THE MAHABHARATA QUEST:THE ALEXANDER SECRET (32 page)

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in this book.

The Alexander Secret
is the first in a series. Unlike my
previous novel,
The Mahabharata Secret
, the story that unfolds in this book doesn’t end here but continues beyond.

When it was first published, many readers wrote to
me asking when the sequel would be released. Who is the
mysterious caller who wants to meet Vijay? What happens at
Starbucks, Gurgaon six months later?

So, I decided to write a mini-sequel to
The Alexander
Secret
, called
The Mahabharata Quest: A Secret Revealed
.
What’s more, I decided to give it away. That’s right—a free
continuation to the story you have just read!

I want you to read that story before you buy the sequel
to
The Alexander Secret
. Here’s how you can read
The
Mahabharata Quest: A Secret Revealed
in two simple steps:

1. Enrol as a member of The Quest Club using this link:
www.christophercdoyle.com/the-quest-club. Enrolment is
free. Create your own username and password.

2. Log in with your username and password. The
continuation of the story will be yours to read for free!

In the meanwhile, there are several facts that merit
explanation within this book itself and I believe I owe it to
the reader to explain them. Here they are.

Happy reading!

From the Science Files

A lot of scientific research has gone into this book and, while I have tried to simplify the science as far as possible, I am conscious that a fair amount of jargon and technical description has been inevitable. I would like to present a straightforward explanation of the scientific facts that does not interfere with the unfolding of the story, so here we go.

PCR testing:
Polymerase Chain Reaction is a method to analyse a short sequence of DNA. PCR amplifies (reproduces or replicates) sections of DNA or RNA. A DNA polymerase is used for the replication. As PCR progresses the DNA generated is itself used as a template for replication, setting in motion a chain reaction which produces many copies of the DNA.

Stingray:
this is a new surveillance technology, a portable device, that enables the tracking of cell phone signals inside vehicles, houses and insulated buildings. The Stingray trackers work by mimicking cell phone towers and mop up phone data like text messages, emails and even cell site information. This can allow the user of the device to pinpoint the location of cell phones, which numbers are called, who people spend their time with etc.

Virus replication:
All cells replicate through division, creating identical copies of the DNA that rests in their nucleus. A virus cannot replicate on its own. It needs a host, which could be any living creature, including bacteria. A normal virus replicates by translating its DNA to RNA (ribonucleic acid). The RNA is nothing but a set of instructions, like a computer program, to assemble proteins. Those proteins help to create a new virus. So, the virus infects a host cell, and the replication machinery in the host cell helps to translate the virus DNA into virus RNA, which creates virus proteins to manufacture a new virus. The baby viruses then accumulate and burst through the cell, killing it, and infect new cells, starting the process all over again. Scary, isn’t it?

Provirus:
the genetic code of a virus while it is contained within the DNA of a host.

Bacteriophage:
are viruses which infect bacteria and use bacterial cells for replication as described above.

Virion:
infectious virus particle

Retrovirus replication:
A retrovirus is more cunning, more complex. They contain strands of RNA, not DNA. So, when they infect a host cell, their RNA has to be translated into DNA first. This is done using a protein called reverse transcriptase. Once the virus DNA is created, it is inserted into the DNA of the host cell. Yes! The virus becomes a part of the host, which is why a significant part of human DNA is inherited from retroviruses. Believe it or not, we are partly virus, when it comes to our DNA! The virus DNA is then translated into virus RNA, which creates virus proteins which are used to assemble a new virus. This is how the retrovirus described in this book works. When it infects the bacteria in the lake, it changes their DNA (by inserting its own DNA into the bacterial DNA). This changes the nature of the proteins that the bacteria produce – and this actually happens in real life.

Beneficial viruses:
when the retrovirus infects human cells, it also turns on genes that were previously inactive. This is absolutely true. The examples given in the book are real. There are discoveries being made every day about how viruses affect our DNA and genes. Genes are basically like computer programs – only these programs produce proteins that have many functions in the body. All the proteins mentioned in the book, like p53, are real proteins. And all their functions are real. Viruses can activate genes which are dormant. This can lead to production of proteins which can have all kinds of effects on our bodies, without us even knowing about it. This is why genetics is a hot topic nowadays. Genetic treatments of medical conditions can be more effective than any medication existing today. There are proteins that benefit us in many ways. The protein p53, described in the book, really does kill cancer cells. And there are many genes that produce proteins that can help control cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers disease and cardiovascular disease just as I have described in the book. Mutations in these genes or the switching off of these genes result in these diseases afflicting us. If there was a way (like the virus) that could ensure that these genes functioned to produce the proteins that would benefit us, we could really slow down ageing. There is a lot of research going into this even as I write and, who knows, in twenty years, we could have a solution!

Prophage induction
:
Viruses can reproduce in two ways. The first is via the lytic cycle, in which a virus takes over a host cell and uses the cellular machinery of the host to reproduce. Copies of the virus fill the cell to bursting, which kills the cell and releases viruses to infect more cells. The second is via the lysogenic cycle. The virus is a prophage, and its genetic material gets integrated into the host’s genome. The virus then lies dormant within the host until it enters the lytic stage in which the virus reproduces. Prophage induction is the mechanism by which these dormant viruses are induced to replicate by entering the lytic stage. Induction requires a stimulus that leads to excision of the prophage from the bacterial chromosome and replication.

Telomeres and ageing:
Telomerase, the protein I mention in the book, is the subject of a Nobel prize. It has been demonstrated that telomerase helps to ensure that the telomeres do not shorten to the extent that cells stop dividing or die out. There is a heated debate on in the scientific community today on the benefits of telomerase. The debate centres around the possibility of cancer emerging from the presence of telomerase. When we are embryos in our mothers’ wombs, telomerase is active, since cell division is important for the embryo’s growth. Once we are born, however, the gene that leads to the production of telomerase gets switched off and our telomeres start shortening from the day of our birth. We are destined to die. But this is also nature’s way of ensuring that cells don’t go haywire and keep replicating – which is the definition of a cancer. So, telomerase is a double edged sword. While it slows ageing, it also leads to death by cancer.

Our knowledge of genes and pathogens, while extensive, is by no means complete. Every day, research throws up new discoveries about the manner in which cells function, genes work or pathogens infect their hosts (both human and non-human). Many of the scientific facts in this book are based on discoveries which have been made only within the last two or three years.

The Venus phenomenon: 
described in Chapter 60 of this book is a real phenomenon. A similar phenomenon takes place at Bryn Celli Ddu, in Wales, where Venus shines into a passageway in exactly the manner described in this book. This phenomenon is well researched and described, with a scientific explanation, in the book
 
Uriel’s Machine
 
by Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas. I have not heard of this phenomenon in the Hindu Kush, so that is fiction, but the phenomenon itself is not fictional at all. The concept of the lightbox is borrowed from a similar mound at Newgrange, Ireland, where the sun (rather than Venus) shines into a passageway to illuminate the rock wall within. This phenomenon is also described in the same book.

From the History Files

While a lot has been said about Olympias, Eumenes and Callisthenes in the book, there are other historical figures who have been mentioned. I thought I’d shed a little more light on them.

Perdiccas:
he was the Regent for Alexander’s entire Empire for several years after Alexander died. However, many of Alexander’s generals conspired against him and he was eventually assassinated. His principal ally was Eumenes.

Antipater
: was trusted by both Philip and Alexander. He ruled on Alexander’s behalf, controlling Greece and Macedonia, while Alexander campaigned in Asia.

Polyperchon
: allied himself with Antipater and became the Regent for Greece and Macedonia after Antipater’s death. Eventually, Cassander defeated him to seize control of the empire.

Cassander:
was Antipater’s son.

Ptolemy:
was appointed governor of Egypt after Alexander’s death. He was responsible for instigating the rebellion against Perdiccas, and later Antigonus. He took on the title of Pharoah and started the Ptolemy dynasty.

Antigonus:
was originally governor of Phrygia. He fell out with Perdiccas and fought Eumenes for Syria and Persia. He was defeated twice by Eumenes before capturing him by cunning and finally executing him.

Clitus:
was a real life figure and the events described in the book leading to his death are based on
The Death of Clitus
by Elizabeth Carney of Clemson University and Plutarch’s
Life of Alexander.

If you would like to read more without going through all the books, articles, videos and websites that I reviewed, here are two sources that will succinctly give you a perspective on Alexander and Olympias, as well as the role of Alexander’s generals in the succession wars that followed Alexander’s death:

Alexander:
http://www.ancient.eu.com/Alexander_the_Great/

Olympias:
http://www.historytoday.com/robin-waterfield/olympias-olympias-funeral-games

From the Mythology files

Samudramanthan:
everyone knows the myth. The two sources that I used as a basis for this book are
The Mahabharata of Vyasa
by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (a translation into English prose of the original Sanskrit text) and
Samudramanthana
by San Sarin, which contains the original Sanskrit shlokas with the traditional interpretation of each shloka since it is a critical study of the original Sanskrit text.

Both, the interpretation of the
Samudramanthan
and the science I have presented are plausible scenarios. The translation I have provided and the scientific hypothesis I have presented have been verified and validated by experts in the Sanskrit language and the medical field as plausible and convincing. Could this have actually happened? It is not impossible. Check out my website (
www.christophercdoyle.com
) or my Facebook page (
www.facebook.com/authorchristophercdoyle
) for more explanations and information on the science behind this book. If you wish to write to me or if you have questions about the science, you can email me at
[email protected]
.