Every mother wanted a child that exceeded her and thus exemplified her. Every father wanted a child that put the rest in their places. As tools to achieve these ends, the people of Mendelia invested their energies in genetic sculpting of their offspring. Their reasoning went something like this: great things could only be achieved by great people, so the first step undeniably involved the creation of better beings.Two such men commanded the Mendelian task force. They were both products of generations of genetic weeding and tinkering. Fleet Admiral Goddard sat upon the command chair of the third cruiser in the formation, the venerable Bernard Shaw. He led the task force, and he was physically one of the largest men in the fleet. His parents had designed him for command, and large people tended to be awarded such roles. His head was hairless and smooth, with purple veins that pounded under skin so pale it was almost translucent. Size, intelligence and drive—he had it all. Captain Davenport stood nearby.
