January 25, 2035—Day 278 of Experiment ZPA.
"Another failure."
Static buzzed through the recorder as Dr. Elias Vance leaned back, rubbing his temple with ink-stained fingers. The lab reeked of sterilized steel and burnt-out circuits. On the table before him, Specimen XXX078 lay motionless, its tiny chest finally still.
"I tried imbibing the ZPA to the left cerebral cortex, but… rejection again."
Vance sighed, shutting off the recording. He had been at this for nearly a year. Theories were sound, execution was flawed. Every attempt ended the same way—seizures, rapid mutation, then death. The serum wasn't stabilizing. He needed a new approach.
September 27, 2036—Breakthrough.
"I have finally found a way to stabilize it. Specimen XXX079 lasted 17 days before cellular breakdown. Progress."
The key had been in the DNA. Grafting from identical twins created a compatibility factor he hadn't considered before. A biological bridge. His excitement was tempered by exhaustion, but it didn't matter—he was onto something.
December 24, 2040—Success.
"I did it. I've created the ultimate specimen."
Elias stared at the rat in its enclosure. It was different. Larger. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural awareness. It wasn't just surviving—it was solving patterns. Recognizing faces. Adapting.
But there was… something else.
Strange behaviors. Mating patterns accelerated. Dominance hierarchies forming. The test subjects weren't just getting smarter—they were organizing. The Alpha gene he had introduced was being passed down.
And they were learning fast.
2042—The Rise.
"They're evolving."
The rats had changed. No longer mere test subjects, they had built a social structure. Those without the Alpha gene became subordinates, workers, food gatherers. The ones with it? They ruled. The lab had become a kingdom in miniature, and Vance was no longer its master.
Then came the tools.
Then came the weapons.
By the time Vance realized what he had done, it was too late.
2050—The Uprising.
First, they escaped the lab. Then, they spread. Then, they took over.
By the time the world took notice, Hyper Rats had already entrenched themselves. Cities fell in days. Governments crumbled under the sheer unpredictability of their tactics. This wasn't an infestation—it was a conquest.
And humanity was not prepared.
2060—War.
The transmission was brief. Static, then a garbled voice:
"Blood on my mouth… stomach… pierced… laser weapons… the rats… they're—"
Silence.
Then the news reports came in.
BREAKING NEWS: GIANT MUTATED RATS FLOOD NEW YORK CITY. MILITARY DEPLOYED. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES UNKNOWN.
The war had begun.
TO BE CONTINUED…