[Ding!]
“DNA remodeling has been successful.” A melodious voice rang in my ears, a voice that I will never forget, etched in the very core of my existence.
My partner broke the happiest news of my life to me: I had succeeded after five years of arduous struggle.
A partner, a companion who accompanied me on my journey, assisted me with my research at every step. On the days when I couldn't move forward, she was the one who guided me through every step, correcting my every mistake.
She's the only person I've spoken to in the last few days. In this endless universe, she is my only friend, but calling her friend makes me feel somewhat ashamed...
Because... “Alexa!” is her name.
“Alexa, proceed to the next phase.”
“Initializing the next phase. The phase begins in 3 - 2 - 1. The next phase has been initialized.”
I know that thinking of AI as a friend seems a bit creepy.
However, as someone who works in this confined laboratory 24 hours a day, has no friends or family, and is homeless, communicating with Alexa is the only way to alleviate my loneliness.
It will soon end when I graduate. I'll make a lot of new friends. It would be excellent if I could encounter someone who shares my interests and is willing to be my friend.
Daydreaming, sigh...
I'm 22 years old, and my name is “Austin Ainsworth”. I had a somewhat complicated life... Well, I'm not sure whether it qualifies as a “life.”
I was born and raised in the slums. My parents worked all day and night to ensure that I was properly fed.
The food was straightforward, but it was plenty for me. I didn't have the most comfortable sleeping setup, but it was adequate for me. Despite the challenging surroundings, those were my happiest times.
Then the pandemic struck, stealing the only thing I had in this life: my family.
Despite their poverty, my parents were dedicated members of our community. However, when the pandemic hit, my perspective on the world was completely altered.
Because of the pandemic, deaths frequently occurred in the slums. The hospitals were full, and even if they weren't, there was no way for us slum dwellers to reserve one of the beds.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Then the day arrives… I detested that day...
The moment when my two precious wings fall! My wings… my parents!
When I was ten years old, my parents perished because of the pandemic. They continue to be vividly imprinted on my very soul.
I knew I couldn't fly without these wings. And life will never be the same again. Nobody loves you more than your parents. At the very least, I didn't meet anyone.
I despised myself after that day... A wingless bird lost in the darkest abyss.
The worst feeling is seeing someone you care about to die in front of you while you are unable to do a single thing.
Those so-called “charitable organizations” looked after me during the pandemic days after my parents passed away.
I'm indeed grateful to them for assisting me when I was at my lowest, but at the same time, I loathed them with all of my heart. Because if they had provided my parents with the appropriate medication or oxygen, I would not have lost them.
Why does everyone extend their hands when it's too late?
During the pandemic, billions of people lost someone close to them. Some lost their parents, some lost their partners, some lost their friends, some lost their children, and many mothers lost their unborn babies.
As the pandemic ended with misery, grief, despair, and depression, the feeling of loss took root inside me. And as charitable organizations stopped supplying food, I had no other option but to work to fill my stomach.
For the next two years, I worked as a laborer, a gardener, and a dog sitter, and I even delivered illegal drugs. I did everything I could to just feed myself.
When I was 12 years old, an opportunity knocked on my door, an opportunity that changed the tide of my life, bringing my life to shore.
I was clearing out extra grass and cleaning up within Mr. Thomas' gardens. Mr. Thomas was a tall, elderly man with a long white beard who managed the library at Biotech University. He came up to me and offered me a job as his library's caretaker.
I didn't give it a second thought because the pay was far higher than at my previous job and, more importantly, I wanted to stay away from hazardous and illegal work.
Work was quite relaxing in an air-conditioned building; just arranging books as per sequences, cleaning the building interior, and other stuff.
During my free time, I got bored and started going through books. First, it started with small story books, but as it was a biomedical library, I had no other option but to pick up medical books next.
And the strange thing was, it was the first time I really enjoyed something. From reading in spare time to delaying work in order to read. I adored every movement, and the idea of being a library caretaker for the rest of my life crossed my mind.
But as I read more and more, the desire for actual experimentation grew inside me. For the next few years, I read about botany, zoology, genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and every other subject available inside the library.
One day, as I was looking for some new material to read, I stumbled upon a book called Human Genetic Engineering, and as I was reading it, endless possibilities flashed through my mind.
Possibilities of discovering tools that will bypass natural selection, giving us direct control over levels of evolution, and opportunities to bring about the great good of evolving a human into a perfect being.
An evolved human with a long life span needs less food, can survive in extreme weather, has increased strength, and most importantly, is immune to all diseases.
No one would have to experience what I did if mankind truly evolved and developed immunity to all diseases. We can prevent pandemics from occurring and save a lot of lives.
The same thought took root in my mind. It started out as a straightforward concept that I had while daydreaming. But as time passed, and I read more books related to genetics, that thought became an obsession of mine.