I already wrote the paper, hopefully the guy won't kill me for not including a whole hellofa lotta information on genetics. The story takes place in the nearish future, so the events that take place are possible. It's kinda like the caveman-jurassic-park.
In the near future Maine has become the only state in the Union that lacks human inhabitants. A weak economy and immigration to other states by the newer generations of people has left the forests and the wildlife of Maine to reclaim the land. There is not a trace of human habitation anywhere. Biolife, a large and popular corporation specializing in the production of new organisms, has recently begun an experiment. By heavily altering modern human genes, an identical Neanderthal population has been created and distributed into the woods of Maine, the location the only place not touched by modern human civilization on Earth. Currently, the Neanderthal population has passed successfully into its second generation and great a great deal of research has been gathered about our long-dead cousin, however this is not to say that problems have not arisen.
Since only little information as to the genetic makeup of the Neanderthal exists, the human genome itself was modified and retrograded again and again, with new chromosomes being added and old ones being either reworked or replaced. The two species, Homo sapiens neanderthalis and Homo sapiens sapiens are luckily closely related, however the construction of a workable gene has taken over ten years to complete and perfect. It is in the company’s confidence that its Neanderthals are authentic to within half a percent of the original. This project has been undertaken purely for scientific research.
The Neanderthals themselves were created and grown in a lab with the most advanced scientific equipment manufactured. Upon animation they were taken to Maine via helicopter and dropped off in the woods with special implants under their skin that are able to track and give readouts of their bodies. In an absolute emergency a powerful electric shock can be administered to any of the Neanderthals, delivering a swift and painless death if the need arrives.
With the Neanderthals arrival the total wilderness of Maine has not been changed significantly, some trees have been cut down, but it is estimated that the Neanderthal project will not last long enough to develop agriculture. Before the Neanderthals were introduced many species of animal were running rampant in Maine and wreaking havoc upon populations of other animals and other economies in the provinces of Canada and the US. Now, the population has come under control, with a powerful natural predator that will not over or under hunt. The one problem with the entire idea is that a small group of Neanderthals has not been tracked for several weeks, their computer chips seem to have been removed somehow. As such, the team supervising the operation has been unable to discern their location or the location of their offspring, who they would have tagged at or near birth. The last time this tribe was seen was near the border of Nova Scotia. The public has not been informed, however satellites have been commissioned to keep an eye on a great deal of that area, in the event that the Neanderthals cross out of Biolife’s jurisdiction.
4/09/59
Rumors have circulated through Nova Scotia and greater Canada of a group of terrifying men running across the roads and inhabiting the woods. Photographs have been taken and they appear to be legitimate. Satellites have been positioned appropriately and Canada’s law enforcement is checking into the matter. Biolife has continued to tell neither the government nor the people. CEO Jack Braun has ordered that the team bring the Neanderthals back to Maine by the end of the month. If not the company will go public.
5/03/59
The Neanderthals still have not been found, and several people in Nova Scotia have been found brutally slain. Braun has resigned as CEO. The team behind the project has been disbanded and all known living Neanderthals have been destroyed with the chips we placed under their skin. The public is calling for an explanation and Biolife is at the top of the suspect list.
This past log, written by the Team Head Adam Gordon has been brought to the trial of Biolife and it is in the interest of the defense attorney for Biolife that it is analyzed to the fullest to pick out any weaknesses that could be used against the corporation. Every religious group known of to the attorney has filed a lawsuit against Biolife for “unethical mistreatment of the human being.” The families of the eight victims have also filed suit. Biolife declared bankruptcy eight months ago, about three months after the last entry in this briefing. It is anticipated that little can be done to prevent the lawsuits, however the current CEO of Biolife, Adam Gordon, had declined to settle any of the cases beforehand, which would have been the preferable action rather than taking the plaintiffs to court. It is his belief that the “Neanderthal Undertaking” was a grand scientific project that should not be criticized for its mistakes and that the victims and their families were merely caught in the way of research. At this time public opinion of the CEO is below one percent of those polled. It is recommended that any further suits be settled immediately, it is unlikely that a viable defense can be found. Biolife is at fault for these deaths and this destruction, and it seems that Biolife will pay for it until the rogue Neanderthals are found. The most recent sighting was of their group heading into the Northwest Territories of Canada, it should be easy for satellites to spot them. However if they find a way to cross into Russia Biolife will be unable to track them any further.
mr. science, you.