Falling into the Abyss

"What does something wrong with the blood sample mean?" Tanithel also had a rare expression of nervousness. The last time Ethan saw him show this expression was in the space station that was about to be swallowed in Neptune Second Universe.

The doctor made a few gestures and called up a DNA genetic information map in white blood cells.He pointed to some of the data that Ethan couldn't understand and explained, "I think everyone should know that human beings have 23 pairs, that is, 46 chromosomes. One set of genetic material comes from the mother, and the other set comes from the father. After seeing everyone nodding, he continued, "Generally speaking, this number will not change, unless some special genetic diseases, such as Down syndrome patients, have one more chromosome 21 than the average person, that is, Say they have 47 instead of 46. DNA is in every cell in the human body, ah, except for mature blood cells. This information is equivalent to the design blueprint of our entire body, and any small change can make a huge difference Differences. For example, the genomes of humans and chimpanzees are as high as 98.8% similar. Even aliens like the Eves have no more than 1% genetic difference with humans."

Bruno said, "We all understand this, what is wrong with the blood sample?"

The doctor scratched his hair, and said as if he was not sure, "There are three sets of chromosomes in this blood sample. That is... 69 chromosomes."

After he finished speaking, all four people present were silent for a while.Ethan even opened his eyes slightly, wondering if he had misunderstood something.

Bruno immediately said, "What does it mean to have three sets of chromosomes? This is impossible? If it is a serious mutation such as triploid, it is impossible to develop successfully in the mother's womb. And you see that he looks so normal, his previous physical examination Everything is fine in the message."

Tanithel also said in a deep voice, "That's right, I only tested his blood once a month ago."

The doctor couldn't help nodding, "I know, I've also read his physical examination information form. I don't know if there is something wrong with this machine... The possibility of such a large overall genetic variation occurring in the day after tomorrow is too small, and Regardless of how this extra set of chromosomes came about, it doesn't seem to have done much for him, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting here intact...I need to get a sample of cells from the rest of his body for analysis .”

Ethan struggled to digest the doctor's words, looking down at his hands on his knees.It was still a pair of ordinary hands, which looked the same as before.

Tanithel has been staring at Ethan, his heart is gradually sinking, "Is it possible to know whether the extra set of chromosomes is homologous or not?"

The doctor said, "It is not yet certain, and further tests are needed."

Bruno nodded and said to Tanithel, "It seems that the plan will be postponed a bit. At least we have to wait until this matter is clarified."

Tanithel remained silent, just looking at Ethan intently.And the latter was also surprisingly calm. He hadn't said a word until now and finally asked, "That...doctor?"

"Yes?"

"If I have 69 chromosomes... am I still human?"

**********

The doctor took some oral mucosal cells from Ethan's body for analysis, and Ethan had to be taken out of the laboratory by Tanithel first.Gray Mao wanted to escort Ethan back to his room, but was stopped by Tanithel.

"I'm going to take him for several other inspections. This is confidential. I'm sorry I can't let you go with me, and I can't let you observe his location through the camera." The priest smiled gently, but kept Ethan firmly behind him, As if not going to get out of the way.

The gray hair's cold eyes walked back and forth between the priest and Ethan, and suddenly he smiled as if understanding, "Okay. But it is my duty to take care of Ethan Eldridge, so I need to keep him The location tracking function on the collar. Also, please keep the remote control program of the collar in your hand running at all times, these non-humans look honest, but once you relax your vigilance, they will take advantage of loopholes."

Tanithel's smile remained unchanged, "It's natural." After he finished speaking, he gently pushed Ethan's shoulder and led him quickly into the nearest elevator.Ethan noticed that the button of the elevator was not unique like an ordinary elevator, but a keyboard that could input numbers.This means that the underground building they are in may have more than three-digit floors, so such an elevator button is needed.

Tanithel entered the three numbers 208 on the dashboard, and the elevator began to sink rapidly.Obviously the floor arrangement here is reversed, the larger the number represents the lower the floor.

Ethan felt dizzy for a moment, and reached out to grab the handrail on the elevator wall, "Where are you taking me?"

"I want to confirm something." Tanithel seemed a little anxious. He didn't even look at Ethan, but just kept staring at the number of floors displayed on the elevator.Ethan felt that the information he had just learned was like a cloud of fog floating around him, making him lose focus.

All he knew was that he seemed to have mutated unknowingly, although he couldn't see it from the outside.

when is itIs it on the red earth or in the second universe?The doctor said that the extra gene in his body hadn't started to work because of some position... so when it works, he will die?Or will it become... a monster?

He felt as if someone had hit his brain hard with a heavy hammer, and everything around him became distant.He could only see the tall figure in front of him, the only gilt shining in the darkness.

After a long time, the elevator finally stopped, and the corridor outside the door was dimly lit, and no one else could be seen.Tanithel led Ethan through the long, quiet and creepy road, past closed doors, and the emergency exit words flashed a disturbing red light.

"The Earth Alliance hides a lot of secrets here, some of which have been forgotten in these deep underground." Tanithel said in a deep voice, "I borrowed a room here to store the eggs of the Prologue God."

Ethan paused, "Are you going to take me to see the Egg of the Prologue now?"

"It's not the egg of the Prologue God." Tanithel didn't stop walking, his tone was unquestionable, but there was no other explanation.Ethan hesitated for a moment, but followed closely.

After turning three turns, the priest stopped in front of a double door.This door is different from all the others.It is a double mahogany door with classical carvings and brass handles on it, calm and clean.

Ethan took a breath and took a few steps back.He remembered this door, he had seen it on the red earth, and the very evil, spying atmosphere of the door stared at him and called to him.Once he opens this door, terrible things will happen to him!

With a cry of surprise, he fell back and sat on the ground, his face was full of fear, he covered his head with his hands, and tightly closed his eyes.

Tanithel looked back at him in surprise, "Ethan?"

Ethan opened his eyes frightenedly, but was surprised again.The carved mahogany door I saw just now is gone, and in front of me are two ordinary double lock doors.He rubbed his eyes vigorously, but the scene in front of him remained unchanged.

"Are you okay?" Tanithel asked with concern, reaching out to him.

Ethan didn't know what he saw just now, grabbed Tanisel's hand and stood up, reaching out to touch the cold metal door unwillingly.

"Has this door always been like this?" Ethan asked.

Tanithel frowned slightly, "Yes. Did you see something?"

Ethan took a deep breath, reassuring himself that his eyes were probably dazzled.But this consolation is not convincing.

Why did I see that mahogany door again?The last time I saw him, he was almost taken away by Roland, who was transformed into the entropy god. What happened this time?

"I'm fine..."

Tanithel entered the password and scanned the pupil pattern, then decisively pushed the door open and entered.The automatic sensor light turned on when he heard his voice, and a pale light shone on an instrument that didn't seem to be made by the Earth Alliance in the center of the very spacious room.The round altar-like machine was engraved with Eve's characters everywhere, and on it was a small egg emitting a faint blue light.

It was almost exactly the same as the egg of the preface that Ethan had seen last time.

In the dim light, Ethan felt a kind of peace and tranquility that he had never experienced before, as if surrounded by deep sea water, and the chaotic and noisy thoughts in his mind were also silent for a moment.

He didn't notice that Tanisel was paying close attention to his expression, and the third eye on his forehead had opened completely at some point, and was spying on the emotional ripples emanating from his body when he didn't know it.He felt the originally confused and scattered energy waves quickly quiet down, and at the same time another previously suppressed dark aura emanated from that Beta.

It was a... pine decaying smell.

Tanithel hesitated for a moment, and finally walked to the altar-like machine, and drew some patterns on the characters somewhere in the middle of the altar. The metal in the middle of the random machine was quickly folded towards the middle, and a mechanical arm fixed a A small, heavily sealed test tube sticks out.In the transparent double-layer test tube, some flowing black liquid can be seen.But when you look closely, you will find that even in a static state, the surface of those liquids is constantly fluctuating, occasionally stretching out a thin filament, and then quickly falling back into the solution, as if they themselves have life.

Tanithel carefully took off the test tube and came to Ethan.

"This is what I collected on the red earth before, Sabnir's breast." Tanithel immediately felt a huge fluctuation in Ethan's mood, and fear filled those green eyes inside.

"What are you going to do?" Ethan's trusting eyes began to waver, and he took half a step back.

"Don't be afraid." The eyes on Tanithel's forehead exuded a lustrous white brilliance, and with the sound ripples he slowly launched, they expanded to Beta in front of him, "This container is sealed. I want you to make it, Just take it."

Ethan stared at the test tube, shook his head and said, "Why? This thing shouldn't be here!"

"Don't you want to know what happened to yourself?!" Tanithel's voice became severe, and the strong dizziness was pushed forward with the light from the eye on his forehead. In an instant, Ethan had an illusion, as if The priest became even taller, and his words seemed to have the power of an oracle, making it impossible to refuse, "You are safe, just hold it."

Intellectually, he knew that Tanisel was using Priest Eve's super perception ability to control him, but he couldn't resist that order.He saw himself reaching out his hand hesitantly, and saw the priest put the test tube containing endless death in his palm.

In an instant, the black substance in the test tube seemed to explode suddenly, turning into countless thin threads and spreading on the wall of the test tube.They twisted and twisted continuously, as if they were trying their best to get close to Ethan's palm separated by two layers of test tube walls.At the same time, a series of strange images rushed into Ethan's mind like a flood.

It was a city so huge that humans could not comprehend. All the buildings looked so strange, as if they were about to collapse at any time, and they were full of irregular sharp or obtuse angles.A huge emerald-colored sun hung in the sky. On the chaotic streets, many huge reptiles waved countless tiny legs under their bodies, with ugly wings covered with fluff on their backs, and they all moved towards a towering tower in the center of the city. The conical building prostrates.

And within that pyramid-like building, in the endless darkness and chaos, there was a huge, constantly deforming and wriggling black mass that opened its nightmarish green eyes.No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to see his face clearly, because anyone who sees his true face will fall into complete madness.The pyramid that was huge enough to hold the planet could not hold his real body, its tentacles spread out from every crack in the bricks, stretching to the entire universe.

And at this moment, a human figure appeared in those huge, sun-like green eyes.It was a tall, thin, dark-skinned man in a black robe.The man's face was blurred, as if someone had erased it with an eraser.

The human figure rushed in front of Ethan at an extremely fast speed, and the face without facial features gradually solidified into a smiling and extremely beautiful face.

Tanithel's face.

Ethan wanted to scream, but couldn't.He could only widen his eyes, watching that black Tanisel getting closer and closer to him.So close that only a grinning mouth can be seen.

The mouth whispered to him, "I found you."

The next moment, Ethan screamed and threw the test tube in his hand.