THE MAX ALLEN REPORT
ZEUS & THE LAZARUS EFFECT
Once dead, a chimera-calf lives again.
An urgent call from Dr.
Subramaniam in
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Well, not just yet.
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About 48 hours after being declared dead by staff, the chimera-calf [heifer and youngest of the three recently born to Zeus' heifers] isn't quite as dead as folks thought. No, she was wheeled out of the refrigerator prior to a scheduled necropsy. The cause of her 'death' remained a mystery. Many people asked, "Was it the drugs administered to calm her down?" Others asked, "Was it organic failure caused by a genetic break?" Or was it a virus or foreign bacteria that 'killed' her.
Well, the answer is, "Neither." When the chimera-calf was wheeled out of the fridge she was found completely encased in what appears to an amniotic sac. A translucent membrane of flesh, fluid, and blood vessels had completely enshrouded the animal. Movement could be detected from within the thin walls of the sac and a strong and regular heartbeat was present. It would seem that, scientifically speaking, this animal never died.
According to Dr. Subramaniam, "She appears to have slipped into a form of hibernation, slowing all vitals to a point that a cursory glance convinced us that she [the calf] was dead. It would seem she was not dead but was rather entering some form of hibernation or transfiguration. It might be said, 'she is not dead but in fact she sleeps'."
To me this is confusing but seems to make some sort of sense, if there is any sense to apply to this odd and otherwise unexplainable turn of events. Medical personnel are waiting and watching, wisely deciding not to cut through the sac but, instead, let this process continue at its own pace. The questions now are whether or not this is a regenerating or healing process or if it is indeed a metamorphosis. Could this be a chrysalis of sorts, like that of a caterpillar changing to a butterfly? Is this animal inside the cocoon morphing into a different stage of a very different life form?
The other two calves appear to be quite normal [for them] and are playing with one another, running around and learning as though nothing was wrong. Being a man of science, I ask, "If it only affected the female, is this a part of the reproductive / metamorphosis stage? Is this a condition unique to her as a female or is just because she's 'the lucky one' in the process?" Will the two young bulls eventually share the heifer's fate? We are all watching, waiting, testing, praying, and taking reams of notes.
Like something out of a science fiction novel, the story of the Zeus Herd is a compelling one. It brings some of the deepest and greatest questions of all time to the forefront.
Questions about humanity,
decency, biology, and just what is right and what is wrong come to mind. It is said that the only thing separating man
from beast is man's ability to make decisions based on morality.
Where is the morality here? It would seem that another thing separating man from beast is man's ability to thwart decency and morality by deliberately making immoral decisions. None of this is normal by any means. Where are the normalcy and the morality in all this?
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I have no idea!
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