Batata-wada

Peter was slouching on his desk resisting all attempts from Kromanyev.
Kromanyev:(Frustrated) We must evacuate right now
Peter:(Looking up from his desk) I am not leaving these children here to die, you know.
Kromanyev: But you must understand, by staying here you are only inviting danger to yourself
Peter: I dont care. I just can't leave them like this.
Sankar: Peter, I think he is right. We must leave, or else we will perish with these children
Peter: You too? Oh common... You have helped me in my research for so long, and yet you dont have any trust, any confidence in me? I always felt that you loved this work just as much as I do. How can you desert all this now.
Sankar: No Peter, I love my work as much as you, but frankly I dont think we can achieve anything in such a short duration. The cells will burst anytime now. And if even a single nuclei meets the air its going to wreck havoc. And you know that.
Kromanyev: And if you die then I am going to be held responsible for the security lapse. you must come with me right now.
Peter: Oh shut up shut up... Both of you, just thinking of your own selves. Look at these children. Can you sleep at night even if you stay alive. Wont these faces haunt you day and night. You go if you can stand it. I will not go without curing these children, you know.
Kromanyev: But doctor...
Peter: Just leave

(6 months ago)

Peter: Martha!! Martha!! Where are you?
Martha: In the kitched dear.
Peter: HE HE! Guess what! You are looking at the new head of research for National Food Foundation. Tang da-tang.
Martha: O My god!! You got a promotion. Mmmmmm. I love you.
Peter: Mmmmm. I love you too.
Martha: All your hard work finally paid off. So, where do we go for celebrations?
Peter: Oh well, Sankar and the whole bunch have made some arrangements for a party, you know. We have to be there at the Gala international by 8. So get ready.

(On the way to the hotel)
(Peter is humming...)
Martha: So are we still going to stay here in Rahili or move out?
Peter: Hey... The Food Foundation is here. How can we shift? In any case, dont you like it here? Such nice villages bordering this town, such nice people around this town, you know. What's bothering you here?
Martha: I know! But still this is not the best part of Cremnick. I want to see all the nice places of Cremnick. You know I have not been to so many places, and after marriage I have just stayed with you.
Peter: Yeah right. Dont start again. Tonight's the big night, you know. And what's there to see in Cremnick. Its a small provicial country. You have already seen the two biggest cities. There's no other bigger city than yout birthplace you know.
Martha: Hmmmm..
Peter: Oh ok... Cheer up... You know what. We will go on a vacation once my project is over.
Martha: Hmmmmm.... Hey, there's Geeta. Sankar and Geeta look happy. I adore these people.
Peter: So do I, you know.

(About 3 weeks later)
Sankar: Rachel, boss is calling you. Seems to be in a foul mood today.
Rachel: Why? What happened?
(Sankar gestures unawareness)

Peter: Why are these tests not completed? They were supposed to be completed last week.
Rachel: I... I... I was on leave.
Peter: What the hell for?
Rachel: I will complete them today. I am already halfway there.
Peter: Deadlines. Deadlines Rachel. Deadline. We need to meet those, you know. Please complete it ASAP and let me know the status. No going home without that.
Rachel: Right boss.
(Rachel leaving)
Peter: Oh and hey, am sorry for shouting at you.
Rachel: Not a problem.

(Outside)
Rachel: He kroma dear. How's you... mmm Those meaty shoulder's lloking extra meaty today. Did 100 extra push-ups eh (winking).
Kromanyev: (blushing) O common. Just do your work and let a honest man do his.
Rachel: C ya

Kromanyev: Boss, there's some press crew waiting outside. Would you like to see them?
Peter: Ask them to wait will you. Am just finishin' up.
(Kromanyev nods and leaves)

(after a few minutes.. outside the building)
Press Crew: So what is this project all about?
(shrill voice) What's the budget?
Peter: Hi!! Good morning. We at National Food Foundation are researching on a new way of modifying farm production. If you ladies and gentlemen are aware, all of us contain DNA's that give us our individual self in the living world. The deoxy-ribo-nucleic acids as these are called, are basically chains of protein molecules that define which hormones get secrete d more and how it affects our bodies. Same holds true for plants as well. If you look at this picture over here, the DNA is like a set of spirals interlinked.
(Shrill voice): Are these from twins??
Peter: Oh no no.. This is actually one set of DNA from one living being. These are not twins. Well, so as i was saying, these links are what interested us and we are trying to find a way to play around with these links and develop farm produc4e that is better tasting and faster yielding, so that the food shrtage is eliminated.
(Lady from press): What's the budget you are looking at?
Peter: Well this is all experimental stuff. And Govt has not yet declared any budgets. But we have got a sponsorship from a well know fast food giant to produce potatoes that are perfect in shape and size with as little variance as possible. Since its a privately funded project I can't really expose the budget.
Kromanyev: And that would be all for today. Thankyou gentlemen. Thankyou. No please, no more questions. The doctor has a lot of work.


The test had been successful and the first test crop on earth was sowed on 6th August 1978. Ofcourse there had been a simulated test in laboratory conditions, but this was different as it was open to environment and natural soils. Peter and his team had been monitoring the growth for the last couple of weeks.
On 23rd September, a group of young children had bunked school and while roaming around had gone near the potato fields. The potatoes had probably charmed them, and they had eaten a few after burning a fire. Peter's monitoring team had caught hold of them after seeing the fire. And while these children were still being chided for stealing, their hands and feet started trembling. The tremble was more than what could be caused by the chiding from the team. And that is when it was discovered that Peter had unleashed what was possibly the most dreadful viral attack. The potatoes although transformed in shape looked better but they had become unstable and had been attacked by a virus. This virus was fast replicating in the children.
On 24th September after a full night of testing and re-testing, Peter had found that the nuclei of all the muscle cells had the virus in them, and the increased replication activity and the heat it produced were going to burst the cells. The virus had become resistant to human immune system through these chain of events and was now fatal to any human being who would come in contact with the virus through air,water or any other means.

Sankar: Fine. I will stay with Peter. But I still can't figure out how or what we can do to save these children now.
(Kromanyev leaves despaired)
Peter: We need to revert the effects Sankar. Whatever we need to do to achieve this, we must do.
(Peter's Mobile rings)
Peter: Hello. No I can't come. No you must leave without me. Try and understand, I love you too, but thisi s my duty. These innocent children are my responsibilities. I have to stay. No. No. No Martha, you must leave. Don't you... What.. No... hello.. helloo... Oh God damn it. Okay, so first we get a list of all the changes we did in the potato and try and reverse it. Then we use the same methods and try and reverse the imapct of the kids. Right?
Sankar: Hmmm... Will it work? I mean wha about the acids, the high rpm's that are required for the spread. How are we going to achieve this with these children.
Peter: No we dont follow the exact same process, we will make another potatoe that will fight this virus.
Sankar: Huh... fight virus? how?
Peter: I dont know. We need to do it. Let's get down to work.