AN – Prior to this point I had not realized the extent of cannon information about MACUSA and magic in the United States. This being an AU story, I have changed a lot to better suit my story.
"Sir," Major Loren said as he walked into General Thomas' office, Captain Sumner and Master Sergeant Wheeler close in tow, "you made contact?"
Major Loren was frustrated after his call to Commander Ansen at UKSF, which was as close to a disaster as could be. The Commander apparently had no memory of the entire incident, and Major Loren wound up sounding like a lunatic. He attempted to play it off as a joke call, a ribbing between allies. However, if Commander Ansen knew anything at all about the Major, it would be that he was a straight shooter and such a prank would be completely out of character. Thankfully, the Commander did not.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," General Thomas replied. He waited for each of the men to enter his office before gesturing toward a man seated in the corner. "You all remember Sergeant Woods? He has been my aide since I took command of JSOC." Woods gave the men a nod of acknowledgement, but otherwise remained silent.
"I seem to recall that, yes," Major Loren said. He wasn't sure where the General was going with this, but opted against asking.
"Come to find out," the General was staring at Woods with a look that wasn't particularly friendly, though not quite hostile either, "Sergeant Woods here holds a second title. What was it again?" He remembered, but wasn't quite over the petty feeling of betrayal he felt at the moment. He knew logically that this magical community would need information if they expected to stay secret, and the fact that he reported only to another United States government did soften the blow, but only just. It still just didn't sit well with him, not yet.
"Informer. For the Magical Congress of the United States of America," Woods replied matter-of-factly. On the outside, he appeared calm and collected. The very picture of a man revealing exactly what he wished, in exactly the manner he wished. Inside, however, he was racked with fear. He had been living as a muggle longer than many wizards even in the ranks of the Informers. Still, revealing oneself as a wizard is not something often done, and never lightly.
"Informer?" Captain Sumner beat the rest of them to the punch, though each had the same question running through their mind. "You've been spying?"
"In a way," Woods looked to the General for support, but found that he still looked irritated. "My job is to ensure that muggles, non-magic folk, do not stumble upon our society. This command has yet to make any foray into magical territory, so I have not had to relay anything."
"Why are you revealing this now?" Major Loren asked. If this man was sent to spy on JSOC for this, Magical Congress, then why would he reveal it?
"I was present in the meeting earlier," Woods said, and a look of understanding dawned on the Major's face.
"You know we are trying to make contact then," the Major finished for Woods. Woods nodded in reply, and General Thomas cut in.
"They would like to meet. I have already informed Colonel Spicer, and he has a pair of SEAL platoons on stand-by. I am bringing you three with me to the meet, and if we do not return, whole," he said to Woods with a pointed look, then turned back to the soldiers before him, "within twenty-four hours, he will send the strike team." The three men nodded.
"When do we leave?" Master Sergeant Wheeler asked, having been completely quiet until now. Woods beat the General to respond.
"We can leave as soon as you're ready," Woods said, standing from his chair. "I believe you three are familiar with apparition?" Having heard in the briefing about the "teleportation" from Hogwarts to the airfield, Woods made the assumption.
"Yes," Major Loren said. Turning to the General, "Sir, it's a rather uncomfortable transport, but I can't argue with its efficiency." Loren remembered the rather unpleasant feeling. It felt like he was being squeezed through a straw, and it was enough to make him look twice at small spaces now.
"If you would kindly," Woods held his hands out to the men in the room. The General looked at him, confused for a moment. The Major, Captain and Sergeant all stepped forward with a look of distaste and linked hands. "In order to apparate with you, I will need to be touching you. Please, whatever you feel, do not let go. I wouldn't want to leave anything behind."
Great. The thought of leaving part of his body behind did not do anything to ease his concerns as he grabbed the outstretched hand. Woods closed his eyes and began to twist his body rapidly. In a split second, General Thomas felt something jerk his navel and suddenly felt as though someone were squeezing him into a small bottle. The feeling only lasted a moment, and the relief was immense when it was over. He let go of Woods hand as soon as the pressure let up, though it took him a second to realize he no longer stood in his office.
"Welcome to the Woolworth Building," Woods indicated the room they stood in. "Home of the Magical Congress."
"I've been inside the Woolworth Building before," General Thomas said, not recognizing his surroundings. They were in a large, nearly empty foyer. As he looked up, he noticed that he couldn't see the ceiling. It simply disappeared into darkness, though there appeared to be sufficient lighting produced by floating orbs that weren't connected to anything he could see. The floors were a glossy granite, and the walls lined with columns of marble reminiscent of ancient Greece. There were empty benches every so often between the columns, and a large fountain in the middle of the room that seemed to be sprouting water from thin air. "This is definitely NOT the Woolworth Building," he thought.
"Muggles cannot normally access this building," Woods said cryptically, before deciding that he should fully explain as he walked toward reception, with the four muggles in tow. "The Woolworth Building is an impressive structure in muggle standards, as well as wizarding. You see, if you were to walk into the front door, you would see what every other muggle would see. However, if you pet the owls head on the statue outside the front door, you will walk into the magical building."
"Every so-often, we get a muggle child in that has an affinity for owls.," the receptionist said. She always found their awe at the fountain amusing. Muggles were so easily entertained.
"Rhonda, it is wonderful to see you again," Woods said, laying on his charm. He was extremely nervous about bringing muggle soldiers into the headquarters of Magical America, and a little flirtation could help calm the nerves. She smiled at him and then the guests.
"So good to have you here." She stood, flattened her skirt, and started toward the elevator banks. General Thomas saw her produce a small stick as they got close. She tapped it against an off-color marble brick on the wall near the elevator doors. The doors slid open and the group stepped in. The receptionist faced them with a smile. "This will take you to the meeting floor."
Woods stepped inside, and the rest of the men followed. The floor of the elevator was soft like a cushion, and Thomas almost lost his balance when he first stepped on. It was also much taller than any elevator he had been in before. It must have been ten feet to the ceiling, and there were large rails in a square in the center.
"Ah," Woods said, almost as an afterthought. He had never brought muggles onto an elevator before. "You'll want a tight grip on the rails there." The men grabbed the rail and Woods smiled at Rhonda, signaling their readiness. She tapped the square with her small stick again and the doors closed.
The moment they finished closing, General Thomas' knees buckled from under him as the elevator shot upward at speeds he was not expecting. Thankful for the cushioned floor, he pulled himself up, fighting against the gravity being exerted against him. Major Loren was gripping the rail tightly, looking as though he may also collapse at any moment, and both of the Delta operators wore grins that spoke volumes about what their idea of a good time was. Just as the General got to his feet, the elevator abruptly stopped. The General was launched into the air along with the other men, though his grip on the rail saved him from going too high. To his surprise, after he reached the apex of the flight, his decent was much slower than he expected and he didn't come crashing to the ground. He was able to land gracefully on his feet and step out of the elevator.
"A little warning next time," the General said brusquely, brushing the slight wrinkles out of his uniform, "would be completely welcome." Woods nodded, doing his very best to keep the amusement off of his face. He led them to a desk occupied by a single man. The General noted the man wore a badge on his chest, and assumed he was security. He was not impressed, however, by the lack of attention paid by the officer. Nose deep in a newspaper, the man had not even looked to see who stepped off the elevator. Woe to the MP that General Thomas found in such a manner.
"Wands here," the man said, not taking a break from his paper. Woods placed a stick similar to the one held by the receptionist downstairs on the desk. The officer grabbed it off of the desk without taking his eyes off the paper. "Pick it up on the way out. They're ready for you."
"Hmph," General Thomas grunted in disgust at the security officer. It went unnoticed by the man, who was fully enthralled by his newspaper again. Woods grabbed the General's arm and lead him toward the hall, whispering underneath his breath.
"He's a little unorthodox looking, but he has never failed at stopping a threat." Woods' explanation shed some light but the General was a little more old school. Looking the part was an effective deterrent and that officer did not look the part.
"Right this way." Woods led them toward a set of double doors adorned with a seal that the General had never seen before. It was a rather sharp looking eagle with an artistically different American flag draped down its front with the words "Magical Congress of the United States of America" around the rim. The doors opened, and they found themselves inside a large conference room. There was a massive table in the middle of the room with the same seal in its center. There were thirteen men seated around the table, six to a side with one at the far end, and five empty chairs on the side closest to him.
"Welcome," the man at the end of the table said as they entered, as he stood. "I am President Harris." He gestured toward the empty chairs. "Please, make yourselves comfortable." The men all sat down, and President Harris finally sat again.
"I am Lieutenant General Thomas, Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. This is Major Loren, Captain Sumner, and Master Sergeant Wheeler." The General indicated each of them in turn. "I am here to get an understanding of who you people are and what your intentions are. You can imagine my surprise to learn there is a secret government and population in my country, and a spy in my command." He spoke, never taking his eyes off of the President's. There was a small ripple of shock through the members of Congress, though the President himself remained passive. It was not often a politician was spoken to in such a direct manner, with such little ceremony.
"Of course," President Harris said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Please, let me put your mind at ease. Informer Harris has never contacted us until today. While we are of the magical government, we are still citizens of America, and would not dream of putting our great country at risk by stealing information or compromising the military in any way." While it did not completely ease the General's mind, it was a start.
"I see," General Thomas said flatly. "I am led to believe that there are other Informers, throughout the…" he tried to remember the strange word Woods kept using, "muddle government?"
"It's muggle, my good man," the President said with a soft smile, knowing this must be a lot for him to take in, "and yes, there are other Informers. However, I assure you we are in no way undermining the muggle government. We are simply attempting to keep our existence a secret from all muggles, no more or less," he finished gravely.
"If you're so insistent on secrecy, then why are you talking to me?" General Thomas asked. The President had to admire the directness, it was not something he was used to dealing with, but he rather liked it.
"Perhaps a short history lesson would help you understand," the President said, drumming his fingers on the table thoughtfully. "The witch trials were a particularly rough time for wizard-kind in America. While it's common knowledge that many executions were political, there was something of a shadow war fought against the actual wizards and witches here. After a very costly war for magical America, we finally defeated these exterminators. The damage was extreme, though, and we had very little population remaining. That population was spread thin across the United States and there were hardly enough people to keep the government functioning. We managed, but our Auror department was spread thin."
"Auror?" the General interrupted before Harris could continue.
"Ah, forgive me. I forget that you do not already know some of these things. Aurors are much like your police. The enforcers of our laws." General Thomas nodded in understanding and gestured for Harris to continue. "Unfortunately, word spread across the world at our losses. Dark creatures of every type fled to America, fleeing the governments that could afford to take action."
"I'm sorry, dark creatures?" General Thomas didn't know what dark creatures were, but they didn't sound good, and he sure as hell did not like the sound of them flocking to the United States.
"My apologies. Vampires, werewolves, dementors, there really are quite a lot. I'm sure I can get a book or something for you." The General's jaw dropped slightly. Vampires are real? Werewolves?
"I don't mean to interrupt, but werewolves and vampires? What is the current condition?" Major Loren beat the General, who was planning on asking the same question. President Harris smiled nervously before responding.
"You see, we barely had enough people to staff a police force. Our population has increased, but the dark creatures have banded together. I am ashamed to admit that there are gangs of werewolves and vampires that are stronger than our Auror department can handle. They were ahead of us for so long that we simply have not been able to recover. Our Aurors have their hands full trying to prevent deaths caused by these gangs from causing suspicion in the muggle population." Harris had done it, laid it out plainly for General Thomas and his men. They were silent for a moment before Thomas spoke.
"There are large gangs of these, dark creatures, out there right now. You are not able to control them completely, as your government has not recovered fully from its losses?" He asked, summarizing what he was told. This was not what he had expected to hear from the secretive government.
"Well, we have recovered rather well. There is now a strong population of witches and wizards. The dark creatures had too long to prepare, however, too long to organize themselves. They have their own territories and rarely fight each other, leaving each gang strong enough to defend itself well enough. My Aurors could likely wipe out a gang or two, but the losses would prevent us from being able to prevent large attacks as we do now," Harris replied. He was anxious to know how the General would respond.
"These dark creatures, they attack muggles as well then?" he asked. Harris nodded in the affirmative and Thomas sighed. "I see. It would appear you need a hand then. I cannot allow a threat like that to continue in the United States."
"I've spoken with the muggle President a number of times on the issue, keeping him in the loop you see. Until now, I hadn't believed his offers of support would be widely followed through, even if he commanded it. As it stands, assistance would be most welcome, and we are prepared to help you as well," Harris started. "Informer Woods has informed me that your muggles are excellent fighters. With your help, I believe we can end the reign of these gangs. We are prepared to pay," Harris saw a twist of anger at the mention of payment. Woods had mentioned that career military officers did not like to be compared to mercenaries. "For expenses, of course, along with whatever assistance we can offer your command. I understand magical healing and transportation among other things could be very useful." Harris successfully placated the General, who initially though Harris wanted to turn JSOC into hired thugs.
"You've spoken to the President on these matters before?" the General asked. He was prepared to offer a preliminary deal to the magical government if they were on the straight and narrow. One of the perks of clandestine operations. Any truly meaningful support had to go through the President eventually and his being previously briefed would make securing a program that much easier…if things got to that point.
"Of course, we try to keep the muggle heads of state informed to an extent," came the reply. The General nodded.
"Before we get much further, I would like to see some of this magic. Aurors, your government…" the General paused a moment. "I want to know more about who I am dealing with." Major Loren nodded his agreement.
"Of course," Harris said, standing up. "Perhaps you would like a tour?" The four muggles stood. "This building would take days to fully explore, but I am certain a tour of the Aurors Office would answer any concerns you might have."
"After you," the General gestured toward the door. President Harris started toward the door, followed by Woods. Noticing that none of the members of the Congress stood, the General turned to his companions. "Major, Master Sergeant, please stay here. Major, continue talking to these gentlemen, learn a little more about the government." The Major nodded and with that, General Thomas and Captain Sumner followed their hosts.
After a brief and equally terrifying trip down the elevator, they arrived at Sub-Level 46. When the doors opened, General Thomas saw a small foyer with a security desk. The desk had a star shaped badge with the word Auror through it, and behind the desk was a much more professional looking officer. He was cleanly shaven, his navy blue suit neatly pressed. On his chest was a badge that mimicked the one adorning his desk. He stood immediately on seeing the President and snapped his arms to his sides.
"President Harris, to what do we owe the pleasure?" He looked at the incoming men and a brief look of surprise crossed his eyes at the sight of muggles in military uniforms. General Thomas was impressed by his professionalism, as the look would have been easily missed by eyes not accustomed to soaking in every detail.
"Auror Smith, I see you're on light duty again," the President said cheerfully, with a familiarity that the General had not expected.
"Yes, sir," he said relaxing slightly. "Another Bigfoot dispute. They really are particular about their trees. I took a good sized branch to the knee," he said as the President listened raptly. General Thomas was still trying to wrap his head around Sasquatch existing. There was a lot to learn it seemed. "Healers say I should be back in the field by next week, not to worry."
"I'm glad to hear it," President Harris said, turning to his companions. "This is Informer Woods, General Thomas and Captain Sumner. They are guests from the muggle military, here to inspect our Auror office." Both muggles nodded in greeting at the mention of their name.
"Sirs," the Auror straightened again in what looked like their version of attention. "I'm confident you will find everything in order." He flicked his wrist with practiced precision and a stick much like the one Woods and the receptionist, Rhonda, possessed shot from his sleeve into his hand. He tapped it against the corner of the desk, and the double doors ahead of them opened into a very busy office.
"Thank you, Smith." The President walked in, followed closely by the trio. General Thomas had never seen a law enforcement office quite like this. It was absolutely bustling, small paper airplanes were flying about, landing on desks and opening neatly, and men dressed just as sharply as the one outside were talking loudly about their cases. In the distance, a pair of what he identified as Aurors escorted a pale man bound tightly in ropes from his shoulders to his waist.
"Ah," President Harris gestured toward the bound man. "It looks like we finally captured Count Draconis, Junior," he said with pleasure that was lost on the two muggles present. When they didn't respond, he looked over and saw the confusion. "Of course, you don't know him. Count Draconis was one of the Major lords of a local vampire nest. When he was killed in a fight with a werewolf pack from New Jersey his son took over. Arresting him," he gestured toward the prisoner, "is a significant victory. Without leadership, the nest will likely break apart and we should be able to eliminate it completely."
"That sounds like good news," General Thomas said.
"Very good news," a voice responded close behind the group, startling the General. He turned rapidly to see an older man dressed every bit as sharply as the Aurors around him. His badge however had a wreath around it.
"Master Auror Richards," President Harris enthusiastically greeted the newcomer. "This is General Thomas of JSOC, in the muggle military. Captain Sumner here as well," the President added, not wanting the man feeling left out. "General, this is Master Auror Richards. He oversees the entire Auror department."
"Just the man I'm looking for then." General Thomas extended a hand. It wouldn't hurt to be polite. They shook and the Master Auror indicated an office near the other end of the bustling room.
"Let's head to my office, we will have an easier time talking there." He led the way. His office impressed General Thomas, as it was no larger or better than any other single office he could see. It appeared the Master Auror didn't let the title go to his head. Thomas could respect that. The room was a little cramped with the four guests, but they made it work. "What can I do for you?" he asked the General.
"I would like to hear more about these…" he paused a moment. "Mr. President, perhaps you and Woods could show Captain Sumner the rest of the Auror office?" The President looked at the General for a moment, unsure at the request, before Sumner spoke.
"I'd like to get a look at the prisoner holding," he said, "do you have more than a vampire there? And what kind of weapons do you use?" The President seemed convinced by the interest shown and moments later, it was just General Thomas and Master Auror Richards in the office.
"I take it you wanted to talk alone?" Richards asked, more perceptive than Thomas had given him credit for.
"Forgive my bluntness, but I don't want you taking cues from the President," General Thomas replied. Richards smiled.
"I can't fault that. Ask away, General." He sat back in his chair, his pose relaxed, as though he was being interviewed for a school book report and not by a military officer.
"Tell me more about the situation with these dark creatures. I want to know more in the line of numbers, spread, threats, that kind of thing. And I want to know what your office does to curb the threat." The Auror thought for a moment and replied.
"The dark creatures that threaten the United States number in the thousands. We don't have an accurate way to track it, but I'd wager that each state probably holds two or three werewolf packs and two or three vampire nests. There are others as well. Dementors, Red Caps... I can give you a written report, updated as of the beginning of the month with better figures. It's not one hundred percent accurate, but it's what we've got," he finished.
"A report would be fantastic, and if you have something describing what each dark creature is. Most of these are new to me." The General had never heard of a dementor or red cap, but he was determined to learn. "What about your office? How do you handle these threats?"
"Divide and conquer as best we can. The packs and nests are not small, and destroying one completely is difficult for us at best. We just can't handle a fight of attrition. This headquarters is the headquarters for the nation. We have about three hundred Aurors total, for the United States. It's more than we used to have, but not nearly enough to go wiping out nests. So we find small ones, or ones that just lost a fight. Go after them." He paused. "It's not that we don't want to eliminate them, we just don't have the manpower. We spend most of our time trying to cover up attacks on muggles, keeping word from getting out."
"That's about what I expected to hear." The General stood, hearing what he needed. "With any luck, you'll be getting some support soon." He liked the Auror, the man was pretty obviously the kind to "handle shit" as the General often put it. He genuinely hoped that things would work out, not just for his sake but for that of the nation. They shook hands and Thomas left. He saw Sumner and the President leaving a holding area and rejoined the group, on its way to a practice range.
"General," Sumner greeted as they continued toward the range. "There were some pretty impressive creatures out there." He didn't say it in so many words, but they were going to have their work cut out to clear the US of these things. After a short walk, they found themselves in an arena of sorts.
"Woods, would you be so kind?" the President asked, gesturing toward the room. There were several lanes, each with a small raised platform at either end. Woods went and talked to an Auror, and after a moment they each got onto a stand facing each other. They bowed, and each pulled out a small stick. Without further warning, they began shouting incomprehensible words and waiving their sticks at each other. Lights of all different color shot at them, and after what appeared a close battle, Woods was struck in the chest by a red light and launched off the platform. He crumpled to the ground in a heap, but was quick to pick himself up.
"Didn't expect to win against an Auror," he said grinning widely, "but that went better than I'd thought!"
"Perhaps you could explain what just happened?" General Thomas asked. President Harris stepped close, producing a stick of his own.
"This here is a wand. It is how a witch or wizard channels their magic. Each incantation produces a specific spell in conjunction with the correct wand movement. What you saw was a battle using wands and magic. Aurors are especially good at magical battle." The President allowed the General to inspect the wand. When he was satisfied, he handed it back and the President put it away.
"Let's go back upstairs and talk terms," the General suggested. He was satisfied that the magical government needed his help, and could in turn help his people. It was another trip in that wretched elevator and a short walk until they were again around the conference table. A brief check in, and Thomas determined that Major Loren was satisfied with his interview of the congress.
"Mr. President, I can see you need some manpower. I have a lot of firepower at my disposal, and I have a lot of ability to act in secret, without the higher-ups in my government knowing much. They love their plausible deniability." He didn't like the politicians, but they at least knew to give him the leeway to get the job done, even if they used that same leeway as rope to hang him if word got out. With permission of the President, the muggle President, he would have the authority he needed to do what needed done. He had a massive budget, he had the manpower and he had the knowledge of what to do with it. He just needed the politicians to not ask questions. "What do you have to make this worth both our whiles?" With that, the conversation was launched to hash out an agreement.
It had taken several days of learning new details about each other, finding the weaknesses and strengths both magical and muggle, but finally a tentative agreement had been reached. The muggle President gave permission for a joint operation, though in true political form, the President didn't want to know any more than that. Now, General Thomas and President Harris sat at the familiar conference table, both reading a copy of the agreement they had made. They wanted to ensure everything was set before signing.
Recognizing that the Magical Congress of the United States of America ,hereafter called MACUSA, is an official branch of United States Government, governing an American population, the Joint Special Operations Command ,hereafter called JSOC, and by extention select members of muggle government on an as needed basis, is prepared to assist in the removal of threats, both foreign and domestic, to the population of the United States.
With all available assistance from MACUSA, JSOC will create a task force joining magic and muggle into a cohesive fighting force, with the intention to clear from United States soil, any threat to the public. MACUSA will provide funding, research, magical and technical assistance in the creation of this task force. JSOC will provide whatever other funding is necessary, along with the manpower and fighting experience to carry out this objective.
After completion of this initial mission, the task force will be considered a permanent fighting force to be used as necessary to protect both magical and muggle populations from threats, both foreign and domestic. Recognizing that the International Statute of Secrecy is to be upheld in all circumstances, MACUSA officially recognizes the upper command of JSOC and any member of the task force, to be named, as a department of MACUSA, with all of the authorities and restrictions entailed. JSOC too recognizes the International Statute of Secrecy, and will uphold the Statute with all necessary vigor to uphold international law.
The completion of the task force is to be considered a top priority for both parties, and all effort should be made to ensure cooperation and smooth transition into a functional force.
Signed
General Raymond Thomas President Christopher Harris
Both men signed neatly at the bottom then they parted ways. Each had a tremendous amount of work ahead of them to get this task force ready, and the coming months would be a flurry of activity the likes of which had not been seen since the last Major war. Research programs started with a vigor that many muggle scientists and research wizards were not used to, and with funding they had only dreamed of since their formative college years.
It had been a long year for everyone at JSOC, and it was no different for General Thomas. He looked himself over in the mirror one last time before he headed to the next project meeting in his long list. He was definitely seeing more grey hair, and he had lost a belt loop in weight since they began work on this task force.
Task Force Ansible, he thought to himself as he straightened his dress jacket and headed toward the meeting. A year of hectic work so far, and they were nearing completion. MACUSA had held up their end of the agreement in its entirety. They had received significant funding and assistance in research. Progress on many weapons programs and other projects went significantly faster than he had dreamed possible. He had selected a number of excellent operators for Task Force Ansible, but if the tone of his phone call had been any indication, Dr. Handover had bad news on that account and this meeting would not bear good news.
Dr. Michael Handover was a world class geneticist who, with the help of a pair of research wizards, had identified the genetic markers necessary to witness much of magic. As it turned out, there was a lot about magic that left muggles at a disadvantage. Certain creatures, such as dementors, could not be seen at all by muggles. That would be an incredible problem if muggles were expected to fight them.
The initial response had been to place a wizard in each squad, but that idea was rapidly scrapped. The loss of that wizard would cripple the entire squad, and that wasn't something he was willing to allow. It had been a significant problem, until Dr. Handover had completed his research on witch and wizard blood.
The discovery of genetic markers in their blood was a significant ray of hope for the task force. If they could be given genetic therapy and see these threats, perhaps even manipulate magic themselves, they would be a true force to be reckoned with.
"General," Dr. Handover stood as Thomas entered the room. They both sat and Handover went straight into his report. "I am afraid I have mixed news for you. The genetic therapy works. It is incredible, but we have developed a series of inoculations that will allow you to see magic in its entirety, the same as any witch or wizard."
"That's great news," General Thomas replied. He had met many scientists like Handover, and knew that stroking the man's ego was a surefire way into better results.
"Yes, quite," he said, allowing himself a small smile, though he quickly sobered. "Unfortunately, it does not allow the user to actually perform magic in any way. We obviously have spent a lot on outfitting Ansible with magically enhanced weapons and equipment. That was for the better."
"Understood." The General sighed, thankful that it wasn't worse news. He was brought from his relief by Dr. Handover clearing his throat.
"There is more, Sir," he said. "It has a crippling success rate. It only works approximately six to eight percent of the time in adults." The Generals' eyebrows shot into his receding hairline. Six to eight percent?
"That is unacceptable, doctor," He said firmly. "We don't have enough personnel available to get a task force out of six to eight percent."
"Unfortunately," Handover replied, "it is a matter of our understanding of genetics and genetic therapy as a whole. The older you get, the more set in stone your genes are. Unless you have an army of children around, I don't see how we can increase that number." He hoped the joke would ease the blow. "You should know that Captain Sumner was a successful subject, along with one of the lab technicians that volunteered. That's all though. Colonel Spicer didn't pass."
"Send me the full evaluation, I'll look over it soon. Dismissed," the General said. Dr. Handover left, and the General thought to himself. An army of children? He didn't have children at his disposal, but he had the Spartans.
AN – I've looked into AFDIL and found that it is mostly for identification of soldiers. I understand that there are other methods that could be used to get an adult force of acceptable size, but that isn't the story I want to tell so I've set it up this way.