"S. M. Stirling - Draka 03 - The Stone Dogs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stirling S. M)

they can't test humans to destruction the way we can. Sloppy.
Still, they've got some good people."

She paused. "Very unlikely fo' the virus to be discovered тАФI'm
assuming nothin' goes wrong with the clandestine operations
side. We'd have trouble findin' that bug iff'n we didn't know
what to look for. These retroviruses are cunnin' critters at
concealin' themselves, and we've tweaked it until even the
immune system is completely fooled. Yo'd have to puree the
subject's nerve tissue an' do a congruent-DNA sample test
seriesтАж unless it was activated, of course. That'd produce gross
abnormalities and yo' could follow them back. It's less a disease
than gene-surgery, really."

The Senator looked across to his colleague; she nodded and
spoke: "What'll yo' need?"

"Ummm, more funding. More personnel, as Ah said. And
experimental subjects, of course. Several hundred humans,
assorted gender an' age in the postpubescent range, prefrably the
same ethnic mix as the target population. Very delicate to get it
contagious but with a failsafe turn-off. Don't want it becomin' a
global pandemic, do we?"

"Wodan, no," the Senator said. "Well, Doctor Melford, certain
othahs will have to be consulted, but unofficially I think yo' can
take it that the project will be approved fo' further development."
He rose. "Service to the State."

"Glory to the Race," the scientist answered absent-
absentmindedly as the audience left; she was keying the machine
again, reviewing the additional resources that would be needed.

"Well, how do y' like it?"

"Nice view," the Senator said, nodding down from the terrace
toward the lake and drawing on his cigarette.

The Virunga Biocontrol Institute was built in the hills
overlooking Lake Kivu, at the southern edge of the Virunga
range. A century old now, almost as old as Draka settlement in
these volcanic highlands. Low whitewashed buildings of
stone-block, roofs of plum-colored tile, almost lost among the
vegetation; the gardens were flamboyantly lovely even by the
Domination's standards, fertile lava soils and abundant rain and
a climate of eternal spring. National park stretched north and
west, to the Ituri lowlands: haunt of gorilla and chimp, elephant
and hippo and leopard; of the Bambuti pygmies also, left to their
Old Stone Age existence.