Chapter 17

With a chart appearing on the screen behind him, Tony began the educational section of their presentation.

"Male fertility depends on the proper function of a complex system of organs and hormones. It begins in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis located in the brain, it's a system of glands, hormones, and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, all of which are critical for reproduction. Now, the first step in fertility is the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone or GnRH in the hypothalamus, which prompts the pituitary gland to manufacture follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH, and luteinizing hormone, LH. As you'll note in your files, the FSH maintains sperm production and LH stimulates the production of the male hormone testosterone."

Darien and Hobbes shot each other a glance. This reminded them of the sperm bank case where they walked out on Eberts presentation.

"I'm sure I don't need to go into where the sperm and testosterone production occurs so I'm going to skip that part." Tony clicked on another diagram of the testes. There were some giggles and the scientists in the room glared in the direction of Darien and Hobbes.

"I know, I know…but this could be a factor too. Not sure if it's related to what we discovered but low sperm count may also have to do with global warming."

"Wait, global warming can cause low sperm count?" Darien asked.

"Yeah, maybe…okay look, the testes are outside the body for a reason. The high body temperature would kill off any sperm produced. That's why men who are trying to get their wives pregnant should wear boxers…less heat…but here's some startling information." Tony began to read a report from one of his medical journals, "Temperature and climate, then, may play some role in the differences seen from country to country and from year to year. In one study, Finland had the highest measured sperm count in the world, while Britain's was low. It should be noted that a more recent study has reported a significant decline in sperm count in Finnish men between 1981 and 1991. In another study, the sperm count in New York City was much higher than that in Los Angeles." He set his journal down and continued, "As you'll note this report included surveys that were done over ten years ago…who knows what these numbers are now."

"And if the sperm count is lower in Los Angeles, maybe a similar experiment is being run there," Sloan added.

"Possible." Walter said without emotion while looking at some of the papers Ed and Tony included in the file.

Tony continued, "Sperm are manufactured in several hundred microscopic tubes, known as seminiferous tubules, which make-up most of the testicles. Surrounding these tubules are clumps of tissue containing so-called Leydig cells. And it's here, that testosterone is manufactured. I'm going to skip forward here and fill in as I go along. Sperm development is important. It takes 74 days for sperm to fully mature and it takes hormonal signals combined with a mechanical process. Anything that goes wrong during this process will affect fertility. And according to what Ed was able to bring back from Aberdeen, something is going wrong during this process in these men. I've been in practice for a long time and I have to say, I've never seen anything like this. In fact, I want to reevaluate my patients. But anyway, what I've discovered in these files is that it's not just the sperm we're talking about here. I found cases were the seminal fluid did not contain enough alkaline to protect the sperm from vaginal acid, the seminal fluid not having the right consistency, and or not enough sugar to provide energy for the sperm. The infertility in these men is wide spread. From a scientific point of view it's amazing. From a secret covert operation point of view, its intelligent planning, the more diverse the affects the less attention. But in this case, someone screwed up and word got out. Ed smartly put two and two together and revealed a very carefully thought out plan of attack."

Ed blushed; he didn't like getting the attention. He looked at Claire and saw her smiling widely at him. "Thanks, Tony. Now here's the how," Ed stated as he went into the explanation. "We were able to locate a bio-nanite like organism that is not known to exist."

"Oh you mean, like what Kevin put in you to…" Darien stopped when he noticed the sudden odd look from Tony. Even though Tony knew about his invisibility, there were still some things that he didn't know. What had happened to Ed was one of those things. Darien sheepishly lowered his head, "My bad, never mind."

Ed looked at Tony with raised brows, "Classified."

Tony put his hands up, "Not my business, and frankly, I don't want to know."

"Go on Dr. Tate, and no interruptions please," The Official barked.

"This bio-nanite apparently had been engineered to attack the entire reproductive system of men in different ways. Think of it as a computer virus that can mutate each time it's sent out. And we believe that it's even able to attack male babies in utero."

Everyone in the room replied in unison, "What? How?"

Ed and Tony took a step back. "Weird," came Tony's reaction to the well choreographed outburst.

"Yeah, there has been an increase in a rare condition called Anorchia. This is where a male baby is born without testes," Ed noted clicking to the next slide to show various physical abnormalities.

"Oh crap," Darien winced looking at the different pictures.

"What else, Ed?" Walter said.

Ed shook his head, "Other structural abnormalities are all laid out for you in the reports. There's even cases of retrograde ejaculations…and these men are healthy, no bladder or prostrate surgeries, no diabetes, MS or anything that would cause this."

Hobbes raised his hand, "Ah, what is retrograde ejaculations?"

"It's when the muscles of the urethra don't pump properly during orgasm and the sperm are forced backward into the bladder instead of forward out of the urethra," Tony answered. "The way to check this is to have the patient ejaculate and then give a urine sample so it can be checked for sperm."

Hobbes raised his brows and then folded his hands in front of him while placing his elbows on the arms of his chair. "They really don't want us to reproduce do they?"

"That's exactly the plan here, Hobbes. This one little organism is the cause of these different abnormalities whether it's physical, genetic and even chemical. There are cases in some men where the hypothalamus wasn't producing the GnRH hormome, which as Tony said at the beginning kick starts the whole male reproductive process, " Ed said as he held up one of the files he handed out. It's incredible how this bio-nanite is recking havoc on the male reproductive system as a whole."

"I have a question," Darien said raising his hand. "If you were able to stop the nanites in those kids, why use it again?"

"Actually Darien, I think it's in reverse. I believe this was started long before the juice box experiment. I have a feeling that they saw the success of the bio-nanite that they developed the immuno depressant nanites to use on the kids."

"So who knows what else they've developed since then?" Hobbes added.

"Exactly. I don't think we've even scratched the surface of their plans," Ed volleyed back.

"Then I'll have to find out," Tom added sternly. All eyes turned to him. "I can try to stop this. Bring it out in the open with the Chosen Council. They need to know."

"Can the Council stop these attacks?" Sloan asked.

"I'm not sure, but we won't know unless we try," Tom took his folder and headed for the door. He stopped and turned to face Ed and Tony, "I want to thank you both for all that you've done. You've put your lives on the line for this research. So, now I've got to try and finish it." Tom left in a hurry.

"I hope there's more like him," Tony said. He looked down at the clicker. "Should we continue?"

"I guess we should ask if there are any questions so far?" Ed asked.

"Have you figured out a way to stop this bio-nanite?" Claire asked.

"No, not yet. It can live in just about any condition. Unlike the nanites I found in the juice boxes these aren't running on electricity per say. And as far as the conditions in these men, it would appear they're irreversible."

Everyone looked at each other in dismay. It had seemed that the dominants had won this round.

"They can put these organisms in any water supply, which means that anything grown can have these organisms. And that's something else we haven't considered here. There's a possibility that these organisms can be consumed in food." Ed had a grave expression on his face.

"How's that?" Walter asked.

"Fruit and vegetables." Darien answered.

Ed shook his in agreement. "Very good, Darien."

"That's right, if it's in the water then it could also spread to our food source." Claire added.

"But what about meat?" Hobbes added.

"I doubt it, the high temperature in cooking would more than likely kill them off. It's the eating of fruit and raw vegetables that concerns me more." Ed looked at Walter, "I would like to run some tests on that theory, Walter."

Walter shook his head, "Let me know what you need."

"Where are these…bio-nanites…that you brought back with you, Dr. Tate?" The Official asked.

"Oh, they're contained and locked up. Oh and Hobbes, there were no organisms in the coffee, the water at the clinic had no visible signs of these nanites." Ed reassured Hobbes.

"You just read my mind there doc, thanks."

Ed smiled. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, I think it would be prudent if the men here went through testing. I want to make sure that we're not being affected." Walter announced. All the men in the room rolled their eyes except for Tony.

"I think that's a good idea." Tony offered.

"Walter, what's the point, if we are infected there's nothing we can do about it." Ed countered.

"If we're affected than we can find the source."

"I think it would be best to have water samples sent here from all the country for testing…but that brings me back to my point…there's nothing we can do about it."

Walter stood to his full height and looked at Ed. "Yet." He said as he walked closer to Ed. He put a hand on his shoulder, "I believe that you will find a way." He looked at Tony, "Run all the tests you need." Walter walked out.

"Well, I for one want to make sure my swimmers are moving forward and strong so that the Bobby Hobbes DNA can continue…" Hobbes said as he used his hand to illustrate a forward motion.

"Now there's a scary thought," Darien quipped.

"Hey, I for one would love to hear the pitter patter of a little Bobby Hobbes."

"Yeah, but is the world ready for another Bobby Hobbes?" Darien shot back.

"Okay, okay, knock it off you two," Claire said raising her hands. "I don't think Ed and Tony were done with their presentation."

"Well, we have most of the stuff in the reports we gave everyone. You all could just read it and then ask us questions later." Tony answered.

"So, what was the final outcome of all this again?" Hobbes asked.

"The dominants are messing with the reproductive system of men and at the moment there isn't a thing we can do to reverse it," Ed said in the quickest way he could think of. Not for Hobbes but because he was tired and hungry.

"Fine. Now we're done?" Hobbes questioned. "Oh hey, so whatever happened to the three stooges that were helping them?"

"Don't know, they've disappeared after Walter contacted the government there and told them what was happening. When they went to question them, they were gone," Ed said as he gathered up his things.

"They're keepin' Hoffa company that's where they are."

"And I suppose you know where Hoffa is?" Darien quipped as he held the file in his hand to read later.

"As a matter of fact I do, my tall friend, but I ain't tellin'," Hobbes opened the door and waited for Darien to walk out first.

"Hobbes, I can read minds remember."

"You ain't gettin' this info, it's locked up way back in the secret recesses of Bobby Hobbes' mind," Hobbes noted pointed to his head as he spoke.

"Oh so what you're saying is I have to go where no man has gone before," Darien shot back as he walked out of the office.

"Exact-a-mundo, my friend." Hobbes noted as he followed Darien and started to close the door.

"Well, that should be a short trip." Darien was heard saying before the door shut cutting off their conversation.

The Official sat in the chair staring at nothing in particular. "Remind me to talk to his doctor about upping his medication."

"Ah, yes, sir, I will make a note of it," Eberts said turning the lights back on.

Ed worked late in the lab long after everyone had gone home. Working on the infertility research had put him back on other work he needed to do. Actually, he liked working late sometimes; it was quiet and best of all no interruptions. It certainly offered him the atmosphere to catch up fast. All he needed was a fresh brewed cup of coffee and he was set to work the night away. As the coffee brewed, he called Claire just to let her know that he was fine and was staying late to catch up on some work.

When his coffee was done, he poured himself a cup, took a sip and then let out a sigh. He placed the cup on his desk and headed out to the lab with a file in his hand. He took a seat at one of the microscopes and turned on the monitor. After putting on a pair of gloves and his safety glasses he inserted a slide and adjusted the lens. He checked the monitor to make sure it was showing what he wanted to look at. He adjusted the slide some more. Satisfied, he took his gloves off and opened the file. With a pencil in hand, he began to jot some notes down as he mumbled to himself every now and then.

The doors to the lab burst open. Men in dark suits rushed in. Ed barely had time to react to the sudden intrusion when he felt a sting in his shoulder. "Why me?" he said as the drug took affect. But this was different, it only made him weak. Two of the suits moved towards him and bound his hands behind his back.

"Who…are you?" Ed questioned in between pants.

They didn't answer and escorted Ed out of the building. A black limo pulled up and Ed's heart skipped a beat. He looked around to see if anyone was around but his vision was blurred, like he was looking into a kaleidoscope. The door opened and then Ed was helped inside. He was seated on one of the plush seats.

"Le bon soir, Dr. Tate." The voice spoke from the darkened back of the limo.

Ed tried his best to focus. "Who are you?"

A figure leaned forward from shadow…a woman. "Remember me?"

Ed studied her for a moment. "Yeah, I do…Sharon."

She raised a brow, "Good," she rose to her feet and moved to sit down next to Ed. "I'm sorry I had to take such drastic measures but I need some information." She put a hand on his thigh.

He looked at it, "You gave me truth serum?"

"Oiu."

"You know, it may make me talkative, but not necessarily honest."

"Ah…you're talking about sodium pentothal. But that's not what I used on you. It's a Chrysalis formula, one that your government has been trying to discover. Now, tell me, what are the dominants up to?" She began to rub his thigh.

Ed tried to fight it, the drug, the sensation of her rubbing his thigh. His body broke out into a sweat.

"Don't fight it, Dr. Tate…give into it," she whispered in his ear when she moved closer to him.

He tried to scoot away from her. But there was a slight problem, the commands from his brain to the rest of body was not functioning. "They're…" he forced himself to stop.

"They're what?" Her hand snaked underneath his shirt. Her fingers went on an exploration of his abs. "Mmmm…so delicious."

He swayed on the seat like a drunk. The drug was working in him stronger. He looked at her. 'It's her…and the drug…must be…chemical interaction…the drug and the stimulation…' he was trying hard to concentrate, but found it increasingly difficult.

"Tell me, Dr. Tate, we've got all night…" she moved her hand up towards his pecs.

He swallowed hard, "They've developed a bio-nanite."

"Hmmm…for what?" She pushed his shirt up to expose the tanned skin underneath.

"It causes infertility in men. We discovered it in the water supply. They're goal is to make human males sterile." He hissed when he felt her tongue touch his fiery skin.

"Clever. I wonder why we didn't think of that. What else?" She straddled his thighs and began to place feathery kisses on his chest.

"There's a boy, named Kevin Taylor, we think he was sent by Lewis to fight Darien…he's what they call a predator." Ed closed his eyes.

"Interesting, but no matter. Darien is no longer a concern for us…but…" her tongue outlined the curves of his pectoral muscles. "But you on the other hand, can help us." She leaned back and cupped Ed's face in her hands, "Join us, Ed. Become a part of us and help us fight the dominants. If you do I can offer you and your wife protection."

"What about my friends?"

"The offer is good only for you and Claire."

Ed shook his head vehemently, "No. No deal."

Sharon covered his mouth in a brutal kiss. Her tongue forced entry into his mouth. After a few moments she broke the kiss panting. "Why? I'm offering you protection."

"No, you're not. I know what you people want. You're no different than the dominants. Do you really think I would betray my friends and join you?" Ed caught his breath and continued, "The real deal you're offering me is to help you not only destroy the dominants but everyone else as well. If war does come, it's what you want isn't it? All your organization would have to do is sit back and wait for the outcome and then destroy what's left. A war would only help you in your own agenda for world domination. A war between humans and dominants may wipe out half the world's population…making half your problem solved..." Ed glanced at her, "You can stop me anytime…or are you going to kill me now since by your silence I can only assume I'm close or on the mark." Ed waited for her answer.

"You're smarter than we thought, Dr. Tate. But no, I won't kill you."

"Oh…so, what now…you're going to turn me into an Ed-sicle again?"

She smiled at his description of the cryopod and its function. "No, we still may need you."

"I see. You know, the drug and your seduction is causing some kind of a chemical interaction in my brain to react the way I did to your 'truth serum' but it only makes me answer questions, it won't make me do what I don't want to do. That's a different kind of brainwashing. So, if you're not going to kill me or freeze me…can I go now? Or do you have more questions?"

"Would you like me to ask more questions?" She asked him as she started to kiss him on his chest again, but this time more passionately. She hoped that by doing this he would give in to the seduction and answer yes. He was intelligent and strong; a perfect candidate for the Chrysalis reproductive program, all she would need is a semen sample from him.

Ed wanted to say yes to her question, but he didn't want to give into the seduction. He was married and pledged his love to one woman…Claire. "No, like I said, you can't make me do what I don't want to do."

"As you wish," she placed a hypo syringe to his neck and pressed the plunger. Ed let out a groan and then his head rolled back. "I wish you well, Ed," she whispered in his ear before giving him one last kiss.

The limo pulled up to the side alley next to the Harding Building. The door opened and the suits helped take Ed's unconscious form out of the car. They opened the door and carried the scientist back up to the lab. They placed Ed back on the chair, rested his head on the counter and removed the cuffs. They also placed the file on his lap in attempt to make it appear he had fallen asleep while working. The hypo contained a chemical that caused amnesia. Ed will wake up not remembering a thing that happened.

Sharon gave the building one last look and then rolled up her window. She knew something was coming on the horizon; it's what they had been preparing for. And it would be something that would change the world…forever.

TBC…