Brigadier General Hyun Ki entered his office and checked his watch. 8:50 am. Almost time for the meeting. He heard a knock on his door.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

'Come in'

The door opened and a soldier walked in.

'Junjang,' the soldier saluted. 'The meeting is about to begin.'

'Okay', Hyun replied in his deep voice. 'Lead the way.'

The soldier, obviously of a lower rank, opened the door and Hyun stepped out after which he closed the door behind him. Once out, he then led his superior to what seemed like a strong room of some sort. He bowed respectfully and opened the large iron door. Hyun went in and the soldier closed the door and stood outside.

The room was not so small, it was more like a mini-auditorium. This is where the main superiors of the army division gather for closed-door meetings to discuss pressing issues, especially in situations like emergencies and the like.

Two mahogany tables flanked either side of the hall, with up to fifteen seats per table, all leather. At the helm, between the tables, was a single table with a single chair assigned to it. It was markedly different from the others. This was the seat of the head.

Hyun took his seat, waiting for the meeting to be officially started.

Finally, the head of the superiors came in. Everyone stood up and saluted him. He waved at them and they all sat down.

On the lone table, this superior in his forties occupied it. He looked none too happy but nevertheless stood up and addressed the assembly.

'Good morning Gentlemen. The reason for this meeting is not far-fetched. As we all know, the resources for the production of the pill are almost out and our experts have no results as to get the raw material. I received a report yesterday from our resource department that the reserve of the raw products is running low, say, finished and there is no means of replenishing it. So, today I decided to table it here for suggestions. Here are several copies of the reports,' he finished and sat down.

The hall fell silent as everyone went through the report and pondered on the next line of action.

'General Cho Yeong, perhaps we should devise another means Of producing the pill,' a young man, who looked more like a doctor than a soldier in his early thirties, suggested, breaking the silence.

General Cho Yeong, the head of the superiors, furrowed his brows. 'And what do you mean by another means?'

The young man chuckled. 'From the reports, our natural reserve has been exhausted and the only already produced pills are in danger of extinction. So, the only option is replication,' he stopped and scanned his audience. No one spoke but their expressions showed curiosity .

General Yeong in particular, became more interested.

'So how are you going to replicate this pill? It's one of a kind and not easily replicated,' Colonel SeoJoon, not comfortable with the idea, pointed out.

'And how would you know its elements without the ancient tree and its parts?' General Yeong further questioned.

The young man laughed. 'That's what we pharmacologists are here for. And don't forget, my father was the one who conducted research on the ancient tree and discovered its potential. So you need not worry because the elements in the ancient tree have been well-researched and documented.

'The only thing we have to do now is how to craft its artificial counterparts and produce the pill,' he concluded, almost bouncing on his toes. He was confident and full of himself that his plan would work. His analysis convinced almost everyone. Almost, though.

'I think this is a brilliant idea.'

'I agree to it one hundred percent.'

'Good job.'

'You're such an intelligent young man, Colonel YeJoon. You're right. Of course, your father, one of the most renowned pharmacologist of his time, led the discovery and I commend him greatly. He's lucky to have a son who inherited his capabilities,' General Yeong praised. The young man, whose name was YeJoon, grinned widely, savoring the moment and basking in the light of attention.

'I'll inform the resource department already. You're in charge of this replication process. Mind you, it must be almost the same at least. No mistakes are required. Understood?' General Yeong warned sternly.

Colonel YeJoon replied and bowed, 'Of course. I'll do my best, General'

'But, production of this pill has extremely dangerous consequences. We know this. This particular discovery you all are celebrating caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent soldiers whom the pills were forced on as an experiment some decades ago. We took an oath saying that we'll serve ROKA and the nation and our best interests should be for the nation, not for its destruction. It's affecting the army.

'Some soldiers no longer rely on the power of their muscles and will. It's now the pill. Energy booster, some call it.

'I really don't think it's wise to continue producing it and remove the new project of replicating it. Not only it's not good for the welfare of the army, it is a waste of resources, financially,' Hyun sat down after addressing the assembly for the first time since the meeting started.

Everyone fell silent. They thought for a while. Quietly, a murmur rose in the atmosphere. General Yeong stiffened. He had least expected that anybody, particularly Hyun Ki, would counter his judgement. As the boss, he had the final say.

As a result, his face turned solemn.

'I understand that you're being sentimental towards the lives lost during the research period. But that will not stop us from achieving our aim. Those are dead and gone. We don't focus on the past but on the future and what it holds. Don't make me remind you about this again.

'Without further ado, it's been finalized. The resource department will be duly informed while the replication project will be led by Ma YeJoon', he ruled the suggestion and that was it.

Hyun opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind. Yeong saw this and thought that he (Hyun) had had a rethink so he relaxed.

'Is there any other issue to be discussed?', General Yeong's voice boomed in the hall. On this prompting, some other minor issues were treated and the three-hour meeting finally came to an end. But It's not only going to be a tussle of power but of truth against evil.

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