Splicers
by Bryan Chaney

"and you want to cross your dna/to cross your dna with something reptile" - 
 "Hope" R.E.M.


Seattle Times-PI  June 9th, 2041 Pacific Northwest magazine

"Why do they do it?" 
Members of the splicer community speak out about their experiences, their beliefs
 and their desire to be accepted.

by Brent Takahata

Why do they do it?

   That seems to be a question that a lot of people ask these days.  Why would people
risk worldwide pariah status in order to look like an animal?

   During the turbulent war years of the turn of the century, it was announced 
the first human clones were produced. But, with the worldwide condemnation 
of the process, along with the high failure rate and high chance of defects, 
the 20th century fear of a race of superhumans never came to pass.

   However, an experiment during the cloning era produced an odd result. During 
the production of a human clone in 2007, an experimental sheep culture was 
accidentally mixed with a human culture.  The resulting creature, quickly dubbed 
"Sheep Boy" by the tabloids of the time, was born with both human and sheep 
features.  The infant died soon after birth due to massive internal organ failure, 
but it showed that such crossings, previously the realm of science fiction, were 
possible.

   The incident quickly led to amendments to cloning laws worldwide to include cross 
human hybrids, but some scientists continued refining the process in secret.

   Most of the scientists working on creating hybrids were being funded to 
continue 20th century work using lab animals to create spare human parts, work 
that was questionably ethical but still legal in most countries.  That changed 
with a group of Cypriot and Greek scientists, who had been funded to develop a 
method using pigs to create replacement skin for burn victims, presented 
Kounelia, a girl of about 3 with lapine features.

   Kounelia was the first splicer.

   The term comes from the process.  A human donor's DNA, usually from a sperm 
or ovum, is spliced with the DNA from an animal.  The process is tricky because 
certain sections on the DNA must be replaced with equivalent sections from the 
donor.  A misplaced section results in death of the cell.

   The scientists later revealed that it took over 10,000 human cells to 
finally produce Kounelia.  But the girl's long rabbitine ears and thin covering 
of grey and white fur fascinated and repulsed the world.

   The girl died soon after the presentation due to a congenital heart defect. 

   While the process was soon banned, both cloning and splicing continued to 
develop.  Some scattered reports during the last decade seem to hint that 
various militaries, including US, Russian, and Chinese, were secretly funding 
research into splicing as a means of producing elite ground troops.

   Whatever the source,  two main means of creating splicers have developed, 
despite the illegality of the process.  The first is creating the hybrid in a 
test tube, not unlike the so-called "test tube babies" of the last century.  
Experts knowledgeable in this process claim this can create a viable hybrid about 
75 percent of the time, though a high percentage of those still have physical 
and mental deficiencies, such as limited intelligence or malformed limbs.  
There have been reports of some labs killing such results soon after birth.

   The second method borrows a technique developed in 2023 to help treat 
patients with congenital diseases.  A sample from the patient is taken, and 
then spliced with the desired animal.  After the spliced DNA is inserted into 
a stem cell and allowed to multiply, it is placed into a high pressure injection, 
with the goal of replacing all the DNA in the body with the new strands.

   The success rate is only about 40% currently, according to experts, with better 
success when only a limited number of characteristics are selected.  Failures 
range from no result to death of the patient.

   The question still remains, though, with all the risks, social derision, 
and money involved (some reports state that labs will charge up to $5 million, 
or 6.7 million credits, for splicing), what motivates some to have splicing done?

   While splicers, or furs, as they prefer to call themselves, are not totally hidden 
from view in our society‹ a great deal of background information was provided by the 
Splicer Assistance League office in Seattle‹  they have difficulty finding and 
maintaining work.

   SAL spokeswoman, Jennifer Koontz, a woman in her mid-30s with a leonine tail and 
claw like fingertips, compares the treatment of furs to any number of ethnic and 
religious groups throughout the 19th and 20th century. "Every society has to find 
someone to exclude," she stated.

   Ms. Koontz also warned me, as a "mundane" - the term splicers use for non-spliced 
humans - that I wouldn't be welcomed by many because of what some of the inhabitants 
of the settlement have endured.  But as long as I promised to keep the location a 
secret, she would make arrangements.

-----
   Most of the names in this piece were changed at the interviewee's request.

   To get to the settlement of Wolfsburg, you have to take an old logging road deep 
into the Cascades that runs along a creek eventually feeding into the Skagit River.

   It's surprising that such wild places still exist these days, but near the sign 
that announces "Now Entering Wolfsburg.  Enter At Your Own Risk," a forest of wireless 
network antennas assure you that civilization is never far away.

   At the gate, I am met by a young man with a definite feline look to him.  He greets 
me cautiously.  He introduces himself as "Rudy."  His body is covered with a thin dark 
grey fur, with golden eyes, ears on the top of his head and longish tail swinging as 
I followed him to a meeting hall tucked under the shelter of a small stand of hemlock. 

   In an old clearcut, a scattered collection of houses line the lanes carved out of 
the forest.  In many respects, it reminded me of the green developments, with as 
little impact on the surrounding land as possible.  A faint smell of wood smoke 
was in the air, and I saw very few cars.

   At the meeting hall, a group of five sit around a battered table.  Lining the 
wall behind them is a group of plasma monitors, some with video feeds, others 
with text feeds.  It is quickly evident that even though they are living in the 
remote woods, they are keenly aware of events in the outside world.

   The five who volunteered to meet me did so on the condition that I protect 
their identity.   Many had been disowned from their families, some rather violently, 
because of the choice they made, but still wanted to make their voices heard.  
Most of the other residents of Wolfsburg, indeed of splicer communities worldwide, 
are fearful, if not antagonistic towards mudanes due to the treatment they have 
received.

   "Kevin", 34, is the oldest of the group.  He decided to become a rabbit at 
the age of 30 while working as a civil engineer for a state government.  After 
the procedure was done, he was soon forced out, according to him.  He now spends 
much of his time making structural plans and improvements for Wolfsburg and other 
splicer communities.  Since he's an induced splicer, he's mainly differentiated 
by elongated ears and a thin covering white and grey fur.

   "Florence", 15, claims to have been created by the Canadian Army as part of 
a experiment to use wolf hybrids for ground combat.  She managed to escape at 
age 12 and stumbled onto the community while hunting.  Of the group, she has the 
most pronounced animal characteristics: looking very much like an upright wolf, 
with elongated legs, tail and a shortened muzzle.  Unlike some splicers, her ears 
move like a wolf's and she appears to have heightened senses.

   "Randy", 28, just joined the group last year.  Secretly "borrowing" money from 
a wealthy relative, he became a red fox at age 26.  Like Kevin, he claims he was 
forced out of his job doing technical support for a company in the Midwest.   He 
now maintains the community's communications.  He is also the least changed of the 
group, with simply a fox-like tail and slightly pointed ears.  As such, he often 
makes supply runs into local communities.

   "Susan", 31,  is the mother of one, age 7, and along with her husband, was a 
reporter for a newspaper in California.  Both had the change done about six years 
ago.  However, not long after the procedure was done, her husband died while 
covering a warehouse fire in suspicious circumstances.  While the newspaper in 
question was sympathetic, she began to receive threatening letters and was forced 
to go into hiding.  She writes articles for both the splicer and mundane press, 
often under a pseudonym.  Her son, still a mundane, goes to school at the nearest 
elementary school, but she is considering home schooling, due to the harassment he 
often receives.  Susan has a skunk's striped tail and is covered with black and 
white fur.

  "Louis", 25,  claims to be a victim of an unethical laboratory.  He was 
attending a large college in Oregon when he saw an ad looking for subjects for 
new medical treatment.  He was told it was a new cold prevention vaccination, when 
in truth it was a new process of induced splicing.  He helped authorities shut 
down the lab, but was still forced to go into hiding due to harassment.  He was crossed 
with a tiger, and now sports a short tail and faint tiger striping on his skin.  
Along with Randy, he helps make supply trips.
-----

STPI: "First, thank you all for agreeing to meet with me.  I know that many in 
your community are afraid of outsiders, often with good cause..."

Kevin: "Our hope in agreeing to this was to help set the record straight.  When 
we first heard about your request, we were naturally skeptical.  We have seen and 
heard far too many sensationalistic stories."

Susan: "The tabloids are the worst, but the most damaging are the mainstream 
newspapers, magazines and video feeds.  They have the air of being even handed, 
when in truth they aren't.  I have had many editors, who didn't know I am a fur, 
when I submitted a story via textlink or audio phone, tell me that the story 
wasn't 'big' enough.  It seems when it comes to furs, they want to think the 
worst of us."

STPI: "I shall do my best then... I suppose the best place to start is the big 
question: why would you do this to yourself?  Or alternately, why do you think 
someone would do this to you?"

Randy: "Ever since I was a child, I've always wondered what it'd be like to have 
a tail.  I've always been fascinated by animals.  My dad had all these old DVDs 
with Bugs Bunny and such and I'd watch them constantly.  It's hard to explain, 
really... somewhere, deep inside, I knew I was really a fox."

Kevin: "I think that sort of connection with a particular animal, or animals in 
general is pretty common among other furs.  It's hard to explain to those who 
don't have the same feelings.  I've heard some psychiatrists go on about how a sense of 
social isolation manifests itself into a physical desire. Whatever...  I just know 
that know this is who I am."

Susan: "That is not to say that everyone is at peace with their decision.  Louis 
here is a good example.  But, there are plenty that went through the process and 
then later regretted the change."

Louis: "While I am grateful for this community for taking me in, I still feel 
uncomfortable... the stares of people when I go into town, thinking I'm a freak.  
This is not who I am.  It's beyond my comprehension on why someone would 
willing want to transform their body in this way.  I make do, but..."

Florence: "Greed and power...pure and simple."

STPI: "Florence, I want to delve into your.. well, I suppose creation is the 
best word.  What is it like growing up, part human and part wolf?"

Florence: "From a young age, they trained us for combat: carrying supplies, 
recon, fighting tooth and claw as well with weapons.  We would follow the humans' 
orders only because we had to.  If someone didn't, the entire pack would 
suffer some punishment.  Often, the offender would be attacked by the pack as well."

STPI: "It sounds like wolf behavior is still very strong for you..."

Florence: "(nodding to the rest of the group) This is my pack now."

STPI:  "What happened after you managed to escape?"

Florence: "As part of the training, we were taught hunting and survival skills.  
So I hunted and was hunted.  For a while,  I was caged up in a bar in Alberta 
and displayed at a bar.  It was the middle of winter and hunting was thin.  I got 
caught in a trip line and was too weak to struggle out.  The bar owner didn't 
treat me as a sentient being, just some exotic display. (slight smile) Boy, was 
he surprised when I broke the lock and ripped his throat out..."

STPI: "... I suppose that being trained for combat, you have no qualms about 
hunting humans?"

Florence: "I don't normally. My time here in Wolfsburg has helped... modify that.  
I don't want to harm other sentients.  But if I have to...."

STPI: "Aren't you ever afraid that whoever created you will come looking for you?"

Florence: "The group will protect me: that is the pack's function."

STPI: "How was Wolfsburg founded?"

Kevin: "About seven years ago, a wolf fur named Karl Tyson and his wife 
Antonia were living in Portland when they had the procedure done.  After they were 
effectively run out of town, he began camping in the mountains of Oregon and 
Washington, moving around frequently.  Eventually, he found this clearcut.  He 
thought it might make a good place for a settlement and contacted some of his 
friends.  They pooled their money and bought the land from the logging company that 
owned it.  How they managed to do that I have no idea - rumor has it that one of his 
friends was working as a supervisor for the company.  I came here just before he died 
a couple years ago and I remember him never saying exactly how he was able to get 
the land.  But, the group collectively owns this land free and clear now.  We even 
pay all the appropriate taxes and take care of our roads and such, so Skagit County 
pretty much leaves us alone."

STPI: "You mentioned that the group collectively owns the land.  How is that set 
up?  What about keeping the peace?"

Randy: "The land is technically in the hands of a private trust that is run by 
the group council.  They are responsible for making sure everyone follows the rules 
and collecting the funds for community needs.  They also pretty much decide who can 
join or not.  One of the stipulations for my staying here was to pay back the money 
I borrowed; they are very careful about not letting people with criminal backgrounds 
staying here.  They also keep in close contact with other communities and the SAL 
to be informed about troublemakers."

Louis: "They are very careful about that because we don't want any more trouble 
than we might already get by our very existence."

STPI: "So it sounds like you pretty much have your own government, though much 
more informally."

Kevin: "Exactly.  Like Randy alluded to, most fur communities have a similar sort 
of structures, though some of the larger ones essentially have city councils while 
some smaller ones are run like communes, with everyone collectively governing.  We 
are just large enough that this informal council works best for us."

STPI: "What about relationships?  With the communities being a mixture of different 
species, it must lead to rather interesting combinations..."

Susan: "It's really a mixed bag.  There are a number of married couples and long 
term partnerships, of same and different genders.  On the other paw, there are some 
communities that treat it more like a post-HIV love commune from the '20's.  And yes, 
there are a mix of species as well.  Our founders were a lupine couple, but down in 
Georgia, for example, there is a tiger and fox couple.  Furs like Florence, however, 
tend to stick with their own species- if they can.  For furs like us, the human 
element is still pretty strong, even though we've taken on animal characteristics. 
But, for them, it's the other way around."

STPI: "What about relationships between induced and created furs?"

Florence: "Oh, it happens... but not very often.  While we share something in common, 
they are just too different from us."

STPI: "What about offspring?  As you probably know, the tabloids are full of 
stories of bizarre animal/human combinations..."

Susan: "Nothing consistent.  We've heard stories and seen results from cross-species 
matings.  Occasionally, we see a true hybrid- combining not only the human but 
also animal characteristics of their parents.  I know of a fox-skunk girl in Illinois."

Kevin: "From what I've been able to gather, it depends a lot on the degree of 
change.  An offspring from a created and induced fur is right out- the difference is 
far too great..."

Randy: "...though not without a lot of practice by some..."

Kevin: "... as are created furs of different types.  But the little girl from 
Illinois, her parents were only lightly induced- they just have tails, I think.  
Those seem to be the most successful.  The greater degree of change, the more random 
the results seem to be.  There have also been numerous cases of induced parents giving 
birth to purely human children.  It's chance, really."

STPI:  "What about the children of furs?  How are they generally treated, especially 
if they are 'mundane'?"

Susan: "My son keeps my being a skunk a secret at school- he has to and I think 
he's old enough now to realize that.  When I first got changed with my husband, 
he let it out innocently that we were now skunks.  I had to pick him up at school 
because he got beat up and soon had to pull him from school.  He wasn't able to get 
back into a regular school until we moved up here.  He's had to put up with a lot 
because of who I am- there are times I wish I could reverse the process because of 
what it has cost him.  But, since our community is so small, we don't have that 
many children and I firmly believe that learning should be as much a social 
experience as an intellectual one.  One day, I hope we can be large enough so we 
can form our own schools- like some of the larger communities down in California 
and Arizona have."

Kevin: "Or get to the point where we don't have to hide away like this."

Susan: "Amen to that."

STPI: "You mean you'd rather be in mainstream society?"

Louis: "Of course we would!  I know I didn't choose this, but I think most of the 
people here would agree with me when I say that being driven out of society because 
of how we look... I would've thought human beings were better than that.  I can 
understand the question of ethics- the treatment of Florence growing up is a prime 
example- but we're here now and it can't be undone."

Kevin: "Oh, you have some groups that make rumblings about having a separate place- 
I think there's even a group talking about taking over a part of Oklahoma and 
making it a 'Fur State'- but you will always have separatists and elitists in every 
group.  Most, however, are like the five of us- they were driven out somehow and 
wish, someday, to be accepted for who they are."

Susan: "There is no question of ethics about that."