Chapter 30 Losham #2
It was possible that the young human was telling the truth because he had no reason to be trained in such expert deception, but some were just born with the skill or developed it as a survival mechanism.
Losham was inclined toward the latter, but inclination wasn't evidence.
He decided to shift tactics.
"Let me pose a theoretical question," he said, settling back in his chair. "If someone wanted to adapt the enhancement formula for human use, could it be done?"
A subtle change flickered across Dimitri's face. Not quite relief, more like a recalibration, the way a chess player's expression shifted when the game moved in a direction he was prepared for.
"Theoretically?" Dimitri uncrossed his arms and rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's possible but would be extraordinarily difficult.
The enhancement compounds interact with immortal cellular structures in ways that human biology doesn't support.
The binding proteins are different, the metabolic pathways are different, the cellular regeneration mechanisms that prevent the compounds from causing permanent damage are different. "
"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 to recall 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.
His brothers already wanted the Eight eliminated, and if they suspected that Dave was operating independently, they would act immediately without waiting for a unanimous council vote or even consulting Losham.
He couldn't afford to lose his most powerful asset, the only real leverage he had over his brothers, except for his superior intelligence.
He needed Dave, and Dave needed the scientist. It was a simple calculation.
"I'm glad to hear that you've revised your assessment," Losham said. "It demonstrates intellectual flexibility. The same flexibility that I'm confident you'll bring to the new research track."
Petrov, who had remained quiet during the exchange, stepped forward. "Lord Losham, if I may."
Losham inclined his head.
"Adapting the formula for humans is a complex undertaking, but I believe it can be done more safely than what Dr. Zhao accomplished in the initial stages of the immortal enhancement program. Zhao was brilliant, but he was also…" He searched for a diplomatic word. "Problematic."
"Mentally unstable is the phrase you're looking for," Losham said.
Petrov had the grace to look uncomfortable.
"Zhao took shortcuts. He pushed dosages higher than prudent, he accelerated timelines beyond what the biology could safely accommodate, and he dismissed adverse reactions as acceptable losses.
That's why so many test subjects were lost. Not because the science was impossible, but because the scientist didn't value the lives of his subjects enough to proceed carefully. "
"And you would."
"Of course." Petrov glanced at Dimitri. "The methodology would be different. Slower and more expensive, but with significantly lower mortality."
Losham would have found higher mortality perfectly acceptable if it sped up the research and made it less costly.
But there were other advantages to a lower mortality rate of the test subjects.
It was a path to creating an army of enhanced humans that didn't require explaining to his brothers why dozens of workers were dying.
Lower mortality meant fewer questions, fewer complications, and fewer opportunities for Kolhood and the others to hijack the program from him.
In fact, it would be best to conduct the research in secret, so his brothers wouldn't find out until his army was ready. He would love to have an army at his disposal that could rival the immortal army Kolhood commanded.
That would take time, though. If he wanted real leverage, he would need at least two enhanced human warriors for every immortal.
Satisfied, Losham stood.
He'd gotten what he came for, not a confession, which he hadn't expected, but a baseline.
He now knew where Dimitri's pressure points were, what motivated him and what terrified him, and most importantly, he'd planted the seed of a new research direction that could change the balance of power in the Brotherhood.
"You have one month to present me with a preliminary research plan," he said. "I want a detailed proposal outlining the modifications required, the testing phases, and the resources you'll need. Dr. Petrov, you will oversee the project."
Volkov swallowed. "One month is not enough."
"One month," Losham repeated. "For the proposal. Surely two scientists of your caliber can produce a research plan in that timeframe."
Neither of them argued further.
Losham nodded to Rami, who opened the lab door.
"One more thing." He paused at the threshold and turned back to look at Dimitri.
"The harbor incident is being investigated.
Several witnesses are being interviewed.
If there is anything about that event that you've neglected to mention, any detail that might be relevant to my investigation, now would be the time to share it. "
Dimitri met his gaze. "I've told you everything, Lord Losham."
That smooth control again. That flawless mask.
He didn't believe it for a moment.
"I'm sure you have," Losham said.
As he and Rami crossed the courtyard, Losham replayed the conversation in his mind, sorting through every word, every expression, every micro-reaction, cataloging them the way a chess player catalogs an opponent's habits and tendencies.
"Your assessment?" he asked Rami.
"The senior scientist is telling the truth. Or close to it. He's frightened and cooperative."
"And Volkov?"
Rami was quiet for a moment. "He's hiding something."
"Obviously. The question is what." Losham squinted against the sun and adjusted his pace. "I couldn't read his mind. Natural barriers. Strong ones."
"That's uncommon."
"Not for smart Russians." Losham waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't prove anything by itself."
"Do you still believe he enhanced himself with the drugs?"
Losham considered the question as they walked.
The adrenaline explanation was plausible enough to satisfy a casual inquiry, and the workers-as-unreliable-witnesses angle gave Dimitri cover.
But the horror on his face when Losham had ordered him to start the human enhancement research had been genuine.
A man who was already secretly enhancing himself wouldn't recoil at the idea of developing the methodology openly.
Unless the horror was specifically about other people dying from the process that he'd survived.
There were too many variables and not enough data. Losham needed to observe Dimitri more closely, test him in controlled situations, and look for the moments when his mask slipped.
"I'm not sure what he's hiding," Losham admitted. "But something about him has changed. The way he carries himself. The way he reacted, or rather didn't react, to my questions. He did better than any human in his position should do."
"Should we test him? Put him in a situation where he'd need to reveal enhanced abilities?"
Losham had considered that.
They could engineer a confrontation, throw Dimitri into a fight with a couple of warriors, and see whether the superhuman speed and strength materialized.
But there were problems with that approach.
If Dimitri was using the drugs intermittently, he might not be enhanced at the moment of the test. The drugs he used on himself might require reinjection before manifesting those increased abilities.
Testing him and getting a negative result would prove nothing except that the timing was wrong.
And if the test yielded a positive result, if Dimitri did fight like an immortal, Losham would have to explain to his brothers how that was possible, and he preferred to keep them in the dark about the possibility of enhancing humans.
"We need to cover for him whether he's using the drugs on himself or not," Losham said. "I don't want my brothers learning about the new research."
Rami nodded, a small smile lifting one corner of his lips. "Now I understand why you asked me to kill the surveillance of the lab. I assume that we are going to leave it that way?"
"Very astute of you, Rami. We don't want anyone finding out what Petrov and Volkov are working on. That being said, I want to increase our own people guarding and monitoring the lab from the outside. After all, it's imperative that we keep our scientists safe."