Herbalist`s Universe
Глава 1-5
Chapter 1
ANNA
Earth. Present Day
Anna had lived an ordinary life, but over the past few years she had lost almost everything she held dear. The pain of the past had left a deep mark on her, and she could no longer see any meaning in the future. But fate was already preparing a meeting that would change not only her life, but the history of an entire world.
Before meeting the man who would change her destiny, Anna had been an ordinary person. She had endured losses and disappointments that would have broken many. Left alone with her pain, she had almost lost hope, yet somewhere deep inside, a tiny spark of life still remained.
Anna sat on a bench in a dark park. A cold drizzle was falling. She had been soaked through for a long time, but she no longer cared.
Her thoughts were heavy. She was tired of fighting against life, and for the first time she caught herself wishing something terrible: if a madman stepped out of the darkness now, let it all end. She had no strength left to resist.
Suddenly, the silhouette of a man appeared beside her. He was holding a large umbrella. Without saying a word, he opened it over Anna, shielding her from the rain, then held out a paper cup of hot coffee.
“Take it. You’re freezing,” the stranger said calmly.
Anna slowly raised her eyes.
Standing before her was a man she had never seen before. There was neither pity nor judgment in his gaze.
It seemed as though he could see right through her, as though he understood all the pain she had carried inside for so long.
It was with this meeting that a journey began—one that would change not only her fate, but the fate of the entire world.
Anna stared at him in silence. The stranger did not rush her or try to speak first.
“Why are you helping me?” she finally asked quietly.
The man gave the faintest smile.
“Because sometimes a person doesn’t need advice. Sometimes it’s enough to have someone beside them who didn’t simply walk past.”
Anna took the warm cup.
Her frozen fingers felt the long-awaited heat. She took a small sip and, for the first time in a long while, felt something inside her begin to settle.
“Who are you?” she asked.
The man smiled slightly.
“My name is Vlad. I’ll answer all your questions, I promise. But I think we should have dinner first. There’s a small café nearby.”
Anna wanted to refuse, but she did not quite understand why. Something told her that she could trust this man.
They walked silently to the small café.
It was already late, so there were hardly any customers left.
Vlad approached the owner, calmly took two hundred-dollar bills from his pocket, and placed them on the counter.
“We’d like a good dinner,” he said.
The owner stared at the money in surprise, quickly nodded, and ordered the kitchen to prepare the best of whatever they still had available.
A few minutes later, hot dishes, fresh bread, salads, dessert, and fragrant tea appeared on the table.
“Now we can talk…”
Vlad looked calmly at Anna.
“Anna, I want to offer you a job.”
She looked up in surprise.
“A job?”
“Yes. Five working days a week. Two days off. Twenty-one days of paid vacation. Full benefits. Company housing. A company car.”
Anna stared at him silently for several seconds.
“Excuse me… Are you serious?”
Vlad nodded calmly.
“And what would my salary be?”
“Ten thousand euros a month. Euros specifically. Not dollars or any other currency.”
For the first time that evening, Anna smiled genuinely.
“And where do I sign in blood?”
Vlad chuckled softly.
“Nowhere. You don’t have to sign anything.”
“Then what do I have to do?”
“Make a decision and confirm it. That’s enough.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes. But remember one thing: if you accept, there will be no turning back.”
Anna studied Vlad carefully.
She still could not tell whether he was joking or being completely serious. But for the first time in a long while, she wanted to find out what would happen next.
Vlad took another sip of tea.
“Now I can tell you what the job actually involves.”
Anna watched him closely.
“I’m listening.”
“If you agree, you will be given a gift no human being has ever possessed.”
“What kind of gift?”
“You will be able to heal people. Not only illnesses of the body, but even those that modern medicine considers incurable.”
Anna smiled.
“That sounds like science fiction.”
Vlad nodded calmly.
“For most people, yes. But that is only a small part of your future work.”
He paused briefly.
“You will understand every human language, whether you have studied it or not. Anyone on Earth will be able to speak to you in their native language, and you will understand them as though you had known that language all your life.”
Anna remained silent.
“In addition, you will be able to read ancient writings that humanity has forgotten.”
“And that’s part of the job too?”
“Yes. It’s necessary because you will be helping people all over the world. I don’t want language to become an obstacle for you.”
Vlad looked directly into her eyes.
Anna slowly placed her cup on the table.
“If anyone else had told me this, I would think they were insane…”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you all of this the moment we met.”
Vlad smiled calmly.
“For most people, it’s impossible. For me, it’s an ordinary task.”
“Who are you?”
Vlad was silent for a moment.
“I’m the one who solves any problem. You’ll learn everything else later.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“Right now, I only need your answer. Do you accept my offer?”
Anna remained silent for a long time. Everything that was happening seemed unbelievable.
Yet inside, she felt a strange sense of calm. As though she had been waiting for this meeting all her life.
Slowly, she nodded.
“Yes… I accept.”
Vlad smiled slightly.
“Then from this moment on, your old life is over. Welcome to your new one.”
Anna had not yet fully processed everything she had heard when Vlad took a small envelope from his briefcase.
“This is for you.”
She looked at him in surprise.
Inside were an international passport, a bank card, a driver’s license, and travel documents.
“What is this?”
“Your new beginning.”
Vlad placed the card beside the envelope.
“There are ten thousand euros in the account. Your first advance payment.”
Vlad smiled.
“Do you know what builds trust better than anything?”
She looked at him silently.
“Payment in advance.”
For the first time that evening, Anna could not hold back a smile.
“Do you always hire people like this?”
“No. Only those who are going to change a great many things.”
Vlad handed her another envelope.
“Inside are plane tickets and a two-week trip to Italy.”
“Italy?”
“Yes. Before you begin your new job, you need to get yourself back on your feet. Rest, recover, and remember that life can bring joy.”
Anna looked at the documents.
“And what’s waiting for me there?”
“Someone will meet you.”
“Who?”
Vlad answered calmly:
“A woman named Lilith.”
He paused briefly.
“You’ll sense for yourself that there’s something unusual about her.”
Vlad only smiled.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Chapter 2. Lilith
Italy. Mediterranean Coast.
A small, cozy hotel with only twenty rooms stood almost directly on the seashore.
Beyond the open window, the sea murmured.
A woman sat by the window. She was looking toward the horizon, as though waiting for someone.
Lilith slowly rose.
“Time to go to Rome. The plane will be landing soon,” she said quietly to herself.
He trusted me. I can’t let him down. I can do this.
She picked up the car keys and left the room.
Seven days earlier.
North America. Secret Maximum-Security Prison.
Deep underground, a woman sat in a damp solitary cell.
She had stopped counting the days long ago.
Suddenly, a strange shadow moved across the stone wall.
The shadow grew denser and denser until it took the shape of a human figure.
A moment later, Vlad stood before her.
He smiled calmly.
“Hello, Lilith. Having fun?”
Lilith raised her head.
She recognized him immediately.
Their only meeting, many years ago, flashed before her eyes.
That was when Vlad had introduced her to Lucifer.
“Why did you come?” she asked calmly.
“There’s a new job.”
Lilith gave the faintest smile.
“For me?”
Vlad nodded.
“Five working days a week. Two days off. Twenty-one days of paid vacation. Full benefits. Company housing. A company car.”
Lilith laughed softly.
“After thousands of years, you still haven’t changed…”
Vlad smiled in return.
“And yet no one has ever turned down these terms.”
Vlad looked at Lilith.
“There is one more condition.”
Lilith smiled calmly.
“I already guessed.”
“As far as the humans are concerned, Lilith must die.”
She nodded as though they were discussing the most ordinary formality.
“As always?”
“Yes.”
“How soon?”
“A couple of days. By then, you must finish all the preparations.”
Lilith smirked.
“So, another funeral…”
“The last one.”
“And then?”
“Then you’ll go to Italy. That’s where your new job will begin.”
Lilith rose.
Vlad smiled almost imperceptibly.
“And in seven days, a person no one knows will be born.”
Italy. Five days earlier.
A small town on the Mediterranean coast went about its quiet life.
Lilith slowly stepped out of the car and looked at the two-story hotel.
Small.
Cozy.
Only twenty rooms.
She smiled.
“Exactly what we need…”
Inside, she met the elderly owner.
“Good afternoon. I’d like to rent the entire hotel.”
The owner looked at her in surprise.
“For how long?”
“I don’t know yet. Possibly for quite a while.”
An hour later, all the paperwork had been completed.
Lilith received the keys.
She slowly walked through every room.
The first…
The second…
The third…
It was as though she were imagining the people who would soon appear here.
Stopping on the balcony, she looked out at the sea.
“A good place…”
That evening, the phone rang.
Lilith immediately knew who was calling.
“Everything is ready,” she said.
“Anna will be arriving soon.”
“I’ll meet her.”
“Don’t rush to tell her everything.”
“I understand.”
“Right now, she needs rest, not answers.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
After a brief pause, Vlad added:
“And one more thing…”
“Yes?”
“Take care of her.”
For the first time in a long while, Lilith smiled sincerely.
“I promise.”
The call ended.
She continued looking at the sea for a long time.
“I wonder what you’re like, Anna…”
Rome. Airport.
Anna walked out of the arrivals hall and stopped, looking around.
So many people, so many languages, so many unfamiliar sounds.
But for the first time in a long while, she felt no fear.
“Anna?”
She turned.
A woman stood before her.
Calm, confident, with an attentive gaze.
“Lilith?”
“Yes.”
Anna smiled.
“Vlad said I would sense for myself that there was something unusual about you.”
Lilith smiled slightly.
“And what did you sense?”
Anna thought for a moment.
“That I feel calm around you.”
“Good answer.”
They headed toward the car.
On the way, Lilith explained almost nothing. She remembered Vlad’s words: rest first, answers later.
After some time, they arrived at the small hotel by the sea.
“Is all of this yours?”
“It is now,” Lilith replied calmly.
Everything inside had been prepared.
Clean rooms, a cozy atmosphere, and a view of the sea.
For the first time in a long while, Anna felt that she could simply stop and rest.
But that evening, another surprise was waiting for her.
Vlad was already sitting in the living room.
Anna stopped.
“You’re here?”
Vlad smiled.
“Of course. Some things are better explained in person.”
Lilith closed the door and remained nearby.
It was the first time the three of them had been together.
“Now your new life begins.”
Anna sat down opposite him.
“I want to know the truth.”
Vlad nodded calmly.
“And you will. But gradually.”
He looked first at Anna, then at Lilith.
“Today you met each other. In the future, you’ll be working together.”
Anna looked at Lilith.
“Together?”
“Yes,” Vlad replied. “Because one Herbalist cannot change the world.”
Vlad looked at Anna.
For several seconds, the room was silent.
Then he spoke calmly.
“Anna. A woman. No children. For medical reasons, you can’t have them.
Your husband left you for your former friend. You weren’t fired because you did your job badly, but because you did it too well and became inconvenient for management.
The bank took your apartment because you could no longer pay the mortgage.”
He spoke evenly, without judgment and without pity.
As though he were simply listing dry facts.
Anna slowly lowered her head.
Vlad continued.
“Primitive. A standard set of human problems. Stories like yours happen to thousands of people every day.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“That is exactly why you are sitting here now.”
Lilith studied Anna carefully.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Vlad turned his gaze to Lilith.
“Now you need to know who is sitting beside you.”
Anna looked closely at Lilith.
Vlad continued.
“A very long time ago, Lilith was human.”
He spoke calmly, as though telling a story he remembered better than any textbook.
“During her lifetime, she killed three men she had once loved. People found out. The trial was brief. They sentenced her to death at the stake.”
Anna instinctively looked at Lilith.
Lilith sat perfectly still.
“At almost the same time, Hell was being created,” Vlad continued. “Lucifer was to become its ruler.
He needed those who could maintain order and carry out punishments.”
Vlad smiled slightly.
Anna looked at him in surprise.
“Why her?”
“Because at that moment, she hated the entire human race more than anyone else. She was perfect for that kind of work.”
Lilith gave a quiet chuckle.
“Back then, I thought people deserved everything that happened to them.”
“That is why Lucifer accepted my recommendation.”
“I think we’ll work well together.”
Vlad smiled faintly.
“I think so too.”
Chapter 3. Konstantin
USA
Night.
The city was still awake.
In one of its quiet neighborhoods, a man sat in his study, looking over the documents lying in front of him.
His name was Konstantin.
He had spent years serving in places where a single mistake could cost a life.
He was one of those people whose work went unnoticed by most.
He did not appear on television or receive prestigious awards, but people like him stood every day between danger and those they were charged with protecting.
Years in the presidential security service had taught him one essential rule: a threat never gives advance warning.
Now he was older.
More experienced.
And for the first time in many years, he had no next assignment.
He closed the folder.
“So, it’s all over…”
But he was wrong.
A man suddenly appeared in the room.
Konstantin was on his feet instantly.
His hand moved automatically, guided by years of instinct.
But the man standing before him did not even flinch.
“Relax, Konstantin.”
“Who are you?”
“A man offering you a new job.”
Konstantin studied him carefully.
“People usually introduce themselves first.”
“Vlad.”
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
“And what do you want from me?”
Vlad answered calmly:
“I need someone who can protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
Konstantin looked closely at Vlad.
“Why me?”
“Because you know how to protect people, and you don’t ask unnecessary questions.”
“What kind of project is this?”
“One that will change people’s lives.”
Konstantin thought for a moment.
The man standing before him clearly knew more about him than he should have.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then your life will continue as before.”
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Konstantin remembered his years of service and the people he had protected, and realized that a quiet life was no longer for him.
He looked up.
Konstantin did not know what he was getting himself into.
But he felt one thing: this would be the most important job of his life.
Vlad nodded.
“Then welcome to the team.”
He took out an envelope and placed it on the table.
“What’s this?”
“Tickets. You need a few days.”
“A vacation?”
“No. Time to settle all your affairs.”
Vlad paused.
“Three days. Take care of everything that remains from your old life. After that, you begin work.”
Konstantin picked up the envelope.
“What’s inside?”
“Tickets to the place where your new job will begin.”
Konstantin looked at Vlad.
He had many questions, but he understood that the answers would come later.
“All right.”
Vlad rose.
“We’ll see each other in three days.”
And so another member of the future team appeared.
Konstantin did everything he needed to do during those three days.
He closed out his old affairs, said goodbye to his former life, and left for Italy.
The plane landed in the evening.
A small hotel by the sea greeted him with peace and silence.
Someone was already waiting for him at reception.
“Konstantin?”
“Yes.”
“Your room is ready.”
He went upstairs, left his things in the room, and spent several minutes looking out at the sea through the window.
He still did not know what kind of project this was.
But he understood one thing: this would be no ordinary job.
After a while, there was a knock at the door.
Vlad stood on the other side.
“Good to see you.”
Konstantin nodded.
“I think it’s time you met the others.”
Anna and Lilith were already in the room.
Anna looked calmly at the newcomer.
Lilith, on the other hand, studied him carefully.
“So, this is the man Vlad has entrusted with security,” she said.
“And you must be Lilith.”
She smiled slightly.
“You learn quickly.”
Vlad watched them.
Three different people.
Three different destinies.
But soon they would have to work together.
That evening, they gathered around a small table at the hotel.
Vlad placed a bottle of cognac and four small glasses on the table.
“I think we should begin with one simple thing.”
He poured a little for each of them.
“To getting acquainted. Thirty grams.”
Lilith smiled.
“I didn’t expect you to start like this.”
“Sometimes ordinary things help people become closer.”
They all raised their glasses.
“To the new team.”
After that, the atmosphere became a little more relaxed.
Anna looked at Konstantin. They were no longer complete strangers.
Vlad set his glass on the table.
“I think it’s time you learned a little more about one another.”
He looked at Lilith.
“Anna already knows part of your story.”
Lilith nodded calmly.
“Then Konstantin should know it too.”
Vlad began to speak.
First, he told Anna’s story.
He told them about a woman who had lost almost everything, but who, even after severe trials, had not lost her ability to remain human.
Konstantin listened carefully.
He was accustomed to seeing all kinds of people, but something else in her story caught his attention.
Not what she had lost.
But what she had managed to preserve.
Then Vlad looked at Lilith.
“Now it’s your turn.”
And he began telling the story of a woman who had lived a long life filled with secrets, mistakes, and change.
Konstantin listened in silence.
He understood one thing: these were not simply people with unusual destinies.
But he still had not asked the main question:
Why him?
After the story of Lilith, silence settled over the room.
For several minutes, no one said a word.
Konstantin sat deep in thought.
He had seen a great deal during his years of service, but what he had just heard did not fit into his familiar picture of the world.
Vlad noticed his expression.
“Having doubts?”
Konstantin nodded honestly.
“Yes. There’s too much to accept all at once.”
Vlad looked at Lilith.
“Show him your true form.”
Lilith calmly placed her glass on the table.
“As you wish.”
She slowly rose.
A moment later, her human appearance began to disappear.
Before them stood a majestic demoness nearly two and a half meters tall.
Her beauty was almost otherworldly.
A dark-red aura flared around her, like the living flames of Hell.
Her emerald eyes glowed with a soft yet piercing light.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
Anna had already seen Lilith like this and remained calm.
Konstantin silently rose from his chair.
He did not reach for a weapon.
He did not take a single step back.
He simply watched the being standing before him.
After several seconds, Lilith returned to her human form.
She calmly sat back down at the table and smiled.
“Well, Konstantin? Fewer doubts now?”
He slowly exhaled.
“More than before.”
Vlad smiled faintly.
“That’s a good answer. It means you’re still thinking instead of trying to convince yourself that the impossible cannot exist.”
Konstantin looked at Vlad.
“It seems my old life really is over.”
“Yes,” Vlad replied calmly. “And your new one is only beginning.”
Vlad looked at all three of them.
“That’s enough for today.”
He rose from the table and continued calmly.
“You need to rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”
Everyone listened closely.
“From ten until noon, we’ll discuss the four most important subjects concerning our project.
You need to understand where you have come, what tasks lie ahead of us, and what responsibility each of you is taking on.”
He paused briefly.
“From noon until six, four more people will arrive. They will become part of our team.”
Anna exchanged a glance with Konstantin.
“There will already be eight of us?” she asked.
“Yes,” Vlad replied. “And this is only the beginning.”
Lilith looked at Vlad with a slight smile.
“So tomorrow will be even more interesting.”
“Much more interesting,” he replied calmly.
Vlad headed toward the door.
“Good night. Get some rest. Tomorrow is the first real working day of your new life.”
Left alone, the three of them remained silent for several more minutes.
Each was lost in their own thoughts.
Anna thought about the new life that had begun so unexpectedly.
Konstantin thought about the project that still remained a mystery to him.
Lilith thought about how, for the first time in many centuries, she felt not loneliness, but anticipation of something new.
Outside the window, the sea murmured quietly.
None of them yet knew that the next day would change their destinies forever.
Chapter 4. The Council
At exactly ten o’clock in the morning, everyone gathered in the hotel’s small conference room.
Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast were set out on the table, but no one was in a hurry to eat.
Vlad entered the room, greeted everyone, and took his seat.
He calmly looked at those present.
“Good morning.”
Everyone returned the greeting.
“Today we are going to discuss four important topics. We need to settle them now so that we won’t have to return to them later. Only by understanding the fundamentals can you understand why our project exists.”
He paused briefly.
“The first topic is the origin of humanity.”
Everyone looked at him attentively.
Vlad picked up a marker and walked over to the board.
In a single line, he wrote:
Vlad — Celestials — Anunnaki — Humans
“This is the chain of humanity’s origin.
I created the race of Celestials. They were the first civilization I entrusted with the development of life. Later, the Celestials created the Anunnaki.
And the Anunnaki, after many attempts and mistakes, created humans.”
He looked at each of them.
“Everything humanity knows about its origins is only a small part of the truth. The real history is much older and far more complicated.”
Silence filled the room.
For Anna, Lilith, and Konstantin, this conversation opened an entirely new perspective on the history of the world.
Vlad calmly continued:
“Today, you will hear only the truth, even if at first it is difficult to believe.”
Vlad paused briefly.
“The second topic: faith and religion are not the same thing.”
He looked at each of them.
“You can believe in anything. In goodness. In justice. In another person. In the future. In the possibility of change. What matters is that the choice is yours.”
Vlad stopped.
“Each of you had that kind of faith. Despite everything you went through, you never stopped hoping that life could become different. That is why you are here now.”
He paused again.
“In the world of our project, religious organizations have long since become instruments of power.
They seek to control people, suppress freedom of choice, and exploit faith for their own influence and enrichment.”
The room was silent.
“Remember the most important thing,” Vlad said calmly. “Our enemy is anything that deprives a person of the right to think, choose, and be free.”
Lilith merely smiled faintly.
Vlad looked at the team.
“As long as a person has freedom of choice, that person has a future. That is the freedom we will fight for.”
Vlad paused again.
“The third topic is information-access levels and the decision-making process.”
He wrote several numbers on the board.
7. Vlad. 6. Anna, Lilith, Konstantin. 5. Heads of the main divisions. 4. Specialists. 3. Department employees. 2. Support staff. 1. Temporary personnel and invited specialists.
Vlad turned toward the team.
“Each of you will have your own level of access to information. The higher the level, the greater the responsibility. You will know only what is necessary to perform your work.”
He looked at Anna.
“The highest level is seven. I am the only one who has it.”
Then he turned his gaze toward the three of them.
“You have Level Six clearance. You are the project’s Small Council.”
Konstantin listened carefully.
“The Small Council discusses all key issues, assesses risks, and proposes solutions.”
Vlad continued:
“But Anna makes the final decision.”
Anna looked at him in surprise.
“Why me?”
“Because you will be the project leader. You will determine its direction and strategy.
Your task is to bring it to life.”
Lilith smiled.
“So we’ll be arguing a lot.”
Vlad chuckled.
He looked around at everyone present.
“Remember one more rule. The higher your clearance level, the fewer people will know what you know. This is necessary not for power, but for the security of the project and the people working within it.”
Vlad looked around the room once more.
“The fourth and final topic for today.”
He paused briefly.
“From this moment on, you must forget the words Creator, chosen one, savior, and anything else that can place one person above another.”
The room grew quiet.
“For the outside world, there is no Creator.”
He looked at Anna.
“There is no Herbalist as some mythical being.”
Then he continued calmly:
“There is Vlad—the project curator.
There is Anna Kern—the project leader and a practicing intensive care physician.”
He turned his gaze toward Lilith and Konstantin.
“And there is a team of professionals, each responsible for their own field.
People must trust not legends, but your knowledge, your work, and your results. We will save lives, create technologies, and change the world not through miracles, but through hard work, discipline, and responsibility.”
Anna nodded.
Konstantin said:
“So, no cults of personality.”
Lilith smiled.
“I like working that way much better.”
Vlad looked at the team.
The new members of the team began to arrive.
The first was Cassandra, a real estate specialist.
She specialized in searching for and evaluating properties and knew how to find suitable locations for future centers and the project’s hidden facilities.
Next came Jeanne, the lawyer.
Her experience would help resolve complex issues involving different countries and legal systems.
Then Sonya arrived, a human resources specialist.
She would be responsible for finding people, evaluating their abilities, and building the future teams.
Daniel, the financier, arrived last.
His expertise was needed to create the new project’s financial system.
Lilith observed each of them. Konstantin assessed their reliability, while Anna watched for the first time as people capable of solving the most difficult tasks began to gather around the project.
18:00
Vlad looked at everyone present and said:
“Thank you for coming. Today we begin by getting acquainted. Before you is a new project that will require not only your knowledge, but your abilities as well.”
The room fell silent.
Lilith carefully observed each person. Konstantin assessed their reactions and behavior. Anna listened and tried to understand the people who might become part of their future.
“There will be no long presentations today. Right now, our task is to get acquainted and understand who each of you will be working with.”
Vlad looked at the new members.
“This is Anna Kern—the project leader and a practicing intensive care physician.”
Anna nodded slightly.
“Lilith is the project’s administrative director. She is responsible for organizing operations, information systems, and internal security.”
Lilith smiled calmly.
“Konstantin is the head of the project’s security service. His task is to protect the team, the facilities, and the information.”
Konstantin briefly greeted his new colleagues.
“And now I want to introduce those who joined us today.”
He looked at Cassandra.
“You are responsible for locating and acquiring real estate around the world. Every property used by the project will go through you.”
Then he turned to Jeanne.
“Jeanne. Head of Legal Affairs. All legal matters, international law, company registrations, and protection of the project’s interests are your responsibility.”
Next was Sonya.
“Sonya. Head of Human Resources. You will be the one to find the best specialists, conduct the selection process, and build the project team.”
Finally, Vlad looked at Daniel.
“Daniel. Head of Finance.
Financing, expenditure control, investments, and the project’s development are in your hands.”
The room fell silent again.
“There are no accidental people here today.
Each of you has followed your own path, and none of you ended up here by accident.”
He paused briefly.
“Tomorrow, the work begins. Work that, in time, will change the lives of millions.”
No one said a word.
Everyone understood that there was no turning back.
Vlad looked at his watch.
“That concludes the official part for today.”
They expected the meeting to end, but he suddenly smiled.
“There is one more mandatory event.”
The room grew quiet.
“In fifteen minutes, we are expected for dinner. Tonight there will be no work, no reports, and no discussion of the project.”
Lilith was the first to break the silence.
“Are we really going to have an ordinary human dinner?”
“Exactly,” Vlad replied. “A team should know one another as more than just job titles.”
A few minutes later, everyone gathered in the hotel’s small restaurant.
A large round table had already been prepared for them.
Vlad had deliberately chosen a round table.
“There are no people of greater or lesser importance here,” he said. “At this table, everyone can speak freely, ask questions, and get to know one another.”
Gradually, the tension disappeared.
Cassandra told several amusing stories from her work in real estate.
Jeanne recalled an unusual court case she had won against all predictions.
Sonya admitted with a smile that within the first five minutes of a conversation, she could usually tell whether a person was suitable for a job.
Daniel calmly remarked:
“And within the first five minutes, I can tell whether someone should be trusted with money.”
Everyone laughed.
Even Konstantin allowed himself a slight smile.
For the first time in a long while, Anna felt at peace.
She looked at the people sitting beside her.
Only a few days earlier, she had been completely alone.
Now she was surrounded by people who were destined to become one team.
Vlad silently watched them.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Not the introductions.
Not the signing of documents.
But the moment when eight completely different people first began to feel that they could trust one another.
Outside the window, the evening sea murmured.
The new team’s first day was drawing to a close.
But for each of them, a new life was only beginning.
Chapter 5. Abilities and Technologies: First Discoveries
At exactly ten o’clock in the morning, the entire team once again gathered around the now-familiar table in the hotel conference room.
Vlad entered, greeted everyone, and took his seat.
He looked carefully at each of them.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning,” everyone replied almost simultaneously.
Vlad nodded.
“Today we will begin discussing your new abilities and the technologies you will be working with.”
He paused briefly.
“First of all, I want to tell you something important.”
Everyone listened attentively.
“Your natural abilities have already been enhanced to the maximum level possible for a human being. This includes memory, speed of thought, attention, reaction time, the ability to analyze information, and decision-making.”
Vlad continued.
“In addition, each of you can now understand, read, and speak every language on Earth fluently.”
Silence settled over the room.
Anna was the first to break it.
“So anyone on the planet can speak to us in their native language?”
“Exactly,” Vlad replied calmly.
Lilith smiled.
“That really will save a lot of time.”
“And this is only the beginning,” Vlad said.
He walked over to the board.
“Now for a short introductory lecture.”
He wrote only two words:
PRIMITIVE PHYSICS
“Don’t be surprised by the title. Everything modern humanity considers the pinnacle of science is merely primitive physics to civilizations that are far more advanced than Earth.”
He paused briefly.
“And that is where we will begin today.”
Vlad picked up the marker and approached the board.
With a few confident strokes, he wrote:
PLANET EARTH
Below it, several more words appeared:
RESOURCES BIOLOGY THREE-DIMENSIONAL SPACE
He turned toward the team.
“Everything that exists on Earth belongs to the three-dimensional world.”
Vlad paused briefly.
“Every object, every living being, every mineral and every substance obeys the same laws.”
He continued writing.
MOLECULES — ATOMS — ELECTRONS, PROTONS AND NEUTRONS — QUARKS
“Modern science describes the structure of matter in this way. Everything you see around you consists of molecules. Molecules consist of atoms. Atoms consist of smaller particles. At the foundation of this level are quarks.”
Vlad put down the marker.
“For humans, this is the limit of their understanding of matter.”
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood that they were now beginning a discussion about knowledge capable of completely changing their familiar view of the world.
Vlad smiled.
“That is why I called today’s topic Primitive Physics.
Everything currently considered the pinnacle of science is only the first step on the path toward understanding the universe.”
Vlad fell silent for several seconds.
Then he said calmly:
“But enough theory. It’s time to talk about technology.”
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and took out a small object.
It looked like an ordinary ballpoint pen, only slightly longer and thicker.
Vlad held it up so everyone could see it.
“Before you is a three-dimensional quark-sequence generator.”
Everyone looked at the device with curiosity.
Vlad smiled.
“Almost like Harry Potter’s magic wand.”
Laughter filled the room.
Even Konstantin smiled faintly.
Vlad lightly rolled the device between his fingers.
“Except this isn’t magic.”
He paused briefly.
“It’s technology.”
Vlad continued in a more serious tone:
“The quark-sequence generator can form matter at the quark level. If the complete structure of an object is known, the device sequentially creates the required particles and assembles them into the finished object.”
He looked at the team.
Anna studied the device closely.
“So it doesn’t create objects out of nothing?”
“No,” Vlad replied. “Nothing in the universe appears from emptiness. The generator merely controls matter at its most fundamental level, transforming it into whatever is required.
And now I’ll show you how it works.”
Vlad raised the quark-sequence generator.
“Theory is worthless without practice.”
He aimed the device at an empty space on the floor and pressed its only button with his thumb.
A thin blue beam emerged from the front of the generator.
It was so perfectly straight that it looked more like a line of light than a laser.
The beam touched the floor.
The room fell silent.
Over the course of two seconds, an object began forming before their eyes out of empty space.
At first, faint glowing outlines appeared.
A moment later, the process was complete.
An ordinary wooden pallet stood on the floor.
Vlad calmly lowered the device.
“Before you is a standard wooden Euro pallet.”
He tapped it lightly with his foot.
The dull sound of wood echoed through the room.
“Not an illusion. Not a hologram. Not a trick.”
He looked at the team.
“A real object created by the quark-sequence generator.”
Absolute silence filled the room.
Even Lilith, who was difficult to surprise, stared intently at the wooden pallet.
Konstantin slowly walked over, crouched beside it, and ran his hand across the wood.
“Real wood.”
Vlad nodded.
“Real matter. Real atoms. Real quarks.
This is how the technology of civilizations far more advanced than Earth works.”
Vlad waited until everyone had examined the wooden pallet.
Then he said calmly:
“Before we continue, remember one of the fundamental principles of the universe.”
He paused briefly.
Vlad looked at the team.
“Energy comes from nowhere and disappears nowhere. It merely changes its state.”
He placed his hand on the newly created Euro pallet.
“That is why the quark-sequence generator does not create matter out of nothing.”
Vlad continued.
“It converts energy into matter at the quark level according to a predefined structure of the object.”
Anna nodded thoughtfully.
“So the device doesn’t violate the laws of the universe.”
“Exactly,” Vlad replied.
“Any advanced technology is based not on violating the principles of the universe, but on understanding them deeply and applying them correctly.”
Vlad looked around at the team.
“Remember this: that principle is the foundation of every technology you will encounter from now on.”
Everyone returned to the table.
Only Vlad remained standing beside the wooden Euro pallet.
He calmly looked at the team.
“Let’s continue the demonstration.”
Vlad raised the quark-sequence generator and aimed it at the wooden pallet.
He pressed the button.
A thin bluish beam touched the pallet.
Within seconds, neatly arranged bundles of banknotes began to appear.
Row by row, they covered the entire surface of the wooden pallet.
When the glow disappeared, perfectly even stacks of new one-hundred-dollar bills in bank packaging lay on the pallet.
Vlad said calmly:
“Before you is one billion U.S. dollars.”
Silence filled the room.
Daniel slowly approached the pallet, picked up one bank-wrapped bundle, and examined it carefully.
New banknotes.
Perfect paper.
The smell of fresh printing ink.
He carefully placed the bundle back.
“Real…” he said quietly.
Vlad nodded.
“Real. The generator does not copy objects. It creates them at the quark level according to a specified structure.”
He looked at the entire team.
“So to the generator, there is no difference between creating a wooden Euro pallet, medicine, a complex device, or banknotes.
Only the structure of the object differs.”
Vlad gave the team several more seconds to process what they had seen.
Then he said calmly:
“And now, the most important part.”
He raised the generator.
“Like any technical device, it is not perfect.
It has limitations.”
Everyone focused on Vlad again.
He began listing them.
“First. The generator cannot create organic objects or living organisms.
Second. A full charge is sufficient for only five generations.”
Vlad paused briefly.
“Third. The maximum continuous operating time is ten seconds.”
He raised the device slightly higher.
“Fourth. After its energy is completely depleted, the generator requires twenty-four hours to recharge fully.”
The room was silent.
Vlad looked at each of them.
“Any object created by the generator exists for seven days.”
He paused briefly.
“After that period expires, the object disintegrates and returns to its original state—a quark sequence.”
Anna thought for a moment.
“So using the generator for permanent production is impossible.”
“Exactly,” Vlad replied. “The generator is not intended for endlessly creating things. It is designed to solve difficult problems quickly when it is genuinely necessary.”
Vlad slipped the device back into the inside pocket of his jacket.
“Remember one simple rule.”
He smiled.
“Every technology has its capabilities and its limitations. That is what makes it a tool rather than an omnipotent force.”
Глава 6-10
Chapter 6. Anna. The First Patient
After lunch, Vlad and Konstantin went outside.
Each lit a cigarette.
It did not happen often.
They allowed themselves this habit only when they felt at peace and, for the first time in a long while, their thoughts were not occupied by another problem or a difficult decision.
For several minutes, they silently watched the sea.
Suddenly, the piercing wail of sirens shattered the silence.
Two ambulances sped toward the hotel, followed by an intensive care ambulance.
The medical teams quickly jumped out and headed toward the hotel owner’s apartment.
Konstantin watched them go.
“Something happened?”
Vlad calmly put out his cigarette.
“The doctors have already given their prognosis for the hotel owner’s wife.”
He paused briefly.
“According to them, she has no more than a day to live.”
Konstantin silently looked at Vlad.
Vlad nodded.
“Anna’s time has come.”
He glanced toward the building once more.
“We’ll wait until the doctors finish and everyone leaves.
Then her first real patient begins.”
Everyone had heard the ambulance sirens.
A few minutes later, Vlad and Konstantin returned to the hall.
The conversations immediately stopped.
Konstantin briefly explained what had happened.
Silence filled the room.
Vlad calmly looked at Lilith.
She nodded without a word.
“Go to the hotel owner. Introduce yourself, express your sympathy, and tell him that one of the best intensive care physicians in Europe, Anna Kern, is staying here with our group.”
Vlad paused for a moment.
“If he agrees, ask his permission for Anna to examine his wife.
They have nothing left to lose, and sometimes an independent medical opinion can be the most important one.”
Lilith rose from her seat.
“Understood.”
She headed for the exit while the others silently watched her leave.
Everyone understood that Anna’s first real test was beginning.
A few minutes later, Lilith returned.
A slight smile appeared on her face.
“The owner agreed. He’s willing to try anything if there is even the slightest chance of saving his wife.”
Anna silently stood.
“Let’s go.”
“Anna, take this. You’ll need it,” Vlad said, handing her something.
Lilith and Anna headed toward the owner’s apartment.
The owner met them at the door and silently led them into the room.
When he saw Anna, he quietly stepped outside, leaving her alone with his wife.
The woman lay unconscious.
Anna calmly approached the bed and carefully examined the patient.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Her gaze was focused.
Thanks to her new abilities, she quickly identified the true cause of the illness and understood what had to be done.
A small injection.
Several seconds passed.
The woman took a deep breath.
Her eyelids trembled.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around in confusion, as though waking from a long sleep.
Anna smiled gently.
“Everything is all right.”
She put away the injector.
“I gave you the injection you needed.
Now rest.
The worst is already behind you.”
Anna left the room.
The hotel owner immediately rose to meet her.
She smiled calmly.
“Prepare some light chicken broth for your wife.
Very soon, she’ll ask for something to eat.”
Anna looked him in the eyes.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”
The man was unable to find the words.
Anna simply nodded and returned to the hotel lobby with Lilith.
Everyone immediately rose from their seats.
“Well?” Konstantin asked.
Anna smiled calmly.
“Everything is fine.”
Vlad looked at her closely.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Your first patient.”
He paused briefly.
“A doctor’s first patient is like their first time having sex.”
Laughter swept through the lobby.
Even the usually unflappable Konstantin smiled, while Anna shook her head in embarrassment.
Vlad waited until the laughter died down, then added seriously:
“But it’s true.
You can never forget it. It stays with you for the rest of your life.”
Anna silently nodded.
She understood that this day would remain a part of her life forever.
Chapter 7. The Medical Center
Everyone gathered in the conference room.
It was exactly six o’clock in the evening.
Vlad looked at the team, then turned his gaze to Anna.
He calmly took his seat.
Anna stood.
For several seconds, she looked at the members of the team, then began confidently.
“This week, we need to complete the following tasks.”
She opened her tablet.
“First. Invite the architect here and finalize the design of the future medical complex.
Second. Invite the director of the construction company and agree on the schedule, stages of work, and the required number of specialists.
Sonya will handle that.”
Anna looked at Konstantin.
“Konstantin. Your task is to turn this hotel into a real Fort Knox. No one should be able to enter unnoticed, and no one should obtain any information about our work.
Preferably without attracting too much attention.”
Konstantin gave a short nod.
“I’ll do it.”
Anna turned to Lilith.
“Lilith. Prepare one room for receiving our first patients. It must meet the standards of a modern intensive care unit.
Cassandra.
Find a site in the mountains of Romania. Preferably with an abandoned mine nearby. We’ll need it for a new facility.”
Anna continued.
“We also need to find a design engineer capable of working with the project’s new technologies. We need someone with unconventional thinking, someone ready to create things that do not yet exist.
Sonya will handle the search.
Jeanne and Daniel will provide full legal and financial support.”
She closed the tablet.
“These are our main tasks for the next few days.”
A businesslike silence settled over the room.
Work on the medical complex had officially begun.
A few days later, the architect and the head of the construction company arrived at the hotel.
Only the members of the Small Council gathered in the conference room: Vlad, Anna, Konstantin, and Lilith.
After brief introductions, everyone took their seats.
The architect placed a tablet on the table and switched on the large screen.
“I’ve prepared three options for the future medical complex.”
One after another, three completely different designs appeared on the screen.
The first featured strict modern architecture, clean lines, and a high degree of functionality.
The second looked more like a research center.
The third combined classical architecture with modern engineering solutions.
As soon as the first design appeared on the screen, everyone in the room froze.
No one asked to see the next one.
Vlad, Anna, Konstantin, and Lilith silently studied the images.
The architect smiled.
“It looks as though there’s no need to open the other designs.”
Anna was the first to break the silence.
“No need.”
She looked at Vlad.
Vlad spoke.
“I see you’re a fan of the series Stargate Atlantis.”
The architect smiled.
“A weakness of mine.”
“That’s good. I watched it too.”
He looked at the image of the complex again.
“Only we won’t be building this in the Emirates or in Atlantis, but in the eurozone.”
Interest appeared on the architect’s face.
“All of this… roughly ten times smaller.”
Anna joined the conversation.
“How much do you want for your design?”
The architect answered calmly.
“An original project of this scale would cost around one hundred million.
What you’re asking for would cost approximately twelve million.”
Anna nodded.
She turned to the head of the construction company.
“How much time and money would construction require?”
He quickly checked his calculations.
“Based on the total area of the complex and the volume of work…”
He looked up.
“About three years and approximately three hundred million.”
Anna looked at her tablet.
“TOD, did you hear everything?”
A calm voice came from the speaker.
“Yes.”
Anna nodded.
“Then, based on all the information, state our offer.”
Silence fell.
“I need one minute to refine the calculations.”
No one in the room said a word.
Exactly one minute later, TOD’s voice sounded again, calm and confident.
“Calculation complete.
Based on all available data, I propose the following terms of cooperation.”
TOD paused briefly.
“To the architect:
We offer fifty million for development of the project, provided that you subsequently provide architectural supervision for five additional projects of the same type.”
The architect raised his head in surprise.
TOD continued.
“To the head of the construction company:
We offer five hundred million for the construction of each facility.
A mandatory condition is that construction begins within two weeks after the contract is signed.”
Complete silence filled the conference room.
Both the architect and the head of the construction company stared silently at the tablet from which the artificial intelligence’s voice was coming.
Anna calmly looked at the architect and the head of the construction company.
“We are not going to argue for weeks or waste time on negotiations.
If you are prepared to sign a preliminary letter of intent, we can do it right now.
The final contract will be prepared and ready by tomorrow evening.”
Silence filled the room again.
But the guests could no longer hide their emotions.
They understood that they had received an offer most people could only dream of.
Their agreement was obvious.
The documents were prepared, both sides checked everything once more, and the preliminary agreement was signed.
When the final signature was placed, the tension in the room disappeared.
Anna smiled.
“And now…”
She looked at everyone present.
“A banquet.”
Everyone smiled in surprise.
“The tables are already set.”
The next morning.
The guests had already left.
At exactly ten o’clock, the Small Council gathered once again in the conference room.
Vlad rose from his seat.
“First, I want to hand the quark generator over to Konstantin.”
He placed the device on the table.
“From this moment on, he is responsible for keeping it secure.”
Konstantin took the device and examined it carefully.
Vlad continued:
“However, only Lilith will be allowed to use the generator.
At present, TOD can form only two sequences.
The first is a wooden Euro pallet.
The second is one billion dollars in bank-wrapped bundles.”
Vlad looked at the tablet through which TOD was operating.
“He needs time to create new sequences.
He is still very young.
He is only a few days old, and he is constantly learning.
I am certain that soon he will be able to analyze objects independently and create new quark sequences.”
Vlad paused briefly.
“Until then, the generator may be used only after Anna makes the final decision.
And only after TOD confirms that the selected sequence is safe and ready for use.”
Silence settled over the room.
Everyone understood that they were discussing the project’s most valuable technology, which meant there was no room for mistakes.
Anna opened the task list on her tablet.
“Daniel, report on the project’s financial position as of today.”
Daniel displayed several charts on the screen and answered calmly:
“At the moment, the project has two billion in its accounts.”
He paused briefly.
“But at present, we have no way to fully legalize all available funds.
That will require an additional financial structure and time.”
Anna listened carefully to the report.
“All right.
We’ll solve that problem.”
She closed the tablet.
“In the meantime, begin full financing of the project.
All approved work must proceed without delay.”
Daniel gave a short nod.
“Understood.
I’ll begin financing immediately.”
Vlad rose from his seat.
“And now we have reached one of the central issues of our project.”
He paused briefly.
“The question of long-term financing for the medical center and all future projects.”
Everyone listened attentively.
“The system will work as follows.”
Vlad pointed to TOD’s tablet.
“TOD will create two lists.
The first will be a free list. It will include the wealthiest people in the world who have serious health problems.”
Vlad turned his gaze to Lilith.
“Lilith will contact them and make an offer.
We will offer each person another five years of full, healthy life.
The cost of treatment will be ten percent of their financial assets.”
The room was silent.
“If someone refuses, we do not persuade them and we apply no pressure.
We simply move on to the next person on the list.”
Vlad continued.
“All funds from clients will be transferred exclusively as charitable donations to the project’s foundation.
That money will be used for free treatment of patients, construction of medical complexes, scientific research, and development of new medicines.”
He calmly summed it up.
“In this way, those with enormous resources will help those who, without such assistance, might never have had a chance at life.”
Chapter 8. The Beginning of Construction
The Carpathians greeted the team with cool morning air and the scent of pine.
The day was just beginning. The sun had only just risen above the peaks, softly illuminating the enormous construction site.
The entire team stood on a small hill overlooking the future medical complex.
Before them stretched a vast cleared area. Heavy machinery had already completed the main preparations: the trees had been carefully removed, the ground leveled, and the boundaries of the future construction marked with surveying stakes.
To the right lay a clear mountain lake. Its surface was so smooth that it reflected the blue sky and light clouds like an enormous mirror.
To the left began a dense Carpathian forest.
Tall spruces and beeches formed a green wall filled with freshness and the scent of resin.
In the background rose a small green mountain covered with grass and young trees. It seemed to shield this place from the rest of the world.
For several minutes, no one said a word.
Everyone understood that what lay before them was more than just a construction site.
This was where the first medical complex of the Herbalist project would rise—a place from which a new era of medicine would begin, and the first step toward the greater goals the team had set for itself.
Anna and Vlad approached the architect and the head of the construction company.
“So, where do we begin?” she asked.
The construction manager unfolded the geological plans for the site.
“There is one particular feature of the terrain.”
He pointed to a cross-section of the ground.
“At a depth of approximately three meters, we reach an extremely dense layer of granite.”
Anna studied the drawing carefully.
“And what does that mean for construction?”
“According to your design, we need to go approximately ten meters down into the granite mass in order to accommodate all the underground levels of the complex.”
He paused briefly.
“That significantly increases the volume of work.
We’ll need additional machinery, diamond drilling, blasting, and milling work on the granite.”
Anna smiled.
“So that’s what TOD meant when he calculated the construction of the project.”
She looked at Daniel.
“Daniel, can we use the granite we excavate?”
He answered without hesitation.
“Of course.
In fact, it will significantly reduce costs.”
Anna nodded approvingly.
“Excellent.”
Then she looked at Lilith and said with a slight smile:
“Lilith, it looks like our landscape designer is going to have to work very hard.
That much natural stone will need to be incorporated beautifully into the surrounding landscape.”
Lilith smiled.
“But the result will look as though the complex has always been part of these mountains.”
The celebration was in full swing.
Music played, the construction workers laughed, the cooks could barely keep up with bringing out new dishes, and fragrant smoke from grilled meat rose above the barbecues.
Konstantin looked around.
Strange.
Vlad was nowhere to be seen.
He quietly stepped away from the celebration and headed toward the lake.
Silence greeted him at the shore.
Several dozen meters away stood Vlad, holding an ordinary fishing rod and watching the float intently.
Konstantin smiled.
“Any bites?”
Without taking his eyes off the water, Vlad smirked.
“So far, only mosquitoes.”
Konstantin came closer.
For several seconds, they silently watched the smooth surface of the lake.
“How are things between you and Anna?”
Konstantin looked at him in surprise.
“We work together.”
Vlad shook his head.
“That’s not what I mean.”
He turned toward Konstantin.
“Does she know you love her?”
Konstantin lowered his gaze.
“I think she suspects.
But I’ve never told her.”
Vlad looked back at the float.
“That’s a mistake.
Sometimes people become so absorbed in their work that they stop noticing the obvious.
As long as you stay silent, she may think that work is the only thing that exists for you.”
Konstantin sighed heavily.
“What if I ruin everything?”
Vlad smiled.
“You know…
There are conversations after which people become enemies.
There are conversations after which they become friends.
And then there is a conversation that simply has to be started one day.”
He paused for a long moment.
“Silence has never made anyone happy.”
Konstantin nodded silently.
“Talk to her.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
But talk to her.
Even if she says no, at least you’ll stop living with the question: what would have happened if I had told her?”
Konstantin smiled.
“Thank you.”
Vlad smirked.
“Don’t thank me.
Better bring me some luck.”
He pointed at the float.
“Because so far, the only living creatures interested in me are the mosquitoes.”
They both laughed, and the silence of the Carpathian lake became as peaceful as before.
“Konstantin.
When we finish building the medical center…”
He smiled slightly.
“You’ll teach me how to fish.”
Konstantin looked at him in surprise.
“Me?
You’re fishing right now.”
Vlad laughed quietly.
“No.
I’m only pretending.”
Konstantin smiled.
“Deal.”
“Time to get back to the others,” Vlad said.
Three months passed.
The Carpathians were gradually changing.
When the entire team once again climbed the same hill where only a leveled construction site had stood not long before, a completely different view opened before them.
The first stage of construction had been completed.
The entire foundation and underground phase was finished.
All underground floors had been built and cast in monolithic reinforced concrete.
The enormous underground spaces were already connected by long technical corridors where engineering systems, storage facilities, laboratories, and secure levels of the complex would soon be installed.
Above ground, the outline of the future medical center was clearly visible.
The six enormous petals could already be distinguished by their concrete foundations and load-bearing structures.
At the center rose the massive foundation of the future twelve-story structure.
Dozens of cranes, excavators, concrete mixers, and heavy vehicles were operating everywhere.
Hundreds of construction workers carried out their tasks simultaneously.
Despite the scale of the work, perfect order prevailed across the site.
Everyone knew their place and their job.
Anna remained silent for a long time, looking over the construction site.
Then she said quietly:
“Three months ago, there was only forest, a lake, and an empty site here.”
She smiled.
“And today, it’s impossible not to see the future.”
Vlad remained silent.
The hardest part was still ahead.
But now they all saw the same thing:
the dream was gradually becoming reality.
By evening, the celebration had ended.
The last guests departed, the music fell silent, and the construction site returned to its usual working quiet.
The entire team returned to the hotel.
It had been a long and eventful day.
Everyone felt pleasantly tired, but even more strongly, they felt satisfaction with what they had seen.
In three months, the project had taken an enormous step forward.
In the hotel lobby, Vlad stopped and looked at everyone.
“Today was a good day.”
Anna smiled.
“A very good one.”
Everyone understood that construction was gaining momentum, which meant there would be even more work ahead.
“I suggest we get some proper rest.”
He looked around at the team and added:
“We have two days off ahead of us.
Spend them however you want.
And on Monday, a new week begins.
And a new stage of our project.”
Outside the windows, the Carpathian night slowly enveloped the mountains, while somewhere in the distance the construction site’s security lights continued to burn, as though reminding them that the dream had already become reality and could no longer be stopped.
Monday arrived.
At exactly ten o’clock in the morning, the Small Council gathered once again in the hotel conference room.
The architect and the head of the construction company had also been invited to the meeting.
Anna opened the meeting.
“Good morning, colleagues.”
She looked at those present.
“Construction of the medical complex is proceeding on schedule, so we are beginning preparations for the next stage.”
Anna turned to the architect.
“You need to begin designing the Scientific Center.
It must become the most advanced research complex in Europe, with room for future expansion.”
The architect made a note on his tablet.
“I’ll begin today.”
Then Anna turned to the head of the construction company.
“Prepare all the heavy equipment for transfer to the new site.
As soon as the Scientific Center design is approved, construction must begin without delay.”
The construction manager answered confidently:
“The equipment will be fully ready by the required date.”
Anna nodded and looked at Sonya.
“We need to begin searching for candidates for two key positions.”
Anna paused briefly.
“The first is a chief physician who will eventually lead the medical complex.
The second is the head of the Scientific Center, someone capable of organizing the project’s research operations.”
“We’ll begin searching for candidates throughout Europe today.”
Anna closed her tablet.
“Our project is now developing in several directions at once.
And how quickly we reach our next goal depends on every one of you.”
Chapter 9. The Emergency Patient
Another week passed.
Work was in full swing across several European countries.
Each member of the team was handling their own area. Construction of the medical complex continued without interruption, the Scientific Center was being designed, the human resources department was conducting dozens of interviews, and Daniel was dealing with financial matters.
As usual, everyone was supposed to gather in Italy.
The meeting place was once again the small hotel on the Mediterranean coast where the Small Council was staying.
The meeting was scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
One by one, cars arrived at the hotel.
Anna and Vlad were already there.
Konstantin arrived first.
Then came Daniel, Cassandra, and Jeanne.
Everyone was there except one person.
Sonya was still on the road.
Today she had been entrusted with a special task.
She was bringing information on the candidates the HR department had selected for two key positions in the project:
Chief Physician of the medical complex.
Head of the Scientific Center.
Their candidacies were to be considered by the Small Council at today’s meeting.
Vlad looked at his watch.
“There’s still time before the meeting begins.
We’ll wait for Sonya.”
No one suspected that within minutes their plans would be disrupted by an event that would mark the beginning of a new story—the story of an emergency patient.
Sonya’s flight had been delayed by almost half an hour.
Fortunately, there was still enough time before the meeting.
After landing, she quickly collected her luggage and headed to the car-rental desk.
The employee smiled.
“What kind of car would you like?”
Sonya answered without hesitation.
“Volvo.”
For her, the choice was obvious.
Engine power, luxury, and prestige had never come first.
Safety was what mattered most.
That was why she always chose this brand.
After receiving the keys, Sonya carefully inspected the car, checked the documents, set the navigation system, and only then left the airport.
The hotel was about an hour away.
She was in no hurry.
Sonya never broke traffic rules.
Better to arrive a few minutes late than risk her own life or the lives of others.
The Mediterranean shimmered in the distance as the road wound gently between small Italian towns.
On the passenger seat lay folders containing the candidate files she was to present to the Small Council.
Sonya did not yet know that this trip would change the entire team’s plans.
The atmosphere on the hotel terrace was peaceful.
A little less than three hours remained before the meeting.
Vlad and Konstantin, as they sometimes did during rare quiet moments, stood off to one side smoking and watching the sea.
At a nearby table, Anna and Lilith were talking animatedly, occasionally smiling and laughing.
Daniel, as usual, did not miss an opportunity to flirt with Jeanne, bringing a slight smile to her face.
Meanwhile, Cassandra brought everyone freshly brewed coffee.
It seemed as though this would be an ordinary day.
Suddenly…
Every tablet lit up at the same time.
The screens turned bright red.
A sharp, piercing alarm sounded—one none of them had ever heard before.
The beeping continued for several seconds.
A single message appeared on the screens in large white letters:
WARNING. EMERGENCY PATIENT.
All conversation stopped instantly.
Everyone looked at their tablets.
Never before in the history of the project had such an alert been issued.
Vlad stood calmly and silently.
Everyone felt the tension.
They all understood that something extraordinary had happened.
The first message appeared only on Anna’s and Lilith’s tablets.
The screen flashed red.
URGENT.
Prepare the intensive care room.
Patient: Sonya Art.
Anna froze for only a fraction of a second.
“Sonya.”
Lilith was already on her feet.
“It’s Sonya!”
Without another word, both women rushed toward the intensive care room.
Seconds later, new instructions began arriving for the other members of the team.
Konstantin’s tablet emitted a short signal.
Konstantin.
Immediately dispatch the duty intensive care ambulance to the accident location using the geolocation data.
Take two security officers and proceed there personally.
Bring the patient to the hotel.
Detain those responsible for the accident and hand them over to the police.
“Understood,” Konstantin said, already issuing orders to security as he moved.
Daniel received the next message.
Prepare the complete package of insurance materials and financial documents.
He immediately opened his tablet and began working.
Jeanne received her instructions.
Urgently prepare the claims and the complete set of legal documents concerning the accident.
“Understood,” she said calmly, already contacting her lawyers.
Within seconds, the entire team was carrying out its assigned tasks.
No panic.
Only precise, coordinated action.
For a moment, only Cassandra remained beside Vlad.
She looked at him and quietly asked:
“Vlad.
What are we going to do?”
Vlad stared silently at the tablet screen for several seconds.
Then he answered calmly:
“The hardest part.”
He sighed heavily and looked toward the road.
“The ambulance carrying Sonya will arrive in about twenty minutes.”
After a brief pause, he added:
“Sometimes twenty minutes can feel longer than an entire lifetime.”
The terrace fell silent again.
Now everyone understood that the team’s first true test had begun.
A few minutes later, the convoy reached the accident site.
The scene was grim.
Three vehicles had been involved in the collision.
Nearby stood two expensive sports supercars, their front ends completely destroyed by the violent impact.
Konstantin quickly assessed the situation.
“Move!”
Security immediately went into action.
Sonya was carefully removed from the mangled car and placed on a stretcher.
The intensive care team and paramedics immediately wheeled her into the ambulance.
Inside, they began connecting the equipment.
Cardiac monitor.
Ventilator.
Intravenous infusion systems.
Every second mattered.
Meanwhile, Konstantin and two security officers approached the sports cars.
Both drivers were pulled from them.
They could barely stand.
They tried to shout something, but their speech was slurred and incoherent.
Konstantin looked closely into their eyes.
Their pupils were dilated.
Their movements were erratic.
He immediately realized they were under the influence of drugs.
The guards restrained both men’s hands behind their backs with plastic ties and seated them side by side under guard.
At that moment, Konstantin’s tablet sounded again.
Additional order.
Take blood samples from both drivers.
Send them with the intensive care ambulance for urgent laboratory analysis.
“Do it,” Konstantin ordered the medic.
The doctor quickly drew the blood, labeled the tubes, and placed them in the ambulance.
Konstantin approached the ambulance.
“Straight to the hotel.
Anna is ready.”
The driver simply nodded.
The ambulance activated its emergency lights and siren and sped toward the hotel.
Konstantin looked at the restrained drivers, then at the wrecked vehicles.
“Guys, take everything you can recover from the Volvo and put it in our vehicle before the police arrive.”
The security officers quickly transferred everything they could retrieve into the trunk of the service vehicle.
“Now we wait for the police.”
The circumstances of the accident still had to be established.
Less than a minute passed.
A new data package arrived on every team member’s tablet.
The screens displayed footage from road cameras, photographs of the accident scene, geolocation data, technical information on the vehicles, and complete information on everyone involved.
TOD had already collected and processed all available information.
A few minutes later, police units arrived at the accident scene.
The senior officer approached Konstantin.
“Who’s in charge here?”
“Konstantin,” he introduced himself briefly, holding out his identification.
Without wasting time, Konstantin transferred the entire package of materials to the police department’s secure tablet:
surveillance-camera footage,
coordinates of the accident,
photographs,
preliminary vehicle data,
results of the initial inspection of the scene,
information on the detained drivers.
The officer quickly reviewed the first files and looked at Konstantin in surprise.
“It would have taken us several hours to collect all this.”
Konstantin answered calmly:
“Right now, every minute matters more than explanations.”
He took out a business card and handed it to the officer.
“If you need any additional materials or statements, contact me.”
The officer nodded.
“We will.”
Konstantin looked once more in the direction the ambulance had gone, then got into the security vehicle.
The car pulled away smoothly and headed toward the hotel, where Anna was already preparing to fight for Sonya’s life.
Vlad looked at the team.
His voice was calm but firm.
“Everyone, get ready.
Our job is to receive Sonya from the doctors and get her into the intensive care room as quickly as possible.”
Everyone silently took their positions.
Two minutes later, sirens sounded outside the hotel entrance.
The ambulance stopped sharply in front of the main entrance.
The doors flew open.
The medical team quickly rolled out the stretcher carrying Sonya.
Vlad and Cassandra immediately approached.
Without losing a second, they took the stretcher and hurried down the corridor toward the intensive care room.
Lilith was already waiting by the door.
She looked at Vlad.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Vlad nodded silently.
Anna was already waiting beside the treatment table.
A tense silence filled the corridor.
Now everything depended on Anna and Lilith.
Lilith quickly rolled the stretcher up to the table.
With almost no effort, she carefully lifted Sonya into her arms as though she weighed nothing.
After gently laying her on the table, Lilith stepped aside.
Anna looked at her with a slight smile.
“Lilith… sometimes you forget yourself, my friend. Who am I?”
Lilith smirked.
“It happens…”
Anna took a deep breath and extended her hands over Sonya’s body.
The next moment, a translucent three-dimensional hologram of Sonya’s body appeared between her palms.
It rotated in the air, displaying all of her internal injuries.
Lilith looked at Anna in surprise.
“You can do that now too?”
Without taking her eyes off the hologram, Anna quietly replied:
“No. I couldn’t do this before.”
At that moment, TOD’s calm voice sounded in the room.
“But I am recording what is happening.
This is very interesting.”
Anna carefully studied the image.
“Coma…
Multiple hematomas.
Incomplete fracture of the left radius.”
She raised her hands slightly higher.
“First, we remove the hematomas.”
A bright green light flared across the hologram.
It slowly spread through the virtual image, and then the same green glow enveloped Sonya’s real body.
One by one, the hematomas began to disappear.
The internal bleeding faded before their eyes.
Without interrupting the treatment, Anna said:
“Lilith.
Remove all her clothes.
Clean her body with the special solution.
We need to remove all the blood and dirt.
In short, get her cleaned up.
I’ll take care of the arm.”
“All right.”
In an instant, Lilith removed Sonya’s damaged clothing and began carefully cleaning her body with the special solution, taking care not to cause her the slightest pain.
Meanwhile, Anna carefully aligned the bone and applied a medical splint.
After examining the result, she nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent…”
She looked at Lilith again.
“Well…
Let’s bring her out of the coma.”
Anna raised her hands over Sonya once more.
The green glow became significantly brighter.
It gently enveloped the young woman’s entire body.
Only a couple of seconds passed.
Sonya suddenly took a deep breath.
Her fingers barely twitched.
Then her eyes slowly opened.
She stared at the ceiling in confusion.
Anna immediately leaned toward her and smiled calmly.
“Everything is all right.
You’re safe.
You’re at the hotel.”
Sonya slowly turned her gaze toward Anna, trying to understand what had happened.
Anna looked at Lilith.
“Lilith, will you help her take a shower?”
Lilith nodded.
“Of course.”
Anna opened the wardrobe.
“Your things are here.”
She smiled at Sonya.
“Get changed, take a little time to recover, and then come out to the terrace.
There’s about half an hour left before the meeting begins.”
Sonya smiled weakly.
“All right.”
Anna looked at her carefully once more.
“Rest. The worst is already behind you.”
She smiled at Lilith and left the intensive care room.
The door closed quietly.
A few seconds later, Anna stepped onto the terrace, where the entire team was already waiting.
Everyone immediately looked at her.
Anna smiled calmly.
“Everything went well.”
She looked at her watch.
The tension that had gripped everyone for the last half hour finally began to ease.
Anna looked around at those present.
“It’s good that Sonya is out of danger…”
She closed her tablet.
“We still have matters that need to be discussed today.”
A working atmosphere returned to the terrace.
Everyone understood that the team had already passed its first serious test.
Twenty minutes later, Sonya and Lilith came out onto the terrace.
Sonya had changed clothes. She looked a little tired, but felt considerably better.
The entire team greeted her with warm smiles.
Anna rose from her seat.
“Now that everyone is here, I suggest we discuss the main issues first.
We’ll return to the accident later.”
Everyone nodded silently.
Anna opened her tablet.
“First issue.
We need to decide on candidates for the positions of Chief Physician of the medical complex and Head of the Scientific Center.”
She looked at Sonya.
“Sonya, begin.”
Sonya opened a folder of documents.
“After a week of searching, we have only one candidate left.
François Leclerc.”
She displayed his file on the screen.
“He is a physician by training.
His main specialties are internal medicine and diagnostics.
He has possessed an exceptional ability to diagnose illnesses practically since childhood.”
She turned the page.
“That is exactly why he never stayed anywhere for long.
His knowledge and approach often exceeded the capabilities and views of clinic management.
Married.
He has two children.”
Sonya looked at everyone present.
“The full information has already been uploaded to your tablets.”
A brief silence followed.
Lilith was the first to speak.
She smiled.
“If there are no hidden surprises…
I think he’s exactly the one we should take.”
Smiles immediately spread around the terrace.
Everyone understood that sometimes one genuinely worthy candidate was more valuable than a hundred mediocre ones.
Anna closed the file and looked at Sonya.
“All right.
Approved.”
A slight smile appeared on Sonya’s face.
Anna continued:
“Sonya, call your staff.
Have them arrange a trip here to our hotel for him and his entire family.
Cover the entire transfer.
Airport pickup, meals—everything at the project’s expense.”
Sonya nodded.
Anna glanced at the candidate’s file again.
“Am I right that the family is having financial difficulties at the moment?”
Sonya opened her notes.
“Yes.
After being dismissed from his last clinic, he hasn’t been able to find work for several months.
His wife is temporarily not working and is taking care of the children.
The family lives very modestly.”
Anna nodded silently.
“All the more reason.
They should come here without having to think about expenses at all.
It’s important for us to meet not only him, but his family as well.”
Sonya immediately made a note on her tablet.
“I’ll arrange everything today.”
Everyone supported the decision.
The next stage of the project was beginning with a search not merely for good specialists, but for people who could be trusted with the future of the Herbalist project.
Sonya opened the next folder.
“Finding a Head of the Scientific Center turned out to be much more difficult.”
She swiped across the tablet screen.
“We found no suitable candidate anywhere in Europe.”
A photograph appeared on the main screen.
Mei Tanaka.
Age: 27.
Unmarried.
Sonya continued.
“For several years, she worked on developing a fundamentally new type of engine.
She invested all of her personal funds in the project—about eight million dollars.”
She fell silent for a moment.
“During the public presentation, the prototype exploded.
She lost absolutely everything.”
Silence filled the room.
Sonya opened the next page of the file.
“There is one more thing.
Her biological father is one of the leaders of the Yakuza.”
For several seconds, everyone was lost in thought.
Vlad broke the silence with a slight smile.
“It’s actually a good thing that the engine exploded.”
Everyone looked at him in surprise.
Vlad continued calmly:
“If the project had succeeded…
she wouldn’t be available to us now.”
He closed the tablet.
“We should take her.”
The room fell quiet, then almost everyone nodded in agreement at once.
Anna looked at Konstantin.
“Konstantin, please arrange Mei Tanaka’s arrival.
As far as I know, you have good connections in Japan.”
Konstantin gave a short nod.
“I do.
I’ll arrange everything today.
Through my people, I’ll handle the documents, the flight, and the escort.”
Anna nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent.”
She was about to close the folder when Sonya raised her hand.
“No…
There are two more candidates.”
Everyone looked at her again.
Sonya opened the next page.
“We found them completely by chance.
And, to be honest, we were very lucky.”
Two new files appeared on the screen.
“The first candidate is for Head of Biological Research.”
She turned the page.
“The second is for Head of Technical Research.”
Sonya smiled.
“After TOD’s analysis, both candidates received the highest compatibility rating with our project.
You could say they are the optimal choices.”
Anna studied the photographs carefully.
“Then we’ll interview them after they arrive.
If their qualifications match TOD’s reports…”
She closed the tablet.
“I think our team will become even stronger today.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Anna looked at Konstantin.
“Konstantin, please arrange Mei Tanaka’s arrival.
As far as I know, you have good connections in Japan.”
Konstantin gave a short nod.
“I do.
I’ll arrange everything today.
Through my people, I’ll handle the documents, the flight, and the escort.”
Anna nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent.”
She was about to close the folder when Sonya raised her hand.
“No…
There are two more candidates.”
Everyone looked at her again.
Sonya opened the next page.
“We found them completely by chance.
And, to be honest, we were very lucky.”
Two new files appeared on the screen.
“The first candidate is for Head of Biological Research.”
She turned the page.
“The second is for Head of Technical Research.”
Sonya smiled.
“After TOD’s analysis, both candidates received the highest compatibility rating with our project.
You could say they are the optimal choices.”
Anna studied the photographs carefully.
“Then we’ll interview them after they arrive.
If their qualifications match TOD’s reports…”
She closed the tablet.
“I think our team will become even stronger today.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Anna looked at Konstantin.
“Konstantin, please arrange Mei Tanaka’s arrival.
As far as I know, you have good connections in Japan.”
Konstantin gave a short nod.
“I do.
I’ll arrange everything today.
Through my people, I’ll handle the documents, the flight, and the escort.”
Anna nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent.”
She was about to close the folder when Sonya raised her hand.
“No…
There are two more candidates.”
Everyone looked at her again.
Sonya opened the next page.
“We found them completely by chance.
And, to be honest, we were very lucky.”
Two new files appeared on the screen.
“The first candidate is for Head of Biological Research.”
She turned the page.
“The second is for Head of Technical Research.”
Sonya smiled.
“After TOD’s analysis, both candidates received the highest compatibility rating with our project.
You could say they are the optimal choices.”
Anna studied the photographs carefully.
“Then we’ll interview them after they arrive.
If their qualifications match TOD’s reports…”
She closed the tablet.
“I think our team will become even stronger today.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Anna closed her tablet and looked at the team.
“Now, about the accident.”
She spoke calmly, as though she had already thought everything through.
“This was not an accidental collision.”
She turned her gaze toward Sonya.
“In an hour, you’ll be fully recovered.”
Then she looked at Lilith.
“Tomorrow, before the investigator arrives, do a little work on her appearance.
We need to conceal all traces of her injuries.”
Lilith smiled knowingly.
“I’ll do it.”
Anna turned to Jeanne.
“Jeanne.
Prepare everything necessary.
Those two need to end up in prison.”
Jeanne sighed heavily.
“That won’t be easy.”
She opened the case materials.
“Both detainees belong to well-known criminal clans in Italy.
Corruption here is very strong.
They’ll try to get them out at any cost.”
At that moment, Vlad spoke.
“You prepare all the documents.”
He looked calmly at Jeanne.
“Lilith and I will speak to the judge about the matter.”
For several seconds, silence settled over the terrace.
Everyone understood perfectly well that this was no longer simply an investigation into a traffic accident.
It was the Herbalist project’s first serious confrontation with a system in which money and influence too often stood above the law.
Chapter 10. Unconventional Solutions
The next morning greeted the team with bright Italian sunshine.
The events of the previous day were still being discussed, but no one had any doubt—the project had passed its first serious test.
At ten o’clock in the morning, the Small Council gathered once again in the hotel conference room.
This time, the atmosphere was calm.
Anna opened the meeting.
“Good morning.”
She looked at everyone present.
“Today marks the beginning of a new stage for the project.”
She paused briefly and wrote in large letters on the electronic board:
UNCONVENTIONAL SOLUTIONS
Everyone looked carefully at the words.
Anna continued:
“Until today, we have operated the same way thousands of organizations around the world operate.
But if we want to change the world, we cannot think conventionally.”
She looked at the team.
“Every decision the Herbalist project makes must be effective, honest, and… unconventional.”
Vlad watched silently, allowing Anna to lead the meeting completely.
“Today,” Anna continued, “we begin creating our own system of work.
Not copying someone else’s.
Creating a new one.”
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood that an entirely different chapter in the project’s history was beginning.
A chapter in which the familiar rules would no longer work.
Vlad calmly looked at the team.
“Then let’s divide the tasks.”
He paused briefly.
“Lilith and I will deal with the Italians.”
Everyone understood what he meant. They had to resolve the matter of those responsible for the accident and ensure that the influence of the criminal clans did not interfere with justice.
Vlad continued:
“After that, we’ll deal with the Chemist.”
Anna immediately looked up.
“Confirmed.”
She made a note on her tablet.
“Vlad and Lilith are responsible for the Italian matter and the subsequent work with the Chemist candidate.”
Lilith gave only a brief smile.
“We’ll begin immediately after the meeting.”
Anna looked at the other members of the team.
“Then let’s continue.
Next item on the agenda…”
A new stage in the project’s development had begun, one in which everyone now had their own part of the larger task to perform.
A few hours later, Vlad and Lilith arrived at a small café on the outskirts of the city.
The establishment was closed to ordinary customers.
At a table in the back sat two influential heads of Italian criminal clans.
They were tensely discussing how to get their sons out from under investigation.
The café door opened.
Vlad and Lilith entered.
Vlad calmly approached their table.
“We need to talk.”
One of the men smirked.
“About what?”
“Privately.”
The clan leader silently looked at his men.
“Everyone out.”
Within seconds, the room was empty.
However, one of the men slowly drew a pistol from beneath his jacket and placed it on the table.
Vlad merely smiled slightly.
“Fine.
The pistol can stay.”
He calmly sat down opposite them.
“We don’t have much time.”
Vlad looked at Lilith.
“Lilith…”
She nodded silently.
The next moment, her human appearance vanished.
Her true demonic form stood before the two men.
A deathly silence fell over the café.
The clan leaders turned pale.
The pistol slowly slipped from one man’s hand.
Vlad spoke calmly:
“This is Lilith.
Lucifer’s right hand.”
He paused.
“And believe me, he has been waiting for you for a very long time.”
A heavy silence hung in the room.
Then Vlad continued:
“But there is another opinion.
Perhaps you are still needed here.”
He looked each man directly in the eyes.
“The choice is very simple.
Money and power…
or a meeting with Lucifer.”
Another pause.
“And no…
this is not open for discussion.”
Lilith returned to her human form.
Vlad calmly rose.
“You will not interfere in the court proceedings.
You will not put pressure on the investigation, the prosecution, or the court.
If you violate this decision…”
He glanced at Lilith.
“This young woman will come to see you again.”
Vlad smiled faintly.
“Thank you for your attention.
We don’t have any more time.”
For several seconds, absolute silence filled the café.
The two men sat motionless.
There was no arrogance or confidence left on their faces.
Vlad slowly turned toward the exit.
“Let’s go, Lilith.”
They had almost reached the door when one of the clan leaders spoke in a trembling voice.
“Wait…”
Vlad stopped but did not turn around.
“We understand.
Our sons will receive no help.
No one will put pressure on the investigation.
Not a single judge will receive a phone call.”
Vlad slowly turned around.
“That is the right decision.”
The second man sighed heavily.
“May I ask a question?”
“You may.”
“Who are you?”
Vlad smiled almost imperceptibly.
“People who strongly dislike injustice.”
He looked directly into the man’s eyes.
“And one more thing…
Tell your people.
If anyone tries to harm employees of the Herbalist project, its doctors, or their families…”
He paused briefly.
“The next conversation will be considerably shorter.”
Both men nodded silently.
They understood that this was not a threat.
They had simply been informed of a fact.
Vlad and Lilith left the café.
When the door closed, one of the clan leaders stared blankly ahead for a long time.
Finally, he said quietly:
“Today…
for the first time, we were afraid of something other than the police…”
The other man slowly nodded.
“And it seems that for the first time in our lives, we’re going to do the right thing.”
Outside, Lilith looked at Vlad.
“Do you think that was enough?”
Vlad answered calmly:
“No.
But sometimes it is enough to remind someone once that they are mortal.”
They got into the car.
Their next target was the man the team had already begun calling simply…
the Chemist.
Netherlands. Amsterdam.
On the outskirts of the city, not far from the port, stood a large industrial warehouse.
It was noisy inside.
Several people were talking loudly, with containers and equipment nearby.
Vlad and Lilith entered.
Lilith quickly assessed the situation.
With several precise movements, she incapacitated almost everyone present.
Within seconds, only two men remained seated at a table.
They stared at the uninvited guests in surprise.
Vlad calmly approached them.
“Hello.
I want to make a deal.”
He pointed toward a man deeper inside the warehouse.
“I need that man.”
The two men abruptly stood.
“Do you even understand where you’ve come?”
They stepped forward.
But Lilith’s expression did not change.
Several quick movements—and both men were on the floor.
Vlad calmly looked at them.
“Let’s continue our conversation.
I still need that man.”
He paused.
“I’m offering a deal.
That man—ten thousand euros.”
The men exchanged glances.
The situation had clearly not gone the way they had expected.
One of them slowly nodded.
“Not bad.
We agree.”
Vlad smiled.
“See?
We could have reached an agreement immediately without all the unnecessary trouble.”
He looked at Lilith.
“Pay them and take him.”
Lilith smiled.
She took out the money, handed it to the men, then carefully freed the man and carried him out of the warehouse.
To her, he weighed almost nothing.
She calmly carried him to the car.
A few seconds later, Vlad emerged from the warehouse.
He stopped beside the vehicle.
“Lilith.”
She turned around.
“You’ll drive back on your own.
Let him regain consciousness on the way.”
Vlad looked at his watch.
“I still have business here.”
Lilith nodded.
“All right.”
She got into the car and drove away.
Vlad looked at the warehouse once more.
Now he had to complete the second part of his plan.
Vlad watched the departing car.
“Now for the hardest part…”
He smiled quietly.
“The Stargazer.”
That was what TOD had named the next candidate.
His real name no longer mattered very much.
To the entire team, he had simply become the Stargazer.
Doctor of Astrophysics.
One of the finest specialists of his generation.
Several years earlier, his ideas had been considered too bold, and most scientific institutes had stopped funding his research.
But TOD thought differently.
The probability that this man would work successfully within the project was almost one hundred percent.
Vlad got into the car.
A new geolocation appeared on the tablet.
Beside it was a short note:
Target: Doctor of Astrophysics.
Objective: Convince him to accept the offer.
After acceptance—bring him to the hotel in Italy.
Vlad looked at the screen.
“Now this is more interesting…”
He started the engine.
Unlike the previous meeting, there would be no need for threats.
No need for money.
No need for force.
He had to do the hardest thing of all—
convince someone to believe in the impossible.
Vlad entered a small office whose walls were completely covered with star charts, photographs of galaxies, and spacecraft schematics.
An elderly man sat behind the desk.
He looked up.
“How can I help you?”
Vlad calmly sat down opposite him.
“I need someone who can build a future in space.”
The scientist smirked.
“Nicely put.
But usually, after words like that, people offer me a job lecturing students.”
Vlad smiled.
“No.
I’m offering you a job.”
The scientist studied him carefully.
“What kind of job?”
Vlad answered calmly:
“I’m interested in…
Jupiter.
Its moon Ganymede.
And…
Saturn.
Its moon Titan.”
Silence filled the office.
A few seconds later, the astrophysicist slowly removed his glasses.
“Excuse me…
Are you serious?”
“Completely.”
The scientist’s eyes practically lit up.
“These worlds have fascinated me all my life…
especially Titan.
But no one has ever wanted to fund research like that.”
Vlad continued calmly:
“Salary.
Ten thousand euros a month.
A fully equipped laboratory.
Any equipment you need.
And most importantly…”
He looked the scientist directly in the eyes.
“People will listen to you.”
The scientist was silent for several seconds.
Then he suddenly smiled.
“You’re the first person…
who has offered me money not to stop talking…
but so that someone will finally start listening to me.”
He rose from behind the desk and held out his hand to Vlad.
“I accept.
I’ll go.”
Vlad shook his hand.
“Welcome to the Herbalist project.”
And so the team gained another person—someone who would one day open humanity’s path to Ganymede and Titan.
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