Disclaimer: I do now own Venom

Edited: 13.10.21

Chapter 2: The Project

The Life Foundation. One of the most prominent and successful corporations in the world, founded by Carlton Drake at an exceedingly young age that it perplexed the world. When she was younger, Evelyn marveled the idea of one day joining them and contribute to the world. Her idealistic mindset could not properly comprehend the challenges and difficulties that would undoubtedly stand between her and her lifelong dream to help people.

But as Evelyn grew older, she discarded that idealistic mentality along with the prospect of working for the Life Foundation. Her respect for them and their ambitions lingered to the present day, especially considering Mr. Drake's genius and achievements regarding humanity's cancerous state and progress, but that did not contribute to making her want to work for them any more than it did at a general hospital.

Not to mention the rumors that had circled around for some time now, about unethical experiments. That was a red flag.

No, she already had a tenure position at San Francisco's general hospital; she was regarded as one of their top members, and she was not willing to give that up for an uncertain future within a company she knew little about what happened on the inside of. All she knew for certain was that they remained on the top of the industrial hierarchy of San Francisco, and they would remain there for the time being without any significant external help.

That was the reason behind her curiosity. What did they suddenly want with her?

COO Marley stepped further towards her, calm as the second she met him, which meant that he was there on business that did not require severe security to escort him. That was another thing that sparked her curiosity.

Why would such an esteemed member of one of San Francisco's top companies come to the general hospital unattended and exposed?

He seemed slightly appalled by her lack of affirmation towards his request, but shook it off behind a facade of apathy. "Dr. Evelyn March; M.D, Ph.D., Medical Oncologist, graduated John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland previously under the tutorship of Dr. Janine Skirth." His eyes met hers with an analytical glimmer. "Is that correct or have I been given the wrong intel?"

Unimpressed by his display of personal intel regarding her, but altogether suspicious, Evelyn merely dipped her head towards him and didn't let her suspicions become visual. "No, you are not mistaken, Mr. Marley. I am merely surprised by this sudden visit."

He chuckled. "It would have been more appropriate to give you a call, but Mr. Drake deemed it more fitting to meet in person."

"But you are not Mr. Drake, Mr. Marley." She retorted, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Is that correct or have I been given the wrong intel?"

He laughed sheepishly as she repeated his words back to him, a gesture she found highly dislikable. "No, you are not mistaken, Doctor. But Mr. Drake was, unfortunately, unavailable and could hence not have the pleasure of meeting you in person. Instead, he sent me on his behalf to retrieve you."

"Retrieve me?" She turned her head upwards, facing the clock with a neutral expression on her face. It was already late and as much she would prefer to get home, this particular meeting seemed like it required her attention more than her bed did. She was no foreigner towards abandoning sleep for the sake of work, but for the sake of conversing with someone was not usual.

"It would be more appropriate to speak of this somewhere else." Mr. Marley was evidently not a patient man, as he kept looking around the area as though he was expecting someone to keep an ear their way. "With your permission, allow me to escort you to the company's headquarters so that you may speak with the CEO himself. He could possibly explain the situation in better terms than I could."

"You just said that he was occupied at the moment," Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. It was not rare for her to do so towards people whose intentions she found ambiguous, and this was no exception either.

Mr. Marley seemed to catch onto her suspicion and quickly raised his hands in submission. "Mr. Drake made it clear that he would meet you personally if you agreed to come to the base. You will have all the information you need and any questions you have will be answered as well."

Evelyn put one of her hands inside the pocket of her lab coat whereas the other one rested against her hip. Though her face revealed no exterior emotion that would've been easy to distinguish, there were questions swirling in her head that demanded answers. Any other person would have been exhilarated to be able to meet the founder of the Life Foundation in person, and at one point in her life, she would have been so too.

But this particular incident warranted more inquiries than it did exhilaration. What could be so vital that it had to be conveyed secretly and not openly? Classified information was something she did not have to contain on a daily, but this was a different scenario. Patient confidentiality differed from the sort of information the CEO would convey.

She stood still for a couple of seconds, eyes continuously staring at the COO for what felt like longer. The way she stared at him resembled the way a physician would look at a disagreeing or otherwise troublesome patient; emotionlessly, collected, self-controlled.

"What if I refuse?" she asked, blinking for the first time in a long one. "What if I find out that your proposition is of no interest to me?"

Mr. Marley's interest did not seem to falter at her dubious statement. Instead of displaying some kind of disheartened reaction towards her blunt reluctance, he merely shrugged. "Nothing. You will be returned to your estate. We are not a violent company, Dr. March. We only wish to speak. Surely you can grant us such a short amount of your time?"

"A doctor's schedule is a terribly busy one, I'm afraid." She looked at the clock again, taking note of how the pointers hardly seemed to move. In hindsight, she was unbearably tired, more so than usual, but there was something about doing everything but sleeping that made it seem like she was being more productive. Surely staying awake for a couple of more hours would not do her any harm?

Her eyes trailed back to the COO, and she nodded after a couple of seconds of contemplation. "I would hate to keep someone as sophisticated as Mr. Drake waiting."

Upon hearing her answer, Mr. Marley's smiled grew wider, though his eyes grew thinner. "Excellent."

The car-ride was a silent one, as she preferred it to be. Trivial chatter and conversations had a tendency to annoy her more than entertain her, although it solely depended on the subject at hand. There were many topics a COO could converse with her about, but few that would have been relevant to her unless they regarded this 'project' of theirs or her supposed role in it.

And thus she sat there, embraced by silence and enjoying every moment of it. The car was a large one, fancy, and well-equipped for what seemed like a majority of situations: defense or offense. For whatever reason, she assumed the latter. It did make sense, especially seeing it as how infiltrating the company could grand a person a lot of benefits. Security was therefore heavily required, no doubt.

They drove over the bridge, and Evelyn could hear the rain begin to pour from the skies as they went their way. Soft glow from lampposts flickered on interval from outside the car, as did the sound of passing vehicles and people. Even though she had lived in the city for several years now, she was still not used to the sounds it produced on a daily.

"Yes, she's here. I will bring her to your office."

She flickered her eyes away from the window to the COO sitting next to her; thoughts regarding whom he was speaking to on the phone began to ring in her head, but they all reached the same conclusion: Carlton Drake. It only made sense.

Mr. Marley then proceeded to conclude the call and return the phone safely back to the right pocket off his jacket. He noticed her staring at him and he smiled a benevolent smile. "He's aware that you will be arriving shortly. I'll escort you there."

She only nodded to him in return before she returned her gaze back to the window, watching as the view of the Life Foundation's HQ came closer and closer with each passing second. It was a marvelous sight to behold, there was no doubt about that, even if she wasn't one for aesthetic pleasures. The achievements they had accomplished over the years, the 'miracles' they had performed, it was all something she would have been thrilled about witnessing as a child.

To some certain degree, she was interested in getting to see it personally for herself. Mr. Drake's genius had reflected itself accordingly to his creations, proving that the years they had spent advancing themselves had not been to waste. The schematics, the required planning, all of it had come from the mind of one person alone.

Even she had to admire that that was deserving of respect, but that did not ease her concerns about what happened on the inside.

They passed through the gate with Mr. Marley displaying his identification card to the guards, granting them smooth passage into the facility. As she stepped out of the car, the first thing she noticed was how secluded the area was, with guards keeping watch of every corner of the place and with iron bars restricting entrance from every angle. It was to be expected, of course, but it was nonetheless impressive to note all of the safety protocols they had taken into account when designing the place.

"Dr. March, if you would please follow me to Mr. Drake's office."

Like that, she wasted no more time on observing the exterior of the facility. In silence but with eyes as sharp as an eagle, she followed the COO into the building and did not waste any more time inspecting the interior of the place. Scientists were everywhere, of all kinds; biologists, ecologists, engineers. They were heavily staffed, so why did they need her when everything they required were already in their pockets?

They all seemed like they were particularly interested in something, constantly moving back and forward with different destinations in mind, all of them seemingly oblivious towards her presence and the presence of their COO, though some seemed inclined towards greeting him as they passed by.

Mr. Marley noticed the attentive glances she cast around the place, and a satisfactory glimmer in his eyes reappeared as it had earlier. "Marvelous, isn't it?"

"Indeed, although my primary intentions lie with the CEO at the moment." Her answer was as brief as always, always focused on what lied ahead of her with no lingering glances to what rested behind her. The COO could only sigh as he heard this, having anticipated such a reply from her, but he made no comment.

They took the elevator down to a lower lever of the building, and when they stepped out, the first thing that met her gaze was one of the scientists. A woman with a sturdy face, bespectacled, and dark hair that was held up in a ponytail. For some reason, she seemed oddly familiar, but she was not about to question it aloud.

The scientist seemed startled by their sudden apparition. "Oh, good day, Mr. Marley." Her eyes suddenly traveled over to Evelyn, and they widened a couple of inches as they apparently seemed to recognize who she was.

"Dr. Skirth," the COO friendly greeted her before he gestured to Evelyn. "This is Dr. Evelyn March, but you probably already knew that. You're the one recommended her to us, after all."

Dr. Skirth? Evelyn's eyes trailed up as this name entered her ears. The sensation of recognition suddenly made sense to her, but not in the way she initially believed.

The scientist's face – Dr. Skirth – lit up and she reluctantly reached her arm towards her in a greeting. "Y-Yes," she replied with a wavering tone that could have been misidentified as fear. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. March. My name is Dr. Dora Skirth."

Evelyn took her hand and shook it. "A pleasure as well, Dr. Skirth. I take it you're a relative of Dr. Janine Skirth."

"Her sister," Dr. Skirth affirmed, a conscious smile spreading across her lips. On the contrary to the COO's exaggerated smiles, this one seemed genuine. "She told me of your accomplishments during your time at John Hopkins'. On top of her class to graduate; she was proud of being your teacher."

"Is it true that you're the one who referred me to Mr. Drake?" That question was inevitable, to say the least. Evelyn took her arm back and stood still, anticipating an answer. Surprisingly, the scientist seemed slightly reluctant to answer.

"Y-Yes," she affirmed. "Mr. Drak- We required a physician for our project. Not knowing anyone, I asked my sister for advice and she referred you to us."

So that's how it all was connected? Through her old tutor back at University. Who would have thought that Dr. Janine Skirth would speak so highly of her to the present day in spite of the ethical discussions they used to engage in?

No matter, Evelyn did not linger on those thoughts for long before urgent matters seemed to steal the scientist's attention away. Hurriedly, she excused her absence and headed off into another direction.

"Dr. Skirth's one of our best researchers within the field's we're currently studying." Mr. Marley explained as they continued walking across the floor, passing by numerous of other scientists as they went.

"She seems competent if she's anything like her sister," Evelyn replied, eyes moving sharply across the vicinity. Everyone there seemed focused on something that she was unable to lay her eyes on. There were cells there with transparent walls, making it visible to the naked eye to see through. There were mattresses in some of them, as though people were inhabiting them like animals in cages.

This 'project' of theirs was suddenly becoming less and less appealing from where she was standing, if what she was seeing was even a part of it. Maybe the question regarding the LF's use of humans as guinea pigs wasn't that off the charts.

But those questions would have to be for later.

They stopped in front one of the doors and it opened automatically, and they headed inside side-by-side.

"As I was sayin – Charles! I was starting to wonder if you had gotten lost in the city."

A frivolous voice entered her ears as they stepped inside the office, and Evelyn found herself facing none other than Carlton Drake himself.

The CEO had a phone pressed up to his ear, but he soon ended the call without any goodbyes and put the phone away. The CEO and the COO greeted each other in friendly manners, shaking hands as though they were friends having been separated for long.

Mr. Drake's eyes soon fell on her. "I assume that you are Dr. Evelyn March?" Before she could answer, he already had his arm extended towards her. "Carlton Drake. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She took his hand in return. "A pleasure, Mr. Drake."

"Please, the pleasure's all mine. You have no idea how good it is to have you here."

He sounded like he meant what he said, which was more than she could say for a lot of other people she knew.

"Charles," Mr. Drake turned to his colleague. "Would you mind stepping out for a while? I wish to talk in private with Dr. March."

The COO nodded. "Sure, Carl. Don't just scare the shit out of her."

"Mind your language." The CEO scorned him. "We're scientists; not savages."

His colleague only chuckled as he exited the room, winking to Evelyn as he passed her by and the door closed automatically behind him. As soon as he was gone, Mr. Drake turned to face her with the same benevolent expression as before and gestured to the seat in front of his desk. "Please, sit."

"I would like to stand," she interjected, keeping her tone even as not to appear antipathetic. "I'm not too fond of being inactive."

Though seemingly caught by surprise because of this, the CEO dismissed it with a smile. "So we have been told. You're quite exceptional in your field, Dr. March. Some would even say inhuman."

"How am I supposed to perceive that statement, Mr. Drake?" she asked. "What some deems as inhuman, other deems as efficient. I've been addressed as both on similar occasions."

"As I have heard." He proceeded to reach for a couple of files that had been neatly placed on top of his desk. "You were born in Brooklyn, New York, right? But you relocated to Michigan."

"Correct."

"You studied at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and proved yourself to be an exceptional student, if we are to listen to Dr. Janine Skirth's words. Graduated with outstanding grades and majored in Oncology at such a short time span." His eyes widened and lowered on unpredictable pause. "I can't say I'm not impressed."

"I would prefer it if we skipped to the purpose of this meeting rather than focusing on my past performances." Her voice was solid, but not cold as it would have been in any other case. Despite herself, she knew not to make herself an adversary to one of the most successful CEOs in the United States.

But Mr. Drake shook his head without looking away from the documents. "But your past performances are exactly the reasons why you are here, Dr. March. You've saved countless lives with your knowledge of the human anatomy, the development of cells, the overall presentation within a field so few people manage to grasp."

"Is this attempt at flattery, Mr. Drake?" she asked unimpressed.

He shook his head again. "Those are the facts, Dr. March."

"And of what importance are my facts?" Admitting that her patience was running thin would have been tempting had it not been for her self-restraint. "I was informed of some sort of proposal, yet I fail to obtain to knowledge about what kind of proposal it is."

Finally, Mr. Drake dropped the files on top of the desk, causing the sound of the impact to echo throughout the room. "Let me ask you, Dr. March, what did you do to accomplish your achievements?"

"Studied and learned," she answered truthfully, yet feeling her threatened to grit as she continued. "Failed and learned."

Mr. Drake snapped his fingers. "That's the point. When you learn, you are willing to take risks."

She narrowed her eyes at him at the sound of this. "Would you please elaborate?"

"What would you be willing to do in order to improve the condition of a human being?" he inquired. "Even when all the odds stand against you, what would you be willing to do in order to achieve your goals?"

"Anything." Her answer was sharp and precise, without hesitation and with no lies involved. "I'm a doctor, and as such, it's my responsibility to take care of my patients in spite of the odds."

Mr. Drake smiled contently at this statement. "Exactly. What if people are against what you deem is right? Ethically speaking?"

"I have a tendency to look past sentiment if the process produces positive results." She glanced down at the documents on top of the desk, curious as to what kind of personal information they contained about her. More specifically, how they gained it. However, she could not help but notice that these questions had a pattern.

"Sir," she glanced back at the CEO from across the desk. "I assume that these queries serve a purpose other than to satisfy your general curiosity?"

"Dr. March, are you aware of what the Life Foundation's current objective is?"

He was evading the question.

But she knew the answer. "To improve humanity's condition on this earth through space exploration and development of medicine and other advancements."

"And what do you think is necessary in order to achieve this?"

"Ambitions and perseverance."

"That's correct, but it's also the ability to make sacrifices for the greater good. The mentality that the ends justifies the means."

The ends justify the means. A Machiavellian approach towards complicated matters was something that was controversial in modern times, but she had always deemed it necessary in order to produce results that were to her liking. For the better good. Because of that, she could not afford to allow sentiment get in the way of such. She had given up that a long time ago.

"What would you be willing to do in order to save the life of a patient?" he continued.

"Anything that I had to."

"Even if that meant going against their family's wishes?"

"Emotions can't get in the way of progress, or beliefs." She recalled occasions in the clinic where a patient's religious or ethical beliefs got between them and their recovery. It was such a nuisance when they prevented her from fulfilling her duties as a doctor just because of such trivial views.

Suddenly Mr. Drake took a couple of steps towards her, reaching his hand forward and placing it on her shoulder. It was a gesture which caught her off-guard, but she refrained from moving and kept her head steady despite her disdain for physical contact.

"Dr. March," he said, tone low and face stern. "If you had to sacrifice few in order to save many, would you do it?"

"Let me ask you, Ms. March, would you be willing to kill in order to save?"

Dr. Skirth's voice echoed in her mind, but she knew to give the same answer.

Looking him straight in the eyes, she responded. "I would."

That answer seemed to satisfy him. He took a couple of steps back and headed for the exit of the office. "Dr. Janine Skirth was concerned about your disregard for ethics back in the days. Said that your ambitions would be the end of you if they learned no boundaries. 'Monstrous' she called it. 'Inhuman'."

Evelyn felt familiar with what he said. During her years at John Hopkins, she would get in frequent arguments with her professor regarding the use of ethics in medicine. Whereas Dr. Skirth said that ethics were supposed to be prioritized over development, Evelyn disagreed. That was an argument which lasted until she graduated, and they never managed to end it properly before she left.

"Dr. Skirth was an excellent tutor, but too idealistic." She said, pulling a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Sacrifices are inevitable in order to make improvement at something. Nothing comes without a price, and without a price, we can't find what we seek."

Mr. Drake opened the door and gestured for her to follow him, which she did. They stepped into the hallway and went further down past where they had come from.

"This is why we wish to acquire you for Project Symbiosis, Dr. March." He said without turning to look at her. "Your ability to look past ethics and do whatever means necessary in order to do good is what we need for this."

"Project Symbiosis?" She quirked an eyebrow at this. "You require someone with disregard for ethics?"

"Exactly." He asserted.

"Why?"

"Because in order achieve what we have set our current focus on, we have to make sacrifices, but few of these people have proven themselves willing to make those decisions."

A part of Evelyn grew slightly unnerved about what he was implying, but she kept it low and kept following him further down the corridor until they passed by more of those cells she had seen earlier. Barren cells, void of life and containing nothing inside of them.

When they finally stopped, Evelyn opened her mouth and was about to ask about what the project regarded.

But as she opened her eyes and turned to look forward, her voice ceased to exist as she placed her eyes upon a containment cell in front of her. One which contained something inhuman inside of it.

"This," Mr. Drake said. "is Project Symbiosis."

Edit: 13.10.21

*Evelyn was not born in Michigan, but moved there as a child with her family.