The Next Step in Humanity

⛧°。 ⋆༺☣︎༻⋆。 °⛧

HEALTHBRITE PHARMACEUTICAL HEADQUARTERS

IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

For a brighter you.

Maxine Thompson, a junior at the University of Chicago sits at her desk awaiting a result from her diabetes trial.

She had been handpicked for a Molecular Engineering internship and was taken under the wing of one of HealthBrite’s best scientists.

The legendary Dr. Dwight Thomas.

His stem cell research led to the creation of a new drug called Areszoral, intended to temporarily strengthen weak heart muscles in patients awaiting a heart transplant.

A brilliant breakthrough in regenerative medicine.

But strange rumors began about Dr. Thomas and the trials, unethical and achieving no results.

But this was quickly debunked by medical experts who had investigated HealthBrite and its projects.

It was a silly stream of rumors anyway. Who would go out of there to harm people. Especially Dr. Thomas, who came from nothing and suffered from poor heart health his whole life, became a doctor to help develop accessible, groundbreaking medicine.

As Health Brite’s slogan goes: a brighter future for all.

Maxine had no business studying under him.

Her name screamed nepotism. Her father, Dr. Vincent Thompson, was a biomedical engineer overseeing HealthBrite’s biggest regenerative projects in Europe's medical facilities. It wasn’t anything new for people to see past her abilities but still expect great things just because she was her father' daughter.

There had to have been better medical students than her.

Regardless, she was here and they weren’t. Nepotism is for the weak, she reminded herself.

She fiddled with her name tag as her monitor finally loaded. She sighed, expecting to see the same results as before: Glucose levels were abysmal and her drug hadn't worked.

Instead, her heart nearly dropped to her stomach when the monitor showed the opposite.

Her drug was a success.

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DR. THOMAS'S OFFICE

"Of course, these are mice," Maxine tried to explain. "The anatomy of a mouse functions completely different from that of a human. Perhaps, this can be our sign to move on to human trials. If we are allowed to."

Dr. Thomas stared at the mouse in the plastic cage and back at Maxine’s monitor, "Are you punking me, Ms. Thompson?”

"No, sir," she muttered. Dr. Thomas simply stared at the mouse and Maxine figured she'd explain everything once again.

She swiveled her monitor toward him. Her fingers trembled on the mouse. "Look...these are the latest readings. Mouse A through G...Glucose is normal. Insulin levels, too. And it's been six weeks with no injections."

Thomas leaned closer, eyebrows lifting as the data scrolled across the screen. "Six weeks? Did you check C-peptide?"

"Tripled," Maxine replied. "Uh, and the Beta-cell function looks fully restored."

Thomas froze, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “You're saying the pancreas is making insulin again?"

"That's what the data says," she murmured. "The drug is working, Dr. Thomas. The mice are functionally cured."

Thomas ran a hand through his hair and began pacing, the rubber soles of his shoes squeaking on the tile. "We need replication, controls, off-target analysis... If this holds, it's..."

"A cure," she finished, barely above a breath.

He stopped and met her eyes, the weight of possibility sharpening his gaze. "I can't believe a medical student is all it took to bring human evolution to the next level."

A moment passed.

Maxine awkwardly pursed her lips. "Sir?"

"I don't have anything else to say but..."

He adjusted his coat, grinning. "How would you like to be promoted to Lead Associate on a newly approved regenerative trial?

Great—just like her father.

Maxine blinked. "Lead...associate?”

“Yes.”

“I hope I’m not being promoted because my father is in this industry, Dr. Thomas. I’d like to have earned my spot…”

“Ms. Thompson.” Dr. Thomas grinned then pulled up a nearby chair. He took a seat and cleared his throat.

“You grew up around medicine, science, and physics. Your father is only a small factor in your growing success. Others may say otherwise but people forget that a name is only just a word. Your work has to speak for itself. And I’d say it has over these past few months.”

Maxine nodded, following along.

"This project has multiple operations running out of Europe where your father oversees the...trials and you would be stationed here in Chicago., where research and data is collected, studied, and the 'product' is manufactured and transferred to other facilities. Frankly, I think you would do well here. Away from the confines of nepotism."

"But I'm just an intern."

Thomas's grin widened. "What you've accomplished is bigger than anything our senior teams have produced in five years. HealthBrite rewards results, Ms. Thompson."

Her heart kicked against her ribs. Lead associate. That was the kind of position that came with a private lab, a security clearance, and direct access to HealthBrite’s upper administration.

"But aren't there protocols? Paperwork? Surely we must inform the higher ups?"

He stepped closer, lowering his voice until she could feel the warmth of his breath. Silly girl. Why was this her biggest worry?

"I don't think you're understanding me. The paperwork is the least of our worries. Diabetes is only the beginning. If this drug…your drug rewrites autoimmune memory the way the mice suggest...we could reprogram anything."

Maxine’s mouth went dry. "Anything?"

"Cancer. Neurodegeneration. Aging itself. We're talking about rewriting the blueprint of life." He gave a soft chuckle. "Imagine what HealthBrite and those who invest in it can do with that.”

Just HealthBrite and its investors? What about the rest of the world as promised?

“I thought this was about curing diabetes, sir,” Maxine said carefully.

Dr. Thomas’s smile fades. “Let me show you something.”

⛧°。 ⋆༺☣︎༻⋆。 °⛧

Dr. Thomas swiped his ID card. The small screen flashed green, and the freezer door clicked open. Cold air spilled out as they stepped inside.

Rows of large freezer containers lined the walls, each shelf filled with small tubes suspended in a bluish-green liquid.

Maxine’s breath fogged. “Is this…?”

“Areszoral,” Dr. Thomas said, approaching one of the units. “In liquid form. One injection per month for twelve months shows significant improvement in heart health. HealthBrite will be sending a new round funding and we are to to begin full-scale production and distribution soon.”

“That’s incredible,” Maxine said in awe. “The trial results must have been outstanding for it to move this fast.”

Dr. Thomas cleared his throat, pressing a hand briefly to his chest before straightening with pride. “Exceeded expectations. As you have.”

Maxine smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

“Soon,” he continued, “this lab will be under your supervision. You and your associates will lead the next generation of projects.”

“That’s the goal,” she said.

“Indeed.”

He began pacing toward another door, his voice softening. “I assume the goal includes helping those in need. I mean, you swore an oath to it even in med school.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

He gave a low, humorless chuckle. “A greedy but powerful trait: ambition. Unfortunately, it can’t exist without funding. Money is the engine that keeps this country running… and the reason this company still stands. Without it, we’d just be actors in lab coats, pretending to save lives.”

Maxine tilted her head. “What are you saying?”

He turned to face her. “I’m saying the unfortunate truth is that everyone can’t be cured.”

“Why not?”

Dr. Thomas exhaled slowly. “Before I answer that, I need to know how committed you are…to the medicine, the science…” He stepped closer, his gaze heavy. “…and to me.”

Maxine’s pulse quickened. “I’ve looked up to you since I was a little girl, sir.”

He smiled faintly. “Then let me give you the cold, hard truth, Ms. Thompson. Humanity as we know it is imperfect. Death and disease…”he pulled back his coat and the sweater beneath it, revealing a patch of skin marked by a cluster of injection sites. “…are insults to those of us who prove stronger than the rest, mentally and physically.”

Maxine’s eyes widened. “You… experimented on yourself?”

He nodded, pride gleaming in his eyes. “If I’m willing to volunteer, imagine how many people would pay for the chance to erase the flaws in their DNA. The powerful are desperate to perfect themselves. They’ll drain their fortunes for it.”

He tapped the cold metal door beside him. “Our investors thrive on scarcity and when they thrive, so do we.”

He stepped closer again, his voice rising with fervor, spit catching in the fluorescent light. “So tell me, Ms. Thompson, if we cured everyone’s imperfections,” He leaned in, his breath cold against her ear. “…where would that leave us?”

Before she could respond, the freezer door hissed open. Another doctor stepped in, eyes downcast. “Dr. Thomas, Director Hahn is looking for you.”

Dr. Thomas glanced back at Maxine, his tone softening again. “Welcome to the future. Your father will be proud.”

Maxine forced a nod, the cold from the freezer biting through her coat but unable to numb the chill creeping up her spine.

For the first time that night, the miracle she’d created no longer looked like hope but rather a doorway she wasn’t sure she wanted to open.