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always something better.’
    Peter nodded. ‘And how do you know they work? I mean, who do you test the drugs on?’
    He turned to look at his grandfather who stopped walking for a fraction of a second, then continued marching. ‘We have extensive testing programmes,’ he said dismissively. ‘People will do anything for money, you know.’
    ‘And you use stem cells, don’t you?’ Peter asked. ‘Where do you get them? You must need so many!’
    His grandfather stopped suddenly. ‘You have a lot of questions,’ he said.
    Peter felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Had he asked too much too soon? Did his grandfather suspect something? ‘I want to learn,’ he said.
    Richard paused for a moment, then nodded. ‘Yes, yes, of course you do. Well, I have the very thing. Follow me.’
    Peter followed him, his eyes hungrily taking in every corridor, every door, every person they passed. Eventually, Richard opened a door and Peter followed him into a lecture theatre.
    ‘A bit of history,’ his grandfather said. ‘We used to have quite a big educational programme here – students coming round, learning about Renewal and Longevity. That was back when we still had universities, of course. Now we use this room for ReTraining programmes, Induction, foreign delegations, that sort of thing. We’ve got some educational packs, if you’d like one?’
    The question, Peter realised immediately, was a rhetorical one; a pack was thrust into his hands and, under his grandfather’s gaze, he felt compelled to open it. There were several pages of text outlining the history of Pincent Pharma, punctuated by boxes with trite information, which he scanned briefly.
    Did you know?
    • It takes two weeks to produce each and every Longevity tablet
    • Pincent Pharma employs over 5,000 of the world’s best scientists, all dedicated to improving your quality of life
    • For maximum benefits, your doctor should review your dosage every year
    Did you know?
    • Pincent Pharma supplies Longevity drugs to more than 100 countries worldwide
    • Pincent Pharma developed the first ever Longevity drug in 2015 and still owns the worldwide patent
    • Pincent Pharma quality checks every single Longevity tablet to exacting standards before they leave the production line
    Richard Pincent smiled benevolently. ‘Now, you find yourself somewhere to sit down and we’ll get started, shall we?’
    Closing the pack, Peter made his way to a seat in the middle of the room. It was a small, push-down seat surrounded by a hundred or so others, all empty. As soon as he sat down, the theatre was plunged into darkness, and the screen at the front flickered into life.
    On screen was Peter’s grandfather, looking slightly younger, standing in a vast, open-plan laboratory, full of workstations at which serious-looking scientists in white coats were positioned.
    ‘Welcome to Pincent Pharma, and the Institute of Cell Research. Under this roof, in these state-of-the-art facilities, thousands of scientists are researching the wonderful potential of cells. Cells that we at Pincent Pharma have adapted to cure human disease. Cells which we have reproduced in order to conquer degenerative conditions and catastrophic injuries. Cells which have now provided us with the ultimate answer to all the ills that have ever befallen mankind, scientific breakthroughs which have transformed not just medicine, not just science, but society at large. Welcome to the home of Longevity, the home of the future of mankind . . .’
    Peter’s on-screen grandfather walked towards the camera.
    ‘What you are about to witness is no less than a miracle. A revolution. A change so huge that it dwarfs any other human achievements. What you are about to discover is the secret to eternal life.’
    Rousing music started to play and Peter shifted awkwardly in his seat. He turned round to see if his real grandfather was still in the room, but he couldn’t see in the darkness.
    He turned back to