"But could it be done?" Losham pressed.
Dimitri exchanged a glance with Petrov, who gave a barely perceptible nod.
"It could be attempted," Dimitri said. "But the research would take months. Possibly years. And the initial trials would be extremely dangerous for the test subjects. The failure rate would be high."
"How high?"
"Based on what we know about the difference between immortal and human physiology? I'd estimate seventy to eighty percent mortality in the first round of testing. Maybe higher. We'd be essentially building a new compound from the ground up, using the existing formula as a scaffolding, but modifying every component."
"Seventy to eighty percent," Losham repeated.
Dimitri nodded. "At minimum. Dr.Zhao's original work on the immortal enhancement formula killed or drove insane a significant number of test subjects, and those were immortals with regenerative capabilities. Humans would fare much worse."
The mortality numbers didn't trouble Losham. Humans died all the time, and they were inconsequential. A few dozen human deaths in the service of a revolutionary weapons program were a rounding error in the grand scheme of things.
What interested him was the possibility itself.
An army of enhanced humans was an interesting concept. They wouldn't be immortal, not even hard to kill, but they would be stronger, faster, and more durable than ordinary men. That was enough for most of the Brotherhood's goals, and humans were a limitless resource. The strategic implications were staggering.
"Start working on it," Losham said.
Dimitri's mask slipped.
It was brief, perhaps a fraction of a second, but Losham saw the horror in his eyes. It was an instinctive recoil that ran through the young scientist's body before his conscious mind clamped down on the reaction and smoothed it away.
The horror revealed the man behind the mask, not because it proved anything about his use of enhancement drugs but because it showed where the scientist's moral boundaries lay.
"You seem disturbed by the idea," Losham said.
Dimitri's composure returned quickly. "It's a monumental undertaking, and there are only the two of us working in this lab. I want to make sure the expectations are realistic given the constraints."
Smooth. That was very smooth.
"The expectation is simple. You will explore whether the enhancement formula can be adapted for human subjects, and you will produce results. I'm not concerned with the timeline. It is yours to determine, within reason, of course."
"What about the test subjects?" Dimitri asked. "Where would they come from?"
"That will be arranged when the time comes. You shouldn't concern yourself with the minutiae."
"With respect, Lord Losham, I wouldn't call it minutiae. The quality of test subjects directly impacts the validity of the research. If you provide me with subpar test subjects, it will affect the results. The stronger and healthier the subjects, the better their chances of survival."
Losham appreciated the attempt to redirect from ethics to methodology, but he wasn't going to let the moment pass without taking advantage of it.
"You know," he said, letting amusement creep into his voice, "your concern for the test subjects is touching, but I seem torecall that you weren't so troubled by the value of life when you recommended that the Eight be terminated."
The words landed exactly as intended.
Dimitri went still.
"That was—" He stopped. "I recommended termination because I feared what the Eight could become," he started again. "They were unresponsive and uncontrollable when Doctor Petrov and I first examined them. It was a containment recommendation, not a moral judgment."
Losham arched an eyebrow. "Do human lives matter more to you than immortal ones?"
"Of course not." The answer came too quickly. "I recommended termination because I didn't know whether we could stabilize the Eight." He met Losham's gaze steadily. "I'm glad that I was wrong. Dr.Petrov and I managed to stabilize them, and the Eight are now a functioning, controllable asset, exactly as Lord Navuh demanded."
Controllable.Losham almost laughed.
Dave was about as controllable as a hurricane that had decided, for the moment, to cooperate. The Eight followed Losham's directives because it suited their purposes, not for any other reasons. But Losham couldn't say any of that.
