The BEAGLE Project was an attempt to explore the limits of human evolution.
The project synthetically cultivated specimens of what the human race might evolve into. Three creatures were created, named "Alfred", "Russel" and "Wallace" after the naturalist. Two of them died; the third thrived initially, but later became weakened. Near death, the creature, Alfred, was able to transplant the heart of one his guards into his own body, thus prolonging his life. The resultant horror meant that the project had to be closed down in 1975.
The head of the project, Julius Quilter, could not kill the creature. He secretly reared and educated it, eventually making him his assistant and giving him the name "Alfred Emerson". (HOMEVID: Unnatural Selection)