Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 812, Section 22: The Possibility of Mango and Johnny's Resurrection
As Carl stepped out of the warehouse, the discovery of biotechnology filled his mind with countless possibilities, causing him to temporarily set aside his mission and think about Johnny, Relic, and other life technologies that skirted the line of ethics.

"Biological cloning, bionic bodies, and the resurrection of extinct species," he murmured, his steps unconsciously slowing.

Johnny is still trapped inside Ball's body, and if he is to truly come back to life, he needs not an ordinary body, but a vessel that can truly contain his wild soul.

He had seen plenty of advertisements for androids on the market—flawless skin, standardized facial features, like mass-produced dolls. They lacked the most crucial spark of soul, just like those android pets that the wealthy treated as luxury items. No matter how realistic they were, they were just empty shells.

Cloning technology is theoretically feasible, but Karl was well aware of the pitfalls involved.

He had heard too many rumors about cloning at the Rebirth Bar: a company executive cloned himself as a backup organ bank, and the clone developed independent consciousness; someone spent all his money to clone his deceased lover, only to find that the newborn 'she' was a complete stranger after growing up.

Carl thought of that old geezer Saburo Arasaka—why would he go to great lengths to develop Relic technology, even harming his own son, rather than try cloning?
Carl stopped, gazing at the view of the badlands in the distance.

The answer is simple: the clone is not the 'original'.

Even if genes are 100% identical, subtle differences in growth environment, memory accumulation, and neural circuits can create completely different individuals, just like the same samurai sword will cut completely different trajectories in the hands of different people.

What Saburo Arasaka feared most was perhaps not death, but becoming another version of himself—imagine if that control freak woke up to find that he had inherited Yoriyuki Arasaka's rebellious personality? The thought alone is ironic enough.

Karl squinted.

Biotechnology's extinction project gave him new ideas, but Johnny's situation was much more complicated. It wasn't a simple matter of physical regeneration, but rather how to make the new body truly 'become' Johnny Silverhand.

The Relic chip might be able to preserve memories and personality templates, but what about muscle memories? The subtle tactile sensation of fingertips when playing guitar? The unthinking reflexes when fighting? Even the burning sensation in the lungs when smoking—how can these fragments that constitute 'existence' be transplanted intact?

Karl realized that he might be contemplating a philosophy that he could never fully comprehend.

In Karl's memory, he knew of a famous question: What can change a person's essence?
That question may still not have a convincing answer for anyone, and what he is thinking about now is no different.

What constitutes a person's essence? Is it memory? Is it the physical body? Or is it something deeply rooted within them, something even the person themselves cannot clearly define, which might be called the 'soul'?

“Seeing hope is more of a headache,” Karl sighed and continued walking forward. “I’m not a scientist or a philosopher.”

Yes, this problem must be solved.

Because if he can't find the answer, Johnny will forever remain a digital ghost trapped in a chip, where even anger seems unreal. In Night City, however, even the most absurd hope is worth pursuing.

Just like the starry sky above us right now, swallowed up by light pollution—when you stare into the abyss, the abyss may be giving you the middle finger, but if you don't even have the courage to look up, whose eyes will the sunlight that will eventually pierce the dawn shine into?

Isn't this just like a falling star, burning brightly even if only for a moment?

In Johnny's words, it would be: "Either live life to the fullest, or don't be born at all."

Am I a legend?

Karl asked himself the question.

of course.

If that's the case, then there's no reason not to pursue it.

We need to bring Johnny back to life and have him live it up again.

To bring this terrible friend back to life.

'Semir.'

Carl remembered the name, remembered the man who pursued his childhood dream and risked his life for it; perhaps he would help Johnny later.

He has already found information related to this identity.

Semir Dark
22 years old / Junior Researcher Access Level: HXH-1
Project Records:

Assistant Researcher, Dodo Genetic Resuscitation Project (2075-present)

"High-end Custom Pet" Proposer (Approved in 2076, Project Code Name: Fantasy)

Arasaka's database is as useful as ever, or rather, in terms of espionage, Arasaka is probably the strongest in the company, as he even has information on a junior researcher.

According to the transport information I just found, the experimental subjects to be transported to Dogtown need to go to Pacific State. I'll let Johnny know the good news while they're on the way.

Carl thought for a moment and realized that he was only talking to Johnny about this matter, which did not go so far as to tell Johnny the details of his mission, thus constituting a leak of mission secrets.

This might be a bit of a tangential issue, but it wouldn't be right to keep good news from your friends.

At worst, we can just consider it a mission failure.

Although Karl, or rather the KK team, has a 100% mission completion rate so far, they are not fixated on that.

Matters concerning friends should definitely take precedence over the mission. Besides, what Karl is talking about now isn't mission-related. If Mr. Blue Eyes thinks Karl has leaked information and the mission fails, then so be it.

"Johnny, I have some good news to tell you."

"Good news! Did you bring me cigarettes or alcohol? What flavor?"

“No, but I can bring it back for you when I get back. Just let me know what kind of cigarettes and alcohol you want. I just found an interesting clue,” Karl said. “Someone who might be able to bring you back to life, a madman who’s probably just as obsessed as you in some ways, but he’s currently working on bringing back the Dodo bird.”

"Ha!" Johnny's voice was laced with sneer. "So now I'm an endangered species?"

"No, it's just that if their research goes really smoothly, Johnny Silverhand might actually come back."

"Johnny Silverhand, come back."

Sensing the seriousness in Carl's voice, Johnny, who had been about to say something witty, fell silent, as if he were contemplating his own return.

When Carl said this, wasn't he essentially asking Johnny a question?

you.

Johnny Silver Hand.

Are you ready to come back?
"Fuck you," Johnny's voice suddenly became terrifyingly clear, as if he had real vocal cords, "I can finally smoke a cigarette with my real lungs."

This is Johnny's answer, and it's satisfactory.

"I won't be bringing you cigarettes or alcohol then, okay?"

Karl smiled and hung up the call, still looking at Semill's file.

He saw a private encrypted folder belonging to Semir, a folder that was not actually confidential at all.

It contains hand-drawn reconstructions of extinct species, each with its gene sequence densely labeled next to it.

In the corner of the page with the dodo bird, someone wrote in childish handwriting: "When I can revive you, I will definitely let you taste what a real mango tastes like."

The next line after that childish handwriting is mature, clearly added later.

"Dodo bird, can I eat mangoes?"

(End of this chapter)