Science gone mad…
There are so many examples of Science gone mad, who can fail to be moved by the image of a mouse that looked like it had a human ear grown on its back. The wretched rodent got dubbed earmouse, a creation by Charles Vacanti. At face value people assumed it was a human ear, and perhaps a scientist showing off to world, saying “look what I can do”. This kind of Frankenstein abomination is going to be met with ear piecing outrage. The desire for a scientist to go to the limits must be a really strong urge and they must put in the back of their minds the unethicalness of their actions. With the advance of science, scientist are now capable of doing what was previously thought of as being unthinkable. Worldwide scientists are given a free rein to do pretty much whatever they want when it comes to genetic modification. Are we facing genetic Armageddon ?
I was very impressed by the concept of a film called “Splice”…a film released in 2009, a French Canadian, Science fiction horror film, in which two young scientists go well beyond the boundaries, playing God, (as well as going against the orders of the company they work for) by attempting splicing animal DNA to create human/animal hybrids. Like with many films of this nature, it all goes horribly wrong, with nature biting back…
In one of my short stories, bluntly named “Mutant” a world famous scientist takes out the ultimate revenge on his neglected cheating wife. Having arranged a car crash for her and her lover, he takes it upon himself to splice a fish tail to replace her mangled legs. When she comes round she finds herself a “novelty mermaid” floating around a kitsch pool, ogled at by all of his rich friends who are all party to her total humiliation.
Extract from MUTANT one of my 22 short stories, part of Flight of Destiny.
Her husband, the greatest surgeon in the world, had discarded her
pulverized lower limbs and grafted on what looked like the tail of a
fish. To reaffirm her new situation, he’d even preserved the decapitated
fish head and placed it on display for her to see. The gruesome remains
glared up at her with a pained expression. The shock was too much,
and she passed out.
Upon regaining consciousness, she found her husband, Crawford,
standing before the capsule admiring his work, the ultimate synthesis
of surgery, science and art. He was taking pleasure in pointing out the
details of his outstanding work to his entourage, which had now
swelled in numbers, consisting of businessmen who’d paid huge sums
to be present at the unveiling. All sick voyeurs, mouths hanging open,
eyes agog, they nodded perfunctorily at each point. All peered
incredulously at the half-woman, half-fish before them…
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