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“Twenty-two homologous pairs of chromosomes and a set of sex chromosomes. Same number as humans. Each chromosome had an abnormal number of transposable DNA.”
“And what does transposable DNA do?”
It could inactivate and alter the expression of a gene. It could change it enough that there’d be more differences than those found between humans and Chimpanzees, where one-point-two percent created a whole new species.
The transposons could make the presence of foreign DNA minimal. Because in the end, all DNA was the same. Only the number of chromosomes and arrangements of the amino acids forming it varied.
“If what you’re saying is true, then why didn’t you out populate humans hundreds of thousands of years ago?”
“We were paired with the Fenrir for a very long time. We forgot what being bipedal meant. Then we had to adapt or die. We haven’t walked as men and women until roughly forty-thousand years ago. That combined with our very low fertility rates, if it wasn’t for the ability to breed with humans, we’d be extinct.
“And when our Cana were killed, the shock of their death killed almost ninety percent of our population. Without Cana, those of us with wolves are stuck in a sort of limbo and unable to reproduce. There are a few packs who’ve remained in touch with descendants of those who were too young to take a wolf, but the majority of our population is displaced and unaware of what they are.”
“Who killed the Cana?” Reese said.
Seung glanced at Johnathan who looked away. “We were told the Mah killed them.”
And it was obvious Seung didn’t believe it for a second. “What do you think happened?”
“Someone murdered them to make us hate the Mah. Only one who’d benefit from that would be humans.”
“You never tried to find out?”
“My people were angry, scared, hurting. We’d lost our wolves. The ones who survived, wandered. Nothing seemed real to us anymore. By the time we’d come to terms with what had happened, too much time had passed, and they’d convinced themselves the Mah were at fault. It was easier for them to believe the Cataclysm was the result of the Mah’s revenge for us working with the Senate, the church, and humans, to kill the Anubis. Most of us still believe that.
“But Grey Dekker has promised to help us rebuild. And everyone will know who made that possible. Then, when we have our wolves back, there will begetand we will thrive.”
They had the potential to grow exponentially.
A species that could interbreed with humans, using their genes to perpetuate their kind, circumventing genetic incompatibility.
And because they looked identical to humans, no one would be the wiser.
Had humans sensed the threat? Was that why, as civilizations advanced, they’d sought, isolated, and set about to exterminate these people?
If so, who was the real enemy?
Or was there an enemy at all?
Still, humans were resilient creatures. That meant so were their genetics. But it didn’t change the fact there was a chance there might be new conflicts between the rise of different species.
And humans would not go quietly into extinction.
“What if I say no?”
Frost shifted his weight, Seung lowered her gaze, and Johnathan? He dug his fingers so deep into the arms of the chair, Reese was sure the material would split.
But the tension in his expression didn’t convey anger, but rather an emotion Reese had no name for.
“You’re not a prisoner,” Johnathan said.
“I could leave?”
“You’re free to go at any time.”
“Like right now. I could just walk out of here, and you won’t stop me?”
Jonathan dropped his shoulders and nodded.
