Chapter 135 - 119: No Sense of Achievement !
Now there are two arrangements from the higher-ups for you. Listen up,” said Nora Camp, sitting calmly behind her desk. “First, you will be promoted to captain of a battlecruiser. This month, the military will commission a total of 120,000 battlecruisers. You can choose one and then log into the military system to recruit new crew members from major bases across the entire army.” Harrison Clark listened without showing emotion, “The second arrangement?” Nora Camp looked at Harrison Clark with a slight surprise, not expecting him to be so indifferent.
The first choice is the dream of the vast majority of new recruits.
To become a glorious captain, with absolute authority on their own battleship, leading their own team through the stars, fighting against the unknown enemy soon to appear, and sacrificing for the continuation of their kind…
Each point is enough to make one’s blood boil.
“The second arrangement is for you to continue your current position, responsible for my personal safety.”
“I choose the second option.”
“Alright. Now I will tell you about another matter. You need to participate in the newly launched scientific research project led by the Ancient Civilization Research Institute. The project is called the Human Gene Improvement Project.”
Harrison Clark immediately perked up.
NICE!
He pretended to be calm and said, “What are the details of the plan?”
“In view of your gene awakening level, the Ancient Civilization Research Institute hopes that you will provide more DNA loading solution, and the researchers will combine your single-strand DNA with more…”
“Alright, I understand. It’s just artificial breeding.”
“Yes, pairing objects include me, as well as hundreds of millions of volunteers worldwide. You might find this difficult to understand, as it is not conducive to the genetic diversity of the species. However, considering the war is imminent, extraordinary measures must be taken.”
Harrison Clark shook his head, “I understand, but personally, I think it’s meaningless.”
“You mean to say that even if the breeding is successful, the babies wouldn’t survive?”
Harrison Clark nodded, “That’s one reason. The second, and most important, is that I believe the embryos produced would hardly survive. It would be a waste of society’s resources. So many high-quality eggs would be wasted for nothing. Each pairing and breeding would cost at least a few thousand credit points, right? A trillion credit points is not a small sum.”
Nora Camp asked puzzledly, “How do you know it will definitely fail?” Harrison Clark countered, “When I requested the gene injection, I believed I would definitely succeed, but you believed I was as good as dead. The fact proved me right and you wrong. I can’t tell you what my judgment is based on, but that’s my conclusion. It’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”
Nora Camp fell into thought, “Alright, I will report your suggestion accordingly.”
Harrison Clark nodded, “Thank you.”
“Alright, you can go now if there is nothing else.”
Nora Camp did not bring up the ultimate plan that Harrison Clark wanted, but he had learned from his previous mistakes and would not take the initiative to speak up. He would wait for her to walk right into the trap.
Everything went according to Harrison Clark’s expectations, and three weeks later, Nora Camp approached him again.
“Following your suggestion, the Ancient Civilization Research Institute reduced the sample size to one million, and indeed, all of them failed.” Harrison Clark let out a sigh, “Ah.”
Although he felt that this matter had little to do with him, thinking about it from another perspective, he lost a million children without doing anything. By his calculations, he was the worst off in the world.
Nora continued, “The analysis report from the Ancient Civilization Research Institute states that your DNA level is too high, making the combined egg embryos too fragile. While the artificial amniotic fluid environment and artificial umbilical cord can be made completely realistic, they still cannot adjust in time to keep up with the changes in the embryo. This is the only reason for the death of the embryos.”
The nutrients, minerals, antibodies, and dissolved oxygen needed by the embryo during its growth are all provided by the mother’s body.
In the process of cultivating artificial embryos, the amniotic fluid environment and the umbilical cord transport fluid are artificially prepared.
The concentrations of various substances in the fluid are not constant but change according to the condition of the embryo.
For example, if the mother is infected with a virus, which is transmitted to the embryo.
At the moment when the virus begins to proliferate inside the embryo, the mother has already produced and sent over a large number of targeted antibodies in sync.
In the human body, the process of sensing the embryo’s condition and the mother’s response are basically synchronized.
The collection and processing of information, as well as the corresponding response, require very little time, so little that it can be almost negligible. The main information processing and transmission during this process are carried out through biological electrical signals, in accordance with the principles of quantum biology.
In an artificial environment, this process of random adaptation becomes more complicated.
Information collection requires neutrino scanning, processing requires quantum brain, and making a response and providing targeted antibodies and various increased nutrients require atomic Instrument synthesis.
If the natural reaction cycle of the original human body was one second, this process would be extended to three seconds in an artificial environment.
For embryos with strong vitality, being slower could still barely survive.
But Harrison Clark’s gene embryos are too fragile, and they don’t have enough time.
A seemingly minor abnormality can be fatal.
“So what do we do now? Is the project stopped?”
Harrison Clark asked.
After the project was stopped last time, it was Nora Camp who chose to continue it on her own initiative, leading to their intense romping.This time, he didn’t know what would happen.
Nora Camp shook her head, unfolding a long list of names in front of Harrison Clark.
The list primarily consisted of three sections.
Name, photo, and brief introduction.
Nora Camp said, “Since artificial cultivation is ineffective, we have to resort to the most logical and only method – going back to the primitive way of reproduction. Here’s the list of candidates. Take a look and choose ten subjects.”
“Ten?”
“Yes, each woman has only a three-day window for optimal conception during their menstrual cycle. We don’t want to waste your precious resources, so you’ll need ten partners.”
Harrison Clark’s eyes widened, speechless.
This was simply outrageous.
You guys are all damn geniuses!
He glanced through the long list casually, and as his gaze moved, the list automatically scrolled down.
The military’s selection criteria were very strict. Each candidate on the list was attractive, intelligent, and had an excellent resume. On average, their gene awakening level was above 28%.
Harrison Clark was caught in an internal conflict for quite a while.
He shook his head. “I don’t want that many. I need rest too.”
Nora Camp nodded, “Okay, then five.”
Harrison Clark shook his head again, “No, just one.”
“Why?”
“Though the optimal conception period is only three days, it’s not limited to that. My chosen partner has a unique constitution, which extends the period to ten days. Moreover, it also depends on my interest and condition. If I’m not in the right mood, it’s useless.”
Harrison Clark was very confident in his words.
He had thought it through.
He wasn’t familiar with the others and didn’t understand them well. Besides, he didn’t have the energy or ability to break through their psychological defenses.
He couldn’t change so many people.
It was better to focus on one partner with a successful experience than cast a wide net.
Or rather, even if he succeeded in impregnating more partners, it still wouldn’t change the course of the war, nor would it gather more information. It would just add more pain and distress to his life.
Being heartbroken about Nora Camp alone was already exhausting enough. He couldn’t handle any more emotional upheaval.
Nora Camp nodded in agreement, accepting the suggestions of this experimental participant. “I’ve just reported it, and the Ancient Civilization Research Institute has approved your request.”
Harrison Clark nodded, “Of course, you can’t force me if I don’t want to.”
Nora Camp nodded without a change in her expression, “Yes.”
Actually, Harrison Clark knew she might be lying. The Institute might have other tricks up its sleeve or might have already taken action.
But he didn’t care; he just wanted to take care of himself.
“Alright, then choose a partner from the list.”
Nora Camp instructed.
Harrison Clark straightened his body, pointing straight ahead, “I choose… you.” The atmosphere in the office froze for about five seconds.
Nora Camp stood up, “Fine.”
Harrison Clark: “Don’t you find it strange? Show at least a little panic or surprise.”
Nora Camp shook her head, “No, it’s quite rational. Among all the candidates, my personal record, gene awakening level, and potential aptitude evaluation are some of the best. It’s true that our pairing success rate is higher. We know each other well, and you’ll be serving on the Giant Wave…”
“Alright, alright. Let’s get to work!”
Harrison Clark felt very unaccomplished.
From then on, he re-entered the enjoyable sessions of high-intensity chess games and pre-game drills.
Time passed day by day, and everything was progressing steadily.
Everything went as Harrison Clark had predicted.
In a short time, Needham Brown became the strongest soldier at the Black Bear Training Base, ranking second to Harrison Clark in the Holographic Simulation System.
Nora Camp’s interest in chess and desserts never declined, and she took this hobby to space with her after months.
As the days of war approached, Harrison Clark tried to maintain his composure.
On August 13, 3020, Nora Camp successfully conceived..