HYBRID
TO WHOM IT may concern—
In service of the greater good, we are prepared now to detail for you the fruits of our research: the hybrid. Theory dictates that we should not have done this; necessity dictates otherwise. What follows is documentation of our process, and it is our belief that by the end of it you will come to see the many benefits in choosing our product.
—[redacted]
1/7
This was the first prototype to survive the hormonal splicing process with any semblance of vitality. There is hatred in its eyes, cold and distant, but hatred nonetheless. This feature may be removed in subsequent models, though it may also prove useful. Unfortunately, the specimen was unwilling to complete the athletic course we set out for it. At this time, we are unsure if this is a vestige of sentience from the host body or a physical limitation, but neither is acceptable. We have disposed of the specimen.
1/16
A resounding success. The latest iteration of the creature was able to complete the course in record time and only needed minor prodding to do so. Our hybrid has displayed more sheer power than we imagined. It appears, however, that this model still harbors some hesitation to follow orders. It will be made to stand at attention until we return tomorrow. Any deviation will, of course, result in the disposal of this host.
1/17
It survived the night, to the team’s surprise. We spent the remainder of the day testing its athletic abilities and willingness to obey. If this host had a spirit, we believe it has been broken. Some would call this cruelty, but is it cruel to sharpen a knife that has dulled? To replace a broken component of an essential machine? We do not believe so.
2/3
Our benefactors have been gracious enough to grant us the use of a former heritage site for field testing. We set the hybrid loose in the region surrounding Meteora, believing that the varied terrain and wildlife would prove useful for the challenges ahead. The hybrid—which thankfully still retains some understanding of language—was sent to capture a dozen rabbits and several coyotes to test its hunting prowess. Once again, it passed with flying colors. Bones crumble beneath its iron grip. The team feels good about this iteration.
2/5
A difficult day for the team. While finishing up a field test, the creature unhinged its jaw and devoured a falcon it had plucked from a tree. Its powerful teeth made short work of the bird, bones and all, but this is unacceptable. We do not believe this was an act of defiance, merely the surfacing of an issue we had not yet considered: the hybrid still feels hunger. Of course, it requires sustenance—we cannot currently change that—but there should be no urge. Future iterations will eat only when instructed. This host has been disposed of.
A note on disposal: the usual execution method was unsuccessful, as recent iterations have developed bone thick and fortified enough to withstand even a bullet. An acid bath proved more effective. Some of our younger staff members were visibly upset by the creature’s cries of pain, by the flesh made translucent and blood seeping from every pore. They must be reminded that these creatures are no longer human, and as such need not be wept for.
2/25
The creature killed a brown bear today. We have included video documentation with the logs, but it is not for the faint of heart. The creature ignored the weapons we laid out for it, instead opting to take the animal on with only its hands. While this was a magnificent show of strength and another great success, we are even more enamored by the host body’s adaptation to new additions, new nerve endings and pathways in its physical form. It is able to enhance its own muscle mass and even use its strong fingernails as makeshift claws. We will of course be adding more efficient claws in future iterations—and perhaps sharpening the teeth. It likes to use its teeth.
3/2
It appears that our current model still retains some memories from the host body. Unfortunately, the current prototype seems to have come into contact with one of our interns at some point in its life. Upon recognizing her, it screamed and screamed without end. An incredibly haunting sound, as you will find from the accompanying video log. We were reluctant to harm the creature at this stage as we had found such success with it, until it escaped confinement. It crushed the intern’s windpipe with one hand and clawed out her eyes with the other. It then tore her body open and devoured her organs. We are currently looking into how it was able to leave its cell, but we currently suspect that the creature retains intelligence from not only its host body but the other specimens involved in its creation as well. We will investigate with the next iteration, but this one has proven uncooperative and thus will be sent to the acid bath.
A note, however, on the retention of host memories: I am not convinced that this is entirely a bad thing. It may be possible to harness and manipulate these last echoes of feeling into something useful to us.
4/14
The hybrid is a magnificently efficient killing machine. With many of the kinks smoothed out, it was sent on a mission to infiltrate a local cell of insurrectionists. We gave it a week to allow for careful integration with the rebels, so it could study their movements and formulate a strategy to eliminate them. It returned to us only ten minutes to midnight on the first day, adorned in entrails and gnawing on a femur. I am reminded of those famous words appropriated by Oppenheimer, not about death but about a thousand suns. The radiance of what we have created will surely burn brighter. A perfect solution, one that can truly separate the wretch from the king—so long as that is what its wielder wishes.
4/22
The hybrid shows no regard for living things, including itself. It is a cannibalistic monster so utterly devoid of remorse as to display a ruthlessness the team was unprepared for, but not unhappy with either. After some minor DNA tweaks we were able to give it use of a pair of wings which nestle into slots in the creature’s back for concealment. It took flight for the first time today in pursuit of a prisoner we set loose just for this very occasion. The tearing of flesh, the cracking of bone, the flap of those feathers, it was terrible and magnificent to behold. It revels in the freedom of flight and the thrill of the hunt, yet it always comes back home when beckoned. It kills with the elegance of a dancer, which, I believe, this particular host body may have been in its life before we gave it purpose. The prisoner, of course, did not get far.
6/12
We have assembled a platoon of hybrids using the latest model as our guide. The hunting party set out this morning to dispatch the political rival of one of our benefactors, a mission which was carried out successfully and in short order. The latest batch is extraordinarily strategic, and their thought patterns are unlike any of the earliest tests. We are to receive a generous grant to expand our research significantly, which I believe will be used to explore the selection of host bodies as I believe this plays a role in the efficiency of the final product. The hybrid, if successful, will surely be the go-to in policing, in military operations, and in the protection of people and interests all around the globe.
7/14
Our platoon of hybrids was sent to eliminate another small uprising in town. They made short work of the rioters, though one of them must have been familiar to the platoon leader’s host body; it came back carrying a man’s head with tears in its eyes. This is not a major setback as it completed its mission without fail, and in fact—as I suspected—the memories of the host body do not simply represent one more light to snuff out in the next iteration. Quite the contrary—this pain appears to have made the hybrid a more efficient tool, and may even represent some form of evolution within the product. Perhaps this should be taken into account when selecting future hosts. Strong bonds with others and signs of deviant behavior in life appear to result in stronger candidates for hybridization; more emotions, more anger, more reason for the host body to resist.
Many will die, but these types are expendable, and those who survive will without a doubt become the greatest weapons we have ever seen.
It is my belief, therefore, that the hybrids are ready for the market.