Judge, Jury, and Executioner

POV: VIKTOR

The harsh fluorescent lights of the underground laboratory cast sterile shadows across the polished concrete floor. I watch Pavel shrink under my gaze. He possesses a decent mind for raw science, but he lacks the overarching vision required to comprehend the big picture. That is by design. If this trembling chemist had any real inkling of the massive stakes riding on this launch, he w