"Family Tails" - Prologue
#2 of Family Tails
Writer's Note to New Readers to My Story:
I hope you will enjoy the story, and continue to follow along with my characters on their journey through life -- you will need to keep a box of tissues handy for parts of the story. Please feel free to leave comments (just keep them civil, please), and if you happen to spot a typo that I might have missed, I'd appreciate it if you would let me know so that I can correct it. :) This story is currently available directly from me in both .EPUB and .PDF formats, though these might not have all of the current corrections yet. If interested, send me a private message for details.
I'm working on finishing up drawing the interior artwork, and I am also getting some help with the final editing prior to publishing via CreateSpace.com. I'll keep everyone informed as to when it will be submitted and ready in 6"x9" paperback. :)
-- AncientWolf
The story begins with the Preface:https://www.sofurry.com/view/829004
Family Tails
A Story of a Mixed Family in the Genetic Age
Names of actual businesses, their products, etc, are the property of their respective owners.
Story and characters © 2013 Ronald J. Lebeck
Prologue
Whether humans liked it or not, it was the beginning of the Genetic Age on Earth. With the discovery of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), scientists eventually found a way to map genomes and then manipulate them. At first, the experiments were simple--modifying plants, inserting the ability of microscopic sea creatures to produce their own light into larger animals, and then inserting a small percentage of human DNA into animals such as pigs and sheep.
Humans have been using selective breeding for countless generations to produce what they thought was better than what Nature had produced--crops, livestock, and even themselves through the eugenics movement. Humans have a long history of vanity, and have done many things--some odd, some even dangerous--in order to "improve" their appearance. When science finally got the hang of manipulating the DNA of things, there was a market for genetic "enhancements" to satisfy the desire for some human's vanity. As expected, there was a certain amount of backlash from the various religious organizations, racial purists, and others, into pressuring lawmakers into putting a stop to the practice. Of course, the initial cost for having such "enhancements" could be prohibitively expensive, and the first trials on test subjects didn't always come out as planned.
In a secret meeting, a group of researchers from around the world decided upon a different idea: manipulate the DNA of lower animals and re-engineer them into more humanoid, anthropomorphic forms. With funding from private and corporate sources, the Center for Genetic Research and Development was created in a secure, undisclosed location somewhere in the state of Texas. They began by mapping out the genomes of different mammals, such as canines, felines, rabbits, rodents, and weasels. Using human DNA as a template, they began to manipulate the genetic information of animals, attempting to make them more humanlike and yet keep their distinctive abilities. Eventually they were successful, and the first generation of G.E.L.F.s (genetically engineered life forms) was created.
The "Gen-1" G.E.L.F.s proved to be quite self-aware, with intelligence comparable to humans. They quickly mastered the ability to speak English, learned how to read and write, and do all of the other things that humans could do. They still had the same abilities of their four-footed predecessors, along with a human-like intellect and personalities, in a two-legged anthropomorphic form. Since the G.E.L.F.s grew and matured more rapidly than their human counterparts mature, the scientists were encouraged to create more. With the success attained by the program at "The Center", other divisions were opened in other countries. When news got out about the G.E.L.F.s, saying that the world's media went nuts with the story would be an understatement. When the Gen-1's became sexually mature, it was quickly discovered that they could reproduce on their own. Some people called for the extermination of the G.E.L.F.s and the destruction of all research material and technologies used in their creation. However, given their numbers (and with the usual greasing of palms of politicians), G.E.L.F.s eventually won their right to continue existing through the landmark reworking of the U.N.'s "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" into the "Universal Declaration of Sentient Rights" covering G.E.L.F.s as well as humans.
The G.E.L.F.s still had a bumpy road ahead of them as they continued their struggle for acceptance and integration into Earth's population. Some humans accepted them freely; many were either uncertain or undecided as to what to make of them. Of course, some humans were against the G.E.L.F.s while some were even openly hostile towards them and their supporters.
Of the humans who accepted the G.E.L.F.s, one man who co-owned a small business in Fairbanks, would soon find his life taking quite an interesting turn when he unexpectedly meets a certain female wolf G.E.L.F. who The Center recently relocated near his home in the state of Alaska.
To be continued... :)
Chapter 1 http://www.sofurry.com/view/489274