“So the experiment failed, in essence,” Svetlana added. “They pressured Mikhail, then added a bit of their own. They messed with his method, and created this mess.” She expressed once more her father’s observations, ones she had heard only once, a month before her father took his own life. But she had listened intently, and his words had stuck with her, etched into her soul.
67
“The research was nearly scrapped until the late seventies, when a scientist produced positive results. He began official work on the project in nineteen eighty,” Svetlana said. “Mikhail Ivanovich, and he was probably the greatest mind of our generation.”
“Never heard of him,” Clements muttered.
“Few have,” she responded.
“How’d things go wrong? What were the problems? Exactly,” Dale demanded.
“Rapid mutation adversely affected the subjects when the first tests were underway. Mostly animals, though later prisoners. They were injected with his compounds, each time he was getting a little closer. Usually, the mutations would kill the subject. Later, certain parts, certain genetic growth would occur. However, cellular structure was a tough obstacle, and often the compound killed the host.”
“Picking a fight with mother nature and losing, eh?” Dale commented.
“I suppose,” Svetlana said, unclear on exactly what he meant. “In the end, though, he created a bio-agent that in theory would work. It was all about the mixture of chemicals. If done precisely, it was theoretically possible for this to be successful. The delivery system was important, hence the need for it to be in gaseous form.”
“And turned these Mujahideen guys into. ?” Dale questioned.
“Monsters,” Svetlana.
“Fucking commies,” Clements muttered.
Thompson laughed, he couldn’t help it.
The thought was ludicrous.
68
Dale asked, “What exactly is this chemical? What does it do, and will it have any effect on my team? Don’t need my guys getting sick or anything.”
“The compound is classified,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that. It doesn’t matter, anyway. It has no residual effects. Within twenty minutes of breach, the chemical could do no more damage. Your men won’t be harmed, nor will you need biohazard suits.”
“The reason she can’t answer is because she doesn’t know,” Svetlana admitted.
Elizabeth glared. “We don’t know its exact properties, that’s true. We have some guesses, and those are classified. We don’t know what happened to Dr. Ivanovich. His research was lost. Regardless, the results were instant. The toxins mixed, filled the cave and dissipated. Everyone inside succumbed to one of two fates. Death, or mutation.”
“They mutated?” Dale asked, once more confirming. It was as if he needed to hear it over and over again for it to make sense.
“Yes. Mutated into humanoid creatures with a lust for killing,” Elizabeth answered.
“How many we talking?” Dale asked.
“Enough to fill a cave,” Elizabeth replied. “I’ll allow Svetlana to fill in those gaps. The Soviet Union kept pretty good tabs, and our count should be close.”
All eyes were back on the Russian woman as she spoke.
69
Svetlana intimidated the men, though she’d never know it. Her looks were enough, for most men, all except Thompson maybe, would be intimidated by her features; her body, her face. Everything so perfect.
But it was her intellect that got them most. She was an idealist, they could tell right away. No doubt anti-war, no doubt a believer that mankind can set aside its differences.
Svetlana went on to explain the best she could. Laymen’s terms were something she wasn’t accustomed to.
“It starts with DNA manipulation. As we age, our DNA is constantly replicating, but the older we get, its starts replicating glitches. This is the natural process of life — decay of the cells. And eventually we die because our vital organs break down due to these glitches,” Svetlana explained.
She waited a moment, as if maybe there’d be questions. There were none, so she kept speaking, “Ever since Galton coined the phrase ‘Survival of the Fittest’, and the word Eugenics — which means well-born, by the way — there’s been a world-wide movement to convince people that genetics are our destiny. That our bloodline is everything, that some are better than others. According to this hypothesis, our genes supposedly determine our innate superiority, or inferiority. Now, this is true in some instances, though not always.”
“I’m sorry,” Clements said, raising his hand. “I’m a bit lost.”
“That’s no surprise,” Rivers said.
“Vanilla Seal,” Clements shot back.
Svetlana continued, ignoring the interruption, “Fact is, very little in life is genetic, like we’re told. For example, most diseases arise from a complex mixture of genes we inherit from our parents. That’s why your doctor asks if you have any history of cancer in your family.”
“Yeah, so?” Clements said.
“But it’s not always the case. The push for genetics is because of an agenda, not truth. Truth is, our environment plays a vital role, possibly much more than genetics.”
“And why does this matter?” Rivers asked.
“The toxins we breathe, ingest, absorb from the air and water, all factor into our health. Whatever was created was done by means of its environment. A perfect blend of chemical and biological agents. They tricked the human genes, which have a willingness to fight back when attacked. But this compound did the trick. In this case, the compound, in its gaseous state, filled their lungs, soaked into their pores, and literally began modifying their gene functions. Within minutes, they began changing. It would have been agonizing. Their flesh would peel off, and heal itself instantly. Their hair would fall out and begin re-growing. Their bone structure would alter, expand even.”
“My God!” Dale expressed.
“It gets worse. Your question earlier was how many. I’ll give you our best numbers, and how we came to the conclusion. But first, you must ask another question.
“Is this Kung Fu hour?” Dale said quite rudely. “Let’s get to it.”
“These… people kept certain genetic memories. Remember, this cave housed some of the top Mujahideen leaders, including a man named Ahmed Massoud. They were an important group, important to the cause, and up until mid nineteen eighty-four, they were successful in their efforts. Ahmed was especially a thorn in the side of the Soviets. After the experiment, nothing was heard from them again. Ahmed was no more. So, new warlords took over, the Mujahideen carried on the fight, and only myth and legend remained. What’s important for you to realize, is not that these people have superhuman abilities, but they also carry with them a certain…” Svetlana paused, searching for the word.
“Rage,” Elizabeth finished for her.
“That’s correct,” Svetlana agreed. “The problem isn’t as much how many, but what they’re capable of. These… things are genetically altered humans. Their molecular structure isn’t like ours, it’s altered, only half human. They’re constantly evolving, changing, growing. These things also have a gene trait that triggers aggression, and hate. Hate is the right word, for their last genetic memory was that of the Soviets firing a chemical into their cave. They would be enraged still, to this very day. That single moment would haunt them forever.”