“Yes. The UN resolution formally forbidding such experiments worldwide was passed in 2055. However, the research continued in secrecy in Russia. Our ultimate goal was to create a soldier with a toughened body, but the research ran into some problems, and the whole thing was almost scrapped. But humans are sinful creatures. The intelligence agency learned that the Canadian government was conducting the same type of research. After we learned what they were doing, we reached out to the Canadian government and offered to collaborate.”
“And that led to the Genetic Improvement Project, starting with the Second Reinforced Soldier Project mentioned in the document?”
“Precisely. We offered to provide financial support for all aspects of the research, while the Canadians provided the research facility, the research staff, and the equipment. You’ll find a document explaining the details at the end of the data, so feel free to look at that later. As I’ve said, our objective was to create a super soldier. But this merely amounted to using drugs and nanomachines to improve a soldier’s body. In other words, we were trying to strengthen an existing soldier. Meanwhile, the Canadians attempted to create a human born with altered genetics. This was the Alice Project.”
It reminded me of something that the staff from the medical department had explained to me on Noa Island. There were limits to improvements that could be made to an existing human body. Those limits made it impossible to create an anti-aging drug that completely stopped aging. At best, aging could be slowed down. To completely stop aging, it would be necessary to create a strengthened life form whose genes had been modified from the start.
So that’s what the Alice Project was about. That means that the photograph of Alice in those documents...
“It’s worth mentioning that our country concluded the Reinforced Soldier Project more or less successfully,” Joseph added. “The proof is in the existence of our external special forces unit, Chernobog. We’re improved soldiers that have been modified based on the results of the Genetic Improvement Project. And there’s no doubt that the Alice Project led by the Canadian government reached a somewhat successful conclusion. The proof is your son’s girlfriend, Alice Alford. She’s one of the Evolution Sisters born out of the Alice Project.”
I knew it, I thought. I guessed when I heard the name of the project. But what does it matter? If Alice learns that she was involved in some crazy medical experiment carried out by a shadowy organization, she’ll probably find it exciting. She loves that kind of thing. And it doesn’t bother me. I doubt it’ll bother Shingo or Aikawa, either. I just wish Mom wouldn’t look at us as if we need her to feel sorry for us! It takes a lot to shock us kids these days.
“As far as I can tell from these documents, Alice was the only example of success,” Mom said. “It says that Alice’s sisters showed no signs of life, but the report doesn’t give any explanation why.”
“Do you believe in souls?” Joseph asked. “I don’t mean in a figurative sense. I mean an actual soul that resides in a living body.”
“What are you talking about?”
“According to a theory set out by a certain researcher, a human serving as a vessel for a soul can only carry a human-sized soul. An insect carries an insect-sized soul, a dog carries a dog-sized soul, and so on. Our souls may be strictly limited from the start. But if there was a vessel that appeared human but had greater strength and intellect, what sort of soul would it carry?”
“This is complete drivel!” Mom exclaimed.
No, I think Joseph might be right, I mused. Vessels like the Evolution Sisters should have been too big to house the life that was meant for them. Which means that someone like Alice can’t have a human soul.
I pondered.
I didn’t realize it until just now, but I’ve changed my views since visiting G-88. The soul inside Alice is probably something similar to a dragon soul. There are dragons that can move between worlds, so maybe there was a dragon capable of moving into another world after its body had been destroyed and only the soul remained. That means there’s something I need to check...
“Joseph, did this researcher ever say anything about reincarnation?” I asked. “For example, did they ever mention the possibility of a soul from a parallel universe or from the past or future moving through space and time before settling in a vessel?”
“She did... She had that exact same idea. But would that even be possible?”
“I can’t prove it, but I think her theory is correct. This researcher... I’d like to meet with her myself and ask her some questions.”
“That’s not possible,” he said. “She’s the leader of a religious cult known as ‘New World,’ and you’re one of their targets. She’s the one who intends to have the captain killed to stop any more information about these projects leaking out. Her name is Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya. I suggest you look into her yourselves. My people are in hiding. I need to check that they’re safe and then meet with them at a new location. I’ll contact you again in two hours.”
The terminal abruptly switched off.
We could have switched it back on from here, but we didn’t want to interfere while he was moving to a new position, and it was enough to continue tracking him by satellite. I decided that the first thing we needed to do was negotiate with the Russian government and have the execution of the captain delayed.
“Mom, we need to begin negotiations—”
I stopped short of saying “with Russia” because there was something strange about the way Mom was staring at me. It made me worry. I was about to ask her if something was wrong, but she spoke first.
“Kou... were you reincarnated?”
She found me out... I thought, chagrined. A genius on Mom’s level was never going to have any trouble figuring it out. Not after hearing that conversation and seeing these documents. It’s time to stop hiding it. There’ll never be a better opportunity than this.
With that decided, I looked Mom directly in the eye and nodded.