blogombal Chapter 285 The Solution - Offerings to Nothingness
Chapter 285 The Solution - Offerings to Nothingness
Once the true nature of the bionic head was understood, many of the previous questions suddenly became clear.
Bionic humanoids are actually a science fiction topic with a long history; it is said that the world's first science fiction novel was based on this subject.
To create a biomimetic robot as we traditionally understand it, it would require breakthroughs that surpass the technological level of the time in many fields, including materials science, biotechnology, electromechanical engineering, robotics, bionic mechanisms, interactive systems, computer programming, and intelligent control theory—fields that encompass almost half of modern science.
As for making androids perfectly mimic humans, thereby enabling robots to develop true self-awareness, that is a beautiful but unattainable dream, like a white hole.
In the era of technological revolution and the rapid development of modern civilization, confident and ambitious humanity gradually embraced the rising tide of science as a new faith. Within this nascent scientific religion, the literary figure of the "bionic robot" became a messenger and totem symbolizing the coming of a new era.
A skeleton constructed of cold, hard metal, a body sculpted from synthetic materials, and a soul reproduced using strictly controlled code…
For many people of that era, if there was only one thing in the world that could represent the singularity of technology, it was androids; if there was only one symbol that could represent the arrival of the future world, it was the birth of androids.
Both Medan and Hayden were technologists who had witnessed the afterglow of that era of rational fervor.
And so, those seemingly inexplicable events occurred naturally and logically.
Entrusted by Director Hayden, Professor Medan, a PhD in biology, devoted himself to the research of bionic humanoids after leaving Binhai University.
Unlike the creation of a conventional bionic robot, Hayden's research was more short-sighted and contrary to tradition.
After all, setting aside the propagation of species in nature, the freedom to create life should be a privilege reserved exclusively for the gods.
Medan and Hayden's goal was to bypass the most technologically challenging artificial intelligence technology at the time, to free a Pokémon's soul from its original body, inject it into an organic body that simulated a human, and maintain this state for a long time.
In a sense, this technology is a derivative of Pokémon transfer technology.
Bill, a Pokémon researcher who is now making a name for himself in the Kanto region, once attempted such research. In one accident, he even briefly fused himself with a Nidorino. However, Hayden and Medan's research had already begun long before this accident occurred—at that time, there was no mature and reliable Pokémon transfer technology in the world.
Ten years ago, in an era when scientific fervor was waning, Pokémon studies were flourishing, and artificial Pokémon had not yet been created, especially in the Sinnoh region where people's views were still conservative and ancient traditions were still deeply rooted, this was a biological experiment that could be described as earth-shattering.
Extracting souls, creating fake lives, and having those fake lives even possess human-like appearances—this is practically walking a tightrope on the edge of technological ethics.
Due to the pernicious nature of the experiment, this research could not possibly be conducted in Hayden Medical's laboratories, and it would be impossible to even hire a large number of employees.
Hayden had no choice but to secretly seek out Medan, an expert in bioengineering, and have this atheist classmate take charge of the android project. Using his academic knowledge, which was enough to argue eloquently with theists, he designed an artificial skin that the soul could freely enter.
.
"Um, is that old man really that amazing?"
Officer Jenny secretly pointed to Mei Dan, who was sulking in the corner of the living room, and asked with some distrust.
She simply couldn't reconcile the scientist who single-handedly created Pokémon androids with the old man who had previously thrown a tantrum in the meeting room.
“Every personality type, even the most unfriendly one, has some compensatory characteristics.”
Hayden defended his friend, saying, "In different contexts, stubbornness can be strength, meanness can be insight, irritability can be courage, and hypocrisy can be kindness. The difference lies only in how people use them. I never believe that a person's behavior at his worst can represent his true nature."
“…” Officer Jenny understood the meaning behind the other person’s words. She had indeed pushed Professor Medan too far, and for a moment she could only remain silent.
Zhu Lan, standing nearby, asked with a puzzled look: "Mr. Hayden, according to you, Professor Mei Dan has outstanding achievements in biological theory, but in the technology of creating androids, shouldn't a large part be the development of hardware engineering? For example, the development of bionic materials such as the muscles, face, and skull support of this android head, these shouldn't be things that one person can develop in their own home behind closed doors, right?"
“You should know that Hayden Pharmaceuticals is a big company,” the company’s founder replied proudly, head held high.
“Mei Dan and I broke down the technologies needed for these hardware developments into more than 1,200 small projects, which were then added to various research plans of the corresponding departments in the company over the years. From materials to hardware to operating systems that control human movement, these problems may seem insurmountable when combined, but if they are broken down into individual, trivial problems and the time frame is extended to ten years, the situation becomes much simpler and easier.”
Especially after using the sprite transfer technology to bypass the technical barrier of artificial personality—as if worried that his statement was not accurate, Hayden immediately added.
"But what exactly is your purpose in doing this? As the founder and current director of this pharmaceutical company, why do you insist on creating a cyborg that can carry the soul of a Pokémon?"
After hearing Hayden's explanation, Officer Jenny was even more confused.
"The androids you've created are, frankly speaking, nothing more than humanoid robots, costly and with limited uses. Whether it was ten years ago when scientific ethics were strictly enforced, or now that Rotom technology has become so prevalent that it can almost completely replace robots, such androids should be utterly useless. Doing this seems to have no meaning for you other than potentially damaging your reputation?"
"First of all, it is not only when something has sufficient meaning that it is worth doing."
Hayden, leaning on his cane, gazed at the狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) head on the chair in the distance, and said slowly and solemnly—
"The very idea of bringing 'androids' from literary creations into the world is a magnificent and romantic thing. Even if it meant that Mei Dan and I would gain nothing from this project, or even lose money, we would still throw ourselves into it without hesitation. This is especially true for me. It is a dream I had when I was a student, and even if the end of this road is nothingness, I am willing to be a tribute to this rationality and fervor."
"Is it enough to be happy as long as you enjoy it?" Zhu Lan nodded in understanding.
"Furthermore, manufacturing bionic robots is not entirely without benefits for Hayden Pharmaceuticals."
Director Hayden changed the subject—
"Do you know what the scariest thing is for a business company?"
"Losing money? In debt? Or bankrupt?" Officer Jenny wondered.
"None of these are true. Losses can be turned into profits; debt is just a normal financing method; timely bankruptcy can sometimes represent the hope of a resurgence—these are not things that commercial companies should fear."
"What should that be?"
“We’ve lost our long-term goals,” Hayden replied.
"Humans and Pokémon can drift through life aimlessly, but a company cannot. A company is not a factory, nor is it simply a place for people to work. Since it brings together bosses, employees, and investors, it must have goals and plans that match its success. If it loses its goals, no matter how successful a company is, it will inevitably become mediocre or even destroyed in the near future. At that time, the losses, debts, bankruptcy, or other more terrible situations that you mentioned, Ms. Officer Jenny, will naturally follow in the blink of an eye."
“Yes, I can understand that.” Officer Jenny from the intelligence department nodded. “However, for a typical pharmaceutical company, shouldn’t this long-term plan be something more respectable, like conquering diseases, curing cancer, or extending human lifespan?”
"These are indeed the slogans that Hayden Pharmaceuticals publicly uses," Director Hayden sighed, "but they are nothing more than stolen slogans."
"Steal? What does that mean?"
"Conquering diseases and extending lifespan are the responsibilities of hospitals. While Haiden Pharmaceuticals' main business is medical devices, it can certainly help patients and their families solve their problems from the perspective of assisting doctors. However, if we set goals based on this, at most we can only design some small-scale, short-term projects such as new types of testing devices, clinical instruments, and cardiovascular implants. In the long run, our work will inevitably fall into mediocre and repetitive labor, which will inevitably lead to a lack of motivation—making it impossible for Haiden Pharmaceuticals to differentiate itself from similar pharmaceutical companies at that time."
"I see." Hayden was only halfway through his explanation when Officer Jenny suddenly understood, clapping her hands in amazement—
"The android project gave you a completely new goal. With this hidden grand plan, you instantly had over 1,200 new projects urgently needed to be launched. To prevent these studies from being discovered by outsiders, you had to carefully wrap them within different types of research projects and fully support their steady progress. This gave the pharmaceutical company the impetus to innovate and forge ahead. And it was this impetus that ultimately made Hayden Pharmaceuticals the world-class pharmaceutical giant it is today!"
"Yes, just like the technologies and products developed by a space program can drive the transformation and development of countless upstream and downstream industries, in order to create bionic humans, Hayden Pharmaceuticals began to try to overcome those thorny problems that no one in the medical device field had yet tackled. After a few fortunate breakthroughs, we attracted the attention of investors. After several positive cycles, we developed the world's most advanced prosthetic limb, the world's smallest and safest blood circulation device, sensors that help the visually impaired regain their sight, and electromechanical systems that can simulate nerve impulses..."
"And all of these things can eventually be equipped on the bionic robots you create. Just like Zygarde, the Pokémon of Order in the Kalos legend, whose body is composed of countless individual cells."
Zhu Lan felt that this metaphor was perfectly suited to the situation.
“Indeed.” Director Hayden bowed humbly, like a nobleman from a business empire. “Are you satisfied with this tribute we offer for a vain dream?”