Genetic Marker
March 4, 2065
Wednesday
It is early March in Paris. The city is just beginning thawing out of the winter weather. The spring rains are starting in. People are still bundled up and toting umbrellas because of the ominous clouds overhead. Quasar pulls her collar close to her face as a shot of brisk air numbs her cheeks. Her straight, long dark blonde hair spills out of her felt hat. She reached into her coat pockets for her gloves.
Quasar- I can't believe I lost them again. (she thinks) That is the second pair this year.
She looks around for a shop and goes into the nearest store to purchase replacement gloves. While at the register she sees a flyer asking for blood donations. Taped down to the counter. She glances at it as she pays the man for the black gloves. On her way back to the NAE summit she sees several of the flyers for the blood drive posted around. The lime green papers stick out from the browns and grays of Paris buildings. On the side of a bus stop, she sees several of the lime flyers scattered about amongst other drab flyers. Quasar removes one of the flyers and tucks it away in her pocket.
When she arrives back at the summit she drapes her coat over the back of her chair and removes her new gloves and puts them in her coat's pocket. The flyer falls out. Rhythm is beside her talking to Quorum, the Youth Rep for El Salvador, who sits at Quasar's table. Rhythm notices the bright piece of paper and picks it up for Quasar who did not notice it fall. Rhythm taps Quasar's shoulder.
Rhythm- Quasar, you dropped this! (handing her the paper)
Quasar- Thank you... Rhythm, this might interest you. (she unfolds it) It is about a blood drive being held her in town. I myself am thinking of going and giving blood. My blood type is often in great demand. Maybe you too Quorum, you seem healthy.
Rhythm looks at it. Quorum looks over Rhynthm's shoulder and a grin comes across his tanned face.
Quorum- Yeah, I had seen those, but I cannot donate blood because I have Sickle Cell Anemia.
Rhythm- You never mentioned that before.
Quorum- No big deal, the new medicines control it. People don't need to die from Sickle Cell anymore, that's past. I just cannot donate my blood.
Rhythm- I could, my blood is healthy I'm sure. I bet the others would like to do this as well.... I didn't know blood was needed.
Quasar- Blood, real blood is always needed. Especially type O blood. What type are you Rhythm?
Rhythm- I'm not sure? I never asked.
Quasar- Well, they can type you there.
Rhythm- I'll round up some others and we'll do this I think!
They take their seats as the summit restarts. After the finish for the day, Rhythm talks to Blake and Epic. She convinces them to go with her and donate. The trio go down to the donation site and give immediately. Later they come back and tell the others and they too want to go down and give blood.
Epic- It hardly hurt and it actually went by pretty fast.... I found out that my blood is AB+.
Blake- So is mine!
Rhythm- That is funny, because mine is also.
Blake- That is a strange coincidence, all three of us having the same blood type.
Epic- I thought AB+ is pretty unusual.... But we are the Universal Recipient.
The rest of FUTURE PEACE returns later that evening, with their 'Red Badge of Courage' proudly displayed. Fire and Ezel see Professor Locklear in the hall outside the Dining Hall. Fire is messing with his bandage and Ezel is telling him to leave it alone.
Fire- I'm telling you it won't stop bleeding.
Ezel- Not if you keep messing with it like that, you big boob.
Fire- I'll bleed to death, watch.
Ezel- No you won't!
Locklear- What is wrong with your arm Fire?
Ezel- Nothing.
Fire- I gave blood and it keeps bleeding. The needle punctured the vein.
Locklear- Donate? Where did you go?
Fire- We went to the blood center downtown.
Locklear- We?... Did you donate too? (looking at Ezel)
Ezel- Of course.... But I'm not a big baby like Fire.... Everyone else handled themselves.
Locklear- Everyone?
Fire- Yepp! All of us went down after Rhythm, Blake and Epic came back this afternoon. It was cool! They gave us all....
Locklear- I can't believe you guys donated your blood!
Locklear's face becomes visibly angry and his voice rises. Ezel's eyes widen.
Locklear- You can't give blood, it doesn?t work that way.....God!
He strokes his forehead, trying to stay in control. Ezel turns to Fire
Ezel- I'm not sure why it is bad, but we are in trouble.
Fire- What do we have in our blood?
Locklear- A protein, a protein that is only in your blood.
Ezel & Fire- Oh!
All of FUTURE PEACE is rounded up. Dr. Sarah Zelmal is called to explain. She comes over to assess the situation. All the Peacekeepers including Blake and Prof. Locklear sit in a conference room listening to Sarah's lecture.
Rhythm- We were never told 'Do not give blood' so how were we to know?
Zelmal- Perhaps... but we didn't think you would try to.
Fire- Why not?
Polo- Why do we have a extra protein in our blood?
Zelmal- Because I put it there.... When I engineered you I made sure to make all of you AB+ so that you could in an emergency receive blood from anyone, namely each other. At the same time I embedded a forth protein into your blood that I would use as a marker to trace your genetic lineage over generations.
Union- A marker, then it is artificial. What is it called?
Zelmal- Infinity protein....Over many generations, perhaps infinitely the protein will be passed down and with it all true descendants of you can easily be identified.
Blake- Wouldn't it also make it easier to test for us in the general public?
Zelmal- Yes.
Blake- So you could have used Infinity to find SCAR?
Zelmal- It did find them... All suspected people were tested. They were confirmed years ago.
Locklear- Everything comes to a full circle at sometime.
Equinox- Then Chase has the Infinity protein in her?
Zelmal-No, I doubt it. I did not engineer her. Her blood is O+ like her father. I never tested her for the Infinity protein, but she probably doesn't have it. Dr. Clinton-Diaz didn't help me with the blood typing, he worked solely on the "Jelly Formula".
Fire- So the blood we gave?
Zelmal- It will probably have to be destroyed...only you can use it.
Epic- I thought we were doing good, but you made us different. I though the one good thing that was apart of us that we could share was our blood. But we can't share that because you put a protein in our blood that will kill anyone else.
Anoki- What would you or the other guardians have done before we came to Paris if you were hurt and you can't use us for blood? Are your blood types all compatible?
Zelmal- No.
Locklear- We would have been in trouble, I am A+.
Zelmal- Dr. Gloria Key is B+ and I am O-. I would be compatible to everyone.
Polo- But no one is to you! Mr. Key could give to his daughter, wife, Prof. Locklear or any of us but no one to you.
Locklear- We were not supposed to be isolated like we were. Original plans were that it would only be for the first four years in the safe houses in Zurich. Then after that your up bringing would switch to a more structured style in which we would see you for part of the day and be relieved.
Ezel- That didn't happen. We were isolated, 30- 40 miles from the nearest NAE base and something might have happened where we couldn't help you, but give you blood immediately.
Zelmal- Well it didn't... Now that you all know, I expect that you won't go around giving away your body fluids or anything else.
Tempo- I guess not!
Locklear- Good!
Zelmal stands up and checks her watch, she grabs up her coat.
Zelmal- I need to go... It was nice seeing all of you! I have a call to make..... Good night.
Dr. Zelmal puts on her coat and leaves out the door. Prof. Locklear grins at the teens, his mood much higher.
Locklear- Sorry I had freaked out... But I hope you understood the weight of what you did.
Ezel- Yes.
Locklear- Good, make sure to keep your bandages clean and go see the nurse if you get an infection....Good night!
