The Keras Genome

by Kurtis Eckstein

“Your friend Riley Sullivan is not one of us anymore. She is one of them, working under their control as they gather information about our weapon capabilities.”

  Noah was stunned by his statement in more ways than one. Could the Riley who had waken him up in the morning, and taken him to school, really be controlled by the giant insects? And how would that even work? Furthermore, what did he mean by ‘them?’ What were these monstrous black creatures in the first place? Was he wrong in thinking they were a science experiment gone horribly wrong?

  Trying to make sense of all information packed into his short statement, Noah asked, “Who exactly is them ?”

  The scientist in the corner chimed in then. “Major General, if I may?” Dr. Anderson continued speaking once Wolfe nodded in agreement. “We have given them the scientific name Magnakeras Tardigrada, due to their resemblance to the Tardigrada – a small insect-like animal that can survive in extreme climates, including space. The military uses the shorter word ‘Keras’ as a code word to reference the beings. They appear to be an intelligent race who have come from another world to conquer our planet. The Keras are aliens essentially.”

  Noah and Madison were both stunned. Aliens? Real-life aliens ? Noah had always envisioned aliens as being humanoid, rather than insectoid, in appearance. Assuming they really were aliens, how did they know Riley was actually being controlled by them? Madison beat him to the question.

  “Okay…and how does Riley fit into all this? How do you know they are controlling her?”

  Noah knew Madison wasn’t a fan of Riley, but even she found it a little unbelievable that Riley was anything other than a normal teenage girl. The scientist seemed to get excited as he explained .

  “Yes, well that is the mystery, but we already know that real mind-control already exists in nature on our planet. Take the Reclinervellus Nielseni for example. It’s a wasp that lays its egg on a spider as part of its lifecycle. Once the larva hatches, it actually controls the spider via chemicals, making it create a web unlike anything it has ever created before. The web will eventually support the larva’s cocoon after it has eaten the spider. It’s real-life mind control, and that’s only one example, although on a more miniscule level than this situation with Riley.”

  Noah couldn’t believe this was real. “But do you really have any evidence that she’s one of them?”

  Major General Wolfe joined in then. “Ever since we became aware of this video, we have been tracking her carefully. Her internet searches abruptly went from clothing, purses, and other girl stuff, to information on guns, bombs, and details into our technology. The Keras aren’t just controlling her, they are using her to gather intelligence on our level of technological advancement before they invade. They didn’t know about our imaging capabilities before hijacking her body, which is how we were able to catch a Keras on camera. We believe Riley was the first hijacked human, because ever since this video we hadn’t seen a single one until you started killing them.”

  The scientist Dr. Anderson was excited again. “Yes, thanks to you Noah, we have been able to get significant samples for testing. We have already learned a lot from their biology, which would have been impossible had you not sliced them up. Their outer shell is impenetrable. We have also learned a lot from the blood drawn from you...” Major General Wolfe cut him off.

  “Haven’t you wondered how we found you in that warehouse? We were trailing Riley Sullivan. She was the one who led you to where a Keras was waiting to hijack your body. She was the reason why you were there that night.”

  Noah was shocked. All the pieces were finally falling into place. Riley had told him that she needed a ride to work, and then somehow she had gotten him to follow her to that abandoned warehouse. Madison squeezed Noah’s hand, reminding him that she was there for him. Wolfe continued speaking.

  “We arrested you because we were convinced we had captured a hijacked human. However, clearly something didn’t go as planned because when the second wave of troops arrived, Riley Sullivan was gone.” The Major General paused before continuing. “And it appears that you were not successfully hijacked, unlike Riley. We didn’t believe you when you said you had lost your memory. We thought it was just a cover story. However, your repeated killing of the Keras has led us to the conclusion that their hijacking failed. Furthermore, we believe that they unintentionally gave us a weapon – the only weapon that will harm them – to fight back.”

  Noah was still stunned, so Madison picked up the questioning again.

  “What do you mean by the only weapon that will harm them? ”

  Wolfe nodded, in acknowledgement of her question, while moving the mouse again. He brought up an image of the recent nuclear explosion at the powerplant near where they lived. “This nuclear explosion you may have seen on the news was not an accident. It was a test to determine if our ultimate weapon would be a threat to them. We believe that it was a success from their standpoint. Humanity has no current technology that can resist an invasion from the Keras.”

  Dr. Anderson joined back in. “And their biology confirms that. No matter what method we use, we cannot break through the exoskeleton of even a deceased Keras. Not even a nuclear explosion can break through the material. It is unlike anything we have ever seen. Even the insides of the Keras are extremely durable. The only thing that has had any effect on them is your blood.”

  Madison continued. “And so, you want to use Noah, and his blood, as a weapon to fight the Keras?”

  Wolfe laughed at her question. “We can’t win a war with only one soldier! We need an army! There are potentially millions of Keras waiting to come crashing down to Earth to conquer humanity. We have already begun developing a method of using your blood to create soldiers with your abilities.”

  Noah finally joined back into the conversation. “Then why do you need me here if you already have my blood?” Noah didn’t like the idea of other people having this power, because in the wrong hands they themselves could probably conquer humanity. However, he was torn because he also knew he probably couldn’t defend Earth on his own. He decided he would give himself more time, before he chose how he would respond to this situation.

  Dr. Anderson was the one to answer Noah’s question. “Yes, well you see, with the samples we obtained from you, we were able to analyze how the Keras have changed you, but we have been unable to replicate that change. It doesn’t seem to be like a virus that we can just pass on to others. And to complicate matters, it appears that only certain humans can survive the transformation.”

  Wolfe picked up the discussion. “That’s why they chose Riley Sullivan, and that’s why she traveled hundreds of miles to seek out you specifically. Something about you two is unique. We need to identify what the unique characteristic is, as well as how the chemical process transforms you into what you are now.”

  Madison seemed annoyed at what they were insinuating. “Are you trying to say Noah isn’t human?”

  Dr. Anderson addressed her concern. “Precisely. It’s not that we think he isn’t human – we know it with certainty. The Keras have transformed him on a fundamental level, turning his DNA into something else. We call this new DNA the Keras Genome. It is unlike anything we have ever seen before, being similar to Z-DNA in that it is spirals counter-clockwise, and clearly it gives him the ability to control his blood like a weapon. It’s some form of hemokinesis, and we have only begun to scratch the surface in understanding how it works. ”

  Wolfe spoke again. “It’s also an ability the Keras do not seem to have. They are significantly different than humans biologically, and we don’t believe they anticipated created a being that is superior to them. Somehow, the means by which they can hijack a human’s body has combined with the human genome to produce you. All we need from you is your help to save humanity by allowing us to study more of your blood and analyze the performance enhancing effects of this transformation.”

  Noah was expecting Major General Wolfe to wait for an answer, but the man clearly was assuming
Noah would be cooperative in this endeavor as he continued speaking.

  “Now, if you will…”

  Noah interrupted him. “Wait. I couldn’t control this ability when it first happened. That’s why I kept killing everyone whenever I was threatened. I wasn’t doing that consciously. If you are successful in making others like me, how are you going to control them?”

  Wolfe smiled, as if Noah’s question amused him. “You leave that to us and our scientists. For all we know, you couldn’t control it because you were still in the process of rejecting the mind-control. Our artificially created Keras soldiers may not have that problem to begin with. And if they do, we will have a contingency plan in place to deal with it, which is beyond the scope of what we need you for.” Wolfe paused to make sure Noah didn’t have further objections before continuing. “Now, if you will go with Dr. Anderson, he will take you to the lab to draw some more blood samples. We also would like to draw some blood from Ms. Ross here to confirm that she is still human.”

  For a brief second, Noah was going to protest, but then he realized it would be good to have her cleared of all suspicion. He looked over at Madison and squeezed her hand. He was surprised to see that she seemed anxious. She looked back at the Major General, and spoke.

  “Umm, actually I would prefer not to have my drawn blood. I’m really terrified of needles.”

  Wolfe immediately eyed her with suspicion. “Hiding something?” He asked.

  Dammit! Noah thought. Now they might think she was like him. Would they believe the blood tests when it came back negative?

  Madison responded matter-of-factly. “Actually, I’m just afraid of needles. Like super afraid. I punched my mom in the face when I was a little kid trying to escape a shot. Those are bad enough, but having my blood drawn really freaks me out.”

  Wolfe seemed annoyed by her excuses. “The fate of the world is at risk here Ms. Ross. Now, I’m not accusing you of anything, but I think you can handle a small blood draw to confirm you haven’t been somehow affected by Mr. Reid here.”

  Madison looked down, seemingly ashamed by what he said. She didn’t speak for a few seconds before finally saying, “I guess.”

  Wolfe seemed pleased. “Very well, please follow Dr. Anderson. ”

  The scientist rose from his seat and waited by the door as Noah and Madison slowly got up. They both were still shocked by all the information they had just received, but Noah was concerned that Madison looked like she was about to pass out. Still not being able to remember most of his former life, he had been surprised to recall that Madison didn’t like insects or black coffee, but now he was disappointed he hadn’t known that Madison was so terrified of needles.

  She looked like she could drop to the floor at any moment. He held his arm around her shoulder, with her clinging to his side, as they followed Dr. Anderson out of the door and down the hallway.

  Chapter 16: The Keras Genome

  Dr. Anderson led Noah and Madison to a laboratory deep inside the building. He was surprised when the armed soldiers didn’t follow. Inside the large room were numerous tables, microscopes, and machines used for all kinds of testing. The clock on the wall indicated it was only 12:33 PM. It was lunchtime and, as far as he knew, Madison hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning before she had been kidnapped. Noah wondered if this was contributing to her pale expression.

  There was a woman sitting at a table in the lab, waiting patiently for the three of them. She already had several syringes and tubes laid out to draw their blood. One of the syringes was normal in size, but the other was a massive needle similar to the one they had used before on him.

  Dr. Anderson introduced the woman. “This is Dr. Gabriella Robinson.” The scientist waved in response, while Dr. Anderson continued. “She will be over the blood analysis portion of your testing. I am technically over the entire operation, but will specifically be observing your performance-based tests.”

  Noah was curious what he meant. “What do you mean by performance-based? ”

  “Essentially, I will be gauging things like how much weight you can lift, how fast you can run, how fast you heal, and other such measurements. I’m also very curious to find out any improvements in reflexes, or mental processing speed. Now, since we already know that it will take some effort to draw your blood Noah, why don’t we start with Madison here. It’ll be simple and fast.”

  Madison seemed even more anxious, clinging tightly to Noah. She didn’t move as Dr. Anderson motioned for her to take a seat. Noah was used to her being bold and confident, so he was surprised by her recent timidity. He knew it would be good to remove suspicion from her, but he also remembered she hadn’t eaten in over a day. Noah looked away from Madison to speak to Dr. Anderson.

  “Actually, she hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning, so I’m not sure that drawing her blood is a good idea right now.”

  Madison looked at him in surprise, but he wasn’t sure why. Had she not thought he would stick up for her? Madison unexpectedly shook her head.

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll do it.”

  She pulled Noah over to the chair with her, and she sat down holding his hand. She slowly placed her arm on the black countertop, so Dr. Robinson could have access to the inside of her elbow. The female scientist seemed sympathetic towards her anxiety.

  “Don’t like needles huh? I don’t blame you, but it will be over fast. We just need a little bit of blood to confirm you aren’t different .” She said the word like it was a bad thing, but Noah didn’t suspect she consciously put emphasis on the word. It was more like her personal feelings on the subject were unknowingly finding their way into her sentences.

  Madison took a deep breath and nodded her head. Robinson then took the smaller needle and held it up to Madison’s arm.

  “You can look away if you want. It might help.”

  Madison shook her head. “No, watching doesn’t bother me.”

  Dr. Robinson was visibly surprised by her statement, briefly relaxing the needle. It looked like the scientist was about the question her, but she then seemed to change her mind and readied the syringe again.

  Noah was confused too. He gently squeezed her hand as they all watched Dr. Robinson push the needle into Madison’s skin.

  Nothing happened.

  Dr. Robinson pushed harder, but to no avail. The needle wouldn’t advance into her skin. “What the hell?” Robinson commented under her breath. She put her weight into the needle, and the tiny syringe broke against Madison’s skin.

  Madison’s head hung low as all three of them looked at her.

  “Madison?” Noah questioned. He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.

  She looked up at him with tears in her deep-brown eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was afraid you would hate yourself, thinking you had ruined my life. ”

  “But…but when?” He wondered when it had happened. How had it happened? Madison didn’t respond to his question, instead just looking at him with her tear-filled eyes, and he suddenly realized it was better they didn’t discuss in front of the scientists who were eager to find out how to create more of him.

  After a brief pause, Madison simply stated, “I don’t know how or when. I wasn’t even really one-hundred percent sure until just now.” Noah could sense she was lying, but he hoped they hadn’t noticed. Anderson recovered from his surprise and immediately started questioning her.

  “This is the breakthrough we’ve been looking for! Surely you must remember how it happened!”

  Madison was quick to respond. “I don’t remember. Maybe amnesia is a normal symptom of it happening. Maybe a Keras attacked me too.”

  Both Anderson and Robinson appeared to be skeptical of her answer, but they seemed to understand they weren’t going to get anywhere with her. Nevertheless, Anderson realized they still had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on their hands.

  “It’s irrelevant. Now we should be able to actually study the active change, assuming it was within the last thi
rty-three hours.”

  Both Noah and Madison looked at him questioningly. He began eagerly explaining without further prompt. He seemed excited to share what he had discovered already.

  “Well, you see, from Noah’s blood we were able to estimate that the transformation averages about three percent per hour, fully converting from a human genome to the Keras genome in about thirty-three hours.” Then speaking directly to Noah, he said, “From our surveillance of Riley Sullivan, we know that you entered the warehouse just before 9 PM. Tell me, did you feel any different around 6 AM this morning? That would have been approximately thirty-three hours, give or take thirty minutes.”

  Noah was shocked again, because he had felt different waking up at 6:07 AM. All he could do is nod in response. The scientist’s excitement was evident.

  “Wonderful! It’s always great to have theories confirmed. Tell me, how did you feel different? Did you feel stronger? Faster? Did you discover you had different senses altogether?”

  Looking at Madison, he knew that he had felt a lot of those things, including being able to sense her when she wasn’t in his line of sight. Was it because she was becoming like him now? He could also sense the presence of hostiles, although sensing her presence was completely different. He didn’t have to try to feel where she was – she was like a full moon in the middle of the night. He just knew, without effort.

  However, he didn’t want to share all these details with Dr. Anderson and Dr. Robinson. He didn’t like being a science experiment in the first place, but he certainly didn’t want them to know anything they didn’t need to know. His secrets, and now Madison’s secrets too, was an advantage he didn’t want to give up .

  Noah decided to give some vague information to appease the eager scientist. “Yes, I felt stronger and faster. I’m not sure about any extra senses though. I don’t really know what you mean by that.”

  Dr. Anderson already seemed to be pondering another topic, he looked at them both and stated bluntly, “I wonder if it can be transmitted sexually, like an STD. Did you two have sexual intercourse at the hotel? That might explain how Madison contracted the Keras chemicals.”