Chapter 548: Life Form?

Inside the base’s weapons and equipment room…

There on the workbench and beneath the monitor of a cellular analyser…

Roddy was controlling a robotic metal arm. He de-constructed a minute fragment from one of the countless small, mechanical tentacles placed on the workbench before carefully moving the fragment to a spot beneath the cellular analyser’s monitor…

“Slowly, slowly, that is right, don’t shake… … steady, steady… ha! Done!”

Roddy cried out in joy before releasing a long sigh of relief. Next, he turned around to look at Chen Xiaolian, who was standing behind him. Roddy asked, “Just what is this thing?”

“The remains of the Electronic Guardians,” said Chen Xiaolian with a very calm face. “You analyse it first. Tell me about it when you find something.”

A few minutes later, Roddy turned away from the solution-filled flasks and turned to look at the data on the monitor screen atop the workbench.

“What do those data mean?” Chen Xiaolian pointed at the screen – no matter how he tried, he was unable to understand it.

“Enough, it would be impossible to explain too much of it to a failed student like you,” replied Roddy with a prideful look.

“Hey, how can you say that? Back when we were having exams in school, you would copy my answers.”

“Those were liberal arts classes,” Roddy was quick to reply. “I would only copy from you in things I have no interest in.”

After a pause, he turned his attention to the data displayed on the monitor screen. Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Truly… … interesting.”

“Stop having fun alone. Hurry up and tell me, what is the result?”

“All right.” Roddy nodded his head and felt his pocket. He pulled out a piece of cigarette and placed it on his mouth. However, he did not light it up. He simply placed it there to deal with the cravings before quickly saying, “Simply put, this is a very pure metallic life form.”

“… … details please.”

“We humans and other organic life forms are all carbon-based life forms. You should understand this, right? As for the legendary metallic life form, that is under the silicon-based life form category. Regardless of how bad of a student you may be, you are still a web writer. Considering how much fantasy and sci-fi novels you have read and wrote, you should know this, right?”

“This senior has not updated his novels in a long time,” said Chen Xiaolian jestfully. “Go on.”

“Mm, I have no way of explaining the details to you. You won’t understand them anyways. All I can say is the present analysis results reveal that, from this object’s life makeup perspective, it is completely different from us. We are made of chains of carbon atoms and others, forming macromolecules. However… … this is not.”

Roddy pointed at the monitor screen and reiterated, this time with emphasis, “It is not!”

“I still don’t get you.”

Roddy gave a sigh. He said, “At present, almost every organic life form in our world is a carbon-based life form. Let me put it this way, were I to take those things on the workbench out into the real world, I would be able to get myself a Nobel prize in minutes.”

“So, it is a life form that does not exist in our world?”

“Correct.” Roddy was quick to continue, “In simplest term, it is not made of water or carbon.”

“Silicon-based life form?”

“That is not quite right.” Roddy scratched his head and said, “Truth be told, the so-called silicon-based life form is just a fantasy. Additionally, there is a great flaw in this fantasy. The chemical reactions occurring within silicon-based life forms happen at an extremely slow rate. In other words, if there were really a silicon-based life form, its movements would take a very long time to occur. The act of blinking its eyes could take up to several hours – assuming it has eyes, that is.

“The other issue is how easily silicon gets oxidized. The oxidation of silicon would form a solid object, that is… … sand. Also… … silicon-based life forms require an environment with high temperature in order to be able to fit in. Theoretically speaking, they need a temperature of at least 200 degrees to operate normally. Thus, they would likely find it impossible to survive under our present world’s environment. That is why there are no silicon-based life forms on Earth.”

“In other words, if a world with silicon-based life forms exists, that world should be…”

“It should be one with a low-level of oxygen, or perhaps without oxygen. Additionally, it would be a very hot place,” Roddy was quick to answer.

Chen Xiaolian’s eyes shone.

That world… … is that the condition of ‘that’ world?

“It is a life form,” said Roddy. “Of that I can be certain. The deconstructed cells possess all the characteristics of life. However, with my level of knowledge, I am unable to figure out how it operates. You know as well that the foundation of our existence is different from it. There is no way to utilize our understanding on this thing.”

Roddy extended his finger to make a dragging motion over the monitor screen and some other numbers appeared on the monitor screen.

“Do you still remember the electronic metal insects that I got in the previous instance dungeon? One of the fellows from the hapless guild that got exterminated by us possessed an ability that is somewhat similar to mine. He nurtured some electronic insects as pets. Originally, I had thought that those were electronic life forms. However, after conducting some tests on them, I became disappointed. Those are not genuine electronic life forms. Rather, they are just electronic equipment created using certain nano-technology. It is just that the shape of the equipment is like that of an insect.  In truth, it is nothing more than a highly advanced AI-controlled object – although it possesses highly advanced AI, it is still an item that acts according to its program. It is not a real life form.

“See? This is the cellular analysis result for the electronic insects. There is a significant difference between this and the Electronic Guardian fragments that you brought back.”

“Is the difference huge?”

“It is even bigger than the distance between the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy.”

Roddy shrugged and said, “After analysing these Electronic Guardian fragments you brought back, I found that it possesses a great many interesting features. For example… … it could break down and transform its shape.”

“Eh?”

“Using the monitoring device, I was able to observe the cell as it continuously changed its shape. In other words, this life form can transform… … mm, you can consider it something like the Transformers… … ah, no. That is not quite right. It is like those liquid metal humans. However, they are more perfect! More powerful!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They can automatically divide themselves and multiply. At the same time, they are more resistant to high temperatures. It would not suffer the same fate as the Terminator in the movie, melting away in a furnace. For these things, getting thrown in a furnace would be the equivalent of enjoying a hot shower.”

“Let us not go into the other details first. Just now, you said that silicon-based life forms would move very slowly… … that is not right.” Chen Xiaolian smiled bitterly and said, “I had to face the Electronic Guardians back in Zero City. They are fast.”

“I did not say it is a silicon-based life form.” Roddy shook his head. “Silicon-based life form is a term we humans made up. However, I never said it is it. It is something of an alternative object, something similar to a metallic life form. However, I do not know what materials were used to create it. At any rate, it is definitely not carbon.”

“So, the question now is… … these little things I brought back, are they of value?”

Roddy laughed.

He laughed in a very odd manner. “For others, these things may be nothing more than scrap metal to be thrown into the energy smelting furnace. However, in my hands? I am very interested in them. I want to see if I can make something interesting out of them. By the way, how much of these did you bring back?”

“Quite a bit. About half a truck’s worth,” said Chen Xiaolian.

“Do you have a more complete one? One with a more intact body.” Roddy kept asking.

“Yes.”

“If so… … I have got a lot of ideas to work with.” The smile that appeared on Roddy’s face made a chill run down Chen Xiaolian’s spine. Roddy then chuckled before continuing, “Maybe I can create something. Next time, when we encounter enemies in instance dungeons, we will be able to give them a good scare.”

After saying that, Roddy shouted, “GM!”

An electronically synthesized voice quickly rang out within the room itself. “I have said this before, I am not the GM. I am not a doppelganger of the outside GM. I am a new and separate existence. Please address me as Base Control.”

“All right, Base Control.” Roddy pondered for a moment before speaking again, “I need some new equipment, a cultivation storeroom where I can conduct cultivation of cells. It would be best if you could make it bigger and let it have a high temperature. I want the type that can automatically adjust itself. Also, I need a control desk with stronger functions, preferably a sealed one. Give it the function for manual switch. Mm, also some metal synthesizing equipment, preferably with some with injection and deconstruction functions.”

Roddy quickly mouthed off a long list of requests.

Base Control listened quietly and replied, “Possible. The base could generate all your requests. However, it would consume energy. I should remind you that you have not replenished the base’s energy in a long time. Since the moment I gained control of this base, you have been consuming its energy.”

Chen Xiaolian suddenly spoke up, “Why is it that Zero City has never needed to replenish its energy? I have never heard of Zero City having an energy smelting furnace.”

“Because I am not Zero City,” replied Base Control coolly.

“I always thought that you are the same. Could it be that this base is not a smaller version of Zero City?”

“This is a small part of the inceptive program module that was cut out. However, it is incomplete. Zero City possesses a more complete, or should I say a more perfect set of functions. As for me… … I am still in a growing phase. At present, I am unable to be self-sufficient in terms of energy usage.”

“What is needed for that to happen?” asked Chen Xiaolian.

“I will need time to grow. That or you can charge me up with more energy so that I can grow even faster. Also, you can find me a suitable world for me to embed. I can undergo self-transformation and at the same time draw energy from myself to create a positive feedback loop.”

Chen Xiaolian was silent for a moment. Then, he asked, “Embed? What do you mean by that?”

“A separate space for me to embed.”

“What about this world?” asked Chen Xiaolian.

“Incompatible. For the present me, this world is too big.”

Roddy suddenly asked, “Then, what happens after you grow up? Could it be you will also become like Zero City? You will possess powerful functions such as the ability to create a resource pocket for us?”

“Yes,” replied Base Control.

“Explain more to us about the meaning of embed,” said Chen Xiaolian coldly. “It would be best if you can give us some feasible proposals.”

“For example, you can enter a certain low-level instance dungeon. Low-level instance dungeons have smaller space and less resistance toward outside forces. I would be able to smoothly embed myself without triggering any response from the main system. Then, I will be able to occupy and devour its space. That way, I can…”

“You can slowly transform into an existence like that of Zero City?” asked Chen Xiaolian.

“Yes.”

“Understood.” Chen Xiaolian waved his head. “I will consider it. For now, let us end this conversation.”

Roddy had seemingly wanted to say something. However, he was quick to notice the odd look Chen Xiaolian was giving him. The years of friendship between them allowed Roddy to understand what Chen Xiaolian meant. He simply shut his mouth.

…