Beyond the Rainbow

Advances in genetic research in mid 21st century eventually led to an increased interest in Eugenics, and the possibility of imbuing greater intelligence to other creatures.

With over 200 years of Eugenics research and discussions having been accomplished, there were still moral and ethical questions that had never been answered. As living space on the Earth became more scarce, and the human population of the asteroid belt, colonization of other planets and moons, and even attempts to live at the bottom of the ocean gained momentum, Eugenics came to the forefront of international scientific discussion. Small scale experimentation was approved, and ultimately three distinct subspecies were developed: Spacers, Jovians, and Aquatics.

After successes with human advancement, scientists turned to the animal kingdom to find more candidates to improve. Several candidates were initially proposed, dogs, cats, bears, cetaceans, and apes.

While moderate increases in intelligence were accomplished in household dogs and cats, it was in the great cats, or genus Panthera that real successes were first made. The addition of intelligence, opposable “thumbs,” and the ability to walk uprightly brought about the four intelligent cat races: Lions, Jaguars, Leopards and Tigers.

Early reluctance to imbue apes with intelligence due to 20th century “future history” movies and novels were eventually overcome. Gorillas and two Chimpanzee genera were brought to sentience.

Emboldened by their successes in apes, scientists then tried their hands with bears. Most early experiments with bears were disastrous, as the natural ferocity of bears combined with intelligence was just too much. Those initial experiments were abandoned, but further research and a reduction in the overall size of the bears helped to make the awakened bears more docile and the end product much more attractive.

Often mistaken as improvements, when mankind turned to Cetaceans, it turned out that all 32 species of Cetacea were already every bit as smart as man was. Technological advancements in sonar brought about the ability to communicate between the landbound humans and waterbound Cetaceans.