[ WP ] It is believed that the cure for cancer has been discovered on Mars , astronauts have only one chance to bring it home where they hope to duplicate its properties for mass distribution

`` Dr. Edmunds, something interesting came up on the latest screen,'' stated Johannes, the tremor in his voice betraying a cautious optimism. 
 
 `` This better be good. My grant proposal is due Friday,'' stated Edmunds, finally tearing her gaze away from the monitor and to Johannes. He quickly glanced at the ground, concealing his surprise. Edmunds appeared more pale and gaunt than usual. His face started to burn. Hardly anyone dared to enter Edmund's office without scheduling an appointment. Luckily, Johannes' appearance was bold enough to warrant her undivided attention. She noticed he was in an unusual state of disarray, hair greasy and biosafety suit wrinkled. He must have been working double shifts. 
 
 `` I-If this is what I think it is, you'll have every big pharma company coming to *you* with the money,'' Johannes replied. `` I repeated this experiment three times, always in triplicates. Data is statistically significant at a *p* of 0.0001. In other words, there is a 0.01 % chance that it is due to random variation, and --'' 
 
 `` Let me see,'' she interrupted. Johannes passed her the sheets of data. Edmunds sat up straighter and leaned forward, brows knit in inquisitive concern as her eyes darted across the numbers. 
 
 Sample 1215: at long last, a positive hit. 
 
 A rare smile slowly crept unto Edmund's face, then suddenly burst into an ear-to-ear grin. Eyes shining, she said, `` We spent five years at the edge of this colony, hoping in vain to find some new compound as a therapeutic agent to combat the cancer on Earth....'' here, a hand flitted across her chest and rested across her heart. She coughed violently, spasms rocking her thin body as another hand covered her mouth. Pulling away, spots of blood were seen. She hastily wiped her hand off on a handkerchief. There were n't many unstained areas left on the fabric. The familiar dull throbbing pain returned to her chest. 
 
 Johannes offered her water, which she gratefully sipped. After a pause, she continued. `` We took a risk being here. They said we could n't find anything by the mines. But that ended up being our advantage. What was Sample 1215?'' 
 
 Johannes could no longer contain his once cautious excitement. `` Sample 1215 was one of few organic compounds found from the soil dug up in the mines. There is life down there, likely bacterial in origin, and it is producing this compound in great quantities. Mass spec data revealed a unique peptide sequence found nowhere on Earth, though there is some homology to *Micromonospora* soil bacterial proteins,'' he paused to take a breath -- oxygen content is lower inside the Mars facility compared to Earth. `` When given to cancer cells *in vitro*, it killed nearly all of them while not harming non-cancerous cells. In the animal model, this compound appears to stop angiogenesis. In other words, in addition to its cancer-specific cytotoxicity, it prevents blood vessel growth to the tumor.'' 
 
 Edmunds slowly stood, smile unwavering. `` You have made a remarkable discovery, Johannes. You will finally be able to graduate with your Ph.D., with nothing less than the highest honors.'' 
 
 `` Thank you, Dr. Edmunds. Without your direction, this would n't have been possible,'' Johannes replied, bowing his head. A shadow crept over his face. There was a hesitating silence before he continued. `` I... I knew about your condition all along. The cancer you tried to keep secret. The same cancer afflicting most of the population on Earth. The way you are now....There is n't much time.'' 
 
 Edmunds nodded slowly in agreement. It was foolish of her to think the others would n't have noticed by now. 
 
 `` I can give you the first treatment,'' Johannes said, looking up to meet Edmunds' eyes. `` It might give you more time. Enough to see that we take it home over the years.'' 
 
 Her eyes looked past Johannes towards the window, beyond the red terrain and into the sky. `` Yes, I would like that very much. But that ca n't be the focus now. I did n't tell anyone this, but there's only going to be one more trip from the Colony to go home. Back on Earth, people have given up so much hope that they do n't want to allocate anymore resources to us. The grant I have been writing was for a separate project that can be done on Earth.'' 
 
 `` What?!'' Johannes blurted loudly. `` There is only one chance to take home a cure we only discovered this month? For all of the people affected on Earth? How can we manage that?'' 
 
 Edmunds sighed. The weariness she felt was not only physical. `` What we will do is find the organism producing Compound 1215, and find out the conditions it best grows in. Then, we will see if we can mimic those conditions on Earth. If we can grow the bacteria on Earth, we can produce the cure there. I want this done in six months. That is when you all will be scheduled to leave.'' 
 
 `` Just wait a second -- what do you mean,'you all'? Are n't you going also?'' Johannes said. He pulled a chair from the desk. His head was spinning. 
 
 Edmunds smiled sadly. `` When I came here, I never expected I would actually return. There's nothing left for me on Earth.'' Her gaze drifted to a framed picture on her desk, of a smiling family. Edmunds was once a young wife, with a husband and three children. `` I'll carry on work here for as long as I can, and relay information to you from here. It was my hope that *you* would personally take over my work. You were always my favorite student....It is your choice, of course....But should this grant get approved, your scientific career will be set.'' 
 
 Johannes stood once again, his face hardened and determined. `` I had better get to work, then.'' He smiled. 

