Connelly and Desh excused themselves from the room as Kira forged ahead. She described how she had experimented on animals before eventually turning herself into a human guinea pig. She described the enormous plasticity of the human brain, which allowed for a ten-fold range of human intelligence, from an IQ of twenty-five to above two hundred, even without being engineered to optimize the potential of what was basically an infinite number of neuronal connections. She explained how she had ultimately developed a cocktail of engineered viruses contained within gellcaps, which delivered a genetic payload that rewired the brain in minutes—in a chain reaction that ordered neurons in a way that random evolution never could. And she explained that they were telling him all this because they wanted to recruit him to their cause, which they would elaborate upon later.
Along the way van Hutten began asking questions and making comments, seemingly unable to avoid becoming intellectually engaged by the discussion, despite himself.
Finally, Kira presented video footage of early experiments she had done on lab rats, who unlike the repulsive sewer rats of horror movie fame, were gray faced and had pink, Mickey Mouse ears that made them look almost cute and cuddly. The footage showed the rodents learning a classical water maze, swimming in a panic inside what looked like a rat hot tub, the water made opaque with powdered milk, until they found the quadrant with a submerged platform. While natural swimmers, the rats always looked to be on the verge of drowning. Many repetitions were required before the test subjects spent most of their time searching for the platform in the correct quadrant.
The video then showed a rat that had just arrived at the facility, one that had never been trained. This rat was injected with Kira’s virus cocktail and twenty minutes later placed in a cage overlooking the water maze, able to observe an untreated cousin flail around in the water until it finally, randomly, found the platform.
The moment the cocktail treated rat was placed in the water maze it swam straight as an arrow for the platform.
Kira explained how stunned she had been the first time this had happened. The rat had learned how to beat the test just by watching a single one of its brethren. A single time. It was unheard of.
Toward the middle of the video, Desh and Connelly had returned to the meeting carrying water, soft drinks, and a tray of heaping roast beef, chicken club, and tuna salad sandwiches, which had undoubtedly been prepared ahead of time and stored in a nearby refrigerator. By the time the video ended and Kira had finished her narration, the men had eaten their fill.
Kira clicked off the screen with a small black remote and turned her attention to van Hutten. He was deep in thought. She sensed from his questions and reactions that he wanted to believe, but her claims were so fantastic, so audacious, that he couldn’t get beyond his last shred of skepticism. She was no stranger to this reaction.
“Now we all know that everything I just told you could be an elaborate hoax,” said Kira. “And the rat footage could have been faked.” She paused. “I could also go on to show you discoveries and inventions that are clearly beyond the current state of the art. We’ve done this before as well, with mixed results. Some who’ve been where you are, Anton, believe us and let down their guard, while some continue to be skeptical. Once you’ve seen a few Vegas magic acts, you believe that anything can be faked in close quarters. Inventions, videos, what have you.”
Van Hutten allowed himself a shallow smile. “True. But at least I’m convinced you’re a molecular biologist. Your knowledge of the brain and genetic engineering is impressive. And I have to say your arguments make the impossible seem almost reasonable.” He paused. “But you’re right. I still can’t help but think this might be nothing more than a magic act—although admittedly a dazzling one.”
The room was totally silent for several long seconds. Kira removed a roast beef sandwich from the tray and caught Griffin’s eye, giving him an almost imperceptible nod. Her part of the show was now over. Desh had insisted long before that she not be involved in the part of the discussion that could often get unpleasant. Not because she was a woman and they were men, but because she was the unanimously acknowledged leader of the group and they all thought it important that she stay above the fray.
The giant blew out a long breath. “The only way you’ll believe us the proverbial one hundred and ten percent,” he said, “Is if you take a gellcap and see for yourself.” He paused to give van Hutten time to digest this statement. “I promise you that the effects are not dangerous. And they only last for about an hour. You’ll be famished afterwards, but we’ll supply you with plenty of high-glycemic-index food.” Griffin smiled. “For those of us who experimented a little in college with cannabis sativa,” he added, “these are better known as munchies.”
Desh fixed an intense gaze on van Hutten. “Are you willing to try it?” he asked.
The physicist removed his black framed glasses, rubbed his eyes, and placed them back on his face. “And if I’m not?” he said finally.
“We can respect that,” replied Desh. “I was reluctant myself. It’s as if you’re being pushed to take LSD. We’re telling you it’s harmless, and there are no after effects, but this requires you to trust us implicitly. And it is mind altering. No one could blame you for not wanting to rush into something like this.”
“Then you’re okay if I pass?”
Desh grimaced. “Actually no,” he said. “I’m afraid we’d have to insist. We know that forcing this on you couldn’t be more unethical. We try to make ourselves feel better by using the ends justify the means argument, but we know this argument is the last refuge of the incompetent. But I also know you’ll be thanking me when this is all over.”
“For forcing me into something I don’t want to do?”
Desh nodded. “Unlike you, we know it won’t have after effects.” He tilted his head. “Suppose you come across a man from a primitive culture dying from a bacterial infection and you have penicillin. Suppose this person believes he can get better and refuses to take the penicillin, knowing nothing about it and not certain he can trust you. But you know this antibiotic will cure him, and he’ll die otherwise. Do you force him to take it?”
“Yes,” replied van Hutten with only a moment of thought. “Some wouldn’t, I suppose, but I would.” He shook his head. “But this is the most strained analogy I’ve ever heard. I’m not a primitive dying of a bacterial infection. This is far from life and death. The comparison you’re trying to draw couldn’t be more flawed.”
Desh grinned. “Quit beating around the bush, Professor, and tell me what you really think.”
Griffin smiled as well. “Can’t say you don’t have a point, Dr van Hut . . . um, Anton,” he added. “The problem with recruiting brilliant people is that they’re so damn . . . well, brilliant. Not easy to persuade.”
“Look,” said Desh, “we’re asking you to do this voluntarily. But again, we’re prepared to make this happen by force if necessary. Even knowing we have no ethical ground to stand on. We’re not proud of it. But we can’t let you leave until you’ve been what we call enhanced.”
“Why? Why is this so important?”
“Because no one who has been enhanced even a single time has not joined our efforts,” said Connelly, who had remained largely quiet throughout the proceedings. “If you don’t experience this for yourself, realize that everything we’ve told you is true, the security risk is too high. You know too much about us.”