Young Writers Society

A/N: So this is a story that me and PearlFire wrote for a biology project. It had to include an adventure that went through all the organelles of a plant. This is not our best work since it is our first story we wrote together, but it was a lot of fun to write and is quite humorous. Please DO NOT take this to serious. We hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Into the Cell Wall

When we were first shrunk I didn’t think that we would be running from the mutated organelles made from the virus. We were first injected into the cell wall and left to fend for ourselves by our superiors in the lab. Being lab assistants had its disadvantages. I have a feeling that our straw draw was rigged so we would go. But that’s besides the point.

What ever happened we were here now, here to find what virus was killing the world’s food supply. Me and my partner Megan were looking around the cell wall. All looked normal.

“What do you think? Looks fine to me. The outside structure is still pretty strong.” I said.

“Why don’t we try to get inside the cell.” Megan said, sounding bored.

“Umm, how do we do that. Technically we are foreign bodies, we’ll just get filtered out with the rest of them. Can we get in?”

“ Probably, I’m thinking that whatever is affecting the cells has numbed the receptors so it can multiply unchecked. We just need to hitch a ride.”

“On a virus?”

“No silly, we need a more stable way to get in. I was thinking about that approaching glucose molecule.”

“Makes sense. Here goes nothing.” With that we both jumped holding on for our lives. Literally.

Then Megan said “Who says sugar is bad for you.”

“ME!” I said NOT enjoying this.

Chapter 2: The Cell Membrane

Gabby can be such a scaredy cat sometimes. This was fun. “I think I see it.”

“See what!” I replied.

Gabby said quite sarcastically, “The eiffel tower.” but she added, “I see the cell membrane.”

“This is our stop then. Everybody off.” Without giving Gabby time to respond I hurled myself off the carbohydrate. I never landed.

“We are NEVER doing that again.” She said, floating beside me.

“Aww, come on not scared are you.” I teased.

“No, I’m not. I was terrified. You are suicidal.” She replied, not in a good mood from our trip.

“Well, we’ll never land. We’re close enough now to the cell that we can just float here. Only problem I foresee is how do we breath when we’re in the cytoplasm.” I said matter-of-factly.

“Umm, breathing is slightly important. What about oxygen pockets.”

“That’s a good idea for refilling the oxygen tanks, or did you forget about those.” I said accusingly.

“We weren’t given any.” She grumbled.

“That’s why I took some from the supply room.”

“The boss is not going to be happy, but oh well.”

“If we get back, we’ll be heroes because we’ll know how to stop the virus. Besides if he decides to sue us for them, we can defend ourselves with the claim he didn’t provide for his employees.”

“Good point. Let’s get on with this.”

After we found there was no signs of a disease in the cell membrane, I discussed with Gabby how we were going to get inside. “That carbohydrate is long gone now.”

“Go with the flow of cytoplasm?” She asked, unsure.

“How about that Lipid. I’ve noticed that the molecules come through our way about every 30 seconds, and that’s our next ride.” I pointed out the lipid coming towards us.

“Here we go again then.”

“Don’t be a big baby, it’s just a big fat molecule.”

“Ha ha, very funny. Come on let’s get this over with.”

Chapter 3: It’s Cytoplasm

So once again we were dangling from a macromolecule zooming through a cell.Only here the virus was more noticeable.

“Do you see the viruses. They’re everywhere.” I said to Megan.

“Duh, this isn’t a normal cell you know. Let’s put our oxygen masks on and let the enzymes take care of our ride. There’s some now.”

So with that we put on our oxygen masks and now we're both now falling, or more like floating through the cytoplasm as the lipid we were riding was broken down by an enzyme.

“We’ll miss him.” I joked to Megan.

“I won’t, he’s just being converted. I’m worried about how the enzymes look though. It kinda looks like they’re trying to eat it.” She said worriedly.

“Maybe we should call into the lab to see how the stats are.” I suggested.

“You’re the one with the communication device.”

I pulled out the radio and called the lab.

“Cell Riders to the lab, how’s the stats looking?” I said to the scientists monitoring the cell we were currently stuck in.

“Looking good, although you do know that we were planning on sending you oxygen tanks?” The scientist on the other end said.

“Yeah, and I’m a unicorn.” muttered Megan. I couldn’t help but give her an ‘I told you so’ look.

“I don’t think we need those. Thanks for the update though. Cell Riders out” I said into the radio.

“You do know that they probably would have sent the oxygen tanks when we were dead, right?” said Megan.

“Your cheery today, but you're probably right, they were never known as the brightest and it was the interns in charge of packing for us.” I said.

“I sure hope they got us some weapons, those enzymes just ate that lipid, and they’re coming towards us. I think they’ve been affected by the virus.” Megan pointed out.

“I don’t think weapons would help. Running, however, might be a good

thing.” I said on the verge of panic, again.

“Ok, I’ll discuss weapon’s with you later.”

“Yeah, rain check, let’s go, he’s kinda big and coming closer.”

“Let’s go, although they don’t need more fat on them.”

“Really? More jokes?” I asked, unable to restrain myself anymore.

So we found ourselves running for our lives, again. Actually floating for our lives is more like it, seeing we were still suspended in cytoplasm. So we started making our way to the closest organelle suspended nearby.

Chapter 4: Is the Chloroplasts sick?

I asked if the interns packed weapons because every enzyme has a specific function. We can destroy the enzyme as long as we don’t get near the active site and the weapon isn’t what the enzyme feeds on. I noticed that the organelle we were hiding behing was a kind of greenish blue color.

“Hey Gabby, call into the lab.” I said, looking at the unusual color.

“Ok give me a second.” She replied.

While she was pulling out the radio she asked, “Why do you think it’s tinged blue, unless I failed science aren’t they supposed to be green?”

“ I noticed that the enzymes were a kind of blue too. I think that’s a characteristic of the virus”

“I got the radio.You wanna call?” She said holding up the small radio.

“Yeah, radio please Gabby.”

“Here you go.” She handed it to me.

“Cell Riders to lab, come in lab.”

The radio crackled to life and soon we heard, “Lab to Cell Riders, go ahead.”

“We need identification on this organelle that we came across, we think it is a chloroplast. The problem is that it’s kinda blueish. Also we think that blue is a color characteristic with this virus.”

“That could narrow down the possibilities. If it’s turning the chloroplast blue it must be affecting the chlorophyll. Can you take a closer look? If something happens to the chloroplast the plant could have serious trouble producing glucose.”

”Yeah sure, by the way, did you pack any weapons.”

“Weapons don’t help against a virus, but the interns were supposed to pack antivirals. Wait till you can figure out what type or it could get ugly.”

“Weapons may not help with a virus, but they do help against carnivorous enzymes!” I yelled.

“Enzymes? You should have a heat gun, try that. It is strange that the virus would affect enzymes too. Find out what you can and call back.”

“Fine, Gabby probably has the heat gun. You know I prefer knives.”

“Right then, lab out.”

I handed the radio back to Gabby and told her to get her heat gun out.

“Thanks, I guess the interns did remember the heat guns. Gold star for one of them then.”

“I’ll stick to knives. Ready to cook up some enzymes?”

“Guess we’re going deep chloroplast exploring then?”

“We’re not going exploring unless we start cooking the enzymes.”

“We don’t have to worry about the enzymes anymore. Looks like they’re taking care of that on their own. By eating each other.”

“Ok, that’s a new one. Get out a glucose monitor. Lets check this chloroplast out.”

“Alright, got it. Ready?”

“We’re in a cell where everything eats one another, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Again, good point. And off we go.”

We checked out the glucose reading and found out that while it was producing glucose a little less than it normally would, the chloroplast was fine.

“That’s a relief. The virus must be focusing somewhere else in the cell.”

I replied saying, “You know i’ve studied medicine, it’s probably going to be worse towards the nucleus.”

“If that’s where the virus are, guess that’s where we should be.”

“I see some stringy looking things ahead. Want to go ziplining?”

“That’s the cytoskeleton, not strings, and you know me, let’s go.”

Chapter 5: Ziplining Improved (I’m upside down!)

Now don’t get me wrong I’ve always wanted to go ziplining but this was not what I had in mind. Megan pulled out some kind of skateboard looking things that attached to the microfilaments.“Are you sure this is a good idea!” I shouted to Megan who was ziplining beside me.

“Yeah, just make sure you keep your balance!” Megan replied, sounding thrilled.

“Not funny.” I said as I was already starting to wobble.

“Gabby, look out!” Megan yelled.

At which point of course my board swings around and I’m now ziplining upside down.

“I really hate your ideas sometimes!” I shouted.

“Gabby there’s another chloroplast up ahead, hang on and we’ll dismount there and get you right side up.”

“That would be amazing. Except that really mean looking virus.” I said, spotting the blue ball coming uncomfortably close.

“Shoot, Gabby, do you think you can hand me a heat gun.”

If you have ever tried to get something out of a pack upside down while zooming around a cell let me tell you, not fun. I finally got it and tossed it to Megan.

“Gabby make sure to keep your head down. I need to figure out how to work this thing and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Turn the dial to set the heat, then pull the trigger.” I told her.

“Too late, four!” Then she swung it at the virus like a golf club. SNAP! The virus went flying off in the distance.

“Hey Gabby, is the handle supposed to come off?”

“Umm, no. Why?” I asked fearing the answer.

“The handle just came off. It’s in the virus.”

“That’s not exactly a good thing, ya know!” I relied.

“Well, now we have a spear, it can also serve as a bat.”

“Or golf club as you’ve demonstrated.”

“Nah, there’s no part on the end to swing it.” She said, swinging it a couple times.

We got to the chloroplast and got me right side up, which was a relief. We noticed that the chloroplast seemed even bluer than the last one we were on, so we took out the glucose monitor. We found out that this organelle was dead.

“Let’s get to ziplining again, before some lysosomes come and break down this chloroplast.” Megan said, sounding worried.

“As much as I don’t like ziplining your right. We must be getting closer to the virus's source.’ I said seriously. Honestly though, why was it that the worst things are what we have to do multiple times.

Chapter 6: Golgi Apparatus, Mitochondria, and Another Protein Ride

All I can say is oops. I was hoping that Gabby had another heat gun. The good thing was that we’re ziplining again. I was absolutely enjoying this.

“Hey Gabby, we’re approaching the Golgi Apparatus. You aren’t upside down are you?”

“Not THIS time. So let’s not jinx me now.”

“Hey, your not that bad for a beginner. I’ve been developing these boards for a while now. Who do you think was the guinea pig for testing?”

“Luckily not me. I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult anyways. Oh well, let’s get off these things.” She said.

We sped up to the golgi apparatus. As we were approaching I undid the safety clasps and jumped. Then I helped Gabby out of hers, I then undid the clasps to the boards and put them in my pack.

“Ready?”

“I just hope I don’t see the handle to our gun anytime soon.”

“Well then, my friend, that makes two of us.” She said, shouldering her own pack.

“Suprising. This place seems to be working better under this blue color! Gabby, run there’s the handle to our gun and our little friend. Quick get to that protein molecule!”

So there we were running for our lives. Trying not to get eaten by the virus whom I stuck the handle of the gun in earlier.

So we ended up on the protein molecule which was taking us rapidly away from the golgi apparatus. As we approached a squiggly looking thing Gabby turned to me and said, “That must be the mitochondria. Looks like this ones been tagged for it by the Golgi.”

“Yeah, maybe we can lose our little friend in it.” I replied.

“Only one way to find out.”

Our protein ended in the mitochondria. Luckily we were able to jump off before it was converted to energy. So far our friend, we’ve named him Gunny, has not caught up to us but we were not sticking around to find out if he did. We ran through the maze like structure at full sprint until we reached the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum.

“I hate to be that person but I think Gunny’s come to say hi.” Gabby yelled over to me.

“Let’s try to lose him in the maze of the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum!” I yelled back.

“Yeah, I agree!”

Chapter 7: Big Words and More Virus

Me and Megan reached the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, we call it the Rough ER for short, in time enough to lose Gunny in the maze. Of course somehow, through our luck, we found more, a lot more.

“Megan!” I yelled in warning.

“Yeah. Wow, I still can’t believe that after all this the proteins can still function in the Rough ER. At least that’s what it looks like.”

“That is a good thing.” I replied.

“Let’s just try to get to the nucleus. Also we might want to run from those proteins. If we get to the nucleus the proteins can’t follow us.”

“Yeah, and I have a sneaking suspicion that is where these viruses are coming from.” I said running towards the nucleus anyways.

We got to the nucleus and immediately wished we hadn’t. We found that the nucleus was crawling with the viruses that were taking over the cell’s DNA. We tried to sneak around towards the other edge of the nucleus, then Gunny made his appearance. When he saw us he screeched and immediately the viruses started following Gunny who was coming after us.

Chapter 8: The Smooth ER Becomes A Baseball Diamond

Gabby and I pretty much went at the speed of light, that was how fast we got out of there. We lost them in the Rough ER and called into the lab.

“Hey Guys, do you have any idea how to get us out of here!”

“Yeah, just get to the vacule.By the way, can you get some viruses to follow you out of the cell for studying.”

“Fine, just let us get to the Smooth ER!”

Well we got to the smooth ER where Gabby told me that she had done the most dangerous stuff and it was my turn to do something dangerous.

So I went out into the open space and yelled, “Here Batter, Batter, Batter!”, hoping that Gunny and his pals would hear me.

“I think they heard you!” Gabby shouted.

“Ok, when I hit them we need to make a home run or we get eaten!” I yelled back.

“Fun!”

“Ok, here we go!” I swung our broken heat gun like a bat, connecting with the nearest virus, sending him tumbling into his buddies. “Gabby, run! To the vacuole! I just made them very, very mad!”

So then we started fleeing for our lives to the vacuole getting to the giant sac like structure in record time. We got there just in time to try to hit the next ride out. Those pesky viruses on our tail. We hopped on some waste that was going out and told Gabby to get out our other heat gun.

“I only have the very small one.” She said.

“Get it out and point it behind us. It’ll give us a boost and make sure we don’t get eaten!” I yelled back.

“Good point.” She replied pulling the miniature version of our broken heat gun out.

Let’s not gross anybody out with how we got out of the cell. Let’s just say that I took 5 showers a day for a week afterwards. The good news is that the viruses came out after us so we got the sample we needed.

Epilogue: Wanna Do It Again?

After we got out of the cell we were set back to the right size, cleaned up, chewed out a couple interns, and were now being called to the lab with our bosses.

“Good news ladies.” The head scientist told us as we walked into the stark white lab. “The viruses you collected were enough to start developing a cure.”

Megan, as always, had to be the practical one, “What about the animals that ate the contaminated food?”

“We are starting tests on it. You guys did it so well, maybe you could do it again?” He asked jokingly.

Just as I was about to tell him flat out “no”, a lab assistant stuck her head in.

“Sir, we have the vaccine. We need to send someone in to test it.” She said, making my stomach drop.

Megan and I just looked at each other and said in unison “Here we go again.”

The End?