Yeti Unleashed Page 17

  Sequencing the genome was an important step toward understanding it. At the very least, the genome sequence would represent a valuable shortcut, helping scientists find genes more easily and quickly. A genome sequence did contain some clues about where genes were, even though scientists were just learning to interpret these clues.

  Over time, Millie hoped to study the entire Yeti genome sequence, in hopes of understanding how the genome as a whole worked, how its genes worked together to direct the growth, development, and maintenance of the entire animal. She was happy that she had chosen this endeavor to be her life’s work.

  The whole genome couldn’t be sequenced all at once because available methods of DNA sequencing could only handle short stretches of DNA at a time. So instead, Millie had to break the genome into small pieces, sequence the pieces, and then reassemble them in the proper order to arrive at the sequence of the whole genome.

  An automatic sequencing machine spit out what was called raw sequence. In raw sequence, the reads or short DNA sequences were all jumbled together, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in a just-opened box. Inevitably, raw sequence also contained a few gaps, mistakes, and ambiguities.

  The process of polishing that raw sequence--transforming the fragmented rough draft into a long, continuous final product without breaks or errors, called finishing--involved both assembly, in which individual reads were hooked together in the proper order, and a laborious process of double-checking and refining the sequence to eliminate mistakes and close gaps. Finishing often took longer than the sequencing itself.

  Genome assembly was the job of computer programs known, appropriately enough, as assemblers. Those programs worked by finding and analyzing overlaps, or identical DNA sequences at either end of two different reads. The task of the assembler was to compare each read to every other, then to put all the reads in the proper order, based on how they overlapped, not using the repeat overlaps. The outcome of an assembly was a collection of big stretches of the genome that were put together correctly. The process was a lot like assembling a jigsaw puzzle--methodically placing puzzle pieces next to each other to see if they fit together, then snapping the matching pieces into place.

  Millie spent the better part of a year working with Radner to arrive at the Yeti’s genome, an accomplishment that gave her immense pride. What did the future hold for her? Where would she go after leaving the primate facility? The world was wide and there were so many questions left unanswered. She had a few. A human and a grain of rice might not, at first glance, look like cousins. And yet they shared a quarter of their genes with each other. The genes humans shared with rice--or rhinos or reef coral--were among the most striking signs of a common heritage. All animals, plants, and fungi shared an ancestor that lived about 1.6 billion years ago. Every lineage that descended from that progenitor retained parts of its original genome, embodying one of evolution’s key principles--if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Since evolution had conserved so many genes, exploring the genomes of other species could shed light on genes involved in human biology and disease. Even yeast had something to tell the human race about itself.

  Millie understood that, of course, humans weren’t really much like yeast at all. The genes that were shared were used differently, in the same way one could use a clarinet to play the music of Mozart or Benny Goodman. And humans’ catalogs of genes themselves had changed. Genes could disappear and new ones could arise from mutations in DNA that previously served some other function or no function at all. Other novel genes had been delivered into the genome by invading viruses. It was hardly surprising that modern humans shared many more genes with chimpanzees than with yeast, because most of the evolutionary journey had been shared with those apes. And, in the small portion of genes with no counterpart in chimpanzees, scientists might be able to find additional clues as to what made us uniquely human.

  By comparing the human genome with the genomes of different organisms, researchers might better understand the structure and function of human genes and thereby develop new strategies in the battle against human disease. In addition, comparative genomics provides a powerful new tool for studying evolutionary changes among organisms, helping to identify the genes that were conserved among species along with the genes that give each organism its own unique characteristics.

  Using computer-based analysis to zero in on the genomic features that were preserved in multiple organisms over millions of years, researchers would be able to pinpoint the signals that controlled gene function, which in turn should translate into innovative approaches for treating human disease and improving human health. In addition, the evolutionary perspective might prove uniquely helpful in understanding disease susceptibility. For example, chimpanzees did not suffer from some of the diseases that struck humans, such as malaria and AIDS. A comparison of the sequence of genes involved in disease susceptibility might reveal the reasons for this species barrier, thereby suggesting new pathways for prevention of human disease.

  It was an exciting time to be alive, she knew. However, what lay in her future was unknown. When she had time, she would talk with Dixie and get her ideas. Millie worried about the Yeti, especially Sasha.

  She uttered a silent prayer that the men would bring them back unharmed. Science would lose if they didn’t.

  Chapter 19

  The team fanned out through downtown Grant. Harry and Dixie searched the alleyway across the street from the gas station where they had seen two more dead bodies. Sheriff Calder took Ben, and the two of them went behind the buildings parallel with the station while Siscom and Louis searched each office building door to door. As the group moved down the Main Street area, Harry was struck by the devastation they encountered. It seemed that the Yeti were on a murderous rampage, intent on killing or destroying anyone or anything they encountered. The street was vacant, devoid of any people. Harry surmised most of Grant’s citizens knew what happened and had either fled the town or were locked in their homes.

  Harry fretted over what would transpire if and when they encountered the Yeti. Calder had lost his temper, called in the state police, and a strike force was on its way. Harry didn’t see how the Yeti could survive for long in the desert heat. Their natural habitat was the high mountains of the Himalayas and Mongolia. He assumed they needed water and a cool environment, neither of which they were likely to find in the surrounding area.

  Harry and Dixie trampled through the weeds covering the alley, each searching their respective side. Backyards and porches doted one side while the backs of offices the other. When they reached the end of the alley, the pair crossed Main Street and located the sheriff and Ben.

  “Anything?” Calder said.

  “Two dead bodies mauled pretty bad,” Harry said, shielding his eyes from the sun.

  They waited until joined by Siscom and Louis. Calder looked at his deputy with a deep frown.

  “Nothing, Sheriff,” Louis said.

  “Let’s scour the outlying areas around town. If we don’t find them, we’ll head back to the command post. I’ll call the state police and let them know.”

  The three men and Dixie climbed into Calder’s jeep while Ben and Louis took their jeep and joined the search. After two hours of driving around Grant in ever-widening circles and not locating the Yeti, they sped back to the command post at the base of Cinder Mountain.

  “What about all the dead back there?” Dixie said as Calder accelerated across the desert.

  “The local police are going to handle it,” Calder said. “The coroner from Elko is on his way over there as well.”

  “Busy man,” Siscom added.

  “I can’t believe the plan is just to annihilate them,” Dixie said.

  Calder’s temper boiled to the surface. “Look around you, Doctor!” he said, a vein in his forehead bulging. “Several people are dead, killed by these beasts, and the town’s decimated. Because of you scientists, our little corner of paradise no longer exists. No, if we or the strike force comes upon t
hem, we’re gonna take them out. Period.”

  “It would be easy enough to let me sedate them,” Siscom said. “We can then transport them back to their cages. They wouldn’t have to be killed.”

  “No longer an option,” Calder said, a little more under control.

  “So really I’m not needed,” Siscom said. “I guess I’ll head back to the facility.”

  “Well, I’m going to hang around,” Harry said. “Maybe I can change their minds when we find them.”

  Dixie said nothing but instead stared out at the passing mesquite. Soon the two jeeps arrived at the command post. Outside the vehicles, Calder approached his deputies.

  “Ben, take Dr. Siscom and whomever wishes to go along back up the mountain to the research facility. The rest of us well stay here until the strike force arrives and discuss further search plans.”

  Ben nodded and, with Dr. Siscom, headed back to the facility while Calder paced around his jeep. He looked at his watch. Five p.m.

  As the sun neared the horizon, the temperature started to drop. A gentle breeze blew over the desert, sending a chill through Harry. He put an arm around his wife and drew her close. Together, they ambled away from Calder, Drayton, and Louis.

  “Harry,” Dixie said in a voice barely above a whisper, “we can’t let these guys do this, can we? That sheriff is intent on killing our Yeti. Years of possible future work could be destroyed.”

  “I am tired of that Calder bragging about killing these animals. There ought to be someone over him to whom we could appeal.”

  “He’s elected, Harry. He answers only to the people. He can do what he wants until election.”

  Harry felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “Then it’s lost. If he finds them, he’ll kill them.”

  Dixie’s eyes brightened with small green flashes. “What if we find them first?” she said. “Gerald can sedate them, then we could haul them up the mountain before Calder or the strike force locates them.”

  Harry looked at her for several moments, thinking. “Wait a minute, honey. Do you think we could pull it off? Actually find them and get them back in their cages ourselves?”

  “It would be worth a try, wouldn’t it? Better than sitting around here twiddling our thumbs.” Dixie’s voice was animated. “Let’s get up there with Drayton and chat with Siscom.”

  Harry grabbed Drayton by an arm, pulled him aside, and relayed their plans.

  The man nodded as Harry talked. “I’m with you,” he said. “We can use my jeep.”

  When Ben returned, the three climbed aboard his vehicle for the ride up the mountain, leaving Calder and Louis to welcome the strike force. Halfway to the primate facility, Harry heard the whirr of helicopter rotors and, upon rounding a switchback, saw a Bell Yankee helicopter circling the command post on its approach to the desert floor. The sun, now behind the distant peaks, made it unlikely that they would begin their search at night. They would remain at the command post and start early in the morning.

  Once in the lobby of the main building, Harry sought out Gerald Siscom to enlist the man’s support in his and Dixie’s plan. He found him in his office near the Animal Care Unit. After passing through the airlock, Harry could hear the chimps screeching as he walked down the hall.

  “Gerald,” he said from the office doorway. “Glad I found you. Dixie had the bright idea that we should mount our own search for the Yeti. If we can find them before Calder, you can sedate them and we can return them here without them being killed.”

  “Sure,” said Siscom.

  “If we don’t do something, they’ll surely die.”

  “Count me in.” He put some papers in a desk drawer and stood. “When do we start?”

  “Before dawn. Drayton is going as well, and we’ll use his jeep.”

  Siscom stood with hands on his hips. “But where do we begin?”

  “I suggest we return to Grant and see if we can pick up their trail. It’s the best I can come up with unless you have a better idea, Gerald.”

  “We can talk about it over dinner later,” the veterinarian said.

  “Fine,” said Harry. “See you then.”

  ***

  With the evening light fading, Sheriff Calder sat in the trailer that served as his command post at the base of Cinder Mountain and briefed members of the state police strike force that had arrived moments earlier. Seated in metal folding chairs were Sergeant Malcomb Jessup and Corporal Steve Williams.

  Two remaining members of the force remained outside chatting with Ben and Louis. The men sat in the cramped space of the trailer as they talked. Jessup chewed the unlit butt of a black cigar, moving it around his mouth with his lips.

  “So that’s the situation,” Calder said, after briefing the two on the events of the past several days.

  “Where were these animals last seen?” Jessup said.

  “At the town of Grant,” Calder said. “About an hour drive from here. Four people were killed. They destroyed most of the downtown.”

  Jessup nodded. “In the morning, we can get the chopper in the air and head up that way and see if we can pick up their trail. You can follow in the jeeps. Sound acceptable to you?”

  “Fine,” Calder said. He was grateful that these state police officers weren’t the condescending assholes he usually dealt with. “What firepower did you bring with you?”

  Jessup shot a glance at his corporal, Williams, who leaned forward in his chair.

  “Enough,” Williams said. “Two SMAWs, a--”

  “SMAW?” Calder said.

  “It’s a shoulder-launched rocket weapon. It fires a high explosive rocket. It’s thought of as a bunker buster weapon. Also, several grenade launchers, a flamethrower, and our M16s. Should take care of them.”

  “I should say so, yes indeed.”

  “What about the scientists?” Jessup said. “I heard they were going to mount a search themselves. Is that right?”

  “Possibly,” Calder said.

  “Will they get in our way?”

  “I hope not.”

  “I don’t want a bunch of damned civilians out running around getting in our way, Sheriff. Will you make that perfectly clear to the scientists?”

  “Will do, Sergeant. You and your men are welcome to spend the night here in the command post or you can accompany us to Elko. There is a small motel there that may have a couple of available rooms.”

  “Fine, Sheriff. I believe we’ll spend the night in town.”

  Ben and Louis joined Calder inside the trailer after the strike force headed to Elko for the night. They were sitting in the folding chairs as Andy Hardin sauntered in.

  “What’s the word, Buck?” Hardin said, still standing next to the door.

  “We start searching a wider area tomorrow morning,” the sheriff said. “At first light.”

  The three men nodded their understanding.

  “Weather should be clear and hot for the next several days,” Hardin said. “Those animals will be looking for water.”

  “Not much water north and northeast of Grant,” Calder said. “So, we’ll head northwest. Might get lucky.”

  “How was the state police sergeant?”

  “The usual,” Calder said.

  The four men laughed and left the command post for Elko.

  ***

  Millie was happy to see Harry, Dixie, and Siscom in the dining hall, and she joined them at their table. The three all wore troubled looks and her pulse quickened as she set her dinner tray next to the veterinarian.

  “You all look so sad,” she said, sitting. “Any news?”

  “It’s not good, Millie,” Dixie said, forking up a mouthful of salad.

  Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  “Calder has called in a state police strike force and they plan to hunt down the Yeti and exterminate them,” Harry said.

  Millie noticed how haggard he looked. “Oh no,” she said. “Can we do anything?”

  Drayton set his food tray on the table and
sat next to Siscom. He nodded at Millie.

  “The four of us here plan to do our own search,” Harry said, between gulps of iced tea. “If we can find them first, maybe Gerald can get them sedated with his tranquilizer darts. If that can happen, we can then, if possible, transport them back here.”

  “How can they just kill them?” Millie said, beginning with her dinner.

  “They’re looking at it from a public safety viewpoint,” Drayton said. “I can understand it though, in this case, I don’t agree with it.”

  “People get scared and panicked,” Siscom added. “And they demand action. I’m sure the sheriff is only reacting to public pressure.”

  Dr. Radner entered the dining hall, went through the line, then joined the group at their table. He sat next to Siscom.

  “What about it, Miles,” Harry said. “Any feedback from your news conference?”

  Radner moved his plate off his tray and nodded. “Some,” he said. “Mostly bad. Lots of questions about how we could let the security here lapse and allow these creatures to escape.”

  “But we didn’t allow them to escape, Miles,” Dixie said. The tone in her voice betrayed an irritation.

  “We know that,” Radner said as he began to eat. “But that is not what most of the public believes.”

  “Regardless of what the public believes, we need to find these animals and get them back here without further incident.” Harry made his point with his fork.

  “I want to go along,” Millie said. “If you have room. I worked with Bentu and Sasha for a year. I need to go. I might be of help. Please.”

  Siscom nodded his agreement.

  “What do you say, Bruce?” Harry said. “It’s your jeep. Have room for one more?”

  “I think we can squeeze you in, Millie,” Drayton replied. “Glad to have you.”