Cells at Work-Invasion

AE3803was on her way back to the lungs with the carbon dioxide she had traded oxygen for up from the muscle cells in the leg. This Circadian Cycle had been especially busy and the world had been in quite an upheaval. Agitated is how she would have described it. She was certain the rest of the cells felt it too. However, it seemed to be slowing down some. Maybe it was, or maybe she was just realizing the slower pace the other cells took in the venous circulation. The walkways were narrower than the arteries and they were less crowded. She let her mind wander a bit. She had heard her world was part of a larger world which was possibly in an even larger world. One day she would get up to the brain and ask the ancient ones. She'd heard the retina cells had many stories. Someone ran into her. Where was she again? She suddenly noticed the crowd growing. She realized she was about to enter the inferior vena cava. She needed to focus again. She had almost completed another circulation without help and without getting lost. "Maybe I do better in faster paced situations after all" She walked through the heart and the narrow capillaries to the alveoli. She was greeted by a cell already reaching for the canister.

"Give it here. The oxygen is where it usually is. You're needed in the intestine. Pick drop off there."

"Yes, Hai Saibō san" she replied hesitantly. Something was up. She knew her assignment and the membrane cells rarely spoke as they were extremely busy making sure the exchange was going smoothly and often helping the RBCs load and unload. She seemed less than willing to help. She turned to grab the oxygen and saw him again. Some things never change.

"Hakkekkyū"She said smiling. U-1146 was there, exactly where they met the first time as mature cells. Only this time he was already covered in cytoplasm. "Are you okay?" She handed him the handkerchief that she keeps in her coat, just for him.

"Sekkekkyū, Yes, just another circadian cycle and another group of germs to bust up. I'm fine, just busy." He wiped his hands and face. "I appreciate a short break but I can't help but feel that it is about to get worse.

AE3803frowned. She had too much to do to be running away again. She hated illnesses. She knew her job was important but she hated feeling helpless against viruses and bacteria. She was at thankful that for the most part they left her and her fellow RBCs alone due to their lack of nucleus but most liked the oxygen she carried and would kill for it even if they had no means which the viruses could use to replicate themselves. She watched the immune cells work and understood why many of the body cells were terrified of them. Even if they did protect them. She knew they feared infection and what the immune cells would do to their own if they were unfortunate enough to fall prey to the invaders. She also worried about 1146. She knew he was good at his job but there was always that chance it would be his cytoplasm covering his brilliant white clothes. "No", she told herself. she couldn't think like that. She must have been making a strange face because 1146 broke the silence.

"No, need to worry Sekkekkyū, 3292 and I took care of it. Memory B was on it too. They won't come back. If they do, we will be more than ready this time. I may just be hypervigilant you know, got to prepare. Where are you headed?"

"Small intestine. Got nutrients to pick up in the next few minutes." She hesitated. "It has been a while since I went that way." She looked down feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Mind if I walk with you for a few minutes?"

"I won't get lost." She asserted and grabbed her map. She was going to do this.

"I'm sure you won't" U-1146 smiled. "I like going down there though. They stay busy to and I clear my head. I could use that right now."

"You could use a shower too." 3803 laughed

"Perhaps." They started off together but had not got far when his radar went off.

"Virus in the lungs. Johi have been infected. We have to hurry before the oxygen exchange is affected." U3292 called. "And some of the other neutrophils seem off their game. It may or may not be the virus's fault."

That was troubling to say the least. "On my way. Have they come back already?"

"No, I don't recognize this virus."

U1146 was concerned but hid it from his friend and gave her a quick hug.

"I'll be back soon. We'll grab that tea then." He moved his hair from his face only to have it fall back. "And strawberry glucose."

3803 hoped he was right.

U1146 ran full speed with his knives drawn. This virus was definitely different from what he was used to fighting. In many ways it moved like influenza but faster. It was replicating quickly too. The infected johi now under the control of the virus were moving toward them too. Much more quickly than the body cells under the zombie like control of the flu.

He quickly dodged an attack from an infected cell, and quickly slit its throat. The virus resembling a crown on the cells head jumped off and attempted to infect him. He sliced it in half and It fell at his feet. He turned and caught one another infected cell on the top of the head eliminating him and the virus before it could jump off.

The world shook and an explosion of missiles headed his way. "Good, back up was approaching." He thought. The world shook again. "What was this?"

"We are increasing the temperature" came the voice over the speaker. "Prepare for fever conditions."

"Great" 1146 thought. This was going to be bad. He loved his job but he hated working in the higher temperatures. He knew it weakened most viruses and in the long run it would make his work easier but the sweat. He wiped his face in anticipation. He jumped out of the way and his knives met spear end of one of the free-floating viruses. "I've really got to stay alert" He thought as he watched an immune cell become infected. His counterpart grabbed his chest as if ready to tear out his mitochondria and feel to the ground. He rose and attacked. "He is no longer himself" 1146 thought as he watched 3292 cut down their former coworker.

Just then he heard something that made his cytoplasm run cold. "Sekkekkyū" he screamed. He couldn't see if it was 3803 or not. He was blinded by fury and fear. Red blood cells too? He ran blindly into the middle of the fight.