Embryo Experiments

"Anomalous cell growths detected! Recommend immediate capture and quarantine! "

—Aratasujou

On their recent adventures to the past, the protagonists have encountered an unusual and rapid pattern of cell division in certain people they have come in contact with. Characterized by cell division rates easily in league with—and in some cases in excess of-the speed of tumors, the presence of this condition in Earth's past alarmed the protagonists significantly upon its first discovery, within a slave-woman named Sul found in 14th century Egypt.

As Meiji Doyle was visiting the wealthy Abu in the outskirts of Cairo, she noticed that one of his slaves appeared sick, and scanned the woman on a hunch with the PSP. Discovering that the woman had masses of rapidly-dividing cells in her body, the young investigator who would become The Intern was moved first to pity by the likely cancer prognosis, but later to suspicion instead, due to the elevated temperature at the location of the growths due to the cells there dividing so incredibly quickly. Sul claimed to her master her affliction was simply due to lack of exposure to the environment where she now found herself a slave, but Meiji did not believe a word of this, and when the time came to return and further the investigation, The Intern was ready. Upon the return trip to Cairo, scans indicated that the presence of this anomaly was associated with the presence of E-Particles, suggesting extra-temporal or extraterrestrial involvement. The sick Sul's master and home had these unusual atomic signatures, with the highest concentration on the cookware that the kitchen-slave had been handling, but the people there seemed to be normal.

The heroes discovered a FAR greater abundance of suspicious signals in another part of the town, and traced them to the slave market. While the 1324 Cairo slave market was typical in containing some of the worst humanity had to offer, it was atypical in containing high levels of signals unusual for that point in spacetime. Once the slaves were located, it was discovered that a large number of slave-girls, especially performing singers and dancers, displayed similar behavior to Sul's. Among a particular group of slaves, ALL OF THEM had anomalous cell growths in their bodies. These masses were clearly not characteristic of humanity, as they had numerous DNA anomalies that did not match human genes. The growths had extra chromosomes, different protein structures, and cells designed for apoptosis. After the group succeeded in capturing and carefully examining the sick slave-woman Sul they found that the fact that she was seemingly beyond child-bearing age did not stop her belly being swollen in suggestion of pregnancy. In addition, she had different proteins in her body, and an immune system designed to fight different antigens than those of a typical human being. She had different chromosomes from baseline homo sapiens, and even an unusual brainwave pattern. Thoroughly alarmed at these implications, the heroes took stock of the apparent affliction and the capabilities of the increasingly-suspect tissue masses growing inside the women:

Symptoms of this condition observed in the field included the following:

Coughing Fatigue/lying down Elevated body temperature in places of anomalous cell growths (among 40% of scanned individuals--might not be universal) Increased heart rate (potentially a result of being put up on a slave auction block--might not be universal) Markedly increased appetite.

Scans indicated that whatever is growing inside the slave-women at that point could do the following at that point in its development:

• Grow to the size of a full-sized human fetus within a month if not interrupted
• Grow to TWICE the size of a full-term human fetus within two months
• Grow to 3.4 times the size of a neonate human in three months
• Possess >200% of the "mother's" chemical and biological divergence to humanity
• Possess organs in different locations than the mother
• Grow a connection to mother's central nervous system that could deliver "backup signal" to the organs of the body, keeping the mother's vital tissues functioning even in the case of the decapitation of the body it was growing in.
• Carry and grow a genetic code that functioned as a computer virus against AIs attempting to analyze it--and capable of affecting sentient machines

Persist UNAFFECTED by presence of gold in bloodstream

Eventually, after retreating back to the Hotel, Sakura April Shinguuji decided to conduct further experiments to determine EXACTLY what was going on regarding these unusual cellular growths. In fact, she decided to clandestinely conduct experiments on how this unusual and dangerous condition perpetuated itself. Although this decision was of course incredibly dangerous, and risked unleashing unknown forces on the Hotel resident and world, Saki---more of the mindset to consider the plot and aftermath of the movie Species to be nothing more than a really fun way to spend a weekend, decided to do it anyway. Aware that the DNA code would compromise a computer, she sought the use of a Gigai for her tests, and set about securing them in stasis tubes and then infecting them with a recreated strain of the condition they found further back in time. Using the Gigai as a non-binary computer, she began having it review that data on what she coined the "Black Tar Tumors." The Gigai's analysis indicated the following:

Properties of the Genetic Code found in Dividing Cell Masses

1) The DNA code contains a signal that any computer attached to a radio or inter-chronal broadcasting system would be coerced into sending. (Fortunately, the Gigai in Saki's unethical secret lab was not set up to have access to broadcast.) 2) The DNA code is compatible with baseline humans, but the genes in it are dominant over 99% of genes in a typical person. 3) The DNA sequence provides instructions for cells to build completely new proteins not found in human beings. 4) The DNA code is complete enough that, IF SOMEBODY DARED, they could synthesize those nucleotides in some kind of replicator or ultratech assembly, implant it into an embryo and see what happens.

Of course, ethical people would not have acted on that fourth bit of information. Cautious people would have not acted upon that fourth property either. A generalization might even be made that all those who could be considered sane could be categorically predicted to leave that fourth bit of information be. But once said information was discovered by Sakura April Shinguuji, the indescribably deadly and amoral killing machine designed to stop at nothing to achieve her goals, she immediately proceeded to do exactly that. She synthesized two samples of genetic code she got from the scans (wiping and destroying the replicators used to do so immediately afterward) and injected them into two identical nonsentient Gigai bodies with female anatomy. Since she elected to use the Hotel as a laboratory in spite of the inherent risks, she was able to persuade Chateaux into accelerating the local time inside the stasis tubes, to quickly determine just what would happen if the DNA inside the sick slave girls was allowed to replicate.

Experiment Phase One: Gigai A

This Gigai was injected with the DNA samples rebuilt using scans from the cells of the woman who was hosting the aberrant cellular growths. This DNA code was placed into the cells of the Gigai, and allowed free rein to do whatever it wished to the body. The results of this dangerous experiment were as follows:

• The Gigai gained extra chromosomes in all cells injected with the new DNA
• The cells with the altered DNA began replicating, and passing their new information to daughter cells
• Some of the daughter cells continued to manufacture more and more copies of the new genetic code as RNA, and surrounding this new aberrant RNA in a protein capsid containing reverse transcriptase. The cells swelled dangerously as the new DNA commanded them to essentially make this virus copy of itself.
• The infected daughter cells budded off or burst, releasing this new virus variant of the DNA throughout the body, and many of the Gigai’s so-far unaffected cells were vulnerable to this virus. This included the gametes; 63% of the ova within the Gigai’s ovaries were compromised and changed by this virus, and capable of passing this new DNA on to offspring

Amazed at the changes taking place in the body, realizing that they could be passed to offspring, and being in no way an ethical scientist, Sakura April artificially inseminated the Gigai with the seed of Mamoru Chiba, which successfully fertilized a certain one of the ova inside the gigai seemingly obeying human standards. Using the Hotel technology to fast-forward the local time field, Gigai A was observed to develop this baby in all ways typical of human biology; the offspring was male, and had black hair, with 50% of the proteins and genes from Mamoruu Chiba, and 50% of the proteins, tissues, and genes from Mamoru. The baby was carried to term without anomaly according to all observations, and after nine subjective months, Gigai A was ready to give birth to the child.

Experiment Phase One: Gigai B

This gigai had the DNA of one of its ova directly replaced with the DNA found inside the mysterious masses of cell growths discovered in Egypt. It quickly began reproducing the cells in its body that had the altered genetic code. Though vital organs were unaffected, new nervous pathways linking those organs—including the lungs, heart, and peristalysis systems, began to form. This demanded tremendous energy requirements exceeding that of fat stores, with the scavenging of muscles and bones for additional calcium only stopped by Sakura April adding additional nutrients to the stasis tube again and again. These cells soon were numerous enough that they weight several pounds, and accumulate in the Gigai’s abdomen in semblance of pregnancy. These cell masses very quickly came to resemble a fetus, but the baby was very clearly different that of a human. It had significantly better brain function for its age, showed signs of right handedness and red hair, and ravenously consumed energy reserves as it grew, which Sakura April eagerly supplied, fascinated at what was happening. The chromosomes turned out to be much larger and more complex than a typical human, and the brain cells were being assembled in a way that STRONGLY suggested that it possessed the same structures as those used to preserve memories in a brain that had already experienced the world. As Sakura accelerated the relative time in the stasis tube to see what happened, the “embryo” grew at a miraculous rate, faster than human development and to a size larger than 99% of all humans at birth. The tiny body seemed to have all the needed prerequisites for life on Earth---and yet the cells were still hungry. Unable to decide whether to induce the Gigai into labor to bear the child, or to allow the cell growth to divide further to see what would happen, the android murderess suspended the experiment and activated the stasis tube to suspend its contents in space/time. The Gigai and its “offspring,” which is equally able to be nourished to keep growing or artificially induced, still waits in a secret corner of Chateaux’s body.

Experiment Phase TWO: Gigai B

When Sakura next became lucid enough to remember her experiments, she went back to the chamber, followed by Miara, and reviewed the findings. Deciding to continue to nourish the unusual offspring in Gigai B, she flooded the tube with LDL, and when the cells and body immediately began to metabolize them, she realized that the “baby” was developing umbilical-like structures and undergoing changes to allow it to continue growing OUTSIDE of the mother’s body. It also began developing cells that seemed to be affected by EMF fields, and the happenings in the interior of the tube quickly became uncertain as of that point. Sakura April did attempt to use a transporter beam to take a small sample into another tube, but it seemed like the cellular growths had long developed cells and proteins to aid in apoptosis, and the tissue, it’s unusual proteins, and its aberrant DNA all quickly broke down without a trace. Realizing that this life form had advanced brainwaves and was designed to elude her, she prepared an emergency Nth-Metal jacket for the tube, just in case, and suspended its growth again.

Experiment Phase TWO: Gigai A

Turning away from the more dangerous result, Sakura verified that the pregnancy of Gigai A did in fact have normal brainwaves, and was in every way similar to a normal human child. Accelerating the time in the tube to the due date, Sakura caused the Gigai to deliver the child, a little black-haired boy, screaming in the typical shocking volume that all newborns do. Sakura checked his development by creating a holographic existence for the boy in which he was raised in a loving family in the traditional manner of a Japanese Youth. He entered growth and puberty and was in all ways a standard offspring of his parentage. In order to deduce whether the genetic manipulation could skip a generation, the killbot then introduced the glove-box young man to a wife designed just for him, and he mated and married her as his upbringing would predict he do. Though created callously and living only for a few minutes of objective time, this child was happy, and loved, and bore children, and died of old age in their presence and love of his children when his time came. Losing interest at this point, and finding that the experimental subject’s children had boring regular human DNA too, and deciding they were no longer useful, Sakura April decided to euthanize them and gassed the surviving family members to death. Checking whether or not the virus that led to the pregnancy would affect non-humans, the murderess tried infecting an orangutan and a chimpanzee, and found that though the results were interesting to watch in the short term the genetic differences were too great, or the primate immune system was too strong, to allow the virus to survive. Being thoroughly amoral, frustrated at the seemingly inexplicable failures, and deciding to up the ante, Sakura April then went to an alternate universe and abducted an alternate Scott Summers, the mutant known as Cyclops, and infected him. The infection spread, and took hold of many of his cells, including reproductive cells, making him a carrier of the virus. Programming a Gigai as a Jean Grey lookalike to “acquire” some of these gametes, and upon impregnating the third Gigai, found that it had red hair, ambidexterity, increased brain activity, and increasingly more traits like the “fetus” in Gigai B. Satisfied that her experiment “took,” she looked to finalize her tests.

Experiment Phase Three: GIGAI C

Finding an isolate M-Class planet, Sakura stranded the pregnant Giga there with large amounts of food and supplies, and garnered remote viewers to figure out what went down. She was not disappointed. The baby began exploring its environment before it was a toddler. The Gigai became pregnant again after this birth, and had several more offspring who all had red hair and were able to, without outside information, rapidly develop their own technology at exponential speed---the more of the children there were, the smarter they seemed to become. In a matter of months, they were sleeping over a hypocaust, smelting steel from the food containers, creating crystal radios, and making starmaps. Sakura April considered this a success, but also incredibly dangerous, and so to the horror of The Intern, who was along to scout things out, she obliterated the planet, killing the entire family who died in each other’s arms, and gravitationally towed the remnants of the planetary system into a black hole out of concern for what the experiment’s ultimate yield might one day be. At this time, the TARDIS detected that the vortex-sensitive probes that Sakura had used at the Egyptian confrontation had been activated by travelling in time, and had learned the destination that the first-encountered member of the mysterious race had fled to---Sweden, in the year 1666.

The Intern and Sakura April pursued at once, requesting backup to help deal with whatever they found there—as it could be anything.