Apparattus Demo

A scientist that made a working portal was quickly transferred to a military research base at an undisclosed island location, to continue the research. As the portal had a particular issue, it can transfer only inanimate objects and small in size. The energy consumption was very high, exponentially increasing with every cm added to the portal size. Stabilizing the portal plane above 5 cm diameter for more than 10 second required a nuclear reactor levels of energy. Not to mention you need a second portal in order to have an exit.
30 years of research have led to almost 0 improvements on the portal design. Another researcher was brought at the same time to look for an alternative solution to the problem. Creation of self reanimating humans, as a means for passing through the portal. Sorry to disappoint, this research led also to almost 0 results. The self reanimation did work on a few lab rats, but results from experiments on any other creatures were dramatic failures.
Governments change, time goes by, funding stops. People that knew about it were few and now mostly dead. Well out of sight the base today is abandoned by the military as it was.
Which brings us to the point of the immortal rats that ARE immortal and have a place to live undisturbed by humans. With enough time to learn. Bored enough to invent. Widespread enough to build a society.
Society where violence against others is forgotten, the currency is energy and recycling has reached levels of art!