Authors: Kathy Bell
Taking a seat at the table between
Melik and Dimitri, she continued. “Don’t let sexual tension ruin
what should be a positive working relationship, but don’t allow
yourselves to think things will go further than simple flirting. I
expect from here on in, you should consider me one of the boys,
albeit with curves and bulges in different places.” Adya pinned
Uba, blatantly well endowed, with her gaze. He could not meet her
eyes. “So, in levelling the playing field, I think we should be
able to become more productive. Do you agree?”
“
Adya, I speak for all
of us when I say, you’re an amazing woman. We’ll make this work,
and thank you for coming here without the intent to crucify.” Peter
took a seat beside Yabarek, ready to begin the meeting in earnest.
With the sexual tension diffused the group was able to work
together more productively than ever before. Intermittent ribald
comments were made, the men checking Adya’s face for her reaction.
The team began to work together comfortably for the first time
since her arrival. The remaining twelve regressees entered the
meeting room to be baffled at the change in demeanour. They took
the new relationship with Adya in stride and soon found themselves
leading the banter and byplay as eagerly as any of the men who had
been involved in the dining room incident. They made their
preparations for the journey to the Island, always a pleasure
because of the sheer intensity of the sun after the diffuse light
of Sanctum.
Melik took Adya aside after the meeting. “I apologize for not
being there when you arrived today to begin
orientation.”
“
No worries, we’re
starting all over again, remember?” Together they rode the elevator
to PN6 where Melik showed her through the microbiology
area.
“
We use the same
record organization system as Peter does with his animals. He
mentioned you were a great help entering data, and we are far
behind in that regard as well – there are so many organisms but
most of us just make jot notes on paper rather than entering
directly into the computer. Haven’t gotten used to data entry
myself although I couldn’t live without the data
access.”
“
I don’t mind helping
but I hope you don’t completely relegate me to data processing. I
really am interested in the research. I especially want to know
more about plasmids. The genetic defect I spoke about is not in my
DNA, there’s actually a plasmid in my cells. Dormant except for the
pheromones, we figure, but present since birth. Peter has been
trying to find a way to prepare a slide so the plasmid does not
disintegrate, but so far has been unsuccessful. For whatever
reason, it loses integrity upon sampling. He has done some sequence
analysis. Perhaps you would give him some ideas since your work
with micro organisms might have different techniques than he would
when dealing mainly in genetic material.”
Melik’s eyes lit up at Adya’s
disclosure.
“
A plasmid in your
somatic cells? Are you sure?”
“
Not just the somatic
cells, also in the sex cells. My children inherit the
plasmid.”
“
That is unheard of.
Plasmids are often used to perform genetic modifications. They are
naturally present in bacteria, which don’t have nuclei, or very
rarely in some eukaryotic cells, which do. You say Peter has had no
luck mounting it?”
“
No, and he’s tried
repeatedly. Believe me, I give him blood and cheek cells every day,
I think I’m running out of patience for that.” She
smiled.
“
Oh, you know he just
wants to monopolize you.”
“
I told him as much
but he of course denied it. You would be honest about it though,
wouldn’t you.” He returned her smile as he nodded.
“
Will you share a
sample with me, a cheek swab? I want to see this for
myself.”
“
Okay but take it from
my left side. Peter was a bit rough this morning on my
right.”
Melik had no more luck securing
the plasmid than Peter did but had more familiarity with
structure.
“
Some plasmids have
been used for recombination of human DNA. I wonder if yours is a
result of manipulation, somehow sent back to you through time. But
you said you had it during the first timeline?”
“
Yes.”
“
Then perhaps this
plasmid is the explanation for your regression, the reason why you
were chosen. Otherwise, you just don’t fit the bill.”
“
Oh, you have made me
aware of that enough already.”
“
Sorry, you have that
effect on us… the sequencing of the plasmid might simply code for
those pheromones, just to make you irresistible. I’ll try to see
beyond your pretty blue eyes. Just don’t bat them too
much.”
“
I’ll keep the batting
to a minimum if you tell me more about plasmids and why my having
one would be of use. Which scenario would it help with?”
“
I imagine it would
depend on how the plasmid expressed itself. There were no signs you
were different, no strange effects? Aside from the
pheromones?”
“
No, no other abnormal
proteins in my body. Babak tested for that. Peter hasn’t had the
chance to compare my DNA sequencing to what he has coded from the
genome project.”
“
Well, we need to
figure out what the plasmid codes for, then we can perhaps narrow
down what our future battle will be. Contrary to my original
thoughts, looks like you might be our key to the future. How’s that
for a heady feeling?”
“
Scary. Do you think
we need to harvest the plasmid, might it convey some immunity to a
disease?”
“
Hard to know at this
point. We’ll talk to Peter and see where he is with theories. Has
he shared anything with you?”
“
I got the impression
Peter was at a complete loss and ready to stop taking the samples.
They just don’t maintain cohesion outside my body.”
“
What about injection
into someone else’s body? Have you tried that?”
“
No, we hadn’t even
thought of it. What about reactions?”
“
It hasn’t caused you
harm. Of course it’s not entirely safe but is unlikely to cause
problems in us if it hasn’t in you. Let’s go talk to
Peter.”
Melik all but ran from the room,
as excited as a little boy with a new toy to enjoy. They joined
Peter on PN3, who showed Melik his research to date on the
plasmid.
“
Why didn’t you tell
me this sooner, I could have given you some ideas.”
Peter looked abashed. “I didn’t
think of it. Sorry.”
“
Only teasing, man,
don’t sweat it. Are you ever getting touchy.”
“
Now, now, stop that
and get to work. Peter, Melik thought perhaps we should try to
inject the plasmid into living tissue. Do you have any human cell
cultures?”
The threesome worked into the
night on their project, trying different approaches to getting the
plasmid either mounted on a slide or growing in culture. Their
efforts were unsuccessful in cultured tissue.
Peter sighed, then flexed his arm.
“Okay, let’s do it”
“
No, it should be
me.”
“
No, I’m the
geneticist, it should be me.”
Melik shrugged. “I hate needles,
just thought I’d offer so you wouldn’t call me a chicken. You go
right ahead.”
“
I have a blood sample
from a couple of days ago which can be a baseline and then sample
again in a few days to see if the plasmid populated itself. Give me
an arm, Adya.”
Peter collected a sample of her
blood and immediately transfused it into his own bloodstream. Adya
averted her gaze as he inserted the trocar and cannula into his
artery.
“
Direct transfusion,
the less handling the better the chance the thing will stay intact.
Good thing you’re O negative…I couldn’t have done this so easily
otherwise.” All was silent as they watched Adya’s blood drip into
Peter. Finally he removed the trocar. “We’re guessing here,
hopefully that’s a sufficient amount for our test.”
“
Alright, let’s assume
this isn’t going to work, what is the next test?”
Problem solving continued until
they finally decided to call it a night when she hit her head
against Peter’s as she jerked herself back from the edge of sleep.
The three of them supported each other entering the elevator,
barely able to keep their eyes open. Melik pressed the button for
PN1 then turned to the others. “My quarters are closest to the
elevator, why don’t you use the extra rooms?”
“
Good idea.” Everyone
collapsed into a deep sleep without bothering to remove their
clothing. Melik had already left when the others finally awoke.
Peter made breakfast, chatting about their findings and failures of
the night before. She felt a closeness to him which had not existed
earlier, a shared awareness heightened by their common
goal.
Melik peered at the computer
screen, trying to decipher an entry, and turned to Adya.
“
Nice
spelling.”
“
I was tired, didn’t
see you volunteering to do data entry, and I know why…you type with
two fingers. How’d you ever get through university?”
“
I got girls to do my
work for me.”
“
Melik, you never
cease to amaze me, did you really?”
“
Every word I utter is
true.”
“
Somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, let’s get to work. What’s this word really supposed to
be?”
“
I think that was the
last stain we attempted to use. But, same results, the plasmid
disintegrated.”
“
If it can’t be
studied, and it can’t be removed, then it has to come through you.
Did you say your offspring inherited it for sure?”
“
Yes, Melik, my
children,” she emphasized the word to remind him she was not a
laboratory specimen, “all had the plasmid, both males and females.
And worth noting, you would expect the plasmid to only be able to
pass on through the females because of being in the cytoplasm but
we found the plasmid also gets passed on with the sperm. It
incorporates itself into the head of the sperm right up there with
nuclear DNA.”
“
How did you figure
that out?” Both Melik and Peter asked in unison.
She blushed as she explained. “My
husband and I were curious about the thing. So, there is a very
strong likelihood this plasmid is something we need for 2011?” Adya
wanted them to confirm what she had already began to
believe.
“
Yes, I would think
so, don’t you, Peter?”
“
Absolutely. But, what
difference can one person make?”
“
Peter, remember my
husband’s work?
“
Oh, my
God…Mitochondrial Eve? You really think so?”
“
It makes sense. I’m
the only female regressed and have a genetic abnormality which is
passed on to my children and likely on to their children. I think
it has merit.”
“
I’m not about to go
to the executive with this. Not at this point.”
“
That’s fine. I don’t
want you to yet anyway. But I would appreciate if you kept quiet
for a bit. Both of you. We still need to think further on this, to
have more evidence before we present anything to the
group.”
“
Agreed.”
“
Alright.” Peter and
Adya left Melik’s office together, entering the
elevator.
“
I think we need to
tell Melik about the pregnancy. He’s been an immense help, he is
open-minded and you owe him the courtesy.”
“
I was just starting
to be accepted by him, I’m worried that would change. Remember your
first instinct? Give it a bit longer. We can’t do an amniocentesis
until fourteen weeks anyway so any thoughts about the foetuses
would be speculation and a waste of energy. We will
wait.”
“
I don’t agree with
you but will respect your decision.”
“
You sound like Babak.
We had this exact same conversation about Abraham.”
“
You haven’t told
Abraham, correct?”
“
Right. All of you see
him like a leader but he is just another regressee, the one who
happened to get here first and is the oldest. That does not
automatically make him qualified to be a leader but he certainly
does demonstrate leadership skills. I do have to question why
everyone turns to him to make decisions. Is it simply he has
established that role and no one questions him, or have you
actively decided he should play that function?”
“
What do you
mean?”
“
Abraham inducts the
new regressees, oversees most of the operations at the tower,
facilitates or chairs meetings, makes most of the operating
decisions not directly affecting the individual initiatives. That’s
a lot of power for one man. I realize I’ve only attended two
meetings but from what I’ve seen he really is the CEO, not just one
of the regressees. Is there any check on the system, anyone to whom
he reports?”
“
Well, not beyond the
meetings.”
“
I don’t feel he
should be put in a position of power over any of us. That is in
part why I don’t feel it necessary to inform him of my pregnancy
any sooner than any of the other regressees. He’s not able to
provide additional insight into our investigations at the moment,
so why include him? When the time comes everyone will know both
about the plasmid and about the babies. But by that time we will
hopefully have some answers to the questions they will ask. Then,
if they have some ideas as well, we would welcome them.”