**Thank you for reading my novel. If you enjoyed the story, please give it a like and leave a comment — your support really encourages me to keep writing and sharing more chapters.**65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHX8EDqTaYx
The shell of the plan had to be more attractive than the65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrYT3G24B7
truth.
This was not cynicism. It was marketing, which was cynicism65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5szweqWKvQ
after it had been washed, perfumed, and invited to dinner.
Robin Shen required only three days to drop a very gentle65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshRYRbYOJv
bomb into Britain’s plutocratic medical circles.
Degenerative tissue clearance.
Metabolic burden restructuring.
Non-invasive rejuvenation therapy.
By 3911, the Second Tier no longer feared poverty, war, or65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBJZVkS90R
lower-tier rebellion with any real sincerity. Such inconveniences could be65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhaKybgGbJ
outsourced, postponed, or explained away in language clean enough to survive a65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78WSmPCqnw
parliamentary breakfast.
What they feared was ageing.
Energy quotas could be inherited. Power could be inherited.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GdH9oJXaL
Names, estates, private air routes, medical foundations, silence, immunity —65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd6vTwoZ0A
all these things could be passed down with signatures and unpleasantly65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RKdCjhrBL
expensive lawyers.
But the body remained stubbornly democratic.
Even with cellular repair chambers, gene-stabilising65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS0JyCEKUm
therapies, organ reconstruction, and private metabolic restoration, ageing65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kh0MVgmeN
still persisted like a quiet crack beneath tightened skin. The powerful had65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dFMqjbglf
spent centuries teaching the world that decay was a moral failing of the poor.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmp02tqDU1
It irritated them enormously to discover that their own flesh had not read the65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytNPr7iGLr
policy.
Robin understood them perfectly.
He did not approach government officials first.
That would have been vulgar.
Instead, he sent invitations through private medical65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9LF5iquhM
channels to several individuals who were extremely rich, extremely old,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUu67cD498
extremely afraid of dying, and helpfully entangled with the British Royal65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7sJ2ogGM2
Energy Authority.
The invitation contained only one question:
If the body could turn its own decline into the energy65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJAGkbDYvO
required for repair, how much would you pay?
Within seven hours, every reply had arrived.
The first volunteer was Lady Ilena Bask, mother-in-law to65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI54K045QU
Deputy Director Holden.
She was ninety-two years old, born into a Second Tier65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTTscvkIxl
plutocratic family, owner of three medical foundations, one private air-harbour65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREyaWUCQGX
route, and two senior sons-in-law inside the British energy establishment — an65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrc6KjPdfH
arrangement which proved that family planning, when properly funded, could65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lx9EQX1lB
become a form of infrastructure.
Her body had endured fourteen organ renewals.
However, excessive longevity medication had left behind65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTXnn1M4bT
metabolic toxin accumulation, swollen tissue, nerve pain, and a general65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwqcyOhoPt
impression that immortality, though desirable in principle, could be poorly65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqSKpEQh98
maintained in practice. Her private medical chambers had managed to suppress65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKt4DrYEeB
the symptoms.
They had not managed to cure them.
When Lady Bask arrived at Tristan da Cunha, she brought65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEILPSWjrq
twenty-seven bodyguards, six private physicians, three lawyers, and a65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYi9dvZEtkE
four-hundred-page liability waiver.
Zorina watched the procession disembark.
For the first time, she realised that even the fears of the65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNbVcmsfO5
powerful travelled in bulk.
The temporary treatment chamber had been established inside65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ciFrroxG1
a supply warehouse on the eastern side of the volcanic island. The real65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0zvvYdtUq
biological energy device, of course, remained hidden. The Abbas Archive had65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH8cB3nXLY
generated a simplified interface, one with an appearance close enough to Earth65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXwj2ryq5z
medical equipment to soothe human arrogance.
Zorina had activated it herself.
The core pattern was sealed inside an unbreakable65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH34Hc8U8lf
transparent crystal nucleus. No external operator could disassemble it, scan65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaaRSHKUf8
it, copy it, or understand it by pretending to perform safety checks — which65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1o33w045M
was unfortunate for several people present, since pretending to perform safety65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwvgnTQNUP
checks was apparently half their professional training.
Before lying down, Lady Bask stared at Zorina.
“You are very young.”
“Compared with you,” Zorina said, “yes.”
One of the lawyers looked mildly strangled.
Lady Bask laughed. It was a dry sound, but not an empty one.
“I like rude people,” she said. “At least they have not yet65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx54F18Cqq
learned to tell lies as manners.”
She lifted one spotted hand.
“Let’s begin.”
When the device activated, every private physician leaned65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fWAG5d9tZ
towards the monitors with the reverence of priests watching a more expensive65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mYV15ZrjU
religion begin.
Pale-blue filaments emerged from the crystal petals and65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotCtClj8De
settled slowly over Lady Bask’s skin. At first, she tightened her jaw, as65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebekVV4bvI
though preparing to scream. A few seconds later, her expression changed.
“The pain,” she murmured. “It is reducing.”
The monitors answered before anyone else could.
Inflammation markers dropped.
Blood toxins separated.
Necrotic cell residue was isolated.
Excess fat tissue began to break down at an extraordinarily65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6YAfpAOhv
slow and controlled rate, without trauma. Viral remnants were dismantled into65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5rAxVHQxI
convertible micro-energy states. The swelling in her fingers receded. Her65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubXeqe2K6I
breathing deepened. A little blood-colour returned to her skin, not youth65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqIZ420SCP
exactly, but the memory of circulation.
Thirty minutes later, Lady Bask sat up.
She did not look like a girl.
Zorina had no interest in that sort of cheap miracle. Cheap65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lR5a1W0Eq
miracles were for advertisements, cults, and political campaigns, all three65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGW7Hx5Kebq
being closely related species.
She remembered what Robin had said:
“Benefits must be released slowly. That is how one extracts65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1TTQbm6Pw
the maximum profit from impatience.”
Lady Bask merely looked alive again.
Properly alive.
Not preserved.
Not polished.
Restored.
Her private physicians stood in complete silence.
At the base of the device, three pale-blue energy crystals65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaIY3RbsJ7
had condensed.
Far larger than the tiny first crystal Zorina had produced65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvGsEZD1rZ
from her own injured body.
Behind the observation glass, Robin Shen lowered his voice.
“One ninety-two-year-old plutocrat. Thirty minutes. Three65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUHfB238qn
crystals. Three hundred thousand pounds.”
“Still low power,” Zorina said.
“If the Second Tier queues?”
“Enough to activate a second device.”
“If the First Tier fails to resist?”
“Enough to build the first energy centre.”
Robin looked at her.
“You truly intend to sell this to them?”
“The service,” Zorina said. “Not the core.”
“They will try to seize it.”
“That is why Britain must first be made to sit at the65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbu1D3ihwT
table.” Her eyes remained on the three crystals. “Their greed can protect me65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqwXwDuWsE
before their fear decides to kill me.”
Robin’s smile faded slightly.
“Zori,” he said, “you are beginning to sound like a65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0YRwGT1CY
founder.”
She looked at the energy crystals lying beneath the device.
“I only want the Fifth Tier to have water.”
Twelve hours after Lady Bask’s trial, the British Royal65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIc9a9qm47
Energy Authority requested a closed negotiation.
It was faster than even Robin had expected.
The invitation was elegant.
The content was naked.
Britain was prepared to recognise Zorina’s temporary65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW1ycAHVhp
scientific autonomy on Tristan da Cunha for the purposes of biological65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0qBtL4ZGP
repair energy research. In exchange, she would provide Britain with65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRTESATCRF
technical explanation, commercial priority, medical application quotas, and65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4DDjpEpda
facility monitoring rights on the island.
Robin read the document once and laughed.
“They want the entire cake.”
Zorina pushed the document back towards him.
“Not surprising. Let them choke on it.”
“How do you want to amend it?”
She began listing the terms.
“First. Scientific autonomy on the island is not temporary.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70Q6p7xRJT
It is ninety-nine years.”
Robin’s eyebrows rose.
“Second. All subterranean facilities are excluded from65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjaPpLvA55
external monitoring on grounds of safety and unknown geological risk.”
“Beautiful.”
“Third. Britain receives priority agency rights for65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF13bCmJh5F
first-stage commercial medical products. It receives no core technology65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyif8vyLWht
transfer.”
“Less beautiful, from their perspective.”
“Fourth. Britain formally recognises that all technical65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7MHbHwMoe
equipment requires my authorisation to activate.”
“They will hate that.”
“Fifth. Britain recognises the island as a Special Energy65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPnFmaTlnp
Development Zone. Internal administration, personnel admission, infrastructure65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21YpWGsxnp
planning, and emergency policy are to be led by us. We hold high autonomy.”
Robin gave a soft whistle.
“New Hong Kong, is it? You are one sentence away from65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz8SYd9UM2
declaring independence.”
Zorina lifted her eyes.
“Not yet.”
Outside the window, the South Atlantic moved under a grey65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWis0odeyZm
sky.
Beyond the sea, the world remained dark.
But on that volcanic island, the first crystals formed from65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcEvoGObdK
the elegant decay of the privileged were glowing quietly.
The old world had paid for vanity.
Zorina intended to spend it on dawn.
**Thank you for reading my novel. If you enjoyed the story, please give it a like and leave a comment — your support really encourages me to keep writing and sharing more chapters.**65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gLkXsV1TY
65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPzTH6mbF8
and then Add to home screen.