"Half a billion dead." The middle-aged man looked haggard as he stated it in a dead voice.

"A tragic loss of life," Salthuin said sympathetically.

"How dare you say that!" shouted the liaison. "It was your damn pandemic! They are calling it the modern black plague. The worst pandemic since 1918."

"I looked at the numbers," the rebel countered gravely. "Considering that every single human on the planet was affected, the lethality was far lower. If we had been able to stagger the application more to avoid the hospitals being overloaded the death toll would have been lower than the common cold.”

"But the entire world!"

"You will have your super soldiers. The entire human race has had its genome upgraded. Although the advanced features can't be activated yet, there will be no birth defects, genetic diseases. Non-engineered bacteria and viruses will have no effect on the new humans."

"You bastard!" the man screamed in rage. "Five hundred million died!"

"Compared to what the Emperor will do if he reaches this world, five hundred million dead is merciful. Entire worlds have been put to the sword by his command." The General frowned to himself. His forces had burned several worlds himself at the command of the Emperor.

"I'll make sure you pay for this," raged the distraught man as he backed out of the room.

"Do what you have to do."

Salthuin stared silently at the door for several minutes.

"Do you want me to silence him?" Alduin's voice reverberated through the space.

"No. He wasn't a bad man. Just not very intelligent. I doubt the leaders will let him live. They are fully invested in our endeavor. They cannot let a loose cannon make trouble for them."

"If we can't count on man's altruism we can at least count on man's fear and greed."

"Yes," he paused once more in thought. "Alduin, next time tell me the consequences. This was my responsibility, not yours."

"As you wish."