Evolution (Prologue)

Richard watched the video in fascination. How did they do it, he wondered. He watched the Emerald Cockroach Wasp shove its stinger into the back of the cockroaches head and grab hold of its antennae. The rider of roaches. It controlled the roach using a combination of simple riding techniques and a form of mind control. Richard watched the insect rodeo unfold on the screen. How did they do it?
He pulled back from the screen and pushed his glasses back. No matter how many times he analyzed the video, how many times he examined the wasp venom and DNA, he couldn’t figure it out. And he had to figure it out. If this small wasp could have that much power over another insect, Richard figured he would be able to reverse engineer the method, maybe genetically modify the venom to work on people, to control their thoughts and actions.
At least in theory it would work. Making it work is another story. Figuring out the specific protein that controlled the process was easy enough. Changing it enough to meld with human DNA was a bit more difficult. In fact, making it work on any animal had been difficult. Richard had been pondering this question for four years. Four years he worked on the project.
Four Years.
And nothing to show for it.
Even rats could resist the virus he had engineered. If rats, the normal testing animal, could resist it, he couldn’t even think of testing it on higher invertebrates.
Richard had tried every combination, flipped every genetic switch he could think of but for some strange reason he couldn’t unlock the small insects secrets.
There was one thing he hadn’t tried.
Richard walked out of the laboratory, and went to the employee cafeteria. He entered through the large arch with the name, “National Genetics” etched into it. He bought a cup of coffee and mixed in three packets of sugar and lots of cream.
One more thing to try.
He sipped from the cup, burning his tongue.
Tricky. Against every regulation, but dangerous enough to actually work.
Richard took out the small vial in his pocket filled with a clear liquid. One last thing to try.

Viruses are the world’s best example of Darwinism. Constantly adapting, mutating, changing to meet the constant change of the environment, Viruses provide a look at evolution. Darwin was right when it came to survival of the fittest, and Viruses proved no different.

Richard looked at the small vial, and then at the Cafeteria filled with his friends and co-workers. The people he had alienated in a search for an answer.
Could they be his answer? He asked himself.
One last thing to try...he thought before pulling out the rubber stopper from the vial.