Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/articles/s_m1093.zip/BIOF

Text File | 1993-10-08 | 6KB | 99 lines

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 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░Bio Failure░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░by David Thompson
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            In the age of bio technology, few could remember when
       people actually had to see a doctor for anything other than
       getting their gene implants.  Those few that were not
       geneticly perfected at birth turned out to be the safest, as
       there were many flaws in the procedure that remained
       unregulated.  Approximately three months into the pregnancy,
       a gene sample was taken, modified, and set back into the
       unborn fetus.  The engineered DNA took over the original
       cells, perfecting them as they went.  This provided immunity
       to all diseases that were epidemical or inconvenient during
       the 20th and 19th centuries.  The one disease that was the
       closest to killing off the human race, AIDS was finally
       conquered in 1997, fifty years ago.  Now, researchers were
       trying to improve DNA splicing techniques, making all people
       of a superior intelligence.  The US government supported
       this research, as it could prove important to the recently
       reformed military due to small uprisings in neighboring
       countries, in addition to the failing capitalist economy,
       which was finally being changed into a cross between
       communism and democracy, the people have complete power, but
       the industry is run collectively, providing huge expansion
       capabilities.  The US has not taken this system yet, but
       like the metric system did in 2014, it will eventually prove
       good enough to force a change.  The thing is, the human race
       has to live to see the switch between governments.

            As I flipped through the channels on my personal
       entertainment system, I saw a newsflash simultaneously on
       all four channels on my holographic head-mounted viewer.  At
       my age of 73, I had escaped being engineered, so I had to
       often visit the few health doctors left, even though they
       predicted I had at least 40 more years ahead of me thanks to
       modern medicine.  The news flash was preceded by the
       standard date and time, for reference purposes by all who
       were affected by it.
            "April 24, 2047, 13:41.  This is a government news
       bulletin, file under tape section 53-C9, viewing mandatory."
       the computerized voice stated "All northern residents of
       country 349, formerly called Syria, should report to the
       nearest government information office immediately, as it has
       been invaded by neighboring 219, formerly several countries
       combined." the computerized announcer rambled on about
       details, including the fact that several computer banks and
       a large quantity of bincolishan-b, a genetic engineering
       substance, had been stolen in the raid. I wondered about
       what was going to happen, as 349 was trying to make the
       perfect human.  I wandered to the information office, to see
       if there was anything that I could do to help the situation.
       As I walked, I got his strange feeling in my stomach, almost
       if there was some chemical residue somewhere.  Little did I
       know about what else had happened, what the government was
       hiding.
            I walked in the information center, and was shocked by
       the sight I saw.  Government workers were running in circles
       trying to do something with one hand while they held their
       bio masks in another.  Alarms were wailing, but I did not
       have the synchronization glasses needed to view the cause.
       One of the workers ran up to me and asked both whether I had
       been bio engineered, then asked me to try and help them, as
       I would not be affected by the problem and have two hands
       free.
            "Okay, see that console over there, just do what it
       says to do, preferably fast!"
            "Sure, but just what is the problem?" I asked.
            "Tell you later!"
            I ran over and the computer told me to find a red knob
       and turn it clockwise, then type a set of instructions into
       another console.  I did so and then some alarms stopped, the
       oxygen emergency supply turned on, and the workers took off
       their bio-masks.
            "What was that all about?" I asked with a note of
       concern.
            "There was a sabotage in the bio plant, all engineered
       people will be affected by the vapors, syntoms may include
       nausea and sudden heart failure, with little warning.  We
       are not completely sure however, as this has never happened
       before."
            I thought to myself "Wow! This could be extremely bad!
       Bio technology's dangers finally revealed!"  I walked out
       and saw a panic before my eyes.  Most of the people had
       abandoned their hover cars and were running around, doing
       nothing but screaming randomly.  Every now and then, one
       would fall down, clutching their heart.  I ran out and tried
       to stop them, but hey simply ran past, ignoring me and the
       few other older people.  There was an explosion, and more
       engendering chemicals rained down on the crowd, the people
       that were standing then had convulsions, threw up blood, and
       then collapsed, leaving only the old people to try and
       reconstruct the country, as this also happened in other
       cities around the nation, proving that the grass isn't
       always greener on the other side of the fence.

                                  -end-
                   Copyright (c) 1993 David Thompson