"Okay, Theez," Alex began, "here's the deal. Until we're done talking here, we want you to stop thinking you're a slave. You need to decide for yourself, and we'll respect whatever decision you make."
"A student before his teachers, then?" Theseus suggested.
"Kind of," said Cal. "Except, there's no obligation on your part. You're free to get up and walk away if you don't like what you hear."
"An odd request, but I shall do my best to honor it."
"Okay, cool," Alex replied. "You've seen what we've been doing here, right? This kind of thing—piecing different creatures together—is new to us. What we usually did before we came here was... well, improve people."
"Improve?"
"Yeah. We can make you stronger, faster, even smarter."
"You offer to do this for me?" Theseus asked. "But why?"
"You said you wanted to be the first to ride Pegasus. That's in the cards. But we could do more. How would you like to be a hero?"
Alex gave the others an approving nod, watching Theseus think it over. Definitely the right guy for the job, he thought.
"A hero is one who does great deeds. What deeds would be expected of me?"
"Hypothetically," Gene began, "what if Chimera—or the new creature we're working on—were to be sent to the mortal realm? They would sow destruction and terror wherever they went. It would require a hero to slay them."
"So I would be..." Theseus paused for a moment. "A failsafe. Is that not what you call it?"
"Exactly!" Alex beamed. "We need a failsafe. Someone able and willing to act if needed."
"I'm willing."
"Here's the downside, though," said Cal. "Some of it will hurt a lot, at least at first. We can give you, uh, medicines that numb the pain. Other things won't hurt, but you'll feel... odd. Not like yourself. At least until you've gotten used to your new abilities."
"We can enhance your strength and speed," Mack added, "but we can't give you all the abilities you'll need to fight monsters. You'll be learning swordplay and the like. Fortunately, we have the absolute best lined up."
Theseus bowed his head. "I have always imagined my fate would be far beyond here, righting wrongs and earning the favor of men. And now, here you are, my masters, offering me that which I thought was only a dream. If this course brings me pain, I shall bear it. If knowledge is offered, I shall accept it. Do what you must, and know that I am glad to receive your gifts."
Mack picked up a syringe. "In that case, let's get started."
• • •
"I was hoping you would have been ready to show me your next creation by now," Zeus scolded from his throne.
The four biohackers listened, heads bowed, but Gene stole a glance toward Hera. She gave him a nod.
"We have been considering how best to proceed, O great one," Gene replied. We know you were more pleased with Chimera than the others, but..."
"Oh, no," the god reassured them. "All of them are pleasing. Hermes is especially pleased with Pegusus. A flying horse would awe all but the most loutish of mortals. But indeed am I intrigued by your Chimera. But also did I enjoy your Centaur. As it happens, a man strode up Olympus yesterday, claiming to be a god. Mad fool. Perhaps you can use him in your endeavor."
• • •
"Okay," said Mack, "he wants another modified dude."
"So we give him what he wants?" Alex replied.
"I don't know about this," said Cal. "We've never modified anyone who didn't want it. We didn't exactly tell Centaur what we had in mind, but he was still willing."
"We might have to pitch it, then," Gene suggested. "We'll make him strong, fearsome, that kind of thing."
"Dude," Cal groaned, "he's insane. Or so says Z. How can he consent if he's not competent?"
"The Big Guy will probably kill him—or have him killed, anyway—if we don't use him," Mack pointed out. "I don't see any way out otherwise."
"So we modify him, or let him get executed," Gene concluded. "I think those are the choices. It sucks, but we gotta work with what we got."
• • •
Zeus swept into the anteroom where the biohackers did their work. "So soon?" he asked. "It has been but two weeks."
"Oh, it's not ready just yet," Gene replied, sketching a bow. "But we knew you would want to see progress. We can show you what we have so far, and you can see the gist of it. Is that acceptable?"
"Well. One must not expect miracles from mortals, after all." Zeus laughed at his own joke. "Show me what you have."
They stood looking at the misshapen thing. "We wanted to use human hips and legs for this one, but... well, they wouldn't carry the weight." Alex shrugged. "The gorilla in your menagerie—"
"The what?"
"The big hairy man-like creature you brought from Egypt."
"Ah." Zeus nodded, feeling less bored than usual at their endless chatter.
"Right. Well, we needed the whole body. You can see how we're grafting the bull's head onto it. But the man you gave us? We're going to put his brain in it."
"But why?"
"The brain is the seat of the mind," said Cal, trying to keep any hint of condecension out of his voice.
"But only part of his spirit, sir," Gene added. "His spirit will change to adapt to his new body. We can't predict exactly how."
"Adding the brain is going to be really tricky," Alex cut in. "We'll have to modify the head to make the brain fit. No big deal, but the neural connections—even to a gorilla's body—are a real bear."
"Bear? This is part bear too?"
"Oh, no sir." Cal again tried to keep his voice neutral. "That's just an expression."
"Well, when you finish it, I name it Minotaur. Return to your labors. I am pleased." Zeus walked away, feeling indeed pleased. This creature presented many possibilities. He sent a small blessing to the biohackers, that they might succeed in this particular endeavor.
• • •
"My legs!" the creature roared. "I can't move! I can't feel!"
"Your mind and your body need to... well, get used to each other." Gene spoke in a soothing tone and gave him an injection. "Go to sleep. You won't be completely healed when you awake, but sleep will improve things."
"I am... I must... be whole. My voice sounds... strange." He went limp.
"You didn't give him too much, did you?" Alex asked. "He went down pretty fast."
"He weighs a hundred fifty kilos, at a minimum," Mack replied. "He won't stop breathing or anything."
"Poor guy," Cal mused. "He didn't even realize he was strapped down."
