After the encounter, Lily reconsidered. Discovering the truth about this place would be challenging; she focused instead on the experiments, already halfway complete. The primary obstacle was blending the two materials and achieving the perfect ratio.
Lily identified a problem in the existing data. Previous researchers had used the ratio from her successful experiment, failing to grasp the subtleties of fragrance blending and herbal combinations. Her successful experiment yielded accurate data, but it represented only one successful instance. The optimal ratio varied across different fragrance and herb combinations, as did the necessary blending agent.
She finally understood the organization's eagerness to recruit her. Perhaps no one else could achieve this, or if they could, they wouldn't meet the deadline.
This experiment demanded significant commitment, from initial investigation to mastery. Its unique nature made Lily uniquely qualified.
After reviewing the data—and finding it useless—Lily discarded it, adjusting her own ratio and conducting repeated trials, generating numerous samples. This allowed her to quickly identify differences between combinations and make further adjustments accordingly. Eventually, she succeeded.
Interestingly, the experiment didn't involve the wilfordi root poison; it wasn't the toxin from the giant, mutated wilfordi root that was being used.
After a long day, Lily was exhausted. Her unborn twins seemed to sense her distress, kicking occasionally. She comforted them by caressing her belly, resting when tired before resuming her work. She whispered, "I'm not doing this to harm others, but to save them. I hope you understand. I have no choice."
Mike arrived in the evening, checking the experiment's progress before approaching Lily. "The boss wants to meet you."
"Good. I want to speak with him as well," Lily replied, setting down her tools.
Mike seemed hesitant, glancing around before saying, "Let's go."
The walk to the administration building was lengthy. Lily removed her hazmat suit, feeling refreshed. The setting sun cast a warm orange glow on the surrounding plants, painting the scene in a comforting golden light.
"How's the progress?" Mike asked cautiously, slowing his pace.
"Fine. I'm making steady progress," Lily replied calmly, strolling along, hand on her belly. She appeared relaxed, any anxiety hidden.
Mike, however, seemed far more nervous. He stopped abruptly. "We can talk privately here. Honestly, what are the chances of success? How long will it take?"