3 Chapter 3: SYNTHETIC BODY

Yi Yue's POV

"Miss, you're so beautiful! I've never seen someone as beautiful as you!" My maid, Erisa, exclaimed as she brushes my hair.

I smiled at her remark. She will be surprised if I tell her that four ago, "my face" cannot be plainer. As a new maid, she does not know me and my life prior to the surgery for that is the secret of my family and a few trusted subordinates.Though my family is considered among the richest in the world, we did not hire any helper prior to my surgery to avoid exposing the secret.

"You may not believe me miss, but it's true." She defended as she happily brushes my hair.

I cannot help but look at my reflection in the mirror. I'm still not used to seeing this reflection in the mirror. Though this is my true face, I avoid looking at it for it only reminds me of the memories that I lost.

Can you still recognize me if we meet again?

That was and still is my question.

Can that person still recognize me even though I look different? How good would it be if he can. He will tell me who he is. He can help me recover my lost memories so that the void that was left behind in my heart can be filled.

But alas, fantasy is different from reality. Not everything that you hope for happens. Is there even a person who can see beyond what the eyes can see?

I smiled bitterly at my reflection in the mirror as I recalled the decision I made nine years ago.

"What?! You're going to use a synthetic body!!" My father raged as he heard my plan and my decision.

"Yes dad. It's the only solution I can think of. I can transfer my consciousness into the synthetic body while my original body improves its condition in a specialized compartment. Though it's risky to transfer my conciousness in a synthetic body as there is a possibility that I cannot go back to my original body, it is better than living in this box." I told my him.

"The synthetic body that your brother built is not durable. It does not have the DNA repair mechanism that is found in natural human bodies so it very susceptible to emotional and physiological stress. At most, it can "live" for 3 years. That is why we never released it in the market. You know all this!" My father reasoned.

"Three years is enough to improve my original body." I replied.

"And transfer consciousness? Improve your body in a specialized compartment? How are you even gonna do all this?!" My mother interjected.

"During the past year, I have been researching on "Memory Vesicles". I developed them for this purpose. Though they are short-lived, lasting only for at most 3 years, like the synthetic body, they can copy any type of memory stored in my brain--both short term and long term, both implicit and explicit. In addition to copying memories, they can also store memories so that when I go back to my original body, I can remember everything that happen--provided that they remain intact." I explained.

Then to aid me in my explanation, I opened my laptop. "With regards to strengthening my body, I prepared this. Aside from working on the memory vesicles, I spent my time designing this. This is a synthetic virus. As you know, some viruses can interfere with the replication, transcription, translation, and even expression of the DNA sequence itself. I designed this synthetic virus so that it can alter the damaged gene in my DNA and change the expression of some proteins. This will improve my body since it will make my organs function properly, and help strengthen my immune system so that I will no longer be susceptible to infection." I added.

"How are you going to accomplish all this?" My father asked while my mother remained speechless due to my explanations.

I planned to answer my father, but it was my elder brother who answered him this time.

"We will induce an unconcious state to her original body. While unconcious, we will copy her memories into the "memory vesicles" and inject them intravenously. We will also inject empty memory vesicles along with the filled ones so that she can store new memories while she is in her synthetic body. I will make sure that the brain morphology of the synthetic body is very similar with her actual brain so that the possibility of rejection of the vesicles will be nil. As for her original body, we will inject the virus into her bloodstream so that it can reach the target organs and do its work. Providing nutrients and oxygen as well as waste removal in the original body will be done once we put it in the specialized compartment that I have personally developed. Once the body is ready, we can transfer back the memory vesicles in her body. This can be done easily as these memory vesicles are readily integrated in the her original brain as opposed to her synthetic one. Once the virus and the vesicles had done their job they will disappear in her system like they were never in it." Brother briefly explained for the sake of our parents.

"You support her in this?" Mother asked my brother in disbelief.

"I think it would be better for my sister than just being stuck indoors for all her life." Brother interjected.

"What genius children have I given birth to?!" Mother blurted as she was feeling a mixture of disbelief at our plan and sadness that she cannot even object our decision since she knows our temperament.

"If that's what you decided. We'll support you." Father helplessly agreed.

"Miss! Miss!" Erisa called, pulling me out of my recollection.

"What?" I asked her while shaking out my thoughts of the past.

"Young Master is at the door." She answered as she directed her sight at my door.

Following her sight, I saw my brother standing at the door frame.

He sighed upon seeing me, probably helpless that my mind is floating again.

"Come back later Erisa. I have something to talk with my sister." He told my maid.

After Erisa went out of the room, brother approached and asked in a helpless tone. "Tell me sister. Do you regret it? If I know that you will be disheartened after the putting back your memory vesicles, I wouldn't have agreed with your craziness back then."

Knowing that my brother is telling me this due to his care, I held his hands and looked at him in eye as I answered truthfully. "Brother, we did not know that some circumstances would happen and cause some memory vesicles to be destroyed. Though some of my memories were lost, the goal of the procedure was achieved. I regret nothing. I am prepared to face the consequences of my decisions."