Chapter 5 Navuh #2
"What happened to the man?" Losham asked.
"His body entered a catatonic state. Brain activity suggested he was still conscious, just distributed.
The authorities didn't appreciate the scientific value.
They called it an unethical and unauthorized experimentation on a human subject.
" Petrov shook his head. "So narrow-minded, so provincial.
Dmitri was just a kid, a twenty-three-year-old doctoral student following instructions. They had no right to imprison him."
Navuh smiled. This was exactly the kind of amoral brilliance he needed. Someone who saw human consciousness as merely another variable to be manipulated, another problem to be solved.
"How do you propose to improve Zhao's formula?" he asked.
Petrov straightened in his chair, suddenly looking almost professional despite the vodka bottle clutched in his hand.
"Zhao's compound creates uncontrolled neuroplasticity.
The brain randomly rewires itself, creating new neural pathways that enable quantum consciousness perception.
But it's chaos. What you need is a directed change.
" He stood abruptly and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
"Look here." He leaned over the desk and spread the paper out, revealing chemical formulas and neurological diagrams scribbled in barely legible handwriting.
"We add a synthetic protein that acts as a guide for the new neural pathways.
Instead of random connections, we create specific patterns.
Patterns that can be activated or deactivated through secondary chemical triggers. "
Navuh studied the diagrams. He understood barely a fraction of what he was looking at, but he was intrigued. "Can your modification allow for turning the enhancement on and off?"
"Better than that." Petrov's grin was manic.
"We can create levels. Partial enhancement for regular operations, like increased strength and speed.
Full enhancement for combat with access to the collective and shared tactical awareness.
And emergency enhancement for critical situations, manifesting as complete hive mind integration, but only for limited periods to prevent psychological fracture. "
"How long before you can produce a working prototype?"
Petrov scratched his head, further disheveling his wild hair. "With proper equipment and Dmitri's assistance? Six months for the initial formula. Another six for testing and refinement. But I'll need test subjects. Humans first, to establish baseline neural mapping. Then your immortals."
"Humans?" Losham interjected. "My lord, the formula killed every human test subject Zhao used."
"Because Zhao was an idiot," Petrov said bluntly.
"He tried to force evolutionary changes that would take millions of years to develop naturally.
Of course they died. We need to start smaller.
Micro-doses to study the neural changes.
Build up tolerance gradually. Map the progression.
" He turned back to Navuh. "I'll need at least twenty human subjects for the preliminary trials.
Preferably young, healthy, with no prior neurological conditions. "
"That can be arranged," Navuh said.
"Excellent." Petrov returned to his chair, slumping back into it. "I'll also need a proper laboratory. What Zhao left behind is adequate but not ideal. I need better equipment."
"Make a list," Navuh said. "Losham will procure whatever you need."
"What about Dmitri? I can't do this without him."
Navuh looked at Losham. "How quickly can you extract him from the Russian labor camp?"
Losham's lips curved in a slight smile. "With the right incentives, I can have him here within days, and if I ask Gorchenco for another favor, we could probably have him on a plane to the Maldives by tomorrow."
"Then ask Gorchenco." Navuh turned his attention back to Petrov. "You mentioned you've experienced this expanded consciousness yourself through mathematics?"
Petrov's expression darkened. "A warning, Lord Navuh.
Some doors, once opened, can never be fully closed.
I saw the mathematical proof for consciousness as a fundamental force of the universe.
Once you see that proof, you can't un-see it.
Every thought becomes suspect—is it yours, or is it bleeding through from another probability stream?
Every decision—did you make it, or were you always going to make it across all possible timelines? "
His insanity was obvious, but perhaps it could be managed.
"And yet you are still functioning," Navuh said.
"Vodka helps." Petrov raised his bottle in a salute.
"Alcohol disrupts quantum coherence in microtubules.
It keeps me grounded in this specific reality instead of drifting across probabilistic states.
Without it..." He shuddered. "Without it, I can feel them all.
Every version of myself that could have been, should have been, might yet be.
It's magnificent and terrifying at the same time. "
"Are the enhanced soldiers experiencing something similar?"
"Worse. They're experiencing it collectively.
Imagine not just sensing your own alternate selves, but those of other minds simultaneously.
The weight of all those possibilities would crush a normal consciousness.
That's why they retreat into their shared space.
It's the only way to maintain any sense of self. "
Navuh stood, indicating the meeting was coming to an end. "Prepare the list of equipment and materials you need."
Petrov hauled himself to his feet, swaying slightly. "One more thing. I need access to the enhanced soldiers you have in isolation. I need to observe them."
"They are extremely dangerous and difficult to contain. You are never to approach them unless they are chained or they will kill you."
Petrov shook his head. "If I am to work with them, I need to be close to them. Is there any way you can build a holding facility for them in the lab?"
Navuh hadn't planned on that, but it made sense. "It will be done."
"Thank you." Petrov headed for the door, then paused. "You know, Lord Navuh, you're either going to change the nature of warfare forever or create something that destroys everything you've built. Either way, it will be fascinating to watch."
When Petrov walked out, Losham lingered behind. "My lord, are you certain about this? The man is obviously insane. What he said only sounded profound, but it was gibberish."
"All brilliance carries the seed of madness," Navuh said. "His instability is precisely what makes him valuable. A sane man would never attempt what we need done. Besides, the assistant might be the sane one who actually makes sense."
Losham bowed. "I'll begin arrangements for extracting Volkov immediately."
After Losham departed, Navuh walked to the window, contemplating what he'd set in motion. Petrov was brilliant, possibly more so than Zhao, but brilliance that came wrapped in madness was like handling unstable explosives—useful for demolition, but prone to unexpected detonation.
The enhanced soldiers in their isolation cells were proof of what happened when human consciousness was pushed beyond its natural boundaries. They'd gained power but lost their individual selves.
Petrov claimed he could control that process, create soldiers who could access that power without losing themselves to it.
If he succeeded, Navuh would have an army unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Soldiers who could think as one, fight as one, yet retain enough individuality to follow orders and make tactical decisions.
And if he failed, well, failures could always be buried.
The island had plenty of room for graves.