Chapter 63

The Second Galaxy, the core area of the Alliance.

Ever since Kaysen brought back the news of the treaty signing, the Alliance's upper echelons were thrown into turmoil. Opposition, skepticism, and an air of despair and listlessness unseen for a long time pervaded the high command.

Kaysen frowned, his disdain for these incompetents deepening. Having weathered the storm in negotiations with the insect queen, his emotions were now more stable, his actions methodical as he delegated tasks, devoid of any thoughts of exploiting the insect race.

After concluding a routine meeting with other Alliance leaders, only three remained in the room: Kaysen, another high-ranking official, and a researcher clad in a white lab coat.

"Mr. Kaysen, this is a message from a high-ranking insect authority," his trusted aide reported quietly. "The insect queen has officially ordered a ceasefire. According to recent frontline reports, their soldiers ceased combat almost immediately. However, they have not vacated the planets, but remain stationed."

Kaysen, weary, responded: "It's natural they'd keep their soldiers stationed, as we've agreed to return all the planets."

"Do we need to make our treaty with the insects public?" the assistant inquired. "Many Alliance citizens live on these planets, and deciding their relocation is a complex issue."

Kaysen replied calmly, "There's no need. Do the insects care about such minutiae? As for the citizens of lower-tier planets, their opinions are irrelevant. We'll just intensify the censorship on the star-net for now. Is the draft declaration for the half-breeds ready?"

"Here is the first draft," the assistant opened the holocomputer. "I believe we should leave some leeway, not granting them too many rights. Half-breeds and psionics are fundamentally different, and many half-breeds likely have mental issues. Allowing them free reign in Alliance territories could pose a risk."

Kaysen, sounding resigned, said: "No, the insect race will certainly check if we've kept our promise. Let's not fuss over small gains; proceed as initially agreed and allow half-breeds the same rights as others in the Alliance."

The assistant noted down Kaysen's instructions.

The researcher beside them listened quietly to the exchange, seemingly disinterested and somewhat despondent, as if these matters held no significance for her.

After Kaysen and his assistant briefly addressed urgent matters, they finally turned their attention to the researcher, who had been overlooked until then.

The Alliance had lost its most important figure, Mr. K, seven years ago. However, this unconventional scientist, a genius of sorts, had left a segment of his DNA in the gene bank. Even more intriguingly, he had adjusted the data with great interest, aiming to create a synthetic being similar to himself.

Equal in intelligence, similar in interests, alike in stature.

Modified the default gender to female.

Likewise possessed a near-fanatical obsession with science.

Mr. K, while adjusting the personality data, decided to remove attributes like [Madness] [Recklessness], adding [Calm Restraint] and [Ambitious] traits instead.

Thus, a replicant fundamentally similar to Mr. K but outwardly distinct was born, codenamed Z000004.

However, replicants don't always function exactly as envisioned post-creation, occasionally developing subtle and intriguing variations.

Replicant Z04, despite possessing Mr. K's intellectual capacity, displayed no interest in studying the insect race. She would complete assigned research tasks with precision but remained indifferent to any initiative beyond her assignments.

Mr. K, recognizing this, lost interest and, coupled with the Alliance leadership's strange attitude towards replicants, decided to put Z04 back into a dormant state.

Mr. K's early experiments unintentionally left the Alliance with a temporary asset.

Z04, derived from Mr. K's original sample, had superior genetic makeup. However, given the Alliance's limited technology, replicants have a finite lifespan; ordinary ones last about fifteen years, but Z04 only had seven.

After three years of functioning post-creation, Z04 was preserved in cryostorage, halting cellular functions but not without impact. Senior researchers estimated Z04's remaining lifespan to be less than two years.

Sometimes, Alliance leaders require scientists or researchers to aid in decision-making.

Cayson's gaze settled on Z04.

Replicants always invoked a sense of oddity in him; they weren't real lifeforms yet possessed terrifying intellect, especially the significant Z04.

With the treaty with the insect race now a reality, a trivial puzzle crossed Cayson's mind.

"Miss Z," Cayson queried, "why do you think the insect Queen agreed to a treaty with us, given their strength?"

Z04 glanced at Cayson with a hint of disdain, as if ridiculing his naivety, but she earnestly responded: "As brutal as their nature might be, even delighting occasionally in tormenting other species, they understand the natural law of moderation. If they were merely a race indulging in slaughter, they would have perished in the vast cosmic changes long ago."

"Even the high-ranking insect authorities, despite their superior combat abilities, make decisions based on the situation. In the absence of a Queen, they pose no real threat," Z04 said with a half-smile. "But once the race's intellectual brain, the Queen, returns, it becomes nearly impossible for other species to exploit them."

Cayson and his aide pondered the deeper meaning in Z04's words.

For the past three millennia, the insect race hadn't been as viciously brutal as history depicted them, instead showing a level of caution and diplomacy.

"I heard you saw the insect Queen yourself," Z04 inquired. "What was your impression? Any sign of weakness in her?"

Kaysen was momentarily speechless, reluctant to recall that scene again. The innate intimidation exuded by the insect queen was terrifying; they felt like mere food laid out on a dining table.

After a pause, he slowly responded, “Not at all. She is the true queen in the insect race's history, not only powerful but also unimaginably mature in mind. However, from her appearance and behavior, we can preliminarily infer that she is not a cruel queen, nor does she take perverse pleasure in toying with lives.”

“After a devastating cycle, the insect race has returned to its origin,” Z04 spoke objectively, inheriting Mr. K’s thought patterns and seldom considering things from the human perspective of the Alliance. “They naturally understand the balance of pros and cons, how to act in different eras to ensure the insect race's continued existence.”

Z04 paused, seemingly grasping what Kaysen really wanted to ask, and after a moment of thought, continued, “A low profile is currently the best strategy for the Alliance.”

“Ms. Z,” Kaysen suddenly changed the topic, “If Mr. K were here, do you think his answer would be the same as yours?”

The Alliance high officials did not hide their subtle disdain for the artificial humans.

Z04's gaze was dark as she looked at Kason, not responding immediately.

Even if some artificial humans lacked special abilities, their physical constitution was naturally superior to average humans. If they harbored murderous intent, they could easily pluck out a person’s heart.

Kason’s brow furrowed slightly, sensing Z04’s hostility, and he awkwardly shifted his tone: “Apologies, Ms. Z, you and Mr. K are very similar, but also distinct individuals. We desperately need the perspective of researchers now, and Mr. K has always been of great significance to us, which is why I subconsciously posed such a question.”

It was a clever response.

Their gazes met heavily, a sense of danger of a hunt hanging in the moment.

Z04’s lips curved into a calm smile as she replied, “Don’t worry, Mr. K's perspective might have minor differences from mine, but not by much. Any other questions? I have tasks to attend to and can’t stay with you any longer.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Z04 didn’t bother with formal goodbyes to the Alliance officials but turned and left.

Her acute senses allowed her to hear Kason’s angry curse as she closed the door.

Z04's gaze remained calm, her mood unaffected, as she returned to her research lab.

For the remainder of her lifespan as an artificial human, Z04 would temporarily take over Mr. K's position and authority.

Z04 quickly immersed herself in work, focusing on the tasks at hand. However, since the reversal of roles between the Alliance and the Zerg, certain research projects had naturally become taboo and untouchable.

Z04 herself had little interest in these matters, mechanically completing her duties without personal emotion, rarely even feeling disgust.

After temporarily handling a part of the biological research data, Z04 removed her white protective suit and drank a regenerative agent helpful for artificial humans.

Her reflection in the mirror showed a somewhat gaunt face. She looked at herself briefly, recalling the moment she was forced into cryogenic sleep.

The way many people looked at her was as if they were seeing a repulsive monster.

Such is the complexity of the human heart.

No wonder Mr. K, who pursued truth wholeheartedly, desired to become a Zerg.

But then—flipping through the public opinion and information about the hybrid C013, her face colder than ever, she suddenly seemed to understand something and showed a very slight smile.

She wanted to become a “real human.”

*****

“Are you sure? I could let you continue living as a human,” Rei said with a smile.

Before officially leaving F001 Star, there was one last task to handle, the promised transformation of Mr. K.

Rei had the other Zerg bring Mr. K to her, and they were now in a spacious, empty research lab.

Mr. K stood at a distance from Rei.

"—Of course." Mr. K's face might as well have had 'eager' written all over it.

He had indeed never wavered in his desire from start to finish.

Countless dark red threads slowly emerged from beneath Rei's feet, spreading throughout the lab, engulfing the original pale blue light, leaving only a few narrow slits.

Mr. K was engulfed in darkness, with Rei’s figure already vanished from his sight.

The surroundings became oppressively suffocating, and the residual air carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Sound, scent, and touch were stripped away one by one. In the haze, it seemed that only a single eerie sensation remained — the consciousness in his brain still existed, even capable of calmly thinking.

Was she stripping away the bodily functions inherent to humans? Mr. K thought.

But soon, the last sanctuary of his consciousness was suddenly engulfed by chaotic and terrifying emotions, like a fierce storm suddenly striking.

The temperature dropped to near zero, and his vision was filled with nothingness.

Knowledge and emotions belonging to a foreign species invaded his consciousness, coalescing into a vicious and irresistible force, transforming into a tangible beast, ruthlessly tearing apart the last shred of humanity.

Twenty-five years of human memory began to blur and slip away.

"Who am I?"

The fervor for truth wrestled with the deep-rooted instincts of an alien race.

"For whom do I live?"

Only Rei witnessed the transformation in the once empty and pristine lab, now shrouded in layers of dark red tendrils, reflecting dangerous red hues.

Beastly eyes emerged from the web, opening wide, filled with ceaseless malice, fixating on a human-sized black cocoon suspended in mid-air.

Rei listened to the murmurs from the depths of human consciousness, curious and attentive.

"He" readily abandoned human frailty, forgetting past bonds.

All human sentimentality dissolved into nothingness.

The force of the alien sought to consume his last vestige of passion for truth but suddenly found itself constricted around a fragile neck, frozen in place.

Stripping this would also strip away his intriguing essence.

The alien instinct and heart of truth found a delicate equilibrium, merging into one, perfectly compatible.

Rei tightened all the tendrils, forcefully accelerating the transformation to the next phase.

Inside the cocoon, only an unformed mass of flesh remained.

The body regrew - heart, brain, skeleton, limbs.

A new strand of mental force was infused into the vast sea of consciousness.

He struggled to tear through the cocoon, seemingly soft yet immensely tough, finally reaching the outer layer and revealing a pair of strange eyes.

One, a wild beastly pupil; the other, a rational human eye.

In a mutual exchange of interests, a life irrigated with alien blood was wholly born at this moment.

"I - am of the insect race."