Shady Scientists

By Alexander Levitzki

The book shakes the notion that scientists are pure and elevated from other humans. The story reveals the dishonest nature of some scientists who will stop at nothing in order to promote their ego and financial interests, through a fictional tale .In contrast to the prevailing view, the conduct on many scientists and their counterparts in the biotechnology industry is far from being ethical and sometimes borders illegal activity .The story takes place in the US and China.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexander Levitzki
• Release date: Jun 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476336848

Book preview

SHADY SCIENTISTS

Alex Levitzki

Copyright 2012 by Alex Levitzki

Illustrations by Sagit Goldman-Atlas

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Jean-Luc didn't wake up

Chapter 2: Junkovitz calls Ram Schleeman

Chapter 3: Jean-Luc travels to Milano

Chapter 4: Encounters at the Duomo

Chapter 5: Adventure in Milan?

Chapter 6: Ram and Cheryl go to Stockholm

Chapter 7: The Wall Street Game

Chapter 8: John calls Joachim

Chapter 9: A tale of two manuscripts

Chapter 10: Jake gets away with it

Chapter 11: The Wall Street Game

Chapter 12: Jake goes to China

Chapter 13: Nataly does not give up

Chapter 14: Nataly still does not give up

Chapter 15: Zina Kloaka calls

Chapter 16: Jake packs for China

All characters and events are fictional

Chapter 1: Jean-Luc didn't wake up

Monique Perrier, Jean-Luc's wife of 25 years, had decided to go to Nice for 10 days, as she had refused to join Jean-Luc on the trip to Milano. They didn't have any children, and she took little interest in Jean-Luc's scientific life. Monique was an exquisite beauty who always made men turn their heads, although she was touching 50. She was a teacher of art history in a Paris high school, which was now closed for the long Easter holiday. The previous evening, Jean-Luc was still trying to persuade Monique to join him.

Go alone? Why?

I'm not a sex object to be paraded at scientific meetings - and besides, all your scientist friends are crashing bores! The only subject they like to talk about when you invite them over are how much money they make, what consulting jobs they're offered, and which prizes are up for grabs, Monique retorted irritably.

That's not true. Some of the people who have been here are already Nobel Prize winners, and you know it. They usually talk about art, and I even remember one evening that Jerry Feldman, this Nobel winner from New York discussed his recent experience in a Paris museum, you were rather interested in what he had to say, I recall said Jean-Luc.

Well, that may be so, but they certainly disappointed me. Until I met Gunther Schwartz and Jerry Feldman, I really believed that Nobel laureates were something. Those two, at least, are nothing but pompous, flying assholes, exclaimed Monique, reddening with anger, and this Jerry Feldman, whom you respect so much, is really one of the most slimy people I ever met. He THINKS he knows something about art but the thing he does best is send his long arms into sensitive female organs...

I don’t believe it on Jerry, he is so consumed with himself that I doubt he is interested in women at all; did he make a pass at you?! Jean Luc exclaimed.

Well, not everybody is sexless like you and also blind! You do not even notice when your colleagues are trying to make a pass at your wife. You are so haunted by your ambition to get the Prize that you have become totally detached from the real world; you must have been close to Feldman’s behind when he made his attempt so you couldn’t see.....

I don’t believe how you talk to me. I never suspected Jerry to betray my friendship with him.

Well, betrayal? you know that in some places the man shares his woman with his friends. Do you think it will advance your career? It will also satisfy my hunger for sex. I think we did it last time in Hawaii two years ago. I am really fed up with you….. She moved around the room swiftly to close the window, while talking.

Jean-Luc was really shocked at his wife’s explosion. Thoughts were rushing through his brain.

But this is my life and these are the people I work and associate with, and I must go to this Milano meeting" he thought to himself. He was really desperate but he felt as if he was fighting for his life.

Why? to hell with your meeting, our relationship is not more important to you? there is no way I am going to Milano. You go and forget about me; I am sick of your dancing around the Feldmans and kissing the behinds of the Swedish scientists from Karolinska.

I don’t believe what I hear, I have to go there, there is no escape,it’s a must!

Why? asked Monique

Because I'm giving the keynote address.

And when is that supposed to take place? she asked gazing at him fiercely, behind the 18th century writing desk.

At a very respectable hour; it's the first talk on the third day of the conference: Wednesday morning at nine o'clock.

Very well she exclaimed moving to the window, looking down I'll come with you but on the condition that we return to Paris on Thursday and fly to our summer place in Nice for a week, as we had planned long before this crappie meeting popped up. Monique was now leaning on the writing desk, gazing at Jean-Luc with her sparkling green eyes.

Really, Monique! You know I can't just show up for the keynote address and then vanish! What about the reception for the Italian Minister of Education Domenico de-Miculu whom I know so well, on Wednesday and the farewell dinner on Thursday? They have honored me by requesting that I say a few words at the reception, as well as to deliver the after-dinner speech at the farewell dinner just ...after...well, Jerry Feldman. Besides, all this will improve my chances of receiving the prestigious Fetuccini Bronze Medal of the Italian Society For The Advancement of Science. Jean-Luc was now grasping for air, standing with his feet wide open, holding his glasses in his left hand, his hair in disarray.

Aha! you see, you really are a bore, Jean-Luc…, she said while looking out the window I don't know how I've managed to stay married to you for so long. Firstly, you couldn't have children with me because you're sterile. O.K. Secondly, all these years you've refused to adopt a child, and worst of all, you seem to have forgotten our love, our life, our commitment to each other. You are a different person now. You're just like the rest of those bores yourself. I'm still only 49 and good looking, and I don't have to hang around with a stuffed shirt like you! You want me to come with you and have this slime Jerry Feldman pat my ass again, behind your fat back? While you are kissing his behind? You have to decide. I go with you to Milano, but we return on Tuesday and spend 10 days in Nice, as we planned long ago, and to hell with all the other crap. She was now gazing at him again from behind the writing desk.

Suit yourself. But I must go and remain in Milano until Friday. Please come with me!. Said Jean-Luc almost desperately.

At least, are you coming to bed now? let’s think we are in Hawaii again and talk about it in bed ??

"I can’t, I need to finish sorting my slides for my lecture for Milano, I will come to bed later and wake you up as we once used to do, sa va ma choux?"said Jean Luc.

Monique walked around the desk towards the door left the room and slammed the door behind her, without looking at Jean-Luc.

The next day, Monique left the house very early on the next morning. She got up quietly at seven, an unusually early hour for them, dressed quickly and tiptoed out of the bedroom. It was not difficult sinceJean-Luc had an eleven o'clock flight; she planned to avoid seeing him at all in the morning by leaving the house. She would return home after he had left, pack and fly to Nice.

The alarm clock, which Monique had set before leaving, awakened Jean-Luc at eight. He sleepily remembered the erotic dream he'd been having, in which he was flying over the Duomo in Milano with Monique sitting on his still erect cock, wearing a large pink hat, but nothing else. He automatically reached out towards Monique's place in the bed. 'She isn't here', it dawned on him, his cock coming down swiftly. 'Where is she? damn the woman!'

The groove left by her body in the bed was not quite cold yet. She must be still in the house. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen. No sign of her!, he uttered with great anxiety. The kettle was cold and there were no fresh croissants and brioche in the basket from the Boulangerie Sanglier, near San Sulpice, like every morning. Monique used to walk for an hour in the morning all the way to the Jardin de Luxemburg and on the way back to pick up these freshly baked items. This was the first time as Jean-Luc could remember that the kitchen was that cold. This time she's not kidding, he thought. Jean-Luc was actually alarmed, remembering the last exchange they had the night before.

Jean-Luc returned to the bedroom and sat half naked on the bed, trying to concentrate. He suddenly got up and opened the closet. Monique’s clothes were hanging there, untouched. A sigh of relief .

She never had the morning coffee outside the house, in the morning, thought Jean-Luc. What is she up to? he asked himself scratching his neck. He dressed up and as he was about to leave the house, the telephone rang.

Hallo.

This is the telegraph office. We have a cable for you.

Yes, could you read it to me, please?

AM NOT COMING BACK STOP DO NOT LOOK FOR ME STOP SHALL WRITE TO YOU SOON STOP WILL COME TO PICK UP SOME STUFF LATER IN THE MONTH STOP ENJOY YOUR BROWNNOSING MEETING MONIQUE

Well, thank you, said Jean-Luc. He was really perplexed. There was no sign of her leaving Paris, yet this telegram was really alarming. Is she playing a game? Has she decided to fool him? Is she trying to frighten him? Or is she really serious ….leaving him?

Jean Luc took his bag and left the house in a hurry since he had many appointments, before he was leaving for Milano. He went downstairs to Bistro Laurant to have his morning coffee. He usually went to the bistro only on weekends; during the week he was having the croissants in the house, making the morning coffee for him and Monique. Today he did not feel like making coffee in the cold kitchen, not realizing that this was actually the first day of a new era.

Well well, well , said Laurant, the barman, how come we are so honored?

I am alone in the house and don’t feel to make my own coffee said Jean Luc not knowing that Laurant served Monique her morning coffee two hours earlier.

You look a little troubled mon cher ami; is anything the matter? asked Laurant, while cleaning the espresso machine.

Well, nothing serious, I slept too little and must rush to Milano. He did not notice the peculiar gaze Laurant was

Jean Luc paid for his coffee and went to the university, which was walking distance. He had to finalize lab discussions before he was going to leave for Milano later that evening.

Chapter 2 : Bob Junkovitz calls Ram Schleeman

Dr. Junkovitz is on the line, do you want to speak to him or shall I take a message? his faithful secretary, Yvonne, asked.

Ram reflected for a moment. Bob Junkovitz is a rising star, a potential rival for a trip to Stockholm. Erostrom, had already invited Junkovitz to organize a conference in Milano, where he was going too , but not at the invitation of a member of the Nobel committee. Erostrom never invited me, he thought! What does he want? Talking to Junkovitz may after all advance me, although it's not clear how. He decided to accept the call.

Very well please transfer the call, Schleeman told Yvonne, his devoted secretary of 25 years.

Hello Bob! said Ram, his legs on his writing desk, facing the dusty window, through which he could barely see the Bay Bridge, because the windows have not been cleaned for a few months now .

Just a minute. I'll transfer you, Yvonne said.

Hi Ram. I hope you remember me. We once gave talks in the same session in Vermont. Said Bob cheerfully.

Yes, I remember. You gave an impressive presentation, said Ram, not remembering what the presentation had been about .He only knew it was on how receptors signal to cells.

I'm calling you to ask if you might have a good candidate for a post-doctoral fellowship, who would work on my kinds of projects with the tools you developed some years back. He paused for a second, continuing: we just realized that we are weak in Enzymology, it is only natural that we will seek a candidate from your lab Bob said with a rather cheerful tone.

Aha, thought Ram. He wants to use my tools for what he thinks is the important stuff! He doesn't even know what the important stuff is. I really never liked him. Did he ever even read my papers? Does he have the faintest idea of what a breakthrough that was in those days? A sudden memory popped into his brain; he recalled visiting the North Carolina University for a seminar he gave a few years back, when he met Bob during his busy day. He remembered his large office decorated with all the awards he got, hanging