The Happiness Variant

The Happiness Variant

March 1, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 319

About this episode

Hana Grabowski, a genetic engineer, faces a crisis when a gene-mod business contract leads to a pandemic of happiness.

Hana Grabowski, a genetic engineer with a failing gene-mod business, takes a secretive contract to restore humanity’s appetite for impulsive behaviour. When her staff threatens to revolt, she uses a variant to alter their attitude. However, the mosquitoes she uses to infect them escape, unleashing a fast-spreading contagion that rewires human reward centers. The world slips into a pandemic of happiness, and no one cares except Hana. CONNECT WITH US makeshiftstories@gmail.com SHARE THE PODCAST If you liked this episode, tell your friends to head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe . CREDITS Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare). Read by Cathleen Connelly. Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann. Produced by Vecada Studios. Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

People in this episode

Host: Vern Hume

Guest: Cathleen Connelly

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Organizations: Vecada Studios

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