The Burning Eye by Jerry Pournelle

Author:Jerry Pournelle [Pournelle, Jerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Breedmaster looked up from his data terminal as Diettinger entered. He almost seemed to be smiling. Diettinger was sure it was a trick of the light; Caius was virtually humorless.

“First Rank,” Caius acknowledged. “I was about to contact you myself. Cross-fertilization tests on the cattle gave the expected results: full compatibility.”

Diettinger grunted in relief. “Progress on the Cyborg issue?” he asked. Despite the difficulties they posed to his continued leadership, the survival of the Super Soldiers was crucial to his long-range plans for his people. The Empire that had destroyed Sauron was dying, he knew. The first race to emerge from the Interregnum with a techno-military lead would dominate human space for the next thousand years. The Cyborgs could be that edge.

But Caius shook his head. “Very bad, I’m afraid. Cyborgs were typically altered within their gestation capsules, all through their development, with the chemical, physical and biological augments that make them what they are. That technology is of course lost to us now. But there is some hope.”

Caius called up a list of information on his screen.

“That hope arises from the fact that the word ‘cyborg’ is almost a misnomer. The Cyborg’s abilities, unlike those of the failed experiments conducted by the Imperials, come not from artificial constructs implanted within their bodies, but from synthesized, purpose-built genetic material, which the fetus assimilates as it develops. Much like the ‘royal jelly’ process that creates fertile queens out of sterile workers.”

Diettinger looked blank.

“Terran bees,” Caius explained. Diettinger understood the reference, if not the fact.

“This synthesized DNA was fashioned in toto by our scientists, but its necessary similarity to normal Sauron genetic structure allows for the occasional ability of Cyborgs to breed true, even down to the concentration of metals in their bones.” Caius turned to Diettinger. “End of genetic biology lesson, but for one thing. For at least the first few generations, the female mates for the Cyborgs must be of the highest physical and genetic qualifications, to allow any chance of survival for the offspring of such unions, to say nothing of the mothers.”

“Then,’ Diettinger said slowly, “every attempt will have to be made to protect the Cyborgs and afford their assigned mates the utmost care. They will be mated only with Sauron females, I presume?”

“That would allow the greatest chance for success.”

“Make the necessary arrangements.” Removing the Cyborgs from combat duty would go a long way towards finishing them off as competitors for social dominance in the new order. But the loss of Sauron females as mates for the crew was a problem. Quite a few had already established liaisons with one another.

No matter. The race came first. Diettinger really had no choice. He took a stimulant and hurried down the corridor for his meeting with Engineering.

The engine bay was a cacophony of noise that set his teeth on edge as Ranks worked at gutting the Dol Guldur for her precious high technology. Around him, the walls were bare metal in most places; the jump engines had already been disassembled and removed, as had the non-functioning maneuver engine.

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