Strange recoveries, and... 奇妙な復帰、そして……

[Summary] 【梗概】

Miyahara Tsumugu, who works for subcontracted video production, heard strange and a strange rumor while interviewing young prostitutes and male prostitutes in India and Thailand. It was said that there was a black market for all-purpose organs that would not cause rejection with any recipient. Of course he couldn't believe it right away, becouse organ transplantation is always accompanied by biological rejection. A lover who has a close relationship with Miyahara, Risako Sakashita concluded that "iPS cells are preferable to biological clones for that purpose."

After that, information about the mysterious all-purpose organ came from a surprising place. Harumasa Saegusa, an information expert working at N newspaper, told him that "the CEO of one of the world's leading high-tech companies has returned from pancreatic cancer because of all-purpose organs." He also said that the rich, presumed to have received a similar transplant, did not appear to be taking immunosuppressants, which should be essential after the transplant.

Saegusa suddenly disappeared. It was the day before Miyahara went to the Philippines to cover the sale of organs. Miyahara relied on an acquaintance to make an appointment with Abdu, the reporter of Manila Bulletin Co., Ltd. who lives in the interview destination. Abdu was one of the people Saegusa who disappeared left behind in his memorandum. Abdu told Miyahara that all-purpose cells are miracles. He also said that the miracle came not from a religious miracle but from the person who caused the miracle. The signature of all-purpose cell is "David's Bread," which is Jesus Christ himself, who has survived to this day. Moreover, it is the Jewish association that controls the sale ...

After Miyahara returned to Japan, Saegusa returned to work as if nothing had happened. There were rumors that he might have been persuaded at the abductee. As soon as Miyahara contacted him, Saegusa said, "If you want to know the facts, come to me." Forcibly pushed by Risako, he headed for Saegusa's life Prolonging treatment association with her. Then, they were simply told by Saegusa, "The all-purpose organ supplied has the same HLA as the Repicient. That is the true identity of the miracle." He said that if the recipient's tissue was partially removed and implanted in the donor's body, the donor's original HLA would be transformed into arecipient's HLA. Then, Saegusa promised Miyahara and Risako, "If you really want to see the origin of the organ, I will arrange to go to the headquarters of the association."

Miyahara and Risako, who went to the headquarters of the United States Life Support Society in Phoenix, Arizona, were further boarded on a medium-sized plane and guided to the association's research facility. The first thing they were shown by the people in the association was the actual life-prolonging surgery. Miyahara and Risako discovered some of the world's leading business people in the tour booth. Finally, they were guided to a large room with more than a hundred tanks, which seemed to be for culturing. What was floating there was a tofu-like human-shaped caricature about 1.5 meters long and 0.5 meters wide. The guide, Dr. Goldstein, explained, "It was already in that shape when the association found it." He went on to say that even if we stop it's heart, pull it out of its organs, or hurt it until it becomes incapacitated, it will surely come back to life after a few hours. He further explained that although the recovery rate is low, it can be cultivated in a special way and that many of it are being cultivated because the number of patients in need of life-prolonging treatment for associations continues to grow around the world. In addition, he explained that he showed Miyahara and Risako this place because of the need for proper rumors of all-purpose organs, and the secret is important, but the organ transplant business itself would not be possible if it were completely hidden from the world. (The End)

　下請け映像プロダクション勤務の宮原紡（みやはら・つむぐ）はインドとタイの若年娼婦及び男娼を取材中、奇妙な噂を耳にする。どんな受給者（レシピエント）とでも拒絶反応を起こさない万能臓器の闇市場があるというのだ。もちろん臓器の移植には生体拒絶反応が伴うので俄かにそれは信じられない。宮原と付かず離れずの関係にある恋人坂下理紗子（さかした・りさこ）は「その用途だったら生体クローンよりもｉＰＳ細胞の方が望ましいでしょう」と結論付ける。

　その後、謎の万能臓器について意外なところから情報がもたらされる。Ｎ新聞社勤務の情報通三枝晴正が「世界でも有数のハイテク企業ＣＥＯが膵臓癌から立ち直ったのは万能臓器のお陰だ」と告げたのだ。また同様の移植を受けたと思われる金持ち達が移植後必須となるはずの免疫抑制剤を服用している様子がないとも言う。

　その三枝が突如姿を晦ませる。宮原がフィリピンへ臓器売買の取材に行く前日に……。伝手を頼り、宮原は取材中にマニラ速報社の記者アブドゥにアポイントメントを取り付ける。アブドゥは失踪した三枝が取材メモに名を残した人物の一人だ。そのアブドゥが万能細胞は奇跡だと宮原に告げる。更にその奇跡は宗教上の奇跡ではなく奇跡を起こした本人そのものに由来するとも言う。万能細胞の符丁は『ダビデのパン』で、それは現在まで生きながらえたイエス・キリストそのものだ、というのだ。しかも、その売買を取り仕切っているのがユダヤ人の結社であると……。

　宮原の帰国後、まるで何事もなかったかのように三枝が職場に復帰する。拉致先で懐柔されのではないかという噂が流れる。宮原が連絡を入れるとすぐに三枝は「事実が知りたいならばわたし分の許へいらっしゃい」と告げる。強引に押し切られる形で理紗子を伴ない三枝の待つ日本延命治療協会に向かうと「供給される万能臓器はレピシエントと同じＨＬＡを持っています。それが奇跡の正体です」とあっさり三枝に教えられる。レピシエントの生体組織を一部削除し、それをドナー生体内に埋め込むとドナーが本来持っていたＨＬＡがレピシエントのＨＬＡに変化するというのだ。ついで「その臓器の元を実際に目にしたいのならば結社の本部に行けるように手配しますよ」と三枝が宮原たちに約束する。

　アリゾナ州フェニックスの合衆国延命治療協会本部に赴いた宮原たちはそこからさらに中型飛行機に乗せられ、結社の研究施設まで案内される。そこで最初に見せられたのは実際の延命手術の様子だったが、その見学ブース内で宮原たちは世界有数の企業人たちを発見する。

　最後に彼らが案内されたのは見るからに培養のためとわかる槽が百以上もびっしりと並べられた広い部屋だ。そこに浮かんでいたのは長さ一・五メートル幅〇・五メートルほどの豆腐のようなヒト形のカリカチュア。案内役のゴールドシュテイン博士は「協会が見つけたとき既にアレはあの形だった」と説明する。ついでイエスの聖骸布の血痕から得たＤＮＡ配列とそれの配列が一致する、心臓を止めても臓器を抜いても生命活動ができなくなるまで身体を痛めつけても数時間後には必ず生き返る、回収率は低いが特殊な方法で培養ができる、数多くが培養されているのは結社の延命治療を必要としている患者数が世界中で増え続けているからだ、などと説明する。宮原たちにこの場所を見せたのは万能臓器の適度な噂が必要だからだ。秘密は重要だが、世間からまったく見えなくなってしまっては臓器移植ビジネス自体が成り立たない、と説明する。宮原たちがいずれ発するであろう不確かな記事がそれに組されるのだ。そして最後に「今自分たちに出来るのは臓器移植による延命だけだが、いずれ再生医療（卵巣や子宮）にも手を拡げる考えでいる」ことを告げ、ゴールドシュテイン博士は静かに話を締め括る。（了）