"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
The Library, New York City
Leonard looked at a DNA strand depiction on a screen, studying oncogenes in a bid to understand changes in his genome. It had been a week since Sofia started studying his mutation, and while Leonard was well versed in genetics, he still needed to study about mutations. While his condition was up in the air, Leonard was able to help Sofia perfect her universal cancer cure.
Leonard was looking at other sections of his DNA when Sofia entered the lab, followed by MedBud in tow. With a thought, Leonard's chair rolled towards the two as he said, "I hope you have some good news for me."
Sofia, her eyes shining with intelligence, smiled, "There is something good. I have found something."
Leonard looked interested. Sofia pulled a tablet, tapping away at the screen for a few seconds before showing it to Leonard. As Leonard looked at the DNA sequence, Sofia explained, "When I first saw the phagocytic effect, I thought it was cancer. But these genes are non-cancerous. While the cells affected by these genes resemble malignant cancerous cells, they are highly targeted. The cells affect every part of the body, but these effects are magnified in brain tissue and internal organs."
Leonard nodded, "So, we are dealing with something similar to a viral infection."
Sofia shook her head, "Not exactly. When these cells consume your cells, some of these cells replace the consumed cells. That tardigrade modification to your genome keeps this process stable. Most people would develop cancer."
Leonard leaned back in his chair. The chair moved towards a black, cubic deck. Plugging the tablet in it, a hologram formed in the air. Sofia was startled, "When did we have something like this?"
Leonard smiled, "I was bored last night. And I have spent a lot of time studying lasers. Let's get back on topic. These cells are gradually replacing my cells, but to what end?"
Sofia sighed, "I don't know."
Leonard looked at her quizzically, "You don't?"
Sofia pulled a chair, leaning back for comfort. A small robot wheeled in with a cup of steaming tea. Sofia took the tea, taking a slow sip. Exhaling a warm breath, she said, "While the fact that this is not a cancer is a good thing, this mutation is gradually replacing your other cells. Based on how it is exceptionally active in organs, I believe organs will change. I don't know how exactly they will change, they just will."
Leonard stared at the hologram, contemplating something. He turned towards Sofia, "So, how do we stop it?"
Sofia looked grim at that, "We must not stop it. It has already replaced one ten thousandth of your cells. By the time we figure out a cure, it will not matter. And anything that kills this mutation will affect every organ in your body."
Leonard seemed to think of something, "If we are to let it run its course, how long will it take?"
Sofia whispered, "Three years."
Leonard snapped, "That is unacceptable. I cannot wait for three years as these genes run amok in my body."
Sofia looked down. The room was quiet for a moment before she said, "To be honest, as these cells take over, your body will try to resist. Although there is no sign of rejection, it can happen. I don't know if your body will try to fight these cells later on or not. And no matter how strong your healing is, you might not survive these three years."
Leonard processed this information. Even after IHG modification, he was still vulnerable. For a second, he was angry at himself. Why hadn't he avoided that rip in space and time. His eyes hardened as he came to a decision, "We have to speed up the process."
Sofia shook her head and said, "I thought the same, but even with the best drugs, I can speed up the integration to two years instead of three. And the danger of rejection remains."
Leonard stood up and paced in front of her, "I don't mean speed up to two years or even two months. We need to make the process instantaneous."
Sofia stared at him in disbelief, "Instantaneous? Leonard, that's not how cellular regeneration works."
Leonard stopped pacing. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then his expression changed.
Sofia wearily watched him space out. She had seen him do that over the week, and it scared her. His body was being rebuilt at a cellular level, and these periods where he would stare in space were an indication. This saddened and terrified her deeply.
Leonard snapped out of his daze, and looked at Sofia, "I have something."
Sofia asked incredulously, "Something that can do this?"
Leonard nodded slowly, "Maybe. You have to understand, IHG was not my original genome. It was highly modified, and it modified me just the same. To ensure success, I created something."
Sofia frowned, "What is it?"
Leonard's expression became grim, "I call it the Chrysalis. It might seem miraculous, but it is a terrible machine. You feel every molecule in your body vibrate, as mutation is steadily implanted in every single cell."
MedBud chimed in, "Sir, the risk during the procedure was 3%, even after numerous improvements."
Leonard waved his hand in annoyance, "Doesn't matter. We can use it. We might have to modify it slightly. After all, the procedure this time is quite different."
Sofia nodded, before asking, "Do you need any help?"
Leonard shook his head, "No, I can do the modifications myself, though when I start the procedure, I would appreciate it if you supervise it."
Sofia nodded, before rubbing her eyes. Over the past week, she had functioned on minimal sleep, and the tiredness was catching up. Leonard smiled, "Go home Sofia. Spend some time with your family. I'll handle it for now."
Sofia walked out of the lab, as Leonard slouched in his seat. He quickly commanded, "Cygnus, charge the batteries. We will need them soon. And project a hologram for the Chrysalis."
Soon, Leonard started to fiddle with the hologram. For the next few hours, Leonard streamlined the process, but there was something missing. To replace the DNA in each cell was not difficult, but rebuilding cells required energy and biomass. As he pondered about the problems he faced, he blanked out.
Slowly, he walked closer to the hologram, his hands moving like an orchestra conductor, as he modified the blueprint. Soon, he started bleeding from his eyes and nose, yet his hands didn't stop. Finally, with one final flourish, Leonard collapsed to the ground.
Next Morning
Leonard woke up in his bed, a sharp sense of discomfort pervaded his body. His hands trembled as he tried to find something to clear out his eyes. As he got off the bed, everything around him felt blurry. With cautious steps, he walked towards a shower at the back of the lab, his memory supplying him with the path.
Without taking off his clothes, Leonard got in the shower. Soon, cold water cascaded over his body, as alertness was regained. While his eyes still felt a little blurry, he could see now. With wet clothes, Leonard stumbled out of the shower. Drying under a fan, he commanded, "MedBud, a complete diagnosis and health checkup."
MedBud approached his seat and informed, "Sir, your condition seems to have deteriorated. The rate of cell death in the brain, lungs and heart have increased."
Leonard grew weary at the news, "It's true when they say, when it rains, it pours."
Changing out of his wet clothes, Leonard went back to the lab. He would have to come up with some solutions soon. Since the rate of cell decay had increased, he had less time now. He quickly approached the holodesk and commanded, "Cygnus, project the schematics of the Chrysalis again."
A hologram appeared in front of Leonard. But unlike yesterday, the plan was heavily modified, with attachments, refinements and practical solutions. Leonard frowned for a second, before he asked, "Cygnus, who modified these plans?"
Cygnus replied through a speaker, "You modified these plans sir."
Leonard looked at the plan with scrutiny. The changes were hardly minor ones that could be explained away. The new plan was completely different from the old one, with newer power metrics, modifications to the outer shell, and a nutrient solution that could serve as the biomass supplement during the process. And then, there were the equations.
Leonard quickly looked through the equations, mentally calculating the viability of the experiment. Starting a holographic writing board, Leonard started to verify the equations. Soon, the board was filled with calculations. Most equations were entirely correct, but he got stuck on some.
Leonard looked at a decay-rate algorithm, which seemed to discuss how quickly and thoroughly the mutation would meld, but many parts seemed odd. He asked Cygnus, "What does this equation look like?"
Cygnus scanned the equation, "Do you need me to cross reference the equation with other universities?"
Leonard said, "Not just universities, look through cutting edge journals, new discoveries, research sources as well. This equation seems unfamiliar to an extent, but I seem to have seen a basic version of this equation."
As Cygnus searched for the equation, Leonard called MedBud, "Run a simulation of this improved Chrysalis. Even if the science looks sound, it might have hidden dangers. Calculate the viability and do a risk assessment."
Soon, both Cygnus and MedBud were busy. Leonard tiredly got up from his chair, and went to get some coffee. The aroma of fresh coffee came with a slow, rhythmic grinding sound as Leonard cranked the coffee grinder. Placing the grounds in a filter, he poured hot water gently, yielding a deep, dark shot of espresso. In an almost meditative state, he poured in some cream and sugar to the coffee, before taking his first sip.
Immediately, the computer beeped. Cygnus had found the answer. Carrying his cup, he arrived in front of the monitor, "So, did you find anything?"
Cygnus answered, "There was no data on this equation in other academic sources, but I was able to find something in your Chronon research papers. This equation utilizes Chronon energy."
At the same time, MedBud had completed his simulation, "Sir, based on the simulation, we have achieved a 98% success rate in ideal conditions."
Leonard looked at the prototype in thought, his mind racing through the schematics. The more he comprehended, the more impossible it seemed. If everything else went well, the chance of success was 98%, but if even a single thing went wrong, this would become his last experiment. And then there was the Chronon. While Leonard had extracted this energy, and William had proven its existence, the two knew next to nothing about it. He looked at the design again. If he succeeded, it would be a miracle, otherwise, he would be spaghetti.
After getting something to eat, Leonard called Paige. The phone rang for a moment, before Paige's warm voice was heard, "Hello Leonard."
Leonard smiled unconsciously, "Hey Paige."
The two didn't speak, yet they felt as if they had been talking for hours now. For the two, that simple greeting said everything. Paige asked, "Did you get stuck somewhere?"
Leonard chuckled, "You know me so well. I was stuck, but not at science. Tell me, what would be better, dying in a week, or dying within the next three years?"
Paige asked, "So, it's that bad. Since you have asked me, the best option would be to not die at all."
Leonard chuckled in sadness, "While that option is there, it is minimal at best. If I don't do anything, there is a one percent chance that I will survive after the next three years. And if I do something about it, should anything go wrong, I would die during the procedure."
Paige asked, "And if everything goes right?"
Leonard said, "Then I won't be dying anytime soon."
Paige whispered, "You asked for a month, now, you have three weeks left. Make sure nothing goes wrong, and come back to me."
Leonard hung up soon. Looking at the phone with determination, he called Sofia, "Sofia, meet me tomorrow. I have made a plan."
Next Morning
Sofia looked at the hologram in disbelief, "You finished it in a day. And here I thought this would be challenging for you."
Leonard didn't look as optimistic, "It is a challenge, but the stakes are astronomical."
Sofia raised her hand to stop him, "Wait a moment, I need to understand it better."
Leonard watched seriously as she popped one of the Pills. He waited as it took effect. When she was ready, Sofia motioned for Leonard to continue. Leonard said, "What we will do is quite simple on paper. I will create a small temporal isolation chamber, so that spacetime outside is not affected. As I lie in the chamber, a miniature black hole will be constructed in an exotic energy field, which will reduce the matter in my body to energy and free elements."
Sofia interrupted, "Wait a moment, a black hole?"
Leonard spoke, "A controlled one. I have experience in making those."
Sofia rebuked, "That doesn't make it any better. You are talking of disintegrating your own body."
Leonard chuckled, "I am just getting to the good part."
Sofia focused back on the topic, as Leonard continued, "Then, with a stem cell aggregation, taken from my mutated cells, I will reconstruct the body under a special temporal field. In order to prevent any matter loss, or loss of identity, I will use an exotic energy field to stabilize my matter, while the temporal field would ensure the continuity of my consciousness during the process."
Sofia asked, "You can do that?!"
Leonard shrugged, "Certainly. Now, when everything goes right, I will emerge with a physical body completely integrated with the new genome. If I don't succeed, well, you wouldn't want to know the outcome."
Sofia gaped, "Are you even hearing yourself? How can you spout such nonsense without changing your expression? What you described boils down to, let me disintegrate and reintegrate myself, hoping that my memories, intelligence, and personality remain the same, and that is the best case scenario. At worst, I will have to clean up the soup of your body from inside your machine. What are you thinking?"
Leonard sighed, "I know it's not ideal..."
Sofia yelled, "Not ideal! This is madness."
Leonard chuckled helplessly, "It is madness, but it is also the only solution. If I do nothing, for three years, I will die everyday, little by little. If anything goes wrong, I die at once, and Paige can continue in my stead. And on the off chance, I succeed, I will no longer have to worry about death anytime soon."
Sofia gritted, "And Paige approved of your plan?"
Leonard whispered, "She doesn't know the plan."
Sofia insisted, "Then shouldn't you at least tell her?"
Leonard looked to the ceiling, "It doesn't matter. She has already made her decision. I have to do this successfully and return to her. I would not disappoint her."
Sofia sighed, "I shouldn't have taken the Pill just now. Are you really sure this could work?"
Leonard looked back at the hologram. He drew it unconsciously, and he didn't even understand it completely. But when asked, deep down he knew this would work. It has to.
AN: And Done. The Third Arc is approaching its final chapters. Stay tuned for more.
AN2: I wish to thank all my patrons for their continued support. After the Third Arc, I plan to give the story a two week hiatusin order to edit the previous chapters properly and focus on some other stories.