Data. Kai looked it over. There was a mountain of data to review from the recent experiments. They had run a whole battery of tests using the God’s Eye Skill, some successful, some failures. His eyes scrolled down the list of experiments and the results. In particular, he was comparing the energy cost between the different attempts.
Atomic Positioning
400 secs
Atomic Duplication
18,000 secs
Atomic Manipulation
9,000 secs
Atomic Replication
failed
Molecular Positioning
2,000 secs
Molecular Duplication
failed
Molecular Manipulation
failed
Molecular Replication
failed
Organelle Positioning
12,000 secs
Organelle Duplication
failed
Organelle Manipulation
18,000 secs
Organelle Replication
failed
Cell Positioning
failed
Cell Duplication
failed
Cell Manipulation
20,000 secs
Cell Replication
failed
The results were conclusive; what he wanted to do was prohibitively expensive. He didn’t think he would run into this problem because he had infinite energy streaming from his soul space. Even though his standard transfer rate could fill an empty core in a couple of hours, he could increase the transfer rate many times. Theoretically, he should have been able to use his infinite supply of energy to complete any of his experiments.
The problem was energy quality. Kai’s eye core could only convert the raw energy into its more refined form, the advanced thicker version, at a rate that left him unable to sustain any high-cost use of the Eye of God. Each core had an upper limit on how much energy it could hold. Once depleted, he needed time to refine his raw energy and refill it.
And only his higher-quality energy was responsive enough to use the Eye of God skill; the unrefined version took too much concentration and effort.
With this realization, he abandoned any hopes of using the Eye of God skill to repair his body quickly. He could only complete the most minor manipulations until he could figure out how to increase his cores' capacity.
Kai sighed and stepped over to the screen Relay hovered in front of. The Eternal was completing the schematics of different families of nanotechnology. Kai was only familiar with two of the schematics. Beside the schematics were diagrams of several molecules.
“Nanotechnology,” Kai said without much enthusiasm. In the early part of his career, he’d done some work in nanotech, but the field was heavily regulated. It made innovation impossible, so he’d quickly moved onto areas more open to exploration.
“I don’t want to discuss nanoethics or nano law. This world has no unified legal framework, so they couldn’t enforce a ban on nanotech even if they understood it. We'll be fine if we follow some basic prohibitions.”
Relay turned to look at Kai. He understood the subjects Kai was referring to. The history of the Totemite Empire, the precursor to the Unified Republic, demonstrated the dangers of unconstrained nanotechnology. Worlds were turned into wastelands and space into dangerous zones infected by nano-viruses that made space travel treacherous. Swarm minds emerged to take over worlds, dominating native species and subsuming them until collective hive minds appeared to threaten the sovereignty of some of the cluster's most sovereign races.
“First, no prime ordered intelligence; let’s only create drone-type microns that we can remotely control. Second, for now, let’s focus on tactile telegraphy. The primary objective is to fix the body, so remote nanotech will be of minimal utility here. These two prohibitions should preclude the possibility of unexpected emergent properties.”
“Reasonable, but by not decentralizing the intelligence for control, you’ve increased the chance of developing emergent properties in the controller itself. We will need a controller to handle headless drones.” Relay warned. As a former A.I., Relay was primarily concerned with the emergence of new intelligence from soul-space-created controller processes. There was too much unknown. This soul space was intricately linked with Kai; if a new intelligence emerged inside it, should it be considered an extension of Kai with no sovereignty, or would it be considered a child with the same rights as any child?
“We can split the controller into multiple, unrelated subsystems, each only controlling a specific class of microns, or perhaps further to only controlling a specific function of a specific class?”
“Good.” Relay approved. “But let’s go further. Let’s have some clear system boundaries and create an upper limit on complexity. This way, we are forced to split systems smaller as they grow. And maybe let’s not make the microns entirely headless. If we decouple just the primary drive, we can improve the communication efficiency without introducing the risk of emergence.”
Kai nodded. He wasn’t keen on suddenly inert microns each time they dropped information packets, especially since he was to rely on them to repair and sustain his body.
“Agreed. Now tell me what you have here. I’m only familiar with a couple of these models.”
Relay hovered in place, turning back to the screen. His cobalt blue orb thrummed with light.
“First, the receptor molecules. These are the central constructs upon which all other technology will depend.” Relay focused on one of the two molecules. It was a long string of carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, and hydroxide. “The impulse receptor, we found this molecule in the lining of the cluster we use to transmit and receive sensory data. Located in your parietal lobe, this molecule is capable of high-speed translation of data into electrical impulses at the cellular level.”
Kai looked at the long chain of atoms. He couldn’t help counting the energy cost needed to create something like this. It would take more energy than he could fit in one core. Perhaps if I recruit the energy contained in the other cores?
“This molecule will be the primary translational mechanism that will take the commands from the data transmitted through your spiritual energy and turn it into commands and instructions.”
“And this one?” Kai highlighted the larger, more complex molecule, minimizing the impulse receptor.
“This is a bit of a mystery. This was found in the lining of your heart core. As you can see, it has a variation of the impulse receptor’s carbon array, which seems to be the interactive medium between the spiritual energy and the rest of the molecule. However, it includes this large tri-atomic structure. I’ve analyzed it and found similarities in plant organelles, specifically chloroplasts.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“It could be an energy conversion molecule? Electrons? Photons? Using spiritual energy to enable cellular activity would simplify things nicely.” Kai was intrigued. He had never examined another cultivator's body - he had no data on the physiology of cultivators or any life forms. His lips tightened into a thin line. So many missed opportunities. He would start taking things more seriously if he got out of this mess.
“We don’t know what cultivation does to people over time, nor if these changes are inheritable genetic transformations. I’ve been assuming that the cultivators I’ve interacted with were genetically similar to the humans I was familiar with, but what if these kinds of molecules are the first indication that they have evolved completely differently?”
“We’ll have to do some experiments to see. It could be that these molecules are unique to you, part of the heritage of your unique origin?” Relay suggested.
Kai nodded, then looked at the schematics. “I’m familiar with these.” He indicated two schematics for harvesting and delivery microns. “But what are these?”
“I’ve divided the nanotech I’m familiar with into three classes. These plans represent these three types.” Relay backtracked.
“First, the kinds you are familiar with. I would describe them as mechanical. Mechanical nanotech includes all non-organic microns that are primarily designed to manipulate matter. They are biologically inert and can be used to collect toxins, deliver resources, and repair damaged cells,” as Relay described mechanical microns, the screens shifted to highlight and expand those schematics.
Kai watched in fascination. These were the kinds of microns he was familiar with, the heavily regulated microns of his previous world. Tiny robots that worked at the cellular level and had the flexibility to create virtually anything given enough resources.
“The next class I would describe as bioformatics or organic microns. These are created from organic materials and do everything that mechanical microns do but represent a progressive refinement of the underlying organism they serve. This nanotechnology is closer to guided evolution as the information needed to create and regulate these microns are encoded in the genetic memory of the organism, and is thus transferable via reproduction.”
Kai watched as the schematics for these bioformatics appeared. They looked organic. Cells, organelles. Even the production center where these microns were created were novel organs grown inside the body.
Kai imagined a nice cup of hot green tea. A steaming clay cup appeared in his hands. He held it and enjoyed the warmth briefly before blowing it to cool it. After a moment, he took a sip.
“This kind of technology was outlawed in the Unified Republic.” Kai blew across his tea. “If I remember correctly, the right to guide one’s evolution was one of the primary doctrines of the Meretarxis Separatists. I should feel revulsion at designing and growing new organs, but I don’t. Maybe it’s the separation that this soul space has provided me. In some ways, I feel my body is more like a space suit. It’s mine, but it’s not me.”
He looked at the schematics and took another sip.
“What’s the last category?” he asked.
“The last category might be considered a hybrid of synthetic and organic components, but I prefer to consider it an advanced approach. This kind of nanotechnology primarily focuses on testing and developing improvements that are not biased toward synthetic or organic solutions but are optimization-focused. In practice, this often means replacing organic systems with inorganic systems. Because of this, many of the improvements gained by someone using this approach are not transmissible solely with genetic information. Successful reproduction requires the priming of the zygote with prenatal micron infusions to begin integration during gestation.”
“Interesting. So a mechanical-organic symbiosis. Can you give me an example of an organic component that might be upgraded with a non-organic replacement?”
“Microlatice metallics can replace calcium-based bones to improve strength, flexibility, and reduce fragility. Silicon-based crystalline memory structures can provide more durable long-term memory. High-density insulated metallics can improve transmission rates of the nervous system.” Relay hovered, his blue light thrumming, “A quick review indicates that at least half of a human’s sub-systems could be upgraded with non-degrading non-organic components. But that’s based on the data we already have. We have yet to examine an advanced cultivator’s body. We know little about the spiritual body, cores, or meridians. An entire realm of opportunity is available to explore all these with an advanced approach.”
“On the surface, it does seem like committing to an organic or inorganic approach beforehand makes little sense,” Kai concluded. Kai created a new window, drawing the three approaches and describing them.
Mechanical Nanotech: Uses non-organic mechanical microns to assist in improving life-supporting processes. Does not affect reproduction. Bioformatic Nanotech: Uses organic microns and new organic subsystems to improve life-supporting processes. Requires genetic modification. Improvements are inherited. Advanced Nanotech: Uses optimized microns and subsystems to improve life-supporting processes. No predefined approach to finding optimized solutions. Allows for organics, inorganics, and undiscovered solutions to be integrated. Improvements are not inheritable without transference of prenatal microns.
He stood back and looked at the list before sipping his cup of tea.
“Let’s talk practicality.” Kai began, “Given our current state, how hard would it be to implement these approaches.”
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Yunfie blew a stray lock from her eyes. Sweat dotted her brow as she looked at the taller, more muscular cultivator. Bao was relentlessly pummeling the ground with her large improvised hammer. There was no doubt that the tall cultivator was physically imposing, but she also had the noble look of the Kei clan, a juxtaposition that was jarring when she had first met. Now, haven become more comfortable around her, Yunfie couldn’t help sneaking glances at her here and there.
She was beautiful and strong. Yunfie considered herself neither of those. She knew she was talented, but that was it.
Crack. Bao’s hammer splintered the ground into shards blowing dust up around them.
“Again,” Bao said.
“Right,” Yunfie squeaked. She cultivated her wind energy and pulled cool air from high above into the pit where they stood. They had been at this all morning. Having found the exact center at the bottom. She’d been using her wind to pull down frigid air to cool the molten ground before Bao would pulverize it. Then she used her wind to remove the dust and debris before starting the cycle again. They had been at it for hours and maybe descended ten feet.
The deeper they went, the closer the sides of the shaft seemed and the hotter it felt. The cold air felt refreshing on Yunfei’s sweat-soaked frame. She cycled her air to pull out the dust and broken glass fragments before pushing them up and away.
Dropping her hammer, Bao wiped her forehead of sweat, then sat down on the ground.
“Find anything?” Ai’s voice came from above.
“Not yet!” Bao yelled up.
When they first began digging, they came across a deposit of star steel. Star steel was a rare earth treasure. Master weaponsmiths could forge it into spiritual weapons. Star steel could transmit spiritual energy outside the body without the cultivator advancing to the core formation stage; this made it a perfect way for foundation establishment cultivators to add flexibility to their techniques.
When they first found the star steel, it was still hot enough she could create a rough hammer shape by slamming it into the hardened glass. Attaching a handle had been easy enough; she had just channeled her life energy into a burned-out stump until it sprouted a branch she could use.
“This is going to take all day,” Bao grumbled. She didn’t mind, though. With the star steel they had found so far, they could probably sell it for enough cultivation resources to advance a step. If someone had told her there was star steel down here, she would have gone at it hard for a week straight.
Yunfie released her tight grip on her wind energy and thumped down to the ground, back against the shaft wall.
“You said you didn’t think he was dead,” her soft voice was high and bright. “How is that possible? I can’t imagine the Celestial Temple would bury a living soulforger.”
“Who knows? Soulforgers are unlike us; they don’t have to follow the same rules.” Bao laughed. “But if he wasn’t dead before, he’s got to be dead now.” Buried deep under molten earth, with no air, Bao concluded he couldn’t still be alive.
“I saw him,“ Yunfie confessed, “before.” She had denied finding him due to the embarrassing circumstances, but thinking about his pointless death after such an incredible advancement was tragic. She was considered a prodigy at the Lunar Temple, but she might as well be a mortal compared to him. They were realms apart.
“I knew you were hiding something,” Bao jumped up, stood, and swung her hammer onto the cooled glass. “What was he like? Like our soulforgers? You know… untouchable.”
All of the Lunar Temple’s soulforgers were secretive, aloof elites that barely spoke with others unless you outranked them. Even then, they carried such a superior air that every interaction with them was either tedious or full of intrigue and mystery.
“He was like a normal kid, a first-year. He was nice,” Yunfie recalled their brief encounter in the bath. He didn’t strike her as aloof at all.
Thud. Bao’s arms shook as the hammer vibrated off the ground. Her eyes widened. She quickly gave the ground some probing blows, hammering around the metallic deposit and exploring its edges. It was easily twice as large as the deposit from earlier.
“We found something!” she called up.