Challenge #00249: What Monsters Hath Science Wrought?

Catbug.

Mythos Entertainment Inc. was working on all manner of new things. Their bio-labs were cooking up foetuses at the rate of knots.

Graham Ptolowitz stared at the thing in the pen. This was the angel/fairy production team, and the abomination before him had originally been a cat.

“We were working on a hexapodal mammalian life-form,” said Dewitt. “So splicing and activating the hexapodal gene was primary priority.”

“We did attempt bat wings, since they are mammalian wings, but - uhm…”

“It didn’t take, this time,” said Dewitt.

The kitten, evidently entranced by Dewitt’s expressive hands, leaped. Its gossamer wings buzzed and, though it missed, the animal drifted gently downwards. It landed and tried again.

“No-one’s going to want to see that,” squeaked Graham. “That’s neither an angel nor a fairy, nor anything else I want in my park!”

“It’s just a prototype, sir,” said Polson. “Once we crack the mammal wing problem, we can use bird DNA to make proper, angelic wings…”

“I don’t want demon cats running loose! I certainly don’t want things like that running loose!”

The kitten successfully seized and monstered his finger in a way far too catlike.

“That’s why we tweaked the wingspan so it could only glide.”

“We have an aviary planned.”

“No,” said Graham. “No monster cats. Scrap the angels. Re-engineer the fairies. Go with -Idunno- singing butterflies or something. No. Demonic. Cats.” He detached the creature from his hand and tossed it back into its pen. It drifted down to floor level and started grooming itself.

Graham made a noise and left. Disgusting.

Behind him, Polson started to cry.

“It’s all right,” soothed Dewitt. “He didn’t say to destroy them…”

And that was how planet Mythos is host to a unique breed of flying cats.

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