Work Text:
Excerpts from Dr. Sandeman’s lab journal
1982-winter
While the X4 series proceeded to exceed expectations, the varied results have allowed me to refine my process significantly. Joshua and Issac are by far my most beloved children but I believe the X5’s will be my crowning glory. More fool them.
Preliminary testing on the X5’s is promising, after Thursday’s presentation we can move forward.
On a side note, while I was with Joshua and Issac this morning I had a break through. Perhaps Shark DNA will hold the key?
1983-Spring
… The nerve of that she-witch, how dare she! I’m so close, I have the embryos ready for refinement and now this? Does she not understand the delicacy this work needs? All the failures, all we have learned and she wishes to tweak my finely tuned strands because it isn’t cost effective.
Yes I understand the importance of getting the cost down but there is still something to be said for paying for quality. What we are doing here is ground breaking work like nothing else, we’ve created not just one new species but so many. Transgenics are the way forward!
Renfero says we are haemorrhaging money that we can’t afford. Even with the rumours of ‘mutants’ floating around we can’t slip the Transhumans into active service because of their deformity, dispite the results.
Last year an A.A.C unit survived an encounter with one of those abominations made from Erskine’s serum. Doesn’t that prove that this is the way forward?
Erskine’s work is shoddy. Yes; he made Captain America but really, what did he really do? God maker? Monster maker more like. Look at Red Skull, isn’t that proof enough…
I know we’ve had failures at Manticore but those failures have paved the way for success. Success that Devil-woman wants to jeopardise to save money.
There is merit in planning for the future of the Transgenic race though. I only have twenty five eggs for the first class of X5 however. Twenty five won’t be enough…not to ensure genetic diversity in the long run, even with twinning.
I was trying to explain reproduction to the boys the other day, they didn’t understand. Why would they? Both of them are male, I’m male, gender has had no impact on their limited world as of yet. Trying to explain reproduction to ten year olds with no simple grasp of gender was a trial in and of itself despite their higher IQ…but perhaps Joshua was onto something. Why can’t one be both? There must be something that will work!
1983-Autumn
I thought that with the Transgenics chromosome count that Asexual reproduction was the way forward, but so far all tests have failed. The single valid success failed before the ovum divided. Now I only have twenty-four eggs to continue my work with. Over sight has refused to procure more ovum for the X5 series until progress is made.
All my research logically pointed to Asexual reproduction, it’s such a simple thing, something even bacteria and worms do, so why can’t I make it work? It must be something to do with WZ & ZZ chromosomes in reptiles and birds when compared to the XX/XY in humans.
Parthenogenesis is impossible in mammals. This much I have proven with my failures. It is something to do with gender, I can feel it in my bones…
1984-Summer
We lost the third egg today.
X5 133 survived to implantation, everything was going so well until today.
An autopsy of the foetus concluded that the X5’s cannot survive the chromosomal mutations developing during gestation with with new DNA, RNA refused to transmit data and the proteins began to break down.
I thought I had it this time, I truly did. Perhaps trying to plan for the evolution of a species not yet in existence is beyond me. Maybe the X4’s are my legacy…
I have exhausted every avenue on my quest. Asexual reproduction will not work, not with the technology available to me. Likely not within a thousand years. I am asking too much of science. So how can I move forward?
I have solved the undesirable side effects from overloading the cells with information, trimming junk DNA to make way for the DNA I need has lessened the psychological weakness found in the X2’s, and with it the X4’s have a genetic diversity that will last them through at least ten generations of inbreeding once viable matches have been exhausted.
The permutations when matching pairs from only two pools for breeding are limited and that is the crux of my dilemma. That’s why I believed Asexual reproduction was the way forward. If only there was some way to increase the available matches…
1985- Spring
I have it!
Really it’s ingenious, I’ve solved my dilemma and created something fantastic. I must admit it makes me feel a little like God…
Simultaneous Hermaphroditism in a mammal.
So far preliminary testing looks promising. They won’t be male or female but both. A single Asexual gender (SH) able to procreate with any member of its species…I have two eggs ready to implant and I can’t wait for the surrogates to be sourced. I really do feel like a God.
1985- Autumn
Somethings happened. Something strange, something almost otherworldly. I want to go so far as to call it a miracle.
After 822/823 and 741/742 were implanted, I began work on the rest of the class. Mothers A & B have been progressing along brilliantly and the daily checkups showed that 822/823 and 741/742 were growing almost perfectly. Group one had been successfully implanted and I had the rest of the class ready to be implanted when I noticed it.
The X5’s are no longer a single unique gender. They have six -SIX!- genders. I confirmed it this morning. The panels I ran on 822/823 and 741/742 are conclusive. 741 and 742 despite being implanted as SH’s, 741 and 742 are now both male with XYB I call this third chromosome the Bata. 822 and 823 however are XXA, Alphas. An ultrasound confirmed the presence of male genitalia on both X5 females. It appears the same in Group one.
After being pushed to implant Group one before the births of 822, 823, 741 and 742 I can only hope that the project doesn’t fail before its already begun. If I believed in a god, I would pray to him.
1986-Spring
We had the first births from Group One last night. 599 and 600. Both are in perfect health and have settled in the cresh with the other four. We’ve had some issues settling both in however. Neither 822 or 823 would settle with either of the male alphas close. Likewise 599 and 600 both became highly distressed when brought near the female alphas. Interestingly enough, placing the male batas between them proved highly effective.
The first four X5’s are beginning preliminarily resistance testing this week, Renfero is insistent and won’t be dissuaded. She wants to assess their pathogenic and radiation immunity before the rest of the class are born. It does make sense but I detest the view that any of my children are expendable.
1986-Spring
At last! Just what I have been waiting for. We had our first omega males born this morning and confirmed the presence of internal reproductive organs. It’s all there, initial testing proves promising. I only wish I could accelerate their ageing, I want to know if the male omegas will be able to carry and birth young, but 823’s progeria onset makes me leery of mentioning it to anyone. No, it will be safer in the long run if we wait. As a bonus, just like with the female omegas, they provide a counterbalance to the aggression in the alpha’s and the stress levels in the bata’s have gone down as a result.
I’m so very proud of them already.
Truly the X5’s are my greatest creation to date.