Bab 22: Chapter 22
"The test subject is all of us. We are all the test subjects for the HRD Project."
Persephone broke down in tears. She was sobbing hysterically while folding her body on the floor. She swayed back and forth as if enduring an invisible pain throughout her body.
"I will carry this burden forever. That's my only penance. I know that I don't deserve to be forgiven. The many lives lost in the project—I'm responsible for all those deaths."
She managed her ragged breathing. The radiant beauty I used to find on her face had been replaced by burnout. Instead of worrying about herself, she inspected my face. Her eyes glistened.
"I'm sorry for hiding everything from you. I know you ought to know the truth, but it is difficult to bear. I didn't want to make you sad."
"Sad?" I clenched my fist. My jaw tightened. The melancholy only passed by, it didn't stay. What I felt now was wrath. "I'm not sad. I am enraged."
Knowing what Persephone knew made me share the same sentiment toward the government. But I wasn't going to follow the same path that she took. There was no way that I would duck into hiding while knowing fully well that the Parliament's sin went unpunished.
Persephone looked at me with surprise, perhaps not expecting such a reaction from me.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked, worried.
I fell silent for a moment, contemplating what had just been revealed to me. The weight of the truth felt heavy on my shoulders, but at the same time, it gave me a sense of purpose. I knew what I had to do now.
"I don't know yet, but I won't let this go. They have to be held accountable for toying with innocent people's lives without their knowledge or consent. I will find a way to expose them and bring justice for all the lives lost because of their greed and ambition."
Persephone's biggest nightmare had finally happened. "How will you do that? Do you think a kid like you can bring down the whole organization? The Parliament will do anything to protect their interests, even if it means eliminating those who stand in their way."
I pursed my lips. "I know, but I have to try. I will gather the evidence and confront them. Now that they have run away, it seems I'll have to locate their hideout first."
She grabbed my hands, eyes enlarged, and violently shook her head. Half crying, she begged, "No! Please, no. Tes, please don't do anything stupid. You don't know them or what they are capable of doing. If they learn about your real identity, they will kill you."
I stared at Persephone, the mother figure I once loved with everything I had. Perhaps there was still some love for her left in me, as my chest ached to see her like this.
"Mom, I mean, Persephone," changing how I addressed her was the right thing to do, but it felt strange. "Genesis will be in ruins soon. Whether we chase those perpetrators or not, we still have to get out of here. That's the only way to stay alive."
Persephone's lips trembled. She squeezed my hands tighter as she was deeply lost in her thoughts.
I was sure that this situation had never been a part of her plan. She had thought that escaping from the Parliament's grip was enough. She thought that we could live forever despite the condition we lived in.
"Someone from Ad Maiora came to me and said something about the second phase. I had no clue what he was talking about at that time. But after hearing your side of the story, I now have the complete picture."
I paused, ensuring the quality of my calculation, before telling her, "The Parliament might have perfected HRD-21."
***
Persephone and I waited for the twins to return so that we could recount the story that Persephone had shared.
She drew a simple chart on paper to visualize her explanation.
"The original HRD affects people differently. While it might be beneficial for some, like Aidan, Tesla, and other Monsters, it can be dangerous for others," she said.
"If that's the case, why were you being strict about the oxygen tank I used to go to the surface?" I complained.
"Because I couldn't be certain that they were still using the same drug. That's why I gave you vaccines every few years to maintain the effectiveness."
Persephone drew a circle around the 'HRD' that she wrote on the paper to highlight it.
"I created the vaccine based on the original formula of HRD, the one used by the Parliament when I left. If they've altered the drug, my vaccines might not work anymore."
"You mean the shots? You said they are for the flu."
"I have told you a lot of lies," Persephone admitted, feeling guilty. She continued, "I also inserted an antiviral medication in your vitamins. It binds the HRD cells in the inhaled gas, separates the diseased cells from the modified cells, and allows the modified cells to multiply the body's type II fast-twitch muscle fibers."
Aidan and I sat there with blank faces, not understanding the technical jargon she used.
Nadia noticed our confusion and translated, "The vitamins enhance your body's capacity using HRD particles. I understand how that shapes Aidan and Tesla's muscles and agility. However, I also took the vitamins, and I'm nowhere near them in terms of physical prowess."
Persephone lifted the pen in the air, smiling widely like a proud teacher seeing her student's accomplishment. She quickly scribbled something on the paper.
Below the words 'dead' and 'magnify', she added the word 'abnormal'. Tapping on the last word, Persephone said, "Some people have an abnormal reaction to HRD. They are not affected in any way, not the positive end nor the negative end. Since you are dizygotic twins, you have different sets of chromosomes. While Aidan's chromosomes enhance protein transport and metabolism, Nadia's chromosomes neutralize the effect of HRD completely."
"That means HRD doesn't work on me," Nadia repeated in simpler words.
"Yes. But only if the current HRD stays true to the original version," Persephone concluded.
I thought for a moment and came up with a plan, "Persephone, if you can compare the current formula of HRD to the original, could you tell the difference? And if so, can you alter the vaccine so that we can go out without masks? Is that of any use?"
She gulped down, looking serious. Then gave a brief nod, "Yes."
Aidan shrugged with a smug face, "Well, that sounds like a new mission bell in my ear. Let's steal the formula, then."
With the Parliament members gone, Zone A was totally deserted. That enabled us to come and go as we pleased. I had prepared various responses to counter Persephone's objection. Seeing how she had been adamant about keeping me away from the government, I expected this one to be the same.
To my surprise, she remained quiet.
I leaned in and asked, "Are you not going to stop me?"
She fidgeted as if I had caught her in the act of a crime. Avoiding my gaze, she replied, "It is surely dangerous. Even though the Parliament is no longer here physically, they have spies everywhere. Once you enter the tiger's den, you'll be on their radar. But..."
She stopped midway. Even though the three of us gave her enough time to continue, she still hesitated.
Aidan pushed, "But what? Please continue, Mrs. Rho."
"I'm just Persephone now, Aid. You can call me comfortably," she corrected him. "Tesla might be right. The Parliament has perfected HRD-21. When analyzing the virus that infected Aidan, I noticed that it has similar genetic sequences to the original HRD. I'll need to conduct further analysis to know for sure. And I'll need Nadia and Tesla's blood for comparison."
"But a retrospective investigation will take a long time to finish," Nadia said, agitated. She bit her nails, something she did often when she was frustrated.
"That's why we're getting the formula blueprint, right?" I said.
"But you're not going, Tes. It will be just me," Aidan said matter-of-factly.
Oh, hell, no!
To be continued...
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
merakifiction
merakifiction Your power stone is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Discord: merakifiction#1029
Join my discord channel here
https://discord.gg/7Q3VDZE3
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone