7
Auroreus and Cococcus stood side-by-side in the recess of the nick on Angela’s finger, bracing themselves against the slippery new world which threatened to sweep them away.
Through the pulsing chaos of the wound, Cococcus said, “We did it.”
Auroreus, shining among Staphylococci, took stock of the unfamiliar world and replied, “Not yet. We need to stabilize ourselves. This is not a safe position.”
In the time it took Auroreus to speak those words, Cococcus noticed that some unfamiliar bacteria had begun to populate the wound. Just then, a hulking mass of a cell appeared, with a trilobed structure contained within its gelatinous cell membrane.
“What is that?” Cococcus said, unable to comprehend the sight of it.
“Neutrophil,” Auroreus replied. “Worry not; only stay away from it. It will eat you.”
Auroreus noticed a familiar molecule.
“ATGAAAAAAAATTTTATTGGTAAATCAATTTTATCAATTGCAGCAATTTCATTAACAGTTTCAACATTTGCAGGTGAATCACATGCACAAACAAAAAATGTTGAAGCAGCAAAAAAAATGATCAATATCAAACAAATTTTAAAAAACAAGTTAATAAAAAAGTTGTTGATGCACAAAAAGCAGTTAATTTTTTTAAACGTACACGTACAGTTGCAACACATCGTAAAGCACAACGTGCAGTTAATTTAATTCATTTTCAACATTCATATGAAAAAAAAAAATTACAACGTCAAATTGATTTAGTTTTAAAATATAATACATTAAAATAA,” Auroreus said.
“Excuse me?” replied Cococcus.
“Grab onto that fibrinogen.”
Auroreus demonstrated how to bind to fibrinogen, and Cococcus managed to do it after a few attempts.
“How do you keep doing that?” Cococcus said, finally grasping it by a protruding appendage.
“Just listen to the master regulators,” replied shining Auroreus, continuing to express the fibrinogen-binding gene.
In the relative safety of the fibrinogen, Auroreus and Cococcus watched as all kinds of unfamiliar cells and proteins set to repairing the wound through which they had entered.
“It is good that we got in when we did,” said Auroreus.
Cococcus made no reply, feeling for the first time how perilous their situation was.
Auroreus looked at Cococcus, understanding the feelings without the need for words.
“Let us start replicating,” Auroreus said. “We need more of us.”
Cococcus was relieved by the idea of doing something so familiar.
As Auroreus and Cococcus were preparing to replicate, several other bacteria noticed their presence and approached them.
“Transmitters from a faraway host, announce yourselves,” said one of the bacteria. “Who are you, from where do you come, and from what strain have you divided?”
Halting their replication efforts, Auroreus and Cococcus exhanged glances. “Is that… one of us?” Cococcus whispered to Auroreus.
“Answer, now! How did you get in here?” said another of the bacteria.
Cococcus looked to Auroreus, who said nothing.
“We come from Ruby, the chicken of coarse epidermis,” said Cococcus.
A hum of disapproval settled over the other bacteria.
“Agr help us. Of course you did. Why must Angela keep all those chickens? It was only a matter of time before one of you got in here,” said the second bacteria.
“Are we not welcome in this place?” Auroreus replied.
“No Staphylococcus is unwelcome here,” said the first bacteria. “You are only trying to survive, as are the rest of us. I am Commensalis, and this is my comrade, Prokus.” Commensalis gestured at the second bacteria.
“‘The rest’?” Cococcus repeated. “There are more of you?”
“Of course,” said strong-walled Commensalis. “We were living on her skin—quite peacefully, I’ll add. Our colony had lived that way for generations, but a few of us—”
“We want to infect her,” Prokus interjected.
“Yeah. It’s too dry out there,” said another bacteria, Gelaus.
“And salty,” said another, Melaus.
“Right. Dry and salty,” Prokus said hastily.
“And cold!” said Gelaus.
“... right,” said Prokus. “We grew tired of living on her skin, replicating endlessly. We began to imagine a life under the surface—one, perhaps, more virulent than the one we’d been living up to this point. We didn’t expect to find more staph in here, but—”
“The more the merrier!” said Melaus and Gelaus in unison.
“We are humbled by your hospitality,” said Auroreus. “Our story is not dissimilar to yours. We had also grown weary of a life of constant replication, and we were compelled by the master regulators to embark on a transmission to this host.”
“Angela,” said Commensalis. “You two have a lot to learn. Stay with us; we will share proteins.”
Cococcus looked around once more, seeing that the entry wound was now almost entirely patched up. The world around them had grown darker as a result.
Cococcus addressed the other bacteria: “Shalll we replicae?”
“Not yet,” said Commensalis. “We need to protect ourselves first. I see that you’ve bound to some fibrinogen.”
“Yes,” Cococcus said, holding on tighter to the pillar of fibrinogen that had offered the first feeling of safety since the transmission.
“Do not get too comfortable,” said Commensalis. “The next thing you need to do is break it.”
“Surely not,” protested Cococcus.
“Yes. Make some coagulase. It will turn the fibrinogen into fibrin, which we can use to shield us from Angela’s immune system. We can then begin replicating in safety,” said Commensalis.
“Thank you, Commensalis. We recognize that we are outsiders, and your generosity certainly pleases the master regulators,” said Auroreus.
Commensalis made no reply, but Auroreus’s words settled deep within Commensalis’s cytoplasm.
“Fibrinogen to fibrin,” said Cococcus. “I suppose it is a good idea. I do feel quite vulnerable in here.”
“You are,” replied Commensalis. “This is a highly precarious situation. There is no time to waste.”
“Watch how we do it,” said Prokus, effortlessly converting fibrinogen to fibrin.
In this way, Auroreus and Cococcus began to assimilate with the bacteria native to Angela’s skin. Together, they began breaking down fibrinogen, creating fibrin shields to protect the newly blended colony from immune attackers.
next