Project CHRYSANTHEMUM
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- "Read. New training protocols have been outlined as well as an improved augmentation regime. We've learned much from the unfortunate medical processes Dr. Halsey had at her disposal."
- — Colonel James Ackerson introducing the CHRYSANTHEMUM augmentations to Kurt Ambrose[1]
Project CHRYSANTHEMUM was the codename given to the surgical and chemical augmentation procedures performed on the Spartan-III supersoldiers. They represented a significant improvement over the augmentations used in the previous SPARTAN-II program,[1] retaining the procedures' effectiveness but being safer and less invasive to perform.[2]
Background[edit]
The CHRYSANTHEMUM augmentation set improved upon the augmentations of the SPARTAN-II program,[1] pioneered by Dr. Catherine Halsey. With advances in technology, the casualty rate for Spartan-III candidates was usually 0%, as opposed to the 56% casualty rate of the Spartan-IIs.
The genetic requirements for the Spartan-III candidates were loosened from the exceedingly strict criteria of the SPARTAN-II program,[1] although the range of compatible individuals still remained incredibly narrow, and any aberrations from the required genetic set geometrically increased the failure rate.[3][4] Colonel James Ackerson, the mastermind of the SPARTAN-III program, requested to have mandatory genetic screening put in place in the Outer Colonies in order to find more genetic matches for his program, but the Office of Naval Intelligence leadership felt this would only provoke the colonists for further aggression against the UNSC.[3] As a result of the more lenient selection criteria, the Spartan-III candidate pool was less physically and psychologically consistent, with a higher likelihood of behavioral problems;[1] many of the Spartan-III candidates were more lively and predisposed for aggression than their forebears.[4]
While the CHRYSANTHEMUM augmentations still had to be administered at the onset of puberty as the bodies of either prepubescents or adults would reject the chemicals, Colonel Ackerson's age restriction protocol for the SPARTAN-III program was considerably looser than that of the Spartan-IIs.[3][2] The Spartan-III candidates' ages upon induction typically ranged from four to six years old,[5][6] with the nominal ages of some of them (such as Carter-A259) exhibiting more extreme deviation from the standard age range.[7]
Augmentations[edit]
All Spartan-IIIs[edit]
The schedule of the SPARTAN-III program was accelerated from that of the Spartan-IIs: because the Office of Naval Intelligence wanted to have the Spartans deployed in the field as rapidly as possible, by the time of Gamma Company the Spartan-IIIs were augmented at an average age of twelve, whereas the Spartan-IIs were fourteen during their augmentations. As puberty had not yet started for the majority of candidates at this time, they were given human growth hormone as well as cartilage, muscle and bone supplements added into their food over several months to artificially induce the onset of puberty. As a result, the candidates had the bodies of near-adult Olympic athletes at an average of only twelve years of age, and it took some time for them to acclimatize to their larger physiques.[2][Note 1]
| Drug | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 8942-LQ99 | "carbide ceramic ossification catalyst" drug.[2] | Skeletons become virtually unbreakable, allowing survival in harder impacts. |
| 88005-MX77 | "fibroid muscular protein complex" drug.[2] | Increased density of individual's muscles, greatly enhancing physical strength. |
| 88947-OP24 | "retina-inversion stabilizer" drug.[2] | Color sharpness is significantly improved upon, and night vision is heightened. |
| 87556-UD61 | "improved colloidal neural disunification solution" drug.[2] | Greatly improves the individual's reaction time, decreasing the time taken to react by 300%; "Spartan time". |
In addition to their chemically-administered augmentations, Spartan-IIIs were subjected to a number of surgical alterations to enhance their capabilities.[2] Their circulatory systems were also augmented from the human baseline.[8] All Spartan-IIIs are implanted with a neural interface, as all UNSC Armed Forces personnel are.[9] The augmentations also involved some degree of genetic modification. In 2548, Owen-B096 was immune to the negative genetic effects of a Forerunner artifact he encountered on Meridian, with said immunity being explicitly attributed to his augmentations. [10] Additionally, like their Spartan-II predecessors, a common genetic side-effect of their bioaugmentations was the suppression of their libido, which Olivia-G291 experienced.[11]
Gamma Company[edit]
In addition to the standard set of chemicals, Kurt Ambrose covertly had a set of three additional drugs added to the augmentations of Gamma Company in hopes of increasing their survivability in the field. All of the three had been outlawed by the UNSC Medical Corps in 2513.[2]
| Drug | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 009762-OO | Neural-altering non-carcinogenic mutagen. | Alters key regions in the individual's frontal lobe to enhance aggressive response, making the animal part of the brain more accessible in times of stress. This allows the subject access to enormous reserves of strength and endurance and enables them to remain fighting even under the influence of a wide systemic shock that would be instantly fatal to a normal human.[2] Depresses higher reason centers of the brain over time; requires regular doses of 009127-PX and 009927-DG to be taken to avoid uncontrollable aggression.[2] |
| 009127-PX | cyclodexione-4, bipolar integration drug | Counters the effects of 009762-OO.[2] |
| 009927-DG | miso-olanzapine | Counters the psychological effects of 009762-OO.[2] |
Procedure[edit]
The CHRYSANTHEMUM procedures took place aboard the mobile hospital ship UNSC Hopeful. Because of the SPARTAN-III program's secrecy, the Hopeful was stationed in interstellar space at Vice Admiral Parangosky's order for the duration of the procedures. The ship's docking cluster Bravo and the eight decks surrounding it were entirely cleared of personnel to allow ONI to move in their personnel and equipment.[2]
The augmentations were administered over the course of a week; the subject was kept in a mostly sedated state throughout the process, which was conducted in a large, open operations room housing 400 sections separated by semi-opaque plastic curtains. Each compartment was filled with medical equipment, including a sterile field generator overhead as well as vital signs monitors and a chemotherapeutic infuser. The infuser contained vials for the various chemicals, which were administered to the subject via IV and osmotic patches. The Spartans were given a number of drugs to allow them to withstand the procedures themselves and counter their potential negative effects; these included shock reducers, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, anticoagulants, and pH buffers.[2]
Performance[edit]
- "Even for a Spartan, the attack had been a masterwork, and it made Fred wonder just how deeply Mark-G313 had devoted himself to the fine art of killing."
- — Frederic-104 pondering the prowess of a Spartan-III.[12]
Despite the Spartan-IIIs' expendable nature and lower-grade equipment than the Spartan-IIs, their enhancements represented a "quantum leap" over the previous program's bioaugmentation set.[1]