Recent Comments

1. about 14 hours ago on FurBabies

   Just the sound of the drill, and I’m freaked out.

2. 2 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   Besides, your toilets run the wrong way.

3. 2 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   -13c, expecting 6"-8" of snow.

4. 2 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   Of course, Elvis is the lone holdout.

5. 3 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   Thank you for the post. Make sure you read the first book, or the second book won’t make as much sense. :-)

6. 4 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   Inside the lab, Cassidy donned more protective gear and prepared to introduce the samples into the mass spectrometer. Her former professor, Dr. Watkins, stood aside, ready to help but knowing that Cassidy knew what she was doing; after all, she had been his best student. Although, why she brought her cat into the lab was beyond him.

   Inside the hermetically sealed glove box, the sample container was opened, and the first sample was placed in the vacuum chamber of the MS, and the pump was started to remove the atmosphere. The sample was then vaporized while an electron beam created charged ions. Those ions were accelerated towards the detector while a powerful magnet caused the heavier ions to separate from the lighter ones. The result of the process showed up as a vertical bar graph on the computer screen that Cassidy, Holmes, and Dr. Watkins watched.

   “Look,” Cassidy said, pointing at the graph on the screen. “There are two polypeptide chains, here and here,” pointing at the A-chain and B-chain. “Each has a molecular weight of around 32 kDa.” Cassidy quickly did the math in her head and said, “The total molecule weighing is around 64 kDa. That’s ricin, isn’t it?”

   “Yes. That’s the molecular weight of a ricin protein.” Dr. Watkins agreed.

   Holmes meowed. “Those fools are using Ricin.” Cassidy nodded, but Dr. Watkins looked at the cat suspiciously.

   “Wait, there’s something else,” Cassidy said, looking at the readout. “What is that?”

   Dr. Watkins looked over her shoulder and replied, “That is a viral glycoprotein. If they coupled it with the Ricin, it would allow the toxin to penetrate the cell membrane even faster.” When Cassidy gave him a questioning look, the Watkins went on, “Normally, the Ricin takes about four hours to penetrate the cell membrane. However, a viral glycoprotein will shorten that time significantly. The body couldn’t defend against that. This is a super toxin.”

   “They want an apocalypse,” Holmes announced. “Time to call our friends.”

7. 4 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   This is the very beginning of Holmes & Watson, The Case Of The One Bridge Too Far.

8. 4 days ago on Doonesbury

   You’re deliberately avoiding the question. Free memberships will not be able to comment on anything. What’s your plan?

9. 4 days ago on Doonesbury

   But you will not be able to comment. What will you do?

10. 4 days ago on Breaking Cat News

    “Finished,” Cassidy announced. Carefully, she loaded the samples into the white, air-tight container and locked the lid. The envelope and instruments Cass used went into a separate bio-hazard container. The junior member of the Holmes and Watson firm went into the airlock and hosed off the hazmat suit and samples box, then stripped off the hazmat suit, revealing the underwear she had on underneath. The hazmat suit went in a yellow bio-hazard bag to be sealed and eventually taken away by the appropriate agency.

    “The bloomers, too,” Holmes added.

    “Fine.” Cassidy removed her bra and panties, which went into the bag. “Happy now?” she asked, standing naked in front of the cat, the scars on her abdomen clearly visible. “Only Izzy gets to see me like this.”

    “You silly humans and your modesty. Shower off, and we’ll get going.”

    The shower was a hose with a spray nozzle. Cassidy stood over the floor drain in the back room, rinsing off herself and the samples box once again. Finally, clean, wet, and cold, she dried herself and put on an old sweatshirt and sweatpants for the drive over to the university.-———————————————————————-