Conversations with Critters
Walk with the animals. Talk with the animals. And the highly anticipated release of Chapter 5 of The Case of the Jumping Gene!
Today Critters, we are not going to ask you to upgrade to a paid subscription if you haven’t already, but we do need a penny for Jasper Kitten’s thoughts as we present to you the highly anticipated release of Chapter 5 of The Case of the Jumping Gene! Brought to you by the incredible J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency!
Previously! We heard glass shatter and metal clatter and a cry rang out from Jasper Kitten in the laboratory! The hallway with the freed Ginormous Group filled with smoke! No sooner did Jasper Kitten crack the genetic code of domestic cat color, but…
Now! In a race against time, can he reverse the damage that has been done to Rufus Sub One through Ninety-nine at the Bio Lab and really and truly crack the case wide open open open?
Please, welcome our Core Community Critters, Jasper Kitten, Chris and Jojo in excellent everything is chemistry critter commentary and conversation. Take it away!
Jasper: Hello and welcome back, Dear Gentle Critters and Dear Gentle Readers! Question: How will our hero Critter Detectives pay it forward?
Chris: Welcome, Friends! Next question: Does our intrepid Orange Sleuth have deep deep pockets?
Jojo: Hello, Everyone! Last question: Even though I’m an optimist, is a penny really going to be enough?
THE CASE OF THE JUMPING GENE
BOOK 3 FROM THE J KITTEN, SLEUTH & PURVEYOR OF BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS DETECTIVE AGENCY
BY JASPER KITTEN, CHRIS, JOJO AND STAR IN HEAVEN FUREVER AND EVER
DEDICATED IN LUVLUVLUVING MEMORY OF STAR
CHAPTER 5
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
Acrid smoke billowed into the corridor and the echo of Jasper Kitten’s cry continued to surge toward the Ginormous Group.
“Wait here!” bark bark barked Jojo and sprinted ahead, calling over his shoulder, “Officers Clementine and Petal, stay with the Ginormous Group! Safety. Is. Paramount!”
He banked hard into the laboratory, dodging shards of glass on the floor. Across the room, Jasper Kitten stood behind the workbench with a large test tube clasped and grasped in his white gloved paws, a single but significant flame shooting upwards toward the ceiling.
Star and Chris huddled with Jojo as the Critter Detectives faced the latest fiery conflagration, unflinching.
“Chris, out of an abundance of caution, you must stand back immediately,” called Jasper Kitten, his lab coat splattered with Orange liquid. “The effects of the catalyzed and synthesized solution could be detrimental and turn you from gray and white to Orange. I cannot be sure, at this preliminary stage of my experimental experiment, if I can reverse the bioengineered pigmentary pathway. If. I. Can. Reverse. The. Orange.”
Jasper Kitten and Chris locked eyes and without hesitation, propelled by the power of his toebeans, Chris leapt back.
“Why, do you mean…,” he growled, low and slow.
“Gosh, are you saying…,” gasped Star.
“Yes. Exactly. We could very well be dealing with a transposon. A. Jumping. Gene.”
“A transposon!” barked Star.
“Yes, a transposon,” affirmed Jasper Kitten.
“Gosh, Jasper Kitten, this jumping gene business is nothing to mess around with!” cried Star.
“It certainly is not, Star. You see, genes can jump to different positions within a genome, within the entire genetic makeup of a Critter,” he said. “If my instincts serve me correctly, this is the mechanism that has been utilized by the Experimental Experimenter to turn the Rufus Subset fully and completely Orange.”
“You mean like the way I jumped several feet back from you?” asked Chris. “I’m still in the room, but in a different part of it? And I’ve changed and reconfigured the dynamic? Now there’s something new in the mix?”
“Correct, Chris. If I get this right then the modified and manipulated mutation that was inserted into the Rufus Subset X chromosomes and activated the Arhgap36 gene to turn them all Orange can be and will be undone. Displaced.”
“Jasper Kitten,” barked Jojo, “so, the Experimental Experimenter hijacked the true function of a jumping gene which creates genetic variety? Instead, they bioengineered the process and transposed or moved an Orange gene and made everyone the same?”
“Exactly, Jojo,” replied Jasper Kitten.
“Why, you’ll restore the natural color of each individual,” growled Chris, loud and proud. “This is no mere theoretical conjecture, Jasper Kitten.”
“Correct, Chris. But. We need it to work in practice,” apprised Jasper Kitten.
Jasper Kitten took the penny out of his pocket and considered the copper as a catalyzing agent. He turned it over several times in his white gloved paw, first heads, then tails.
“Critters, I need each and every one of you to stand back. This could be risky to everyone in the room,” he advised.
“Jasper Kitten, if you blow up the lab then your own safety is at risk!” barked Jojo.
“Yes, Jojo,” he mewed. “I promise to be careful, very very careful.”
He dropped the coin into the flaming test tube. Sparks started to fly. But. No glass shattered. No metal clattered. He held on tight, his claws came out and the heat intensified to the touch of his toebeans on the test tube. Then and only then did the flame sputter and die out.
Jasper Kitten held the test tube in front of his furrowed brow, his eyes wide with awe and amazement at the clear and cool Orange solution.
“Critters!” he cried with a renewed confidence. “The properties of the copper contained within the penny have in fact provided the proper and necessary catalyst for the experimental experiment!”
“Why, it’s a scientific triumph, Jasper Kitten,” growled Chris, loud and proud. “And. I’m. Still. Gray. And. White.”
“Correct, Chris. No change there,” concurred Jasper Kitten.
“Gosh and oh my goodness, you’ve catalyzed and synthesized the Orange Elixir!” barked Star.
“Yes, I see, Star,” mewed Jasper Kitten. “This is the necessary and proper Orange Elixir to crack this case wide open if and only if my instincts have served me correctly. After all, everything is chemistry.”
Jasper Kitten rested his white gloved paws on the tabletop, his claws retracted and the stripes of his brow unfurrowed and relaxed back into a symmetrical pattern.
“Jasper Kitten!” bark bark barked Jojo. “Are we good to go with the Ginormous Group genetic domestic cat coat restoration at this critical juncture in the investigation?”
“Yes, Jojo. Please. Proceed,” he replied.
Jojo returned to the corridor, the smoke now dissipated, and assessed the situation and patience of the waiting Critters, Rufus Sub One through Ninety-nine. They continued to remain calm, assembled in numerical order yet eager to advance well beyond the confines, the restrictions and the wholly unnatural, uncomfortable habitation of the Bio Lab on all of its notorious levels.
“Officers Clementine and Petal, you have provided an excellent service here in the corridor at this critical juncture of the investigation and Jasper Kitten’s experimental experiment. Thank you for maintaining order during this time, but now, please proceed ahead of the Ginormous Group and thoroughly clean up any and all glass that shattered and metal that clattered and restore the laboratory to a safe condition,” he requested.
“Roger that, Ret. Sgt. Det. Jojo,” they saluted.
“Furthermore, when you have completed this current and imperative clean up task, please return here and give the paws up signal.”
“On it, Ret. Sgt. Det. Jojo,” they replied, charging ahead.
They passed Chris as they crossed the threshold into the laboratory and saluted him, his olfactory sensitivities on the highest alert.
“Thank you, Officers Clementine and Petal, for your assistance in restoring the laboratory to a clean and safe condition,” he praised them. “My olfactory senses detect a large organized supply of stored kibble here in the basement level of the Bio Lab. I am going to investigate. Cuz. We gotta eat.”
The Serval Officers stepped into the laboratory and Chris set off down the corridor, greeting the Ginormous Group along the way and giving them all assurances of a return to their natural state plus a full and nutritious meal in the near future.
“Rufus Sub One through Rufus Ninety-nine,” he said in salutation, “please, let me assure you, based on the scientific method of experimentation, that Jasper Kitten has succeeded in catalyzing and synthesizing the required genetic substance to restore your true coats. Furthermore. I expect to have success in tap tap tapping into the stored supply of Bio Lab kibble. Cuz. You’re gonna eat.”
Purrs arose among the Ginormous Group as Chris concluded his definitive statement on seeking and finding the food supply. He gave them a nod in the affirmative and pounced forward, toward the source of the kibble based scent.
Meanwhile, back in the laboratory, Jasper Kitten, with the assistance of Star and her cinnamon brown paws, prepared rows of small beakers, from one to ninety-nine, filled with the precise, measured milliliters of the Orange solution.
“Ready,” he mewed.
Clementine and Petal concluded their clean up and with a nod from Jasper Kitten, returned to the Ginormous Group and ushered them into the laboratory.
“Rufus Sub One through Rufus Sub Ninety-nine,” announced Jasper Kitten.
“According to my calculations which are based on your size and weight range specific to domestic cats, Star and I have prepared each of these small beakers with a ten milliliter Orange solution. This is the precise dose needed to return the DNA on your X chromosomes to a proper natural condition, displacing the mutation which has caused you to turn Orange.”
“How certain of this are you, Jasper Kitten?” asked Rufus Sub One, stepping into the laboratory.
“Thank you for the question, Rufus Sub One,” replied Jasper Kitten. “Please, let me assure you and the entire Ginormous Group that all indications from running the experimental experiment are quite favorable for a positive outcome. I am sensitive to and aware of your concern and even your skepticism based on your history of enduring experimentations. Please, bear with me.”
“You are our greatest hope, Jasper Kitten,” consented Rufus Sub One, the entire Ginormous Group nodding in the affirmative with her.
“Your trust in the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency is held in the highest esteem and confidence,” replied Jasper Kitten. “Time continues to be of the essence. Please, let us now proceed.”
“Ready,” stated Rufus Sub One.
Jasper Kitten lifted the first beaker and Rufus Sub One padded up to him. She received the beaker in her toebeans carefully, very carefully and drank the Orange liquid. Her whiskers twitched and she let out a subtle but nevertheless distinct purr.
The Ginormous Group shivered and shook in anticipation. They waited. They watched. And they wished for the best possible outcome. Rufus Sub One stood still. Her whiskers relaxed.
“Gosh, Jasper Kitten,” barked Star under her breath, “how long do you think it will take?”
“I’m not sure, Star,” he mewed. “We must be vigilant and patient and titrate to effect if needed. I remain confident in our dosage calculations.”
Rufus Sub One felt a shift and a genetic drift in her system. Her vision blurred. She looked at Jasper Kitten and Star, the beakers of Orange liquid and the workbench itself, all distorted like reflections in a house of mirrors, compressed and stretched.
She blinked in rapid succession, the room tilted and slanted, and she closed her eyes with a deep deep sigh. When she opened them again, the room looked crystal clear, the colors vivid and bright against her coat, shining and striking in black and white.
“It’s a miracle, Jasper Kitten! You’ve given us the greatest gift!” cried Rufus Sub One.
The Ginormous Group jostled and pushed forward, the mayhem controlled only by the quick first response of Jojo, Clementine and Petal.
“Please, my friends. One. At. A. Time,” directed Jojo. “Please. Maintain. Order.”
Jasper Kitten remained focused on the beakers and the specific effective ten milliliter dose of Orange solution about to be dispensed to each Rufus Subset.
“Rufus Sub One through Ninety-nine,” he mewed, “we have hit upon the winning formula to displace the genetic mutation which causes domestic cat coats to turn Orange. Your very own DNA on your X chromosome will be reactivated. In a short amount of time, each of you will be transformed back to your natural state.”
Cheers and purrs resounded in the laboratory and Jasper Kitten held up a white gloved paw to quiet the Ginormous Group.
“But Critters, this is only the first hop, the first skip and the first jump toward freedom. After everyone has been treated with the Orange reversing solution, we must get all of you out of the Bio Lab to safety. And to reassure each and every ninety-nine of you, the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency is at your service.” Jasper Kitten swatted the air with a white gloved paw and held up the next beaker.
Another cheer rang out and then settled into a hum and a thrum of purrs.
Rufus Sub Two padded forward and took the beaker in his toebeans and knocked it back with a grimace and a slight hiss. One by one, the Ginormous Group stepped up, the transformations unfolding before their very eyes with shivers and shakes. Vocalizations. Purrs plus hisses. The twitch of a whisker here and the twitch of a whisker there. Sighs. Blinks. Blurred vision.
Down to the last beaker and down to the last drop, the room filled with cats in a variety of colors with the exception of one Orange domestic feline and one Orange domestic feline only, Jasper Kitten. Sleuth.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Poetry with Pets
Copper catalyst
Domestic Orange feline
Change the dynamic
By Jasper Kitten, Chris & Jojo
Critters! Catch up on all of the mystery and adventure with The Case of the Jumping Gene! Book Number 3! Brought to you by the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency!
Chap. 1🐾Chap. 2🐾Chap. 3🐾Chap. 4
Critters! Catch up on all of the mystery and adventure with The Case of the Bowled Over Bowler Hat! Book Number 2!
Chap. 1🐾Chap. 2🐾Chap. 3🐾Chap. 4🐾Chap. 5🐾Chap. 6🐾Chap.7🐾Chap. 8🐾Chap. 9🐾Chap. 10🐾Chap. 11🐾Chap. 12🐾Chap. 13🐾Chap. 14🐾Chap. 15🐾Chap. 16🐾Chap. 17🐾Chap. 18🐾Chap. 19🐾Chap. 20
The Case of the Misplaced Priority Envelope! Book Number 1!
Chap. 1🐾Chap. 2🐾Chap. 3🐾Chap. 4🐾Chap. 5🐾Chap. 6🐾Chap. 7🐾Chap. 8🐾Chap. 9🐾Chap. 10🐾Chap. 11🐾Chap. 12🐾Chap. 13🐾Chap.14🐾Chap. 15🐾Chap. 16🐾Chap. 17🐾Chap. 18🐾Chap. 19🐾Chap. 20
The Case of the Misplaced Priority Envelope
A new word learned today: transposon. I had not heard of this before. I like the coppery twist with the penny, as well, Heidi. Fun chapter!
Ooh this was like a magic spell transforming their coats! Luv luv luv this chapter! So much success. Well done, Critters!