text: [Themes: love & dating]
  
  So, just like most evenings we spend together I have come to your house with no game plan other except to see your handsome face and hopefully make out with you like we're teenagers.
  
  As much as you like doing that - that's for later. So what do we do now? So the dreaded question gets asked "What do you want to do?" and your favorite answer is "Doesn't matter to me".
  
  That's not how this game works though - so now you get some choices :) So you've finished asking "What do you want to do"
  
  > let's go mountain biking!
  Ah... a fine choice!
  
  (Now let's assume we both have bikes here for the sake of this story)
  
  We now need to decide where to bike. And our choices are...
  
  So, just like most evenings we spend together I have come to your house with no game plan other except to see your handsome face and hopefully make out with you like we're teenagers.
  
  As much as you like doing that - that's for later. So what do we do now? So the dreaded question gets asked "What do you want to do?" and your favorite answer is "Doesn't matter to me".
  
  That's not how this game works though - so now you get some choices :) So you've finished asking "What do you want to do"
  
  > How about you just watch a movie?
  One of my favorite choices! Attempts at watching a movie naked without any fooling around. I'm glad you picked this.
  
  We still have yet to watch "13 Going on 30", so that is still our Go-To.
  
  You turn on the movie and tinker with the picture and sound for the first 10 minutes until the movie begins.
  
  So, just like most evenings we spend together I have come to your house with no game plan other except to see your handsome face and hopefully make out with you like we're teenagers.
  
  As much as you like doing that - that's for later. So what do we do now? So the dreaded question gets asked "What do you want to do?" and your favorite answer is "Doesn't matter to me".
  
  That's not how this game works though - so now you get some choices :) So you've finished asking "What do you want to do"
  
  > You've decided you are hopping on a plane that leaves in an hour and the destination is a secret ;)
  How's this for being spontaneous?
  
  My bag was already packed and ready in the car just in case you chose this option. I let you drive to the airport though because Toronto still scares the hell out of me.[Themes: edutainment, RPG, science fiction, true story, humor, post-apocalyptic, drama, fantasy]
  
  "Oh good you're here," a grisly old Air Force general groans as he sits up from behind a large oak desk. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
  
  [Author's Note: This game is sick! Have you ever heard of the 5 second rule? You know, where food is still ok to eat if you pick it back up off the floor within 5 seconds of dropping it. Well, here at Choose Your Disease (CYD), we preach the 5 minute rule. CYD is an alternate universe where people try to get sick with the nastiest, gnarliest diseases we can find and learn about the organisms along the way. Please only CYD within this universe... do not eat things off the floor in your own universe.]
  
  > Your Response
  "Thank you sir, I'm looking forward to learning what this thing can do." Across the room sits a large wormhole your finger is uneasily pointing towards. This wormhole was unearthed recently deep within the crater of the Karakum Desert. Scientists have been throwing stuff in it for a week, but you bravely offered to walk through it (you're also having second thoughts).
  
  "Well, you're a brave _____" The general smiled the best smile his wrinkled stone face could muster.
  
  > Girl
  You knew the longer you stayed, the harder it would be for you to muster the courage to actually walk through the gate. With a final salute to the crew you walked up to the circular wall of lime green slime.
  
  > go for it
  You get pulled through a lime colored tunnel faster than anything you've ever experienced, but it is completely quiet and you feel no wind resistance. Your body is flipping and spinning and it's sort of fun, but in a flipping and spinning to your death kind of way.
  
  You land gently on your hands and knees in a field of grass. Looking around you notice a desk, a candy bar, someone's hat, and several holes in the ground with what look like bullets. "This must be all the stuff they've been throwing into the wormhole," you think to yourself.
  
  "Welcome to Universe 3c!" a sickly, but surprisingly optimistic voice screams from behind you.
  
  > Respond
  "What is going on? Who are you? Are you ok?" You have so many questions and this poor person looks very sick.
  
  "I'm Cedar and you just landed in my backyard." She smiles and coughs at the same time, not covering her mouth. "There are several known dimensions and you landed in the worst! In this Universe we TRY to get sick! No better way to understand pathogens than to live with them and really see what they can do!"
  
  "That's disgusting."
  
  "Aww, thank you!"
  
  Cedar is starting to grow on you, it worries you.
  
  > pick a disease
  "Pick a disease? What do you mean Cedar?! I don't want one!" Cedar has just opened a large briefcase and offered you a choice of diseases. This is your life now, pick one.
  
  > Prokaryotic
  "Eeeeew, you're gross! We're going to be great friends." Cedar is very proud of you.
  
  "These critters have no membrane-bound nucleus or organelles and they are unicellular. This group splits into two other groups, pick one!"
  
  > Archaebacteria
  You suddenly feel... about the same as before. "So, when should I start to feel it?" You cautiously ask Cedar.
  
  "When you pick a disease in this universe, it happens immediately and usually at the latest or worst stage of infection. You, however, are either super smart and not very fun or extremely lucky." Cedar grunts angrily.
  
  "Why, are archaea good for you?" You ask excitedly.
  
  "Eh, good or bad. Maybe both, nobody really knows. There are some links to tooth decay and potential intestinal diseases. Does your tummy hurt?!" Cedar's eyes brighten up.
  
  "No."
  
  "Oh. bummer. Well, you can either go back home or PICK ANOTHER DISEASE!!!!"
  
  > pick another disease
  "YAY! I knew I liked you. This is going to be fun." You just made Cedar the happiest sick person in Universe 3c.
  
  > Eukaryotic
  "Wow! You don't mess around!" Cedar seems very proud of your selection. I assume this is bad for you.
  
  "The Eukaryotes have a cell nucleus and membrane enclosed organelles. These are different than bacteria and can be either unicellular or multicellular. Please choose from these Eukaryotes!!"
  
  > Fungi
  "Muah hahahah! You're doing awesome! Fungi is gross, you're going to be very popular in this universe." Cedar freaks you out, but she seems super nice.
  
  "Welcome to medical mycology, the study of pathogenic fungus. This pathogen includes yeast, mold, and mushrooms! While some fungal species are unicellular and are too small to see with the naked eye, they share a greater genetic similarity to us than they do with bacteria. Some fungi are considered parasitic to humans and may produce mycotoxins that are toxic to plants and animals. Which one do you want?!" Cedar squeals with delight.
  
  > Candida
  "Radical! Candida is the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide." Cedar hands you a mirror and you notice white patches on your gums and tongue, it looks like cottage cheese!
  
  "AHHHHHH!" You scream and cover your mouth with your hand. You realize it really hurts to swallow and you feel a fever coming on. "What happened to me?"
  
  "You have thrush!" Cedar said with a smile.
  
  "It's all over my mouth, what do I do?"
  
  "It's all over your mouth for now," she said "but it'll move to your lungs and other parts of your body too. Cool right?! It doesn't usually get people sick because of bacteria in your mouth keep it under control, but you're in universe 3c!"
  
  "Well it feels awful, what do i do? I want to go home." You're not feeling well and it feels like it's getting hard to swallow.
  
  "I'm sorry you're not having fun. This universe can be scary if you're not used to it. Here take this and you'll be sent back home!" Cedar hands you something to treat your infection.
  
  > Medicine
  "Nystatin, one tablet once a day for 2 weeks. The cell membrane of fungi has ergosterol, the fungal version of human cholesterol, and nystatin binds to it. If there is enough nystatin, pores will form and potassium will leak out of the fungas and it dies. Don't take it for too long though, it can bind to our cholesterol and have basically the same effect." Cedar seems sad to see you go. "Now, take these pills and tell your friends what it was like here!"
  
  > walk through the gate and go home
  You land back in the lab and everyone is cheering.
  
  "Well?" General Baker looks anxious to hear what you found.
  
  -Share your experience with the class and tell us what disease you contracted