"And yet, Valery Semyonovich," the host of the popular science podcast smiles slyly. "Most of our listeners and viewers know you as the creator of the Phenomenon. Tell us about it!"
"Unfortunately… Though, perhaps this is the fate of many scientists."
It's unusual to see Valery Semyonovich without his white lab coat. Or maybe it's just that he has noticeably grayed.
"Why 'unfortunately'?"
"Because originally I didn't want to create a weapon. Our team had the task of curing people from cancer. But, alas, now I will go down in history as another Oppenheimer."
"Alas?"
"Yes. Because such fame shouldn't particularly please anyone…— the doctor chuckles.— Although it does."
"Let me spoil your mood. Aren't you offended? After all, now *he* is the star, not you…"
"Well, no… My battles with the Phenomenon are different. By the way, did you say He or She?"
"You're a dangerous person!— the girl remarks ironically, adjusting her large round glasses.— Now I can't help but ask this question… Especially since viewers have been sending it very often… Is there really more than one Phenomenon? Officially, are there two?"
"It's hard to say…"
"Well, Valery Semyonovich, it's no longer a military secret. We've all been observing what's happening on the Holding's broadcasts for a long time. We've seen these… characters. Just explain it as a scientist…"
The guest pauses briefly. Takes a sip of water from a tall glass.
"The matter isn't about secrets… The answer will simply depend on how we view biological life. On what we consider an organism. For example, according to some estimates, around two kilograms of microflora live in our bodies, predominantly in the intestines…"
"Those same 'beneficial bacteria' from yogurt commercials?"
"Exactly… Symbiotic organisms. We may consider ourselves separate beings. But they suffer without us, and we suffer without them. Even our immune cells hardly raise doubts anymore. After all, they're ours! Nevertheless, these are quite independent agents that also carry information about foreign genotypes, so they know whom to attack. There's an even older example… Primitive prokaryotic cells captured bacteria capable of producing energy inside their membranes. Those bacteria subsequently became mitochondria—organelles, components of our cells, although they still retain their own mitochondrial DNA."
"You mean to say that the Phenomenon is a symbiotic organism? Or organisms…"
The doctor makes a skeptical expression and shakes his head negatively.
"Not exactly… It's more complicated than that. Well, imagine this… You and your operator each have two kilograms of symbiotic intestinal microflora between you. But they don't just participate in digestion—they protect, regenerate, produce stem cells, exchange information among themselves, and sometimes weigh not two kilograms of your total mass, but eight, sixteen, thirty-two… Or even more."
"That's quite difficult to imagine…"
"What about mushrooms? Like oyster mushrooms, for example."
"Of course… The ones with a stem and cap."
"Exactly. So, in Oregon there's a forest where oyster mushrooms grow. And when a mushroom picker picks one oyster mushroom, then another, then a third… He walks through the forest and probably can't even imagine that it's actually one organism stretching across nine square kilometers in the form of a mycelium."
"That's amazing…"
"In relation to the Phenomenon, we can't talk about either a group of organisms, or a single organism, or a colony of single-celled organisms. It's both, neither, and everything else. That's why I personally prefer to use the term—metaorganism."
"Let's assume we've figured that out…— the host gently interrupts.— Let's return to your comparison with Oppenheimer. We all remember that his developments were soon replicated in our country. Could something similar happen with the Phenomenon? Will our Western opponents come up with something like it?"
"This is impossible!" the scientist answers without hesitation.
"Why? After all, all technological secrets eventually become public knowledge…" the girl hesitates, readjusting her glasses again.
"As I said before… There are no secrets. It's not about them. Replicating the Phenomenon isn't that difficult. But it's not reducible to the technology of its creation. It's a living, dynamic, self-organizing system that constantly evolves at the cellular level… Just like all life on our planet. Clearly, it hasn't arisen only once. Probably, it's even emerging right now somewhere at the bottom of the ocean near hydrothermal vents. But it won't survive. It will immediately be absorbed by the dominant form. That's why we have a single tree of life. All alternative forms are suppressed. The same applies to the Phenomenon…"
Valery Semyonovich's face clearly shows that he has entered his unique state of ecstatic admiration. This energy. This enthusiasm. This frenzied zeal. These images bursting forth directly from some kind of Nietzschean abyss. I've missed them… Yes, now my good doctor is completely recognizable.
"This is the dominant form. The quintessence of biological processes. An evolutionary god incarnate. The pinnacle of the food pyramid. A consumer of the highest order. Once released into the biosphere, it will no longer tolerate competition. That's what makes it the ultimate weapon, against which all other weapons are useless."
A pause arises in the studio. The podcast host audibly swallows a lump rising in her throat. She forces a strained smile.
"Well… You've… reassured us. So—goodbye, weapon… And we bid farewell to you, dear listeners. Subscribe to us. Until next time! On the wave of science."