Excerpt from “Letters” Section of the Praedicatio Maris
…
With response to questions of loyalty in the domain of Navarre, the town of Urdax remains entirely peaceful and loyal.
Golden hills and auburn-leaved valleys stretch out under the late-afternoon sun from his vantage in the Old Town. Director Coerus, taking in the Pyrenean landscape beyond the buzzing activity that was the town itself, decided to continue her walk. Above her, a small sky-blue sloth hung from a wire in transit between one of the taller brick buildings and a nearby Pomello tree.
“Isn’t she a delight?” asked a large man in a green daysuit, sidling up to Coerus. He wore fine, polished spectacles, courtesy of the Institute’s specialist in Optics.
“Quite a curiosity – I hear they’re very popular in Lisboa.”
“Oh yes indeed, extremely. Practically the city mascot!” They began threading their way through a hillside market; blue cherries, fist-sized white mushrooms, tiny red plums, and all manner of novelty were sold left and right. A girl nearby was selling protein-rich wheat flour, but could now be seen being sent inside by her father to read her texts. By the variety of novel fruits, it was clear they were close.
“You’re lucky to have one. By the way, how’s your brother managing with the new crops?”
The man grinned “He says the grapes grow faster than he can manage; even at such a small vineyard, he’s had to start hiring outside the family.”
“How does the wine taste?”
“It tasted a bit off, to my refined palette. I’ve spoken with the fermentation specialist, and my theory…”
Coerus lost focus for a moment; they were passing an old Church in the eaves of the Institution. On the high-arched exterior wall of the Nave, there now great an exquisitely tended tri-coloured Lichenous Mural. The pigmentation was strikingly beautiful. It surprised her that her own work could be used for such ends.
"…but then again, I have heard his neighbour Ricardo’s his experiments with basal leaf trimming have begun to yield some quite intriguing varietal aromas. Perhaps I am wrong; sooner or later, experiment will show us the way.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
Productivity has been improved due to strategic local re-investment of Institution funds and technology, and we observe strong buy-in supporting Research Intiatives.
“I have heard, however, that the Institution wishes to clear some of Giovanni’s field for another Research Initiative?”
“Unfortunately yes; as we grow, and grow more prosperous, we expand our capacity to learn…”
“Are there not yet enough stations?”
“There is an expansive cave system perfect for our fungi just below his fields.”
“But of course, those caves provide the drainage necessary for his pristine, dry soils.”
Director Coerus sighed; they were nearing the institution, when a wild-eyed, labcoated man with a clipboard hurried out of the building. Thomas. She turned back to the obsequious man, and raised her hand.
“I’ve heard this all from Giovanni, and we've already made a deal. He will be compensated, his lands will be expanded, and he will have access to expert advice for his crops at his demand. You may stop.” Coerus turned from him, and nearly slammed into Thomas.
“I’ve done it!” he exclaimed.
Reported here is the genesis of militarily applicable Fungal growth, “Choiromyces Mortem.”
They entered the lab; along the side walls, tiny bubbles of fruiting fungal bodies coated otherwise bare surfaces. Slim, spindly tendrils grew up trellises in the center. Banks of glass boxes, row after row, began to their far left. Researchers were alternatively flashing UV lights, spraying specimens with liquid solutions, and keeping orderly notes on sample growth. Thomas shoved his clipboard into her hands.
“The results are stunning, truly remarkable. Really, the implications are astounding. See, I first got the idea…”
She should’ve asked to speak later, but made the mistake of giving him the slightest hint she wanted to know what was going on. Coerus started walking to the sample banks, but was steered towards animal testing by an insistent Dr. Brelarim.
“…and it was in the 8th iteration that I finally realized my notational paradigm was entirely backwards! So I..”
“Dr. Brelarim, slow down. Are you saying this species was developed from scratch?”
This new species is the result of the unprecedented application of the “Pro Caudicibus”
model, which holds that a species may be genetically designed by means of known roots, or building blocks, the singular of which being a “caudex.
” This model has been viewed as highly speculative at best.
“Yes, but its so much more than that!”
“I’m doubting it’s even that.” Director Coerus looked disdainfully at the strange markings littering the clipboard in her hands.
“Of course it is! The largest single genosource makes up only 31% of its genome.”
“Aren’t they all the same species?”
“Isn’t that a bit of a pedantic question? Just look!”
Critics of the Pro Caudicibus
model have argued that the model’s lack of clarity on the definition of a caudex,
its apparent indistinguishability from the definition of a Gene, and the known dispersed characteristic of many known Genes with the genetic superstructure have precluded most researchers from its pursuit.
They had reached animal testing. Before them stood an enormous rectangular glass case, 12 feet tall. The bottom eight feet were filled with soil, with a small fungal mass located below six feet of soil near the bottom of the display. Thin spindles threaded their way to the surface. Dr. Brelarim direct her attention to a stepladder fastened to the exterior, leading up to a view of the soil surface.
The findings of T. Brelarim suggest, nevertheless, that this model should be revisited. Research utilized a collection of 294 Choiromyces
species, developed through Enhanced Selective Evolution (ESE) in 37 separate environs, having been aggressively treated with algorithmically selected mutagenic factors (submitted for publication).
Species were genotyped using a Truncated Representational Scanning (TRS) method, and their characteristics analyzed. An “alphabet” of “elementals” were developed corresponding to observable macro-scale traits, with a complex notational system to describe minor allele distinctions. An example of this genetic “language,” which we refer to as “Brelar” has been included below.
Several proof of concept species were developed, including, most importantly, the species Choiromyces Mortem.”
There was a family of nine rats living on the surface, behind the sealed glass wall. Each of them had died. Asphyxiated. One was still resting on the exercise wheel, where presumably had been running only moments before death.
A faint haze was barely visible in the contained air of the glass case. There was also a small fruiting fungal body, its cap shaped somewhat like swiss cheese, visible peeking above the soil.
Characteristic parameters of Choiromyces Mortem
as well as a guide to the use of Brelar (submitted for publication)
have been sent to the Codifex Maximon
. Research to refine the application of Choiromyces Mortem
and develop an assortment of differently specialized fungal species is ongoing.
