The Story
In 1998 the JASON Group, the secret scientific advisors to the Pentagon, recommended a heavy investment in genetics and nanotechnology, reasoning that the next war would not be fought by faster planes or more powerful ships, but by men on the ground. Urban warfare and guerilla insurgencies were the legacy of Cold War Victory.
In 2001 DARPA, ahead of civilian researchers, finished mapping the complete human genome. In light of MIT’s breakthroughs in micromachines and Johns Hopkins’ revolutionary somatic therapy process, military leadership decided to move to phase three of the Advanced Soldier Program. Government money was matched with corporate investment in a joint venture R&D effort to create and share new human enhancement technology. Fueled by patriotism, scientific curiosity, and greed a bold research agenda in quantum physics, microprocessors, gene therapy and exotic materials was conducted with extraordinary results. After three years and billions of dollars in funded research, the Secretary of Defense gave his consent to proceed to human trials. In August of 2004, a call for volunteers was issued.
From all branches they came: Leathernecks, Zoomies, SEALs, Seabees and Rangers. Ten men in all, they were the few and the proud, eager to be all they could be.
Three years later, they walked away. Nine were scarred. One was broken.
