Allen was born a quad anthro, his father was a bipedal mountain lion and his mother was a quad herself. He was fascinated with airplanes and flying from a young age. He wanted so badly to be a pilot. Unfortunately, most airplanes are simply not built for quadrupeds like him, nor are they easily modified to do so.

In high school, his shop teacher suggested that perhaps an overhead crane operator would be an occupation that would at least partially satisfy his dream to be a pilot. He would also be well suited at such an occupation, as a quad. The cranes were operated completely by hand controls and the chairs in the cabs were easily swapped for a flat bed that he could lay down on, leaving his hands free to operate the controls. Some crane chairs could even fold on the spot to be compatible for him.

Finishing up high school, Allen signed up for an apprenticeship to become an overhead crane operator. He found that he enjoyed the work, but it took a lot of time and practice to develop his fine motor skills further. His hands were used to walking and supporting his weight all day, but now he also needed a fine touch as well to work the controls and put the load exactly where it needed to go. It took a lot of time and practice, but he enjoyed the work enough that it was all worth it.

Nowadays, Allen is a certified overhead crane operator, spending his days moving large loads around the factory. He still has dreams as a pilot, but he is happy with how things have turned out.


This piece was drawn by the skilled  Jae