To Risk Extinction

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Epilogue

Prologue

Kuamay woke up with a buzzing in her ears. She tried to rollover and couldn't manage to move. She felt dizzy and nauseous and could not remember where she was, or how she got there. Her eyes were swollen and she tried to open them to look around. She smelled the coppery odor of blood and heard the buzzing of many insects. She managed to raise herself up on one arm, and propped herself against some logs in the hut that were piled there for cooking fires.

What had happened, she asked herself? She crawled over to a barrel filled with water and took a few sips from the wooden dipper. She wanted to wet her eyes to ease the stinging. She managed to open them and when she looked down at her clothing she gasped in surprise. She was dressed in her wedding attire which was now torn and bloody.

Suddenly her memories returned with a shocking clarity. Yesterday she had married her beloved Omarnas. They had a wonderful celebration and then with many blessings, they were pushed inside to their new hut. Then....then..., Kuamay sobbed hysterically. Omarnas had tried to take her as his mate, failing again and again to consummate their marriage. In a rage, he blamed Kuamay, and beat her senseless in his fury. It is my fault, she thought, for she also had no desire to be intimate with Omarnas herself. She had no arousal or excitement, and wanted no part of the act that would unite her and Omarnas as husband and wife. Also, both she and Omarnas had become tired and listless, almost like they were of her parent's age!

****

She had just turned sixteen, and Omarnas was barely twenty-five. They both had some gray throughout their hair, and Omarnas had wrinkles around his eyes. They lost weight, but it could not be that terrible disease, the one the villagers got from eating the flesh and blood of the monkeys they killed for food, when none could be found without the forest.

Doctor Siria had been there last spring and tested all the villagers for signs of the disease. Kuamay and Omarnas had not been infected, yet here they were, feeling sick, old, and useless! They were not alone. Many of the villagers seemed to be tired and aging, and not interested in marriage or mating.

Her friend Rallasa had hung herself after she and her husband could not consummate their marriage. Tehata, her mate, had run off into the jungle and the men had given up searching for him. A lot of the villagers were having marital problems. The cluster of huts centering around the clinic were filled with the sounds of quarreling and accusations between each other of curses and voodoo. The elders talked long into the night about what should be done to appease the Gods. Most thought that this could be the end of the village.

****

Kuamay didn't care. As well as teaching the children, all she wanted was to be

Omarnas's wife and bear him many children of their own. The Richards, the three

Doctors who had visited her village since before she was born, had some success in treating what they called the HIV virus, but she did not think that disease is the reason many people were not having marital relations. The young doctor, Siria Richards was born of the village and was adamant about finding a cure for this disease. Maybe there was a curse put on the village. Maybe the Gods were displeased with the help they were receiving from the outside.

Kuamay dragged her beaten body to the well. A long cool drink of water would soothe her burning throat. She did not know where Omarnas had gone, but she hoped that he did not return...ever.

Chapter 1

Bobby Grenell looked around the shower room. Usually Mac insisted that he be here every Tuesday at 10:00 am, sharp! He had been here three months and seven days and had been Max's love since the second day. In the LA State prison, most petty crime violators were housed with the eight hundred plus sex offenders. Serial killers, murderers and arsonists where kept in the neighboring maximum-security prison.

At first Bobby had shunned Mac's advances but then at the showers he had been cornered by five rival inmates and Mac had rescued him. Mac had told him,

Either it's me or the wolf pack, and Bobby had decided on the lesser evil. At least in some form Mac treated him well and he did not have to be afraid of the other inmates. He decided to stay alive and sane until parole so Mac was his best bet. Because in his mind he shouldn't have even been there!

****

The dumb bitch said she was eighteen, looked twenty, and she enticed Bobby, leading him up the stairs to her apartment. She changed her mind just as things got heated but Bobby thought she was trying to make it more exciting. After they had sex she had sobbed and told him,

Daddy would be home from work shortly, and he would kill him! He had jumped out of bed and blurted,

Your Daddy, what the hell, how old are you anyway?

I'll be fifteen in three months, she cried! Bobby wasted no time getting out of there.

The next day he was arrested at the garage where he worked for his older brother. The charge was rape! He had no chance on his day in court because the girl’s father finding out she had sex with a man in the apartment, had beaten the hell out of her. Of course, he had then rushed her to the hospital and a rape kit had shown Bobby's DNA.

The fact that her Daddy was a cop had sealed Bobby's fate.

The girl was young and she had railroaded Bobby into coming with her and enticing him with sex. Bobby was a tall dark haired, muscular young man of twenty-two. He had his number of young woman and had just broken it off with his girlfriend because she wanted a commitment. Bobby was not ready for that. He liked his freedom and the right to choose what he wanted to do and with whom!

Now for the next three years he would be denied all of this and could only hope to survive until his time was up.

****

Bobby had stripped and was showering when Adar and Stanny walked into the shower room. They were two of the rival inmates that had threatened Bobby when he was incarcerated. Bobby glanced at them but was not too concerned because he knew Max would come and they knew it too. Adar glanced at Bobby and went to the far end of the stalls. Without looking back, he began preparing for his shower.

Stanny stood next to Bobby and let his eyes slide down his body. Bobby nervously glanced at the door again and Sammy snickered and said,

Don't worry butt hole you ain't all that, and walked slowly back towards Adar.

Bobby finished his shower, dressed and ran out of the room sure that Adar and Stanny were planning jump him. As he glanced back he saw that Adar was dressing and Stanny was waiting for him to finish before he took his own shower. Where is Mac, Bobby wondered and where are the rest of the inmates? What is going on and why didn't Stanny attack him as he threatened to do repeatedly?

Bobby walked slowly back to his cell and even James one of the prison guards who liked to grab the jewels when he could, just glanced at Bobby and then looked away. Bobby continued the walk to his cell block. He couldn't believe that Mac or any of the inmates were not harassing him.

He passed numerous cells where he saw many of the inmates laying on their cots sleeping or just staring at the cell walls. Bobby puzzled over this. It was free time within the cell block and most of the inmates were always glad to be out of their cells even if it meant the usual daily harassment that the guards tended to ignore. It was a way to keep your sanity and remind yourself that you were still alive and part of this world no matter how bad it was.

What was going on, Bobby wondered and he was very concerned about Mac. Did something happen that he didn't hear about? Maybe it could have been a stabbing, a breakout or a death among the prisoners or the guards?

****

Bobby came up to Mac and Carl's cell. Mac was looking through a magazine while lying on his cot.

I waited for you at the showers, Bobby stated. Mac glanced up and then returned to his magazine.

Mac, Bobby shouted. What's the matter with you, are you sick? What the hell is wrong with you? What's going on here, did something happen? Mac slowly turned his attention back to Bobby and grunted.

Nothing's going on. I want to read my rag so just leave me alone.

Yeah nothing wrong with you or anyone else around here. I ran into Adar and Sammy in the stall and they hardly bothered with me. James had me alone in the hall, and didn't even look at me. What the hell, somebody feed us some salt peter or something, Bobby asked?

Get lost Bobby I'm busy! Be glad Stanny didn't get you down. You want it that bad, you go find someone else. I bet Stanny would take you for a ride. He likes his boys really young, but you'll do in the stir, threatened Mac.

Bobby thought of telling Mac where he could go and what he could do but Mac was his lover and more important his protector. Maybe he was sick and didn't want to appear weak, Bobby thought. Well I'll catch a break today anyway and go back to the hole. Maybe write his former girlfriend Sandy a letter, see how things are with her. Maybe I'll ask her to visit and see how things are shaping up for when I'm out of here.

Bobby made his way back to his cell still puzzling about the quiet celebrant atmosphere of the prison walls. He was positive that something was going on but what, he didn't know.

****

Dr. Donna Taylor and her assistant Brad Logan had discovered the antiandrogen hormone that would lessen the sexual desires in all species of animals and insects. Testosterone the primary androgen and the libido hormone for both genders, could be neutralized in both the female and male gender resulting in no arousal or sexual desire.

Dr. Taylor since grad school had been instrumental in developing some solutions towards the problem of the AIDS epidemic in third world countries. Brad Logan had theorized that the antiandrogen hormone might contribute to the worlds over population problems as well.

Dr. Taylor, think of the other magnitude of benefits this antiandrogen hormone might have, implied Brad.

What if the antiandrogen was given to sexual deviants, rapists, and pedophiles? What a plus to control AIDS, over population and sexual aggression! We could make the world a less diseased, less populated, and safer for innocent victims of sexual crimes! Dr. Taylor smiled at Brad.

Maybe we could control countries, biological contamination and who could reproduce...and who couldn't, she stated!

Brad did not realize the satire in her voice.

And possibly control the animal populations, Brad introduced!

****

The antiandrogen hormone had been tested repeatedly over the last two years on various animal groups with startling results. Lab rats that had reproduced every six weeks had suddenly lost interest in mating. Males put together with a fertile female did not fight over who would mate with her. Females given the antiandrogen hormone would not allow a male to mount. Moving up to the rabbits, and eventually monkeys, all the species showed the same lack of interest in mating.

Brad had next tried the AAH (antiandrogen hormone) on insects with the same results as the mammals. Mosquitoes had stopped breeding even in stagnate pools of water, and colonies of killer bees, and fire ants contained no larvae! Little by little, these colonies died out where before the introduction of the antiandrogen hormone they had survived for years.

What a break through this discovery was! Brad could envision the demise of harmful insects...locusts...poisonous spiders, scorpions, even poisonous reptiles. Anything could be controlled that was more harmful to mankind than good!

****

It was so easy to dispense the hormone. Any living creature that needed water to survive could be introduced to the antiandrogen hormone. Once it was taken into the body, the hormone factored itself at ten times the rate of the natural testosterone. In a matter of hours to months, it thwarted the body's desire and arousal for intercourse, and or any sexual activity.

Dr. Taylor was worried that this might be a massive overload of the antiandrogen hormone and she feared that all though it might seem like a miracle for the good of man, it might be destructive in the wrong hands. She knew much more testing and research was needed before it was introduced to humans!

Chapter 2

Siria Atumi-Richards, a brilliant research medical doctor in the study of the HIV inducing carcinogen, was vigilant in pursuing a cure for the AIDS virus. Adopted by Dr. Mike and Dr. Carla Richards at the age of six, she was one of the few children who did not contract HIV, or succumb to malnutrition!

The Doctor's had taken the half starving orphaned Siria back with them by helicopter to their private laboratory in the mainland of the African coastline. They had been testing the HIV positive villagers with a drug called Vireall, followed by Emtriva which showed significant signs of slowing down the virus but not curing it. After two years most of the HIV positive villagers succumbed to full AIDS and the good doctors decided more research and development was needed to halt the epidemic.

A tiny six-year-old girl who had lost both her parents and three of her siblings, had such empathy toward the people of her village that the Richards thought such a bright child might be of help to them and their fight against the devastating virus.

****

Siria was an exceptional child and learned at a fast pace that amazed her adoptive parents. She was very much like the Richards and right from the time she started going to the clinic, she was remarkable!

Siria learned English almost in a month's time and read books like they were her lifeline. She was a very observant child but quiet, and would spend every day with her parents in their laboratory. As her knowledge progressed so did her determination like that of the Richards, to find a cure for this horrible disease that had afflicted her world. Siria observed everything her parents did in the laboratory and at night studied, almost devouring their notes and charts regarding their research.

She read diligently about the drugs they wished to try on the village population. As she grew and knowledge, she would return to the village with her parents, with more experimental drugs for the control of AIDS. She had completed research on a combination of Vireall and Emtriva drugs. They had success in Hong Kong at sublimating the HIV virus. The drug, Truvada along with another called Prophylaxis had amazing effects on HIV positive victims, but unfortunately many side effects.

****

Siria and her parents returned to the village after a two-year study of Truvada. There was hope in this drug, but not enough. People were still contracting the virus and still dying. Siria wanted to end this torment for her village! When she turned seventeen Dr. Michael Richards decided to send Siria to the States to work with some of his former colleagues in the University for the Study of AIDS. He thought that with Siria's eagerness and extreme knowledge that this move might be beneficiary to all the doctors, professors, and technical staff in in the AIDS research.

Siria was accepted at the university and went to work as a researcher for Dr. Donna

Taylor. She was involved with hormonal research for the prevention of the spread of the HIV virus. At first Siria was devastated to think that she would not be working on a cure, but only as a cause for prevention. But as she and Brad Logan worked on the antiandrogen hormone, and the more Brad talked about what else this AAH could possibly constitute, the more Siria began to see that until a cure was discovered, this would be a way of slowing down the delivery of HIV!

Foremost was her thought of saving the families of the hunters who had been bitten or scratched the simians that carried the virus. Sometimes a hungry man would eat the forbidden flesh, when monkeys were hunted for meat. They unknowingly infected their wives, sometimes their children by accident, and even their unborn babies!

Brad Logan told Siria that the antiandrogen hormone had been reluctantly relinquished to a Government control group who had funded Dr. Taylor's research of the hormone. Dr. Taylor still wanted time to test the effects of the hormone on controlled species of animals and the effect it might have on the environment should it be interrogated into a water system. The Government Group however wanted to do a small test cycle on a prison were most of the inmates were sexual pedophiles and predators. They were extremely interested in controlling the unnatural urges of the prisons many sex offenders.

****

Seven months prior to Siria coming to work with Dr. Taylor and Brad, the hormone had been administered to several of the inmates through bottled water. Carefully monitored by the Government Group, they were ecstatic about the effect the hormone was having on the inmates. The only major setback was that the hormone while killing sexual arousal and desire might be the cause of intense violence among the inmates.

At first, they seemed docile and even a bit melancholy. Then the guards noticed explosive violence among the AA hormone induced inmates. Even a few of the guards who had some of the bottled water, beat the inmates more ruthlessly as problems arose. Some of the Group insisted that it was not because of the antiandrogen hormone, but just frustration among the inmates as their sexual desires declined to zero percent. Dr. Taylor and Brad kept close data on hand and continued with testing their lab animals. Except for a few fights over food the rats were very docile not bothering with the females or other males.

The rabbits had no aggression towards each other but the monkeys still had some issues about territory. Maybe the Group was correct in assuming it was just the nature of the inmates and the frustration of not having any outlet while being confined in the institution. However, Dr. Taylor would release no more of the antiandrogen hormone until more research into side effects had taken place.

****

Siria was not willing to wait. Her village and her people were suffering needlessly with the AIDS virus. Babies were being born infected, and needing so much care until they eventually succumbed. Those who were lucky enough to make it to adults uninfected, might contract the virus through killing and eating the tree simians!

Life was so hard in her village. Years of drought had killed most of the crops planted and the fruit bearing trees that sustained the villagers. If they could stop reproducing for a while they might stop the spreading of the virus, and have enough food for the people already there.

Siria implored Dr. Taylor to let her take the antiandrogen hormone to her village but Donna was adamant about not testing on humans and the environment until she could concede of the effects it had on her test animals. After being denied by Dr. Taylor, Siria decided to take matters into her own hands to save her people. She decided to fly back to the island to visit her adoptive parents. She concealed many vials of the antiandrogen hormone in her suitcase. When she and her parents went to the village she would pour the hormone into some of the village's bottled water supply!

****

Doctors Michael and Carla Richards were ecstatic that their daughter Siria would be returning home to the island in another week. They were planning to go from the mainland to the village with more of the drugs that they had obtained from the states. The Richards had devoted their lives to finding a cure for the AIDS virus. They had helped the village of Tura Turan for more than thirty years with little success at slowing the virus down. They wanted to save the children of the village so they might live to adulthood, free of the dreaded disease!

The Doctors monitored the village very closely and had more than once had lost over fifty percent of the population. Michael Richards had been independently wealthy, and was one of the rare privileged citizens who sought to help his fellow man. Carla was no less dedicated and had worked side by side with her husband for thirty-eight years.

They had worked on a private facility close to the village on the mainland and had purchased the drugs and medications needed to combat the virus. Twenty-seven years ago, the village was almost obliterated from drought conditions that killed the natural crops and vegetation, and forced the wild game to migrate inward off the plains to find water. Desperately the villagers began to hunt and kill the plentiful simian population for food.

****

The monkeys had been diagnosed as carrying HIV, but the desperate villagers needed the blood and meat to survive. By the time the doctors could bring food, water and supplies to the villagers, seven percent tested positive for AIDS, and forty two percent tested HIV positive. Michael and Carla had spent five years at the village only leaving to pick up medications and supplies. They needed to educate the villagers on how to avoid getting the virus. Whole families were perishing and many of the village's children were born HIV positive!

****

After the birth of his fourth child, Lazel Atumi had been hunting for game and had been attacked by an alpha male chimpanzee. He was bitten on his left shoulder, and the chimp had torn a chunk of flesh out before Lazel managed to kill it. He returned home, and his wife Tulla had washed the wound and dressed it. That night she and Lazel mated in a victory celebration for his killing of the large chimp.

Eleven months later twin boys were born to them but they were sickly, one dying three days after his birth, and his brother succumbing at twenty-seven months. Sadly, after the birth, Carla Richards tested the infants, and found that they had the AIDS virus. She then tested the rest of the Atumi family, and found that the mother and father both had full blown AIDS.

The oldest daughter who had been married less than two months tested HIV positive. The two older male children had left almost a year ago deciding on traveling and seeking a craft or a trade. That left the six-year-old daughter to take care of her parents until they succumbed to AIDS.

Dr. Carla came to the Atumi hut to help take care of Siria's dying parents. Siria was an exceptional child and grew close to Dr. Carla, wanting to know everything about the treatments and drugs she administered to her parents. After their deaths Siria would not leave Carla's side, and spent all her time helping the Richards with the other HIV infected villagers. Siria would often tell them that she wanted to become a doctor and help the people of her village as they did.

When Michael and Carla returned to the island obtained permission from Siria's older sister to take her with them. They adopted her and give her shelter, nutrition, and an education.

****

Now their daughter was returning. She said she had something that she needed to talk to them about. It was an experimental hormone developed by Dr. Taylor, and she would explain everything when she returned!

****

Bobby Grenell stood before his cells mirror and stared in disbelief at his reflection. Two days earlier Mac had an unnatural burst of temper and had slapped, then punched Bobby until he had blacked out. Bobby woke hours later to find the cell door still open, no activity, and no Mac or any other inmates or guards present.

He couldn't figure out why Mac had been so furious. He had visited Bobby during the blocks free hours and had tried to couple with him but couldn't seem to become aroused no matter what Bobby did. He had tried to soothe Mac saying that he thought Mac looked tired and had lost weight. He then asked Mac if he were sick and Bobby could only speculate that maybe Mac had AIDS even though he had tested negatively three months prior.

That is when Mac exploded and told Bobby, he didn't look all the great either and that maybe Bobby was sick himself! He screamed at him that maybe he had been with someone else and now had given something to Mac. Mac told this to Bobby while punching him and telling him that he'd better pray to God that he had not given Mac anything or he would never see his parole days. Bobby denied all of Mac's allegations but Mac continued to beat him until he lost conscientiousness.

****

Bobby stared at his reflection, his black eye, his swollen nose, and his split lip. He groaned and splashed water over his face, then stared into the mirror again. What the hell he thought, Mac was right! Bobby's face under the bruising looked thin and drawn. He had developed some wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. Running fingers through his hair he also noticed quite a few gray hairs and some thinning at the temple. Man, is this what the stir does to you, Bobby thought? He decided he needed to see his lawyer and tell him that he might be sick or something. He also needed to tell him about Mac's threat to him and about the beating he just got. Bobby thought back to that little tramp that got him into this trouble. All this because of her, and the worst scenarios, he might have AIDS!

Chapter 3

Brad Logan was prepared to meet with the FDA and the Government control group that had already tested the antiandrogen hormone on incarcerated sexual deviants in a LA prison. Donna Taylor was not looking forward to this meeting. She had amazing results on her animal test subjects as far as they were not copulating, and after some initial aggression, most of the animals had become calm.

What concerned her now was that the animals, especially the monkeys, had lost some weight and seemed to have aged. They were still eating as much as they did before she introduced the antiandrogen hormone into their drinking supply, so Dr. Taylor now had to find out why the weight lost.

Brad was ecstatic with his test results. Whole colonies of fire ants and killer bees had stopped reproducing and though they still worked and stored food, they were dying out! Brad was currently inducing the AAH into controlled locust's colonies. He reverently hoped for the same amazing results. The colonies of harmful insects were dying out faster than he could have anticipated.

****

General Will Massey and Dr. Phillip Greene were discussing the findings on the test groups of inmates in the prison. At first, they were hopeful that the antiandrogen hormone seemed to be working as far as relinquishing the sexual arousal and desire of the deviants given the hormone laced bottled water. A small setback occurred when some violent behavior broke out, but within a matter of a few weeks, the aggressive behavior passed and the inmates seemed docile! They had no arousal, or the desire to act upon sexual behavior. In fact, the test inmates were content to stay occupied in their cell reading, watching TV, and some had taking up painting or writing.

They no longer growled and yelled at the guards to be let out, and most had to be forced out of their cell for activity. The technicians in charge of testing the inmates had noted that even though they still ate every meal and had limited physical activity, most of them had lost weight.

Some complained of being tired and of their joints being stiff. They complained of hearing loss and their eyesight seemed to be diminishing!

Dr. Greene was showing all these results to Major Massey when Dr. Taylor and Brad Logan joined them.

Dr. Taylor, Major Massey stated as she walked towards him.

Hello Major, she said as she shook his hand. This is my assistant Brad Logan.

Brad, the Major acknowledged shaking his hand. You know Dr. Phil Greene, head of the Federal Drug administration?

Pleasure Sir, Brad smiled shaking Dr. Greene's hand.

Well Dr. Taylor, we have been going over the results of the antiandrogen hormone that was administered to the inmates at the prison, and it looks like you have a breakthrough with controlling the sexual arousal of these deviants! We are extremely satisfied with the results of the AA hormone in controlling the unnatural sexual drive of the many pedophiles it was administered to. Even the most violent rapists and sexual masochists have no arousal, sexual desire or aggressiveness towards each other! We let the pedophiles watch pornographic videos of children that used to drive them into frenzy and most turned away and some even fell asleep. You will be commended for this discovery that will ensure the safety our children, and victims of sexual abuse!

The General pulled out a chair for Dr. Taylor. She sat down and cleared her throat for a long speech.

Thank you General but as I'm sure you are aware there have been some setbacks and negative effects on the inmates and on my own lab animals that I am greatly concerned about. No let me finish please, she stated as the General tried to interrupt her.

I know the violent outbursts were just seemingly frustrated reactions of the inmates that have ceased within a few weeks. However, I'm concerned about the weight loss, fatigue, and stiffness in their joints. It's almost as though it's accelerated the aging progress. I feel more time related tests to determine the effects of the antiandrogen hormone are needed before we continue administering dosages to any more human test subjects. I don't know if the hormone is reversible because it factors itself so rapidly once it is introduced into the test subjects.

Dr. Taylor, interrupted the Major. "As we see it the weight loss might be a plus because of the inactivity of the inmates! Not all the test subjects lost weight or suffered so called aging effects, but all of them lost arousal and desire for any kind of sexual contact. This far outweighs any side effects of your AA hormone because of the effect it could have on the population for controlling disease and over- population in third world countries. Of course, we are greatly impressed with the negative sexual drive of the pedophiles and serial rapists that were given the antiandrogen hormone. Our Government