Chapter 1

In a not-so-distant future, the world had changed. Nature and science had collided, forging an unholy alliance that would reshape the course of humanity. It began with the cows—those meek creatures that had long been a source of sustenance for the masses. Over the years, the quest for productivity knew no bounds, and the cows bore the brunt of that relentless desire for more, more, more.

They sought to create super-cattle, capable of producing meat and milk at unprecedented rates.The tinkering continued for years. Then, one fateful day, nature rebelled. The virus, a microscopic entity cast aside as an insignificant byproduct of genetic experimentation, evolved. It transcended species, ignoring the barriers that were meant to confine it. This virus, born in the laboratory, had other plans.

It made its move, leaping from cattle to humans.

Then the unsuspecting infants of 2 to 7 months began to change.Most were resistant but others started morphing, their soft, fragile skin bore witness to the virus’s transformation.

Fleshy bumps sprouted from their foreheads, curving upward, resembling grotesque horns. These unholy appendages grew to a few inches in length, malleable and sensitive to the touch. They were not sharp like traditional horns, but rather, fleshy and grotesque, like something torn from the pages of a grotesque fable.They called them BOVS, short for bovine-Homo sapiens.It only effected the very young.

The scientific community and the religious faithful, who had historically locked horns over the vast expanse of moral and empirical divides, suddenly found common ground in the most unlikely of places. The religious community called for killing of this newly created BOVS. These young creatures were killed in brutal ways and called them Satan’s creation.More and more people became more religious and scientists started working on a vaccine for the young. In the next three months it spread across the usa, Canada and Latin Americas were effected and people who didn’t have heart to kill these creatures just left them in garbage dumps or out skirts of cities.People stopped getting pregnant fearing all this.

After 7 months scientist developed a vaccine for the virus and world resumed to its normality, at least as normal as we can except after all this.The government swayed by the religious majority, declared the newly created ungodly creatures less than animals and can be used as a protein source for pigs and can be slaughtered, as an incentive to purge them, they can done whatever they want, as long as they neutered.

In a quiet suburban neighborhood, nestled among the houses with white picket fences, lived the Smith family. John (17) and Maria( 19) brother and adopted sister both are conservative religious. john at the age of 16, was a prodigious mind, consumed by the mysteries of the latest advancements in AI technology and as a hobby genetics. But alongside his scientific passions, John was deeply religious and held conservative values close to his heart. His faith was an integral part of his identity, a belief system that often stood in stark contrast to the world of progressive ideas and innovation he so ardently explored. Maria on the other hand is beautiful but because of her being adopted and being adopted Hispanic didn’t help her either, so she remained in the middle of the popularity spectrum.Their parents, David and Elizabeth Smith, both worked tirelessly to provide for their family. Mr. Smith, a man of few words, held a stern presence within the household. He was employed by the IRS, a profession that only accentuated his seriousness. In contrast, Mrs. Smith was an accountant, her work bringing balance to the family’s financial life.

The family sat down for dinner. John looked over to his father was quiet excited about his latest find. He took mouth full of food and said John: Hey dad, you won’t believe what I’ve been working on, U crop released their trained neural network as open source, and it took them millions to train it.The possibilities are endless with such a thing.

Mom (Elizabeth smith): what did I say about talking mouth full of food?

John: Sorry mom, it’s just that I am so excited Maria: OMG. If only he could get excited over his horrible social life and getting a girlfriend. Not that he could get one if wanted.

Mom: stop teasing your brother, when its time the god shows you the way, he will unite with their soul mate when the time is right.

Maria: I doubt even god could help this twerp.LOL

John: yeah right, your life is so wonderful, adding a shit ton of makeup for hours on end just so a dude would bang you and being their minion so that you wouldn’t be ignored and alone Mom: Young man, That sort of language is unacceptable in this household John : Sorry mom, but she was always such a ugly, arrogant bitch He turned towards his sister and said I wish you were just left on the street and mom didn’t find you.

David (father): That sort of behavior unacceptable, we are thankful for our lord Jesus Christ that we found Maria, she is no way lesser that you. Apologize this instant John mumbled whatever and headed for the stairs to his bedroom

Maria Smith entered her room, her heart heavy with the weight of her Brother John’s recent comments. His words about her appearance had been like shards of glass, piercing through her already fragile self-esteem. John’s criticism about her use of makeup had struck a nerve, and it gnawed at her. In the dimly lit room, Maria powered up her computer and logged into a website that she had stumbled upon recently. It was a site where women uploaded their photos, and anonymous users rated them, leaving comments about their appearances. Maria had initially joined out of curiosity, thinking it might be fun to receive compliments or constructive feedback from strangers.