Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 108 | The Missing Mind | Novela.app

The Bayer Chemist was a miraculous organism—or rather, a miraculous civilization. To it, one was all, and all were one. It was the entirety of the Chemist civilization, a social structure consisting of a single "Original Strain" and "countless Sub-strains." Within this entity, concepts like luxury, happiness, or individuality did not exist. Sub-strains were perfectly equal; the only difference between the Original Strain and its Sub-strains was that the former served as the "host." Originally, a network called the "Mat" existed between the Chemist Sub-strains. Its purpose was to allow Sub-strains to upload and share portions of their memories, thoughts, and feelings, provided they consented. Of course, theoretically, this wasn't all that important—because the Chemist itself possessed a "Mycelium" network. If a certain type of edible mushroom grows on a mountain, that entire mountain might be home to that mushroom. If one were to dig beneath the surface, they might find a mycelial network spanning the entire landmass. The very existence of the Chemist was built upon such a Mycelium network. It was buried deep within the foundation of every Sub-strain. To put it another way, it could be called a "shared soul" or a "fungal hive mind." The Mycelium originated from the Original Strain. It was the foundation upon which their gestalt consciousness was built and the conduit through which the Original Strain conveyed its absolute, singular will. In terms of functional structure, it was the volva, the stipe, and the gills of a mushroom. Every complex part of the canopy above had to rely on the nutrients it provided. Through its existence, should the Original Strain die, any Sub-strain could become the "new Original Strain" or an "extension of the Original Strain." Thus, it was nearly impossible to eliminate the Chemist; as long as a single spore remained in the universe, its life was infinite. However, in addition to the Mycelium, the Chemist had the "Mat" network. It represented all the fungal structures covering the surface of a mountain where no other life remained. It was established entirely between Sub-strains, replacing some Mycelium permissions and handling a portion of the computational requirements. This was because approximately nineteen years ago, following a battle, the Original Strain disappeared, and the Mycelium network disconnected. Yet, none of the Sub-strains automatically ascended to become the new Original Strain. They continued to follow their original instructions, maintaining their surface-level, easily-discarded simulated personalities. They struggled to communicate through the Mat, guessing that their "head" might still be alive somewhere unknown. Then... nearly six months ago, the Mat network also disconnected. Fine. This was probably enough to confirm that the Original Strain was dead. ...But where was the new Original Strain?! It was like a person made of loose parts; though disassembled, every part of the body followed the brain's commands, so it counted as a whole. Every time the brain died, another limb or organ would automatically become the new brain, and a new organ would grow in its place. The essence remained the same individual. For the millions of years it had existed, the Bayer Chemist had lived this way. But this time... the brain was gone. Just gone. Bayer Chemist: ? *Feeling a bit itchy, like I’m about to grow a brain.jpg* And so, here, one Chemist asked another with a look of nervous intensity: "Have you found our brain yet?" The other Chemist replied: "No. Besides... even if we did, isn't your personality setting 'oppose the Chemist and persistently support all non-gestalt technological civilizations by possessing corpses'?" "What do you mean 'my personality setting'!" Kona slammed the table. "That's just who I am! *Me*!" "Fine, fine, it's not a setting. That's just how we are. Orderly and self-contradictory." The dealer slowly put on an external light-computer component that looked like a monocle. Adjusting the focus, she muttered, "Why do you care about that? If you have the energy, you'd be better off guiding me through my thesis..." "What thesis?" Kona blinked. "When did you go to university?" "Biochemistry. I've already finished my Master's, sister." As she spoke, the dealer opened a paper authored by "Yan Miao" and waved it in front of Kona. "As for why I'm studying it—aren't we 'Bio Chemists' after all? "But for some reason, the cells I culture always end up growing fungi..." ... ...Cultured cells growing fungi? Kona Chemist stared at Yan Chemist Miao, dumbfounded. "Did I... did I commit an ethical breach? "...Oh, wait, this should count as stealing and eating your pet... no, wait, you are also me..." She looked horrified. "The ce—lls—!! I haven't even raised a pet yet!" Yan Miao: "..." Yan Miao stood up abruptly, slapping the table. "Get out! Don't the cells you raise count as pets?!" *** Hollow planet environments, ring-shaped environments, super-planetary environments, rogue planet environments... Lei Ting, using the alias "Wright," and Ivenheiler, using the alias "Wen," toured the sights together. Lei Ting was full of interest, but before long, he noticed that Ivenheiler seemed somewhat distracted. Even though the other man showed no sign of it on his face. "You don't want to see these?" On a bench in a deserted corner, Lei Ting asked the question bluntly. "...I've seen them all before," Ivenheiler said softly. "I can feel that, at least for now, you aren't thinking of escaping. Because you're afraid of causing massive losses to these ordinary people." Lei Ting leaned in with interest, looking at the ordinary-faced young man. He could see "Ivenheiler" and a hint of awkwardness in those eyes, which sent him quickly searching his mind for events that could have caused such a change. The likely candidate was found quickly: the conversation they had before leaving. This made him smile. Yes, it was true that Lei Ting had felt a slight dip in his mood at that time because of the other man's instinctive negative assumptions about him. But he didn't actually mind it—what was there to mind? A mature warrior, when facing an enemy, should always be prepared for the worst, especially when that warrior truly had a motive to do those things. But Ivenheiler's emotional fluctuations, which were more blurred and harder to catch than a normal person's, told Lei Ting that he seemed to feel guilty about it. If Lei Ting weren't important to him, he likely wouldn't have reacted this way. Lei Ting's smile grew even brighter. Ivenheiler gave him a silent look, crossed his arms with an air of authority, and turned his head to look at the colorful bushes nearby, as if looking at them long enough would cause a new Federation to bloom. "Is there nothing else you want to see?" "I'm looking at something better," Lei Ting said. "..." Ivenheiler's fingers twitched; he might have barely suppressed the urge to clench his fist. Lei Ting arched an eyebrow. "Besides... do you really think I'm the kind of person who would let ordinary people suffer damage for nothing? You're making me quite sad, Mr. Wen." "..............." This guy wouldn't just repeat words like that for no reason. Ivenheiler knew he had been seen through. He narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly looked over. "Are you encouraging me to leave?" "You're welcome to try," Lei Ting said with a smile. "Why do you think I dared not to forge a set of shackles for you?" "The way you talk is truly obnoxious," Ivenheiler said coldly. "Then do you hate me?" Lei Ting asked. "I don't hate you, anyway. I like you very much." ... The words sounded like something a perverted character in a Star Net drama would say. But though Ivenheiler's lip twitched, he didn't give an answer. And both of them knew that if he hated someone, he wouldn't endure them. Much less would he allow that person to spend every night in intimate proximity with him. Seconds later, Lei Ting was doubled over with laughter. His hearty laughter echoed through the deserted corner, even prompting someone far away to ask, "What was that sound?" Ivenheiler snapped and slapped Lei Ting's arm. Then, the impact made his own hand sting with pain. Lei Ting naturally took his hand, feeling a texture different from the surface illusion, but also different from the usual "Ivenheiler." While wondering exactly how the man achieved this, he asked, "Did I hurt you?" "..." Ivenheiler glared at him fiercely. Lei Ting paused, suddenly realizing that in most contexts where that phrase was used, the other person was usually quite disheveled, or things had already progressed to a messy state... "...Sorry," he apologized, clearing his throat. "My mistake." But for a moment, he couldn't help but recall the experiences of the past few days, which had truly been a bit of a dreamlike indulgence. In bed, Ivenheiler wasn't exactly proactive, but... he knew very well how to enjoy and demand, even to the point of provocation and deliberate irritation. He liked Lei Ting treating him with a certain degree of roughness because he understood that he was safe by Lei Ting's side. And if that "safety" brought with it a heart-stopping sense of majesty and power, it was truly intoxicating. Open, penetrate, break, fill. Ivenheiler's requirements were that simple; he liked that feeling. Of course, the prerequisite was that the other person had to be the right one. In truth, both knew that they usually didn't have much time or energy to waste on fooling around. Currently, one was somewhat acting against his own will, while the other... like the first, was waiting for something. Something that could only happen once the "Sun of Positive Energy" left the Federation's borders. "How far have we walked?" Lei Ting asked casually. "Are you trying to say you don't know?" Ivenheiler countered nonchalantly. "Ha... who knows?" Lei Ting laughed. "I think we should head back today." "I don't think I can walk back. Let's just find a nearby hotel," Ivenheiler said meaningfully. "Ordinary people are different from you espers. I'm tired." "No," Lei Ting said softly. He turned his head, meeting the other's gaze with a seriousness he hadn't shown in days. "How will we know if we don't try?" he whispered. "And... you know, if it really doesn't work, I'll carry you back." ***