A press release authorised by Dr. Mackenzie Cooper, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder Genemech, as provided by Paul Alex Gray
Art by Luke Spooner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VENUS SPRINGS, NEVADA, October 12th, 2019 /PRWorldWire
Genemech (NYSE: GMNX) today announced a bio-security incident originating in the company’s WN45 facility. WN45 is a classified advanced manufacturing site developing a range of products and technologies used by governments and industry around the world.
Our initial findings confirm that a premeditated act of sabotage has been carried out by a rogue scientist, Dr. Maximilian Benetton. Dr. Benetton led Genemech’s Genetically Enhanced Insecta Applied Research Lab (GEIARL), which uses Clustered-Regularly-Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) augmentation techniques to implant custom RNA code into genetic material. In a manifesto published online, Give me control of Genemech or my Giant Death Bees shall paint the skies with blood, Dr. Benetton advised that a new strain of genetically modified bees have been released, using enlarged Genemech Batch 2492M GMBee©™ honeybees enhanced with venom from the taipan, a highly venomous snake endemic to Australasia.
At this time, there have been no reports of Giant Death Bee attacks.
Upon confirming the sabotage, Genemech immediately froze Dr. Benetton’s access to the company’s control systems and notified global authorities. Our analysis indicates that approximately 3.4 million bees were created, with 2.9 million passing larval stage. Company logs show that the bees were secretly removed from the facility on October 9th by Dr. Benetton, who has not been seen since. The location of the bees is currently unknown, although our security team analysed logs that suggest Dr. Benetton may be on Isla Salvador, an uninhabited volcanic island in the South Pacific.
“This is a disappointing event for Genemech, a technology company striving to deliver the best outcomes for our planet. I apologize to our customers, investors and the worldwide community for the inconvenience this may cause,” said Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder Mackenzie L. Cooper. “We are currently considering a number of options to neutralise the threat.”
It is feasible that Dr. Benetton can activate “breed mode” and “attack mode” commands, similar to our military product lines.
To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Summer 2018 collection.
Twice nominated for the Nobel Prize, Dr. Mackenzie L. Cooper is the world’s leading scientist in genetic augmentation. After completing her second PhD at the age of twenty-three, Dr. Cooper was inspired by the power of nature to develop means to expedite evolution. In 2006, she successfully manufactured a snake-bird hybrid and in 2007, she established Genemech with her co-founder, Dr. Haruko Takahashi. Dr. Cooper is an advocate for using science to make bold changes to improve the world we live in. Outside of work, Dr. Cooper enjoys extreme running, and she has twice won the ultra-distance desert marathon.
Paul Alex Gray enjoys writing linear and interactive fiction starring sentient black holes, wayward sea monsters, curious AIs, and more. His work has been published in Nature Futures, Andromeda Spaceways, The Arcanist, and others. Paul grew up by the beaches of Australia, then traveled the world and now lives in Canada with his wife and two children. On his adventures, Paul has been a startup founder, game designer, and mentor to technology entrepreneurs. Chat with him on Twitter @paulalexgray or visit www.paulalexgray.com.
Luke Spooner, a.k.a. ‘Carrion House,’ currently lives and works in the South of England. Having recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a first class degree, he is now a full time illustrator for just about any project that piques his interest. Despite regular forays into children’s books and fairy tales, his true love lies in anything macabre, melancholy, or dark in nature and essence. He believes that the job of putting someone else’s words into a visual form, to accompany and support their text, is a massive responsibility, as well as being something he truly treasures. You can visit his web site at www.carrionhouse.com.
“Genemech Announces Bio-Security Incident and Confirms Release of Giant Death Bees” is © 2018 Paul Alex Gray
Art accompanying story is © 2018 Luke Spooner
