Prelude

     A large snake slithered around in an aquarium too small for it. It's large body wrapped and folded around a small log as it moved around tasting the air. The large predator was stir crazy. He couldn't remember ever having been free but the yearning he felt for it was instinctual, primal. He watched the scientist that kept him in the cramped aquarium with love and hate. Despite being too small to properly house his large body the aquarium was kept clean and the usually live meals he was provided were not only good eating but provided a measure of entertainment. He looked forward to being fed because not only was it the only time he got a break in his boredom but the only time his master showed any affection toward him. The creature's days were monotonous; he'd watch his master and other scientists work until they went home. Since the work done in the lab involved gene-splicing he'd witness experimentation being done on animals that either died as a result or were killed as they couldn't be bothered housing the animal beyond what they needed it for. He often wondered if he'd share the same fate.

     Dr. Christopher Lacey, the research scientist who owned the large snake, dangled a bound and terrified rabbit over the open lid of the aquarium. The snake inside, despite being excited, slowly stirred and slithered around to look up at the plump helpless creature being dangled over his head. 

     “Come on boy. Look what I got for you Lu.” The man said happily. A sadistic smile was on his face. He enjoyed watching his pet devour other animals alive. Lu was short for Lucifer. Despite giving his pet the name he usually couldn't be bothered calling him by it unless the new guy or gal in the laboratory asked. After a few minutes of teasing his pet Christopher dropped the fat rabbit into the aquarium and praised his snake who devoured it immediately. He then dropped in some cheap cuts of meat he had picked up from a butcher an hour's drive outside the city. An anaconda couldn't survive on just a single rabbit even if it was fat.

     Lucifer looked on as he lie lethargic from his meal and the boredom that had almost instantly returned once he was done eating. He was able to figure out that his master was the one in charge by how all the other humans behaved toward him. For some reason one of the humans was talking with his master excitedly and then they all erupted in a loud cheer. Lucifer had no clue what was going on but it made him nervous. 

     Some time had pasted since that day. The last thing Lucifer remembered was his master stabbing him with a needle, then darkness. Awaking from that darkness he couldn't remember anything else. He felt strange. Something about his vision wasn't right. Something about how his entire body felt wasn't right. He could feel he was stretched out in a long cylinder encapsulated by an orange-yellow fluid. He could see what looked like a human body minus the drapings he usually saw them in stretched out before him. Was this a special treat from his master? Lucifer had a hard time believing his master had offered up one of his own to him as sustenance. Was it a trick, a test, or a treat? He definitely was hungry. Moving Lucifer tried to slither around the body to get a better look at it. He'd never eaten a human before and needed to figure out how he'd go about swallowing it. The human leg moved hitting the side of the cylinder but somehow he felt it as if his own body had just hit it. Overwhelming confusion set in as Lucifer moved more. His mind was in panic but his movements inside the tube were dull. He hadn't even noticed the umbilical cord like thing attached to him. The small amount of moving he had done exhausted him. His eyes became heavy and darkness overtook him again.

     The next time Lucifer woke up he was lying on a cold table covered in a pale mint green drape. The first thing he saw were the overhead lights and then his masters face which was smiling.

     “Welcome Lucifer or should I call you Adam now? You are my first and yor are perfect.” Dr. Lacey said looking down at his handiwork. “Excellent. Just excellent.” 

     Lucifer couldn't understand a word he saying but it was the first time he heard his master talk to him outside of the aquarium. He could hear him a lot more clearly without the odd distortion caused by the glass walls of his cramped prison. Fear set in once he realized he was no longer in the aquarium. He had seen countless times what happened to animals once they were taken out of their prisons. Lucifer's first thought was to get away by any means necessary but he spent himself just sitting up and the whole ordeal was utterly disorienting to him. What he was experiencing must have been some weird nightmare. He had a human body but his master was still looking at him in very much the same way he looked at the animals he and the other humans oftentimes tortured to death as part of their work. 

     “Oh you are a smart one. I didn't think you'd figure out how to sit up without me showing you.” Christopher said then lifted up Lucifer's head which was hanging down. He looked into the large hazel eyes of his success beaming with pride. “You're one of us now. Well, sort of. You are perfect. If it weren't for the scales on your back you could completely pass for human. Hell, you probably still can. They're damn barely even noticeable.” Christopher dropped his hands from Lucifer's face then pointed to himself. “Father,” he said, then pointed to Lucifer and called him by his new name, Adam. “Come on, say something.” Christopher demanded, after doing this only a few more times. 

     Weak, tired, confused, and afraid Lucifer managed to figure out that his master wanted him to imitate him. “Fa... fa... fa... th.. th.. th... errrr.” Lucifer said clumsily. It was disturbing to himself making human sounds. 

     “Good! Good boy!” Christopher said shaking Lucifer's shoulders making him feel a bit dizzy. But, dizzy or not he didn't want to die. As soon as Christopher had walked away Lucifer moved off the table. Having never stood or even crawled before he hit the floor hard. “Woah, Lu what are you doing buddy?” Christopher helped him back onto the table and laid him down. “There will be plenty of time for all that tomorrow.” Lacey turned to leave again. After making his way across the room he stopped and looked back one last time at Lucifer. Then he closed and locked the door to the room he had placed him in and went out to celebrate. He and his team had successfully transmutated a snake into a human. 

     It didn't take long for Lucifer to learn how to speak. From there his progress proceeded at a breakneck speed. During that time thousands more transmutes were created. Even though the transmutation made them genetically indistinguishable from naturally born humans as in those born as humans. Transmutes or Anthromorphs, as they were also called, had physical oddities that their naturally born human counterparts did not. While most of these traits related directly to the creature they once were other tells did not such as the unnatural hair and eye coloring some transmutes had; a suspected benign side-effect of the chemicals used to rebind spliced cells. Although there were numerous attempts to recreate transmutes that had barely noticeable tells or no tell at all the outcome of the creation of a transmute was always a surprise; one lizard would become a man with green hair, while another would look normal but have a tail, and yet another have scales on his fore-arms. Despite not being able to control how a transmute appeared they were quickly mass-produced and put to work in factories as free labor and even as soldiers across the globe. Within the course of a decade the use of transmutes as free labor and replacements for 'real' humans to fight wars had become common place. Even so, activists tirelessly worked to put an end to what they deemed a travesty to human morality. There wasn't a day that went by that news outlets didn't cover the protests animal and human rights groups alike held. Soon hearing about them became much like being told water was wet.

     There were few occasions that Christopher left Adam outside of his room while the laboratory was empty. Usually this happened while everyone was on lunch break but there were times when he was left out over the weekend which Adam made the most of. He figured out how to open his cell door from the inside once everyone was gone. There was nothing special about the room Adam was kept in, nor the door, or the lock on the door. It was meant to be used for experimentation but it was hardly ever used until it was repurposed to house Adam. Due to the nature of the work done in the lab there were no security cameras inside the area Adam was kept. So, he could move about without much worry once everyone had gone home. He used that time to learn as much about the outside as he could. There were other anthromorphs in the building but he wouldn't be able to reach them without being seen by the cameras. The only times he could interact with any of them was when they were left in one of the other auxiliary experimentation rooms that surrounded the large open space where most of the work was done.

     It was another lonely weekend. Adam had patiently waited for everyone to leave as usual before exiting his cell. He noticed a light had been left on in room one and he went to investigate. Just as Christopher sometimes forgot to put him away when he left sometimes a light would be left on in an empty room. He was surprised to see that it wasn't empty this time. An anthromorph he was familiar with was strapped down to a table. He was one of the few that they experimented on that was actually fluent in human language like he was. Having no name Adam had decided to call him Jerry. He was covered in the same standard pale mint green gown they dressed all transmutes in they intended to conduct tests on. Being a pet Adam was mostly spared the horrors other transmutes had to endure and sometimes died doing so. Jerry's emerald eyes were glassy and full of sadness. A gas mask covered his nose and mouth that was attached to a tank that pumped methane and oxygen out interchangeably at set intervals. Adam entered the room, his heart breaking as he looked upon his friend's suffering. He couldn't do anything to help. He couldn't even risk trying to make him comfortable. He couldn't risk one of the scientists noticing the slightest change or everything he was trying to do would fall apart. 

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     Even though he was extremely dizzy, nauseated, and weak from being forced to breath methane all day Jerry lifted his hand reaching out to Adam. To anyone that didn't know better the look on Adam's expressionless face would have appeared to be cold and distant. But, Jerry could tell he was on the verge of crying. He wanted to tell Adam not to cry for him not to let something like this break him but he couldn't. He as doing all he could to remain conscious. Sleep would do him good and allow him to somewhat forget he was strapped to a cold metal table before being forced to breath air that made him ill. But, if he had allowed himself to faint he wouldn't have been able to see his friend. Just seeing Adam's face made the pain he was suffering easier to bare.

     Adam took his hand and leaned down resting his head on Jerry's shoulder. “I swear to you, you will not die here.” Adam whispered. 

     Tears welled up in Jerry's eyes and ran down the side of his face. He'd cry for the both of them. He knew the conviction Adam had but he also knew Adam couldn't really promise such a thing. So many had already died and as it were he wasn't sure if he'd survive the night.

     Dr. Lacey trembled in fear as he slid backwards on the floor away from the horror that approached him. Lacey backed away blindly, his mind a haze of panic. He had just watched his creation snap the necks of over a dozen of his coworkers and employees in a matter of seconds. He had even managed to take down several armed guards without getting a drop of blood on himself while leaving it spilt on the floor around him, after having used the first guard as a meat shield when the others opened fire on him. Adam, no Lucifer, stepped closer and closer to him. The expression on Lucifer's face hadn't changed or shown any hint of emotion throughout but to Christopher he appeared callous and merciless. 

     “I created you!” Christopher yelled, feeling as if he'd piss himself at any moment. 

     Adam stopped moving, standing merely inches away from Christopher as he continued to shake on the floor. “You created me yet you're afraid of me,” Lucifer said then stooped down so that they were eye to eye. “Humans truly are made in God's image. You may have given me this state of being but you did not create me. You named me Lucifer to mock the very thing you don't understand but did you know animals prayed? Everyday, every year I spent in that cramped aquarium I never prayed for myself I prayed for you father. I prayed that you would one day know love so that you could show it and not make others suffer as you have made me suffer.” 

     “I took care of you! I drove out to a butcher shop every week just to feed you! Ungrateful, evil, lying, bastard you never suffered! I took good care of you!” Christopher spat. 

     Adam sighed. “Is that how you really feel? When I awoke in this form did you not say I was perfect? There is no time for stubbornness. I don't want to be responsible for sending you to hell, father.”

     “I repent.” Christopher said in a rush.

     “You do?” Adam asked not sure if his master's words were true or not. 

     “Yes, I do!” Christopher said with urgency in his voice. 

     Adam leaned in and hugged him. “I honestly hope for your sake that was true. I love you, father,” he said then snapped his neck in one effortless motion killing him. There was no other way. He couldn't trust leaving anyone present at the lab that day alive, especially the man that was his master. He had to get on with the escape plan or risk everything falling apart, but at that moment he was falling apart. He tightly held Christopher's lifeless body in his arms. His face showed only a very slight hint of a frown as he tried to force himself not to cry.

     “Adam!” Jerry shouted as he entered the room. He was wearing the gear he had taken off of one of the guards he had killed. 

     Startled and still clutching his father's body in one arm Adam lifted the assault rifle at his side nearly firing on his friend.

     “Woah!” Jerry exclaimed, lifting his hands in the air. 

     “Sorry,” Adam said, lowering the gun but not the body in his arms. 

     “You know what that guy did to me and the others don't you?” Jerry asked as he watched Adam. 

     “I know.” Adam said quietly.

     “And what he did to you.” 

     “I know!” Adam shouted.

     “Pull it together, man.” Jerry said sympathetically. 

     Adam carefully lowered Christopher's body to the floor. “What are you wearing?” Adam asked as he took something from the dead scientist's body and placed it in his pocket. 

     “Pretty cool isn't it?” Jerry said striking a pose.

     “Get rid of it and the weapon too.” Adam ordered as he stood up giving his father's body one last look.

      “Awe! Come on!” Jerry pouted.

     “It's too conspicuous.” Adam said then looked away from the corpse on the floor. “Did any of them manage to escape?” 

     “Nope.” Jerry answered with a cheerful smile. 

     “Good, and the others?” 

     “The ones that are coming are out on the boat.” Jerry paused the expression on his face became solemn. “Most of them refused to come.” 

     “I see... Go out to the boat,” Adam said. The laboratory was located on a small man-made Island off the east coast of the U.S. The boat was nothing more than an inflatable raft only capable of holding five or six adults at the most, but Adam had meticulously planned the escape expecting far more anthromorphs to come when the time came. Maybe if he had told more of them about his plans maybe things would have turned out differently.

     “I took care of it.” Jerry informed stopping Adam in his tracks.

     “Jerry, I-” 

     “Let's just light this place up and leave.” Jerry said cutting him off. 

     Things had gone according to plan with as few deaths as possible. The handful of anthromorphs that wanted to try living among the humans went their separate ways once they reached land feeling it too risky for them to all remain together. Adam sat down on the rocky shore with his back to the small man made island. The smoke from the fires they had set inside the complex had yet to rise into the dark night sky. It would be daybreak before anyone would notice the inferno and too late for anything to be salvaged. 

     “You're still here?” Adam said not bothering to look up at the person standing in front of him. He knew it was Jerry. 

     “Of course.” Jerry responded in an upbeat tone. If Adam could see his face he would have seen that Jerry was smiling. 

     “You don't agree with the others?” 

     “Nah.”

     “I'm glad.” Adam's voice was heavy and silence fell between them. 

     “It's okay to cry now. We're free.” Jerry said holding out his hand to Adam. 

     Adam took his friend's hand then inhaled deeply. He then pulled Jerry close practically yanking him and leaned his head against his thigh.

     “Okay... this isn't awkward at all.” Jerry said then noticed Adam was sobbing uncontrollably. “There there. It's okay.” He said patting his head.

     “I couldn't save them. It's my fault they're all dead. If I had just told more about the escape in advance.” Adam said as tears streamed down his face. 

     “They were saved. They don't have to live being tortured anymore.” Jerry said as he continued to stroke Adam's head. “Let it out. I'll be with you until the end.” Jerry assured. 

     A little less than two months later a global ban on the use of Anthromorphs as unpaid labor and soldiers went into effect. At least that's how it was reported in major news outlets. The whole of the truth was far more complicated and detailed which didn't make for catchy headline titles nor could be quickly summarized in a three paragraph or less article. Even so it meant no more using Anthromorphs for experimentation or expendable workers and cannon fodder. The news hit Adam like a ton of bricks. The outcome was far from what Adam wanted for his people but at the same time far better than what they had to endure before. Was it all pointless? The years of learning and planning, the blood he spilled, the blood he had led others to spill, was it all pointless? He had repeatedly come across news reports on those nights Dr. Lacey had neglected to put him away but he didn't believe it was anything more than talk. Why didn't he pay closer attention? Why didn't he see that there was another way? Adam had always thought himself far more observant and analytical than most. After seeing that headline and reading the article he began to wonder if he had fallen prey to pride and allowed his longing to be free and an inability to silence the flurry of negative emotions that swirled inside himself from what he witnessed and experienced to color his judgment and actions. Adam held the newspaper someone hand lazily discarded on a public bench in shock. Jerry was standing behind him eating baked beans from a can. He reached down grabbing the newspaper balling it up then tossed it into the nearest trash can. He had a pretty good idea what his friend was thinking when he glanced down at what he was reading. “I saw a different article on that in one of the magazines in the store down the street. A lot of us died today and the ones they didn't kill they've locked them away in special zones. If you hadn't did what you've done none of us would have escaped that place. We all would have died, Adam, you have to know that.” Jerry said, keeping his voice down. 

     “I know but.”

     “A butt is what you sit on.” Jerry said then took another spoonful of baked bean into his mouth.

     “You're right. We've got work to do,” Adam said then stood up.

     Jerry nearly choked on what he was eating. Adam's statement was news to him. “We do?” What could they possibly have to do besides finish the Hand-Up program at the homeless shelter they were staying at and keep their heads down to avoid being caught and shot or worse. 

     “I have a plan but first we need to learn as much as possible about these special zones.” Adam said then started walking in the direction of the nearest public library. 

     “W-w-wait!” Jerry practically shouted then wolfed down the rest of the beans and hurriedly disposed of the can. 

     Adam had stopped to wait for his friend to catch up to him. “Are you sure you want to help me with this? My plan runs the risk of getting found out.”

     “So does living.” Jerry said smiling. “I told you before, man, I'll stay with you until the end.”

~*~