A butler slides the heavy wooden doors open. Doctor Julian Mercer bursts into the ornate office, excited, clutching a pill bottle as though it contained life itself.

"Dr. Rolle I've done it."

"What have you done Julian?" Dr. Rolle sinks gingerly into a plush chair. Even as the fingers of night give way to the dawn, it's obvious Dr. Rolle is frail, gaunt.

Handing Dr. Rolle the bottle.

"And what are these pills?" Dr. Rolle smiles warmly towards Julian.

Julian can't contain himself.

"Not pills really. Nanobots, they work. The pills disolve releasing the microscopic bots into your system. I programmed them to fix you, cure you. They work. I tested them in the lab. These are programmed for pancreatic cancer, they go right to it and clean it out. Like gentle sand paper. I'd use bigger words, but why with you?"

"Amazing Julian I knew you'd do it. Should I take one? Does the FDA know?" Dr. Rolle gazes into the fireplace.

"Of course not, I mean yeah, take one. I just got them to work, you'd be dead waiting for the FDA."

"Nanobots. What a world, what an invention."

"Starting with you. Think of the lives these'll save. I can program them to deal with almost any disease. Once they're in your system they can clean heart valves, lungs, anything."

"I'm sorry I can't be more excited Julian, it's the drugs and chemo."

"You trust me, take one."

"I do trust you Julian. That's why I knew you'd make these work. Microscopic machines, beyond H.G. Wells, beyond fiction. You've done an amazing thing."

Dr. Rolle opens the bottle, puts a pill in his mouth and washes it down with a snifter of cognac.

"They'll clear out the cancer in about a week. The batteries last two. I can re-program them to do a full scan of your systems in the second week. You can live indefinitely."

"You'll be famous, revered. I'll see to that."

The dawn pushes back the shadows, yet Dr. Rolle remains forlorn, focused on the light pushing through the shades.

"Julian, it's not time for this, it's too late or too early."

"Don't worry, they work. You'll be fine."

Dr. Rolle pulls himself from the chair and makes his way to his desk.

"You'll feel worse before you feel better Dr. Rolle."

Wearily, warily Dr. Rolle answers, "Julian, you are a great scientist, a great inventor. So were many that have gone before. The industrial revolution, medical advancements much less than this all contributed to humanity... being able to spread."

"I don't understand."

"Life Julian, you focused solely on saving life. Admirable, but myopic."

Dr. Rolle pulls a .45 automatic from the desk drawer, carefully aims.

"It's for the best Julian, I'm sorry." Hands shaking, he fires... again and again and again.

Placing the gun on the desk, he doubles over, tears bouncing off the gun.

Pushing himself away from the desk he gazes through the tears at Julian's lifeless body. Dr. Rolle's contorted features scream he's sorry.

He falls to the floor and pulls back the carpet, revealing a safe. Shaky and crying he struggles with the combination... it opens. He pulls out documents, pulls himself to his feet and makes his way back to his desk.

Collapsing in the chair, he throws the papers on his desk and picks up the phone.

"Dr. Rolle. You check the fucking clearance, wake him".

Dr. Rolle picks up one of the papers, staring at the first page: Cancer Will Be Cured and Here's How and When" By Calvin Rolle MD.

"Yes, Greg, it's me. It's over. It's all over. Julian fulfilled my prophecy, he's dead. I killed him... Fuck national security, I killed Julian. Clean the lab and get people over here. It's over... I don't give a shit about me. Make sure Julian is taken care of."

He slams the phone down, picks up another paper and reads: Stabilizing Human Population Through Mass Waterborn Sterilization by Dr. Calvin Rolle

Dropping the paper he picks up a pen and writes:

Greg,

Julian died thinking he had saved humanity and me.

I may have given humanity a reprieve from his brilliance.

Burn everything.

Cal

Dr. Rolle contemplates the .45 automatic in his hand.

Vehicles with government license plates speed past the entrance to Dr. Rolle's expansive estate.

A single, lonely, gunshot rings throughout the estate...

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