Chapter 1054 Gestalt Life Form (1/2)

The empty room was silent except for the slight white noise of the operating electronic components.

The chair with its back to the door remained motionless, like a silent theatergoer.

Chu Guang didn't know if the professor's old friend "Observer" was also watching.

But even if it was, it probably wouldn't be able to jump out and say anything.

After all, it said the next encounter would be dozens of millennia later.

If he could wait until then.

The professor standing on the screen seemed to be lost in distant memories. He stood quietly and thought for a long time before speaking in a eloquent tone.

"That was a long, long time ago, more than three hundred years ago."

“I can’t remember whether that was the first time or the second time I saw it, but it was indeed the first time it had a heart-to-heart conversation with me.”

"At that time, I had mastered the mysteries of the four basic forces, and gradually began to use gravity as a medium to touch the boundaries of dimensions... Just as the observers expected, after we mastered the power comparable to stars, we obtained The key to the stars.”

Chu Guang had a surprised expression on his face.

"Hyperdrive? Did you invent it?"

The professor shook his head.

"No, I'm not very interested in specific applications. Those things are mainly done by my students. However, my research on neutrinos, quark-gluon slurries and gravitons has laid the theoretical foundation for the hyperspace engine. . Including deflector shields, including the anti-gravity you are familiar with, they are all ductile applications of hyperspace theory..."

It’s okay if you’re not interested…

Feeling the smell of sex coming to his face, Chu Guang touched his nose unconsciously.

Although he knew very well that the other person did not mean to show off, he found that he was still being pretended.

Perhaps this is due to specialization in the art industry.

He is still better at being sinister than pretending to be cool.

When he said this, the professor suddenly stopped talking as if he thought of something.

"I won't tell you those complicated things. If you are interested, you can learn about it yourself. There is a popular science book called "Past, Present, Future" on the bookshelf of the library on the B4 floor, which reveals in popular language The principles of hyperspace and FTL engines are more friendly to amateurs.”

Chu Guang nodded.

"I read it a long time ago...did you write it?"

He didn't remember who the author of that book was, but he only remembered that the "gravitational bond" mentioned in that book opened his eyes to the fact that this was how super-light navigation in the People's Union era was done.

The professor smiled and said.

"That's not what my students wrote."

Good guy.

Got it again!

Chu Guang coughed lightly.

"...Are we digressing from the topic?"

"Sorry, the interruption was a bit long."

The professor smiled sheepishly, resumed his previous tone, and continued.

"In short... on the Nth year after the establishment of the People's Federation, we got the key to the sea of ​​​​stars and completed the first ascension of the entire human civilization. From that day on, our frontier was no longer just the earth. Begin to expand to other planets outside the Earth-Moon system.”

"And just when the People's Federation needed me most, the Observer found me and predicted future crises and all kinds of 'natural disasters'. In the end, it wanted me to go to Mars to dig a grave, one bigger than Nanmen II. There are many small tombs in the ruins... However, due to some things, I didn’t go there.”

Chu Guang: "What happened?"

The professor was silent for a while, as if he didn't want to talk about this issue, but he seemed to feel that it was a thing of the past, so he finally spoke.

"A little personal matter... My wife was seriously ill, at least at that time there was no cure, even though we had mastered the power of the stars at that time. Moreover, those who stand in a similar position to you also They didn’t want me to take risks, and they tried to persuade me for a long time... Anyway, I finally chose to stay in the era I should be in. "

"There's really nothing we can do about it, it's human nature." Chu Guang nodded, with some appreciation in his eyes.

He is not a person without feelings.

On the contrary, he not only attaches great importance to feelings, but is also willing to make friends with people who value feelings.

Although people with such weaknesses may not necessarily be good people, they usually have a bottom line. They will pay attention to their appearance, have some scruples, and will not do anything to give birth to a son without a butthole.

Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why he remains single.

Even though he has never done anything like giving birth to a son without an asshole.

"Really? You think it's human nature, right...Besides, things are not that simple."

The voice that floated through the screen was filled with complex emotions. It was hard to describe whether it was about leaving something behind or taking up some responsibility that did not belong to oneself.

"...According to the facts I later learned, that guy concealed quite important information. There were indeed some 'good things' buried in that tomb, but at that time we did not have the ability to fully excavate the ruins. Once inside, I can’t get out, no matter who goes! No wonder it asked me to go, it’s a trap, this guy wants to kill me!”

Chu Guang was stunned for a few seconds, with astonishment written on his face.

"Observer...want to kill you? Why?"

The man on the screen was silent for a while and then said after a long time.

"I don't know. Maybe it doesn't necessarily want to kill me, but it just wants me to disappear for a while. According to it, my progress is better than it expected. A cross-regional organization for global cooperation... that is, the Human Union was born ahead of schedule, and two centuries earlier than it expected."

"Not only that, including the time point of the completion of the first fusion reactor, including the construction of the space elevator, etc., are all based on the common prosperity of all mankind."

"Although I think this is no big deal, it is a small matter in the face of time, and it is not my own credit, but it thinks that we in this universe are moving too fast, and there are undercurrents under the vision of prosperity."

"According to its point of view, the explosive progress of science and technology has allowed us to skip the problems we should have encountered, and also skipped the practical tools that should have been obtained from solving problems. Once our speed slows down in the future, the problems that have been skipped will burst out in a concentrated manner. At that time, just a small risk will make all our efforts go to waste, and this risk is almost inevitable in the future."

Chu Guang pressed his eyebrows and thought for a while, trying to sort out the contradictions between the two sides.

In simple terms, the observer wanted to give appropriate interference, but the result of the interference exceeded its own expectations.

So it planned to remove the interference.

No——

This is not quite accurate.

A more accurate statement should be that it gave the professor two choices.

Either go to Mars, accept its "macro-control", and develop in the direction of the boundary breaker.

Or give up the system and stay on its original timeline, and the price is that it will remove excessive interference, or take back the "help from the void".

According to the professor, he actually didn't need the system given to him by the observer later.

If there is no higher-level pursuit, there is really no need to obey the observer's control in order to keep the system.

"... What happened later?" Chu Guang continued to ask.

The professor on the screen said slowly.

"It wasn't a big deal afterwards. It said it would go to the future to find other people, and then it disappeared with the system it gave me, as if it had never been there. But it doesn't matter. I've said before that I didn't need its help that much at that time... But it seemed very lost, and came back to me many years later. It didn't say why it came back, but I can probably guess that it might be because it found that there was no future."

Chu Guang: "Does this 'nothing' mean... no boundary breakers?"

The professor shook his head.

"It means everything... According to it, if I continue to stay on the timeline I'm on, our civilization will overdraw and lose all the future. Or to put it another way, countless universes with me will be wiped out, and there will be no next 'boundary breaker' until the final heat death of the universe."

Chu Guang's Adam's apple moved, and after a long silence, he sighed softly and said, "This sounds too exaggerated."

The professor smiled faintly.

"It's quite exaggerated, but it actually makes sense. According to its soap bubble theory, the past and future exist simultaneously in the void, and the multiverse and parallel world also exist simultaneously. Any decision I make on the timeline of my existence will change the future results, and these changes are also possible at the beginning of the universe explosion." When he said this, the professor's voice suddenly took on a hint of loneliness. Chu Guang was not sure whether there was any regret in it, but there was definitely helplessness and regret. "It showed me another future, which was another possibility of the parallel world, the future after I went to Mars... There I saw my descendants, and the descendants of many people I knew. They all lived very well. Although they could not be compared with the prosperous era, they were not much worse." "At the end of that future, I finally left my home planet, but the future of our civilization was bright. Although there were some twists and turns during this period, it did not fall into a slump like the wasteland era... And in the end, we stepped into the sea of ​​stars with a brand new attitude." Looking at the blurred face, Chu Guang thought for a long time and asked. "Do you regret it?"

"No, I just feel a little sorry," the professor shook his head and said slowly, "At that time, I actually had some doubts about its fickleness. It said it would not come to me again, but it suddenly came back to me with the so-called other future."

"Of course I rejected it, and it left disappointed... But if you think about it carefully, that might actually be the last chance to get history back on the right track."

"Perhaps, if I die at the right time, it will be the best ending-"

"I cannot agree with this statement."

Chu Guang shook his head and said without thinking.

"History cannot always move forward at the pace we imagine. You cannot represent the right, and I cannot represent it, and a pair of eyes floating in the void cannot represent it."

"Besides, if it really could represent the right, it would not be me standing here now, but someone else in its prediction."

Chu Guang could actually understand the self-blame deep in the professor's heart.

Although as he said himself, no one would blame the "Father of the Prosperity Era" for the Wasteland Era, just like no one would blame Li Shimin for the Anshi Rebellion, and no one would blame World War II for the invention of the steam engine. of Watt's head.

Things vary from generation to generation, and even the role played by the same person at different stages of life is different.

At most, future generations will blame themselves for failing to live up to the professor's expectations and failing to continue the prosperous era he created.

However, it is obvious that the observer not only revealed another future to him, but also revealed to him the Wasteland Era and the dozens of millennia that followed, allowing him to know the cause and effect that he would have otherwise been unable to know——

Including Wasteland Era is a foregone conclusion.

No matter how many shelters you build, you can't save everyone, nor can you change the outcome of human civilization turning into dust.

And all this happened because of you...

Although no one would accuse him of this, he still couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.

In fact, he spent the rest of his life preparing for the disaster predicted by observers.

Including planning for a shelter.

Including the black box of the Ark Project.

Even including the establishment of "academy" and so on.

These plans that were foreshadowed as early as the middle of the Era of Prosperity all have the shadow of that professor behind them...

Without a strong sense of responsibility, it would never be possible to shoulder these responsibilities that are irrelevant.

It is worth mentioning that because "the wolf really came" and it came at a time when everyone thought that the utopia of infinite prosperity would continue forever, many old popsicles in the wasteland regarded the professor as Gods are generally worshiped.

This includes the chief of the Great Rift Valley, the old Riddler-like old man.

Also included is Dr. Conclusion who stands behind the academy, the guy who is said to have been transformed into a digital being.

They don't know about the Void and the Watchers.

From their perspective, and even from the perspective of all the wastelanders, they would never think that this was a last resort, but rather a far-sighted approach.

Chu Guang would know this purely because of an accident.

However, his opinion is still the same as before, and nothing will change because of knowing this.

If we refused to move forward because of fear of the downward spiral, humans would probably still be in the trees at this time.

Moreover, they have proven with their actions that their destiny is in their own hands, rather than being controlled by the illusory void.

"You just said you didn't know what choice I would make. I can tell you now that I may not necessarily make the same choice as you, but I will make the choice I think is right."

The professor standing on the screen was silent for a while, and suddenly laughed out loud.

"I want to say that it is you as expected, but I think this statement is a bit strange. Although we are different, we still made the same choice... What I chose at that time was the choice that I thought was the right choice from the bottom of my heart."

He is indeed full of curiosity about the void and desires to understand the origin of the universe, but if the price is to give up his identity as a human being and become a pawn of the observer - the so-called "boundary breaker", then that is another matter.

Preventing the heat death of the universe.

This does sound grand, but what does it have to do with him as a human being?

In front of that endless career, the entire galaxy is just a mayfly.

Perhaps he in other universes made different choices and changed something or prevented something in the distant future.

But at least in this universe, he chose to live as a human being.

With his loved ones.

Looking at the professor standing on the screen, Chu Guang nodded slightly, always feeling that there was something in his words, as if he had known him a long time ago.

But this is actually nothing surprising.

Since he has passed through the membrane of the universe and projected his thoughts to another younger universe, he must have gone through repeated observation and selection before finally choosing himself.

"Have you already obtained the items in that ruins?"

A reasonable guess is that it should be something used to form a morphological field.

As expected, the professor on the screen nodded and said with an approving smile on his face.

"Yes, I tried to do some remedial work afterwards, which included recovering the relics on Mars... I think you have probably guessed the nature of the morphogenetic field."

Chu Guang also nodded.

"The resonance of thinking can penetrate the membrane of the universe and convey information that both parties agree on. My conclusion is that you should have found your past self, and it is very likely that you have just obtained the system."

"Smart," the vague figure snapped his fingers, and the admiration in the looming sight became more and more obvious, "your understanding is not inferior to mine... The only regret is that you are not material for scientific research."

"I'm not interested either. I'm only responsible for setting the rules of the game," Chu Guang continued with a nonchalant expression, "So what did you get from the ruins?"

"The three potions represent stronger physical strength, almost unlimited lifespan, and spiritual power respectively. If used properly, it can even change the genetic outlook of the entire human race. However, if used improperly, it can also become a curse, such as making people who should not live alive Living too long is like letting an immature baby hear too many noises from the void.”

Just when Chu Guang was listening in trance, the professor on the screen suddenly changed the topic and said with a smile.

"Actually, those things are not important to you. I had already used that thing in the early days of the Prosperity Era."

Chu Guang was stunned for a moment.

"...Used everything?"

The professor said with a smile.

"That's right. Although in theory you can only choose one of the three potions for use. Mixing different potions may cause genetic contamination, but I thought of a tricky way. Let the monkey who served as the experimental subject drink the potion, and then treat the three Different experimental subjects have been used to complement each other...including but not limited to breeding offspring with other female monkeys, and using variable control methods to cross-breed their offspring."

This guy didn't choose to drink it himself?

A bit of surprise appeared on Chu Guang's face.

He thought that he was already "ignoring the heights of the sky", but he didn't expect that there was a guy here who was even more ungrateful. He really didn't pay attention to the void at all.

Not surprised by the surprise on Chu Guang's face, the professor continued.

"The results of the experiment are quite astonishing, and it also proves my guess. That potion is probably the projection of high-dimensional matter on the three-dimensional plane, or some kind of higher-dimensional technology that we don't understand, so it's The arrangement and combination of DNA molecules is extremely complex, just like conflicting codes. If these genomes appear in a person at the same time, the person's body will undoubtedly report an error, and this is the so-called genetic contamination."

"So I did the next best thing and intercepted non-conflicting DNA fragments through repeated experiments, rearranged them using existing technology, and gradually transplanted them into the experimental clones. Although the genotype formed through rearrangement showed The effect will be weaker, but it will be more stable and there will be no more genetic contamination.”

"And not only that, my research team also surprisingly discovered that as the body and genome adapt to each other, those 'annotated codes' will gradually be expressed correctly in a more stable form!"

Chu Guang swallowed.

"Even if you die and come back?"

"Yes, at least this is true for clones that only hold partial fragments. All it takes is a culture chamber or a scanning device to record the evolution of life they have experienced before."

The professor nodded slightly and continued.

"The re-expression process of the genome can be completed in the culture chamber. After all, the life stages of clones can be artificially defined... When I say this, you should have realized what the genetic sequences of your 'players' are. Bar."

"I roughly understand. In other words... you obtained a huge gene library through the analysis of the three-tube potions, and the players' genetic codes are the result of different 'segments' in different gene libraries combined with conventional gene combinations. , they are responsible for exploring stable expression methods for individual 'pieces'."

Chu Guang tried to simplify complex problems so that they could be understood.

Looking at the professor who nodded approvingly, he paused for a moment and continued.

"But there's still one thing I don't understand. What is my genetic sequence?"

As if waiting for him to ask this question, the figure on the screen showed a vague smile.

"This involves one of the core secrets of Vault 404... Have you ever heard of the 'Gestalt Life Project'?"

"Of course I've heard of it..."

Chu Guang always felt that the eyes staring at him were somewhat meaningful, and a strange feeling gradually arose in his heart.

Could it be——

Just when he had almost guessed the answer, the professor standing on the screen revealed the final answer to him.

"Contained in your DNA are all the 'segments' in that gene pool, albeit mostly in annotated form."

"This process is actually full of risks. It's like you have a nuclear bomb strapped to your body. If you are not careful, you will be blown up to nothing... But who wants you to be a manager? Don't blame me for being cold-blooded. Someone has to take the risk."

"Relatively speaking, the risks borne by the players will be smaller. They are only given a small piece of shrapnel and are only responsible for dismantling the shrapnel on their hands. In addition to carrying the nuclear bomb, you are also responsible for information. Summarize and integrate, and dismantle the "nuclear bomb" on yourself based on the clues provided by the players... This is one of the reasons why your 'sequence level' is positively related to the players' sequence level and quantity."

"During the entire process of division of labor and collaboration, we did refer to the operating model of the mutant slime mold mother nest and made a certain degree of improvement on this basis."

"That's why I tell you, you don't have to care about what I got from that ruins, because I have already used those precious inheritances on you."

"And you are the 'Gestalt Life Form'!"