To: Captain XO
From: Chief, Debriefing Team
Subject: Debrief of Scientist, Doctor [REDACTED]
Background: Following the extraction of Doctor [REDACTED] (hereafter, Doctor) from the Muscovite South China Sea island, a debrief team conducted two interviews with the Doctor. Both debriefs were conducted onboard the Renegade while we transited to Shanghai for the handoff of the Doctor to Finnish government. Based on the debriefs, it is clear why the Finns were alarmed.
The Doctor, a Woods Hole Oceanographic trained Biological Oceangrapher, had been conducting research into genetic drift among populations of ocean dependent local populations in the South Seas, attempting to identify epigenetic changes and adaptation as a result of heavy use of ocean products (as he put, ‘I wanted to see if fishermen grew more fishy.’)
The Doctor, while island hopping to conduct research, found a population that showed significant adaptation to the maritime environment, especially as they aged. Despite the Doctor’s efforts, he was unable to obtain any DNA samples voluntarily, and he stated his code of ethics as a scientist prevented him from obtaining a sample surreptiously.
The Doctor had written and transmitted an email to a colleague, regarding his initial observations, as well as his frustrations in gathering data. The next day, the Doctor was kidnapped off the R/V Stalwart. The Doctor believes he was drugged and taken while unconscious to the Muscovite research lab, where he was interrogated and then forced under duress to work with Musccovite scientists on genetic experimentation, using a variety of cell cultures from a previously unknown (to the Doctor) species. The Doctor noted that the DNA in the cell cultures was exceptionally ‘malleable’ and seemed capable of adapting its genetic compatibility to other DNA that it was introduced to. The Doctor came to the conclusion, based on the research direction, that the Muscovite controllers and researchers were working on a method to introduce piscine genetic traits and features to a human population (his quote: ‘Fish men. Like The Shape of Water, or the Creature from the Black Lagoon.’) He theorized that the purpose behind the research may have had several reasons: 1) climate change adaptation; introduction of piscine traits may be theorized to give an evolutionary advantage to a population; 2) Addition of piscine traits could lead to the development of Marines/Frogmen that are superbly adapted for littoral warfare, hence Finland’s interest, given the on-going skirmishing between Muscovy and the Finns.
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