June 18th, 2059. The day is a lively one, filled with
celebrations in every household and in every walk of life. News that carries
wind of something so big that perhaps there will even be a national holiday
created for this day. It's a decent thought, at least.
A genetically altered parasite that's sole purpose is to invade and
destroy, is released on the market after many years of precarious selective
breeding by a number of various scientist. They combined and crafted an
intricately weaved string of DNA, thus resulting in "the Silk." These
parasites are a kind of worm that enters the host through exposed skin,
traveling in the blood stream and effectively evading the white blood cells,
remaining undetected. The worm (or group of worms, depending on the patient)
will travel up the body, eating all cells that contain any disease; the
ultimate cure to all illness.
Once the worm reaches the brain, one last thorough cleansing will take
place, and then it will die and disintegrate, leaving no signs of its presence.
Scientists are not afraid to admit that many animals endured testing, many
injured or having to give up their lives for the sake of humanity.
Thousands of tests are given to insure the safety and effectiveness of
the Silk worms. At exactly 7:38 AM on this day, the worms are released into the
environment and onto Earth. They will thrive in every climate and survive on
bacteria cells until finding a host, or at least that's what the scientists
tell the press.
Within hours of the announcement, people learn of the Silk worms and
they are ecstatic. Humans have suffered for many years in weeping silence,
enduring the pollution and sickness that plagues everyone because no one is
exempt from some form of disease in the world. The Silk worms, to everyone's
ears, are a miracle; a ray of light amongst miles of darkness. For the first
time in many, many long days, the Earth celebrates as one.
If you listen closely, you can hear excited murmurs coming from your
neighbors. You could witness children running with smiles on their faces,
barefoot and encouraging the Silk worms to enter their bodies.
What the scientists don't tell the press is that the Silk worms were
never supposed to escape the lab; they were to be injected in select
individuals during the first 4 years. The individuals were to be paid
volunteers, and under close supervision in contained care. These scientists did
not know it would get so out of hand, so quickly. Because humans are greedy, in
order to protect themselves, the people who worked on the Silk worms lie to
every news reporter than came their way.
Yet, each moment that passes, another person becomes infected with this
miracle. Each second that slips by, another person is leaping to their death,
unknowing of the consequences of blindly believing in something too good to be
true.
***
Katrina Kim is from
middle-Southern Texas. She’s been
writing fiction for the past three-ish years.
