Hot Wavelength

Chapter 33 (Reprint 1): Amnesty
6500 million years ago, Venus
Colonel Felman and Nikola Tesla were not exactly friends; they had only met a few times for work purposes.

Tesla had a good impression of the colonel. He was handsome and efficient. Even without his uniform, his standard posture and concise speech revealed his well-trained military bearing.

Just now, Colonel Fellman called to say he had a special gift for Tesla. On the other end of the line, Dean Abbott raised his voice in agreement: "Nikola, you wait, we'll deliver the gift to you. You'll love it."

One crisis after another plagued Venus, and Nikola Tesla was constantly tense and anxious, unable to think of any gift that would make him happy.

The doorbell rang, and Tesla opened the door to his workshop. He was instantly stunned, unable to believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was Maria.

“My dear Nikola, I’m back,” Maria said with a smile, then couldn’t help but hug Tesla tightly and kiss him.

Nikola Tesla was familiar with the laws of Venus. Maria's act of cloning a human body without permission was a serious crime, and she was sentenced to exile on Earth, never to return to Venus.

As Tesla reunited with Maria on Venus, he was overjoyed, only to realize that Colonel Felman and Dean Abbott were standing outside the door. As he invited them in, he asked the colonel:

"Has Maria been paroled? How long can she stay on Venus this time?"

“Mr. Tesla, Maria has been pardoned. From now on, she is a free woman and can go wherever she wants,” Colonel Fellman said politely but seriously.

"The Alliance has officially approved your plan, and the Institute of Life Sciences at the Venus Academy of Sciences has urgently established a cloning technology laboratory. Maria has just been appointed as the chief scientist," Dean Abbott added.

Nikola Tesla sorted out his thoughts and realized that, according to his crisis response plan, the prerequisite for the explosion of Mars was that the Venusian humans had the ability to extract genes and replicate the human body. Maria's expertise would come in handy.

Maria gradually calmed down. She looked around Tesla's workshop, found the water dispenser, and, like a hostess, prepared drinks for the guests.

Tesla went over to help, and Maria turned around, seemingly speaking to everyone, yet also seemingly talking to herself:

"Exploding Mars, your plan is insane. My task is to extract genes and clone a human, and I don't know if I can succeed 100%."

Nikola Tesla and Dean Abbott reluctantly but as simply as possible explained to Maria that an accident at the hypersonic power station on Saturn's moon Sedna had caused the moon to explode, and the resulting chain reaction would destroy the habitable zone of the solar system, leading to the extinction of the Venusian population.

To prevent Jupiter from approaching the Sun, Mars must be shattered, creating an asteroid belt. When Mars explodes, the 60 billion Venusians will have nowhere to hide; the only solution is to extract stem cells and other genetic tissues from each individual and preserve them in a temporary base on Saturn's moon Iapetus.

After the effects of the explosion are eliminated, Maria will lead scientists to use genetic "seeds" to replicate human bodies on Earth, resurrecting the Venusian humans, and Earth will become their new home.

“Protecting the solar system and reshaping the Earth’s landscape are not my specialties; that’s all up to you. My main job is still gene cloning technology,” Maria said.

“Maria, leave the rest to us. I know that even cloning technology is quite complicated. Please take care of it!” Dean Abbott said solemnly.

Maria pondered, recalling a question that had been troubling her for a long time, and said, "Cloning a human body is not just a complex engineering technology; it also involves legal, ethical, and other issues, which has always troubled me as a scientist."

"The Alliance Parliament has passed an emergency bill authorizing the government to lift restrictions on human cloning should the survival of humans on Venus be catastrophically threatened," Colonel Fellman continued. "To prevent the technology from being misused or creating an ethical crisis, the bill sets forth the principles of minimum and fairness."

Colonel Fellman explained the above principle: after Maria and other scientists mastered mature human cloning technology through experiments, all 60 billion people on Venus would have one and only one chance to be cloned, on a voluntary basis.

“I understand. The legal and ethical issues surrounding human cloning have been troubling me for years, but now it seems I don’t need to worry about them too much. I will set up a laboratory as soon as possible and devote all my energy to the research and experimentation of cloning technology,” Maria said.

Brama and Vinu have been back in their small fishing village for some time now, and as a mother, Vinu misses her daughter Cynthia, who is far away on Earth, day and night.

The temperature difference between day and night on Venus is intensifying, and natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and violent storms are becoming increasingly frequent. Ordinary Venusians, including the couple, are increasingly feeling that the crisis is truly upon them; Venus may no longer be suitable for human habitation. All civilian spacecraft flights to escape Venus to Earth or Mars have been canceled. The couple is helpless; Vinu spends his days in tears, longing for Cynthia, who is far away on Earth.

As evening fell, the lights of electric vehicles flickered on the mountain road near the small fishing village. Brahma stood on a low wall outside his door, peering towards the lights, and saw a long line of vehicles approaching. The lights in the abandoned house that Dr. Maria had used for many years were lit again.

A dozen minutes later, an electric scooter stopped outside the couple's yard, and Dr. Maria got out. Vinu, as if seeing a long-lost relative, excitedly invited Maria into their little house.

“Why did you come back to Venus?” Vinu asked. “How is Cynthia? We were worried about her.”

“I’ve been pardoned and I’m now doing a special job. Cynthia is fine, don’t worry. When I go to Earth in a while, I’ll be able to see her again.”

"When you return to Earth, can you take us with you?" Vinu asked hopefully.

Maria felt awkward. She had traveled to Earth on a special spaceship belonging to the Academy of Sciences, and she wasn't authorized to bring passengers unrelated to scientific research. Looking at her anxious mother, she completely understood her feelings. Maria changed the subject, saying:
"I came back here to move the documents and special equipment that I used to store in the small building, and I also took the opportunity to visit you."

"You've been pardoned, and the Alliance government has granted permission for human cloning, is that right?" Brahm asked tentatively.

“Yes, cloning is now legal, and I will soon be taking the first batch of volunteers to the Earth base to conduct cloning experiments,” Maria explained.

“Volunteers? You mean the cloning technology isn’t mature enough?” Brahm asked.

Maria suddenly remembered Cynthia's abnormal lung function and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry I couldn't perfectly replicate little Cynthia! I haven't had the chance to do cloning experiments for more than ten years, so we have to start again with the help of volunteers."

“Volunteer, can I be a volunteer for your cloning experiment?” Vinu saw hope and said, “That way I can go to Earth with you and be with Cynthia.”

Maria was momentarily stunned and didn't know what to say when Brahm suddenly stood up and shouted excitedly, "I want to be a volunteer too, and go to Earth with you!"

“No, this won’t do!” Maria shook her head vigorously, muttering to herself.

“Why not? You just want healthy volunteers, right? We both meet the requirements. Please grant us your wish and let us be with Cynthia. Please!” Vinu pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

Maria was at a loss for words; she simply couldn't bear to hurt the poor couple before her.

Because of Cynthia, Maria's reason told her that she had to refuse the couple's request, but she couldn't bring herself to say it and, against her will, silently nodded.

The couple jumped up excitedly, thanking him repeatedly. Vinu first laughed, then cried, his smile and tears mingling as he mumbled, "Cynthia, Mommy and Daddy are about to see you!"

Maria slumped helplessly into her chair, her mind preoccupied with the question that had plagued her for over a decade: was human cloning technology a salvation or a catastrophe? Beneath the veneer of scientific wonder, was it triggering a collapse of ethics and morality?
Perhaps the couple didn't understand Maria's dilemma; they were the least suitable volunteers because their cloning on Earth would cause ethical turmoil.

The baby in Cynthia's arms, now 20, will be another set of parents.

&
The poem composed of collected verses at the end of the chapter:
Refining red pills into jade-like crisps, Song Dynasty, Bai Yuchan

Daring to throw the easy into the furnace. —Lu Guimeng, Tang Dynasty
A red tube hangs from the waist to store elixirs; Tang Dynasty, Han Hong
A single thought of non-arising is aided by the power of wisdom. (Tang Dynasty, Liangjia)

(End of this chapter)