Wonyoung sometimes came to Ahn Pharma’s headquarter to discuss her upcoming contracts to do sponsored conference or workshops hosted by the company. As a high-profile doctor, she and a few VIPs have had the opportunity to have a preview of some of Ahn Pharma’s work-in-progress projects. 

That was how Wonyoung came into contact with Eunbi. Wonyoung was introduced to Dr Kwon, the head researcher to Project Eternal. While Project Eternal was first publicised over a decade ago, the names of the companies behind the project remained anonymous to avoid both good and bad publicity until the project was ready to showcase its first result. People knew that such a project had to have to have some big names behind it and Ahn Pharma was on that suspected list. The only secret that only few people know is that the Ahn was the founder and biggest sponsor of the project. The dawn of regenerative medicine was exiting for researchers and potentially lucrative for investors. Wonyoung knows of many doctors and researchers to start off doing their job out of passion but the moment a large investor is giving out an offer, they lose their initial passion for the project and only focused on the money. It was in researchers’ best interest to give good and speedy progress to investors to keep the funding flowing but that wasn’t the case for Dr Kwon. Wonyoung had never met a more passionate and stubborn woman as Dr Kwon.

After occasionally meeting each other through workers at the company, Wonyoung had grew close to Eunbi and the two often go and grab a coffee whenever Wonyoung stop by the headquarter. After enjoying their coffee, Wonyoung would usually accompanied Eunbi back down to her lab. The lab was situated underneath the office headquarter but Wonyoung soon learnt that the underground compound is very large and there are sections underneath that do go up to the surface. Wonyoung was amazed at Eunbi’s research and Eunbi’s excitement about the potential of regenerative medicine also rub off on Wonyoung. As a surgeon, she has had to face many situation where the patient’s condition is beyond repair and only of there was a miracle cure out there somewhere that could help reverse the damage that has been done. While the success of Eunbi’s project could mean less need for people to come to doctors like Wonyoung, Wonyoung was more than willing to put down her scalpel if it means that the world is a healthier place. 

The thing that Wonyoung admired the most in Eunbi was not her research but her compassion toward the Subjects. When Wonyoung was first introduced to Project Eternal, she was surprised to hear that they have moved from animals models to human models. Imagine her surprise when she was first toured around the lab and saw a room full of young children. She was and still think that this project was violating all sorts of ethical guideline but when she saw how much care and love Eunbi gave to the children, Wonyoung’s apprehension decreased a bit. While the other researchers addressed the children with their identification number, Eunbi calls them by their birth name. Subject 001, or Minjoo, was Eunbi’s most cherished Subject. Wonyoung learnt that Minjoo was the oldest Subject and was Eunbi’s greatest feat in Project Eternal. Wonyoung was present when the researchers were discussing the end point of the project and most agreed that Minjoo’s existence was proof that Project Eternal was a success and it’s time to wrap up the project and hand over the end product to the investor. While the other researchers were happily celebrating the end of project that took over a decade in the making, Eunbi was always silent and sombre during these talks. 

During a conversation she had with Eunbi, she asked: “Eunbi, why do you keep trying to extend the project? You do know that is the point of doing research is to reach an end-point right?”

“I don’t want to give those bastards my life’s work. I know that they will definitely misuse it,” Eunbi answered in frustration. Eunbi looked outside the window of her office and Wonyoung followed her gaze. The window actually looked out to an underground courtyard that has a giant sunroof on top. The Subjects were playing and running outside.

“Why don’t I see Minjoo out there? Is she not an outgoing child?” Wonyoung asked. 

“Let me show you something,” Eunbi turned to her computer. Eunbi pulled up a series of scans. Wonyoung had a look at the images and her face immediately ashen.

“They all have signs of cancer”, Wonyoung whispered. From abnormally large dark spot on the skin to X-ray scan showing small cluster of cancer cell inside the body, all of these images are a doctor’s worst nightmare. The fact that these scans belonged to those children playing outside is all the more terrifying. 

“Are Minjoo’s in here?” 

“No and I don’t wan to even risk her being exposed to carcinogen from doing the scans.” 

“Eunbi, everyone body cells grow and die. Some may be unlucky and have cells that won’t die and become cancer but that rate is very small.”

“Wonyoung, all of the Subjects that I have worked on, no one but Minjoo hasn’t  developed signs of cancer,” Wonyoung widen her eyes

“How can the rate of cancer be that common?! Even in elderly people or those who had been exposed to many factors, such a rate is never heard of.”

“The Subjects are injected with doses of gene therapy that slowly alter their genome. I have noticed that as we increased the dosage, these signs were showing up more and more. I thought that it was something to do with the formula and tried to change it. After looking around for a solution, the only thing I can think of is to get them off the treatment.”

“But why is Minjoo the only one without sign of cancer?”

“It’s because I have been preventing her from doing activities that the other Subjects are allowed to do,” Wonyoung was surprised to hear that.

“She was the very first Subject we performed gene therapy on and the first who have succeeded in maintaining the mutation without having to repeat the treatment. While that is a great success, it means that her power is irreversible,” the weight of that statement fell onto Wonyoung.

“That means if she developed any sign of cancer, it is very likely that it will become malignant,” Wonyoung finished Eunbi’s unspoken statement. Eunbi nodded at Wonyoung’s response.

“The reason why Project Eternal has had only one success trial is because I have been slowly stopping treatment on the other Subjects and tracking their sign of cancer,” Eunbi looked forlornly at the children outside, “I wasn’t expecting any of them to become phenomenal like Minjoo. I was hoping that they will all turn out to be normal and healthy and once the project is finished, I hope that I could give those children a better life beyond the walls of this lab.”

“While I have more or less planned out how to integrate these children back into society, I can’t do the same for Minjoo,” Eunbi turned to Wonyoung:

“Do you think I’m a bad person, Wonyoung?”, Eunbi shamefully casted her eyes down.

“No, of course not, Eunbi! Why are you taking yourself down?”, Wonyoung came and gave Eunbi a hug. She can feel Eunbi is suppressing a sob.

“It’s all thanks to Minjoo that my research is a success but at what price? In order for me to succeed, I had stolen her life and her freedom. She can’t ever live like a normal person.” Eunbi sobbed into Wonyoung”s shoulder. 

That was the moment that Wonyoung knew that Eunbi is different from other researchers. Wonyoung knew that Eunbi has a heart and it was hurting from all the pain it has caused on others.