<P> Miss Mailer--a teacher at Hotel Echo . </P> <P> "Hungry" children: Anne, Kenny, Ronnie, Lizzie, Steven, Tom, Siobhan, Joanne, Liam, Marcia, Andrew . </P> <P> Twenty years ago humanity was infected by a variant of the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis . The infected, referred to as "hungries", quickly lose their mental powers and feed on the flesh of healthy humans . The disease spreads through blood and saliva, but can also spread through spores created by the fungus . In England, the few surviving uninfected humans either live in heavily - guarded areas such as Beacon, or roam in packs of hostile, scavenging "junkers". </P> <P> The authorities in Beacon set up a remote military base for the study of a specific group of child hungries . They, unlike others, are able to retain their mental powers and only lose control when they get too close to human scent . Soldiers, led by Sergeant Eddie Parks, find such child hungries and bring them to the base, where they are educated by teachers and tested by the head scientist, Dr. Caroline Caldwell . This often means she vivisects the children, which Helen Justineau, a behavioural psychologist and teacher at the base, dislikes . Justineau sees the child hungries as people, and is especially fond of Melanie, a 10 - year - old with a genius - level IQ . Melanie loves Justineau as a surrogate mother . Like the other children, Melanie does not understand that she is different from the adults . </P>

The girl with all the gifts chapter 1 summary