Soon after returning to Japan, Lisa and Yuichi visited the Tokyo University to seek for Yasuko Satoh. But 20 years was too long to get a clue.

“I am sorry but there is no record about such old time.”

The personnel answer was cold hearted.

They gave up and come to the exit, but their trivial luck had been still activated.

“Miss Satoh. Is it you? It has been long time. Where have you been?”

One white-haired old man who wore a white robe called out to them.

“I’m sorry, I’m not Satoh. My name is Lisa Onodera. Do you know Yasuko Satoh? We are now looking for her.”

“Yes, yes. You are not Satoh actually. It has been 20 years. Impossible. She should have been 50 years old now. Not so young like you. But you are very similar to her. No, not similar but almost same precisely. Who are you?”

“Do you know her? Please tell me anything about her. We are looking for her mow.”

Instead responding, the old man beckoned to them to follow him. They followed and entered the Medical Department building and went down a long corridor. After a while the old man entered one room whose name plate shows “Professor Suzuki”.

They eventually realized this old man was a Professor of Medical Department.

“Sorry, there is no room for having a seat, but take any vacant seat as you like.”

The room was very messy with many books and studying apparatuses.

“Hmm. Yasuko Satoh was my number one student. It had already been 20 years or so. She had been nominated as an exchange researcher with the Cambridge University. I was very proud of her, because the Gene Technology Institution of the Cambridge University was one of the most authoritative research institution in the world.”

Then Prf. Suzuki poured coffee into big teacups and served them.

“At first it was planned for one year. But they ask us to extend one more year. Perhaps her research skill would be highly evaluated. However it was almost the maturity of extended period we received a news she had been suddenly missing. They said there had been some trouble regarding her study. We asked many times what had happened. But they didn’t give us any clear explanation and at last sent us a deselection letter one-sidedly. Off course we tried hard to seek for her but no information from her.”

Lisa sighed deeply. Their pursuit will be over here, won’t it?

Then Lisa explained details so far about herself. Recent strange illness, DNA inspection result, and that DNA array pendant.

Prf. Suzuki took that pendant in his hand and looked into it curiously.

“Hmm. Strange. Don’t you think so? It’s very unusual to leave such thing as a keepsake. There is something in this array.”

Thereafter Prf. Suzuki set the array onto the microscope near the desk and start inspections.

“Hmm. This shows a risk of heart disease. There is a possibility of breast cancer and stomach cancer. Oh, it shows very high risk for Alzheimer.”

“Professor, what are you doing?”

“Well, assuming Yasuko Satoh is your mother, she wanted to notice you the risk about what kind of genetic diseases you would have in the future. Whatever reason she had had, a mother was always anxious about her child. She had left her DNA as a keepsake to warn you that.”

“I see. But even if we get such information, it is impossible for us to look for her only by this.”

But Prf. Suzuki grinned and urged her to look into a microscope.

“Look at this. You can see a red dot at the center and yellow one a little left side. This combination means very high risk of Alzheimer. As you know, Alzheimer is one of the most difficult genetic disease. Still no effective medication. If this DNA is hers, she has already developed some symptom.”

Lisa and Yuichi did still not understand the professor’s intention.

“Recently the government established a new National Research Center for Intractable Diseases in Tsukuba. There is a department for Alzheimer at that Center. If Yasuko is still healthy, she will surely visit the Center not for treatment but for prevention of disease.”

They had already realized his intention.

“The manager of that Center is my student. I will write an introduction letter for you. But if you get any information about Yasuko, please tell me. It’s a promise. I would like to see her again.”

One week later. At the Center’s consultation room.

“To be honest, it is confidential regarding the individual patient information but you have an introduction letter of Prf. Suzuki and considering your situations.”

The Doctor Yamamoto opened one clinical record.

“I searched the database and found the name of Satoh Yasuko.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It was about one year ago. According to the record, it was true that she had several strong genetic factors for Alzheimer. But she had still no concrete symptom then just advised to keep periodical monitoring.”

Lisa took the record paper and found her address was Osaka, the next door to Kyoto. How long roundabout they had gone? From Kyoto, Cambridge, Tokyo, Tsukuba and Osaka. They had finally found Yasuko Satoh.

Lisa promptly took a memo of phone number and call immediately. But…

“The number you are calling is not available now. Please check the number…”

A cold computer voice was returned. She tried again, but same. Then she felt gradually losing her consciousness.

“She had exhausted very much. In addition to your recent climacteric symptoms you had got big stress due to many travels. Now you should take rest.”

After examination Dr. Yamamoto advised to stay one night at the Hospital.

On the next day they returned to Osaka.

They visited the Yasuko Satoh’s address and found the apartment had already been vacant. On the door there was a poster of “For Rent” as they had expected. No phone line meant she had already been moved away somewhere else.

They visited the real estate company near the station.

“Excuse me. We are now looking for Yasuko Satoh who had lived in that Sunny Side Apartment. If you have any information about her…”

Instead answering, the owner of the store started staring at Lisa’s face.

“Is there something wrong on my face?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. You are very similar to Miss Satoh. I thought she has returned. But never You are much younger than her.”

It was second time for Lisa to be told very similar to Yasuko. She is wondering how similar she is and why.

“She moved away almost half a year ago. I remember her well because on that day a black big hired-car came to pick up her. Until that time she had not been so rich honestly. She had sometimes delayed paying a rent. I claimed often.”

“Did you hear anything about to where she will go?”

“No. She was a little curious. She was very reticent and not at home more than half a month. But wait a minute, she said something about new business or new company before leaving.”

Their pursuit had been cut off at this place. Lisa felt something like a fate. The fate told her not to pursuit. If she continues, something evil will be discovered.

After returning to Kyoto, they started SNS search at Lisa’s apartment. Only clue was a company or a business. Lisa entered key wards, DNA and Company. About one million articles were viewed. Most of them were related to the gene technology or business. Was it possible for them to look for Yasuko Satoh’s name in these numerous articles? It might be useless. But it was an only way to do.

They continued search for 5 hours, nothing. Another 3 hours after a short rest, nothing again.

Both of them had fallen asleep without knowledge. When Lisa woke up again, she looked at some article on the screen. It was an advertising page of some company.

“We have newly established company to supply artificial organs. The latest sophisticated technology give you a chance to cure your disease which had not any medication before.”

That company’s home page explained how to make an artificial organ with the cloning technology. It could be applied to any kind of organ like heart, stomach, skin, bone, eye, nerve and brain. Lisa remembered the clone sheep Mary at Cambridge. It was a technology to make a copy of whole body. The mechanism to make a part of body namely organ was completely same as that of Mary.

Lisa was interested in that page and read the contents. She scrolled the pages and tried to shut down, her eyes had been locked on the last line.

It showed “Yasuko Satoh, the CEO of the Human Create”.

To be continued