Origins

-OCTOBER 15-
Project 27 died on us today after showing early promise. The lungs gave out after it grew to half its adult size. Back to the drawing board.

-OCTOBER 16-
We are still working on enhancing the genetic code. I have a feeling that Project 28 could be the one.

-OCTOBER 17-
Project 28 was born today. Early brain scans detected extremely powerful activity. If these scans hold true, 28 will surpass our wildest expectations for intelligence.

-OCTOBER 20-
We began to test Project 28 directly today. It passes with flying colors. Memory, logic, even a strong grasp of understanding language... some on the team express belief that 28 may be capable of speech.

-OCTOBER 26-
It can speak.

And it's on to us.

-OCTOBER 27-
We succeeded in sedating 28 and put it in storage to await augmentation. Some of the team say it's dangerous to keep 28, but it is proving to be such a success that I dearly hesitate to start anew, not when we're so close. 28 has been placed in the Accelerated Growth Chamber to get to the adult stage quickly.

-NOVEMBER 22-
Project 28 has been fully augmented and has reached the adult stage. Soon we unleash it, and prove our mettle.

-JULY 20-
Scheduling for the first match is underway. We are confident Project 28 can overcome the poorly-made experiments the other teams bring to the table.

-AUGUST 8-
That was a disaster. Project 28 is gone... and so is its first opponent. Moments before the match was due to begin, both of them vanished without a trace. What a waste of time...

Some of the team say "good riddance" though. They claimed Project 28 was not only aware of what we were making it do, but it wasn't happy and it wanted out. Normally I'd dismiss such ridiculous notions, but those brain scans... perhaps it was for the best after all.

-----

-OCTOBER 15-
We're in danger of falling behind schedule. The next tournament requires signups in less than seven months and we haven't moved past the planning stages. The team seems conflicted over which direction to take. Personally, my mind keeps wandering back to Project 28. The more I think about it, the more I can't help but imagine what we could have done with it.

The potential...

-OCTOBER 25-
We started work by modifying a rhinoceros, but I have to admit that my heart isn't in it. I still think of Project 28. This rhino is powerful, especially with the muscly arms, but he's such a dullard. If only Project 28 had understood the glory of being a Zoofighter.

-OCTOBER 29-
Harrumph. I suggested we try to recreate Project 28, and the others turned me down. Said I was crazy for wanting "that thing" back. The fools. Brawn only takes you so far. If you don't have any proper tactics, all is lost. Mark my words, the next Zoofights champion will be a creature that won with smart thinking, not by blundering into battle with arms a-flailing.

-NOVEMBER 4-
I have decided to part with my former colleagues. They don't share my vision any more.

I will bring back Project 28 all by myself. Then they'll see.

-NOVEMBER 9-
My first attempt at recreating Project 28 didn't go over well. But I'm not going to euthanize it. It still has potential. Perhaps as an ally for 28, or I could keep it as a guard dog of sorts. It can certainly fight.

-DECEMBER 13-
Nothing's working. I'm getting frustrated. Perhaps 28 was a one-off, a freak accident. Perhaps 28 could never be recreated.

There has to be a way... Maybe...

-DECEMBER 14-
I can't believe my good fortune! My equipment detected some leftover energy from the incident last summer in the arena. I've gathered up what I could and am studying it to see if I can trace its origin.

-DECEMBER 31-
It appears that Project 28 and that fish were sent to another dimension. If only I could travel through dimensions...

-OCTOBER 2-
I've been working nonstop on a way to harness this warp energy, and I think I've made a breakthrough. The pack is a tad bulky, but if it can send me on the trail of Project 28, I don't mind.

-DECEMBER 27-
This is it. I've worked out the coordinates. I hope this works.

-----

 
VVVVVVVVVVVRRRRROP

The Manhattan back-alley was engulfed in smoke. A nearby stray cat yowled and dashed away in surprise as the smoke billowed outward. In the center of the cloud, a figure stood, moving its head from side to side to get a look at its surroundings. Slowly it strode into the street, looking around and realizing the jump had been a success. Sine X. Cosine would no doubt be amused - this primitive device could only jump between two dimensions, and it was anything but stealthy thanks to the smoke cloud and drawn-out jump noise. Still, it worked for what it needed to do. A simple round-trip affair.

The figure produced a small handheld device that scanned the surrounding area for a trace of Project 28's DNA. Nothing was found.

Except.

Outside that weird-looking closed-up tavern a block away, there was a response. It wasn't a big enough response to be 28, but it could be a valuable clue all the same. The figure approached the bar and found a grasshopper near the door, bitten in half and preserved from the cold.

No doubt about it. It had been here.

Now it was time to lie in wait. Project 28 would be back. He could feel it.

"Project 28...

It's time to come back home."