Wasteland Development Diary.

Chapter 698 Special Feed
"This is the clone you created?"

Zhou Yi looked at the little thing wriggling in his palm.

This thing is so small, it's about the size of an earthworm.

It is translucent and resembles a slug in shape, but it has no tentacles and is flat, somewhat like a fleshy version of a small flying saucer.

"Chairman, the split can only be this big."

Steve explained, "This size is the standard initial size; it will grow into different shapes and structures in different regions."

Zhou Yi watched the split organism wriggle laboriously in his palm and couldn't help but worry: "Its growth cycle must be very long, right?"

"It takes hundreds of thousands of years for a normal body to grow to its full size."

Steve said, "But with the seeding ship, we can direct the energy and guide it to grow quickly, so it can grow big in a few months."

"Although it is small, it has all the basic functional organs."

Steve's screen projected a green light, revealing, like an X-ray, the dense network of lines within the split body. These lines flowed and twisted slowly, circulating and operating in different areas.

"Chairman, it needs a lot of water, hydrogen, and carbon."

"Of course, there is no fixed requirement for this ratio; the more of one type there is, the more it will evolve in that direction. The key is that there must be a seeding vessel for it to grow; this is the most important thing. This is an unchangeable physiological limitation."

Zhou Yi pondered to himself.

This must be a mechanism designed by the modifiers.

The hatchery needs to be attached to the seeding ship, and the seeding ship can be operated by hydrogen-based life forms, so it is equivalent to being completely bound to its own offspring.

Zhou Yi and Ye Shen discussed it carefully.

Their initial plan was to let the split grow on the moon. But this would require seeding ships; currently, there are two: one on Mars, and the one on Earth will be distributed to the moon.

To play it safe, the two ultimately decided to set up an incubator on Mars as their first pilot project.

The moon has already completed the initial atmospheric modification, and the corresponding ground soil and rivers have also undergone partial improvement, with biological migration already underway.

Although there are various problems and challenges, the main body of the renovation project has been launched, and it only needs to be continuously adjusted.

Adding an incubator to the mix could actually create new problems.

No need.

In contrast, neighboring Mars is currently barren and lacks the environment and conditions necessary for life to emerge. Going there would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

The Mars seeding ship can also directly cover the area, simultaneously deciphering the Celestials and manipulating the growth of the fission bodies.

Zhou Yi then sought the opinion of the former king, since it was he who had established the base.

The old king was very enthusiastic: "Cultivating life on Mars has always been a challenge. If we could create a forbidden continent here and hatch all kinds of life, that would be exactly what we wanted."

However, it also raised its own concerns: "But the only life forms that can hatch on the Forbidden Continent are electric cats, killer rats, and bio-televisions, right? I find it hard to imagine them roaming freely in the base. Aren't these all risky species?"

Zhou Yi immediately told it, "We need to do some species fusion. For example, we can re-hatch existing common and harmless life species such as wheat, grass seeds, and flowers through the hatchery. The results of the re-modification will be different, but they will be more suitable for the environment here."

"We'll focus on these plants for now and experiment gradually. We'll consider more advanced life forms like electric cats later, once the technology is more mature."

"That way I feel relieved."

The former king readily agreed.

The split was immediately sent to the Mars base.

According to the footage sent back from there, this creature, which is thinner than a little finger, grows extremely fast under the illumination of the seeding ship, as large amounts of water, hydrogen, and carbon are produced and released on-site.

On the first day, the clones grew to the size of a palm.

The next day, it transformed into the size of a desk desktop.

By the third day, it was already as big as a living room (3101).

……

On the twenty-third day, it reached the size of Shagang City. However, from this point onward, its growth rate became extremely slow.

Steve said, "Chairman, the early developmental stage of the mitochondria, which lasts 3-4 weeks, is over. Next comes the organogenesis stage, which will take about 4-8 weeks."

Just as it says.

The fission body has covered the empty area of ​​the Martian base. Because its surface is covered with a large amount of silicate crust, it looks no different from ordinary ground, except that it is gradually rising and forming small hills.

These areas have been marked and separated, and residents of the base are prohibited from setting foot there.

Eight weeks later, all the basic organs of the split body had completed their growth, including the warm nest in the form of a mountain of flesh, the high-altitude nerve membrane composed of electric cats, and the simplest shell on the body surface.

Zhou Yi immediately rushed to Mars and personally participated in the birth of the first life in the Mars incubator.

The first plant chosen for modification and fertilization was a type of grass called Bermuda grass.

Its rhizomes spread rapidly, covering a wide area, making it an excellent plant for stabilizing embankments and conserving soil. It is commonly used to build lawns or sports fields. Bermuda grass is a good forage grass, readily eaten by cattle, horses, rabbits, and chickens. However, when it grows in orchards or farmland, it becomes a difficult-to-eradicate harmful weed.

On barren Mars, these are all advantages.

Visibly, a large amount of grass began to grow on the hatchery shells. However, the originally slender, thread-like grass leaves were now finer and tougher, but with peculiar pale white veins.

These veins are somewhat similar to plant light-absorbing organs, but they are not complete; they can only absorb the large amount of circular energy that naturally exists here.

Martian dog teeth roots grow incredibly fast. On Earth, their growth cycle is about 45 days, but on Mars, they become lush and vigorous in just 6 days, thanks to the abundant energy on Mars.

However, they are still considered normal plants, and apart from growing fast and densely, they have no other abnormalities.

Based on this success, the company continued with wheat incubation.

The hatchery modified a batch of wheat seeds, and the seedlings that eventually grew successfully had a mutated characteristic. These wheat seeds seemed to have a special mechanism for sensing and interacting with the outside world.

Zhou Yi tried it.

When he gets close, the Martian wheat seedlings will carefully avoid him. If he stays standing among the seedlings, some will gently touch him, as if to ascertain what kind of outsider he really is.

Hydrogen Flow said, "The breeders are a life form with a vague sense of self, which is a very rare and precious situation. This is because Mars itself contains a large number of fragments of consciousness. When the incubator is incubating, there is a very small probability of giving birth to this rare species."

According to its explanation.

The organisms hatched by this biological machine tool are divided into two levels.

The first type is ordinary life, which is based on a prototype but with certain improvements and modifications. Bio-television and Cynodon dactylon are examples of this.

The second is conscious life, which is a species that is born with a certain degree of consciousness, and the probability of this happening is close to winning the lottery jackpot.

Normally, in order to incubate and nurture conscious life, it is necessary to implant fragments or entities of consciousness later in life. However, this kind of artificial editing and fusion can also cause rejection reactions and various subsequent problems.

The killer rat's madness and chaotic state is one of the side effects of artificial editing.

The carnivore's craving and addiction to the flesh of higher life forms, an insatiable desire to eat meat, is like a severe addiction—a side effect. However, these side effects have been modified and utilized by the sower.

Naturally born conscious life forms are extremely precious and rare.

Because consciousness is an intrinsic driving force and cause of evolution, without consciousness there is only the survival instinct to adapt to the environment. With consciousness comes the initiative of self-will, and the degree of growth and potential will be incomparable.

"Whether they gradually grow and evolve into something that tends towards order and socialization, or towards chaos and madness, depends on the environment."

Hydrogenflow stated, "If the environment itself tends towards order, they will also be affected. If the external environment is disordered and chaotic, they will also adapt and converge."

What Zhou Yi cares about more is...

These wheat plants have now become sentient beings.

Can I still eat it?

"It's edible."

Hydrogen flow asserted confidently, "And it's even better than Earth's wheat."

"Although this species has the rudiments of consciousness, it will take a long time to evolve and develop into a complete self-awareness. So there is no need to worry about this. Any new species, from its initial germination to maturity, needs tens of thousands of years."

That's fine.

On Earth, even early-maturing spring wheat requires at least 90 days for its entire growth period, while winter wheat takes up to 300 days. However, Martian wheat has a growth period of only 41 days, and can be harvested in just over a month.

The Legal Front conducted comprehensive testing on this new wheat variety and produced a detailed report.

Nutritional information (per 100 grams)

Energy: 2380 kcal (9961 kJ)
Protein: 13.2g
Fat: 2.1g
Carbohydrates: 72.0g
Vitamins: ...

……

Mars Wheat 7 is otherwise similar to common wheat on Earth, except that it carries a large amount of energy, about seven times that of Earth, and contains special energy-radiating substances.

This energy radiation is produced by a circular flow environment and is not suitable for direct consumption by ordinary people. It can cause radiation sickness or lead to the death of a large number of cells.

However, this is a very special kind of food.

The Martian native killer rats, electric cats, and even electric spirits are all fascinated by it.

If you simply scatter wheat on the Martian ground outside the base, they will swarm to it to eat, and even the killer rats that usually chase dust storms will rush over for it.

Previously, the company offered many generous conditions to the Martian Electric Cats, such as the opportunity to take a vacation on Earth, the provision of various power facilities and store locations needed by the Electric Cats, and the option to be transferred to other departments through examinations... However, the number of Electric Cats willing to work in the end was still very small.

The local electricians who were willing to participate in the work have been almost entirely recruited, and the remaining 90% are those who are unwilling to change.

However, when Martian wheat appeared and the local electric cats started eating it, they all became quite excited. In order to eat this special cat food, they even took the initiative to ask to work for the company, just so they could get a stable supply of food every day.

It has become a special kind of feed.

The old king was greatly shocked: "So this is how Martian wheat is used... I didn't understand at first why we would grow wheat on Mars. As long as we produce starch, we can sustain the carbohydrate needs of humans and flesh and blood. So this is your plan."

"To cultivate the food needed for local Martian life, and thus integrate them through food."

"You are truly exceptionally adept at breaking conventions from the ground up and taking control of a situation from the inside out; no one can match you in this regard..."

Zhou Yi: "..."

He thought to himself, "I'm just experimenting with wheat, I'm just trying it out."

I never expected to be so lucky.

They created a rare species.

The key to the strong attraction of Mars Wheat 1 to Martian life lies in its energy-radiating material.

Juemingzi and 703 mobilized hundreds of thousands of electromechanical life computing power to conduct a targeted and in-depth analysis of this.

Ultimately, they came to a conclusion.

This radioactive material is a reactive substance produced by the splitting body—or the organic matter of the incubator itself—and Martian air currents, which attracts and becomes addictive to Martian life.

In addition, Martian wheat contains components of consciousness, making it more attractive to them, whereas the previous Cynodon dactylon did not have this effect.

Its essence is the instinctive need for organic matter in the hatchery.

Zhou Yi thought that made sense; the Electric Cat, the Killer Mouse, and even the Electric Soul all originated from life cultivated in the Hatchery.

So it is.

Mars Wheat 1 immediately recognized its important strategic value and status, and was not only deployed in the hatchery, but also cultivated in large quantities on other farms at the Mars base.

The hatchery was also given an official name: Steve 2.

The only regrettable thing is that the several plants cultivated later were all unremarkable. They were only able to adapt to the environment of the Mars base and survive and grow, but they never developed consciousness again.

Even so, Zhou Yi was already very satisfied.

Luck is something you can never force.

I've already drawn an SSR card, what more could I ask for?

Using Martian wheat as the raw material, and adding Dead Sea fruit, dried fruit, and other supplementary ingredients, the Martian biological rations quickly became a star product at the base.

In order to buy this food, the Martian electric cats spontaneously started their working cat careers.

After all, people need to make a living.

This stuff is highly addictive; you feel uncomfortable if you don't eat it for a day, and it's hard to endure a day without it. It's like how ancient humans who ate meat could no longer accept eating berries every day.

One day three months later.

A major piece of news has come from the Mars Affairs Department.

"Chairman, we've tamed our first Martian killer rat using biological feed and the evil brain motor!"

Even the minister's voice, though filled with barely concealed joy, betrayed a deep sense of elation.

"It is the first wild light nucleus we have tamed to date!"

Zhou Yi was shocked.

Damn it.

You guys are moving a little too fast!

He immediately rushed to the Mars base to check the situation.

(End of this chapter)