The Chimera Sequence Read Online Free Page A

South African field guides and local university publications to make up for the fact that no one cared enough about Congolese insects to merit the production of a full textbook.
    The more interesting part came next. Each little test subject was dropped in a pricey machine—kind of like a miniature food processor—and combined with just the right cocktail of chemical solutions. Turn the blender on for a few seconds, push the eject button, and out popped a one milliliter vial of genetic stew that could then be searched for any number of known and more mysterious disease agents.
    Although Cole didn’t mind the insect work, it didn’t excite him in same way as trapping and tranquilizing animals from the seemingly boundless menagerie of mammalian species endemic to the region. After nine months on site, he had obtained blood and tissue samples on everything from the tiny chisel-toothed shrew to the majestic African elephant, with a whole bunch of bizarre-looking bats and vicious little monkeys in between.
    These samples went into the same mini-food processor to produce their own molecular smoothies, and Cole had already identified some intriguing new viruses. Would one of them be responsible for humanity’s next big pandemic, just like so many others jumpstarted by the zoonotic transmission of an unknown pathogen from animals to humans? Another HIV, Ebola, or SARS? Much as he hoped not, this was exactly how it happened, time and time again. The whole point of the project was to learn about these viruses before they made the lethal jump out of their natural habitat. His role with the mountain gorillas was just icing on the cake of this whole year. An almost inaccessible dream of an experience that every animal lover, biology major, and veterinarian would have killed for, and he was right there living it.
    “We’re getting close,” Dr. Musamba said quietly.
    “I think Bonny agrees.” Cole noticed that Innocence was having a hard time keeping the strong young dog at a controlled walk as she pushed her way through a lush patch of nettles. The overwhelming scent of death was now at a gag-worthy level, but Cole was no virgin when it came to the wonders of decomposing flesh.
    He remembered two dead rhinoceroses in Kruger National Park, poached overnight for their precious horns and left to rot in the searing South African sun that faithfully rose the next morning. It was the first day of a three-week internship during his last year of vet school, and he already had a nasty case of travelers’ diarrhea. Thank you, Johannesburg street vendor, but that braai —grilled lamb chops—was definitely worth it.
    Forensic investigations can’t wait for a vet student with a weak constitution, though. So he’d jumped in a Land Cruiser with the rest of the team and bumped along twenty miles of backcountry safari track just hoping he wasn’t going to be sick and ruin an otherwise decent first impression with his veterinary idols. At about fifty yards out, a giant cloud of scavenging vultures lifted off the rhino carcasses and sent a wafting aroma that hit Cole just at the point where he couldn’t hold it in any more. Fortunately, everyone else was so intent on scoping out the surroundings that they didn’t seem to notice as he crept off into the bush to find some relief.
    That scent of the two aging rhino corpses was about equal to what Cole smelled now.
    Innocence Kambale stopped suddenly.
    “ Oh, mon Dieu .”

VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK
7:37 a.m.
    The trail opened ahead of them into another small clearing, but Cole couldn’t initially see what caused the park ranger’s uncharacteristic exclamation. He stretched to his full height, peering over the two shorter men.
    “Damn.”
    A coarsely-haired black shape lay motionless in a packed-down circle of green vegetation. There’s no way that gorilla is still alive . It would have heard them approaching and sounded the alarm long before they were close enough to get a visual. Not only