by Andy
It started simply enough for such a life altering, even culture altering invention. Karen and Andy were using some of their free time and a bit of their employer's generous donation of equipment in their home lab. Free undirected experimentation of the kind unlikely to result in commercial applications; just trying to push back the frontiers of knowledge a little. They were both biochemists, a husband and wife team and unusual in that close quarters throughout both workday and home did not set them on edge. This bit of experimentation was their idea of a vacation, no schedules or deadlines or reviews or corporate feasability. Thus when they stumbled upon the key to reversing aging they were alone. They kept quiet. At first they were unsure and did tests on animals. They bought a large number of rats and gerbils and hamsters from the pet store saying when asked that they were to feed a large snake. the old animals grew young when injected and grew no older. They had the stamina of the young and learned the same rapidity. They then still remained quiet and bought a snake to consume the evidence.
"If we apply for patent rights then will need to disclose the process and it only lasts for a time and does not apply in much of the world " he said.
She replied, "Yes but how can we mass produce it without letting at least some people know about it? "
"It's true we need financial backing but it can be done in an automated fashion. We just need a trustworthy backer and to test this more thoroughly. Hmmm, how about John?" he said naming an friend they had grown up with who was now fairly wealthy and on his way to stinking rich. "We would need to prove it to him."
They called John and he said he owned a newly automated pharmaceutical comcern in Switzerland. This was perfect for them as they knew that Europe was the best place to start selling an anti-aging drug. America would have been better except for the looser standards for drug testing in the EU. However he did want evidence of its effect on humans so Andy created two slow release transdermal patches for it and they applied the patches to themselves. Then they booked a flight to Berne, the capital of Switzerland. They figured that when he saw them looking like undergrads again he would be convinced and it would help keep the circle who knew about it small. They emailed requests for leaves of absence to their job but did not care if they were accepted or not.
They arrived in Berne to find he had sent a limo for them. The driver looked surprised at their youth which they took as a sign he had been shown old pictures of them. They smiled and kept silent during the drive. The limo took them through a town that looked like it was from some movie about medieval times with only the cars and traffic lights marring the illusion. The driver stopped at a modern office building and they got out and went to the reception desk.
They were expected and after showing id they were shown to an executive elevator then went express to the top. Once there they were greeted by their old friend. He was speechless at seeing them for they looked 20 again instead of 40.
"We have a story to tell you but it wants privacy. As much privacy as you can manage." He nodded wordlessly and asked his pretty blonde secretary to hold all his calls and have the valet bring his car around to the front. He took them to the automated factory which ran with only one supervisor to watch the boards to make sure that nothing broke down. He had the man go home (with pay) and then he finally spoke to them.
"Ok how? How did you manage this? Is this something you created? It has to be, plastic surgery is not this good."
"You are correct my friend. This is not plastic surgery, it is our brilliance at work." Andy said and raised his shirt sleeve to show the patch. If his sleeve seemed rather more worn out than it had that morning well he was not the type to notice such things.
"Karen has one too?" John asked.
"Yep!" the lady in question replied, "Right here!" she added as she jerked up her blouse sleeve. It ripped as she did so but she barely spared a curse for it as she showed John her patch. "And we brought one for you as well."
"Well if it does this well for everybody we shall soon all be very, very wealthy." He smiled and took the patch Andy held out to him. After peeling of the backing and affixing it to his own arm he invited them put to celebrate with him tonight. "I must go and finish my work now. I am sure you are tired from your long flight so I will take you to your hotel and meet back up with you tonight. But I wish to thank you both most heartily for this opportunity." with that he shooked their hands and left.
The celebration went very well as did the first few weeks of production. Karen used the time to go to France and Italy and shop for clothes for her and her hubby with her new corporate gold card. After all they needed to look their best and their old clothes seemed ready to fall apart all of a sudden. They had a few commercials made but word of mouth from their first customers worked better. The rich soon learned they could buy youth and the three were made wealthy.
They were on the short list for the Nobel Prize in Biochemistry. They hired a battery of accountants and two batteries of lawyers to help them. It was well they did. Within six weeks Karen and Andy knew they had goofed. There was a side effect just not one that any amount of animal testing would ever show because animals did not wear clothes. It started with the two creators giving them at least some warning and allowing their legal staff to prepare. The chemical that gave youth also caused a difference in the person's sweat. It did not harm the owner but in low concentrations it weakened clothing and in high concentrations dissolved all natural fabrics within hours. Articial fabrics such as rayon and polyester were affected much more slowly and those used for protection such as kevlar and those used in hazmat suits and astronaut gear seemed immune.
Their name was withdrawn from consideration by the nobel committee. They had several uncomfortable meeting with govermental agancies. However they reached an eventual accomodation with them including free supplies for most world leaders, intelligence heads, and military brass. These same people were also relieved that the continued high price would limit the drug to the wealthy and famous generally and that they could prevent the effect with enough AC to prevent sweat. The fashion industry was incensed however and much of the lawyers time was tied up in similar suits from around the world.
However eventually, eventually, after about 15 years. Which their lawyers were willing to spare thanks to the huge salaries they were being paid, all lawsuits were settled and all monies awarded. During this time the three owners of Sempre Viva inc. went from hiding in switzerland behind the barriers of growing wealth and the country's famous neutrality to owning a tropical island. They tapped an dormant volcano for geothermal power and honeycombed the ancient lava with labs and research offices. The island became the premier location for research into first aging and later all healthcare. With their privacy assured not only by their hired guards but by the U.S. navy, whose officers of the rank of captain and above were given the patch free and whose synthetic uniforms were greatly resistant to its other effect. They established a 4 star resort above ground over which John presided and people could come and relax and if desired could very discreetly visit the labs below for whatever problems they had and many of the wealthy did so since they were as discreet as they were good and they were very, very good.
From this vantage point the three watched society change. While it was true that only a relatively small percentage of even first world countries could afford the full benefits of the drug they were a very visible and vocal minority. And unlike many other minorities they had real power. Within a few years any laws the european union still had against nudity in public places were removed and slowly other countries followed suit. The U.S. was last but after 15 more years it was at least technically legal to go nude in any public beach of park. They had competitors by then but their brand the most famous and it had decades of success behind it. The American dream eventually extended to a patch every ten years and a trip to the island if needed and many of those who could not quite afford it treated themselves to a patch at 40 and went naked on weekends.
Nudity was now a sign of wealth and anyone pretending to be wealthy needed to be young and have an all over tan. Many elite stores such as Nieman Marcus would now think nothing of a seemingly 18 year old in nothing but designer sandals entering their stores. For the rich still used clothes, the academy award shows were still a showcase of glittering fashion and exotic couture but with clothing either a one time thing or consisting of armored synthetics it became fashionable to wear only fake furs in winter and nothing but designer shoes and jewels when it was warm enough. Of course this did not mean that the fashion police could be retired. No the pages of fashion do's and don'ts soon became filled with pictures of women wearing bodypaint (in either exactly the right or quite obviously the wrong way darling!) and jewelry and shoes and hats and purses. These in fact were now sole arbiters of fashion. Soon critics announced the Summer of Endless Youth. Andy and Karen watched all this with amusement as they continued to research the mysteries of the human body now with many exalted colleagues and with research assistants happy to work not only on the forefront of biological science but just underneath a resort that catered to all of mankind's hedonistic pleasures.