The Martial Unity

“It wasn’t easy figuring out how the seed uses this life equation to actually terraform the equation,” the Divine Doctor remarked. “But things became evidently clear when you look at this…”

He shifted the projection to that of a three-dimensional animation, one that showed a strange interaction between the primordial seed and the life equation. It showed the primordial seed interacting with the life equation, absorbing the information.

“As you have experienced yourself, pluripotent exotic matter has an… unusual relationship with information,” the Divine Doctor remarked. “The relationship between pluripotent exotic matter and information is the key to the method of cosmic reproduction of the gargantians.”

Rui remembered his battle with the embodiment of the Noosphere. It was a truly fantastical battle that felt out of place in a reality with laws of physics and causality.

However, such was the nature of pluripotent exotic matter.

Its wave function was the equivalent of a variable in a computer system, which could be filled with any value. And it obtained its information from its surroundings. That was why when pluripotent exotic matter touched a substance, it immediately adopted its information, because it adopted the wave function of the substance, and more.

“We believe that when the seed is planted into a native homeworld,” the Divine Doctor continued. “The pluripotent matter rapidly begins absorbing information from its new environment as well as from the life equation.”

“So you’re telling me the information… ‘mixes’?” Rui frowned.

“Not quite,” the Informationalist continued from there. “The reality is that the information doesn’t mix. The life equation is merely a very complex mathematical algorithm. So when the pluripotent exotic matter inherits information from the life equation, it inherits the algorithm, and it process its inevironmental information through that algorithm.”

“And what happens then?”

“We actually tested this hypothetical in practice with Gaian sediment, using samples of primordial seed and some of the information of the seed, and the results are, well, fascinating.” The Divine Doctor shifted the projection to that of a microscopic feed of pluripotent exotic matter as it absorbed the information from Gaian soil and Gargantian seed it was present in.

The pluripotent exotic matter first adopted the wave function of many chemical compounds, most of which were organic, albeit some of which were esoteric matter.

Then, as it absorbed more information, the organic compounds rapidly began reacting with each other, forming more complex chemical compounds and more complex structures until.

Rui’s eyes widened. “Is that… a microbe?”

It was irrefutable. The chemical compounds formed a spherical structure, one that was as small as the bacteria of the deep biosphere in Gaia, made up of an entirely different kind of biochemical form of memory and metabolism, even if centered around carbon.

“Yes,” the Divine Doctor remarked. “We conducted simulations of how these microbes would act in Gaia if implanted in her and…”

BZZZT

The screen shifted to feature a simulation displaying a rapidly changing and terraforming Gaia as the microbes, marked by a specific color, proliferated across her entire body, completely infesting and seizing control of the geochemistry of the planet.

“This… this resembles the alien virus,” Rui realized. “The gargantians reproduce in a method that is similar to that of the alien virus, even if not as efficient.”

The alien virus had managed to infect much of the universe, based on intel from the laminar civilization. The same couldn’t be said for the gargantians, because they had only become the dominant power in one star strand in one galaxy.

“Based on the projections of our simulation, these terraforming bacteria could rapidly change Gaia entirely in less than a year with absolutely no additional energy supply,” the Divine Doctor remarked knowingly. “It absorbs energy from the planet’s core to subvert the planet, and it uses the planet’s own composition to consume, reproduce, and exponentially accelerate the terraforming of the planet. And, out of curiosity, I studied the chemical composition of the bacteria, and interestingly enough…”

He showed Rui a diagram documenting the information stored in the chemical structure of the terraforming bacteria. It had information stored in its chemistry and molecular structure.

Just like the method innovated by Anthea to pass on his memories.

“So that’s how the bacteria know what to do,” Rui realized, each bacterium contains a part of the life equation, and that allows them to terraform Gaia to exactly the desired output.”

It was a truly ingenious contraption that showed that one didn’t need massive, tedious, and immobile planetary engine that required tremendous amounts of energy and time to terraform of a planet.

The bacterial solution was orders of magnitude superior to anything that they had currently, including from the elves and the dwarves.

“How quickly can we recreate this method for Gaia?” Rui demanded to know with an enthusiastic tone of voice. “What progress have we made?”

Now, it was Julian’s turn.

“I have devised a hybridized chemical fabricator,” he remarked, pulling up a three-dimensional blueprint of what resembled a pyramid upside down in an isolated chamber. This device can ‘print’ chemicals and have them store information in the same manner that these bacteria possess. As long as somebody can provide me with a life equation of Gaia as well as samples of the target world, then it should theoretically be possible for me to create bacteria that serve the same purpose as this model.”

“Can’t we just use a primordial seed like the gargantians?” Rui raised an eyebrow at his older brother.

Julian shook his head. “We could, but their understanding of primordial matter is greater than ours. And also, it’s a waste of primordial seed. Why use such a priceless resource when we can do the same with regular chemicals?”

That was a sensible counterpoint. It would be much less resource-intensive to have pioneers into interstellar space gather samples of the target world, send them back home to create a customized Gaian seed that would rapidly terraform the planet without needing expensive material resources.

“Brilliant,” Rui nodded with approval. “Refine and finish this invention as soon as possible, and then mass-produce it by the hundreds. We will need it. As for the life equation of Gaia…”

His eyes sharpened.

“You have me.”