vncnus Chapter 20: Clean up after use, no mercy!
Chapter 20: Clean up after use, no mercy!
Peter Whelan discovered that the money, beauty, and power he had offered to others were completely unattractive to the Creator.
Yes, attraction!
Peter Whelan astutely grasped the key point: to attract the Creator, one must offer the Creator something that the Creator does not have, or something that the Creator himself cannot create.
Since tangible things are hard to impress the Creator, let's use abstract things!
Peter Weyland said, "Great Creator, if you help me, I will offer you my talents and my eternal loyalty!"
Peter Whelan was quite confident in his own talent.
He already held twelve patents by the age of fourteen, one of which was a groundbreaking technology for creating artificial tracheas using synthetic stem cells.
He founded the Whelan Group at the age of 22 and grew it to a market value of hundreds of billions of dollars in just three to five years.
At the age of 33, he completely conquered cancer and won the Nobel Prize.
At the age of 35, he created the first android, "David"!
Unfortunately, time is merciless. This genius fell victim to the ravages of time, his genes aging him over time, turning him into the frail old man he is today.
Peter Whelan believed that time and genes limited his talent. He believed that if he had more time, not ten thousand years, but only a thousand years, no, five hundred years, he would surely be able to find a way to break through the limitations of genes and master the technology of immortality.
I wish I could borrow another five hundred years from heaven!
You can't borrow from heaven, but you can borrow from the Creator. Peter Whelan believed that the great Creator who created mankind must have a way to extend his life.
Their short lifespan is likely due to something the Creator did to their genes.
The projection's tone was disdainful: "Your talent and loyalty? You think you're a genius? But in my race, everyone is a genius."
"Can you calculate the design equations for a warp drive in your head, or simulate the annihilation of matter and antimatter within your brain? How do you see yourself compared to us?"
Do all creators play such perverse games?
Is this still a living organism?
It's clearly a super biological computer!
Peter Whelan racked his aging brain, trying to figure out how to answer.
The projector was very patient, letting him think.
After a long pause, Peter Whelan said, "Of course, I cannot compare with the great Creator, but I can offer the Creator a different perspective."
As a genius, Peter Whelan refused to admit that he was inferior to anyone, not even the great Creator.
The Creator only succeeded because civilization appeared earlier and had a longer development period. If given the same amount of time to develop, Peter Whelan would certainly not be weaker than the Creator.
The Creator is nothing but a bunch of old dogs who have lived a long time. Give me the same amount of time, and I will surpass the Creator!
Of course, Peter Whelan only dared to think this in his heart and dared not say it out loud.
He continued, "I can offer the great Creator a perspective from the viewpoint of human civilization. Our civilization is different from yours, and we will have different views and ways of thinking about the same thing. This should be helpful to you!"
Like a cone, it is a circle when viewed from above, but a triangle when viewed from the front and side.
Perspective is crucial in the development of civilization, as it can influence the direction of a civilization's technology. Having more perspectives allows a civilization to understand the universe more quickly and comprehensively.
The projector said, "A perspective from different civilizations? An interesting suggestion, but that's not enough."
"We haven't been to your place for millions of years. We don't know what kind of civilization you've developed. Tell me about your civilization's history. Don't try to lie to me; we have the coordinates of your civilization."
The projector then said, "I'll give you some benefits first."
Without the projection doing anything, Peter Weyland felt the aging process suddenly reversed. His loose, dry skin became plump again, his dull eyes became clear and bright again, and his shriveled muscles swelled up and regained their strength.
Although it did not directly restore him to his prime, it did free him from his previous listless and seemingly dying state.
The changes in his body largely dispelled Peter Weyland's doubts that the projection was the creator.
He has been researching this super technology that removes genetic limitations and reverses aging for more than half a century without any results.
If humans also had this kind of technology, they wouldn't need to come here to search for the Creator. Other things can be faked, but this kind of super technology cannot be faked!
Besides, even if this projection isn't their human creator, so what?
As long as he can slow down his aging process and achieve immortality, isn't that acceptable?
A mirror appeared before Peter Whelan, showing him his current self.
In the mirror, he was still an old man, but one who looked to be in his seventies or eighties; his aging was projected back twenty years.
Peter Weyland knelt reverently on the ground, paying homage to the projection: "Great Creator, thank you for your kindness and benevolence; I will offer you my absolute loyalty!"
Only if he faithfully serves the projection will the projection restore his body to its prime and even grant him immortality.
In the face of immortality, the glory of genius and the dignity of being the founder of the Weyland Company can be discarded.
To Peter Weyland's words, the projection replied casually, "What the Creator can give you, he can also take back. I hope you will be faithful."
Peter Weyland felt a chill run down his spine, understanding the meaning behind the projected words: I can reverse your aging and extend your lifespan, but I can also restore your aging and take away your lifespan.
Peter Whelan never wanted to experience that feeling of physical decay and decline again!
Some people feel that they are not afraid of getting old or dying, but that's because they are still young and haven't experienced the feeling of physical decay and decline.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were extraordinary figures, with unwavering willpower that surpassed that of ordinary people, yet they still felt fear as they aged.
There is great terror between life and death, which arises in the heart and manifests in the body. Some people are not afraid, but their time has not yet come.
Peter Whelan quickly replied, "Great Creator, I would never dare to disobey!"
The projection did not answer him again and disappeared into the room. Peter Weyland watched the spot where the projection disappeared with piety and reverence.
Peter Weyland had no idea whether the projection was the creator, where it was, or what its purpose was for him. Now he could only take things one step at a time, not only to survive but to live as well as possible, even if it meant betraying human civilization to the projection.
Peter Weyland looked respectful and devout, thinking to himself, unaware that his body's various data were being monitored.
When he thought about surviving even at the cost of betraying human civilization, his pupils contracted slightly, his expression changed subtly, and more noticeably, his heart started racing.
All of this was recorded by the advanced instruments of the Three-Body Problem!
Inside the safe house, Cheng Yuan finished his role as an "Engineer." The "Engineer" projection he had just met with Peter Weyland was actually him in disguise.
There's no other way. If he doesn't step up, how can the Trisolaran prime minister and the ruling officials step up?
Human civilization in the Alien universe is not limited to Earth; it has begun interstellar colonization, spreading across multiple planets.
Cheng's original plan was to send spies to Earth to understand what technologies human civilization had developed, which planets it had colonized, and obtain their coordinates, so that he could then target them.
To infiltrate the Alien universe on Earth, intelligence gathering is essential, and the people on Prometheus serve as their intelligence source.
Peter Weyland was one of Cheng Yuan's most valued intelligence sources. As a genius scientist who held a high position, he knew far more information than the average person.
Moreover, Peter Whelan was very afraid of death, a weakness that could be easily exploited.
Cheng Yuan had just created the effect of Peter Weyland aging backwards by using micro-robots to repair his body.
The "Engineers'" nanobots can trim and haphazardly piece together genes, making it easy for the Trisolarans to repair Peter Weyland's body with their miniature robots.
A few days later, the restored Prometheus set sail from LV-223 toward Earth, the world of Alien, but there was not a single human on board.
Watching the Prometheus take off on the screen, Cheng Yuan said, "Send the order to wipe them all out!"
No matter how loyal or talented Peter Whelan was, he was someone Cheng Yuan had to get rid of, especially since he wasn't loyal at all.