Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 74: Reaction [1 ]

Luke's smile dimmed, and he leaned in, his eyes scanning the crowd. "You don't forget what that kind of pain does to you. But the pod… it gave me back my life. Not just my skin."

As he rolled up his sleeve, the crowd gasped at the sight of unblemished flesh. "This used to be bone and scar tissue down to the elbow. Now I can hold my girlfriend's hand without her flinching."

A wave of awe rippled through the audience. Some reporters lowered their recording devices, momentarily lost in the gravity of his revelation.

"How long were you submerged?" asked a young journalist, her voice trembling with curiosity.

"Six days," Luke replied, a grin breaking across his face. "I woke up hungry enough to eat a horse! They had me on nutrient IVs, but..." He chuckled. "The first thing I did was demand a cheeseburger."

Laughter erupted, shattering the tension in the room. Even Professor Henry couldn't help but smile a little.

But then, a grizzled veteran reporter from The Neo-Luminara Times stood up slowly, brow furrowed. "Son, are you saying that thing regrew your fingerprints?" A hush fell over the auditorium, all eyes drawn to Luke's hands as he raised them.

"Every whorl and ridge," he confirmed, his voice steady. "The docs ran every test. It's not just close,it's my skin, right down to the DNA." He flexed his fingers. "Even my old calluses came back exactly where they should be."

Professor Henry stepped forward just as a dozen more questions erupted. "We'll have Mr. Dawson available for one-on-one interviews after this presentation," he announced.

As soon as Luke Dawson's hologram flickered out, hands shot up across the auditorium.

But this time, the inquiries shifted from medical marvels to the dollars and cents of it all.

"Professor Henry!" A sharp-eyed financial reporter from GlobeStar Financial rose, her voice slicing through the murmurs. "You mentioned the AMHP-9 costs 42 million unicreds. Who exactly can afford that?"

Tension knotted the air as cameras zoomed in on Professor Henry's composed face.

He held his ground. "The initial rollout will target major hospitals and military medical centers. This isn't just a device; it's an entire life-support ecosystem."

A voice chimed in from The Daily Pulse, skepticism dripping from her tone. "So only the wealthy and soldiers get to live? What about everyone else?"

Agreement echoed through the crowd.

Professor Henry remained calm. "The first computers were massive, costing millions. Now, they fit in your pocket.

This technology is no different." He tapped the podium for emphasis. "Our aim is accessibility, but breakthroughs require significant investment."

He paused for a moment, scanning the room before continuing, "Look, if you can't swing the cost of an AMHP-9 Emerald Rebirth Pod, don't stress. Hospitals will have access to them.

Just head there, get healed without worrying about the bill. We'll negotiate with the various hospitals to make sure everyone has access."

Another reporter interjected, "And what about the VitaCore liquid? At 2 million Unicreds a vial, that's more than most people make in a lifetime!"

Henry leaned in, his voice steady as he replied, "The raw materials alone set us back 800,000 Unicreds for just one liter. Quantum-stabilized nanobots don't come cheap. This kind of tech hasn't even been fully realized yet.

We've spent years developing this, pouring in hundreds of billions on resources and capital. But trust me, as we scale this up, those costs will come down."

From the back of the room, a quieter voice piped up, "What about the NanoGel? At 700 Unicreds, that's still a week's wages for most people."

For the first time, Henry's stern expression softened slightly. "That's why we're collaborating with governments and insurance companies.

A single vial can prevent infections and eliminate scarring, it saves hospitals a fortune in long-term care." He paused, locking eyes with the audience. "And in just five years? We expect that price to drop by 30%."

The room erupted with overlapping voices, some outraged, while others began drafting headlines about "medical inequality."

Henry raised his voice to cut through the chaos, "Every medical revolution starts out expensive. But let me ask you this: If your child were on fire, would you stop to consider the cost?"

Silence hung in the air. "Exactly," he said quietly. "Now picture a world where no parent ever has to face that nightmare."

Slowly, applause began to ripple through the room, building into a passionate wave. Not everyone was on board, but no one could look away.

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The press conference had wrapped up, but the real storm was just beginning to brew.

Across the globe, screens lit up with replays of Professor Henry's groundbreaking presentation, showcasing the dazzling AMHP-9 pod and the astonishing footage of Luke Dawson's miraculous recovery.

That shimmering emerald liquid? It promised to rewrite the rules of medicine as we know it!

Just three days after that pivotal moment, discussions online erupted into a full-scale war.

On "Pulse," the largest microblogging site in the Eastern Coalition, the hashtag #MiracleOrLie skyrocketed to trending status.

"This has to be CGI!" exclaimed @SkepticalDoc, a verified medical analyst with half a million followers.

"No way that level of regeneration is possible without gene editing. Where are those clinical trial papers?"

Replies flooded in like wildfire.

"Oh sure, because a big company like Osborn Pharmaceutical and Biotech Group would fake a live demo with a real burn victim," shot back @ScienceOrBust, an engineer from Berlin.

"Luke Dawson's case was all over the news last year,no doubt that's him!"

Meanwhile, on "Voicelink," an audio-based debate platform, threads spiraled into heated arguments.

"Think about the economic implications!" argued @EconWarrior, a financial strategist. "If this tech becomes widespread, entire industries could collapse,reconstructive surgery? Physical therapy? Burn centers? All obsolete."

"Good," fired back @SurvivorStories, whose bio read '4th-degree burn survivor.' "Maybe then people will stop treating us like we're made of glass."

On "ReelLife," the video-sharing giant, creators dissected clips of the AMHP-9 reveal frame by frame.

One user, @TechTruth, slowed down footage of Luke's hologram and zoomed in on his hands.

"Look at this! No scarring or texture differences! If this is real, it's not just healing; it's perfect restoration! That's not medicine; that's magic!"

The comment section exploded with theories ranging from government cover-ups to whether Luke Dawson was even a real person!

In corporate boardrooms across the industry, tension ran high as rival pharmaceutical giants scrambled for emergency meetings to assess market impact.

A leaked memo from VitaCure Inc., a leading burn treatment manufacturer, sent shockwaves through their ranks:

"If this is real, our entire product line could be worthless by next fiscal year."

Hospitals and insurance companies weren't sitting idle either; many countries and major pharmaceutical firms held urgent meetings to strategize countermeasures.

And then there were personal stories pouring in from every corner of social media.

A mother in Balmaria, a small impoverished country on the far edge of Noctis Continent, posted a grainy photo of her son's scarred arms on "HopeWall," a site dedicated to medical fundraisers.

"Please.I don't care if it's a scam. I'll try anything."

A veteran in Glenmore streamed a tearful reaction on "LiveHive", rolling up his sleeve to show the twisted burns from a long-ago mission.

"They told me I'd never feel my fingers again. Now? Now I'm wondering if I get to hug my kids without them wincing."

The world was split, between hope and doubt, excitement and fear. Some saw salvation. Others saw deception. A few saw profit.