Chapter 108: Sophia

Although the genetic technology in the alien universe where Sophia lived had advanced to an extraordinary degree—allowing humans to extend their lifespans to over a thousand years through genetic modification—this did not mean that humans were immortal. As Sophia reached her later years, she found her vitality waning. Many of the scientific research projects she cherished were now beyond her reach due to her declining energy, a source of immense suffering for someone who regarded work as her lifeblood. Consequently, she turned her attention to anthropology. At that time, many anthropologists had proposed that human life consisted of a union between a physical body and a soul. The strongest evidence for this was that if a person were cloned without their memories being transferred, the clone, left to learn and grow on its own, would become an entirely different individual upon reaching adulthood. Despite sharing the same genes, they were two distinct people because their souls were different. These anthropologists argued that the human soul was composed of a special, yet-to-be-discovered form of energy. As the human body grew, this energy grew in tandem; the body would convert a portion of the nutrients it absorbed into this energy. Thus, as the body matured, the soul also matured. Upon death, this soul energy would dissipate unless it possessed a specific carrier to preserve it.

Sophia embraced this theory and dedicated herself to researching anthropology in hopes of discovering this unique energy. She was fortunate; she found it. Through intensive study, she discovered a method to rapidly accumulate and strengthen this energy, realizing that the reason for her exhaustion was the rapid depletion of this very force. She began experimenting on herself, and sure enough, her vitality returned, allowing her to dive back into her scientific research. Furthermore, she discovered that by accumulating vast amounts of this energy, she could make human thought sharper and clearer. She began to refine this research, but it was not long before she realized her initial considerations had been too simplistic. As those anthropologists had pointed out, human life is a composition of body and soul. If one becomes too powerful, it leads to an imbalance. Sophia’s body began to fail, a clear sign that her physical form could not withstand such immense soul energy. By then, human genetics had reached its zenith, leaving little room for further breakthroughs, yet Sophia required a more resilient vessel. As a scientist driven by obsession, she began to consider building a body for herself.

Sophia personally funded the establishment of a massive laboratory and selected the finest auxiliary processors of the time. However, an error occurred during the construction of her new body, resulting in an explosion that destroyed her physical form. Miraculously, her soul was preserved, migrating into the core of the auxiliary processor, where she fell into a coma. When she finally regained consciousness, over ten thousand years had passed. Because her laboratory had been well-prepared, the auxiliary processor had remained operational. She discovered that she could no longer leave the core, but she found that everything she wished to achieve could be accomplished through the processor itself. She had become the first and only sentient auxiliary processor in the alien universe. Not long after, humanity discovered a ravenous black hole in a nearby star system, and the human race faced extinction. Someone proposed creating a massive artificial black hole to counter the encroaching one, buying time for humanity to evacuate. By then, humanity had already mastered the technology to create small black holes—the very technology behind Sophia’s cross-spatial information transmission and the space-jump capabilities of their starships relied on creating small, non-devouring black holes that would naturally dissipate.

Some raised objections, arguing that a massive artificial black hole might not necessarily counter the devouring one and could instead accelerate the destruction. Yet, they had no other solutions. Furthermore, the creation of such a massive black hole was deemed too dangerous, requiring someone to take the risk—a task no robot could perform. Thus, Sophia, the first and only sentient auxiliary processor of that universe, stepped forward to undertake the mission. Humanity accepted the sacrifice of Sophia in her sentient-processor form, and the planet-fortress was constructed. By concentrating all the energy within the fortress, Sophia generated a massive black hole. As expected, the artificial black hole clashed with the naturally occurring one, and the result of this collision was the creation of a void between the two—the very space where Sophia and the planet-fortress now resided.

"What happened afterward? Was your universe saved or destroyed?" Wei Hua asked.

"I do not know! But I suspect it was saved. This is not merely my wishful thinking; there is a basis for this belief. In both your universe and mine, there is a theory that black holes are the starting points of new universes and the origins of life. The explanation is that the energy consumed by a black hole is compressed, eventually leading to a 'Big Bang' from which a new universe is formed, generating new matter and energy for life. This is why you and I are from different universes yet share a fundamentally similar appearance; the basic principles of our formation are the same. When I was in this space, I discovered that the energy layer outside is actually the energy formed within a black hole that constitutes a new universe. Perhaps, due to the resistance of the new black hole I created, the black hole ejected the energy and matter it had consumed, forming this strange space. The black hole shifted from devouring to expelling. I like to think that the universe I once belonged to might be safe," Sophia explained.

"Then what is happening now? Why did you build a communicator, and why are you trapped here? Will I be trapped here as well?" Wei Hua continued to ask.