{"id":348,"date":"2001-04-09T10:17:38","date_gmt":"2001-04-09T17:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/?p=348"},"modified":"2023-06-24T00:49:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T07:49:32","slug":"marty-drexell-witness-to-the-endtimes-in-genetic-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/marty-drexell-witness-to-the-endtimes-in-genetic-material\/","title":{"rendered":"Marty Drexell: Witness To The Endtimes in &#8220;Genetic Material&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"boldgrid-section\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12 col-xs-12 col-sm-12\">\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cThanks for your time, Dr. Hutchins.\u201d Marty shuffled through the papers in his bag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">The doctor glanced up from the notebook that he was looking through, sliding his glasses down to look at Marty. \u201cIt\u2019s no problem at all, son. There\u2019s not enough time in the day for me to talk about myself and my work.\u201d He chuckled to himself, pressing the glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, and went back to skimming his notes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty finally ended his shuffling, withdrawing a pad and small tape recorder from the depths of his bag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty had been one of the star reporters at the Oberwalz University Of Fineness for nearly three years and was a state and national prize-winner for some of his stories, ranging from his article on marmoset-trading in the local Oberwalz underground to stories detailing school corruption, when the dean sold four of the dormitory buildings to pay off his gambling debts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">But, after being caught in the computer lab after-hours with his co-reporter, Lydia, in a particularly sticky situation by her father, the school\u2019s Literature professor, Marty was unceremoniously demoted from his usual stories down to second-rung filler, mainly consisting of girl\u2019s softball training reports and layouts of the next week\u2019s cafeteria menu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">And, now, here he was, late in the evening, doing an interview with the college\u2019s most notoriously flaky professor. It was his dubious task to learn about and document some of the exciting new research that Dr. Hutchins was doing in his time outside of teaching.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cSo, Doctor,\u201d Marty began, clicking his tape recorder on and checking the list of questions that he had written on his notepad, \u201chow long have you been at the school now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Dr. Hutchins tilted his head to one side and focused on Marty. \u201cMartin. You came all the way to ask me a question like that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">The abruptness of the Doctor\u2019s reply took Marty by surprise. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cYou heard me, Marty\u2026 You could have stayed at the school newspaper\u2019s office and dug up records on how long I\u2019ve been at the school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty was nearly speechless. He pressed the \u2018stop\u2019 button of the tape recorder and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. \u201cWell\u2026 That is true, Doctor. But I was given an assignment and I will follow through with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cThat\u2019s noble of you, Martin, but you can do better than that. If you want to know that I\u2019ve been here for 16 years, that\u2019s fine\u2026 But I know that you are a little more inquisitive than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, Doctor\u2026 To tell you the truth, I\u2019m a bit angry that I was stuck with this assignment. I\u2019ve helped to uncover political corruption. Now, I\u2019m helping to uncover what you\u2019re going to be teaching in class next week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, then, why don\u2019t you go on your way?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty sighed and rubbed his eyes. He looked up at Dr. Hutchins and back to his lap. Finally, after several seconds he reached back over to his tape recorder, switching it on again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cSo, exactly what is it that you do to earn your grant money, Doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">The shelves on the back wall of the laboratory slid to the side and Dr. Hutchins and Marty stepped into the dark abyss that was exposed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">There was a click and a low flicker as fluorescent lights started up slowly, gradually exposing the scene to Marty\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">At first, it was hard for him to understand what he was seeing. Then, it was hard for him to believe what he saw. The room, at first glance, was much like many other laboratories that one would see around the science department of a college campus. But, then, subtle differences started to sink it. The strange vials and jars filled with what seemed to be the fetuses of various species.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cUm\u2026 Doc, exactly what kind of research are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, Marty\u2026 I\u2019m experimenting with human cloning and hybridization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty sighed. \u201cDoc, do you realize how insane that sounds? Human cloning? Hybridization? How is it possible to clone a human being, much less start splicing genes with some other\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWarthogs. For one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">There wasn\u2019t anything that Marty could do except stare blankly for several seconds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Dr. Hutchins seemed mildly annoyed by Marty\u2019s silence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWalter!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">A shuffling noise started in the back of the room and drew closer, until Marty could see a squat, pig-nosed man wander into the light. His face was long and he had a distinct snout and ears that sat high on his head.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cYo,\u201d the thing snorted. His very human eyes caught the light and shone with a strange intelligence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWalter, I figured that it would be best for you to meet our young reporter friend here. He is welcome and is here to learn what our research is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cIs he an experiment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Walter grinned, showing glistening tusk, and Dr. Hutchins chuckled before answering. \u201cNo, Marty, he is my assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cSo\u2026 what is it that you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cThis,\u201d Hutchins said, pointing at Walter, \u201cis just one of my many glorious works.\u201d Walter emitted a snort. \u201cHe is, admittedly, one of my finer works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty looked over the cloven hooves, the gut, and the mishmash of a face and was mildly disconcerted by the news. \u201cAnd what wasn\u2019t quite up to par?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell,\u201d started Dr. Hutchins, \u201cI am mildly reluctant to show you my faulty work, but I think you are a lad of understanding and intelligence much higher than your fellows.\u201d He moved past several drop-sheet-covered containers, pulling back the coverings so that Marty could see what was underneath. And what was underneath was truly shocking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cYou see, at first I thought it was a good idea to try cross-breeding a man and a ham sandwich. In the end, it seems like a foolish idea. But you must understand, at the time, it was done with the best of intentions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWhich were?\u201d Marty raised the recorder level to the Doctor\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, to create a man who would be able to subsist off of a self-produced food supply\u2026\u201d Marty only stared. \u201cYou see, he would always have food\u2026\u201d Marty\u2019s eyes scanned over the rancid meat and bread coupled with flesh floating in the tube and was horrified. \u201cYes, I know. It wasn\u2019t very good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">The Doctor walked to the next small container. \u201cHere I created a human being with a second head, facing backwards so as to make sure that one has no objects, such as toilet paper, sticking to their shoe. It seemed like a much stronger decision at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cYou\u2019ll, of course, notice the miniscule size of the second head. It had a very limited capacity for speech, only having an ability to speak in two-syllable phrases such as \u2018hey now\u2019. I tried to correct the error, but in the end it wasn\u2019t worth the trouble to not have toilet paper stuck on your shoe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Dr. Hutchins walked to the next container and lifted up the drop sheet\u2019s edge, revealing the brown, churning goo inside. \u201cThis isn\u2019t so much an experiment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the vat where I make my Boston baked beans. Though I found that the last three batches were sentient. But I\u2019m hoping that the next batch will turn out. I\u2019ve got a contest coming up at the Oberwalz County Fair. I won for baked beans last year\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Hutchins wandered off to next container, leaving Walter and Marty to catch up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cOver here you\u2019ll see where I\u2019ve been trying to combine man with cat, so that they will be able to move faster and be stronger and more agile, but I\u2019ve found that the only real differences created have been a predilection for licking themselves, hair growth, and a fondness for climbing into automobile engines to sleep. I\u2019ve lost 4 specimens and a lovely Volkswagen Rabbit that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cDoctor, this is all fascinating,\u201d Marty interrupted, \u201cbut what exactly do you tell the school that you do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cMollusk research. No one gives a shit about those little bastards. So, no one ever stops by to check up on my work\u2026 Not that I\u2019m not prepared with the hidden laboratory and all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cSo what do you have to show for your work, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, I have my personal satisfaction and a warthog assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cIsn\u2019t there anything more to gain from all this research\u2026 as strange as it is? I mean, you\u2019re doing things that no one else has ever done\u2026 Not that they\u2019ve tried. Or would want to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell, I\u2019m hoping to one day create a legion of minions to control the world. Or, at least, do some light housework for me or wash my clothes. You can never give good housekeepers enough credit, as far as I\u2019m concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cSo what do you feel that I should write about you in my interview, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">\u201cWell,\u201d the Doctor pondered, \u201cI\u2019ve got nice shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">The Doctor was quiet for a while, before adding a request. \u201cBut, Marty, just try to keep all this genetic manipulation quiet\u2026 I\u2019ve got to pay for a new Rabbit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Two days later, Marty had the Doctor arrested. After hearing Marty\u2019s tape, the police took all of the genetic materials as evidence and social services put Walter into a foster home. Dr. Hutchins was charged with something strange involving the words \u201cnational security\u201d and \u201cplaying God\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">As amazing as the Doctor\u2019s work had seemed, Marty felt a necessity to do what was right and keep Dr. Hutchins from corrupting the human gene pool. Because, he felt, no man should be able to screw around with nature with no one watching over him. Some things in this world must be kept pure. And, plus, no more softball practice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"western custom-indent\">Marty was back on top.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThanks for your time, Dr. Hutchins.\u201d Marty shuffled through the papers in his bag. The doctor glanced up from the notebook that he was looking through, sliding his glasses down to look at Marty. \u201cIt\u2019s no problem at all, son. There\u2019s not enough time in the day for me to talk about myself and my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bgseo_title":"","bgseo_description":"","bgseo_robots_index":"index","bgseo_robots_follow":"follow","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","tag-short-fiction"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":376,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348\/revisions\/376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ryanspeck.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}