Richard turned his head. Ah, that would be Aiden Adams. Edward had mentioned him before now, not only as a reporter and one as annoying as Lane, but as someone who seemed to have a life outside of his job. Although not much of one as Richard recalled, saddled down with a baby and not able to enjoy himself as a young and attractive man like Adams should.
"A good point, Mr Adams. Supers are for the moment a great unknown within our society and as yet the public, by a majority, do not trust them and do not understand them. If they do pose a threat to us, and we have already seen that some do, is it not best to understand them and understand own their powers manifest in order to combat them effectively? I am sure that Police Chief Weaver would be very happy with any advancements in science which allowed these criminals to be safely captured and imprisoned without the risk to society than an arrest with our current technology poses."
He paused, taking a swallow of water from the cup on the stand, not yet finished answering the young man's question. "There are a lot of private laboratories in this city, and in the country, however, a private laboratory has no duty to the public, only to it's share holders and sponsors. Their research is coloured by the political stance and the results that their sponsors want their research to achieve. While my colleagues may deny their own personal bias, the bias of their employers is undeniable. Using public funds in this research means that the public are who we are answerable to. This research is in the name of the public good, and not for the financial gains of a corporation. Science should benefit everyone, Mr Adams, and if there is a financial cost in this research, which as yet untold and innumerable benefits to humankind, it is a very small price."