1 PROLOGUE

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

"It must grow."

Malakas ang loob ni Manuel nang binitawan niya ang mga salitang iyon. Minamasdan niya ang unti-unting pag-usbong ng mga munting dahon mula sa buto ng akasya. Hindi siya pwedeng magkamali. Nakailang test na ang nagawa niya. Kung kaya niyang patubuin ang willow tree na mas komplikado ang struktura, mas lalong hindi mahirap para sa kanya na patubuin ang isang ordinaryong buto gaya ng akasya.

Sa loob lamang ng isang oras, lumitaw na agad ang embryo nito. The white, thin roots slowly attached itself to his formulated, nutrient-enriched jelly soil. The pale, yellow-greenish embryonic leaves then followed. Nasisiyahan siya sa mga pangyayari. The once prototype of a seed's animated video clip slowly growing into a plant has now become a reality in front of his eyes. Ang tanging kaibahan lamang ay sa halip na linggo o buwan kung aabutin bago umusbong ang embryo nito, nagagawa na lamang ito sa loob ng isang oras. And the growth continued. It didn't stop.

Project Green, at first, aims to shorten the span of tree growth from years to months by editing the seed's genome and altering its DNA structure. Ngunit hindi makapaniwala ang sisenta-anyos na scientist sa naging resulta ng kaniyang pagsusuri. He was able to plant a full-grown tree not just in months, but in weeks – 21 days to be exact. Kinalaunan, he termed his own project as Project 21.

Tatlong dekada na rin ang naigugol niya sa pag-aaral ng mga halaman. Lahat ng species, biological properties at genetic codes ay kabisadung-kabisado na ni Manuel. Bilang isang bantog na molecular biologist at propesor sa Harvard University, samu't saring kontribusyon na ang naibigay niya sa siyensya partikular sa larangan ng Botany. Five years ago, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize dahil sa pag-improve niya sa DNA structure ng mga agrikultural na pananim. Dahil dito, hindi na nahihirapan ang mga magsasakang magkaroon ng masaganang ani. These plants he genetically altered can survive even in the most extreme weather conditions. Dumaan man ang malawakang tagtuyot o ang hindi matapus-tapos na tag-ulan, matibay pa rin at malusog ang mga halamang buong sikap at pagod na inaalagaan ng mga magsasaka. His research became a world-wide phenomenon. The results became a significant contribution not only to Asian countries like India, Japan, Philippines and China, but also to European and American countries, stretching further to US, Russia and the United Kingdom. He was in Japan when he demonstrated and shared to the world what he can do. At alam din niyang ligtas siya sa pangangalaga ng Japanese government sa mga panahong iyon.

But things have changed. Simula n'ung pinamalas niya sa buong mundo ang kanyang matagumpay na research, maraming private corporations na agad ang nag-alok sa kanya. Most of them offered him as an in-house scientist to occupy the highest position in their respective companies, a position according to them, was reserved just for him. 'Di na rin mabilang ang dami ng mga pharmaceutical companies na nanligaw sa kanya upang makabiyaya sa kanyang naiibang talento at galing sa larangan. But for Manuel, all these corporations just wanted him for a single purpose: pera, at wala nang iba.

Paulit-ulit na sinasabi ni Manuel sa lahat ng mga panayam sa kanya na hindi pa tapos ang kanyang proyekto. At ang layunin niya? Hindi ang kumita nang malaking halaga kundi ang makatulong sa kalikasan. Para sa kanya, mas importante na pagtuonan ng tao sa kasalukuyan ang kinabukasan sa mga susunod pang henerasyon. For him, the world is dying and suffering from drastic effects of climate change. Asked if he will ask for help from big corporations for the success of his next big project, he replied: "I will be handling the project alone and I don't need help from anyone."

Manuel, as he watched the development of his amazing masterpiece, turned on his phonograph disc and listened to the song of his early adult years. He also had with him, inside the laboratory, his favorite vintage red wine, the Chateau Cheval Blanc, regarded as the finest Cheval Blanc in the twentieth century. He took his Carina Gold goblet, poured the wine in it, and made sure the lush texture and the sensual flavor reached the tip of his tongue, timed perfectly with the chorus:

Love of my life, don't leave me

You've stolen my love, you now desert me

Love of my life, can't you see?

Bring it back, bring it back

Don't take it away from me

Because you don't know

What it means to me

Manuel thought he was living in a game right now, and his project, sadly, had become the prize pool of its players. And of all the players, there was one whom he feared the most, making him unsettled and more often, paralyzed. No matter where he is, or what he does, it seemed this player is living on his shadow.

It was the CIA.

He still cannot understand why this giant player goes after him. Is it because the US feel threatened by his plan to help China rebuild its polluted and dying city, or something else? Is it planning to make the habitable future exclusive for its own?

Sa pagkakataong iyon, lumantad sa kanya ang tunay na anyo ng mundo. He believes that there is only one monster, one true enemy devouring his project – man's own greed. He believes that man's unlimited selfishness and quest for power will lead to his own ultimate destruction.

At ang mas mahirap pa nito, the CIA does not take "no" for an answer. One way or the other, it will get what it wants.

"What a pity. What a pity to think these men going after me started to shred the future of mankind," anito sa sarili habang nilalasap ang tamis ng iniinom niya. "But the game does not end here."

As a player of this game he accidentally created, he must not yield to his opponent. He knew a power is negated by another power, that a power must be equated by another power. Alam niyang darating ang puntong magiging ganito ang kahihinatnan ng pananaliksik niya. Kaya bago pa man niya isiniwalat ang kanyang pag-aaral at limang taon bago maisapubliko, siniguro niyang ligtas siya at ang pamilya niya, at walang nakakaabala sa kanila.

Natapos na ang musikang pinatunog niya. Ubos na rin ang alak sa kopita niya.

"Well done, Mr. Caron."

He heard again that voice, that desperate, bloodthirsty voice. Marahang umupo sa tabi niya ang taong nagmamay-ari sa boses na iyon. Kumuha din ito ng kopita at lumagok din ng alak. That person then had a false, devilish smile on its face. Doon niya napagtanto na nakakulong pala siya, nakakulong sa sariling laboratoryo.

"Tie him."

At muli, narinig niya ang mga salitang nagmula sa malupit na boses na iyon. Mahigpit na naman ang pagkakatali ng mga tauhan nito sa namamaga at sugatan na niyang mga braso.

"Yurika. Sandra," nagmamakaawang bulong ng matanda sa sarili.