Stanley Burgess

"Weakness is whatever impedes survival. The universe doesn't care about morality. It only cares about power, like the power I have over you."

- Doctor Burgess to the captive Muadun^(src)

Dr. Stanley Burgess
Biographical
Died	April, 2503
Physical
Race	Terran
Gender	Male
Political
Affiliation	Terran Dominion Dominion Intelligence Section Project Gestalt
Occupation	Scientist

Dr. Stanley Burgess was a sadistic Terran Dominion scientist, nicknamed the "Butcher of Korhal." He believed that mankind's adaptability makes it superior to the protoss.

Biography

Resocs

"I chose him because he hates the Dominion and everything it stands for. But once I'm through with him, he'll be willing to die for it. Even kill for it."

- Burgess on his resocialization of Lim^(src)

Burgess preparing to operate on Lim

He worked with neural resocializing (preferring the intensive, hands-on version rather than resorting to resocialization tanks), conducting research at the Korhal IV Primary Resocialization Center.

One of Burgess's resocialization subjects was Jin-ho Lim, formerly an anti-Dominion protester who had been arrested in New Canaan, Tyrador IX. When Burgess was done with Lim, he ordered him to murder his close companion Anna. Lim complied.

Project Gestalt

"But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. At least not yet. After all, we have so much to learn from one another. Though I should warn you...this is probably going to hurt."

- Burgess prior to operating on Muadun^(src)

In 2502 Dr. Burgess began work on Project Gestalt. He created Gestalt Zero, a terran/protoss gestalt, by grafting Khalai Caste protoss organs onto a ghost. Zero would then capture numerous protoss workers and bring them to the Gestalt facility. Burgess implanted them with psi-inhibitors, devices which weakened their psionic powers and cut their connection to the Khala.

Burgess operating on Muadun

In 2503 Zero captured Muadun, a (former) high templar known to Burgess. Burgess implanted him with a psi-inhibitor and removed several of his psionic appendages, grafting them to Gestalt Zero, who quickly demonstrated greater psionic and combat prowess. Burgess sent him on a field test.

Burgess believed the increase in power was due to Muadun's templar status. He would mass-produce gestalts using templar genetic material, control them with neural processing and neural inhibitors, give them psionic shields and grant them access to the Khala, all without the unpredictable side effects of terrazine enhancement.

Burgess was interested in studying the Khala. He brought Muadun and another protoss to operating tables and slowly allowed their psi-inhibitors to access the Khala. When he tortured one protoss, Muadun began creating psionic storms, forcing Burgess to end the experiment. Gestalt Zero arrived in time to subdue Muadun.

Gestalt Zero kills Burgess

Muadun discovered he could no longer be controlled by his psi-inhibitor. He broke the other protoss out of captivity, and Burgess sent Gestalt Zero to stop them. Zero defeated them all, but Muadun used his last power to disable Zero's neural inhibitor while the protoss invaded the facility. Zero tried to kill Burgess, who had been trying to flee with the project's data. Burgess expressed his disappointment and then stopped Zero with his psi-screen. However, Zero was able to stab Burgess to death, ironically echoing one of Burgess' previous comments.

Trivia

• Hope Donovan, editor of the StarCraft: Frontline series, has described Burgess as being, along with Randall, one of the few truly amoral characters in it.
• Dr Warren Held knew (of) Burgess, commenting that he managed to get some Axiom Corporation tools on layaway despite the line being discontinued.
• The character's name may be a reference to A Clockwork Orange, a novel by Anthony Burgess and later adapted to film by Stanley Kubrick. The main character is a violent criminal "rehabilitated" by classical conditioning.