Sacculina.
LIST OF CHARACTERS

Charlotte The narrator (and sort of heroine).
Jessica Charlotte’s Maternal Aunt.
Isobel Charlotte’s French long term friend.
Franchesca Charlotte’s Italian long term friend.
Jack American Gap-year student at the Faculty.
Pete American high school jock
Bill Pete’s crony also a macho high school jock.
Terry The supplier of the party music.
Bob Terry’s friend and owner of the pick-up truck.
Tom Arlott Jack’s dad.
I convinced my parents that I needed to take a gap year early and after promising to be careful they agreed that I could stay with Aunt Jessica for half a year then tour the USA for four months before staying with Jack and his family for a couple of months at the end of my gap year.

As I waved goodbye to my friends at the airport I had made up my mind to study biology so I could possibly take a course of study at Aunt Jessica’s faculty whilst picking her and her colleague’s brains. The effects of the Sacculina parasite fascinated me.
The research faculty proved an excellent location for accelerated learning and by the end of the six months after relentlessly studying every spare minute I had, I was ready to take my A’ level exams still only sixteen years of age. A week after my seventeenth birthday, I sat my A’ levels externally back in the UK, then I continued my remaining gap year by visiting the USA.
Naturally I started my visit by calling on Aunt Jessica who had completed the first phase of her crab research and was busy writing up her research back at her college in Florida. On the second night we chatted at length.

“So, you are mainly looking at how the pathogens operate on the hosts brain to modify behaviour?” I asked, “So how does it?”

“We have identified some of the chemicals and we are now determining how they interfere with or alter the synapsis within the relevant neurons. It seems they either block the neurological switches or more cunningly alter the directions.”

“So why have you chosen the sexual aspect?” I pressed, “surely the emotional aspects would be of more use in Psychiatry”

“Emotions are too complex and too numerous. Sexual factors are much simpler. There’re only two sexes and basically four sexualities – that is, if you discard fetishistic behaviours. It keeps the bounds of the research within operable and identifiable limits, especially at this early stage.”

“So, you start with crabs and go onto small mammals next, I suppose.”

“Not necessarily, we’re debating whether to try a species of bird. Any changes to the sexually dimorphic appearance and behaviour are easier to detect at an earlier stage.”

“But birds take longer to mature, usually at least a year if not more, with mice it’s a matter of weeks.”

“Yes, but it’s not just about empirical factors now. We’ve got a couple of useful handles on the specific pathologies and gender dimorphism helps us target the mechanisms associated with those pathologies. It’s like a shot-gun compared to a rifle. Additionally, we can work much more easily on a foetus within a chicken’s egg than we can with a mouse foetus inside it’s mother.”
I nodded thoughtfully and my aunt picked up on my demeanour.

“You seem awfully interested in this stuff. Have I found my next research student?”

I grinned disarmingly.

“Slow down Aunty, I haven’t even gone to Uni yet.”

“When do your a’ level results arrive?”

“Beginning of March. I’ll be in California then but a quick email to mum or dad and I’ll know what options I’ll have.

“Any thoughts yet?”

“What; about which uni, d’ you mean?”

Aunt Jessica nodded as she chewed on some meat. I answered with the only answer available.

“Until I get my grades, I don’t know.”

“Well, keep in touch, I might be able to help you with choices.”

“What, you mean a US College?”

“Not exactly, you’d have to apply for scholarships to do that but there might be some one-year exchange opportunities, if you get into a good British university.”

“Well, I can but wait,” I sighed.

That night we chatted long into the evening and a week later I began my travels.

I had no fixed itinerary except for a few famous events for which the US is famous. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, St Patricks day in New York, Gay Pride in San Francisco and so on. Some I would unfortunately miss if I was hoping to go to Uni in the coming October, but there was always another day. I also had the promised rendezvous with Jack and his family at the end of my gap. With my interest in Marine biology now embedded, thanks to Aunt Jessica I also wanted to witness or even take part in a couple of well documented marine migrations like the whale migrations and the Maine Lobster processions. There would be plenty to occupy my few months. Additionally, these excursions might enhance my interviews for the hoped-for prestigious placement in one of the greater universities.

August found me in Atlanta where Jack and his family lived. He was preparing to commence his first year at college after finishing his gap year in the Costa Rica marine faculty and he had won a position at Stanford so he was happy.

I was treated royally by the family and Jacks mum even tried to match us up but we neither of us were ready yet for any sort of relationship

In September, I learned that the bastard who had raped Franchesca had been released from San Jose prison and that he had returned to his family in South Carolina.

At this time, I was considering which university to attend. I had received several offers, including one from Cambridge but despite the prestige (and opportunities) that Cambridge offered, I was so involved in Marine Biology and my own private researches that the academic kudos associated with a university such as Cambridge meant little to me. What I needed was a course that offered flexibility and all importantly, frequent, (indeed daily,) access to the sea. There were only a couple of options that offered this vital geographic location and access to the sea.

With a compulsory academic three years to complete a degree at any university in Britain I chose a a fairly small university in Wales. Aunt Jessica was in regular contact with the school of marine sciences and her recommendations swung it for me. By the end of

September, I was embarked upon one of the best Marine Biology courses in any British University.

I had learned that it was not the college name that mattered, but the quality of the specialist degree.

The three years in Wales passed quickly. Each summer I joined my Aunt Jessica in Costa Rica where I greedily devoured every paper she wrote about her researches. I also contributed to her lab work whilst secretly duplicating some of it in my single flat when back in my own college. I had an agenda but kept it strictly to myself.

My flat was part of an old farm on the island of ‘Sir Fon’ that had been divided up into a holiday home complex. It was an idyllic setting overlooking the sea and I had been fortunate to spot an advert in the local press where the owner of the complex was looking for a cleaner - cum – caretaker to live on site throughout the closed season when the empty apartments were vulnerable to burglary or vandalism.. It suited my needs perfectly for I had located it at the end of my first term and moved in during the second term. I would be living there for the remainder of my three years. During the high summer season, the owner lived on site with a full-time staff to cater for the holiday-makers so I was free to use the summer vacation to visit Costa Rica.

The owner of the complex also let me use some space in the last remaining unrenovated farm building to work on my dissertation which of course was my own private researches on the Sacculina virus. At the back of this unrenovated barn was a small space that had once served as a dairy parlour and this became my make-shift laboratory. Here I explored my options whilst privately using some of Aunt Jessica’s research to assist my own investigations. I was also fortunate in having the farm close to the sea where I could search for infected crabs. These infected unfortunates provided me with an abundant supply of the Sacculina parasite for the disease had spread to the Irish sea around North Wales.

By dint of sheer hard work, ridiculously long hours and frequent referrals to my aunt’s parallel investigations, after three years at Uni I had secretly managed to develop a strain of Sacculina parasite that chemically castrated and feminised small male mammals. It proved effective on rats, rabbits and even one monkey. – and yes, I did this while still studying for my bachelor’s degree.

I eventually graduated with a first in bio-chemistry and I destroyed all physical evidence of my researches in the dairy. With my tracks therefore well covered I finally departed my Alma Mater to take up a proper research post for a Ph.D. This involved research at a prestigious school of tropical medicine into infectious diseases amongst primates with a view to identifying infection vectors into the human population. This was very relevant at the time because of the prevalence of Ebola fever and AIDS in central Africa. My work involved several visits to a jungle station in central Africa where I had access to higher apes. This involved occasionally treating captive animals and after a year of research I was entrusted with the care of said animals because it complemented my researches. I had finally achieved the perfect opportunity to secretly test my parasite on the closest relative to homo-sapiens.
In Africa an orphaned Bonobo chimp was brought to the research facility and, as the junior researcher, I was delegated to take responsibility for its care.

The capture was not immediately registered and I was able to register the chimp as female when he was in fact male. Nobody else was much interested in the poor little guy because the facility had over fifty other chimps in their established research programme.

The chimp became a virtual pet and I wasted no time in testing my modified Sacculina parasite. To my satisfaction his behaviour quickly became less aggressive and his adolescent testicles quickly atrophied while his penis stopped growing.

A couple of months later, when he was able to hold his own, I introduced him to the behavioural control group of chimps and he immediately associated with the females instead of the more aggressive male gang. His femininity was made quite obvious as he chose to nurture the baby chimps and even attempted to breast feed them. This unusual behaviour was noticed by the director and I was granted permission to test out prolactin medication to see if my pet chimp could actually succeed as a nursing source for several much younger orphaned victims of the bush-meat trade.

To everybody’s amazement, except mine, my pet proved to be a very successful wet nurse insofar as he was not selective about who he nursed. Whilst most female chimps will only nurse their own, my pet was happy to accept several of the orphans and furthermore he had abundant milk.

After five years commuting between the African jungle station and my professorial guide back in the UK, I returned to complete my doctorial research and prepare my thesis. It was successfully reviewed and I finally won my Ph.D. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I took an extended summer vacation to Costa Rica where I luxuriated with my Aunt Jessica before returning with her to Florida in the fall.

One morning as we chatted in the college refectory, we discussed my options. She asked if I had been to visit Jack. I replied.

“To be honest aunt, I’ve been so wrapped up in my work I’ve hardly been involved with anybody on an emotional level. It’s been work, work, work for the past six years. Why do you ask about Jack anyway?”

“Well he comes down to Costa Rica to visit his dad quite often and he always asked after you.”
I shrugged my shoulders and explained.

“He’s never written to me or e-mailed me. If he had come down during the summers when I was doing my Bachelors, we could have easily got together. Once I embarked upon my doctorate, well – you know how hectic it’s been.”

“Well I’ve heard he’s back in Atlanta. You might want to look him up. I’ve got his father’s phone number both for the faculty and his home address.”

I squinted at her suspiciously.

“Why the sudden ‘match-maker’ aunty?”

She smiled enigmatically.

“If you’re taking a sabbatical it’s nice to share it with somebody. Besides, I’m taking a few months off shortly because I’m pregnant.”

My jaw sagged as I fell silent to gather my thoughts before asking.

“Bloody hell Aunty Jess! Congratulations! Do the family know?”

“No, you’re the first.”

“How far along are you?”

“Three months. I’ve got six months of vacation time owing to me plus my statutory maternity leave.”

“So, all together?” I pressed her, - it was like pulling teeth.

“’Bout a year”

“Who’s the sperm donor?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know him.”

“Which means you’re not telling.”

She smiled again so I shrugged dismissively.

“Well no matter. Do you know the baby’s sex?”

“It looks like a little girl on the scan but it’s a bit early to tell just yet.”

“Are you having her in the UK or here in the US?”

“I haven’t decided yet. If I have it here the baby’ll have dual nationality.”

“D’ you want that?”

“It can’t harm the kid. My medical insurance covers it anyway.”

“Oh well go for it then, as you say, it’s not likely to harm the kid. D’ you want me to be around when your time comes? Babies take a lot of your time.”

“Aren’t you looking for a permanent post?”

“I’ve got some irons in the fire and there’s another matter I need to attend to but it can wait. When will you be stopping work?”

“When I’m about seven or eight months.”

“Well that gives me plenty of time to find a job. Now, I think I’ll take up your suggestion about meeting Jack again.”

The change of subject suited us both and the following morning I made the calls. By mid-morning we were talking during his coffee break. The following Friday we met in Atlanta. He was working but his excited mother met me at the airport. She took me to their home to await Jack’s arrival from work.

“He still talks about you, you know.”

I smiled coyly. “I thought he’d have been long wedded by now.”

“No, like you he’s been wedded to his work. He’s a Ph.D., now you know and he’s lecturing at Georgia State.”

“So, congratulations are truly in order.” I replied as Jacks mother preened herself proudly.

“Yes, he’s the first to make it to university in our family. Some of the family are a bit jealous but not me; fruit of my womb and all that.”

I grinned widely and squeezed her hand.

“You’ve every right to be proud.”

“So enough about Jack, what have you been doing my girl?”

“Uuhm, feeding monkeys amongst other things.”

She looked at me suspiciously.

“Meaning what exactly, you didn’t need a degree to feed monkeys.”

I grinned again and then explained. She wagged her head before laughing aloud just as Jack surprised us by appearing silently in the doorway.

“Now, what are you two laughing about?” He asked as I leapt out of the armchair and hugged him tight.”

His mother put her own spin on my researches as she addressed her son.

“Welcome home Tarzan meet Jane.”

Jack was long used to his mother’s hyperbola so he looked quizzically at me.

“Oh, I’ve been researching diseases in Africa. Like you I’ve been doing a doctorate. Unlike you, I have not found a job yet but I’m in no hurry.”

“Will you be staying in America or going back to England?”

“Don’t know yet. I might even return to Africa. That’s where I’d be most needed. There have been several small, unreported, isolated outbreaks of Ebola fever or something very similar to it. The African governments are afraid to report them sometimes because other countries then impose travel bans.”

“Have you been in any of those areas?” Jack asked as concern wrinkled his brow?”

“Yes, but don’t worry, I’m clean. If fact, I think I might have acquired some degree of immunity. We suspect it’s to do with working with chimps. The lower orders of monkeys are probably one of the infection vectors. Chimps have been hunting these monkeys for millions of years so we think the chimps have immunity but they are sometimes individual carriers, you know, like typhoid Mary. If one of these carriers is killed and eaten for bush meat then bingo!, this mutated strain of Ebola sometimes breaks out if the meat isn’t cooked properly.”

“The solution?” Jack asked.

“Education, education, education.” I replied. We have to show them the dangers of eating chimps; or any other monkeys for that matter.”

“That’s going to be tricky. Don’t they rely on bushmeat.”

“Pretty much. That’s where my research might just help. We’re looking to find an antidote by dint of research. That’s what I was doing.”

“Do you have to go to Africa to research that. Once you’ve isolated the disease can’t you do it in the labs here in America.” His mother asked.

I turned to see disappointment spreading across her countenance and realised she was seeing her hopes of a grandchild fading even as Jack and I still hugged. My reply gave her hope.

“That’s why I’m staying with my auntie. We might just find funding if there’s a large outbreak again in Africa. The odds are quite high with all the political terrorism and wars going on out there.”

“Aren’t you afraid – you know, the terrorism, kidnapping, ransoms and stuff?” Jacks mum asked.

“Yes, but I’d be more afraid for the rest of Africa or the world even, if another Ebola type outbreak got out of hand..”

She nodded but I could see the concern in her face as she turned to her son.

“Try and get her a safe job here in Atlanta.”

“It’s not my department mum,” he confessed. “I’ve got very little pull in the biological sciences faculty. I’m in engineering and electronics.”

I tried reassuring her.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll only go to Africa if they really need me. There’s already work waiting for me if I want it down in Florida state.
It’s boring repetitive stuff but it has to be done.”

“When will you be starting that?”

“Next month sometime, but I’ve got some stuff to deliver up in the Carolinas. Test results and stuff.” I should be finished in a couple of weeks so I’ll call back when I’m returning to Florida.”

“Aren’t you staying for the weekend?”

“That is the plan, I’ve got a room booked down in Atlanta, the historic area, I’ve been told it’s very pretty.”

“Oh gosh yes. You were lucky to get a room in any hotel down there, it’s very desirable and very expensive.”

“Well I wouldn’t know, my aunt Jessica organised it all. I’ve checked in on-line so I can turn up at any time.”

“We could go for a meal down there” Jack suggested and his mother snapped up the idea. Within half an hour we were on our way.

The evening was a resounding success and I felt like a million dollars as I bid Jack and his mother a good evening with a promise that he would take me around the historic district on the Saturday. I rose early and was the first down to the hotel restaurant but even so Jack appeared in the foyer as I was only just beginning to eat breakfast. He shared some coffee and toast whilst I finished my meal and soon we were strolling along the beautiful streets.

“So, what are you doing up at North Carolina State?” Jack asked.

“I’m not going to North Carolina, I’m going to South Carolina State.”

“That’s a black university. What would you be doing there?”

“Duuh! Let me see darling. Central Africa is a black continent, I’ve got samples of blood to deliver and test for comparative analysis. The best comparative samples would be with black students and other black people from the Carolinas. It’s ongoing work connected to my parasite research. We are looking for resistive genes to some of the tropical diseases that are mutating even as we research them now. We think Aids got started by scientists being careless in the central African jungles like Congo and Cameroon. My samples are connected to other research as well as my own. Once I’ve delivered the samples to other researchers then tested and collected their results, I’ll be emailing the results back to Africa. Their analysis will determine if I’m needed. If I’m not, it’s back to Florida and humdrum boring tests.”

“And you say about a few weeks.”

“Something like that unless we detect problems. I’ve got another small matter to attend to but that’ll only take a week or so, I hope.”
Jack didn’t press any further. Once he’d got a time-line fixed in his head he was satisfied.

“I’ll call you when I’m homeward bound.” I reassured him.