Dear Red Cross

Dear Red Cross,

My name is Dr. Malcolm Moore and I recently received a button for my 300th blood donation. I am now a frail old man at the age of seventy-six, but I began donating when I was only thirty years old. I was fresh out of graduate school and received my doctorate in neuroscience, specializing in hematology and how different chemicals are transported to and from the brain. My research was concerning the transportation of nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier. After four years in graduate school, I was able to get past across that barrier. Then, during a postdoctoral research position, I began to develop different chemicals and nanoparticles that I could get into the brain. All of these studies were on mice, of course, but everything worked well beyond expectations.

I then developed a cocktail of molecules into a nanoparticle that would find its way to parts of the brain to help with memory and learning. It was a revolutionary idea. I thought I would change the world. After more time, I figured out how to make it self-replicating once it was in blood and ensure it would not be attacked by white blood cells. After a single injection into a mouse, it would learn puzzles remarkably quicker than mice without the enhancement.

After finishing my post-doc work, I tried to further develop this idea into something people could utilize. I pushed for clinical trials with the FDA but they were afraid. They said it was ridiculous and could never work. I had a few samples saved from my research and used them on my pets. My dog, Ehrlich, could have been a show dog with all the tricks he learned. I decided it was time to give myself the enhancement. I injected myself with it and within a day I noticed the differences. The most immediate change was that I could read a book with almost perfect retention. I could slide my eye down a page of words and understand everything.

I eventually began to study economics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, linguists, everything I found even remotely interesting. Difficult concepts came easily to me. I was able to make connections between things I read in the news and began making money in the stock trade. I studied different languages and used my money to travel to those countries in which they were spoken, where I would become fluent in mere months.

You might wonder why I am telling you all of this. I wanted other people to have this enhancement. I wanted to share my new abilities and improve the world like I originally dreamt of doing in college. Knowing I would not be able to convince the FDA to allow clinical trials, I began to look elsewhere and realized blood donations would be the best way to spread this. I spent months going over the morality of spreading something without the consent of patients, but knew it would be to improve the world. It didn’t take too long for me to figure out the screening process the Red Cross uses when they accept blood donations and alter conditions so that my blood would pass.

It was at the age of thirty that I gave my first donation. I remember how nervous I was sitting in that church waiting to be called up. I thought I would be turned away for how high my blood pressure must have been. I contemplated calling and confessing that night, but never did until now. I continued to donate every fifty-six days for forty years. Three-hundred donations. I have no idea how many people have my enhancement in them or how they are doing. They might think it was a miracle or side-effect of whatever caused them to need a blood transfusion in the first place, maybe even one or two think they became a superhero.

I planned on taking this to my death, leaving only my research notes for people to find, but I have reasons for confessing this now. Over the last few months I have begun having horrible headaches and my vision has begun to fade. I do not know if it is from my enhancements, but I feel the need to investigate. I urge you to try and compile a list of people that have been given my blood and reach out to them and interview them concerning their health. I hope that I can be involved in that to further develop my ideas, but I understand that that is unlikely. If anything, I ask that you do not immediately dismiss these ideas and consider the possibility that my donations have been for the good of those that have received them. I have documented all my research and thoughts regarding these enhancements incase further research and possible further implementation is sought.

I also feel the need to thank you for the service you provide to those that need blood to survive. The Red Cross has saved countless lives and surely will continue to save countless more.

Sincerely,

Dr. Malcolm Moore