ArchivedLogs:Increased Awareness

Increased Awareness
Dramatis Personae Dani, Hercules, Jack, Marinov
In Absentia	2016-01-27 "Sometimes the rewards beat out the risks, and this kinda thing is just another risk."
Location <XS> Classroom One
Desks arranged into neat rows make up this, a fairly typical classroom. Chalkboard in front, teacher's desk in front of that. Windows along one wall look out on the grounds, providing plenty of opportunity for distraction for daydreaming students. The heat is on and the classroom is hot. The door was propped open, but the noise from the foyer was too distracting so it had to be closed. Professor Moonstar wears mocassin boots, worn jeans, and a deerskin vest. A thin strip of leather adorned with turquoise beads is tied to her right bicep. “Yesterday,” the X-Woman prowls back and forth at the front of the class, lifting up a stack of papers. Licking her thumb, she casually passes between the desks to pass them out, “We discussed forms of power that we have that do not include mutation and someone brought up GMO /crops/ which you guys seemed pretty wholeheartedly against. The first article that I’m handing out-” She pauses to hand out the staples papers, “-is about something called the ‘Zika Virus,’ which is currently devastating South America and Mexico. The second is about genetically modified mosquitos that have been released to combat it. Now, when female mosquitoes mate with these GMO males, they lay eggs that hatch but the larvae die before adulthood.” Crossing back to the front of the room, Dani plucks up a piece of chalk. She scrawls, ‘Z-I-K-A.,’ across the top of the chalkboard, “I’ll give you, let’s say, ten-fifteen minutes to read through them. Then, we’ll open the floor to discussion. /Remember to respect each other./ Don’t wait to be called on, but try not to interrupt. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.” After some time has passed, Dani claps her hands. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, “Alright. Who wants to start us off? Is this a good thing?” The Cheyenne woman flicks up her eyebrows, “What are some of the possible ramifications? Oh! Can someone keep track on the board? My handwriting sucks.” The last part is said with a small, ice-breaking chuckle. Jack typically doesn’t say much in this class unless called on directly. Today he’s decided to volunteer though, raising an empty sleeve. “I’ll do it,” he offers, pushing himself to his feet. He’s just volunteering to write on the board but he realizes a few seconds too late that he’ll probably be expected to start the discussion too. Sighing, he makes sure his hood is not about to fall and keeps his eyes on the board while he speaks. “Stopping disease is good thing,” he states the obvious with a shrug. “But it’s probably got to be watched to make sure we don’t wipe out the species entirely. That’d probably mess up their ecosystem somehow. “ Hercules listens as Jack speaks, and when he is done, the large teen raises his hand. “I can go next.” His face grows thoughtful for a few moments, and he shakes his head. “I don’t think it is a good thing to use this sort of genetic manipulation to prevent the spread of disease. As Jack has said, we have to be careful that we don’t wipe out the species. I am pretty sure that a combination of the usual measures could stem the spread of the disease. Things like mosquito nets, to protect people from being bitten, spraying the probable areas of mosquito breeding spots, increased awareness about the disease and how it’s spread… things like these are safer.” The large teen shrugs. “I don’t believe that we know enough about genetics to be modifying creatures to combat a problem, and then just letting them go into the wild. Life is amazing, and it always finds a way to surprise us. I mean, all of us here know what genetic mutation can do. The mosquitos they’ve modified are supposed to die before they reach adulthood. Following on what Jack said, what if this campaign is too successful? And we wipe out yet another species? We might find out that another species relied on the mosquito larvae as food, and we end up disrupting their life cycle? And suddenly another food source disappears. It could end up collapsing an entire ecosystem.” Hercules leans forward. “Or worse. What if the mosquitos mutate further out in the wild? And they don’t end up dying? What will their continued existence do? What are the ramifications there?” He gestures with his hands. “It’s too risky, I think.” Marinov is leaning their chin on their crossed arms, seeming to be put halfway between awake and asleep by reading the articles while being seated in a desk. The teen's ears flick at the discussion, however, and their hand is raised. "When do we know enough about genetics to implement these kinds of measures? If the usual measures could've stopped the spread of the disease, then I don't think it'd be as much of a problem. I don't think that this sorta thing would wipe out the species, either, 'cause at least some unaffected male mosquitos are gonna get busy with some female mosquitos, and the affected mosquitos aren't gonna produce live offspring. So those genes aren't gonna get passed to the next generation." The felinoid teen sits up a bit straighter, "Sometimes the rewards beat out the risks, and this kinda thing is just another risk. I dunno if this one's worth it, 'cause I dunno the numbers or how deadly this thing is. But sometimes, I think it's worth it. It's just gotta be tested." “Thanks, Jack! You can sit back down,” Professor Moonstar nods happily to the invisible teen. With the discussion having wound down. she prowls back and forth along the front of the class. Clasping and unclasping her hands, “Alright, you’re homework for Friday is going to be-” She pivots on her heel to face the board, plucking up a piece of chalk as she leans towards it, “-to answer ...these ...questions.” Dani pauses in her scrawling to peer at the class from over her shoulder, “And don’t hand me essays. Just answer the questions. Flat out- Yes! Christa? Question?” “Professor Moonstar, what does that last word say?” At first elated to have a question, Dani perks up. Her shoulders defeatedly slump once it is asked and she turns to rewrite the entire sentence.