The experimental procedure proceeded steadily amidst a chilling precision.
As the effects of the sedative gradually wore off, the thirty young subjects in the observation room began to regain consciousness one after another.
When they emerge from light sleep, their first sensation is not wakefulness, but a strange physiological experience.
Loken, the eighteen-year-old boy from the Lower Nest Metalworking Workshop, almost sprang to his feet.
His thick fingers clenched suddenly, the knuckles cracking louder than ever before. He could clearly feel a strange force surging beneath the muscle fibers of his forearm, as if the invisible chains that had bound him had been shattered.
This ruthless enhancement brought a hint of almost animalistic satisfaction to his face, which was roughened by dirt and burns.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the metal walls and medical equipment, an urge to find something hard to test this newfound power stirring within him.
In contrast, Finn, who had been an apprentice in the maintenance of the ventilation ducts of the ship, was unusually quiet.
His pale, nineteen-year-old face was expressionless; he simply closed his eyes and was completely immersed in the new sensory world he had just acquired.
The regular pulsation of the hydraulic pump in the distance, the subtle whistling of the air filtration system, the faint chemical smell emanating from different types of lubricants... these details, which had been overlooked before, now seemed to be magnified and clearly entered his perception.
He was like someone tuning a precision instrument, silently constructing a new sensory map in his mind, his focus and calmness almost inhuman.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the room, Raven, who had just turned twenty and was struggling in the streets of Xiachao, was experiencing change in a more practical way.
He didn't make any big movements, but simply tiptoed slightly and quickly, feeling the unprecedented responsiveness and support of his calf muscles.
A faint smile, a mixture of contempt and greed, played at the corners of his lips.
He almost immediately began to calculate how much of an advantage this enhanced explosive power and endurance would bring in the next battle for territory or evasion of pursuers.
Osiris' mechanical body stood still behind the observation area, its optical lens calmly recording every detail.
He did not immediately order an extreme physical fitness test.
The primary task is to observe the stability of the modulation effect and eliminate any potential delayed rejection reactions or hidden side effects.
Over the next few standard days, these thirty individuals will undergo gradual rehabilitation training and adaptation tests under close medical supervision, with the aim of safely activating and consolidating their enhanced physical functions while collecting longer-term physiological data.
The initial summary data stream was displayed on his console.
Gene sequencing results confirmed that the optimized sequence had been successfully integrated into the somatic cell genomes of all subjects, and no obvious off-target editing effects were detected.
Physiological analysis revealed a series of positive changes: average muscle density increased by about 18%, bone strength increased by about 12%, and nerve conduction velocity improved by 5% to 8%.
Metabolic rate and immune system activity were also significantly enhanced. As for the "trivial psyker talent," it remains merely an "interface" existing only in theoretical models and extremely weak biological signals.
Its actual functionality can only be verified after the application prototype of "Barrier Technology" is designed in the future.
The physiological and genetic indicators of the first round of gene modulation experiments were repeatedly verified in Osiris' core logic and were finally marked as "meeting the expected parameters".
This proves that the primary enhancement principles derived from cloning brocade technology can achieve a relatively safe and significant leap in basic physiological functions in living humans.
These experimental subjects not only had their muscle, bone, nerve, and metabolic levels optimized, but more importantly, their gene expression profiles were fine-tuned to a state that was more receptive to and able to integrate foreign gene seeds.
The value proposition of these thirty individuals, who underwent initial adjustments, was always clearly defined in Osiris' plan.
They were not candidates to join the battle, but rather his own precious live experimental platform.
Their core value lies in supporting the more exploratory and risky testing phase that follows.
All experimental data and preliminary analysis reports were encrypted and archived, and the project code name was updated to "Gene Optimization Protocol - Alpha".
Osiris' mechanical body turned toward the laboratory observation window, outside of which lay an eternal void and starlight.
Behind his optical lens, the processing unit is planning the next steps based on the existing results.
The basic physical conditioning has been completed; the next step is to initiate the implantation test of the new gene seed.
This is fundamentally different from the other twenty candidates who are undergoing the standard modification process at Dorne's Spear.
Those twenty people were implanted with relatively pure Imperial Fist gene seeds cultivated based on Roger Dorn's genetic material. The goal was to steadily replenish the chapter's manpower, following an ancient and relatively conservative approach.
For these thirty test subjects, Osiris prepared another batch of seeds that were even more special and undoubtedly riskier.
These seeds were cultivated based on precious genetic material samples from all twenty protogenes stored in his private database.
They are not merely simple carriers of genetic information; Osiris has also pre-programmed several technological improvement modules that he plans to verify on future space warriors.
It involves deeper organ coordination, more efficient energy circuit optimization, and even the initial integration of an extremely weak psionic resonance guidance structure based on the "barrier technology" theory.
Although Brother Red from ten thousand years in the future is a successful and living proof of the ultimate feasibility of this technological path, Osiris does not intend to simply replicate that "future".
In his logic, known success stories are certainly valuable references, but they should not become limitations on thinking.
He plans to further upgrade and improve upon the "complete form" represented by Reid, incorporating new understandings and ideas gained with the support of STC technology.
These thirty test subjects will be the first vehicles for him to verify these new ideas that transcend the "known future".
From the moment they were selected, their fates were closely intertwined with Osiris' scientific research path, which deviated from the empire's orthodoxy.
They would not become soldiers on any chapter's roster, but rather be incorporated into deeper experimental protocols as valuable living verification data.
Every change in physiological parameters and every set of gene expression data helps Osiris to outline a more complete technology roadmap.
These young people will become the stepping stones, taking the lead in carrying genetic codes that have not yet been verified in any Space Marine.
Their bodies will test the biocompatibility limits of the new genetically modified seeds, and their lives will measure the systemic stability of various improvement technologies.
Every successful adaptation case provides key parameters for the next technological iteration; every failed case becomes a precise coordinate for defining the boundaries of technological feasibility.
On this path of exploration, they are not the end, but a necessary process to reach the next stage.
Their value lies precisely in this purely experimental nature—as the first to come into contact with advanced technology, they provided the most direct observational data for Osiris to construct the blueprint for a new generation of Astartes.