That night at Nikaido Research Lab, located atop a hill on the outskirts of Tokyo, only its director Professor Nikaido and his assistant Kujo remained.
"Professor, is the work on the antidote complete?"
"Yes, it's done. Tomorrow I'll inform the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and hand the antidote over to them. If the various antidote should ever fall into the hands of terrorists, the world would come to an end. All too easily," Nikaido said. "I'm going to store the virus and antidote in separate deep-freeze containers as a precaution. Neither can be opened without a password and my biometric authentication."
"Excellent work, Professor," Kujo said, but her face was still grave.
"Thanks," Nikaido answered, distracted. It was a different reaction from the kind of satisfaction a scientist might feel after seeing his work come to fruition.
Kujo asked, "Is something bothering you?"
"I understand this work will save lives. Nevertheless, I have smuggled a level four virus into this lab. I can imagine the protests by the residents in the area, to say nothing of the denouncement from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Of course, I'm prepared for the fallout."
For a private research facility, Nikaido Research Lab was equipped with cutting-edge equipment; it was one of the only infectious disease labs in Japan, outfitted to handle level four viruses. —those who are categorized as having the highest biohazard risk. Level four viruses, such as Ebola and Marburg, had extremely high fatality rates, while a level four lab was a facility with the safety equipment to handle such high-risk viruses. (To put it another way, it looks like a level four lab to contain a level four virus in the event of an accident.)
There was, however, one precondition that made the handling of such viruses possible: the surrounding public had to agree to take on the risk of infection. Certainly other biosafety level four labs existed in Japan. However, none had been used as a level four facility due to protests from residents living in the surrounding area.
For the residents, it was an obvious and natural reaction to the theatre of a virus as deadly as Ebola being brought into their neighbourhood. Nikaido Research Lab was no exception; it was restricted from bringing in anything higher than a level three risk as spelled out in an agreement reached with the surrounding residents when the lab was built.
"But, Professor, it isn't as if you conducted this research for fame or for personal gain."
"You're right. People are suffering as we speak, and yet, the development of the antidote was stalled simply because there isn't enough of a market for it. Only developing countries are being affected by the virus. I merely wanted that to change. But..." Nikaido took a long look at the ampules before him.
"I don't have to tell you that the current strategy for the most part has been to treat the symptoms. There has never been an antidote as foolproof as this one. This virus is like a ticking time bomb that has a two-week incubation period, during which the viral cells multiply inside the host without their knowing they've been affected. Depending on how the virus is used, it could very well become the ultimate weapon."
The liquid contained inside the two ampules seemed to sparkle as if spurning such a ghastly fate.
"Apparently, Kira, who caused quite an uproar, was capable of killing anyone of his choosing. On the other hand, whoever comes in possession of this virus, and the antidote, would be capable of killing everyone but the people of his choosing. In that regard, the virus could turn out to be nastier than Kira if it were used in service to a dangerous ideology."
Nikaido sighed deeply and turned toward the frame on top of the desk. In it, was a family picture capturing his happier days.
"This virus will not be the property of Japan alone. The Ministry of Health will likely decide to send it to the CDC. In the end, all I've done is lead the way toward developing a virus weapon. What would my wife say if she were alive..." A self-loathing smile crept across Nikaido's face.
"But, Professor, the US has declared that it will only conduct biological weapons research for defensive purposes." Despite Kujo's best efforts to put him at ease, the hard look on Nikaido's face remained.
"Daddy, dinner's ready!" Maki appeared wearing an apron.
"Maki, you came here without my permission again, didn't you? I'll have to talk with the security guard," her father said. Though his tone was disapproving, he smiled.
"Okay, okay, but come home before dinner gets cold. And how long have you been wearing that same lab coat? Off with it already!"
No sooner had she spoken than Maki was at her father's side, pulling off his lab coat. Kujo looked on, trying to keep herself from laughing.
"Dr Kujo, when do you think you can come to tutor me next?" Maki asked.
"What about tomorrow night?"
"Great. I'm going to feed the animals now." The girl left holding her father's coat.
Nikaido sighed as he watched his daughter leave the room. "She's more and more like her mother every day. She must still yearn for her mother's touch, but I have to say she's coming up nicely."
"She completely turned into your wife. She's quite a girl who got the world's preeminent professor of immunology completely under her thumb."
*****
*****
When Kujo looked into the animal husbandry room, Maki was feeding the lab chimpanzee.
"Eat up now," Maki told the monkey. Though she sounded cheerful, her cheeks were wet with tears. The animals in the room would be subjects in lab experiments the next day. The girl hastily wiped her tears away upon seeing Kujo.
"I know I'm not supposed to get attached to them..."
Ignorant of its own fate, the chimpanzee inside the cage was also attached to Maki. It bared its teeth defensively when Kujo Bent down next to the girl.
"We're allowed to go on living happy, healthy lives because tens of thousands of animals like this chimp sacrifice their lives. But all people do is kill, hate and do whatever they please. I guess they forgot that nature is what keeps us all alive," Maki said.
Kujo peered into the girl's face. "Maki, do you think the people of this world deserve to live at the expense of sacrificing the lives of these animals?"
Maki looked at the animals and pondered this question a bit. "I don't know. But if these animals have to be sacrificed so we can live, I think we have to live the life they gave us to our fullest."
She turned her innocent eyes on the woman without hesitation. "Why do you ask, Dr Kujo?"
Kujo smiled sadly and put an arm around the girl's shoulders. "I think if everyone thought the way you do, this world might change for the better." Her face which Maki couldn't see in the dark of the room, twisted in anguish.
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