Prime Slime

Upon arriving at the Biology Department, Evan witnessed something that touched his heart. The entire University Hospital was focused on his invention.

A caravan of Army trucks were parked on the street in front of the lab. On the walkway, Evan passed a corporal carrying two sealed plastic buckets, one in each hand, headed for the trucks. He saluted the soldier as they passed, while giving thanks to those who defend the country.

Receiving him at the doorstop was the same pesky newspaper reporter; this time with a smile on his face.

“What a story! Scientist redeems himself! Kills monster he created!”

“After dealing with his own monsters,” Evan added.

“Great angle! Scientist counters slime, inside and out,” the reporter offered. The events of the summer made a man out of Lucian, and it showed.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Evan assured him.

“I’d love the scoop.”

“It’s yours, after Prime Slime is destroyed. You have enough now to write about. So, excuse me, please.” Evan turned on his heels and made a beeline inside.

The lab had been transformed for the mass production of MIFF. As many as a dozen batches were being produced at any one time. The place was teeming with scientists, but Terri and Dexter were in command. They were motivated to defeat Prime Slime and clear Evan’s name.

Already a good drug, MIFF underwent further improvements before starting full-scale production. It had to be purified further to be maximally effective and minimally toxic.

Peering into one of the buckets, Evan noticed the difference. The yellow powder was much finer, with no trace of the sulfur smell. He donned a gown, mask, and gloves, and joined his students in the greenhouse.

“You guys have been making progress, I see.”

“Hey, Chief!” they responded in unison.

Dexter continued: “Yes, by purifying it further, we eliminated the odor and nearly doubled the potency.” Evan realized that MIFF was no longer being his baby.

“Check out our latest experiment,” Terri said. The scientists inspected a dozen, potted pepper plants. “These conventionally-grown plants were infected with Prime Slime, then sprayed with MIFF at different concentrations 15 minutes later. At 24 hours, even plants treated with the smallest of MIFF remained beautiful. Well, as beautiful as conventional plants get.”

“It’s amazing! I don’t smell a thing!” Evan said. He plucked a pepper and ate it. “How did you do it?”

“It needed a couple extra rinses to wash out the impurities, Dexter instructed. “The extra steps improved activity while reducing smell and toxicity. No other alterations were necessary.”

“That’s fantastic!” Evan exclaimed, feeling very proud.

“MIFF is now more stable and water soluble,” Dexter noted.

“Those are important improvements. And, just in time.”

“The Feds are shipping this stuff to the front lines as quickly as we make it,” Terri added. “Every scientist at Burrstone is committed to this.” Evan turned to acknowledge some of his colleagues. They greeted him warmly in return.

Much had transpired in the time Evan was away. They perfected the technology, assembled a team of scientists to mass produce it, and engaged the military to distribute it. The weight was no longer on Evan’s shoulders. In fact, he was not even needed.

“When does Plan B take effect?” Evan asked.

“Tonight,” Terri replied. “They’re loading crop dusters for aerial spraying.”

“It will take a large fleet to nip this thing quickly.”

“Ready to go,” Dexter responded. “The Commander in Chief gave the order today.”

“Wow, that guy isn’t so stupid after all,” Evan remarked. “We’ll just have to save the country for him.”

“And your reputation,” Terri said.

“You warned repeatedly of the dangers,” Dexter noted.

“Your intent was to do good,” Terri added.

“I’m OK with it,” Evan responded, as he reflected on this amazing journey and the wonderful people who were part of it. “Stuff happens in spite of our intentions. It’s a comedy of errors. Still, I should have been watching you guys more closely.”

“You had little to do with this!” Dexter stated adamantly.

“We caused the mess and we’re determined to resolve it!” Terri assured him. They looked at each other, and then at Evan.

“Your anti-biofilm compound is now our only hope.”

“You mean our anti-biofilm compound,” Evan insisted.

“We’ll beat this thing!” Terri uttered. “We’ve already made enough MIFF to begin spraying, but we’re making more for later. I must say, we’re getting pretty good at it.”

Evan pondered his great fortune. He discovered something important, and was blessed with a great supporting cast. Success was much sweeter with Nan, George, Terri, and Dexter in his life. His students were like his children; like extensions of himself. They were the true fruits of his labor. In turn, they bore more fruit. Grooming the next generation was a big part of the process.

“It won’t be long,” Dexter confirmed. “The Feds are on it.”

Aligned in spirit, the scientists fled to Evan’s office to catch the latest news. Fortissimo’s armies had made little progress. Their weapons were useless against Prime Slime, especially in the rain and rivers. Swarms of crop devastation traveled up river valleys, and in areas of precipitation. Farm after farm had fallen to ruin. Prime Slime was creeping southeast toward the Florida citrus crop, and northwest toward Iowa corn. Southern cotton was also in peril.

Newscasters were also reporting rampant chaos in stores across the Southeast and Midwest. Inventories were precariously low in certain regions. Food available was overpriced, picked unripe and tasteless. People fought tooth-and-nail for scraps, and dug through trash for food. Millions of Americans were affected.

The poor were hit hardest, as usual. They flooded hospitals, health clinics, food pantries and churches across the eastern US, looking for food and medicine. Petty crime rose precipitously, as desperate people took desperate measures.

Fortunately, good citizens everywhere stepped up to help the needy. Money, clothing and food were donated in record proportions. Many young people volunteered their time to help the elderly and farm animals. They unshackled cattle and chickens in factory farms and led them to fertile pastures. They rescued abandoned animals and those left starving in cages. Truckloads of pet food were donated to the cause.

By necessity, much of that animal feed was diverted for human consumption, leaving farm animals to starve. And, many of the animals were slaughtered prematurely to provide more food. As usual, they were low on the food chain.

Fortunately, organic farms were unaffected. The organic movement had been growing steadily for years, so there was wholesome food available. The federal government bought much of it, and rationed it in affected areas. It wasn’t substantial, but it helped supplement the food supply. And, it was tasty.

All food was once organic. Lately it had become a luxury affordable only to the privileged. It came to symbolize the disparity between rich and poor, which was not what the green movement intended. Holistic health was supposed to be for everyone, but was out of reach for those who needed it most.

Fortunately, with government intervention and charitable donations, organic food was reaching further. For many, it was their first taste of the stuff.

Frankly, it didn’t matter where the food came from. When you’re starving, all of it counts. Farmers worldwide, organic or not, had increased food donations to charity. It was all good.

They were making do, but the country could not handle much more destruction. Roughly half of the crop east of the Mississippi was already lost, and slime was spreading in every which way.

With little to show for their efforts, the pressure was on the Feds to rethink their strategy. They could no longer justify using weapons that did not work. So, Plan B was quickly adopted. That put the focus immediately on Dr. Lucian and Burrstone.

To make sure they were on the same page, General Fortissimo scheduled a videoconference with Evan. His students and several colleagues stood by.

“We’re gonna give your concoction a whirl, Doc.” The general’s voice was gruff, but warm.

“At your service, sir!” Evan replied.

“Do we have everything we need?”

“I believe so, sir. Let me defer to my students.”

Dexter was eager to comply. “Several hundred pounds of MIFF have gone out to each of dozens of outposts in affected areas. And, we’re making more.”

“Excellent! Instructions have been relayed to all personnel. Aerial spraying begins at nine PM sharp. Aircraft with light-sensitive equipment will direct crop dusters towards the edges.”

“It should be fairly visible to the naked eye, sir.”

“This is a large operation, son. We need to see the big picture.”

“Also, refrain from spraying into the light. Just coat the outside perimeter, roughly 20 yards deep.”

“Tell me once more, why not go for the bull’s eye?”

“There’s only enough agent to keep the slime from spreading, not to kill it. Eventually it will burn itself out, sir.” Dexter had been through this once, already.

“Plus, the land is already contaminated,” Terri added. “Our MIFF compound won’t add to the toxicity if used wisely.”

“And the rivers,” the General continued, “your instructions are to spray MIFF along the banks, again in 20-yard swaths.”

“That’s good for starters,” Terri instructed. “We’ll see how that works out.”

“Meanwhile, keep attacking at night until the light goes completely out,” Evan stressed.

“That’s all there is to it?” asked the General.

“There’s bound to be numerous cracks in the MIFF containment wall,” Dexter warned.

“Prime Slime is highly contagious. The rain, wind and waterways will promote its spread,” Terri added.

“Just keep it contained,” Dexter insisted.

“When you need more MIFF, we’ll have it there for you,” Terry assured him. Though surrounded by mentors, professors and generals, these youngsters were completely in charge.

“All I can say is, this better work, or we’re in deep doodoo.”

“Be patient, sir,” Evan assured him. “This will take time.”

That evening, Operation MIFF began. The powder was shipped to the battle lines, diluted in water for hand sprayers, and added to oil suspensions to load the crop dusters. It was like an army of hi-tech firemen, all with their spray gadgets.

The MIFF aerial fleet was extensive. Some of the planes flew under the Air Force or USDA banner, and hundreds of Army helicopters participated. They sprayed the periphery of Prime Slime luminescence by night, encircling all areas of infestation. At higher elevations, helicopters with light-sensitive cameras surveyed for changes in light patterns. The digital data were relayed to a centralized computer system. Crop duster pilots used those computer maps to direct aerial spraying.

With one successive application after another, the spread of Prime Slime was curtailed. It continued to fester and occasionally escaped, only to be contained once more. Helicopter surveillance continued long after the scourge abated.

Meanwhile, a large chunk of the US crop had been razed to the ground, as the slime took no prisoners. Satellite views of the earth showed the extent of the devastation, with much of the eastern US lit up in neon green.

Eventually, areas destroyed by Prime Slime became fertile again. Indeed, they were especially fertile–much like after a forest fire–since more carbon and minerals were available for new growth. Prime Slime was dead, but life sprang eternal.

George Green likened these phenomena to a compost pile, where microbes break down matter to its simplest state, to be recycled again. But Prime Slime needed only a few days to do what compost piles took months to do. Nevertheless, it would take years for these lands to be truly organic, due to all the toxins applied. At least they were on the right track.

Operation MIFF saved the remaining crop and restored order in the heartland, and around the world. Food was scarce, but the hunger and panic abated as more relief shipments arrived. Europe was especially helpful. Third world countries, which had received much aid from the US, were now coming to its aid. All our generosity was now paying dividends.

As for Evan and his students, their efforts did not go unnoticed. Despite creating the monster, they were regarded as heroes. Evan was elevated to superhuman status. He had become a regular on talk shows, and signed autographs in the streets.

Everything led up to this moment. The world had shifted, and Evan was primed to stand up for what was right. With the spotlight squarely on him, he took the opportunity to educate the masses.

Evan called on citizens not to support products or institutions that compromised quality and put people at risk. He decried the death of the corporate model that placed profit above health.

“Contact your representatives!” Evan implored. “Tell them you are tired of being a dupe for the corporations!

“Attune yourself to healthy living and avoid toxicity!

“Buy local and support the organic revolution!

“Help us return this country to health!”

Nan and George were also part of the entourage, and were asked to speak on their areas of expertise. George had become the leading authority on organic farming, and Nan on sound nutrition.

On TV, radio, and in popular magazines, George instructed farmers to forego synthetic fertilizer, and apply compost instead. He also recommended adding rock dust, compost tea and earthworms to enrich the soil.

Nan pointed to all the nutrients missing on conventional farms, and its link to modern diseases. She also recommended using healthy food and supplements to replenish these nutrients, before resorting to expensive drugs that merely hid disease symptoms.

Together, they helped make the connection between the health of the soil and the health of its people. Their efforts elevated Evan to even greater acclaim and influence. Terri and Dexter were also eager to tell Evan’s story, but were working overtime in the lab to keep MIFF moving forward.

The lab had become somewhat of a historic site, and was being visited by journalists, dignitaries and other curious sorts. There was even a Hollywood executive, who envisioned a blockbuster movie. Something like this attracts all kinds of opportunists.

To Evan, Prime Slime was also an opportunist. It did not cause the problem, but rather exploited it. The real problem was the lack of quality in farming and medicine, which stemmed from greed and ignorance.

Evan had become quite fearless. He publicly accused corporations and politicians of exploiting the masses for profit and power. But, his focus was on regular citizens, who allowed this to happen. He warned that we can’t keep cutting corners and removing the quality from things–especially our food–without consequences. The age of accountability was at hand.

Dr. Lucian became so popular that the Feds had to make him official. He was summarily appointed Public Advocate and Senior Consultant for the USDA. He was also asked to address Congress on the future of health care and agriculture, to be televised worldwide. Evan made sure George and Nan also spoke at the event. Together, they would help restore quality and integrity to the American dream.