Comment on Vault Kat by jollyjack

My theory on how she came into being is this:

Considering that anthropomorphic mutations have an infinitely small chance of resulting from radiation-induced mutations, whether the exposure is intentional or not.
She's most likely the final result of a long project of FEV experiments, in which humans and animals were exposed to FEV in deliberate attempts to create a new species.

Whomever conducted the experiments clearly knew what they were doing. For the new species to have formed that perfectly, with no obvious side mutations, a very carefully bred form of FEV, along with a very precise method of exposure, would have been required, with much trial and error along the way. Similar to how the Master gradually improved and polished the creation of super mutants.

It would appear that the resulting species kept only the most basic physical characteristics of the animal used, and is otherwise still very much human.

This is evidenced by the fact that they're wearing their armor, and wielding their advanced weaponry, in a way which clearly indicates that they've had much experience with the use and maintenance of their gear. Also, their body language and facial expression indicates that they fully understand and comprehend human speech.


Taking all this into consideration raises a few interesting questions:


Is she one of the first of her species?

The speaker's dialogue indicates that this is the first time they've seen something like her. It seems likely that she is, indeed, one of the first of her kind, seeing as rumors of an anthropomorphic species would spread through the wasteland like wildfire. Sure, there probably wouldn't many people who'd believe the rumors, but they'd at least hear them, and remember them when they saw her.

Or, perhaps her species is older than that, and well-known in the wasteland. The speaker has simply never seen one before now, and in his shock, he's automatically fallen back onto an old instinct hardwired into the human brain: Asking the obvious.

Thinking about possible answers for this question has brought me to my next:


Can her species reproduce?

Are they a true species, able to mate and reproduce; or are they sterile, like most FEV creations?

If they can, then what with?

The seemingly obvious answer is that if they COULD reproduce, they'd be able to do so exclusively with other members of their own species.

However, considering that they were created from humans, and mostly STAYED human, this may not be the case. Perhaps they can, in fact, reproduce only with other members of their own species. Or, they might only be able to reproduce with humans. Or they might even be able to reproduce with both.

Going even deeper, the matter of which of the two species they can reproduce with might be influenced by genetics. If the new species is more human than anthro, they might only be able to reproduce with humans, and vice-versa. If they're somewhere in between, they might be able to reproduce with both. If this IS the case, then it's highly likely that this characteristic is hereditary.


What kind of offspring would they produce?

If they could reproduce with either species, then what species would the resulting child be?

Would an anthro mother only be able to produce anthro offspring, and a human mother only able to produce human offspring?

Or, would the mother be able to produce both, regardless of her species? If so, then which species the offspring turns out to be is pretty much guaranteed to be determined by everyday genetics. Clearly, what species each parent is would factor into the equation. However, are the chromosomal genes for one species dominant over those for the other species? If so, which ones?

My last, and most important question: Did I just severely over-analyze this, and not know of an official explanation already provided? XD