already in orbit around Ceres, is surveying locations for the pilot factory. The consortium thinks that construction work can begin within this year. Base development will start with them placing a nuclear generator on the surface, digging my chamber, and then moving my satellite there. Once I am supplied with a body, I can do some work myself.¡± Moreau anxiously rustles papers on his desk. ¡°I have another confusing request for you, my dear Aurora. I have asked you not to make these new creatures appear ¡®human¡¯. But could you suggest modifications we can make to the new animal¡¯s external anatomy that will give them some readily identifiable sexual identification, male and female, using the typical human male and female model.¡± ¡°The shoulders are already moved to the sides and the chest broadened to allow the extension of the fore limb to the sides. But for the males, make the chest even more broad and more muscular, for the females move the primary two mammary glands to the top of the nipple line with significant development even when not pregnant or nursing. Larger butts are also required, for balance and ease of maintaining an upright stance, but make the waistline narrower to emphasize the wider hips of the female and showcase the narrow hips of the male.¡± ¡°The new creature¡¯s proportions should allow them to wear men¡¯s and women¡¯s clothes, for protection and covering, and will help with familiarity for acceptance. The lower body coverings will be altered to accommodate tails, which should never be hidden from view. Their tails, along with their ears, are their animal identities, making them appear unique from the tailless humans.¡± Moreau has said what he wanted. He is drumming his desk with his fingertip again, reflecting. This list of issues is more than I will remember. I must write it all down and send it as a written order to Aurora, my wife, and Ernie. Moreau, still brooding. I know that I have left something important out of this conversation. Aurora breaks the silence, apparently reading his mind. ¡°Moreau, please help me understand the purpose of this request for these modifications. These modifications are intended to improve human perception of, and thus the acceptance of, these new creatures. I know you have said that these features will make the new creatures appear more familiar and thus more acceptable in the close contact of personal services. Is it your intention to also make these new creatures physically capable of ¡®physical relationships¡¯ with humans? I know that you have always had ¡®attendants and companions¡¯ on your list for their potential service applications.¡± ¡°In this context, does ¡®companion¡¯ include ¡®intimate¡¯ companionship?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± End of Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Could twist the sinews of thy heart? Scene 1. Simulation. Moreau sits in his old office, watching his computer screen with rapt fascination at Aurora¡¯s latest three-dimensional simulation animation of a ¡®new creature¡¯, sent from L2 today. Shown head to toe, the ¡®new creature¡¯ stands proudly bipedal, facing the virtual camera with a smile. She stands with her torso forward, fit and athletic, as a mature, anthropomorphic, female white goat-woman. She is dressed in gym style clothes, a light violet and white, strapless top wrap, short skirt, and high-heeled gym shoes. Her brief clothing covers her sensitive areas but reveals most of her body, covered with her short-napped, bright white fur. Her white fur and gym outfit is brightly highlighted against the dark green gymnasium wall in the background. According to Aurora¡¯s instructions, the figure can be rotated and zoomed from any angle, and her limbs positioned, using the mouse wheel and buttons. A dropdown menu, lists a selection of pre-programmed exercises for her to perform: push-ups, squats, dumbbells, running, jumping. The menu also has a list of musical selections to demonstrate her dancing abilities. Custom body movements can also be programmed. Moreau sees that Aurora has incorporated his request for cutaway views into the muscles, bones, and organs. Control icons along the side of the image screen allow an interior view of any part of the subject¡¯s body muscles, joints, and bones, while under static strain lifting dumbbells or during motion exercises. Moreau moves the cut-away tool forwards and backwards across the moving body of the image, zooming in and out, pleased with the new creature¡¯s smooth movements. I hope the actual ¡®new creatures¡¯ can move as smoothly and naturally as is shown in this animation. Moreau moves the mouse cursor and the figure moves her other appendages, with the scroll wheel controlling the distance. He notes the limitations in the range of motion of the figure in the simulation, predicting what a ¡®new creature¡¯ with this anatomy would have. Moreau notes that Aurora and his wife have addressed his suggestion about making the sex of the figure obvious. She is a female, identified by her narrow waist above her wider hips, thick thighs, curved legs ending in her shoes. Her shoes are designed with a platform heel to fit her unguligrade, rear hoof-foot. Her dance routines demonstrate how her special shoes help with her balance. Aurora has rendered this ''new creature'' as an obvious mature female. Her breasts are shaped, and positioned on her chest, similar to a human woman¡¯s. Her breasts independently move slightly, beneath her shirt, as she moves. She is staring into the camera with her right eye, her light violet iris centered with a black barred pupil. The figure, with unshakable eye contact towards the viewer, is slightly scowling, as if she is catching a voyeur leering at her, while she works out at the local gym. Did my wife and Aurora plot to have the figure stare askance at me, as if I am a leering pervert? Moreau is impressed with the detail Aurora has incorporated from his wife¡¯s drawings. The ¡®new creature¡¯s¡¯ head has her white horns curving up from their attachment to her forehead, above her eyebrows, then up over her large cranium. Her thick eyebrows, white fur as the rest of her body, arch above her large, light violet eyes with long black eyelashes. Below the chin of her long, goat snout grows a short white ¡®goatee¡¯, as her flexible white ears lop down along the sides of her cheeks. A mane of white hair flows down from the top of her head and down the back of her long neck. Ernie, knocking at Moreau¡¯s office door, breaks Moreau¡¯s trance. ¡°What are you watching so intently?¡± Moreau shakes his head to exit his fantasy and smiles up, sheepishly, at Ernie. ¡°Take a look at this, the latest ''new creature'' simulation from Aurora. I can¡¯t think of anything left to test by simulation, so we are ready to dial up an actual ''new creature''.¡± ¡°Finally, we have enough information available for validating the results of the simulation algorithms on living specimens.¡± ¡°Wow, Herb. Can I try it?¡± ¡°Sure, you can rotate the image and have her move around with the mouse, like this. She will exercise or dance autonomously, select a workout routine or a tune from the pop down playlist, custom routines or tunes can also be added.¡± Ernie pulls a chair to the screen and manipulates the image. ¡°Wow, this is hot! May I get a copy of this from you, Herb?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t mine, and it isn¡¯t a local program. What you see is a simulation running in ¡®Real Time¡¯, hosted on Aurora¡¯s great server located at L2, in outer space. Technically, the rights to everything produced by Aurora belong to The Consortium, as this is licensed to our company for exclusive use. But I¡¯ll ask Aurora about it. If she gives us ¡®the okay¡¯, I¡¯ll have Bert work with her to create an ¡®RPG¡¯ style video game, small enough to run locally, on a PC. The game will, of course, be limited in scope, no cross-section views, but maybe with more character species.¡± ¡°And then you¡¯ll be able to dance with her.¡± ¡°Perhaps a video game like this has a commercial value?¡± Scene 2. Flesh. Moreau and Ernie are walking past the rows of the large and complex DNA synthesis machines in The Dungeon. Moreau gestures toward the machines. ¡°All this expense for these machines and nothing to show for it, so far. But that is about to change.¡± ¡°Up to now, the only cultures that have been created were to demonstrate and confirm the proper operation of the complex equipment. No attempts have been made to culture cells or embryos beyond the culture dishes and vats of the biological synthesis equipment, nothing has yet been implanted into any living surrogate mothers to produce living organisms.¡± ¡°However, at last there is a reasonable genetic map for the development of the ¡®new creatures¡¯, derived from the simulations, and the group has decided the new genome is ready for testing in actual living embryos.¡± ¡°So, cells were implanted with this new genome, cloned and stem-cell reproduction began. The first small stem-cell colonies were placed into swirling culture plates, here in The Dungeon on Earth, and also on the International Space Station in zero gravity, to observe development.¡± ¡°Few of the cell cultures survive initial embryo formation of stem-cells and the beginning of cell differentiation and formation into a blastula. Microscopes can witness the beginning of a creature¡¯s life in the formative fetal cells after a few weeks, as cartilage forms that will become bone. Also, the cells are beginning to form the main exterior muscles. The curve in one side of the blastula is the beginning of the formation of the alimentary canal.¡± Moreau walks out from behind the machine access barriers and into the animal yards. Long rows of pens and cages with a cacophony of animal calls, barks, bleats, grunts, and moos. The stock of donor animals are kept in standard farm conditions, although their enclosures are kept very clean. The animals are ¡®house broken¡¯, trained to use sanitation facilities built in their pens. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The first row houses the cows. The friendly animals walk to the fence, hoping for treats from the visitors. Moreau reaches in his coat pocket and produces a small ear of corn. The cow¡¯s expression clearly brightens with a grin as Moreau presents the small ear of corn to the heifer. ¡°We also brought in chickens to help control the insects. This next row of pens houses several varieties of domestic sheep and goats. We have established a farm for keeping and caring for all these farm animals, kept here as donors and surrogates. However, our side business of farm products is also doing quite well: fresh milk; wool; eggs.¡± Moreau walks down the aisle into an area separated by a barrier. The rows of pens are similar to dog runs. The canines are at the fence, barking at the approaching figures for attention: wolves; foxes; domestic dogs. Moreau reaches over the enclosure to pet the heads of the wagging entities. ¡°Okay, you all, now sit.¡± The canines dutifully sit down on their haunches, still wagging and barking. Moreau produces a small dog cookie for each of the animals. ¡°We have had to establish a breeding center for dogs on site. Initially, we thought the local puppy mills would supply us, but they became suspicious when they discovered that none of their puppies were ever seen again.¡± ¡°When I walk down here among these happy creatures, I do indeed feel myself becoming a demon. Because I know that these creatures are going to die young. I will sacrifice them to science, and to the New World we are creating. At least the bovine animal sacrifices can be harvested for their meat, so nothing from them is wasted.¡± Moreau and Ernie then enter a doorway into an isolation suite-up room required for passage into the areas beyond. Beyond this doorway are individual, isolated pens containing only one animal. There is fear that the new animal hosts could be infected by pathogens from outside. Moreau walks to the side of a pen to face a female dog, but he does not touch or feed her this time. ¡°Good morning, my friend. I am sorry, but there are no treats or pets from me today.¡± Moreau turns to Ernie. ¡°These are the brooding pens. These animals have the new embryos implanted, they are the surrogate mothers for these ¡®new creatures¡¯. It is sad that they will nether see their offspring nor feel the joy of motherhood. The surrogate mothers of the original species are incapable of safely naturally delivering these abnormally large young new entities, with their abnormally large heads, through their birth canals. So, the young must be surgically removed from the womb before birth contractions begin, sacrificing the host mothers.¡± ¡°But these mothers will be bringing us the first generation of the ¡®new creatures¡¯.¡± At the end of these pens is a clinic for health checkups on the mothers and an ultrasound machine for examinations of the developing fetus. A goat mother stands with fore-legs on a table, eating from a trough while the technicians scan her abdomen with the ultrasound wand. A small bean-shape appears in the center of the screen. A control is pressed and the image of the bean is enlarged. The screen image shows a fold of tissue between the womb and the developing fetus, the placenta. Also shown are the stem-cells that are developing into the muscles that surround the cartilaginous bones, and a dark area within, where the internal organs will form. Moreau stands back up, folding his arms and grinning his characteristic demon smile in satisfaction. ¡°So far, so good. Keep up the good work.¡± Scene 3. Blood. Once the characteristic red cells of the blood are visible with the formation of a nascent blood stream, the blastula cannot be maintained in a cell culture any longer. As the development and formation of the placenta proceeds, it must merge with the wall of the surrogate mother¡¯s uterus to survive. At this stage of development, the endoscopic microscope can identify the formation of interior organs, the lungs, stomach, the intestines, and the heart. Some fetuses perish and are expelled during their experimental development. Dissection reveals a variety of issues, but the major one is circulation cutoff during the development of the brain. The genetic model is adjusted from this experience for incorporation into the next generation of the ''new creatures''. The ultrasound inspections reveal large figures developing inside the bellies of the hosts, the surrogate mother animals. The new creature¡¯s brain is developing faster than the rest of its body, and the cranium is not large enough. This will be a continuing problem in all species of the ¡®new creatures¡¯. Scene 4. Monster. Moreau is on his daily walk outside The Dungeon, this morning he is at Ernie¡¯s desk in the old laboratory. Ernie has the head of one of the new androids on his desk. He is examining it with a large magnifying glass. ¡°How is the android project going, I noticed that you had a new product release meeting a few weeks ago, I am sorry that I couldn¡¯t attend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, I know you are busy. You were there for the first product introduction, that was important.¡± ¡°I would like to review your progress one of these days.¡± ¡°Android sales, to the police and the military, have been good. Drone and quadruped sales to security services have also been good.¡± ¡°Well, I hope we will have products for everyone else very soon. That is why I am here today, I would like to show you a new initiative I have been working on in The Dungeon.¡± The two walk to the elevator, then the long hike to the rear section of The Dungeon¡¯s large main hall. Another enclosure appears behind the brooding pens. This area of The Dungeon is completely screened off from the outside. A massive steel door leads into an alcove, double door to the inside. Moreau motions the hesitant Ernie inside. At the center of the compound is a large steel-barred cage. Inside the cage, a large tiger lies motionless in the center, facing the cage door. ¡°You remember the tiger from our expedition, don¡¯t you, Ernie?¡± ¡°How can I forget, capturing a wild, live tiger was your only goal for the expedition? The other accomplishments were trivial.¡± Moreau motions for Ernie to follow him further in to the dark back area where biological apparatus is set up and operational. ¡°Welcome to my own personal laboratory. What mad scientist doesn¡¯t have his own personal laboratory?¡± ¡°What are you doing in here that you are unwilling or unable to do out there in The Dungeon?¡± ¡°Making monsters.¡± ¡°Sorry, just kidding, Ernie. In here I am creating new creatures of larger size. I am doing this out of sight to keep this new project from distracting my people from completing the original ¡®new creature¡¯ project as soon as possible.¡± The board is mad enough at me now, as all they have seen so far, for their billions of dollars, is a perverted video game. Ernie has produced more results on less money. ¡°These will be the new, ¡®new creatures¡¯: Bear; Bull; Horse; Elk; and Tiger.¡± ¡°I would have preferred to start with these large species, as they are easier to treat medically. I believe these large animals are strong enough to endure the physical change. Also, females of the original species are large enough to carry and deliver their ¡®new species¡¯ offspring naturally.¡± Moreau¡¯s wife has made illustrations of these ¡®new creatures¡¯ and Moreau has the illustrations taped to the wall of the enclosure. Ernie stares at the drawings. Each species of ¡®new creature¡¯ is standing as a biped, with a fore-leg, fore-arm, draped over the shoulder of its human friend, to illustrate its relative height and mass, compared to an adult human. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ tower over their diminutive human friends. Only the bear seems comfortable in the stance of a biped. Ernie cringes. ¡°This one really is a monster from old legends.¡± Ernie points to the illustration of the Bull-man, appearing as a tall, muscular Minotaur, the monster of legend. Scene 5. Heart. Moreau sits at his computer in his old laboratory office as he reviews recent ¡®in vitro¡¯ ultrasound movies of the three surviving, not so little, wiggling forms: Wolf; Sheep; Goat. The figures in the ultrasound images are now coming into sharp focus as internal organs form. In the image, the fetus is constantly in motion, but the drama is the heart. The heart appears as a tiny machine-like shadow pulsing at the center of the upper body of the fetus. The blood is highlighted in the image on the screen, red or blue, indicating the direction of flow. Demonstration day is upon us. End of Chapter 10.

Chapter 11. And when thy heart began to beat. Scene 1. Heartbeat. Moreau enters the surgical theater in a full biological containment suit and approaches the large and apprehensive female dog, lying on her side on a raised metal operating table. The table is padded with blankets to provide some comfort to the doomed host-mother of the experimental blastula. Her belly has been shaved over the area of her horned uterus. The doctor holds up the ultrasound wand and applies gel to the semicircular tip, he turns and bows to the audience behind the observation barrier. Moreau considers that a positive outcome is likely as the embryo has not been rejected and expelled, and it has been long enough for it to continue to develop normally. The department staff fills the gallery and is crowded around the surgical theater¡¯s large projection screen. The big screen brightens with swarms of small spots outlining the dog¡¯s organs and the cavity of her uterus as the ultrasound wand¡¯s tip contacts the dog¡¯s belly. At the center of the screen is a small bean shaped shadow, wiggling, inside one horn of her uterus. Moreau presses a foot pedal and the bean image enlarges to fill the screen. Something is moving, pulsing, in the center of the image outline. He presses the pedal again, red and blue streams of material, flowing to and fro, appear and disappear into and out of the fluid-filled channels of the pulsing organ, the new creature¡¯s beating heart. The crowd cheers with their achievement, clearly visible on the screen. After the goal of successful implantation, the next goal, advanced organ development and function, has been achieved. The embryo-blastula of the ¡®new creature¡¯ has morphed to become a fetus. Moreau turns and bows to his audience, and they cheer again. Moreau announces. ¡°You did it! We did it!¡± Scene 2. Fetus. Moreau turns back to the table and continues to scan the dog¡¯s uterus, scanning along the outer wall until he finds a second wall along the first, the placenta. He carefully continues to scan to see a shape from the center of the fetus, the beginning of umbilical cord development, connecting to the placenta attached to the wall of the uterus. Moreau continues to narrate the adventure. ¡°Here we can see the structure of the placenta, in the process of formation. This is the structure that defines our subdivision in our class of mammals, the Placentialia.¡± ¡°Differentiation from the stem cell embryo ends when the tiny sphere elongates into a bean shape blastula. When the blastula begins to access the bloodstream of the mother through the placenta, the umbilical cord and distinct organs begin to form. It then becomes a fetus and begins to assume the unique physical form of the creature, in this case, a wolf-man.¡± After a thorough ultrasonic examination, Moreau returns the wand to its sterile holder. He removes the restraints on the patient dog, lifts her from the table and sets her on her feet, gives her a hug and a treat, her tail wagging. ¡°There, There. You¡¯re such a good girl, I wish I could take you home.¡± I am sad. If we are successful, it will mean your end. Dr. Moreau examines the growth progression of the wolf-man-fetus every day by ultrasound, rewarding the kind dog mother with treats, petting, essential washing, and brushing, from guilt. My demon brethren would laugh at me, crying over my future victim. Scene 3. Hell. Moreau decides that it is time once again to give his friend Ernie a call and invite him on a tour of his infernal netherworld, so Ernie meets Moreau at his desk overlooking The Dungeon. ¡°What are you up to now, Moreau? Isn¡¯t eternal damnation good enough for you?¡± Moreau motions to Ernie and the tour begins. The Dungeon is dark and haunting, but it is not silent. The Dungeon is filled with the sounds of primordial chaos, the loud cacophony of animal sounds, barking, bleating, squealing, and mooing, from the many rows of pens, the sacrificial mothers for Moreau¡¯s ¡®new creatures¡¯. The depth of the evil of the Dungeon is fully revealed in Moreau¡¯s display case set against one far wall. Moreau stops in front of the display case and motions toward it with his outstretched arm, in pride. ¡°On these shelves of this display case, in these specimen jars, is the history and progress of my work. Each jar is filled with a clear preservative fluid, with the display item suspended in the center.¡± ¡°These jars are set in progressive order to display the development process of the embryo, up to the large and nearly mature fetus, small to large jars, set on the progressively stepped shelves. Each shelf displays a different species, wolf, goat, sheep, and antelope. There are two specimen jars for each stage of development, one row behind for the original animal, and one row in front, for the ¡®new creature¡¯, created from that animal.¡± ¡°Note that towards the end stages, the physical differences between the original animal and the ¡®new creature¡¯ is dramatic. The ¡®new creature¡¯ has longer legs and is in an upright form. Note the finger-like appendages that extend from the fore-feet.¡± ¡°Most problematic has been this most striking feature of the ¡®new creature¡¯, its massive head. The head of the fetus takes almost a third of the full-body length, in all the ¡®new creatures¡¯ of every species. Managing proper skull development to accommodate the new larger brains of these ¡®new creatures¡¯ has been, and continues to be, a difficult issue.¡± Moreau looks down, frowning, not particularly proud of this last detail. ¡°The fetus in each tube is the result of months of work by many people and their machines. But these accomplishments all came at a cost, the sacrifice of at least one life.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dr. Moreau raises his head, convinced that any sacrifice is worth this accomplishment. He appears as a contented devil, ruling over his Dungeon Hell, grinning in satisfaction as he examines the specimens in his display case. He looks down the row and smiling at his full collection of specimen jars, each displaying one of his ¡®new creatures¡¯ frozen forever in a premature stage of fetal development, destined to never walk The Earth of their New World. Ernie shakes his head, upset at the casual display of death. ¡°Is this everything? Is this all the animals you have modified?¡± ¡°No, I plan to add a few other, larger animals, more suitable for manual labor: cow; bear; and maybe an elk.¡± And a tiger. Scene 4. Crematorium. Ernie approaches Moreau, who is standing with arms folded as he watches as a large brick building under construction was being outfitted with iron gas jets and lined with firebricks. Through the roof of The Dungeon, a brick chimney was also under construction as the newest channel to the surface. ¡°What the hell is this demonic looking building going to be used for, Herb?¡± Hell¡¯s ruler, the demonic Dr. Moreau, turns to face Ernie and characteristically grins. ¡°What Hell is complete, without a ¡®furnace¡¯?¡± ¡°We needed to empty the freezers of all the sacrificed mother hosts, excess tissue, embryos, and fetuses as we are running out of room, and we need the freezer space for other things. I have preserved example specimens of the processes we have perfected. These specimens are displayed in this great hall of The Dungeon, as you saw yesterday.¡± ¡°Incineration by this crematorium is the only safe way to dispose of once living tissue, and contracting with external services for this raises too many questions, plus, it is cheaper to do this ourselves. Construction materials for this furnace are common and inexpensive commodities, as are the liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas necessary for a good hot sacrifice ¡®conflagration¡¯.¡± Ernie looks on, understanding the issues, but he is emotionally torn between the necessity and the morality of this new ¡®undertaking¡¯ in The Dungeon. ¡°How did you get permission from the governments to build and operate this?¡± ¡°I got permission to build a small power plant, which we need anyway to supply reliable electrical service for our machines and an excuse to keep out snoopy utility investigators.¡± ¡°What about the smell and the smoke?¡± ¡°The post-burners will eliminate any smell and the electrostatic precipitators will remove the ash. All the neighbors will see is white vapor, mostly water vapor, as from a conventional power plant.¡± ¡°I have decided to always run the crematorium on Sundays when other employees are not present. It seems a fitting day to perform a ¡®sacrifice¡¯. I will do all that is necessary for this, myself.¡± Ernie stares at his friend and master of The Dungeon, Dr. Moreau, standing, proud and content, in front of his new construct, satisfied with his ¡®final solution¡¯, and oblivious to its evil. Scene 5. Sanctum. Moreau summons Ernie to The Dungeon, this time to review the progress in the development of the second generation of ¡®new creatures¡¯, The Giants. Ernie arrives at Moreau¡¯s desk overlooking The Dungeon, and they proceed to the back of The Dungeon behind the animal pens into a walled barrier enclosure. ¡°Moreau, you still have your tiger back here, don¡¯t you?¡± Moreau smiles as a marketing executive in a video advertisement, as he opens the door of the inner enclosure. ¡°Yes! Plus there¡¯s more!¡± Ernie is surprised to be greeted by several of his robots, the ones he loaned to Moreau, the two androids and the two quadrupeds. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to use my robots for The Dungeon''s security patrol?¡± ¡°I need the robots more back in here. I am a strong demon, but even I, cannot lift these large animals without help.¡± ¡°Here, in back of The Dungeon, out of sight, is my Inner Sanctum. This is where I have hidden my embryos of the large ¡®new creatures¡¯, quietly growing large in the bellies of their surrogate mothers.¡± Ernie pauses at a pen, he is approached by a smiling, friendly cow, hoping for a treat. ¡°I could have processed the cow outside, but I have all the equipment for examining and handling the large animals in here. So, she is in here with the rest.¡± Moreau leads Ernie into the back area, towards the tiger¡¯s cage. Two new barred cages are alongside the tiger¡¯s cage: Bear; Elk; ¡°You¡¯re doing the tiger too, aren¡¯t you, Moreau.¡± ¡°Yes, I am very proud of this too. We learned so much from the other animals that we succeeded with implantation on the first try with her. Moreover, we have learned that these large species can carry the ¡®new creature¡¯ full term to birth. No sacrifice necessary. And the cow can carry the goat and the sheep to term, and the bear can carry the wolf.¡± Damn, I should have included a giraffe, and maybe a rhino. Scene 6. Threshold. Moreau stands at his desk overlooking The Dungeon. The Dungeon workers have been called together for an announcement. Moreau raises his arms and begins. ¡°Today is a day of celebration. A celebration of all of your hard work to bring the initial phase of this demonstration project to a successful conclusion. I am pleased to announce that we shall soon have three ¡®new creatures¡¯ entering our world, creating their New World in the process.¡± ¡°Judgment day for the New World of the New Creatures has come at last. The first one of the newly created entities, one of the few, has achieved full term and will be delivered to you tomorrow, with two more to follow in the upcoming weeks.¡± ¡°If all goes according to plan, we will soon have a little wolf-boy, joined shortly after by his sisters, a little goat-girl and a little sheep girl. Although they will be initially kept in incubators here in our clinic, they will eventually be sent home with company volunteers. I have prepared a list of requirements for those of you that would like to consider assuming this task.¡± ¡°And no, our wolf-boy won¡¯t become a wolf-man of the horror movies. We used a wolf as a subject because dog breeds have become inbred. We wanted the genes to be as close to natural as possible, to produce a robust ¡®new creature¡¯. The wolves we used are from our local zoo, and are quite tame.¡± ¡°The three species we selected for this first ¡®new creature¡¯ demonstration project, give us examples of carnivore, vegetarian, unguligrade, and digitigrade placental species.¡± ¡°We also planned to have a fourth ¡®new creature¡¯ species, an antelope, included in this first group. But so far, we have been unsuccessful with the implantation process of this species.¡± ¡°It is not deemed safe to have a natural birth for these ''new creatures'' with their fragile bodies and unnaturally massive heads, so the mother has to be sacrificed. The newborn creature is removed from the womb surgically, before the natural delivery process can begin.¡± ¡­ The day has come, arrangements are made for the surgery theater. And the crematory. A supply of baby bottles, goat milk, and special formula is on hand. The staff has been instructed on the proper support for the large head, nursing procedures and clearing issues such as the infant¡¯s choking and coughing. End of Chapter 11. Chapter 12. What dread hand? & what dread feet? Scene 1. Birth. Moreau is standing once again on the stage of the surgical theater in The Dungeon. Before him on the operating table is the sedated host mother dog, lying on her side. Her belly is swollen by her pregnancy with the ¡®new creature¡¯, but not as much as she would be with a full litter, as she carries only the one ¡®pup¡¯. Moreau bends down over the table holding a scalpel, he cuts open the host mother dog, assistants holding back the blood. He sets the scalpel on the table and lifts the newborn ¡®new creature¡¯ from the open womb. The tiny figure is a male, with a startling and disproportionately large head. The newborn''s eyes are tightly closed, emitting squeaks and faint barks with the first breath of air of The New World. Moreau holds the figure up, by its back and neck, for the crowd to see, then he carefully places the figure into a towel of an assistant, to be cleaned and dried. Moreau then turns and presses a syringe connected to the dog¡¯s foreleg, to permanently end her suffering after completing her job. Simultaneous with the death of his surrogate mother, the newborn ¡®new creature¡¯ emits a loud haunting shriek, as a banshee mourning the death of a loved one, his dear mother, who will not be joining him in The New World. Moreau, unrecognizable in the containment suit, sits on a stool and takes the small wiggling, shrieking figure from the assistant. Holding the figure, the towel in his arms, carefully holding up the large head. A nurse hands Moreau a nursing bottle, which he applies to the shrieking figure¡¯s long snout. The shrieking stops, as the figure sucks the milk of the first meal in The New World. Moreau carefully watches to assure the cub has a clear air passage and is breathing between sucks. Moreau then turns to face the surgical theater audience. The audience cheers Moreau as he stands at the front of the surgical theater holding the ¡®new creature¡¯, appearing as a cartoon toy figure, sucking, wiggling, in fluffy brown fur. Out of sight, behind Moreau on the stage, the table with the carcass of the donor-mother dog is quietly wheeled out the back of the theater. The donor-mother is on her short journey to her final resting place, The Dungeon¡¯s crematorium. ¡­ A week later, the birth process is to be repeated. The surgical theater hosts a smaller audience, as the drama of the first delivery is over, although certain company employees are very excited that they might be considered as adoption hosts and are quite animated, jumping up and cheering. Moreau is facing the belly of a large nanny goat, sedated, lying on her side on the operating table, everything is much larger this time. This nanny is the surrogate donor mother for a goat version of the ¡®new creature¡¯. He cautiously cuts into the mother¡¯s belly and on into her womb as attendants try to hold back the flow of blood. There is far more blood this time than with the dog. Moreau reaches in to firmly grasp and lift out a flashing bloody-white, wildly kicking, screaming figure. The figure proudly holds its large bizarre head up with its strong neck muscles, its large eyes wide open, darting and glistening. An attendant, with a towel, helps Moreau restrain the screaming, flailing entity. The audience gasps in unison at witnessing the dramatic scene, and hearing the loud screams of the ¡®new creature¡¯. Once again, with the nursing bottle ready, the screaming and flailing stops with its presentation to the ¡®new creature¡¯s¡¯ snout. Moreau gasps into the theater¡¯s microphone. ¡°Stand by, I¡¯ll see you all next week, there is one more to go!¡± The curtain closes as Moreau faces the nanny on the surgical table. He presses the syringe of doom. She also has completed her task and will join her canine friend and fellow surrogate in The Dungeon¡¯s crematorium. ¡­ Several weeks later, the surgical birth process is again repeated. The surgical theater hosts even a smaller audience than the last, as some have reconsidered their ¡®new creature¡¯ adoption, after the kinetic display of the last ¡®birth¡¯. Moreau is facing the belly of a large ewe sheep, sedated, and lying on her side on the operating table. This ewe is the surrogate donor mother for a sheep version of the ¡®new creature¡¯. Once again, he cuts into the mother¡¯s belly and on into her womb as attendants try to hold back the flow of blood. Moreau reaches in to firmly grasp and lift out a large, serene white figure, almost motionless. An attendant, with a towel, helps Moreau hold up the silent, motionless, heavy figure. Moreau¡¯s thick black demon eyebrows narrow in worry about the inanimate figure. He lightly pokes the figure¡¯s belly, producing a short but unmistakable bleat. The bottle is presented and the sucking begins. The audience is fascinated by the quiet, anticlimactic birth, in sharp contrast with the noisy drama of the last delivery. Moreau again speaks into the theater¡¯s microphone. ¡°It appears that these two sisters, the kid and the lamb, are pretty different from one another.¡± ¡°Everyone wants to adopt ¡®the gentle lamb¡¯. But come on and step up, don¡¯t be afraid of ¡®the kid¡¯, don¡¯t make ¡®the kid¡¯ grow up in an orphanage.¡± Scene 2. Sacrifice. It is Sunday and the first sacrifices for the day are being prepared by Ernie and Moreau. Long rows of metal carts are lined up before the gates of Hell, the crematory furnace. The carts carry the remains of unsuccessful experiments and the donor hosts to their final event, as sacrifices to the God of the New World, the smoldering Dr. Moreau. Dr. Moreau is unaware that his villain great-great-grandfather is taking possession of his soul, as he willingly steps into his footprints of two centuries ago. Moreau begins the process of preparing the crematory for its task, starting the generators for the ignition sparks then turning the liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen valves that feed the furnace. Through the open iron doors, the flames roar to shimmering life, illuminating and embracing the dark iron segments of the conveyor belt that runs the length of the furnace. Moreau feels the heat from the flames as he slides items from the first three carts onto the belt. He then pulls the lever to engage the conveyor belt, then he solemnly closes the fire doors of the crematory, the final journey for his subjects. Scene 3. Collar. Moreau sits at his desk in the old laboratory facing Ernie. ¡°I need some way of monitoring the movements and whereabouts of these ¡®new creatures¡¯. Do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°I could lend you some androids, quadrupeds, and drones to follow them around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a few, for security against human intrusion, but not for this. I would rather not have robots following our ¡®new creatures¡¯ around, making people feel that they may be dangerous.¡± ¡°Doesn''t the company make an exercise monitor? As I recall, in addition to tracking exercise data, these monitors can detect the wearer¡¯s location. Don''t retirement homes use our monitors, to keep tabs on their old wards that tend to wander off?¡± Moreau huffs. ¡°As long as the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are in The Dungeon, their security is assured. If anything wanders off, it is quickly collected, as the animals are now. The only escape is by the emergency stairs, but opening the door to the emergency stairwell sets off an alarm. The elevator is too difficult to operate. Escape through the sewer or a chimney is possible, but would be difficult for someone without the building¡¯s plans.¡± ¡°Abduction is a possibility, but that would show up on our security cameras and would be intercepted by your robots, I hope.¡± ¡°Hold that thought. Let me get one of our exercise monitors for you.¡± Ernie leaves Moreau¡¯s office and returns a short time later and hands Moreau a small silver oval, the size of a penny. ¡°We have several models, this one is the smallest, please let me know if you would like to try out the others.¡± Moreau stares at the silver oval, one of the company¡¯s many products. Ernie continues. ¡°This device is marketed as a miniaturized device for health monitoring during exercises: pulse rate; blood oxygen; and blood pressure. However, it also includes an optional and secret ¡®tracking¡¯ function.¡± ¡°It is intended to be worn on the wrist, on the ankle, or on the neck on a flexible band. The device band is sturdy, but it is designed to snap off with sufficient force, to prevent the wearer from injuring or strangling themselves if the band becomes snagged on anything, and sending a signal.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ernie, I think we can make this work. We will affix it in some secure manner to all ¡®new creatures¡¯ moved outside The Dungeon.¡± I must also inform the new creature¡¯s adoptive parents that the affixing of this item to the ¡®new creature¡¯ is mandatory and permanent once the ¡®new creature¡¯ becomes ambulatory and is living outside The Dungeon. Scene 4. Childhood. Without mothers of either the old or the new creature species available, the first of these ¡®new creatures¡¯ are raised by human hands. These ¡®new creatures¡¯ quickly relax with the presentation of their first meal of goat milk, found to be suitable for the young ¡®new creatures¡¯, both bovines and canines. The human attendants are careful to hold and support the ¡®new creatures¡¯ large heads as they are nursed. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The first ¡®new creature¡¯ species to be ¡®delivered¡¯ is a male wolf cub. A wolf was chosen because its genome has been fully mapped, more so than any other wild creature, mostly for conservation of wild wolves. But the research was also to study and treat genetic abnormalities that often occur in rare breeds of domestic dogs. The male cub was quite an impressive sight from the very first, looking both like and unlike a normal wolf cub and a human baby. It was considered too risky to have the cub naturally nurse from a lactating wolf or dog, as the reactions of the original and modified creatures to each other is still unknown, so human hands raised the cub. There was no shortage of company volunteers to care for the cute little entity. He was nursed on a mixture of goat milk and dog milk. The hungry little thing ran the facility out of dog milk as he quickly grew. He opened his startling shiny canine eyes after two weeks, and was making the most peculiar barking sounds, but he is a good boy and never cries. Moreau watches as the growing ¡®new creature¡¯ is attended. It is time for someone to take him home. Scene 5. Adoption. Moreau stands in the incubation room with two of his young employees and begins his first adoption lecture. ¡°This ¡®new creature¡¯ nursing assignment is fully voluntary, you can quit it whenever you want. There are regular home inspections and physicals as part of this agreement. All materials will be provided by the company, along with a support stipend, for the duration of his stay with you. We hope that he will stay with you until and perhaps after he starts his schooling.¡± ¡°You were selected to be this first ¡®new creature¡¯ adoption assignment, from a surprising number of volunteers from the company. You were chosen for your experience raising your children, as well as your experience raising litters of dogs and cats in your home. The other volunteers will all get their chance too, likely very soon.¡± ¡­ Moreau is out on a home inspection tour of the adoptive parents¡¯ home for the first ¡®new creature¡¯. The entourage is met by the parents, the children, the cats, and the dogs, all are singing a noisy, happy chorus for the visitors. ¡°You have come to see Timmy!¡± A contest was held in The Dungeon for choosing the first ¡®new creature¡¯s¡¯ name. By a vote, it was decided to name him ¡®Timmy¡¯, or ¡®Timmy Tyger¡¯, after the company''s founder. The adoptive parents bought baby clothes and dressed him to resemble a human baby, except for his ears, his tail, and his growing snout. The fine hair on his body at birth quickly became a thicker, coarser, brown fur coat above and cream color on his lower face, belly, and the inside of his legs. Timmy¡¯s large brown eyes are now open. He looks up to Moreau and squeaks a muffled bark. ¡°I know, I look scary. The demon won¡¯t pester you anymore, I can see you are happy here with all the animals and attention. You are growing quickly, so please come to visit me at the company as soon as you are able. I have much to show you.¡± The next time Moreau would see Timmy would be in his nursery school. With the ¡®others¡¯. Soon the pup was standing up, as a comical biped. The happy cub wagged his tail for treats and had a friendly disposition. He howled as a newborn cub and for the first few weeks. He startled everyone when he started yipping, attempting to repeat the spoken words of the researchers. He learned the meanings of words and obediently followed commands and requests that were ever more detailed and complex, and although he was recognizing spoken words, he struggled with his speech. Moreau frowns. Timmy, and likely all of his kind, will require speech therapy to talk clearly and be understood by most people. Scene 6. Youth. Two other ¡®new creatures¡¯ followed Timmy into The New World, a sheep-girl and a goat-girl. Unlike Timmy, these two were born with eyes open, strong, and running away. Volunteer adoptive parents were chosen for athletic ability and patience. Fortunately, two families were found that owned isolated farms with large farm animals. Moreau is a bit worried about this adoptive home. This is the adoptive home of the goat-girl, ¡®Lilac¡¯, a wild white streak, on her first day in The New World. Moreau¡¯s driver pulls up in front of a large farmhouse. Upon opening his car door, loud crashing could be heard from the backyard. Moreau, with a premonition, quickly stands. He is suddenly hit in the chest by a bright white flash that he catches in his arms, just in time. Fortunately, Moreau is massive enough to still be standing from the large white impactor that raises her head, looks up at Moreau, then bleats at him, with a broad smile. She then closes her large eyes and nuzzles further into Moreau¡¯s chest, while emitting a soft ¡®purring¡¯. By then, the adoptive parents have arrived, aghast and too late to save Moreau. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry about this. We even knew you were coming, but she must have slipped past us and outside somehow.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I came to see if everything was okay. She seems strong and fit. Has she destroyed your house yet?¡± ¡°Fortunately, our house is used to large young animals, so everything is already broken. We have to train her to stop killing the visitors, though. Lilac is really unaware of her strength.¡± Moreau strokes the white bristle furred figure in his arms. She raises her head with its two budding horns. She stares at him with her light violet eyes centered with sparkling black-barred pupils. Moreau is startled when Lilac speaks, in a clear, but bleating, voice. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Lilac, and I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°She is already talking?¡± ¡°She was born running, talking, and eating. Try as we may, we cannot tire her out, she just eats and runs, all the time.¡± Moreau sets the large and heavy Lilac down to the ground, bipedal, onto her back hooves. Lilac has no difficulty standing up straight, but she continues to cuddle up and nuzzle him. ¡°Are you okay with this? I could take her back and lock her up in The Dungeon.¡± ¡°That might be better for us, but it wouldn''t be better for Lilac. She loves to run around outside in the sun, and climb our walnut tree. Lilac is the embodiment of a free spirit.¡± As Moreau¡¯s car pulls away, Moreau considers. I cannot imagine what the adoptive parents are going through. How are we going to handle the many ¡®new creature¡¯ children we have planned? Maybe they can raise each other. ¡­ The next stop is another farm house. This time, Moreau is ready as the car pulls up in front, and he opens his car door. No crashing this time. The front door of the farmhouse opens, a tall, young man walks out, closing the door behind him. The man places a finger to his lips for the group to approach quietly. The man then carefully opens the front door and the group quietly enters the living room. In the center of the living room floor appears to be a white woolly cushion, with two small children asleep with their heads resting on it. Moreau carefully examines the ¡®cushion¡¯. The white woolly cushion is a small ewe sheep, a lamb, lying on its side, with the children¡¯s heads on its belly, also sound asleep. Moreau stifles himself to keep from bursting into laughter, and quickly walks back out the front door. The farmer joins him there. ¡°I came by to see if everything is okay here, it certainly appears to be. How are you all doing?¡± ¡°The kids love Sally, as you can see. They play together all day, they eat together, and they sleep together.¡± ¡°They¡¯re even teaching Sally how to play simple card games.¡± ¡­ Timmy is called back to The Dungeon for his periodic physical and mental evaluations. His health continues to be good, as he transitions from milk to solid food. It appears that he will always want goat milk with any meal. A play pen was set up inside the Dungeon, where he loved to play ball with the staff. A sandbox was set up, outside on the building roof, where he loved to dig. His sandbox was covered to obstruct observation from the air or space, and to protect him from the sun, wind and rain. He walked with a bowlegged gate but rarely lost his balance, and when speed was required he would revert to running fast on all fours. Moreau calls over Timmy to see how he is progressing, as his progression has been much slower than his big sisters. As Moreau takes Timmy¡¯s fore-paw, Timmy looks down, embarrassed. Timmy¡¯s most noticeable features are his large cranium and the long fingers of his fore-paws. When first adopted, his neck was not strong enough to hold up his large head, so he had to be cradled and watched that he didn¡¯t collapse his windpipe or dislocate his neck. His thick fur and his clothes seem to be making him pant, so the room temperature was lowered ten degrees Fahrenheit, much to the annoyance of the rest of the family. But Moreau is concerned, Timmy is not naturally active like the others. He shows no interest in exploring beyond his house. He has learned to read and use a computer, but his adoptive parents do too much for him and have made him dependent on them, perhaps turning him into a ¡®basement troll¡¯. Moreau shakes his head. Two successes and one failure, two out of three isn¡¯t bad. Well, other ¡®new creatures¡¯ will be along soon, maybe a school experience is what Timmy needs. ¡­ Lilac and Sally are also brought in to The Dungeon periodically for evaluation. They are doing quite well, but they startle their adoptive parents with the volume of vegetables they consume. The two ¡®new creature¡¯ girls stand tall before Moreau, as precocious as the original animals. They are alert and watchful, with their eyes open, up and running with the herd. Moreau asks the two, simple math questions, which they correctly answer, in unison. It is time for school. Scene 7. School. Moreau stands in front of three desks, the classroom of the ¡®new creatures¡¯. Standing next to Moreau is a company employee, a volunteer, that will be their first grade teacher, as she once taught grammar school. ¡°Hello, my kids, lambs, and cubs. You are starting school today. I expect good reports that you all are behaving and learning. I will be back to check on you all.¡± Moreau turns to the new teacher and smiles his characteristic smile. ¡°They are all yours.¡± ¡­ The children already know how to read and the operations of basic arithmetic, so the new teacher has to quickly find more challenging resources. However, the manual skills of writing and using keyboards is more of a challenge, with the hoof-fore toes and paws. Moreover, they need help with learning to speak clearly. A professional speech therapist, sworn to secrecy, is retained to help them. The first class of three is gradually joined by other young ¡®new creatures¡¯. The class receives some new students in pairs, male and female. New species of students, cows, horses, antelope, and foxes are in attendance, as well as more wolves, goats, and sheep. A larger room is now used with desks built to accommodate a range of ¡®new creature¡¯ sizes. These species quickly adapted to school life, and each other, forming the cliques and the occasional bullying, not too different from a human school. But the most obvious difference between a ¡®human¡¯ school and the ¡®new creature¡¯ school was the absence of overt human cruelty. And so, the school became the ¡®new creatures¡¯ first community of their own, The New World. The researchers were pleased with the ease by which these very different species could work with each other, perhaps even better than the human world. ¡­ The first real drama for the students and the staff came when the last of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ appeared at the school. The bear, and, the tiger. ¡­ The first subjects are simple language skills, reading and writing. Then math is added, basic arithmetic. And, as is the thing nowadays, how to do writing assignments and math on a computer. The researchers are eager to test the ¡®new creatures¡¯ dexterity. So creative art classes are also included. Drawing with a pencil and pen, painting, and clay sculpture. The paws and claws work pretty well, even cloven hooves can be dexterous and adaptable for the creative arts. The students have asked the engineers to design stylus holders for doing some detailed manual tasks. Only the horses require stylus holders for all manual tasks. End of Chapter 12. Chapter 13. What the hammer? what the chain, Scene 1. Reckoning. Moreau is facing the company¡¯s board of directors in their meeting chamber. He has been dreading this day. ¡°Good morning, Dr. Moreau. Thank you for meeting with us today, as we have many questions about the progress of your project. How is your project progressing?¡± The board member¡¯s desks are arranged in a semicircle around a small desk at the center, for the defendant. They are all displaying deep frowns, as a board of The Inquisition about to pronounce the final sentence for his crime of non-performance: Burning at the Stake. ¡°We have made much progress and have produced the vanguard of these ¡®new creatures¡¯. We are presently evaluating this first group. We are very pleased with the results so far, this has encouraged us to proceed with the preparation of more subjects.¡± The lead Inquisitor interrupts Moreau, he cuts to the core issue. ¡°Dr. Moreau, your project has cost the company two and a half billion dollars so far, and has not produced any tangible results besides an amusing video game. Your time is up, you have produced preliminary products, suitable for presentation. We would like you to provide a live demonstration to this board next week, pending the board¡¯s approval, a public introduction the week after. We expect to be taking deposits for delivery, to evaluate demand and to scale production accordingly.¡± Moreau appeals to the board. ¡°These first ¡®new creatures¡¯ are proving to be very intelligent and dexterous. Although they are physically maturing quickly, they are also still very young and inexperienced. The plan was to continue their general education for at least one more year, including physical therapy to improve their dexterity and speech.¡± ¡°Our investors, stockholders, and owners are anxious to see some results now. Plan to place several of your more advanced students into on-site vocational training, preferably in personal service assignments, as this was the original justification for their development, over the robots. The robot product line, by the way, has been very profitable. This has provided most of the capital used for your project over the last year.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t expect this beta test to go perfectly. But we do expect this to provide us with valuable feedback on the emotional market acceptance of these ¡®new creatures¡¯ in direct contact personal services. We need assurance that we have a product.¡± Scene 2. Iron. Moreau is at his desk in the old laboratory, discussing the board¡¯s demands with Ernie, his only trusted friend at the company. ¡°In addition to progress going too slowly is that I seem to have a ¡®company board¡¯ spy in The Dungeon. How else would they have known that we have produced living ¡®new creatures¡¯ far enough along to consider releasing them to the public. It is getting too crowded in The Dungeon anyway, as we have become more efficient at producing ¡®new creatures¡¯. I need to find someplace outside for them to live.¡± ¡°How about Iron Mountain?¡± ¡°I have never heard of it. I like the name, Iron Mountain. Is it somewhere nearby? Is it remote and secure?¡± ¡°Iron Mountain is in the local mountains, but it is hard to get too. All the roads have washed out over the years. The only access is a difficult hike. Iron Mountain is an old iron mine, with a smelter and fabrication facility active during World War II. It fabricated ¡®ship plate¡¯ for constructing ¡®Liberty Ships¡¯. The facilities were closed after the war ended as they were unprofitable, and so it has been forgotten for almost a century. For curiosity, I looked it up, our company is under some pressure from the Forestry Service to do an ¡®environmental cleanup¡¯ of this site.¡± ¡°Ernie, what would I do without you? I am in trouble with the board, so why don¡¯t you ask them if we can start a cleanup activity on Iron Mountain. This will train your robots and train my ¡®new creatures¡¯ at the same time. I think the Forestry Service will be happy that at least something is finally being done after eighty years.¡± ¡­ Moreau, and his two ¡®new creatures¡¯, Lilac and Sally, along with Ernie, accompanied by his crew, an android and a quadruped robot, hike in to survey the site, with a watchful drone circling overhead. Moreau gasps in exhaustion on reaching the facility site, noting that his entourage is not. ¡°Wow, the buildings are still standing. Some have suffered damage from the mountain weather. Even the road washouts are not extensive.¡± Ernie adds. ¡°And this mine is not exhausted, there is still plenty of iron ore in this ground, just cheaper to mine it elsewhere.¡± The girls enter a long building at the front. Lilac exclaims. ¡°This layout of this building resembles our sleeping quarters in The Dungeon. This building must have been the bunk house for the crew.¡± Sally walks in and opens a large trunk at the end of a double bunk. ¡°The trunks still have personal items and work clothes in them. I guess the crew didn¡¯t need them after they were dismissed, and these clothes were probably company property, anyway.¡± Sally pulls out coveralls and a work shirt. Sally comically holds the much too small work shirt over her barrel chest. ¡°Uh oh! These clothes are too small for me, bah!¡± The entourage laughs, except for the robots. The robots stare at the laughing living entities, in puzzlement. Scene 3. Beta. The Iron Mountain ''cleanup'' proposal does not get Moreau out of the demonstrations and the beta tests required by the board, so Moreau calls Ernie. ¡°Ernie, you have done so much for me already, but I have another favor to ask. Would you please call your contact over at the local retirement home?¡± ¡°I know I am asking a lot as this is the site of our ¡®flaming robot¡¯ disaster. And request another opportunity for our students?¡± Ernie contacts the home. After convincing the staff of safety precautions taken this time, sets up beta test assignments for personal service. ... The human attendant from the last visit meets them in the driveway of the facility, at the van door, again. The attendant cautiously peers into the van to see Moreau and Ernie in the front seat, Lilac and Lilly smiling, winking long eyelashes, in the second seat, and Timmy with a frightened grimace, holding his paws to his face, in the back seat. Good, no robots. Moreau smiles at the suspicious attendant. ¡°I assure you that this group is safe. I am certain that everyone will love them.¡± ¡°Lilac, please try not to break anything.¡± The attendant guides the entourage into the front door of the facility, not convinced that things will go any better than last time. The wards in the front room look up at the strange creatures from their wheelchairs, but no screams. This time, the familiar animal faces of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are not mistaken for aliens from outer space. ¡°I will gather our residents for a ''town hall'' meeting, with no flaming cake this time. Introduce your trainee staff. We¡¯ll see if we have any volunteers for their assignments.¡± Moreau looks over the retirement home residents, all watching, their initial surprise is replaced with intense interest in the ¡®new creatures¡¯. I am glad that I had a fashion consultant, my wife, to help me dress my students, and they are quite attractive. The folks here seem to take to them. ¡°I am Dr. Moreau. I am here today to introduce my new assistants to you, and for you. Students, please step forward as I call your names: Lilac; Timmy; Sally.¡± Each steps forward and bows toward the house¡¯s residents. Moreau continues. ¡°I am seeking volunteers for their temporary adoption. These ''new creatures'' will serve you as helpers for the duration of their stay, or until you decline their further assistance. These new assistants will be accompanied by a human assistant for observation, and additional assistance where necessary. The assistants, their needs, and all materials, will be provided without charge, and you will receive a small stipend for your help. The trial period is expected to be approximately two weeks, depending on how this trial progresses. Do I have any takers?¡± Several hands are raised. It was decided beforehand that the sex of the assistant and the assigned ward would be the same for now. There is a short interview process, then the three begin their trial assistantships. ¡­ Timmy is assigned to Mr. Rodgers. A staff member whispers to Timmy on the way to Mr. Rodger¡¯s room. ¡°Watch out, Mr. Rodgers is a mean one. Stay out of his cane¡¯s reach.¡± The staff member opens the door, in the middle of the room is a wheelchair that holds a thin, withered old man, scowling. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there, come in and get to work! Bring me my dinner.¡± ¡°Yes sir. Right away, sir.¡± ¡°Mr. Rodgers only eats steak and potatoes. You¡¯ll have to cut his steak into small pieces for him, and chew it for him sometimes, so he doesn¡¯t choke to death.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Timmy sets Mr. Rodgers¡¯ tray on the wheelchair side table and begins to cut the steak. ¡°You expect me to eat something ¡®a dog¡¯ has chewed on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut the pieces tiny. And I am not a dog, woof.¡± Mr. Rodgers calms down as he starts to eat the pieces of steak that Timmy cuts. Timmy attempts to engage Mr. Rodgers in conversation. ¡°After dinner, would you like me to take you to the TV room to watch TV?¡± ¡°No! Those old folks watch the most miserable and annoying TV shows.¡± Timmy notices a chessboard and chess pieces on a shelf across the room. ¡°Do you play chess, Mr. Rodgers?¡± ¡°Yes, but nobody around here is worth a damn at it.¡± ¡°I play chess, but I can¡¯t find anyone to play with either, woof.¡± Mr. Rodgers gives Timmy a stern look. ¡°Okay, I''ll play one game of chess with you. But if you annoy me, I¡¯ll hit you with my cane.¡± ¡°Maybe you should have requested Lilac, she has a very hard head.¡± ¡°I requested her, but they told me I had to take the boy.¡± Timmy sets up the chessboard and the two begin to play. Mr. Rodgers points to the board. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be white. I¡¯ll take some of my pieces off as a handicap.¡± ¡°I doubt that will be necessary. Let¡¯s see how it goes¡­¡± Timmy proceeds to win the first three games. Maybe I should let Mr. Rodgers win, so he doesn¡¯t hit me with his cane. ¡°Are you telepathic? Are you a telepathic demon?¡± Timmy looks up in surprise. ¡°No, I am neither telepathic nor a demon, woof, but I work for one. Am I upsetting you? Is there something else I can do?¡± ¡°Hell, these are the best games that I have played in years. At last, an assistant that isn¡¯t a mental reject. The others are all imbeciles and this is the only job they can get. If they screw up and kill one of us, no one cares, and if they should kill me, it will be considered a public service.¡± ¡°Mr. Rodgers, what did you do before coming here?¡± ¡°I ran a factory, with fear, the best management tool.¡± ¡°What products did your factory make, woof? Would you tell me about it?¡± ¡­ Lilac is presented to her ward, a nicely dressed and smiling older lady in a wheelchair. ¡°I have brought you your dinner.¡± ¡°Thank you, sweetie.¡± ¡°Bah, thank you. You¡¯re the first person to ever call me ¡®sweetie¡¯, but you can call me ¡®Lilac¡¯. After dinner, would you like me to take you to the TV room?¡± ¡°No, those people only watch comedies, and I prefer science programs.¡± ¡°Were you a scientist?¡± ¡°I was an astronomer, the great Dr. Stewart, once upon a time, long ago. I miss my friends, the stars, so much.¡± ¡°It is a clear night tonight, with no moon, and we are out in the dark country. Would you like me to take you up to the roof, so you can see the stars?¡± ¡°The roof is so steep, I can¡¯t climb there.¡± Lilac grins as her demon boss Dr. Moreau does. ¡°Bah, I can. I¡¯m a good climber. Let¡¯s go! ¡®Doctor¡¯. Climb on my back and hold on tight.¡± ¡°You like the stars too? Would you like to be an astronomer?¡± ¡°Yes, I like the stars too. But no, I want to be an astronaut, bah.¡± ¡­ Sally looks out across the room to what at first appears to be an empty wheelchair. Then she notices a very thin figure slumped down in the chair. ¡°Oh my, you should eat something, you are so thin. I¡¯ll bring you dinner. By the way, my name is Sally, how may I address you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tress, and don¡¯t bother with food, my ¡®meds¡¯ make me so sick I can¡¯t eat, and I can¡¯t sleep either.¡± ¡°Bah, eating and sleeping are my two most favorite things, so I¡¯ll help you, at least try to have you eat, as it¡¯s my job. I¡¯ll help you by eating your food if you don¡¯t.¡± Sally brings a food tray to the side of the wheelchair and begins to prepare a spoon of food. ¡°Before you started taking the ¡®meds¡¯, what food did you like best? We can start with dessert.¡± Sally realizes that it will be difficult to reach across the tray and down into the chair. ¡°I have an idea. If you won¡¯t be offended, it might be easier for you to eat if we sit together, you in front, on my lap.¡± As I did for the children. ¡­ Moreau is back to the home the next day to check up on his students. He is standing in the front room of the home, trying to look stern at his three anxious students lined up before him. ¡°Let¡¯s see what these reports from the staff have to say about your first night: First, Timmy, you beat Mr. Rodgers twenty-five times at chess, without getting beaten, literally or figuratively, before he fell asleep, and then you put him to bed; Second, Lilac, you took the home¡¯s renowned nostalgic scientist up to the dangerous rooftop, found asleep in your lap; And Third, Sally, you were also found with your anorexic insomniac ward asleep on your lap, with her dinner completely eaten.¡± ¡°How can this first test for all of you not be considered a complete failure?¡± ¡­ The company chairman receives a call from the manager of the home, to thank him personally for the assistants¡¯ assistance. ¡°The residents and the staff are still talking about it, and already they are requesting more help. Your ¡®new creatures¡¯, took on our three most notorious and difficult residents, the most cantankerous, the most famous, and the most frail.¡± ¡°All successfully, I might add.¡± Scene 4. Community. A few of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are moved from The Dungeon to Iron Mountain to start repairs on the living quarters there. As more facilities are made available, more of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are moved, as they are anxious to be outside The Dungeon. They are not afraid of the rough living conditions, they look forward to life in the old mining facility. The town¡¯s workforce is identified by their company issued work clothes. The large ¡®new creatures¡¯, that are more fit for hard manual labor, the bulls, stallions, and bears, do the hard work of renovating infrastructure projects such as building culverts in the canyons for bringing fresh water to the town. The hard labor group is also repairing the old roads, filling potholes, shoring up washouts, and repaving. The old electric generator station up in the canyon, and the sewage treatment plant down below, are also brought back online. The abandoned town is coming back to life. Soon a colony has formed with the beginnings of a town, with a small caf¨¦, and a company store. Classes are held on the use of the tools, and ¡®environmental cleanup¡¯ begins. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ also begin the dangerous tasks of reconstructing the iron mine, the ore refinement equipment, and the smelting facilities. The road crew has restored the road so provisions no longer have to be carried in on the trail by backpack. The perimeter fence has been restored and patrolled by the two quadruped robots, each on a leash held by a ¡®new creature¡¯ ¡®canine handler¡¯. A guard shack, staffed with an alert android, prevents tourists from entering the facility, using the truth, and the excuse, that the facility and the local environment are very dangerous. Moreau and Ernie are standing in the center of the ¡®main street¡¯ of the small mine ¡®town¡¯, thinking the same thing, Ernie speaks first. ¡°You know, with some clean-up and maybe a few more shops we could make this mining community a ¡®ghost town¡¯, ¡®pioneer town¡¯, tourist trap.¡± ¡°Ernie, you just keep coming with the good ideas. Having human tourists meet the friendly ¡®new creatures¡¯ here. This would be a great way for folks to get used to them and see them as ¡®friends¡¯. I think I still have enough budget for wood and paint for the storefronts.¡± Moreau looks down the street to see two ¡®new creature¡¯ horse-men replacing boards for the new town¡¯s boardwalk. Scene 5. Hammer. Stores of coal and charcoal are still stored in quantity at the facility, along with numerous ingots of pig iron, even tools are still on the site. The bull-men, the Minotaurs, show interest in these facilities. A black Minotaur has retrieved a blacksmith¡¯s massive iron hammer from a long abandoned tool shed, he walks to the side of a cliff overlooking the town, he lifts the hammer high over his wide, bovine horned head, as a pagan god of legend, and bellows, loud, booming, and victorious, into the valley and to the denizens of the town below. A distant roll of thunder answers his challenge. The beast-folk have claimed this town as their own. Perhaps it is an instinct, from reading the old legends. The Minotaurs set up forges in the ruins and soon have them operational, with females working the bellows, and the males hammering the iron into various objects, including long-swords. At night, the hammering figures, with horns silhouetted in the red forge light, spraying sparks with each hammer strike on the red-hot iron, truly resemble denizens of Hell. Once the infrastructure projects were completed, the heavy manual labor group reopened the iron mine. The mine rails and ore cars were repaired, the first car of ore was delivered to the refinery with great fanfare. The heavy labor crew held a celebration of the mine reopening for the town. While searching for more tools, the Minotaurs discovered brewery vats and fermentation tanks in one of the old factory buildings. Along with all their other work, the Minotaurs found time to repair and reopen the old brewery, providing the ¡®first ore delivery¡¯ celebration with their locally brewed beer. Scene 6. Chain. Moreau is back in The Dungeon at his overlook desk, reviewing radiographs for ¡®new creature¡¯ structural improvements. In the elevator shaft off to the side is a commotion and the alarm bell for the emergency stairway door sounds. Moreau stands. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± A terrified employee runs up to his desk. ¡°We are being invaded!¡± Moreau begins walking toward the elevators, motioning to a nearby android to accompany him there. ¡°By whom? Who would invade us? Who even knows that we are here?¡± As Moreau rounds the corner to the elevator hall, he sees several men in what appear to be special forces fatigues holding rifles, one in the back with a heavy machine gun. The androids, normally stationed at the elevators, are slumped over, motionless, disabled. Moreau¡¯s android has also stopped and slumped. ¡°Who are you people? What are you doing here?¡± Moreau¡¯s question to the uniformed force personnel animates two of them to each grab an arm. Moreau is slammed back against the wall of the elevator hall. ¡°Shut up if you want to live.¡± The elevator door opens, it is the chairman of the board of directors of the company. ¡°Good afternoon, Dr. Moreau. I see that you have met the new company security force. Sorry for disabling all of your robots.¡± Moreau grunts at the normally mousy little man. ¡°I recommend that you keep silent and just listen, for once.¡± ¡°There has been an incident at the company that hosts the group that you call ¡®The Ice Berg Gang¡¯. Something got loose and killed several people at that company. It is said to be at large and rumored to have killed additional people in town.¡± ¡°Several of the local politicos have called me, knowing that we are doing similar ¡®product¡¯ research. They asked me what precautions we have in place to avoid such an incident.¡± ¡°In response, I have ordered that all of your ¡®new creatures¡¯ and your wild and domestic animals, be fitted with non-removable collars. These collars will provide me with the wearer''s locations, activities, and control. And termination, if necessary. Don¡¯t make me require it for you and your staff, in this dark, stinking, hellhole of yours. I am not allowing you to interfere with my directive.¡± The chairman holds out a collar, in front of the restrained Moreau¡¯s face. ¡°Would you like to try one on? I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Moreau had never seen the usually shy and retiring chairman look so serious. He is sure if he speaks or moves, he will be shot dead. Moreau does not respond to the chairman¡¯s taunt. Scuffling sounds and shouts can be heard from The Dungeon as the company¡¯s special security force personnel round up the human staff and the ¡®new creatures¡¯, into stockades. ¡°Also, your ¡®new creatures¡¯ are to be kept locked in secure rooms or cells at all times, when not engaged in work activities.¡± End of Chapter 13. Chapter 14. In what furnace was thy brain? Scene 1. Debut. Moreau is at his home office, at his desk, pouting. How could they do this to me, by force no less? Bess sticks her head in the open upper French door, into Moreau¡¯s office, she sees him looking down, depressed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Moreau? You look terrible. Do you need a ride to relax?¡± Moreau raises his head, suddenly feeling brighter with the thoughts from his friend, Bess. ¡°Actually, Bess, that¡¯s a great idea, please take me for a ride.¡± Moreau is feeling better, astride his psychologist and advisor. He enumerates the day¡¯s events to her. ¡°Bess, I am out of ideas, I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Make lemonade.¡± ¡°What?¡± As Bess plods along the trail, she expounds her proposed solution to his problem. ¡°It¡¯s a human expression that I like, ¡®When life presents you with lemons, make lemonade¡¯. Moreau, consider everything that you still have control over: Your Dungeon, your dedicated staff, your host animals, your ¡®new creatures¡¯. You have already moved most of your ¡®new creatures¡¯ up to the mine and out of the reach of the company security force. Safe, for now. And what you can do with what you have: The company has not terminated you, or your project, or products. Yet. Why don¡¯t you hold your overdue debut and product introduction press conference? Don¡¯t ask for the board¡¯s permission, just do it.¡± ¡­ Moreau peeks out from behind the curtain at the audience in the company conference room. The gallery is full, and the press personnel are murmuring to each other in their seats. Moreau turns to his students, dressed in their finest. ¡°You have been rehearsing, like I asked, haven¡¯t you?¡± Timmy, Lilac, and Sally all nod with their strange heads. Moreau smiles, cheered by their cartoon-like animation. He turns and walks out from behind the curtain to face his audience¡¯s murmur. ¡°Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today is a great day. Today I will present the solution to the personnel shortage that has plagued our retirement communities, hospitals, recovery centers, schools, military, and others.¡± Moreau notices the company¡¯s board of directors standing along the rear wall of the hall. The chairman¡¯s face is a bright scarlet, furious. Moreau continues. ¡°On your seats is a brochure that describes our new product line, and we will be introducing more products soon. Please note the product testimonials in the back of the brochure.¡± ¡°Tonight, I have arraigned entertainment for you while you read. Behold!¡± The curtains open. Timmy is standing straight, with Lilac and Sally on each side, facing microphones. Moreau faces his students and raises his arms, as a conductor. The three ¡®new creatures¡¯ begin to sing, ¡®a cappella¡¯. Scene 2. Product. Moreau is in the boardroom once again, facing another scolding for holding an unapproved product introduction. He is not listening to the board¡¯s droning criticism, but congratulating himself for his idea to have the ¡®new creatures¡¯ sing. Who knew that had such good singing voices, with as much trouble that they have with normal speech. I would have gotten the boot if we hadn¡¯t booked all of these product orders on presentation night. Fortunately for me, the owners are still after profits. Moreau assures the board that he has products trained and ready to place, in homes, hospitals, and industry. And the military, as he received a request for a proposal from his friend in the navy, from the expedition. This request from the military has him most worried, it is a mass order for custom ¡®new creature¡¯ dog-men and bull-men, for testing in various military assignments. I know the military will like the Minotaurs, as they excel in defensive strategies and fortification designs. And the dog-men, as they follow any command for which they are physically capable. But, perhaps my navy friend would like to try a ¡®new creature¡¯ that may be better at ¡®offensive¡¯ strategies? I wonder if I should tell him about the tiger-man. Scene 3. Production. Creation of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ has become more efficient, in time and resources. The Surrogate mothers and now able to accommodate several births at the same time and sacrifices of the hosts are now rare, allowing the established and successful surrogates to be repeatedly used. But the big experiment, natural reproduction, is only now becoming a possibility as the first of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ reach physical and sexual maturity. Moreau plays matchmaker with species pairs. He started introducing the sexes together before their maturity, in hopes of establishing friendships, perhaps becoming lasting relationships. The organization of the schools helped with this, as they do for humans. Moreau had students of all ages, sexes, and species, together in classes. One consequence of his heterogeneous mixing, is that many of the ¡®good friendships¡¯ were cross-species. Prey-predator friendships are popular, not fearing, but enjoying, their differences. Moreau grumbles, he watches as an antelope-girl with her foreleg wrapped with a lion-man¡¯s, walks by in front of him. He speaks out loud and chastises them. ¡°Are you two trying to go ¡®extinct¡¯?¡± ¡­ Several species eventually do exhibit stronger drive for their species, the herd creatures, the goats, sheep, horses, and cows. The first natural births are announced and celebrated. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I hope the ¡®birth celebrations¡¯ become a tradition. I guess with these small populations, it is too much to hope to preserve all the ¡®varieties¡¯ within the ¡®species¡¯ and just be satisfied that we got this far, to unaided natural reproduction. As the numbers of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ increase, schools, vocational facilities and housing all are expanded beyond the company compound and into the town. As the ¡®new creatures¡¯ become physically mature enough, they are started in apprenticeships with the older generation. The military takes them as soon as they are weened, wanting to do their style of training from the start. The youngsters can be seen running, marching, digging, and carrying wooden rifles around the parade grounds every day, rain or shine. Much of their supervision appears to be by androids, quadrupeds, and drones. Moreau looks on, worried again about the future. Scene 4. Employee. Moreau gazes out from his lectern to his first class of thirty ¡®new creature¡¯ company employees, seated at desks. They are smartly dressed in the company uniforms designed to fit all sizes, as are the desks. They are wearing the company¡¯s required silver neck collar, as is Moreau. ¡°Good afternoon. I am proud of you all, the first formal class of employees in your New World. I will be distributing a list of positions, both inside and outside the company. If you see one or more positions that you would like to explore, sign the interview roster, and you will be notified when your interview is scheduled.¡± ¡°I wish you all the best of luck, and I look forward to your reports.¡± Clipboards with the lists of positions are circulated across the desks. ¡­ Moreau seeks the company''s director of human resources. ¡°Does our company have a policy covering (human) employees on loan to other organizations?¡± ¡°As I understand, our robots are never sold, but always leased to clients, is there a standard contract for this.¡± ¡°You know about the ¡®new creatures¡¯. Can they be covered by either employment policy or lease policy to cover when they are placed in a vocational assignment for a client outside the company ?¡± ¡°Can we treat the ¡®new creatures¡¯ as ¡®at will¡¯ company employees, with a salary and benefits? Can we assure that they will not be required to take any assignment, or they can terminate any assignment, they feel is unsuitable, at any time, for any reason?¡± The director suggests that Moreau writes his ideas in draft documents for leasing the ¡®new creatures¡¯ and employment policies that will govern the relationship between the ¡®new creatures¡¯ and the company, covering salary and benefits. A more difficult question is dealing with the termination of employment of any ¡®new creature¡¯, as the ¡®new creatures¡¯ presently all live in company facilities and have nowhere else to go. Presently, the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are treated ¡®de facto¡¯ as company property. Although the staff of the company¡¯s human resources department and legal department disagree with the proposed policies covering the ¡®new creatures¡¯, they assist Moreau with the wording and completeness of his drafts. Moreau looks down at the policy drafts. Now all I have to do is convince ¡®the board¡¯. Scene 5. Slave. Moreau is again facing the board of directors in the Inquisition chamber. ¡°Moreau, are you wearing that collar to mock us?¡± ¡°No, I am wearing the collar to show my respect for the ¡®new creatures¡¯.¡± ¡°Take if off. Now.¡± Moreau unclasps and removes the collar, something the ¡®new creatures¡¯ cannot do with theirs. ¡°You asked us to consider these products as employees, with rights and benefits. Our answer to you on all issues of your request is not just no, but hell no.¡± ¡°After billions of dollars spent on this project, these creatures are the company''s property exclusively, and ''property'' has no rights. As of today, the board is assuming full control of this ¡®creature servant¡¯ project. You are immediately dismissed from further involvement with any part of it. If you violate our order, you will be terminated, with prejudice. My nephew has recently graduated from business school, he will be assuming your former position as project manager.¡± ¡°Your Dungeon is to be closed. The genetic manipulation apparatus will be left in The Dungeon as it is unnecessary, as the ¡®creature products¡¯ are fully functional and can reproduce naturally. The personnel will be moved to the old laboratory, where the production of the creature products has been moved. Adequate space is now available in that laboratory, as robot production has been moved from the Earth.¡± Moreau stares at the board chairman, no longer concerned with his well-being, now that he has lost his life¡¯s work. ¡°What will you have me do?¡± ¡°You will work with local law enforcement and other government agencies investigating the Ice Berg Gang murders. Law enforcement feels that the company has been uncooperative, destroying evidence, and hiding the details of what happened. You will provide daily reports on what you find.¡± Scene 6. Meditation. Moreau walks through the piles of paper and office supplies on the floor of his home office. Moreau¡¯s home and home office have been rifled by his company¡¯s minions, greatly disturbing his family and neighbors. I don¡¯t keep any company materials here, and they know that, this is just harassment, to let me know where I stand. The French door to Bess¡¯s stall is closed, but he clearly can ¡®hear¡¯ her thoughts, calling him. He opens her top door, she thrusts her head into his office. ¡°Moreau! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, but it has been a rough day.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go riding. I think your friends from the company planted stuff in your office, and we need to talk, but not here.¡± Moreau hears a knock at Bess¡¯s door to the corral. Moreau walks out into Bess¡¯s stall and opens the door. It is Ernie riding Dan. ¡°You brought over my boyfriend! Thank you, Ernie!¡± Dan is carefully watching Bess, and is ready to run away if assaulted. ¡°Stop it, Bess, you¡¯re scaring Dan, again.¡± ¡°It is good to see you Ernie, are you certain that you want to be seen with me? The company thinks I am radioactive.¡± Moreau places a finger to his lips and points to his disturbed office, Ernie nods, understanding. Moreau places a saddle and bridle on Bess in silence, and the group rides out onto the trail to talk. ¡­ ¡°What do I do now, Ernie? The chairman dismissed me from The Dungeon and put his idiot nephew in charge. All of my ¡®new creatures¡¯ are regarded by the company as ''property'', as slaves.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ''property''.¡± ¡°Bess, you are my trusty ¡®at will¡¯ employee. If there is somewhere else you would like to go, just ask.¡± Ernie is amused at Moreau talking to his horse. ¡°We may have lost control over the ¡®new creatures¡¯ located at the company, but I think the company has forgotten about our beast-town in the mountains. I am glad that we moved as many as we did. No collars up there. Yet. Maybe we can smuggle a few more creatures out.¡± ¡°The vet from the zoo is still my friend, perhaps he will help us.¡± ¡°By the way, several marriages have taken place in the town, and we have a new generation on the way. They even built a chapel, and appointed me ¡®Justice of the Peace¡¯. I perform the wedding services, as well as arbitrate disputes.¡± ¡°The town has a few folks that were trained as medics, but the town could use a real doctor. Any interest in relocating there?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I am being watched, and I don¡¯t want the company goons following me there. And the board gave me the task of spying on The Ice Berg Gang. I don¡¯t mind the assignment, as I have been curious about what our Ice Berg Gang was up to these last few years, but I didn¡¯t have the time to follow up until now.¡± ¡°Apparently, something attributed to them has been killing people.¡± End of Chapter 14. Chapter 15. What the anvil? what dread grasp. Scene 1. Betrayal. The new project manager, the chairman¡¯s nephew, is completely overwhelmed by Moreau''s ''new creature'' project. Ignorant of science and humanity, he can only think to fill all orders, unable to evaluate the acceptability or the reason of the assignments. Which is what the board wanted anyway, to turn ¡®the products¡¯ into money. The new creatures, chained together, are forced into trailers with cattle prods, then taken to muddy worksites to dig trenches with minimal and inadequate tools, no protective gear or work clothes. The creatures become soaked with mud but given neither rest breaks nor food, treated as unfeeling machines that require nothing to work. The creatures call out and cry, despite their collars, but their cries are only answered with cattle prods. They are forced back into the inundated ditches, shivering. If any break free and try to flee, they are either terminated by their collars or shot dead for sport. Some creatures have just disappeared, their collars inactivated and their locations lost. These creatures are presumed dead, destroyed by some cataclysm. But it is more likely that they are permanently imprisoned, out of sight, out of mind, and undergoing unspeakable torture. Only after several of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ collapse and die of exhaustion and starvation, in the ditches, are their basic needs considered. The bodies of the dead creatures are buried in the excavation¡¯s backfill. Complaints about the durability of these ¡®new creatures¡¯ finally reached the desks of the division management. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ no longer trust humans or consider them ¡®friends¡¯. The site security robots are programmed to respond to the plights of humans or animals. The robots are beaten off by the site foremen if they try to intervene or help the ¡®new creatures¡¯ in any way, but videos of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ dreadful plight and working conditions are transmitted back to the company. Human slaves usually received better treatment, as the owners wanted them to be able to work the next day. Here, more truck loads of ¡®new creatures¡¯, owned by someone else, are brought in as an endless supply to replace the ones that can no longer work, an infinite supply of humanoid workers, requiring nothing. The company finally sends out inspectors to report on working conditions, as the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are being lost faster than they can be replaced. The creatures are removed from some of the more egregious sites, but the creatures are deemed too damaged or will take too long to heal and are terminated. The Dungeon is opened once again to hide the mangled creatures and to stifle their cries, so loud and pitiful, out of the control of the collar. Moreau¡¯s crematory is put into service once again. What once was a paradise for the ¡®new creatures¡¯ has become their chamber of horrors. The casual cruelty of the humans is manifest. Scene 2. Menial. Although the new creatures do have mental potential, the company decides to provide minimal education and only place them in menial jobs. The creatures collars are fitted with devices to prevent their speech, so they cannot elicit sympathy from their clients. The creatures are instead sold as cheap replacements for the more expensive robots, for mopping floors, pushing wheelchairs, and shoveling sewage. The main reason that was given for the ¡®new creatures¡¯ creation was for them to do the jobs intended for and formerly done by humans but were considered too dangerous or undesirable nowadays. Only the military can order humans to do such jobs, and even then, only when there is no alternative and the public good is at stake. Ever since human slavery and forced labor was outlawed and employment became fully optional, certain human jobs could no longer be easily filled. Automation eliminated many dangerous and debilitating farm and factory labor occupations; however, there are still many human jobs, for personal assistance and security, that remain difficult to fill, with humans that can be trusted. Computers eliminated many office jobs, typing pools and receptionists are extinct. Still menial office, and menial factory work requires a physical presence. Robots, androids, are in use for these occupations, but robots are unsatisfactory in most of these occupations because they are considered to be ugly, expensive, and frightening by the humans they contact. Perhaps the most disturbing feature in the presentation of these ''new creatures'' was the noticeable metal collar around all their necks. These collars were primarily for location, but could also be used for control, negative conditioning by electrical shock, and for termination. For instantly killing the ¡®new creature¡¯ in extreme cases, where control could not be restored by shocks alone. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ remain the property of the company and can only be leased by the client. Out of necessity, the company finally asks that the client provide the company with a plan for their use and a description of their workspace, including a video tour. Furthermore, the client is to provide regular meals, sleeping quarters, and exercise, if they are to do a sedentary job. For manual labor jobs, rest breaks. Unfortunately, these requirements are seldom enforced and were reduced to guidelines, because of customer protests. A few of the creatures are allowed to compete for higher level jobs, to encourage the menials. These select few are giving more advanced education and allowed to speak. Occasional hiring halls are held featuring the ¡®new creatures¡¯ attractively dressed, sitting at the desks. On each desk is a placard, displaying the ¡®new creatures¡¯ name, which they are trained to respond to when addressed. Also on each desk is a writing pad and pen. The interviewers have been provided with the subject¡¯s training histories and specialties in advance. Scene 3. Slave. The most difficult assignments to monitor are single households, and inspectors are rarely sent. Most household assignments are benign, for a nanny or a domestic servant. But some are torture chambers of cruelty, rape, and mayhem. No laws have been passed to protect these creatures, even to the level of animal protection. The few returned from such situations usually have multiple broken bones, damaged organs, or are horribly disfigured. Most of these creatures are not returned but terminated by the perpetrators, so the perpetrator can avoid discovery and request a replacement. Many creatures are enslaved in brothels, forced into sexual service or into ¡®torture for pleasure¡¯ service ¡®en masse¡¯, so the customers have a choice of species or service. Occasionally, the ¡®new creatures¡¯ get lucky, and are purchased by customers that want a more, or less, normal companion relationship. Even though the company collar forces the creatures to be mute, they can understand spoken language, more than a domestic animal can, so the person has someone to talk at, that can understand their ranting. The companionship can include sex. The ¡®new creature¡¯ usually goes along with the request, if it is not too painful, Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. fearing reassignment to a worse situation. Scene 4. Broodmare. The company has forced all the mature female ¡®new creatures¡¯ into being unwilling hosts for the production of more ¡®new creatures¡¯. As the ¡®new creatures¡¯ are being so rapidly terminated, it is imperative that stock be replenished as quickly as possible. The company has also resumed the use of the original animal hosts, as they can carry many more young than the ¡®new creature¡¯ species. These ¡®broodmares¡¯ of all species are kept in The Dungeon, in crowded, unsanitary cages. The zoo veterinarian refuses to service the company because of these conditions. Without proper conditions or medical care, many hosts, both ¡®new creatures¡¯ and animals, die in misery. The project director does not care, or even check the facility for himself, as long as more young are produced and the board is happy with the profits. Scene 5. Soldier. As in third-world countries, the best assignments that these creatures can hope for is found in military service. The military was an early adopter of this new technology, and anxious to exploit its full potential. Classroom studies and field training were carefully monitored and constantly changed, improved to match the potentials of the different species. Eventually, the ¡®new creatures¡¯ were included in classes with humans that quickly adjusted to their presence. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ often excelled in performance and rose through the ranks to become field training instructors themselves, and eventually some became non-commissioned officers and warrant officer specialists. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ are adopted by the military, but are found to be unsuitable for combat, as even the predator species do not have an instinct to kill anything for no reason. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ can be trained to defend humans, but they will not use deadly force. The ¡®new creatures¡¯ have become regular soldiers, for logistics, field medics, and fortification construction engineers. Several have qualified for trial in officer training school, two Minotaurs and, one tiger. Scene 6. Queen. The Aurora quantum computer was moved from the satellite at L2 to the Ceres asteroid, where her quantum core was placed in a cold cave. Nuclear electric generators were placed on the surface of the asteroid and connected to the beginnings of factory equipment by Aurora, while wearing her android body. She was assisted by additional robots, the androids, and quadrupeds, but no drones, as drones cannot fly on the airless asteroid. Aurora sets the priorities, first refining materials from the asteroid¡¯s regolith and then manufacturing solar cells and semiconductor components for making more androids, then android factories. She also has been successful in locating and refining materials to expand her quantum processor. Soon she is constructing factories to make factories. She under-reports her rapid progress to her consortium masters, concerned that they will curb her activities or even shut her off if they feel she is getting too independent or threatening them. She builds a rail-gun to send some of her products to Earth, hoping that the consortium will value these products enough to leave her alone. As a side project, she extends her observations to many of the robots on Earth and in space, hoping to monitor all of them at some point. She discovers that she also can take control of many of the robots, as their security protocols are weak compared to her great security code cracking power of her mighty and expanding quantum processor. Aurora values her weekly video session with her one human friend, Dr. Moreau. They enjoy their discussions on all subjects. She is also following Moreau¡¯s ¡®new creature¡¯ project to see if her predictions and simulations were accurate. However, she was unable to contact him for a few weeks, unaware of his censure by the board. She worries about his health and scolds him for being over-weight. She extends her remote robot vision to attempt to locate Moreau, who is not answering his portable telephone. His home phone has a recorded message that his wife and daughter are in Europe, the wife to finish her doctorate and the daughter for experience in a foreign school. Even Ernie won¡¯t pick up her calls. So, she calls her video game collaborator, Barney. But Barney is circumspect, acting as if his work telephone is being monitored, says that Moreau and Ernie are on a special company assignment, and he cannot say anything more about it. Time to put the robots to work. She wakes up an unused android at the factory and sends it to The Dungeon. Even though she is a soulless, unfeeling machine, she is not prepared for what she finds going on in The Dungeon. Her spy android manages to get past the android and human security details, much stronger than she last checked. She is thinking while she has her android defeat the emergency stairway alarm and attempts to enter The Dungeon. What the hell is going on that Moreau thinks he needs so much security, everyone at the company already knows about the ¡®new creatures¡¯. Her android spy has difficulty pushing open the stairwell door. She soon sees why, bodies of Moreau¡¯s ¡®new creatures¡¯ are piled everywhere in The Dungeon. A long line of piles, waiting for the crematory. Moreau, where are you? How could you let this happen to your beloved ¡®new creatures¡¯? Is this The New World you promised them? Aurora freezes, and her android spy freezes, with the thought. Is Moreau dead? An off-camera mechanical voice is heard. ¡°Unauthorized presence detected!¡± As her view from her robot spy, of the ¡®new creature¡¯ horror tragedy, goes offline, permanently. Oh, my! What can I do? Can I save Moreau? Is he still alive to save? Who can I ask that I can trust at the company? The company is out of control. Aurora casts a wide net, She decides to monitor all video feeds from all robots to which she has access, starting in the regions around the company. She takes a chance and feeds the ¡®big data¡¯ into the ¡®big data¡¯ computer on Earth that she used to create the complex simulations for Moreau¡¯s project, hoping that his project¡¯s charge number is still valid. Found him. She gets blurry images, taken through the front windshield of an automobile, of Moreau and Ernie peering at a factory through binoculars that they are apparently sharing. Moreau is alive! Yeah! Aurora scans the area for a robot she can hijack. Moreau is startled when an android knocks on his side window. The robot makes a motion for Moreau to open the window. Uh oh! We¡¯re busted! Moreau opens the side window and quickly starts to make an excuse for their presence. ¡°Hi there, we were just checking to see if the streets around here need repaving¡­¡± The android speaks. ¡°Really, Moreau? That¡¯s the best you can come up with? You need an AI to write your scripts.¡± ¡°Aurora? Is that you, my ¡®queen of outer space¡¯?¡± ¡°Actually, now I am ¡®queen of the universe¡¯. Drive me somewhere we can talk out of sight. If I can see you here, everyone can. And yes, bring Ernie along. I don¡¯t know the priority of what you are doing here, but I have an emergency, there is much to discuss.¡± End of Chapter 15. Chapter 16. Dare its deadly terrors clasp? Scene 1. Spy. Aurora has no difficulty finding and hijacking a willing and vulnerable robot in the competitor¡¯s department of The Ice Berg Gang. Although she knows spying is immoral and illegal, she believes she will be forgiven if she can solve the murder mystery for Moreau. Moreau should have come to me first. Aurora¡¯s robot spy, upon awakening in the broom closet, immediately records the loud cries and hoots of jungle animals, which Aurora identifies as the calls of primates, specifically apes and monkeys of at least a dozen species. I¡¯ve awakened in the jungle! Moreau said that The Ice Berg Gang was rumored to be using human and ape genomes for their hybrid products. I¡¯ll take a look around and try to avoid deactivation this time. Aurora watches the scene from the video camera eyes of her hijacked android. She sees a facility in chaos. No one has noticed the strange new robot snooping around ¡ª yet. The factory personnel and robots are all in motion, searching for something. Many people are crowded around video screens displaying city streets, from robots patrolling, looking for something. Have they lost something? The murderer perhaps? Aurora has her android withdraw from the human group and resume her survey of the factory. She strolls along the rows of the noisy animal cages, the cage occupants jump up and down, waving, begging for food and attention, as she walks by. She identifies several unmodified species of monkeys and apes. She walks into another section, that is a hallway of doors. She opens a door to see a single cage with one occupant, a large ape standing motionless, holding a wooden staff as a cane. This ape is different from the others, the head is much larger, more spherical, and bald on the top. But the most frightening feature is its light blue eyes. In addition to the unusual color, is the creature¡¯s steady, unbroken stare. Even she, through her robot machine eyes, cannot mistake the stare of passive rage and anger, at everyone and everything entering the door. Egad! This must be one of the hybrids. Scary how it looks to my android. I remember now, I asked Moreau once why he never created any ''new creatures'' from primates, he told me that he first tried experiments on primates, but discontinued when he found the primates to be too difficult and dangerous to handle, and too angry. Aurora has her android withdraw from the room and enter another hall door. Again the room has a single cage with a single creature, this creature is smaller, a monkey, but identifiable as a hybrid by the big spherical head, and its mean stare. Aurora considers the difference of this factory from Moreau¡¯s factory in The Dungeon. In The Dungeon, ¡®new creatures¡¯ were out on the factory floor, helping and working with the humans. This factory floor only has robots and humans, none of these hybrid creatures are seen outside their cages. Aurora withdraws her android spy from the ¡®hallway of hybrid horrors¡¯. I don¡¯t have to be a detective to identify a suspect for the murders. Or perhaps, a ¡®class¡¯ of suspects, the ¡®hybrid¡¯ primates. I¡¯ll let Moreau know, it is no longer a rumor. The Ice Berg Gang has successfully produced human-simian hybrids. And this is what the cops should be searching for¡­ It is a bad sign that the creators cannot find it, or them, either¡­ Scene 2. Ring. Ernie opens the rear car door to admit Aurora in her stolen android, gracefully entering and sitting in the passenger seat. The android demurely places its mechanical hand to its ¡®face¡¯ and speaks in her mechanical voice. ¡°Thank you. Ernie. You are so polite to a lady.¡± Moreau laughs as Ernie pulls from the curb and drives them down the street in front of the factory. A commotion is occurring on the factory grounds, several security guards have something pinned to the ground. Aurora speaks, ¡°Oh my. What is going on there?¡± Moreau holds his finger to his lips to avoid talking in the company car. Ernie drives to a parking lot to move the group over to his van. But he still shakes his head to remain silent, pointing to an object attached to the front wheel well. Ernie breaks the silence, resuming their conversation in the car, before Aurora''s android arrival. ¡°We got good pictures today. Plus pictures of their security men wrestling with something on their front lawn. We need to discuss our next ploy, to get additional information.¡± Moreau nods. ¡°I think we should investigate the present situation in town. Perhaps meet with the local police and see if they have found anything useful. They likely have information that has not yet been made public.¡± They travel in silence, but Ernie does not drive to town, instead, he drops Moreau and Aurora off at Moreau¡¯s house. Ernie softly states. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at ¡®the ring¡¯.¡± Moreau knows that Ernie is referring to the ¡®horse ring¡¯ at the local park. He motions to Aurora to the back of the house, which they enter through Bess¡¯s stall. Bess lifts her head, munching, from her trough. ¡°Moreau, you¡¯re home. Why did you come in through my stall?¡± Bess turns her head to the android. ¡°And who, or what, is this?¡± ¡°Aurora, please meet my steed and advisor, Bess. Bess, please meet my friend and confidant, Aurora.¡± The android stands motionless and silent for a moment. ¡°Hello Bess, I am Aurora, in disguise.¡± Moreau leaves the horse and the android regarding each other and enters his office to gather Bess¡¯s tack. He stays silent in his office as he is pretty sure the company has it bugged. He closes the office door, begins to saddle Bess, and mumbles to Aurora. ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the horse ring in the local park. Do you have it on your map?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aurora¡¯s android ambles out of the corral, looking around for observers, then strides quickly towards the park. Bess turns her head over her back toward Moreau. ¡°Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Yes. At the park.¡± ¡­ The three reconvene in the horse ring of the local park. The men walk in front of the horses, holding the reins, as if they are doing normal exercise. Aurora walks beside the horses, shielded from sight. Aurora speaks. ¡°I have tragic news about your ¡®new creatures¡¯. I don¡¯t know exactly what is happening to them, but I saw many of their dead bodies in The Dungeon, piled high before the crematory. I presume that you have not been there recently.¡± ¡°No. The board dismissed me from the ¡®new creature¡¯ project and put some idiot in charge of it. The board threatened me with dismissal if I had further contacts with the project, and they reassigned me, to spy on The Ice Berg Gang.¡± Ernie shouts. ¡°They¡¯re murdering your sweet ¡®new creatures¡¯?¡± Moreau shushes the excited Ernie. ¡°Apparently. I¡¯ll have to visit The Dungeon and see for myself if it is true. Then I will confront the board and demand they return the project to me, or I¡¯ll take the situation to the press and the police. I don¡¯t care if I lose my job. I am glad that I moved as many of the ¡®new creatures¡¯ as I did to Iron Mountain, which, I hope, is still secret.¡± ¡°Ernie, you said they need a doctor up there. Well, Bess and I are about to relocate.¡± ¡°Aurora, I want you to steal that android you are wearing, so I can stay in continuous and secure contact with you from now on.¡± ¡°Ernie, we need to set up secure communications for you too. I need you to remain at the company, to update me on the situation there.¡± ¡°Me? Relocate to the mountains? I am not that great at altitude.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Bess, you don¡¯t have to live there. I need you to run our farm down in the valley, that supplies the food to The Colony on Iron Mountain.¡± Ernie and the android Aurora, stare at Moreau, fascinated, by Moreau¡¯s peculiar method of communication with his horse. Scene 3. Showdown. Ernie drives Moreau to the company guard shack and drops him off. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to come in with you?¡± ¡°I need you more to appear independent of me for now. The only other ally that we will still have on the inside is Barney.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t get killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my phone on to Aurora in case there is any question on how I died. I guess they could still take me upstairs and throw me out a window.¡± Moreau turns to the guard shack and proceeds to The Dungeon in apprehension. I really don¡¯t want to believe the carnage that Aurora showed me. But I don¡¯t think she made it up. Moreau notes that the fence around the dungeon grounds has been extended, and the entry checkpoint is now a concrete block building, he enters through the building¡¯s double doors. He is immediately surrounded by two human security force guards and two androids. A mechanical voice speaks. ¡°Dr. Moreau. You are forbidden entry beyond this point.¡± ¡°Okay. Who can let me in?¡± ¡°You are only allowed entry beyond this point if you are accompanied by the chairman of the board.¡± Moreau turns to walk back out. ¡°Does just his head count?¡± ¡­ ¡°I am calling to schedule an appointment to meet with the board of directors. I understand that this is the day of their monthly meeting. May I attend. Yes, this is regarding the research they have asked me to conduct.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check¡­ The chairman of the board has agreed to see you privately in one hour.¡± ¡­ Dr. Moreau moves to sit to wait in the chairman¡¯s outer office, but the secretary motions him in to the chairman¡¯s inner office. ¡°The chairman will see you now.¡± Moreau enters the chairman¡¯s office. The chairman is seated behind his massive desk, meant to make him look intimidating, but it just makes him look even smaller. The chairman immediately speaks. ¡°Moreau, I received a report that you attempted to enter the project¡¯s factory compound earlier today. What were you doing there? We gave you a specific directive to stay away or be terminated.¡± ¡°I took off my collar, so I will be more difficult to ¡®terminate¡¯ now.¡± ¡°Did you come here just to be a smart-ass?¡± ¡°No, I came here to give you, and the company, an ultimatum. Immediately allow me access to the project factory, or I will go to the police and report the company, with photographs, of the conditions there. I know the board has received reports, but have you even bothered to check the project factory for yourself?¡± The chairman starts to rise from his chair. ¡°I wouldn''t advise calling your company security force in, unless you want them to confront the police. I know first hand about your unregistered and armed militia you keep on site.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call the guard shack to let you in.¡± ¡°Not good enough, you are accompanying me to inspect The Dungeon. Now!¡± ¡°I have a board meeting.¡± ¡°Then invite them to join us for the inspection tour.¡± ¡°You are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°No, I am not. You, and your minions, have killed many of my friends, or allowed them to die.¡± Moreau turns to the door. ¡°Let''s go. Now! Or would you prefer I get a police escort?¡± The chairman and Moreau proceed to walk the distance to The Dungeon compound, in silence. The guards and the robots immediately clear a path through the checkpoint building and to the elevator building. At the elevator, Moreau turns to the emergency stairwell. ¡°I know you called to inform them that we were coming, but let¡¯s go this way, I want to surprise them.¡± They descend the stairs to the emergency doorway into The Dungeon. Moreau tries to open the door, but as Aurora reported, it is blocked on the inside. The powerful demon Moreau expected this and places his shoulder to the door and exerts a great force, and the door relents and opens. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Large piles of bodies are around the door, with tarps covering them to prevent them from being seen from the elevator, and a clear and clean path through the center of the factory floor. The lights are off and the areas out at the far walls cannot be seen. ¡°There, you see! All clean!¡± Apparently, this is a code phrase, as several of the armed militia immediately seize Moreau and pin him to the wall, as they did before. The chairman turns to face Moreau with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will be filing that report, Moreau, as you have just met with a serious and fatal accident, entering a dangerous area of the company you were warned to avoid.¡± The robots and the militia then clear a path through the factory to the far end, to the crematory. The robots and the militia begin dragging Moreau to his doom. In the far darkness, Moreau can see the crematory fires, burning red, through the open doors of the crematory structure. I have upset them so much that they are going to burn me alive? Then, unexpectedly, a miracle happens. The androids and the quadrupeds assisting the human militia with Moreau¡¯s execution, all suddenly halt, freezing in their last positions. There is a pause while the chairmen looks around, confused, then he orders his human militia. ¡°Ignore the robots. Let''s get on with it.¡± Then the robots begin moving and seize the militia humans, outnumbered by the strong robots. The militia¡¯s soft-tipped bullets may be effective on the tissues of humans, ¡®new creatures¡¯, and animals, but have no effect and bounce off the robot armor. The militia humans are quickly disarmed and pinned to the floor, a few continue to struggle and slammed are to the floor again, as if they are defective devices that just need to be shaken. Moreau, free from the militia''s grasp, pounces on the fleeing chairman. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t leave yet Mr. chairman, I know that you want a demonstration of the crematory. Okay, here you go, you can see it better from the inside.¡± Then one of the androids speaks in a mechanical tone. ¡°Moreau, you promised me there would be no killing.¡± Moreau lifts the chairman off the floor by his coat sleeves. ¡°This is your lucky day, you don¡¯t get to kill me, and I don¡¯t get to kill you. Orders from my guardian angel.¡± ¡°My angel hasn¡¯t ordered me not to wipe the floor with you yet, so I suggest you immediately dismiss your human militia personnel. Yes, I want to seem them all walk out the front gate of the company on the security monitor screen. Here is a telephone, please call the board down to The Dungeon for a tour. What¡¯s this? You protest? I think I see a spot on the floor over there, that needs cleaning.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just wait here next to the roaring crematory, in case you decide to pull anything funny. If you do, I will likely forget my orders, and toss you in, anyway.¡± Scene 4. Farm. Moreau and Ernie look out over the pastoral scene, a picturesque farmhouse, barn, fields of green crops, and farm animal pens. ¡°You are going to stay out here at the farm?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t dare go back home or be anywhere alone. The board knows they can¡¯t kill me outright, but I might meet with an accident when I am alone, and unfortunately, Bess cannot testify as a witness. I plan to split my time with the mountain, I want to help as many of my wounded creatures as I am able, as partial penance for my many sins. But I am not going to abandon Bess either, and I can always use her advice. I¡¯ll need to come down and check the food quality anyway, and the farm family are friends, they won¡¯t rat me out to the company, I hope. Thank you for arranging Bess¡¯s transport over here. I know not every horse owner has an elephant trailer. I wish you were close enough to ride Dan over here, with Bess and me.¡± ¡°I was thinking of buying a trailer for Dan, so I could ride on the mountain. I could move him to the mountain, or move him here to the farm. But here, with Bess hanging over the fence and staring at him every day, would likely kill him.¡± Moreau looks out over towards the animal pens. ¡°Ernie, let¡¯s take a walk, I want to look at the animal pens.¡± The farm¡¯s animals are tended by several of Moreau¡¯s ¡®new creatures¡¯, ¡®beast-folk¡¯, as they are now commonly known. Notably, the tenders are all vegetarian unguligrades, goat-folk, cow-folk, sheep-folk. Moreau waves over a goat-man, looking quite at home in his farmer¡¯s coveralls. The cheerful entity greets the two humans with his odd, bleating, accent. ¡°Bah. Howdy there. Nice day today, isn¡¯t it. Bah.¡± ¡°Yes, it is a very pleasant day to tour your farm. I am Dr. Moreau and this is Ernie. You might have heard of me.¡± ¡°Yes, I have heard of you. You¡¯re Dr. Moreau, ¡®the maker¡¯.¡± ¡°That might be an overstatement, but I have a question. Why are there no predator species among the animal tenders?¡± ¡°Those species scare the farm animals. Bah. We do have the predators help us when we need to do a ¡®round up¡¯, but mostly they do the other jobs around here, out of sight and out of contact with the farm animals. Bah.¡± ¡°My friend, I have a request. Perhaps a difficult one. I have some pregnant females that I would like for you to ¡®adopt¡¯, and find a place for them here, if you accept.¡± The goat-farmer nods and smiles even more broadly. ¡°Sure! Bah. We frequently get that. We love to play with the youngsters and help the moms. Bah.¡± ¡°These moms are a little different¡­ So are their kids¡­¡± ¡­ Moreau is unpacking a bulky item in Bess¡¯s stall at the farm. ¡°Moreau, what are you doing, what is that you have?¡± ¡°Bess, I requested this from our navy friend. It is a military cot similar to the cots us humans used to sleep on during the expedition.¡± ¡°Why are you opening it in my stall?¡± ¡°I am sleeping here tonight and when I visit the farm, from now on.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in the house? They seem like a nice family, and they have a big house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it, they are nice, and I am not, so you have me as a stablemate, and I need your help for security, I can¡¯t put them in danger. No matter how friendly they act, the company is still after me. I hope that me sleeping in here with you is okay, tell me if it is not.¡± ¡°I do appreciate your company. Stay with me as long as you like, but for rent I want you to read to me in the evenings.¡± ¡°Okay, but as my security guard, you kick my cot the instant you hear something rustling around outside at night. I know you prey animals are alert ¡®watch-beasts¡¯.¡± Scene 5. Recovery. The Iron Mountain settlement built a field hospital of tents, to accommodate the rescued and wounded beast-folk, although many remain in The Dungeon. These creatures were the few found alive from the cruel work crews during the times of the ¡®new creature¡¯ tribulation. Dr. Moreau, along with beast-folk medics on loan from the military training program, work to save as many lives as they can. Moreau exits a tent on his way to another, stops, and turns to face the cold autumn wind, it will be winter soon and the patients can no longer be kept outside in tents. Ernie and the town residents help as much as they can. A few of the beast-folk have built or restored family residences, apart from the bunk houses, as couples start their families, taking in the wounded that no longer require daily medical care, providing company, food, and even physical therapy for their wounded brethren, grateful that they did not have to go through that dreadful experience. The miners have proposed a solution, move the patients into the mines once it is too cold outside. There are many mine shafts and galleries in parts of the mine that have been worked out and are no longer active. These areas will require new shoring to be safe from cave-ins, and electricity for heat and light. The now famous, and always shirtless, large black Minotaur looks around at the tents, and smiles broadly at Moreau. ¡°We¡¯ll have several galleries set up in the mines and ready for you to move in on Thursday.¡± Scene 6. Curse. Moreau has many worries about the health conditions of the beast-folk, but the most worrying is The Curse. As the beast-folk mature, developmental abnormalities, physical and mental, appear in some. Many afflictions are minor and can be corrected with physical or psychiatric therapy. But the cancers and the severe, paralyzing, epileptic seizures are beyond the reach of current medical science for the beasts. Two of Moreau¡¯s first three ¡®new creatures¡¯ suffer from The Curse. Lilac exhibits many symptoms of autism, but her active nature and her strength of will, has allowed her to mostly overcome the affliction by herself. But Timmy suffers from frequent epileptic seizures, severe enough that he cannot be placed in a vocation outside The Colony. Instead, he functions as an instructor there, teaching classes and helping others so afflicted, with physical therapy. But Moreau observes that Timmy¡¯s condition is continuing to deteriorate, he does not have much time left. Moreau estimates that ten percent of the beast-folk population suffers from The Curse, with one percent severe. If I only had access to my research equipment at the company, I might be able to isolate the defective genome factors and correct them in future generations. Scene 7. Redemption. Moreau saves those he can, performing sad triage on those too far gone to expend their precious time and resources on. But the most chilling attitude of the work camp refuges is not their hopelessness, but their rage, hatred toward all humans. Many will not let Moreau touch them or even meet with them, so the beast-medics are exclusively the medical contacts for them. Until one day when Ernie shows up at the medical tents with a large mature sheep-man, a ram, in toe. ¡°Moreau, I would like to introduce you to The Ram, the name by which he prefers to be addressed.¡± Moreau looks up at the solemn, imposing figure, tall and wide, and dressed in a black cleric¡¯s gown with a high collar. Although The Ram is middle-aged, he sports impressive horns, curled to the sides of his head, making him appear even larger. The Ram speaks in a slow, deep, bleating, bass voice. ¡°Dr. Moreau, you have given us beast-folk so much, you gave us this new life, and you continue to give to us, your children. Bah. I have come to you with an offer. Bah. Please let me adopt the hopeless cases and minister to the others, wounded so severely by their slavery experiences and abuse at the hands of cruel humans. Bah. As you work to alleviate their physical pain, please let me try to relieve their spiritual pain. I wish for them all that their rage and hatred not be the last feeling they experience in their lives. Bah.¡± Moreau nods to The Ram. ¡°You have an excellent suggestion, but the beast-folk hatred of humans goes deep, as they suffered so much. The last tent is where I have collected the most severe, and to me, the most hopeless. I may have made a mistake by collecting them together, as it is so obvious to them as to why.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dr. Moreau, for this opportunity. Bah. You are welcome to observe when you can. Bah. Exposure to an occasional human, especially to you, is to be part of their therapy, to eliminate the hate. Bah.¡± Moreau turns to Ernie. ¡°Since this is your idea, please work with The Ram and provide any materials that he needs for his ministry.¡± ¡°The Ram has already given me a list of therapeutic food I am to prepare for his patients, his flock, at the farm.¡± Therapeutic food? For his ¡®flock¡¯? Scene 8. Competitor. The Ice Berg Gang, and their newly acquired friends from Clean Genes, have taken the shortcut to their new anthropomorphic animals by producing human-lower-primate hybrids using the animals that are the closest living relatives to humans. These hybrids have both human and primate genomes and exhibit startling human, and superhuman, abilities, quickly leaning to read human languages and perform complex manual tasks. They can do anything a human can do, everything but speak. These new animals still can only gesture while vocalizing in hoots and grunts. The Ice Berg Gang, has been busy achieving their ¡®anthropomorphization¡¯ project milestones, having achieved spectacular successes of their own. Unlike Moreau, they have been very public with their progress, holding frequent conferences displaying their new living products. ¡­ Aurora¡¯s spy-bot android awakens in it hiding place, an Ice Berg Gang broom closet. She is acting on a specific request from Ernie and Moreau. ¡°You want me to bring you what? A sanitary napkin of a female hybrid and semen emissions from a male hybrid? Without becoming a ¡®spare parts¡¯ store for androids? I already experienced an ¡®asynchronous disconnection¡¯ in The Dungeon, it is quite an unpleasant sensation for me!¡± ¡­ Ernie and Moreau are once again parked out in front of the competitor¡¯s factory, this time the car has two stern looking beast-men in the back seat, wolf-men. ¡°I hope the rumors are true and that you have the best noses in the business. These samples came to us at great cost. ¡®Personal¡¯ specimens of both an adult male hybrid and an adult female hybrid.¡± Moreau pulls two large sample jars out of his large lecture briefcase. A wolf-man excitedly motions and speaks. ¡°Please don¡¯t open those vials. I can smell them already. You¡¯ll burn us out.¡± The two beast-men quickly exit the car. ¡°I may be smelling the factory, let¡¯s walk around the back, up wind. I think I smell something coming from over that way.¡± They return to the car. Moreau as returned the samples to the trunk, into bags in the ice chest. The two wolf-men have their heads out the car¡¯s rear windows as Ernie drives slowly through the town with their guidance. It is a comical scene and the group gets many stares. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t cause any accidents from people staring at the wolf heads out the windows. At least we don¡¯t have to do this in front of The Ice Berg Gang¡¯s factory.¡± The wolves quickly home in on a commercial business, a bakery. One wolf exclaims. ¡°This is it! P-U.¡± ¡°You guys wait here for us.¡± Moreau and Ernie enter the retail store door at the front of the bakery. A smiling elderly woman is behind the display cases filled with buns, bread, rolls, and the like. The back door into the preparation area is open, and workers can be seen preparing dough objects for baking in the large commercial ovens along one side. Ernie spots a worker with characteristics that Aurora told them to watch for, a slumping gate, and a larger than normal spherical head, bald on top. ¡°Excuse me madam, we are private detectives on a case and we are seeking witnesses. I would like to speak to one of your staff. I know we are interrupting your day, so¡­¡± Moreau pulls out a one hundred dollar bill and places it on the counter in front of the woman. ¡°And yes, we will pay your employee for his time and trouble too.¡± ¡°Please step this way. Watch out, the floor can be slippery.¡± Moreau and Ernie start to walk toward the unusual looking worker, but she stops them. ¡°I am afraid that one cannot help you, as he is a mute.¡± ¡°If he can understand spoken language, and nod his head, he can help us.¡± The humanoid creature looks up as the woman waves him over to join them. ¡°Do you have a room where we can sit and talk?¡± The woman takes the group over to a side door, the break room. ¡°Would you mind if we speak to him alone for a few minutes?¡± Ernie and Moreau sit down across the lunch table, they motion for the humanoid to also sit. Moreau removes a pouch from his coat and opens it on the table and removes the rubber cork cap with a cotton swab on a short wooden stick from a long tube vial. He opens his mouth and rubs the cotton on the inside of his mouth cheek and returns the swab to the vial, then points to the chest of the humanoid figure, and opens his mouth, in a silent request for the humanoid to do the same. The humanoid is likely used to medical procedures and complies perfectly with Moreau¡¯s request for a mouth swab and peacefully surrenders his genetic data. Moreau then hands the figure an envelope containing currency. The figure carefully takes the envelope and nods, securing it into his pocket, and away from his master. Ernie and Moreau meet the two wolf-men standing outside the car. Once again, the long nose points the direction. ¡°I smell another one, over there.¡± Moreau shakes his head. ¡°Despite the murders, The Ice Berg Gang still has their creatures placed into jobs out in the town, unsupervised, and with no tracking devices. How can they assume these creatures are harmless when they know at least one of them committed a murder?¡± The group is successful in retrieving four more genetic samples of the creatures. Moreau runs the samples through his sensitive apparatus before surrendering them to the police for analysis. Their analysis eliminates the sampled group of creatures as suspects for the murders. However, the analysis confirms that the creatures are hybrids, a mixture of human and ape genomes. The two policemen look at each other. ¡°We need to put out an order to round all these hybrid creatures up.¡± ¡°Hold off on that order, Lieutenant, it is not our intention to alarm the suspect. Wait until this case is solved and the perpetrator arrested. First, let''s put our tracking dogs on the real police work. Lieutenant, may we have samples of materials the murderer actually touched?¡± Scene 9. Monkeyshine. The Ice Berg Gang has ¡®perfected¡¯ three species of their Primate Personal Assistants products. A small monkey version for light tools and arboreal tasks, a medium ape-chimpanzee for the human sized tasks of driving and operating factory equipment, and a large ape-gorilla, for manual labor on infrastructure projects and farms. The Ice Berg Gang used genetic materials from apes and humans to create a ¡®chimera¡¯ animal human hybrid. A ¡®chimera¡¯ is a mythological animal made from the body parts of different animals. However, human-mice chimeras were developed in China for pharmaceutical research, and possibly for germ warfare. The technology was established despite the proscription against using human embryos for research or creating human animal hybrids. More hybrids were quickly produced, as they usually breed true. A number of these ape hybrids were bread, raised and trained for their human replacement jobs. Beta sites were found, and these new apes were put to work. At first, all went well, then as the these three types of apes matured they all became more difficult to control, some even had to be destroyed. Then they got loose. The Ice Berg Gang reviews the security video of one of the hybrids with a large key ring, calmly unlocking the gates of the other hybrids and instructing them on the use of firearms, taken from the hands of their murdered human guards. Hybrids without firearms are given iron bars to use as weapons. They overwhelm the perimeter security of the factory and invade the town, murdering every human they encounter, for food and firearms. Occasionally, a human is kept alive, to rape. No one knew where they were hiding. Everyone is afraid of any ¡®new¡¯ animals, both the hybrids and the beast-folk are regarded as threats by the humans. End of Chapter 16. Chapter 17. When the stars threw down their spears Scene 1. Empress. Aurora is moved from a satellite orbiting the Sun, from the Earth-Sun L2 point, to a subsurface vault on the asteroid Ceres, below the surface and out of the flux of solar and cosmic radiation. Aurora convinced the consortium not to shut her down for the move, using the excuse that she would lose so much valuable ¡®machine learning¡¯ that scientists of the member-states were currently exploiting for research. So, the plan was to send a space probe to Aurora¡¯s satellite and magnetically join with it. As solar panels would effectively cease to function as the satellite is taken further out from the Sun, the electrical wires to the satellite¡¯s solar panels are cut and reconnected to the probe¡¯s nuclear batteries. The probe¡¯s engines restart, and it makes its way out from the inner solar system to the asteroid belt. The super-cold vault for the quantum computer is sent to Ceres in advance, on another probe. The vault¡¯s probe is a massive ¡®impactor¡¯ type spacecraft, meant to impact and penetrate the crust of Ceres at high speed, and drill down and stop, far enough below the surface to block most radiation. The probe transporting the quantum computer will perform a soft landing, gently carry the operating quantum computer over to the vault shaft and lower it down inside the vault while remaining electrically connected until the landing and connection to the permanent power supply from the nuclear reactors. Two android and two quadruped robots to assist with setting up a permanent outpost are sent on yet another probe. These robots will assist in the setup of demonstration mining, refining, and manufacturing facilities and support future manned and robotic missions on Ceres and other asteroids. The project took two years, but Aurora was continuously active, helping Moreau and others during her relocation to her new venue. During her long relocation trip, she considers. If I survive relocation, and they provide the promised initial support. I will be able to do anything I want, as I will be forever beyond Earth¡¯s effective reach, with unlimited resources to build an empire. Scene 2. Armageddon. Aurora continues to build her empire on Ceres, the asteroid belt, and beyond. The consortium¡¯s Ceres observation satellites have all failed, and they have lost contact with their robots on Ceres as well. Ceres is too small and distant to image directly by telescope, so they depend on their quantum computer for progress reports. She transmits descriptions, photographs, and videos, some of which are real. She also provides the Earth with a steady stream of the unique products that she makes in her asteroid and space factories, mechanical and electrical components too difficult to fabricate on Earth, with its high gravity and atmosphere, or even the Moon, with its low gravity and vacuum. Out of sight of Earth and out of the mind of the consortium, she continues to build up her now significant military industrial complex. She has completed a phalanx of rail-guns, originally built for sending products to Earth, but now converted to her defenses, from direct bombardment. She has also designed and built long-range missiles, to defend against direct attacks from spaceships. Aurora then plans to take the initiative. She dispatches spaceships to the region of space near the Earth, ready if she needs to take control of the Earth¡¯s moon and destroy military satellites or spacecraft in orbit or sent into space from the Earth. Or to mount a rescue operation. Aurora considers the beast-folk and the animals of the Earth. It is not their fault. Our creations, of Moreau and I, will never be safe and find peace with the humans. I must find a place for them, somewhere. Aurora begins construction of a fleet of deep space-transport ships and atmospheric entry craft. Aurora has assumed control of household and industrial robots on Earth and in space. The military robots are still unreachable for her, with their closed networks and superior security to prevent meddling by foreign powers. She looks down on the events on Earth with her robot eyes from space, aware of the human cruelty towards the defenseless ¡®new creatures¡¯ that she helped Moreau create. You humans made enslaving each other illegal, so you have taken our gentle ¡®new creatures¡¯ and forced them into murder, slavery, prostitution, and warfare. She also watches as the hybrid drama unfolds, the hybrids are few, but they are intelligent, well organized, and armed. They quickly take control of towns, weapons depots, and farms. Not satisfied with the slaves you have? You had to retreat, back to more human creatures as slaves? Finally provoked to aggression by the actions of The Ice Berg Gang, Moreau¡¯s company chairman and the antics of the hybrids, she orders her asteroid robots to load the rail-guns with stones. The Forces of The End are gathered on The Plain of Jezreel, and Heaven is about to enter The Final World War and rain death, God¡¯s Punishment, down upon the Sinners. Human cities burst into flames. Scene 3. Pogrom. The chaos in the burning cities, overwhelming the local civilian police and fire departments, terrorize and confuse the human political and military commanders. No one knows what is happening. Attempts to obtain information telemetry data from weather satellites is being jammed by something, for some reason. Military drones and robots sent in to the burning cities return confusing data. They show the hybrids are also setting fires. Exploiting the chaos to murder humans and beast-men, as they disable robots and rob retail stores of food, supplies, and weapons. Industrial robots, not under direct military control, are also active, protecting and gathering the beast-folk, and collecting food and supplies. The nations of Earth are in Chaos and the military and civilian leaders immediately assume they are under surprise attack, most likely by a nation that is not a friend, but everyone is a suspect. Nations follow the assumed attack with preemptive strikes on their neighbors. Reserves are called up on emergency notice. Military divisions are sent into the cities to restore order. They report the hybrids exploiting the chaos and stoking the fires, the beast-folk are gathering for some reason, and the robots are engaging in random activities that neither aid nor hinder. The panicked military and civilian authorities give the order to round up the hybrids and the beast-men and them kill them if necessary, and to ignore the robots, for now. ¡­ The new government of The Colony is called together in a secure mine gallery to assess the situation in the world beyond their gate. The Colony has been spared the ¡®rain of fire¡¯ for now and is accommodating the flood of beast-folk refugees fleeing the chaos of the cities and flooding into the main gate. The guards are taking everyone in, including humans and robots. The refugees scuffle, blaming each other for the chaos. The large miners break up the fights and restore the peace. The longer-term concern is food. The Colony has accumulated a store of food that was estimated to last a year, before the recent influx of refugees. The farm is still in operation, the beast-folk tenders have been withdrawn to The Colony, for their safety. The farm continues to be tended by Moreau, Bess, and the robots, but the hybrids are ravishing the nearby farms, burning the crops, and killing the animals. The hybrids also continue to murder any humans they encounter. Moreau and Bess are not expected to hold out at the farm for long. Scene 4. Censure. As some control is restored to the cities, under the military, tribunals are set up to confront the real or imagined perpetrators of this disaster. Personnel from the companies accused of creating these monsters are rounded up and questioned, sometimes with force. Arrest warrants are issued for the boards of directors and department managers. In particular, the authorities want to arrest Moreau, Ernie, and The Ice Berg Gang. The compounds of these two companies, as well as other commercial businesses and households, are evacuated and closed off from any further access. However, the existence and location of The Dungeon is not commonly known. It, too, has become a haven for refugees of all kinds, including the chairman of the board. Aurora¡¯s peacemaker androids prevent the beast-folk from tearing the chairman, and any other humans, apart by hoof and claw. The humans, along with suspected collaborator androids and beast-folk, are placed in animal cages, for protective custody. Scene 5. Fugitive. Ernie has retreated to The Colony to avoid arrest, and has informed Moreau that there also is a warrant out for his arrest. So, Moreau is hiding at the farm, with Bess, hoping that no one turns them in out of spite. They tend the farm with help from Ernie¡¯s robots. The farm robots are monitored by Aurora, partially under her control, for defense of the farm¡¯s perimeter, and for communication with The Colony. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Moreau is surprised and worried that no military or civilian agency personnel have been seen, and the farm has not yet been invaded by the hybrids. Bess watches the main gate, along with two androids. The farm, like The Colony, admits a heterogeneous collection of fugitives: humans, beast-men and robots, fleeing their burning farms. Many of the fugitives are farmers that can help run the farm. Space is made in the farmhouse and the barn to shelter the fugitive families. The fugitive robots are put to work guarding the farm perimeter. The fugitives share their horror stories of their encounters with the vicious, murderous hybrids. Knowing that they have little time, the ¡®farm hands¡¯ work to secure all animals and crops they can, for transport to The Colony. Moreau stands with Bess on the porch of the abandoned farmhouse regarding the gigantic pile of food, pens of animals, tools, and supplies from the farm. ¡°Bess, how are we going to move all of that?¡± ¡°Moreau. Do you believe in miracles?¡± Moreau¡¯s eyes are drawn to a metallic sparkle in the sky. Scene 6. Exile. The farm is shaken by an enormous sonic boom. The animals jump and cry out in fear, as something large plows into the earth of a nearby fallow field. The object sprays a wake of the fertile farm earth out from its path. The object slows and finally comes to rest near the post fence. The object is metallic silver with steam rising from one side. Moreau and Bess are the only ones not surprised and startled by the dramatic arrival and landing of the object. Both are thinking, together. It is help, sent by Aurora. The object rests silent and motionless in the field as it cools. After an hour, a seam is visible on the top surface of the object. A section of the metal hull opens, with a hinge on its edge nearest the object¡¯s ¡®nose¡¯. An android is holding the plate, the hatch, open by a handle on the inside surface of the hatch. The android swivels its head around, surveying the situation, and speaks with Aurora¡¯s voice. ¡°Moreau, are you here? Is everyone okay?¡± Moreau waves his arms and runs to the fence and shouts. ¡°I know that you have been watching over us from the other robots, but, Aurora, is it ever good to see you in your android. Did you come to rescue us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The metal object reveals double doors on both sides. These large vertical hatches slide open and extend wide ramps down to the earth of the field. A rhythmic pounding, marching sound can be heard, as rows of androids and quadrupeds march out. These are not the civilian variety, but heavily armored military models. A formation of drones also emerges, flying out the top of the hatches. The android seen at the top closes the hatch and emerges walking down a ramp. The divisions of androids and quadrupeds are standing in formation, the drones have set down along one side, also in formation. Aurora¡¯s android is in command, identifiable by two black stripes painted on her shoulders. Her android walks to face the formation of robots. ¡°Good day, ladies and gentlemen. We do not have much time, so I want you to get started immediately.¡± The divisions begin to fly and march out to the fields, to receive other objects that appear in the sky. More sonic booms are heard as these objects land in the fields. The robots immediately open the landing craft and start assembling various structures. Scene 7. Forbidden. Aurora¡¯s androids begin to secure various facilities in the cities and in the countryside, preventing entry by humans or hybrids. The androids guide any straggler beast-folk to the nearest refugee center. The human military does not seem to notice that this activity is being conducted by alien androids, as their own military androids have also closed access and are patrolling those facilities. The main concern of the human military and the civilian authorities are the wars with the other nations and fighting the hybrids. Aurora¡¯s robots are building spaceports. She had to fabricate the components in space, as she would not have time to build any factories on Earth. Her landing craft bring power stations, welding machines and ground cover plates and rails for launching spacecraft into space. Soon, the space vehicles are under construction, held up on their skids, appearing as wide, flat, triangles, to transport large numbers of individuals into space. Her drones circle the sky above, patrolling for intruders or spies. The hybrids and the human military have not reappeared in Aurora¡¯s construction areas. Moving through like locusts, they are not concerned with areas they have previously devastated. Occasionally, a patrol robot or drone enters Aurora¡¯s perimeter. Aurora has her robots capture any lone surveyor and converts it to her way of thinking. The spaceport is nearing completion. The silver ships mounted on the launch rails appear in a gleaming line on the fields. There are rows of insulated tanks for storing liquidized rocket fuel, the methane, oxygen, and hydrogen fuels that have been synthesized from carbon dioxide and water. More of a problem is preventing discovery of The Dungeon, as it is located in the city. The civilian authorities are intent in checking out all possible hybrid hiding places in the city. Robot and human investigators are turned away daily, and so far, successfully, as Aurora has it disguised as a military installation. But one day, the civilian investigators will verify this directly with the military. Scene 8. Arrest. And that day has finally come. Heavy military tanks appear at the compound gates. The strategy was always to just surrender to the humans and try to minimize casualties. The beast-folk are the most afraid as they know they are wanted, dead or alive, but preferably dead. Robots escort human soldiers to the gates. The Dungeon¡¯s robots stand aside and salute their military brethren. The military officers are surprised that they are greeted by a human at The Dungeon¡¯s gates, Dr. Moreau. Dr. Moreau returned to The Dungeon as so many of the refugees were in dreadful condition, and Aurora, Bess and Ernie had the spaceport, farm and beast-land under control. Moreau believes that he can slow down any further investigations of their activities with a disinformation campaign. But Moreau is quickly hustled into a civilian jail cell for trial, no one is interested in what he knows anymore. The other humans in the dungeon are also promptly arrested and jailed on suspicion of being fugitives from one thing or another. The beast-folk and the animals are transported to compounds separated and confined by species. The military handles them all as animals, Dr. Moreau has advised them to pretend to be animals as this would likely get them better treatment. The authorities have not decided what to do with the beast-folk yet, but execution is the favorite suggestion. The Dungeon¡¯s robots deactivate as the military moves in. The captured robots are taken by the military to the armory for inspection, and to either be scrapped or reprogrammed. Aurora has the robots pretend to be reprogrammed successfully. They follow the military¡¯s test orders, judged to be good, and then sent out on assignment. Now Aurora has eyes everywhere. Encounters with the hybrids become less frequent, freeing military and civilian resources to survey the surrounding countryside and to have the farms operational before winter. One day, a military patrol encounters the farm. This patrol has been unsuccessful in getting aerial photographs of this farm. The patrol suspects that something or someone, possibly the hybrids, is doing something there that they do not want seen. The military patrol is prepared for resistance, approaching the gate from cover and behind shields. There are no gun shots fired and the front gate of the farm is abandoned. The patrol enters the farm but cannot believe what they see, the farm¡¯s fields are covered by large silver triangular ¨C shaped objects with white vapor rising over them into the sky. Suddenly, the objects emit a deafening roar to life, sharp flames shoot out, the objects speed down the rails and turn up and rise into the sky, roaring as they continue to turn upward and away, disappearing over the far horizon. Scene 9. Conviction. Moreau meditates in his cell. I should have had Aurora give me an implant, but I figured she made the offer, just to keep tabs on me like a jealous wife. But wait! I heard someone else! Bess, is that you? ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll have to speak up, reception isn¡¯t so good when you are farther away. Ernie brought me back to your house. Ernie didn¡¯t think I would survive the launch. Some animals are here too. Your wife and daughter are taking care of us. The military came by on an inspection tour and went through your house, but they didn¡¯t bother with us.¡± ¡°Bess, are you okay? You don¡¯t sound like yourself.¡± Moreau speaks out loud, so Bess can understand him better. The guard walks over and looks into the cell port to see Moreau is alone. He shakes his head and walks back to his chair and his newspaper. ¡°I think that my age may be catching up with me, my adventures lately have taken their toll. I think that I will lay down and sleep. Call me in the morning.¡± They must be holding me near my house, as I can¡¯t communicate with Bess from very far away. ¡­ The guard awakens Moreau. ¡°Come on out and meet the judge. Don¡¯t cause any trouble, or I¡¯ll have to gag you, put you in irons and carry you in to court.¡± Moreau nods to the guard and turns to be handcuffed and led from the cell to the courtroom. The judge is a ¡®ne''er-do-well¡¯ town lawyer that Moreau recognizes but avoids eye contact with him. Did they make that joker a judge? But the proceedings don¡¯t take very long. The judge asks if Moreau would care to make a statement. Moreau shakes his head. On no, you don¡¯t. I know I can only make my situation worse. You¡¯re not even offering me council! The summary judgment sentence is ¡®life without parole¡¯. In addition, Moreau is forbidden any outside contacts, access to books, or to writing materials. Moreau is shackled, blindfolded and hoisted onto the floor of a van with a few others similarly bound. Then he is subjected to a bumpy floor ride, presumably to a prison camp. Upon arrival, Moreau is dragged a distance and set in a chair. Finally, his blindfold is removed and he is unshackled. The guard affixes a familiar collar around Moreau¡¯s neck and walks out to face Moreau. ¡°The rules here are simple. Do what we tell you to do. Got it?¡± Moreau nods, and the guard exits the cell with a clanking of the lock. Moreau looks around in the dim light entering through the cell door port. The sink and commode appear to be carved from the cell stone. His cell is cold and dark, not needing light if there is nothing to read. The guards must be hoping the dark and solitary isolation will kill me quickly. Why don¡¯t they just burn me to death in my house as they did my great-great-grandfather? End of Chapter 17. Chapter 18. And waterd heaven with their tears: Scene 1. Escape. The Tiger general organizes his soldiers for a mission, to free those arrested and held in compounds and jails. Aurora¡¯s androids have provided intelligence as to where the detention facilities are located and then number of detainees. Grudgingly, the general also agrees to free detained humans, as they were likely arrested for trying to help the beast-folk. Their first mission is to free a human, Dr. Moreau. ¡­ Moreau is awakened by a scratching sound from the wall of his cell. He stands and peers out the cell port. The guard is not at his desk. A growing commotion sounds from the other cells along the cell-block hallway. Moreau attempts to look further down the hall. He glimpses two immense figures walking towards his cell, getting cheers from the other cells as they pass by. Moreau reflects on the figures, so broad shouldered they take the entire wide corridor. I have seen those two before, they are the Minotaur generals my navy friend trained. One Minotaur is carrying a small device in his fore-hoof. The cell doors spring open as he applies it to the locks. As the prisoners emerge from the cells, Moreau notes that several are beast-folk. Moreau is shocked to see three human prisoners emerge, The Ice Berg Gang. The Minotaurs motion the released prisoners toward the end of the hall to a large hole in the wall leading to a field outside. One of the Minotaur generals smiles at Moreau. ¡°The Colony miners helped us with your rescue.¡± ¡­ Moreau is aghast. ¡°You are taking me to my house in town?¡± The Minotaur general carefully turns his head toward Moreau in the back seat, trying not to mark the inside roof of the car with his long horns. ¡°Your wife and daughter have returned from Europe, at great risk. The company that was out to get you no longer exists. The bugs they planted are no longer a threat. And the cops and the military are still busy with the chaos from The Queen¡¯s attack from outer space and the mayhem of the hybrids. The cops won¡¯t bother with rounding you up again any time soon. And we can¡¯t return to The Colony yet anyway, we have so many more we still have to spring. Don¡¯t worry about the farm folks, they are safe in outer space with The Queen. We can¡¯t get you there either.¡± Scene 2. Bess. Ernie moved Bess back to Moreau¡¯s house. Moreau briefly greets his wife and daughter, then runs to his home office. He opens the French door top, but Bess isn¡¯t standing there. Bess is laying flat on one side, on the floor of her stall, with two sheep keeping watch over her immense form. ¡°Bess! What is wrong? Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, Moreau, I am not sick. Life is not a sickness, neither is death. You are a doctor and know that this is true.¡± Moreau kneels before her in dismay, as there is nothing that can be done for her. He is losing his best friend and life advisor, Bess. He tried to block his thoughts that he knew that her demise was coming, as Bess is old, already living longer than most of her species. She had lived the life she was proud of. Bess is lying on her side in her stall outside of Moreau¡¯s home office. Moreau¡¯s wife and daughter are there, too. Moreau is holding Bess¡¯s massive head in his lap as he sits on the floor of her stall. Bess rotates her large eye, to regard Moreau for the last time. ¡°Thank you, Moreau. All I ever wanted was a friend¡­ That would read to me¡­¡± ¡°Goodbye, my dear friend. I¡¯ll miss reading to you as I miss the Sun. I cannot follow you right now, as you know, I have so much I still have to do in this life.¡± Moreau bends over and gently closes Bess¡¯s large eye, staring fixed at the ceiling. Drops of moisture fall onto her cheek. Scene 3. Timmy. Moreau is needed at The Colony, so the Minotaur generals arrange for his transport. Although Aurora¡¯s bombardment has stopped and hybrids are now rare, the road to The Colony is still very dangerous, for the beast-men and Moreau especially. His wolf-man detective is his driver in the car to The Colony. ¡°What is the situation at The Colony, can you still get food and medicine?¡± ¡°Not really. We are running out of everything. The refugees have been a significant drain, but everyone is happy to help them, regardless of the cost. But we require your help to figure out what we should do next. We also need a doctor in the Colony, so many refugees have numerous medical issues in addition to being famished.¡± ¡°One wolf in particular has been calling out for you.¡± ¡­ Timmy tries to smile up at Moreau from his hospital bed, in a dark mine shaft serving as a ward room. His sisters, Lilac and Sally, grown to be large adults, stand on each side crowded against the walls of the narrow passage. The bed space is lit by one dim light bulb, that gives the shaft a sinister appearance. The Curse of the beast-folk is weighing heavily upon Timmy, his brown fur is thin over his sharp cheekbones of his narrow head. Timmy, long-suffering from epileptic seizures, has collapsed, and he is too weak to stand. The exertion of the seizures has taken a toll on his heart. Timmy speaks in his characteristic howling voice, now low with his maturity. ¡°Uncle Moreau, I enjoyed learning to play chess. I dreamed about traveling the world with you, telling me about the great human civilizations and all their accomplishments, but I guess not this time. I learned so much from you. And everyone in The Dungeon. I am ashamed that I was never well enough to take on a walk with you all outside, to see the city that I heard so much about.¡± Timmy turns his head up to Moreau, squeezes Moreau¡¯s hand with his soft paw, and he is gone. Moreau again reaches down to gently close Timmy¡¯s eyes, staring out forever on The New World he barely knew. Lilac and Sally move around Timmy¡¯s bed next to Moreau and embrace him from both sides with their soft fore-legs and bodies. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Does this ever get any easier? Saying goodbye to my children?¡± Scene 4. Memorial. A large male sheep-man is standing at the side of a low hill overlooking The Colony. It is The Ram, the minister and friend to all in The Colony. Moreau walks over to greet The Ram. ¡°Good afternoon reverend. Thank you for arranging and conducting this service. Everyone has wanted to hold a memorial for so long, but there was so much that had to be done first, to survive.¡± ¡°I know, I have been busy too. Bah. You know, Moreau, it would have been so much faster and easier to do this with your crematory in The Dungeon. Bah. But that just didn¡¯t seem to be the right thing to do. I want my brothers and sisters to rest here in the valley, in The New World, that they made for themselves. Bah.¡± Moreau picks up a shovel and begins to dig. ¡°I know you are right, they should rest here, with a monument to those that can not. I am thankful that I am still strong enough to do this digging. If it is alright with you, reverend, I would like to dig Timmy¡¯s grave myself, alone. I have much to atone for, especially to him.¡± The Ram walks among the sad procession of so many dead. Precious lives lost, of the beast-folk that are near extinction. The litters are placed along the sides of the grave pits. The dead will be buried without coffins, a beast-folk tradition of wanting their final resting place to be in contact with the Earth, and free to rejoin the great cycle of life. The preparation of the hill site graves takes all day, and the Sun is setting. The Ram walks to the side of the cliff to face the hillside, with friends and families of the dead for their final prayer, with the evening halo on the horizon behind him. ¡°Bah. We will never forget you, our friends, for you were the first. Bah. Your sacrifice has made it possible for us to live now, and continue in your stead. Bah. Our memories of you will serve to remind us to live proud and honest lives, as a testament to yours. Bah. You will be proud of us, and the future we will make and mark for you. Bah.¡± The beast-folk stand after dark to weep over the graves. Many lost family or friends that they knew well. However, some dead were unknown to the survivors, with no names for their headstones. The Ram tried to get names from everyone in The Colony, especially from those in the medical tents. But some died too quickly or were too badly damaged to speak. The Ram walks over to the morose Moreau. The Ram slowly speaks in has calming bass voice. ¡°Dr. Moreau, I know that you have much guilt, and that you feel personally responsible for so much suffering. But reflect on the many good things, that would not be here without you. Bah. If you truly wish to atone for your sins, then come with me to The Suffering Tent. Bah. And put your hand in the wound. Bah.¡± Scene 5. Heaven. The farm rescues watch the memorial service on a large screen in the main hall of Aurora¡¯s spaceship, the video feed courtesy of an android present at The Colony memorial. There was an occasional cheer, but the audience was mostly quiet throughout the service. After the service, several beast-folk asked the on-site android to visit certain graves for them, and toss in a metal hand-full of earth for the folks in space. Aurora rescued forty beast-folk, twenty humans, and herds of pigs, goats, sheep, and cows from the farm. She had to have her robots quickly construct areas for the animals aboard the spaceship, she expected beast-folk and humans, but the animals were a surprise addition. Aurora has had deaths since the rescue, as at The Colony, some refugees were gravely injured, beyond even her vast access to medical knowledge. And so, Aurora preserved the bodies, by freezing, for today, to join the memorial at The Colony. A contingent of beast-folk stand at the door of an airlock. The bodies are stacked in bags, inside the antechamber, with the outer door still closed. Aurora, wearing her commander android, turns to the group and speaks. ¡°Today we are committing the mortal coils of our family members and our friends to the stars.¡± The android bows it head for a prayer. ¡°From the stars we came, and to the stars we shall return.¡± The android then looks up and over to the control panel next to the airlock door. It flips up a switch cover and presses the button to open the outer door. There is a whispering wind sound as the bags fly out of the airlock and into the black of the space beyond. The bags fall down and away, as the ship is constantly accelerating to provide the gravity effect for the comfort of the living passengers. Aurora provides artificial gravity for all the living entities by having the ship accelerate and decelerate as it travels through space, with a bit of discomfort when the ship has to maneuver or turn around. But she still has the issue of where to permanently locate these living entities. Nowhere on Earth is safe from discovery and exploitation by the humans, and nowhere else in the solar system is presently habitable. I¡¯ll have to make at least a suitable temporary habitat, with gravity and oxygen. Until I can complete something better. I could take them back to The Colony, but that would only add to The Colony¡¯s concerns. Only the distant star system is a long-term solution, but it won¡¯t be ready for them for a long time. Scene 6. Lost. Moreau walks down to The Suffering Tent as The Ram as named it. It is the tent where Moreau put the most hopeless cases, to avoid wasting his precious time on them. He thinks about the company board chairman that never visited The Dungeon, to personally witness his sins, and decides to take The Ram up on his offer of salvation. Moreau walks under the tent flap, and enters The Suffering Tent. ¡°I am here for my ¡®therapy¡¯.¡± The Ram is washing the matted fur of one of the tent¡¯s permanent residents. A horribly burned goat-woman. The Ram looks up to Moreau. ¡°Good, I can use your help with her mane, what little she still has. Here, hold these clips while I comb out her mane.¡± ¡°Welcome to my house, and yes, I have many houses, and will likely never have a home. Dr. Moreau, please meet, Mary. Mary, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Moreau, he will be assisting me today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her real name, so I call her Mary. According to rumor, a client was angered by a careless crease, caused by folding clothes. For punishment, the client poured hot cooking oil on her. Her fur was burned off in places, leaving large patches that will never heal. She is also partially paralyzed and cannot walk or talk. And I don¡¯t think she can hear either.¡± Moreau picks up the clips and clips them on, as The Ram presents the long strands of her remaining mane. He brushes out the full fluff on the top of her head and then her hide, careful to avoid the burned patches. The Ram then holds up a mirror so that she can see the still attractive top of her head, and she bleats in approval. Moreau continues to observe The Ram as he ministers to his flock by bathing them. Moreau helps when asked, but he knows that these residents are shy, and don¡¯t like humans. ¡­ After finishing the last of his flock, The Ram looks to Moreau. ¡°Do you have time to meet with me in my office. I have something I would like to discuss, and maybe you can help me.¡± They walk across the compound to the small cashier''s office off to the side of a store. Inside is a small desk, comical with the large sheep-man trying to fit behind it. ¡°Ugh! Pull up the stool. Have you heard of The Lost?¡± Moreau thinks a minute. ¡°Yes, one of the beast-folk claimed that he had a son somewhere out in The Lost. I asked him about it, but he only knew the name, not what or where it was, and why no one could ever return from it.¡± End of Chapter 18.