Ark, they don't revolve around you

"Yes..." the president said calmly, "The warp has been opened up for too long... When everyone was sleeping in peace, they forgot that the warp was a dark forest."

"There are civilizations fighting against each other in the subspace, and humans have unconsciously attracted the attention of observers."

"Observer?"

"That is a civilization far superior to Terra." The president said quietly, "When they observe a civilization reaching a certain state, they will destroy it."

"This plot... is so old-fashioned." Zhuang Ning shrugged.

"Perhaps. In short, humans realized that the power of the Observers in utilizing the Warp was far greater than their own, and that destruction might be coming, so they started a lot of self-rescue work."

"This includes the preserver, the beast master, and the origin stone's... ascension."

The president turned his head and said, "You were still researching the purification device called Haisi at that time, but your research was not completed and you were forcibly assigned to the Originium Project."

"Now that you have obtained the Demon King's crown and the original Originium, even if your memory has not yet awakened, you should be able to guess the nature of this plan, right?"

The president closed his eyes. "After all, this plan was proposed by you... Doctor."

"..."

The president stopped talking, and Kal'tsit, who had remained silent due to Priss's gag order, opened her mouth.

She said calmly, "The great race of Yith."

"The shadow beyond time." Zhuang Ning also said so.

He wasn't bitter, but he still felt a little bit...desperate.

The so-called great race of Yith comes from the Cthulhu mythology.

Before, before he traveled through time, Zhuang Ning knew something about this. After all, he was a famous craftsman, so even if he was just following the trend, he would know a little about it.

The great race of Yis came from the shadow beyond time.

In that story, the great race of Is was a highly civilized group, able to even exchange consciousness with certain individuals in the future across time.

With this ability, the great race of Yith determined a lot.

For example, one’s own people will inevitably die in the future.

So in order to save themselves, they launched a plan to exchange the consciousness of the entire clan with a future overlord of the Earth.

Just like a parasite, it forcibly takes over the body of the future overlord of the earth in order to avoid the coming disaster!

It sounded just like the cuckoo, which was particularly inhumane.

But before the collapse of civilization, where was the humanity or inhumanity?

“After you proposed the concept of Originium, everyone was attracted to you.” Kal’tsit closed her eyes.

Zhuang Ning remained indifferent and didn't find it strange.

He looked at the Originium condensed in his palm. This opaque crystal carried too much hope.

"Source Stone is the source..."

"This is a product of the subspace. Its function is... to carry human spirit and consciousness."

"So the survival of civilization can transcend time and pass on the memories and souls of successive demon kings."

“This is the existence that allows people to transcend the barriers of time.”

"At the beginning, after a unified discussion... everyone could voluntarily give up their bodies and upload their consciousness... or souls to the original source stone."

"When there are suitable bodies in the future, these Originiums will be able to parasitize those bodies and restore movement."

"Except for the scientists, almost everyone agrees with the plan."

"Your compatriots are not far away from you. They have always been sleeping in the dream of Originium."

"Their vast emotional torrent forms an ocean. That is the Sea of ​​Solaris, an inland sea constructed by everyone's collective consciousness... the truth of Originium!"

"Why... are there so few relics of pre-civilization on Terra?"

"No, the remains of the previous civilization have always been there."

"It's just that the natural disaster created by the original source stone has decomposed all those ruins."

"Natural disasters are for the reproduction of Originium. Originium will continue to multiply until it assimilates all living things."

"Doctor, all life on Terra is forced to coexist with Originium and is troubled by it... Why do you think that is?"

"Why are you the only one who is not troubled? Your blood can also cure the mineral disease?"

"Because you are the creator of Originium, you are a companion of Originium, and it is you and Preseth who defined Originium as something similar."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Zhuang Ning, perhaps wanting to see a similar expression of sudden enlightenment.

But Zhuang Ning's face was gloomy and silent as a stone.

Yes, how could it be a surprise?

Isn't all this expected?

Originium assimilates living things, and those strange and bizarre races... they are the best carriers.

The Originium constantly transforms their genes, making those small animals more and more similar to humans.

Aren’t these little animals now also considering themselves as “human beings”?

At that time, Haisi will also transform the environment to create an environment more suitable for "human" living and development.

Kal'tsit's words were like a key, inserted into the lock, flicking open the bolt, and then, all those dusty memories collapsed...

He saw that when he proposed this plan, the entire laboratory fell into silence.

Everyone looked at me as if I were a monster, and then everyone ignored me.

He saw the hesitation among the top brass when the plan was submitted.

But that's the best way.

He saw Precious leaning on the deck of the Rhodes with him.

This ark prepared for interstellar travel has lost its usefulness due to the chaos in the subspace.

"——Doctor, you and I are both sinners, right?"

"But it's okay...I'll be by your side and we'll always be together."

Zhuang Ning was silent, then laughed again.

"You haven't finished yet?"

"Since this is for the survival of mankind...why are you trying to stop me?"

“Because you identify more with these little animals?”

"Or--"

His words stopped abruptly, and in front of him was an entrance leading to the underground.

In the silent bunker built of black iron, Zhuang Ning's heart beat faster and faster.

He realized something.

This is a creation of the previous civilization - he once came here to sweep.

"Next, let my father tell you..."

"Tell you why we must stop you."

The dusty gate slowly opened to both sides.

The lights came on, shining on the dark sarcophagus, and Zhuang Ning felt a little suffocated.

He remembered.

It was he who personally sent these people into the sarcophagus, input programs for them, and made adjustments.

At that time, he was feeling uneasy, as these instruments used to maintain vital signs looked like giant beasts in his eyes.

Before the sarcophagus was closed, everyone said goodbye to him. They were all the best people, carrying the heavy responsibility of reviving civilization.

Before they fell silent, they all said good night to you.

——And you took the last sarcophagus and went north and east with Prisses.

The lights flickered.

The dead silence was torn apart by a roar, and the machine in the center roared with anger:

"Wrong! Wrong! All wrong!!!"

"This is all wrong, it's over!!!"

The madly roaring figure seemed inexplicably pathetic and lonely in Zhuang Ning's eyes.

"You're wondering what I'm stalling for, aren't you?" the president said, lowering his voice. "I'm waiting for my father."

“He’s taking over all of Colombia.”

No hiding.

This is like a threat. Once my father completes his transformation, he will take action against you...

Kal'tsit did not refute and agreed.

But Zhuang Ning was not listening. He just looked at the crazy individual, his lips opening and closing:

"What's wrong?"

"Our plan was wrong! Our plan was wrong!"

He cast a fierce look at me, and suddenly froze, seeing the outline of the doctor.

From the loudspeaker, a silent whisper came: "Is that you?"

"It's me." Zhuang Ning walked in and put his hand on the machine to brush away the dust.

The moment the dust cleared, the machine became increasingly silent.

Zhuang Ning was also very patient and said quietly: "What's wrong?"

"We shouldn't trust Originium."

Trevor Friston said dully, "How could we forget? Originium is a creation of the Warp."