Disclaimer see first chapter.
I updated Yay! Finally. Next bit should be up in 3 or 4 days but don't get annoyed if its alittle more. I have senior exams plus I have to learn 3 years of Spanish in 12 weeks.
Please read and review.
Part 16
Eager faces sat around the table in a room next to the main headquarters. Curious transgenics muttered amongst themselves. Sandeman sat quietly awaiting his special one's words.
Alec held Max's hand under the table and she squeezed slightly in gratitude. Her business mask slipped in and her attitude changed, "I want to know why your son and the rest of those cult psychos want us dead in a bad way and why I'M at the top of their list."
Sandeman didn't flinch or falter; his face remained that of an old man, a keeper of secrets long forgotten.
"You must understand that I cannot tell you everything you wish to know. There are some things you must discover for yourselves," he spoke. His voice was throaty and soothing. The voice Max had always imagined her grandfather would have had if she'd been made the old fashioned way.
Max looked around her at the other faces and nodded, "Tell us all you can."
The old man smiled slightly and opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Mole, "Yeah but speak in English. Some of us don't have genetics degrees."
Zane grinned and Zyme shook his head in amusement. He sat up again right away at the death glare sent his way by everybody, Zane and Rook the most. They hadn't forgotten that Spartacus had gotten out of bed.
The girl was now a mad bundle of blankets as she sat being coddled on Rook's lap. Despite running to HQ from the infirmary she was still a little out of it and he had insisted on holding her; purposely ignoring the winks sent his way.
"I need to know what you know and a brief summary of your run-ins with the familiars. Things you think could be relevant," Sandeman explained and Max nodded, "I've been told I have no Junk DNA from Ames and Lydecker told me there was something special about me. A couple of months ago I broke into the familiar version of Manticore to save your grandson and I was branded with the snake blood. I didn't show any symptoms. Two weeks ago tops, runes began appearing on my skin and your other son CJ who later was captured by White said that I was the one. We know something's coming and I'm the one who's supposed to stop it."
Christian Sandeman listened and waited for Max to finish before he began to explain, "I will try to keep this as simple as possible. What you were told about not having Junk DNA I'm afraid is untrue. We all have it and we all need it. It controls the transcription . . . the writing of new DNA and it tells when a cell should stop dividing and die. It also codes us differently for example Spartacus might be ACTTCAACTTCAACACAT and so on while Zane could be TACCATACTACACTA, it differentiates specimens."
"Alright then how is Max special and why would White tell us that?" Alec argued and others nodded their agreement.
"I'm afraid my first son was never any good at biology. Flunked it actually," Sandeman watched the transgenics grin, "Between genes there are non-coding segments, meaning pieces of DNA that do not produce proteins. This is because the body mixes and matches depending on which gene it needs. If what my son said had been true, Max would have no space between genes. At the end of DNA strands, long series of non-coded base pairs reside. These are there to virtually be used up. DNA consumes itself so these base pairs are used up instead of the actual genes and information. When all the free pairs are used up the cell dies. Now transgenics have an enzyme in all their cells, which prevents this. Usually it is found only in gametes but basically it continuosly lengthens the extra base pairs so the cell and therefore the person will age at a much slwer pace. You'll mature like normal humans but you'll age far slower."
"So we'll outlive everyone?" Jondy asked unsure at the idea.
Sandeman smiled, "Though your life expectancy is higher than that of the average, 'ordinary' is it? You wont live for hundreds of years. If you have too long a sequence of Junk DNA you develop Huntington disease. It's a neurological degenerative disorder. The more Junk DNA the faster you will contract it. Basically it's a fail-safe device for aging. Sooner or later you'll die no matter how old you look. Most of you will reach your nineties and still look like you're in your mid twenties early thirties."
"Alright. One pro for our fucked DNA!" Wesley cheered and the others couldn't suppress smiles.
"You still haven't told us why everyone wants to kill me," Max said as if it was the most normal thing in her life. It probably was.
"Humans have roughly 50,000 genes. These are approximate numbers. Now each of those genes makes 4 basic proteins each coded to do something different. Like the one that codes for your hair color, though in fact there's more than one for that specific task. Transgenics' genes make more. Depending on which generation it varies but the X5's make 6 and they are the highest Manticore made. Most of you will have 5 proteins per each gene while others only some of their genes. Now a normal human has 4 so that means that each gene has roughly 4 functions. 50,000 times 4 equals 250,000 proteins coded to do something different. You do the math for the others. Max's genes make 9 proteins and that is the most a human gene can do. That I have found a normal human cell, even a suped up one could only make that many without malfunctioning and making problems," Sandeman explained slowly making sure everyone could follow.
"So Max has 450,000 different functions," Alec concluded. Everything went quiet as the people in the room stared at Max as if she were about to grow horns. The X5's moved uncomfortably underneath their gaze and finally yelled, "Would you stop looking at me like I was an Alien!?"
"All this genetic technical mumbo jumbo is making me dizzy," Mole growled and threw away the stump of his cigar immediately lighting another, "So if she has all these . . . abilities why don't they show. She seems enough like every other X5?"
Sandeman smiled, "they were designed to trigger when the time was right. Her runes came out because something triggered them, the snake blood.
Okay I know in the past ive promised updates in a 5 days max and end up posting 8 days later but ive been really busy. You have no idea how busy.
Please review, I want to know how many people are still reading this story. Even if its just to say good or bad or psychopath or even hi!
Preview for next chapter
"So Spartacus triggered a change in Max and Max triggered a change in Spartacus? I think I've lost you."
I updated Yay! Finally. Next bit should be up in 3 or 4 days but don't get annoyed if its alittle more. I have senior exams plus I have to learn 3 years of Spanish in 12 weeks.
Please read and review.
Part 16
Eager faces sat around the table in a room next to the main headquarters. Curious transgenics muttered amongst themselves. Sandeman sat quietly awaiting his special one's words.
Alec held Max's hand under the table and she squeezed slightly in gratitude. Her business mask slipped in and her attitude changed, "I want to know why your son and the rest of those cult psychos want us dead in a bad way and why I'M at the top of their list."
Sandeman didn't flinch or falter; his face remained that of an old man, a keeper of secrets long forgotten.
"You must understand that I cannot tell you everything you wish to know. There are some things you must discover for yourselves," he spoke. His voice was throaty and soothing. The voice Max had always imagined her grandfather would have had if she'd been made the old fashioned way.
Max looked around her at the other faces and nodded, "Tell us all you can."
The old man smiled slightly and opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Mole, "Yeah but speak in English. Some of us don't have genetics degrees."
Zane grinned and Zyme shook his head in amusement. He sat up again right away at the death glare sent his way by everybody, Zane and Rook the most. They hadn't forgotten that Spartacus had gotten out of bed.
The girl was now a mad bundle of blankets as she sat being coddled on Rook's lap. Despite running to HQ from the infirmary she was still a little out of it and he had insisted on holding her; purposely ignoring the winks sent his way.
"I need to know what you know and a brief summary of your run-ins with the familiars. Things you think could be relevant," Sandeman explained and Max nodded, "I've been told I have no Junk DNA from Ames and Lydecker told me there was something special about me. A couple of months ago I broke into the familiar version of Manticore to save your grandson and I was branded with the snake blood. I didn't show any symptoms. Two weeks ago tops, runes began appearing on my skin and your other son CJ who later was captured by White said that I was the one. We know something's coming and I'm the one who's supposed to stop it."
Christian Sandeman listened and waited for Max to finish before he began to explain, "I will try to keep this as simple as possible. What you were told about not having Junk DNA I'm afraid is untrue. We all have it and we all need it. It controls the transcription . . . the writing of new DNA and it tells when a cell should stop dividing and die. It also codes us differently for example Spartacus might be ACTTCAACTTCAACACAT and so on while Zane could be TACCATACTACACTA, it differentiates specimens."
"Alright then how is Max special and why would White tell us that?" Alec argued and others nodded their agreement.
"I'm afraid my first son was never any good at biology. Flunked it actually," Sandeman watched the transgenics grin, "Between genes there are non-coding segments, meaning pieces of DNA that do not produce proteins. This is because the body mixes and matches depending on which gene it needs. If what my son said had been true, Max would have no space between genes. At the end of DNA strands, long series of non-coded base pairs reside. These are there to virtually be used up. DNA consumes itself so these base pairs are used up instead of the actual genes and information. When all the free pairs are used up the cell dies. Now transgenics have an enzyme in all their cells, which prevents this. Usually it is found only in gametes but basically it continuosly lengthens the extra base pairs so the cell and therefore the person will age at a much slwer pace. You'll mature like normal humans but you'll age far slower."
"So we'll outlive everyone?" Jondy asked unsure at the idea.
Sandeman smiled, "Though your life expectancy is higher than that of the average, 'ordinary' is it? You wont live for hundreds of years. If you have too long a sequence of Junk DNA you develop Huntington disease. It's a neurological degenerative disorder. The more Junk DNA the faster you will contract it. Basically it's a fail-safe device for aging. Sooner or later you'll die no matter how old you look. Most of you will reach your nineties and still look like you're in your mid twenties early thirties."
"Alright. One pro for our fucked DNA!" Wesley cheered and the others couldn't suppress smiles.
"You still haven't told us why everyone wants to kill me," Max said as if it was the most normal thing in her life. It probably was.
"Humans have roughly 50,000 genes. These are approximate numbers. Now each of those genes makes 4 basic proteins each coded to do something different. Like the one that codes for your hair color, though in fact there's more than one for that specific task. Transgenics' genes make more. Depending on which generation it varies but the X5's make 6 and they are the highest Manticore made. Most of you will have 5 proteins per each gene while others only some of their genes. Now a normal human has 4 so that means that each gene has roughly 4 functions. 50,000 times 4 equals 250,000 proteins coded to do something different. You do the math for the others. Max's genes make 9 proteins and that is the most a human gene can do. That I have found a normal human cell, even a suped up one could only make that many without malfunctioning and making problems," Sandeman explained slowly making sure everyone could follow.
"So Max has 450,000 different functions," Alec concluded. Everything went quiet as the people in the room stared at Max as if she were about to grow horns. The X5's moved uncomfortably underneath their gaze and finally yelled, "Would you stop looking at me like I was an Alien!?"
"All this genetic technical mumbo jumbo is making me dizzy," Mole growled and threw away the stump of his cigar immediately lighting another, "So if she has all these . . . abilities why don't they show. She seems enough like every other X5?"
Sandeman smiled, "they were designed to trigger when the time was right. Her runes came out because something triggered them, the snake blood.
Okay I know in the past ive promised updates in a 5 days max and end up posting 8 days later but ive been really busy. You have no idea how busy.
Please review, I want to know how many people are still reading this story. Even if its just to say good or bad or psychopath or even hi!
Preview for next chapter
"So Spartacus triggered a change in Max and Max triggered a change in Spartacus? I think I've lost you."