Dear colleagues,

I recently attended a cross-agency symposium for the Super Soldier 2050 programme, an MOD-led initiative aimed at enhancing the physical and cognitive abilities of our fighting men and women. The programme seeks to emulate our American cousins – the US Pentagon maintain a research budget of almost half a billion dollars per annum directed at ‘soldier enhancement’. The symposium leads me to speculate on how we might upgrade our very own ‘soldiers’ here at MI6 – the field agents of our Double O unit.  

The dream of fashioning superior humans has long plagued military supremoes and scientists alike. Back in the 1920s, Soviet biologist Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov attempted to create a human-ape hybrid, with enhanced strength and pain tolerance. Some speculate that Bolshevik military leaders might have secretly financed his work, hoping for a ‘mutant army’. Ivanov, a pioneer of artificial insemination, duly proceeded with a series of (highly dubious) experiments, but was thwarted by the death of his last captive primate – a luckless orangutan. Some of you may also recall the book – and film – The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson, detailing the US Army’s attempts to tap into paranormal human powers, including psychic espionage, mind control and the ability to remotely stop the hearts of goats.

I discussed these potential enhancements with 007. As you might expect, Bond had some pithy observations. ‘Q,’ he told me, ‘if I wanted to remotely stop a goat’s heart I’d just shoot it in the head with a sniper rifle.’ I suppose one cannot fault 007’s logic. 

Finally, congratulations to JOHN B. for correctly ascertaining the answer to the puzzle in my previous memo, and for being fortunate enough to be picked at random from all the correct entries. The answer, of course, was a DeLorean (or DMC DeLorean or DeLorean DMC-12). Below you will find this edition’s puzzle. Good luck! 

Sincerely,

Major Boothroyd

Head of Q Branch

P.S. Here is this edition’s puzzle. One ‘winner’ shall be picked at random from all correct entries and will be mentioned in my following memo. MI6 Archives shall rustle up a book to send to you* Pot luck, I’m afraid! Fill in this form to enter . . . This month’s puzzle is as follows: 

In what year was America’s most famous fictional super-soldier introduced?

*UK entrants only, alas!

NOTE FROM VASEEM KHAN

This ‘memorandum’ is one of a series of 12 that we will be publishing, celebrating the launch of Quantum of Menace, the first mystery featuring Major Boothroyd, Head of Q Branch (aka Q) from the James Bond universe. Pre-orders are very important to a new series, so we would be immensely grateful if you considered pre-ordering the novel. Buy from bookshops big and small and online.  Click here for some options.

To keep updated on the progress of Quantum of Menace, and to receive competitions and giveaways with prizes from the Bond-verse,  simply register for my newsletter here . 

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