BXBX NOVEL Chapter 211: Change, Power
{She's suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). She is currently in the early-middle stages of the illness.}
Silas blinked, unfamiliar with the name. "ALS?" He repeated, frowning slightly. "I don't recognize it."
His eyes flicked to his Gear's screen as it lit up with detailed information about the condition. Silas skimmed through it, and with each passing sentence, his unease deepened. He hadn't realized just how brutal this disease was until he read through the description—progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, difficulty speaking, breathing, eating. And worst of all, no cure.
ALS was more than just a severe illness; it was a ticking clock. The longer a person lived with it, the more their body deteriorated. It was disheartening to learn that the only treatments available could only slow the progression at best, but even then, they wouldn't stop the inevitable. And the costs—Silas's eyes narrowed as he continued to read. The financial burden was astronomical.
Medications alone cost between $600 and $1,000 per month*, Luna informed him, *and for severe cases, the annual cost of managing the disease can exceed $200,000. With physical therapy, assistive devices, and specialized care, the total expenses can easily surpass $1 million annually.
Silas sat in silence for a moment, processing. No wonder Marcus was so desperate. That kind of financial strain would crush anyone, let alone someone as young as him. The fact that Marcus was willing to throw himself into a beta test just for a chance to help his sister made Silas pause. He had expected the applicants to be driven, but this situation had a deeper layer.
"Luna," Silas said after a beat, his voice low and thoughtful, "deposit $500,000 into Marcus's account. Make sure he knows it's for his sister's treatment."
Silas wasn't the kind of person to hand out charity, but he understood human nature. Acts of generosity were rarely appreciated when given without strings. By offering Marcus the money, he wasn't just giving him relief; he was giving him something to fight for, to feel indebted to.
The young man would value this gesture more if it came with the knowledge that he had to earn it, to justify Silas's trust in him.
Yet, despite his pragmatism, Marcus's situation gnawed at him. ALS. A disease with no cure and a lifetime of suffering attached to it. Silas couldn't help but think of how ridiculous that was, especially in this day and age. Humans had made advancements in so many areas, yet diseases like ALS still persisted.
The thought stirred something in him—something he'd been putting off for far too long. It wasn't as if he lacked the resources or the technology. It was simply a matter of time, of prioritizing.
"Maybe it's time," he murmured to himself, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as an idea began to form. "Luna, let's accelerate our medical research projects. Begin development on treatments for chronic illnesses—ALS, cancer, Alzheimer's, all of them. And don't stop there. I want cures."
Silas couldn't help but smile wider, imagining the chaos this would cause. How would the world react when Kurt Technologies, a company that had already turned industries on their heads, began releasing actual cures for the most insidious diseases known to mankind?
He could already see the panic on the faces of top pharmaceutical executives, those who had been content to profit off the suffering of millions, raking in obscene profits from treatments that merely prolonged the inevitable.
'They're going to hate this,' Silas thought with amusement. And yet, he didn't care.
The thought of disrupting not just the tech industry but also the medical world gave him a rush of satisfaction. It was more than just business—it was revolution. He imagined a future where Kurt Technologies wasn't just known for entertainment or cutting-edge AI, but as the company that cured the incurable.
Besides, he currently has a system mission to make Kurt Technologies the number one company in the world.
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"We'll release it once the initial trials are successful. No need to rush, but we'll let them stew for a bit."
Silas rose from his seat, feeling energized in a way he hadn't in a long time. The world was about to change in more ways than one, and he was ready to usher in that future—whether they were prepared for it or not.
"Luna," he said with a grin, "let's see how long the pharmaceutical industry lasts when their biggest cash cows start vanishing."
Silas stood, gazing out the wide, floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room. The city below was bustling with life, its inhabitants unaware of the tremorous shift about to hit their world. From his vantage point, it looked peaceful—deceptively calm—but Silas knew that peace was an illusion.
The moment word got out about what Kurt Technologies was working on, the entire landscape would be thrown into chaos.
The pharmaceutical giants, the health industry titans who had thrived off the suffering of the masses, wouldn't take it lightly. Silas could practically see their faces, their boardroom meetings, scrambling to figure out how to counter what was coming.
The media would explode with speculation, politicians would get involved, and lobbyists would flood the streets in a desperate attempt to slow his progress. But it wouldn't matter. He was already too far ahead. By the time they realized the extent of what he was doing, it would be too late.
Turning away from the window, he moved to his desk and took a seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the sleek surface. His mind raced with possibilities. Luna had already begun to allocate resources, moving assets and manpower toward medical research at his command. It wouldn't take long for the prototypes to be developed, and once they were... well, the world would never be the same.
"Luna," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "How long until we have initial trials for the ALS treatment?"
{Within six to nine months, depending on regulatory approvals.}
Silas smirked. "Regulatory approvals won't be a problem. We'll bypass most of them—money talks, after all. I want trials running as soon as possible. We'll deal with the fallout afterward."
{Understood.}
He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he contemplated the broader implications. ALS was just the beginning, a proof of concept that Kurt Technologies could crack open the most stubborn medical challenges. After ALS, there would be cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's—all the diseases that had plagued humanity for centuries.
In a year's time, his company wouldn't just be known for revolutionizing entertainment or virtual reality; it would be synonymous with hope.
But Silas wasn't naïve. He knew the pharmaceutical companies would retaliate. These were behemoths, entrenched in politics, global economies, and power structures. They weren't going to sit idly by while their most profitable business models—long-term treatment plans, not cures—were obliterated. They would fight. Hard.
They would smear his name, accuse Kurt Technologies of dangerous practices, sabotage clinical trials if they could. They would play dirty, and Silas expected nothing less.
He smiled, the kind of smile that held no warmth. He was ready for them.
"Send a message to Vanguard," Silas instructed, his voice as calm as ever. "Tell them to prepare for pushback from the pharmaceutical lobby. I want contingencies in place—plans to handle lawsuits, regulatory interference, media smear campaigns. Everything. We won't be caught off guard."
Silas nodded to himself. This wasn't just about Marcus's sister anymore. It wasn't even about the millions of people suffering from chronic and terminal illnesses. This was about power—about reshaping the entire world's understanding of healthcare and what was possible.
And if Silas played his cards right, Kurt Technologies wouldn't just be a tech company; it would become the cornerstone of a new era in human progres.
"Let's see how they react when the impossible becomes inevitable," he whispered, his smile growing as he envisioned the chaos and change that would follow.