We stand on the shoulders of God
And build on the pillars of Man
To dominate the laws of Nature
In the genesis of Eternal Perfection,
1957
DNA RESEARCH
Shortly after Francis Crick’s controversial presentation on the relationship between DNA, RNA, proteins, and the “adaptor hypothesis,” an international forum is assembled between scientific delegates from Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Its purpose is to test the function, limits, and adaptability of genetic material. The forum is presented with the same scientific report, and identical cell samples. To avoid bias, the delegates are given a set time period of five years to work independently in whatever capacity or direction they see fit, after which time the forum is scheduled to reconvene to compare notes.
1962
PROJECT Δ-Ω
The forum reconvenes in a classified, secure location in Switzerland, bringing together extensive reports from the four independent studies. The conference lasts five months, and during this time none of the attendees are allowed to leave the premises, or make any contact with the outside world. Their findings are never published, as they are deemed too hazardous. At the end of the conference, it is decided that the studies have scientific merit and great potential for furthering our understanding of life, and should therefore be continued, however without any military or government interference. It is feared the results could be weaponized or used for monetary gain. The forum drafts a ten-page manifesto and mission statement and adopts a new name which is meant to signify the study’s purpose: to pursue genetic change to its limits. Project Δ-Ω is born.
1975
THE FIRST FACILITY
A sunny day in late August marks the opening of the first official facility in the Ukrainian SSR.
1977
THE INCEPTION OF WOLFEN
The first genetically-engineered hybrid is hatched under artificial conditions. Dubbed “Wolfen” for its unique, half human and half animal attributes, the specimen does not survive.
1985
IN JEOPARDY
Due to a clerical oversight, an unsanctioned large shipment of supplies arrives at the facility, attracting attention from Ukraine’s military and environmental agencies, placing Project Δ-Ω in jeopardy of being suspended.
1986
CHERNOBYL
An unexpected power surge, and a subsequent spike in power output leads to the rupture of a reactor vessel in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, causing the worst nuclear disaster in history to date. Hushed conspiracy theories suggest the meltdown might not have been an accident at all. The claims are never confirmed, and the theorists disappear without a trace some weeks later.
1988
UNDERGROUND DEN
The Chernobyl Den officially opens for production thirteen stories beneath the site of the meltdown.
1989
THE FIRST SUCCESS
The first viable hybrid is hatched. Later that same year, a litter of sixteen new specimens is successfully created and the Chernobyl Den undergoes an extensive expansion and upgrade.
1995
GENETIC VARIATIONS
Changes in biological and behavioral traits begin to present among the subjects and lead to further studies into their individual genetic makeup to identify the source of the differences, and the reason why they seem to be absent at time of hatching.
2003
SUBSPECIES IDENTIFIED
Medical teams identify three distinct subspecies among the subjects and document extensive notes and statistics about them. No known cause for the differences is found. The most violent of subgroups becomes too hazardous to remain with the general population of subjects. A separate holding wing is built to contain them, and further experiments are ordered to better map individual DNA anomalies.
2011
FUKUSHIMA DEN
Differences of opinion and the inability to agree on proper operating procedure–namely the protocol of neutralizing subjects when matured–lead to the Japanese team members splitting off to continue the study independently. Following established protocols, a new den is built underneath the site of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster site.
2012
MILITARY INVOLVEMENT
Unspecified military involvement leads to the protocol being rewritten to allow a set number of subjects to be sustained beyond maturation if they meet certain safety and obedience standards. The Chernobyl Den is reformed to accommodate this change and a highly trained team of privately funded soldiers is assigned to safeguard mature subjects.
2015
CONTAINMENT FAILURE
The Fukushima Den convert containment units fail. All personnel and any viable specimens are evacuated back to Chernobyl Den, and the Japanese facility is buried. Shortly thereafter, converts overwhelm Chernobyl Den. Due to a technical malfunction, the den’s self-destruct sequence never activates. Converts breach the perimeter and surface to overwhelm Europe. The surviving team members relocate to a military facility in California, United States while a new Den is under construction in Montana. Outside of stable laboratory conditions, specimens mature faster than expected. Some of the inert subjects undergo conversion and escape from the base. Military units are dispatched to eliminate them, however at least one mating pair goes unaccounted for. To prevent further outbreaks, all remaining inerts are eliminated. Project Δ-Ω is officially dissolved.
2016
NEW ERA
In the newly established Montana Den, private army general Ryan Bartholomew Aleissi and his men stage a coup to take over the facility. All medical and scientific personnel are relegated to the labs, and Wolfen subjects are repurposed as defense assets and entertainment. First sighting of a convert appears on the internet. The creature is named “Gray” by the general public and conspiracy theories arise about its origins. This will later become known as the turning point, year 0 of a New Era.
2020 (4 NE)
EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT
Convert numbers have risen beyond what government agencies can conceal, or control. Humanity is fighting–and losing–the war for survival. It’s only a matter of time before Grays overwhelm everything and claim the world for themselves.
