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World History
Teddy's world was ravaged by famine and biological warfare. The surviving remnants of his world have depleted their own planet's resources and live largely underground in facilities that monitor and engineer everything from food to the very people still living there.
Research in interdimensional studies lead to the capability of interdimensional travel a century ago, and though much of the remaining survivors expressed serious uncertainties and discomforts in regards to the program, the Interdimensional Exploration Project was created. Their goal: Find dimensions of similar nature to their own, to either infiltrate or scavenge resources from. The problem: Most dimensions did not turn out to be similar to their own world, and even more were full of violent and unknown hazards, making travel to other dimensions a suicide mission 9 times out of 10.
The loss of too many explorers lead to the creation of the second branch of the IEP. The Interdimensional Exploration Genome Project was tasked with creating soldiers and explorers from scratch. But due to the time it takes humans to reach an age where they are capable of handling themselves and emotionally stable enough not to go insane from the trip through the IEP's unstable Portal system, they were not a viable test subject. The IEGP chose three animals for their traits and characteristics: Members of the Primate family, for their human like hands and ability to use tools; Members of the Feline family, for their natural predatory instincts and stealth; and members of the Canine family, for their loyalty and obedience.
Through the first trial runs of these genetically engineered explorers, it was discovered that primates with increased intelligence became too self aware and too dangerous to be trusted. Most were intentionally sent through portals that were known to be closing, and abandoned on alternate worlds willfully, to avoid the consequences of dealing with the too intelligent creatures, and their displeasure at being used as tools.
The felines performed admirably in worlds with violent native flora or fauna, but their natural instincts did not incline them to follow orders, and the difficulty of recalling these subjects before unstable portals collapsed led to a loss of resources and a rise in frustration among the IEGP scientists.
Then came the success of the Canine Units. With just one handler, an entire pack of Enhanced Canines could be sent through the portal to perform tasks, and once on the other side, obeyed and protected their human handlers admirably. The IEGP had finally found their perfect tool for the job. But as with any scientists, they were not satisfied just achieving that one goal.
Humans were in no hurry to volunteer for suicidal missions to unknown dimensions, and even with the rate of return expanded to 3/10 units surviving their trips through the portal and back, the number of volunteers dwindled, even as incentives were raised again and again.
The canines of the IEGP were genetically modified to survive harsher conditions, live longer, and be capable of learning and communicating with a variety of languages. While they were not considered to be as intelligent as their human counterparts, many later versions of the canines of the IEGP displayed excellent abilities for cognitive learning and problem solving, surpassing the results expected of them.
The Upsilon generation was the first to be sent on these missions alone, equipped with the technology needed to record data of all they saw and experienced, that could be sent back to base even if the canines themselves did not make it back.
Through genetic manipulation, the IEGP coded what they believed to be the perfect explorers. They intentionally selected and raised the Upsilon canines to be sociable, self-confident, self-reliant, and assertive. They were expected to be natural leaders and brave explorers in the face of unknowable odds and challenges. Those traits were the ones carefully coded for in the genome project to help create canine explorers who would not shirk from their responsibilities in the often harsh and unforgiving worlds they were sent to on their missions. Unfortunately, with those traits came less positive attributes. Aggressive, headstrong and even argumentative canines developed as a result of their genetic dispositions. Some became hostile and offensive, as opposed to the spectators and spies they were initially designed to be.
The adventurous and independent natures of the Upsilon canines earned them reputations as fearless, uninhibited aggressors, charging into new worlds head first and functioning best when the risks and challenges were at their highest.
Research in interdimensional studies lead to the capability of interdimensional travel a century ago, and though much of the remaining survivors expressed serious uncertainties and discomforts in regards to the program, the Interdimensional Exploration Project was created. Their goal: Find dimensions of similar nature to their own, to either infiltrate or scavenge resources from. The problem: Most dimensions did not turn out to be similar to their own world, and even more were full of violent and unknown hazards, making travel to other dimensions a suicide mission 9 times out of 10.
The loss of too many explorers lead to the creation of the second branch of the IEP. The Interdimensional Exploration Genome Project was tasked with creating soldiers and explorers from scratch. But due to the time it takes humans to reach an age where they are capable of handling themselves and emotionally stable enough not to go insane from the trip through the IEP's unstable Portal system, they were not a viable test subject. The IEGP chose three animals for their traits and characteristics: Members of the Primate family, for their human like hands and ability to use tools; Members of the Feline family, for their natural predatory instincts and stealth; and members of the Canine family, for their loyalty and obedience.
Through the first trial runs of these genetically engineered explorers, it was discovered that primates with increased intelligence became too self aware and too dangerous to be trusted. Most were intentionally sent through portals that were known to be closing, and abandoned on alternate worlds willfully, to avoid the consequences of dealing with the too intelligent creatures, and their displeasure at being used as tools.
The felines performed admirably in worlds with violent native flora or fauna, but their natural instincts did not incline them to follow orders, and the difficulty of recalling these subjects before unstable portals collapsed led to a loss of resources and a rise in frustration among the IEGP scientists.
Then came the success of the Canine Units. With just one handler, an entire pack of Enhanced Canines could be sent through the portal to perform tasks, and once on the other side, obeyed and protected their human handlers admirably. The IEGP had finally found their perfect tool for the job. But as with any scientists, they were not satisfied just achieving that one goal.
Humans were in no hurry to volunteer for suicidal missions to unknown dimensions, and even with the rate of return expanded to 3/10 units surviving their trips through the portal and back, the number of volunteers dwindled, even as incentives were raised again and again.
The canines of the IEGP were genetically modified to survive harsher conditions, live longer, and be capable of learning and communicating with a variety of languages. While they were not considered to be as intelligent as their human counterparts, many later versions of the canines of the IEGP displayed excellent abilities for cognitive learning and problem solving, surpassing the results expected of them.
The Upsilon generation was the first to be sent on these missions alone, equipped with the technology needed to record data of all they saw and experienced, that could be sent back to base even if the canines themselves did not make it back.
Through genetic manipulation, the IEGP coded what they believed to be the perfect explorers. They intentionally selected and raised the Upsilon canines to be sociable, self-confident, self-reliant, and assertive. They were expected to be natural leaders and brave explorers in the face of unknowable odds and challenges. Those traits were the ones carefully coded for in the genome project to help create canine explorers who would not shirk from their responsibilities in the often harsh and unforgiving worlds they were sent to on their missions. Unfortunately, with those traits came less positive attributes. Aggressive, headstrong and even argumentative canines developed as a result of their genetic dispositions. Some became hostile and offensive, as opposed to the spectators and spies they were initially designed to be.
The adventurous and independent natures of the Upsilon canines earned them reputations as fearless, uninhibited aggressors, charging into new worlds head first and functioning best when the risks and challenges were at their highest.