CHAPTER 269: THE WEIGHT OF A CURE [ MASS RELEASE ENDS ]

The laughter gradually faded, echoing one last time against the sterile walls of the Prime Lab’s conference chamber.

For a brief moment, it felt like the room had finally exhaled after an hour filled with intense revelations.

Scientists exchanged smiles, executives nodded in approval, and even the quietest lab assistants stood a little taller, caught up in the awe of what Arthur Osborn had just declared.

But Old Henry’s expression remained unchanged; worry etched deep into his features.

Standing near the edge of the holographic table with arms crossed and glasses pushed up slightly, he pressed his lips tightly beneath his snowy beard.

As soon as the last chuckle died out, he stepped forward.

"You’re playing a dangerous game, kid," he said, his voice gravelly yet firm,not angry but laced with concern.

Arthur turned to face him, calm as ever with a wine glass still resting in his hand,now only a quarter full.

The red liquid shimmered in the soft blue glow of surrounding data streams like blood captured in starlight.

Old Henry tapped on the interface panel. Instantly, numbers flooded the air around them.

A massive hologram materialized,a globe spinning slowly while figures, charts, and population grids danced around it.

Cancer incidence maps painted in ominous red displayed death rates and pharmaceutical profit margins,all alive and moving like living data.

Henry’s voice sliced through the cold hum of projectors. "One in every five deaths globally is due to cancer that’s over 20 million people each year. New cases? Nearly 50 million annually and that number is still rising! By 2030? It could hit 70 to 80 million and that’s just what’s reported."

He swiped again. "Look at these regional graphs! In Umbra alone, tens of trillions of unicreds spent yearly on cancer-related costs! Verdanian Union? A stagering 50 trillion unicreds since last year! And across Panterra? Over hundreds of trillions generated from chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, the slow bleed of lifelong medication."

With another tap on a holographic screen, dozens of logos floated into view, pharmaceutical giants, biotech behemoths, medical insurers,all interlinked by their pursuit of profit over cure.

"These corporations have built empires on death and delay,"

Henry warned Arthur. "And what you’ve just created? It’s like a bullet aimed straight at their heart."

The room fell silent. Scientists who were once smiling now exchanged uneasy glances; executivs shifted nervously in their seats; some even glanced toward the lab’s reinforced walls, as if suddenly aware how fragile they might be against an attack from above.

Arthur stepped forward confidently but spoke softly.

"Old Henry," he said with narrowed eyes reflecting tempered understanding, "I thought you were someone who dedicated your life to helping humanity,the kind who spent decades chasing miracles like this one! And now that we’re on the brink... you’re telling me to hold back?"

Old Henry let out a low, rough snort as he blew air through his bushy mustache and beard. "Don’t twist my words, boy," he snapped, his voice sharp.

"Of course I’m thrilled there’s a cure! I’ve spent forty long years waiting for this moment. But it’s not the science that keeps me up at night,it’s you, these men and women working under this roof, their families, their lives."

He jabbed a finger at the swirling data cloud hovering above them. "You really think all those companies and nations will just roll over and applaud you for making them obsolete? You’re not curing cancer here, Arthur. You’re slamming your name into a trillion-unicred wall with a spotlight shining on you."

Several senior researchers paled at his words.

One woman clutched her hand tightly to her chest while a young assistant glanced nervously toward the hallway as if expecting an armed response team to storm in.

Arthur’s smile remained intact, but something shifted behind his eyes,a flicker of warmth and gratitude too profound for words.

He stepped closer to Henry and gently set down his wine glass on the steel edge of the table.

"You’ve always been honest with me," Arthur said earnestly.

"And I respect that more than anything else. But let me be crystal clear: no one here is going to suffer because of this decision not my scientists, not their spouses, not their children."

Turning to address everyone in the room now, he declared confidently, "All personnel involved in this project will receive full-spectrum security coverage starting today, high-clearance drone patrols, escort vehicles, on-site tactical response units if necessary.

I’ve already instructed my team to prepare digital shadow protocols,false identities for families if things go sideways."

He faced Henry again; the weight of leadership was evident in the sharp angles of his posture.

"If they come for us," he asserted firmly, "they’ll find we’ve already disappeared and if they threaten us openly? They’ll be the ones who vanish."

A young man in a lab coat let out a shaky breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Henry stared at Arthur for what felt like an eternity before finally giving a small, weary nod as he sank heavily into the nearest chair.

"Still the same reckless bastard you were when I first met you," he muttered.

Arthur smiled faintly in response. "Only now I’ve got better suits."

A ripple of laughter passed through the room, softer this time but still filled with relief.

One of the younger scientists raised a hand hesitantly. "Sir... do you think governments might outlaw our research? Or even seize our labs?"

Arthur walked over to a wall-mounted console and tapped a command that revealed Dominion Sanctum’s current jurisdiction overlays.

"This facility is firmly situated within the sovereign territory of Varenya," he stated with a calm confidence.

"I’ve meticulously crafted the laws here. Across our island chain, I’ve implemented airspace lockdowns, encrypted surveillance, and drone-enforced customs barriers."

He zoomed in further on the map displayed before them.

"Any unauthorized approach within a 500-kilometer radius of our biotech islands triggers automatic red zone defense protocols,military-grade systems, just like those we use to protect the Central Vault."

Henry rubbed his temples, clearly impressed. "You’ve really thought this through."

"Of course," he replied earnestly. "I can’t afford to put any of you in danger."

Just then, a voice chimed in,a woman in her mid-thirties donned in a striking silver-trimmed coat.

"Sir, if I may ask... why now? Why not delay the launch and negotiate? You could secure global patents and make ten trillion unicreds off licensing alone!"

Arthur’s expression softened slightly, but his tone remained resolute.

"Because people are dying right now. Our legacy shouldn’t be about profit,it should be about wielding power for good."

A profound silence enveloped the room; it was thick with unspoken understanding.

As he approached the exit, he paused just before reaching the door. "Everyone here has a choice," he said, turning back to face them.

"You can stand with me or walk away. If you choose to leave now, there will be no shame,no consequences. But if you stay... know this: once we release this cure, we become targets and also heroes."

For a moment, no one moved.

With satisfaction gleaming in his eyes, Arthur nodded slowly and said, "Good."

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Author Note: The war against disease has always been a shadow game. But what happens when one man tries to turn on the lights? This Chapter is about power, morality, and the cost of doing good in a world built on profit.