Reading settings
Chapter 198: Birth!!!
"I have one more question. Do Kryptonians have souls? Those Kryptonians whose life paths were set long before they were even born, do they even deserve to have souls?" Tony asked, still unconvinced.
The Ancient One simply gave a light smile. With a wave of her hand, the entire scene vanished as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
They were back in the same quaint room, one in white, one in black. The two of them sat across from each other at a table, the refreshing aroma of tea wafting between them.
Tony felt a surge of irritation for no reason. No answer was the best answer.
The answer to the Ancient One's question was already clear: first there is life, then there is a soul.
Clones were clear proof. First they have a body, and then a soul is born. The soul then further gives rise to the most primitive wisdom and consciousness.
And Kryptonians also had their own souls. Even if they were manufactured, with their attributes as tools outweighing their attributes as 'people', they still had souls.
"Then how did you create the Cloak of Levitation?" Tony asked.
"I created the Cloak of Levitation, and I was the one who bestowed the cloak's soul. But the soul itself was both of my making and not of my making. Tony, you can do so much more, you just haven't figured it out yet."
At some point, the Ancient One had already departed, leaving without a sound. Only Tony remained, sitting there in a daze. The tea gradually grew cold, its warm fragrance gone, leaving only a cool brew.
The Ancient One was very busy. There were a great number of dimensional portals she needed to monitor and countless timelines she needed to observe. Teaching her disciples also took up much of her time.
"First life, then a soul. But how on earth do I create Transformer life from scratch?"
Tony racked his brains, deeply troubled.
He could Animate a vast number of Mechs at any time, but could those Mechs be called life? Nonsense. No one would ever consider a bunch of iron lumps that were more like Robots to be life on par with a Human.
The Ancient One had said that life is the greatest and most brilliant miracle in the Universe, and it was absolutely true.
Originally, Tony had thought about creating a soul first, and then reverse-engineering a body that fit the soul based on its principles. After all, the soul was the most complex and mysterious part of any intelligent life.
But that path was a dead end.
He pondered deeply, how could he turn a group of Mechs into life like that of Humans or other creatures?
"A paramecium is also life, but it doesn't deserve to have a soul, at least not a complete one. What drives a paramecium is instinct—survival, eating, safety, and so on. They might not even have an emotion like curiosity."
"Perhaps I can take a page from the Kryptonians... They abandoned inefficient natural reproduction in favor of using Incubation Chambers to mass-produce infants artificially. As the infants took form, they were infused with knowledge related to their professions. Based on societal needs, every infant's future was determined the moment it was born: worker, soldier, scientist, General..."
Tony beckoned, and the mobile phone and other devices in the room transformed into Small Transformers, hopping and skipping over to him. This so-called hopping and skipping was, frankly, just him consciously manipulating them out of boredom.
Looking at these fully-featured Transformers, Tony fell into deep thought. Under his control, these little guys hopped around him. One by one, he imagined the Transformers as Humans, their forms gradually filling out as if metal had turned to flesh and blood.
His staring, unfocused gaze remained unchanged. Suddenly, a thought like a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
"The most primitive state of a Human is a fertilized egg, a fertilized egg containing all of a Human's Genetic Information! Theoretically, a fertilized egg that could be destroyed with a single breath holds nearly all the Genetic Information of the human race, passed down through generations. Humans came from nothing because of this method of inheriting Genetic Factors..."
"Then, what my Transformers are missing is something like that 'fertilized egg,' the most primitive driving force that allows them to form a body... My Transformers lack a Totipotent Cell like a fertilized egg, or rather, an omnipotent source, a library of Genetic Factors containing infinite possibilities!"
Like a clap of thunder, Tony's mind roared, and his eyes instantly lit up.
Because he already possessed this thing that held the primitive driving force for growth, this thing that was a potential library of possibilities!
"The Allspark, my Allspark! The Allspark in my brain is the Core that can divide into Totipotent Cells, because my Allspark itself is an unconventional 'Totipotent Cell'! It's the Totipotent Cell for Transformers!"
Like lightning tearing through the gloom, Tony's expression became ecstatic, his eyes shining with a frightening brightness. For a long time, he had been caught in a terrible misconception. He had once been convinced that directly animating Mechs was a dead end and that trying to figure out the soul first was the right way. Otherwise, the construction of Cybertron would be a distant dream.
Was he supposed to build a Cybertron where he was the only Human resident?
The Ancient One's words echoed in his ears: You possess the Allspark, a physical manifestation of mysterious energy that has captured the very rules of existence. There is no need for you to try and artificially create a soul.
"The secret of life was hidden within me all along, yet I wanted to discard life and study the soul first... It would have been a miracle if I'd ever figured that out..."
Tony stretched out his arms and gathered all the Mini-bots into his embrace, studying them closely while excitedly contemplating how to cultivate life.
Transformers were certainly not as fragile as human infants. He just needed to figure out the difference between life and non-living matter.
Looked at this way, the decision to split the Allspark to create the 'Core Module' couldn't have been more correct. Each Core Module was like a Totipotent Cell, carrying its own independent, infinite potential.
Each Totipotent Cell symbolized a life of infinite possibilities!
"I think I get it. Every Core Module that was split off is an 'Allspark.' The Allspark in my brain is the source, and the separated Allsparks bring life, just as I directly use my Allspark to Animate Mechs, giving them all sorts of forms they never had before... Then, the separated Allsparks should also be able to... give the Transformers something else they lack..."
Core Module, no, it should be called an Allspark. After a flurry of activity from Tony, a small Allspark was inserted into a Mini-bot's chest. Tony closed his eyes and, in the boundless darkness, felt the faint but real Allspark before him.
Compared to the source in his mind, that Allspark was extremely faint, but that little point of light was the spark of life. It was like when Primitive Humans tentatively picked up torches to drive away beasts, igniting the most brilliant step for the Light of Civilization.
Within the Allspark, Tony contemplated the Creation ability he'd possessed since his Awakening, carefully considering his every past action, every time he used Allspark Energy to Animate Mechs, especially the myriad images of making the Transformers perform various actions.
"The Allspark is the source of everything, the Transformers' version of a 'Totipotent Cell' library, allowing every separated Allspark to activate all of its internal potential and possibilities..."
As if possessed, Tony muttered to himself, his hands never stopping. Under his command, the numerous Small Transformers underwent a dazzling and dizzying series of combinations. A single Allspark, whether it was an illusion or not, was faintly glowing through all the changes.
This was an 'Allspark' that had ignited with wisdom.
Time flew by. The sky gradually dimmed, and the hours slipped away silently, like a meteor leaving a deep trail across the night sky.
With a creak, when a slightly pale and utterly exhausted Tony walked out of the room, everything was self-evident.
Behind Tony, at his feet, a dark, extremely complex-looking little Mini-bot followed his every step. When Tony took a step, it took a step. When Tony stopped, it also stopped, seeming to look up with a hint of confusion.
The long tail swinging behind it, its slender and aesthetically pleasing form, and the strange sounds coming from its mouth all declared to the world that it was a tiny, miniature...
Grimlock
(end of chapter)
"I have one more question. Do Kryptonians have souls? Those Kryptonians whose life paths were set long before they were even born, do they even deserve to have souls?" Tony asked, still unconvinced.
The Ancient One simply gave a light smile. With a wave of her hand, the entire scene vanished as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
They were back in the same quaint room, one in white, one in black. The two of them sat across from each other at a table, the refreshing aroma of tea wafting between them.
Tony felt a surge of irritation for no reason. No answer was the best answer.
The answer to the Ancient One's question was already clear: first there is life, then there is a soul.
Clones were clear proof. First they have a body, and then a soul is born. The soul then further gives rise to the most primitive wisdom and consciousness.
And Kryptonians also had their own souls. Even if they were manufactured, with their attributes as tools outweighing their attributes as 'people', they still had souls.
"Then how did you create the Cloak of Levitation?" Tony asked.
"I created the Cloak of Levitation, and I was the one who bestowed the cloak's soul. But the soul itself was both of my making and not of my making. Tony, you can do so much more, you just haven't figured it out yet."
At some point, the Ancient One had already departed, leaving without a sound. Only Tony remained, sitting there in a daze. The tea gradually grew cold, its warm fragrance gone, leaving only a cool brew.
The Ancient One was very busy. There were a great number of dimensional portals she needed to monitor and countless timelines she needed to observe. Teaching her disciples also took up much of her time.
"First life, then a soul. But how on earth do I create Transformer life from scratch?"
Tony racked his brains, deeply troubled.
He could Animate a vast number of Mechs at any time, but could those Mechs be called life? Nonsense. No one would ever consider a bunch of iron lumps that were more like Robots to be life on par with a Human.
The Ancient One had said that life is the greatest and most brilliant miracle in the Universe, and it was absolutely true.
Originally, Tony had thought about creating a soul first, and then reverse-engineering a body that fit the soul based on its principles. After all, the soul was the most complex and mysterious part of any intelligent life.
But that path was a dead end.
He pondered deeply, how could he turn a group of Mechs into life like that of Humans or other creatures?
"A paramecium is also life, but it doesn't deserve to have a soul, at least not a complete one. What drives a paramecium is instinct—survival, eating, safety, and so on. They might not even have an emotion like curiosity."
"Perhaps I can take a page from the Kryptonians... They abandoned inefficient natural reproduction in favor of using Incubation Chambers to mass-produce infants artificially. As the infants took form, they were infused with knowledge related to their professions. Based on societal needs, every infant's future was determined the moment it was born: worker, soldier, scientist, General..."
Tony beckoned, and the mobile phone and other devices in the room transformed into Small Transformers, hopping and skipping over to him. This so-called hopping and skipping was, frankly, just him consciously manipulating them out of boredom.
Looking at these fully-featured Transformers, Tony fell into deep thought. Under his control, these little guys hopped around him. One by one, he imagined the Transformers as Humans, their forms gradually filling out as if metal had turned to flesh and blood.
His staring, unfocused gaze remained unchanged. Suddenly, a thought like a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
"The most primitive state of a Human is a fertilized egg, a fertilized egg containing all of a Human's Genetic Information! Theoretically, a fertilized egg that could be destroyed with a single breath holds nearly all the Genetic Information of the human race, passed down through generations. Humans came from nothing because of this method of inheriting Genetic Factors..."
"Then, what my Transformers are missing is something like that 'fertilized egg,' the most primitive driving force that allows them to form a body... My Transformers lack a Totipotent Cell like a fertilized egg, or rather, an omnipotent source, a library of Genetic Factors containing infinite possibilities!"
Like a clap of thunder, Tony's mind roared, and his eyes instantly lit up.
Because he already possessed this thing that held the primitive driving force for growth, this thing that was a potential library of possibilities!
"The Allspark, my Allspark! The Allspark in my brain is the Core that can divide into Totipotent Cells, because my Allspark itself is an unconventional 'Totipotent Cell'! It's the Totipotent Cell for Transformers!"
Like lightning tearing through the gloom, Tony's expression became ecstatic, his eyes shining with a frightening brightness. For a long time, he had been caught in a terrible misconception. He had once been convinced that directly animating Mechs was a dead end and that trying to figure out the soul first was the right way. Otherwise, the construction of Cybertron would be a distant dream.
Was he supposed to build a Cybertron where he was the only Human resident?
The Ancient One's words echoed in his ears: You possess the Allspark, a physical manifestation of mysterious energy that has captured the very rules of existence. There is no need for you to try and artificially create a soul.
"The secret of life was hidden within me all along, yet I wanted to discard life and study the soul first... It would have been a miracle if I'd ever figured that out..."
Tony stretched out his arms and gathered all the Mini-bots into his embrace, studying them closely while excitedly contemplating how to cultivate life.
Transformers were certainly not as fragile as human infants. He just needed to figure out the difference between life and non-living matter.
Looked at this way, the decision to split the Allspark to create the 'Core Module' couldn't have been more correct. Each Core Module was like a Totipotent Cell, carrying its own independent, infinite potential.
Each Totipotent Cell symbolized a life of infinite possibilities!
"I think I get it. Every Core Module that was split off is an 'Allspark.' The Allspark in my brain is the source, and the separated Allsparks bring life, just as I directly use my Allspark to Animate Mechs, giving them all sorts of forms they never had before... Then, the separated Allsparks should also be able to... give the Transformers something else they lack..."
Core Module, no, it should be called an Allspark. After a flurry of activity from Tony, a small Allspark was inserted into a Mini-bot's chest. Tony closed his eyes and, in the boundless darkness, felt the faint but real Allspark before him.
Compared to the source in his mind, that Allspark was extremely faint, but that little point of light was the spark of life. It was like when Primitive Humans tentatively picked up torches to drive away beasts, igniting the most brilliant step for the Light of Civilization.
Within the Allspark, Tony contemplated the Creation ability he'd possessed since his Awakening, carefully considering his every past action, every time he used Allspark Energy to Animate Mechs, especially the myriad images of making the Transformers perform various actions.
"The Allspark is the source of everything, the Transformers' version of a 'Totipotent Cell' library, allowing every separated Allspark to activate all of its internal potential and possibilities..."
As if possessed, Tony muttered to himself, his hands never stopping. Under his command, the numerous Small Transformers underwent a dazzling and dizzying series of combinations. A single Allspark, whether it was an illusion or not, was faintly glowing through all the changes.
This was an 'Allspark' that had ignited with wisdom.
Time flew by. The sky gradually dimmed, and the hours slipped away silently, like a meteor leaving a deep trail across the night sky.
With a creak, when a slightly pale and utterly exhausted Tony walked out of the room, everything was self-evident.
Behind Tony, at his feet, a dark, extremely complex-looking little Mini-bot followed his every step. When Tony took a step, it took a step. When Tony stopped, it also stopped, seeming to look up with a hint of confusion.
The long tail swinging behind it, its slender and aesthetically pleasing form, and the strange sounds coming from its mouth all declared to the world that it was a tiny, miniature...
Grimlock
(end of chapter)
