Building The Strongest Family

Chapter 374: The Cost Of A Cure

The hum of the lab faded into an eerie stillness.

Only the gentle rhythm of the filtration system broke the silence.

Old Henry’s gaze remained fixed on the sterile glass, where researchers moved like silent phantoms behind masks and screens.

Clenching his fists, he fought against the tremor in his old hands, betraying the inner turmoil that raged within him.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"I can’t stand here doing nothing, Arthur," he said, his tone steady but laced with raw emotion.

"Every second we delay means lives are lost. I became a scientist to save lives, not to watch them die while I hold the cure in my hands."

Arthur didn’t respond right away. His reflection in the glass appeared calm, perhaps too calm,as his eyes scanned the lab while his mind wrestled with thoughts buried deep beneath layers of complexity.

At last, he finally spoke softly. "I admire your conviction,Old Henry. You’ve always been a man driven by purpose."

Henry turned to him, desperation etched across his face. "Then release it! We can put an end to this! You have the cure, Arthur, the means and power to save billions!"

Arthur met his gaze,really met it,with a heavy look. He stepped closer and folded his hands behind his back.

"Old Henry," he began quietly, "you know me well; you’ve known me for quite some time almost three years. You know I don’t shy away from tough decisions."

"I do," Henry replied bitterly. "And this is one of those decisions."

Arthur’s voice maintained its calm authority as he continued, "Do you think I don’t want to release it? Do you think I’m blind to those numbers,those people,every hour of every day? I see everything: every broadcast and report send my way. And each time, I ask myself one question: Can I save them all without destroying everything my family has built?"

Henry’s shoulders sagged slightly under that weighty truth but held firm with unwavering resolve in his eyes. "And if you can’t save both? Which will you choose?"

Without hesitation came Arthur’s answer: "My family."

The words landed like a dagger through silence; Old Henry froze as if witnessing something sacred shatter before him.

Arthur’s expression hardened further as he pressed on. "If I rush to release this cure and save billions of lives today,we’ll also paint a target on the Osborn name so large that every predator will come for us."

He moved closer to the glass again; their reflections merged with those moving figures inside the lab,a stark contrast between action and indecision.

"Because ONCURA works in one shot. It doesn’t need prescriptions, subscriptions, or repeat doses. It eliminates profit and dependence. And do you know what that means for them?"

Henry fell silent, absorbing Arthur’s words as they hung heavy in the air. Arthur leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper that carried an edge of menace.

"It means war."

Turning away from the glass, Arthur faced Henry fully. "They’ll claim we engineered the virus ourselves. They’ll manipulate the media, sway politicians, twist the truth to fit their narrative. The same people who cheer us on now will be cursing our names tomorrow. Tell me this,if the world turns against us and burns down everything we’ve built, who will protect those I love?"

Old Henry opened his mouth to respond but found his voice small and shaky. "But... you’ll have saved billions.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed sharply. "And what happens once they’re saved? They’ll forget us, move on, find another enemy to blame for their pain."

He exhaled slowly; his voice dropped even lower now. "I admire you, Old Henry. Your faith in humanity is pure but mine died long ago."

Henry stared at him, feeling a tightness in his throat as he struggled to argue against Arthur’s bleak perspective,a tone born from deep seated pain.

Arthur’s gaze softened slightly despite maintaining a calm demeanor. "You think I’m heartless? You’re mistaken,I care too much! That’s why I can’t act recklessly now. If I lose my family’s foundation today, I lose my only leverage to shape tomorrow’s future and protect what’s ours."

Henry clenched his jaw tightly. "So you’ll bear this burden? The guilt? The blood of millions?"

Arthur offered a faint smile that never reached his eyes. "I’ve borne worse things in silence."

For a long moment, they stood facing each other,scientist and patriarch; idealist and realist.

Finally breaking the silence, Henry spoke with a trembling voice: "I don’t envy you; I could never make such decisions."

Arthur shifted his tone slightly: "This isn’t about hard choices, Henry, it’s about perspective."

"Perspective?" Henry asked incredulously.

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "You live for your research,the pursuit of truth comes before all else for you, that’s your purpose! Mine is my family,everything I’ve done has been for them! We all serve something different: some serve ideals while others serve blood."

Henry’s expression softened as he wrestled with conflicting emotions.

Stepping past him again toward the glass, Arthur gazed at the faint reflections of scientists working tirelessly within.

"Do you want to know what sets me apart from those who are perishing out there?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It’s not power. It’s not wealth. It’s choice. They choose to trust in a world that will betray them time and time again. I’ve stopped believing."

Henry leaned closer, his expression troubled. "You’ve become cynical."

Arthur offered a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "No, I’ve become realistic."

As he turned, the glow of the holographic screens illuminated his face in an eerie light.

His next words resonated with a chilling certainty.

"Why should I sacrifice my family’s honor to save those who would gladly set it ablaze?"

The air thickened with tension as Arthur’s words kept ringing in Old Henry’s ears.

His tone grew heavier, each word carefully said.

"They’ll celebrate us as heroes today and condemn us tomorrow. They’ll plead for salvation only to curse the hand that offers it. I refuse to tarnish the Osborn name for their fleeting convenience."

Henry stood frozen, speechless.

Arthur pressed on, his voice steady but resolute.

"Do you understand what humanity truly fears, OldHenry? Not death or disease...no, it’s change. They cling desperately to the old ways even as they lead to their demise and will destroy anyone who forces them to confront their own decay."

He paused for breath, gathering his thoughts.

"I’ve witnessed how this world operates: empires crumble when leaders try to save everyone at once. My priority is saving what belongs to me."

Henry’s eyes shimmered with unshed emotion; was it anger or sorrow?

"You’ll be remembered as a monster," he murmured.

Arthur met his gaze calmly. "History is written by Victors."

Silence enveloped them once more.

Through the glass walls, scientists labored under the sterile glow of data streams, unaware that their creation,the cure for history’s deadliest plague,was shackled by politics and fear, all dictated by one man’s harsh clarity.

Unable to endure any longer, Henry turned away slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I don’t know whether to hate you or pity you," he said quietly.

Arthur remained silent, his attention fixed on the lab,a statue unmoved yet harboring an unseen storm within.

As Old Henry hesitated at the door, he offered one last thought,"You’re carrying the weight of gods on your shoulders, Arthur. But remember,you’re still human."

Arthur’s voice was barely audible over the hum of machines.

"Humans don’t build empires; monsters do."

Old Henry exited without another word.

When the doors closed behind him, an oppressive silence settled over the laboratory like a heavy blanket.

Arthur stood there for what felt like an eternity, staring into his own reflection in the glass.

For a fleeting moment, something flickered in his eyes,not certainty, but raw emotions.

Doubt. Pain. The faintest spark of guilt. What was he really feeling?

But just as quickly as it appeared, that flicker vanished.

He turned away, hands clasped behind him like a soldier preparing for battle, and addressed the empty room with quiet resolve.

"Evolon, get started on the next report about global mortality rates. And keep a close watch on Verdania; I have a feeling the vultures are ready to make their next move there."

"Affirmative," Evolon’s voice echoed through the comm system.

Arthur cast one last glance at the lab before stepping out, the weight of unseen worlds pressing heavily on his shoulders.