Carson Evolved Ch. 14

Carson sat down in stunned silence. Is this part of my magical heritage? Where would such a disease come from, and why would I have immunity to it? "Can we recreate those particles in the lab?" he asked quietly.

"It's too early to say. I suspect that those particles are made up of many subunits bonded together. We might be able to insert the gene sequences for those subunits into bacteria for mass production. The harder part is getting them to fold right after they're expressed, and especially to assemble into the particles. It's not as easy as pouring the right fractions of each subunit into a jar and mixing them up. We need to find the correct conditions to promote folding. Ideally, though, we would have a way to program sheep or lumi cells to produce these particles, sort of like how they make insulin or serum albumin. That's by far trickier than even going the recombinant protein route."

The pair lapsed into silence. After a minute, Carson asked, "What if we harvested some of these particles from my blood and injected them into a volunteer?"

Alex shook his. "It doesn't work like that. The volunteer's body would simply view them as invaders and attack them. Besides, we don't really know what they do or how they work. What if they trigger an adverse reaction and the person dies? No, I don't think that's the answer." He paused in thought. I wonder.

"There are a couple of avenues I'd like to research. As you know, we've been able to synthesize replacement organs and tissues for some time now, using the patient's own cells. If we could figure out a way to prevent the patient's body from attacking the particles, it would make sense to try to create many copies of whatever organ is producing these particles in your body and see if we can induce them to make the particles for harvesting and treatment."

"Seems like a reasonable approach," observed Carson.

"It might be the easier way to do it."

"What other option are you thinking?" Carson asked.

Alex hesitated before answering. Eventually, he sighed and began to speak. "Carson, I don't think those particles are something that the vast majority of people can produce. Maybe it's a dormant gene somewhere in the vast portion of the genetic code that we don't understand yet. If that's the case, there may be a way to 'switch it on.' Have you ever heard of DNA therapy?"

Carson shook his head. "Doesn't surprise me," he continued. "We haven't had great success with it, but the theory is sound. It's usually used to try to overcome inherited diseases caused by malfunctioning genes. The cells are provided with a copy of the functional gene, and through the process of normal cell growth and division, eventually enough cells contain the working gene to mitigate the effects of the disease. The problem with this approach as a disease treatment is that, unless the gene is inserted into sex cells, the treatment only affects the individual; their offspring will not benefit from it."

Carson could see the possibilities. "The DNA treatment would bypass the immune system, wouldn't it? So, it would be safer than injecting the particle directly?"

Alex nodded.

"So, let's do it. We'll start recruiting volunteers from the infected population and see how they respond." Carson, in his excitement and lack of knowledge of biology, was racing far ahead of Alex.

Again, the older man shook his head. "We're a long way from that yet, Carson. First of all, we don't know where in your genetic code the gene for those particles is found. That will require us to isolate those particles and run a complete sequence. It could be that the subunits are found on multiple chromosomes, which will increase the time it takes to track down the correct genes and create the right primer. And once that's all done, we still have to make sure that we have the entire code. Even missing one codon can result in a completely useless peptide chain."

Dejected, Carson sank back into his chair. "There's got to be some way to use this."

Looking uncomfortable, Alex cleared his throat. "There's another way, but it's more of a long-term thing."

Carson looked hopeful.

Continuing, Alex placed his arms on the desk and sat up to look at Carson. "It's kind of extreme," he warned.

"We're just brainstorming here, so go ahead and speak freely," suggested Carson.

"Here's the thing: We have a pretty safe assumption that your DNA has a functional gene or genes to make these particles. That means that there's maybe a 1 in 4 chance that your offspring will inherit this trait as well. Maybe higher if it's just a dormant gene that a lot of people have."

"Okay?" said Carson, not following.

"You don't have to be present to produce children, Carson," Alex explained obliquely.

"Of course, there's the sperm bank. Oh...Oh! The sperm bank. Just what are you suggesting? There's lots of material available for the women to choose from."

"This is where it approaches the line of ethical behavior, if not tramples all over it. What if we limited the options that women could choose from to men who were similar in appearance to you? We could claim an accident that destroyed a bunch of samples or something. But regardless of who is selected, your sperm is used to fertilize the eggs."

Standing up, Carson wandered over to a window. His initial response was to say, 'Absolutely not.' But there were the long-term prospects for the survival of the human race to consider. In function, it was no different than what he was already doing with Orriri. Still, the idea of lying to women about something as important as the genetic heritage of their children turned his stomach. Shaking his head, he turned back to Alex.

"I can't do that. At least not like that. What if instead we made the offer? We tell the women that we think that the donor has a natural immunity to the Eisen...NeoGenesys virus," remembering the name the press was using. "Then, they can decide if that's the way they want to go. We must make it absolutely clear that it's not a guarantee or promise. No lying, no coercion."

They discussed some more details, and eventually Alex committed to addressing Carson's concerns and promised to work with the Project's donation center to prepare to implement the plan. Carson shook his father-in-law's hand and turned to exit his office.

"There's one more thing, Carson," Alex called out. "If this works like I think it does, maybe we can get proof of concept before we go too much further. Do I have your permission to collect blood samples from your children to screen for the presence of the particles?"

Carson felt silly for not thinking of the same thing. "Of course, Alex. We should have considered that earlier. But first, you need to go home and get some sleep." Alex nodded and began gathering his belongings.

*****

The rest of the day went smoothly, and Carson was beginning to see the many threads of their new company beginning to be woven into an impressive tapestry. Walking in the door that evening, he had a bounce in his step that had been missing due to his stress and exhaustion. Seeing the smiling faces of his Pride, hearing the happy laughter of his children, his heart soared in appreciation for all the blessings of his life.

Walking towards the family room, he noticed the same buzzing pressure that he'd felt the night he met Siubahn while walking with Isana. Siubahn? Are you here?

Yes, Carson. I'd like to begin with some of the basics of your magic training tonight.

Can we wait until after dinner?

Of course.

Carson gave a mental nod and continued on his way, not at all surprised now to see the older woman sharing a couch with Helena and watching as the infants and toddlers played and explored their world. He could see an almost wistful look on her face and resolved to ask her about it later.

"Da-dee!" exclaimed Amelia. As usual, she was the first to notice his presence. Some of the others might be more active or coordinated that she was, but she had an uncanny awareness of her surroundings for a toddler barely able to stand on her own two feet unsupported. The twins were too busy playing with the toy workbench in the corner to come to him. They each looked his direction and smiled their nearly toothless grins at him.

To Carson's surprise, Connor began unsteadily toddling his way towards his father; following at his heels was his half-sister, Selma. Connor was probably the quietest of his children. At least those who were old enough to exhibit much of a personality. He was clearly destined to be a thinker, an observer. As a result, he was usually content to hang back as his more boisterous siblings took action. Nevertheless, he was inordinately proud of himself as he made his way towards Carson, step by unsteady step.

Carson allowed him to make it all the way to his feet before he swept the boy into his arms. "Good job, Connor! What a big boy!" He had to be careful not to step far. Almost as soon as Connor was airborne, Carson felt the tug of Selma's hand grasping at his pant leg. She wasn't strong enough to pull herself to a standing position, so her father sat down with Connor in his lap and assisted Selma to climb into a position over his leg where she could look up at him.

She looked into his eyes and said, "Da!" before giving him the biggest grin she could. Carson immediately began playing their favorite game where he leaned towards her slightly with his eyes closed, then popped them open and softly said, "Boo!" Without fail, Selma would blink and jerk her little head back slightly before giggling loudly, obviously watching for him to do it again.

He managed to work his way around to each of his children and their mothers, kissing, hugging, and playing along the way.

Elsa clutched his shirt and leaned into his kiss with a groan. "Hey, Big Daddy," she murmured with a sly grin on her face.

"How's my favorite milkmaid today?" he murmured back. His nickname for Elsa had arisen out of a silly moment not long after Selma was born. Carson was watching her breastfeeding the newborn when he remembered one of his first impressions of Elsa. At the time, he'd been struck with the idea that she looked like a Swiss milkmaid, with her pale porcelain skin and rosy cheeks. The blond hair and blue eyes only added to it. For whatever reason, that remembrance in combination with her breastfeeding made him chuckle. When she asked him about it, he was forced to explain his first impression of her. Elsa took it like a champ, even occasionally referring to herself as "Selma's milkmaid" occasionally.

"Mmmm. Better now that you're here."

"Someone sounds a little anxious," he teased.

She blushed slightly. "I can't help it. The thought that tonight might be when I conceive again is very exciting."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before hugging her close. He murmured into her hair, "I'm looking forward to it too. Thank you for choosing me."

Elsa leaned back and looked into his eyes. "Always and forever, Big Daddy. Always and forever."

*****

Dinner was a typical affair. Aria and Elsa had more or less assumed the roles of nanny in the house each day, assisted by little Tambara after school each day, along with Ileara when she wasn't off with one of her many social clubs and after-school activities. Ileara wasn't home this evening, but Tambara was happy to help feed the infants who'd graduated to baby food. Her patience with them was quite remarkable. Between her, Aria, and Elsa, the children were well cared for.

Carson always enjoyed mealtime with his family. It was when he got to hear about the happenings in each of their lives, and the goings-on around the house each day. He was tempted to share the news he'd learned from Alex about the strange particles in his blood, but held off, sensing that he wouldn't have nearly enough answers to give for the many questions he anticipated.

Once the meal was over, he accompanied Siubahn to the garden. She breathed in the fragrant air and sighed. "I envy you, Carson. To be surrounded by beauty like this each day."

He looked around and nodded. "Sadly, I don't get to spend as much time out here as I'd like. But you're right, it really is beautiful."

They walked around looking at the various plants for a few minutes. Carson did his best to name the ones they saw, but that was probably only about one in five.

Finally, they reached the central pergola at the center of the garden. It was one of Carson's favorite installations on the property. Hexagonal in shape, there was a sizable firepit in the middle, capable of both gas and wood fires. Adjacent to the foundation of the fire pit was a ring of stone benches, with outdoor cushions arranged on them. Further out, there were four bench swings in the middle facets of the hexagon, leaving a central path approaching the firepit from either the front or back.

"What a lovely spot," commented Siubahn.

"One of my favorites."

She looked around, nodding to herself. She turned to Carson and said, "This will do nicely. Can we start a fire?"

Carson nodded and with a few button clicks, a gas flame was alight.

Siubahn took his hand and led him to the nearest stone bench. She directed him to sit opposite her, each sitting with crisscrossed legs. "The first thing you need to understand Carson, is that magic is constantly in flux. Everything is tied together, which means that someone who can sense magic can also feel the eddies and currents of the flux around them.

"I chose this place because it is relatively quiet. Eventually, you will sense magic as a second nature, but for now, we're going to practice detecting natural flows around us. Close your eyes, good. Now, you know where the flame of the fire is. You can feel its heat on your skin, as well as the coolness on the side away from the fire. I want you to envision the heat coming off that fire as a current flowing towards you. Concentrate on that feeling. Do you feel it?"

Carson was surprised at how easily he turned her description into a vision in his mind. Instinctively, his mind expanded from the hottest spot, which was the easiest to envision, to the various degrees of heat that he felt on his body as he moved further from the fire. In his mind, he saw the flow of heat energy moving more rapidly where he felt the hottest, and slower and slower as the temperature decreased. Directly opposite the fire, it was as if the flow turned into an eddy as it passed behind him, as if he were a rock in a fast-moving stream. "This is amazing," he breathed.

Will you share your vision with me? asked Siubahn.

He thought for a moment, then sent a signal to where he sensed she sat on the tuning dial of his mind.

Good. Now, look closer at the flow of the energy from the fire. There are three streams of energy that are tied together. One strand is the heat given off. One is the light given off. The third is the sound of the flame as it hungrily consumes the gas and air. Do you see the difference?

Carson peered with his mind's eye. Sure enough, he saw the three strands leaping and twisting over each other. It wasn't the orderly twist of a rope, but a wild intermingling that seemed as if some of each strand was tied to the other for a time, only to separate again further along. Realization hit him.

They can be converted from one form to another, but never completely separated, can they?

Siubahn's eyes popped open in shock. How could he possibly know that already? She closed her eyes again and thought to him, That was a big leap to make for someone who's never practiced magic before. You're correct, once the energy passes through the converter that is the flame, that energy is restricted to the forms that the converter creates. As the physicists say, energy must be conserved. Thus, you can convert the sound into heat, heat into light and vice versa, and so on. It's only once you get far enough away from the source that the energy is dispersed too widely and dissipates back into the world.

She continued. This is an important lesson for you. Magic users of different types can convert energy from one form to another as desired, always keeping in mind the intended use. In order to do that, you must feel the energy just as you would by touch, but in your mind. Different forms feel different, though related forms feel similar. Try to get a sense of the differences between sound energy, heat energy, and light energy.

Try as he might, Carson was having trouble conceptualizing how to make that happen. Exasperated, he thought, How do I do it? I saw the energy so easily, but I can't understand how to feel it.

How would you feel a rock or a snowball?

I'd use my hand or something.

When you feel those things, is it possible that what you know as the sense of touch is actually feeling energy transfer?

Carson thought about it, but still wasn't quite grasping the concept. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. How do I feel something that I can't sense with touch? I hear sound. I see light. The only one I can feel is heat.

Ah, I think I see the problem. You'd be right if we were talking about the physical world. But we're not. This is the ethereal realm. You see the energy because you know that a fire gives off heat and light, and you can make the conceptual leap to the energy flow as a representation of that. What you're really doing, though, is using a specialized part of the brain to tune to the specific energy that's there, and then creating a way for your mind to visualize what's happening. What you need to realize is that you need to create a way for your mind to feel what's happening as well. Reach out with your mind, not with the intention of seeing anything, but of feeling it. Imagine your reaching out a spiritual hand, if you will, to grasp the strands.

He focused on the technique she described and automatically found it to be far simpler than he'd thought. With his mind-hand, he grasped each energy strand individually. To his surprise, the heat strand was no warmer than the others. After a moment, he realized that this made sense, since he was sensing the energy differently than in the physical world. After examining each, he found that there was a pattern, a texture, that though similar was nonetheless unique between the three.

I think I've got it.

Good. Now, here's your first real challenge. Now that you know what the energy looks and feels like, I want you to force it to change form. You're going to follow the stream back to the heart of the fire, where the conversion of chemical energy stored in the form of air and gas is turned into fire energy. I want you to pinch off the heat stream and force the light strand to take up the extra.

What happened next shocked both of them. Siubahn had expected him to try and fail for a fair amount of time before asking for help. She would then walk him through the process. Instead, he followed the stream back to the source, and instead of imagining a mind-hand that would pinch off the heat, he pictured forming a kind of prism that prevented energy in the heat form to emerge and jammed it into the mouth from which all the streams were emerging. Immediately, he physically felt the heat on his skin disappear while a blazing flare of light formed, causing him to squint hard against the intense glare.

Siubahn was so shocked, she fell off the bench. How did you do that? Even in his mind, Carson could hear the wonder in her voice.

I thought about what I was trying to do. Instead of pinching the stream off, I created a prism that only allowed light and sound energy to emerge and jammed it into the mouth of the stream. Was that wrong?