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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:26 pm
Seeing as this guild is for Questers who are developing a backstory to get their characters to the Island, we figured that it might be useful to expand a bit on Feral Laboratories: what they do, their methods and credible (and not so credible) affiliations. You May post in this thread to ask questions about Feral Labs or the Island Organization - But any questions answered in the posts below will be ignored and deleted.
When I answer a question, I will quote your question and answer it in the same post, deleting your initial post to keep things tidy. Eventually, I may just work the answer into the following posts and delete that altogether.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:27 pm
The Public Face General KnowledgeOn the surface, and the company that most are familiar with in passing table conversation is that Feral Labs is a major pharmaceutical company based in the United States but with branches all over Europe, and a few outposts that reach even further. The CEO is an eccentric young heir, a Doctor Nicholas Moreau, who is rarely if ever seen, and never makes pubilc appearances. The company is known to actually be run by a board of competent individuals who kept their positions after the passing of Nicholas's father who all but built the company from the ground up. Company HistoryThe company was initially started by Nicholas's grandfather, one Roland Moreau. Initially the company began as a veternary medicine and supply company, working exclusively with animal medical research (hence the company name). He was known to be very altruistic and loved his work. His son Tristan Moreau (Nicholas's father) was more of a businessman and expanded the business to work with human medical supplies as well and rocketed the company to its international success. However, some of the company's ethics slipped a bit, as some organizations such as PETA know that the company has less than scrupulous methods of animal testing. Nicholas Moreau came into the ownership of the company about five years ago, and as soon as he earned his M.D. he quickly disappeared from the public sector to work on private projects, leaving the day-to-day maintenance of the company in the capable hands of the board. TodayTheir research spans medical studies, housing some of the most prestigious medical scientists in the field, working to develop new treatments for diseases. Feral Labs also is known to donate to many charitable organizations, such as homeless shelters, low cost urban clinics, drug rehab programs, and the like.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:28 pm
The Hidden Underbelly ResearchFeral Labs obviously been doing a lot of research into genetics (which is widely known) and participated a great deal on the human genome project. However, that is only a sliver of the genetic research that the company has undertook. More than just the human genome project, the company also has been building a virtual library of animal species, collecting samples from all over the world and many different species. When questioned, they explain that the knowledge of Animal DNA is also invaluable to medical research and furthering science, as well as being a proverbial Noah's Ark in case of extinctions and overhunting. However, not all of their acquisition methods are quite as scrupulous (Beyond simply getting samples of species from all over the globe), espeicially as acquiring stem cells of many different species is vital to Moreau's personal project - the yet-unspecialized cells that are only acquired through fetal tissue. Through not-so legal fencing of test drugs around the drug rehab clinics and medical clinics, the street was the first testing grounds for the prototype of Moreau's secret project. Serum 45 was a drug that served as a temporary physical enhancer with addictive properties. It gave the endorphined-high that many abusers sought as well as increased strength or reaction times, with the additional side-effect of very animalistic hormones that could make an individual rather dangerous, changed appetites, etc. Some used it in competitive sports as a steriod substitute, as the drug tests never screened for such an enhancement. No physical changes accompanied this serum (other than the advertised muscle development) except for a few instances of long-term users who noticed side-effects such as stimulated hair and nail growth, enamel buildup on their teeth, and the like. Feral Labs was very careful that such a drug never got linked to them, and would take measures to keep it so. Moreau attempts to keep tabs on those individuals who use this serum. Not-So CharitableIt is known that Feral Labs donates to a slew of organizations, especially drug rehab clinics, homeless shelters, and urban clinics. However, what is not known is that many profiles/medical records of the individuals are copied by paid-off higher-ups and sent to Moreau himself for perusal. These are locations that are home to individuals who are usually eager for money or opportunities to get them away from their current lifestyles. They are also individuals that tend to have few ties and aren't difficult to 'disappear'. Moreau generally does extensive background research on any potential subject - looking at medical records and affiliations. He does pull from more than just these locations, as too many disappearances from a single location does raise suspicions. Other places that report back to Moreau are medical testing clinics (where people apply for medical studies of new drugs to test for potential side effects.) Most of these studies are perfectly legit, but the applications are also forwarded to Moreau for examination. Two subjects have thus far been pulled from these pools (Ambrose and Rayanya). Of course, how 'disappearable' the individuals are is always taken into consideration. Moreau has also had false emplyment adds run in various newspapers that involve overseas travels and ready-made excuses for disappearances. Feral Labs is also known for cutting-edge medical research, and might be more willing to try to work with someone with an otherwise inoperable/untreatable medical condition - with a risk of course. There is always the tragic disappearance of individuals on their way to a tropical vacation that they won... Moreau always has on hand hundreds of dossiers of potential subjects available for his perusal when he is ready to take in new subjects for his project. Moreau is also quite skilled with his connections at making people 'disappear' - through contacts, false information to the media, lots of money for bribes, and the like.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:30 pm
The Island's Organization The organization and staff of the Island itselfOn the MainlandVERY few individuals know of what is REALLY going on on Moreau's Island. Even the higher-ups on the mainland only know that Moreau has a secret project "somewhere in the Carribbean" that is less-than legal. Even less know that he actually is 'disappearing' unwilling people to this location to be used as test subjects. Through a chain of command and bureaucracy, people involved in sending him files (Moreau wants to take a personal part in the organization and double-check for errors) to people who run spin control on people who dissappear (any number of excuses) only know pieces of the truth, and not enough to put together the full truth of the Island. Probally less than a handfull of individuals State-side know anywhere close to the full truth of the island. One of which is James Broadstrom, the only transportation on and off the Island. Island StaffIn reverse order of authorityOn the island, Moreau tries to keep the staff to a bear minimal to still allow for complete control and fully operable. Like the islanders themselves, not even the staff is allowed off the Island for any reason. They are paid well, compensated, and the lab facility has rec rooms, workout facilities, a cafeteria, encourage inter-staff relationships, and many other perks to keep them occupied. Ocean Platform Staff - Just past the horizon there are four station points on what look like ocean drilling platforms. However, these house a handful of individuals who have speedboats and heavy artilery. These individuals are on-call for any traffic coming or leaving the island. They have a very legitimate cover for any passing unauthorized vessels to steer them clear of the island (or alert the Island if any individuals are wandering in that direction). They also are there to pick up any islanders attempting to leave. (Most escapees are sleep-commanded remotely by video-monitering staff; the guardsmen on the platforms pick them up and return them to the island). Most of these staff take shifts as the armed guardsmen around the island. Armed Guards - As stated above, a regiment of armed guards serve duty on the island. They are privately-paid individuals. Despite the authentic look of their weaponry, most of them are loaded with tranquilizers - Moreau doesn't want his subjects dead. They also know the 'sleep' command of the chips in the back of their heads, but the guns are for dual purpose of a backup (just in case) as well as for intimidation purposes. Staff Very few individuals on the island serve a single, service duty. Individuals such as Delia, the woman who runs the Town hall (lunch lady/basic first aid nurse) are a good example - cutting down the need for a full staff when not very many people are being cared for. They are well paid and many amenities are provided. Just like in the Town Hall, staff in the labs also do multiple jobs, and even sometimes lab technicians will perform menial duties when necessary, though the heirarchy in the labs reflects who gets what duties (heigher-ups get jobs as monitering the security cameras, lower techs getting janitorial duties, etc). Other duties include requisitions of materials (research supplies, and requests of the subjects and staff) from the mainland, secreterial duties, cooks, housekeeping and other janatorial duties, electricians, maintenance, etc. Lab Technicians - The basic team of scientists who do the grunt work in the development of the serums. There is a lot of man-hours that goes into each complete serum, and a lot of testing on lab animals, such as working out calculated risks, and trying to work out the kinks of the problems that could arise in the actual subjects, and making sure that the transformations are as smooth and relatively painless as possible. Individuals are chosen for their aptitude, willingness to work in less than legal conditions for the good of science. Many of these individuals are not even full PhD's/MDs, but at least have a Bacchelorate's in the appropriate field, enough to work in the labs. Some of these many not even know the FULL purpose of the serums that they work on, only seeing a piece of the puzzle, as they never go out on the island proper. Research Scientists These are the supervisors in the labs on the floor who have a very good understanding of the field. All of these individuals are PhDs or MDs in applicable fields. They have a full understanding of the work they are doing, and go along with it for a variety of personal reasons. These individuals give the specific directions to the lab techs and delegate necessary duties. Research Scientists and Lab Techs are not allowed contact with the subjects (barring emergencies when they are brought into the labs for medical reasons). Supervisors/Team Leaders - These individuals oversee a team of research scientists. There is only about four or five of these individuals, each overseeing that fraction of the other scientists. These are managers and while they may or may not have as solid of a grasp on the scientific process, have the Vision that Moreau needs for the staff. They have enough of an understanding to give them a direction, and enough of a commanding personality to keep them productive and achieve goals. They report directly to Aubrey or Moreau, and even assist with managerial processes around the Island (and with the Islanders) themselves. Their security clearance is second only to Aubrey and Moreau. Sabin Duvert is one of these Supervisors. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey is Second in command to Moreau, and while Moreau spends a great deal of his time in the Labs working on his own pet projects, general finds herself doing a lot of the work of the island, handling emergencies, answering questions, and coordinating/approval of the Supervisors. She also deals a lot with the subjects. Nicholas Moreau - The Man Himself. Moreau runs the island. His word is as good as law. He has total access to everything on the island, and is the only individual with the authority to have any communication off the island (usually via James, the helicopter pilot). He is also the genius behind the development of the serums, and usually works closesly with the Research Scientists in giving them directions or having them apply the forumlas that he himself has developed. If he ever leaves the labs, he is usually accompanied by at least two armed guards. On-Site ResearchA great deal of animal testing occurs in the laboratories testing and retesting any serum on lower mammals, then primates, and then further computer simulations before they ever touch a human subject. Genes are isolated and proteins tested on microbes and fruit flies. Rats and mice make the primary target for preliminary serums and testing particular 'features' and parts of an incomplete serum. They are also used to test what makes stages in the process go wrong, and how if any method of fixing something that does 'go wrong'. Other small mammals are also used to test the serums on for failsafes: guinea pigs, rabbits, and even the occasional cat or dog. However, once the serums are believed to be pretty much ready, they first test them on a monkey or an ape like a chimp to doublecheck the full process. Though there is overlap - testing a full serum on a lesser animal, or specific features on a primate (winged monkeys, anyone? ^_~). Most animals are "culled" after the results are gleaned - especially those failures that leave the animals in pain. Of course, most of the development of the serums is done in a laboratory independant of injecting animals, isolating genes, combining them, running test simulations in advanced computer programs, encoding DNA streams on massive storage systems, etc. Serums are created in the laboratories themselves before being packaged and sent to the medical room on floor 8 where subjects are brought for their injections. They are packaged as the full series of five injections in tubes/bottles in a plastic box/holder. The vials contain the reference number to the labels on the box itself and in the computer systems (and which injection in the series of 5 it is). The box containes the same reference/series number that is on the vials, as well as the unabridged information (who developed it, what lab it is from, and what the animal is). This same information is mirrored in the computer system.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:43 pm
Dates and Succession: The Moreau Family keetabirdy About what year was the company founded? And about what year did Tristan Moreau take over? Hrmm... *does some math* These dates are APPROXIMATE and subject to tweaking, but here's what we figured: Roland would have been born between 1890 and 1899. So by 1925 he would have had a vetrinary business that would have bloomed into actual Feral Labs, a pharmeseuticals company by 1940. Tristan, born around '35, would have taken over Feral Labs by 1955. Nicholas Moreau was born in 1976, the second son. He took the company in 2000 after Tristan's death. Nicholas was forced to earn his place in the company. Tristan has poured his love, sweat, tears, and blood into the company to make it the internationally successful metacorporation from the veternary supply company. Moreau's older brother Alexander saw the stress his father was under and didn't want that sort of stressful life. He would be more than happy with a chunk of inheritance that came with the family but not the responsibility. Nicholas never held much respect for his "bum" of a brother, and worked hard throughout school to do well scientifically - but not necessarily for the most sterling of reasons. He wanted the company, and he had to earn it. When he got his MD, he went through a mandatory 'finishing school' to learn business etiquette, shaped up his image from the wirey-haired mad scientist to a professional skilled with a silver tongue. The not-so-veiled threat was that if Nicholas did not deserve the company upon Tristan's retirement, then it would be left to the board of trustees and change from a private to a public company. Tristan died at only 65, shortly after Nicholas completed finishing school, official reports saying that the stressful life lead to a heart attack. Ves The Not-so-Abridged Moreau Family History ...because I have too much time on my hands (link posted with the permission of Hige).~ <3 Here!
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 9:10 am
The Laboratory Facilities The lab buildings rest up against the mountain, the elevator to the different floors of the central building is actually built up into the mountain. It can go all the way up into Moreau's mansion which has been built into the mountain itself. All doors and cabinets are set with DNA sensors, to only let certain people into certain rooms. When someone with unauthorized goes through a door with someone who is authorized a minor alert is sounded for security. As long as they know the reasons why said person would be brought in there they don't cause a fuss. Most authorized activity is when a new subject is brought in by Sabin, Aubrey, or Moreau himself. Other examples of authorized activity is one of the supervisors bringing a member of their team into an otherwise restricted room. The lack of opening doors can be eerie to same the least when you walk down the halls. To open a door you just walk up to it and it opens itself, to open a cabinet you wave your hand across a black panel. None of the cabinets have handles that can be opened manually and there are even a few secret cabinets that are disguised as metal parts of the walls (looking like the same part of other cabinets for examples) these have hidden panels and are generally only accessible to the most trusted (such as Moreau and Aubrey). The elevator doors work like all the other doors, but the elevators also don't have buttons on the inside (beside one emergency button) they respond to voice (example: "Floor 8" spoken clearly and loudly), or commands of the central security consoles. The elevators are industrial-strength freight elevators. The central security console control is how people who are sent down back to the ground floor unsupervised and without authorized voice commands can get there. Certain voices can only get to certain floors (such as Moreau's mansion). All the lab buildings are connected as one large complex, they still have very separate wings and divisions though, so for example, the dormitories have their own elevator. All of the staff live in the dormitory section, lab technicians share dorms with a roommate. While the research scientists are given the same type of room, but for themselves. The Supervisors/Team Leaders are given their own large condo-like facilities on the top floors of the building. On Floors 4-8, the front elevator doors open directly into a large laboratory room - sterile white with stainless steel accents. The serums are stored in the stainless steel cabinets, only openable by Sabin, Aubrey, or Moreau. This is where incoming subjects are almost always taken for their initial injection. The rest of the research laboratory rooms on those floors open from the other side of the elevator. (double doors - front and back). When subjects are up for their followup injections, their chips that are implanted into the backs of their necks knock them out while they are sleeping. The subject is then brought into the labs, to one of the "injection rooms" (floor 4-8 ) where they are administered and brought back to their rooms before they wake. Other rooms in the laboratories include research rooms of all sorts (from rooms with microscopes, electrophoresis, electron microscopes, DNA separators, computers, etc to rooms where caged lab animals are kept). There are intensive care rooms for people who have needed medical attnetion (a full wing is dedicated for hospital functions - for actual acting as a hospital or serving the illustion thereof). There are also rooms that can be used as holding cells or interrogation rooms, if the situation calls for it, and a bunch of observation rooms. There are also two large video moniter rooms. Hidden video cameras are all OVER the island - even in the supposedly virgin jungles, caves, etc. However, the microchips in the backs of the subjects' necks alert any camera that they are nearby to activate and send signals to the video monitering rooms. As an emergency backup, there are vents more frequently than most offices would need for air conditioning that can filter knock-out gas through the labs or select wings thereof (and metal blastdoors that can be lowered to quarentine a wing or section of the labs).
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 3:12 pm
About the SerumsThe strange and highly advanced serums are Dr. Moreau's pride and joy. Moreau has always been fascinated with the incorporation of animalistic attributes into other creatures, namely humans. This has been his life's work, and has had many steps along the way of creating his gem: Serum 54 - the serum that, over several doses, transforms a human into an anthropomorphic animal. This is a list of ALL the serums that Doctor moreau has created, so not all of them are generally available. Most opportunities (flatsales, etc) almost always at LEAST grant access to Serums 54 and 55 with the player's choice of animal.Serum 45: Temporary enhancer. This serum is not used on the island, but was marketed illegally in the stages as a form of non-detectable steroid. There are no physically animalistic side-effects, but it might effect personality. It was known for its addictive properties, however, and some of the abusers may eventually find their way to the island for more "permanent" enhancement. This is the prototype for the "Feral Labs High Tech Holistics" that were marketed winter of 2006 for a variety of affects: See this threadSerum 54: General Anthropomorphic Serum. This serum is the primary serum used on the island, and over five injections over several months can transform a human into an anthropomorphic vertebrate animal. There are many different versions of this serum that Moreau has devised correlating to different animals, given subheadings (after abbreviated taxonomic designations) such as "Serum 54mcccl" - a wolf serum. Serum 55: Anthropomorphic Invertebrate Serum. This serum was developed later, as it is a more complicated change, and allows for the slow transformation of a human into an anthropormorphic invertebrate creature such as an insect, arachnid, or crustaceon. Serum 58: Plant Serum. Instead of acquiring animalistic characteristics, with this serum, a human gradually becomes more like a type of plant. While yet to be tested on a human subject, Moreau hypothesizes that with this application a human will no longer need to eat food normally, acquiring energy photosyntethically. Serum 60: Tauric Serum. A serum that is used only in combination with other serums- combined with Serums 54 or 55, and administered in the same injection. When combined with a mammal, the person becomes a six-limbed creature with the body type similar to the mythical centaur. However, the serum tends to be rather difficult to predict the precise distribution of characteristics - if the upper torso/head remains mostly humanoid with only minor animalistic features (ears, teeth, claws, or horns depending on the animal) or if they become fully anthropomorphic. The taur serum is also needed in order to have an acquatic "mer" creature - with a mostly humanoid torso/face and "fishy" from the waist down. Serum 65: Non-Morphic Serum. This takes things a step further than even serum 54. Instead of maintaining the bipedal, humanoid build, this serum would take the subject to a fully quadrupedal, horizontal form. However, theoretically, they would still maintain the ability to speak, and the front paws/hooves/etc would be more flexible than a normal animal's - allowing for rough manipulation/grapsing (not nearly as fine as a hand with fully opposable thumbs, but better than paws/hooves). ((Think one of the intelligent animals from cartoons like The Lion King, but, well, not animated xd )). Serum 75: Combination serum. There is still a lot of work going into the research of this serum, intending on resulting in a "combination creature" or "chimera". This serum will act as a "mixer" between two other serums (54, 55, 58, 60 or a combination thereof). However, the resources required to manufacture this serum are ending up being very costly, therefore it is doubtful that very many of them will ever be successfully produced. Serum 75a: Refined Combination serum. Once the combination serum worked, with Moreau's assistance, it became possible to dictate what physical characteristics will be from which creature, even using stem cell research to allow for features to be grown in parts of the body they are not normally expressed. The concept of serum in particular has captured Dr. Duvert's attention... Serum 100: Extinct Serum. Moreau's "pipe dream" come true. While still very difficult to manufacture (it is not easy to acquire DNA from extinct animals), it is now a reality. ((OOCly: This serum is VERY RARE.)) Serum 103: Wings Serum. Another additive serum that might be able to be administered to subjects at any point in their development to grow alongside with other morphological changes. Serum 104: Horns/Antlers serum. See above. Serum 105 Transgender serum. See above. Serum 106 Antenna Serum. See above. Serum 107 Tusk serum. See above. Serum 108 Substitute Eyes serum. See above. Instead of eyes like a human or the chosen animal serum, eyes of a completely different species are developed. Serum 109 Spines serum. See above. Serum 110 Spines serum. See above. Serum 111 Substitute Tail serum. See above. Serum 112 Substitute Ears serum. See above. Serum 113 Multiple Tails serum. Extra tails (up to 8 extra) of the same sort of tail as the original species. See above. Serum 114 Extra Limbs serum. See above. This serum can be used to grow two extra arms, OR, in the case of avians and bats, forces the wings to grow from the back as opposed to being converted from the human arms. Serum 115 Exotic Markings. See above. The subject develops markings as per an animal not of their original serum. Serums in Development These serums are purely theoretical at this point and the subjects of Moreau's (or Duvert's, etc) dreams. His first order of business is some successful tests with the basic serums above. These may in fact never come to be.Serum 140 - This serum, used on Beastie and Cerbrutus, is the serum that allows a feature from the base subject to be replicated, growing from the host. This serum probably has the most potential applications in the medical field - such as growing a spare heart, liver, kidney, etc. It has yet to be tried on a human (or previously human ^~) subject. Its other applications (or perversions) include growing extra limbs or heads. Serum 142 - Additional heads. Grown either alongside the primary, or elsewhere on the body. The scematics of just HOW this would work on a sentient individual is still under debate. Would it use the base human DNA to create an intelligent head, or would the grown head be more animalistic depending on the serum used alongside it?
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 7:48 pm
Darrigo_MacAllister Given his meticulousness what are the good doctor's contingency plans should his island be seen by sattelites or the military? Despite the low rate of people taken in, how long will it be before another island may be needed to prevent excess population? Does the doctor have any plans to extend his experiments into the greater world beyond what is listed here? It is no secret that Moreau ownes a very expensive offshore facility to people in the know. However, he makes certain that no one looks that closely. (And another reason the labs are very cautious about whistle-blowers.) Feral Labs makes sizeable donations to big players to continue this. Besides, even with expensive satellites, usually people aren't looking close enough to look at individual people - military satellites keep eyes out for large weapon transport, missle silos, etc - and nothing of that nature is going on on the island. Beyond that, most of the island is obscured by the thick jungle canopy. As far as a second island, it will likely be a long time. The island is fairly large and just got an expansion of new duplexes. It is more likely they'd incorporate more duplexes for a while before considering expansion to a new island - as that makes things that much more difficult to control. And at the moment, there is no plan to reveal the information to the world at large. Perhaps filtering some of the discoveries through the more legit departments shore-side (ie, if they can nail down the gene therapy to heal grevious injuries.... regrowth of limbs...) without the animal "side-effects" then that stands to make the company billions without ever revealing the basis of the experiments.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 7:49 pm
[Reserved for More Information]
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