Chapter 21

Persephone Hopper was my adopted mother's real name.

After graduating from the same science school in Zone A that Nadia attended, she became an intern at the National Laboratory, where my parents worked.

"I was ambitious and naive. Everything was new to me. Erika noticed my eagerness. Eventually, she added me to her team. At that time, the team was working on air filtration," she said.

"Did you analyze the toxic air?" I asked.

She shook her head and answered, "No. Somehow, our focus was to filter the debris and dust contained in the air."

I creased my eyebrows and asked her to keep going.

"Your parents were highly respected. And it wasn't just because they were top executives, but also because of their integrity and willingness to make the world a better place."

Seeing my father up close, and receiving his kindness firsthand naturally changed how Persephone saw him. He was no longer just a mentor, professor, or scientist. He had become the object of her love.

"It's silly, really, to think that I'd fall for him. He loved his wife way too deeply, and the tiny leftover space in his heart belonged to science. He treated everyone nicely. I was just one of the junior researchers learning under his guidance."

As she reminisced the memory of her past, her expression changed almost every second. From happiness to sadness. Sometimes, it appeared that she felt both at the same time.

All of a sudden, she smiled brightly, "You couldn't believe how elated I was when he handpicked me to be part of his new project, not as an intern, but as a fellow researcher. I felt seen and worthy of his attention."

It felt weird to hear Persephone's blunt confession toward my father, knowing that she wasn't my mother. But for as long as I had lived, she was my mother. My mind still couldn't wrap up around this new fact.

The smile faded from her face, and the edges of her mouth dropped significantly. "I wish he wouldn't have taken that project. I don't know, maybe he would still be alive if he had steered free from it altogether."

"This project that you're talking about, is it HRD-21?" My hand was shaking, and my heart thumping.

She lifted her chin, looked at me sorrowfully, and nodded. "The higher-ups claimed that humans were too weak. They wanted us researchers to find ways to fix our human flaws. We thought it was about health improvisation and disease control. But they had a different idea in mind."

She took a deep breath and continued, "They wanted us to alter the genetics of human adults and children. The numerous tests on human beings had taken a toll on our mental health."

Clearly shaken, she grabbed her hand to stop the tremor. She bit her nails and fixed her hair.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You don't have to force yourself. We have plenty of time."

Persephone took a deep breath and said, "I'm afraid I'd have to say everything now. If I don't, I probably won't have the courage to tell you later on."

"Alright." I slid back, resting on the wall with my gaze glued to my fingers.

"A lot of our test subjects died. Those who survived suffered from long-term damage to their body. Linus couldn't do it anymore. He begged the Parliament to stop this research because they would kill all humans before they could finish this project. The team members could hear him arguing with a supervisor from the Parliament on a daily basis from outside of his office.

"Seeing your father being ignored and looked down upon aggravated your mother. So, while heavily pregnant, Erika worked all hours to give a satisfying result. However..."

Persephone stopped.

I could tell that this topic was a difficult area to step into for her. She might be a liar, but I knew that she was a kind person. The bleak memory might be too heavy for her to carry alone. I wondered how she could withhold that huge secret all by herself all this time.

"I overheard the supervisor talking on the phone with someone. What I perceived from their conversation was they wanted to manipulate people's brains to be able to control them. They thought that humanity's biggest flaw lies in their free will."

I gasped.

"At the same time, your mother unknowingly succeeded in creating the drug. HRD-21, the Human Rectification Drug. On her way to report the finding to the supervisor, I stopped her and told her about what I knew. She was so furious that she stormed into the supervisor's office. But that action only made him aware that she knew of their plan."

"She became a liability," I stated my guess.

Persephone nodded quickly and said, "That's correct. From then on, your parents were in constant danger, as the Parliament had set up numerous 'accidents' to kill them. Although they couldn't kill them just yet. The Parliament still needed your parents to complete the project, but their message was clear. It is for your parents to stop butting in and just do their jobs. I knew Erika had met with Prime Minister Pachis and President Irwing several times to discuss the issue. But seeing how it turned out, the talk clearly didn't go well."

Did Erika inform Prime Minister Pachis and President Irwing about the brain manipulation project? If she did, why did they not take any action? Were they somehow involved?

"Erika and Linus couldn't delay the project any further. The Parliament began to suspect foul play. Your parents were forced to dispose of the drug before the Parliament could get their hands on it. I was tasked with burning the document but I stopped halfway and saved it instead."

My jaw dropped in disappointment. "You saved it? Why? Do you want the Parliament to succeed in making the citizens its puppet?"

"It is the most significant discovery in history, I could bring myself to destroy it. Even without the latest document, the Parliament could still finish the project if they persisted, by using failed prototypes and past formulas. The document is a safety net, in case the Parliament succeeds in creating the drug."

I groaned, causing my stomach to sting. "You should have burned it. So what happens to it now?"

"I hid it in the female washroom with the intention of bringing it home with me that night. However, you were born, and I had to accompany your mother during labor." The fiery defensive tone weakened, and Persephone fell silent for a while.

She wiped the tears from her cheek before saying, "Your mother died in childbirth. Your father was kidnapped, and I believe, was killed. I told everyone that you died so they won't look for you anymore. After that, I quit my job, changed my name, and lived as your mother."

My stomach churned, and it wasn't because of the injured organ. I didn't know what to think or feel.

As Persephone sobbed, I just looked blankly forward. What should I do with this information? My parents were dead anyway, there was no bringing them back.

Persephone had been my only parental figure, and it felt like the world she had just opened for me had closed again. It was like watching a documentary, but with more emotions and a lot more confusion.

Before delving into this topic, I had prepared myself for the answer. In spite of that, I still couldn't handle it well. But I couldn't stop now. I had to listen to the end.

"And? Is there anything else you're hiding from me?" I asked.

She took a deep breath and replied, "Yes. There's another important thing."

"Tell me."

"From the beginning, the Human Rectification Drug has been distributed across Genesis through our oxygen supply. The government injects the gas into the oxygen tanks."

I was dumbfounded. "W-what?"

"The test subject is all of us. We are all the test subjects for the HRD Project."

To be continued...