10
3053, Clan Homeworlds...
"That thing used to be a human being. He had a name."
"AND??"
"and I think it might still have some ability to reason left, despite the tortures you've put it through...put him through." Scientist Wendi was a biologist specializing in weaponised disease, the Clan Watch knew her 'labname' as one of the darker jokes among the criminals in the Society.
Mengele, because her specialty was horrifying and she did not seek employment in less horrifying fields, even when openings were available.
Etienne found the woman to be appropriately humble with her betters, and a little bit disturbing on a personal level.
"I have known you for over a decade, and this is the first time you have volunteered to look into something that was not a weaponized virus, prion, or fungus, Wendi." Etienne said, "Why?? why this case?"
"because the better doctors are losing their minds trying to grasp what is happening to this man and why he continues to refuse to die." she said. "Locked box, first decent one in decades. The first puzzle anyone has brought us that is not boring."
"what is your direction of investigation, remember, we have to report to the warrior caste on this..."
"first, to find out if there's still a man in there after all." she said, "then find a way to bring the man out, and put the beast back...barring that, figure out how to put both out of their misery permanently and efficiently."
"and what makes you think you can do this, where better scientists have not?" Etienne asked in an oily tone.
"because I remembered to do enough due diligence to identify some of the symptoms. There are records of ancient projects that had...similar...outcomes. Banned researches from before the Amaris Coup, work in fields of human augmentation and lifespan extension, I think I know where to start looking, and it is not in a gas chamber filled with cyanide."
"Why should I stick my neck out for you on this?" He demanded.
"Because the warriors would have dropped this man in the nearest sun if they didn't want some of what he has, without the drawbacks." she asserted. "What we do not know, yet, is whether that is even a remote possibility."
"Do you think it is?"
"I don't know. what I 'think' is worthless, only what I can demonstrate and prove has meaning, the first question hs to be working out if there is even a man in that mutating shell to save, if not, then the answer must be 'no'...but if there is,.?"