Free Threnody (Book 1) by Kirk Withrow Page A

and hard to detect unless you use advanced analytic techniques like mass spectrometry.  Basically we have been able to hijack neural transmission in the subject leading to the fairly rapid onset of weakness, paralysis, respiratory failure, and arrhythmia.  We’ve seen subject demise in as little as two hours and none have survived past six hours.  Remind me not to cross Mr. Handler!  I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if that reptilian bastard tried to turn our own creation on us after this is all over.
    The lyssa-niuhi virus (LNV), as I’ve taken to calling it, has two primary means of host toxicity.  The first is the synthesis of tetrodatoxin-related protein (TTXrP) at levels sufficient to stop the heart as well as paralyze all voluntary skeletal muscles including the diaphragm.  This begins immediately after infection and is limited to production by only those cells directly infected by the inoculated LNV.  TTXrP’s LD 50 is so low that adequate toxin levels are attained even with the relatively low number of cells producing the toxin. TTXrP reaches lethal levels in our model about two to four hours post-infection.  LNV infection also results in the synthesis of an antigenic protein that triggers the host immune system to produce bispecific anti-transferrin anti-Nav antibodies.  This second, somewhat redundant mechanism essentially amplifies the immediate effects of TTXrP that alone are generally sufficient for target neutralization.  The transferrin specificity was incorporated to provide a means for the autoantibodies to cross the blood-brain barrier and was taken from work done by a colleague of mine who has been investigating ways to target CNS proteins directly.
    Mr. Handler came to the facility with another ICT guy last week.  We were told he was a top-notch forensic pathologist and he definitely fit the bill.  That guy was way creepy!  Since it looks like we found the right target the ICT guys wanted to see if the forensics guy could figure out the cause of death of the subjects.  Mr. Handler told us that he was given no information about the nature of our pathogen and that he was the best in his field.  They are confident that if he can’t figure it out then no one else will have much of a chance.
    Even if anyone did figure out what the hell was happening to a target, there is no antidote for TTX.  That reminds me, I have an idea for a counter-vaccine of sorts that I need to work on in case Mr. Handler does get a little wild with the needle.  I don’t trust that guy.
    For now, Marcus out…
     
    May 9, 2014
    Dammit!  Mr. Handler is going to be pissed!  I really thought we finally had it all worked out.  Animal #4 in the latest group of test subjects (group E4) survived infection with LNV.  I use the word ‘survived’ loosely as he seems pretty messed up.  Things were proceeding normally after LNV administration.  #4’s vital parameters were showing the expected decline caused by TTXrP and about two hours after infection, the tech pronounced #4 dead.  The disposal team was delayed and thus the E4 subjects remained in the lab for several hours after the completion of the experiment.  I was at my workstation sifting through the latest data set while Sanji was on break.  I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see #4 weakly moving his arms!  He was about seven hours after infection at that point, and about five hours out from being pronounced dead.  He was either back from the dead or had been pushed so close to the edge of death that our monitoring failed to detect the vital signs necessary for life.  At first I thought I might be hallucinating.  After all, I’ve seen my niece here three times in the last week—twice standing among the jungle foliage just staring at me and once in my living quarters.  I haven’t mentioned that to Sanji for obvious reasons.  The isolation in this place is really starting to get to me.  This whole project is starting to get