FOREWORD: The story's timeline jumps around. I will post the date above every chapter.

Wumpa Islands, Australia
August 31, 1996

"Doctor, the specimen is ready for trial."

"Place the subject in the chamber."

"Yes sir."

All he could remember was being picked up by a large, vice-like grip. He didn't squirm because he felt tired. Very tired. When he was put down, a pair of opaque green glass doors was shut. His eyes wandered upward. There was little floor space for him to run around (if he had the energy, that is), but the ceiling was very high. He could see the blurred image of two tall dark figures standing near the chamber.

Lab workers scurried about to and fro, frantically attempting to assure that everything was as need be for the presentation. A man in a suit with broad shoulders had his hands folded behind his back. A cigar was dangling in between his lips. He was staring at the chamber with a bored expression. "Cortex," he spoke in a graveled voice, "what the hell taking so long? I travel all the way out here to this chain of islands, all the way out in Australia, to see your experiments! I have yet to see anything productive."

"Mr. Banks," said the shorter man in an even tone, "I assure you that everything here is under control. We had to make sure everything was perfect to ensure the success. Failed trials are…well, less than pleasing to look at. To ensure the animal's survival during the procedure, we must be certain that they are in suitable health, of pragmatic behavior—"

"I didn't ask for an essay," Banks snapped. "I want to see this 'Anthrian,' as you so call it."

A crooked smile appeared onto the ghastly Doctor Neo Cortex's face. "As you wish. Brio, begin the transformation sequence."

"Yes, D-Dr. Cortex," a bald, timid scientist replied, shuffling to a board of flashing control switches and buttons. Banks held his cigar, drew from it, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Nitrus Brio, correct?" he asked Cortex. "Isn't he your colleague?"

"Indeed he is," Cortex answered, gazing at the chamber. "He's very intelligent, too. Assisted me in discovering how to unlock and alter a subject's—an animal's—DNA, actually. It's a pleasure having him. In fact, the animal we're testing today has samples of his own DNA, for structure." N. Brio heard Cortex praising him, but decided not to mention to their possible sponsor what really occurred in the walls of the once abandoned castle.

"How does it work?" Banks asked, folding his arms. "What do you have to do to them? What do they look like afterwards?"

"Let us find out then, hm? Activate the chamber, Brio."

"Y-yes, sir."

Inside of the chamber, the sleepy bandicoot heard an engine beginning to whir behind him. He looked up again, and saw the ceiling had begun to glow. Suddenly, a beam of light shot down at him, sending intense waves of pain through his body. He shrieked and squealed, writhing in agony as the energy pulsed through him. First, he felt a snap in his arm—which he realized had broken. Then all over, his insides began to twist and turn and break. Surely, surely he would die from this, he knew.

Banks grimaced. "It sounds like you're killing it."

Cortex waved a hand dismissively. "He's alright. He may think so, but what is happening in there at this moment is a miraculous change from one creature to another, one never before seen by anyone from outside the castle. His bones are breaking, growing and reshaping to take a human form. Given that the bandicoot is a fairly small animal, it may take longer than a few of my other subjects have to reach full size. Even after the transformation is complete, he will still be rather short."

"You said he's taking a human form?"

"Precisely. This is where I coined the term 'Anthrian,' as they are anthropomorphic animals, meaning they possess the ability to walk and talk as humans do."

"He'll be able to talk?"

"Indeed, Mr. Banks, but just more than that." Their attention turned to the chamber as the shrieks began to shift in tone and sound, growing deeper and louder…more human. Banks wrinkled his nose in disgust. "This animal is special. We added more than just human DNA to alter his physical traits. I've had amounts of dog genomes interlaced for a sense of loyalty, traces of kangaroo for added strength and agility in his final body size, some wombat to fill in a few gaps, and immeasurable counts of other DNA to tie it all together."

Instantly a hand smacked against the other side of the chamber, from the inside. Banks stumbled backward, very startled. Cortex chuckled. "It…It's got a human hand…"

"I call this machine the Evolvo-Ray. A microwave-like burst of energy is sent into the animal, rapidly duplicating its cells and merging them with the serum we inject beforehand with the multitude of other DNA. It equalizes it throughout the body and the structure is created as we see fit. The process should be complete. Brio, cease the ray."

The chamber shut off, and a loud thump was heard from inside. The doors popped open, and steam poured out, shrouding an orange figure that collapsed onto the floor before them. Two scientists rushed over, and Banks focused on the blob that had emerged from the machine. "Is it alive…?" One of the workers nodded at him, and they both pulled the subject up by the arms. There, he could get a good, horrifying look at the monstrosity Cortex had created. It had a human-like body, but it was covered in fur! And its face was that of an animal! The chest area was a brighter color than the main coat, and stretched from its nose to its groin. "It's naked! It has a d—"

"Yes, yes," Cortex sighed, walking over to examine his newly created trophy. "We figured it most appropriate to fashion his reproductive organs after men, as they share the most similar bodies to us anyway." He snapped his fingers a few times next to its ear. With no response, he sighed. "I assumed he would fall unconscious due to the pain. I'm just relieved he survived. It's not pleasant cleaning up the chamber, I'd imagine." A couple workers agreed with him quietly. "Take him to the infirmary. Check his diagnostics, vaccinate him, the usual. And find sufficient clothing for him as well."

They did as told. Banks put out his cigar and tossed it into a metal bin. "Color me impressed, Cortex. You've basically figured out how to play God in this castle out here! When I leased the property, I never imagined the potential my client had in using it."

"They always underestimate, but I do so enjoy politely presenting my talents," the doctor remarked. Brio clenched his fists and stared hopelessly at them, wishing to be acknowledged by his partner for his equal efforts in building the machine itself. "Now that you know what I can do, how can I earn your favor to further my research? This isn't exactly a cheap operation, I'm sure you understand, and my previous funder has made the decision to, well, cease any sort of contribution to this science."

"You need me to help you pay for this, don't you?" Banks chuckled. "And just why is it you're doing the impossible? Making an entirely new 'race' of creatures, eh?"

Cortex intertwined his fingers behind him as he began walking with the taller man. "Several reasons. First, in the name of science. We know how to clean up after ourselves if need be. Second, these animals can provide the most accurate subjects for medical experimentation. Though it may seem cruel, it would help our race progress ever further. Finally, I desire being able to create stronger, lethal creatures that live to serve, that aid you in your battles. You cannot deny the potential this would have in warfare, do you? Imagine a soldier with the strength of a bear, the speed of a cheetah, the wit of man—and facing against several at once? Truly an idea to behold in fear."

Banks stroked his chin in thought. "I do invest in several departments of military affairs. The United States would love to get their hands on soldiers like you describe."

"As would any government," Cortex commented. "Of course, these creatures are not ready for the eyes of the world. You wouldn't believe how much of a nuisance animal rights activists are. Many would come to question the ethics of my work, ethics of which people should look past."

"You can't argue though that if they think like people, making them do whatever you want seems kinda like slavery," Banks sighed.

"But, with the right genetic engineering, these Anthrians should live to serve us without question. That is why you make them smart, but not too smart. The subject you just saw will be about as intelligent as a young adult, and yet as loyal as your own canine companion."

"You can guarantee this?"

Cortex stopped, and turned to his investor. "Have I ever lied to you before, Mr. Banks?"

The taller man grumbled incoherently, but something beyond Cortex caught his interest. It looked like a circular frame, large enough for someone to step through. It was attached to several large machines, all of them apparently activated. "What's this?" he inquired. Cortex twirled around, and raised his brow.

"Ah! This is something else we've put together in the lab several months ago. A friend of mine, Doctor Nefarious Tropy, had convinced me to aid him with his whimsical idea of time travel. Given that he had quite a pot of wealth, he was more than generous in supporting my own research, so I was quite delighted to assist him. However, when we aimed to create a temporary wormhole through a certain period of time, we failed. Tropy's theory at the time was only enough to create an inter-dimensional doorway."

"Meaning?" Banks groused with a scowl. Cortex sighed in exasperation.

"We did not create time travel. This portal leads to another dimension, a world unlike our own yet still managing to sustain life. We call it the 10th Dimension. One of my men traveled through to report what was on the other side. What he described sounded like a prehistoric era, but none of the creatures there matched any fossil records. There was supposedly a massive volcano just several kilometers away from the islands he was on. However, he did not survive. He was killed by one of the beasts, and we had to sever the connection. We haven't used it since."

"Why are the computers for it still active then?"

"Well," the scientist said, folding his arms and studying the portal, "Tropy warned me to never fully shut down the portal. He said it created an imbalance by sending a scout and leaving his body there, and if the tunnel linking our dimensions were to be cut, it could very well create a cataclysmic event that could destroy both. We simply shut the door on this end, to put it simply. Besides, should the need arise, it would be fairly easy to simply open it again, as it was quite strenuous creating the tunnel."

"All that work for a buncha crap, sounds like," Banks said, proceeding with the idle tour around the castle. After a period of silence, they were walking through a dark corridor when the investor spoke up again. "Why use bandicoots? I understand you've made approximately twenty Anthrians already? Most of them are bandicoots, I've heard."

"Bandicoots are a creature of abundance around here," Cortex answered solemnly. "Their DNA is the easiest to morph and work with, because they're quite similar to rats."

"So, do you name them? Or do they name themselves?"

"I've given the job of registering and naming the specimens to Brio. He quite seems to enjoy that work. Although, he names them as you would name a pet, and that can be rather…bothersome, at times."

After lunch, Mr. Fredrick Banks was already signing a check for Cortex. He puffed on another cigar, leaning back in his seat. They sat atop a terrace viewing the sunset over the ocean. He handed the slip of paper to Cortex, who seemed very pleased to see the figures on it. "Don't go spending it all in one place," he declared, pocketing his checkbook. The doctor did the same with the check. Banks placed both elbows on the table, folding his hands together. He stared Cortex in the eye. "I want to see one more transformation, before I go, if that's alright."

"That would be splendid, Mr. Banks," Cortex assured, standing and starting to lead his guest to the lab, where they were before. Brio had already tended to the previous subject, tagging and clothing him. He greeted Banks with a brief nod, and sat at the control desk for the Evolvo-Ray. There was a small cage sitting nearby, with a scampering creature inside. "Where is the last one?" Cortex inquired.

"H-he awoke s-sir. He didn't take kindly t-to the other doctors clothing him, a-and m-made quite a m-mess, yes."

"What did you name him?"

"C-Crash Bandicoot, s-sir, given the specific, er, talent y-you had programmed into his genetics…"

Cortex rolled his eyes. "Seems appropriate, I suppose. I'll speak with him later."

"I would like to join you," Banks said. "I want to see one of them talk."

"Yes, absolutely." Cortex squatted in front of the small cage, peering inside. He furrowed his brow. "Brio, is this the specimen I've been waiting for? The tests have all been successful?"

"Y-yes."

Cortex smiled, and picked up the cage. The bandicoot inside didn't seem fazed when the doctor observed it. "It's braver than I thought. This is good. It will prove to be an excellent servant."

"Servant?" Banks echoed.

"Yes, servant. You see, the bandicoot our recent subject derived from had been a litter mate of this one. Although, when tested, they didn't share the same parents, which was peculiar. This one has the most pliable DNA structure I've seen in an animal, however. I've made it a point to make good use of it. You see, I plan to add more human genomes to this one than the rest. I want him to be very smart, so I used samples of my own blood. He will be the only specimen to contain my DNA. He will also be the only one to use the wolf DNA we've obtained, straight from an alpha. He will be a glorious creature—of cunning mind and strength. I aim to use both him and this 'Crash' as… Well, perhaps I should save that for another time, Mr. Banks."

He opened the doors of the chamber once again, unlocked the gate of the cage, and shook the bandicoot into the Evolvo-Ray, quickly sealing the doors again. He signaled for Brio to start the transformation again, and the machine once again purred with life. The all-too familiar shrieking came from the chamber, but Banks simply looked on with interest. "Do they remember being so small?" he murmured. Cortex shook his head.

"No. Their newly developed brains wipe out the standard instincts of being a bandicoot. It would be impossible to remember the squalid lives they used to live. This one had a large scar on the left side of his stomach, most likely being from a dingo attack. This one, 'Crash,' and a female bandicoot were of the same group when we found them."

The machine continued to whir loudly, and the shrieks began to deepen again—yet, Banks noticed with a chill up his spine that it strayed more to a monstrous howl. He looked at Cortex for assurance, who was gazing at the chamber with pleasure. Brio deactivated the Evolvo-Ray and stared at Cortex for further instruction, but the latter said nothing. Two scientists paced over to the door of the chamber to open it, but suddenly the doors flew open and a blur of red burst from inside, bounding to Banks and pouncing on him. The shaken investor was met with sharp teeth and piercing amber eyes.

"Where are they?! What have you done with them?!" it hissed in a hoarse, cracking voice. Cortex attempted to pull the animal from Banks, who was trying to stutter a confuse reply.

"Get the tranquilizer!" the doctor shouted frantically.

"The last of it was used on the giant Tasmanian tiger!" a worker responded quickly, shuffling through drawers through the panic. "The shipment since then hasn't arrived yet!"

Cortex cursed, but then saw that the red beast was glaring at him now. It released Banks, who continued to lay on the floor in a dazed shock. He approached Cortex. "You…you're the one…" He doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach. "Why did you do this to me…? What's going on?" He stared at his hands, sharp black claws jutting from his fingertips. He glared at Cortex, who began to suspect with horror what the beast planned on doing with them. "You'll pay for this!"

"Open the trans-dimensional gate!" Cortex yelled, and the workers scampered to do as told, swiftly placing themselves where they needed to be for the process. Cortex backed up against a pole, and the beast was snarling ferociously.

"Before I kill you," he grunted, still holding his abdomen and locking his hand around the collar of the doctor, "what's my name? I want it to be the last thing you say before I rip your throat out."

Cortex narrowed his eyes at the Anthrian, sneering. "Your name was going to be Nega, but it's not going to do you any use where you're going." With that, two of the scientists jabbed electric rods into the back of him, causing a rippling yelp from the hybrid and collapsing him onto the ground. Cortex dusted himself off, and sighed. "From now on, it is mandatory we have tranquilizer at all times in here, to prevent accidents such as this." The workers grabbed the mutant under the arms and began to haul it to the now active portal; a swirling bright pink vortex that had a slight vacuum effect on the air of the room.

"Accident…?" he chuckled gruffly. "What you've done is no accident… and to think," Nega added, staring at the recovering investor he attacked, "you actually believe I'm the monster."

"Are you sure you wish to throw the mutant into the portal?" one of them asked warily. Cortex nodded with a grimace.

"Mr. Banks' deal is more important than a potential servant. If anything, I'll create something more loyal to me. Toss the beast into the 10th Dimension."

"Yes, sir," they both murmured in unison. Nega gave a growl of surprise as they hurled him through the gate. Banks was helped up by a few more assistants that had just rushed in. He brushed off his suit, taking unpleasant note of a few tears caused by the assault. The portal shrunk, and eventually dissipated. Cortex turned to him, once again placing his hands behind his back.

"I do hope this incident hasn't swayed your opinion with the deal. Mistakes like this seldom occur as most subjects fall unconscious during the procedure or simply die. This is the first case I've had where the subject has remained awake, let alone be as active as such. It's a shame we had to lose him, but alas he proved himself to be savage. I imagine there will be no more like this in the future, however."

Banks swallowed, and nodded. "I suppose. Look, I think the work you've got going here is great and all, but I'd rather not be here to witness something catastrophic if things do go south. So, the sooner you can get me a boat or plane back to mainland, I can fly faster to the U.S. I'll write the second check you need there, and send over an executive with the money in cash—US dollars, of course."

Cortex smiled brightly. "Of course."

Hey guys! Thanks for reading the FIRST CHAPTER of this Crash Bandicoot fanfic! Yep, there will be more! Also, you may or may not recognize the name "Nega," so let me tell you. The account ChicFlick97 is my old account with plenty of other Crash Bandicoot stories in it, and they feature him as well. The stories are a couple years old, and I will no longer implement my OC Kate into the universe. This is something new I'm doing. I will admit that I abandoned the saga on my profile, sorry to those of you that were reading it. :( Although, I fully intend on riding with this for awhile, so stay tuned!

Anyway, reviews MUCH appreciated!