DND527

DND527
A Short Story by Rebecca Montalbano

"Crap! I bit my tongue again! This disease is a real pain!" Sunti brushed off her genuine concern with a light chuckle.

Gorl and Mokti exchanged nervous glances before Mokti joined in the faux laughter. The disease wasn't supposed to progress this quickly, and the doctors and their research assistant knew it. When Sunti was diagnosed, they both knew instantly what lay ahead of them, but the speed of progression in her case was a mystery. They had a great deal of experience with the disease, not just because of their vocation, but also as a result of their own research, painstakingly carried out over the past eleven years.

On Earth, it was called Alzheimer's Disease, but on the station at the far end of the galaxy, it was called Degenerative Neural Disorder 527 - DND527. Sunti had been diagnosed just a year ago during her routine annual DNA screening. The symptoms had begun to manifest only months after the test results displayed on the MedTerm, but they shouldn't have been noticeable for another eight to ten years,.

Instead of Sunti losing her short-term memory or her ability to make rational judgments, DND527 was causing fine motor skill problems. Her sketches had become unrecognizable, she failed to enter her codes properly, and she kept having difficulty chewing and swallowing.

Most disturbing to both of them was that Sunti was completely aware of her diagnosis and the increasing intensity of her symptoms, both of which elude perception in most DND527 patients. Gorl kept a strong countenance in mixed company, but fell apart the second he and Sunti were alone together. He knew they had only months left to share, and he was already grieving the loss of his mate of 18 years.

Mokti finished her midday nutrients and exited the arboretum to check on her current group of cultures. As soon as Mokti was out of the room, Gorl scolded Sunti in a manner she had seldom experienced saying, "I have asked you many times to avoid attempts at humor where your medical condition is concerned."

"Gorl, she thought it was funny, too! Why can't you let me handle this in my own way, complete with occasional denial and self-deprecating humor?" Sunti tried another chuckle, but it exited her body as a quiet, tearful sob. Gorl quickly rushed to her and held her against his own heaving chest, wishing he could take her sentence and free her to continue this life and their research without the continued hindrance of this beast of a disease.

Frankly, he didn't want the burden of carrying on the work alone. No matter how close they were to a major breakthrough in the gene mapping of the Hideous Thief (Gorl’s chosen nickname for DND527), he was ready to hop a freighter straight to Okudu in Sector 12 where the climate was warm with lush rainforests and vast, sandy beaches. He'd give 20 years of his life to spend the rest of Sunti's together with her on the beaches of Okudu watching the double sunset in the pink-purple haze.

"Gorl, I will not give up! I know that distance in your gaze, and I will not throw my hands up and go on holiday! Dammit! That really angers me beyond reason!" Sunti stormed away to pout before going back to the lab to check on Mokti's progress. Gorl snapped out of his Okudu daydream, and polished off his midday nutrients. He went straight to Polar's physical training pod to work off his growing frustration.

"Dr. Uzhan! Come quickly!" Mokti looked up from her Gilascope when she heard Sunti enter the lab. "Dr. Uzhan, I think we've located it! I think we've found the gene! Look at this!" With a great effort, Sunti suppressed her excitement and calmly approached Mokti's scope. Looking down on the digisome micromap, she questioned her own perception. Was she seeing THE suspect gene they'd been seeking for eleven years? No, she couldn't even bear to venture a judgment.

"Gorl," she coarsely whispered into her wrist, "you must stop whatever you're doing and come to the lab. Quickly!"

Breathlessly, Gorl replied, "Are you ailing, Sunti? You sound very agitated."

Through gritted teeth, Sunti feigned calmness and said, "Stop punching and kicking that holoponent, and get over here." Gorl was finally beginning to get the best of the level 7 holoponent in his Jujitsu training, but the urgency in Sunti's voice compelled him to stop, run through the sonigienic and get to the lab.

"Yes, Mokti, yes! Sunti, this is it! We've located it! Let's isolate this and run it through the datacomp to isolate the true cases. We should have our agent of cause momentarily." They each sat down at a separate MedTerm and began synching. Soon the display confirmed their suspicions and legitimized their eleven years of hard work, uncomfortable isolation, and constant begging for continued funding from the Alliance.

The data were immediately en route to the Central Research Institute in the Earth city of Chicago. Within hours, the data had been received, a vaccine had been formulated and hypostreams were being administered to all patients of DND527, at every stage of the disease. Although the results wouldn't be immediately apparent, the faulty DND527 gene would have instantly been deactivated and the other genes would have been coded to begin repairs. Within days, sometimes hours, every patient on the planet diagnosed with the disease would be regenerating proper neural connections without plaques and tangles to interfere with the transmission of neural impulses. Their memories would not regenerate, but they would regain full neural function in less than one week. Some would not experience complete healing because of the decreased functioning of other major body systems, but with DND527 eliminated, they would be eligible for organ renewal within weeks.

The accomplishments of the Drs. Uzhan were being celebrated all over Planet Earth while Gorl quickly prepared the proper hypostream for Sunti. Mokti held Sunti's hand and anxiously monitored the MedTerm readouts for signs of healing. As soon as the hypostream entered Sunti's bloodstream, the neural readouts began to change. Atrophied neurons regenerated and began firing like tiny electrical storms in Sunti's brain. She rested in a dreamlike state as Mokti and Gorl wept with joy for the miracle they had been a part of on this day.