Kye Verex and his genetics (and mine)

When I first outlined Wraith and the Revolution, I didn’t know how to make it so that Kye was basically stuck on his home world. I needed some reason for him to be both ineligible for space travel and desperate enough to accept the heavy-handed contract he was offered by Zylar Inc. That contract was the catalyst for 90% of the storyline, so I had to come up with a reasonable explanation for his situation within the first couple chapters of the book.

The more I thought about it, the more the answer was obvious… I am also ineligible for space travel, and I always will be. It doesn’t matter if the currently exorbitant prices of the new commercial space companies drop to reasonable levels (although I don’t see that happening in my lifetime.) My issue has everything to do with my genetics.

I was hesitant to give Kye the same genetics I have. Would it be putting too much of myself into this character? Would I be crossing some sort of invisible line?

But ultimately, after doing more research, I decided to take the plunge. Why not mention the genetic condition I have in the context of Kye’s story? Why not use the one thing that made the most sense for the book? And why not highlight a condition that affects so many people but is so rarely discussed?

🚨Warning: Science Talk Incoming🚨

The condition I’m referring to is sickle cell. There is sickle cell disease, which is the really bad form, requiring two copies of the hemoglobin-S gene. And there is sickle cell trait, which is usually asymptomatic, but has certain triggers. Trait means the person only has one copy of the hemoglobin-S gene, and one copy of the “normal” hemoglobin gene. It follows classic Mendelian genetic inheritance patterns, but unlike many other genetic conditions, the hemoglobin and hemoglobin-S genes are co-dominant. That means one copy can and does affect the person with it. Not as severely as someone with sickle cell disease, but even the trait can be fatal under some circumstances.

The fascinating thing about sickle cell trait is that only certain environmental triggers will cause the hemoglobin-S gene to express itself. The theory is that it arose in conjunction with the malaria parasite; when that parasite enters the blood, it causes a pH change. Hemoglobin-S will make the cell “sickle” when that pH change occurs.

A genetic trait that led to a resistance to the malaria parasite sounds great, right? Not so fast… That sickling is a literal deformation of the red blood cell, one that can cause severe problems in the person experiencing it.

Think back to your high school biology days and the pictures of red blood cells you were shown. They’re nice, round, smooth, designed to flow through your arteries and veins without getting stuck.

Now imagine those cells compressing into a crescent with jagged edges and sharp corners. What do you think that will do to your circulatory system? Sickled red blood cells can cause clots, organ damage, severe pain… It’s a serious condition, particularly for those with sickle cell disease, but it can also happen to someone with trait.

Back in the late 1990s/early 2000s, there were a rash of stories about high school and college athletes that just collapsed on the practice field after strenuous workouts, seemingly without reason, and they often died as a result. The culprit was often found to be sickle cell trait—that the athlete was completely unaware of. They have since started testing newborns routinely, and some colleges started to test their incoming athletes as well.

Now, I was fortunate enough that my diagnosis happened at birth. Back in the 1980s, they didn’t routinely test newborns for sickle cell, but they did test them for PKU (phenylketonuria), which required looking at blood under a microscope. It was during my PKU test that they saw the sickling cells… Which led to my dad’s diagnosis too. He didn’t know he had trait until I arrived.

But you’re probably wondering why this particular genetic condition is relevant to Kye’s situation in Wraith and the Revolution. Sickle cell of any form is an automatic disqualifier for NASA’s astronaut program, because the stresses put on a human body when exiting the atmosphere are too great, and would likely cause a sickling event in someone with trait (I’m pretty sure they’ve never confirmed this, although the CDC has warning about scuba diving due to pressure, which would be related. I do scuba dive—but that was after researching on DAN’s website and learning that I should be fine within recreational limits, as long as I don’t get dehydrated. Deep sea diving is not an option though.)

Sickle cell might be curable one day, though. There are some studies going on right now using a form of gene therapy that are showing very promising results for some people. In 2023, the FDA even approved some of them, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to include a cure for Kye.

When I was much younger, I dreamed of going into space one day. I was a teenager when I learned it wasn’t in the cards and would never be. I was disappointed, but I moved on eventually…and decided to give Kye the opportunity I will never have. Part of his contract with Zylar Inc required him to get off world and visit their headquarters, which meant gene therapy so he would be cleared for space travel.

Unlike his author, Kye does get to visit space and travel amongst the stars—and that’s only the beginning of his tale.

If you’d like to learn more about sickle cell or how you can help further research into this disease and its potential cures, please check out sicklecelldisease.org or the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation (scdfc.org).

If you’d like to learn more about Wraith and the Revolution, I’ve updated the page on my website to include the latest info, a synopsis, and the cover.