Chapter 491: Modulation
The experimental procedures unfolded under absolute control.
The candidates were sequentially guided into a softly lit preparation room.
As the automated injection units silently approached the veins in their arms, their reactions varied.
Some had their muscles instinctively tense up, a trace of almost rebellious wildness flashing in their eyes; some merely took a deep breath, as if welcoming a predestined fate; and others wore a faint, almost imperceptible smirk of contempt, as if completely disregarding the entire procedure.
However, the icy sensation of the sedatives quickly unified their experiences.
In mere moments, they successively fell into a light state of slumber. Their consciousness floated blurrily on the edge of reality, with only the steadily undulating curves on the life monitors proving the stability of their condition.
Subsequently, in their sedated state, they were smoothly transferred by automated stretchers to the sterile operating platforms in the core experimental zone.
These platforms resembled cold metallic altars, surrounded by arrays of precision mechanical arms and life-monitoring sensors.
Ryo's massive mechanical body stood before the central control console encircling the operating zone, like a silent metallic deity.
Multiple slender mechanical tentacles extended from his back, connecting into the control interfaces of each operating room.
He personally monitored every operational step in real-time through the high-resolution sensors and hovering holographic projection interfaces scattered throughout the laboratory, ensuring no variable slipped beyond his control.
The first step was a secondary confirmation sampling of genetic material.
With micrometer-level precision, the mechanical arms extracted trace amounts of blood and somatic cell samples from each subject.
These samples were rapidly sent into adjacent gene sequencers for high-speed, real-time sequencing.
The generated data streams were quickly cross-referenced against the original genetic maps stored in the database, ensuring that the target gene loci had not undergone any unexpected mutations prior to the experiment, clearing all obstacles for the subsequent precise modulation.
Once confirmed accurate, the core phase of the modulation procedure formally commenced.
Specialized nutrient fluids began slowly injecting into the subjects' circulatory systems via precisely controlled intravenous drip systems.
Suspended within these clear liquids were countless nano-scale "optimization patch" vectors.
Acting as Trojan horses on a microscopic level, they silently spread throughout the entire body with the blood flow, relying on specific molecular markers on their surfaces to precisely seek out and infiltrate the pre-designated target cells.
Inside the cell nuclei, a silent recombination was taking place. The optimized genetic sequences carried by these vectors attempted homologous recombination with specific regions of the host's DNA, replacing or enhancing the original gene segments with extremely high accuracy.
The entire process proceeded continuously at the microscopic level. Aside from an almost imperceptible rise in body surface temperature caused by a slightly accelerated metabolism, the subjects felt no external discomfort.
At the same time, outside the operating platforms, specific auxiliary systems activated synchronously.
Low-intensity energy fields enveloped the subjects' bodies at specific frequencies. These energy fields did not directly act upon the genes; rather, they were intended to create a micro-environment more conducive to the stable expression of the new genetic sequences and the acceleration of cellular differentiation and maturation.
The composition within the nutrient fluid delivery tubes connected to them was also adjusted in real-time, continuously providing the excess energy and foundational materials required to construct stronger muscles and denser bones.
Ryo's optical lenses locked onto countless data streams refreshing in real-time.
Heart rates, brainwave patterns, hormone level fluctuations, cell division rates, the expression levels of specific proteins... these parameters composed a complex symphony of operating biological systems.
Like the strictest conductor, he ensured every "note" operated harmoniously according to the score he had composed.
Within hours after the modulation commenced, the data began to show clear trends.
The basal metabolic rates of all subjects exhibited a stable increase of fifteen to twenty percent, indicating their bodies were burning energy at an unprecedented efficiency.
The bioelectric activity charts of their muscle tissues became more active and orderly, heralding the remodeling of their muscle fibers.
Bone density monitors also recorded a measurable acceleration in the rate of mineral deposition.
Periodic minimally invasive cell sampling and analysis provided deeper evidence.
Data showed that the expression levels of several key genes associated with muscle growth inhibition were significantly down-regulated, while the activity of genes associated with rapid muscle fiber synthesis and mitochondrial biogenesis were noticeably up-regulated.
Some genes involving neural development and synaptic plasticity also exhibited higher expression levels, foreshadowing a potential increase in neural reaction speeds at the molecular level.
As for the modulation regarding that "insignificant psychic talent," it was the most obscure and difficult to directly observe part of the entire process.
Ryo was not recklessly attempting to implant a so-called "psychic gene"—not only was this an absolute fantasy under current technological constraints, but it also harbored massive, uncontrollable risks.
What he employed was a preliminary application based on "sub-space interface resonance" from the theory of Barrier Tech.
The goal of this modulation was exceptionally subtle, aiming to use genetic guidance to minutely alter the baseline vibrational characteristics at the quantum level of specific neural clusters within the subjects' cerebral cortexes.
This alteration theoretically made it easier for them in the future to resonate with the controlled synthetic psychic fields potentially generated by Barrier Tech equipment, rather than directly prying into Warp energy.
The impact of this intervention at the soul level was controlled to an absolute minimum. It barely increased the individual's "brightness" within the Warp; it merely created an incredibly subtle "polarization" directed at a specific frequency upon their already relatively "dim" soul structures granted by the Cloneskein technology.
Under the current monitoring equipment, this change only manifested as an extremely faint amplification in the amplitude of brainwaves in certain specific frequency bands, falling entirely within the normal physiological fluctuation range of ordinary humans.
Had Ryo not pre-set an extremely precise algorithm specifically to capture this signal, it would never have been discovered at all.
The entire foundational modulation cycle lasted for about seventy-two standard hours.
During this period, based on the real-time feedback of individual discrepancy data, Ryo fine-tuned the vector injection rates or auxiliary energy field parameters for a small number of subjects. This ensured that all thirty experimental units could develop stably along the pre-set enhancement path, minimizing individual deviations to the greatest extent.
When the pre-set modulation cycle ended, the injection of the vector solutions automatically ceased, and the auxiliary energy fields enveloping the operating platforms also quietly deactivated.
The subjects were transferred to dedicated recovery observation rooms, the effects of the sedatives gradually wearing off.
They successively woke from the haze. The first thing their consciousness captured was an intense hunger originating from deep within their cells, as if every corner of their bodies was thirsting for energy.
Immediately following that was a bizarre sensation of lightness and power, as if an invisible, burdensome weight they had worn for years had finally been lifted.
(End of Chapter)