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LOCATION: VARIOUS
CITY: VARIOUS
DATE: JULY 10, 2026 | TIME: 4:00 AM
Early in the morning on July 10th in every time zone as the clock struck 4:00 AM, trucks began moving along the streets of the world.
From protected warehouses to those that were not so much, the inconspicuous crates and boxes were quietly offloaded on the docks of pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics.
Peacekeepers were on hand to receive and check them in, and they updated logs in their System interfaces.
On a rolling basis, hour by hour, reports were coming in, the data funneled by the System for all on the Core Council.
In Nigeria, a local band of thugs got a little too curious. There were seven of them and only two Peacekeepers. They pulled up right after the delivery truck left in a pickup. All were armed with AK-47s.
They seemed pretty confident that they were going to take their "tax" on whatever the goods were, until the two Peacekeeper rogues disappeared from their sight. One after another, the thugs were disarmed, their own weapons pointed back to them by men who popped into existence behind them.
Finally the rogues spoke.
"How about we pay you to help protect this small warehouse for the next four days instead of you trying to steal whatever it is?"
The thugs looked to their leader.
"One hundred thousand American dollars."
One of the rogues laughed. The other joined him.
"I'll let you in on a secret," the first rogue said. "What's here is worth trillions of times more than that. And in four days, you'll be among the first to get it. But not a moment before then."
The other rogue spoke up next.
"One thousand dollars a day for each of you, but if one of you so much as tries to peek inside, you'll find yourself bleeding out on the ground before your eyes even adjust to the darkness."
They agreed, and the rogues handed out cash. The newly hired security guards ended up being quite friendly once they got past the awkwardness, and the rest of the four days went by without any issues.
There were a few similar incidents around the world, but they were all handled.
Well before the big announcement on the 15th of July, Vitalyx was staged and ready to distribute. Ronan and Colin had worked together on a new System interface that tracked the distribution.
On the 15th, that interface would go live with a running tally of those who had taken the serum. That tally would eventually come to show the number of people who had not taken it. And that number would later become just as significant.
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LOCATION: VOSS TOWER AUDITORIUM, 19TH FLOOR
CITY: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
DATE: JULY 15, 2026 | TIME: 10:00 AM
It wasn't that Mallory was nervous. Not really. Since her System enhancements and everything she'd been through in the past year, it definitely wasn't the nerves.
It was more about the scope. The magnitude of what she was about to do. And knowing that once this proverbial cat was out of this proverbial bag, there was no turning back.
Vanessa and Darian were with her.
"It sure was cozy when this was all a secret," Mallory said.
Vanessa wrapped her arm in Mallory's.
"Babe, you've got this. Sure, it was cozy, but imagine what the world will be like a year from now. Talking about a quantum leap."
Darian wrapped both of them in his massive arms.
"I love you both," he said. "Just imagine the gift humanity is receiving today, and keep your chin up. Now," he said, slapping Mallory playfully on the ass, "go get 'em!"
Mallory took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She exhaled and opened them.
"Okay," she said, "I'm ready to go. See you on the other side."
And she opened the side door to the auditorium.
The room, which now had a capacity of 3,000, was packed full. As Mallory approached the podium, all in the room quieted down and waited for her to speak.
The silence was eerie. Normally, a crowd this large would buzz with whispers or shouted questions. But today, not a sound. Only three thousand pairs of eyes fixed on her.
Elliot Voss, she thought, this is for you.
She glanced around the room. They had hired outside security this time, since Grim and his team were deployed with the other Peacekeepers.
She nodded to the camera crew. Green lights popped on from cameras, placed at three different angles in the room.
Mallory adjusted the microphone and began her speech.
---
Good morning.
Thank you all for coming to Voss Tower, and for joining us from around the world, and thanks to the millions joining us from all over the world. I appreciate your attention.
[pause]
I am Mallory McInnis. I worked with Elliot Voss for over a decade before his passing one year ago today.
[pause for effect]
Mr. Voss was many things. But before anything else, he was a father, a husband, and a good man. He lost his wife and only daughter in an accident in the 1980's, also on this day. But despite this tragedy, he never gave up on his goals, and he never let that bitter experience sour his personality or dampen his drive.
He was a role model to many, and his unwavering moral compass guided him well through a long life full of successes.
From early on in his career, he was an industrialist and a visionary entrepreneur. From steel and concrete to biotechnology and video game platforms, his hands were in a lot of pies.
[pause for laughter]
His grandiose vision for the world drove him endlessly, and those of us who worked closely with him had a hard time keeping up. He was a true inspiration.
I mentioned his vision for the world, and it is the reason we are gathered here today.
[long pause]
Through the incredible efforts of a number of our pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, we have developed a serum called VITALYX.
It comes in liquid form, in a small vial just like this.
[hold up vial]
[pause]
Everything I am about to tell you is 100% true and has been scientifically verified.
Within 24 hours after drinking Vitalyx, you will be cured of every disease and illness.
[pause and calm audience if needed]
Then, the serum begins working on your DNA, removing all negative genetic mutations. Within 72 hours of taking this…
[hold up vial again]
You will be in perfect health.
[pause if needed]
But that's not even the best part.
Elliot Voss committed his personal fortune to ensuring that Vitalyx is available to every man, woman and child on the planet, free of charge.
We have eight billion doses ready for distribution all around the world. We are working with local law enforcement or other such entities everywhere to set up the distribution.
[pause, get serious]
But a fair warning. These vials will be provided to each person for free. We will tolerate no hoarding, theft, or any other effort to slow down or block the distribution.
Humanity needs this serum. And they need it today. Elliot Voss gave his life and his fortune to ensure it would be so. And we will follow his wishes.
This is a new dawn.
And as the new morning sun shines over humanity, we hope you will accept this gift to you. The gift of perfect health, and a life free of disease.
Data packets will be provided to governments and global health organizations that show the science behind the serum, and samples will be provided for testing to confirm everything.
But distribution begins today.
For those around the world, you will be contacted. We hope you embrace this gift, and the new life it brings.
I will be here to answer questions for as long as it takes.
For those not here in person, our phone lines are open.
Thank you for your attention.
---
Mallory nodded to the cameras, and the green lights turned off. The livestream was over, and a hoard of people rushed forward.
Elise Draven and several of her deputies with medical backgrounds were there to help answer questions.
Mallory knew it would be a long day. But deep inside her soul, her heart soared.
Elliot Voss would be elated.