(Paristology #1)

In the near future, SymboGen, a pharmeceutical company, has created the “designer tapeworm” D. symbogenesis, marketed as the Intentinal Bodyguard.  Everyone is screwed up from lack of exposure to anything as kids, but the IB take care of your immune system.  It’s a huge success.  It was created by Drs Shanti Cale, Steven Banks and a 3rd doctor (now dead). However, lately, people seem to be getting struck by a “sleeping sickness” which basically turns them into zombies.  They are drawn to Sal and moan her name.

Characters
Sally “Sal” Mitchell: severely injured in a car accident, but her life was saved by her Intestinal Bodyguard.  She has regular check-ins at SymboGen.  She has no memory of being Sally, and has trouble with certain vocabulary and appropriate behaviors, since she is essentially 6 years old.  She is employed at the Cause for Paws animal shelter, along with Will and Tasha.  SymboGen is trying to convince her to come work for them (so they can keep a closer eye on her), but she’s not interested.  She has a sister, Stacy, who is infected with “sleeping sickness” near the end of the book.  

Nathan Kim:  Sal’s boyfriend, a doctor.  When Sal starts receiving strange notes, he recognizes the content from a book he read as a child.  It turns out his mother, believed dead, is actually Dr Shanti Cole, who is continuing to do her own resesarch on D. symbogenesis.  He and Sal accidentally discover that a UV light will identify anyone infected with sleeping sickness.

Dr Shanti Cole: one of the founders of SymboGen, she has gone into hiding to continue her research. She has discovered that if D. symbogenesis can actually take over a dead body, which then appears to be a normal living human. She has created a prototype, named Adam (who calls her “Mom”), and also Tansy and, as it turns out, Sherman, who is Sal’s friendly guide when she has appts at SymboGen. At the very end of the book, we learn (not surprisingly) that Sal is actually a sentient tapeworm, like Adam and Tansy.

Tansy: is mildly nuts and will resort to violence if it means helping Dr Cole get what she wants.

Dr Steven Banks:  believed to be the only surviving founder of SymboGen.  He is following Sal’s case very closely, and she doesn’t quite trust him.  At the end of the book, she steals information off his computer for Dr Cale.

Colonel Mitchell: Sal’s father.  He is in this much deeper than we realized.

Beverly:  Sal’s dog, who she rescued when a man in the park succumbed to sleeping sickness

Minnie: Nathan’s dog.