Mount Misery

by Angelo Peluso

  While Katie waited for Rick to finish up with Jack’s boat, her cell phone rang.

  “Katie, it’s Karen. Are you sitting down?”

  “No, I’m standing by Rick’s truck in Port Rosey. Just got off the water. Bit of an incident with his friend, Jack, that may be tied to these fish. He’s in the hospital and we’re about to go see him.”

  “Hospital? What happened?”

  “Not quite sure but what do you have for me?”

  “This gets pretty heavy, my friend. Perhaps we should have a face-to-face. There’s too much to discuss over the phone. I’m still at the lab. Just got the final results of the analysis. I could meet you at the Boulder Point Diner in about an hour. Are you good?”

  “Yeah, but just tell me, are they some kind of local fish?”

  “Yes and no. It’s not that simple. I’ll explain it all when we meet. See you in an hour.”

  Rick had Jack’s boat safely in the boatyard and walked back to where he had parked his truck. “Let’s head up to the hospital and check on how Jack’s doing, and then we’ll go get a bite to eat. I’m famished.”

  The hospital was a short drive up the hill from the ramp. Official visiting hours were over, but Rick and Katie fibbed a bit to get their visitor’s badges. They told the receptionist they were Jack’s son and daughter. But once on the floor, they met with the head nurse who told them Jack was sedated and asleep. Jack’s wife was in the room with him.

  “How’s he doing?” Rick inquired.

  “He’ll be fine and you’ll be able to visit tomorrow,” the nurse replied. “He lost a fair amount of blood and his system was in shock from the injuries. But all his vitals are back close to normal. He must have been through some ordeal and just needs his rest.”

  “Would you like me to tell your mother you are here?”

  “No thanks. We’ll let them be for now. Just tell her that Rick and Katie were here and that we’ll see her in the morning?”

  “Will do. Have a good night.”

  Katie wasted no time with the next priority. “Rick, we need go to the Boulder Point Diner to meet with Karen. She has her findings from the DNA analysis and I cannot wait any longer to know the results.”

  “Let me just hit the men’s room and clean up a bit. I smell like bluefish chum and fish vomit.”

  “Fine, I’ll wait by the stairs and give Nick a call. I’m sure he wants to hear Karen’s finding firsthand.”

  Katie paced the floor. Soon she would have answers and then there would be even more issues and challenges to deal with. Knowing the enemy would just be the beginning of a new battle. She dialed Nick’s cell phone but it instantly went to voice mail. She left a message to meet her at the diner and to come alone.

  CHAPTER 32

  Karen Hammond took a booth in the back of the Boulder Point Diner where there would be privacy. Karen brought a notepad but all of what she would tell Katie DiNardo would be recalled from her photographic memory. The pad was for doodling while she deliberated her findings over and over again just to make certain she had not missed one relevant detail in her analysis. Karen was a no-nonsense woman, her life governed by the scientific process. She dealt only in facts, details, and validated conclusions. Hyperbole, idle speculation, gossip and rumors were not at all part of her persona. She was the antithesis of the drama queen. If it wasn’t based on hard facts, Karen Hammond wanted nothing to do with it. She had painstakingly evaluated the tooth tissue sample and ran repeat tests to confirm her findings. She brought one of her colleagues into the process to help expedite the DNA mapping and validate the results. The conclusions were rock solid.

  “Hey there, good buddy.” Katie’s voice broke Karen’s contemplation.

  Katie and Rick sat directly opposite Karen on the window side of the booth. They could talk directly without being overheard.

  “Katie, when you dropped off the tooth, I gave you the rundown on the methodology I would use to analyze the tissue. I have access to the latest and best DNA mapping technology, but I want to run through some basic genetic stuff with you first to set the groundwork before I give you the drumroll and my conclusions. Are you okay with that?”

  Katie knew Karen all too well and that she would have no choice in the matter. “Yeah, okay, I’m fine with it but make it short and sweet. You do remember I too am a scientist?”

  “Well, I’d benefit from the primer,” Rick added. “Remember, I’m just a fishing guide.”

  “I need to begin with the genome. As you know, a genome contains all the genetic material and biological data that is necessary to form any and all life organisms. Every organism on the planet has a genome. It is the basis of an organism’s heredity or genetics. The biological information imbedded in a genome is encoded in its DNA.”

  Katie groaned.

  “Indulge me, Katie, and you shall have your answers. There is a purpose here. As you also know, DNA separates into distinct genes that carry information for proteins needed by an organism to function. These proteins determine many aspects of an organism’s existence, including appearance, size, shape, overall health, and can affect temperament, personality, and behavior. This is true of all creatures in the animal kingdom, including fish.”

  “Got it, Karen, right there with you . . . straight from freshman bio. Continue.”

  “In addition to chromosomes in the nuclei of cells that determine genetic information, there are tiny bits of matter in the cytoplasm of cells that also carry DNA information: the mitochondria. They play a crucial role in heredity. They are also responsible for the production of energy for the body, destruction of cells, and, most important, mutations and aging. Those are very significant and relevant distinctions for this analysis. The mini-lecture is now done. On to the findings.”

  “Thank God!”

  Before Karen could continue, another voice interrupted.

  “I got here as quickly as I could. I was otherwise preoccupied.” It was Nick Tanner. He slid into the booth next to Karen.

  “Hot date?” Rick poked. “Was he nice?”

  “Perhaps. But it’s none of your business. What did I miss?”

  “Just a quick overview, Nick,” Katie answered. “Karen was just getting to the good stuff.”

  “Okay. Let me continue. We used all the latest and greatest technology available and ran multiple tests. The major finding is that the tooth came from a male fish with genetic markers most closely aligned with that of one of our local species of fish, with a few major and notable exceptions.”

  “Damn! I knew it,” Nick said. “We were spot on all along. What species?”

  “Pomatomus saltatrix.”

  Katie’s jaw dropped. “Bluefish!”

  “These aren’t just ordinary bluefish, Katie. There have been some major cellular and genetic alterations. Significantly mutated creatures would best describe these fish.”

  “How about mega-monsters?” Katie said “I’ve seen them and they have been transformed into fish that look nothing like ordinary bluefish, or any other fish we know of.”

  “No shit! One almost got my leg,” Rick added.

  “That’s because you’re an idiot, Rick. Karen, please continue.”

  “And that is why I spent a few minutes on the overview. Although the straight forward DNA mapping proves these things are genetic variations of bluefish, an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA revealed genetic changes that could have had a profound impact on how your creatures evolved, grow, behave, and, more important to your investigation, what their vulnerabilities might be.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere. Keep it going.”

  “Okay. You know that mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited and as such can be used by geneticists to trace maternal evolutionary lineage back ages. One example is that mtDNA has been used by scientists to trace back the lineage of modern dogs to wolves. And some enterprising labs have even offered services where clients—for a hefty fee—swab their cheeks for DNA and then have it mapped to see where their ancien
t roots reside. Africa, Asia, Europe, another universe . . . mitochondrial DNA tells the story. The whole ground zero concept of Mitochondrial Eve is founded on the same principle of mapping back mtDNA in time to discover the origins of the human race—the mother of all humanity.”

  “So are you absolutely certain about the fish being some aberrant form of bluefish?” Katie asked.

  “Katie, I am 99.99 percent certain. I wouldn’t have told you otherwise. I know what the stakes are and I’m as sure as science allows me to be. My colleague validated the findings and we ran additional tests.”

  “His name wouldn’t happen to be Ned Mack?”

  “Yes it would. I had to bring him into the fold for his expertise in cellular and evolutionary biology. How do you know his name and why do you ask?”

  “We’ll talk about that some other time. Did you answer the questions I initially posed regarding any anomalies in the genetic makeup of the tissue? Has anything caused changes or mutations to chromosomes, genes, or DNA?”

  “I used FISH to help me profile the DNA and answer those questions. If you’ve forgotten, it’s the acronym for fluorescence in situ hybridization. That process enabled me to map the genetic material from the tooth DNA, including specific genes and segments of genes. That is what allowed me to analyze chromosomal abnormalities and other genetic mutations. It’s how I was able to tell you the fish tooth came from a genetic mutant. We also learned from the mitochondrial DNA that the ancestry of your killer fish does not extend back all that far in time. Maybe a few decades. That is where we see a fork in the road so to speak with the DNA. My suspicion is that it was most likely some chemical or environmental event that caused permanent cellular mutations that have been passed on to subsequent generations of fish. This carry-thorough of genetic mutation in some ways defied known science.”

  “Can these fish breed? Did you see any evidence of hybridization?” Nick said.

  “Yes and no. We saw no evidence to suggest the chromosomal changes that had taken place would affect fertility, and there was no evidence of any hybridization. These are definitely descendants of bluefish stock and they can breed, most likely just among themselves.”

  Katie pushed. “Tell me about vulnerabilities.”

  “Let me put that answer in the context of all the primary findings. First, we were able to determine that whatever the cause, the myostatin gene in this sample showed evidence of being deactivated . . . turned off. What that means is that this fish would have had an abnormal ability to grow muscle mass at a very rapid rate.”

  “So is that it?” Katie asked. “Big, bad bluefish that have had their myostatin gene turned off?”

  “No. It gets much more complicated. The size of the tooth itself indicates a very large animal. From what you’ve told me about the dimensions of these fish‚ I suspected there must have been other significant chemical and cellar changes as well. My associate was able to find enough remnant blood contained within the sample to run some chemical analysis. The toxicology findings were surprising and astonishing. Without getting too technical, Dr. Mack discovered traces of unusually high levels of testosterone and abnormally elevated levels of somatostatin.”

  Nick interjected. “Somatostatin is known to regulate aggressive behavior in fish. I read a scientific paper a while back about levels of somatostatin in extremely aggressive Cichlids. Between the statin and the pumped up testosterone, it’s no wonder our fish behave as aggressively as they do.”

  “Hey Rick, maybe you should get yourself tested,” Karen chided before continuing with her findings. “You are absolutely correct, Nick. But we also found high concentrations of somatotropin, a growth hormone.”

  Rick couldn’t contain himself any longer. “So what we have here is a perfect genetic storm of sorts that has created some super fish?”

  “Yes we do, Rick. Simply put, the combination of an overabundance of growth hormones, a deactivated gene that inhibits growth, off-the-chart testosterone, and a neuropeptide that increases aggressive behavior in fish have all contributed to the size, temperament, and behaviors of these killer fish. “

  “So what we really have here is one big, mean, son of a bitch killing machine.”

  “Like you didn’t know that already, Rick, from your skinny dipping episode,” Katie said.

  “I guess you are never going to let me live that one down. But remember, were it not for my swimming escapade, we may not have had a tooth for your buddy Karen to analyze.”

  Katie shot Rick one of her piercing signature stares.

  “So far what you’ve told us is all bad news. These aberrations make the magnitude of this problem far greater than what I thought originally. How are these creatures vulnerable? Can you tell me something I can use to eradicate them?”

  “This is where it gets really interesting. We also discovered that the ends of various chromosomes from the sample tissue had begun to erode, a result of a deficiency of the protein telomerase.”

  “This is beginning to make my hair hurt‚” Rick said. “Where does all this altered state mumbo jumbo end? What the hell kind of fish are these?”

  “End is a fitting choice of words, Rick. Telomerase works to create natural end caps called telomeres that are on terminal tips of chromosomes. Telomeres function to prevent shortening of the chromosomes and deterioration of genes. They also are essential for the effective transfer of genetic coding from parent to progeny. This is true of mice, men, and fish.”

  “Fine, Karen. But where’s the vulnerability in all that? Let’s get to some usable findings so I can stop these things.”

  “Here’s the connection, Katie. Chromosomal erosion is part of the aging process in all organisms. Based on the information we’ve analyzed, we believe that aging was accelerated in the fish from which the tooth was obtained. If this is true of all your killer fish, they may not live as long as normal bluefish.”

  “Can you tell how long their lifespan may be?” Nick said. “That could be a critical element in this entire puzzle.”

  “No I can’t, Nick. While there is a link between the fraying of chromosomal endings and aging there is no linear correlation that a certain degree of fraying translates into a specific rate of premature aging. A group of Nobel scientists found that telomeres in humans could almost function as a biological clock but not as a predictor of how long someone might live. Those same scientists also found that shortened telomeres in older humans lead to certain illnesses and to an inability to effectively handle stress. If those findings are transferable to other organisms—including your bluefish—they may represent a meaningful piece to your puzzle.”

  Katie listened intently, but she needed to synthesize all this information into a logical sequence of findings that could be acted upon to help stop the killings. Her mind wandered back to her graduate school days and her intense study of bluefish. Katie could rattle off every known scientific fact and figure about bluefish, their life cycles, and their behavior.

  “Katie. Are you still with us?” Karen said.

  “Yeah, yeah . . . just thinking. “There seems to be a big disconnect here, Karen. If aging is accelerated and shortened telomeres prevent the effective transfer of genetic coding from parent to offspring, then these fish must mature sexually at a young age. Otherwise, these aberrant traits would not be inherited from one generation to the next. Add to that your belief that the mutations do not extend back all that far, and there is a big void in the logic. It is not possible for the fish we are dealing with now to be the ones that originally mutated.”

  “Katie, the aging scenario is but a hypothesis. We can only prove what has emerged from the DNA mapping and the blood tests. Aging is a wild card in all this. If the fish age very prematurely to a point where they could not successfully spawn, then that casts an entirely different light on this. The killer fish would have to be ones initially affected by whatever transpired more than three decades ago.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Nick added. “Bluefish live to a max of ab
out twelve years and are sexually mature at two years. Factoring in your possible aging scenario, even if they aged more rapidly than normal bluefish, they would most likely live beyond two years and, therefore, would breed at least once, perhaps more. So, my bet is that the killers in the Sound right now were spawned from the initial mutations. They are at least several generations of offspring removed from that first affected population of fish.”

  “I tend to agree with Nick. These bastards may be aging faster than normal but they may be capable of breeding, which means if they have been doing so for decades‚ there are a shit load of them in the Sound and perhaps elsewhere.”

  “Your problem just got a whole lot bigger,” Rick suggested. “Unless these things start dying of old age there is no way we can catch them all, even if we got the commercial guys to trawl the entire Sound. I guess depth charges are totally out of the question?” he added sarcastically.

  “I suspect these fish are also smarter than your average bluefish which adds to the complexity of the situation,” Nick said. “And lest we forget, the concoction of genetically altered chemistry mixing in their blood has created a bit of an unstable marine monster with capabilities we don’t understand.”

  “What possibly could have caused so many cellular and chemical alterations in one species?” Katie asked, trying to make sense of Karen’s enormous data dump. “I’ve never encountered a scenario like this before with any marine creature. Not even close.”

  “There could be many triggering events. Look at all the speculation about what caused the massive die-off of juvenile lobsters in the Sound. Reasons have run the gamut from hypoxia to pesticides.”

  “But this is a little different, don’t you think?” Rick replied. “This is not a die-off but the creation of some Frankenfish.”

  “Rick’s right,” Katie said. “We are breaking new ground with all this. If we’re not careful we could lose all control of this situation, and in a hurry too. I’m beginning to feel like we may be on the losing end of this battle.”

  “I’ve never known you to give up on anything in your life, Katie,” Karen said.