VersaLife

"We make tomorrow look like yesterday."

- VersaLife's motto

The VersaLife Corporation is a multinational company active since the early 1990s. By 2027, it is a giant subsidiary of the mammoth firm Page Industries, whose owner is Bob Page. VersaLife specializes in the fields of medicine, bioengineering and nanotechnology. Its headquarters is located in Hong Kong.

Background
The earliest reference to VersaLife is in 1993, when one of the company's subsidiaries, White Helix Labs, performed a series of experiments on newborn babies, likely as part of an early attempt to develop augmentation technology. Adam Jensen was the only survivor of this series of experiments, thought lost when his birth parents burnt down the labs.

In 2008, VersaLife was one of the several major biotech companies, with the support of the United Nations, to participate in biotech research at the controversial Omega Ranch.

VersaLife was acquired by the conglomerate Page Industries some time before 2027.

Products and research
In 2027, VersaLife has the patent to produce Neuropozyne, a drug which mechanically augmented individuals need to take to keep their bodies from violently rejecting their mechanical augmentations. Since VersaLife is the only company producing the drug, Neuropozyne remains extremely expensive. Other alternatives to Neuropozyne exist, such as the relatively inexpensive Riezene. However, VersaLife maintains strict control of the patent for the anti-rejection drug which scares away competitors. VersaLife also manufactures paracetamol, a popular painkiller. During this time period, VersaLife is involved in research related to the Hyron Project. The company has a number of employees stationed at the Rifleman Bank Station who are attempting to find compatible Hyron drone test subjects.

In the following years, VersaLife develops a cure for AIDS by utilizing nanite robots. An initial breakthrough occurs in 2027 when AIDS is successfully cured in lab mice. By the 2050s, a cure for the disease in humans is found, along with treatments for other viral infections such as the Century Flu.

By 2052, VersaLife is a commercial behemoth, with Maggie Chow as one of its directors. It specializes in nanotechnology, making several products involving nanites, such as nano-augmentations and nanotech swords. VersaLife is the sole source of the augmentation canisters and upgrade canisters found during the 2050s. It is responsible for developing multiple genetically modified organisms known as transgenics. These organisms include greasels, karkians and grays; although grays are simply a resurrected Illuminati experiment that was deemed unsuccessful when first performed. In order to create these products, VersaLife uses its Universal Constructor, one of the few in existence. In accordance with Majestic 12's plans for world domination, VersaLife also secretly produces the fatal Gray Death nano-virus as well as its vaccine, Ambrosia. As the source of both the virus and the only working cure, anyone susceptible to the virus is effectively at Majestic 12's mercy. Ambrosia is not a permanent cure, but rather only a temporary measure. By selectively increasing and decreasing the intensity of plague outbreaks while keeping the cure under tight rations, Majestic 12 is able to foster social disorder by dissolving the standard social classes.

Facilities
VersaLife's headquarters is based in Hong Kong from between 2027 and 2052. This building is composed of three major sections: the Data Entry facility, the Pacific Rim Research facility and the Nanotech Containment facility. The only part of the HQ open to the public is the Data Entry facility. All other sections are restricted to authorized personnel with the appropriate clearance. The VersaLife Corporation places high emphasis on security, to the point that even the receptionist in the Data Entry Facility will kill anyone who threatens the company. Very little trust is placed in regular employees. One staff member claims that he was held at gunpoint while performing a task for the corporation. Others are apparently intentionally infected with the Gray Death in order to reduce the risk of sensitive information being leaked. Some staff members, appearing to be regular Data Entry personnel, are in fact spies planted by Majestic 12 to oversee these regular employees. Certain workers, due to greed, disgruntlement or other reasons, can be persuaded to betray the firm, such as Richard Hundley, the shift supervisor in the Data Entry Facility.

VersaLife had a research facility at the Shackleton glacier in Antarctica. The Collapse cuts the base and its crew off from the world. The crew survive for some time, but are eventually overrun by cold, food shortage and transgenics. The transgenics adapt to the environment. The greasels and karkians roam wild, while the sentient grays are taken into care by JC Denton, and become the guardians of his sanctuary.

Trivia

 * VersaLife's motto can be heard in one of the episodes of the first Season of Max Headroom, by the old Australian punk hacker.
 * The USA Network TV show Suits mentions a company called Versalife in S04E12, which is a client of Pearson Specter. It is most likely that the name was unintentionally plagiarized from this game series.