One of the most critical and fundamental needs for survival, sleep cycles gave organisms the time needed to regularly repair themselves, both mentally and physically.
When sleep cycles were interrupted, the entire system began to suffer. Permanent deprivation created serious problems in all animals, including mental functions. If the deprivation continued, the problems quickly spread down the nervous system to the cells that regulated the body and its critical organs.
But the DNA extracted in Guyana was not just healing the cells in the mice — it was doing so much too quickly. The repair normally achieved during an entire sleep cycle was now happening in a fraction of the time, causing a ripple effect throughout the rest of the body’s cells. The end result was hyperactive neurons that now refused to sleep.
And the evidence was not just in their motor skills. Clipped hair on the mice now grew back within hours. A pricked ear healed almost fast enough for Neely to watch. All of this was putting their brains into overdrive, since they were now unable to sleep, destroying themselves and the rest of their nervous systems from within.
The small satellite phone rang on the table behind her, and Neely spun around in her chair. She picked it up and studied the screen, recognizing Alison’s number.
At Will Borger’s direction, none of their phones had names assigned to the numbers, requiring them to memorize each team member’s satellite phone number. It made her feel like they were back in the 80s.
Neely picked up the handset and answered it, waiting for the small icon to appear on the screen verifying the encryption was successful. Finally, she held it to her ear. “Hi, Ali.”
“Hi, Neely. How are things?”
Neely leaned back in her chair and glanced over her right shoulder at the mice. “That’s debatable. How about with you?”
“I’m not sure either,” Alison answered. “That might depend on you.”
Neely raised her eyebrows. “I sense a surprise coming.”
“You could say that.”
On the other end, Alison lowered her phone and pushed another button. “You’re on speakerphone now, and I’m here with John, Chris, and Lee.”
“Hello, gentlemen,” Neely said aloud. “How are you feeling, Chris?”
“Well, I was feeling—”
Alison interrupted him by slapping his leg through the thin blanket.
“Good!” Chris finished. “I’m really good!”
“Glad to hear it. To what do I owe the honor of a group call?”
“You might want to sit down for this,” Alison warned.
The corner of Neely’s mouth curled. “Already taken care of.”
“Good. We need to talk to you about something. Something Lee discovered with the IMIS system.”
“Shoot.”
Alison took a deep breath. “Neely, do you remember how we talked about genetics, when you were here? And how it was possible that two species might be able to communicate?”
“I do.”
“Would you mind explaining that theory to the guys here?”
Neely absently tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “The discussion was based on the fact that much of our genetic code is shared with virtually all other animals on the planet. Even with plants, though to a lesser extent. As I told Alison, this is all covered in genetics 101. So we know that the amount of genetic differences between species can be surprisingly small, making the idea of common abilities more than possible.”
“Like communication.”
“Like communication. Assuming that specific DNA still remains common in both. My point was that if there were commonalities that once allowed a different form of communication between humans and dolphins, we may very well have evolved out of it. Or if not, the base pairs responsible for it may have been deactivated through centuries of evolution. We already know that the vast majority of DNA in our systems is inactive. Left over from a time and a world our bodies likely wouldn’t even recognize anymore.”
In the hospital room, Alison stared at the others, listening intently. She looked straight at Lee as she asked her next question. “Neely, if that were true, if a different ability for communication did exist in us at one time, how likely might it be to exist in another species as well?”
“Well, how likely would be impossible to say. We’re only talking about plausibility here. But considering how similar primates are to humans, it stands to reason that a fair amount of our junk DNA, that which has been deactivated, could also be in another species too. It would depend on where our evolution split and when.”
“And whether what was deactivated in us also got deactivated in them.”
“Exactly. Of course, communication is pretty complex, and includes areas of the brain too.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that if a common communication method was even possible, the likelihood would be strongest in brains that were most similar.”
“You mean the tri-brain theory that DeeAnn told us about.”
“Yes. Although I believe she called it the big brain trio.” This time, Neely smiled. “So, is that enough to let me in on Lee’s big new discovery?”
Alison almost laughed. “Yes. More than enough.” She paused for a moment before explaining. “We think IMIS has been translating directly between Sally and Dulce. Dolphin to gorilla.”
“Really?” Neely stood up. She stared absently out the starboard side window. The Valant oil rig could be seen clearly in the distance, towering above the blue water of the Caribbean. “Are you sure?”
“Lee’s pretty sure.”
“When did this happen?”
“It’s been going on for the last week. But it gets better. Dulce has been sneaking into the lab for longer and longer periods, yet the translations from IMIS are happening less and less.”
Neely’s interest became piqued. “Are they still talking?”
Alison watched Lee nod his head in response. “We think so.”
“Alison,” Neely said carefully. “You need to find out. And make sure. Because if they are…”
“I know,” Alison replied with a smile. “This communication-related DNA may still be alive and well in both of them.”
21
Alison hung up the phone and looked at the others.
“Well?”
“Unbelievable,” Lee breathed.
“Guys,” Chris added. “If we’re right, this… may be the greatest discovery in human history.”
She thought about Chris’s words and looked at him with amusement. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“This could be it, Ali. This could be the key to it all.”
“The key to what?” John questioned.
Alison answered him without taking her eyes off of Chris. “Instinct. It was part of Chris’s thesis.”
Chris nodded. “The theory I posited was about where instinct left off and cognition began.”
“And what was missing,” Alison added.
“And what was missing,” concurred Chris.
Clay looked at them both curiously. “Care to give us an introduction?”
“When it comes to biology,” Chris replied, “what’s referred to as instinct is still a giant unknown. The ability for animals to learn through observation is one thing. But it’s widely accepted that something else is at play, which we don’t understand. The sheer speed at which animals learn, coupled with the limited time some species spend with their parents, suggests something more. What to eat and what not to eat. How to fight, how to prey. There is a myriad of environmental variables that they cannot possibly observe in their upbringing, yet they still know what to do. It’s especially evident when animals are separated from their parents at a very young age. Somehow they still know. As if there is genetic knowledge hardwired into their genes. It’s what humans clumsily classify as instinct.”