It was the scandal of the century. The country's military prestige took a terrible blow. Why? A mad scientist and three of the nation's top geneals took it upon themselves to mutate the youth of the country.
For a few years, they had gotten away with it. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of youths had been drafted and converted in half human, half animal hybrids. Mostly people who, so they believed, would not be missed. From obscure towns, and crime ridden cities. But finally, they're scheme was exposed. All the missing people. The large military, of strangely powerful and mutilated non-persons kept at remote bases.
Many honest individuals had tried to bring them down, Dr. Graves's own elder son among them, transformed on a whim by his father while on a date with a girl from a hippy commune. Many generals had been killed, whole ranks of the army purged, until finally the civillian government itself was threatened by the actions of the power mad generals.
It took scores of individuals, an unholy alliance of reporters, scientists, retired military officers, private eyes, the police, and honest politicians to bring the rogue element to its knees. To discover the scandal, and finally release, and by degrees cure, the individuals selected in the inhuman program.
An all out civil war was narrowly averted, and the eyes of the world were on the court martial of Dr. Graves, and Generals Smith, Hart, and Jones.
"We find you guilty of gross misconduct," said the presiding officer, "And give you a dishonorable discharge. And only three months imprisonment, because of your previously meritoriously conduct."
They were let off. It actually had to be done, the generals and Dr. Graves had threatened to blow up the country, mutate vast sections of the population, if they were let off and allowed to remain in the country (where they planned to lead a coup in the near future), they'd go.
So among the gasps of all those who didn't know what was up, who expected death to be the award given to the criminals, the generals and Dr. Graves smirked as they were led off to a short stint in the suddenly luxurious military prison.
They didn't figure on who'd be their guards.
For a variety of reasons, a number of the mutates had remained in the armed forces.
The six soldeirs that led them away, had been among them.
"Remember me, dad," smirked the lietenant.
As of yet, the scientist hadn't been able to completely reverse the mutations. But by the end of the year, with the concluding treatments, it was certain they'd be back to their old selves, perfectly functioning humans.
But Graves's son had his cap over still pointly ears, was in bad need of a shave, had oddly bulky hands, and wore oversized shoes.
The prisoners gasped. They were experts on the program.
There were six of them. The two women had once been part tiger. One man had been in the navy, and subject to a treatment that made him part shark. One stumbling individual had been part horse. And Dr. Graves's son, along with a corporal, had been part wolf.
"I married Susan, the hippy girl," smirked Graves's son. "We expect a kid . . . that's a human kid, not a pup. You'd be a grandfather . . . if . . . while I'd rather not talk about it."