Interstellar leader

Chapter 32

Those related to biochemistry and medical treatment... Li Qing searched for those materials, searching from top to bottom, and suddenly stopped at one column.

Angela Xiao, 69 years old, a senior physician, was a senior researcher at the Institute of Biochemical Genetics of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, and participated in the training and maintenance of the biochemical human project.

Such a resume is not surprising.Cyborgs are not a project that violates confidentiality—many research institutes have done it. The purpose is to make some small modifications to the genes of the target fertilized eggs, so that they have some special abilities.

However, such individuals will always have some defects when they grow up, and the more they are transformed, the more defects they will have. This problem has not been solved so far.In the case of taking risks, the demand will naturally be small, so the biochemical human project is not large, and there are very few participants.

Then came the problem: Angela, who was conscientious and outstanding, was suddenly expelled 42 years ago when the manpower was pitifully small.At that time, she was only 27 years old. She was already a senior researcher. She was young, energetic and talented. She was the flower of the motherland and the future pillar. Why was she fired?

Looks like it's time to talk to this lady.

Duke's Mansion, in the reception room.

"I don't know. At the time, I also felt very confused. I also appealed to the director at the time, but he rejected it with a serious face. He seemed a little flustered, and just told me to pack my luggage and leave quickly, not for a day Delay. I just thought I might be in some muddy water, so I quit right away.”

Angela was holding a cup of tea, recalling, while talking clearly and eloquently.This is a very elegant middle-aged lady, with a good mind and good scientific literacy.

A young man in his 20s suddenly asked her what happened more than 40 years ago, and she didn't feel surprised or panicked at all—perhaps she had experienced too many inexplicable things.

"You don't know what happened?"

"Yes." Angela admired the young man in front of her in her heart - she heard that this young man in his 20s was the Duke's confidant and the actual controller of the computer research institute.Young and promising, he was so polite and even used honorifics for her.

If Li Qing knew what was going on in her heart, she would have to complain again: Not every promising young man is a labor-manager in heaven and earth.Oh no, the middle string of adjectives belongs to Teddy.

"So Ms. Xiao, can you remember what you did before you were fired?"

Angela said that she was also very confused, she was also very desperate, and she didn't know what shit she had committed, but she still thought about it and said: "I really don't know what is very special, strange It did happen. I was working as usual, and my role at that time was to look after the embryo culture room, which is commonly known as the 'artificial womb'.

"Not only the embryos of biochemical human beings are cultivated into larvae, but some couples also send their embryos to be cultured due to reasons such as infertility, the woman's body is too weak, and there is no time to conceive and give birth. Some incubators It is someone else's child, I dare not be careless, I have always been very serious about my work."

"Do you have colleagues?"

"Yes, there was one, his name was Dennis El, my assistant. He was such a handy lad. Before I was fired, I took over a commission from a couple, and Danny took the coin from them. When I was an embryo, I almost shook my hands and fell to the ground. The couple turned pale with fright, and the young wife almost fainted...

"It's really weird to say that they are dressed up. The wide collar covers half of the face, and the other half of the face is wearing sunglasses-everyone wears pupils hundreds of years ago, except for the cool young people. Man, who wears these now? They're so retro. Probably the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

Li Qing smiled. "So, is there anything more strange?"

"Of course, that couple lied to me." Angela wrinkled her nose, thinking that she was really unlucky back then.

"When they sent the embryos, they filled in the registration form as 'artificial insemination'. You know, there are subtle differences in the cultivation process of artificially fertilized embryos and biochemical human embryos, and more attention should be paid to the latter."

"Then how did you find out?"

"After its developmental arrest, I had a genetic test done for it. In fact, it was forbidden to protect the client**. I found out it was..."

"Cyborg?"

Angela nodded, then shook her head again, looking very conflicted. "To be precise, it's a type of cyborg, but there hasn't been a similar case for a long time.

"K. Long, it is a K. clone."

Angela put the teacup back on the glass table and made a crisp sound when it touched the table, which was especially clear in the empty room.

"I guess you don't know who the original body is." Li Qing said calmly, there was no expectation in his voice.

Angel stretched out three fingers: "First, protecting customers is our professional ethics, I have already violated the rules, and I can't go any further; second, since there must be something wrong with it, I'm wise to protect myself, I'm not the kind who likes to travel People in muddy waters; third, and most importantly—"

She laughed loudly, "I don't have permission to search the genetic information database!"

"What are the characteristics of that clone?"

"Blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes. From the perspective of ordinary people's aesthetics, he looks quite cute, like a noble child. But I watched him grow from an ugly embryo to a child of about one year old, and I really couldn't appreciate it. This is also very strange, because our standard process should be up to ten months, and the fetus is fully mature, and it will end directly."

Blonde, fair skin, blue eyes.

The first feature matches.

Elvis was just nine months old when Angela received the embryo 41 years ago.The artificial embryo culture is seven times faster than the natural environment. Three months later, Elvis is one year old; the cloned human embryo develops for 21 months, minus the nine-month development time from fertilized egg to larva, it is still one year old .

The second feature matches.

Angela continued: "Perhaps you are a little surprised. At the end of the artificial cultivation, the couple still required weight indicators, and they were still quite light. It was like child abuse."

It is said that the crown prince had a "serious illness" when he was a child. He hadn't seen anyone a few times since he was born, and he hadn't attended any public occasions, but he suddenly recovered when he was one year old.

If you are sick, you will naturally lose weight.For that clone to look exactly like Elvis, body mass was essential.

The third feature fits.

Angela sighed. "I don't know why the couple would do that, I mean, hide the fact that it was a clone.

"Maybe it's because they don't understand the difference between embryo culture, and they want an ID card. You know, clones and cyborgs have no status. They are lower and slave-like existences than third-class citizens. There can't be a bracelet either."

wristband?The scar that the Duke had described to him suddenly flashed before Li Qing's eyes - it cut across the entire wrist, wide and hideous.A two-centimeter bracelet couldn't cover the scar at all, and it snaked out like ugly red caterpillars crawling on the white marble.

He still remembered what the Duke had said to him the last time he dealt with the prisoner.

"It's true that the bracelet can't be taken off, but the hand can be taken off."

If the current Elvis is indeed a cloning body, he really cannot apply for an identity certificate, but he can cut off the hands of little Elvis and his cloning body, and then put the bracelet on, Finally, the splicing of the amputated limbs is performed.

There is probably only one explanation for the hideous scars - in order to ensure that everything is done in secret, the limbs were forcibly grafted by unprofessional people.Otherwise, with the advanced level of modern medical technology, after professional treatment, no matter what kind of injury should leave such horrible traces.

Li Qing felt like he was building a puzzle piece by piece, and the facts and conjectures gradually matched.

If there are too many coincidences, it will not be a coincidence.

At night, in the Duke's office.

"...That's it. It is estimated that your real cousin's bones have rotted in the soil for many years. But the only thing I don't understand is that the crown prince died, and the second one is born. Why did you use such an extreme method? ?”

After hearing all of Li Qing's conjectures, Windesa was silent for a long time, finally digested the shocking information, and said slowly: "Do you know why Elvis died young?"

"To be honest, this makes me feel very strange - your genes are A-level, so Elvis shouldn't be far behind."

"No, you are wrong." The Duke seemed to like to see Li Qing's surprised expression. "His parents were consanguineous and he was already the longest-lived of their children."

Li Qing suddenly realized.

The Empire does not allow genetic modification.At that time, the Duke's parents were still alive, and under their close surveillance, Elvis' parents even had to do splicing of severed limbs secretly, and it was impossible to modify the fetus' genes.

If Elvis misses this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the inheritance will fall into the hands of his brother's unborn child, who is now the Duke of Windsor.

"Then what should we do now?" The Duke stood up, pacing the room excitedly.

"I didn't say it must be true." Li Qing's tone was as calm as giving an academic report. "It's just my conjecture, and there is no evidence to support it now. If you want to insist, what if he is not a clone? Can you bear the consequences?"

The Duke licked his parched lips, his eyes glowing with excitement. "I like to gamble, especially when the odds are good."

"Don't involve me, I'm very timid." Li Qing said slowly: "In order to confirm my guess, I think we need some samples."

"what?"

"Elvis's somatic cells can extract dna, or his germ cells can also be used."

The Duke frowned imperceptibly, obviously having some adverse reactions to the term "germ cells".Li Qing saw it, and tapped lightly on the table.

"I'm talking about academics, don't think about messy things."

The Duke rolled his eyes wide.

"When cloning was carried out, they were designed to be reproductively isolated from normal humans, to recognize protein glycosyl sequence errors, and to be unable to undergo acrosome reactions. From the first year of higher education, "Application of Genetic Engineering" p. 187. "

After Li Qing finished reciting this paragraph, he stared at Windesha. "Your biology in the first year of higher education was taught by the physical education teacher?"

The Duke was a little dazed. "Professor Xiao doesn't teach physical education."

"Who?"

"Angela Xiao."

"..." It's really fate.

"Speaking of which, can we get Elvis' biological samples?" Li Qing got down to business.

The duke thought about it. "Someone can try."

The author has something to say: Notes:

Recognition protein: here refers to the zp glycoprotein that induces the acrosome reaction, which is the way to recognize sperm and eggs of the same species.If the zp glycosyl sequence is wrong, it is equivalent to putting together the germ cells of heterogeneous organisms, and the acrosome reaction cannot occur.

Acrosome reaction: After sperm-egg recognition, the sperm releases acrosome enzyme (a complex enzyme) to dissolve the radial corona and zona pellucida of the egg cell and enter the egg cell.

To put it another way, that is Elvis!No!pregnant!No!Education!

ps, I really don’t understand why Kronon wants to be harmonious