COLORADO with John
SEP 03...
Revenge of the 'Skeeters'
As you may know, the West Nile Virus is all over America and is creating quite a stir. The following is a creative look at the finely tuned war machine known worldwide as the Mosquito.
Colorado holds a top secret base of the West Nile Coup (WNC). Spreading across the country like killer bees on the attack, these “mosquitoes” or “’skeeters” as they are known, have yet to plunge the country into a state of panic and chaos through large-scale and open war, but their near-silent and covert ops have taken their toll.
After years of innovations aimed at controlling this militant bunch of skin-biters, ranging from such chemical weapon defense systems as “Deet” and “Bug-and-Sun” to the well-placed optically guided hand or rolled newspaper, they are finally tired of our relentless attacks on their quests for food and survival. A civil war, if you will, is upon us.
Know Your Enemy
Releasing a bacterial agent that causes the West Nile Virus (WNV), these agile aerial attack machines, fed by funding and biological weaponry from their distant relatives, the birds, are launching attacks across the country. While mainly found in hot, wet, and humid areas, guerilla factions have worked very successfully in the dry regions of the western United States such as Colorado, now believed to be their headquarters. The CIA, FBI and other private intelligence groups have yet to discover any tactical maps, plans or communiqué of any sort.
The extremely complex encrypted communication code and language of the mosquito is impenetrable to all of the US’s code-breaking expertise, though biologists are working closely with the federal government and the Homeland Security Office to break through this new communications barrier.
A Closer Look
The female mosquito, belonging to the genus Culex, begins it’s attack by selecting a target. The selected targets, typically animals and humans, produce carbon dioxide, moisture and heat which combine to alert the attacking arthropod of a target’s location. Their small size allows a quick, quiet and many times undetected assault. Once the attack is underway, mosquitoes may attempt evasion but are willing to turn any mission into a suicide attack.
Defending Yourself
Each mosquito unit emits a high-pitched whine while in the flight. The female whine tone is a bit higher than the males. This fault can be taken advantage of simply by listening carefully, especially when outside for any period of time. Once detected, these mosquitoes can be defeated by a physical counter attack. The federal government grants any person a license to kill mosquitoes on sight. You need not keep count and as of yet there are no posted rewards for the capture or killing of mosquitoes. The federal government provides no specific instructions for disposal.
Other methods of defense include standard chemical defenses such as “Deet”, an older product not commonly found on the market today. Contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for more information. Mosquito Magnet products draw mosquitoes using a synthesized stream of heat and carbon dioxide emitted by burning propane or butane and in conjunction with a chemical called octenol. The navigational systems of the mosquitoes are tricked into honing in on the machines instead of humans or animals in the area. A “tractor beam” of carbon dioxide draws the insects into a disposable mesh bag.
Final Thoughts
Mosquitoes are an ancient army having employed many different biological agents in their ongoing battle against the animal kingdom. Until recently humans have been at the disadvantage. Due to technological advances and new chemical defense strategies, such biological attacks with agents ranging from malaria to WNV, are more easily controlled, defended against and prevented. However, constant vigilance is required to avoid falling prey to these guerilla attacks. Mosquitoes are a brave and bloodthirsty alliance but they lack the creative power of the human brain and thus our ability to prevail. Despite possible abilities to adapt to the chemical defenses humans possess, human researchers are in the process of developing highly classified techniques to sterilize these creatures, intending, ultimately, to release the sterile mosquitoes to mate and eventually wipe out the mosquito population.
