And this is one reason why I'd generally argue for co-operation over coercion - it's cheaper. Brain implants and power demonstrations are expensive.
(Not to mention that brain control implants run the risk of seriously damaging your subject, purely due to the fact that brain implants require brain surgery.)
The problem with that is that I have to delegate power.
I want the power. Alone. I really can't coerce everyone to put the unitary power in my own name, no matter what I do.
Brain implants or extreme power response displays clearly showing them that I am a God over their life would be necessary.
Cerberus couldn't keep a lab full of kids under control with their "I am God" attitude.
The problem with that is that I have to delegate power.
I want the power. Alone. I really can't coerce everyone to put the unitary power in my own name, no matter what I do.
Why am I the one who gets accused of wanting to play power fantasies? 
The problem with that is that I have to delegate power.
I want the power. Alone. I really can't coerce everyone to put the unitary power in my own name, no matter what I do.
The problem with wanting to be 'the only one with all the power' is that other people want that as well. And if two people both want 'all the power', and they aren't willing to share, they're inevitably brought into conflict.
And conflict isn't desirable. There are always losses, usually on both sides, when co-operation would have achieved more without those losses.
Why am I the one who gets accused of wanting to play power fantasies?
To be fair, the ability to conquer differs from the ability to control.
The problem with wanting to be 'the only one with all the power' is that other people want that as well. And if two people both want 'all the power', and they aren't willing to share, they're inevitably brought into conflict.
And conflict isn't desirable. There are always losses, usually on both sides, when co-operation would have achieved more without those losses.
Conflict is desirable. I'm not going to share, and I am willing to eliminate any threat to my power.
Cerberus couldn't keep a lab full of kids under control with their "I am God" attitude.
They did, for a very long time.
What's your suggestion then. Said research is necessary to my goal. Due you have a viable alternative that accomplishes my goal?
They did, for a very long time.
What's your suggestion then. Said research is necessary to my goal. Due you have a viable alternative that accomplishes my goal?
Well, first I'd say your goals are screwed up. 
Second, like I said, use volunteers if cadavers or animals are no longer viable.
Process will be slower, but it will be safer, and more "ethical" Heck if you're known to look out for your subjects safety, you may get more volunteers. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
Plus you won't run out of test subjects so quickly 
Actually, comparing Jack to your average Ascension student, I'd say standard procedures are more effective at turning out a useful soldier.
You certainly get more of them.
And you don't get as many students or teachers killed in the process
You can't produce effective elite soldiers by torturing the hell out of unwilling subjects. All modern special ops programs rely on getting the most heavily motivated volunteers they can. No one else will get through the training. The idea of putting unwilling subjects through Training From Hell and getting brilliant results is fiction. You'll mostly get brittle mooks with major mental problems.
This is the same kind of nonsense thinking that makes people think standard torture techniques are effective. There's some part of the brain that wants to inflict pain upon the enemy, and wanting to get information out of someone provides a convenient rationalization for that sadism. If your goal is to extract information, use sleep deprivation and you'll get results. Waterboard someone and you'll get lies or fiction you want to hear. If you still feel like torturing people, you're an ineffective sadist, not a hard man doing what needs to be done.
You need to ask if your real goal is living out sociopathic power fantasies by torturing people, or whether you want to really create elite soldiers. I've always had the impression that Cerberus had far too many people whose only goal was to justify their wannabe badass personas by finding increasingly creative ways to make 'difficult decisions' that secretly appealed to their sadistic and xenophobic natures. I'm sure there were some sensible pro-human types there too, but these borderline sociopaths tend to be power-hungry, and those are always the people who end up in charge. (No special reason, they just try much harder.) After a while, the whole organization is conducting worthless experiments and wasting its assets, because the people in charge don't really want to help humanity.
This isn't a Cerberus-only problem, of course. Such mismatches between an organization's goal and the true goals of its power players happen in any institution that exists long enough. And the worst part is, you generally need the sociopaths, because they're surprisingly good at getting things done if they're properly focused on the real goal. If nothing else, you need a few really smart sociopaths focused on the real goal because they're the only ones who will unhesitatingly neutralize the dumber sociopaths playing their useless games.
Shepard is a surprisingly good example. Renegade!Shep tends to go too far into sadist territory, but somewhere in between Paragade and Renegon is the ruthlessly focused operator who really will do what needs to be done, without falling into the dark crevices of his nature.
Find a more productive and less self-destructive goal
What's more productive than me being at the top? It's hardly self-destructive.
Well, first I'd say your goals are screwed up.
Second, like I said, use volunteers if cadavers or animals are no longer viable.
Process will be slower, but it will be safer, and more "ethical" Heck if you're known to look out for your subjects safety, you may get more volunteers. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
Plus you won't run out of test subjects so quickly
That's just it, it's too slow. I want speed and I want quick results. The plan isn't their safety, it's to accomplish my goals.
I'd say alternate goals are weak and thus deserving of annihilation.
Actually, comparing Jack to your average Ascension student, I'd say standard procedures are more effective at turning out a useful soldier.
Depends on the useful soldier.
I want a useful soldier that will obey my every whim. They have loyalty to me alone. Mind control is preferred.
What's more productive than me being at the top? It's hardly self-destructive.
Depends on the useful soldier.
I want a useful soldier that will obey my every whim. They have loyalty to me alone. Mind control is preferred.
Ah, I see we're at the megalomania stage again.
What's more productive than me being at the top? It's hardly self-destructive.
The fact that the road to the top runs a heavy risk of putting you at the bottom. (Yes, Jacob joke, go ahead.) Whereas if you're willing to share the 'top' with people you trust, the route up there is a lot easier.
Ah, I see we're at the megalomania stage again.
I never left it.
I'm a megalomaniac. I want to be god. It's the appeal of Control at least. Problem is, I want more than just reaper control. I want to control the very fabric of thought.
Conflict is desirable. I'm not going to share, and I am willing to eliminate any threat to my power.
Conflict shouldn't really be desirable, because aside from the time spent, or rather wasted, fighting rivals and squashing dissenters that will inevitably crop up in this pursuit for total control rather than doing something productive, it also runs the risk of being eliminated first. Of course, that's irrelevant if you're a krogan.
I never left it.
I'm a megalomaniac. I want to be god. It's the appeal of Control at least. Problem is, I want more than just reaper control. I want to control the very fabric of thought.
And now we're in full blown psychosis.
This is a fun place.
I never left it.
I'm a megalomaniac. I want to be god. It's the appeal of Control at least. Problem is, I want more than just reaper control. I want to control the very fabric of thought.
And now we get to the dark underbelly of transhumanism...
The fact that the road to the top runs a heavy risk of putting you at the bottom. (Yes, Jacob joke, go ahead.) Whereas if you're willing to share the 'top' with people you trust, the route up there is a lot easier.
I'm willing to take that route, though it's going to be very painful for the other people. I alone will be at the top. Everyone else will be subservient and inferior.
But they won't be. It's like Homer Simpson said. No matter how good you are at something, there's always going to be someone better than you. It's inevitable.
And now we get to the dark underbelly of transhumanism...
I call it the shining beacon. The power to control all of reality.
It's why I support Big Brother.
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