The Penetration Problem

Seeing that they were having quite a chat, Elaine brought out some cheese and crackers. The three women laid into them. Between munches Mrs. Schreiber said, “It’s a little odd, that he is so dedicated to the Project, but doesn’t seem to think about it much. He’s not curious about the organizational aspects, though he could get involved if he wanted to. I’m pretty sure he’s not aware of the present funding crisis.”

Angela had read about it online. “That is just so strange. Just when it’s clear the children are being born with immunorestorative gene, exactly as predicted. You’d think we’d be getting more countries chipping in.”

“The biggest problem is sub-Sahara Africa,” Elaine said. “They need the I.R. the most, with all that AIDS over there. But the countries are so unstable, and there’s a lot of religious mumbo jumbo opposition.”

Angela said, “My parents are traditional Chinese. So I know a lot about superstition.”

Mrs. Schreiber said, “We Americans are superstitious too. We’re lucky though. We don’t suffer too much from it. But in Africa superstition is deadly.”

Auto-immune disease was now the world’s number one health problem. Last year 10 million people died from it, and many millions more were debilitated. As part of the adoption process when Kai-Kai was a baby it was discovered that he was the first known carrier of the ‘LIS’ (legacy immunorestorative) gene —a gene that was theorized about but had never actually been detected. He was just a carrier but the gene would manifest in his children —their blood would contain the I.R. factor from which could be manufactured the long-sought-after AAI (antiautoimunne) vaccine. “Manifestation” was confirmed by amniocentesis on his first children while in utero. That was a very happy day for the Project, and worldwide, among people who recognized its importance. More recently it was re-confirmed by DNA hair samples from the born children.

The problem was how to get from “here” to “there”. Blood plasma to make the vaccine would not be available until the children’s fifth birthday, when most pediatricians begin to take blood samples anyway. Currently there were only about 100 children who had passed their first birthday. So the first vaccines were four years in the future.

“25 - 25” was the goal: have Kai-Kai fertilize 25,000 women by his 25th birthday. So far he was on schedule, in fact a little ahead of it, which was good. The Project wanted a cushion, something above the bare minimum. Even the 25,000 number included fudge factors. The incidence of twins and other multiple births, for example, which more than offset the 1% “drop rate” (women who did not get pregnant). If all went on schedule Kai-Kai would actually end up fathering about 26,500 children. On the other hand some of the mothers might go back on their contract, by refusing to have blood drawn from their children on the semiannual schedule, and of course the Project couldn’t force them. It would be very ungrateful for the mothers to do that, after getting all the free prenatal and health care, but it could happen. The actual “critical mass” of Sire children, based on computer models of world population distribution, auto-immune disease incidence and other factors, was e¹⁰, or about 22,000.

Elaine said, “Penetration remains the ongoing problem. I used to be on the Penetration Committee. The places that most need the I.R. vaccine are the places with the fewest applicants.”

Mrs. Schreiber said, “Complete penetration seems like an impossible goal. Publicity in those areas has been difficult. They were lucky to get Mrs. Piri. She was a real find.”

Angela knew about this state of affairs. Most of the committee proceedings seemed to be available here and there in the Sire Collection, though it was impossible to find the documents in order.

The Collection was not well organized. One page would be a Penetration Committee memo, while the next was a detailed MRI of Kai-Kai’s right testicle, with arrows pointing to the various internal septums and lobules, each one of which the Spermatogenesis Committee had mapped out and named. Then there would be a Draining Committee report on the total amount of semen (called the “yield”) extracted during the monthly Lab 6 drainings (during winter months Kai-Kai’s yield was always higher, about 60 cc). A page from the Inspection Committee about changes to the medical team syllabus. A photo from the Local Affairs Committee showing Kai-Kai among the rows of students in the Human Sexuality 101 class, taking notes like everyone else, notable only for his nudity, and as it happened with Marikit in the seat next to him; then later in that same class, standing on the lab table with legs widely spread and hands on his knees, cheerfully allowing himself to be probed front and back by latex-gloved students, many of whom no doubt were friends of his, with Marikit a face in the crowd. Next, a memo on the reorganization of the Prostate Committee. Now a diagram from the (endlessly energetic and inventive) Draining Committee of nipple cups as part of a “total stimulation machine”. . .

The whole Sire Collection was a mess. She was thinking of proposing that she organize it as her Master’s Project. It would be a huge task, but a necessary one. There were thousands of pages, many in foreign languages, generated by (her best guess was) about 15 or 20 committees, along with Board minutes, administrative releases and letters, and correspondence from outside.

Elaine said, “I still think we should put Kai-Kai ‘on tour’.”

Her mother said, “The Committee doesn’t like that suggestion.”

“I know, that’s why I quit.” Responding to Angela’s puzzled face, Elaine continued, “That was my term for it, ‘on tour’. Physically send Kai-Kai to areas that need to be penetrated. Some of these indigenous peoples are hesitant about having their women fly halfway across the world. That was part of the problem with Mrs. Piri. So instead of having the women come here, Kai-Kai would go to the women, and do the impregs in their own homes. He could spend a week in their town, and inseminate forty women.”

Angela said, “Ms. Canworthy would tear her hair out, with the scheduling problems. Her job is complicated enough.”

“I realize you can’t get 40 women in the same village ovulating at the same time. But what if only 10 end up pregnant? That’s ten mothers in that area that we didn’t have before.”

“What does Kai-Kai think?” Angela said. “Did anyone ask him?”

“He’s afraid of offending people.”

“Kai-Kai? Offend?” Angela thought this was a joke. “It is impossible for Kai-Kai to offend anyone. He is the politest boy in the world.”

“He can offend, just by his nudity. We’re used to it here. But not in a place like, say, Harbin, or Khartoum. And we can’t risk putting clothes on him and heating up his testicles. His sperm count has to be maintained.”