Immunity (1)

The atmosphere was tense, as Jack, the sentry macrophage on duty glared fiercely at the trespasser.

“You can’t do anything to me,” sniggered the bacteria, waving his long pili in defiance.
Jack was new to this job. Just last week, he was still a monocyte undergoing his training course. Sure, he knew how to fire his Nitric Oxide Blaster, but that didn’t mean anything, if he couldn’t defend his area well. When he graduated just this morning, becoming a proud full-fledged macrophage, he didn’t realize that he would see action so soon. He had heard stories of brave leukocytes who fought and died in action, and had hoped to be like them one day, but inexperienced as he was, he was afraid –afraid of messing up.

Messing up would have serious consequences on the System. Depending on who the invader was, it could mean from a code red level 6 fever, to a code yellow security breech, resulting in an area inflammatory response. And it would all be his fault, all because he couldn’t do his job.

He worked for the System, and his whole life would be for the System. The system gave him life, conceived as a tiny monocyte in the Bone Marrow Centre. These Centres controlled the conception of many others like him, preparing them for their destiny in protecting the system. The system sustained him, gave him oxygen, nutrients, and even an occasional fructose treat, that he looked forward to every once in awhile.

He was shivering now, but he couldn’t let it show. He had heard trespassers enjoyed ripping macrophages from the inside if they showed any sign of fear.

He quickly scrutinized the invader, noting it’s chubby round shape and distinct attire. Teichoic acid in its jacket! It had to be from the GPC liberation army. The GPC army was part of the Gram Positive Liberation Cause (GPLC), an organization dedicated to ‘freeing the world’ through their terrorist attacks, that had brought much pain and suffering to the citizens of other tissue and organs in the System. The GPLC had another faction, the GPR Front, which was a much larger military organization. They had a massive arsenal, capable of dealing immense damage to many other regions in the System. Although the GPC was smaller, its recruits were just as powerful and lethal.

Jack took in a deep breath of oxygen to prime his mitochondria, and tried to put on a tough front. He pulled out his Nitric Oxide gun, set it on to free-radical-terminate mode, and aimed it at the insolent enemy.

“Stop now, or I’ll fire,” he commanded, in an ominous, threatening tone.

(to be continued..)