A picture speaks a thousand words

The Weekly Writing Challenge posted this picture and asked us to tell the story. Here is my version:

The fluorescent light flickers in the deadly quiet hallway. It’s late and everyone has gone home. The only two souls left are inside the lab. The board meeting was set for 8am and they still had a lot to do. For some reason they simple can not get the test results to match up with what was expected.

On the table is two plates. The first contains “pure” meat. Free range graze cattle – the nutritional values through the roof. The second contained their 8th test sample for the night. The first had simply melted into pink slime when introduced to heat. The second caused diarrhea in the lab rats within 30 minutes of consumption. The third caused internal bleeding. They have been trying all night, but simply could not succeed. Convinced that they finally had the correct combination of synthetic enzymes to grow the meat in the dish, the pushed on.

Hours later the “meat” was ready for the board meeting. The rats ate with no apparent problems. No vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea or bleeding. Satisfied that they had succeeded they called it a night and decided to stop at a local pub to celebrate. Tomorrow they produce their results to the board. They would be famous – the food industry revolutionized! No longer would they need acres of land to fill the ever growing consumer need for food; it could all be done in a lab.

The next morning as they were applauded by board, they were unaware of the genetic changes taking place in the rats. Irreversible changes which would only be seen in generations to come.

Moral of the story?
Scientists, please leave our food alone. Leave the cooking to the professionals, chefs knows what to do. PS, Mother Nature has been producing well enough for thousands of years, she does not need your help!

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