Log:MAMBA, Scene 1

MAMBA 2004/11/11 Syphon (Spirit), Dr. Ellan Tilbury 1

The snake-woman nods. "My team was transferring each suspected gene sequence from King Cobra's DNA to Mamba DNA. We used Mamba instead of Cobra because it was easier to track the changes that way. King Cobra, we knew from historical sources, could transform henchmen into weaker versions of himself. Well, we found the trigger gene. It would transform human DNA into half-human and half-snake DNA. In a test-tube anyway."

Syphon nods, listening.

Ellan Tilbury pauses for a moment, "We were all excited. But my senior assistant suggested we hold off publishing until after a another series of tests. That was Dr. Stannis, Dr. Baron Stannis. That night he called me from the lab, said he had discovered something and wanted me to come in and look at it. When I arrived at the lag he was there with five thugs. He was stealing the sample but he wanted to test it first on a human subject. And just in case it worked he ordered the thugs to break my back first so I would be helpless even in snake form."

Syphon grimaces as he listens...it clearly seemed to confirm suspicions he had. "Somehow...I'm not surprised."

Ellan nods. "It worked better than either of us would have expected. He injected me and within seconds I had transformed. Caught them by surprise. Even without my legs I managed to bite three of the thugs. Poisoned them. Then I was hit by some kind of energy weapons. Knocked out."

Syphon nods, as he listens, not wanting to interrupt again.

Ellan Tilbury winces as she remembers that night. "This is the bit I have never told anyone else. Not even the investigating officers. I recognised one of the thugs. He had been working as a security guard at the labs. How much do you know about Collingtom Labs? It's a multi-science think-tank. Research teams working in a dozen or more fields. It has top security. My group was working with level 4 biological agents. That's on a par with nuclear security. Other groups were working on projects with equal security requirements. Now, to get a bunch of thugs into my lab would have needed top-level cooperation. A low level security guard couldn't have done it. And after the attack, when I was in hospital, Ed Collinton came and visited me personally. He told me my sister and her family had been moved to a safe place."

Syphon listens quietly...and rubs his chin, "Were they effectively held hostage?"

"Ed Collinton is a very smart man. He never came out and said it. But I knew what he meant. I get to talk with them over the phone once a month. Only I would never have gotten anywhere if I claimed he was behind it. Ed is friends with a dozen senators and congressmen. He fills their election funds. He gives millions to charity."

Syphon nods, "Do you have any idea where the calls are coming from? What area of the country they're in?"

Ellan shakes her head. "No. They are routed around on links on the net. The connections to me come from all around the world. I tried to trace some of the calls back but I'm a biologist not a network engineer."

Syphon nods, "I might be able to help with that. I may not have the expertise myself, but I know of some techs that probably do. I didn't spend my time in research without talking to my coworkers." He smiles slightly, "I'd like to do whatever I can to help. Did Ed make any overt statements about what he wanted you to do?"

Ellan shakes her head again. "No. He just _suggested_ I rest and take as long as I need to recover. He's even still paying my salary."

Syphon nods, "And the bodyguard? Is that your initiative? Or his?"

"Mine. I hope." Ellan Tilbury tells you. "I pick a protective agency at random from the phone book. Arrange for a bodyguard a month at a time and then change agency. I just hope that's not long enough for Ed to find out who I'm using this month and get to them."

Syphon nods. "Have yo officially moved to this area? Or are you just visiting at this point?"

Ellan looks in the general direction of the city. "I'm living here for the moment. There's a doctor in the Xeno-biology section of the hospital here who has some interesting ideas on gene-regeneration. I'm talking with him. I haven't given up hope of getting back to normal one day."

Syphon smiles, "That answers another of my questions. I wanted to know if there was a way to reverse the process. I...wish you luck. I know that feeling quite well."

Ellan nods. "I can guess why you are asking. I've read about the activites of a Black Mamba in the city. The sample has four genes that take effect. Three of the genes control the degree of transformation. The final gene triggers the transformation. If all four genes are used you end up with a monster like me. Use just two of the transforming genes and your get a Green Mamba, one transforming gene and you have a Black mamba. I'm close to having a reversal process for the one gene case. Maybe another three months if I'm lucky. I don't know if that's any help to you knowing that."

Syphon nods, "Not an immediate help, but it's still useful information." He tilts his head, "How did you find out about the different 'levels' of Mambas, if your research in the lab was halted?"

Ellan chuckles grimly. "My research at the lab was halted but I now have a plentiful source of DNA to test. Blood from my own veins. I've been carrying on as much as I can trying to find a way to reverse the process."

Syphon nods, "I had heard that there was a Golden Mamba at the center of this...criminal syndicate. Do you think it's likely that it's Dr. Stannis, who transformed himself?"

Ellan thinks hard and then shrugs. "It might be. My first thought is Ed Collinton would have been the Golden Mamba but he appears in public too much to get away with a disguise. So yes, it's probably Baron. But I'll bet that Ed is the one in charge."

Syphon nods, "But...Ed is a businessman, not a scientist, correct?"

Ellan shakes her head. "Ed started out as a businessman but he has an amazing grasp of the projects that are going in in the labs. I didn't have to talk down to him. Neither did anyone else. He might not have been up to any of us in our fields of expertise but he probably knew more about everything that any other person there. Often it was Ed who would spot when a discovery in one project would be useful to a team working on another project."

Syphon nods, "That certainly makes it more problematic." He pauses again, "My thought was that to stop the organization, the 'head' had to be removed. It sounds like...both Dr. Stannis and Mr. Collington will need to be dealt with, in some fashion." He shakes his head, "I'm just not sure how right this second. Mr. Collington is a relatively public man, so he shouldn't be hard to find. Any idea where I might find Dr. Stannis?"

Ellan shrugs hopelessly. "Sorry, I have no idea. Officially he is on extended leave of absence from the lab to cover from the shock of the attack. I haven't seen or heard from him."

Syphon nods, "Alright. I had a feeling that was the case. I'll be in touch again, about potentially tracing that call. When is the next one likely to take place?"

"Always on the first day of each month." Ellan tells you.

Syphon nods, "Ok...I'll try to get things set up before then. Hopefully we can recover your family members safe and sound. That seems to me to be the first priority."

Ellan nods. "If you could do that I will be enternally in your debt. I... I didn't see my sister and her family as much as I should have done. I was always too busy working in the lab. I'd give anything to have the chance to make up for that mistake and see her more often."

Syphon smiles, "Try to not let your appearance get in teh way of that, either. My family was...upset, of course, but they've been supportive."

"I only hope I get a chance to see. If it wasn't for my work on the sample they wouldn't be in this situation." Ellan states morosely.

Syphon smiles, "Well, I wont' take up any more of your time right now. I'll be in touch, though...and I'll do whatever I can to make sure this works out alright."

Syphon smiles again, "And...thank you again, for being willing to speak with me. I know it must be difficult."

Ellan nods gratefully. "If there is anything I can do... Contact me through the same person if I've moved from here."

Syphon nods, "I'll do that." He smiles, "Have a good day." With that...he smiles, and makes his way out quietly, in thought.

The bodyguard opens the front door for you, "Good day. Have a safe journey."

Syphon nods to the bodyguard, "Have a good day."

Syphon makes his way to his car, and drives off, heading back toward the city.