No Strings Attached: April

"Yeah."

"You should be getting ready for class."

April went into another room, but the voice was there too.

"Put your shoes on and sit at your desk please."

"Do I have to?"

"You know the answer to that one."

Reluctantly, April finished dressing and slumped down into her chair. She lifted the desk lid and ruffled around until she found a book.

"Biology?"

"Every Tuesday. You know that."

"When are the holidays?"

"Check your calendar."

April ran her finger along the numbers and stopped on a 23.

"Only eight days to go," she said, obviously relieved.

"You'll find a new booklet on your studies shelf. Please open it at page one and read with me."

April got the booklet and flicked it to the right page.

"Today you will be given an experimental drug. It has a very long name, which you would not be able to pronounce, so just an abbreviation is given. You'll see it at the top of the page. Tri. Tol. Oxy. Genthal. Can you say that?"

"Tri. Tol. Oxy. Genthal. What is it supposed to do?"

"Well, its difficult to explain. You'll find more information in the booklet, but I'll give you a summary. You are a member of the human race, and as such, you are subject to the same physical changes which have occurred to every human who has been born, namely old age and death.

"It has long puzzled scientists why these two things happen. From the evolutionary point of view they make no sense. It would serve a creature far better if it could extend its life-span further and further. This would give it more time to establish itself. It could gain more wisdom and thereby become a stronger competitor in