"Understanding how it works might help us counter it," he said. "Maybe find weaknesses."
"There are the obvious ones," Julian said. "The enhancements require constant maintenance. Several daily doses for optimal performance, and a minimum of one a day to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The compounds are metabolized quickly by immortals."
"The question is whether Zhao can stabilize Level Three," Kaia said. "If he can maintain those physical enhancements without the mental degradation..."
"We'd be facing warriors we simply can't match physically," Kian finished. "We need to push the Odu project and create mechanical warriors."
Onegus lifted a hand. "Let's slow down for a moment and think it through. We don't often engage with Doomers, and when we do, it's usually against a small cell. Even if we build an army of Odus, we still won't be able to storm the island with them or take them to clean Doomer infestations wherever we find them. What we need to focus on is protecting the village, and for that, an army of indestructible Odus would be invaluable. But perhaps our castle in Scotland needs them more than we do. Its main line of defense is the constant shrouding they use to mask their location, but it's not effective against immortals."
"They have explosives along the roads and the bridges." Kian shifted in his seat. "But you are right about them being more exposed than we are. I would prefer them to move here so we can combine our forces and enhance our defenses, but I can't force them to do so."
Theoretically his mother could command them to move for their own safety, but that wasn't how Annani worked. She would never force them to do anything that they didn't want to. She could be persuasive, though.
Kaia let out a breath. "I'm glad that we have other options because we are still very far from designing anything as complicated as the Odus."
"I don't need a perfect replica," Kian said. "Can you build something functional, even if it's not as advanced as the original Odus?"
Kaia looked uncomfortable. "What you are talking about is completely autonomous combat units. That's something that will require years of machine learning and then testing before it can be mass-produced."
He was well aware that what he was asking of her was not achievable in the time frame he needed, but if he didn't push, they wouldn't have a solution even ten years from now.
"We need options, Kaia. And I don't like the position we are in."
"I'll redouble our efforts," she promised.
"Do what you can," Kian said before turning to Julian. "Can you prepare medical protocols for treating enhancement drug withdrawal? If we capture more enhanced Doomers, we need something to keep them alive for interrogation."
"You are right that the withdrawal might kill them," Julian warned.
"Then figure out how to manage it. We need intelligence, not corpses."
