Home > The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2)(52)

The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2)(52)
Author: Michael Crichton

961   OCTCTCGGCC  CCGTGGTCCT  TTCGGGCCAT  TTTCTGCCCT  TTGGAAACTC  CGGAGGGTTT

1021  TTTGGGGGGG  GGGCGGGGGG  TTACACGGCC  CCCCCGGGGC  TGAGCCCGCA  GATTTAAATA

1081  ATAACTCTGA  CGTGGRCAAG  TGGGCCTTGC  TGAGAAGACA  GTGTAACATA  ATAATTTGCA

1141  CCTCGGCAAT  TGCAGAGOGT  CGATCTCCAC  TTTGGACACA  ACAGGGCTAC  TCGGTAGGAC

1201  CAGATAAOCA  CTTTGCTCCC  TGGACTGAAA  AAGAAAGOAT  TTATCTGTTT  GCTTCTTOCT

1261  GACAAATCCC  TGTGAAAGGT  AAAAGTCGGA  CACAGCAATC  GATTATTTCT  CGCCTGTGTG

1321  AAATTACTGT  GAATATTGTA  AATATATATA  TATATATATA  TATATCTGTA  TAGAACAGCC

1381  TCGGAGGCGG  CATGGACCCA  GCGTACATCA  TGCTGGATTT  GTACTGCCOG  AATTC

Distribution [DIS]

Wu /HQ-Ops

Lori Ruso /Prod

Venn /LLv-1

Chang /89 Pen

PRODUCTION NOTE [PNOT]

Sequence is final and approved.

"Does this have something to do with why the animals survived?" Thorne said.

"I'm not sure," Malcolm said. Was this sheet related to the final days of the manufacturing facility? Or was it just something that a worker printed out years ago, and somehow left behind?

He looked around by the printer, and found a shelved stack of sheets. Pulling them out, he discovered that they were memos. They were on faded blue paper, and they were all brief.

From: CC/D-P. Jenkins

To: H. Wu

Excess dopamine in Alpha 5 means DI receptor still not func-

tioning with desired avidity. To minimize aggressive behavior in

finished orgs must try alternate genetic backgrounds. We need

to start this today.

And again:

From: CC/D

To: H. Wu/Sup

Isolated glycogen synthase kinase-3 from Xenopus may work

better than mammalian GSK-3 alpha/beta currently in use.

Anticipate more robust establishment of dorsoventral polarity

and less early embyro wastage. Agree?

Malcolm looked at the next one:

From: Backes

To: H. Wu/Sup

Short protein fragments may be acting as prions. Sourcing

doubtful but suggest halt all exogenous protein for carniv. orgs

until origin is cleared up. Disease cannot continue!

Thorne looked over his shoulder. "Seems like they had problems," he said.

"Undoubtedly they did," Malcolm said. "It would be impossible not to have them. But the question is..."

He drifted off, staring at the next memo, which was longer.

INGEN PRODUCTION UPDATE 10/10/88 From: Lori Ruso

To: All Personnel

Subject: Low Production Yields

Recent episodes of wastage of successful live births in the

period 24-72 hours post-hatching have been traced to contami-

nation from Escherichia coli bacteria. These have cut produc-

tion yields by 60%, and arise from inadequate sterile

precautions by floor personnel, principally during Process H

(Egg Maintenance Phase, Hormone Enhancement 2G/H).

Komera swing arms have been replaced and re-sleeved on

robots 5A and 7D, but needle replacement must still be done

daily in accordance with sterile conditions (General Manual:

Guideline 5-9).

During the next production cycle (10/12-10/26) we will sacri-

fice every tenth egg at H Step to test for contamination. Begin

set-asides at once. Report all errors. Stop the line whenever

necessary until this is cleared up.

"They had problems with infection, and contamination of the production line,' Malcolm said. "And maybe other sources of contamination as well. Look at this."

He handed Thorne the next memo:

INGEN PRODUCTION UPDATE 12/18/88

From: H. Wu

To: All Personnel

Subject: DX: TAG AND RELEASE

Live births will be fitted with the new Grumbach field tags at

the earliest viable interval. Formula or other feeding within the

laboratory confines will no longer be done. The release pro-

gram is now fully operational and tracking networks are acti-

vated to monitor.

Thorne said, "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes," Malcolm said. "They were having trouble keeping the newborn animals alive, so they tagged them and released them."

"And kept track of them on some kind of network?"

"Yes. I think so."

"They set dinosaurs loose on this island?" Eddie said. "They must have been crazy."

"Desperate, is more like it , Malcolm said. "Just imagine: here's this huge expensive high-tech process, and in the end the animals are getting sick and dying. Hammond must have been furious. So they decided to get the animals out of the laboratory, and into the wild."

"But why didn't they find the cause of the sickness, why didn't they - "

"Commercial process," Malcolm said. "It's all about results. And I'm sure they thought they were keeping track of the animals, they could get them back anytime they wanted. And don't forget, it must have worked. They must have put the animals into the field, then collected them after a while, when they were older, and shipped them to Hammond's zoo."

"But not all of them...."

"We don't know everything yet," Malcolm said. "We don't know what happened here."

They went through the next doorway, and found themselves in a small, bare room, with a central bench, and lockers on the walls. Signs said OBSERVE STERILE PRECAUTIONS and MAINTAIN SK4 STANDARDS. At the end of the room was a cabinet with stacks of yellowing gowns and caps. Eddie said, "It's a changing room."

"Looks like it," Malcolm said. He opened a locker; it was empty, except for a pair of men's shoes. He opened several other lockers. They were all empty. Inside one, a sheet of paper was taped:

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