Chapter 15

                                    

                                              
 The file names scrolled past. Martha's eyes starting to blur, there were only so many policies she could read. Yes, they were evidence of Kendra's influence on the company, as she had signed them off, but information about sick pay, transportation of goods or property rents were hardly cause for concern.

                          
Martha picked up her eye mist, opened her eyes wide and squirted a spray of liquid into both. She scrunched them up whilst they stung for a few seconds. It would be worth it, the mist would soothe her eyes and let her work for another hour or so. As her vision came back in focus, something jumped out of the screen. A filename she had missed before. 'ClassExtend.' What did that mean? Her mind jumped to the word classified. With trepidation she pressed the file on her holographic display, safe in the knowledge that no one would spy in her own home. The contents shocked her. The detail told of an experimental drug, a drug to extend life itself. It started at the time when Kendra first became the CEO of Princips Ltd., some sixteen years ago, then ran through the experiments that had taken place. Names of trialists were lettered such as 'Patient A' or 'Patient X.' Martha was horrified as the document continued, more and more people being used as lab rats, more and more hideous side effects ranging from skin conditions and hair loss to madness and violent outbursts. She almost gagged as she realised she worked for the company that was doing this. But where did they getting volunteers from? As Martha read on she realised why Kendra wanted to rid the world of the slums. They had done it, they had perfected the drug, they could extend someone's life. But surely they would need to let the drug run a lifetime and monitor the effects? Unless they did not have a lifetime. Unless they wanted to live forever now. But who would want that? Say, maybe a fifty something year old CEO of the company that controlled the world. And if they did not need to test anymore, then the slums were of no use at all.