Lost in thought, Abraham stared out the window, accepting Sam as one of his own too. A smile broke upon his face like the first beams of daylight after a night of horrors. The sun had become a ray of hope for everyone in the vehicle. He knew it was the daylight that kept the freaks in the dark spaces.
VOLUME 3: THE RED TOWER PART 1
Summer 2015
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Abraham’s struggle to find his family has led him to a strange place…
The Red Tower lies in the middle of a military compound in the Rocky Mountains. Abraham knows his loved ones are being held in the secure facility. What he doesn’t know is the intent of the well organized group of men in yellow chemical suits.
Abraham is preparing for war, but hoping for peace. He doesn’t know why the men in yellow took his family, or what they want. However, nothing is going to stop him from joining them.
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CORDYCEPS FUNGUS
MIND CONTROLLING FUNGUS FOUND IN BRAZILIAN RAIN FOREST:
Most fictional zombie infections are a product of a deadly virus. However, in the deep forests of Brazil a real cordyceps fungus has done the impossible. It has brought to life the zombie apocalypse on the insect world. Originally thought to be a single class of fungi, the cordyceps is now divided between four distinct species with the possibility for many more. This is part of the inspiration for my book series INFECTED FREAKS.
“The newly discovered phenomenon is frightening scientists around the globe. This is because of the mind controlling abilities the fungi presents. Scientists have announced the zombie fungus species can infect ants, take over the brain, and then kill the insect in a spot that is desirable to grow more fungi and help spread the spores. Some of these ants could travel miles to find the right spot. This makes the body of the ant a puppet to the fungi.
The parasitic spores attach to the ant, eventually breaking through the exoskeleton using mechanical pressure and enzymes. A bite, a scratch, a tear in the flesh would be enough for the fungi to invade the blood stream with the ultimate goal of the brain.
Next up is the yeast stage. The fungi spreads in the ant’s body and presumably produces compounds that affect the ant’s hemocoel and utilizes the evolutionary trait of an extended phenotype to manipulate the behavioral patterns exhibited by the ant. Zombie ants begin to have irregularly spaced full body convolutions which sends them to the forest floor. The insect climbs up the stem of a plant and uses its mandibles to secure itself to a leaf vein, with abnormal force, leaving dumbbell-shaped marks on it.
Once the mandibles of the ant are secured to the leaf vein, atrophy sets in destroying the sarcomere connections in the muscle fibers, and reduces the mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticula. The ant is no longer able to control the muscles of the mandible and will remain affixed here. This lockjaw trait is popularly known as the death grip, and is essential in the fungus’s fitness. The fungus then kills the ant, and continues to grow as its hyphae invade more soft tissues and structurally fortify the ant’s exoskeleton. More mycelia then sprout out of the ant, and securely anchor it to the plant substrate while secreting antimicrobials to ward off competition. When the fungus is ready to reproduce, its fruiting bodies grow from the ant’s head and rupture, releasing the spores. This process takes 4 to 10 days.”
The discovery by David Hughes and colleagues is something of wonder and terror. The fungal growth is only thought to harm the insect population. However, with each new species of fungus the risk to humans seems paramount. The fungus is capable of adapting to various environments and victims. Should the fungi ever infect a human brain the results may be similar to the fantasied zombie apocalypse.
The cordyceps fungus is an ever evolving species that scientists are just beginning to understand. With thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe yet to be discovered, the chances of a human infection are high according to some of the specialists in the field.
The fungus uses its host to spread the infection. The human body is capable of spreading such a virus in an uncanny manner. Instead of devouring flesh the will of the creature would be to infect other hosts. This is exactly what these zombie ants do to its own colony. Once an ant is infected, the fungus forces the bug to bit other ants and in doing so allows the infection to spread at a frightening rate. The same concept applied to humans is exactly what the zombie apocalypse entails. However, unlike zombies a brainless body would bloom into a forest of fungus and create pockets of spores to infect the next unlucky person to stroll close enough. The human tissue would feed the fungi for a wealth of time allowing the process to devour mankind in a short period.
However, ants are smart and if they sense infected member they will carry them away from the colony hoping to avoid the infection. Of course the fungus infecting humans is speculation at this point. But in my new book series Infected Freaks the outbreak is real and possibly alien.
Learn more about the cordyceps fungus on the Web:
http://www.jasonborrego.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8
http://www.jasonborrego.com/cordyceps-fungus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA02gyLwh0A&list=PL_qbtwt0bvuUlYqIpEqMyd_jCkK3VzelS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WHaFWgKSsU&list=PL_qbtwt0bvuUlYqIpEqMyd_jCkK3VzelS
http://www.wired.com/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-zombie-ant-fungus/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/zombie-ant-fungus-parasite/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/pictures/110303-zombie-ants-fungus-new-species-fungi-bugs-science-brazil
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Borrego is author based in Denver, Colorado. He is leading the charge against hard-hitting political issues such as who would win in a fight—a pirate or a ninja. Please let him know on Facebook or Twitter.
In addition, in these troubling times Jason aims to expose major cover ups such as dragons behind every major war, zombies boosting the coffee industry and the unicorns unionizing movement plaguing the nation.
How is a lowly author supposed to focus? As an exhausted war veteran, a college grad with endless debt, a parent without a clue, and future knight of the round table—most will find his writing chronicles his own journeys and struggles in life. That should scare you!
Are you still there?
Great, you must be crazy too!
Now we can share stories of fishing with Golem in Mordor. Please join me on Facebook, Twitter, and visit my Website for all things bold, even though I feel italic.
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OTHER BOOKS BY JASON BORREGO
Welcome to Jason Borrego’s transcendent books. The library is an ever-expanding record of Jason Borrego's works divided by genre.
Jason Borrego writes his stories in a unique universe that is somehow connected. There is and always has been a thin line between fantasy, science fiction and horror. The imagination will take you the edge of impossible, to places that bring nightmares to life, and characters that stay with you for years.
There are no limits and endless connections in places you would least suspect, so pay attention. The books will be part of various collections of short stories, novellas, and full length novels. The universe is connected in various degrees that will make more sense over time. Below, you will find an outline of the various worlds.
Horror/Post-Apocalyptic/ Dystopian
The Red Dead Universe involves many nightmares, all brought on by a mysterious burning planet on a slow approach toward
Earth. The troubles on earth are different and far reaching. Sometimes the nightmares are ancient evils woke by the approaching planet, other times they are something terraformed and alien, and even some are homegrown horrors brought to insanity by the strange energy released by Red Dead.
Children’s Fantasy
The Realm of Gaea is a visionary children fantasy world created by Jason Borrego and serves as a foundation for the future of his children fantasy books; including Stuffed Courage.
In Gaea, teddy bears come to life, dragons are sometimes friends, nightmares stalk, and magic defies the laws of nature. The Ream of Gaea is meant to bring to life a topsy-turvy, magical adventure in ways that keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Realm of Gaea is no more than pure imagination, a captivating fairytale land about the trials and tribulations children face, in this world or the next. Sometimes up is down, and down leads you through a portal to a place that will stay with you over the years.
Fantasy Fused with Science Fiction
The Mutant World of Rite is a savage and heartless adventure. The very adult world is a fictional universe that combines the elements of science fiction and fantasy in a truly ominous setting that transcend physics and nature. The steampunk cities taps into the familiar dystopian end of the world vibe and injects it with a nasty dose of fantasy and fright. The Mutant World of Rite fiction assumes that most modern life occurred roughly parallel to the real world up until late in the twenty-first century.
The world we once knew has been destroyed. Thousands upon thousands of years have terraformed the planet bring old myths back to life. Old machines think on their own, magic is practiced in the shadows, and everything from the animals to the cities are unfamiliar and mutant.
Each book is a full length novel, a standalone adventure sure to leave you breathless. Over the series you will see the carnage from soldiers and civilians, kings and sorcerers, scientists, and corporations, who come together in a time of grim revelations.
The Mutant World of Rite simply aims to display heroes at their darkest moments in an innovative setting. They must wear their strength on their sleeves with gut wrenching consequences at every turn. This is done through parallels in a fantastic, unorthodox fashion. Inspiring heroes and heroines who must choose to do right and in doing such suffer great losses. Heroes wield weapons of circumstance, and engage in fierce battle against the darkest of hearts.
This series is the Sun of my Universe.
The Elder Star
The Elder Star is a space opera combining magic and science fiction.
More to come…
CONTESTS
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Author’s Note
Prologue
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VOLUME 3: THE RED TOWER PART 1
CORDYCEPS FUNGUS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY JASON BORREGO
CONTESTS
Infected Freaks (Book 2): The Echo of Decay Page 10
