“So what is it that makes this case so unusual, doctor?” asked the captain of the Zog ship.
“Well, you know this single-celled organism that we discovered? It appears to be ‘unwell’, and yet the exact cause of the ‘ailment’ is almost impossible to determine” replied the Zog expedition’s chief scientist.
“Please, do explain further,”said the ship’s captain, genuinely interested in the life-form that they had discovered.
“As far as we can determine,” the scientist explained, “this life form contains many different molecules that interact in a unique way, sometimes according to patterns, at other times quite chaotically. We believe we have identified the molecule that controls the transfer of cell resources to those other molecules which are responsible for producing the energy that is distributed throughout the cell, enabling the complex molecules to continue to live, grow and function. Anyway, while we were observing this and getting ready to write up a report, something peculiar happened. This key molecule suddenly stopped increasing its distribution of resources to the other molecules in proportion to the needs of the energy-production molecules. Within a few cycles, the other molecules in turn ceased to produce energy for the rest of the cell. We have no explanation for what has happened.”
“Are you sure that in the process of your study you did not damage the cell or some important molecule?” the captain asked.
“Of course not!” retorted the chief scientist indignantly. “We took all the standard precautions. We simply cannot account for the behavior of the key resource-managing molecule, nor for that of the energy-producing molecules. The latter should still have had enough resources to continue producing energy for the cell, yet all their energy-producing activity has stopped.”
“Perhaps they are on strike,” quipped the captain.
“Hmm! Must you be so crudely zogomorphic?” the scientist replied, becoming even more indignant. “This is a serious matter. This situation has already been going on for 40 cycles, so the very existence of the life form may soon be at stake.”
“Well, if it is a matter of life or death, then you must intervene,” the captain said. “Do you have any suggestions, any intervention that you may be able to propose to remedy the situation?”
“There is one thing,” said the scientist. “We observed in other parts of the cell and in other molecular functions a remarkable characteristic of this entity. When a molecule is removed or deteriorates, another molecule is found or produced to replace it. This suggests that, were we to remove the key resource-distribution molecule that appears to be the cause of the problem, it will be replaced with a healthy, effective one, and then everything should return to normal.”
“Please doctor, do try it. It is our ethical duty,”said the captain.
“OK, I’ll send in a nano-probe with nano-tweezers, and…”
Meanwhile, on earth:
NEWS FLASH
The workers’ strike that has been continuing non-stop for the past 40 days at the World Energy Production Center ended abruptly today when the Center’s director, who had refused to give in to workers’ demands for an increase in salary, suddenly vanished from his office.
The director’s secretary, who was the only eye-witness, is being subjected to psychiatric evaluation. Her remarkable account of events is that the director, Mr. Evan Jones, was pacing around his office when what looked like giant tweezers came through the window, grabbed Mr. Jones and carried him off out of sight.
Meanwhile, the head of the Energy Workers’ Union, Mr. Stephen Simms, had this to say: “We consider this a satisfactory, if somewhat surprising, resolution to the crisis.” When asked if he had any explanation to offer regarding this strange account of Mr. Jones’ disappearance, he replied: “I guess somebody up there likes us.”
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