History takes us back in time to the time when King William I was king, and Sidone and Willem were under his care. William I, besides pursuing research aimed at developing the country - economically, militarily, and scientifically - after some time began to dream of an elixir of immortality. Initially, Sidone managed to convince him that it wasn't easy, that many people had tried, and that it would take years of hard work, not to mention ethically questionable trials, so he gave up.
However, the topic returned after some time. William I, however, seemed more determined this time. This coincided, in part, with the maturation of his son (William II) and the death "of old age" of one of his favorite teachers - hence the suspicion that this wasn't actually William I's request. Reluctantly, Sidone took on the research project, though her knowledge limited her enthusiasm - it was something she believed was far beyond the capabilities of humanity. Willem, on the other hand, tended to pursue other topics – biology wasn't his forte, but he was happy to help whenever he could – particularly when it came to creating analytical tools (primarily microscopy, but also precision mechanical tools, dispensers, and meters).
The work therefore slowly accelerated, occasionally interrupted by other tasks. By the late 1930s, just before William's abdication, Sidone had already achieved some success in this field. Her approach involved slowing the animal's metabolism, which should translate into longer lifespan. This had to be a two-pronged approach – while simultaneously slowing the heart rate, cognitive abilities couldn't be impaired. Sidone created a number of plant extracts that had a slowing effect. Studies were already underway on long-term exposure of the pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) to these substances, some of which yielded promising results (extending lifespan by several weeks compared to its siblings). At the same time, some of these substances were assessed as having no significant effect on the shrews' behavior. The research was drastically interrupted with the abdication of William I, when Sidone and Willem had to flee in a hurry.
When Sidone and Willem moved to the jungle, it took them some time to acclimate. Finances were not a problem; just before his abdication, William I gave them a substantial sum of money that was supposed to last them the rest of their lives - an expression of his gratitude and friendship, which was confirmed by subsequent years of correspondence. Logistics were a problem. Building the house, equipping the laboratories, obtaining the appropriate chemicals, and so on, were simply difficult and time-consuming - especially since they had to maintain a low profile for the initial few years. Also pygmy shrew isn't common here.
However, in the mid-1840s, research resumed in full swing. Some of the shrews were subjected to long-term exposure tests, others were tested for short periods - ultimately, two factors were selected that had great potential as an "elixir of immortality." Of course, no one had any illusions that this would be an elixir of immortality, but Sidone found enthusiasm in this case and refused to give up on the project.
Sidone and Willem began their research on monkeys. Not wild monkeys, but those purchased - again, the goal was to purchase pairs same-sex siblings. They chose the some chlorocebus monkey, a species in which multiple pregnancies occur, albeit infrequently. This slowed the research considerably, but allowed them to test both substances for their metabolic slowing and mental effects on animals closer to humans. The results were promising. However, clouds began to appear over the siblings' lives, still small, but unnoticed, unfortunately, bringing a major storm.
Sidone began to suffer from an illness - something affecting her heart and lungs - cancer. The first symptoms - missed - developed over many years until they became visible to the naked eye. Sidone, weakened by the disease, became more focused on the tests. She was so impatient to see the results that Willem suggested she perform the tests on him. Sidone agreed - the test could be dangerous for Willem, but they both knew the risks, discussed them, and envisioned various scenarios. This was the late 1950s.