Mo Chen couldn't help thinking: if Cecil stopped investing so much time in these random gadgets, maybe Eden would've already launched a counterattack on the Ark by now.
Right then, the tablet in Cecil's hands suddenly lit up. She glanced down to review the incoming data, her slender fingers swiping across the interface. As lines of data streamed past, her brows furrowed slightly—it seemed something had gone wrong.
Mo Chen stepped forward, concern in his voice. "What happened?"
Cecil stared at the tablet screen, chewing on her fingertip in thought.
"The development of the neutralizer hit a snag."
"A snag?" Mo Chen blinked. "Didn't you just say that with the human tissue from the Mother Whale, we could manufacture it?"
Cecil closed the data screen. On it were two glaring red words: Analysis Failed.
"I underestimated how dominant your genes are."
"Dominant genes?"
Mo Chen looked confused.
Cecil nodded. "Even with the human tissue from the Mother Whale, your genes completely devour it. Just like what happened in that blackened test tube earlier."
She pointed to the ominously charred tube on the desk.
Mo Chen's heart sank. Did that mean the neutralizer was a bust?
Still unwilling to give up, he asked, "So there's no other way?"
Cecil shook her head, a trace of regret on her face.
"This was the best method I had."
Mo Chen sighed. So it all ended in failure, after all.
But just as his hope was flickering out, Cecil suddenly perked up, tapping her pale chin thoughtfully as she murmured to herself.
"If I consider genetic hybridization, producing a fused organism to neutralize the gene dominance…"
Mo Chen immediately stood at attention. "You mean there's another way?"
Cecil fell into deep thought again, silent for a long time. Mo Chen didn't dare interrupt.
Finally, she spoke.
"Gene fusion."
"Gene fusion?"
"Yes. That means linking two or more gene coding sequences together—putting them under a single regulatory system including a promoter, enhancer, ribosome binding site, terminator, etc. The result is a chimeric gene."
Mo Chen was already lost.
"Can you speak normally?"
"In simpler terms," Cecil said calmly, "you need to impregnate someone."
"…What???"
Mo Chen stood frozen, then recoiled in shock.
"You want me to WHAT?!"
She didn't even flinch. Either she hadn't realized how earth-shattering her words were—or, more likely, with her rigid scientific mindset, she didn't think there was anything weird about it at all.
"It's about combining both genetic structures to produce a more resilient gene. In other words, you need to find someone to engage in a genetic exchange with."
Gene exchange… what the hell did that have to do with pregnancy? Those two concepts couldn't be more unrelated!
Also…
Even if he were to look, who would he find?
It'd be easy enough to involve a Nikke, but when it came to humans, they were already rarer than Nikkes.
And if we're talking about someone with genetic compatibility strong enough not to be devoured by his, that narrowed the options even further.
Just then, Mo Chen's comms lit up, and a soft voice chimed through—Shifty.
"Commander…!"
Mo Chen glanced at Cecil and said, "Sorry, give me a second," then stepped aside to take the call.
"What's up?"
"There's been a riot in the Ark!"
Shifty's tongue was fast and sharp. She quickly ran through the full picture.
At first, rumors began spreading like wildfire across the Ark's network—claims that Nikkes had been infected by a virus, that they'd become hostile to humans and could no longer fight. After that, riots broke out all across the Ark.
Different locations, same time. Clearly, it had been premeditated.
While the Ark was in chaos, the terrorist group "Heavenly Ascension" launched an ambush against both internal and perimeter zones.
If they managed to seize key facilities, the Ark could fall into a serious crisis.
Thankfully, Anderson and Burningum had already prepared in advance.
They'd planted Nikke units across critical locations. As soon as Heavenly Ascension breached the perimeter and was about to reach core zones, the ambush was sprung, and a swift and brutal counterattack caught the terrorists completely off guard.
Turns out, Anderson and the others had long been tipped off and had set the trap waiting.
The riot was quelled quickly—less than half a day. The majority of Heavenly Ascension's forces were eliminated, including several high-ranking operatives.
Even if they hadn't been wiped out entirely, they had taken a serious hit.
This time, Shifty was calling on Anderson's behalf to express their thanks.
"Commander Anderson said, once you return to the Ark, he'll treat you to tea."
Apparently, a while back, Mo Chen had warned Anderson to keep an eye on Heavenly Ascension—that they were likely planning an assault.
Mo Chen chuckled.
"Alright, tell him it better be the expensive kind. I'm not showing up for cheap crap."
"Got it!" Shifty responded with cheerful crispness.
A beat passed, then Shifty's curiosity got the better of her.
"Commander, how did you know terrorists were going to attack the Ark?"
"Kids shouldn't be nosy."
"What? I'm not a kid anymore!"
Mo Chen glanced at the screen. "Mm… true, you're not."
"Then tell me—how did you know?"
Mo Chen replied with a deadpan tone, "Because I am the terrorist."
Shifty: "!!!"
At that moment, Cecil suddenly spoke up. "This child is suitable as well. According to my calculations, your genes are highly compatible. You could produce offspring with superior genetics."
Mo Chen froze.
"How do you know that?"
Cecil replied, "All the detectors in the Ark were designed by me. And before I left the Ark, I uploaded all individual records to the SkyNet—including the genetic database."
Mo Chen's face twitched.
Damn. So she was planning to skip town from the start, huh?
"Eh? Who are you?" Shifty asked curiously.
"What are you all talking about?"
Mo Chen gave her a very short and concise explanation.
"She wants you to have a baby with me."
Shifty instantly crashed.
"Commander, what are you saying? I… I must've misheard, right? I didn't hear that right, did I?"
Mo Chen cleared his throat awkwardly.
"You heard right. She wants you to get pregnant."
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH—!"
A scream exploded from the comms. Mo Chen quickly pulled the earpiece away from his ear before he went deaf.
"Pervert!"
Mo Chen was baffled. It wasn't even his idea… it was Cecil's! Why the hell was he the pervert?
After he patiently explained the situation to Shifty, she finally understood what was going on.
And she was furious. Very, very furious.
"Why does it have to be me?! Why don't you get pregnant instead?!"
Cecil calmly set down her tablet and replied righteously, "Because I don't want to get pregnant."
Shifty got even angrier.
Like hell she wanted to either!