There once was a time in which humans were able to surpass Mother Nature. Maybe surpass isn't the right word, but rather, humans were able to defy Mother Nature. As we all now, Mother Nature created different species, each one holding a specific characteristc, something that was written within their DNA that defined who they were.
Humans had by that time believed that everything was possible, that they could do anything, believed that they had the right over eveything else, for they were superior, they were greater than anything that lived on Earth. But that wasn't enough for them.
It was never enough.
At first, things began when DNA was more or less understood. Doctors were then able to know before the child was born if he or she was going to get some serious sickness; were able to know beforehand if the child held already some sort of sickness, and parents, if so was their wish, could get rid of them so as to not deal with the problems such child could bring.
But then, doctors were able to define what eye colour the child would have, their skin tone, what type of hair, could recreate the child right in front of the parents and later on could even make changes on them. I want a blue eyed girl. I want my child to be blond. I'd prefer if my child was a brunette, rather than black haired. Humans had gotten to the point in which they could create the perfect human being. Tall, but not too much, beautiful, fast, strong... perfect in every aspect they could control. But they wanted more.
So much more.
Scientists of all kinds then united, and under the moral and financial support from the Gouvernement, they set out to create the ultimate creature.
One that would surpass all the others.
This creature was ment to unite humans and animals into one sole entity. While it would hold mainly a human's physical and intellectual characteristics, the project would also have certain physical abilities of the animal that was chosen and in some ways its mannerisims and beliefs.
While this being was ment to be above all others, it was also ment to abide to humans' will. A sort of slave or bodyguard that would serve huamnity for as long as it lived (which was around the same length as humans).
This project was to be named HOMOANIMA. The inspiration came from the Latin word that refers to man, 'homo' and the Latin word for animal 'animus'. They joined the two names, just like they joined two creatures that were never ment to merge together.
After years of research and many failed attempts, they were finally able to create the first HOMOANIMA. With it, thousands of others were created, scientists using as many types of animals as it was possible. The children were born from an artificial foetus that was created and taken care of on a lab. When the figure of the child was perfectly formed, its mass had stabilized and there was no danger on letting it breath air, they were let out.
After that came the training. They couldn't have those new beings walking around freely on Earth, so they broke them. They trained them to obey, to follow orders without a moment of hesitation. They were ment to believe they were nothing more than pets, easily replaced and annihilated if necessary. They were never ment to know what freedom was.
But they never expected them to find out on their own.