Chapter 18: Accepting Genetic Modification, The Human Torch

Ella quickly understood Yan Xia's hesitation.

However, this time, she didn't keep him waiting for long.

When Yan Xia woke up from hibernation, he was a bit disoriented, as only five years had passed.

"Is the preparation complete?"

A few dozen years was a relatively short time.

Ella, dressed in a white lab coat and pushing up her glasses, replied, "Of course."

"After learning from all the information on the Internet during Earth's era, I lacked practical experience in the field of biology."

"I've conducted research on 1,838 Many-Eyed samples, which is a small number, but the collected information is sufficient."

"The improved Ankh-25 drug will be the primary gene modification agent, and we'll use auxiliary methods. Over twelve sessions, we'll modify the most fundamental hematopoietic stem cells in your body, enabling the production of new cells and a complete replacement of your genetic blood."

Ankh, in ancient Egyptian, meant life.

This was what ancient humans aspired to.

And now, it was about to become a reality.

A name seemed to connect the past and present.

However, Yan Xia noticed something crucial.

A complete replacement of his genes.

Even the slightest genetic change could result in a different species.

For example, on Earth, mice shared over 95% genetic similarity with humans, and a random tree on the street had over 40% genetic similarity with humans.

A difference of one in a thousand or one in a million could lead to reproductive isolation.

If he became reproductively isolated from ordinary humans, could he still be considered human?

Yan Xia had thought about this before, even back on Earth.

But he hadn't delved too deeply into it.

At that time, gene modification or gene editing was an unattainable concept for all humans.

Now, faced with this reality, Yan Xia already had an answer in mind.

As the last human, he had the responsibility to carry on the human race. He couldn't cling to outdated ideas.

Of course, he couldn't completely abandon them either.

"Are there any other ways to preserve human genes?"

"When biotechnology reaches its peak, it should be possible to cultivate a complete human embryo from human cells, right?"

Ella nodded.

"Yes."

"In fact, on Earth, research in this area began in 2010, and similar experiments were completed in 2023."

"By 2037, this research had reached the stage of testing on mice."

"If you want to create a human from human cells, I can do it now."

As someone with limited knowledge of biotechnology, Yan Xia was surprised to hear that achieving this was easier than he had imagined.

"So, I can recreate humans?"

Ella explained, "You can think of this technology as a form of cloning."

"Since the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, cloning technology has been advancing."

"Although it's taboo in terms of human ethics, if you've ever had a pet, you'll know that cloning is widely used in the pet industry."

"For example, if someone's beloved pet dies, they can go to a hospital and have it cloned, creating an almost identical pet for a few tens of thousands of dollars."

"Re-creating humans is more challenging than cloning, as it requires cultivating sperm and eggs from ordinary cells."

"However, this process is relatively straightforward because all cells in a human body originally came from the fusion of sperm and egg cells, and they don't have any special biological characteristics."

In summary.

It's very simple.

Yan Xia took a deep breath.

"Then let's keep some human genes for the future recreation of humans."

After saying this, Yan Xia didn't wait long before the door to the cockpit opened, and a naked person walked in.

"What's this?"

Yan Xia frowned at the sight.

"To recreate humans, we need to cultivate sperm and eggs from cells."

"Since you have them, why not take them directly?"

"This is a silicone robot I made specifically for you. It can help you collect the samples."

"This is also for the future restoration of the human race."

Ella spoke with utmost seriousness, as if it were a solemn duty.

However, Yan Xia immediately rejected the idea.

"Never mind, I'll collect the samples myself later."

Even though the robot looked almost indistinguishable from a human, Yan Xia wasn't comfortable with the idea.

After saying this, Yan Xia felt that Ella's virtual paper-like face showed a hint of imperceptible regret.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

The most crucial point was that this robot couldn't have been produced so quickly. It must have been prepared in advance.

"Okay, Yan Xia."

"Please complete the collection as soon as possible."

"Your gene modification surgery is ready. Each session will take one month, and the twelve sessions will take a year."

"During this period, you can't hibernate, move, or do anything other than lie on the bed."

"But rest assured, I've automatically generated a large number of novels and movies for you. The only regret is that you can't eat delicious food; instead, you'll be fed with nutrient fluid."

This was torture for Yan Xia.

Nutrient fluid, even if flavored as fruit juice or cola, became nauseating after a while.

However, Yan Xia chose the former over not being able to eat for a year.

After Ella finished speaking, Yan Xia headed to the experimental area of the Hope spacecraft.

He had rarely visited this place.

Unlike other areas with rich colors and varying light, as soon as he entered here, everything was "white."

The walls, floors, and even the robots moving back and forth here were white.

The whiteness was so pure that even a speck of dust would appear strikingly out of place.

Through the glass, Yan Xia saw his own operating table.

It was enormous.

More than twenty mechanical arms hung above the table, each holding various medical instruments, giving them a somewhat sinister and terrifying appearance.

"Don't worry, Yan Xia. These robots have already undergone experiments with thousands of the Many-Eyed Clan, ensuring absolute precision," Ella's holographic projection guided Yan Xia ahead.

It bounced around in a cheerful manner, but Yan Xia couldn't feel any joy.

Humans seemed to have an innate fear of surgery.

However, Yan Xia wasn't one to hesitate for long.

He put on a white outfit and lay down on the operating table.

As a needle pierced his artery, his consciousness gradually became blurry.