a small price to pay for survival.
It was not until March of 1905 that the true nature of Muñoz’s transformation began to become clear. That was the day that Muñoz awoke and had the greatest of difficulty speaking. It could be done, but only with intense concentration, and the result was a muted, whispering lilt that was at best a parody of his previous voice. To Torres’s surprise, the cause was rudimentary: Muñoz’s lungs were no longer functioning in any appreciable manner; indeed, the volume of air moving in and out of Muñoz’s mouth was fully less than a tenth that of a normal man. A full examination revealed a similar situation with his heart and circulation. All of the man’s vital signs were severely depressed, and were it not for the fact that he was moving and talking, Torres would have considered the man near death.
Both doctors agreed that examination of the metabolic processes that allowed Muñoz to function without significant respiration or cardiac activity was needed, and so the two embarked on a battery of examinations and analyses that put their medical and scientific skills to the ultimate test. In the end it came down to the odor that still originated from Muñoz. The stench of spoiled milk had never faded and was a clue to the strange transformation that had altered his physiology. For Muñoz’s metabolism had suffered a radical change; instead of functioning in a primarily aerobic manner, the tissues of his body had become anaerobic, not unlike yeast cultures. This was the source of the sour odor that came from Muñoz, and also explained his comfort at cooler temperatures.
It was an amazing discovery, but it was not without its negative connotations. His immune system had slowed as well, and as a result, bacterial colonies had begun to thrive. The cold was keeping these things from overwhelming him, but routine cleansings of the intestinal tract and the abdominal cavity were going to be required to keep things in check. Additionally, certain specialized cells seemed to have died out altogether, including sweat glands, hair follicles and the cuticles of his fingers and toes. It seemed unavoidable; the bat-borne virus had infected Dr. Rafael Carlos Garcia Muñoz and radically altered the metabolism of his body. Only Torres’s treatment had protected the brain, preventing Muñoz from suffering damage from the extreme fever, and becoming a mindless cannibal like those that had ravaged Port Clarence.
Such a finding was astounding, and the two researchers spent several marathon days carrying out experiments and documenting their results without sleep. Thus when Torres collapsed and Muñoz was forced to carry the poor man to his bed, it did not immediately cause concern. But a day later when Torres began to complain of joint pain and a fever, Muñoz became suspicious. By that afternoon Muñoz had confirmed that Torres had somehow contracted the fever and was now manifesting symptoms. He broke the news as gently as he could to his oldest and dearest friend, and the two spent some time commiserating and deciding on a course of action.
It was agreed that Muñoz would repeat the treatment of Luminal combined with cold and hot water immersions. The procedure would be significantly easier as cold water and ice were readily available. Together they outlined the procedure, prepared the syringe, and baths, and scheduled when the transfers would occur. No detail of the procedure was left to chance, and the notes that Torres had made were consulted frequently. Despite such preparations, when the time came neither man was fully prepared to carry out the procedure, and Muñoz’s hand shook as he injected his friend with a dose of Luminal.
Over the next five hours Muñoz labored over the body of his friend, transferring it from cold water bath to hot water both and then back again. Over and over again Muñoz dragged his friend from one extreme to another, always careful to follow the schedule the two had
It was not until March of 1905 that the true nature of Muñoz’s transformation began to become clear. That was the day that Muñoz awoke and had the greatest of difficulty speaking. It could be done, but only with intense concentration, and the result was a muted, whispering lilt that was at best a parody of his previous voice. To Torres’s surprise, the cause was rudimentary: Muñoz’s lungs were no longer functioning in any appreciable manner; indeed, the volume of air moving in and out of Muñoz’s mouth was fully less than a tenth that of a normal man. A full examination revealed a similar situation with his heart and circulation. All of the man’s vital signs were severely depressed, and were it not for the fact that he was moving and talking, Torres would have considered the man near death.
Both doctors agreed that examination of the metabolic processes that allowed Muñoz to function without significant respiration or cardiac activity was needed, and so the two embarked on a battery of examinations and analyses that put their medical and scientific skills to the ultimate test. In the end it came down to the odor that still originated from Muñoz. The stench of spoiled milk had never faded and was a clue to the strange transformation that had altered his physiology. For Muñoz’s metabolism had suffered a radical change; instead of functioning in a primarily aerobic manner, the tissues of his body had become anaerobic, not unlike yeast cultures. This was the source of the sour odor that came from Muñoz, and also explained his comfort at cooler temperatures.
It was an amazing discovery, but it was not without its negative connotations. His immune system had slowed as well, and as a result, bacterial colonies had begun to thrive. The cold was keeping these things from overwhelming him, but routine cleansings of the intestinal tract and the abdominal cavity were going to be required to keep things in check. Additionally, certain specialized cells seemed to have died out altogether, including sweat glands, hair follicles and the cuticles of his fingers and toes. It seemed unavoidable; the bat-borne virus had infected Dr. Rafael Carlos Garcia Muñoz and radically altered the metabolism of his body. Only Torres’s treatment had protected the brain, preventing Muñoz from suffering damage from the extreme fever, and becoming a mindless cannibal like those that had ravaged Port Clarence.
Such a finding was astounding, and the two researchers spent several marathon days carrying out experiments and documenting their results without sleep. Thus when Torres collapsed and Muñoz was forced to carry the poor man to his bed, it did not immediately cause concern. But a day later when Torres began to complain of joint pain and a fever, Muñoz became suspicious. By that afternoon Muñoz had confirmed that Torres had somehow contracted the fever and was now manifesting symptoms. He broke the news as gently as he could to his oldest and dearest friend, and the two spent some time commiserating and deciding on a course of action.
It was agreed that Muñoz would repeat the treatment of Luminal combined with cold and hot water immersions. The procedure would be significantly easier as cold water and ice were readily available. Together they outlined the procedure, prepared the syringe, and baths, and scheduled when the transfers would occur. No detail of the procedure was left to chance, and the notes that Torres had made were consulted frequently. Despite such preparations, when the time came neither man was fully prepared to carry out the procedure, and Muñoz’s hand shook as he injected his friend with a dose of Luminal.
Over the next five hours Muñoz labored over the body of his friend, transferring it from cold water bath to hot water both and then back again. Over and over again Muñoz dragged his friend from one extreme to another, always careful to follow the schedule the two had
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