Personal Log 21: Recollection 2
11 Sep 2016Jemine Caesar
7th December 3300The office of Dr Kapoor, Senior Paediatrician, Grasswell Hospital.
LHS 3447 - A5
Please do take a seat, Miss Caesar.
My name is Doctor Kapoor, and I am Senior Paediatrician here. First of all, let me say I am very sorry for your loss. I know this will be a most difficult time for you. Please be assured, Miss Caesar, that we did all we could for your daughter. Her death, however, was inevitable, as there is no known cure for the condition she had.
You have asked me to tell you more about Bekka's illness. I will do this, as simply as I can.
Bekka died from a disease called Necrolysing Transuterophylomycaemia. This is often abbreviated to NTUP. It is incredibly rare. So rare, in fact, that it has virtually no meaningful statistical probability of occurring at all. To understand why it occurs, it is necessary for me first to describe its root cause.
In 2760, a Professor Adrian Kingston identified a bio-pathological condition which he termed Lothario Syndrome. It only ever manifests in males, causing them to have an abnormally high sex-drive by creating a hyper-stimulation of the amygdala. The amygdala is a part of the cerebral cortex which governs emotion, motivation and sex drive. The sufferer is compelled by this to seek female company for sexual intercourse, and remains with her afterwards in the appearance of a normal loving relationship. Upon receiving the news that the female is pregnant, the sufferer then quickly leaves her, driven on by the syndrome in search of his next sexual partner.
The DNA from the sperm undergoes an ingenious chameleon mutation once it has penetrated the female egg, which effectively prevents identification of the father.
Professor Kingston's original studies of the syndrome observed a temporary burnout effect after a period of around five to nine years of sexual activity. The sufferer's compulsion for sex was found to return to its previous level after eight to ten years. The biological reason for this has never been determined.
However, the male's sperm carries a genetic mutation, which we call the Lothario Gene. This gene inserts a defective DNA sequence into the female egg. The resulting offspring is born healthily, but during childhood develops the disease Necrolysing Transuterophylomycaemia, NTUP. This disease causes a very rapid breakdown of the auto-immune system, resulting in multiple organ failures and inevitable death.
From the onset of symptoms to death takes between two and five weeks. There is no known cure, although research is being carried out.
Men diagnosed with Lothario Syndrome are normally referred for physical castration to prevent passing on the NTUP virus. Unfortunately, however, some men clearly choose to slip though the net. Lothario Syndrome has undergone a resurgence in recent years, with one hundred and forty seven cases of NTUP deaths being recorded since 3275.
There is an additional side effect of the Lothario Gene about which you will already be aware, Miss Caesar. Following the child's birth, the Lothario Gene releases a malevolent enzyme into the female's reproductive system, This enzyme causes significant and irreversible cell damage within the uterus and ovaries, which renders the female infertile. The menstrual cycle is also completely inhibited. Once again there is some research being done into surgical treatments using nano-biotechnology. Happily, the female can still enjoy a full and normal sex life.
I hope I have been able to answer all your questions, Miss Caesar, and once again, may I offer you my sincere condolences.