First Born

MAN". Well, we don't want another Ann in the family.

Thank you. - I think one Ann is enough.

MAN". Now, look, ”Fores'rer” has three syllables.

What if we had a Christian name with three syllables?

Okay. - Like, Amanda.

Josephine.

She can hear us, you know.

How do you know it's a she?

Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Ooh. She can kick like a mule.

1 know.

She can't hear us, can she?

She can hear our voices.

And your heartbeat.

And your bowel sounds.

Urgh!

How does she feel?

Impatient.

Poor misguided thing.

Okay, the left.

Okay. Right.

Right.

Take it easy, girl.

Right.

Another swab, Heather, please.

Thank you.

Here we go.

That's a good girl.

Very good.

Oh, yes.

Okay.

Come on, Mary. Push for me, girl.

Come on, Mary, push.

Clamp, Heather.

Welcome.

Okay.

Well done, Mary.

Mary, easy.

Sedative, please. Now, quickly.

Right.

Okay.

1 dream of a new species.

One with man's intelligence,

but without his homicidal aggression.

You've made history, Mary.

We have.

I don't think she appreciates it!

What I mean, sir, I had her marked down for an old maid.

Perhaps we just hadn't found her the right partner.

- Odd. - Odd?

Well, I've seen a lot of gorilla babies, but I've never seen one quite like him before.

Well, this isn't quite a gorilla baby, is it? The sperm was orang-utan.

Well, I know that, sir, but he doesn't look like orang-utan either.

What do expect a hybrid to look like? A mutation?

You think he'll survive?

I think it'll be a miracle if he survives the night.

- No, I'm sorry, darling, I'll have to stay. - Oh, no.

The chances of a hybrid surviving are just...

- Thank you. U'?! wax'? up for you.

- What? - ['[/ stay up.

No, don't wait up. I'll see you in the morning.

- Yes. Night-night. - Nx'_c7h f-nrph z'.

- Y e s . - L on don, sir, for you.

- Wh a t? - L on don for you, sir.

Yes, of course. Put them through.

Forester. - Speaking.

Just had a signal. Ref H07.

- '{ es? - Success reported.

- Y e s. {Tan you can fifrm?

Confirmed.

Holyjesus. Is it still alive?

So far.

With you tomorrow, at the crack of 10:00. Stand by.

I thought we'd lost him.

He's been having awful trouble with his breathing.

He seems pretty strong, Doctor.

Placenta was delivered and found to be normal,

three vessels found in the cord.

Nursing staff reported a deterioration in colour.

Oxygen at 28% was administered via facemask.

Close monitoring commenced, 02.40.

That was when

should have died.

the first

hurdle.

Bu': if didn'? die.

Thank you, sir.

My God.

It looks almost human.

Correction.

It looks human.

The first hominoid.

Tell me, Edward, do you think it might be capable of breeding?

Well, hybrids are usually infertile of course, but...

You can't be sure with a human hybrid.

No, but it will be a long time before we can find out.

Well, let's hope the mother can keep up the deliveries.

Who donated the sperm?

All the donors are anonymous, as you know, Colonel.

Of course.

Who is he?

I'm afraid he's dead.

Pity. Who was he?

He was a student.

What did he die of? Nothing organic.

Er, no, it was an overdose, I think.

- Of what? - I don't know.

You don't know? Well, then find out, man.

Maybe he was using something.

It might have some bearing on why we got a conception.

I will, Colonel. Of course. I will.

Fortunately, we're not short of donors.

No. But so many of these wankers are sterile.

Listen, are you sure that no one suspects what that sperm really was?

I'm sure. I made the substitution myself.

Good.

Stick with that story of the orang-utan hybrid.

There's no precedent for that either so no one knows what the hell to expect.

Do you realise, Forester,

do you realise that you and I are the only two people in the world

who know what's been achieved?

Think of the potential of these hybrids.

For organ transplants, say,

or space exploration as astronauts. Or space scouts.

- Even maybe as warriors. - \/\/arriors?

Imagine a hybrid battalion, crack troops. Total loyalty.

- The gorilla isn't an aggressive species, Colonel. - Yeah, but we are.

"Man is the most formidable of all beasts of prey,

"and the only one to prey systematically on his own species." William James.

Oh, we'll supply the aggression.

Have it ready for collection tomorrow.

- Collection? - Yes, we're moving it to Central Laboratories.

- Is that wise? - What do you mean, wise?

You know how vulnerable hybrids are.

We lose most of them within hours of their birth.

- Now, this hybrid might be even more... - Spit it out, man.

What I'm trying to say, Colonel, is that...

I think its best chance is to stay here with its mother.

Well, she knows even less about hybrids than we do.

But she can care for her baby.

Never realised you were so sensitive, Forester.

Quickly. Quickly!

In here.

Bring the oxygen.

- Could you spare a moment, sir? - Yes, of course.

- What happened? - She rejected it.

- Is he all right? - Yes.

But I wouldn't like to risk it again, Doctor.

I think she's had enough.

When she stops, she's had enough.

She seems to spend most of her time feeding.

Every half hour.

How many feeds a day does she have?

About 12.

How many does she have would you say?

Edward...

Oops.

Allow me to introduce Helen.

She is your daughter. Yes?

She is not one of your experiments.

Thank you.

How many feeds?

- Eight. - Eight.

You're worried?

No. She's doing marvellously.

About the hybrid?

Why do you say that?

Trust me.

Yes.

My little Caliban.

He needs mothering.

Couldn't you send him to one of the other institutes?

I wish he could stay with us.

No.

I wish I could help, darling, but no.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Have you seen his toes?

- Yes, I have. - Thank you, Rhona.

They're not opposable.

I know.

But all the apes have opposable thumbs and toes.

Like four hands.

I'm aware of that.

He can oppose his thumbs but not his toes. It's amazing.

- Look... - It's more like a human.

He's two weeks old. We don't know how he'll develop.

Thank you, Rhona.

Our job is to observe and record that development.

And to keep him alive?

For as long as we can, yes.

I was felling Nanny about if.

Thank you.

Oh!

He's just like a baby.

Like you said.

- What's his name? - HO7.

H07?

Well, we have been calling him Gordon.