This gets covered in later book! They can mix the genetic material of two guys just fine; they still need an empty egg to grow it in.
Athos may have been set up before they managed to do the splicing necessary to not need the egg-based DNA at all. (Is it easier to match for male babies only and avoid some genetic problems, than to mix-and-match pieces at will, which would allow starting with two male sets of chromosomes?) And of course, nobody's volunteering to upgrade their technology.
Even when (if?) Athos gets that tech, they still have the problem of needing egg parts. I'm not sure if it's easier or harder to buy human egg-shells with the promise that you'll be throwing out the contents.
no subject
Athos may have been set up before they managed to do the splicing necessary to not need the egg-based DNA at all. (Is it easier to match for male babies only and avoid some genetic problems, than to mix-and-match pieces at will, which would allow starting with two male sets of chromosomes?) And of course, nobody's volunteering to upgrade their technology.
Even when (if?) Athos gets that tech, they still have the problem of needing egg parts. I'm not sure if it's easier or harder to buy human egg-shells with the promise that you'll be throwing out the contents.