KUSI & THE METABOLICANS

THE INTRUDER

There is a minutes silence as no one speaks, until Grinder coughs, and with a malicious grin, he addresses Cecil,

"Oh, you did? Really? You came in, with the bananas?"

But before he can continue, a thunderous voice breaks out from a part of the factory, "What's going on with you folks?" Nobody has a reply, but they all stand rooted to the spot and quivering, even Cecil hides his head in his coiled body.

The voice bellows again, this time, footsteps are heard approaching...

"What's going on with you all? Why has the food supply not been sent yet, for absorption? We are all waiting for you workers! Why are you keeping the factory in suspense?"

They all wait silently, each watching the direction of the approaching footsteps, each counting the seconds, holding their breaths. One, two, three...and then, they all look up, simultaneously to behold the enormous fluid frame of one of the Chief guardians of Kusi's body, the democratically elected, and general supervisor, of everything in the factory, the most illustrious general Neuron Plexus.

Cecil bravely decides to take a peep at this intruder. So he raises his round head out, and on sight of the general, he quivers even more and decides that the best action to take, is to flee. So he very slowly, very quietly, slips away. General Neuron stands looming in front of them. He stretches his giant- size form and says,

"Okay lads and lass! I've got a little news for you. I've just finished running my rounds, trouble-shooting Metabolica's gems; the Brain, Heart, and Pancreas, and my guys have checked inside Bigville and Smallville's Intestines, and also inside the Kidney, I've also gotten information from Kusi's Liver, too. They all tell me the same thing: that nothing has come their way, for the last thirty minutes, since the last food supply was delivered! Thirty minutes? Thirty minutes!? So please, tell me what's going on with you all?"

On behalf of his comrades, Grinder breaks the silence and says,

"Greetings to you, O Illustrious, Ever Efficiently Hardworking Neuron! You see, while we were doing our very best on the job, a ..."

But, before he can continue any further, general Neuron rolls his eyes, raising his right hand to say, "Oh! Enough of this, Grinder. For once, spare me the accolades, and just get to the point!"

Digesta intercedes and blurts out, "It's The worm, general!"

General Neuron raises his right eyebrow, looks at Digesta and repeats, "The worm?"

Digesta, clearing her throat, says, "Actually, I meant to say, a worm, general."

There is another moment of stunned silence as general Neuron considers this new information, about Cecil.

He says, "So, there is a worm in the factory?"

One enzyme says, "Yes, general, a wormy is in the factory."

Another enzyme says, "Ehh, yes general! And, he came in with the last supply of bananas."

General Neuron says, "So! There is a WORM in the factory, and, he came in with the bananas...and he supposedly took up thirty minutes of your precious time? Okay. Okay? So, where is he?"

They suddenly realize that all the while the conversation with general Neuron was taking place, they'd forgotten about Cecil, hiding in the food's mashy goo. So they all dive into the processing grub in search of Cecil, but he is nowhere to be found. At this point general Neuron says,

"Well! This certainly calls for alarm. We may need everyone's hands on deck, to find this worm! Having a parasite like this, hiding and feasting on the much needed vitamins and nutrients this body requires to build up it's cells and strength; is not welcoming news! I will have to go and alert Endycrone, we will need to fish and flush out this wormy as soon as possible!" He hurries away from them in search of Endycrone.

Everyone in the factory is hunting for Cecil. General Neuron soon finds his friend and compatriot, general Hormio Endycrone, deep in Smallville's Downtown Intestine. Neuron alerts him,

"We have another rather disturbing situation, again, in the factory, Endy!"

General Endycrone says, "I have felt it, and it's quite familiar."

Neuron murmurs, "Yes, indeed! It's this parasite again, the worm!"

Endycrone says, "Hmmm, yes, it's back in or, should I say, they are back in?"

Neuron looks surprised and says, "They?"

Endycrone says, "Yes, 'they,' because I feel the presence of more than one irritant."

Neuron exclaims, "My goodness! I wonder why I didn't sense this on time! Now, we need to raise our defenses immediately! We must send messages to the antibodies, and they must take action, pronto!"

Endycrone informs him,

"They are already aware of this irritant, Neuron, because I had sent messages to them through my G.I hormones. My G.I hormones are also stimulating the sensory areas where the worms are hiding. Perhaps it is my efficiency that prevented you from sensing the invasion earlier... because these particular wormies are slippery fellows, very skillful in hiding. But Neuron, unfortunately, the antibodies will need a little help, some worm killers, to expel these stubborn rascals, but this is not surprising."

Neuron says, "Definitely it is not. The factory's defense shield was greatly weakened by the malaria parasites. Some Albendazole will be nice, right about now."

Endycrone says, "Don't worry so much, Neuron. The stimulation from the G.I hormones should give the factory some discomfort, and stomach cramps, which should prompt the boy to do the needful!"

Neuron says, "let's hope it does, and soonest!"