This session, TVS heroes have been writing science-based stories. While you may feel like we are living a science-fiction novel right now, you might enjoy losing yourself in this alternate reality written by a hero.

April 28, 2058, this was the day “The Incident” happened. Oh, you haven’t heard about that yet? Well, are you sure you want to know? Ok, ok, fine I’ll tell you, although it is not a tale I tell often. Why is my name The Narrator? I have no clue why they named me that, but you wanted to hear a story so I suppose I’ll tell it to you.

April 28, 2058, 3:42 PM 

[Yes I know you already know]

This was the day they finally got a monkey into a computer file. In the state of the art DNA R&D faculty (they had a sign in the lobby saying things like “If you put all the DNA molecules in your body end to end, the DNA would reach from the Earth to the Sun and back over 600 times” or “Every human being shares 99.9% of their DNA with every other human”) It was a monkey because humans share 98.7% of your DNA in common with them. It still took a while because the human genome contains 3 billion base pairs of DNA (the other option was mice, humans share 85% of their DNA with a mouse). They were celebrating and they also wanted to get a creature into it, they edited the genetic code to be able to transfer it over. It was done using the B-84 prototype, which can change the properties of nucleic acid, which makes up DNA. Using this device, they transferred a monkey to their computer file. Everything was fine until they waited to see how long it could stay as a file. At 9:36 PM they got a ransomware virus (If you don’t know what that is, its a virus the encrypts your files and has you pay a fee to get them back), the scientists were scared for the experiment so they paid the fee (use virus protection to prevent this in real life) but a couple of files didn’t decrypt, including the monkey, they tried to see if the monkey was ok not knowing at the time that the monkey’s DNA was messed up and that the code running the decrypting process was also bugged.

The de-computerization process messed up and the computer got the location wrong

The Monkey landed on his side in a park next to the DNA R&D facility after Instantaneously appearing in it. Only this monkey was much smarter than before, he hid and snuck behind a skyscraper, unbeknown to him, he had been injected with a small tracker, back at the DNA R&D facility they were in a state of sheer panic,

“NO, NOT JACK!” one of the scientists yelled

 “We can find him trough the genetic tracking device by matching his DNA sequence”

“That doesn’t work remember, genes make up only about 3 percent of human and monkey DNA”

 they called the FBI to come and capture the monkey, which had turned an odd shade of green and at this point was knocking over trash cans. The FBI thought the team at DNA R&D facility was mentally insane.

The monkey was in an alleyway when he saw a way to get to the main street, after walking there he saw the window of a bakery, his brain having been altered, he really wanted a doughnut so he smashed the window with a rock and grabbed it. It was made of plastic of course so the monkey didn’t like it. The people inside the bakery screamed and ran from the monkey on first sight. The noise made the monkey even crazier, he started running around and eventually climbing on balconies.

Meanwhile, the scientists were panicking trying to convince the FBI they are not insane and they just need help. Eventually, they decided to go do it themselves and they got in a car and drove around the city desperately trying to find the monkey. They put up lots of posters and they put up posters all around the city. 

Monkey that is green for some reason

If found, please call 1-555-DNA-LAB

Reward $1000

The people living there also thought they were mentally insane and some of them tried to kick the scientists out. This went on for half an hour until they came across the monkey. All the citizens screamed and ran away. The monkey cased them, then the FBI inspectors came. They were shocked. They called a military team immediately and within 5 min they came and tried to find the monkey.

There was a sewer cover that was left open that happened to be the secret entrance to the Anarchists’ secret hideout. Anarchists were a group of people who didn’t like the laws and the government. No laws or anything. The monkey fell in, and there was a room.

“Aw shucks. You didn’t close the sewer cover all the way, Joe.”

“Don’t worry, John, it’s just a monkey, it’s not a person. Don’t worry about it. It seems the zoo’s not treating him too well. We will just give him some bananas to keep him quiet. He clearly doesn’t like the people either.”

The room had concrete walls and a couple of mismatched posters of random tv shows. One poster was of the monkey.

“Wait a minute joe, that monkey is wanted”

“Great then we can be friends, monkey”

The people down there had heard about the monkey and agreed to help him. So the group of outlaws and the monkey went into the main city and charged the investigators, the FBI had not arrived yet so they tried to stop the investigators. The investigators were in a coffee shop and were enjoying themselves. Then the Anarchists and the monkey barged in and started attacking people and they demanded that the investigators put their hands up and call off the FBI. The investigators said no and that they had taken FBI hand-to-hand combat training for emergencies.

Both sides fought with their hands and feet. Punch. Kick. Jab. Bang. The investigators won due to the fancy training they had. The Anarchists ran away with the monkey as fast as they could. The investigators were trailing not too far behind. The monkey tripped on a rock. Everyone else ran off. At the last moment, a black SUV with tinted windows, full of FBI agents, pulled up. The doors opened, the FBI agents dragged the monkey to the car, locked him in a cage, and drove away.

******

That’s all we know so far. So now, Chris, you’re going to get the monkey. You’re going to do this because you’re the best. And because I feel like making you doing it.

“Wha- w- wh- Why me?” says Chris.

Because I feel like making you do it. I mean, Umm, You’re going to be a hero. You’re going to accomplish great things. I think.

“Bu- b- but I don’t want to,” says Chris.

Just go do it!

*** The story of Chris ***

So I’m supposed to get a monkey and people will praise me? I don’t think it’ll be too hard. All this walking is really tiring. I’m getting close to the address The Narrator gave me. Here it is, the FBI building. What if I just ask the guards politely if I can go in?

“Ex- E- Excuse me. C- c- can you let me in?”

“Get out of here, kid!” said the guy at the barbed wire gate.

“Okay.”

I go behind a tree and fall into a random hole. At the bottom of it is an air shaft. I crawl around in it like in the movies. But of course, this isn’t the movie so they have security cameras. Alarms start blaring, and some guards crawl toward me.

“Ah, it’s just a little boy. What can he do?”

“He looks about 13. What do you mean little?”

“Oh shush, Jerry.”

Just then an Anarchist stabs him. Then the Anarchist says, “Go kid!” So I crawl as fast as I can, looking through every hole in the vent to see if the monkey is in the room. Eventually, I come to the scientist’s room and there he is. In the room, there are a few scientists in lab coats. One is a computer. The monkey is in a glass cage with scanners and monitors around him. There are also a couple of science things lying around on tables as well as some more monitors and random wires. The scientists are overheard saying, “We ran a DNA test on him. He is apparently more Irish now. Don’t bananas share 50% of our DNA?”  “No, that’s 50% of our genes, only 1% of our DNA.”

A fly comes over the guard’s head and he looks up and sees me. He shouts “There’s a guy watching us!” And he shoots at the vent cover. And vent cover comes off. “Oh shoot! That’s my last bullet.”

“Ok, I have permission to fire now. Thanks, Greg! I get to do something fun now!”

“*Sighs* Ok, fine you can shoot, but don-”

I jump down from the vent on top of the guard with bullets and knock him over. The scientists are so scared they don’t do anything. I grab the gun with bullets and shoot the other guard with it. One of the scientists tries to hit me with a test tube and he misses. The liquid inside the test tube splashes on the alarm. I duck out of the way, and the test tube hits the cage, breaking it. The monkey comes out of the cage and jumps on the scientists and knocks them out. I see a tranquilizer on the wall, with the label “Tranquilizer”. I take it and jab it into the monkey, and the monkey falls to the ground. The Anarchist comes into the room. I give the address of the narrator to the Anarchist to take the monkey. I’m about to run away when I hear some guards talking outside the door. I scramble up the air shaft as fast as I can. But the guards heard me. I crawl as fast as I can. I hear them coming down the shaft. Then, everything went black.

I wake up being dragged down a hall by some guards. 

“Aw shoot Jim he woke up,” says a guard.

“Darn it! Knock him out bill”

I free myself and start running, they shoot at me, but they miss. I frantically try to get away. I look for an exit for what seems like forever. Then I realize I can jump out a window. I smash the window with a potted plant I picked up from the hall and jump out. I land in a bush and run. I don’t think anyone saw me, but then I hear the guards. To throw them off I go back into the building, I don’t think it’s a good idea when I hear guards behind me. I dash into a room but I think the guards saw me, I look around frantically and realize its the room the monkey was in. I realize I can upload myself to the internet and live forever but I’ll be lonely. Or, I can fight the guards and risk going to jail. I have to make up my mind quickly. I hear the gauds saying they see me. I panic and start trying to figure out how to put myself on the internet. The guards rush in and I jump at the sound of the guards. I fall on the computer and get sucked in.

***

You live in a nice peaceful neighborhood a couple of houses away from the narrator, but you never forget what happened that day.

The 10 Science Facts in this Story:

1. DNA is made of nucleic acid
2. You share 98.7% of your DNA in common with chimpanzees and bonobos
3. Every human being shares 99.9% of their DNA with every other human
4. You share 85% of your DNA with a mouse
5. The human genome contains 3 billion base pairs of DNA
6. Genes make up only about 3 percent of your DNA
7. Your DNA could link you to places you’d never imagine
8. A DNA test can reveal you’re more Irish than your siblings
9. If you put all the DNA molecules in your body end to end, the DNA would reach from the Earth to the Sun and back over 600 times
10. You share 50 percent of your DNA with each of your parents. But with bananas, we share about 50 percent of our genes, which turns out to be only about 1 percent of our DNA